The Nation May 19, 2012

OPERATION Fresh suit seeks to stop BEAT BAYERN Jonathan from Chelsea supporters reinstating prepare Salami PAGE cow for 4 Top govt victory officials circulate party PAGE

court papers

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Edo guber poll: INEC suspends voters’ registration

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Jega decries killings in the state

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL.07 N0. 2128

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

N150.00

Buhari: More knocks 2 for Jonathan, PDP Ex-Head of State’s statement not worse than PAGE

Obasanjo’s ‘do-or-die’, says ex-Ohanaeze boss

President has uttered words with greater security implications-Balarabe Tinubu: PDP victim of selective amnesia FAYEMI BURIES MUM

From left: Senator Lawrence Onoja; Senator George Akume; Aremo Segun Osoba; Chief Bisi Akande and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the burial of Governor Kayode Fayemi's mother, Madam Dorcas Fayemi, at Isan Ekiti... yesterday. SEE ANOTHER PICTURE ON PAGE 6

Governor Fayemi at the burial yesterday

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

We’ve invested over N1 trillion in our networks —Telecom operators •Reassure consumers of improved service

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HE four major telecommunication operators in Nigeria, Glo, MTN, Etisalat and Airtel, have invested more than N1 trillion in building and enhancing mobile networks in the country over the last 10 years.

The operators made the disclosure in an advertorial jointly published in various newspapers, adding that a further N400 billion will be deployed this year to enhance infrastructure across their networks.

Following the recent fine slammed on the major telecoms operators by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over perceived poor service quality, the affected operators jointly reassured consumers of improved service quality within the next 12 months, while they called for the understanding of all on the current harsh environment in which they operate.

The NCC last week fined the four major telecoms operators various sums of money for “failure to meet Quality of Service standards.” While MTN and Etisalat were fined N360 million each, Glo and Airtel were fined N180 million and N270 million respectively.

The affected telcom operators appealed to the Nigerian consumers over the poor quality of service and pledged to improve their services drastically within the next 12 months by further investing heavily to support their network infrastructure.

However, they noted that the operating environment has been a major hindrance to achieving the pre-determined benchmark set by the regulator. The networks described the operating environment as frustrating and volatile, urging the NCC and the people to encourage rather than condemn them.

A tanker allegedly used to convey illegal petroleum products at the Otuogori Waterside being set ablaze by the Joint Task Force (JTF) at Otuogori community in Bayelsa State On Friday. Inset: Drums and accessories used by illegal petroleum dealers yesterday Photo: NAN

More knocks for Jonathan over face-off with Buhari

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ORE knocks came the way of President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday over his response to General Muhammadu Buhari's warning against rigging in the 2015 elections.

Former President- General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Dozie Ikedife, said Gen. Buhari was being unnecessarily vilified, noting that worse statements had been uttered by other people.

This, he said, includes the "do or die" declaration by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Ikedife said: "It is necessary that we speak the truth and face the fact. Buhari should be praised for having the courage to say it the way he saw it and to sound a note of caution. And I want us to take that note of caution seriously.

“It is important that we evaluate the message rather than kill the messenger. His words are not worse than the man who declared that 'this election is do or die'. I think what Buhari is saying is 'don't win by hook or crook and that they should allow the opinion of Nigerians to prevail.

"Any person who faults that should tell us what he wants Nigeria to look like. It is absolutely necessary. If we want to entrench true and proper democracy, it should be one man, one vote. Every vote should count and be accounted for."

Ikedife does not see Buhari as desperate for anything other than his yearning "for a peaceful Nigeria where true democracy thrives. And he should not be vilified."

In the same vein, Second Republic governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa described the controversy generated by Buhari's statement as totally unnecessary, arguing that even President Jonathan had, in the past, made statements that have greater security implication for the country than Buhari's.

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RS Maiden Ibru, widow of the late publisher of The Guardian newspaper, Alex Ibru, yesterday lost in her bid to wind up Tourist Company of Nigeria Plc, owners of Federal Palace Hotel.

A Federal High Court in Lagos threw out a suit she filed to wind up the company.

Mrs Ibru, in the suit she filed on behalf of one of her late husband's companies - Omamo In-

PDP suffers from selective amnesia, says Tinubu

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HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suffers from selective amnesia by its claim that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), endorsed Goodluck Jonathan's emergence as president as free and fair.

Reacting to Olisa Metuh, the PDP National Publicity Secretary's claim that Tinubu endorsed President Jonathan's election at a lecture he gave at Chatham House in London, Sunday Dare, Tinubu's special adviser on Media, accused the PDP of wilful mischief, as Tinubu's statement was "deliberately" quoted out of context.

Mr. Metuh was reacting to the ACN support for Gen. Buhari's warning that dire consequences awaited the polity if elections were rigged in 2015.

But putting the records straight, Dare insisted that though Tinubu said he thought Jonathan won the election, his tally was exaggerated, thus casting a slur on the integrity of his victory.

Tinubu in that lecture on July 18, 2011 had declared: "I believe Jonathan won the election but that the returns attributed to him in some parts of the country obviously appeared exaggerated. Thus, celebrating the election as free and fair might lead to INEC beating its chest and might short-circuit the process of fundamental electoral reform. We must not relent in our struggle for fundamental reforms."

In the same speech, Asiwaju Tinubu had warned about the danger of draping the 2011 elections in qualities they did not deserve, adding that such false hope could come back to haunt Nigeria if future elections were not improved upon, saying that by then, the damage might even be beyond the judiciary to fix.

He added: "The negative consequence of this inflated measure is that the bar has been set too low for the conduct of Augustine AVWODE

He said the case of Buhari has attracted more attention only because he is a former head of state. Otherwise, he was merely saying what every other Nigerian has been saying in respect of rigging elections.

He said: "The controversy is unnecessary for two reasons.

First, what Buhari said is what every other Nigerian has been saying about the need for free and fair elections. But because Buhari is a former head of State, more people react to whatever he says.

"Secondly, even President

Jonathan had, in the past, made statements with far greater security implication than what we just heard. If a president said all public institutions have collapsed, isn't that a serious statement with greater security implication?

"With regards to Boko Haram, if the President said Boko Haram has infiltrated all government agencies including the Presidency, is that not of greater security risk?

"Buhari wanted us to be mindful of the implications of rigged elections. If people have forgotten, it was what led to the unrest in the South West and eventu-

subsequent elections. Those in power now believe they will not have to improve the process. This would be a gross miscalculation of the public mood. Should subsequent elections be of the same uneven quality, I fear a backlash that cannot simply be contained by resort to the judiciary for resolution."

Dare wondered how all these were different from what Gen. Buhari said, and how a party out of touch with reality and just throwing political tantrums, could claim Tinubu's analysis of the 2011 elections amounted to endorsing Jonathan's election.

On the so-called international observers' endorsement, Tinubu had warned in the same speech that such endorsement was hasty, misleading and did not represent the true picture of the situation.

"The 2011 elections were not of the high quality the government and many international observers proclaimed. In a way, international observers have done Nigeria a disservice that will become apparent in the future. The observers did not see what took place before Election Day or what happened in rural Nigeria. More importantly, most observers ended their day as the sun set and the polling stations closed,"Tinubu had said. "They ended their watch just as the agents of malpractice would begin their craft. Observers made a broad final conclusion based on a thin filament of information. They judged a complicated play solely by viewing one of its several acts."

Dare cautioned PDP against muddling up facts for political mischief and counselled it to devote more time to reading the full Chatham House speech, instead of quoting it out of context to confuse and confound unsuspecting Nigerians.

But more importantly, he added, the federal ruling party should address the challenge Gen. Buhari has thrown: organise a free, fair and transparent election and everything would be well. But try and skew the vote, and face sure disaster. ally, the coup of the First Republic in 1966. It was also what led to the coup of the Second Republic.

So what is wrong in any Nigerian warning against the dangers of rigged elections?

"All I can say is that there is a sinister motive behind the interpretation given to Buhari's warning by the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

"Finally, if people like Buhari and the media, who know more than we know; should keep quiet, what will happen to Nigeria? Won't the situation get worse?"

But the founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr

Fredrick Fasehun, as he said Buhari's statement cannot be justified by any parameter.

He accused the former military ruler of trying to cause the disintegration of Nigeria by carrying himself as if he were above the laws of the land.

He cautioned him not to teach Nigerians how to disintegrate.

"I personally believe that Buhari can't be adjudged right by any parameter of reasoning.

The statement is highly inflammatory and inciting,” he said.

"Buhari has continually carried himself as if he is above

Alex Ibru’s widow loses bid to wind up husband’s company

By Eric IKHILAE vestment Corporation, wanted Tourist Company wound up for its alleged inability to settle its indebtedness to Omamo Investment.

Justice Mohammed Liman dismissed the winding up petition on the ground that it was

initiated without compliance with the provisions of the law.

He upheld the argument of the lawyer to the Tourist Company, Onyebuchi Aniakor, to the effect that the Omamo Investment's letter of demand for the repayment of the loan, dated September last year was not properly endorsed as required

under Sections 77 and 409 (a) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).

Justice Liman held that the requirement under Section 409 of CAMA, was that a letter for demand of the repayment of a loan must be made under the hand of the creditor in the case of an individual, and must carry the seal

of the company and endorsed by the appropriate agent stipulated in Section 77 of CAMA in the case of a person.

He held that in this case, the only valid letter of demand tabled before the court by the petitioner was that dated Sepetember 23 last year, which was wrongly endorsed by the peti-

the laws of the land. That is why he says anything that comes to his mind without caring for the legal implication of such statements. In fact, I have been waiting for the security agencies to invite him and query him for such utterances that tend to teach Nigerians how to disintegrate.

"The other day he was invited to the Oputa Panel, but he refused to show up and nothing was done to him. Obasanjo, as the president of the country then, was there at the Oputa Panel. Nigeria is greater than him. He should not teach us how to disintegrate. This country will be handed over to the person who will hold it together in unity and peace. Winning elections cannot be by force of violence. He must know that."

Former President General of Ijaw National Congress (INC) Prof. Kimse Okoko, described Buhari's utterances as unstatesmanly. He wondered how a man of Gen Buhari's standing could allow his emotion to becloud his sense of judgment, saying Nigeria has witnessed too much bloodshed.

"It is rather unfortunate on the part of General Buhari that he could allow his emotion to becloud his sense of judgment.

He has not behaved as a statesman, a former Head of State and a presidential candidate of a leading party in this country before.

"Already, there is too much bloodshed in the land.Of what need is his calling for more bloodshed. That statement is unstatesmanly. The truth of the matter is that Nigeria will not be ruled by anybody who is calling for bloodshed. He should be invited to explain whatever he meant. I don't want to believe that he is already training an army somewhere that he would unleash on the country in 2015.

It is a very unsavoury statement." tioner's lawyer, Dr. Tunji Braithwate.

The court said Braithwaite, having not fallen into the class of people mentioned in Section 77 of CAMA, ought not to have signed the said letter.

On that basis, Justice Liman held that the petition failed to satisfy the threshold requirement for the filing of a winding up petition and accordingly dismissed Mrs. Ibru's petition.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

Fresh suit seeks to stop Jonathan from reinstating Salami

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RESH moves to stop the reinstatement of Justice Isa Ayo Salami as President ,Court of Appeal,got underway in Abuja yesterday.

A lawyer, Wilfred Okoli, filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, to stop President Goodluck Jonathan from acting on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC), that Justice Salami be restored to the position from which he was suspended last August.

It is the second such suit in a week,the first one having been filed by an Abuja-based lawyer, Noah Ajare.

Respondents in Okoli's suit are NJC, Salami, the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and President Goodluck Jonathan.

Although the suit was initiated through the chambers of Mr. Amobi Nzelu, the court papers were circulated yesterday by some top government functionaries.

None of the top government officials was able to explain their involvement in a strictly private application before a court.

The plaintiff is praying the court for the following reliefs: •An order of interlocutory injunction restraining the 4th Defendant/Respondent (Jonathan) whether by himself, agents, servants, assigns, privies or whosoever purporting to act on his behalf from acting on the recommendation/advice

•Top government officials circulate court papers Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation given by the 1st defendant/ respondent for the reinstatement of the 2nd defendant/respondent pending the determination of the Originating Summons filed in respect of this matter.

•And for such order or other orders as this honourable court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.

The grounds for the application are as follows: •Interlocutory injunction is a discretionary remedy available to the Plaintiff/Applicant to preserve the res of the litigation.

•Being a discretionary remedy, it must be based on facts that warrant the grating of same.

•The conditions for granting interlocutory injunction vary from one circumstance to another.

•This honourable court is statutorily and by virtue of case law has the powers to make the order being sought by restraining the 4th defendant/ respondent pending the determination of the originating Summons already filed.

•That under the rules of court, interlocutory injunction can be granted to preserve the res pending the determination of the originating Summons already filed.

He said:"That sometimes in 2011) the 2nd defendant/ respondent(Salami) was suspended from office as the President of the Court of Appeal and a new person appointed in acting capacity; "That the 2nd defendant/ respondent (Salami) went to court challenging /his suspension and the matter is still pending and has not been determined; "That the suspension of the 2nd defendant/ respondent was on the advice of the 1st defendant/ respondent(NJC) to the 4th defendant/ respondent (Jonathan); "That after the suspension of the 2nd defendant/respondent, various suits were filed, most of which have not been determined; "That the call records of the 2nd defendant/respondent with certain political persons during appeals in respect of Election Petitions in Ekiti and Osun State are also an issue of litigation; "That the 1st defendant by split decision of eleven (11) to nine (9) on the 14th day of May, 2012 recommended to the 4th defendant/respondent to reinstate the 2nd defendant/ respondent who has been on suspension since 2011; "That after the said recommendation for the reinstate-

ment of the 2nd defendant/ respondent, a flood gate of litigations was opened challenging the reinstatement recommendation; "That the 1st defendant (NJC) is a creation of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended); "That the powers of the 1st defendant/ respondent are circumscribed in the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended); "That the 1st defendant/ respondent has the power to make recommendations to the 4th defendant/ respondent in respect of judicial officers; "That the said recommendation so made is not binding on the 4th defendant and the 4th defendant/ respondent is not under any obligation to accept and act upon the recommendation advice; "That any recommendation made by the 1st defendant/ respondent to the 4th defendant/ respondent is purely advisory; "That the 4th defendant/ respondent is not constitutionally bound to accept any recommendation made by the 1st defendant."

In an affidavit of urgency

... as FG seeks legal advice from consortium of lawyers

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• Mr Aigbe Goddie (right), who was allegedly caught with INEC registration materials in Benin City

sworn to by Chnedu Samuel Nwokorie, the plaintiff prays the court for an injunction to restrain Jonathan from reinstating Salami because of outstanding litigations against the suspended President of the Court of Appeal in some courts.

The affidavit reads in part: "That the second defendant or respondent went to court challenging his suspension and the matter is still pending and has not been determined."

The applicant insisted that there is a prima facie basis for granting his request for an injunction to restrain Jonathan from implementing the recommendation of the NJC. He added: "On prima facie case, for a court to exercise its discretionary power of granting an injunction, that court must be satisfied that a prima facie case has been made out to warrant the granting of the injunction.

"Even though this aspect has been whittled down in the case of Falomo V. Banigbe and others (1998) 7 NWLR Part 559 Page 679 at ratios 1,2,3,4,5,6, and 7. The Supreme Court has this to say in ratio 4: "Although there is no rule requiring a plaintiff to establish a prima facie case before he can obtain an

interlocutory injunction the court must be satisfied that the plaintiffs case is not frivolous or vexatious and that there is a serious question to be tried……….."

"Yet it is a necessary consideration in the granting or refusing of injunction. The prima facie case can thus be summarized via questions for determination, which are: •Whether the 4th defendant or respondent is bound to accept and act on the recommendation or advice of the 1st defendant or respondent for the reinstatement of the 2nd defendant or respondent. ·•Whether the 1st defendant or respondent can be deliberate on issues which are subject of litigation?

•Whether the 1st defendant or respondent can advise or recommend reinstatement of the 2nd defendant of respondent to the 4th defendant or respondent?

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit but the plaintiff has filed a written addressing support of Motion on Notice.

In the first suit, by Ajare,he is praying the court to declare the NJC's recommendation on the reinstatement of Salami as illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.

HE Federal Government has turned to a consortium of lawyers for advice on the way out of the Justice Ayo Salami saga.

The lawyers, who are expected to submit their report this weekend, are working on three options to address the notice of reinstatement of the suspended President of the court of Appeal,sent to the presidency by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

The NJC had,penultimate Thursday, recommended Salami's reinstatement after he was sent on suspension last August 18.

The lawyers, most of whom are Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), met secretly in Abuja on Wednesday and Thursday,an investigation showed.

The team is being coordinated by a prominent SAN but it could not be immediately ascertained whether the advice is pro bono or for a fee.

Some of them have handled sensitive cases for the Federal Government at different times.

The issues before the team are: "Whether the President should approve the recommendation of the NJC or not.

"Whether the President should reject the recommendation of the NJC or not and demand a review.

"Whether it is trite in law to reinstate Salami in view of some

Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation court processes against him by one Noah Adejare and ex -governors Segun Oni and Olagunsoye Oyinlola. There is also a case instituted by Salami.

"To recommend alternatives available to the President.

A top source said: "I think the team is toying with three options. One, the lawyers want the government to delay the reinstatement of Salami until all matters are dispensed with in order to be fair to all parties to the judicial crisis.

"The second option is for the government to keep silent on the recommendation until all court matters have been resolved by various courts. They want the reinstatement politics to drag till it is time for Salami to retire.

"The third plank deals with the need to draw the attention of the reservations of the government to the NJC and why there is need to stay action. This will enable the government to bid time and allow the NJC to revisit the matter.

"With the third option, the government will have the opportunity to lobby members of the NJC afresh on issues bordering on subjudice."

It was unclear yesterday which of the three suggestions the team might adopt by consensus and present to the gov-

ernment.

Another source, however, said: "They are looking into the constitution, statutes and decided cases to justify their recommendations.

"I believe that by this weekend, the legal advice from these lawyers will be ready."

But pro-Salami sympathisers in the bench and the bar are also battle-ready to counter the Legal Advice Team.

A reliable source said: "We want to see what they will recommend before we also launch a counter-offensive. It is obvious that all parties will return to court very soon, which is a good development for Salami "What is clear is that the government is already in the court of public opinion with the recommendation of the NJC and it has to convince Nigerians beyond reasonable doubt that it is ready to ensure justice.

"They have to be ingenuous to survive to bid time for Salami to retire. It won't be an easy task because the suspended PCA will retire in October 2013.

"Going by the NJC's resolution, the anti-Salami forces have been boxed into a corner because the suspended PCA can no longer be removed, dismissed or retired. The NJC favours Salami's reinstatement. So, Salami has survived a major hurdle through which he can be removed."

FAAC directs Fed Govt, states, LGs to open special SURE accounts

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HE Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) yesterday directed all tiers of government to open special accounts for the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment (SURE) programme.

The Minister of State for Finance and chairman of FAAC, Dr. Yerima Lawan Ngama, at the end of the monthly FAAC meeting in Abuja, said that the opening of the special accounts was to put a stop to the "disaggregation of the SURE programme funds into the accounts of the three tiers of government."

All tiers of government are also expected to tie SURE disbursements to special projects to be chosen by the individual governments.

The reports of the disbursements and the projects the funds are used for "will be considered by FAAC to ensure accountability and openness so that they can be measured and the impact of such projects and interventions at all tiers of government can be assessed," the minister said.

Nduka CHIEJINA (Assistant Editor) Unlike in the first quarter of the year when the SURE was paid as part of the monthly allocations of the governments, the April allocation was separated from the monthly allocation to each tier of government.

Reacting to the directive, the chairman of the finance commissioners, Mr. Eze Echesi, described it as "a request to the states and local governments by the FAAC on a friendly basis with the idea that states are paying adequate attention to what they are supposed to be doing with the SURE allocations and not a monitoring of the activities of the states and local governments by FAAC." A total of N563.089 billion was distributed in April with N441.167 as statutory distribution to the three tiers of government; N57.291 billion was for Value Added Tax (VAT), N21.465 billion for augmentation, N35.549 billion from the SURE-P and N7.617 billion being the refund by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation

(NNPC) to the FAAC. N441.167 billion was disbursed as net statutory allocation to the three tiers of government and as part of the 13 per cent mineral oil revenue derivation funds to oil producing states. The federal government got 52.68 per cent of the amount or N207.547 billion, states 26.72 per cent or N105.271 billion, local government councils 20.60 per cent or N81.159 billion and the oil producing states for their 13 per cent derivation N47.189 billion.

The gross revenue of N626.178 billion received for the month was lower than the N726.726 billion received in the previous month by N100.594 billion. The decline in domestic crude oil sales was responsible for the lower income during the period even though crude oil production and lifting improved in Bonga and Qua Iboe Terminals.

There was no exchange gain in the month because the prevailing exchange rate of N154.70 to the US dollar was lower than the N155 to the US dollar budgeted for the year 2012.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

NEWS 5

Nigeria loses $7bn to oil thieves yearly, says Diezani •Petroleum Minister, service chiefs strike deal to protect oil assets Emeka UGWUANYI

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HE Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the service chiefs of the joint armed forces as well as other security organisations have sealed an accord to set up a robust and effective joint task force to protect all the oil and gas assets in the country in view of the increasing theft of crude oil.

The chief executives of the multinational and indigenous oil companies and other relevant stakeholders in the industry were also in attendance.

Addressing reporters yesterday in Lagos after a closed door meeting that ran into hours, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke and chiefs of the armed forces, said the new joint task force became imperative to check the escalating oil theft in the country.

Alison-Madueke said that currently Nigeria loses 180,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) to crude thieves, which translate to $7 billion annually.

Besides the $7 billion lost to oil theft, the minister said that the oil industry in the last one year spent $5 billion on repairs of vandalised pipelines by the oil thieves, reflecting a total annual loss of $12 billion.

Alison Madueke said: “We have convened this stakeholders meeting in Lagos to address the rising security problem in the petroleum sector. About $5 billion was spent in the last one year on pipeline repairs while the amount lost to crude theft was valued at $7 billion.

The menace of oil theft is the reason we convened this meeting to strengthen the partnership with the leadership of the security agencies in curbing the problem. In the last six months, the level of oil theft in the country has become alarming, which has necessitated the need for this roundtable with all stakeholders.

“It will be very productive if we open up discussion to provide a solution to the situation we have found ourselves. This meeting will evolve a short, medium and long term solutions to tackling the issue of oil theft.”

Alison Madueke thanked the service chiefs for the support and expressed optimism that the problem would be finally addressed with their support. She stressed the need for urgent replacement of most of the archaic pipelines and the need for infrastructural facelift in the sector.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Oluseyi Petinrin, corroborated the minister, saying the essence of the task force was to check-mate incessant oil theft in the country. He noted that most senior personnel in the armed forces and other security agencies would be included in the team to bring sanity to the sector.

Others who attended the meeting included the Chief of Army Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika, while the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral, O.S. Ibrahim; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umaru and Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Dikko were represented.

The chief executives of Shell, Mutiu Sunmonu; ExxonMobil Mark Ward; Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, Guy Murray; Oando, Wale Tinubu and Agip, among others, were present.

Jonathan, Obasanjo, govs for AES conference Paul OLUWAKOYA

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State are among the eminent Nigerians who will address the Fourth Annual Conference of the Academy of Entrepreneurial Studies, Nigeria (AES) at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos on Tuesday.

According to the President ofAES, Dr Ausbeth Ajagu and the Chairman of the conference committee, Sir Godwin Omene, the the conference, to be chaired by Gen. Yakubu Gowon, is geared towards mulling the mountains of national challenges.

The theme of this year’s conference is 'Strong Systems: Necessity of Building a Virile Nation’.

The core vision of the conference is to develop the spirit of entrepreneurship and leadership in the desire to be excellent leaders and wealth creators, according to Ajagu. He also stated that the annual conference had never achieved less than its expectation since inception four years ago.

From left: Bauchi State Governor, Mallam Issa Yuguda; Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Special Adviser to Governor Yuguda on Special Assignmnet, Mallam Muhammed Kindak and his counterpart on Special Duties, Engr.

Philips Elam, during a condolence visit of Governor Yuguda to the State of Osun on the death of some Osun youth corps members during the last presidential election riot in Bauchi State. Photo: Government House

US, Nigeria set for talks on Boko Haram

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IGERIA and the United States of America (USA) are set for highlevel talks in Washington next month with the issue of Boko Haram likely to top the agenda.

The US Justice Department is already pressing the State Department to designate the Islamist sect as a "foreign terrorist organisation," according to a document obtained by Reuters.

Lisa Monaco, head of the Justice Department's national security division, sent a letter in January to State Departmentcounter-terrorism chief Daniel Benjamin requesting that Boko Haram be put on the list.

State Department representatives are said to have lobbied Congress to try to stop

legislation which would force the administration to act against the group or explain why they had not done so.

On Thursday, Rep. Patrick Meehan, a Republican who chairs a House subcommittee on Homeland Security, introduced an amendment to a defence bill that does just that, after he said State officials inexplicably cancelled a briefing on Boko Haram.

In several recent cases, including that of the underwear bomber, in which a Nigerian, Farouk Abdulmuttalab, failed to blow up an airliner headed to Detroit on Christmas Day 2009, the United States has been handcuffed by waiting too long to designate a group as "terrorists," Meehan said.

"Only later, after they've

committed terrible acts have we put them on the list of foreign terrorists," Meehan told Reuters. "To not have the capacity that it gives law enforcement to both monitor and to hold people who give material support to an organisation like that, puts us at a disadvantage."

Representative Mike Rogers, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said: "Boko Haram claimed credit for the suicide bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, killing 23 people and injuring more than 80 others.

"That meets my definition of a terrorist group, but if the administration has a reason why they don't want to designate them, I would like to hear it,"

Rogers said.

A senior State Department official said the department was "very concerned about violence in Nigeria" and added that it was "looking at this very carefully."

The official insisted the department was "not stalling or dragging our feet." But he noted that adding a group to the sanctions list is a "rigorous process which has to stand up in a court of law."

Also on Thursday, Rep. Charlie Dent added an amendment to a foreign affairs bill that would also require State to explain why Boko Haram had not been designated a terrorist organization. The measure passed the House Appropriations Committee Thursday.

17 Nigerians on death row in Indonesia, says FG

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EVENTEEN Nigerians are currently on the death row in Indonesia, the Federal Government said yesterday.

They were convicted for various offences including drugs trafficking.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, speaking at the 2012 Ministerial Platform to commemorate the first year of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, however said government had stepped in to get the death sentences commutted.

He also said the Nigerian Embassy in Indonesia is seeing to their welfare and has been monitoring the court proceedings.

According to him, the Federal Government always sends two delegations to go on tour of Malaysia, Indonesia and China where Nigerians are held in various prisons to ensure their welfare and well being.

He said: "What is good is good and what is bad is bad. Some Nigerians travelling abroad should please stop drug trafficking. We will work with civil societies, agencies and other bodies to educate Nigerians on it. The number we have on the death toll in Indonesia is 17 and we have been appealing to the government of Indonesia for clemency. We are still waiting.

"In fact, I have sent two delegations to go on tour of all the

Augustine EHIKIOYA and Olugbenga ADANIKIN Abuja countries, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, where we are having Nigerians in prisons. They have gone round to see to their welfare and well being.

"We cannot support criminality. We need to enlighten our people. Nigerians should not carry drugs. They should not contravene the laws of the countries where they find themselves. We have many Nigerians doing very well in these countries," he said.

The minister continued: "We are ready to defend any Nigerian treated unjustly. But you know there are some countries like Indonesia, according to their laws, if you carry drugs, it is death sentence. And you sit down in your house and plan how to carry the same drugs to this same Indonesia knowing full well that it is death sentence.

“I want to say here to Nigerians that the technology now available in all the airports in the world - you will be caught if you try to carry drugs."

He also said that as a proactive measure, Nigeria has signed prisoner exchange or repatriation agreements with many countries, stressing that many Nigerian prisoners have refused to be repatriated to Nigeria.

Air Nigeria to be privatised in two years –Jimoh Ibrahim

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IR Nigeria is to be privatised within the next two years.

It is expected that the airline would be on a firm footing by then.

Chairman of the company, Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim, said the airline would focus more on international operations with scheduled flights to Dubai, Rome, Paris and Asian countries.

Ibrahim, who spoke on Thursday night in London at a dinner to celebrate the company's long haul flight to Gatwick Airport, said the Nigerian Stock Exchange has already invited Air Nigeria for listing.

He said;: Effective two

Yomi ODUNUGA, London years from now, we will be depositing Air Nigeria into your hands. What does that mean? Air Nigeria will now have to go PLC. It will now be an airline owned by Nigerians. I will sell my shares, and then you can buy some.

Air Nigeria will be in the market. So, we will meet at annual general meetings, and then we will discuss. So, that is our plan. By then, Air Nigeria will be fully Nigerian.

"Five years from now, Air Nigeria will be flying a minimum of 15 big jets (wide body aircraft). There is no continent we won't be flying to five years from now. This year, we

•Plans flights to Dubai, Rome and Asia have gone places. This is Europe, we are here. When you wake up in the morning in Lagos, you can fly to any part of the world on Air Nigeria "This year, we have been invited to come and be listed under the special registry of the Stock Exchange. So, two years from now, Air Nigeria will be in the market. You will be a shareholder, I will be a shareholder. It will be our airline."

He said the challenges facing the aviation sector could be tackled if proactive steps were taken by all stakeholders to address them and put the international airlines to the

test.

"Our plan is to focus on international operations as an airline. No airline succeeds by flying only domestic. If an aircraft flies to Abuja 10 times a day, it loses its life cycle 10 times. In other words, it is 10 times closer to a C-check. All the major international airlines, like British Airways, AirFrance and KLM, make profit by focusing on international operations.

"British Airways bought BMI for over £176 million a year ago. It has about 10 aircraft. BMI focuses on domestic operations. But now British Airways is saying that if

they cannot get a buyer, any moment from now, they are going to liquidate it. All these big airlines have come to realised that running domestic airlines is not profitable.

"We will take delivery of another aircraft in 20 days from now-An Airbus A330200. We will then have two aircraft in our international operations. And this aircraft will be deployed to the LagosDubai route. Part of the international routes we will deploy these aircraft to are one, Rome. Data available from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority shows that 58,000 travelled to Rome last year. Ital-

ian airline-Alitalia carried only 27,000 of these people.

So, we will be flying LagosRome-Paris.

"We have got government approval to fly to Rome, Paris, Johannesburg and Dubai. We will start flying to Dubai before the end of this quarter. " He said Nigerians stand to gain a lot by patronising the airline, saying: "There are a lots of things. Apart from the varieties of meals, every business class passenger will have access to Ipads. With that they have an array of entertainment to choose from. For the business class passengers, our Lagos-London flight is the best place to relax after all the stress of business. It is quite an unending experience.

6 NEWS

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

•From left: Ekiti State governor and son of the deceased, Dr Kayode Fayemi; his wife, Erelu Bisi; eldest son of the deceased, Mr. Segun Fayemi; his wife, Modupe; and some daughters of the deceased, Mrs. Boluwade Ayodele, Chief (Mrs.) Monisola Oloro and Mrs Funmilayo Imoru, during the funeral mass for the late Mrs. Dorcas Aina Fayemi in IsanEkiti yesterday.

•Permanent Secretary, Eng. Kayode Ademolake; Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Arch. Lekan Adegbite; and Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alh. Yusuph Olaniyonu, at the ministerial press briefing commemorating the first anniversary of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administration yesterday

Tinubu, Akande, Amaechi, others bid Fayemi's mum goodbye

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HE remains of Madam Dorcas Aina Fayemi, mother of the Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, were laid to rest in Isan-Ekiti yesterday amidst calls for a change in parental values.

Madam Fayemi died on April 15 at the age of 83.

Delivering a sermon at the funeral service, the Catholic Bishop of Oyo Diocese, Bishop Emmanuel Badejo, said recent crises in the country were not unconnected with the loss of good parental values, saying that parents were too concerned with material things rather than social values that upcoming generations could inherit.

The clergy, who described the roles of parents in nationbuilding as indispensable, said the tides of insecurity and corruption in the country could have been stemmed if parents had handed their wards lasting values.

He said Madam Fayemi was immensely blessed with good children, including the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Fayemi,

Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti adding that “mothers have great privileges, especially when they train their children and give them good education and good social values of discipline and selfless sacrifice”.

While expressing optimism that Nigeria was not beyond repair, the Catholic priest canvassed a shift from the culture of celebrating mediocrity, brigandage and corruption to selfless sacrifice and honesty, stressing that God would soon bring every act to judgment.

Badejo reminded leaders that they too needed to use their offices to better the lot of the masses rather than personal aggrandisement, saying that “the power of the people is greater than the people in power and posterity would catch up with anyone who embezzles public funds”.

Describing the deceased as a devout Catholic who never wavered in her faith till death,

he lamented that “church has now been adulterated with people who do not stand on their faith, but use it like ‘a walking stick’ and throw it away when they feel they do not need God’.

Advocating for recognition of parents not only on parents’ days, the bishop said “when Nigeria begins to honour good parents for what they do, then our values will change. “The memory of people who take care of their children will be sweet long after their demise”.

At the event were the Lagos State governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola; Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko; his wife, Kemi; River State governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi; his wife, Judith; Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; his wife, Funso; Kwara State governor, Ahmed Abdulfatah; Bauchi State governor, Isa Yuguda; and his wife, Abiodun.

Ajimobi expresses concern over neglect of retirees

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OVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has expressed concern over the neglect of retirees in the country, saying that this has resulted in the death of many of them when they are supposed to be enjoying the fruits of their labour.

He said this on Thursday while receiving members of the state chapter of the Retired Army, Navy and Air Force Officers Association (RANAO) led by their Chairman, Lt-Col. Abdul-Ganiyu Abdusalam who were on a courtesy visit to him.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Otunba Moses Alake Adeyemo, said that his administration would continue to give priority attention to the needs of retires to prevent unwarranted deaths of those who had served their fatherland meritoriously.

While speaking on the provision of security in the state, he said that one of the means of ensuring the security of lives of property in the state was the establishment of the security outfit codenamed “Operation Burst’’.

This, Gov. Ajimobi said, had gone a long way in stemming the tide of insecurity which used to be the bane of the state.

He commended the support of the association to the state government, especially in the area of security, pledging that his administration would also assist it in its areas of need.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the RANAO frowned at the way pension funds running into several billions of Naira were being misappropriated, saying this had sent

many pensioners to their early graves.

He called for death penalty against those found guilty in the ongoing pension fund scam probe by the National Assembly.

Abdusalam commended the Ajimobi administration for the establishment of “Operation Burst’’ which, he said, had helped in the reduction of criminal activities in the state.

National Life reporter cries out over alleged threat to his life

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ATIONAL Life corre spondent in Ondo State, Mr. Adewinle Adegoke, has cried out over an alleged threat to his life by people suspected to be agents of the state government.

Mr. Adegoke, in a petition to the Inspector-General of Police by his counsel, Mr. Morakinyo Ogele, alleged that he had been receiving a series of threats on his mobile phone over certain stories published against the state government.

He also said that he had been seeing strange faces around his house in Akure

with the motive to harm him and members of his family Mr. Ogele specifically alleged that a government official had last week called Mr. Adegoke on his mobile phone and threatened to deal with him over certain stories published and credited to him in National Life and Peoples News.

