The Nation July 08, 2012

INSECURITY We need hard work, not good luck –Atiku –Page 5

NEW INSIDE

–Pages 35-38

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

Vol.06, No. 2177

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

SUNDAY

N200.00

JULY 8, 2012

EDO GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION

Security chiefs divided over troop deployment –Page 2

Warn Jonathan of consequences Soldiers in ‘show of force’in Benin-City CABINET SHAKE-UP

Jonathan shops for new hands

• Gusau looks set for Defence portfolio as Umar Dangiwa rejects offer –Page 5

• Edo State Governor and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) gubernatorial candidate in next Saturday’s election, Adams Oshiomhole, dancing to the music of singer, Tuface Idibia, during the party’s rally in Benin-City, yesterday.

Gusau

Jos again! 22 killed in fresh attack –Page 4

Dasuki

Jang

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NEWS THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

Edo: Security chiefs divided over troop deployment

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O underline its readiness for next Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State, men of the 4 Brigade Nigeria Army yesterday embarked on a road show in full war regalia, driving through streets of Benin City and other major towns in the state in an operation codenamed “Show of Force”.

The exercise is a followup to the deployment of 3,500 troops on Friday as announced by the Commander of the 4 Brigade, Brigadier-General Abel Umahi. The movement of the soldiers into the state for the elections is, however, said to be causing disquiet among security chiefs.

Umahi had told journalists that the deployment was part of the decisions taken

by Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika to ensure the election was peaceful.

But reliable sources told The Nation on Sunday that Ihejirika was not very comfortable with the deployments as he didn’t want to be sucked into a political tug-of-war. For his part, newly-appointed National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, is said to have warned about the security implications of the deployments, and pointedly said he didn’t want any part of it.

It was gathered that the troops deployed in Edo were sourced from within and from neighbouring states.

• Warn Jonathan of consequences of involving soldiers in civil affairs • Troops in ‘Show of Force’ in Benin-City in Edo South senatorial disBy Our Reporter

The 195 Battalion stationed in Agenegbode is to be reinforced with a company of troops – about 120 from all ranks - from 3 Battalion based in Warri, Delta State.

They will also be joined by about 120 soldiers of different ranks culled from 19 Battalion, Okitipupa. These soldiers will focus on different local governments in the State bar seven critical ones.

To take of care of these

crucial seven local governments are troops deployed from 4 Brigade Garrison/ Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport, Benin-City. They will be joined by elements of the 322 Artillery Regiment, Ekenwan, Benin-City.

Commander of the 4 Brigade, Brigadier-General Umahi, has however, dismissed insinuations that the deployment of soldiers for the election was at the instance of either Governor

Adams Oshiomhole or the PDP candidate, Major-General Charles Airhiavbere (retd) who are leading candidates in the election.

Umahi explained that the “Show of Force” exercise was simply to announce their readiness to enforce law and order and to deliver on President Goodlock Jonathan’s promise to ensure free, fair and credible election in the state.

He noted that more attention will be concentrated

• L.R: Dr. Tunde Bakare, Convener, Save Nigeria Group (SNG),Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, President Campaign for Democracy & Women Arise, Mrs. Hafsat Abiola-Costello, President KIND and Yinka Odumakin, Spokesman,(SNG) at the 14th anniversary remembrance of the death of MKO Abiola yesterday.

trict because of its nature, adding that other security agencies are expected to participate in the pre-election activities.

He said the “Show of Force” was to reassure residents in the state that adequate security has been provided for them to cast their votes without fear.

According to him, “The military is here to do a job of restoring order in Edo State to ensure free, fair and credible election. The soldiers are not at the instance of anybody.

“Remember that before the President came here the other time, he had called the service chiefs and they assured him that there would be peace and tranquility to ensure democracy in this governorship election in Edo State. That is exactly what we are doing to give teeth to the words of Mr. President.

“We want to also warn miscreants to be very far from Edo State otherwise, they will get exactly the trouble they are looking for.”

Investigations have revealed that the PDP aims to execute a three-pronged strategy for Election Day in order to secure an upset victory. At the heart of the plan is vote suppression, voter intimidation and the use of thugs to disrupt voting in critical areas.

Sources told The Nation during the week that in or-

der to stoke up tension, and frighten voters from the polling booths next Saturday, the PDP aims to turn the state into a virtual war zone through deployment and redeployment of key army formations and personnel in Edo and surrounding states.

These soldiers will be placed in charge of seven critical local government areas especially in Edo South where the quantum of votes cast could determine the outcome. The calculation is that combat-ready troops driving around in tanks would frighten potential voters and cause them to remain indoors thereby disenfranchising a large number. Depressed voter turnout in the Edo South senatorial district would then be counteracted by normal voter turnout in Edo Central where the PDP retains a measure of support.

In Oshiomhole’s home local government area, Etsako West, and three others, the plan is to deploy thugs to unleash pre-programmed violence that will disrupt the voting process.

Going by precedence, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would then be forced to cancel whatever results emerge from the governor’s stronghold if the mayhem scenario actually plays out.

SEE INSIGHT: ‘BATTLE FOR EDO STATE’ PAGES 23, 26 & 67 FOR MORE REPORTS.

Wait after voting, Tinubu, Ngige, Akande, Oyegun tell Edo

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ATIONAL Leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have urged electorate in Edo State to wait after voting at next Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

They urged the electorate to monitor the results of the election from the polling units to collation centres and keep vigil until the final results are announced.

This is coming as men of the 4 Brigade Nigeria Army yesterday embarked on a road show in full war regalia through streets of Benin City and major towns in the state in an operation codename “Show of Force”.

The ACN leaders were in Edo State for the grand finale campaign rally of the ACN for the re-election of Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

National Leader of ACN and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu said next week’s election affords the people opportunity to vote for a bright future for their children.

From Osagie Otabor , Benin

Tinubu said the ACN administration has fulfilled its electoral promises by dealing with flooding problems, provision of good education and development.

He urged the people to vote for progress and use their ballot papers to answer questions a candidate of a political party failed to answer at the Governorship debate.

His words, “The PDP umbrella has torn. Knock on the door of your neighbour and tell them to vote ACN. PDP has nothing to show. They will raise alarm about a bomb. Do not be afraid. They don’t want you to come out and vote.

Jobs will come, more schools will be built.”

Governor of Lagos State , Babatunde Fashola in his speech urged the people to renew their social contracts with the ACNled administration on July 14.

He said, “You have seen the results of your sweats four years ago. They will come with all promises

but do not believe them.

PDP government was a failure in this state even at the federal level. Collect their money because it is subsidy money but vote for ACN”.

Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi urged the people to use July 14 to fight for progress, justice, equity and progress. He advised the people against selling their voter’s cards.

On his part, Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola said what is important on July 14 is for the people to defend their vote and fight the conspiracy against Governor Oshiomhole.

He said, “Use your voting power to frustrate their conspiracy. You must stand at the collation centre and tell them that if they announced contrary results, heaven will fall.”

Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun said Governor Oshiomhole’s projects were already doing the campaigns.

Former Governor of Anambra State , Senator Chris Ngige said the ACN would not go to court to

challenge election results, pointing out that the ballot boxes are the court.

Former PDP governorship aspirant, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, who recently joined the ACN said there was nothing new about the PDP in the country. He noted that Oshiomhole has performed what the PDP could not do in the country.

Former Governor of Edo State , John Oyegun said Governor Oshiomhole has already provided promises made by other candidates.

Governor Oshiomhole in his speech said Governor Liyel Imoke lacked morality to campaign for the PDP in the state. According to him, Governor Imoke brought darkness to the country when he (Imoke) was the Minister of Power, adding that PDP is not working in Cross River under him.

Governor Oshiomhole said it was laughable that the PDP alleged he built schools and hospitals with counterpart funding from the federal government when they fail to collect the

funds for 10 years.

He said he was seeking re-election to restore the lost glory of the state and make it compete with Lagos State.

Governor Oshiomhole urged the people not to be afraid of the presence of soldiers as according to him, ‘they are here to provide security’.

The campaign rally was attended by ACN members in the National and State Assemblies and entertainment was provided by Tu-face Idibia, Ambassador Osayomore Joseph and other artistes.

Bomb scare at Lagos airport HERE was panic at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Lagos over a possibility of bomb explosion as security officials mounted a road block to screen vehicles entering into the airport.

Amongst the security personnel were officials of the Anti-Bomb squad, the Police and FAAN security

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By Kelvin Osa. Okunbor

operatives. Security men were seen using several bomb detectors to screen all the vehicles entering into the airport.

The situation gave room for a build-up of traffic as vehicular movement became very slow at the airport.

Speaking on telephone, Head of Public

Affairs of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Akin Olukunle said that FAAN has started its regular security checks at the airport aimed at ensuring that the airport was always safe.

He said “Due to the security situation in the country at the moment, we always carry out routine checks.”

Column

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

Coping with Kolonic Entropy

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RAGEDY enacted as communal farce is finally upon us. There is something about contemporary Nigerians which reminds one of the inhabitants of the biblical Jewish town of Galatia. As each new day brings about even more outlandish revelations of a determined onslaught on the most sacred covenant between the ruled and their rulers, we have all been reduced to the status of a willing cast in a Travelling Theatre of torrid absurdities. Who would ever have believed that this macabre national horror show was ever possible in Nigeria? But here we are!

In The Cancer Ward, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s classic about life in post-revolution Soviet, a character observes: “There can be no greater affliction than for a doctor to suffer an affliction in his area of specialization”. Imagine, then, dear readers, the fate of a social scientist or political theorist who is concerned with the order and pattern of human existence as lived in ordered and patterned societies being trapped in the postcolonial hell of contemporary Nigeria.

How will he cope? Will he join in the mass hysteria of the National Theatre of screaming and forgetting? Or will he opt for internal self-exile, the selfdeportation to the autonomous zone of self-consumption that is the lot of the unhappy consciousness in the Age of Anxiety?

But just what is Kolonic Entropy? Entropy is the theory of how fast things can get messy and disorganised. Kolonic Entropy is the theory of how fast things can get messy in a former colony slouching towards a complete and irreversible institutional meltdown. Nothing works and everything does not work. This is because the ailment, contrary to superficial diagnosis, is fundamental and organic. It requires radical surgery in combination with other treatments.

It has been sixteen years since Nigeria lost in an air crash, Claude Ake, a foremost political scientist and original thinker. One of Ake’s most profound observations was the fact that it is impossible to create and nurture democracy among practising non-democrats.

It is like planting cassava and expecting to harvest yam.

It is also a little over twenty years that Thomas Adeoye Lambo, the much revered doyen of postcolonial psychiatry, suggested that aspiring Nigerian leaders must first submit themselves to a psychiatric evaluation. Both observations remain as valid today as when they were originally uttered. In fact, the pathologies have since multiplied. Fourteen years into civil rule, Chief Awolowo’s weighty prognostication that we shall never witness true democracy in our lifetime remains unassailable.

The Nigerian tragedy once again calls into question whether the Black person can successfully do nation-states and whether our phenomenally gifted and enterprising people can ever optimise the immense resources and natural endowments available to them under the externally imposed paradigm of the nation-state.

To be sure, the nation-state paradigm is a potential historic advancement on empires and

S

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nooping around With

Tatalo Alamu

•Lambo

kingdoms. This is because the nation-state template has the capacity to politically transform serfs and slaves into citizens. The right and claims of kings to divine heritage and lineage are curtailed by the rights and claims of citizens to elect their own sovereign and to replace them at will in periodic elections.

The old divine charter of perpetual sovereignty is thrown out to be replaced by a sacred covenant that allows the people to replace their rulers once the charter is breached. These epic and phenomenal changes in modern society are wrought not because the rulers love changes but in spite of themselves.

In many countries, it has taken revolutions, violent upheavals, momentous uprisings, social concussions and convulsions to consummate. The tree of liberty is watered by the blood of heroic freedom fighters. It is only in Nigeria that people believe that you can have omelette without breaking eggs.

Virtually all the institutions inherited from our colonial masters are so thoroughly debased and deformed that they have become a sick joke. Just take a look at the postcolonial state in Nigeria, the

executive, the political elite, the legislature and the judiciary. The degeneracy of these vital institutions is so complete and mutually reinforcing that there hardly exists a possibility of redemption.

Yet it is not as if these institutions, or some variants of them, did not exist in pre-colonial African societies. The old African state, as encapsulated in the empire or kingdom paradigm of territorial administration, functioned and performed with efficiency in its precolonial dominion. In some of these old empires, the old state with its ideological apparatuses achieved a measure of sophistication and rationality that was the envy of many western societies.

As far back as the fifteenth century, the Benin Empire and the Itsekiri Kingdom exchanged envoys with the Portuguese Imperial Court. Early last century, the Egba city-state solved the problem of armed robbery, corruption and sanitation with clinical efficiency. In fact when the Portuguese adventurers arrived at the old African Kongo kingdom around the middle of the fifteenth century, they met a society vastly superior in its intricate and relatively progressive social network to the rudimentary feudal

set up they left at home.

But it was too good to be true.

The intruders loitered around to make contact with the mighty army of the mighty kingdom. Alas, the emperor had no clothes on. The mighty kingdom had no commensurate firepower to back up its sophisticated society. Within a decade, the empire was decimated and virtually all the inhabitants captured and transported as slaves to the new colony of Brazil through the slave port of Luanda. The original empire was to suffer three different types of colonial rationalization with the French, the Belgians and the Portuguese helping themselves to the territorial loot.

As it was with the old Kongo kingdom, so it may well be with the modern Nigerian nation. If care is not taken, the fate of Nigeria will be worse than the fate of the old Kongo.

As anarchy consolidates its grips on the nation, the Nigerian project has reached a critical conjuncture.

The nation has become a helpless pawn in a play of giants. Even the fabled cat has a finite existence.

The inability of the political elite to consolidate the struggle against colonialism with the struggle for the political and economic empowerment of the emergent Nigerian national has opened the backdoor to hostile disruptive forces bent on re-creating Nigeria in their own image. The Boko Haram scourge is a classic example of how to destroy the existing template of weak nationhood by a resort to theocratic violence. Backed by shadowy anti-western forces that have successfully infiltrated and penetrated the North African subcontinent, it is going to be a hard slog to bring these religious fundamentalists to heel.

As central authority dissolves in a historic scramble for the national Exchequer, as the north of the nation implodes in ethnic, religious and economic strife, it is difficult to see how acceptable elections can be held under the prevailing circumstances. As we have seen, while elections do not resolve national conflicts in a dysfunctional nation, they tend to exacerbate the National Question.

In any case, with so many of the pan-Nigerian products of past elections on glittering parade at the National Assembly, a man has to

be a glutton for punishment to root for more futile elections as the panacea to a consuming national tragedy. The Nigerian seloctorate have given the electorate a very bad name indeed.

What then is to be done in the face of implosion starring us in the face? Much will still depend on the state despite its parlous and stricken state. As it is today, the Nigerian post-colonial state is so completely criminalised, so thoroughly depraved that it would make ancient kleptocracies a viable form of government. Nobody believes in the pompous homilies of major state actors any more. Their pious pronouncements are the stuff of a sick joke in a sick national drama.

The state has lost its fundamental raison d’Åtre. It can no longer provide physical, political, economic and religious security for the citizens. It has some legitimacy left, being a product of a passable election, but its authority has vanished having lost the struggle for the state monopoly of the instrument of coercion. Its diktat is treated with routine contempt by the Boko Haram insurgents.

Its conventional forces have been bloodied and bludgeoned by an elusive religious outfit waging a vicious unconventional war.

This is the time for those who have been manipulating the succession mechanism in Nigeria to foist weak and uninspiring leaderships on the nation and those who want to vaporize the nation because they believe that the presidency is their birthright to appreciate the millennial mayhem they have brought on this nation. The Black soul will not forgive them and generations of their family.

Goodluck Jonathan should now deploy whatever remains of government legitimacy to stave off an imminent meltdown. As a first step, he should immediately disband the scandal-fatigued Federal Executive Council and put in place a pan-Nigerian Emergency National Government. Thereafter, he should, post-haste, initiate a gathering of all pan-Nigerian stakeholders to commence a national dialogue on what to do with a stricken nation.

Okon holds a ball for Adams

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ITH the historic victory of Adams Aliu Oshiomhole in the gubernatorial ping-pong at Edo state, Okon has worked himself into a state of frenzy, hewing and hawing about the last days of oppressors in Nigeria and an approaching democratic tsunami. “Na only 150 families dey trouble 150 million people for dis yeye Obodo and we don compile dem list,” Okon thundered, shivering with impotent fury.

At the height of his lunacy, the mad boy appeared one morning in snooper’s room dressed like a star footballer and holding a giant football. Snooper stared at the apparition in

wonderment and consternation.

“Oga, I come take permit make I reach Bafa City. Dem dey do ball for my paddy man, Adams”, the mad boy crooned.

“Is that right?” snooper asked with a sleepy yawn.

“Oga, na true true. My people already dey there. Na my man Asiwaju go play central defender, you know dat one na Ajantala warrior, na real atarodo. Baba Akande go play for outside left, make he just dey crush dem bone.

My friend Lucky with him yanmuyanmu moustache go dey for post. Make him just dey vibrate him Samanja moustache and dem player go piss.

Exemption na sweeper, make him just dey sweep dem rubbish.

Adams go be attacking defender like dem Junior boy for Brazil.

Tom Ikimi go dey reserve, make him dey smoke him pabambari cigar for dem bench…”

“Okon, you are just a fool and an illiterate”, snooper screamed at the mad boy in exasperation and exhaustion. “A ball is a party, a great bash”. “ Oga you see now, na dem asinwin protocol people wan put me for disgrace? Dem say come for state ball. Na god go catch dem papa dem balls. You see Osunbor people dem still dey for dat place. He come plant him spies and spiders for dem place. I go reach Baba Ijanikin make him go flit dem yeye ebora from dem place.”

“So how are you going to reach Benin City?”, snooper asked cutting through Okon’s insensate ranting.

“Ha Oga dat one dey easy. I go take Armels reach Agbanikaka where I go whack pounded yam and grass cutter.

Then I go take Gaiser or trailer reach Oluku junction. From there I go take Okada reach Benin. Then I go take tuketuke reach dem state house. I fit reach Mission Road sef to see Salome my woman who dey cook Alligator pepper soup for me when I be apprentice vulcaniser for Igbanke and Afuze”.

At this point, snooper shut his door against the mad boy.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

News

•L-R: Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, ACN Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole at the Edo rally, yesterday.

•L-R: Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, his Ogun State counterpart, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Dr. Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), ACN National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu

•L-R: Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, his Osun State counterpart, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, ACN National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Chief Tom Ikini and Sir Victor Uwaifo

• Tinubu stumps for Oshiomhole at the campaign rally in Benin ahead of next Saturday's elections.

Jos again! 22 killed in fresh attack • Police evacuate women, children • Over 1000 residents displaced

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N attack similar to that of Dogo Nahawa in 2010 was staged before dawn in Gashish District, Barkin Ladi Local government area of Plateau State where nine villages were invaded by unknown gunmen.

The casualties included mostly women, children and the aged.

The gun men were said to have divided themselves into five groups with each group taking on one village.

With this strategy, five villages were attacked at the same time, while total numbers of villages attacked according to source are nine.

Villages attacked are Kakuruk, Kuzen Ngyo, Kogoduk, Ruk, Dogo, Nyar etc Eye witness said the gunmen were dressed in bullet-proof vest in military camouflage.

A mobile policeman whose name cannot be ascertained immediately and a member of the Special Task Force (STF) was said to have lost his life in the attack.

Many in Barkin Ladi are suspecting the attack was backed by military due to the tactics used by the attackers as well as the weapon used.

Michael Dadu said, “I saw the attackers, I can’t explain how I escaped, they killed three members of vigilante group of the village who tried to repel them.

They were in military uniform, the type used by the STF and they escaped before the mobile police came in” Sources said the police

From Yusufu Aminu Idegu and Marie-Therese Nanlong

had to evacuate hundreds of women and children from Nyar village over fear that the attackers might return at night. One of the police who would not want to be named said, “What is happening here is beyond our power, we don’t have enough men to protect all the villages, so we have to evacuate people from some villages to the local government headquarters so that we have fewer villages to keep vigil, because we don’t know what may happen at night” Dadu said, “The recent attacks twice in a week is strategic, my mind is telling me that the attack has to be sustained so that Plateau State will be counted among crisis states. The last state of emergency just expired and is been reviewed for extension or suspension.

“There has been peace in Barkin Ladi, since the last four months, why the attacks, why now, something is happening somewhere and these attacks are staged to achieve a purpose” Dadu said.

An Ibo trader in Barkin Ladi, Uche Timothy said, “I can’t imagine what is happening here, last Tuesday we heard some armed Fualni killed a MOPOL attached to the STF, the soldiers pursued them to their villages but the attackers escaped and the STF allegedly set their houses ablaze.

“Last Wednesday

youths of Barkin Ladi staged a peaceful demonstration to show their displeasure over the ineffectiveness of the STF. The demonstration did not lead to any violence, but Friday night some armed men invaded so many communities with guns and a lot of people were killed” A victim undergoing treatment at the Barkin Ladi General Hospital, Serah Dauda said, “While the attack was on at night, no soldier came to our rescue and they are everywhere in Barkin Ladi, it was the mobile police that came to help the people, this made us suspect the soldiers have a hand in this very attack” A man who lost his wife

in the attack, Abel Dangyang said, “I don’t see the value of the soldier said to be posted to restore peace, this is frustrating, we sent distress calls to the STF since 4am after our escape, but the soldiers never came until the attackers achieved what they wanted. Can you imagine the STF helicopter came to Barkin Ladi by 9:30am long after the attackers had finished their business and fled?”

Member representing Barkin Ladi in the Plateau State House of Assembly, Gyang Fulani said, “Nine villages in my constituency were attacked simultaneously by unknown gunmen.

I’m yet to get any detail from security agencies, but my

people told me the gunmen were armed with sophisticated weapon and invaded the people in their sleep. I have confirmed nine people killed in Kakuruk village, another eight were killed in Ruk. These are the ones I saw with my eyes, there could be more, the security agencies will give the confirmed figures because I saw them collecting information right there, though people complained they came too late to the scene.”

Both Police and the STF were unable to issue statement on the attack in Barkin Ladi, as at 6pm yesterday, the police spokesman said, “See my friend, I can’t confirm any casualty now our men and the police commissioner himself are still in the battle front, it is a serious case, I can’t give you any in-

• Women and children who fled their homes after the attack in Barkin Ladi, yesterday

formation now” As at 7pm, the STF spokesman Captain Salisu Mustapher said on phone,”The STF has been able to control the situation, we are just returning from the scene, we will issue statement later, just give us time.”

Fulani, the law maker from Barkin Ladi said, “My constituency is under siege, and we have no protection here, the STF here are not helping us, I have raised this concern several times, yet the federal government has not proffer solution other than imposing state of emergency in Barkin Ladi without any form of reinforcement. I am thinking of taking my case to the international community for help.

“I can confirm that even the soldiers here are part of our problem, we can do without them since they are incapable of preventing attacks and this magnitude of casualties, then why are they here?”

Chairman of Barkin Ladi LGA, Emmanuel Loman said, “When I got the alert of the attack 5:30am, this morning (Satruday), I called the STF and they told me they were coming, I waited for hours for them, it was the MOPOL that came promptly and I went with them to the scene and what I saw were butchered bodies of victims and burnt houses, ten villages were attacked and most of their houses razed.

“The information I am getting from Maseh village bordering Riyom LGA, about 30 people were killed there. From some of the attacked villages police are still searching the bush and picking corpses, so the casualty figure is going to be higher after all.”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

News

INSECURITY: We need hard work, not good luck –Atiku

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RESIDENTIAL aspirant and former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has said that the country does not need ‘’goodluck’’ but “hard work and prayer” to overcome the present security and political challenges facing the nation.

Speaking yesterday as the special guest of honour at the 13th Speech and Prize Giving day of EL-Amin International School Minna owned by the late former first lady, Maryam Babangida, he admitted that though the country is passing through a trying period, ‘’Nigerians

From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

must learn to stay on course’’.

The Turakin Adamawa, while speaking on the current insecurity and political situations in the country said they are challenges that would require more than “good luck” to surmount.

Though luck has a role to play in human affairs, he was quick to stress that, ‘’you do not sit and wait for luck to smile on you, you have to work hard’’.

Addressing the graduating students in a paper he titled, ‘’Imperatives of stay-

Cabinet shake-up: Jonathan shops for new hands

ing on course’’, the former Presidential aspirant recalled that as a student he never relied on “good luck” to overcome academic challenges but attributed his successes to hard work and prayers.

Observers would be whether the former Vice president who kept harping on the word “good luck” was indirectly harping on it because of the rhyme with the president’s first name. Atiku then told the students that their graduation marks the beginning of a more challenging phase in the journey of life.

He emphasised ‘’Whether you are going on life’s journey

by rail, by road, sea or by air you are likely to experience difficult challenges but you need to stay focus and stay on course’’.

The former vice president whose speech drew ovation from the audience, which included former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida and members of the National Assembly, went on memory lane, saying, ‘’I used to have a teacher in secondary school, when we are going into the examination hall and people say “good luck” he will say no! no!! No good luck but you must work hard to overcome challenges.’’

He reminded the graduat-

ing students that obstacles are inevitable in human life, maintaining that there is no journey of life without obstacles, but advised that they should not allow situations to throw them off the course.

Atiku then commended the foresight of the founder of the school, the late Mrs. Maryam Babangida for establishing the school, describing the legacy she left as an inestimable value for generations of Nigerians that would have been educated in the school in the years, saying, ‘’graduates of this great school would become key human resources for the country.”

• Gusau looks set for Defence portfolio as Umar Dangiwa shuns public office.

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ARRING last minute change of mind, President Goodluck Jonathan may soon drop some ministers following an assessment of their performance.

The President is, however, keeping members of his cabinet in suspense over the imminent shake-up to avoid pressure.

It was learnt that the President has begun discussion with some Nigerians he might bring into the cabinet to revitalise it.

Former National Security Adviser, Gen. Aliyu Gusau was said to have accepted to serve as the Minister of Defence if given.

One of the speculated candidates for Defence portfolio, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, had allegedly foreclosed occupying public office since last year.

It was gathered that there is preference for Gusau than a retired Intelligence Officer in the Nigerian Army, Gen. Halilu Akilu.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the President has concluded plans to effect changes in his cabinet following a recent assessment of his ministers.

According to findings, the President is keeping his ministers in suspense to avoid pressure from lobbyists.

Although the President had initially opted for a minor cabinet reshuffle, a reliable source said the tone has changed to a ‘strategic’ shake-up.

It was unknown last night how many ministers in the remaining 41-man cabinet would be affected.

The source added: His body language appears as if he will not effect any change but the reality is that some cabinet members will be dropped.

“Jonathan has his own independent assessment of ministers. He knows those who are hard-working and the lazy ones. During his recent media chat, he alluded to the ministerial briefing held by ministers.

“The President is shop-

From: Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

ping for fresh hands and he has opened up discussions with a few talented Nigerians that might come on board.

“Some ministers who are used to the President’s style do not want to be caught unawares; they have intensified lobbying to remain in the cabinet.

“But the President has kept his game plan secret and he might unfold it soon.”

On the choice of Defence Minister, the source added: “I think Gusau might clinch it because this experienced General has accepted to serve his nation.

“It is left to the President to make up his mind on Gusau among other choices available to him.”

Another source claimed that former Governor of Kaduna State, Col. Umar Dangiwa appears not interested in serving the government in any capacity.

The source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Actually Dangiwa was offered the post of Defence Minister last year by the presidency but he rejected it. He has been telling his friends associates that ‘I am running away from public office, I want to be on my own.”

•Former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, flanked by Gov. Peter Obi (right) and Bishop Albert Fasina of Ijebu Ode during the launching of Loyola Jesuit University in Lagos on Friday

Declare Abiola president posthumously, Soyinka, CD urge Jonathan

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OBEL Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to declare the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the late Chief M.K.O Abiola the posthumous status of an elected former president.

In a statement in Lagos yesterday to mark the 14th anniversary of the death of Abiola , Soyinka also criticized the renaming of the University of Lagos by President Jonathan, describing it as a “dubious renaming ceremony which has generated needless and distracting controversies.”

Reminding former and current elected public office

By Remi Adelowo

holders they are permanently indebted to Abiola for the supreme sacrifice he paid for the restoration of democratic rule in the country, Soyinka added that while the country is still battling with the consequences of denying Abiola his place in history, now is the time to restore the truth and redress history.

While paying tributes to the martyr of democracy as having “proved himself as a personification of rare political courage”, Soyinka added, “M.K.O Abiola was the nation’s elected president. Let that fact be enshrined in a nation’s record, then we would have em-

Corps members protest, seek redeployment from Plateau

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OME of the National Youth Service Corps members deployed to Plateau State yesterday embarked on a protest at the Plateau State temporary Orientation Camp at Zang Commercial School, Bukuru, near Jos. They protested the delay in getting the forms which would facilitate their redeployment after the three weeks orientation.

The corps members who apparently did not get the right directive about the issuance of the forms waylaid the visiting Director-Gen-

From Marie-Therese Nanlong

eral of the Scheme, Brig-Gen Nnamdi Okore-Affia, who was at the camp to see to their security and welfare.

They chanted songs and demanded their immediate redeployment.

Before the protest, the DG had appreciated the corps members’ courage in coming to the North-Central State, and promised them that their safety would be guaranteed. He advised them to adhere strictly to the security tips given to them.

Okore-Affia told the corps members that those who want redeployment should follow due process by filling the forms for their documents and allowances to be sent to their states of choice as this could not be done verbally.

After addressing the corps members and giving them their welfare packages, the DG left the hall to address the security personnel on camp only to be accosted with corps members chanting “give us our forms, we want to go, we can’t serve here”.

barked on one of the tributaries to the amplitude of true national reconciliation.”

The Nobel Laureate, who described former elected presidents and successive governments as “compulsive deniers who cannot recognize and acknowledge the truth”, for their failure to honour Abiola after his death, called on President Jonathan to “exercise a fraction of his exemplary courage, and reestablish Abiola, albeit posthumously as Nigeria’s democratically elected president.”

Also in the same vein, the Campaign for Democracy has called on Nigerians to demand the official recognition for the late Abiola as a former president.

In a statement in Lagos yesterday by its president, Dr. Joe-Okei-Odumakin, (CD), among other demands, called on the Federal Government to gazette the June 12, 1993 election results as belatedly declared by Professor Humphrey Nwosu and that the portrait of Abiola should be displayed among past Nigerian presidents and Heads of State.

Other demands include the setting up of a judicial commission of enquiry to investigate how Abiola died in detention, while President Jonathan should give effect to the resolution of the past Senate that the Abuja National Stadium be named af-

5

Man caught ‘planting’ bomb in Jos • Police detonate two 35 year old man was caught while trying to plant a bomb at an Islamic School in Bukuru, Jos South local government area of Plateau State.

The police moved in immediately to detonate the bomb.

The police also defused another bomb planted in Congo Russia, central area of Jos city.

That brings to six the numbers of bombs planted at different locations in Jos and Riyom in the last thirty days. Besides, about three bomb factories have been discovered and detonated in Jos so far. In spite of that bombs are been discovered in Jos streets now and then.

Members of the community who got hold of the suspect in Bukuru alleged that there were five of them that went to the scene to plant the bomb but were able to grab one of them, while the other four escaped.

The source said, “We were vigilant because we heard rumour of that attacks were been plotted against this community, so at about 10pm Friday night, we saw people strange to us and we monitored their activities.

We later discovered they were about planting an object, so we went after them and we were able to grab one which we handed over to security agencies” At Congo Russia area of Jos North local government another explosion was averted following the discovery of an improvised explosive devise (IEDS) planted in the neighbourhood by suspected terrorist gang.

The Plateau State Police Command in a statement by the Public Relations Officer, DSP Abu Emmanuel, said at about 11pm on Thursday, there was a distress call from the Divisional Police Officer of Nassarawa Gwom about a strange container suspected to be a bomb planted in the area.

“We moved swiftly to the scene to discover it was a bomb and we immediately defused it.

The statement added that Commissioner of police in the state, Dipo Ayeni appreciates and is highly delighted with the manner members of the public reacted to the incident and for notifying the police and called on them to sustain the tempo.

He advised members to report any suspicious movement of criminal elements to security agencies with a view to nip in the bud the criminal activities of terrorist gangs in the state.

The police said, “Yes we are in custody of the suspect who was found allegedly planting bomb in Bukuru, we cannot disclose his name now, we are investigating the matter to know his level of involvement in the crime, so we assumed he is innocent for now”

A

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

News

6

Lagos pastor, Madubuko, loses wife

By Sunday Oguntola

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ENERAL Overseer of the Revival Assembly Lagos, Apostle Anslem Madubuko, yesterday lost his wife, Connie.

Pastor (Mrs.) Connie Madubuko, who was the associate pastor of the church, according to reports, died of cardiac arrest.

The deceased was said to her in the early 50s’.

Madubuko, who is dubbed Nigeria’s gospel ambassador to the East Europe, was out of the country when the sad incident occurred.

Sources close to him said he went on ministerial assignment in Russia.

He was said to be on his way back to the country as at the time of publication.

The National Secretary of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Pastor Wale Adefarasin, described the death as ‘’shocking and sad’’.

Fashola seeks inter-governmental cooperation

Why indigene/settler clause should go, by Yakowa L

By Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf

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ADUNA state governor, Patrick Yakowa, has advocated expulsion of the indigene/settler clause from the constitution.

He spoke while receiving the Yoruba community in the north at the Government House.

Yakowa noted that Northerners have a lot to learn from the Yorubas in terms of religious tolerance, pointing out that steps must be taken to ensure nationality overshadows indigene/

From Tony Akowe, Kaduna

settler syndrome in the country.

According to the governor: “some of us are looking anxiously to the revision of the Nigerian constitution that would soon be embarked upon by the National Assembly and there is no doubt that this is one of the issues that should be thrown out such that anybody who has lived in any part of this country for a number of

years becomes automatically an indigene”.

He pointed out that some of the “so called non indigenes” are more passionate and committed to peace and development in Kaduna State than some indigenes.

He stated: “we are going to work together to reverse this trend in Kaduna State”.

The governor assured that his administration will join hands with all the communities to ensure Kaduna remains the first choice for investors

and all.

The President General of the Yoruba community in the Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Alhaji Ganiyu Ogunyoyinbo, expressed sadness over the recent crisis in the state.

He noted: “the so- called non indigenes have a lot of roles to play in ensuring peace in the state and should be carried along in some decisions making especially security issues”.

Ikeja distribution company apologies

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HE management of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IEDC) has apologised to customers supplied power from Oworonsoki injection substation for inability to complete the ongoing rehabilitation work on time.

The Principal Manager, Public Affairs of the company, Mr. Pekun Adeyanju, in a statement attributed the delay to unforeseen technical problems and the current weather condition.

The statement explained: “The work is however being accelerated and will be completed early next week. We, therefore, apologise to our esteemed customers at Oworonsoki village, Gbagada phase I & II , parts of Mushin, Onipanu, WAEC area, Jibowu and Ifako who are currently experiencing load-shedding as a result of the rehabilitation work.

“We assure the customers of improved quality of supply after the completion of the work.

“The rehabilitation work entails complete replacement of obsolete 11kv switchgears and panels at the injection substation.”

Bishop lauds Obi

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HE Anglican Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, Right (Rev) Godwin Okpala, has commended Anambra State Governor Peter Obi for his continued support for the educational attainment of the people across the state.

The cleric made this known at the Carol Standard Convent, Ichi, Ekwusigo Local Government Area, yesterday.

He commended Obi’s political will and courage in returning schools to the church and providing funds and logistics to rebuild them.

He also said that the provision of buses to schools had enhanced movement and academic activities in schools.

Echoing similar sentiments, the traditional ruler of Mbaukwu, Igwe Peter Anugwu, observed that the governor’s handing over of schools to the church has enthroned a new social order in the entire South-East region, which he said will engender a stronger value system.

•From left: Minister of Science, Prof. Ita Ewa; former Senate President, Sen. Ken Nnamani; Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi OkonjoIweala and Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji at the 2nd Prof. Bart Nnaji Biennial lecture at Agbani, Enugu state… yesterday Photo: NAN

Abia ACN gets committees on congresses

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•Welcomes 300 former PDP members

HE Abia state chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has been directed by the national leadership of the party to conduct congresses from ward to state level to elect leaders in the state without further delay.

A congress organising committee headed by the party’s Chairman in Benue State, Comrade Abba Yaro, has been set up.

The National Youth leader of the party, Miriki Ebikibina, will serve as the committee’s secretary.

This is coming on the heels of the defection of some members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the

From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

ACN over the weekend.

The defectors said they took the action because the “PDP lacks democratic principles and practices”.

Numbering over 300, the decampees led by a former Secretary of the PDP in Abia state, Chief Egwuatu Egbulefu, were received by some national officers led by Chief Uche Onyeagocha and Yaro.

Egbulefu, who described the group as the authentic state executives of the PDP, said they left due to “recklessness and undemocratic

method by the national leadership using presidential degree to appoint state leaders”.

He said: “Today, we have decided that we can no longer stand under the shadow of a so-called large umbrella. ‘’This umbrella is torn and

Pregnant woman, man jailed 10 years

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N Umuahia Magistrate Court presided over by Chief Magistrate John Ukpai has sentenced a pregnant woman, Ijeoma Amarachi and her accomplice, Johnson Ndubuisi, to 10 years imprisonment for pouring acid on one Anyalewechi Onwuchekwa.

The court found them

Doctors worried over pregnancy-related deaths

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group of obstetricians serving the global community under the aegis of MaterCare International (MCI) have expressed worry over the needless deaths of women as a result of poor medical care.

They spoke yesterday at the annual medical conference and gala night in Lagos.

Among the issues they address included the re-launch of the maternal protection and

By Rita Ohai

pregnancy safety project.

The project, which will provide essential pre-natal care, skilled attendant delivery, trained mid-wives, essential medications and emergency medical support for its host community will help to stem the rising incidences in maternal and infant mortality.

MCI founder, Dr. Robert Walley, who addressed newsmen observed that: “There is ba-

leprous with non-democracy and so cannot provide democratic dividends for Abians and the country at large.’’

Receiving the new members, Onyeagocha urged them to see themselves as bona fide members of the party and work hard to sweep the PDP away in 2015.

sically a lack of compassion, a conspiracy of silence and an inappropriate reliance on reproductive health abortion and birth control. ‘‘The women who are at risk are poor, young and without a voice to speak out to insist on their right to health care, guaranteed by the United Nation Universal Declaration of Human Rights, except through those who care for the dignity of womanhood.”

From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

guilty of attempted murder.

The convicts and the victim were staff of BAWAS filling station, a division of BAWAS Petroleum Ltd Umuahia.

The prosecution claimed they committed the offence at Bawas Filling Station on September 13, 2008 over a minor quarrel.

In the ruling, Ukpai said his court after reviewing the submissions by the prosecution and defence counsels was convinced that the accused persons committed the offence as charged.

He said: “They are callous and wicked. This type of people should be kept away from the society for some time, as they do not deserve to be in the same environment with decent people, it is possible they could do it again”.

He therefore handed them 10 years imprisonment on each count but stated the sentences are to run concurrently with hard labour.

AGOS State governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, at the weekend impressed the need for the three arms of government to build a synergy of cooperation in order to achieve meaningful democracy.

The governor spoke at the formal opening ceremony of the 8th Lagos State Executive – Legislative Parley with the theme: “Legislative and Administrative Reforms for Social Change”.

He explained that the parley creates a platform to examine how well the government is doing in terms of the policies and programmes of the party.

Fashola affirmed that the parley has helped the state to plan ahead with the communiqués and conclusions reached at each of the parleys, stating that it assisted the State in presenting a well thought out Lagos agenda for the proposed constitutional amendment exercise.

He added that beyond measurable visible results, there are also intangible results such as the breaking down of mistrusts that characterized large organizations that have been achieved through the parley.

The governor explained that while the administration remains committed to the implementation of the 10- Point Development Agenda, assured that over the next few years power, agriculture, transport and housing will constitute central vehicles that will take it quicker to the implementation of the 10 -point agenda.

‘Politics, finance obstacles to polio eradication’

By Segun Balogun

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HE new District Governor of Rotary International District 9110 Nigeria, Dr. Kamoru Omotosho, yesterday blamed skewed politics and finance for the upsurge of polio virus in Nigeria.

Omotosho spoke with newsmen during his official installation ceremony.

According to him, certain people with “hidden political agenda skew facts and it is difficult for us to get across to the grassroots.”

The representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr David Okello, disclosed that of the 84 new cases recorded in the world in July, 49 were found in Nigeria alone.

Two-thirds of those 49 cases were found in four virus sanctuaries, Borno, Kano, Sokoto, and Zamfara states, he added.

Okello identified lack of political commitment at the local government level and insecurity as two challenges facing polio eradication.

He said Nigeria is “now the largest contributor of global polio burden and also the only country in the whole world to have all three types of polio virus.”

He added: “To have polio virus 1 and 3 implies that the response programme is not reaching all the eligible children with polio vaccine at the same time. ‘’Presence of polio virus type 2 simply implies that routine immunisation coverage is poor.”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8 , 2012

Naval command to build permanent site in Brass From Isaac Ombe, Yenagoa

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HE establishment of the Central Naval Command with its headquarters in Twon Brass, Bayelsa State, has been described as fulfilment of a long desired dream.

For now, the Command is occupying a temporary site at Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital The paramount ruler of Twon Brass, HRM King Diette Spiff, a retired Naval Commodore and first military administrator of the old Rivers State, who received a Naval team in his palace yesterday, said he has been at the fore front of ensuring the establishment of a Naval Command in Brass, especially due to its strategic location in the country.

The Flag Officer Commanding the Central Naval Command had led a team of top naval officers to the Kings Palace over the weekend to solicit the community’s hand of fellowship in realising Federal Government’s plan to site the command’s headquarters there by making available a parcel of land. He also chronicled the benefits of its establishment there.

“The coming of the Navy to Brass, I see it as a reward” noted King Spiff, who assured that the parcel of land for the Navy to commence the building of the permanent site was already available and waiting for the navy to commence development when it is surveyed.

“For us it is home coming for them, they are most welcome. Statutorily this is home of the navy. Everything works out perfectly because it is a short run into the deep Sea unlike other areas, it’s long overdue, the navy have been here with their forward base and now they are coming formally to have the Command, this is the beginning of great things to come,” explained King Spiff in an interview shortly after the visit .

Umerah goes home

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AMOUS radiation medicine expert, Prof.

Benjamin C. Umerah, has died. He died in a London hospital on June 20, after an illness. Prof. Umerah will be remembered for several breakthroughs, including pioneering a medical school in Zambia, at the instance of President Kenneth Kaunda as well as the transformation of the unimpressive X-ray Department into a flourishing and internationallyacclaimed radiation medicine department at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital on his return to Nigeria in 1977.

He was the foundation dean of the Department of Health Science and Technology at UNN Enugu Campus and the College of Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University.

He was once Chairman of the Board of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, member of Renaissance University and Provost of the College of Health Sciences of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi.

He was survived by seven children.

News

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Oyo constitutes review panel over sacked workers T

Osun to investigate waste management agency on due process

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

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HE governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has set up an eleven-man review committee to take another look at some of the cases of the recently sacked civil servants in the state.

A release, signed by Dr. Festus Adedayo, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, said this was the fourth step government would be taking to ensure fairness in this matter, the first being a review of the cases, a panel headed by the Head of Service to review the cases, an indemnity from the consulting firm undertaking the audit of the sacked workers and this latest step.

According to him, the committee has the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adebayo Mutalubi Ojo, as Chairman, a representative of both the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), as well as seven others, as members.

The release said the action became necessary to give some of the affected workers, who had been claiming that they were unjustly sacked, the opportunity to state their cases again and prove their innocence.

The state government had recently announced the sack of 3,000 of its workforce who were found to have entered the public

service with falsified age claims and falsified certificates.

Other civil servants affected were those said to be ghost workers who had no letters of appointment or were retired and were still on the payroll of government, as well as staff who had against them some outstanding disciplinary cases.

According to the release, the Ajimobi administration inherited the staff rationalization list from the immediate past government which engaged the services of a management consultancy outfit called Captain Consulting, to do a thorough audit of the records of all public and civil servants in the state and their positions.

•L-R: Immediate past President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie; (left) Executive Secretary Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETF) Professor Mahmood Yakubu; New ASUU President Dr. Nasir Isa and his vice Professor Biodun Ogunyomi during the new executives visit to TETF corporate Headquarters in Abuja… at the weekend Photo Abayomi Fayese

After the audit, said the release, the consultancy outfit came up with the list of workers with deficiencies that violated their rules of engagement to the Oyo State government public and civil service which it presented to the immediate past government.

According to the government, when the Ajimobi administration came into office, even though it was persuaded that allowing indicted workers to stay in the service would affect the morale of workers with genuine documents and was against the rules of equity and fair-play, as well as constituting a potential pollution in the ranks of workers in the state, government immediately initiated a public service process of giving these workers the rights of fair hearing by setting up a panel to review the consultant’s claims.

Furthermore, said the release, government secured an indemnity from the consulting firm that due process was followed in the exercise of compiling the list of the affected staff.

The government said after the exercise, many of the workers who were exonerated by the panel had their names removed from the list and are still in the service till date.

However, the exercise had generated some controversies, with some of the affected workers claiming to have been wrongly sacked.

Ajimobi therefore said that the review panel, which would begin its assignment with immediate effect, would create another opportunity for the affected workers to put their cases across to the government for possible reconsideration.

Lagos Deputy Governor decries increase in domestic violence, child abuse

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EPUTY Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Adejoke OrelopeAdefulire, has decried the sharp increase in domestic violence, rape, child molestation and abuse in Lagos, warning that the state government would not fold its hands in the face of these

By Oziegbe Okoeki

criminal activities.

Mrs. Orelope-Adefulire spoke at a poverty alleviation programme, organised for her constituents by Hon. Omowunmi Olatunji-Edet, a member of the State House of Assembly, representing

Lagos speaker, others honoured for promoting Yoruba culture

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HREE principal officers of the Lagos State House of Assembly were honoured by Bond FM for their contributions to the promotion of Yoruba culture.

They are the speaker, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. (Mrs.) Lola Akande and Deputy Whip, Hon. Rotimi Abiru. Lagos Assembly uses Yoruba language at plenary every Thursday.

They were given the award during the Yoruba Day celebration of Bond FM 92.9, one of the stations on the stable of Radio Nigeria, Lagos Operations over the weekend.

Presenting the award, the Director of the station, Alhaji Bola Agboola, described the trio and Lagos Assembly as significant contributors to the success story of Bond FM programmes.

By Oziegbe Okoeki

Responding on behalf of his colleagues, Abiru thanked the organisers of the event, describing Bond FM as a flagship in the broadcasting of grassroots oriented programmes in the country.

Oshodi-Isolo 11.

Worried by the trend, the deputy governor said each day she receives over 10 complaints concerning rape in the state and also gets, at least, 400 calls on the state help lines from people who have been molested by their husbands.

According to her, major reasons men beat their wives include frustration, poverty and anger adding that she no longer believes in women being full time housewives.

“It is no longer acceptable in Lagos and even Nigeria,” she said.

Orelope-Adefulire, however said there are laws guarding against such

criminality in the state and the “state government would henceforth visit perpetrators of such crimes with the full weight of the law.

“I want to sound a warning to everybody, including religious leaders, that the rate of domestic violence and abuse of our children is now alarming. We can resolve crises in our homes without resorting to beating, maiming of both men and women.

“If there is an issue to resolve, let it be in our privacy, away from the children. If you beat yourselves in present of your children, what message are you sending to them,? She queried.

Group flays Amaechi on environment

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HE Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (IHRHL) has accused the Rotimi Amaechi’s administration in Rivers State of insincerity in the handling of environmental issues.

The IHRHL, through its Executive Director, Anyakwee Nsirimovu, yesterday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, declared that it was shocked by the absence of a proactive, forward-looking, rational policy on the environment by

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

the Rivers State Government.

It noted that special consideration must be given to the long-standing regional, national and global alarms on the consequences of climate change on human needs, quality of life, human rights, environmental protection and democracy.

The group alleged that Rivers government unfortunately preferred parttime unsustainable palliative

measures on the face of the realities, despite funds budgeted and appropriated annually to its ministry of environment.

Amaechi, in a recent interactive session with reporters at the Government House, Port Harcourt, assured that he remained committed to his administration’s transformation agenda, but lamented that waste disposal had been a major challenge, which he said would be tackled head on.

HE Osun State Deputy Governor, Otunba Grace Titi LaoyeTomori, has said the state government will investigate if the Osun Waste Management Agency (OWMA) followed due process in sealing off some shops and commercial premises in Osogbo, the state capital.

Addressing a quarterly ministerial press briefing, where she highlighted the achievements of the Aregbesola administration yesterday in Osogbo, the deputy governor, however said, “As government, I am sure we don’t do anything without due process.”

The agency saddled with responsibility of managing waste in the state on Thursday sealed off some shops and residential houses in the state capital, which they said did not comply with environmental laws.

But some of the affected people, Alhaji Lekan Raheem and Mr. Olaniyan Olagunju, Michael Kolawole, Aafa Abdulakeem Olaoye, said they were not given prior notice to make amends where necessary before their premises were sealed off by the agency.

