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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Kokori: Kelvin’s gang talks tough: •Release our leader or there’ll be deadlier attacks
•The deserted palace...yesterday
•Women intensify protest n Shola O'NEIL, S/South Regional Editor, and Okungbowa AIWERIE,Warri n EMBERS of the Liberation Movement of Urhobo (LiMUP) have warned that the arrest of their leader and alleged kidnap kingpin, Kelvin Ibruvwe (aka Oniarah), may unleash deadlier violence in the area. Speaking with our reporter on Kokori on Thursday, the new leader of the group, simply identified as Don Jazzy, gave the clearest hint yet that one of the men arrested by Department of Security Services (DSS) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, is Kelvin Ibruvwe. Don Jazzy, who wielded an assault rifle like scores of other young members of the group, said, “If one Kelvin is removed another Kelvin will replace him”. “Government is of the opinion that if they take the leader out, his followers will be demoralised and be dispersed, but that is a dangerous road to take because these followers will become more desperate and engage in heinous criminality without any restraining influence which the leader provides. “We are still willing to carry on the legacy; even a little child from this community today when he grows up and this level of injustice persists, will end up agitating for a better life." He accused the government of playing politics with the agitation of the Kokori people in view of the enviable position of their counterparts from the other ethnic group. "The truth of the matter is that the government knows what to do and we have already told them before. Kelvin told them that we have one thousand ‘Kelvins’, this is not a joke." According to him, the struggle for the emancipation of Urhobo land will continue despite the setback suffered following the arrest of their leader. Don Jazzy urged the Federal Government to release Kelvin Ibruvwe and issue a presidential pardon for all the militants, including the imme-
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diate commencement of the development of Urhobo people. His words: ”All the people that have been arrested must be released. Massive infrastructural projects should commence in Kokori and other Urhobo land .Our youths are armed but we are not happy that we are carrying arms to fight the government but we are pushed to the wall. For the youths to put down their weapons and for us to clear our names, there has to be a presidential pardon." He condemned the deafening silence of the apex Urhobo socio-cultural organisation Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU) in the impasse, urging the group to stand up and fight for the rights of the Urhobo people. His words: “Our leaders should stand up and fight for our rights. If our leaders stand up to government insisting that the right things must be done, government will have no choice but to listen to us. If our leaders do not listen to the youths and become collabo-
rators, we will deal with them in due course. They are the ones who sponsor the media against us calling us names because they have money to take care of their children and send them abroad to school." Meanwhile, hundreds of elderly women in Kokori community on Friday continued indefinite protest to force troops of the Joint Task Force, 'Operation Pulo Shield', from the community. The troops from the 222 Battalion of the Nigerian Army were deployed in the community in the wake of the arrest of alleged notorious armed robbery and kidnap kingpin, Kelvin Oniarah. On Thursday and Friday, they carried freshly cut twigs, marched through the main (Market) Road in the town singing songs denouncing the activities of some personalities in the community. They vowed that the protest would con-
•The protesting women...yesterday
agedy:
ble tr u o d s ’ o d Iju-O
arch n o m t s o l Town re o f e b s k e two we eath Agagu’s d Pages 20&21
•Kelvin
tinue until Kelvin, the Egba priests and all youths arrested in the community are released. Their leader (Otota Eya), Mrs. Omotejowho, who was dressed in the all-white traditional attire of the Egba cult, spoke in pidgin English saying: "Our juju priest and children arrested by soldiers must be released by government. They should be given jobs, not arrested. "Kokori has one of the best blends of crude oil in the country, yet we have nothing to show for it. Go round yourself, you will find there is nothing to show our position as an oil-producing community. The Ijaw and Itsekiri, our counterparts, are doing well while we are suffering," she added. At the end of the march, Omotejowho led the women to a military post before proceeding to the gate of the deserted palace of Agbon monarch and deposited the twigs to express their displeasure with him. Omotejo who accused soldiers of visiting mayhem on the community, stressing that scores of persons were killed, property worth millions of naira were destroyed, while scores of women and children were still missing. She slammed the Ovie of Agbon Kingdom, HRM Mike Omeru, Ogurimerime Ukori 1, for allegedly turning his back on the people shortly after he was crowned.
y is ‘Everybod oil e enjoying th e are w money but se of it’ u dying beca Pages 14&15
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Agagu: Pilot's error caused Lagos plane crash
ARELY 10 days after the Associated Airlines Embraer 120 aircraft crashed at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, killing 14 passengers, the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has said that the preliminary readout and analysis of flight 361 flight recorder indicated that the right engine of the aircraft was faulty. The agency also said that preliminary investigation indicated that the captain-incommand of the ill-fated aircraft, Abdulrahman Yakubu, ignored the warning from the onboard computer voice. This was disclosed to journalists by the Commissioner for AIB, Capt. Usman Muktar, while reading out the preliminary readout and analysis of flight 361’s flight recorders in Abuja yesterday. He said the investigation was done in AIB laboratory in Abuja in conjunction with international flight recorder experts from Canada, who designed the laboratory. Capt. Mukthar said the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) contained approximately 47 hours in solid state memory, while the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) contained thirty-two and a half minutes of audio, which included internal conversation of two pilots, radio calls, and the overall environment in the cockpit. Muktar said that Associated Airlines flight 361 was cleared for take-off by the Air Traffic Controller on runway 18 left of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) Lagos, adding that at that time, the wind was calm and weather was not considered a factor in the accident. He added that four seconds after the engine power was advanced to commence take off roll, the crew received an automated warning from the onboard computer voice which consisted of three chimes followed by “Take off Flap, Take off Flap, Take off flap.” He stated that this configuration warning suggested that the flaps were not in the correct position for take-off and there was evidence that the crew might have chosen not to use flaps for the take-off. According to him, “This warning did not appear to come as any surprise to the crew, and they continued normally with the take-off. This warning continues throughout the take-off roll.“ Capt. Mukhtar added that AIB was in the process of verifying the accuracy of the flight data, adding that the agency had not been able to confirm the actual flap setting and that AIB was expected to determine this in the fullness of time. The AIB commissioner added that the ‘set power’ call
•Captain ignored co-pilot's advice against take-off Last conversation between control tower and crashed plane’s pilot
Kelvin OKUNBOR was made by the captain and the ‘power is set’ was confirmed by the First Officer as expected in the normal operations, adding that approximately three seconds after the ‘power is set’ call, the First Officer noted that the aircraft was moving slowly. Approximately seven seconds after the ‘power is set‘ call, the internal aircraft voice warning system could be heard stating ‘Take off Flap, Auto Feather’. He explained that auto feather refers to the pitch of the propeller blades, adding that in the feather position, the propeller does not produce any thrust. The Flight Data Recorder, he said, contains several engine related parameters, which the AIB was studying. “At this time, we can state that the right engine appears to be producing considerably less thrust than the left engine. The left engine appeared to be working normally. The aircraft automated voice continued to repeat, Take off Flap, Auto Feather.’ “ According to an aircraft engineer, Sheri Kyari, the flap on an aircraft is located at the trailing edge of the wing. It is at the rear end of the wings. Kyari, a former president of Pilots and Aircraft Engineers in the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited, the function of the flap when operational increases the surface area of the wing, thereby generating enough lift at low aircraft speeds. This is when the aircraft is taking off or landing. Kyari, is convener and executive director, Centre of Aviation Safety and Research. “When the flap is not set to the required degree for take off, the aircraft will have to do a long take-off run before gaining enough lift to lift-off the ground,” he said. Reading out the preliminary report, AIB said “the standard ‘eighty knots’ call was made by the First Officer. The first evidence that the crew indicated that there was a problem with the take-off roll was immediately following the ‘eighty knots’ call. “The First Officer asked if the take-off should be aborted approximately 12 seconds after the ‘eighty knots’ callout” AIB added that the captain, in response to the Flight Officer’s question to abort the take off, said that they should continue, adding that the crew did not make V1 call, which is the speed at which the decision to abort or continue a take-off is made, or the Vr call, which indicates the speed at which it is planned to rotate the aircraft. The Commissioner added that normally, the non-flying
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NDICATIONS emerged yesterday that air traffic controllers at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, queried the status of the ill-fated flight as the aircraft struggled to take off on Runway 18 Left at flight level 190 .
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STATION
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SCD361 121.9 SCD361
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121.9 SCD 361 121.9 SCD 361 121.9 NIG119 121.9
08:03
SCD 361
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121.9 121.9 SCD 361
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SCD 361 118.1 118.1 SCD 361
08:26:31
118.1 SCD 361
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TOWER SCD 361 TOWER SCD 361 TOWER
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TOWER
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SCD 361 08:30:40
A copy of the transcript obtained in Abuja gave details of the conversation between the pilot of the Embraer 120 aircraft with 20 souls on board and air traffic controllers at the Lagos Airport tower. Below is Tape Transcript on SCD 361 ( 5NBJY) on 121.9 MHZ:
COMMUNICATION LAGOS GROUND GOODMORNING SCD361 SCD361 GO AHEAD TOP OF THE MORNING, REQUESTING START UP TO DNAK, 5NBJY. END 5HRS POB 28-7 FLIGHT LEVEL 190 CONFIRM YOU HAVE A FLIGHT PLAN? AFFIRMATIVE, YOU SHOULD HAVE A COPY OK, STAND BY CONFIRMING CALLING NEGATIVE, STAND BY LAGOS GROUND NIG119 THE SCD361 TO DNAK ATC IS NOT WITH YOUR FLIGHT PLAN, STANDBY WHILE I VERIFY STATUS OF YOUR FLIGHT PLAN WITH AIS UNIT, YOU ON YOUR OWN PART CALL YOUR FLIGHT PLAN CREW TO VERIFY. WE WILL STANDBY I HAVE A COPY OF THE FLIGHT PLAN WITH ME HERE IN THE COCKPIT, BUT I WILL STANDBY ALRIGHT SCD361, START UP APPROVED CONTACT TOWER 118.1 START UP IS APPROVED, WE WILL CONTINUE WITH TOWER, GOOD DAY LAGOS SCD 361 AT THE GAT REQUEST TAXI SCD 361 TAXI HOLDING POINT RUNWAY 18 LEFT SCD 361 REPORT TYPE OF AIECRAFT AND LEVEL REQUESTING E120, REQUESTING FLIGHT LEVEL 190 AND ON BOARD WE HAVE 21 CORRECTION 20-7 SCD 361 CLEARED TO DNAK VIA A609 CLIMB FLIGHT LEVEL 190 SQUAWK 0504 CLEARED TO AKURE VIA A609 FLIGHT LEVEL 190 COMING ON THE SQUAWK A0504, WE REQUEST R778 IF AVAILABLE, WE JUST SET COURSE FROM THERE COPIED STANDBY THANK YOU SCD 361 LINE UP AND WAIT RUNWAY 18LEFT SCD 361 TO POSITION AND HOLD RUNWAY 18LEFT SCD 361 RECLEARED R778 TO FLIGHT LEVEL 190, WE WILL BE READY SHORTLY SCD 361 WIND CALM, AFTER DEPARTURE MAINTAIN RUNWAY HEADING , CLEAR TAKE OFF RUNWAY 1 8LEFT SCD 361 ROLLING, KEEP RUNWAY HEADING AFTER DEPARTURE SCD 361 CONFIRM OPERATIONS NORMAL?
TAPE TRANSCRIPT ON SCD 361 (5NBJY) ON 121.9MHZ pilot pulls back both the V1 and the Vr speeds, He said that when the Vr was called, the flying pilot pulled back the control column. The First Officer asked the Captain ‘gently’, a word that indicated that the aircraft was not performing normally.
He added that the aircraft did not produce enough overall thrust and that it was difficult or impossible to climb without risk of an aerodynamics stall. An aviation expert, Mallam Muhammadu Dodo, described aerodynamics as the streamline of air flow around
the aircraft due to its design. It enables it to attain a stable and safe flight. Immediately after lift-off, the aircraft slowly veered off the runway, heading to the right and was not climbing, and that the aircraft behaviour made ATC to ask the pilot if Flight 361 operation was nor-
mal but that they did not respond, and that 31 seconds after the warning, the aircraft crashed.
N35,549,000,000 was shared from the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) by all the tiers of government and an additional N7,617,000,000 from the continued monthly instalmental payment from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Addressing journalists at
the end of the meeting, the Minister of State for Finance and Chairman of FAAC, Dr. Yerima Lawan Ngama, said the committee approved the August and September accounts. Speaking further, Ngama said the month of September witnessed a drop in the amount of revenue which accrued into the federation ac-
count by N22.783 billion “due to the slight decline in crude oil production as a result of Force Majeure declared at Brass Terminal, maintenance issues and theft.” By this development, only the actual accruals into the federation account was
SEE THE FULL PRELIMINARY REPORT ON PAGE 63
FG, states, LGs share N1.19tr August, September allocations •States kick against CBN's 50% compulsory deposit T
HE Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) yesterday approved and disbursed a whopping N1.196 trillion to the three tiers of government for the months of August and September. According to the spread sheet made available to journalists at the end of the much awaited twin FAAC meeting for the months of August and September 2013, the net statutory disbursements to
Nduka CHIEJINA (Assistant Editor)
the federal government was N484,429,000,000 or (52.68%); the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) N245,708,000,000 or (26.72%) and the 774 local government areas, including the six area councils of the FCT N189,431,000,000 or
(20.6%). To make up the N1.19 trillion windfall for the governments, N127,661,000,000 was distributed between the federal government (N19,149,000,000); states (N63,831,000,000) and local g o v e r n m e n t s (N44,682,000,000) as proceeds of the value added tax (VAT) for the two months.
•Continued on Page 5
NEWS 5
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
DELTA SENATORIAL BY-ELECTION
Delta Central senatorial by-election holds today
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HE Delta Central sena torial by-election will hold today in eight local governments constituting the Urhobo nation, Delta State. The die is cast among the three major political parties in the district-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC) and Democratic Peoples Party (DPP). After the poll, the candidates- O’Tega Emerhor (APC), Olorogun Emmanuel Aguariavwodo (PDP) and Chief Ede Dafinone (DPP)-will know their fate. The seat became vacant few months ago, following the death of Senator Pius Ewherindo, who was elected in 2011 on the platform of the DPP led by Chief Great Ogboru. Many Urhobos have returned home since Thursday in solidarity with the candidates of their choice. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 843, 411 registered as voters. The commission has promised a transparent poll. To make it possible, it solicited for the cooperation of the stakeholders.The police command has also given assurance of security during the poll, urging the candidates and voters to abide by the rules. In this by-election, none of the three candidates can be dismissed with a wave of the hand. But many factors, according to analysts, will shape the poll. Although the PDP has dominated the state since 1999, that power of incumbency collapsed during the last senatorial election in Delta Central. DPP was en-
Emmanuel OLADESU Group Political Editor dorsed as the party of choice by the Urhobo. During this electioneering, that perception changed for two reasons. The APC candidate came with a bold challenge. The Urhobo nation also reckons with him as a great leader, philanthropist and strong personality. Also, his party came with clear manifestos. Many things may work against the PDP. The cry of marginalisation is loud in Urhobo land. The indigenes have alleged that both the federal and state governments have neglected the ethnic group. Recently, a politician from the area, Chief Ovie Omo-Agege, complained to President Goodluck Jonathan that, despite its huge population, Urhobo has no minister in the Federal Executive Council. Other Urhobo politicians have also complained that the distribution of appointments by the President has always favoured the Ijaw. However, it appears that the ethnic group is looking beyond the DPP for salvation. In the past, Urhobo distanced itself from the progressive bloc, owing to its deep-seated sentiment against the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Action Group (AG) Premier of the defunct Western Region, who re-christened Olu of Itsekiri as the Olu of Warri, despite the fact that three ethnic groups-Itsekiri, Ijaw and Urhobo-exist in Warri. But, the people, who had rejected the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and Alliance for
•Emerhor Democracy (AD), have not extended the hostility to the APC, which they perceived as a better alternative. Urbobo leaders have maintained that the DPP, which produced Ewherindo more than two years ago, had depleted, owing to the defection of some members to the APC. It was evident that a split had occurred in the party before the senator passed on. Many APC leaders were surprised that Ogboru refused to participate in the merger that culminated in the birth of the main opposition party in the country. “DPP is now an isolated minority party, an orphan, and, if it is denied victory, nobody will fight for the party. We have been clamouring for a better political platform and APC has given the Urhobo that platform”, said a politician from the district. It is a big test for the APC, which has been flaunting its
•Dafinone national spread and credential of its governors and national leaders. This is the first major election and challenge the party will confront. Many youths in the district, who assessed the candidates, said that, in a free and fair election, Emerhor may have an edge. According to them, the APC candidate has done much for the district by attracting financial institutions, which generated employment. He is also perceived as a philanthropist, whose contributions have been acknowledged by the Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU). The association recently gave a medalist to Emerhor, who is serving as the chairman of its fund-raising committee. The PDP is working assiduously, but it has not impressed the people during the senatorial campaigns. Other parties have alleged that PDP intends to rig then poll, an allegation the party has denied. Aguariavwdo is per-
Delta senatorial by-election, a litmus test for 2015 — Akume S ENATE Minority Leader, Dr. George Akume, has described the Delta-Central Senatorial by-election holding today as a measure of the preparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free, fair and transparent elections, and hence a litmus test for 2015. He also called on people of the Senatorial District to come out en masse and vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the byelection, Olorogun O’tega Emerho, describing him as “the right man for the job.” In a statement issued in Abuja by his Media Assistant, Mrs. Beckie Orpin, Akume said in the light of the massive irregularities that marred the 2011 polls, it was imperative for the INEC to get its acts right this time around so as to rekindle confidence in the nation’s electoral system. The former Benue State governor said the conduct of credible polls was a democratic emergency, particularly as Nigerians and petitioners have come to the painful conclusion that the courts and tribunals cannot be relied upon to redress matters of electoral fraud perpetrated during elections. He, therefore, called on the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to rise above board, and prove that the “Giant of Africa does not
have clay feet when it comes to electoral matters or that Africa’s largest democracy is incapable of meeting the minimum standards of credible elections.” The statement reads in part: “The much-talked about Transformation Agenda must also transform the INEC and the reforms being trumpeted in government circles must reach AttahiruJega’s INEC, and evidently so. Let votes count. “Let neither INEC officials
nor security agents become parties in this election. It is not too good that the Giant of Africa is giving electoral support to smaller African countries like Sierra Leone, but cannot herself hold commendable polls.The INEC must move from rhetoric to performance. “The INEC must take a cue from smaller countries like Mali, Ghana, Sierra Leone as well as South Africa, and begin to discharge its mandate as an impartial umpire. It is
less than wonderful that after every election, the INEC engages in self-congratulations, while other parties, save the supposed winners, head for court. “And the Federal Government should also know that the acceptability of an electoral process or the stability of the polity does not lie in the intensity of the official propaganda or in militarization of the polity before and after elections; they depend on the free, fair, transparent and credible conduct of the exercise itself. Today’s exercise offers us that possibility!”
