The Nation July 21, 2012

Fuel 4 crisis looms as importers’ union threatens strike PAGE

30 die in Port Harcourt vessel explosion Three injured, boats badly burnt Equipment worth millions lost as 6 fire guts newspaper house PAGE

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL.07 N0. 2193

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

N150.00

Impeachment threat:

Jonathan invites Tambuwal for talks

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President's friends, associates lobby Reps to sheathe swords We're not on witch-hunting mission-Reps spokesman Jonathan’s wife sworn in as perm sec First Lady seeks constitutional role PAGE

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Dame Patience Jonathan (right) being sworn in by Governor Seriake Dickson (left) as a permanent secretary in Yenagoa... yesterday Photo: NAN

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Sultan, Mark, Tambuwal, others appeal for peace as Ramadan begins

2 NEWS

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

•Gov. Jang and Prof. Jerry Gana during the visit of MBF to Jos

•Mrs. Keneng Gyang Fulani arriving the Assembly premises for the valeditory session

•Some staff of the House yesterday LATEAU State House of Assembly yester day held a valecditory session for their murdered colleague, Hon. Gyang James Fulani who was murdered by suspected Fulani herdsmen. They declared the day as ‘Black Day’.

The late Fulani was Majority Leader of the state House of Assembly.

The former Majority Leader met his untimely death on July 8th along with late Senator Gyang Dantong when they were attacked by yet to be identified gun men during a mass burial of members of their constituents killed in an attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

All the 23 members of the House were in black dresses. All the workers of the House of Assembly wore black as a reflection of the mood of the event. It was the same way former members of the state House of Assembly were all dressed. The state government delegation led by the Deputy Governor, Ignatius Longjan as well as the Secretary to the State Government Prof. Shedrack Best was also clad in black.

Tears flowed freely throughout the valedictory session which began exactly at 10:30am.

Staff of the House wailed endlessly as the casket bearing the remains of the late legislator arrived the premises. House members sobbed uncontrollably when they saw the murdered Majority member’s seat empty. The entire Assembly complex was in solemn mood as every activity of the day bore imprintes of pain, grief and disappointment.

Widow of Fulani, Mrs. Keneng and her children were all dressed in white during the session.

According to the profile of the late the Majority Leader, he was born on January 5th 1957 and spent 23 years in First Bank where he retired as Senior Manager. He began his political career in 2007 when he represented Barkin Ladi Constituency in the state House of Assembly.

From the floor of the House to the gallery,

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Yusufu AMINU IDEGU, Jos there was an expectation of a miracle for late the Fulani to rise and take his seat among his members. But that was not to be. To the lawmakers, it was one death like no other.

Speaker of the House, John Clark Dabwan who presided over the session pleaded with members to summon courage and hold their last sitting with their fallen Majority Leader.

He described late Danfulani as a detribalised leader, a peace maker, a man of courage and integrity, visionary and focused.

The Speaker delivered condolence messages from legislators of Lagos, Rivers, Benue, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Cross River, Delta, Enugu, Zamfara, Taraba, Akwa-Ibom etc. He said: “The Speakers and members of the Houses of Assembly of these states have sent letters to condole us and people of the state over the demise of one of the greatest legislators in the history of this House” All the members of the House took their turn to eulogize their late Majority leader amidst tears.

Away from the Assembly complex, the people of Plateau State took time out of their crowded morning schedules to tell the whole world how they felt about the death of some of their political leaders and what they expected the Federal Government to do to stop further killings of their people.

Confederation of Plateau State Youth Associations (CPYA), an umbrella body of various ethnic youths of the state said: “The continuous killings of innocent Plateau people is becoming unbearable, hence the call for urgent actions to be taken to forestall a recurrence.

The episode which took place at the mass burial site at Maseh village was done in contravention of all known norms of civilized conduct; even when the hapeless villagers were within the precincts of the local church which

Tears for fallen Plateau lawmakers as colleagues pay last respects •Condolences from Lagos, Enugu, Zamfara, Adamawa, Benue counterparts even in war times serves as a sanctuary. But the church was mercilessly desecrated and the people gruesomely murdered and burnt beyond recognition.”.

In the same vein, Berom Community resident in Abuja has given President Jonathan an ultimatum to evacuate Fulani herdsmen from Berom land with immediate effect. They made their position known in a press conference in Jos at the weekend.

President of the Abuja Berom, Peter Nyam Gai said: “If you follow the series of attacks

by Fulani against berom, you will realized that ten thousand lives have been lost, property worth over N180 billion have been destroyed.

It is on record that Beroms have never at anytime embarked on a destruction, except that we have been on the defensive always.

“As law abiding people with the fear of God, we have exercise restrain in the face of wanton destruction of lives and property. We have cooperated with security agencies to ensure that this sensless killing of our innocent people is stopped.

“However, rather than abet the killing , it is taking a dangerous dimension where our people are being haunted like animals and killed in their very place of abode.

“Since the Federal Government and its security agencies cannot stop the Fulani from killing our people, we hereby demand that the it (Federal Government) should evacuate the Fulani from Berom land to safe the lives of our people.”

The community also said: “Senator Dantong has been killed in the course of defending Berom land, we will not give up, we are ready to continue from where he stopped until we secure our land” Also, within the week, the Middle Belt Forum reacted to the situation in Plateau State.

Former Minister of Information and National Orientation, Proffessor Jerry Gana has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to act effectively to prevent further bloodshed in Plateau State and elsewhere in the country.

Gana made the call in Jos yesterday when he led a delegation of Middle Belt Forum (MBF) on a solidarity visit to Governor Jonah Jang over the last week’s killings of over 100 Berom including Senator Gyang Dantong and Gyang Fulani.

Delegation members of the forum included Professor Jerry Gana, Dr. Bala Takaya, Dr. Phillip Salawu, Deacon John Dara, General Joshua Dogoyaro, Gen Zamani Lakwot, Chief

Mike Abdul. Elder Ibrahim Bangulu etc.

Prof. Gana who met with Jang in his residence alongside members of his delegation said: ”We leaders of Middle Belt Forum met in Abuja last week over the unfortunate incident that led to the death of two lawmakers and others from Plateau State and resolved to pay you this solidarity visit.”

The former Minister of Information further said: “But we want to use this opportunity to tell Mr. President to act effectively and stop these killings here and there. If the Federal Government cannot defend our people, Mr. President should come out clearly and tell us.

“If our people cannot be defended, they are ready to defend themselves, so Mr. President should act effectively before the situation gets out of hand.

“We are now being pushed to the wall and we are saying enough is enough. Our people lay down their lives to defend this country, we deserve to be defended as well, but if Mr. President cannot defend us, he should let us know now.

“The good Lord will comfort the Plateau State Government and the good people of the state.

The Middle Belt Forum is standing with you at this period, we are praying for you, we are mourning with you and we are grieving with you and the whole people of Plateau State.

“As Middle Belter, it is time to act together, think together, be together and be united. We also carry the message of solidarity because we know what is going on, we know the game plan and the antics being deployed. But we encourage you all from the Middle Belt not to take laws into your hands, in spite of the obvious provocations.

In his response, Plateau State governor, Jonah Jang said: “I am encouraged and consoled by this very visit, I thought Plateau was alone, but now I know we all are in pains over the attacks on the Plateau.”

In his words, Jang said: “It is sad that since 1994, there have been consistent plans to destabilise Plateau State, but unfortunately the Federal Government is not doing anything.

“Now terrorists have even come to occupy parts of the state illegally, we have cried to the Federal Government of the danger in allowing them to stay here, but our cries were never taken seriously.

“Is the Federal Government waiting until the entire people of Plateau State are wiped out? Jang querried.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

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Jonathan’s wife sworn in as Perm Sec T

HE First Lady,Dame Patience Jonathan spoke publicly yesterday for the first time on her appointment as a permanent secretary in Bayelsa State, saying it was only natural for her to accept the promotion regardless of the criticism that greeted it.

She was pained by the criticism, particularly because, according to her, wives of presidents in other parts of the world hold sensitive positions, including ministerial ones.

Mrs Jonathan spoke in an interview with reporters in Yenagoa shortly after she was sworn-in as a permanent secretary in the state civil service

by Governor Seriake Dickson.

She expressed disappointment that the 1999 Constitution does not recognise the office of the First Lady and assigns her no role.

She asked that this be corrected in the constitution review, so that when a president’s wife leaves office, she, like her husband, can enjoy retirement benefits.

• Why I accepted appointment -First Lady

Isaac OMBE, Yenagoa She said for Nigeria to develop, it is imperative that first ladies are assigned constitutional responsibilities.

She says she has been a civil servant and her appointment should not be a surprise to anyone, as she is as capable as any other civil servant.

She appeared particularly shocked by a statement credited to Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos recently after her convoy caused a massive traffic chaos in Lagos during a visit.

The governor was quoted as asking President Goodluck Jonathan to call her to order, as her office is not recognised by the constitution.

Her words: “We the wives of political office holders, if our names are not in the constitution and our husbands retire with benefits, the constitution amendment should also look into the issue of wives of political appointees.

“We should be included in the constitution so that we too

can retire with benefits. With that, we can enjoy our career.

“When it suits them, they will say we don’t have office.

Remember, when I went to Lagos for peace advocacy, the governor of Lagos State said that my husband should… my name is not in the constitution that I have no office. Why now won’t I pursue my career that I am sure of.”

Asked if she would now relocate to Yenagoa to perform her function as permanent secretary, she said: ”My allegiance, my commitment, my support, goes to the Governor of Bayelsa State. Any assignment the governor asks me to do, I will do it to the best of my knowledge, and any other Federal assignment I will do it”.

Mrs. Jonathan, who expressed dismay over the uproar her appointment as Permanent Secretary has generated in the last few weeks, cited several countries, including South Africa and America, where wives of presidents have held ministerial and

other sensitive positions in government.

Speaking on behalf of the other 16 permanent secretaries sworn in with her, Dame Jonathan commended Governor Dickson for finding them worthy of the appointment.

She said: “It is a confirmation of the governor’s determination to transform the state economically, socially and politically.

“We wish to acknowledge your strategic mobilization of all relevant resources, especially the critical human capital, part of which are our appointments.

“We assure you of our resolve to deploy our collective expertise and experiences to work harder for the development of our dear state.

“We will justify the confidence you have reposed in us by these appointments and support your mission to deliver the dividends of democracy and good governance to the state.

“I wish to personally express my gratitude for the op-

portunity extended to me to be part of this initiative that will transform the state and bring the gains of democracy and good governance to our People.

“I consider this a new beginning for Bayelsa state, and we will work hard by assisting you to make life more comfortable for our quota to the transformation agenda of your administration.”

Governor Dickson, who described their appointments as the beginning of the peak of their public service careers, warned against their involvement in politics, saying: “We don’t want your involvement in politics. We don’t want to hear that any permanent secretary is involved in pollicising our people.”

He restated his administration’s determination to restore confidence in the public service.

On the appointments of the permanent secretaries, Dickson said: “We followed due process. Those of you sworn-in never lobbied. We

•Patience Jonathan

needed the names of most senior public Office holders from each local government area”.

On the appointment of Dame Jonathan, Dickson said: “Not only has she been a civil servant, she had been a director for long.”

The permanent secretaries are yet to be deployed.

Court upholds Ekweremadu, Ayogu Eze, others’ candidature Chris OJI, Enugu

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FEDERAL High Court sitting in Enugu yesterday struck out the suit challenging the candidature of

the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, in the April 2011 general elections.

Also joined in the suit, which sought invalidation of the nomination of the candidature of all the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Assembly members in Enugu West Senatorial zone were Hon. Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi and Hon. Tobi Okechukwu.

Three aggrieved members of the party, including John Egesi, had approached the court through their counsel, Nestor Ezeme, asking it to declare them validly nominated PDP candidates for the National Assembly positions in the zone.

Egesi, who emerged as a factional PDP candidate for the Enugu West Senatorial zone, prayed the court to validate the 6th January 2011 primary election as against that of January 11, which produced Senator Ekweremadu and the two other Reps members from the zone.

However, Ekweremadu and the House of Representatives members filed a preliminary objection through their counsel, Ugochukwu Onyekwuluje, arguing that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

They argued that issues of nomination of candidates was within the authority of the party.

Delivering her judgment, Hon. Justice V.I Agishi, said it was only under the conditions stipulated in 87 (9) of the Electoral Act that an aggrieved person could seek redress in such instance.

“It is only if the complainant can find shelter under the conditions stipulated in the Electoral Act that he can seek redress,” the judge stated.

She agreed with Ekweremadu and the Reps members that the power to decide candidates of a party still resided within the political party.

According to her, “Applicants’ preliminary objection succeeds and the matter is hereby struck out by this court for lack of jurisdiction.”

Similar ruling was extended to the suit against Ayogu Eze and members of House of Representatives from Enugu North senatorial zone.

The court struck them out for lack of jurisdiction.

Members of Plateau House of Assembly during the valedictory session for late Majority Leader of the House, Gyang Fulani in Jos... yesterday PHOTO: NAN

Fuel scarcity looms as importers’ union threatens strike

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HE Jetty and Petroleum Tank Farm Owners of Nigeria (JEPTFON), representing fuel importers, said yesterday it would shut down jetties and depots from July 23 if the government did not pay outstanding gasoline subsidy payments, which are a massive drain on the country.

President Goodluck Jonathan tried to end fuel subsidies on January 1, prompting more than a week of strikes and protests after the petrol price more than doubled. Jonathan ended the strikes by partially reinstating the subsidy.

The Finance Ministry said on June 20 it had cleared all outstanding subsidy payments following a pause to carry out a probe into the fuel marketers. The ministry was not available

Governor Jang lifts curfew on Jos

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LATEAU State Governor, Jonah David Jang, has announced a com-

plete lifting of curfew in Jos and its environs after a careful review of current situation in the troubled areas.

The announcement was contained in a press statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Yiljap Abraham.

Yusufu AMINU IDEGU, Jos The statement reads: “Following a careful review of security situations in Plateau State and after due consultations with security agencies, the Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, has approved complete lifting of curfew earlier imposed on Jos North, Jos South, Riyom and Barkin Ladi

local governments with immediate effect.

“By this action, government expects that citizens will use this period to work harder towards a safer and more peaceful Plateau.

“They should reciprocate this gesture by avoiding actions that will lead to breakdown of law and order and cooperate fully with the security agencies.

“All citizens are enjoined to use this opportunity to pray fervently for the general well being of the state.

“A return to a no-curfew therefore calls for extra vigilance by every citizen.

“The state Governor also wishes the Muslim Umma a happy Ramadan month.”

The curfew imposed on the four local government areas lasted about two weeks.

•Over fuel subsidy pay for comment on Friday.

The Minister of State for Finance said in June Nigeria only had N370 billion ($2.29 billion) left to pay subsidies, out of the 888 billion in the 2012 budget.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said the subsidy budget will run out well before the end of the year, which means they will need to raid savings to pay for it. Powerful state governors have said they will take the federal government to court for what they call “illegal” over-budget subsidy payments.

The fuel importers’ union, according to Reuters, said the government’s non-payment of fuel subsidies was a breach of contract.

“Until the above demands are met, the association has no option but to shut down its operations nationwide and suspend workers with effect from July 23,” a JEPTFON statement said.

A strike by JEPTFON staff and shut down of its operations could result in fuel shortages because Nigeria relies on imports for most of its gasoline and diesel needs.

Fuel marketers said on July 2 they might stop importing fuel into Africa’s most populous nation for the third quarter of the year due to outstanding subsidy payments of N200 billion .

A parliamentary probe into the subsidy scheme in April found it was riddled with fraud that had cost Nigeria $6.8 billion in just three years - equal to a quarter of the national budget. It was one of the biggest corruption scandals in the history of Africa’s top energy producer.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

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•From Left: The late Ambassador Olusegun Olusola’s sister, Mrs Grace Kehinde; his widow, Feyintola, and Governor Ibikunle Amosun Of Ogun State during a service for the deceased At Wesley Methodist •The remains of the late Ambassador Olusegun Olusola at Wesley Methodist Church, Church, Iperu Remo, Ogun State... yesterday Iperu Remo, Ogun State on Friday PHOTOS: NAN

Jonathan, Amosun, Soyinka, others pay last respects at Olusola’s burial T HE sleepy community of Iperu-Remo, Ikenne Local Government Area,

Ogun State yesterday hosted an unprecedented army of guests who thronged the community to pay their last respects to culture icon, Ambassador Olusegun Olusola.

The late former Nigerian Ambassador to Ethiopia was interred at his Iperu home town.

As early as 9 am, guests from different parts of the country started arriving the community to at-

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Ozolua UHAKHEME Assistant Editor (Arts)

tend his funeral rites. His casket Olusola was brought into IperuRemo at about 8.16 am and taken to his residence at TV House, Station area, Iperu-Remo, where it lay in state for an hour. He was also laid-in-state for about one hour at Akesan Iperu-Remo club, of which the late Olusola and many prominent indigenes are members.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State described the late culture icon as a man of many

parts, a theatre artist, a television producer, an author and a diplomat whose virtues should be emulated by all. Also, Rt. Rev. J.Ohu Gboyega, who ministered at the funeral service at the Wesley Methodist Cathedral Church, Iperu said life and death is about sowing and reaping as well as harvesting. He admonished the nation’s leaders to imbibe the virtues of the late Am-

bassador Olusola who he said shared many similarities with former South African President, Nelsosn Mandela.

Among the dignitaries who witnessed the burial ceremony were the representative of President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Douglas Oranta; Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; Nobel laureate, Prof.

Wole Soyinka; former Minister of Information, Chief Alex

Akinyele; General Ike Nwachukwu; Chief Executive Officer of AIT, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi; Former Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ajibola; Dr. Newton Jibunoh and pools magnate, Chief Adebutu Kessington. Others were Otunba Deji Oshibogu, Prof. Tunde Babawale, Femi Esho and Greg Odutayo.

A reception was held at the Christ Apostolic Grammar School, Iperu.

Olusola passed on a month ago at the age of 77. He was born

in Iperu-Remo, Ogun State on March 18, 1935 and was until his death the Chairman of African Refugees Foundation.

He attended St. John’s Catholic School and Wesley School, Iperu-Remo from 1941 to 1947.

He had his secondary education at Remo Secondary School, Sagamu between 1941and 1947.

He proceeded to the United States of America for his university education between 1948 and 1961 where he attended Syracuse and Pittsburgh universities.

Impeachment threat: Jonathan invites Tambuwal for talks

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan wants an immediate end to the cold war between him and the House of Representatives.

He has invited Speaker Aminu Tambuwal for peace talks to iron out their differences.

The duo were scheduled to meet last night at the Presidential Villa for the talks.

The Presidency and the House are locked in a standoff over alleged slow pace at which the 2012 Budget is being implemented with the Reps, on Thursday, threatening the President with impeachment for the situation.

They gave him up to September to implement it to 100 per cent, failing which “we will begin drafting the article of impeachment.”

Moments after the Thursday session of the House, the Presidency responded to the impeachment threat, saying it was on the same page with the Reps on the budget issue.

Spokesman for the President, Dr.Reuben Abati, told reporters that his principal was as concerned about the budget’s performance as the Reps.

However, The Nation on Saturday gathered last night that President Jonathan personally reached out to the leadership of the House with a view to ending the stand-off.

Besides, some top government officials, friends and associates of the President have, on their own, launched separate initiatives to stop the situation from degenerating.

They were said to be lobbying the Reps to sheathe their swords.

After harmonisation, the Senate and the House of Representatives had, on March 15, passed a budget of N4.88 trillion with a benchmark of $72 per barrel. The vote was increased from N4.65 trillion proposed by the Federal Government.

•Lobbyists mount pressure on Reps to end cold war •We’re not on witch-hunting mission but to make Nigeria work -Reps spokesman Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation The President, however, assented to a N4.7 trillion budget on April 13.

But the House of Representatives on Thursday expressed displeasure that only 30 per cent of the budget had been implemented.

Authoritative sources said the President was showing a lot of resolve to close the ‘communication gap’ between the Executive and the House.

The President was said to have contacted Speaker Tambuwal to hear him out on the grievances of the lawmakers.

A source said: ”s a leader, the

President on Thursday invited the Speaker for interaction on issues raised by the House. I think they were expected to meet yesterday.

“There were strong signals that the two leaders had opened up discussions on the telephone before the Speaker was invited by the President.

“Neither the President nor the Speaker wanted the polity to be heated up by the budget palaver.

“The Presidency had wielded enormous influence to lobby the House members to defer Thursday’s special plenary on budget implementation, but it did not work out at all.

“Apparently, the Speaker deliberately switched off to

also stave off pressure that could heighten the misunderstanding between the House and the executive arm.

“What I can conveniently tell you is that the leaders have started talking. Apparently, there is a ‘communication gap’ between the two sides and there is need to improve working relationship.”

Neither the Presidency nor the House was willing to officially comment on the rapprochement last night.

Besides, some top government officials, associates and strategists of the President have been wooing House members to end the logjam over budget implementation.

A principal officer of the

House, who spoke in confidence, said: “Forces and people around the corridors of power have been calling us to sheathe the sword.

“We have told them that the issues we raised were not personal. We were concerned about how to move Nigeria forward.

“It got to an embarrassing level that some of us had to switch off our phones.”

The Chairman of the House Committee on Media, Hon. Zakary Mohammed, said the House does not rule out dialogue with the Executive.

“For us, we are after the right thing being done. The appropriation law is being addressed with impunity. We are empow-

ered by the 1999 Constitution to raise questions like we did on Thursday on the floor of the House.

“We owe our employers (Nigerian masses) a duty to ask questions on their behalf and protect their interest when things are upside down.

“No one is after President Goodluck Jonathan, but we want the system to work. We are in July and the budget is not being implemented as expected. Even some approvals made for the execution of some key projects had no cash backing. That means, nothing is working.

Asked if the Executive has reached out to the House, Mohammed said: “It is not impossible, because in a situation like this, they would want to market their position to the House leadership.

“And going by what the Majority Leader, Mrs. Mulikat Adeola, said that the situation will be addressed before we resume from recess, there could be room for dialogue.”

Jonathan, Sultan, Mark, others urge peace as Ramadan begins

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday urged Nigeria’s Muslim community to use the period of this year’s Ramadan to promote peaceful co-existence and greater unity in the country.

The one-month fast began in many states yesterday.

Reminding Muslims about the lessons of the period, such as piety, self-discipline, sacrifice, tolerance, justice, fairness and empathy for the less fortunate, President Jonathan asked them to “ reflect on these edifying lessons as they fast and make them a greater part of their daily lives to promote peaceful co-existence and greater unity amongst the diverse groups in Nigeria.”

Against the background of recent security challenges in

Adamu SULEIMAN, Sokoto, Tony AKOWE, Kaduna, Sanni ONOGU, Abuja and Vincent IKUOMOLA parts of the country, President Jonathan assured the Muslim faithful in the affected areas that “every possible effort will be made to ensure that they observe the Ramadan rites of spiritual reflection, supplication, good deeds, charity and worship without hindrance.”

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, made a fresh appeal to the brains behind the current wave of violence in the country to sheath their swords and embrace dialogue as fast-

ing got underway.

Dialogue, according to him, remains the best option in resolving all problems.

He also asked Muslims to continue to be their brothers’ keepers and intensify prayers in seeking Allah’s intervention in problems facing the country.

In a statement in Sokoto to mark the commencement of the holy month, the Secretary of the Sultanate Council, Attahiru Hussaini, described Ramadan as the month that symbolises tolerance, kindness, forgiveness, restoration of family values and upliftment of social norms. “ It is also pertinent here, to express our total commitment to ensuring peace, peaceful coexistence and unity of our great

country,” he said.

He appealed to traders in particular to have the fear of Allah during the period by desisting from hoarding or inflating the prices of foodstuff, clothing and other essential commodities.

Senate President, David Mark, urged Muslims to use the Ramadan to pray fervently to God to end the problem of insecurity in the country.

He said: “The challenge we are facing is temporary. It is not in our culture or tradition.

I believe that through our consistent prayers to God, Nigeria will overcome.

Speaker Aminu Tambuwal of the House of Representatives was of the same view, saying the period should be used to pray for peace, unity

and progress of Nigeria.

“As we begin the Ramadan fast, we must take actions that match our prayers. The holy month is a period of sacrifice, prayers and reflection on our attitudes and contributions to nation-building. It bears repeating here that without peace and unity, socio-economic development will continue to elude our society,” he said He prayed for an end to the spate of bombings, ethno-religious conflicts and other acts of insecurity in the country.

Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State urged Muslims across the state to use the Ramadan to focus on “ the positive attributes that bind us together as a people devoid of ethnic and religious sentiments, as Islam means and preaches peace.”

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

FG records N763.553b revenue in June

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HE Federal Government earned a gross revenue of N763.553

billion for the month of June, the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has announced.

The Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Lawan Ngama, told journalists in Abuja on Thursday night that the figure was higher than the N579.301 billion received in May by N184.252 billion.

He attributed the increase to the leap in the collection of company income tax, import duties and Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) on Production Sharing Contract (PSC) and Modi-

John OFIKHENUA, Abuja fied Carry Arrangement (MCA).

Value Added Tax (VAT) came down to N59.219 billion as against the N60.084 billion distributed in the preceding month.

The sum of N467.007 billion was shared by the three tiers of government after the sum of N88.66 billion was transferred to non-oil excess revenue. Also distributed among the three tiers of government was the N7.617 billion refunded by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

New constitution ready July 2013 Onyedi OJIABOR, Assistant Editor and Okungbowa AIWERIE, Asaba

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• Scene of the explosion... yesterday

30 die in Port Harcourt vessel explosion

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FRESH tragedy hit Rivers State yesterday, barely a week after the tanker explosion claimed close to 200 lives.

The latest incident is the explosion of a vessel leaving 30 passengers dead.

Three persons were injured and three other vessels were badly burnt.

The tragic scene was the Abuloma Jetty, Port Harcourt.

The ill-fated vessel, according to a source, belonged to a private company contracted to supply food and sundry items to off-shore employees of an oil company.

It was found to be leaking and a group of welders was engaged to seal the leaking points.

It was gathered that the welders were on the job when the explosion occurred.

An eye witness said: “One of the welders was blown off by the explosion. He landed in the fire and died on the spot.”

In the ensuing confusion, three of those in the vessel jumped into the river, despite their injuries, in a bid to swim to safety. They were rescued by sympathisers and rushed to the hospital, although two of them were said to be in critical conditions.

There are fears that no other persons escaped.

Most of the dead, a source said, were girls whose mission in the vessel was not immediately known.

The owner of the vessel also could not be ascertained at press time.

The Rivers State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Dr. Kayode Olagunju, said of the

•Three escape with injuries •Other boats badly burnt •JTF sets five fuel tankers ablaze

Multi-million naira equipment lost as fire guts newspaper house

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HE Rivers State Government-owned The Tide newspaper’s corporate head office at Mile One, Diobu, Port Harcourt, was in the early hours of yesterday razed, with ten new computers, office equipment, items of furniture and other valuables worth millions of naira razed.

The office of the newspaper’s General Manager, Celestine Ogolo, was completely burnt by the fire which started about 2 am, on the second floor of the two-storey building. Over ten airconditioners, refrigerators, ceiling fans and other office items were affected.

Besides the general manager’s office, the fire also affected the boardroom, where new sets of furniture had just been moved into; the office of the chairman of the board; audit, credit control and legal departments, as well as the general administration office.

The office of Rivers Fire Service is directly opposite the burnt building, but when the fire fighters arrived, they stood helplessly by the roadside for about 15 minutes, with their equipment unable to put out the raging fire.

It took the intervention of fire fighters from Total Oil Company, for the fire to easily be put out.

The Chairman of the Rivers State Council of the Bisi OLANIYI,Port Harcourt accident: “An oil vessel, at about 9.45 hours caught fire and exploded at the Abuloma Waterfront in Port Harcourt.

The fire was still restricted to water area. FRSC, NEMA, Police, Fire Service and others were the rescue agencies on the

Bisi OLANIYI,Port Harcourt Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Opaka Dokubo, declared that the state did not have effective and efficient fire service, even as he called on Rivers government to adequately equip the outfit, for better performance.

It was learnt that the water hose of Rivers government’s fire fighters could not get to the first floor of the building, with the firemen running around the expansive premises, without proffering any solution, until their counterparts from Total oil firm arrived, thereby preventing the entire building from being burnt.

It was also gathered that the Total fire fighters stood by the road side, a bit far from the building and effortlessly extended their hose to the last floor, which put an end to the conflagration.

By the time fire fighters from the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) in Port Harcourt got to the scene, Total firemen had completely put out the fire.

The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Ibim Semenitari, and other top Rivers government officials later visited the scene and expressed shock over the incident.

ground. Casualty figures not yet known.”

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Deputy Superintendent Ben Ugwuegbulam, did not respond to telephone calls when The Nation on Saturday called.

Three other vessels anchored near the burning vessel and other facilities were badly burnt by the raging fire, which

could not immediately be confronted in view of the intensity of the heat.

As the fire raged, men of the Joint Task Force (JTF), codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, set ablaze five tankers used by illegal bunkerers for transporting petroleum products.

Spokesman for the JTF’s Sector 2, Captain Sunny Samuel confirmed the burning.

HE Senate yesterday said that the National Assembly would resist any attempt by the vocal minority to foist its views on Nigerians.

It assured that it would not foist a fait accompli on Nigerians under the guise of constitution review.

The upper legislative chamber said that the synthesis of the true will of the Nigerian people must be allowed to be reflected in the new constitution being worked by the National Assembly.

Senate President, Senator David Mark, made the declaration in Asaba, Delta State capital while inaugurating the retreat of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review of the 1999 Constitution.

He said: “Let me assure you that the National Assembly will not foist a fait accompli on Nigerian under the guise of Constitution review. No senator harbours any preconceptions as to what is to be inserted into the constitution being reviewed.

“The Constitution is for all Nigerians and not for senators alone.

It is therefore the synthesis of the true will of the Nigerian people that will be reflected in the new constitution.

“But what we will not allow is for a vocal minority to foist its dictates on Nigerians; the Senate will resist any such attempt.

“We will certainly not permit the thunder of a fraction to drown the voices of the nation.

He posited that holistic or wholesale approach should be jettisoned while attention should for now focus on those areas that compel urgent review.

According to him, the country is a complex society in which the forging of a national consensus on borderline issues is an arduous, if not impossible task.

Mark who traced the history of constitution making in the country, noted that the 1999 Constitution, which was bequeathed to the country by the military, is far from being a perfect document, especially when there was no plebiscite, referendum or national conference preceding its promulgation.

He recalled that in May, 2009, the Sixth Senate inaugurated the Senate Committee on Constitution Review of the 1999 Constitution which successfully amended the constitution.

The Committee, he said, wisely eschewed the wholesale approach, and focused primarily on electoral reforms.

He said that the general elections of 2011 and the elections conducted thereafter have been the beneficiaries of the amendments.

He said, “Our elections may not yet have attained the desired degree of perfection, but there is a growing realization that impunity is no longer welcome in our electoral process.”

Mark listed devolution of powers, fiscal federalism, concept of federating units, system of local government administration, including funding, creation and autonomy, judicial reforms, creation of states, boundary adjustment, fine-tuning of the electoral system as some of these areas that attention should focus.

He charged the framers of the constitution to bear in mind that a constitution, being the fundamental law or the grundnorm, must define, with imagination, the terms of the social contract and guarantee fundamental rights and civil liberties and the mechanisms for their enforcement.

Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu said that his committee received 108 memoranda from Nigerians on the type of constitution they wanted.

He assured the process of Constitution amendment would be complete by July 2013.

56-yr-old man bags 14 years imprisonment for raping girl, 11

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N Osogbo Magistrate Court has sentenced a 56-year-old Samuel Olatoye for raping an 11-yearold primary school pupil in Osogbo to 14 years imprisonment without any option of fine.

