June 27, 2015 by The Nation

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

NEWS

Ndume: A leader's garland for rebellion HE name, Mohammed Ali Ndume, means different things to different people, especially those who have followed the developments at the nation’s highest legislative body-the Senate-in the last eight years. While quite a number of senators have come and gone without making any impression worth writing about, Senator Ndume’s case is different. His entrance into the nation’s national consciousness was without its fascinating, even if disturbing, drama as he was alleged by the State Security Services to have had links with the Boko Haram sect that has wrought unimaginable bloodletting on the psyche of deflated populace. Though the case is in court, Ndume has consistently denied the allegations levelled against him, insisting that he neither sponsored nor had any link with the deadly insurgents who continue to unleash terror in the NorthEast states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. Today, Ndume is a focus of media attention for another reason. In a brazen rebellion against the wishes of the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Senator from Borno State, the hotspot of the killings, bombings and violent attacks by the members of the sect, Ndume was picked as Senate Majority Leader by the President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki. His emergence, just like Saraki’s some few weeks past, has torn the political calculus of the APC into shreds and raised serious fundamental questions about party’s supremacy on the issues relating to key appointments. But who is Ndume and what does his emergence portend for the 8th National Assembly and the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari? • Ndume Born 55 years ago in Gwoza Local Government Area, Borno State, Ndume attended Kaduna Polytechnic and the University of Toledo, United Yomi ODUNUGA and Onyedi OJIABOR, Abuja States of America, where he earned a Masters degree in In the election, Ndume was declared winner with 146,403 Accounting and Computer. He became a senior lecturer in votes, ahead of Dr. Asaba Vilita Bashir of the ANPP with Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri, Borno State, until 2003, when 133,734 votes and Alhaji Unaru Ibrahim of the Congress for he ventured into politics. Progressive Change (CPC) with 20,414 votes. That marked the As an All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) politician then, beginning of Ndume’s romance with a party he once vilified Ndume was elected to represent Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza with a rare vigour and passion. Federal Constituency in April 2003 and was re-elected in April Perhaps, one development that shook Ndume was his 2007 on the same platform. He was appointed Minority Leader alleged links with the terror group, Boko Haram. Before the in the House of Representatives. accusation, Ndume was an ardent canvasser and apostle of diaAs Minority Leader in the House, Ndume was a vocal critic logue with the sect. Apparently on the basis of his position for of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as he was dialogue with the Islamic fundamentalist sect, Ndume was always heaping the blame for the country’s woes on the party’s appointed to a committee constituted by former President bumbling leadership. For example, he said in an August 2010 Goodluck Jonathan to consider opening talks with the Boko interview: "The PDP in the last 11 years has vandalised Nigeria; they have only introduced kidnapping, assassination, militancy, Haram insurgents. Ndume was, before the appointment, consistent that a miliarmed robbery, power degeneration and widespread religious tary approach would not be effective to deal with the Boko crisis." It was, however, a twist of irony that Ndume defected to the PDP, the same party he was criticising in December 2010. He cited alleged injustices going on in the party as his reason for leaving the ANPP. Political observers see his emergence as To further justify his defection to PDP, he claimed the people the prize for the brazen way the Senators from the grassroots of Southern Borno were solidly behind him and his action. Ndume claimed that he was not being given a of "Like Minds" stood against the wishes level- playing field in the competition with other ANPP aspiof the leadership of the APC to nominate rants for the candidature in the Senate election. its preferred candidates for the top Sources close to the intricate political game playing out in Borno then explained that Ndume’s defection to PDP was positions in the National Assembly. mainly due to the sour relationship with the then leader of the This set of politicians not only worked ANPP in the state, Governor Ali Modu Sheriff. His defection to against the realisation of the wishes of the the PDP was seen by observers as a major blow to the ANPP. Ndume was considered the major financer of ANPP in Bornoparty but also went into an unholy South senatorial zone, and was considered one of the most alliance with senators in the opposition dynamic of the lawmakers from the northeast zone. Following PDP, which culminated in the election of his defection, the PDP re-opened the sale of nomination forms. Alhaji Sanda Garba, who had been the only aspirant for the Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President South Borno Senate seat, stepped down to pave the way for Ndume as the PDP candidate.

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Haram issue due to the impossibility of identifying the target. It was his view that Boko Haram violence would continue until the group felt they had been heard and probably saw that the problems of poverty and unemployment, especially in North East zone, were being substantially addressed. Surprisingly, in November 2011, the senator was alleged to have links with Boko Haram. The alleged connection to Boko Haram was made following the Nigerian State Security Service's alleged interrogation of a suspected Boko Haram member and spokesman, Mallam Ali Konduga. It was reported on November 21, 2011 that Ndume had been picked up by security agents for interrogation. He was later released on bail on self-recognition. He was later charged and arraigned on December 12, 2013 on a four-count charge by the Department of State Services (DSS). He was accused of sponsoring the Boko Haram sect and failing to provide information about the sect’s operations. The controversial trial is still ongoing. Ndume was quoted to have said at a time that “Everyone is looking for scapegoats instead of solutions", apparently in reference to his trial. In January 12, 2014, Ndume pointedly accused the military authorities of trying to kill him, claiming that he escaped death by the whiskers in an ambush meant for the Boko Haram terrorists in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State. He said a Nigerian Air Force jet allegedly mistook his convoy for those of the Boko Haram terrorists and threw explosives at it. But NAF authorities promptly claimed that the jet mistakenly fired shots at the convoy while on a hot pursuit of some Boko Haram suspects who were operating in the area at the time Ndume was passing. Moving with the political tide during the merger of forces to give the PDP a run for the presidential slot in 2015, Ndume, again in company with other Senators from Borno State, defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to actualise his desire to return to the Senate. He won his election in the March 29, 2015 National Assembly polls. He quickly began to show more than a passing interest in the Senate Presidency. Ndume quickly aligned himself with a group of Senators who tagged themselves “Senators of Like Minds”, principally formed by Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, to actualise his (Saraki’s) Senate Presidency. Ndume was among the North East Senators who disowned Senator Ahmed Lawan’s endorsement by the zone. He criticised what he called “the overzealousness of Ahmed Lawan,” and insisted that Lawan was unlikely to emerge Senate President. On June 9th at the inauguration of the 8th Senate, Ndume stood as the Rock of Gibraltar in the Senate chamber to give support to the emergence of Senator Saraki in disobedience to the APC leadership directive. He was later the same day nominated to run for the position of Deputy President of the Senate, but he defeated by Senator Ike Ekweremadu, a PDP Senator from Enugu West. On Thursday, Saraki announced Ndume as the Senate Majority Leader, again, in total disregard to APC leadership's instruction that Lawan should be made the Senate Majority Leader. Ndume was said to have been nominated and endorsed for the position by the North East APC Senate caucus. Political observers see his emergence as the prize for the brazen way the Senators of "Like Minds" stood against the wishes of the leadership of the APC to nominate its preferred candidates for the top positions in the National Assembly. This set of politicians not only worked against the realisation of the wishes of the party but also went into an unholy alliance with senators in the opposition PDP, which culminated in the election of Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President. Ndume’s nomination and subsequent confirmation by Saraki as Majority Leader is, therefore, being read as his epaulette for the treachery and damning rebellion that signpost ominous consequences.

APC summons NEC meeting over Saraki, Dogara

HE All Progressives Congress has summoned a session of its National Executive Committee (NEC) for Tuesday to discuss the defiance of the party's directive by the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara. Ahead of the said meeting, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday met with Sen. Ahmed Lawan and other senators in the Unity Forum group. Tuesday’s NEC meeting in Abuja, a reliable party source said, is meant to "review the situation in the National Assembly, especially the defiance of the directive of the party on the choice of principal officers by Saraki and Dogara." It was also learnt that the NEC may come up with recommenda-

tions on how to reconcile the warring groups in the National Assembly. But ahead of the session, some leaders have been pushing for sanctions against Saraki and Dogara. A top party source said: "Some of our leaders are insisting that the APC must wield the big stick against those who disrespected the party's leadership. "They said once the party is not assertive, its authority will be eroded and it may not help the survival of APC. "But we have some moderate elements seeking amicable resolution of all the issues at stake in order not to deepen the crisis in the National Assembly. "Tentatively, the NEC of APC will meet on Tuesday to address some of these challenges. "

... as Buhari meets Lawan, others Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation Responding to a question, the source added: "There are enough provisions to checkmate the erring members because the APC Constitution is explicit in declaring that the party is supreme. The source cited Articles 9.2, 9.3, and 21 of APC Constitution to back his claim. Article 9.2 (Rules and Obligations) says: "Members of the party shall be obliged to affirm the party's aims and objectives and conduct themselves in a manner that shall not bring the party to public odium and disrepute..." Article 9.3 of the APC Constitution (Cessation of

Membership) reads in part: "Membership of the party shall be terminated by death, resignation or expulsion or by procurement of membership of another political party or accepting political appointment from any political party or opposition government. Article 21 reads "Subject to the provisions of this Article and the right to fair hearing, the party shall have power to discipline party members. The power shall be exercised on behalf of the party by the respective Executive Committee of the party at all levels. "Offences against the party shall include the following: (1.) A breach of any provision of this constitution; (2) Anti-party activities or any conduct which is likely to embar-

rass or have adverse effect on the party or bring the party into hatred, contempt, ridicule or disrepute. "Disobedience or negligence in carrying out lawful directives of the party... Flouting the rules, regulations and decisions of the party..." A complaint by any members of the party against a public office holder, elected or appointed or another member or against a party organ or officer of the party shall be submitted to the Executive Committee of that party at all levels concerned which shall not later than seven days of the receipt of the complaints, appoint a factfinding or Disciplinary Committee to examine the matter. • Continued on Page 67

THE NATION, SATURDAY JUNE 27, 2015

News

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday dis solved the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in a move that is seen as a prelude to the probe of the organization. The board dissolution is with immediate effect, according to the Director of Communications in the office of the Head of Service of the Federation, Haruna Imrana. Imrana said in a terse statement in Abuja that "The directive to that effect was conveyed in a letter signed today (yesterday) by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Danladi Kifasi."

Buhari sacks NNPC directors Nduka CHIEJINA/ Vincent IKUOMOLA, Abuja President Buhari thanked members of the dissolved board for their services to the nation. The organisation is currently at the centre of a corruption scandal after the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and now the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Lamido Sanusi, alleged in late 2013 that the

NNPC had failed to remit billions of dollars to the federation account. He submitted documents on oil contracts, confidential government letters and private presidential correspondence, covering over 300 pages to the National Assembly to back up his claim. Sanusi said at the time that NNPC's failure to "remit foreign exchange to the Federation Account in a period of rising oil prices has made our management of exchange

rates and price stability extremely difficult.” He told the Senate inquiry that of the $67 billion worth of oil sales made by the NNPC over a period of 19 months, between $10.8 billion and $20 billion was unaccounted for. The allegation was vehemently disputed by the Jonathan Administration with its Finance Minister,Dr.Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani AlisonMadueke, dismissing it as unfounded.

The management of the NNPC itself said Sanusi's allegation stemmed from his “misundertanding” of the workings of the oil industry. Sanusi was subsequently queried and later suspended before he ascended the throne. When the controversy refused to go away, former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered a forensic audit into the account of the corporation. The forensic auditors, however, cleared the NNPC of wrongdoing, but came to the conclusion that the firm was owning government $1.48 billion for a separate shortfall. Government asked the NNPC to pay the money forthwith into the federation account. The money is yet to be paid. Soon after his election as President in the March election, Buhari vowed to take another look at the “missing” $20billion. Receiving a delegation from Adamawa State led by the state's then governor-elect,

Bindow Jibrilla, in Abuja, Buhari said: "His Royal Highness, the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, was removed from the Central Bank because he said that about $20 billion was missing. Instead of investigating the matter, the government sacked him. As God will have it, he is now the Emir of Kano and that is exactly what he wants to be. "He has already written a detailed report on it, and the incoming government will not ignore it. $20 billion is too big to ignore. This is Nigerian money and it must be investigated." The sacked board was constituted in July 2012 by former President Jonathan. It was headed by the immediate past Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Alison-Madueke. Other members were: Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance; Group Managing Director, NNPC; Abdullahi Bukar, Steven Oronsaye, Olusegun Okunnu and Daniel Wadzani; Executive Director (GED), Finance & Accounts, Bernard Otti; and GED, Corporate Services, Peter Nmadu.

Extradition: Appeal Court declines ex-MINT boss’ request for bail

•Members of the Sterling Law Centre during a walk to commemorate the International Day in support of torture victims in Abuja yesterday PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE

N12b currency fraud: Lawyer accuses judge of bias

RIAL of some members of staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and some commercial banks involved in the alleged N12 billion mutilated currency fraud was stalled yesterday as the counsel for two of the accused persons, Mr Olalekan Ojo, accused Justice Olayinka Faji of bias. Ojo, who is the lead counsel to the second and third accused - Olaniran Muniru Adeola and Toogun Kayode Philip - filed an application seeking disqualification of the trial judge and a stay of proceedings pending determination of the appeal against ruling of the court on June 19. The two accused requested the Court of Appeal to direct the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to transfer or assign the case to another judge. A total of 22 persons were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in seven different cases. Six of the accused work with the CBN, while the others work with various commercial banks. The shock came when the first case marked FHC/IB/ 34C/2015, involving five persons came up for trial yesterday. The accused in the first case are Kolawole Babalola, Olaniran Muniru Adeola, Toogun Philip, Ajumwa Bolade and Samuel Ogbeide. The judge had delivered rulings on applications for bail on June 19 and adjourned trial to June 26. Lead counsel for the EFCC, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), had announced that two witnesses were ready to give evidence yesterday. He disclosed that one of the witnesses was in the court and that the second one was on his way from Lagos with the as-

•New application stalls trial Adebisi OLADELE surance that he would arrive on time. But, taking his turn, Ojo informed the court of a motion he filed before the court, seeking a stay of proceedings pending the determination of his appeal and prayer to reassign the case to another judge. He said his clients cannot get fair trial before the court presided over by Justice Faji, having convicted them by his pronouncements in some sections of his ruling on bail applications on June 19, 2015. The counsel specifically made reference to Justice Faji’s pronouncements on the defendants on page 93 to 97 of the ruling. He disclosed that the motion was filed earlier yesterday. Counsel for the first defendant, Otunba Olayinka Bolanle, also aligned with Ojo’s views. He further informed the court of his motion, challenging the jurisdiction of the court on the case. Bolanle said the motion was filed with regard to “propriety to continue with the trial, to expressions made in the ruling to the first defendant.” He added that the motion was to challenge the partisanship and the jurisdiction of the court. But counsel for the fourth defendant, Dare Adebayo, expressed willingness to defend their client in the trial. Consequently, the judge could not go on with the trial. He described the situation as ”Judge on a trial in a public criminal trial.” Though he rued the development which

seemed to him that the defence counsel did not want the trial to commence. Justice Faji said the defence counsel were entitled to the right of hearing on whatever motion filed before the court, pointing out: ”I must be cautious” while referring to the issue of prejudice and jurisdic-

tion. He said the court would have to wait for the determination of the Court of Appeal’s decision on whether as trial judge he can comment on the evidence before him. Faji then adjourned hearing of the application to Wednesday July 1. He urged all the counsel to file their motions and counter motions in respects of all other sister cases before then.

ORMER Managing Direc tor and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPM), Emmanuel Okoyomon, lost yesterday in a bid to regain freedom. The Court of Appeal in Abuja rejected his application for bail on the grounds that it was unmeritorious. The appellate court, however, granted Okoyomon's request for a stay of execution of the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, directing the Federal Government to proceed with his extradition. The United Kingdom authorities are seeking Okoyomon's extradition over corruption related offences. He is accused of complicity in the bribery allegation involving officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), NSPM and Securency International Pty of

Eric IKHILAE, Abuja Australia between 2006 and 2008. Justice Evoh Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja had, in a ruling on May 4 this year, granted the extradition application by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF). The judge ordered the Federal Government to ensure that Okoyomon was extradited within 30 days after the judgment. Okoymon appealed the decision, applied for a stay of execution of the judgment and requested to be granted bail. The Court of Appeal, in its yesterday's ruling, upheld the respondent's argument against Okayomon's bail application. It proceeded to grant his prayer for a stay of execution of the judgment, pending the determination of the appeal.

184 killed in terror attacks

wave of terrorism swept across Africa, Europe and the Middle East yesterday leaving at least 184 people dead. Islamic State fighters killed 145 civilians in an attack on the Syrian town of Kobani and a nearby village, in what a monitoring group described as the second worst massacre carried out by the hardline group in that country. 27 people, including foreign tourists, were killed when at least one gunman opened fire on a Tunisian beachside hotel in the popular resort of Sousse, while a suicide bomber blew himself up at a packed Shi’ite Muslim mosque in Kuwait city during the Jumat prayers, killing more than ten people. A decapitated body covered in Arabic writing was found at a U.S. gas company in southeast France after an assailant rammed a car into the premises, triggering an explosion. Fighting between the Kurdish YPG militia and Islamic State fighters who infiltrated the town at the Turkish border on Thursday continued into a second day, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group and a Kurdish official said.

A separate Islamic State assault on government-held areas of the northeastern city of Hasaka was reported to have forced 60,000 people to flee their homes, the United Nations said, warning as many as 200,000 people may eventually try to flee. The attack on the predominantly Kurdish town of Kobani and the nearby village of Brakh Bootan marked the biggest single massacre of civilians by Islamic State in Syria since it killed hundreds of members of the Sunni Sheitaat tribe last year, Rami Abdulrahman, who runs the Observatory, said. He said 146 civilians had been killed. Kurdish officials said at least 145 had died. The assault included at least three suicide car bombs. The dead included the elderly, women and children, he said. The Islamic State fighters were reported to number in the dozens and entered the town in five cars disguised as members of the YPG and Syrian rebel groups. The Sousse,Tunisia attack was the second major attack in the North African country this year. “One attacker opened fire with a Kalashnikov on tourists

and Tunisians on the beach of the hotel,” said a hotel worker at the site. “It was just one attacker. He was a young guy dressed in shorts like he was a tourist himself.” Tunisia, which has been hailed as a model of democratic transition since its 2011 ‘Arab Spring’ uprising, is one of the most secular countries in the Arab world. Its beach resorts and nightclubs on the Mediterranean are popular with European visitors. No one immediately claimed the attack. But Islamist extremists have attacked North African tourist sites before, seeing them as legitimate targets because of their open Western lifestyles and tolerance of alcohol. Six other people were wounded, the ministry spokesman said. Sousse is one of Tunisia’s most popular beach resorts, drawing visitors from Europe and neighbouring North African countries. Tourism is also a major source of income for the government. Tunisia has been on high alert since March, when Islamist militant gunmen attacked the Bardo museum in Tunis, killing a group of foreign tour-

ists in one of the worst attacks in a decade in the North African country. In Kuwait city,a suicide bomber blew himself up at a packed Shi’ite Muslim mosque during yesterday’s prayers, killing more than ten people, the governor of Kuwait City said. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on social media and said it targeted a “temple of the rejectionists” - a term it usually uses to refer to Shi’ite Muslims, whom it regards as heretics. It was the first suicide bombing attack on a Shi’ite mosque in the small Gulf Arab oil exporter, where Sunnis and Shi’ites live side by side with little apparent friction. Islamic State on Tuesday urged its followers to step up attacks during the Ramadan fasting month against Christians, Shi’ites and Sunni Muslims fighting with a U.S.-led coalition against the ultra-radical group. Kuwaiti parliament member Khalil al-Salih said worshippers were kneeling in prayer when a suicide bomber walked into the Imam al-Sadeq Mosque side and blew himself up, destroying walls and the ceiling.

NEWS

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

Why NNPC board was dissolved NLY a few undiscerning Nigerians and foreigners would have been surprised by the dissolution,yesterday,of the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) by President Muhammadu Buhari. For as long as anyone can remember,the organization has been stumbling from one corruption scandal to the other,the latest being the 2013 allegation by the immediate past Governor of the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) and now the Emir of Kano,Alhaji Muhammadu Lamido Sasusi ,that the NNPC failed to remit up to $20 billion to the federation account. The allegation was to cost him his job at the apex bank even after forensic auditors appointed by the immediate past administration said only $1.4billion should be remitted by the firm. The NNPC was established on April 1, 1977 following the merger of the then Nigerian National Oil Corporation and the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel with sole responsibility for upstream and downstream developments. It is also charged with regulating and supervising the oil industry on behalf of the Federal Government. Eleven years after the birth of the NNPC it was commercialised into 11 strategic business units, covering the entire spectrum of oil industry operations: exploration and production, gas development, refining, distribution, petrochemicals, engineering, and commercial investments. It manages the joint ventures between the federal government and such foreign multinational corporations like Royal Dutch Shell, Agip, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Texaco (now merged with Chevron). Through collaboration with these companies, the Nigerian government conducts petroleum exploration and production. The oil companies appropriate portions of their revenue which is nearly 60% of the revenue generated by the oil industry in this manner,to the government. With oil as Nigeria’s largest revenue earner,cash flow from the NNPC accounts for 76% of federal government revenue and 40% of the entire country's GDP. But in reality,the corporation and many of its subsidiaries have failed in living up to their responsibilities. Its refineries hardly work with the re-

•Desiani Maduekwe

•Joseph Dawha

ANALYSIS n Nduka CHIEJINA and John OFIKHENUA, Abuja n

sult that Nigeria relies more on imported fuel . Thus, scarce foreign exchange is wasted on importing fuel while billions of naira is also paid as ‘subsidy’ to importers. This mode of business has since been found to be a huge racket on the nation. Several of such fuel importers are currently standing trial for defrauding the country and Nigerians are not likely to forget in a hurry their recent harrowing experience when the importers refused to do business.

Nigerians and foreigners are asking questions on other corruption related allegations against NNPC like the over $1million bribes which ABB Vetco Gray, a US company, and its UK subsidiary ABB Vetco Gray UK Ltd, claimed to have paid to officials at NNPC subsidiary NAPIMS in exchange for obtaining confidential bid information and favourable recommendations from Nigerian government agencies

Dangote to spend $250m on rice, sugarcane production in Jigawa lhaji Aliko Dangote, the Chairman, Dangote Group of Companies, is to spend 250 million dollars on the production of rice and sugarcane around the Hadejia River Basin of Jigawa. Gov. Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa said this when he received the Country Director of African Development Bank (AfDB) for Nigeria, Alhaji Usman Dore and his team who came to seek for partnership with the state in agricultural development in Dutse on Friday. Badaru said the initiative by the Dangote Group was in line with his priority on Transformation of Agriculture. He said ``the cardinal principles of my administration is agricultural transformation for human development that will

The ‘missing’ $20billion was a major dent on the reputation of the last government even if its key actors refuse to admit it. Nigerians are angry with the NNPC on account of its operations and alleged corruption. Most of the misgivings concern the ‘missing’ $20billion and perveived mismanagement and abuse of the Petroleum Support Fund otherwise known as oil subsidy and lack of transparency . They are clamouring for its removal and probe of those that managed the

make them to be self sustained.’’ He thanked the AfDB team for the visit and pledged to collaborate with the bank in the development of agriculture in the state. Earlier, the Country Director of the bank for Nigeria said the team was in Jigawa to know the priorities of the governor and to seek for partnership with him in his areas of interests. Dore said that the bank would spend N2 billion in farming activities in Hadejia River basin, while N43 million would be needed from Jigawa government for the project. He explained that the money would be used to construct canals, road networks, building of markets, primary schools, training of agricultural extension

workers, community health personals, provision of improved seeds, among others. The country director said AfDB was in partnership with the Hadejia/Komadugu agricultural development initiative which comprises six states of Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi and Plateau.

HE Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), says it will commence issuance of new number plates for articulated vehicles as part of strategies to ensure safety on the roads. The Corps Marshal of the commission, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, made this known in Abuja on Friday while briefing newsmen on its activities. According to Oyeyemi, the new number plates will be at no extra cost to vehi-

fund. With the then President-elect Muhammadu Buhari vowing in April to revisit the ‘missing’ money issue,his anti-corruption reputation,and his vast knowledge of the oil and gas industry,it was to be expected that he would have more than a passing interest in the sector on his assumption of office. Observers believe that the NNPC dissolution is just a prelude to what is to come from Buhari in the industry. It should not be a surprise if he orders an inquisition into what is generally perceived as the financial indiscretion of successive administrations in the organization. He may not even limit the looming probe to the ‘missing’ $20billion. Nigerians and foreigners are asking questions on other corruption related allegations against NNPC like the over $1million bribes which ABB Vetco Gray, a US company, and its UK subsidiary ABB Vetco Gray UK Ltd, claimed to have paid to officials at NNPC subsidiary NAPIMS in exchange for obtaining confidential bid information and favourable recommendations from Nigerian government agencies; the over $6.3million allegedly paid by another US company Willbros Group Inc, to officials at the NNPC and its subsidiary NAPIMS, in return for assistance in obtaining and retaining contracts for work on the Eastern Gas Gathering System (EGGS);and the allegation by the Swiss Non-governmental advocacy organization - Erklärung von Bern - of heavy fraud surfaced, placing the NNPC under suspicion of siphoning off $6.8 billion in crude oil revenues. The sacked board headed by the immediate Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke had as members the Group Managing Director of the corporation, Dr. Joseph Dawha, Group Executive Director, Finance & Accounts, Mr. Bernard O.N. Otti - Group Executive Director, Corporate Services, Dr. Dan Efebo , Coordinator, Legal Services/ Secretary to the Corporation, Ikechukwu Oguine and other five members : Alhaji Abdullahi Bukar , Mr. Danladi Wadzani, Prof. Olusegun Okunnu , Mr. Danladi Kifasi and Mr. Steven Oronsaye. The NNPC was scheduled to hold its Group Executive Council meeting on Wednesday but shifted it to the following day.It never happened still. What followed was the summon of the GMD to the Presidency yesterday to be told of the board dissolution.

FRSC to commence issuance of new number plates to articulated vehicles July 1 cle owners. ``We have started implementation of new number plates for tankers, trailers and trucks for effective monitoring of their compliance to road safety measures. ``During various meetings with stakeholders, we all agreed on several measures to reduce crashes on our roads which include enforcement of policies.

Lawmaker condemns fracas in House of Representatives JAYI Adeyinka (Osun-APC), representing Odo Otin/Ifelodun/Boripe Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, yesteraday described the quarrel over principal positions in the lower chamber on Thursday as embarrassing. Adeyinka told reporters that the commotion was a sad point in the country’s democratic experience. ``It is really embarrassing; people are beginning to understand that democracy will be about differences. ``We would learn, as times go on, how to

resolve our differences without throwing tantrums or causing rancour; that will be the next stage.`` It will be recalled that rancorous lawmakers in the lower chamber engaged in vicious exchanges over the election of principal officers of the House. Two factions emerged in the House with one supporting the ruling All Progressives Congress’ insistence to choose the House principal officers, and the other, backing the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, who insisted on defying the party.

``We will synchronize our data with that of Petroleum and Tanker Drivers (PTD) in the ongoing data collection of its members across the country," he said. Oyeyemi said the commission would partner with Vehicle Inspection Offices (VIO) across the country to ensure the success of the policy and called for capacity building of VIOs by state governments. The corps marshal also reiterated the enforcement of speed limit device installation in all commercial vehicles by Sept 1. He said that the commission focused more on the regulation of tanker and truck operations in the country following loss of 56 lives and property especially in June. SSANU stage protest over FG refusal to fund primary schools, threaten strike

THE NATION, SATURDAY JUNE 27, 2015

News

HE Supreme Court has reversed the death sen tence earlier given to a father of five, Alhaji Musa Sani. Sani was convicted for armed robbery by a Katsina State High Court. The decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal. Sani and his co-convict, Ifanye Amah, were accused of robbing the victim of N940,000 and other items, including a computer set, two cameras and three mobile phones in Katsina on May 28, 2008.