He said some government functionaries in the state who were friends and family members of Mr. Adegoke had also hinted him over an alleged plan by sponsored thugs to attack him over his incessant reportage of Mimiko’s alleged atrocities.

President Goodluck Jonathan was represented at the event by his Special Adviser on Inter-party Affairs, Senator Ben Obi. Also in attendance were former Lagos State governor and National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; National Chairman of the ACN, Chief Bisi Akande; former Ekiti State governor, Otunba Niyi Adebayo; his wife, Erelu Angela; former Ogun State, Aremo Segun Osoba; former Benue State governor, Senator George Akume; Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Mrs Funmi Olayinka; her husband, Arc. Lanre Olayinka; former Ekti State governor, Ayodele Fayose; and former Kwara State governor, Dr Bukola Saraki.

Others were Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd), Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Senator Ajayi Borrofice, senators representing Ekiti State, Babafemi Ojudu, Olubunmi Adetumbi, Tony Adeniyi as well as their counterparts in the House of Representatives.

Business mogul, Aliko Dangote, legal icon and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD) Aare Afe Babalola, Chief Wole Olanipekun, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola, Prince Julius Adeluyi-Adelusi, Senator Bode Olajumoke and Otunba Biyi Durojaye were also in attendance.

Former Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof Wale Omole, Speaker , Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr Adewale Omirin, Prof Julius Ihonvbare, Senator Gbenga Aluko, Chairman, Access bank, Mr Gbenga Oyebode, Chief Wole Olanipekun, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, Dr Olu Agunloye, Dr Olu Abraham, Mrs Jumoke Anifowose, Mr Tokunbo Ajasin, Mr Muyiwa Ige and Mr Gboyega Adefarati, among others, were also present.

Officiating ministers included the Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocece, Most Rev. Felix Ajakaiye; Bishop of Kaduna Diocese, The Most Revd Bishop Matthew Kukah; Bishop of Oyo Diocese, Bishop Emmanuel Badejo; Emeritus Bishop Francis Alonge; and Archbishop of Ondo Diocese and Bishop of Ekiti Anglican Communion, Bishop Adedayo Abe.

Chelsea supporters get cow ready for victory party

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IE-HARD Nigerian fans of Chelsea have got a cow ready ahead of today's UEFA Champions League triumph celebration.

The cow, which is painted in Chelsea's colour of blue and white, will be the cynosure of Chelsea fans who eagerly await the 7.45 kick-off at the Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany.

It would be recalled that a similar scenario took place in 2008 when the Stamford Bridge dwellers lost the Cup to Manchester United in Moscow.

Meanwhile, Bayern have been given the go-ahead by UEFA to use their home changing room at the Allianz

Arena for today's match against Chelsea.

Bayern, aiming to become the first team of the host city to win a Champions League final on home soil, are officially playing a neutral match today.

However, a club official said Bayern would be using their usual changing room instead of the other two neutral ones available. “That is correct,” he said.

The German side have been allocated 17,500 tickets, the same number as Chelsea, and are named as home team for marketing and logistical purposes as the host city was decided years before that year's competition.

Ibadan set to host Glo Laffta Fest

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BADAN, the political headquarters of South West, is set to come alive as leading telecommunications outfit, Globacom, rocks the city with its entertaining programme, Glo Laffta Fest, on Sunday.

The Ibadan show will be held on Sunday at the Casa Lucio House of Luxury, 2 British American Tobacco Way, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway by 5 p.m.

According to a statement from the Marketing Communications Department of Globacom, top-rated Nigerian artistes led by comedian Gbenga Adeyinka would be on hand to entertain the people free of charge. Other artistes scheduled to perform at the event include Eedris Abdukareem, Wande Coal, Terry G., Akparoro, Seyi Law and D. Don. “Ibadan event is the last in the series of the Easter special edition of Laffta Fest shows organised by Globacom to appreciate our teeming subscribers for their loyalty to the Glo brand. It kicked off in Asaba on Good Friday and has been hosted in Oshogbo, Uyo, Lagos, Warri, Akure, Ilorin, Ado Ekiti, Aba and Owerri”, the statement added.

Globacom also said that series of other shows and activities have been lined up to make the year 2012 fun-filled years for Nigerians and that it would not relent in its efforts at ensuring that its subscribers remained happy at all times.

‘She starved me of sex‘

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Lagos-based advertis ing practitioner, Mr.Olalekan Fadolapo, has filed a divorce suit against his wife, Funke, at the Ikeja Grade’A’ Customary Court for starving him of sex for three years.

He accused his wife, who is a businesswoman, of infidelity and engaging in extramarital affairs.

He said: “I told her to stop calling men on the phone and that she should find a way to make her marriage work.She would not listen. She was fond of making secret calls to a man she was befriending. She also sent text messages to him often.

“She had deprived me of sex for about three years before I decided to bring the case before this court last year. It was on April 2, 2010, which was my birthday, that she allowed me

Toyin AGBEBI to make love to her which I considered to be a birthday gift from her.”

The respondent, however, denied the allegations, saying, “it was because of my poor health that we both agreed to refrain from having sex together based on my doctor’s advice. Besides, whenever l wanted to fulfil my marital role in bed, he would tell me not to kill myself for nothing and that I was not good in bed anymore. So as a wife, l tried to fulfil my part despite my non -sexual urge due to my illhealth”.

She accused her husband of using her ill-health to cheat on her by flirting with a number of women.

After listening to both parties, the President of the court, Alhaji L.A Ipaye, adjourned the case till July 3.

NEWS 7

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

Nigeria’s problem didn’t start with my government, says Jonathan

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan conceded yesterday that there must be a change in the country to rid it of the many vices impeding its growth.

He said something must have gone wrong with Nigeria since the 1914 amalgamation of the North and the South and pleaded with the generality of Nigerians to work together to salvage the country.

Jonathan spoke at the funeral mass for Mrs. Theresa Ekpeluchi Chime, mother of Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State at St.Theresa’s Catholic Church,Udi. The president told the congregation that Nigeria’s problems did not start with his administration but insisted that there must be a change to get rid of the problems.

He traced Nigeria’s major problems to the gross neglect of the upbringing of children by their parents who,according to him,often put their businesses and careers above the care of their wards.

He urged parents to emulate the qualities of the late

Soldier, cashier killed in Port Harcourt bank robbery •Huge sums carted away Bisi OLANIYI, Port Harcourt SOLDIER and a cashier working for a new generation bank

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at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State have lost their lives in a robbery operation.

The armed robbers invaded UPTH on Thursday evening, shooting sporadically until they gained access to the bank’s vault, where a huge sum of money was carted away.

Even with no resistance from the bank’s employees on duty, the hoodlums decided to shoot the cashier, who died on the spot.

Witnesses stated that after robbing the bank and convinced that enough money had been loaded into the vehicle they came with, they continued shooting to escape.

The soldier, according to witnesses, was at UPTH to see a sick relative on admission, with the armed robbers concluding that he wanted to attack them.They opened fire on him and he also died instantly.

Staff of UPTH, other employees of the bank, patients and their relatives started scampering for their lives.

There was confusion at UPTH, after the escape of the hoodlums, as the members of staff of the hospital, employees of the bank and patients’ relatives were afraid of remaining on the premises.

The Rivers Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ben Ugwuwgbulam, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the incident and stated that investigation was in progress.No arrest has been made.

Ugwuegbulam said men of the command were on the trail of the hoodlums, while assuring that they would soon be

Chris OJI, Enugu Madam Chime saying the key role she played in bringing up her children made it

possible for all of them, including Gov Chime, to be successful in their careers “From what I heard from the clergy and others, it was be-

cause of the kind of life she lived, that she was able to raise her children properly. And that is why he who comes close to the ocean and our party

chairman who comes close to the desert are here today to pay her respects,” he said.

An elated Governor Chime

Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, Deputy Governor, Imo, Mr. Chris Agbaso, and Governor of Akwa Ibom, Obong God'swill Akpabio at the funeral service in honour of Late Mrs. Theresa Chime, mother of Enugu State Governor, Mr Sullivan Chime in at Saint Mary's Catholic Church, Udi, Enugu

Governorship polls: INEC stops voter registration in Edo THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday postponed indefinitely the voter registration ahead of the July governorship election in the State.

Chairman of INEC , Prof.

Attahiru Jega, told stakeholders in the Edo State election at a meeting in Abuja that the postponement was imperative following the barrage of accusations and counter accusations by politicians in the build-up to the polls.

He expressed regrets over the recent killings and other forms of violence in the state and said elections should not generate bad blood.

He asked politicians in the State to play the game by the rules and pledged that the commission would investigate the numerous allegations and counterallegation.

The Commission,he added,would not tolerate any act capable of undermining the integrity of the electoral process.

He said: “We have been updating the register before conducting elections in any of the states where we conducted elections since the April 2011 elections. In fact we have used the new register

Augustine EHIKIOYA, Abuja except for Sokoto and Cross River States because the elections were postponed severally.

“Some of the allegations is that some people have penetrated the INEC data base; some claimed there have been illegal registrations, intimidation and all manners of accusations have been labelled. So there must be a thorough investigation to find out if they are true accusations or not. These are weighty accusations and the commission will not take it lightly”.

He charged all the stakeholders to make sure that the election is free, fair and credible, stressing that the duty of ensuring a conducive atmosphere for the polls is not that of INEC alone but all Nigerians especially the politicians.

Responding to a question on whether the voter registration would not be challenged in court, Jega said the commission took cognizance of the provisions of the law before arriving at such decision.

He however said that anyone who is not satisfied with the position of INEC on the matter is free to challenge

Bayelsa takes over Adaka Boro’s family house for preservation

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HE Bayelsa Sate government has taken over the family house of the late minority rights fighter,Isaac Adaka Boro in Kiama, as part of the plan to immortalize him.

Governor Seriake Dickson announced yesterday that the building would be preserved for the role it played in the Ijaw struggle.

“The family house where Boro lived and where the 12day revolution took off will be acquired and become historical site for the Ijaw Nation.

It is no long the property for the Boro family but for the Ijaw nation now”, the governor said on the occasion of the 44th remembrance of the revolutionary fighter’s demise.

Besides, Boro’s fellow fighters who are still alive are

Isaac OMBE, Yenagoa to be placed on a monthly stipend by the state government,the governor said, adding that annual remembrance of Boro would no longer take place abroad but in Kiama.

He said:”We will no longer spend huge sums of money to travel out to celebrate Boro day; rather we want them to come to Kiama and see Boro for themselves”.

Laying a wreath to commemorate the occasion,Governor Dickson said Boro deserves to be immortalised for his struggle to emancipate the Ijaws.

The governor said the struggle was not over yet and that this time it will assume an intellectual dimension.

it at the court of law.

Speaking earlier,Governor Adams Oshiomhole said his party- Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)- is after the realization of the principle of one man, one vote in the state.

The people of the state,he vowed, would resist any attempt by anyone to manipulate the election hence the need for everybody not to approach the election as a door-die affair.

He also tasked INEC toestablish the brains behind what he described the illegal registration of voters in parts of the state even before INEC began the registration.

The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate for the election,Charles Airhievbere said that he was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting even as he urged his co-contestants to take the process easy.

told the congregation that he did not expect the president at the funeral yesterday, adding that his presence with his wife,Dame Patience, was a demonstration of their love for him.

He added: “It is on record that before I could officially inform the president about my mother’s demise, he had pre-empted me by sending me a surprise condolence.”

The funeral mass was conducted by the Catholic Bishop of Enugu, Bishop Callistus Onaga.

Present at the funeral were the national chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; deputy Senate president, Ike Ekeremadu and wife; former vice-president Alex Ekwueme; former Senate president, Ken Nnamani; Governors Martin Elechi of Ebonyi state; Liyel Imoke of Cross River state; Theodore Orji of Abia state; Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers ; Gabriel Suswam of Benue;Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom and Peter Obi of Anambra .

Also present were the 2nd Republic governor of the old Anambra state, Senator Jim Nwobodo; Ministers Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala ( Finance) ,Barth Nnaji ( Power); Stella Oduah ( Aviation); Emeka Wogu (Labour); Onyebuchi Chukwu (Health); and Viola Onwuluri ( Foreign Affairs).

Others include deputy governor of Anambra State, Dame Virgy Etiaba, Senator Ayogu Eze Senator Andy Uba, Senator Emma Agboti, Ambassador Fidelia Njeze; and the Anglican Bishop of Enugu, Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma.

8

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

9

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

Leadership, sports and politics T

ODAy in Munich, Germany, the European Champi ons league final is being played between Chelsea Football Club of England and Bayern Munich of Germany. I can say boldly that the streets of most Nigeria cities especially Lagos will be deserted during the period of the match even though no Nigerian team is involved and the one Nigerian playing for Chelsea, Mikel Obi is the sole Nigerian connection.

The reason for the Nigerian passion which is not unique is the fact that Information technology has shrunken the world to such a small village that some Nigerian boys even know about the participating teams players more than their German and English colleagues. To me that is a positive development as I do not share the view of some who feel that charity should begin at home and our young ones should know first about the teams in our local leagues.

This is because the internet and social media have created a global menu of information and knowledge, such that local sports can not satiate the need of our youths for the best in sports at any point in time with the ever present and available satellite TV that has made news and information available on time, real time 24x7.

I intend to comment today on the leadership style of the two teams in the final of the UEFA Champions League as well as their politics especially with regard to their relationship with their neighbors in the euro zone especially Greece which is having a hard time coping with its economic crisis. In the process I will make detours into the setting up of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee in Brazil by a president Dilmar Rousseff, a woman who was a victim of torture herself under the military.

I will also dwell on the statement by former Nigerian military head of state and defeated presidential candidate in the 2011 elections retired General Muhammadu Buhari that there will be violence if elections are rigged in the coming 2015 elections.

Let us go back to the leadership styles of the two teams in today’s final . Chelsea is being led to the final by Roberto Di Matteo an Assistant Manager who is in charge because his boss was fired just a short while ago .Chelsea is owned by a Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich living in London who is so passionate about the game that he has fired Managers for poor performance in the English league more than any one else in recent memory.

His most famous firing was that of ‘the special one’ Jose Mourinho now Manager of Real Madrid of Spain, who won back -to -back premiership titles for Chelsea then, but could not win the Champions league and that earned him the ire of the Chelsea owner leading to his sack.

Mourinho himself was recruited from a previous Champions league final like today’s in which Mourinho led Porto of Portugal against Monaco led by the former captain of victorious France at the 1998 World Cup Final. The whimsical owner of Chelsea had announced that he would hire the Manager of that year’s UEFA Champions League final

— 2003 / 2004 - and Porto won 3–0 and Mourinho became the Manager of Chelsea.

Before Mourinho, the Manager that Abramovich met on seat on acquiring Chelsea was the Italian Ranieri who underrated the passion of Abramovich for the game and his new acquisition, Chelsea .Ranieri later wrote in his memoirs that he expected his boss and Chelsea owner Abramovich to understand that no team wins all the time but he was greatly mistaken and was badly shaken when he found the club owner in tears after the team lost a match . It was then according to Ranieri that he knew his job was on the line and he was fired shortly after that.

So, the Chelsea in the final today, is a product of dressing room politics and player power that has seen the sack of several managers that Chelsea top players don’t like.

Whether you like that sort of power play or not it has been a productive strategy that has this year won the FA Cup for the Club and has seen Chelsea to the final of the Champions league again virtually manager less and beating the best club in the world Barcelona of Spain en route. If Chelsea wins today it will be the classical rag to riches Cinderella football romance story of all time. Whether that will quench owner Abramovich’s appetite of having his managers entrails for dinner on losing matches is another matter. What is certain is that today, the Chelsea players hold their fate as it were in their boots and I tremble for Bayern Munich in the face of this unique Chelsea team spirit and incredible self belief that players can do what any well paid manager can do and win the ultimate prize in European soccer to boot.

Bayern Munich on the other hand is the most famous and successful German soccer team ever with a rich culture of management continuity and excellence. It is largely managed by retired soccer stars from its ranks to whom failure is an anathema. That is the pedigree the team carries to the final today. Bayern Munich is the team of Franz Beckenbeur the German soccer idol called the Kaiser who played for the team and the national German team and became the first German to win the World Cup both as coach and player.

However it is good for Bayern that they are playing on home soil in Germany today. This is because of the euro crisis which has seen Germany as the big aunty supervising the administration of bitter economic palliatives to fi-

nancially sick European economies like Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain - PIGS. Great European soccer clubs like Porto of Portugal, Real Madrid of Spain and Olympiakos of Greece are from the PIGS zone of the European economic divide. Imagine Bayern facing Chelsea in any of the capitals of these nations given the present austerity measures and spending cuts and you can predict a pretty hostile reception for the German side.

However in the comfort of home support in Munich and the array of foreign stars in the German team line up I see a difficult game for Chelsea with its own set of a foreign legion of gifted players. All the same I wish either side the best of luck on the day.

There is no way any discussion on soccer can leave Brazil far behind if only for the fact that no nation on earth has won the World Cup more than Brazil and it is hosting the 2014 World Cup. But it is Brazil’s attempt at getting at the truth and laying to rest the ghost of its past as well as the actions and inactions of its past leaders-both civilian and military-that interest us today. The Brazilian president Dilmar has set up a truth commission to cover 1946-1988 and find out what happened to thousands of Brazilians that disappeared during military rule from 1964-1985. There will be no punishment for both the military leaders and the opposition to them for whatever atrocities are revealed at the Truth Commission which is similar to the South African Truth Commission headed by Nobel laureate Bishop Desmond Tutu. Some have wondered whether Brazil which is a prosperous nation nowadays needs such a distraction which can be expensive in terms of emotion and bitterness.

But the Brazilian president insists that Brazil needs to clear the fog of its dirty past in the open to free it to pursue its promising future with vigor and determination. I think all nations that have suffered military intervention need such ablution at some point in time and I wish the Brazilian Truth Commission God’s speed. It is against this Brazilian background that I take on the General Buhari challenge to destroy any one who rigs in the next 2015 elections.

The General has been greatly vilified by all and sundry especially the Presidency for what has been largely perceived as an unguarded statement. But really has the normally taciturn General said anything unusual? My answer is no. This is because vote rigging has always been met with violence in politics either to stop it or confirm it. That has been the history of African politics from the Western region elections of 1962 in Nigeria to the post-election violence in Kenya quite recently.

The General has just issued a political warning in a military fashion and those taunting him now are lucky that we are not in a military regime. Anyway such people have forgotten so easily that it is not easy for a leopard to change its spots and metamorphosis from khaki and braided hat to agbada is a perpetual work in progress especially for a former presidential candidate and ex-military head of state.

10 COMMENTARY

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

Re: Speak, Mr President, we are also distracted

vincentakanmode@yahoo.com

•Vincent, on your piece, Speak, Mr President, We Are Also Distracted, I sincerely hope that one day, you will not become another Reuben Abati when you find yourself in a political office. I had a very high regard for Dr Abati before he took up his first political appointment, because he used to be very objective, particularly as a member of the ‘Patito’s Gang’ Now that he is obliged to speak to protect his highly exalted job, Reuben is entirely a different person. How much can people change because they want to belong to a so-called class that obviously has little to offer in terms of good name! My advice to you, Vincent: don’t deviate from what you are doing now. God be with you.

Oguntuase Dayo, Akure, Ondo State •With Nigerian politicians, we know that what you are looking at may not be what you are seeing, and what you hear them speak may, after all, not be what they are saying. It is an irritating act of deception Jonathan seems to have perfected. It means that you don’t have to believe him in anything until you see and hear his last, which is not quite healthy for the advancement of the country.

Abati’s case may be a little bit different, though he may have dropped somewhere the impressive journalism practice that made him thick in the profession to follow where his mouth is at present. Of course, in a country where politics or being in government is about the only lucrative business today, who will blame him?

Dr. Abati is simply a willing victim of officious mechanism bordering on confidential, secret and top secret matters in government, which he must guard jealously at all times for the master, no matter what. It’s mind-boggling indeed.

Emmanuel Egwu, Enugu

•This government has since lost focus and sense of direction. The question of whether the President will run in 2015 should not raise any brouhaha or hurly burly.

For me, I think every homo sapien who means well for this Lord Lugard’s architectural structure called Nigeria should encourage Jonathan to run in 2015. That is the only sure way we can get rid of the PDP and their tenacious grip on power. It is my belief that no reasonable citizen of this country will ever give Jonathan a vote again; not even those from Otuoke, his beloved village.

Osakindess, Benin.

•Sure, you have said it all. Mr President is the one distracting Nigerians. With due respect, I will be the last person to trust our President. He lacks sincerity. He knows it as much as we do.

When you have a man who cannot live up to his promise, what you get is confusion and steady retrogression wherever he is in the saddle.

I ask, if Jonathan’s performance in office is worse than hell and Nigerians vow not to elect him again, will that stop him from ‘winning’ the election like he did in 2011 if he re-contests?

Do you actually believe that there is anything like election in Nigeria? It is a pity. I fear our electoral body more than Boko Haram. Until there is true democracy, puppets and mediocres presented by the PDP will continue to rule us.

The party itself has said so.

Ifeanyi O. Ifeanyichukwu, Abuja •I don’t think the most important thing in our national life now is to probe continuously into the political future of President Jonathan. It might also be a little bit early to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of his tenure, as he still has three years to complete his four-year tenure.

While the process that threw him and most other political leaders up might have been defective, the truth remains that the President needs the cooperation and support of all Nigerians to succeed. Supposing the President says he will not contest in 2015 but records landmark achievements that Nigerians will not let him go in 2015? Let Nigerians decide at the appropriate time.

Agu MC, Aba, Abia State •You journalists hardly write like scientists or social scientists. You tell a bit of story before you hit your point, just like you told the story of Ahab and Jezebel in the Bible. There is cause to

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For me, I think every homo sapien who means well for this Lord Lugard’s architectural structure called Nigeria should encourage Jonathan to run in 2015. That is the only sure way we can get rid of the PDP and their tenacious grip on power. It is my belief that no reasonable citizen of this country will ever give Jonathan a vote again; not even those from Otuoke, his beloved village

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doubt Mr President’s and Abati’s denial. Bayelsa and Sylva’s “I am not involved” vis-a-vis the outcome and Jonathan’s later proclamation speak volumes about Mr President’s abracadabra.

Lanre Oseni, Lagos

•I want to submit without ‘invidia’ and ‘arriere pensee’ that the office of Mr President is a public office regulated by the constitution. Therefore, no tribe within this Lugard-engineered state can claim political birthright or megalomanialistic monopoly over the office of Mr President. Let me put it on record that the Oduduwarians, Igborians, Hausarians, Ijawrians and other tribarians have the constitutional imprimatur to vie for the presidency in 2015.

Ehis •Don’t mind the President and his aide. The hallmark of a true leader is the ability to speak out, no matter whose ox is gored. The unnecessary silence of President Jonathan is a great distraction. His body language clearly shows that he wants to run in 2015. If the Presidency feels distracted, the distraction is the creation of the Presidency itself. If Jonathan had concentrated more on transforming Nigeria instead of imposing his loyalists as leaders, we would not have cried out.

Kola Alao, Lagos •Abati should stop deceiving himself. If Jonathan is not interested in 2015, he should tell us now. I won’t be surprised if by next year some psycophants start telling us that only Jonathan can rule Nigeria and Jonathan tells us that he

Democracy and a nation’s dismal rights record

O

NE of the interesting contributions to national discourse this week was the blog piece written by Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed titled: “Jonathan’s Watch”. The essence of the piece is captured in the final part: where Baba-Ahmed submits: “… He (President Jonathan) wanted job, and he got it.

From the moment he sat in Yar’Adua’s chair, he called the shots.

Now he is being judged by how he responds to the challenges he faces. Will he rein in run-away corruption by prosecuting people who swindled us of trillions in fraudulent subsidy? Can he prosecute the big names behind the pension scam; the collapse of the capital market; the scandalous sales or ‘dashing’ of our assets under the privatization programme? Can he find a way to limit and eliminate the dangers posed by the Boko Haram insurgency? Can he make a tangible difference between now and 2015 in the areas of power supply, unemployment among the youth and reform of the electoral process?

Indeed, President Jonathan cannot blame anyone, if all that history can say of his watch is that Nigeria sank deeper into crises. The ominous signs are quite glaring.

It is a truism that today, Nigeria resiliently trudges on even if on wobbly crutches. Some thirteen odd years after its warm embrace of yet another democratic experiment, it continues to engage the throttle in the one step forward, two step backwards pattern. The question has been asked: has the country witnessed any significant change since the exit of military interlopers and the emergence of an effete political system characterized by the presence of bands of marauding political prostitutes at the apex of power? The situation, I must admit, is not helped by the fact that almost all the self-styled democrats in our midst are yet to wean themselves of a loathsome military mentality.

Those priceless democratic norms, ethics and conventions that put the people first are simply missing in governance here.

Therefore, instead of breeding leaders, we have bred a generation of selfish rulers, tin-gods and outright dictators. At best, the Nigerian Constitution - regardless of its many shortcomings - is respected in the breach by those who are expected to maintain its sanctity. There is a huge disconnect between the state and the people. There is a wide gulf between the rich and the poor. Rights and privileges are disbursed not on equal terms but on how deep the pocket is. The law may be an ass but it knows where to apply the brakes: while the goat thief gets maximum sentence with hard labour, the billion dollar thieves often negotiate their way to their loot. We see that madness every day in spite of the pretence to sanity. We have, in the main, created a community of callous looters!

We may ignore the obvious auguries but this development poses a clear and present danger to our collective peace. In any case, even the blind and the deaf in most parts of our country now perceive our gradual slide into a state of anarchy. With the

damning human rights records issued by the Amnesty International in its 2012 report, those who say Nigeria is on the brink might just be right. Unless the key institutions saddled with the responsibility of maintaining law, order and equity get serious about living above the fray, it may not be that long before the watering of our season of anomie. How can anyone justify the reckless violation of human dignity and a complete disrespect for human life in a democratic setting?

When the military appropriated power and decreed its own draconian rules, we bore the crude larceny and the utter brigandage because guns bought with taxpayers’ money were employed as the instruments of torture and terror. They were always taunting us in our powerlessness. Yet, at the risk of their lives, some Nigerians made spirited efforts to call them to order.

In the course of the struggle, lives were lost; families were separated and the continuous unity of the country was always put to the test. Sacrifices were made across the length and breadth of this Lugardian contraption. It was a long, tortuous journey to democracy. Nevertheless, on May 29, 1999, Nigeria launched a fresh effort to return power to the people. It was a new dawn in our chequered history. Now, we dare ask: thirteen years after, how have we fared as a nation?

Sadly, it is still the same old story.

Politicians have mastered the sorcery of dribbling the electorate.

Without the slightest idea about how to go about it, the electoral promises are re-echoed elections after elections. They said millions of jobs would be created; healthcare would be upgraded to meet international standards; there would be access to free, qualitative education; the nooks and crannies would be linked together with the construction of good road network; quality of life would improve; there would be uninterrupted power supply; corruption would be reduced to the barest minimum and Nigeria would take its rightful place in the comity of nation. These were the tall dreams we set for ourselves as a nation when this journey was kick-started by a retired Army General, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in 1999. Today, as the present administration prepares to roll out the drums to perform the annual ritual of celebrating Democracy Day, we all know how well those promises have been religiously kept. Today, we wallow in the ocean of un-kept promises. We are the victims of a pernicious governance system that places little value on human dignity which is at the heart of every successful democratic experiment.

In its report, the Amnesty International painted a gloomy picture of human rights abuses by the Nigerian Police.

“The Police”, it said, “continued to commit human rights violations, including unlawful killings, torture and other illtreatment, and enforced disappearances. The justice system was under-resourced and riddled with delays. Prisons were overcrowded; the majority of inmates were pre-trial detainees,

cannot resist the pressure. Most African leaders are sit-tight rulers.

Alhaji Adeboye Lawal, Felele, Ibadan.

•Thanks for your piece of May 12. You have spoken the minds of Nigerians in a few words.

But then, Abati must earn his pay.

Seye, Akure •Vin, please let us focus on the insecurity and corruption that is bedeviling the nation instead of 2015. If there is orderliness in the system, 2015 will take care of itself. God bless Nigeria.

Don Ezeala, Port Harcourt •I love your write-up on President GEJ. Remember he has no other leadership quality than superstitious good luck. What fulfillment of promises are you expecting from him? Don’t forget, an African leader will never leave office unless he is disgraced.

Oyede Gabriel, Osun State •You are right. The PDP government is a disaster. The problem is that the people do not participate in politics because of ignorance, poverty and superstition. So, the problem is not Jonathan or Abati’s polemics. The ball is in the people’s court unlike the case of Ahab.

Amos Ejinmoye, Kaduna •The truth is that Dr. Abati can’t deceive Nigerians. Every truth suppressed on the altar of selfish expediency is an evil postponed.

Jonathan’s tenure will end someday and so will Abati’s job.

Kamin Asunogie •I think this is not the best time for unnecessary debate on Jonathan’s intention come 2015. What we should be seriously concerned about and ask GEJ is the issue of insecurity.

080363537..

•Nigerians should resist the urge to register the politics of 2015 in their medulla oblongata.

The issues of good governance, impeccable security system, massive infrastructural development, massive employment, anticorruption drive, justice for all and economic improvement should form the scope of our meditation hoc tempore. It is needless to develop a headache over Abati’s logomarchy.

Ehimare

Knucklehead With

Yomi Odunuga E-mail:yomi.odunuga @thenationonlineng.net SMS only: 07028006913 some held for many years. Approximately 920 people were on death row, many sentenced after unfair trials. No executions were reported. The security situation in the Niger Delta deteriorated during the year. Human rights defenders and journalists continued to face intimidation and harassment.

Violence against women remained widespread and the government failed to protect the rights of children. Forced evictions continued across the country.”

Though the police and the judiciary were roundly condemned in the report, government was also critically upbraided for the criminal lethargy it continues to exhibit with its failure to put an end to these multiple violations. As the nation turns into a killing field of some sort, Amnesty International wonders why official findings on the crises and recommendations on how to resolve them often end up in the archives. It, in a subtle way, bemoans a do-nothing government that tends to look the other way as its citizens face incessant attacks from within and without. It speaks of a culture of impunity in governance and its debilitating effects on our collective wellbeing.

In all this, what the 2012 Amnesty International report on human rights abuses in Nigeria has done is to leave a message for those insensitive VIPs and their lackeys who see things differently from their comfort zones: please wake up and restore that dignity to the human life. Too much blood is being spilled across the land and those who have the responsibility of putting an end to it should stop sitting on their hands, retuning condolence messages.

Please, retrieve those reports from the dusty closets and take action. It is sad enough that things have gone so bad while the fat cats pillage the common wealth. Must we allow the drift to continue while hopes of genuine development, peace and security continue to recede?

Will the one who calls the shots from Aso Rock chew on this poser?

Peace returns to embattled Anambra community after Ekwueme’s intervention

rchh seaarc In In se reeenneerr ooff ggre re...... bo stuure ppaast il of Ig

Nigeria has taught me thought mesoso many things —South African-born GM of Port Harcourt hotel

LIFE & STYLE/41

FEATURE/16-17

THRILLER / 19-21

On the tra immigrants in Liberia

Weekend

PEOPLE THE NATION, Saturday, MAY 19, 2012

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y b , s e i r o Our st s e i r a i c i benef s s a m o of Kan g n i d d e w former marriage ‘My ’ l l e h n i s r a was 17 ye

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UESDAY, May 15 was World Family Day. People and governments across the world made big plans for the day. For some families, it was a day of reunion. Family members came together, reflected on the experiences of the past and planned for the future. In Kano, it was a special day for divorcees and widows.

Through the Hisbah Board and in collaboration with a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Voice of Widows, Orphans and Divorcees (VOWAN), the state government sponsored the marriages of about 100 widows and divorcees in the first phase of the 1,000 selected widows and divorcees screened for marriage.

According to the Director-General of Hisbah Board, Mallam Abba Sa’id Sufi, already, the Kano State Executive Council approved the sum of N15 million for the exercise. “In fact, I must tell you that before now, these widows and divorcees had never had it so good.

We continue to have cases of failed marriages and broken homes.

“One day, we sat and asked ourselves the best thing to do to curtail this trend, and this idea came up. We are not only arranging marriages for these widows and divorcees, we are also engaging them in training and retraining on the rudiments of marriage as well as the gains of a successful and happy married life.

“The exercise is a continuous one because the aim of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is to have a Kano that is devoid of the spate of divorcees and failed marriages. This government holds women in high esteem and our desire in Hisbah is to help achieve this cause,” Sufi stated.

He further stated: “If you follow strict Islamic concepts or principles on divorce, there may not be any reason for rampant cases of divorce. You see, before divorce could be instituted, the couples are expected to make attempts to iron out their differences; complain to their guidance or relations with a view to accepting their good advice.

They also make consultations all in attempts to settle the rift or disallow it from getting out of hand. But you would find that in most cases, some couples take it upon themselves to divorce at will without recourse to Islamic principles.

“When we came in, we realised that most of the cases we had were based on drug addiction and prostitution. And most of the victims continued to say that they came from broken homes. This is why we decided to address the issue of divorce and failed marriages. To achieve this, we invited the Executive Director of VOWAN, Hajiya Atine Abdullahi, who claimed she had records of over one million divorcees in Kano.

“You see, this is a big social problem.

We have already set up a committee that will look into the possibility of enacting a law that will discourage unnecessary divorce and separation in Kano. We are committed to fighting this scourge and I must tell you that people are responding. Already, we have over 1,200 forms duly filled and returned for marriage and people are showing huge enthusiasm over the concept.”

According to the Public Relations Officer of Hisbah, Mallam Musa Tanko Mohammed, during the screening for the exercise, three out of 43 men were discovered to be HIV-positive, while four out of 80 women also had the virus.

“Those discovered to be carriers of the HIV virus were disqualified and put under control for counselling,” Tanko added.

At Hisbah premises penultimate Thursday, The Nation sighted Jamila, a calm-looking woman, divorcee and participant in the arranged marriage.

In a chat with our reporter, she reeled out her experience in the hands of her ex-husband.

Jamila said: “My name is Jamila Haruna. I am 35 years old from Kano Municipal. I lost my father in a car crash in 2002 on his way to Gombe, and my 16 brothers and sisters are dead too. We

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

My former marriage was 17 years in hell

—Remarried Kano divorcee •‘I lost my father and 16 siblings, yet my ex-husband made life unbearable for me’

•Jamila

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We were 18 in my family, but 16 of my siblings died, leaving only me and my elder brother. My mother, up till this moment, is yet to recover from the shock of losing 16 children and her husband. And it would be suicidal to continue to live with a man who never had sympathy for a widow that was helping him...

Kolade ADYEMI, Kano

are just three in my family now—myself, my elder brother and my mother. I am a divorcee and I have no regrets divorcing the man I married. I gave him love, care and compassion, but all he could pay me back with was wickedness.

“I always feel pains in my heart whenever I remember my marriage to him.

I would not want to mention his name, but he is my cousin. We got married in January 1994 when I was 16 years old.

Our marriage lasted for 17 years and

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collapsed in December 2010. We had five children—three boys and two girls.

“We lived happily for a few years before he had a problem at his office. He was a junior immigration officer and was affected when the Federal Government sacked all school certificate holders. For five months, he was not paid his entitlements. To help the family, I engaged myself in petty trading and catering services to restaurants.