...police raise alarm over planned invasion by hoodlums during by- election
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ELTA Police Com mand has warned of dire consequences for troublemakers in the Delta Central Senatorial by-elections scheduled to hold today. The eight local government areas where the by-elections will hold include Udu, Uwvie, Sapele, Ethiope West, Ethiope East, Ughelli North, Ughelli South and Okpe Local government areas The Delta Police Command says intelligence report revealed that politicians intend to bring miscreants and hoodlums from neighbouring states into the eight local government
Okungbowa AIWERIE, Asaba areas in a bid to cause restiveness and mayhem. In a signed statement made available to The Nation, Delta Police Commissioner, Ikechukwu Aduba, urged the public, politicians and other stakeholders to play by the rules, adding that the electoral body has put machinery in place to provide a level playing field to all. Aduba warned that the command will not hesitate to clamp down on persons attempting to circumvent the law or truncate the peace en-
joyed in the state. The police said it has perfected plans “to nip in the bud the ill-conceived intentions,” adding that vehicular movement will be restricted in the local government areas where the by-elections will hold. Aduba warned policemen not on election duties not to act as escorts for politicians in the eight local government areas, adding that violators will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law. Aduba warned parents not to allow their wards to be used to foment trouble during and after elections, urging the politicians to play by the rules.
•Aguariavwodo ceived as President Jonathan’s choice. But many have said that he has issues to settle at home. Many Urhobo have not forgiven him for resigning as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC) chairman to contest for the governorship. “As the NDDC chairman, he was regarded as the governor of nine oilproducing states. Many really wanted him to continue in that important office”, a source said. Besides, a section of the PDP is angry that the 2011 candidate, Chief Ighota Amori, should have been compensated with the ticket for his persistent loyalty. During his campaign tour, the PDP flag bearer was harassed by some thugs. To analysts, that has demonstrated that he is not a popular candidate. In the DPP, the candidate, Dafinone, has earned the appellation of ‘Daddy’s boy’. This is because he wants to repeat his father’s feat as a senator. The elder statesman, Senator David Dafinone, was a senator in the Second Republic on the platform of the proscribed National Party of Nigeria (NPN). The younger Dafinone is facing some challenges. The bitter primaries in the DPP has generated post-primary crisis. But Dafinone has the backing of the majority in the party. The question is whether the chartered accountant can deliver the votes to his party like the late Ewherindo.
Across the eight councils, opinions differ. The total number of registered voters is 843,411. In Ethiope West Council, there are 84,262 registered voters. This is Amori’s stronghold. Unless the people are pacified before the poll, they may turn their back at the PDP. Sapele local government has 95,031 voters. The council is made up of Itsekiri and Urhobo people. The three candidates will struggle for the votes there. But some observers said that, based on the Amori factor, protest votes cannot be ruled out. According to the electoral commission, 90,559 people registered to vote in Ethiope East. This is the home of Ogboru. Definitely, the political king will sway the votes there. In Udu council, there are100,656 voters. If the acrimony that trailed the rejection of Richard Odigbo by the DPP is not resolved, the party may not make headway there. In the local government, the APC state legislator is on ground. In Okpe local government, there are 79,436 voters. It is the home of Prof. Sam Oyevbaire. DPP and PDP will slug it out there. 147, 261 registered in Uvwie Council. It is the APC’s stronghold. Mr. Festus Keyamo and Akpore are from the area. It is the largest local government in the district. Ugheli South, the home of Ewherindo, has 94,811 voters. Ugheli South, the home of Emerhor, has 151, 425.
FAAC shares N1.19tr for August, September •Continued from Page 4
shared for the two months as earlier agreed by all the parties, thus bringing to an end the culture of augmenting monthly allocations which fell short of the budgeted sum for the month. The minister also disclosed that the NNPC had made 27 monthly instalmental payment of N7.617 billion to FAAC as agreed. As a result, the corporation has only six more instalmental payments to make to offset all that it owes FAAC. After the meeting, the state governments expressed concern at the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) directive of 50 per cent compulsory public sector deposits to banks, saying that the sates are not comfortable with the CBN’s directive.
Speaking to journalists after the FAAC meeting, the Chairman of Commissioners forum, Barrister Timothy Odaah, said the apex bank’s directive was “giving states harsh experience as banks are no longer eager to extend facilities to states without the say-so of the CBN among other negative effectives to the investment desires of the states and the fact that they now have to pay higher interest when they borrow from the money market. Odaah hinted that the state governors would present their misgivings on the compulsory deposit to President Goodluck Jonathan at the next National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, to look for possible ways to bale the states out of economic difficulties.
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Amaechi, Wike’s camps in fresh exchanges
HE Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, has asked the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and his supporters to move to another political party to test his popularity, declaring that change has come to the Niger Delta state. An ally of Amaechi, Emma Chinda, however, described Wike as a political jobber whose primary interest was how he could become the governor of the state in 2015. Chinda, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Rivers Commissioner for Agriculture declared that the Minister of State for Education resisted moves by Amaechi to deliver Rivers State for President Goodluck Jonathan during the 2011 presidential election. Wike equally described Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), as disobedient to President Jonathan and the traditional institution in Rivers State. Wike, the grand patron of the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), spoke through the Secretary-General of the GDI, Samuel Nwanosike, yesterday in an interactive session with reporters in Port Harcourt. The Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief Tony Okocha, had earlier asked Wike to stop his 2015
Bisi OLANIYI, Port Harcourt governorship campaign and face the strike by the members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP). The Chief of Staff also urged the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, to call Wike to order for violating the rule of campaigning 90 days to elections. Nwanosike said: “In 2011, Barr. Wike was the DirectorGeneral of Amaechi Campaign Organisation and he used the platform to get President Jonathan and Amaechi elected. “Amaechi and six Northern Governors, who are now friends, wanted Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the PDP in 2011, but Chief Wike opted for Dr. Jonathan. “Chief Wike wants change in Rivers State. He has come to liberate Rivers State from mismanagement and underdevelopment. The Minister of State for Education is not campaigning, but participating in the GDI’s thanksgiving and inauguration at the ward and LGA levels. “Amaechi and his confused supporters should move to another political party
now to test their popularity. The era of money politics has gone in Rivers State. You must now be popular to win elections.” Chinda urged Rivers people not to take Wike seriously, but to continue to support the focused Amaechi’s administration in its transformational agenda. The Rivers governor’s ally said: “Wike resisted moves by Governor Ameachi to deliver Rivers State for President Jonathan in the 2011 general elections when he was the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt. The present posture of Wike is a deception to achieve his political ambition of becoming Rivers Governor in 2015. “Wike is playing political gimmicks. He has just announced himself clearly as a political jobber. “I still remember that in 2011, when we were doing the presidential campaigns, Wike was the person who headed a campaign against President Jonathan. “If not for the intervention of Governor Amaechi, Dr. Jonathan would not have got many votes in Rivers State because Wike was bent on making sure that President Jonathan was not elected. “I know that Wike does not care if President Jonathan loses the 2015 election or not. What he wants is to see how he can
Lagos to upgrade Wempco Road
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AGOS State government on Thursday unveiled plans to upgrade the entire Wempco Road, off Lateef Jakande Road in Agidingbi axis, into a dual carriageway to address traffic gridlock along the route. Addressing a stakeholders forum on the road at Ashton Gardens yesterday, Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) said when completed, the 1.8 km long road would take pressure off Agidingbi road and reduce stress and travel time along that axis. LAMATA's Director of Roads, Mr. Funso Elulade, an engineer, said the road is being embarked upon with the assis-
Adeyinka ADERIBIGBE tance of the World Bank. Leading other management staff of the agency, among whom were: the Technical Adviser, Communications, Mrs Angela Olanrewaju; the Deputy Director, Social Safeguards, Prof. Olukayode Taiwo; and Project Manager, Engr. Tajudeen Olanipekun, Elulade assured residents which include schools, hospitals, steel companies and diary companies along the route that there would be strict adherence to the time frame of 18 months. Elulade said the road would be one of its kind not
only in Lagos, but in Nigeria when completed, as it would have a bicycle lane on both sides of the carriageway. Other highlights of the road feature, would include a pedestrian walkway, traffic signs and road markings street lights and bus stops. Prof Taiwo also said LAMATA would address all issues that might affect all residents with a view to reducing the pains they might experience throughout the period of the construction. Stakeholders praised LAMATA for putting together the forum and urged the government to stick to the timeline in order to reduce the pains to be experienced by residents and other road users.
Nigeria, Kuwait to sign two agreements
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UWAIT new Ambassa dor to Nigeria, Dr. Abdulaziz Ahmad AlSharrah, has said his responsibility is to enhance the bilateral relationship between his country and Nigeria. He also said both countries are set to sign two bilateral agreements. Dr. Al-Sharrah, who recently presented his credential to President Goodluck Jonathan, said his ultimate
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Vincent IKUOMOLA, Abuja goal is to contribute to enhancing the brotherly relationship between our friendly countries, and to multiply efforts as to deepening it in all fields, be it political, economical, social, cultural and touristic. He said the two bilateral agreements between the State of Kuwait and the Federal
Republic of Nigeria are to be signed, while four more agreements are undergoing study and amendments, making the total of six bilateral agreements. Besides, the Ambassador said the State of Kuwait ready to host the 3rd Arab-African Summit within the period 1820/11/2013 Captioned “Partners in Development and Investment”.
‘Beware of Christmas gifts’
HE Commissioner of Police (CP), Anti-bomb Command, also called the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Command, Mr. Abdulmajid Ali, has advised members of the public to be careful in receiving gifts from people they do not know very well to avoid receiving bombs as gifts. CP Ali gave the advice on the occasion of the graduation ceremony of the Basic EOD Training Course 16B, 2013 for bomb technicians and investigators, at the Traffic Training Wing, Police Col-
Ebele BONIFACE lege, Ikeja, Lagos on Wednesday. He called on people to be watchful and report strange faces or vehicles parked in strange manners to the police in order to avoid disastrous occurrences. On the command’s efforts in fighting terrorism, he said: “The police are winning the war against terrorism. You can agree with me that insurgence has subsided following intensive efforts by the President
Goodluck Jonathan and the Inspector General of Police (GP) Mohammed Dikko Abubakar to checkmate the terrorists.” On what the American government had done to assist Nigeria in fighting terrorism, he said America had been trying her best. He cited many efforts made by the country the areas of logistics and training . He advised the graduands to use the knowledge they acquired to better the service delivery and image of the force.
use Dr. Jonathan’s name to launch his own political programme in Rivers State. He should realise that Rivers people are more than that. “We need to tell him that we have passed the era when we say: oh, this person is there, to an era when we now say: oh, road is there; health centres, schools, employment opportunities are there.” Chinda challenged Wike to quickly bring an end to the ASUU strike which has been on for over three months and that of the ASUP, thereby stopping to heat up the polity in Rivers State. He said: “Wike has got a
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plethora of problems to solve. Let him go back to his Federal Ministry of Education. He has a tall task of making sure that Nigerian universities and polytechnics reopen, of making sure that teachers do not go on strike. “Wike is not ashamed as a supervising Minister of Education that policemen chased away with teargas at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt, 13,000 newly-recruited teachers who had gone to collect their posting letters. Till date, he has not made any comment about it. “What kind of minister is that? We should realise that
this man is just clueless and what he is doing is political jobbing.” Nwanosike later added: “In what capacity can Emma Chinda describe Wike as a political jobber when he (Wike) facilitated his (Chinda’s) appointment as a commissioner in Rivers State? It would be recalled that the face-off between Amaechi and Wike (both Ikwerre) started with the governor declaring that it would not be ideal for another Ikwerre person to succeed him in 2015, while preferring another ethnic group or senatorial district, which did not go down well with Wike.
Standard & Poors affirms Nigeria Sovereign rating at BB-
NTERNATIONAL credit rating agency, Standard & Poors, has affirmed Nigeria Sovereign rating at BB- with stable outlook. The affirmation is coming when the agency is downgrading other sovereigns like the United States, due to the current global economic difficulties. The outcome of the rating assessment was disclosed by Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, at a press briefing, at the ongoing IMF/World Bank Annual meetings in Washington DC. The rating agency, while acknowledging the challenges facing Nigeria, said the economy remains robust with macroeconomic indicators remaining strong.
Bukola AFOLABI, Washington DC The finance minister attributed the favourable rating to the current fiscal stance of the Federal Government, adding that this is one more external validation of the economy. On the Fiscal side, S$P says Nigeria’s GDP growth remains strong in 2013 through 2016, buoyed by non- oil sector growth. According to the rating agency, Nigeria’s debt stock remains relatively low, while foreign reserves remain strong. The agency also views the economy positively in the light of the redeemed N1.7 trillion Non-Performing Loans purchased by the Asset Management Company of Nigeria
(AMCON) which will be finally written off its books. S$P equally views non-oil Sector development especially growth in agriculture, retail, telecoms and power as positive. Also at the briefing, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said the S$P’s assessment of the Nigerian economy aligns with the difficult global economic environment which has seen countries like the United States being downgraded. The governor further stated that in today’s global economy, there is limited pool of investable capital and huge competition among countries to attract such funds, and that going by this rating, Nigeria would be favorably disposed for such investment decisions.
COMMENTARY 7
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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Sovereignty, authority and global justice
read some where that colonialism ‘with its across bor ders and across seas‘ nature was indeed the forerunner of globalization and I sneered then that someone was trying to glamorize colonialism in contemporary terms to make it relevant perhaps to accommodate it in modern history . Events in the last week however have shown that my skepticism on the issue was misplaced. Just look at the foray of US special forces into Somalia and Libya this week and the reactions of the bona fide governments in both nations and you see all the imprints of a new form of colonialism actually mocking globalization as we know it today . When you also hear that former Liberian strong man Charles Taylor who has been jailed for various crimes including rape, terrorism and the use of child soldiers in Sierra Leone’s war is to serve his 50 years sentence in a British prison because Britain requested for this, then you see how colonialism is very akin to globalization. Furthermore the news that Cameroun’s military chasing Boko Haram terrorists off their territory informed their Nigerian colleagues across the border to make sure that the terrorists did not escape really showed that ECOWAS’ cooperation in fighting Boko Haram can take shape in spite of colonial heritage, its differences, and history. Again, the decision of the US to cut military aid to Egypt and the Egyptian government’s retort that it will not yield to US pressure but that Egypt will pursue its own path to democracy say a lot about the topic of the day. Starting with the overnight strike of US special forces in Somalia and Libya, the reaction of the two governments was markedly different. The Somali PM welcomed the development and praised the Americans .He told his interviewer that Somalia welcomes the intervention of its foreign partners in fighting Al Shabab anywhere including Somali territory. Ostensibly the Americans had come to attack or kidnap terrorists who had bombed the Westgate Mall in Nairobi Kenya killing over 65 people. But the raid in Somalia this time was not successful because the Americans had a new rule of engagement which did not allow them to attack where civilians are engaged. To the Somali PM then, sovereignty was a not an issue, and he had no qualms in the Americans usurping , as it were, the authority of the de facto and de jure government of Somalia, as long as the objective is to flatten the nose of Al Shabab operatives which Somali leaders regard as a form of international justice being meted out to Al Shabab. In Libya, the Americans carted away an Al Qada operative who took part in the bombing of the US embassy in Dar Es Salaam sometime ago. They kidnapped him in Tripoli and took him for questioning on a ship in the Mediterranean. The Libyan government was livid with rage and summoned the US Ambassador in Libya for explanation. Worse still, over 100 gunmen were reported to have captured the Libyan PM Ali Zeidane only to release him after 8 hours . Before his kidnap and arrest, the Libyan PM had appealed to the International Community to help his government because it could not control the volume of arms flowing in and out of Libya, which he feared would destabilize the entire region. After his bizarre kidnap and release, the Libyan PM thanked those who worked for his release and noted that the issue was a distinct Libyan problem that would be resolved inhouse. What is clear is that the Libyan PM has scant authority ,if any, and his tenure is at the mercy of those who brazenly arrested and later released him, as there was nothing stop-
ping them from a repetition of the drama. Zerdane lost power albeit momentarily and was lucky that he did not or has not lost his life yet. In effect then the militia that detained Libya’s PM took umbrage at the capture of the Al Qada operative on Libya’s soil and used the PM’s arrest to protest American violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Libya. Yet the minlitia knew it had no authority for what it did and returned the PM to his impotent office while it took cover in the oblivion from which it emerged to kidnap Libya’s PM. In effect then both Libya and Somalia showed their vulnerability as failed states last week. The difference is that while Somalia is reconciled to its fate, Libya is remonstrating like a school boy who lost his toy and did not know who to blame but to break into childish tantrums only to calm down and live with his loss. In Charles Taylor’s case one can only have some admiration for British sense of justice no matter how grudgingly. As far back as 2007 the British had passed an Act of Parliament to allow Taylor to serve his sentence in the UK at the cost of government. This is because the Sierra Leonean and Liberian government did not want the Liberian war lord to serve his sentence in the region for obvious reasons. According to the British, the conviction of Taylor is a landmark moment for international justice. This is because it shows that no matter how long the mills of justice grind slowly they will grind exceedingly fine and catch up with those leaders who rule their people with impunity, any where in the world. It is in this light that I look at the request of Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta’s that he could face his trial for post election violence on video rather than going to the Hague as his Vice President William Ruto had done for charges against them for post election violence in Kenya’s 2007 elections. Kenyatta’s request should be granted as he is a seating president. His request still shows respect for international law and the rule of law and is a climbdown from the resolution passed by Kenya’s parliament not to recognize the ICC. Really I think Britain’s willingness to play gaoler to Taylor would have moved the Kenyan leader in the direction of trial by video rather than outright refusal, given that Britain was the colonial government in Kenya and both the British and Kenya and indeed the Kenyattas know each other so well. Which again is a positive development for global justice brought about by
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Really I think Britain’s willingness to play gaoler to Taylor would have moved the Kenyan leader in the direction of trial by video rather than outright refusal, given that Britain was the colonial government in Kenya and both the British and Kenya and indeed the Kenyattas know each other so well. Which again is a positive development for global justice brought about by globalization en route colonialism
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globalization en route colonialism. Similarly, the border cooperation between the Camerounian and Nigeria military over the elimination of terrorists is a welcome development in the region. This sort of accord should be extended to nations that border Nigeria in the North East especially Niger. Before this, the language of the Colonialist namely French and English had created mistrust amongst the armed forces of both nations with France encouraging cooperation amongst Francophone states to the exclusion of the armies of former British colonies like Ghana and Nigeria. Such close ties with France have been more pronounced in recent times. That was why it was not ECOWAS that intervened in Ivory Coast to displace Laurent Gbagbo and install President Ouattara but French troops that came and fought on the streets of Abidjan. The same goes for the French troops intervention in Mali while ECOWAS was still vacillating and dithering on getting forces and logistics of intervention ready .Cross border cooperation between sovereign forces should be recognized if ECOWAS is to contain the fast and viral rise of terrorism in the Sahel, especially the Boko Haram threat that is giving the Nigerian government a run for its money, by killing students and burning churches and mosques with impunity. Lastly, the way the US government of Barak Obama has cut some military aid to Egypt goes further to show the confusion of the US government in the way it is selling democracy to the whole world. US policy on military coups with friendly governments is to cut off aid. Everyone in this world knows that the displacement of Egypt’s elected government of Mohammed Morsi was a military coup except the Obama government. The army in Egypt had asked that people come out to demonstrate against an elected government and that call was heeded and the army proceeded to form an interim government which is the precursor of military intervention in politics called military coup. Yet the US cannot call a spade a spade and apply its own policy. Of course the Egyptian army knows that the US present administration has no stomach for any fight as in Syria and will dig in like Assad and evolve its democracy on the blood of demonstrating and defiant Egyptians who think the initial street revolution fuelled by the US has been hijacked by the military in Egypt. Well, the US president is is busy at home fighting for his economic and social legacy over debt ceiling with the Republicans in the US and has scant time for Egypt and its tottering democracy or is it diarchy? So in Egypt the sovereignty lies between the army and demonstrators with the army having the upper hand. Even with the suspended military aid the Army is stronger. In terms of global justice however the US president is learning at great cost what his predecessors have known to their cost. That is that if you abandon foreign policy for too long for domestic policy your diplomacy will be in tatters sooner that you can ever expect and vice versa.