Supreme Court reverses death sentence on father of five convicted of armed robbery Eric IKHILAE, Abuja In a unanimous judgment by a five-man panel, the apex court discharged and acquitted Sani whose conviction and sentence by the Katsina High Court were upheld by the Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court, in the

lead judgment by Justice Muhammad MuntakaCoomassie, held that the police failed woefully in their investigation of the case, giving rise to doubt on whether the armed robbery operation actually took place. The apex court added that the trial judge ought to have

discharged and acquitted Sani and his co-accused having, in his findings, admitted that the police failed to investigate Sani’s alibi. Sani had insisted that he knew nothing about the alleged armed robbery as he was at Lunar Hotel, Katsina at about 2.30am to 3.00am on

•Mr. Senbore (first right) and Revd. Tunde Salawu, 1st Vice-President of the Nigerian Institute of Training and Development (second right), and some inductees at the special induction ceremony of the institute in Abuja recently

Jega explains appointment of VCs as returning officers

UTGOING chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega,said on Thursday that university vice-chancellors were appointed returning officers during the last general elections because they were people with track record of credibility. Jega, speaking with reporters on the sideline of a dinner organised in his honour by the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) in Abuja said :“We were looking for people with integrity; and we have no doubt that there are many people with integrity in the Nigerian university system. “So, it is like a ready-made

constituency to get the kind of people we needed for the job to be done. “That is not to say that only in the universities can you find people of integrity. “We know that anybody who has risen in the system to become a vice-chancellor will not for anything damage his or her reputation by pandering to the wishes of politicians.’’ He expressed his appreciation for the goodwill shown to him by members of the association, adding that he would continue to be a good ambassador of the Nigerian university system. Jega said he was delighted to note that the vice-chancellors were pleased with the feat

which they collectively achieved in the 2015 elections. He, however, said that all staff of INEC contributed to the success of the elections as he alone could not take the glory. The INEC chairman said he would proceed on leave and rest at the end of his tenure and return to the university to continue teaching, research and community service. Earlier in his remarks, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, the chairman of the association, commended

S part of activities to cel ebrate the Africa Code Week (ACW) coming up in October, SAP Africa has launched a child-friendly soft-

Nazi concentration camp for the first time during a state visit to Germany, meeting Holocaust survivors and British veterans who helped liberate the site 70 years ago. The trip to Bergen-Belsen in northwestern Germany by the 89-year-old queen — accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, 94 — was a “personal visit” and “her wish”, sources said. The royal couple spent about 30 minutes walking around the site where some 52,000 people from across Europe were killed during World War II or died immediately after its liberation, including teenage Jewish diarist Anne Frank. They stopped at a memorial stone to the young girl whose journal of her family’s time hidden from the Nazis during the German occupation of the Netherlands has been read by millions around the world. The queen, who had changed

into a dark slate-coloured outfit from the earlier yellow one she wore to meet well-wishers at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, also paused at a memorial for Jewish victims and visited a sculpture known as the “House of Silence”. Afterwards, the couple met representatives of the Jewish community and spent time talking to camp survivors and liberators before local high school students demonstrated an app on a tablet computer showing how the camp looked in the 1940s. Buckingham Palace confirmed it was the first time the monarch had visited a former concentration camp, part of a network of sites established by Hitler’s Nazi regime for holding and persecuting prisoners. But it said she had previously met Holocaust survivors. In April 1945, British forces freed the Bergen-Belsen camp in northern Germany where Jews,

political prisoners and other persecuted groups were held, taking pictures which gave the world the first visual proof of the Holocaust. At a banquet at Berlin’s presidential palace earlier in the week, the queen warned against “division” in Europe, in a speech focused on historical references to the lessons of World War II, the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification. In April, on the 70th anniversary of the camp’s liberation, German President Joachim Gauck paid tribute to Britain for restoring “humanity” to the country and said British forces led by example during the subsequent Allied occupation. The camp visit provided a poignant ending to the queen’s fifth state visit to Germany which included a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel, a boat ride along Berlin’s Spree River and a trip to the financial capital, Frankfurt.

Medinat KANABE ware coding project at the Ojodu Grammar School, Lagos. 100 children between eight and 11 years will be taught software coding skills in a funfilled, hands-on workshop facilitated by SAP. Speaking during the launch, SAP president, Mr Franck Cohen, said the project is tailored to youth skills development in eleven African countries. “The ACW programme will target an estimated 20, 000 children participating in software coding workshops in South Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia. The age range for African countries is eight to 24 years,”he said. Adding that Africa Code Week is being driven by SAP along with partners,Simplon from France, the Galway Education Centre from Ireland and the Cape Town Science Centre, he said its purpose is to empower youths, teachers and parents with the language of software programming using a freely available scratch system. “SAP is committed to help-

show that an armed robbery has taken place on the charge put to both accused persons Alhaji Musa Sani and Ifenya Amah. “The appellant herein (Sani) put up a defence of alibi and provided addresses, date and time. However, the police failed woefully to investigate the truth of the appellant’s plea. “Police merely did not believe the appellant and they relied on the so-called eyewitnesses to dismiss the plea of alibi, while in actual fact there is no iota of doubt that the police refused to conduct any investigation at Lunar Hotel, Katsina. “The conviction and sentence dished out on the appellant are hereby set aside and in their place the appellant is acquitted and discharged forthwith,” Justice MuntakaCoomasie said. Justices Bode RhodesVivour, Nwali Ngwuta, Clara Ogunbiyi and Kumai Akaahs, who were on the panel, agreed with Justice MuntakaCoomasie’s opinion.

Police Committee lauds IGP over internal security

HE Inspector General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase, has received kudos from the Police Assistance Committee (PAC) over his efforts to effectively deploy the Nigeria Police Force on internal security operations since coming on board. The PAC, speaking through its Director General, Dr. John Martins Oni, noted that since assumption of office, the IGP has brought in his wealth of experience to properly mobilize officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force in applying themselves to the demands of internal security of the country.

Firm launches child-friendly software

Queen makes first visit to ex-Nazi UEEN Elizabeth II yes concentration camp terday visited a former

Jega for rendering a service to his country creditably and with dignity. He also hailed all the vicechancellors that ”helped Jega in performing a national task that gave so much credibility to the last elections.” “It will go a long way in telling the world that vice-chancellors are capable of serving their country,’’ Ajienka who is the Vice-Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt, added.

the day the offence was said to have been committed. Sani and his co-accused pleaded not guilty to the charge when they were arraigned before the Katsina High Court on June 8, 2009. They were charged under section 1(2) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act Cap R11, Laws of the Federation 2004, which provides death sentence for a proven case of armed robbery. In the lead judgment yesterday, Justice MuntakaCoomasie faulted the decisions of the trial court and the Court of Appeal. “I have closely and carefully looked at the issues for determination as distilled by the parties in this appeal. I have also thought over the position of the prosecution. “It is a fact that can never be altered that the prosecution failed woefully to establish any ingredient of the offence of armed robbery. “It is clear that there is no credible evidence coming from the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses to

ing Africa’s youths become fluent in software coding, the language of the digital age. With the Africa Code Week initiative, we hope to enable Africa’s youths to further contribute to the continent’s success in this digital age,” he said. He explained further that a new Harbor Research study has found that while 65% of today’s technology applications generate revenue, the number will rise to 80% by 2018.

The PAC boss, while addressing their members at a training workshop held in Lagos, called on the IGP to take up the challenge of the recent withdrawal of the military from internal security operations by the president and come up with strategies that will enable members of the PAC and similar bodies to pass useful and timely information to all police formations nationwide to address internal security issues. Dr. Oni specifically appealed to the IGP to instruct all the police commands, area commands and DPOs to open information and intelligence gathering channels with all PAC state and zonal coordinators as well as chairmen, secretaries and PROs of PAC nationwide, particularly now that the military had been withdrawn from internal security operation. The PAC boss implored President Muhammadu Buhari to apply critical thinking over his decision to withdraw the military from internal security operations, and should apply himself to the norms that guide such operations in other countries of the world.

Nigeria replaces Saudi Arabia as top crude oil supplier to India

IGERIA has replaced Saudi Arabia as the largest crude oil supplier to India after its oil exports to India last month surged by nearly 200%, supplying some 745,000 barrels per day. It’s the first time in at least four years that Saudi Arabia, the world’s top crude exporter, has lost the top spot, Reuters reported. The shift comes as more Indian refiners switch out their long-term contracts with Middle East suppliers in favour of African oil spot purchases. Saudi Arabia also fell behind Russia and Angola last month as the largest crude sup-

plier to China. The fuel-rich nation struggles to maintain market share in Asia as the gap narrows between the Middle East price marker and the international crude oil benchmark Brent. India’s African oil imports rose to the highest in more than four years, from 15.5% in April to 26% in May with tankers mainly from Nigeria and Angola. Meanwhile, the share of Middle Eastern oil to India fell to 54% in May from 61% in April, with Saudi Arabia supplying some 732,400 barrels per day.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

Separation of powers, politics and the violence T

HREE incidents from the US, Nigeria’s National Assembly and that of the Benue State, as well as the death sentence of the Islamic court based in Kano State provide the background for the topic of the day. In the US a 21 year old white man shot dead nine people at a bible study in church famously used by black people in Charleston in the state of South Carolina. In Nigeria’s House of Representatives legislators fought over the election of key legislative officers leading to the postponement of the session to July 21 to allow tempers to cool down by then. Before that we watched in horror as legislators in Benue state House of Assembly wrestled in the House before a prime time TV audience over the same issue of election of their legislative leaders. These three events throw up constitutional and historical perspectives from their environment and culture all at once. Separately each on its own brings in some concepts and ideas on governance, social cohesion and democracy in practice as well as a cost benefit analysis of that prevailing world ideology as at this moment in time. The violence in Nigeria’s legislature invite another look at the concept of separation of power derived from the presidential system of checks and balances which we borrowed from the Americans. The slaughter of blacks in South Carolina once a slave colony inspired by the Confederate flag at the Capitol in Columbia in that state and reluctance of the state governor to bring it down even as a mark of respect while burying the victims, raised serious issues on the rule of law and the morbid impact of racism in interpreting the law in such an environment. Similarly the sentencing in Kano cannot but bring to mind vivid fears on the rise of a situation similar to that of ISIS in Iraq and Syria which can also be seen as a ploy to placate Boko Haram when indeed all hands including that of the Sharia judicial system in Nigeria and Kano especially, should be on deck to put an end to Boko Haram as announced by the president determinedly when he assumed office recently. Starting with violence in our legislature I want to take that on from the perspective expressed by the presidency that the president will not intervene just as it was made clear by the same source that he did not interfere in the intra party politics leading to the emergence of the Speaker and the President of the Senate. That to me is an expensive mistake on both issues. This is because the presidential system thrives on a principle of checks and balances and is predicated on majority rule.Since the president is from the ruling APC he is the leader of the party and not the Chairman or the NWC of the party and he should be interested in those members of his party aspiring for legislative honors and leadership. This is because his party has the majority in our legislature. To do otherwise as the presidency is doing now is to be seen like the proverbial ostrich with its head buried in the sand. In the presidential system of checks and balances the three arms of government, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary are independent but they intertwixt and intertwine in checking the excesses of each other in governance. In fact the independence comes into play once the three arms are in place after elections by the electorate and appointment of judges. The executive should not interfere once the leaders of the legislature are in place after their election.

It should not then have folded its hands while the election of legislative leaders of its party was being done only to frown later at the way and manner it was done and the emergence of the leadership the legislative elections threw up. Again the presidency looked like the cat that would eat fish from a pond without getting its paws wet. Such indifference can be counterproductive in politics as the president is seeing right now as he prepares to announce his much awaited list of ministers which he has kept very much close to his chest. Without mincing words I say that it is the duty of a majority party in the legislature to ensure that it is not taken by surprise in legislative elections and that is the duty of the leader which in the case of the APC in Nigeria is the president on whose the table the buck stops in a presidential system of checks and balances such as we run in Nigeria today. Similarly in South Carolina many people believed that the Governor should have brought down the Confederate Flag which represents racism, slavery and secession in American history and which the 21 year old white racist murderer said inspired his hatred and murder of the nine black worshippers which included a state senator and preacher, whose funeral the US president was preparing to attend. The governor of the state claimed her hands were tied as she had no power to bring down a flag which had inspired a mass murder called the Charleston Massacre

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... the presidency looked like the cat that would eat fish from a pond without getting its paws wet. Such indifference can be counterproductive in politics as the president is seeing right now as he prepares to announce his much awaited list of ministers which he has kept very much close to his chest

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which the governor too had condemned very eloquently. Legal experts have however disagreed with the governor citing a precedent in another state with such a problem which invoked a legal provision that the flag could be brought down for washing for some days and that could be invoked at least to allow the funeral of the hapless victims of the Charleston Massacre and put the racist murderer to shame. Obviously the S Carolina governor was making out as if the law was an ass on the flag issue when indeed it was her racist sympathy that was at play and not the law being any ass, willingly or not. Undoubtedly the killing in S Carolina came about because a black president is in power in the US and even President Barak Obama has admitted that racism is still a problem in his nation fondly called God’s Own country. Which really is unfortunate and very sad. However the charismatic US president was to give the eulogy at the funeral of the slain preacher and senator Clementa Pickney in Charleston in S Carolina and I bet that would be another classic on the wickedness and futility of bringing back racism or any form of discrimination by the backdoor of violence in today’s modern society especially in the US, the global promoter and champion of democracy and human rights. It is in such light that one should see the death sentence for blasphemy by the Islamic Court in Kano on the nine people in the state. My own plea here is for mercy and clemency. In South Carolina the families of the victims said they forgave the killer of their loved ones. That is to show the superiority of love, mercy and tolerance over hatred and violence. These are virtues that all religions preach and not only Islam and Christianity. Pardoning these people in Kano would send a strong message to ISIS and Boko Haram - which both Saudi Arabia, the champion of Sunni Islam and Iran, the Shiite champion are fighting both in their regions and internationally - that blind and reckless violence has no place in this modern world we live in today. That simply is my plea on this matter- even in this era of post election violence which we have just averted and the new phenomenon of legislative trickery and violence which we thought we had put behind us. Again, long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Editors Note; We apologise for the error of calling late Senator Abubakar Sola Saraki a Senate President in his time. He was indeed a Senate Majority Leader. The mix up on George Bush instead of Jeb Bush later in the column is also regretted.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

COMMENTARY

Saraki: The genesis of a rebellion ITH Dr. Bukola Saraki in the fold, the rebellion that occurred at the upper chamber of the National Assembly on June 9 was always going to happen. Surprisingly, very few Nigerians saw it coming either because we are not perceptive as a people or because our memory is so short that we forgot how a couple of years ago, the new Senate President engaged his biological father, Olusola Saraki, in a political battle that demystified and humiliated the widely acclaimed strong man of Kwara politics. It is even more amazing that the chieftains of the APC did not sense the challenge they were up against the moment the former governor of Kwara State indicated interest in the seat of the senate president. If Dr. Bukola Saraki would not respect his father’s wish and openly worked to install his stooge against his father and benefactor’s candidate, there was absolutely no basis to expect that checkmating his ambition would be a tea party. His penchant for toeing the unpopular path is a habit that dates back to infancy. His minders suborned him to adopt Bukola, a name usually reserved for female persons. Amazingly, he has kept and nurtured the habit of flowing against the tide until it culminated in the civilian coup of June 9. The new senate president first came into my consciousness in the late 1980s when he functioned as the executive director of his father’s defunct Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria (SGBN). I had thought that my uncle, an employee of the bank then, was talking about a woman each time he mentioned Bukola Saraki. I was shocked the day I had to accompany my uncle to the bank’s head office on Broad Street, Lagos and he showed me the man called Bukola. It was the first time I would see a man so named, but I managed to conceal my shock. It is not impossible that other male Bukolas (Bukky for short) exist, but they must be few and far between. The Senate President has since taken his knack for doing the unusual to the realm of politics. Not many would forget in a hurry how, as Kwara State governor, he engaged his father in a succession battle that forced the latter to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through which had helped his son to become governor. As the story goes, the elder Saraki, repeatedly

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betrayed by the different godsons he had installed as Kwara State governor, decided to take his destiny in his own hands. He hit on the idea of sponsoring his biological son for the governorship seat in the 2011 general election. This, he thought, would be an effective antidote to the cycle of betrayal. He settled for Bukola in the hope that after serving two terms, he would make way for his younger sister, Gbemisola, who the elder Saraki had already promised to make a governor. To his father’s dismay, Bukola said he would not support Gbemisola’s candidacy, citing ethical reasons. It only took a while before the elder Saraki realised that, like the biblical Absalom, his son had decided to strip him of his role as kingmaker.

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The scene that is playing out at the Senate is one that must emerge when a desperately ambitious man is surrounded by desperate power mongers. A situation where thunder acts as counsellor to bomb is a perfect setting for catastrophe. It is even more complicated the cast of hawks that perch dangerously under the tattered umbrella of the PDP are involved

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With the party’s structures firmly in Bukola’s grip, his father was left with no choice but to quit the PDP and form a new political party through which he hoped that her daughter would realise her ambition. As it turned out, Gbemisola, the elder Saraki’s candidate, suffered a monumental defeat at the hands of Bukola’s candidate, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed. The rebellion was complete and, with it, the elder Saraki’s retirement from active politics until he died barely a year after. If indeed there is truth in the saying that the child is the father of the man, then it is irrational and illogical to expect that Saraki the senator would act differently from Saraki the governor. If as a governor he discounted the wish of his father and benefactor and hounded him out of party and politics in his crave for power and influence, it is also unlikely that he would respect the wish of the party whose crest he rode to win his seat in the Senate. A crocodile that ate its own eggs cannot be said to have acted out of order if it consumes the eggs laid by other creatures. The scene that is playing out at the Senate is one that must emerge when a desperately ambitious man is surrounded by desperate power mongers. A situation where thunder acts as counsellor to bomb is a perfect setting for catastrophe. It is even more complicated the cast of hawks that perch dangerously under the tattered umbrella of the PDP are involved. Wittingly or unwittingly, Saraki has been drafted by the PDP, the party he jettisoned about two years ago, to lead an anti-people force whose sole mission is to frustrate the choice Nigerians made in the 2015 elections. Even the least perceptive political observer knows that the ultimate motive of the crises that are being fuelled by Saraki and his men at the upper legislative chamber is to frustrate the Buhari-led APC administration, so that it might look as incompetent as the ousted PDP. It will not be a surprise if in the days ahead the Saraki group in the Senate tries to frustrate President Buhari’s requests, beginning with the approval of his ministerial list. But it will serve Senator Saraki well to realise that he and other members of his group will be up not only against Buhari and the APC , but against the mass of the people who voted for change on March 28.

Osun State, metaphor for unpaid salaries BOUT two months ago, a female retiree of the Osun State public service called to complain about unpaid workers’ salaries, and wanted this writer to wade in, as an advocate of the masses. After another caller came up with the same issue, it became imperative to find out what was going on in Osun State. The state truly owes about six months’ salary backlog, and the workers have become restive as a result. The Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, attributes the unpaid salaries to the state’s dwindling revenue. For instance, he revealed, revenue from all sources in 2012, including the Federation Account; internally generated revenue; and other accruals, like value added tax, from the Federal Government, yielded N28.4 billion, whereas total wage bill only was N31.6 billion, leaving a deficit of N3.2 billion. The same scenario was repeated in 2013, with a deficit of N10.4 billion. It turned out also that dwindling oil revenue has made it difficult for the Federal Government, and 24 (some say 28) of Nigeria’s 36 states, to pay staff salaries. The initial cause of the palaver was the increase of minimum wage to N18,000, unilaterally entered into by the President Goodluck Jonathan Government with the labour unions. It became a kerfuffle when the price of crude oil plummeted, and reduced the revenue that accrued to the nation. The Nigerian Governors’ Forum, led by former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, alleged that another cause of the problem was the Federal Government’s squandering of funds due to the states from the Excess Crude Account. But former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, countered that the money was actually paid to states. Things have gotten so bad that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is unable to meet $2 billion cash call obligations to its joint-venture international oil corporation partners. Indeed an IOC source alleges that the Federal Government totally mismanaged available crude oil revenue, and misappropriated money meant to execute projects and activities that were not included in budgets approved by the National Assembly. Some argue that some state governments embarked on ambitious projects. But government is about providing services to the

Bolanle OKE

people – and paying some cadres of the citizenry to perform it. And there are some services that the people didn’t ask for, but must be provided nonetheless: You don’t ask for the military or police forces to protect you, before government provides them anyway. The same goes for social services like hospitals, schools, and traffic control that will have adverse effect on society if not discharged. You will have a hard time faulting an Osun State Government that fulfills its electoral promises by feeding about 254,000 pupils daily, and providing jobs for about 3,000 cooks, and giving farming and agribusiness a shot in the arm, through the ‘O’ MEALS Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme. Neither can you really fight a plan to refurbish the old Osogbo Aerodrome, to provide a hub to freight agricultural cargo from Osun and adjoining states. The airport comes with a repairs hanger where military, private operators and commercial airlines can repair their aircraft. The network of roads around the airport also makes for easy flight connections for passengers and farming cargoes. But the sudden drop of oil revenue scuppered the whole thing, bringing unpaid wages in its wake. Because the problem of unpaid wages of government workers is a universal phenomenon in Nigeria, many

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It turned out also that dwindling oil revenue has made it difficult for the Federal Government, and 24 (some say 28) of Nigeria’s 36 states, to pay staff salaries. The initial cause of the palaver was the increase of minimum wage to N18,000, unilaterally entered into by the President Goodluck Jonathan Government with the labour unions

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suggest downsizing of staff. That fails to recognise that employment of workers is also a legitimate social service expected of every government. This then brings up the argument that state governments must be allowed to independently negotiate minimum wages with labour unions. If the Federal Government will not pay the salary bills of states, it should not negotiate wages on their behalf. Allowing each state the autonomy to negotiate its minimum wage with labour goes by the name, ‘fiscal federalism.’ But the Federal Government is too big, to the detriment of states and (especially) local governments. The real interface between the state and the citizens is more at the local government level. Shouldn’t the revenue allocation formula be restructured to the advantage of local councils? Indeed, the day of argument for fiscal federalism is here. It is imperative for the Nigerian state to recognise that those who provide the resources must be first partakers in its yield. That must explain why the Niger Delta, whose soil provides the oil and gas that have provided the major source of revenue for the country, complain about being schemed out of the returns from the petroleum resources. The Ijaw have therefore expressed a desire for selfdetermination, having noted that the treaty of 1914, between the Ijaw and the British colonial powers, lapsed in 2014. Fair-minded Nigerian patriots must not ignore this heart cry of the Ijaw – or other nationalities for that matter. All people of goodwill must strive to achieve a more honest interpretation and implementation of the protocols of democratic and federal governance in Nigeria. More to the point: State governments that owe salaries must certainly demonstrate the will to pay. They could restructure payment schedules (the way bankers do), and then seek to re-negotiate more realistic minimum wage regime with labour. This way, accrued wage bills are settled, and a future without financial booby-traps, charted. And it is not enough to blame the states for unpaid salaries. The Federal Government may have to immediately initiate a rescue plan to pay the salary arrears, to stem the human suffering, before asking the state governments to go and sin no more. •Oke works for the Osun State government.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

COMMENTARY

Desperate house-guys O speak of a political revolution where power is given back to the people in Nigeria once seemed farfetched. That was until the just concluded elections, where an incumbent government was toppled in a peaceful civilian-to-civilian democratic transition. For the fist time in the consciousness of several generations of Nigerians, the people’s use of their power, through the ballot box, was respected and the clamor and push for ‘change’ became Nigeria’s reality. But just as Nigerians are getting used to its new-normal, that hydra headed monster of political greed, selfishness and irrationality has already started popping its monstrous head back into our society; as if it had never left. This time it comes by way of an absurd piece of news that our newly sworn-in legislators are about to receive a whopping N8.64 billion as “Wardrobe Allowance.” If this disturbing revelation turns out to be true, then one has to wonder whether there was some misunderstanding of the mantra of ‘change’ upon which most of the legislatures used to come into power. While most Nigerians understood the ‘change’ to signify a departure from the pilfering and depravity, which was seen to define former administrations, perhaps the vast majority of the legislatures understood ‘change’ to mean a change of outfit from the $1,000 Armani suit they wore yesterday to the $2,500 Givenchy tie they may choose to change into tomorrow. Now listen, unless Coco Chanel, herself, is going to magically appear and stich every part of every one of the legislatures attire personally, this talk of bungo pay allocated for wardrobe allowance in light of the ensuing circumstance presently in Nigeria is completely out of order. But even ‘if’ the late great Ms. Chanel was to miraculously come back to life and recreate her masterpieces for Nigerian lawmakers, providing N8.64 billion as Wardrobe Allowance for lawmakers is just flipping unacceptable! But wait… let’s not get it twisted; if everyone thought that every single political biped that climbed on the broom, printed posters with their faces next to that of General Buhari’s and rode onto power on the promise of ‘change’ in the last election was sincerely intentioned to represent that change, then we need to think again. With this preposterous claim that legislators are about to receive a whopping N8.64 billion as Wardrobe Allowance, to speak of a political revolution where real change has come into effect would seem illusionary were it not for the number of times the possibility has been raised, in precisely those terms, by our politicians who continue to nurse the outlandish fantasy that every member of APC truly represents the much needed change. If this wardrobe allowance claim is true, I daresay, one could possibly be forgiven in thinking that the bubble in the corridors of the National Assembly must have a very strange reverse refractive effect where the world is viewed from the inside out. Otherwise how could any fat-cat, insatiable legislature justify N8.64 billion as Wardrobe Allowance despite the swelling problems our nation faces as a result of poverty, long unemployment lines, insecurity, social and infrastructure decay and general despondency? If anyone had any doubt that a good number of our political class that speak of ‘change’ are having a laugh, then this allegation of bungo spending by the legislature is enough to stand them corrected; of that there can be no question! Since 1999, the impediments that have ensured the rearward development of this democracy have been fast and furious. And now that we thought that there would be some reprieve, suddenly, we are confronted with this alleged incongruity of our undistinguished lawmakers and their abundant taste of an outrageous fashion sense. If this account of legislature wardrobe allowance is true and allowed to stand, it would effectively amount to a sum of N21.5 million each for the country’s 109 Senators and N17.5 million each

for the 360 members of the House of Representatives. Presumably, this amount is separate from other allowances such as; furniture, housing and transportation, which the lawmakers are expected to receive. Apparently, with regards to the housing allowance, each of the 107-senators besides the Senate President and his deputy, will be paid N4,052,800, while each member of the House of Representatives will be paid N3,970,425 upon assumption of office. Furthermore, it is assumed that the Senate President, Deputy Senate President and the Speaker, Deputy Speaker will be provided accommodation by the federal government. Can all this truly be happening while Nigerians continue to suffer from unpaid salaries, dwindling oil revenues, the precarious state of our economy, endemic corruption, insecurity high poverty rates, infrastructural underdevelopment and decay… the list goes on! Based on the approval of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the housing allowance for political office holders is usually 200 per cent of their annual salaries, the furniture allowance is 300 per cent of annual salaries, while a motor vehicle loan is pegged at 400 per cent of their annual salaries. Honestly, this is preposterous and downright absurd! Where exactly is the Change that Nigerians voted for? Somehow, I don’t think this is the “change” that teeming Nigerians clamored and voted for during the last general elections. It is safe to assume that Nigerians voted for the status-quo to be changed not for it to continue like “the business as usual” manner of previous administrations. The 8th National Assembly members should indeed reflect the change Nigerians desperately wanted; the change under which they were voted into office. Notoriously tagged as the most expensive parliament in the world, there is a widely held public conception that a significant part of the nation’s commonwealth is wastefully exhausted in the provision of our federal legislators. Since 2010, Nigerians have

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When juxtaposed with American legislators, the 108 bills passed by the two Nigerian chambers is one of the lowest for any session of the United States’ Congress, whose two chambers passed 604 in just 1999 and 460 bills between 2007 and 2008. It is indeed a far cry to the busy hub of the American Congress

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learnt of the federal legislature’s consumption of one-quarter of the nation’s budget. However, despite the stupendous sum the lawmakers appropriate unto themselves; their output has serially, dolefully and exasperatingly failed to measure up. Since the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and current Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s allegation in 2010 that 25% of the overhead of the Federal Government budget goes to the National Assembly, the money channeled into funding the legislative arm of government has continued to undoubtedly widen the gap between the legislatures and the people they are supposed to represent. The huge sums allegedly accrued to the out-going National Assembly in the course of its tenure stretching from June 2011 to June 2015, is over bloated against the backdrop of their productivity level. Sometime last month, it was reported that the outgoing 7th National Assembly passed a total of 108 bills into law, out of the 1,068 bills sponsored and brought to its legislative attention. Yet, a good number of the bills passed were mainly thought to be executive-sponsored bills, made up of appropriation (budgetary) and supplementary appropriation bills as well as bills authorizing the Presidency to borrow loans. Hence, expert bills and public interest bills did not feature much. The outgoing 7th upper chamber succeeded in passing 67 bills (i.e. around 0.0925 bills per sitting), while the lower chamber passed the remaining 41 bills. Essentially, all the previous National Assembly members bequeathed the nation is 108 bills, leaving hundreds of other bills still pending, especially the very important and long-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, which was re-presented to the legislative arm of government by former President Goodluck Jonathan in June 2012. When juxtaposed with American legislators, the 108 bills passed by the two Nigerian chambers is one of the lowest for any session of the United States’ Congress, whose two chambers passed 604 in just 1999 and 460 bills between 2007 and 2008. It is indeed a far cry to the busy hub of the American Congress. Between the last two years (2013 and 2014), the American Congress was able to pass 297 bills. Yet, the referenced number of the bills has been considered to be one of the lowest in the country’s legislative session’s history. Nonetheless, while the United States pays its lawmakers an average annual salary of about $174,000 with Britain paying its parliamentarians approximately $105,000, their Nigerian counterparts receive salaries and several allowances amounting to about $1.050,000 per annum. What a joke! Since news of this alleged wardrobe allowance leaked, alarm has been stirred by an upsurge in public anger over this venality that will soon likely to run like a virus through the legislative house. This reported revelation about the unhealthy spending at the national assembly has galvanized the outpouring of scorn and venom from a disappointed general public. At this juncture, with the way Nigerians are feeling, the members of the National Assembly should be grateful that there have been no angry mobs storming their hallowed chambers, nor much of anything in the way of organized protest. But, in all honesty, the mood of anger is growing from a people who united, fought and won a revolution together and had such high hopes of ‘change’ for Nigeria. This piece of news has touched grievances, which had been built against the last administration about the growth of a self-serving political class, arrogant habits of rule and an inward-looking cadre of legislatures, for all of which the most appropriate adjective seems to be high-handed. Thank Goodness this is not happening in the olden days when the lynch mob would have been the opposition long before a public revolt!