Many affected residents could not gain access into their houses for many hours until they paid some fees into the coffers of the agency last Thursday.

The deputy governor also said that what the state government was doing about the cleanenvironment project is in the best interest of the people of the state.

The deputy governor, who doubles as the Commissioner for Education, said the current state government policy on education is to make public schools attractive.

Kwankwaso seeks trade ties with Niger Republic From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

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ANO state governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has emphasised the need for the government and private sectors in Nigeria and Niger Republic to explore business relations for mutual benefits.

Kwankwaso, who stated this during a courtesy visit to Nigerien President Muhammadou Issoufou, said he was in the country to discuss areas of cooperation and to seek opportunities that will enhance development of Kano.

He noted that the citizens of Nigeria and Niger, especially Kano people, have a long- standing relationship based on shared cultural, religious values.

He congratulated Issoufou on his election which he described as well deserved, expressing optimism that with his focused leadership, Niger will in no distant future witness u n p r e c e d e n t e d transformation.

The Nigerien President thanked Kwankwaso for his efforts to strengthen rapport between two sister African nations.

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News

‘Why Bayelsa banned commercial motorcycles’ From Isaac Ombe, Yenagoa

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ISE in violent crimes and frequent accidents within Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital, informed the sudden ban on commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, a top government official has informed.

He said the government became alarmed with the recent armed robbery cases in the capital city allegedly carried out with Okada.

Another source pointed out the orthopedic section of the Federal Medical Centre and other hospitals in the state have become full to the brim with victims of motorcycle accidents.

Governor Seriake Dickson advised Okada operators to learn riding tricycles provided by the government.

He said: “They should learn to drive cars and tricycles to enable them fit into the transport scheme. They must be registered and tested with the state Ministry of Transport before they are allotted.”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

‘Why Ghana should not send Nigerian traders packing’

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HE Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ghana chapter, Hon. Chuks Ihenetu, has frowned at the ongoing trade dispute between Nigeria and Ghana.

The dispute, he stated, will strain the cordial relationships between the neighbouring nations.

Ihenetu, in a chat recently, advised the ministries of Trade and Foreign Affairs of both countries to seek amicable resolution to the high trading tariff slammed on Nigerian traders in Ghana.

The international business man with huge trading interests in Ghana said it was imperative for Nigeria and Ghana to maintain the brotherly relations for the subregion to witness economic prosperity.

He noted that Ghanaian firms like Kasapreko Distillers, producers of Alomo bitters and

By Sunday Oguntola

UTBank have taken advantage of the strong population and purchasing powers of Nigerians to invest in Nigeria.

This, he said, has been reciprocated by Nigerian traders taking advantage of the peaceful and serene Ghanaian environment to invest.

He warned that Ghana might experience capital flight if the high tariff slammed on Nigerian traders force them out of the country.

His words: “I plead with the government of Ghana to exercise more patience and take more time to negotiate with the Nigerian government on how best to resolve this issue so that it will be a win-win situation for the parties involved. ‘’Sending Nigerian traders away at this time that the world is struggling to survive the global economic recession will not be fair and will have a negative effect on the economy

CHUKWU

I, formerly known and address as MISS OGUOMA UCHECHI QUEENETH, now wish to called and addressed as MRS ANUKAM UCHECHI QUEENETH, documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OGUNBIYI

•Ihenetu

of both Nigeria and Ghana. ‘’Sending Nigerian traders away is an undue invitation to capital flight in Ghana economy because most of the Nigerian banks that came to invest in Ghana because of the increase in Nigerian population might be forced to reconsider their step’’.

The Imo-born politician urged Nigerians and Ghanaians to consider themselves as brothers and not rivals.

I, formerly known and addressed as DR. (MRS) OGUNBIYI RHODA OLUWABUNMI, now wish to be known and addressed as DR. (MRS) ADEBAYO RHODA OLUWABUNMI. All former documents remain valid. Kogi State Specialist Hospital and the general public should please take note.

OJE I, formerly known and addressed as MRS OJE REBECCA AJILE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OJE RIZQAT AJILE. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should please take note.

IBHARIA I, formerly known and addressed as IBHARIA IDIALU OFURE, now wish to be known and addressed as OSEMWENKHAE NAOMI OFURE. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should please take note.

ADEYEMI

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ADEYEMI MORENIKE TITILOLA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS GBOTOSO MORENIKE TITILOLA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

NNAJIDENWA I, formerly known and addressed as MISS LYNDA NGOZI NNAJIDENWA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS NGOZI LYNDA ANYANWU. All former documents remain valid.

FBN PLC, In-Sourcing Ltd, University Of Abuja, Uyo City Polytechnic and the general public should please take note.

G

AKINGBADE

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS AKINGBADE VERONICA JOKE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OLADIPUPO VERONICA JOKE. All former documents remain valid.

Ekiti State Teaching Services Commission and the general public should please take note.

ODERIGBO I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. ONYEDIKACHI VICTORIA ODERIGBO, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ONYEDIKACHI VICTORIA EMMANUEL EGBO. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

NWABUEZE

•Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Sama’Ila Mera, immunising a child at the inauguration of 2012 Polio Immunisation Administration of Polio Vaccine in Argungu, Kebbi State…yesterday Photo: NAN

Fidelity Bank lifts NYSC member

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IDELITY Bank Plc yesterday donated N850, 000 to a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Miss Omonike Akinselure, under its ‘Helping Hands’ scheme.

The donation was to enable Akinselure undergo a reconstructive surgery on her jaw.

General Manager Operations of the bank, Mr.

Sam Obijiaku, said the gesture was in fulfillment of the bank’s corporate social responsibility (CSR).

According to him: “Fidelity bank strives to impact on the lives of its customers and other people around it, by putting smiles on their faces.”

The bank’s Group Head, Marketing Communications, Emma Esinnah explained that

MTN Nigeria delivers ultra-high capacity

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I, formerly known as Miss Ikwunze Lizzy Ugochi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ibeh Lizzy Ugochi. All former documents remains valid. NYSC, general public should please take notic.

OLADUNJOYE

From: Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

ELECOMMUNICATIONS giant, MTN Nigeria, has rolled out a bouquet of services running on its new ultra-high capacity submarine cable, West African Cable System (WACS).

The services are managed by MTN Business, a division of MTN focused on business-to-business solutions.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, ABDULAZEE ALIMOT SADIAT is the same person as AZEEZ SADIAT ALIMOT. All documents remain valid. Osun State College of Technology Esa-Oke, JAMB and Public should note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS OLADUNJOYE RISKAT OLUWAKEMI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS GIWA RISKAT OLUWAKEMI. All former documents remain valid.

National Bureau of Statistics and the general public should please take note.

‘Nigeria should make education more affordable’ OVERNMENTS have been advised to try as much as possible to make education in Nigeria affordable.

The Manager Africa Study Group of Leeds Metropolitan University, Crist Tagg, gave the advice in Abuja at the launch of the new study group partnership with Leeds Metropolitan University.

From findings Tagg said many Nigerians are very much interested in studying but could not afford the fees.

According to him: “I have found out that many eligible students in Nigeria are not being encouraged to study and many cannot afford education.

Government should make education more affordable. This will help have a large number of Nigerian children go to school.’’

Founded in 1824, Leeds Metropolitan University, according to him is one of the UK’s most popular universities and favourite with international students.

With over 29, 000 students from 122 countries, he said the school offers world-class teaching in an exciting learning environment and an unforgettable student experience.

CHANGE OF NAME

Chief Enterprise Solution Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Babatunde Osho, in a statement said: “We have capacity to provide high quality, low latency internet access to wholesalers such as ISPs, Internet Bandwidth Resellers and Carriers, as well as end-users anywhere in the country.”

He explained that WACS has 15 landing stations

along its route, putting MTN in a vantage position to deliver International Private Leased Circuits to additional locations worldwide.

He expressed optimism that WACS would bring the much-needed boost to the growth of many businesses whose requirements for data have continued to be on the rise in the last few years.

Fidelity’s ‘Helping Hand’ programme was conceived to make workers of the bank give back to the community as well as to help the lessprivileged in the society.

Giving an insight into the donation, he said: “The bank decided to reach out to Miss Akinselure when she sought the help of the bank. ‘’Since she had the accident in 2009, it has been difficult to eat as she needs N850, 000 for her reconstructive surgery to be able to feed normally again.

This, the bank’s staff have been able to assist her with.” Public Relations Officer of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Mrs. Hope Nwawolo, commended the bank for the gesture. She stated that the hospital had to negotiate the bill to support the bank’s cause.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. NWABUEZE EMELDA IJEOMA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ONYEKACHI EMELDA IJEOMA, .All former documents remain valid. XEROX SH.S NIG. LTD and general public please take note.

CHALOKWU

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Chalokwu Dorothy Nkechi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Obichie Dorothy Nkechi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

UDEGBUNAM

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. UCHECHI SOFIA UDEGBUNAM , now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. UCHECHI SOFIA OKPALA. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

NWEZE

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. NWEZE OGECHI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. NWAZE-PRINCE OGECHI .

All former documents remain valid.

Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, NYSC and general public please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, KENNEDY A. DANIEL and MFON AKPAN are one and same person, Now wish to be known and addressed as KENNEDY A. DANIEL . All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

NWEZE

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. NWEZE OGECHI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. NWAZE-PRINCE OGECHI .

All former documents remain valid.

Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, NYSC and general public please take note.

IKWUNZE

NWANERIKE

I, formerly known as Miss Nwanerike Joy Chinemerem, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Japhet Joy Chinemerm Elukwere. All former documents remains valid, general public should please take notic.

AKINSANYA

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Akinsanya Grace Oluwaseyi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. kolawole Grace Oluwaseyi. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

OMOREGIE

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Omoregie .O. Roseline, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Roseline .O. Oyefeso. All former documents remain valid.

Federal Colege of Education (Technical),Asaba, Imo State University, Owerri, Standard Alliance Life Assurance Ltd and general public should take note.

SHITU

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Shitu Mutiat now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Yisa Shitu Mutiat. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

UGOZO

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Ugozo Priscilla Nwakaego, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Okike Priscilla Nwakaego. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

TAIWO

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Taiwo Ekundayo Rachel, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Bamisaye Ekundayo Rachel.

All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

AMUSAN I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Amusan Dolapo Omowunmi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Abudu Dolapo Omowunmi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ADEKUNLE

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Adekunle Abiodun Oluwagbeminiyi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Tiamiyu Abiodun Oluwagbeminiyi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OLAOSEBIKAN

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Olaosebikan Aderonke Deborah, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Jimoh Aderonke Deborah. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OGELE

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Ogele Blessing, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Emuenode-Roy Blessing. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

OLOFINLADE

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Olofinlade Olujoke Opeyemi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs faluyi Olujoke Opeyemi. All former documents remain valid. Access Bank Plc. and general public please take note.

IHEAKA

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. NKECHINYERE GLORY IHEAKA , now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. NKECHINYERE GLORY DICK. All former documents remain valid.

FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC NEKEDE, OWERRI, UNIVERSITY OF JOS and general public please take note.

OLUGBADE

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Olugbade Alimot Aderonke, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Amisu Alimot Aderonke. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ICHEFITANURE I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Esther Eseoghene Ichefitanure, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Esther Eseoghene Ademiju. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

SAMUEL

I,formerly known and addressed as Samuel Adeola Iretioluwa, now wish to be known and addressed as Santo Adeola. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ADEKOYA I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Rashidat Morenike Adekoya, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Sam Wesley Blessing Rashidat. All former documents remain valid. Lagos State govt. Service Commission and general public please take note.

NEWS REVIEW

9

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

•Okadigbo

Victory for party primaries Sam Egburonu examines some of the political implications of the Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday that declared Lady Margery Okadigbo, Mr. Solomon Ewuga senators and sacked three National Assembly members and reports that it has once again re-emphasised the fundamental importance of party primaries in the democratic process.

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INCE April 16, 2011 senatorial elections, the seat for Anambra North Senatorial District had remained the only seat left vacant at the Red Chamber of the National Assembly. Reason: the contest for the right candidate to occupy the coveted seat had become so intricate that the leadership of the Senate had no option than to leave it unoccupied.

So, as other senators, in the last one year of the 7th Senate, tried to represent the interests of their electorate, Peoples Democratic Party’s aspirants for the Anambra North Senatorial seat, had laboured round the clock in one of the most intriguing legal battles resulting from the 2011 senatorial election. The major actors included Senator Alphonsus Igbeke, Prince John Emeka and Lady Okadigbo, all of who made claims to being the rightful candidate to the seat.

•Ewuga

Bizarre drama At different stages of the bizarre drama, each of the aspirants waved some judicial pronouncements that allegedly made them the authentic PDP candidate and winner of the senatorial seat. First was John Emeka, who was affirmed winner of the election by the Election Petition Tribunal. Of course, it was the turn of Senator Alphonsus Igbeke, the immediate past senator of the zone when a High Court declared him the winner of the election. For Lady Okadigbo, it was the Court of Appeal that ruled that she was the authentic candidate of PDP, as declared at the party’s primary elections.

So, when Emeka finally dragged the matter to the Supreme Court, the world waited eagerly for the final ruling, believing that it will not only settle the Anambra North political puzzle but will also make a definitive statement on the fundamental issues that must determine who emerges as the authentic flag bearer of any political party in an election.

The battle ended, albeit dramatically, at the weekend when the Supreme Court of Nigeria declared Lady Margery Okadigbo, the widow of the late former Senate President, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, as the nominated candidate of PDP and therefore the winner of the April 16, 2011 senatorial election for Anambra North.

The apex court ruled categorically that the Electoral Act is very clear on the powers of the political parties to choose their candidates and that the National Executive Committee of the party conducted the primary that elected Lady Okadigbo as the candidate. So, it declared that the appellant (John Emeka) did not participate in that primary election, adding that the law therefore forbids him from challenging the candidacy of the respondent (Okadigbo).

Since the April 16, 2011 senatorial election, several factions of PDP in the state had been enmeshed in bitter lawsuits over the validly nominated candidate for the senatorial election. At a point, it seems even party could not say for sure, who was its candidate and rightful winner of the election. The court therefore became the last resort. All that matters was for the judiciary to say the last word.

The last arbiter Lady Okadigbo came close to occupying the coveted seat earlier, when, in a very instructive case, the Apex Court panel, led by Justice Chukwuma Eneh, held that she actually emerged winner of the primaries conducted by Joseph Waku which was adjudged as the legally recognised primaries but refused to order her swearing-in as the senator representing Anambra North Senatorial Zone. That decision, her disappointed supporters were told, was because her swearing-in was not part of the relief sought in her prayers. So, the court advised her lawyers to consequently file a separate relief to obtain such order.

Now that the Supreme Court has finally declared

Okadigbo winner of the Anambra North senatorial seat putting to rest the multiple cases which have denied the area a representation in senate, it is believed the brewing political confusion in the area would have been resolved.

Above that, other contestants in elections in Nigeria are expected to learn one or two lessons.

Before the final ruling by the apex court, some concerned observers of the Anambra North political battle said the judiciary did not help matters as different courts allegedly churned out different orders and sometimes contradictory judgments, thus creating twists at different stages of the prolonged drama. The criticisms were allegedly fueled by the aspirants, who did not want to hear anything other than their personal victories.

For example, the other aspirants cried wolf in December 2011, when the Court of Appeal ordered the leadership of the Senate and the Senate President to swearin Lady Okadigbo as winner of the senatorial zone. Their supporters, who dismissed the Appeal Court judgment as ‘jaundiced,’ said they expected the court would uphold either Senator Igbeke, the immediate past senator of the zone who had a High Court judgment in his favour as the PDP candidate or John Emeka whom the Election Petition Tribunal affirmed as winner. Describing Lady Okadigbo as an ‘interloper,’ they argued that it would be difficult to justify her declaration as the winner.

What they failed to reckon with is the fact that a candidate in an election in Nigeria is considered to be so, only if the political party has officially acknowledged him/her as the authentic candidate elected at the primary.

That was the same issue that the apex court used over the weekend when it also upheld the judgment of the Court of Appeal which declared Mr. Solomon Ewuga of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) as the senator representing Nasarawa North and dismissed the appeal filed by Yusuf Musa Nagogo. The point here could be that although Nagogo also claimed to be the rightful winner of the party’s primaries, the court chose to believe the contrary.

Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour who delivered the case that sacked former Chairman of the House Committee on Media, Mr. Nseme Eyibor, harped on this fact, when it agreed that only a political party can determine or conduct a primary to choose its candidate in an election.

Noting that in general terms, it was the same basic issue in the Celestine Omehia and Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State’s case and Timipre Sylva and Sereke Dickson of Bayelsa State, amongst many others, this latest Supreme Court rulings, should at least teach all other future aspirants the fundamental importance of primaries in Nigerian democratic process. It is another way of saying that instead of wasting resources and energy in endless legal battles, aspirants should do their homework well at the stage of primaries.

10

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

News Review

First female CJN and more s I’m not soft on corruption, says Jonathan

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan re-affirmed his commitment to the war on corruption on Sunday citing his strengthening of the “anti-corruption agencies for greater efficiency and effectiveness,” as proof of his zero-tolerance for corruption. He rejected “politically-motivated agitations alleging tardiness” in his handling of the probe report on the management of fuel subsidies and said the EFCC “is undertaking a thorough investigation of all indictments made by the committee with a view to establishing water-tight cases that will be taken before courts of competent jurisdiction as soon as possible.”He also cited the re-organisation of the management team of the NNPC as part of the efforts to sanitise the public sector.

Nine mosque construction workers killed in Borno INE construction workers at the site of the Maiduguri Central Mosque were found killed on Monday. Their killers had apparently invaded their residential quarters at Bolori in the dead of the night, overpowered them and then proceeded to slit their throats. The Military Joint Task Force (JTF) spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Sagir Musa said the assailants struck at about 1.45am on Monday while the outfit was alerted at 6.05am.He said efforts were on apprehend the killers.

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It’s public hearing or nothing, Otedola tells Reps

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IL merchant, Mr. Femi Otedola appeared before the House of Representatives Committee of Ethics on Tuesday in response to its invitation to come and testify in respect of the alleged $620000 bribe he allegedly gave to Farouk Lawan. He, however, declined to respond to questions thrown at him by the Reps, saying he would only talk if the hearing was made public. His appearance before the committee coincided with the airing, by Channels Television of the second part of what was purported to be the recording of a conversation between Otedola and Lawan during the negotiation of the ‘bribe.’ The first part of the recording was broadcast by the station on Monday. Lawan disputed the authenticity of the second part of the audio tape and said it was animated. He said he was ready for an open hearing of the investigation as he has 50 questions to ask Otedola. The House spokesman, Zakari Mohammed however insisted there would be no open hearing.

BLOODY FUN Thousands of runners raced ahead of six fighting bulls in the streets of the Spanish city of Pamplona for this year’s San Fermin festival.

Photo: EPA

Senate queries NNPC’s secret account

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HE Senate was told on Monday of a secret crude oil foreign account operated by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).The account, according to Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is maintained with J.P. Morgan of the USA. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala who was testifying before the Senate Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Appropriation and Finance, however said she had no details of the account. She also informed the committee that the Federal Government had so far paid N2.9trillion as fuel subsidy between 2011 and last month.N1.7trillion of the amount was paid for 2011 and N451billion arrears paid this year. But the Group Executive Director (Finance) of NNPC, Mr. Bernard Otti , disowned the foreign account, saying it was opened by the Central Bank (CBN) in 2002 on behalf of the corporation.

ARAFAT MYSTERY

Was PLO leader killed by poisoning?

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HE body of Yasser Arafat, the former president of the Palestinian National Authority who died in November 2004, may be exhumed from its resting place in Ramallah on the West Bank following revelations on Al-Jazeera that there had been an “unexplained” level of polonium on his personal effects.

Polonium is a rare, highly radioactive element which was used in 2006 to murder the renegade Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in London. A Swiss laboratory confirmed yesterday that it had found it on effects handed over to satellite broadcaster Al-Jazeera by Arafat’s widow, Suha, including clothes and his toothbrush. The revelations which give fresh impetus to the widespread rumours at the time of Arafat’s death that he had been poisoned. Suha Arafat had refused to allow an autopsy to take place after the death of the one-time Palestine Liberation Organisation frontman in a Paris hospital, but is now backing calls for her late husband to be disinterred: “We must go further and exhume Yasser Arafat’s body to reveal the truth to the Muslim and Arab world,” she told Al-Jazeera.

June 3 crash: Dana insurer begins payment of compensation

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LOYD of London, lead under-writer to Dana Airline, on Tuesday commenced the payment of compensation to victims of the June 3 crash in Lagos. Nine claimants whose documentation had earlier been verified were issued cheques of $30000 each as first instalment. The balance of $70000 is to be paid later. Aviation laws make payment of interim benefits mandatory within 30 days of a plane crash. The company said it was in touch with all the other families for the purpose of paying them their compensation. However, residents who were displaced by the crash rejected the interim compensation of between N100000 and N500000 offered them by the company. They called the compensation as an insult.

SUSPENDED

NUC suspends licences of six universities

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HE National Universities Commission has sus pended the operational licences of seven private universities for allegedly violating its guidelines in physical facilities and academic programmes.

The affected universities are Lead City, Caritas, Joseph Ayo Babalola, Tansian, Madonna, Achievers and Obong. The Director of Press and Public Relations of NUC, Mallam Ibrahim Yakassai, confirmed this in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Wednesday night.

The decision to suspend the operational licences of the affected universities is believed to be due to their non-compliance with the regulations guiding the operations of universities in the country as stipulated by the NUC.

ARRAIGNED

Two Nigerian members of Al-Qaeda on trial

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WO alleged members of the Al-Qaeda network, Babafemi Lawal and Luqman Babatunde, natives of Ogun and Lagos states, respectively, were on Thursday arraigned before an Abuja Federal High Court by the Federal Government.

According to Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), Lawal and Babatunde allegedly received the sum of N1m from the terrorist organisation, Al-Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula also known as AQAP in Yemen, to fund the recruitment and transportation of prospective Nigerian members of the terrorist group to Yemen. The alleged action constituted an offence contrary to Section 13(a) of Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011 and punishable under paragraph (c) of the same section of the Act. Also, their alleged attendance of a meeting of the terrorist network, was an offence under Section 3 (c) of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

News Review

re scandal tidbits 3SC’s (former IICC) legend Sam Ojebode dies at 67

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SC’s (formerly known as IICC) legend, Samuel Ojebode, died on Wednesday aged 67.The former defender of the Green (now Super) Eagles died at the University Teaching Hospital, Ibadan, the city from where he, along with the likes of the late Best Ogedegbe, the late Philip Boamah, Segun Odegbami, and the late Muda Lawal, ruled African football culminating in the club’s winning the African Cup Winners Cup in 1977.

Explosions rock Abuja

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An improvised explosive device went off at the popular Barex Plaza at Wuse, Abuja on Tuesday night causing panic in the city. Nobody died in the incident.

However, The IED was apparently planted in a vehicle parked close to Park & Shop supermarket.

Security operatives quickly cordoned off the area.

Electricity: FG, Daewoo sign MoU for 10,000MW

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THE WEEK IN QUOTES “I have nothing to hide and will speak on this issue when this investigation is conducted in a very transparent manner and the press as well as the general public are allowed to be present at the sittings of the committee from the beginning of its investigation to its conclusion.”

—Oil magnate Femi Otedola on his refusal to testify in secret before the House of Reps Committee on Ethics probing the allegation that Hon Farouk Lawan collected bribe of $620000 from him.

“He insulted us. He was just laughing. It was very stupid of him. I must say that. He came and told us that he is not hungry; that he can do without Nigeria. Are we hungry?

He is full of himself.”

—Gambo Musa, Chairman, House Committee on Ethics reacting to Otedola’s refusal to testify before the panel.

"I don't think terrorism, however, worrying it is, has actually stopped any major investment yet. But if it is not dealt with, and the bunkering of oil, if these things are not dealt with, they will have a long term effect. ...They are Nigerians. I don't think there are outsiders among them. They may get their armaments from outside, but these are Nigerians.?"

—Barroness Lynda Chalker

A Mukhtar set for history as first woman CJN

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USTICE Aloma Mariam Mukhtar was nominated by President Jonathan on Wednesday as the next Chief Justice of Nigeria.

Justice Mukhtar, if her nomination is confirmed by the Senate, she will be the country’s first female CJN and will succeed Justice Dahiru Musdapher who is proceeding on retirement on July 15.Justice Mukhtar is the first female justice of the apex court and was also the first female judge of the Court of Appeal. She is 68years old.

RESIGNATION

SOUTH Korean company, Daewoo Engineering and Construction Company Limited, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Government to facilitate the production of 10,000 megawatts of electricity in the country.

The company undertook to provide 20 per cent equity in the various projects identified under the scheme, in addition to providing expert advice and guidance on electrical, production and construction of power projects to companies wishing to do business in Nigeria under the agreement, a statement from the ministry indicated.

•Otedola

DEFECTION

Barclays CEO Diamond Quits

Syrian general and Assad ally defects

OBERT Diamond, the architect of Barclays Plc (BARC)’s investment banking expansion, stepped down as chief executive officer, succumbing to political pressure to go after the bank admitted to rigging global interest rates.

Diamond, 60, stepped down with immediate effect, the London-based bank said in a statement. He became CEO of Barclays on Jan. 1, 2011 after joining the bank in 1996. Diamond, the architect of Barclays Plc’s investment banking expansion, stepped down as chief executive officer after the bank admitted to rigging global interest rates.

HE defection of a general who was a key member of President Bashar al-Assad’s inner circle is seen as a body blow to the Syrian regime. Syriasteps, a website with close links to the country’s ruling elite, reported that “a highly placed source in intelligence has confirmed that General Manaf Mustafa Tlass has fled to Turkey” en route to France. It then quoted a security official who said: “His escape does not mean anything”.

But Manaf Tlass was a scion of one of the most powerful Sunni families in Syria, and as such was one of the few members of his branch of Islam in the upper echelons of the country’s security apparatus. This is dominated by the minority Alawite sect from which the Assad family and many of its key allies are drawn. His departure could have radical implications for the future of other Sunnis in the regime.

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•Musa

•Chalker

UK FLOODS

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UK braces for heavy downpour

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NE month’s rain was forecast to fall within 24 hours across parts of England and Wales by the weekend, with heavy storms predicted for the next three days. By Saturday, the Environment Agency (EA) had issued a total of 100 flood alerts and eight flood warnings.

The EA says the areas of England most at risk from severe flooding are Derbyshire, Lancashire, South and West Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Greater Manchester, Blackburn, Blackpool, Warrington, Cheshire and Halton.

Communities in Wales and the north of England are still recovering from flooding after rainfall last month, but this weekend poses the most serious flood risk yet this year, according to the Daily Mail.

12

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

COMMENT and ANALYSIS

13

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

National service or penal murder?

Supreme Court bails Obamacare while shafting Obama W

Mazi Austin Nwangwu (Awka)

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HE people from the wrongful actions and omissions of government. When functioning properly, the court serves to ensure that government abides by the legal rules underpinning the social contract between government and the governed.

When the legal rules are just and a court is impartial, the people have a fair chance to reap occasional benefit. The social romantic in us likes to believe law and justice are synonymous. This belief is false. The best we can hope for is that the court will be a place where law always abides, where politics often interfere, and where justice can, sometimes, be found. In the United States, the judiciary produced two recent decisions that demonstrate the American legal system, although increasingly politicized and partisan, has not completely shed its function as the arbiter of the legality of government action. The American judiciary still is place where much law, plenty of politics and a modicum of justice can be had.

Last week, the Supreme Court issued a split decision affirming the constitutionality of President Obama’s landmark first term accomplishment, his health care reform law.

The nine-member Court was divided 5-4 in favor of the Obama position. The case’s outcome had always walked a thin, fragile tightrope. Of the nine Supreme Court justices, five are known conservatives. Three of the rightist five are unabashed disciples of an ideological perspective once restricted to the chatting rooms of 19th century libertarianism.

If all the justices had remained true to their ideological compasses, the decision would have grounded into dust the cornerstone of Obama’s domestic social policy. However, the conservative Chief Justice did a remarkable thing. I use the word “remarkable” because the jury remains undecided whether his actions were sublimely courageous or preternaturally cunning.

Instead of siding with the four other conservative justices, the Chief Justice broke rank, joining the four liberal justices in affirming the constitutionality of the Obama law. The gravamen against the law was that it required those, who could afford to do so, to buy health insurance. Critics bemoaned this “mandate” as an unconstitutional infringement on individual liberty. They said a person should be allowed to decide on purchasing health insurance free of government mandating that he do so. That the court was so evenly split shows there is no such thing as pure legal objectivity.

Constitutionality resides in the eye of the beholder. Even for experienced jurists, subjective political ideals more often determines what one believes is constitutional than does the constitution serve to reshape the jurists’ political views.

Shifting the legal scales in President Obama’s favor, the Chief Justice opined that the mandate provision was legal due to Congress’s authority to levy taxes. The Chief Justice considered the law a validly enacted tax. The four liberal judges concurred with the Chief Justice, adding the law was also a proper exercise of congressional power to regulate interstate commerce. However, the Chief Justice explicitly rejected the liberal’s position on the commerce clause.

This is where the case gets interesting.

While affirming the constitutionality of the Obama legislation, the decision was founded on the narrowest possible legal argument – that the measure was, in effect, a tax. However, the Chief Justice teamed with the other conservative justices to form a majority rejecting the argument that the law was valid under the congressional authority to regular commerce. For this case, this observation sounds like an academic distinction without much of a practical difference. Going forward, this distinction

Confrontation is best avoided whenever the fruit of victory is indistinguishable from the pain of defeat

•Obama

By Brian Browne will be freighted with consequence. In effect, the case has defined a new limit on congressional power to legislate based on the commerce clause. In that much liberalminded legislation is based on the power to legislate commerce, this case will henceforth be cited by conservative lawyers and jurists as a precedent to halt legislation they view as unwanted liberal social engineering. As such, this case may prove to be more pyrrhic than beneficent. Now, we can see why the Chief Justice’s position in all of this can be describe as remarkable while we still seek to determine whether he was acting courageously by half or was being doubly cunning. The Chief Justice understood that a recent string of right-leaning, corporation friendly decisions had placed the court in significant public disrepute. Rejection of the health care reform law would have signaled to many that the Court was no longer a legal organ but had transmogrified into a partisan political debating society. This would reflect poorly on Chief Justice Robert’s stewardship of the Court. It also would have further eroded the public’s confidence in the entire system of governance at a time when other failures have already pushed public trust in government to a disturbing low. Thus, to keep public perceptions of the Court on even keel, Roberts understood it was better to back the law than ambush it.

For his efforts, Roberts has been derided by political conservatives as a renegade who betrayed their cause at the time he was most needed. This depiction is unsophisticated and largely untrue. He remained loyal to his principles but in a way that a Machiavelli or Cardinal Richelieu was principled. His calculations were more byzantine than true-blue American. Still, Robert’s legerdemain may have given political conservatives a rally point that might not otherwise have existed as they move toward the November presidential election. Affirmation of the law has bestirred conservatives. Realizing they cannot rely on the Supreme Court to bury the dreaded legislation, conservatives will conclude the only way they can trash the law is by placing a Republican administration in the White House and by amassing Republican majorities in Congress’s two chambers. The conservatives will whip themselves into a feral electoral temper by claiming that the Supreme Court decision is but the foretaste of a bitter gruel the liberals plan to force down

the throat of democracy. They will claim that liberals see this victory as a platform to enact laws that will tell people what to eat, how to dress and what to say. They will warn that no area of private interaction will be safe from governmental meddling. Only they, the conservatives, stand between freedom and serfdom, democracy and despotism. Many people will succumb to the bigoted attractiveness of this argument. In a fundamental way, Obama’s success in the courtroom might energize his opponent’s electoral support base. By winning this legal battle, Obama have been rendered more vulnerable in the electoral contest.

Before rendering his opinion in the health care case, the Chief Justice would have gauged and re-gauged these calculations. In the end, he did not render his decision based solely on legal merits. His decision was a convergence of institutional, legal and political considerations, some decent, some base. Trying to stem the erosion of public respect for the Court, he swung the vote to protect the health care law. However, to protect and enhance his long-term stature as a conservative jurist, he used the narrowest possible reasoning — taxation — upon which to base the decision. He also helped place a legal boundary that did not before exist on the application of the commerce clause which was actually the best and most powerful argument for the health care law.

Additionally, he might have comforted his conservative political leanings with the thought that, by upholding the law, he would be giving heretofore tepid Republican presidential campaign an adrenergic injection of red hot electoral energy and anger. While seeming to exercise judicial restraint, he has helped stir the Republican cause more than any overtly conservative politician has. Whether his calculation about the political dynamics of the judgment proves correct is perhaps less important than the fact that Roberts was driven by an opportunism usually associated with an overeager office seeker than with the top jurist of the land. This is quite a feat for a man who, by virtue of his position, should adjure politics.

There is another disturbing thing about the drama surrounding the health care decision. At best, Obama’s reform is a very modest attempt at an industry in need of radical restructuring. Cost-containment provisions of the measure are weak; consequently, the law barely slows the increase of health care costs. America has the most costly, but not the most efficient, health care system in the world. This sad combination of attributes will still be valid in five years time. True, more people will be covered by insurance. They will also have to pay for this coverage as well. What these new entrants will find is that the insurance policies given them will be so scant and full of loopholes that they will be less than satisfied with the policies. While nominally ensured, their effective status will be but a half step better, at two steps the costs, than what existed prior to the law’s enactment.

During the negotiation of health reform, the Obama administration folded whenever pressured by the health care industry. The quality of the measure was proportionately compromised.

Yet, the high drama stoked by the media gives people the current impression that the law is such a monumental groundbreaking measure. It is not. The many deep weaknesses of law will now be found out.

The law is so addled with compromise that it will give reform a bad name. The enactment Continued on page 65

THE news was not exactly exhilarating. It was rather a reality check. It also reflects the gut feelings of Nigerians of southern extraction. Anarchy looms, death knocks on the door, and tension notches up with audacious recurrence.

Nigeria’s fresh graduates have refused to serve at the flashpoints of the North. Or, put more graphically, they have opted to stay alive, and will no more volunteer to be used as guinea pigs. No! Not again!

National Youth Service has a proud, if sneaky, history. Starting in 1973, it was no more than an interlude for school leavers to get some respite from hectic school curricula, before going about their livelihood in largely un-ploughed fields. Oh! To remember too that it was contrived for national integration, by giving the youth from one part of the nation a chance to live among other nativities, and get a hint or two about how people outside their own ethnic nationalities lived. Or existed! To a large extent these targets were met. That way, a girl born in Uyo, who went from primary to university in the capital city would know there is a place like Koton Karfi in her country.

These days the NYSC project meets a different set of needs. It offers the only chance for employment of any kind for over 90% of Corpers, some of whom would have been roaming the streets otherwise; or may stay unemployed for another decade, unless they got linked up with the high and mighty who, as the Igbos say, ‘hold the yam and the knife’.

It is then safe to say that for all it was intended to achieve the national youth service scheme, warts and all, was never a failure. Until now!

When young school leavers without a chance in hell to secure employment after school turn their back on the illusory oneyear period of pseudo-employment they often looked out for, then there is a fundamental flaw. It no more adds up!

And so the children of the South say no to postings to the North. Expectedly, promises are being made off the cuff with guarantees, and not even promises, assuring them of their safety. Seen at first as mindboggling recklessness given with effortless ease, the false assurances are a lot easier to take upon better reflection. Here promises are not necessarily supposed to be kept. Not when rationalizations flow with a sleight of hand. So, as usual everyone – parents and others – is supposed to understand; with knowing calm. There is insecurity all over the world, after all. And it is not exclusively a Nigerian problem. Or is it?

With the escalating violence sired by propulsive toys, fondly nicknamed IEDs, one would naturally expect the Federal Government, with no warranty on the safety of its own personnel and interests to be more self-respecting. There would have been nothing wrong with pleading with the young graduates and their parents to tarry awhile, for all the sanguine details to be sorted out; or pronouncing that for the sanctity of human life, no risks will be taken with the good health of hapless children. Those would be the honourable paths.

The jinked talks about not succumbing to terrorism, or some such balderdash, fly in the face of reality. Thanks to the independent news houses and international cable networks, everyone knows executive noses are being bloodied as Boko Haram keeps having the upper hand on daily basis. They operate at will by night and day: uncensored; unhindered and unaffected. Defiant and undeterred!

What does it take to say the truth? What does it matter to admit that the nation is on fire? Or that the security forces are routinely outfoxed? It takes only sincerity, and a deep sense of responsible and logical riskperception. Even those appear to be in short supply these days.

The warning has to be sounded clearly: the lives of innocent youths needn’t be snuffed out, not even as a way of reducing the swelling unemployment statistics. And the death of our youth under the present circumstance of Youth Service is too much a price to pay for a dysfunctional nation state.

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Ogochukwu Ikeje ohgeeoh@gmail.com 08084235961 (SMS only)

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

Comment & Analysis

EW things hurt more than being misunderstood. It is one of the horrors of communication. No one enjoys it if at the end of a painstaking speech, someone walks up and asks: so what were you trying to say? It is just as tormenting for a writer. If you communicated, that question would certainly not arise. It calls into question your labours and claim to literacy. It is a dampener any day.

May President Goodluck Jonathan not be known as the most misunderstood president Nigeria ever had. That is a prayer and I hope he will say Amen.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo seldom left anyone guessing his actions or second-guessing his motives. The man loved his travels and had no apologies. He did not make the best speeches. Nor did he care so much about the way he addressed people, especially in this part of the world. You were sometimes disappointed if you expected a flattering endearment from him. His appointees and aides knew this much about their boss and lived with their fate until they left the scene.

Everyone was also conscious of the legendary memory of the great Ota farmer and of the fact that he scarcely let an accusation ride.

The late President Umaru Yar’Adua who succeeded him, was not given to much speech either, but neither did he struggle with identity issues. Nigerians tended to see him as slow but then, sickness came and ultimately death,

A misunderstood President?

When will we really know our president? abruptly ending his presidency.

Since he swept into power on the crest of public goodwill in last year’s general election, the current Commander-inChief has gone from one knotty identity or speech issue to another. Living for so long in a country where corruption erupts like a volcano, many looked to him for a reprieve, hoping his administration would swiftly stop such eruptions and end the bleeding of the country. Not a few hoped to see highly-placed thieves locked up behind bars for a change, their ill-gotten wealth recovered and returned to the public till. People also wanted his administration to crack down on terrorists and save the country the terror of Boko Haram.

But the President has since made the point that the people are reading him wrong. Last year, he was at pains getting Nigerians to understand the man they

had as president. He is not a swashbuckling emperor or a maximum ruler in the shape of Pharaoh. He is not a lion, the dreaded and respected but not loved king of the jungle, he said. Our President wants to be loved, not dreaded or merely respected. He wants to be seen as a democrat, not a dictator. Without using the words, he has said he is misunderstood.

Upon his return from the muchpublicised Brazil trip, his media chat presented an opportunity for the President to explain some of his recent actions. And again it became another tortuous exercise in identity resolution.

Why did he fly to Brazil when Kaduna was under Boko Haram fire? It was in order not to give the terrorists the impression that they had succeeded in changing the plans of the government or in shutting down governance for that

“While it is the prerogative of anybody including the president to be who they want to be, it is better for the Commander-in-Chief to deploy his identity to the good of his people. We have had maximum rulers and Pharaohs, lions and tigers, but none of them was of any good. If Jonathan wants to be a friendly president and a democrat, it is a good thing for, few really love a lion king, but his wishes will amount to nothing if they cannot address the knotty issues confronting the people who voted him to power ”

matter or even the entire country, he replied.

Why had he not declared his assets?

Well, it was a personal matter, he replied, and did not give a damn about that. Apparently getting agitated, he explained that the last time he declared, he did so under pressure, his boss having told the nation all he (Yar’Adua) had. He was under obligation in those days. Not anymore. He is now the C-inC and will not allow anyone to cajole him.

Two issues become apparent in this.

One, while it is the prerogative of anybody including the president to be who they want to be, it is better for the Commander-in-Chief to deploy his identity to the good of his people. We have had maximum rulers and Pharaohs, lions and tigers, but none of them was of much good. If Jonathan wants to be a friendly president and a democrat, it is a good thing for, few really love a lion king, but his wishes will amount to nothing if they cannot address the knotty issues confronting the people who voted him to power.

Two, judging from his responses on the asset declaration matter, the President did not sound much like a democrat. Neither did he betray any synergy with his former boss, the late Yar’Adua who seemed to be making the point that leaders should be exemplary.

Yar’Adua his laid his cards on the table.

He was saying he had nothing to hide.

Being misunderstood is bad enough; leaving more room to be further misunderstood is certainly worse. The President is pending a good deal of time explaining that he is a misunderstood president. When will the real Jonathan become apparent?

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

Comment & Analysis

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Reps Vs Otedola It is shameful that the government and security agencies are treating the matter with levity

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HE arcane drama with businessman Femi Otedola and lawmaker Farouk Lawan as lead actors is turning to a national tragedy. We are sure many out there will be asking, are our leaders without shame? For, between the two, and probably including others, a crime has definitely been committed, yet what we get is gas. The law enforcement agencies have suddenly become lame duck, or compromised, or misdirected to stay off. In frustration we ask, how can public confessions to felony be so disdainfully treated by a nation that wants to be reckoned with as a modern society?

For those who may have forgotten, Mr Otedola confessed that he was forced to offer a bribe to Lawan, who in turn claimed he was coerced to receive the inducement. The motive for the offer and the price for the acceptance were to remove certain companies owned by Mr. Otedola from among those indicted by the House of Representatives ad hoc committee that probed the fuel subsidy regime for alleged economic crimes against the country, a mission that was accomplished.

While there may be dispute between the two as to who was committing a crime, and who was playing along, there is ample lead for an indictment of at least one, if not the two of them.

Instead of a swoop by the police on the culprits in furtherance of their constitutional responsibilities to investigate and prevent the commission of crime, the parties are encouraged to resort to drama and propaganda, with the law enforcement agencies turning part of the entertained crowd. We need to remind the national leadership that what clearly comes to the

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T is flabbergasting and mindboggling to hear Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy, stating emphatically that Nigeria’s economy is the third world’s fastest growing, at a special ministerial platform during the one year anniversary of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

She spoke about economic growth, but this has not translated to wealth but woes for the masses. After leaving the debtors’ dungeon of the Paris Club where our debts were cancelled, we are back to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank quarters of debts again with our total debts, both domestic and foreign, in the region of N7 trillion.

Inflation rose to 12.09% in April 2012, before coming down to 12.07% in May while it was 9.03% in 2011.

According to the director African Centre for Supply Chain (ACSC), Mr Obiora Madu, Nigerian Manufacturers contributed a meagre two percent to global trade

minds of ordinary Nigerians as this dance of shame plays out, is that there is a collusion to bury the case together with the subsidy report.

And, on behalf of Nigerians dazed by this macabre show, we ask, where will the national redemption come from?

Mr Otedola told the world, including the law enforcement agencies, that he was cooperating with the State Security Service (SSS) during the operation. He claimed to have given out marked money to Mr. Lawan, and that the illicit transaction was recorded. Yet, there is the pretence that there is no enough evidence to indict Mr. Lawan. On his part, Mr. Lawan claims that he acted along to expose Mr. Otedola for inducing him to corrupt enrichment, and that he duly informed another lawmaker and the police about this criminal conduct. As if men of the SSS or the other named persons belong to prehistoric ages, those with constitutional responsibility to bring either or both of them to justice pretend to be groping in the dark.

Increasingly, there is the general impression that more public officials are involved in this scam. As many have asked, from where did the SSS source a whopping sum of $620,000? Was that tax payers’ money, and if it was, why did the security men quite TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

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unconventionally allow Mr. Lawan to walk away with marked money, with the possibility now, that that money may be lost forever? If indeed Mr. Otedola worked with security officials as he claimed, are those officials responsible to the state, and if they are, why did they allow Mr. Otedola to take the initiative of blowing the whistle? If they failed to act appropriately and their conduct amounts to gross negligence, are they not culpable to be called to answer for failing in their duties?

The House of Representatives investigating Mr. Lawan owes Nigerians more than it is offering. We ask, what effort has it made to expose the veracity of the link to the security agencies either way? While making a show of public hearings when it concerns others, how come this particular case against one of its own needs to be heard in camera?

If the House wants to dig out facts, can’t it hear all the parties the same day to ensure the stories are not doctored, as they claimed to be afraid of? Why so many loose ends over a fairly straight-forward matter?

If we have independent security agencies, would they not have examined the possibility that Mr. Otedola was acting out a script against the subsidy report? Where that is the case, wouldn’t it be fair to know at whose instance he is working? With his advertised closeness to the Presidency, is it possible that he was recruited to destabilise the legislature or the report? Indeed, is it possible that he was acting for the discredited members of the petroleum products importers indicted by the subsidy report? These are questions that should worry the law enforcement agencies, if indeed the well-being of the country is the primary essence of governance. It is not too late to act in defence of our national integrity.

LETTERS

Nigeria’s comatose economy due to the country’s poor manufacturing ability.

It is unfortunate that our country falls within the category of underdeveloped countries of the world. How can our economy grow when we are not a producing but consuming? Our foreign reserve s from about $60 billion in 2007 is now something around $37 billion. Corruption is endemic in the nation. There

have been probes upon probes with no conviction or implementation of recommendations. There have been fuel subsidy fraud; Stock Exchange fraud, pension fraud. No good road networks. No railway system to ease transportation of goods and services. No regular electricity supply, no potable water, higher rate of unemployment. We have an economy where people

have to provide water for themselves, generate their own electricity, build and repair roads, provide their own security, and poor health care delivery system with no trust in government because of bad governance.

Nihilism and anarchy are becoming the order of the day.

People don’t fear the law and the law enforcement agents are not ready to enforce the law. Culprits go scot- free because state power is in the

hands of criminals, who must cover their tracks.

In the aviation industry, no surety for safety, because the regulators are operators and the operators are regulators. Government officials are contractors and contractors are government officials. Also in the petroleum industry, the rot going on there is monumental, and it will take a selfless and focus leader to redeem the in-

This Boko Haram menace I HAVE read some of the opinions on the Boko Haram menace in the country. My submission is that the group must be utterly crushed by the government without any compromise because they are terrorists. If they

have any grievance against the government there are avenues to seek redress including embarking on peaceful demonstration to bring their problem or plight to public attention without the barrel of the gun.

Since the Boko Haram

onslaught began the nation had suffered severe social and economic haemorrhage with hundreds of innocent killed.

My humble advice is that democracy must be defended and sustained by all patriotic Nigerian populace. We have wit-

nessed an unprecedented degree of human butchery and destruction of property by these criminals.

Enough is enough.

Jinbobaraye Karibo-Nelson, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.

dustry from the cankerworm of corruption.

In Singapore, life expectancy is 81yrs while in Nigeria it is 47! Singapore has 95.9 % adult literacy while Nigeria is 57%. Nigeria got its Independence in 1960 while Singapore’s was in 1965.

Within the 30 years of their independence Singapore had grown her economy to about $10,000 per capita income, with that of Nigeria standing at $1,000, but in 20 years it has declined to $300 per capita income.

Is our economy actually growing?. The manufacturing activities of the economy decreased significantly in the first quarter of the year.

It’s sad that in December 2011, Nigeria was ranked 143rd out of 183 surveyed countries in term of public perception on corruption, while in 2010 it was 134th. Is this an economy that is growing?

Pastor Mark Debo Taiwo, 12 Okedoja Complex, Takie /Idi-Abebe, Ogbomoso.

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Ropo Sekoni ropo.sekoni @thenationonlineng.net

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S we observed last week, Nigerians that call for amendments to the 1999 Constitution do so, not because they want more powers added to the exclusive list or more powers taken away from the states.

Memoranda from various states and regions are a good illustration of the motivation of calls by various sections of the polity for at best constitutional conference to create a people’s constitution or at worst substantial amendments of the current one.

According to several newspaper reports, most states and many socio-cultural organizations from various regions of the country have started to make their views known regarding what kind of amendments their citizens prefer.

Although some states and regions have not advertised the contents of their memoranda, it is conceivable that such states have responded duly to the Senate’s call for memoranda. It will be useful for the Senate to make the memorandum of each state and each region available on the Senate’s website for citizens to access. But from memoranda submitted by most states in the Southwest and the Southeast, there are many points that need amplification in this column while there exist some that need to be critiqued.

Femi Orebe femi.orebe @thenationonlineng.net 08056504626 (sms only)

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HIS is my fourth article on this page on the rudderlessness that now passes muster as a National Youth Service programme. I do not care any longer as to whether or not there are those who would hate the title of this article for, like it or not, owing to no fault of ordinary Nigerians, some states in the North are now nothing more than slaughter slabs, not only for strangers, but for natives as well be they Muslims, Christians or pure animists.

In as short as only a year into President Jonathan’s government, Nigeria has become not only shoeless but totally legless. As I wrote on this column not too long ago, the fault is not all of the President’s making but that of a totally rapacious PDP that has held Nigeria captive for the past 13 years, a period, long enough to have made this country rank amongst the leading 20 leading economies of the world if we were better organized.