8 COMMENTARY
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Between the princess and bleeders of the nation
HOSE who had expected Nigeria's Aviation Minister, Prin cess Stella Oduah, to maintain a dignified silence in the face of the combustible attacks against her person after last week's deadly plane crash in Lagos obviously didn't know how things work here. In saner climes, and regardless of the media hype either justifying her performance or condemning her ineptitude, this beautiful Stella would have tendered her resignation letter not so much for what she has done but for what she has refused to do. We have read stories outside our shores where public servantstendered letters of resignation without waiting to be found culpable in national tragedies of monumental proportions under their watch. Sometimes, it could be a minor indiscretion like spending some office coins to pay for a cup of tea! For crying out loud, there is no way she can exonerate her office from the decay in that sector. Okay, we agree that she is doing her utmost best to fix the inherited rot. Question is: how long must we wait before we stop blaming every jot of tragic indiscretion on the will of God? We might as well do away with all those amorphous regulatory agencies in our aviation sector, including the ministry itself since we now know that, in hugging the skies, every successful landing is dependent on the grace of God. What then is the point in wasting billions of naira buying equipment and servicing personnel that could as well sleep on their hands at the airports while planes keep falling from the skies? As a specialised sector, the Nigerian aviation industry would need more than the cosmetic posturing some persons are employing to dab the painted sepulchre. Frequent fliers would readily admit that they do so with trepidation in our airspace. We still lag behind in technical and operational matters even if the minister has performed wonderfully well in rehabilitating some of the buildings in our airports. But with the scandalous and unbelievable stories filtering out from the closets of the airport operators, those parading themselves as regulators of this critical sector ought to cover their faces in shame. No matter how hard they try to twist the tale, they are ultimately culpable in the over 190 deaths that have been recorded through air mishaps in the last two years. Oduah may be right that these things do happen even in countries with the best safety procedures, what she cannot defend is the frequency with which avoidable air accidents occur under her watch. That is why we had expected her to accept responsibility for the latest Associated Airlines crash in Lagos and be more reflective in addressing the issues. In quipping that she remains the overall boss of all the other bosses in that sector, Madam ought to know that the buck stops at her table. If she comfortably giggles when being dashed the plaudits for 'repositioning and transforming' air travel in Nigeria, why shouldn't she be at home with taking the knocks for the frequent, needless, avoidable and fatal air crashes? If safety is everything, then it must be all-encompassing. We simply can't be satisfied with the present shiny structures in most airports while the hangars are laden with flying coffins! It is, to say the least, uncharitable and pedestrian, for anyone to wave the losses as an inevitable act of God. If we accept such illogic, then we may as well accept the savagery of the Boko Haram insurgents as the will of the Creator, clasp our arms and wait for our own violent end. Unfortunately, those we should rely on to stop the sickening madness are not in any way better. As usual, they have been quick to anger and have equally threatened fire and brimstone
Ogochukwu Ikeje ohgeeoh@gmail.com 08084235961 (SMS only)
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PART from walking or riding on a don key from one rural community to an other, there is no better way to travel than flying. In towns and cities, cycling and motorcycle rides have been proven to claim more lives than shuttling in the skies. Car and bus rides are also far more dangerous. This leaves the air space the safest way to travel. But if the airplane is the champ of travel, why is there so much heat when it crashes? Penultimate Thursday, a small aircraft went down just outside the Lagos airport shortly after takeoff. Of the 20 people on board, 16 died, while the rest were taken to hospital seriously injured. The plane, belonging to Associated Airlines, was conveying the remains of former governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Agagu, to Akure, the capital, for burial. A son of the late politician, also a commissioner in the state, died in the crash. Since the incident, there has been so much heat in the country, and it is not just the hot exchange between Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, a former aviation minister, and Ms Stella Oduah, the current chief. Nor is it merely that Oduah’s submission that the crash was an act of God has in itself won her much criticism. Temperatures have risen in private places as well as at the high-
in unraveling the rot that has made death so cheap in the air. But when the chips are down, can we count on them to carry through the threats? Here, I speak of the raving crowd in the National Assembly who, on Tuesday in Abuja, expressed utter frustration at the rate at which planes now crash in Nigeria. But if precedents are anything to go by, we would be deluding ourselves to expect something concrete from the latest summons of Princess Stella Oduah, the heads of the agencies under the ministry and airline operators by the lawmakers. The truth is that these folks have practically done nothing other than contributing their quota to the problem. They rake up as much muck as they can but hardly evolve time-tested solution aimed at avoiding a recurrence. Perhaps, if concrete steps had been taken after the June 3rd, 2013 Dana Air crash, we would not be talking about another fresh probe of that sector, including the audit of airlines. We have found ourselves in this mess because we hardly learn from the mistakes of the past. How are we sure that Dana Air's operations would have been suspended by the aviation authorities but for the unfortunate incident involving one of the aircraft of Associated Airlines? What is the nature of the 'operational lapses' that warranted the suspension and how many other airlines patch things up just that they can fly? If it was found out that the crashed aircraft bearing the remains of ex-governor Olusegun Agagu was over 23 years old, then someone should be queried for flagrant display of incompetence for allowing the airline to flout a law, banning such old planes from flying the Nigerian airspace. Or was that not part of the recommendations made at the joint sittings of the National Assembly which probed the Dana Air crash? How many airlines still fly these antiques in our airspace and are the planes really airworthy? Of course, Oduah is at liberty to burst into riotous rage if she truly feels that her personality has been smeared on this matter. That's why we can pardon her for the Freudian slip in which she referred to one of her critics as speaking 'under the influence of whatever" or 'ignorant' or that the particular individual should "hide his head in shame" for what she considered a rabid attack. It must, however, be pointed out that the issue at hand is too serious to accommodate a shambolic response of the inevitability of crashes. I am sure Oduah is aware that the senators who raised questions on the ways she has been running the aviation sector could not, by any stretch of imagination, be drunk neither would they be talking under the influence of 'whatever?' These lawmakers raised fundamental questions about the state of the industry under her watch. Could it be true that the crashed Associated Airline plane was under repairs after being grounded for a month
The time to put an end to the harvest of deaths in the air couldn't have come at a better time than a period when the engine room of democratic governance, the legislature, is battling to wean itself of the tag of bleeders of the nation's treasury
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Knucklehead With
Yomi Odunuga E-mail:yomi.odunuga @thenationonlineng.net SMS only: 07028006913
and should ordinarily have embarked on a test flight as highlighted by Senator Smart Adeyemi? Is there a dearth of professionals in the industry as noted by Senator Barnabas Gemade? Could it be true that, in spite of the noise the minister has been making about upgrading infrastructure, this nation has the unedifying aplomb of having the worst airport runway in the world as credited to Senator Oluremi Tinubu? And can we ignore the observations made by many of the senators that the industry requires a holistic overhaul as it is already in a state of emergency? These and many other questions beg for answers. To underscore the scary scenario trending on the social media, a friend of Facebook, Kester Busugbe, posted an interesting piece on his wall, noting: "The way things are going in Nigeria, soon before air travelers board a plane, they will personally inspect the plane, check the airworthiness, check with the agency that issued it, check the pilot's competence, make sure that the oil in the engine gauge, check the tire pressure, check if there is enough jet fuel, see the insurance certificate of the aircraft, check the approval given to the airline to operate in Nigeria, check the age of the aircraft, check what part of the world it went for service and ask the manufacturing company if it still remembers the aircraft. After over 100 passengers must have done this, then the plane will be set to fly. So, please come four hours before scheduled take off time." Laughable as it is, no one can shrug off this reality if we continue with the shadow-chasing in the aviation sector. And so, in addressing the issues, the lawmakers need to do more than the usual huffing and puffing after every critical moment in the history of this country. If they cannot bite, then they should stop the hollow barking! If they must rescue us from this free fall, then they must be prepared to get to the root of the rot in the aviation sector, which has thrown many families into permanent throes of unmitigated woes. Good enough, they have been challenged by one of their own, Senator Abiye Sekibo, to be truly committed to their oversight functions by finding out the airworthiness of all the aircraft in the fleet of the airlines operating in the country. If heads must roll in that sector, let the heads roll without any compromise. The time to put an end to the harvest of deaths in the air couldn't have come at a better time than a period when the engine room of democratic governance, the legislature, is battling to wean itself of the tag of bleeders of the nation's treasury. In case they don't know, rumour abound in town about how corruption played a major role in the failure to implement the recommendations of reports on past air crashes including the recent Dana crash. Some persons have been said to have sold their conscience for the lure of lucre. Unfortunately, they are doing so at the peril of the larger populace and even themselves. Would they do things differently this time in order to inject some sanity into an industry that is completely rotten? We can only agonise over this question as we set out on yet another journey into finding how and when we got into this mortal mess!
’ No ‘bus stops’ in the skies
est levels of government. President Goodluck Jonathan has offered his regrets and ordered an investigation. The revered chambers of the Senate have equally been heated up as lawmakers fulminated over the October 3 crash and others. Why do air crashes trigger such emotions? Put it down to a number of factors, some profound, others neither here nor there. Air mishaps tend to involve more of the rich and powerful since they prefer the skies to the roads. And everyone knows that the more the clout of the victims, the higher their news value and the more the focus on the incident. Also, plane crashes claim so many lives instantly, especially if they are commercial flights. The Bellview crash in October 2005 left all 117 people on board dead. One year later, when an ADC Airlines flight crashed with 104 passengers, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Maccido, and his son were among the casualties. This incident triggered so much heat, with many calling for the overhaul of the aviation sector. Mid last year, over 160 people perished in the Dana Air plane crash. There were several other mishaps. Now, this. And to think that in a matter of weeks, the skies have been a constant source of apprehension. From Lagos to Kano to Sokoto, air passengers and even people in their homes have been struck by fear. A plane filled with pilgrims crash-landed. There were reports of tyres exploding. There was another report of an air return, that is, a flight suddenly returning to base without getting to its original destination. Shortly after, the airline, Dana, to give it its name, was
forbidden to fly until further notice. This is scary. There are also issues of aviation regulators’ integrity and competence, as well as concerns over the Ministry’s perceived faults. Then, add to that the cry that airlines are grappling with grave odds, some complaints being that staff are owed salaries and may even be poorly remunerated. All that should leave Ms Oduah worried. But she should not only be worried; she should fix the problem. To be fair, under Oduah’s watch, the airports are looking inviting, but some reports point to unflattering deficits, too. For instance, it is said that communication facilities at the airports are poor, making pilot-air-controller linkups difficult. This is dangerous, if it is true, and will undermine the efforts and the huge cash sunk into making the airports look tempting.
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Why do air crashes trigger such emotions? Put it down to a number of factors, some profound, others neither here nor there. Air mishaps tend to involve more of the rich and powerful since they prefer the skies to the roads
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Flights are mechanical, and things can, and do, indeed go wrong sometimes, anywhere. Perhaps, that was what Ms Oduah was hinting at when she said the October 3 crash was an act of God. But the right words let her down. The minister will not deny that air mishaps are threatening to sully her grand efforts. She will do well to address the sources of those threats. Air disasters have their deathly peculiarities. No passenger wants to hear the voice of the captain announcing that some turbulence lies just ahead, let alone that the flight may not land safely. And this is for very obvious reasons. At such peculiar moments, the best engineers on board will not be able to go under the flying airplane to fix any mechanical problem. Potential problems ought to have, to a reasonable extent, been detected and sorted on the ground before takeoff. Again, once airborne, there are no air safety personnel positioned in the clouds to prevent an imminent danger. There are no bus stops any where, as it were, to quickly tackle a present threat. Tyres ought to be certified fit before flying. Nothing should be overlooked. The plane conveying the body of Dr Agagu, for instance, was reported to be overloaded with fuel. This is not acceptable. The air remains the safest route to travel but it also presents its own peculiarities, making it probably the only transport mode that requires the most thorough attention. I am sure Oduah knows this more than anyone else. Now, what she has to do is move quickly to correct what could possibly overshadow her aviation efforts.
COMMENTARY 9
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Trigeminal neuralgia: Living with the enemy SHOCKS of excruciating pain radiate across the side of the face like a fierce electric shock. It feels like fire or hot coal is being held to the face while that same face is being stabbed with a sharp object and a razor-blade scraping down it leaving it raw and bleeding. When the sharp, stabbing and shock-like pain starts, there is no relief for days, months or even years. That is the painful experience that people who suffer from the dreadful and paralyzing condition of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) have to endure on a constant or regular basis. TN is a very uncommon disorder which causes facial pain that is associated with the trigeminal nerve that carries sensation from the brain to the face. When there is a blood vessel pressing on the trigeminal nerve as it exits the brainstem, it causes a compression with the potential to wear away the protective coating around the nerve. TN symptoms can also occur in people with multiple sclerosis or may be caused by damage as a result of compression from a brain tumor. In many cases, a cause cannot be identified. The pain is one of the most excruciating agonies a person may experience. The disorder has been described as one of the most painful conditions seen in medicine and is generally referred to as the suicide disease because the pain experienced is so spasmodic, paralyzing and intense that it has been known to have driven some people to suicide in some societies. When the condition strikes, even the slightest touch to the face, whether it’s a breeze, hair falling onto the temple, simply brushing the teeth, head movements, talking, eating or even a loud noise may trigger flashes of pain. There is no relief from the pain. The pain suffered as a result of TN is the type of pain that no one believes unless they have experienced it themselves. It is relentless and takes over a life to the extent where it is difficult to find any joy in life. The triggers are so many, and it is impossible to avoid them during the course of everyday living. Considering that the episodes of the attack are precipitated by even the mildest sensory stimulus, when a person is suffering an attack it becomes impossible for them to communicate effectively. Their life becomes an existence riddled with excruciating pain or the anticipation of pain at every moment. Even when the condition goes into remission, that period of relief usually lasts a short time — if the sufferer is lucky enough to have one at all. Because TN is so uncommon, most physicians have very little experience with it and many fail to identify it on first diagnosis. This makes it very difficult for patients that have to endure living with the pain without having access to proper treatment. There have been several incidents where people suffering from TN have been referred to dentists by physicians who presume that the pain to the face is caused by a toothache. And in a large percentage of those cases, patients have had their teeth removed by dentists in order to ease that pain that is perceived to be caused by an abnormality in dentition, making the pain of TN presumably worse. Part of the challenge faced by both sufferers of TN and the
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It is important for facts about TN to be shared in public and stories of sufferers to be told so that people who may have family or friends that suffer from the condition may learn and become more aware of how to support sufferers of this dilapidating and horrendous condition
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medical practitioners is the fact that there is no single test to diagnose TN. Diagnosis is generally based on the patient’s medical history, description of symptoms and a physical and thorough neurological examination by a physician. And because of overlapping symptoms and the large number of conditions that can cause facial pain, obtaining a correct diagnosis is difficult, but finding the cause of the pain is important as the treatments for different types of pain may differ. However, whilst the trigeminal nerve might be involved, it does not automatically establish the diagnosis of TN. There is no cure for TN; at least not a permanent one. Even though there are several options a sufferer can have access to in order to manage the condition and there is the possibility of the condition going into remission for a period of time, people who live with TN generally have to manage it for the full duration of their lives. Currently it may be managed by a combination of medications, ranging from anti-convulsions, anti-depressants, strong opiates, muscle relaxants or anti-inflammatories. These medications often have awful side effects such as confusion, dizziness, memory loss, chronic fatigue, drowsiness, weight gain, to name but a few, and, in many cases, they do not even completely control the pain. However, in cases where medication fails to relieve the pain of TN or produces
intolerable side-effects, there is the option of surgical treatment. The neurosurgical procedures available to help with TN depend on the individual’s preference, physical well-being, previous surgeries and the area of trigeminal nerve involved. The most common surgical procedure suggested to sufferers of the condition is known as microvascular decompression. However, although this brain surgery results in the longest period of pain relief, it is the most invasive and can have very serious consequences. Another option is to have a rhizotomy. And although the rhizotomy is not as invasive as the microvascular decompression, it includes a method where the nerve fibers are destroyed to block pain. This causes some degree of permanent sensory loss and facial numbness sometimes causing the side-effect of hearing loss, balance problems, infection, and stroke. But the most discouraging aspect of any of the procedures and treatment of TN is that, no matter what procedure is adopted, often the condition will at some point still return. There are also assortments of drug treatment available to quell the pain of the disorder, of which Carbamazepine is the most effective. But this drug has a lot of side-effects such as vertigo, drowsiness, ataxia and double vision; so elderly patients may not be able to tolerate this drug. Given the seriousness of TN and given the fact that it is universally considered to be the most excruciatingly painful condition known to medical practice, it is shocking that it remains relatively unknown. Sufferers of TN have until now been silent but have begun a push to be pro-active by trying to raise awareness and understanding of the condition that has destroyed lives. They did so by marking October 7, 2013, as the first International Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day. So, this Monday, dozens of buildings and structures across the world lit up teal for the day and it was used as a starting point for TN suffers to get recognition. An online petition was also submitted to the World Health Organization asking for TN to be added to their “Health Topics List”. Globally, this will raise awareness, give access to resources, create opportunities for funding and research, would increase understanding and give individuals access to information. It is important for facts about TN to be shared in public and stories of sufferers to be told so that people who may have family or friends that suffer from the condition may learn and become more aware of how to support sufferers of this dilapidating and horrendous condition. Living with a debilitating, life-changing condition, for which simple things that most people take for granted like brushing teeth, eating, talking, or even moving the head is impossible, is like living with the enemy. For those who struggle to survive the pain and the harsh medications that accompany it, they can only pray that a cure is found for the world’s most excruciating pain. Because nothing can be worse than living a lifetime of unimaginable pain where one is driven to their knees. Unfortunately, that is the painful reality of those who live with TN, the enemy within.