For stronger and better APC HE stage the ruling All Progressives Party Congress (APC) is right now is to find a way to manage its victory and reduce cracks within the party . The emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki and Hon. Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and Speaker, House of Representatives respectively served to highlight the tendencies of power play within the party. It will do the APC a whole lot of good not to allow it fester beyond the unmanageable. A precedent has been set, albeit one that was a disservice to party discipline. Yet, it had to be handled with care. The APC is made up of its legacy parties: Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), all defunct- won at the last election, historically unseating the then ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), it was a victory that could hardly have been wrought without the members of the rested New PDP. A cursory look at the outcome of the governorship race in many of the states where the APC won for the first time will also show that the victories had the imprimatur of defecting PDP members. Instance can be found in the North Central states- Plateau, Niger, Benue, Kwara, with the exception of Nasarawa, where the APC for once made headway, it was on the back of the turncoat men of the PDP. Even in Kogi State, where there was no governorship election, the presidential poll was for the first time won by the opposition. This has never happened since the defeat of former Governor Abubakar of the ANPP by the PDP.Audu, now in the APC, together with a potpourri of erstwhile PDP chiefs delivered the state to the APC. No doubt the Jagaban Borgu, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has a place reserved for him in history, present, past or future, that no one can or should be eager to deny him, others must be given their pride of place in the scheme of things. There are stalwarts, mainly of the PDP stock that bat no eyelid in their confrontation with their former party to ensure the victory that is now on the table. Former Vice President, Abubakar Atiku, Bukola Saraki,

Nojeem ADENRELE former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, whose confrontation with his erstwhile leader and former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, unnerved the latter to no end. Others abound:Timipriye Sylva, Sen. Barnabas Gamade, Gov. Lalong of Plateau State, former Governor Oyinlola, not forgetting the baba of all and former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo .Though at no time did the old guards from the PDP officially present a common leader as their rallying point, there must be one somewhere, and it is becoming clearer by the day that there is more than one axis of party leadership in the today’s APC. The APC leadership must work adroitly to erase from the minds and the mindset of Nigerians that others from outside of the legacy parties do not have as much stake, rights and privileges as those of the old ACN, CPC, ANPP or APGA in the victorious APC. That is as simple as the emerging situation can be explained. It is probably after a way is found around that tricky issue that the party can in all truthfulness begin to walk. Because the head is CPC or PDP does not imply that all other body parts should be CPC or ACN. That to me is one of the major undercurrent that played out at the two federal legislative chambers,

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These and more must have become glaring by now, just as I am convinced that the APC is imbued with the capacity to wade through and manage the situation, just as it did in the past. The journey is just beginning and opportunities abound to expand the field

and not a personal struggle or ambition, though it might appear so, and Saraki, a symbol for that reaction, to send the appropriate signal to the leadership of the APC. As at today, in the party structure at the national level, the New PDP is not properly represented. From the chairman, to the secretary, to the regional and zonal and even in most of the states, they are not well represented. Assuming now that from the chairman, to the secretary, to zonal chairmen, that some of them are New PDP, where the National Committee is sitting, they will have a say, but the whole National Working Committee is mostly the legacy parties, while the PDP elements were already in the party when it was being formed. Those are part of the issues that are on ground now that will continue to breed fractionalization if not quickly addressed. Mr. President must be ready to take control now and address some of the issues because he holds the responsibility to manage this government well, not the party. Before the election it was the party, after the election, it is Mr. President. These and more must have become glaring by now, just as I am convinced that the APC is imbued with the capacity to wade through and manage the situation, just as it did in the past . The journey is just beginning and opportunities abound to expand the field. For example, there are so many sensitive positions and appointments that will be made shortly and the government of President Buhari must take deliberate steps to balance the interest of all the contending parties, including the New PDP, rather than overconcentrating those appointments in his party: CPC, ACN, ANPP or the faction of APGA, for fairness, equity and justice to prevail, so that from the beginning we have a solid and unifying APC to consolidate the gains of the collective victory. The factor of the New PDP is real and must not be ignored or toyed with. Nigerians will be the better for it and more names will be etched in the sands of time in our march towards true greatness. •Adenrele is an Abuja-based political analyst

THE NATION, SATURDAY JUNE 27, 2015

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

Dan Maraya: Unforgettable times of a fallen music legend •Molo icon died without a biological child YUSUFU AMINU IDEGU takes a look at the life and times of popular musician, Dan Maraya Jos, who passed on in Jos last week.

•Late Dan Maraya

slowly tuck his hand into the sleeves of his dress, bring out his locally-made guitar and begin to play. And once he struck his local guitar and matched it with his out his personal heroes rather than the rich and famous. His first and perhaps most famous song is Wak'ar Karen scintillating voice, you cannot but like the music that came Mota (Song of the Driver's Mate). It was in praise of the forth. A story was told of an invitation the Nigeria Ambassayoung men who get passengers in and out of minivan buses dor to Switzerland extended to him to entertain an audience and do the dirty work of changing tyres, pushing broken made up of Europeans. As usual, he appeared on the stage down vans, and the like. without a musical instrument, causing members of the audiIt was said that he composed numerous songs during the ence to start looking at one another in confusion. Their amazement turned into a rowdy applause when he drew out Nigerian civil war in praise of soldiers of the federal army and incorporated vivid accounts of scenes from the war in his unique brand of guitar from the sleeves of his kaftan and his songs. Many of his songs incorporate social commentary. began to sing. He was appreciated with several awards for originality be- These included the songs on marriage, families and the principles of parenting, motherhood, fatherhood, cause his kind of guitar could not be found in Europe. It was and so on. also on account of representing the country so well abroad Some of his tracks included Jawabin Aure that the Federal Government awarded him a national honour (Discourse on Marriage), which lists as Member of the Order of Niger (MON). the problems attendant in divorce Born in 1946, he died last Saturday after a protracted illand admonishes married couA story was ness. He was born and brought up in Jos, the Plateau State ples to try to patch up their difcapital, where he spent all his 70 years in life. His poputold of an invitation ferences. There were also lar name, Dan Maraya Jos, means "The Little Orphan the Nigeria AmbassaAuren Dole (Forced Marof Jos". His father was said to have died shortly after dor to Switzerland exriage), which decries the he was born, while his mother also died while he tended to him to entertain an practice of families arrangwas still an infant, hence the name by which everying marriages for their one knew him. audience made up of Eurodaughters rather than letDan Maraya's father was a court musician for peans. As usual, he appeared ting them decide on their the Emir of Bukur, who took Dan Maraya under on the stage without a musical own mates, and Gulmahis care when his instrument, causing members of Wuya (The Busy body), parents died. Dan which dwells on neighMaraya showed the audience to start looking at borhood gossips. early interest in one another in confusion. Their Dan Maraya was marmusic and came ried to Hajiya Sabuwa amazement turned into a under the influence Dan Maraya, but they rowdy applause when he of local professional were not blessed with the musicians. During a drew out his unique brand fruits of the womb. trip to Maiduguri of guitar from the sleeves Notwithstanding, Dan while he was still a Maraya housed more chilof his kaftan and pre-teen, he was imdren than he would have repressed by musicians began to sing quired. He adopted some and there. Thus he made a chose to house and train a good kuntigi, which became his number of youths. At the time he died, permanent companion. His there were eight of such youths in his house. only musical instrument, One of the beneficiaries of the late musiknown as molo in Hausa lancian’s gesture, Alhaji Kuchili Yusuf Dan Maraya, said: "The guage, is a small, singleman was not my father, but I grew up to think he was my fastringed lute. The body is ther, because he loved me so much that I thought he gave usually a large, oval-shaped birth to me. He was so caring. He taught us how to love felsardine can, covered with low human beings, how to live in peace with neighbours, goatskin. and to be kind and take life easy." Dan Maraya might not be His immediate neighbour described him as a community the only solo musician in leader who was known for solving disputes among neighHausa land, but he was virbours. One of the neighbours, Sanusi Yahaya, said: "We knew tually the most famous of all. him as a dispute manager, to the extent that even if he travLike most professional musielled out of town, no matter how long he stayed, others cians, the mainstay of Dan would be waiting for him to mediate in their disputes beMaraya's repertoire was praise singing. But he singled cause he spoke the truth and was never biased. He was a domestic problem solver."

HE death, last Saturday, of Alhaji Adamu Waya a.k.a. Dan Maraya Jos was like the demise of a popular king, considering the huge number of sympathisers that thronged his premises. Some residents likened it to the death of a market leader. Bauchi Road, the street on which he lived, witnessed a kind of vehicular traffic the people had not seen in the recent past. Sympathisers from neighbouring states like Bauchi, Nasarawa and Kaduna, were also there in large numbers to show their last respects to the internationally acclaimed music icon. With the unique nature of his music, particularly his kind of guitar whose replica can hardly be found anywhere, Dan Maraya Jos was popular not only in Plateau State and Nigeria but also in Europe and America. On many occasions, the late musician dazzled his audience in Europe and America with his solo music each time he was invited to demonstrate his rare style. Dan Maraya’s was an inimitable one-man musical band. All alone, he composed his songs, sang them alone and played his unique guitar without any help. He was simply an amazing singer on stage. Each time he was introduced at an occasion to entertain the audience at home or abroad, he appeared on the stage alone, bearing no musical instrument. With that, he left the audience wondering how he was going to perform without an instrument. But while the audience was still wondering what he was about to do, he would

•Dan Maraya’s residence in Jos

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

•Widow of Dan Maraya (right), Hajiya Sabuwa and other sympathisers

him because of his principle as a young man. He was never lazy, “I met him a hardworking •Sympathises at his residence after his death young man in those days. He was a man of peace. These were formed for the state at reputable fora within and outside the the characters that attracted me to him. state, which is why a street was named after him during his “We had the challenge of not having a child of our life time. The street where he lived until he died had been own, but he never thought of divorce in spite of renamed Dr. Dan Maraya Street. pressure from friends and neighbours to do The Speaker of the Plateau State House of Asso. Instead of thinking of divorce, he sembly, Rt. Hon. Peter Azi, who paid a condoMaraya Dan rather surrounded himself with children lence visit to the family of the music legend on was married to Hafrom other parents. behalf of Governor Simon Bako Lalong, said: “He loved children a lot, he was aljiya Sabuwa Dan Maraya, "The death of Dan Maraya is shocking to ways happy seeing children around but they were not blessed the state government. It is so unfortunate him. He treated them like his own he did not survive the ailment. with the fruits of the womb. biological children." government wished he was alive Dan Maraya was believed to Notwithstanding, Dan Maraya to“This serve it just as he had served all the have thrown a lot of resources housed more children than he past governments in the state since its into training other people’s chilcreation. But God has taken him away would have required. He dren. The present crop of youths from us. adopted some and chose to in his house do not even know the “We celebrated him in this state benumber of children he has brought house and train a good num- cause he was a peace maker and a human up because they come and go. His ber of youths. At the time he rights activist who used his songs to widow also said she had lost count preach peaceful coexistence. He used his died, there were eight of of the number of children that had music to defend the poor and advocate for his in youths such been brought in their house. He was their care. said to have erected a storey building house “He will be greatly missed by this governwith many rooms to accommodate the chilment. He will be greatly missed by Nigeria because dren he brought up. he had been a worthy ambassador of this country with The late musician was highly regarded by the his songs. He has performed for this country and represented Plateau State Government, because he was believed to the country well. He was a national figure of great repute." have done the state proud with his music. He had per-

•Speaker, Plateau House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Peter Azi during the condolence visit

His widow, Hajiya Sabuwa, spoke about her late husband, especially their lives without a biological child: "Our marriage was based on love. I loved him and agreed to marry

‘How to put an end to unemployment’ Dr. Wale Olasoji , the President of the Chartered Institute of Commerce, in this interview with GBENGA ADERANTI, he talks about unemployment in Nigeria and the way government can encourage medium and small-scale businesses RADUALLY the oil revenue is dwindling, a situation that could put this country in bad shape. What is the way out? Being a monolithic economy, the realities are here with us. Once the revenue from oil, the mainstay of our economy, has declined, it means that our income will naturally go down, but Nigeria is also peculiar because of corruption which could be classified into two.Number one, the money we already have goes elsewhere. We already know that it is easier to manage the money you already have than to make more money, so the first issue is to manage the money we already have. Our income is going somewhere else and corruption is that. I want to believe that with the emergence of the new president, once they look at the issue of corruption and nip it in the bud, we will have more money to keep, not because we have made more, but we have kept more. We will be able to do more things. The second problem corruption breeds is that even if we find a way of generating more revenue, it will be only more money for corrupt people. Corruption looks like the endemic problem of the nation .It really needs to be looked at. Having said this, it does not preclude us from generating more income from other areas. Agriculture is a major one today, and we want to thank the former president for looking critically into agriculture. What it means is that the present government should not play down the role agriculture can play in this great nation. They have to do more; they have to invest more into that. We also see a situation where a couple of projects in the past that could generate more income, both for the individuals and the economy, were not properly supervised. We look at the issue of SURE- P, for example. We are not sure of the yield of that programme. It could help the individuals just as it could help the nation. What of tourist attraction. We can generate a lot of income through tourism and tourist attractions, but security is a problem. A lot of people that would have loved to come to our country to see places we have don’t want to come because security. One of the areas Nigeria could generate money is in the area of sports. You know that when South Africa hosted the World Cup, a lot of people were there. It generated a lot of

•Olasoji income for that country. Today, we play down a lot on our sporting activities. Government is not funding it the way it should and people are not happy. I think government needs to look at that area. We don’t have a world-class stadium in our country. If government looks at that area, it could definitely generate a lot of income for our nation. Unemployment is a problem that has defied all solutions. Past governments fought it to no avail. What is the way out? Definitely unemployment is not just a problem in Nigeria, but all over the world. What federal government should do is to find ways of reducing it by creating more jobs. Others fight it by encouraging small and medium-scale enterprises. If you can create an enabling environment through government support to ensure that individuals are able to trade

very easily, it will make life easier. One of our problems today is power. The government can reduce unemployment by fixing the power problem. We know that the Obasanjo government tried to fix power problem, but they didn't succeed. There are some developed countries that are not only looking at the traditional way of generating electricity. In the United Kingdom, for example, today, individuals are encouraged to generate power. They contribute the excess to the national grid and they get paid for it, so that reduces unemployment. People generate power, and the government benefits from it. Individuals also benefit from it.As power problem is fixed , more people that have ideas on what to do will be getting into them. What kills small-scale business today is the expenses they have to incur in running their businesses. In their business, power is a major challenge. People spend hundreds of thousands every month powering their companies. We are not saying this can be done in a month or year, but government can fix it. That will encourage small-scale organizations. Of course, part of the way to help our unemployment today is not necessarily creating jobs. Though this is part of it, encouraging people that have real ideas to create jobs and doing what they want. In other words, government does not necessarily say we multiply parastatals and increase the number of ministries. They encourage one person that has an idea to employ 10 people. So that way, unemployment will gradually reduce because one idea owner is encouraged by government and enabling environment is provided. We know in the developed world today, there is always privatepublic partnership that reduces unemployment. Some states tried to create employment through one scheme or the other, but they failed... That is a fallacy of generalization because this is the same thing developed nations have tried and it worked. I will give you an example. The government wants to support smallscale businesses. They call people together, find five people who have genuine ideas and five people who have low quality ideas. Instead of giving money to people with brilliant ideas, they give it to their relatives with poor ideas and the ideas fail right from the beginning. That is part of the problems. Number two, we all know that money has to be available for every project. You don't give money to somebody and you go and sleep. There has to be project monitoring. What we have seen in our country is that they make money available, but they don't monitor projects. These people just collect the money and divert it to some other things they want to do and they fail.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

My success scared off a lot of men before I got married â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Popular hats maker Grace Chito Mark Stories on pages 30,31,34&35

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

30 She set out in her teens to make hats; little did she know then that hatmaking would make her great. That is the story of Grace Chito Mark. But that was just the beginning. There were huddles; no one wanted to identify with locally made hats until she was discovered by powerful, society folks. “There was this lady,’’ said Grace Chito Mark, “a lady that I will never forget in my life. She became a mentor to me. She is no other person than Aunty Labanella, Hajia Abah Folawiyo, God used her to open the door for me.” Her ‘Graces hat’ became a household name among society folks; even the US First Lady Mrs Michelle Obama, now wears her hat. Grace Mark shares her lifestyle with us, in this interview with PAUL UKPABIO. From just making hats, you became well known among top society folks. Tell us how long have you been in hatmaking business? have been at it for the past 30 years. That is what we have been doing and God has been helping. Right now it looks as if we have just even started. How could that be, when you look so young? That is true. That is actually a good observation because each time I tell somebody how old I am in the business, they start thinking about my age. They start imagining my age considering my looks. But Graces Hat has been there for a while, so it is normal to expect that people will expect an elderly woman to be in charge. I started in 1980 when I finished my school certificate examination. I started very early in life. I was young. That doesn’t also mean that I am as young in

‘Day I met Obama’s wife Michelle’ age as I presently look. So what gave you the inspiration to set out in business at that time that some would consider tender age? At that time, I had a senior sister in Enugu where I grew up. She came over one day, and saw me fiddling with needlework attending to my class work and cutting out things. She just dropped the idea on my lap that very moment when she said: ‘I think that you can make hats.’ The message was dropped casually like that. But I immediately believed that it was what God wanted me to do. God just used her to release the message. After Queens School in Enugu, I had a brief period that I was at home doing nothing much. I had a lot of time on my hand. I chose that period to start fiddling with my hand. That also was because a seed had been sown in my heart. I felt this is the purpose for which He created me, the purpose for which I was born. The ability came naturally to me. My hands flowed with it and before I knew it, I was creating beautiful hats.

•Grace Mark

Also at that time, I loved wearing hats. But I couldn’t afford the kind of hats that I loved wearing. So that was when I started wearing those beautiful pieces I made to church and before I knew it, I had started attracting attention. People had started noticing my hats. The bold ones came closer and asked if I had started importing hats from abroad. And a particular woman stooped to ask specifically about my hat after church and I told her that I actually make them myself. She asked me how much I was making them. I told her N10, and she gave me money for three. It was then it dawned on me, that it was a business, that it was not just about me making hats for myself but also making for other people to use. It was suddenly beyond me. At that point, I started thinking of where I could get the needed materials to make more. Out there in 1980, there were no ready places where one could source materials for hat making. Everyone then was used to importing the hats they used. Back then, I had not heard of anyone in Nigeria who was making hearts that I could fall back on. But by the

My travails in Ukraine, by

Apostle Sunday Adelaja is the founder of Embassy of God Church, Ukraine believed to be the largest pentecostal assembly in Europe. He spoke with SUNDAY OGUNTOLA on his recent travails in Ukraine, the many misgivings about him and why Nigeria is underdeveloped. Excerpts:

Throughout the last presidential campaign, you attracted a lot of criticisms from a section of the church over your stance and positions. Why did you support the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket? supported the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket first of all because truth is my greatest friend. As I quoted in one of my articles, “Plato is my friend, Aristotle is my friend, but my greatest friend is the truth.” That is a word by Isaac Newton but to paraphrase that, I meant to say that “Jonathan is a Christian, Goodluck is my president but Nigeria is my greatest love.” I don’t like to compromise the truth. It has been my long-time position. If such compromise is because of moral weakness or failure, it becomes different. But if someone knows the truth that is as clear as day and night, I can’t go against it intentionally. I cannot do that. My conscience told me that to support the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket was the right thing to do. My logic and mind told me that was the right thing to do. The Spirit of God in me told me that it was the right thing to do and the facts on the ground told me that it was the right thing to do. I had no other option but to oblige. Another reason why I supported the

•Pastor Adelaja

Buhari/Osinbajo ticket was because, in my own opinion, the PDP-led Jonathan government squandered the economy and the treasury of our country. Under former President Jonathan, the impression I had about Nigeria was that the people ruling us were clueless, which is tantamount to saying our kings were children. Not because they are children in age but because they are children in understanding, in insight, in values, in their attitudes and in their responses to life. When rulers act as children would act, then that is a catastrophe to any country. As a matter of fact, it is a sign of a curse on any nation when people who are not mature are ruling that country, because they go feasting in the morning. Children don’t care if their parents have eaten or not. They don’t care for the welfare of others around them; they only care for their own stomach. Kings who are children are only concerned about feasting, organising a shopping spree for themselves, caring for how much wealth they could amass. They feast at the wrong time. The problem is not just that they amass wealth but they do that in odd hours, in odd circumstances. Morning is meant for work. Morning is meant for meditation. Morning is meant for prayers and for serious stuff. People don’t feast in the morning. They go to work in the morning. They prepare in the morning. Morning is meant for preparation. When leaders wake up in the morning and the primary thing they do is neglect the primary duties of running the country and managing the economy, then they are children. If what they are mainly doing is enjoying, calling themselves big names, wearing flowing gowns, travelling abroad, living large and big, that means they have misplaced their priorities. In that kind of circumstance, their governance becomes a curse to the people upon whom they govern. I knew that going by the antecedents of Buhari and Osibanjo, they are sons of nobles. It is visible in their biographies; it’s clear from their lifestyle that these people are not ordinary people. Everything they did in their history tells us one story:

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015 grace of God, He led me on. So Enugu gave you the seed Yes, Enugu did that for me. I went on to the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) where I studied Corporate Economics and Management, and while I was doing that, I was still making hats as a hobby because it became a passion, people started ordering for hats. Even when I moved to Kaduna where I did my Youth Service, I continued. Making hats had •A model turned into a life for me. No day went without me mak-

ing hats. From Kaduna, I took a decision to move to Lagos, where my sister was living. That was how I arrived Lagos and started moving from one shop to another, letting people know about the hats that I was making. However, not much was achieved because a lot of people then were wearing imported hats. They didn’t welcome locally made hats or headpiece. But there was this lady that I will never forget in my life. She became a mentor to me. She is no other person than Aunty Labanella, Hajia Abah Folawiyo. When she saw me, she said: ‘Young girl, come, come, come, I think you can make some things with my materials.’ And you know she had always been working with the ‘who is who’ in this country. That was where I also met Funmi Ajila who is today our Fashion Designer Association of Nigeria (FADAN) President. Immediately Funmi Ajila saw me, it was such that our

spirits united because since then, we have had a good relationship. That was how aunty Labanella gave me some fabrics and I made different things for some Minister’s wives. When people saw those ones, they wanted theirs too. So I got several referrals from many top people. Sooner, even those who didn’t want to do anything with locally made hats started calling on me, making orders for hats. I got a good response. Also the ban on importation and promotion of locally made goods by the Buhari/Idiagbon government gave a boost to my business then. People started patronising my locally made hats more. With God, all these were possible because without Him, nothing would have been possible. In my business, I accept God as a senior partner. I couldn’t have come this far without Him. All your hats look different and you have been doing it over the years, and the designs have kept changing. Where do you get the designs? The designs come everyday to me. Most of the time, it is when I am worshipping God. So the secret for me is that most times during the day, I am usually praising God within me. That way, I attract the inspiration for new designs. Design ideas also come to me when I look into people’s face, when I pay attention to nature and other God’s creation. It comes to me when I admire flowers, colours and so on. It comes anytime of the day. Sometimes, the designs come to me like video clips. Sometimes it is in my sleep, I see someone modelling hats. It comes so natural to me, to the extent that even when I make mistakes, it turns around to be something else through creativity. I don’t beg God for this, it just flows, God continuously pours the talent on me. What I do is praise Him. Was your success an instant boom? No success comes with a bang like that. It takes a while and I have been able to pass through that process and chal-

31 lenges. What does success now mean to you? Success to me is continuity of passion. It is a continuity of whatever is inside of you despite whatever that is challenging you in form of struggles, economic down turn and other limitations. At what point did love set in for you? I got married in 1992. I had already moved up with my passion, the business had been established. I met my life partner in church, he saw what I was doing and he liked it. He has been a source of encouragement for me in this business. He has been like the missing link for me, which fitted into my scheme of things. And that has also been the same way that I fitted into his life. We have been a perfect match for each other and ours was love at first sight. So many years after, how has your marriage been? Every day in marriage has been a newday. It is like we have just started. All through the years, he has been doing the same good things that he used to do when we met. He has been a supporting pillar to me. He has not deviated from his good deeds. How have you been able to manage your business and marriage as a working mother? My marriage has been a cordial one. My husband responds positively to me over the years, he even wants our marriage to grow better. Managing success, managing a business and managing marriage are all different things that must work together for the success of a marriage. And this depends on the individual. Most women react differently to this. For instance, before I got married, there were many people that would have come to me, but because I was already successful, they were afraid. But I am from a good background.

Before I got married, there were many people that would have come to me, but because I was already successful, they were afraid. But I am from a good background. Success did not remove my personality which had already been formed. I had family values and training to enable me be the person I should be and also be a good wife when the time arrived. So business success did not change me or take away who I had already been

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Continued on page 34

Nigerian-born pastor of Europe’s largest church I knew that going by the antecedents of Buhari and Osibanjo, they are sons of nobles. It is visible in their biographies; itʼs clear from their lifestyle that these people are not ordinary people. Everything they did in their history tells us one story: that they are serious men who know how to curtail their appetite. They know how to manage their values. They know how to limit their desires for the good of others

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that they are serious men who know how to curtail their appetite. They know how to manage their values. They know how to limit their desires for the good of others. That means that they are sons of nobles. They are people who feast at the proper time. They would not go feasting in the morning; they would go feasting at the right time, not for drunkenness but for strength. I saw clearly that, that is the future waiting for us under Buhari/Osinbajo government. If we had continued the way we were going, the country was going to be run down and that was going to be catastrophic for our nation. I knew that was the truth. It would be a betrayal of myself, a betrayal of the nation and a betrayal of my conscience if I were to say I would not do what I knew to be right. Many of your critics believe that you are too far way, detached from situations at home to be making such sweeping comments. What would be your reaction to them? I think anybody that has read my articles

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would know for sure that the fact that you are physically not present at home does not mean that you don’t know the facts on the ground. The world is so intermingled now. We are actually living in a global village. Anything that happens in any house or apartment could become public knowledge even to the end of the world. People might live in Nigeria and not be aware of what is going on in Nigeria maybe because they don’t read. As far as I know, most Nigerians don’t like to read. If they read, they don’t like to read long articles and voluminous books. If you don’t conduct research, if you don’t read long articles, if you don’t read regularly and constantly, you would not even know the information people outside know. There are lots of hidden intelligence information. They are not in the newspapers or on the television which Nigerians prefer to follow. They are in research books. You find them in research papers. They are in intelligence papers, which fortunately I have access

to. So I have access to things about Nigeria that people in Nigeria might not have access to. Anybody who has thoroughly and objectively read my articles would tell you that. The response I have been receiving, the impression that I have is that even writers in Nigeria might not have written in more details than I did about the things going on in Nigeria. It’s not about geographical location; it’s about the access you have to information. You suffered a lot as an immigrant. Are those conditions any different now? What will be your advice to Africans migrating to Europe? Although a foreigner living in Europe, I don’t like to call myself an immigrant because I didn’t migrate to Europe to live forever. I’m here on a mission and what you call suffering is really not. That is another problem I see in our culture. What you view as suffering, I don’t call suffering. I call it paying the price. Any form of greatness has its own price. For my elevation in life, I needed to pay a price. It didn’t matter how hard it was. It is the price for greatness that I am enjoying today. Any elevation must have its own price, any promotion must have its own price and you must be willing to pay a great price no matter where you are either in your country or in another country. You must be willing to pay a great price for the promotion and for the good life you want to live; so I don’t think it would have been easier if I was living in Nigeria. Yes, if you want to live a mediocre life, then you don’t need to suffer. Suffering is an investment, an investment into your future. For example, when I studied in secondary school in Nigeria to do my WAEC, I knew that if I didn’t suffer by not sleeping, by using candle light, studying and reading all night, by depriving myself of fellowship and friendship; by denying myself the right to go and play with my friends; I wouldn’t have been where I am today if I had not won that scholarship.

