The Nation July 24, 2011

Nigeria’s truly national newspaper

Don’t send soldiers after Boko Haram

VOL. 05, N0. 1830

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–Tai Solarin’s wife

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Anguish as Norway death toll hits 92

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

SUNDAY, JULY 24, 2011

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Anti-corruption war

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Top govt official, suspects after me --Waziri NUPENG Family of six suspends strike die after meal Gives government in Anambra two weeks ultimatum – Page 4

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SPECIAL REPORT

Minimum wage, minimum Nigerians Minimum wage and the federal question N18, 000 and cost of living Enhancing states’ IGR through creative governance Assessing labour Labour and elite lifestyle – Pages 16-18 & 56

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

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•Mohammed at six months

•When the eye was first infected

•New growths over Mohammed at Shika

•Mohammed on his bed penultimate Saturday

‘Please, don’t let my son die, C

AN you believe the images above belong to the same person? These are different nose-diving developmental stages of three-year-old Mohammed Abdulmalik. His pathetic case was first published by The Nation on Sunday August 22 last year, when the father, Idris Abdulmalik, cried out for help in order to save his son from losing his sight for lack of #100,000. At age two months, he suffered from Leukemia. Ignorant of the gravity of the infection, his parents sought for local solution. But before they knew what happened, the iris of his left eye was already washed out, while the right eye became watery.

The response of public-spirited Nigerians to Idris’ appeal then was tremendous. Within a space of time many people, including groups, came to the aid of the boy. Donations were made and a bank account which was jointly managed by the father and our correspondent was opened at the Zenith Bank, Minna, Niger State. The National Eye Centre, Kaduna, also came to the rescue of little Mohammed by carrying out the needed eye surgery free of charge on the 1st of September, courtesy of the donation of the magnanimous Senate President, Senator David Mark.

But in less than one month, the case of little Mohammed took a new dimension. Suddenly, growths developed from the lower part of the operated left eye; the jaw became so swollen up to his left ear that the boy almost looked like a monster. He was rushed to Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika, Zaria, Kaduna State, where doctors diagnosed the eye to be cancerous.

Since September 2010, Mohammed has been a regular visitor to one of the children’s wards in Shika. He goes in and out of the hospital for cancer treatment sessions almost every other week, courtesy of the donations from well-meaning individuals. After every session, the operated eye and the inflammation subsided. But after few days of respite, the tot goes through pains and sleepless

Last year, an appeal fund was launched for a-two-year-old Mohammed Abdulmalik, whose eyes were infected and needed N100,000 for operation. True to our culture, many public-spirited Nigerians came to his aid. Donations were made, but now the purse has gone lean and the completion of the treatment is far from being near. Last Friday, JIDE ORINTUNSIN visited the boy on his sickbed at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika, Zaria, Kaduna State. nights, with growths springing up from any part of his head. That has been the lifestyle of the innocent boy and Idris, his commercial driver father, since October last year.

Acknowledging the donations by kindhearted Nigerians, the father of the boy said, “I don’t know what I would have done. As a poor pick-up driver, I don’t know where I would have got the money for each of the sessions we have had so far. Aside from the drugs, which are not only scarce but expensive, we come from Bida, in Niger State, to Shika for every session. I wouldn’t have been able to carry the financial burden. On the average we spend between #70,000 and #100,000 per session, depending on the severity of the inflammation, pains and the state of Mohammed’s health.

“Many times the doctors would have to battle for days to get his vein to enable them commence treatment. We woild have to wait for days for this; sometimes my son would be too weak to undergo the stress of the session and we have to wait — all these cost money.

“My family owes the existence of Mohammed to Allah (SWT) and the kindness of Nigerians who came to our aid. I need to also acknowledge the crucial role played by The Nation newspaper. But for their publication, how could we have got help? I wish to also acknowledge the cash donation of #100,000 from my state government (Niger State) through the former Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Yusuf Taigwai. We are grateful.”

But the plight of Mohammed is not over yet. At inception, doctors at Shika said he

would have to go through 20 cancer treatment sessions to stem down the effect of the cancerous virus. With the treatment halfway now, the expectation is that both the boy and his parents should be heaving a sigh of relief. Alas, Mohammed’s case has continued to nosedive!

It was a sorry sight when our correspondent visited the family’s house at Emi Shanbga quarters in Sabongida area of Bida last week.

The three-year-old boy has not only emaciated, he was in pains throughout the time our correspondent was there. “This is what we now go through, both day and night. He is always in pains. He has equally been refusing to eat these days. I don’t know what to do,” Aminat, the mother of the boy lamented His deteriorating health forced his parents to return him to Shika on Monday, where doctors have since started another session of treatment. But a big blow was dealt on the father of the boy when he was told that the only thing that can sustain his ailing boy is a continuous and regular session, which will cost money. Again, another growth suddenly budged out of the lower part of the right eye and at the back of his head last Friday.

Writhing in pains, Mohammed cries all through the day. He has become a nuisance at his ward in Shika — his cry disturbs all other patients in the ward.

This development forced Mohammed’s father to put a call to our correspondent, “Oga Jide,” he began, “please come, I am in deep problem. Doctors say Mohammed will need to go for more than 20 sessions. Where am I going to get the funds to foot the bills of these sessions?

Kindly help me. Even if I should sell my old pick-up, the proceeds from the sale cannot carry two of the sessions and my wife has no job.

Please help me. This is my only surviving child, please help me.” The distress call by Idris was informed by the lean credit balance of Mohammed’s account at Zenith Bank.

Idris who has abandoned his driving to take Mohammed to Shika for treatment was almost in tears as he appealed for financial assistance for the treatment of his son. Hear him: “More than before, I am appealing to Nigerians, to my state and Bida local governments to come to the aid of my son. He is my hope and I cannot see him die. Maintenance of cancer patient is expensive. I am a poor driver and I don’t have what it takes to keep my son on the line. That is why I am appealing to Nigerians to come to the aid of Mohammed. Please, don’t let my son die.”

Editor’s note: To reach out to Mohammed, send your donations to his account: Mohammed Abdulmalik , Account number : 2050228834, Zenith Bank Plc, Minna branch, Niger State.

Have Your Say What is your opinion on the proposed merger of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) ?

— Send SMS with full name and location before Wednesday to 08074473182 Responses to previous week’s question are on pages 48 & 52

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

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T a time like this when Nigeria has slipped further in the Failed Nations Index, when there are so many issues profound respect an wehinmi would have been darting in and out of the law courts, screaming blue murder and muttering in his guttural Ondo dialect: “Nwon ma kan mi siwere” (They are all insane) In a sense, and with retrospective hindsight, death has been very kind to Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi. There is a limit to which a single individual can carry the burdens of a lawless elite afflicted by post-colonial political cretinism. Nigeria loves to see its real great men in great distress. After the great electoral scam of 2003, Gani wrote a letter to his compatriots indicating how he wept himself silly that such a nasty heist could take place in his life time.

By the time he finally succumbed to the grim reaper, the great attorney was a broken man. If he had thought that military despotism was the ultimate in nation-sapping misadventure, the new cockroaches were even more voracious and omnivorous than uniformed leeches.

The messiahs of the people ate until the men and women of the people came to d sy about how to pay its work force a minimum of wage of less th y dollars a month, Brazil is looking for ways of lifting a further sixteen million of its underclass out of the poverty trap to join its ever expanding middle class. As it is happening in India and China, about 105.5m Brazilians out of a total population of 190million have already had their hitherto miserable existence dramatically transformed by

Column

At Bay in Abuja

•The late Fawehinmi

purposeful and patriotic governance.

It is a huge re-routing and rebalancing of national resources which owes even more to a just and humane vision of society than to mere economic wizardry. A great economist without a great vision is only a sterile statistician. Not even modern America can boast of this re-permutation of societal dynamics based on an egalitarian conception

of the human community.

Fuelled by a democratised access to education, hordes of the wretched of the earth are literally jumping out of the slums and the innercity hell into middle class respectability.

According to a survey published in last week’s Financial Times: “Incomes are growing more (quickly} in traditionally excluded groups of Brazilian society, such as nonwhites, women, those living in the poor northeast, in the favelas (slums) or in the outskirts of Brazilian cities”. Having formally abolished slavery in 1888, Brazil is finally abolishing poverty based on race and class. The descendants of those former slaves who left Brazil for the Nigerian coast around the same time must be cursing their fate.

The middle class, it needs to be stressed, are the bedrock of national stability and democracy. The middle class is the buffer and safety net between the filthy rich and the filthy poor. As it so happens with the ever changing dynamics of human society, on their way down, the super rich can be contained without a precipitate fall into cantankerous

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nooping around With

Tatalo Alamu penury. On their way up, the once poor can be accommodated before they threaten the entire system.

The middle class serves as the guarantor of peace and prosperity in the modern society. Without them, there can be no democracy or national stability. It is the armistice zone which prevents the underprivileged from openly colliding with the overprivileged. A nation which destroys its middle class has killed the capacity of the people to dream of a better tomorrow and has added a dispossessed intellectual class to its list of mortal and implacable enemies.

When people talk about the problems of democracy in Nigeria, they have forgotten that democracy cannot survive where people are stuck at the level of sub-human subsistence and where the ordinary folks obsess with how and where to find the next meal. What on earth will prevent them from selling their votes to the highest bidder, or prevent them from being herded to the polling booths like miserable donkeys loaded with the dividends of democratic tyranny?

It is lamentable to note that while this fundamental social re-

A Beggars’ Opera for Gani A

S the royal send off for Nigeria’s fallen legal idol reached its kingly crescendo, reports reaching snooper spoke of a glorious exit spectacle in honour of the great man somewhere on the outskirts of Ikotun Egbe. We were informed that the whole place was crackling with verbal fireworks and antiestablishment wisecracks. This was departure brilliantly enacted as opera

by Nigeria’s multi-ethnic underclass.

There were reports of an old man singing ancient Suberu Oni tunes in honour of Gani in the deep, guttural Ondo dialect of the master crooner himself. Of course, snooper immediately fingered the old radical contrarian, Baba Lekki. It has been a long time we heard from the scourge of the Nigerian ruling class.

Not since he was arrested for going prematurely public with the comprehensive list of notable bank debtors including former heads of state.

He subsequently walked out of jail when his gaolers fled upon being informed that ferocious kidnappers from old Biafra were on the way to settle accounts. The old crook promptly resumed the distribution of the subversive documents, daring anybody to stop him.

While the Gani royal departure rites lasted, snooper was worried about official attempts to deny his real constituency a say in the farewell of their noble benefactor. State narrators, with their fulsome praises and pathetic panegyrics, have taken over what is essentially a life lived at the behest of the masses. Snooper has been furious with this risible rodomontade. Once again, the poor subaltern cannot speak; once again, the hegemonic tale has swamped the counter-hegemonic narrative.

And so to Ikotun Egbe we headed on a drizzly September morning after a rather heavy breakfast of pounded breadfruit and partridge from Ifewara.

Due to the digestive emergency, a lot of blood seemed to have been withdrawn from the brains leaving one drowsy and torpid like a sated crocodile. But Ikotun Egbe changed all that.

It was a huge carnival and the

crazy old man was there pounding away at an ancient manual guitar with lyrics dripping with venomous wit and vitriol. He was surrounded by a posse of ruffians, ragamuffins and the casual riffraff on the margins of society. There were cut-throats and cut-purses on the loose. The whole place was crawling with beggars, cripples, the deaf, the dumb, the destitute and a thousand victims of the epidemics of dereliction.

There were several huge pots of aromatic pepper soup and massive primitive grills hissing and dripping with fat and curd. Snooper saw with own eyes the celebrated beggar, Aminu Petrol, a.k.a mayor of Carter Bridge, who runs a racket of divine extortion at the Idumota end of the old bridge. With his retinue of mendicant hangers-on and colourful harem, the blind man who was also an employer of blind labour, was as dashing and dazzling as ever.

The blind master sidled towards Baba Lekki with his walking stick probing the air and an explosive sound of wild desire coming from his flared nostrils.

“Baba, duallah bani nama gabadaya”, his mendicant majesty bellowed with authority.

“Aminu, your head don kaput.

Am I now your mai-suya?” the old man answered with a crooked smile as he pointed at the roiling grills.

“Yoruba people good for Suya and kilishi” the blind wag noted in halting English as one of his aides brought him a huge slab of meat surgically carved and dripping with much fat and oil, His royal blindness gobbled a chunk and spat it out with bitter disgust “Allah, haram nama ne”, he screamed at Baba Lekki.

“Haramu ko, kalamu ni” Baba Lekki trumpeted with malicious relish as the deflated beggar-king retreated with his retinue but not before a final round of hell raising.

“This one, this Dan Iska, Babanbarawo ne, no be him come dey thief my money for under bridge?”, he screamed, directing his walking stick at a lame youth who sat by the old man mumbling some fiendish

nonsense about authority stealing.

“Ha Aminu, your Sigidi wan dance for heavy rain. If you are blind how come you can see thief?”” Baba Lekki crowed.

“Shut up, blind man dey see when area boys come steal him money.

Even dumb man sef if you come step hard on him toe, he go talk”, the blind nobility noted with flourish and began to sing praises of the great Gani.

As soon as the old man sighted snooper, he became uncontrollable with wild excitement and started dishing out lyrics in praise of Gani in the inimitable manner of Suberu Oni, the old Ondo juju maestro.

A-Guinea Roger sebe o lo, akinkanju omo won L’ondo egin K’ato r’erin odigbo, kato r’efon o d’odan, ekun oko awon Baseje Ekimogun omo alagbede, omo Lisa Alujonnu, omo Seriki Tugbogbo Anjonu agbejero ti fi adajo nakanakan, Jafojo, ako niwaju soja Ogbona bi elegun soponna, soponna o gbona elegun re l’ogbona It was at this point that the mad Calabar boy, Okon, emerged from nowhere leading a crowd of mourners dressed in black suits like the Nation of Islam fanatics. Snooper’s heart missed a beat. It was obvious that the mad boy had not come for any civil proceedings. His conduct was rowdy and threatening, and it was obvious that the crazy loony had been drinking local wine. Baba Lekki viewed the impudent rogue with wary bemusement.

“Baba, abi your head no correct again? Wetin be dis yeye business?

And why you dey call Gani Egin?

Gani na Ganiyu. No be Egin at all. He be like if say dem police don pull your front teeth for detention”, the boy scowled.

“Okon, you are a big fool. Egin is Ondo word”, the old man said as he burst into a deranged smile.

“Hen na dat one you for say. All dis yeye lawyer who come dey cry as if dem like Gani, dem be useless people. If dem support am true true, Gani no fit die like that. I dey go Ondo for dem funeral and if I come see any lawyer dey cry, I go beat am well well.

Dem all be yeye people. Dem be

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Senior Advocate of Nothing sam sam”, the mad boy exploded.

“Okon na so we see am oo,” the old man grunted with relish.

“He get one of dem yeye Yoruba lawyers who dey talk say him dey wear silk since 1970. Wetin be big deal for silk? My grandfather, Okon Ekanem Okon, don dey wear silk robe for Calabar for 1940 and he no even go school,” the mad boy snorted.

“Ah that one na Senior Advocate of Nabi”, Baba Lekki sniggered “Baba wetin be nabi?” Okon demanded.

“Nabi na Hausa word for karuwa” the old man replied.

“Wetin be karuwa?” Okon asked in alarm.

“Karuwa na Hausa word for Ashewo or Agammo for ancient Yoruba”, Baba croaked.

“Kai kai, baba, your head don pafuka patapata”, Okon exclaimed, considerably awed.

“That is what they call satanic synonyms”, the old man noted as he reverted to perfect Queen’s English. “ Baba, you no say dat dem Anthony General, him head no correct at all?” Okon raved.

“Ah you mean Malam Ribadun?”

Baba noted with a mischievous wink.

“Baba, he is not Ribadu”, Okon protested.

“I said Ribadun. Get that into your blockhead”, the old man suddenly snapped.

“Baba, but him name na Andooaaka, and na Tiv man”.

“Okon, greet the Tiv for me.”

“Baba, I come notice say all dem lunatic dogs come vamoose when Gani died. Mad dog sabi im owner, abi no be so?” Okon retorted.

“Mad dog dey soup, dem don become pepper soup”, the old man replied with a sneer.

“Baba, Make una no tell me I don dey eat 404 meat for here!!!” Okon screamed.

“Na lokili, dat be wetin dem Ondo people call am. Now dat Gani don quench, you go see dem real mad dogs for this dem Obodo again”, Baba Lekki sneered as he dismissed Okon.

“Baba, dis one na real parable of dem mad dogs.”

engineering is going on elsewhere in the developing world, nobody is actually talking about how to grow the Nigerian economy. As ancient infirmities conjoin with recently diagnosed ailments, Nigeria remains a classic study in modern medical miracles; a walking rebuff to learned prognosis and prognostication. As one of its recent military miracle workers famously wondered about the economy, it is a surprise that the whole thing has not collapsed.

Nothing epitomises this hardy indestructibility more than the current presidency. Despite the unmistakable echoes of national chaos all around him, Goodluck Jonathan remains his cheerful, unflappable and imperturbable self.

As if the problems of the country are not legion, he has now fallen prey to the hidden persuaders who seem to have convinced him that a “short” tenure is the problem. Having dropped hints here and there that unelongated tenure is the tragedy of our epoch, he has now set about working on the constitutional abracadabra to achieve this patently unconstitutional pursuit.

Two remarkable facts emerge from this looming fiasco and they speak not just to the perfidy and hypocrisy of the Nigerian political elite but to the longer term unviability of Nigeria as it is currently configured. First is the fact that Equatorial despotism in Nigeria is not just a military phenomenon.

Second is the fact that the closure of the Nigerian state is not an ethnic or religious matter but a function of the ascendant cabal at a particular point.

Those who are calling for an inquiry as to how a cabal could foist a terminally incapacitated president on the nation should for the sake of equity broaden the terms of the inquiry to include how another cabal could now attempt to foist an obviously challenged president on the nation in perpetuity.

As it is always the case with Nigeria, significant sections of the political elite are already queuing behind this new power project. The emerging stars of the impending democratic curfew make an A-grade list of failed statesmen and metropolitan flunkies who believe that Nigeria owes them a royal pension. They have failed to read history correctly particularly the micro-pluralism of power configuration in Nigeria, the dispersal of authority and the mutually exclusive and violently contending notions of the nation.

In the final analysis what stares us in the face is the fact that without a real state, there can be no real statesmen. A brigand state can only produce grandees of political brigandage. What makes the whole thing so sorry and remiss is not the obvious fact that the entire project will collapse under the weight of its own contradictions but the fact that by the time they have finished with Jonathan, they would have destroyed the last shred of his honour and credibility. Having convinced him to short-change the nation electorally, they are now about to convince him to short-change himself. A man cannot be more careless in his choice of friends.

This is a time when the Nigerian presidency in general and Jonathan in particular needs a worthy antagonist like the late Gani Fawehinmi. This morning, snooper republishes a tribute to the great man.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

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Top govt official, suspects after me —Waziri T

HE Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri, yesterday raised an alarm over alleged plot to frustrate her work.

In a statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the Commission, Mr. Femi Babafemi, Waziri accused an unnamed top government official and high profile suspects of being after her.

“Mrs. Waziri has to speak out to alert the public over the latest antics of a clique which has now chosen to work hand in hand with defenders of the corrupt, who are either facing trial or investigation, to frustrate the prosecution of corruption cases in court.

“After several moves to distract the Commission and frustrate efforts to investigate and file charges against their corrupt paymasters have failed to yield their desired goal, certain known elements in the defence of the corrupt fold have come up with a different identity and have found partnership in a clique in official quarters to wage war against the EFCC and its officials especially the Chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri.

“With the recent commencement of the trial of the high-profile suspect they are all fighting hard to shield from prosecution, they have come out again to create a controversy that Mrs. Waziri did not retire in the Nigeria Police as an Assistant Inspector General (AIG) but a Commissioner of Police (CP), with the intent that this will overshadow reports of the court trial of their paymaster.” Babafemi stated.

It was not clear which government official or suspects are being accused by

From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

Waziri.

The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke had at the screening of ministers at the National Assembly advocated the merger of the commission with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other related Offences Commission (ICPC). He said this would make room for effective coordination and fight against corruption.

Among top politicians standing trial are former governors James Ibori of Delta State, Chimaroke Nnamani of Enugu, Adamu Abdulahi of Nasarawa State and Saminu Turaki of Jigawa State.

Top former bank Managing Directors and directors including Erastus Akingbola of Intercontinental Bank, Okey Nwosu of Finbank, Francis Atuche of Bank PHB and Mrs Cecilia Ibru of Oceanic Bank are also standing trial by the EFCC The Commission accused a group, Centre for Rule of Law which it said is “managed by one readily available Olasupo Ojo had in a well coordinated plot designed to embarrass and distract Mrs. Waziri, written a letter dated July 15, 2011 to the AttorneyGeneral and Minister of Justice asking the AGF to investigate the last rank of the EFCC chairman while in the police force.”

It said copies of this letter have been sent to the media to embarrass its chairman, adding, “this same Ojo had as the president of CDHR taken on the EFCC and Waziri just weeks ago for no just cause.” It dismissed allegations that the chairman of

Family of six die after meal in Anambra

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RAGEDY struck at the serene community of Uli in Ihiala Local Council Area of Anambra State as indigenes and residents of the community woke up yesterday morning to discover a family of six dead.

The discovery threw the community, which also houses the main campus of the Anambra State University into panic and confusion.

According to sources, the members of Umabuchi family in Eziama Village, Uli were discovered dead on Saturday morning by neighbours.

The sources also added that they could have eaten a poisoned meal the previous night. But the Anambra State Police Command said the incident was under investigation.

Among those who died

From Adimike George, Onitsha

after the suspected poisoned supper according to sources included the mother of the family, with her three children, a maid and the mother of the woman who visited the family about two days before the poisoned meal.

One of the dead children was said to be a teacher at the village school.

The father, Mr. Umuabuchi was said to have travelled out of town and so did not partake in the meal. He is thus the only survivor of the family.

When contacted Police spokesman in the state, Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka confirmed the incident but said investigation was ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

the commission did not attend higher institution and listed all the schools and degrees obtained by her.

Since Mr. Adoke advocated the merger of the EFCC with the ICPC, he

has been under criticism from several quarters including the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) which has said it is a wrong move.

Recently when the min-

ister was accosted by journalists to comment on this move, he refused. Rather he said, “I have heard all the criticisms and suggestions so far made by the public and the NBA after I ap-

peared before the Senators during my screening for the new ministerial appointment. The suggestion for the merger of the two agencies would improve performance.”

(L-R) Alafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi (III), Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during the Book Presentation to celebrate the 20th anniversary of call to the Inner Bar of Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) in Lagos at the weekend.

NUPENG suspends strike • Government to complete issue within two weeks

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HE Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) Employees yesterday bowed to Federal Government’s pressure to suspend its proposed three-day warning strike.

President of the union, Comrade Igwe Achese had on Friday announced that the workers should proceed on an industrial action on Monday following the Shell Petroleum Development Company (Limited) management sale of its oil blocks, non-remittance of workers pension contribution and labour slavery.

Besides, the union said it was provoked because the SPDC, NNPC and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and Ministry of Labour and Productivity had excluded it from their negotiation meeting.

NUPENG therefore insisted on a dialogue with the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, NNPC, SPDC and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources before Monday.

But after a prolonged meeting with the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani AlisonMadueke, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu and the leadership of the union in

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

Abuja yesterday, Achese said: “Like the Labour Minister said, we deliberated as requested by the union and the union has agreed to suspend the strike proposed for Monday.”

He, however, urged members of the union to go back to work tomorrow.

Wogu, who read the resolutions of the meeting from an eight-point communiqué, added that NNPC shall through interactive sessions at different levels engage the unions and address issues in the oil and gas industry.

He noted that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity shall address all outstanding industrial relations issues/practices in Shell Petroleum Development Company.

“The parties namely NUPENG, PENGASSAN and SPDC are committed to abide by the provisions of the guidelines on labour administration issues by the Minister of Labour and Productivity on May 25, 2011, and put in place a contractors’ forum that will interface with the trade union,” said Wogu.

According to him, the divestment of SPDC from

some oil blocks remains the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources. He, however, noted that the attendant labour issues shall be addressed immediately by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity on receipt of a letter from NUPENG on the issue.

Continuing, he said: “The parties namely, NUPENG, PENGASSAN, SPDC and NNPC shall meet to deliberate on the proposed addendum to the MoUs in terms to be mutually agreed by the parties.

“The Hon. Minister of Labour and Productivity, on receipt of a formal letter from NUPENG requesting the enforcement of the award of Industrial Arbitration Panel shall forward

same to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) for an order of compliance,” said the communiqué.

Wogu went on to note that all the issues are to be concluded within the next two weeks as “NUPENG hereby suspends the proposed strike action scheduled to commence on Monday, July 25, 2011.”

Mr. Peter Odjoji signed for the NNPC and Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Chinedu Dike appended his signature for Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, while Bayo Olowoshile did it for PENGASSAN, Charles Gbandi signed for SPDC and Igwe Achese signed for NUPENG.

Bomb blasts rock Maiduguri

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ERIES of bomb blasts yesterday occurred in Budum area of Maiduguri, Borno State yesterday.

The spokesman of the Joint Task force (JTF) Lt. Col Hassan Mohammed who confirmed the blasts said the number of casualties is yet to be confirmed as the Army was still gathering information.

Sporadic shootings were heard in the Budum area immediately after the blasts and the taskforce cordoned off the area and stopped all forms of movement in the area. All essential workers, including doctors and nurses were turned back as they could not get to their place of work.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2010

News

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NORWAY MASSACRE

Norway death toll hits 92

• Suspect bought six tons of fertilizer

T • Police and emergency services search the waters for more victims some around Utoeya island , some 40 km south west of Oslo, yesterday. Police had also found explosives on the island of Utoeya, where a gunman opened fire on young people at a summer camp organised by the ruling Labour Party, Sveinung Sponheim, acting commissioner for Oslo police, told reporters

• A group of young people mourn for the victims of the July 22 shooting at a Norwegian Labour Youth League camp, yesterday outside the Oslo Cathedral. Police said they were questioning a Christian fundamentalist yesterday over twin attacks on a youth camp and the government headquarters that killed 92 people in Norway's deadliest post-war tragedy.

•Survivors of the Utoeya island shooting at the Norwegian Labour Party youth summer camp are reunited with their families at Sundvolden, some 40 km south west of Oslo, yesterday

HE Norwegian man suspected in a bombing and shooting spree that killed at least 92 people bought six tons of fertilizer before the massacre, the supplier said yesterday as police investigated witness accounts of a second shooter.

Norway’s royal family and prime minister led the nation in mourning, visiting grieving relatives of the scores of youth gunned down at an island retreat, as the shell-shocked Nordic nation was gripped by reports that the gunman may not have acted alone.

The shooting spree began just hours after a massive explosion that ripped through an Oslo high-rise building housing the prime minister’s office. At least 92 people have been killed, but police say more are missing.

The queen and the prime minister hugged when they arrived at the hotel where families are waiting to identify the bodies. Both king and queen shook hands with mourners, while the prime minister, his voice trembling, told reporters of the harrowing stories survivors had recounted to him.

A man who said he was carrying a knife was detained by police officers outside the hotel. He told reporters as he was led away that he was carrying the weapon because he didn’t feel safe.

On the island of Utoya, panicked teens attending a Labour Party youth wing summer camp plunged into the water or played dead to avoid the assailant in the assault that may have lasted 30 minutes before a SWAT team arrived, police said. A picture sent out on Twitter showed a blurry figure in dark clothing pointing a gun into the water, with bodies all around him.

Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said the twin attacks made Friday peacetime Norway’s deadliest day.

Buildings around the capital lowered their flags to half-staff yesterday. People streamed to Oslo Cathedral to light candles and lay flowers; outside, mourners began building a makeshift altar from dugup cobblestones. The Army patrolled the streets of the capital, a highly unusual sight for this normally placid country.

“This is beyond comprehension. It’s a nightmare. It’s a nightmare for those who have been killed, for their mothers and fathers, family and

friends,” Stoltenberg told reporters earlier yesterday.

The suspect in police custody — a blonde blueeyed Norwegian with reported Christian fundamentalist, anti-Muslim views — has been preliminarily charged with acts of terrorism.

Information about the man began to trickle out yesterday, including that he owned a farm and had amassed six tons of fertilizer in the weeks before the twin attacks. Fertilizer is highly explosive and can be used in homemade bombs.

Oddny Estenstad, a spokeswoman for agricultural material supplier Felleskjopet, said yesterday that the company alerted police to the purchase after the man emerged as a suspect.

That quantity of fertilizer — akin to 200 50-pound bags of grain — wouldn’t have fit in one car, according to Bob Ayers, former U.S. intelligence official. Two burned-out cars could be seen at the scene Friday, but police have not confirmed whether they were used in the attack.

Though police did not release his name, Norwegian national broadcaster NRK identified him as 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik and said police searched his Oslo apartment overnight.

Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told reporters that the attacks, believed to be the work of a man who has posted on Christian fundamentalist websites, showed you can’t jump to conclusions about terror acts. He said most of the political violence that Norway has seen has come from the extreme right.

Gun violence is rare in Norway, where the average policeman patrolling in the streets doesn’t carry a firearm. Reports that the assailant was motivated by political ideology was shocking to many Norwegians, who pride themselves on the openness of their society. Indeed, Norway is almost synonymous with the kind of free expression being exercised by the youth at the political retreat.

The carnage began Friday afternoon in Oslo, when a bomb rocked the heart of Norway. About two hours later, the shootings began at a retreat for ruling Labour Party’s youth-wing, according to a police official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because that information had not been officially released by Norway’s police. The gunman used both automatic weapons and handguns, he said.

It was not clear Saturday

whether experts had succeeded in disarming a bomb that the official said had been left unexploded.

The blast in Oslo, Norway’s capital and the city where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, left a square covered in twisted metal, shattered glass and documents expelled from surrounding buildings.

The dust-clogged scene after the blast reminded one visitor from New York of Sept. 11. People were “just covered in rubble,” walking through “a fog of debris,” said Ian Dutton, who was in a nearby hotel.

While survivors evacuated the buildings, including ones that house other government offices and Norway’s leading newspaper, word came that someone had opened fire on an island about 20 miles (35 kilometers) northwest of Oslo.

Stoltenberg told reporters that he had spent every summer since 1974 on Utoya — “my childhood paradise that yesterday was transformed into hell.” The island hosts retreats for the youth wing of his party.

A SWAT team that had been put on alert after the bombing was dispatched to the island once the shooting began. Police official Johan Fredriksen said that means they may have taken 30 minutes to reach the island.

Survivors described a scene there of terror. Several people fled into the water to escape the rampage, and police said they were still searching the lake for bodies.

Asked whether all victims at Utoya died from gunshot wounds or if some had drowned, Stoere, the foreign minister, said “you will likely see a combination.”

A 15-year-old camper named Elise who was on Utoya said she heard gunshots, but then saw a police officer and thought she was safe. Then he started shooting people right before her eyes.

“I saw many dead people,” said Elise, whose father, Vidar Myhre, didn’t want her to disclose her last name. “He first shot people on the island. Afterward he started shooting people in the water.”

Elise said she hid behind the same rock that the killer was standing on. “I could hear his breathing from the top of the rock,” she said.

She said it was impossible to say how many minutes passed while she was waiting for him to stop.

At a hotel in the village of Sundvollen, where survivors of the shooting were •Continued on Page 66

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Oyo Workers end strike From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

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FTER four days of hard stance over the N18,000 minimum wage, workers in Oyo State yesterday ended their industrial action.

The decision followed a truce with the government over a realistic wage structure for public workers in the state.

The Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Bashir Olanrewaju said labour leaders had settled for a wage structure which is at par with those of Ekiti and Osun States. The workers had earlier rejected the Ekiti model insisting that the new wage law must be obeyed by the Senator Abiola Ajimobi administration.

Olanrewaju explained yesterday that with the new wage regime, only workers in Lagos and Ogun states will earn more than Oyo State civil servants in the South West. He pointed out that the two states get higher revenue than others in the region.

After a marathon meeting with the government delegates yesterday, the labour leader said the strike became pertinent “because our workers in the last four years are the worst paid in the whole of the South West. But with the new agreement, we have moved to the average level like Ekiti and Osun States. By August, the N18,000 will take effect.”

Group commiserates with Norwegian government over attack

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

News

HE Coalition for Good Governance and Economic Justice in Africa yesterday condemned the dual attack in Norway, Oslo and Island of Utoya respectively.

“It shows great lack of respect for human life” the group said adding that “the world is in a state of constant fear and anxiety”.

The Coalition in a statement by its National Coordinator in Nigeria, Prince John Onaivi Mayaki commiserated with the Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Kjell Lillerud saying, “it is unfortunate automatic weapons are fired into a Youth camp in the Island of Utoya and Government Offices bombed in Oslo, Norway.

“As Nigerians, we send our hearts and prayers to everyone in Norway. The attacks that were committed on your peaceful nation that claimed over 87 people in a country with just around five million people can best be described as cowardly. It is also our prayers that these catastrophic events will not destroy the country, its democratic institutions and ideals for a better world which Norway stands for.”

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HE Rivers State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has paraded a middle aged man suspected to be a cocaine baron.

Parading the suspect in Port Harcourt at the weekend, Mr Jude Ekure, the Commander of Rivers NDLEA said that the suspect who in he identified as Ekeh Chinonso was arrested on Thursday night with a substance suspected

NDLEA arrests drug baron in a ship bound for spain From Clarice Azuatalam, Port Harcourt

to be cocaine measuring 3.2 kilogram and valued at N22.4 million while trying to board a ship going to Spain.

Ekure said that Chinonso was caught with the substance concealed in

a tight boxers with lining in between which has enough space to conceal the 3.2 Kilograms of the substance suspected to be cocaine.

On July 2, the agency arrested some suspects with 116 kilograms of substance suspected to be Marijuana.

The Commander urged

the public not to hesitate in assisting the agency with useful information in the effort towards fighting such criminals, pointing out that the suspects are still being investigated and would be prosecuted appropriately.

However, Chinonso later told reporters that he is from Imo State and that someone he did not know offered to pay him the sum of one million naira to deliver the substance to someone in Spain.

Sanusi faulted on Islamic Bank From Chris Oji, Enugu

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•The Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi (centre) exchanging pleasantries with the leader of EU-Water Supply and the sanitation sector-reform programme, Prof. Akintola Bello, during farewell visit of the EU team at the Governemnt House Awka. Left is Mr. Sam Okeke at the weekend.

PHOTO: OBI CLETUS

‘Giving cash to youths will bring more problems to Niger Delta’

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HE Deputy Managing Director of a wholly indigenous oil company, Moni Pulo Limited (MPL), Mrs. Solate Ovundah-Akarolo has said that giving cash to youths in the Niger Delta to pacify them rather than embarking on development projects or empowering the people will not solve the problem of the region.

The deputy managing director of MPL, in company with some top officials of the oil firm, stated this in Port Harcourt yesterday, during an interactive session with reporters tagged: “Media Mixer,” during which the company’s publication, titled: “The Good Neighbour “ was launched.

She also disclosed that the oil firm had spent over $1 million on overseas (international) scholarships and N500 million on national scholarships for youths of its host communities in the Niger Delta.

Ovundah-Akarolo said that MPL does not pay ransom to kidnappers in order not to encourage criminality. He explained that the employees were always released after a few days in captivity upon discovering that the company belongs to a philanthropist, Chief Olu

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

Lulu-Briggs, from Kalabari Kingdom in Rivers State.

The deputy managing director of the oil and gas exploration and production firm, founded in 1992, with headquarters in the Rivers State capital, stated that the company is guided by excellence, integrity, team spirit and social responsibility.

The MPL’s Executive Vice Chairman, Mrs. Seinye Lulu-Briggs, who is also the

wife of the chairman, was kidnapped about two years ago and released after a few days.

The company’s areas of emphasis for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are educational and infrastructural development, skills’ acquisition, sports and social welfare.

The youthful OvundahAkarolo said: “Our company is located and operating in the Niger Delta, where development has not kept pace with the wealth of available natural resources.

That is why we are investing in the places where we operate, because we understand the people’s needs personally.

“Before CSR became a fashionable buzzword, Moni Pulo made it a standard corporate practice to show particular care for our brothers and sisters in our host communities. It makes good sense to give back to the community, to be a good neighbour by providing support that directly meets the peculiar needs of local communities.

Plateau close down tertiary institutions

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HE Plateau state government has ordered the closure of state owned tertiary institutions and forced the students to vacate hostels immediately until further notice.

The announcement which was conveyed on the state media was signed by the Committee of Heads of Institutions in Plateau state, a committee that comprises of Rectors and Provosts of state owned Polytechnics and colleges of Education.

The Joint Union of the Plateau state Tertiary institutions has been in a prolonged battle with

From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

the Plateau state government over disagreement on new salary scale.

Students of the state Polytechnic recently went on rampage over another round of strike embarked upon by the Joint Union of the Plateau state Tertiary Institutions.

The union have been on strike for a period of seven months which was suspended four weeks ago only to resume strike again last week which provoked the students into violent reactions.

It took the intervention of the men of the STF on Jos crises to prevent the rampaging

students from destroying the school properties.

However, announcement came through the state media for immediate closure of the school until further notice. Institutions affected by the order include; state Polytechnic, College of Education Gindiri, College of Agric Garkawa, College of Health Technology Pankshin, College of Health Technology Zawan and College of Arts and Science Studies Kurgwi.

The reason for the closure of the institutions was not known but The Nation lernt that the action was to evert students riot and brakedown of law and order.

ENTRAL Bank governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was yesterday faulted over his explanation of the Islamic Bank on the floor of the House of Representative.

The Anglican Bishop of Enugu and Chairman Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) Enugu, Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma described the explanation as fanatical.

Chukwuma who spoke with journalists in Enugu said if Sanusi does not have a hidden agenda of trying to deceive and lure Nigerians into the hands of terrorists groups and suicide bombers, he should desist from his idea of “Islamic in the entire free interest banking idea for the nation” According to the Bishop, “as Christians we are not against interest free banking services in the National banking policy but we say that it becomes very offensive and sets the nation on a time bomb with that connotation ‘Islamic’.

“While christian institutions, churches and organizations were registering private universities with christian religions names, the Moslems through their agents, kicked against it and the National University Commission honoured their request by refusing such names,” the Bishop recalled.

“What this portends therefore,” the Biship maintained, “ is that Sanusi should own up and be more sincere to himself and to Nigerians and drop that name “Islamic” in the CBN’s interest banking policy or honorably resign his position as the CBN governor if he has lost senses of what to give to Nigerians in this period of national socio- economic quagmire.”

He stated that there was no business that thrives without profit making.

News

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2010

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Political Politics turf

with Bolade Omonijo boladeomonijo@yahoo.com

Jonathan’s anti-corruption crusade

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•Minister of Youth Development, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi discusssing with the FCT Coordinator of the NYSC, Mrs Linda Amugo while eating a meal prepared by the corps members

PDP supporters clash at Kano Govt House

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ANDEMONIUM broke out Friday night at the Kano State Government House, when some aggrieved PDP supporters clashed with other perceived members of the party, believed to be in the good book of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Trouble started when the aggrieved party supporters were informed that some suspected ANPP thugs had barricaded the roundabout on Wudil Road in Kano metropolis.

Information filtered in that some suspected ANPP supporters had laid siege at the area awaiting the arrival of the governor.

It was gathered that Kwankwaso and his cabinet had travelled to Wudil, where they observed their Juma’t prayers and the governor subsequently took a tour round the local government area to inspect some

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

projects.

Sources said that the ANPP supporters were carrying placards with portraits of the former governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, to spite Governor Kwankwaso.

On the strength of the perceived threat that the life of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso was in danger, the armed Mobile Police men were immediately drafted to the spot to disperse the thugs before the arrival of the governor.

It was also gathered that a PDP chieftain, on discovering that danger was lurking, immediately mobilized some PDP thugs to the area to counter any possible attack on the governor.

The situation was, however, brought under control as the ANPP supporters were said to have reluctantly

left the area after heated argument, which ensued between them and the security personnel drafted from the Government House.

To this end, the PDP thugs that were initially mobilised by the PDP chieftain to wade off any eventuality, returned to the Government House only to be turned back by security personnel at the Government House gate.

This development angered the thugs, who resisted the overture by the security personnel, a situation that degenerated into hot argument and later attracted some top government officials who were praying in the mosque at the time of the clash.

An attempt by one of the perceived favoured members of the party, engaged by the governor as an auxiliary security aid at the Government House, to in-

tervene and pacify the enraged thugs, turned out to be another round of bitter confrontation.

A senior officer at the government house was overheard by this reporter, who witnessed the drama, as saying that the supposed party chieftain who deployed the thugs should have calmed them down.

As at the time of filing this report, calm was, however, restored as the thugs dispersed to their various destinations but not without some form of aggression.

They were screaming that “we were the ones who stood and fought for Governor Kwankwaso during his electioneering campaign and for eight years we were behind him in the struggle to return the state to PDP, but we are now rejected and denied any form of assistance and support.”

Amosun, PDP’s counsel in war of words

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R OLUMIDE Ayeni; counsel to Governor Ibikunle Amosun, and the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] counsel Mr. Ajibola Oluyede, yesterday engaged in war of words.

This was at the floor of Isabo Magistrate Court, venue of the Ogun State Election Petition Tribunal, hearing the Petition brought before it by PDP. The state Chapter of PDP had dragged Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Action Congress of Nigeria [ACN] and the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] to the three - man Tribunal, headed

by Justice Bashir Sukola, where it is challenging the declaration by INEC, of Amosun as winner of the April governorship polls in the state.

The Tribunal which began sitting at 9;30am yesterday had a smooth progress but an hour later, the floor of

Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

the court became tense and charged as Dr Olumide and Oluyede gave free reign to emotions, in fit -like reactions over the use some words considered ‘demeaning’ of the other.

The verbal altercation was triggered off by arguments and counter-arguments of both counsels regarding whether court Subpoena on the Returning Officer for the governorship election in the state, Prof. Oluwafemi Olaiya Balogun, and the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Deacon Martins Okunfolami is admissible in evidence.

The Prof. Balogun and Okunfolami were expected by virtue of the subpoena to appear yesterday before the Tribunal to give evidence in respect of the governorship election but the duo failed to turn-up.

It was in a bid to tender the evidence of the service of

subpoena and also seek leave to rely on secondary evidence to prosecute his case instead of the primary evidence that was not available , Amosun’s lead counsel tendered the original copy of the subpoena to the court which was vehemently objected to by the PDP’s counsel - Mr. Oluyede In objecting, Oluyede submitted that the documents were immaterial, irrelevant and not properly tendered.In his reckoning, since the documents were not frontloaded

by Amosun [the 2nd respondent,] in the suit, the court could not admit them in evidence.

But Dr Ayeni quoting copiously from some legal authorities, maintained that, the subpoena was issued by the court signed by the chairman and served the affected person and urged the court to discountenance the objection and admit the documents.

The Tribunal quickly stepped - in and made it clear

that what was expected of Amosun’s counsel was to inform the court straight away about those people who were subpoena and served.

Perhaps buoyed by this Tribunal’s correction, PDP counsel [Oluyede] quickly rose up and said “ my learned counsel need not take us on unnecessary legal journey by explaining whether subpoena was administrative or judicial order.”

But Ayeni took exception to that saying,” My lord I object to the use that words” and the objection was sustained by the court and thereafter, the Tribunal rose for ten minutes.

But other counsels and journalists in Court watching the drama in consternation and who had thought that the 10 minutes break being observed would have put paid to the heated ventilation of emotions, were only disappointed as hardly had the judges left than a fiercer version of use abusive words ensued.

LTHOUGH President Goodluck Jonathan has been in the saddle as chief executive now for about 17 months, his leadership is yet to acquire a distinct character. This could be understood within the context of his emergence last year. He was at once expected to work towards realising the objectives of the administration he inherited from his boss and predecessor, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and at the same time prove his mettle in good time ahead of the 2011 presidential election. How well he performed the delicate task is open for debate now.

What can be said is that Nigerians appear to understand that he was walking a tight rope. He is easily forgiven his misdeeds and inaction because of the peculiarity of the circumstances. When again he became his own man in May, he told an expectant nation that had rewarded him with overwhelming votes that he would not allow leakages in the government coffers. He said Nigerian money would be spent developing Nigeria. He took the stand as soon as he was sworn in on May 29.

As he swore into office his minister, he repeated the pledge. He told the ministers, as he sworn in another batch, that his government would kick out and prosecute whoever is found to have converted public treasury to private estate. He gave instruction that all the ministries should be probed by the law enforcement agencies and whoever is found wanting should be made to face the law. It appeared sweet as the president reiterated his commitment to the war. He is commander-inchief and he sought to define the war that he would be fighting.

But, does he have the will to really fight graft? Could he succeed where his predecessors failed? There is very little to suggest that he has other strategies of fighting the hydra-headed ill. Many of those he has appointed were part of the last administration. It is obvious that they were not brought back on account of performance.

There are too many pending questions, yet to be answered. At a point, there was a man called Julius Makanjuola, a permanent secretary in the ministry of defence. The Obasanjo regime alleged that the man was found wanting in the handling of the ministry’s fund.

But, what has happened to that case? It is about ten years since Makanjuola was eased out of the system.

But, the founder of Transparency International did not think it necessary to see the prosecution to its logical conclusion. It could of course be said that Jonathan had nothing to do with that case.

The same could, perhaps, be said of the Ndudi Elumelu case. The man, as chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Power probed the allocation to and expenditure by the sector under the Obasanjo regime. It made staggering revelation but the matter was covered up. In no time Elumelu and co became the accused. What happened to our money under the watch of Obasanjo? Did Elumelu and co receive gratification as alleged? No one knows the truth. What is certain is that money has not been recovered and no one has been punished. Neither are the accused acquitted.

If all these took place between 1999 and 2007, what about the more recent case involving the former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor. He was thrown out of office and hauled before a trial court for alleged corrupt practice.

That was only a useful tool to keep him out of range ahead of the election. Now, all forgiven and forgotten.

The immediate past leader of the ruling party, Alhaji Bello Haliru is also in court in respect of the Siemens case. But, that was not sufficient to disqualify him from appointment as Defence Minister. The case has not been decided. But, if a man has a graft case hanging around his neck and is yet to be exonerated of blame, should a government that wants to be taken seriously appoint him to a high profile office.

It appears to me that nothing has changed and nothing may change soon. It is business as usual. All the officials understand the language and will go for the kill. By the way, where did all the money spent on the prosecuting the election come from? Ministers who assisted in arranging and packaging the fund have been brought back. But the president wants to fight corruption.

I believe that we are in for it. More than two-thirds of the national wealth will continue to be flushed through invisible pipes. In the next four years, we should look forward to more Scania bus scandals, Fougeroule affair, Identity card sleaze and Siemens contract scandals. Anyone, institution, body or government that insists on doing things same way has no right expecting to have a different result.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

News

Niger Delta militant calls for true federalism, resources control

Eyiboh: A/Ibom group acuses Tambuwal of abuse of office

By Isaac Ombe,Yenagoa

Family members, Niger Delta activists, friends, wellwishers and admirers all gathered in Kiama, the country home of the last of the titans in the Niger Delta struggle, Mr. Samuel Owonaru, to join him in the celebration of his 67th year birthday Friday evening.

Owonaru, an associate of the legendary Isaac Boro, who fought for the emancipation of the oil rich Niger Delta region in the 1960s, still looking young in appearance, called for the cancellation of laws against the Niger Delta, and advocated for the practice of true Federalism in Nigeria.

Reflecting on the haydays of the famous twelve days revolution led by Boro,of which he, Owonaru, played a major role, the activist advised the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government to erase all what he described as the obnoxious laws that have continued to thwart the accelerated development of the Niger Delta region.