Only this past week, a good friend of mine , Prince Sunmade Akin Olugbade who, unlike me must still savor his Youth Service year (It was non-existent at my graduation), forwarded to me an article titled: ‘Again, Nigeria Ranked 14th Failed Country.’ The only way I could meaningfully forward it to the ekitipanupo web portal was to address it to a supporter of the PDP on the forum with the following extract: ‘’Nigeria has remained in the (

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

Comment & Analysis

Constitutional amendment: good and bad notes (2) The call for a parliamentary system to replace the presidential system imposed on the country by military governments is remarkable. The presidential system is too expensive to run for a country that is largely unable to meet most of its responsibilities to citizens in terms of infrastructure, social service, etc. It is not surprising that a country that uses 70% of its budget on recurrent items is unable to build a functional railway, safe roads, functional hospitals, and adequate energy. The presidential system has brought more confusion to governance than the pre-military parliamentary system. We now have more or less two layers of civil service under the presidential system; the regular civil servants and hordes of presidential, gubernatorial, and legislative aides that perform unprofessionally functions meant for civil servants.

In addition, a parliamentary system in which the Prime Minister operates as first-among-equals allows the executive and legislative branches to cross-fertilize each other without the mutual suspicion and rivalry that characterize Nigeria’s distorted variant of presidential politics. In a parliamentary system, as distinct from a presidential one, it is not easy for a below-average person to emerge as leader of government.

Similarly, it is not easy for an

aggressive legislature to intimidate the leader of government business.

The argument that the presidential system works in the United States is not sufficient to expect it to work in an underdeveloped country that is saddled with a unitary system.

Those who were around when Nigeria employed the parliamentary model would have no difficulty in recalling the better coordination of public policies and higher quality of debate across the country.

The request for two levels of constitution – federal and regional— is worthy of special consideration. Generally, the dominant cultures in the six regions differ noticeably. It is therefore counterproductive to use one constitution to govern the culturally diverse regions. Correspondingly, the call for a clause for selfdetermination in the amended constitution is significant. The mantra of indivisibility in constitutions imposed by the military since 1979 has prevented custodians of the federal government from being realistic and from adopting the spirit of compromise that generally defines federal democracies in other parts of the world. The clause of selfdetermination is likely to remove the blinkers in the eyes of the country’s post-military rulers at all levels. Ethiopia even has a

Secession Clause that no section of the country has thought of invoking in decades. The mantra of indivisibility is as unimaginative and inimical to peace and progress as telling partners in a marriage that divorce is outlawed.

Also laudable is the courage of several governors to call for a revenue allocation system that is driven by the principle of derivation. The call for regions to send portions of funds collected from all forms of tax and exploitation of resources to the central government is capable of returning the country to the era of inter-regional peace spawned by the Raisman Formula in force until the advent of military dictatorship.

So much of the tension between the North and the South-south over rotation of the presidency could have been avoided if the principle of derivation had been the basis of revenue allocation. Moreover, the crisis from Niger Delta militants and the rise in oil bunkering might also have been avoided if states or regions were in charge of collecting revenue from resources within their jurisdiction and sending an agreeable percentage to sustain the central government.

The call for a constitutional role for traditional rulers is backward looking. The country is a republic.

To that extent, traditional rulers should not be given any role in the

federal constitution. Any region that believes in traditional rulers should have the freedom to use such rulers in whatever way their citizens accept. The option of regional House of Chiefs that was in vogue in the years before 1966 may be considered by any region that so wishes in the crafting of its constitution. But each state may do so only after a referendum in the region so permits.

Citizens should be consulted regarding what they want to do with their Emirs, Obas, Obis, and Obongs in a republican political space.

Most discouraging is the report that the Senate is likely to create more states. If it was not for military dictators, Nigeria would not have had more than six states or regions.

The fragmentation of the country into 36 states was designed to create what Ben Asemota once called a Sultanate system, a collection of mini states run by mendicant governors that look to the central government for funds to keep the appearance of government in the states. Senators need to be proactive and to do some futures thinking. If Nigeria’s oil dries up tomorrow or its foreign buyers create an alternative to fossil energy, not up to 30 of the existing states can survive, let alone creating more economically unviable states that only add to proliferation of underemployed bureaucracies.

NYSC: Saved from the slaughter slab top bracket of countries categorized as failed nations in the last three years.

According to the documentary, some countries fail spectacularly with a total collapse of all state institutions, as in Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal and the hanging of President Mohammad Najibullah from a lamppost, or during the decade-long civil war in Sierra Leone, where the government ceased to exist altogether. Most countries that fall apart, however, do so not with a bang but with a whimper. They fail not in an explosion of war and violence but by being utterly unable to take advantage of their society’s huge potential for growth, condemning their citizens to a lifetime of poverty.

This type of slow, grinding failure leaves many countries in subSaharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America with living standards far below those in the West. What’s tragic is that this failure is by design.

These states collapse because they are ruled by what is called “extractive” economic institutions, which destroy incentives, discourage innovation, and sap the talent of their citizens by creating a tilted playing field and robbing them of opportunities. These institutions are not in place by mistake but on purpose. They’re there for the benefit of elites who gain much from the extraction — whether in the form of valuable minerals, forced labour, or protected monopolies — at the expense of society. Of course, such elites benefit from rigged political institutions too, wielding their power to tilt the system for their benefit.Such states, Nigeria inclusive, inevitably fail, taking an entire corrupt system down with

them and often leading to immense suffering’ In order to understand the havoc the PDP represents for Nigeria, we would have to seek the views of the U.S Council On Foreign Relations about which I have also written in the past.

Relayed hereunder were proceedings at a hearing on the topic: NIGERIA IN TURMOIL on 19 March, 2010: ‘Essentially, as John Campbell has said, there’s an elite cartel at the center of power in Nigeria. There is a political party that came together about a decade ago, with no ideological or programmatic basis, but simply as essentially a club of elites for sharing of oil rents and political spoils. That party has been extremely successful at consolidating its position, and really has attempted to establish a near political monopoly throughout not only the central government, but also throughout the states.

There are pockets of opposition activity. There still is some political pluralism, but it is very much a dominant party system, in which the ruling party has little or no possibility of being overturned or having its dominance encroached upon or reversed. And they do this not only through the distribution of patronage, but also through massive, flagrant and increasingly egregious fraud, misconduct and fixing of elections, using all tools from money to violence in order to preserve their electoral advantage.’

For the PDP and its governments therefore, it matters nothing whether trillions are being stolen via phony oil subsidies or whether an oil baron whose company did not import a single

litre of petrol was wrongly chosen to claim he gave millions of dollars in bribe just so an indicting Report could be shredded.

It is the same story with a government which waited until parents shouted themselves hoarse to know that young graduates, many of who had been killed needlessly in the past, should not again be sent as cheap labour to volatile, killing parts of the North. Indeed, if any evidence needs be given as to the knee jack nature of the Jonathan administration, it is the rapidity with which the President bought into the suggestion by the highly regarded Justice Bola Ajibola (Retd) only this past Thursday, in a back page column in THE NATION newspaper, that Boko Haram should be engaged in a meaningful dialogue.

The truth, if government does not yet know it, is that we are having enough meaningless deaths on our hands already than to keep on sending poor, young Nigerians into pre meditated early deaths.

Enough, for now, of making cheap labour of well trained young Nigerians especially in places where their females are rarely sent down south. And if brotherly love and understanding still remain the core reasons for the NYSC, there are more than enough reasons to limit corps members’ postings only to neighbouring geo-political zones in their parts of the country.

Everything the PDP touched in its 13 cheerless years have turned to ashes. Once they succeeded in banishing the electorate from our electoral process, everything else fell in line. So rapacious is the

party that they made a big mess of an otherwise decent old lady who had all the good intention to run a decent rerun election in the Ido-Osi area of Ekiti state in 2009. Having finished with the electoral process, or indeed, as a part of it, they went, in all their rambunctiousness for the country’s judiciary ensuring that the NJC, the judiciary’s highest body, was completely compromised. They made a short shrift of a decent jurist just so they could guarantee a warped presidential election and, since then, a President who never batted an eyelid to approve a recommendation from the highest judicial organ has now literally ‘slept’ on another recommendation from the same body, for months.

But if all these are true of the PDP, which, of course they are, how exactly are the opposition parties different? I speak for majority Nigerians when I say we cannot see any striking difference whatever and this is worse in the two chambers of the National Assembly.

Not only have the opposition legislators not cried blue murder regarding the exorbitant salaries and allowances Nigerians believe they cart home every month, even when many have no constituency offices, none has come out to decry the suffocating corruption that has made nonsense of ALL the inquiries they embarked upon in the past one year. It is particularly embarrassing that not a single conscientious objector from the ranks of the opposition has emerged to decry the totally shameless events degrading their now hollow chambers.

Or should Nigerians believe that all our politicians are the same?

Comment & Analysis

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

Tunji

Adegboyega tunjade@yahoo.co.uk 08054503906 (sms only)

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OME July 14, voters in Edo State will be on the march again to elect a new governor. Towards this end, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been mobilising to ensure the state returns to the party’s kitty. Edo State has been under the ‘preventive detention and protective custody’ of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) administration of Governor Adams Oshiomhole since November 2008 when the court sent the PDP packing from the state. The intervention was a natural sequence after about eight years that the state had been groaning under the PDP government of one very ‘brilliant’ governor, Lucky Igbinedion.

As brilliant as their PDP claimed he was (to have presented him for election twice), Mr Igbinedion failed woefully in his first term as governor. His father, the popular and wealthy Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin, pleaded with the Edo people to let his son ‘repeat ‘ because a student who fails naturally has the opportunity to repeat. That made sense.

The Edo people, in their usual forgiving spirit, obliged, Mr. Igbinedion returned to serve his second term. Again, he failed brilliantly.

In most good schools, a student who fails consecutively for two sessions is expelled. Edo State happens to be one such good ‘school’. After the second attempt, and Igbinedion

Between the PDP and Edo gods Will it be easy to ‘fix’ Saturday’s election? still could not convince his people that he failed because the ‘examiner’ did not like his face, he was shown the door. However, the usual PDP rigging machinery was deployed to bring in another PDP governor, Oserheimen Osunbor. But it was not long before the courts sent Osunbor away, thus paving the way for the Oshiomhole administration. The rat holds sway only when the cat is not around.

One name that kept recurring in elections in Edo State is Chief Tony Anenih’s, better known as ‘Mr fix It’.

Until the advent of Oshiomhole as governor, Chief Anenih loomed large in the politics of the state. Many people thought it was impossible to become anything in Edo State unless one met with the chief’s favour.

Oshiomhole came and changed all that. As a matter of fact, the man has been literally rendered jobless in the state now. But Chief Anenih deserves the rest; at least given his age.

He is 79 years old, going to 80; a thing many would swear is his official age. In Nigeria, many people have two different ages; the official and the one they are known or thought to be, either as revealed by some of their classmates in school, or through some relatives who re-

membered the war that was fought around the time such people were born.

Anyway, at Chief Anenih’s age (official or actual), he would have retired long ago as a civil servant.

Even if he were a lecturer, he still would have been living on his pension alone since the retirement age for lecturers in the country is 65; only professors can work till they are 70. But when people have made politics their profession, especially the kind of politics for which Chief Anenih is renowned, they are never tired, not to talk of retire. Only death, that necessary end, can retire them.

What worries many people about Chief Anenih is this his nickname of ’Mr Fix It’. Yet, I do not know what is abhorrent in someone being named ‘Mr Fix It’. Who is not fixing something or the other? The doctor tending to his patients is fixing their health; the teacher teaching is in a way fixing his pupils or students for the future; construction workers are fixing one thing or the other, without which life cannot be meaningful for the rest of us. When Lucky Igbinedion did not attend to infrastructure, he was lambasted for not ‘fixing’ them; even call girls are

MY ERROR Last week, I said that President Jonathan ‘...has never considered any of his kinsmen in the creeks for... “ the position of national security adviser’. The correct thing to have been published was that the president “... did not consider any of his kinsmen for the position of national security adviser, as replacement for General Azazi that was fired! Azazi is from Bayelsa State like the President. The computer, stupid!

fixing something or the other for their clients!

But, as bad as some would insist ‘Mr Fix It’ is, he has never laid claim to any percentage of Edo State’s revenue. That is quite unlike his former Oyo State counterpart, the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, who said emphatically that it was his birthright (I guess as ‘the acclaimed strong man of Ibadan politics’) to be given part of whatever accrued to the state as revenue. As you know, there were all kinds of ‘strong men’ in that era when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was president. ‘Mr ‘Fix It’ was the Edo’ equivalent. The man could ‘fix’ virtually everything, except roads that he was supposed to fix as Minister of Works.

But one interesting thing about him now is his metamorphosis. A few years before, he was the one many people bowed and trembled before; today, even the chief that many would equate with fear itself seems now afraid. His frustration in his forced hibernation was palpable as he had to call for a level-playing ground when he thought the Oba of Benin, the revered Omo N’Oba Erediauwa was not being fair to his PDP because the monarch refused to receive the party’s team that came visiting. The world is indeed a cane; it swings back and forth.

Was it not the same ‘Mr Fix It’ who took it upon himself to be the caretaker in 2003, and announced that there was ‘no vacancy in Aso Rock’?

Anenih’s metamorphosis is reminiscent of something; that when a king has to remind his subjects that he is still their king, then that king is finished.

But, the respecter of the Benin culture and tradition that he is, the Omo

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N’Oba, according to some reports, had to receive the President in his inner chamber instead of the public (where the PDP chieftains had hoped to make a feast of the pictures with the Omo N’Oba as endorsement of their party’s governorship candidate) because that was the instruction from the gods. But, if the entourage saw that as humiliation, it was one they called unto themselves. Why did they have to go for such sensitive assignment without the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, the loquacious Dimeji Bankole? Ekiti people have not forgotten that Bankole (as speaker) once told them that if the ‘kill-and-go’ police were not able to rig Ekiti election for them (PDP), they would call in the troops to do the dirty job. That was one factor that accounted for the Omo N’Oba’s insistence on following the voice of the gods.

Moreover, we should not forget that it was only last week that President Goodluck Jonathan wore his uniform as a Field Marshal; two days after the trip to Edo State. The President should repeat the trip in his new uniform and see if the gods would not reverse themselves. Even if the gods have not seen a Field Marshal before, they must have heard of Idi Amin.

That should put the fear of God into them and make them order the Omo N’Oba to receive the august visitors as well as crown their party’s candidate as successor to Governor Oshiomhole. When two gods meet, one must necessarily bow for the other. When hunters who specialise in killing human beings are talking, their counterparts who can only kill elephants don’t have to be told to keep quiet.

Lucky Igbinedion might have failed twice, but that should not be the end of the world. It would not be a bad idea if the PDP recaptures Edo again. After all, Edo can still afford to lose some billions more to rampaging predators..

Superman and the government’s indiscipline Postscript, Unlimited!

By

Oyinkan Medubi 08187172799 (SMS only) puchuckles7@gmail.com HE title reads like I am about to tell you a story, right? I am, but you have to fill in some of the gaps yourself because, as you know, no Nigerian story is ever as straightforward as it looks. In the fictions, the story of superman is pretty simple enough and I just plain love it but I know that this earth cannot possibly support the existence of such a good alien figure that falls in among us to fight our crimes, clean our streets of evil and generally restore us to all goodness. That beautiful one has not yet been born, in any planet for that matter. I know all this. Yet, I still believe that Superman embodies for me the greatest truth of all: that the men on this terrestrial plain are actually born stupid; and, try as he would, Superman cannot succeed in curing that before he, err, would need to ‘go back home’.

Yet, while he is no earthly figure, Superman has managed to show how we earthlings can use a few of his attributes to get a few things done around here. First, he has shown us how to listen. No matter where he is, even on his own planet, Superman has always managed to hear

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whenever anyone, particularly his girlfriend, is in trouble. Perhaps he has acute hearing abilities, perhaps his ears are forever peeled to trouble or perhaps he is just plain idle and is ever on the ready, I don’t know but I sincerely wish our own government would just develop this ability to hear when the people are saying something, and stop this very irritating habit of listening only to itself brag. Then he has shown us how to care.

There are very few Nigerians not affected by road travel in this country. Most of us, therefore, including beggars, are affected by the conditions on the nation’s so-called express roads that are anything but express these days; particularly, the Lagos-Ibadan one. The problem is not so much that the road is littered with potholes. We Nigerians are used to dodging potholes all our lives – going to and coming from our various homes or work places require pothole-dodging expertise.

We even have to dodge the potholes in our wives, our husbands, our children, our government, etc.

Imagine waking up in the morning and the first thing the Madam of the house tells you is ‘Pot is empty; we need money’, all you can think of is how to answer that unasked question ‘What are you going to do about it?’

Best thing is to dodge that pothole by running. So, you see, we are used to dodging potholes.

One big pothole that keeps tripping us all up is the government.

If the government would simply restrict itself to providing the template for governance, we would all hardly notice it is there and we would be at peace with it. But it must put its nose where it has no business

doing so and order every single thing and soil every single one with its dirty oily hands and put all of our noses out of joint. Why on earth should tankers be allowed to park on the EXPRESS roads in such brazen arrogance with the government’s nod and wink? I tell you, it’s a conspiracy against you and me.

One of the destructive notions flying around in this country is that when a Nigerian is an ordinary citizen, he is allowed to be reasonable and see the government as the enemy. Once however he is selected/ elected into a government position as high as the presidency or as low as the local government, he is allowed to become automatically an unreasonable human being who sees the people as the enemy. In short, he becomes superhuman and is entitled to, among other things, large measures of indiscipline. As a superhuman being, he can own and unown, he can do and undo, and he can say and unsay. He can even interpret the law any which way he pleases, as the government is even right now interpreting and misinterpreting the law concerning the Appeal Court Judge’s removal or reinstatement. Why, he can probe and unprobe, as the on-going fuel subsidy ‘probes’ are showing us. I tell you, our superhuman government functionary is a funny study in how to move crabwise along the continuum of discipline in ALL matters.

It is only in Nigeria that it is possible for roads to be closed because some highnesses’ convoys of twenty or more cars are passing by and you, poor thing, have to go late to work. After all, you don’t count; you are just the ordinary poor citizen.

Then, please don’t talk about

government or police drivers. I once watched as a police van filled with police constables tried to insist on going against the traffic on a busy one-way street, attempting to force the long traffic that had built up to reverse into the main road. I am glad to report that, on that day, Nigerians made me proud. Everyone simply stayed in his/her car and refused to budge until, in shame, the police vehicle retreated. This behaviour portrays nothing but colonial primitiveness and imprisonment; it also shows that the higher we go, the lower we actually sink.

The worst part is that your previously ordinary citizen now finds that, as a government functionary, he can own road tankers that bring in eye-popping revenues.

It is therefore not for them to ask how the business is done, or to concern themselves with such mundane things as where the drivers park their vehicles when they want to go on recess. These are silly things that ordinary Nigerians who utilise the highways, but do not move from home to office in helicopters, do not have houses and wives and children abroad, and spend only a tiny fraction of their time in Nigeria, concern themselves with. The ordinary ones are those who find that they have to constantly travel on the nation’s highways to do their businesses, keep the economy moving and occasionally lose their lives as happened recently on the Lagos-Ibadan express road. They are the ones who have found the express roads littered with tankers that leave only narrow gorges for other vehicles to squeeze through in trickles, long queues and hold-ups that quadruple one’s journeying

time and they can do nothing about it. Someday, we will write about how the pleasures have been taken out of road travel for us Nigerians.

Anyway, I need Superman now for three things. First, I need him to tell these government functionaries that they may think they are superhuman, but they can never be Superman because they cannot swallow his ideology.

Superman’s ideology is the good of one for the good of all. Secondly, Superman could take a male and female government functionary with him in the air next time he flies, and while they are up, a number of things will happen. I bet that the top government functionary would suddenly find his/her humility and mortality by shrieking and shouting. That should remove some of their stuffiness, at least enough to make them stop talking to the rest of us as if we are all dopes, rather than just some of us.

Thirdly, I need Superman to show our government how to have the political will to do what is right by its citizens. They can show this will by clearing the roads of these tankers, whether they own them or not, getting appropriate parking lots for them, and making them use those lots so that they stop endangering the lives of other more disciplined road users. The business of governance is the business of listening; listening begets caring and caring begets cooperative citizens.

Using governmental positions to oppress the people begets nothing but grumbling, and the government had better know now that there is a great deal of grumbling going on.

This piece was first published June 15

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T’S no longer news that the governorship election in Edo State is scheduled for next Saturday, July 14.As we count down to the D-Day, gladiators jostling for the plump job in Osadebe Avenue have been making last minutes efforts to reach out to the electorate in what football enthusiasts will call injury time. But is there really any vacancy in Osadebe Avenue? Some analysts have said there is, while others believe if for nothing, there must be a contest so that it will not be an easy ride for the present occupant of that office.

Again, without a contest, there will be no job for the boys. By law, the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC needs to” mobilize’ the participating political parties to “mobilize” their own candidates.

Friends, well wishers, social clubs and associations are also expected to “mobilize” their own candidates. So, there is need for contest. From the campaigns and the TV debates held in the state, it was crystal clear that some of the candidates were nothing but clowns who are in the race only for the pecuniary gains they hope to get from it .The TV debates simply exposed them as comedians who are in the race to entertain the electorate following their responses to the questions put to them.

Some of them are barely known beyond their immediate household or at best in their street.

Yet, they want to be governor of a politically sophisticated state like Edo. With all sense of modesty and without begging the issue, the only candidates in this race to Osadebe Avenue are Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria and Gen Charles Airhiabvere of the Peoples Democratic Party. These two candidates bear the flags of the two dominant political parties in the state, at least in terms of popular support. However, the PDP support in Edo of today is a far cry from what it used to be, having frittered away the golden opportunity given it by the people when it occupied the Osadebe Avenue for close to a decade .

A boggled social contract, a chance which may not come its way again, at least, not in this generation since its candidate rightly belongs to the next generation because he is AIRHIAVBERE! Edo was on ground zero when Oshiomhole, like a hurricane swept away the PDP from Osadebe Avenue in a popular vote freely given to him in April 2007. Unfortunately, the PDP stubbornly and illegally held on to power

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N basic term, environment is the external condition which ordinarily influences development or growth of people, animal or plants. It also influences, among others, living or working conditions.

The orderliness of the environment and its effective management in the contemporary world define to a large extent development and state of health of its citizen, as human life is simply inter wined with whatever happens to the larger system, that is, the biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere.

Experts have established that the global system is threatened by gamut of issues, including climate change, ozone layer depletions, deforestation, flooding, waste, urban congestion, lack of planning among others.

Also findings indicate that most of the ailments upsetting developing countries, ranging from cholera, typhoid, malaria, and some other water born diseases, such as tetanus, river blindness are by-product of unclean environment.

The State of Osun is also tucked in this global threat and disorderliness as one of the communities in search of development.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s passion impelled him to give cursory attention to policies and programmes that will totally renew the state environment with a view to combating its attendant problems such as filthy outlook, environmentally induced ailments and disjointed structural outlook.

Hitting the ground running and not amused at the state of filth, dirt and rubbish that litters the nooks and crannies of the state, Mr. Aregbesola pro actively declared ninety days emergency on state of physical uncleanness he met on the ground.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

Comment & Analysis

Edo 2012: Need for greater voter mobilization

BY EBOMHIANA MUSA

for 18 months until it was forcefully ejected through the Appeal Court verdict of November 2008. Ever since, Edo has never been the same in terms of in fractural development across the nooks and crannies of the state. To say the least, Hurricane Adams has been embarrassing the PDP with dividends of democracy and he will continue to embarrass them as long as he remains the Chief tenant at Osadebe Avenue..As at the time of this report, Hurricane Adams who has been the nightmare of the PDP has successfully toured the 18 council areas of the state and the 192 wards, telling the people of the need for continuity because he has not done half of what he needs to do to bring total developments to Edo state.

With that done, he has embarked on the third and final leg of the mobilization which is the door-to- door discussion with the people. The grand finale which many have tagged mother of all rallies is slated for Saturday, July 7 at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin. Sad enough, as the CAN and its brand are painstakingly reaching out to the electorate; the PDP is busy plotting how to manipulate the people’s mandate. Beyond all this, I believe the most important thing at this stage is the voter education, the need for a good turn out on the Election Day and of course the need to reduce to the barest minimum the number of voids votes.

If statistics gleaned from INEC office, revealing the voting pattern from the last general election are anything to go by, then, all the candidates and their foot soldiers have a lot on their hands to ensure a good turn out of registered voters across the three senatorial districts of the state. Edo south with seven heavily populated council areas has 56 per cent of the voting population in the state. These areas are predominantly populated by the binis and they hold the ace in any election in the state. And I do not see the July 14 election presenting a different scenario.

It is therefore not surprising that the PDP candidate is trying hard to play up this ethnic card in his campaign. Hard as he has tried, his people keep on rejecting him because he is only a bini man in name. In the real sense of it, he is a foreigner in his own land as he is not known by his people. His own com-

munity, Agbado rejected him long before the election and chose to support Oshiomhole, the one they know who has brought developments to their door step. The next in terms of voting power is Edo north senatorial district, comprising six council areas with a voting population of 28 per cent .

The ACN flag bearer, Adams Oshiomhole is from this here. It is pertinent to note here that Oshiomhole did not get the desired support from his people in the 2007 pools. So ,one should not be surprised that 75 per cent of the capital projects in the state are cited in the southern senatorial district who gave him the bulk of the vote that brought him to Osadebe Avenue. One does not need to consult an oracle to say that this time around, the north will come out en mass to queue behind their own having proved to be a worthy son.

With these two districts in one accord in support of a candidate, the Tsunami votes for Oshiomhole on Saturday is better imagined than described. Again, if these INEC figures are to be taken seriously, one can safely say that the ACN has made a major inroad into Ishan land in the last three and a half years. With a voting population strength of 16 per cent, the least among the three senatorial district, yet, the most closely knitted when it comes to voting, this area has been the PDP stronghold in Edo state since the advent of this democracy in 1999. Reason for this is obvious as the infamous MR Fix It hails from here. However, with the level of decampment of political heavyweights into the CAN, coupled with the massive endorsement by traditional rulers and opinion leaders who have electoral value ,Oshiomhole seems to have dared the lion in his den and successfully snatched away some of his cobs.

This development may have sounded the political death knell of the acclaimed leader. However, Saturday’s election is very likely to drive the final nail into his political coffin .Oshiomhole has embarrassed the”leader”before his people by embarking on development programmes in the zone. These include massive road construction, drilling of boreholes, construction and reconstruction of schools, health centre’s, youth empowerment etc .IT is pertinent to note here that large population does not necessary translate to votes in an

election. Voter turn out is what really makes the difference. For instance, despite the fact that the central senatorial zone has the least voting population, it has always been recording the highest turn out of voters in terms of percentage of the total voting population, at least ,since the inception of the present democracy. Figures from INEC’s record also show that Egor Local government which recorded the highest registered voters of 324,950 had an abysmal 7.83 per cent voter turn out.

The next in terms of registered voters, Ikpoba -0kha council with 241,939 only recorded 13.18 per cent of actual voter turn out. This simply tells us that these ones only registered to fulfill all righteousness, on election day, they sit in the comfort of their homes ,watching patriotic Edolites on television exercise their franchise.

And of course, using their cell phones to find out “how far” from those on the field. Oredo council which is the heart of the state, being landlord of the seat of power , recorded 255,960 registered voters .As expected, only 13.8 per cent of this actually voted for candidates of their choice during the last election.

To some extend, it is quite understandable because it’s the most cosmopolitan of all the councils in the state being home to none indigenes, mostly traders from other parts of the country.

Some of them see the election period as opportunity to take break from their busy businesses and rest at home or undertake a quick trip outside their location. Of the seven councils that make up the Southern zone, Orhionmwon recorded the highest voter turn out with 37.12 percent of the 88, 156 registered voters closely followed by Uhunmwode with 35.15 percent of the 53,072 registered voters. Esan land, Central senatorial zone has the highest voter turn out in the state with Esan South – East hitting the roof top with 62 percent of the 48,506 registered voters. This is closely followed by Igueben council with 57 percent turn out of the 28,817 registered voters recorded. The national leader of the ruling party in the state, Chief Tom Ikimi comes from here. Out of the five councils here, Esan West had the least voter turn out of 37 percent of the 71,375 registered. Even at that, its about the same with Orhionmwon, which recorded 37.12 percent, the highest in Edo south senatorial zone.

Out of the six council areas in the North senatorial zone, Etsako West recorded the least voter turn out of 29.98 percent of the 109,439 registered, the highest registration in the zone. The governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is from here. Akoko Edo council which closely followed in terms of registered voters of 100,488 was able to mobilize has much as 50 percent turn out during the election.Etsako Central has the least registered voters of 39,387 in the zone with 51 percent voter turn out. Yet, its about the most problematic of the six councils.It used to be the strongest base of the PDP, parading the heavyweights in the party. The state party chair of the PDP Chief Dan Osi Orbih hails from here.

The former deputy governor of the state in the locust years of the PDP, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, now the Chief of Staff to Mr President also comes from here. The for Chief of Naval Staff and number two man in the country, Admiral Mike Akhigbe who is also of the PDP is from here too. We wait patiently to see how their offices and personality will be translated to votes for their party on Saturday. No doubt, this is an up hill task given the major breakthrough recorded by the CAN in the last three and a half years. Virtually all those that matter in the council have turn their umbrellas, even under heavy down pour and clutched the broom. However, one must admit here that Orbih has never lost his Ogbona ward in all the previous elections held in the state. He has always cleared the seven polling units.

He will be fighting a political battle of his life on Saturday as that will determine his continue relevance as the party chair in the state. The ward has since turned a battle ground, with fierce fighting almost on daily bases among supporters of the two dominant parties in the state. Some have already had their skulls broken while others are nursing broken limbs ahead of the election.

Oghiadomhe does not really have anything to fight for as he has since lost political relevance among his people.

For instance, in the last general election, he lost the three wards in his Fugar town to the rampaging CAN with very wide margin. From these figures and their analyses, it is obvious that all the registered political parties have so much to do in terms of voter education and mobilization if the huge figures posted by the 18 councils must be translated into real votes on Saturday.

Osun: Revisiting environment, restoring social order

By Oyintiloye Olatunbosun

This bold step metamorphosed into O’ Clean initiative with a clear blueprint on environmental sanitation, deflooding, waste management and beautification.

The O Clean initiative described by the residents as impressive was characterised by weekly enviromental sanitations which held every saturday Also days were designated for environmental sanitation exercise in public places like markets, shops and even government offices To sustain the impact of the 90 days emergency, the government followed up with a declaration that environmental sanitation should be pursued on the second and last Saturdays of every month. However sanitation for Markets and malls were fixed for every Thursday of the week, while Fridays was slated for government offices and schools sanitation.

This measure to a large extent move the state up the ladder as testified by one of the eminent sons of the state, The highly revered Clergy, Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God who observed in one of his visits to the state of Osun that the outlook is gradually taken a new shape.

Due to the psychedelic attitude of the residents, neglect over the years and lack of political will the environment especially waterways, rivers and drainage channels have been blocked. Consequently, the state was constantly visited with the “demons” of flooding, leading to perennial lost of lives and properties.

This was to change with radical and revolutionary step of massive invest-

ment in channelization of waterways in most of the major cities across the state including the historical Esinminrin river, Opa stream, Ogboku, Unique, Gbalefefe and Obafemi Awolowo University all in Ile-Ife, Okooko, ogbaagba, eku in Osogbo, Omiru, and Omieran in Ilesa, Ogbun, aketi, amuni river and Opopo in IlaOrangun, Osun ojumu and Alagbagun stream in Iragbiji, Osere river in Ikirun, Oke- moro stream in Ikire, Mogimogi river in Apomu, Oloowa stream and Odo Okun in Ode-Omu Aiba Stream in Iwo, and several other parts of the state.

The dredging which was done last year, 2011 was about fifty three Kilometres costing over N500 million naira.

So far, in 2012, not less than 25 kilometers of waterways have been dredged, while the exercise still continues in other communities including Adeti and Olutoki in Ilesa, while effort is in top gear to address dredging of waterways in Ejigbo, Aise Omi, Oika Stream, Odo Aro and Akunrin in IpetuIjesa.

The impact of this dredging, particularly in those communities on environment has enhanced the level of sanitation and social security as residents of the state can now sleep with their eyes closed.

To return the environment to its natural habitat and restore balance in the eco system stakeholders, particularly, the United Nation (UN) has been advocating greenery and in line with this developmental agenda the government of the state of Osun had also keyed in to beautification through rea-

sonable investment in changing the outlook of the state capital Osogbo as well as major cities.

The state was working on clearance of the bushes along the shoulder of the highways, with a view to replacing them with greenery.

About N60 million naira has been expended on several activities on the first phase of greenery project while plan towards implementation of the second phase is still ongoing.

The government has also encouraged massive reafforestation. Recently, a 60 hectares of land was approved to be reafforested in Ikeji-Arakeji area of Oriade Local Government . It is also reafforesting devastated Sasa Forest, Omo/Sasa/Oluwo Conservation Forest to promote integration activity in the neighouring state.

Another audacious step taking by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is the beautification of Osun Federal Highway from Asejire in Oyo State boundary, the beautification of this median of the highway have commenced and still ongoing. The proposal is to extend the beautification from Asejire to Owena in the Ondo State boundary, running to about 190 kilometers..

Presently roundabout leading to the state Secretariat in Abere has been re constructed to a befitting fountain depicting “Apalara” hard work philosophy while work is on - going in others across the state including Stadium and Omobolale. These are strategic entrance to the state capital. A major round about is being planned for OkeFia area of Osogbo. Each of the roundabout is to costs the state about ten million naira.

To raise the profile of the State capital and other major cities to a befitting one over five hundred million naira had also been budgeted for beautification.

To give the state a modern outlook and make it a reference points in environment re –orientation the government has also embarked on a multimillion naira world class Park Project at Gbongan junction in Ayedaade Local Government, which is to be called Hassan Olajokun Memorial Park. When completed, it would have multi-purpose hall, viewing centre, police station, relaxation centre, shops and many others. Similar parks are to be established across the state.

This gestures and initiatives have already attracted the attention and commendation of major stakeholders leading to the recent Award of Excellence in Pragmatic Leadership, Environmental Management and Youths Empowerment to the Governor Of the State of Osun, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola by African Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production which met in Ghana last Month.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment and Sanitation, Honourable Bola Ilori said that state government is on course in its vision at changing the face of the state of Osun adding that the government will also ensure that steps are taken to enforce existing environmental laws in order for the dream to be actualised Olatunbosun, Assistant Director( Community Forum) Bureau of Communications and strategy, office of the Governor, state of Osun.

19

POLITICS THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

Suntai, Alhassan and Taraba power game

•Suntai

N

O one saw it coming. But in politics where the only permanent feature is interest, the current situation in Taraba State where the governor, Danbaba Suntai, is allegedly pitched in a battle for political supremacy with Senator Aisha Alhassan, did not come as a surprise.

For the over four years that their political romance lasted, Suntai and Alhassan had a near excellent relationship. According to sources, their relationship predated the duo’s emergence as governor and senator respectively. As political soul mates, the two political gladiators watched each other’s back and jealously guarded their respective political interests without any reservation.

Findings by The Nation also revealed that Suntai’s relationship with Aisha Alhassan was an extension of his close ties with the senator’s husband, Engineer Ahmed Alhassan, who was the governor’s boss as the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).

After Suntai retired from FCDA in 2005, it was alleged Ahmed

•Al-Hassan Alhassan, who hails from Niger State and his wife Aisha, an indigene of Taraba State, prompted him to throw his hat into the ring in 2007 elections in order to succeed the then governor, Reverend Jolly Nyame at the Taraba Government House.

With solid financial war chest allegedly put at the disposal of Suntai by associates, including the Alhassan’s, who are also said to be well connected in the corridors of power in Abuja, the relatively unknown Suntai not only clinched the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship ticket at the expense of the favoured candidate, Nyame, but also went ahead to win the polls, much to the surprise of many political heavyweights in the state.

Expectedly, Suntai’s first term in office further cemented his relationship with Aisha Alhassan and her husband, who was removed as the FCDA boss early last year. And in an alleged case of reciprocating a good gesture, the governor allegedly deployed party and government machinery to ensure the election of Aisha Alhassan as a senator during the

2011 general elections.

Alhassan’s victory was even more significant given the fact that she defeated the once acclaimed political godfather of Taraba State and former governor, Jolly Nyame.

However, the first sign that things had fallen apart between the governor and the senator occurred when the latter spearheaded the non-confirmation by the senate of Dr. Obadiah Ando, a nominee of the governor and former Defence Minister, Lt. Gen. Theophillus Danjuma as a minister last year. Ando served as the Minister of Water Resources for about a year before he was dropped and later re-nominated at the insistence of the governor.

But when crunch time came and the Senate President, David Mark called for a voice vote to confirm the nomination of Ando as minister, the deafening chorus of ‘nay’ by the senators finally sealed the fate of Ando, who was made the fall guy in the battle between the influential senator and the governor. According to sources, there and then, a battle line was drawn between Senator Alhassan and the governor,

The face-off between Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State and Senator Aisha Alhassan may have become so entrenched that it would likely shape the 2015 governorship polls in the state, writes Remi Adelowo

ready to assert his authority in his state.

The rift became almost intractable when words filtered out some months ago that Alhassan is allegedly nursing an ambition to succeed Suntai, whose second term in office expires in 2015. Not prepared to take chances, sources confirmed that Suntai, in the last couple of months, has been busy forming new political friendships and repairing hitherto fractured political alliances with a view to checkmating Alhassan in the run down to the 2015 polls.

The allegation today is that his primary message to his new political friends has been simple: Alhassan cannot succeed him since both of them hail from the same senatorial zone. One big fish that the governor has wooed to his camp is his erstwhile political foe, Ahmed Yusuf, who lost the PDP governorship ticket to him and subsequently decamped to the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), where he secured the party’s gubernatorial ticket, but eventually lost to Suntai at the general elections.

At the rally to welcome Yusuf

back to PDP, Suntai was in attendance with the full paraphernalia of his office. His commissioners, special advisers and other government appointees also registered their presence. But not surprisingly, Alhassan and her key supporters were conspicuously absent.

Unconfirmed reports say the governor may have reached an understanding with Yusuf to back him for the PDP governorship ticket in 2015, while the former would vie for the senate seat, which Alhassan presently occupies.

From all indications, Alhassan, who used to run a highbrow eatery in Abuja before she was elected as senator, appears poised for a showdown with the governor, whom she had consistently accused of alleged poor performance in office. And with new political events constantly playing out in Taraba State, coupled with the cold calculations of the political players battling for relevance, the race for the 2015 governorship race in the state may still throw up lots of twists in months to come.

20

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

Politics

‘How Nigeria is being signed away’ Chairman of House Committee on Treaties, International Agreements and Protocol, Dayo Alebiosu-Bush, spoke with Sunday Oguntola on how Nigeria is being shortchanged in the international community through different treaties without domestication. Excerpts

H

OW much has Nigeria complied with international treaties and agreements?

Personally, I have been happy with how we as a nation have handled the issue of treaties and agreements. When the House under the leadership of Hon Aminu Tambuwal realised this, it necessitated the creation of the committee. Nigeria is a party to well over 200 treaties of which less than 10 percent have been domesticated.

We have treaties requiring financial commitments on our part as a nation and some awaiting ratification of the National Assembly.

The process of seeking ratification is initiated by the executive. Some treaties require enactment. Section 12 of the constitution states that no treaty shall have the force of law until it is passed into law by the National Assembly. Thank God that the Montreal Convention was domesticated through enactment into the Aviation Acts, which is why they can be compensations for victims of the Dana crash. Otherwise, they would have died in vain. They are treaties that have been signed for over five years that have not been brought to the National Assembly for enactment. So, they have been domesticated and have no force of law.

Why have they not been presented?

Well, you are asking the wrong person the question because I don’t know. You should ask those who went to sign the treaties.

But it baffles and amazes me that treaties are signed and then not enacted into law. The essence of signing treaties is to protect citizens of concerned nations. But we just sign these treaties and look away. Take for example, the FCT Framework on Tobacco Control. It has been passed but not assented. This committee is planning to recall that bill and rework it. The bill is aimed at reduction of tobacco consumption in the nation while the treaties say you cannot advertise tobacco on our land. If we harmonise both, we can get what we want.

But some say banning advertisement of tobacco will affect Nigerians working in those firms and reduce government revenue… ...Then, why did Nigeria sign the treaty in the first place? You see, you can always register your displeasure with some of these provisions and it will be documented.

There is no point signing a treaty when you don’t really plan to implement it. I used to smoke but gave it up. The treaty is saying you cannot advertise and that is this. If you have to smoke, you should be

•Alebiosu-Bush

aware of the contents of what you are consuming. You must be aware of the consequences of what you are getting into. Then, you cannot also smoke in the public. How many people smoke? Maybe 10 percent; shouldn’t we then protect the 90 percent left? That is what we are talking about.

How do you react to the charge

by Nigerians in Bakassi Peninsula that they were not consulted before the Island was ceded to Cameroun and that they will want to remain Nigerians?

Well, many blame former President Olusegun Obasanjo for this development but we did not take the case to the International Court.

Nigeria was sued there. We only made a defence appearance. However, we could have said that we refuse to be bound by the ruling of the International Court. We did not but put up a defence team that consumed hundreds of dollars in professional charges. It still requires domestication. The constitution of Nigeria does not recognise that judgment. We should have delineation experts looking at the issue

to find a permanent solution rather than signing away Nigeria.

Don’t you think involving legislators before the treaties are signed will accelerate the process of their enactment as the nation’s laws?

I completely agree with you on this. We are considering an amendment seeking to ensure lawmakers are carried along in the process right from the beginning.

When they attend conventions and conferences prior to the signing, they are well briefed and made to see the advantages of what we are getting into. Lawmakers are not part of this, making the process more or less like a rubber stamp.

But when they are involved, they have thorough understanding and the process is faster. Most times, we just hear about these treaties in news reports. After signing Nigeria away, they come back and consign the documents to some dossiers.

This is a great disservice to the nation that must change. Look at the mess Nigeria is. We are a party to the Bilateral Air Transport Agreements (BATA) with UK and Ireland. But it has not been enacted. We are complaining about tariff. Why should ours be different? That is already addressed in the BATA agreement. If you want to fly from here, it is double or 80 percent more than what Ghanaians or Togolese are paying.

Then, we hear it is about demand and supply. So, the price we get for demanding is higher tariff? We carried out our investigations and found that there is a portion of the BATA that addresses tariff. When there was a crisis with BA, the Prime Minister appealed to us to back down and revert to the BATA agreements. It amazes me that we don’t do that. We are not protecting Nigerians. Nigerians cannot challenge these discriminatory charges here because they do not offend any law here. They have to go to an international court to enforce their rights. Where will they find the money to do that? That is what is happening. Nigerians are

shortchanging Nigerians. Nigeria is losing billions of dollars in the aviation sector for this reason. Consider the frequency of flights from UK to Nigeria. It is skewed against us. In life, you don’t get what you deserve; you get what you bargain for. Some of these treaties have lifespan. Those domesticated, have they been reviewed?

What is your committee planning to do to ensure enactment of treaties into laws?

We have started from somewhere. We have moved a motion for DANA to pay compensations to the affected victims within 30 days. If the Montreal Convention had not been domesticated, we won’t have been able to do this.

The committee is empowered by the constitution for invocation of certain measures. We are poised to do everything possible to make sure the treaties carry the force of law in Nigeria.

Are you prepared to be discredited like many committees that have attempted such audacious moves in the past?

Believe me, we won’t mind.

You have my word on this. We are working to make sure Nigerians are protected anywhere in the world. I have heard all sorts. We are ready to do our job. Believe me, we will do the job.

Even if those against the move fight back?

We will do our job and you have my word on that. Do you know how much it costs us to sign these treaties? Do you know how much we are losing? These treaties are supposed to be made available to those who want at a fee.

How much have we made from that? Or, are we losing the entire fees? We have the coffee agreement, which has not been domesticated.

Do you know how many coffee drinkers we have in Nigeria and worldwide? Are we going to watch things happen without being protected? The treaty will put Nigeria in the cocoa market but we are not interested. We are only focused on oil. So, we are empowered to request for things. In cases when Ministers and Heads of Parastatals fail to appear before us, we will invoke the relevant laws of the land. Enough and enough and it is high time we rose up. We will begin to shake the trees and see what will fall off.

Nigerian women and democratic process Adeola Ogunlade, who attended a recent dialogue writes on the involvement of Nigerian women in democratic process

D

ESPITE the enormous achievements of the Nigerian women since independence, there are plethora of issues undermining their role and participation in the democratic process in Nigeria.

This was the thrust of the 2012 Inter-Generational Dialogue on Women in Nigeria, organised by the Centre for Human Development with funding from the United Nations Democracy fund, held recently at Peninsula Resort, Ajah, Lagos State.

The programme, titled Promoting Women’s Political Participation, brought together women, including party leaders, female politicians, market women, civil society organisations, gender activists and advocates of persons living with disabilities from Kogi, Ekiti, Osun, Enugu, Ebonyi, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and the FCT, Abuja.

Speaking at the event, the Honorable Minister of Women and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina, called for the im-

plementation of strategies that would ensure the political empowerment of women and establishing a framework for gender responsiveness in all public and private sector policies and programmes.

She said that it is pertinent to note that despite the large population of women in Nigeria, their participation in politics and decision making have been dismal.

Maina, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Ministry of Women and Social Development, Olusola Dada, highlighted various discriminatory practices, marginalisation in political parties dominated by men, high registration fees, unfavorable socio-cultural environment and negative stereotyping of women in the society as factors undermining the role of women in governance.

In her welcome address, the Executive Director, Centre for Human Development, Professor Simi Afonja, said that the forum is aimed at decentralising the domestication of Gender Affirmative Action and

• Professor Simi Afonja, Executive Director, Centre for Human Development addressing participants at the Post-election Intergenerational Dialogue on Women in Nigeria

other programmes to embrace all levels of governance and grassroots engagement.

She said “this idea of decentralising Affirmative Action is on the understanding that if more women at the grassroots are educated about Affirmative Action, there will be more advocates at the

local level. They will be able to lobby and mobilise people at the community levels.”

Afonja added that womenfriendly institutions will develop to focus on the priorities at the grassroots which are invariably different from those of urban women’s organisations. The motive of

women is not to gain relevance at the center alone but at all levels.

Earlier in his words, the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, Akinlaja Joseph, reaffirmed the commitment of the house in enacting laws that would aid the domestication of affirmative action plan for women.

He said “the Committee on Women Affairs is working hard on the 35percent affirmative action plan for women to be soon presented to the parliament but expectation is ours but reality is another.”

Joseph went ahead to challenged women to unite together “against the innocuous cliché that undermines the role of women in politics and other institutions in Nigeria.”

In her presentation, the Executive Director, Alliance For Africa, Iheoma Obibi, who spoke on the topic: Gender Affirmative Action, Lessons from other countries; said that building strategy alliances and relationships among women groups and associations have helped in entrenching gender equality and empowerment in many countries that have put the Gender Affirmative action bill into law which can be replicated in Nigeria.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

Politics

Breaking Reps, Presidency’s icy relationship

Political Politics turf

The cat and mouse relationship between the presidency and the House of Representatives came to public notice recently when President Goodluck Jonathan refused to honour summons extended to him by the House over increasing spate of insecurity in some parts of the north. Since then, desperate efforts have been made to break the ice, reports Sam Egburonu

B •Jonathan

•Tambuwal

EFORE President Goodluck Jonathan’s recent visit to Brazil for the United Nation’s Earth Summit, the thorny political issue was whether he would bow to House of Representative’s invitation to appear before it and explain certain issues relating to the current security riddle The House had, on June 19, summoned Mr. President and his security chiefs, via a resolution, to appear before it over what it described as “threatening security challenges and myriad of attacks by the Boko Haram sect in parts of Northern Nigeria.”

So, when Mr. President ignored the invitation and jetted away to Brazil, it became obvious that the cold relationship between the president and the House may have deteriorated more than common observers

could see.

In fact, even before Jonathan’s return from the controversial trip, some top government officials reportedly threatened to go to court if the House of Representatives insisted that the President must appear before it over the Boko Haram menace in Yobe, Borno, Kano, Kaduna and other parts of the North.

Insiders confirmed to The Nation that before setting out for the trip to Brazil, the President met with his advisers and associates over the House invitation. The meeting, according to our sources, witnessed some kind of division between politicians and professionals in the team. Most of the professionals present at the meeting were allegedly livid with anger and ready to fight with the lawmakers. A few others, especially politi-

Political

ripples I

T seems all is no longer well between Alhaji Abdilrazak Isa Kutepa, runner-up to last September 22nd governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State and the state Deputy Governor, Yomi Awoniyi. The two political leaders belonged to the Kogi State PDP political family, simply known as Kutepa’s camp.

Political Ripples gathered that the alleged crack within this camp may be linked to some recent appointments in the state, which some members of Kutepa’s political family considered to be rather unfavourable.