It was so difficult to get a scholarship when I was travelling out of the country in 1985. When I applied for this scholarship, there were 350, 000 people applying for the same scholarship all over Nigeria. Only 300 scholarship spots were going to be awarded. Thus I needed to pay whatever price necessary to be one of them. I faced a similar challenge when I got to the university in the former Soviet Union. I had to speak the language and be as fluent as the Russians were. If I didn’t, then I wouldn’t be able to compete with them at the university, and so that is just life. In regards to the persecution that I went through as a pastor, well that is part of the price I had to pay to pastor one of the greatest churches in the world today. I needed to pay the price, though some call it suffering because they are going through hardship. It’s paramount that we change that mentality in our society. Paying the price for your future is not suffering. Anyone that ever became great had to pay the price. If you won’t, then you will pay the price of regret, which is perpetual suffering for the rest of your life. Because you never studied, you never went to school, now you’re poor and you can’t live in a favourable condition. It is because you didn’t pay the price for greatness. People who don’t want to suffer don’t want to be great. I don’t think I suffered in Europe. I simply paid the price. If I come back to Nigeria today, I could suffer more but then I would attain more greatness. It’s good Jesus suffered, He paid a great price for my salvation and He didn’t see it as suffering. If you see paying the price as suffering, you begin to pity yourself, that’s why we don’t throw a pity party for ourselves. We just need to regard those challenges we go through in life as a necessity and as something that will be rewarded eventually. I don’t think I suffered in Europe, I attained greatness

Continued on page 34

THE NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

Osun indigenes celebrate Bashiru Kuti T

HERE is a ton of reasons for fashion guru, Bashiru Kuti, to be in celebration mode. He is the proud owner of Bkk Ultimo, one of Nigeria's leading fashion outlets with head office in Ibadan, Oyo State. The outlet also boasts branches across the country as well as in the Nigerian community in London. Popularly called Bashy, he did not attain success and fortune by mere luck. His rise to the top is attributable to years of tireless enterprise and thirst for excellence. Never resting on his oars, he forged ahead until his signature label became a household name in Nigeria. A few weeks ago, the popular wardrobe consultant added to his list of accomplishments as he was honoured in far away London for his contribution to fashion business in Nigeria. To celebrate the feat, some Osun State indigenes gathered some of his clients, friends and family members at his head office in Ibadan, Oyo State, to celebrate their own.

Pastor Wole Oladiyunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daughter set to wed

OY and laughter seem to have found a permanent abode at the residence of the Senior Pastor of CLAM, Pastor Wole Oladiyun. Less than a month ago, the news broke of the commissioning of his state-of-the-art hospital, Soteria. And while the family is still basking in the euphoria of that uncommon accomplishment, the news is out again that Ayomide, the first daughter of the clergyman, is set to wed. Twenty-four-year-old Ayomide is an alumnus of Dansol High School and Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State. She also holds a Masters degree from Coventry University in the United Kingdom. Upon returning to Nigeria, she built her passion for making cakes and pastries into a big business. Today, she is the CEO of Mimi Cakes, a highly patronised confectionery outfit located in Omole Phase 1, Lagos.

Harry Akande celebrates 100-yr-old mum

O many people, Ibadan-based billionaire, Chief Harry Akande, is nothing more than a shrewd businessman and a passionate politician. The other side of him that is unknown to them is the fact that the billionaire businessman dotes on his mother like any dutiful son. This explains why the former presidential aspirant spared no expense as he threw a lavish birthday party in her honour penultimate Sunday. Chief Akande and his siblings hosted the classy birthday party for Chief Mrs. Regina Olayinka Akande as she clocked a century. The high society shindig witnessed the convergence of the high and mighty, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Alhaji Aliko Dangote; former head of state Abdulsalami Abubakar; Chief Alex Duduyemi; the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, among others. On the bandstand was juju music maestro, Chief Ebenezer Obey. It was an utter display of affluence and luxury beginning with a thanksgiving service at The Cathedral Church of Saint David, Kudeti, Ibadan. That was followed by a classy reception at the prestigious Gaso Lucio Event Centre, also in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

London-based attorney, Adebisi Osungboun, holds beauty pageant L ONDON-BASED lawyer, Emmanuel Adebisi Osungboun's name may not ring a bell in his homeland. But in the United Kingdom where he is based, he is a household personality endowed with magic hands that make things happen. The CEO of Aries Entertainment and Promotions, which seeks to honour Nigerians and Africans who have distinguished themselves in business, politics, community development and humanitarian endeavours on the platform of Aries International Awards, Osungboun is presently cooking something new. In the next few weeks, his company would hold the Aries International Beauty Pageant,

which he said is being packaged by a team of international production specialists with extensive knowledge of the Nigerian beauty pageant industry. Besides the mouth-watering prizes and consolation gifts that the winner and other participants would walk away with, the overall winner, apart from becoming the proud owner of a brand new Kia car and a monthly wardrobe allowance for a year, would also be designated as the official ambassador of the Aries International Charity Foundation, representing Aries at official events and undertaking projects in rural communities. Osungboun is currently in Nigeria to put finishing touches to the show.

THE NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

Happy times for Francis Atuche, others

Mobos boss

moves uphill

e v o o r g s in a g e r a w r a M a Munir

Quiet birthday mass for IGP Arise

Where is Olaitan Bankole?

Mohammed Abacha recoils Omolara Sonoiki passes on

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

‘My advice to men who are scared

Continued from page 31

Success did not remove my personality which had already been formed. I had family values and training to enable me be the person I should be and also be a good wife when the time arrived. So business success did not change me or take away who I had already been. So all I needed as a wife and a woman of God was to blend the business success and my marriage and make sure that the business does not suffer and at the same time, the marriage doesn’t suffer. So it is important to blend the two. But as a young successful lady, how does one identify a serious man who is not just coming for the money? I believe that every human being has an internal intuition. I also believe that, as a young lady, when you see your man, your flesh of flesh and your bone of bone, you will know, except you do not have that perceiving spirit to know what is right or that which is wrong. And for the young ladies who do not have that intuitive spirit, they should enter into marriage with faith and work it out. Marriage mostly is about the woman because the woman is the one that builds the home. A lot of men are afraid of the ‘successful woman.’ But what I advise men are that they should look and go beyond the lady’s success and ask that lady for marriage. Most people that have had relationships with successful women found out they have the best of wives. They later found out that if they had listened to the sentiment that the successful women may not respect them and as such had ended the relationship, that they would have missed the blessings that God

Continued from page 31 in Europe for which I needed to pay a certain price. From a boy born little known in Idomila town in Ogun State, you have risen to international acclaim. Would you say going to Europe at an early age influenced who you are now? Oh, definitely! That is the main factor apart from God that has influenced who I am and whom I have become. When I was in Nigeria I didn’t know a lot of laws of nature and laws of greatness, laws of success, laws of light. I was not exposed to that. Maybe now it is better because everybody has access to the internet and we can go online and access any kind of information you want. In my own case, I was young when I left Nigeria. I was only 19. Although I was limited in my knowledge, travelling to Europe to study in the university, mingling with people from different countries and then getting to read and access the knowledge base that makes Europe what it is today has been a major factor for me, for which I am grateful. How hard or easy was it for you to learn Russian? It was hard but I just had to do what I had to do. It was necessary for me to be able to study and attain my goals. So I comported myself to do it. We should not be looking at how hard or how easy something is. We should instead be concerned if it is right or wrong. If it’s wrong we don’t do it. If it is right we do anything for it to happen. So I needed to learn the language. I needed to subject myself to rigorous work and conditions to make sure I attained my goals. The only thing we want to know is if it’s the right thing for us to do. If I conclude it is the right thing, then I pay the full price for it. I thank God I was able to do that. Many charismatic churches believe you sponsor cult personality and self-aggrandisement. Are they right? I don’t know how people believe that. I am the least of the people anybody can accuse of self-aggrandisement. The people who have accused me of that either don’t know me or they are seeing my profile from the public eye. Yes, if you look at my image from a distance you might think like that. You might think I live rich because I dress well. The reason I dress well is because I live in a part of Europe where there are not a lot of black people. Where I live, people are not used to blacks.

sent to them through such women. So successful women are respectful and you are likely to find out that they also had good training from home. And they are also crowned with financial blessings, which God has visited upon them and the blessing should not be criteria for a man to ignore them or not marry them. Tell us one or two challenges that you have faced in time past, which could have broken you down completely. Sad, fire once burnt down my entire shop. That was in 2003. For a lot of people, they would have hit the street, gone into depression or taken to all manner of things. But because I had God, I was still focused. Now, this place is even bigger and better. Then it was even smaller in space. God needed to bring it down in order to enlarge it. There have been other challenges mostly those that focus on the cost of doing and running a business generally in Nigeria. The government just has to intervene to help business people survive. However, government has been helping in recent times to grow a lot of small businesses unlike then when banks could not give loans. The banks through government policies have been more cooperative in helping small businesses; if they look at your books and see that all is well, some banks do help. You love accessories. Yes I do, it goes well with fashionable hats. The head gear itself is usually complementary to fashion. I love accessories, they make a woman complete. Which accessories would you not do without? I usually have on my earrings, a conspicu-

Most people that have had relationships with successful women found out they have the best of wives. They later found out that if they had listened to the sentiment that the successful women may not respect them and as such had ended the relationship, that they would have missed the blessings that God sent to them through such women. So successful women are respectful and you are likely to find out that they also had good training from home. And they are also crowned with financial blessings, which God has visited upon them and the blessing should not be criteria for a man to ignore them or not marry them

ous one at that. I am not a very loud person naturally, so I allow the hat and the loud earrings to make the statement. As a lady, the earrings are important though some people do not use them. You hardly see me without an earring in my ears. Tell us about your style I wear what fits me. I do not insist on the current rave of fashion that much. I rather go for what fits me. I wear both traditional and western clothes but as a rule, I do not do tying of wrapper, that’s because it does not fit me. So what I do is to turn it into a skirt or into things that fit me. That is my own style. When I do that and step out, I get lovely compliments because they fit. It is better than copying what other people are wearing,

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which may not at the end of day be befitting on my body. Do you have leisure time? I try to. I create time to do my exercises and then to worship my God. I travel too, rest and then return to work. You are in the business of making women beautiful. So what does beauty mean to you? I would not like to separate beauty from fashion; that is because every woman to me is beautiful. For me, even when people generally say a particular person is not beautiful, I take a second look, and then I see the beauty. That is because God has deposited something beautiful in everybody. It is not because I am a creative person that I see it,

‘I dress coloufully because 99%

For example, in our church, 99% of the people of over 25,000 are white. Only about 1% are black people. Blacks are in the major minority. So, I needed to always create the best impression not just about myself but about my God, about my colour and my race to people around me. Whenever I go to London or New York, while in the car, I look out of the window and I see black people walking to work. I’m always very discouraged and sad because most of the time black people wear gray, dark and even black coloured attires. The problem is that in the eyes of the white people who are seeing you, you already are a disadvantaged minority. They look at you as dejected, they see you as depressed and they think you are disadvantaged. Most of the people in that society already look down at you. Now you make the case worse by putting on some grey colour, black colour, something unflashy and unattractive. Though to a black man a dark colour on another •Pastor Adelaja, his wife Bose and children black man might look appropriate but to white people who see you from a distance, it doesn’t look too attractive. Then you’re totally are always distant from their members. You black. are almost looking at them even as God. It’s Moreover in Africa, we are colourful peolike you are somebody who is just a second ple, we wear colour. However when the white class creation somewhere there. You almost people in Ukraine see my colourful attires, feel like just a sub-man. I wanted to break that they sometimes view it as self-aggrandisebarrier and let people know that you are okay ment or self-promotion. But in reality, it is just too. You’re also sons and daughters of God. my way of trying to let people know that I encourage people to sit around me, I hug there is life here. There is a positive mood people, I embrace people. I bring them close here. God is a God of diversity and life. I want and I make them understand that I am flesh them to simply acknowledge that there is and blood. On the other hand, the Bible says something good happening here. we do not have a High Priest who cannot be On the other hand, people who might have touched by the feeling of our infirmity. I want accused me of cult of personality are those people to come with their infirmity and touch who have seen the way I’m loved by people me with their feelings of infirmity, just like around me. People always surround me since Jesus. I’m not that kind of leader that puts a distance Therefore that is the kind of leader that I between himself and his followers. It’s my strive to be, people love me as a result of that. style of leadership. We cannot say that is cult of personality. I also The reason I lead this way is because, when read the Bible and saw that the disciples of I was in Nigeria, I only went to church for six Jesus were always leaning on him and lying months after I got born again. When I visited on His bosom. That is what the Bible says. It is churches, I used to feel that the men of God

not like today where the people sit in the pew and the pastor is in the pulpit. Yes, that’s what the Jews did in the synagogue, but not Jesus. I don’t think that is cult of personality. I think that is down to earth ministry and going back to the New Testament. In Nigeria, you are not so popular with many prominent ministers. They allege you criticise them. Is that a hobby for you? It is important to know as a man of God, you shouldn’t seek to be popular with men. You should seek rather to be popular with God. My position has always been the fact that it doesn’t matter who is against me, when God is for me. What I must concern myself with is that I am in the position of God. I’m on the side of God and my position is in alignment with God’s position. As long I am sure that God is on my side, it doesn’t matter who is not on my side. On the other hand, God forbid, if God is not on my side then it doesn’t matter who is on

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

to marry successful ladies’ but because it is obvious that noshoes, with exceptional nails, albody is ugly in the sense that ways walking like a model. You we are unique in different cannot catch them unawares. ways. What one person So a lady is said to be glammay see as beautiful is diforous when everything ferent from what another about her is extraordiwill consider as beautinary. ful. Do you think it is Some people conpainstaking to be sider fair skinned glamorous? ladies beautiful but Yes, it is. But for another may think some people, it is a black is beautiful. lifestyle which canAlso, if you look at not be compromost of today’s femised. My male models, they husband, for inmay not be outstance, loves to look standingly beautiful good each hour of facially, but by the the day and all time you look again, through the week. you suddenly notice You cannot catch him some unique features off guard without about them that being properly equally stand them out. dressed up, to the exThere is something tent that he does not go unique about every downstairs to re-park a human. It is left for the lady car without being fully •Grace Mark to carry herself well and dressed. He is always mostly know within her that she is in suit. It is so for such people. It beautiful. is their nature. Well then, when is a woman glamWhen you travel like you said you do, orous? do you do so for business or pleasure? A woman is glamorous when she goes the Most times, I combine both in order to extra mile to make herself beautiful. I have a bring down the expenses. I buy my materials client whose presence cannot be ignored. in London, Dubai, America and I sell my Her earrings are usually long and loud. She products there too. Over the years I have wears her hair big, belts up and carries a big been able to have a North American lady bag. Usually when you see such glamorous who sells my hats in Atlanta, Georgia. She people, they are usually in high heeled has done very well to market and sell the

brand. I have appeared on cover pages of many American publications and on Fox television and other television stations to discuss about my hats. How about exhibitions? I have participated in several; I have gone to exhibitions in America, South Africa, Australia and so many other places. It was while I was moving around like this that I was opportune to meet with US President Obama’s wife, Michelle, who got attracted to my hats. It was dream come true. You are also the Welfare Officer for the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria also known as FADAN. Tell us, has FADAN been relevant? I have been a member of FADAN for more than 20 years now. I met Funmi Ajila, who is now our current president way back. Then it was being managed by Aunty Abah Folawiyo. She was the one that introduced me to FADAN. What the association does is to bring all the fashion designers under an umbrella to present to the whole world what we do. Fashion is not just entertainment, it is also a business. That is what FADAN wants the public to know. In the past, fashion used to be entertainment with fashion shows and the like. Now FADAN is doing business, serious business whereby fashion designing can become a foreign income earner for the country, just as crude oil is at present. Nigerian fashion, fabrics, dress sense, should be an attraction for Nigerians to make money from. Fashion employs a lot of people; it takes people off the street into serious jobs and utilisation of talent. FADAN as a body makes us to have a common voice to gain the attention of the government, men-

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members of my church are white people’ my side. So to me, it doesn’t really matter much what people or churches or leaders think about my person. If some leaders are thinking that I criticise their actions, I don’t even know if it is the ministers’ actions that I criticise. I criticise what is wrong. I don’t care who does it. I just criticise and seek to correct what is wrong. I would not even like to use the word criticise. I don’t think I am a critic. I’m just somebody that corrects what is wrong. I try to uproot the practices that are wrong, not just in Nigeria. I have not even done much in Nigeria as far as I am concerned. But I have dedicated my life to doing this in Europe, in Russia, in America and all over the world. It is just now that I started paying attention little by little to Nigeria. It is my calling to address the things that are wrong in the society and to fix them. I don’t pay much attention to who is practising them. To me, that is secondary. Is it a deliberate act to criticise the actions of men of God? No it is not. It is a deliberate act to correct what is wrong and to stand for what is true. I always say I would rather standalone but with truth. One person on the side of the truth is a majority. I believe if you are standing on the side of the truth, you are standing on the side of God and as long as I am standing on the side of the truth it doesn’t matter who is pleased as a result or who is displeased as a result, but I am not deliberately targeting anyone at all. I love everybody. I might criticise, correct, seek to correct and condemn actions of individuals that might be wrong in my eyes or thinking. But I still love the individuals. I still respect the individuals; I still honour the individuals. I just want them to do what is right according to the truth of the word of God. I seek for people to do what is right according to the truth standard of common sense and the truth standard of civilisation. Why hasn’t Embassy of God Church started in Africa, especially your native Nigeria? I think starting a church in Nigeria is the easiest thing to do because that is what everybody does. I don’t like to just do what everybody does because it is easy. I will rather do what God tells me to do. I think the problem we have in Nigeria is not about having more

land during communism but they are still having that. I didchurches. The bign’t want them to think ger challenge is to that I am running help the churches In our church, 99% of away; so, I personally already there get it decided to stay back the people of over right, get their mesand clear my name sage right and do 25,000 are white. Only because a good name church right. is better than silver Our church has about 1% are black and gold. After years missionaries in difpeople. Blacks are in of investigations over ferent countries but the collapse of Kings’ it is extremely diffithe major minority. So, Capital, nothing has cult for them to be been found against I needed to always cresent to Nigeria or me. any other part of ate the best impresWould you then Africa due to differsay the inquest was sion not just about ent reasons. One, politically motivated? many of them don’t myself but about my Yes definitely, anyspeak our native body who is a right God, about my colour language and they thinking person don’t speak English and my race to people knows that the case either. They speak against Pastor Sunday their languages. So, around me. Whenever Adelaja was politically we rather send I go to London or New motivated and a lot of them to countries political where it’s easier for York, while in the car, I statements/declarathem to assimilate tions were made, look out of the window but I may still come making it clear that it back to Nigeria to and I see black people was all political, alstart a church if God though it was much walking to work... tells me to, though more complicated that is not my priorthan that. The country ity right now. and the security appaMy priority is to ratus of the country were afraid thinking our be able to get rid of ignorance. I think the church was too strong, too powerful and too biggest problem in Nigeria now is the ignoinfluential and that I was becoming a threat to rance and I’m trying to resolve that. The other problem I see is poverty and I think I must ad- the national security. This was especially when the dress that first before resolving to doing or not Governor/Mayor of the capital city of doing church. Ukraine was a member of our church and There was a rumour sometime ago that then, 34% of the members of parliament of the you were barred from leaving Ukraine. city were also people from the party that we What is the situation now? started in our church. It became a threat and It was not a rumour. I was falsely charged to court because some members of my church they were looking for a way of stopping us. We had another dimension of the Orthodox who had a company suffered bankruptcy and the company collapsed. They accused me that Church that sees itself as the only legal church in the country or the national church of the I probably took all the money from that comcountry. They too were putting pressure on pany to Nigeria. But it was baseless. As long the politicians to attack us. We also had such as that case is in court and it’s being investipressure from the Russian government to try gated, I cannot leave the country because that to limit our influence. Russia was always inis just the order. terested in Ukraine. They didn’t like the fact That is the way it is; it was the rule of the

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toring the youth because they are our future and strength, the ones that will continue when we go down in age. Is FADAN successfully doing these? Yes, FADAN is not just running, we are actually flying right now, at the top. We recently had an exceptional runway, which was well celebrated. But we do not really see many hat designers around, or are you the only one? No, there are many hat designers around. A lot of people many years ago joined but people joined for so many reasons. Some came to enjoy that boom, grabbed the money and perhaps moved on. But mine has been a calling. It is what God ordained for me. The people who moved on after grabbing a little money did so perhaps because they suddenly realised their calling in another direction. But some others are still with us in FADAN. Now, we are processing a mall where we will have opportunity for mass production. We are now at that stage. Tell us about your first car I cannot remember, I have been driving from my father’s house. I come from a privileged background. My father was a permanent secretary in the ministry while I was a child. He later moved higher in social status. My background indeed helped shaped person that I am today. We were brought up in God’s way. A few things you remember about your childhood? I used to have bow legs, so that made me shy. People who knew me then are shocked when they see my stretched out legs. I also used to be a Tom-boy! That is what they called me in school. Also back in school then, we were the ones that started fashion shows, wearing jeans with caps and carrying big bags (laughs). If you weren’t into making hats, what else would you have done? If I wasn’t doing hats, I’m sure I would have been an entertainer. My children are already showing the flair for entertainment.

that we were having such a breakthrough spiritually in the country. They also thought that if they could stop Pastor Sunday, then the revival will stop in the country. There were political parties that wanted to get our members to vote for them. So, when that situation happened with the King’s Capital Company owned by some members of my church, they thought it was a good opportunity for them to now come out full-fledged against me. Much of these political issues were actually about control. Who will Pastor Sunday and the church support in the upcoming election? But thank God that it’s almost over now and we will soon hear the news by the grace of God sooner or later. When next are you visiting Nigeria? I will be able to visit Nigeria by next year by the grace of God. Maybe this year but we will see. Your role in the popular orange revolution remains controversial. Could you kindly clarify what roles you actually played with the church? I was able to motivate and educate a large percentage of Ukrainians to take responsibility for their nation and know that the destiny of their country is going to depend on them. The fact that thousands of our members were outside for all the events of the orange revolution is another proof that we contributed a lot to it. We had about half a million newspapers distributed, which was also important. Our people were there praying and leading prayers. I’m sure our efforts prevented a lot of excesses from happening. We made our church building available to people who wanted to sleep and who needed shelter from the cold. The prophetic dimension was me being able to perceive what was coming. I saw that the orange revolution was coming in six months. I prophesied it, declared it, prayed for it and we saw it. Those are some of the roles I and the church probably played. Nigeria has a new administration. Are you still confident it will deliver good governance? No, I cannot just be confident out of nowhere. I have to see what their plans are and what they are doing and what their efforts are. I believe in them but I’m not confident, we have to assess them by their results. I’m not going to support anybody blindly. I’m going to see and assess what they are going to do. I know they are men of integrity. They are men of hard work and things should be better under them.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

When the jurist’s widow went home

As Postgraduate Medical College president’s son takes heartthrob to altar

n Leke AKEREDOLU n

HERE'S a big For Prof. Taju ADEBANJO difference beRasheed Ajani tween falling in love with some- Arogundade, the one and falling in love with someone President, National and getting married. Usually, after Post- Graduate you get married, you fall in love with Medical College of the person even more, says Dave Nigeria and his ami- •The groom's father, Prof. Rasheed Arogundade; bride's mother, Mrs. Humuanni Olambiwonnu; the new couple, Engr. Taofeek Olaniyi and Mrs Halimah Bolatito Arogundade; groom's mother, Alhaja Nofisat Arogundade and bride's father, Grohl. able wife, Alhaja For Taofeek Olaniyi Arogundade, Nofisat Abiola Aro- Mr. Rasaq Olambiwonnu at the wedding... penultimate Saturday. an engineer and former Miss Halgundade, the Director, Department of imah Bolatito Olambiwonnu, penulti- Occupational Safety and Health, Fedmate Saturday was a day to behold. eral Ministry of Labour and ProducThe lovebirds exchanged marital tivity, Abuja, their joy knew no bound vows before hundreds of personalifor the addition to the Arogundade ties that included their family memfamily. bers, colleagues, friends and They were full of appreciation to Mr well-wishers. Rasaq Olambiwonnu and his wife, The 10 Degrees Event Centre on Halimah Bolatito for raising a beautiBillings Way, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos, ful bride. hosted the memorable union. The wedding began on a celebraTo the lovebirds, the words of Bartion note, with couples’ parents dancbara de Angelis that “The real act of ing their way to the hall. marriage takes place in the heart, not The couple followed suit in a drain the ballroom,” best described their matic way. mood. Aside cutting of the cake, it featured The duo mesmerised the gathering toast, goodwill messages, presentawith good dance steps, before their tion and exchange of rings, presentaparents joined them on the dance tion of gifts, among others. floor. The wife of former Lagos State GovEverything about the Aqdun Nikah ernor, Mrs Abimbola Fashola, was on (wedding) was awesome – the choice ground to rejoice with the families. of venue, the guests, attires’ uniforGuests from various organisations •From left: The new couple, Halimah Bolatito & Taofeek Olaniyi Arogundade with the wife of former mity, cuisines and wonderful gifts and government agencies were not Governor of Lagos State, Dame Abimbola Fashola; Alhaja Modinat Yussuf and Alhaja Azeezat Tijani distributed. left out.

HE Gani Fawehinmi Arcade Ground at the Ondo State House of Assembly Igbatoro Road, Akure, was agog penultimate Friday. Choice vehicles streamed into the arcade one after another. Many of the occupants were gorgeously dressed in traditional attire. They were received by a bevy of beautiful women, who led them into their designated seats. Waiters couldn’t allow them sit before introducing the lists of the assorted meals at their disposal. The guests couldn’t have asked for more having gone through the menu lists. Aside the dishes, a gospel maestro Yinka Ayefele high life band was on the stage to entertain the guests. It was all in honour of the late Madam Theresa Abiodun Oluwole (née Ajayi) who died on April 28 at 75. That day, a commendation service and interment were held earlier before the guests converged on the arcade for a lavish reception. Despite the heavy down pour, prominent people across the country still made it down to St. John Bosco Catholic Church, Ikere Street, Ijapo Estate, Akure for the service. The deceased, who was a trained nurse, got married to a former Ondo State High Court judge, the late Justice T.A Oluwole, and they were blessed with seven children. Two of her daughters got married to a lawmaker, representing Epe Federal constituency in Lagos State, Hon. Lanre Mukaila Odubote and a prominent Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ifedayo Adedipe.

•A cross section of the children of the deceased during the funeral service for Madam Theresa Abiodun Oluwole at St John Bosco Catholic Church, Ijapo, Akure, Ondo State... recently

The burial ceremony began with a Christian wake a day earlier followed by the service held at St. John Bosco Catholic Church in Ijapo. Family members, friends and well wishers were in joyous mood all to celebrate the passage of an exceptional woman. The reception was decorated with beautiful red, yellow, cream and green colours. The guests were led by Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko; Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN); Hon. Dr. Bode Tawak; Hon. Oyetunde Ojo; Hon. Akeem Muniru; Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde; Hon. Dauda Bakare; Gbenga Elegbeleye; Hon. Ebenezer Alabi among others.

•Hon. Oyetunde Ojo,Hon. Akeem Muniru and Hon. Lanre

My abductors intially fed me the way they would feed their dogs ill you relive the events that led to your escape to open the door for ventilation so that I could still breathe in from the kidnappers? fresh air and not die inside the dark room. They did this and I didn't have the opportunity of reading newspabecause of the opening of the door a little, I was able to notice pers, but I remembered whether on Wednesday or Friday, their movement and discovered that there was trouble. my abductors came to me to say that the news that the The tension happened all through that Monday and as God church was making in the media, especially on the pages of would have it, in the evening, one of them came to me and the newspapers, was annoying so because of that, I, got to said: " Father, some people are fomenting trouble at the know that something was happening outside. And that gate, we want to go and attend to it. He opened the door a thing that was happening was the contribution that the little and said: ‘I have opened this door so that you would mass media has made. be able to receive fresh air.’ He didn't say more than But I thank God that everything went well and that but I was in the dark and couldn't say anytoday, the joy has come. It has been a long thing, so I couldn't have attempted anything Initially, story that one would continue to narrate but that night. So, I had to wait to see what would it has a been a story from darkness to light happen the following Tuesday morning, they fed me like and for us Christians, it is a story that has not that I knew whether they were around anybody would feed given meaning to our faith. Silver or or not. But I decided to take the necessary his dog. They were feed- risk and the risk led me out of the camp. gold we do not have and when you find yourself in the hands of those that I found myself by the road side. The ing me with the cover of are interested in silver or even gold, Okada man that assisted me to the next plastic buckets. They gave then that necessarily creates a serious town which is Iludun, I asked of his me too much of rice and I problem. name and he said his name is EmSo, if there was money to be given had to let them know that I manuel from Ijelu. And my own name to those who decided to have me in is Emmanuel. When I returned, the only needed to eat small their custody, there might not have Bishop made me to realise that on Sunfood. The best meal I had been a serious problem, but as a priest day before my arrival, during the mass who knows about the working of the there was eba and that was with my people, they asked one of the Lord, I knew quite well that the jourchildren to pray for my freedom and the on Saturday. I would ney was going to be a very long one. little boy who came out to pray was have loved to eat much But the people outside did not have named Emmanuel. Emmanuel means money, they went into prayers and then God is with us. So, these are indications of that eba but they my own self, I had to ally myself with that God is involved. gave me small prayers that the people were making. And What happened to me could happen to anythis is our faith; when God wants to answer peobody. This is our society, we pray that God would ples' prayers, if need be, somebody has to make a uproot evil and plant good. The good things are mistake so that something positive would come out of it. here, it is like we are not allowing them to flourish. The Actually, where I was locked inside a very dark room, if news came yesterday that the aged and former VC of not for God, they might have left me there to die. I do not FUTA was kidnapped and it shows that the abductors have think anybody would have been able to locate me if that no respect for age and reputation. had happened, if at all they would be able to locate me it We can use the contribution of the media to improve things could be the smell of my corpse. But the prayers of the people in our society. In my own little world, I have become popular; worked for me. I was not privy to whatever was happening everyone has known who Father Emmanuel Akingbade is, outside the dark room but I observed on Monday they want to speak to me, listen to me, shake my hands and I afternoon that there was tension in their camp. am even afraid. That is made possible because of the contriThat Monday afternoon, there was serious tension. I bution of the media. This society is for all of us. We pray to begged them that Monday afternoon to do me a little favour, God to give us a better society.