He said: The Federal Government should unwind the obnoxious laws that are restraining the fast development of the Niger Delta, laws that deny our ability to exploit and manage our resources and to be able to manage them. If these laws are not expunged, I doubt if the needed development will come to the region”, he noted.

Proffering to solution on how the Country could live in harmony, the famous Niger Delta freedom fighter advised that “one of the fastest ways to bring harmony all around Nigeria is to practise true Federalism”.

Further decrying the under-development of the oil rich region that has continued to provide the resources of the Country but still in squalor, Owonaru, in answer to a question stated that development was yet to be seen in the region years after Boro and his lieutenants fought for the freedom of the region.

“No development in the region yet when 90 to 95 per cent of the Communities in the region are still inaccessible by road”, noted Owonaru who described the scenario as a challenge to the Federal Government and state governments in the region.

He said:“That is a challenge not only to the Federal Government but to the local administrations. They should make bold to open up the roads to enable unhindered access to the riverine communities”.

He lamented that up till now, there are areas in the region where “you manage to get to but you cannot manage to come out for days and weeks before you get boat to come out. These are the things we should address without delay.”

Other activists that graced the night included popular Niger Delta Campaigner and writer, Mss. Ibiba Pedro, Nolly Wood Actress and activist, Mss Hilda Dokubo, London based Niger Delta Activist Mr. Enemo Samiema, and others

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POLITICAL group in Akwa Ibom State has demanded for the immediate resignation of the Speaker of House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal for allegedly unlawfully swearing-in former spokesman of the House, Mr. Eseme Eyiboh as the member representing Eket/Onna/Esit/Ibeno federal constituency of Akwa Ibom State.

The leader of the group, Senator Etang Umoyo who addressed journalists in Abuja at the weekend, accused the Speaker of deliberately abusing his office by swearing in Eyiboh without a return certificate from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

From Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja

According to Umoyo, the disputed seat was won by Mr. Bassey Dan-Abia who contested and won the April National Assembly election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Umoyo berated Tambuwal for swearing-in Eyiboh when litigation over the disputed seat is still pending before the Court of Appeal in a pre-election case where the Supreme Court is the final arbiter.

Eyiboh and Dan-Abia are locked in a fierce legal battle over who is the authentic candidate of the PDP for the disputed seat even when the PDP had declared Dan-Abia as the party’s candidate and

INEC had declared him the winner of the election with a certificate of return.

Eyiboh had approached a Federal High Court, Abuja where Justice Abdul Kafarati ruled in his favour in a suit he filed challenging the declaration of Dan-Abia as the duly elected candidate of the PDP for the Eket/Onna/ Esit/Ibeno seat. The judge had ordered that Eyiboh be recognised as the duly elected representative of the seat.

Dan-Abia had challenged the ruling at the Court of Appeal where he obtained a stay of execution of the high court judgment which was served on both the Clerk of the House and Speaker Tambuwal.

But Tambuwal had gone ahead to swear-in Eyiboh

despite the restraining order by the Appeal Court, a development that Umoyo described as a clear case of abuse of office and disregard for the rule of law.

Umoyo stated: “The action of the House leadership apart from being illegal, callous and execrable, amounts to an imposition of Eseme Eyiboh on the peaceloving people of Eket/ Onna/Esit/Ibeno federal constituency.

“For this clear act of abuse of office and for lowering the integrity of the House before Nigerians and the international community, the people of our constituency hereby call for Aminu Tambuwal’s removal from office if he fails to resign honourably.”

Olusheye urges for accountability in office

By Olalekan Yusuff

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HE President of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Pastor Elijah Olusheye has warned Nigeria leaders to be highly accountable in their political offices.

Pastor Olusheye who was represented by the General Superintendent, Pastor Ahraham Akinosun made this warning in his message tagged: “Occupy till I come”, during the 13th Convocation Ceremony for the award of certificate and diploma in theology and official dedication of the ultramodern building of Christ Apostolic Church Theological Seminary (CACTS), Ile Ife, Lagos Campus in Idimu yesterday.

Olusheye enjoined leaders to be hardworking and ready to take up their responsibilities which is basically designed to cater for the poor masses in the states rather than do what they like. He said: “All of you occupying one or other leadership offices should know that one day you will give account,” he said.

Moreover, he advised the newly graduated ministers to ensure diligence, sincerity and success in their ministerial business as he reaffirmed that everyone will account for his stewardship shortly. He said: “You should avoid compromising your official responsibility no matter the circumstances.”

Olusheye further said, “we should all stand up to rescue our country rather than folding our hands, remain silent or being indifferent will never take us anywhere. According to him, “our country is boiling now, leaders should awake and fight for the peace of this nation,” he added.

Speaking earlier with The Nation, the Dean of Academics, CACTS, Pastor Shalom Olayinka disclosed that the school is graduating 165 certificate and 133 Diploma graduands of Theology. He further added that the missionary institution has been upgraded in terms of more facilities like computer laboratory and modern library for convenience study.

Olayinka said the seminary institution is still aiming at building hostels for students and lecturers and acquiring further affiliation with other reputable institutions in the states.

He enjoined the graduands to comport themselves orderly as good ambassadors of the institution, adding that they should propagate the gospel of Christ which they had been trained for.

According to him, “three sets would be admitted this year and the last set will have their admission in August this year.”

•A cross section of members of the Niger State Executive Council being sworn in by Hon. Justice Aliyu Maiyaki, at the Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centure, Minna.

NDLEA arrests Fela’s wife, two others

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HE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested one of the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s wives, Najite, 45. She was arrested with another lady who was a dancer for the music legend with a man at her Ikeja residence. A total of 340 gram of dried weeds of cannabis was recovered from the suspects during a search.

NDLEA Lagos State Commander Alhaji Sule Aliyu said that the arrest and seizure was made following a tip-off. He gave the names of the suspects as Najite Anikulapo Kuti, 45 years, found with 50 gram of cannabis, Helen Richards, 36, found with 170 gram of cannabis and Mike Arinze, 26, found with 120 gram. “The suspects were arrested at Gbemisola Street Ikeja. The substances recovered from them tested positive for cannabis” the Commander stated.

The Chairman/Chief Executive of the agency, Ahmadu Giade who confirmed the arrest noted that

By Kelvin Osakunbor

the case is under investigation. According to him, “the arrest has been brought to my notice and the case is under investigation”. The trio may be charged to court soon.

Najite who sells drinks at her Ikeja residence blamed her involvement on temptation. The suspect who hails from Delta State has a daughter for the late

music legend. While struggling to prevent tears, she stated that “this temptation should have been resisted by me”.

Helen Richards who used to be a dancer with Fela’s band said that she sells cannabis to sustain herself. The single mother with a 3-year old son was found in possession said, “It was the demand of my customers that pushed me into cannabis trade. Most

of them prefer to smoke hemp when drinking beer”. She hails from Abi in Delta State.

The last suspect, Mike Arinze who in his confessional statement said that he sells cannabis in night clubs said “I was drinking beer at Mama’s place when the officers came and found the hemp in my pockets. I used to sell hemp in night clubs to survive.” He hails from Asaba in Delta State.

Okiro to appeal court ruling

F

ORMER InspectorGeneral of Police, (IGP) Mike Okiro, has said he will appeal against a court ruling against him over a parcel of land at Cadstral Zone in Gudu District, Abuja.

A source close to the former chief disclosed that his lawyer Chris Uche (SAN) will file an appeal tomorrow, to challenge the ruling.

Okiro bought the land from Igwe Godwin Madu

who is also the executive director of Goddson West Africa for N130 million.

However, after paying a deposit of N70 million, Igwe Madu refused to sign the deed of conveyance, an action which led to suspicion that if the balance is paid, he may not sign the deed.

Okiro’s suspicious was based on the premise that Madu was arrested in Enugu in 2005 by the EFCC for allegedly

defrauding an American citizen.

Igwe Madu was said to have poised as Deputy Managing Director of NNPC with which he was alleged to have convince Lightbourne to part with his money.

However, the anti-graft agency could not convict Madu due to lack of evidence, because Lightbourne failed to come to Nigeria to testify, fearing that his life was in danger.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Essay

When leaders know not what they lead Financial policy is a peculiar matter. Once a branch of governance, it has become the root

E

UROPEAN leaders did what we earlier predicted. They restructured Greece’s debt by lowering interest rates and extending the maturity dates on significant obligations. This came only after the Greek government enacted a fiscal austerity measure destined to toss the national economy into shortterm recession and minimal growth for the larger part of a decade. Worst, the Greeks must sell billions of Euros of their patrimony to appease creditors. The forced nature of the sale will depress the price of the assets much like a fire sale or a basement auction of the inventory of a bankrupt haberdashery. Greece will be relegated to parting with assets for much less than their worth. Creditors will fatten themselves on the purchase of sumptuous chunks of Greece at discount rates. This mauling of a sovereign and proud nation will be called reasonable by politicians and pundits aligned with money power.

The world economy is in tawdry shape yet the large financial houses hum with brisk profit. They do well in good times and even better when times turn bad for the unrich and the debtor. Citizens of western countries were promised democracy would insulate them from the ravages of political oppression and gross economic injustice. This might have been true a generation ago. Today it is less true. A primary reason for this governmental dysfunction is the widening gap between the skills and talents of elected leaders and the skills and talents actually required to prudently shepherd a sophisticated political economy. In general, the collective body of elected politicians is not a distinguished one. They are steeped in the art of electioneering but not well versed in statecraft. The distinction is latent and incapable of causing visible injury while the person is but a candidate in pursuit of office. Once he gains office, the danger becomes active and visible.

Modern political leaders spend too much time getting elected. They devote insufficient time understanding the interrelationships between government, the public, and the economy. In today’s world, the bulk of government’s utility or lack thereof is reposed in the guiding and shaping of the national economy. For the most part, however, politicians know little economics yet they aspire to high offices that require astute economic insight. The office holder needs not a doctorate in economics as few economists make good national leaders. However, national leaders must possess an accurate understanding of the macroeconomic processes of their nation. This understanding is sorely lacking among top western politicians. Most of them have been duly elected into office yet are mostly unqualified to hold the office to which they have been elected. Their election is akin to selecting an amiable lumberjack to be head of brain surgery at the national hospital. At this most trying period, the leaders of the western world are unequal to the tasks they encounter. Because they are not sufficiently adept, the problems continue to enlarge. As the challenges grow, the gap widens between the leadership’s inadequacies and the objective problems. Government becomes more ineffectual. It drags towards the abyss. This lack of efficiency yields ground to where fringe groups begin to lay claim to legitimacy and popularity because government has become facially inept.

Much of this is due to attributes the political systems now reward and promote. The drive than leads one to seek office does not serve well once in office. Politicians have more slickness than substance. They are the polish but not the wood. Most are too ambitious to be wise and too arrogant to be curious about what they don’t know. Nowhere is this mentality more at odds with the national welfare than in a politician’s attitude toward the economy.

Their political success blinds them to further learning. Their ascent to office brings them to a place where new knowledge is bad knowledge and thus forbidden. Most politicians’ economic outlook is not based on systematic thought or research. Their outlook is a hodgepodge of quaint ideas remembered from introductory economics courses taken decades ago. Many of these ideas were wrong or overly simplistic when first learned. Over time, the flaws have been compounded. These intellectual scraps have been stitched together by preju-

By Brian Browne dice, ignorance and the hubris of those who believe their personal success automatically makes them expert on matters that require a deep inquiry they are not prepared to undertake.

The politicians most ravaged by this sickness are America’s. During the past several weeks as the debt ceiling standoff reached crescendo, both President Obama and House Speaker Boehner have repeatedly proclaimed that, just like a household, America has to balance its checkbook and risks bankruptcy by running a deficit. If I heard a layman murmur such a thing, I would shrug my shoulders and ignore his imprecision because it lacked consequence. To hear the leader of the world’s largest economy and the highest ranking member of the opposition party echo this sentiment, numbs the mind. For this is but sentiment and not logical thought. As economics, it is excreta.

Anyone who has bothered to skim through an objective economics book of any repute knows this to be wrong. This means something is terribly wrong. Either these men believe what they say or they are willfully deceiving the public to advance an agenda the public would not countenance if they heard the truth.

If these men actually believe this folly, their stark ignorance of the American economy disqualifies them from the great offices they occupy. It is nigh impossible they actually believe what they are telling the public. Each has been in government for many years. President Obama was briefed and studied major issues for thousands of hours while on the campaign trail. His education should have intensified upon entering the White House. Still, this most basic of economic facts eludes him. At his beck and call is a panoply of economic advisers with stellar credentials and reputations. Where is the Treasury Secretary? The Secretary must have heard the President utter this false thing.

It is inconceivable the Treasury Secretary believes the statement. Yet, he evidently has not deemed it necessary to advice his President against such a blatant and public intellectual mistake.

No nation that prints its own currency and has its debt denominated in that currency can be endangered by bankruptcy. If that nation is like a household it is that rare household which owns a currency printing machine. A government with the sole power to issue its own currency cannot go bankrupt unless it voluntarily does so. The danger for such a nation is not default caused by lack of money to pay debts.

The danger for such a country lies in the opposite – inflation caused by the issuance of too much money.

The way Obama and Boehner speak, they would have the public believe government debt is novel occurrence. They count on public ignorance to pull off a deception. For roughly 200 of America’s 235 years in existence, it has been a debtor nation running a budget deficit.

Obama and Boehner also neglect to tell the people a more unruly truth. Those few times when the government balanced the budget or ran a surplus were generally preludes to significant economic contraction. This might sound counterintuitive but, on balance, government deficit spending in a more reliable fillip for economic growth than is a budgetary surplus.

The reason is simple. If government holds a net surplus, the private sector must have a net deficit. This means the private sector is giving more to government via taxation than it gets through government goods and services. This negative flow shrinks private sector activity. If government runs a deficit, the private gains more than it gives government via taxation.

That gain will spur private sector activity.

President Obama, Speaker Boehner and Secretary Geithner must know this. However, they are banking on an oafish and dull public.

A tawdry game has been put in play. It is the debt ceiling debate. Because America has the unilateral power to print its currency and the debt is named in dollars, America cannot default unless it selects this option. Such a voluntary default is not a function of financial insolvency but of political insanity. For this reason, the debt ceiling debate will be resolved at the stroke before midnight. It will be resolved because it has been a false argument all along. It

• Obama

is diversion placed in the service of a much larger yet subtler deception.

Because a nation like Greece is small and not the issuer of its own currency, power financial houses that wield influence over other European governments did not have to employ any subtlety in extracting its pound of flesh from the vulnerable Greek hide. Greeks cannot print euro. They must beg for them from the European Central Bank. Consequently, Greece’s creditors were able to push Greece around like a schoolyard bully pounding the class weakling. Greece had to give in if it wanted to remain in the euro zone yet avoid default. By sheer financial force, creditors took more money than they deserved from the pocketbook of every Greek family.

The goal is the same in America but the tactics are different. Most politicians are betrothed to the financial class so they act to further that class’s interests above all others. The politicians have willfully misinformed the gullible public about the nature of America’s public debt. They want the average American to think the nation might default on the debt and might become like Greece. If the public fears the nation is like Greece, then the creditors can extract from America a deal approximating the burden hoisted on the Greek populace.

Consequently, the media has treated debt ceiling talks with the suspense of an impending national emergency. Various plans for solving the problem have been brewed and aired, each successive plan cutting deeper into public programs like Social Security and Medicaid for the poor than the plan before. Through this process, the populace is being conditioned to accept deep budget cuts. President Obama has endorsed a plan calling for three trillion dollars in budget cuts and one trillion in tax increases. If passed, the plan would savage the economy in the short-term by sending it into mild recession at best. In this and on so many other things, the President has extolled fiscal discipline and behaved like a moderate Republican of a bygone era. He has been a disappointment. Yet, he is still outflanked in the realm of underperformance by genuine Republicans. While he is just a disappointment, they are full-stroke disasters.

Republican Senator Lindsay Graham proposed a measure that would expand the debt ceiling but at the cost of putting a solid lid on government spending, eliminating the deficit and enacting a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget. Let me put this as gently as possible. His plan asks the nation’s economic future to walk the gangplank. To devise this plan he must not have knowledge of modern economics. If possessed of such secular knowledge, then he has the heart of a religious flagellant. This is a sadistic device capable to tossing the economy into

something much worse than the average recession. He even had the effrontery to appear on national television to extol the virtues of his modern-day garroting device. In doing so, the poor senator sounded like a recent parolee of a maximum security institute for the criminally insane.

The debt ceiling salvos exchanged by Republicans and Democrats is an elaborate war game to trick the public into believing “both sides” of an issue are being strenuously championed. All is false. In the end, the Republicans will agree to extend the debt limit because their masters on Wall Street want it.

President Obama and fellow Democrats will cut the federal budget massively even though such a thing is not now in order. They will do so because their masters on Wall Street want it. (There is only a slight chance of default. If so, the default would last briefly. It would last only long enough for the large financial players to benefit. They will buy government bonds at reduced rates from panicked investors. The bonds will regain value upon cure of default, netting the large players ample, quick profit.) At the end of the day, there will be draconian cuts but the public will breathe a sigh of relief because the debt ceiling has been extended and what was presented to them as impending doom would have been averted.

This is but the charade of government.

Every politician has shouted they fear America falling into the same hole as Greece only to advance proposals turning that near impossibility into a probability. American politicians are purposely deceiving the public about the nature of government debt and risks of insolvency. They constantly apply the wrongful household analogy along with the specter of Greece in order to frighten Americans so that they may sit back and countenance whatever resolution is concocted by the politicians. What is concocted will be in the name of the people but will not be in their interests. A government that issues its own currency is no more bound to the financial restraints of the average household any more than the dynamics of an ocean liner navigating the Atlantic are like those of a canoe paddling from one end of a pond to the other.

Both political parties are working for the same constituency that wants to axe the federal budget. In so doing, government will be unable to implement numerous programs or continue managing certain assets. Government will be forced to sell discounted prices.

By slashing Social Security benefits, the program will look less attractive and people will be less enthused about maintaining it in government hands. With benefits slashed, people will be more amenable to arguments that the Social Security Fund should be piloted by private investors who will work to bring greater returns on the funds than the current risk-averse government custodians of the fund. If the Social Security fund can be wrested from government hands, the financial sector will reap an unparalleled windfall.

In the end, both Democrats and Republicans are complicit in using the debt ceiling to engineer budget cuts that spell a massive transfer of wealth and power from the average citizen to the affluent financier. Today’s politicians are willing, almost eager, to break government’s fundamental contract with the people in order to better service debt obligations owed a small number of large financiers. The social contract has taken back seat to the private one. Greece, the nation with the oldest democratic tradition, earlier fell to this mercenary priority. America, the most prosperous democracy, now falls in line. This is not democracy. It is financialism. This form of malign governance can never be sated for it is based on greed and love of money. Its appetite grows with each feeding. Which nation will be next, we don’t know. We only know another than another nation will be next until all within the reach of this money power have been forced to sacrifice themselves. The West has entered a new era and it is the era of debt peonage. What waits for the rest of the world can scarcely be better.

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THE NATION

11

ON SUNDAY

COMMENT and ANALYSIS JULY 24, 2011

Kwankwaso, Shekarau and their palaces Festus Eriye

The scandal does not end with the expenditure on houses

efestus2003@yahoo.com 08052135878 (SMS only)

K

ANO is a special state. It’s been the breeding ground for some of Nigeria’s most dedicated and revered public servants among whom the late Mallam Aminu Kano stands out. But it has also gifted Nigeria with some very controversial and colourful political figures like General Murtala Muhammed, Sani Abacha, Abubakar Rimi and Sabo Barkin Zuwo to name a few.

Who can forget the inimitable response of the late Zuwo after tons of cash were discovered in his official residence following the military coup in 1983? Aghast at the fuss that trailed the discovery he shut his critics up by asking where else was safest to warehouse government money than Government House!

Now it turns out that in addition to being a factory that produces outstanding political characters, the state may well win the prize for mind-boggling generosity towards public servants of a certain station.

In Kano, there is a law which provides that any civilian governor of the state since 1999 is entitled to a house of his choice, a salary for life, domestic servants and annual vacation in any country of his choosing. The provision also applies to deputy governors. This unique law does not cap the amount to be spent on the houses.

Interestingly, the state has only had two governors since 1999 – Ibrahim Shekarau of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In spite of their bitter political differences this is one law over which they both see eye to eye, and which they have wasted no time implementing to the letter.

Thanks to the raging feud between them we now know that billions of naira may have been spent erecting palatial monstrosities to match their egos. Kwankwaso’s men set the ball rolling by claiming that his predecessor spent several billions on his house.

This is not correct, said Sule Yau Sule, Shekarau’s spokesman. According to him, his former boss only expended a trifling N700 million, whereas Kwankwaso actually demanded N1.3 billion from the Shekarau administration in lieu of the house that was to be built for him as governor between 1999 and 2003.

That’s not all. The incumbent also allegedly asked that the money be monetised and paid to him, Sule said. The administration only approved a miserly N900 million, “since the money budgeted for the house built for Shekarau was not up to N700 million.”

Kwankwaso’s media assistant, Jaafar Jaafar, insists Shekarau’s house cost N3 billion and not N689 million as claimed by his aides. He asserts that furniture alone gulped N350 million. Whereas the law provides that a former civilian governor is entitled to a six-bedroom house, Jaafar says Shekarau had a 20-bed room house built for him by the state government.

In Kano, what the incumbent and his predecessor have done may be lawful on account of the existing statutes. But any-

•Kwankwaso where else it would be seen as obscene and immoral. And to think that one of those involved likes to affect a public image of modesty and piety!

All of this is happening in a state that cannot pay workers a minimum wage of N18, 000. This is a state battling with chronic poverty and high infant mortality; where the vast majority do not have access to potable water; where school children hold classes under trees in rural areas. It just goes to show the quality of the elected leaders and their priorities.

But what is truly scandalous and criminal is that such a law exists on the books of a state that prides itself on its political sophistication. It is hard to imagine a more badly crafted legislation. A law that presents a blank cheque to politicians not noted for altruism simply invites abuse.

It’s hard to understand its rationale.

Was it written to discourage official corruption? It can only be said to have served that purpose if it can be proven that those who have been governors have not bettered themselves financially.

On grounds of means it is not justifiable. Not even states like Lagos and Rivers which have the ability to generate billions locally have been so profligate. The Federal Government which is much richer has not gone into the bizarre business of setting up former Presidents in palaces.

What on earth were the state assemblymen who passed this act and the governor who signed it into law thinking?

The solution is simple. This disgraceful legislation must be repealed immediately by the current state assembly. What-

ever mansions have been erected in the names of Kwankwaso and Shekarau should also be forfeited to the government. Civil society groups must mobilise the populace to ensure that this is done because politicians would not reverse things without the necessary pressure.

The scandal does not end with the expenditure on houses. The Kwankwaso regime has pointedly accused its predecessor of saddling it with external debts worth $209 million debt and internal liabilities for contracts, supplies and recurrent expenditure of in the region of $77 billion.

Predictably, these figures are disputed by the other side. However, there is one item that, if established as correct, just captures the magnitude of fiscal irresponsibility that goes on in government circles. It is alleged that the Shekarau administration spent N4 billion on hotel bills in its time in office.

Given the huge sum involved one would have expected a more vigorous contestation of the figure quoted. Instead this is the defence offered by the Shekarau spokesperson: “Contrary to the impression that hotel bills may have been incurred on account of suggested irregular /unholy activities, Kano being a gateway of the Northern Region of Nigeria is automatically obliged to host a lot of guests from all walks of life and from all corners of the country.”

He proceeds to name some of those on whom the billions may have been spent.

Among them are Vice President Namadi Sambo and his entourage who came thrice to broker peace among the members of the PDP. Other beneficiaries are past and serving governors, ministers and top government functionaries, including close family members who were either on their way to perform hajj or on their way back from hajj.

This list goes on and on. But rather than serve as justification, the long line of guests for whom the government was picking up tabs only serves as confirmation of mindless profligacy. We see from this list that hotel bills for government officials on partisan political assignment were picked up by the state government. For several seminars attended by senators, the Shekarau government paid up when the National Assembly probably had it covered.

The mudslinging between Kwankwaso and Shekarau exposes the sheer scale of financial misappropriation that has occurred in Kano State since 1999. By bringing this to the public domain, both men have invited scrutiny by independent organisations like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).

They would be failing in their duty if they do not move into Kano immediately.

That is the only way to ascertain the truth and shut down the bazaar.

“Not even states like Lagos and Rivers which have the ability to generate billions locally have been so profligate. The Federal Government which is much richer has not gone into the bizarre business of setting up former Presidents in palaces. What on earth were the state assemblymen who passed this act and the governor who signed it into law thinking?”

Lekan Otufodunrin lotufodunrin@yahoo.com 08050498530 (SMS only)

Where is God when it hurts?

S

OME years ago, I remember attending the wake keep for a journalist with Channels Television, Lekan Ashimi who died in an auto crash on his way home from work.

When it was the turn of the widow to speak, she shared her grieve telling us how she has been asking God why he decided to allow her husband who was yet to clock 40 to die at the peak of his career.

“I also asked God why he made me become a widow at a younger age. I don’t know but my consolation is the song we sing in our church. Eru Olorun ba mi, Eru Olorun ba mi o, Ohun to ba a ti pinu l’okan re ko s’eni t’o lee daa duro . (Literarily translated the Yoruba song means, I fear God, whatever he decides to do, no one can stop him)” she stated.

That was one of the few occasions I can remember shedding tears. Many others around me also did as Lekan’s death happened so suddenly and was very shocking to me as we met a few days earlier discussing a training programme he attended outside the country.

Last Saturday, a woman family friend was buried after dying of a protracted illness. When she first got ill, my wife visited her but her condition later deteriorated. My wife was planning to visit the deceased when we got the news of her death.

What is particularly painful about her death is that her husband died a few years ago after being bed-ridden following an auto crash on his way back to Lagos from a family engagement.

I remember attending the burial of the husband at the uncompleted building he was putting up in the outskirts of Lagos.

His death was a major loss for the wife and children as he was just making headway in his business after years of battling to survive the turbulent economic situation in the country.

The wife, a very committed Christian like the husband soon got over the tragic incident and was doing her best to sustain the family of three children when she fell sick and was diagnosed of a terminal disease.

With the support she could get from family and Church members, friends and others she battled to overcome the ailment and took care of her children. She died last week and I was very pained when I heard about it.

At times like this, one is forced to ask Where is God when it hurts? which is the title of one of the popular books of PhilipYancey. For those who know another popular Yoruba gospel song, this kind of question should not arise no matter when tragic incidents happen.

The song says Ka bi o, o si. ( No need to ask you why) You are the God of heaven and the earth. Even Shakespeare says, death is a necessary end; it will come when it will come.

What we are not sure of is when and how.

My heart goes out to particularly the children who are friends of my children. They grew up together and attended the same school. I am imagining how they are going to cope with the loss of their parents.

I trust God who knows the end from the beginning, who is the father of the fatherless and the mother of the motherless to take care of the children of the deceased couple and many others in this situation.

God will not come down to cater for the children; the ball is in the court of us all who are still privileged to be alive and well.

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

M

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Comment & Analysis

UHAMMAD Hosni Sayyid Mubarak, to give the deposed Egyptian president his full name, ended up badly. But his rise was almost the stuff of dreams. Fresh from secondary school, he joined the military academy and fell in love with the Air Force in which he promptly enlisted upon graduation. He climbed rapidly to Chief of Staff, and ultimately to Air Chief Marshal. If he lacked food or shoes or shelter between his birth, in 1928, and ascension to the very top of the Egyptian Air Force, the evidence is scant.

More pie was ahead. President Anwar Sadat appointed him Vice President in 1975. Five years later, the man who appointed him fell to the assassin’s bullet.

And thus Mubarak, the career Air Force officer, became Egypt’s fourth and longest serving president, after Muhammad Ali. He reigned, and that is the word, for 29 long years.

They were not 29 glorious years as the events of January and February proved.

And there lies the lesson I hope our leaders across the board will learn. The presidency gave Mubarak the fat and juicy things of life. He was said to be worth some $70b. He mixed freely with the high and mighty, being high and mighty himself. He soon understood, and put it to good use, that as president, he could do just about anything and get away with it.

He arrogated to himself powers that were scarcely heard of in his country. He was the lord. He could do no wrong. But he forgot (and our leaders often forget) that no mortal has such credentials. Mubarak glossed over the fact that there is a day of reckoning about which no human can do

Once upon His Excellency Will we learn from a man called Hosni Mubarak? anything.

Sometimes, as in the case of the ousted Egyptian lord, such days of reckoning come with incremental torment. And his people whom he had misruled for nearly three decades were well disposed to not only throwing him out but also making him atone for every sin.

Mubarak set the stage for what came his way, beginning from this January 25 when the country rose against its leader.

Egyptians had stomached his megalomania for so long. He fancied himself as the only one fit to lead the country, and devised all manner of tricks to keep things that way. He was re-elected four times.

No one could run against him. The constitution made it so. The country’s parliament was a staunch ally. The military was under the old Air Chief Marshal’s

control. So were the electoral institutions.

As reports pointed out, it was not uncommon during elections to see government officials ferrying voters in official vehicles to vote for you-know-who. Even when invalid ballots were recorded, it was but a small thing for electoral personnel to turn everything in favour of the Commander-in-Chief.

Under intense pressure, especially from outside, to loosen his grip on the country and allow more players in the electoral field, Mubarak permitted opposition in 2005. But the election was so rigged that everyone cried foul. A man who ran against him contested it and was promptly charged with forgery and subsequently jailed five years with hard labour.

Many hated Mubarak’s reign but they could only grumble privately, perhaps in

“The presidency gave Mubarak the fat and juicy things of life. He was said to be worth some $70b.

He mixed freely with the high and mighty, being high and mighty himself. He soon understood, and put it to good use, that as president, he could do just about anything and get away with it. He arrogated to himself powers that were scarcely heard of in his country. He was the lord. He could do no wrong. But he forgot (and our leaders often forget) that no mortal has such credentials. Mubarak glossed over the fact that there is a day of reckoning about which no human can do anything”

front of their spouses or in the privacy of their conveniences. Some in the military abhorred him, and attempted to oust him several times. They failed. Corruption soared. Every sleaze monitoring agency returned a damning verdict. Emergency law gave the police wide powers. The people’s rights under constitution were suspended. At some point, up to 17,000 people were detained under the law, while 30,000 political opponents were put away.

But on January 25, His Excellency’s cup ran over. Egyptians massed out at Cairo’s Tahrir Square and other parts of the country calling for the end of Mubarak’s reign. One, two weeks after, the crowd would not disperse in spite of official crackdown. Mubarak tried some bravado. It did not work. He announced he would not run for election due in September. The crowd was not appeased. His son also would not run for election. The people would have none of it. Three days to the third week of the revolution, His Excellency fled, conceding victory to the people.

In April, he was detained and questioned over corruption charges. Same month a court fined him over $33b for ruining the economy by shutting down both the internet and telephone services. The court also ordered that he must pay from his personal assets. Next month, he and his two sons will stand trial for alleged corruption and killing protesters.

In Egypt, it was not enough that a terrible dictator was pushed out of office.

Even down with diseases, he must be made to pay for every crime.

When will the people who plunged Nigeria into perpetual darkness be made to account for it? When shall those who made our roads impassable apologise, at least? When shall people begin to go the way of His Excellency Hosni Mubarak?

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Comment & Analysis

13

Akwa Ibom tribunal It left a sour judicial after-taste by exploiting an outrageous technicality on the governorship case

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HE Akwa Ibom State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed the petition by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and its candidates in the last governorship election, based on a preliminary objection filed by the respondents as to the procedure for ordering a pre-hearing notice. In granting the interlocutory application, the tribunal proceeded on its own to declare Governor Godswill Akpabio the winner of the election, when that issue was yet to be canvassed before the court. The tribunal is headed by Justice Adamu Onum, with Justices Lateef LawalAkapo and Joke Adepoju as members.

In its judgment, the tribunal held that the petitioners, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, his running mate, Ime Umanah, and their party failed to seek the leave of court before bringing an ex-parte application for the matter to go on trial. It also held that its earlier order setting the matter down for hearing was done without jurisdiction, and went ahead to quash the proceedings leading to it, and then declared the governor as duly elected. The leading counsel to the petitioners, Professor Yemi Osibanjo (SAN), has described the judgment of the tribunal as strange, declaring same as not only a new jurisprudence but also a very curious one.

The public, like the learned counsel, is truly confounded by the ruling, more so since a day before the judgment, the governor went to church for a thanksgiving service. Aga, for reasons not explained, Justice Lawal-Akapo, a judge of the Lagos High Court, a, the governorship tribunal sitting in Benue State the next day rejected the bait to dismiss the petition against the re-election of Governor Gabriel Suswam on a similar technical reason as in the

Akwa Ibom case. In that case, Justice Munir Ladan held that the end of justice would not be allowed to be defeated by mere technicalities.

Justice Ladan held that there is no provision in the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) that stipulates that a motion for leave should be first filed, as the act did not specify whether such process would be by motion ex-parte or motion on notice. He held that a pre-hearing notice could not be blocked through the process sought by the applicants. He also held that “the application of the first and third respondents (Suswan and INEC) lacks merit and are accordingly dismissed”. So, while the reasons for the preliminary objections sought in the two cases are the same, the judgments delivered by the tribunals are strikingly opposite.

The judgment in the Akwa Ibom case may remind Nigerians of the long road travelled by the election petition litigants in Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, and Oyo states, arising from the penultimate election cycle. While the rigmarole was on, many who had no faith in the judiciary

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

•Editor Lekan Otufodunrin •Managing Editor Festus Eriye •Olayinka Oyegbile Deputy Editor •Associate Editor Taiwo Ogundipe

•Managing Director/ Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye •General Editor Kunle Fagbemi

called for extra-judiciary measures; but as eventually seen, justice was done. Like many Nigerians, we had expected the current tribunals to learn one or two lessons from that era, but it appears no lessons have been learnt. If truly Akwa Ibom tribunal granted the governor and other respondents remedies that were not in issue at the preliminary trial, then it could well be said that it was a Father Christmas, and courts are not supposed to be that.

As expected, the petitioners in the Akwa Ibom State case have indicated their interest to appeal the judgment to a higher court. As bystanders we think that it will not serve the ends of justice for such a serious matter to be killed on mere technicalities, and thereby denying the parties and the electorate in the state an opportunity to know what truly happened during the last election. As the petitioners canvass that they won the election if only the valid votes are counted, the respondents contend otherwise, based on the declared landslide result that gave the governor a new mandate. It is this serious context that the tribunal members sought to determine through a surrogate application that leave was not sought for, before an application was made to have the matter set down for hearing.

Were the objections canvassed by the respondents correct, the tribunal should have simply struck out the application, and allowed the parties exercise any legal opportunities that may be available. Unfortunately, instead, it went ahead to import into that simple decision, the matter of who won the election, for which necessary evidence has not been set before it, thereby raising the sceptre of partiality in the matter.

Lagos rain: the aftermath of costly assumption T HE issue that made headlines in most national dailies early last week was that of the torrential rainfall that earlier hit some parts of the country, leading to irreparable losses of lives and properties. Thus, when the campaign of climate change and global warming may yet seem a noise to many, the inundation that immediately followed that downpour may just be an eye opener to the reality of the matter.

Nigerians, especially Lagosians will not forget July 10th, 2011 in a hurry, as it was a day when the water ways of heaven were let loosed and it rained for hours nonstop. It would not have been an issue to warrant such urgent propagation because rainfall is simply an uncontrollable act of nature.

However, cases of death resulting from the flood made the issue to gain not only national attention, but also international.

The case of one Mr Oloruntoba and his wife who went out in the rain to the nearest ATM point only to be swept off by flood was just a case in hundreds of other cases not accounted for. Various parts of Lagos became flooded, hindering business activities. To worsen the situation still, people had to flee their residences when it occurred to them that the flood had taken total control. One is therefore left to wonder what would have happened had the rain not stopped as at when it did.

According to the Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research, Lagos that recorded 264 millimetre rainfall only on that Black Sunday, a volume expected for a full month. However, this could not be said to be unforeseen in any way. The Nigerian Meterological Agency earlier this year predicted that rainfall in the year would be more in the

south, at a total volume of about 1200 and 2700 mm.

Any right thinking person would expect that full preparation for the rain must have been made. At least, if nature cannot be stopped from having its course, it would be expected that everything humanly possible to avert the evil of nature is done without further delay. The rain, the flood and the post-havoc government action recorded are only pointing to some important issues that need to be looked into. First, it shows irresponsibility on the part of governments – Federal, State and local for not putting adequate measures in place to reduce flooding. In the same vein, it reveals the inadequate emergency management in the country as victims of the flood were left to fate on the very day of the downpour.

While the issue could be viewed from the angle of negligence on government’s part, Nigerians are also at fault as they are not working in harmony with creation. Foremost in this discord with nature is the deforestation of forests trees meant to absorb greenhouse gases. Deforestation is one of the major causes of enhanced greenhouse effect resulting in climate change and consequently excess rain.

As if deforestation is not enough, drainages put in place to channel excess water to appropriate places without affecting lives and properties are filled with refuse, blocking water passages and making effective drainage system nearly impossible.

The deed has been done by the rain cum flood, the next thing is for government to rise to the enormous task before it in rendering succour to those places flooded consequent on the July 10 downpour. But as attention is being paid to the flooded areas, government should not forget

that this is not the only rainfall in the year. If 264mm volume of rainfall was recorded, it only means that there are more water in the sky yet to reach the surface of the earth. All hand must, as such be on deck to en-

A

sure that the heavy rainfall been expected does not in any way lead to heavy flooding.

One thing that is certain in all is that there is failure to prepare for this year’s rain by all sundry, it can only

be hoped that while corrective measures are being taken, lessons are learnt and that the case of next time will be that of preventive measures and not corrective ones.

By Ogunmowo Dare Songo Otta, Ogun State.

Showers of menace

NYTIME the clouds are gathered, I can imagine the magnitude of pain and sorrow that flows through the mind of Tunde.

Life at home in Aboru area of Ipaja used to be fun and memorable with his mother and sister. Both are now dead, victims of the flood.

For Tunde and other victims of the Sunday flood. Definitely, the old proverb that says tiny drops of water makes a mighty ocean is an illusional, its authenticity was validated by the downpour. The rain which lasted the whole day started out with little drizzing lasted hours.

It metamorphosed into a heavy outrage. A friend in describing the magnitude of the rain said jokingly that the angels are having their bath.

Funny though, but one thing is clear, the rain gave me a graphical illustration of the Biblical Noah, the Ark and the flood. How God destroyed mankind with the flood was no clearer than the Sunday experience.

It initially pose no threat to Sunday worshippers but fell consistently for hours with little or no intervals. Those that were not beaten by the rain were trapped indoor all day.

The rain came with the flood and left many families in agony. Houses caved in, cars were wrecked, more sadly were the over 200 lives lost to the flood. Traffic along the LagosAbeakuta right from Sango to Iyana Ipaja came to await for several hours.

People were stranded and left at the mercies of how far their legs can carry

them. I had my fair share, I trekked from Abule-Igba to Ipaja. Of course for the few commercial who managed to escape traffic applied the law of demand. For them, it was an opportunity to take their pound of flesh from the seemingly impatient with passengers. Added to this, along Oke-odo, Ilepo road, four Danfo buses and a BRT were stucked with passengers in them at a ride of the road. The flood rose to the level of the border that divides the road and was pouring down to the other side.

The worst hit areas by the flood are areas with canal. Places like Aboru; Oke-odo, Mulero and Arigbanla in Iyana-Ipaja area of Lagos recorded the highest number of casualties. In Aboru, 17 passanger were said to have drowned in the flood. What tragedy!

Is rain not meant to be showers of blessings? People now see the gathering of clouds as terror, they dart about in confusion, calling their love ones to hurry home before it rains. Who is to be blame for this tragic event?

Should God be blame for sending rain on us or perhaps is he set to end the word again contrary to what we have read? Rather it could be as a result of climate change, on the other hand may be it is human negligence.

Yes! negligence it is, the issue is that this kind of rain has been experienced in other parts of the country.

Better still in other well structured cities of the developed world with little or no harm. But the drainage system

in Lagos is in shambles. That is not to ignore the astronomical development that was taken place in Lagos over the past few years, It can be kept behind bars. Therefore the issue here is not only not concern, we cannot obliterate by government that any means the fact that Lagosians (you and I) are the wheels directing this same horror that besets us. Many a times we eulogise, condemn and appraise out government from time to time, we seem to forget to subject our act to scruting, whether out glorified personality can recognized our actions if they meet in the dark. Structures are built over canals and gutter built by the government to enable free flow of water. In addition, what is more brutal is the conversion of these canals in refuse dept.

We do these things without giving minutes ponder on the effects of our actions, perhaps one minute is much of a luxury to waste on such “trivial matter”. Government cannot always do for us what we are capable of doing ourselves. We (the masses) suffer the flood, we should make amends.

Little wonder, how our prayers despite it intensity changes nothing.

There is no solution. There is nothing the government can do more of it lies helpless in the words of truth we say everyday and despised to do. Being responsible to itself and wait to get his due, everyman. God help us.

By Gabriel Ilabeshi. G Ipaja, Lagos.

14

Ropo Sekoni ropo.sekoni @thenationonlineng.net

T

HE new Speaker of the House of Representatives is already sending wrong signals. His obsession in the first month on the job is to promise creation of more states. His colleagues in the house are also complaining about calls from citizens for significant reduction in the bloated salary and allowance package their predecessors in office had enjoyed for several years.

In both cases, the House is not listening attentively to the calls from other stakeholders in the Nigeria Project: citizens, civil society, and the mass media.

In case the new members of the House need to know, Nigeria started with three states or regions, which became four after the creation of Midwest Region, now Delta and Edo States. The increase of number of states from four regions to 36 between 1966 and 2011 was not subjected to any referendum to ascertain the wishes of the citizens concerned.

A total of 32 states had been created by military dictators with the connivance of self-appointed civilian community leaders.

All constitutions since 1963 were largely midwifed by military dictators who ensured that the federal system was dismantled to pave way for funding of states that would otherwise have been unsustainable. This was made

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

I

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Comment & Analysis

NCIDENTAL to my last article in this column, my friend, the highly cerebral Tony A. Sani, who incidentally is the Arewa Consultative Forum Publicity Secretary, and I, took time out to jostle on the issue of restructuring.

I hardly need say that the views expressed here, in a dialogue that has been seriously precis-ed for space, belong strictly to us. Happy reading.

Good day my dear Femi. Your ‘In support of Agbakoba’s restructuring bill’ in THE NATION of Sunday, July 17, 2011 ,is under reference. While I agree that allocation of resources should go with responsibilities and tasks, I am not sure our nation’s problems stem from structure of the country. Rather, they are stoked by total collapse of national ideals and moral values. I say this because we are not the only country put together with ethno- religious and socio-cultural differences by imperial powers . Yet many of them have developed and continue to revel in peaceful coexistence. Consider USA ‘s national ideals include inspiration of a society that is socially diverse, economically empowered and politically active; Germany has many nationalities which fought ethno religious wars for 30 years in the 19th century and the country balkanised along ethno reli-

The National Assembly needs to get it right Worse and more annoying is the practice of allowance to lawmakers ostensibly to assist in creating projects in their constituencies possible by changes made by dictators to pre-military revenue allocation policy that allowed revenue that should have accrued from oil and gas to oil-producing states to be brought into the federation account for distribution to states created by fiat and without any consideration to sustainability.

The multiplication of states from four to 36 is similar in philosophy and goal to the multiplication of local governments from under 200 nationally in 1966 to 774 today. The goal has been to turn states and local governments to mendicants before the federal government which disburses the revenue that is realized from petroleum, customs, and VAT. In other words, states and local governments were increased so that most of them become dependent on the federal government for revenue to service recurrent expenditures and leave some money for graft to serve the material lust of those appointed to govern such states and local governments. One consequence, which seems to be invisible to new legislators interested in creating additional states, is that most of the states cannot function without receiv-

ing handout from the federation account. Another consequence is that state governors are beholden, in what Ben Asemota once characterized as a Sultanate system, to the presidency, which is perceived as the source of funds for governors to use to sustain themselves in office.

What most Nigerians are demanding is not creation of additional states. Without doubt, some community leaders who expect to benefit from turning their backyards into states to collect oil and gas money have been asking for more states. But majority of Nigerians are asking for restoration of federalism that will allow existing states to work out how to become self-sustaining and be capable of catering to the needs of their citizens. Perceptive citizens with foresight know that the current system of using revenue from oil and gas to prevent most of the 36 states from going into bankruptcy cannot continue for long.

It is therefore a sign of myopia on the part of new legislators to be pushing for creation of more states, when most of the existing states are crying for manna from oil and gas to enable them pay 18,000 naira minimum wage. If

the new House is to make any impact on policies that can drive economic development, it should be concerned with creating laws that will give existing states fiscal autonomy. The current call for giving a higher percentage of rents collected from petroleum to states and local governments is not likely to solve the problem of states that are not viable.

House members that are complaining about calls for reducing their monthly salaries and allowances are not showing leadership. Citizens are suffering while their lawmakers are swimming in easy money. There is no reason why lawmakers should take home more money than permanent secretaries, judges, and professors. Legislators in the years before the coup were part-time lawmakers and the country they supervised then was better than the one we have now. Worse and more annoying is the practice of allowance to lawmakers ostensibly to assist in creating projects in their constituencies.

Project creation and management are responsibilities for the executive, not for the legislative branch. Giving special allowances to legislators to pay for aides is an indirect way of

overfeeding lawmakers. Legislators’ aides should be paid directly from the same source from which presidential and gubernatorial aides are paid. Citizens are expecting the new national assembly to put an end to a culture of slush funds. A situation in which Nigerian legislators or ministers earn more than their counterparts in Europe or North America is an example of worst practices.

Legislators are right to insist that reducing their benefits need to be paralleled by similar reductions in the executive branch of government. For example, what is the use of security votes for the executive branch? All votes to secure the nation and its citizens must be subject to budgetary protocols and audit. Security funds given to members of the executive branch are arbitrary and should be included in the regular budget, as the new governor of Imo State has done. There is an urgent need to purge the nation’s expenditures of unnecessary allowances that allow government leaders to reap where they sow nothing.

Those who think that creating additional states will end the demand for political restructuring to return the country to functional federalism may be exaggerating the value of creating more unviable states. On the contrary, the failure that will result from continued demands from the Niger Delta for fiscal autonomy and eventual creation of non-carbon sources of energy may push most of the mini states into a state of economic paralysis that will make the struggle for return to regionalization inevitable for such states.

A dialogue on restructuring The present six geo-political zones should find ingress into the constitution and be made viable federating units gious lines until Otto von Bismarck effectively brought the country under one roof and when the country was partitioned by US, Britain, France and Russia, Kohl and Schroeder united the country into the Germany of today. Belgium is made up of Germans and French who could not form government after elections for almost a year a few years ago, but heavens did not fall. Yet Brussels harbours EU. In Africa, one can point at Tanzania with over 120 nationalities that have been inspired by Nyerere to peacefully co-exist.

Turkey is 98% Muslim, yet the secular opposition, Republican Peoples Party, democratically contests for power with the mildly Islamist Justice and Development party.

In the South--West, with all its internecine politics and religious diversity, we are yet to hear of religious conflicts in the region.

There is no standard universal federalism, precisely because each country tries to ensure that its federal structure is designed strong enough to keep the nation under one roof and not too strong as to inspire a unitary system. I want to believe you know that democracy may differ in forms, but when it comes to its element, it -liberty , justice and common decency-is about the same across the globe. As soon as we are able to get a leader who can inspire cultural renaissance and democ-

racy on true foundation of its elements leading to emergence of leaders who can make Nigeria feel young again with a sense of glory days ahead, the country would be a united whole again.