It would be recalled that after the primaries, when Kutepa lost to the current governor, Captain Idris Wada, some PDP leaders in the state allegedly entered into an agreement to concede the position of deputy governor to Kutepa’s camp for peace to reign. It is widely believed that it was this arrangement that led to the emergence of Awoniyi as the current deputy governor.

Awoniyi was said to be a close friend and political ally of Kutepa during the struggle to win the party’s ticket last year. Kutepa having lost the party’s governorship ticket to the incumbent governor Idris Wada was allegedly given the chance to produce the deputy governor by the party’s top stakeholders.

It is believed that it was Kutepa that therefore picked his friend, Awoniyi, to serve

•Awoniyi

•Kutepa

Crack in Kutepa’s camp?

as the running mate to Wada.

Sources close to Kutepa’s camp alleged that

the Idea of picking Awoniyi to represent the camp in the proposed power sharing ar-

cians, however argued that the Presidency must do something more decisive to curtail the unfriendly relationship between the House and the Presidency. They expressed worry at the inability of the executive to resolve the cat and mouse relationship between the two political institutions, which, according to them “dates back to the commencement of the tenure of the present leadership, when a group of progressives organised a political coup that enthroned ‘outsiders’ as leaders of the House of Representatives.

The matter was however handed over to some legal advisers, most of who preliminarily held the position that the President must not honour the said invitation of the House.

Since Jonathan returned from the controversial trip, •Continued on Page 22

rangement was to take care of the camp’s interests.

However, aggrieved members of the Kutepa’s camp are today alleging that some recent appointments, including appointments made at the office of the deputy governor, did not reflect the interest of the camp.

One of such cases, the members said, was the recent appointment of Liaison Officers by Governor Idris Wada. The members confessed that Kutepa’s camp did not take kindly to the case of Lokoja Local Government Area, amongst others.

The development, The Nation learnt, had deteriorated so much that one of the supporters of Kutepa, who was given the position of Liaison Officer 2, rejected the offer in protest.

A source from the Government House however said Governor Wada is making frantic efforts to settle the brewing rift before it gets out of hand.

Teslim Folarin’s dilemma W ITH the incessant crisis rocking the Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yet unresolved, former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, is presently weighing his options on whether to forge ahead with his governorship ambition in2015 or put it in abeyance for the time being. The former lawmaker, according to sources, is perturbed by the seemingly intractable crisis in his party, which from all indications is far from being over.

Folarin, who came into political reckoning in 2003 through the influence of the late godfather of Oyo State politics, Lamidi Adedibu, was initially upbeat about his ambition sometime last year, when he mended

fences with the former Governor of the state, Adebayo Alao-Akala, with reports claiming that the two erstwhile political foes had agreed on a sharing formula for elective offices in the state. Another factor that Folarin was banking on was the planned return of exGovernor Rashidi Ladoja and other aggrieved members to PDP, a development many believed would boost the chances of the party at the polls.

However, with the refusal of Ladoja to go back to PDP, coupled with the deep animosity between Akala and other PDP leaders in the state, plus the warm relationship the incumbent governor, Abiola Ajimobi, enjoys with influential stakeholders like Oba Lamidi Adeyemi and

•Folarin

Alhaji Arisekola Alao, Folarin is already in a serious dilemma over his governorship dreams; would it be worth the while to keep the dream alive?

21

with Bolade Omonijo boladeomonijo@yahoo.com

Wanted: New agenda on terrorism

T

HE appointment of Colonel Sambo Dasuki as National Security Adviser appeared to be the President’s response to the charge that his administration had no clue on how to arrest the security crisis that was beginning to sear the soul of the country. Everywhere in the country, fears have been expressed that the Jonathan administration had lost the battle, and his National Security Adviser, General Owoye Azazi, was a misfit for the office. He had no idea of those behind the spate of bombings and, even when threats were issued to castrate the group, it merely emboldened them to get more daring.

Yet, the President was said to have opted to protect his kinsman. As it is with the Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, inefficiency went largely unpunished.

With almost 1 trillion Naira to burn on managing the precarious security situation, the President thought throwing money at problems and challenges would effect changes.

He was wrong. Yet, he could not take a decision until the former NSA told a meeting of Niger Delta governments and leaders in Asaba that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party should be held responsible for the national crisis.

Those in the know have said that reflected the thinking of those in the Jonathan inner caucus, but it was found embarrassing that someone as high up in the hierarchy as Azazi exposed it to all. Pressure from the PDP and the North made it unrealistic to hold on to Azazi. The man had to be fired.

That was the easier part of the job. Picking his replacement was more tricky and difficult. Again, the strategists knew that the only way to go was pacify key interests in the North. But, why Dasuki? He was the aide de camp to former President Ibrahim Babangida, he is from the Sultanate and thus would be acceptable to those who have regard for the traditional institution. It was obvious that Boko Haram had become a bargaining tool for the North.

What was handed to the Niger Delta militants, Northern leaders have often said, should be extended to the dreaded Boko Haram suicide bombers.

Some have argued that Dasuki retired as a middle ranking officer and might therefore be unsuitable for the role.

It is said that he might lack the capacity to give orders to the military and Police chiefs. This is totally misconceived.

First, while in service, he was senior to any of the men currently serving in the Forces. Besides, it must be realised that this is a democratic order and anybody could be made Security Adviser, whether a serving, retired officer or civilian. If a civilian could be the Commander-in-Chief, could be Defence minister, why not NSA? What really has rank got to do with it? Despite ending disastrously, Colonel Muammar Gadhafi resisted the urge to promote himself beyond the Colonel rank for the four decades that he ruled Libya. In Burkina Faso, Sankara, before he was killed by his childhood friend, Compaore, was a Captain. His successor, despite lacking the noble Sankara spirit has kept that tradition. Also, for all his years in service as Ghana’s Chief Executive, whether in the military or as an elected leader, Jerry Rawlings was content with being a Flight Lieutenant. He gave orders and Generals obeyed. He did not need to don the uniform of a Field Marshal to command respect. All he needed was demonstrate compassion for the people and show he had a vision.

He was charismatic. He could mobilise his people for the challenge of the moment. He earned their trust and respect. The people formed the shield round him. He remains an idol today. Perhaps next to Nkrumah, the Ghanaians regard Rawlings the best thing that happened to the country.

The President has taken a good step forward in reshuffling the security team. But, a lot more must be done. In obedience to section 14 of the Constitution, the welfare and security of lives and properties are the primary assignments of the government. There can be no security unless the people have reasons to identify with the government.

Jonathan must demonstrate that he loves his people. He has to demonstrate that enemies of the people are his foes.

He has to rise to the challenge; talk like a President, move like the President and act like a President. Donning the garb of a Field Marshal will not enroll him in the Peoples Hall of Fame.

To tackle security, he has urgently to take steps to make life easy for the people. He needs to be man enough to admit he has missed the road whenever he makes glaring mistakes. He needs to take the reshuffle beyond the security ring, get the economy invigorated and permanently restructure the country.

It is good that the new NSA is coming up with a new agenda. He is reaching out to leaders of the North and says he has the telephone numbers of those that matter in Boko Haram. These are steps in the right direction, but they must be complemented with pro-people policies and actions.

The struggle continues.

22

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

Politics

Ondo ACN still PoliticsWeek united —Omojowa ...This week’s issues, events and persons

H

OW is your party handling the allegation that it endorsed one of the candidates?

Politics is a game of numbers. The circumstances surrounding the emergence of ACN governorship candidate cannot be avoided in politics. It is part of democracy. If you are aspiring and at the end of the day you are not picked after spending money, resources, energy and many other things, you will definitely be annoyed and angry. Your supporters will also be angry.

I am also sure that the leadership of ACN will move in to ensure that all the governorship aspirants work with the party’s candidate.

Do you foresee some aspirants leaving ACN? The leadership of the party is at it and they know what to do and they know how to go about it and they have started. They will go and talk to them. If the opposition is waiting for the fallout, they are just deceiving themselves because there would not be any fallout in the process.

Is it true that the people of Ondo south are agitating for the deputy governorship ticket?

We are not agitating. The position of the deputy governor has been zoned to Ondo South Senatorial District and specifically Ilaje.

Even as I speak to you, my people are saying that I should go and represent them but I have told them it is for the party to decide.

As OSOPADEC chairman, what can of impact did you make to your people?

Before becoming the chairman, I was a member and commissioner on the board from 2003 when Dr. Olusegun Agagu became the governor. I was there till 2006 when Chief Olusola Oke, who was then the chairman, resigned from OSOPADEC to contest for Senate and I was appointed by the governor as the acting Chairman in 2006. I was later confirmed as substantive Chairman of OSOPADEC in 2008 and I was there till February 2009 when our government was terminated.

While I was Chairman of OSOPADEC so many things were done and many things were carried out in terms of developmental projects. For instance we initiated and completed the construction of IgbokodaIgbo Nla Road and it was commissioned during my time. Agboto-Olokola Road of about 34 kilometers project was awarded and completed during my time.

We were also able to connect our people to the national grid by providing electrification for our people.

My people were happy about it because there was no light before then. Our people never enjoyed power supply before then, they only relied

Chief Adewale Omojowa is the immediate past chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) and leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the southern senatorial district of the state. In this interview with Dare Odufowokan, he said the leaders of ACN in Ondo are as united as ever. Excerpts

sundaynation@yahoo.com (08023165410 sms

PDP’s jumbo pay Following the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to pay its workers monthly salaries, and the news that the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, will, for example, take home a whopping N2million monthly, the issue of party funding and administration, which has been on the news burner for some weeks, will continue to dominate political discourse during the week.

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede still in the news Managing Director/CEO, Access Bank, Aigboje AigImoukhuede has a Herculean task to contend with in the next seven days. Last week, the youthful bank chief was appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan as the head of a 15-member technical committee saddled with the responsibility of reviewing oil subsidy claims and payment in 2011.

This national assignment is a follow-up to another one just completed by Imoukhuede, in which he headed a panel set up by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to look into the oil subsidy claims for 2011.

With the probe scandals still a major issue on the political table, AigImoukhuede will be on the political podium.

•Tukur

Margaret Okadigbo now a distinguished Senator Barring any hiccup, Mrs. Margeret Okadigbo, wife of former Senate President, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo would be inaugurated as the newest member of the red chamber of the National Assembly. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that Okadigbo was the authentic senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Anambra North district in the 2011 elections. The seat has been vacant for over a year following contradicting claims to it by Okadigbo and Senator Alphonsus Igbeke, who was the last occupant of the seat.

•Omojowa

on generators. I also opened many road networks to connect our people in the riverine areas to people in the city.

My administration as OSOPADEC chairman also provided about 1,600 housing units for our people and the housing unit comprised about three to four bedroom flats. Many projects were awarded, executed and completed in our time. We were able to link many villages together through foot bridges.

Health centres and schools were also constructed and commissioned. We also empowered many people in the process of awarding contracts. We did many things and our people were happy with OSOPADEC. How would you asses Mimiko’s administration?

Governor Mimiko has performed woefully and that

is why people are yearning for change. What you are seeing on television is just mere propaganda because if you go to the nooks and crannies of the state, you will be sorry for the people. Mimiko has failed, so the people want change.

What gave you the assurance that people are really yearning for change?

If you go to Akure and every other local government in the state, you will discover that everybody is yearning for change. PDP as a party is yearning for change and ACN is also yearning for change. Even those in his Labour Party are also yearning for change. There are no empowerment programmes and nothing is working in Ondo State presently.

And you think the opposition can affect the desired

change in October?

Definitely the opposition party is going to take over power in Ondo State from Mimiko. The people are ready to work with ACN in Ondo State to remove Mimiko. Even some people in PDP are ready to assist ACN to win. There are also some members of the Labour Party willing and ready to work with ACN in Ondo State because they know that it is only ACN that can withstand Mimiko.

There is nothing Mimiko can do about it. He will be defeated in the governorship election. People are just tired of his style of administration and his dictatorial tendency.

He doesn’t listen to people.

Even the people within his party are fed up and they are ready to work with a winning team.

•Aig-Imoukhuede

•Okadigbo

Breaking Reps, Presidency’s icy relationship •Continued from Page 21

we gathered that some behind-the-scene moves have been made to manage the awry relationship. Some officials, according to sources close to the seat of power, were detailed to explain to the leadership of the House why Jonathan cannot be summoned to the House the way some overzealous lawmakers would prefer.

On his refusal to honour the House summon, Presidential officials cited security reasons and inherent powers of the President, which according to them must not be rubbished in the interest of the country.

But going by the feelers during the week, it seems there are some major hitches in the ongoing talks

between the House leadership and presidency officials on how to break the ice as insiders claimed that some lawmakers are not comfortable with some options put on the table. A source said most honourable members were not happy with the option of forwarding a detailed report on how the government is addressing the insecurity in the North. “That option is not right because as representatives, they have the right to interact with the president and to directly give him some insight into the security situations in their constituencies,” said a National Assembly source, adding, “What guarantee do you have that the socalled leadership will do the right work?”

INSIGHT

23

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

Battle for Edo State

•Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State addresses a rally at Jattu, Etsako West Local Government Area as part of his ongoing gubernatorial election campiagn in the state.

A

NYONE seeking a clue as to how important next Saturday’s Edo State governorship election is to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), needs look no further than comments made by the party’s National Vice-Chairman, South-South region, Mr. Stephen Oru, in Yenagoa in May, while inaugurating the Bayelsa State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party.

He boldly declared his party’s intention to capture Edo State this July in order to complete a political take over of all South-South states, and deliver a platform that would the basis for a second term bid by President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said: “The PDP won Edo State through the ballot and lost it to ACN through the courts. We shall reclaim it through the ballot. It is a clarion call to all loyalists of the PDP in the South-South.

We shall be relocating to Benin City to ensure total victory. We shall do anything within the law to return Edo State to the PDP.” “When former President Olusegun Obasanjo came to power in 1999, there was no PDP state in the South-West, but during the second election, we won six with the exception of Lagos State. But now during Jonathan’s, it is important that we have a 100 per cent PDP in the SouthSouth to affirm a base for Jonathan second term in 2015.”

It was a sentiment reechoed at last weekend’s rally in Benin-City attended

by Jonathan. Chairman of PDP governors in the zone, Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke, said: “We came out because they said we have produced a president with a transformation agenda. The only support we have is to deliver the entire

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, faces a stern political test as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) forces in the state led by former Board of Trustees chairman, Chief Tony Anenih, deploy every tactic and advantage in the book – including federal might – in their bid to upset the form book which anticipates a comfortable victory for the incumbent. Osagie Otabor in Benin reports.

South-South zone to the PDP”.

PDP’S JULY 14 STRATEGY Investigations have revealed that the PDP aims to execute a three-pronged strategy for Election Day in order to secure an upset victory. At the heart of the plan is vote suppression, voter intimidation and the use of thugs to disrupt voting in critical areas.

Sources told The Nation during the week that in order to stoke up tension, and frighten voters from the polling booth next Saturday, the PDP aims to turn the state into a virtual war zone through deployment and re-deployment of key army formations and personnel in Edo and surrounding states.

These soldiers will be placed in charge of seven critical local government areas especially in Edo South where the quantum of votes cast could determine the outcome. The calculation is that combatready troops driving around in tanks would frighten potential voters and cause them to remain indoors thereby disenfranchising a large number.

Depressed voter turnout in the Edo South senatorial district would then be counteracted by normal voter turnout in Edo Central where the PDP retains a measure of support.

In Oshiomhole’s home local government area, Etsako West, and three others, the plan is to deploy thugs to unleash pre-programmed violence that will disrupt the voting process. Going by precedence, the Independent National

Electoral Commission (INEC) would then be forced to cancel whatever results emerge from the governor’s stronghold if the mayhem scenario actually plays out.

Another crucial factor in the PDP’s plan to prevail on Election Day is raw cash.

Sources within the party have revealed to The Nation that two high-ranking officials in the Presidency – one an indigene, the other a non-indigene - have been charged with the assignment of processing funds for the Edo polls. Close to N800 million is believed to have been moved into the state in the first week of July alone preparatory to what is shaping to be the ‘Mother of Political Battles.’

JEGA’S INEC UNDER SCRUTINY Ultimately the success or failure of Saturday’s polls would rest not only on the ability of INEC to deliver electoral materials to where they are needed in a timely fashion, it would also revolve on the ability of their staff to carry out their assignments with integrity.

So far, remedial elections in places like Kogi, Kebbi and so on have raised more questions than answers about the performance of the Commission under current chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega.

Although he is widely respected as a man of integrity, many have criticized him on grounds that he has not radically reformed the institution he inherited from Professor Maurice Iwu. The upshot is that many of the sins for which INEC was condemned in the past, have recurred in recent elections. Opposition activists who insist that rigging is not

possible without active collusion from electoral officials, say there is much in arrangements for Saturday that is disturbing.

For instance, they allege that the PDP has shopped for INEC officers from different states and moved them to Edo, while the Commission’s staff based in the state have been left redundant. They also claim that the new postings have been kept away from relevant authorities. One concern is that the new comers would not be conversant enough with their environment, thus making it easy for them to be manipulated.

One controversial aspect of INEC’s staffing has to do with its use of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members. Given the propensity for riggers to wear fake uniforms, opposition parties are demanding for proper recording of the Call-Up Numbers of the corps members to be used on polling day to be crosschecked after the elections to eliminate the issue of faking.

INEC will also find itself answering questions over its choice of observers for the Edo polls. In the run-up to the election the Commission is said to have registered 20 new observer groups. But the opposition are alleging that many of these are PDP-friendly groups set up by party members who are being primed to chorus that the election was free and fair even if it anything but.

•Continued on Page 26

24

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

THE SUNDAY INTERVIEW

‘I’d rather die for my faith than Nigeria’ The Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria (MCN), His Eminence Dr Ola Makinde, knows Nigeria inside out. He speaks about the country with deep knowledge and understanding. Last Thursday, Sunday Oguntola and Vincent Nzemeke, met with him.

J

UST a little over a year ago Nigerians were happy to have elected a new president. But today everything seems to have changed. What do you make of this?

Well, we started well. We made a good choice but there was no cultural change. If there is no cultural change, things will remain dormant and the problems will continue to multiply. We have religious problems in this country. Religious in the sense that we call on God but we are far away from Him and it is unfortunate. Yes, we look at the country and put the blame on Jonathan but he is not the problem. Jonathan is not our problem. Who are his advisers? A former President in this country once said if he fails it is his advisers who have failed. We cannot continue to heap all our problems on Jonathan. What about the legislators? What about the ministers and special advisers who we pay a lot of money? What is the quality of their advice? Look at what Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala is doing. If all the ministers and advisers work like that, Nigeria will be a better place. Look at the aviation problems. Don’t we have good professionals in this country who can manage that sector well? Many times in this country, we put the wrong pegs in the right holes.

How come the President is not the problem when he was the one who appointed the ministers?

It is true that he appointed them but he cannot do the job for them. Nigeria is a large country. Some people may just deceive him to appoint someone for their own selfish gains. Until we are patriotic to separate religion from politics, this country will not move forward.

Until we do that we are not ready to make progress. Look at the way things are going now. Can you imagine that graduates participating in the NYSC scheme cannot go to certain states in this country? This is not the Nigeria of my dreams. This is not the country many people died for. This is not the Nigeria Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tafawa Balewa, Obafemi Awolowo and even Ojukwu died for.

How did we get here?

We got here due to lack of the fear of God. The problem in this country is that we mix religion with politics.

People are using religion to rise up. You don’t do that.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo was the first to establish Pil-

“

We don’t learn from history in this country.

What injustice is the Boko Haram fighting? I hear people say what they are doing is not religious. If it is not why are they targeting churches?

“

•Makinde

PHOTOS: MUYIWA HASSAN

grims Welfare Board before those in the North. He was not thinking of himself as a Christian, he did it for the good of all. I was in Abuja one day and I heard a Governor say setting up a pilgrim board for Christians would mean accepting Christianity in the state.

Do you think that the Boko Haram insurgence is a religious

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

persecution of the highest order but we must not retaliate. It is God’s battle and he will fight it for us. They have been persecuting us in the North for over thirty years and Christianity has not died. The blood of the martyrs has been the seed of the gospel.

The more they kill us the more we will continue to grow. Nobody can kill Christianity. No amount of bombings will stop us from expanding.

What do you have against Islamic banking?

I have something against the name Islamic. They can call it any name, but not Islamic Banking. I am not against non-interest banking but Islamic Banking is not needed now. Why should we have an Islamic bank when this is not an Islamic country?

This is a multi- religious nation. We have to be realistic that is why we cannot run away from a national conference. Until we come together to decide how we want to live together, we cannot go forward. It is better to jaw-jaw than to war-war. To dialogue is better than living together in disunity. This is not how to live together. Imagine a situation where Youth Corps members can’t to go to some states because they are afraid of being killed. That is not Jonathan’s fault. It is the failure of the ruling party because they put him there. The nation is in chaos because the ruling party is in chaos. The opposition is also very weak. When Awolowo was in the opposition, the whole nation shook. Through him, the Western Region became a model for other regions.

We have a National Assembly; do we need another conference to address our problems?

Those in the National Assembly are not representatives of the entire population of the country. This is a special case. How many Obas and religious leaders do you have in the National Assembly? The national conference should bring the majority and minority groups in the country together to talk. This is the first time we are having a minority group rule us in this country, we should support them. They need our prayers and support to succeed. As a Christian leader, we are bound to support every political leader unless they make a law contrary to the dictates of the Bible. I want to tell you that Christians and Muslims are not enemies. If we have the political will and the security agents are properly equipped and funded we can live together in peace. It is easy to achieve peace in this country if we put things right. Let me give you an example. They said there will be no road block again. They took the police off the roads and said they will give them patrol vehicles. Since that decision was taken, how many patrol vans have you seen on the road? I have gone through Ore- Benin, Lagos-Ibadan and other roads in the country and there were no patrol vehicles. The ones they have are rough and it is very terrible. I look at the way things are going and I tell people that I cannot die for Nigeria. I cannot die for a country that cannot take care of me. I cannot die for a country that has no hospitals, good roads, potable water, electricity, employment opportunities and other social amenities. You become a senior citizen at the change of 60 and your problems multiply. When you are a senior citizen in Europe and America, you will be enjoying. Everything is on rebate. But here the case is different. Your pension will be eaten by some greedy people and you want me to die for such a country? I will rather die for my faith than for a country that cannot take care of me.

People say the president appears weak in tackling corruption, what do you think?

Did he not put people there? Can he do everything on his own? I have ministers and bishops on the field who are supposed to be working. Am I to take the blame for their ineptitude?

He has sacked the former EFCC Chairman, removed the NSA and people still say he is soft. What else do you want him to do?

You think he won’t run (for another election) in 2015?

He may not because we are making life difficult for him now. Honestly we should be empathetic. Put yourself in the president’s shoes, how will you solve these problems? People bash him here and there and forget that he is also human. One day the man will develop hypertension. We should pray for him because he needs our prayers. Let the president’s critics be empathetic. If we all do the right thing, this country will grow.

We need to change our attitude. This dichotomy of north and south, Christians and Muslims should stop if we are serious about making progress. We are all Nigerians. We should go back to that old national anthem that says though tongues and tribes may differ, in brotherhood we stand. Christians and Muslims can live together, if we see ourselves as brothers and sisters Your church has established a university, was that an attempt to catch-up with the Pentecostal churches?

That is a big mistake. We are celebrating 170 years of Methodism in Nigeria. Over the years we have engaged in education, health care and other social services. We build schools and hospitals just like the Catholic and Anglican churches. Establishing a university was just a way of continuing what we started.

“

we mix politics with religion in this country.

Until we settle that we are not going anywhere.

Let me tell you, God is angry with this country because we have shed too much of innocent blood and until we repent we can’t find a way out.

“

war?

How will you interpret it? They want to Islamise Nigeria.

They equate Christianity with western education, which they say they don’t want... ...So, it is not terrorism?

It is terrorism, because when you oppress and kill innocent people it is terrorism but the grand plan is to Islamise this country. Look at the case of Abdulmutalab. He wanted to bring down a plane. Was it poverty that pushed him into that? He is from a wealthy family but because he has been indoctrinated by religion, he sees nothing wrong in what he was doing.

Do you also disagree with those who say the insurgence has a political undertone?

Well you can say that because we mix politics with religion in this country. Until we settle that we are not going anywhere.

Let me tell you, God is angry with this country because we have shed too much of innocent blood and until we repent we can’t find a way out. It is an accumulation of problems that is why we cannot continue to blame Jonathan.

Do you think Jonathan has the will power to fight Boko Haram considering that some people have complained about his response to the insurgence?

You see, we have to sympathise with Jonathan, he is ruling at a very difficult time. By the time you say you want to apply the full wrath of the law, you destroy the innocent with the wicked. A good leader should not act irrationally. Slow and steady wins the race. It is not good for him to act irrationally but he must act the same. Yes he has issued State of Emergency in some Local Governments but that is not enough. He should slam it on the affected states.

How do you think the president can tackle the issue of general insecurity in the country?

Let him equip the security people. Look at the case of armed robbery in the country. Some of the robbers have sophisticated weapons that the police and other security people do not have.

The security must be solid. How many cars do our police officers have? What communication gadgets do they have in their barracks and cars? We are not being fair when we condemn the Nigeria Police. All the security apparatus have to be solid to check the issue of insecurity. Also the people also need to support the government. These terrorists and armed robbers don’t live in the air or water, they live among us. They are not faceless; they live with us that is why we cannot heap everything on the government. We need to be more conscious about security in this country. Some time ago I went to America. My friend has a house in a white neighbourhood. Within 24 hours of getting there, the security people were able to note that I have three tribal marks on my face, my height and every other detail. They were able to do so because all the people in that neighbourhood were security conscious. As soon as they noticed any stranger in the community they alert the security agents. But here, many landlords cannot even tell what their tenants do for a living.

Security is every body’s business not just the government.

Do you subscribe to the idea that government should negotiate with Boko Haram?

Before, I was opposed to it because they are criminals. But now since government cannot apply political will, let them apply dialogue. Two wrongs don’t make a right. We have been losing many innocent people and churches have been burnt. If it is dialogue that will make things work and stop the shedding of innocent blood, I agree with it. God himself incarnated. He became human to save us, so why can’t we employ dialogue if it will work.

But some people say negotiating with these people is a sign of weakness?

It is not negotiation, it is a dialogue. Negotiation..? for what?

If we say negotiation it means we also have to negotiate with armed robbers, kidnappers and every other person who commits a crime. Why didn’t the United States Government negotiate with Abdulmutalab? It is because he is a criminal and you don’t negotiate with criminals. You can’t compare the Boko Haram people with the Niger-Delta militants. The militants were fighting for a just cause. They were fighting against environmental degradation and other issues that affected them. But what is Boko Haram’s cause? What are they fighting for?

Are you afraid the situation might degenerate into a civil war?

If we are not careful, it may even be worse than a civil war.

We may not even get to the 2015 prediction of certain people.

We don’t learn from history in this country. What injustice is the Boko Haram fighting? I hear people say what they are doing is not religious. If it is not why are they targeting churches?

Why haven’t they burnt any government house or institution?

They are killing innocent people.

But people say they have also been killing Muslims too?

They are only killing the Muslims that are opposed to them.

Some prominent Muslims like the Sultan of Sokoto and some scholars have come out to say this thing is not right.

Do you blame the northern leaders for the escalation of the insurgence?

Yes because they started it. They were using these people as political thugs and above all they started it because the political class couldn’t take care of the talakawas and the almajiris.

It is shameful, we became an independent nation in 1960 and they are just building primary schools for them in 2012. It is very shameful. They cannot catch up with the south. What is happening in the north is a revolution; it is just that they are doing it with religion which is wrong.

Are you afraid of reprisal attacks by Christians?

Jesus said love your enemy and that if one cheek is slapped you should turn the other one. At the moment we have no other cheeks to turn. Both cheeks have been slapped. We have fulfilled our Christian obligation by turning both cheeks. Right now we depend on self defence. The situation is very terrible but my advice to Christians is that we must be patient. This is

THE SUNDAY INTERVIEW

25

26

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

INSIGHT

•Continued from Page 23 Given the intense focus on Edo, INEC would have to really put its house in order to escape savage criticisms of any flaws that may mar the polls.

ACTORS AND SCENARIOS Saturday’s election is not just a contest between Governor Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), MajorGeneral Charles Airhiavbere of PDP and Chief Solomon Edebiri of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) but a battle between party chieftains across the state.

The defection of a bigwig is celebrated with pomp and pageantry at political rallies because the receiving party sees the coming of the chieftain as a boost for winning elections. The ranks of the ACN in the state have been swelled by daily defection of members of opposition parties into its fold while the PDP in the state is also harvesting members of other political parties.

Among top members of PDP that recently defected to the ACN are Publicity Secretary, Nosa Adams, State Woman Leader, Barr. Lucy Omagbon, former governorship aspirant, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, former Chief of Staff to Prof.

Oserheimen Osunbor, Isaiah Osifo, Major Francis Alimikhena, and a host of others.

Former Governor of Edo State, Chief John Oyegun also left the ANPP for the ACN. Those that left the ACN for PDP include a former Special Adviser to Oshiomhole on Foreign Matters, Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayima, former Chief Whip of the Senate, Roland Owie, Matthew Urhoghide, former Commissioner for Agriculture, Tunde Lakoju, former Commissioner for Women Affairs, Inimidun Idehen amongst others.

The election is a battle for control of ‘political territories’ between the chieftains which explains why they have relocated to their villages trying to canvass votes for their party.

It would be recalled that after the 2011 general elections, Governor Oshiomhole in one swoop sacked 10 political appointees for failing to secure victory in their localities during the House of Assembly and National Assembly elections.

Explaining the rationale for his decision, Oshiomole said he did not need any further statement that their people had rejected them when they could not win elections in their areas.

Unlike in previous elections where the peoples’ votes did not appear to matter, political leaders in the state have embarked on street campaigns from Edo North through Edo Central to Edo South soliciting votes. One thing is clear; they are battling to re-assert their political authority and influence.

In Edo North where Oshiomhole hails from, ACN chieftains such as Senator Domingo Obende, Chief Lucky James, Evelyn Omokhodion, Peter Akpatason, John Onaivi, Malik Afegbua, Hon Pally Iriase, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, Stanley Odidi, Hon Phillip Shaibu, Engr. Mujaidu Dako, Hon Abdul Oroh, John Akhigbe and others will battle the likes of Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Mike Ogiadomhe, Deputy Governorship candidate, Hon Jonson Agbolagba, former members of the National Assembly, Chief Dan Orbih, Abbas Braimoh, Yisa Briamoh, Tunde Akogun, Tunde Lakoju, Kassim Ozetu, Jarret Tenebe, Henry Tenebe, Johnson Emasealu and Zakawanu Garuba amongst others.

The ACN has been victorious in all elections conducted in Edo North since 2008 when it came to power. Edo North is its power base. Massive road construction - especially the Ekperi-Anegbette road and the linking of communities hitherto described as impossible for road construction, has increased the chances of the party.

There is also the unresolved crisis between Ogiadomhe and former Vice President, Admiral Mike Akhigbe over the leadership of the PDP in Edo North.

Akhigbe supporters have refused to accept Ogiadomhe as leader following the death of chairman of Setraco Construction Company, Alhaji Inu Umoru. Also, a PDP chieftain in Edo North and former Deputy Senate President, Albert Legogie, recently declared his support for the re-election of Oshiomhole.

Battle for Edo State

•Edo PDP Governorship candidate, Charles Airhiavbere

From all indices, PDP leaders in Edo North will fail to win in the region. A pointer to this is that the people will vote for their son. Last year, supporters of Abbas Braimoh abandoned his campaign train at Ekperi and started singing praises of Oshiomhole who coincidently was in the area to inspect some projects.

Edo Central is the stronghold of the PDP. In the last general election, the ACN could only win one out of five House of Assembly seats while the PDP clinched all other positions including those in the National Assembly.

Former chairman of PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih hails from the region and exerts great influence on the people. Anenih ensured former Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Bright Omokhodion did not get re-elected. The region has less than 15% of the voting population in the state.

Other PDP heavyweights in Edo Central are Odion Ugbesia, Akhere Ugbesia, John Yakubu, Felix Akhabue, Brown Ebewele, Joe Imafidon, Vincent Ogu, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, Barr. Kenneth Imasuangbon, Herbetha Okonofua, Felix Imosili, Chief Joe

Edionwele amongst others.

They will be up in battle against ACN chieftains such as Chief Tom Ikimi, Francis Inegbeneki, Prince Tony Omoaghe, Barr.

Thomas Okosun, Frank Erewele, Theophilus Okoh, Mr Phillip Olumese, Dr Sunday Edeko, Mr Theophillus Afuda, Mrs Caro Agada, Anslem Ojezua and others.

Who wins in Edo Central is quite difficult to predict. ACN leaders have vowed to wrestle it from the grip of Anenih but the task according to some of them would not be easy despite the achievements recorded by Oshiomhole’s administration.

Down in Edo South is where the winner of governorship election is decided because the region has over 55% of the voting population. The ACN won all the seats in both the State and National Assembly elections held last year. Edo South is where the electoral battle will be fought.

Apparently to whip up ethnic sentiments and perhaps make a repeat of the 1983 elections where Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia defeated incumbent Prof Ambrose Alli, the PDP cleverly picked its candidate from the region.

Chieftains of the PDP in the zone include

Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin, Dr. Ogbemudia, Captain Hosa Okunbor, Former Senate Chief Whip, Roland Owie, Oni Edigin, former deputy governor, Lucky Imaseun, Senator Daisy Danjuma, Owere Dickson Imasogie, Hon Christopher Adesotu, Matthew Urhoghide, Tes Soare, Ben Edo, Emmanuel Igiebor, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, Arisco Osemwengie, Patrick Asien, Col Paul Ogbebor, Uwamose Amadasun, Levis Aigbogun, Uwa Osunbor, Larry Ogieva amongst others.

Those for the ACN included Chief John Oyegun Deputy Governor Pius Odubu, Osakpamwan Eriyo, Rasaq Bello Osagie, Speaker Uyi Igbe, Chief Osamede Adun, Charles Idahosa, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Goddy Edosa, Osaro Idah, Patrick Obahiagbon, Chief of Staff, Barr. Osarodion Ogie, Modina Emovon, Philo Ehiman, Moses Egharevba, Isaiah Osifo, Henry Idahagbon and many others.

The PDP hopes to rely on ethnic sentiments to win in Edo South while the ACN will rely on the performances of Oshiomhole. What will eventually determine the results of the election is whether political chieftains would be able to lead their supporters to ensure that the votes counted.

Edo polls and the military factor

S

INCE the onset of the Fourth Republic, the PDP government at the centre has never been shy to utilize the military is pushing its electoral agenda. In the past massive deployment of soldiers on polling day has been criticized as anti-democratic as it introduces an atmosphere of fear and intimidation that dampens voter turnout.

Such criticisms have not stopped Abuja from using the troops where necessary.

During the last gubernatorial elections in Osun State, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, openly declared that the PDP would make use of soldiers. Saturday’s polls in Edo State are the latest stage where the ruling party wants to expose the military to what should ordinarily be a civilian affair.

Reliable sources have revealed interesting details of plans to deploy troops. The 195 Battalion stationed in Agenegbode is likely to reinforced with a company of troops from 3 Battalion based in Warri, Delta State. They will also be joined by about 120 soldiers of different ranks culled from 19 Battalion, Okitipupa. These soldiers will focus on the local governments in the state bar seven critical ones.

To take of care of these crucial seven

local governments are troops deployed from 4 Brigade Garrison/Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport, BeninCity. They will be joined by elements of the 322 Artillery Regiment, Ekenwan, Benin-City.

These deployments are said to have caused a degree of discomfort within the military hierarchy with Chief of Army Staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika, said to be less than enthusiastic about getting sucked into a political tug-of-war. eHeHHhHe is believed to have suggested to the authorities that rather than overawe the incumbent, the powers-that-be could seek ways of working with him.

For his part, newly-appointed National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, is said to have warned about the security implications of the deployments, and pointedly said he didn’t want any part of it. However, hawks within the PDP are said to have dismissed the worries of the security chiefs – insisting that after the usual noise by the opposition nothing will happen.

Saturday’s vote will provide another test of the oft repeated commitment of the military hierarchy to steer clear of local politics and concentrate on their professional/constitutional duties of protecting the nation’s territorial integrity.

•Chief of Army Staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika

28

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

Glamour

Kehinde Falode Tel: 08023689894 (sms)

E-mail: kehinde.falode@thenationonlineng.net

•Tipa Tipa •Ndidi Odogwu

•Miss Selfridge Peter Pan collar

Peter Pan

collar is

huge

•Azuka

By Wumi Oguntuase

O

NLY this time, it is not the cartoon; rather, it is the collar of dresses and shirts today.

Collars that have pieces of material that lay flat against the top and have soft round edges are called ‘Peter Pan’ collars. It may be a v-neck or round and may not even have buttons. They are used on blouses, jackets, dress shirts and even sweaters.

It looks so cute and outlines your neckline and then plays out down from two different sides. It returns the school and an all time look like the cartoon and leaves little space for neck jewellery and it is probably better not to wear and let the collar do its trick.

For a better look, you could pack your hair up and work more on the make-up. Even jewelleries are now being fashioned in the style.

•Peter pan collar necklace with black bow •Cream Chiffon Peter Pan Collar Blouse with Gathered Waist

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

Glamour

arm Piled up your

with stylish

•Vixen Ekwere

•Urdu bangles

•Bangle bracelet set by Cara Accessories gold

Tips

•Stylish Bangles Choorian

•If you are looking for bangles try latest fashion hand painted wood or plastic bangles. Wooden bangles which are mostly studded with gemstones are good for casual and daytime events while stranded cuff is mostly for socials.

•Keep size in mind. Bangles come in many different widths. Some bangles are smaller than others and can become lost if layered with larger bracelets.

•Avoid wearing too many.

Bangle bracelets are often sold in multiples at very low prices.

Because of this, it can be tempting to purchase many and pile them on.

Remember, as with all other accessories, moderation is important.

•For informal- Mix up designs, colours and textiles.

Homogeneity is to be avoided when wearing bangles. These bracelets are an excellent opportunity to combine colours and designs for a unique look, so don’t go for perfect uniformity.

However, try to combine colours that compliment one another

bangles!

I

T’S a trend that is not terribly luxurious to try. Bangles changes per season, now all manner of bangles are the in-thing: tiny silver and gold bangles, strands bangles, cuff bangles, wooden bangles, plastic bangles, leather bangles, mesh/wired bangles have almost swept away all other brands of wrist ornament.

They are a brand of wrist magnets that add beauty to the wrist and one’s look and they are sassily catch and stylish at the movement.

To cap it all, the look of these bangles and bracelets provides you a change to create the fashion statement with the simplest and the most elegant of fashion item!

•Sylish bangless

•Ifi Oyegun

•Golden bracelet that works great with black

•Wallis wooden bangles

•Shamballa bracelet have become a very popular jewellery line this year

•Ted rossi bangles

•Leaf Design Leather Zen Bracelet

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

Glamour

Cold weather beauty

•Omotola Ekehinde

•Bukky Wright

•Mercy Johnson

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

Glamour

The red carpet always offers women the opportunity to be daring.

Kehinde Falode reports on a few hits and misses

Take a look at FUNMITAD E ALALADE! She looks stunning!

Kudos!

In future, DIANA, if you hear the call of the strapless, do not answer it! Oops!

CARO ALEX was a prime example on a huge MISS on the red carpet. What look was she going for here? Her appearance would've been a better outfit if she didn't wear jeans beneath. Oops!

If talented fashion designer FOLAKE MAJIN doesn't get it on the red carpet, who will? Kudos!

LOLA ADEFUSIKA pulls off flawless sequined goddess gorgeousness. Kudos!

In a one-shouldered garb, ROSEMARY OKEREKE looks sexy. Kudos!

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

Glamour

Skin Deep

•Ex-Miss World Agbani Darego

A

RECENT Monday morning found me at Shizuka New York Day Spa in Midtown, getting the Geisha Facial, whose main ingredient is bird poop.

The treatment, I was told by Asako Nunose, the aesthetician, originated centuries ago when Japanese entertainers damaged their skin from the high lead level in their white makeup. As a remedy, they used a mask containing nightingale droppings that had enzymes said to break down dead skin cells.

For this modernized hourlong version, which costs $180, the excrement is sanitized under ultraviolet light, then mixed with rice bran, an exfoliant and brightener. Because the poop contains guanine, a nucleobase, it supposedly shines the skin as well.

I was calm as Ms. Nunose explained all of this while applying the poop powder, prepared and flown in from Japan. Then it brushed up against my lips and slipped into my mouth. I fought my desire to leave, and surprisingly the next morning my skin did glow.

When it comes to fighting aging, many of us will try anything.

“Though turning to animal ingredients isn’t the newest concept, it categorically popped out of nowhere,” said Jeanine Recckio, of Mirror Mirror Imagination Group, which forecasts beauty trends.

“Consumers are gravitating toward their exotic or shock appeal.”

Some of these consumers are famous, like the Duchess of Cornwall and Gwyneth Paltrow, who have reportedly tried the Bee Venom mask, the creation of Deborah Mitchell, a beauty specialist. According to promotional literature, bee venom is said to freeze muscles, creating a Botox-like effect. And Mel Gibson has acknowledged using cow brains, or selegiline, a smelly yellow ointment that, in other forms, is used to treat Parkinson’s disease and depression. In his case, he has said that “it cleans the neurotransmitters and sharpens mental focus.”

According to Karen Grant, vice president and global beauty analyst of the NPD Marketing Group, cosmeceutical brands, which include biologically active ingredients like those derived from animals, were the fastest-growing segment of the prestige skin-care market in 2011.

Perhaps this is because some people trying high-tech ingredients (like peptides or StriVectin) or stem-cell technology or even purportedly natural and organic products have been disappointed.

“People discovered organic didn’t always mean organic, and marketed naturals could be harmful to one’s skin,” said Dr. Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in the dermatology department at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. “Animal extracts are a new way of treating the skin, while offering a new definition of natural.”

Over the next several months, creatures like snails, bees and worms will inch their way from the great outdoors to human skin.

Wrinkle Butter with earthworm complex, a cream derived from earthworm excrement, went on the market at the end of

Fertiliser for the

December. An appearance on the show “The Doctors” increased sales, said Wayne Perry, the entrepreneur who invented it (as well as Sinus Buster, a popular nasal spray derived from chile peppers). The cream is sold in almost 500 health-food stores nationwide, and more earthworm-based products are planned.

And in May, after Sonya Dakar’s synthetic-snake-venom face cream became

•Amanda Darbenzio of Manhattan gets a Geisha Facial at Shizuka New York Day Spa. Its secret weapon- bird dung

a best seller in 2009, Nate Dakar, the original company’s founder, released MicroVenom Daily Defense SPF 30 for the face and body. The product contains SynAke, a synthetic snake venom that, according to the label, offers results similar to Ms. Mitchell’s bee mask. And last month, Dermelect Cosmeceuticals introduced its ME collection of anti-aging nail lacquers, an extension of its wellselling treatment line. The six polishes contain ProSina, a protein-peptide derived from New Zealand sheep’s wool, which, the company says, closely resembles protein found in nails.

“For many, a plant or a completely organic product isn’t satisfactory to women who want healing properties and a solution to their problems,” said Amos Lavian, founder of Dermelect Cosmeceuticals, who said he got the idea for the sheep’s wool from reading the New Zealand Journal of Medicine.

Drug companies have strict testing guidelines and different protocols from over-the-counter cosmetics. “We have very little data to know if those cosmetics work,” Dr. Zeichner said. “Perhaps all they do is moisturize. But these animal ingredients have some medical research

behind them. All we can do is to wait and see how well they work.”

Masque*ology, a new mask-based skincare line developed in South Korea, whose Cell Renewal Mask contains snail secretion, recently arrived at Sephora. “I’d been searching for an animal-extract product for a few years, but couldn’t find one that seemed legit,” said Carolyn Bojanowski, Sephora’s director of skin-care merchandising. Independent vendors with homegrown concepts don’t have conglomerates behind them, she said, “which can mean they don’t have testing or stability, so the product can be sketchy.”

After a week of smearing snail secretion and snake and bee venom — the worm poop was a bit too hard to commit to — over my face and body, my pores looked slightly smaller, and my skin felt marginally softer and moisturized. It wasn’t the visual transformation I was hoping for — I still require Botox for the massive crease in my forehead — but I didn’t break out either.

And this kind of stuff is a great conversation starter — for after dinner, of course •The New York Times

t

THEATRE

BIGSCREEN

With VICTOR AKANDE

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HILE remembering his life and times, Gini, a music video director created a series of short videos to illustrate the life and final moments of late Olaitan Olanipekun, aka Dagrin, who passed on in 2010. The documentary also exposed what it described as some of the cooperate greed, and people who wanted to make profit from commercializing his death.

The words of Gini's documentary portrays the late Yoruba rap artiste as what Michael Jackson was to Americans, describing him as a musician who refuses to go down the path of creating copy cat music as many of the artistes are said to be doing today. “Dagrin invented his own sound and style of

music (even though not from the ground up), he won the heart of many, not extremely popular on the internet but immensely famous on the streets of Nigeria (probably more popular than the internet), everything he lays his voice on becomes an instant hit, his messages were piercing and very strong, although he had his own share of the youthful exuberance, which perhaps was a contributing factor to his ultimate death in April 2010.

But industry watchers ask if Gini, through this documentary is not also

Who feeds on Dagrin's death?

SOUND TRACK

GISTS

e-mail: victor_akande@yahoo.com engaging in commercial venture of Dagrin's story. A critic also faulted Gini's video, saying that it gives the impression that the entire nation was engulfed by the 'Dagrinmania' at the time of his death, which definitely was not the case. Lagos, he says, is not Nigeria.

This respondent went further by saying; “secondly, I got the feeling that we over-romanticize the whole Dagrin issue and in the process, miss out the moral of the story. Now correct me if I'm wrong, Dagrin was a young rising star who was out late at night, possibly got drunk, was driving too fast and rammed into a stationary vehicle. The Nigerian youth has a lot more to learn from this other than what the media and entertainment industry project.

May his soul rest in peace.”

Femi Kuti on childhood

5

F

AST-RISING actress, Halima Abubakar and award-winning dancer, Kaffy were among celebrities who stormed entertainment hub, Koga Lounge last week Sunday for the June edition of the popular celebrity birthday party tagged Monthly Birthday Party (MBP) organized by lifestyle magazine, Lee. The event had in attendance popular television presenter, Denrele, MC Ice Water, Adams of Soundcity, Ify Okeke, Dipp, Elenu and a host of others.

Speaking on this edition of the MBP, Halima Abubakar said, “organizers of this monthly celebrity party are doing a fantastic job; it is a good thing to do. I thanked them for taking this bold initiative

0-YEAR old legend, Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti, the son of Afro Beats legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti opens up like never before, as he speaks on music, women and the state of the nation in an a chat with Flytime TV. The 3-time Grammy Award nominee, recounts his childhood and memories of his father whom he says hardly ever displayed affection. His father, he also noted did not permit him to have any form of formal education which led to him educating himself with music.

Femi is however proud that today, he to celebrate people like us''.

Award-winning dancer, Kaffy couldn't is a master of the saxophone, piano and many other instruments. hide her thoughts on the Lee magazine initiative. “First of all, I thanked the And unlike many celebrities who try to organizers for making us this lovely cake keep mum over their relationships, and also allowing us cut it inside the Femi ascribes the failure of his marriage lounge. Many people just feel that a to his love for women and goes further celebrity should take care of himself or to state his disbelief in the institution of herself, so I thanked them for taking marriage. In the Flytime interview, good care of us, I really see them going Femi shares his views on other issues very far in this industry, she said''. including politics and the inspiration The MBP has hosted many celebrities before now, they include; Ace Comedian, for the song Bang Bang Bang which Gbenga Adeyinka GCFR, amiable fetched him the international deal with Nollywood Actress, Bimbo Akintola, Universal Records.

Actor Funsho Adeolu, Comedian Omobaba, the list goes on.

St. Remy Slam Jam rocks Vegas Club

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•Kaffy

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plus

Halima Abubakar, Kaffy, others honour Lee

•Halima

PAGE

HE June edition of the gig by world No.1 French Brandy St.Remy at the Vegas Club, Ikeja, went down as usual, with a remarkable fanfare, excitement, with guests treated to the best of music, dance while relishing the St.Remy brand.

It was a night that had every trappings of being quite memorable from the outset as people started trooping into the venue as early as 10pm in spite of the incessant rain.

Lovers of the brand could not be deterred and they were duly rewarded for their loyalty as the phenomenal line-up of acts in the house made sure there was no dull moment. On the wheels of steel was the sensational DJ Atte of Naija FM

102.3, who had the mammoth crowd in the house gyrating and rocking wildly all night long. Popular rave of the moment, Roll crooner, Rayce along with other Nigerian top acts like General Pype, JJC Skills, Orezi, D'Pzle, AY.com, Klever Jay among others were also live in the house to spice up the event.

Official media partners of the brand, TRACE Urban TV and Naija FM 102.7 were also on hand to capture the excitement.

St.Remy Brand & Markets Manager, Antoine Couvreur, said in a statement that loyal customers of the brand and indeed all fun lovers can rest assured that the brand is unwavering in its resolve to deliver unequal avenue of fun for the rest of this year. He said the next St.Remy Gbedu Slam Jam scheduled for July 20, 2012 at Havannah Suites, Egbeda, Lagos will be more explosive.