The convict had just finished serving a jail term at Ilesa prison for armed robbery which he committed on June 11th, 2012 at Abodua, Oluode area of Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

Olatoye was said to have forcibly had carnal knowl-

Adesoji ADENIYI, Osogbo edge of the hapless girl, who is a primary 4 pupil of All Saints Primary School in Owoope area, Osogbo.

The police prosecutor, Elisha Olusegun, yesterday told the court that Olatoye, engaged one Funmilayo Adefemi to invite the girl to his house and thereafter deflowered her, The charge sheet also said that Olatoye conspired with

Funmilayo to commit felony to wit rape and unlawfully had carnal knowledge of an 11-year-old victim and thus committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 516 and 218 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Vol. II, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2003.

The accused person pleaded guilty to the twocount charge of conspiracy and rape preferred against him.

The prosecutor also informed the court that Olatoye

resides very close to her victim’s school, therefore making it easier for him to have access to them after schools hours.

Olusegun said that the exconvict seized the victim’s clothes, including pants for close to two hours after forcing her to bed, an action which prompted the victim’s parents to search for their daughter and eventually found her in Olatoye’s house.

The prosecutor further informed the court that the victim revealed to her parents

how Olatoye forcibly had sexual intercourse with her.

According to the prosecution, the victim’s parents reported the case at the state command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Osogbo and Olatoye was apprehended and was later handed to the police for necessary investigations.

When asked whether the fact was correct, the accused said it was the truth, adding that he had been having sexual intercourse with the

victim for about two years alongside some of her friends.

Olatoye’s counsel, Mr. Reginald Ngwu, prayed the court to tamper justice with mercy, but Magistrate Adewunmi Makanjuola declared Olatoye guilty and convicted him.

Makanjuola ordered Olatoye to be sentenced to 14 years imprisonment and also ordered that Olatoye should be re-arraigned in court for raping some other young girls inside his room on September 7th, 2011.

NEWS 7 Ajimobi floats insurance scheme for Operation Burst personnel

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

Court reserves ruling on contempt case against PDP chieftains, OGSIEC, others

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N Ogun State High Court sitting in Ilaro yesterday reserved ruling till July 26 in the "contempt proceeding" filed against chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Chief Ireti Oniyide, Hon. Fasiu Bakenne and Ambassador Tunde Oladunjoye.

This latest contempt proceeding, which is before Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, exposes Oniyide, Bakenne and Oladunjoye to the risk of being sentenced to another jail

Ernest NWOKOLO, Abeokuta term should the case succeeds.

Oniyide, Bakenne and Oladunjoye, who carry on as members of the state Caretaker Committee of the PDP in Ogun State, were last July 4 committed to a six-month jail term by Justice Charles Effanga Archibong of the Federal High Court, Lagos for alleged serial contempt of a court order regarding which organs of the Ogun PDP should submit the list of can-

didates for the July 21 council polls in the state.

Their sentence followed a motion filed before Justice Archibong by a faction of the Ogun State PDP headed by Engr. Adebayo Dayo (Chairman) and Alhaji Semiu Sodipo (Secretary).

And yesterday, a fresh application before Justice Dipeolu seeking an order for the "committal" of same Oniyide, Oladunjoye and Bakenne was heard, but the Judge adjourned till July 26 for ruling, saying the ad-

L-R: Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; his wife, Florence; and Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, during a condolence visit by the Ekiti State Governor to the Ajimobis over the demise of Alhaja Sikirat Ajimobi in Ibadan, Oyo State... on Thursday.

Fayemi commiserates with Ajimobi on mother’s death

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KITI State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has commiserated with his Oyo State counterpart, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, on the death of his mother, Alhaja Sikirat Ajimobi, who passed on Wednesday at the age of 85.

The governor, who was at the Government House, Agodi, Ibadan on Thursday to condole with Governor Ajimobi, said the deceased did not only reach a ripe age, but also lived an exemplary life.

Fayemi added that the legacies left behind are those of service, integrity and honesty

and are displayed by her children, saying “that it is doubtless that Alhaja Ajimobi is survived by great children in line with a popular Yoruba prayer.”

He stressed that it was “not a time for condolences and commiseration but it is a celebration of life for someone who passed on at 85”.

Senator Ajimobi, who spoke with journalists after the burial, described his mother as an epitome of motherhood, humility, godliness and fairness.

Ajimobi added that though it has been established for mankind to die, the Ajimobi

matriarch would be missed for the support she gave him and his siblings.

He stated that Alhaja Ajimobi’s demise, prior to the start of the Ramadan, was a testimony to the good life she lived.

“I consider myself lucky to see my mother live up to 85 years, with all the nine children still alive. She died at a holy period when Muslims start their Ramadan. Apparently, she lived a good life. She prayed to witness my inauguration as governor and then lived 400 days afterwards”, he said.

journment would afford her the time to go through all the arguments and submissions of all parties involved.

Oniyide, Bakenne and Oladunjoye were perceived by the applicants as treating a valid court order with contempt by submitting names of candidates for the local government polls to the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) and having the candidates' names published in a national daily, thereby allegedly undermining the role of the Adebayo Dayo-led Executive Committee of the PDP in the state.

Also listed for “committal” in the “contempt proceeding,” are the Chairman of the OGSIEC, Alhaja Risikat Ogunfemi, Alhaji Korede Lawal, Bisiriyu Adekambi, Mutiu Agboke, Oyediran Aina, Kolawole Odesanya and Adetokunbo Williams, all members of the OGSIEC, and the OGSIEC as a body.

The said application for the committal of the “alleged contemnors” was filed by same Engr. Dayo and Alhaji Sodipo on behalf of themselves and the Executive Committee of the Ogun State PDP through their counsel, Mr. Ajibola Oluyede.

When the matter came up yesterday, Oluyede told the court that the matter was for the committal of the alleged contemnors and that by their action held the court out as being “irrelevant” whose valid order and pronouncements are not bonding on them.

But counsel for the PDP National Secretariat, Mr Gboyega Oyewole, who held brief for Otunba Kunle Kalejaiye, urged the court to dismiss the contempt for lacking competence and constituting an abuse of court process.

Also, Mr Abraham Adeoye, counsel for the OGSIEC and its members, prayed the court to discountennance the application and dismiss it for being procedurally defective.

According to Adeoye, the application failed to follow the Sheriff and Civil procedure, but Justice Dipeolu, after listening to all parties, adjourned the case till July 26 for ruling.

Fashola charges committee to decentralise nation’s governance petitive structures for the fuOVERNOR Babatunde ture, with programmes that Raji Fashola of Lagos

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State has charged members of the constitutional amendment committee to ensure the decentralization of many critical areas of the nation’s governance.

He said it had become imperative that many areas that were under performing should be rejuvenated to create competition and stimulate economic growth.

The governor, who was a guest speaker at the first distinguished lecture of the Osun State University (UNIOSUN) in Osogbo, said the committee should be courageous in its assignment, saying by doing so they would set the country free from “the unitary system that is retarding its growth.”

Fashola, who noted that all efforts should be made to free the country from the shackle

Adesoji ADENIYI, Osogbo of unitarianism so that the country could make progress, condemned a situation where the federal government foisted on the state government wages paid to its workers, saying wages should be negotiated on the basis of skills and not minimum wage.

He said: “I don’t see why any reasonable government will prescribe a minimum wage for skill labour, though I recognise the need to negotiate a minimum wage only for low income earners. For instance, you cannot negotiate a minimum wage for professional footballers abroad, every footballer negotiates his wages on the basis of his skill.

“We should allow this to

manifest in our educational system. This is the only way to see improvement. There will be progress when you allow healthy competition and that is why you can see some level of progress being made in the south west because every governor attempts to develop his state at his own pace.”

Describing the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s education policy in the First Republic as faultless, Fashola, however, charged governors in the south west region to hold its essential principles “and renew but not re invent his innovative wheel, if his legacy for the region and his dream for the country are to be fulfilled.”

Fashola also urged the political leadership to build com-

will ensure that the Nigeria’s economy develops and retains a high quality base of intellectual capital to be able to compete in the global economy.

The governor, who said that knowledge economy makes up a large share of all economic activities in developed countries, stressed that efforts should be concentrated on human capital and development to fast track the nation’s economic growth.

He said: “It is clear that one of the key components of a knowledge economy is a greater reliance on intellectual capital rather than on physical input and or natural resources.

Developed countries tend to have mainly service based economies, relying largely on knowledge or know-how or expertise.

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OVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi has put in place an insur ance scheme for members of the state Joint Security Patrol Squad codenamed Operation Burst.

He disclosed yesterday this while speaking at a farewell service held for the four members of the squad who lost their lives in a motor accident which occurred recently at Samonda Area, Ibadan.

Governor Ajimobi, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Security, Col. Olu Fatunmbi (rtd.), commiserated with the families of the deceased, saying ``it was a sad day for the government; it is regrettable.”

“Government has put up a lot of welfare packages for their families to cushion the effect; government has put in place an insurance scheme for members of the Operation Burst; their vehicles have also been insured,” he said.

The governor urged the people of the state to continue to have confidence in the squad and give adequate and regular information to the team to make the job of securing the state easier.

In his remarks, the Commandant of the squad, Col. Thomas Eze, charged members of the public to always give the right of way to the Operation Burst’s patrol vans, especially when they are responding to distress calls.

Alaafin tasks govt on Fulani herdsmen’s menace

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HE Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, has charged the governments at various levels to find a lasting solution to the menace of Fulani herdsmen who he said had become a serious problem to their hosts in many parts of the country.

The paramount ruler, while speaking in his palace last week during an official visit of the Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, said the reports of the Fulani destroying farmlands and killing the farmers had become so overwhelming and charged the governor to do something to stop the trend in Oyo State.

In his words, he said: ‘’They have remained hostile visitors to their hosts and on many occasions, they have killed many farmers after destroying their farmlands. This development has led to many farmers abandoning their farms and the consequence is imminent hunger in the land.’’

He announced a donation of 14 cars to members of Oyomesi and some political leaders, explaining that he decided to do so to tell the people that loyalty pays.

In his response, the governor lauded the efforts of the traditional ruler, particularly his full support for him while vying for the governorship seat.

Arisekola, Babatope, others to honour Aluko tomorrow

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HE Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Abdul Azeez Arisekola Alao; a prominent politician in Osun State, Chief Ebenezer Babatope; and a community leader in Ijesaland, Chief Olu Abiola, were among eminent Nigerians expected to honour the Publisher of the Third Eye newspaper in Ilesa, Osun State tomorrow.

The celebrant, a business morgul, will be marking his 67th birthday at his Ilesa residence with hundreds of friends and well wishers.

According to a statement by the 67th Birthday Committee, there would be a thanksgiving service at St Victoria Catholic Church, Ijebu-Ijesa Road by 8am on Sunday, July 22.

LG boss lifts widows, others

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HE Chairman of the Ogo Oluwa Local Government Area, Oyo State, Hon Remi Adepoju, has empowered 50 women in the area.

Speaking during the presentation of the grinding machines, Adepoju pledged to further better the lives of the people in the area, as his party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) is committed to the welfare of the citizens.

The widows in the local government area were not left out, as they were given N10, 000 each.

The council boss, in a statement, said he would do everything possible to improve the standard of education in the council.

“The council has paid the NECO fees of 507 senior students and distributed 90,000 exercise books to pupils in public primary schools in the local government area. We have also paid 2011 bursary awards to indigent students of the local government area,” he said.

Victory schools celebrate

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HE Victory Group of Schools, comprising Victory Gram mar School, Victory College and Victory High School, all in Ikeja, Lagos will on Tuesday, July 24 hold its yearly valedictory graduation ceremony.

The occasion is to honour the 18th set of Victory Grammar School, 28th set of Victory College and 39th set of Victory High School.

The event, which will come up at Victory Hall on the premises of the schools at 11am, will be graced by people from all walks of life.

The Managing Proprietor of the group, in a short interview, said: The ceremony is to honour our students who have distinguished themselves in academics and conduct in order to make them achieve greatness in different fields through self-development.”

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

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T is often said that leadership is not a popularity contest to indicate that good leaders must be able to make and live with difficult decisions. But politicians and world leaders want to be liked by the populace, and occasionally or mostly, shy away from unpopular decisions. However is the ability of a leader to abide by his vision and principles that distinguish good leaders from bad. Also some leaders believe that the end justifies the means and do not care about the way they achieve their objectives. Such leaders are charlatans who seek, keep and exercise power without vision and are in power or office just for power’s sake and do not make positive change happen in their environment.

Last Wednesday July 17 was Nelson Mandela’s 94th birthday and former US President Bill Clinton flew all the way to S Africa with his daughter to congratulate the man who was the most famous prisoner on the infamous Robben Island where he was kept for 27 years for his opposition to the policy of apartheid in that country at the time. In Nigeria a state election in Edo State turned out to be a lesson in how the electorate can reward good leadership if elections are not allowed to be rigged by Machiavellian tactics and strategies.

In far away China the Chinese President announced a $20bn credit package for African nations, a gesture he described as the strong helping the weak of this world. In Syria where President Bashar Assad is fighting for his political life and is being propped up on life support at the UN Security Council by the stubborn Russians suicide bombs decapitated his security apparatus killing key defence personnel in his cabinet at a meeting.

Nelson Mandela is the pin up boy for good leadership in the modern world as we know it today . He was persistent at his trial as a terrorist - as he was called by his accusers - that the ANC was organized for a violent

Leaders and charlatans overthrow of the apartheid regime because of the injustice of apartheid which made black S Africans second rate citizens in their country. For this he could have been hanged by the racist regime as his colleagues in the ANC leadership expected then but he was lucky to bag the 27 year jail term that endeared him to the world today. Mandela became president in 1994 and ruled for a single term of five years and handed power over democratically to Thabo Mbeki the son of his prison mate at Robben Island.

Indeed in his memoirs Mandela did not even want to be president.

All he wanted was to sit back and organize the party - ANC – into a virile force for development and progress of a multicultural S. Africa. Who knows what could have happened if Mandela had stayed in the background and organized ANC the way he wanted? The answer to that million dollar question can be found in Bishop Desmond Tutu‘s recent remarks while praising Mandela’s leadership qualities at his 94th birthday.

The outspoken anti apartheid Nobel Peace laureate Tutu did not mince words in saying that Mandela would cry if he knew what is going on now in his nation of which Alan Paton wrote the famous Cry the Beloved Country during the apartheid era.

Bishop Tutu lamented the poor state of black shanty towns and the fact that children are still going to school under tree shades in a nation that the party Mandela led to power has ruled since 1994.

Yet Mandela played his part and brilliantly too . He set out the principles of his leadership in an interview in Newsweek Magazine sometime ago. He said he learnt the language of his jailers and enemies as well as their sport –rugby to be able to fight them

more effectively. He celebrated and danced with the all white S African rugby team that won the World Cup early in his tenure as president. Mandela said a good leader must keep close to his enemies but must not leave his friends and followers too far behind.

Mandela organized The Truth and Reconciliation Commission in S Africa and put his trusted friend Desmond Tutu in charge and that helped heal the wounds and pains of apartheid- creating a vibrant rainbow nation of many races living in peace as we know S Africa today. Mandela has been larger than life in the way he has lived respectably out of power.

However there was a snag in the superb power role model archetype with regard to his divorce from Winnie Mandela his wife who fought for his release while in prison and his subsequent marriage to the wife of the late Samora Machel the president of Mozambique his close colleague who died in an air crash. That was Mandela as a man and perhaps that too was part of what has made him popular and irresistible to Bill Clinton whose presidency was almost truncated by the Monica Lewinsky affair.

Anyway, its good to know that at 94 the Mandelas are happy whilst the Clintons can be said to be in the same mood -with Hillary one

of the most effective US Secretary of State of modern times, in spite of the infamous marital hiccups the two families went through in the past, in full global view.

The Edo State gubernatorial election that saw incumbent Governor Oshiomole returned to power is a victory for the rule of law and our disreputable form of democracy. The victor and his party the ANC can beat their chest for the victory. The fact that the reelected governor was a trade unionist played a major part as workers’ leaders know that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty and Oshiomole is no exception. This was shown clearly in the way he monitored INEC the police, army and other security outfit that besieged his state.

He cried wolf stridently at the roof top at every turn of the road leading to the election day and the announcement of the results.

Had he not done this he could not have returned to office with the likes of Chief Anenih, whose party lost even in Uromi, against him. Oshiomole’s victory was unbelievable as Anenih got a D Sc degree Honoris Causa from the Igbinedion University where his citation hailed him as the Machiavelli of Nigeria’s politics.

Indeed in Edo State last guber elections a dimunitive David has slain a mighty Goliath and made

history in the process.

Next one must applaud the 20bn dollar credit package for African nations coming from China. This is quite timely as traditional EU nations that normally give aid to Africa have economic problems of their own which have affected the aid flow to Africa. If you add to this the threat by Britain that aid will be cut to African nations that legislate against homosexuality and lesbianism which are largely unAfrican then you see how Godsent the Chinese promise is. What remains is for the Chinese to monitor and see that the credit package do not end up in overseas foreign accounts of politicians and African leaders as have often been the case in recent times with the economic aid or credit from western Europe.

Last Wednesday in Syria a bomb killed the nation’s defence and interior ministers; the national security adviser and key defence bosses of embattled President Bashar Assad as they were having a meeting. Fighting and shelling have been said to be going on within sight of the presidential palace in Damascus .The situation is reminiscent of what happened when French troops moved in to Abidjan in Ivory Coast to remove former President Laurent Gbagbo now in the Hague for trial.

Of course a similar fate awaits Bashar Assad if he does not flee in time like Ben Ali of Tunisia did to Saudi Arabia. Bashar Assad is a prime example of an ostrich with its head buried in the sand, this time dug up for him by his Russian friends who must prepare to offer him refuge or abandon him to his predictable fate- which seem very much like that of a certain Muammar Gaddafi who ruled Libya for 42 years just like the Assad dynasty has done in Syria.

Surely for Syria and the Assad family the time has come to part company as charlatanism has never been a good enough substitute for good leadership ,accountability, transparency and respect for the wishes of the people in any nation, including Syria.

10 COMMENTARY

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

Still on Jonathan’s state of inertia Knucklehead

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan obviously wasn’t expect ing anyone, outside the clique that kowtows to him, to buy the illogic of blaming the choking inactivity in his government on the ‘distractions’ caused by the Boko Haram insurgence. Or was he? Definitely, the President was merely playing the comic when he told a gathering of his party chiefs last Tuesday that the Nigerian state could have collapsed but for what he described as the robustness of the Peoples Democratic Party. The joke did not just end there. Wreathing his party in the garb of a political association, which pays the highest regards to internal democratic practice, Jonathan was quoted as saying: “If the ruling party over-intimidates and over-imposes, using the weight of the Federal Government and the citizens’ revolt, it weakens the political system and creates confusion and instability!”

Are you as confused as I am even as I write this? For one, it is heartening that the President is gradually coming to grips with the reality of ending up with a fragmented nation should the lawlessness and descent into anarchy continue. In the past, we were buffeted with canticles of how the government was sitting atop the situation while thousands of lives were being lost to the madness. Nobody spoke about getting to the root. Then, it was like the insurgence and its deadly menace were not enough reason to distract the Jonathan administration from its transformation agenda. Each time we cried blue murder and heckled government for its inability to rein in the serial murderers on the prowl at different parts of the country, they were quick to remind us that governance must be seen to be working at all times. At a point, we were privileged to receive a presidential lecture on the ‘mentality’ of the terrorist and the fact that he gets a kick from the smallest hint of a paralysis in governance due to one terror act or the other. Terrorist activities and the devastating effects, we were told, were parts of the realities we have to live with for some time until someone stumbles on a solution or nature takes it course one way or the other.

Today, it appears Jonathan has finally freed himself from the shibboleth of deceit that had prevented him from acknowledging the reality that, under his leadership and that of his party, Nigeria is in very deep mess. At least, he now knows that the much-vaunted transformation mantra cannot fly in such an unsafe, crime-ridden environment. He said he could not deliver key electoral promises like provision of reliable power and creation of job because of the fundamental issue of insecurity and the needless distractions. He was, however, hopeful that the renewed efforts being put into the fight against terror by the security agencies should yield positive results. We wish him good luck.

Yet, as far as presidential excuses go, Jonathan has not done badly on this matter. But it is, to say the least, quite ingenious of him to take a swipe at the opposition parties when it is clear to every discerning mind that the actions and inactions of the PDP are at the heart of the Nigerian problems. In the last thirteen years that Jonathan’s behemoth took over the levers of government at the federal level with dominant majority in many states,

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T is an undisputable fact that education is the bedrock of development. This is why education remains the best legacy anyone would bequeath his child or the generation next. But these would only be mere sayings if the sector is left tainted and unattended to.

Accordingly, Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo’s administration in Gombe State has remained focused and committed to giving this all-important sector its pride of place in the scheme of developmental activities since inception on May 29, 2011. Driving this commitment is what the Governor himself compressed into giving the younger ones what he was given so that they can become better citizens tomorrow.

To be in firm control of the wheel therefore, the administration decided to place education above all other things and make it its first, second and third priorities. The desire is to confront and peel off the scales of rust that has encased the state’s education sector over the years.

With the contending issues of the Governor’s intention on one side and the miserable year in year out below par school certificate examinations results, the administration wasted no time in swinging into action as recommended by the committee set up to look at the problems besetting the education sector in the state. The committee was constituted alongside eleven others to look into the different sectors of the system and make recommendations.

Part of the recommendations of that committee was the need for a stopgap measure to get back on track the education dream, hope and aspirations of the majority of the state’s public senior school certificate holders who were already made despondent by the inability to break the jinx of passing the almighty Joint Matriculations Examination (JME).

That recommendation gave birth to the Gombe State Government’s collaboration with the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) to run a pilot remedial programme for 1,000 students, having identified that the lots of students who left secondary school but failed to obtain the entry points into university or polytechnic required remediation.

Under the Gombe State/UNIMAID arrangement, students are absorbed into the University system but study in Gombe where they are tutored/ guided by the institution’s staff and electronically write the same entrance examination as their colleagues on campus.

Nigeria has continuously tottered under the yoke of visionless leadership and its very gross indifference to the prospects of achieving true greatness. This is because the PDP is never tired of shoving itself up as a party without a soul. The problem with the PDP is the PDP. And that extends to the Nigerian problem since the head is rotten. The PDP professes a manifesto that its leaders, right from the days of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, often implement in the breach or at the whim of whosoever is in power.

Therefore, when Jonathan speaks of a ‘robust’ PDP holding the candle of a united Republic, you cannot help but giggle in amazement!

It is true that Nigeria has defied all logic by sustaining its standing position on shaky legs in spite of its continuous despoliation by combined team of kleptocratic elites feasting on our commonweal under the auspices of ‘the greatest party in Africa.’

Nevertheless, its non-collapse has nothing to do with the antics of a ruling party that is perennially toeing the self-destruct path.

Instead, credit should be given to the resilience of the average Nigerian for their elastic tolerance. In a democracy, and that’s if we seriously want to run one, you do not weigh down the people with federal might; neither do you whip them into line through intimidation and imposition. The power to make and unmake any government resides with the people. However, it appears the PDP and even the opposition parties tend to ignore this fact. With the general inertia in governance coupled with a growing feeling that this government is completely overwhelmed by the challenges confronting it, Jonathan and his party need to do much more than mere tendering of tendentious excuses in anticipation of an imminent disgrace in the 2015 general elections. They do not need a crystal ball, or a hand writing in the skies, to know this.

The signs are everywhere.

Intimidation or not, the people are already revolting against the system and its endless impunity. Unlike the bloody ones happening in other African countries cited by the President, Nigeria’s silent revolution is already taking place through the ballot box.

With the crushing defeat of the PDP in the Edo State gubernatorial election, it should be clear that the electorate is becoming more enlightened and is poised to weed out the dead woods that foist themselves on the populace by hook and crook. They obviously no longer have the patience to tolerate the lethargy in governance. Election eve hand out of largesse failed to work any magic in Edo state. Even in crisis, there should be a limit to excuses.

Some excuses, I must point out, just stand out like a sore thumb.

By now, the party’s apparatchik should be engaged in some introspection. Why, for example, should the people of Edo State where its well-known leaders recorded woeful losses even in their wards deal the party such a deadly blow? Why was the powerful traditional institution in that state against this ‘robust’ party’s candidate? What went wrong that, with all the ‘federal might’ that some people mustered, some erstwhile fixers of election results were permanently fixed into a permanent condition of stupefaction? What went wrong that a party that once had the state under its firm grip for nine better-forgotten years could not get a mere 25 per cent of the total votes cast? Could it be due to the PDP’s culture of imposition and intimidation, which the President at-

With

Yomi Odunuga E-mail:yomi.odunuga @thenationonlineng.net SMS only: 07028006913 tempted to downplay at the 60th National Executive Council Board (NEC) meeting on Tuesday?

The answers to these questions, if they truly agitate the minds of the leaders of the party, are not that difficult to fathom. They do not require the kind of magical lies spurned by the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, to justify the conferment of Permanent Secretary title on the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan. We need not look farther to justify crass silliness. Dickson said the elevation of the ‘Mother of the Nation’ (so says Diepriye Alamieyeseigha) were in the interest of the Bayelsa people.

Maybe that is true. However, I hope he duly consulted the people before taking the action. If not, that decision may yet haunt him in the nearest future like similar recklessness had sent some people out of power!

Back to the question on the dwindling fortunes of the PDP, the Senate President, David Bonaventure Mark, was right on point when he advised members of his party to stop whingeing and learn a bitter lesson from the outcome of the Edo State elections, which returned Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to office with landslide victory. He said: “Everybody’s votes will count and they (Nigerians) should be allowed to choose their own leaders; no imposition of any kind whatsoever should surface any more in this country. And I think that is a hard lesson that the majority party has learnt from the Edo election.”

However, it is not only that. The same voters that returned Oshiomhole could have sent him packing if he had spent the last four years dwelling on a thousand and one reasons why he could not realise his electoral promises. He could even blame it on a cantankerous opposition that keeps on criticising him. But he did not do that, Instead, he sat his bum down to reflect on his people’s critical areas of need, put his hands on the plough and thus begun a true transformation agenda that permanently endeared Oshiomhole to the people. The synergy between good, productive leadership and the people was what played out last Saturday. This was confirmed by the highly revered Oba of Benin Kingdom, Omon’Oba Erediauwa when he said that Oshiomhole was returned for his good works. That is an uncommon endorsement! If only some persons can learn a lesson or two from the Comrade Governor, they will not have cause to play the blame game when there is still ample time for them to retrace their steps, roll up their sleeves and get to work! Will they?

Creating enviable educational legacy in Gombe Mansur LAWAL ISMAIL “Whoever makes JAMB cut-off score of 200 points and above as well as pass the entrance examination will be given automatic admission into any course of his/her choice,” explained the Vice Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, Professor Mala Daura when he visited Gombe to oversee the students and conduct of the programme recently. Those who pass the remedial examination but fall short of the required UME cut-off score of 180 will be given another opportunity while the results are maintained. And for those that cannot pass both the remedial and JAMB entrance exams on the other hand, the university has undertaken to introduce diploma and other certificate courses into which they will be absorbed.

“So it is one of the youth programmes that we have introduced and will sustain till the time the pressure of solving the problem of this category of people is reduced. So, the conclusion is that it will be a continuous programme, and as soon as the exams are over on Friday (June 15, 2012), sales of new forms will commence,” assured Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo while commenting on the issues of education in the state and under his administration. He also seized the opportunity to hint that under the same partnership strategy, the state government will roll out a similar programme in conjunction with the University of Kashere, strictly for English Language and Mathematics as soon as academic activities resume.

But this agenda in its beauty and grandeur is only a precursor to a more grand arrangement with the Gombe State University, which is also designed to follow the same collaborative dimension. To this end, two Schools of Basic and Remedial Studies were proposed to be established at Kumo and Dukku towns in Akko and Dukku local government areas of the state to strengthen the remediation process. While that of Dukku is still in the pipeline, the one in Kumo has already takenoff in earnest, and it is designed to cater for 4,500 students in three years, that is 1,500 per session.

What makes this a more grand and interesting arrangement is that it will not only remediate the Senior Secondary School graduate in preparation

•Dankwambo for a tertiary education, it will as well remediate the JSS and then do a full remedial for them in readiness for entry into a university or polytechnic.

At the stage of the full remedial course, the Dankwambo administration in its wisdom realised that there could be some students that may not want to proceed with education. Such people will proceed to undergo training on trade, a business, a profession or a vocation in the school. As if that is not enough, robust sporting facilities are provided basically for the development of those of them that may not be academically or trade inclined, so that they can go into sports.

“Before the take-off of that school, we felt there was the need for immediate intervention so that we don’t leave a gap,” said Dankwambo, Talban, Gombe, to buttress his initiative.

In furtherance of the Talban Youth Empowerment Programme through education, the Governor, in his usual good judgment, has begun the process of establishing a state-owned College of Education at Billiri, headquarters of Billiri local government area, with the ultimate aim of breeding qualified teachers and put eternal end to the perennial dearth of teachers in the state once and for all.

It may sound like a cliché to bring in this, but it is worth mentioning at this juncture that 15 secondary schools and 15 primary schools are being repackaged into model schools. The same way many others are being renovated and/or reconstructed with plans to build new ones as the agenda to decongest the schools is of paramount concern to the administration.

On almajiri and nomadic education issue, trust the Governor’s painstaking intelligence quotient, because he has that already well thought out. Although nothing visible has been done in this direction, the Governor in one of the interactive sessions with journalists revealed that “that one too, work is in progress. We are now putting in measures to get the buy-in and also get the programme ready. So, as soon as the programmes are ready, we will let you know in detail what we intend to do.”

While this discourse obviously centres on western education, it will not be out of place to incorporate some of the enviable strides in informal education, at least with some reminiscing. The well equipped four vocational training centres spread across the three senatorial districts of the state have churned out 320 youths on seven trades with the plan to increase the trades to 13 and have more centres with over 500 intakes in the subsequent batch.

Education, like Governor Dankwambo has always said, is the administration’s priority because in his words: “It is the bedrock and the root tree from where the spread of development truly branches into health, entrepreneurship and other sectors,” which according to him is the reason the administration is making the best investments it could in the sector so that the branches will witness improvements.

It is no hoodwink, no arrogance or boastfulness, the investments are unmatched and are there for all to see. And having proven capable of matching his words with action in the past one year, all the promises in the area of education and all others are not only as good as real, but should be celebrated as already actualised M. L. Ismail wrote in from Bolari Quarters in Gombe Metropolis

Cross River bemoans loss of 76 oil wells as Akwa Ibom rejoices

THRILLER / 19-21

‘My life as ex-governor’s daughter’

LIFE & STYLE/ 41

SCREEN/ 21

‘What I should have done differently’

Justice so bitter, so sweet

Weekend

PEOPLE THE NATION, Saturday, JULY 21, 2012

Help!

My students beat me silly, embattled school principal cries out

‘

e-Principal ic V e th I, , e n lo a r a e y This been beaten e v a h rs e h c a te r e th o and udents five st e th y b d te ia il m u h and here students w n e se r e v e n e v a h I times. eat b to s g u th it ru c re l o o of a private sch to train and d te a d n a m re a o h w teachers become to r e rd o in m e th ld u mo e society th f o rs e b m e m le b si n respo

’

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

We We live live at at the the mercy mercy of of our our students, students, they they always always beat beat us us up up

•Part of the school premises

–Principal, –Principal, teachers teachers Kunle AKINRINADE

H

IS is a clear instance of fate reversed. The familiar trend had been that teachers would beat their students and sometimes maltreat them to the point that they incur public indignation.