Afe Babalola and Figure 21
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EOPLE often ask these nebulous questions as to what is in a name and what is in a number. My answer to the first question came sometimes in April, this year, when I read the story of a family blessed with a set of triplets after waiting for 10 years. Through the sheer length and meaning of the names given to each of the triplets, with the longest one having 26 letters followed by 25 and the shortest, 19: TanitoOlorunobatoseyitan,MosinmileileriOluwatikiiye, Oluwaseohunarafunmi, this family has shown its immeasurable joy and gratitude to God. Surely, there is so much to and in a name. So, we can say it with names. As for numbers, we are told, in number theory, that a lucky number is a natural number in a set which is generated by a “sieve” similar to the Sieve of Eratosthenes that generates the primes, with number 21 (under reference) being a member of the surviving sequence. The term, introduced in 1956 in a paper by Gardiner, Lazarus, Metropolis and Ulam, also suggests calling its defining sieve, “the sieve of Josephus Flavius” because of its similarity with the counting-out game in the Josephus problem. Lucky numbers, we are equally made to understand, share some properties with primes, such as asymptotic behaviour according to the prime number theorem. Needless to say, there are infinitely many lucky numbers. Juxtaposing the lucky number theorem with Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, and his new baby, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, one is tempted to remember Juju music maestro, King Sunny Ade, who sang in one of his records in the 80’s that “Ori to mi a d’ade, o pe o ya, o ni lati d’ade”, meaning no matter how long it may take, a man destined to be king and lead his people, will surely be crowned a king sooner or later. Sunny Ade sang this song in commemoration of the ascension to the throne of Oyo by the incumbent Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, Bablola’s intimidate friend and client. If Sunny Ade’s song was apposite to Oba Adeyemi then, it is no less apposite to Babalola, the Founder and Chancellor of the wave-making ABUAD, even when Babalola’s formal education ended at the elementary school level. Many things stand out the less than four years old university, which is graduating its first set of 120 students in the College of Sciences and College of Social and Management Sciences on October 21 after only three and half years of in-
•Afe Babalola Tunde OLOFINTILA tensive, strike-free academic works, an uncommon accomplishment in a country where their colleagues are still battling and sweating to complete first or second sessions in other universities where four year courses take between six and eight years. No thanks to all manners of strike actions by all manners of unions in the universities. Looking at Babalola’s antecedents and rustic background, perhaps Sigmund Freud, the primogenitor of dreams, could not have dreamt that Babalola who suffered grinding poverty and deprivation during his early life, but triumphed to be what he is today, could rise up to establish a university which has been rated by the World Universities Webometric as number 2 Best private university and Number 13 of the totality of 157 Universities in Nigeria in barely three and half years of existence. Truly, like Sunny Ade sang, ori to mi a d’ade, o pe, o ya, o ni lati d’ade. But what informed the establishment of ABUAD? Babalola, who providence saved three times from being consumed by rampaging tigers when he was growing up, is al-
ways quick to point to his eight years stint as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the University of Lagos, during which time he was able to see, bare-facedly, the rot and decay that characterized public universities in Nigeria and his burning determination to stem the ugly tide by establishing a university that will reform functional education by providing and leading others in quality education, service, industry and character as well as discipline. A man given to great dreams and their actualization, Babalola quickly pumped everything he had, time, money, energy and the goodwill he had cultivated in his several decades of legal practice, into this dream project, so much so that the model modern university which was established in 2009 commenced uninterrupted academic works on January 4, 2010. The monumental investment in ambulatory and non-ambulatory matters remind one of the mercurial words of Georges Sada, the Iraqi Air Force General, in his book, Saddam’s Secrets wherein he said “if you want to understand what is important to a man, look at where he spends his money”. Whereas Saddam, in his warped and twisted ambition to control the Arab world, busied himself spending the wealth of Iraq and its oil money to acquire tanks, missiles, bombs, guns and explosives as well as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs), which he consistently denied, Babalola, a self-made man, is deploying billions of Naira and other resources to run a university primed to produce world leaders and achievers who can stand on their own anywhere they find themselves after graduation. No wonder an appreciative parent recently described him as a missionary and not a ‘mere’ Founder of Afe Babalola University because this particular parent sees him in the mould of great and selfless Christian Missionaries of old like Henry Venn, who founded CMS Grammar School, Lagos, the first secondary school in Nigeria, on June 6, 1859 and Archdeacon Henry Dallimore who established Christ School, Ado-Ekiti in 1933 to shape destinies and light the lamp on the country’s educational path. Having said so much about the university, let’s then address the point in issue: the place and significance of figure 21 to Babalola. Although there is no law saying convocation ceremonies should of necessity be held on particular days, but as far as one’s memory and experience could attest, con Continued on Page 57
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Alumni association condemns protest by students HE Alumni Association of the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State, has condemned the recent protest by students of the institution, cautioning the students against such protest in the future. A press statement issued by the association, signed by its National President, Comrade Festus Olaifa, frowned that the protest by the students disrupted a major sporting event that was to be attended by prominent
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such could be hijacked by hoodlums and political thugs to cause mayhem and damage the integrity of the institution.” Olaifa lauded the Rector of the polytechnic, Mr. Patrick Hussein, for his pragmatic leadership, pledging the full support for his regime. The Alumni also hailed the Governing Council of the polytechnic and other stakeholders for their efforts in taking the institution to greater heights.
LASPOTECH, NAC collaborate
AGOS State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) and the National Automotive Council (NAC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the construction of Automotive Test Centre on the Ikorodu Campus of the Polytechnic. The Rector, Dr. Abdulazeez A. Lawal expressed his gratitude to the Lagos State
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personalities, and embarrassed the corporate image of the institution. “The Federal Polytechnic, Ede, is known for peace and academic excellence. This is the legacy built over the years by hardworking staff of the institution and past students. We appeal to the students to strive to sustain this legacy and even raise the bar. “We advise students to shun unjustifiable protests, because government for the approval of the execution of the project in the Polytechnic, and hailed the decision of the National Automotive Council to select the Polytechnic as location for the project. According to Lawal, the project will not only contribute to the development of automobile industry in Nigeria, but will also give
students access to proven facilities, as well as broadening their scope in automobile. He also noted that the National Automotive Council (NAC), in conjunction with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) had earlier donated mechatronic equipment (training systems) to the Polytechnic.
Katsina restricts operations of commercial motorcyclists, tricycles ATSINA State government has restricted the operations of commercial motorcyclists/ tricycles in the state. The restriction order on tricycles, popularly known as Keke NAPEP and motorcycles, according to the police, will
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n El-Zaharadeen UMAR, Katsina n take effect between 9.30pm and 6.00am daily. The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Muhammad Hurdi, who confirmed the ban, while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the State Security Council meeting, disclosed that
ICOBA 73 set holds 40th anniversary EMBERS of Igbobi College Old Boys Association (ICOBA), who passed out from the school in 1973, will tomorrow hold a thanksgiving service and merit award. The old students were admitted into form one in 1967, sat for the school certificate examination in 1971 and completed their Higher School Certificate in 1973. According to a statement signed by Rev. Bola Oyeledun, a member of the Organising team, the thanksgiving would take place in the college’s chapel at 10.00am, while reception and Merit Awards would hold in the college hall.
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the ban, which is to cover all parts of the state, will remain in force till further notice. According to Hurdi, the ban on operations of the motorcyclists and Keke NAPEP would help to secure and strengthen the security of lives and properties in the state. Following the ban, the police boss enjoined people of the state to continue to support government policies and programmes, and to live in peace with one another.
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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Pastor who predicted calamity during Agagu’s funeral •For ex-Ondo gov’s town Iju-Odo, it’s double tragedy •My last moments with exOndo Governor –Regent Story on pages 20&21
•Pastor Adedokun
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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•Left: A woman dries cassava produce by an SPDC gas flare. Right: A farmer displays a tiny fish caught after hours of laborious fishing in a vanished and polluted river in Gokana
A sad dirge wafts from the creeks in the delta. It speaks of dying earth, vanishing rivers and meadows sodden by crude oil spilt by multinational oil companies. Dangerous gas flares belch irrepressible diseases and death, and naked sand dunes congeal into repellent mud flats, running into distances of squalid settlements across Nigeria’s oil rich region. It’s a paradoxical tale of the geese that lays Nigeria’s golden egg dying of starvation. Every household in the Niger Delta suffers a sad narrative; together, they amplify the strains of a dreadful funeral song. Writes OLATUNJI OLOLADE, Assistant Editor
‘Everybody is enjoying oil money but we are dying because of it’ HERE is fire in Utorogu; where the forest craves the cool windstir, bird-note and lull. There, in the heart of the greenery, red-yellowish flames burst from the mouth of an iron pipe. Few metres from the blaze, a lesser flame flares from a smaller duct. Together, they muster a fierce combustion. There is death and loss in the incineration. The sweltering heat singes the skin and destroys plants and food crops within reach; it sears the air decent metres from the scene of conflagration. It scorches the earth too, and causes Monday Agabor’s crops to wither and die off many months before they are due for
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harvest. “This land used to be fertile but today it is not anymore. I inherited it (farmland) from my late father…When I was a kid we used to follow him to work on the farm at harvest time. Back then, harvest used to be big and very plenty. We had enough to eat. My father also gave out yams and cassava as gifts to our neighbours and we sold the rest at the market at a profit,” he says. Today, that same land barely produces enough food for Agabor’s household to eat. “My children won’t go to the farm with me. They know there is no hope in farming. These days, I am lucky if I get good yield, and when I do, it’s barely
enough to feed me and my family,” laments Agabor. You will know the farmer’s pain extends beyond impoverishment and bad crop yield simply by looking at him. Agabor, 65, looks gaunt; he treads in unstable gait and his severely worn skin hangs loosely on shoulders that seem to have been sorely burdened for too long. His body is a curtain of rash and scratch sores and he wheezes between sentences. “The weather has been very bad these days,” he says breathing very sharply. But 68-year old maintains that he is “not sick,” even as he perspires uncontrollably. Agabor suffers very bad sight; so does
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We used to grow vegetables and cassava on our plot of land but after the spill, our harvest became smaller. My husband couldn’t catch fish like before as all the fish had either died or become too poisonous to eat. In frustration, he took to heavy drinking and smoking until he died …These days; I can barely get enough food to eat. I can’t even feed my children. Since the oil spill, the price of food has increased. It’s a luxury now to get good fish to eat
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•Sunny Ofehe, environmental activist and founder, Hope for Niger Delta Campaign (HNDC) explains the dangers of a ground level gas flare in Oben
buy a fish for N50 ($0.35). Now you have to pay N300 to N500 ($1.95 to $3.25) for a fish. As a result, many families can’t afford to buy food with enough nutrients. But the hapless natives have learnt to swallow grief like sour cornmeal. “Nobody dares talk. Everybody is enjoying oil money but we, the people that produce it are dying because of it…I just wish to go back to the time that Thomas (her late husband) was able to catch good fish and we had enough of it to eat and sell in the market. Fish wey no dey smell of oil (Fish that doesn’t reek or isn’t polluted by crude oil spill),” says Collet. The widow’s utmost wish is that SPDC and other oil companies scattered across the delta pays them adequate compensation and vacate their land completely.
•A woman searches through vanishing river and mudflats for periwinkles contaminated by oil spill. Inset: Periwinkles polluted by crude oil his wife, Tabitha. Rachel, his wife’s niece and an auxiliary nurse, blames their bad sight on years spent working too close to multinational oil gas flares in their neighbourhood. Of Agabor’s worries, getting a decent livelihood and at least two decent meals towers above all others every day. But he has no job; neither does he enjoy the luxury of a decent diet. “Such is the scourge of every community hosting a gas flare,” notes a Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) staff (name withheld), stationed at the company’s plant in Utorogu. The “Structural engineer” admits to The Nation that the impacts of gas flaring are indeed grave. “But there is nothing anyone can do. Frankly speaking, forget where my loyalty lies, our leaders (Nigerian government) are unserious about the ultimatum they issued to us (oil companies). Before you issue such a directive, you have to be sure that you have the nerve to back it up with the force of law. No oil company takes us (Nigerians) serious. They know that whatever they do, and whatever its impact on the host community, they will get away with it,” he says. And they just might get away with it; as you read, the Niger Delta metaphorically regarded as the goose that lays Nigeria’s golden egg, writhes in untold hardship and devastation. Besides gas flaring, oil spills by multinational oil firms in the area devastates the region. Echoes of pain and desolation resonate across the country’s oil rich expanse; the effect is petrifying – bitter, violent narratives of pain, native disillusionment and impoverishment steal unto the air with a tragic peal. They echo the pains of a jobless fisherman
like Austin Ibenedo. Ibenedo, 46, hails from Gokana Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State. Like thousands of men scattered across the Rivers State LGA, Ibenedo survived by fishing; until the catastrophic oil spill of August 2008. “Before the spill, life was easy. Many of us lived a very simple life. When we were hungry, we simply went to the river to catch fish and make soup with it. After the spill, everything was destroyed,” says Ibenedo. Collet Okorowari, 35, used to trade in fish. She is a native of Bodo, a town in Gokana LGA of Rivers State. Bodo used to be a serene rural community, locally known as the fish basket of Gokana. Her husband used to be a fisherman until he died of respiratory disease in 2011. Since his demise, Collet has been braving the onerous task of raising their four children. According to her, after the August 2008 oil spill, all the fish in the creek died, moved away or were too polluted to eat. Subsequently, Collet became a petty trader like many of her peers in the region. She does not enjoy the support of her man anymore thus making survival an arduous task to her. “We used to grow vegetables and cassava on our plot of land but after the spill, our harvest became smaller. My husband couldn’t catch fish like before as all the fish had either died or become too poisonous to eat. In frustration, he took to heavy drinking and smoking until he died…These days; I can barely get enough food to eat. I can’t even feed my children. Since the oil spill, the price of food has increased. It’s a luxury now to get good fish to eat,” she laments. Since the oil spill, the price of fish has increased in Bodo. Before the spill you could
Health fears While the land, water and vegetation of the Niger Delta are being destroyed by oil spill, the air has been subjected to ecological degradation as a result of routine flaring of associated gas. In Utorogu and Rumuekpe in Emuwa Local Government Area of Rivers State for instance, fierce combustions burn at the ground level. Mothers often dry their cassava extracts near the flames and children gather nearer to have fun and feed their eyes with what they consider to be an amazing sight since the huge fire continues to burn brightly, day and night. They do not know that by assembling or getting too close to the flames, they increase the chances of having their health destroyed by dangerous chemicals being pumped into the atmosphere. Also, food products dried by the gas flares become poisonous to eat. The first solid data on the health impacts
of oil pollution in Ogoniland for instance, came from the recent United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) study, which notes: “Petroleum hydrocarbons can enter people’s bodies when they breathe air, bathe, eat fish, drink water or accidentally eat or touch soil or sediment that is contaminated with oil.” The report also referred to raised concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons in the air and drinking water. The long-term effects are not yet well understood, but could include cancer and neurotoxicity. The short-term effects are described as follows: “Dermal exposure can lead to skin redness, oedema, dermatitis, rashes and blisters; inhalation exposure can lead to red, watery and itchy eyes, coughing, throat irritation, shortness of breath, headache and confusion; and ingestion of hydrocarbons can lead to nausea and diarrhoea.” Recent research findings reveal that oilfields in the Niger Delta contain large quantity of gas mixed with crude oil. Some even contain more gas than oil. In the process of extracting the oil, the ‘associated gas’ comes out; such flared gas also contain large amount of methane and carbon dioxide which are major contributors to ozone layer depletion. Gas flaring over the years is said to have led to noise pollution, steady temperature rise, acid rain, corrosion of roofs and respiratory diseases among many other health problems Perhaps, a vivid picture of what is happening in Niger Delta is captured by the Secretary of the World Environmental Movement for Africa, Dr. Lucky Elenia. Describing the situation in Omoku in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government of Area of Rivers State, he laments that the atmosphere has been so polluted that the oxygen content is less than normal. With a global oxygen requirement of 21 percent, Ogba communities have less than 11.8 percent. Community members living close to gas flares complain of high ambient temperature from the flaring site. The concentration of acid in rain water appears to be higher in the Niger Delta region and the practice has altered the vegetation of area, replacing local vegetation with “stubborn” grasses which connotes that the soil where it grows is no longer fertile for cultivation of crops. The location of gas flaring sites close to inhabited areas no doubt constitutes an environmental anomaly. In Rumuekpe Community, the community hosting ELF
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
The untold story of South Korea •Night view of the Buk Seoul Museum of Art in Junggye-dong, Nowon District, northeastern Seoul
An emerging economic power in the world is the Republic of South Korea. But unknown to many, the Asian country was an aid recipient for many years before its economy took a drastic turn for better in the 60s. In this piece, our Managing Editor, YUSUF ALLI, who is on a study tour, reviews the rags-toriches history of Korea. or about three hours on Tuesday at the Kookmin University in Seoul, a group of 18 planners, who were drawn from the National Planning Commission, the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and similar desks in Kwara, Kogi, Akwa Ibom, Kano, Gombe, Cross River and Jigawa states, was regaled with the story of the “economic miracles” which had transformed the Republic of South Korea in the last 52 years. The workshop was facilitated by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). A pin drop silence overwhelmed the hall as the video clips and accompanying lectures were putting Nigerian participants through the “grass-to-grace” journey of the Koreans. The solemnity became apparent going by the fact that the timeline for Korea’s transformation coincided with the period of independence of Nigeria. Yet, the gap in the development between Nigeria and Korea paints a picture of a malnourished child and an overfed type. Once given a less 0.1 per cent chance of survival, Korea rose from the rubble of war and psychological distress to take its destiny in its hands. Written off as a nation from the beginning/a troubled past A peninsula, South Korea comprises mainly of hills and mountains, but there are large coastal plains in the western and southern parts. Initially, it had the misfortune of being colonized by China and Japan, as part of a larger Korea (North and South) until 1945 when Japan surrendered the territory to Allies. But following attendant cold war between the United States and the defunct Soviet Union, the Korea was divided into two at the 38th parallel leading to the founding of South Korea on August 15, 1948.