— Catholic priest just released from captivity

A Catholic priest in Ekiti State, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Akingbade, spent one week in the den of kidnappers after he was abducted in his official residence in Ido Ekiti. He was kidnapped on June 9 and released on June 15. Akingbade recounted his ordeal to reporters after his miraculous escape. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA was there.

•Rev. Fr Akingbade How was the place where you were held? It was an experience of one camp, two worlds. I was in my own world in the dark room where I was locked and there was another world among the abductors. Most of the time, I was the one making effort to speak with them, asking them for what I want; ‘Please, I need water, please help to open the door for ventilation.’ And from their own conversation, I discovered that they too were human beings like us. For example, they have their own girl friends and they call them and discuss with them. They tell them they are at work. They always tell their people on phone that they are in business; 'I would see you tomorrow or next’ and things like that, they say to then. About the feeding, they tried, they gave me bread, pure

water, spaghetti and indomie and they also gave me eba. And the only proteinous food I ate there was frog. They were prepared to feed me three times a day, at least two times. Initially, they fed me like anybody would feed his dog. They were feeding me with the cover of plastic buckets. They gave me too much of rice and I had to let them know that I only needed to eat small food. The best meal I had there was eba and that was on Saturday. I would have loved to eat much of that eba but they gave me small (laughs). I got to understand that they have departments. They spoke Yoruba. Those who were with me in the dark room were three, their main function was to ensure that I did not see the light of the day and did not move from where I was kept to another place. And that I was given whatever I needed. There was this other group that were always outside. They visited at night, only twice. I think on Wednesday and Friday. Three of them were with me throughout the ordeal. Then there were the negotiators. Two came on Wednesday night and one came on Friday with another person. They didn't mask but they had their own way of making sure we did not see eye to eye. With the mental condition that I was I couldn't decipher what dialect of Yoruba they were speaking. As for whether they had planned for my kidnap, I am sure they didn't come for Rev Father Emmanuel Akingbade because they didn't know me. The man that was working in the living room when they came, according to what he said, that they first asked him: ‘Are you the Rev father,' and he said no, and they asked where is the Rev Father? They put a gun on his head and asked where is the Reverend Father and he led them to my room where I was abducted. They asked of my name on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday was when they were asking me the type of car that I ride , the colour and others. So, put together, they didn't come for me as a person, they just wanted to kidnap a Reverend Father and I happened to be one. How were you observing your prayers in captivity?

For us Catholics, the powerful instrument of prayer is the rosary. You know Mary the mother of Christ, that means the mother of all sorrows. This is the Bishop's rosary; in my own case, I had to make my Rosary. At first, I was using my fingers but at a time, I discovered I wasn't doing it well, I was skipping my fingers. So, I thought of how to make a Rosary right there in the room where I was locked and the only thing that was available was the rag with which they covered my face. So I had to tear from the rag and used it to make the Rosary. A Rosary should have a crucifix, and other features, so I made the Rosary with the rag and improvised all its features and used it to do the prayers. And I strongly believe that if anyone finds himself in trouble, if he comes to the Bishop and asks for this Rosary and prays with it, the trouble would be over. So, once I made this Rosary, I was determined not to leave it there if I made it alive. I was determined to leave everything but not this Rosary. This was the only instrument of prayer that I used while there. Like I was saying the other time, while praying with the rosary I had an encounter with God; that was almost like the story in the Acts of Apostles Chapter 12, from verse 1 to 19. That biblical story is just the summary of my story. What, in your opinion, led to the upsurge of kidnapping in Nigeria? As a victim of kidnap, I think what has led to rampant kidnapping is because they have made bank robberies so dificult. The banks no longer keep huge money that could be stolen. So they shifted to taking people and weigning their worth. In my own case, when they wanted to announce the ransome, two of them came, one of them first said N100 million but his second said N200 million. These people also have their agents and they usually assess what the public or constituency of their catch is doing, how they feel. So, they thought this is a very big catch, everybody is disturbed and if everybody is disturbed, the N200 million shouldn't be too much to produce. Every generation has its own problem. Abroad, they have their own problem. But the problem I think we have with this our own generation is, we appear not to be making progress in the area of tracking crim-

inals. What we were made to understand over there is that you could run but you won't be able to hide because they have a way of tracking and getting the criminals but here it isn't like that. Some people that were earlier kidnapped have been paying the ransome. So it has become a business. The way out is for everyone to be at alert and use every means to suppport security operatives in tracking down criminals. For instance, it is possible to have cameras all ove the places and also use some other technological devices for security purposes. So, all those security devices that are being used in advaced countries to track criminals can also be used here too, so that even if a murder occurs and the culprit escapes from the crime scene, he can still be caught with such security devices. Justice for the murdered would be achieved so that the victim's spirit would rest in peace but here, if such a thing happens, that would be the end. There is no means such a person would get justice because our poor security system does not allow the culprit to be caught. What is the exact spot where you were held? I know the place where I was kept because when I escaped, I had the oppurtunity to see the sign post of the place. It is Government College, Isan-Ekiti. The place is fully completed and very wide. The kidnappers had the keys to the doors of the rooms there. At least in the apartment where I was kept, I saw the keys to some of the toilets and that of the room in which I was kept. When they took me in, the gate of the compound was open. They didn't break in. They carried me in. And when I was coming out, the padlock of the room wasn't locked, I just removed it and went out. So, I know the place, it was Government College in Isan-Ekiti. It was a completed building with all the facilities, even with mattresses. When they took me in, the first night I slept on a new mattress with a pillow with nylon still on it. I felt it with my hands. In the dark room I was kept, I was wondering in my mind that these people must have meant serious business and planned well for it. If they could have a mattress and pillow and all that. But when I came out, I discovered that it was a fully completed government facility, Government College building, in Isan.

with Email: bineharriet@gmail.com

Escapades of fun-loving city ladies Co-ordinated by Patience Saduwa 08023201831 (sms only) psaduwa@yahoo.com

NATION S P O RT

With OZOLUA UHAKHEME

Email: ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com 08023058761

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

NEWS

CRIME & OTHER STORIES

Body of missing female job seeker found in suspected ritualists’ den HE search for a missing 23-yearold job seeker, Miss Precious Kessington Omorodion, has ended on a tragic note with the discovery of her decomposing body in a suspected ritualists’ den in Ota,Ogun State. Her remains were found by policemen in the den located at Unity and Peace Estate on the Itele-Lafenwa Road, Ota,18 days after her disappeareance. But the police succeeded in rescuing a 28-year old woman from the uncompleted building during a May 6,2015 operation. Also recovered at the scene by the police were some of Precious’ belongings including phones, bags and other women accessories . The Nation had published the strange disappearance of Precious while returning from a visit to her cousin in Ilishan-Remo ,Ogun State on April 19, 2015. She was allegedly abducted by one Mayowa, who promised to get her a job. It was learnt that Mayowa had first met Precious at Meiran, Alagbado,a suburb of Lagos and asked her out. Precious ,sources said,turned down Mayowa’s request for a relationship

n Kunle AKINRINADE n

because her priority was securing employment. Soon after Precious’ disappearance, her twin sister, Constance, in an interview feared she might have been kidnapped by Mayowa. Constance said: “She travelled to Ilishan-Remo to see one of our cousins on Easter Sunday, from where she told me on phone that Mayowa asked her to attend an employment interview with an Apapa-based manufacturing outfit where he works. Three days later, she informed me that she would be returning home on April 19, 2015. “On the day she promised to return, she informed me that she had reached Berger Bus stop on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. A few minutes later, she sent me a message on Whatsapp that she was at Lafenwa area of Ota, Ogun State. “She later sent me another text message saying that she was on her way to Spain. From then on, she was no longer reachable as her three phone numbers were switched off. I fear she might have been kidnapped by Mayowa because our cousin, who she visited at Ilishan-Remo, said she

overheard my sister asking the said Mayowa on phone to pick her up at Berger bus stop.” Some residents of Itele community, who spoke with our correspondent, were shocked at the location of the ritualists den in the area. They could not believe that that such a heinous activity had been going on in the area. It was learnt that the police have arrested the owner of the building while the suspected kidnappers and ritualists are still on the run. Constance confirmed on the phone the discovery of Precious’ body: “Yes, Precious is no more. Her body was found in a ritualists’ den at Itele, Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area. Her phones, bags were found at the scene and I have seen her body at the morgue in Abeokuta where it was deposited by the police.” Also confirming the story, the spokesman of the State Police Command, Mr Muyiwa Adejobi said:”It is true that the body of the lady (Precious) was found in a suspected ritualists’ or kidnappers den at Itele and we are still on the case. The prime suspect (Mayowa) is at large and we are vcurrently on his trail.”

•The late Precious

Apprehension over rise in crime in Calabar n Nicholas KALU, Calabar n F criminals now attack churches and police stations, where do we now run to for protection?” is a question currently on the lips of residents of Calabar, the Cross River State capital. It has always been called the Peoples Paradise and for good reason. The state has earned for itself the status as being the most peaceful in the country. This is up to the extent that its capital city Calabar has been referred to an acronym of Come And Live and Be At Rest. Crimes and vices that characterised other areas of the country were near absent in the South-South state. Even during elections when the pressure to keep the peace was stretched to its limit, the state still managed to come through unscathed from the violence that was found elsewhere. Given that the state prides itself as a foremost tourism destination in West Africa, the peace that has been as a result of strong security measures and hospitable disposition of the people had been maintained for a long time. However in recent times, things appear to have taken a wrong turn as criminal activities have been on the rise. Making it even more worrisome is the dimension of the problem as the criminals have exhibited such audacity that residents pray should be tackled strongly and urgently. Before now, it was mostly isolated cases of kidnappings and robberies in the past. A couple of months ago, just in the wake of killings and kidnappings that marked the electioneering season, residents of Calabar were handed a fresh dose of terror by daredevil robbers who held the city hostage for about two hours as they robbed several locations in a style reminiscent of action movies in broad daylight. The boys, six in number and well armed according to eyewitnesses, robbed shops from Spring Road in Calabar Municipality to Howell Road in Calabar South freely. They moved in a brand new white Toyota Hilux Van. They robbed provision shops, phone shops, filling stations, and betting

“I

•A popular phone malls in Calabar attacked by the robbers houses among others. They were shooting sporadically.” Two Saturdays ago, a pastor with Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel), located at IBB Way opposite the Margaret Ekpo Airport in Calabar, Pastor Seyi Adekunle, was abducted by unknown gunmen who stormed the church when Adekunle and other pastors were having a prayer session in the church in preparation for Sunday services. An eyewitness said: “The gunmen who I think were five in number stormed the church at about 8pm when the pastors were praying in the main auditorium of the church and shot sporadically into the air before grabbing the pastor and bundling him into their car and drove off. “Normally on Saturdays, we have a number of activities but the pastors’ prayer session comes last, it was while the session was in progress that the boys came in, shot into the air and took our pastor away.” Embittered by the kidnap, the Cross River State chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria had warned those who abducted Adekunle to return him immediately as they would definitely incur the wrath of God. In a statement endorsed by the PFN Chairman and Secretary, Pastor Lawrence Ekwok and Apostle Frank Umo respectively,

the body said the kidnappers were bound to incur God’s wrath because they kidnapped the pastor while praying. While demanding for the immediate and unconditional release of Adekunle, the PFN said: “The wrath of God is upon you for that act, this is more so as the pastor was kidnapped at the time he and others were praying and seeking the face of God for the good of the people of the state and country at large. “The action of the kidnappers is not only repulsive but devilish. We are warning that any attempt by any group of people to want to make blood money by kidnapping the servants of God is highly condemnable and a grievous sin which attracts the wrath of God.” The state PFN called on the Nigerian Police and other security agencies to work round the clock to ensure the immediate release of the pastor. This did not seem to deter the abductors as they had gone ahead to demand a ransome of N60 million. The pastor was eventually released last Saturday without any ransom being paid. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP Hogan Bassey, confirmed that no money was paid. According to Bassey, three people were ar-

rested in connection with the incident and investigations were ongoing. Still reeling from the effect of the boldness of such criminals, resident of the city woke up to the incredulous news that suspected militants attacked facilities of the Marine Police Station located along Marina Road in Calabar to steal weapons. There was a fierce gun battle between the police and the criminals in the incident, which occurred at about 2am on Monday. Residents of the area said it was like a war as sounds of heavy machine guns and explosions rent the quiet night.” Even though the State Police Command has continually given assurances of being on top of the situation whenever these incidents occur, residents have grown steadily apprehensive about a development they are not used to. The State Commissioner of Police, Henry Fadairo, who in the wake of these recent problems had visited traditional rulers in Bakassi Local Government Area to seek solutions, pledged to restore peace, law and order within the community. He assured that from available manpower and resources, they will do their best to ensure the problems are curbed. He also called for cooperation from members of the public by providing information they think would be useful. “As a new government has started, we are begging the new governor, Prof Ben Ayade, to make the issue of security his priority. We are having criminal activities as we never had in the past and it has become a real cause of worry for us, who are used to living in peace. No development can go on in a place that is not secure and we also urge the police and other security agencies to be more proactive in tackling these problems. ‘’They should work on checking these crimes even before they happen and not just come to tell us everything will be okay after they have been committed. It is a very urgent matter and should be treated as such,” Mr Daniel Ekong, a resident of Calabar, appealed.

NEWS

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

olukunle87@yahoo.com

I only took part in six operations, says robbery suspect member of a suspected threeman robbery gang has said that he only participated in six operations before he was ar-

rested. He also said he was under the influence of the alcohol and marijuana when he was arrested and tortured by local guards at Igando area of Lagos Twenty-year-old Haruna Shakiru, a native of Abeokuta, Ogun State, said the substances emboldened him to challenge the guards at Ifelodun Bus Stop at about 5.30 am while the gang was returning from an operation. The three-man gang was said to have been notorious for terrorising pedestrians, motorcyclists, motorists and other road users in new town, Egan and Ifelodun Bus Stop areas of the Lagos suburb. Shakiru’s arrest by a vigilance group followed an operation his gang carried out at about 5.30 am on March 5 before he was handed over to Igando Police Station from where he was transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Lagos State Police Command. Recovered from the gang was a locally made pistol and one cartridge. The gang’s leader, identified simply as Kehinde, was in possession of another gun while the third suspect, identified simply as Yellow, escaped. Narrating the events that led to his arrest, Shakiru said: “I was arrested where we had gone to snatch a motorcycle. We used to operate around New Town Bus Stop, Egan and Ifelodun Bus Stop every morning between 4.30 am and 5.30 am when people, particularly long distance

n Ebele BONIFACE n travellers are rushing to beat traffic jams. “Ours was a three-man gang and we operated with a motorcycle. The three of us would be on the motorcycle, looking for would be victims. The moment we saw the motorcycle we wanted to snatch, we would cross it and point a gun at the rider, asking him to come down. “The moment he came down, one of us would take over the motorcycle and we would zoom off. “We were also in the habit of snatching bags. Most of our victims were women and a few men carrying laptops, ipads and jewellery.” Shakiru, the fourth in a family of five children, said his father was late “while my mother sells dry fish at Igando. “I am a furniture maker with a workshop at Igando. I used to make N4,000 and N5,000 daily and used the money to buy clothes and take care of our last born. “I was doing well before Kehinde introduced me to robbery at bus stops. He used to work as a vulcanizer. “One day, he called me and said we should go to the bus stop to collect phones and money. He brought the two guns we operated with and took the lion’s share of the loot after every operation. Shakiru also said the gang engaged in for four or five operations after he joined. He said: “The first operation was at New Town Bus Stop. We used a bike to cross a trekking woman and collected

•Lagos Commissioner of Police Aderanti her bag, which contained N7,000 and a phone. Kehinde gave me only N2,000. “In the second operation at Obadore Bus Stop, we crossed a woman and collected her bag containing N10,000 and a phone. I got N3,000. “The third operation occurred at Isuti Road where we got N12,000 and two phones, They gave me N4,000 and nothing from the sale of the phones. “The fourth operation was at Igando area where a woman’s bag was snatched. We got N10,000 and two phones, out of which I got N3,000. The fifth operation was in the same Igando area where we got N8,000 and two phones, and I was given N2,500. “The sixth operation was at Ifelodun where I was arrested by a vigilance group at about 5.30 am.”

( 08167164657 or 08023910970 )

Alleged N68.7 theft:

Court adjourns ex-NBC manager’s trial till July 27 N Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate's Court, on Wednesday adjourned the trial of a former staff member of Nigerian Bottling Company , Olubusoye Abayomi Adedeji, over alleged theft of the sum of N68, 703, 480 million from the company. Adedeji, a former Plant/Logistics Manager of NBC, and others now at large were alleged to have stolen the money between June 2011 and June 2014. It was learnt that the alleged fraud was revealed after a forensic audit was conducted on the company's account following which the accused was arrested by the police. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges upon his arraignment in April, and was consequently admitted to bail in the sum of N2m with one surety in the like sum. The offence according to the police prosecutor, Inspector Richard Odigie, contravened sections 409 and 285(7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2012. The charge sheet reads in part: "That you Olubusoye Abayomi Ayodeji, 40, and others now at large, between June 2011and June 2014, at the Nigerian Bottling Company Limited, Iddo House, Lagos, in the

n Rukayat JIMOH n

Lagos magisterial district, conspired to commit felony to wit; stealing and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 409 of the Criminal Law if Lagos State, 2012." "That you Olubusoye Abayomi Ayodeji, on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid magisterial district, while in the employ of NBC Limited as Acting Plant /Logistic Manager conspired to steal the sum of N68, 703, 480 million, property of NBC Limited and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 285 (7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2012." At the resumed trial of the matter on Wednesday, Inspector Odigie informed the court presided over by Chief Magistrate I. O. Adelaja that the representative of the complainant, NBC, was not in court. He therefore asked the court for an adjournment of the trial. But the defence counsel, Mr. Tunji Adeyemi, urged the court to strike out the suit arguing that the complainant had failed to proceed with the trial in the last two months. The presiding magistrate, Mr Adelaja, adjourned the matter till July 27, for the trial of the accused.

Customs intercepts 2,000 bags of rice from smugglers HE Western Marine Command of the Customs in Lagos, has intercepted over 2,000 bags of rice and a boat from suspected smugglers at Bawe Creek in Badagry. Some expired items including rice, drugs, second hand clothes and milk were also destroyed by the command. The operation was carried out on June 12, by a joint patrol team of the command. The seizures, according to the Customs Area Controller, Mr Umar Yusuf, also included 650 kegs of petrol; poultry products; fairly used clothes; assorted wines and vegetable oil among others. Three customs officers were injured by the smugglers during the operation. Yusuf vowed that the command would track down the smugglers who injured his men.

n Rukayat JIMOH n

Yusuf told reporters that the hospitalized customs operatives were stabbed on the head, hand and legs. “ Unfortunately for the smugglers, our men were recently trained on the use of AK 47 rifles which they used to fight back and this led to the smugglers fleeing and leaving their weapons behind,” he said. “In all, a big boat laden with over 2000 bags of parboiled rice; one long locallymade gun; a short gun; four knives and one machete was seized from the smugglers. No suspect was apprehended as the smugglers jumped into the river with gunshot wounds. We are ensuring that we track down the smugglers wherever they are and we will do so squarely because we are equal to the task.”

•Some bags of rice and other items intercepted from smugglers

H EALTH MATTERS

HILE most people look forward to reaching old age, seeing it as a reward for a long, well lived life, that time of life also comes with a lot of problems, especially health related ones. These range from reduced physical strength to more serious health challenges such as diabetes, high blood pressure and even dementia. While the latter is one of those ailments that exists in our communities, there is however, very little awareness or information about it. Health experts believe that dementia is one of the biggest public health challenges facing the world in the 21st century and more awareness about the disease is needed to tackle it. The 2013 bulletin of the World Health Organization for instance, estimates that 35.6 million people are currently living with dementia worldwide and that the number will double every 20 years. Developing countries like Nigeria account for 57.7% of this number. "For a disease that has no known cure, the level of awareness is still very low and a lot needs to be done about it," opined Dr Popoola Oluwafemi, a medical practitioner. Speaking further, he stated. "Dementia can safely be described as a disease of old age though it should be noted that it could be seen sometimes in the younger population like in early onset Alzheimer. In dementia, there is a history of chronic, steady decline in short and long term memory and is associated with difficulties in carrying out daily activities, maintaining relationships or even work. It is important to note that dementia is a generic term for a broad category of diseases that cause decline in a person's usual mental functioning." "Studies on the prevalence of dementia in Nigeria are actually limited and this is due in no small part to what is called the 'iceberg phenomenon'. In Nigeria as in other developing countries, the cases that are seen and documented in the hospitals are only a tip of the iceberg because many of the sufferers of these disease don't seek medical help. The low awareness of the populace about mental illnesses also contribute to the low statistics available." Popoola noted that various epidemiological studies carried out in Nigeria have revealed a prevalence rate ranging from 2.29% to 21.60% of the population. "Major risk factors identified in these studies include old age, female gender, cardiovascular disease and illiteracy among others," he added. Also describing what dementia means, Dr Femi Agberotimi, Clinical Psychologist, Psychiatry Dept, Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho, Oyo state, stated: "It occurs as progressive deterioration of intellect, behavior and personality as a consequence of diffuse disease of the brain hemispheres, maximally affecting the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. For dementia to be diagnosed memory must be impaired, followed by a deterioration from previous function in at least three of the following functions: language, visuospatial skill, executive abilities and emotion." On the symptoms of dementia, he said: "Loss of memory for recent events is the earliest feature of dementia. Subsequent symptoms include abnormal behavior, loss of intellect, mood changes, and difficulty coping with ordinary routines. Insight may be retained initially, but is then usually lost. Ultimately, there is loss of self-care, wandering, incontinence, and often paranoia. "Dementia has to be distinguished from delirium which is an acute disturbance of cerebral function with impaired conscious level, hallucinations and autonomic overactivity as a consequence of toxic, metabolic or infective conditions."

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

A growing Third world concern Due to the low awareness about the ailment, the prevalence rate of dementia in the country are not readily available. "Certain factors like dearth of data

â&#x20AC;˘Physical activity or brain tasks can help stave off dementia

Living

DEM

on the disease, and unavailability and poor nursing home arrangement where they exist make prevalence study of dementia difficult in Nigeria," said Agberotimi. Experts, however, point out that the condition is one that is set to increase in many developing countries including Nigeria in the future. For instance, a study carried out in 2008 titled: "Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia in developing countries: prevalence, management and risk factors by a group of doctors namely Raj Kalaria, F.R.C Path, Gladys Maestre and Piero Antuono noted that, "Older people with dementia exist in nearly every country in the world. Dementia rates are predicted to increase at an alarming rate in the least developed and developing regions of the world despite mortality resulting from malnutrition, poverty, war and infectious diseases." The study stated that WHO projections suggest that

n Patience SADUWA and Hannah OJO n

by 2025, about three quarters of the estimated 1.2 billion people aged sixty years and older will reside in developing countries."Thus, by 2040, if growth in the older population continues and there are no changes in mortality or burden reduction by preventive measures, 71 percent of 81.1 million dementia cases will be in the developing world," the study noted. On the risk factors for the disease, Agberotimi said: "Age is a primary risk factor for dementia. Studies of the United States population show that about 3% of the population between the ages of 65-74 suffer from dementia, about 18.7% of people aged 75-84 have dementia, while the number is expected at about 47% of people over 85 years old. Other factors that have been associated with the cause of dementia of the Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease type include: female gender, head injury, cerebrovascular disease, low education level, rural residence, blood cholesterol, and low blood levels of folic acid." He further explained that there was a difference between dementia and Alzheimer stating: "Dementia and Alzheimer are not two separate disorders, rather Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

H EALTH MATTERS

Other factors that have been associated with the cause of dementia of the Alzheimer’s disease type include: female gender, head injury, cerebrovascular disease, low education level, rural residence, blood cholesterol, and low blood levels of folic acid

with

ENTIA , "There are many different types of dementia and many different causes. Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. Overall, Alzheimer’s disease accounts for just over half of all dementia (55% - 60%) which is significantly more than any other form. AD is a neurodegenerative disease which causes impaired cognitive functioning. People with AD have difficulty recalling information after a short period of delay. New information may be learned, but won’t be remembered after a period of even a few hours. And because it is a progressive disease with one of the earliest symptoms being memory loss, diagnosis is difficult. There is currently no known cure for AD. Signs to look out for Experts state that the condition comes with certain signs that are easily discernible. Common symptoms of dementia include forgetting names and objects, not recognizing family and friends, forgetting one’s own phone number or address, difficulty finding a familiar place, noticeable language and intellectual decline, forgetting to eat or maintain one’s hygiene, poor judgment, inability to follow simple instructions, progressive sense of distrust and unusual agitation and irritability. "Symptoms of dementia may be subtle at the initial

stage and patients might even try to hide or downplay them," said Popoola. Continuing, he added: "But as the condition progresses, the symptoms tend to become more pronounced. There is affectation of ability to think, speech and language difficulty, memory difficulty and problems with organization. Sufferers of this disease might also be seen getting lost, repeating things over and over as they can't remember saying them before, and they might also develop social withdrawal and personality changes. Dementia is a slow and progressive disease and by the time these symptoms are noticeable, the disease is already advanced. In Alzheimer's disease, the most prominent early symptom is memory difficulty which affects short term memory first, and then long term. By the time the disease is in its late stages, the sufferers become entirely dependent on care givers, they may become incontinent and might not recognize even familiar people anymore." On the treatment for the disease, Agberotimi had this to say: "No medication can cure dementia yet. But symptoms can be managed, especially if early diagnosis is made. The earlier a correct diagnosis can be made, the greater the gain in managing symptoms through pharmaceuticals. Trained clinicians with proper imaging techniques can diagnose AD correctly

nearly 90% of the time. Magnetic Resonance Imaging can measure the size of various structures in the brain." Also speaking, Popoola said:"Dementia is a disease that has no cure. There are also no proven modalities for preventing dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease. However, recent epidemiological studies suggest that healthy lifestyles can reduce the risk of developing the disease. It has also been documented that physical activity, exercise and general body fitness might be protective. "Cholinesterase inhibitors are used to compensate for the depletion of acetylcholine in the cerebral cortex seen in patients with Alzheimer's disease but the benefit is small. Other medications used are antidepressants, anti psychotics and anti anxiety drugs which are used to manage the secondary symptoms. Of utmost importance is 24 hour supervision especially for advanced cases. This might necessitate committing such patients to long term care facilities and educating the care givers on how best to cater for these patients." To reduce dementia risks, experts advise the elderly to be physically active, follow a healthy diet, look after the heart and indulge in activities that will challenge the brain among others.