But the reverse is the case for Prince Joseph Afolayan, the Principal of Meteorite Standard School (MSS), Itele-Ota, Ogun State. He has been the one receiving the lashes from his students who take interest in beating him and other teachers in the school at the slightest provocation.

Indeed, the academic staff of the school, located at 8/10, AiyetorOta Expressway in the town, now live in fear as a result of repeated harassment and humiliation in the hands of hoodlums recruited by some of their errant students to unleash terror on them.

Sited on six hectares of land, Meteorite Standard School was founded by Afolayan himself on September 9, 2002. But he is virtually regretting his action as he told our correspondent that this year alone, he and his teachers have been beaten up more than five times for reprimanding their students.

“Each time a student is reprimanded, it is usually greeted with heavy blows from thugs while their student accomplices act as umpires,” he lamented.

According to the embattled principal, one of the most recent in the series of humiliating attacks occurred about two weeks ago when a female

student in SS 1 recruited thugs that beat him until he broke his wrist. His offence? He sent the female student home for not dressing properly.

Before he knew it, the girl in question returned a few minutes later with stern-looking thugs on three motorcycles. On arriving the school, the thugs demanded to see the principal for interrogation. If Afolayan had thought it was a joke, he soon realised that his guests were dead serious when they rained punches on him, accusing him of being highhanded.

Ironically, the female student laughed hysterically while Afolayan was tormented by her thugs, who also proceeded to damage some of the furniture in the classrooms and vandalised many of the school’s doors.

Recalling his plight as well as those of his teachers, Afolayan said: “The last one year has been particularly bad in terms of the terror that has been unleashed on teachers and staff of the school by hoodlums acting on behalf of some errant students in the school.

“It all started when some hoodlums started milling around the school premises for no clear reason. An attempt to expel them met a brick wall as they refused to leave, threatening to attack us if we tried further.

Surprisingly, they started invading my school to beat up my teachers for reprimanding erring students.

“This year alone, I, the VicePrincipal and other teachers

•The hoodlums’ hideouts

‘

I never thought I could fall victim to the trend until it happened to me in May this year. I had reprimanded a male student who wore jerry curl hair. But before I knew it, he had invited hoodlums to beat me up and even joined them in attacking me. I was begging them while they were beating me, but my pleas fell on deaf ears. They would have killed me if not for the intervention of residents who were touched by what was going on

,

have been beaten and humiliated by the students five times. I have never seen where students of a private school recruit thugs to beat teachers who are mandated to train and mould them in order to become responsible members of the society.

“There is nothing I have not done to appeal to their parents to caution their children against joining bad gangs that may

change their orientation from good to bad.”

The latest in the series of humiliation Afolayan and his teachers suffer in the hands of their students occurred on June 29 when a female SS1 student (name withheld) came to the school at about 9.30 am in a pair of bathroom slippers, contrary to the code of dressing established by the school.

Afolayan said: “The girl is

known for truancy and she had resumed for lecture at about 9.30 am on the day of the incident in a pair of bathroom slippers, contrary to the school’s rules on proper dressing. Her dressing caught the attention of a teacher called Mr.Adelekan Ogunronmbi, who condemned her recalcitrant attitude and improper dressing. The teacher then sent her home with a proviso that she would only be allowed back into the school without an undertaking signed by her parents guaranteeing her good behaviour.

“To my surprise, instead of going home, the girl brought some hoodlums on six motorcycles to beat the teacher. I also got my own share of the beating because I tried to intervene. By the time the hoodlums were through with us, my wrist had been badly broken and I had to visit the hospital for treatment.One of my fingers was badly injured it is now contorted and it has refused to heal despite orthodox medical treament.I am beginning to suspect that my attackers must have used Juju to beat me.”

“To worsen matters, when I sent my vice-principal to report the incident at Itele Police Station, he was again ambushed and beaten by the hoodlums on the orders of the girl and her parents.”

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

13

•Afolayan •Osato

•Onwordi

•Afolayan’s wounded finger

Ogunrombi echoed Prince Afolayan while sharing his ugly experience with our correspondent.

He said: “I got the worst humiliation of my life when the girl, who happens to me my student, first of all slapped me before the hoodlums she recruited joined her in beating me. The school proprietor, who tried to intervene, was also thoroughly beaten and left with a broken wrist.”

In his own account of the incidents, the Vice -Principal of the school, Mr Theophilus Joel, narrated how he was humiliated by his students about three months ago.

He said: “I never thought I could fall victim to the trend until it happened to me in May this year. I had reprimanded a male student who wore jerry curl hair.

But before I knew it, he had invited hoodlums to beat me up and even joined them in attacking me. I was begging them while they were beating me, but my pleas fell on deaf ears. They would have killed me if not for the intervention of residents who were touched by what was going on.”

The Vice-Principal (academics), Mrs Esther Osato described the incident as”barbaric” saying”the humiliation of teachers of this schooln by students is an act of barbarism by learners who should ordinarily subject themselves to the school authority.The female student in question even threatened to smash my head with a big stone when I tried to intervene while the hoodlums she brought were beating the teachers and school principal cum proprietor.”

He cited a similar incident which occurred in February, when a JSS 3 student of the school employed thugs to beat his teacher for punishing him over the disappearance of a GSM phone belonging to another student.

Joel said: “Only in February this year, a JSS 3 student (name withheld) took a phone belonging to a student which was seized by his teacher. The teacher had placed the phone on a desk while the class was on. It was later discovered that the phone was missing from where he had placed it and he raised the alarm.

“In spite of my intervention and appeal, the boy in question refused to return the phone until it was later dropped on the floor of the class. I then decided to punish the entire class for the shameful incident. But to my surprise, the boy, working in concert with his parents, brought in hoodlums to beat me and other teachers” One of the teachers,Israel Onwordi, who was also beaten during the incident said:”It has becomea constant habit of students in conjunction with some hoodlums to beat us whenever we reprimand them.I was also slapped several times during the case of missing phone while I was dragged on the floor by the heartless hoodlums before being beaten.”

Prince Afolayan also said the hoodlums had prevented him from reconstructing one of the school’s buildings that collapsed a few years ago. “You won’t believe that these hoodlums even stopped me from rebuilding a one-storey classroom which collapsed not long ago, warning me of the consequences of disobeying their order. And that is why we have

not been able to erect a new building at the site of the collapsed building. The same thing happened when I tried to do a perimeter fence around the school premises.

“Before now, the Ogun State zonal office of National Youth Service Corps used to post corps members to the school, but that has ceased because of complaints of insecurity based on the activities of some students in conjunction with hoodlums in this community.

“In March this year, some youth corps members attached to the school were beaten up by the hoodlums for reprimanding a female student who had worn a necklace to school. The girl ran home and stormed the school with thugs to beat up the youth corps members in the school.

One of them even had blood gushing out of his nose after the attack.

“The incident led to the decision of the NYSC authorities to stop posting youth corps members to the school. I reported some of these incidents to the police but nothing has ever come out of it.

Now, I want to call on the Ogun

State Government to come to my aid by helping to dislodge the miscreants in front of the school.”

In her response,the girl who allegedly invited hoodlums to beat her teachers explained that she was angered by her teacher’s highhandedness.

“When our teacher came to the class that day,he asked for my state of origin and when i told him that i am from Ebonyi State,he stated making mockery of my state governor.Minutes later,he rebuked me for wearing a wrong sandals to school and he asked me to remove them but i refused on the grounds that i hd aches on one of my legs”.

“He then said I should leave the school and I reluctantly left.On my way home I met one of my nephews and I explained the incident to him. My nephew and some of his friends then led me back to my school to clarification from my teachers.The teacher was already teaching the class when my nephew and his friends sought audience with him and their chat degenerated into altercation.But I cannot tell whether he was truly beaten because I had moved into one of the sheds in front of the school while their encounter was going on” “ I learnt that the proprietor was beaten and I came with my mother to beg him. I realised that I should not have asked my brother and his friends to intervene in the matter at all,”she added.

When our correspondent visited the school, some of the hoodlums were seen taking locally brewed liquor under a makeshift shed at a section of the open field in the school while others were busy “unwinding” with Indian hemp;with the nauseating odour of the substance fouling the air.

A community leader, who gave his name simply as Elder Farinu, described the situation in the school as “dangerous to learning”.

He said: “The situation in the school is dangerous and inimical to learning because I had personally watched helplessly as some of the students brought in thugs to terrorise their teachers, and that is quite absurd in a learning environment. I remember that about three months ago, a student of the school brought in thugs to beat up his teacher for punishing him. And to my dismay, the boy even joined the thugs in beating his teacher. That is the height of decadence in a school environment.

“The proprietor of the school reported to the leadership of the community a few months ago how some miscreants had converted a portion of the school premises to their den, where they not only smoke Indian hemp but rape innocent girls. All the efforts made by community leaders to dislodge them from the school because of the nuisance they constitute to the environment have met a brick wall.”

He called on the Ogun State Government to demolish the illegal structures built near the school, which habours liquour sellers and miscreants, so as to restore sanity to the school and, by extension, the community.

“I am convinced that if the illegal structures near the school premises are pulled down, there will be a modicum of decency in the school, because the ramshackle structures have become a safe haven for the hoodlums used by unscrupulous students to terrorise their teachers. “ I therefore want to call on the Ogun State Government to help restore sanity to the school by demolishing the illegal structures,” he added.

THE NATION, Saturday, July 21, 2012

14 NMATES of psychiatric and other rehabilitation centres have one ultimate desire. This desire is simply to get well and go back to their family members. To facilitate the healing of their patients, most owners of such homes often times employ the services of medical practitioners and spiritualists to attend to the situations of the inmates. It is, therefore, very common to see prayer sessions taking place in virtually all rehabilitation homes.

While this appears to be the norm in many rehabilitation homes, developments in Society for The Safety of Insane and Aids Advocacy (SOSAID), a rehabilitation centre along Ago Palace Way in Lagos, shows the contrary.Instead of people going to pray for the inmates, they go there to be prayed for.

Though kindhearted men of God often go to the home to pray for the inmates, checks showed that many Nigerians particularly residents of Lagos State have been going to the home to seek spiritual solutions to various life challenges. While concerned men of God visit the home to pray for the inmates, members of the public with different life challenges troop to the home to seek prayers from the inmates' children.

Spinsters, childless women and visa seekers top the list of people visiting the home for spiritual attention.

It was gathered that the inmates' children pray three times every day and fast on special occasions to enhance their spirituality.

When our correspondent visited the home last weekend, a number of people, mostly females that wanted the children to pray for them were found waiting for their turn.

In an informal conversation, one of them, a female, told our correspondent that a friend who had visited the home earlier advised her to go there for prayers.

She said: "I was asked to come here and ask the children to pray for me by a friend. We were both childless after several years of marriage, but her story changed after she came here for prayers.

She said: "I would •Mrs Martins have been here much earlier for prayers, but I was psychologically not comfortable with it. It took me time to get convinced that there is nothing wrong with coming here to ask the children to pray for me.

They are only victims of than reason by circumstances. There is no thinking that difference between going to seeking prayers ask a pastor to pray for you from the children and asking these children to could make one or pray for you. the children that she is "How are you sure the praying for to have pastor does not have worse mental challenges. background than the children.

Even a lunatic can pray I believe that God would even for you and God would be moved to answer the answer.There are stories of prayers of these children faster people that got revelations than those of a pastor because from lunatics, and when of their situation. The Bible they acted on them, they shows that God loves children got solutions to their and always gives them problems. I will rather have attention." the children pray for me than Another said she was have an occultic pastor pray compelled to go to the home for for me.The children are prayers after following her social innocent and that is why God club to donate food items to the would easily answer their home. She argued that it is prayers. Some people that erroneous for anybody to think would even criticise you for that a woman that goes there coming here even visit for prayers risks having places that are worse." mentally challenged children.

The children have She asserted that it is better to male and female prefects seek prayers from the children who oversee their activities. than to seek the assistance of Jeniffer, the female prefect, told our witch doctors to have children, correspondent that she was seriously husband or tackle any life surprised the first day someone was challenges. brought to their hostel for prayers. Even "It is totally wrong for anybody to rubbish though they had always prayed among anybody that comes to ask the children for themselves, she said she was nonetheless prayers. Such people appeal to emotions

I

•Mrs Martins (right) with some inmates

Psychiatric home turns prayer ground •Spinsters, childless women, others seek prayers from inmates' children •An inmate being attended to by SOSAID nurses

n Innocent DURU n taken aback that somebody could come to them for prayers.

"I am 11 years old and the female prefect of the home.I was made the female prefect because of the leadership qualities in me.

"We always pray in the home because mummy relies on prayer to do the work she is doing here. She encourages us to pray regularly, and that is why we pray three times. We pray before going to school, pray when we return and also before going to

Continued on page 15

THE NATION, Saturday, July 21, 2012

L

IKE an uninvited guest, tragedy comes without any notice. That was the case in Ilesha, Osun State penultimate Sunday when a pall of grief suddenly fell on the household of Mr Samuel Ogunyemi Adebayo and his wife, Iyabo, moments after they returned from church. In one fell swoop, the couple lost two children; namely five-year-old Femi and three-year-old Tolu, to a furious flood.

Our correspondent gathered that on that fateful day, a heavy downpour had resulted in a flood that swept through the Jafoko area in Ilesa West Local Government area where the couple resides while they were in church. The kids, oblivious of the danger posed by the furious flood, hurriedly left the church •Femi and rushed home to save the clothes their parents had spread outside before they left for church in the morning. They were said to be only a few metres to their home when they fell into the flood as they tried to cross a wooden bridge, and it swept them away.

The bereaved father of the kids explained how his children got drowned in the flood, saying: “They were actually coming from church to pick the clothes that were spread outside our residence. They were rushing home to avoid being caught in the rain when it was still drizzling. But by the time they got to the wooden bridge, it had started raining heavily and flood had taken over the bridge.”

He recalled further how his deceased kids met their untimely death when one of their shoes fell into the flood while crossing the bridge and the futile efforts by divers to save their lives.

Adebayo said: “They could not make it home because by the time they got to the bridge, Tolu’s (the younger child) shoes fell into the water and his elder brother, Femi, joined him to search for it.

15

Ravenous flood consumes two brothers on their way from church n Kunle AKINRINADE n It was while they were trying to retrieve the shoes that both of them fell into the water and efforts made by people to rescue them failed.”

Findings revealed that Femi’s body was the only one recovered at press time while the family continued to feel the loss.

Adebayo’s wife and mother of the deceased kids, Iyabo, was said to have been so devastated by the incident that she almost went nuts.

A source who did not want his name in print confided in our correspondent that she has since been taken to Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa for proper care when she started acting funny.

The source said: “The mother of the kids collapsed when the news of her sons’ death was

•Tolu

broken to her. She appeared unable to regain her consciousness even after she was revived by sympathisers. You only need to see how she was shouting ‘I am finished! So, I won’t see Femi and Tolu again! She also muttered incoherent words to the surprise of sympathisers who had come to commiserate with her.

“In fact, she had started behaving like someone with unsound mind. Hence, she was taken to Wesley Guild Hospital where she is now receiving treatment while Femi’s body was deposited at the hospital’s mortuary.”

Until their death, the two children were pupils of Fesso Private School, Ilesa. A source in the school, who craved anonymity, described them as ‘well behaved and active in their school works”. It is however sad that cruel death took them away in such a bizarre manner even at a

time they were already beginning to show signs of being promising children both in academics and moral conduct. The management of the school has sent representatives to their bereaved parents on condolence visit. “ Ayodele Osobu, a resident, explained that the flood that swept the deceased kids had also sacked many residents from their homes before consuming the innocent children.

“It was also sad tales for many residents as the flood sacked them from their homes, particularly those who live around Oora River in Ilesa. The flood ravaged many of the buildings in the area such that residents were forced to vacate their apartments to avoid being swept away.

“A certain man would have drowned in the flood but for the quick intervention of those around who immediately saved his life. The man was also walking on the wooden foot bridge when he suddenly fell into it, but he was lucky that those at the scene raised the alarm. The distress message made some men to quickly jump into the flood and he was rescued.”

A community leader, who identified himself simply as Elder Aluko, said the area had always witnessed flooding whenever it rained heavily.

He also feared that the death of the two kids could signal what would happen in the days ahead if it rains again.

He said: “It is usually a sad story for residents whenever it rains because of the effect of flooding in this part of the state. I want to believe that the bizarre death of the two innocent boys signals what we should expect in the days to come should there be a repeat of heavy rain.

“It is my expectation that the authorities will respond to our plight by embarking on flood containment exercise, so as to stave off a repeat of this ugly incident in future.”

Psychiatric home turns prayer ground Continued from page 14 bed. We also fast from 6am to 12noon on some occasions.

"People with different life challenges have been coming to ask us to pray for them. I was surprised somebody came to the home and told mummy that she wanted us to pray for her.

"Few weeks after praying for her, she came back to tell us that God answered our prayers for her. That was how it all started, and, to our surprise, many others have been coming to ask us to pray for them.

"I really thank God for using us to bless other people.By our parents conditions, we should ordinarily be outcasts by now, but it has pleased God to use mummy to give us a meaningful life. It has also pleased him to use us, people who are troubled, to bring divine solutions to people that suffer from different life challenges,"she said.

Recalling how she got to the home, Jeniffer said:"My mum and I were brought here when she started having mental challenges. I can't really remember most of what happened then because I was very young.All I can remember was that we were always roaming about at Maza Maza along Mile 2 Expressway before we were brought here.

"I love my mother and always I pray for her.If God answers our prayers for others, I believe that he would answer the prayers I offer for my mum too. In spite of praying for people that come here for help, I don't want to be a pastor.My best Bible passage is Psalm 91. I love it so much because it dwells more on protection. Anyone that is protected is protected from the snares of the evil. One has overcome a major hurdle in life."

Asked if she would want to be a pastor later in life, Jennifer replied: "I want to be a doctor because I want to save lives. I want to spend my life restoring people, especially those that have nobody to care for them."

David is the male prefect. His reaction was not different from Jennifer's the first day a visitor requested prayers from them. He said that he was shocked that people could have the courage to come to them for prayers when they are aware of the circumstances that made them to be members of the home.

"I must confess that I was shocked to the bone marrow the day mummy told us that somebody wanted us to pray for her. It was like a dream to me because I wonderesd why anybody would want children of mentally challenged people to pray for them.

"It is a shock because the feeling is that people would not want to have anything to do with us because they are aware of our mothers’ or fathers’ mental state. On the other hand, it

that my father who denied me because of the circumstances that led to my mother's death would look for me. Though I head the children prayer group, I don't want to be a pastor. I want to be a mechanical engineer later in life. That is my desire and I pray that God will make it a reality."

The proprietress of the home, Mrs Felicia Martins, told The Nation how it all started. She said the home has always been a rehabilitation centre for destitutes and mentally challenged people and their children until somebody came to her and pleaded that she wanted the children to pray for her. After her visit, she said the whole thing took a different dimension as more people began to come for the same purpose.

"This place is not a church.It is a rehabilitation home for destitutes and mentally challenged people. We have pastors coming here from time to time to pray for the inmates. Though we take them to hospitals and have medical expatriates coming around to attend to them, we do not joke with prayers because some inmates'cases may be spiritual. For them to be totally well, we combine both spiritual care with medical care and God has never disappointed us.

"It is true that people come here to ask that the children should pray for them. It all started when one woman came to me and said she had heard all the wonders that God was doing in this place. She said she came for prayers and that she would want the children and no other person to pray for her. I agreed and took her to the children who had just broken their fast.

"They were surprised when I told them what the woman came for because it was the first time they would do such.They had always prayed and fasted for their spiritual growth and not for the purpose of praying for people.

"The woman's visit was what opened the door for others to start coming to the children for prayers. The testimonies of the people that have come have continued to propel more people to come here. We don't ask people to bring anything before the children pray for them. This is a charity home. We have freely received from God and freely we give to others.

God has been using people to bless us with food items, clothing, among other things.

"The challenge we have is accommodation. Our landlord has given us just 20 days to vacate the building. We are already working on our permanent home, but it has not got to the point where we can move in. I want to use this opportunity to appeal to members of the public to come to our aid. We have taken these people away from the streets and life of misery. They should not be allowed to go back to it. We need money or building materials to take our building to a habitable stage. May God bless you all as you assist us," Mrs Martins said.

•Mrs Martins (standing) with some SDOSAID members

brings us joy because the words of the Scriptures that the stone rejected by the builders have become the cornerstone have been proved right. We never made our spirituality public. We never advertised that people should come here for prayers, but God, in the mysterious ways he works, chose to announce us to the public, and since then, he has continued to glorify His name in the lives of people that come here for prayers. Many of the people we pray for always come back to testify that God answered their prayers.

The number of people that come to ask us for prayers has continued to increase because the people we prayed for always inform others about us. We don't ask people for anything to pray for them, but people voluntarily support the home with anything they have," he said.

The 16-year-old junior secondary school student told our correspondent that his father bluntly told him that he did not know him when he called him on the phone. He said he loves saying Psalm 23 all the time because it helps him to know that he has God as his shepherd even if his father denied him. He said his mother who was mentally challenged died in a hospital after a brief illness.

David, who desires to be a mechanical engineer, said:"My mother and I were picked from the roadside at a time she was feeling very sick. She was immediately taken to a hospital where she later died. People that were very close to our family gave us my father's number. I called him many times to tell him about this place, but he told me that he did not know me and could not come and see me. I later stopped calling him. I read Psalm 23 very often because it assures me that even though my father said he did not know me, God remains my dependable and reliable shepherd. I believe that my good sheperd would make me great and famous such

16

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

Domestic accident turns 32-yr-old beauty into monster

•Victim seeks help for corrective surgery as husband, mother abandon her

•Afusat after the incident

Kunle AKINRINADE

T

Afusat before the incident

HOSE who knew Afusat Jimoh before December last year would find it difficult to believe she is the same person.

Her monstrous appearance is a sharp contrast with the paragon of beauty she was before she fell into fire and had her face deformed.

Before the incident, the 32-yearold beautician and indigene of Kwara State had been grappling with dizziness and had tried in vain to find a cure with orthodox or traditional medicine.

Each time she collapsed, she was rescued by sympathisers until a day in December last year when she fell into a fire that badly burnt her face and other parts of her body.

Asked to recall the ugly incident, Afusat said: “It is a long story. But to cut it short, I used to feel dizzy, and whenever it happened, I would fall down. I had been lucky to have people around who rescued me. But on a particular day, I decided to visit one of my relations somewhere in Ejigbo (a Lagos suburb).

“On getting there, I needed to assist my host to fry some meat.

When I had done that, the fire in the tripod made of three big stones was still burning. Unfortunately, the dizziness recurred and overwhelmed me. I fell into the fire and my face was burnt beyond recognition. My arms and neck region were also burnt.”

Afusat also recalled the fruitless efforts made by sympathisers to reverse her monstrous appearance through corrective surgery, saying that the people’s inability to raise the sum of money required for that purpose remains the obstacle.

She said: “By the time I was taken to a nearby hospital, my face, neck region and arms had been badly burnt. I spent about four months in hospital before I was transferred to the General Hospital, Ikeja, where I again spent about three months. I was discharged after I had undergone a minor surgery.”

Sadly, while doctors were battling to restore her severely damaged face, her six month-old baby died as a result of what she called absence of motherly care.

Hear her: “I was nursing a two-month-old baby before the incident and she was handed over to my mother for proper care. Unfortunately, she died while I was still in hospital. I was told that she probably died because she had no access to breast milk, because she was not taking infant formula before the incident that took me away from her for months.”

I needed to assist my host to fry some meat.

When I had done that, the fire in the tripod made of three big stones was still burning. Unfortunately, the dizziness recurred and overwhelmed me. I fell into the fire and my face was burnt beyond recognition. My arms and neck region were also burnt

‘

,

Her woes became compounded when her husband and mother deserted her because of her condition, leaving her with no one else than her aged father.

“My husband had since deserted me because of my condition,” she said.

We had been married for three years before the incident. But the one that hurts me most is that of my mother who abandoned me. I don’t even know where she lives now.

“My father is the only one taking care of me with his paltry income. I am a beautician, but people are scared of seeking my service because of my horrible looks. I have now resorted to begging to complement the little my father, with whom I now live, can afford.

“He is a courageous and dutiful father. He has not for any reason abandoned me to my fate.

“I stopped schooling while I was in JSS3 at Ajumoni Secondary School,

Isolo, Lagos State because my parents could not afford my education. Although I am a trained beautician, I was selling clothes and beauty products before the incident.

“A charity organisation called Dot Human Development has sought information from an Indian hospital on the cost of face-lift surgery, which is about N3 million. But we have not been able to raise the money. I have approached some churches and mosques for assistance to help me undergo a comprehensive plastic surgery, all to no avail. I have also made fruitless appeal to some government agencies and I became frustrated after repeated visits to their offices yielded no positive results.

“I am therefore appealing to the good people of Nigeria to help me with donations for my surgery overseas. I pray that God will replenish their purse as they do that.”

Asked how she has been coping with life since the incident turned her into an awful being, she said: “As you can see, my head is covered. That is to prevent the festering wound on my face from exposure to the sun.

“I live with excruciating pains. I often go out to beg for alms so as not to depend entirely on my father, because he does not have enough money to take care of me.”

Afusat’s uncle, Mr Abdullahi Ayinla, also explained the helplessness of the family in the matter, saying: “She is the second child in a family of six.

The incident occurred at Ejigbo while she was on a visit to one of our relations. Although we had tried fruitlessly to help her find a cure for her her dizziness and at some point, we even tried traditional medicine, but all were in vain. Then came the unfortunate incident that has turned her into a horrific sight.

“Her father, who happens to be my own brother, did all he could to persuade her mother not to abandon her in this condition, but she refused to listen. She left as soon as Afusat’s daughter died and she has not bothered to look back since then.

“Her father has been the one looking after her since the incident occurred. Afusat was very industrious when she was healthy. Those who knew her would attest to this. I am seizing this opportunity to call for assistance from Nigerians to raise the money needed for her corrective surgery in India, because she has suffered so much while her condition, according to doctors, might worsen if help continues to elude her.”

The Coordinator of Dot Human Development, Mr Tola Odewunmi, said the organisation was touched by what he described as “the horrific looks of the young lady and the helplessness that characterised her condition”.

He said the organisation was trying to give hope to Afusat, adding that there had not been very good responses from those so far approached to help in raising N3 million needed for surgery in India.

“On our part, as a charity organisation, we feel that it is very important to give her hope even in the face of hopelessness which the sad incident has brought on her . The events that led to her present predicament were quite pathetic and we believe it requires concerted effort by everybody to help restore her to good health.

“Although, responses from those that we have approached for assistance in this regard are not encouraging, we believe that God will intervene before long,” he added.

Meanwhile a Fidelity Bank account no-4020858383 has been opened for those who may wish to assist Afusat with money to fund her overseas treatment. She can also be reached on 07041732811.

17

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21 2012 AST year, he lost his left arm while trying to steal high tension power cables in Nasarawa area of Abuja. But that would not deter Uchenna Isaac from venturing into full-blown armed robbery. He relocated to Lagos and joined a five-man robbery gang that posed as passengers to snatch taxi cabs, which they in turn used to snatch exotic cars.

In their confessional statements, Isaac and another member of the gang, Michael Adedeji, arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and handed over to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Lagos State Police Command, said luck ran out on them the day the battery of a Toyota Corolla they had snatched was stolen at Ojota Motor Park where they had parked to eat, smoke and take some bottles of beer, after which they would take the car to a buyer named Jacob.

In the bid to find the person that had stolen the battery of the snatched car, however, they were apprehended by eagle-eyed men of the RRS on patrol in the area, who immediately recognized the car as one that had been reported missing. The two suspects were immediately arrested and handed over to Abba Kyari, the Superintendent of Police (SP) in charge of SARS. The handing over of the suspects to SARS was said to have been ordered by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Manko, for discreet investigation and tracking down of the three remaining members of the gang as well as the buyer of stolen vehicles who was said to have received more than five stolen cars before luck ran out on the two members of the gang.

Narating his involvement in the robbery incident, Isaac, a 24-yearold indigene of Onicha Igbeze village in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, said: “My fiancée ran away and abandoned me when I lost my left hand in an attempt to steal high-tension cable in Nasarawa area of Abuja sometime last year.

“I was then leading a two-man gang who vandalised electricity and telephone cables, as they were in high demand and buyers paid handsomely. One fateful day, we snatched a taxi with the aim of using it to convey some cables we intended to steal to ready buyers in Abuja as we used to do.

“Unfortunately, we used a wooden ladder that broke while I was on top of the electric pole, trying to cut the cable. I fell down and a part of the the cable I had already cut fell on my left hand. Before my colleague could remove the cable from my hand, the Power Holding Company restored light and my left arm was electrocuted.

“Fortunately, my colleague was able to cleverly remove the live cable from my left hand with dry wood. He put me in the snatched cab and rushed me to Asokoro General Hospital Abuja where he told them that I suffered electrocution while I was trying to connect electricity to my house.

“I spent more than four months in the hospital, treating my left hand. The doctors later told me that the damage the electric shock had done to my left arm was so much that they had no option but to amputate the arm.

“To do that, however, they said they needed my parents or a relation to sign. It was at this point that the Roman Catholic Church intervened. They said I was an orphan brought up by the church.

Before I knew it, they sent reverend fathers and sisters to visit me in the hospital.

“I had given the hospital all the N30,000 I had. Luckily, the church

L

Few months after he lost an arm trying to steal high tension cables, desperate suspect joins five-man robbery gang

•Suspects

Ebele BONIFACE took over my feeding. They also cleared what was left of my hospital bill before I was discharged from the hospital.

“With my hand amputated, my gang member abandoned me. My fiancée also abandoned me when I could no longer afford money for our feeding and accommodation in Abuja.

“Frustrated and alone, I decided to relocate to Lagos where my sister lives and sells food. I left Abuja in February 2012 to live with my sister at Costain area of Lagos. I lied to her that I was involved in a ghastly auto accident and my left hand was so badly damaged that doctors had no alternative but to amputate it.

I told her that the major reason I came to live with her was for her to help me find a good job from which I could save enough money to buy an artificial hand. The people I consulted for artificial arm had told me that there are two types: local and imported ones.

“They said the locally made artificial hand would cost between N30,000 and N40,000 while imported one would cost about

‘

Unfortunately, we used a wooden ladder that broke while I was on top of the electric pole, trying to cut the cable. I fell down and a part of the the cable I had already cut fell on my left hand. Before my colleague could remove the cable from my hand, the Power Holding Company restored light and my left arm was electrocuted

,

$3,000.

“At about 7.30 pm in March 2012, I went to a club where I met some guys who told me that it would be difficult for me to realise my dream of buying a good artificial arm if I continued to wait on my sister. They told me there is ability in disability.

“When I met them the second time at Law School area of Victoria Island, they told me to join their gang, which they said specialized in snatching cars. I was very happy, as I did not need any other orientation to join them because that was what I was doing in

Abuja before I lost one of my arms.

“We are a five-man gang made up of myself, Marcel who is a dancer in a Club on Victoria Island, one Keji who is a commercial motorcycle rider, Olamide who is Keji’s elder brother, as both were from an orphanage in Lagos, and Michael Adedeji.

“We have a buyer called Jacob who resides at Ikosi area of Ketu in Lagos. We have given him more than six snatched cars. He paid us N120,000 for a Baby Boy Honda and N150,000 for an SKC SUV. The only car for which he did not

give us money is the one with the police.

“We used to realise extra money from the sale of handsets and laptop computers we got during operations. We also took the cash on our victims. Altogether, I made about N200,000, but I spent the whole money on clothes, women, drinks and cigarettes, except some that I sent to one of my sisters in the village.

“I could not save enough money for imported artificial hand because the money for visa and ticket to America alone is more than N500,000.”