“I used to brew local soft drinks like sobo and ginger, which I supplied to big restaurants where in most cases I served

in the kitchen. All I was doing was to make sure that we had our daily bread and cater for the children’s school fees.

“When the condition became unbearable, I decided to sell the house we were living in, which my father built for me. I sold the house for N1.2 million. We used N200,000 to buy some things we needed as a family while I used the rest to build a smaller house.

After the new house had been roofed, there was no money to continue the project. Then they paid him his entitlement and he gave me a loan of N300,000 so that we could complete the building project. He used the remaining money to buy a Golf Volkswagen car, which he was using as taxi, plying Kano-Abuja Road.

“I was happy that, at least, my husband had once again got a means of livelihood. I thought things would change for the better, but to my consternation, the situation grew worse. Each time he came back from work, he would turn into a bully. If he had a problem on the road, he would accuse me and my mother. He would say my family brought him bad luck, whereas he got a job at the Nigeria Immigration Service through my father.

“This was a man who fed from my mother’s pot, yet he would continue to accuse a woman that was investing so much in our family of being behind his ill-luck! I could not bear that because I love and cherish my mother so much and would not want anything to give her a heart-break.

“We were 18 in my family, but 16 of my siblings died, leaving only me and my elder brother. My mother, up till this moment, is yet to recover from the shock of losing 16 children and her husband.

And it would be suicidal to continue to live with a man who never had sympathy for a widow that was helping him.

“At a point, he parked the car and resorted to staying idle in the house. I would wake up early every morning, prepare the children for school and set out for my business. He would be sleeping in the house while I would go out to look for the family’s daily bread.

I fed him and gave him pocket money for his personal needs. Yet, he would beat me, curse my family and embarrass my friends. It got to a point when he went to the restaurant where I was working and told them to sack me, alleging that I used to steal their food.

But they laughed at him because they understood what I was passing through.

“He kept on threatening to divorce me, accusing me of things I knew nothing about. I became dejected and confused. I was going down as each day passed by. I thought of my children, my mother and my future and decided to take the hard decision before things got out of hands. This man never cared for his own children. He hated his own children and would not want to have anything to do with them or myself, his wife.

“One day, in 2010, I decided to end it all. In Islam, a woman has the right to divorce his husband when the man •Continued on Page 14

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

Our stories, by beneficiaries of Kano mass wedding

•Dauda Yakubu

•Hajiya Magajiya

H

•Aminu Sherif

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•Emir of Kano Alhaji Ado Bayero(second right); some state government officials and others during the wedding

ISTORY was made in the ancient city of Kano last Tuesday when the Kano State government, through the Hisbah Board, sponsored the marriages of 100 spouses. The marriage ceremony which was supervised by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, and Secretary to Kano State Government (SSG), Dr. Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, was the talk of the town as thousands of Kano residents trooped into the Kano Central Mosque located near the Emir’s Palace to catch a glimpse of the lucky couple.

Expectedly, it was a colourful ceremony as the brides and grooms were dressed in their best attires, with smiles written all over their faces. Most of the beneficiaries of the arranged marriages never had the wherewithal to begin a family, but the state government out of its magnanimity did not only sponsor the marriages but also provided

•Baba Bala

Kolade ADYEMI, Kano

financial and moral support to the participants. The Kano State Executive Council three weeks ago approved N15 million for the marriage exercise, out from which all the participants would be mobilised to get furniture and also start businesses that could sustain their daily needs. Sheikh Ishyaku Rabiu also donated N1 million to cover the dowry of the one hundred brides.

Shortly after the marriage ceremony that did not last more than 20 minutes, families and relations of the new couples showed their joy and appreciation as different groups were seen in high spirit, jubilating and praising the state government for what they described as a kind gesture. Praise singers mesmerized the crowd with their talking drums chanting songs of praises to Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Emir Ado Bayero for putting smiles on the

I am also happy to be part of this historic programme that will never be cleaned from the slate of history. It is a pride for me and I will always love and cherish my wife. I will continue to pray that God will continue to bless Governor Kwankwaso and the Emir of Kano for making me and others responsible family people

faces of widows and divorcees.

All the participants, who spoke to The Nation, expressed happiness and joy over the ceremony and thanked God for making it possible. Suleiman Alarama, 55, who took a wife out of the 100 widows and divorcees, said he gave thanks and praise to God for making it possible for him to have another wife. “Today, I have taken a second wife after the death of my wife two years ago; and my new wife is a woman I love so much.

She is so dear to my heart and I have promised Allah to take good care of her. I will forever remember Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, and the management of the Hisbah Board who made this occasion possible.”

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Suleiman added that for one and half years since after his wife’s death, he had been struggling to get money for a second wife, “but this has not been possible because of the harsh economic situation.

But today, I have taken a wife. I am a family man again and this is due to the goodness of Kwankwaso government. I am a happy man.”

MagajiyaYau Ismaila, 40, was beaming with smiles while speaking to our reporter.

Her words: “I am back to life again. My marriage crashed six years ago and it has not been easy living as a single parent. I have no job or means of livelihood. But today, Governor Kwankwaso through •Continued onPage 14

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

‘I lost my father and 16 siblings, yet my exhusband made life unbearable for me’ •A crowd at the wedding

Our stories, by beneficiaries of Kano mass wedding •Continued from Page 13

Kano Hisbah Board has wiped away my tears. I am now happily married and I feel so great.”

Fifty-year-old Baba Bala hails from Kura Local Government Area of the state. He told our reporter that he has found the bone of his bones. “God has finally joined me with the one I love. I must tell you that the woman I got married to today has been a woman of my dream; and I got her on a platter of gold. I must honestly appreciate Governor Kwankwaso for making this happen.”

Dauda Yakassai, 27, described the day as a big and the happiest day of his life.

“Today is a very big day for me. I was sleeping in a shop and never had the means to get married. I have struggled all my life but has not been able to make ends meet. But through the kind gesture of Governor Kwankwaso, the Emir of Kano and Sheikh Ishyaku Rabiu, I am now a responsible and family man.”

Aminu Sherif Mohammed, who is 24, was also in high spirit. He said he was happy and glad to have gotten a woman he could call his wife. “I am also happy to be part of this historic programme that will never be cleaned from the slate of history. It is a pride for me and I will always love and cherish my wife. I will continue to pray that God will continue to bless Governor Kwankwaso and the Emir of Kano for making me and others responsible family people.”

The Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, urged the couples to make love and trust the bedrock of their marriages. He also urged them to make judicious use of the funds provided for them by the state government to start a new life. Also the SSG, Alhaji Bichi, urged the couples to exhibit tolerance, understanding and perseverance in their relationship, just as he wished them happy married life. The Director-General of Hisbah Board, Alhaji Abbah Sa’id Sufi, described the programme as another milestone in curbing the menace of divorce and widowhood in Kano.

•Jamila

•Continued from Page 12

•DirectorGeneral of Hisbah Board, Sa’id Sufi

“It has always been our desire in Hisbah to ensure a decent society. I believe that if we can eliminate violence in our homes, the society will be better. We slated this occasion for today being the World Family Day to encourage even family men to look at issues that will promote peace in their marriages rather than those factors that can bring about separation and violence.

The Hisbah authority and the state government are so happy that this is happening; and we are sincerely grateful to Governor Kwankwaso who gave us the full support and other individuals who saw the wisdom in this project. To Allah be the glory.”

Special Adviser to Governor Kwankwaso on Religious Affairs, Ali Baba, said the state government saw the need to sponsor the marriage ceremony so as to reduce the rate of divorce, fight poverty and ensure high moral standard in the society. He called on other northern governors to emulate the footsteps of Governor Kwankwaso in this regard.

The ceremony was attended by who-iswho in Kano, including officials of the state government ranging from special advisers to commissioners, politicians and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains. All the members of the Emirate Council and traditional rulers across the 44 local government areas in the state were also present.

could no longer rise up to his responsibilities. He would not provide food for the family. He would not pay the children’s school fees. He would not take care of the personal needs of his wife. He became very idle and depended on me for his feeding and daily needs, and he never appreciated my efforts.

“I reported him to our family members, they spoke to him but he never changed.

I then took the case to the Hisbah Board in 2010. They invited both of us and tried to make peace but he refused to change. It was at this point that I demanded for divorce and the Hisbah Board, after exhausting all possible means to settle us, consented to the divorce.

“He refused to give me my divorce certificate, insisting that I must pay him the N300, 000 he lent me to complete the building. Then I reminded him that he once borrowed N150, 000 from me when he was sacked from the Immigration Service. At the end, I gave him the balance of N150, 000.

“At this point, the marriage had become worse than death. I had preferred to die than to continue staying with him.

How can I keep on staying with a man who did not only hate me but hated the innocent children—products of his own blood? The experience was like hell. It was, indeed, unbearable. The Hisbah Board dissolved the 17-year-old marriage in 2010, and I felt relieved.

“He demanded before the Hisbah authorities that the five children should remain in my custody. When they asked him what he would be contributing to the up-keep of the children, he said he would be giving N20 to each of the five children on a daily basis; an amazing promise he refused to keep.

“A year after, I got angry and took him

to court where he promised to give the children N2,000 each per month for their feeding and also pay their school fees. That too he didn’t keep.

“I decided to put him behind me. I buried my past and accepted my fate. I started working hard to ensure that my children get the best out of life. Today, I have no regrets. I have peace of mind.

My mother and brother are very supportive. My good neighbours and friends also feel my pains and lend a shoulder in bearing my burden.

“But in all, there is one thing I can never forget, and that is that my relationship with him destroyed my fortune. I could not achieve my desire of being a graduate. I remember when he had a quarrel with my father simply because my father urged him to allow me continue with my education, but he would not hear of it. He blatantly refused.

“I must tell you that I am personally impressed with what the government of Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso is doing to liberate divorcees and widows.

This has been my dream: to see a day a government would come with a policy that can wipe away the tears of widows and divorcees.

“I must tell you that all the participants are very elated. Those who are not taking part now are earnestly longing for their own turn. People are allowed to choose their partners, speak with them and get to know each other.

We have also passed through a lot of training and retraining on issues concerning marriage and family life.

The participants have come out with a different view about marriage, and this is very interesting. I am so happy to be part of this arrangement and I hope to build a new family devoid of pains, heartbreak and mistrust.”

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

‘Our exploits as prostitutes and kidnappers’

•Esther (left) and Patricia

Ebele BONIFACE

•Kingsley (left) and Osita

T

WO suspected prostitutes who allegedly led a seven-man gang of kidnappers to abduct the child of a Lagos-based businessman have been arrested by the Special Track Squad of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos State Police Command. Also arrested were five other members of the gang. Their arrest followed the decision of the victim’s father to write a petition to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Umaru Manko, asking that SARS men be allowed to handle the case.

Narrating her role in the kidnap

saga, one of the two prostitutes and initiator of the crime, Esther Phillips (22) said: “My father is from Ondo but I grew up in Imo State. My mother is from Ugwu Aba village in Orlu town, Imo State. I was a student of Lagos State Polytechnic, where I was studying Mass Communication before I dropped out at 200 level due to financial problems. I am even the breadwinner of my family.

“It was the financial problem that pushed me into prostitution. I started going to clubs, especially

night clubs, to look for men who were seeking fun. I used to charge N2000 for short time sex. But for full time, I used to charge between N3,000 and N4,000. I stayed in a hotel in Sango-Ota, Ogun State, where I met with men on short time and full time bases. Because I was finding it difficult to pay for the hotel room in Sango-Otta, I relocated to an uncompleted building in the town. I used to pay N1,000 naira for the room every day, whether I met with men or not. I also used to give the hotel manager N500 any day there was good business.

“When I started going to night clubs, some men used to beat me and, at times, if they were three or four, all of them would like to sleep with me. Later, I stabilised and made some money from prostitution. I used to send money to my mother in Imo State and take care of my younger ones because our father was not helping the family in anyway. This made it difficult for me to save enough money.

“When I had managed to raise up to N800,000, I started thinking of how to procure a ticket and a visa to travel abroad. It was during that time that I met one Wale and Bayo at Ikeja to help me travel out of the country. But they gave me fake passport and visa. When I got to the airport, it was God who saved me from being arrested.

“I then went to the Ikeja police station and reported Wale and Bayo for duping me. The investigating police officer then was the late Superintendent of Police called John. The case dragged for long and became boring, as nothing concrete was done to retrieve my money, while any of the people I had borrowed money from were on my neck. I became frustrated and confused.

“I was in this state of frustration

when I met half-cast guy (name withheld), who was so nice and caring. All I needed to continue with my bid to travel abroad was N200,000. I started thinking that if I could kidnap this half cast, his father, a stinking billionaire, would give any amount to get his only child back.

“I called my close friend in prostitution job, Patricia, and told her about it. We discussed it and she said it was a good shortcut to big money. I told Patricia that I had nobody with whom I could do the job and she said she knew somebody called Kingsley Okenwa aka Dragon.

“She contacted Dragon and he said he could do it perfectly. I then told Dragon that from the investigations I had done, the half-cast was the only son of his father.

“We then fixed an appointment.

On the day we were supposed to meet, I told Dragon that the halfcast had travelled back to America.

Later I told him that he was back and we fixed an appointment for one Sunday evening.

“I told Dragon that the half-cast would be driving a jeep by himself from Opebi and that I would go there to meet him, as he had told me that he wanted to sleep with Patricia and I together on that day for full sexual satisfaction. I told Dragon and his men to wait for us at Iyana School Bus Stop.

“We got to Iyana School Bus Stop around 4.30 pm. I pretended that I wanted to ease myself. The halfcast parked the jeep by the roadside and I came down. Before I could bend down, three men, namely Dragon and two others named Black and Osi appeared with daggers and entered the Murano Jeep.

They forced the half-cast to move to the back seat and Osi took over the steering. That was sometime in February this year.

“We drove to a room in Iyana and the five of us stayed there. The halfcast was not chained. Rather, he sat comfortably with the television on. The generator was on and the bed was okay. I even wanted to make love with him there just to make him feel at home, but he was not in the mood for that. The room was in a face-me-I-face-you building, but almost all the tenants used to go out for one work or the other in the morning, making the building desolate in the day time.

“He knew that I had planned the kidnap, so he asked why I was risking his life because of common N200,000, which he said he would have given me without any stress if I had asked him. We demanded N10 milion from his father, but Dragon later collected only N5 million and five of us shared it.”

The second suspect, Patricia Nna (25), also a prostitute and indigene of Aba, Abia State, said she was a casual worker at Amingo, a company that manufactures hair attachment.

She said: “One day, I fainted at

‘

It was the financial problem that pushed me into prostitution. I started going to clubs, especially night clubs, to look for men who were seeking fun. I used to charge N2000 for short time sex.

But for full time, I used to charge between N3,000 and N4,000

,

the factory due to hard work. So, I decided to resign and I was paid off. After staying without work for some time, the money got finished and I started going to night clubs to look for men. I first went to Pecas where I met Esther. We used to talk on the phone most of the time because of our full time sex deals, which used to take us far away.

“One day, she told me that she was tired of prostitution. She said not only were her laps and thigh paining her, we also stood the risk of running into the hands of ritual killers or contract diseases. She also said the kind of money she wanted would never come from prostitution. Hence, she was thinking of a better job she could do.

“I told her that I was also tired of prostitution. It had given me a bad odour, which would only cease if I stopped prostituting. That was when she came up with the idea of kidnapping and said the first target would be the half-cast who was her close friend with wealthy parents.

“She asked whether I had somebody who would help her carry out the job perfectly, and I mentioned Dragon. I did not know Dragon to be a criminal before I told him about the deal. When I told him about what Esther told me, he said it was a good idea.

“I had earlier asked Dragon to •Continued on Page 18

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

•From left: Dame Ekwueme; the Rector Prof. Onu and the council chairman, Hon. Aforka at the thanksgiving service

•Ekwueme’s wife, the Rector, the council chair and others pose with the clergymen who presided over the service

P

EACE has finally returned to the embattled Anambra community of Oko, Orumba North Local Government area, following the intervention of Second Republic Vice President, Dr. Alex Ifeanyi Ekwueme and other stakeholders. The prolonged crisis had resulted from a violent clash between some masquerades and students of the Federal Polytechnic Oko, leading to the destruction of property estimated at millions of naira while many people were injured.

At the height of the clash, the polytechnic was hurriedly shut down to prevent it from escalating while the community became as silent as a graveyard with business activities paralysed. The clash had strained the otherwise cordial relationship between the polytechnic and the host community, resulting in accusations and counter-accusations between the two.

There were also fears of reprisals, which made palpable tension to hang over the community for about seven weeks.

But the intervention of Ekwueme, it was gathered, calmed frayed nerves and made the polytechnic to reopen for academic activities while business activities also resumed in the community.

The Nation investigation revealed that many of the students who fled the community have returned to their base without any molestation while those who live on the campus are moving freely within the community. The students of the polytechnic are now freely transacting businesses with other members of the community, a feat previously deemed impossible.

In an interdenominational service to mark the return of peace in the community, Ekwueme’s wife, Dame Beatrice, said the crisis between the Federal Polytechnic Oko and the host community was over, adding that conflicts did not benefit anyone.

Dame Ekwueme, who represented her husband at the interdenominational service at the Polytechnic’s auditorioum, adopted the students of the institution as her kids and urged them to be of good behaviour at all times.

Noriega EMMA

According to her, “The Lord has done a great thing in our lives by the restoration of peace to our community. The students should sheathe their swords and forgive their hosts, who have equally forgiven them.”

She reminded the students of the backlog of academic works accruing from the long break and urged them to settle down to their academic business as quickly as possible.

Declaring the return of peace, she said: “It is all over.” She promised to take care of the students who she in turn urged to extend the care to other kids in the streets.

In his remarks, the Rector of the polytechnic, Prof. Godwin Onu, thanked God for making the resolution of the impasse possible. He particularly commended the role of Dr. Alex Ekwueme in resolving the crisis.

Onu said: “The intervention of the first Vice President of Nigeria, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, did the miracle. Today, the crisis is over. Let it be on record that the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, is pleased to thank Dr. Alex Ekwueme for helping to resolve the crisis and for us to be gathered here today without fear of being attacked.”.

Heaping encomiums on Ekwueme, Onu said his name is synonymous with conflict resolution, citing the present six geopolitical zones as his brainchild in resolving the political equation in Nigeria. He warned the students never to take the law into their hands, no matter the level of provocation, saying that the outcome of such irrational actions are always unpalatable and cause more problems.

Onu promised that there wouldl be no more of such conflicts in the polytechnic and expressed hope that the messages of peace, love, obedience, unity, forgiveness and reconciliation which were preached at the interdenominational service would be imbibed by all the parties.

“There is no alternative to peace. Jaw-jaw is better than war-war. Let us always imbibe the culture of dialogue, which is better for the society. We want a peaceful polytechnic that will be second to none, and this will not be achieved in an atmosphere of anarchy and crisis. We want a polytechnic that will be up-

Peace returns to embattled Anambra community after Ekwueme’s intervention

‘

There is no alternative to peace.

Jaw-jaw is better than war-war. Let us always imbibe the culture of dialogue, which is better for the society.

We want a peaceful polytechnic that will be second to none, and this will not be achieved in an atmosphere of anarchy and crisis...

graded to a university of science and technology, which can only be achieved in a peaceful atmosphere. You should not take steps that will derail our aspirations,” Onu stated.

Further more, the Chairman of Orumba North Local Government Area, Hon. Emeka Aforka, an architect, who was at the interdenominational service, said he was delighted at the resumption of academic activities at the Polytechnic.

He said as the chief security officer of the area, he was guaranteeing the security of every responsible student and other residents of the area. He commended Ekwueme for the fatherly role he played to ensure that peace returned.

’

He said: “We are on top of the situation. Our people are good, hospitable and peaceful. We don’t believe in crisis. That was why we created room for the resolution of the crisis. That is why you are back in the polytechnic. Hate cannot drive hate and darkness cannot drive darkness, but love conquers all. We need to love one another and live harmoniously.”

A student of Science Laboratory Technology (SLT) at the polytechnic, Onyinye Iwudo, said the return of peace was a welcomed development, add that peace remains the sine qua non for development.

She said the clash which could have been avoided was caused by mistrust between the communities, regretting the carnage it caused.

17

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

‘

We are on top of the situation. Our people are good, hospitable and peaceful. We don’t believe in crisis. That was why we created room for the resolution of the crisis. That is why you are back in the polytechnic. Hate cannot drive hate and darkness cannot drive darkness, but love conquers all. We need to love one another and live harmoniously...

’

•Top and bottom: Cross sections of the students and staff of the Polytechic as well as members of the community at the the service She commended the peace initiators for making the resumption of academic activities possible, urging all the parties to embrace peace and sheathe their swords. She particularly urged them to forgive and forget because every party in the clash sustained injuries and incurred some losses.

The interdenominational service was led by the Chaplain of St Augustine’s Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Paul Dimude and some clergies in the polytechnic community. Dimude urged the community and the students to embrace unity without which no progress would be made, and insisted that in unity comes progress and development.

But before peace was achieved, it was gathered that the management of the Federal Polytechnic had to withdraw all the charges it filed in court against members of the Oko community who were arrested by the police in connection with the unrest.

In a letter to the President General of Oko People’s Union (OPU), Cyprian Nwamuo, signed by the Legal Adviser to the institution, Stanley Okafor, and copied to the traditional ruler of the community, Prof. Laz Ekwueme, the polytechnic said its management had decided to comply with the request by the Oko community to withdraw all criminal charges in the Chief Magistrate Court Ajali, the headquarters of Orumba North Local Government Area, in order to give peace a chance.

According to the letter, “In the same vein, the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the Federal Polytechnic Oko, who represents the institution in the court, has been directed in writing to ensure that all the charges preferred against those arrested on 26/3/2012 are withdrawn on the

next date of adjournment in the interest of peace and tranquility in Oko.” The letter reads in part: “You are to note that this action on the part of the polytechnic is anchored on management’s determination to ensure peaceful and amicable resolution of the impasse lingering in consequence of the faceoff between students and Oko community.

“It is, therefore, earnestly hoped that your community would reciprocate and fan the embers of peace and in the process ensure cessation of acts capable of escalating and extending frontiers of the existent impasse, including volatile publications in national dailies emanating from persons from your community, so that at the end, amity, peace and good neighborliness which have eluded all would return, paving the way for students of the polytechnic to also return and resume peaceful cohabitation with the community.”

The new found peace in the polytechnic was boosted by solidarity visits from the institution’s alumni association in the United States of America, which donated books worth several millions of naira, and the youth forum of the Old Aguata Union who called for truce.

A delegate of the alumni association, Baron Luggard, who made the presentation on behalf of the association, said the gesture was to complement the efforts of the Rector, Prof.

Godwin Onu, in turning the institution around for better and encourage the students to learn.

He said the association had procured other books which would be delivered to the polytechnic before the end of the year. He described the polytechnic as his second home, saying

that the present Rector of the polytechnic has transformed the institution beyond imagination.

Luggard noted that Onu had done wonders in the polytechnic, especially in the areas of infrastructural development within the short period he has been in the saddle, promising to take the news of the transformation back to the United States.

He also presented the certificate of incorporation of the alumni association in USA to the Rector and other members of the polytechnic’s management who expressed delight with the development. He promised that the association would continue to partner the polytechnic in providing more enabling environment.

“It is difficult to believe that this institution could be transformed in this way with the hard economy. I wish it had happened in our time.

I must thank you sincerely on behalf of my colleagues who are scattered all over the nooks and crannies of America. I will be bold and happy to brief them on what I have seen on ground. The most astonishing is the extension site where cult boys used to perform their initiation now an epitome of beauty. I am equally happy to hear that the institution is cult-free. It is exciting and good to be home,” he said.

The Registrar of the polytechnic, Tony Olih Nwaokolobia, in a vote of thanks, said: We are glad that you are identifying with us. We appreciate it.”

He commended them for registering the association in the United States, a feat he said was novel in the country, noting that the alumni of the institution are always dynamic and enterprising.”Just keep the flag flying,” he charged.

He told them that the Rector was committed to transforming the polytechnic into a university of technology and urged the delegation to “extend our love and appreciation to the USA when you go back.”.

The Youth Forum of the Old Aguata Union also showed solidarity with the polytechnic and called on both sides to give peace a chance.

The youths were led by its President General, Comrade Sylvester Eze. They called for immediate reopening of the school, pointing out the danger that is inherent in continuous postponement of the resumption date.

According to Eze, “A time comes when silence is betrayal. The recent demonstration between the students and the host community is one of such events upon which it is difficult to speak and impossible to be silent about. Therefore if we are seen to be silent all the while, it was deliberate. It was to allow proper investigations and consultations to be made with high sense of decorum and maturity in order to avoid taking a hasty and biased position.”

The president said the forum’s investigation revealed that the youths of the community defied the instruction of the monarch not to parade masquerades at that given time and went ahead to molest and abuse the students.

“The students were misinformed about the death of their colleague and as well over-reacted. The incidence of masquerades manhandling the students has occurred for several years and the most recent one was the actual straw that broke the camel’s back,” he stated, adding: “Our decision to stand by facts is so much dear to us that nothing will take our minds away from objectivity.”

Eze also said that at no time did the Rector, Prof. Godwin Onu, seek or move for the relocation of the polytechnic as being speculated by members of the community, adding: “Any informed mind ought to know that the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, was established by an Act and would only be relocated by only an amendment of such Act.” He insisted that the youths of Orumba North and South and Aguata council areas had decided to stand by the truth, saying there should be no victor or vanquished in the settlement of the crisis.

“Finally, we call on both the students and the host community to see one another as one extended family and always give peace, consultation and dialogue a chance.

No everlasting peace has ever been achieved by violence and atmosphere full of bitterness and rancour. Violence destroys,” he said.

18

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

‘Our exploits as prostitutes and kidnappers’

Controversy as gunmen shoot vigilance group leader dead in Ogun community Kunle AKINRINADE

•The late Wasiu

•From left: Uzochukwu, Sunday, Olarewaju •Continued from Page 15 help me look for a job in any hotel.

But after telling him about the kidnap deal, he said I should forget about getting a hotel job because the kidnapping deal was big.”

Kingsley Okenwa, aka Dragon, a 30-year-old indigene of Orlu, Imo State, said he was a trader in petroleum products before he met Patricia at Ikoyi, Lagos about four years ago. “I lost money in petroleum business and became a ‘bouncer’ at Fela Night Club.

Patricia met me and we became friends, though she was into prostitution. She asked me to help her get a job in a hotel and I told her to forget about it because she is a call girl and would not have the patience to do hotel work.

“She later told me about a white guy that used to disturb her, and that she would like me to assist her in kidnapping him so that we could get big money. I told her that I had not done such a thing before and that I had no guns to carry out the job. She told me that I should not worry, that she and her friend would bring the boy by themselves and our role would be to keep him and demand for a ransom from his wealthy father, who is chief executive officer of a multinational company.

“I told her that I would inform my friend so that we would deliberate on it and give them a feedback later. I then told my friends, Osi, Uzochukwu, Jude and Mike about it. We fixed an appointment with the girls the following week.

Unfortunately, they disappointed us.

“The following week, we were only three, namely Osita, Uzochukwu and I, when the girls told us that they were on their way.

We did not have any weapon with which we could force the victim to comply with our orders.

“Fortunately, the victim did not protest. Osita entered the driver’s seat and the half-cast was asked to go to the back seat. We told him not to worry or fear, because we were all friends. We moved and stopped at Osita’s house at Ajangbadi.

“I called the boy’s father on the phone after collecting his number from Esther. I told him that his son

was with us and that all we needed was money. I hid my GSM number while calling him because of the nature of the job.

“We demanded N10 million but he gave us only N5 million, which he paid in dollars. I told his father to drop the ransom very close to an uncompleted building close to Trade Fair Complex. I had earlier warned him not to involve the police and he promised to comply.

“We scattered ourselves and waited until he came and dropped the money and left. When we picked the ransom and confirmed that it was real, we called him on the phone and told him to go and pick his Jeep at Mile 2 area. That was around 4.30 pm on Sunday.

“Our neighbours did not know that we were holding somebody’s child hostage because there was no noise or beating for the three days we stayed there. We fed him with our money and gave him choice food because we asked him the kind of food he wanted. Unfortunately, he refused to eat, fearing that the food was poisoned. So, he neither ate nor visited the toilet for the three days we held him hostage.

“After collecting the ransom, we promised his father that we would release his son and that he could take the balance later to a place we would direct him.

“Esther and Patricia later took the boy out and he went to meet his father. We later shared the money.

I got 6,000 dollars, Esther got 6,120 dollars, Patricia got 6,100 dollars, Osita got 6,100 dollars, Black got 6,100 dollars, Jude got N125,000 and Mike got N125,000.”

Recalling how he was arrested, he said: “I was arrested through the effort of a friend called Ben in Iyana Iba area. They told me that he was arrested late in the night. I went to his brother’s place at Iyana Iba to inform them. From there we called Ben again and he said he was coming back. I waited there till policemen came and arrested me.

“I was first to be arrested by SARS operatives led by SP Abba Kyari at Iyana Iba area. Ben was later released by SARS for reasons I was not told. But the way I saw him with SP Kyari, the leader of the crack squad, I sensed he was used to locate us and later released.”

,

Our neighbours did not know that we were holding somebody’s child hostage because there was no noise or beating for the three days we stayed there. We fed him with our money and gave him choice food because we asked him the kind of food he wanted...

,

The fourth suspect, Osita Adigwe, aka OC, a 41-year-old indigene of Amakohia, Imo State, said: “I was on my own when Kingley called me for a job. He said one of his girls brought a guy whose father was a bloody millionaire and that they planned to kidnap him so that they would get some money from his wealthy father.

“I asked him how we would carry it out, and he assured me that there would be no stress as the girls themselves would bring the boy to them.

I told him that I had not done the job before and that I needed some orientation. He told me that as a professional driver, my role would be to drive whichever vehicle they might come with.

“The girls later came with the boy and I took over the steering and drove them to my house. There, I gave him water to bath and I treated him like my younger brother. My neighbours did not know that he was kidnapped. They thought he was my brother and that my friends and I were enjoying ourselves as we used to do—drinking, smoking, having sex, watching films and dancing in the room as usual.

“After his father had brought money, I told them to take the boy back. I even gave Esther N3,000 to return the boy fast. We shared the money. But Kingsley later brought policemen to my house and they arrested me.”

The fifth suspect, Uzochukwu Ezimoha, a 24-year-old indigene of Orlu, Imu State, said he was a “bouncer” at Heavens Night Club on a salary of N4,500 per week. “I did not join them the first day they met. They picked me when they did not see Jude and Michael. I was arrested in my house. I was a bus conductor, plying Mile 2 to CMS before I became a bouncer at a night club.”

The sixth suspect, Jude Sunday aka Bulldozer (35), said he was also a bouncer at Heavens Night Club.

He said: “I was at the meeting the first day. I did not follow them. But when they succeeded, I threatened to call the police and they gave me N125,000. Kingsley brought N50,000, Osita brought N50,000, Uzochukwu also brought N150,000, totalling N250,000, and I shared it with Michael. Later, Kingsley brought SARS operatives and they arrested me.

The seventh suspect, Michael Olarewaju, said he was also a bouncer at Heavens Night Club. He said: “I only participated in their first meeting; I did not follow them.

It was one month after they had succeeded that I threatened to report them to the police. But they stopped me by giving me N125,000.”

F

OR many years, he and the vigilance group that he led made life difficult for criminals at Kofesu, an Abeokuta, Ogun State neighbourhood beside the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB).

But life came to a sudden end for Wasiu Ademosun penultimate Saturday as he was shot dead by unknown gunmen.

His death has since thrown the community into mourning, a situation that persisted when our correspondent visited the sleepy community.

Eyewitness accounts indicated that the deceased had barely returned from work in the early hours of the day when the merchants of death called at his residence on a motorbike at about 7am. They headed straight to Ademosun’s apartment and shot him at close range.

The incident occurred about three hours before a meeting of the local vigilance group, which the deceased was billed to chair. Indeed, the other members of the group were said to have converged for the meeting but waited endlessly for his arrival. They decided to visit his residence to find out what was going on only to find him in a pool of his own blood.

The 32-year-old man was said to be living in Lagos initially but had to relocate to Abeokuta when things became difficult for him. His widow was said to have travelled to Lagos for an engagement and he would have accompanied her to the event if he was not hard up financially.

A Kofesu resident, Waheed Alebiosu, said:”It was a strange incident because no such act of cowardice had happened in this community before. His assailants killed and dumped him in a corner of his room to prevent people from knowing what had happened.

“He (the deceased) was the leader of the vigilance group in this town. His group had policed the town in such a way that criminals could not operate here.”

Another resident, who pleaded anonymity, explained that the gunmen were sighted in the neighbourhood a few minutes before the incident. “But no one knew that the bastards were out to carry out a dastardly act.

“A number of residents alleged that they saw them roaming about in the early hours of the day. Those who saw them thought they had missed their way, not knowing that they had come to execute an evil mission.

“I think there is more to the incident than meets the eye, because his killers came at a time that no one else was at home with the deceased. They might have taken their time to monitor his movement, because they struck a few minutes after he returned home from where he had gone to keep watch over a section of the town.”

A sibling of the deceased, who also pleaded anonymity, explained that

certain strange incidents had been happening since the family lost its patriarch in 1997. “On August 29, 2004, one of the deceased’s cousins, Moshood, hung himself while his younger brother, Jamiu, was also involved in a ghastly auto accident.”

At the moment, Ademosun’s killing is causing serious ripples in the community as accusations are flying in the direction of some family members following a protracted battle over some of the property left behind by his late father.

A twist was added to the incident when some sources said the deceased was not murdered but was electrocuted while he was trying to iron his clothes. But this story line was dispelled by Ademosun’s elder brother, Najimu.

Najimu said: ” There was no sign that he was electrocuted. He was found in a pool of his blood after he had been shot. Both of us were living in Lagos before we decided to return home. Our father had two wives. My own mother had seven children while the other woman had two. We have been having a running battle over some property left behind by our late father.

Some of our siblings wanted to prevent us from sharing in the property.”

Ademosun’s colleagues say they will not rest until the masterminds of the killing are found, adding that their leader would not die in vain. One, who identified himself simply as Idris, hinted that the deceased would soon be honoured with a befitting burial.

“We will not open our eyes as members of his group and allow him to be killed in vain. He was a leader that was very committed to seeing a crimefree community and he performed creditably well in his life time. We have resolved to honour him by giving him a burial befitting a generalissimo that he was,” Idris said.

He described the late Ademosun as “a very unassuming, brave and dogged fighter for the helpless. We will forever miss him for his sterling qualities, which characterised his tenure as the leader of the vigilance group in our community.

“I implore the police to unravel the mystery behind his death and to ensure that his killers are brought to book. That is the only way his death can be avenged. Until that is done, those of us who are his colleagues would not rest. His killers have murdered sleep.”

The matter was reported to the police at the Obantoko Police Division while men of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, were said to have commenced investigations on the matter.

The body has since been deposited at Ijaiye General Hospital, Abeokuta.

Confirming the incident on the telephone, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ogun State Police Command, Mr Muyiwa Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said: “The incident happened about two saturdays ago. However, the deceased was not shot but strangled to death by his assailants, according to autopsy report. It was a case of murder and we are having two suspects in our custody. One of the suspects is a man called Nafiu, who is an elder brother to the deceased.

The matter has been transfered to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.