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Barely after its emergence as an independent nation, South Korea was plunged into war as a result of the invasion of its territory by North Korea. This invasion led to the Korean War between June 25, 1950 and June 27, 1953. The casualty figure of the war was put at about four million with South Korea completely devastated. As at 1953, the Republic of South Korea (ROK) was ravaged by food shortage, high maternal and infant mortality, epidemics, lack of potable water, electricity and acute accommodation crisis with many Koreans living on the street. In his appraisal, Prof. Sung Gul Hong of the School of Public Administration and Public Policy, Kookmin University, Seoul said: "The Korean war had a devastating effect on South Korea, leaving about 70 per cent of industrial capacity destroyed and about four million casualties. The bombs used during the Korean War were more than the bombs dropped on European continent during the Second World War." Blessed with little gold in its mines, South Korea depended on agricultural products to manage to survive the post-war years. The products are rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit, cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs and fish. The agricultural sector could not sustain the Koreans because the pains of the war were too much to bear and they resorted to receiving aid from the United States and others to stay afloat as a nation. In 1958, about 80 per cent of the South Korea’s national budget came from the aid offered by the United States. Other nations later rescued South Korea with aid such that it got about US$25billion assistance between 1960s and early 70s when it regained its economic rhythm. The fragile situation of South Korea earned it derisive appellations as “the hell-hole of foreign assistance”, a “bottomless pit” and a “hopeless case”. Hong said Japanese had written off South Korean when rated the Koreans as "lazy, dirty and liars." Another report by the USAID Director in Korea in 1957, which was sent to the State Department, labelled it as “the poorest country in the world and completely hopeless.” Desperate to survive, records at Kookmin University showed that South Korea opted for foreign debts to grow its economy between 1963 and 1979 as follows: $157m(1963); $206m(1965); $2.992b(1971); $3.589b(1972); $4.260b(1973); $8.456b(1975); $14.871b(1978); and $20.500 (1979). Miraculously by April 1, 1991, the same Korea had transformed from being a recipient, an Official Development Assis-
tance (ODA), to a donor by giving aid (KOICA) to underdeveloped and developing nations through KOICA. The Director, Strategic Planning Team of KOICA, and Cho Han Deog, who spoke in Seoul, said: “Aid gives hope if well utilized; aid helps to break the yoke of poverty; we can testify to this as a nation. This is why we are giving back to the world for coming to our rescue at the time of need. And our aid is untied; we do not seek anything in return. The ODA volume of South Korea has increased from $212million in 2000 to $1.325bilion in 2011. The beginning of recovery of South Korea from the rubbles The road to the economic recovery of Korea began in 1958 when its sole backer, the United States reduced about twothirds of its aid to it. The decision of the US was based on 1957 USAID Report. Many hungry Koreans were upset by the development, but the government was forced by circumstances to rise to the occasion instead of begging. The Korean government then created the Ministry of Reconstruction which began to prepare economic development plans beyond living on aid or grants. In spite of many interventions, most Koreans agreed that committed leadership was behind their economic “miracle” because what they had in abundance was only human resources. The emergence of Maj-Gen Park Chung-hee as Korean military leader through a coup d'état in 1961 was a turning point for his country. Although he overthrew the Korean Second Republic and became the head of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction (until his election as the President of the Korean Third Republic in 1963), Chung-hee laid the foundation for modern Korea which has become the envy of all. Park was so passionate about Korea’s development to the extent that he wept during a state visit to the defunct West Germany while addressing Korean immigrants. He said: “Let’s us work our best,
• Continued on page 50 •Investment yielding results
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Pius Omole
PHOTOS: Olakunle ABIMBOLA Olakunle ABIMBOLA with Hannah OJO
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‘Oil destroys everything’ Continued from Page 15 collection centre, AGIP collection centre and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) flow station and booster station, a flaring site was located about 250 meters from inhabited houses in the community. Vertical gas flaring was previously practiced by the oil companies; the method involved raising the flaring nozzle high up into the sky. This method makes the practice conspicuous. However, due to opposition to gas flaring in the region, the oil companies now use the horizontal flaring method to obscure the practice. Burning at ground level, the flames point menacingly at communities, belching heat, smoke and dangerous toxins at ground level. Economic importance of gas Natural gas can be used for the operation of fleets of indus•A woman fetches as firewood what trial equipments, plants, mais left of the dying vegetation in Bodo. chineries, vehicles and cars that use diesel and petrol for transby the end of 2009. In its Susportation at the national and international tainability Report 2006, the firm level. In business and in other commercial asserted that it would end rouactivities Petroleum and natural gas enhances the construction of electric generating tine gas flaring everywhere in the world in 2008, except in the plants or energy supply source like gas turNiger Delta. bine. The export of quality liquefied natural “We will continue our efforts gas and diesel would earn Nigeria desired to end continuous flaring at uphard currency, increase foreign reserve and stream locations, other than service the country’s foreign debt – this will Nigeria, by 2008. In Nigeria, the in turn increase the country’s per capita Shell Petroleum Development Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Natural gas, Company (SPDC) joint venture as dangerous as it is, if managed scientifiexpects to end continuous flarcally has wide application in domestic uses ing there as planned, during including refrigeration and air conditioning. 2009,” the report says. They gave two reasons: the Prodigal nation first reason given was that some The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) says Nigeria is losing over $4.9 million of the locations are too inaccessi(more than N735 million) daily to gas flaring. ble. And the second reason George Osahon, a Director in DPR, made the given was that the flares would only end in some locations by disclosure at the 14th Business Forum of the shutting down production. In Nigerian Gas Association (NGA) recently in Shell’s Sustainability Report Lagos. 2007 these two excuses for not Osahon, who was represented by Oliver ending gas flaring are dispensed Okparaojiako, a Deputy Director in DPR, said that in spite of the country’s massive hy- with completely and a more drocarbon endowment, Nigeria is yet to fully convenient one was conbenefit from the resources. According to him, structed: that the oil fields are Nigeria gas reserves endowment is up to 600 too violent. ExxonMobil thinks that the Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF), hence the country realistic flares down will be end is often described as a large gas haven with of 2010. The corporation’s Area little oil. Manager in Nigeria, Ms Kim Oil production currently stands at 2.5 mbpd, while gas flared in the country stands Bates, gave ExxonMobil’s perspective in a talk on Gaps in the at 1.4 billion cubic feet per day. This means Gas Development Chain. The that an average of $4.9 million worth of gas is being flared on daily basis which translates corporation claimed that the end of 2007 was not feasible beto about 1.4 billion cubic feet of gas flared cause of the security situation in daily by the international oil companies. the Niger Delta, the pricing From research, 168 billion cubic meters of regime (probably for gas) and natural gas is flared yearly worldwide. It is equivalent to 25 per cent of gas consumption funding for infrastructure devel•A woman works on her farm very close to opment. in the USA and 30 per cent of European For Chevron, ending gas flara ground level gas flare in Rumuekpe Union (EU) gas consumption. The flares ing in 2008 is not practical it pump 400 million tons of CO2 annually into would have dire economic conthe atmosphere; and 13 per cent of the gas companies. flared in the world comes from Nigeria alone sequences and would “defer income from “Now, who do you blame? The oil compa480 million barrels of oil between 2009 and and stands at about 23 billion cubic meters nies or the Nigerian government who lacks 2012." Chevron’s official, Charles Adeniyi, per year. This quantity is enough to meet the political and legal will to ensure that the stated this while speaking on behalf of the oil companies obey our judicial ruling? Can Nigeria’s energy needs and leave a healthy industry at a public hearing on flaring held balance for export. But all these go up in Shell or Chevron disobey a court ruling in at the National Assembly in November 2007. The Netherlands or the United States?” smoke yearly, leaving death and destruction The industry wanted the deadline shifted to in its path. 2010, adding even this would depend on Punitive fines or pat on the back? government action. Politics of gas flaring Fines set for gas flaring have been so palAccording to Sunny Ofehe, Founder/ExIt was in response to local and internatry that it is still cheaper for the corporations ecutive Director, Hope for Niger Delta Camtional pressure that the Federal Government to pay the fines than to act to halt the obnoxpaign (HNDC), in Nigeria and Netherlands, pledged to halt gas flares in Nigeria and set ious act. By the Associated Gas Reinjection “There is no intention by the oil companies January 1, 2008 as the deadline. But by DeAct 1979, the fee charged for flaring was first to end gas flaring. It is five years after the rulcember 17, 2007, a new target date of Decemfixed at N0.50 per million cubic feet (mcf) but ing and we still see the fire burning in the reber 31, 2008 was announced. In response, from January 1998, this penalty was ingion. Remember it is cheaper for the oil Shell estimated that an additional investcreased to N10 per mcf. A World Bank report companies to flare the associated gases ment of $1.85 billion (about N247.9 billion) notes that, “in recent years oil companies in would be required to complete some projects rather than convert them to cooking gases as Nigeria have been charged a total of between done in developed countries by the same oil that would enable it achieve zero flare level N20 million and N50 million (or US$150,000-
$370,000) annually for flaring associated gas.” The DPR announced that from January 1, 2009 the penalty for gas flaring would be raised to $3.5 for every 1, 000 cubic feet of gas flared. At a public hearing held by the Senate in November 2008 on a proposed anti-gas flare bill, the Senate President, David Mark noted that the proposed fine of $3.50 per 1,000 standard cubic feet (scf) of gas flared is meager and would not be a deterrent to the companies which have continued their act with impunity. But despite the hot air blown, the government is yet to enforce the December 31, 2008 deadline. Ticking time bomb One of the greatest challenges to human development in the Niger Delta region is how to win people back to the traditional livelihoods that sustained them in the past. The youth are mainly interested in rent-seeking from oil operations in the form of standby money or oil bunkering, hostagetaking and sabotage of oil pipelines. The host communities suffer harmful health effects of oil exploration and loss of livelihood: mainly fishing and farming. Continued degradation in the form of spills and gas flares render the Niger Delta extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change with a projected loss of 50 per cent ability to produce cereals by the year 2020 – which would rise to 80 per cent loss by 2050. This is worse than any armed conflict, according to Nnimmo Bassey, environmental rights activist and founder, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF). It is expected that gas flaring and other harmful practices of petrobusinesses operating in the country’s Niger Delta will be curtailed when the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is passed into law. The objective of the PIB is to increase exploration activities, facilitate domestic usage of gas, expand reserves and formulate a National Oil and Gas Policy. Ghana, Niger Republic, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Chad and Angola are some of the countries that a decade and half ago were not commercial crude oil producers but the story is different today. The most disturbing news is that by 2030, Nigeria’s largest buyer with regards to crude oil sale, the United States of America will become a net exporter. By then, the US will surpass Saudi Arabia which is the largest producer of crude oil among the members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The country has been able to achieve this feat by revolutionising its shale gas technology. Chevron’s GMOU Industry analysts identify Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL)’s Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMOU) as an ambitious measure to mitigate the damage caused by oil exploration. GMOU is a community-driven development approach adopted by CNL in 2005 to manage conflict and administer social investments in communities in its areas of operations. By the end of 2012, Chevron Nigeria claimed to have completed a total of 203 projects worth about $79 million in communities. These projects, the company claims, cut across education, health and sanitation, economic empowerment, capacity building, housing, jetties, bridges, and transportation. However, no such measure according to Ofehe, will ever be enough palliative for the monumental loss and hardships that CNL, SPDC and other petro-businesses wreak on the poor, helpless natives of the Niger Delta.
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THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Continued from Page 17
Continued on Page 48
Pius Omole
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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COVER SERIES
When I started, my family because I slept under a
•Pastor Adedokun’s church. Inset: The bromide of the letter the pastor wrote to Iju-Odo town’s chiefs RIOR to Friday, October 4, 2013, not many people knew anything about Pastor John Adewale Adedokun and his Christ Apostolic Church, Cannan Land District, Olowo near Ore, Ondo State. Before that day, the prophet’s fame had not gone beyond Okitipupa and its environs. But after news of the ill-fated plane crash filtered into town, words quickly spread round about the man of God and his warning. One week earlier, Pastor Adedokun had written a letter to the chiefs of Iju-Odo, hometown of late Dr. Segun Agagu, warning them of an impending danger. To ward off the danger, he advised that a three-day revival programme be held in the town before the burial of the former Ondo State governor. The chiefs did not waste time in heeding the advice of the man of God, as the entire town came together to hold a three-day revival, starting from Monday, September 30 through Wednesday October 2, 2013. During the programme, with the theme ‘Forbidding Satan and cohorts in the land created by the God of our fathers’, the man of God urged the indigenes to pray fervently against losing more people to death in Iju-Odo. The impact of the message dawned on
P
n Segun AJIBOYE n the people early Friday when words filtered in that the plane carrying the remains of the former governor had crashed shortly after take-off. No sooner they learnt of the crash and the fact that no relations of Agagu died than they bombarded the prophet with phone calls and thanking God that they heeded his advice. His church is located on a large sparse of land in a non-descript remote settlement along the Ore-Okitipupa road. The settlement, Olowo, is not known to many beyond Okitipupa, Ore and environ. But the church, and indeed Pastor Adedokun’s activities are fast putting the name of the hitherto unknown settlement on the map. When our correspondent visited the church on Tuesday, different kinds of people, many of them allegedly coming from distant places, were seen praying with various degrees of intensity. Not even the absence of the man of God in the auditorium could take away from the seriousness which the people attached to the prayer session. And if you expect the man behind the revelation to appear to you in a well-cut suit or agbada, you sure got it wrong.
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You can ask anybody who attended the programme, my prayer point during the programme was that the people should pray to God that no other corpse, aside from that of the former governor, would be brought to the town. And God answered our prayers, because that programme aborted the plans of the wicked ones to cause more pains, not only to the Agagu family and the entire town, but to Ondo State and Nigeria in general...
,
Dressed in a pair of shorts and a simple shirt, you stopped short of saying ‘Sir, it’s the prophet I came to see, not you’. But you quickly changed your mind when the man standing before you introduced himself as the man you came to see with a smile. Speaking with The Nation in an exclusive interview inside his church in Olowo, near Ore, Prophet Adedokun said: “We went to
pray at the Olusooye Hill (Ori Oke Olusooye). It is located between
Ifetedo and Garage Olode in Osun State. It was while we were praying that God told me to ask the people to pray fervently. God said they should have a three-day prayer and fasting session to avert an impending doom. He also said it that the programme should be done before the remains of the
Iju-Odo’s double tragedy: two weeks before I
JU-ODO, Ondo State, hometown of late Dr. Segun Agagu, is in deep mourning. For the town, Agagu’s death on Friday, September 13, 2013, was double tragedy. Two weeks earlier, precisely on August 28, the town had lost its monarch, Oba Daniel Taiwo Temola. At the time of the monarch’s death, their prominent son and former governor of Ondo State, Segun Agagu, was in faraway United States of America. The elders immediately communicated the demise of the monarch to Agagu, who in turn told them to continue with the programme for the rites of passage, promising to be back in the country soon. The elders went ahead with other programmes pending when Agagu would return, himself a leader and eldest son of a former Ojomo of the town. But that was not to be. As the town waited eagerly to give their king a burial befitting a monarch, they received the
n Segun AJIBOYE n
shocking news of the death of Dr. Segun Agagu, putting an immediate stop to whatever burial plans the town had for their late king. Last Tuesday, three days after the interment of late Dr. Agagu, the entire town was still in deep mourning, as there was no sign of festivity expected to follow the passing of such a personality. And everywhere you turned, the few people on the streets refused to talk about their loss, with most deciding to mourn in silence. “What do you expect us to do or say?” an old woman who refused to disclose her identity said. But she quickly added: “My son, for us in this town, his death is a very big loss. It is not about him being a governor, but about what he has been able to do for us. Go round the town, and you would see his touch everywhere.’’