The second suspect, Adedeji, said he joined the five-man gang to get enough money for his examination fees at a computer training institute in Lagos. Unfortunately, he could not save a dime as a woman who had adopted him as her child milked him dry.

He said: “Apart from the money I used to give the woman for feeding and rent, I could not save a dime because of the prostitutes she supplied me daily. I made between N10,000 and N25,000 every week from the loots that we shared. One of the prostitutes stole the sum of N90,000 I intended to use to open a bank account.”

18

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY21, 2012

M

ILLIONS of vehicle owners heaved a sigh of relief in August 2003 when a combined team of the Nigeria Police Force, the Beninois Police and the International Police (INTERPOL) arrested notorious Beninois trans-border robbery kingpin, Alhaji Hammani Tidjani. Their sigh was based on their belief that his arrest would bring an end to the rampant cases of car snatching by a syndicate that also ferry such cars across the Nigerian border into neighbouring Benin Republic.

They soon realised how wrong they were when the phenomenon of car snatching across the Nigerian-Benin borders continued unabated while Tidjani remained in detention. Lost on the Nigerian vehicle owners was the fact that Tidjani had a successor in another ruthless Beninois named Hassan Tidjani who has continued the unwholesome act, using a Cotonou, Benin Republic-based man named Alhaji Frank.

Frank’s main brief, according to police sources, is to recruit criminals for Hassan Tidjani’s gang from inmates of Nigerian prisons who are about to complete their jail terms. It is believed that when such inmates are about to leave the prison yard, Frank’s representatives, lieutenants or assistants who are still serving their respective terms would give the discharged inmates the name and GSM number of Frank. They will then proceed straight to Cotonou in search of Frank.

The source said: “It is easy to locate Alhaji Frank in Cotonou because once you call him on the phone that you were directed to him by his assistants in Nigerian prisons, he will either tell you to come and see him or ask you where you are and within some minutes, he will be with you.

“He will then give you money and gun as well as the name and GSM number of a particular gang leader in Nigeria who would brief you on the type of cars to snatch, usually cars and SUVs that are in high demand among buyers of stolen vehicles in Nigeria and Cotonou.”

However, a member of the gang was recently arrested while he was trying to take some cars snatched in Nigeria across to the Republic of Benin and subsequently transferred to SARS. The Commissioner of Police in charge of the Lagos State Police Command, Umar Manko, was said to have cut short the casual leave of the officer in charge of SARS, Abba Kyari, a Superintendent of Police, to track down other members of the dreaded gang as well as Frank, based on the leads provided by the suspect.

The directive was said to have yielded some fruits with the arrest of two other members of the gang, bringing the number of the gang’s members in police net to three. SARS operatives are also said to be working with the INTERPOL to perfect their intelligence network in a bid to track down Frank.

A source also said the police could extend their dragnet to Ikoyi and Kirikiri prisons to get the inmates believed to be helping Frank to recruit inmates whose jail terms are about to end.

The three suspects already arrested and detained by SARS in Lagos are James Agaba (36), a native of Obanliko in Cross River State who claims to be a professional driver with an E licence, resident at No. 12 Oluwakemi Street, Agbele, Abule Egba, Lagos. The second suspect, Sunday Fatuga (34) hails from Fiditi, Oyo State and claims to be a fash-

•One of the recovered cars

•Arms recovered from the suspects

Ebele BONIFACE ion designer, while the third suspect, Femi Ojebisi (36), a native of Igbo-Ora village, Oyo State, claims to be a mechanical engineer.

The last two said they were exconvicts and recruited from Ikoyi and Kirikiri prisons when their prison terms were about to end.

And all the three admitted that they travelled to Cotonou to meet Frank in order to become full members of his gang. They said as soon as they met with Frank, he gave them money and guns and directed them to a gang leader in Nigeria. He also told them the type of vehicles he would want them to snatch.

Narrating his involvement with the gang, Agaba said: “I am very unlucky. This is the first time I am participating in car snatching after serving my prison term at the Kirikiri Medium Prison.

“On the 3rd of June 2012, I got an SMS alert from a friend called Alhaji Frank. He is based in Cotonou in Benin Republic. In the SMS alert, he put the name of one Sunday and his GSM number. I travelled to Cotonou and met Alhaji Frank. He gave me the name and phone number of someone he said I should meet in Lagos. His name is Sunday.

When I returned to Nigeria, I called Sunday on the phone and he told me where to meet hm. I met him at Ile-Epo, Iyana Paja area. I did not know that Sunday had earlier been nabbed by operatives of SARS. When he asked me to meet him at Ile-Epo area, I

‘How car-snatching syndicate in Benin Republic recruited us from Nigerian prisons’ did not know that he was with SARS operatives. The moment I saw him and exchanged greetings with him, the SARS operatives arrested me.”

Asked how he joined the gang, he said: “I was in Kirikiri Medium Prison from June 2005 to December 2011. I went to prison

because one day, my friend called Ralph sent me to Oshodi to pick a vehicle, a Honda Economy, for him. I was later arrested by the police and charged to court where I was sent to Kirikiri Medium Prison.

When I was leaving the prison, one of the inmates, Hassan

Tijani, who was still serving his prison terms, gave me a written note to Alhaji Frank, who is based in Cotonou. He also gave me Frank’s phone number to call him as soon as I got there.

“I don’t know whether Hassan Tijani is still in Kirikiri, because it has been long I contacted him.”

Fatuga on his part said: “I was arrested when they arrested Femi (Ojebisi). Femi led the police to arrest my girlfriend, Chinyere, in Mushin, Lagos. My girlfriend called me to come and see her at home. When I got there, I saw her with the police and they arrested me.

“They asked whether I went with them to steal a Toyota Camry and I said yes. My friend, Ayo, took me to Agbado on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.

The car was parked at the roadside. The owner of the car was in it, speaking with a lady who was standing outside.

Femi, the okada (commercial motorcyclist) man, took Ayo and me there. As soon as he stopped, Ayo walked towards the owner of the vehicle, pointed a gun at him and told me to collect the key from him.

“I collected the key and started the car, and we drove to Badagry bus stop. There we called a man called Frank to come and collect the car. He came and collected it and gave three of us N40,000 and told us to come back the third day.

“On the third day, we called Frank on the phone and he said Customs men had collected the vehicle.”

Asked how he became an inmate of Ikoyi Prisons about four years ago, he said he hit a man’s car and was charged to court and remanded in prison custody.

“After two weeks, I settled with the big man out of court and I was discharged. I met Ayo when I was in Ikoyi Prisons. He was the one who made me to know Alhaji Frank.

“When Ayo left the prison, he visited me in my house to join his gang. That was what led to the operation in which I was arrested.

“Another operation I participated in was the snatching of a Gulf car on the way to SangoOtta, Ogun State. We were three in number and got N50,000 each.

I bought a television, home theatre and radio. I also smoked cigarette and drank beer.”

Ojebisi, who was said to have taken the two other suspects on motor bike to snatch a car, said he was coming from Agege when he saw Ayo and Sunday at Abule Egba bus stop.

“I stepped on the brake pedal and took the two of them as we headed towards Sango. Along the road, somewhere in Agbado area, we saw a Toyota Camry, which had overtaken me on the way. Ayo ordered me to turn and move closer to the car. He came down and moved towards the owner of the car, collected the key and handed it over to Sunday.

“Ayo sat by Sunday’s side in the front seat while the owner of the car was forced to take the back seat with the lady he was talking with.

“As I moved the vehicle towards Badagry, Femi followed us on his motor bike. At Badagry, we handed the car over to Frank and he gave us N40,000 for transport, promising to see us the third day. But the following day, Sunday called him and he told us that Customs men had collected the car.

“Sunday had found a blackberry phone inside the car. It was the phone that SARS men used to track me near my workshop in Sango two months after the operation.”

19

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

Saturday

Justice so bitter, so sweet Cross River bemoans loss of 76 oil wells as Akwa Ibom rejoices

THRILLER Olatunji OLOLADE, Assistant Editor

T

he judgment sticks like a fishbone in the natives' throats. To their ears, it rings like the exterior dialogue of guilt and damnation; but nothing compares to the swathes of disappointment the blades of justice inflicted on their hearts. Many would claim its “injustice” and Governor Liyel Imoke, the number one citizen of Cross River State, would lend his voice to the dirge of disillusionment chanted by his people even as you read, on any given soapbox.

In an emotion-laden remonstration to his people, he said: “This judgment is merely a temporary triumph of falsehood. I have confidence in the ultimate victory of 'good over evil' because as a famous philosopher, William Cullen Bryant once said, truth crushed to earth, shall rise again.”

Governor Imoke believes that the recent Supreme Court ruling that ceded 76 disputed oil wells to neighbouring Akwa Ibom State is tantamount to a miscarriage of justice and misinterpretation of the truth.

But that is just one way to look at the truth. In Akwa Ibom, the Supreme Court ruling is welcomed and hailed as a brilliant manifestation of the rule of law. The State Governor, Godwill Akpabio, hails the ruling as “justice” for Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, and indeed Nigeria. He expressed the belief that it would strengthen the bond of friendship between the two sister states, even as he decried the “falsehood” that was canvassed in the media before the judgment and praised the Supreme Court Justices for standing on the path of justice. The governor decried a situation where attempts were made to create fear of a possible loss of Nigerian maritime territory on a purely baseless ground. And thus is another way to look at truth.

•Continued on Page 20

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

20

•A Niger Delta kid stares at an abandoned oil rig.

Inset:Map showing littoral boundaries between Akwa Ibom and Cross River States

Cross River bemoans loss of 76 oil wells as Akwa Ibom rejoices •Continued from Page 19 Akwa Ibom’s version of the truth however, received a judicial pat, thus earning it an incontestable place in the annals of the country. The Supreme Court sitting in Abuja in a unanimous decision penultimate Tuesday, dismissed the case of Cross River State against Akwa Ibom State on the ownership of the disputed oil wells, describing the case as lacking in substance and merit.

The truth according to the Supreme Court In the judgment delivered by Justice Rhodes Vivour, the Court observed that Cross River State had lost its littoral status following the ruling by the International Court of Justice in 2002 which ceded the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroun.

In a judgment that lasted about 10 minutes, the apex court held that Cross River State was not a littoral state and therefore could not lay claim to the 76 off shore oil wells on the Atlantic coast. The Court held that the agreement entered into between Cross River and Akwa Ibom states on derivation benefit on the said oil wells could not be legally sustained because it was based on the assumption that Western Bakassi would remain in Nigeria, thereby giving Cross River State access to the sea. The Court consequently dismissed the case without recourse.

Rhodes-Vivour, who read the judgment written by Justice Olufunlola Adekeye, stated that the plaintiff (Cross River) could not be located

on the mainland and claimed oil wells located offshore. “The suit has been unanimously considered weak and academic. It lacks merit and it’s hereby dismissed,” Rhodes-Vivour said.

The plaintiff’s counsel, Yusuf Ali (SAN), had asked the court to compel the defendants to respect the sharing formula put in place by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, which ceded some oil wells to the state.

Ali had argued that though the oil wells are in Cross River, the former President, through a letter dated October 31, 2006, shared them between the two states, giving 76 to Akwa Ibom and 14 to Cross River. However, in the lead judgment by Justice Adekeye, the apex court held that with the execution of the judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), especially the ceding of Bakassi to Cameroun, Cross River can no longer lay claim to any oil well in the high sea since its boundary with the sea had gone with Bakassi.

It said that “a non- littoral state cannot claim oil wells offshore as she has no maritime territory…The plaintiff has no maritime territory since the cessation of Bakassi Peninsula and the Cross River estuary, which used to be part of the state prior to August 2008.

“The present position of the plaintiff cannot be blamed on any government agency, particularly the National Boundary Commission and Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission. The statutory bodies must perform their statutory duties based on facts and realities to compile the indices for the payment of the derivation revenue entitled to by states.

“The existing contract between the parties based on Exhibit C and which the plaintiff alleged that the defendants are stopped to renege on it is discharged by frustration. The doctrine of frustration is applicable to all categories of contracts.

“It is the duty of the court to state whether and when frustration has occurred. In other words, to

determine the existence of frustration. Frustration occurs whenever the court recognises that without default of either party, a contractual obligation has become incapable of being performed.

“In other words, a court would recognise that a contract is frustrated where after the contract is concluded, events occur, which make performance of the contract impossible, illegal or something radically different from that which was in the contemplation of the parties at the time they entered into the contract. A contract which is discharged on the grounds of frustration is brought to an end automatically by the operation of law, irrespective of the wishes of the parties.

“This, unfortunately, is now the fate of the agreements between the parties which have been automatically terminated by the implementation of the judgment of the ICJ. Can the court close its eyes to this existing situation and declare that the plaintiff should continue to enjoy the benefits and privileges of a littoral state when it is no longer one by subsequent legal charges?

“This court cannot because of the influx of refugees from Bakassi into Cross River State give a legislative judgment. The government of Nigeria has a means of providing for the social needs of the people of Cross River State faced with the social problems thrusted on the state due to the cessation of Bakassi Penisula to the Cameroun.

“The government of Cross River must explore this avenue. The entire claims of the plaintiff against the 1st and 2nd defendants jointly and severally must fail for lacking in substance and merit. The 13 per cent derivation on the 76 oil wells offshore between Akwa Ibom State and Cross River State must continue to be attributed to the state on whose maritime territory they are found to be located by the relevant government agencies; that is the National Boundary Commission, the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission relating with the office of the SurveyorGeneral of the Federation and the AccountantGeneral of the Federation. The plaintiff’s claim, is accordingly, dismissed with no order as to cost.”

In the wake of the joy and recriminations trail-

ing the Supreme Court ruling, more “facts” are established and “falsehood” dispelled by passionate citizenry of both states. Mabel Ellen-Umana, a lawyer and indigene of Akwa Ibom State, argued that Cross River State had been very economical with the truth. According to her, the state had only chosen to squander its resources in pursuit of futility. “The leadership of Cross River State would have done extremely well by showing gratitude to Akwa Ibom State for allowing about N600 million to be deducted monthly from her allocation and paid to them in the last two years,” she noted.

On the other hand, David Otuh, a lawyer and native of Ogoja, Cross River State, decried what he termed “abject miscarriage of justice and manhandling of the truth.” While he expressed disillusionment with the ruling that ceded the 76 oil wells to Akwa Ibom, he reiterated his firm belief in the rule of law, seeking consolation in Governor Imoke’s emotion-laden remonstration that the people of Cross River State should seek solace in the legal maxim that “justice can only be delayed and not denied.”

Ghosts of a painful narrative In August 2008, The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) converged on Kano for a retreat where the maritime boundary between Cross River and Akwa Ibom states was purportedly redefined.

The entire maritime territory of Cross River was by that exercise ceded to Akwa Ibom. The commission further decided on the declassification of Cross River State as a littoral state and the transfer of 76 oil wells from Cross River to Akwa Ibom.

After concerted efforts failed to persuade RMAFC to reverse the decision, Cross River took the matter to the Supreme Court for determination.

The plaintiff held that the International Court of Justice’s judgment that ceded Bakassi to Cameroon clearly established the baseline for the demarcation of internal waters from the territorial sea.

According to the plaintiff, the demarcation was meant to start at the mouth of the Calabar estuary using the outermost southern tips of the landmass on both sides of the estuary as co-ordinates.

The Cross River Government alleged that the National Boundary Commission (NBC), in a bid

21

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

•Oil on troubled waters: Asides occassional squabbles over ownership of oil wells, many parts of the Niger Delta region have to contend with oil spills to show that the state was not a littoral state, moved the baseline inwards to the mouth of the Calabar River.

Bayo Ojo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and counsel to the Akwa Ibom State Government, however, urged the apex court to discountenance the issues canvassed by the plaintiff, adding that “the Federal Government did the proper thing in the baseline demarcation which stripped the plaintiff of its littoral status.

Prior to the Supreme Court judgment, Bakassi natives had protested over alleged ill treatments meted out to them in recent times. Specifically, the natives were said to be protesting the alleged plot to deny Cross River State the statue of being an oil-producer, ostensibly because there were fears that the state might not get fair hearing in the ongoing 76 oil wells litigations before the Supreme Court. The protest, which was staged barely three weeks to the Supreme Court judgment over the disputed 76 oil wells, drew mixed feelings from within and outside the country.

Speaking to journalists during the protest, the leader of the Bakassi natives, Hon. Ani Essien, said: “A lot of things were promised before the ceding by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He promised the ceding would be painless and that Bakassi people would lose nothing. The Federal Government said we would not lose our identity, land or resources.” Essien, who was chairman of Bakassi Local Government Area when Bakassi was ceded, said: “But since the ceding, we have seen that Nigeria has not kept her promises. We stand here not knowing whether we are from Nigeria or Cameroun. We don’t know where our resources are. We stand here knowing we don’t have our oil wells again.”

However, Bakassi returnees in Cross River and Akwa Ibom states, under the aegis of Amalgamated Bakassi Returnees Association (ABRA), have condemned the subjugation of their interest under the inordinate pursuit of 76 oil wells.

The returnees, led by Asuquo Ating, described the situation as sacrificing their welfare on the altar of economic concerns and said government should be more concerned about their welfare, resettlement and rehabilitation. They maintained that before 2005, the 76 oil wells were not in Cross River State but in Akwa Ibom State.

“This was the position even when Bakassi was part of Nigeria, and yet, Cross River State still survived without those oil wells,” Ating noted, arguing that in the frantic fight for the oil wells, the returnees from the two states of Cross River and Akwa Ibom had been completely forgotten and neglected.

Judgment so bitter…so sweet In the wake of the judgment, Governor Imoke has expressed displeasure with the court ruling.

While appealing for calm, the governor, in a state-wide broadcast, said even though they were wronged, the people of Cross River should remain peaceful and law-abiding.

He said: “We hoped for justice from the highest court in the land. We had hoped for a dispensation of justice that would restore our belief. But our hope was dashed. My dear brothers and sisters, our spirit will never be broken, as our hope has just been dashed.

“We shall not abandon our peace-loving nature simply because of this temporary setback to our march for justice and fairness. This judgment is merely a temporary triumph of falsehood. Let me remind you that the loss of the oil wells is not the end of life. It is not a death sentence. ”Someone can steal your property, but they can never steal your soul or your dignity…We remain unshaken in faith that without the oil wells, the journey to expanded prosperity for our citizens will continue with even greater vigour.

The Cross River State economy is still one of the fastest growing in the country,” he said.

In his reaction, Governor Akpabio recalled that he had explained to the leadership of Cross River State the futility of going to court, as the state, not being a littoral state, could not have had oil wells in the ocean. He promised to continue to work towards the continued peaceful existence between the two sister states but admonished peddlers of falsehood from within and outside Cross River State to tender unreserved apology to the federal government agencies and their officials whose integrity they had tried to malign.

In a recent release and obvious riposte to claims by its sister state, Akwa Ibom State, among other issues, argued that until 2005, “Cross River State never claimed or owned any oil well except through a letter dated January 24, 2005 to the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission transferring illegally, 75 oil wells of Akwa Ibom State to Cross River State.”

The state also claimed that the Supreme Court had already declared this action sub-judice as it was done while the court case instituted by Cross River State as the Plaintiff in the issue was in progress.

“Calabar Port,” it held, “is not a seaport but an inland/riverine port in the hinterland of Cross River State accessible upstream along the waterway called Cross River, and this does not grant

the state a littoral status.

“The river called Cross River runs through both Akwa Ibom and Cross River states’ territories, and the name of the river does not connote ownership of the entire river by Cross River State as erroneously held. The right to offshore derivation revenue is given by statute and no one, including Cross River State, is permitted to claim offshore revenue based on sentiments, except through the meaning and import of the Statute.

“The 76 oil wells are located offshore but within the maritime territory of Nigeria – directly off and accessible south of the coast of Akwa Ibom State and within 200 metres isobaths from the Akwa Ibom State shore/baseline into the sea.

The only way Cross River State can have access to claim the oil wells is to cross the international boundary line with Cameroon as well as cross the riparian line separating her from Akwa Ibom State in violation of the Supreme Court and ICJ positions on the issue.

According to the state Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umannah, In 2008, following protests by many states over the arbitrary attribution of oil wells following the implementation of the Onshore- ffshore Dichotomy Abrogation Act (2004), the Federal Government, in an attempt to address the protests in the attribution of oil wells as it affected Cross River and Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Bayelsa, Delta and Ondo and Rivers and Abia States, called an Inter–Agency meeting in Kano where the wrong attribution of oil wells were corrected across board.

The agencies involved included the National Boundary Commission, the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, the Nigerian Navy and the Department of Petroleum Resources.

The recommendations of this Inter –Agency meeting, according to Umanah, “led to the return of the 76 oil wells which Akwa Ibom State earlier lost in 2005, from which Cross River State had earned revenue for only three years, back to Akwa Ibom State.”

At the same exercise, oil wells were returned to Abia from Rivers State; to Bayelsa from Rivers

‘

It is on the strength of this therefore that the leadership of our Party is appealing to the Governments of the two States to accept the Supreme Court judgment in good faith and encourage activities that would lead to greater cooperation amongst them

’

State and to Delta from Ondo State. After Cross River State was de-listed as a littoral state and in consideration of the historical and cultural ties that bind both states, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, according to Umanah, in a letter to the President (GO/AKS/S/45) dated December 16, 2010, offered to pay a monthly grant of N250 million ex-gratis to Cross River State.

“Regrettably this gesture was turned down by the Cross River State Government, which rather opted to go to court. Rather than accept the offer made by Akwa Ibom State Government, Cross River State continued to pursue her case in the Supreme Court and caused the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission to arbitrarily deduct a total sum of N18, 481,913,454.69 from the derivation revenues of Akwa Ibom State for the period January 2008 to May 2012,” claimed Umanah.

The commissioner denied insinuations making the rounds to the effect that some persons were instigating tension between indigenes of the state, leading to a possible mass exodus from either side, saying that such a development would be disingenuous.

Notwithstanding Umannah’s claims, not a few pundits have alleged that forces appeared to be stoking tension between the indigenes of the two states over the apex court’s ruling even as they contend that the shared history of the sister states, dating back to centuries, could make it difficult to drive a wedge between them.

In its reaction to the court ruling, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary (NPS), Olisa Metuh, after its National Working Committee (NWC) meeting penultimate week, said the resort to legal action over the dispute confirmed a great sense of maturity by the two states.

“The resolve of the two PDP governors to seek legal interpretation and adjudication on the matter instead of resorting to other unconventional means is worthy of commendation.

“We make bold to declare that Cross River and Akwa Ibom states are one and the same.

The brotherly relationship existing between their peoples are as historical as they are biological.

“It is on the strength of this therefore that the leadership of our party is appealing to the governments of the two states to accept the Supreme Court judgment in good faith and encourage activities that would lead to greater cooperation amongst them,” the party admonished.

Despite such admonishment, it is uncertain whether the two sister communities would continue as the good neighbours they were thought to be, prior to the court ruling. Although Governor Imoke alleged being cheated off the oil wells, Governor Akpabio has dispelled fears of deep-seated animosity between the two states, claiming that justice had taken its true course.

THE NATION, Saturday, July 21, 2012

22

W

ITH the ongoing repair Then from Agbado to Iddo, the red line works on the Third will utilize the existing Nigerian Mainland Bridge (TMB), Railways Corporation (NRC) corridor. the traffic situation in On the other hand, the blue line, Lagos State has been accentuated, which will cover a distance of 27 forcing the state government to work kilometres, will run from Okokomaiko round the clock in the last two weeks to Marina. The rail infrastructure is in the management of the resultant being developed in conjunction with the challenges.

Badagry Expressway project, a It has also brought to the fore the need proposed toll road running from Lagos for an early completion of the Lagos to Badagry. The blue line will run on an light rail project as Lagosians earnestly exclusive 15-metre right of way in the wish it was already operational. middle of the expressway.

Jacobson Adjuighu, an insurance The blue line has 13 stations, out of executive who works on the Victoria which it will share three with the red Island but resides in Adeniyi Jones, line. The stations will be located above Ikeja, told The Nation that the ongoing the tracks, with large pedestrian works on the ever busy road has more walkways crossing the expressway. than raised the stake to ensure the Large, concrete barriers will be placed project comes on stream. between the rail lines and the “Lagos State Governor Babatunde expressway to ensure no external Fashola has set the pace in factors disrupt the rail service. infrastructure development across the In addition, there will be two bridges country, but one project he must hurry for the blue line, but it will share the about now is the light rail project. If it is larger of the two with the red line which operational now, it would have connects the mainland with the island. reduced the daily hassles The second bridge will be across the considerably”, he said. river at Mile 2.

Indeed, an essential part of the vision According to Governor Fashola, the of transforming Lagos into a mega city Lagos rail project is one that would involves the provision of modern and positively affect the lives of the people world-class infrastructure, covering by reducing the traffic congestion in the road, rail, waterways and air network. state.

These, no doubt, form the “The Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) superstructure on which any modern project will be the most multicity or mega city is built. dimensional and most impactful efforts Admittedly, Lagos State has been of the Lagos State Government at seriously afflicted by the scourge of combating Lagos’ untamed traffic traffic gridlock, congestions and snarls congestion which has had adverse effect that continue to hamper valuable manon the economy and the environment”. hour. It is perhaps in recognition of the He also emphasized the employment transportation infrastructure challenge •Governor Fashola (third right) being conducted round the Chinese Civil Engineering and Construction it has generated for the people of the that the Fashola-led government has Corporation (CCECC) yard by the Deputy Managing Director of CCECC, Mr. Shi Hongbing (second state. “On one of the sites, we have a embarked on a series of transport right), during the governor’s inspection of the Lagos light rail project at Iganmu. With him is the total of 325 workers, 300 of them infrastructural projects since the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Femi Hamzat (right).

Nigerians and 25 Chinese. At the inception of his first term in office. Most second site, where we have the notable, of course, is the success terminus, you also saw another set of near moribund state of the Nigerian Railway n Augustine AVWODE n achieved by the Lagos Metropolitan Area workers. Those people would, probably, have Corporation (NRC) left Lagos as the only megaAssistant Editor Transport Authority (LAMATA) in the city in the world without a rail-based mass been idle, looking for desperate income for implementation of the innovative Bus Rapid Public Private Partnership(PPP) scheme . which there is no work. But I am happy that we transit (RBMT) system.

Transit (BRT) scheme. By providing Lagosians Governor Fashola, while conducting an onLAMATA has designed the framework for the are able to put them to work and give them the with a neater, comfortable bus transport system, the-spot assessment of work done on the project rail transit system in a way that it would service opportunity to retain their dignity and use their LAMATA has succeeded in ridding Lagos of the from Orile to Mile 2, assured people that, from the heavily travelled corridors in the state. In this own hands and their own skills to earn a living once very popular but rickety and dangerous all indications, especially given the pace at which regard, the first two lines being developed by and feed their families," he stated. molue buses.

Findings have shown that if the funds are the contractors, China Civil Engineering LAMATA have been designated the red line and In a way, transportation has improved in Construction Corporation (CCECC), is moving the blue line. Both lines will be developed on a available, it is expected that the first seven Lagos. The BRT from Mile 12 to Lagos Island with the work, the first seven kilometres of the PPP basis with the Lagos State Government kilometres of the blue line would have been along Ikorodu Road has passenger traffic of over blue line of the light rail project will be delivered providing all rail and station infrastructure. The completed and the first five stations fully built 200,000 per working day. It has, expectedly, won before the end 2012. concessionaire will procure and finance rolling before the end of the year. Importantly, it is international acclaim.

But this, he said, would be subject to the stock, depot facilities, as well as provide estimated that over 8,000 people would be However, notwithstanding the success of the availability of funds, expressing the belief that operations and maintenance over a 25-year offered employment during the construction BRT scheme, it is clear that for Lagos to fully the project would be delivered within the period. phase of the projects. overcome its transportation bottleneck with an stipulated time, as 90 per cent of the structural But apart from offering employment, when The rail system is designed in such a way that estimated teeming population of about 16 work was already completed. the red line would serve the North-South axis fully operational, travel time will be considerably million which is still growing on a daily basis, a The idea of developing rapid rail transit in through some of the most densely populated shortened, pleasant and enjoyable and life made rapid rail transit system is required.

Lagos actually dates back to the 1980s when then areas in Lagos. It would begin on the island, run much easier. Going by the desire of the state It is for this reason that LAMATA has Lagos State Governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, north via a total of 13 stations to Agbado. government to match words with action, developed a rail master plan with an extensive conceived the metroline network for the capital However, right from the Marina to Iddo stations, Lagosians will not only be praying for the network connecting most parts of Lagos city during the Second Republic. It was, the red line is designed to share the alignment availability of funds to complete the project on metropolitan area. And just like the BRT scheme, however, scrapped in 1985 by the Buhari with the blue line ,even though the infrastructure schedule, they are eagerly waiting for the time to the rail system is to be implemented through a administration. That decision coupled with the will be constructed as part of the red line project. ride in the all new, modern mass rail system.

Lagosians waiting for light rail project

Nasarawa’s politics of calumny HE Nasarawa State political terrain is witnessing intense activism occasioned by the rivalry between the ruling CPC and the PDP. Reasons for this are in the bi-partisan peculiarity of the composition of the machinery of government in the legislature and the executive. While it is common in Nigeria to have the executive and legislature of the same party, Nasarawa State has a different democratic experience.

The PDP in the state is yet to come to terms with the defeat they suffered at the poll in the 2011 elections, where their government was massively voted out by the party on the grounds of non-performance. This was a rude shock to the members of the PDP who were busy celebrating their victory before the poll.

0n the other hand, the CPC-led government is making matters worse for the PDP because the government of Umaru Tanko Almakura is revealing their secrets by taking a different turn in the way and manner government was hitherto run by the PDPled government. In just one year, Gov. Almakura has been able to make landmark achievements, described by Alhaji Abubakar Sandaji as “greater than what the PDP did in the 12 years of their stay in the saddle of government in Nasarawa State.”

A casual walk through the streets of Lafia, adorned with various completed and ongoing projects, can attest to this fact.

The wages of workers were promptly attended to, while some states are still in various forms of negotiation and the cordial labour relations being experienced in the state is another point of reference.

These are some of the reasons advanced by watchers of the political happenings in the state as the root causes of the political impasse being witnessed in the state. The accusations and counter-accusations trailing are, however, interpreted in some quarters as PDP’s lack of magnanimity in defeat on the one hand and CPC’s arrogant posture on the other.

In the unfolding of this defamatory politics, however, the CPC

T

n Danjuma JOSEPH n has had to contend with bashings from their main rivals in the state: the PDP. In the build-up to the Democracy Day celebrations in the state, the PDP organised a press conference where its state Chairman described the CPC government as a regime of lies, backwardness and deceit.

Prior to that, the governor had had a running battle with the state Assembly on issues that bordered on clearing his appointees into various offices of government. The PDP, which had 20 out of the 24-member Assembly before the demise of the member representing Awe North, whose vacant position was claimed by the CPC in a by-election a fortnight ago, felt their interests had to be built into the appointments made by the governor.

When Governor Almakura was not forthcoming on this stance, the Assembly used the prerogatives of their office to delay or outrightly reject the nominations of the governor. This became more manifest in the appointment of caretaker committees for the 13 local government areas and development areas in the state. It is worthy of note that due to that disagreement, Ekye Development Area of Doma LGA is yet to have a caretaker committee in place, months after others have started working.

Lately, every little step Governor Almakura takes is given a negative interpretation, no matter how well-intentioned. For instance, only recently, he made a trip to the United States of America (USA) on a 10-day working visit aimed at wooing investors to the state. On his return, the Assembly queried him for travelling out without formally informing them, citing Section 190 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Unknown to the Assembly, the objective of Section 190 Subsections (1 & 2) is very clear. It is intended to provide a synergy between the House of Assembly on one hand, which is for the governor to inform the House of Assembly of his temporary

absence or inability to perform his duties owing to ill health, and on the other hand that the deputy governor would be acting for the period of his absence.