THE NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

The DNA fingerprint

Sexually transmitted diseases

By Professor Dayo Oyekole Ph.D. (Ibadan), NMD, FNCP

Tel: 0803-330-3897 Website: www.holisticlifecare.com E-mail: kolemetric@yahoo.com

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2015

â&#x20AC;˘Frozen chicken

Toxic metals, bane of imported poultry S INCE the past two weeks, the media has been awash with the National Agency for Food Drug and Administration Control's (NAFDAC) threat to begin the enforcement of the ban on imported frozen poultry as a study showed that imported turkey and chicken are unfit for consumption due to the presence of potentially toxic metals, high formalin levels and the antibacterial residues in the meat. At a press conference/presentation of the study on 'Prevalence, Quality and Acceptability of Frozen Poultry meat in major cities in Nigeria', on the 15th of June, the Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, threatened to deal ruthlessly with smugglers and dealers found with the banned products. According to a study conducted by Prof. Olumide Tewe, a nutritional toxicologist, University of Ibadan, and his colleagues, high levels of toxic metals, food-borne diseases and formalin were discovered in the meat. Prof. Tewe, who led the research team, said that the sample for the study of imported frozen poultry carcasses were obtained from wholesalers and retailers in Lagos, Ibadan, PortHarcourt and Abuja and analysed for heavy metals, microbial status and meat quality parameters. The nutritional toxicologist said the analysed smuggled or imported poultry food were found to be unsafe for consumption, warning that the continuous consumption of imported chicken and turkey could damage the human system on the long run, unlike locally produced poultry which have been found to be safe for consumption. The NAFDAC DG, who warned that imported poultry products will no longer be tolerated, said that NAFDAC is going to work closely with the Nigerian Customs to enforce the ban on imported poultry. "NAFDAC is concerned with the antibacterial residues

in these poultry. When we talk of drug resistance, we should also look at the animals we eat. They are injected with antibiotics and when people keep eating it, they may develop resistance to these antibiotics." Explaining, Dr. Adekunbi Omotoso of the Department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan, who researched on the antibiotic residues in imported frozen poultry, regretted that the study they carried, revealed high levels of ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin and fluoroquinolones in imported frozen poultry as against the levels detected in locally-processed poultry. "Levels of ciprofloxacin detected were above acceptable limits. For instance, the European Union maximum residue limit for the sum of ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin in poultry tissue is 100 microgram per kg but we discovered levels above 1000 which is dangerous to human health," noted the eloquent Omotoso. Explaining the microbial load as revealed by the study, one of the researchers, Prof. C. I. Alarima, said the study showed that imported poultry meat, particularly chicken and turkey are loaded with the microbes. These are bacteria that cannot be seen with the ordinary eyes. The president of the Association of Poultry in Nigeria, Dr. Ayoola Oduntan, has also said that the country loses about N399.4bn annually to poultry smuggling. He stated this while speaking during the 2015 Nigerian Poultry Summit, adding that smuggling of frozen chicken into Nigeria was a major challenge facing the sector. However, the pertinent question that should be asked is: Why has the illegal smuggling of poultry prevailed amidst previous warning? Local production of chicken is said to fall short of the demand for the product, thereby creating an avenue for smuggling. According to the president

of the Poultry Association, while the local demand for frozen chicken is above two million metric tons annually, Nigerian farmers are only able to produce 300,000 metric tons leaving a wide gap of more than 1.7million metric tons. "Out of this figure smuggled chicken accounts for 1.2million metric tons annually," noted Dr. Oduntan. In an interview with consumers, almost all of them voiced their preference to locally grown free range and semi free range poultry, which they said is more tasty and succulent but unfortunately beyond the reach of the masses. "An average fowl which perhaps weighs 1kg when slaughtered and dressed cost N2,500 and an average live turkey too will not cost less than N5,000,"said Mrs. Nkechi OKoli, adding that with N2,500 she can buy three kilos of frozen imported chicken while N5,000 can get me more than five kilos of imported turkey meat." Another issue that may look insignificant but is actually of paramount importance, is the preference of most Nigerians for hard chicken meat. This they cannot easily source from poultry farmers and processors here but from the imported poultry and live poultry. A majority of poultry farmers and processors deal with broilers which mature between 3-4months, resulting in very soft meat. This is the kind of chicken meat served in most fast food eateries. Broilers encourage quick turn over and less money is spent on feeding and caring for them as they are slaughtered within a very short time. But consumers prefer chicken meat from old layers, cockerels. Then the issue of the Nigerian customs. If government is going to achieve its desire of the ban on poultry importation and smuggling, then the Customs must sit up and face their responsibilities. Nigeria with a population of about 165million is grossly underprovided with the essen-

tial food component which is protein. For example, data from the Federal Office of Statistics[FOS], Central Bank Nigeria[CBN], and Food and A g r i c u l t u r a l Organisation[FAO] indicate that

from cattle, less than 2kg of beef is available to an average Nigerian per year and just a mere 4kg of eggs per annum is available to each Nigerian. More investment is required in the farming and pro-

cessing of poultry in order to meet the ever-increasing demand for frozen poultry and achieve the desire of government that placed a ban on the importation of frozen poultry in Nigeria.

Maltina extends entries for awards

RGANISERS of the recently launched Maltina Teacher of the Year initiative have announced the extension of the deadline for submission of entries for the innovative awards. This announcement is coming on the heels of appeal by secondary school teachers across the country for more time to enable them file their entry for the coveted prize worth over N50 million. Disclosing news of the extension in Lagos recently, Mr Kufre Ekanem, Corporate Affairs Adviser of Nigerian Breweries Plc. on behalf of Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, stated that submission of entry has been extended to Friday July 17th 2015. "We have extended deadline for the submission of entries for Maltina Teacher of the Year because of the overwhelming appeal by teachers across the country who pleaded for the extension. This initiative is for teachers, we believe it is just fair

for us to take their interest into consideration. As a company, we always listen and take the voice of the people into consideration in our decision making process," he said. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has commended the company for initiating the project. According to the union, Maltina Teacher of the Year will not only help in improving teaching conditions and the education sector generally, it will go a long way in restoring the pride of teachers and the dignity of the teaching profession in the country. The union, which announced its endorsement of Maltina as its official drink at all occasions recently, reiterated its commitment to the success of the social investment project. Making the declaration on behalf of the union at the launch, the Acting Deputy General Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Chief Wole Oyeniyi, stated

that "Maltina has taken the lead in bringing back the lost glory of the teaching profession. It is the first time that an organisation is putting up a project of this magnitude for teachers in Nigeria. We really appreciate you and the contribution your organisation is making towards the improvement of education sector in Nigeria. We want to appreciate and commend your effort. I want you to know that with this gesture of yours, NUT has decided to make Maltina our official drink from now. At every ceremony, every event, even in our homes, Maltina will be our official and preferred drink. "Now we know that there are people out there that still appreciate and are willing to encourage teachers. I will implore other corporate organisations to follow your lead. We need more of initiatives like this to keep inspiring our teachers to do more," he said.

HE MD/CE of Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria Alh Gimba Ya'u Kumo in his effort to encourage increased access to the National Housing Fund (NHF) has unveiled an initiative to better lots of existing and prospective house owners. The gesture was part of deliberate measures put together by the Bank not only to increase shelter but for individuals who needed fund to renovate their homes. The initiative is known as the FMBN Home Renovation Loan (FHRL). The service is expected to afford Nigerians an opportunity to access housing mortgages solely for the renovation or improvement of their existing houses or family owned properties. Basically, it is designed for people who are contributors to the NHF. So, with the contribution, NHF contributors can be granted maximum loan to the tune of N1million. Interested contributors can thus, have access to the facility as long as they remained committed to the scheme. According to the Head of Department, Corporate Affairs, FMBN, Mr. Lawal Isa "applicants must be a contributor to the NHF while the maximum loan amount shall be N1, 000,000.00 (One million Naira only), subject to the income limit of the beneficiary as well as the ultimate cost of renovation.?" It's accessible to ?every individual whether civil servants at the Federal, State as well as workers in the private sectors.? On the loan repayment period, it is considered a maximum term of four years or employee's remaining years of service, whichever is less. More so, with eight percent interest rate, the repayment of the loan will be done through monthly deductions within the maximum stipulated period by the Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board (FGSHLB) and the

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2015

BUSINESS

LECTRIFYING was the word recently as Chemstar Paint Industry, manufacturers of Finecoat and Shield Paints held its annual GMD/CEO Annual Merit Awards (GAMA) at its premises in Alagbado, Lagos. Guests and staff warmly clad in rich blue Ankara fabrics displayed deep camaraderie and threw banters, while rich music permeated the air from the background. In his opening remarks, the GMD/CEO of the organisation, Remi Awode lauded the entire staff for their commitment, hardwork and dedication. He noted that they remain the key factor behind the success the company has recorded in the past years, and therefore deserved to be celebrated. Awode pointed out that Chemstar 2015 GAMA award is a special one, as it coincided with the organisation's 20 years of bringing colours to life. He

Mitigating housing deficit through NHF By Chas Nwam

respective Heads of Service or account office of the states. However, in a situation of inability to repay the loan, death or disengagement from service, the FGSHLB would be responsible for liquidation of the outstanding loan balance through the beneficiary's terminal benefits. This is most applicable to federal civil servants. For state public servants, they will adhere to almost the same requirement except that the State Government shall be responsible for repayment of outstanding loan balance through the beneficiary terminal benefits. More so, there must have been an approved letter of undertaking from the office of Head of Service to deduct and remit monthly repayments to FMBN. Applicants are also required to provide two guarantors with verifiable sources of regular income; in case the beneficiary's terminal benefit was insufficient to offset the loan. "Applicants will take out a Reducing Term Assurance policy which guarantees the outstanding loan and covers death, incapacitation and loss of job," Isa said. As regard private sectors, "letter of undertaking from the chief executive of the employing organization to deduct monthly repayment of the loan from the employee's monthly salary and remit directly to FMBN. "And that in the event of resignation, death or disengagement from service, the organisation shall be responsible for repayment of outstanding loan balance through the beneficiary terminal

• Kumo

benefits. "Applicants shall provide two (2) guarantors with verifiable sources of regular income; in case the beneficiary's terminal benefits may not be sufficient to offset the loan "Applicant shall take out a Reducing Term Assurance Policy which guarantees the outstanding loan and covers death, incapacitation and loss of job." He went further on the loans conditions, "the

facility shall not be available to any contributor who has enjoyed NHF loan to buy or build a house. It could be taken jointly by a couple, subject to the income assessment of both parties while the loan can only be taken once in five years. "Beneficiaries may however, be eligible to apply for NHF loans for home purchase after fully liquidating a home renovation loan earlier taken. Also applications

are to be submitted with certified Bill of Quantities indicating the amount required for the renovation." While the loan is meant for every worker irrespective of public or private sector, applicants are required to present letter of undertaking from the FGSHLB, HOS or an organization head to deduct and remit the monthly repayments to FMBN. So, it is proposed that FMBN will approve the sum and disbursed the home renovation loans through the FGSHLB for Federal Civil Servants and directly to the account of beneficiaries in the case of State Civil Servants and employees of the organised private sector, after acceptance of offer and the fulfillment of laid down conditions. Moreover, ?at the federal level, applications will be administered and accepted by the FGSHLB while at the State level applications are to be compiled by the relevant authority and forwarded to FMBN through the State controller of the particular State. "In the case of employees in the organised private sector (including other government agencies and parastatals not covered by the activities of FGSHLB) the applications shall be aggregated by the Permanent Secretary or Chief Executive of the organization. The applications shall be received and assessed at the respective State Offices, to accord a level of ownership for effective management of the loans and broaden the Bank's risk asset origination platform.

Chemstar celebrates staff in style By Daniel Adeleye

said that all the members of staff of the company did well in the 2014 financial year, but there are some who performed exceedingly well. "I have passion for the industry. I studied Industrial Chemistry and I worked with a paints company for about two years, where I developed interest in paints production. I love what I'm doing here. The company is also blessed with well-qualified and motivated staff. So we work as one big family." The height of the day's event was the presentation of awards and gifts to deserving staff. The awards came in categories: Category One for members of staff who have meritoriously served the company in various capacities for a period of ten years. A total of 15 staff smiled home with a

meritorious award certificate each, an LED TV set, chestsized refrigerator and cash prizes. Category Two has two

members of staff who have also contributed immensely to the growth of the company in their departments for a period of 15 years. They went

home with a meritorious award certificate, a DVD home-theatre system, an LED TV set, a refrigerator and cash prizes.

•Remi Awode, CEO, Chemstar Industry (2nd right) Fola Laguda, GM Sales (2nd left), his wife and another member of staff on the occassion

"For applications emanating from State Offices, the loans shall be approved and disbursed directly to the accounts of the beneficiaries after receipt of consent to disburse from the relevant authority through which the applications were submitted." Principally, the NHF scheme was established in 1992 to address hurdles to accessing long term loans for housing finance. It was aimed to ensure that every Nigerian has access to housing loans at affordable interest rate through participation and contribution to the fund. The overall objective was to provide cheap source of loanable funds to nurture and sustain the mortgage industry and eventually facilitate affordable homeownership for the low and medium income groups in the country. More so, section 14(2) of the legal framework that sets up the Fund, NHF Act of 1992 stipulates that a contributor to the Fund can access a loan from the Fund for the purpose of building, purchasing or renovation of existing homes. Perhaps, in order to realise this mandate, the FMBN developed concessionary loan windows to enable people access mortgages for home ownership. It was on this presumption that the FMBN deemed it necessary to develop some windows that will enable greater access to the NHF. So the initiative was designed for all NHF subscribers who are willing to renovate or improve existing properties which are personally owned by them or through family ownership. It is anticipated that proper implementations of the scheme is capable of addressing housing need of the people as well as improve public perception of the institution. • Nwam writes from Abuja Amid joy, the awardees attested to the mentorship and fatherly role of the company's GMD/CEO, Remi Awode. One of the Category One recipients and Head of Admin and Account, Lateef Olawale appreciated the GMD for recognising their hard work in the company in the last ten years, adding that such kind gesture is not common amongst business organisations anymore. In his own remarks, the company general manager, sales and marketing, Fola Laguda who is another Category One award recipient described the GMD as a great man and mentor. He attributed the success he has recorded as the company's sales manager to the challenges of the job. "For us to be where we are today, it's been awesome and it's about being target-driven. In a multiproducts company like ours, we've been able to surmount all challenges."

NEWS

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

Imo police burst baby factory syndicate HE Imo State Police Command yesterday rescued five pregnant teenagers from a ‘baby factory’ allegedly operated by one Chief Emmanuel Eke, a senior civil servant in Abia State. The victims included a deaf and dumb girl, Miss Blessing Nwabekee The teenagers, who were at various stages of pregnancy, were said to have been rescued in Abia State, where they were being kept until they would be delivered of the ba-

•Deaf and dumb among pregnant teenagers n Okodili NDIDI, Owerri n bies. Parading the suspects, the state Police Commissioner, Austin Evbakavbokun, disclosed that one 20-year old Miss Ibuchi Okafor, from Ihioma in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, who absconded from her home with a nine-month old pregnancy was

found in the premises of the suspect at Isiala Ngwa South, Abia State after she had delivered and sold the baby for N500 000 to a yet-to-be identified buyer. According to the CP, the police swung into investigation after a report of the missing teenager and found four other pregnant girlsNkasiobi Uchenna 23, Ela David 24 from Isoko in Delta State, Oluchi

Victor 25, Isialangwa, Abia State and Blessing Nwabekee, all waiting to deliver their babies. The CP disclosed that the owner of the baby factory confessed to have sold the baby delivered by Ibuchi for N500 000. Evbakavbokun, however, assured that the state police command would not relent in its effort until child traffickers and kidnappers in the state are completely chased out.

Meanwhile, the suspect, who told journalists that he made the confession under duress, said the business belonged to his late wife, who he said passed on seven weeks ago. According to him, “I am not a child-trafficker; I am a civil servant in Abia State. It was my late wife that was running the home where the pregnant women were found by the police. I confessed to the crime because of the torture I went through.

Wounded Biafran war veterans cry out to Igbo governors for help

Abia APGA, PDP exchange words over thugs invasion of ballot papers inspection venue

n Ugochukwu UGOJI-EKE, n Umuahia OUNSEL to the All Progressives Grand Alliance [APGA] governorship candidate in Abia State, Chief Ndionyenma Nwankwo, has alleged that thugs disrupted Wednesday’s inspection of ballot papers in Obingwa Local Government Area headquarters. Speaking with newsmen in Umuahia after the sitting of the tribunal, Nwankwo said that forensic inspection of the ballot papers used during the governorship poll in Obingwa was disrupted by political hirelings and thugs. Nwankwo said that a team of forensic experts were at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] in Obingwa for the inspection of the materials when the thugs invaded the venue. He said that the thugs snatched some ballot papers from a representative of INEC, who accompanied the forensic experts for the inspection, and tore them, daring the security operatives to challenge them. Nwankwo said, ‘’When we noticed that the place was no longer safe for us, because the thugs started chanting war songs, we quietly packed our machines and left in order to avert a violent attack on us.’’ He said that Otti’s legal team had filed a motion at the tribunal, seeking an order to compel INEC to make the materials available for inspection at its headquarters in Umuahia. Nwankwo further alleged a collusion between INEC and the PDP ‘’to ensure that the inspection did not go on,’’ citing similar frustrations faced in previous attempts to inspect the electoral materials in the custody of INEC. “Up until now, Forms EC8 A-C are still with the Local Government Electoral officers. But the Electoral Act stipulates that they should be in the custody of the INEC headquarters seven days after the polls.” The APGA counsel said that the Electoral Act gives the petitioners unfettered access to all the materials used during the elections, and urged INEC not to impede the course of justice.

n Chris OJI, Enugu n ISABLED Biafran soldiers who have been surviving on handson and donations by publicspirited individuals have called on the governors of the seven Igbo-speaking states to come to their aid. The wounded soldiers were relocated from the dilapidated rehabilitation centre at Oji River, Enugu state to the new centre built for them by the leader of the Movement for the Actuallisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike at Umunamu-Okwe in Onuimo Local Government Area of Imo State recently. In spite of their relocation to the new center where some decent houses were erected and some stipends paid monthly for their upkeep, the ex-Biafran soldiers lamented that the inmates and members of their families had been living under a very difficult situation. In a statement signed by Comrades Law Akpu and Festus Mba Onu, President and Secretary General respectively, the wounded Biafran soldiers said: “They took us from Oji River, Enugu State where we were begging for alms at the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway to Umunam-Okigwe where we are today. May God be the Glory. “Many of us died at the Expressway where we had motor accidents on daily basis. We are therefore a bit now secured accident wise.” While felicitating with the new governors of Abia, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Rivers, Anambra and the new Igbo political leaders that assumed the mantle of leadership on May 29, the ex-Biafran soldiers invited them to urgently come to their aid. The statement said: “We need your help. Chief Dr. Ralph Uwazuruike, the MASSOB leader and MASSOB members have tried their best and are still trying but we are still lacking so many essential necessities of life. We have no water in this our camp, therefore we eagerly need borehole and as old and disabled sickly soldiers we need constant-instant medical attention. “We have no light now, we therefore need Electric light in this camp, we also need fund/money to send our children and wards to school and this is very important to us.

•Governor Udom Emmanuel (3rd right), Mr. Moses Ekpo (L) flanked by the representative of CCECC, Engr. Lucas Stone (2nd left) and Barr. Enoidem, during the inspection of Eket-Ibeno road...yesterday

NDLEA names Anambra as den of drug trafficking •Records 122 Arrests Since January •As Obiano, Lawmakers others join in a Retreat HE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has named Anambra State as a den of illicit drug and trafficking. The revelation was made yesterday in Awka by the state commander of the agency, Mr. Sule Momodu, who expressed worry over the menace in the state. Momodu spoke at an event at the women development centre in Awka, Anambra State, to mark the 2015 United Nations Day against illicit drug abuse and trafficking. He said that it needed a combined effort to fight the scourge, adding that NDLEA had arrested no fewer than 122 drug suspects between January and June in the state. While describing the state as a den of

n Nwanosike ONU, Awka n illicit drugs, momodu said the most dangerous drug, methamphetamine, was produced in the state, stating that 114 of the suspects arrested were men, while eight were women. He revealed that a total of 110.624kg of illicit drugs were seized during the period under review, with cannabis sativa, also known as marijuana, topping with 107.26kg. Other seizures, according to Momodu, were cocaine, 138.2 grams, heroine, 100.54 grams, liquid methamphetamine 2.615kg and solid methamphetamine 510 grams. He further said that 22 suspects were arraigned by NDLEA during the period, out of which eight convictions

were obtained, while 28 fresh cases were filed. He however, reassured that the agency would fight drug abuse and trafficking in the State to a standstill, while charging stakeholders to join hands in the war against the cankerworm. He therefore, warned that if the war against illicit drug use and trafficking was not won now, that the scourge would take over society soonest. He however, called for the inauguration of the state Drug Control Committee to help drive National Drug Control plans and objectives. Meawhile, Governor Willie Obiano has restated the state's commitment to fight all facets of criminalities in the state including drug abuse and trafficking.

...arrests 144 for drug trafficking in Imo HE Imo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), yesterday disclosed that it has arrested 144 suspects for drug trafficking and other related offenses, while it seized 334.3 kilogram of hard drugs, including cocaine, heroin, cannabis sativa and sychotropic substance. The Deputy State Commander, Olugu-Kalu Chinyere, who made the

n Okodili NDIDI, Owerri n disclosure, during a press conference to mark this year’s United Nation’s Day, said the arrests and seizures were made between June 2014 and June 2015. According to her, 75% of the suspects were youths below the age of 30, stating that the trend portends a ‘bleak’ future for the state. She said, “One worrisome trend in the statistics is the involvement of our

youths in drug abuse and allied offences. Out of the 144 suspects arrested, over 75% of them are youths below the age of 30. This is a clear testament of the bleak future awaiting us as a state.” Olugu-Kalu, however, stated that 10 of the suspects were above 60 years, stressing that, “if those who were supposed to be resting in their retirement life are busy selling Indian hemp in the full glare of their grand

children, you can only imagine the future of these children. In some cases, this has been adopted as family business, whereupon the father, mother and children engage in the sale of the illicit drugs.” She appealed to community leaders, clergymen, parents, the state government and other stakeholders to join hands with the agency to rid the state of hard drugs and the attendant menace.

Cleric charges Muslim, Christian leaders on nation building HE General Overseer of Christ Mercy Land, Warri Delta State, Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin, has urged Muslims and Christians in the country to contribute to nation’s building, and make the country a strong and virile nation. The prophet also urged President Buhari to run all inclusive government by treating every Nigerian as one, irrespective of ethnic, religion and political differences. Fufeyin, who made the call while felicitating with former Managing Director of Sun Newspapers, Mr Femi Adesina,

over his recent appointment as spokesman to President Buhari, said that his appointment was a divine intervention and a step forward. According to him, “Mr Adesina deserves the job, because he is not only an erudite writer and level-headed man, but someone who had brought joy and happiness to the people within and outside the country. President Buhari didn’t make a mistake by appointing such a humble and selfless man who is loved by all.”

THE NATION,

News

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

Ambode, APC ask tribunal to dismiss Agbaje’s petition

AGOS State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have asked the Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ikeja,

to dismiss the petition filed by Mr. Jimi Agbaje, of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Their plea was contained in a preliminary notice of objection jointly filed before

the three-man tribunal led by Justice Muhammad Sirajo. Agbaje had petitioned the tribunal challenging the declaration of Ambode as the winner of the April 11, 2015

governorship election in the state. Other respondents in the suit are the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) and its Lagos State Resident Electoral

•Chancellor and Chairman, board of Regents, Dr. David Oyedepo (middle); Vice-Chairman, Pastor (Mrs) Faith Oyedepo (2nd right); Keynote Speaker, Professor Adebayo Olukoshi)extreme right); Vice-Chancellor, Convenant University, Professor Charles K. Ayo (2nd left) and DeputyVice-Chancellor, Professor Taiwo O Abioye during the 10th Convocation of the Institution tagged: “The Release of Eagles 2015” in Ogun State yesterday Photo: Biodun ADEYEWA

Resign now, group tells Justice Folahanmi

GROUP, Oodua Nationalist Coalition (ONAC), has called on Justice Oloyede Folahanmi of the Osun State judiciary to resign.ONAC, which is a coalition of several pan Yoruba groups, said, since the judge was ready to defend the allegations made against the governor of the state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, it is logical for her to resign from the bench to enable her defend the allegations without ‘institutional bias’. In a statement signed by its Deputy Chairman, Adeyemi Atiba, the group said the allegations raised by the judge would have full judicial and moral weight if only she resigned to defend the allegations in the court. The statement read in part: “There are serious legal and

moral issues involved in the allegations raised by the judge. The best thing for her is to resign. Her resignation from the bench is necessary because we do not expect her to be a member of the same judicial institution that is expected to hear the allegations she has raised. She cannot be a sitting judge at the same time giving evidence in any court of competent jurisdiction or panel that the House of Assembly may wish to constitute. “Justice Folahanmi will prove her commitment to any sense of decency if she quits the bench today and not a minute later. This is the right thing to do at the moment. She is now a witness, she cannot at the same time sit on the judiciary as a prosecutor. We want to see her throw in her resignation to be able to

pursue the issues she has raised as a star witness.”It added: “We urge you, Justice Folahanmi to resign. There are outstanding allegations against the judge for the alleged ignoble role she played in the tribunal led by Justice Naron which heard the petition against the Peoples Democratic People (PDP), following irregularities and graft at the Tribunal associated with the 2007 gubernatorial election in the state of Osun. In a related development, former national General Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Air Transport Employees, (NUATE) Comrade Abdulkareem Motajo, said the judge needs to prove that nonpayment of workers’ salaries is an impeachable offence. He said: “Everybody knows

the governor as a sincere person. Some of his programmes are enduring. The Opon Imo, the mega schools and mega highways are laudable projects which over all glory was affected by the dwindling revenue from the Federal Government. This affects 26 states of the federation not Osun alone.”Also speaking, the General Secretary of Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association, (NATA), said the allegations by the judge are ‘spurious’, adding: “She has no history of being an activist judge. In fact, she is a reactionary judge given her past and present pronouncements at the bench. For her to jump up to play the role of a hero suggests she is being used by some reactionary politicians. It speaks volume about the rot in the judiciary.”

Disengaged electricity workers threaten ISENGAGED workers showdown with FG, BEDC their services and in October, of the defunct Power 2013 your company stopped

Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), now Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) in Akure and Igbara-Oke area office of Ondo State, have threatened to sue the Federal Government and the management of the company if they fail to pay their severance entitlements within 10 days. The aggrieved former electricity workers, numbering 91, had last month staged a protest in Akure, the state capital, la-

Leke AKEREDOLU, Akure

menting that all their efforts to get their entitlements have been futile.They, through their lawyer, Barrister Ifedayo Olanipekun have consequently petitioned the BEDC management and the Federal Government asking for the payment of all their entitlements. “It is the brief of our client that your com-

pany the defunct PHCN, now BEDC employed their services to improve your company’s output. Our clients stated that such casual employment was carried out at various business districts in various states across the country. “Following the above, our clients further informed us that they worked for years with payments of the sum of N12, 000 to some, while others received more or less than that as monthly salaries for

paying the salary up till today. “It is therefore our demands according to the mandate of our clients and in furtherance to the above that an immediate regularization of our clients be carried out and the severance benefits/entitlements as well as outstanding salaries be paid to them within 10 days or event your failure to comply, we shall not hesitate to proceed to the appropriate court,” the petition read in part.

Group flays jumbo salary for lawmakers

GROUP, Concerned Nigerians in the Diaspora, has condemned the payment of jumbo salary for federal lawmakers.The group said the outrageous salary was insensitive to the plight of the Nigerian masses who are battling with economic hardship created by the mismanagement of public funds by successive governments.Speaking during a media briefing in Lagos on Thursday, the leader of the group, Mr.Olu Alakija said: “ It is an obnoxious, inconsider-

Kunle AKINRINADE ate, insensitive and selfish move by anyone seeking to serve the public to move for such massive pay in view of the general poverty confronting the 160 million people of Nigeria; where several states and the Federal Government are in deficit of payment of salaries for up to seven months; where the healthcare sector is in tatters and the education and employment of our youths have suffered for many

decades.”The fact is Nigerian politicians have turned themselves into instant millionaires for being in government, paying themselves huge, obscene and unjustified salaries and allowances not commensurate with their very low productivity and without doing anything worthwhile for the country or humanity. For the past 16 years, the federal lawmakers have had no visible impact of their representations on the lives of Nigerians, so why are we funding their expensive

lifestyles and getting zero in return? What kind of legitimate work can anybody do in Nigeria that will fetch such atrocious remuneration or salary?”The group urged the federal lawmakers to,” as a matter of urgency lead by example by renouncing and rejecting the wardrobe allowance and set in motion process of reviewing the jumbo salaries and insensitive allowances in conformity with current reality of the Nigerian economy.”

Commissioner. The PDP candidate had alleged irregularities during the election which he said breached the provisions of the INEC’s approved guidelines for the polls. Moving their application at the resumed hearing of the petition yesterday, counsel to Ambode, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), argued that the petition should be struck out for being incompetent. Olanipekun argued that there was no correlation between the reliefs being sought by the petitioner and the particulars of application on the one hand and the grounds for questioning the election on the other hand. “The grounds and particulars in the petition are at opposites with the facts and reliefs being sought within the purview of Section 285(2) of the 1999 Constitution. I urge my Lordships to dismiss the petition,” Olanipekun said. He further said that there was nowhere in the pleadings where the petitioners attacked the victory of the respondents or questioned the conduct of the election. Olanipekun said: “I submit that there is no petition before your Lordships known to law. There are no grounds challenging the election of my client under Section 138(b)(c) of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.” According to him, the court cannot act on sentiment and

sympathy of parties, emphasizing that sympathy does not override clear provisions of the law. Counsel to the APC, Dr Muiz Banire, aligned with the submissions of Ambode’s counsel, describing the petition as having no ground. He therefore asked that it should be struck out. ”This is a groundless petition; there is no petition before Your Lordships. I pray that the purported document before Your Lordships be struck out,” Banire said. However, counsel to Agbaje, Mr Clement Onwuenwunor, opposed their submissions and maintained that the petition was competent. Onwuenwunor argued that the issues for determination by the tribunal had been carefully spelt out. “Paragraph 13(a) and (b) of our petition questioned the election in Lagos State on the grounds of non-compliance with the Electoral Act and irregularities such as in the use of the card readers. We have looked at their preliminary objections in this case and have concluded that they are objections made on mere technicalities,” he said. He urged the tribunal to dismiss the notices of preliminary objection with substantial costs in favour of the petitioner. Justice Sirajo, thereafter adjourned the sitting of the tribunal till July , 2015 for ruling.