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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COVER SERIES
thought I had gone mad tree for three years – Pastor who predicted calamity during Agagu’s funeral
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With little or no fund available to him, he lived on a bench under a tree for three years after he took possession of the land in 2005. But at this stage, his immediate family became very worried about their man. They feared that he might be suffering from mental disorder, and came to take him away. “But the first day they came to take me away, I was praying with some people. After they observed what was happening, my family decided to leave me alone’’
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man of God was hearing from God. Though many of the old revelations may not have been of the magnitude of this latest one, Pastor Adedokun insists that he is merely a servant of God, and that he says whatever God directs him to say. “I don’t really know by what title you want to address me. But the truth is that it is the God in me who is working. And like I told you, I simply do what God directs me to do.” The story of his journey into the world of evangelism and prophecy is etched in mystery. Born some 56 years ago in Iragberi, Osun State, Prophet Adedokun spent the early part of his life in faraway Ivory Coast where he lived with an uncle. He returned to Nigeria in 1977, having been trained as an electronics repairer. And for the next few years, life was sweet as young Adedokun made money and enjoyed spending it while it lasted. He said: “Prophet Hezekiah Oluboye Oladeji, founder, CAC Canaan Land, Garage Olode, Osun State, is the one behind this ministry. It was him who God used to bring me into His fold. Prophet Hezekiah and I are like Elijah and Elisha. It
was through him that I found God’s favour. I am the first of three children. I was taken away to Ivory Coast in 1967. I came back to Nigeria in 1977. Life was good and I made money. But by 1990, I lost everything because I lived life as a non-believer. ‘’After that, my siblings tried to get me a job. But because I didn’t have any certificate, all they could get for me was security jobs. But I know that I am a strong man, so I opted to go into farming rather than do security job. That was how I started farming and also help people to harvest palm fruit. Between all this, I also served as a house help for some period. It was while I was doing this that I got to a settlement, called Kajola Ojurin. I finally settled there in 1997, and left in 2004. “At that time, I was a member of The Apostolic Church. At a point, the pastor was transferred, and nobody was brought to replace him. One particular Sunday, I just decided that I would lead the congregation. I was doing this until one day when the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) requested for somebody to represent our church. The church decided that I should
Town lost monarch Agagu’s death The mood at the palace was not in any way different. The Regent of Iju-Odo, Chief Seyindemi Oguntoye, Ojomo of Osooro Kingdom, like most people in the town, is still in shock over the death of the former governor. Though a few years older than the late Agagu, Chief Ojomo said Agagu’s death has robbed the town of a prince and a performer. “Agagu was somebody we respected so much. His father was a late Ojomo of this town. So he was a prince. But the main reason everybody loved him was because of his contributions to Iju-Odo. Go round the entire town, and you would see his touch. If you go to Ilaje towns, you would see his works. He constructed bridges to connect the people with their neighbours on land. Before his government, no Ilaje community, except Igbokoda, could be accessed by land. But those bridges opened up those places. These were towns that you could only access by canoes before him.” Chief Ojomo’s pain would be appreciated if
you knew his relationship with the late Agagu and their last discussion, which was a day before he died. According to the chief, Agagu visited him shortly before he travelled to the US in August. During the visit, Agagu explained that he would not be around to attend the wedding of the chief’s son, billed for a few days later. He offered his goodwill, and promised to see the family on his return. “The last time we saw was August 17. On that day, he came to my house to tell me that he would not be able to attend the wedding of my son, and he gave me an envelope. After that, we discussed about our town, the state and Nigeria in general. He lamented the state of affairs, and said he feared for the future of our people. He left after about two hours.” The two would speak again two weeks after that encounter when the town lost its monarch. Their discussion centred around the rites for the late king and the arrangements
Continued on page 48
go. But don’t forget that I said I was a farmer, not a pastor. But I found favour before the leaders of our church, and they sent me. “One day, we decided to hold a revival programme. So, as we debated on who to invite, we all agreed that it should be Prophet Hezekiah. We went to his church to inform him. The first time we met him was November 11, 2004. Meanwhile, I was still doing my farming work alongside the pastoral work. On the day the prophet came for the revival programme, it was like all his messages were directed at me. Though he did not know anything about me at the time, but all he said was about me. When I heard him, I started crying. But at a point, I heard him say that God asked him to shake hands with three people. I was lucky to be one of the three people who shook hands with him that day. Immediately after that, I clearly heard God talking to me about my salvation. God specifically told me not to go back to my house, and that I should leave that town immediately. He said if I obeyed His command, that I would fulfill what He sent me to do on earth. I tell you, from that crusade ground, I didn’t go back home. I left the town that day and came to Olowo, Ore, to meet my friend. That was how I got to this town.” When he arrived at his new abode, he did not waste time to commence a threeday fasting and prayer that God ordered him to observe. “I started almost immediately after I arrived at Olowo town. Interestingly, people started coming to me that I should pray for them. I did that for the next three days when a message came that I should tell the people, irrespective of their religion, to come together and pray to Him. God said if they did that, He would hearken to their cries. I did as ordered by God, and the people turned out in large number for the programme. The town head
Continued on page 48
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late Governor Segun Agagu was brought into the town. God specifically said bad people wanted to use the opportunity of the burial to cause more calamity to the people of Iju-Odo. We quickly did a letter to the chiefs, warning them of the danger. I am particularly happy that they heeded God’s warning.” Asked what would have happened if the revival programme had not held, the man of God said: “You can ask anybody who attended the programme, my prayer point during the programme was that the people should pray to God that no other corpse, aside from that of the former governor, would be brought to the town. And God answered our prayers, because that programme aborted the plans of the wicked ones to cause more pain, not only to the Agagu family and the entire town, but to Ondo State and Nigeria in general.” And why did he not pray to avert the crash? Prophet Adedokun said: “What God told me was to tell the people of the town to pray against whatever evil the wicked might have in stock for the people. God specifically said the prayer should be that no other corpse would be brought into the town aside from that of the former governor. And that was what we did.” On what revelation he had, Prophet Adedokun said God asked him to tell the people of the town to ensure that a three-day prayer and fasting was observed before the burial to avert further problems in the town. “We regularly go to pray on the hill in Osun State. On this day, as we were praying, God told me to tell the people to pray to Him to avert further troubles in the town. And as we were descending the hill, I remember vividly that I suddenly turned back and told my people. I said: ‘The wicked people want to cause havoc with this burial’. That was why we quickly wrote a letter to the head of the town to intimate them with the revelation.” The revelation was not the first time the
•Chief Oguntoye
But while the elders were waiting for their prominent son to arrive, a mostshocking news spread into town. “We were already making arrangements for the meeting when somebody rushed in to tell me that he heard that Agagu was dead. In fact, I almost fainted while I was trying to make meaning of what he just told me. For several minutes, I could not comprehend the impact of what I was told’’
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SOCIETY
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Oshiomhole’s aide Charles Idahosa at 60 The Political Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Chief Charles Idahosa, turned 60 recently. A reception was hosted in his honour in Benin City. Below are some of the dignitaries who attended the event.
•Hon. Idahosa at the reception
•Hon. Idahosa with daughters
•From right: Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rt. Hon. Pius Egberamwen Odubu, Hon. dahosa, his wife and another guest
•First Executive Governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie Oyegun (left), and Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Cromwell Idahosa
•Younger sister to celebrant, Mrs Nosa Uwegba, and Ms Ekaetee Abak of UNIBEN
•Hon. (Mrs.) Elizabeth Ativie, member representing Uhumwonde Constituency, Edo State House of Assembly
•From right: Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uyi Igbe, the Iyase of Bini Kingdom, Chief Sam Igbe, and Justice Efe Ikponwoba
•From right: Chief Igbe, and Madam Akakasiaka Idahosa
•From right: Edo State Commissioner for Environment and Public Utilities, Prince Clem Agba and wife, Justice Idahosa, Chief Oyegun and Minority Leader, Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Samson Osagie and wife
Inside The
Glass House WITH AMINU MAIGARI
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Sat. 12 Oct., 2013 Cagliari v Catania Milan v Udinese Sun. 13 Oct., 2013 Atalanta v Lazio Sassuolo v Bologna Verona v Parma Fiorentina v Juventus Genoa v Chievo Livorno v Sampdoria Torino v Internazionale
Sat. 12 Oct., 2013 Newcastle vs Liverpool Arsenal vs Norwich Chelsea vs Cardiff Everton vs Hull City Man Utd vs Southampton Stoke City vs West Brom Swansea vs Sunderland West Ham vs Man City Sun. 13 Oct., 2013 A Villa vs Tottenham Mon. 21st Oct., 2013 C Palace vs Fulham
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Eagles: Soak the pressure
I
F football were to be mathematics, this weekend World Cup play-off between Super Eagles and Walyas Antelopes would be won by the latter. But football is not mathematics, it is biscuit as you cannot predict how it would break. The Ethiopians are the Antelopes. They are the lowliest rated of the ten teams remaining in the last round of the Brazil 2014 qualifiers in the African continent and therefore should be no problem to the Eagles. But football does not add up that way. The Antelopes may be lowly rated yet they are the most improved of the teams in contention for the five African slots. They have come from no hopers to a top flight team. Despite getting three points deducted, the nimble-footed Ethiopians beat the South Africans to the tape though the Bafana Bafana have not been top notch since they won the 1996 African Cup of Nations. The South Africans were roundly beaten by the Eagles in the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup, losing 2-0 at home to the African Champions. It simply means that the Ethiopians played in a weak group and have not met their match since the competition kicked off. Not that the Antelopes do not merit their place among the cream of the top ten. They do, and they need to be in top gear to survive the attack of the Stephen Keshi’s men in Addis Ababa. It is not only mathematics that favours Eagles. History is also on their side. Since they have been playing against each other, the Antelopes are yet to record a win against the Eagles especially in this modern time. The most recent confrontation ended in a 2-2 with Nigeria forcing a draw. It was during the era of Samson Siasia as the coach and the stake was different. It was in the 2012 African Cup of Nations which Nigeria failed to qualify for. Eagles gave two goals away only to be lucky to pull them back. Since then, quite a lot has changed in the Nigerian game as well as the Ethiopian. Eagles have gone on to have a new coach who won the African Cup of Nations in February. The team which played the Antelopes in Addis Ababa in 2012 has changed drastically as well. The ‘new’ coach has called in home based players into the national team which is different from the Siasia’s squad comprised solely foreign based players. There are five home boys in the squad which is heading for the Ethiopian capital today though only one or two may put on the jersey. The current team has not lost to any African one in a competitive game since they were brought together in the last one year. They have rolled from one victory to another and this is the statistic the Ethiopians will attempt to bring to an end. It will take some time for the fear factor to return to the Nigerian team. The Antelopes will definitely not be afraid of our Eagles as they are the home side. It would take more time and more victories for other African teams to fear our national team as it was in the past. The Antelopes will, however, respect them and it would be in the best interest of our boys to respect the Ethiopians as well. Nigeria is no doubt a big team in African football and Ethiopia will want to square up to her man for man. The Antelopes will have a 12th player filing out for them tomorrow in the World Cup cracker. The ‘player’ is the weather and the high altitude which had been difficult for other teams to break down. The high altitude has been the story of their success at home in this past one year. It takes 15 days to acclimatize. As there is no time to do that, the football house has adopted a touch-and-go strategy. It hired a chartered flight which leaves today for Addis Ababa. By the time that the effects of the weather would be setting in, the match would have been done away with. The high altitude will have a great effect on the outcome of the match and I wish Eagles well to surmount the obstacle. The Ethiopians will attack with everything they have gotten. They will want to win with a good margin at home and then make the return leg a mere formality. That would be their thinking and they will carry it out to the letter. Their greatest weapon is the midfield where they will play as many as five players with two strikers and three defenders. They play modern football and it has brought them out of the African football woods. Eagles need to stop them in the middle by choking them and disallowing them to play. Eagles have never been known to sit back and allow the enemy to come at them. This may be the appropriate way to play the Antelopes. We need to soak the pressure and then go at them when they would have gone dry of ideas. They will throw everything into the game and that would make them tire easily especially towards the end of the game which Eagles may exploit to take the match. The only thing that can stand between Nigeria and victory in the encounter is complacency. The Walyas Antelopes do not have to be underrated for anything. They have changed from the team that Nigeria forced to a draw at home in 2012. They have become more formidable and experienced. They played in the last Nations Cup finals in South Africa. Though they did not go beyond the group stage and lost 2-0 to the Eagles, the fact that they have gone this far is a testimony that they can be dangerous. Therefore, they should not be underrated by the Keshi’s wards. Doing that would be to their peril.
Saturday, October 12,2013
Patience SADUWA and Paul UKPABIO
38
THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
With KAYODE ALFRED
E-mail:kayflex2@yahoo.com
TEL:08116759807
THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
TEL:08116759807
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LIFE & STYLE
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
What I find romantic about my husband? His smiles and gap tooth — Ekiti Governor’s wife Bisi Fayemi at 50 For more than two decades, the First Lady of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, has been in the forefront of issues that border on woman empowerment and social justice in Africa and beyond. As the wife of the Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, she has been a major factor in the positive change the state has witnessed since her husband became the governor. In this exclusive chat with KEHINDE OLULEYE, she speaks about her life as the first lady and how she got attracted to her husband.
• Bisi Fayemi
ow does it feel to be 50? I clocked 50 on June 11 this year. I thank God almighty for keeping me till this time. I feel great and blessed. I'm very happy. Your two books, Speaking Above a Whisper and Speaking For Myself are scheduled for public presentation. What inspired them? Speaking Above A whisper is my autobiography and Speaking For Myself Is a collection Of essays and speeches I have done over a period of 21 years. What are the unique things in the book? I can't tell you that. People should get the book and find that out. What I can say is that it is a story of my life. Some of the information are public knowledge, some of them are not. They chronicle my childhood, my early years, the people who influenced me, the circumstances that influenced me, going to school. I schooled at Abeokuta Grammar School and did my A-
H
level at the Methodist Girls High School in Lagos. I attended the University of Ife (Obafemi Awolowo University), did my youth service and went back to Ife for a master’s in History. It was when I went back for my master’s that I met my husband. He came to do his master’s in International Relations and we shared a class. When I finished my master’s in History, I went back to the United Kingdom. I was born in the UK in July 1963 and came back to Nigeria with my parents in December, 1969. So when I got back to the UK in 1988, I worked with the British Civil Service briefly. Then I went to work for a non-governmental organisation called AMWA. Its focus was to provide support for African women. During my time at AMWA, we established the African Women Leadership Institute, which was a training forum for young African women. And over the past 15 years or so, so many institutes have been in existence and we have trained over 60,000 African women. I left London 2001 to move to Accra, Ghana to establish the African Women Development Fund, which I co-founded with two other African women. The focus of our work is to provide grants to women organisations across Africa as well as capacity building and technical assistance; the main focus of our work being financial support. So, I was in AWDF for 10 years. By 2010, I moved from Accra to Nigeria because my husband became the governor of Ekiti State in October. Are you still involved with AWDF? Yes, I'm still on the board of African Women Development Fund, I'm no longer the CEO, but I'm on the board. I'm one of the three co-chairs of the endowment campaign for AWDF. The other two are President Ellen Sirleaf and Mrs. Graca Machel. You just concluded a market tour in the 16 local government areas, during which you empowered the market women with cash and other materials. Why market women? First of all, women empowerment and gender equality are
part of the 8-point agenda of the administration of Dr. Kayode Fayemi. So, everyone knows that issues of gender equality are very important to the administration. We've campaigned on this issue: the fact that there's going to be a better deal for women in the state. Last year, I did a tour of all the groups of people in the state. We've supported different women in the state from inception, and at a time, I promised the market women when they complained that I was not paying attention to them when doing ground assessment of the different associations. I promised that I would do something different for the market women because they are a major part of the informal economy. A lot of things take place at the market place. A lot of decisions take place at the market place and we can't afford to take them for granted. So, I conducted a feasibility study with the support of the Ministry of Women Affairs as well as the caretaker chairmen of all the local government areas. They told me the things that they needed. They included things like water, toilet, lock-up shops, cash for micro credit and others. So, with our own assessment and the help of the local government chairmen, we were able to go round the 16 local government areas. We gave them tools for micro-credit as well as a vehicle for each of the market women associations. It was a very successful tour, way beyond our imagination. I hope to be able to repeat it sometime in the future. The market outreach is going to be an ongoing feature of my work. Your husband has been in the saddle as Ekiti State governor for three years, and you seem to have succeeded in proving that the office of the First lady is not a drain pipe. How were you able to achieve this? I have always been involved in causes that promote social justice and development. My career has always been in the field of women development and philanthropy. And If I spend most of my career working on social justice and human rights issues in different parts of the world, the least I can do is to apply what I have learnt to my own state. I am the chair of the Ekiti State Aids and Control Agency (Ekiti SACA). I also chair the Consultative Committee on Arts, Culture and Tourism and the gender-based violence prohibition law that was signed in 2011 by His Excellency has an implementation committee. So it is called the Genderbased Violence Law Implementation Committee. I chair that as well. My involvement in these agencies ensures that I put in some of the experience that I have acquired back into the state. Are you recommending that to other states? We all have things to learn from one another. A lot of wonderful things are going on in other states as well that we can learn from. It is about doing things that can help our people, inspiring ourselves to do better. And then my husband has a leadership philosophy of service to the people, as opposed to people serving you. I share that philosophy deeply. So I'm actually very grateful for giving such service to the people, based on the experience, the expertise and the network that I have at my disposal. I’m quite willing to give it to the people of Ekiti State because they deserve the very best. Back to the question of the office of the first lady… I believe that there has been a lot of debate in recent times on the constitutionality of the office of the first lady. And the debate has gone back and forth. Early last year, I wrote an essay, Speaking for myself: The 1st Lady Debate, to share my opinions on the matter. And my view is that people should separate the argument around the need for a mechanism to support the administration of the president or the governor to be able to do the things that the incumbent cannot do from the misdeeds and the misdemeanor of the individuals who have occupied that seat over time. They are two different things. And then not all the offices and administrations are in the constitution. In the essay I wrote last year, I gave an example of the office
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013 of the Chief of Staff. The office of the Chief of Staff does not exist in the Nigerian constitution but it is something administrations have put in place even at the state level. One thing they have learnt is that it is almost impossible for anyone to administer a country or a state without having someone to perform the role of the chief of staff. How can you expect a president or governor to function to his fullest potential if he does not have a partner who can do the things he is not able to do? Now, that is a different argument from saying that those who have occupied those places, who have been corrupt, who have abused state resources, constituted themselves into a security threat, who have undermined their partners’ administrations. That is a separate argument altogether. So, what I’m saying is that we should not conflict the two. The countries that we are fond of citing as examples are the United States and the United Kingdom. There is provision for the office of the wife of the president and so on, but there are very clear rules of engagement and there are very clear rules in terms of the things that they can do. They do work as ceremonial and in philanthropy. And if there are issues that they care about, they drag those agendas as well and learn the voices to those issues. In my own case, being fully aware of the criticisms that have trailed the office of the wife of the governor, the first lady, I have been careful to ensure that I don’t find myself in such a situation that my integrity or the integrity of my husband will be called to question because everything I do is worth the support for my husband, and anything that will undermine that, I will not do. I focus on my work. I focus on the things that interest me. I focus on the areas that I can add value. The issues that I spoke about—human right issues, HIV/AIDS, violence against women—are issues that I have worked on for most of my life at policy level, at the level of academy and research and at the level of community engagement, and I will continue to do so regardless of whether I am the wife of the governor or not. Governor Fayemi has signified interest in running for a second term. What does that portend for Ekiti women? It will be a consolidation of what has been achieved so far. A lot of good things have happened in this state for everybody, men and women. And women have benefitted a lot. We have an unprecedented number of women in decision making in Ekiti State right now. Gone are those days when female politicians in the state were just on the sidelines. They were the ones cooking, dancing and cheering the men. Now we are equal partners in the democratic processes that we have. We have the female deputy Governor. We have a significant number of women in the state cabinet. We went from having no women at all in the House of Assembly to having four in the April 2011 election. And we have a record number of women as permanent secretaries or as members of boards and parastatals in the civil service. So, women have achieved a lot under this administration. Women happen to be the majority of voters in the state, whether in rural or urban areas. My hope is that women in the state will come out in their numbers to support my husband when the time comes, because they know that the foundation that has been laid now is solid enough for a lot of beautiful things to be built on, and when women benefit, the community benefits. I learnt that there is an equal opportunity bill in the state house of assembly right now. Can we really have equal rights and opportunities in this part of the world? Many people are not aware that there is a national women gender policy that the federal government agreed to in the year 2005. The national gender policy covers things to do with the political, economic and social empowerment for women. It is supposed to be a road map and planning tool for the ministry of gender at all levels from the state to the federal. Ekiti State so far is the only state to have domesticated the national gender policy. That was done in June 2011 as a result of my advocacy and working in partnership with other stakeholders. There are some key elements of the gender policy that need the backing of the house; like discriminatory decisions in the work place, having affirmative action so that we can have more women in decision making and so on. So if the bill is passed, it will mean that we are no longer paying lip service to the issue of gender equality. Because it is one thing to claim that we are going to give women opportunities. If it doesn’t have the backing of law, then it cannot be enforced. It is not the same thing as saying men are no longer the heads of the home. What we are saying is that women require equal opportunity with men. Any man who has a daughter will not want her cheated. They might feel differently about their wife. A man asked me the same question recently. He said, ‘Erelu, do you think a woman can now stand up and say me too I can do this...’ I said, I know that you have a daughter who made a 2nd Class Upper in the university. She is a lawyer. How would you feel if in two years time, she went for an interview and the first question they asked her is, ‘are you married?’ The second question is, ‘if you are married, when do you want to start having children?’ At the end of the day, they don’t give her the job because they think she can abandon the job to follow her husband. He said he would feel
LIFE & STYLE
• Bisi Fayemi
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45 Ghana where old women are dumped and called witches. These are women whose children cannot take care of and they accuse them of witchcraft. They are being looked after by missionaries. So, the AWDF at some points started to give these women economic empowerment and health needs. As a result of the attention which we are able to give to these women, a documentary film was made, called the Witches of Ganbaga, a couple of years ago. And now, people are averse to this phenomenon of falsely accusing women of witchcraft and depriving them of their rights based on superstitious beliefs, and it has really, really helped these elderly women. I started to notice that trend in our community—elderly women being falsely accused of witchcraft—and I know that ultimately, we are going to make sure it does not continue to happen. When I see our efforts, it continues to inspire me because there is always work to be done. What is your advice to young Nigerian women who might want to emulate you? You might start a life given to you by your parents but you need to work hard. If you are relying on a man somewhere to help you or you wish to meet a rich man who will one day become the governor, you are in for a rude shock. You have to work hard. You have to study. You have to be able to build a career for yourself. You have to listen to good advice. By the grace of God, you‘ll be given the spirit of discernment to know the difference between good and bad advice. Learn how to balance things and plan so that you can discharge effectively your responsibilities and your roles. There are no short cuts, and the only person you can rely on is yourself. Who are your role models and heroes? I have many. There are women who have been of influence to me. I will like to acknowledge my late father, Chief Akinola Adeleye. My father is my first role model. He was an absolutely wonderful father. He set me on the right path in life through the values, the spirit of community service and responsibility. My husband is another role model in my life because I happen to think he is one of the greatest thinkers and leaders of my generation. And there are other people who have had great impact on my life. People like Madame Graca Michel, President Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf and many women all over the world, particularly the African continent. Their stories of triumph over tragedy have blessed me. One of my role models is the ordinary market woman who sits out in the sun and in the rain trying to make sure that there is food in the home and money to send their children to school. What have you learnt from Ekiti people? The people are very hard working, God fearing, concerned about development and want to have good things for their communities. They always want to be the best they can be. They are people of honour and integrity. I love their spirit of responsibility. They are one of the most homogenous people in the country. How can the wealthy people help the masses through philanthropy? I have always said that what defines philanthropy is not the size of your pocket but the size of your heart. In my view, anyone who can dip their hand into their pockets can become a philanthropist. I think the very wealthy in our midst should be encouraged to engage in more formal and structured philanthropy; philanthropy that has to do with more social justice and getting to the root of a lot of issues that we are grappling with. Because a lot of our problems—abandoned children, kidnapping—are symptoms of much deeper problems. And I’m beginning to see that in our society, with people like Mr Tony Elumelu of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, retired Major General Theophilus Danjuma of TY Danjuma Foundation, Alhaji Aliko Dangote with the Dangote Foundation, the federal government needs to do more to encourage indigenous philanthropy in Nigeria. We need to start teaching our children too the culture of philanthropy, so that they can also have a sense of entitlement and reach out to others. Was there any childhood experience that shaped your life? Read my book, everything is there. If I tell you everything, there won't be anything to read about my book, Speaking Above a Whisper. Do you miss living the normal life as someone in the public domain? You mean do I miss my privacy? Well, I do sometimes. But this was what we signed. Sometimes I wish I had my privacy but I can't complain as long as people are being imparted and lives are being touched. You are aging gracefully. What is the secret? (Laughs) I don’t sweat the small stuffs. I don’t surround myself with people who give negative energy. I try to stay healthy. I try to eat right. I try to exercise. I default every now and then. How romantic is Governor Fayemi? (Laughs) Why are you asking me? Go and ask him. He is romantic in his own way. The most romantic thing he can do for me is to flash his smiles at me and I see his gap tooth.