While Sub-section 2 provides that in the event that the governor is unable or fails to transmit the written declaration mentioned in Sub-section (1) above within 21 days, the House of Assembly shall by a resolution made by a simple majority of the votes of the House, mandate the deputy governor to perform the functions of the office of the governor as acting governor.

The same Assembly went to the press with an allegation of N2 billion fraud by its Ad-hoc Committee on Joint Local Government Account only to be revealed that the committee had not finished their findings and the leadership of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs were not even summoned for clarifications.

The foregoing political battle, however, took a different twist last week when agents of evil machinations took leave of honour and visited the infamy on the governor’s family. His son, Khalid Umar, who is reading in far- away Malaysia, was said to have been arrested by the Malaysian authorities on charges of drugs and gunrunning.

This was done with no other intention than to smear the name and the office of the governor. Although the source of the report is notorious for cheap blackmail, one is baffled that an innocent child who was busy writing his examinations would be dragged into political acrimony.

The truth, however, remains that all these challenges are endearing the governor to the people of Nasarawa State where his value is still rising in the stock market of Nasarawa politics.

While opposition is an essential ingredient in any democratic experiment, it must be done with every sense of responsibility and honour. Opposition parties in the state must take interest in developing Nasarawa State first.

•Mr Joseph is the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State.

23

SEE PAGE 28 - 37

LOCATION

BACKSTAGE

SNAPSHOT

REEL NEWS

MUSIC

SCREEN

Edited by: VICTOR AKANDE

Tel: 08077408676

E-mail: victor_akande@yahoo.com

ntertainment

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012, 2012

What I should have done differently —Emeka Mba, outgoing DG of Film Censors Board

24

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

STAND BY! h

Wit

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

THINK

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

SNAPSHOTS

The shelf filmmaker Just yesterday, I got to know that the film Thongs of Roses by Emeka Ossai was the first to expose Omotola JaladeEkeinde. We hear more about Yinka Edwards as a cinematographer today, not necessarily because he studied at the National Film Institute, Jos; ...

Genevieve Nnaji rests in US

Zack Orji’s son graduates in London Could the problem of Anini be similar to that of Ofinga, another classic and family value film by Remdel Optimum Communication which is yet to leave the shelf? If they have a similar problem, perhaps Anini is guilty of staying this long on its owner's shelf

•Zack Orji

Faithia Balogun, Opeyemi Aiyeola are friends again

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

•Opeyemi Aiyeola and Faithia Balogun

25

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

RE ELNEW S UTH Ibadan supports filmmakers

•Ak Dollar & Estino with Alaafin, wives and Oloyes

Like the proverbial prodigal son, AK Dollar and Estino are leaving the comfort and luxury that their royal parentage has to offer for the unpredictable world of music. The artistes who are mentored by Fuji musician, Abass Akande, are so convinced that they will make headway as musicians, thus, releasing their first album in Ibadan recently. AHMED BOULOR reports…

•Dr. Tope Alonge

Alaafin's sons on music mission

Thislife beams Grapes of Justice

•Wale Adenuga

Nominees for Future Awards unveiled

•Don Jazzy

26

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

Hennessy unveils M.I, Naeto C as headliners

Ada Okwori is one of the newly-discovered song divas in the Nigerian entertainment industry.

Known as Imelda J, her work titled My Love for You, which featured OJB Jezreel, earned her The Lead Times African Award in 2010. The promising star started her music career from Benue State before moving to Lagos. She recently launched her video, Fosoke, which is enjoying airplay atop Nigerian, Ghanaian and UK radio stations. Aside music, Imelda is also into modelling and acting. The promising star talks to ADETUTU AUDU about the pains and gains of rising to the top of her career.

Most times I wonder if being a woman is a crime —Imelda J

•M.I

27

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

Naeto C says ‘I do’

A taste of ‘Classical Fuji’

Bethany shouts Halleluyah, holds session today

•Bethany

Ace says Show Me What You Got

Goldie’s unwilling exit from Big Brother show

28

R R R R R R R R R E E E E E E E V V V V V V V E E O O O O O O O V V C C C C C C C O O C C THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

COVER

COVER

‘Lack of accountability, bane of Nollywood’

•Genevieve with Emeka Mba

•Emeka Mba

This is a policy that was supposed to help people within the industry artificially implant structures because I realise that you cannot achieve the job of censorship without structures. You cannot even call yourself a regulator when you operate in an industry which lacks structures

•Emeka Mba

37

By

Harry Iwuala

NATIONSPORT SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

LONDON 2012...LONDON 2012...

LONDON 2012...LONDON 2012...

7 DAYS TO OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN...7 DAYS TO OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN...7 DAYS TO OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN...

INDIAN LIFTERS MADE TO

SIGN BONDS

BOLT SLEEPING IN7FTORTHOPAEDICBEDTOSTAVE

IGP RUES POLICE

ABSENCE

•Ajunwa

From Segun Ogunjimi, Abuja

OFF INJURIES

SEMENYA, OLYMPIC TRIO TO FINE TUNE IN MONACO • Bolt

KOBE BRYANT:TEAM USA WON'T BOTHER GOING HOME WITHOUT BASKETBALL GOLD • Semenya • Chioma Ajunwa

OBAMA VISITS 2012 OLYMPIC TEAM

TYSON CHARMED ME

NEYMAR DISAPPOINTED BY

BECKHAM SNUB

INTO BOXING

PHELPS COMPLAINS ABOUT SWIM CAP

REGULATIONS • Obama • Neymar

•Shiva Thapa

MADAGASCAR TO SEND SEVEN ATHLETES TO

OLYMPIC GAMES

Inside The

Glass House WITH AMINU MAIGARI

AKINLOYE

AT LARGE

08050246155 atlarge84@yahoo.com

38

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

W L O H L Y OOD Timbaland:

Shank, Rayce, Naeto C rock At The Club With Remy Martin

I'm going to perform at Justin Bieber's wedding •Shank

•Rayce

Chris Brown and Rihanna still in love Three albums from Joe Scolt's stable

Crane over Ghollywood Pirates attack four Forson shoots Ghanaian officers in Sierra Leone

•Don Pedro

Sierra Leone

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

My husband has another wife now and still wants my money

G

OOD day ma. Thanks for your column in The Nation every Saturday. I’m a woman with three kids. For 13 years of my marriage, I’ve been caring for the children 90 per cent and we are both workers. My husband has gotten another woman with kids outside the marriage now. Still, he wants me to take care of the home and kids as before saying he does not have money. I don’t love and like him again and I want to live my life without him. Please advise me.

My dear sister, for 13 good years, you did not try to leave your husband because you were shouldering almost all the responsibilities in the house, but the moment another woman comes into his life, you want to leave. That won’t be nice.

I know how you feel. You feel this man has used the best part of your life, and he has enjoyed the best part of it.

Now the way he’s paying back is by marrying another woman. It is really unfair to you considering all you have put into the marriage.

However, leaving him is not the best solution. I want to believe that the new wife is not coming to live with you where you are now. If she’s not, just have the

siddon-look attitude. How many women in Nigeria now will take care of the home, the children and the man from their own pockets? Only a few. Luckily enough, most second wives only see the good work the first wives have done with the home without knowing the pains, so they come in wanting a bit of the action. It is when they come in that they realize that many sacrifices are involved in keeping a home. Most times, they can’t stand the heat and they leave. So, new madam is with your husband now, I’m sure that he will leave the same percentage of responsibilities to her as he’s doing to you. Let’s see if she will stay. If she does, then settle down to a life of polygamy.

I tell you, most men all over the world have it in them to be polygamous. If you leave your husband now with three kids, you may have to wait to marry a widower with his own kids, which means you will be in the same situation of carrying the same responsibilities over your children as the new man would have his own too and may not be able to help you. So, why don’t you accept your situation now and make the best of it.

Love your husband no matter what. If your brothers marry second and even third wives, it won’t make you love them less. Take your husband as your brother and learn to understand him. It shall be well.

My boyfriend left me because his friend caught us kissing

I

’m 17 years old and in 100-level in a university. My boyfriend is 2 years older than me and in 200level. One evening, we went for a walk holding hands. Unfortunately, we were caught by a friend of ours kissing each other and the guy confronted him with that the following day. My boyfriend then decided to quit the relationship because of the guy who saw us together claiming that he wants our relationship to be a secret after 3 years. It is now five months of separation and he wants me back. Though since then I’ve been single but does his action show that he truly loves me? Is it wise for me to go back to him? I’m confused. He is my first love and I still love him but I don’t want to make a costly mistake. Please help me.

My dear girl, you don’t need anybody to tell you that your boyfriend is so immature and not yet ready for the kind of relationship you are thinking of having.

He also seems to have very good friends who are focused and may be religious for one of them to have been against the kiss-

ing game. He seems like a boy who would rather be morally right in the estimation of his friends rather than being tagged a happening guy. Most guys in the university would have hailed him for kissing a girl rather than scolding him, so I tell you, he has friends who are good.

You were just 14 when you started a relationship. I hope it was a kissing kind of relationship o. I wouldn’t want to think you have been experimenting with sex since you were just a kid. Whatever, it is not too late to squarely face the most important thing in your life now – your education.

Let this boy know that you like him a lot, but that you can both turn to God together and leave the things of the dark till you’re both truly ready.

Hearts With Adeola Agoro

E-mail: libranadeola@yahoo.co.uk Tel: 08023162609

Dear Oyewole Ishola, I cherish all our talks

H

ONESTLY, I have this feeling of guilt as I write this. In fact, I’m writing this with tears in my eyes and a heavy burden in my heart. Oyewole Ishola, I know you’re reading this and I know my explanation will make you smile.

I know you have tried many times to reach me in the last 5 years, but I have been so busy I hardly return calls. Every celebration season – Easter, Christmas, Valentine - you were always sending text messages to me. Sometimes I don’t even return them. I keep making a mental note that I will call you. Well, I never got round to doing that.

Oye, I remember our talks in Grandma Adefila’s bedroom many times. I remember how I taught you to use deodorant and Grandma was embarrassed for you, but as usual, you just looked at me with those gentle eyes of yours and wet out. You came back with a bottle of deodorant and thanked me for teaching you.

I remember how you would come to sit with me in the kitchen while I made meals and how we would talk and talk. Me being years older than you didn’t stop the great rapport between us.

Then after we left Grandma’s place and moved to our own home, you were Grandma’s messenger and you were always so happy to visit us. We never got tired of talking and sharing things. We formed a bond those trying years when tomorrow seemed so far away.

Then you got married and I couldn’t attend the wedding for certain reasons and you understood. Of course I later met your wife and she said you had told her a lot of wonderful things about me. I fell in love with her and I said in my heart that I knew you would make a good decision concerning marriage.

When Grandpa EO Adefila passed away, we saw each other again and you and your wife were with me all through the wake. Grandpa EO passed away after days of complaining of pains in the leg. Oye, how was I to know you would have pains in the leg and that today, I would be crying over memories of you?

I am now left with memories after Grandma’s message came to me last week saying: ‘E kasan. My love to Feranmi. We are fine. It pleased God to take Oye to Himself last Tuesday after months of ill health. We thank God that before he left, he said he saw Jesus Christ whose eyes were like fire.’ – CEA. Oye, you have gone away and I know you feel no more pains where you are. I cherish knowing you. I cherish our friendship and I cherish our talks. I’ll miss you.

Matchmaking

Female for love •Bukola needs a matured guy between 30 and 35 for a serious relationship. Contact: 08060093053.

•London based wife needed: Mr. F is 44, lives in the United Kingdom with resident permit and has never been married. He desires a London based lady who also has resident permit for a wife. She must be between 25 and 32.

I’m married but whenever I make love to women the next thing I hear is that they are pregnant Dear Adeola, I’m in trouble.

Whenever I make love to any girl or barren woman, they will always

be pregnant. I have recorded this for up to four times with even childless women that were barren before. Whenever I make love to them the next thing I hear is that they are pregnant and they will be pregnant true, true. I’m married with four kids and I’m confused.

Sir, you’re a very lucky man in the sense that you have discovered your real talent. It’s easy, just go and open a shop and advertise that you are the most potent sperm donor in Nigeria.

But before you go shagging all women you can lay your hands, on, please inform your poor wife of your new vocation and let her choose whether she wants to remain with you. Use condom in the house and save the wife the problem of HIV which I’m sure may be the next thing you will be distributing with time. Good luck in your new trade.

Widows and widowers’ corner Yinka, a 45-year-old widow with a son is a civil servant. She would like to meet a God-fearing Yoruba man for a serious relationship.

•The newly wedded couple, Mr Gbenga and Mrs Adeola Salaam, during their wedding ceremony held at Center E 99 Event Place, 2 Ooni Avenue, Oluyole Industrial Estate, Ibadan, Oyo State recently.

Engr. Onochie, 47 years old, widower, fair in , 6.3 ft tall, based in Lagos but from Anambra State is searching for a relationship that will lead to marriage with a woman between 35 and 45. Call: 08160934354.

Call his brother for details if you are qualified: 07060708070.

•HIV mate Jamiu, adult civil servant needs an HIV positive lady aged btw 28 and 35.

She must be working class or into business. Call: 07082266417 (no flashing).

Males for love •Ade, 48, employed and a single parent needs a lady between 32 and 40 who is educated. Call: 07029364631.

•Bright, 53, 5.10 ft tall, good-looking, self-employed and divorced lives in Lagos. He will like to meet a businesswoman btw ages 35 and 55 for a relationship. Call: 08127880900.

•Solomon, 37, registered builder and Yoruba desires a working class lady between 35 and 42 who is employed for marriage. Tribe and religion do not matter. Call: 08093709689.

•Ade, a born-again Christian and an engineer needs a graduate wife who is Yoruba, pretty and born-again who can connect him to greater heights.

Call: 08066629466.

•Tokunbo, a 36-year old businessman hard of hearing needs a slim, tall, Yoruba woman with AA genotype btw 21 and 27 years old for marriage. Text: 08139592209/08028629379.

•Michael, 35, working and AA genotype needs a serious and god-fearing Christian lady btw 30 and 35 for a serious relationship. Text: 07093733985.

•Abiola is 30, a Christian and an OND student. He is looking for a woman from a responsible family for a relationship. Call: 08074253964.

•Kayode is 45-year old civil servant based in Lagos. He needs a widow or divorcee aged btw 30 and 44 years old for a serious relationship. Call: 08109655702.

Bola, 38, fair, working class and a Christian needs a woman btw 33 and 35 with the fear of God for marriage.

Single mothers are welcome. Call: 08073303930.

Ade, 36, Muslim, handsome from Ibadan but based in Lagos needs a responsible, pretty, caring, loving and BSc holder who is a Muslim and based in Lagos aged btw 22 and 26 for a serious relationship. Call: 08135909085.

39 Though the love of my life is married, I still think of her Ma, I really need your advice.

When I was in secondary school I fell in love with a friend in my class but because of my age and belief, I said I won’t approach her until I get a job but within those period I should maintain closeness with her. When we left secondary school, we gained admission into universities, I gained admission to a university close to where she resided and her own was close to where I resided. This distance really did not help out; I visited her for a little time when I am in my house and they are in session. I did make her have a feeling of my intentions.

When I left university, God in his mercy, I got a good job. I approached her but she said she was more comfortable being friends with me. I waited for a period of 3 years but she maintained her stance. She later travelled abroad for her masters and came back to marry someone else. The challenges I have now is I still think of her. While in the university, I worked in my uncle’s hospitality company, this made me have some not-toogood feelings about ladies.

Ma, I still maintain friendship with ladies and presently I am meant to be in courtship with a sister in my fellowship but I still think of her (SSL friend). Due to my experience in my uncle’s company, I don’t know whether the sister truly loves me or the job. Please Ma, I truly need your advice. Ma, I am in my 30s and I wouldn’t need publicity on this issue, just your candid advice. To forget her and think of the one I have?

Dear brother, it is natural to think of certain people and wish they were yours, but it is immoral to still be thinking lovingly about a woman who is married to another man. No matter how much you loved her, you should have wiped her off your mind the moment she got married.

She was never your girlfriend and she never gave you any idea she would be yours, so why would you put your life on hold for her sake? I just wonder.

I wouldn’t know if the girl in your fellowship is the right person or of she loves you for your job. Is she jobless herself? If she’s not, then I don’t see any big deal in the job you do. Thousands of men in the same job are finding love every day without thinking they are being loved for their jobs. You seem to have a case of insecurity about life; you need to work on that. It is only when you stop seeing life from a myopic angle that you will find true happiness in yourself and the people around you.

I changed a few things in your mail but I’m publishing it anyway because if you didn’t read other people’s problems, you wouldn’t come to me, so let others read yours and learn from it.

Help link Elizabeth David, Mike Oyeleke wants to reach out to you!

Hello Adeola, you may be kind to have this piece published in your column: Elizabeth David from Plateau State was my friend when we were both employees of the Nigerian Railway Corporation , Zaria. She had a baby boy for me on September 9, 1980 and then moved to No. 5, Zaria Road, Jos where her parents lived. I went in search of her but she had moved to another place. There have been series of crises in Plateau State of recent and I fervently pray that she is not caught in the crossfire. In case she needs my help, my mobile numbers are: 08055595767 and 08162441631 for her to get in touch. – Mike Oyeleke.

Re: My wife has HIV/AIDS; should I leave her?

Oh, I’m indeed very grateful for the timely response to my cry. Your advise was good. Though you promised calling me but you have not, I will still be expecting it and I will surely open up more issues to you.

God bless you. Your column is really encouraging. – Yours, Worried Man.

40

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

Nigeria’s population and blood-sucking vampires

F

M

Y baby was stonecold when I touched him. I quickly picked him up and shook him gently. No response. It was then I screamed and ran out of the room.

We took him to the hospital but it was too late. My son was already dead on arrival.

You can imagine my state of mind when the doctor broke the news to me. I must have fainted because I woke up to see myself in a hospital bed.

BJ and my mother were bending over me, both looking extremely worried.

“Thank God you are awake,” my husband said, taking my hand.

The first question I asked was: “Where’s my baby? I want my baby!”

On waking up, I had thought it was a bad dream I had had, that my baby was dead. But from the sad look in my mother’s eyes, it was obviously quite real. My little boy, whom we had named Ray, was gone. I broke down once more, screaming, weeping bitter tears, of anguish and pain...

More was to follow.

Within the space of a year and a half, I had four miscarriages. The last one was especially painful as it was a pair of twins- all boys. The doctor at the private hospital I attended could not understand why I was having all these miscarriages as tests showed that there was nothing wrong with me.

All these happenings took a toll on me and I became sad and depressed. I took comfort in food and with time, my weight ballooned. This made BJ to complain.

“Don’t you think you are eating too much?” he complained one evening while we were having dinner. I was about to dish out a second helping of rice and chicken from the main bowl on the table.

I looked at him.

“Why do you say that?” I queried with a slight frown.

“Because you’ve put on so much weight and you need to watch it. You know, your sexy shape was one of the things that attracted me to you. And you are losing it fast. You should do something about it, like eating less for instance.

And exercising. There’s a gym in this house. Make use of it.”

“I’ve heard you,” I said, though I still went on to dish some rice, sat down and continued eating.

He didn’t understand. I had

Palace of pain (4) to take solace in something and food was my comfort, something that gave me pleasure, numbed some of the pain I was going through. So what if I had put on some weight, I thought later that night as I studied my body in the full-length mirror.

“I don’t look that bad.

He’s just complaining about nothing,” I grumbled to myself.

However, the following morning, I decided to take my husband’s advice and went to the gym. I worked out first on the treadmill and later the exercise bicycle.

It was tough going and after about half an hour, I gave up.

“I’m not competing at the Olympics so why am I bothering myself,” I wondered aloud as I left the gym. I wiped the sweat from my face with a towel and made my way to the kitchen for some fruit juice and midmorning snack of biscuit and cake.

The Seer’s revelation Later that year, my beloved grandmother whom we all called Nene, died. I was close to her as I had stayed with her for some years as a child and I cried on hearing the news.

We planned a quick funeral because Nene had warned us before her death not to keep her too long in the mortuary. BJ didn’t want me to attend as I was pregnant again-about 6 months.

But I wouldn’t hear of it.

“I have to go. There’s no way I will miss Nene’s burial,” I told him when we were discussing the issue.

“Remember your condition. The doctor said you need bed rest,” he pointed out.

“I will be fine. I won’t do any dancing or other vigorous stuff. So, don’t worry.

Nothing will happen to this one.” I assured him, patting my bulging tummy gently.

The following week, we went to the village for the

burial. Everything went well and Nene was given a burial fit for a woman of her calibre and great community leader.

After the funeral, BJ returned to town as he had to travel out of the country on business. I stayed behind to keep my mother company.

“Take care of yourself. And have enough rest,” he said as he kissed me goodbye and gave Stephanie a big hug.

“You worry too much. I’ll be alright,” I replied.

Stephanie and I stood in front of my late grandmother’s house where we were staying, waving at him as he left with the driver.

A few days later, we sat in the living room receiving visitors who had come to sympathise with us. Among them was a cousin from my father’s side of the family. I had always considered him strange as he was said to see visions, predict the future and see things others could. He had long rasta-like hair that cascaded down his back, a look he had had since I had known him as a child. He lived in our village but was famous in nearby communities for his visionary and healing powers and was popularly called the Seer.

The Seer sat mostly quietly while the other visitors drank, ate the kola-nut and other snacks served them and talked loudly. I noticed that he kept staring at me most of the time.

‘

The termite that eats the fruit, destroying it, lives inside the fruit. The goat is giving birth while the owner is away and the newborns are dying...

’

Sometimes, he would look at my tummy, shake his head and sigh. I decided to ignore him as he had always acted strange anyway, so there was nothing new in his behaviour.

But an aunt who sat near me noticed. When she asked him why he was staring at me that way, he ignored her as he mumbled something to himself.

Then suddenly he spoke.

“The termite that eats the fruit, destroying it, lives inside the fruit. The goat is giving birth while the owner is away and the new-borns are dying...” he said.

Everybody stopped talking and turned to look at him.

My mother and aunt exchanged glances. Then, turning to the man, my mother said: “What are you talking about, Seer? Whose goat is giving birth?”

“Let me handle this, Sister,” my aunt stated calmly.

She went up to the Seer, whispered to him and they left the room. From the window, I could see them standing under the large almond tree that nearly covered half of the compound, in deep discussion.

When my aunty returned, she and my mother went into an inner room, shutting the door behind them. I became curious, wondering what all the intrigue was about.

I didn’t have to wait for long.

Later, after most of our visitors had left, my mother called me into her bedroom.

My aunt was already there and I sat on a chair facing them both.

It was my aunt who spoke and what she said was so shocking that I nearly had another miscarriage...

To be continued What did Tilda’s aunt tell her that so upset her? Don’t miss the concluding part of her intriguing story next Saturday!

OR some time now, something has been bugging my mind a lot. And let me state quickly that it has nothing to do with the tension-soaked situation in the country that has made the blood pressure of the average Nigerian (children, cats, dogs and other domestic animals included), shoot up to critical levels.

No. What has been bothering me is the way many Nollywood movies undermine our acclaimed ‘giant of Africa’ status. This title, which by the way was not an easy achievement to get, was respectfully conferred on us by other nations by virtue of our huge population.

A population that is growing so fast, that we don’t even know how many we are today. Soon, we might need to resort to the traditional African man’s way of cleverly avoiding disclosing the number of children he has whenever he is asked.

So, for instance, if nosy UN officials come to the country for a population update to use for planning purposes, our snooty government officials would likely eye the visitors up and down, glare at them and say: “Mr United Nations! It’s like you’ve forgotten where you are!

This is Africa! We don’t count our children as it is bad luck to do so!”

Now, those who say Nigeria has been experiencing too much bad luck lately, (despite the fact that a Goodluck is in power), now have a scapegoat to blame. It’s those ‘busybody’ people at the National Population Commission who insist on counting us all the time to know how many we really are - see all the bad luck it has brought us!

Anyway, back to the issue at hand - how our movies are putting a big question mark on our main claim to fame, worldwide respect and even envy - that is, being the most populous black nation on Mother earth. It’s like this. When you watch the average Nollywood film, most of the couples you see have just one child.

Sometimes, and in very rare cases, they manage to make it two especially in movies where the pint-sized duo, Aki and Pawpaw, act in.

It doesn’t matter the class of the couple featured - whether very poor, averagely poor, Ajegunle poor, middle-class or as wealthy as the reigning richest man in Africa, Aliko Dangote. It’s the same one child per couple.

And this begs the question - if as the movies portray that most couples in Nigeria have just one child, then how come we are so many? Where did the other babies come from? The moon? Or we found them when we broke firewood? Foreigners who watch our movies must be wondering the same thing and thinking to themselves: ‘these crafty Nigerians always have one child in their movies, yet they are so many. How come?’

It becomes even more puzzling when a traditional ruler and his household are portrayed. It’s only in the movies you will see a traditional ruler of a large, prosperous kingdom having just one wife and one child.

Now, as we all know, this is far from reality. The average Oba, Obi or Emir has probably never heard of T.M Aluko’s popular novel, One Man, One wife. Most are firm followers and disciples of Solomon, who married so many women, it’s a miracle how he recognised them all. In fact, the word ‘harem’ was probably, especially invented for the wise ruler and others for that matter. And simple logic states that a harem will naturally result in truckloads of children, enough to fill several nursery and primary schools.

Besides, until a decade or so ago, the birth rate in the country was about 7.5 children per woman, one of the highest in the world.

Vampires on the loose So, with all this, how did this one child syndrome, reminiscent of China’s policy years ago, come about? In my quest to unravel this great mystery that was almost giving me grey hairs before my time, I spoke to a popular actress friend of mine. This was her explanation: “It’s simply stinginess. The producers are just trying to economise.

Using more children in a film will add to production costs so most prefer to feature just one child.”

Whatever it is, methinks these producers should look for other ways of cutting costs than tampering with our hard-earned reputation as a highly populated country.

We’ve lost out in so many other areas especially when it comes to developmental strides, not just to other countries like the Asian tigers, but in Africa as well. We need something to hold on to as a source of national pride, as a form of consolation for failing so woefully in other areas where other nations - many less-endowed than us - are making giant strides daily.

The only problem is that this same source of pride will one day become like ‘that thing round our necks’ with apologies to Chimamanda Adichie.

Why? Because the more the population grows at an astronomical rate, the more the resources needed to take care of our people are being drained away. And don’t ask me those taking away our resources.

Even the blind, the deaf and newborn babies know that a large number of blood-sucking ‘vampires’ with an insatiable appetite for ‘disappearing’ with public funds meant for developing our country, have descended on the nation’s landscape, draining it dry of life.

Indeed, if Nigeria were to be a person, it would look like a scary skeleton today. And skeletons are usually found in one place - the graveyard. So, is the country now a graveyard? Well, with the Boko Haram menace, planes falling from the skies and crashing into buildings, armed robbers, hired assassins and their cousins the kidnappers- on the rampage, leaving death and destruction behind, it might not be far from it.

And what does that say about the citizens that inhabit this graveyard, sorry, space called Nigeria? Well, I reserve my comments!

Readers reactions are welcome.

&

LIFE

Society Profile

THE NATION, Saturday, JULY 21, 2012

Unknown to many, the Osun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Temitope Ilori, is the biological daughter of the National Chairman of the Action Congress (ACN) and former Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande. In this interview with GBENGA ADERANTI, Ilori explains the kind of relationship she has with her father, life as governor's daughter and what it takes for a woman to function well in a male-dominated

My life as s ’ r o n r e v o g ex daughterfor

-Osun Commissioner

Health Dr. Temitope Ilori

STYLE Gossip Interviews

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44

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

‘Women are naturally blessed to manage resources, including men’ •Ilori

‘

I must say that I respect my husband for tolerating the excesses, because many times, we meet late in the night. Sometimes we don’t see for weeks because there is always one programme or the other. On weekends at times, you have to go to other programmes... One thing I do most times is that it is my social life that pays for that...

’

W

HAT advantage does being the daughter of an exgovernor give you?

I would say Baba Akande is a good man. It is good to be the daughter of such a great man with a godly heritage. I am proud of him. Having been brought up by him, one has imbibed the culture of service to humanity and the fact that you are here to serve the people. I have been made to understand that the evil that men do prosper when good men do nothing.

Because he has served humanity over the years, I as his daughter have imbibed the culture of service. I have been made to realise that this is the whole essence of life: to give something back to your community, serve humanity and make life better and more meaningful to them.

And it is only when your voice is heard that you can thwart the menace of evil men.

He also has other virtues and attributes we learnt from him in terms of humility and in terms of seeing service as a sacrifice. It is not so much of a means to an end but more of sacrifice to mankind in terms of hard work, dedication and commitment. I have imbibed some of these values over the years passively because it is not as if he sat me down to tutor me.

But being his daughter, living with him, seeing what he does and travelling with him for some of these meetings and rallies, I think one has come to learn from him. As such, I would say it is an added advantage.

But it comes with its own challenges too. One is deprived of one’s privacy sometimes. Anywhere you turn, you are referred to as Omo Baba or Baba Akande’s daughter. Sometimes, his shadow overshadows who you actually are.

During my undergraduate days, many of my contemporaries did not know that

I was Baba Akande’s daughter. I tried to keep it as secret as possible because I wanted to be seen for who I am and not for being Baba Akande’s daughter. A colleague of mine was here and she was shocked. She couldn’t believe it. She said we were in the University of Ibadan together for many years and she never added two and two together that I was anybody’s daughter because I never acted it.

Like I said, the upbringing I had was that you are just like any other person. That is what I inherited from my father. That is the way I was brought up by Baba Akande.

Even when I got this appointment, many of the people did not know. They could not connect the two until it was reported in the papers that I was Baba Akande’s daughter. Apart from the political class that knew, I shielded it from my profession.

I deliberately shielded it from my friends because I wanted to be taken for who I am

and what I could add, and not for whom my father is.

Talking about travelling with your father, would you say you were his favourite?

Well, I wouldn’t say so. But I know he loves travelling and he did a lot of it. He is also a very good family man. At every opportunity, he takes his children along with him because he sees it as a form of education. Sometimes you are with him and he is in a meeting and you are seated in the car for hours. At least, you have seen other parts of the country and you have seen some other people around.

So, I wouldn’t say so. I know he loves all his children dearly, from the first to the last. I think we all took part in it; I mean playing and buying things for us. And as you go along the way, he is lecturing you in one way or the other about something that has to do with life in a bigger picture.

Not so much of politics.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

• Ilori Do you have interest in politics?

I keep telling everybody that as human beings, we are all politicians at one stage or the other. We all play politics in our homes, in our societies, in our offices, even in our professions.

We all play politics. I don’t know if it is my character, my personality, but I remember when I was in school I used to have leadership stuff. From Primary 1 to 6, I was the class captain of my class.

From JSS 1 to SS3, I was the class captain of my class. I was the Labour Prefect in SS3. I was the Assistant Senior Girl in primary school. I always had one leadership role or the other to play.

Even as an undergraduate, I held one post or the other in my faculty in the students’ union. When I became a doctor, I was an executive member of the Association of Resident Doctors.

Later, I became an executive member of the Nigerian Medical Association.

Somehow, I always have leadership role thrust upon me and always do my best playing that role successfully. I am invited at the next stage to come and serve at another capacity. I think it is just God’s

grace and the love of mankind.

So, like I say to some people, I have always seen myself as one made to help others.

Even as a small girl, I saw myself as a doctor. Maybe because I know that doctors help sick people, I felt I must be in that profession. That is the right move in the right direction to help others, especially the less privileged people in terms of letting them get well and all that. I think that was part of the interest I had in Medicine—the desire, the will, the zeal to help others get better. And I think that is just the interest I have generally. I’m not so much of a politician, and I would say I’m a professional in politics.