19

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

Saturday

THRILLER

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

20

On the trail of Igbo immigrants in Liberia T

HE omelette of sunset ricocheted against the rickety ruin of a road bed in Urualla, a small village in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State.

It was in that hour when neighbourhood folk – parents and older siblings crowded the bus park en route Owerri, the state capital, to trade in groceries and wit.

On the roadbed, two wizened men in their youth picked their way through wild azalea and dew soaked shrubs. They were making for the bus park. Stagnant sun flowers pulsate to the impatient rustle of their feet and that is the only motion you get to see.

On that fateful morning, there was no baby wail or wife rant, no house chore or leftover farm work to complete; all they had to contend with were tiresome gnats, irate weevils and other tenants of the wild. Sparse dialogue, laboured breathing and the squeak of their rubber soles wafted a subtle cadence to their ears as they made their way through the bush path to the back of a very old and rickety Peugeot J5 bus. Like other passengers in the bus, they were headed for Owerri but unlike them, they were not going to trade in groceries and wit; Chiedu and Uchechukwu Obuh were on their way to Lagos from where they intended to depart for Liberia, by road.

And they got to Liberia. But six years since they got to the war-ravaged land in search of greener pasture, Chiedu has relocated to Ethiopia even as Uchechukwu stayed back to salvage what is left of their boutique. “It’s not as easy as we thought it would be. Before we came here, we thought things wouldn’t be too difficult...We decided to leave Nigeria for this place (Liberia) because things were too difficult at home. It is worse here. We arrived here with N235, 000. It was all the savings we had made from our food business back home in Nigeria,” lamented Uchechukwu, adding that he is planning to sell off the remainder of their stock and join his brother in Ethiopia. “Liberia has nothing to offer anyone,” said Uchechukwu.

But that is just one way to look at the warravaged nation. Unlike Uchechukwu, Liberia has been kinder to Michael Nwafor Williams, a welder in the Red light market district of Monrovia, off the Paynesville highway. The native of Ebonyi State disclosed that ever since his arrival in Liberia five years ago, he has been able to cope.

“Although things are not easy over here, I thank God. I enjoy my life here better. Things were tough back home in Nigeria,” said Nwafor-Williams. The artisan who is married to a Liberian woman has two sons by her: Chibuike, eight, and Emeka, five. According to him, he intends to send them back to his hometown in Nigeria next year. “I want them to school in Nigeria and learn our people’s ways and wisdom. I don’t want them to grow up thinking their fatherland is worse than any foreign land,” he said.

Few blocks away from Nwafor-Williams’ workshop, Phillip Obi makes a living of his own. The native of Orhaifte in Ekwusigo local government area of Anambra State sells auto parts been in Liberia for five years. Unlike Nwafor-Williams, Obi would rather travel back home in Nigeria to pick a wife. He said: “I prefer to marry an Igbo girl. I don’t want to marry a Liberian girl.” There are a whole lot of things Obi would like to do.

“Business isn’t really moving as it’s supposed to move. I don’t make enough sales as I used to. I would like to come back to settle in Nigeria but the terrible tales I am hearing are forcing me to stay here. It used to be armed robbery but now people are throwing bombs everywhere. Nobody wants to return to live in such a deadly situation,”

•Paynesville Monrovia plays host to many Igbo auto dealers

•An Igbo auto-parts dealer and mechanic attends to the need of a customer

Olatunji OLOLADE, Assistant Editor said Obi. Indeed, many Nigerians, particularly of Eastern extraction, would rather stay back and “rough it up” in Liberia than return home to ‘suicide bombings’ and wanton executions.

Add recurrent armed robbery, unstable electricity and bad road networks to the mix and you have a Nigerian population desperate to remain outside the shores of their fatherland.

While the veracity of her claims remains contestable, Nneka Udoghor, 47, a tailor and aid worker in Congo Town, Monrovia, Liberia, noted that the Igbo are the most travelled ethnic group in Nigeria, within and outside the country.

The Igbo migratory culture As buying and selling or petty trading is said to be an integral part of Igbo culture, so is the habit of migrating from one area to another, according to Chris Ojukwu of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. “For the society (Igbo) population mobility is far from being a novelty introduced by colonialism.

Instead, it has been a feature of the traditional economy. In fact, the era of slave trade rather added a new dimension to it as it saw the spread of the Igbo to almost all parts of the world,” said Ojukwu.

Put differently, part of the Igbo way of life is their tendency to adventure; the Igbo are one of the most restless of people in the black race and the most travelled. It is no accident therefore, that an Igbo man’s country is his understanding, he carries it with him wherever he goes and whether he emigrates north to the Hausas or west to the Yorubas, his home is wherever he finds minds congenial to his own.

Chinua Achebe, foremost novelist, captures the Igbo migratory attitude thus, “Igbo culture being receptive to change, gave the Igbo man an unquestioned advantage over his com-

•Nwafor-Williams: claims to enjoy a better life in Liberia despite the odds patriots in searching credentials for advancement in Nigeria’s colonial society. Unlike the Hausa-Fulani, he was unhindered by a wary religion and unlike the Yoruba, the Igbo man was unhampered by traditional hierarchies.

This kind of creature fearing no god or man was custom made to grasp the opportunities such as they were.”

Indeed, the outward-directedness of the Igbo, their love for adventure and insatiable lust to make money even in social climes and circumstances any other person would avoid spurs them into the private sector, specialising in trading that takes them to all parts of Nigeria. Linked to this is the culture of kinship which links particular rural and urban communities within and outside Nigeria and connects individuals and communities with access to resources and opportunities and the wider

economy, explained Ojukwu.

Part of this kinship network among the Igbo operates through kin-base business apprenticeship thus linking urban business success to labour recruitment from the rural home base and delivering manpower for Igbo society.

Igbo entrepreneurship at a glance The gradual devolution of power to indigenes also carried along with it the devolution of economic advantages, at least to a certain extent when compared to east Africans.

The Nigerian economy hitherto under the British goverment politically and economically under the British monopoly merchant capitalists, faced intense competition from new traders. This competition was a result of “explosive growth demand” brought about

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

‘ •Chiosor: would love to relocate to Nigeria after making his fortune in Liberia

Igbo culture being receptive to change, gave the Igbo man an unquestioned advantage over his compatriots in searching credentials for advancement in Nigeria’s colonial society. Unlike the HausaFulani, he was unhindered by a wary religion and unlike the Yoruba, the Igbo man was unhampered by traditional hierarchies

’

•Phillip Obi: he says business is good but would rather travel home to marry an Igbo girl

•Even a muddy market presents a greener pasture to the average Igbo trader by a rapid increase in peasant agricultural export earnings. Demand for imported goods, a sign of increasing dependency on foreign goods and, by implication, foreign nations, rose from £20 million in 1946 to £62 million in 1950. By 1954, imports rose to £114 million and in 1958 rose to £166 million. Consequently, barriers to new sellers greatly reduced with the increases in the number of merchant firms, the manufacturers’ sales agencies, and the Nigerian trader.

British firms were joined by Indian merchants such as K. Chelleram and Sons, J. T. Chanrai and Co., Bhojson, Indian Emporium, and Inlaks. Also, former Greek and Levantine produce buyers and Lebanese retailers joined the ranks of importers, as they found it more profitable than retailing and produce buying.

Overseas manufacturers such as Tate and Lyle, Nestles, Philips, Imperial Chemical Industries, British Paints, and so on also set up their own independent wholesale shops and agencies. By 1958, the big British merchant firms had started to break down their general trading companies into “smaller semi-autonomous specialised marketing and manufacturing units. The movement into manufacturing which involves greater risk had the effect of denying the market to competitors. By going into manufacturing, the merchant firm could protect its stake in the market and at the same

time re-create its earlier monopolistic position.

It is under the new socio-economic condition that the rise in the material standard of living and the increasing prominence of Nigerian traders acquired in neo-colonial era could be easily grasped. Nigerian entrepreneurs were able to move into importation with the new political economic scenario. Though they contributed a meagre five per cent as importers in 1949, by 1963, the contribution increased to 20 per cent as their skills increased as well as the capital resources available to them. They acquired these resources through overseas manufacturers who began to finance them. In addition, the U.A.C. and John Holt, from 195859, started to withdraw interest in importation due to intense competition faced from other firms. They started to provide clearance, ware-housing, and credit facilities to their Nigerian customers.

Furthermore, the Colonial Development and Welfare Board also made loans available to indigenous traders and, under the Nigerian Development Board, created the enabling environment for capital investment, especially for foreign firms.

Nonetheless, and unlike in Kenya, Uganda, or Northern Rhodesia wherein “not a single African-owned and-operated manufacturing firm employing ten or more was recorded...,” West Africa had, by the early 1960s “small

manufacturing units employed in a given country anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 workers. By 1965, large entrepreneurs employing as many as 200 employees had emerged. All of these entrepreneurs came from a non-farm economy, as nearly three-quarters of their fathers and two-fifths of their grand-fathers had gained their livelihood in the market economy.

This is so for almost all the ethnic groups in Nigeria but more so for Igbo entrepreneurs who had migrated in large numbers to urban areas all over the country. Since there were no traditional cities in Igboland, except Enugu, Onitsha, Umuahia, Port Harcourt, and Aba, all of which emerged with European contact, the Igbo migrated to urban centres outside their territory so that in the north where there were fewer than 3,000 Igbos in 1921. By 1931, the number had risen to nearly 12,000 and by 1952 to over 130,000. By 1952, they constituted almost half of the total non-indigenes of the Lagos Metropolis.

The need to migrate, as we have persistently pointed out, had to do with the struggle to survive. This struggle to survive increased in a rapidly monetising capitalist economy with emphasis on agriculture, for which they did not have enough land. Consequently, they had to migrate to urban areas as traders, shop-keepers, clerks, skilled workers, and domestic employees. They rose into white-collar positions in a short time, soon to cultivate an intellectual “elite consisting of educators, journalists, professionals, and businessmen.

They have been able to achieve these by generating and maintaining a communal civic spirit in Diaspora. The communal spirit is the life-blood of the entrepreneurial ability of the Igbos, and manifests itself in the apprenticeship network founded to achieve economic progress. Again, this communal spirit is a necessity when viewed against the background of Nigeria’s sociopolitical structure.

The Igbo were most backward in terms of the levels of exploitation of the environment and the creation of a corresponding political structure. It has been variously argued that this was what contributed to the high level of covetousness observed among the Igbo. It is not surprising, therefore, that the Igbos had to easily accept the European way of life if they were to attain any appreciable social status in the emergent neo-colonial social structure. This was why Nnamdi Azikiwe tried to mobilise his people into a “unified, cohesive, political bloc....” For Azikiwe, as early as 1949, he maintained that it was the Igbo nation that God has designated to lead Africans out of colonial bondage and Azikiwe pursued Igbo’s advancement at the political level with religious fervour.

In pursuing economic advancement, in order to achieve political supremacy, the Igbo in Diaspora formed mutual benefit association, credit societies, and “improvement” organization which had ties with rural homelands.

An Igbo Union was formed in Lagos in 1934 and later expanded to become the Igbo Federal Union (subsequently the Igbo State Union) in 1944, to include all local Igbo associations throughout the country. Frequency, the “improvement” or “progressive” unions, as they

were called, functioned as organs of local self-government, providing ad hoc courts to settle disputes, supplying members with welfare benefits or employment opportunities, levying taxes, and generating a communal civic spirit.

Neither of the other two major ethnic groups used this potent weapon in their economic and political undertakings until much later – when political rivalry spurred the educated elites in the different regions to seek allegiance from their people. This head start had made it possible for the Igbo to send their children to school through communal association, unlike among the Yoruba and Hausa who relied on individual achievements.

By 1952, there were 115 Igbo students as opposed to 118 Yoruba students at the University College, Ibadan. By 1959, there were more pupils and teachers in the Eastern region than elsewhere. Even in the military, the Igbo occupied the highest echelon. Of the 431 senior posts in the Nigerian Railway Corporation in 1964, the Igbo are alleged to have occupied 270; 73 of the 104 senior posts in the Nigerian Ports Authority; and three-quarters of Nigeria’s foreign service; and they were heads of the universities at Ibadan and Lagos.

At the economic level, the Igbo, through their communal association, had the highest numbers of 68,220 individuals in credit associations, as compared to 5,776 for the west and 2,407 for the north. The credit association s among the Igbo had become associated with the apprentice system. Peculiar to the enterprises identified in Anambra State, Aba, and Imo State is the apprentice-system, even in the 1990s. This system involves the process of migration to new locations by former apprentices, who would in turn train and settle their own apprentices. The apprentices enter to trade informally at the ages between eight and 12. This he or she does by being invited to join a member of the kin group or being recommended by the latter’s master who trained him. Apprenticeship lasts for between five to 10 years after which the master gives the initial capital to the apprentice to start his/her business. It should be emphasized that it is almost compulsory for the master and his apprentice to belong to their home associations from which they can also secure their initial capital.

Where a woman is to be employed as a housemaid, she will not, in most cases, be given monthly pay, but must be allowed to engage in apprenticeship in whatever profession she desires. Afterwards, the master and/or mistress will assist her in establishing her own business.

One major and unique trait of the Igbo entrepreneur is the courage, perseverance, and determination with which they carry on in spite of the bad experiences and losses during the Nigerian civil war from 1967 to 1970. This is at the heart of the apprentice system which brings an ethic of denial, hardship and discipline gathered through trading experience which is risk-prone.

With little or no government assistance, the Igbo have moved from trade to industry since the end of the civil war. Most of these new industrialists possessed elementary education, apprenticeship, and trading experiences before they undertook their industrial venture. This industrial venture has with it an international component, especially from the Asiatic countries such as Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. What they did in the late 19th century in the case of Nnewi, was that they sent equipment manufactured in Europe to any of these Asiatic countries for copying which were then imported back into Nigeria. Since after the civil war, they have been inviting these Asians to assist in establishing the industries in Nigeria, which they control as owners. Most of these industries are located near home because of the strong community ties, the loss of properties outside Igbo land (especially in Port Harcourt) and the need for security in the aftermath of the northern massacres and the civil war.

The extent, to which the industrialisation of the home country-sides can continue, however, is limited due to inadequate land and conducive socio-political clime. Their ability to establish outside their territories will, however, be determined by the emerging socio-political and security situation in the country. Until it improves, many more Nigerians, particularly those of Igbo extraction, would continue to travel out of their fatherland in search of their ever-elusive comfort zones. Like Nwafor-Williams and co, they will claim to seek a greener pasture.

22

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

‘All Oshiomhole asks for is clean election in Edo’

Edo State Commissioner for Information, Louis Odion, during the week fielded questions from a group of journalists in the face of the political violence in the state. The Nation was there. Excerpts:

L

ATELY, Edo politics seems to have assumed a violent di-

mension. Not being a politician but a technocrat in government, how have you been coping?

Well, we live in interesting times, like the Chinese would say. For me, I consider it a rite of passage to finally bury the forces of darkness in Edo State. You are very correct to describe me as a technocrat and not a politician. As a journalist, I consider it a privilege to be part of this historic awakening. At the end of my tour of duty, of course, I would be too glad to return to journalism. For me, ultimately, the biggest reward would be being counted among the Team Oshiomhole.

In the last three and a half years, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole started a revolution in Edo State.

Edo story has changed so dramatically within 42 months that there is almost now a consensus across the state that he should be given a second term come July 14.

Of course, you don’t expect those who had profited from the underdevelopment, the rot of the past, to give up without a fight. That explains the tension in Edo today.

It is a contention between the forces of light as embodied by Oshiomhole and the forces of darkness Edo people now know too well.

You recently escaped attack by gunmen in Benin. Unfortunately, a colleague of yours, Olaitan Oyerinde, was not that lucky. How do you feel?

It is quite regrettable that what ought to be an occasion for healthy debate on how to grow Edo State has turned to a show of force and shedding of innocent blood. For instance, it is quite sad that in a space of one week, the state witnessed the deaths of three journalists in an attack on the governor’s convoy and the gruesome murder of the Principal Private Secretary to the Governor, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde. But it wasn’t as if this chain of unfortunate events came as a big surprise. Early last month, we had raised alarm that some political desperadoes had perfected a plot to foment trouble in the state. When we made the allegations, some people felt we were crying wolf where none existed.

But it has taken the deaths of four promising young men for such people to now accept the truth in the points we were making.

As I speak to you, these political desperadoes are not relenting in their nefarious activities. We are aware that just few days ago, they had another nocturnal meeting at the residence of a powerful politician in Abuja to review the events of the past three weeks in Edo. We are aware that one of the resolutions they made that day is to sustain their current reign of terror by targeting more officials of the Oshiomhole administration for elimination. We have turned some of the intelligence we have informed relevant security agencies and can only hope that they take steps to act on such leads before

it is too late.

It is just unfortunate that some people will do anything to gain power. But believe me, the present contestation in Edo is between the forces of light and those of darkness. It is a titanic battle between the forces of positive change, of progress as represented by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and those who see the state as their private estate. You will recall that from the word go, we have always maintained that this electioneering campaign should be based on issues. Whatever agitation we make today, always listen to the fine points. Whereas we demand the sanctity of the ballot through ‘one man, one vote’, our friends in the Peoples Democratic Party do not seem to share that. We want clean politics and clean elections.

But our friends in PDP believe in the opposite. Whereas we canvass issues and ideas to take the state to the next level, PDP would rather engage in the politics of name-calling and character assassination. Of course, that should be expected, because they have nothing to offer. Of course, the right-thinking people of Edo are not fooled. They can see the party that means well and the one that is seeking an opportunity to return and loot the treasury as they did in the past. But the people are wiser now and more than ready to defend their birthright in the coming election. There is this popular saying that anyone who was beaten by rain and found shelter is unlikely to willingly go back to the rain again. Within three and a half years, Edo people have found shelter through the selfless service Oshiomhole has rendered.

The people can now see that the old tale that the state was poor and as such sentenced to poverty forever is false. Oshiomhole has proved that Edo State can work once there is a political will to do the right thing. So, the people are now resolved to hold their political destiny in their hands and put the political contractors whose specialty is looting of the treasury to shame by voting against them in the coming election.

As far as we are concerned, the battle is already won and lost. The question now is by what margin will ACN defeat PDP on July 14.

For us, it will be a referendum by the people to endorse the massive reforms the Comrade Governor has unleashed in all ramifications in Edo. Some people are of the opinion that Governor Oshiomhole’s

rhetorics in recent times are unduly combative. In fact, PDP in Edo has said that the governor is trying to incite the people against it.

What is your comment?

I disagree with you. On the contrary, I think the Comrade Governor has been a moderating influence on our supporters in the face of unwarranted provocation. Take the day Comrade Olaitan was assassinated. You will recall that there was a spontaneous demonstration that morning once the news filtered around that a close aide of the governor had been gruesomely killed. The governor had left for Abuja Thursday evening and was supposed to attend an official engagement Friday morning. He had to cut short his trip and rushed back to Benin and arrived early enough to meet the demonstrators marching through Benin streets. Other governors would simply have driven straight to Government House, but not Oshiomhole. He chose to join the march. I tell you, his presence that day made the difference. The atmosphere was very, very charged that day and is still is today. First, there was assassination attempt on the governor’s life. He narrowly escaped on the Waranke-Auchi road, but three journalists were no lucky. Apart from those who died, several others, including SSS operatives, were critically injured.

As if that was not enough, few hours later, a gang of four assassins invaded my private residence. I was fortunate not to be at home around 2.30am when they came.

Then, five days later, a killer gang of four, presumably the same gang that came to my residence, got Olaitan at his residence and brutally killed him before his wife and kids.

This chain of hit and misses by the four-man killer squad was clearly provocative, especially considering that despite being in power, Comrade Oshiomhole has never in any way oppressed members of the opposition. I tell you without the Comrade Governor being physically present day, it is doubtful if some of our supporters would not have vented their pent-up anger by attacking those they think are behind these acts of provocation. So, I think Oshiomhole deserves praise for showing a lot of maturity in the face of sheer provocation.

Right from the word go, ACN has stated that the electioneering campaign should be based on issues, you have to tell people what you have done within the period you

As far as we are concerned, the battle is already won and lost. The question now is by what margin will ACN defeat PDP on July 14. For us, it will be a referendum by the people to endorse the massive reforms the Comrade Governor has unleashed in all ramifications in Edo

‘

,

•Oshiomhole

were entrusted with power. ACN never bargained for nor canvassed violence. In our peculiar political environment, the norm is that it is the opposition that will be at the receiving end. But the big irony in Edo today is that it is the government in power that is at the receiving end of violence.

If you think back, I am sure you will recall the experience in some states where governors would ensure that the political space was closed such that members of the opposition would have to relocate outside the state and start operating from outside. In fact, when PDP was in power in Edo, there was zero tolerance for opposition. But because Oshiomhole is liberal, because ACN is accommodating and an ideas party, it has conceded the political space for everyone to operate. But because PDP is intellectually disabled, because PDP is morally bankrupt, they cannot engage us in the realm of ideas.

That is why they are battling tooth and nail to obfuscate the issues and bring the debate to gutter level.

And we say no. Let us discuss issues.

If I may ask, what exactly are the issues of the ongoing electioneering campaigns in Edo State?

For us in the ACN, it is very simple. We ask the people to look at the score-card. PDP was in power between 1999 and 2008. ACN has only been in power for three and half years. Now, we challenge PDP to show Edo people what they were able to achieve in 10 years.

Of course, there is absolutely nothing except the stock of the crooked godfather that has grown in leaps and bound while Edo people were impoverished. But within 42 months, Oshiomhole has built more than 600 kilometres of brand new roads, created more than 25,000 direct jobs, rebuilt more than 500 classroom blocks, sunk hundreds of industrial boreholes to give portable water to the communities. I can go on and on.

•Oshiomhole

So, we say if we could deliver this much within three and a half years, if you trust Oshiomhole with another term of office, in another four years, you will be talking of harvest of double fold. We have been tested. We have proven our mettle. We want our mandate renewed so that we can take Edo to the next level. In a nutshell, that is the central message of our campaign.

But to the robust score-card that we parade, PDP’s report sheet is full of red ink. Since they can’t engage us at that level, they now try to ethnicise the contest by seeking to play the Bini against ethnic stocks. But the Esogban of Bini Kingdom who should know answered them succinctly last month at the palace of the Oba of Benin. In declaring Oshiomhole the Bini candidate, he said it has taken an Etstako man less than four years to repair the damage a Bini man did for eight years. I tell you even General Charles Airhiavbere who is being touted the Bini candidate was rejected by the Bini bloc within the PDP in the primaries on February 25. Out of seven local governments in Edo South, the General was defeated in four. Does that show someone who is popular?

If you listen carefully lately, you must have heard the phrase ‘new PDP’ in jingles in the airwaves of Edo State. Which presupposes that at last, PDP is admitting that it had betrayed Edo people in the past.

But the question to ask is this: when you call yourself brand new, what exactly do you mean? What really has changed? Can a leopard ever change its spot? Of course, the answer is a capital no. The old PDP was notorious for rigging. The same rigging was witnessed in the last PDP primaries in Benin City so much so that some of the party leaders had to be rushed out through the back gate to escape the wrath of party men. So, to tell the truth, nothing has changed in PDP.

LOCATION

BACKSTAGE

SNAPSHOT

REEL NEWS

MUSIC

SCREEN

Edited by: VICTOR AKANDE

Tel: 08077408676

E-mail: victor_akande@yahoo.com

ntertainment

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012, 2012

d e s a b a d a n a C s s e r t c a n a i Niger

My d n a b s u h is my hero

e w i d u w n Uba O

SEE PAGES 28 - 37

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

STANDh BY! Wit

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

THINK

SNAPSHOTS

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

Rough-and-ready guide to a blockbuster movie!

Writes Ben Morris

Genevieve gets surprise birthday party!

T

HERE'S nothing as fabulous as getting a surprise birthday party.

The moment you enter the venue where the gig is being organized and get wind of what's happening, you betray emotions and often times, the first thing you manage to spill is WOW! Nollywood star, Genevieve Nnaji who turned 33 on May 3, 2012 was recently treated to a surprise birthday bash at Sip Lounge, Victoria Island.

The gorgeous mother of one who apparently had no inkling of the party had walked into the lounge with her close friend/manager and all attendees including Lynxxx, M.I., Brymo, Rukky Sanda, Uti, Eku Edewor, Desmond Elliot and a host of others shouted surprise!

A surprised Genevieve let out some tears, pass compliments at her guests and soon joined the party.

December date for Funke Akindele's wedding

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

25

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

RE ELNEW S Married but Living Single premieres in June

Okoroji lauds COSON

C

HAIRMAN of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Tony Okoroji, has expressed delight at the example shown by members of the body at its recent elections.

Speaking to members of staff at the Boardroom of the society in Opebi, the newly re-elected chairman said that the conduct of the Annual General Meeting and elections should be a reference point to all organizations in the creative industry in Nigeria.

“We had 23 well known persons vying for 11 places on the Board. We had a jam packed hall and for the over 7 hours that the process lasted, no one raised his voice and no one quarreled with another. Everyone conducted himself with decorum. The process was so professional and transparent that at the end of the day, those who won and those who did not, embraced themselves and chorused the society's slogan,” Okoroji said.

The head of the body insisted that COSON is determined to change the perception that every organization in the entertainment industry must be unstable. According to him, changing that stereotype is critical to securing the future of the several talented people in the Nigerian entertainment industry.

P Film workshop for PEFTI undergraduates

T

HESE are certainly busy times for undergraduates of the PEFTI Film Institute, as the Audio-Visual Department of the French Embassy, under the Regional Attaché Mr. JeanPierre Bey, is running a twoweek Cinematography Workshop for National Diploma undergraduates.

The Film Workshop which commenced on Monday April

W

N a colourful ceremony and before a cross-section of guests, celebrities, the media, fans and followers of the show, the 2012 edition of reality TV show, Supermom was unveiled at the Grandeur Events Centre, Oregun, Lagos.

Tagged The Celebrity Edition, Executive Producer of the show, Sola Fajobi, said the second season of the show records thousands of entries from people who just wanted

•KSB with Artquake

to win the prizes and which turned out to be fabricated stories. “We want to use the celebrity edition to confirm to viewers across Nigeria and beyond that The Supermom is just a way of showing appreciation to our great mothers.”

“Our Superstars are human beings; they eat, drink and do

TEM Productions berths

ITH the aim of boosting the workings of the motion picture business in Nigeria, actor cum presenter, Toyin Oyekanmi, says that all is set to unveil his production house, TEM Productions soon.

Also known as Tee-Y, the artiste says that the outfit is into filmmaking, Event management and entertainment consultancy.

Set to be unveiled soon, Oyekanmi said that TEM Production is out on a mission to up the game in the entertainment industry.

His love for the arts, he said, dates back to his secondary school days when he participated in a lot of cultural activities leading to his formation of a

French Language at PEFTI Film Institute, to prepare students for a scholarship examination to study Filmmaking in France.

The French Embassy Cinematographer and Trainer Miss Miffa Hong said, 'I am excited to do this training. The students are also excited, and we look forward to finishing our documentary on Tattoos. It will be interesting!’

At the unveil of Celebrity Supermom

I •Okoroji

30, 2012, came to a close on Friday May 11, 2012, with the production of a documentary which the French Embassy Audio-Visual Department will promote worldwide.

Management of the film school say the workshop is part of the French Embassy's commitment to the promotion of arts in all its host countries.

Earlier, the French Embassy offered a free training on

theatre group called Theatre for Excellent Minds (TEM Play House), while working with EFCC and studying my B.sc Economic.

“My passion for Arts grew more and more to the extent that I gave up some important things just to act. I started my career as a professional Theatre Artiste immediately I gained admission into University of Abuja. I was not only admitted as a student but also as an Actor to Professor Ojo Bakare, the first professor of Dance admitted me into his theatre group called Ojo Bakare Production.”

Oyekanmi is presently a presenter in the AY Show and and actor in the soon-to-be-aired sitcom, AY Crib.

•Tee Y

RODUCERS of anticipated Nollywood flick, Married but Living Single, say that the movie will premiere at the Silverbird Galleria on Sunday 3rd June 2012. Inspired by the book (Married but Living Single) authored by the resident Pastor of KICC Pastor Femi Faseru, the movie is produced

by Kalejaiye Adeboye Paul (KAP).

According to the producers of the flick, the red carpet starts by 5pm while the movie proper begins showing by 6pm.

Following the premiere, the movie will be opened to Silverbird Cinemas in Lagos, Abuja and Portharcourt, City Mall, Genesis Deluxe and Ozone Cinemas from the 5th of June 2012.

Directed by Tunde Olaoye, the film revolves around Mike (Joseph Benjamin) an entrepreneur who is happily married to Kate (Funke Akindele), the Creative Director of an advertising agency owned by an overbearing boss Joke Silva.

Kate is so engrossed with her career and winning the biggest brands for her company. Mike on the other hand is diagnosed with cancer of the lungs, a consequence of the smoking habit he had in his school days.

Doctor's reports say he needs to go to India for surgery and the Doctor advised that his wife should take a leave and come with him to hasten the recuperating process.

Kate agrees to go with her husband, but as they are about to travel, the biggest telecoms company in the middle east has just been licensed to operate in Nigeria, Kate's company stands the chance to win the bid for their adverts, and they will not be able to do the bidding without the Creative Director.

The movie parades other acts likes Joke Silva, Tina Mba, Kalejaiye Adeboye Paul (KAP), Femi Brainard and Kiki Omeli among others.

the things that we do. They did not fall from the sky. They were raised, groomed, trained and nurtured by mothers. They were once kids and now they are celebrated all over the country because of their talent and achievements. We are confident of the fact that Nigerians really would love to see and share from the experiences of their idols and their mothers,” Fajobi added.

Fajobi enjoined viewers to watch out for the sacrifices made by the mothers of visually impaired singerproducer, Cobhams; Fuji Star, Abass Akande Obesere; actress Foluke Daramola; afro hip hop stars, Flavour Nabania, Mr Olu of the Yahooze fame, Skales, Ice K, one half of the enduring duo, Artquake, Kennis Music act, Jaywon, Tony Tetuila and acclaimed female drummer, Ara and a host of others when the Supermom 2012 begins airing on May 26.

Introduced by Fajobi's Digital Interactive Media (producers of the Next Movie Star show), the Supermom is an avenue to celebrate mothers.

•Funke with Benjamin

26

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

I love hanging out with girls —Magnito

It's only when I'm out with the girls that I have fun. And Mr. On Point sometimes takes me somewhere to go and chop naked life. When you're having so much fun with the girls, it is called naked life (laughs)

27

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

Christy Essien Foundation hosts kids

Malaika set for music tour of America

•Malaika

Squard, Stage, Psalmurai, DQ, Rayce dazzle

•Squard

After auto crash, Mr 2kay drops video

•Rayce

Praiz launches Jekalo video

•Praiz

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R R R R R R R R E E E E E E V V V V V V E E O O O O O O V V C C C C C C O O C C THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012,

COVER

Ravishing actress, moviemaker and songstress, Uba Odi Onwudiwe is a woman of many parts. The Canadian based mother of three who is enchanted with her roots is currently working on a new movie project which she thinks will make a mark when released.

The award winning thespian who has featured in over a dozen movies spoke with AHMED BOULOR on a range of issues in this interview.

COVER

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

37

Fashola teases AY

‘My father's death increased my passion for acting’ I think being able to project my African heritage and values in a foreign land with an accent is challenging.

Creating more awaren ess for Nollyw ood is really a hard nut to crack

Inaugural party for Remy Martin’s At the Club

•Naeto C

Pg 32

Pg 30,35

29

Utaka

32

38

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

Will Smith makes solo appearance at London premiere ... As family relish Cannes

More raunchy pose from Rihanna Make-up

free Beyonce O

PTING for a more natural look, Beyonce stepped out virtually make-up free, baring a touch of blusher and tinted lip gloss, when she posed backstage after watching Ghost on Broadway.

She certainly seemed to have enjoyed herself, radiating a warm smile as she met the show's stars.

The songbird looked casual but chic in a black and white striped blouse, showing off her post-pregnancy legs in a flattering pair of shorts and wearing her hair raked back in a bun.

But the 30-year-old was not the only familiar face backstage, as she enjoyed the company of the hit musical's cast.

She posed with her arms around 22year-old former Coronation Street hunk Richard Fleeshman, who stars as Sam Wheat, the character made famous by Patrick Swayze in the original 1990 film.

W

ITH each member of the Smith family pursuing their own careers patriarch Will was left to walk the carpet solo as he attended the premiere for his latest film Men in Black 3. The 43-yearold actor was joined only by his co-stars with his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith and daughter Willow both sunning themselves in Cannes.

Neither of his sons Jayden, who has forged

his own film career or his eldest child Trey were on hand to offer their support.

But having had a long career in the business Will handled the day and night like a pro waving to fans and posing up with his costars ahead of the screening.

And he didn't look too upset when he squeezed in between his stunning female colleagues Nicole Scherzinger and Alice Eve.

A

•Rihanna

T this point we're starting to feel more used to seeing Rihanna with her shirt more off than on. The 24-year-old singer channels a sexy swamp creature in her music video for Where Have You Been, and she doesn't leave much to the imagination.

The sexy photos from the shoot are just another example of Rihanna being Rihanna. Recently, she struck a provocative pose or two for photographer Terry Richardson, and it wasn't too long ago that she shared intimate photos of her Hawaiian vacation that also featured the singer in various states of undress including a few shots of herself skinny dipping.

Crane over Ghollywood

Appiah dazzles in Cannes 2012

Heroes and Zeros in Ghana

G Lil Wayne settles $1.5m lawsuit

•Appiah

Buari blasts Ghanaian media

L

IL Wayne buried the hatchet with another disgruntled producer recently, this time settling a $1.5 million dollar lawsuit over the track Love Me or Hate Me. The producer in question, David Kirkwood, sued Lil Wayne, Cash Money Records and Young Money Entertainment in 2011, claiming they owed him royalties on Love me or Hate Me from “The Carter III” album.

Lil Wayne initially fought back, asking a judge to dismiss the case. But then the rapper, along with CM and YME, decided to settle out of court with Kirkwood for an undisclosed amount.

HANAIAN star actress, Jackie Appiah joined a list of top film stars from across the world at the opening ceremony of the 65th Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday May 16.

The actress, who wore an elegant hand beaded Kente dress by JiL, certainly brought some Ghanaian colours onto the red carpet all the way in the South of France.

Among some of the top celebrities that made appearances at the opening were Berenice Bejo, Eva Longoria, Jessica Chastain, Freida Pinto, Jane Fonda, Diane Kruger. Singer Lana Del Rey and supermodel Eva Herzigova .

Representing the guys were Alec Baldwin, Chris Pine, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Ewan McGregor, and Bill Murray.

G

•Buari

HANAIAN celebrities seem to have a problem with the media and they are not hiding their frustrations, with ace actress Nadia Buari being the latest to join the complaints wagon.

The beautiful actress, over the weekend, poured out her heart on how she feels about journalists and how they handle her stories when speaking concerning her latest movie Heroes & Zeroes.

“You are probably going to twist whatever I'm going to say. Journalists are always waiting for one bad news to

sell their papers. Journalists are not willing to tell the truth. They are only willing to sell their papers.”

The actress however failed to point out a particular instance when she was misquoted or her interview was twisted. Rather, she said she would not go into details but claimed there were instances where a single sentence or comment from her was blown out of proportion.

Actor Majid Michel recently expressed similar frustrations when he met Nigerian journalists during the 2012 AMMAs.