Those who insist that ‘true federalism’ or resource control’ is about the only solution to Nigeria’s myriad of problems should take a second look at Prof Akinyemi’s views that ‘Nigeria is a big river fed by its tributaries and when something happens to one or more of the tributaries, it would affect the river’.

The present six geo-political zones should find ingress into the constitution and be made viable federating units. It is the number and sizes of states with weak centrifugal forces which prevent the country from going awry.

Fissiparous tendencies which often come with strong federating units can nudge the nation towards confederation leading to disintegration.

I do not expect those who know and capable of moulding opinion to still recoil into recidivism or irredentist activities of the past. Nigeria of today is ruled by those who believe they had been on the short end in the scheme of things. This is in addition to resource control that is in place already .

My dear brother Tony. It’s been quite a while.

Many thanks for your highly

perceptive views on our extant circumstances. However, I differ somewhat, from your position on the place of structure and the very success of the countries you cited, and our telling failure over the years, in my view, means we should tinker with our structure.

I accept that elite failure is our major problem but I invite you, Tony, to look back at what this country was as regions: the developments and the healthy interregional competition. What currently stops us from returning to that is oil and the fear of the north that it cannot survive without oil which is a lie. How much oil has the South West where we shout restructuring on rooftops?

I do not believe, like you, that confederation tantamounts to splitting up the country and that you will agree is a major departure since it underpins this discussion. I don’t think Nigeria can survive with our present unviable states; yet House Speaker Tanbuwal promises more. Although there are rough edges we will have to work on, the South West is poised to effect a paradigm shift in regionalism in the country; one that the Niger Delta states have started to copy.

Forget about oil and just take a look at the injustice in how VAT is handled. Some states are fighting hard abrogating alcohol; yet, VAT from other states gets shared on basis of equality of states. Money being paid to wean

off prostitutes in Jigawa State etc can better be put into agriculture where the north has comparative advantage. Look at how many Local Government areas in Kano compared to Lagos and imagine the humongous amount of money that goes to the north with hardly anything to show for it.

No, Nigeria cannot survive on its structure.

Tony, I did not know all this while that we have this massive differences about our county , going forward. You obviously abhor confederation which is the choice of the main political spectrum in the South-West, oil or no oil, because we believe it will task every zone to the limit in trying to be the best it can.

When President Clinton said those things, he apparently did not know Ahmadu Bello’s views regarding our differences which he statesman-ly said we could not gloss over. For one, no Yoruba can, for the reason of religion, disembowel another Yoruba man as we see day in day out in the North even long before Boko Haram. You raised the issue of governors spending close to a billion naira of state money building personal houses. In Yoruba land no wife will allow her governor husband do that because the family will be treated worse than a leper .

For us, and even the UN, ethnic nationalism is not anathema and Southern Sudan has copiously proved that. I am, for now, not canvassing separation but devolution of powers Stay blessed my brother.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Tunji

Adegboyega

Comment & Analysis

15

Postponing the doomsday

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

W

ORKERS in the country will smile home with more wads of naira notes in their pockets with effect from next month-end, courtesy of an uneasy truce between the federal/state governments and organised Labour on July 19. That day was a day of decision, for, Labour had threatened a three-day warning strike to begin the next day (July 20), should the governments dilly-dally or continue to sing discordant tunes on the payment of the new minimum wage. After protracted meetings, first between Labour and Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), and then between Labour and the Federal Government, Labour suspended the strike, after browbeating, as it were, the governments into submission. But I can tell you, the peace we have on this matter today is that of the graveyard. The governors are already coughing.

The fact of the matter is that something would give in the not-too-distant future. I have never been an apostle of pay parity because states are not equally endowed. Moreover, cost of living differs from state to state.

States should therefore be able to pay according to their abilities. So, the idea of the country having a minimum wage below which no state can fall is for me, an aberration. This is one of the evils foisted on us by the incursion of the military into politics. The old Western Region used to attract the best of hands in those days because it offered the best remuneration package, even better than the Federal Government.

However, all that changed after the soldiers came into power and

Postscript, Unlimited!

By

Oyinkan Medubi 08187172799 (SMS only) puchuckles7@gmail.com

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NCE, a play was being rehearsed for the stage and it involved the use of children. Now, you and I know that some adults would rather settle matters with the devil than have any dealing with children. These particular children soon became bored, especially between scenes, and found more creative ways to engage their intellect, which did not go down too well with the adults. One famous actress must probably have been more exasperated than others by the children running perpetually between people’s feet, for she was said to have wiped her brows and exclaimed, ‘Oh, for the days of Herod!’

For some time now, the news has been on how the elements have been leaving their calling cards on Lagos metropolis, principally through the floods. This has prompted many cries, remarks and even threats, ranging from the very intelligent (This is definitely the end-time!) to the downright clownish (This is defi-

imposed a unitary system of government on the country. It was on this basis, pardonably, that Labour leaders agitated for wage increases throughout the military era. The National Assembly which also made the Minimum Wage Act also did so with this mindset. Unfortunately, Organised Labour too has, despite the return to democratic rule maintained that mentality. I know it would take some time before we are all weaned off the mentality because habits die hard. But the interesting thing in the wage matter is that the same Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) which, on the one hand wants a return to federalism, wants, on the other hand, a uniform minimum wage for the country. This, to me seems contradictory because, as I have pointed out, it was not so at the beginning. At the beginning, the regions and even the central government paid, each according to its ability.

Initially when it seemed the implementation of the new wage was only a question of time, the NGF suggested that the Federal Government tinkered with the so-called fuel subsidy that they had been withdrawing since the military era, thus incurring the wrath of Nigerians. Now, they are tinkering with altering the revenue formula when they saw that removal of fuel subsidy was a’ no-go area’.

For me, this is merely postpon-

Govt and Labour will still fight ing the doomsday. I am yet to see how the Goodluck Jonathan administration would not tamper with the so-called fuel subsidy over time. The government spent so much money winning the April election and we have to make up for it somehow. The Naira is already crashing at an alarming rate. So, it is only a matter of time when we will get to the brass tags; the scales would soon fall off the eyes of the romantic lovers (governments and Labour) and the marriage of convenience that they contracted on Tuesday would break down irretrievably. While one of the parties would head for the courts to seek divorce, the other would want to use every power at its disposal to keep the ‘union’. But it takes two to tango.

Meanwhile, let the workers who will soon be ‘loaded’ with Naira from next month also realise that transporters and traders and other people not covered by the Minimum Wage Act are also waiting by the corner to extract their ‘pound of flesh’ the same way Labour did to the government.

I am not a government apologist and I am not sure I ever would be. What I know for sure however is that prices would soon rise and we are likely to have a situation where too much Naira would be chasing too few goods. Economists call that inflation.

“Guilty conscience would not make our politicians look Labour in the face and insist to the end that they cannot pay the minimum wage. Those of them who maintain girl-friends would not insult the girls with such a ridiculous amount, or where they do, they have to offer profound apologies and promise to make it up later. So, why insult the Nigerian worker by denying him N18,000?”

It is inevitable. So, ultimately, what goes round comes around.

This is another score on which I fault Labour’s incessant agitations for wage increases. When in 2000 the NLC got the now defunct N7,500 minimum wage, it celebrated. Less than 11 years after, it had started agitating for another. In a few years’ time, we will be back to square one, with Labour and government locking horns in another round of agitation for new wages.

But nothing I have said so far should be taken to mean that N18,000 is too much for the least paid Nigerian worker. If anything, it may even be too small, considering that most of those we purportedly elected and who should be servant-leaders live like oil sheikhs in the midst of the picture of abject poverty that they paint for the rest of us. For me, it was on this score that the governments capitulated on Tuesday.

Guilty conscience would not make our politicians look Labour in the face and insist to the end that they cannot pay the minimum wage.

Those of them who maintain girlfriends would not insult the girls with such a ridiculous amount, or where they do, they have to offer profound apologies and promise to make it up later. So, why insult the Nigerian worker by denying him N18,000?

What the NLC should be pursuing now is how to get our politicians to imbibe best practices. It should be ‘seek first the kingdom of good governance and every other thing shall be added unto you’. When Labour seeks first the kingdom of good governance, everything else would follow. Every-

‘They said fish even fell from the sky in the hailstorm’ nitely the state government’s fault!) until I have been tempted to wipe my brows and exclaim in helplessness, ‘Oh, for the days of Noah!’

Those of us who are familiar with the story of Noah know two things: he had a very large ark, yet no one except his family trusted him enough to believe him when he told them to get into the boat for God was about to destroy the world by flooding it with water. Over the centuries, however, people have learnt to believe him. I still have a cartoon which showed a reverend father making some repairs on his boat in his backyard. One of his parishioners passing by stopped to contemplate him for a moment before asking, ‘Is there something you’re trying to tell us, father?’

So, after contemplating the rains of Lagos, I was also tempted to stop, ponder a while, and then ask the question, ‘Is God trying to tell us something?’

The theory that God may be trying to tell us something grew stronger with the experience we had in my city recently. Usually, when the rains come, the weather turns cooler and we get some relief from the hellish heat that beats down upon our poor African heads. We also tend to eat

better in the rainy seasons, what with the fact that maize tends to grow better. These were the things we joyfully expected recently in my city when it was about to rain. Instead, however, a hailstorm descended on us, hurling water and blocks of ice in a wind travelling at nothing less than 120 km/h. In less than the time it took to raid Entebbe in the 1980s, i.e. twenty minutes, the hailstorm left a trail of destruction in its wake: broken window panes, broken car windscreens, badly damaged vehicles, pockmarked vehicles, badly punctured roofs, incredibly large blocks of ice, and fish falling from the sky.

Yes, you read that right. You know how these things happen; fish sometimes fall from the sky when you least expect it! Usually, when events occur, they appear to everyone like the ghost of Hamlet’s father – showing different sides of their head. Every witness of the event is quite sure he or she knows exactly how it happened and how and in what sequence. So, when the accounts begin to go around, you are surprised by the number of versions it has broken into. And so, when the reports of the hailstorm began to go round, I heard so many ver-

sions I began to wonder if I was sure I witnessed it. But the most interesting version had it that in a part of the town, it was not only that a car was destroyed by a felled tree but that fish fell from the sky, and the raconteur of that version knew a woman who knew a woman who knew a woman who swore that she saw the fish. In fact, many people were said to have gone to look at the fish. How true that is, you be the judge.

After reading so many news reports and commentaries on the causes and management of the floods in Lagos, however, I gathered that practically everyone has a share in the prevalence of this perennial menace. I place the fault, and I think I have said this before, squarely on the fact that cities in Nigeria have got to be the only ones in the entire world that are neither planned nor planted.

It is only in Nigeria where aerial views of towns and cities show a remarkable absence of mind and grey matter in their planning and construction as houses are positioned in such an incredibly haphazard fashion that you think only mad men are at work here.

Frequently, they are, and we all know that mad men constitute dangers to themselves and eve-

thing, including periodic review of wages without unduly publicising or politicising it; thus necessarily causing inflation.

Even in the otherwise ‘quiet’ Arab world, that has been their song since the beginning of the year.

And these are countries that have relatively good roads, they have rarely interrupted electricity supply, etc. yet, they are asking for change in government. They want more openness, more freedom. For them, it is not just a question of rioting over prices of bread or cake or even fuel; or being contented simply because the government seems to be doing well. They seem to have realised that once the government is accountable, things can only get better.

This is where emphasis is now shifting to. And the NLC cannot afford to be left behind because if it keeps doing the same thing the same way, it can only keep having the same result. I expect to see a labour congress that would insist on good governance, one that would insist on one man, one vote because that is the beginning of good governance in a democracy. I expect to see a Labour congress that would fight for best practices in our public life. Labour should be interested in knowing the product that the House of Representatives, for example, is producing that would warrant some banks to give it a whopping N30 billion plus loan whereas the industries that need money cannot access loans because of prohibitive interest rate and inconducive business atmosphere. These are political issues but they have implications for all of us.

For now, Labour appears to have won the war. Whether it can win the peace is a different matter entirely.

ryone else. So, the fault lies squarely at the doors of the ghosts of federal governments past and present for not developing and enforcing a blue print for the departments of town planning to show how buildings should stand in relation to others.

In saner parts of the world, city construction is the combined effort of the federal, state and local governments, city engineers, economists, environmentalists and of course the homeowners. That combination ensures that there is an effective coordination of all resources, boundaries, wastes and state laws regarding construction. In Nigeria, however, the homeowner is literally left with his primitive whims and his even more primitive imagination, which is thus allowed to roam wild in the general direction of the self-destruct button. This is why Nigerians are said not to understand the usefulness of concepts such as gutters and symmetry. Gutters are so perennially confused with dumpsters and incinerators that when the rain is about to start, people are said to reach for their rubbish bins instead of their umbrellas.

Whatever be the case, it is obvious that nature is telling us something important: it was here. It would be useful, however, if we could just try and get some workable rescue organization in place, and not just on paper, for citizen relief. That, I think, is the whole purpose of our agreeing to have a government.

16

Special Report

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Minimum wage, minimum Nigerians I

minimum wage and none of them is about T is not about N18,000. It is not about Prologue the minimum wage. Minimum wage cannot minimum wage. It is all about the will to solve even our minimum woes. pay. But it is not about the will to pay a sum

By Sam Omatseye It is about the minimum Nigerians. How of money or the will to abide by an agreement on paper.

Irony enriches this tale. The hot air and fury of the Labour do we take the average Nigerian above the struggles of minimal Congress has been misunderstood. The stumbles of Jonathan existence? How do we salvage the poor who dies from an and the governors also have been misinterpreted. Everyone inability to pay N1,000 in hospital bills. How do the poor who has been deceived into believing that this riot of debate and will get N18,000 reconcile their taxes with the private jet jaunts the omen of strikes over minimum wage are about a minimum of the moneyed class? wage. Even the players in the court, labour and government, In a sense, it is a battle about class disparity and the have missed the point they are making. disconnect between the poor and rich, the absence of Yet everyone knows that N18,000 cannot pay a decent rent, institutional refuge for the ordinary man hankering for a step cannot provide transportation to and from work in any of the above rank misery. It is mini-sovereign conference, only that heady cities of the country, cannot pay anyone’s school fees we have had the congresses in scattered places, in homes, bars, and can barely feed a family of four. op- ed pages, television shows, call-in radio staccato shows So the debate is about the will to pay not N18,000 but to pay etc. for all these necessities: to feed the hungry, heal the sick, shelter This issue, according to many, is about federalism or, more the homeless, open the arteries for the city and villages for the bluntly, fiscal federalism. Some of our brothers in the Niger man of labour.

Delta simplify it in the language of resource control. That If that is what the people want, then we understand that the language has cost us blood and kin. The states have the debate is not about an abject N18,000. resources but the law holds them from tapping them. Gold in So why the hoopla? The governors are not saying they cannot Osun, coal in Enugu, et al. pay it. They are saying they cannot do the right things they are So it is also about the constitution. What about tapping the voted to do after the billions frittered away in measly wages. human capital, the greatest resource? The states have been They cannot do the roads, ensure power, make the markets remiss. But even the labour has missed the point too. They are work, and ennoble our lives with social amenities like good obsessed with wage war rather than the standard of work and hospitals. Labour counters that they have not lived up to those standard of living. This is a bad story. Although a seeming expectations anyway. Where did they get the money for their deal has emerged, the real deal is still left untreated: do we extravagant lifestyles, the sundry foreign junkets, the have the will to pay for the minimum needs of the minimum inscrutable security votes. So they are narratives about the Nigerians?

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Special Report

17

Minimum wage and the federal question W HILE the tiff over the implementation of the Minimum Wage Act subsists, it seems inevitable that the issue of imbalance in fiscal powers and responsibilities between states and the federal government would equally come to the fore. Doubtful though is that the minimum wage issue would come close to being the tipping point in the journey to true federalism.

Be that as it may, the issue is no longer whether the federal government’s share of 48.5 percent from the federation account will be retained or not but how soon and what percentage would be sliced off the share of the federal behemoth. This is more so as a consensus of sorts seems to have been arrived at, that the miserly 24 and 20 percent shares of the federation account paid to the 36 states and the 774 local governments are far from equitable.

But clearly, that is only one phase of the battle over the implementation of the new minimum wage. One discomfiting aspect of our fiscal practice has been the inability of the states to grow their internally generated revenues (IGRs) to any appreciable extent.

Most states have failed to put in place effective machineries for tax collection and administration.This is traceable to the years of military rule during which oil revenues were allocated from the centre with minimal efforts geared towards raising internal revenues for running state administrations.

It would account partly for the current insolvency in some states at the moment.

That is to say that very little has changed in terms of substantial growth in states’ IGRs in 12 years of democratic rule. With notable exceptions of Lagos and Rivers States, most states’ IGR are nothing to write home about.

T

By Sanya Oni

Most states remain entirely at the mercy of whatever accrued from the federation account. No wonder the ordinary business of wages’ determination has come to be inextricably linked to what the individual states draw from the account on monthly basis.

To get at the root of the problems is to look at the provisions of the 1999 Constitution which circumscribes the fiscal activities of the states. For instance, in addition to taking a disproportionate share from the federation account, the federal government retains the monopoly of mines and minerals, including oil fields, oil mining, geological surveys and natural gas under its exclusive legislative list. These are “no go” areas for the states in whose territories the resources lie.

In current circumstances, the exclusion has become dangerous anachronistic.

The same applies to the railways and federal trunk roads –also listed under the exclusive list of the 1999 Constitution. This monopoly extends as far as to trade and commerce between Nigeria and other countries and trade and commerce between the states. If it seems any instructive, substantial regional control of economic activities during the first republic formed the basis of the competitive federalism of that era now famously regarded as golden.

Beyond playing the perennial Santa Claus for reason of holding the larger part of the pie, the question of the whether the federal monopoly in some of sectors regarded as “exclusive” is not incompatible with the “federal spirit” has become legiti-

•Anyim

mate at this time. Clearly, the 36 states are poor – not so much because they are not endowed with human and natural resources, but because they are denied the opportunity to harness the resources endowed by Mother Nature to create wealth to lift their citizens from poverty.

Nothing of course could be wrong with

N18, 000 and cost of living

HE greatest threat to the new minimum wage of N18, 000 is the rate of inflation; and inflation itself is the gravest menace to the cost of living. So, that is why future increases should be linked to the level of inflation. That way, it would be routine; and much of the noise about the expectation of fresh cash that pushes up inflation would be absent.

But though basic, these are not the only problems. To start with, the whole hoopla about the ability or inability to pay, by some state governments, is a paradox of monumental proportions. It is a case of rich country, poor people.

Nigeria does a daily export of 2.3 barrels of crude. Each barrel sells, on the average, at current prices, for US $100. From that it earns a putative US $2.3 billion every day. Yet, the government says it cannot pay US $117 a month for the lowliest paid worker in the country – unfair?

It could well be – on the surface of it. Ordinarily, US $117 appears a tiny sum to pay workers in a month, when you have a daily harvest of US $2.3 billion. But then, if that figure is matched with the huge population of the country, estimated at some 150 million people, the returns do not seem to amount to much.

That, however, is not the only problem. If the subject is minimum wage, it is fair exchange for perceived value. But what if the supposed beneficiaries are perceived as giving little or no value for what they get paid?

Indeed, it is a popular view that the lower the rung in the civil service, the lower the service rendered.

That has made many a policymaker feel that money paid to this set of workers is driven, not by merit but more by compassion.

That is debatable, however; and certainly, organised Labour would hear none of it. But it might well explain the cold feet most governments in the federation, including the cash-suffused federal government, are developing over the N18, 000 minimum wage issue.

Indeed, most of the governors have been crying blue murder, talking of a bloated overall wage bill; and hinting at possible neglect of infrastructure development in roads, health, schools, security and other vital elements of a modern state. These are valid

•What can the minimum wage buy?

By Olakunle Abimbola fears, particularly because provisions of these facilities would help lower the cost of living since good roads, for instance, could drive down vehicle maintenance costs and therefore slice the cost of transportation of people and goods.

But why are most states sounding so abject and so desperate, which suggests chronic inability to pay? If indeed, they cannot pay,

why so? From the figures available, even with the huge population, should Nigeria not be able to afford the minimum wage?

Is it a question of skewed distributable pool of resources, which leaves the federal government with huge but idle funds that drive corruption and further underdevelopment the people and the country? Or is it just reckless spending by the various governments?

the national minimum wage; there is however, everything wrong with the stifling federal arrangement that grants states limited options for meaningful development. At the heart of the question is why the federal government would retain the monopoly of a single resource which it has no immediate or future plans of exploiting – and which the states would probably do better to harness?

Perhaps, nowhere is this dog-in-the-manger attitude more manifest than in the solid minerals sector where the federal seems so unwilling to let go of its monopoly. Nigeria’s legendary abundance in Coal, Bitumen, Limestone and Bauxite as indeed other minerals are well established enough; while the states literally sit on the goldmine that these minerals are, the government at the centre continues to show limited enthusiasm for their development mainly because there is abundant revenue from oil.

Of course, there can be no understating of the extent that fiscal inventiveness by individual state governments can bring to bear to accommodate the new wage as indeed all other activities connected with running their administrations. But it seems clear that a more enduring framework to address the wage question – as indeed the nation’s future – is to guarantee each state enough space to flourish. By reducing the list of items under the exclusive list in the second schedule of the 1999 Constitution to allow for more state control of resources in their domains, the nation would have killed two birds with one stone: restore the basis for competitive federalism, while guaranteeing the long term prosperity of the constituent parts making up the Nigerian state.

While the governments finger skewed distribution of cash from the Federation Account as the problem (and that is why they have joined the crusade to drop the so-called subsidy on petroleum products to free more cash), others insist the governments are only being clever by half.

Indeed, if there was a skew, it is not only from the federal allocation. It is also in the spending pattern of governments, federal and state. Whereas, governments would drone and complain about shortage of funds, when the issue is paying the civil service bureaucracy, it seldom does so when the subject is paying the political bureaucracy.

Indeed, Labour has countered that the political bureaucracy appears immune from the so-called bloated wage bill, given the humongous amount of resources, resulting from the obscene pork in terms of the proverbial “jobs for the boys [and girls]” in the face of general acute scarcity that this tier of bureaucracy gulps. That appears to explain the paythe-money-or-face a-crippling-strike militant stance by Labour.

Still, the main threat to the minimum wage issue (or indeed the whole of the adequate wage question) is not even the plenitude or scarcity of resources – as basic as those two variables are. It is rather the inflation question.

Eighteen thousand naira might appear a quantum leap by someone right now earning N7, 500: indeed, a jump of more than 100 per cent. But what is the inflation rate when the old minimum wage was introduced on Labour Day 2000 and what is the inflation rate now?

According to the CIA World Factbook, in 2000, the inflation rate was 12.5 per cent. Now, in 2011, it is 13.9 per cent. Though a difference of 1.4 per cent over an 11-year period shows some inflationary stability, the level is still high.

For the minimum wage to have the desired impact of improving the purchasing power of the lowest-earning workers and halt the galloping stride of poverty, there must be massive leap in electricity output. If that drives and deepens local manufacturing, and the country is weaned from frivolous imports, then things would become cheaper and the poor folks would become less poor.

That is the only way to make the noisy ritual of minimum rage to achieve its goal. Otherwise it would be a periodic ritual on a journey to nowhere: 2000, 2011 and maybe 2021 – and it would still remain a phantom journey into more poverty and hopelessness.

18

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Special Report

Enhancing states’ IGR through creative governance

W

ITHOUT the ‘life support’ mechanism that monthly allocations to them from the Federation Account constitute, the vast majority of state governments in Nigeria would hardly be able to survive as viable and functioning entities. In his classic definition of federalism, Professor K.C. Wheare defines this constitutional arrangement as one “with two or more levels of government that are equal and coordinate in their respective spheres of influence”.

Implicit in this characterization of federalism is not just the legal criterion of ‘separateness’ but also the notion of a solid economic base to reinforce the assumed ‘autonomy’ of each tier of government. This is why foremost constitutional lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze, asserts in his book, Federalism in Nigeria under the Presidential Constitution, that “Each tier of government in a federation should have a separate revenue base formed from independent revenues belonging solely and exclusively to it” stating further that “each state should raise and collect as much as possible of its potential revenues and also, that it should use what it collects in the most efficient manner”.

The current crisis arising from the new National Minimum Wage signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan in the run up to the last general elections has exposed, once again, the fundamental structural flaws of Nigeria’s purported federal arrangement. Most of the State Governors have declared bluntly that they will be unable to implement the new wage structure without a substantial augmentation of their revenue allocation from the Federation account. While the Nigerian economy is heavily dependent on oil revenues that constitute the bulk of flows into the Federation Account, the states are in turn virtually vassals of the federal government. They run what the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo would describe as ‘street beggar economies’ with their finance commissioners converging on Abuja every month to receive the statutory hand outs without which they cannot fund even their most basic operations.

It is apparent that one of the manifestations of the much lamented ‘resource curse’ in Nigeria is in lulling state governments into a false sense of security through oil dependency that results in the neglect of other sources of

OW refreshing it will be if someday Labour leadership shows some concern about service delivery, value chain and productivity.

Self –appraisal is surely the best form of appraisal and such will be the day that Labour leadership in Nigeria will come up with a comprehensive performance report (PR) of its inputs in the value chain of the economy. The generality of Nigerians will be particularly elated if this PR will comprise the authenticated number of their members, especially in the public service. This particular index will put to death once and for all, the shameful matter of ghosts traipsing freely among members of Labour. Unless of course, Labour has no qualms about the depravity of ghosts taking pay monthly.

Apart from the number of workers, it is expected that the PR will also have other subheads such as cost-benefit analysis; contribution of MDAs (Ministries, Departments and Agencies) to the economy, ratio of MDAs annual wage against annual budgets to be shown according to LGAs, States and the Federal Budgets. Labour leadership and members are ingrained in the fabrics of public service so they can muster this kind of report if it so desires. Oh, how helpful this report would be not only in reforming the civil service but in transforming Nigeria’s economy.

Unlike in the private sector where performance appraisals are done regularly

H

•L-R: Vice-chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Peter Obi of Anambra; Chairman, Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers; and Murtala Nyako of Adamawa at NGF meeting in Abuja last week.

By Segun Ayobolu Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

Statistics of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for 2009, for instance, show that Lagos was the least dependent on revenues from the centre. The State’s IGR constituted 64.14% of its Total Revenue (TR) made up of gross statutory allocation, augmentation, share of excess oil revenues, Value Added Tax (VAT), grants and stabilization funds.

The ratio of IGR to TR for some other states as tabulated by the CBN for that year is as follows: Sokoto (47.74%), Ogun (29.38%), Rivers (28.75%), Abia (22.96%), Gombe (20.16%), Oyo (20.67%), Ondo (1.17%), Bayelsa (2.39%), Yobe (2.47%), Bauchi (2.09%), Kebbi (3.19%), Adamawa (3.62%), Niger (6.25%), Ebonyi (6.44%), Kogi (6.70%) and Katsina (6.71%).

Lagos offers the most successful example in this dispensation of a vigorous and continuous stregthening of its IGR base. From a monthly IGR of N600 million in 1999, the state had achieved an average IGR of N9 billion by 2007 and generates approximately N15 billion as IGR currently. This achievement did not occur by chance but

through deliberate and systematically implemented strategies to enhance its fiscal autonomy. These include introduction of the Electronic Banking System/Revenue Collection Monitoring Project (EBS/RCM) to enable utilization of high technology to create a robust data base of tax payers and plug loop holes of revenue leakage, partnering with the private sector to ensure more effective monitoring of collected revenue, computerization of the state’s tax assessment records, modernization and transformation of the former corruption ridden Board of Internal Revenue (BIR) into the new Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) with greater autonomy, professionalism and motivation as well as introduction of Electronic Tax Clearance Cards (ETCC) as a fraud free method of keeping tax payers records.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has demonstrated that this feat is possible in other states where the political leadership has the requisite political will and managerial acumen to develop and tap into the creative potentials of its populace as its most valuable resource base. The Governor revealed that the state’s IGR has increased from N300 million to

approximately N1.3 billion monthly with prospects of even higher revenue performance in the near future. A recent study of the revenue performance of the South East states indicates that they have high IGR potentials if they eliminate such identified weaknesses as lack of modern technology in the IGR planning and collection processes and remittances of collected revenue by cash thereby creating opportunities for embezzlement.

A greater emphasis on derivation as a key determinant of revenue allocation will certainly motivate states to develop neglected sources of IGR. The derivation principle would ensure that what each state receives from the Federation Account is significantly dependent on its contribution to the centrally collected revenue. This would propel states to plug sources of resource haemmorage while investing in infrastructure and encouraging the entrepreneurial drive of its people in areas of comparative advantage. The resultant stimulation of economic activity beyond the oil sector will widen the tax base; enhance the productive capacity of Nigeria’s economy and invigourate the country’s fiscal federalism.

Assessing labour

By Steve Osuji and on an individual basis, the public sector does not have such a regime of strict and regular appraisals. At best, it has a system of mass promotion which derives from a generalized all-comers examination. The extant appraisal in civil service is therefore, not based on individual performance according to schedules of duty and specialized tasks and assignments.

According to Professor Pat Utomi in his book,” Why Nations are Poor,” more than 80 percent of public revenues go to running the apparatus of government. He posits therefore that “ The Civil Service will do well to use the instrumentality of benefit-cost analysis in upgrading the quality of advice it gives to political decision makers. They could save our country the pain of seeing the litter of projects that have awful benefit-cost ratios.

Such projects add to the vicious circle of crisis of legitimacy for the Nigerian state.”

It is certainly not sustainable if as much as even 50 percent of Nigeria’s revenue is expended only on public sector workers which is less than 1 percent of the • Continued on page 60

•Omar

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

PAGE 19

At home alone with a daring scholar Page 55

At home with the Solarin women

Since the death of the late activist Dr. Tai Solarin in 1994, his family, especially his wife Sheila and daughter Corin have been keeping the legacy of the school, while Sheila has not stopped condemning the social ills in the society. Taiwo Abiodun was at the family house in Ikenne, Ogun State during the week.

Continued on page 20 & 21

20

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Life

‘I’m not happy with Nigeria’s condition’

PHOTOS: TAIWO ABIODUN

•Busts of Tai and Sheila Solarin

A

T the entrance into the bungalow are two sculptural works. One erected by the right and the other on the left are the busts of the late Dr.Tai Solarin and his wife Sheila, in her eye glasses. The house is adorned with beautiful flowers and flower pots. The building now has an iron gate painted black unlike before when there was no gate. Some birds perched on the trees singing while others were flying from one tree to the other.

Monkeys too were not left out hopping from one tree to another.

Mama, as the widow of the late activist is called, keeps parrots, one outside the house and the other in her living room. Her beautiful and robust pet dog Rosa died recently.

Sitting on her wooden chair, with her reading glasses and her hearing aid glued to her ear, Mama Sheila was busy reading some papers printed from the internet. The only company she has now in the house are parrots unlike before when her dog, Rosa, would sit by her side. On the walls are decorative paintings of her and her late husband. The living room is jam packed with books and she has a big table where she keeps her computer. Madam Sheila now walks round the house without the aid of a walking stick but cannot go far again at 87.

Despite her old age, she still has good retentive memory and knows everybody that comes her way and she still teaches

few students at home. However, when asked how she still manages to do all these despite her age, she explained that she exercises her body always. “I have retentive memory because I don’t stay idle, I use my head.

If you keep on using your head as you use your body then you will be okay. I still walk round the garden in the morning. I try to do things and keep my head, if you just sit down and do nothing you will rot.’’

Memories are made of this Reminded about her late husband and dog, she kept quiet for sometime and adjusted her posture then said: “You know I lost my big dog, Rosa sometime ago, it died due to old age, and it was about 13 or 14years of age. It could no longer see or hear again, when it died it was my son that buried it. I am now old and tired of keeping dogs but now I have parrots that keep me company, but this one does not talk for it is still small. It was Corin that brought it. The one outside the house talks.’’ as she said this she took her mug and sipped her tea.

On her husband, she is still sad that what her he fought for have still not been achieved.

Asked whether she will go to Lagos to attend the annual Tai Solarin lecture, she said emphatically “NO. I am not going. I don’t have the strength.

You know I am getting old and the roads are bad, there is insecurity in the nation, people are hungry, no food for the

•Sheila

“I have retentive memory because I don’t stay idle, I use my head. If you keep on using your head as you use your body then you will be okay. I still walk round the garden in the morning. I try to do things and keep my head, if you just sit down and do nothing you will rot’’

poor. The education sector is poorly funded. I am not happy, and these are the things Tai fought for…’’

Force not the answer In her opinion, sending soldiers to quell the Boko Haram uprising is not the solution, rather she asked “Do they have education? Are they employed ? The government should look beyond deploying soldiers to Maiduguri.’’

Not satisfied with the welfare condition of Nigerian workers, she lamented that state governments should be able to pay what the workers are demanding. “Don’t you know how much the House of Representatives Speaker, Deputy Speaker and other members and politicians are earning ?The government has promised, let them fulfil their promises”, she said.

The octogenarian said the government should not toy with the mission schools as they are planning to, “I don’t think his [Tai] good idea is taken to, you know he [Tai Solarin] said government should not run the schools, they took over the schools in 1976 and now are coming back .Two years ago when we took over the junior school we rejuvenated the school but now the government want, the school back, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. In fact, some of the missionary schools are kicking against it now and may end up in court.’’

•Continued from page 19

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Life

S

HE is a striking resemblance of her mother, not only in beauty or humility but also in her activities. Blunt, straight forward, and without any airs, she does not need any appointment for an interview.

She was busy attending to students and at the same time answering all questions without taking offence. Radicalism, hard work and courage flow in her veins just as it did in her father.

Call it like father like daughter.

For Corin, the first child of the late activist, serving humanity is her concern. She left the luxury of the United States of America for a rural Ikenne, Ogun State. “I want to serve humanity. I want to see these children grow, and we are doing it. I want to make sure this school is fully privatised before the demise of my mother and that is what can make her happy in her life time.’’

Today, she runs the Mayflower Private School “We have so far hired good and experienced teachers. We have SS1, SS2, and we are looking forward to SS3. It is a slow process because it has deteriorated over a decade. It is doable and we shall continue to do our best.’’

She described the public school as “non performing”, adding “public schools are starved of funds , they are having problems of funding of a lot of infrastructures .When a school is privately and properly managed there is money for laboratory equipment, computers and so on. The infrastructure repairs that is needed, having qualified staff, that is the main difference, the money is deployed to the right place.’’

She, however, said that the number of the students is now up to 1,800 in the hostel and the standard has also gone up as they are hoping to have SS3 class come September.

Creative Nigerians Corin praised Nigerians who are in the education sector saying “you can’t compare Nigeria’s education system with that of United States where I come from and what obtains here. But given the Nigerian circumstances I give Nigerians kudos and a lot of praises for they are creative, very innovative and very resourceful with the very meagre amount given to them.”

She said she came back to Nigeria a few years ago to contribute her own quota to the development of the country “It is not difficult for me, I am very much at home and I enjoy it. The only area I found frustrating is that the school has not been fully privatised, which is our mother’s wish. As soon as it is completely privatised she will be very happy and I will be elated for her. I wanted it to be privatised during her life time. She is looking forward to seeing it.’’

Talking about her father’s friends, Corin said she still visits some of his ‘comrades’ such as Prof. Wole Soyinka, adding “you know very well that Mama is 87 years old. Papa was older than her. So many of Daddy’s friends are late. I have in mind to go and see Professor Wole Soyinka, he has just celebrated his 77th birthday, he’s much younger than Mama. Professor Babs Fafunwa is late. I visited his widow recently.’’

Asked if she thinks the other activists are they still playing their roles, she answered in the affirmative, “many of the journalists are working and many of the activists are on the net.” When asked why she is more vocal

•Corin

‘ I want to serve humanity’ than her younger brother Tunde, Corin replied “We are two individuals and you know we women we talk a lot.”

She has the deep activism of her late father running in her blood and talks tough like him.

In fact, the degree of activism coursing through her veins always makes her want to do the right thing for Nigeria and Nigerians.

Meditation garden The family house has changed. Welcoming all guests to the bungalow are two sculptures placed at the gate on two pillars which Corin said originated from her own making as a lover of sculptures. According to her, her late father’s grave would soon be turned to a meditation garden in honour of frugality and hatred for wasting money. “From what I was told before Papa passed on,

he said there should be no head stone, no covering on the grave, so I would like it to be a meditation garden where one could go and see and move close to the grave. I don’t want to disrespect his wishes .He doesn’t want a mausoleum, he doesn’t want a big structure.It’s [grave] there, it’s available for everyone to see. I will like it to be people friendly, where people can sit and meditate.”

21

Corin who was once an agnostic unlike her parents who are unrepentant atheists said marriage changed her belief, “Papa , I think he called himself an atheist and Mama is definitely an atheist. I want to say that I am an agnostic but I married somebody who is a Catholic by faith. I converted and raised my children in Catholic faith. I took them to Catholic school and church and I am still or called a relapsed Catholic’’ Asked why she cannot change Mama’s position about religion, she smiled cheekily and replied with a slightly raised voice, “No, because when it is time to go to heaven, Mama is assured. Mama has her own way of doing things and I have nothing but infinite respect for her. I would hardly tell her my own way is right and her own way is wrong. Mama’s stand on religion is that Nigerians spend too much time on it instead of on possibly education, health and building industries .There is a awful lot of church going in Nigeria and in my opinion, pastors take advantage of their vulnerability and the helplessness of Nigerians’ faith.”

The Solarins are still concerned about most of the published works of their father of which they can no longer lay their hands on. She pleaded, “I am appealing to Nigerians who have any of his books or articles to help us, bring to us, I will photocopy, scan it for further reprint for Nigerians and for his library.

I promise I will return them in good condition. To Mother With Love, his autobiography, we have it on the internet on amazon.com which is a big US book seller. I will like to see the republication of To Mother With Love. I will like to have newspapers, books and articles , we would photocopy, scan them and return them to the owners so that we can have archives. I have some in United States which I carefully kept and would like to have more of them.

Nigeria’s climate is not kind to books.’’

For years to come, the evil the military did to the family would not be forgotten, most especially his detention during the regime of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida. When asked how she felt remembering all these, she shuddered, blinked for some minutes and with cracked voice that betrayed emotion said, “He was tortured and lost about 50pounds in weight, when he came out [from detention], his wrist watch fell off from his wrist. He lost many of his things. He suffered many unbelievable tortures. He was in a room where they [detainees] could not sleep lying down. There was no enough room for those people in jail where one would sleep and the other would sit up.”

In a voice laden with some level of bitterness but firm determination she added, “And in spite of all that they did not break his spirit. He continued to say what he wanted to say, continued to live the way he wanted to live. Yes, they made a dent in his physical health but mentally they did nothing to break him.’’

Would she like to come to this world through Tai Solarin again if there is reincarnation ? In a strong voice coached with pride she replied in the affirmative “Yes! Of course, I wouldn’t change my father for anybody in the world.’’

If you have any story for us contact: TAIWO ABIODUN on 08034157684

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Life

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Keeping tabs on people and events in cyber space

WEIRD INFO

Woman finds mysterious deep hole under her bed

This malnourished monkey caused panic among Chinese villagers last Friday when they mistake him for an ‘alien’ creature from outer space.

Source: www.news.sky.com

VOX POP

Boko Haram detonates bomb in Maiduguri A GRANDMOTHER in Guatemala City has had a lucky escape after a huge sinkhole suddenly opened up under her bed as she slept. Inocenta Hernandez woke up on July 18 to discover she was lying just inches above a 12m (40ft) deep sinkhole.

Mrs Hernandez was startled by a large booming sound which she thought was a gas explosion outside. The sound was actually the earth under her bed imploding to create a deep and almost perfectly circular hole. If the pit had been a few metres larger it may have swallowed the pensioner as she slept.

The 65-year-old said: “My son was crying be-

cause you never expect something like that in the bedroom.

“When they raised the bed and I stood by this big hole my son then said that we have to call the firefighters because they need to come.

Thanks to God and the holy Mary that nothing bad happened, it was an accident.”

In the weeks before the pit appeared neighbours had reported hearing strange sounds coming from the earth and now fear further implosions.

Guatemala’s national disaster relief agency have come to Mrs Hernandez’s home to investigate the sinkhole and determine if there are any risks to residents in the area. Investigator David De Leon said:

“The whole city rests on volcanic material which means that some areas are not stable.”

Sinkholes, formed by the natural process of erosion, can be gradual but are often sudden. Guatemala City is especially prone to them. They are often blamed on a leaky sewer system or on heavy rain.

In 2007, the country’s largest sinkhole swallowed homes and a truck and killed three people as the ground suddenly gave way. In 2010 a three-storey building was swallowed by another massive sinkhole.

S o u r c e : www.news.sky.com

JOBS ONLINE CAMBRIDGE Advanced Level, Ordinary Level and Primary School Teachers are needed at Pacific Comprehensive College. The candidates should be proficient in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Economics; Sociology, Business Studies, Accounts, Geography and posses a N.C.E, B. Ed., B.Sc(Ed), B.Ed plus a Masters Degree in relevant subjects Apply in own handwriting on or before 2nd August 2011 to the Principal: Pacific Comprehensive College, 1-3, Ola Ogundipe St., or 1-8 Bayo Oycgbemi St, Bammeke, Shasha, Akowonjo, Lagos.

Nigerian Breweries is searching for a Regulatory Affairs Manager. The Regulatory Affairs Manager will be responsible for the regulatory and compliance issues of the business,

THE explosion which occurred in the Gwange area in Maiduguri was reported by saharareporter.com to be linked to a meeting held between President. Jonathan and elders from Borno state, in which the President refused to withdraw soldiers from the state.

Here are a few of the reactions: Theophilus Akhigbe …corruption in the land is stinking. Politicians in Borno or other part of Nigeria could be the brain behind this act to perpetually enslave us by deploying troops.The truth must come

out one day. There has been no time in history of man where evil triumph over righteousness.

northern brothers are more irritated by sleaze than us in south. Look at the senseless way southern governors and their hangers-on rigged the 2011with brazen mad stupidity. But the North politicians erred on the side of caution in rigging. While Boko Harem went protesting it, southern people remained complacent as always to corruption plus more.

Kanayo Koran never said you should go and kill,the Boko Haram people are just wasting lives for no just cause.

The sect has no clear mandate and agenda. Boko Haram said western education is a sin but they make use of phones, cars, clothes Humm (in response to and all these things were produced by western educa- Carl Kash) well it is too late to figure tion system. Just stop this out whether or not gej, is incarnage. competent. he is in and people will have to suck it up Sunday Njokede True, we southerners can and deal with it for 8 years. condone corruption but our they got what they voted for.

DID YOU KNOW... while ensuring that the company carries out its day to day operations without hindrance in terms of relevant laws, regulatory guidelines and government policies.

Details about the aca-

demic and professional requirements as well as the mode of application can be found at www.nbplc.com/careers/vacancy

…THAT you can see the stars during the day from the bottom of a well. …that an elephant’s penis is about 1.5 metres long, the longest of any animal.

…that generally, a dog’s mouth has fewer germs and bacteria than a human’s mouth …that the number of births in India each year is

greater than the entire population of Australia …that the liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for blood plasma in an emergency

N.B: You can send your jokes, pictures and gist online to pearlohai@yahoo.com

23 SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

The drummer lady Even though she studied Chemical and Polymer Engineering at the Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, the love for drumming lured her into music. Today, Ayanbinrin Tosin has an album to show for it. She shares her experience with Edozie Udeze

I

T is not always that one gets to meet a professional female drummer in Nigeria. But Tosin Olayemi, popularly known as Ayanbinrin, is one; she has gone into music, using her dexterity on the drums to distinguish herself from the rest.

“You know there is The Drummer Boy written by Cyprian Ekwensi. But, I seem to be the female version of it,” she wrote in her music album just released into the market. Tosin’s heavy drumming style is legendary. As soon as she entered into the hall during the last Ayan agalu drumming festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the tempo of the moment rose. Guests instantly became alert because her style of drumming was unique and quite arousing. Everybody indeed saluted her style of drumming which was peculiar and powerful.

With her 10-man band called Tiwan Tiwan, Tosin has gone places with her brand of music. Her album is defined by heavy percursion of the drums which prevails from the beginning to the end. The sounds keep you on your toes as you listen to the tracks and get the meaning of her lyrics into your head.

“I had to make the sound of the drums distinctive,” she said as her beautiful face beamed. “It is just those sounds that make me Ayanbinrin, the woman who plays the drums,” she said.

But is it proper in Yoruba tradition then for a woman to take to drumming as a profession? She was asked. She nodded her head and said.

“Yes and no. Yes, in the sense that it is not a taboo. There are limitations to which a woman can play drums in the land. Just like you have so many types of drums in the land, – cultural drums, religious drums and so on.

“Women are only limited to occasional drums like the gangan, bata. Even bata is like a religious drum because it can be played around parties and churches and so on. It serves as both religious and social drum. But that is the limit a woman can go.

“There is a drum called gbedu. Gbedu is a traditional drum. It is only the obas that dance to it. It is just in that respect that we have limitation.”

What then do you call the drum that you play? She twisted her face a little, her eyes shining brightly.

“Mine is the talking drum. The drum I

play is the talking drum even though all the drums talk. Every drum talks, having to display its own message. I play the gangan, the bata and a few others. They all make sense and meaning to me, each time I play them.”

How and when did you learn to play the drums? At this question, she looked straight ahead and replied.

“Well, I learnt that in 2003. I took music seriously in 1999. But, I was looking for a unique identity to sell my music, so that everybody could sing, could dance along with me. But then I thought of the keyboard and so on. These didn’t appeal to me, for I needed a unique thing that would distinguish me from the rest. Something that would blend with my tradition, because I play traditional music. So, that was what actually prompted me to take to the drums. Today the drum makes a lot of meaning to me as you can see.

“A friend of mine in Lagos actually taught me how to play the drums. But this is not something you learn at once. It is a gradual process and you continue to learn everyday. The more you rehearse, the better you get on it. And new things come up everyday as you move on in life, in the music profession, really.

“I also have a lot of people who contributed to my success as a drummer.

They would say oh, this woman is really determined, let us help her. That was how it began and today, I can handle the drum with a lot of dexterity.”

Have you gone professional then?

“Yes that is what I am saying. That is what I do professionally even though I read Chemical and Polymer Engineering at the Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos. I do music and particularly drumming for a living. It was in 2003, when I introduced drumming into my music that I went professional.

“For now, I play at events, weddings, festivals, social gatherings, but majorly at events. I like live performances because that is where I can prove myself better.

Something like the Ayan agalu traditional festival gives me the right opportunity to display what I can do as a professional drummer. You could see how guests have welcomed me into the stage.”

How do you create your own sounds and steps? She dazzled for a while, blinking her eyes like an artist and said.

“Well, Ayanbinrin has its own band

•Ayanbinrin, playing her drum in different ways

•Ayanbinrin with her bata drums

and group. The group will play at the Olowu’s palace in the evening and you will see them in “action.” When we are on stage, the sounds come in as the music goes on. We work together as a group, we rehearse, we create both the sounds, the message and the steps. I don’t know everything. That is why it is a combined work and team work. There are people in my band who actually studied music. So, they help me in the rehearsals and before you know it, it is cooked.”

Tosin is from Ondo town, Ondo State.

She was born into a family of four where she is the first. While growing up in Lagos, she was exposed to different sides of life, mixing with people from far and near.

Tosin was discouraged by her parents from studying music and taking it up professionally. But soon after her graduation, she discovered that she couldn’t suppress or resist it. The urge was there all right. “At that point, no one could stop me,” she said enthusiastically. Today she has an album to her credit and will soon release more.

24

Arts

P

ROFESSOR Wole Soyinka’s birthday celebrations have always come with pomp and ceremony. And that was exactly what the art community in Lagos demonstrated last week when the Nobel laureate turned 77 years. The National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP), Lagos State chapter, led by its chairman, Mufu Onifade, set the ball rolling with variety of shows to celebrate the literary icon.