Do you have any ambition to contest an elective post in the nearest future?

Well, it is only God who knows tomorrow. So, I would just say that in this capacity, that God assists me and that my governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has called me to serve in this capacity. I need to assist him in the service of the State of Osun, I would just say that I will do my best so that prosperity can judge me.

Personally, I don’t have any aspiration in that direction. For now it is service that has been thrust upon me. I hope to do it to the best of my ability.

What if tomorrow your people call on you to contest?

Well, I have not given it a thought. For now, my thought, my aspiration, my hope is to be successful in this assignment. And that is what I’m thinking of now. I leave tomorrow for God to decide.

How was life in the government house when your father was the governor of Osun State?

To me, life was normal. I was just like every other normal person because that was the way I was brought up. That was the way my father made us to see ourselves.

Honestly, apart from the fact that my father was busy here and there and we saw him here and there and heard him on the radio, read about him in the newspaper more than the average person, I would say life was normal, apart from the other challenges I have highlighted above. Well, he was up and down. At a point you are proud of him; at other times when there was much noise about some decisions he had to take, which could be painful to many, sometimes you felt like burying your head, saying, ‘Why is daddy doing this?’ But looking back now, I think he had a great government.

He did well. He did his best and, in summary, we are proud of him.

When your dad ceased to be governor and you were told it was time to leave the government house, how did you feel?

Fortunately I was not permanently in the government house. I was married. I used to come and go. I was not living there permanently. I really didn’t have to vacate per se. But when we read in the papers that my father lost the election, personally, I didn’t feel too bad. My father is a man who does not believe in do or die politics.

He believed he was there to serve the people and the people did not want him to serve them any longer, so it was time to go. He believed strongly it was the wish of the people and the voice of the people.

So, when the verdict came, though we believed that it was rigged, that was the verdict we heard and it was announced. It was like it was time to go. The people did not want our services any longer and he was somebody that had other things to fall back on. It wasn’t so difficult for him to adapt. And since we the children too had our own profession and all the while he was in government we did not see ourselves as superior, it wasn’t difficult to adapt to being the common man. That was the transition.

‘

Well, one thing I know is that many times when men know your moderation, when they know who you are, when they know your principle, they are also guided. Men too watch you. They admire you from afar. They watch you, they want to know what your limitations are and what your principles are. And once they can decipher that, they tend to know their limits

’

Tell me about an incident you had with your father that you will never forget?

Every day is an experience because he is a bundle of knowledge. He is a bundle of energy and history. I would say everyday is an experience. But, of course, when we were younger and lived under the same roof, one had closer interaction. I remember one story he told me then. I would say my being a doctor today was by his encouragement. I studied human nutrition at the University of Ibadan before I proceeded to do Medicine, and I would say that it was the encouragement he gave me that made me go through the rigours of Medicine after the first degree. Being a woman, it was challenging.

So, he has always been a pillar of support. He also encouraged me to do my postgraduate studies, which made me to become a fellow of West African Physicians. He has always been a pillar of support. There is no time he has not motivated or encouraged me about life generally. One thing I know about him is that he is a perfectionist in his approach to life.

Like I said, I read Human Nutrition when I did JAMB examination the first time, and which was the last time I did JAMB, I scored four marks less than the cut-off mark for Medicine. My father was blunt that he was not going to beg for any child or go around asking for any favour. It was either I changed my course or I would go and do JAMB again. That was what made me to do human nutrition for first degree. I graduated with Second Class Upper and went in for Medicine. Even at that time, he had been a deputy governor and an SSG. He said he was not ready to bend any rule because I did not meet the cut off point. That is his character.

Sometimes, you wonder why is this man so hard, so opinionated? Well, I guess that is him, and I guess he makes you a better person. He is somebody you cannot really arm-twist.

How do you combine your job as a commissioner with managing the home front?

Honestly, it is challenging. More so being a woman. You know in our culture, women are supposed to keep the home. We really are the home makers. Most of the problems we are facing now is as a result of home not being kept. All these unrest, all these insurgency and terrorist attacks stemmed from the home front. At the same time, because of the economic situation, because of the passion and motherly touch women have, we really cannot be relegated to the background.

We need to have a career. We need to be the voice of the voiceless. We need to be policy makers to push all these things they really believe in. That is why many of us are coming up to serve when called upon to do so. But it is challenging. One needs a cooperative husband; somebody who understands the challenges of work and believe in one. You have to be yourself and must be able to adapt because there has to be lots of adaptation. And I must say that I respect my husband for tolerating the excesses, because many times, we meet late in the night. Sometimes we don’t see for weeks because there is always one programme or the other. On weekends at times, you have to go to other programmes.

One thing I do most times is that it is my social life that pays for that. I try to limit my social engagements so that at least after doing my official duty, I sit down at home with my husband and children, particularly on the weekends when everybody is at home and children are not in school, so that, at least, we can have time for interaction and bonding. That is how I cope. Thank God for phone and BB. We talk and chat.

How does your wardrobe look like?

I am a simple person. I just wear what suits me; what I’m comfortable in, I’m not so much of a fashion freak. In fact, I’m not. I go with what I feel is •Continued on Page 49

46

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

Ties:

Focal point for men’s fashion

•JosephBenjamin

T

HE necktie is the ultimate men’s accessory.

It can energize or augment any outfit. There are some rules to follow when it comes to tying ties. It can take an outfit from satisfactory to spectacular with a flip of the wrist.

The quality of a man’s tie shows how much he cares about his clothes and how he looks because a fashionable man always wears great looking ties.

•The Best Collection Men Necktie Formal And Poly Silk Tie

Gold Paisley Ties for

Tie tips for men

Men

•Joseph-Benjamin •BBA-Chris and Ola

-Never let the tip of your tie fall below your waistline.

- A simple rule of thumb is that your tie should be no wider than the widest part of the lapel on your suit jacket.

The knot should also be in proportion.

-The size of the knot depends on the shirt collar (the bigger the gap, the bigger the knot).

-And the four-in-hand knot is the best and most basic knot which can be worn with all collar types.

-As with all things you should keep it simple and don’t get too complicated with your tie selections.

When in doubt, a white shirt with a dark tie will always look good.

-The fabric of our ties-When in doubt opts for a silk tie.

47

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

n o s a e s c i Com

Wumi OGUNTUASE ARTOON characters have been coming alive on tee shirts and tops recently and not only do they look cool, they give an air of youthful exuberance.

It has been spotted not only on the ladies, but on guys too and even the not-so-young are rocking it. It can be worn casually on a pair of jeans or corporately by sprucing it up with a boyfriend or denim jacket.

Whichever way, comic pieces are coming up fast and you do not want to miss out on this fashion item.

C

A

FTER ABC News revealed last week that Ralph Lauren manufactured all the 2012 US Olympic team uniforms in China, the label experienced a major backlash.

Even Senator Harry Reid, in what’s certainly his most outspoken clothing-related opinion to date, suggested that people “put them in a big pile and burn them.” (And then presumably sit around the fire drinking Budweiser, roasting s’mores, and gleefully watching the berets crackle.)

Anyway, while it’s awkward to represent the US with outfits sewn by hundreds of Chinese fingers, it’s been happening for years: The Times pointed out on recently that Ralph Lauren moved most of its manufacturing to China more than a decade ago and has been the official outfitter of the US Olympic team since 2008.

But now that everyone’s up in arms about this and it’s far too late to do anything about the latest uniforms which are already finished, Ralph Lauren has pledged to manufacture the uniforms for the next Olympics (the 2014 winter games) in the US. The company released the following statement, according to The Times: “For more than 45 years, Ralph Lauren has built a brand that embodies the best of American quality and design rooted in the rich heritage of our country. We are honoured to continue our longstanding relationship with the United States Olympic Committee in the 2014 Olympic Games by serving as an official outfitter of the US Olympic and Paralympic teams.

“Ralph Lauren promises to lead the conversation within our industry and our government to address the issue to increase manufacturing in the United States.

We have committed to producing the opening and closing ceremony Team USA uniforms in the United States that will be worn for the 2014 Olympic Games.”

Basketmouth

Tomi Odunsi

Ralph Lauren’s next Olympic outfits will be made in USA

Victor Anusim

TY Bello

SOCIETY

48

THE NATION SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

Kaoli Olusanya, former Lagos commissioner, at 60

F

OR the people of Ibeshe in the Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State, July 17 will remain memorable. It was the day Chief Kaoli Olutunji Olusanya, former Lagos State Commissioner for

Gbenga KUTELU

Agriculture and Rural Development, celebrated his 60th birthday in a grand style in the town.

The event, which came up at the Excellence Hall of Kith and Kin School, was attended by people from all walks of life. Among these were Olori Tolulope Oyebo, the Obateru of Egbin; Oba.R.A Ogunsanya, the Olubeshe of Ibeshe and his olori, Adenike; Prince kabiru A. Shotobi, the Odofin of Ikorodu; Madam Tinuola Benson, the Iyalode of Ikorodu; Oba Afolabi Oyefusi, Oguntade II, the Ayangburen of Ikorudu and his olori, Muibat; Mr and Mrs Sanya Olukanni; Mr. Jimmy O’Peters and Mr. Adesegun Bello-Olusanya.

•Olori Oyebo •Oba Oyefusi and Olori Muibat

•Chief Olusanya •Mr. Bello-Olusanya

•Oba R. A Ogunsanya and Olori Adenike

•Mr and Mrs Olukanni

•Madam Benson andPrince Shotobi

•Mr. O’Peters

WHAT & WHERE

Tree planting

•Executive Chairman, Agbado/Oke-Odo LCDA, Hon. Augustine Arogundade, assisted by the council manager, Mr. Z. Ojikutu, during the tree planting exercise held in Alagbado

•Chairman, Oshodi-Isolo LGA, Hon Bolaji Muse-Ariyoh, pouring water on the planted trees

•Senator Gbenga Ashafa (right) assisted by Chairman, Lagos Island East LCDA, Hon Kamal Salau-Bashua, during the tree planting exercise

THE NATION, Saturday, July 21, 2012

Foreign nationals accused of a quarter of all crimes in London F OREIGNERS are accused of more than one in four crimes committed in London, an investigation reveals.

Astonishingly, they make up nine out of ten drug suspects and are responsible for more than one in three sex offences.

Nationals of Poland, Romania and Lithuania are most likely of all foreigners to be prosecuted by the police. The figures will give force to warnings of a growing ‘immigrant crime wave’.

Four years ago, foreign nationals were found to commit one in five

49 •Opportunity: Foreigners are accused of a quarter of all crimes in the capital, according to the latest statistics

crimes A string of horrendous attacks carried out by Eastern European criminals in recent months has raised concerns over the lack of checks on new arrivals.

A Polish burglar was jailed for at least 34 years for the murder of an elderly couple in their home – just one week after he arrived in the UK. Ireneusz Bartnowski, 22, stabbed and battered to death grandparents Guiseppe and Caterina Massaro in Wolverhampton.

He lay in wait in their bedroom and attacked them with a knife and a hammer, the court heard. The Metropolitan Police statistics were unearthed by the London section of BBC Politics. They show the nationality of criminals ‘proceeded against’ – either charged and taken to court, fined or cautioned – by the force over a year and the nature of the crime. From September 2010 to August 31 last year, the Met

proceeded against 195,714 alleged criminals. Of those, 46,588 were foreign nationals – or 24 per cent of the total. The remaining 149,126 individuals were British.

Seven of the top ten offender nationalities were European.

Poland came top with 4,742 alleged offenders, ahead of Romania with 3,952 and Lithuania with 2,561.

Police processed 436 Australians.

The programme makers spoke to

one Polish ex-offender who said the British legal system was weak.

Polish criminals thought British prisons were like being in ‘a spa’, he said, adding they would ‘think twice’ if they thought they would be sent home to serve time.

Lithuanian Rimvydas Liorancas hanged himself in prison while on remand for the double murder of Carole and Avtar Kolar at their home in Birmingham.

After his death, it emerged Liorancas got into Britain despite a conviction for armed robbery.

A senior judge demanded to know why a Lithuanian childrapist, Victor Akulic, was let into Britain, where he went on to beat and rape a woman.

He had been jailed for nine years in his homeland after raping a seven-year-old.

Critics say Britain’s open borders with other EU members make it impossible to control who comes and goes.

In many cases, Brussels regulations make it impossible to stop criminals from entering even if we know of their convictions.

EU laws also restrict the Government’s ability to send criminals back home after prison.

More than 11,000 foreign national offenders are behind bars in England and Wales.

A UK Border Agency spokesman said: ‘Any foreign national offender sentenced to more than 12 months in prison is automatically recommended for deportation.’

•Source: Daily Mail

‘Why I hid my identity as Bisi Akande’s daughter’ Continued from page 45 appropriate for the occasion, and I would say I’m modest when it comes to dressing.

Do you have favourite colours?

Yes, I like brown a lot. Brown, cream, those are my favourite colours. I think I feel comfortable in our locally made adire, ankara, guinea brocade. So, I wear lots of them more, especially now. Sometimes, when you are working in the hospital, there is a particular way you dress. But now, you can express yourself better.

Irrespective of your age, class and status, men make passes at you. How do you cope with that?

Well, one thing I know is that many times when men know your moderation, when they know who you are, when they know your principle, they are also guided. Men too watch you. They admire you from afar. They watch you, they want to know what your limitations are and what your principles are.

And once they can decipher that, they tend to know their limits.

Apart from hard jokes, they know their limits. They know who to go far with. And I would say that in this administration, even beyond this, even before I got this appointment, I had had occasions to work with men, especially in politics or public office. I don’t think I have actually experienced unpleasant advances. Well, a few times, some gestures you might think might not be appropriate. But like I said, because they know your moderation, they know your principles, they know who you are. I don’t think I have had unpleasant advances being made to me because from the beginning, the lines were drawn. I don’t mix business with pleasure, and they get the message even from the outset.

How do you cope in a male-dominated government?

Well, I guess it is like that almost everywhere in the world. I would say it is a big challenge because you still have to play your role as a mother and a wife. As a home maker, you still have to meet up with the challenges of work. But it is worth investing

your time and energy in because I think the way God has made it, there is a way a woman administer things with the touch of mother nature. There is a way you manage things. You make policies, you carry them out, you implement them almost like the way you do at home.

It is like a woman has been blessed to be a good manager of resources, and these resources include men themselves. Though it is challenging, I think we are making a headway and I just want to encourage the womenfolk to continue to pursue such and continue to be a force to be reckoned with.

With us in the system, it makes a lot of difference.

How did your parents react the first time you introduced your husband to them?

I dated the man I married for about nine years. My parents got to know him well. I also got to know him well. He is more of an introvert. He doesn’t talk as much as I do, though he is a professional, an engineer. He is the chairman of the Nigerian Society of Engineers in Oyo State. He is a bit of the quiet type, but we complement each other very well. He is a Yorubaman, an Ijeshaman.

We didn’t have any opposition from my parents. They are happy that I did not go outside Yorubaland to marry. He is an intelligent man, a professional. Even from day one, my parents loved him and they still do. I don’t think I had any challenge from my parents or anybody on that part.

How was the ministry when you came into office?

By the time the governor came into office, the state of the health care delivery was quite pathetic, I would say, because over the years, there had not been much attention paid to that sector. Most of the hospitals were in a state of dilapidation. The health sector was short-staffed and some major health equipment were not available. By the time the governor was assuming office, there was an industrial crisis. The health sector was on strike more or less, because of the issue of minimum wage.

What have you done for the people of Osun since this administration came into

•Ilori power?

In the area of health for the people of Osun State, I would say one, we have continued with the free health programme, and that was started then by the Akande administration. We have continued it and we have improved on what we met on ground.

Free health programme is total for all ages, both male and female, children and adult, in all our state owned hospitals. So, if you enter any of our hospitals now, you don’t pay for cards or consultation. You don’t pay to see a doctor and you get drugs free. Some of the basic tests, like blood tests and malaria tests are free. Ante natal care is free, immunization services are free, all in a bid to make health care delivery accessible and affordable to our people.

Apart from these, we have embarked on some medical mission programmes to bring the health care services closer to our people.

We had about two or three last year. This year, we have one which would be starting tomorrow (Tuesday), which we will suspend because of the Ramadan. Then we will continue after the Ramadan for a week. It will be a medical mission surgical outreach programme where patients will be treated

medically. Surgical operation will be carried out on them free of charge. We are going to do breast examination and we are going to do cervical cancer screening and eye check up on these patients.

These are some of the things we have done to bring health care delivery closer home to our people, apart from the fact that across board, health care is free in the State of Osun.

Also, we have been involved in paying some medical bills for those who have ailments we cannot handle in our state hospitals and we had to take to some teaching hospitals that are fee paying.

Most times when you appoint a nonmedical doctor as health commissioner or minister, there is always this resentment from other health personnel. What was the reaction of the health workers when you were made a commissioner?

Well, like you rightly said, the health sector want one of their own, I think it is because I’m a doctor too, I think in the health sector, it is a team work, and I’m one of those who believe strongly in team work. But in any team, there has to be a captain, and I want to say that a doctor is the captain of that team.

Honestly, I was warmly received, though there were some skepticism from other people who were not doctors because they felt we hope this person will not only work for doctors, she would not only fight for the rights of doctors. I had to assure them that being a doctor and health worker, I believe that I’m here for everybody and also to serve the people of the state.

Be that as it may, as events unfolded, the other health workers were assured that my being here is not only for doctors but for everybody. I do agree that a health personnel, preferably a medical doctor, should head ministry of health. There is something about understanding the working of the place. I was working in a teaching hospital before I came in. Being a doctor, we all went to medical school. We all trained in one hospital or the other. You would have understood the kinds of work that go on. You know the kind of ailments the people suffer from. You understand the way the system works.

THE NATION, Saturday, July 21, 2012

50 INTERVIEW

I’m waiting to hear from my wife before I remarry •Igbokwe

—Christy EssienIgbokwe’s widower It is exactly a year that frontline Nigerian musician, Christy Essien Igbokwe, popularly called the Nigerian Lady of Songs, died. But given certain occurrences within her immediate family since she passed on, her husband believes she has only departed physically but not spiritually. In this interview with INNOCENT DURU, her widower, Chief Edwin Igbokwe, says his late wife still comes around to deliver messages to the family, especially those that border on threats to its members.

Overwhelmed by the wife’s spiritual attachment to the family even in death, Chief Igbokwe says although many women have made overtures to him, he would rather wait for her directive before remarrying.

What has life been without Christy Igbokwe?

T is not easy for somebody you lived with for 32 years, your better half, so to say, not to be with you again. I am only consoled by the fact that she is in the bosom of the Lord. I am sure of that because I know her antecedents. I know somebody I had lived with for that number of years. That is my only consolation. It is as if she has only travelled for a long time.

But I think the toll is coming up now than ever to live with the reality that she is no more here with us.

How does the family intend to immortalise her?

The family has a foundation that she founded. Now we have added ‘memorial’ to it. All the things she stood for, we will make sure that we keep to it. We will do anything that would make her happy. The foundation will have to keep her alive even though she is no more living.

What is the family also doing to make sure that her works are not exploited illegally?

The foundation will also be handling that. We have something in motion to make sure that that is not trampled upon. At the same time, a lot of works she did in the sense that they are yet to be released, she has already composed them. We know what to do with all that.

One thing is that her works are not of the world; they are songs that would help people to have good moral life.

She was an ambassador of Akwa Ibom State even though she got married to you. Has the state done anything to immortalise her?

I think the right people to ask the question is the state governor

I

or the Commissioner for Information. I heard they said they want to immortalise her. We are waiting because nobody has actually told us anything. When we talk about a littoral state today, what they are enjoying in terms of offshore derivation, I would say she was the architect of this onshore/offshore dichotomy. I thank God that IBB is still alive. Without the way she approached the issue, there would have been nothi9ng like derivation.

For example, Akwa Ibom had their oil as offshore, which was believed to be strictly for the Federal Government. Today, Akwa Ibom is earning the highest because IBB was able to put that in the constitution before the National Assembly did something on it. It was her insistence that made it possible.

It is not only Akwa Ibom that is enjoying it today; all the littoral states which have anything off shore are enjoying it. But how many of them have remembered her? She never did it for any selfish purpose. She saw it and decided to pursue it because she never liked seeing people suffering.

What was the last moment with her like. I mean what were her last words to you?

If you read the burial programme, you would see it.

We were just having prayers all through. She raised two choruses. One of the songs was that God is no man; whatever He says must surely come to pass, and that God has given us victory. That was somebody who knew that she was dying and was singing to glorify God. She also prayed and said we should keep on praying ceaselessly. This happened on the early morning

of the day she died. That is why I said I know where she is. As for where she is, I know she is with the Lord.

What were her unfulfilled dreams?

She never believed there was anything like unfulfilled dreams.

She believed that God would

never allow her or family members and even everybody to die without fulfilling what God has destined them to do. She was fulfilled because she actually contributed her own quota to the betterment of the society and mankind. She touched a large number of people positively.

Now that your wife is gone, have other women been coming around for you to marry them?

How have you been handling them?

Definitely, there are a number of them. I have been handling it according to her directive.

What is her directive?

My initial ambition Chief Samuel Alabi is the President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) and the Hotel and Personal Services Employers' Association (HOPESEA). He is also the Company Secretary of Eko Hotels and Suites, one of the biggest hospitality outfits in Nigeria. In this interview with OKORIE UGURU, he talks about his life, career, fashion and philosophy of life.

One would see you more as a cosmopolitan person than a rural one, but you always seem to be enmeshed in your village activities. es. People like you, when you see me in a community setting, you find it hard to reconcile my position in the office and my position in any of these community-based meetings. You would see me attending to issues you consider mundane, settling issues between neigbours, attending to youths’ requests at home and so on. This is my life. I cannot explain it and my wife is always amazed where I derive the energy from. This is me.

How was it like growing up?

I don’t like to talk about my growing up days because I don’t want to celebrate poverty. It was not a good experience. When I see people nowadays say they don’t have sponsors, I laugh because I was unfortunate to have lost my dad when I was just three years old and I was the first born. The person next to me was still in my mother’s womb when my father died.

In those days, there was this tradition in our community of handing over a woman who has lost

Y

her husband to the younger brother of the deceased. Unfortunately for my mum, the person that came after my dad was a woman. So also was the person next to her. The only boy then was an auto mechanic apprentice in Lagos. So, he said, ‘Look, I am not in a position to marry any woman.

I am just an apprentice.’ At that juncture, my mother had to leave our house and stayed with my grandmother.

As a child growing up, I was not used to somebody telling me that my hair is bushy or that I should cut it. I was not used to anybody asking if I had washed my mouth this morning or when I would wash my clothes. This was because my grandmother was already old. I had to discover things myself and learn things myself.

I started primary because of an aunt who was also in primary school. As a pupil, she took me to the kindergarten, which is now called nursery school. That was how I started primary school. I was partly in the school, partly on the farm. I was very conscious of myself. I saw myself in the primary school providing for myself and providing for my grandmother.

THE NATION, Saturday, July 21, 2012

INTERVIEW 51 to report the incident. They began to radio all the stations as he was writing the report. In the course of writing the report, they radioed back that the car had been recovered.

We had all forgotten the message and the date. It was when we began to review it that I asked my son and his wife if they had forgotten the 22nd of April date. I pointed to the wife to tell her that she was the one that came to tell me about her encounter with her and the message she gave her. May be her spirit covered up for my son, because she stressed that my son would not die in the incident.

That is why I said I am waiting for her directive on what I should do. It is what she directs me to do that I will do, whether I like it or not, because she meant well for every one of us. I will listen to her voice, her messages and go by it.

•The late Christy Essien-Igbokwe

Mum still comes around regularly —Eldest son HIEF Igbokwe’s narration of the late wife’s spiritual attachment to the family was corroborated by the first son, Obiora. An architect by profession, Obiora told our correspondent that he usually knows when the mother is around because he perceives the fragrance of the perfume she used to wear when she was alive.

How is life without your mum?

Her death was shocking. Every death is shocking. It is not as if there is a whistle that would be blown when somebody is about to die. We were there when she was about to die but we didn’t know she was about departing this world. She hardly fell ill and hardly went to the hospital.

It has not been easy, but we have been pushing it day by day.

There are certain things that she was used to doing that we have to be doing by ourselves now. We have been coping because we

C

That is what I can’t say now, but I know that we have a directive and I would go by that.

My first reaction to this was to hell with marriage, because there is no other woman that can satisfy me spiritually like she did.

If I should remarry, it would be to kill boredom. She wished me to live to the fullest time that God has given me. If you read my interview initially, I said I don’t want to re-marry for any reasons because I was saying why would I remarry? What am I looking for and who would give me the satisfaction that I got from her?

If I remarry, the person would only try to do her best. But she can never be like Christy. Like I said, I would go by her directive.

She doesn’t believe that what I was feeling should be. She is constantly pondering on boredom. She does not want any form of boredom to be on me.

There is no second I don’t cry. I am not crying now probably because I am sitting with you.

Once I am alone, it is a different thing. I am not crying because she has gone; I am crying because I am appreciating her. I am appreciating her in all ramifications.

My kids are always the ones that calm me down when the emotions come. You know that with such a thing, life can be cut short. We are listening to her and we would do whatever she tells us to do spiritually.

Let me ask you expressly, are you going to re-marry?

I have said it to the press that there is nothing that I would get from any other woman. But we are listening to her directives. I don’t want to re-marry, but she is insisting that I should carry on.

Indirectly she is urging me to allow God to do the selection.

Time will tell, because it is just one year she died and there is nothing I could have done within one year. Left for me, I don’t want to, but maybe she is seeing some problems if I don’t.

Do you still feel her presence?

Oh yes! She comes to us spiritually and gives us message.

For instance, we had a message from her before my son was

attacked by armed robbers on the 22nd of April this year. She came around in February and called the wife of Kaka and said she should mark the 22nd of April this year. She said that something would happen to her husband but he would not die, but we should continue to pray.

After the message, my son’s wife came and told me about it.

We later forgot the date, but that very day, something happened.

Armed robbers took the car from him around 7 pm and told him to get off the vehicle and later ordered him to get back into the vehicle. They threatened to shoot him, but he kept begging that they should not shoot him. He went to Shomolu Police Station

Continued on page 56

was to become a policeman —Eko Hotels Company Secretary, Chief Samuel Alabi

•Alabi

How did you do that?

We had farms and people from my area, we weave baskets; the kinds used to buy tomatoes and so on. I was weaving them. I was very fast at it.

From it, I gave my grandmother money for soup and so on. That was how I grew up. If I needed something, I would have to think of how many baskets I would weave and sell to get the money.

Fortunately for me, I had an aunt who was very supportive. As she advanced in the school, she encouraged me to bear with her and continue with my education. It was when she graduated in form three in secondary school that things changed for the better.

I was going to school without shoes.

Not because shoes were not in vogue but because they would not allow me to wear slippers. Everybody wore sandals. We called it undergreen. The issue was that I could not afford it. I could afford slippers, but they were seized in school. So, I decided to go like that.

Even as at then, I was rascally. That was why initially, those who knew me could not believe it when I was called a lawyer. They asked me whether it

was an alias.

How rascally were you?

This was a guy that would not like to be in the classroom. I did not like to go to the classroom. I liked to go to the f arm. I walked out on teachers. I would say no, I have had enough for today and I am going. Of course, the following day, they would give me six strokes of the cane. This is why most of my classmates in secondary or primary school never went beyond that level, because we did a lot of things together. Unfortunately, they were unable to have the grace of God that I have in my life to weather the storm and get to the university level.

What would you say was a major factor in your turnaround?

Well, I would say it was that my aunt that I spoke about. She later became a graduate and later got married and had a home. She gave me the opportunity to spend holidays with her. With a rascally background, I was used to being caned. But she said she was not going to waste her energy caning me. If I happened to break any cup or damage anything in the house, she would sit me down and explain to me that it was a loss of resources that could have been used

for fruitful things, like paying for my school fees. I just saw the way she was behaving and asked myself, so somebody could be as gentle as her? I decided I didn’t want to hut her. That was how I changed.

She must have loved you a lot.

Love was it. Because I couldn’t believe that I would break somebody’s things and she would not beat me to hell. But she would sit me down, bring out the Bible, open some passages and tell me I should not have done that. Majority of my friends who grew up with me ended up being mechanics or other forms of artisans, but I had the luck of being isolated from them by my aunt. It took me time to appreciate why I should go to school, even in the secondary school, because throughout that time, I still believed that I was trying to do my auntie’s bidding. I would say okay, let me satisfy her.

Throughout secondary school, I never had it in my mind to read Law. It was never on my mind.

So, at what point did you decide to read Law? It was after my Higher School Certificate (HSC). Even then, my going to school was not frequent.

Suddenly, I score 12 out of 15 points.

Continued on page 56

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FAMIL Y HEAL TH AMILY HEALTH

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

Reflecting a suitable spouse (3)

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EAR Reader, Last week, I taught on how you can fulfill your mutual obligations. This week, I will be sharing with you what is expected of you to reflect a suitable spouse.

Many couples have time for themselves within the first few weeks of marriage, and never do afterwards. This becomes even worse when they start having children in the family and that is the reason many marriages fail.

That is why investing time with your spouse helps to build trust, confidence, peace, knowledge and a better understanding in your relationship. It will help you to know each other better, even in marriage. The true nature of man appreciates being noticed because man is a living thing. There is nothing as hurting as when one party is neglected in a marriage.

Many men just see their wives as good cooks, cleaners, mothers of their children and keepers of their houses. This is so, because time has not been invested to know who their wives really are. God’s Word admonishes: Likewise, ye husbands dwell with them (wives) according to knowledge, giv-

ing honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered (1 Peter 3:7).

Every man should invest time enough to be knowledgeable about his wife. You must spend quality time with your wife so much that you know her taste for things like toiletries, wears, colours and her likes and dislikes. The woman, on the other hand, should invest quality time enough to know her husband’s taste for things, too. You must be concerned about his wellbeing at work, business or career, his success and professional accomplishments.

Usually, while a man craves for respect from his wife first and then others, the woman’s self-worth is in place when she is loved and appreciated, first by her husband and then others.

Furthermore, time must be invested on children to meet their physical, emotional and spiritual needs. A child is a gift from God, a blessing to the family and a unique blend of husband and wife (Psalms 127:3). This is why time must be created also for them. This will build love, security and trust.

The best environment to raise a child is at home and as parents, God mandates us to fulfill this task. Once you learn to order your priorities aright, you will find that the time invested in meeting their needs will not be in vain. When you invest quality time in your building a solid foundation for that child, even when he or she leaves home and is in a place where you cannot see him or her physically, the knowledge of what have been taught him/her becomes a guide.

Invest regular time with them like play time, homework

Keeping healthy in old age

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BOUT 8 years ago in the United States, though feeling very healthy, I went for a medical check-up since I had not done one in a long time. The physician asked me to do several tests. When the results came back, the physician sat down with me and solemnly conveyed to me that I had about six major diseases and I had only three months to live.

Being a person of faith as well as a science professional, I bluntly replied that all the diseases were going back to where they came from and I was alright. I never went back to that physician or the hospital system. Now, you should never say such a thing to your physician. It just happened that I saw through the bogus reports that capitalism was at work.

As we become elders, we may each need a good physician who can keep an eye on our health and give us valuable advice. People who have doctors in their family may have an advantage. If you do not have a close relative or friend who is a doctor or nurse, it may be helpful to get a trusted physician who understands your need and is not just taking you as another patient or business.