39

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

L

AST Sunday was Mother’s Day and many women all over the world basked in the love expressed by their children. Now, I’m talking about good women being celebrated, not necessarily mothers. Of course, some mothers are just mothers by name and they know deep inside that they’re not worth celebrating. That you have experienced labour and become a mother doesn’t qualify you for being mentioned on Mother’s Day. Nope! And that you do not have your own biological doesn’t mean you cannot have your name decorated with love on Mother’s Day. Being a good woman means you have plenty of love and care to give and enough patience to give to those children God puts in your care. Yes, that’s what makes you a you a real mother.

Last Sunday, one great woman who was (is) a real mother was not around to physically watch as many were celebrating her, but her soul would certainly be smiling at the amount of love she spread around and the same amount of love she left behind. That’s the same amount of love following her like a million lights shinning on her path as she makes her journey to another world… Lights to guide her to the great beyond.

As you read this, Mama Dorcas Fayemi though sleeping, is getting encomiums from all the children who today are solid and responsible people through her. People who ate from her warm pots and drank from her well of love. These are her biological children and they are children she picked along the way. They are all praying for her, dancing for her and singing for her. Of course they are wining and dining as they fondly send her forth. These are people who have celebrated her many times before when she could say thank you with her usual sweet smiles. They say she deserves this honour she’s get-

Hearts With Adeola Agoro

E-mail: libranadeola@yahoo.co.uk

A million lights for Mama Dorcas Fayemi ting today even when they cannot see the sweetest smiles anymore.

Maybe they in can see her in dreams.

The genuiness of the people from everywhere in Ekiti, Lagos, Edo, Ondo and all over the world as they celebrate Mama Dorcas Fayemi even in death made me sit down and ponder on what the characteristics of a good mother are? A mother myself, I know what they are – love, empathy, patience, humor, creativity, strength. A good mother is generous, caring and involved in the children’s lives. Good mothers have a very good sense of humor. They are able to laugh when they want to scream. They are supportive, interested in every aspect of your life and they will nurture you till you’re standing on your own and when they go weak and feasible, they want to see you standing strong.

That’s Mama Dorcas Fayemi we are talking about here. It is no wonder then that she built her home and stayed in it for many years with her dear husband who departed a few years ago. She continued to hold the home and prayed for her children’s dreams and aspirations. Her prayers were answered on all her children as she saw them all becoming pillars in the various fields they followed

and she was the proud mother when her youngest son became a governor right before her eyes. Her own son, Dokita, omoluabi, Dr. Kayode Fayemi got the chance to lead his people to the land of milk and honey through the prayers of this woman who chanted her rosary, kept the faith and prayed till that desire to change an ailing state became reality. She just held on and refused to fall sick until she saw him become what he wanted to become, Gov. Kayode Fayemi! With a deep sigh, she thanked God and allowed Him to take her and use her for further service. After all, all the children He put in her care have turned out well. She yielded to sleep after her tasks have been done. That’s a good mother we are talking about here.

All the dancing and singing and shared memories are like lights on the paths of those departed. If we count the many people watching the procession in honour of Mama today, and if we consider the numerous messages that have been pouring in from those who love(d) Mama, then we are sure that for her, the journey cannot be dark and it wouldn’t be lonely. Her path to the next assignment are being flooded by a million lights… and a million stars. Mama safe journey to the home of your father.

My ‘Pencil ni Kadara’

I

N year 2004 or so, I had a chance meeting with Mr. Tade Ogidan and he said he wanted me to star in the film he was working on then, Madam Dearest. I was the media assistant to (now) Amb. Musiliu Obanikoro and I was handing my Soul2Soul column in Glitterati, ThisDay every Sunday. I was also working on the launching of my second book, ‘Wonders of Israel: Lesson for Nigeria. So I had my hands full. Tade Ogidan, however, went on to cast me for a superb role and I already had the script. Off I went with the crew to Ibadan where some of the shots were done and I was beginning to rehearse for my role when an order came from my office that I couldn’t act in the film for some reasons. I took it well.

But somehow, I did not completely leave the crew as I kept in touch with them till they came back to Lagos to continue with the filming. I had gone to check on them one afternoon like that when I saw that they were all upset over a matter. Obviously, a serving governor at that time had promised them the use of his private office in Lagos as part of the location for the film. As they were setting up their cameras and gadgets, somebody knocked down a giant and expensive flower vase that had decorated the office, and the manager of the office didn’t waste time in sending them away.

Getting another suitable office to use for the office scenes would have been a serious headache. Meanwhile, most actors and actresses work with time. A lot of them would go off your location in the event of such problems with location whether you get your acts together or not because of their commitments to other producers who would have paid them for specific time. So, not getting the right office (to use as a ministers’ office in this case) would have meant watching the cast walking away till an-

other time. And it is always difficult getting your whole cast together again under one roof if you have lost them once.

Pronto (much without thinking), I wanted to help. I had been to the private office of Sen. Ibikunle Amosun then to try to get an interview, which he declined. He was however so kind to me that I had enough time to look round the office and appreciate and comment about his great style in aesthetics. .So when the brouhaha with the Tade Ogidan location arose, the only place I could think of was that nice and tastefully furnished office in Agidingbi, Lagos – Sen. Amosun’s office.

I had only met him twice by then but I knew that he was such a wonderful person I could turn to in my time of need. So, I called his number without hesitation. He was then a serving senator and was in Abuja.

“Ha! I have never left my office for anybody to use before o. But you just said these people would lose money, cast and time if they don’t get a place to use. Okay, I’ll call the head of my office and send his number to you. He would allow you use the office. But please, don’t go breaking our own things too o”, he said. And before I could even check my phone to check if he had sent the telephone number, a call came in from the head of the office that we were being expected to come down.

That was how Sen. Ibikunle Amosun’s office became the office they used for the shooting of the minister’s office in Madam Dearest.

We didn’t break anything but we used the office for more days than we said we would.

Today, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun is the governor of Ogun State. I remember that incident with nostalgia because the date had been fixed for June 12, 2012 for the outing of

How to make your man happy

L

OVE yourself and be happy.

You are good because you are wonderfully and fearfully made. If you are not happy, you can’t make your partner happy. It is, therefore, important you free your mind of fear, insecurity, and doubt. Instead, fill your mind with a positive mental attitude to shape all areas of your life.

Enjoy yourself in whatever you do.

Respect him: The greatest need of your partner is respect. Give him all the respect and trust. Show encouragement, affirmation, and admiration to get the best out of him.

This makes him a stronger protector and a provider. Respect his opinion and let him make the final decisions. Allow him to make the mistakes. He will learn.

Admire him: Cheer him up in difficult times. Show him you need him and you are dependent on him. Let him know you make him happy. A man has great emotional fulfillment as he helps a woman. Open up to his help, make him feel he is a wonderful person and that you love him. He will be happy and make you happy.

Never attack his masculinity.

Never boast of your achievements. Instead, ask him to do little acts of service. Romance dies with a woman’s indifference, neglect, authority, superiority or argument. If you claim you don’t need anything from him, you damage his competency.

Look good: A man loves a lover who is attractive. Poor dressing depresses a man especially when he comes back from work tired and exhausted. Be a great friend.

Share activities: Keep him amused and entertained. Make him laugh.

Laughing is a good catalyst to strong relationship. Go out. Take a walk. Attend functions together.

Take him as he is without trying to reform him or comparing him to others. Instead, earn his confidence. Make him feel you are the only one who will be there for him as you show honesty, acceptance, and appreciation to make him energized. Be a cheer leader and his hero. Show interest in all he does - work, hobbies, clothes and friends. A man loves a woman who shows great interest in what he does. Learn basic information about his work so that you understand his needs, have intelligible conversation and ask questions.

Make inputs that may enhance his work. Communicate freely but watch your words. Season them with salt of hope and inspiration.

Avoid comments that threaten his ego. Listen to him understandably: Ask questions and be patient

John BOAKYE with him. Give a good impression about him to your friends, family and colleagues by your kind words’ and actions. Never gossip about him or look for sympathy at his expense. If you make good remarks about him, he will hear them and he will be motivated.

Sex is one of man’s great needs: A wife, must help make sexual life exciting, adventurous and innovative. It is important you don’t deprive your husband of his right. It is also important you don’t use sex as a tool. Sex in marriage has many benefits but premarital sex has the opposite effect. It creates guilt and kills trust, commitment, confidence and true intimacy. Premarital sex is not love. It is lust and can never make anyone happy. Watch over him. A man may look big, strong and mature but deep inside he is very vulnerable. He needs to be ‘babied’, sometimes especially when he is “broke” or sick.

Can you make your man happy?

In reality, no one can make another person happy because happiness comes from within. You can help your partner to be happy by being happy and loveable. A woman who helps make her partner happy is in the real sense of a relationship a great woman who is totally committed to fit into the world of her partner. She does all she can to help her husband to be happy. She gets the ripple effect in great measure, pressed down and running over. Dare to be that good partner.

Is he cheating?

Obvious signs he is: Well, here we are, a lot of you asked for the signs to know if Mr. Husband is cheating. The signs below may just be it. But be warned that if he’s cheating, the best way to go about it is not to cause wahala, just be a sweet, good girl and show him so much love that he will soon find his way back to your heart. His looks: So your husband has always been one of those guys who never bothered looking into the mirror more than once, never tucked in his shirt unless he had to, never cared that his socks were smelly, never wore deodorant unless you begged him to but suddenly there’s a metamorphosis. There are new clothes, haircuts, new shoes, maybe even a manicure and pedicure!

Now, there’s nothing wrong with taking care of yourself and wanting to look good but when it’s an overnight change….when you literally wake up to realize that your former slob of a husband has suddenly started to make a serious effort in the looks department, some-

the very first film produced by my own company, Media Iluminata, “Pencil ni Kadara’.

As I helped with Tade Ogidan’s minsiters’ office, we got people’s homes, supermarkets, shops and restaurants easily for my own film.

The Chinese restaurant we used in the film opened their doors wide for us and all we did was pay for food.

Ashers gave us their big shop for the bridal shopping and Blinkers gave us room to ‘shop’ endlessly.

People helped look after ours stars: Toyin Adegbola (Asewo to re Mecca), Femi Ogedengbe, Mistura Asumno and others as we moved from one location to the other.

Then we had the great support of many people whom we never thought would have our time.

They were all praying for us. We need more prayers as we plan the public presentation of Pencil ni Kadara at Nnamdi Azikwe Hall, Niccon Luxury, Abuja at 5.00pm. We also need your support for the film as you order your own copies. Remember, as you support us, you would be supporting the growth of female filmmakers in Nigeria, you would be helping us create employment and you would be helping us develop our creativity. God help us all. Please patronize our marketers •Miss Omolola Orire and her husband, Mr. Kola Arubuolawe at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, when it is finally Ikereku, Abeokuta, Ogun State being flanked by the bride's parents, Mr. Sunday and Mrs. out.

Omotayo Orire

40

“

DAVE,” I cried, “What’s go ing on here?”

I was so mad at him, I could have hit him then and there.

Not with my Zahra, I thought angrily. Any other girl but her!

Dave rolled onto his side, a bemused look on his face. I ignored him and glanced at the girl. It was then my fast-beating heart slowed down and I could breathe easily again. The lady was not Zahra!

It was a strange girl I had never seen before but who looked somewhat like her. The long braids she wore looked identical to the style I had seen on Zahra and that was what got me confused.

“Sorry,” I said, turned and quietly left the room, shutting the door behind me.

I was doing my daily pushups the following morning when Dave entered my room.

He looked tired.

“Men, I need some sleep,” he said stretching out on my bed. I eyed him and continued with my workout.

“But, Archie why did you burst into the room like that last night when you knew I had company?” Dave asked sharply.

“I didn’t know. I was asleep when you got back.”

I sat up and wiped my face with a small towel.

“Who was the girl, anyway?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Just someone I met at the club,” he replied.

“I thought it was one of my mum’s girls.”

“Ha! Archie! Don’t you trust me? How could I do such a thing? Sleep with your maid?”

“Trust you? I wouldn’t trust you with an 80-year-old grandmother!” I countered.

He laughed.

Then he gave me a sly look and said: “Did you think it was just one of the maids or your precious Zahra?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I see the way you look at her. You can’t deny you like her,” he said.

“Yes, I like her. As a sister,” I told him.

“Sister ko, brother ni! The last time I checked, you too were not bearing the same surname.”

“You know your problem.

You have a dirty mind.”

He nodded. “I know. And a hungry tummy. My stomach’s rumbling. Could you call one of the maids to get us some breakfast?”

“Call them yourself, idiot,” I said, going into the bathroom to take a shower.

Soon, the vacation was over and I had to return abroad to do my Masters. That took over a year and after the programme, I stayed back in London to work. It was my father’s idea and he arranged the job.

“I want you to gain the necessary experience before returning home to work in the family business,” he told me. I first worked for a management consultancy firm and later a bank.

After working for about two years, my dad said it was time for me to return home. I had missed Nigeria and I couldn’t wait to see Zahra again. We had kept in touch through phone though I had not heard from her for quite some time. With time I had to admit that my feelings for her were no longer of the brotherly type-that I had in fact grown to love her as a man would love a woman.

Shocking news It was on my return to the country that I heard the most shocking news. I had asked my

It Happened to Me mother about Zahra on my arrival home when she said: “My dear, that girl had us fooled. We thought she was a good girl but it was all pretence. Do you know she was running around with different men and she ended up pregnant for one of them?”

“What? Pregnant?” I asked in a shocked tone.

My mum nodded.

“She told us the man raped her but it was a lie. Anyway, I had no option but to throw her out. There was no way she could remain here with that kind of behaviour. Your sister, Clara, is still young and I don’t want a girl like that who could be a bad influence on her, in our home.”

It took time for what my mum told me to sink in.

Zahra pregnant? I couldn’t believe it. The Zahra that I knew did not seem to me like a loose girl. Though she could be head-strong at times, she had always been well-behaved so how could this have happened? How could she have changed so much in the few years I had been away?

“So, where’s she now?” I asked.

She shrugged then said: “I told the driver to drop her at her father’s place. Honestly, your father and I are really disappointed in her. I took her like my own daughter and see the way she paid us back for all we did for her! We were even planning to set her up when she finished her training at the fashion school. Now see how she ended up! It’s very unfortunate.”

Indeed, it was. I felt really bad at what had happened to Zahra. This was a girl that was really close to my heart so how could this have happened? Why now? I felt really disappointed and sad all at once.

Shortly after my arrival, I started working in one of my dad’s companies. I threw myself into the job and tried to put all thoughts of Zahra out of my mind. But try as I could, I could not forget her. I found myself thinking about her most of the time.

Searching for Zahra I had been in the country for nearly three months when I decided to look for her. I had to see how she was doing, at least that she was ok.

I had never been to her father’s house before but with the address I got from one of the maids at home, I was able to trace the place one Saturday afternoon. It was on the outskirts of the city, off the ever busy Lagos-Badagry expressway.

It was a small, unpainted bungalow with a small verandah. A couple of children were playing football outside the house when I arrived. Zahra was not at home but I met her father and stepmother.

“She has gone to work,” her father said. We sat on some plastic chairs on the verandah, watching the children in their boisterous game. He explained that she had been working at a restaurant at Agboju, near Festac, after she had the baby, a boy, five months before.

“I told her to wait a while for the baby to be older before starting work, but she refused. These children of today are too stubborn. They never listen!” he stated vehemently.

Zahra’s stepmother, a middle-aged, plump-looking woman was feeding the baby when I went into the livingroom. He was a cute little boy who had Zahra’s features. I played with it for a while as I

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

Zahra stole my heart but my parents want her dead (2) waited for the mother to return from work.

It was after five o’clock when she got back. She looked surprised to see me. And happy as well. She had not changed that much. She had put on a little weight though, maybe because of the baby; but this only added an extra glow and freshness to her looks which made her look even more beautiful.

“When did you come back to Nigeria?” she asked. I told her I returned a few months earlier to hear she was no longer staying with my family.

She was silent for a while, staring blankly at her feet.

Then she turned to me and stated: “I don’t know what your parents must have told you.

But I want to say what happened was not totally my fault. It was someone I stupidly trusted that caused all this.”

“Who was that?” I queried.

She then told me the story about the pregnancy.

“There was this guy, Peter who wanted to go out with me. He worked in an office near my school and every day, after school on my way home, he would come and start begging me to be his girlfriend, that he loved me so much, he couldn’t live without me. I told him I was not interested in any relationship then, that I wanted to finish school first before thinking of such things.”

She paused for a while then continued: “He kept on pestering me and even enlisted the help of my friend, Helen to plead his case. I still refused to accept him. Then one day, I went to Helen’s place to borrow a fashion magazine I needed for an assignment in school. She gave me a bottle of soft drink which unknown to me had been drugged. I became unconscious after drinking it and it was then that Peter came in and raped me. They both planned it. I thought Helen was my friend but she has turned out to be worse than an enemy. After the incident, some months later, I found out I was pregnant and that’s when my troubles began...

She added that on finding

out about the pregnancy, she went to Peter to confront him about it. “But he denied having anything to do with the pregnancy, that I should take it to the other men I had been sleeping with. It was to avoid all responsibility because he knew I was not seeing any guy at that time.”

After my mum found out about her condition and sent her packing, her father wanted to have Peter arrested by the Police for the rape. “But my uncle advised against it.

He said it’s to avoid scandal and more damage to my reputation. I thought about abortion but my father would not hear about it. So, I had to have the baby.”

“That was what really happened, Brother Archie. We’ve known each other since we were children. I would not lie to you. It’s the truth.”

Before leaving later that evening, I gave some money to her for the baby’s upkeep.

As I drove home, I kept thinking about what she had said.

In all the years I had known Zahra, I never knew her to be a liar. So, I believed her story.

She was just a poor victim of circumstances.

It was based on that and the love I still harboured for her deep in my heart that I decided to do something about her situation.

On my next visit about two weeks later, I told her she should return to school to complete her training, that I would take care of the ex-

‘

But he denied having anything to do with the pregnancy, that I should take it to the other men I had been sleeping with. It was to avoid all responsibility because he knew I was not seeing any guy at that time

’

penses.

She was sitting opposite me on a settee and looked at me in surprise. Then she jumped up, rushed up to me and hugged me.

“Oh, thank you Brother Archie! You don’t know what this means to me!” Then to my surprise, she burst into tears. I held her close and comforted her. She felt soft and warm and a thrill went through me as I held her in my arms.

We were alone in the house as the rest of the family had gone for an evening church programme. The baby was sleeping in its cot in a corner of the room.

Later, after she had calmed down, she disclosed that she had been thinking about returning to school to complete her training. But money was an issue. Her father had no job due to an accident he sustained in his right hand in the factory he used to work. “He has not been able to get another job since then. The family depends on the money my younger brother Tom makes from his job at the Ports and my step-mum’s petty trading.

That’s why I had to get a job to help out.”

The following week, she called to inform me that she had gone to the school and had been accepted back. She would however, not resume till four months time when the new session began.

“Four months is not long. I can wait,” she said. I told her to stop working and just focus on taking care of the baby, that I would be giving her a monthly allowance. But she refused.

“I can’t, Brother Archie. I’m not just working for the money. I like to keep busy. It stops me thinking about my problems.”

“Stubborn girl,” I said, teasing her. She laughed before hanging up. I knew I shouldn’t be seeing her too often because of the way I felt about her. But like a magnet, I kept being drawn to Zahra and I could not stay away from her.

It wasn’t as if I lacked female company. Women found me attractive and maybe because of my family background, always wanted to hang out with me. I even had a girlfriend Roni. She was a girl I had known for some

years and whom I had been dating since my return to Nigeria.

My parents knew her and seemed to tacitly approve of her. My mum had even started talking about marriage!

“She looks like a nice girl from a good family. She will make a good wife for you,” she said one evening.

“Ah, Mum! I’m not ready for marriage yet,” I protested.

“Why not?” she countered.

“The earlier you settle down, the better. At least, then, you will stop running around town with all these Lagos girls.”

“Mum, that’s not true!”

“I’m your mother and I can read you like a book. You are hardly at home most weekends and don’t tell me you are with Roni because she comes here to look for you when you are not around. So, where do you go? To church?” she asked sarcastically.

I left the room, ignoring her grumbling about young men of today who never wanted to marry but loved to play around...

I wondered if she knew I had been seeing Zahra all this while. I doubted it. I had not told her because I knew she would not approve because of the circumstances under which she had left our home.

I kept on visiting Zahra during my spare time. Due to the terrible traffic jams on the highway to her house, I could not go there as often as I would have loved to.

So, I had to make alternative arrangements. I told my cousin Tina who lived alone in a three bedroom apartment in Surulere about the situation.

She was very understanding and agreed that I could be seeing Zahra in her apartment.

So, that’s where we started meeting. In the beginning, we would just chat, watch movies and play some video games which she loved a lot.

Then one rainy evening some weeks later, Tina had gone out and we were alone in the apartment. Zahra was in the kitchen cooking some rice for dinner.

I went to see how she was getting on.

I stood by the kitchen door and watched her for a while as she busied herself at the stove. Then, as if propelled by unseen hands, I went up to her and held her by the waist. I slowly turned her round and ignored the startled expression in her eyes as my lips slowly descended on hers...

To be continued Book a copy of your favourite Nation on Saturday next week to find out what transpired between Archie and Zahra that evening!

&

LIFE

Society Profile

THE NATION, Saturday, MAY 19, 2012

STYLE Gossip Interviews

41

Nigeria has taught me thought mesoso many things —South African-born hotel GM of Port Harcourt hotel

44

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

Christine Plaatjies is the General Manager of the Best Western Port Harcourt Hotel, Rivers State capital.

She is an experienced and accomplished hotel manager with 20 years experience. Born in Cape Town, South Africa, she completed her degree in Economics at the University of South Africa. She also completed her four-year Hospitality Degree part-time through the University of South Africa. She also attended a one-year part-time study at Damelin College in Cape Town and received a Diploma in Sales and Marketing. In this interview with Mercy MICHAEL, Christine takes us into her world of hospitality business.

Excerpts:

Whenever I go home, I’ll start missingNigeria the second week —South African-born GM of Port Harcourt hotel H

•Christine

OW long have you been in the hospitality business?

I don’t want to tell you. Otherwise, I will expose my age (laughs).

But I’ve been in hotel business for about 20 years.

Having been in the hospitality business for 20 years, what gives you satisfaction?

What gives me satisfaction is actually to see that every guest gets satisfaction. To satisfy my guests is actually my utmost goal.

What promptedyou to go into it in the first place?

This wasn’t my passion from the beginning. I wanted to become a lawyer. Just as I finished colleage, I went on holidays with my parents and we went to this hotel. And the minute I walked into this hotel ,I knew I wanted to work in a hotel. And right there, I told my dad: ‘I’m going to be a General Manager in a hotel one day’. And he said: ‘No, you’re going to be a lawyer’. And I’m like, no. Later, I went to work in that same hotel.

And those years, it was a racist setting where I was working. The town was very racist.

In fact ,they told me

that I would not get a job there. I went for my interview and they told me they do not employ college receptionists. I was very angry. I was like because I was black, that’s why I can’t work as a receptionist? They said no, but said I could only work either in the kitchen or as a waitress but I can’t work on the desk. I said well, I could speak English fluently, that they should try me because there, the major language was African, but they said no, that it was only the General Manager that could do otherwise.

Two weeks later, they called me. I met the General Manager. They said they would give me a trial but I should deal with the white guests. And then I got the position and because I could speak English fluently, most of the guests that came there, the French, German, they couldn’t speak African languages.

So I had to assist them and when I started to assist them, people liked me. That was how it went. And after about six months, I found out that my salary was 60 percent of what the white people were getting and I asked the financial manager and his answer was: ‘Number one, because you’re black. Secondly, you stay in the black area; others stay in a white area which is more expensive’. I resigned that same day.

What does it take to be the GM of a hotel like this?

I stand for fairness anywhere I manage. If you are fair in your family and business, you won’t breed hatred and jealousy. Even my staff know as a General Manager ,I don’t have preference to a manager or a staff. I look at issues and deal with them fairly. If I discipline a jun-

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

•Christine

ior staff because of something, I will deal with the manager the same way. In my family, it is the same thing. If you prefer one child to another, it breeds fight. And that’s how it works in this business. When you prefer one staff or manager to another, you end up in dividing your own team. And when that happens, how you can be successful? I understand this. And that, I think, is my recipe for success.

When did you come to Nigeria?

I came to Nigeria six years ago.

Any particular reason why it had to be Nigeria?

Yes, my sister used to tell me that the service in Nigerian hospitality business was very poor. And I wanted to make a difference. And I came here ,started work and my aim was to make a difference in the hospitality industry so that the staff can actually have a passion for the job and guests can live with satisfaction and not say, let me just manage. So in my hotel, there is no such thing like let my guests manage. In fact ,they should not manage.

I’m happy now; I see that Nigerians have become more demanding. That’s fantastic.

Nigerians don’t go to hotel anymore and they will now suffer because of AC, no. And the

next thing they will now go and complain to somebody else. They don’t do that anymore.

They actually complain, even if the bill is paid by the company, they still demand that service. Now, they are demanding for the service. That’s fantastic. That is what we want.

That is what I want guests to do. When I come, I want them to complain because that’s the only way we can improve. I always want a guest’s moment of misery to a moment of magic. That is it. So when he feels, he feels with a smile on his face. If a guest complains of a small issue in my hotel, I make it big.

Don’t you sometime feel you’re highhanded?

What works is discipline and reward. So my team, because I give my best, if you give your best you will receive your best. So I make sure I give my best. My team automatically wants to give their first. My team consists of males. I have about 10 males on my team. You have to make them fall in love with you literally. You have to make them want to be like you. That is what I do. I deal with them in such a way; you charm them. You get them ready to say oh, they don’t want to disappoint you because they know how I react when they do. And they wouldn’t want to see that side of me because I can be very harsh. The most im-

portant thing for me is that staff respect me.

I’m not looking for someone to fear me. I want them to respect me and love me. If they fear you, when you are not around, they go crazy.

They become indisciplined. So let them be relaxed while you are there. And you know this is the same thing you are going to get when you’re not there.

I have an open door policy in my hotel. My staff can walk into my office at anytime. At anytime they can come into my office and sit down and talk to me. They can call me at any given time. So they have that feeling that I am there for them. When they do badly, I discipline them. When they do good, I reward them. If they have any personal problem, they come to me and tell me and I sort it out. In this country, people are very poorly paid. In my hotel, I have a minimum wage. There is no such thing as someone earning small money because I just put myself in their shoes. What I do is work out their expenses and know what they are left with. If you don’t care about them, how do you expect them not to steal. How? They have to find a way of looking after their family. It’s okay to have high expectation from your staff but what are you giving them back in return? That’s important because it’s not all about taking, it’s about giving.

Twenty years in hospitality business. Do you feel fulfilled?

I’m fulfilled. I am happy because this is what I love. This is my passion. Here, I can see I’m making a difference. There in South Africa, I don’t see it because our hotels are quite good.

There, as a general manager you don’t even get to see your staff. You don’t have any personal interaction with them because you are just in your office. The staff don’t even know the general manager. There, you have a manager who knows what the staff are doing. You don’t have to be involved. You just sit in your office and sign papers all day.

Here, I know about generators (laughs). I know about plumbing. I know about everything. Nigeria has thought me so many things.

But the most important thing it thought me is to appreciate what I have because what I took for granted in my own country-light, water, here, I realised they are those things we should never take for granted. That’s why I say Nigeria has made me stronger than I think I could ever be. I’ve learnt about respect in this country more. I learnt about how to respect older people. As a general manager, I can’t even sometimes reprimand an older staff because of that age gap. Because I’ve learnt it doesn’t matter who the person is, if he’s older than you, you give him that respect. I’ve learnt that respect ,which I’m even passing on to my children. I’ve learnt a lot.

What do you want to be remembered for?

I want to people to say wow! She was good.

This is what she did. Because when I leave a hotel, I live my mark that even people I fired still call me every Christmas. They call me and asking after my family. Hotels where I have worked, they never forget me because I make sure I leave a mark. I leave a legacy behind.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

I want to own a hotel in Nigeria. In the next five years, I want to own a hotel. Probably a small one but I want it to be one of the best hotels. People will say they are going to stay there for the service and I am working towards that.

Can you actually say Nigeria is your second home?

Nigeria is my home. I only go to South Africa four times in a year. When I go home, the first week I’m so happy to be home and the second week, I’ll start missing Nigeria. And when I’m talking to someone on the phone, I will say to the person: ‘I’m coming home by next week’. And when I finished my call, my eight-year-old daughter would say: ‘Mummy, did you say Nigeria is your home? You are at home!’ Then I will say to her: ‘Nigeria is also my home’.

Those four times I spend in South Africa is like two months out of 12 months and I love it.

I love the people. I love the spirit because I’ve not seen a stronger nation than this. If our country is like, people will never survive. It’s only in Nigeria people can survive this kind of hardship and they are still happy. They still come to work and say to you: ‘Happy Sunday!’ They still have the spirit to come in the morning and ask me how I feel. They still have the time to be concerned about me. That’s

‘

45

I love the people. I love the spirit because I’ve not seen a stronger nation than this. If our country is like this, people will never survive. It’s only in Nigeria people can survive this kind of hardship and they are still happy. They still come to work and say to you: ‘Happy Sunday!’ They still have the spirit to come in the morning and ask me how I feel...

’

why in every hotel I’ve worked, I give staff advances and loans freely.

What are your thoughts about Nigeria?

Nigeria is addictive. You can’t come to Nigeria and go the same way. I am addicted to Nigeria. My sisters, all of us came to work here. They are all addicted to Nigeria. It’s the way of life. Nigerians spend money like it’s going out of fashion. When I travel to South Africa, my mother always tells me: ‘Christine stop your diva ways; you may be a madam over there in Nigeria, but here you’re not a diva’. When I stop at the airport, I stay my diva attitude and my sister tells me, hey! Stop your diva attitude, we are your sisters. When my mother sees my nails, she will go like, you know you have to wash the dishes. Here we don’t have a maid, everybody washes their dishes by themselves. After sometime, I had to cut my nails. And sometimes I protest and say, in Nigeria, I don’t do this and she will say but you’re not in Nigeria.

If you were not married before you came to Nigeria, would you have married a Nigerian?

Probably, I would have married a Nigerian. There is something about Nigerian men, they know how to take care of their women and that is a very positive thing.

How do you make up for the home front?

My children are very understanding. I have four children. They understand I need to make money to be able to take care of them. And you know how kids are. They like the fact that I can buy them most of the things they need. My daughter, if someone should ask her that do you want mummy to come back and stay with you but she will not earn a good salary or stay in Nigeria and she will be able to afford those thing she wants? She will tell you she prefers mummy to stay in Nigeria. I went home last year for four months. I took a break to be with them. After two months, they were asking me when I was going back to Nigeria.

So because they have good support at home, their father, my mother, my motherin-law, they are well loved and I feel comfortable for them to be there. But I think I’m going to bring the two smaller ones to live with me. I love the hotel I’m working for.

So I think I will probably stay here for a long time; so I’m thinking of bringing them to come and stay with me. They can school here. They are 11 and eight. While the two older ones are 19 and 21. They are really settled there. They are doing their Protea Hotel training which will take four years and when I open my hotel, they will be working there. That is why I’m grooming them. I guess they got addicted to the passion with which I work.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

•Terae Onyeje

•Tonia Iyadi

Making creative use of ankara A

lot of creativity has gone into using ankara for different purposes. Ankara shoes and bags can be seen around now and to say they are beautiful is an understatement. They are gorgeous and more.

Any type of print can be used, and some are even hard to recognize as they look sophisticated.

Ankara material has a blend of different colours and this enhances the beauty in the wear and adds up a splash of colour.

More so, they can be paired with anything, ranging from casual to corporate and even traditional wear.

Besides, they are being used in other

Omowumi OGUNTUASE

parts of the world.

Tips

Look chic by wearing a shirt or top and trousers or skirt that are of complementing colours and pair with an ankara bag or shoe.

You can also wear an ankara jacket or top of a different pattern and pair with the bag.

Make sure you do not wear different patterns of ankara for the top and the shoe.

This only works for the bag.

Wearing a plain-coloured short gown and an ankara shoe or a long gown and an ankara bag shows sophistication.

47

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

A

N outfit that houses collections from great African designers, Grey Velvet, formally launched its fashion retail boutique on Saturday, May 5 at Ikeja City Mall,Alausa, Lagos.

The exclusive black carpet event was a gathering of the crème de la crème in Nigerian fashion.

The first of its kind in Lagos, Grey Velvet houses a wide range of fashion pieces from clothing, shoes, handbags, jewellery to other accessories.

Highlights of the day included a special fashion presentation of some of the pieces by models. The launch party was supported by OnoBello.com, Bella Naija, House of Tara, Sleek Nigeria and Millaman& Lautrec Wine & Champagne.

Elite Model Look Nigeria search begins Elite Model Look Nigeria has announced the fifth edition of its Male and Female Model Search.The competition,which takes place in over countries, is bigger this time around.

Elite is offering thousands of girls and boys the opportunity to achieve their dreams and walk in the footsteps of top models like Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, Tyson Beckford, David Agbodji, Ty Ogunkoya, Cindy Crawford and Gisele Bundchen.

The relentless Elite team will go to Calabar, Enugu, Abuja, Delta and Lagos for castings from June 2 to 30.

With Elite Model Look Nigeria celebrating its fifth anniversary, it aims to offer maximum opportunities for women and men to participate in one of the most renowned modelling contest and to maintain its reputation of being the world’s most prestigious agency. For more info contact:info@elitemodellooknigeria.com

SOCIETY

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THE NATION SATURDAY, MAY 19 , 2012

When stakeholders celebrated World Bank project in Abuja T

HE Ministry of Mines and Steel Development on May 3 brought the stakeholders in the sector together for the as-

John OFIKHENUA, Abuja

sessment of the World Bank intervention project: Sustainable Management

of Mineral Resources Project (SMMRP).

In attendance were the minister in charge of the ministry,Architect Musa

Mohammed Sada, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Alhaji Idris Kuta; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Alhaji Sheik Goni; Chairman, Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, Senator Abdullahi Adamu; Chairman, House Committee on Solid Minerals, Hon. Isah Hassan Mohammed; the World Bank Task Team Leader, Mrs. Eketerina Mykhayalova; Provost, Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geosciences, Prof.

Idowu Odeyemi; SMMRP Project Coordinator, Mr. Linus Adie; Chairman, Miners Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Sani Shehu, and others.

The venue of the event, Nicon Luxury Conference

Hall in Abuja, was filled to capacity. Most of the stakeholders who could not find seats stood throughout the event, while other stayed at the corridor. On the other hand, both accredited and non-accredited journalists were scampering to cover the event from the different spots of the hall.

What actually added colour to the venue mostly was the samples of solid minerals which the SMMRP exhibited at the hall. The hall was also decorated with different dimension stones, marbles, jewellery and products of the stakeholders turned out through the assistance of the World Bank project.

Besides, the venue was replete with fascinating geological maps of Nigeria

which the SMMRP funded.

Speaking, the Chairman of the Miners’ Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Sanni Shehu,extolled the SMMRP intervention programme which he admitted had lifted most of the artisans and small miners who benefited from the World Bank $10m grant.

While lamenting the winding down of the intervention programme, he expressed fears that most of the miners and stakeholders in the sector would be thrown back to poverty.