•General Pype

34

Entertainment

These twin sisters have come a long way pursuing the same career in music since they made a debut in 1999. Popularly called Oshadipe Twins, Taiwo and Kehinde Oshadipe, are both graduates of English Language and Literature from the University of Lagos. The girls who are arguably one of Nigeria's most popular celebrity twins opened up on the interesting lifestyle they share together as identical twins in this interview with AHMED BOULOR.

W

HY did you both decide to spend so much on your recent video featuring Yinka Ayefele?

We want to score a point with it that's why we are earmarking a lump sum for the video.

Although we have not shot the video with Yinka Ayefele yet; instead we have gone ahead to shoot the video for one of our songs entitled 'Dide Olorun Mi'. We are putting a hold on the video shoot for 'Ojo-Ibi' because of the somber state of the nation at this particular period.

What's special about being twins?

The fact that you have your own ideas and you can compare it with someone that looks exactly like you. We are friends and we confide in ourselves a great deal. We sometimes have our differences, but we have a way of letting one person have the upper hand. Being a twin is definitely a good feeling.

What was growing up like for you?

Growing up was fun. We are always together most of the times and sometimes we'd go under the duvet and my dad would call out to our mum to come see what her daughters are up to.

Was music part of your original agenda while growing up?

Yes! We've always loved music from the beginning. We always knew that we would be associated with music somehow, but we didn't know that we were going to be this big. Yes. We grew up listening to music. I remember that our father would play us Majek Fashek, Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obey's songs. Those were the kind of the songs we grew up listening to.

Is it true that you have both fallen in love

Entertainment

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

August date for Heros and Zeros

True Confession

We once fell in love with the same s n i w T e p i d a h guy —Os with the same guy before?

Smiles...Yes! We have both fallen in love with the same guy but that was when we were younger, now we have different tastes for men.

Did it get to the level where you had to fight over the same guy?

No! We have never fought over a man because we don't hide anything from each other. Instead of fighting, if we discover that the guy in question is trying to play games, the other person would rather stay away from him.

Is it true that you both initially started out as dancers?

Yes! We started out as dancers and in fact we once had a choreography group with our other sisters, but as we grew older our priorities changed.

What happened to your proposed idea to dance for Sir Shina Pater's while you were both younger?

That was during the 'Shinamania' craze. His promoter advised our dad to allow us come dance at a bar for Sir Shina; we were about six years old then, but we were really terrific dancers.

We thought it was a very wonderful idea at that time but our parents said we were too young for that. They wanted us to concentrate on our studies…

When was your first album released?

Our first album was released in 1999.

How did the success of your first album affected you, being Secondary School students at the time?

It was an unexpected success; we became very popular and could hardly stay in class.

We usually had reporters waiting for us during break period or after school hours for interviews, but we tried to remain level headed because our parents would not allow us leave school or drop out.

How did you both spend your first pay packet as artistes?

Laughs! Very funny, the late Evangelist Sunny Okosun gave us N5000 which was our very first pay packet. We took our cut and shared the rest of the money among our friends and our late elder brother who helped us during the production of our songs and videos because we were living with him at that particular time.

Is it true that there were times you paid your late brothers school fees?

Yes o! There was a time we went for an event and he came to us saying he needed school fees. We gave him all the proceeds we made from the event for him to settle his fees.

How much do you miss your late big brother?

We miss him very much, everyday. He was too good for words to express; we really miss him.

What was it like living with the Okosun's while you were growing up?

It was fun! The late Sunny Okosun was very nice, generous and indeed talented. He taught us so many things like writing, composing and performing. We sang in the church choir, parties, schools and fellowships. His secretary actually spotted us performing at a fellowship and introduced us to him. Evangelist Sunny Okosun later wrote and produced our first album.

How much did he influence you?

I can't begin to tell you all of that but there were many times he would wake us in the middle of the night. He would play his guitar and ask us to sing. We were very young then and we would ask him what song to sing.

Then we thought he was punishing us especially when we were made to stay awake while other kids were busy sleeping. We often wondered why we should be up

We have both fallen in love with the same guy but that was when we were younger, now we have different tastes for men

singing late in the night. But today we know better.

How are you guys coping in your acting roles as Nelly and Nora in the Superstory series?

Playing Nelly and Nora in the popular Superstory series has totally changed our lives. We can hardly go out and not be recognized now. Last weekend, we were somewhere for an appointment and before we came out, children were waiting by our car screaming Nelly and Nora. They ran after us as we were driving off, even older fans show us love and give us thumbs up.

Do you girls look forward to breaking into mainstream Nollywood?

Yes! Playing Nelly and Nora on Superstories' 'sister sister' series is really exciting and challenging because we never thought we could actually act. We can't wait to break into mainstream Nollywood because we believe there's so much we can offer.

Would you both ditch music for acting in the long run?

We don't intend to ditch music at all for acting; music is our first love and we have numerous fans that follow our music. Music afforded us the opportunity to take a chance with acting and we don't intend to dump music. We have an unfinished business with music.

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H

We have never fought over a man because we don't hide anything from each other. Instead of fighting, if we discover that the guy in question is trying to play games, the other person would rather stay away from him

EROS and Zeros, a new flick which parades veteran actors; Olu Jacobs, Bimbo Manuel, Tina Mba, Akin Lewis and contemporaries like, Funsho Adeolu, Linda Ejiofor, Gabriel Afolayan, Jude Orhorha, Brigette Cherile and Nadia Buari is expected to hit the Nigerian cinemas in the month of August, starting with an elaborate premiere.

The movie which premiered in Ghana weeks ago was said to be very impressive at the Ghanaian cinema. Fair-skinned Ghollywood actress, Nadia Buari appraised the directorial and production acumen of the movie director.

Nadia said, “Heroes and Zeros is about the best movie I have done, it was a great experience to be on set with veterans of Nigerian movie industry. And working with Niji Akanni further exposed me to another side of acting, because I was really stretched on set'' she said.

Heroes and Zeros is the story of destructive pursuance of Tonia (Nadia Buari) by Amos Fele (Bimbo Manuel). Ten years ago, Amos Fele was a wealthy celebrity director in the Nigerian film industry. Now he lives in a ramshackle flat, doing occasional

low-paying TV commercials for nameless products. He's a daily comic relief on the local soccer practice pitch: because though he's already 45 years old, he nurses a new, insane dream of making it into the dollar-soaked world of international soccer! His joyless marriage to Tinuke (Tina Mba), a junior bank worker, is crumbling fast, especially after the death of their only child.

A boost to his sagging spirit comes when a big-budget FrenchNigerian film project appoints him as director. Suddenly, the press begins to (re)celebrate him.

Fele also quickly re-establishes his wane reputation as a firstclass womanizer.

Fele's new rise coincides with that of Dibu Ijele (Gabriel Afolayan) as Yellow Journalism's new enfant terrible. Dibu is a reporter with Naija Scene, a weekly tabloid. The paper's new board of directors (led by Olu Jacobs), with its eyes on profit, supports Dibu's theory that the only way to beat the competition is to scoop and sell dirt about anyone with a famous face or name. Dibu's editor, Mr. Ayodele Alisa (Akin Lewis), an urbane fellow, tries to fight him and the board.

YOVFPMAN to explore digital marketing of films

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•Oshadipe

HE Yoruba Video Film Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (YOVFPMAN) is set to train its members on the art of digital marketing of films through a workshop scheduled to hold on July 11 2012 at the Mainland Hotel, Lagos.

The association is making conscious effort to be abreast of global trends in marketing, hence the need to educate its members on how to sell their films online.

There is no doubt that film makers in Nigeria are faced with the problem of piracy which is the major reason for not getting return on investments.

According to the association's Chairman, Alhaji Toyin Uthman, the workshop is the first of its kind as it is meant to enlighten members about digital marketing, make them tap into the advantage of internet technology and also expand the platform of distribution. In as much as they have done other workshops in the past, Uthman said this workshop is unusual because they are exploring new opportunities in terms of film marketing.

The leadership of the association says about three hundred members are expected at the workshop and it will continue to find means of ensuring that members are not sent out of

business due to piracy. The venue will also be used to brainstorm on other issues bedevilling the industry; hence the workshop will attract experts in Internet marketing, officials of regulating agencies and financial institutions with links in the industry which include Jonathan Bruce, the Managing Director of Silverbird Group, Tunde Kelani, the Chief Executive of Mainframe Productions, Biodun Ibitola, Managing Director of Remdel Communications, Hope Yongo of NEXIM Bank, and Emeka Mba, DG of National Film and Video Censors Board as the Guest of Honour.

•Uthman

Sport&Style SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

PAGE 35

S ’ A D I G N A B BA D

O O G FEEL

S R O T C A F..But family comensg i h t y r e v e f o d a e ah

By Taiwo Alimi

W

ITH playing career spanning over one decade and across three continents; Africa, Europe and Asia, the style and taste of Tijani Babangida, former Super Eagles’ wing wizard, is simple yet classy.

Speaking with The Nation Sport & Style , Babangida, who retired from active play in 2004, takes delight in dressing simply and stylish.

“What I wear is defined by where I am, the weather and other specific factors,” revealed the former Eagles star that starred for elegant Dutch club, Ajax Amsterdam. “I wear Contd. on pg

MITCHEL OBI

I can’t live without table tennis

A H T I W D E L A SE

S S I K ro u E s e t a r leb e c s a g e g r n i n Fáb n u t s d th n e i r f l r i g glory w-io o w t f r e h mot

SPORT&STYLE SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

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SPORT&STYLE

BABY

ON BOARD

Pregnant Raffaella gives Balotelli another chance

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A H T I W D E L SEA

S S I K

Fábregas celebrates Euro glory with stunning mother-of-two girlfriend

H

E just celebrated Spain's victory at the Euro 2012 tournament. So naturally Cesc Fábregas feels entitled to treat himself now that the pressure of competing has relaxed for now. The 25year-old was spotted enjoying lunch at Zuma in London with his stunning girlfriend Daniella Semaan.

Daniella showed off her tanned pins in a short white skirt, wearing black heels for a little extra length.

She certainly didn't stint on glamour, with

a plunging a leopard-print vest top showing off her impressive curves.

Fábregas on the other hand looked casual in a white T-shirt, jeans, and blue trainers.

The star is clearly taking advantage of this downtime. He tweeted: 'My holiday has officially started today. I’ll start it by going to have lunch in the best restaurant in London before I fly to INDONESIA!!!!'

Fábregas has naturally had a fantastic few days celebrating since Spain took home the Euro 2012.

Daniella was naturally full of pride at her beau's achievement. She tweeted: ‘Champions, one more time, well deserved victory from the best national team in history.'

Daniella is the former wife of a millionaire property developer and the mother of two children, a daughter thought to be aged 11 and a son aged nine.

Fábregas is said to have had her initial 'D' tattooed on the inside on his left arm along with several Arabic words, it was revealed that the meaning was My Life D Forever.

SULTRY STAR

Pendleton, nine-time world champion reveals her modelling dreams

V

ICTORIA Pendleton may be a nine-time world champion track cyclist but she could easily be a top model when she retires. The British Olympian has traded in her Stella McCartney designed Lycra suit for a pair of racy fishnet tights and a short tight dress. The 31year-old may train like an Amazonian but she revealed that she has a very different attitude to her fellow athletes.

Speaking candidly to Esquire about her trials

and tribulations, fears and frustrations, she admitted that her emotions leave her feeling exposed. She said: 'People say as a sportsperson, you shouldn’t reveal your weaknesses. You shouldn’t come across as vulnerable. But I am vulnerable. I am emotional. What’s wrong with that?'

'As long as my legs are faster than the other girls' and I hold my s*** together, it doesn’t matter.'

In August Victoria will compete at the London Olympics, and despite winning gold in Beijing four years ago she has unfinished business with the Games.

She told the magazine: 'I tried to feel something but I couldn’t. It didn’t feel like it was happening.

'I was smiling at one point but then the national anthem started and I was like, 'You can’t laugh through the national anthem. That’s treason!' But it just felt so comical. It was totally messed up.' Victoria is relishing the chance to compete on home turf because it will give her the edge over her foreign competitors.

She said: 'When I was in Melbourne being jeered by the crowd, I thought, 'Just you wait until we get to London.

Just you wait.''

HEY split just over two months ago after he was romantically linked to a string of other women. But after Italian model Raffaela Fico discovered she was pregnant with Mario Balotelli's baby, she has decided to give him another chance.

The expectant brunette, who was pictured flying from Milan to Rome, said the couple was now 'rebuilding their relationship'.

Her small baby bump was visible under a blue T-shirt as she walked through Milan airport for her domestic flight.

It is thought she was reuniting with Balotelli, who is currently in the Italian capital with the Italian football team to meet President Giorgio Napolitano.

Raffaella, 24, told her the Manchester City striker Mario, 21, that she was pregnant just before Italy's semi-final match against Italy.

She told The Sun: 'I know how much Mario loves me, and I love him. We are now rebuilding our relationship.

He’ll be a playful dad and a good, loving partner.'

She started dating the Man City player in early 2010 but he was accused of meeting former escort Jennifer Thompson - who had previously enjoyed a fling with Wayne Rooney - five times and had sex with her twice behind Raffaela’s back. , Raffaella said: 'I called the day before the game against Germany and I said, I'm expecting a baby, it's your baby.

After a pause he said 'You gave me the best news of the world.''

Raffaella was surprised when she discovered that she was pregnant in the middle of May, because she ended her relationship with Mario on 29 April.

She kept the good news to herself after taking a test but eventually revealed the pregnancy to some of her family.

FOOLING AROUND

Ronaldo, Irina Shayk show off their incredible bodies in the sea at St Tropez

S

HE spends her time posing in her underwear while he shows off his skills on the football pitch. But it seems that Cristiano Ronaldo and his girlfriend Irina Shayk aren't too famous to goof around together.

The couple was seen play fighting in the sea as they enjoyed a day at the beach in St Tropez.

The pair was seen splashing around as well as tumbling around in the surf and their fooling around left them both with huge smiles on their faces.

The Russian model, 26, was showing off her incredible curves in a turquoise bikini top and a tiny pair of patterned bottoms.

Cristiano, 27, wasn't in bad shape either and showed off her muscles in a pair of short yellow red and white bathing trunks.

While the pair made their way into the sea independently they were drawn together, unable to keep their hands off the other's body.

Irina was seen stealing the Portuguese star's cap and placing it on her own head.

The Sports Illustrated model was seen creeping up behind her boyfriend ready to pounce.

While he stood with his back turned and unaware of what was going on behind him Irina was seen plunging her hands into the water pushing them to create a splash.

Cristiano was amused by the prank but Irina was left bent over clutching her chest in a fit of giggles.

But the striker didn't wait long to get his revenge and clasped his girlfriend around her middle threatening to dunk her under the water.

The pair has been separated recently thanks to their busy work schedules.

While Ronaldo has been playing for his team in Euro 2012 until the team was knocked out in the semi-finals, Irina has been busy with her own career.

The model was at the Miguel Angel Hotel in Madrid launching a new jewellery line, which she is the face of. The couple has been dating since the Spring of 2010.

37

SPORT&STYLE

CELEB FITNESS

MITCHEL OBI SQUEALS

My life incomplete without table tennis!

H

E has carved a niche for himself through talking sports on radio and television. The credit he gives to the Almighty God, but for Mitchell Obi, the Vice chairman of Mastersports, one of the most popular sports marketing outfits in the country, playing table tennis has helped him to stay on top of what he enjoys doing most. He goes down memory lane with EJIRO FEMIBABAFEMI. For how long have you been working out?

I have always been playing table tennis since 1975 when l left secondary school. But that was just on the ordinary level until 1992 when l used to go to the National Stadium in Lagos which was close to my former office.

I was playing with professionals and they would beat me silly but it trained me to be a better player which l am enjoying today. But when l moved to Ikeja l joined the Lagos Country Club.

I am there four times in a week. I could go several rounds depending on the quality of players.

So, would you say that table tennis is your first love?

It is my first game but not my first love. My first love is my wife who also works out but in her own style.

As a woman there is workload as a wife and mother. My wife is like a model which l like.

But what was the attraction to the game?

It is a game that has helped me to measure my approach to life. It makes me coordinated, helps my sight and above all it can be played everywhere. You need to appreciate the fact that you require a level of fitness to stay in shape as a journalist who is always on the move.

So have you been able to recommend the sport to friends?

Several of my friends have taken up the game and that makes me happy. It is encouraging. I also play squash but that is usually once in a month. After a game of squash, it takes me time to recover because of the intensity.

What is your diet like?

After a certain age you have to watch what you eat. I am 54 years old. But what l like most in my menu is my soup. I love good soup. Any restaurant where l eat at, the first thing l ask them is for the different types of soup. Good okro soup with periwinkle, particularly the one that you can suck out with stockfish is apt for me. On a good day, l can take it with Atceke an Ivorian delicacy. There is also koskus (the Moroccan type). It could also be varied with eba or semovita but l’m not a great fan of pounded yam. Pounded Yam is what l usually eat when in a group of people.

Aside my soup, l also enjoy rice but snow white rice with a heavy dose of vegetables.

It must be steaming hot for me to eat it. Also l love Jollof rice with corned beef.

For people who do not exercise, what would be your advice to them?

Man was born to work. There is movement in what we do. This you do until death, so l would not say that people do not keep fit. Perhaps it is the activity that we do that tends to differ.

Who is your favourite sportsperson?

I have a collection of them. In every sport there, l have a favourite. For example football which is like arithmetic and analytical instead of exciting, l still have a favourite player for every position. I am not the type to shout Ronaldo or Messi. Nuances are what l look out for in the sport. I enjoy boxing and car racing. I like speed.

So, when is Mitchell Obi going to retire from table tennis?

As far as l am concerned as long as l can come to the board and hold a bat, , form is temporal due to age but class is permanent.

Sport&Style

OKOYE ROARS

‘My house, most-prized S ’ A D I G BABAN D possession’ O O G FEEL

SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

PAGE 38

S R O T FAC

what is comfortable but good.

According to Netcarshow.com, Mercedes Benz CLS “I must feel good and comfort- 500 is worth £80,645 (about N12 million) and has able with what I put on and that is what style means “Classic 7-speed, 7G-TRONIC automatic gearbox. to me. For instance, I cannot say I am a jeans freak but On the road very little unsettled the ‘CLS’ in the deI do wear jeans a lot when I am outside Nigeria. And fault comfort mode (there are three settings), it simply this choice is defined by the fact that the weather here wafted along taking everything in its stride. Should is hot but cooler in Europe.” you wish to remove your chauffeur and drive yourThe current chairman of FC Taraba said he rarely self, there are two sports modes which alter the suswears jeans or other thick fabrics while in the tropical pension setup. climatic region of Nigeria: “Here I like to wear more It is surprising how composed the CLS is through of shorts or less thick fabric and if you see me anytime the most demanding of bends. Even on our favourite i am home in Nigeria, you will always see me in ‘B’ road you can have a lot of fun without any comshorts and shirts. My environment defines my style,” promise. The speed sensitive steering is wellexplained Babangida, who shuttles between Amster- weighted and gives just about the right amount of dam (where his family resides) and Kaduna in the feedback for such a large car. All of this makes the northern part of the country, where he has big busi- CLS more of a capable grand movement than an out ness interest. and out sports car, but if it is refinement you desire Babandiga, who spent eight productive then few cars do it better.” years with the Nigeria national teams Aside from Mercedes Benz, Babangida added that from 1994 to 2002 with the highpoint of other brands in his garage are BMW and Jeep, winning Africa’s first soccer gold which he acquired out of his sentiments for severmedal with the Dream Team at the ity and class.

1996 Olympic Games, however has Grand as his material acquisitions are, Baa penchant for sunglasses. bangida said his family comes first in his scale of Said he: “I love wearing sunshades. preference. “I love my family and they come first Though I don’t have a particular deto me. Material acquisition only makes life signer, I go for what suits me and if there comfortable for us, but the thing that is a fashion accessory i can’t be caught comes above all of them is family without, it is a sunglass. I have and I love my wife and son so bought so many that I have lost dearly,” noted the former Super count of them.”

Eagles star who wrote his name The former Ajax Amsterdam in the annals of Nigerian footwinger’s attraction to sophisball with a brace against ticated, rugged and fast wonBafana Bafana of South der-on-wheel is awesome Africa at the semi-final and this clearly underlines stages of the 2000 African the quality of automobiles Cup of Nations. in his garages both home Born into a large famand abroad. ily in the city of “I love Mercedes Benz Kaduna, he is married cars with a passion. to Rabah, the sister of Maybe I should say I have Daniel Amokachi's soft spot for it not only bewife and he revealed cause it is cool but also that it won’t be long berugged and fast. It is a fore his son steps into brand for all weather. At the shoes he hung playhome and abroad I have difing for Nigeria. ferent brands of Benz cars that “My son Ameh is fast I find irresistible and handy,” taking after me. At his he stated with a relish. age he’s playing football TJ, as Babangida is fondly quite well and should he called by friends and fans, is parcontinue that way, he ticularly fond of one of his latest would be a bigger star than acquisitions; the Mercedes Benz me someday soon. My family CLS 500. is the best thing to have hap“It (Mercedes Benz CLS 500) is a pened to me and they are the best classy car that I love to drive”, he said simthing in my life,” offered Baply. bangida.

Babangida Contd. from pg 35

By Morakinyo Abodunrin

M

EHMET Murat ildan, a prizedauthor was widely quoted as saying that ‘a little happy house is the strongest castle in this whole universe!’

Indeed, there is a truism in Idan’s following full disclosure by Kelechi Okoyeto The Nation Sport and Style that he is so proud of his brand new ‘little happy’ bungalow, saying nothing is bigger to him in the whole universe at least for now.

Located within the precinct of the Rantya Low Cost Housing Scheme which is now the Okoye haven of middleclass in Jos, Okoye-Ahaneku said that there is nothing as good as having a room over ones head.

“One of my most cherished assets is the three-bedroom bungalow I just built in Jos with a good study room and a gymnasium,” stated the former Heartland and JUTH FC of Jos player striker who now plies his trade with Shillong Lajong in Indian.

Okoye-Ahaneku further enthused that apart from the physical magnificence of his Jos house, the splendour of the home is his adorable wife which gives him so much joy and blessings. He said that he became a better player soon after he got married to his heartthrob.

“I became more responsible after my marriage,” he said matter-of-factly. “My career became better after the wedding. it was after my wedding that I got contract to play for Shillong Lajong in India.

“I spend my leisure time mostly to watch football match with my friends and family members, though at times I go to beach with my wife but not too often.

“There are so many things that attracted me to my wife. She is very caring as well as her intellectual capability. She is very accommodating and she relates well with my entire family members. I cannot ask for anything better than her.”

For Okoye-Ahaneku, mood dictates what he wears but he can often be seen putting on denim jeans because ‘it’s smart and convenient.’

Said he: “I like to appear simple and casual; I love it simple in Jeans and T-shirt unless there is an occasion that requires me to wear formal suit or traditional attire.”

He further revealed that his best designer is the popular Calvin Klein, adding that he likes to keep things simple and smart. In fact, the 28-year-old guy is noted for his simplicity and he revealed that he is very comfortable with Honda Accord Hennessy which he regularly cruises with while holidaying in Nigeria while he rides Suzuki 2007 model car in India.

Yet his biggest wish is to own one of the sophisticated Honda automobiles in the nearest future: “I truly like Honda products and it is my desire to buy any Honda jeep or car very soon,” added the former Flying Eagles captain who debuted for the Super Eagles in an African Cup of Nations qualifier against Zambia in 2000.

PROFILE Full name: Kelechi Okoye-Ahaneku Date of birth: May 28, 1984 (age 28) Place of birth: Jos, Nigeria Height: 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) Playing position: Midfielder Current club: Shillong Lajong FC Previous Clubs: Gombe United (2000); Heartland F.C. (2001-2002); Lobi Stars (20032004); JUTH FC (2004-2009)

Entertainment

40

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

The name of gospel music diva, Uchenna Eshareturi a.k.a U-cheena may not ring a bell, but the talented singer who is known for crooning from church to church and at big gospel concerts recently unveiled a first of its kind gospel talent hunt show, Destiny Child.

In this interview with MERCY MICHAEL, she reveals the talent hunt was conceived by her husband. She also speaks about her passion, gospel music in Nigeria, marriage and other things. Excerpts:

Keeping the home front is not a challenge; I have my husband’s support in everything I do

—U-cheena

T

ELL us about your background?

My name is Mrs. Uchenna Eshareturi a.k.a U-Cheena. I am married and I grew up in a family of music. My mother was a musician. Her name is Duchess Maria. And my late father also was a musician; he was a trumpeter.

So what gave birth to Destiny Child?

I think the vision is me because as a talented gospel singer, I never had an opportunity where people could hear the God given talent in me. And this is the reason for the vision. There are thousands of people out there who are great gospel singers but do not have the opportunity to showcase themselves.

And that is the idea behind Destiny Child Gospel Music Talent Hunt.

This is about the first of its kind, how do you ensure that the competition becomes successful?

Well, I don't want to say that I'm a perfectionist but whatever I put my hands on never fails. I have a hundred percent guarantee that Deli Stationery has the capacity to sponsor Destiny Child.

Firstly, I had to seek for a sponsor who has what it takes and believes in the vision because finance is very important in every production. Secondly, we were very strict with selecting our judges. I'm also one of the judges and by God's grace we believe that everything is going to be transparent. I would ensure that the judgment of Destiny Child is fair.

How long ago did you conceive this idea?

It was conceived two years ago by my husband, Mr. Omate Eshareturi (laughs).

The vision came from him and because he understands my love for music; we decided to kick it off. Destiny Child Gospel Music Talent Hunt was conceived to create a platform for Nigerian gospel music singers to showcase their talents and also give them the opportunity to compete satisfactorily with their contemporaries in the secular act. This is the first of its kind and also a reprieve because gospel musicians regularly suffer relegation within the entertainment sector based on

instruments as early as eight years. I've the mindset that gospel music is always had a passion for music. I've confined to the four walls of a church. been singing in churches, in choirs, I What has it been like preparing for have been a blessing to many people out the competition for about two years? there and this is the time for me to reach Exactly, a lot of challenges but that's out to more people through Destiny typical. So far, it's going well to the glory Child. of God. You said eligible participants must What impact do you think this talent be 18 years and above. Don't you think hunt will have on the lives of you're limiting some people? participants at the end of the show?

Initially, we didn't want to limit the Definitely, it's going to make them a age. But we thought about a lot of things better Christian. When you sing praises especially the safety of children below to God, you are actually ministering to eighteen who may have to travel from yourself as a person as well as one point to another. For ministering to other people. such reasons we decided to So, as they participate, as My husband kick off with age eighteen long as they are singing above for season one. from their hearts, they are is my friend. andApart from your praising God from their He was my husband, who are the other hearts, ministering to strong forces in this themselves and in that way; friend for passion? they will grow spiritually. eleven years Okay, there are so many For a gospel talent hunt them. I have my beautiful show, are there restrictions before we got of friends supporting me. I on songs? married and can't start naming We are focusing only on but I have my we are still everybody songs that will glorify the friends.

I have my family name of God and that friends. Yes, members, they have been basically are what you will They all love the we have our awesome. hear on Destiny Child. Also, idea and are behind me a we will have participants challenges but hundred percent. Also, I sing inspirational songs and a wonderful team we never let it have love songs that are in line working with me. They all with the word of God. take our believe in the vision and As a gospel singer and a they keyed into it to make it happiness producer, how do you a great success. balance work and the home In an industry where a front? lot of people started off as gospel Well, like I said the vision came from singers but veered into secular music, my husband and that means he's behind what has kept you going? me hundred percent.

What has kept me going is the word of Tell us about your music career God. I was brought up to understand because your name doesn't resonate in the word of God and I'm a born-again the sphere of gospel singers?

Christian. My life is dedicated to God Exactly, that's the reason for Destiny and to doing the things of God so I will Child because there are a lot of people never deviate from that. No amount of like me out there and nobody knows pressure can make me do secular music. them. That is the reason Destiny Child is How long have you being married? happening right now. Like I said, I was I've been married for three years. born into a music family and I started Every marriage has its own out on voice training and music

challenges. What has kept you going?

Well, I always advise people to marry their friends. My husband is my friend.

He was my friend for eleven years before we got married and we are still friends. Yes, we have our challenges but we never let it take our happiness. So, I will like to encourage single ladies out there to marry their friends. First of all, pray to get the right man and then you must respect your husband. It is very important. And one of the things that have kept my marriage going is that whenever I have a problem with my husband we never let it get to the next day. We always resolve it the same day because we realized that when spouses have misunderstanding and refuse to talk with each other, it is a seed planted by the devil. And once it's not uprooted, it expands and such home will keep having challenges. It is normal to have issues with your husband, when you do, resolve it on the spot and continue to be happy. So, that has kept my marriage going.

What are your thoughts about the music industry and gospel music?

I think the industry is growing and I'm excited that I'm going to be a part of the revolution in the gospel industry because I believe the industry is huge.

We've not just being able to tap into it, so it's an opportunity for me and I'm grateful to God for it. I'm excited.

Is Destiny Child going to be an annual event or just a one off?

It's going to be seasonal.

What are the prices?

First prize is N3m, a car and a record deal. Second prize is N2m and a record deal. Third prize is N1m and a record deal.

With reality TV show, especially talent hunt, sometimes participants have to wait for long before redeeming their prizes. In some cases they end up not even getting it at all. How do you ensure that it is different with Destiny Child?

Please keep your eyes close to the participants and you will find out that everyone will get their prizes.

Entertainment

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

Here comes Naija Celebs monthly gig

I

T'S a new initiative. It is a Saturday Celebrity party tagged “Lock down with Naija celebrities”. The creators, BT ENT (Been There Entertainment) say the monthly party is aimed at celebrating Nigerian celebrities who have made a mark for themselves in their chosen careers.

The debut edition of the gig has been scheduled to hold on August 18th, 2012 at D Place, GRA, Ikeja. BT ENT's Beverly OSU says the new concept will blow everyone's mind. “The debut edition is called the launch party and several artistes like Sound Sultan, Reminisce, Rayce, Chuddy K, YQ, KCEE, Flowsick, W4, DJ Zeez, LKT, Sammie, Sagga Lee, El Plex and Yemi Alade have been confirmed to make appearances at the event. Denrele Edun, will compere the event alongside with ace Comedian Omo Baba.

Also, DJ Jimmy Jatt will be making special appearance to complement the presence

of Ola and Chris of BBA 7.”

Beverly, who is the PRO of the outfit, says “Lock Down is not about performances as many people speculate. It is more like a party but for every edition celebrities will be hosted. When we say celebrities we are not just talking about music stars but also movie and comedy stars. In subsequent editions we shall be having things like lock down with Naija comedians, lock down with Nollywood divas and don't be surprised if we eventually dazzle you with lock with Naija super models. It's not only musicians that are celebrities but for every event, to add colour to it, it is necessary to bring in music stars to entertain guests. ” She noted.

Beverly added that the Launch Party will start with a red carpet at 8pm and there will be performance s between 10pm 1pm, after which the real party •Sound Sultan starts.

Sadiq Adebayo weds today

N

O doubt, veteran Yoruba actor, Adebayo Salami a.k.a Oga Bello has a lot to be thankful to God for.

Since the beginning of this year, it has been one celebration or the other for the family of the actor. First it was Adebayo Salami who clocked 60, followed by his daughter, who got married.

The former National President of the Association of National Theatre

Practitioners (ANTP) was also recently honoured by the association. The well attended event was organized by ANTP Governor, Lagos Chapter, Ajala Jalingo. But the big one is that Sadiq, his first son, is getting married to his lover of many years in Ibadan today. Certainly, cameras will not roll in any film location today as the big names in the industry are expected to grace the occasion.

Tymeout with Tee A enters new season

C

OMEDIAN and entrepreneur, Tee A has announced the kick off of a new season of his TV show, Tymeout with Tee A. Tee A, who combines comedy the jobs of Master of Ceremony with hospitality is optimistic that his and are in for an exciting time on thefans hugely syndicated TV programm Season 2 of the show, he noted, e. shot for several weeks in April, was will feature star appearances of and it likes of Onyeka Onwenu, 2fac the e Idibia, Eku Edewor, Samklef, TWO, and many more. Fans favourites on show like 'MC Abbey' and 'Ma the dam Princess' are also expected to retu rn on this new season with fun. The var comedy show broadcasts on sev iety TV networks in Nigeria, Ghana, eral England, Kenya and parts of the US.

•Tee A

41

N

IGERIA'S leading entertainment company, Sony Music Entertainment and MComm, have announced their joint effort at bringing Usher Raymond's hot new album “Looking 4 Myself” to Nigerian music fans.

Speaking in Lagos early this week, Mcomm CEO, Chidi Okeke, who described the partnership between the two companies as unique, added that Nigeria is the first West African country to have an official international release from a Grammy winning US artist.

According to Usher Raymond, his seventh studio album, 'Looking 4 Myself' is "a record that really gives people an experience.” Raymond has been a music industry icon for several years, garnering numerous awards for his soulful ballads, heartfelt lyrics and pulsating dance steps.

Throughout the years Usher has continued to evolve, pushing boundaries, breaking stereotypes and creating the kind of popular music that millions of his fans all over the world know him for.

Usher woos Nigerian fans

Kwam 1, Kosoko, Doris Simeon return to school

O

RGANIZERS of Celebrity School Uniform Groove (CSUG) are set to unveil new set of celebrities and socialites that will be visiting their Alma mater.

Fuji musician, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal; veteran actor, Jide Kosoko; young actress, Doris Simeon, and Mrs. Folashade Omolara Erogbogbo, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Lagos, are among the personalities that are next on the list.

A concept of Ballywalls Integrated, CSUG is an initiative meant to take Nigerian celebrities, irrespective of their disciplines, back to their secondary or primary schools with the sole aim of giving back to the schools in terms of donations of materials, equipments, building classrooms/laboratories, buying of exercises books, paying up school fees of indigent students, repairing or renovating the schools and so many other

endeavours.

The Unique Selling Point (USP) of the initiative is that the celebrities will be attending the school in its school uniform, as a way of showing solidarity with the students.

The schedule according to Mr. Olawale Balogun, the Managing Director of Ballywalls Integrated is that Doris Simeon will be going to her alma-mater; Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School, on Tuesday July 10, 2012, while others will follow suit after the Nollywood diva's edition.

According to Doris Simeon “I am highly delighted to be part of this laudable initiative to give back to my secondary school, Maryland Comprehensive; I am already having a nostalgic feeling of going back there. However, the fact that I will be in my school uniform to mentor students and add value to their lives by inspiring them is

•Doris Simeon

enough for me and I am looking forward to this”.

King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal attended Jamatul Islamiyat Primary School, Lagos Island, while Prince Jide Kosoko went to Methodist Primary School, Lagos.

Ashimolowo, Mensa Otabil, others in conference

T

HE Abuja International Conference Centre will come alive again, as world renowned Pastors and Business men like Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo, Dr Mensa Otabil, Pastor Tola Odutola and Dr Sam Chand, storm the Federal Capital Territory for the Abuja Leadership Conference.

Tagged “360o Leader'' the confab holds from Thursday, July 12 to Friday, July 13, 2012 at plot 900, Herbert Macaulay Way. The Abuja Leadership Conference, it is said, is a platform where participants can become better equipped with sound business initiatives from these widely travelled and experienced men of repute and how leadership abilities can be discovered, nurtured and developed from a scriptural perspective.

The 2-day event is expected to attract business men and women

from all walks of life, who are willing to experience better ways of doing business, members of different churches who are anxiously waiting for the next big break and members of the general public who are desirous of a better life without recourse to illegal means of doing business.

Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo is the Senior Pastor of KICC. He combines his calling as a pastor and teacher with the roles of mentor, business man and spiritual father. Dr Sam Chand (USA) is a leadership architect and change strategist. Dr Mensa Otabil is a Pastor, Lecturer, Author, consultant and a motivational speaker. He is the founder and General overseer of the International Central Gospel churches which has a network of local assemblies in Ghana, Europe, the United States and other parts of Africa.

Pastor Tola Odutola FCA, he is the Senior Pastor of Jesus House Baltimore. He was a Chartered Accountant before being called by God into full time ministry. He serves as the Eastern North America Province 1, USA.

42

Entertainment

BIG

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

CINEMA GUIDE LAGOS

PICTURE Supported by: SILVERBIRD CINEMAS

W

ITH so much action, a huge sense of adventure, fantasy and romance, the new spider man movie; The Amazing Spider Man has much in store. The 136minutes long Sci-Fi prides on great technology through which it is delivering stunts, good enough to enthral viewers. And if you think the work is good enough, it is even better and more exciting on 3D Featuring an entirely new cast, the 'Amazing Spider Man' tells the story of a young social outcast, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield). Peter, a high school student, spends his days working hard to impress and win the heart of crush (Gwen Stacy) The very inquisitive and restless Peter would later stumble on a briefcase belonging to his father who had abandoned him as a kid, leading him to his father's ex-research partner, Dr. Curtis Connors. His life, however, took a new turn when he was bitten by a genetically modified spider.

For peter, the main action began when he realized that his encounter with the spider had transformed his life from the shy, lily-livered teenager to an 'Amazing Spider Man'. He emerged the hero when he came face to face with Dr. Connors who had turned into a dinosaur.

Amazing Spider Man: Astonishing on 3D

Brave: A princess’ choice of sinister turf

M

ERIDA is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane). Merida's actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom.

One of the unique qualities of Brave, is such that it is a flick

that surpasses the expectations created by its trailers, and other forms of advertisements. The female protagonist element is another factor that makes it thick, much so when the lead act handles the role real good.

There is so much to ponder about the character of this aggressive Scottish princess with wild, disorderly red hair.

In the woods, Merida stumbled on an old witch (Julie Walters), from whom she purchases a spell to “change” her mother in the hopes that she will drop her insistence on Merida's impending nuptials.

The spell does change her

Titanic Featured Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Billy Zane Genre: Drama Running Time194 min Trespass Featured Actors: Nicolas Cage, Nicole Kidman and Cam Gigandet Genre: Comedy Running Time: 91 min Dr Seuss'- The Lorax 3D Featured Actors: Zac Efron, Taylor Swift and Danny DeVito Genre: Action/Adventure Running Time86 min 21 Jump Street Featured Actors: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum and Ice Cube Genre: Comedy and Sequel Running Time109 Mins Machine Gun Preacher Featured Actors: Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan and Michael Shannon Genre: Action/Adventure Running Time129 min Phone Swap Featured Actors: Wale Ojo, Nse Etim Ikpe, and Ghanaian Superstar, Lydia Forson Genre: Comedy Running Time Wrath of the Titans Featured Actors: Sam

Worthington, Liam Neeson and Rosamund Pike Genre: Action/Adventure Running Time: 99 min Best Exortic Marigold Hotel Genre: Action/Adventure Contraband Genre: Action/Adventure John Carter Featured Actors: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins and Willem Dafoe Genre: Action/Adventure Running Time132 min Man on a Ledge Featured Actors: Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks and Jamie Bell Genre: Action/Adventure Running Time102 min

ABUJA Genre: Action/Adventure Dr Seuss' the Lorax Featured Actors: Zac Efron, Taylor Swift and Danny DeVito Genre: Drama Running Time: 86 min Wrath of the Titans Featured Actors: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson and Rosamund Pike Genre: Action/Adventure Running Time: 99 min The Scores Featured Actors: Aremu Afolayan, saheed balogun ,Eniola olaniyan , Olumide Trespass Bakare,sunkanmi omobolanle Featured Actors: Nicolas Cage, Genre: Drama Nicole Kidman and Cam Phone Swap Gigandet Featured Actors: Wale Ojo, Genre: Drama Nse Etim Ikpe, and Ghanaian Running Time: 91 min Superstar, Lydia Forson True Citizens Genre: Comedy Featured Actors: Uti Man on a Ledge Nwachukwu, Alex Usifo, Featured Actors: Sam Brian Okwara, Clareth Worthington, Elizabeth Banks Onukogu, Keneth Okolie, and Jamie Bell Clara Iweh, and Melvin Odua. Genre: Action/Adventure

PORT HARCOURT

mother, but not in the way she expected. Instead of causing her to change her mind, it instead changes her physically into a towering grizzly bear.

Here again, the animators score a point, by cleverly grafting human emotions onto a bear's face and body movements without losing their essentially animal-like nature. This is the crux of the story's real emotion seeing Elinor disappearing completely into her animal body, and the subtle shifts in the human/bear dynamic are one of the film's most enthralling and poignant attributes.

The Ides of March Featured Actors: Paul Giamatti, George Clooney and Philip Seymour Hoffman Genre: Drama Running Time: 101 Mins True Citizen Genre: Drama Running Time: 97 Mins 21 Jump Street Featured Actors: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum and Ice Cube Genre: Comedy and Sequel Running Time: 109 Mins Dr. Seuss' The Lorax Featured Actors: Zac Efron, Taylor Swift and Danny DeVito Genre: Action/Adventure Running Time: 86 Mins Trespass Featured Actors: Nicolas Cage, Nicole Kidman and Cam Gigandet Genre: Action/Adventure Running Time: 91 Mins Wrath of the Titans Featured Actors: Sam

Worthington, Liam Neeson and Rosamund Pike Genre: Action/Adventure Phone Swap Genre: Drama Running Time: 70 Mins Machine Gun Preacher Featured Actors: Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan and Michael Shannon Genre: Action/Adventure

43

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

Glamour

‘I put money where my mouth is’ –Kelechi Amadi-Obi

Ace photographer, Kelechi Amadi-Obi, Dimeji Alara and a team of innovative creative minds last year unveiled MANIA Magazine, a new fashion and lifestyle publication. The launch which drew fashionistas, fashion designers, socialites, actors and actresses and industry professionals to celebrate with Kelechi Amadi-Obi who over the decades has contributed immensely to the growth and development of the Nigerian fashion industry. He spoke to ADETUTU AUDU on why he ventured into publishing despite making waves in photography.

44

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

Glamour

Social

ADETUTU AUDU (E-mail: crownkool@yahoo.com, Tel: 08023849036)

Nike Oshinowo charts new course

Musa Danjuma serenades wife

•Oshinowo

•Danjuma and wife

Chalya Shagaya back and better

Ngozi Edozien, chip of the old block

•Edozien •Shagaya

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

Glamour

45

Abe Ibrahim lands more gold

P

OLO-LOVING Abe Ibrahim,is in high heavens Abe who is one of the aides of General Ibrahim Babangida, sources said has struck a lucrative business abroad, one of the reasons he is absent on the social arena. Abe a one-time captain of Lagos Polo Club, we gathered now shuttles between Nigeria and America, where his new business concern is located.

•Ibrahim

Hajia Ibironke Siddiqah ro cks

@ 50

•Oni

•Ibironke

Katung Aduwak off the shelf

Dolapo Oni notches higher

•Aduwak

Rita Idehen moves on Morounranti George makes waves with ChezRanti

•George

•Idehen

46

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

Glamour

HARRY BELAFONTE

Rascal

F

IRST comes the voice: low and crackly as an old gramophone record. “I'm at the UN,” Harry Belafonte says, over my mobile phone. “We've had an emergency meeting that's run over.

I'm very sorry. I'll be with you in 20 minutes.”

As celebrity excuses for lateness go, an emergency meeting at the UN to help solve the water shortage in Africa just about passes muster.

Besides, the delay gives me a chance to snoop around Belafonte's office suite, located on the 14th floor of Martin Luther King Jr Labor Center just off Broadway; political activism and theatre, Belafonte's twin muses, fused into one address.

The shelves bristle with humanitarian awards.

On the coffee table, a yellowing edition of The New York Times from 1969 bears news of the moon landing. As I look through the window at midtown Manhattan, I half expect a string section to strike up the opening bars of My Kind of Town.

Finally, Belafonte arrives wearing a long woollen overcoat, a roll-neck sweater and a wrapping of old-world courtesy. “I do hope you'll forgive me,” he says, taking my hand.

Since suffering a stroke a couple of years ago, he has walked with a stick but he is in otherwise impressive shape. At 85, he still holds himself ramrod straight, all 6ft of him, topped off with that fabulous brown orb of a head, as provocative as only the baldest heads can be. Like Colonel Kurtz's, or the prophet Elisha's, it looks not so much bald as bared, like knuckles, or ambition, or sou l.

“Every day for me is a chess game, another day at the board,” he tells me, his eyes glittering. “My mother once said to me, 'Never go to bed at night knowing there was something you could have done during the day to fight injustice.' I found many ways to beat the enemy at the point of challenge, to make sure my pawn was in the right place or, if it wasn't, to make sure I had a knight to back it up.”

The first singer to sell one million copies of an album (Calypso in 1956), and cinema's first black male sex symbol, Belafonte was also the first performer of any stripe to exploit the overlap between politics and celebrity. He acted as gofer between John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King; rounded up a glittering line-up including Marlon Brando, Charlton Heston, Paul Newman and Tony Bennett for 1963's March on Washington; and persuaded Sidney Poitier to join him on a morale-boosting mission to Greenwood, Mississippi, in the summer of 1964. They arrived in the dead of night to find the headlamps of the Ku Klux Klan lighting up the airstrip. After dinner in Greenwood's black district with civil rights volunteers, Belafonte belted out Day-O. Even the Klansman standing outside joined in.

The knight riding to his rescue, always, was his audience. Belafonte used to keep a close eye on them, their number and enthusiasm levels, to see if the game was up, whether they had his back or not. In the Fifties it was still a lynchable offence in certain parts of America for a black man to so much as look at a white woman. Yet there, on television, was Belafonte, this tall, handsome mixed-race dreamboat, shirt open almost to the navel, singing about his girl in Kingston town in a dulcet croon. He cut through the water cannons and barricades to score a direct hit on the nation's limbic system.

“The shirt being open was a matter of convenience,” says Belafonte n o w . “ I couldn't afford a wardrobe. I thought that

with heart of

Pete Seeger looked pretty good and Woody Guthrie looked pretty good, so I thought: I can afford a crisp clean shirt every night.” After seeing how women reacted to his ballads, he began to seek out film roles opposite white leading ladies: in 1957's Island in the Sun, playing a young politician who romances Joan Fontaine; or 1959's The World, the Flesh and the Devil, production of which was almost shut down when the studio bosses saw the chemistry between Belafonte and Swedish actress Inger Stevens. He was the white man's fear of black sexuality given lithe, untouchable form.

“It boils down to this simple fact. I'm a black man standing on a stage in front of a large white audience somewhere in middle America. And I sing a song that emotionally touches you and it's a song of love and you're a woman and you're sitting looking at me.

What happens to your prejudiced sensibilities, what happens to your culture, what happens when I invade that sacred ground?” He pauses, then adds, “the sexual thing was not without its distractions. I grew up in a very dysfunctional family. I swore to myself I would never be caught in that when my turn came. When I saw the same patterns beginning to repeat themselves, I began to get out of sorts.”

The son of a Jamaican cleaning lady and a Martiniquan ship's cook, Belafonte has never forgotten what it was to live alongside four or five families squeezed into a few rooms in Harlem, New York: the smell of Caribbean cooking in the air; his father drunk, beating his wife and son until his hands were bloody. His struggle with his father's legacy has been the fight of his life, and runs through his own womanising, gambling addiction and two marriages he is now on this third, to photographer Pamela Frank. It's no coincidence that one of his favourite film roles is his turn as a gangster in Robert Altman's 1996 Kansas City. “I realised I could play mean,” he writes in My Song, his memoir. “I just had to summon that old hard streak, the one that had pulled me out of poverty.”

For many years that was enough: to put food on the table, and a roof over the heads of his four children, while he jetted around the world to fight the good fight on behalf of his “other family”, as he puts it, the “family of man”, making up for long absences with armloads of gifts.

“I always made sure that everybody had a great birthday party, gifts and stuff, but the needs of children are infinitely greater and more sensitive to daily stuff that I didn't pay attention to,” he says.

“Now I watch my children raise their children and I see all the things they do that I never did for them and I understand the grievousness of it, the gravity of it.”

Psychoanalysis has helped greatly, he says, to “fill the spaces where I was transient, or delinquent … I've tried to live a life that was not considered sexist, or womanising and all that stuff. I don't know how well I did but I gave it a try. I'm still working at it.”

Halfway through our interview, Belafonte takes a call on his mobile: “Hello? Fine, but why are you calling? Did I sleep with you last night?”

Pause.

“Miss Tyson, forgive me,” he says flashing me a conspiratorial grin.

“How are you? What's up?”

It is the actress Cicely Tyson. The old rascal dies hard.

There is an edge to Belafonte, even now. The past few decades have seen his transformation into a onestop-shop humanitarian multitasker, picking up causes as he goes: recording We Are the World to combat African hunger; raising money for the children of Rwanda; visiting Hugo Chavez to get up the nose of the Bush administration. But I wonder if he ever misses the bad old days, their energy, their focus.

“It's been a nightmare without them,” he says, laughing. Initially enthused by the election of Barack Obama, he has since turned into one of the President's harshest critics. “Dr King once said that politics without morality is tyranny. I don't see [Obama's] moral centre. I can't find his moral line. I don't understand his passion, outside of perpetuating the system and making sure that during his time at bat he didn't default.”