You and the doctor should determine how frequently you should do a medical check-up and what is important for you to check. The doctor would sort out several health habits with you for example: what to include or avoid in your diet, what dietary supplements can help you, which medications you should take and how you should take them, what sleeping pattern is good for you, how you should exercise, what to do for relaxation or pass-times, and how to contact the physician or another medical staff in a case of emergency. You may not always need to see the doctor physically. A phone conversation may do. These days with all laptops having a camera and the ease of viewing your correspondence through the Internet,

the elder may find a doctor even more accessible and you can actually show the doctor where it hurts in real time from your laptop without leaving your home. Discuss with your doctor what useful technology you both can use to keep in touch and you may be surprised at how easy and effective things can be. Technology makes it possible for us to do things cheaply, with flexitime, and conveniently and to bypass the traditional fixed times and fixed venues but we should know when and how to use technology.

Two silent killers at old age are boredom and loneliness. Having strong family and good friendships are very helpful for our minds.

While living in Manchester in the UK, I used to cook Nigerian dishes once a week at the Nigeria House where Nigerian elders (many married to whites and never having Nigerian meals at home) keenly gathered to socialize and get a taste of home. Elders can certainly find or form their own social circles for good company and collective interests.

People who are established in their own careers or businesses will probably be able to participate in work-activities to some extent until they die if they remain healthy enough. People who take up a hobby, cause, charity work, or community project will also always have something to keep them occupied as far as their strength and health can cope. There are activities that do not require much energy or exertion and are quite suitable for elders. One day, I went to visit an old United States Navy warship and during my wandering inside it, an elderly man came up to me to tell me about what I was looking at. He told me interesting stories and then he offered to take my photo and I wanted it in such a way that he would have to bend on one knee to snap the camera. He laughed and told me he couldn’t kneel because he was more than ninety years old.

and assignment time; be available to answer their questions and teach them to seek after the Word of God. Wife, if your husband is the busy type, use the wisdom of God to get him to create time for the children. Time is a very important thing you should invest on your children, not money.

For instance, there was a time when our children would come to me with questions that I felt their father should hear and be the one to answer. I would walk them to his study door and leave them to go in and meet him. Afterwards, they would come back excited and smiling, having had their questions answered. Now they can confidently go to him and when they come into his study, he sets them at ease by asking, “How was school today?” “What did you do at breaktime?” “Did you eat your school lunch?” This type of intimacy and open communication is very useful for their emotional stability.

For a qualitative time investment in your spouse as a husband, your wife looks forward to someone who will talk with her, be tender with her, be her spiritual leader, be a good father to her children, and someone who will be a good provider.

As a wife, for your time investment in your husband to be a qualitative one, he looks forward to someone he can have fun with, an interesting and exciting sex partner, a good homemaker, a good mother to his children, a financially responsible partner, and a wife who will respect and admire him.

Grace to hear and do these becomes available, when you accept Jesus Christ and become born again. If you would like to do that, please say this prayer: Dear Lord, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Now I know I am born again!

Congratulations! Till I come your way again next week, call or write, and share your testimonies with me through: E-mail: faithdavid@yahoo.com Tel. No: 234-1-7747546-8; 07026385437, 07094254102 For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all the Living Faith Churches, and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, and Building A Successful Family.

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He did not look it or act it and I could not imagine his age from the work he was doing.

At various times I noticed that some fit elderly persons help out in the tourist industry.

They get a chance to meet people and talk from their own experience and they keep using whatever talents they have.

It is never too late to learn something new. Learning a few computer skills may enable one to do some service to people over the Internet without having to leave home. Learning service and counselling skills can help one participate in helping people with special needs in social services or faith-based services. Acquiring artistic skills (authoring or editing, communication, illustration, photography, audio and video recording, crafts, sewing, music, letter-writing, making documentaries, etc.) enables one to use one’s time in creativity, privately or publicly.

Talented elders are often good contributors to seasonal concerts, fairs, and other activities. Many elders are the best babysitters for their own grand and great grandchildren. Some elders are virtual hermits, becoming very spiritual, and preferring to spend their days in prayer and supplication for themselves, for others, and for the world.

The old age is far from being a time of uselessness or hopelessness.

I once had a neighbour in the US who, in her eighties, was working very hard to make beautiful tie-and-dye Tshirts that she sold at flea markets. She explained to me that she had no pension and no social security because of some issues earlier in life (as an immigrant). She had to work to pay for her rent, feeding, and health care and she did not want to be in a home.

She had an estranged daugh-

ter who she could not rely on and did not even know her whereabouts for many years.

In such a developed country, she could live as an independent.

In order to enjoy a restful and happy old age, one does need to work hard earlier in life; to have a pension; to have some investment (shares, stocks, bonds, royalties, etc.); to keep some savings or reserves; to have health insurance; to have property, especially a home, etc. We live in a capitalist world where nothing is free. Healthcare, especially, is costly and may tend to become more costly as we grow older, either because of a lack of income or because of an increase in health needs.

As we become elders, we should examine if we have adequate pension, investment, property, or other sources of income or support to sustain us.

One beautiful thing about this time of life is that, for many elders, one’s activities are just one’s way of life and not driven by need for a livelihood or a requirement for achievement. The latter are done. We should spend our time of old age freely, happily, and fruitfully. Thinking ahead of the kinds of things one would do as an elder – in sickness or in health - is a great prophylactic (preventive treatment) against loneliness, boredom, depression, and feeling of worthlessness.

Yoruba elders often bless youths with a “W’ad’agba!” (“You will grow old!”). I surely am one of those hoping to live long and to enjoy a healthy and fruitful old age.

Dr. ’Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA. For any comments or questions on this column, please Email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 07028338910

Recommended nutrients for healthy eyes

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AILY intake of certain nutrients-either through foods or supplements – has been linked to healthy eyes and may reduce the risk of some chronic eye conditions.

The recommended daily intake of some nutrients typically requires supplementation in addition to exposure through traditional dietary sources. It is always important to consult an eye health physician before beginning any new nutrition regimen, including when it changes dietary supplement usage.

Lutein: These consist of dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, collards or kale; corn, eggs or lutein supplements.

DHA/EPA: They are flax or fleshy fish like tuna or

salmon, or fish oil supplements.

Vitamin C: Vitamin C is the easiest and most affordable to procure. They are; orange (or orange juice), other citrus and fortified juices, citrus fruits, vitamin C supplements or multivitamins.

Vitamin E: These include; nuts, salad and vegetable oils, peanut butter, fortified cereals, sweet potatoes, Vitamin E supplements or multivitamins.

Zinc: Fods rich in zinc are; red meat, poultry, oysters, fortified breakfast cereals, nuts, baked beans, milk, or multivitamin and mineral supplements. The recommended dietary allowance for zinc is 11 mg for men and 8 mg for women. High doses of zinc may cause stomach upset.

53

FAMIL Y HEAL TH AMILY HEALTH

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

Improve brain health

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Keeping heart disease at bay (2)

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HE heart is one of the most important organs in the body. It’s proper functioning is therefore important for the overall wellbeing of the body. To keep the heart in tip-top condition to prevent cardiovascular diseases requires taking a heart- healthy diet that are top performers in protecting in protecting the heart and blood vessels.

Such foods include oily fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, sardines, catfish, tuna and mackerel), oatmeal, black kidney and green beans, walnuts, almonds, flaxseed, red wine, olive and canola oil, margarine that’s free of trans fat, grains such as brown rice and other whole grains not processed products are good sources of fibre and other nutrients that play a role in regulating blood pressure and heart health), fruits and vegetables and other foods with low fat content.

Low fat protein sources Lean meat, poultry and fish, low-fat dairy products, egg whites or egg substitutes are some of your best sources of protein. Legumes such as beans, peas and lentils are also good sources of protein and contain less fat and no cholesterol, making them good substitute for meat.

Substituting soy protein for animal protein for example, a soy burger for a hamburger will reduce fat and cholesterol intake.

Veggies and fruits are good sources of vitamins and min-

•Aerobic exercises like jogging are beneficial to the heart

erals; they are low in calories and rich in dietary fibre. They also contain substances that can help prevent cardiovascular disease.

Eating more fruits and veggies may also help you eat less high-fat foods such as meat, burgers and snacks.

Salmon can effectively reduce blood pressure and keep clotting at bay. Aim for two servings per week which may reduce risk of dying of a heart attack by up to one-third.

Foods that are bad for the heart

Heart unfriendly foods include unhealthy fats and cholesterol that can cause heart trouble. Limiting the saturated and trans fat you eat is the most important step you can take to reduce blood cholesterol and lower your risk of coronary artery disease.

A high blood cholesterol level can lead to a build-up of plaques in the arteries which can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke especially those suffering from high blood pressure. Foods to limit use include red meat, butter, bacon fat, gravy, margarine,

palm kernel oils and fatty fast foods. Others are pastries, organ meats such as liver and intestines, egg yolks, fatty and fried meats, hot dogs, sausages and bacon.

Regular exercise is also important especially aerobics such as running, brisk walking which help to increase heart rate and are beneficial she added, is also important.

“It should be the type like aerobic exercise (running, brisk walking, swimming or cycling) that will make you sweat and increase the heart rate and beat. This will improve circulation,” she said.

10 easy tips to help cope with arthritis pain (1) High heels hurt Women with arthritis may want to reconsider wearing high heels. Researchers at Boston’s Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital found that the movements of women who frequently wear high heels of at least two inches high (including thick heels) increases torque (twisting force) at the knee, straining the joint near the back of the kneecap. This stress can increase wear and tear and lead to or worsen osteoarthritis.

Functional footwear When exercising, wear sturdy supportive shoes that are not worn out, preferably athletic shoes. To check if your shoes are too worn, place your shoes on a table or counter at eye level and determine if the soles are worn on the outside or inside edges.

You may see wear in the soles on either side and/or in the heel of the shoe, leaning in or out. Exercising with shoes that are worn out can overstress the joints. As a rule of thumb: if you have been using one pair of athletic shoes for a year, it is time to replace them.

House cleaning When cleaning around the house, it’s a good idea not to take on more than one major cleaning job a day, try to allow a lot of time to get the

Wearing shoes that are too high can cause or worsen arthritis

job done. Take frequent breaks, listen to music – whatever will help make the job as easy and pleasant as possible. Try making cleanups a family responsibility. Decide at the beginning of each week which

chores need to be accomplished and divide them up.

Measured improvement Arthritis professionals recommend that people with rheumatoid arthritis use a scale from 1 to 10 to measure their pain before and after

they begin a new practice or make changes in their daily life. By tracking changes in this way, you’ll be able to clearly see what improves your pain, and what doesn’t.

Daily diary Keep a pain diary. Write about your level of pain at different times, how you’re feeling, and what activities you can and can not do. Keep a record of medications you’re taking or any nondrug treatments. Bring the diary to your doctor visits.

Get your Zs Sleep restores your energy so that you can better manage pain. It also rests your joints to reduce pain and swelling. Most people need seven to nine hours of sleep per night. If you feel tired and achy after lunch every day, taking a brief nap (15 to 20 minutes) can help restore your energy and spirits. If you have trouble sleeping at night, try relaxing quietly in the afternoon rather than taking a nap.

What pain?

One way to take your mind off pain is to focus on something else. The amount of time you spend thinking about pain has a lot to do with how much discomfort you feel.

People who dwell on their pain usually say their pain is worse than those who don’t dwell on it.

HERE are many differ ent disorders and dis eases that can affect the brain, but many of them share risk factors. Here are several ways to keep the brain of individuals healthy: Quit smoking Tobacco use is linked to stroke, brain aneurysm, and dementia. After smoking is stopped, risk of stroke will drop to that of someone who never smoked within five to 15 years of quitting.

Drink in moderation Studies have shown that one drink per day for women and two for men (especially red wine) can protect against dementia. However, heavy alcohol use and binge drinking can cause dementia, stroke, and brain aneurysm.

Control numbers Those include levels of blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. High blood pressure and cholesterol levels and poorly controlled diabetes are all associated with various brain diseases, brain aneurysm, and stroke. One way to lower blood pressure and cholesterol is to reduce the amount of sodium and increased the amount of fiber in diet.

Get screened for heart disease Arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is associated with stroke, brain aneurysm, and dementia. In addition, many other heart problems, including arrhythmia, valve defects, and heart infec-

tions, increase stroke risk.

Whoever shows signs of heart disease, a family physician may recommend daily aspirin therapy to reduce heart attack and stroke risk.

Maintain a healthy diet Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish contain high amounts of nutrients like antioxidants and fatty acids. Antioxidants are chemicals in fruits and vegetables that protect cells from damage caused by free radical oxygen in the body.

Omega-3 fatty acids are chemicals found in large quantities in nuts (especially walnuts) and fatty fish such as salmon and sardines. Fatty acids help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels and may reduce brain inflammation and aid in brain function.

Buckle up and fasten seatbelts Seatbelts, helmets, and similar safety features greatly reduce the severity of concussion or other head injury in an accident. Head injury can also lead to epilepsy.

Exercise the Body Exercise can lower cholesterol and blood pressure and help maintain a healthy body weight, all of which reduce stroke risk.

Exercise the brain on a regular basis Keeping the brain sharp by interacting with others and engaging in intellectually stimulating activities has been found to prevent and slow the progression of brain diseases.

Eye specialist screen for glaucoma

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OT less than 50 people were screened for free glaucoma screening at the Arena shopping arcade in Oshodi by the Nigerian Optometric Association.

The eyes of both traders and their customers were screened after a general health talk on glaucoma.

People with severe eye problem were transferred to the nearest eye clinic in their vivinity, for a comprehensive eye check.

Counselling was done for individuals after each test. Those with traces of glaucoma were given advise on what to do in order not to get blind and others with no eye problem were given tips on how to maintain a good eyesight.

The chairman local organising committee of Excellence 2012, Dr Boyowa Odumade said the eye screening was part of events marking this year’s annual general meeting and confernce of the Association. She said the eye check-up was meant to reduce the number of glaucoma-related eye blindness.

The chairman, Agege Local Government, Hon. Jubreel Ayodeji Abdulkareem, planting a tree during last Saturday tree planting exercise in Lagos. With him is the representative of the governor, Hon. Olamilekan Adeola

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

Delta community where kings never die In the Royal Cemetery, Ijala, Delta State the Itsekiri have a place that comes close to the Valley of Kings in Egypt. It has a history that is 520 years old with about 18 kings buried in the grove. However, while the Egyptians build pyramids to bury their kings, the Itsekiri devise an effective and efficacious means of preserving their kings’ memory after death. OKORIE UGURU, as a member of the Naija Seven Wonders expedition team, visited the grove.

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HE rain was gradu ally increasing in in tensity. The initial drizzle gave way to thicker rain drops. We plodded through the track towards the Royal Cemeteryof Warri Kingdom. It was as if the elements want to prevent us from making it to the royal grove in Ijala, Warri’s outskirts, the final resting place for all the past Olu. This did not dampen our excitement. The joy of being among the first set of mainstream travel journalists to visit the grove was enough reward.

To get to the royal cemetery from Warri, a tourist would first get to the Warri Refinery which is not difficult to locate, and from there, one could then ask for the refinery jetty. Ijala is off the Jetty Road. Before the cemetery grove is the Falcorp Mangrove Park.

The royal cemetery is about 20 minutes trek from the park. There is just a foot path that leads to the grove which made the members of the Naija Seven Wonders expedition team to walk in a single file, occasionally stopping to brush off plants across the path. At the entry point into the grove, the waist level shrubs and plants gave way to huge trees and palm trees between 50 to 70 feet high.

Entering into the grove leaves one with the feeling that it is a special place. The foliage makes a canopy above, leaving pockets of holes. Above, some birds protested the invasion of their sanctuary. We kept on walking.

There is no gate that signals the beginning of this sanctuary of royalties, except the huge pristine trees that welcome visitors. The

•Tree on the grave of Olu Atuwatse 1 (Don Domingo)

Ijala grove gives one a kind of eerie feeling. It will take a visitor with a very strong heart to do a tour alone. It is a huge forest that is rich in different species of trees.

The advantage it has over other forests is that due to its status as a royal grove, the flora there are left untouched and grow wild in whatever direction nature pushes them.

According to the tour guide, Henry Erikowa, the Ijala Royal Grove is one of the most preserved heirlooms in the country. The closest example of what the

Itsekiri people have in the royal cemetery is the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.

The Royal Cemetery dates back to 1500AD, exactly 512 years of existence this year. The story of the royal cemetery is the story of Warri Kingdom. Of course, every notable kingdom in the country has its history, but none seems to be backed with proper documents like Warri.

There are a few kingdoms on earth that could pinpoint the places where the remains of all their past kings were buried. Warri

Kingdom is among this.

This makes it unique. This proper documentation is predicated on the culture of

‘

There is no gate that signals the beginning of this sanctuary of royalties, except the huge pristine trees that welcome visitors. The Ijala grove gives one a kind of eerie feeling

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Tourism News ICTP accepts Nigeria as tourist destination T

HE Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) has achieved another international recognition for Nigeria with the acceptance of the country as a destination member of the International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP), a US-based international tourism body.

The development has been hailed by many as a laudable step in the marketing and promotion of Nigeria as a preferred destination for business and leisure.

ICTP President, Professor Geoffrey Lipman, stated this much when he described Nigeria as the biggest market on the continent.

“Nigeria is the biggest market in Africa with

•Mark Loxley, GM, Southern Sun Hotel Ikoyi (left) and Jude Eloebhose Akhibi, MD, Manifest Press, during the Southern Sun Hotel’s VIP coctail...recently

significant ‘travelism’ promise. As a member of ICTP, the Tourism Development Corporation will have a great opportunity to build environmental man-

agement at the heart of its development strategies. We look forward to working with them and Nigeria’s aviation and tourism community”, Lipman said.

Corroborating Lipman, the Chairman of ICTP, Juergen T. Steinmetz, described the Nigeria’s membership as a laudable initiative by the NTDC. He said:“We could not find a better representative to be our first destination member from Nigeria than the NTDC itself. It has a long history of commitment to passion for the tourism industry in its country.”

Reacting to the development, Director-General of NTDC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, described it as a worthy step in its effort at marketing and promoting the country.

“Nigeria’s membership of ICTP as a destination member justifies all our effort at marketing Nigeria.

planting trees on the grave of every Warri monarch that died right from the founding of the kingdom.

Qatar Airline starts Duty Free promo

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ATAR Duty Free, the award-winning subsidiary of Qatar Airways, has announced an exciting Summer Surprises promotion for passengers departing from, or transiting through Doha International Airport.

Customers who spend QR 500 (US$136) or more on duty free purchases will automatically be eligible for a raffle draw to win shopping vouchers worth USD 10,000, USD 5,000 and USD 1,000.

The promotion runs until August 31.

In addition to shopping vouchers, customers arriving in Doha will receive a 15 per cent discount coupon which can be used towards purchases at Arrivals Duty Free within the airport or

•Akbar Al Baker on their return to Doha.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer, Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are entering the peak holiday season and the busiest time of the year for travel when a great number of international passengers depart or transit through Doha International Airport.”

55

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012 The trees serve as tombstones for the past kings.

They grow tall, unchallenged and undisturbed by man because the people hold the place in awe. Metaphysically, it is like the Warri monarchs rather than die, move to the next world. As a sign that they are very much with the living, the trees are planted on their graves. They grow tall, huge, cover the grounds around. They are a kind of pantheon that looks after the Isekiri people.

According to our tour `guide, the Warri Kingdom Royal Cemetery came into existence in AD 1500 after the death of the first Olu of Warri, Olu Ginuwa 1. According to history, Olu Ginuwa was a prince from Benin kingdom. He was allegedly forced to depart from the kingdom due to palace intrigue. The then Prince Ginuwa and his entourage ‘s journey from Benin took them through many places before finally arriving at a virgin land named Ijala. It was from Ijala that they relocated to the present place, Warri.

The first king of Warri, Ginuwa 1, did not make it to Warri. He died before the relocation and was consequently buried in the first settlement, Ijala which subsequently became the burial ground of the kings of the Warri kingdom.

Ginuwa’s eldest son, Ijijen, succeeded him. He was the one that moved the people from Ijala to Ode-Itsekiri.

According to Erikowa, when a Warri king dies, he

Train ride for Osun Osogbo festival

•Ginuwa Creek

will be carried by boat through the Ginuwa 1 Creek. Traditional rites will be performed to determine where the late king will be buried and also the kind of tree that will be planted on the grave. This is why there are different trees planted on the kings’ graves.

Walking through the grove, we saw trees of different species planted on the graves of well-known and obscure Warri kings such as Don Domingo, the Warri king that had a taste of western civilization in the 15th century when he travelled to Portugal to get western education. There are also tree markers for other kings such as Olu Abejoye (Luigi), Olu Esigie and many. Other kings that have their graves there are: Olu Ijijen, Olu Irame, Olu Ojoluwa, Olu

•Signpost on the road leading to the grave

Atorongboye (Sebastian), Olu Atuwatse 1 (Don Domingo), Olu Oyenakpara (Antonio Domingo) 16451653, Olu Omoluyiri (Mathias Ludivico) 16541673, Olu Abejoye (Luigi) 1673-1700, Olu Akenjoye (Sebastian 11) 1701-1708, Olu Omagboye (Miguel) 1709-1709, Olu Akengboye (Dom Agostinho ) 17101734, Olu Atogbuwa 17351759, Olu Erejuwa1 (Manuel Otobia) 1760-1806, Olu Akengbuwa Joao (John) 1807-1848. Between 1848 and 1936 there was an interregnum. The next king was Olu Ginuwa 11 19361949 and Olu Erejuwa 11 1951-1986.

In the forest are signs, indicating the kings buried under trees. We got to the river through which the remains of the dead Olus are brough to the cemetery.

All around the grove, we saw broken pots that were probably some of the cooking utensils used by the old settlers of Ijala.

The Royal Cemetary of Warri is a place steeped in well-documented history that ought to be in better shape than it is. The curator, Erikowa, seems to be doing a great job in preserving the place. With the history of about 512 years behind it, the place ought to be a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is not surprising that the cemetery made the shortlist of the Naija Seven Wonders even thought it did not make the final seven.

There are signs of encroachments by people.

The importance of this rare historical site is that it should be left the way it is.

The government should make efforts to protect it.

•Some of the trees

Tourism News Business Traveller Africa hosts second WA conference

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UTURE Group – the publishers of Business Traveller Africa magazine – and their Nigerian partners, Topcomm, will be hosting their second annual West Africa Business Travel Conference and Expo in association with headline sponsor, Delta Air Lines, and associate sponsors, MasterCard, W Hospitality Group and GHI Assets.

The event takes place at the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos on Monday, July 23.

It is a one-day conference and expo with delegates discussing pertinent African business travel issues in and around a series of engaging panel discussions, involving some of South Africa and Nigeria’s top business travel industry

speakers.

The theme of this year’s event is “Strengthening Business Travel in West Africa” and the day will feature four main discussion topics: Airlines : The challenges that airlines face – the impact of the rising fuel price, poor track record, safety issues and relationships with travel buyers.

What impact does this have on the business travel industry?

Banks/Financial Services: A look at what the current trends in travel financial services are and their effect on West African business travel and trade.

What are the talking points, both from a bank/ travel finance group point

•Ogbeni Tope Awe, MD, Topcomm

of view and the perspective of the TMC? TMCs: What are the issues facing travel management companies and their relationships with airlines, hotels and car rental agencies. How do TMCs survive, where are the hotspots, and

how do they secure the best deals for business travellers in and out of West Africa? Also, a look at African visa regulations and their impact on business travel between countries.

Hotels : Raising the bar for service excellence in the West African hospitality industry and why this is an important element in securing business travel business.

Also, a look at the trends and where the activity is in West Africa with regards to new property and options for the business traveller, along with an examination of West Africa as a viable option for meetings and conferences.

•Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun, the Ataoja of Osogbo and his olori, Adeola, durng the event

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OR the first time in the current political dispensa tion, tourists to the annual Osun Osogbo will have luxury choice in their mode of transportation to Osogbo, the Osun state capital. This is because the current government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is making trains available to convey tourists from Lagos and other towns along the route to Osogbo.

This was disclosed by the Osun State Governor’s Special Assistant on Tourism and Culture, Mr. Ladi Soyode, during the media unveiling of the programme of events for the 2012 edition of Osun Osogbo festival.

Soyode said the provision of the train services is part of the efforts of the Osun State government to develop tourism in the state.

Speaking on the 2012 edition of the festival, the Chairman of the working committee, Chief Popo Bolarinwa, said this year’s event would kick off on Monday, August 13 to Friday, August 24 which will be the grand finale.

Bolarinwa said part of what visitors to the festival would see this year is the transformation of the grove by the Osun State government.

His words: “ Since the creation of Osun State on August 27, 1991, there had been succession of the culturally and tourism enthused leaders for the state. The Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola leadership has transformed and is still transforming the Osun grove within the 19 months in office. He has structurally created an in and out crowd control entrance and outlet to the grove.

As I speak to you, the government of the of Osun has demolished the existing pavilion in the grove and has immediately embarked on the re-construction of the a theatre-like stage and re-modifying the festival route with construction of road drainage system with designated car parks and so on.”

Speaking on the this year’s event, the marketing consultant to the festival and managing director of Infogem Limited, Mr. Ayo Olumoko, said the this year’s event will be among the best as the state government is taking the event very seriously. In addition, Olumoko said the fact that the ancient town has a reigning monarch who is at peace with his people and people at peace with him, only adds to the harmony with which the festival is being organized.

He said outside the physical developments in the grove to improve it, the state government has also drafted the law enforcement agencies to guard the every nooks and cranny of the grove for the safety of every visitor to the grove. He said they were being assisted by the O’odua People’s Congress (OPC) and local vigilante group. He also praised corporate sponsors such as MTN, Star, Seaman’s Shnapps, Grand Oak, Eagle Schnapps and other sponsors for continually identifying with the festival and Osogbo people.

Meanwhile , in line with its brand positioning, Seaman’s Schnapps, a premium white spirit on the stable of Grand Oak Ltd has concluded plans to sponsor this year’s Osun Osogbo festival.

Making the disclosure at the formal media unveiling of the festival held at the Ikeja Airport Hotel, Category Manager of Grand Oak Ltd, Mr. Ayodeji Abiodun, said the decision to sponsor the popular yearly festival was not unconnected with the importance the brand attached to it.

Besides, he said Seaman’s Schnapps, the number one original prayer drink will be partnering on the festival because the brand is about culture and tradition, and as such the Osun Osogbo festival provides relevant platform to associate and bond with key target audience.

“If you look at the origin of the Seaman’s Schnapps in the market, it is about culture, it is about tradition, it is about associating with the lifestyles of the consumers, and for Seaman’s Schnapps, the original prayer drink, we want to celebrate with our consumers,” he said.

He further stated that the brand which represents enduring blessing cannot but identify with a festival like Osun Osogbo.

THE NATION, Saturday, July 21, 2012

56 INTERVIEW

‘Our lives without Christy EssenIgbokwe’

•Christy carrying Lucky, Samuel and other members of the family

Continued from page 51 know how she was always going about doing things for the family. We always apply the same wisdom she applied when she was doing those things. Sometimes, if it doesn’t work out, we would just do it our own way.

What were the things she could not do for you before she died?

She had always wished that we lived by the examples she set for us; have good partners among others. She was a servant of God and always gave us messages. As a servant of God, her prayers had always been that God should pay her back by rewarding her children.

Was she instrumental to the choice of the woman you married?

She had influence on our day to day life in the sense that she always taught us to do the right thing. She always told us that anything we do should be justified and not because other people are doing it or because it is what is in vogue. In the area of free hand, she allowed us to do what we wanted to do, but she guided us. In the area of marriage, my wife was not the only one that I showed to my mum, but she was the one my mum approved of. She didn’t really say this is the person she wanted me to marry; she only said she was okay with her.

Why are you not into music?

It is not that I don’t like music, but I don’t see myself being a musician. I picture myself as a creator in the sense that I could create pictures in a way that would be appealing to the eye. I was involved in music when I was in school. I used to hang out with a group that was into rap music. After that, it evolved into music making, music creation, recording all the likes, but I don’t really

see myself being an artiste.

Do you have a feeling of her around you?

Yes! There are some scenarios when we feel her.

Sometimes we perceive the fragrance of some of the perfumes that she used to wear around the house. When that happens, it points to the fact that she is around the house. My belief is that she is happier where she is at the moment because everything she predicted before she died has actually happened. Yes everything she predicted has taken place to the last letter, and that is a pointer to the fact that she is happy where she is.

My mum’s popularity never gave me any edge —Youngest son UCKY Igbokwe, the last born of the family, is still missing his mother’s exit. He said he would never forget the late mum because she taught them to always do the right thing at the right time. Lucky, a student of Sports Coaching and Development in the United Kingdom, said his mother’s popularity never gave him any edge because he is not in the music industry.

As the youngest member of the family, what did you miss about your mum?

I miss her presence. I miss everything about her because she was a loving and caring mum. She was someone who would not force you to do what you don’t

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want to do. She advised us to do the right thing at the right time.

What edge has her name given you in the society?

Her name has not really given me any edge because I am not into music. If I were in the entertainment industry, it would have made a difference because if they hear her name, they would reckon with it. It won’t work for me because I am into football coaching.

Anything that has to do with football is my profession. There is nothing else I can do.

Don’t you think you can use her clout to get the government of Akwa Ibom State to do something for you?

My family doesn’t go begging people for favour. God will favour us when He wants to do that. We don’t have to go knocking people’s doors for assistance. God will send us people who would favour us when the time comes. We always pray that God should touch the hearts of people who can favour us. Nothing more, because we are not beggars.

Why are you not into music?

I am studying Sports Coaching and Development in the United Kingdom. I wanted to play professional football in the UK, but it is hard over there because of age. It is not easy for a foreigner to get a club there. I am studying this course because I want to get a degree in coaching. I am doing a B-Tech at the foundation level. I would go to a university after that and maybe set up an academy after I would have been through with my master’s. I may end up nurturing players here and sending them to Europe for professional career. I may even coach any of our national teams. I am not going to live in the UK after my education because they don’t really treat foreigners as anything. I will come back home, set up an academy, nurture my players and be their agent. But I will never cheat because my parents never taught us to do that.

What led you into studying this course?

That is my choice. Our parents never forced us to do what we don’t want to do. So far you have interest in what you are doing and you concentrate on it, you have no problem with my parents. I travelled after the death of my mum. I did not travel because of her death. I already planned to travel before she died.

‘If you want to make it in life, keep the clothes you wore at the time you started work’ Continued from page 51 So, the issue of which course I would read came up. They said people with 10 or eight points could go for certain courses and those with 12 points could go for Law. I said I didn’t want to be a lawyer. They asked what I would want to become, I said a police officer. They asked me why and I said I remembered some years back, a police constable beat somebody from our compound. I had it in mind that I would become a police officer so I could trace that man and fight him.

But they said no, you may not even be able to locate him or he might not still be in service. Besides, they said, there was no need for me to resort to self help. They told me that as a lawyer, I could sue him and do a lot of things. I said if that would give me an opportunity to fight back, let me fill in Law. And unlike today when people will go to different faculties looking for admission, my own admission was posted to me through the Nigerian Postal Service. I received it at home. That was how I started.

What would be your take on those who complain that they cannot progress because they have no help?

I see it as over-simplifying a delicate issue. If I were to be in Lagos at that time, even now, a student who is very interested in reading has a lot of places to make money from. I would go to Mile 12 and carry load. Whether anybody likes it or not, I will get something to sustain myself.

Unfortunately, many children nowadays are not ready to fight for themselves or bear the brunt. Just doing laundry work for people, they can survive. I know how much I pay the boy that comes to my

house to wash and iron my clothes. So, if he can do that in five or six houses, he doesn’t need anybody’s help. He is self-sufficient. Since there is no more scholarship or bursary, a diligent person should find his way.

How do you relax?