The programme was simply tagged WS77at Theatre, during which artists of all genres turned up to perform different acts.

From dance to drama, music, comedy and so on, the stage was agog as artists did their best to eulogize a man many have come to see as the epitome of theatre not only in Nigeria and Africa but world over.

The shows not only centred on the person of Soyinka, but were meant to remind the audience that Soyinka has spent all his life to make the profession an enviable one.

For the first time in many years people were offered the opportunity to watch an Agidigbo group. The group performed to the delight of the audience with most of the old highlife tunes that they delivered.

At a stage someone near me said jokingly – “many of them may be kegites.” As they took people far into the past, the hall became charged. Those who could find their lyrics interesting joined in the singing.

The evening went on well with drama sketch from Fred Agbeyegbe’s Budiso. The play forms part of the celebration of Agbeyegbe’s birthday by the art community in Lagos. Above all, the evening would not have been complete without a play on stage since Soyinka himself is a well celebrated playwright and dramatist. In fact it was the Ijodee dance group led by Adedayo that raised the tempo of the cinema hall, National Theatre, Lagos, to its crescendo. As soon as Adedayo mounted the stage, the audience applauded and cheered. This is a man who has taken contemporary dance to the highest level globally.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Artists celebrate Soyinka at 77 The theatre sector was agog last week as artists converged at different venues in Lagos to celebrate Soyinka at 77. Edozie Udeze reports.

Although Zmirage pioneered the celebration, Onifade said that nothing was too much for the artists to do to keep the birthday of Soyinka ever aglow. “Therefore, it is expedient for us as an association of theatre practitioners to key into the celebration of an African literary / cultural icon, Prof. Wole Soyinka, whose birth date has become a significant one on Nigeria’s cultural calendar. In the last couple of years, Zmirage has regularly devised projects to commemorate the July 15th date, while many of our members played active roles from various departments across the spectrum of theatre,” he said.

While various other venues were adopted to host the one week plethora of events slated for the celebration, NANTAP deliberately chose the National Theatre for what Onifade described as “This place is as culturally significant to Nigeria as Wole Soyinka is to the African continent. Therefore the synergy must be echoed to make bold statements.”

Teju Kareem of Zmirage who paid glowing tribute to Soyinka at 77, equally reminded the audience that the theatre icon has weathered many storms on-behalf of the practitioners of this profession.

Said he, “Soyinka’s work, Dance of the Forests written in 1960 to celebrate the nation’s freedom from England, openly criticized the Nigerian government. The play brought out hostility from Nigerian authorities as well as by proponents of pure Negritude. Yet, he advocates autonomous African cultures which assimilate only those elements of modern world which are progressive. For all these and more, he was imprisoned by the powers that be who accused him of taking sides with Biafra”.

• Artists performing at the occasion

Today Soyinka has written countless number of plays and poems and essays that, in 1986, won him the Nobel Prize in literature. That is a fact that has since kept him in the literary eyes of the world.

And he has also continued to champion

the cause of the oppressed all over Africa.

Even at 77, he doesn’t seem to be slowing down his activities. This was why Onifade made it clear that “We will continue to celebrate and appreciate him in this sector.”

‘I started writing after my sister’s death’ Writing is best done personal as Onyedikachi Dawn D Agu reveals to Joe Agbro Jr. in this interview

IFFERENT things spur people to take to writing. In the case of 18 year old Onyedikachi Dawn Agu, It was the death of her elder sister in 2008.

Onyedikachi, whose name means ‘who is like God?’ in Igbo said, “losing someone young and close to me really made me feel that if you keep planning without achieving some things, you don’t know when you are going to die. So, I just started writing as a way to put my emotions down.

And now, it is becoming something serious, something that turned into a book.”

Her first book, On The Crest of Passion is a poetry collection and is dedicated to her late sister, Eyinne who died in August 2008 at age 23. This loss was huge to Onyedikachi. And along the thread of the book is a cloud of melancholy, perhaps stemming from the dire circumstances which inspired it. In Oh Death, one of the poems written to the memory of her sister, the author as if in discourse with death, asks; Could you not have found something else/ like an animal?/. But in words overcoming bereavement, she concludes, Death, you can take her/ but you will not take my love for her/ Shame on you death/ You are a coward.

Many of the poems in On The Crest Of Passion are individualistic. The author has no qualms about that. According to her, “if you’re writing, you should base the writing on facts; things that happen around you. If I cannot write about myself, I don’t think I have the right to write about any other person. So, I have to write about myself, things I want to do, how I want to do them, before moving to any other part.”

Onyedikachi is, however, not prepared to divulge everything about herself yet.

Thinking momentarily, she says, “I would not want to write about my embarrassing moments, things that on a normal day shouldn’t make me scared but I have a phobia for.” Some of those include crossing a live chicken. or insects. “It gets me intense,” she said. “The only insect I can admire would be a butterfly, from far off.”

Onyedikachi, however, admits that the poem, My Stranger in the night (parts 1 and

down and talk to, talking to myself, making myself happy.”

Talking with an imaginary friend is symptomatic of the lonely child, but Onyedikachi quickly dismisses that theory. “I had so many sisters and a brother but I’ve heard that everybody needs a quiet moment where you just want to sit down and think and get yourself together.”

Beyond family, poems such as Freinds and Fake Friends also deal the author’s relationship with her friends.

She says, “I have good friends like every other person. I also have friends that, when I look at them, I say, what was I doing when I made this person my friend?”

One noticeable feature of the book is explanatory notes after every poem written by Ugochukwu Wogu. While the poet does not agree with much of the notes, she, however, concedes the usefulness, especially for students of literature.

She said, “the notes make sense but he (Wogu) wrote the notes from an understanding of what he read. And some of • Onyedikachi Photo: Gabriel Kutelu them are nice.”

Onyedikachi, whose fa2) is her favourite in the collection. She said vourite Nigerian authors are Chinua of the poem; “The inspiration is still a mys- Achebe, Chimamanda Adichie, and Wole tery because I woke up in the middle of the Soyinka was introfuced to reading by her night and I came into the living room and family. ‘And I also kept diary as a child, sat down and brought a pen and a paper. I she said, “but, I don’t keep diaries just wrote about how as a child, you want anymore.” Though she admits to reading someone you can talk to... more like an im- a lot and watching TV occasionally, aginary friend. Someone you can just sit Onyedikachi is not the typical reclusive

book worm. “I enjoy dancing a lot,” she quips with a glint in her eyes. “I was the social prefect when I was in secondary school. I also enjoy singing and I am a chorister in church. Hanging out with friends is also what I enjoy doing.”

She has completed another poetry collection and one of the poems in the yet to be published work is on Nigeria. On the work, she said: “The poem I wrote on Nigeria is basically a praise on how far we have come and for us to know that we can still work more to make Nigeria a better place.”

Currently, Onyedikachi is working on her first novel which she said is based on teenage abuse. With an intensity of one passionate about a particular topic, she zeroes on her current effort saying; “In African culture, we don’t talk about teenage abuse like we should. So, it is based on a girl that has been abused and it makes her to recoil into her shell... But, as she recovers, she is able to tell her story.”

Onyedikachi attended Britarch Secondary School, Umuahia, where her love for literature was honed by her teachers.

The budding writer had wanted to study either Law or English, but she said her flair for writing made Mass Communication find her. She is currently a 200 level Mass Communication undergraduate of Babcock University, Ogun State.

Despite the fact that Babcock University is owned by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and employs strict academic and lifestyle regimen, the author likes it there.

She said; “We believe that Universities should be a bit more free....” Coming from a family where she wore trousers, one fact Onyedikachi wishes does not happen and finds a bit weird is that jewelleries and trousers are not allowed on her campus. But she said, “it’s a way of training and it makes us get responsible and makes us know that trousers is not everything. Really, I’m not the kind of person that would just be dressing corporately all the time but since I’m in school, I’m obeying all the rules.”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

B

EFORE the turn of the millennium, access to telecommunications had been the reserve of the exclusive. In the third world country which Nigeria was and still is, the challenges of providing telephones access to majority of its citizens had been daunting. Thankfully, the Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM) introduced at the turn of the millennium has come to the rescue. To understand the Nigeria’s foray in telecommunications, may be incomplete without the story of Engineer Patrick Sunny Kentebe. And the autobiography, Engr. High Chief: The Journey of Selfless Telecoms Service, written by Uzor Ngoladi profiles this.

The book starts by tracing circumstances surrounding Kentebe’s birth and his primary education on Lagos Island. Patrick, the third born of Maxwell Kentebe, a sailor of the Marine Department of the British Colonial Masters and his wife, Suweifa, a petty trader, was delivered at Mercy Hospital, Lagos on December 30 th, 1934. Both hisparents hailed from Sagbama, Bayelsa State, though from different villages. Later, the monogamous nuclear family would burgeon into a polygamous one. But Maxwell catered for every child of his, and even spared ample resources to take care of extended family and other Ijaw brethren who took refuge in their house at 198, Bamgbose Street.

The death of his mother during childbirth when Patrick was eight years old would see his mother’s sons being dispatched to friends and relatives to avoid his father thinking too much when he saw them.

Patrick lived with his father’s elder brother and had gained admission into St. Gregory’s College, Obalende, by the time he returned home with his brothers. His father had recovered.

Books

Life with the mast Patrick’s recollections also point to his father’s influence, especially his generosity.

Patrick says in the book: “I imbibed them from my father and I try to assist people by helping in whatever way I can.” The religious neutrality and affection between Christians and Muslims living on Lagos Island at that time was also reflected when the author describes how the boys in the Kentebe household and their friends attended mosques and churches together. He also reminisces about the quality and affordable education he received at St. Gregory’s College and blames commercialisation of education as a reason why students no longer give back to their schools. He says; ‘If you go to St. Gregory College, Obalende, you will see evidence of what my class set had done for the school.’

By the time Patrick finished secondary school in 1955, he started work as a third class clerk at the Ministry of Lands, Mines, and Power. Before the year ran out, he had joined the Post and Telecommunications, (P&T) beginning what would become a glorious career in Telecommunications. It did not take long before Patrick would win a scholarship to study Electrical Engineering at the McGill University in Montreal, Canada in 1960. It would not be until 1967 after Patrick bagged a Bachelors degree in Engineering that he returned with his family.

On return to Nigeria and P & T, after qualifying as an engineer, he became an Area Engineer and in rapid succession was promoted to Senior Engineer, Principal Engineer, Assistant Chief Engineer, Chief Engineer, and Assistant Director. He was at the position when Nigerian telecommuni-

The lure of Cocaine

By Dwight Garner

T

HE world’s first cocaine millionaire was probably Angelo Mariani, a French chemist originally from Corsica, Dr. Howard Markel writes in his new book, “An Anatomy of Addiction.” Mariani combined ground coca leaves with Bordeaux in the 1860s and marketed his “tonic wine” under the name Vin Mariani. Each fluid ounce contained six milligrams of cocaine. The wine expert Robert Parker would surely have given this bright liquid 110 points.

Dr. Markel does write well about, among other things, the appeal of cocaine to overworked doctors. A famous medical professor of the era admonished his students, “Whoever needs more than five hours of sleep should not study medicine.”

What was not to like about cocaine?

About the drug’s effects, the author writes: “This is not the slaphappy, ‘I love everyone’ kind of joy that transpires after a few belts of whisky. When under the influence of cocaine, one feels supremely confident, almost electrically charged with faster thoughts, better ideas (at least in one’s own mind at the time of the high), an increased speed of speaking and a greater appreciation of such sensations as sight, sound and touch.”

Sigmund Freud liked the stuff so much that between roughly 1884 and 1896, when he was in his 20s and 30s and in his major cocaine period, he tended on many days to have a red, wet nose. He gave cocaine to family and friends. He employed it to “make bad days good and good days better,” the author writes, and to ease “the pain of being Sigmund.”

His letters to his fiancée were sometimes ripe with sexual feeling, of the kind a line of powder can incite. “I will kiss you quite red and feed you till you are plump,” Freud wrote. “And if you are forward you shall see who is the stronger, a gentle little girl who doesn’t eat enough or a big wild man who has cocaine in his body.”

Freud stopped using cocaine sometime around 1896, when he was 40, before writing the works that made him famous. Dr. Markel is careful not to link Freud’s drug use and his later ideas too intimately. But he offers shreds of tantalizing speculation.

Freud took cocaine orally or nasally.

Halsted, while studying the drug’s uses as

25

cations was established and he was appointed as General Manager of South Eastern Zone of NITEL. Patrick started showing brilliance in telecommunication right from Canada where he redesigned a telephone switch which was rejecting code numbers in some areas.

But on relocation to Nigeria, he would face more gargantuan challenges. To ease teletraffic in Lagos, he established a total of 11 telephone exchanges to reduce the hitherto congestion. He also introduced the International Direct Dialing (IDD) which enabled telephone users to bypass a Nigeria External Telecommunications (NET) operator before making international phone calls. At the commissioning of this feat, the then Ministry of Communication’s Legal Adviser, Mrs. Wonu Folami, became the first Nigerian to successfully dial an international number directly from Nigeria when she called her husband who was resident in London at that time.

The book also spills some beans on complicity in the contract of International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT), which was headed by the late Chief MKO Abiola.

Kentebe had been approached to be a part of

ITT, but his nationalist attachment did not allow him leave the employ of the federal government. ITT came with Pentaconta System, which was efficient and which many countries bought into, Nigeria inclusive. According to Kent, as friends called Kenebe, ‘with this Pentaconta from ITT, congestion was reduced drastically.’ He, however, absolved Abiola of complicity in embezzlement despite the late Afrobeat king Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s lashing in a song, ‘International Thief Thief’ (ITT).

Kentebe however retired in 1986 after 30 years of service in the telecommunications sector because as chairman of a committee which was set up to digitalise NITEL networks, he failed to doctor his final report on the orders of Col. Tanko Ayuba, the communications minister under the regime of Ibrahim Babangida.

His integrity was, however, rewarded in 2000, when he was appointed as Commissioner by President Olusegun Obasanjo in the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC). He served two five-year terms from 2000 to 2010. His time with others at NCC has witnessed some progress. Kent says; ‘before NCC came into being, the number of telephone subscribers in Nigeria was 400, 000. Today, there are over 90 million telephone lines in Nigeria.’

An accomplished man at 76, Kent reveals the secret of his prolonged existence; ‘contentment is the secret of living a long prosperous life... people think I was rough as a young man but they never knew that I restrained myself a lot as regards social life.’

Reading the book, it is clear that Kentebe’s professional leaning would never leave the telecommunications sector. And while the content is rich, the author would have presented a more coherent flow to make for easier assimilation. Nevertheless, the various snippets from the telecommunications sector make the book worthwhile for anyone interested in knowing more about Nigeria’s telecommunications’ sector.

Book title: Engr. High Chief: The Journey of Selfless Telecoms Service Author: Uzor Ngoladi Number of pages: 231 Publishers: Strategia Blast International Limited, Lagos Reviewer: Joe Agbro Jr.

Early choices C

a local anesthetic, shot the stuff directly into his veins. He became far more addicted to cocaine, and it nearly wrecked his career.

The two men were contemporaries — Halsted was born in 1852, Freud in 1856 — and traveled in similar circles, but there is no indication that they ever met.

Halsted eventually spent time in an insane asylum trying to kick his habit. Dr. Markel makes the case here that Halsted never entirely got over his addictions, and remained an abuser — albeit a high-functioning one — of cocaine and morphine until the end of his life.

Making Halsted’s acquaintance is among this book’s low-key pleasures. He was perhaps the world’s greatest surgeon at the time, a pioneer of germ-free operating rooms at Johns Hopkins Hospital and of an extremely gentle surgical style called the School of Safety. He created the now-ubiquitous rubber glove for use by medical personnel, after watching doctors and nurses scrub their hands raw with harsh chemical disinfectants.

He was not an especially lovable man.

Halsted grew increasingly rude, erratic, caustic and angry over the course of his life, probably as a result of the peaks and valleys of addiction. But he brings some gruff life to Dr. Markel’s placid book.

HOOSING a career has always been a challenge for some students all over the world. Folorunso Idowu in his book ‘What do I want to be when I grow up?’ provides information for students on how to choose a career, how to examine a course, things to consider before choosing a career and chances of a course in Nigeria.

Due to the increased number of Nigerian graduates the economy cannot absorb the author emphasised the importance of career guidance for students in choosing a career that will guarantee employment or that makes it easy for them to be self-employed. Also, it is important for students to know their interests talents and gifts as these should be the basis for going into Arts, Science and Commercial classes.

To achieve anything in life, it is imperative to be ambitious. The writer noted that there is no impossibility no matter the career chosen, with determination and discipline it can be achieved.

Not forgetting the spiritual aspect of life the author stressed that God guides people in choosing their careers and therefore advised students to pray to God before choosing a career because he has the best in mind for them.

Focus is the key to success in life. It is advised that a student should know his or her area of specialization at a very young age because it helps to be focused in life.

It is essential for a student to study the current development in the country, seek

information concerning relevant courses in Nigeria as this will help in fulfilling his or her dream.

Title: What do I want to be when I grow up?

Author: Folorunso Idowu Number of pages: 40 Publisher: FIM Media Ventures Year of publication: 2009 Reviewer: Omotayo Babalola

26

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Arts

1st Chapter

When girls are girls ‘I

T’S not easy.’

She was superb.

The words rolled off her tongue like pips from oranges or cherries: articles thrown away with wistful abandon, to be forgotten utterly or later, maybe, searched for, and used.

She was great: an advocate who could stand her ground with the best of them. A lawyer who knew how to get all to see her point. Their lordships would have been wowed.

The piece, she swore, would keep its shape, its texture, for year and years and years. “Pliant and pliable, you can plait, perm and pleat, roll it up in a bun, flatten for the early twentieth century look, or just curl it up for a Louis Quatorze.’

Oh yes. She knew them all: the monarchs of Europe, and their wives and mistresses, who had given their names to coiffures.

‘It’s not at all easy.”

She promised me a new look. The piece, she vowed, would change my life. For the better of course: give me a kind of beauty beyond my wildest dreams. I had declined in the only way I knew how, pleaded my perennial poverty, other commitments that demanded cash, the children’s school fees and the one thousand extras that caused sources and resources to haemorrhage heavier, and faster, than Vic Falls.

‘Madame, it is real human hair,’ she had said.

In The Girl Who Can, the irrepressible Ama Ata Aidoo looks at roles and rules, and the games people find themselves playing, often unwillingly. She analyses African women’s struggle to find their rightful place in society. He stories raise issues of choice and conflict, teasing out the issues with disarming frankness. How do people behave in cross-cultural relationship?

‘Is it?’ I’d asked. I could already feel the giant weals rising on my back, around my neck, over my bosom.

‘Yes, it is. Feel it. It is so soft.’

‘No,’ I’d declined, my voice low, and softer than her precious merchandise.

I did not tell her I was getting ready to be sick.

A mop of silky hair: lovingly grown, diligently fed, nursed, and pampered to yield its best in brilliant black sheen that breathes and glows like a sated mamba, then cut, and sold?

For just feelgood resource for shoes and hats and jewellery? Or, most likely because there must be rice, clothes for mother’s back, something to hide in case of sickness or death?...

‘Somebody else’s burden?’ I’d asked. ‘No thank yhou.’

Then she lost her song, her cool. She stared at me, not knowing that on earth I was talking about, but very clear only that she had lost her custom, her cause, her case. She started to cry, while I went away to vomit… … wondering where such unease could well up from, and wondering who I thought I was, who could

sneer at my sisters’ lifeline, spitting on people from the Pacific to the Atlantic and back again? Sure, her hair had been handled many times, if not by a hundred pairs of hands, and those hands were attached to mouths that must be fed, and all those mouths could, maybe, eat a little because she grew her hair.

And so my Sister, that’s how I came to weep for us all.

‘No, it’s not easy.’

Once upon a time, there was a writer who couldn’t write because she thought she had too many problems. The main one being financial. So one day, she decided she would go and do other things from which she could make money more quickly. That way, she would be able to solve her problems, since half of them had to do with the fact that she never had enough money to solve her problems. To begin with, she decided to be a teacher.

‘Yes,’ she said to herself, ‘I care a great deal about young growing minds. And in any case, at the end of every mouth I would be paid something for the job I would do.’

So the Writer went into

teaching. And she loved it.

She was very happy because she had always felt that of all the work that anybody can do in this world, teaching is one of the best jobs. And for a while, everything was fine. She was a good teacher too. The children liked her classes. She made everything she taught sound as if it had something to do with the lives they lived in their homes, as well as the lives they would live one day, when they grew up. She also made them laugh about life; being young, growing up and grown-ups. One thing the children noticed was that the way she taught them made things so much easier to learn.

Indeed, everything should have ended happily ever after for The WriterTurned-Teacher. But it didn’t. She was having some completely new problems. One was that just before she took the teaching job, she had begun to write a book which she had hoped to continue working on in her spare time. However, after some time, it occurred to her that she was not working on her book. It had turned out that teaching was not just a matter of

standing in front of children to talk. She had to prepare what she planned to teach. She had to do the actual teaching. She had to set her classes some work to do in school or for homework. She had to mark the work the classes turned in, and then prepare some more work to reach. Then back to the actual teaching, and on and on and on.

Then she found something about herself at the end of each school day. She was very happy, but she was also very tired. In fact, she was so happy and so tired that she did not want to sit down and write a book.

Al she wanted to do was to have a bath, or a shower, or go to the sea and swim. After that she wanted to drink some fresh orange juice or a

cup of tea or even a bowl of soup. Then she wanted to cook and feed herself, after which she wanted to visit her mother, or a friend, or sit down and listen to some good music: on her player, or her tape recorder, or in the night club near where she lived, or live, as played by a new group in her neighbourhood. And then after that just to lie down and sleep…

So for a long time, The Writer-Turned-Teacher did not add even a single word to her book. And soon, that began to worry her. She would remember her book the last thing before she drifted off to sleep, and the first thing as soon as she woke up. And her heart always jumped with sadness when this happened.

Nobel Greats

Derek Walcott

Winner of Nobel Prize in Literature 1992

"For a poetic oeuvre of great luminosity, sustained by a historical vision, the outcome of a multicultural commitment"

D

Born: 23 January 1930, Castries, Saint Lucia Residence at the time of the award: Saint Lucia Language: English

EREK Walcott was born in 1930 in the town of Castries in Saint Lucia, one of the Windward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. The experience of growing up on the isolated volcanic island, an ex-British colony, has had a strong influence on Walcott's life and work.

Both his grandmothers were said to have been the descendants of slaves. His father, a Bohemian watercolourist, died when Derek and his twin brother, Roderick, were only a few years old. His mother ran the town's Methodist school. After studying at St. Mary's College in his native island and at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, Walcott moved in

1953 to Trinidad, where he has worked as theatre and art critic. At the age of 18, he made his debut with 25 Poems, but his breakthrough came with the collection of poems, In a Green Night (1962). In 1959, he founded the Trinidad Theatre Workshop which produced many of his early plays.

Walcott has been an assiduous traveller to other countries but has always, not least in his efforts to create an indigenous drama, felt himself deeplyrooted in Caribbean society with its cultural fusion of African, Asiatic and European elements. For many years, he has divided his time between Trinidad, where he has his home as a writer,

and Boston University, where he teaches literature and creative writing.

Some of his works include: Verse 25 Poems. – Port-ofSpain : Guardian Commercial Printery, 1948 The Bounty. – New York : Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1997 Tiepolo's Hound. – New York : Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2000 The Prodigal. – New York : Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2004 Selected Poems / edited

by Edward Baugh. – New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007 White Egrets : Poems. – New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010.

Drama

Harry Dernier.

– Bridgetown : Barbados Advocate, 1952 Dream on Monkey Mountain and Other Plays.

– New York : Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1970 Three Plays. – New York : Farrar Straus Giroux, 1986 The Odyssey : a Stage Version. – New York : Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1993 The Haitian Trilogy. – New York : Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2002. Content : Henri Christophe ; The Haitian earth ; Drums and colours Walker and The Ghost Dance. – New York : Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2002 Marie LaVeau ; and, Steel : plays. – New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012

• Alex Owumi

T

HE life of a basketball journeyman is no cakewalk. Money can be good, but there’s a lot of negatives to it – the constant instability, the uprooting from family and friends, the bad travels, the language barrier… Not to mention payments often come late or don’t come at all. Alcorn State product Alex Owumi had already seen part the dark side of playing pro ball overseas, but it was nothing compared to what he had to go through earlier this year in Libya.

Playing for a club in Benghazi, the city that became the rebel stronghold against longtime Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Owumi got caught in the middle of fighting between the oppositon and the Gadaffi forces and became a firsthand witness of the brutality of the Civil War, which included shootings at civilians and the burning alive of pro-Gaddafi mercenaries.

Unlike most players, Owumi was no stranger to moving around from one country to another when his pro career began. The son of a Nigerian government official, Owumi went with his family as a kid from Lagos (Nigeria) to Britain and then the United States, where his father Joseph currently works at the Harvard School of Public Health managing a big budget for AIDS relief in Africa.

Following a nice senior year at small-college Alcorn State in Mississippi in 2008, the 6-foot-5 Owumi decided to start a pro basketball career that would take him to France, American minor leagues and, in 2010, to Macedonia.

Owumi, a bulky guard, played at the former Yugoslavian republic till December of last year, when he got an offer to join Libyan club Al-Nasr Benghazi.

Protests against authoritarian regimes were spreading in Middle Eastern countries at the time of the signing, but the turmoil didn’t involve Libya at first. That was soon to change.

Owumi first grew concerned about the situation in February, when small demonstrations started to get bigger and bigger. On February 17, real havoc began. As he was preparing to go to practice, Owumi received instructions from his club not to leave his apartment. Antigovernment protesters were marching next to his building and military men were coming at them.

“I had access to the roof of my building and there were three or four tanks driving into a crowd of people,” Owumi said. “I went back to my apartment for water and as soon as I went back up, I saw 30 or 40 military men shooting at the crowd of people. There was nobody with megaphones telling people to disperse. I just saw them shooting.

Not to the air or the ground. Just shooting at people. Bodies were dropping. It was happening a block away from my street.”

When he returned to the apartment, shocked, Owumi had no access to Internet and the cell phone wasn’t working for international calls. He called the president of his team, Ahmed Elturki, asking for a way out.

“He told me, ‘Don’t leave the building, don’t even leave the apartment’. I told him I wanted to go to the airport and leave and he

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told me the people in Libya had burned the airport down. I was in the middle of everything. I was like stuck in a box.

“I went two weeks without phone or Internet to talk to my family.”

Fourteen days of confinement at the house followed heeding the advice of Al-Nasr’s president when it became obvious it would be dangerous to leave the building.

With little food aside from tuna, bread and potato chips, which Owumi says he shared with neighbors, and no way to communicate with his family in the States, the days were long and stressful.

“The shootings were so bad at night that I had to sleep on the floor instead of the bed that was next to a window. You saw sparks all the time if you looked at the window. They were bullets.”

In the last two weeks of February, the rebels took control of the city and pro-Gadaffi major Huda Ben Amer had to flee to Tripoli, the capital of the country, 400 miles to the west.

Many civilians got access to weaponry of all kinds at that point.

“When I looked outside, I saw 10year-old kids with machetes. They ambushed the police station, so the locals in my area went into the police station and got weapons. You saw regular people in the street driving around in jeeps, shooting AK-47s up in the air. That’s when I realized this was no Egypt. It was war zone.

It was like a movie. There was people driving tanks. It was people running loose.

“These people were not going to back down. I’ve never seen people willing to give their lives for their country like that. They were walking into bullets.”

The bullets did not come just from Libyan military, according to Owumi, but also from foreign mercenaries hired from Chad, Sudan, Senegal, Nigeria and Eastern Europe. He was able to see the burned bodies of some of them in a visit to the hospital once he was able to get out of the house on March 1.

“There was a room with 30 or 40 body bags and they were still open.

You could see the dead bodies. I asked who those people were and one person told me they were mercenaries from other countries.

‘They shot them and burned these people alive’, he told me. The hospital was crazy. There was people with no arms, babies crying… It was the saddest thing I had seen in my life.”

When communications with the outside world were re-established and Owumi’s family and girlfriend were able to contact him, they tried to get the American embassy involved to move him out of the country. It was to little avail at first.

“Somebody from the state deparment called me and asked me if I could get to the airport. I said, ‘Ma’am, the airport is burned down’. Then she asked me if I could get to Tripoli. I laughed at this lady!

It would take me 11 hours to drive to Tripoli and in the process I would run into rebels, military and you don’t know what could happen there.”

Owumi made the decision to leave Benghazi with no American help.

The president of Owumi’s club got him a car and a Libyan driver to take him to Salum, a refugee camp in the Libyan-Egyptian border set up by the Egyptian government. He would follow a vehicle that had Sherif Azmy, Al-Nasr’s head coach, as a passenger.

“I was terrified when he told me

fortitude to go through all this ordeal.

“I was physically drained when I got to Salum. I wanted to cry so bad.

But you have to survive. You don’t have time to be sitting there crying and feeling sorry for yourself. It’s my relationship with God that got me through it. Me and my teammate were in Salum praying, praying and praying to get out of that situation.”

The story took a surprising turn when Owumi, who had all along wanted to return to the U.S., took an offer from an Alexandria-based team when that was about to happen.

“I was on a bus going to Cairo, where I was supposed to get on a plane to the U.S., and my Egyptian coach (Sharif Azmy) called me to say there was a good offer.”

Clearly exhausted, with no decent meal and little sleep in the previous three weeks, Owumi decided to join the club to “finish out (the season) strong”.

• Alex Owunmi’s bombed residence

Alex Owumi: A basketballer caught in the middle of Libyan Civil War (about the plan),” Owumi’s girlfriend Alexis Jones, a victim of Hurricane Katrina, said. “The news that we were getting in the U.S. at the time were that nobody was getting out alive. I wanted him to stay where he was and not leave till all passed.”

ended up being a 10-hour trip, according to Owumi, who carried a knife taped to his body all along the ride, which took place on March 4.

His car was stopped on several occasions and the issue of Owumi’s Nigerian citizenship made the rebels antsy every time.

Sharing nationality with some of the mercenaries doing part of the killing in Libyian territory meant additional danger for Owumi on his way to Salum. What would have typically been a six-hour drive

“I was a Nigerian joined by a Senegalese teammate (Moustapha Niang) trying to escape a country where Nigerian and Senegalese men were hired to kill Libyans.

Fifteen minutes into the ride, we had

our first checkpoint. Three or four locals with AK-47s knocking on the window. The driver didn’t speak a lick of English. I get my passport out and all I can understand when they start speaking in Arab is ‘Nigeria’ and ‘Senegal’. They ask me to get out of the car and I said no and took out my American passport. They said ‘Good, good’. I was OK to go, but they said my Senegalese teammate could not. We showed them the playing cards from our team and said the name of our team.

They took all his bags and dumped

them on the side of the road. They weren’t looking at anything. We were finally able to go, but the same thing happened at every checkpoint.”

At the Salum refugee camp, thousands of people crowded together.

“We were sleeping on sidewalks of concrete. Eating crackers and drinking water.”

Owumi, who waited two days for American embassy officials to pick him up from the refugee camp, credits his Christian faith for the

• Alex Owumi

His mother and girlfriend were initially upset about Owumi’s decision to stay in the area for another three months, but the story ended on a good note as Owumi led El-Olympi Alexandria to Egypt’s first division.

45

From afar, the Atlanta-based Owumi is following the events of Libya’s still-running Civil War closely.

•Culled from HoopsHype.com NBA Blogs - Jorge Sierra

“There was a room with 30 or 40 body bags and they were still open. You could see the dead bodies. I asked who those people were and one person told me they were mercenaries from other countries. ‘They shot them and burned these people alive’, he told me. The hospital was crazy. There was people with no arms, babies crying… It was the saddest thing I had seen in my life.”

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

–an eye on celebrities and society people

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Bollywood makes a comeback

By Patience Saduwa

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T'S one of the worst kept secrets among many movie buffs in the country-the renewed interest in Hindi (Indian or Bollywood) films. The interest has always been there. In fact, when cinema-going was still popular in the country, many movie lovers went to the cinema just to watch Indian films. Well, you could say they didn't have much choice back then as the variety of films available was small.

Indian films were the rage then, never mind that most of the films were in the Hindi language which Nigerians don't speak or understand. They often had sub-titles though, but many were in poorly written English, which made them look more like Greek than the Queen's language. All that didn't matter. Other things about the movies made up for such shortfalls- the storyline and plot, the music and songs, the scenery, the dancing (usually in a beautiful garden or other exotic locations), the general magic and spectacle of these films among others.

Then, there were the actors and actresses. These were usually handsome and dashing (especially the male lead or hero) while the women were very lovely with a surreal beauty that made them look more like goddesses than flesh and blood human beings. Stars such as Amitabh Bachan, Shashi Kapoor, Dhamendra were among the most popular among the actors. These days, there's a whole new generation of Bollywood stars such as Akshay Kumar, Shahrukh Khan, Sunil Shetty, Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra among others who are carrying on the touch of entertaining fans of Hindi movies.

Kangana Ranaut Kareena Kapoor

Nollywood's fading magic With the birth of locally produced home videos in the country in the early 90s, Bollywood movies kind of took a backseat. Film lovers lapped up these movies which told our own stories in familiar settings and by actors we can relate with. Nollywood took off with a bang and the long-standing romance with Indian films was finally over.

Now, that love affair has been rekindled in a big way and our local movie industry is worse off for it. Well, as most keen observers of the industry will state, Nollywood has no one to blame but itself.

For years, critics have drawn attention to the low quality films being churned out in huge numbers by producers in the industry. Most of these films are often characterized by poor and repetitive storylines, bad acting and directing, poor technical quality especially lighting and sound, tacky settings among others. In fact, top

Priyanka Chopra

actress Bimbo Akintola complained sometime ago that one of the reasons she had not been featuring so much in movies was because she was fed up with, 'bad scripts and bad directing.' But few in the sector bothered to listen to these complaints and the industry seemed on a mission to self-destruct. The result of the refusal to reinvent itself has left the industry nearly comatose today with stakeholders and fans alike abandoning it. Film lovers are turning to foreign movies particularly Bollywood for entertainment, thus shunning Nollywood. The magic seems to be fading.

Critics might write off most Indian films as fantasy, fairytale extravaganzas that bear little resemblance to the real world. But that seems to be their major attraction-they give viewers an escape route from a world full of struggles, stress and hardships faced by a large majority of people especially in these harsh economic times. They take one to a world where the bad guys get their just reward (usually in the grave or prison), where love triumphs over many obstacles, where good deeds, honesty and patience are virtues that reap ample benefits and lovers 'live happily ever after.' In the real world, things don't often end up that way- sometimes especially in this corruption-riddled environment, the bad guys get away with their evil deeds or their loot while many married couples live like the proverbial 'cat and dog' and end up 'living unhappily ever after' or head for the divorce courts.

The films are a diversion from reality; escapism at its best. And the drama, the love songs, the singing and the dancing in the garden with the hero and heroine playing modern-day Romeo and Juliet (no Indian film is complete without such scenes) all seem to reinforce that.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

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Social Golda Obi finally returns from UK, upgrades business

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L-R Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps, Emeka Ihedioha, the Celebrant Corp Marshal, Federal Road Safety Commission, Osita Chidoka and Arch-Bishop John Onaiyekan at the birthdat celebration on Monday.

At Osita Chidoka's birthday party

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HE Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Osita Chidoka (who is also the Ike Obosi of Obosi in Anambra State) felt on top of the world last Monday when he celebrated his 40th birthday party at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja. Gathered to share the joy of the day with Chidoka were friends, family members and well-wishers .

Apart from the fact that there were more than enough to eat and drink, other side attractions were

put together to make the event one to remember. “Arrow of God,” written by Chinua Achebe was dramatised at the event by the students of Theatre Arts from the University of Jos and it also added pep to the event Amongst those that graced the occasion were the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, the former Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Paullen Tallen, former Minister of Information and Communication, Prof. Dora Akunyili, Senator Chris Ngige and many government officials.

Otunba Ogunnusi backs cashless society

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TUNBA Micheal Ogunnusi is known to state the position he is convinced about on issues of national importance. And when he is not given the opportunity to voice his mind, the politician of note is usually not in the best of mood. But when Social Circuit chanced upon the easy going but tough-minded man who now represents Ifako-Ijaiye Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives last week, he expressed his support for the move towards a cashless society as proposed by the CBN's N150, 000 ceiling for withdrawals from the year 2012 only if there is a pilot scheme from January to June 2012 to ascertain its workability. “If it works, it is the future and we need to make conscious efforts to embrace it. But what happens if the pilot scheme fails some people may ask. I’m sure Otunba will be taking some calls from Nigerians who can't wait to ask questions.

NDEFATIGABLE business woman and owner of Strauss School of Music and Dance, Golda Chioma Obi has finally returned from the United Kingdom. The long absence of Golda from the social circuit has been a source of concern for the friends and clients of the amiable woman who many see as an encouragement to youths and adults who love music. What exactly has Golda been doing in the UK, you may ask. A lot of people are at variance on her reason for visiting the United Kingdom. While some are saying she went on a long course to “improve on her music qualifications,” others are saying she went to recruit quality staff for her music school.

This is no surprise as the Artistic Director of the Music Faculty is from East America while the Head of Diploma is from N o r t h e r n Europe and they said to be doing their best to inculcate music knowledge for all ages.

The most important issue at the moment however, is that Golda Chioma Obi is back in town and has come with new ideas for her business and the news is said to be gladdening the hearts of many.

Memories from the Nigeria UK Community Show

T

HE Nigeria \community Show put together by Olabisi Falodun in the United Kingdom may have come and gone but the accolades it has generated is still resounding. Though the television version would start early next month, the Nigeria Community in the United Kingdom is said to be happy with the young lady that made it all happen. Reason is that the show is said to have given the Nigeria Community a positive image before many which sharply contrasts with the impression usually associated with Nigerians in the

Diaspora.

According to Bisi, the event was widely supported by Diabetes U.K Representatives who sent Debbie Okpala, Casey Collier and Bola Solanke, Banya Family Placement, U.K sent Flo Chiwetu. “Also at the event were Dr Hannah Abiola, Director Broadreach Training College, London and Mrs Debbie Okpala, CEO Aygeas Foods Ltd, U.K (one of the companies that donated gifts) Sir Martins Bakare, President National Association of Nigerian Communities, U.K, and Chief George Nworgu,

Patron Nigeria National Community and member, Nigerian Council of Elders who represented the Nigerian Community and Alhaji Hamza Layi Adesanu, President, Oyo State Council of Elders, who graced the show with their members. The Star Prize, a 26 inch LCD television donated by Aglory Cash 'N' Carry, was won by Oladunni Adebanwo of Kent, U.K. Michael Pounds, a Gospel Artiste performed at the show, and 4Ts Textiles, U.K donated Swiss Lace ” she added.

VICTOR OLUWASEGUN (E-mail: thejagu@yahoo.com, Tel: 08032439153)

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Lola Omotayo's new lease of life

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OLA Omotayo is essentially fun loving and unlike some of her peers, she is a low-key person and an introvert. Presently in her 30's, it is on record that Omotayo had been in the limelight long before her romance with Peter of the P Square fame became public knowledge. A onetime member of staff at V-mobile (now Airtel) where she was a business strategist, her then high profile job plus friendly temperament ensured she received regular mention in the media.

Basking in the euphoria of her long standing romantic liaison, Omotayo's popularity rating soared immensely when her romance with Peter produced a baby boy. Prior to this, she had quit her plum position at experiential marketing company, FK.G2, where she functioned in a senior executive position before she quit and relocated to the United States of America where she was delivered of her baby, Cameron. More than two years after his birth, not only is Omotayo glowing, she happens to be one of the most stylish ladies in town just as her good looks is enhanced by her feeling of contentment.

Kafilat Ogbara loses sister-in-law

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N Lagos's socio-political milieu, Kafilat Ogbara's name immediately sounds loud. Perhaps the last time we heard about the very beautiful Kafilat was her botched attempt to be the Governor of Ogun State. Thereafter, we also heard about her closeness with former President Olusegun Obasanjo. But right now, the beautiful woman is not in a happy mood. About a week ago, she lost one of her sister-in-laws, Motunrayo Ogbara, to the cold hands of death. The deceased, 26, read Economics at the University of Lagos and worked at Access Bank before her death.

Araba Morakinyo's latest moves

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AFFE' Tranche' By Araba, an off-shoot of Araba Homemade Limited formally opened to the public on Sunday, July 17, 2011. The enterprising woman behind the outfits, Mrs. Araba Morakinyo, an Estate Surveyor by training, is an entrepreneur who has always had a passion for making cakes.

However, Araba Homemade only existed as a make-you-order outlet until the expansion of the dream with Caffe' Tranche' By Araba. The new outlet, which is situated at the junction of Olosa and Karimu Kotun in the heart of Victoria Island, Lagos, offers varieties of cakes, biscuits, pastries, sandwiches and salads. Unlike the Yaba outlet, it also presents a cozy environment for impulsive buyers to buy, sit, relax and enjoy their choice meals.

Lowo Obisesan's double celebration

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HE hardworking head of Ibadan's reputable law firm, Black and White, Lowo Obisesan is thanking his stars. The young man who is holding a feast to celebrate his late dad, Alhaji Rafiu Arowolo, survived a car crash some days ago and since then, he has not ceased giving thanks to God. The witty lawyer who is very close to Ibadan billionaire, Alhaji Azeez Arisekola Alao, is a philanthropist whose successful career has been as a result of his dedication and honesty. A silent achiever, Obisesan has many loyal friends who are ready to lay down their lives for him because of his good deeds. His late dad's burial which has been fixed for September 10, 2011 will attract a lot of his friends in the legal profession and Corporate Nigeria.

KAYODE ALFRED

Wole Madariola loses father-in-law

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ECURITY expert and CEO of one of Africa's biggest leather factory, FUT Concepts Manufacturing Nigeria Limited, Olumide Wole Madariola, is in a foul mood at the moment. This is because penultimate Thursday, his father-in-law, Pa Ayodele Lawrence, gave up the ghost after a brief illness. Pa Ayodele, who was a journalist with the Nigeria Tribune for many years, was also a top Sales Manager with UAC for many years during his active days. The deceased, who had most of his children abroad died at the age of 82 in Lagos. Olumide who took care of Pa Ayodele before the death was shocked when he heard the news, and had to cancel all his engagements for the next couple of days to get over the grief.

(E-mail: kayflex2@yahoo.com, Tel: 08035733605, 08099400057)

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Glamour

International cable station, Mnet, recently played host to a cream of music, television and other young celebrities for the celebration of the popular TV sitcom, Tinel 500 episode.

The event which held at the 5-star Oriental Hotel, Lekki recorded some hits and misses on the fashion scale, reports Rita Ohai

The addition of the leggings and the belt to the ensemble makes this a poor combination, Oops to Sola Funmi

Mpho Laing takes fashion overboard by pairing the shoe, dress and hair do. Oops!

Photos: OLUSEGUN RAPHEAL

Eyitope Olumide should try adding an extra-inch to the length of the dress, Oops

Darey’s sexy voice and suave look make him a ‘ladies man’ anytime, Kudos Maltida Obaseki forgot her pants at home, Oops!

Yeni Kuti looks too ‘matronly’ in this dress, Oops!

Joke Jayesinmi looks chic in this playful outfit, Kudos!

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

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with Patience Saduwa

Lifestyle Health Nutrition Fitness

08023201831 (sms only) psaduwa@yahoo.com http//edirinsaduwa.blogspot.com

Natural foods for erectile dysfunction

E

RECTILE dysfunction (ED) which was a common occurrence with men in the age group of 50 years and above in earlier times, has now become a complaint among men as young as 25. Medical experts claim that a hectic lifestyle filled with stress, smoking, excessive drinking, irregular eating habits and lack of physical activity are the chief causes that contribute to the poor functioning of the male organ.

This type male impotence is caused by the lack of proper blood flow to the penis necessary to achieve an erection suitable for sexual intercourse. The leading medical causes of erectile dysfunction are heart disease, high blood pressure, hypertension, thyroid conditions, low testosterone, diabetes and obesity. Diabetic men have an increased risk for developing erectile dysfunctions, because diabetes affects the blood vessels and may also cause nerve damages, affecting the nerves of the penis as well.

Diet and lifestyle While there is a plethora of artificial and natural pills like Viagra, Cialis and Levitra which can improve a man's ability to get an erection temporarily, they don't get to the root causes of the erectile dysfunction to cure it permanently. They might work and the result will be quick but in hindsight, you are simply consuming yet another pill which is bound to become an addiction. Most importantly, it is not healthy since it only suppresses the symptoms for some time only to be back again, not to forget the possibility of side effects. A better option is to improve your lifestyle by eating healthy and taking care of your body.

Some natural foods which can help in erectile dysfunction * Vitamin C found in fresh fruits like oranges, guavas, strawberries, papaya, etc. is an effective anti-oxidant.

Lime, being a citrus fruit is by far the best source of Vitamin C. It contains folic acid and anti-oxidants in abundance which are vital for the smooth functioning of a man's reproductive system. Watermelon especially is a good source of lycopene. Lycopene relaxes blood vessels, similar to how Viagra works, but naturally and without the side effects. * Men suffering from diabetes or heart diseases are the ones most prone to erectile dysfunction. It is essential to revitalize your cardiovascular system in order to get rid of the erection problems. Eat meals which contain fresh fruits and vegetables as they are the best source of antioxidants that help fight heart diseases. Avoid processed or junk food, fattening dishes and food items with a high cholesterol count. * Considered as a great source of sexual energy for men by the Aztecs, the highly nutritional fruit Avocado today has been proven to be immensely effective as claimed by scientists. It is loaded with vitamins, potassium content and non-saturated fats which serve two purposes. Firstly, they enhance sexual energy and secondly, they increase the blood flow by treating the heart and blood vessels.

This fruit positively influences on male potency as (well as) cardiovascular system problems. * Asparagus also ranks high on nutrition count due to the enormous amounts of vitamins it contains. Vitamin A, C and E, vitamin B1 and B2 along with folic acid, fibre, zinc

Fresh and natural foods like these can help men overcome erectile dysfunction

Olive oil

Avocado pear

Erectile dysfunction is a major cause of marital discord and even divorce in some cases

Watermelon

Citrus fruits

Oysters

Asparagus

and potassium are present in this plant. All these ingredients are of prime importance to maintain a normal libido and thereby, sustain healthy erections. * Include whole grains in your meals. They are an excellent source of vitamins, anti-oxidants and dietary fibre. * Young men tend to consume a lot of poultry, red meat and other fattening foods which cause erection difficulties. Men who prefer eating vegetarian food are at less risk of developing this condition.

* The male penis is basically hydraulic in nature i.e. it needs proper flow of blood in order to enlarge and function. Olive oil is considered as an excellent food source to improve blood circulation. In addition, it also helps to lower cholesterol. Fish oil can also be used as a substitute. * Lack of the mineral zinc has often led to erectile dysfunction because of its interference with the reproductive functions. Foods like oysters, peanuts, chick peas, soy foods, almonds, fortified cereals etc. are loaded with zinc and should be included in your diet.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Relationship

Know the signs of a potential wife beater W IFE beaters don’t carry the cross on their forehead saying they are wife beaters, it can be difficult to tell, but there are signs to look our for.

Most wife beaters are very meticulous, they will keep to time and like you to do the same.

When dating they treat you like a queen, indirectly controlling you.

They buy you clothes and insist you to wear it for them. They will always choose the restaurant and they tend to do everything for you, indirectly taking control of your life.

As the relationship progresses, they begin to get

By Omo Nwabunike

easily angered. They quickly apologize after hitting you. They start questioning your every move. The display signs of mood swings - they play hot and cool.

At the start of the relationship, they give you the impression that they can’t do without you.