How can you expect a president or governor to function to his fullest potential if he does not have a partner who can do the things he is not able to do? Now, that is a different argument from saying that those who have occupied those places, who have been corrupt, who have abused state resources, constituted themselves into a security threat, who have undermined their partners’ administrations cheated because it would mean that the investment in his daughter had been wasted. So, I asked him is that something you would like? He said no, now I understand. Everyone will benefit from the bill. What are the three things people don’t know about you? Three things people don’t know about me? Hmm, that’s hard. When I was putting my memoirs together there were a couple of things that came to my mind. People don’t know that I play the ayo game. I’m very good at it, and I used to beat a lot of the older people at the game. There are a lot of things people know about me. I like to dance. People don’t know that I like to spend 15 minutes every day not talking to anyone, not seeing anyone, not watching TV or anything; just to think on my own, reflecting and decompressing. The third thing people don’t know about me is that I wear dread locks simply because I think as African women, we shouldn’t pretend to be anything unnatural. Every strand of hair you see is my own hair. There is nothing Brazilian or Chinese or Indian about it. A lot of people don’t know I have dread locks because my hair is normally wrapped up. Those are the three things, I play Ayo, I reflect on my own for the first fifteen minutes every day and I have dreadlocks (smiles). You are involved in a lot of things. What drives you to do all these? The two that come to the mind, first of all, there is a lot that has to be done. In spite of the fact that many of us in the women events have worked hard over the years to ensure that we have laws and policies, mechanisms in place to protect women from violence or to ensure that women’s rights are appreciated, there is a lot more that has to be done, and what drives me is to do more to be able to make sure that all the aspirations and all the goals we have to ensure that women have gender justice are actualised. The second thing is seeing results. At the African Women Development Fund for example, we support women organisations to run a whole range of programmes in different areas—economic empowerment, capacity building governance, security, arts, culture, sports and so on. We see tangible results. We see very clear ways in which the lives of women can be impacted on and that women have access to the tools they need. We have seen women who have no hope, never being able to look out for themselves the financial support that helped them to survive, start their own businesses and support other people. There is a group of old women in the northern region of
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How did the wedding ring and gown originate?
Please ma, how did the wedding ring originate and hasn’t the wedding gown outlived its usefulness since there are hardly pure brides these days? – Uche, Ibadan (08097724479). The Origin of the Wedding Ring Many of the wedding traditions that we follow today date back to centuries past, while others are only a few years old. The exchanging of rings, depending on which explanation you believe, is one of the oldest marital traditions around. One version of the origin of the wedding ring states that, during prehistoric times, the groom would bind the bride’s ankles and wrists with grass, to keep her soul from escaping (some say it was really to keep her from running away!). Once the ceremony was complete, he would re-
move the rope, and tie it to one of her fingers. This tradition gradually evolved from grass, to rope, to leather, and finally, to a metal band. Another story comes from the ancient Romans, who placed a ring on the third finger, because it was believed to house the “Vena Amoris” or the “Vein of Love,” which ran directly to the heart. They chose the left hand, because the heart was then believed to be on the left side of the chest. These traditions were spread ’round the world, as new lands were discovered; thus, we have the tradition of the wedding band that is still highly recognized today across many religions and cultures. As to whether the wedding gown has outlived its usefulness, it depends on the colour we’re talking about here.
Somebody who knows has something to say: Since the tradition of wearing a white dress has nothing to do with virginity at all, then yes. The white dress was orignally a symbol of weath, since white fabric was expensive and the dress would only be worn once. The wealthier families showed they could spend a large sum of money on a dress for one day that would never be worn again by purchasing a white dress. It wasn’t until a couple of queens wore white dresses, and their photographs widely publicized (both in the late 1800s) that white wedding dresses became widely popular. In fact, even in the century during the Great Depression era, most wedding dresses were not white.
From you to me God’s grace will always speak for you, give you beauty for ashes, fame for shame, joy for sorrow and set your feet out for uncommon dance. Your story on the community court was ended abruptly ma. God bless you. More anointing for greater exploits. A fan frm very way back ma. 07038437926.
I’m 26 and in love with a 27-year-old girl
Hi wise lady Adeola, I am in love with a girl, she is 27 and I’m 26. She has a child which she told me about. She is a virtous woman l always see her in my dream playing without sex. She said that age is the problem. I want to marry her after our NYSC and my parents love her so much. Please help me because I don’t want to miss her. Hi. If I had a crown to give to people with heads of wisdom, you would have taken one now. How many Nigerians guys your age
My Aries girlfriend is not satisfied with my being self-employed
My Aries girlfriend is not satisfied with my being selfemployed because I’m not always meeting her financial needs I’m Sept. 25th, she is April, 6th and we had had a pious (no kiss, hugs and sex) relationship for 7 years now and my intention is marriage. I love her dearly and a minute with her renews my humanity, however, I perceive she loves me less and is not satisfied with my being self employed in pursuit of my passion and not always meeting her financial needs on time. On my part, her posture drove me into a relationship that has produced a child of 2 years old which I have not told her about for fear of the unknown even though she got wind of it through a whistleblower. Please forecast the future of this relationship. Orya. I’m a Libran and I know that restlessness in us to do the things we love doing even when we have to suffer for a while before our feet get strong on the grounds we have chosen. You have a passion for whatever you’re doing now - let no one kill your dreams. Financial needs my foot! You need financial help yourself. So let her get a job or a business that will take care of her needs until you’re able to. Pronto. Your child is a big part of you. The child came during the uncertain period between you two, so don’t be afraid to let her know. You can’t hide the existence of your child forever because you fear the reactions of an unstable person. Tell her and if she wants
to stay after getting over the shock the revelation is bound to bring, good for her, if not, good luck to her wherever she wants to go. I’m not a psychic t know what the future is like between you two, but I’m publishing a normal Libra male and Aries female astrological compatibility: Libra and Aries Aries and Libra are directly opposite one another in the Zodiac — 180 degrees apart. Each Sign possesses qualities that the other lacks; combined with Libra’s natural yen for harmony, this can be a relationship that enjoys great balance. Aries is the Sign of Self while Libra is the Sign of Partnership, and the differences continue: Aries is impulsive, excitable and ready to jump right into something new and exciting, while Libra is indecisive, peace-loving and prefers a calm, smooth approach. Aries can learn from Libra that their own way isn’t necessarily the best way. These two Signs share the great sexual attraction common to all Signs opposite in polarity. At the same time, though this pair’s connection is amazing when it’s good, it can be extremely challenging when it’s bad. All polarities have energies that tend to tangle or knot if understandings can’t be reached. As a combination, Aries and Libra are well-balanced. Charming, cultured Libra can teach brash Aries something about style. Libra prizes harmony in a relationship and will go to great lengths to maintain it. Aries is very decisive and can teach indecisive Libra about relying on intuition for answers.
Aries is a Fire Sign and Libra is an Air Sign. Working together can be challenging at times. However, both Signs have wide-ranging interests, and at the end of a long, active day, Aries can come home full of interesting stories to tell the more cerebral Libra! Aries and Libra are both Cardinal Signs. They both have a lot of initiative — but lack in followthrough. They both tend to start things they’re never going to finish, whether it’s a job, a project, a relationship … Aries will appear
to be the leader because of their energy and forceful nature, but Libra leads from an intellectual standpoint. Both Signs want to be in charge, but Aries uses force and sometimes intimidation to get what they want while Libra uses charm and sometimes manipulation. Compromise is essential to this relationship’s health. Diplomatic Libra has a much easier time with compromise than does Aries, who strongly dislikes yielding to another person, viewing it as submission. Libra may have to give in more often to Aries’s wishes in order to keep the peace that they so cherish.
He is 40 and I am 23 Aunty Adeola, I really need your help, about my boyfriend who is 40 and I am 23. He claimed he loves me but never took me to his house, nor did I know any of his family. We usually meet in a hotel. I am confused because he said he will be coming to see my parents. My fear is that I don’t know if he is married or has children that he doesn’t want me to know because he always tells me he is single anytime I confront him. Should I let him come and see my parents? I am confused. Blessing. Dear poor Blessing, this man has been catching his fun at your expense and he must be having a good laugh behind your back. You don’t seem to be wise about the antics of men. Even men that give you the keys to their apartments have other girlfriends who come to do short-time when you’re away at school or work.
• L-R The Director General,Lagos state Financial Management Bureau, Mr.Ahmed Mustaphe, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs. Nike Animasahun, Microsoft worldwide Director for Services, Tara Larson, Microsoft Industry Director worldwide, Barbra Terry,the Governor of Lagos state Mr.Babatunde Fashola (SAN),Honourable Commissioner for Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr. Adebiyi Mabadeje, Senior Director Microsoft Middle East headquarter, Mr. Yasser Elaba,and Deji Fafowora at the Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Microsoft International for Partnership and better service delivery in Lagos state in Seattle Washington State U.S.A
Some even have wives and children in other towns, so they have the freedom to do anything with you if you’re not wise enough. And here, we’re talking about a man who takes you to a hotel to sleep with you! No dating, no romance, it’s just pure sex. A man who hass the intention to marry you will sleep with you if he can’t wait, but you won’t have to ask before he begins to introduce you to his friends and then family members. He gets you to speak with them on phone and arranges for you to meet them at family events etc. So, this man is telling you he will eventually meet your family. Lies! No man needs waste time to meet the family of a girl he loves and he doesn’t need to take her to hotels before he proves his love. Get out of this relationship as fast as your legs can get you. I have said my own. You may seek other people’s opinions.
would be thinking of marrying a gilr who lready has a child? Most may want to date her and leave her for some married men to take as a mistress or a second wife. But here you are, younger than her and ready take her the way she is. This is wisdom. This is love. I doff my hat for you. If she were my younger sister, I would ‘koboko’ her for being concerned about something as mundane as age when she should be happy that she has found real love and there are no family members from your end to disturb her about the child. Sit her down and let her know that you don’t see the one-year age difference as any big deal. Let her know that true happiness does not recognize age difference, tribe, language or color. Show her child
enough love too and before long, she will be the one proving more love. Don’t mind her, she’s just being self-conscious and trying to hide that behind a little shakara so that it would be on record that you didn’t get her easily despite the fact that she already has a child. The shakara will soon fade away to reveal a beautiful love life for both of you.
Enhancement drug Aunty Adeola , I used the enhancement drug for only one week when my wife began to love me more and I can actually feel my size increasing a little. I love the feeling I’m getting. God bless your home. – Akintunde, Kogi.
Is it true that if a girl is not deflowered on time, it will be difficult for her to give birth? I’m a girl, I am 22. Is it true if a girl is not ‘disvirgined’ on time, it will be difficult for her to give birth? What has the time of losing virginity got to do with either pregnancy or labour? Nothing! Whoever told you that came to you with one of those lies from hell to make you give up your virginity for free. Tell them you’re ready to wait until you get to that bridge before crossing it. You’re already an adult, so all your reproductive organs are mature and ready to carry a healthy baby to full term and
except you have a medical condition, you should be able to go to a labour room and come out with a baby in your arms. If what they mean is your virginal wall not opening enough, it is also a lie. By the time you are married, you’d be having regular sex and you won’t be a virgin again by the time you get pregnant anyway. So your vagina would ready to accommodate a baby’s size. Don’t forget that the vagina is elastic anyway, so there’s no need to worry. Keep your virginity for the right person and laugh those liars to scorn.
My boyfriend is angry
Dear Adeola, I’m a 19-year-old gal, I have a boyfriend who loves me and do also love him but recently after we had a serious fight over the guys I hang with and he accused me over having other boyfriend apart from him which wasn’t true it took him a week to forgive me but ever since then he doesn’t call or text as he used to and when I want to see him to talk to him about his recent attitude he said he wasn’t just not in the mood. Please help me out, I just don’t know what to do. It’s just as if I am all alone. Aunty Adeola I am a very BIG admirer thank for all our words of wisdom. Please ma can you hook me up with a caring lady. -07034948889. Thanks for the drug for male enhancement. It’s working and I need some more to take with me to Israel as I will be going for the Holy Pilgrimage with my wife, but I want you to know if interferes with diabetics as my sugar level has gone up a little after I started using it. – Osakwe, PH. P.S : I’ll help you find out.
•Prince Demola Adedokun, Welfare Officer, Archbishop Magnus Adeyemi Atilade, National President Superior Evangelist Sena Wusu, Public Relations Officer and Mr John Nnadi, secretary of the Christian Welfare Initiative (CWI), during the press conference on the state of the nation, held in Lagos .
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ROM being best friends, Kari and I nearly became sworn enemies. Some mutual friends of ours tried reconciling us but I was not ready to budge. I felt betrayed by her. A good friend did not snatch another’s boyfriend as she had done to me so I swore never to have anything to do with her again. Though it was difficult since we were still in school, I tried as much as possible to avoid her. Once in a while I would see her together with Dan and it really hurt me to see how close they had become. Dan, from what I heard from some of the other girls, was crazily in love with Kari and there were rumours that he had proposed marriage to her. Normally, I should be happy with her at her good fortune but because of the circumstances, I could not. I felt bitter and angry with both of them. There was a particular day I was coming from lectures and saw them in front of the hostel, holding hands and chatting earnestly. I was so angry, I could have killed her then. I just ignored them though and went up quietly to my room. After that semester’s exams, I went home for the short holiday. From the campus gossips, I learnt Kari had travelled to the U.K with Dan to shop for their wedding. “I heard they will be getting married as soon as Kari
The only son (2) graduates. She’s so lucky! I wish I can get someone as rich as Dan,” Fanny, a classmate said. I was not interested in their wedding plans, a wedding I had no intention of attending anyway. We finally resumed for our last semester in school. I decided to focus on my studies as our final year exams were approaching. Then, one Saturday morning, I was in my hostel doing my washing when Fanny rushed in. “Have you heard?” she asked breathlessly. I shook my head wondering what bad thing could have happened on campus again for Fanny was usually the harbinger of bad news. “Kari and Dan have broken up. I heard she’s so devastated that she wanted to jump down from the balcony on the third floor of her hostel!” It was shocking news indeed. What could have hap-
pened to cause the break-up, I wondered. They seemed to be so much in love and were even engaged to be married. Fanny was not done yet. “I heard it was Dan’s parents especially the Mum that was against the relationship. They want him to marry another girl, the daughter of a family friend and business partner. I understand they are equally as rich as Dan’s family...” After Fanny left, I sat on my bed thinking over what she had just told me. I will be lying if I say I did not feel some joy in hearing about what had happened to Kari. ‘Serves her right,’ I thought as my mind wandered back to the time when Dan and I had been together before Kari took him away from me. Now, someone else had done the same to her. She will now know what it is like to be dumped, I said to myself.