He urged the Federal Government to make effort at securing another credit facility to sustain the SMMRP projects across the country.

L-R: Mr. Adie, Senator Adamu, Hon. Hassan and Alhaji Kuta.

L-R: Alhaji Najeem Jimoh, Victor Wogu and Peter Kumba.

L-R: Managing Director, Miberon Nigeria Limited, Dr. O.M. Ojo; President, Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society, Akin George, and Mr. Mikhaybua.

•Benue State Commissioner for Land, John Tondu (left), and Senior Special Assistant to Oyo State Governor, Hon. Ayinla Folorunsho Musbau.

What

& Where

T

•Aare Ayanlakin

HE Island Club of Lagos has honoured Aare Ayandotun Ayanlakin, the Royal Ambassador to Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi 111, as the club’s Commander of the Order of Peacock (COP).

According to the chairman of the club, Aare Ayanlakin deserved the honour because he is “not only a cultural activist but also a royal ambassador plenipotentiary who has been an outstanding flag bearer of the club. His giant strides in business and service to humanity are worthy of emulation and commendation.”

Ayanlakin, who sits atop Taiken Victoria Trading Com-

L-R: Director, Nigeria Mining Office, Mohammed Amah; Director-General, National Steel and Raw Matarials Exploration Agency, Alex Ohikere; and Chairman, Bold and Clopam, Dominic Ezeh Egwu.

PHOTOS: AKIN OLADOKUN

Honour for culture ambassador Kunle AKINRINADE

pany Limited, in his acceptance speech, could not hide his joy while thanking the management committee of the club for the honour.

He said: ”I thank God Almighty for this honour. I am also grateful to the management committee of our great club for finding me worthy of this monumental appreciation. For me, I consider this honour a great challenge to rededicate myself to the ideals of the club. Most importantly, I want to dedicate this

award to my royal father, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the Alaafin of Oyo.” The ceremony came to a halt with the rendition of the club’s

anthem after which floor was declared open for “high table” dance to the pulsating music of King Sunny Ade.

Tbaaz boss clocks 50 ALHAJA Fehintola Adiat Adio , the Managing Director of Tbaaz Creations, Lagos, is 50 today.

The wife of Prince Abdulazeez Inaolaji Adio, chairman of Blueblood Connections, is a philanthropist and founder of Alhaji Rabiu Adio Islamic Foundation. She is one of the pillars behind the foundation established in memory of her late father in-law.

Her support for her husband made it possible for the foundation to contribute to the social and economic development of Iwo community in Osun State. The foundation assists the children of the less-privileged.

Adio has contributed immensely to nation building .

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

H

OW time flies. On May 25, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson will be 100 days old at the Creek Haven as governor of Bayelsa State. Since the former police officer and lawmaker representing Sagbama/ Ekeremor Federal Constituency at the National Assembly has achieved so much within this short period, the expectation of many analysts is that he should celebrate it with pomp and ceremony. Interestingly, he is as usual averse to such celebration or making publicity stunt from what has become a ritual among our political office holders.

The tradition in Nigeria is for governors to roll out the drums to mark this time line, which was popularised by the 32nd president of the United States of America, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who accomplished so much within his first 100 days in office. Within his first 100 days in the saddle, FDR, as he was fondly called, evolved the concept of the New Deal, drafted and sponsored 15 bills at the Congress. Roosevelt had within 24 hours of taking charge declared a four-day bank holiday and drafted the Emergency Banking Act, which helped to breathe life into the depressed U.S economy in 1933. By the time he hit the 100-day mark, Roosevelt had provided so much from the Tennessee Valley Authority to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. With farm credits, federal works projects and new financial regulations in place, the U.S beginning from June 1933, started recovering from the melancholy Roosevelt had inherited.

Before Roosevelt made history with his New Deal, French ironfist ruler, Napoleoan Bonaparte had laid the foundation for the 100-day mark because within 111 days, he returned from exile, reinstated himself as ruler of France and waged war against the English and Prussian armies before his final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. Recall that after the “Battle of the Nations” in 1814, Bonaparte was eventually defeated and deposed as Emperor of France. He went on exile on the island of Elba, but on the first of March 1815, he returned to France, built up a much larger army and marched on Paris, taking back control of the country.

He then marched north, with an army of over 100,000 soldiers, to engage the British and Prussians, a battle he eventually lost at Waterloo on the 18th June and was exiled on the much more remote Island of St. Helena.

Whichever way it is perceived, Dickson shares similar history with these world leaders except that unlike Bonaparte, he never lost any political battle, including the one that produced him as the fourth executive governor of the oil-rich state. While the former emperor fought through the barrel of the gun, Dickson always believed and still believes in the majesty of the ballot box, mobilised his people, built consensus on the strength of his integrity and vision, engaged the critical stakeholders and took advantage of the constitution of the land to cruise to Creek Haven on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Like Roosevelt, who inherited an ailing economy, Dickson became governor at one of the most difficult periods of Bayelsans. The health and educational sectors were comatose. The story was not different with the entire real sector. To say the least, the state was on motion without movement.

Life in Bayelsa was miserable as the government of the day deployed its repressive state apparatus, code named Famou Tanghei

49

READER’S VIEW

Between Governor Dickson and ex-US President Roosevelt

Francis AGBO (kill and throw away) to terrorise the innocent citizenry while kidnapping and cultism soared very high. Many Bayelsans were massacred by this terror outfit. On few occasions when the civil society raised alarm, government made their yoke heavier and chastised them with scorpion. Dickson was one of the politicians that stood up to condemn the charade and spiral of state-sponsored violence at the time but not without cost. For over three years, his life was under threat, forcing him to stay off Bayelsa State for fear of his dear life. A kangaroo commission of inquiry was set up on trumped up charges to indict Dickson with the sinister intention to make him unelectable. When the goons could not ‘‘get’’ him, they plotted to stop his re-election in 2001. Then incumbent governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, who had sworn to send Dickson to political Siberia, sponsored one William Ofoni to supplant Dickson but the people of Sagbama/ Ekeremor stuck to Dickson and the rest as they say is now history.

It is worthy to note that Sylva, his predecessor, had mortgaged the future of the state through the litany of bogus loans he had taken on behalf of government without

repayment in the five years that he held the state by the scruff. These loans officially put at N67 billion have made Bayelsa the most indebted state in spite of the billions of naira that accrue to the state monthly as federal allocation.

By February 14 when Dickson took over power, he inherited an empty treasury to the chagrin of the founding fathers of the state.

The immediate past administration oiled so many Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO), running into N50billion and still counting. The most controversial of them was the payment of N300million monthly from source to SNECOU GROUP OF COMPANIES LIMITED, allegedly owned

by Sylva’s business partners and used to fleece the state. The money was paid to the company through

a First Bank Account No: 4112040000417. In all, over N30 billion was paid to the firm between June 2007 and January 2012 that Sylva held sway.

Ironically, all the projects which the former governor claimed to have tied to the ISPOs are in a sorry state. KOKIDIETE KOKI specialist hospital at Opolo and Melford Okilo Memorial Hospital, both in Yenagoa were among the projects abandoned by Sylva. The incumbent governor went to court shortly after taking oath of office and halted the ISPO. Like Roosevelt who declared a four-day bank holiday and drafted the Emergency Banking Act within 24 hours of taking charge, Dickson declared a state of emergency in the educational sector and declared free education from primary to secondary schools in his inaugural speech shortly after he was sworn in on February 14.

Consequently, government borne all the WAEC and NECO fees for all final year students resident in the littoral state.

Sylva used the whooping sum of N1,685 billion monthly to run government house. One of the first progressive decisions the countryman-governor took within 24 hours of taking over was to reverse it to N657, 460,000 million, thereby saving over N1 billion for the hugely indebted state. If the governor were to be the usual Nigerian politician, all he needed to do was to quietly convert it to his, change as many as possible Nigerian money into dollar and launder it abroad. Dickson also opened two strategic accounts: Bayelsa State Strategic Development Funds Account and Bayelsa State Strategic Savings Funds Account.

Monies in this account will be used to fund key development projects and policies of government and stabilise the economy on rainy days. Withdrawal of cash from these accounts is possible only if two-third majority of the legislature approves of it. Already, over N23billion has been saved in these accounts within 60 days.

Equally, within the same period, the governor sponsored five executive bills at the Bayelsa State House of Assembly which had already been signed into law by the governor. Prominent among them are the Transparency Bill, Compulsory Savings Bill, and Cultism/ Kidnapping Bill. These laws have laid a solid legal foundation for the transformation of the state as encapsulated in the restoration agenda of the countryman governor.

Today, the electorate on whose shoulders sovereignty lies have the rare opportunity to know the accruals to the state and how their funds are appropriated and expended in line with the Transparency Law. So far, the governor

‘

What appears to be a radical departure from the immediate past is the fact that Bayelsans under the leadership of this Ijaw nationalist now speak in one voice on all national issues. Thanks to the tolerance and consensus building skills of Dickson aptly described by a pundit as the giant killer!

,

and his cabinet members have as a policy rendered account on a monthly basis to Bayelsans through Town Hall Meetings in the full glare of the cameras. This is the first of its kind in Nigeria, I believe. This singular policy of government has further drawn government closer to the people in the state and hence deepening probity and accountability in government.

Interestingly, government’s actions in the last 90 days have won the confidence of Ijaw people, the international community, foreign and local investors. Over 100 investors, and still counting, are reported to be falling over one another to invest in the state. In the same vein, government agencies and the organised private sector are partnering with the Dickson administration to restore the state to its pride of place as glory of all lands. The Nigerian Bank of Industry, led by Ms Evelyn Oputu, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with government to provide 50 percent counterpart funds for the industrialisation of the state. For the first time in the history of the state, banks are voluntarily partnering with government to power populist projects in the state.

The actions of His Excellency have given hope to the citizenry some of who have started returning to the state to contribute their quota to the restoration drive. With the security measures put in place by government, ordinary Bayelsans now sleep with two eyes closed.

And with the existing conducive environment, the governor has vowed to turn Bayelsa State to a construction site the moment the Bayelsa State House of Assembly passes the Restoration Appropriation Bill 2012 into law. This will include the redesigning of the master plan of the state, provision of critical infrastructure in the critical sectors of the economy such as education, health, housing, transport, tourism, agriculture, oil and gas, the environment, science and technology and industrialisation.

Interestingly, the question now is no longer the integrity and vision of the governor as had been the case in the old regime but whether Dickson would have the resources to execute his lofty plans for his people.

From the foregoing, it is crystal clear that Governor Dickson has changed the governance culture in Bayelsa State and laid a solid foundation for its transformation. What appears to be a radical departure from the immediate past is the fact that Bayelsans under the leadership of this Ijaw nationalist now speak in one voice on all national issues. Thanks to the tolerance and consensus building skills of Dickson aptly described by a pundit as the giant killer!

Anybody who had visited Creek Haven in the last five years and visit this time around will definitely know without being told that a new sheriff is in town.

Without sounding immodest, he has surpassed what President Roosevelt did within 100 days, yet the countryman has refused to embark on any media glitz or jamboree to blow his trumpet.

What a governor?

•Agbo is a journalist and socio-political commentator based in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

50

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012 makes provisions for a president to contest for not more than two terms of fouir years each and that their principal has not indicated or announced anywhere whether in words or in writing that he will contest the presidential elections to be conducted in 2015.

“The late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua contested and won the presidential elections conducted in 2007 for a one-term of four years. He was the President from May 29, 2007 until sometime in May 2010 when he passed on. Yar’Adua’s four years was to end in 2013 they insisted.

For the record, it was the second time Njoku was taking the President to court. He had in August 2010 attempted to stop the PDP from allowing Jonathan to participate in the PDP presidential primaries of January 2011. Njoku, from Zuba Ward in Gwagwalada Area Council had urged the court then to ask the PDP to respect its principle on zoning formula in line with Article 7.2(c) of the party’s constitution.

He said the declaration of Jonathan (third defendant) to contest the presidency on the PDP platform was contrary to Article7.2(c) of the PDP 2009 Constitution (as amended).

But the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice Lawan Gummi, dismissed the zoning suit then.

Zoning sentiment still alive •Dr Junaid Mohammed

•President Jonathan

2015: Reading the swing of the pendulum

The beginning An allegation by a northern group was all it needed for the cap to fly off the lid.

The northern group, under the aegis of the Coalition of Northern Leaders in March, had accused the President of tenure elongation tendencies with the setting up of the Justice Alfa Belgore Committee on Constitution Review. The group, in a communiqué issued after a meeting of stakeholders and read by its leader and convener, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, raised the alarm on

Augustine AVWODE plans by the President to advance his third term bid and vowed to stop him at all cost. “We will mobilize the entire country with the North as its head to rise to oppose the tenure elongation for the President.”

And the President wasted no time in mixing things up with the group by warning them to desist from deliberately distracting his government. He wondered why he should be concerned about a third term bid when, in actual sense, he is still serving his first term.

In the response through his spokesman, Dr. Rueben Abati, President Jonathan said he was rather focusing on governance and remained committed to his transformation agenda. “It is evident that the Belgore Committee was set up to look at the outcomes of previous political conferences and recommendations, and I am not aware of any report submit-

ted anywhere making any recommendations. We should expect that people who claim to be major stakeholders in the Nigerian Project, when they make contributions, their contributions will show commonsense and decency. Comments on the report of the Belgore Committee that has not been concluded and a report that has not yet been submitted will amount to witchcraft, if you like sorcery, and it is ,therefore, curious and entirely mischievous. As far as I know, the Belgore Committee has not concluded its work”, the president explained.

Not long afterwards, President Jonathan was dragged before an Abuja High Court by a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Cyriacus Njoku, over the status of which term he is serving in office.

The applicant claimed that Jonathan is running a second term in office and cannot be a candidate in 2015. He also said the President cannot swear to an Oath of Office

thrice in the light of Section 137(1) (b) of the 1999 Constitution. Those joined in the matter are the President (first respondent), the PDP (second respondent) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the third respondent in the suit with number PV/2749/12.

But in a 15-paragraph counter affidavit filed by President Jonathan’s lawyer, Mr Ade Okeaya-Inneh, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the President described the suit as frivolous and vexatious having failed to disclose reasonable cause of action.

A Senior Special Assistant to Jonathan, Mr Mattew Aikhionbare, and Abati, in their depositions argued that President Jonathan is currently doing his first term of four years in office as the President of Nigeria as provided by the 1999 constitution as amended and that the President’s and position is formidably backed by the 1999 costitution.

The presidential aides argue that the constitution of Nigeria only

The northern group, under the aegis of the Coalition of Northern Leaders in March, had accused the President of tenure elongation tendencies with the setting up of the Justice Alfa Belgore Committee on Constitution Review

‘

‘

O

RDINARILY, the debate pertaining to the 2015 presidential election should not be a priority by now for the simple reason that the country has only covered a quarter or 25 per cent of the journey to that date. Ironically, however, the 2015 presidential election in particular has come to assume a centre stage in public discourse.

Incidentally, the greater chunk of the debate has been devoted to making a case for which zone should produce the president and which should not produce it . And there is nothing to suggest that the trend will abate soon. In fact, the next 36 months have been fast-forwarded to the present; the only snag is that the elections cannot hold now.

Dr_-Junaid-Mohammed

At the heart of the ongoing debate is the zoning sentiment supposedly dead and buried with the emergence of President Jonathan against all odds in the PDP last year for the presidential election.

At present, there are three tendencies depicting a triangular pull in the 2015 presidential debate. The first tendency is that which, even when President Jonathan has not said he is interested in 2015, suggesting that he can run and that there are no legal or political encumbrances against him.

Expectedly, this is the dominant tendency from the South-South geo-political zone as well as friends and loyalists of the president across all zones.

The second tendency is that which seeks a return of the presidency to the North in 2015 and the third is the tendency represented by the SouthEast which is calling attention to its continued marginalization in who occupies the nation’s number one seat.

Early in the week, Dr Ali Gulak, Special Adviser to President Jonathan on Political Matters was categorical that only God and Nigerians will decide Jonathan’s fate in 2015.

He claimed in an interview that it is time to work for Nigerians and not to talk 2015.

“Mr. President has said time and again that this is not the time to talk about 2015. It is time for government and all officials to work for Nigerians, to deliver on their promises to Nigerians when 2015 comes, God will decide Goodluck Jonathan’s fate.

God and Nigerians will decide his fate”, he had declared.

Also, early in the week, Senator David Mark’s intervention saved a potentially explosive moment in the senate when he ruled that Jonathan should be left to decide whatever he wants to do in 2015. Mark gave the advice at the confirmation of Mr. Inuwa Abdul-Kadir, a ministerial nominee from Sokoto State .

The nominee was fielding questions from the lawmakers when Senator Abubakar Sadiq Yar’Adua (Katsina Central) took the floor and asked him a rather controversial question.

Senator Yar’Adua delved into the

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012 vexed 2015 issue thus: “You are the immediate past Attorney General of Sokoto State. If the Senate confirms your nomination, the President and Commander- in-Chief may appoint you as Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federation.

“As the Chief Law Officer of the Federation, there are rumours going round, which Mr. President has denied, that Mr. President is likely to contest for Presidency in 2015.

“If you are in a position of Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federation and you are confronted with the issue of advising Mr. President on the matter, what will you tell him?”.

Senator Yar’Adua equally declared his stand on the matter saying, “As far as I’m concerned, it is an illegality and a criminal subversion of the constitution because he (President Jonathan) has taken oath of office two times”.

A cross-section of senators was not comfortable with the question and Mark quickly stepped in to save the situation. In his ruling on the issue, Mark overruled the question on 2015 presidential election, saying the last question was not within the purview of the nominee.

As for the South East, the hype for a president of Igbo extraction by 2015 is also very high, but with a caveat that it will be after Jonathan’s presidency. The import is straight forward. Should Jonathan decides to run in 2015, the South East aspiration moves to 2019, but if he decides to go, then it is 2015.

At a recent meeting in Abuja , some Igbo leaders raised a steering committee which was empowered to begin work immediately. Former Governor of Anambra State , Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, told newsmen that while the Igbo would not

The President is currently on his first tenure in the presidency. I am a lawyer and I know that constitutionally, you start counting tenure with elections and this is his first tenure

•Ezeife

hound Jonathan out of power, the least the South-East could take was to produce the President immediately Jonathan quits.

Indeed, at the parley, prominent leaders of the Southeast zone, including a former governor who remains an influence in Igbo and national politics, insisted that the time for the zone, which is currently the most socio-political and economically marginalised, was after Jonathan and nothing else.

In a recent interview, the deposed Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Jokolo, urged all those jostling to succeed President Jonathan in the North to sheathe their swords and allow the South-East zone of the country to have its turn either in 2015 or 2019

•Orubebe

after Jonathan’s exit as President.

“Look, not only 2015, but after 2015.

They should not think of producing the president until after the SouthEast has produced the president in 2019. The South-South produces the oil for God’s sake. So, I am strongly advocating that for peace to reign in Nigeria , South-South must be given another term of four years in 2015. It must not necessarily be Jonathan, it can be anybody, but the Presidency must remain in the South-South by 2015", he stated.

Ghost of 2011 campaign In a way, the 2015 debate has been greatly haunted by the ghost of 2011 final day campaign of the PDP in Abuja . Speaking in Abuja during the

campaign 2011 grand finale of the Jonathan/ Namadi Sambo ticket on March 26, last year, just about a week to the election, former president and then chairman, Board of Trustees, (BoT), of the PDP, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, suggested that Jonathan had agreed to do only one term.

He had declared that zoning of public offices in the party was “alive and kicking”, just as he said that the accident of history that threw up President Jonathan as the PDP presidential candidate must be understood.

Obasanjo said Jonathan should be commended for agreeing to do one term, if elected in the April general elections, to assuage the bitterness of the pro-zoning elements, saying the president should be encouraged to stick to the vow.

Ever since then, the impression that the president made a commitment that he would do a single term has continued to loom large over the polity. This has inadvertently come to fuel the passion with which the debate has been carried on.

But the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, has refuted the thinking, saying Jonathan made no such commitment to anybody. In an interview last Sunday, Orubebe said: “I am not aware of any commitment he made to anybody or

group, but all what I know when he decided to run for presidency in 2011, he called us together and told us that he was running for the presidency of this country for 2011. So, we mobilised ourselves and worked for him and today he is there. That is the story. I don’t know about any meeting where he made a commitment to anybody or any group. I am not aware of that”.

Another PDP stalwart, Dr Walter Oji, a lawyer , founding member of the party and former Enugu gubernatorial aspirant, is of the view that President Jonathan is on his first term, but that any other person is free to vie.

“Well, to start with, we are talking about presidential election. The President is currently on his first tenure in the presidency. I am a lawyer and I know that constitutionally, you start counting tenure with elections and this is his first tenure. Anybody is free to contest in 2015 because this is a free country. The constitution of Nigeria allows everybody: the Norths, the South West, the SouthSouth, the South East and all the zones in the North to contest”.

If this is taken, the task at hand would be to carefully read and see which direction the pendulum will swing come 2015.

Governor Orji presents score-card to Abians in Lagos B ARELY two weeks to the end of the first year of his second tenure, Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore A Orji, has presented his score-card to his subjects who are resident in Lagos. It was at an interactive session with executives and members of different town unions, women groups, youth associations and other critical stakeholders in the Abia State project. They were treated to first hand information about happenings back home since he came into office five years ago.

The governor ,who was unavoidably absent, was ,however, represented by his Chief Economic Adviser, Chief Chijoke Nwakodo, who also doubled as the chairman of the occasion. He was supported by the state Liason Officer in Lagos, Chief Felix Azuh, the Special Adviser on Diaspora, Chief Kingsley Megwara and the Special Adviser on Public Relations, whose office organized the forum, Barrister James Opkara.

According to Nwakodo, “Governor Orji could not come to Lagos for the event because yesterday was the burial of the father in-law of the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Ihejirika, who is a proud son of Abia State, and today the governor has gone to Adamawa State to be with the PDP national chairman and all PDP governors. So we plead on his behalf” The interactive event began with prayer and the traditional presentation of kola nuts which was followed by a comprehensive slideshow of some of the various projects executed across the state by the Ochendo administration to a fully jampacked Ojez Place inside the National Stadium, Surulere. As the screen came alive and the slides began to roll.

Megwara provided further explanations and shed more light on what the people were being shown.

For about 40 to 50 minutes, the audience was held spellbound by the explanations provided jointly by Megwara and Okpara. The projects cut across roads, housing, health, education, capital projects, security and industries.

•Gov. Orji

Augustine AVWODE Earlier, Okpara had told the gathering that the reason for the interactive session was for the indigenes to be adequately informed about the development back home instead of depending on rumours which he said had become the trademark of some politicians in the state who are no longer relevant in the scheme of things. He emphasized that all that they were about to see were executed by the T. A. Orji administration without borrowing a kobo, an announcement that was greeted by clapping.

“It is important that we let all of you, our brothers who are the executives of your town unions, know

what is going on at home. We live in a global village where information travels very fast. And where some failed politicians have made it a trademark to peddle and sponsor rumours against the government, we felt you should see things for yourself and form your own judgments or opinions. But the important thing I want you to know is that the administration of Ochendo has done what you are about to see without borrowing a kobo from anywhere.

After you have seen these things, you are free to ask questions and air your observations”, he stated.

Looking at the slide as it rolled by, Megwara said: “A lot of you going to Aba know the old Ururuka Road – that road is now passable; it used

to be a death trap. This is the old Express Road by Sam Eke – and that one was abandoned for over 20 years, and the Government of Abia State picked it up, and that’s how it looks like right now.

“And what you are seeing now is jubilation in Aba – there are those who would say the other day they used pure water to drive you people out of Aba; that’s what you read on the internet. People were actually happy that after twenty years somebody thought about this area and did this road. This is now Ukwumango, the famous Ukwumango that you all know. Ukwumango was a very challenging road and remains a very challenging road till date.

Ukwumango was in a problem and the government came in and challenged the problem of Ukwumango.

“This is a federal road in Arochukwu. What is happening now in all the states, our own included, is that you wait for the Federal Government and they are not coming, and you know that your people are directly suffering from all the hardships that come from the deplorable road condition. The government of Abia State is doing that road. This is the new state secretariat. For the first time in the history of the state, the government has brought all its employees under one roof. ”What used to be an erratic power flow, a terrible power system in Abia State, is now being corrected. We now have an Umuahia where you don’t need a stabiliser any more to power your air conditioner, and can stay two, three days now without the PHCN cutting your light. A lot of people thought it was the PHCN but the Abia State Government put in N1.2 billion to assist the PHCN in what we have in Umuahia and the surrounding areas – even if you’re a vulcaniser, or a baker, or a hairdresser, there’s no need going to buy petrol to power the little I-better-passmy-neighbour generator you’ve got; we’ve ensured steady power flow in Umuahia and its surrounding areas.

Responding, Chief Ndukwe Iko, President-General, Ohafia Improve-

ment Union, Lagos, thanked the organizers and encouraged them to come up with more of the programme. But then, he also advised the government to do more in opening up the Abia North Senatorial District. He said the zone should not remain a “zone to nowhere; the place should be opened up to connect other states”, he said.

Chief Mrs Pleasure Ajuzie, the President of the Ohanaeze Women, Isolo also thanked the organizers and solicited for more support for the governor and what he is doing back home. She canvassed unity among Abians, saying “it is only when there is unity and peace that progress could be made.”

Later, in a brief interview, Okpara said: “What you’re seeing is a consequence of the liberation of Abia State.

It is said that our governor does not believe in noise-making, which is true. People now took advantage of that and were writing falsehoods in the papers. “Roads that were done, people said they weren’t done; and projects that were done, people said they weren’t done. So the decision was taken that you cannot call every Abian in Lagos at the same time, but Abians – being Ibos – believe a lot in town union meetings and associations. When you brief the executive of every town union ,when they go to their respective town union meetings, they would brief their people what they have seen. It is not a question of stories; it is a question of what you are seeing with your eyes (through the slide presentation).

“You don’t expect everybody to say you have done 100% well; there would be objections, but if the citizens’ perspectives are not sectionalised, but based on issues, they would judge right. Nobody is above mistakes; if they say you are not doing this one well ,why don’t you do that. Then the person who is doing it may say this is why I have done this. Where the criticisms are objective and logical, they would be taken; nobody has a monopoly of wisdom”, he stated.

FAMIL Y HEAL TH AMILY HEALTH

52

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

Searching for your missing rib (3)

D

EAR Reader, It is a good day, and you are blessed in Jesus’ name. Last week, I shared with you the underlying steps for searching for your missing rib, which when engaged, guarantee a successful marriage afterwards.

This week, I will be teaching on the Prerequisites For Choosing! Choice is one of the fundamental principles of the Kingdom of God, as we put it to work on a daily basis even as it relates to the issue of marriage, family, career and business. Choice is a very powerful instrument as it relates to establishing family life.

Just as God will not think for you, the same way, God will not

choose for you. No wonder, God’s Word says: Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD (Proverbs 18:22). God has given you the power and right to make choices.

God has given you the power of choice so, He is waiting on you to make a choice and then accept responsibility for your choice.

Don’t keep sitting down and saying, “I am waiting for God to bring me a wife/husband”. You have been empowered to choose whoever you think you can spend the rest of your life with.

I tell people humorously that after Genesis, as in the case of Adam when God brought Eve to Adam, Adam woke up and said,

“Oh! This is now the bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh”. Adam burst into prophecy; but after the fall of man, He said to God, “The woman that thou gavest me”.

So, don’t lock up yourself in your room waiting for one day when God will bring a woman to your house and knock on your door and then tell you, “Here is now your wife”. All you need do is to find out how to make right choices.

There are some things that need to be taken into consideration in choosing a marriage partner, and some of them are: New Birth As a born-again Christian, you are referred to as a light, while the unbeliever is referred to as darkness (2 Corinthians 6:1416). There is no way light and darkness can cohabit in the same place and at the same time. In the same vein, you, a born-again Christian, are not supposed to go into marriage together with an unbeliever and expect success. It is not practicable.

No matter how long you have waited for the right person, don’t forget that it is not how far,

but how well the journey is. God forbid you spend your marital life in disaster in a bid to get married at all cost. Beware!

Compatibility This is another prerequisite to be seriously taken into consideration. Anyone you are considering choosing must be one you are compatible with, for two cannot walk together except they be agreed (Amos 3:3). As a single person looking forward to the union of marriage, you need a mate who will match you in all spheres – spirit, soul and body.

It is also important that the person you desire to spend the rest of your life with, matches your expectations in appearance and composure. This, however, must not be given undue emphasis because people change and mature in looks and composure, so that shouldn’t cloud the leading of God in this area.

Furthermore, choosing should be for the purpose of marriage. It is improper to speak to someone about going out together, when you know that marriage is nowhere near your mind. It is imperative you flee youthful lusts

(2 Timothy 2:22), and one way of doing this is to keep yourself from every relationship that will not end up in marriage.

Like I mentioned earlier, new birth is the first prerequisite for a successful choice of your missing rib. It entails confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. If you are ready for this new birth experience, please say this prayer with faith: Dear Lord, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins.

Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Now I know I am born again!

Congratulations! Till I come your way again next week, call or write, and share your testimonies with me through: E-mail: faithdavid@yahoo.com Tel. No: 234-1-7747546-8; 07026385437, 07094254102 For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all the Living Faith Churches, and other leading Christian bookstores: Singles With A Difference, Marriage Covenant, and Making Marriage Work.

7 million die yearly of high blood pressure

G

LOBALLY, 7 million people die every year because of high blood pressure or hypertension.

1.5 billion people suffer as a result of the disease which is the biggest single risk factor for death worldwide causing heart disease, stroke and kidney disease and diabetes.

High blood pressure, which ultimately leads to hypertension, is a form of cardiovascular disease, CVD. Cardiovascular disease is a number of disease conditions that involve the heart and/or blood vessels.

CVD is the leading cause of death and disability in every part of the world. An estimated 37 million people worldwide suffer a cardiovascular event. In Western countries, CVD accounts for nearly one in every three deaths.

Asides high blood pressure, other forms of CVD are, Angina, heart attack (myocardial infarction), congestive heart failure (CHF), stroke, peripheral vascular Disease (PVD).

Complications of CVD according to worldwide facts are; dyslipidemia, hypertension, smoking, metabolic Syndrome and diabetes.

Some risk factors for CVDs are controllable and others cannot be controlled.

Those that can be modified, eliminated or controlled are smoking, drinking too much alcohol, not performing regular physical exercise, being overweight, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stress and kidney disease.

Whoever is a male, or of a matured age or has a family history of CVD are at a high risk of having any of the cardiovascular diseases.

The two major players in the development of CVD are high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

High Blood Pressure is most commonly known as hypertension.

It is a chronic medical condition in which the blood pressure is elevated.

Many people have high blood pressure for years without know-

World hypertension day celebrated on may 17 Risikat RAMONI ing it.

Most of the time, there are no symptoms, but when high blood pressure goes untreated, it damages arteries and vital organs throughout the body.

That is why high blood pressure

In order to reduce the death recorded yearly as a result of hypertension, May 17 was set aside as the world hypertension day. The theme for this year is ‘Healthy lifestyle - Healthy blood pressure.’

The medical director of Pfizer NEAR, Dr Kodjo Soroh said, World Hypertension Day has been established to highlight the preventable

•Healthy food which includes food and vegetables, constant monitoring of BP and other lifestyle changes goes a long way to assist in managing hypertension

is often called the “silent killer”.

A silent killer without any symptoms, this disease is a global epidemic which causes progressive and severe damage to the circulatory system over time. It puts stress on the arteries, and makes the heart work too hard.

Blood pressure higher than 140/ 90 (is known as hypertension).

stroke, heart and kidney diseases caused by high blood pressure and to communicate to the public information on prevention, detection and treatment.

He identified three keys to a healthy lifestyle which could have a direct effect on having a healthy blood pressure as watching weight, healthy food choices and living an active life.

He explained it thus: Watch weight. In our rapidly changing world, the number of over-weight and obese people is on the rise. Being overweight can lead to hypertension. A good way to monitor weight is to regularly keep tabs on ‘Body Mass Index’. To calculate BMI, weight should be taken (in kilograms) and divide by height (in meters) squared.

In a statistics revealed by the world hypertension league: Body mass index – •Less than 18.5 is underweight •From 18.5 to 24.9 is the right body weight •From 25.0 to 29.9 is overweight •From 30.0 to 39.9 is obese •From 40.0 +, the person is morbidly obese.

Make healthy food choices. Eating healthy is always a good idea.

First and foremost, do not skip meals. Be sure to eat three good meals a day. Here are some good common sense tips to follow.

•Try to limit portion size.

•Eat slowly and listen to the body.

•Read the labels and choose a lower salt option.

•Try limiting processed and fast foods like cookies, breakfast cereals, bread, burgers, cakes, pies and pizza.

Instead: •Increase fruit and vegetable intake. Think about eating a rainbow of colours everyday.

•Try making one vegetarian meal a week.

•Eat nuts in their natural form as a quick snack.

•Drink no more than one standard drink of alcohol for women and no more than two for men.

Reduce sodium or salt intake.

• Look at food labels and choose low sodium.

•Try to limit process and fast foods.

•When cooking, do not add extra salt.

•Season foods with fresh herbs, lemon juice or vinegars.

•Make sauces from scratch in-

stead of buying ready.

Live an active life Every body was born to move.

There is the need to get active with all forms of exercise that could be constant and convenient.

Try: •Walking up the stairs at work.

•Park the car in a nearby place and walk the rest.

•Turn up the music and dance!

•Go for a walk at lunch.

•Someone working desk, should get up every hour, stretch, walk around.

•Play with the kids, grandkids or Neighbour’s outdoors.

•Check with a physician before starting an exercise programme especially a rigorous one.

The medical director further explained blood pressure as the measurement of the force applied against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood through the body. The force and amount of blood pumped, and the size and flexibility of the arteries determine your blood pressure number. A reading consists of two numbers, for example: 120/80, which is read as “120 over 80.”

In addition, Dr Soroh said that the first number, systolic blood pressure measures the maximum pressure exerted as the heart contracts.

He also said, a clinic measurement less than 140 mmHg is generally considered normal for an adult.

The lower number indicates diastolic pressure is a measurement taken between beats, when the heart is at rest.

The world hypertension league is of the opinion that blood pressure measured at home is usually lower than levels recorded by a doctor, so self recorded blood pressures below 135 mmHg for the upper systolic reading and below 85 mmHg for the lower diastolic reading are generally desirable.

“Most hypertensive patients require drug treatment. Treating hypertension with drugs prevents heart attacks and strokes. A hypertensive patient needs to have a healthcare provider for individualized care,” said Dr Soroh.

FAMIL Y HEAL TH AMILY HEALTH

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

Physical tiredness

W

E are more famil iar with physical tiredness than with any other form of tiredness. It is one of our everyday expectations. Many of us are happy to work well and hard, knowing we have a home to return to and unwind in after working hours. When we get nourishment, rest, recreation, and sleep, we recover our physical stamina and a good mental disposition for the next day. Physical tiredness is a normal and recurrent aspect of living but it is a health problem if it becomes chronic, incapacitating, or debilitating.

There are reasons why we could have prolonged physical fatigue. Prolonged under-nutrition or malnutrition is one reason. Our bodies are fuelled by the food, fluid, and air we take in. When a car runs out of petrol, oil, and coolant, it stops working. We too need to have adequate nutrition to function well. For

I

N one of my books “com mon but deadly” I dwell very much on staphylococcus as a deadly disease, the group of infection caused by bacteria of the staphylococcus genus commonly known as staph. Staphylococcal bacteria produce illnesses directly by causing infection or indirectly by producing toxins that are responsible for food poisoning and toxic shock syndrome.