In some cases he is loved by everyone (because they don’t really know him), he plays with everyone. This fools you even more, if you had your doubt, this takes it away. You start feeling blessed, what you don’t know is that he is studying you, as soon

as he knows you are his, he starts talking to you rudely, making you feel worthless. He tells you to feel grateful to have someone like him. He will try to hit you to see how you will respond, if you easily forgive him, he will hit you much sooner than you can imagine and will not stop.

In some other cases every one sees them for who they are but you don’t, so if you have doubts about your relationship, talk to someone about it, you can start with your mum.

S o u r c e www.womenconfidentials .com

:

The issue of age in relationships

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Hafsat Folashade Tejidini and Qasim Babalola after their Nikkiah at Akoka, Yaba, Lagos

LOT of people may say that age is a state of mind, that a person is only as old as they feel. That is an upbeat and optimistic approach to aging; however the question is if that applies when it comes to relationships. It has quite often been acceptable for a male to be the older person in a relationship. Some issues can arise if the opposite happens; a younger man and an older woman. In addition, there can be

some issues as well, if the male is many years older than the female.

It is possible to have a secure and loving relationship in which there is an age difference, if both people involved understand certain issues that may arise and they can work together to resolve them.

The most important factor to understand is that although our bodies will show our age to a certain degree, age is most significant when it relates to

Benefits of dating a younger man

T

HERE are so many positive benefits that come from dating younger men that it is difficult to think of any negative reasons! Dating younger men is a thrill that a woman will only be able to truly understand when she actually experiences it and embraces it. Some women are afraid to even consider dating younger men, because they aren’t sure if age gap relationships can work and they are afraid of negative opinions from outsiders. Speaking strictly for myself, I couldn’t care less about other people’s opinions! When it comes to following my heart and pursuing my destiny, I have to think carefully about what is truly best for me. If you are considering dating a younger man but you aren’t sure about it, there are plenty of benefits of dating younger men that may help you make your decision.

Passion: Younger men are decidedly more passionate about life and love in general, and that is a good thing! Unlike older men who can be so frustrated with their lives that they are waiting patiently to accomplish their goals and then die, younger men are focused on establishing themselves and appreciating you.

Younger men realize that being associated with a beautiful and open-minded older woman means that they have hit the jackpot.

If a younger man is with you, it is because he likes you so much- and he’s willing to show it to you, any place, any time.

Most older men are so stressed out from work and life’s demands that they forget how to balance fun, work, and a fulfilling life.

Instead of focusing on you and

younger man looks really good.

He still has all of his hair and it hasn’t turned gray. His skin is still fresh with the dewiness and softness that only youth can provide. Doesn’t it feel good to picture a younger man on your arm?

Besides just being eye candy, younger men are usually in better physical health than older men. Dating a younger man also means that you will not have to worry about your partner having strokes and heart attacks while you are still in your prime.

Willingness to please: Many younger men feel appreciative to gain the interest and trust of older women, and they are very eager to please the ladies in their lives.

When you date younger men, conversations are never boring because younger men are imaginative and open. Younger men are less jaded than older men and they are more open to new ideas and new ways of thinking. Older women who are willing to date younger men are most likely open-minded themselves and appreciate having a partner who is open-minded and progressive.

your needs, many older men are obsessed with proving themselves to be the traditional provider. Younger men are anxious to prove themselves too, but they aren’t as stressed and they aren’t as jaded. Their enthusiasm for life holds no bounds and it spills

in to all areas of their life, including their relationship with you.

Overall appearance: One of the best benefits of dating younger men is staring at their magnificent faces and bodies.

Unless he is a hard drinker, smoker, or experienced illness, a

Relationships between older women and younger men can provide huge advantages for everyone concerned. The younger man benefits from the wisdom and life experiences that an older woman brings to the relationship. And, if you are an older woman considering embarking on a relationship with a younger man, you can benefit from the youth, ambition, loyalty and rejuvenation that a younger man brings to your life. Give yourself a chance to enjoy and learn from the benefits of dating younger men.

maturity. Whether you find yourself to be the younger or the older person in a relationship, take into account whether your maturity levels match. You may find in life that a fifty year old and a thirty year old can be very similar in regard to their maturity level. This all depends on their life experiences, personal outlooks and goals.

One dynamic that can make or break a relationship is the common ground that you share with the other person. Most people will undoubtedly get along with someone who has similar interests and hobbies. A night owl versus a morning bird will certainly not be in sync with each other. The same theory holds true for interests. While it is healthy to have some of your own personal interests, it is very helpful to the relationship that you share time together doing things that you both enjoy. Think about whether the age difference will affect activities done together; whether they be hiking, skiing or watching movies, these times spent together will keep the relationship strong.

Another aspect to consider is if the age difference will interfere with your own personal goals.

Whether you want to concentrate on your career, have children or spend your free time traveling; ask yourself if your partner??�s age difference agrees with your way of life.

Discuss the future, not just the present situation. Some topics to consider are finances, children, retirement goals and career choices. You may find it very useful to choose a time to sit down and seriously talk about how the age difference may affect your lives one year, five years and possibly twenty years down the road.

Most importantly, if you and your partner feel you are right for each other, age will not matter.

We all begin our quest for love as young adults and we live with the intention of holding strong into our senior years. If two people are lucky enough people find each other, it usually will not matter at which point in life they do so. When it comes to love, age is just a number.

Source: www.realsexedfacts.com

FROM THE CAMPUS PAGE 46

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OU all know Tiger Woods. He’s the amazing kid who single handedly lifted the game of golf to a mega earning sport. Just like the greatest, Muhammed Ali, did with boxing. Sadly, though, Tiger is no longer the mega player the world once adored to no end. He now ranks well outside the first ten best golfers in the world.

Even at that, Tiger Woods did not spill gold dust just around golf. He even created this unbelievable aura around the game. So much that those who won’t know a golf swing from Adam are now getting interested in the game.

It used to be like this with Alhaji Ibrahim Haruna, a renowned architect known in golf circles as 'Alhaji Fairway'. Since he ventured into the game , he has turned into a sort of slave to the game.

He wants to play everyday and in every place, even outside the country.

There were years Alhaji Fairway, presently the 'Godfather' of Kano golf would not touch the golf club with a mile long pole. The game was sort of alien to him. Yet from his days as a young fella, he used to be an all rounder… athlete. But then, if you were in his era, you would know a thing or two about sports. Well, not golf.

Sure, these are the new days. The days of Obama, Cameron, Bin Laden. The days of Ronaldo, Tiger, Rooney (not Beckham). The days of the Williams sisters … well before they transformed into fashion designers of sports. The truth is these great guys aroused great interest in their sports.

Especially, Tiger Woods.

He’s not just young and hot.

But he’s got this great aura that keeps you glued to your telly, no matter your sport.

Anytime the lad comes on tube, he just lights up every place. He glows.

Alhaji Fairway first saw Tiger on telly. Not quite keen on golf at the time, he kept tuning on, so far he could get to see Tiger. The bonus, it was in those years when Tiger was almost knocking out his contemporaries blind folded. The lad was just winning everything in sight.

“You see, I’m just in love with Tiger’s game.” Haruna recalled. “But truly, main player is the late Nigerian Number One, Ali Abdullahi.. Ali played the game with such ease. But the truth, is, Tiger has got this aura. I mean if he’s playing, you’ll want him to win even if he’s playing against you.”

These days, Alhaji Faiorway is looking beyond Tiger. All that is occupying his mind at the moment is how he can spread the game of golf among Nigerian youths and still come up with quality tournaments

With Prof. Emmanuel Ojeme

THE NATION SUNDAY, JULY 24, 2011

GOLFLINE

NTDC brings for

WITH

Tony Akhigbe golflineintl@yahoo.com 08056180071

‘Don’t break a bank to sponsor golf’ that could keep golfers, especially youths on the course "The future of this game has everything to do with the youths" Fairway said with s flourish. "We have to invest in the youths if we must make a climb in the game, I mean at world level.

We don't just have to promote the game by throwing the youths on course for practice sessions only. We must create tournaments they must play in. This will create fierce competition among them. Tourneys will develop them and help them keep their nerves when they arrive the big stage.

“I can imagine a lot of people wondering where the huge funds for tourneys will come from. This is where a lot of people are getting it wrong.I mean no one needs to break a bank to sponsor a golf tourney. I mean quality and modest prizes are all you need.

Frivolous things like foods and dance must be done away with. They are not part of golf and this is where most of Sponsors funds are lavished. Not on the tournament itself. The truth is I love to see golfers participate and compete in an atmosphere of friendship decorum, great enthusiasm and competitiveness in a game they truly enjoy.

Besides, that saying of Mahatma Gandhi where he said … “Go and be the change you could be” is usually registering in my mind anytime I think of reforms in the game.

“But I have to quickly add that playing golf alone does not make you a golfer.

The real essence of golf is the character moulding of its members through a strong tradition of etiquette based essentially on respect and commitment for each another” ADO BAYERO PRO-AM PLAYS OUT It must have been a decade since a quality golf tournament plays out in the ancient city of Kano.

But all this is going into the past. Come Monday through Thursday, Kano will welcome golfers, Professionals and amateurs

alike, from across the nation in a tournament that will gulp a total N5 million... all in honor of the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero.

The Bayero event is indeed timely in the sense that Professionals across the country are going through unpleasant emptiness that saw them not swinging a golf club in some six months for lack of tourneys to play in. The Pros could only boast of two quality tourneys this year, the CMCL event in Benin and the Memorial in Abuja. Let's hope someone will pick this up when the Bayero event closes in Kano on Thursday.

BOLINGO ENCOURAGES YOUTHS THROUGH BOOK The spirit behind the Bolingo Hotels and Towers, Chief Okechukwu Igweh is making true his

pledge that he would do everything to promote the game of golf among Nigerian youths who he believes are far talented than their contemporaries abroad.

To prove he is there fully for the youths, Igweh, a single-handicapper who last year represented Nigeria in World Golf Championship held in Malaysia is presenting a 60-page booklet that is loaded with illuminating past of world golf greats to Nigerian youths as they stride to match with the best the world could bring in another ten years.

"At the IBB Club where I play I do watch Caddies who are mere youths play this game", Igweh said. "I must confess that anytime I watch these lads, I am usually amazed. I mean these are mere boys and they are so talented and brilliant. All they lack is encouragement.

"For sometime now, I have put it in mind that I will help these youths grow. Aside the Golf Academy I am planning to build, I want to extend sponsorship to those who deserve it. But I want them to learn a bit, I mean what this game is all about and how it is with world great players. This is the essence of this book I am publishing".

The book title "Bolingolf" will be out by next month. It will be distributed among golfers in Nigeria, especially the youths, free of whatever charge.

• Tiger Woods

• Yusuf-Suleiman

Memo to the New Sports Minister (1) LHAJI Yusuf Suleiman, I wish to congratulate you on your appointment as the Minister and Chairman, National Sports Commission. You are worth congratulating because the road to becoming a Minister is not an easy one. Secondly, to become Minister of Sports, means that our Association of which I am the National President must relate with you. NAPHER-SD is an acronym for Nigeria Association for Physical, Health Education, Recreation, Sports and Dance. All professionally educated and trained sports operators are members. In it, you find the authentic sports experts.

I am however, sending this preliminary personal memo to you in an attempt to contribute insight and perspectives that could be useful to you as the political head of sports in Nigeria. Nigeria has a very big potential to rule the World or show dominance in many sports if we do things right and do the right things. I wish therefore to draw your attention to some of these things: (1) The National Sports Commission Bill The National Sports Commission is governed by law.

Up to this moment, the bill to establish a law for the National Sports Commission has been in the National Assembly since 2007 and it remains stuck. What is holding it? The Honourable Minister, Sir, you will be a Hero if you can unchain the bill and persuade the National Assembly to pass it into law. There must be a pronouncement from you on this subjectmatter. May I also inform you that the non-existence of a law for the Sports Commission is a clog in its capacity to effectively carry out its functions.

(2) Sports Development Policy Instruments Honourable Minister, Sir, it would be very productive and helpful to your leadership of sports in Nigeria to study and assimilate the content of two policy documents of the Commission. These are the National Sports Development Policy and the Vision 20:20:20 blueprint. The guidelines they provide for sports development are rich.

The issue is the level of implementation. The extent of dissemination, awareness and adoption of the instruments needs to be verified. Both documents have been in operation for two years. A systematic and sustained implementation of policy framework is needed to achieve national development objectives in sports sector.

(3) Professionalization of Sports Roles There is a tendency for sports to degenerate into all comers affair in role enactment. This practice will not lead us far on the ladder of success. Professionalization demands that appropriate education and training must precede role assignment. Most Coaches and administrators perform poorly due to poor education and training. It is important therefore, that the Honourable Minister crosschecks the operational backgrounds of operators to ensure that they possess the cognate qualifications and experience to execute their functions at the required levels of expertise.

(4) Sports Infrastructure The issue in sports infrastructure include modernization and construction of new ones where required. Our greatest problem is in the area of maintenance. It may be necessary to put in place a functional stadium maintenance unit to tackle these problems. It is also crucial that when we build a stadium, the utilization plan must be in place.

A

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

47

‘Nigeria is not prepared to help epileptic patients’ Biodun Ogubgbo is a Consultant Neurosurgeon at Cedarcrest Hospitals, Abuja and Editorial Board member of the Nigerian Health Journal (NHJ). He started his medical education at the College of Medical Sciences, University of Lagos. A UK registered specialist in Neurosurgery, Ogungbo has had extensive surgical repertoire in elective and emergency neurosurgery procedures having practised in Newcastle General Hospital, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh and the Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Liverpool

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fit?

AN you explain what exactly happens to a patient experiencing an epileptic

The brain is made up of nerves which we can refer to as electric wires. These wires connect together in a delicate pattern to move the muscles and understand whatever the body is experiencing. A short circuiting of the wiring can lead to overloading of the brain causing it to stop functioning correctly and everything can become jumbled up.

This misfiring can last a few seconds or be prolonged and is called a seizure or fit. Many fits is called epilepsy and someone who is having repeated fits can be called an epileptic.

Kindly clarify; is epilepsy a disease or a disorder?

Epilepsy is truly best regarded as a disorder of the brain and can be caused by many diseases. Anything which can cause a scaring on the brain and therefore a break in the circuit of nerves as described above can cause epilepsy. For example, head injury can lead to damage to nerves and the person can then have a seizure. Brain tumours also damage the nerves and cause epilepsy. Epilepsy can be congenital (the baby is born with it) or acquired (the person develops it after birth). It can have a named cause such as an obvious abnormality of the brain or brain tumour, head injury, stroke, bleeding in the brain and meningitis. Epilepsy can also have no clear cause for it (idiopathic, which means ‘unknown’).

It is easier to explain to people that a particular disease such as a stroke or brain tumour is the cause but much more difficult to make them understand that it simply happened without a clear cause or demonstrable disease. It can happen to anybody and even people who feel perfectly healthy like you and I can still suffer from epilepsy. It is therefore something that we all should learn about and be clear as to the possible reasons why some have epilepsy. Epilepsy can be simple, partial or complex. Simple epilepsy means that it is not too bad and does not disturb the life of the sufferer too much. Partial means that it affects maybe just a part of the body and may not lead to unconsciousness. Complex is bad and leads to loss of consciousness with disruption of the life of the person. There are different names for different types of epilepsy and some types are also named after the part of the brain affected.

There was so much myths and misconception about epilepsy; are there some you know and would graciously want to help debunk?

Some people believe that epilepsy is due to a spiritual attack and that the demon must be cast out of the patient.

Needless to say, this is regardless of educational background or level in the society. In this regard, many a patient has been subjected to massive cruelty and even death. Some of my patients have

•Ogubgbo

been to church, spiritual healers and herbalists and of course numerous hospitals looking for an explanation and treatment. Demons have been thought responsible and therefore ‘beaten’ out of sufferers in many churches and herbalist homes.

What are the treatment options available to patients? Are they within reach and what’s the cost implication?

Epilepsy can be prevented, treated, controlled and rarely, cured. The easiest and most important treatment is prevention. The hardest treatment to achieve is cure. Epilepsy can be best controlled and managed rather than talk about cure. The most important way to prevent epilepsy is to offer early drug treatment to patients with head injury, meningitis and those undergoing brain surgery.

Epilepsy can be controlled by medications such as phenytoin, sodium valproate and carbamazepine to name the famous three. These drugs can reduce the frequency and severity of the seizures by keeping the nerves quiet and making it difficult for them to short circuit. There are many drugs and newer ones which can control seizures effectively. Other ways to treat epilepsy is surgery. There are certain types of epilepsy caused by irritation of the brain due to an abnormality in the brain, head injury or a brain tumour that can be cured by surgery. Treating the cause such as removing the abnormal area or a brain tumour can then lead to cure. There are also special procedures that brain surgeons use to reduce the number of seizures a person suffers, or in fact, to stop the seizures, if the patient feels that a seizure is coming on. Medications for treating seizures can sometimes be lifelong or for a short time as determined by the specialist in such brain matters. Surgery

•Brain

can be expensive. Financial cost for surgery could be as low as N100, 000 to as high as N1m or more. Operations to treat epilepsy can be performed safely in Nigeria by a trained neurosurgeon.

The cost of treating epilepsy can range more than just the monetary bit. Many patients do not socialize and children are often kept off school. This means poor level of education and difficulty in achieving their potential in life. This can lead to depression and many mental health problems. Sadly of course, it can also lead to murder and death in some family circles. Preventing epilepsy is the most important treatment. Preventing or treating conditions such as meningitis, head injury and difficult labour (which can cause brain injury in the baby) is important. A good quality health care delivery system and effective and efficient medical care is vital.

What is the prevalence of epilepsy in Nigeria and where do we have the highest cases?

As with most diseases and conditions in Nigeria, we do not have any reliable statistics. Any statistics is retrospective and based on hospital data which is notoriously unreliable. Governmental bodies such as the federal and state ministries of health appear not to have any clues about gathering the right information and rely mostly on what other bodies especially foreign organizations tell us about our statistics for most medical conditions . Epilepsy as a disorder is prevalent and many people suffer in silence. I think it is long overdue for the health ministry to organize and fund research into the study of the incidence and prevalence, causes and outcome of management of this disorder. I guess the lack of initiative and lack of interest in our medical establishments, wrong application of resources and lack of common sense is responsible for this gap. You need valuable sta-

tistics to plan and allocate resources appropriately. If you use wrong information, it becomes as they say, ’garbage in, garbage out’.

What would you consider wrong with our health sector’s response to the treatment and management of epilepsy and our society’s perception of epilepsy.

To be honest, we do not have a protocol for the treatment of epilepsy or any disease in Nigeria. We rely on outside help and organizations to tell us what to do and how to treat even something as simple as Malaria. We do not have a cohesive programme for identifying and treating patients with epilepsy. There is no clear statement on who should be responsible for the treatment. In many other communities, neurologists and epilepsy specialists are charged with the responsibility. We have only about 50 neurologists in Nigeria which means 1 neurologist is responsible for treating any epilepsy occurring in 30, 000,000 (30 million) people. Of course, this is wholly inadequate and so we need more neurologists or we should get our general practitioners trained in managing patients with epilepsy.

It is even worse with neurosurgeons. We have only about 30 neurosurgeons in Nigeria which means 1 neurosurgeon is responsible for treating any epilepsy occurring in 50, 000,000 (50 million) people. Yet, not all neurosurgeons are trained in the special techniques to manage epilepsy and a year of subspecialty training is necessary. I doubt that any neurosurgeon currently in Nigeria is so trained.

Some people talk about “Neglected Diseases”. Would you consider epilepsy as a neglected disease?

I do not know about ‘neglected diseases’. It seems that many of the diseases in Nigeria are largely neglected

by the government. I do not know of any disease (aside HIV or TB) that the government has a policy on and are actively eradicating. They often rely on statistics, funding and pronouncements from people in other countries.

Epilepsy could definitely be regarded as a neglected disorder and more can be done to counter the ignorance and misconceptions that exist about its cause and treatment.

Patients having a seizure or a fit can jerk around, lose consciousness and foam from the mouth. The fit can last seconds or a few minutes as long as 5 minutes. In close to 90% of cases, the fit stops by itself and the patient recovers as if nothing happened. The best management for the patient at the time of a fit is to make sure they do not come to harm or injure themselves during the period of loss of consciousness. This means that the practice of putting a stick or spoon in their mouth is not necessary and can be damaging. Also, in some communities, various concoctions are poured down their throat. This can lead to choking, asphyxiation, pneumonia and death. I have heard of some other communities where burning the feet of the sufferer is supposed to be helpful!

People trying to help can cause untold suffering, pain, lifelong disability and death.

Can you share one or two experiences you’ve had that can graphically describe how well and how badly we are doing with respect to the management of epilepsy in Nigeria?

I met a young 23 year old woman who suddenly started having a seizure.

Before she came to see me, she had seen five different doctors with no diagnosis.

One of them had also prescribed medication for her but this was not effective as the dose was too little for her. The key thing of course, was that she had not been diagnosed. I ordered the necessary investigations. The investigations that are necessary are the routine blood tests, EEG (to see the electrical activity of the brain and pin point the exact spot of faulty wiring/ short circuiting) and an MRI (to see any abnormality of the brain and rule out a brain tumour as the cause). The MRI showed an abnormality of the brain which she had been born with and this can be surgically treated. Removing that area can lead to control of the seizures reducing the frequency and making life a lot better. This buttresses the point that we need specialists or experts interested in epilepsy to manage these patients. It is not a job for ‘a jack of all trades’.

Several diseases like HIV, polio, TB, Diabetes, etc have been given a face as part of efforts to strengthen advocacy in support of treatment, etc. Do you see anyone putting a face to epilepsy?

Many of the public awareness campaigns and advocacy necessary to remove myths and misconceptions may be more effective if there is indeed a public face. By this I mean, using a public figure or celebrity to get the necessary message across to people. There are some improvements in Nigeria with the advent of medical shows, programme and the theatre (Nollywood). However more needs to be done.

You talked about epileptic surgeon...is that a sub-specialty in medicine? Does that suggest that epilepsy can be surgically treated?

There are neurosurgeons specifically trained in the surgical management of patients with epilepsy. There are specialist operations and equipment required to treat some patients with epilepsy that a narrow experience is necessary to maximize the good outcome.

Some of the operations are hemispherectomy (the bran is separated in half), mesial temporal lobectomy (removing abnormal part of the brain where the seizures originate) and implanting of vagal nerve stimulation (this device stops seizures before they start).

How can we position our health system to better respond to epilepsy?

Remove ignorance and increase access to the right information and specialists.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

48

DIS GENERATION

Should the Joint Task Force (JTF) be withdrawn from Maiduguri following allegations of extra-judicial killings ?

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sponsibility of protecting life and property. They should also know that Nigerian youths are seeing the revolution in the Arab world.

Mustapha Rafiu O., Mushin, Lagos State.

N the allegation of extra-judicial killings and excess levelled against the Joint Task Force sent to quell the Boko Haram uprising in Borno State, the Elders and Leaders of Thought in the state have called on the Federal Government to withdraw the troops. The call is Greek, the FG says, adding that the Borno Elders appear not to see the wood for the trees.

The large numbers of respondents to this issue equally goose-step behind the FG. They wonder and find it perturbing that the Elders are just coming up now to make such request after the dreaded sect has almost made the state ungovernable, not to mention the brutal murder of many compatriots. JTF should remain, they submit!

However, some are of the opinion that two wrongs cannot make a right. Those in this group want the FG to investigate the activities of the JTF members and rein them in.

The call is the height of insensitivity to the lives of the ordinary man in the state. What have these socalled elders done to stop the madness of the sect? The JTF must be allowed to flush out the mass killers of innocent Nigerians.

Remi Adegbola, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Then, what are they doing to resolve the lingering problem of the notorious Boko Haram? Which number of killing is higher? Is it the so-called extra-judicial killings or the sect’s pogrom? Let Borno Elders tell us how they intend to solve this problems or at least let them tell us what to do.

While the JTF can be controlled by the relevant authorities, this sect as of now is amorphous. Borno is an integral part of this country and, like a pond, any stone thrown into it from any part the wave will spread all over. Do not let any group be petty about this.

Akinduro, H.O., Okitipupa, Ondo State.

He who brings home ant-infested faggots shouldn’t complain when he is visited by lizards. The JTF will have to remain till the Elders’ children, referring to ‘boko’ as ‘haram’ come to their senses. Meanwhile, the issue of Boko Haram is a sensitive one, and the government should handle it as such, as it’s capable of truncating our fledging democracy.

Ishowo Lateef, Ilorin, Kwara State.

Late Major Gideon Orkar and co were right when they announced in their 1985 failed coup that certain states in the federation, amongst them BORNO State, were to be cut off from this dubiously contrived Nigerian state but that good decision was not allowed to materialise. If it had worked, those so-called Borno Elders would not openly canvass for the withdrawal of the JTF in that state. It means that they enjoy the killing of policemen, soldiers and poor civilians by the Boko Haram sect. It is unfortunate.

The Elders should be arrested and investigated.

Imolore Oje Biodun, (Snr) Police Pensions HQ, Benin.

I do not think any right thinking person or rational being or group of people should at this time call for withdrawal of soldiers in Maiduguri. I am tempted to believe that these so-called Borno Elders are the faceless sponsors of Boko Haram.

Otherwise how could a group of people disguised and cook up stories of rape by JTF in an attempt to

This call actually confirms the fact that the Borno Elders know the Boko Haram criminals and are harbouring them. If not, the call is spurious!

Dr E.T.O Babalola, OAU, Ile-Ife. We’ve three ways in resolving crisis. Boko Haram has rejected negotiation and persuasion. Let the JTF give them the last option, confrontation.

O. Rasheed, Ondo State.

•Ihejiriaka

ensure their foot soldiers continue to have free reign of terror in Maiduguri? Where were these people in the last two years of killing and massacre of police and soldiers on the streets of Maiduguri? I live and work in Maiduguri and I can testify that the soldiers could not have conducted themselves better in the circumstance.

Tom Oyapidan, Maiduguri, Borno State.

It’s unfortunate that the Elders and Leader of Thought that are supposed to assist the JTF on how to overcome the situation are calling for their withdrawal at the time that states in Nigeria are moving their indigenes back home. And it did not bother them. If I were given the opportunity to lead the security agents on the issue of Boko Haram, I would invite some of them, if not all, for a chart at the SSS headquarters in Abuja. After that, I would put an eye on them.

Dauda E. Daschen, Aba, Abia State.

Withdraw Joint Task Force?

Where are those parochial lawmakers who instead of sympathising with Plateau State and humanity generally, kept asking for the declaration of state of emergency? Fish them out now and ask them what the solution in Borno is. Francis Kwede, Bukuru, Plateau State.

There has never been a solution to crisis through the barrel of guns anywhere in the world. Dialogue is.

Remember military and police barracks have been major targets initially.

Adele Adeola, Ibadan, Oyo State.

The demand by the Borno Elders and Leaders of Thought that the Joint Task Force be withdrawn from Maiduguri is premature in the sense that the issue of Boko Haram has gone beyond their jurisdiction.

It is now a national issue. But if they could guarantee the safety of life and property and stopping of bombing here and there, then the Federal Government should accept their demand. But if not, the jtf should remain there.

Isiaka Ibrahim, Iree, Osun State.

Those calling for the with-

drawal of the JTF in Maiduguri have little understanding of security operations of this magnitude.

Maj G K Bali (rtd), Jos, Plateau State.

Calling for the withdrawal of forces from Borno State by the Elders and co is a right peg in a right hole. This is because of the reason given us. Innocent people are dying everyday in Borno State through the hands of the JTF while the Boko Haram members are moving freely in the streets of Maiduguri.

Ehaletruo M.A Emmanuel, Ilorin, Kwara State.

The so-called Borno Elders may be the people behind the unrest in Borno and soldiers are obstacles to their evil acts. But they should know that all lives are precious.

They will all account for their actions hereafter. Period.

Adepoju, Lagos State.

The Elders should appeal to the Boko Haram sect members who they know to stop the carnage or the security agents should remain there to wipe them off!

Adams Peter Sheriff, Kaduna State.

Where were the Elders and Leader in Borno when their people were misbehaving? JT should remain.

Sunday Eseyin JP, PHC, Rivers State.

That call by the Elders is hypocritical and uncalled for in the face of the wanton bombing of innocent citizens.

Henry Ekpe, Owerri, Imo State.

I support the Borno Elders and Leaders’ quest for military withdrawal. The reason is that force is not the way out but dialogue. There is no much sense fighting somebody you don’t know. Where are the 100 suspects arrested? Why the delay in prosecuting them if it is true? They had better stop killing innocent citizens. Government should think twice. Ibrahim Sani, Zaria, Kaduna State.

If government does not respond to the cry of the vulnerable people of Borno State, the same Elders and Leaders will turn around to accuse government of being insensitive to their plight. The JTF should be left alone to carry out their assignment.

Ajogbor Gab, Karu, Abuja.

The army should remain in Borno until the last Moslem extremist and their sponsors are wiped out.

Lawrence Nwahiri, Owerri, Imo State.

Given the intractable nature of guerrilla warfare as evidenced by the resolve of the US, being the most powerful military power in the world to consider negotiating with the Taliban, it is just reasonable for the FG to withdraw troops in Maiduguri and consider dialogue as an alternative.

Nazifi Dawud, Kano State.

Withdrawing soldiers from Borno State without solving the problem does not arise. Let the soldiers stay and continue to complement the effort of the police. The Borno Leaders’ resolution is not the best. They should put head together with the security agencies in the state to bring peace. If soldiers are to be withdrawn, let the Federal Government replace them with one year state of emergency in the state until peace is restored.

Abdullahi Shuaibu, Umuahia, Abia State.

Those so-called ‘Elders and Leaders’ from Borno State are from their thoughts, and utterances sponsors of the demonic Boko Haram sect.

Their arrest and interrogation is the shortest cut to putting an end to all the bombings and killings in parts of the North since the last presidential election.

Comrade Kayode Igbarago, Benin City, Edo State.

Every political, social or economic action taken by Government has its costs and benefits. The presence of JTF in Borno State is not an exception. There is nowhere in the world where the deployment of soldiers to curtail social strife or upheavals would not attract some elements of excessiveness from the soldiers. Borno State Elders and Leaders of Thought should see the misbehaviour of the soldiers as the costs the people the state have to bear for peace and tranquillity to return to the larger Nigeria society.

Olaniran Afolabi A., Benin City, EDo State.

I do not support the withdrawal of the JTF. Hence, Nigerian leaders should wake up to the primary re-

Continue on page 52

By Jennifer Ehidiamen 08054503875 (Sms only)

A rope and a ceiling

I

T was after work hour. I rushed out of my office, towards the train station. Like me, many people were heading home. I looked at the faces of the people around me. It is an unconscious habit I picked up over the past months. Looking at the expression on people’s faces, trying to decipher what could be going through their head… it is a mind game, to kill the minutes as we all wait for the ride home.

That evening, everyone looked the same- tired after a hard day’s job. The rush hour and train delay did not help matters. Everyone was eager to get on board as early as possible before the station got too crowded. The more crowded it is, the less likely you would get a seat on board.

That evening, the transport system was unusually slow.

The delay was worse on the red line, Shady Grove towards Silver Spring station. But commuters were not left to wonder what was causing the disruption. My phone beeped to reaffirm the announcement booming from the station’s intercom. Reading the SMS from “Alert DC”- The subway service apologized for the delay in running regular hour. According to them, a man had jumped in front of one of the trains- yes he committed suicide.

I was disheartened by the news. Why will anyone just take his or her own life? Nothing could justify such action. Even in the midst of high depression, debt, poverty, whatever it is… I do not think it justifies the action of any man to spit on God’s face and take his or her own life.

Last week, it was not a news about a man jumping in front of a train that made a lot of people raise their eyebrow at the high rate of suicide in our society, but the story of a 26year-Old exbanker who was found hanging on the ceiling of her sister’s home in Lagos.

The story went viral on the Internet. According to the report, the young lady, Motunrayo Ogbara, committed suicide after being jilted by her boyfriend, amidst other challenging circumstances she was going through. But her life was not as miserable. She was a graduate of Economics from the University of Lagos. Perhaps she needed to have seen her life through a more positive eye.

It is true that as our faces are different so are the challenges each and every one of us is facing. But I do not think any magnitude of challenge is enough for anyone to take his or her own life. If you are currently going through a form of depression or know anyone who is, please advice such person to seek psychological help or counselling.

Say no to suicide. Don’t allow anyone push you over the cliff either. Love life and live.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

49

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Arts & Life

50

SUNNY SIDE

Cartoons

By Olubanwo Fagbemi

POLITICKLE

deewalebf@yahoo.com 08060343214 (SMS only)

Famished reserve •Or ‘The lions that missed dinner’ One of the wonders of nature is the peaceful coexistence of various species of animals in their natural habitat, as anyone who has ever visited a game reserve would note.

The animals thrive in mutual respect of one another’s territorial boundaries as my friend John who worked at a game reserve in the north affirmed. He seemed to have a captivating narrative about each animal. Of all the stories, however, it was that of a stray group of lions that he loved to tell most. It was, for John, an awe-inspiring experience – by far the most enlightening of his sojourn in the wild.

CHEEK BY JOWL

OH, LIFE!

THE GReggs

DURING a particularly harsh season, the animals on a famous game reserve in the north endured unprecedented famine. Most were reduced to walking skeletons. Even the resourceful humans who habited the camp located at the centre of the reserve struggled to cope as food and water became scarce. In desperation, many experimented with unusual sources of food, sometimes hazardously.

In the fiery competition for survival, elephants trampled themselves and other animals while they bickered over rare food finds, snorting buffaloes chased people from the natural spring, and chimpanzees vied with birds for scraps of food donated by the occasionally generous humans.

The lions probed further. As the period of want intensified, they ventured nearer human habitation – mainly at night –, leaving unsettling tracks. Well, as long as they didn’t repeat the fatal attack on a little girl at the edge of camp years ago, the situation was far from dire, reasoned the humans. The lion that strayed so perilously on that occasion was hunted down and eventually exterminated with its hide preserved and displayed alongside the account of its horrific exploit at the reserve’s museum.

But the lions were fated to attack again. To general shock, they did so behind the reserve’s workers’ living quarters. After stalking the antelopes that grazed in the open of camp, oblivious to imminent danger, a menacing lion pounced on the weakest link in a group of five of the rather tame herbivores one awful morning. The agonised squeal of the victim sent everyone scampering. The lion soon left, content with feeding on its quarry’s internal organs, or so everyone thought.

Minutes after, someone braved the odds to inspect the carnage, only to rush indoors and immediately rush out with a plastic bucket and a curved sharp knife capable of slicing the half-consumed meat as intended, or as can be imagined, through the pall of fear that hung near and about. Following the desperate fellow’s lead, many who shivered and sweated through the gruesome encounter behind closed doors flung trepidation aside and exploded into action. A commotion of carving and cutting ensued. By evening, bone fragments and blood clots were all that remained.

Not a few went to bed savouring the exceptional experience of sumptuous meals of ‘bush meat’. But sleep eluded everyone. Late into the night, the lion reappeared from the wild with its fellows, and finding the kill missing, roared so ferociously that the fainthearted very well fainted from fear, even from the refuge of their rooms.

John, whose window was nearest the scene, captured the incident: “Round and round the open space behind our rooms the lions prowled and growled. I’d heard that their roar could be terrifying, but until then never really knew how bad it could be. It seemed as if the lions would come in through the walls as the door was firmly locked.”

About an hour later, the lions left, after aggressively expressing ‘displeasure’ over the lost dinner. Many nights after, the workers still slept in dread of the beasts’ return, but the lions never did, to widespread relief.

QUOTES There are some defeats more triumphant than victories Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors

—Michel de Montaigne —African Proverb

Jokes Darling Nameless Matt was invited to his friend’s home for dinner. James, the host, preceded every request to his wife by endearing terms, calling her Honey, My Love, Darling, Sweetheart, Pumpkin, etc.

Matt looked at James and remarked, “That is really nice. After all these years of marriage, you keep calling your wife those pet names.”

James hung his head and whispered, “To tell the truth, I forgot her name three years ago.”

Real Origin

“Daddy, where did I come from?” the seven-year-old asked.

It was a moment for which her parents had carefully prepared. They took her into the living room, got out the encyclopedia and several other books, and explained all they thought she should know about sexual attraction, affection, love, and reproduction. Then they both sat back and smiled contentedly.

“Does that answer your question?” her

SUDOKU

father asked.

“Not really,” the little girl said. “Margret said she came from Australia. I want to know where I came from.”

Polishing Apples A young man asked an old rich man how he made his money.

The old guy fingered his expensive wool vest and said, “Well, son, it was 1932; the depth of the Great Depression. I was down to my last cent.

“I invested that coin in an apple. I spent the entire day polishing the apple and, at the end of the day, I sold the apple for ten cents.

“The next morning, I invested those ten cents in two apples. I spent the entire day polishing them and sold them at 5:00 pm for 20 cents. I continued this system for a month, by the end of which I’d accumulated a fortune of $10.

“Then my wife’s father died and left us two million dollars.”

•Culled from the Internet

ST

1 STEP IN SOLVING PUZZLE: (320) Look at the 3 bottom horizontal (GHI) 3x3 boxes. The right box has 8 in cell Ig, while the middle box has its 8 in cell Hd. The left box must, therefore, have its own 8 in row G, where all 3 cells are vacant. But, since column

PUZZLE 320

A B C D E F G H I

6 1

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

a already has an 8 — in cell Fa, and column b an 8 in cell Cb, the only space available to accommodate 8 in the left box is cell Gc. Reasoning along these lines, try and fill in all the other vacant cells.

Solution on SATURDAY. Happy Puzzling!

SOLUTION TO PUZZLE 319

3

3 8 2 1 5 4 3 2 4 8 5 7 4 4 9 9 7 5 8 2 7 8

24/7/2011

4

6 5 h

i

8 6 2 7 3 9 5 4 1

1 5 4 2 6 8 3 9 7

9 3 7 5 1 4 6 2 8

6 7 9 8 4 3 1 5 2

5 4 3 1 7 2 8 6 9

2 8 1 6 9 5 4 7 3

3 2 5 4 8 7 9 1 6

7 9 6 3 5 1 2 8 4

4 1 8 9 2 6 7 3 5

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

51

Young Nation

08056745268

Hello children, You must have started your school break by now. Do try and find something wothwhile doing as you enjoy the summer holiday

WORD WHEEL This is an openended puzzle.

How many words of three or more letters each including the letter at the centre of the wheel can you make from this diagram?

We’ve found 51 including one nine-letter word.

Can you do better?

Riddles with Bisoye Ajayi (1). What must a carpenter have in every job he does?

(2). What can we see on fingers, big boots and in carpenter’s bag?

(3). What is it that cups, saucepans and knives have?

Answers to last week’s Riddles 1. Legs 2. Statue Miss Ajayi is a Basic 5 pupil of Fasta International School, Omole Estate Phase 1, Ikeja, Lagos

•Pupils of Muslim Heritage Nursery and Primary School, Itire, Lagos on an excursion to The Nation Newspaper Headquarters, Matori, Lagos on Wednesday, July 20, 2011

WORD SEARCH

Birthdays

Watches A watch is a small timepiece, typically worn either on the wrist or attached on a chain and carried in a pocket, with wristwatches being the most common type of watch used today.

Watches consist of a series of small wheels, pinions, and arbors held together by plates. Its movement is powered by springs and regulated by an escapement that must be of the balance-wheel style, rather than the pendulum, so that the watch will continue to run when moved or turned in various positions In addition to the time, modern watches often display the day, date, month and year, and electronic watches may have many other functions. Watches that provide additional time-related features such as timers, chronographs and alarm functions are not uncommon.Wristwatches are often appreciated as jewelry or as collectible works of art rather than just as timepieces.

Find some watch brands in the word search below

•David Olusegun Raphael of Mighty Oak Model School, Ipaja, Lagos celebrated his 4th birthday on the 20th June, 2011

•Moridiyat Darasimi Hammed celebrated her first year birthday on July 15th, 2011

•Titobioluwa Sesere celebrated her first year birthday on July 3rd, 2011

ACCURIST BREITLING CASIO CHOPARD FOSSIL

HUBLOT MOVADO OMEGA ORIS PULSAR

RADO ROLEX SEIKO SWATCH TISSOT

Word search created by Ifeoluwa Onifade Answers to Riddles

1. Wood 2. Nails 3. Handle

Send in your stories, poems, articles, games, puzzles, riddles and jokes to sundaynation@yahoo.com

52

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Life

T

HE sound from the television set was barely audible.

The ceiling fan was rotating at full speed. Pictures of Obi and I littered the bed and a very cold plate of yam porridge lay on the floor, untouched. Rays of sunshine flooded the room through the open window. It was barely one o’clock in the afternoon yet I felt exhausted.

I had lost my hunger for food….I had lost my hunger for life. In my hands was a portfolio of the tourist sites of Australia, a land so far away that the thought of an existence in this foreign country seemed like a long forgotten dream. Looking up, an image on the mantle caught my eye, it was my wedding photograph…

Five years ago while walking along the corridor to my class room I stopped to greet my friend, Chika, who was talking to a guy I thought was a classic snob. I found out eventually that I was wrong about him because Obi not only ended up being my friend but also my boyfriend. He was my class mate and just about a year older than me but we shared so much in common. He treated me like I was special. He stuck with me even when I did not deserve it. He helped heal my broken heart. A heart torn to pieces by my first and true love, Tony, a working dentist who travelled to Scotland leaving his birth country behind, leaving his family behind, leaving me behind for good or so I thought.

After four years of dating, my relationship with Obi, amidst all

Continue from page 48 I am surprised that some people are claiming that the activities of the JTF are extra-judicial killings. Please, ask them what we call the menace of the Boko Haram. I think they are misplacing priority.

Olurotimi Johnson, Lagos State.

That is a Nigeria for you! The Elders and Leaders in Maiduguri are not only the sponsors of Boko Haram but members of the sect and should be held accountable and charged accordingly.

Tony Ingyape, Gonin-Gora, Kaduna State.

The withdrawal call by the Leaders and Elders from Maiduguri is in the right track because the JTF members are not performing their duties.

They are rather raping and killing innocent souls.

Suleiman Alkali, Jos, Plateau State.

the obstacles placed in our path by our mothers’, blossomed into marriage.

I was a very happy bride and when he said ‘Toyin, with this ring I wed thee’, I felt my heart would burst with joy.

I could not wait to carry his child.

About three months into our marriage while returning from work, I stopped to pick up my husband’s shirt from the tailor. Right there in the shop, looking right at me was Tony. The sight of him knocked the wind out of me. We were speechless. Tony led me out of the shop and began apologising for what he had put me through. He told me he only began to appreciate what he had after he had lost it. He begged me to take him back. I showed him the ring on my finger. He looked broken and I felt sorry for him. He wanted to see me again and so did I. That meeting was the first of many. With each meeting, I felt buried emotions resurface and before I knew it, I started looking forward to each second I spent with him. I tried to be as discreet as possible because I could not bear the thought of hurting Obi. Tony and I started to get physically involved with each meeting. I felt guilty about being adulterous and after six months of my illicit relationship Tony, I decided to quit playing games and focus on my marriage.

Tony was so understanding that when I spoke to him about it, he agreed and with me. I was torn inside. I had fallen in love with Tony.

While at work one day, Obi fainted and was rushed to the hospital. The doctors’ revived him and delivered the shocking news. Obi had acute pneumonia and had developed some complications with his lungs. We were assured he would be fine. He was discharged

Torn

after two weeks and actually started feeling better. A few days after his discharge, I noticed that he began coughing and each time he coughed, little drops of blood were seen on his handkerchief. Being a reserved person, he did not talk about his health issues as much as he should have. I began to fear the worst and asked him to see a doctor. He made me promise never to tell a soul especially his mum for fear that she might begin to panic, worsening her state of health, she was hypertensive.

One sunny Saturday afternoon, Obi was in high spirits and decided to spend some time with the guys, playing tennis. I thought about Tony a lot more often since our separation and was yearning to see him again. As soon as obi was out of the door, I picked up the phone and dialled Tony’s number asking him to see him one last time. We planned to meet at our usual spot. There was

no time for me to have a shower as was the norm and so I quickly got dressed, wearing my best lingerie and drove as fast as I could to his house. I was barely half-way through the door when Tony grabbed me and held me close. I felt at peace within his embrace and without a shadow of doubt knew I had made a mistake marrying Obi. We spent quality time together that day and held on to each other as it would be our last time together as lovers or so we thought. I cried my heart out on my way home. As soon as I got home, not wanting to raise any suspicion, I had a bath and prepared dinner for my husband.

Obi came home about an hour later dripping with sweat and full of life. Giving me an account of how the game went, he rushed into the shower and got himself ready for dinner. I tried to look happy. I was breaking up inside. He asked me to go swimming with him the next day and after what I had done, I had no choice but to agree.

We went to bed early and just when he was about to sleep off, he whispered in my ear the very words that would haunt me for life. He said “I’m blessed to have your heart”. To stop myself from screaming, I smiled and turned my back to him. If I had known what was to come. lf I had known those would be his last words, I would

have held him close through the night. I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed but my husband lay by my side, dead.

Obi was buried according to traditional rights. I watched my husband being laid to the ground and all I felt was the loss of a good friend not a soul mate. Tony was my rock through this period. He held my hand when tears of guilt and shame threatened to tear me apart. He was around me so much that people started to ask questions but I didn’t care because his presence was all I needed to get through each day. …For three months I lived in a state of shock, denial and above all, guilt. The doctors say Obi put a lot of pressure on his lungs by playing rigorous tennis early that day causing complications which led to his death. I believe the doctors’ report, Obi’s family especially his mum do not. They believe I killed their son in his sleep and are bent on making me pay for a crime I did not commit. They have taken away the home I built with my late husband and are threatening to take my life too.

Tony is aware of all that I am going through and has asked me to relocate with him to Australia. I want to give in to his request but I am worried about the shame it will bring to my family. I am worried about what my pastors’ will think.

I am worried about my future with Tony. I feel frustrated with having to defend myself every time before Obi’s family. I want to be free of this void of loneliness deep within my heart. I might be ready to give up just about anything to be with Tony and be free from Obi’s family but is running away with him is the right thing to do?

Many thanks to our amazing readers who send in their comments. If you are passionate about writing exciting short stories, you can send two copies of your writing samples to pearlohai@yahoo.com. Winning entries will be published once every month.

N.B: Each entry must have a minimum of 800 words and a maximum of 1000 words. Credit will be given to each writer for every story published.

What is your view on the demand by Borno Elders and Leaders of Thought that the Joint Task Force (JTF) be withdrawn from Maiduguri following allegations of extra-judicial killings and excessiveness ? sponsors of boko haram are amongst the supposedly Borno Elders and Leaders of Thought.

Ishaya, Taraba State.

The scenario in Maiduguri is a reflection o leadership failure. Those who should protect us are completely overwhelmed. We cannot continue like these. Something must give way.

Toyin Akilo, Ekiti State.

Those calling for the withdrawal of the JTF men in Borno State are the mentors of the Boko Haram group. They should move out of the state and its neighbouring cities before they’re exposed. The killings of innocent souls and destruction of property in the country have no source data space or points in Islamic texts. As such Boko Haram is a pure act of terrorism. I’m appealing to the security servicemen to engage the services of strategically special squads to man the area most afflicted with terrorist activities.

Abdullah EL-Ibrahim, Kano State.

Every territory of Nigeria must be protected from both external and internal aggression. The JTF must remain there to show the supremacy of the coercive forces of the Nigerian state. But government may handle the issue with more liberal tact to minimize suffering, exodus and preclude over population in other zones.

But is Nigeria truly a secular state?

Why does government expend on pilgrimages?

Gowon Toruyouyei, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Government should arrest those Elders in Borno who are placing the same demand as Boko Haram. They are behind the sect.