Value-oriented education is key to Nigeria’s socio-political problems—Oyedepo

HE Chancellor, Covenant University (CU), Ota, Ogun State, Bishop David Oyedepo and the immediate past Director, United Nations African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (UNIDEP), Prof Adebayo Olukoshi, have advocated for a value-oriented education in the country. They stated that there must be a ‘change now’ in the direction of education in the entire black continent. Oyedepo and Olukoshi spoke at the university’s 10th convocation themed, ‘The Release of Eagles 2015’.The 1,315 fresh graduates comprised 104 first class awardees. It produced her best graduating student, Otti Ebubechukwu, from the Department of Electrical Electronics with an outstanding Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.96.Oyedepo who spoke on the theme, ‘Espousing the role of quality education in nation building’, said governments must begin aggressive investment in education in the black continent in order to restore her lost glory. “The time for quality investment in higher education is now. African leaders must through quality education win back the continent’s lost glory by working hard to endure solid restructure of our educational sector. It is time to do it right. We are not just an institution; we are here to revolutionise education and

Adegunle OLUGBAMILA not just education but the right kind of education”, he said .He lamented that the country’s education system is lop-sided and fraught with degrees that have little or no values to their owners. According to him, any degree that fails to equip the owner with values is as good as dead.” I do not have respect for degrees that are not valueattached,” Oyedepo said, adding: “Not every graduate is educated. Every degree has a life span of five years and then it loses its potency. Ability to keep improving oneself education wise from time to time is what makes the difference and gives one values.” Prof Olukosi who delivered the convocation keynote address titled: ‘National re-orientation towards transformational leadership in Africa’, said: “No programme of national re-orientation can be meaningfully undertaken in the absence of a visionary leadership that is able to mobilise society for an all round programme of change that is transformational. “Such a programme of change must also, by definition, be based on a social contract between state and society, rulers and those whom they govern. It should by its nature be radical enough to inspire citizens to work for the dawn of a new era in the nation’s history.”

THE NATION

NEWS 65

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

Blasphemy: Kano Sharia Court sentences nine to death

KANO Upper Sharia Court sitting at Rijiyar Lemu quarters on Thursday handed nine persons the death sentence for utterances that were

adjudged blasphemous of Islam. Convicted were a Sufi Muslim cleric, Aminu Abdul Nyass, a woman -Hajiya Mairo Ibrahim -and seven others whose names were not given.

A total of 13 people were originally arraigned by the Police for making derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) last month. Delivering judgment in the trial that took place in cam-

era for security reasons; Ustaz Atiku Bello said the action of the condemned people violated Sections 110 and 382(b) of the Sharia Penal Code of Kano state (2000). But the court said the prosecu-

Why I slept with my granddaughters

75-year old grandfather, who allegedly slept with his granddaughter, has told the police that he was lured into the shameful act by his daughter. The Septuagenarian, Mr. Umoru Choji, who lives in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, was said to have had canal knowledge of two of his grand daughters before he was caught. But speaking with newsmen, Choji, who was paraded by the police, said, “It was these girls that put me into this trouble. They were the ones who always come to me and they arose my interest in sex. I didn’t even know when I started having sex with them.” The shameless old man said the young girls reported him to the police after he stopped them from coming to his house. He said: “I am married, and my wife is still alive. These girls were the ones that lured me into the act. It was not my intention. I know I had sex with them many times, but I stopped them from coming to me. So, they went and lie against me, and the

– 75 year old

Yusufu Aminu IDEGU, Jos. parents of the other girls reported me to the police,” adding, “I feel bad, I did not know they will tell people what we were doing. The children deceived me and they went and report me to their parents.” While parading the suspect, the Police Commissioner, Nasiru Oki, said: “The suspect, Mr. Umoru Choji, aged 75, lived in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau state. The suspect had canal knowledge of his grand daughters several times before he was discovered. “One of the grand daughter is just 11 years old, while the second daughter is 14-year old. “The suspect, who is already in police net, will be charged to court as soon as all the processes are completed.” In a related development, the police command paraded a young man who allegedly killed another man in the room of his girlfriend. The suspect said he had warned the other man not to come

near his girlfriend. The police commissioner said, “The suspect, Monday Pam stabbed to death one Christopher Vincent and dumped the corpse by the road side in Zawan village of Bukuru, Jos a South LGA of Plateau State. “The police, through diligent investigation, arrested the deceased girlfriend, Magdaline Fidelis, on allegation of conspiracy. And on interrogation, the lady confessed to the police that the deceased was killed by

Monday Pam over a misunderstanding. “On interrogation, Monday Pam owned up to the crime, and he will soon be charged to court alongside the woman.” However, the suspect, Monday Pam said, “I warned the man to stay away from my girlfriend, but he would not listen. I warned him several times to leave my girlfriend for me, but he kept coming there. We met in the house one day and we started fighting. But when he wanted to overpower me, I removed my knife and stabbed him,” he said.

tion failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubt against Alkassim Abubakar, Yahaya Abubakar, Isa Abubakar and Abdullahi Abubakar. They were subsequently discharged and acquitted. The blasphemous comments, made during a religious ceremony, sparked anger and violence in the city. The defendants were arrested when violence broke out in the Makwarari district of Kano as they marked the birthday of the former leader of the Tijaniyya Sufi order, Ibrahim Nyass. An angry crowd attacked the ceremony and later burnt down Abdul Nyass’ home, police said at the time. Abdul Nyass belongs to a separate branch of Tijaniyya, some of whose beliefs are considered heretical because of their different interpretation of some basic Islamic principles. The head of the Kano state Sharia (Islamic law) police,

known locally as the Hisbah, welcomed the verdicts. “We are happy the Sharia court handed the death sentences to the nine people who made the blasphemous statements against the Holy Prophet,” said Aminu Daurawa. The trial was held in secret to avoid violence, after crowds set fire to a section of the Sharia court on the defendants’ first appearance on May 22. The judgment still has to be approved by Kano governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, added Daurawa, who warned the sentence should remind Muslims that blasphemy attracts the ultimate penalty. He also said the risk of violence was high if the nine were released. “The concern is that the mob would take extrajudicial action if these convicts are for whatever reason released because they would certainly kill them when they see them on the streets,” he said.

I didnt barr Channels Television from Benue Assembly — Speaker

HE speaker of the Benue state assembly Makurdi, Mr. Terkimbi Ikyange has denied that Channels Television has been barred from carrying out its constitutional duties of informing the public on current happenings in the Benue Assembly. Reacting to media report in some of the national dailies insinuating that he ordered Channels Television out of the Benue state House of assembly complex, the Ushongo representatives described channels television as one of the medium that adhered to effective and balanced reportage of political activities that led to the 2015 general elections. He said the assembly under his leadership will be delighted to have the television station to publicize its activities on an daily basis and wondered why overzealous security operatives attached to the assembly would stop them from performing its constitutional roles. “As lawmakers elected by the people, the House owed the public a responsibility to be accountable and transparent in all its dealings, hence the need to allow credible media outfits to attend to its duties.” He resigned that due to security report received from security agencies, there was the need to beef up security in and around the assembly complex while journalists coming to cover its pro-

Uja EMMANUEL, Makurdi ceedings were also subjected to security checks, that fateful day. In a statement in Makurdi, the Press Secretary to the Speaker, Mr. Bem Abunde quoted the speaker as refuting the claims by the Television reporter that all other journalists were allowed access to the assembly complex except the Channels’ crew; pointing out that the only group of journalists that were allowed into the chambers were those that made up the assembly media crew due to their earlier accreditation.

•Commander National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Gombe State Command, Mr Aliyu Adole (middle) displaying illicit drug and other psychotropic substances to Emir of Yamaltu, Alhaji Hassan Junga (left) during the commemoration of 2015 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking at Dadin-Kowa, Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State... yesterday Photo: NAN

NDLEA arrests 277 suspects in Kano

OMMANDER of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Malam Garba Ahmadu declared yesterday in Kano that the agency is winning the war against drug abuse and trafficking in illicit drugs in the state with the arrest of 277 suspects and the impounding of 2, 003.672kg assorted illicit drugs within the last six

Rise up, Echocho urges Kogi PDP members

INNER of the January 9, 2011 PDP primaries and frontline PDP Gubernatorial aspirant in Kogi State, Jibrin Isah Echocho has called on party members to place party interest at all times above personal ambition. Echocho in a statement issued in Lokoja by his Media consultant, Phrank Shaibu, Echocho said: “As we march towards our Ward Party Congress slated for 27th, June Saturday 2015, I consider it my responsibility as a major stakeholder of the Party, to appeal to all our party members to look more at what binds us together than what separates us as a people with a common goal. “In this era where political power dynamics in our dear

Kogi state is tending to be more complicated, I urge all party members to place the interest of the Party well above personal aspirations. Our big party has gone through a chequered past that threatened its progress, but in this next stage of rebuilding the party, I appeal to all party members in Kogi State to engage in concerted efforts that will advance the mission of our National Party leadership for a new and stronger PDP. The task of rebuilding our dear Party cannot wait until elections. This is where I call on all party loyalists to stand up and address the issues that matter to the Party. The era of imposition must give way for the people’s choice.” Echocho

•Seizes 2,003.672kg of Illicit Drugs in six months Kolade ADEYEMI, Kano

months. Malam Ahmadu who was giving the Command’s progress report to mark the 2015 United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Trafficking in Illicit Drugs, said compared with data available within the last three years, Kano’s status as one of the major cities where drugs are abused is gradually reducing. He said out of the illicit drugs confiscated by the agency during the period under review, cannabis sativa, ranks the highest with 1, 327.283kg, psychotropic substances stood at 676.252kg, cocaine 90.5grammes while the quantity of heroine seized by the agency stood at 46.1 grammes. He added that out of the 277 suspects arrested, 125 have undergone brief intervention and counseling with 11 of them referred back to their parents after six months on comprehensive and intensive counseling. Malam Ahmadu further stated that currently, 18 suspects are undergoing counseling and rehabilitation, 83 have been convicted, 83 cases filed before the Kano Federal High Court, while

others are awaiting conviction due to the ill-health of the Chief Judge. He also noted that with the help of a special Committee established at the instance of Kano state government, NDLEA in Kano has greatly reduced the activities of drug users and traffickers in the state. “You are aware that the state government established a special committee comprising of officers of NDLEA, Police, Army, Civil Defence, Hisbah, SSS and other security and Para-military agencies. “This collaboration is helpful and we have been able to dislodge this hoodlums in their major areas such as Kofar Naisa, Sharada, Darmanawa, Rijiyar Lemo, Dorayi Primary School, Sabon Gari, NNPC DepotKiwo Lambu, Gandu Albasa, Gidan Zoo, Rumfa College, Kabo town, Kachako town, Ungwa Uku motor park, New Road motor park, Mariri, Yan ITYACE, Wudil town, Durban sai town, Tudun Wada, Gezawa town, Plaza Fagge and Rimin Gado.” According to him, proactive measures were taken by the agency before the 2015 general elections, so as to bring the rate of consumption of illicit drugs, particularly, among the youths

who were used as political thugs, “and it worked for us as the mop up exercise we did was able to control the rate of drug consumption in the state. “You know that usually, during festive periods like Sallah, Christmas and even during elections; what the drug traffickers do is to bring in the substances one or two weeks before time; so what we did was to take the war to where cannabis, especially, is being cultivated. “We had what we call operation-weed-eater in Ondo and Edo states where large farms of cannabis were destroyed. Officers from Kano here were temporally redeployed to those hot states for that operation; and it paid off because when we succeeded in destroying the source, the traffickers would have less or nothing to bring into the states.” He said other activities observed to mark the 2015 UN Drug Week with the theme let’s ‘Develop Our Lives, Our Identities and Our Communities Without Drugs’, include special lectures and quiz at schools across the state, special sermons in churches and mosques as well as a novelty football match between NDLEA and the Kano state Hisbah Board.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2015

NEWS

APC state chairmen support party on supremacy TATE chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the auspices of APC State Chairmen Forum yesterday supported the party leaders on their insistence on adherence to party supremacy in the National Assembly. The state chairmen rose from a two-day meeting in Abuja to issue a communique expressing their concerns about the development in the National Assembly, especially in the House of Representatives. They called on the leaders of the party to institute the machinery that would

forestall a reoccurrence of the crisis. The chairmen appealed to the leaders to take advantage of the long recess of the federal lawmakers to resolve the crisis in order to allow Nigerians experience the much needed change. The statement, which was signed by the Acting Chairman of the forum and Kano APC chairman, Umar Haruna Mohammed, reads in part: "The party chairmen have met for two days between 25th and 26th June, 2015 to review the current challenges facing the party at the National

•Urge leaders to resolve NASS crisis John OFIKHENUA, Abuja Assembly with regard to party supremacy. "As state party chairmen and direct grassroots leaders, we are all concerned about the development and therefore re-affirm our belief and loyalty to our party,-the APC, its supremacy as contained in the party's constitution and the decision of its leadership. "We are also not happy with recent developments

in the National Assembly, especially the lower chamber. We call on the party leadership to put in place proper machineries to checkmate further occurrences. "We also call on the party leaders to use the long break with a view to resolving the matter so that the much needed change will be seen and enjoyed by everybody." Leave me out of National Assembly brawls, says Ekweremadu

From: Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor The office of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday said that contrary to reports making the round in the social media and online purporting that Ekweremadu twitted to explain away the brawls at the National Assembly was false. A statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs to the Deputy Senate President,

Uche Anichukwu, urged the public to disregard the said twit in its entirety. Anichukwu also urged “those labouring to draw Ekweremadu to the brawl at the National Assembly to leave him out of the fight.” He noted that Ekweremadu “did not twit, does not own a Twitter handle, and did not even grant any interview whatsoever to any reporter on the sad developments at the National Assembly yet.”

12 Ogun varsity students die in auto crash Ernest NWOKOLO, Abeokuta ORE than 12 students of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago -Iwoye, Ogun State were crushed to death yesterday when a container fell on the passenger bus conveying them. Many others were seriously injured in the mishap, which occurred at the Shagamu section of the Lagos/Benin Expressway. Our correspondent gathered that the unlatched 20-feet container fell off a moving truck as the driver tried to avoid an obstruction while driving against the direction of traffic. The container with a Lagos registration number BDG 779 XE was said to have fallen on the roof of the Toyota Hiace bus also with a Lagos registration number XV 311 MUS a few metres away from the gate of a plastic manufacturing company near Ilisha Remo junction. It was learnt that the OOU students were travelling to Lagos State for the weekend when they met their untimely death. The Ijebu-Ode Commander of Ogun State Traffic Management and Compliance Agency (TRACE), Tommy Hamzat, told reporters that the driver of the container laden truck drove against the traffic. Hamzat added that the fact that the truck was driving on the wrong side of the road made it difficult for the driver of the passenger bus to notice it, hence the two vehicles collided. He said: "I was coming from the Sagamu end when I saw the accident and hurriedly parked my car. I ran there to see if the passengers but, unfortunately, all the occupants, were dead, including the driver,. "The bus was facing Lagos, though I don’t know where it was coming from. The truck carrying the container was coming from the Sagamu end but was driving against the traffic and that resulted in the collision that claimed the lives of the innocent students." Also, the TRACE Commander in Sagamu, Kehinde Arode, who confirmed the death of 12 people, said that one other person was badly injured. Arode said that the injured victim had been taken to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital in Sagamu, while the remains of the dead were deposited in the morgue of the hospital.

•Troops of 700 officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army on parade ahead of their deployment on peacekeeping mission to Liberia. Photo: Abdulgafar ALABELEWE

Nigeria deploys 700 soldiers in Liberia HE Nigerian Army is dispatching 700 soldiers and officers to Liberia for peace keeping operation but warned them to maintain a high standard of hygiene with a view to keeping Ebola at bay. Neighbouring Sierra Leone this week reported two fresh cases of Ebola after a long interval. The troops were also warned to avoid any act capable of dragging the image of Nigeria and the army in the

•GOC urges troops to avoid Ebola Abdulgafar ALABELEWE, Kaduna mud, saying it would not accept a situation where its soldiers are seen as soft targets. Addressing them at the end of their pre-deployment training in Jaji, Kaduna State, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division of the Army, Major General Kenneth Osuji,

said they must work within the rules of engagement of the mission and respect the cultural and religious sensitivity of Liberians. "Be reminded that the Nigerian Army will not accept any situation where its troops are seen as soft targets or conducting themselves in unprofessional manner such as trafficking in illicit substances of any kind, including alcohol

and drugs,” he said. The Commandant Nigerian Army Peacekeeping Centre (NAPKC), Maj. Gen. Imimitomi Birigeni, said earlier that the three-week training was in line with the United Nations pre-deployment modules. The troops are scheduled to start leaving for Monrovia on Monday.

NERC seeks Buhari's advice on creation of EMS HE Nigerian Electricity R e g u l a t o r y Commission (NERC) yesterday requested the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to advise it on the relevance of the creation of another electricity regulatory body that duplicates the functions of the commission. Its Chairman, Dr. Sam Amadi told reporters in Abuja that "the act is clear on what we should do and that is what we are doing. A new government is in power and they have to advise us on what to do. “We are an independent commission under government. So at the end of the

day, I expect that government will look at the law and take a position." There has been a heated debate and opposition from the commission that the last administration shouldn't have established the Electricity Management Service Limited (EMS) even before the last Federal Government legally instituted the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Authority. Amadi said that even if the new government eventually allows EMS to function, it would not hinder NERC from performing its technical and commercial regulatory roles as enshrined in the

John OFIKHENUA, Abuja act. The chairman noted that not only did the commission write a letter to the immediate past President to oppose the creation of EMS, it also opposed it vehemently in the National Assembly. Now that a new government is in power, he said, the commission will adhere to whatever directive it receives on the issue even as there is no justification for instituting EMS. Amadi said: "But it is on record, NERC opposed it at the National Assembly in a heated debate. We wrote to the President why and we

stated clearly and I believe till today there is no justification for that. It is law so we will wait for the new government to tell us what to do. Whatever the government tells us, we will do." He confirmed his awareness of the EMS but insisted that although the law has been assigned, it has not become operational, thus the new government should review the situation and address the two agencies accordingly. His words: "All over the world, we know clearly that it is wrong to have double regulations, especially when a regulator does its job. “Like we say in law, you

are an interested party. The law has been assigned but the law has not been operationalized. It is for government to review and address parties accordingly." According to him, prior to the existence of the NERC, the National Electric Power Policy of 2000 stipulated that there shall be one regulatory body for the power sector. He also said that in its electioneering campaign, the present government vowed to recognize only one regulatory body, noting that when Ghana opted for two electricity regulatory bodies it was chaotic for the country. He said: "Even before NERC was there, it clearly

stipulated that there will be one regulator doing technical and commercial regulations. We see example in Ghana, where attempt was made to divide that jurisdiction and it ended in chaos." The chairman maintained that inspection is clearly linked in the act with the work of the regulator, stressing that the act allows the regulator to appoint inspectors. According to him, there is a conceptual link between technical and commercial regulation because it is the product of technical regulation that feeds into economic regulation.

THE NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

NEWS

RAMADAN KAREEM

Ramadan 10, 1436AH

Clerics urge Muslims to imbibe Ramadan lessons “We don’t want C empty promises, LERICS yesterday urged Muslims to embrace the lessons of Ramadan and reflect same in their daily lives. The clerics, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, added that Muslims should use the period for total self-examination and repentance. The Executive Director of Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation, Imam Abdullahi Shuaib, urged Muslims to use the period for sober reflection. Abdullahi said Nigeria was going through a trial period, adding that Muslims should use the Ramadan period to pray for divine intervention for the country. “My advice is that all those virtuous attributes that define the Ramadan should not just go with the period. “Those lessons are there for us to imbibe and sustain through life,” he said. Nawair-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria (NUD) Lagos

•Monsignor Osu

•Imam Shuaib

Missioner Sheikh AbdulMajeed Ayinla, urged Muslims to pray for continued peace in Nigeria. The cleric appealed to Federal Government to give priority to the welfare of the masses. He said the gap between the rich and the poor in the country had become too wide and was affecting the peace of the country. “Governance is all about the well-being of the people.

Government should scale up its welfare programmes. “We don’t want empty promises, we don’t want white elephant projects, what

we don’t want white elephant projects, what we want is food on the table of an average Nigerian”

we want is food on the table of an average Nigerian. “When the citizens are happy, peace will flourish,” he said.

The Communication Director, Catholic Diocese of Lagos, Monsignor Gabriel Osu, called on Muslims to shun acts that would affect the progress of Nigeria and emulate the virtues of Prophet Muhammad. “This is a time for Nigerians to put aside their differences; a time for those who are violent to let peace reign,’’ Osu said. Osu urged adherents to show love and brotherliness among themselves and Nigerians in general through giving to the needy. “You cannot separate love from alms giving, we must demonstrate our love for God

by giving to the less privileged,’’ he said. The spokesman, Association of African Traditional Religion of Nigeria (AATREN), Mr Lekan Ajirotutu, urged adherents to use the period to pray for the country. “We advise Muslims to remain strong in faith; we urge them to continue to pray for Nigeria, this is a good time for Nigerian Muslims to pray for the challenges the country is facing. “The 30 days of fasting is a period of closeness to their God, and the best they should do is pray for our leaders,’’ he said.

Behold! we said to the angels: “Bow down unto Adam”. They bowed down except Iblis: He said: “shall I bow down to one whom thou didst create from clay? Qu’ran 17 vs 61 Sponsored by ALHAJI KHAMIS TUNDE BADMUS Asiwaju Musulumi of the Yorubaland

RAMADAN GUIDE WITH FEMI ABBAS e-mail: femabbas@yahoo.com Tel: 08122697498

Wive’s role in Ramadan

ERHAPS, in no other month of Hijrah calendar is the role of Muslim women (especially wives) more pronounced than in Ramadan. Like in other months, they display the roles of wives, mothers as well as that of their husband’s confidants. But more than in other months, they mostly exhibit their spiritual dedication in Ramadan. In that sacred month they fast like their men counterparts. They observe Salat five times daily like those counterparts except in menstrual period. They join those men in observing Tarawih after the Iftar every evening. Some of them even attend Tafsir and public lectures. Yet, they do their normal work just like men either in offices, shops, or farms. And they never relent in carrying out their matrimonial duties. Even as they assist their husbands financially in maintaining the homes, they still take care of those husbands as well as their children and relatives domestically. At the time of the day when the husbands are knocked out by fatigue arising from fasting, the wives are still busy in the kitchen preparing Iftar for the household. And at the time in the night when some husbands are engaged in Tahajjud, or are snoring in bed, the wives are already up in the kitchen preparing the Sahur for the family. Some of these women are carrying pregnancy. Some are suckling their children. Some of them are knowledgeable enough to do the Tilawah (recitation of the Qur’an) like their husbands. Some of them are even rich enough to finance the home fully or partially. And, in all these activities, they never feel tired. Where and when they feel tired, they never show it. If any month has ever depicted the virtues of women, it is Ramadan and the women activities in it. Wives are the live wire of the matrimonial homes just as their husbands are the transformers. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was quoted as saying that “The best amongst you (men) are those who are best to their wives in treatment....” Therefore, if only for the reason of their activities in Ramadan alone, wives deserve tenderness and dignified treatment in the hands of their husbands.

•Head of Anatomic and Molecular Pathology Department, College of Medicine, University of Lagos Prof Fatima AbdulKareem (middle) with (from left) Alcatel-Lucent General Project Manager Faheed Olajide; Chairman, Safamaq Group of Companies Arch Mutiu Adeboye; a medical practitioner Alhaja Sherifat Oke and Consultant Nephrologist Dr AbdulWasiu Busari during an Iftar (Breaking of fast) organised by the Guild of Muslim Professionals for Peace and Development at Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja.

HE lawmaker repre senting Oyo federal constituency, Prince Akeem Adeyemi has urged Muslims to use the Ramadan period to pray for God’s divine intervention over the numerous problems facing the nation. Adeyemi said despite enormous human and material resources the country is blessed with, the problems of insecurity and fi-

Lawmaker seeks divine intervention By Sikiru AKINOLA, Ibadan nancial mess have deeply affected governance, calling on Nigerians, irrespective of tribes, religion and political affiliations, to join hands to over these problems. According to him, this holy month of Ramadhan

can be religiously used to seek God’s intervention “because we cannot continue like this if we are to witness developmental projects and economic transformations. We may say that insecurity is the problem of the northern people but are they not part of Nigeria? Anything that

happens to any part of the country would definitely affect us a whole”. He prayed for the success of the administration of Muhammadu Buhari. “President Buhari has what it takes to take us to the Promised land because of what he represents,” he said.

Security expert urges Muslims to strengthen relationship with Allah

ENOWNED security ex pert and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ambassador Abayomi Nurain Mumuni has enjoined Muslims to maximize the rewards that come with the month of Ramadan and sustain the virtues taught by the holy month afterwards. Mumuni, who contested for governorship election in 2011 under the defunct Congress for Progressives Congress (CPC) in Lagos state, in a Ramadan message, urged them to use the month to strengthen their relationship with Allah. Mumuni, who described Ramadan as a rare opportunity that is rife with Allah’s forgiveness, blessings and emancipation from hell-fire, said that the month calls for serious engagement in acts of worship. The Aare Jagunmade of Lagos said: “Ramadan is about fasting with sincerity to attain piety and the pleasure of our Lord. It is a college on its own where our faith and soul could be easily nurtured and filled with piety. “Essentially, the fasting is not

By Tajudeen ADEBANJO merely restricting oneself from eating and drinking from dawn to sunset alone, it transcends that. We are expected to use the month to strengthen our rela-

tionship with Allah through numerous righteous deeds. Our mouths, eyes and every other parts of our body must be grossly engaged in remembrance of Allah. This is how we can feel the impact in our souls.” Mumuni, who authors Global

Terrorism and its Effects on Humanity stressed that the month was meant teach mankind how to live in peace with their fellow beings irrespective of their creeds, and extend hands of love and brotherhood to fellow brethren.

Embrace self denial, Muslims urged

HIEFTAINS of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Hon Oluwatoyin Isiaka Suarau and Oluwatoyin Balogun have enjoined Muslims to imbibe the teachings of self denial, sobriety, perseverance, kindness, devotion during and after Ramadan fasting. Outline these ideals in his Ramadan message, Suarau said the fear of God, which is the cardinal objective of the spiritual exercise, outlive the Ramadan period in a release by his media aide, Alex Oguntuase. The former federal lawmaker emphasised the significance of the holy period, as espoused by the holy Quran

By Idayat BELLO and the Hadith. He reminded Muslims of the importance to shield themselves from sins and cleanse their souls. Balogun called for peaceful co-existence among religious groups. He enjoined Nigerians to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari. He said: “The recent clarification made by President Muhammadu Buhari, that Nigerians should not anticipate quick fixes should not be interpreted as reneging on his campaign promises. Though our expectation is very high,

but he have to rule by due process, in which all programmes and policies have to pass through an explicit legislative process. “Besides, to get system functional in accordance with due process, it will take time since the economic rot and colossal impunity entrenched in the system by previous administration of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP in the last sixteen years have to be cleared. “Let us be rest assured that the commitment of the new administration to good governance, restructuring of dilapidated infrastructural facilities and restoration of hope of the common man is intact.

THE NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 26-06-15

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 26-06-15

THE NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

SPORT EXTRA CAF CONFEDERATION CUP

Eduok ready for Al Ahly

• Eduok

SPERANCE striker Emem Eduok, 21, has been previewing one of the biggest games he’ll play in his career, the CAF Confederation Cup tie against holders Al Ahly on Sunday. Unlike their opponents, the Tunisian League ended around four weeks ago, meaning the Esperance squad will be match rusty heading into the match at the Third Army Stadium

(Agroud, Suez). But Eduok doesn’t want to hear that and has erased thoughts that The Blood and Gold are in Egypt to play for a draw. “We have been in Cairo since Thursday, it’s a big game. I think it is possible for us to win in front of Al Ahly’s vociferous fans,” says Emem Eduok to allnigeriasoccer.com. “Football is about taking your chances when they come. We started training a week ago so I think we can level up. “We are not thinking of a draw because they will come for a return leg in Tunis. “No, I have not discussed about this game with Peter Ebimobowei, we will see on the pitch.” The Nigeria B international has scored 9 goals in all competitions since he was unveiled by Esperance in the winter transfer market, including a brace against Hearts of Oak in the Confederation Cup play - offs.

Esiti claims Monaco interest N

IGERIA midfielder Anderson Esiti has said there is interest from Monaco for him. And the Estoril of Portugal star said he would be honoured to play for a top club like Monaco. “Yes, there is interest from Monaco for me, but it’s not yet official,” the 21-year-old player revealed.