He also feels let down by the younger generation of fame-hungry, battle-shy stars. “Where are the artists today who will step into the breach and dare to make that kind of call? Dare to show that kind of concern, display that kind of courage?” he asks. “They just don't hang out quite the same way we did, the whole bunch of us: Burt Lancaster, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman. We all came from different places, but it made for a helluva game.

“Bono corralled everyone recently pretty well.

Contribute to the Red Cross, help feed the hungry these are all good things. You get to go home and say you've done enough. A soft game, we would call it.

We were sitting here ducking bullets.”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

47

VOL 1 NO. 037

Brands management: The in-house model T

HERE was one article in our series on professionalism in brands management that sought answer for the quality of human resource often-times engaged for the role of brands managing brands, headlined: WHO MANAGES YOUR BRAND(?). In essence, that piece was focused on establishing the justification for some professional guides that are so often taken for granted, at the expense of the brands they are supposed to help survive, in the first. From us, the article was a note of warning.

Most times the decision to engage lower standard on the quality of human resource for brands management is borne out of inadequate awareness on the part of employers. That seem to properly explain the trend among banks and other top-end corporate bodies; they set out to employ people for brands management roles and they search so vigorously and engage journalists and Public Relations Experts into marketing or corporate affairs departments. On the whole, the mix up becomes so complex that the roles, job function and executive responsibilities work against themselves. While it is perfect for the journalist and PR persons to function as image management persons within a corporate setting, this profile does not fit for those to function as brands managers or the role so ordinarily referred as marketing managers.

On the other hand, some of those decisions, as mentioned above, are deliberate management decisions aimed at saving costs. The Asians, specifically the Indians are, most-often given to such decisions with dangerous reverberating consequences.

Among those Indian-run corporate organizations, “the cheapest” the better (all other considerations are subjected to the future –as the needs arise) Consequent upon such inappropriate appointment, so much happen to the brand, the practice of brands management and the market environment (and the consumer). The most primary consequence with immediate direct consequence on the returns-on-investment (ROI) is that the brand is not properly managed. Brands management has a direct interpretation on the returns on investment in both quantifiable and qualify-able terms. Demonstratively, proper brands management results in desired image/ perception and profitable share of mind at the market place, both of which translates to target audience/ consumer reaction of competitive advantages. So, when the process of managing any brand is not managed by a competent resource person, THE BRAND SUFFERS! From the professional stand-point, let us re-establish the fact that as in every profession, brands management is an expression of self for the professional; a call to duty that requires, exactly, certain level of education, training and experience. As a window of self-expression, therefore, a compromised standard of some pseudo-professional expression rob off on the image of the profession. On this score, the professional regulatory body, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) is more challenged because that body should primarily concern itself with adherence to practice standard. Their

monitoring roles should extend to auditing the quality of practitioners in both the consultant-Agencies and the Clients. Permitting non-professionals in the practice encourages abuse and such compromises with damaging consequences on the image of the profession. Presently, most individuals and corporate persons think of brands management services as do-able by just anybody (at times not even minding the level or extent of formal education.)

It is even more-so when they look at peripheral services within the purview of brands management such as

placing advert messages.

Lastly, involvement of the unprofessional in brands management short-changes the market and the target audience. Functionally, advertising/marketing communication is committed to dissemination of information about any given brand (from its source) to a mass audience. In the process of carrying out that function, advertising messages are meant to clearly articulate the brand's person, its value-essence, its promise and its comparative advantages (over competing offer(s). Suffice, therefore, that advertising or marketing communication is a duty to the brand and the market.

The brand gains primarily, and more-so, from the duties of advertising. Advertising tells the brand's story in order to earn a place in the mind of those for which the concerned brand is intended – to meet identified needs, at a price. It is that price or the money paid by that consumer who decides to engage the so-offered brand that becomes the earning to that brand. So, it is in the brand's interest for advert messages to (i) contain all the necessary information about the brand – for purpose of persuading the target recipient to engage the offer (ii) to be properly articulated to be persuasive and exact on

target objective.

So, to the extent that advertising does the job of communicating a brand's persuasive message for ultimate purpose of selling the brand, it is the brand itself that gains more, of all those concerned. But in addition to the role of selling the brand, advertising or marketing communication is charged with the `responsibility of providing the target audience with all the relevant information that will enable decision-making (in the given brand's favor), on the part of the target audience who turns out to be that man or woman that will willingly pay for the communicating brand or product, based on his or her conviction, as a result of the information made available for and about the brand, through the advertising message.

Advertising messages are very important as a trade and information instrument. It stimulates commerce/ trade and brand/consumer interaction (including advising the intended buyer on the price to pay for unit-measure). On account of its importance, advert messages are too delicate to be left in the hands of nonprofessionals.

To underscore the importance of advertising messages and the delicate nature of the process of developing advertising messages, let us mention here that advertising messages are only the products of a tedious intellectual process that involves by extensive and elaborate intelligence gathering, deep strategic planning, intensive data analysis and creative thinking and interpretation. The process also involves logical thinking.

The process-profiling above says so much of the requirements on the part of process management.

H o w e v e r , conceptualization, production and exposure of advertising messages constitute only a part of the job functions of the Brands Manager. On top-of-mind mention, the brands manager is involved in strategic planning, research, competitive analysis, market monitoring, image and relationship management, sales activation, accounting and creative process management. The brands manager is a communicator, a sales person and is frontal in representing the brand before its various interest groups and publics.

He/she functions as the principal marketing manager for the brand. The brand manager works with the brand and for the brand. He/she is expected to be analytical and critical of the brand, depending on the issue of concern. He/she ensures the actualization of the concept of total consumer satisfaction for the brand. The brand manager talks for the brand, ensuring to speak the right language and in the right tone of voice.

Thus far we drive the reason for the question we once asked: WHO MANAGES YOUR BRAND? However, our concern, moving forward is the advantages or otherwise of in-house brand management, as concept.

•To continue next week.

48

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

‘As a broadcaster, I couldn’t celebrate Christmas with my children'

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

Till death do ‘your t r a p ’ s t n u o c c a k n ba

New WOMAN

49

Tips for Managing Momey in Marriage

By N.W. Journey

50

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

Arts & Life

SUNNY SIDE

Cartoons

By Olubanwo Fagbemi

POLITICKLE

deewalebf@yahoo.com 08060343214 (SMS only)

A note of heroic failures

CHEEK BY JOWL

OH, LIFE!

THE GReggs

Man, for a variety of reasons, relentlessly attempts gallant acts despite calamitous results that sometimes follow. The writer here recalls amusing episodes either experienced or heard of.

ONCE in a northern Nigerian city, three boys were arrested by the police for stealing three goats. Interrogated, they answered that they stole to appease girlfriends who craved goat meat. In another incident, a boy filched a bottle of choice wine from a store to satisfy a friend who wanted exclusive wine for her birthday.

But lest the writer be accused of chauvinism, he is obliged to document heroic gaffes by males, hereafter. And one unforgettable example is that of a young acquaintance who tended to overreach himself. On a whimsical evening, Stephen, for that was the young man’s name, went for a short walk through town and happened by the football field of the central primary school. A group of men was about to start a game and our man decided to hang around a while and watch. No sooner did he choose the shade of a tree as a good spot than some of the men approached.

Would he do them the courtesy of being match referee? Stephen hesitated. The men looked rough. He ventured to inquire as to their identity and was hardly surprised when they announced that they were roadside ‘mechanics’ and panel beaters.

Both groups of tradesmen were gathered for a monthly match-up, he was told. Uneasy at the proposition, Stephen made excuses to leave but the men would not hear of it. “It’s easy, now. All you have to do is make the decisions and we’ll obey you,” one rather slim fellow said.

If only they minded Stephen. Twenty minutes into a tough contest and with scores tied at 1-1, things got out of hand. Following an infringement in the panel beaters’ penalty area, Stephen, lately referee, awarded a penalty to the mechanics. Infuriated, the panel beaters objected in no uncertain terms. Reason prevailed after a few minutes, however, and everyone got on with the game. Now the mechanics led by a goal after converting the penalty kick, but the panel beaters bristled at every touch and tackle.

Then a mechanic pushed an opponent at the edge of his penalty area. Seeing an opportunity to pacify the disgruntled panel beaters, Stephen whistled and pointed to the penalty spot. The mechanics screamed dissent. They surrounded the referee. The panel beaters were divided. Some wanted to protect the referee.

Others thought his officiating had been poor all evening and that he deserved what was coming to him. Fortunately, Stephen found an opening through the roiling mass of bulging biceps and keen knuckles. He wriggled free and ran as fast as his spindly legs would allow. “The bullies were determined to beat me to pulp and for what, helping them?” he said afterwards.

For the writer, though, the most astounding account of bungled heroism came from abroad. The tale was told of an American professional basketball player who inspired his team to victory against challenging opponents by sinking all kinds of shots from various angles on the court. The atmosphere in the basketball arena was quite charged as the spectators, aware that they witnessed the exquisite spectacle of a champion in full flight, chanted his name.

A few minutes to the end of the game, a teammate fed the match hero a long pass from their end of the court. The player spun towards the basket, faked a jump shot and lifted his tall, imposing frame high enough for an awesome slam dunk.

For effect, he hung on to the rim for a few seconds before landing.

But instead of turning away to celebrate the points and revel in adulation, the player stood beneath the rim counting the fingers on a bloodied hand. “One, two, three, four … wait a minute, man … one, two, three, four,” he said.

It turned out that a finger was caught in the rim.

QUOTE

I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.

—Thomas Jefferson

Jokes Humour Wrong Application BOBO was a rogue, swindler and petty thief.

He led a hard life and barely managed to keep body and soul together. He often was close to starving. One day he happened to pass by a household that was holding the funeral of one of its family members.

Thinking quickly, Bobo slipped into the house and cried bitterly in front of the memorial platform of the dead. Nobody knew him, so the surprised people asked why he cried.

“I was best friends with the dead,” Bobo said. “We hadn’t seen each other for months. Now he has passed away, how could I not feel sad? Since I just happened to be passing, I wasn’t prepared for this. All I can do now is cry for my best friend, which is an expression of our friendship.”

The family was deeply moved by Bobo’s comments and promptly asked him to stay to dinner. On his way home he met an old friend, Shayo, whose life was equally unstable. “Where did you manage to eat and drink today?” Shayo asked his roguish companion, who told him the story from

beginning to end.

The next day Shayo also happened by a family holding a funeral and decided to mourn likewise. When they asked him the reason, he replied that he was a best friend of the dead. Before he had finished, however, Shayo received a storm of punches and kicks.

It transpired that the deceased of the family was a young housewife.

Reverse Philosophy BODU was very hungry, so he left work and went to a local canteen where he bought a ball of fufu. When he had eaten one with vegetable soup, he found that he was still famished so he bought and ate another one.

He was still not full up so he ate four more in quick succession. Yet he was not satisfied.

Not until he had eaten the seventh fufu did he feel better.

Then a feeling of regret hit him. “Ah, if I had known this before, I would have eaten the seventh fufu first,” he said. “And that would have been enough and there would not have been any need to eat those six others.”

•Culled from the Internet

C

OPING Writer’s Fountain w i t h rejection: You may take further solace in U.S.A.” From rejection slip for Norman MacLean’s A knowing the rejection history of these writers and River Runs Through It: works: “These stories have trees in them.”

John Creasy, author of 564 mystery novels – From rejection slip for article sent to the San 743 rejections before publishing his first book.

Francisco Examiner to Rudyard Kipling: Ray Bradbury, author of over 100 science “I’m sorry, Mr. Kipling, but you just don’t know fiction novels and stories – around 800 rejections how to use the English language.” before selling his first story.

From rejection slip for The Diary of Anne Frank: ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’ by Beatrix Potter – “The girl doesn’t, it seems to me, have a special rejected so universally the author decided to selfperception or feeling which would lift that book publish the book.

And from rejection slip for George Orwell’s above the curiosity level.”

Rejection slip for Dr. Seuss’s And to Think That Animal Farm: I Saw It on Mulberry Street: “It is impossible to sell animal stories in the “Too different from other juveniles on the Odd developments: market to warrant its selling.”

•A group of officers is called a mess.

And finally, this rejection from a Chinese •The colour blue has a calming effect. It causes economic journal: the brain to release calming hormones.

“We have read your manuscript with •Bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield boundless delight. If we were to publish your wipers, and laser printers were either invented paper, it would be impossible for us to publish or improved by women. any work of lower standard. And as it is •Bone is five times stronger than mild steel unthinkable that in the next thousand years we and almost a quarter of our bones are in our shall see its equal, we are, to our regret, compelled feet and ankles. to return your divine composition, and to beg •If you get water flowing fast enough, it can you a thousand times to overlook our short sight cut metal. and timidity.”

51

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

Abandon a pregnant lover and be damned Lagos State is planning a law against ‘runaway’ lovers. Yetunde Oladeinde, takes a look at the intricacies of the law. priority. I have a cousin who was abandoned by her lover when she got pregnant. The guy claimed he was single but she later discovered that he was married with five children. So to save herself from embarrassment, she decided to go for an abortion. Unfortunately, the abortion became complicated and by the time she was out of the clinic the doctor told her she was never going to have a child of her own again”.

He adds that: “ There has been a lot of campaign about abstinence and condone use. If you just want to have a fling then you should protect yourself and the person you are having sex with. Unfortunately, we have a lot of people who are just too careless and they end up been victims of circumstances they created themselves. If you are man enough to make someone pregnant then you should take full responsibility. This would help to reduce the number of street children and area boys that we have in the society today”.

Ada Ude Agina , the executive director of Gender and Development Action (GADA) believes that the new law is a plus for women. “I love it and I believe that it would go a long way to address the problem of abandon babies, poverty as well as young girls dropping out of school because of unwanted pregnancy. However, I think the problem here is how do you convince the person that he is the father.

Again DNA could be an option but it is not cheap or easily available. It would be a great idea if the government can also look into this”.

Some however say that it takes two to tango in any relationship. Women they stress should stop opening their pants and legs indiscriminately. One of such people is Yemi Anjorin, a businessman who strongly believes thinks the law may be abused in some cases.

Reason: “These days you need to see how desperate our ladies have become.

They are so lazy and they just keep

“

So if someone endorses promiscuity with that kind of law then I am wondering what kind of society we are developing. In the good old days, the girl is expected to wait until her wedding day and virginity was very important.

“

E

VEN though Teju was only 26 years old, she already had a very tall dream. Dreams of beingofone of the best in herofchosen field endeavour, dream lifting the family’s flag higher and many more lofty dreams. But somehow, all these dreams were aborted when she got pregnant in her final year at the university. The handsome prince charming who wowed her and ‘vowed’ to love her till ‘death do them part’ vanished into thin air the very day he was informed about her pregnancy, leaving her a psychological wreak.

Teju is not alone. There are a thousand and one women who are in Teju’s shoes. They got into relationships with high hopes and expectations, but only to realise that the gentlemen they stake everything for were nowhere near the picture of angels they paint. Most times, the victims are single mothers, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet, toiling day and night to bring up their children with scarce resources.

Last week, the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye said that the state government has enacted a new criminal law to check this trend. He dropped the hint during a legislative awareness and sensitisation programme on the criminal law of Lagos State 2011 and Administration of criminal Justice Law. Stringent law Under this law, it is a criminal offence for any man to desert a woman impregnated by him or refuse to contribute to her ante-natal and post -natal expenses. According to him, “Any person who impregnates a woman or girl and fails, refuses or neglects to contribute to maternity related cost from ante-natal or post-natal stages is guilty of an offence under section 277 of the criminal Law of Lagos State and is liable to face the wrath of the law”.

While stressing that it may be tough implementing the law, Henry Atanda, a civil servant says the law would make promiscuous men zip up.

“Personally, I am very happy that the government is giving this issue that has ruined the lives of some women

throwing themselves around and seducing men. Who do you think would be the father of the child, if a girl sleeps around and has five or more boyfriends. The girl is simply irresponsible and she should be made to pay the price.” He argues that : ‘ So if someone endorses promiscuity with that kind of law then I am wondering what kind of society we are developing. In the good old days, the girl is expected to wait until her wedding day and virginity was very important. “ Ideally, pregnancy would always be a wanted and happy event for women, their partners and their families. Unfortunately, this is not so for many. Clara Ihekwoaba, a lawyer opines that the law would help to reduce the number of unwanted babies in the society. “However, the problem would be how to determine if it is the man who is actually the father of the child. The law would check the trend of child abandonment and men would not shy away from their responsibilities. We have something like this being enforced in the Asian countries there is actually a particular one on

rape. The man who raped her would be forced to marry her or pay a fine.”

Professor Boniface Oye Adeniran of the Campaign Against Unwanted Pregnancies (CAUP), has done extensive work in this area. He notes that : “ Each year in Nigeria, hundreds of thousands of women become pregnant without wanting to, and many women with unwanted pregnancies decide to end them by abortion. Because abortion is legal only to save a woman’s life, most procedures are clandestine, and many are carried out in unsafe circumstances. Unsafe abortions can endanger women’s reproductive health and lead to serious, often life-threatening complications.”

In a number of the research carried out , Adeniran and his team found out that : “Unsafe abortions impose a heavy burden on women and society by virtue of the serious health consequences that often ensue: Treating these health problems is costly and consumes scarce resources at both public and private health institutions. Also because abortion is largely illegal, information on the procedure is difficult to obtain”.

From statistics, teenage girls are usually the hardest hit and there are cases of abuse from peers , schoolteachers, domestic staff and some family members. For Titi Adisa , the President of Business and Professional Women (BPW) Lagos, there is a need to have regular sex education talks for school girls. “ Our organisation has been involved in Sex education project for secondary schools in Lagos State.

Our target is to reach as many students as possible, to educate them on how to protect their bodies and not ruin their future. We are opposed to a situation where an adult uses a child for self stimulation, indecent exposure of the genitals and physical injury to the child among other sexual abuse.

According to Dr Biodun Oladitan, a family health specialist teaching the right values can help to check this trend.

“Mothers have a role to play in all these

and we need to let our wards know that their body is not for sale. They must treasure and protect it early enough to avoid getting into trouble.

Unfortunately, a lot of women get carried away with their business and career leaving this role for others to handle.’ Most times , the young mind is very adventurous and is it is not checked the consequences are grievous. It is our responsibility to prepare girls in secondary school for their future. So they need to learn to discover their own bodies , that is the stage you call puberty.”

Folashade Ajayi, a seasoned health educator believes that, all hands must be on deck to save teenagers and ladies from being exploited. “ I got to know about sex when I was eight years old and on two occasions I was sexually abused by adults. All I knew then was that I was not comfortable with the way I was touched. The truth is that children are the worst hit when it comes to sexual abuse. Anyone who robs your laps is looking for something and you need to fight it out.

When an adult shows you films, magazines and books with sexual scenes it is called pornography.”

The old criminal code law focused only on the imposition of custodian sentences and fines on offenders. It also provided for imprisonment and fine as only penalties for crime, while other options such as non-custodian sentencing and probation were not considered.

The new law however provides different forms of punishment which includes compensation, restitution, community service orders and probation.

For Ipaye, the Lagos State Commissioner for Justice, all hands must be on deck to make the new law work.

“We have a society that is changing.

Certain crimes which were unknown in the past, have grown. This is why the legislators have to keep reviewing our laws to respond to societal changes and promote the consciousness of the society about what the government is doing.”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

Miscellany

52

A mother’s eternal agony Mrs. Idaresit Asuquo, has been deeply wounded. Her daughter Iniobong, 22, died along with 152 others in the June 3 Dana plane crash in Lagos. John Ofikhenua reports on how the family is dealing with their loss

•Friends during the service

•Relatives during the service

•Mrs. Asuquo and other family members

W

ILL her mother’s tears ever dry? Only time will tell because no monetary compensation can replace her daughter, the late Miss Iniobong Ndianabasi Asuquo, 22, who died in the June 3 Dana plane crash in Lagos. However, the passage of time is yet to assuage the pains inflicted by the tragedy.

Mrs Asuquo told The Nation in her Abuja home on Thursday, that Iniobong, her daughter, was the reason why she was called a mother! According to the sobbing woman, her daughter was her pride since “she was my sign of motherhood.” As she battled to suppress her emotion, the trauma triumphed over her courage and she added that “I am disorganized. Sometimes, I now find it difficult to reconcile the word of God with what is happening.”

She added: “My whole world has been scattered, sometimes the word of God does not make meaning to me because I cannot reconcile it with what is happening. I look so confused.

When I look around, I feel so empty.”

Heart deep wound The unbearable experience, said Mrs. Asquo, is better imagined than experienced. She noted that no matter her aversion for her worst enemy, she would not wish him/her a similar experience.

She stated that she has realized what her friend passed through when she lost her son to the ill-fated Sosoliso air crash. “I remember my friend that lost her son in Sosoliso air crash, it was when this thing happened that I now realize what she passed through. It is so traumatic. Honestly speaking, I don’t know how to describe it.”

Similarly, the father described the death of his daughter as “shocking, devastating and

crippling to the family that it appeared that the world had come to an end.”

Iniobong’s resume reads like a smooth story, she was her parents’ most valuable asset. After her nursery and primary education she proceeded to the Federal Government College, Uyo for her secondary school education. On the completion of her Ordinary Level, she went to Showers High International School in PortHarcourt for her Advanced Levels.

Later, she entered Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, where she graduated with Second Class Upper in Estate Management. She was posted to Lagos State for her mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). She did her primary assignment with Exxon Mobil.

There was never a waiting moment throughout her life.

Meanwhile, her parents could find solace in Iniobong’s good friends, whose actions have assured the family that despite that she is no longer physically present, the lettering of her good

•Candle light for Iniobong

deeds on their heart is indelible.

For instance, on June 24, during the service of songs organized by her friends and family members in their Abuja residence, they all prayed and showered encomiums on the late lady. In his short sermon, Pastor Joseph Abiodun recaptured hope for the family as he consoled them that the question of how long one lives is immaterial. According to Mr. Asuquo, who recounted the event to our correspondent, the pastor said: “It does not really matter how long one lives on earth.

What is important is what impart you have made to your world for the period you live.”

Short but eventful life In the case of Iniobong, all hope is not lost because her condolence register testifies to fact that her long standing relationship with her peers will remain immutable.

A collective tributes from her friend says, Iniobong, “We may never understand why you left this earth so soon, or why you left before we were ready to say good-bye, but little, we begin to remember not just that you died , but that you lived.

•Parents of the deceased, Mr. And Mrs. Asuquo with Dr. Essien at the service for the late Iniobong

And that your life gave us memories too beautiful to forget.

We meet to part, and we will surely meet again someday. We love you.”

According to her father, the National President of her Covenant University alumni, Dr. O. Fadugba said “the event of Iniobong’s departure has suddenly generated a tidal wave of righteous grief in our membership across the nation, and we would be using this unique opportunity to reverse the decay Nigeria faces. This we believe will be the true honour we can accord the family of Iniobong.”

The bereaved Mrs. Asuquo pointed out that the management of Dana Airline visited to console the family and promised to come back. They are yet to return even as the family has concluded that no amount of compensation can bring her back to life. According to Mrs. Asuquo, “They came here with a condolence letter to console us. In one they enlisted some things they needed from us. The day we went for the farewell service in Lagos, they called and my husband told them that we were not going to be around that they should shift it to when we will come back but till now we have not heard from them. I don’t need to call them back. If they want let them call me. Whatever they are planning for me: monetary or whatever cannot replace the life of my daughter. I am not even interested in that money.”

While calling on the Federal Government to revamp the aviation industry, she advised that the corrupt practices in the industry must be checked. Mrs. Asuquo recalled that the airline was always her family’s favourite for the Abuja – Lagos route. She regretted that the management of the airline was aware that the aircraft was not in good condition

before its departure.

She said: “They should do something about this aviation industry. I don’t know why they used an aircraft that is not in good condition. Imagine the number of people that perished in that aircraft. I just wish they should drop all this our corruption, looking for money, and look inward to see how we can assist the masses because some of the people didn’t know that there was something wrong with that aircraft. “ In her eyes and that of her husband, one could see the pain of a parent whose dreams have been suddenly dashed with the death of a loved and promising daughter.

•The late Iniobong

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

53

‘My journey into world of music’ —PAGE 55

Behold, an American Ogoni chief!

• Pegg with some of the pupils of Bebor Model Nursery and Primary School, Bodo

T

HE pupils of Bebor Model Nursery and primary school look like angels in their pink and blue uniforms. Their school, located in Bodo, in Ogoniland, Rivers State is a model. However, probably none of them knows the full story behind the three blocks of classrooms they study in. They might not know that building project was started by funds from the Canadian Embassy and halted after the fund dried up.

The few who recognise the ‘white man’ that visits regularly might not know the role he played to get them a school. His role as a chief in the village might even be more confounding to the children there. But, the adults know. His activism for the Niger Delta environment, role in transforming education, and his large heart has not escaped the people of Ogoniland. For recognition, he is the only foreigner in the council of chiefs. But just how did Chief Scott Pegg, an American, PhD holder and Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the School of Liberal Arts, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, become involved in Ogoniland?

Introduction to Niger Delta His first contact with the Niger Delta came via protests in far away Canada.

Speaking in Lagos during a recent visit to the country, he said; “I first got interested in the Niger Delta around the time of Ken Saro Wiwa’s campaign. Probably the thing that sparked my interest the most was not quite a year after the hangings. I saw his (Ken Saro Wiwa) younger brother, Dr. Monday Owens

The Ogoniland in Niger-Delta community of Rivers State thinks highly of Professor Scott Pegg, an American. Joe Agbro Jr. met him during his recent trip to Nigeria Wiwa, speak when I was doing my PhD in Vancouver, Canada at the University of British Columbia. And I got involved initially with a group called the Ogoni Solidarity Network doing protests at Shell gas stations, asking people not to buy from them and trying to raise awareness of what Shell was doing in Nigeria.”

Within two years of Saro Wiwa’s hanging in 1995, Pegg said the group had 52 protests on Shell stations in the Vancouver area. He struck friendship with Owens Wiwa. And in April 2000, Pegg visited Nigeria to attend a memorial for Saro Wiwa at Bane, Ogoniland in Rivers State. There, he witnessed the over 40, 000 people that turned up for the symbolic internment of the environment activist who was killed during the Gen. Sani Abacha regime.

The internment took the form of burying Saro Wiwa’s two books and his pipe.

Describing the ceremony as an “amazing experience,” Pegg pushed his adventurous side.

He said his friend, Owens, handed him to Patrick Naagbanton, Coordinator of Centre for Environment, Human Rights Development (CEHRD) to show him around so he won’t get into “trouble.”

Naagbanton introduced him to a Rev Moses Nyimale Lezor, the director of Bebor Nursery and Primary School, Bodo, who asked for his complimentary card.

Building a school for Ogoni children Pegg recalls, “To be honest, I didn’t expect to hear from him.” However, a month later, he got a letter which he described as a business proposal about the present state of the school and where they wanted to take it to. Touched, Pegg and Tijen, his fiancée at that time, and now wife, decided on a plan.

“When we wanted to marry, we said, ‘instead of asking of wedding gifts, we’ll ask them for a donation that we could use to help the school.” And I thought I knew 20 people who would donate a $100 and that would be $2, 000 and they could do something with it, like finish the building. “And that was it; that was all I thought.”

But 12 years and eight trips to the Niger Delta later, two functional schools owe their existence to Pegg. A third school at Bori is in the works. According to him, “my initial vision was smaller.”

“The school where we started in Bodo in October 2000 was St. Andrews Anglican Church

building. And by the time we got there, they had 250 children in one very small church.

They had some of the kids standing outside in front of a tree. And when the class ended those kids would come in and some of the kids inside would come out and stand under a tree. We’ve put buildings in place and now, the kids are in dedicated classrooms with roofs that don’t leak.”

At present, the school at Bodo boasts of three buildings while the one at Bane has two buildings. Boreholes and toilets have also been completed in the schools with the toilets being dedicated only penultimate Tuesday.

Pegg’s contribution has also been recognised. He is the only foreigner in the council of chiefs at Bodo when Pegg, then 36, and his wife, Tijen, were made chiefs in 2005.

He even has his own road, called “Chief Professor Scott Pegg Road”, in Bodo. Pegg, 46, got the road named after him in 2002. So proud of the road is he that he carries a miniature picture of him standing on the road around in his wallet.

Kidnapping In the age of kidnapping, where foreigners have become targets, Pegg nevertheless sticks out his neck. “You know, I have local friends and local contacts,” he said. “I just trust local people. And I’ve never had a serious problem. There’s only been one time in 2008. I was planning to come then and that was the only time that my friends said ‘no, don’t come down, it is not safe. And •Continued on Page 54

54

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

Life •Continued from Page 53

‘Nigerian traffic terrifies me more than kidnappers’

• Pegg inspecting report cards of Pupils at Bodo in 2006 no way better at all. I didn’t want to be one of those people. I wanted to do something that I could leave behind.

“It might sound corny but I don’t think about dying on a regular basis.

But, one of the things that brings me great comfort in life is I know if I get hit by that car tomorrow, and it’s over, I know what I’ve done. There are people halfway around the world where I live who would be crying.

They would be sad because they know we brought boreholes, drinking water, we brought toilets, classroom buildings, we provided scholarships for their kids to go to school. I think the lesson to me that I try to sell to other Americans is ‘you can’t solve the entire world’s problems but you can do something.”

Working for change In his case, he is happy that he is changing lives in three Ogoni villages. The Bebor Nursery and Primary School had one building which was three quarters done. That was completed with funding through Pegg’s intervention. Subsequently, two more classroom blocks were built. And in March 2003, they moved on to replicate that wonder in Bane, Saro Wiwa’s home village, which is about 30 minutes away from Bodo.

Pegg met Leelee Wiwa Tanen (Owens’s half sister), the school director there and two classroom blocks have since sprouted there; one in 2004, and the other in 2007, courtesy of his effort. Recently, both schools have been roofed with aluminium zinc and rust-free roofs to replace the iron sheets initially used.

Pegg and his team are also about to build another block of classroom in Bori, a village in Ogoniland.

“The school director in Bori has already got the school going. We’ve bought land she’s started building the building. We’re going to put a roof on one of the buildings so they can move some of the kids from the Assemblies of God Church, Bori into

the classroom.”

For Pegg who has a six year old son and three months old daughter, having school buildings without toilet facilities wasn’t okay. “I wouldn’t want my kids to go to a school that doesn’t have a toilet.”

Hence, in 2009, they got boreholes for drinking water in both locations.

Toilets in Bodo were also completed in 2009 and just penultimate Tuesday, the toilets in the Bane classrooms were dedicated. “The schools now have boys, girls, and teachers’ toilets and a shower,” a beaming Pegg said.

“The first time that I flushed the toilet in Bodo, I was so excited, I was videoing the water going down.”

Working through Timmy Global Health, a charity that focuses on children and medical stuffs, and work in other countries like Ecuador and Guatemala, Pegg is surely making life easier for children in Ogniland.

With the bulk of its funds coming from individuals and even seventh graders from Doe Creek Middle School, Indiana, their third largest donor who has been organising fundraisers for them for over eight years.

Pegg sees his visit to the Niger Delta as the fun part. “90% of what I do is trying to raise money,” he said.

“And when I get money from, writing thank you letters and telling the schools you gotta write a thank you

letters and send it back to them.”

Memorable times Pegg who has travelled to about 45 countries across the world however thinks of Nigeria fondly. A fan of Afrobeat music, particularly the Kutis, he also enjoys and uses Nigerian literature to teach. “I use a Man of the People and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, and Death of and the King’s horseman by Wole Soyinka.”

In interpreting the book he said, “A Man of the People was published in 1966. But, you read that book and you think it was lifted from the Kenyan elections in 2008 or Nigeria in 2007. I always tell people that Nigeria leaves an indelible impression upon you. Sometimes, it’s great and beautiful and lovely, at times, it is scary, it’s bad and it’s frustrating.”

Some memorable time he recall include when he and his wife were made honorary chiefs in Bodo in 2002 and when he had a road named after him in 2005.

He recalls a sad incident too: “One time, we came upon this traffic accident involving about 12 people....

All the women selling corn were shrieking and there was one guy, his stomach was bloody and other people are laying there. And you think these people are hurt so bad, they’re going to die or they’re going to live. There’s

“

To be honest with you, I’m really more afraid of being killed in a traffic accident on your roads than I am of being kidnapped or being subject to political violence

“

when they tell me that, I listen.”

However, he recalled being stopped at a police checkpoint on his first visit, “I thought ‘this is it. I’m gonna die. This 19 year old with a machine gun is going to kill all of us and it’s over.’ And later, I learnt that they just wanted a N100 bribe.”

He is not in any way afraid of being kidnapped or harmed rather, “To be honest with you, I’m really more afraid of being killed in a traffic accident on your roads than I am of being kidnapped or being subject to political violence.”

From coming on the heels of environmental activism, Pegg has now come to bring succour to children, specifically, by building schools.

The oil environment - a way out But Pegg has never forgotten the environmental degradations which first motivated his coming to the Niger Delta. On his recent visit, he describes the degradation he saw at Koloma-Zormaadom in Bodo, Rivers State, a spill he said started penultimate week. “We went out there on Tuesday and you know to hike there where the spill was, you go through the swampy land and it’s a combination of mud, previous old oil spill residue, dead mangrove trees, sand, and water. And you’re walking, and it’s disgusting. You step on it and you wonder how deep it’s going to go. I’ve never done anything like it. I’ll never forget that and then, when you’re done, they wash your leg with gasoline to get all oil residues off.”

Comparing the Gulf of Mexico spill of 2010 to whjat obtains in Nigeria, Pegg said, “There’s been a massive effort at cleaning it up,” but in the case of the Niger Delta, “you have an oil slick that just sits there.

We (westerners) don’t think about where oil comes from. We just pull up at the gas station, swipe our credit cards and just pay for what we want.

What’s shocking to me is the extent of environmental racism... They’re simply things that would never happen in Norway, Canada, or wherever in the western world that is common practice here.”

Pegg remembers the degradation first hand. “I used to go paddling out in a traditional fishing canoe just because it was a scenic fun thing to do. And the mangroves are green and lush and thick. And three or four days ago, I was riding on a motor-boat there and it’s just dead mangroves as far as you can see in every direction. If I didn’t know what it was like before in 2002 and 2004 before the oil spill, I might not fully appreciate it. But, I remember that place as lush green vibrant environment. What’s fascinating to me is that the trees are in the water depending on the tidal...

And it’s all gone.

“I think one of the things a lot of people misunderstood about the Ogoni project was they never were saying we should not produce oil at all. Or stop oil production. They wanted oil production done in different way. The biggest thing I always suggest is ‘stop environmental racism.’ Produce oil here like you produce oil in Norway.”

He has this to say to players in the Nigerian oil industry; “Abide by global standards, do not just get away with whatever you can get away with because the government is not holding you to account.”

Motivation Speaking on what motivated him to building classrooms in a place far from his own homeland, Pegg said: “One of the things that motivated me was that there are a lot of academics like myself who would come here on short trips and they’ll interview some people and then they’ll leave and they write articles and publish it in an academic journal and they advance their own careers. They leave absolutely nothing behind here.

Some of my friends have shown these people around. And they send them an email, they don’t respond to the email. They call them and they don’t respond. And Nigeria has been

no ambulance, no police, no hospital.

As long as my mind is still functioning, I’ll always remember that.”

While many of the pupils in Bodo and Bane may not know he is their benefactor, Pegg said the reception he gets from them is always refreshing though some are sceptical to come near him at first. “They don’t know if they can touch me or not,” he said.

“Then one or two kids would come up and I’ll shake hands with them or talk to them or pat them on the head. And then gradually, a few more would come out. And then, once they figure out its okay, then 50 or 60 of them would all come up and start grabbing my arms. I have a picture we actually took in 2004 of a girl who is graduating from the primary school in Bodo. I keep that picture on my desk. I use that picture whenever I am down or thinking why am I doing this or my life would be easier without doing this. I look at her and I’m like, I work for her. I’m not working for money, I’m not working for glory, I’m working for her and kids like her.”

Recalling his last trip, Pegg said, “There’s a girl in the school at Bodo whose name is Bariala Tornunaelbabari and this girl has polio and she’s in a wheelchair. After being kicked out of other schools because it was though she was covered by witchcraft. The school director in Bodo said, ‘okay, you can come here.’

One of the organisations called ‘Stepping Stone Nigeria’ bought her a wheel chair.”

“One of the things I did on this trip is I sat with her, talked to her, hugged her, kissed her on the forehead, I hung around with her because I wanted to send a message to every single person – kids, teachers, administrators – that we value the fact that this child with polio is here.

When I get home, one of those pictures is going to be my new ‘this is why I do this, this is why I can’t stop.’

Life

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

Hope David, a gospel singer left her promising job in the Visa section of the American Embassy for the world of music. YETUNDE OLADEINDE recently met her and they spoke about her new life as a musician.

“I

t’s a wet Wednesday evening and you are at work with Hope David, gospel singer popularly known by fans as Hope Davis. As CEO of the studio, she makes some input as an artiste goes through the rehearsal process. Happily she takes you into her world recalling how it all started; “I was the first Nigerian artiste to record a Makossa song and I brought in the singers and it was really interesting” In 2005, the gospel singer was nominated -as the best female artiste in Africa for the Kora Awards. “It was another landmark and there have been so many other awards and recognitions which I cherish.

One other thing that makes me happy is the fact that so many notable singers like Timaya, 9ice, Sammie Okposo, Femi Kuti and Psquare passed through the studios.”

Her marriage to pastor Michael David is blessed with two sons. “It is the best thing that has happened to me in life. The union started 23 years ago and the relationship waxes stronger every day. I am an Igala girl and I have gone everywhere. What more should I ask for”, she enthused.

Running a recording studio It’s been fun, very interesting and challenging. I would say that it was quite exciting at the beginning. This was the point when everyone needed to go into the studio, to do their thing. At that point everyone was here at Hope Studios. It was a long list that included people like Femi Kuti , Psquare, Obesere, Nice and others. They came around to do one ‘collabo’ or the other and it was a very memorable period in my life. But now a lot has really changed and a little boy can download his voice and go off with it thanks to technology. A lot has really changed.

Life as an artiste As an artiste, I must say I have been through thick and thin.

I did my album while I was working.

Most times, we ran into p r o b l e m s because there was double booking and there were times when the equipment was not working. So, I said let’s have a place where you can record, w r i t e y o u r s o n g s a n d relax.

Here, I thought I would have a space and not struggle.

M y a l b u m s include Life up Jesus, Jesus na Super (which

•Hope

‘My journey into world of music’ was not released in Nigeria), Thank you Jesus, God can do and a bit of work on hallelujah choruses.

T h i s gave birth to a series of concerts in the United States, United

Kingdom, Germany, South Africa and Kinshasa.

Driven by a passion I had fans even at the age of five years. Then my brothers and sisters would say, ‘Please sing for us’. There is a way my mum sings and which they liked and I used to do this for them. Then I loved the music from Mary Mckay and the mentors. I also loved Nelly Uchendu, the woman with the golden voice. By the time I was nine years old I would wash plates, and sing along in a unique way, in the kitchen. It paid off because later on in life, I got

paid to sing, the Nigerian and American National Anthem during the American Independence day.

Antecedents I worked at the Visa section of the American Embassy. I was a supervisor and I saw the desperation of so many Nigerians wanting to travel to God’s own country. Most of the things I saw made me ashamed. But I think that has changed now, it is quite different from what we had then.

I also worked at the Nicon Noga and Sheraton Hotels. Then, I travelled a bit and did my

55

concerts. However, I must say that passion without money is annoying. Do you know that a number of people with talents are sleeping under the bridge with no help?

Education I had my secondary education at Queen Elizabeth School, Ilorin, Kwara State. There was a time they were having auditioning for Christmas Carol but my English teacher was not excited with my presentation.

I got into the school’s choir and also at the Benson Idahosa’s church. One day they called for choir members in church, I took my bag and was about to leave.

But someone who had been watching me throughout the service advised me to see the music director. In that choir, you could be on the bench for two months but the next Sunday I robed, even though they had to pin my skirt.

There I also met a lady who changed my life. She taught and mentored me. We used to go to campus then and she was a tremendous influence on me.

There was a day, when the late Papa Idahosa came up after our ministration and said: ‘ I don’t think I need to preach anymore.’

It was a duet and it was so lifting I went for my National Youth Service and got inspired by some of my friends. We had a box guitar and we did great songs. Then I met my fiancé, Pastor David, now my husband.

He asked me to come for the rehearsals of a group called the Light Bearers it was an all male group. I opened my mouth to sing and they were fascinated, they broke the rules and I became a female member of the group.

An opportunity came for us to go to Vancouver, Canada in 1988 and I was there for three months. After this I got another opportunity to go to California, United States of America. The truth is that money is not on the streets anywhere in the world.

The only difference is that your wages are rewarded accordingly. This is quite different from what you have here, where people are owed three or four months’ salaries.

The turning point In 1982 a man of God poured a whole bottle of oil on my head.

Then he said I would sing to nations! I did not even have a passport at this point. I didn’t travel until 1988 and when I was listed I had to go quickly to the passport office to get one. I travelled unsolicited and from point more doors were opened.

For me, music is the soul of the human mind. If you put a bunch of depressed people in a place, all you need to do is to bring in music and the mood would change. I wish husbands would sing for their wives, it would make a lot of difference in relationships. I have been married for 23 years. It is important to keep a good mood.

Women in music I think we are trying. The truth is that it is a man’s world.

Governors are men, Pastors are men. How many men can you call and it would not be misunderstood. People would begin to ask questions like why is she always calling him or why is he always inviting her for the programme? Those things affect us. Any woman that can carry her head above the water is good.

•Continued on Page 56

56

Your HEALTH THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

Things to avoid in early pregnancy

Protect

your pregnancy

Pregnancy is an exciting time for the mother and family in general but occasionally things can go fatally wrong when pregnancy complications are poorly managed. Rita Ohai reports.

I

“

went for my regular check up with my doctor at 36 weeks when I was told that the baby was breeched (baby's head was not facing the birth canal).

Before that, I kept feeling pain in my chest but I felt it would go away because this was not my first baby and my other two children did not give me problems.

“My doctor who owned the private hospital in Ikeja that I was to deliver my child also noticed that my blood pressure had gone up a bit and the upper part of my back was swollen because his head was pushing my ribs out. He did not want to tell me so that I would not panic so he called my husband aside and explained things to him.

“After the doctor tried to turn the baby and my son wasn't moving like he wanted him to, I just knew something was wrong.

A few minutes later, I was moved me to Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) where I was monitored.

“Luckily, my doctor knew a few people at LASUTH so they kept a close eye on me.

After, five days there, I was induced into labour and Adeoye came out with his legs first (she laughs).

“Till today, at six-years old, he is the most hyper-active of all my children,” says Foluke Ogunrinde who gave birth to her bouncing baby boy on the 6th of January, 2006 .

In similar cases, many low-risk pregnancies have turned into abnormal crisis in a matter of seconds due to sudden unforeseen complications. When these medical hitches arise and are not properly managed, it could be lethal for the mother or the child.

A recent World Health Organisation report states that one third of all maternal deaths globally occur in just two countries. India with about 20 per cent at 56,000 deaths and Nigeria with 40,000 in one year.

According to the United Nations and World Bank statistics at least 144 women die each day in the country during pregnancy or childbirth.

For every woman who dies, other women suffer injury, infection or disease from unnecessary pregnancy related complications, Dr. Eugenia Amachere

stated.

“Many women lose their lives during childbirth especially in this country for the flimsiest reasons because medical care is still inadequate. In advanced countries, most of the incidences we deal with here are simply ridiculous to them.

For example, there is no sensible reason why a woman who has carried her child to full-term should start developing complications later on in life. There is also no viable reason why injuries and infection rate should be so high aside from the fact that Nigerians have a culture of negligence.

“Sometimes as doctors, we see certain signs to show that there is something wrong somewhere but your hands are tied because there are not enough tools to work with. In other cases where there are bad eggs, the so-called doctors themselves don't even know what to check for and yet these same people go ahead to set up maternity clinics all over the place and the regulatory bodies do nothing about it. If women must stop dying, the medical practitioners, the government and even the patients would need to start paying adequate attention to this issue,” she concluded.

Blaming the socio-economic differences between rural and urban dwellers as a key factor in infant and maternal deaths, Minister of State for Health, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, has said that the Federal Government has deployed Midwives and community health workers to the rural areas across the country to assist pregnant women in child birth.

While infant and maternal mortality appears to be on the rise, scientists explain that expectant mothers are to take pre and ante-natal check-ups at reputable hospitals seriously. They also claim that women who brush their teeth thoroughly can reduce the risk of suffering dangerous complications in pregnancy and prevent infection in their newborn baby.

Medical researchers found that bacteria from a woman's mouth could be transferred to her child through blood

and amniotic fluid causing potentially serious problems, including premature birth, a low birth weight, and premature contractions as well as infection in the baby.

Further emphasising the need for caution, Dr. Victoria Amah of Maycrest Hospital, Ugbowo, Edo State said, “Sometimes, miscarriages have been found to happen as a result of little things like jumping too hard or standing suddenly. Due to the position of the baby in the tummy, it is advisable for mummy's-to-be to avoid bending in their backs. If you need to bend to pick up something from the floor, they should go down on their knees. When getting up from the bed also, they will need to turn on one side and then rise slowly because standing suddenly can cause dizziness.”

Amah also advised expectant mothers to eat fresh foods, exercise, take the right dose of iron and calcium supplements and limit folic acid supplements based on the doctor's advice.

Maintaining a healthy posture is also essential as wearing low-heeled shoes and holding the body upright prevents back injuries.

In preparation for the birth of the child, Pharm. Aisha Shoyonbo, a community pharmacist and grandmother to six children proffered, 'We should all realise that, no matter how careful we are, every pregnancy faces risk. It is only by God's grace that a child is born safely. So the family of the pregnant woman and the health care providers must prepare against these risks. The family must save some money before and during pregnancy so that when complications arise, like a caesarean section, immediate help can given without delay due to lack of funds.

Adding, she said, “They should also investigate the background of the doctor and hospital they plan to use. Personally, i believe using the Federal Government hospitals are the best because that is where you will find the best hands who are professors in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.”

•Eating heavy meals: Start taking light, but more frequent meals. Avoid eating outside food the home, especially during the rainy season when micro-organisms spread faster. A stomach infection may lead to lose motions and this can complicate the pregnancy unnecessarily.

•Physical and mental exertion will inevitably tell on the general heath of your baby. Minerals and nutrients that ought to go to the proper development of your baby will be spent keeping you over-actively energized.

•Visiting friends or relatives in hospitals: Due to the nature of the hospital environment, one may catch infections, which can affect the pregnancy.

•Smoking: Evidence suggests that inhaling even second-hand smoke can harm the baby, so encourage your partner to give up smoking or generally avoid smokers and cigarette-ridden environments.

Smoking can cause miscarriages, growth restriction and foetal death.

•Alcohol: Excessive drinking can affect the developing baby. Many children with mental disorders or physical abnormalities are victims of alcoholic parents.

•Medications: As many drugs can have harmful effects on the baby, it is important that you check with your doctor before taking any.

•Animals: Handling cats and dogs faeces can lead to infection with toxoplasma, which can cause serious harm to the baby.

•Travelling on bumpy roads.

Lies about Pregnancy While a lot of advice about proper health care abound, it is necessary to not that not all of these are factual.

Widespread myths about conception and pregnancies include: •Weight gain is important in the first three months: During this, the baby is very small and hardly weighs much.

Pregnant women will mostly not gain weight during this time therefore weight-gain is a very poor indicator for the pregnancy health.

•Ultrasounds are unsafe in pregnancy: Medical evidence suggests that this is not true. Timely scans have a crucial role in ensuring that the pregnancy is monitored and complications are prevented.

•Miscarriages happen because of something you or the doctor did : Miscarriages are common and happen due to many reasons. You must not blame yourself or the doctor for that. In a majority of the cases, a cause cannot be found even after all possible tests.

•If a miscarriage happens, you must not have another pregnancy for 12 months: You can generally try for another pregnancy immediately after the next period. Fertility is found to be very high after a miscarriage.

57

BUSINESS

‘Capital market crash a blessing in disguise’

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

-- Page 59

How heavy rain is hurting business For many businesses out there, the rainy season is a period of mixed fortunes as some make brisk sales while others suffer a lot of privations which render business prostrate, reports Bukola Afolabi

Briefs Subscribers score Airtel high for innovative service

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• Okada riders, transporters, others make brisk business during rainy season

“R

AIN, rain, go away…” is a popular nursery rhyme sung by tots as a protest against any inclement weather, especially the rains.

Like the innocent young kids out there, many business owners in urban centres are ill at ease over the heavy downpour in recent times, as their businesses have been at the receiving end.

It is rainy season and as expected, many things, both good and bad, are expected to happen. Damages caused by flooding, as witnessed by some parts of Lagos and other states this year, as well as increase in prices of commodities, are a testimony that the season brings joy and sadness to many people.

It is a period that brings more hardship to some people while for others, it is a season of more gains and profits. While some avoid the season like a plague due to the negative impact it will have on their businesses making them to lament their losses just as others look forward to it with high hopes as it will afford them the opportunity to make more gains and widen the scope of their businesses. At the end, they simply smile to the bank.