Rev. Dr. Cephas Okwori, Makurdi, Benue State.

My view is that the intelligence services ought not to look further for sponsors and backers of the Boko Haram group. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to arrive at the affirmative conclusion that backers and

Withdrawal of the troop will not be the solution. However, these Elders should know that their misdeed has contributed to the Boko militancy and the public sympathy they now enjoy in that side of the

world. It is only a fool that will continue to do the same thing the same way and expect different result.

Alhaji Junaid Yunus, Akure-North, Ondo State.

I am totally against the withdrawal of the joint task force from Maiduguri as being canvassed by the Borno Leaders of Thought. With their presence in the town, the Boko Haram is still operating. If they are disengaged, nobody is safe. To me, it’s better they remain in Maiduguri until they are ready to be law-abiding.

Hon. Aiyedogbon Segun, Ekinrin Adde, Kogi State.

To say the fact, the Federal Government should order the JTF to go back to their barracks because the Islamic sect members are living with innocent people. So, to fish them out may be difficult.

Otusanya Nurudeen, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

The JTF is for the security of Nigerians in Maiduguri. Many nonNigerians are in the country. What has the Ministry of Internal Affairs done to check these non-indigenes from Chad, Niger and Cameroon who don’t have residence permit but walk about freely in the state? The Elders and Leaders of Thought cannot claim ignorance of the individuals behind these criminal acts of taking lives and people’s rights.

Mr Stone Otakanchi, Lafia, Nasarawa State.

The Bornu Elders should be danc-

ing the best of their music because they met a soft and listening government headed by Jonathan who refused to declare a state of emergency in the state. The Joint Task Force (JTF) is there only to maintain peace and order. I believe the Elders, as true Moslems, should uproot the militant sect and stop crying wolf. Muoneke John Chukwumaijem, Nanka, Anambra State.

For peace to return to Borno JTF should remain. It happened in Jos and peace has returned there.

Emma Bakasy, Asaba, Delta State.

Those Borno Elders and Leaders are completely nonchalant about the havoc being caused by the monster, BOKO HARAM. The JTF should not allow itself to be intimidated. Uche, PHC, Rivers State.

The demand of these elders is a fallacy. They are ignorant. These socalled elders need a lot of education on the menace that is going on now in Borno. Based on their demands, i am of the conviction that they are members of Boko Haram.

Udeme Eshiet, Akwa Ibom State.

They are demanding for the withdrawal of the JTF so that the terrorists can have the opportunity to accomplish their deathly mission. In fact, they should be considered as the enemy of this country. Where were they when these terrorists were kill-

ing the innocent people in the state?

Joseph Ukwagada, Cross River State.

The clamour for the JTF’s withdrawal by the so-called Borno Elders is lame because they failed to provide an alternative in the event of such withdrawal. They’ve also failed woefully in their parental obligations as members of the sect are nothing but their wards and children. I am of the strongest view that the immediate arrest and intensive grilling of former Gov. Ali Modu Sheriff is a sine qua non to getting at the root of the Boko Haram malaise.

Barr Samuel Ehis Irabor, Makurdi, Benue State.

The position of the Borno Elders and Leaders on the withdrawal of soldiers from Maiduguri smacks of mischief and callousness.

Aloy Anigbogu, Anambra State.

If Fela were to be alive he would have described such calls as babanla-nonsense. Let’s shun them and allow the JTF to continue chasing those monsters.

Kufre Udoma, Akwa Ibom State.

The words of elders mean a lot.

What they see the JTF cannot explain. The JTF did not help in Niger Delta. Let’s avoid further extra-judicial killings.

Goroh Nuhu, Abuja.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011 CHANGE OF NAME CHANGE OF NAME

53 CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

ADEWUMI I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Adewumi Aminat Atinuke, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Shiyanbade Aminat Atinuke. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and general public should take note.

NWOKE I, formerly known and addressed as MR CHINENYE NWOKE, now wish to be known and addressed as MR CHINENYE AMAKOR. All former documents remain valid.

The General public should please take note.

BORIOWO I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Boriowo Felicia Funke, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Olofinbiyi Felicia Funke. All former documents remain valid. SUBEB and general public take note.

OLAIDE I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Olaide Kehinde Adewunmi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Akala Kehinde Adewunmi. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

ODIAH I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Stella Nkedilim Odiah, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Stella Nkedilim Mere. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

ABIODUN I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Abiodun Toyin, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Jegede Oluwatoyin Chrisianah.

All former documents remain valid. Local government Service Commission, Ekiti State and general public take note.

AGWOM I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Agwom Malina Ajang, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Eunan Malina Agom. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

OWOLABI I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Owolabi Esther Iyabo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ademabayoje Esther Iyabo.

All former documents remain valid.

Authority concerned and general public should take note.

OSENI I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oseni Medinat, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Alabi Medinat. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

ORUMADIKI I, formerly known and addressed as Ininasime Orumadiki, now wish to be known and addressed as Ininasime Kelly-Whyte. All former documents remain valid.

General public should take note.

ADETORO I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Adetoro Adedoyin Oluwadunni, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Joseph Adedoyin Ibidunni. All former documents remain valid.

Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, NYSC and general public take note.

OBI I, formerly known and addressed as Dr. Obi Owaregba Faith, now wish to be known and addressed as Dr. Olapade Faith Owaregba. All former documents remain valid.

MDCN, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and general public should take note.

OCHIE I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Patricia Ochie, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Patricia Abraham Khestossen.

All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

AWOLAJA I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Awolaja Anne Abolaji, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Abidemi Anne Abolaji. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

OKORO I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Okoro Okiemute, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Esiere Okiemute. All former documents remain valid.

DELSU, NYSC and general public take note.

BADERINWA I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Baderinwa, Oluwatoyin Hafsoh, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs BaderinwaAdekeye, Oluwatoyin Hafsoh. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CLETUS OSUJI I, formerly known and addressed as Mrs Blessing Edidiong Cletus Osuji, now wish to be known and addressed as Blessing Uwemedimo Okoneyoh-Joseph.

All former documents remain General public take note.

ILUGBO I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Omotola Oluwabusayo Fatimah Ilugbo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Fatimah Omotola Oluwabusayo Osumah. All former documents remain valid. Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, NYSC and general public take note.

SONEYE I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Soneye Oluwayemisi Omowunmi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Enifeni Oluwayemisi Omowunmi. All former documents remain valid. State Universal Primary Education Board, Abeokuta and general public take note.

AFOLAYAN I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Afolayan Theresa Modupe, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Awojobi Theresa Modupe Idowu. All former documents remain valid.

FMC, Ido-Ekiti and general public take note.

VICTOR I, formerly known and addressed as Victor Terseer Nayongo R., now wish to be known and addressed as Victor Terseer Nayongo. All former documents remain valid. UNN and general public take note.

KOLAWOLE I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Kolawaole Iyabo Riskoh, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Abdul Quadri Iyabo Riskoh. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public should take note.

OPEODU I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Opeodu Oluwafunmilayo Oluwatosin, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Adeniyi Olufunmilayo Oluwatosin. All former documents remain valid.

General public should take note.

OGUNFUNMI I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ogunfunmi Abosede Omolola, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Akeju Abosede Omolola. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

OGBOMO I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Racheal Maria Ogbomo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Racheal Owamamwen Richard. All former documents remain valid. God’s Little Angel Primary & Nursery School and general public take note.

ADEDOJA I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Adedoja Agnes Adetomi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ilesanmi Agnes Adetomi. All former documents remain valid. Ilesa East Local Education Authority, SUBEB, Osogbo and general public should take note.

EHINDERO I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ehindero Victory Toyin, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Olubiyo Abayomi Victory Toyin. All former documents remain valid.

God’s Little Angel Primary & Nursery School and general public take note.

UWAECHIE I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Patricia Ngozi Uwaechie, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Patricia Ngozi Isiekwe. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

OJUYAH I, formerly known and addressed as Ojuyah Gbubemi Quincy, now wish to be known and addressed as Oti Emmanuel Answer. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

HUNDE I, formerly known and addressed as Iveren Priscilla Hunde, now wish to be known and addressed as Iveren Priscilla Adanyi. All former documents remain valid.

BSU and general public take note.

ALIA I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Florence Chidinma Alia, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Florence Chidinma Kanu. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

ONYEKA I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Onyeka Clara Chioma, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Isaac Clara Chima. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public should take note.

ADESIYAN I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Adesiyan Tosin Ruth, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Afolabi Tosin Ruth. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public should take note.

TIMEHIN I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Janet Abisola Timehin, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Janet Abisola Okuyemi. All former documents remain valid. Ijebu North East government and general public should take note.

OLUFAWO I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Olufawo Abibatu Olufunke, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Olaorehin Abibatu Olufunke. All former documents remain valid. INELG, Atan and general public should take note.

OLAOLUWA I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Olaoluwa Rianat Oluwafunmilayo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Adenuga Rianat Oluwafunmilayo. All former documents remain valid. Ogun SUBEB, Odpgbolu LGEA and general public should take note.

OKEOWO I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Okeowo Kemi Agnes, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Otusoga Kemi Agnes. All former documents remain valid.

Ogun SUBEB, LGEA, Ijebu-Ode and general public should take note.

OLADEJI I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oladeji Susan Oluyombo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Adeyemo Susan Oluyombo. All former documents remain valid. Ogun SUBEB and general public should take note.

ADEYEMI I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Adeyemi Olabisi Martina, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Banjo Olabisi Martina. All former documents remain valid. Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, Ijebu-Igbo and general public should take note.

BELLO I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Bello Tawakalitu Olajumoke, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ige-Bello Tawakalitu Olajumoke. All former documents remain valid. LASU and general public should take note.

OJO I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ojo Christianah Olawumi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ogungbemi Christianah Olawumi. All former documents remain valid. Lead City University, Ibadan, NYSC and general public should take note.

AZIE I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Azie Sylvia Amaka, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ogbozor Sylva Amaka.

All former documents remain valid.

IMT, NYSC and general public should take note.

ONYEBU I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ONYEBUCHI ESTHER UGWU, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ONYEBUCHI ESTHER OBE. All former documents remain valid. FCTA WATERBOARD and the General public should please take note.

OJO I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ojo Bukola Eunice, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Oluyele Bukola Eunice.

All former documents remain valid.

General public should take note.

KAIZA I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Rachael Kaiza, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ebitimi Rachael. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

OLANLOYE I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Olanloye Abosede Ajike, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Amusan Abosede Ajike. All former documents remain valid. SUBEB Yewa North LGEA and general public should take note.

SEKONI I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Sekoni Ronke Titilayo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ajieh Ronke Titilayo. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public should take note.

IFEDI I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ifedi Elizabeth Chinwe, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Okafor Elizabeth Chinwe. All former documents remain valid. Embassy and general public should take note.

AREDOKUN I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Aredokun Mofoluwake Abosede, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Segun Mofoluwake Bosede. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

KILANI I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Aminat Olubunmi Kilani, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Aminat Olubunmi Sodipo. All former documents remain valid. Federal Ministry Information, National Archiver Dept. and general public should take note.

DONALD I,formerly known and addressed as Donald Gwado Moshi, now wished to be known and addressed as Donald Gbado Moshi. All former documents however remained valid. The management of the Nasarawa State Ministry of Education, the Nasarawa State University and general public should please take note.

ANYAOHA I formerly known and addressed as Miss Cordelia Ada Olaedo Anyaoha, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Cordelia Ada Olaedo Akinrotimi.All former documents remain valid.

Ebonyi State University ,NYSC and general public should take note.

EMEKWO I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Ugo Ukoha Emekwo, now wishes to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ugo Onyeani Urum. All former document remain valid.

General public please take note.

OBED I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Obed Amanda Chinenye, now wishes to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ndudim-eEobe Amanda Chinenye. all former document remain valid Abia State Polytechnic , NYSC and general public please take note.

ALAO I formerly known and addressed as Miss Alao Rachael Folasade, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Adejengbe Rachael Folasade. All former document remain valid. Nipost and general public take note.

YUSUFF I formarlly known and addressed as Miss Yusuff Olabisi Kafilat, now wished to be known and addressed as Mrs Alamu Kafilat Olabisi. All formal documents remain valid. General public take note.

EDEMINAM I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Edeminam Usoro, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ojuola Bamidele Usoro.

All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and general public take note.

SALAKO I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Asisat Adebukola Salako, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Asisat Adebukola Fasasi. All former documents remain valid. Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NACHO) and general public take note.

OKERE I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ann Nkiruka Thomas Okere, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ann Chidi Nzofutachi. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

EZIKE I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Ugochi Ezike, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ugochi Blessing Okene. All former documents remain valid.

General public should take note.

ADESUYI I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Adesuyi Oyebusola C., now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Amuda-Kolapo Oyebusola Christianah. All former documents remain valid.

Federal Medical Centre, Ido-Ekiti and general public should take note.

OLADUNJOYE I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oladunjoye Gbemisola, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Adefioye Funmilayo Christianah. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and general public should take note.

AINA I, formerly known and addressed as MISS AINA ADENIKE FAITH, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ODEBUNMI ADENIKE FAITH. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

ADVERT: Simply produce your marriage certificate or sworn affidavit for a change of name publication, with just (N3,500.)

The payment can be made through FIRST BANK of Nigeria Plc. Account number - 1892030011219 Account Name - VINTAGE PRESS LIMITED. Scan the details of your advert and teller to gbengaodejide@yahoo.com or thenation_advert@yahoo.com For enquiry please contact: Gbenga on 08052720421, 08161675390, Email- gbengaodejide @yahoo.com or our offices nationwide.

Note this! Change of name is now published every Thursdays and Sundays, all materials should reach us two days before publication.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

54

Group tasks youth on personal development EBERE WABARA

O8055001948

ewabara@yahoo.com

Reported speech writing

T

HE GUARDIAN Back Page Subheadline of July 20 disseminated a diseased line:”Senate may review BPE Act, says no witchhunting” (witch-hunt) From the above edition comes the next juvenile word error: “President of the Senate, David Mark, said there is (was) no political undertone to the move.” Reporters who do not know the rudiments of reported speech writing have not begun intellectual journalism. I recommend celebrity genre of the profession for such neophytes!

“30% DISCOUNT on hotel accomodation when you fly Air Nigeria” (AIR NIGERIA Full Page Advert, National Mirror, July 18) No jet-lagged spelling: accommodation.

“Trees as antidote against flood” (DAILY INDEPENDENT Metro Headline, July 18) My antidote to (not against) lexical slipshoddiness is carefulness in collocation.

Another spelling interlude: “NASS seeks funds for excercise” (DAILY Sun Front Page Headline, July 18) Spellcheck: exercise.

Let us welcome Nigerian Compass Saturday Special of July 16 to this column: “And the electorate has (have) been taken for a ride because….”

THE NATION SPORT of July 16 boldly advertised illiteracy in just one inarticulate and lengthy paragraph that unfortunately was lifted as the centre-spread quote.

You can deduce the character of the two-page article from this extract: “This year’s edition of the National Sports Festival was marred with (marred by) series (a series) of protests by many states against the medal haul (medals haul or the haul of medals) by the host which they believe was achieved by dubious means. States like Bayelsa, Edo and Kaduna could not hide their feelings as they pointed accusing fingers on (they pointed the finger at) the ways and manner (ways and means) by which Team Rivers dominated every event they partake (partook in).” What a scandalous and utterly embarrassing piece of sports journalism!

“Kano athletes poise for war over NSF reward” (SUNDAY MIRROR Back Page Headline, July 17) I

am not poised for war.

This reminds me of one of the titles in the heyday of Daily Times, Poise, which was edited by vivacious Medline Tador in the 90s.

“Group commends Jonathan over (for) Oduah’s appointment” (Nigerian Compass Headline, July 17) “Emergency in the Education Sector” (THISDAY SUNDAY COMMENT Editorial Headline, July 17) Emergency indeed: educational sector “Celebration galore as Mandela clocks 93” (THISDAY Banner, July 17) For the legend: celebrations galore.

‘Celebration’ is both countable and uncountable quite all right, but in the anniversary ceremonial circumstance of this global citizen, it must have been pomp celebrations.

“Bereaved Nigerian mother lashes Austria over son’s death” Fixed expression: lash out at.

“South African minister to clampdown on guns” Noun: clampdown; phrasal verb: clamp down (which applies here). ”Rediscovering the African idiom at World Music Day” Art and Life: on World Music Day. “ O t h e r w i s e , somewhere down the line with their loots, these men would continue to come back to rape the polity.”

‘Loot’ is uncountable.

“Resident doctors in neighbouring Ghana went on strike less than a week before our own strike and theirs have (has) since been resolved.”

“Perhaps, Babatunde Raji Fashola’s roads was (were) never meant to withstand ‘satanic’ rains, the type that has been tormenting Lagos.”

“Others are outrightly ugly.” This is American corruption of language.

British Standard English: Others are ugly outright.

“Kidnapped people were turned into beasts of burden to cart away all RUF booties (booty).”

“They point accusing fingers towards female prostitutes who are girlfriends to the armed robbers and provide those anti-social miscreants accommodation and succour to perpetuate their despicable crimes.”

Delete ‘accusing’ and point the finger at (not towards) prostitutes. And this: anti-social miscreants? This is the

summit of illiteracy and loose thinking!

“It will present events in the two chambers, record achievements, gossips and behind-thescene moves of the assemblymen.” ‘Gossip’, in this context, is uncountable.

“Shoot-at-sight order in Borno State” Get it right: shoot-on-sight order “The last but not the least is about corruption” No task: the last but not least.

“These children disappeared atimes from home after their parents had gone to search for daily bread.” Children for sale: at times.

“No sooner had the morning papers commenced at (on) the main campus of the university at about 10 a.m.” Either at or about 10 a.m. ‘At about’ smacks of thoughtlessness and uncertainty.

“Having shown that he means business, all shades of people are quickly jumping into (on or aboard) the ‘anticorruption’ bandwagon.”

“Another feather to (in) Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s cap” “Following reports of molestation and harassment of lawabiding citizens by members of vigilante groups supposedly in anti-robbery patrol….”

Get it right: vigilance committees.

“I literarily (literally) saw the yoke of military rule.” “…the officials who would be carrying files from Abuja to Lagos to treat in the morning and return them back in the evening. No linguistic sabotage: delete ‘back’. “…several universities from across the universe were practically falling over themselves (one another) to give Mandela one honorary award or the other (another).”

“Staff correspondent xrays the government White Paper on the two organizations…and related companies in the industry. ‘White Papers’ are issued exclusively by governments. So, yank off ‘government’.

Wrong: non-challance; right: nonchalance. “…the desire by the president to utilize best hands available in the running of government in these trying times....” Do you utilize what is unavailable?

T

HE Programme Officer, Success Gate International, Tutu Adeniji has challenged young Nigerians on personal development as it remain a major recipe for employment in our ever growing competitive world.

Adeniji made this call at a two day empowerment seminar organized by Success Gate International at Mr. Big gs, Akonwonjo, Egdeda, Lagos.

The programme with theme “Position for Greatness”, had over 50 youths in Lagos with lectures on personal development, marketing, branding, leadership, management skills and consulting which was educative and interactive.

According to her, we can only address the varying

By Adeola Ogunlade

social-political and economic challenges of our country if young people develop the will and capacity that is needed for solving these problems.

She said that the world is less concern about ones colour, race, tradition, language or belief but better option and aptimistic mentality that is aimed at making our world a comfortable place to live.

Adeniji noted that the problems we faced in Nigeria are opportunities for those who can bring the needed changes through pragmatic approach.

Although,she noted that government at all levels should strengthened her institutions so that the

dreams of Nigeria youth can fly. She said “young Nigerians should not depend on the economic of the government policy to survive but harnessed the varying opportunities around them for survival.

Adeniji cited the creator of Facebook, Twitter, Myspace who are young people, who are in their 30s but have made significant contribution to the development of new digital technology that is providing employments for millions of people across the world.

“There are emerging oppotuinities in the agricultural sector, Information Communication Technology, (ICT), insurance, transportation, testile, event management, fashion designing, cathering, shoe cobbling which can be harnessed for profitability.

Safety and Security Alert!

The need for early warning systems in intelligence analysis for national security

L

AST week, we elucidated on the essentials of early warning signals and its mechanisms in national security.

Early warning system according to Austin (2004) is ‘any initiative that focuses on systematic data collection, analysis and/or formulation of recommendations, including risk assessment and information sharing, regardless of topic, whether quantitative, qualitative or both. This process is not only about data gathering but also analyse such to develop strategic options for response under conflict prevention.

Components of early warning system are: (1) Estimate the extent and timing of risks of emerging threats (2) Analyze the nature of same threats and describe reasonable scenarios (3) Communicate warning analyses to decision makers.

Early warning procedures: •Approach by intervention or aid •Methods by quantitative/ qualitative •Goals by prediction and anticipation •Formulation by universal Laws and context •Results emanate by universal patterns and dynamics.

•Concerns in strategic and human security •Information based on secret and transparency •Institution based on centralized and decentralized methods.

Basic Contents The tools are: 1. Collection and analyzing of the data generated as signals of violent conflicts.

2. Transmission of signals to decision makers who are to take preventive action to forestall out-break violent conflicts.

Methods are by: • Correlation: employs the use of regression to test the strength of a postulated set of causal links among variables.

It entails: •post-dictated testing on the use of information development •past events among parties in conflict.

•n the context of early warning, the limitations are patterns of causal relations which may change over-time.

•It makes regular appraisal of fresh data very important and corresponding.

• Analytical: is to curb the escalation of communal and intra-national crises. The conditions constitute: •Structural factors which determine the nature of grievances •Demands of communal groups, especially inequalities that are perpetuated by discrimination and repression.

• Chronological: suitable for tracking the progression of conflicts over a period of time.

It seeks for junctures at which third-parties intervention make considerable difference.

• Conjunctural: suggest alternative circumstances. It’s the combinations of situations that may lead to different violent and non-violent results.

• ICT: entails the use of computers which serve as information banks for the collection by the use of software.

It analyses high volume of available raw materials to produce consistent narrative and analytical descriptions of key variables for early warning indicators.

Conflict Analysis Tool: Galtung (1996) provides how to analyse the complexity of conflicts. Letter c represents complexity, m for actors while n for goals.

The formula c = m + n – 2 or c = m x n – 1.

Where: c < 0: structural conflict, neither actors nor goals (0, 0) c = 0: one actor, one unrealized goal: frustration (1, 1) c = 1: elementary conflicts: dilemmas (1, 2) or disputes (2, 1) c > 1: complex conflicts (m, n).

It concern with: · Conflict generating factors such as arms, poverty, corruption, etc. · Conflicting parties’ agenda e.g. armed struggle, etc. · Peace efforts by overt or covert and their effectiveness.

Types of conflict are intra/ inter-communal conflicts, ethnic conflicts, religious conflicts, border conflicts, interstate conflicts.

Geographical coverageLocal, national, sub-regional, continental.

Composition of Stakeholders Involved: Conflict Actors & Mediators, Security operatives, Politicians, Desk Officers, Administrators, Civil Societies, Academia, Research Institutes, Media Private Sector, Interest Groups, International Organizations and Donors.

In conclusion, security agencies and stakeholders across the country should henceforth be mindful of early warning signs, collate and analyse its data to ameliorate violent conflicts. Residents, corporate bodies and governments are to be enjoined to prepare individual/ corporate Disaster Management Plan (DMP) to foresee eventualities.

Please send feedbacks, responses, and challenges by sms or e-mail to the undersigned in other to meet your needs.

By: Mr. Timilehin Ajayi (Safety and Security Consultant) E-mail: timilehinajayi@yahoo.com 08095683454, 08075518732

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2010

Life Extra

55

Y

OU cannot meet Prof. John Moyibi Amoda and not be struck by his humility. As he ushered yours truly into his Anthony Lagos residence last Tuesday, Amoda cut the picture of a simple, amiable personality.

The fact that he is soft-spoken magnifies his approachable outlook. But don’t be mistaken. He is a no-nonsense man who does not tolerate fools gladly. With him, life deserves a business-like approach for optimum results. He works with such dispatch that will make many of his contemporaries green with envy. Such focused approach is certainly why he has come this far from a humble beginning.

Born into penury, Amoda wouldn’t have been a Professor Emeritus of Political Science today but for various scholarship schemes. He describes himself as a product of divine and human generosity, which is why he remains unassuming. His stints with scholarship started from Government College Ughelli from 1954-1959. It also saw him obtain a Higher School Certificate at Government College, Ibadan from 1960-61.

Since he celebrated his birthday recently, it would be appropriate to know his age. But he has a confession in this regard. Until he was in secondary school, he had no date of birth. ‘‘The truth is when I was born, dates were not that important. Ages, then, were determined by the height and length of your left arm to your ear. It was only after school secondary and high school that I needed a document showing my age. I needed it for a scholarship scheme. If not for that, I would have had to wait till when seeking for employment.’’

Condemned to produce evidence of his date of birth, Amoda simply invented one. Going down memory lane, he recalled ‘’ So, I chose a date that appeared very close to when I should have been born. I chose 1941.’’ But there was a snag. Those who should be younger suddenly became older. They had chosen years earlier than him. His elder brother noticed this and prevailed on him to choose 1940.

But even at that, the problem persisted. A younger relation had chosen 1939. So whether he went for 1940 or 1941, she was still older. He just overlooked this dilemma until his recent birthday celebration. ‘’I told my wife and she said we would simply celebrate my 70 plus one year in experience.’’ Experience in whatever, he said, remains his wife’s secret. For someone who was born without any manner of spoon and rose to become a Professor, life must have taught him so much. Life, the Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the City College of New York, said, has only taught him one lesson. ‘‘The only lesson that life has taught me is that I need God and I must trust in him,’’ he said firmly.

That sounds like over-simplication of a lifetime experience. But Amoda insists it is a profound lesson that he is still learning from. ‘’There are surprises everyday in your plans and aspirations. Some events just come up and you find out you cannot achieve your set goals. God is the only anchor that cannot change. He has made himself known over the years and I have been learning to trust Him,’’ he explained. How come a Professor of his standing believes so much in God? He smiled and explained; ‘’God is very real to me. Over the years, I have come to know Him. He has been the centre of my being, the anchor of my life. He is so real that I cannot deny Him. I am very proud to be associated with Him’’. Any premonitions he would come this far in life? ‘’None at all,’’ he began. ‘’ Who can tell? That I lived past age one was a miracle. I was very sickly according to my mother. You could see my bones because I was very thin too.

But who can tell? ‘’Going to Government College Ughelli and Government College Ibadan for my HSC had been through the opinion of others. Somebody was always giving me scholarship. I wasn’t doing it for myself. Throughout, somebody was always approving I was worthy. There was nothing I became without somebody. The only time I can say I really can determine what happens to me is perhaps during my retirement years.’’

You can get him to talk about everything else except his academic voyage. ‘’What do you mean how was it like?’’ he threw back when asked to comment on his academic exploits. After much prodding, he said ‘’That would amount to boasting. I had what you call a first class. I have a Masters and PhD.’’ He might not say it but the records are there. He earned first class for his undergraduates degree in International Relations at the Ivy League Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire USA. That was from 1962-1965. He followed it up with a Masters of Arts in Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley, California in 1966. His Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science was at the University of California, Berckeley, California

•Amoda

‘The only lesson life taught me’ Sunday Oguntola reports on his encounter with Professor Moyibi Amoda, one of Nigeria’s earliest Professor Emeritus of Political Science in Lagos last week from 1966-1969.

He has lectured in several American universities with many papers to his credit. He consults for United Nations programme on election-related violence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on ECOWAS peace support in Ivory Coast. He is also a member of Delta State Vision 2020 governing council. Now retired, he said he is living his dream as a newspaper columnist.

‘What I am writing now is what I always wanted to pass on to my students as a lecturer but the tyranny of time and examinations did not allow me. For example, last Tuesday I wrote on how to be enriched without facing EFCC troubles. I said you can start a church and claim tithes, run for senatorial seat and increase your allocations without any repercussion. These are really things that bring me joy’’.

To get his Professorial side, you have to ask him to comment on Nigeria. Nigeria, he said, is not yet a state. It is only a government conceived for the convenience of administration and fighting external aggression. His words: ‘’ You see we have a tendency to talk about Nigeria as a self-governing territory providing for its populations and defending itself against external and internal aggression. But it is very wrong.

The Nigeria we are talking about is not Nigeria in the 1600 or 1700. ‘’When you are dealing with power and authority, you have rulers and subjects. So when the British Empire came here, they changed the

system by reforms and not by revolution. When you do that, there will be unresolved issues. But the reform was a reduction of their powers so they wanted to contain the damages that reforms will bring. And there were those who were hoping that these changes will bring them into equality with those who had been their masters. So, in between there were conflicts that you were not prepared for. What masters prepare its subjects for emancipation? It is something you have to achieve on your own. But there were contentions among the nationalists.

Meanwhile, the Britons also wanted minimal reduction of their powers. Change is always partisan in its impact. It will make some people more powerful and cause some to lose their powers. ‘’So, the Britons had been trying to reduce the impact of change while we had been trying to optimise its prospects and that is the transition. People thought as soon as the British flag was lowered down, we had all the capacities to be an autonomous player in the international community. We had been wrestling with it.

For Nigeria to become a state truly, he said efforts must be made. ‘’We have never had a united front. Even against the British, we were not united. So, it is not a project yet. Those who have tried to do it have not understood how far they have to go to define the terrain as their domain. The altitude that we need is like that of the Romans. They say let them hate us as

“Now retired, he said he is living his dream as a newspaper columnist. ‘What I am writing now is what I always wanted to pass on to my students as a lecturer but the tyranny of time and examinations did not allow me. For example, last Tuesday I wrote on how to be enriched without facing EFCC troubles. I said you can start a church and claim tithes, run for senatorial seat and increase your allocations without any repercussion. These are really things that bring me joy’’.

long as they fear us,’’ he explained.

Amoda has always been visible in the Christian community lately, leading a campaign against tithing. So what does he have against tithing? ‘’I have nothing against it only what the Bible has said about it. You see the Jews had a commandment to pay tax. But we have all been redeemed from God’s position in this dispensation of sonship. Nobody is expected to pay tithe again’’.

This is an audacious position that has pitched him against the church establishment.

Many have even tagged him controversial, a description that pains him. ‘’They say I am controversial? Are you not different from me?

Does that make you controversial? Do you know Jesus was controversial? He disagreed with the Romans. So being controversial is not negative’’.

That explained, he went on to enunciate his stance on tithing with an illustration: ‘’My son has just come in but he does not pay rents to live with me in Anthony, which is an expensive neighbourhood. This is because of his relationship with me. God has given us the gift of redemption so what are you paying for? Do you pay for a gift? No, you receive it.’’

So, how do you fund a church without tithes? ‘’You rely on God. God touches people from time to time to give. You just leave your needs in the hands of God and He touches hearts to respond to it. I have proven this over and over. God has been faithful,’’ he responded.

Life in retirement has been fun for Amoda.

He started a security consultancy firm that has been undergoing challenges. This, he revealed, is because ‘’only governments can be my clients and it’s difficult to convince civil servants who think they know it all that they need help.’’ International agencies and donors, he stated, have not been helpful either. ‘’They give grants and donations with a condition that the experts will come from them. They are producing employments for themselves’’.

56 THE NATION ON SUNDAY

Business

JULY 24, 2011

Dons brainstorm on non-interest banking T

HE last word is yet to be said about the raging controversies trailing the re-introduction of non-interest banking, more famously known as Islamic banking, in Nigeria. Different academics at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, gathered last week to discuss the various issues that the proposed non-interest banking has generated.

Speakers at the event, organised by the Staff Club, OAU, said that the proposed banking system would be a better alternative to conventional banking, but noted that the idea might be defeated because of religious differences and the culture of dishonesty that appears to be much more valued in the country. They argued that there is need for thorough enlightenment to be carried out. Since the authorities of the

By Ademola Adesola

banking was not a new development, pointing out that the system operates in countries such as Pakistan, Egypt, Britain and the United States. He said the basic elements of trust and financial partnering are the things that account for the uniqueness of non-interest banking. This uniqueness, he said, challenges the fundamental principle of financial intermediation associated with conventional banking.

“The Islamic banking has its origin in the Islamic realm. This type of banking discourages charging of interest on loans but encourages sharing of profits and losses. The basic difference between the Islamic and the traditional banking is that

that justice is central to Islamic banking.

The Islamic scholar and former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Osun State, argued that non-interest banking has its origin in both Christian and Islamic scriptures.

Quoting from Quran 2vs275, Leviticus 25vs36-37, Deuteronomy 23vs19, and Ezekiel 8vs33, he expressed surprise that those who should be more informed about the issue are the ones fuelling the controversies associated with the proposed idea.

He said Nigerians have no cause to worry because “there are two models: one based on Islamic system and the other on nonIslamic system. Any other system that thinks it is interested, using the same principle, is free to participate”. He advised that Nigerians should not see the bank as

L-R: Dr. Olalekan Yinusa, Prof. Muiz Opeloye, the Chairman, Prof Victor Olanrewaju, and Prof Abayomi Adebayo at the symposium

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced its plans to issue license for the operation of such banking system, there have been increasing concerns among Nigerians about its desirability or otherwise, among many other issues not unconnected with religion.

The speakers, who specialise in various fields of learning and different religious persuasions, spoke on the topic: “Interest-Free (Islamic) Banking System in Nigeria: Facts and Effects”. They are Prof. Muiz Opeloye (a Professor of Islamic Studies); Prof. Abayomi Adebayo, Dr Olalekan Yinusa (both of the Department of Economics), and Barrister Sunday Coker (Department of Jurisprudence and Private Law).

In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the symposium, Prof. Victor Olarenwaju, said the issue was the main reason necessitating the discussion, adding that it was proper for Nigerians to be well-informed about the nature of non-interest banking.

He, therefore thanked the executive members of the club for organising the symposium, which according to him is one of things that stands the institution out.

Profit Sharing In his welcome address, President of the Club, Dr Gbemisola Adeoti, said the discussion was necessary for proper understanding of the issues concerning the banking system.

Dr Yinusa submitted that non-interest

the former emphasises trust and financial partnership. The essence of trust there is the person who gets the loan comes at the end of the day to declare the true amount of profit made, not over emphasising or over blowing the cost. And in terms of financial partnering, what is done is that at the end of the day we come together to share the profits and losses, the framework of which must have been agreed on.

But traditional banking does not care whether the business for which you have got loans for succeeds or fails. What matters to the bank is getting the money, both the principal and the interest, back. The Islamic banking is not as harsh as that.

There is that principle of equity in it,” he said.

He, however, expressed fear about the practicability and sustainability of Islamic banking in Nigeria where default and distress in the banking system are extant, adding that issues such as capital flow and monetary policy would need to be seriously addressed.

Origin Opoloye described Islamic banking as “a non-interest form of banking which transacts banking business, engages in trading, investment and commercial activities, as well as providing financial products and services in accordance with the principles and rules of Islamic jurisprudence”, He in his submission argued

a ploy to impose Islam on everybody, saying that, contrary to the subsisting information in some quarters, neither Chukwuma Soludo nor Sanusi Lamido initiated the idea.

He also revealed that Islamic banks are allowed to charge service fees to cover the administrative expenses of handling zero-interest loan. He noted that it would no longer be Islamic banking if “its operation involves interest, exploitation, unlawful commercial practices, unjust enrichment, speculation, gambling, among other things”.

Benefits Outlining the benefit of this banking system, he said: “People with good projects and ideas but who have no funds to put their ideas into use can strive better in an Islamic economy than conventional setting. This is because Islamic banks undertake direct projects and participate in the management of projects. The poor do not have to get collaterals before they can assess funds from an Islamic bank.

“When people get sick of mortgages and soaring interest rate, the alternative they have is Islamic bank. Since a country cannot do without taking loan. What former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala did after paying our debt was to go to Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to get a loan because they have learnt a lesson on the kind of effects inter-

ests have on loan taking.”

He bemoaned what he called the bastardisation of religion in Nigeria, which he said might affect the proper running of the Islamic bank when it takes off.

On his part, Prof. Adebayo highlighted the main concerns that many Nigerians have concerning Islamic banking, which he said began in Dubai with the establishment of the Dubai Islamic Bank, and later the Islamic International Development Bank. He identified the timing and the multi-religious setting of Nigeria as the main reasons why there is mounting opposition against the banking idea.

Timing He said: “There are two issues: one is the timing. It is not that Islamic banking has not been there. The issue is that the process of licencing is coming at a time when we are talking about Boko Haram and other crisis in the country. And people feel that it is an addendum. Every free society is run on basic laws and principles. When you break those laws and principle, trust is affected. And when you break trust and the law of love, crisis results. So, people feel when the Islamic banking comes into operation fully some people may start burning the conventional banks on the excuse that they charge interest.

“The peculiarity of the nation is another issue fuelling the controversies on Islamic banking. We are people with diverse ethno-religious set up. We are peculiarly packaged. We have a huge population and in such situation people react differently to issue such as Islamic banking.

That is why when you want to introduce that kind of banking in a complex nation like ours, it is good to discuss it well and have a clear picture of what it is supposed to be. We copy many things from outside, but when it gets here we operate another version”.

He expressed optimism that the idea would work if the right attitude and steps are taken.

Providing what can be described as the legal viewpoint to the discussion, Barrister Coker submitted that the non-interest banking is constitutionally recognised.

However, he revealed that the problem is the term “Islamic banking”, which he said is not written in the banking Act. His words: “Let me say that constitutionally speaking, Islamic banking is allowed. That finds favour in the provision of the constitution as well as in the provisions of Banks and Other Financial Institution Act BOFIA of 1991, particularly sections 9, 23 and 53 of the BOFIA. But there is nowhere in the BOFIA Act of 1991 where mention is made of the word “Islamic banking”. What rather we have there is “non-interest banking”. I want to believe that we are all here because of the word “Islamic banking”. If that is not there, probably there won’t be all this noise. The noise is motivated by the fact that Nigeria is a multi-religious country. There are those who are already asking for the Christian version of it, or even traditional banking.

“Again, there is another issue. For example, the constitution talks about secularity, which simply means religious neutrality. If we go to Section 10 of the constitution, there is recognition of the neutrality of religion. In other words, no government or its agencies should promote any religion. But again, that is not correct. We have the government sponsoring pilgrims to their various holy lands”.

Corroborating Opeloye’s view, he added that any other group apart from Muslims can as well establish non-interest banking. He called on those in authority to ensure that the position of the constitution on the name is strictly adhered to.

On the other hand, many more insightful comments and questions were raised by some of the teachers in attendance.

57

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JULY 24, 2011

Furore over multiple tax regimes at seaports The multiple tariffs being collected by government agencies at the ports have become an albatross in the Federal Government’s drive towards making Nigeria the maritime hub in the West Africa sub-region, reports Oluwakemi Dauda

T

HE Federal Government obviously has to look beyond the economic gains it intends to derive from the numerous tariffs imposed on importers and exporters working in the nation’s maritime industry and look at the implications that multiple taxation poses to the economy. It makes the nation’s seaports unattractive for business, thus denying the government the opportunity to generate substantial revenue for the country.

Stakeholders insist that, given the depth of the Nigerian market, the Federal Government has little or nothing to lose if she stops multiple taxation at the ports. By so doing, the nation’s seaports, these operators argue, would become the hub for international freight and trade in West and Central African sub-region.

However, in contrast to the great expectations of Nigerians that the Federal Government can use the port to attract investors to boost the nation’s revenue profile, the multiple tariffs being collected by its agencies at the ports have a cog in the wheel of fortune considering the preponderance of smuggling and other sharp practices perpetrated by some unscrupulous individuals in the industry.

World Bank case study

According to the World Bank report, goods worth $5billion (N750billion),which translates to 15 per cent of the nation’s total imports, are being smuggled illegally into the country. The goods, according to the report, are being smuggled into the country from the Republic of Benin on a yearly basis.

Tagged: ‘How Nigeria’s trade policy facilitates unofficial trade and impacts negatively Nigeria’s Customs Efficiency and Economy,’ and anchored by two leading experts of the World Bank, GaÃl Raballand and Edmond Mjekiqi, both of the African Transport Unit, the report observed that: “Most importers bring their goods and vehicles through the Cotonou port because it is very efficient and less expensive.”

Confirming this report, a senior government official who does not want his name in print, said smuggling activities through seaports of neighbouring African countries, has not abated despite the Federal

•Customs Computroller General, Abdulahi Dikko Inde

Government’s announcement reversing the age limit of vehicles imported through the nation’s seaports from 10 year to 15 years.

An importer, who spoke with The Nation under the condition of anonymity, gave plausible explanation as to why they (importers) still prefer other ports even though the final destination of the vehicles is Nigeria, said that importation through the nation’s seaports is not attractive for local business people due to the soaring cost of processing and documentation of same.

But officials of the Nigeria Customs Service at Seme border, who spoke under the condition of anonymity attributed the development to importers’ tendency to “cut corners.” ‘‘Nigeria has six major seaports in different parts of the country. I see no reason why importers still prefer ports of neighbouring countries if not that they are planning to cut corners. Majority of these importers are not ready to pay import duty, which makes smuggling more attractive, since it guarantees additional profit for the dealers and makes it cheap enough for the end users to buy. And that is why I support

the idea that the Federal Government should stop multiple taxation at the port”, the importer stressed.

Multiple charge

Security agents, shipping companies and terminal operators have since formed what maritime analysts have described as a triad of vicious extortions in recent times.

Importers and clearing agents working in the nation’s maritime industry said they were not happy with the policy of Federal Government on the huge number of agencies representing it at the ports and the tariffs imposed by them.

Speaking with The Nation in his office in Lagos, recently, the National President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANALCA), Alhaji Olayiwola Shittu said the greatest challenge facing maritime transportation is the issue of multiple taxation and unnecessary charges by terminal operators, shipping companies and service providers which are not commensurate with the services rendered by them.

Importers and clearing agents, the ANLCA chief said, pay huge amount of

“According to the World Bank report, goods worth $5billion (N750billion),which translates to 15 per cent of the nation’s total imports, are being smuggled illegally into the country. The goods, according to the report, are being smuggled into the country from the Republic of Benin on a yearly basis”

money at different points in the ports before their goods are cleared.

The shipping companies, Shittu said, also force agents and importers to pay deposit for containers loaded by trucks. He alleged that in most cases the terminal operators look for needless excuses so that the monies would not be refunded after the agents have returned the containers.

Expatiating, Shittu said: ‘‘Normally, the tax on imported goods is five per cent but an importer would be wasting his time to think that is the only tax to be paid. There are several other government charges that make the tax to go up to as high as 15 per cent. For example, after paying the five per cent, you will still have to pay a sub-charge, which is seven per cent, this is called development charge.

“The same Federal Government has not developed any new port over the years; we are beginning to ask questions pertaining to that money. Apart from this, you have to pay 0.5 per cent tax called Economic Community of West African (ECOWAS) Trade Liberalisation Scheme; this is the money set aside by the government to take care of the ECOWAS interest. The service provider put in place to ensure that proper documentations are made to meet some certain standards, you pay them one per cent. ‘‘The increase in the money for clearing goods in the ports will continue to escalate as long as terminal operators are charging whatever they want, and as long as the security agents are there to extort money. If your goods are put on a wooden panel for off-loading or up-holding, plank guarantors will tell you that that particular goods abroad was not registered, so the owner should pay a particular amount of money in their office or find something for “the boys.”

High tariffs

Importers, who spoke with The Nation, said the terminals operators are charging very high tariffs. Clearing agents are also complaining of arbitrary charges by the concessionaries. They said the cost of doing business has become so high that some importers who have to abandon their cargo at the ports because of the high tariffs. One of the importers and Chairman, Oguns Maritime Venture, Mr. Kayode Ogunsanu, said many importers, having to pay more than what they budgeted for to the terminal operators, were forced to route in bound cargo to negihbouring ports of Cotonou or Tema. ‘’With such transport hiccups confronting importers and clearing agents, can we say the country is moving towards becoming the hub in the sub-region,’’ he asked. ‘’One of the major problems confronting our ports is high port charges and we hope the government will also address it so that the country would become the preferred destination as postulated by government,’’ said an importer, Mr. Fredrick Solomon.

Speaking on behalf of other importers, •Continued on page 58

58

Business

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Furore over multiple tax regimes at seaports •Continued from page 57

Solomon said after the concessioning of the ports, most importers and clearing agents still believe that the much expected reduction in the prices of cargo clearance has remained a mirage even as concessionaires keep on inventing new ways of collecting levies from importers. The increases, operators said, is not in line with government’s promise of lower rates few years after concession.

Concessionaires’ perspective

The concessionaires on their part, he said, are blaming the high charges on the rising prices of petroleum products to run their machines, the cost of acquiring cargo handling equipment and the need to make returns on their investments. But the importer said that an increase of over 100 per cent higher than what importers used to pay before concession is not competitive.

Another importer and maritime lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Salako said shipping lines, terminal operators and off-dock terminals have jacked up their prices, while demurrage on containers have also tripled far beyond what was charged before the concession.

According to the lawyer, for a 20-footer container, shipping companies charge N5,000 for document release, container cleaning N3,000, shipping line charges N28,000, telex release N5,000, amendment charges N15,000, as well as five percent Value Added Tax (VAT) of all the total charge. They explained that the shipping companies also

collect N580 for NPA as Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) levy and demurrage on containers that were not returned on time.

Terminal operators collect N3, 500 delivery charges, N25, 000 terminal handling charges, N400 vehicle entry permit, N2, 500 to position containers for examination and N1, 500 storage or rent charge for first three days after grace period and N3, 500 after 24 days. For the off-dock terminal, according to him, they collect N20,000 as transfer charge, N2,000 as release and documentation, N5,000 as royalty to terminal operators, N2,500 to position containers for customs examination, N3,500 as labour charges for examination, including N1,250 as terminal delivery charge and N400 for vehicle entry permit.

Before the concessioning, the importers said the charges were N1, 204 as wharf age and N1, 294 for documentation and release, terminal delivery order including vehicle entry permit, stressing that importers also pay five per cent VAT of the total charges. The NPA also charge N375 as demurrage after three days grace period and N750 for 40-footer, no matter the number of days.

Apart from the charges, which importers pay to the shipping lines, terminal operators and bonded terminal operators, they also pay to the Customs seven percent port levy, five percent Value Added Tax, Negotiable Duty Credit Certificate, 0.5 percent ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation

Scheme, one percent Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme, 20 per cent rice levy and 10 per cent duty, including 10 percent textile levy as well as 30 per cent surety and other levies.Last year, Lagos State Government came up with Wharf Landing fee in which cars are to pay N300, 20-footer container N500 and 40-footer containers N1,000.00 respectively.

Parity with other ports

Importers, who spoke with The Nation said the review would eliminate arbitrariness and ensure parity with other ports particularly those of neighbouring countries.

Speaking on behalf of other importers in Lagos last week, the Managing Director, Sea Investment, Mr Richard Ogoegbunam said port tariff must be competitive and also have to be commensurate with services rendered by the terminal operators.

To reduce the cost of doing business in the ports; Ogoegbunam said the Nigerian Shippers’ Council had abolished service charges, bank charge, commission on turnover and concessionaires service charge.

He also praised the council for abolishing port administrative charge and sorting charge.

Ogoegbunam said the council had been implementing the Inland Container Depots (ICDs) project on Build Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) basis to bring shipping services to the door steps of shippers.

He said the ICDs would also assist in decongesting the seaports

and make them more userfriendly.

He criticised Customs bureaucracy at ports Saying the bureaucracy they mposed by Customs on containers and Roll on/Roll off (RORO) vessels by customs procedures were a challenge to ports operations.

He explained that the interference of multiplicity of government agencies at the ports also posed a major challenge to ports operations.

According to him, the Single Window Electronic Trade Facilitation initiative, which could resolve the cumbersome problem of clearing procedures and the associated delays in cargo clearance should be resolved.