‘Keshi’s Ivory Coast job application is illegal’ F Super Eagles Coach Stephen Keshi applied for the Les Éléphants job it was illegal, former Eagles Captain and Keshi’s teammate Sunday Oliseh told www.footballlive.ng. ” Its illegal to seek another job as a coach if you are employed by another association but let’s not jump guns, can anybody really tell if he applied? However, though Oliseh feels Keshi is under undue pressure

• Esiti

MAIKABA TO UNDER - 23 TEAM

Adegbite promises hat-trick Collective defending vital to your success against Sunshine Stars

DEGBITE, who was Rangers match winner in Warri, said he is so optimistic he will score a hat trick, when fielding questions ahead of Sunday cracker. The Lagos-born attacker boasted that no matter what Sunshine come up with, he cannot be stopped.

• Emeka Eze

“I am very sure it will happen (a hat-trick against Sunshine) ,mark this day. I know that I have opened my goal-scoring spree following the goal in Warri,” he declared. He played with the first team in Thursday’s training session. Rangers midfielder Emeka Eze said they will outshine the visiting Sunshine Stars. “We parade the best squad in the league coupled with a great technical that team selection may be the problem. When you look at it, every department is strong,” he told AfricanFootball.com. “Sunshine will fall in Enugu, they will move down the ladder after we must have beaten them. “I have no doubt we will out run them, though I know it won't come easy, but I am opmistic we will get the maximum three points.”

Dosu gets return date

NJURED Shooting Stars goalkeeper John Dosu has told AfricanFootball.com he will return to training in three weeks according to the club’s doctor, who has been working round the clock to ensure the player is back to full fitness. The former Akwa United goalkeeper has been sidelined by a knee injury for over three months. "I am getting better day by day. I have not been in the team since the opening game due to my knee problem. I twisted my knee when I wanted to turn on a cone during training ahead of the second league game and I have been out of action since then,” he told AfricanFootball.com. “It has been a torrid period for me because I am sad watching my team mates play why I can't because of the injury, but the club's medical team, who have been working round the clock to see that I am fit again, told me I will be ready to return in three weeks." The big goalkeeper said he is most grateful to the club

management for their support. "The club management have been supporting me since the injury, The general manager in particular have been so supportive, I so much appreciate him, also the new coach for his understanding,” he said. “The club has been taking care of my medical bills and the club physiotherapist is working on the leg daily. I also appreciate my big brothers Joseph and David for their support."

• Dosu

“I will be honoured to play for such a big club, who feature in the Champions League season after season.” The little known Esiti made his Eagles debut in an AFCON 2017 qualifier at home against Chad earlier this month. The Warri-born Esiti joined Estoril last year from another Portuguese club Leixoes SC.

IKKI Tourists head coach, Abdu Maikaba has admonished the handlers of the U23 national team to tell the players to work on collective defending especially when they lose possession after a foiled

From Tunde Liadi,Owerri counter attack. The Bauchi side made of reserved players, held Samson Siasia U23 team to a 3-3 draw and Maikaba in a chat with NationSport advised the team to work on retracing their steps

Mfon Udoh returns to training Monday

• Udoh

NYIMBA sports director Jude Ayandufu has announced striker Mfon Udoh will return to full training on Monday. “Mfon Udoh will return to full training on Monday,” disclosed Anyadufu to further clear the erroneous story on the Nigeria league all-time top scorer. A media report had earlier this week said the striker was down with a stroke, a claim

both Enyimba and the player dismissed. Udoh himself told AfricanFootball.com: "I was sad to read such story about me. Stroke is not my portion in Jesus name. “I don't have stroke I only suffered Typhoid fever and I am good now in fact I have started jogging and doing ball work. "It saddened my heart and annoying that someone will out our such damaging story without confirming with me, I don't know what the writer want to gain in writing such falsehood about me or what the person the writer claimed told him such lie want to gain from such, as you speak to me now I am on my way going out. "I am okay and never suffered a stroke, you can hear me speak well as against the claim in the story.” The illness also kept him out of the Eagles AFCON qualiifer against Chad earlier this month.

back when they go forward to get goals so that their opponents do not capitalise on this to nail them. Maikaba admits that the U23 side were the better side against them with their all attacking style of play but he stressed that they got their three goals through their foes, inability to defend after they lost initiatives in attack. "The U23 side are a good team and they dominated the game from the beginning to the end but that the failed to properly clear their lines after they lost possession in attack. We only created seven scoring chances and scored three goals as against them that had over 18 chances and only converted three too. If they can collectively defend it will make them a great side," Maikaba told NationSport.

the fitness level and condition of the invited girls, adding it was necessary to fortify the team in view of the challenges expected in future assignments. The Falconets finished runners up in the 2014 FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in Canada losing 1-0 to Germany at extratime. The team is made up of some 2014 U20 squad members and the U17 side that prosecuted Costa Rica 2014. The Falconets will begin its quest for a place at the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup against Liberia next month. Liberia got past Sierra Leone for the right to face Nigeria.

• Keshi

Eq/Guinea plans Falcons’ defeat

QUATORIAL Guinea has disclosed that their secret to clip the wings of the Super Falcons in the two-legged 2016 Olympic Games Qualifier will be to have each player perform at 100 percent of her potential. Confluence Queens number one goalkeeper Ruth Sunday, who will soon hit camp with the Equatorial Guinea squad, has averred that Nigeria's status of reigning African Champions will be of no use as they need the qualification as much as Equatorial Guinea too. “Our minds are on the upcoming matches against Nige-

Falconets preparing hard for Liberia test HE Falconets camp was officially opened on Tuesday 23rd June as the girls began preparation for the 2016 FIFA Women's World Cup Qualifiers against Liberia. As at the time of filing this report on Thursday night, more than 31 players trained at the FIFA Goal Project Technical Centre. The girls were put through conditional training and tactical drills. Head coach of the team, Peter Dedevbo, has therefore revealed that equal opportunities will be given to players to fight for shirts. Devevbo, said the next two days would be used to ascertain

from his employers and urged the Nigeria Football Federation to ignore the recent developments and focus on providing an enabling working atmosphere for the Coach. In a very strong statement, Oliseh who has also served as a member of FIFA’s technical study group, says he identified the Federation’s inability to find a ‘credible’ replacement for Keshi on the job as a vital reason to condone the 53-year-old. ” Personally I feel its much to do about nothing, but my concern is if you kick Keshi out who is credible enough to coach the Super Eagles. But why not make him very comfortable provide him all the necessary roots to make his job smooth. He’s a personality and we all know he’s not perfect but then again who is?” the former Eagles’ captain posited.

• Dedevbo

The 2016 Women's U20 World Cup finals will be held in Papua New Guinea.

ria whom we have played before. Though we respect them as the African champions, we are all chasing the same dream of qualifying for the Olympic Games and at this point the history will not be useful,” Ruth Sunday told News24. In the first round of the qualifiers, Equatorial Guinea defeated Congo in both legs, with Nigeria qualifying without kicking a ball, as Mali failed to show up. “We cannot afford to be complacent at this moment. The secret will be for each player to give 100 percent in both matches,” the Nigerianborn goal minder asserted. The Equatorial Guinean training camp will start bubbling in the next ten days with the arrival of foreign-based stars like Belarus-based Chinasa Okoro, Tobi Olarenwaju, Germanybased Genoveva Anouma and others. The first leg will take place on 18th July at the Liberation Stadium in Port Harcourt while the return leg will be played in Bata. The winner of the fixture between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea will clash with the winner of the fixture between South Africa and Kenya, for a spot at the Women’s Football Tournament of next year’s Olympic Games, taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

THE NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015

SPORT EXTRA BATTLE OF DAR ES SALAM

Eagles will win without Onazi, says Ighalo S

UPER Eagles and Watford of England striker, Jude Odion Ighalo has revealed that the Eagles will sorely miss suspended midfielder Eddy Onazi in the forthcoming fixtures of the 2017 AFCON qualifiers. Onazi was sent off in Nigeria’s 2-0 win in the first 2017 Afcon qualifier against Chad in Kaduna but Ighalo insists their are players capable of filling in for the virtuoso midfielder. Ighalo stated that the Eagles are poised for a good showing in the

forthcoming games which the midfielder will miss and has predicted great outcomes. ” He made mistakes and apologized to the team but certainly he’d be missed in the next set of games because he’s an important member of the team. ” Am sure we have players who can ably deputize in Onazi’s unfortunate absence. So we’ll keep working hard together, remain focus and get good results without him,” Ighalo told www.footballlive.ng.

GUINESS RECORD FIGHT

Bash Ali writes Buhari • Accuses govt. officials of sabotage

IGERIA’S boxing champion, Bash Ali, OON has written President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, accusing some corrupt officials in his government of frustrating his efforts in organising the first Guinness World Record (GWR) on African soil in Nigeria. In a letter dated June 26, 2015 and titled, ‘Guinness World Record Boxing Championship Fight Versus Corruption And Bad Administration In Nigeria’, the World Boxing Federation cruiser weight champion, narrated some of the hardship he went through in order for the fight to see the light of the day. According to Ali, if Nigeria hosts the fight by investing $48m, the country is guaranteed to make a $750m profit which would be channeled to building 5 sports academies with Olympic size swimming pools across the country at the rate of $20m each and a $20m sports equipment manufacturing factory in Nigeria. Ali said the profit would be made via Pay Per View as it would be watched live from Europe, North America, Asia and Africa which could amount to over $1b USD and above all Nigeria will become the FIRST country in Africa to host a Guinness World Record (GWR) Boxing Championship Fight. He said the only problem delaying the project is the fact that corrupt government officials are frustrating the efforts of the Bash Ali Boxing Project Local Organizing Committee (LOC) inaugurated in 2006 to raise funds to organise the boxing com-

• Buhari

petition. “Since 2006 till date, bribe demands have been made by officials at the NSC, Nexim bank and other arms of the FG but I have refused to kotow to their demands and damned the consequences. “On February 11, 2014 and April 30, 2014, Nexim bank demanded for $10m USD bribe from the fight cost and $100m USD bribe from the PPVTV Profit to be shared among the NSC, Ministry of Finance, Bank of Industry, Nexim bank and the Presidency. Because I refused their bribe demands they have refused to release the Fight Cost as instructed by the FG.” “I am a resilient fighter and a true believer in the Nigeria Project/Historic Event, despite the FG wasting 9 years of my life, despite being questioned and beaten by the Police on the invitation of the NSC, despite being beaten and injured by the Police on the invitation of Nexim bank and spending 8 days (September 1-9, 2014) on admission in the Trauma Ward, National hospital, Abuja, despite being detained at Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) cell and later spending 41 days in Kuje Prison from February 18, 2015 to April 2, 2015 with hardened criminals.” Ali in his letter urged the presidency to within the next seven days to: 1.Take over the total control of the LOC for effective, transparent and positive development in order to meet with the International Boxing Union requirements or instruct the new NSC Director General, Yakmut Alhassan to act accordingly. 2. Put in place a committee to investigate my allegations against the NSC and Nexim bank and also to investigate why Nexim Bank and Bank of Industry refused to comply with the LOC Term of Reference as ordered by the Federal Government. 3.Order the immediately release to the LOC the N50M logistics money which Nexim Bank gave to the NSC so the LOC can keep working. 4.That the FG should once again invite to Nigeria all the principal actors for a fresh contract signing.

• Super Eagles celebrate their 2-0 victory against Chad in Kaduna

Oliseh defends Enyeama

ORMER Nigeria captain Sunday Oliseh has frowned at the manner in which football governing body is handling the issue involving goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) this week summoned the Super Eagles’ captain and goalkeeper before a disciplinary committee for what it described as "unguarded comments" to the media over its choice of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna for their 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Chad earlier this month. Enyeama did not turn up before the committee on the claims that he did not receive any official notification of such and did not respond to an earlier query given by the NFF. Reports in Nigeria now suggest that the LOSC Lille Metropole goal-

keeper could be sanctioned. But Oliseh is of the view that Enyeama should be treated as a professional footballer and not a civil servant under the full employ of the football federation. The former Juventus and Borussia Dortmund midfielder believes that Enyeama's view as captain of the Nigerian men's national team "should be respected." "He is not a civil servant. Why are you querying him?" Oliseh asked in an interview with Brila FM on Friday. "He is a professional football player, the captain of the team and simply aired his opinion and I think that should be respected. Oliseh, 40, further said it was wrong to crucify Enyeama, who he regards as "one of the best goalkeeper in the world."

Carpi eyes Joel Obi

CCORDING to reporting by Sky Sport Italia, Nigeria international Joel Obi is on the radar of newly promoted Serie A side Carpi. The higher - ups at the Biancorossi are pushing to close a deal for the Inter Milan player in the summer transfer window. And they are mulling whether to acquire his whole economic rights from Inter Milan or snap him up on a season long loan. Carpi will compete with fellow Serie A newcomers Frosinone for the signature of the attacking midfielder. Though Joel Obi is under contract with Inter Milan until June 30, 2017, a departure from the

San Siro is not out of topic following his lack of first team opportunities. In the last three seasons, the 24 - year - old has made only 7 starts for Inter Milan in the top flight.

• Joel Obi

CAF U-23 CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER

Awoniyi, Mohammed, Alampasu, Saviour hit camp

IGERIA Under 20 internationals Taiwo Awoniyi, Musa Mohammed, Saviour Godwin and Dele Alampasu have hit the Dream Team VI camp ahead of the African Under 23 Championship qualifier against Congo next month. Coach Samson Siasia had issued an ultimatum to the quartet that they must all be in camp latest Friday after failing to show up at the Serob Legacy Hotel at the start of this week. First to arrive in camp was Saviour Godwin, who was

spotted on Thursday night at around 2000 hours, followed by Kalmar trainee Taiwo Awoniyi, who arrived on Friday morning at 1015 hours. Shortly after Awoniyi’s arrival, his skipper Musa Mohammed stormed the camp in a casual outfit before new Estoril signing Dele Alampasu joined the squad before lunch. The four players are in good physical condition, having represented the Flying Eagles at the recently FIFA Under 20 World Cup in New Zealand.

Return of Iheanacho <<<<<<Continued from back page management’s chiefs are not ria didn’t qualify for the 2012 Afrelying on such mundane talks rica Cup of Nations. But by Ugbade on their ward. Enyeama must learn to behave Iheanacho was listed in the like one whose certificate reads team’s pre-season tour. I will that he has been found worthy support Manchester City’s men in character and learning. if they don’t release Iheanacho for Nigeria’s matches. It would Wise decision Chelsea serve us right. The Olympics isn’t I’m excited that Chelsea FC of on FIFA’s calendar. The decision London’s chiefs rejected Al Ain to have Iheanacho play for NiFC of United Arab Emirates’ bid geria rests with Manchester City. for Nigeria international John And they won’t let us have him Mikel Obi. Mikel sought for an because of the demeaning manexit from Chelsea because of his ner in which he was treated by lack of first team shirt. This is a our coaches in New Zealand. wise decision by Mikel, especially So many contrasting reasons as he wants to be a true profeshave been given for sidelining sional by playing regularly. Iheanacho. Those who said he But the big snag in my view was big-headed must underand perhaps that of Chelsea stand that he knows as much as would be the choice of a team in they do about the reason for their UAE. Manyplayers who go unbecoming conduct towards there are in the twilight of their him. The coaches have pushed careers. Not for Mikel, who Iheanacho to the wall by their could easily play for teams like antics. He fought back, knowing Liverpool, Southampton, that he is appreciated at Tottenham etc in the Barclays Manchester City. Our coaches English Premier League. must understand why some of Mikel still has some more our big players don’t like playyears playing at the top level for ing for Nigeria. other clubs with very few qualThese exposed players qualify ity players. Mikel should emuto play for their European clubs late goalkeeper Petr Cech who when they play regularly for crossed over to Arsenal from their countries. So, keeping Chelsea. Such horizontal moveIheanacho on the bench reduces ment is what Mikel should aim his value before his employers. at, not a sharp slide to irrelevance And with such a competitive which is what the UAE move platform, it is only fair that our represents. coaches field players they have June 27, 2004 invited to the camp on current form and not bench them beJune 27, 2004 was the saddest cause of issues that would later day of my life. No prize for guesshaunt them like we saw at New ing right. On that day, the least Zealand. news that one expected to hear I hope that Manchester City was the demise of my mother releases Iheanacho to Samson Abigail Isevbua Ojeikere. No preSiasia for the country’s 2016 monition that something bad Olympic Games’ campaign in would happen later in the day. Rio de Janerio, Brazil - to allow But it happened at about 5.45pm him prove his mettle and show when my phone rang. everyone that he was victimised Looking at the phone, I in New Zealand. recognised that it was an intercall. I wasn’t taken Enyeama must national aback because such calls came change from my sister Aima and then conversations with my ailing The big news this week has mum and my dad who was also been the startling revelation from in Philadelphia, US. Vincent Enyeama that he wasn’t I picked the call but this time sent any letter to appear before it wasn’t Aimalohi but her husany disciplinary panel. Ademola band Tolu. My heart sank but I Olajire’s counter claims that the braced for the worst. And when letter was sent to Enyeama Tolu asked me if I had eaten, I through his club is laughable beknew it was a script that had not cause the European leagues are been perfected or was being on break. Players have empoorly delivered. Tears rolled barked on holidays outside their down my cheeks when the bases. phone went dead. This shocker puts a line on arWhen Tolu called again, I guments from cynics that asked him if mum had passed Enyeama shunned the meeting, on. He paused and confirmed thus setting him against the Nimy fears. Abigail Isevbua geria Football Federation’s Ojeikere had gone home to rest. (NFF’s) eggheads. It showed She died at the University of that if Enyeama received such a Pennsylvania Hospital. The conletter, he would have appeared versation was short. It had to. before the NFF panel. Thank Quietly, I packed my things at you, Enyeama for showing that work and headed for the Manyou are a disciplined person. aging Director’s office to break Again, I was bowled over by the sad news. I couldn’t tell him the panel’s decision not to aggrawhat happened as I broke down vate the matter by advising the in tears. The MD didn’t need any NFF to handle the issue intermore word from me as he connally. The panel warned about soled me. We talked about my the ripple effect of any harsh demum’s condition regularly. And cision against Enyeama in order so when I cried, he knew that not to jeopardise our chances of the worst had happened. qualifying for the 2017 Africa Eleven years; just like yesterCup of Nations. day. My mum and I shared the It simply means that the NFF same birthday - September 9 men learned a lesson from what and each time the day comes, I befell the country when Samson remember her. Siasia rigidly stuck to his decision As she rests in the bossom of not to invite Enyeama to the the Lord, it is important that she camp, following his botched atis celebrated by those she left betempt to rally his mates not to hind. May God in His infinite board a small aircraft to Europe. mercies continue to keep our dad Many pundits still believe that S.J Ojeikere as fit as a fiddle. As Nigeria would have qualified for for my brothers (Oare, Ejemai the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, and Imonike) and sisters (Ronke had Enyeama manned the goal and Aimalohi), today is one day in the last group game against we should spare a thought for Guinea, which ended 2-2. This our wonderful mum. is debatable though, but it offers Mehen nosen, the late Dame a platform for many to hinge Abigail Isevbua Ojeikere. their submissions on why Nige-

TOMORROW IN THE NATION PUNCHLINE

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL.10, NO. 3258

But, if the legislators must fight in the hallowed chambers again, they are free to. As a matter of fact, they can even remove each other’s teeth with blows but not over their obscene salaries and allowances or over political positions, but over the multifarious problems facing the country

—Tunji Adegboyega

HERE is something serene, calm, unflappable, almost other worldly about him. Like Mahatma Ghandi or to a lesser extemt, Obafemi Awolowo, he cuts the figure of a secular saint – ascetic, disciplined, self-sacrificial. I refer to none other than President Muhammadu Buhari, who on March 28th was emphatically elected by Nigerians to clear up the mess of a decade and a half of PDP misrule and lead the country in a new direction through positive change. Of course, it is great to have saints in politics. But the sad truth is that there are more non-saints in the vocation - political actors whose intellectual patron saint is Machiavelli and their cynical motto: the end justifies the means. This is probably why Winston Churchill once famously remarked that in politics, the truth is often protected by a body guard of lies. The starry eyed idealist is unlikely to make much impact in the cloak and dagger terrain of politics. This is why by his taciturnity and seeming inattentiveness to partisan political issues, President Buhari is allowing another serene looking and cherubic but far more tricky, manipulative and amoral politician, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, current torch bearer of the Saraki dynasty and former governor of Kwara State for two terms to run rings round him and begin to place himself in a vantage position for the 2019 presidential election. In a desperate pursuit of his limitless personal political ambition, Senator Saraki defied his party and connived with the minority PDP and some APC renegade Senators to emerge as Senate President. Saraki’s legislative coup against his party was reportedly executed with the support of another key party chieftain, former Vice President AtikuAbubakar. It is surely an interesting tag team. Both men are hugely ambitious. In his quest to occupy Nigeria’s apex political position at all costs, the peripatetic Atiku has traversed diverse political parties including the PDP, Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) back to the PDP until he finally landed in the All Progressives Congress (APC). If tomorrow the PDP offers him a platform to run for President, Atiku will dump the APC like a hot potato. In that sense he and Saraki are Siamese twins. All that matters is their personal interest, their acquisition of power no matter how and irrespective of the character or moral integrity of the platform. For now, between Atiku and Saraki it is a blissful marriage of convenience. If they succeed in ultimately outwitting those tendencies and individuals within the APC that they consider common enemy today, it is so obvious that the duo will turn on each other with unprecedented fury. The smell of blood flows in the lavender mist of the afternoon to quote the poet, Christopher Okigbo. When Saraki announced shortly before the APC presidential primaries that he was withdrawing from the race in the larger interest of the party, I thought I was seeing and listening to a new Bukola Saraki. Party cohesion, fidelity to principle, a commitment to the consolidation of the APC as a formidable political party – all these I thought weighed on his mind. This

Saraki’s gross irresponsibility

‘

The ascension of governors of average or even below average performance to the Senate is one indication of the country’s continuing political underdevelopment. Saraki was not in any way outstanding as governor of Kwara State for eight years

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•Saraki was not certainly the Saraki who so ruthlessly confronted his late father, the illustrious Dr Olusola Saraki, on the issue of his successor resulting in a shock from which the senior Saraki reportedly never fully recovered until his demise. But Bukola Saraki has shown his true colours. He has not changed one bit. Bukola has not batted an eye lid even as he stabbed his party so viciously in the back in the Senate Presidency election. It was the same way he was completely emotionally detached from the agonies caused his father by the handling of the 2011 succession in Kwara. Like electricity, Bukola apparently has no feelings. Of course, no one is saying the elder Saraki was right in wanting his daughter, Gbemi, to succeed Bukola. But the issue could have been handled more subtly, deftly and delicately to minimise the psychological trauma of the great Oloye. Some analysts have argued that the APC has no right to complain about the emergence of Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and House Speaker respectively against the choices of the party leadership. After all, they contend, was it not the opposition ACN that enabled Aminu Tambuwal to become Speaker of the House against the wish of his

own political party? There may be some merit in that argument. But the important thing is that the two national assembly leadership positions as well as all other key offices of the two legislative chambers were occupied by members of the ruling party. What do you make of a situation in which Bukola Saraki sold out the critical position of Deputy Senate President to Senator Ike Ekweremadu of the PDP just to secure his own ambition at the expense of his party? Apparently accepting Saraki’s emergence as Senate President as a fait accompli, the party leadership sent its approved list of candidates for other principal offices of the legislature to both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Not only did Saraki refuse to read the letter from his own party chairman, Chief Odigie Oyegun, in the Senate chambers, he unilaterally announced his list of occupants of the various offices – a list at variance with that of his party leadership. This is the height of irresponsibility. It reinforces the position I took last week that Saraki is obviously through with the APC. He is either fully back in the PDP or he is now running a one man political party. So confident has Saraki become that he has even turned a deaf ear to the APC governors’ forum, which called on him to respect the su-

premacy of the party. As Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole convincingly put it, “Basically, what we are saying is that the senators should adopt the position of the party. We were all elected on the platform of the party. We are not just a collection of individuals. We are a political party and when the party has spoken we must listen. Otherwise, if it was a game of individuals like golf, then individuals can go their ways. I think it is very clear at this point that the party has the responsibility to keep the system going…We as governors, we listen to the party and we also expect our Senators to listen to the party.” It is clear that such homilies cut no ice with Saraki. His haughtiness is so evident in his carriage, conduct and demeanor. In a chamber in which the Senate President is only the first among equals, Saraki’s unbridled arrogance may end up being his banana peel. The ascension of governors of average or even below average performance to the Senate is one indication of the country’s continuing political underdevelopment. Saraki was not in any way outstanding as governor of Kwara State for eight years. His so-called agricultural revolution through the attraction of white farmers from Zimbabwe to farm in Kwara State has turned out to be unsustainable and a veritable waste of funds. It was under his watch that the Societe General Bank was run aground with thousands of depositors becoming impoverished for life. Before the advent of Saraki as Kwara state governor, the state owned Trade Bank was one of the most profitable and viable in the country. The Saraki administration killed the bank. In 2009, the Saraki administration in Kwara state obtained a N17 billion bond from the capital market. Among others, the money was to build an International Truck Plaza, construct a brand new state secretariat, embark on phase 2 of its commercial agriculture programme, uplift the Asa Dam as well as establish a cement facility. To the best of my knowledge, none of these has been implemented. Where then has all the money gone? Senator BukolaSaraki is yet to convincingly explain his role in the acquisition and ultimate liquidation of Erastus Akingbola’s Intercontinental Bank. Is it true that a N39 billion debt owed the bank by Saraki was written off in connivance with certain key elements of the Central Bank after Akingbola’s forced exit as the Bank’s Managing Director? It will be quite interesting to see how President MuhammaduBuhari’s promised anti-corruption war will fly with a Senate President like Saraki as head of the National Assembly. Even as he openly defies and despises the leadership of his party at the national level, Saraki maintains a tight grip on the party structure in Kwara state. For instance, he has just allegedly instigated the suspension of 22 members of the party in Kwara state including a former Secretary to the State government for purported anti-party activities allegedly including being rude to Saraki! Let Saraki be careful how he manages this victory of the moment. For, if humpty dumpty has a great fall, who will put humpty dumpty together again?

Ade Ojeikere on Saturday talk2adeojeikere@yahoo.com

Return of Iheanacho

have never met Kelechi Iheanacho or his fa ther. But I have been enchanted with the sub lime skills Iheanacho displays during matches. The world watched in awe as Iheanacho showed tremendous abilities on and off the ball. His deft dribbles, quick interchange of passes with his mates and his telegraphic vision in releasing thunderbolts that left many goalkeepers sprawling on the turf, made Iheanacho, the kid that big clubs wanted to have in their academies until he attained the age to play the beautiful game at the top. Two years ago, Iheanacho was the world’s best kindergarten player. European teams struggled to sign the new kid with some of his coaches allegedly angling to be his agent. Some have even said that some of the federation chiefs

were part of the managing Iheanacho saga, until the boy’s dad rightly demanded to be his son’s manager. Nothing wrong with that decision by the father, but it ruffled feathers of the coaches who felt they brought Iheanacho to limelight as if they bought him the first ball that he kicked around his father’s house. This writer started feeling worried by comments of top brass in our football over Iheanacho’s conduct since he joined Manchester City. Listening to them, I wasn’t convinced but the bile in their utterances showed that why Iheanacho must not play for Nigeria. I was sad but prayed that God should touch these folks’ hearts and allow the boy achieve the feat of transiting from U-17 through U-20, U-23 and the Super Eagles. Indeed, I thought that no coach would drop Iheanacho from the Nigerian side, if he wants to

win trophies. It didn’t come as a shock that Iheanacho was dropped, until he resurfaced in New Zealand. I wanted to see if his replacements were truly better. I had no doubt that the grassroots have many Iheanachos and would have celebrated if the coaches discovered one better than Iheanacho. Of course, any adventure done with malice falls flat on the faces of the executioners. I hope that the coaches and their cohorts now know better. It is pertinent to remind these national team coaches that they can’t discover any player at the grassroots because the national camp is not a nursery to groom players. Players at the national level were discovered by the local coaches. It is, therefore, wrong for any national coach to claim ownership of one, except he has an academy that nurtured such a player. I’m excited that Iheanacho will not be another

Chrisantus Macauley, the Nigerian U-17 at the 2007 World Cup, who earned all the accolades like Iheanacho but couldn’t play for other national teams because of coaches’ biases for their discoveries. The talk by the team’s assistant coach Nduka Ugbade that Iheanacho lost form during the World Cup is a lie. Ugbade has forgotten that we watched the matches of the B sides in England. Iheanacho was spectacular, leading to rave reviews of his exploits in the last season. It would pay Ugbade a lot if he goes online to watch clips of Iheanacho’s last six matches before coming to the Flying Eagles camp to appreciate how inappropriate his submission is. How can anyone call Iheanacho a brat when he was the first to report in New Zealand, immediately after a crucial game for Manchester City in England? The Nigerian contingent met him in New Zealand. Thank God Manchester City

•Continued on Page 71

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