For those who make more money during the season, it is a period when competition for more customers among businessmen and women heighten as those who sell or offer the same goods and services compete for more customers.

Among those who enjoy business boom during the season are commercial motorcycle rider popularly called Okada riders as well as commercial bus drivers.

For them, it is a period when they increase their charges. For a distance of less of than two kilometers which usually cost N150 before the beginning of the season, commuters now pays between N250 and N300 whenever it rains.

Osadebe Erhueh is an okada rider who plies Obalende/Ikoyi route. According to him, his daily income has increased since the rainy season started as he has been enjoying more patronage and making more money.

“You know whenever it rains heavily, the road is always blocked because there will be traffic most especially during closing hours,” he said.

Continuing, he said, “So that is when we make more money because many commuters will not want to board commercial vehicles. They would prefer Okada and that is when we increase our fare. Now, if I want to carry you to Osborne Phase II Ikoyi, from Obalende, I will not collect less than N200 or N250 whereas if not for the season, it shouldn’t cost more than N150. At times, we carry two passengers and charged them more. You know, when the road is flooded, there are place commercial buses cannot go, it is only Okada that can take you there,” he said.

Corroborating him is Kazeem Ogunyemi, another Okada rider at Mile 2. According to him, the rainy season is a time when they enjoy boom in their business.

“We make more money whenever it rains. Commercial buses will be scarce on the road leaving people with no option but to board Okada. Even those who don’t like to board Okada are left with no choice. That is the time we increase our fares. Imagine somebody going to Okokomaiko from Mile 2 on a rainy day and such a person wants to board commercial bus.

The road will be blocked and even it will be difficult to get a bus. That is our own time to make money.

Whatever amount you charge passengers, they would pay because they need to get their destinations on time,” he added.

Okada riders and commercial buses drivers are not the only ones enjoying business boom. Market women and traders are also not left out.

Mrs. Funmilayo Ojerinde is a trader at Boundary market, Ajegunle. She sells umbrellas, raincoats and shower caps. According to her, the season has afforded her the opportunity to make more money. Before the season started, Funmilayo said she was a food vendor but stopped the business

for a while so as to take advantage of making more money the season provides.

“Well, I cannot categorically tell you how much I make on daily basis but I know that I have been making more money. This is a time when demands for all these things (umbrellas, raincoats) increases. Everybody wants to buy most especially women. They buy more shower caps. If you tell them one shower caps cost N100 or N150 as against N50, many would buy it because hey need it. Though I used to sell food but I have stopped for the meantime so that I could do this business. I will still go back to the business after the rainy season but for now, this is what I am doing.”

Another trader at Oshodi market, who simply described herself as Kemi, trades on rubber made slippers, sandals, shoes, which are worn during rainy season, is also in the league of those who are enjoying the boom of the rainy season.

“I prefer rainy season to dry season. During rainy season, the prices of what we sell increase and we get more customers. Even when the rain is falling, we still stay outside to sell our goods because that is when many people will like to buy slippers. At that time, they are willing to pay more.

For instance, look at these slippers (showing the reporter a pair of women slippers), before now, we used to sell it for N500 but now it cost between N800 and N1000 and people are buying it. Likewise every other slipper here cost more.”

However, there is a category of people who are presently lamenting their losses. One of them is a woman simply called Mama Rachael who owns an iced block producing machine and sells iced block at Apapa.

Lamenting her losses, she said that she has recorded low sales since the beginning of the season, thereby making her to sack two of her staff.

Asked how the rainy season has affected her business, she lamented, “Whenever it is rainy sea-

PHOTOS: MUYIWA HASSAN son, our business doesn’t go well at all. You can imagine that before now, we used to make about N7000 to N10, 000 a day but now, we hardly make N4, 000. There are five people working for me and I pay them on a daily basis but since the business has gone down.”

Mama Favour also sells pure water at Apapa. “Well, it is a npormal thing that during rainy season, many people don’t always buy cold water because the weather is always cold. Few people like to drink cold water during rainy season. Unlike the dry season when I can sell five or six bags of pure water daily but now, I do not sell more than two bags. Even the demands for cold drinks like minerals have also reduced and this is affecting our business.”

Traders are not the only ones affected by the rains. Consumers are not left out. A cross-section of According to those who spoke with The Nation, prices of transporting their goods have increased as motorists now charges more.

Mr. Ayo Adekunle lives sells used clothes at Aleshinloye market in Ibadan but she comes to Lagos to source for her goods at Westminister market, Apapa.

“The situation is not encouraging at all. You can imagine that what I pay for transport is always double when it rains. First of all, the goods will be more expensive and you will have to pay more to get the goods to the motor park.

Commercial buses charge any amount they feel like once they notice you are a trader. Even the inter-state commercial buses increase their charges too. “ Traders who sell building materials like cement, sand and others are also not left out as they record low patronage mostly during the rainy season as many building contractors are usually wary of carrying out any repairs or new projects on account of the inclement weather.

Talk of different strokes for different folks.

IRTEL Nigeria has been described as a leader in creating for its millions of subscriber's innovative value-added offerings for best telecommunications experience.

The new Chief Marketing Officer of the company, Olu Akanmu, made this assertion recently in Lagos while speaking on Airtel's 2Good Times, an innovative telecom package that enables subscribers on the network to choose from a range of flexible service plans.

He said, "Airtel is committed to being the innovation leader in this market, and more of this kind of products is coming from Airtel. This is the first choose-your-own-affordable time belt telecom product in Nigeria. What we are saying is that there is no other network that offers you an affordable call rate of 10k per second between 5 and 7 am or between 1 and 3.59 pm."

His words, "Airtel is committed to making that difference in the life of every Nigerian. What we have seen is that a lot of people wake up very early in the morning without being able to see their families and talk with them.

But with Airtel 2Good Times, they can do that now. If you choose a traffic time, for instance 5-7 am as the time you consider your affordable time, you can call them at 10k per second and be able to talk much more with them. This is one more reason to be on the Airtel network."

Meanwhile, Airtel Nigeria has assured of its readiness to lead the pack in providing top quality telecoms experience to the Nigerian public.

The chief operating officer and executive director of the company, Deepak Srivastava gave this assurance recently in Lagos while commenting on the company's efforts geared towards improved quality of service.

Firm roots for branded Viju BB star

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HE management of Viju Industries Nigeria Limited has made a case for its Viju BB star milk, saying it offers the best in terms of nutrition for kids, compared to its competition.

Justifying the importance of the BB star brand, the firm noted that “At the moment, the last on the series of Viju milk drinks variants, is the 210ml, publicly referred to as the BB star, and is fortified with nine nutritional ingredients like calcium purposely for children.

“The management knows very well that there is some resemblance of the BB star milk in the market but were mindful that some children may be having some challenge in choosing from both products, the parents are therefore encouraged to be of help as thee is difference in BB star and other products in the look alike bottles in the market.”

58

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

Business News

Unity Bank rewards customer with Hyundai car

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IKUDAIMAI Joura, a customer with Unity Bank has been declared star winner of the bank’s Aim, Save and Win promo first national draw.

Joura’s was named at the bank’s corporate headquarters in Abuja.

She emerged the star price winner of a brand new Hyundia Verna car after a total of 9637 qualifiers were drawn from all the branches

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By Adeola Ogunlade of the bank across the nation which was segmented into five zones comprising of Lagos and West, North West, South, North East, and Central Zones respectively.

There were 609 qualifiers from Lagos and West Zone, while the number of qualifiers emerged from North West was 2,690 and a total of 2,303 qualifiers emerged from South zone,

with 1,114 qualifiers from North East Zone and 2911 qualifiers from Central Zone.The draw which was moderated by National Lottery Commission was done in two rounds where fifteen lucky winners comprise of three from each of the zones emerged in all in the first round. While in the second round the star winner and fourteen other prize winners emerged.

NOC names Mr Bigg’s official food partner

HE Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) has appointed Mr Biggs, Nigeria’s fast food giant, the Official Food Partner of team Nigeria for the 2012 Olympic Games.

This is driven by the brand’s commitment to being an integral part of Nigerians and the Nigerian society in all ramifications. The brand promises to support the athletes all the way till the end of the game.

According to the Divisional Managing Director, Mr

Derrick Van Houten, “our strategic partnership with the Nigeria Olympic committee is defined by our support to the body in several ways”.

He explained that the restaurants channel of over 170 restaurants is currently being used to sell the National Olympic Committee promotion tickets which will take some Nigerians to the UK to watch the games. The tickets sell for only N100 in all Mr Bigg’s restaurants.

In addition Mr Bigg’s will exclusively cater at all pre-

Olympic events holding in Nigeria as well as provide their tasty products at the Olympic day run event holding in almost all the states of the federation.

According to the Marketing Manager, Nnenna AzukaOnwuka ‘’it’s only natural for the first choice in the fast food industry to be Mr Bigg’s given the brand’s unparalleled heritage and footprints in the country. Mr Bigg’s has become a part of every Nigerian family through it offerings and support for various institutions.’’

PHOTO SHOP

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HOUGH government has made frantic efforts at bridging the gap in the educational sector, access to quality education by all still seems to be a long way away.

To complement government’s efforts towards improving educational standard, organised private sector and corporate organisations has made efforts to improve the educational standard.

Recently, as part of its efforts at bridging the gap in the nation’s educational sector and as support for educational development in the country, Etisalat handed over a fully reconstructed Rabiatu Thompson primary school comprising 3 blocks of 15 classrooms, modern toilets and administrative offices, to the Lagos state government.

Responding to the “Adopt a school” programme as well as frequent training of teachers put in place by the telecommunication, Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye said the state government appreciates the effort of the company at giving back to the society.

“There is no gainsaying the fact that Etisalat Nigeria is a responsive and socially responsible corporate organisation who responded to our clarion call by giving the school a totally new look and indeed a new lease of life”, she said.

Other activities of the company includes renovation of no fewer than three schools in Lagos state some of which are Akande Dahunsi Memorial High School, Osborne Road Ikoyi, Edward Blyden Primary School, Okesuna, Lagos Island and Rabiatu Thompson Pri-

Etisalat lifts education in Lagos mary, Surulere.

In Nigeria, it is no different.

Nigeria’s education system is one that has been faced with many challenges over the years.

These challenges have come in various forms ranging from declining standards, deterioration of facilities and lack of adequate funding to lack of access to education.

In spite of the numerous efforts of government at bridging the gap in the educational sector, access to quality education by all still seems to be a long way away.

In recent times, the organised private sector has made efforts to improve the quality standards of education. One of such organisations is Etisalat Nigeria, a leading telecommunications service provider.

Recently, as part of its efforts at bridging the gap in the nation’s educational sector and as support for educational development in

BATNF assures agric sector of support

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RITISH American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) has reaffirmed its commitment to continuously support the agricultural sector in the country as a vital solution to poverty, dwindling economy and unemployment.

Speaking at the BusinessDay 2012 Agribusiness and Food Security Summit tagged “Enhancing Agriculture Value – Chain for Economic Prosperity” held in Lagos recently, Mr. Gbenga Ibikunle, Executive Director, and

Free airtime for Visafone customers

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•From left: Mr. Akinwale Goodluck, Corporate Services Executive MTN Nigeria,Christiana Ekwueme, Communications Design Officer, Terrence McCulley, US Ambassador to Nigeria, Atilola Williams, PR & Protocol Officer MTN Nigeria, Aderemi Durojaiye, Commercial Legal Manager MTN Nigeria, at an event titled 'Read It Loud' held by the US Consulate in conjunction with MTN Nigeria in Lagos on Friday.

EADING Code Division and Multiple Access (CDMA) Company, Visafone, is rewarding customers with free airtime as part of commitment to adding value to their lives and redefine freedom in communication.

The initiative is aimed at giving customers who buy a new Huawei 2857 date enabled handset, free N500 recharge card voucher at any Visafone shops, kiosks, dealers and other contact centres nationwide.

Speaking on the launch of this initiative in Lagos recently, Managing Director of Visafone, Mr. Sailesh Iyer

the country, Etisalat handed over a fully reconstructed Rabiatu Thompson primary school comprising 3 blocks of 15 classrooms, modern toilets and administrative offices, to the Lagos state government.

Mr. Steve Evans has said that Etisalat is passionate about making a positive impact on host communities in which they operate and that they are particularly interested in education as it is the bedrock of development in every society.

With the efforts of organisations like Etisalat Nigeria one could safely surmise that there is a glimmer of hope for the educational sector and the younger generation of this great country. If more organisations in the private sector borrow a leaf from Etisalat we can look forward to a positive change in the quality of Nigeria’s education.

stated that the company has since inception embarked on a mission to effectively provide additional value for money to all customers and deliver to them various communication tools that ensure seamless & affordable communication.

He said Visafone is embarking on free airtime reward to connect with customers and position as a brand that is concerned about their welfare and aspirations. “We at Visafone are always eager and enthusiastic to live by our tag line of giving joy of communications to our esteemed customers. We do not just say it, we actually do it and we will continue to do more for our customers to make life more convenient for them,” he added.

BATNF, said: “It is imperative to note that agriculture is undoubtedly instrumental to national development for economic sustainability. It is in this vein that the nation needs to engage in national re-orientation, new thinking and new partnerships aimed at projecting and promoting agriculture.”

Ibikunle speaking further said this year’s agribusiness summit is a transformative initiative focusing largely on growing food security concerns and more importantly about how to unleash the largely untapped potential of the Nigerian agribusiness sector in the area of value chain processes.

Expatiating, the BATNF boss stressed that social investment of the BATN Foundation is focused on four main pillars namely: sustainable agricultural development; sustainable poverty reduction; sustainable provision of potable water and sustainable environmental protection.

“In the last nine years the BATN Foundation has established 14 cassava and 5 palm oil processing cottage industries in 13 States in Nigeria. This approach has had a trickledown effect on the beneficiary areas, promoting indigenous agricultural equipment fabrication and seedlings production enterprise.”

Posthumous award for Auchi Polytechnic Rector

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•From left: National Coordinator, Women in Technical Education and Employment, Mrs. Francesca Osiki, Representatives of Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Barr Abosede Ogundimun and Mr. Shola Richards, receiving the posthumous award on behalf of the family of former acting Rector, Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, the late Sir. Louis Remi Akagbosu, at a ceremony held at the Yaba College of Technology, in Lagos recently.

PHOTO: MUYIWA HASSAN

N recognition of his contribution to the growth of Women in Technical Education and Employment (WITED), the late Sir Louis Remi Akagbosu, former acting Rector Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, was honoured with a posthumous award by the association in Lagos recently.

The event, which held at the Yusuf Grillo Hall, School of Art Design and Printing, Yaba College of Technology, was well-attended with dignitaries from all walks of life, including the First Lady of Lagos, Dame Abimbola Fashola, who was the special guest of honour.

In her acceptance speech, Dame Daisy Akagbosu, wife of the late Rector, who was represented by Mr. Shola Richards, commended the

organisers for finding her husband worthy of the recognition.

According to her, "Life is a journey. In the movement of life, footprints create landmarks which can sometimes be difficult to erase. This award is a testimony of such. Sir Louis Remi Akagbosu held the position of the Rector of Auchi Polytechnic Auchi, Edo State, in an acting capacity for a very brief but intently memorable period. Suffice to say that during that brief period, he wrote his name in diamond plaque and left his footprints on the sands of the history."

His modest achievements, Mrs. Akagobsu recalled, was "maintaining peace which was the hallmark of his tenure. He demonstrated expert managerial skills. Little wonder the organisation of Women in Technical Education and Employ-

ment (WITED) hitherto heard of, was dramatically revived and revitalised by Sir Akagbosu of blessed memory.

In his quest to chart and sustain WITED's every good and laudable programme, he made funds and other necessities available."

While lauding WITED's commitment to excellence, she enjoined well-meaning Nigerians to continue to support the aspiration of the group in the future.

The highpoint of the occasion was the presentation of awards to some deserving members of the public by Mrs. Francesca Osiki, National Coordinator of WITED, assisted by the representative of the Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Barr Abosede Ogundimun.

59

Business

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

INTERVIEW

‘Capital market crash a blessing in disguise’ Mr. Johnson Chukwu is founder/Managing Director of Cowry Asset Management Limited. Before he set up shop, he has been actively involved in the Nigerian capital market and was instrumental to the establishment of one of the most vibrant capital market operator, as the pioneer General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of Guardian Express Trust Limited (now Spring Capital) – a subsidiary of Guardian Express Bank Plc (now Spring Bank Plc). In this interview with Musa Odoshimokhe, he explains the prospects and risk involved in equity investment among others

H

OW will you measure investment in the capital market after the crash?

Nigeria has moved forward since the collapsed of the capital market but if you say whether the investors have come back and overcome the pains I will say no. A lot of investors are still carrying portfolios below the prices they bought them; therefore, they have not got over it. As per market fundamentals, we have moved on. Well what are talking about? We have seen a lot in terms of corporate governance, improvement in public finance and transparency. They also aligned their financial reports with international standards. We have seen a lot of enforcement of the regulations where companies have made public their annual transactions. We have seen lots of transactions and improvement in terms of regulations. The market is transparently open, trading costs have been reduced; I want say there has been lots of improvements. Again, local investors do not have enough liquidity to enable them bounce come back. They are still suffering from the losses they suffered from the capital market but foreign investors are actually in the market taking control of the situation. Today, they have 91 percent of the market activities. If foreign investors have confidence in the market, it means there is something they are seeing.

What they are seeing are clear to some of us the local investors. Some the things they have seen include improvement in equity prices, the give extra ordinary dividend yields. If there is no

capital market appreciation, no liquidity price appreciation, you cannot recover the investment you made.

Could it be safely said that local investors are indifferent about the capital market?

Local investors have not really shown much interest for two reasons; the process in the market is such that for major local investors who are the players in the capital market they come into it through Pension Fund Administrators (PFA).

The investment guidelines on the PFA are being reviewed, they have been quite restrictive. They are supposed to put in some 20 to 25 percent of their asset management in the equities prior to the review of guideline.

They are not supposed to buy any stocks that have not declared dividends in the past three years or declared losses in the past five years. So, if you look at the market and because of what happened in between 2008 and 2011, lots of companies have either declared losses or failed to declare dividends which do not make up the investment qualification of PFA. Like I said the PFA are the major institutional investors that have reached the level of financial representatives in the equity market.

The other institutional investors are banks and you find out that most local players don’t have the liquidity in the market. That is why they have not come back. The individual investors, it will take time for them to come back. They will come back only when the market has shown consistent recovery. They will follow the trend

•Chukwu and analysis before they can make a plunge into the market.

How has your company impacted in the fortunes of its clients?

For those who are under our portfolio management, one of the things we do is to review their portfolios, identifies equities that may not recover in the near future and we advise the appropriately.

So what we do is a portfolio overhaul, tell them it is better they buy the ones that are viable. And when we know that they are holding portfolios without strong prospects we advise them to sell them. Using the proceeds to buy those ones with better offer and in the process they end up recovering what they would have lost. That was the approach we used to help our investors to cushion the long effect of the fallout of the collapse of the capital market. What has happened is that lots of the stocks people are holding on to have gone down in prices some unknowingly to them. Also some of these companies are very weak and are not likely to come back in the near future. So, if you are hold-

‘Our mandate is beautify Oyo landscape’ Mr. Yinka Adepoju, Director General, Oyo State Signage and Advertisement Agency, had an interactive session with journalists in Ibadan, the state capital recently, where he spoke on the role of his agency among other issues. Bisi Oladele was there

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ELL us about the Oyo State Signage and Advertisement Agency.

The Oyo State Signage and Advertisement Agency newly created by the state government is backed up by law. Sometimes in April a bill was passed in the Oyo State House of Assembly and it has ever since become a law.

From the day that the bill was passed into law it became an offence to practice outdoor advertising in Oyo State without being duly registered by the agency. So, the agency is set up to control and regulate outdoor advertising. Since the formal launching was done barely two weeks ago, we have started work. There used to be a consultant handling revenue collection in the state before this time.

How do you assess the past efforts and what are your projections?

Like I told you, we are about two weeks old, and I can tell you that the agreement we had before was a consultant affair. Oyo State Signage and Advertisement Agency is a replica of Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency that was set up to regulate outdoor advertising in Lagos. The arrangement we had before wasn’t an agency but a consultant affair. The person that consulted for the state at the time in question was supposed to supervise, regulate and generate revenue for the state. He did his bit; we all saw what happened in their days. But whatever happened then I don’t have a record of it. I just moved into office two weeks ago and there was no handing over from anybody. But because we know what to do and because we have this antecedent and background, it is not going to be a problem. We have proposed to the government of Oyo State that given all encouragements we would be able not to only generate money because our focus here is not money but changing the outdoor life of this state.

•Adepoju Before we came in everywhere was in a terrible state. Advertising structures were disorderly and the environment was not sane. They look horrible. We met on ground broken boards and dilapidated sign boards and billboards that were not conforming with standards with ragged posters and they made the environment look so nauseating. But because we have a governor who has taste, his first briefing to me was that our outdoor boards and signs are terrible; we brought you here to right the wrong. And, of course, we immediately set to action coming from the governor that we should clean up the environment.

That was why we had the sanitation exercise that we had last two weeks. We moved on to the street. Of course, it was on air – radio, television stations. And course, we had a press release that announced our going on to the streets. What we have succeeded in doing is to remove structures that were dilapidated. I heard someone saying we are destroying boards in Ibadan. That is a wrong choice of word; we never destroyed any board. We did not destroy a single board. What we did was to remove dilapidated boards that were not in good condition. When you move around the streets of Ibadan today, you will still see billboards standing.

But the boards we see standing are either manageable or up to standard. But that is not to say that we cannot improve on the standard that we have at the moment. We are coming from a background that will turn Oyo State to a role model in the billboard affair. We are coming from a background that will make Oyo State a place that other states will like to emulate. We want to reshape and reengineer the outdoor life of this state. So, the issue of money will come. Even the word of God says “seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all other things shall be added.”

Money is paramount; we are going to generate money through this exercise because the state government needs money to carry out other developmental projects in the state when talking about internally generated revenue (IGR). But, I am saying that we are more concerned about the beauty, safety and orderliness of advertising structures in Oyo State. When we have succeeded in having standard boards all over the place it will attract the practitioners. We are not talking of only billboards but also signs placed on the walls in the business premises and the rest. They all come under out of home media; signs, billboards, branded kiosks, mobile adverts – all of these are out-ofhome and we are going to look at it all.

ing equities in such companies, one is not making good investment. Equity is as good as the result of the company in terms of performance. If a company is making loses and you are holding on to the equity then you will not be able to make progress in investment.

Who bears the brunt if advice is not strictly followed?

There is nothing any one can do if clients choose to ignore advice and go on to buy equities that are weak. You just have to allow them do it according to their wish, we cannot compel them.

But we have a duty to give advice to clients based on our technical and financial knowledge. They have the choice to accept our advice or ignore it.

Which areas do you think local investors can get good returns?

There is no blanket advice for all investors, they must look at the individual or the companies involved. You have to profile the investors, for instance if they are young people, they have the capacity to take risk than old people. For the young they can even buy securities not too secured. For the older people the investment outlets we recommend for them are highly secured investment. This equally depends on your income level and risk appetite. Again, the investment opportunities in Nigeria is enormous, like I said some of these equities yield as far as 20 percent, then you have the fixed income market, the federal government bonds, treasury bills, state government bonds, corporate bonds and apart from that you can play in the real estate market. This depends on the income level and the risk appetite of the investors. Depending on your liquidity, one thing about the real estate market is that it is not does not allowed for bulk breaking. You cannot have a house and sell in rooms; you have to sell the whole house. So, we don’t have a blanket advice to clients.

The investment products available in the country include equities, fixed income deposit in the banks, mutual funds that allowed you to moderate your risk, real estate market, some of the other markets that you have around. The FOREX market is not fully developed, so the risk is so high. However, between your bonds, deposits, mutual fund; investors will fall into a profile that will make them have advantage.

Which areas can the old person invest and make gains?

For young person who have financial resources beyond equities, they can invest in a productive ideas and grow them into corporate decision. There are lots of industries in this country, they were set up by young people who have good ideas and who could take risk. Talk of people gave us the Facebook, the managing director is about 28 years of age. That is the kind of entrepreneurial adventures we are expect to take for the younger people. The beauty of that risk is that they can fail several times and start over again.

They have time on their side; they have the energy on their side unlike the older people who do not have the time and energy. They cannot afford to fail because when they fail they don’t have the time to recover. So, the older people should take calculable risk and purely on advice, they may not really fail. The young people apart from investing in equities should come together to set up their own companies. They should develop their own ideas and put resources into it.

60

Business

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

PROFILE

By Bukola Afolabi

ICAN boss charts new path for professionals T

HE new president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Doyin Idowu Owolabi, has promised to raise the bar of professional practice in the accounting profession.

He made this pledge shortly after he was announced the president of the foremost Institute in Africa.

According to him, the decision to put him in that position was made by the authority at the Institute.

“When my colleagues on the governing Council, unanimously elected me to be the Institute’s flag-bearer for the 2012/2013 Presidential Year, I accepted the honour with a great sense of responsibility, humility and enthusiasm. Thus, the peaceful transition is evidenced by the formal presentation of the insignia of office to me which bears testimony to the love and peace that exist in this Institute”, adding: “It also affirms in clear terms not only the civility of chartered accountants but also that the disciplined Accountancy Profession remains the beacon of hope for the Nigerian nation even as we grapple with the challenge of peaceful democratic transition at all levels of governance.”

His ascension has saddled him with the responsibility of leading the 36,000 members of the Institute scattered all over the country.

“Without equivocation, let me state that these are not the best of times. In fact, these are very trying times for the Institute. The past few weeks have been extremely challenging to the leadership (i.e., the Council)

• Owolabi

of our Institute and even more disconcerting for many members that were subsequently apprised of the unfortunate developments through the media.

“Indeed, many stakeholders were on edge with every passing day as the Institute, the lighthouse and benchmark of professional bodies in Nigeria, appeared to have crossed the rubicon.”

He continued, “In my view, after 47 years of existence and impressive achievements, the dynamics of the Institute and mem-

bership mix, have changed very significantly and to be on top of our game, we need to know where the Institute is in the developmental sequence. We need to question existing fundamental assumptions; we need to reappraise our strategies and chart a new path, for, unusual situations, demand unusual actions/ solutions. This research finding notwithstanding, the Institute’s banner, in the esteemed tradition of our revered past presidents, must be without stain, even as we

•From left: Former Vice President, World Bank, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili; a student of Alakoto Senior High School, Samie Idoko; Founder, Rainbow Book Club, Mrs Koko Kalango and Head, Western Union, Skye Bank Plc, Mr. Lekan Faleye, at the book presentation to students

by Rainbow Book Club in Lagos recently.

diligently search for better ways of doing things. We need to revisit the policies of the past and bring more equity and justice to bear on our processes and operations.”

The new President further said that the body will support government in its fight against corruption and promote transparency.

“We will continue to cooperate with and support the government through the submission of policy recommendations and share our expertise in optimum resource management with persons with governance responsibilities at all levels.

The Accounting Profession in Nigeria, as in other parts of the world, must continue to lead the crusade for transparency and accountability in governance.

Criminals are now becoming more ingenious and scientific in their approaches to fraud and related crimes.

As professionals, we must be many steps ahead of them such that criminals are precluded from benefiting from their crimes.”

According to him, some of the areas the Institute will assist the government are strategic capacity building efforts in the areas of Investigations, Digital Audit, Fraud and Forensic Accounting. He further said that to achieve their objectives, the Institute with work with other professional bodies and agencies of government to rid the nation of corruption, sharp and unethical practices.

“As seasoned professionals, we will continue to walk our talk by proactively delivering on our mandate as the conscience of the nation. Pursuant to this, we would, during the year, prepare and present a Whistleblower’s Bill to the National Assembly for consideration and passage as part of our contributions to the fight against corruption.

We would step up aggressive campaigns to enforce compliance with subsisting legislations designed to promote accountability in governance like the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Act 2007, the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007, the Public Procurement Act 2007, Freedom of Information Act 2011, Financial Reporting Council (FRC) of Nigeria Act 2011, Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, etc.”

Fresh from the university, Idowu began his legal career in 1981 with Akintola Williams’ firm.

At Akintola Williams, he garnered seven years experience and subsequently qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

Beyond Talent

By Adetayo Okusanya Email: adetayookusanya@hotmail.com

A lethal game of chance

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HE 30th of June officially marked the end of the first half of 2012. And what a first half of the year it was! Guess what? You are still here. In spite of the fuel subsidy removal, Occupy Nigeria Protest, Eurozone crises, slow global economic growth, national scandals, national security threats, a devastating plane crash, road disasters, layoffs, a depressed stock market, high unemployment and unrelenting rains and floods, YOU ARE STILL HERE. Some people may have already written off the year, while others are willing to leave the rest of the year to chance, but I encourage you to see one hundred and eighty three days of opportunities ahead of you. You still have one hundred and eighty three chances to make 2012 a successful year. I have outlined below steps I have adapted from the Best Year Yet! Performance review process, to assist you in closing out the first half of the year and setting the stage for your success in the second half.

1. Acknowledge your ACCOMPLISHMENTS – Write a list of things that happened in the first half of the year that are worth celebrating. What are the things that you did well? What are the things you set out to do at the beginning of the year that you have already achieved? What opportunities have come your way that have positively impacted you? What priorities have you successfully executed? What commitments to yourself have you kept? Look at your list and take some time to celebrate your achievements and reward yourself. My celebrations for the first half of 2012 include the launch of this column, Beyond Talent and the launch of my e-Newsletter called The Trailblazer.

2. Confront your PERFORMANCE GAPS – Create a second list of things that could have gone better in the first half of the year.

What disappointments did you experience? What did you set out to do that you are yet to accomplish? What standards or results were you aiming for, but fell short of? What opportunities were you unable to take advantage of? What commitments to yourself did you fail to keep? Review this list and determine if they are truly priorities. If they are, identify the root causes of your poor outcomes. It takes courage and grit not just to admit one’s shortcomings, but also to remain steadfast and resolute in the pursuit of success. One of my notable performance gaps is that I fell short of the aggressive business revenue goal I set at the start of the year.

3. Learn from THE PAST – Review your lists of accomplishments and performance gaps and distil your lessons learned. The primary objective of looking back at your past performance is to derive insights that can be applied to improve future performance. By acknowledging your accomplishments you are selfvalidating, self-reinforcing and self-motivating. By confronting your performance gaps, you are able to assess how far you still need to go to get to where you desire to be. Both exercises are aimed at linking your efforts and investments to outcomes, and inspiring you to take actions that move you in the direction of your goals. My key lesson learned from my review of the first half of the year is that selling is a process that starts with relationship building.

4. Develop and execute AN ACTION PLAN – You have heard it said that he, who fails to plan, plans to fail. Failure is not an option for you, so create a plan of things you will START, STOP or KEEP doing in the second half of the year. Identify which areas of your life should be on a Watch-List, so you can give them the focus, attention and resources that they require. What priorities should you focus on executing between now and the end of the year… perhaps a family vacation, a professional examination, a comprehensive medical check-up, a marriage counseling intervention, etc.? Plan your time and calendar around these big projects that are critical to your success and let the rest of the chips fall where they may. One of my big projects for the next six months is to get certified in the use of a people development tool that will be useful to many of my clients.

A mid-year review is like a routine medical checkup.

It tells you what’s working well and what needs to be fixed. It also affords you the opportunity to quickly detect and proactively address early warning signs of performance issues. If you fail to keep your finger constantly on the pulse of your life and career, you might as well play Russian roulette with the second half of your 2012 and leave your success to a lethal game of chance.

• Okusanya is CEO of ReadinessEdge

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WORLD NEWS THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

The world last week

Afghanistan declared a major US This Diamond not forever non-NATO ally B T

HE Obama administration yesterday declared Afghanistan the United States’ newest “major non-NATO ally,” an action designed to facilitate close defense cooperation after U.S. combat troops withdraw from the country in 2014 and as a political statement of support for Afghanistan’s long-term stability.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made the announcement shortly after arriving in the country for talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

“We see this as a powerful commitment to Afghanistan’s future,” she said at a news conference in the grand courtyard of Kabul’s Presidential Palace. “We are not even imagining abandoning Afghanistan.”

Clinton insisted that progress was coming incrementally but consistently

to the war-torn nation after decades of conflict. “The security situation is more stable,” she said. Afghan forces “are improving their capacity.”

At the news conference, Karzai welcomed Clinton to Kabul and thanked the U.S. for its continued support.

Fighting still rages as Afghan and U.S.-led coalition forces battle insurgents in the mostly eastern part of the country. Although casualties have fallen among foreign forces as the United States and other nations begin a gradual withdrawal, 215 coalition soldiers were killed in the first six months of the year — compared to 271 in the same period last year.

Reconciliation efforts haven’t gained steam, but Clinton said she was pleased to be meeting the foreign ministers of Afghanistan and

Pakistan together in Tokyo — a three-way relationship seen as key to stabilizing Afghanistan.

Asked about the systemic corruption that has plagued the Afghan government, Clinton said the U.S. was working hard with Afghan authorities to eliminate fraud, mismanagement and abuse.

She said the meeting in Tokyo would include accountability measures to ensure that money sent to Afghanistan benefits the Afghan people.

“This is an issue the government and the people of Afghanistan want action on, and we want to ensure they are successful,” Clinton said.

In Tokyo, representatives from some 70 countries and organizations will establish accountability guidelines to ensure that Afghanistan does more to improve governance

and finance management, and to safeguard the democratic process, rule of law and human rights — especially those of women.

The declaration allows for streamlined defense cooperation, including expedited purchasing ability of American equipment and easier export control regulations. Afghanistan’s military, which is heavily dependent on American and foreign assistance, already enjoys many of these benefits.

The non-NATO ally status guarantees it will continue to do so.

Afghanistan becomes the 15th such country the U.S. has declared a major non-NATO ally. Others include Australia, Egypt, Israel and Japan.

Afghanistan’s neighbour Pakistan was the last nation to gain the status in 2004.

Clinton arrived in Afghanistan from Paris, where she attended a 100-nation conference on Syria.

•A Libyan man shows his ink-stained finger as he flashes the sign for victory after voting at a polling station in the Abu Slim neighbourhood of the capital, Tripoli, during Libya’s General National Congress election yesterday. Voters queued up at polling stations across Libya keen to take part in the country’s first national election after more than four decades of dictatorship.

AFP PHOTO

Mugabe back from Singapore after medical check-up

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IMBABWE President Robert Mugabe arrived home yesterday from Singapore where he went for a medical check-up amid increasing concerns about his health, state media said.

State television, which

showed him alighting from a plane and shaking hands with the Vice President Joice Mujuru and several senior government officials, said he looked “fit and strong.”

Africa’s oldest leader left

Harare on Monday for what officials said was a “routine” health check.

The 88-year-old, who has ruled Zimbabwe since 1980, often makes visits to the city-state for medical treatment and under-

went cataract surgery there last year.

Mugabe’s wife Grace recently told state media that her husband was still fit, rises as early as 5:00 am and consistently does his daily exercises.

in southern Russia floods Buddhist relics worth millions 78 dead ORRENTIAL rains news agency.

Igor Zhelyabin, a spokesdropped nearly a foot of seized in Pakistan water on a Black Sea re- man for the Krasnodar Inte-

P

AKISTANI police seized a large number of ancient Buddhist sculptures that smugglers were attempting to spirit out of the country and sell for millions of dollars on the international antiquities market, officials said yesterday.

The stash included many sculptures of Buddha and other related religious figures that experts say could be over 2,000 years

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old. The items were likely illegally excavated from archaeological sites in Pakistan’s northwest, said Salimul Haq, a director at the government’s archaeology department.

Police seized the items Friday from a 20-foot (6meter) container in the southern port city of Karachi that was being trucked north toward the capital, Islamabad.

gion in southern Russia overnight, setting off intense flooding that killed at least 78 people and forced some in the largely rural area to take refuge in trees and on roofs, officials said yesterday.

Muddy water coursed through streets and homes in the Krasnodar region, in some cases high enough to flow over the hoods of cars. About 5,000 residences were flooded, the Krasnodar governor was quoted as telling the Interfax

rior Ministry, said 67 of the deaths were in the area of the hard-hit town of Krimsk, about 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) south of Moscow. Many people were asleep when the flooding hit, and scrambled to safety, the ITAR-TASS news agency reported.

State news channel Rossiya 24 showed video of area residents rescuing people in small, inflatable boats and others slogging glumly through flooded homes.

ANKERS are fast becoming endangered species, no thanks to the global economic crisis that had seen some banks folding up and their CEOs booted out.

But some banks however are still making enough money to remain healthy and offer their chiefs huge bonuses for a job week done at the end of each financial year.

While some of these “too big to fail” banks are being propped up with public funds the few that managed to survive on their own are showing signs that they have not learnt anything from the financial crisis.

At Barclays Bank, Britain’s third biggest bank, no lesson seemed to have been learnt as it’s CEO Bob Diamond was forced to quit Tuesday following revelations that the global bank was fiddling with the rate at which banks lend money to each other in Britain called Libor ( London Interbank Offered Rate) at the height of the banking crisis during the tenure of the immediate past Labour government in the UK. This artificial rate gave the wrong impression about the health of the bank making it to look stronger whereas it was not.

Bob is pointing accusing fingers at some officials of the Bank of England who in turn are claiming pressure from top Treasury officials under Labour. While this has been music to the ears of the Tory government, he exit of Bob Diamond could lead to major changes in the global banking sector. But could the exit of the Boston born American banker also mean that diamond after all don’t last forever?

One person whose reign could also go the way of Bob Diamond, albeit with some bloody consequences is President Bashir al-Assad of Syria whose country continues to bleed from a civil war now in it’s 17th month.

One after the other, some of his military chiefs and trusted lieutenants are deserting, crossing over to the rebel side.

The latest of such detectors is Republican Guard Army General and cadet course mate of President Assad, General Manaf Tias. He is reportedly in France where a meeting of “friends of Syria” took place on Thursday at which US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Russia and China, the two main supporter of the Syrian regime of the consequences of their support for Assad, echoing the cold war era rhetorics the world was treated to by the superpower nations.

In the rest of the Arab world, the Syrian crisis is being closely watched even as Libyans went to the polls Saturday to elect a 200member constituent assembly to write a new constitution for the north African country rescued from the tyranny of Colonel Moamer Gaddafi last year by a western backed Libyan rebel movement. The

with Waheed Odusile

new rulers of Libyan appear set for confrontation with the west however following indications that they favour a new constitution drawn mainly from the Islamic Sharia law.

But US president Barrack Obama might be too preoccupied with his own reelection bid to worry too much about what Libyans do now.

The US presidential election coming up in November is too close to call that Obama is giving it his all, no thanks to the Republican presumed nominee Mitt Romney growing popularity as the American economy continues it’s slow down, giving Obama and the Democrats serious headache.

President Obama is not the only world leader with serious headache now. West African leaders are having sleepless nights over continuing insecurity in Mali where AlQeada backed Islamists and Tuareg rebels have carved out different portions of the country for themselves leaving the capital Bamako to the legitimate government.

ECOWAS wanted a UN backing to send some 3000 troops to the war torn country to reclaim lost grounds from the rebels, but the Security Council last week turned down their request. All the same they met on Saturday to chart another course to end the civil war in Mali. Meanwhile the Islamists have destroyed several historic sites in Timbuktu where they are holding sway a move the Tuaregs, opposed to the Islamist have called on he international community for support to “kill” the Islamists.

In Latin America, Mexico president-elect Enrique Pena Nieto of the PRI party is not having the benefit of his victory yet as the main opposition Leftish party has rejected the result. Manuel Obredo, the Left’s standard bearer at the election is alleging rigging and has called for street protest. This could push the country into crisis which she could ill afford.

In Russia’s southern Krasnodan region flood water killed no fewer than 103 people following heavy rains that started last Friday. Flash flood is also causing havoc in the United Kingdom, where the whole nation is praying for world number four ranked Tennis star Andy Murray to win the men’s single crown today as he confronts Swiss Roger Federer, who ended the reign of Serb former world number one Novak Djokovic at the semi final stage on Friday. A Murray victory would end over 70 years wait for a British men’s single champion at the Wimbledon Tennis tournament.

Murray’s diamond could be about to shine just as Djokovic’s is dimming. May be diamond don’t last forever.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

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THE ARTS THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

Chukwuemeka Eze Onukaogu, a professor of English at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile – Ife, Osun State, is one of the pioneers of the Reading Association of Nigeria and Book Clubs in schools across the globe.

In this interview with Edozie Udeze, he says that book reading and writing help to generate literacy in the society and develop more talents among school children, among other issues.

Y

OUR motto is to teach Nigeria how to read. Is there any relationship between the Reading Association of Nigeria and Book Clubs in schools?

Yes, a lot. I was the president of Reading Association of Nigeria from 1999 to 2002. And one of the things I tried to do was promote the existence of book clubs in Nigeria. Again, in some of our publications, I tried to outline what the minimum requirement should be for book clubs.

Because usually what people call book clubs were actually not book clubs. They were kind of another extension of the English Language lesson. And because of that the relationship, the enthusiasm and the zeal which the participants should exhibit were usually not there.

In a book club, the fundamental thing is club. The underlining club is comradeship, intimacy, friendship, dialogue, inquisitiveness, act of enquiry. These are the fundamental principles. So it is not a situation when it is the almighty- knowingsomebody who comes to impact wisdom and understanding on other people. No. Yes, there should be a mentor.

There should be a figure; a kind of head and facilitator of a book club.

But that facilitator should not be one domineering the book club or telling others what to do or what not to do.

No. In a book club the unifying feature is the book.

So, what we try now to do in a book club is to look for the book that will give us intimacy, understanding one another, promoting happiness, promoting leisure, promoting our culture and so on. So, that was what I tried to inculcate when I headed the Association. And I tried to do that in different parts of the country. For what went on as book clubs were really not so; they were extension of the classroom English Language

Why I take delight in book reading and clubs

lessons. For this, members usually easily got bored and in the end the essence of promoting reading with act of inquisitiveness and enquiry were not usually achieved.

How do you pick the books and other materials involved in book reading whenever you are in session?

Well, there are many ways in which you can pick books. You know for the book club to be effective, you pick the books that meet the needs of the people and the local area in question. Books that relate to the culture of people where the exercise is taking place are paramount to us.

And also books that will help them have mentors. For instance, when you have a book that talks about Jayjay Okocha, a book that talks about Kanu Nwankwo and people love these two icons.

In the process, the book makes it clear to you that these two icons were able to achieve what they achieved because they were able to read. So,

that book is choosing Jay-jay Okocha and Nwakwo as role models. So, in other words, when you have to choose a book, it has to be one which will help you have an ideological base. Not just to read and write, you read it and digest the content, change your understanding and orientation.

Take for instance again. In the Eastern part of Nigeria, we ferment cassava in rivers, in our streams. By doing so, we end up destroying marine resources. If you have a story line that tells the people about issues like these, the people will grasp its meaning immediately and begin to react and relate to it. The person will also not only learn how to read and write but acquire the necessary information to guide him or her against such action in future. With this you also change the person’s orientation.

In my choosing books I chose books that will have direct impact on the people; books they will enjoy and in the end learn how to read and write

and create their own stories from what they see, experience and live with. This will help participants to learn how to guess, how to discover and activate and at the same time have the knowledge – base to do more to help their community.

One of the things I advocate is story – telling. Even here in Ile – Ife, I encourage people to tell their stories; they also write their stories. I then publish their stories. I go to children say in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. There they tell their stories. But then I can swap. I can bring the stories of Yenagoa to Ife and people will learn the stories about Yenagoa and share experiences. This helps them to have new orientation about their society; about their environment and the people themselves.

That way you find out that the interest will generate and at the same time help the people to share cultures other than their own. So it is not just picking books, but books that are reverent to the needs of the local

people; books that will equally enhance the quality of understanding. Now if you want to teach Chemistry, you can do so based on facts and figures relevant to the people. The stories are not necessarily fiction but facts of life across all disciplines.

How do you gather your audience and the people involved in every class?

For me, there is no way I can operate directly with the children.

What I do is to operate through the teachers. In Umuahia, for instance, I collected teachers from the urban areas around the book clubs. Then after that, I modelled their book club formation and asked them to go and run the book club. And when they do that for a while, I move around to see what they are doing. What I am doing now is select about four schools in Umuahia, four in Awka and make them model centres for book clubs.

In the end, other schools around can visit them and see what they are doing. If the teachers can show enough enthusiasm and the students equally in the mood to carry on, that will go a long way to help this project.

For now people are showing interest and we hope to take this project stage by stage and to different parts of the country. Literacy is an instrument for promoting learning and we have to continue to do so.

Although what I am doing is like a drop in an ocean, but if state governments can come in to help, that will be tremendous. I can even relate to President Goodluck Jonathan’s Bring Back the Book project.

I don’t know how he is doing it.

But given what I have done in South Africa, Uganda and Switzerland, I think I can be involved in that project despite the fact I am an INEC official.

I can give my professional advice free – of – charge and this will help the people involved in it.

What is the role of mother tongue in what you do?

Oh, yes, I emphasis the need for the use of mother tongue. You can be a strategic reader in your local language if you master it well. And the more you master your local language, the more it helps you to be proficient in English and you become a better reader and writer. This is what we have been preaching all along.

Do you really have shortage of literary materials to do your job?

No, Nigerian writers are up to the task. The problem mainly is lack of finance to do what we have to do.

Again, our writers are not being encouraged. There are many fantastic books written by Nigerians that beat what foreigners wrote. All we need is to encourage our writers and together we can go places.

Setting new agenda for African revolution Scholars across the globe converged on Lagos last week to chart new ways for African socio-cultural renaissance. Edozie Udeze reports.

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CHOLARS across the globe gathered for three days in Lagos during the week for the second Toyin Falola Annual International Conference on Africa and African Diaspora (TOFAC). It was an opportunity to brainstorm and draw global attention to the relevance of Africa and Africa’s development and what should be done to move the African continent and its multitude of people to the next level.

Professor Toyin Falola, formerly of Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU) Ile-Ife, Osun State, is reputed to be Nigeria’s most celebrated historian in international circles at the moment. Not

only that he is the Vice – Chairman of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) slave routes project in Africa, he has, in the past twelve years, been organizing this kind of lecture in Texas, United States of America.

In the University of Texas, in Austin, where he handles African history, scholars from all over the world have come to know him as a great advocate of a free African continent where people should raise their voices against tyranny, bad governance and political ineptitude that have been plaguing the Black race over the years.

Dancers entertaining at the event.

Photo: Edozie Udeze

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

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News Ihedioha receives leadership award

EBERE WABARA

WORDSWORTH D 08055001948

ewabara@yahoo.com

Blissful ignorance A

N anonymous respondent sent a telephonic message to me in which he declared that ‘belongings of one person are property’ while ‘belongings of two persons admit properties’. He cautioned me to take note of the information! This was in respect of last week’s edition of this column where I made an authoritative comment on the count and uncountable nature of ‘property’. I have never seen this kind of blissful ignorance and shallow audacity before. If you don’t understand the etymological nuances of a language, you ask questions. What I do here is not a mechanistic, an emotive or a whimsical self-assignation. This is a researchbased, borderless and multi-disciplinary market-place (column) for exchange of verifiable ideas with input from knowledgeable language activists and latest reference online (esp e c i a l l y Grammarly.com) and offline materials. Lest I am misconstrued, I have not foreclosed marginal fallibility on the part of this columnist or contributors to this language clinic.

Even Shakespeare and Churchill were not infallible!

Ordinarily, I ignore silly contributions from faceless and cowardly readers who, unsure of themselves, pigeonhole their combative and usually moronic identities! Even if you are critical of views canvassed here, do not be afraid to put your name as it confers responsibility on the feedback.

For readers who may not know, let’s take the full meaning of that word (property) and some examples from Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary: ‘Noun (plural: properties) 1. Uncountable: a thing or things that are owned by somebody; a possession or possessions. Examples: The building is government property. Be careful not to damage other people’s property. 2. Uncountable: land and buildings. Example: The price of property has risen enormously. 3. Countable: a building or buildings and the surrounding land. Example: There are a lot of empty properties in

the area. 4. Countable and usually plural (formal): a quality or characteristic that something has.

Example: Compare the physical properties of the two substances. My own example: Any plant with medicinal properties should be therapeutic. The choice is yours in the usage of ‘property’/’properties’, but be informed in your decision.

This columnist usually runs away from the preceding didactic form of column writing because this space could be turned into a virtual classroom! Apart from consuming scarce space and precious time, it could be boring and lead to misconceptions and unwarranted hypercriticisms.

For Mr. Seith Akintoye, a distinguished member of our pen fraternity and an advocate of language purity: I have undertaken the research you suggested on ‘sack’ (sacking). Its application conveying ‘dismissal from work/company’ is quite all right in both verbal and gerundial contexts.

The singular form of a count noun should be preceded by a determiner, but a cross-section of the media deliberately omits determiners without any justification—or maybe out of sheer ignorance. In grammar, there is no room for mass appeal or convention. Our intuitive abilities or fundamentalism cannot supplant the dynamism of the English language.

The distinction—and this is where some journalists have problems most—between count (countable) and noncount (uncountable) nouns should not be interpreted literally. It does not refer to the possibility of the object designated by the noun being physically countable. This is where the confusion arises.