“This system eliminates human contact and the use of discretion, which have been identified as major causes of delay in the clearance procedure’’, he said.

He said the electronic system would not only facilitate trade but also ensure improvement in revenue generation and higher turnover.

The system, he said, would also incorporate a system for truck control, which would ease movement of cargo out of the ports. He however, acknowledged that cargo handling deliveries had improved.

Way forward

Shittu said that the solution to the problems especially in the area of revenue generation was for all the relevant operators in cargo

clearing including Customs, terminal operators, shipping companies, freight forwarders to publish their charges to enable people know the amount required of them.

He said the Customs should as well make public its databank that contains the charges for a particular item, without necessarily making it a secret affair.

According to him: “The only solution we have for this country on revenue generation, as the Joint Action Committee of the Freight Forwarders have presented to the Minister of Transport, is for the freight forwarders in collaboration with Customs to publicise the charges, by knowing how much to pay for the job done per 20 foot or 40 foot container.

“If an importer decides to pay the man more than what we have publicised, that is left to him. In doing that, we are also asking the Customs service to issue a benchmark for its collection. What I mean by benchmark is that Customs has what we call databank of all imported goods, why are they making it secret?

“They should publicise their data bank, so that an importer who is going to bring in Global System for Mobile (GSM) handset will know how much it will cost him to bring in a container load of it. The government should also help as regards the shipping companies, so that we will have one stop shop as it is the practice in Cotonou and other countries, so that you will know the value of duty you are paying in total.”

Photo News

L-R: Tony Efegherimoni (Executive Director, Finance & Admin) Goldlink Insurance PLC; Femi Okunniyi (MD/CEO); Gbenga Afolayan (Chairman); Bode Sojobi (Company Secretary) at the company's 18th Annual General Meeting held in Portharcourt on Thursday

•L-R: Managing Director, Neo-Neon Decorative Lights Limited, Mrs. Shim Nwobbi; her husband, Reginald; Chief Executive Officer, NNDLL, Mrs. Tracy Olukoya; and Chief Executive Officer, Enthyst Limited, Mrs. Ndidi Obioha, during the launching Neo-Neon lights, in Lagos last Thursday.

PHOTO: OLUSEGUN RAPHEAL

•L-R: Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria Deputy Registrar, Mr. Felix Aribisala President Alhaji Mohammed, Aliyu and the Guest Speaker, Mr. Gbenga Adesanya during the Institute 2nd Annual General Meeting and lecture, tagged: Procurement and Development held in Lagos recently PHOTO: DAYO ADEWUNMI

L-R: Group CEO, Primlaks, Ravi Hemnani; Chairman/CEO, d.light Design Int., Donn Tice; Group MD Primlaks, Anil Hemnani and Head of Marketing, Primlaks, Funke Akinloye, during the media launch of d.light energy saving lamps at ZEN Gardens in Lagos recently

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Business

59

‘Doing business in Nigeria is tough’ Mrs. Benedine Ifeoma Eloka is the Chief Operating Officer of Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, Lagos.

She speaks with Sunday Oguntola on her foray into shipping and how to rise to prominence in the industry

H

OW did you find yourself in shipping?

I studied Biology at the University of Lagos Akoka and did my Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management at Bayero University Kano. I met my husband in Kano during my service year. Immediately after graduation we got married and started to raise a family.

I spent the next 12 years raising our family of six children and taking care of the home. My desire for excellence spurred me to go for the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN) exam. I qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2005 and got a job with the Nigeria Chamber of Shipping at a time when the new cabotage bill was just drafted in 2003.

Our main business then was to liase with shipping companies and agents to drive home the objective and benefits of cabotage Act to indigenous companies under the leadership of Olisa Agbakoba.

Ify Akerele was the then Director General. While at the Nigerian Chambers of Shipping, I was the Accounting Officer and I was doing very well. I had always desired to make a difference anywhere I am. I wanted to make an impact. So when the opportunity came for me to change my job, I saw it as an avenue for progress. The opportunity came in the course of marketing the company in one of the indigenous companies known as Savol West Africa Ltd. I was invited to join the company as Finance Manager.

How did you fare with the new job?

As at the time I joined the company, it was nowhere clearing - wise. I single handedly revived the clearing and forwarding business.

We succeeded in opening the bonded terminal. I was in charge of almost all aspects of the company’s business activities. I re- organised the company and handled all the operational aspects of the company - the day to day running of the company operations. This experience helped me gain most of the bonded terminal experience I needed to move to the next level in my career. But there is an extent that one can go as an employee. Sincerely, I was becoming too popular in the business. Soon, I started having challenges because I had distinguished myself from all the other ladies. So I knew that the time had come for me to move on.

I knew I had to take on the new challenges in my life.

Soon it was time to launch out.

But first, I had the option of dusting my certificate and getting another job. But I told myself that I was through with job - seeking.

How did Clarion Shipping come to life?

Like I said, I was done with job-seeking. I wanted to run my own company. While working for other people, I discovered that the shipping business is an industry that I could easily establish myself without much financial requirement. It was an industry that one can go to bed take things easy and you will knock - in excess profit because you have done your homework

well. So I told myself that there was no sense in going to work for some else for a whole month only to end up earning peanuts especially when I can generate ideas, put things together and get results.

My dream was to start my own business and be an employer of labour. It was at that point that I decided to start my own company, Clarion shipping West Africa Ltd in May 2006.

Starting off wasn’t easy as we were faced with a number of challenges ranging from getting a clearing licence to tax certificate, to company audit and a financial report as conditions before getting our own clearing license.

All this has cost- implications.

What stands the company out?

When I started, my vision was to run my business and be an employer of labour. Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited was incorporated to provide door-to-door shipping and logistics solutions in West Africa and will do this by fostering strategic partnerships with reputable international shipping brands.

Our vision is to be one of the first two most respected names in global shipping in West Africa.

Our mission on the other hand is to provide world class services in shipping, ship agency, customers’ brokerage, freight forwarding and export processing at minimal waiting time in an atmosphere that values the dignity of labour, honesty and integrity with dedicated and highly motivated personnel towards ensuring maximum returns to shareholders. Over time, this vision has been modified to include providing quality shipping service to Nigerians and developing an endearing legacy for others to build on in my industry. Of course it wasn’t easy meeting the condition of getting the license.

How did you navigate the challenges of starting off?

I had to over stretch myself.

This was shipping business but it didn’t matter because I knew where I was going. I knew that I could achieve anything if only I put in extra effort. Coming from an ICAN background, it was also challenging but I was up to the task because I am a lover of challenges and hard work. I took up the challenges that many would have shunned marketing Savol. I learn very fast. All it took was bringing myself down before those I was managing to learn from them. It was also during this period that I took up the challenge of marketing savol.

Doing business in Nigeria is tough. This is because most financial institutions are not prepared to assist up-coming companies. Given the condition of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) that no one single individual can set up a company, I was compelled to invite others who will contribute funds or ideas to the business.

Such partnership can either make or mar one’s business.

What is behind the name Clarion?

The name Clarion shipping came to me while communicating with one of our foreign partners at Savol. The word: Clarion is the

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THE EXECUTIVE

•Ifeoma Eloka

“Doing business in Nigeria is tough. This is because most financial institutions are not prepared to assist up-coming companies. Given the condition of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) that no one single individual can set up a company, I was compelled to invite others who will contribute funds or ideas to the business. Such partnership can either make or mar one’s business.” first word in the company’s name.

I loved the word the moment I set my eyes on it. When I wanted to choose a name for my company, I decided to use “Clarion”. And that was how I came up with Clarion Shipping since we are in the business of shipping. I then added West Africa because our vision as a shipping company is to operate not only in Nigeria but also in most African countries and other parts of the world.

Today by the grace of God, we are known all over the world. To position the company for the strategic shift, the management of Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited has developed very efficient service delivery procedures that have helped to ensure that the company always “stands out”. Clarion believes in a win-win approach, which ensures mutually beneficial relationships, capable of creating tremendous opportunities for all the parties, all the time.

To what will you attribute the growth of the company?

I came up with strategies that

can help my own business grow.

First, I decided to play straight not to join the Jones in doing all kinds of shady deals in the industry. Second, I decided to use my personal money as additional funds so that I can satisfy my customers better instead of the usual way of making people pay before their goods are cleared.

These have bought us tremendous growth in few years.

How have you been running the home and the company?

It is not easy for a career woman to balance her home with her work life. Balancing the act takes extra effort for that woman.

I love to keep a neat home all the time. I desire to spend quality time with my husband and kids and still have time to unwind and for my work. Earlier in my career, I spent hours every morning on school runs, house chores and family responsibilities before setting out to the office. But getting to the top rubs you of a lot of things. Now I don’t have the kind of time that I used to. Hence I try to find time

to do all the things that matter most. This means still spending quality time with the kids because they are my investment and legacy.

Over time, I have come to realise that I must use my money to get what my time cannot get for me. I have never liked house helps but I had to employ the services of helps around the house when I lost fifty units of container job. I lost it because my foreign customers couldn’t reach me because I was busy cleaning the house downstairs while my phone rang tirelessly. Somebody else got the job.

How can one make it big in the industry?

My advice is to work hard and be focused. Develop good ideas. Don’t be afraid to fail. If you fail now, try again and you will make succeed. Ask God for direction because success comes from what God wants to achieve in your life. Lastly, imbibe the attitude of prayer. I asked God and he gave me a vision. He made a way for me to get to where I am today. Because it is God’s business, it worked out.

When it comes to the issue of partnering in business, have an M.O.U. Assign responsibilities and liabilities. Don’t build business agreements on trust because of friendship. This is important so that everyone concerned will know their limits and boundaries even if it is your daughter or your son. A personal experience I had recently has taught me a great lesson. I have learnt my lessons and I wouldn’t want any other person to make that mistake.

Then, you must be honest. In business if people discover that you are an honest person, they will love to do business with you.

They will want to work with you and they will always have you in mind. At Savol, God helped me to achieve this. All the people I worked and did business with preferred doing business with me because they felt I was a straightforward person. I also understood the business very well.

What is it like operating in a male-dominated environment?

Operating in a man’s world is like a Carmel passing through the eye of a needle. Often times, men tend to feel naturally threatened when they see a woman making giant strides.

This is more so if that woman is the type that dares to thread when others dread. And this is who I am. I love and enjoy hard work. I love challenges and that’s me!

Talking about dealing with men, I operate in a scenario where I deal with 100% men. I can’t understand why a woman will develop an idea, execute it successfully and a man will order or tell her not to do it when the suggestion he is giving her will not work since it is not his terrain. And that’s the problem!

It is discouraging to know that many men are not comfortable when a woman flexes muscle with them. They feel threatened better still, insulted. There are over 95% men and very few women in my industry. So dealing with the men though a huge challenge is a must. It is not very easy for women to thrive in this industry.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Special Report

Labour and elite lifestyle

HE proletarian class is the only social class that can bring about equality in the society because in liberating itself it cannot but liberate other social classes.’ These were the words of high hopes from the legendary Karl Marx in his book the Communist Manifesto. He was so optimistic that the working class would ultimately ensure the obliteration of the tyranny of the elites property owners in the society. Today, as the raging controversy regarding the value of N18,000 minimum wage demand by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) heads to a denouement, it would not be out of place to ask how far the proletarian class (the labour movement) has gone in liberating other social classes in the country.

The 1999 Constitution in section 14(2b) makes the security and welfare of the people the primary responsibility of government. But the reality now is that the elite class that governs lives in luxury and opulence while the working class gets more disillusioned because of poor remuneration and general abject debilitating conditions in the land.

What is rampant across states of the nation is nothing but class-driven neoliberal economic policies that are antimasses. Sadly too, the political elite has not been able to forge a coherent peopledriven development and democratic agenda. The government pays peanuts as salaries to workers just as it has failed to halt the nose-diving rate of devaluation of the nation’s currency, bad governance, astronomically high unemployment, unending deteriorating high cost of living, infrastructural decay, institutional imbalance and above all endemic official corruption.

In the face of this gluttonous governance by the political elite class, it will be difficult to arrive at Marx’s ideal

By Mobolaji Sanusi

society where no one is oppressed while the welfare of workers as well as that of other Nigerians are well taken care of by the government in power. Ordinarily, the labour should work towards creating a country where the people and not market forces counts- a nation where governance is people centred and cost effective not the current very costly bloated cabinet that exist at the centre and state levels.

So far, workers and labour in general have suffered because Nigeria has had the misfortune of having produced leaders whose mission in public service are clearly selfish, divisive and corrupt.

Rather than be concerned about how to uplift the working environment, the political elite in executive positions approves outlandish security votes and salaries that are out of tune with modernday reality for themselves. They move about in luxury cars and use public funds to build out-of-the-world houses that

would end up being desolate or, at best, a monument in future.

The medicare of workers is of no consequence to them because they have access to public funds with which to foot the bills of their personal and nuclear family medical needs abroad. That is why virtually all public health care centres in the country are death traps to prospective patients whose medical needs could never be met by them.

The workers are paid peanuts that could hardly allow them send their wards to good schools. Yet, the public schools that would have been a saving grace have been destroyed and could no longer avail pupils and students any decent learning.

However, the political elite sends their own wards to the best and most expensive schools within and outside the shores of this country. These ostentatious living is sustained by the elite in the midst of people(working and unemployed class) who could not easily afford to pay conveniently N20,000 per annum house rent.

It is appalling to see that this selfsatisfied class of Nigerians has failed to show restraint in their sustained public consumption adventure. This amounts to serious contempt for the Nigerian workers.

They see nothing wrong in increasing constantly their own pay which is already outlandish but will be reluctant or may reject outright any pay increase demand by the workers through their affiliate labour unions.

The current ostentatious living style of the elite has been difficult to curb because there is now a thin line between the political leadership living lifestyle and that of Labour leadership. Presently, it is sad that the living style of labour leaders is sometimes at par with that of those occupying state positions and showing contempt for the people. Worse still, some schools of thought have argued that labour leadership now live above their means and that this has to a greater extent compromised their effectiveness in ensuring an officially well taken care work force.

Assessing labour

• Continued from page 18

population. This may explain the continued stunted growth of the economy and a total lack of long term vision and planning. Coupled with the huge cost of running the public sector is the seeming negative returns derived therefrom.

It is common knowledge that our public service has over the years been plagued by incompetence at all levels, lack of disciplines, total loss of work culture and poor leadership. There is also a prevalence of multiple overlapping of structures causing redundancy and

inertia. One example is the setting up of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) which is no different from the maintenance department of the Ministry of Works.

Finally, it seems that every rule, every system in Nigeria’s Civil Service is now observed in the breach. Some examples include the auditor-general’s office which as a rule, ought to be independent and present a report annually of all financial transactions in MDAs but does no such thing; how about the requisite regular

training being converted to a source of making money through estacode. Today, trainings and seminars are organized sporadically not to gain knowledge, refresh workers or render improved service but to siphon funds.

Periodic review of workers pay is good but if there is not commensurate work, it will hurt all of us more in the long run.

The poor level of development of Nigeria in the past 50 years must have a direct relationship to the quality of public service Nigeria has had over this period.

Business Diary

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

VOL 1 NO. 022

L

ET's remind ourselves of a theoretic statement of fact we once made on this page time past: the sum total of a brand's equity is the value of the brand in the mind of its target market. Suffice, therefore, that the success of any brand rests on PERCEPTION! Let us drive this a little more logically on a sequence that will take it beyond ambiguity in any way. Perception is about imagery, vision, experience, conception, thoughts; perception is a gamut of emotional activities based on the human senses of smell, vision and taste. Each and all of these perception modes drive the decision making process aggressively towards the buying decisions made at the market place.

Perhaps we should put it a bit more succinctly the consumer's preference among competing alternatives is wholly the function of PERCEPTION. Perception is, therefore, everything for the brand.

Perception is derived. Mind made up for brand of preference could be as influenced by a role model, friend, dependant, family members, or some form of opinion leadership. Such is the premise for buying decisions for luxury goods such as automobile, holiday and tourism, beauty and fashion accessories, etc. sometimes, consumer decisions are informed by word-of-mouth recommendation from a friend, usually based on past experience.

At some other circumstances, our decision-to-buy is based on or direct personal perception. This is possible through visual impact (beauty, visual appeal, attraction).

It could also be as a result of individual first time experience. Usually such a conviction would be as a result of the brand's sincerity and credibility (delivery on promise). Perhaps we should emphasize the need for this aspect of branding or brand development delivery on promise is the beginning and the end of any brand's success, no matter the extent of consumer perception. Perception could influence trial but will not sustain repeat purchase, dependence or loyalty except if perception is backed p by delivery on brand promise.

We know for a fact that any brand campaign not based on the extensive use of the standard creative brief form is not likely to optimize the creative investigative process for a very successful campaign. This is because if all the information required according to the creative brief forms is truly supplied, the creative process and team will not go wrong on the basics, the imperatives. Interestingly, one of the most important questions on the creative brief forms is THE DESIRED BRAND IMAGE (perception). That is the point.

The position statement for any brand, the brand promise is captured in line with the desired brand image for such brand. The challenge is that any given brand must represent something or a value essence, for it to connect with the target consumer. Hence the constant need for the creative team to clearly identify the various consumer value touch-point, and connect with the brand with the target market/consumer at those points, for success.

It is all about PERCEPTION! Perception is very important in the process of brands building and marketing that all stakeholders from the Clint and Agency sides live to get it right. That is the reason we have taken the time to capture it in a capsule. It is grand rule in marketing and brands support. Brands do everything to create a desired brand image for competitive market advantage.

That takes us to this next level of this discourse: the constituents of PERCEPTION. In other words, what are these elements that build up to this concept of perception? Perception is about imagery what you see. Agreed that perception could be built on feel, hear, taste but it all starts with seeing. That is why brand labeling is a very important element in brand development process. It must be properly packaged. In packaging a brand, the label tells the whole story.

It is the label that communicates with the target consumer at point of sale/ the shelf. Every discerning consumer takes time to look at the label for answers to questions on issues such as price, among alternatives. He/ she wants to know which of the brands in that product

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The brand the associate category offers the best deal on pricing. Also, the consumer wants to match brands on the basis of weight or volume of contents in the face of price, among competing brands.

The consumer wants to be sure of the product he/she is considering for use, on the basis of its reason for being.

The label of any brand will show its name and valueessence. That is the easiest way to differentiate among pharmaceutical products along product categories between analgesic and anti-biotic products, for instance.

Further more, it is the label that distinguishes between brands in same product category. In addition to its legal function, the label is essentially a summary of the vast description of the brand.

On a larger scale, therefore, the sum total of a brand's image is a combination off all the visual elements plus the support literature. These visual elements include human element, icons and other creative derivatives. For easy and

sure message delivery for brand packaging, brands managers most often settle for human elements in brands packaging. This is more evident among households, cleaning agents, body care, home appliances, seasonings, and most recently telephone/IT. For brands within the product categories (and others more in similar categories) use of human elements gives more latitude for demonstration of brands promise, brands benefits, how to use and testimonial endorsement. That explains representative posturing of models in moods expressive of happiness, conviviality, satisfaction and such positive environment or ambience. Posturing is always conditioned to sell the brand. So except for industrial products most brands will settle for human elements in the packaging process, all other things being equal.

It is for same reason you find such point-of-sale materials such as shop branding/merchandising materials, posters, banners, stickers, pelmets, drip mats etc., being amply expressive through the use of human elements or models. It is like the story is not told without the use of human elements. And that is focus for this week: WHO IS THE IDEAL MODEL? I am not sure how many advertising agencies and other creative shops pay the desired attention to the issue of models selection as a very important element in the cre-

ative process today. But I do know a few of them appreciate the importance of models and modeling in the entire creative process to the extent of creating a unit within the creative department solely for handling that assignment.

These are practitioners grounded in global best practice.

From the foregoing on brand packaging and marketing, models and modeling is an element held important globally.

As in creativity, generally, the challenge for professional model managers is deep thinking. It requires the use of the “third eye” to succeed as a model manager. It amazed me how much a former colleague drove the issue of modeling in my so many years ago. In summary she was blind to the obvious when it comes to beauty. She interpreted beauty differently. Some times when she made her decisions, during my learning days, I used to doubt her judgment until after execution. She never went wrong.

She tells you beauty is in the inside.

The amazing thing I learnt from her is that THERE IS BEAUTY IN BEING URGLY! Amazed? That is the power of creativity. It is easy thinking of hugely less value when brands rush to engage “celebrities” across the entertainment industry as brand ambassadors or brand-face. It does not show great thinking when some of these brands lash-in on known characters for whatever reason, as models (most times there is no rationale for such decisions anyway). We can count over 8 brands in this market today that are ebbing away their equity as a result of their choice of models for whatever role.

MCA&A Digest offers for free, this advice: the character or person of the model a brand associates with impact directly on the brand. That is because, obviously, the target consumer sees the brand through the person of the model, all of the time. So the salient questions are: •How much do you know about the model of your choice?

•How is the character of that model perceived by your target audience?

•What is the percentage of responses concerning the model, plus and minus?

•From what is known, is it safe for the brand to associate with the model being considered We know and appreciate the other issues relating to execution or production, such as shade or tone of skin complexion, presence of scars and traditional or tribal marks, birth marks, expression of facial features and the likes (some creative directors will even test out light effect on the skin of a prospective model before taking a decision). However, it is important to know that the issue of choosing a brand's model requires research and strategic planning in same importance with market research. The questions adumbrated above must be answered scientifically before engaging a model. As a statement of fact, beauty and stardom does not qualify a person as a model.

Some time a brand stands to gain more on consumer share of mind if it engages an “ugly” person as a model!

Think on this. But the question should always be: WHO IS THE IDEAL MODEL for your brand?

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Views

Sule Lamido: Between the Distinction and the Disaster T

HERE can be no mistake about it that, at Independence, everyone expected or assumed that Nigeria’s destination, by today, would be a founding member country of some club like the BRICS community, (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).

Whatever anyone may say for or against the domestic reality in each of the countries in the BRICS bracket and about BRICS as a collectivity, that club is a 21st Century statement in over coming peripheralisation and domination. Each and every one of them has not only made a statement about nation building, they have also done so to the point of starting to build peculiar alliances with a view to projecting power globally.

As nation building and social transformation are the exclusive historical tasks of the power elite of every nation, the question to ask is what has happened to the Nigerian power elite that Nigeria is not only no where near BRICS but it is actually inchoate and dancing on the brink. No matter one’s reservations about John Campbell’s book, Nigeria: Dancing on the Brinks and similar doomsday books on Nigeria, one cannot but also wonder how any power elite would have exercised power as to lead its country to the author’s portrait of Nigeria on pages 11-14 of that book. Such an elite has basically repudiated itself and yielded to recolonization, by implication.

But then that is if the Nigerian power elite have not already sought re-colonization since 1986. Campbell’s portrait of Nigeria is a direct outcome of that exercise. It all brings to mind Wole Soyinka’s poser about the sanity of the Blackman or any man at all who could sell his fellow brothers to some strangers. Today, it is not slavery again but the political elite in third world countries who promote globalization are in every way comparable to the slave agents who captured the African slaves for the Portuguese merchants at the Coasts. They have been sacrificing people to a foreign god known and called foreign investment which they assume will be flowing just because they proclaim market reform. Of course, foreign investment is part of it when talking about social transformation but it is not one of the most important.

We must, of course, make exceptions by paying glowing tributes to a personage like Adebayo Adedeji under whose intellectual and policy leadership the Economic Commission for Africa (UN-ECA) led a successful revolt against second enslavement nicely called Structural Adjustment Programme by its intelligentsia, diplomats and sophists. Tragically, Adedeji and his ilks are not the type courted around the world today because they stood up for Africa from within the system. When General Obasanjo took power in 1999, it was assumed that Adedeji would loom large in the politics of economic policy especially that OBJ has some history of fighting against SAP also from within. That didn’t happen. Instead, OBJ imported some disciples who began to speak in tongues as far as social transformation of Nigeria is concerned. Today, however, from President Jonathan to Namadi Sambo to Speaker Tambuwal, all are in agreement that privatisation, the anchor of the reform, has been all loquacious and sloganeering, not a success story. I have heard Speaker Tambuwal say emphatically that manufacturing is the way forward.

I wouldn’t know if they are speaking in the sense in which the first generation leaders such as Zik, Awo and the Sardauna understood development in terms of industrialization as a way of managing expectations but which the generation after them trivialized to a matter of infrastructure provisioning.

Since then, the only exception in informed and conscious leadership has been the PRP governments in Kaduna and Kano states between 1979 and 1983. If we take Abubakar Rimi in Kano, for example, it was his government that introduced a 101 Naira minimum wage above that of the NPN Federal Government then, introduced labour day in

•Sule Lamido

By Adagbo Onoja

the country, abolished the tax burden on the poor, embarked on an agro-industrial agenda that was the real reason Balarabe Musa in Kaduna was impeached because, according to Alhaji Dauda Mani then of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, industrialization is a precursor to a working class and working class means struggle for Socialism.

After the military intervened in 1983 to send radical politics on terminal leave, it was only Abacha that manifested the notion of a patriotic control of the economy but, tragically, he preferred to combine patriotism with terrorism in equal measure and his place in history now rests in speculation. But democracy since 1999 has not meant the developmental flourish comparable to Rimi’s or Lateef Jakande’s era or even Aper Aku (of Benue State) who alone established Fourteen industries in Four years (1979-1983) but which the soldiers who came after him could not even manage..

This is the sense in which the person and government of Alhaji Sule Lamido of Jigawa

will interest patriots and democrats in Nigeria today. It is not required that everyone should admire his person or even his approaches to politics. His unqualified defence of the PDP, his combativeness generally and similar other proclivities in politics is annoying to many people. But there is a substance in his politics that invites all of us to scrutinize him, go along with him up to a point and take note of a number of things.

This is not where to go into details about the outcomes of his politics in Jigawa State since he took over there as the governor. Those who did not know Jigawa in 2007 may not appreciate the point or might not be able to go beyond the physical and tangible elements they encounter in Dutse and around the state in terms of infrastructure dimension of development. The intangible dimensions of his developmental dictatorship which is what the opposition cleverly refers to his emperorship may not be obvious to a casual observer but they are there and it is actually in them that Sule Lamido’s utility and promise are buried.

Let me give just one or two examples.

Besides the historic Talakawa Summit and

“The intangible dimensions of his developmental dictatorship which is what the opposition cleverly refers to his emperorship may not be obvious to a casual observer but they are there and it is actually in them that Sule Lamido’s utility and promise are buried”

the social security package he inaugurated in Nigerian history, there is a policy in Jigawa State which entitles any student who falls within the 100 best WAEC/NECO results every year to automatic scholarship to study abroad. This is hanging the future on guided technocracy and is thus strategic. Two, I know as a matter of fact that Jigawa has, within the last four years, achieved state-wide supply of pipe borne water. In fact, at the end of the last electioneering campaign, some of us were saying the state should invite the WHO and pose the question in terms of what next when a state has achieved that level of water supply.

I can go on and add the hybrid Pension scheme which must be peculiar to Jigawa State. And there is the “Growing with Green” environmental strategy which has though suffered some slack in implementation in contrast to when it started. Five is the Governor’s Telephone line facility as a channel of popular participation. It remains intriguing.

Six is the Haifuwa Lafia (Safe Motherhood) strategy of combating maternal and child mortality which when added to the ultra modern Rasheed Shekoni Specialist Hospital in Dutse and the policy of free medical care for all pregnant women and children under the age five, would have meant a complete story for Lamido in the health sector if polio had not surfaced in Guri LGA again in 2010. Need I say more? This is not a list for the purpose of any hand clapping but for the scrutiny of Social Order politics.

In talking about Social Order politics, one cannot but note Lamido’s inspiring contextual location of the essence of power on the ideology of ‘Confronting the historical nightmares of the Talakawa” since he took over in 2007, meaning bringing back popular democracy and National liberation to the agenda of politics in Nigeria. It is the policies based on this framework as in the examples above that have forced Jigawa into the attention that were exclusively that of the league of the big states such as Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Rivers in spite of the great differences especially in wealth between these states and bare Jigawa.

The location of the Lamido persona and government in the ideological heritage of new Social Order politics is not an issue in debate, whatever the contradictions of radical populism at the moment, both in Nigeria and across the world. Neither is his replication of the politics of Social Order along the traditions and heritage of that tendency, historically.

What is in debate is the meaning of Second term in that case.

The time is short, the cadres for the politics of new social order are scarce or not there at all. The distractions in Nigeria are tremendous and the organizational cover for politics of ideology just doesn’t exist. Yet, as the last of that generation of politicians associated with using power for politics of social order, what would be Lamido report card by 2015? Would it accord with the history, traditions of the radical heritage?

Would Lamido beat his own records in 2007/ 2011? Would he so re-invent the wheel in such a self-evident way as to become a conclusive reference point in politics of social order on a national scale? Because anything less than re-inventing the wheel will be considered a disaster. Hence the title of this piece!

May his road be rough but it will not be Lamido’s funeral. It will be the funeral of the Nigerian power elite and their current understanding of power. The Bell tolls for all of us dangerously and hence the need to begin to appreciate the likes of Sule Lamido, Rotimi Amaechi and even non-members of our Great party like Raji Fashola, if I must give examples, in terms of the pool of sufficiently ‘crazy’ individuals whose symbolic plumage can rescue Nigeria from the ideological stranglehold of ethno-regional separatists and ethnic Marxists trying to ignite a fire that would have no end once it starts, clear that breaking Nigeria can only be like attempting to break water into its different components.

Onoja is of Government House, Dutse

News 63

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Ekiti communities’ free health services Inhabitants of Ekiti North Senatorial District Ekiti State, recently had cause to rejoice when the second phase of state government’s Free Health Mission visited ten communities in the area in ten days, bringing relief to many who suffered from one form of ailment or the other. Sulaiman Salawudeen reports on the activities of the Mission.

I

T may not be wrong to state that among the items on Governor Kayode Fayemi’s 8-Point (Ekiti Development) Agenda, none has received generous and consistent attention as the health component which comes fifth on the Agenda and which has gulped a sizeable amount of the state’s resources.

It is to be recalled that Dr. Kayode Fayemi, as the governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), introduced the Free Health Mission which visited localities and communities in the state to offer free health to the teeming locals. Given the scale of success of the programme at the time, Dr. Fayemi promised to continue with the mission after assuming office.

He has done just this. Now, as part of the 8-Point Agenda of his administration, health care services continue to attract primal attention in state government’s efforts to ensure stronger and healthier population with continuous and sustained free medical services for children, pregnant women, the physically challenged, the poor and senior citizens above 65 years. Also, there was increased immunisation for children of all ages and resuscitation of health centres in all localities.

Recently, state government’s periodic Free Health Mission in conjunction with the Development Support Initiative (DSI), a non-government organisation, visited ten communities in Ekiti North Senatorial District.

The Mission offers Primary Health care, which include free diagnosis and treament to people with common ailments like malaria, typhoid, cough, measles, and so on. While identified special cases requiring more specific professional treatment were referred to secondary health care centres. All of these are for people living at the grassroot communities.

A

WORKER is not a labourer whose living standard is simply a function of his wage. No. The index varies; the indicators that determine overall quality of a worker’s life includes of course, the level of wages but also, the quality of other services that a state can provide, some for a fee and others, at no fee to the citizens. And, such services include good roads, education, health, water and electricity and security, among others.

Though not convenient, the Federal and State governments have taken the bull by the horn by kicking off, the implementation of the nation’s minimum wage and would commence from August 1, 2011 with a caveat that all negotiations should end by July 31.

Besides, all arrears since the law was signed last March are also expected to be paid. Particularly in Edo State, “all grade levels in the core Civil Service that was not covered by recent sectoral wage increases granted by the Adams Oshiomholeled administration are beneficiaries.

The Governors, am sure made sacrifices to achieve workers’ demand because of the overbearing interest of the country, which is bigger than any individual.

He has a mastery of the game as far as workers welfare is concerned.

When I see people running their mouth in Edo state against Oshiomhole, I laugh and shudder. I say to myself, wonders shall never

It equally gave opportunities for propagation of public health enlightenment to the communities in reducing infant, child and maternal mortality as well as incidences of lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, among others.

The Health Mission further revived the long-neglected community health centres as they were made to serve as venues for the Health Mission exercise and an avenue to positively, if more meaningfully, engage local health workers.

It is to be recalled that the first phase of the administration’s Free Health Mission was taken to communities across the three senatorial districts of Ekiti North, Ekiti Central and Ekiti South between 3rd and 20th January, benefitting a total of 123,427 people, while 5,500 pairs of glasses were distributed to various categories of patients with visual impairments.

A surprising discovery, particularly in respect of those with eye problems was that about 90 per cent of them had never undergone any eye examination prior to the time of government’s intervention through the Mission.

To ensure effectiveness of the scheme and allow more people in the grassroots have access to the benefits of the Mission, especially as a fallout of and based on the experience of the initial Missions, its execution on senatorial basis started late June with Ekiti North Senatorial District being the first among the three in the state to benefit from a repackaged senatorial districtbased scheme.

Virtually all the 16 local government areas in the state were touched during the first phase of the Mission. It was discovered that more of the people in the hinterland needed assistance in the area of health.

There are five local government

•Governor Fayemi during his visit to one of the health centres

areas in Ekiti North including Ido/ Osi, Ikole, Ilejemeje, Moba and Oye, with ten communities selected as treatment points for the people.

Between June 20 and June 30, the Free Health Mission was in the selected towns in the five local governments to accommodate surging crowd of needy rural inhabitants who streamed into designated towns in Ikole-Ekiti, Ayedun-Ekiti, Isan-Ekiti, Oye-Ekiti, Ilupeju-Ekiti, AyetoroEkiti, Ifaki-Ekiti, Iye-Ekiti, Otun-Ekiti and Igogo-Ekiti.

Drugs, facilities and personnel were generously deployed into care of patients who took seats and waited patiently to be attended to while the DSI medical team led by Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, adopted an arrangement which gave all that came for treatment equal opportunity while assuring effectiveness.

The health challenges that received the attention of the medical personnel include common ailments

like malaria, typhoid, dysentery, constipation and others, while special cases like hypertension, diabetes, eye and dental problems, antenatal care, HIV counselling were a few that received on-the-spot attention and consequent referral.

Most of the beneficiaries in the rural communities where the scheme was taken to saw the Free Health Mission as unprecedented and a signal that the government in Ado-Ekiti cares for those hitherto forgotten in far-flung communities.

Among those who benefited were the Olusin of Usin-Ekiti in Ikole Local Government Area of the state, Oba Oluyemi Adedeji, who was among the eye patients that received free eyeglasses at Odo-Ayedun.

Also, 70-year-old Mrs. Rachel Falope who was treated by doctors at Ikole said bringing quality doctors and drugs to the local communities had never in whatever manner or form happened in the history of the state. To

Mrs. Victoria Adeleye, another 70-yearold woman from Ijesa-Isu who suffered general body pain, expressed surprise that she was treated and given drugs without any money collected from her and other patients.

The Iye-Ekiti outing was lit up by the presence of the wife of the governor, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, who reiterated the commitment of the state government to health care delivery in the state.

The governor’s wife who was on hand used the opportunity to address women on the importance of family planning and reduction of maternal mortality rate in Nigeria which is the second highest rate in the whole world.

The state governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who flagged off the second phase of the Free Health Mission in Odo-Ayedun unfolded the intent of his administration to commence free treatment of some segment of the state population very soon.

Oshiomhole’s sacrifice for Minimum Wage

By John Akpeji end. Nobody is perfect, but there are some people near perfection. Besides, iron sharpeneth iron but when I see some characters in the resemblance of wood, trying to rival the quality, soundness, durability, toughness and elasticity of an Oshiomhole, I say to myself, even you?

So, when the NGF raised a fiveman committee to accompany the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to a meeting with the SGF on the issue, the members of the committee included Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, his Enugu State counterpart, Sullivan Chime, and three others were part of the team.

While not diverting from the subject matter, I read a publication last week in one of the National dailies where some politicians in Oshiomhole’s rival party claimed the Governor does not have the interest of the Edo worker at heart and that as a foremost labour leader, he should “surrender the state treasury to the union leaders to share among themselves”. And I was wondering.

How come these charlatans suddenly lost their thinking faculty a moment after they lost power?

And to worsen the issue, one Isaiah Osifo and Godwin Erhahon referred to Oserheimen Osunbor as governor of Edo State and attempted to compare a democratically elected Governor Oshiomhole, whose mandate was robbed by no other party than the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and for which the certificate of return issued to Osunbor was withdrawn and restored back to the rightful owner? There is no basis for comparism because, he lacked the mandate of the people to execute any project or allocate state resources ab initio.

For me, I think Edo PDP have failed to play the role of an opposition party. I mean objective criticism; they have disappointed the people.

I thought they had learnt a very bitter lesson on how not to loose grip of state power and what good governance is all about from Oshiomhole two years in office. I was wrong afterall. They would never stop at bemusing Edo people that they lacked vision and ‘clueless’, in the words of Alhaji Lai Muhammed about government meeting the yearnings of the people.

Neither have they ever cherished any progressive idea. Nor do they find value in decency. It’s so sad. Indeed, so sad. They have not

learnt the lesson of encouraging candidates with integrity and who are incorruptible in public offices.

Has the PDP, in these post election period been doing the opposition job of proposing alternatives to ACN policies and programmes?

Absolutely no; they have these in shortage and obviously too. Is Edo State PDP dead or alive if I may ask? Rather for the PDP to advise on what they would have done that Oshiomhole is not doing, they are busying condemning what positively affects the generality of Edo people and this further diminishes their existence. What would the PDP and Isaiah Osifo have done differently that they didn’t do when they held sway in Osadebey Avenue?

Methinks that a viable opposition is equal to a viable alternative both in ideas, policies, programmes and structure. But again, the Edo PDP is not a viable alternative let alone viable opposition. And this brings me back to the major issue of minimum wage and maximum service.

Certainly, I know that there would be problem in many parts of the country over the minimum wage, but there will be no battle in Edo state over the minimum wage since this is Oshiomhole’s terrain

and area of specialisation.

Though, the resources are lean but, he is not use to lamentation. He certainly again, wouldn’t want to have an implementation that will lead to crisis and as such, directed the Head of Service, Mr. Anthony Edokpayi to commence the process.

His administration employed over 2,000 teachers to complement the number of teachers in public primary and secondary schools across the state. The aim according to him was to cushion the dearth of teachers in most public schools and bring the number of persons so far employed since the past two years of his administration to 10, 000. If today, civil servants work very hard and are still very poor, it’s not their fault. The fault is those who do not have the mandate to adjudicate on the resources, yet presided over it illegally. But Oshiomhole has the mandate of the people to so do and it is seen to have been done.

His statesmanship and steadfastness is salutary and commendable. The non-partisan approach he addressed this issue, laced with objectivity and statesmanship remains for other elected public officers to emulate as Isa Aremu already pointed.

Mr. John Akpeji writes from Abuja

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

News

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

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ANOTECHNOLOGY is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale.

Although very advanced and complex, nanotechnology may be able to create many new materials and devices with a vast range of applications, such as in medicine, electronics, biomaterials and energy production.

The interdisciplinary nature of nanotechnology enables diversification and development in order to improve quality of life.

Against his background, an international conference was organized by Alexander von Humbolt Foundation of Germany at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso.

The theme of the conference is: Potential Applications of Nanotechnology in Developing Countries of West Africa: Trend of Research Activities.

Renowned scholars and experts from South Africa,Ghana,Germany,Egypt,Including Nigeria attended the four day event.

In his welcome address, Vice Chancellor of LAUTECH, Professor Lanrewaju Nassar, said application of Nanoscience and

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Experts brainstorm on potential application of Nanotechnology in developing countries From Bode Durojaiye, Ogbomoso

nanotechnology to the needs of the developing world in the areas of energy storage, production and conversion; enhancement of agricultural productivity; water treatment and remediation; and the diagnosis and treatment of disease cannot be overemphasized.

Prof. Nassar noted that other potential applications of nanotechnology in developing countries include: drug delivery systems, food processing and storage, air pollution and remediation, construction, health monitoring and vector and pest detection and control.

“It has also been established that a surprising amount of nanotechnology research and development activity is ongoing in several developing countries, and that these nations are directing their nanotechnology innovation systems to

address their more pressing needs. It will therefore not be out of place if researchers in these relevant areas gather together to brainstorm on the achievements made so far and possible expansion of their research horizons”.

The VC noted that the University is not left out on other international s p o n s o r s h i p programmes, as members of staff have enjoyed international exchange programmes of Third World Academic of Science (TWAS), Commonwealth, DAAD, and JPSSS. Also speaking, the Consulate-General of the Germany Embassy in Nigeria, Mr. Walter L. von den Driesch, explained that the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation aims to support excellence and to create an expanding global network of cultural and scientific dialogue on highest levels.

According to him, “The Humboldt Foundation has sponsored more than

25,000 scientists and scholars from all over the world, including 44 Nobel Prize winners and has never set quota for countries of origin nor fields of research in the selection of future Humboldt fellows. The only criterion was – and always will be –scientific excellence. So far the Humboldt Foundation has granted well above 1000 research fellowships to excellent scientists and scholars from Africa, amongst them approximately 190 from Nigeria”.

In his opening remark, convener of the conference, Engineer Dr. Sola Jekayinfa, said the goal of the conference is to stimulate collaboration and research interests in the application of nanotechnology to all facets of development in the West Africa subregion.

“These fields of science and technology cut across several disciplines which include agricultural engineering, chemical engineering, civil and construction

e n g i n e e r i n g , microbiology, animal science & production, agronomy, agricultural economics and extension, rural sociology, food science and engineering, medical sciences, pharmacology and pharmaceuticals and all other allied disciplines.

The conference will strengthen networking in the field of natural science and engineering, and foster mentorship of young researchers. The conference will also feature topical issues on capacity building for research proposal writing for young and old researchers.”

Dr. Jekayinfa however urged every government (including developing nations) to invest in nanotechnology to bring about improvement in sectors such as healthcare, water, agriculture, energy and environment.

In his key note address, Professor Tunji Ibiyemi of the University of Ilorin, advised the Federal Government to urgently address mass failure in

NECO/SSCE to empty laboratories and libraries in tertiary institutions.

Prof. Ibiyemi said this became necessary if indeed Nigeria wants to become one of the twenty worlds leading economy by the year 2020, adding that if not it will simply follow our usual literature in technology.

The Don further asserted that mere propagation of literature in technology only helps the technology developers to have market growth and not for market competition.

He noted that there is no developer of a new technology that will readily transfer his technology but every technology developer provides literature on his technology for market growth.

“A major platform for contribution to any technology is effective participation in research and development. Hence, the problem facing our educational system must be immediately addressed’’

Tribute: Tears as caring mum is buried L

IKE all mortals do, the life and times of the late Princess Dooshima Ihyongo on planet earth were no different. She came, she saw, and she conquered, but she returned to the clay from which she was formed: Genesis 3:19.

Her remains were buried penultimate Tuesday, July 12, 2011 amid tears at her husband’s country home at Gbise, Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.

Dooshima took her last breath on Sunday evening, June 26, after a few weeks of intensive therapy of ‘stroke’. She was 50.

A funeral service was jointly officiated by the NKST Church, Central and NKST Church, Gawa before internment in the early hours.

She is survived by her husband, mother, four children, two grandchildren and many brothers and sisters. Her elder child, Fanen Ihyongo, is The Nation Senior Correspondent in Taraba State.

Family members, friends, students, teachers, journalists, farmers and sympathisers from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nasarawa, Taraba and Adamawa states, among others, paid the late princess their last respect.

From Fanen Ihyongo, Jalingo

All primary schools in the local government area were also shutdown to her honour.

Speaker after speaker, the sympathisers paid shimmering tributes to the deceased. Her husband, Mr Joshua Ihyongo, who was all tears, said: “My wife was a caring woman and a devout Christian.”

The Headmistress of her school, Mrs. Udo Cyrina, in her tribute said the deceased left behind an enduring legacy that should be preserved. Her children, Udo added, must be supported with prayers to prosper.

“It is not how long you live that counts, but how well. The Princess had lived a fulfilled life”, said Deacon Ortindi Torough Baka, publisher of The Target magazine and younger cousin to the late princess.

Her children said she might have left this world, she will continue to live on their hearts. “Mama was caring, as she was very dear to us. She lives”, said her elder daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Noah Aill.

It was very difficult for people to pick offence with the late Dooshima, because simplicity was her other name.

Benevolence was also her stock in trade. For instance, if she gave out a

•Dooshima Ihyongo

daughter in marriage, she would share all the dowries with, not only family members, but close allies and neighbours.

The late Mrs Ihyongo was the first child of Igba

Baka Utume, a retired soldier from the Royal British Army (RBA), who became a Kindred Head in Utenge-Kpav, Shitile, Yooyo Ward of Tor-Donga in Katsina-Ala.

She attended the Native Education Authority (now LGA) Primary School, TorDonga and Lesel Community Secondary School, Ushongo. After a stint with the local government council’s Revenue department, Dooshima later obtained the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) at the College of Education, Katsina-Ala, and was teaching at NKST Primary School, Dzege –Mbamo before the relentless vicissitude of life took its final tour on her.

The late mum was a woman of substance, with many sides. A teacher, farmer and business woman, Princess Dooshima was hard working and perseverant in all her endeavours.

Her name resonated during her primary school days, when she burst onto the track events, becoming the best athlete in Benue state. In her category, Dooshima was the champion in relays, bottle chase and middle and long-distance running.

She had won gold medals in 800m, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m, 10000m and 4x400m relay. But her late father wouldn’t want her to veer into athletics as her career. Thus, the then idol jettisoned her ambition and took to schooling, after marrying at tender age.

Dooshima was described as a “complete gentlewoman”, in spite of her beauty. Dark in complexion with average height, her life style was a mixture of a driven personality with calm disposition and deep love for people. She was a reliable and dependable woman, a caring wife and mother, which men often times used her as a role model in disciplining their wives. Her children revealed she always cautioned them against social vices and cult related associations.

Until her demise that faithful Sunday, Mrs. Ihyongo had suffered rigorously from a strange disease that had periodically perturbed her for perennial years. She had survived through the years and was going about her normal businesses. She even participated in the April general elections. But what struck her left hand like a minor stroke killed her at last, because it was death, and not illness. She was human and had to depart this world after acting the nature script.

Indeed, the late Princess Dooshima Ihyongo lived a fulfilled life and died in the Lord. She would be fondly remembered by many, for her munificence and unassuming nature.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Foreign

•Continued from Page 5 taken, 21-year-old Dana Berzingi wore pants stained with blood. He said the fake police officer ordered people to come closer, then pulled weapons and ammunition from a bag and started shooting.

Several victims “had pretended they were dead to survive,” Berzingi said. But after shooting the victims with one gun, the gunman shot them again in the head with a shotgun, he said.

“I lost several friends,” said Berzingi, who used the cell phone of one of those friends to call police.

Though the prime minister cautioned against jumping to conclusions about the gunman’s motives, both attacks were in areas connected to the left-leaning Labour Party, which leads a coalition government. The youth camp, about 20 miles (35 kilometers) northwest of Oslo, is organized by the party’s youth wing, and the prime minister had been scheduled to speak there Saturday.

Sponheim said a man was arrested in the shooting, and the suspect had been observed in Oslo before the explosion there.

But he refused to confirm the suspect’s identity as reported by Norwegian media.

Sponheim said the camp shooter “wore a sweater with a police sign on it. I can confirm that he wasn’t a police employee and never has been.”

Aerial images broadcast by Norway’s TV2 showed members of a SWAT team dressed in black arriving at the island in boats and running up the dock. People who had stripped down to their

Norway death toll hits 92

• Three-year-old Adam Backman in the background) is flanked by family members as he places flowers at the Norwegian Embassy in Stockholm yesterday in support of the victims of the Norway July 22 bombing and shooting spree.

AFP PHOTO / SCANPIX SWEDEN - FREDRIK PERSSON

underwear moved in the opposite direction, swimming away from the island toward the mainland, some using flotation devices.