Well, on working days, I leave my house at 5 am and get to the office by 6 am. That is what I have been doing for so many years. I close by 5 pm or 6 pm. On such days, I relax by watching the television or do some leisure reading.

On the weekends, I find time to attend parties, community meetings and so on. I try to sit together with friends, relax and forget about office issues. I also do exercise on my treadmill maybe two or three times in a week.

What is your dress code, because I know lawyers can be conservative when it comes to dressing.

I will surprise you. Permit me to say this: when I see people on Saturdays and Sundays wearing suits, I find it very odd. I have come to take the suit like a uniform. I don’t wear them on Saturdays and Sundays.

Are you saying you will never be caught on these days wearing suit?

For what? What am I showing? I see suits and jackets as office wears. On weekends, I like native wears. I prefer Ankara fabrics, but if it is a special occasion, I like to look good.

But I like simple dress, especially of cheap quality.

Why cheap quality?

I like it, I like Ankara of N1,500.

Is this not odd?

No, I like it. You •Alabi see in our society, people assume a lot. Do you know that except for people who know the worth of the clothes, when I wear it, people don’t know I bought it for that amount. You don’t aggravate some people’s agony by displaying unnecessary opulence. You need to lie low. That is my belief. So that those who don’t have would say, ‘If this man can wear this, I will also attend the event.

They won’t know that I don’t have.’

It is also to show to everybody that it is not clothes that make a man. I have had situations in my life, in secondary school and university days when all my friends called me a man with one clothe because you could describe me by my clothes. Of course, at that time, they thought I was a socialist. They never knew that was all

that I had.

In other words you’ve not forgotten your past…

At all! I tell everybody, if you want to make in it in life, make sure the clothes you had when you started work, keep it in your wardrobe. Every morning, before you go to the office, look at it and look at what you are wearing. You will never misbehave.

Do you still keep yours now?

No. But I wish I had the opportunity again. That is what I would have done.

But I try as much as possible to cast my mind back to where I was then.

Are you married?

Yes. By His grace, I am married to Chief (Mrs.) Funke Alabi. Unbelievably, we were classmates in secondary school.

That is interesting…

But then, there was no affair between us.

I did not even have the guts to do so because she came from a family, not that they were rich, but her mum was our school bursar. After we graduated, I made sure that I asked after her from time to time from our colleagues. So, when we got to Law School, I chose Ilorin for my court attachment because that was where her school was. I said that would be an opportunity to meet her.

So, you planned it?

Yes, I did. But I told myself the day I would go to her school, if I met her without anybody directing me to her, I would know she was my wife to be, and if I didn’t meet her, I would walk back from the school. So, the day I went, I meet her coming from the library. I was shocked.

She had changed; a little bit more robust.

She was looking even better than before.

That was how we met.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

NEWS

THE NATION, SATURDAY 21, JULY 2012

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Anambra proscribes terror group, Ndi Mpiawa Azu, others

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HE Anambra State Government yesterday proscribed the terror group- Ndi Mpiawa-azuand other youth Organisationwhose activities were said to be threatening the peace and stability of the state.

•Assures Hausa community of protection Nwanosike ONU, Awka Also banned by Governor Peter Obi in a radio and television broadcast in Awka are Igbo Youth Organisation,

Ogbaru Youth Organisationand other local government areas youth Organisationin the state.

The proscription is in lines with Section 98 (2) of the

Court validates Olofa’s appointment

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KWARA State High Court sitting in Ilorin, has validated the appointment of Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi as Olofa of Offa.

Oba Gbadamosi succeeded Oba Mustapha Olawore Olanipekun who passed on in October 2010.

The court also established that only two ruling housesAnilelerin and Olugbensecould lay claim to the Olofa stool.

The last Olofa and the incumbent hail from the Anilelerin Ruling House.

The Olugbense House had gone to court in 2010 to void Oba Gbadamosi’s appointment.

The plaintiff, Alhaji Raufu Keji, prayed the court to declare the selection, appointment and recognition of Oba Gbadamosi by the kingmakers as wrongful, null and void.

His counsel, Mr. John Baiyeshea (SAN) told the court that the kingmakers relied on false historical evi-

Adekunle JIMOH, Ilorin dence to deny him his inalienable right to the stool and urged the court to discountenance the defendants’ claim that Olugbense ruling house was extinct and disinherited.

The enthronement of Oba Gbadamosi, he argued, was ”wrongful, illogical, null and void and of no effect whatsoever in view of the established chieftaincy system in Olofa .

“The Anilelerin House, having produced the immediate past Olofa, in the spirit of rotation, fair play and equity it is the turn of Olugbense ruling houe.”

But counsel to the defendants Mr. Lawal Rabana (SAN), urged the court to dismiss all the declaratory reliefs sought by the claimant for lack of merit.

He said there was no evidence before the court showing that ascension to the

Olofa stool is rotational between two houses.

His words: “The prevailing customs and tradition of Offa only recognize one ruling house to the throne of Olofa. The evidence of the kingmakers in the selection of Olofa is very apt.

“Government cannot change the customs and tradition of Offa in the name of justice and fair play.”

Justice Suleiman Akanbi, in his eight-hour judgement said while it was clear that the town has two ruling houses there was no evidence before him establishing the rotation of the stool between the two houses.

Justice Akanbi said: “It is the people of Offa and honest kingmakers guided by their conscience who are to determine the Olofa of Offa.

The gazette which gives room for the two ruling houses to exist was ominously silent on rotation.

What then is the business of the court to do otherwise?”

Why Gombe is relatively safe — Commissioner

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EASONS for the relative peace and security in Gombe has been attributed to the some of the actions of Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo.

According to the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Rev. Habu Dawaki, the governor has been able to achieve this by engaging the youths in more productive and positive ventures.

He noted that on assuming office, Governor Dankwambo disbanded all militia groups in the state and also ensured that the boys were rehabilitated and re-orientated.

This remarkable achievements, the commissioner said, significantly ensured the turnaround of the hitherto restive Gombe State into an ultimate investment destination in the North East.

The Commissioner also said the recent report in the state was part of the gen-

Vincent IKUOMOLA, Abuja

eral security challenge in the region.

“It is a general security challenge we have in the country and that has been really taken care of. The security agents are up and doing and they have been ultimately checked. Gombe is part of it. So far, as the North-East region is concerned, Gombe is the ultimate destination.

“That is one of the most remarkable achievements of His Excellency, the Deputy Governor of Gombe State over the last one year. One of them is the banning of Yankalare Group and apart from the banning; he also found a way of rehabilitating and re-orientating them and he did that by engaging about 1200 of the youth at the NYSC orientation camp, and these youths were trained for a period of one month.

“Right now, they are doing

well with some as traffic and environmental marshals, at the vanguard of sanitizing the environment. That is the pilot program and so far, it has been very successful and some of the youths are yearning for the same project.

“About 330 of these youth are also taken to Jos at the training centre where they are equally trained. So, the program is on-going and restiveness is being reduced to the barest minimum and I believe that by the time these activities are gone, restiveness will be a thing of the past.”

The commissioner further revealed that the governor still had a plan of engaging further 30, 000 more youth.

“He still has a program of engaging about 30,000 youth and I believe that will make him perfect in Gombe and that will actually restore an atmosphere of peace. If you go to Gombe now, you can sleep with your eyes closed.”

Northern govs ready to tackle almajiri menace, says Kwankwaso

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ORTHERN governors are now set to tackle the menace of Almajiris using the report of the Justice Abubakar Bashir Wali Committee as a roadmap.

Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State said yesterday that the report would serve as a guiding tool in the effort to solve the Almajiris challenge.

The governor spoke while receiving the final report of the committee.

Kolade ADEYEMI, Kano He said: “Since we constituted the committee, I contacted most of my colleagues in the North, especially about our mission on how best to properly tackle the Almajiris syndrome in Kano, and I promised to share our ideas with them, so that together we can kickstart and solve the prevailing Almajiris menace.

“We are ready in Kano to tackle the Almajiris menace

headlong. We now have the solution and we will not hesitate to implement the report to the letter, so that the kids on the streets will have a secured future.”

The committee chairman, Justice Abubakar Bashir Wali said that in reaching its conclusion, the panel consulted stakeholders across the state and also examined statistical data on Almajiris and their locations.

The assignment took six months to complete.

Criminal Code laws of Anambra State 1991.

The governor said a law on prohibition of fraudulent practices on land and property will soon be in force.

According to him, it is now a criminal offence for any person to belong to, associate with, manage or assist in the management of any of the

proscribed groups or organisations.

He said all communitybased youth organisations must be registered with, supervised, controlled and subjected to the town union and traditional ruler of that community which must take responsibility for their activities and conducts.

He explained that the new law on land and property prohibits people from selling

Abia Assembly directs LGs to designate areas as cemeteries

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HE Abia State House of Assembly has directed eight local governments in the state to create public cemeteries in their areas of jurisdiction immediately, as some of the existing ones in Aba and Umuahia have given way to commercial activities.

The eight local councils are Aba North, Aba South, Osisioma Ngwa, Umuahia North, Umuahia South, Ugwunagbo, Ohafia and Obingwa.

They are expected to liaise with Ministry of Lands and Urban renewal for that purpose.

The lawmakers said an end has to be put to the current situation where corpses are buried in unauthorised places.

Mr. Chidi Nwosu, representing Umuahia South, in moving the motion, had said most of the cemeteries created in the colonial period and others by the Anglican, Catholic, Presbyterian and Methodist churches are now filled up and necessitating new ones.

Nwosu said the rapid expansion of cities like Umuahia and Aba has submerged aboriginal village settings with the result that even when natives of those areas die, they cannot be buried in their ances-

Ugochukwu UGOJI-EKE, Umuahia

tral compounds.

He said: “The Muslims who bury their dead a few hours after death occurs don’t even have land to bury their dead in any part of the state.

“There are cases of lunatics who die from time to time on our streets, roads and even in public places and criminals killed during exchange of gun battle with security agents, they are found dumped or buried around the city refuse dump sites which is inhuman and indecent.”

land not belonging to them or selling a parcel of land to two or more different persons. Besides, the law forbids people from demanding or collecting any fee not approved by law from any person developing or improving an already existing property in the state.

He said the law will descend heavily on any person wilfully damaging, destroying, pulling down or removing any beacon or structure on any land belonging to another person or any person; harassing, obstructing or assaulting any worker in a construction site with intent to compel the workers or owner of the land to pay illegal fees.

The governor’s broadcast came 24 hours after Deputy Governor Emeka Sibeudu, in a statement, disowned the now proscribed Ndi Mpiawazu whose members were terrorising residents of the commercial cities of Onitsha and Nnewi.

The group was blamed for the murder and maiming of many residents of the two cities.

However, Deputy Governor Emeka Sibeudu said in Awka that the state government had no relationship whatsoever with the group and could not have been acting on behalf of the government.

THE NATION, Saturday, July 21, 2012

60 ERE’s a conundrum for you:

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•Firstl, pick the number of times a week you would like to have a mineral drink. (It should be more than 1 but less than 10).

•Multiply this number by 2.

•Add 5.

•Multiply it by 50.

•If you’ve already had your birthday this year add 1762. If you haven’t, add 1761.

•Now subtract the four-digit year that you were born.

You should have a three-digit number The first digit of this was your original number of the number of times a week you would like to have a mineral drink.

The next two numbers are.......

YOUR AGE! When a friend told me that she could work out my age using a formula known as beer math, it initially sounded strange. When she started working it out using the above formula, the whole ‘add this’, ‘subtract that’ and ‘multiply those ‘seemed complicated. But at the end when I saw that the formula added up to my age and the number of drinks I had chosen in my mind, the whole complex process seemed to somehow make sense. The fact that the answer to the puzzle is accurate no matter the number of drinks chosen and the age of the person I tried it on reinforces, in my mind, the notion that sometimes one is confronted with situations that, on the face of it, seem unworkable, but in the end, the result makes sense. Much like the way I view Nigeria, a country of 250 different types of people lumbered together in one geographical location. A country with so much difficulties and dimensions but in the end, despite our troubles, it’s a country that makes sense to me.

Presently this nation exists within an atmosphere of divide and blame; so much so that people are calling for the separation of the country openly. The game where we blame each other for all the evils in our country never resonated more than a millisecond with me. I have always believed that the past and present government officials who have fluffed up the affairs of the country and the extremists that have chosen to exact a culture of violence should be responsible for their own acts and it is not fair to extend guilt by association to everyone else.

It is a fact that every decision, embezzlement and

Beer Math indiscretion made by our governments and leaders have been made by people from the various different parts of the country as they assemble a government of national character. It is no news to Nigerians that kidnapping, 419, armed robberies has been carried out by the different array of people across this country. Even the bombings and violence now predominantly carried out

by Boko-Haram first reared its ugly head when the Niger-Delta militants unleashed terror on civilians in the FCT, Lagos and Port Harcourt. It is unlikely that at any point a region, as a collective, has endorsed the destruction of another as a matter of policy. It is a belief fuelled purely by dogma, self-delusion, ignorance and bigotry in varying levels.

When commentators and terrorists publicly refer to Nigerians in “us and them’ terms; when they suggest the separation of Nigeria in order to rid the country of ‘the bad-people’, it amounts to the pursuit of an agenda to revoke the full civil liberties of other Nigerians. Also, the people who think they are defending their freedom of speech and action by unreasonably reducing every mishap and tragedy in this country down to ethnic and religious indices, have not the ability to exercise these freedoms responsibly, or judge whether others do so because they are equally segregating others.

The truth is that anyone who continues to spread disharmony and promote dichotomy between the different regional and ethnic groups in the name of fighting for freedom, is kind of similar to those that set out to harm innocent Nigerians through violence or otherwise. They play a large part in perpetuating the bloody ethnic conflicts and tense inter-religious hatred we see today. We demonize the extremes of violence, but

each form of violence exaggerates an endemic process of persuasion by those at the top of the social order.

Most violence is not idiosyncratic: An irresponsible and careless expression by influential members of a society has the greatest potential of taking on a physical form.

If those of us who are better informed continue spreading inaccurate information of negative rhetoric and stereotype, then Nigerians, together or apart, will never overcome.

We need to start addressing the real issues that have decayed this nation and apportioning blame where blame is due rather than allowing primitive sentiments to oppress our minds. If individuals in government loot our coffers, they, and not their village folk, should take individual responsibility for their misappropriation. If some crazy fanatic goes on a murderous rampage and blows up guiltless Nigerians, the blood of the innocents should be on that individual person’s hands and not on all the people who read the same scripture as him.

In the 52 years that we have existed as an independent country, terrible things have happened to Nigeria; gross amounts of corruption have underlined our existence. But with the bad, comes the good because in those 52 years, wonderful things have also happened. I have always believed Nigeria’s main asset is its people and diversity. Whenever I meet a Nigerian abroad, the tribe they come from or the stereotypes that their region is burdened with has never been a consideration for me. The fact that they come from Nigeria always gives me a sense of camaraderie. Yes, we are different; different customs, different foods, different languages, different features and different beliefs but not so different that we cannot respect and embrace those differences.

I am a Hausa/Fulani from Katsina who is absolutely proud of my identity. But before that, I am a Nigerian to the core with the spirit and soul of my motherland. I am more than happy to come from the most populous and diverse country in Africa.

This nation is very complicated, but through God’s Grace we exist as a nation. And just like Beer Math, although we are a complicated formula, the different and various people fated together under this nation in theory do make sense. So if anybody tells you that Nigeria can add and multiply its worth by subtracting a certain region and dividing the country, despite the fact that their words sound like it’s emanating from a beer parlour, tell them about the unconventional logic in this Beer Maths!

Where are the real Eaglets?

Eaglets with cars, cash and houses, like we have today. They were given scholarships and bonds in blue-chip firms.

Indeed, the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), as it was then known, was not in charge of the process that produced the 1985 Eaglets. This allconquering 1985 squad ignited the passion of Nigerians with their feats, but sadly some ethnic jingoists couldn’t understand why the 1985 squad was predominantly populated by Bendelites.

They introduced quota system into the selection of national team players. This ethnic slant fast-tracked all other sharp practices, including the age-cheat syndrome. These ethnic jingoists forgot the fact that all the states were told the reward of winning the gold medal in the intermediate football event before the ’85 National Festival soccer matches began.

It was easy for YSFON to provide the right players to fit into the Bendel squad because they had a data base and also knew those boys that they had exposed to big tournaments in the past. Missing in Nigeria is a renowned discerning nursery where kids can be taught the rudiments of the game. Such nurseries inadvertently provide the platform for keeping such kids’ data since they would have branches scattered across the country.

Sadly too, our local clubs don’t have nurseries where they train kids who eventually graduate into the senior teams. Indeed, in other climes where football is big business, clubs have nurseries not only in football but in others sports.

Kids in big European clubs also have competitions that they play seasonally,

just as they have renowned coaches who are experts in grooming young boys and girls to stardom. Indeed, the task of teaching children any vocation isn’t easy.

Coaches, most times games masters of schools who are retrained, handle such exercises. It is not an all-comers affair.

All that anyone needs to qualify to coach children is to buy a ball. This is where the passion for the game begins.

They assemble the boys; some of them get their poor parents to pay for their kids to be trained and do nothing to get these boys quality education. But they are the first to scream for compensation in hard currencies anytime the boys gain stardom.

What we call nurseries in Nigeria are camps owned by scouts or agents who end up selling our talents into slavery.

This writer has had a good laugh listening to some of our age-cheats advocates on radio. Most of them have organised age-grade competitions whose products have melted away like icecream in the scorching sun.

Some of them see the age-grade category as the Apian Way to being agents and scouts of European teams.

They have ascribed to themselves all

,

Continued from back page

knowledge and wisdom. They want to run their show. They don’t want to work under any form of legislation. They see the age-grade platform as the best way to run a body that is parallel to the NFF. Their identification with age-grade soccer is mercantile; some of them are eager to use this platform to contest elections into the NFF. The way forward will be for the State governments that own football clubs to encourage teams’ managements to have feeder teams that would play curtain raisers before big domestic games. It will not be out of place if one of the governors donates a trophy, where the feeder teams of the 20 league clubs in Nigeria rotate venues across the states to play a league competition. Most of the school boys who eventually played for Bendel Insurance FC, for instance, were products of New Era College, a school set up by Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia for youths to combine education with sports. Bendel State was the factory for school boy heroes, such as Thompson Usiyen, Davidson Owumi, Frank Onwanchi (Sachiemore), Damien Ogunsuyi, Samuel Okpodu, John Omughele, Ikpomwonsa Omoregie, late Osaro Obobaifo,

What we call nurseries in Nigeria are camps owned by scouts or agents who end up selling our talents into slavery. This writer has had a good laugh listening to some of our age-cheats advocates on radio. Most of them have organised age-grade competitions whose products have melted away like ice-cream in the scorching sun

,

Augustine Igbinobaro, Humphrey Edobor, Clement Temile, Bright Omokaro, Wilson Oruma, Friday Elahor, Edema Fuludu, Isaac Semitoje, Monday Eguavoen, Austin Eguavoen, Mike Obiku, Austin Popo, Rowland Ewere et al. Little wonder Benin was the Mecca of our football, with three big teams (Bendel Insurance, New Nigerian Bank and Flash Flamingoes) playing at the Ogbemudia Stadium.

Blackmailing the NFF won’t solve the issue of age-cheats in the Golden Eaglets.

It is a systemic problem and Nigerians should be bold enough to expose a cheat.

Cheats live with us, they are no spirits. I have exposed several. Because of the handsome rewards that these kids get when they win laurels, parents, who should be truthful, collude with their wards to cheat.

My heart bleeds anytime our age-grade players can’t express themselves in good English. One cringes, watching some of our big stars and coaches delegate the accompanying team secretaries to fill their immigration forms at the airport lounge. They just append their signatures. It is that bad.

Every child should be made to produce his/her school documents in the last five years to qualify for any age-grade team.

It simply means that only students would play for our youth teams. This setting reduces the pressure on the coaches and NFF to win such competitions, even though I know that we have talented players who with good coaching can rule the world.

Are we ready to change our ways? The challenge is for us to expose the cheats, no matter what it costs to do so. This writer won’t relent on this age-cheat exposé. Wouldn’t you rather join the battle?

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

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THE NATION SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

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EQUITIES

NSE delists Ecobank Nigeria

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 20-7-12

T

HE Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday delisted Ecobank Nigeria Plc following the absorption of the bank’s minority shareholders into Ecobank Transnational Incorporated ETI. ETI, the parent company, had opted to delist the susbsidiary rther than issuing new share to meeting the minimum 20 per cent float required by NSE. The delisting reflected on market indices. The AllShare-Index reduced by 2.90 per cent to close at 23,095.31, a drop of 0.01 per cent while the market capitalisation shed N25 billion or 0.34 per cent to close at N7.349 trillion.

The selling pressure was the bane of the banking sector yesterday with only three gainers at the close of the session. Union Bank, Fidelity Bank and Stanbic-IBTC rallied with gains of 4.9 per cent, 2.3 per cent and 1.0 per cent

By Taofik Salako and Tonia Osundolire

respectively. On the other hand, selling pressure trimmed off over 3.0 per cent from UBA, Access Bank, GTBank and Diamond Bank.

Dangote Cement recovered from Thursday’s bearish sentiments as it picked up 1.3 per cent at the close of the session; Lafarge Wapco also inched up 2.3 per cent on the back of healthy demand and a dearth of offers.

Ashaka Cement and CCNN however, recorded no change at the close of the session.

Dangote Sugar consolidated on previous gains with a further 4.9 per cent mark-up, while Honeywell Flour also rallied with a 4.7 per cent gain. On the flip side, Dangote Flour lost 2.9 per cent, while Nestle and Nascon shed less than 1.0 per cent apiece.

In all, investors traded

277.876 million shares worth N2.091 billion in 4,032 deals.

The Financial services sector was the most sought after with 134.580 million shares worth N933.294 million in 2,206 deals.

The Healthcare sector followed with 92.209 million shares worth N56.103 million in 81 deals. Other actively traded sectors were Consumer Goods, Industrial Goods and Conglomerates among others.

On the price movement tables, the number of gainers and losers evened out leaving the total equities with price change at 48. Leading the 24 equities with price appreciation was Guinness with an increase of N11.40 to close at N239.40 followed by Okomuoil with a gain of N1.49 at N31.39.

Others on the list were Glaxosmith, Conoil, UBN, UAC-Property, Dangote Sugar, Japaul Oil, Honeywell Flour and AG Leventist.

On the losers’ table, UBA led with a price drop of N0.22 to close at N4.18 followed by May & Baker with price N1 slip of N0.09 to close at N1.71.

Also on the list were Berger, Access Bank, Longman, RT Briscoe, Ikeja Hotel, Transcorp, WAPIC and Law Union and Rocks.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 20-7-12

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

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SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL.7, NO. 3093

O

UR attention has been drawn to Niyi Akinnaso’s jaundiced opinion es say entitled: ‘ACN and the politics of candidate selection in Ondo’ published in his ‘Thinking with you’ column on the back page of The Punch of Tuesday, July 16, 2012. From the outset, it is patently clear that the said essay is full of distortions and misconceptions in its self-serving format. It was such that it looked at only one side of the significant and sensitive issue of election of the party’s flag bearer for the October 20, 2012, gubernatorial poll. Characterized by undue focus on personalities rather than issues and displaying lack of knowledge of how party mechanisms function in such a delicate process, Akinnaso willingly played into the hands of those who are desperately trying to paint the ACN as a political party lacking in internal cohesion and harmony and administered through the whims and caprices of a few. We find it necessary to expose the fallacies of such misleading and mischievous reasoning.

In journalism, truth is sacred which makes it imperative for every writer worth his salt to always seek to know the two sides of the coin before drawing conclusions.

Such balanced reportage and analysis of evolving events in Nigeria’s polity made the Gbolabo Ogunsanwos, the Sam Amukas and Allah Deys, the toast of newspaper readers in the glorious days of the defunct Daily Times. Unfortunately, some current highly opinionated essayists like Akinnaso are, only too willing to take the intelligence of the reader for granted. Yes, the political analyst can have his own biases but this should not preclude his analysis from being predicated on rigorous logic.

For instance, to have asked the spurious question about where the respected Barrister Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s loyalty would lie- between the ACN leadership and the good people of Ondo State-should he eventually clinch the coveted governorship post is to belittle the mental acumen of a legal luminary of his stature. It also presupposes that he has no mind of his own. Or, worse still that he has no firm grip of the political terrain of the acclaimed sunshine state, the affairs of which he intends to steer for the good of all. This is demeaning.

If memory serves, Barrister Akeredolu is not only a worthy indigene who hails from Owo town but was appointed and served as the Attorney General of Ondo State between 1997 and 1999. Interestingly, it was based on his sterling performance and the wealth of experience garnered over the years that he became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) while still serving the state in 1998.

In one breath, Akinnaso described Akeredolu as a ‘consummate lawyer’ and a ‘dignified gentleman’, yet in another, he questioned how a ‘connoisseur of the rule of law’ would have his integrity questioned

by Ondo people and his co-aspirants. The columnist insinuates albeit mischievously that as a man of honour, Akeredolu would

MEET OUR NEW COLUMNIST ON PAGE 60 PUNCHLINE ‘The truth is that anyone who continues to spread disharmony and promote dichotomy between the different regional and ethnic groups in the name of fighting for freedom is kind of similar to those that set out to harm innocent Nigerians through violence or otherwise’

OPEN FORUM Idowu Ajanaku

ACN and the politics of candidate selection in Ondo State

‘

But lest we forget, incumbent Governor Mimiko was the sole candidate in the 2007 gubernatorial poll in Ondo state for the LP. Now, again he is the only party flag bearer! Since his Labour Party has not found it expedient to open the political space, four years after, Akinnaso, who has become his man Friday should tell the world who is imposing himself on the people

•Akeredolu

rather have withdrawn from the race than become a beneficiary of a supposedly faulty election process. Truth is, that with over 30 aspirants, many of them highly qualified, jostling for the governorship ticket in only one party, who would Akinnaso have considered as emerging from a correct intraparty process? In any case, does a party not reserve the right to determine the form of conducting its intra-party election? It is obvious that the ACN has managed the complex selection process in Ondo in a credible and mature way such that the outcome has not resulted in the outright disarray within its ranks that the Labour Party was anticipating.

As a responsible and responsive party, the ACN could not stand aloof, arms folded and allow its arch rival, the Labour Party to sow a seed of discord amongst it respected members. It had to step in to carefully moderate the process taking into account the large number of qualified aspirants seeking to fly its flag. It had also to consider the possibility that some of the aspirants may have been sponsored by the Labour Party to infiltrate its ranks. In the final analysis

’

the important thing is that the ACN used its party guidelines to ensure the emergence of a candidate with the requisite qualities of sharing in the party’s virile vision of democratic ideals; who also understand the nuances of good governance and accountability and who has both the mental and physical abilities to meet the people’s priority needs. It must be stressed that there were many competent aspirants within the party but only one person could emerge.

We must differentiate between the motive and the method applied in the said election. The motive is obviously to win the next governorship election in Ondo State and bring the people true, enduring good governance in line with the progressive principles of the ACN. The method is to get a candidate of undisputed credibility; a knowledgeable candidate with a track record of exemplary public service. That Akeredolu used the word ‘chosen’ in the campaign billboard symbolizes his absolute confidence in God for a divine vision he has as a catalyst of change, instead of any vested interest.

Furthermore, it must be realised that some of the key elements that would open the

doors to the democratic dividends that Nigerians have long been yearning for begin with intra-party discipline, loyalty and trust. Yes, trust! Even Akinnaso would agree that the ACN has been exemplary in the choice of the party flagbearers at the state level. If millions of Nigerian voters agree today that the choice of Barrister Babatunde Raji Fashola(Lagos), Rauf Aregbesol (Osun), Dr.Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Senator Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) and without doubt, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State was one right decision made, certainly that of Akeredolu should not be any different. In fact, it is a hallmark of political ingenuity by the party that political engineers and students of history should learn from. But here, we love to castigate it, all because the unattainable grape has become sour!

Besides, intra-party squabbles are inherent features of democracy globally. What is important is the way and manner they are handled. It demands maturity and sacrifice on the part of warring factions. A meeting point must be identified between the polarized views of political gladiators for prompt resolution. For instance, in the United States, the Columbus Metropolitan Club debate began with intra-party squabbles that led to Robert Bennet succeeding Levin De Wine. In India, the same issue surfaced prior to the ruling Birhar BJP party ahead of the Assembly elections in August,2010. Just as Vice President John Draman Mahama intervened in the internal crisis within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in August ,2011 to bring peace, so has Governor Aregbesola done, as a peace maker. This is not the first time.

He has done it before to mend fences within the Oyo State chapter of the people’s party.

The answer to Akinnaso’s question on what he terms the ACN’s inability to uphold democratic principles is first, to understand the undercurrent factors in the quest for political power at the states. There are more contending issues than meet the eye. It would be foolhardy to underrate a major opposition party and the scheming, intrigues, horse -trading that come to play.

No responsible party would go ahead to impose a candidate against the peoples’ wish unless it wants to fail at the polls ab nitio. To avert crisis that may snowball into an electoral loss, it must abide by and enforce its rules, while ensuring that only the best gets the nod. This is by no stretch of imagination an imposition.

But lest we forget, incumbent Governor Mimiko was the sole candidate in the 2007 gubernatorial poll in Ondo State for the LP. Now, again he is the only party flagbearer!

Since his Labour Party has not found it expedient to open the political space, four years after, Akinnaso, who has become his man Friday should tell the world who is imposing himself on the people.

•Ajanaku is director of media, publicity and strategy for the campaign organization of Ondo ACN candidate, Akeredolu.

Ade Ojeikere on Saturday talk2adeojeikere@yahoo.com

Where are the real Eaglets?

SO much noise is being made about stopping age-cheats from playing in the Golden Eaglets. Yet, club coaches are given the task of picking those to be invited. Can you see the paradox? If we want to select true Eaglets, we should employ youth coaches or games masters of football-playing schools for the job.

If we must have a credible Eaglets squad, we must be prepared to have a central regulatory body, such as the YSFON of yore. This idea of a few people peddling influence in high places won’t give us what we want. We must reinvigorate

those moribund school soccer tournaments that produced the young boys of yore. Talents are discovered through competitions. The Federal Government must challenge the National Sports Commission (NSC) to work in tandem with the Federal Ministry of Education to revive the Principals Cup and the Governors Cup competitions. These two bodies could also sell this platform to the bluechip companies to bankroll and also get the children to fill the stands during matches. Nothing puts off a sponsor like empty stands in the stadium.

If we must assemble the right boys to play for this country, it is important that

we ask how the first set of Golden Eaglets players who excelled in China in 1985 emerged. Simple: finding age-grade players should evolve from the school system.

The Bendel State side that won the gold medal in the intermediate category of the 1985 National Sports Festival held in Ilorin formed the nucleus of that all-conquering squad.

To strengthen the Bendel State side to have a national outlook ahead of the Kodak Youth Cup in China then, some boys were picked from the YSFON squads that had been exposed to several youth soccer competitions in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Coach Sebastian Brodericks-Imasuen, who led the Bendel State side to victory in Ilorin, retained his post but he asked for Christian Chukwu to assist him.

That 1985 squad has been Nigeria’s closest attempt at parading young boys as Eaglets. Most of them, such as Nduka Ugbade, Jonathan Akpoborie, Baldwin Bazuaye, Benebi Numa, goalkeeper Lucky Agbonsevbafe, Victor Igbinoba, Fatai Atere, the late Kingsley Aikhionbare et al went on to play for the Flying Eagles and the Super Eagles. Not so anymore. Now, every new national team coach seeks to invite ‘men’, who, having compromised their ages, would be ready to do their bidding in Europe or anywhere to which the coach decides to sell such a player.

The government didn’t reward the 1985 •Continued on Page 60

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