Rather, it refers to the grammatical characteristics of the noun. A noun is count if it makes a morphological distinction between singular and plural. Of course, it is non-count if such a distinction is not made.

Some words, interestingly, have dual manifestation. In dealing with such words, extreme care should be exercised.

In another environment, it is wrong to use

reflexive pronouns in place of reciprocal pronouns. The former indicate actions which take place mutually or severally. For example: the two girls have not been talking to themselves since they quarrelled.

Here, ‘each other’ ought to have been used instead of ‘themselves’.

According to J. E. Metcalfe, ‘poor English is with us everywhere, on the radio and television, in newspapers and books, our speech and correspondence.

Of course, we cannot all have the same magnificent command of our language as Shakespeare or Churchill, but we all need a thorough grounding in the basic elements of English.’

The objective of this column is to identify, as hard as possible, the errors committed by journalists and contributors in their use of the English language. To avoid the boredom that often characterizes conventional (textual) grammar series, a bit of intelligent humour accompanies the racy critique. I expect exchange of ideas on all aspects of the English language, including its literature. Let me emphasize here that I am not a grammar pedagogue. This three-decade-old concept has to do with professional interest and being a public platform, therefore, reactions by way of observations, corrections, suggestions, contributions, condemnations, commendations or general comments are welcome.

You are free to responsibly and meaningfully disagree with me. I usually take it all in my stride and with equanimity. I frown at baseless contributions via SMS or any other channel for that matter.

Another follower of this column, Mr. Emeka Onyeaka (08033617734), called me last Thursday morning to exasperatedly complain of my denigration of the Igbo nationality in last week’s edition in my reference to ‘my names are….’ as being ‘Igbotic’! He was scandalized the more by the fact that such a weird ascription could come from his geopolitical brother who should know better than the clownish and ethnocentric dunderheads who cast such imbecilic aspersions! My heartfelt apologies…my people.

EPUTY Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, has received the first US Africa International legislative leadership award.

An influential U.S Congressman, Hon. Al Green, handed him the prestigious award at the special 2012 USAfrica Best of Africa in Houston, Texas.

Green commended Ihedioha for his contributions towards a better Nigeria.

The founder of USAfrica and host of the USAfrica BEST OF AFRICA awards, Dr. Chido Nwangwu, noted in his citation for the distinguished honoree that “Emeka Ihedioha meets USAfrica’s criteria for someone whose inûuence and ideas impact the development of the democratic institutions in Nigeria; a new generation leader who holds progressive agenda that are in reasonable consonance with the core goal of USAfrica dedicated since 1993 towards articulating and ûying the distinctive ûag of the African professional class inside Africa, in the diaspora and globally.”

In his acceptance speech, Ihedioha said: “I truly appreciate this special award, particu-

larly in respect of the proven credibility, professionalism, consistency and continuing growth of USAfrica multimedia networks.”

He called on Africans and

Nigerians in the diaspora “to always think and look towards home.’’adding, ‘’Do your best in all your endeavours and do not be distracted by what any other person is doing.

‘76 oil wells, a threat to unity of South-South’

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HE friction between Akwa Ibom and Cross River States over the ownership of the disputed 76 oil wells portends a threat to the unity of the South-South, a political analyst from Cross River, Mr. Jarigbe Jarigbe, has declared.

He spoke in view of the fact that the two states belong to a forum, BRACED, which aims at developing the South-South region through integration of members states.

Jarigbe, who was coordinator for the Goodluck/Sambo presidential campaign in Cross River State, said the Presidency is not dealing with the matter in the manner it should.

He noted, “Mr.

From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

President who is from the South –South should have intervened and not allowed it to get to this level. ‘’This situation is not the kind of situation you can easily find in the region like South-West if there is that cohesion. ‘’But in this case, I would unequivocally say that Mr. President has not mediated; he has not intervened because this is his region. ‘’Things should not degenerate to this level ordinarily, so there is an act of commission or omission somewhere in the course of handling this issue.”

He called for a parley among the governors and elders of the two states to thrash out the issue.

Supreme court bails Obamacare Continued from page 13 should have been called a compromise instead of reform.

In effect, the public has been presented a choice between bad (the Obama law) and worse yet have been told that this is a choice between good and evil.

The general public has been adroitly manipulated into feeling relieved that this vastly imperfect measure has survived. So glad that this trinket has been recovered before being lost in the swell, the duped buyer will no longer bother to get the fake gem assayed. He will consider it the real thing not because it is but because he almost lost it. It is in this manner that the American public has been finessed time and again into taking less than it deserves and even into wanting things that are against its interests. Meanwhile, the elites fatten to no end. Without the present measure, health care industry profits would be gargantuan. Now, all they will be is obscene. Given all the legal and political ramifications of the case, President Obama and his cohort would do well to give this victory only a slight celebration. This also would be apropos since the measure was only a slight reform.

Ironically, if he were a truly a progressive Democrat, Obama’s biggest celebration should have been reserved for a case the administration lost a few weeks ago. A federal district court judge ruled unconstitutional the provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) allowing the government to indefinitely detain Americans suspected of associating with terrorists. In this courageous and noble decision, Judge Katherine Forrest restored the core constitutional precept of due process in criminal matters and the even more venerable protection afforded under the writ of habeas corpus. Signed into law by President Obama months ago, the NDAA sought to blot, via the stroke of the presidential pen, civil liberties

that took Anglo-American jurisprudence centuries to evolve. This suit was filed by journalists who feared they could be detained under the NDAA because their work often called them to interview and report about terrorists. The journalists feared the NDAA could be used to detain them, under the allegation that they frequently met terrorists and that their reporting indirectly abetted the terrorists’ objectives. In overturning that portion of the law, the judge believed the NDAA placed an improper chilling effect on the journalists and thus abridged the constitution. In making this decision, Judge Forrest acted in the best tradition of American democracy. She spoke justice to power and placed higher value on the eternal moral strength of the constitution than she did on the transient political expedient of fighting terrorism. This judge did not appear to be swayed by the dominant political winds of the moment. A judge’s role is not to be moved by transient political objectives and issues, no matter how tempting. A jurist’s responsibility is to divorce herself as much as possible from the political hubbub of the day. She must look at the broad, long-term legal ramifications of government action in order to make a decision consistent with the constitution and legal precedent.

By not rubberstamping this obvious government encroachment against civil liberty, Judge Forrest did more to secure American democracy and freedom than anything the 2012 election will accomplish. Yet, her decision was not aired or written about by the major news outlets because those in power do not want their attempt against civil liberties to be placed under the spotlight.

Nevertheless, her verdict should help deter those who would abridge democracy from attempts in the immediate future to pass other

laws blatantly giving government a free hand to circumscribe important constitutional freedoms without ample or compelling justification. If wise, President Obama will not appeal this ruling. He will allow it to remain the law of the land during his presidency, whether a few more months or four more years. To appeal this ruling will soil his legacy as a president and mock his former vocation as a constitutional scholar.

Life being what it is, the most visible event may not be the most important or most noble. Such is the case with these two cases. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts acted more like a political contortionist than he acted like a jurist in manipulating the health care reform decision.

Applying the law was a secondary consideration to him; his main goal was to use to the law to achieve predetermined institutional and political goals. Meanwhile, Judge Forrest behaved admirably regarding the noxious provisions of the NDAA. The verdicts in both cases did justice to the immediate issues at hand.

However, the political ambidexterity of Justice Roberts taints the legal reasoning of his decision. In the future, his reasoning will be used to stall needed and progressive legislation. Judge Forrest’s decision suffers no such infirmity. What she did will anneal the pillars of freedom upon which democracy is built. What she did will stand the test of time.

For all of his cunning, what Roberts did will not place his name in the pantheon of legal heroes. By trying to stand for too many things, he will be remembered as standing for nothing. He will learn that mastery of the expedient may have helped him rise to the top but it will not make his name be remembered. And even if remembered, it will not be honored.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

66 CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

IBIRONKE

ALOYINLAPA

MAGO

OFFOR

AGBAJE

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Ibironke Dorcas Oluronke, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Akinola Dorcas Oluronke. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

NWADUOGU

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Nwaduogu Kingsley Emeka, now wish to be known and addressed as Nwachukwu Emmanuel Uche. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

ASABE I,formerly known, called and addressed as Mrs. Madaki Maryam Asabe, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Barde Maryam Asabe. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc. and general public should please take note.

APATA I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Apata Oluwaseyi Oluwatoyin, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ebenezer Oluwaseyi Toyin. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

SANUSI

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Sanusi Adeniyi Jemine, now wish to be known and addressed as Adebayo Adeniyi Jemine. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

ADULOJU

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Aduloju Motunrayo Patience, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Fajana Motunrayo Patience. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

AMANYI

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Helen Amanyi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Helen Obiabo.

All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

OGUNLEYE

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Adenike Ogunleye, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adenike Oguntoyinbo.

All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

AWOYEMI I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Awoyemi Olufunmilayo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adesina Oluwafunmilayo Esther.

All former documents remain valid.

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ATIME

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Jackline Nguavese Atime, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Jacqueline Nguavese Tivkaa Amande. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

AKPOJUMOBOR I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Akpojumobor Success, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oahimin Ajirioghene Success Aquila. All former documents remain valid.

Delta State University, First Bank Plc. and general public should please take note.

OLODUDE I,formerly known, called and addressed as Taiwo Olodude, now wish to be known and addressed as Taiwo Elijah Mobolaji John. All former documents remain valid.

Tech. Aid Corps, Abuja, Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Federal College of Vetinary & Medical Laboratory Tech., Jos and general public should please take note.

AKINDE I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Akinde Rebecca Moyinoluwa, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Famurewa Rebecca Moyinoluwa.

All former documents remain valid.

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ABATAN

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Abatan Nimotallahi Idera, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Diran Nimotallahi Idera. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and general public should please take note.

ADEOLA I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Adeola Monisola Rukayat, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Saliu Monisola Rukayat. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public should please take note.

ONUMONU

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Onumonu, Nkem Lauretta, now wish to be known and address as Mrs. Orikpete, Nkem Lauretta.

All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Aloyinlapa Fausat Adenike, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Bashir Fausat Adenike. All former documents remain valid. Teaching Service Commission, Ogun State and general public should please take note.

DOSUNMU I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Olamide Evelyn Dosunmu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Olamide Evelyn Inglis. All former documents remain valid. Nigerian Immigration and general public should please take note.

OBI I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Ndidi Camilia Obi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ndidi Camilia Onyeka. All former documents remain valid. Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, Adamawa State and general public should please take note.

OWABOMATE

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Owabomate Elliot Abbey, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Owabomate Inyamah Okorafor.

All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and general public should please take note.

OGUNGBE

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Ogungbe Dorcas Funke, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oladiran Dorcas Funke. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OLADEJO

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Oladejo Jemilat Kehinde, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Akande Jemilat Kehinde. All former documents remain valid. Irepodun Local govt. Ilobu, Osun State and general public should please take note.

ADEKUNLE

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Adekunle Adebisi Kehinde, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Okutade, Adebisi Kehinde. All former documents remain valid.

Ogun State Teaching Service Commission, Oke-Mosan and general public should please take note.

ADELEYE

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Adeleye Rukayat Funmilayo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Tijani Ruqoyah Funmilayo. All former documents remain valid.

Ekiti State University, NYSC, WEMA Bank Plc. and general public should please take note.

JEGEDE I,formerly known, called and addressed as Jegede Rasaq Olumide, now wish to be known and addressed as Olumide Joy Isaac. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

EKUNDAYO I,formerly known, called and addressed as Ekundayo Bosede Glory, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Olumide Bosede Glory. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

ANIFOWOSE I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Anifowose Monsurat Olaitan, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Anifowose-Agboluaje Monsurat Olaitan. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

FALADE I,formerly known, called and addressed as Falade Bamidele Adekunle, now wish to be known and addressed as Ayodele Bamidele Adekunle. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

ODU I,formerly known, called and addressed as Master Odu Akachi C., now wish to be known and addressed as Master Omekara Samuel Chinwetito. All former documents remain valid. Federal government College, Okigwe, Federal Ministry of Education and general public should please take note.

NWANKPA

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Mrs. Ihuoma Ndumoduchi Magbo, now wish to be known and addressed as Miss Ihuoma Ndumoduchi Egbulonu. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Olubowale Olubunmi Olajumoke Esther is the same person as Olubowale Olubunmi Olajumoke. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OLOGUNDUDU I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Feyisayo Bukola Ologundudu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Feyisayo Bukola Olanrewaju. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and general public should please take note.

KOLAWOLE

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Kolawole Funmilayo Oluwaseyi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adebayo Funmilayo Oluwaseyi.

All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

ALABI

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Abigail Alabi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Abigail Alabi Paiko. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OGUNMUSIRE

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Funke Ogunmusire, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oluwafunke Omosebi. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

SUBERU

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Umar Obaro Suberu, now wish to be known and addressed as Umar Obaro Zubairu. All former documents remain valid. University of Ibadan, Kaduna Polytechnic, Federal Cooperative College, Kaduna and general public should please take note.

IDIATU I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Idiatu Saka, now wish to be known and addressed as Miss Alice Olunmilayo Oredipe.

All former documents remain valid.

Lagos State SUBEB and general public should please take note.

TITILOYE I,formerly known, called and addressed as Idiatu Saka, now wish to be known and addressed as Alice Olunmilayo Oredipe. All former documents remain valid.

Lagos State SUBEB and general public should please take note.

ONIGBANJO I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Onigbanjo Omotanwa Ashabi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adeniyi Omotanwa Ashabi E. All former documents remain valid.General public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I,Abdulazeez Alimot Sadiat is the same person as Azeez Sadiat Alimot. All former documents remain valid. Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke, JAMB and general public should please take note.

OGUOMA

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Oguoma Uchechi Queeneth, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Anukam Uchechi Queeneth. All former documents remain valid.General public should please take note.

OKOLOKO

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Okoloko Mamu, now wish to be known and addressed as Ofogbor Mamu. All former documents remain valid.General public should please take note.

OGBODO

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Ogbodo Adaora Mirabel, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Aneke Adaora Mirabel. All former documents remain valid.General public should please take note.

OZOAGU I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Ozoagu Esther Chidiebere, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ani Esther Chidiebere. All former documents remain valid.General public should please take note.

ANIGBOGU

We,formerly known, called and addressed as NWANKPA FAMILY, now wish to be known and addressed as NWADINKPA FAMILY. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Anigbogu Ifeyinwa Augusta, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Mbaekwe Ifeyinwa Augusta. All former documents remain valid.General public should please take note.

JOHNNIE

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Melody Koroye, Miebougha Koroye, and Miebougha Melody Koroye. refers to one and the same person. I now wish to be known as Miebougha Melody Koroye. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

I formerly known and addressed Inisaziba Johnnie, now wish to be known and address as Mrs. Inisaziba Nyamotam Believe Nelson Wolisi. All former documents remain valid. N.P.A. Management and general public please take note.

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Onyinye Anna Offor, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Onyinye Chukwudi. All former documents remain valid. Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State and general public should please take note.

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Agbaje Oluremi Patience, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oluremi Patience Oluremi. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

ONGAJI

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Olajuyigbe Olabisi Yemi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Aina-Graham Olabisi Yemi. All former documents remain valid.

Ijero Local govt., Ekiti State and general public should please take note.

EZENNIA

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Mr. Ongaji Ademu Adams, now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Oyihoma Yakubu Adams. All former documents remain valid. Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and general public should please take note.

FAMOKUN

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Famokun Mary Fayobi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adetoyinbo Mary Fayobi. All former documents remain valid. Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and general public should please take note.

BABALOLA

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Babalola Titilayo Ebunoluwa, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ayodele Oloyede Titilayo Ebunoluwa Christianah. All former documents remain valid. Ekiti State Local govt Service Commission and general public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I,Bolarinwa Catherine Funmilayo is the same and one person as Bolarinwa Catherine Funmi. All former documents remain valid.

University of Nigeria, Nsukka and general public should please take note.

TAIWO I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Taiwo Abimbola Esther, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ayodeji Abimbola Esther. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and general public should please take note.

ADENIRAN

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Adeniran Blessing Esther, now wish to be known and addressed as Ojo Blessing Esther. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public should please take note.

BADIRU I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Badiru Sherifat Bukky, now wish to be known and addressed as Abiola Bukola Ololade. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public should please take note.

OKHOYA

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Okhoya Abiodun Tolulope, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Atoloye Abiodun Tolulope. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

ALAYE I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Alaye Modupe Alice, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Akinyoade Modupe Alice. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

AGBARHA I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Blessing Ovonemo Agbarha, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Blessing Ovonemo Aseroma. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

OLADELE

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Oladele Olayinka Kehinde, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Aboyade Olayinka Kehinde. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

ADELEYE

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Felicia Adeleye, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Felicia Olufunke Adeosun. All former documents remain valid. Lagos State SUBEB and general public should please take note.

OPARAEKWE I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Oparaekwe Vivien Ijeoma, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Bammeke Vivien Ijeoma. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

NKANO

I,formerly known and address as Miss Love Ngozi Nkano, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Love Ngozi Basil Momoh. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

ONUABUCHI I formerly known and addressed as Miss. Onuabuchi, Malinda Ezinna, now wish to be known as Mrs. ValOnwuchekwa, Malinda Ezinna. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

OLAJUYIGBE

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Ezennia Chisolu Amarachi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Igboanuso Chisolu Amarachi. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OLUTOYE

CHANGE OF NAME ODIDI I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Odidi Atinuke Mary, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ademiluyi Atinuke Mary. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHUKWU

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Nora Chukwu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Nora Emeka Mark Innocent. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

FAGBEMI I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Fagbemi Gafirat Adekemi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ojelade Gafirat Adekemi. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

AKEWUSOLA

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Olutoye Modupe Olabisi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oso Modupe Olabisi. All former documents remain valid. FMC, IdoEkiti and general public should please take note.

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Akewusola Olanrewaju Bashir, now wish to be known and addressed as Akinsola Titilope Olanrewaju. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Afanabere Cecilia Otanya, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Enya Cecilia Eric. All former documents remain valid. UCTH, NMCN and general public should please take note.

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Bamgbose Abimbola Sade, now wish to be known and addressed as Akinsola Abimbola Sade. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Bada Omolola Mary, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Olanipekun Adeolu Omolola. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public should please take note.

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Shittu Bilkis Omobola, now wish to be known and addressed as Onanuga Bilkis Omobola. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Akinkuowo Rebecca Afoluke, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Fakorede Rebecca Afoluke. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and general public should please take note.

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Oriakhi Cythia Isi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Babajide Cythia Isi. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OTANYA

BADA

AKINKUOWO

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I,Semidare Miccah Ebiyakorimiyen, Semidara Micah E., Miccah Semidara and Semidara Ebiyaikorimiyen Miccah is the same person as Semidara Ebiyaikorimiyen Miccah. All documents bearing the above names remain valid. University of Nigeria, Nsukka and general public should please take note.

BAMGBOSE

SHITTU

ORIAKHI

OLATINWO

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Olatinwo Toyin Serifat, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Olatinwo Toyin Serifat. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

MOJAMA

EBELEBE

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Mojama Stella Chinwe, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Opara Stella Chinwe. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

NNALUE

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Okoko Tari Ann, now wish to be known and addressed as Oseji Tari Ann. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Ebelebe Vivian Uchechi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Vivian Enobong Micah. All former documents remain valid. UNICAL and general public should please take note.

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Nnalue Chenenye Genevieve, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Okeyia Chenenye Genevieve. All former documents remain valid.

Anambra State University Igbariam Campus, NYSC and general public should please take note.

IYOWU I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Foluso Iyowu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Foluso Oladejo.

All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

ADEYEMI I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Adeyemi Adefunke Deborah, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adedotun Adefunke Huseenat. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

AHMED I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Idayat Morenikeji Ahmed, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Idayat Morenikeji Elemide. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

YUSUF I,formerly known, called and addressed as Miss Yusuf Ozohu Wosilat, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Sophia Ozohu Richard-Tailor. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OKE I,formerly known and address as Miss Oke Racheal Olabisi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Gideon Racheal Olabisi. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and general public should please take note.

IROEGBULAM I formerly known and addressed as Miss Iroegbulam, Tochi Rebecca, now wish to be known as Mrs. Ugworji, Tochi Rebecca. All former documents remain valid. general public please take note.

ALERIWON

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Aleriwon, Iyabo Titilayo, now wish to be known as Mrs. Atnoda, Iyabo Titilayo. All former documents remain valid. general public please take note.

OKOKO

IDRIS I,formerly known, called and addressed as Idris Oremeji Hamdallat, now wish to be known and addressed as Mustapha Abdulahi Oremeji Hamdallat. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

OKORONKWO

I,formerly known, called and addressed as Okoronkwo C. Sandra, now wish to be known and addressed as Okoronkwo C. Sandra Sandyberry. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

UGWU I formerly known and addressed as MISS. UGWU GLORIA U. now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. OKWOR GLORIA U. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

SABOGE

I formerly known and addressed as Mr. Olufemi Abayomi Saboge, now wish to be called and addressed as Mr. Femi Abayomi Oluyemi. All former documents bearing my former name remain valid. General public should please take note.

AGBASO

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. AGBASO JANE UGOCHI , now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. DIALA JANE UGOCHI . All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

ADVERT: Simply produce your marriage certificate or sworn affidavit for a change of name publication, with just (N4,500. NEW RATE effective from 20th March) The payment can be made through FIRST BANK of Nigeria Plc. Account number 2017220392 Account Name - VINTAGE PRESS LIMITED Scan the details of your advert and teller to gbengaodejide@yahoo.com or thenation_advert@yahoo.com For enquiry please contact: Gbenga on 08052720421, 08161675390, Emailgbengaodejide @yahoo.com or our offices nationwide.

Note this! Change of name is now published every Sundays, all materials should reach us two days before publication.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

Insight

67

•Continued from Page 23

Edo 2012: Who’s in the running?

A

DAMS Aliyu Oshiomhole (ACN) Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole was born on April 4, 1953, in Iyamoh, near Auchi to Alhaji Aliyu Oshiomhole and Alhaji Aishetu Oshiomhole. After his secondary education, Oshiomhole proceeded to the Ruskin College, Oxford, where he majored in economics and industrial relations. He is also an alumnus of the prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, and had received extensive training in industrial relations, trade unionism and management locally and internationally.He had taken up appointment with the Arewa Textiles Company, Kaduna in 1969 before his tertiary education.

Adams Oshiomhole began his trade union career in 1971 in the Arewa Textiles Company.

He was inspired to play an active role in the union because he was not satisfied with the quality of the union’s leadership. Oshiomhole’s other colleagues in the textile factory elected him as the union secretary after a shop-floor revolution, which he helped to organise. His tenure led to a more militant response to the challenges of defending the workers of Arewa Textile Company.

Adams Oshiomhole became a full time trade organiser in 1975. As an organiser, he introduced the trade union in several industries in the northern part of Nigeria and became a terror to local and foreign employers. His expertise in industrial negotiations made his service to be of high demand even beyond the textile industry to other sectors including the Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited and manufacturing companies throughout the North. Oshiomhole rose through the ranks of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria to become the General Secretary of the union.

As General Secretary of the Textile Union, he became a major actor and catalyst in the Nigeria Labour Congress and was elected the President of the NLC in 1999 and served for two terms before seeking the office of Governor of Edo State in 2007 on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. He was inaugurated governor of the State in November 2008 after the Court of Appeal ruled in his favour and returned him as the validly elected governor of the State. With his numerous accomplishments as the sitting governor, he has based his campaigns on issues. Oshiomhole promised to take Edo State to the heights which none of his predecessors had reached. Given the battle he had to undergo to claim his mandate through the court, the governor left no one in doubt that the state will pursue with rigour its one man one vote, a campaign he started in earnest immediately he came on board.

CHARLES AIRHIAVBERE (PDP) General Charles E. Airhiavbere (rtd.) was born on 11th October, 1954, at Ekiadolor, near Benin to late Chief Peter E. Airhiavbere and Mrs. Mary Orhue Airhiavbere. He joined the Nigerian Army as a cadet in the Nigerian Military School and thereafter read Accountancy at Auchi Polytechnic, obtaining a Higher National Diploma (Upper Class) in 1981.

He thereafter enlisted into the Nigeria Defence Academy for the Direct Short Service Course in 1981 and was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Nigeria Army Finance Corps in

P

HARMACIST Matthew Urhoghide, a former senatorial aspirant of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Urhoghide who is often described as a serial contestant lost the ACN primaries to Senator Ehigie Uzamere who just defected to the ACN from the Peoples Democratic Party. Urhoghide felt the primaries was skewed in favour of Uzamere as he alleged that he was never shown the results of the primaries. Several appeals to Urhoghide not to defect from the party were rebuffed.

It was learnt that Governor Adams Oshiomhole tried to appease him with offer of various appointment but was rejected and Urhoghide defected to the PDP with a view of pulling his mass followers to support Senator Daisy Danjuma against Uzamere.

Results from the polls show that Urhoghide lost in ward 2, his supposed stronghold in Oredo to the ACN. Many now refer his defection to the PDP as political suicide.

Former Chief Whip of the Senate, Roland Owie is regarded as a witty politician who was also humbled. Owie defected to the PDP after he fell out of favour with the leadership of the ACN in the state.

As the battle for the Denis Osadebe Edo State Government House thickens, seven candidates will slug it out on July 14. Though, it has been said it will be a straight fight between the incumbent governor, Adams Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Charles Airhiavbere of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), other candidates have equally beefed up their strategies and campaigns for the grand battle to occupy the Edo seat of power. Musa Odoshimokhe examines their profiles.

•Oshiomhole

•Airhiavbere

•Ukoga

•Edebiri

June 1981 before proceeding to do a Masters Degree programme in Business Administration at Nigeria’s Premier University, the University of Ibadan (1987) with specialisation in finance.

Airhiavbere rose through the ranks to a Major-General and Commander, Corps of Army Finance and Accounts at the Army Headquarters. In 2010 he was posted to his Alma Mater, the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies Kuru as a faculty member before his retirement in 2011. He has maintained that the incumbent governor is fallible. He had tried to penetrate the nooks and crannies of the state promising that he would deliver if voted.

FRANK UKOGA (SMDP) Born on July 21, 1969 at Igarra, Akoko Edo Local Government Council of Edo state, Frank

Ukoga started his primary school education at St James Anglican Primary School Igarra, before proceeding to Fatima College, Ikire Ibadan. In 1977 he commenced his higher education at Ibadan Polytechnic and proceeded to UNILAG in 1978 where he read System Analysis through government scholarship. He proceeded to Russia where he obtained his Masters in Highway and Strategic Engineering. He joined politics in 1990 and participated actively during the June 12, 1993 election under the SDP. He is a business man and married with a son.

ANDREW IGWEMOH (LP) Andrew Igwemoh was born on June 12 1962 in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State. He attended Ozolua Grammar School, Ologbo and proceeded to the Petroleum Train-

Edo: Why the mighty fell From Osagie Otabor, Benin

With his defection, the PDP thought that victory would be smooth for them at Uhunmwode local council where Owie hails from. The PDP was routed in Uhunmwode by the ACN. Lucky Imasuen was a former deputy governor and coordinator of Goodluck Sambo Group in the state. Imasuen boasted during the launch of Goodluck Sambo Group that the PDP would sweep the ACN out of the state but he hurriedly left the polling unit where he voted when it dawn on him that the ACN was coasting home to victory.

Chief John Odigie-Oyegun is the first Executive Governor of the state. He was the Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party. Before the election, the ANPP commands few followers in the state. What really shocked everyone was that Chief Oyegun polled three votes at the polling units where he and his wife, Victoria

voted.

Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi is the Minister for Works (State). During the campaign of President Goodluck Jonathan to the state, Ogiemwonyi told the president that the huge crowd at the Dr. Ogbemudia Stadium was an indication to the fact that the state was a PDP controlled state. During the National Assembly election, attempts by Ogiemwonyi to plead with his people at his village to vote for the PDP fell on deaf ears despite promises that a borehole would be sunk in the village. Ogiemwonyi was defeated in his village.

Chief Dan Orbih and Chief Mike Ogiadomhe are the state Chairman of PDP and Chief of Staff to President Jonathan respectively. They are both from Estako Central Local Government area in the state.

Orbih hailed from Ogbonna while Ogiadomhe hailed from Fugar. Ogiadomhe was made the Leader of PDP in Edo North to replace late Chairman of Setraco

ing Institute (PTI), where he obtained his Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Electrical Engineering. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administration.

ROLAND IZEVBUWA (CPC) He was born March 18, 1963 in Benin City.

He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Benin in 1990.

He later obtained his M.Sc in Financial Management. He has worked in several accounting firms both within and outside the country. He was the State Secretary of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2006-2009, State Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) 2009 before his emergence as the gubernatorial candidate of the party following the decision of the mainstream of the CPC to dissociate from the Progressive Political Parties, CPPP this year.

SOLOMON IYOBOSA EDEBIRI (ANPP) Solomon Edebiri (JP) was born in April 22nd 1962 to late David Eiremwanarue and Christiana Omosukpon Edebiri from Iguogbe in Isi Community of Uhunmwonde Local Government Area of Edo State. He obtained several educational certificates, including Diploma in Welding and Fabrication from PTI, Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from the university of Leicester in the UK, MBA from European American University and currently a PHD student of the same University.

He is the Managing Director /Chairman of Typha Cenia Nigeria Ltd and boasts of having over 500 employees spread all over the globe.

Edebiri is currently the President of the West Africa Welding Federation and also the President of the Nigerian Institute of Welding. Edebiri, a keen sports lover reportedly financed the Bendel United Football Club for four years and sponsored the Edo State Football Association League for four years. He was adopted by the Coalition of Progressive Political Parties, CNPP as its candidate.

PAUL ORUMWESE (NCP) Born on the 14th of February 1950 at Ugbogiobo in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. he had his primary Education at Catholic Primary School Ugbogiobo, between 1955 and 1961, attended St Anthony Modern School between 1962 and 1964 respectively.

Between 1967 and 1971, he attended Eghosa Grammar School and had a brief stay as a teacher at St Angela’s Primary School Benin City between 1972 and 1975. In 1975 he was admitted into the University of Alabama USA, to study Business Administration. He graduated in 1978 and was awarded Masters Degree in Public Administration. Orumwense retired as a public servant from the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, February 2010 and is married with five children.

Construction Coy, Chief Inu Umoru. Both of them were roundly defeated at the polls.

They failed to deliver the PDP in their wards.

Another self acclaimed leader is Ken Imasuagbon, a gubernatorial aspirant under the platform of the PDP. Imasuagbon is renowned for rice distribution at the end of every year. He hailed from Ewohinmi, hometown of Oshiomhole’s wife. The National Assembly election was the first election held since he declared his intention to run for the governorship race. Maybe he had thought the people would vote for the PDP because of his rice gift but no, the votes went to ACN. Theophilus Okoh, Thomas Okosun, Frank Erewele, Bright Omokhodion, Francis Inegbeneki, Anselm Ojezua are ACN leaders in Edo Central. In last year’s election, they lost to the PDP because of what was termed in-fighting and not providing political leadership to their people. Winning their zone in next week election to some is a herculean task because of the influence of Chief Tony Anenih.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012

WORSHIP

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012

INTERVIEW

‘Boko Haram shall pass away’ The Senior Pastor/Zonal Superintendent of Wuse Zone of the Foursquare Gospel Church, Abuja, Rev. Babatunde Idowu, spoke with Sanni Onogu, on why Christians should be groomed for politics and sundry national issues. Excerpts:

•Rev Idowu

H

OW did you receive the call into ministry?

Basically, that should be in the mid-1990s. I was in Foursquare Gospel Church Somolu and there was this opportunity to serve as Resident Pastor in the District Headquarters Church in Somolu. I was approached and one of the first questions I asked then was ‘was it going to be on full time or part time’ and I remember the then District Overseer said it has to be on full time. I now said he should give me some time to go and fast and pray. It was during that time of fasting and prayers that I heard God clearly give me direction into Ministry. That is actually how I had my calling to the ministry. It was about 1995 and 1996 thereabout. Before then I had finished my Master of Science and Master of Business Administration from University of Lagos. I had also concluded my Bachelor of Theology (BTH) from Life Theological Seminary and I was an Associate Pastor at the Somolu District Headquarters Church.

Maybe I need to let you know that I was in Yaba College of Technology for quite some times as an Instructor in the Civil Engineering/Land Surveying Department. I was there for 13 years as an Instructor and later on as a Lecturer in that department.

So I was having that on before this issue of a call actually came in.

What has been your major challenge these 16 years?

The major challenges have been that leading people has not always been easy. You need the wisdom of God. More so it is purely a leadership from the secular perspective. It is also a leadership that has spiritual connotation. So leading

people is been that easy but with the grace of God and with God’s ability and strength, I can say I am what I am by His grace.

What are you highest points so far?

Incidentally I am not someone who is used to celebrating high points or low points. So it might not be easy for me to be able to say these are high points and these are low points. But it suffices to say that one of the high points may be the successful completion and dedication of this worship auditorium in September 2005. It is a high moment because I never thought we could do that within a space of three years; to come from nothing to where we are and we were able to do that debt free. Along the line while we were trying to reconstruct we had a collapse of part of the building and that put us in the news.

Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) aired it and so on. So for me, being able to come out in September 2005 to dedicate this auditorium, I think it is a high point. Another high point I will just want to appreciate God for was some few years back when I turned 50. It is a high point because my father didn’t live up to 50 before he died. So for me to live up to 50 and celebrate it and I am in the Lord it is a high point for me.

Again when I look at the grace of God in my life as a Zonal Superintendent, God has helped us in these few years that I have been able to with the aid and support of members of the church to pioneer other churches.

A lot of times people say Christians should not partake in partisan politics.

Others say no, they can play politics. What is your view on this?

The church is just beyond what we see. The church is the hope for this world. The

church is what is keeping the world as it is now. The moment Jesus returns and he takes the Church that is you and I, the saved saints of God out, there will be more calamities and woes. That is what the Bible tells us. But having said that I think my own position would be that the church needs to identify members who have a calling for politics or calling to serve and the church should start looking into how they can be groomed, how they can be supported, how they can be advised to be able to be the light and the salt of the earth.

It is true that people are saying politics is dirty especially in Nigeria but at the same time if Christians run away from politics, then we will be leaving it to the dirty and devilish people and whatever description you want to give to them to run it and that may not be in the best interest of the state.

What is God saying about the present state of insecurity in Nigeria?

I think God’s message to Nigeria as a nation is that God still loves Nigeria. God’s message to Nigeria is that whatever plans he has for Nigeria will be fulfilled. God’s message to Nigeria is that as we keep praying against evil, we will overcome. I think these are things that the church needs to keep emphasising.

God still loves Nigeria. God’s plan for Nigeria will still come to pass and evil will not overcome good in this nation.

Do you see Christians being forced to retaliate if the bombing of churches continue?

I don’t want to believe God will allow it to degenerate to that level. I want to believe that by divine intervention this will come to pass. The only problem we have as human beings is that God’s timing is different from our timing and we may think that God should have done this or that. God didn’t intervene until Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den but by the end of the day when God intervened we were able to see that it gave glory to God. So I believe God that God will intervene at His own time and when he intervenes, everybody will be able to see.

You know when God rescued the children of Israel out of Egypt; it was recorded saying ‘this is the finger of God.’ Even the Egyptians themselves knew and they said ah ‘this can only be but the finger of God.’ So I want to believe that at the right time that finger of God will appear and he will deliver us from all that is happening.

NEWS Let’s pray now, cleric urge Nigerians

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HE founder of Inri Evangelical Spiritual Church Lagos, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has called for a national prayer summit to avert further tragedies in Nigeria.

The cleric, who said the ongoing Boko Haram crisis is about to take a more frightening dimension that is capable of plunging the country into more serious humanitarian crises, reiterated it is only by praying together and seeking the face of God as one repentant group of people that the imminent crises can be averted.

“We are not saying all these things to create confusion. We are not saying Primate Ayodele must conduct the prayers. What God is asking for is that we come to him as a people in repentance and he will spare us the dangers ahead. ‘’If we fail to do that, I see

By Dare Odufowokan

more serious humanitarian crises ahead of this country.

Our leaders must listen now. This is the time we have left to seek the face of the Lord together,” he told newsmen in Lagos during the week.

Ayodele explained that with the reprisal attacks in Kaduna, the bind that unites the nation is fast snapping and this will soon spread across the country if nothing is done. He said God will not intervene until we ask him to.

“We have sinned and God is calling us unto repentance. The killings in Kaduna, both the bombings and the reprisal attack have only added to the bloodshed in the land and it must all stop. God can stop it all if we pray. That is why we must pray now,” he repeated. The cleric also said the crisis currently rocking the House

of Representatives will unveil more worrisome revelations.

He urged the Speaker of the House, Aminu Tambuwal to be careful otherwise he may be swept away by the current tide.

“The Speaker should be careful and honest, otherwise, the current tide will sweep him away,’’ he advised.

Ayodele also predicted the failure of the Cashless banking policy currently being promoted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

According to the cleric, the policy will not be acceptable to the people and will therefore fail in no distant time.

The cleric urged Nigerians to set aside a day in September for prayer and fasting to put an end to the current crises across the country.

•President Guild of Saint Anthony of St. Dominic Church Yaba Lagos, Sister Gina Nwoko; Chairman of the occasion, Chief Anthony Nneji, standing beside the Saint Anthony statue during the celebration of the feast of Saint Anthony of Padua…last Sunday

What and where?

T

HE 2012 annual founder’s anniversary thanksgiving service of Motailatu Church Cherubim & Seraphim Worldwide (International Sub-headquarters) holds on Sunday, July 15.

The service will round off a week-long activities with the theme ‘’whosoever keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit’’.

A statement by Supervising Head of the church, Special Apostle (Dr) Israel Akinadewo, disclosed that other activities include a

Motailatu church holds founder’s day special revival service from July 9-11th by 6pm daily, a bible quiz on July 14th and a night of praise on Friday, 13th July.

Head of Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church (Surulere District), Prophet Gabriel Fakeye, will deliver the thanksgiving message.

The events take place at the sanctuary auditorium, 2

Exodus Close off Adeyemi Street, Dalemo Alakuko, Lagos.

Top clerics and government functionaries are expected at the thanksgiving service to be presided by the Primate, founder and Head of the church, His Most Eminence Archbishop (Dr) I Akinadewo.

CAC Agbala Itura celebrates 15thanniversary

T

HE Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Agbala Itura, Ikeja Assembly, will celebrate its 15 th anniversary next Sunday.

The theme of the celebration is praise ye the Lord.

According to the General Evangelist, CAC Worldwide, Prophet (Dr.) Samuel Abiara, the day is meant to appreciate the Lord for what He has done and will do.

He said since God has said that we should praise in all

situations, “then we have no option but to dedicate the day to Him, since He is the Alpha and Omega.”

The Assembly will use the day to launch its new building project estimated to cost N100million.

Several dignitaries have been invited by Abiara, who himself will be the Chief Host on the day.

Among those invited is the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, who is the Host Governor/Special

Guest of Honour.

Also invited is the former governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and wife Senator Remi Tinubu as the Special Guests of Honour while Chairman of the occasion is Otunba Michael Subomi Balogun (OON) While the chief motivator/special guest of honour is Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim (OFR), Elder Alani Akin Ogunbiyi and Pastor C.S. Fasuyi.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net

SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL. 6, NO. 2177

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NOTHER week has passed without resolution of the $620,000 bribery scandal involving erstwhile chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Payments and businessman, Femi Otedola.

The Police are no wiser about the location of the alleged bribe money, neither are they closer to initiating a prosecution against any of the parties. If anything, this week they threw up their hands in apparent frustration that the scandal which has gripped the nation seemingly for ages is going nowhere fast.

Deputy Force spokesman, Frank Mba, was quoted as advising Nigerians not to jump to any conclusions, on account of the airing by some television stations of excerpts from audio recordings, purporting to replay the alleged transactions between Otedola and Lawan.

“You just don’t rush to court for the fun of charging people to court. That is why courts are congested and that is why we don’t make progress.

It does not make sense. It is unproductive; it is a waste of public resources,” he said.

While the Police take their sweet time getting it right, every day that passes without the matter being sorted out, grievous damage is being done not only to the image of the country internationally, but governance is also being adversely affected.

Although the House of Representatives is locked front and center of the scandal, there is hardly any side that will come out of this episode with credit. The Police, for example, have not done themselves any favours with their handling of the matter.

They have shown deference – beyond the call of duty - to people who may have committed criminal offences. The whole world saw how the former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dominique Strauss-Kahn, was swiftly brought in for questioning by the New York Police Department after Guinean hotel maid, Nafissatou Diallo, accused him of rape.

They didn’t have to go on their knees pleading with the IMF Board or United Nations Secretary-General for permission to interview StraussKahn. For over two weeks since Lawan first stated that he handed the money he received from Otedola to the chairman of the House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Adam Jagaba, the Police are yet to interact with him.

Instead they’ve been busy writing letters to the Speaker of the House asking him to authorise the release of Jagaba for questioning. I am not aware that lawmakers enjoy any sort of immunity, neither is there any protocol that requires law enforcement to first run the gauntlet of the Speaker’s office before doing their job.

It is this sort of inferiority complex and cluelessness that caused some policemen who were supposedly watching over Lawan to take him home for a shower whilst he was still in custody. Surely, these actions are not likely to recom-

O

QUOTABLE “I don’t think terrorism, however, worrying it is, has actually stopped any major investment yet. But If it is not dealt with and the bunkering of oil, if these things are not dealth with, they will have a long term effect” — Baroness Lynda Chalker, the Coordinator of Honorary International Investors Council (HIIC), warning Nigeria about her image problems.

Festus Eriye efestus2003@yahoo.com 08052135878 (SMS only)

Calling time on the Lawan-Otedola drama

•Otedola

•Lawan

mend our police as models to the rest of the world.

As for the House as an institution, it just does not appreciate that because of this matter a cloud presently hangs over it. It cannot carry on as if nothing has happened. The fact is insinuations have been made by Otedola and others that Lawan did not act alone. Of course, these charges need to be proved.

Until that is done, the House still needs to deal with public opinion. The lawmakers thought that by stripping Lawan of his headship of the ad-hoc committee they had sufficiently distanced the institution from the man. It is not that simple.

The measure of support the chamber still enjoys flows from the fact that people don’t want to see the House report on subsidy payments rubbished. To that extent, they are willing to give it the benefit of the doubt, and make room for the possibility that this whole saga is a Machiavellian plot by oil marketers in cahoots with the Presidency to scuttle the report, and ultimately bring down Speaker Aminu Tambuwal.

That does not silence the questions people are

asking about how far the conspiracy went. It also does not excuse the handling of the probe of scandal by the Committee on Ethics and Privileges which gives the impression of an institution circling the wagons to protect one of its own – despite continued protestations of impartiality.

Already, rumblings of discontent are being felt within the bowels of the chamber as was evident from the contribution of Hon. Simon Arabo from Kaduna State who Thursday protested the insults heaped on Otedola, by the chairman of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, Mr. Gambo Musa, after the oil mogul declined to testify in secret.

Gambo had described Otedola as misguided, disrespectful and stupid for taking his stance – a position Arabo felt had brought the “image of the House to disrepute” as it gave the impression that it was taking sides.

At issue is the fact the committee after initially promising to hold open sessions, proceeded to interrogate Lawan in secret. Rather than properly explain this awkward u-turn the House’s

Crossing boundaries

N the sidelines of the Farouk LawanFemi Otedola soap opera, another very grave matter with far-reaching implications for the polity is slowly coming to a boil. On Tuesday, July 10, the Supreme Court is scheduled to give judgment in the dispute between Akwa Ibom and Cross River States over ownership of 76 oil wells.

With the stakes so high it is not surprising that tension is ratcheting upwards as either side press their claims. In recent days there have been suggestions that Nigeria could lose a sizeable chunk of oil-rich territory to Cameroun and other countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea, depending on which way the judgment goes.

But more drama was to come on Friday as Cross River filed a fresh application before the Supreme Court asking it not to proceed with its ruling on Tuesday on the ground that the map tendered before by the National Boundary Commission (NBC) which the court would rely upon to deliver judgment was a forgery.

Part of the Cross River application claims NBC officials “fraudulently concealed the fact that Exhibit NBC 1 (map) attached to his affidavit deposed to in this court on 11/05/2012, was not an authoritative map, but was merely a sketch and proposal made by the National Boundary Commission and was never approved by the

Federal Government of Nigeria or even the National Boundary Commission itself at a plenary session.”

The state also insists that the map in question also did not receive National Assembly approval contrary to the provisions in Section 8 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999. They also claim the “sketch” was made without the input of the office of the SurveyorGeneral of the Federation – the statutory authority empowered to produce maps delineating boundaries within Nigeria.

The same issue came up for discussion at the House of Representatives on Thursday after Deputy Leader, Leo Ogor, raised it as a matter of urgent national importance. The House criticised the NBC for acting “unconstitutionally” in ceding sections of the nation’s territorial waters unilaterally.

The bone of contention was that the Commission acted without reverting back to the National Assembly which has powers to approve any adjustment to boundaries and maps.

While the vast majority of lawmakers who took part in the debate came down hard on the NBC, the only dissenting voices were those from Akwa Ibom to which the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) had earlier transferred the 76 oil wells. Their position

was that any discussion of the matter would prejudice Tuesday’s ruling.

Given what is at stake all sides would be angling to preserve whatever advantage they think they have. Many would be wondering, however, why the dissenting voices were so vehement in their opposition. Are they so confident the ruling will go their way? Do they know something their colleagues don’t?

If anything, as we saw last week when the United States Supreme Court ruled in the case of the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act – the healthcare reform law sponsored by President Barack Obama – some of these judges are capable of delivering shock judgments.

After Chief Justice, John Roberts, voted with the liberal wing of the court to uphold the healthcare act, attention has since shifted to speculations that his shift of position had leaked before the formal announcement.

The Nigerian Supreme Court may not suffer the same fate. Still it will be intriguing to see how it comes down in this matter that is threatening to set brother states against each other. Will it give a definitive judgment one way or another, or will it simply postpone Judgment Day on account of the new claims that were filed on Friday. The wait to find out will not be long now.

spokespersons have been busy standing on protocol. Chairman of the Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Zakari Mohammed, grandly declared that the chamber had its rules of engagement and would not allow any individual to dictate to it.

Great! But what he conveniently forgets is that times without number House and Senate rules are suspended whenever lawmakers want to work around some legislature obstacle. It is not enough to make noises “about not having anything to hide,” it is critical that the House acts in ways that project openness.

As for the Presidency, try as it might it has failed to shake the impression that it is somehow mixed up in the botched sting operation either for reasons of scuttling the fuel subsidy report, or for toppling Tambuwal whose rise to the throne was never sanctioned by the Villa and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) high command.

It is not just the media or the gullible public making this up, lots of lawmakers believe this position to be the case – President Goodluck Jonathan’s protestations of innocence notwithstanding.

The upshot is that whether we accept it or not, we are back to the suspicion and dissonance that characterised ties between the executive and legislative branches under the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The situation might not have reached war proportions as was the case when then Speaker, Ghali Na’Abba, squared up to Obasanjo – even starting impeachment proceedings against him – still governance suffers when instead of concentrating on legislation, lawmakers are busy holding nocturnal meetings to outwit perceived plots from the Villa.

Ultimately, it is the image of Nigeria that is being battered daily as the world watching the unedifying spectacle of one of the nation’s most respected lawmakers and businessmen ventilating dirty secrets instalmentally. It just solidifies the perception of Nigeria as outlaw territory where corruption and all manner of impunity receive free rein.

Former British Minister for Overseas Development, Baroness Lynda Chalker, was in Abuja the other day warning that negative stories arising from terrorism and corruption were undermining the nation despite her immense potentials. Until someone takes the Lawan-Otedola saga to court this torrid saga will drag on - leaving Nigeria the butt of international jokes – as usual.

WEEK NOTES Waiting for Godot

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CTIVIST, Shehu Sani’s main claim to fame is his association with some botched attempts to initiate a dialogue between the Federal Government and the extremist Islamist sect, Boko Haram. Last year, he facilitated a visit to the family of slain sect leader, Mohammed Yusuf, in Maiduguri by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. For their troubles the man they visited was executed the shortly afterwards.

Ever since, Sani has been a strident advocate of unconditional talks with the group as the only way of ending the insurgency. In an interview in The Guardian he is now making the claim that he knows just the only person that can snap his fingers and the nightmare would go away.

The snag is that he wants President Goodluck Jonathan to call him (Sani) up for the information. “I have repeatedly said that if President Jonathan can make a phone call to me today and ask me of one person who can solve the problem, I will give him the name of the person. Apart from the person, I don’t see the possibility of any other person whom the group can trust,” he said.

As a patriot why hasn’t Sani availed the relevant authorities with such vital information all along? Why does the president have to call him personally? Tell us Sani that this is not just about personal glory and seeking attention. It does seem that way from here.

PALLADIUM IS ON VACATION HE RETURNS IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

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Editor - 08033510610, Marketing: 4520939, Abuja Office: Plot 5, Nanka Close AMAC Commercial Complex, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja. Telephone: 07028105302 ISSN: 115-5302 E-mail: sunday@thenationonlineng.net Editor: FESTUS ERIYE