The United States, European Union, NATO and the U.K., all quickly condemned the bombing,

which Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague called “horrific” and NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen deemed a “heinous act.”

“It’s a reminder that the entire international community has a stake in preventing this kind

of terror from occurring,” President Barack Obama said.

Obama extended his condolences to Norway’s people and offered U.S. assistance with the investigation. He said he remembered how warmly Norwegians treated him in Oslo when he ac-

cepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II wrote to Norway’s King Harald to offer her condolences and express her shock and sadness at the shooting attacks in his country.

Norway and the danger of certainty • New breeds of Christian fundamentalists are bent on unleashing terror for selfish causes

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ORWAY, with its vast oil and gas reserves, clear fjords, its art scene, and cosy economy, was highly regarded for the good life it offered.

The security and peace of life was taken for granted in the country where police do not carry arms. But, last Friday, a bit of the country’s peaceful life was shattered when a young man unleashed terror on youths at a camp where the youth-wing of Norway’s left-leaning Labour Party was holding a retreat on the island of Utoeya.

The shooting came on the heels of a car bomb explosion outside a government building in Oslo, Norway’s capital which killed seven people.

While police have not identified the suspect, Norwegian national broadcaster NRK say he is Anders Behring Breivik. However, one thing is certain; the suspect, Norwegian authorities have confirmed has ties to a right-leaning political party, posted on Christian fundamentalist websites, and he rented a farm where he amassed six tons of fertilizer. Video tapes have shown how savagely he ridded the lives of the young Norwegians with bullets.

As at yesterday, 92 people have died in what has been described as the Norway’s deadliest violence. The gunman with a pistol and machine gun held sway for one and a half hours, shooting young people on the island before surrendering to a SWAT team.

The killings bring back memo-

By Joe Agbro Jr., with agency reports

ries of some other killings. On the morning of January 8, 2011, a US Representative from Arizona, Gabrielle Giffords, was holding a constituent meeting outside Safeway supermarket with about 30 other people. Out of the blues, a 22 year Tuscon man, Jared Lee Loughner, drew a pistol and shot Giffords in the head. He then proceeded to fire at other people around. He did not stop shooting till he ran out of ammunitions and was overpowered. When he was through, 19 people had been shot, five died on the scene and one died later. While the motive for the shooting might be unclear, the target, Giffords, was surely marked out as notes allegedly handwritten by Loughner indicated he planned to assassinate the US Rep. Caiti Parker, who claimed she knew Loughner in high school four years earlier, described him as a politically radical loner.

Classmates noted that Loughner was an atheist and actively critical of religion.

On the internet, Loghner had discussed terrorism saying, “if I define terrorist then a terrorist is a person who employs terror or terrorism, especially as a political weapon. I define terrorist ... If you call me a terrorist then the argument to call me a terrorist is ad hominem. You call me a terrorist.”

President Barack Obama called the shooting an “unspeakable tragedy”, adding

that “such a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society”.

That rhetoric couldn’t have been new.

On Tuesday, April 20, 1999, two senior students at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, USA, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold embarked on a massacre.

They shot and killed 12 students and one teacher, and also injured 21 other students. After the massacre, the shooters killed themselves.

Also, on April 16, 2007, Seung-Hui Cho, a South Korean citizen with US permanent resident status killed 32 people and wounded 25 others before committing suicide. The incident took place on the campus of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA. Cho, a senior English major at Virginia Tech had been previously diagnosed of severe anxiety disorder.

On April 18, 2007, NBC News received a package from Cho time-stamped between the first and second shooting episodes. It contained an 1800 word manifesto, photos, and 27 digitally recorded videos, in which Cho likened himself to Jesus Christ and expressed his hatred of the wealthy. He stated, among other things, “You forced me into a corner and gave me only one option...You just loved to crucify me. You loved inducing cancer in my head, terror in my heart and ripping my soul all this time”.

Shootings such as this in the United States have brought the is-

sue of gun control to the fore. But,a fact that has remained coy is that the terrorist attacks have been perpetuated by Christians against Christian targets. It seems there is a growing expression of ideology by young Christians. Be it for politics, economics, or religion, Christian youths are now finding reasons to kill for and even die for.

Once, it was thought that such acts of shootings and bombings were solely the terrain of Moslem fundamentalists. It is very worrisome that this trend is changing.

This might rubbish profiling which western countries presently adopt to detect terrorists.

With different individuals, with of course different ideologies, the next shooter or suicide bomber could well be the next person.

Many people are living in their own world, thinking their views are supreme in spite of the globalised nature the world has become. Hitherto Moslem fundamentalists were thought to be dangerous. With the entrance of the Norwegian shooter, Christian fundamentalists may just be joining this fold.

Norwegians are registered at baptism as members of the Church of Norway; many remain in the state church to be able to use services such as baptism, confirmation, marriage and burial, rites which have strong cultural standing in Norway.

About 79.2% of Norwegians were members of the Church of Norway as of January 1, 2010.

However, only 20% of Norwegians say that religion occupies

an important place in their life.

The suspect shooter, described as a blonde blue-eyed Norwegian was reportedly a Christian fundamentalist with anti-Muslim views.

Norway, with a population of about 4.9 million people provides free education for its citizens as well as for foreigners. It is the fifth largest oil exporter and third largest gas exporter in the world, but it is not a member of Oraganisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). It is also the world’s second largest exporter of fish (in value, after China) and the 6th largest arms exporter in the world.

Norway is a unitary parliam e n t a r y democracy and constitutional monarchy, with King Harald V as its head of state and Jens Stoltenberg as its prime minister.

Today, Norway’s standard of living is among the highest in the world and the country ranks as the second wealthiest country in the world in monetary value, with the largest capital reserve per capita of any nation.

The Norwegian welfare state makes public health care free (above a certain level), and parents have 46 weeks paid parental leave. Norway has a very low unemployment rate, currently put at 3.1%.

However, with Friday’s incident, it seems Norway’s egalitarian values doesn’t count in this new breed of terrorism.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Worship

INTERVIEW

Living ‘Church leaders should have Faith no business with arrogance’

By David Oyedepo

Enjoying a world of no limits! (3)

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ELCOME to your regular column. Last week, I showed you the importance of the Spirit of Wisdom, in enjoying a world of no limits. This week, I will show you how to receive the impartation of the Spirit of wisdom.

The Holy Spirit is essentially the Spirit of wisdom. Nothing distinguishes a person like the wisdom of God. The Holy Spirit is the custodian of the wisdom of God. Wisdom is all you need to win the battles of your life. Divine wisdom is an ‘impart able’ virtue, because its Principal Conveyor is the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

Every gift and manifestation of the Spirit answers to a thirst of man. You cannot be empowered by the Holy Spirit without a proven thirst (Isaiah 44:3-4).

What Is In Divine Wisdom?

1. It’s our eternal cure from depression: Divine wisdom is God’s capital cure for depression. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding (Proverbs 3:13). …Happy is every one that retaineth her (verse 18). So, when you retain the flow of divine wisdom, you live a happy and joyful life, free eternally from depression. You can’t buy this with money!

2. This wisdom guarantees long life: Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour (verse 16). Divine wisdom guarantees long life.

3. It guarantees riches and honour (Proverbs 3:16, 18).

4. This wisdom enhances your pleasantness or your pleasures (verse 17).

5. It guarantees peace (Proverbs 3:17). The wisdom of God cancels out the battles of your life.

6. This wisdom releases favour upon the carrier (Proverbs 8:35). What skill will never bring your way, God’s favour will bring it this time.

7. This wisdom is creative: It does not wait for result, it creates result. God’s wisdom is creative. That is why it is never stranded; it always has a way out of every situation. The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens (Proverbs 3:19).

8. It delivers supernatural triumph: It levels out mountains as if they never existed (Job 28:7-20). Faith is God’s wisdom for your supernatural victory; it overturns the mountains by the root.

9. It commands results in impossible cases: Divine wisdom is never short of results. No circumstances or situation can stop it from delivering its results. Divine wisdom will pave the way out of the prison for you to be free for the palace.

Divine wisdom brought Joseph out of the prison and launched him straight to the palace! No situation can stop divine wisdom from delivering tangible results.

10. It does not see problems, it sees precious things: His eye seeth every precious thing (Job 28:10). Divine wisdom sees precious things in the midst of trash.

11. It controls the element: He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light (Job 28:11).

Divine wisdom controls the element. So, divine wisdom made Daniel indestructible by lions. Also Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego were indestructible in fire, because of divine wisdom.

Where can wisdom be found?

1. In the Word of God: Psalm 119:98-100.

2. Wisdom can be found in places: Jeremiah 3:15-17.

3. It is reserved in persons: For instance, Moses had it, and so he could give it. All the fundamentals of scriptures came through Moses by the operation of the Spirit of wisdom in him, so he could impart it upon the man called Joshua.

4. Receive the person of the carrier: A guest you do not welcome in your home, you are not entitled to the goodies with him. So, receive the person (Matthew 10:41).

5. Believe in the Ministry of the Carrier: Believe in his ministry and then you can access what he carries with ease.

6. Honour the carrier: By so doing, whatever he carries naturally flows into you. Honour means, you are emotionally attached to him and then what he carries flows easily into you. For instance, there was an emotional attachment of Joshua to Moses, so, there could be a natural flow. There is a soulish connection that guarantees the flow of that unction.

What impartation does: It makes you a replica of your source; it empowers you to duplicate the grace from your source.

I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. Our midweek services hold on Wednesdays between 6 and 8 p.m. We have four services on Sundays. The first one holds between 6.30 and 8.15 a.m., the second between 8.25 a.m. and 10.10 a.m., the third between 10.20 a.m. and 12.05 p.m. and the fourth between 12.15 and 2.00 p.m.

Every exploit in life is a product of knowledge. For further reading, please get my books — The Wisdom That Works, Walking In Wisdom and Winning Wisdom.

I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: BISHOP DAVID OYEDEPO, Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 7747546-8; or E-mail: bishop@davidoyedepoministries.org

Y

OU just returned from a foreign trip a few days ago. What took you so long this time around?

We had quite a lot that went on. We had a leadership conference in Chicago. From there, we went to Canada where my wife and I spent two weeks with our two daughters.

My first daughter, Charity, is getting married in December, so we needed to meet the in-laws-to be. From there, we had a crusade in Toronto where there were many testimonies.

We went back to America where we rounded off with some conferences. We then returned through London.

It’s rare to find a church leader with so many branches like yours still obscure. Is there any reason why you are almost unknown?

Well, I am just doing my own thing. I don’t like blowing my trumpet and I like what I am doing to speak for itself. I once worked with a church in Kenya and the founder there thought I was coming from a no-zone background because of how I conducted myself. He looked down on me but I just carried on in my own way. He was doing so well that he almost contested for the Presidency in Kenya. But during the Presidential election crisis in Kenya, he had to come here for just two weeks. What he saw blew his mind. He confessed he had no idea our church is this big, that our cathedral is larger than any other in the whole of Kenya. I just laughed and wondered why we have to always treat ourselves based on what we possess. I have only chosen to be humble because that is Jesus way. There is no other way to do church and lead God’s people. Once you become detached from the people and unapproachable then you have lost it.

Despite that you are a Bishop?

Of course. I don’t carry this title on my head. It is just to enable me work better, not to massage my ego and get blown out of proportion. The late

General Overseer of Dominion Chapel International Churches, Bishop John Praise, is an unassuming and amiable man of God. He speaks with Sunday Oguntola on why humility is necessary in ministry

•Praise

Archbishop Idahosa once said if a high priest is too high to be touched then he becomes a low priest. So I don’t see myself as any one brilliant or extraordinary. Church leaders are just ordinary people that God has chosen and endowed with grace. It has nothing to do with what we are or have accomplished on our own. Why should we behave as if we dropped from the moon? So, I believe men of God must be humble whether they are pastors or Bishops. I am a Bishop but if I think I can rub shoulders with the likes of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and Adeboye then I am deceiving myself. I don’t have the grace for onetenth of what those people have done and I have to honour them regardless of what titles they bear. I have seen Pastors who are proud and arrogant just like I have seen Bishops that are humble and approachable. For God’s generals, humility is a necessity.

Without it, you are setting yourself up for immediate destruction. I see so much of arrogance on the pulpit these

days but I am sure it wouldn’t take people far. It is only a matter of time.

What are things people will find in this church that may not be obtainable elsewhere?

We are a family church and we live like one big family. We have strong bond and unity.

There is the strong presence of God and strong worship backed with the ministry of the word. But we are not doing anything extraordinary that other churches cannot do. We simply face our own calling and do not compare ourselves with other churches. We simply believe those that have been appointed for us by God will find us out and stay.

The issue of religious fundamentalism has taken a new turn with the Boko Haram menace and some people are saying isn’t it time for Christians and churches to defend themselves against unprovoked aggression?

The issue of self-defence is in order because you cannot sit down there and allow people slaughter you. The Bible says we should resist the devil but does not tell us how.

You are left with taking care of how to resist the devil. So, I believe we have suffered so much in the North. A lot of churches have been rebuilt three or four times after destruction. Enough is enough.

We should raise young people to defend the church because nobody has the monopoly of violence. People say when they slap your cheek you turn the other. We have turned both and they have slapped us. There is nothing else to turn. So selfdefence is in order to protect what God has given the church. When Peter cut the ears of someone who came to arrest Jesus, Jesus did not ask him to throw away the sword because a time is coming when he would need it.

How many points agenda do you have for President Jonathan?

I don’t want him to dissipate efforts on too many things. We are praying for him to handle two or three things. Security is one that he should tackle. People want to leave because no one is safe.

Then, he should do stable power supply. Nigerians are very easy to rule. If he can handle these things for us then we wouldn’t forget him for life.

How is the church projecting into the future?

We are projecting. We have a camp site that we are developing. People can build and live in harmony there.

We also want to increase membership because we have seen what God has done for people who came here with nothing. We want to be able to replicate that. We want to save lives and establish them in the Lord. These are stuffs we are working on because we find out that the biggest need of the church now is discipleship.

NEWS

C

HURCHES must learn to give to advance the cause of the gospel, the Special Assistant, Administration and Personnel to the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Johnson Odesola, has said.

He said the church can effectively reach the world if Christians cultivate the habit of giving their time, skills, resources and energies to the gospel.

Odesola spoke last week at the Gathering of Champion Kingdom Builder launch organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Throne of Grace in Lagos.

He said, “the number one business of God after creat-

How the gospel can spread, by cleric

By Adeola Ogunlade

ing man was building a garden for himself and man, thus our priority should be to toward partnering with God in building his house.”

Odesola asserted that

God will always reward faithful Christians who see the need to support God’s work and act accordingly.

He cited Nehemiah who saw the need to build the wall of Jerusalem. Nehemiah,

Odesola said, “never surrendered to discouragers but was able to share his vision and burden those who can help and absolutely trusted in God, he built the wall of Jerusalem.”

Group makes case for the disabled

T

HE World Christian Council Association has called on the Federal government to approve the Social Disability Policy to cater for the old and poor in the society.

A statement signed its Chairman, Primate Ayoola Omonigbehin, last week, blamed the rise of crime in

By Abiodun Bello

the society on poverty and the negligence of the youths by the government.

“Poverty is making many youths to turn to cocaine abuser, Indian hemp smokers and other crimes that bedevil our society today.”

The group added that

passing the bill will be of great advantage to the disabled and old people in the society.

It further stated that God can use these abandoned citizens as great leaders as well as correct all evils, wrongs and abuses in the office by these elements of people.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

Worship

Why Christians must unite, by Atilade

P

RESIDENT/Archbishop of Gospel Baptist Conference of Nigeria and Overseas, Archbishop Magnus Atilade has urged Christians to close ranks for the advancement of kingdom works.

Disunity, he said, has been hampering salvation of souls and Christian initiatives in the country.

He spoke last week at an interdenominational crusade organised by the church in Lagos.

The 3-day crusade attracted participants from different churches and denominations.

Atilade said: ‘’Unity is the hallmark of Christianity. Jesus prayed for it shortly before he died. We must allow his prayer to be answered by

By Sunday Oguntola

reconciling with ourselves and overlooking the little things that divide us’’.

He called on church leaders to embrace the gospel of unity, by not telling their members to snub Christians from other churches and look down on them. ‘’As leaders, it is our responsibility to tell our members that the church is one.

We may bear different names and have varying doctrines but we are all ultimately children of God,’’ he charged.

Atilade frowned at the gospel of exclusion and exclusivity prevalent in many churches, saying the feeling of superiority has no place

with God. ‘’At the end, no one will be judged by how much better you know but how best you treat others and help the cause of the gospel,’’ he argued.

If Christians unite, the cleric said the gospel will spread faster in Nigeria and have more effects.

The church, he said, will be more effective in affecting government’s policies and attention. ‘’The reason why government don’t take us seriously is because we don’t have a common front. When we all close ranks, they will realise the church is a powerful entity,’’ he submitted.

He said the divergent representation of churches at the crusade was a sign that God was working for the unity of

the church.

Prophet Gabriel Fakeye of Ayo Ni O Cherubim and Seraphim was of the same opinion.

He said: “The church must be united both in deeds and thoughts. The era of Pentecostal churches seeing celestial Church of Christ members as not good Christians is gone. ‘’We’re all Christians, members of the same body of Christ with the same altar call, our Lord Jesus Christ gave early Christians one order which was to preach the gospel to the nooks and crannies of the earth. ‘’That must be our focus in Christendom not segregation,” he added.

•L-R: Fakeye with Atilade at the crusade

Group offers Lagoon villagers free medical care

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RESIDENTS of Abiye village via Badagry, Lagos defied heavy downpours recently to avail themselves of a free medical check-up.

The exercise organised

by Gospel Healing and Fire Evangelistic Ministries witnessed a large turnout of children and women.

The host, Pastor Lawrence Opene, was full of appreciations to the medical team for travelling several kilometres to the community.

Describing it as timely, he said it would assist missionary efforts in the area.

Opene said: ‘’As you can see this area is somehow neglected without medical facilities, roads or electricity to support the population. ‘’People here must travel as far as Ojo or deep inside Badagry on this ever busy Lagos-Badagry express way to access medical care’’.

Team head and founder of the organisation, Dr. Gabriel Omonaiye, said: ‘’we want to reach more people but we don’t want to run ahead of what God wants to do. If it pleases Him to take it higher or to leave the project at this level, fine.

There are things so important to men, which to God are of no value’’.

Omonaiye, who is also the Medical Director of God’s Goal Hospital, Ojo,

By Dayo Emmanuel

Lagos, was at the outreach with his wife, daughter and three nurses.

The 1992 graduate of University of Ilorin added that the salvation of a soul is more important than whatever it costs.

He said: “I don’t know the cost of this trip because I don’t believe it has cost me, it’s God’s resources in our care, I believe it costs me nothing”.

Another member of the team, Dr Alori Dare, pointed out that the main ailments in the community include hypertension, diabetes, malaria

D

•Omonaiye and Dare dishing out medical supplies

and upper respiratory infections.

Some of these, he said, are ‘’traceable to the envi-

ronment and weather being a riverine environment and so close to the lagoon.”

Church dedicates auditorium

IVINE Appointment Ministry International played host to dignitaries from all walks of life penultimate Sunday during the dedication of Graceland building, its international headquarters in Lagos.

The founder and senior Pastor, Ben Eragbai disclosed that the dedication was timing and designed

by God. The dedication was performed by Rev. Felix Omobude, the spiritual father of Fragbai who arrived to a rousing welcome.

Decked in immaculate cream French suit, he cut

By Alidu Balogun

the tape to mark the official dedication of the edifice.

The visibly elated Omobude showered praises on Eragbai.

He said:”I believe in you and I know nobody can ever accuse you of performing below average rather I know you to always overdo things the positive way. Concerning this building this is a bus stop, your distinction is still ahead.’’

The guest speaker, Apostle Lawrence Achudume, disclosed that a new chapter had been opened for Eragbai.

He described Eragbai as a visionary leader, humble and destined to soar higher in ministry.

Bishop Osa-Oni, another speaker, compared Eragbai to David in the Bible who was located by God in the bush.

“It gladdens my heart that Rev. Ben was located

by God and given a vision and this building is in fulfilment of that vision,” he said.

Assisted by Osa-Oni, Achudume and other clergymen, Eragbai consecrated the building after dedication by Omobude.

69

Making Sense of Life with adeWale Adefuye

A taste of eternity

“P

LEASE share with us your experience of ‘forty days and forty nights on the mountain with the Lord.’”

“The coming of the Big One on Mount Sinai was deliberately made impressive, to give the people evidence of His being and power, so they would be saved from idolatry, to which they were most deplorably prone.”

“The New Testament equivalent is similar. On the day of Pentecost, Believers were together in one place when, suddenly, a sound like a violently blowing wind came from the sky and filled the whole house where they were meeting. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks and took control of everyone, and they began speaking whatever languages the Spirit let them speak. It seems to be a divine pattern to start every Dispensation with a show of power. The preparation was equally elaborate.”

“Three months after we left Egypt, we arrived at Mount Sinai and God instructed me to prepare the people to meet with Him. The people were given three days’ notice to consecrate themselves for worship, wash their clothes and abstain from sexual intercourse.”

“I think the Mount Sinai ‘show’ was really to earn you respect and awe before the people. According to the Scriptures, God said, ‘I will come to you in a thick cloud, Moses, so the people themselves can hear me when I speak with you. Then they will always trust you.’”

“Hmm...God, in his indescribable majesty, descended on the mount; and, amidst a thick dark cloud, violent thunders, vivid lightnings, long and loud trumpet blasts, smoke encompassing the whole mountain, and excessive earthquakes, He proclaimed His power, glory and holiness. Though the people later proved unfaithful and disobedient afterwards, never once did they doubt the Divine interference, or suspected me of any imposture.

Indeed, these ‘proofs’ were so absolute and unequivocal that it was impossible these appearances could be attributed to any cause but the unlimited power of the Author of Nature.”

“What was it that made you so special to God?” “Nothing; absolutely nothing about me and us! God wasn’t attracted to us and didn’t choose us because we were big and important—fact is, there was nothing to us. He did it out of sheer love, keeping the promise He made to our ancestors.

Come to think of it, He had to choose someone – a man, a family, tribe and nation—through whom the Saviour would come. If He had a list of criteria He didn’t show it on the mount.”

“It definitely must feel good to be chosen!”

“But it carries a lot of responsibility with it! Following God is not a kettle of tea. To whom much is given, much is expected and demanded. Remember what happened to me. I blew my top once and the hammer came down heavily on me. I was barred from getting to Canaan simply because I should have known better. I had been to the mountain top. I had spoken to God face to face. I was even encouraged to ask to see His glory and God fully declared the name JEHOVAH; by which proclamation I saw how He would “be gracious to whom he would be gracious,” and how he would “be merciful to those to whom he would show mercy.” He showed me His back – all that had transpired in ages past in relation to humans.

That’s why I could write Genesis, for instance! I got to know of the counsels of His mercy and goodness, relative to his purpose of redemption of the human race.”

“Okay...You knew His ways while the people only saw His acts. So your anger was therefore totally not justified based on your position, right?”

“Indeed it was really silly. In my anger I broke the pattern. The striking of the Rock was to demonstrate how the Saviour would be struck once but I messed up the pattern and my visa to Canaan was cancelled.”

“But didn’t you eventually make Canaan when you and Elijah showed up on the Mount of Transfiguration to converse with the LORD? One would have expected Enoch and Elijah, not you.”

“Well, that’s just one way of looking at it.”

“How was it like being with God alone for forty days and forty nights on that mount?”

“Staying on that Mount with the Almighty can best be described in one phrase: a taste of eternity; a realm outside of time and space.

It informed the penning down of your Psalm 90. Since God dwells in eternity, a thousand years mean nothing to Him! They are merely a day gone by or a few hours in the night.

His reckonings are different and that causes frustrations on both sides. Humans check and measure everything in space and time but He sees everything in one continuum.

Past, present and future are the same to Him. Everything is laid bare before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. I believe that’s your Hebrews 4:13.” adeWale Adefuye, dean of LifeClass, can be reached at dean@lifeclassonline.org; 070 3002 3002 (SMS only)

70

THE NATION ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011

News

Liberia ought to be richer than Nigeria - Chelley, Liberian presidential hopeful

A

S the race to Liberia’s presidential election in October heats up, candidates have been jostling for the position. One of such is the standard bearer of the Original Congress Party of Liberia, Honorable James K.Chelley who was formerly known as James Wilkins.

He could not get over the fact that the poor state of Liberia saying it loud and clear that the mighty Country, Liberia has no business with poverty. Analyzing why he was bidding to run for Liberian’s presidency, Chelley who was a senator compared the country’s growth to Nigeria’s.

“From the time I was a Senator and after that the Commissioner for political affairs in Liberian National Electoral Commission, we have always been working with Nigerians in exchange of ideas, human resources and economic development strategies. Nigeria is major responsible for the peace that we have today in Liberia and we as Liberians are grateful for that.

So many Liberians are settled in Nigeria today as political refugees and have become fully fledged Nigerians.”

However, Chelley is not happy that Liberia is lagging behind.

Senator Chelley was categorical in describing how the current political dispensation has failed the Liberian people.

He said; “It is a great tragedy that a great nation like Liberia with so many blessings

By Mike Cerutti Osagie

from God in terms of natural resources more than what Nigeria has is suffering from abject poverty. Our education is non existent, infrastructural development is only heard of in the news and not seen on the ground. There is no job for the people and the professionals at work are paid stipends.

The only people that make a little are the ones working for the United Nations or international NGOs. “It is not that the people are much, we are about 3.5 million people yet we cannot feed our people. Our best brains are in America, Europe and Nigeria. How long can we continue like that as a nation? We have gold, diamond, iron ore and oil in great quantities. We should be as rich as the richest countries of the world and as a matter of fact better than them. Tell me how many countries in the world that are blessed with all the resources that I mentioned and also with small population.”

Asked why he is so sure of himself in the race, he replied; “this present government and its leadership are utter failure and the evidence is very clear. There is nothing that works in Liberia. The common wealth is in the hands of very few. No nation will survive when it adopts only policies that favour very few. Could you believe that Liberia as a nation is a one

•Chelley

town country. If you leave Monrovia and the very surrounding towns, every other place is bush. There are no roads to get to anywhere. This is rainy season; my people are literally stuck wherever they are. If you have any business in any other part of Liberia except Monrovia, forget it or you go and buy a jeep. The people have no money to feed. They have no jobs, no education, no skills, nothing from the government. The incumbent has nothing to tell the Liberian people. You now can see why I am confident. I have lived with the people for a very long time and have served them on so many political positions for a long time, they know me and my track records, they are there and the Liberian people

Church holds anniversary

A

HEAD of this year 59 th Annual Convention at Redemption Camp along Lagos/ Ibadan Expressway, Area 2 Lagos Province 21, Rock of Ages Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God has embarked on 11th year edition Church Anniversary for five Sundays from 3rd through to July 31st, 2011 at Kamar Yekeen Street, Green Valley Estate S.E. zone, Magodo

By Anthony Nwosisi

GRA, Lagos State theme: “Grace to Grace Unto Great Grace “.

Activities marking the event includes, Ushered into your season of Grace, Grace Abound, My Grace is sufficient for you, The outpouring of His Grace and Grace to Grace unto Great Grace.

Speaking on the event, the host, Pastor Titus

Osawe said, “We as a church are giving God praise for being very gracious to us.

Osawe added, inspite of glaring challenges around us, God indeed favoured. According to him, we see this in the lives of our brethren all through whether physically, mentally, healthwise, financially and where all are spiritually, we bless God.

•From left: Rev. Peter Mayiku; Representative of Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Superintendent K. S. Ayeni, Ayuba Deji-Odunsi receiving the certificate of apprenticeship organized by MTN Foundation Project for Disabled and Disabilities held at Oja-Oba Market, Isale-Eko, Lagos recently.

know it. I am not afraid because my people really are yearning for change and they know I am the man that will bring the change.”

Though he admitted that other candidates are there but he has the best prospect. “I want you to know that I am the only candidate that is grounded with the needs of the people because I leave amongst them,” he said. “No one can fool them again, enough is enough. There is so much I could have said but I leave all that for my campaign.”

Senator James Chelley was born in Maryland County on October 11, 1949, into the Chelleys who hailed from Grand Gedeh county. At the age of 8 he entered the St.Philomina Catholic School

in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County.

Chelley continued his studies at the St.Patrick Catholic school in Monrovia. He then enrolled at the Monrovia College (MC) High School in Monrovia where he obtained his high school diploma.

Upon completion, he joined the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to help protect lives, combat crimes and save humanity. After few years of serving the NBI, he was awarded a scholarship to do advance studies in policing in Washington D.C., United States of America. After his training, he was appointed as the chief of intelligence of the Republic of Liberia.

In 1967, he left Liberia to pursue studies at Njallah University College in Freetown Sierra Leone. Mr. Chelley graduated with Bsc Degree in Public Administration and minor in Political Science.

In 1970, he returned and was appointed assistant minister of public works. His tenure of office engendered aggressive development in constructing farm to market roads throughout the length and breadth of the country.

In 1978, he was appointed as Director of Security, Post and Telecom. He also served as Special Envoy World conference of Major in Chicago, U.S.A. In 1986, he was elected as Senior Senator for Montserrado County. As Senator, he gave scholarships

to many students at every level of studies. He brought many investors to aid the then government at the time.

Chelley was fortunate to attend the parliamentary Union in London when the war began in 1990; he was one of those who advocated for Peace and sanity in order to save lives and properties of the Liberian people. However, his plans was not attended to by the then Government of the late president (Samuel k, Doe). In 1993, he fled the country for United States.

After the revolution, he served as Vice President for National Housing Bank in the department of Market and Credit, Monrovia where he financially empowered men and women of Liberia.

When he returned to the country, he was imprisoned

by Taylor’s government for three and a half unbroken years for reason that is still not clear to Liberians and the international community.

Later, he was released by the intervention of the international community and in particular United Nations.

In 2005, Chelley was appointed a national commissioner at the National Election Commission where he helped to conduct the general election.

A man of honor. And high taste, he is today aiming to wrestle the presidency and his campaign machinery is unprecedented to say the least.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY,

NATION SPORT

71

JULY 24, 2010

Flying Eagles fall again

NPL to monitor season-end games

N

I

INE-MAN Flying Eagles fell 4-1 to Mexico at the Copa de la Republica tournament in Panama City Friday night.

In the other game of the night, hosts Panama beat Portugal 2-0 to allow Mexico emerge winners of the invitational tournament.

Coach John Obuh was again philosophical after this heavy defeat to Mexico.

“It will be a disaster if we dwell on this match with the World Cup just around the corner,” said Obuh in reference to a drama-filled game that recorded seven cautions and two red cards.

The Nigerian U20s got off to a flying start after just 22nd minute when Ahmed Musa opened scoring courtesy of a low drive from top of the box after a superb build-up play.

It was the African champions first goal in three matches.

Obuh threw new arrivals Ramon Azeez and Olanrewaju Kayode into the deep end from kick-off and it was the hustling style of

• Humilated by Mexico 4-1 Asec striker Kayode that seem to trouble the Mexican defence from onset.

He brought width and urgency to the Nigerian defence with his tireless runs down the right flank.

Mexico equalised on 33rd minute when Diego De Buen finally powered home a free kick from the edge of the Nigerian box after Kenneth Omeruo had fouled a goal-bound Mexican forward.

On six minutes, goalkeeper Danjuma Paul had parried to corner another trademark free kick

by De Buen.

Kayode then came close twice before Mexico made it 2-1 after Alan Pulido skinned Omeruo before delightfully chipping past goalkeeper Paul.

The restart was delayed for over 10 minutes after Nigeria refused to go back to the pitch in protest over the failure of the referee Roberto Moreno to protect them on the pitch.

After the Flying Eagles

were pacified, they continued to press for a leveller with Musa and Suswan involved in a superb interchange of passes only for the ball to overrun Musa inside the box.

Ulises Davila then increased the lead by Mexico after 58 minutes and soon after the Flying Eagles were dealt a big blow when Omeruo was sent off for his

second booking after what looked like an innocuous challenge.

On 71st minute, Ogungbe cleared off the goalline with Paul well beaten and moments later dangerman Alan Pulido put the game beyond the reach of the Flying Eagles with a fourth goal.

Nigeria’s bad day in the office was complete in the 79th minute when Abduljaleel Ajagun saw red.

He was first booked for a late tackle and then sent off for dissent.

12 days as part of their buildup to the 2011 FIFA Under20 World Cup, which kicks off in Colombia on Friday.

They are drawn in Group D along with Croatia, Saudi Arabia and Guatemala and play their first match against Guatemala on July 31 in Armenia.

Salami vows not to celebrate if….

Akpokona cautions on Super Eagles hype

F

ORMER Super Eagles coach Lawrence Akpokona says Nigerians will be making a big mistake if they start comparing the current team with the Nigerian side of 1990-2000.

After a few games under the belt of head coach Samson Siasia that saw the Eagles win 2-1 against Sierra Leone, 4-0 against Ethiopia, 3-0 against Kenya, 4-1 against Argentina before the encounter with Ethiopia ended 1-1, Nigerians have begun to compare the team with the Stephen Keshi- led side of the 90s that were not goal-shy.

However, Akpokona tells KickOffNigeria.com that it is too soon and would be a mistake if Nigerians do that now.

“It’s too early to do that even though I won’t take anything fromtheteam.Wehavedonewell

• As Ozurumba promises Saraki Boys a tough time at Owerri

F • Ramon Azeez

FIFA bans Mohamed Bin Hammam for life F

EDERATIONof International Football Associations (FIFA) has banned former AFC president and member Mohamed Bin Hammam for life from all football-related

and you must give Samson Siasia and his boys credit for that,” he says.

“Having said that, we must look at the quality of opposition the team has played so far.

Ethiopia, Sierra Leone and Kenya are not exactly top notch in Africa and by the time we begin to play the likes of Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Egypt we can begin to judge them on the strength of whatever results they get.

“But do not get me wrong. The team have done well and we should take nothing away from them. It’s just that the US ‘94 team was together for five years up till the World Cup, but this team started just a few months ago.

“It is unfair to compare them to that great team until after the World Cup in 2014.”

by the rules.

“The referees have done well in the season. But in the remaining matches, they must ensure that they give every team the opportunity to exhibit their abilities on the pitch.

“The match commissioners must ensure that all the matches are played according to rules governing the game.

The former Enugu Rangers' CEO added that the Premier League is looking forward to a champion being crowned at the end of the season without controversy.

“All these measures will enable us produce a true champion at the end of the season. While thanking everybody that has helped in the running of the league, I am counting on their full cooperation in this last lap to give our league a befitting end,” Owumi said.

HEARTLAND VERSUS BUKOLA CRACKER

...leave for Colombia today N

IGERIA’S Flying Eagles will depart Panama City for Colombia Sunday morning, officials have announced.

A team of 21 players and 10 officials are due to fly out of Panama by 8am local time, which will be 2pm Nigerian time Sunday.

It is an hour’s flight to Colombia, who are seven hours behind Nigeria.

The Nigeria U20 side featured in an invitational tournament in Panama, drawing a game and losing two.

The three other teams in the Copa de la Republica were hosts Panama, Mexico and Portugal. All three teams will also play at Colombia 2011.

The Flying Eagles also trained in Faro, Portugal, for

N a bid to curb matchfixing, the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) has vowed to keep tabs on the remaining games in this season's championship.

Chairman of the Premier League, Davidson Owumi, disclosed that the league arbiter has concluded arrangements to ensure that Nigerian topflight is not enmeshed in a controversial ending.

“We are going to ensure that we send out people that will also monitor the games from now," said Owumi.

The NPL chief also called on match officials to keep in touch with the rules of the game to avoid friction in the last games.

“And that is why I want to call on the referees, match commissioners, players and officials to make sure that they abide

activities after a two-day hearing found him guilty of charges relating to bribery activity at national and within the organisation. international level for life," The 62-year-old has been said Damaseb, according to suspended since May 29, The Press Association. along with fellow FIFA It represents a massive fall Executive Committee from grace for the longmember Jack Warner, after serving patron of Asian allegations of corruption football, after his run for were brought up against FIFA presidency put him in him by the Caribbean touching distance from the Football Union in regards to most powerful position in offering bribes for votes in world soccer. the FIFA presidential He has since maintained campaign trail. that he will appeal the However, after a two-day decision to courts. hearing, the FIFA Ethics Committee d e p u t y chairman Petrus Damaseb has announced the news that Bin Hammam has been found guilty of handing out bribes and banned from all soccer-related activity for life.

"Bin Hammam is hereby • Mohamed Bin Hammam banned from taking part in any kind of football-related

ORMER Bukola Babes of Ilorin midfielder, Kingsley Salami has told NationSport that he will not be celebrating his goal if he finds the back of the net in his new club’s match up today at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri in a NPL Week 34 clash with his erstwhile base.

Salami was a Trojan for Bukola Babes FC, the club he started the season with before his move to Heartland during the mid season transfer and he helped to pound the Naze Millionaires 1-0 in a Week 14 fixture played on the 26th January, 2011 at the Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi in a chat stated that he already informed his former club they would be beaten at Owerri but out of respect for them he would not celebrate his goal if he scores.

“I already told them they will be beaten if they come to Owerri because we are in need of the valuable three points badly. Bukola will lose 3-0 but if I am listed and manage to find the back of the net, out of my respect for Bukola Babes I will not celebrate my goal with my colleagues.

“Though I have left the club they still hold a special place in my heart but as a professional, I am through with them and every affinity I have for them evaporates immediately I enter the field of play on Sunday. I will be chasing after the three points at stake to improve our lot on the table,” Salami enthused.

In the same vein in-form Heartland of Owerri striker, Chibuzo Ozurumba has promised Bukola Babes a torrid time as they file out

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri

with them today at the Dan Anyiam Stadium Owerri stating that the Owerri based club will not only win but that he will also hit bull’s eye before the end of proceedings. “ We are up for another three points tomorrow (today) against Bukola Babes they don’t have any hiding place at all. It is payback time for them because I heard they defeated us when it was initially played early this year. I also expect to increase my goal haul against them. I am back to my impressive form and the only way to show that is to keep on scoring,” Ozurumba who was a past winner of the League highest goals scorer opined.

Ozurumba who was frozen out of Heartland under a very cloudy circumstances had been reinstated in the team during the mid-season and the reward was his impressive form in the last five matches he had played thus far with four goals to show for his effort and all round attack.

He was particularly awesome against the NPL best two clubs according to the league table; Sunshine Stars and Dolphins whom he not only had a very fine outing, he also found the back of the net in both encounters which his team went on to win 2-0 each at Owerri.

Heartland could supplant Bukola Babes if they get the maximum points today in the Week 34 clash as they will move a step higher than their opponent, Bukola to 46 points as against the Ilorin outfit’s 45.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net

QUOTABLE We have to be careful about this issue of amnesty because it can open up a can of worms. Before amnesty can be granted, the cause of agitation must be discussed

SUNDAY, JULY 24, 2011 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL. 5, NO. 1831

—Dr. Frederick Fasheun, founder of OPC reacting to granting of amnesty to Boko-Haram sect

O

N Thursday, the House of Representatives hosted Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. He had been invited to shed light on the Bank’s policy on cashless economy, in which no one could withdraw more than N150,000 without paying charges, and the even more controversial policy of non-interest banking which, by sheer, unguarded enthusiasm, the CBN gave the impression to the public was synonymous with Islamic banking. Like Mallam Nasir elRufai, Sanusi is never afraid to look his critics in the face and gladly tell them how wrong they are. Nor, like el-Rufai, is he ever reluctant to honour invitation by legislators, many of whom both gentlemen seemed to think usually lack the requisite knowledge and perhaps deftness on the issues they legislate upon.

Right from when he walked briskly into the chambers of the Reps, Sanusi began to receive incredibly deferential treatment; and by the time he was through dazzling them with things they did not know, the legislators were entranced to the point of speechlessness. The economists among them probably chafed under their breaths, disallowed by the equally stupefied Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, from asking probing questions. The avowed religionists in the House also felt probably nonplussed. Irrespective of what some of the legislators felt, the final outcome the next morning was that the country was unanimous in thinking the Reps had been mesmerised; and it was so diligently reported in the newspapers. The first time the mild-mannered but paradoxically pugnacious Sanusi had a memorable encounter with the national legislature, it was over budgetary allocation to the legislature, which the public felt was too large for the quality and even quantity of legislation coming from the upper and lower chambers. At that time, though he was evidently inaccurate in the use of the accurate statistics in his hands, he so confidently remonstrated with the legislators that most people felt he was unimpeachable, while the legislators themselves had their confidence shaken very badly.

On that Thursday date with the Reps, the CBN chief had walked past demonstrators outside the chamber protesting against what they feared was the beginning of the Islamisation of Nigeria through banking policies and infrastructure. If he smiled mockingly at them, the papers failed to take note or capture it. By ignoring them, as was proper he should, he seemed to tell them they should go and update their knowledge of the policies he is peremptorily pushing on Nigerians. But once inside the Reps, Sanusi’s countenance shone brightly, surprised like the rest of us at the reception he was accorded. Everyone thought he would be eaten raw in the House, going by the divisiveness and controversiality of the two policies he was canvassing at the same time. But no legislature was ever so genial, so affable, so accommodating, so welcoming. They shook his hands, the backbenchers gaped at him in awe, and even his sworn enemies were confused whether their animosity was not completely misplaced.

If their own geniality betrayed their initial resolve to skin the thin banker who spoke big economics and finance, they surprised themselves by lapping up his every word, whether it made sense or not, as long as it dripped with theories and a cache of facts, figures and dates. On the cashless economy issue, he disdainfully told the legislators that more than 90 percent of his critics had not read the details of the policy. Subject to the existing money laundering law, he said, anyone could withdraw as much as he desired.

The customer would only be asked to pay

Sanusi meets a deferential House of Reps

•Tambuwal

•Sanusi

charges, as indeed some banks are already doing. On the surface, how could anyone impeach this policy? It would not only make banks more efficient, it would even reduce their costs, and invariably the cost to the customer himself. It was a policy guaranteed to make everyone a winner.

The legislators nodded at one another, and seemed to say to themselves that the CBN boss was making sense. Other than the nods and perhaps one quizzical glance or two, the Reps kept rapt attention, for the guru was strutting his stuff, declaiming on the arcanum that had mystified them for months. If they regained their composure before he left the attentive chamber, it would have led an economist among them to ask what real infrastructure Sanusi had put in place before announcing an effective take-off date for the policy. The CBN, it must be recalled, had announced the policy and its take-off date without first putting the infrastructure in place. Of course, as is usual with Nigerian agencies (INEC, for instance), if the infrastructure had failed, why, a new date would simply be announced. What of the suffering and inconveniences to the banking public?

There could not be gain without pain, the Bank would probably say. At any rate, the Reps in their stupefied silence forgot what their responsibilities to the electorate were.

They ought to grill the strutting, combative banker who was seldom wrong, if only to sow seeds of doubt in his cocksure policy, or give him the benefit of another and deeper reflection. But accustomed to

asking people to take a bow and go, they animatedly prepared to give Sanusi what one newspaper called a resounding ovation, and another described as thunderous applause.

If the cashless economic policy was a little controversial, and its antagonists feared for the rural poor and the generally dispossessed, the policy on non-interest banking was supposed to be inflammably controversial. In fact, here, Sanusi’s feathers were fated to be singed by fiery questions from a raucous and seething legislature, and his economics and logic drawn and quartered upon tall and gigantic scaffolds. Alas, it was the doubts of the legislators that were singed. The legislators were the ones who met a fate so cruel that many observers are beginning to pun the Reps as the dumb and deaf legislature. The deaf part is a little exaggerated, of course.

With an avalanche of facts and figures, histories and geographies, Sanusi tore into the limited knowledge of his detractors, raised the thunderstruck legislators to the roof, and caused them to soar away wingless into the void, overcome with emotions. Sanusi caressed his words and stroked his own genius by affecting the right poises, pauses and Received Pronunciation accent. Not one figure or fact received the wrong syllabic emphasis – and, this time, he got his numbers right. Sanusi wore Mao suit, as he is wont, but it went beyond Mao histrionics; it was indeed Mao redivivus.

“With an avalanche of facts and figures, histories and geographies, Sanusi tore into the limited knowledge of his detractors, raised the thunderstruck legislators to the roof, and caused them to soar away wingless into the void, overcome with emotions. Sanusi caressed his words and stroked his own genius by affecting the right poises, pauses and Received Pronunciation accent. Not one figure or fact received the wrong syllabic emphasis – and, this time, he got his numbers right.

Sanusi wore Mao suit, as he is wont, but it went beyond Mao histrionics; it was indeed Mao redivivus. His reputation preceded him, which explained the friendliness of the awestricken Reps. As it turned out on Thursday, that reputation stayed with him during his flawless presentation; and we supposed it left with him had there not been evidence it stayed behind to soak in the rapturous aftermath as the guru departed”

His reputation preceded him, which explained the friendliness of the awestricken Reps. As it turned out on Thursday, that reputation stayed with him during his flawless presentation; and we supposed it left with him had there not been evidence it stayed behind to soak in the rapturous aftermath as the guru departed.

While the late Sani Abacha, former head of state and Sanusi’s Kano compatriot, was described as having left this earth in a blaze of treason; the CBN boss, we can attest confidently, left the Reps chambers in a blaze of glory. The legislators welcomed him with deference, but they escorted him out with a submissiveness even kings would feel awed by. He came in to the hall a slightly built man; he left a giant in body and intellect. These were the conclusions of the Reps, men and women so stricken by their own inadequacies that they strewed the CBN boss’ path with white and red roses, anointed his feet with rare perfumed oils, and kissed his feet. Had they relieved their trance with just one question to the itinerant genius, we would all have woken up to the reminder that, after all, everyone is permitted occasional tomfoolery, and that the Reps merely indulged theirs on that inspired day.

On Thursday, however, it was not just one question that awaited the genius. It was a trunkful. The Reps could have asked: If other countries do Islamic banking, must we do it too? Couldn’t one perceptive legislator ask Sanusi why he thinks everything that is right is necessarily expedient in a country riven by regional, ethnic and religious distrust? If Sanusi is obsessed with economics, couldn’t one legislator who escaped the general trance ask him whether he ever considers the politics of his policies? President Goodluck Jonathan is of course inured to the cataclysms around him, such as the din raised by Sanusi over the trial of bank chiefs and the naming and shaming that went with the banking tsunami he engineered with his entry into the CBN, and now the cashless economy thing and the noninterest banking matter. But our legislators are not permitted such inurement. We need them sober at all times, immune to the razzmatazz that accompanies the restless geniuses the molten earth beneath us vents now and again.

Perhaps one day, in mankind’s drive for a cashless economy, we would not even need ATMs or cash cards. Perhaps man would have chips implanted in his forehead or wrist in order to buy and sell.

That may be the future, and no one is saying Sanusi should not aspire into that future.

However, it was necessary for the legislature to remind him of the present, and also how best to get to that future.

Instead they met him with unearthly silence and a shamefacedness that are unbecoming of the people’s legislature. I do not think non-interest financial services should be denied those who want it or even denied our economy as a whole. But given the unwholesome mess politicians have made of the country, have we convinced ourselves that the sort of banking services we are adding to the one we have failed to practice well or regulate effectively would not end up undermining the system and further poisoning relationships between our distrusting and suspicious peoples?

On Thursday, Sanusi met a hugely deferential House of Representatives smitten like a young girl giddy with love for the first time and letting her boyfriend steal the first kiss. If this is the kind of impressionability the House of Reps will show anytime a genius visits, I think we should begin to consider the appropriateness of having a monarchy in place of democracy. How many more elRufai’s and Sanusi’s will make an ass of our representatives before they learn to probe their quarries well and intelligently, perhaps even defiantly, as true representatives of the people?

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