Some species of staphylococcal bacteria can be present on the skin and in the nose of a healthy person without causing prob-

example, a pregnant or a breast feeding mother may suffer from chronic fatigue if she is not feeding herself adequately for her condition and function.

Women who have heavy menstruations will suffer from chronic fatigue if they do not adequately restore themselves through enhanced nourishment after each period.

Physical tiredness can be a result of not being fit.

Being overweight, being underweight, and lack of exercise can cause chronic tiredness. Inadequate and improper sleeping habits and sleep disorders can also cause chronic tiredness.

Some bodily conditions and illness are associated with chronic tiredness.

These include anaemia, autoimmune disorders, muscular disorders, chronic infections, cancer, liver disease, heart disease, diabetes, and hypothyroidism. Chronic illnesses

(such as cancer) may necessitate severe therapeutic remedies such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy which may also cause a side effect of chronic tiredness.

A person may also suffer chronic tiredness because he or she has an undiagnosed illness such as thyroid disease, anaemia, anxiety, and depression. Once the illness is diagnosed and treated, the fatigue disappears.

If one suffers from chronic tiredness that does not involve any of the above mentioned conditions, then the problem may be chronic fatigue syndrome.

“Chronic fatigue syndrome refers to severe, continued tiredness that is not relieved by rest and is not directly caused by other medical conditions” (PubMed Health). It is suspected to be an immune disorder. This means that one’s own soldier cells are destroying normal cells of the body as if they were foreign invading cells (such as bacteria). It is like soldiers killing their own citizens as if they were enemies. There may be other underlying factors. The manifestations of chronic fatigue syndrome include: muscle ache, headache, extreme fatigue that is not relived by bed rest and

Sound Health Banji Filani

Staphylococcus and you lems; others can cause fatal illnesses. People who have diabetes and weak immune system are particularly vulnerable to staph infections.

Staphylococcus bacteria can live harmlessly on skin surfaces, particularly in the areas of nose, mouth, genital and rectum but can cause an in-

fection when the skin is broken and the bacteria enter the wound.

Staphylococcal bacteria can cause serious infections such as bacteria endocarditis, an inflammation of the heart valve, bone infections, joint infections and some form of pneumonia can be caused by staphylococcal bacteria.

Staph food poisons can occur when the bacteria release toxins into contaminated food, which causes severe gastroenteritis with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

This lead to additional symptoms like moving sensation around the body, discharge in the penis, recurrent fever, weight loss, prematureejaculation, shrinking of the male organ, internal heat and watery sperm. With all these catalogue of problems and bearing in mind that he has spent a lot of money I could not charge him much but to proffer a solution to his problems. After a week of treatment he could notice some changes in his health and now believe that there is a remedy to his ailment because initially he has lost hope. Two months later he is hale and healthy totally free from all bacterial infections caused by staph.

Staphylococcus is a group of bacteria that can

lasts six months or more, forgetfulness, confusion, and irritability. The condition may prevent one from doing normal activities. If this condition is diagnosed, the doctor aims at treating the specific symptoms manifested.

The patient, in addition, can also distribute tasks, rest, and sleep to promote relaxation and stress reduction.

Before we get tired of discussing tiredness, let us summarize that physical tiredness is a normal, recurrent, reversible experience in (daily) life; chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease; psychological tiredness is apparent and not real; mental tiredness, like physical tiredness, is a normal, recurrent, reversible experience in (daily) life; and both emotional and spiritual tiredness are build-ups that continually redefine us as life advances. Knowing this helps us to practice good habits and to have coping mechanisms so that we can always be the best we can be and do the best we can do in life.

Dr. ’Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA. For any comments or questions on this column, please Email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 07028338910

cause multiple of disease as a result of infections of various tissue of the body, staph related illness can range from mild which require no treatment to severe and potentially fatal; most of the diseases and illness known today are one way or another related to staphylococcus because once the infection enters into the body it paves way for other diseases to come in as it weakens the immune system of the victim. This disease has been existing for a very long while., I could remember when I was young, my father used to take us to a very far place from my village (home town) to get the herbs and roots for the treatment of this staphylococcus infection called (inarun) in Yoruba language which has the following symptoms uncontrollable itching of organs, headache, rumbling in the stomach, skin rashes, typhoid and malaria, boil, abscess, pains in the testicle, loss of sexual feeling, moving sensation etc. Male victims of staph may find it difficult to impregnate the wife as it usually leads to oligospemia or azoospermia which is low sperm count or no sperm count respectively. Likewise, a woman with staph can find conception very difficult as it can temper with both hormones or can cause tubal blockage.

Dr. BanjiFilani is the Chief Consultant Phylarny Global Healthcare,Lagos. For further information or discussion,call him on 07034809006, 08023422010

53 Coping with diseases with Prof. Dayo Oyekole

Sexually transmitted diseases

S

EXUALLY Transmitted Diseases are popularly called venereal diseases. They are contagious diseases, easily transmitted by sexual contact from an infected person to a sexual partner who is otherwise healthy.

The germs causing these diseases vary a great deal, but all depend on the warmth and moisture of the sexual organs for survival. They readily penetrate the delicate skin and moist membranes that come in contact during sexual intercourse.

Once the germs have invaded the tissues of the sex organs, they propagate and spread to other tissues, even throughout the body in some cases.

The sexually transmitted diseases cause various kinds of suffering with tragic results as damage to an unborn child, infertility and even premature death. Once established in a person’s body, the disease tends to persist, if untreated, for the duration of life. Syphilis and Gonorrhoea are the bestknown venereal diseases, but the range also includes genital herpes, candidiasis and warts, as well as trichomoniasis, chancroid, staphylococcal infections and Lymphogranuloma venereum.

In spite of our present knowledge of these diseases and in spite of the availability of effective treatment, the number of cases of sexually transmitted illness has increased so alarmingly that they are virtually out of control. Changes in public attitudes towards sexual matters, widespread use of contraceptive pills and the emergence of resistant strains of organisms seem to have contributed to the increase of these diseases.

The symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases vary, depending on the causative agent. There may be abnormal discharge from the sexual organ, with foul odour and itching sensations, as in Gonorrhoea, Trichomoniasis and Candidiasis. There may be ulcers and pinching sensations as in Genital Herpes Simplex, Staphylococcus, Syphilis, Chancroid and Granuloma inguinale. Thirdly, there are those characterized by the appearance of lumps and bumps in the private parts, as observed in cases of genital warts and Lymphogranuloma venereum.

Prevention It should be well understood that when a sexually transmitted disease is diagnosed in a man or woman, the disease has probably already passed on to the sexual partner, it is therefore important that both should treated to prevent reinfection.

Also, it is strongly advised that any suspicion of a venereal disease or of possible exposure to infection, calls for urgent medical attention. In fact, prolonged cases of venereal infections have been shown to predispose one to more dangerous infections such as HIV/AIDS. Treatment/Control In Holistic Lifecare, it is strongly advocated that in order to avoid suffering in the midst of plenty, we must turn to NATURE. Some of the natural remedies being advanced for the treatment and control of sexually transmitted diseases include the extracts of local herbs such as Allium cepa, Senna alata and Plumbago zeylanica.

For further information and consultation on Holistic Lifecare research and services, especially on Blood Infections, Infertility, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Chronic Debilitating Conditions as well as mental and social problems, please call on: 0803-3303897 or visit: Mosebolatan Holistic Lifecare Centre, Adeyalo Layout, Ogbere-Tioya, Off Olorunsogo Express Bridge, Ibadan.

Website: www.holisticlifecare.com. Distance is no barrier, we can send remedies by courier if need be. We also have facilities for accommodation, admission and hospitalization in a serene and homely environment.

54

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

The monumental Egyptian pyramids at the outskirts of Cairo, the nation’s capital, still attracts tourists worldwide. TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO was among the journalists from various African countries that visited the historical buildings

I

F you are tourist to the ancient city of Giza where the largest Egyptian pyramid is , you must be vigilant and smart to avoid being duped.

You will lose your belongings, including cash and other valuables, a situation that will create many problems for you.

This was part of advice given to us by our tour guide immediately we reached the city of pyramids.

No one will be in Egypt without trying to visit the largest pyramid which is dubbed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still in existence.

It is a great place to be, especially for tourists.

That tourism is the second source of income of the Egyptian government is not in doubt, judging by the number of people from various parts of the world coming to see the pyramids.

While savouring the wonderful structure, our attention was quickly drawn to an argument that ensued between camel owners and an Angolan journalist, Pedro. Pedro alleged that the men collected 120 Egyptian pounds (over N3, 000) for a camel ride lasting a few minutes. All of us burst into laughter.

When asked why he ignored our tour guide’s earlier warning not to yield to

either the camel owner’s or the trader’s persuasion, he said: “He came asking where I come from. I told him Angola. He said: ‘I like the Angolans. Oh! Come for a free ride’. I mounted the camel only for him not to let me come down after riding, insisting that I must give him some money. He and the other guys have collected 120 pounds from me.”

It took the intervention of some of us and our hosts for the camel owners to return 50 pounds out of the 120.

Some of us paid 10 pounds for the same ride.

As we were laughing at Pedro, some of us were joking,saying that “there is no free ride in the pyramid city of Giza”.

No doubt, it was an awesome experience visiting the monuments.

The shape of the Egyptian pyramid is thought to represent the primordial mound with which the earth was created. It is also thought to be representative of the descending rays of the sun. And most pyramids have polished, highly reflective white limestone in order to give them a brilliant appearance when viewed from a distance. Pyramids were named in ways relating to solar luminescence.

For example, the formal name of the Bent Pyramid at Dahshur, which is the

Egyptian pyramids still attracting tourists •The Sphinx

Southern Shining Pyramid, and that of Senwosret at elLahun is Senwosret Shining.

While it is generally agreed that pyramids were burial monuments, there is continued disagreement on the particular theological principles that might have given rise to them. One theory is that they were designed as a type of “resurrection machine.”

The Egyptians believe the dark area of the night sky around which the stars appear to revolve was the physical gateway into the heavens. One of the narrow

shafts that extend from the main burial chamber through the entire body of the Great Pyramid points directly towards the centre of this part of the sky. This suggests the pyramid may have been designed to serve as a means to magically launch the deceased Pharaoh’s soul directly into the abode of the gods.

All Egyptian pyramids were built on the west bank of the Nile, which as the site of the setting sun, was associated with the realm of the dead in Egyptian mythology.

The estimate of the number of workers it took to

Titbits

T

HE wife of the Cross River State Governor, Obioma Liyel-Imoke, has announced that hotel beds in the state had increased from 2,000 to 4,000.

Imoke, who was recently bestowed with the Tourism Man of the Year 2011 by AKWAABA and Abuja Bantaba, at the prestigious Peregrino Hall, Government House, Calabar, thanked the organizers for the honour done her, identifying the peace and hospitality of the people of Cross River – the Nation’s Paradise- as the key factors for this remarkable growth.

“This in itself has a direct impact on the livelihood of the people as one of the dividends of the industry.”

Carnival Calabar, an integral component of the state’s renowned 32- day

Djoser. Imhotep is credited with being the first to conceive the notion of stacking mastabas on top of each other – creating an edifice composed of a number of “steps” that decreased in size towards its apex. The result was the Step Pyramid of Djoser which was designed to serve as a gigantic stairway by which the soul of the deceased pharaoh could ascend to the heavens.

Such was the importance of Imhotep’s achievement that he was deified by later Egyptians.

The most prolific pyramid-building phase coincided with the greatest de-

Titbits

Tourism boosts Cross River economy festival, which has come to be known as Africa’s biggest street party, has given Nigeria a place on the tourism map of the world as the number of tourists visiting during the time goes up each year.

The wife of the governor also talked about another wonder of the state – the Obudu Mountain Resort.

“The recent elevation of the Obudu Mountain Resort to the first position in the contest for the seven wonders of Nigeria and entering it into the Guinness Book of Records as having the longest cable car ride in Africa are further contributions the state has made and still making in tourism development in Nigeria.”

build the pyramids was from 20, 000 to 100, 000.

The most famous Egyptian pyramids are those found at Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo. Several of the Giza pyramids are counted among the largest structures ever built.

The Pyramid of Khufu at Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid. It is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still in existence.

The second historically documented Egyptian pyramid is attributed to Architect Imhotep who planned what Egyptologists believe to be a tomb for Pharaoh

•L-R: Mrs Imoke, Carnival Calabar Queen 2011, Mr. Ikechi Uko and Mr. Michael Williams, MD Cross River State Tourism Bureau

She enumerated the developing infrastructure in the state which will further project the tourism

potential of the state to include the Calabar International Convention Centre with a five-star hotel at-

tached to its opening in 2013, a four-screen cinema which will be opened next month at the Marina Resort, amongst others.

Imoke maintained that tourism in Cross River State is key to the economic growth of not only the state but its people in general.

Ikechi Uko of AKWAABA and Abuja Bantaba, who also spoke at the event, said Imoke was chosen for this year’s award because of the tremendous success of the 2011 Carnival Calabar which was adjudged the best on the African Continent The Tourism Man of the year Award celebrates individuals who have contributed notably to the development of tourism in their states.

T

HE Lagos State Minis try of Tourism and Intergovernmental Relations has commenced preparations for the development of a tourism handbook on the how, where and when of hospitality activities and festivities in the state.

Disclosing this during his Year 2012 Ministerial Press Briefing in commemoration of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s First Year Second Term in Office, Commissioner for Tourism and Intergovernmental Relations, Mr. Oladisun Holloway, said the book, when completed, would include tourist destinations, hotels and leisure outlets, travel and tour operators, relaxation centres and festivals.

55

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012 gree of absolutist pharaonic rule. It was during this time that the most famous pyramids, those near Giza, were built. Over time, as authority became less centralized, the ability and willingness to harness the resources required for construction on a massive scale decreased, and later pyramids were smaller, less well-built and often hastily constructed.

Giza is the location of the Pyramid of Khufu (also known as the “Great Pyramid” and the “Pyramid of Cheops”); the somewhat smaller Pyramid of Khafre (or Kephren); the relatively modest-sized Pyramid of Menkaure (or Mykerinus), along with a number of smaller satellite edifices known as “Queen’s pyramids”; and the Great Sphinx which serves as the protector of the pyramids.

The Sphinx possessed human face and lion body.

The face represents wisdom, while the body points to the strength of the monarch.

Of the three, only Khafre pyramid retains part of its original polished limestone casing, near its apex. This pyramid appears larger than the adjacent Khufu pyramid by virtue of its more elevated location, and the steeper angle of inclination of its construction – it is, in fact, smaller in both height and volume.

The Giza Necropolis has been a popular tourist destination since antiquity, and was popularized in Hellenistic times when the Great Pyramid was listed

Travelstart opens in Nigeria

A

•Pyramids of Gaza

by Antipater of Sidon as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Today, it is the only one of those wonders still in existence.

Historically, the first true pyramid (at right) was developed for King Sneferu during the 4th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. It is referred to as the Red Pyramid, because of its colour, or the North Pyramid because of its position at Dashur south of Cairo. It was about 105 metres high with its sides measuring 220 metres.

The largest pyramid ever built was the Great Pyramid at Giza, southwest of modern Cairo. Built for King Khufu, this pyramid was completed around 2550 BC. It is estimated that the pyramid contains approximately 2,300,000 blocks of stone with an average weight of 2.5 tonnes each

and some up to 15 tonnes.

Its sides measure 230 metres in length. The structure would have towered about 146.6 metres high, but it is now a little shorter owing to the outer casing having been removed to build many of Cairo’s buildings during the Middle Ages.

The interior design was changed during the pyramid’s construction and the burial chamber was relocated.

One of its most spectacular features is the enormous sloping Grand Gallery. At the gallery’s top is a low corridor which leads into the King’s Chamber, the walls of which are made of polished granite. A large granite sarcophagus is open and no burial goods have ever been found.

To the east of the pyramid, some of the smooth basalt paving of the mortuary temple remains and the causeway which led to the

•The Nation’s Tajudeen Adebanjo (third from left, standing) with journalists from other countries

river temple is now buried with the valley temple being under modern buildings. Small pyramids for queens are adjacent to the Great Pyramid, as are boat pits.

The cores of the pyramids were often composed of local limestone, finer quality limestone composed the outer layer of the pyramids, giving them a white sheen that could be seen from miles away. The capstone was usually made of granite, basalt, or another very hard stone and could be plated with gold, silver or electrum, an alloy of gold and silver, and would also be highly reflective in the bright sun.

According to Redford, the image most people have of slaves being forced to build the pyramids against their will is incorrect.

“The concept of slavery is a very complicated problem in ancient Egypt,” he noted, “because the legal aspects of indentured servitude and slavery were very complicated.”

“The peasants who worked on the pyramids were given tax breaks and were taken to ‘pyramid cities’ where they were given shelter, food and clothing”, he said.

The Khufu pyramid, better known as the Pyramid of Cheops, consists of 2.3 million limestone blocks weighing roughly 7 million tons.

At 147 metres high, it held the record as the tallest structure ever built for nearly 4000 years. But now, it has come down to 132 metres due to some little collapse.

Titbits Lagos tourism book underway Holloway said the book would be distributed to all hospitality providers in the state “so that our visitors will better navigate our state”.

He added that in furtherance of government’s effort to have a world-class tourist destination in Lagos State, the government has commenced plans to upgrade the Akodo Resort that has provided a serene environment for relaxation into a four-star facility.

On the Apapa Amusement Park, the commissioner said the government had taken over the place from encroachers, while plans had commenced for the rehabilitation of the

park. He said over ten companies have submitted proposals for the redevelopment of the relaxation spot.

Stressing the need for a comprehensive data base for planning, research and development, he added that the ministry had initiated the process for the enumeration and registration of hotels and leisure outlets in the state.

The commissioner said further that rehabilitation work was ongoing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja. He said government would rebrand the centre to provide information on tourist attractions in Lagos as well as information on possible

investment opportunities in the state.

Holloway also stated that government had success-

fully staged the Adamu Orisha play (Eyo) festival in November 2011 and the Lagos Black Heritage week from April 2 to 9 this year.

•His Grace Most Rev. Okoh (left) and Mr. Opara

new online travel booking website, Travelstart, has opened in Nigeria. The company, Travelstart Nigeria, is an affiliate of Travelstart South Africa.

The new company said it intends to offer cheap flights on all major airlines, including Arik, Qatar, Delta and Ethiopia airlines. The company also said it intends to offer the products and services of major and international players flying in and out of Nigeria. The company said bookings on their website can be made from any part of world.

Mr. Stephan Ekbergh, the founder of Travelstart, at a press conference held before the launch said: “We believe that the market is ripe for e-commerce in Nigeria and just an example, when we launched in Sweden, thirteen years ago, zero per cent travel was bought over the internet. It took a decade after when 78 per cent of all travel was sold over the internet. I think the same is going to happen in Nigeria. It might happen over a decade, it might take longer time, but people will quickly catch up with the fact that it is much easy to buy over the internet, and there is something that we call the Travelstart way which revolves around three promises.

First, lower fare, how do we achieve lower fares?”.

Explaining why the travelstart makes it possible for buyers to get lower fares, he said that most of the booking exercises are done by the buyer and it is just logical for them to get a reduction since they did most in jobs like logging, booking, paying and so on.

The second is convenience. He said Travelstart offers the buyers opportunity to make their own travel bookings at their own convenience and from the comfort of their homes, offices or anywhere they are booking form. The third is transparency. The buyer, according to Stephan Ekbergh, offers travel buyers the opportunity to see what is available and make their bookings to their taste.

Speaking on the new e-booking portal, the head of the GHI Assets Limited, the Nigerian partners of the Travelstart, Mr. Femi Adefope, said Travelstart has a vision for Africa within its global vision .

Answering questions on acceptability in the Nigerian market, Ekbergh said he believes with its hug, internet users would definitely not find it difficult to adapt to the making their travel bookings online through Travelstart.

•L-R: Mr.Adefope, Mr. Ekbergh and Mrs. Bola Adefope PHOTO: BAMIGBALA ADEKOLA

NCPC opens bids for 2012 pilgrimage

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HE Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC)has opened bids for the air carriers that had indicated interest to be considered for the airlifting of pilgrims for 2012 Christian pilgrimage exercise.

According to the Executive Secretary of the commission, Mr. John Kennedy Opara, “the bidding process is done in line with the guidelines set out by the Bureau for Public Procurement”.

While addressing interested air carriers during the bids opening in Abuja recently, he affirmed that the bidding process would be open and transparent.

He said the role of air carriers in the pilgrimage exercise was sensitive and important because the lives of human beings were involved.

He further averred that the aircraft the commission would want to engage must be one that would be able to meet all the international airline requirements and certification by the IAATA. The NCPC boss further stressed that every document the carriers present must be verified by the commission as the commission would not tolerate any act of unseriousness from any air carrier.

His words : “We want to make sure that we do what we are supposed to do to make sure that this exercise is an open one.

Let us have the spirit of sportsmanship”.

In his address, the chairman of the NCPC Board, His Grace Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, stated that the bidding exercise had become increasingly transparent every passing year.

He further expatiated that it was the presidency that had the final approval on the choice of air carriers, but the commission only recommends to Mr.President for approval.

He urged them to be good footballers as there must be a winner and a loser. He stressed that because of the sensitive nature of the air business “only the best is good for air business.”

Most Rev. Okoh advised that those who were entrusted to do a good job should do it well. He thus appealed to them to do a good job and strive to accord pilgrims their respect and dignity.

OPINION

56

A

S the most prominent traditional ruler in Yorubaland and the Diaspora, the Alaafin in history had never been known to be silent when it was important for him to talk. In other words, the Alaafin had never been known to deprive mankind of his wise counsel with necessary admonition whenever it is important to do so.

To be specific, successive administrations had always relied on the Alaafin in any national/constitutional/political discourse. This dated back to time of Sir Huge Clifford Constitution of 1922 when the Alaafin along with the Sultan were invited by Governor Clifford as members of the Legislative Council then sitting in Lagos. Since that time, the Alaafin had always insisted that it was only true federalism that can save this country from disintegration and consolidate its unity. Even under the military and especially, during the reign of General Sani Abacha, I had time to write in some newspapers on the imperatives of true federalism as the only panacea for the country’s unity.

By true federalism, I mean devolution of power in such a way that will grant sufficient autonomy to the states. Apart from the Exclusive and the Concurrent lists under the Constitution, the Residual should be within the administrative preserve of the states and for the federating units.

An example that immediately comes to mind is local government administration. A situation in which only the Federal Government can create local governments in the country makes a total mockery of true federalism. Under the present political dispensation in the country, the states, in terms power devolution, are not more than glorified local governments under the Federal Government which operates not only as a colossus but a monster in terms of overwhelming and devouring powers at its disposal.

It is an empirical truism that no mortal can acquire super intimidating and unlimited power without abusing same.

Some signals that are showing up in political situations in the polity at the moment make a bad augury for Nigeria, if not quickly checked.

That the South-West geo-political zone is the engine room of Nigerian politics is an understatement.

It is the political barometer testing the consciousness of the country.

That is why anybody who cherishes peace in Nigeria must show interest in the happenings in the SouthWest.

For instance, it was the unconstitutional interference into the affairs of the Western Region by the Central Authority which declared a state of emergency in the region in 1962, that led to the collapse of democracy in the country in 1966.

The sponsoring of fifth columnists in the Action Group (AG) by the federal authorities made some warring groups within the party not only bellicose but intransigent.

At that time, students of history will recall there were three strong regions — North, West and East — against a rather weak central authority. Each of the regions had its own constitution, coat of arm, Representative in London, tagged Agent General and other key independent powers. But the then central authority, acting outside of its constitutional limits and powers, proclaimed a state of emergency in the Western Region following a fracas in the Western State House of Assembly.

What happened on the floor of the House did not even affect operations of the civil servants at the Government Secretariat, not to talk of leading to a total breakdown of law and order in the entire region. But because it was a premediated decision, the federal authority proclaimed a state of emergence and an administrator, late Sir Moses Adekoyejo Majekodunmi, a personal physician to the Prime Minis-

THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

Jonathan should resist temptation to take South West ‘by all means’

•Oba Adeyemi

Oba Lamidi ADEYEMI ter, was appointed. That was the beginning of the problem at the nation’s political landscape.

At that time the leadership of each region gave to its people what they needed. And in the Western Region, free education was more a core policy. Teacher Training Colleges were established and a university was also established. Farm settlements were established across the region. Places to work were available in abundance for the people and health care delivery was also taken seriously. Liberty Stadium was built in 1958. Roads, water, electricity were provided.

In addition, the first road dualisation—Mokola Roundabout to the State Secretariat, Ibadan, was commissioned in 1956 to coincide with the visit of Queen Elizabeth 11 of Great Britain to Nigeria. The setting up and inauguration of the Pilgrim Welfare Board in the country and the building and development of hotels, banks, insurance companies, industrial estates, housing estates the first skyscraper building in the country-the 25-floor Cocoa House at Ibadan, all gave testimony to the political, administrative and economic ingenuity of the founding fathers of Western Region of Nigeria.

It is, however, an unfortunate paradox of history that 50 years after the 1962 event, some people want to ‘celebrate’ its golden jubilee by recasting the same play in the political theatre of the country. It is true but normal for some people to be uncomfortable with their sudden loss of power in the South-West. But they do not have to be restive about it. By the time some politicians within the opposition groups are threatening to make some states,

specifically Osun, ungovernable for a legitimate government, something must be certainly wrong. The old Western Region was made ungovernable because of the impediment created on the floor of the House of Assembly at the instance of the Federal Government of the time by which the House could not have a peaceful session.

Without making any attempts to open old wounds in Yoruba land, I leave the rest of that unfortunate story to history. Yoruba is not only the most cosmopolitan race in the country, but the most accommodating socially and most secular in religious tolerance. For instance, the eastern part of Yoruba land i.e. Ekiti and Ondo states are predominantly Christian in composition. But that predominance does not give any advantage over the Muslim few, as they may be in terms of rights, freedom and privileges. In the same vein, the central and western Yoruba are dominated by Muslims but without in anyway inhibiting the Christians’ access to rights and privileges. There is hardly any family in Yorubaland where you do not have Muslims and Christians cohabiting peacefully. So, to say that any governor of the South-West is

trying to islamise or christianise any state is not only cheap blackmail but dirty politics.

Secondly, and more importantly, by the time some people threatened to waylay and ambush a governor’s convoy for ‘thorough search’, what is being invited is nothing but anarchy. Instead of resorting to anarchy, my humble but fatherly advice in Yorubaland is to exhaust the constitutional option of the ballot box rather than anarchy or violence as the only route of returning to power.

My fatherly advice to those in authorities at the federal level and especially our amiable President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, is to learn from the mistakes of his very illustrious predecessor, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, by resisting any temptation to take the ‘west by all means.’ The situation by which members of the ruling party at the centre but opposition in their respective states should beckon at the BIG DADDY government to help in destabilising their respective home governments should not be encouraged or even tolerated.

Going beyond the South-West, until the political usurpation of Plateau State via declaration of emergency, Plateau was not only peaceful but also the most attractive tourist resort. But it was that excessive might at the federal level that opened the dichotomy of indigenes and non-indigenes syndrome into warfare which they are still battling with till date.

As I wrote in July 1996 in an article under the headline: ‘Imperativeness of Constitutional Federalism as against Federalism of might,’ I wish to reproduce the article verbatim: “Federalism is the system of binding a heterogeneous society into a single political sovereignty. True federalism, therefore, presupposes recognition of different historical and cultural backgrounds of the federating nations and the protection of each value from abuse by the political might of any member. It also presupposes the equality of states of the federating population or in physical size.

“Guided by the fact of their commitment to be together as a single sovereign nation, the power sharing formulae of such a country should be one in which the Federal Government should be limited to such functions that show a common identity of the country to the external world.

“Example of such powers can be cited as defence, currency, foreign affairs and citizenship. The power sharing formulae should not be one in which one government should be so powerful as to swallow the others.

“The rationale being that if we agree that the people of the country, irrespective of what part of the country they come from, and their religious persuasions, are equal before the law, then the various tiers are equal before the law since they all draw their existence from the constitution.

“Where one tier of government

‘

My fatherly advice to those in authorities at the federal level and especially our amiable President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, is to learn from the mistakes of his very illustrious predecessor, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, by resisting any temptation to take the ‘west by all means...’

,

has to depend on another tier for its existence, both administratively and financially, then what we have is not true federation but something else.

“It is my candid opinion that in terms of relevance to the grassroots, both the state and the local governments are the ones nearer to the people in the order of stating them.

They, therefore, should be assigned with such responsibilities that are identifiable with the grassroots people in form of productive activities, while as much as possible, the Federal Government should completely hands off its involvement in such areas under the guise of concurrent responsibilities.

“In this context, the Federal Government should not have business in areas like agriculture as a typical example. Under an overcentrilised federal system, the concept of ‘concurrent list’ had gradually become quasi exclusive list in which the states participate under the regulations fomulated by the federal authority. This is already evident in our educational sector, where you have what they call federal policy on education, the uniform application of which is the cause of the present crises in educational sector, including the recurrent ASUU crises.

The reality of true federalism is that we should always put as our guiding principle and, at the back of our mind, the fact that we are peoples of different backgrounds and no attempt should be made to feign a common culture by an executive fiat. For the more we attempt that, the more fear we create in the minds of the local populace and the more confusion we create on the polity.

What we practise at the moment is a situation in which the stronger you are, the higher your prospensity to swallow the others.

For just as the federal is trying to reduce the state into irrelevance, so also is the state reducing the local governments to complete caricature. And as our people say, when two elephants fight it is the grass that suffers. The grass in this context being the people. And that explains the state of anxiety and fear in which the people are at the moment. Nowadays, no local government can act on anything, including bye-laws without approval from the state government. Just as the Federal Government is imposing a uniform policy on education so also is the state imposing a uniform policy on markets, motor parks etc. The lesser the government, the lower the initiative left for you.

The traditional rulers are not spared in this power usurpation.

Take the case of appointment into the customary courts. By its definition, the judges are to administer the law according to the customs of the people. The traditional ruler is the custodian of people’s customs and traditions. But no reference is made to the traditional rulers for contributions or nominations for appointment into the local bench.

What you have in most cases is political hangers-on of the state authorities, party thugs in civilian time, and errand boys of the military, appointed as customary court members.

For meaningful development, the traditional rulers should be allowed to select customary court judges, submit such names to appropriate organs of the state for vetting or substitute as the case may be.

•Oba Adeyemi 111, the Alaafin of Oyo and Permanent Chairman, Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, wrote from Oyo.

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EFCC chairman cries out over nation’s conflicting oil revenue

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HE Chairman of the Economic and Finan cial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, is worried that Nigeria is still unable to establish how much is being generated from the oil and gas sector and the quantity of crude oil exported.

He has recommended the installation of meter to determine the quantity of crude being exported.

Lamorde, who raised the alarm yesterday while receiving the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, said Nigeria would not have been conducting fuel subsidy

Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation probe if past NEITI reports had been considered.

He said: “Figures being reeled out from one agency to the other are always at variance and contradictory. There should be a way of determining how much revenue is being generated and what quantity of crude is being taken out to the international market. “Installation of meter to see clearly how much oil is being taken out of Nigeria is a thing I think we should consider. Going forward, we are going to establish the NEITI Desk in EFCC to address issues that will come from

NEITI. He also said that if the audit report generated by NEITI was religiously followed, Nigeria would not have been where it is now.

He added: “We would not have been where we are today as it relates to the fuel subsidy probe by the House of Representatives and the Senate because we are aware NEITI has always voiced its concern on the generated revenue from oil and gas and projects funded with such revenue” “It couldn’t have been better than now for us to come together to establish a stronger partnership with a view to see that we achieve the set

mandate of both agencies.

You have the expertise in the extractive industry; we would assist with the investigation and prosecution.

“Coming together, the two organizations will bring very strong force to bear on some of the issues happening in the extractive industries, especially in the oil and gas sector.”

In her address the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, sought possible collaboration between the EFCC and her organization.

She harped on the need to impose sanctions on “erring entities” in the extractive industries.

She said that although, the NEITI Act of 2007 empowers it to impose sanctions on erring entities, she claimed that the agency does not have the capacity to investigate and prosecute offenders.

“This is why a stronger collaboration with other anticorruption agencies like the EFCC becomes necessary”, she added.

She asked for a dedicated NEITI Desk in EFCC to facilitate seamless synergy between the two agencies.

She explained that, with such a desk, it would become “easier for the EFCC to enforce the NEITI Act and investigate complaints arising from NEITI audit report.

It would also facilitate prompt prosecution of offenders, information sharing, capacity building for stronger inter-agency partnership.

She said: “NEITI will want a Memorandum of Understanding with EFCC, the contents of which shall include collaboration to enforce the Act...”

Ahmed was accompanied on the visit by NEITI’s Director of Legal services, Barrister Peter Ogbobine; Director of Finance, Donald Tyoachimin; Director of Communications, Orji Ogbonnaya Orji; Director of Technical, Tariye Omungiye George and Outreach Team Leader, Obiageli Onuorah.

Kaduna to build teaching hospital for state owned varsity

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HE Kaduna State gov ernment is to convert the state-owned Barau Dikko Specialist Hospital into a full fledged teaching hospital for the clinical training of students of the Faculty of Medicine of the Kaduna State University.

The state Commissioner for Education, Muhammed Usman, who disclosed this at a news briefing in Kaduna also said that academic activities have since commenced at the Kafanchan campus of the university, while arrangements are being made for the establishment of two new faculties (Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at the Kafanchan campus.

The commissioner also said that a new faculty of Pharma-

Tony Akowe, Kaduna ceutical Sciences is being established at the main campus of the institution, while the government has approved the appointment of a committee to work out modalities for the establishment of a postgraduate school at the university.

Usman, who was speaking on the achievement of the Yakowa administration in the last one year, said the government has since completed the conversion of the former ABUTH mortuary building in the Department of Anatomy, conversion and rehabilitation of existing wards to laboratories, the conver-

sion of the former main theatre building to faculty of medicine administrative block and the construction of open drama theatre within the state university.

He noted that the government has also approved the

E

IGHTEEN passengers were reportedly killed yesterday on the Maiduguri- Damaturu highway after a commercial bus collided with a Volkswagen Golf taxi .

The accident which occurred at Jakana in Borno state, about 40 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital, also had six persons on the injury list including the two drivers of the vehicles.

An eyewitness said one of the vehicles veered off its lane

release of N1.1 billion for the construction of multipurpose complex, education science department, Agric Economics Extension department and Crop Science department and the provision of

equipment at the Kaduna campus of the university.

He said further that the government has budgeted about N121.4 million for the renovation of classrooms for the take-off of full academic activities at the Kafanchan cam-

18 died in road accident Joseph ABIODUN, Maiduguri into the other’s and had a headlong collusion.

The eyewitness said before the rescue team of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) could get to the scene 18 persons had died, while the others that were rescued were bleeding from their limbs with fractures sustained in their arms,

legs and thighs.

A source at the FRSC who does not want his name in print said: “The accident occurred on the Maiduguri-Kano road near a village, 40 kilometres from Maiduguri metropolis.”

The source who could not revealed the numbers of casualties, said: “What I am certain about the auto crash was that some people have died in the accident.

pus of the university, while N500 million has also been earmarked for the construction of faculties of Agriculture and Environment sciences.

Another N500 million is being used to construct access roads within the campus.

But our rescue team has already evacuated the injured ones to the Specialists Hospital, Maiduguri for the treatment of the injuries they sustained.”

The road safety Marshall, who disclosed that some of the corpses were taken for burial at the Gwange Central Morgue, said some others had to be deposited at the morgue of the State Specialists Hospital Maiduguri.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

Lamido, Shema blame military rule for norths’ woes Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State and his Katsina State counterpart, Governor Ibrahim Shema, have refuted the claim that northern governors were responsible for the social and economic challenges confronting the region.

In their separate speeches, during a courtesy call by

Augustine AVWODE with Agency Report

Shema to Lamido in Dutse on Friday, Lamido said the military government was responsible for all the problems in the north.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

report, Lamido explained that northern governors were not responsible for the problems of the north, pointing out that the crisis in the region was a manifestation of failure of its leaders in the last 25 years.

Lamido said that all the governors in the north had

been doing their best to solve the long term problems. He enumerated insecurity and poverty as main challenges confronting the northern part of the country.

“We the governors in the north are doing our best to restore the hope of our

people and provide them with the social needs,” he said.

In his speech, Shema said that the northern region setback was a long term problems and could not be solved over night.

He added that the governors should not be blamed for the problems in the

Impeached Niger speaker heads to court

The impeached Speaker of the Niger state House of Assembly, Hon. Mohammed Tsowa Gamunu and four former principal officers have gone to court to challenge their removal.

Gamunu; his former deputy, Ahmed Bello; former

Jide Orintunsin - Minna majority leader, Mohammed Dada; and ex- majority whip, Hajiya Sa’adatu are praying the court to declare the election of the incumbent speaker, Hon. Isah Kawu, illegal, null and void and also

stop him from parading himself as speaker The former Speaker and his principal officers are also challenging their removal on the ground that due process was not followed.

Gamunu was sacked on Tuesday after 20 out of the 27 members of the House signed

Take a leaf from Second Republic president...NUJ chair urges politicians Political office holders’ in the country have been told to emulate the leadership qualities of the second republic President Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari who rendered selfless service for the development of the country without amassing wealth.

He said the elderstatesman’s maturity as a father and political school inaddition to his wealth of experience and wisdom were being admired across Africa and globally.

Chairman Sokoto state Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists’(NUJ) Labaran Lumo Dundaye made the call on Friday in

Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto Shagari, headquarters of Shagari local government while on assessment tour of people oriented projects executed by the Council.

He noted that the former President who remains detribalised, led the country with high sense of unity and commitment to the development of humanity and general transformation of the citizenry without discrimination.

According to Dundaye, his leadership attributes as a bridge builder brought fame to the North and Sokoto in particular, adding that ‘’ he

was even being blamed by some people for not concentrating on the development of the region alone’’, a direction his leadership qualities defied and abhors for the even development and unity of the country.

Enumerating the Councils efforts at ensuring service delivery to its people, Chairman of the Council, Alhaji Abdullahi Danjeka said his administration has executed 149 projects across communities in the area with emphasis on water and road projects. ‘’ These are the priority areas as far as infrastructure are concerned to our people.

Ex-Governor Sheriff was never arrested in Cameroun, says Borno Commissioner The Borno State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Inuwa Bwala, yesterday denied reports that the immediate past governor of the state, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, was arrested in Cameroun.

Bwala, who made the clarification in a statement last night in Abuja, attributed the rumour to desperate opposition politicians in the state.

He said: “Former Borno state Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff was never arrested in Cameroun or anywhere for whatever reasons, contrary to news making the rounds in some Camerounian media, which was lifted by some Nigerian dailies.

“The former Governor did not travel to Cameroun around the time he was reported to have been arrested. “ While one can not rule out political undertones in the said report, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff denies in totality any connection whatsoever with the said group to which he was being linked.

“It is pertinent to advise his detractors to look for more plausible and convincing reasons to vilify him and not resort to using foreign unrated media houses to embarrass him.

Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation They fought him during the elections, and although they rigged him out of the senatorial race, he floored them in all the others.

“They fought him in the courts to undo the adminis-

tration he put on ground, but he triumphed.

“They are not ready to give, up, but one fact remains that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff can not be deterred by the antics of a desperate opposition, seeking to gain relevance by all means.

PUBLIC NOTICE This is to inform all the descendants of SOGBODEDE royal families in its entirety that,there is going to be an enlarged gathering of her members scheduled for OYERO- LAGADA royal house at 32,Ita-Olookan street, Osogbo on Sunday 2Oth May 2012 by 1; 30pm Announcer Alh. Adeyoola Ajibade Head of the families.

an impeachment notice against him, citing alleged incompetence and personalization of the house business.

The case which is before Justice Aliyu Mohammed Maiyaki been slated for

Thursday 24th May, 2012 for hearing.

Armed mobile policemen have been deployed to keep watch over the legislature following the tension generated by the sack saga.

north.

Shema noted that democracy started in 1999 and was too young to solve the lingering problems that had been there for in the last 50 years.

“Corruption and poverty have been there since 1959 and we cannot solve them over night. There must be committed leaders and all hands must be on deck to solve the problems,’’ Shema said.

He said that there was no longer excuse for leaders and followers as everybody must be ready to address the challenges together.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

Malawi to overturn homosexual ban

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ALAWI is set to overturn its antigay law in a bid to restore foreign donations to the country. The Malawian president, Joyce Banda said she was doing her best to get donor funding restored to Malawi.

President Joyce Banda has said she wants Malawi to overturn its ban on homosexual acts - the first

African country to do so since 1994.

Two Malawian men were sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2010 after saying they were getting married.

Several Western leaders have recently said they would cut aid to countries which did not recognise gay rights.

Mrs Banda took power

Diamond Jubilee: World royals gather in UK for Queen

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HE British monarch, Queen Elizabeth ….had dinner with royalties from 26 countries at Windsor Castle to mark her Diamond Jubilee. The British monarch has been on the throne fro sixty years.

However, protesters gathered in front of the Buckingham Palace, where some of the royals are attending a banquet hosted by Prince Charles to protest the presence of the Bahrain’s king.

Another invitation proving to be controversial is that of King Mswati III of Swaziland, who is accused of living a lavish lifestyle while his people go hungry.

Campaigner Peter Tatchell criticised the Queen for inviting “royal tyrants to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee”.

The Foreign Office said it was having “a full and

frank discussion on a range of issues” with Bahrain’s government.

The world figures arrived at Windsor Castle in a convoy of black chauffeur-driven cars in time for the start of the lunch at 12:30 BST amid tight security.

Also joining the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh for the lunch were Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Duke of York, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

There was a group photograph before the royals sat down to lunch at round tables seating 12.

Each group had least one sovereign, their spouse, a member of the British royal family and a member of the royal household.

A British-inspired menu was prepared using many ingredients sourced locally.

‘Thousands’ protest in northern Syrian city of Aleppo

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HOUSANDS of people have taken to the streets in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, activists say, in the biggest protests there since the revolt began.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said several people were injured by tear gas and live ammunition.

Protests were reported elsewhere, a day after activists called for rallies in solidarity with students in Aleppo.

Observers say anti-government sentiment is rising there, after security forces killed students in a raid in early May. Videos posted by activists show hundreds of people taking part in antigovernment rallies in various parts of Aleppo.

Syria’s second city has so far not experienced the violence seen in other cities during the uprising and has remained largely loyal to the government of President Bashar al-Assad since protests began in

March 2011.

Analysts say its ability to keep control of Aleppo is one of its key tests.

Separately, the UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon has said that Islamist militants from alQaeda must be behind two deadly suicide car bomb attacks in the capital on 10 May. Mr Ban also said the death toll in the Syrian crisis now stands at 10,000 people.

last month after her predecessor, Bingu wa Mutharika, died of a heart attack.

She has since reversed several of his policies, including devaluing the currency, in a bid to get donor funding restored.

Many donors cut aid under Mr Mutharika, accusing him of economic mismanagement and political repression.

In her first state of the na-

tion address to parliament, Mrs Banda said: “Some laws which were duly passed by the august house... will be repealed as a matter of urgency... these include the provisions regarding indecent practices and unnatural acts.”

The BBC’s Raphael Tenthani in the main city, Blantyre, says the president has the support of a majority of MPs and so

should be able to get parliament to overturn the law.

However, this position by the Malawian president is said to be unpopular move with many church leaders, as well as the wider population in this conservative country.

After a storm of international condemnation, Mr Mutharika did pardon the two Malawian men on

“humanitarian grounds only” but said they had “committed a crime against our culture, against our religion, and against our laws”.

South Africa is the only African country where same-sex marriages are legal - discrimination based on sexual orientation was banned after a new constitution was introduced when white minority rule ended in 1994.

•Prince William welcoming some guests to the dinner

Merkel ‘suggests Greek referendum on euro membership’

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NGELA Merkel spoke by telephone with the Greek president on Friday Germany’s leader has had telephone contact with the Greek president, amid continuing speculation that his country may have to leave the eurozone.

Greek officials said Chancellor Angela Merkel had suggested Greece could hold a referendum on the euro when it votes in national elections next month.

However their German counterparts denied she had made such a proposal.

The crisis in the eurozone is expected to dominate G8 talks in the US this week-

end.

The reports of the German-Greek contacts came as US and French leaders ended talks in Washington focusing on the economy.

In a telephone call with President Karolos Papoulias, Mrs Merkel “conveyed thoughts about a vote parallel to the election with the question to what extent do the Greek citizens wish to remain within the eurozone,” said a statement from the office of Greece’s interim prime minister.

“However, it is clear that the matter is beyond the competence of the caretaker government,” the statement went on.

But a spokeswoman in Berlin said: “The information reported that the chancellor had suggested a referendum to the Greek President Karolos Papoulias is wrong.”

The caretaker government was sworn in this week after elections failed to produce a viable coalition to run the country.

The vote could result in a government that would refuse to implement the austerity measures that Greece’s last remaining international creditors are insisting on. Speculation is increasing that Greece may have to leave the eurozone.

Meeting in Washington just before news broke of

the German proposal, the US and French leaders said Greece should stay.

“We have the same conviction that Greece must remain in the eurozone,” France’s new President, Francois Hollande, said.

President Barack Obama said the situation in the eurozone was of great importance to the people of Europe and the whole world.

He said he looked forward to “fruitful” discussions with other G8 leaders, with a strong focus on economic growth.

Mr Hollande, who was elected president on 6 May, is also to have talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Jacob Zuma painting: ANC to sue South African over Zuma painting

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OUTH Africa’s gov erning ANC says it will go to court after a gallery exhibited a painting with President Jacob Zuma’s genitals hanging out.

Brett Murray’s painting by is an “abuse of freedom of artistic expression” said ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu.

He said he had asked lawyers to get the Johannesburg gallery to

remove the $14,000 (£9,000) painting, The Spear.

President Zuma, who has four wives, has sued local media companies 11 times for defamation.

The BBC’s Mohammed Ali in Cape Town says some have been settled, other dropped, while most are outstanding.

The best-known case is a 2008 suit against one of the country’s most high-pro-

file artists, Zapiro, after he depicted Mr Zuma about to rape a female figure representing justice - this is due to be heard in October.

Mr Zuma was cleared of raping a family friend in 2006.

Murray, who our correspondent says is known for his political and provocative work, has not commented on the ANC statement.

Lara Koseff, spokeswoman of the Goodman Gallery, which is running Murray’s Hail to the Thief II exhibition, defended the painting as “a very satirical look at contemporary South African politics... of the disillusion of democracy within the country”.”Our lawyers have written back to them saying we will not remove the painting,” she told the AFP news agency. The

1.85m-high Soviet-style, red black and yellow acrylic painting has been sold.

Mr Mthembu said the ANC was committed to the freedom of the press and artistic expression but condemned the painting as “distasteful and vulgar”.

He demanded that the painting be removed from the gallery, its website and all promotional materials.

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EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 18-5-12

Equities slip by 0.61% on banks' losses

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HE Nigerian stock market closed yesterday on a negative note as the benchmark index at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) dropped by 0.61 per cent to close at 22,381.11 points. The average return index, the All Share Index (ASI), had dropped by 0.03 per cent on Thursday.

This implies a week-onweek decline of 1.07 per cent. However, the year-todate return remained positive at 7.96 per cent. The decline yesterday was orchestrated by depreciation in the share prices of stocks such as First Bank of Nigeria, Nestle, Nigerian Breweries, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, and Guaranty Trust Bank.

Aggregate market capitalization of all equities also dropped by 0.61 per cent to close at N7.14 trillion com-

By Taofik Salako and Tonia Osundolire

pared with its opening value of N7.18 trillion.

Analysts said banking stocks were worse hit due to the fact that they were more liquid. A total of 15 banking stocks were transacted yesterday, 10 of them loss value, four gain while one closed flat.

Analytically, institutional purchases firmed up the price of Zenith Bank at the close of the day's session inching up 1.4 per cent; Access Bank also bagged 1.5 per cent with sentiments skewed to the buy side, a trend that could continue next week.

On the flip side, glutting offers shaved over 4.0 per cent from Stanbic IBTC, FCMB, Fidelity Bank and Union Bank.

Robust demand for Transcorp also led to a 4.3

per cent gain; in the same vein, UACN and Unilever bagged 2.9 per cent and 1.7 per cent apiece, however large offers at N36.72 for UACN could limit appreciation while a dearth of offers could lead to further gains for Unilever.

Profit taking trimmed off maximum points from Dangote Flour, this trend is likely to continue early next week. Honeywell Flour, Dangote Sugar, Flour Mills and Nestle also shed points ranging from 1.2 per cent to 4.9 per cent.

Livestock led the list of 20 gainers with an increase of N0.05 to close at N1.10 followed by RT Briscoe with a gain of N0.06 to close at N0.14. Others were Eterna Oil, Transcorp, Unity Bank, Gold Insurance, Custodian and Allied Insurance, Sterling Bank, UACN and May & Baker.

On the negative side, Portland Paint led the list of twenty with a drop of N0.17 to close at N3.25 followed by Presco with a drop of N0.78 to close at N15.01. Also on the table were Dangote Flour, Ashaka Cement, Honey Flour, UBN, FCMB, NAHCO, Fidson and AG Leventist.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 18-5-12

THE NATION SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012

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SPORT EXTRA

Yobo’s injury: Soriola, Oboabona, Idris on standby ...Eagles’ skipper now officially out of qualifiers

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T WAS with a pensive voice that Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi announced on Friday morning that national team skipper, Joseph Yobo, has

officially been ruled out of Jumbo June qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup and 2013 Nations Cup by his club medics at Fernabahce, Turkey.

Outrage as stadium staff lock out Eagles ...Keshi keeps 26 stars guessing

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RIDAY morning training of the national team; Super Eagles was almost disrupted when officials of the National Stadium in Abuja, locked out the team from its morning training session.

The team had arrived the stadium at about 7:15am, but met the gates to the Practice Pitch firmly locked. For over ten minutes, Team Coordinator, Emmanuel Atta, Security Chief, ACP Gideon Akinsola and the Camp Commandant, Lt Col Rabiu Yandoto, battled to gain entrance into the training pitch to no avail.

When their patience ran out, the padlock to the training pitch was cut open for the team to gain entrance. It was then the outrage begun, when athletes and other visitors to the stadium told Eagles officials that the gate was shut against the national team, imediately the officials sighted the bus of the team driving into the stadium arena after which they took to their heels in opposite directions. They further revealed that the officials say they were being owed backlog of salaries and therefore see the shutting out of the national team from training as an opportunity to vent their anger.

After a frantic search, one of the Stadium supervisors, Sunday Ofele, was apprehended by the security team attached to the team and he confessed that it was the Stadium Manager, who said he should lock out the national team.

When the Stadium Manager, Katmwan Dungse, was confronted, he said his instruction was that entrance into the training arena should be restricted because British Embassy officials were having a function at the Velodrome inside the stadium and not for his officials to lock out the national team. The supervisor and his accomplice have since been handed over to the police for proper investigation even as Head Coach Stephen Keshi wondered why his team should be traumatised few days to an important friendly game and with qualifiers stacked infront of the team in June.

Meanwhile, Keshi has kept the 25 home based players guessing about those who will make the team to Lima, the Peruvian capital for Wednesday’s international friendly. Two players, Barnabas Imenger and

Papa Idris, have, however, been ruled out due to injuries, but the 23 others will know their fate after the team’s last training session today before the team’s departure for Peru same day.Only 17 players will be picked for the trip to Peru.

Medics of his club, Fernabahce confirmed to Keshi that the player who had a splendid season will be out for over a month, which effectively rules him out of next month’s qualifiers .

The Big Boss, who himself skippered the national team for over a decade, emerging the longest serving national team captain, was, however, quick to pick himself up and declared that he felt pains missing his captain but there is no cause for alarm, as there are capable replacements.

He went ahead to list the replacements as: “Gege Soriola, was splendid for Free State Stars in the South African league, Geofrey Oboabona, plays that role regularly for

•Soriola

Athletes return to Garden City for AFN/NDDC Golden League

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THLETES who are chasing honours and cash in the 2012 AFN/NDDC Golden League return to Port Harcourt today (Saturday) for the 4th leg of the league scheduled to hold at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in the Garden City.

Already, all the athletes on the jackpot trail are in town, hoping to continue their run.

Although the 100m event is not going to feature, sprinters who competed at the third leg in Akure have the 200m to contend.

Coordinator of the League, ex international, Yusuf Alli said yesterday that he expects better performance at this leg "because most of the athletes have overcome the initial sluggishness into the outdoor season."

All eyes will be on Police athlete, Ademola Akomolafe, who shocked the packed field to win the 100m event in Akure.

But before Akomolafe posted his 10.62 against a head wind, the 100m final

was not without its usual drama at the sports complex of the Federal University of Technology, Akure.

However, Abia sprinter, Jonathan Mmaju who placed second in the first leg here Port Harcourt in 10.38 behind Bamidele Taiwo will put his sorrow of been disqualified in Akure behind to aim for the top prize.

Another police athlete, Tamuno Briggs (10.65) picked the silver while Chukwuma Onyeakwu (10.69) of the Customs club settled for the bronze. Both Bamidele Taiwo who won the event in Port Harcourt skipped the Akure leg while favourites, Elvis Ukale of Delta State was clearly off form and failed to place in the final.

Meanwhile, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, (AFN), has confirmed that the fifth leg of the league earlier slated for Lagos will also hold in Port Harcourt.

AFN President, Chief Solomon Ogba said

Yaba leads medals table at Ibile Games

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S fierce competition heightens at the ongoing Lagos State Sports Festival tagged Ibile Games, Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA) continued its dominance on the medals table with 10 gold, seven sliver and five bronze medals.

The Yaba team has taken the lead since the commencement of the championship is been trailed by

Sunshine Stars, but we use him here as a full back and he can easily revert to that, then we have Kano Pillars’ Papa Idris, who has been in excellent form for club and country, so we must not fret, we have the players to hold down the position until Yobo returns”, he said beaming with smiles.

Team Psychologist, Dr Robinson Okosun, who was around when Keshi was making his declaration, said he was personally overwhelmed by the swift mood, Keshi was able to list possible replacement for Yobo. “Some other coaches will still be scratching their heads, but because we have a man who knows his onions he has moved swiftly to douse tension in football circles”.

Bariga LCDA, which has amassed four gold, nine silver and five bronze medals. Ibeju Lekki LCDA is third with four gold, five silver and seven bronze medals.

Despite garnering more bronze medals, Alimosho Local Council is fourth with four gold, two silver and 14 bronze medals.

Among the top nine teams are Ajeromi Ifelodun with one gold and

two bronze medals, Coker Aguda is fifth with two silver and five bronze medals.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Commissioner for Youths, Sports and Social Development, Wahid Oshodi has lauded the councils and development areas chairmen for supporting their teams in their quest to excel at the multi-sports championship.

yesterday that it was in the interest of the majority of the athletes who are camped in the Garden City to have the race there instead of transporting them to Lagos.

"Our athletes are in camp at the University of Port Harcourt and I don't think it is wise to move them away from where they are concentrating on the national assignment,"observed Ogba on the way from Doha, Qatar where he watched Blessing Okagbare in the IAAF Diamond League series.

Take it easy, Keshi Continued from back page do so. Therefore, Keshi should always oblige journalists the privilege of asking questions, no matter how annoying they may be. He is holding a public office and is, therefore, accountable to us.

If people want to know why John Utaka was listed ahead of Yakubu Aiyegbeni, he should tell us rather than flare up like it was reported in the media yesterday. Journalists are right to ask why Yakubu was missing on the list since Keshi told them the last time around that he picked the Blackburn star because he was scoring weekly for his now relegated Barclays English Premier League side. Yak ended the season with 18 goals; it is not inappropriate for the coach to tell Nigerians why he such a lad was dropped.

I wasn’t in Abuja for the session. But I feel that Keshi’s anger would have arisen from the fact that he didn’t want to repeat himself. Keshi must be told that Eric Cantona and David Ginola were undisciplined players. They were dropped by the French coach because they were bad influences. Keshi shouldn’t mix up issues. But, like the traders say, the customer is always right. Big Boss, welcome to the platform where you must tell your stories at the risk of repeating yourself.

Before Bolaji Abdullahi goes Governance is a continuum, largely because the policies made are to solve problems permanently. But in Nigeria, policies compound the problems, albeit because our leaders are not qualified to handle the job assigned to them.

Word is rife that a substantive Sports Minister is on the verge of being appointed and there is celebration in so many quarters. Those who have been sidelined by Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi’s preference for political resolutions to self-inflicted crises are praying for a new helmsman who will re-invent the macabre dance.

Abdullahi’s strategy of bringing warring parties to face themselves at meetings has given him the opportunity to truly appreciate the contending issues. Besides, such jaw-jaw sessions have provided the platform for reasonable solutions to the problems and, in most cases, apportion blames to those culpable rather than paper over issues like we had in the past.

We have seen togetherness among the football comity culminating is several committees to implement what was agreed at truce meetings. One has had to prick himself watching sworn foes hug one another, even as they promises to revamp our football.

Whispers from the hallowed chambers in Abuja suggest that Decree 101 will soon be repealed. What we don’t know is if the new document will address all the objections raised on the two floors of the National Assembly during the public hearings in Abuja.

The bane of our football rests with the continuous existence of Decree 101, which most Sports Ministers and the NSC helmsmen have used to install their lackeys whether or not they possess the qualifications to lift our football out of its doldrums.

Nigeria’s football will remain stunted if we play politics with the repeal of the obnoxious Decree 101, such that qualified Nigerians can aspire to contest elections onto the NFF board, in a bid to ensure that the soccer body transcends from being a drain pipe to cash spinners, as we have in other climes.

The country’s abysmal 65th placing on FIFA’s April ranking is a reflection of the damage done to our football in those troublesome times. We have seen that the gladiators capitalised on the flaws in our system to cause trouble and we hope that Abdullahi’s exit from the ministry would not spark another round of crisis anchored on some of the problems that the Kwara-born administrator resolved.

We must resist this trend, especially as some of the trouble makers have started poking fingers in the NFF chiefs’ eyes over the 65th place in global football ranking.

It is true that Nigeria was the fifth best football nation in 1994. We must remind ourselves that it was the resultant effect of Clemens Westerhoff’s painstaking efforts in combing the grassroots to fish our out talents, such as the late Rashidi Yekini, Stephen Keshi, Daniel Amokachi, Peter Rufai, Uche Okechukwu, Austin Okocha, Finidi George, Ben Iroha, Emmanuel Amuneke, Isaace Semitoje, Edeme Fulude, Alloy Agu et al that heralded the new dawn.

Before Westerhoff’s expectation, Nigeria was tagged as a potential World Cup playing nation, given the quality of our players. My heart aches that talented players, such as Segun Odegbami, Adokie Amiesimaka, Thompson Usiyen, the late Muda Lawal, the late Atuegbu, the late Best Ogedegbe, Emmanuel Okala, Sam, Kunle Awesu, Baba Otu, Mohammed, Sam Ojebode, Felix Owolabi, Kadiri Ikhana, Henry Nwosu et al didn’t play at the World Cup. Is it not about time President Goodluck Jonathan allowed some stability in sports by keeping Bolaji Abdullahi there?

2012 FIFA U-20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP QUALIFIER

We’ll secure another away win, says Oparanozie

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ALCONETS star striker, Desire Ugochi Oparanozie has expressed optimism that the Nigeria U-20 Women’s side would record another road victory today in Kinshasha in the return leg of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Qualifier against their DR Congo counterparts.

Oparanozie was not on scoring sheet at MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta despite all her attempts when the first leg was played but she combined well with her fellow players which culminated in their 4-0 drubbing of their visitors on May 5th. With the second leg tie slated for today in the Central African nation, the Imo born speed-star assured NationSport that Falconets would aim for another win in Kinshasha despite the seeming unassailable advantage got in the first leg.

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri Brimming with confidence, she said; “We are going to Kinshasha to complete the good job we have started. We are not swayed by the 4-0 result we had in Nigeria. We are on a mission to here and it is to beat DR Congo at their backyard just like we did to the Young Mighty Warriors of Zimbabwe in the second round.

They will not escape a defeat.”

The Delta Queens of Asaba forward also spoke on her lack of goals in the last two home matches: “I knew that I struggled especially in our first match against Zimbabwe at Abeokuta but I had an improved performance which you also attested to in the tie against DR Congo even though I couldn’t score despite all my efforts. But I am happy that I created scoring

chances which my teammates converted. I am not seeking personal glory because my country comes first and other things are just additions.”

Falconets got the four goals against DR Congo through inspirational skipper Gloria Ofoegbu who netted twice while Francisca Ordega and Ebere Orji got the two others as the wide margin put the Nigerians in comfortable lead and the favourites to pick one of the two tickets available for the continent to Japan 2012 FIFA U20 World Cup slated for August 19 through September 8, 2012.

The race for the second berth will be decided in Accra this weekend also as the Black Princesses of Ghana square up with Tunisia. When the initial leg was played in Tunis a fortnight ago, Ghana won 3-1.

Tomorrow in THE NATION PUNCHLINE

SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL.7, NO. 3030

Gone should be those days when people would fool Nigerians as the PDP has done for years. If it would take Buhari’s wake-up call for Nigerians to be alive to their responsibilities, so be it.

—Tunji Adegboyega

I

T is certainly the most drastic and draco nian measure ever taken in the history of industrial relations in Nigeria. I refer to the recent sack by the Lagos State government of 778 doctors who had gone on an industrial strike and had refused to respond to a query on resumption of work. Of course, the loss of patience of the state government with its striking doctors is understandable.

The spate of frivolous strikes in the state’s health sector has become worrisome. The striking doctors reportedly failed to give the legally required 15 days notice giving only 24 hours before commencing their 3-day warning strike. Even more annoyingly, they refused to respond to a query issued the striking doctors by their employers and decided instead to proceed on a full blown strike. The state government insists, rightly, that it has substantially fulfilled the terms of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) agreed between doctors and the federal government. Whatever differences in the implementation of its details can certainly be resolved through dialogue without recourse to a strike.

Equally understandable is the unqualified endorsement by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) of the Lagos State government’s action. The stark truth, however, is that the mass sack by an ACN state government, for whatever reason, of 778 doctors has serious negative implications for the party’s professed progressive ideology and democratic commitment. If reactionary political forces, citing the Lagos State precedent, decide in future to clamp down on workers and strangulate their political rights, will the ACN have the moral authority to utter a word?

There is no doubt that the political activities of some of the leading members of the Lagos State Medical Guild create room for some suspicion as regards the motive for the strikes. For instance, the former chairman of the guild and king pin of its last strike, Dr Olaifa, is today an elected member of the House of Representatives on the platform of a political party. Another member of the guild was reportedly the running mate of the PDP governorship candidate in Lagos State in the last election. But then, I am unconvinced by this line of reasoning. I believe that a group of highly trained professionals like medical doctors cannot be led by the nose like a herd of swine by the partisan proclivities of one or two members.

The argument has also been made that the doctors contravened the ‘Hippocratic oath’ by going on strike. Again, we must be careful that this does not degenerate into sheer sentimental clap trap and emotional blackmail. Anyone who chooses to think outside the box will readily see that the Hippocratic Oath has a wider application beyond the medical profession.

Are we not all, in the actual sense, healers in one way or the other? Medical professionals heal physiological wounds through

Lagos doctors: What is to be done?

‘

•Gov. Fashola drugs and standardized procedures. Engineers heal infrastructural wounds with the aid of machines. Lawyers heal the wounds of injustice through the judicial process.

Teachers heal the wounds of ignorance through the soothing balm of education; journalists combat the same scourge through public enlightenment and mass information dissemination. Carpenters heal the wound of famished spaces through the provision of furniture of aesthetic and utilitarian value.

We can go on and on. There is absolutely nothing in the Hippocratic Oath that suggests slavish submission to oppression and injustice by any professional group.

Yes, the methods of the Lagos State doctors were clearly, wrong, even unethical. But are their grievances genuine? I believe so.

Doctors and other health workers in the

The stark truth, however, is that the mass sack by an ACN state government, for whatever reason, of 778 doctors has serious negative implications for the party’s professed progressive ideology and democratic commitment. If reactionary political forces, citing the Lagos State precedent, decide in future to clamp down on workers and strangulate their political rights, will the ACN have the moral authority to utter a word?

’

Lagos State public service are clearly the most overworked in Nigeria today. Anyone who has had cause to visit any of the Lagos State emergency health services can readily see under what tremendous pressure doctors and other health workers perform their duties. I make bold to say that Lagos State doctors work longer and harder than any other group of doctors at federal or state level in Nigeria.

And why is this so? First, Lagos State is the most populous in Nigeria with 18 million people from all over the country and beyond. The health implications are obvious. Secondly, the Lagos State government, since the commencement of this dispensation in 1999 has maintained a policy of free

health care for children under 12, the aged above 60 and free ante-natal care for women.

This also includes free treatment for malaria, tuberculosis and leprosy. Thirdly, is what I see as the structural imbalance between the vast expansion of health facilities in Lagos State between 1999 and now and the availability of man power in the health care sector.

Among its other accomplishments in the health sector, the Tinubu administration expanded and rehabilitated old General Hospitals in Lagos, Gbagada, Epe, Isolo, Ikorodu, and Badagry; built new General Hospitals at Mushin, Shomolu, Ibeju-Lekki and IsheriOba and upgraded existing health centres to full-fledged hospitals at Ijede, Ketu and Agbowa among others. Improving on this record, the Fashola administration has provided Maternal and Child Centres (MCC) at Ikorodu, Ifako- Ijaiye, Isolo, Gbaja-Surulere, Ajeromi, Alimosho, Amuwo-Odofin and Ibeju-Lekki. Has the health care manpower been upgraded to meet up with the vast expansion in health care facilities? I do not think so and this is one of the root causes of the incessant crisis in the state’s health sector.

Here, one must say that the Lagos State doctors have been fighting a completely wrong battle. Their enemy is not the Lagos State Government but a deformed federal structure that denies Lagos State of its just entitlement commensurate with its contribution to the national coffers. In a just and equitable federal arrangement, Lagos State doctors would clearly be earning more than whatever pittance provided for in CONMESS. The doctors ought to partner with the Lagos State government in fighting for her just due in the Nigerian federation so that she, in turn, can fulfil her obligation to her workers.

The present crisis, however, offers a unique opportunity to address the fundamental problems afflicting the state’s health sector. The sacked doctors should be recalled. They must respond to queries issued and give an undertaking to refrain from strikes as a weapon of conflict resolution.

The newly employed doctors can be redeployed to the Primary Health Care Centres at Local Government level to enhance the quality of health care at that level and reduce the number of cases that come to the secondary health care level. Of course, this suggestion will have financial implications.

But it is exactly to solve such problems that Governor Fashola was given an emphatic mandate at the polls.

My last word is for my good friend, the hard working and diligent Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris. He cannot allow an otherwise brilliant tenure to be marred by the mass sack of doctors under his watch.

Failure to amicably resolve this dispute would amount to a colossal failure of leadership on his part. Eko O Ni Baje O!

Ade Ojeikere on Saturday talk2adeojeikere@yahoo.com

Take it easy, Keshi

S

TEPHEN Keshi benchmarks the golden era of the beautiful game in Nigeria.

Not a few people have alleged that he was the head of the mafia that eventually caged the Super Eagles in the fading days of the team’s stars.

But Keshi would always smile at that mafia theory, insisting that the Eagles under his captaincy were a united group who worked for one other during matches. Big Boss is quick to challenge anyone to expose the fact that he led the Eagles dictatorially.

The Big Boss would sneer, if told that his larger-than-life status in the Eagles was responsible for the exit of effante-terrible John Etim Esin, Friday Ekpo et al. Keshi would tell those who want to listen that he loves winning matches, even if such games are simple training sessions in the team’s camp.

“I’m a winner. I feel the pulse of the fans when I step onto the pitch. I hate explaining

failure. I won’t hesitate to call for substitution, especially when I know that there are better players on the bench who can do the job. Look, Ade, there is nothing like impossible for me. I like challenges.

Football, for me, is like a war. I strive to conquer always. Like you know, I don’t care about what was. What I care about is breaking new grounds and that is the only way things can move forward.

“People keep talking about foreign-based players. Let me tell you, I benched foreignbased players as a junior international. I saw Rashidi Yekini and a few others prove their mettle against the Europe lads. It simply means that playing for any team is a function of your current form, not what you have done before. I will step on toes to achieve success.”

Keshi was speaking with this writer on Tuesday night.

Just when he raised his voice, as if to suggest that I had no right to dictate to him, I reminded him that as a stakeholder in the game, especially with our relationship as

friends, I stood the better chance of telling some truths about his job.

Give it to Keshi, he is a good listener. He kept quiet for some three minutes as we exchanged notes and said: “On a personal note Ade, do you know that in one of our training sessions when I assumed office, I asked them what they had achieved in the last decade. No one could tell me. I admonished them that I wanted a new order and if you must meet my mark, then you must be at your very best, play with hunger and know that no one has a permanent shirt in the Eagles. I lead by example. I achieved for this team and I have seen that with time, the new Eagles will rule the world,” Keshi informed this writer.

Truth is how many people would Keshi tell this story? His thoughts for the team are germane. But Keshi must appreciate the fact that Super Eagles is a Nigeria brand. And Nigerians deserve to be told the parameters for picking the players. He needs to be reminded that Nigerians are still nursing the

pain of the past where his predecessor bungled the assignment simply because he ran his show, which led to the country’s absence from the Africa Cup of Nation, a folly that was last experienced 26 years ago.

He must also know that the pangs of defeat are felt most by the people because the game is theirs. Taxpayers pay his salary.

Journalists’ duties include asking our leaders (even he is a Super Eagles manager) questions that the masses would require answers to. Such responses from Keshi would help the people to pass their verdicts at the appropriate time.

Nigerians are in tandem with his quest to rebuild the Eagles. But he needs to know that any draw against Namibia in Calabar would take us back to the era where we would be praying for the fall of our group opponents to achieve success.

If Keshi knows that he cannot stand the nuances of journalists at such open forum, he should emulate Real Madrid of Spain’s manager Jose Mourinho by asking his assistant to talk to the press. Nobody challenges Keshi when he does his job. He takes all the decisions because it is his call to

•Continued on Page 62

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