For some days, I did not see Kari around campus. I later heard from one of her roommates that she had gone home to her parents, ‘to cool off from the break-up of her relationship to Dan.’ Together again Then sometime later, I was returning from seeing a friend one evening when I ran into Kari on the staircase of her hall. For the first time in months, we exchanged greetings. I noticed she looked downcast and dull-looking, not her usual effervescent self. It was obvious she was still nursing her broken heart. We stood chatting for a while before she said in a pain-laden voice: “You must have heard what happened.” I nodded. I didn’t say anything at first but just kept staring at her. In all the years I had known Kari, I had never seen her look so miserable. What
had happened to that bubbly, cheerful girl, I thought. At that moment, my heart went out to her and I forgot about our quarrel and the fact that she was the one who had taken Dan from me. Feeling sorry for her, I stated: “It’s ok, Kari. Everything will be alright.” “It’s easy for you to say. How can it be alright when Dan has left me!” Then she suddenly broke down and started weeping. To avoid prying eyes of students walking up and down the stairs, I quickly took her to her room. By then she had stopped crying so I told her to lie down a bit to rest. She immediately slept off and before leaving, I told one of her roommates, Claire who was around to keep an eye on her. After that day, Kari and got back together. Our other friends were surprised to see Kari and I together again but they didn’t know that there was a bond between us that nothing could break, not even a guy. With time, she recovered a bit and life went on. After the split, Kari discovered she was pregnant for Dan. I advised her to contact him, to let him know about it. But she refused. She decided to handle the situation in her own. What she did and the consequences of her actions will be disclosed later in my story. We finally graduated and left school. Kari and I stayed in touch and since we were both living in Lagos, we saw each other regularly. Luckily, we both got jobs shortly after our service year and our adult lives began fully. Then about four years ago, I met Christo. An only child, he had lost his father at a young age and had been brought up singlehandedly by his mother. We worked in the same industry and we had met at a seminar for professionals in my field. After the programme, we exchanged contacts. I had been attracted to him from the beginning so I ensured I kept in touch with him in the hopes a relationship could develop between us. It wasn’t easy for though he said he liked me, he only saw me as a colleague and not as a love interest. But I did not give up on him and kept hoping he would develop interest in me. Christo was the calm, cool type, thoughtful and considerate and I found myself falling deeper for him daily. He was the man I wanted and because of that, I turned
away other suitors that were coming for me. Each year, my company usually organises an end-ofyear party for its staff. I invited Christo as my date and to my surprise he agreed to attend it with me. After that day, we went out on a few more dates. I was happy as I felt that he was finally warming up to me. One day, Christo and I attended the birthday party of Kari’s flatmate, Monica. It was a cool party and I was enjoying myself until Christo met Kari. Now, I realise it was my mistake. That I should not have introduced Christo to her at the party. But she was my friend so there was no way I could have avoided it. Besides, how was I to know that he would fall for her at their first meeting? It had taken me months to get Christo to pay any attention to me, to see me as a woman yet the minute he set eyes on Kari, he was all over her! He kept hanging around her so much, at a stage, I had to drag him away, saying I had a headache and I had to go home early. Later, I kept wondering what was it about Kari that attracted men to her so much? It wasn’t as if she was that pretty. Infact, I was the prettier one among the two of us. When I was a little girl, total strangers used to stop my mother on the street to comment on my beauty. I had thus grown up with that mindset-of being more beautiful and better-looking than my mates. Ok, Kari was not bad-looking; she was quite attractive in a sultry kind of way that drew men to her. But I still had the edge over her looks wise. So, I could not not understand why she always had more male admirers than me. As you can see from my story so far, it didn’t start today. It began right from our undergraduate days back in school when Dan left me for her. Was history going to repeat itself again? To be continued Will Christo dump Susan for Kari? More next Saturday! Names have been changed to protect the identities of the narrator and other individuals in the story. Send comments/suggestions to 08023201831(sms only), psaduwa@yahoo.com or psaduwa007@gmail.com
Janet Jackson and Wissam Al Mana
•How do you pep up your wife or husband? Send in your contributions by sms only to: 08020771894
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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COVER SERIES
‘Why I didn’t aspire to be a professor’ Continued from Page 19 The lesson abruptly ended and Omole, a sad man, packed his engine back in his car and headed home. Obidi was crestfallen. His students were disappointed. “Interestingly, about three months later,” Omole recalled, Obidi “tendered his resignation and went back to Canada. So, who lost? The university lost a very resourceful young man. He lives in Canada up till today. “That was the sort of thing I saw in the university,” he complained, obviously still pained at the event, no less than 20 years after. “After that, I kept my engineering things to myself. Incidentally, that fellow (the HOD) became a deputy vice-chancellor. On one occasion, he even sent me an invitation to a Christian fellowship at Premier Hotel. I tore the invitation into shreds! He probably had forgotten what he did.” Indeed, later in Omole's home, his current official quarters at 4, Lisabi Crescent on the UI campus, were indeed relics of his engineering hobbies: dismantled cycles, bikes, TV disused parts, cycle tyres and allied junk. At least that is what the naked eye would see. But to the informed eye, the ruins are clearly the restless manifestation of science in a don paid all his academic life to teach the arts yet had to battle with an unrelenting scientific bug. Unfortunately for him, the Nigerian university system abhors any grey. It's either black or white absolutely no for disciplinary cohabitation, especially when such hunch is not certificated, but only backed by restless talent! Still, why would the don lock up his cars in his garage, and cycle or bike around? Rebellion? Hippy influence? An eccentricity to be different? “The do-it-yourself culture was very
much part of me,” he disclosed. “Fixing a how can Nigeria that couldn't even do the bicycle from the wheel and everything up normal technology well, with the failed is very much a do-it-yourself culture. Ajaokuta, go into space?” Doing car engines is a do-it-yourself culThen he broke into a mirthless laugh: ture. So, “it was just one thing leading to “Did you see the last launch in China on the other.” TV? NTA foolishly would beam the camera So, behind the placid arts don, who on the Chinese busy calculating or seriwould rather be damned than publish like ously engaged. But the same camera picked his conventional peers, there is indeed a the Nigerian representatives clapping and creative spark? hailing! I was just thinking: the “In a way, I was very interChinese busy, our own people ested in being in control of hailing. So, who is gaining what I rode. I don't so from this?” much like the new cars Asked about his that work with computthoughts of UI then ers. I am not too good and now, he enwith computers,” he thused: “Oh, UI was pristine! It was confessed. beautiful! Perhaps “So, that's part of when you have less my prejudice. But number of people, sophistication in enthere won't be gineering, I think, much pollution of gets to a particular space. And there peak, beyond which were a lot of white it becomes a disadlecturers. There was vantage, rather than the White influence, an advantage. In the which I still met when do-it-yourself thing, I started work here. you trace faults, you fix That started to dwindle the faults and it will con•Omole after the 1980s, and we tinue to work. So, I am a litstarted to determine my own tle old fashioned in that fate.” respect.” And concerning standards, he said: Golden primer on evolving indige“I'd tell you this: in the humanities, it is apnous technology, as basis for sustainable palling. We can't even use English language development? very well. When I came into the university “We are putting the cart before the and I visited the English Department with horse,” he declared matter-of-factly. “We Banjo (Prof. Ayo, famous English scholar are shooting rockets into space. The counand former UI vice-chancellor) and other tries that went into space had done all the people, I was humbled and I learnt a lot.” things to get to that level. Even China had Looking back now, does he have any to go through all that. It's necessary befond memories? cause space science is very delicate. It re“Teaching the students I taught would alquires the combinations and the precisions are so much; and then you start wondering: ways be fond memories to me. For in-
stance, people greet me with such affection. They don't run away from me even though I don't do things that are grand, for instance, riding a bicycle and not wearing normal clothes. Some will just come and greet me with a certain respect. It just makes me to feel very respected and loved.” Does he have any regrets? “One of the pains I had was the scrapping of Creative Writing. They scrapped it (at the undergraduate level) after you left. So I was pained pained so much that I went to the English Department to ask them if I could teach their creative writing. By then, Niyi Osundare (Prof.) was either on sabbatical or something. So, I taught creative writing in the English Department. But I still teach it at CLA post-graduate classes. ” Asked why it was scrapped, he said: “Nobody told the teacher of creative writing. I was the teacher of creative writing.” Was it something done against him as a person? “I don't know.” Pius Stephen Omole, slightly bent sixfooter and father of three, a bag perpetually strapped on his back, like some pilgrim, traversed the Academy at Nigeria's premier university for 36 years; consistently teaching prose fiction writing, poetry writing, writing for mass communication, techniques of writing, remedial English (essay development) and rhetorical criticism. Bowing out at 65, the academia's harsh publish-or-be-damned censure vaulted him no higher than Lecturer 1. Even his wife, he disclosed, once grumbled that one of their children wondered why his dad was not a professor! But the judgment of his numerous students would be much kinder. Now, the famous campus cyclist/biker is disappearing forever, but not from UI's prodigious institutional memory.
Pastor who predicted calamity Continued from page 21 and the elders later asked me to stay and live with them. As a matter of fact, the first person to ever call me a prophet was the second-in-command of this town. And people started calling me by that name since then.” Having agreed to live with them, the head of the town pledged to donate a piece of land to the prophet to build a church. But he lacked the capacity to start a church at the time. So he was advised to go back to Prophet Hezekiah to explain his experience to him. “I went back to the prophet three months after that encounter with him. And surprisingly, the moment I entered into his presence, the first thing he said was ‘Welcome God’s prophet’. ‘’I later explained to him my experience since he shook hands with me. It was him that advised me to go ahead with the plan. And that is why our church is called CAC Cannan Land. You know that his ministry is called by that name.” With little or no fund available to him, he lived on a
bench under a tree for three years after he took possession of the land in 2005. But at this stage, his immediate family became very worried about their man. They feared that he might be suffering from mental disorder, and came to take him away. “But the first day they came to take me away, I was praying with some people. After they observed what was happening, my family decided to leave me alone.” However, one particular thing about this time was that the people observed that whenever the man of God prayed, they got result. And if he told them anything, it came to pass. So, the church began to grow gradually, with the eight people present at the first service held in the church about eight years ago. But the growth did not come on a platter of gold for the church and Pastor Adedokun. For years, the only thing he held on to was his faith in God. “Don’t forget that I told you that when I arrived in this town, I had only a pair of trousers and three shirts. And for years, all we had was the forest. As a matter of fact, I kept warm by making bonfire with logs of wood, which must not be extinguished or else the cold would be too much to endure. It was tough.”
Eight years on, the fame of CAC Cannan Land, Olowo District, has grown beyond the little town. Last Tuesday, though not a Sunday, the church was filled with people, all seeking spiritual healings to various challenges. But the crowd does not appeal to the man of God. “I am not fascinated by the crowd. I tell you, whenever a man of God tells you that he is happy to see a large crowd at his programme, he is definitely happy with the amount of offering he is expecting. Our main concern should be whether the people would go back home without receiving the healing they expected to get. That should be the concern of men of God.” The prophet attributed the suffering in the country to lack of selfless leaders. According to him, “At the root of the problems facing us is the lack of leaders who would be selfless and would love their fellow man like themselves. There is too much greed among the people. They forget that whatever you acquire in life would come to an end one day. Mark it, if our people can begin to exhibit a bit of love for others, life would change for the better for us.”
My last moments with Agagu –Regent Continued from page 21 for a befitting burial ceremony. As a prominent leader, Agagu told the elders to go on with plans, promising to join them two weeks later. “On August 28 when our Oba died, I called him to inform him about the death of Kabiyesi. He said we should go ahead with the plans, and promised to cut short his trip to the US so that we could commence arrangements for the burial ceremony.” Agagu kept his promise when he arrived in Nigeria on Thursday, September 12. On that day, he called Chief Ojomo and asked to be updated on the plans for the burial of the monarch. After a brief discussion, he promised that he would arrive the town on Saturday, September 14. “He called me on Thursday shortly after he came back from the US. I updated him
on how far and what we have done concerning the burial. He pleaded that he wanted to hold a meeting with some people on Friday. I told him that we would have a meeting at 8am on Saturday. But he asked us to delay the meeting till 4pm. He said he would have arrived by that time. “ But while the elders were waiting for their prominent son to arrive, a most-shocking news spread into town. “We were already making arrangements for the meeting when somebody rushed in to tell me that he heard that Agagu was dead. In fact, I almost fainted while I was trying to make meaning of what he just told me. For several minutes, I could not comprehend the impact of what I was told. Then I picked my phone and called his number, it rang but nobody picked it. After several attempts, it dawned on me that the news might be true after all. I could not tell my wife despite her attempt to ask me what was wrong.
“You know there are rites and stages involved in the burial of a king. So the meeting was to address all the modalities for the programme. There was a plan to host the kings in Okitipupa and Osooro land. But all the programmes have been put on hold for now.” While the town was still battling to come to terms with the loss of two prominent sons, the chiefs received a letter warning them of an impending doom. The letter, written by the prophet of a church some kilometers away, advised the elders to commence a three-day revival programme to avert the doom. But more shocking was the fact that the revival must hold before the burial of Dr. Segun Agagu, which had been slated for a few days later. “I was at home when I received a letter from a church. The letter said we should hold a revival programme. They said we should hold the revival before they brought
Agagu’s corpse into the town. They also warned that if we failed to do it, something bad would happen. The elders quickly arranged for the programme to start. We fasted and held vigil. The programme ended in the morning of Thursday (The day the crash occurred).” On how he viewed the revival programme, Chief Ojomo said: “It was God’s grace that helped us to heed the advice. I just cannot imagine what would have happened if we had failed to hold the revival programme. Believe me, it was the prayer that helped us, or we would be in worse mourning now.’’ The town, according to Chief Ojomo, is making plans to immortalise the late Agagu’s name. But while the plans are on, the chief said the people are pleading with the government of Ondo State to name the Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) after the late governor.
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
The Confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue in Nigeria is iconic both historically and in the physical make-up of the country. Many explorers lost their lives while seeking to find it. Many wars were fought to be control of this important area. Trading activities have gone for hundreds of years in this place. OKORIE UGURU recently went on a trip to the confluence and writes.
•A woman on the River Niger
T
HE middle-aged woman was en grossed in her row ing. Gentle stroke of the wooden oars flapped the water, as she manoeuvred the canoe through the water. At the bank of the river, children and adults were engrossed in their petty trading activities. The water of the River Niger flows swiftly heading for the confluence. It has been like that for thousands of years. It would likely be the same thousands of years to come. The woman checked her net to see if there were fish. The net came out from the river empty, nothing. It did not seem to bother her. She simply sorted out the net and doggedly turned the direction of the canoe and continued in her search. At the bank of the River Niger in Lokoja, we waited for the person that
would take us to the point of Confluence between the Rivers Niger and Benue. The point of confluence of these two rivers has been the basis of the strategic importance of this old, cosmopolitan city of Lokoja. It really does not have the complete stamp of a particular tribe. Many ethnic groups have regarded the town as their home. Although there has always been indigenous inhabitants of Lokoja on top
of the Mount Patti, it was the intrusion of a certain British explorer in 1775, Mungo Park, that changed the complexion of this beautiful environment. He was the first European in Lokoja. Others were to follow. McGregor Laird and Richard Lander carried another expedition more than 50 years later in 1832. This was to be followed in 1841 by an exploration commanded by William and Bird Allen. Subsequently, Dr. Belfour Baike
•Members of the team to the confluence
and other explorers followed suit in 1854 and 1857. In the course of these unwanted intrusions by these foreign visitors, the importance of the town as a link between the River Niger and the Atlantic Ocean became known. Trading followed, and with its search for wealth. Wars, either as punitive or in whatsoever guise, were not far away. Just about 50 metres from the bank is the colonial cemetery. All the names of the those buried were likely British. Of course, it was here that the reason for Nigeria’s marking of 100 years as a single entity was first muted by a Flora Shaw. For our trip to the confluence point, two boats were at our disposal. Unfortunately, the life-jackets were few . More misfortune still, I was among those that had to do without one. Ordinarily, I never risked travel on water without a life-jacket, but the tug of an adventure trip to the point of confluence was stronger. I had not phobia for water, so off we went. The engine seemed to protest the excess the canoe was carrying, but we
went. Further in the water, the city of Lokoja unfolded from the bank of the river sweeping through the town and at the back. Due to the heavy rain, the current was a little fast and the water muddy. But we paid little attention, lost in the wonderlust of the scenic beauty that unfought on this water, many colonial soldiers that the bottom of this water serves as their everlasting resting place and the natives whose bones are sitting deep at the bottom of the water. Gradually, we inched towards the confluence. Our tour guide told us there is a distinction between the
water from Benue and Niger and that despite the fact that the two water meet at this point, they still maintain their identity like oil and water not mixing together. He said because of the muddy nature of the river as a result of the rains, it was difficult to notice that at this time of the year. On our left we could see the bank of River Benue. At a point in time, I could picture the map of Nigeria and where I was. The boat did a U-turn and headed for the Benue River upstream. I scooped some of the water. There seemed to be no difference between the two rivers, yet their distinct identity is like the day and night. Although the point of confluence is the point where the two rivers become one, there are other tiny rivulets where the two rivers also link up. It was from one of these we linked back to the Niger and then to the bank of the river. As we approached, I thought of Lokoja today, its position in history, the people living there and every other thing about the town.
•Lokoja from the confluence point
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
COVER SERIES
•President Park talking with traders at a seafood shop in a market
• Continued from page 16
•Incheon International Airport
ness. These are clean political leadership; less corruption because there was no private accumulation by those in government; long term political stability; less uncertainty for the future and having benevolent leadership. Others include economic leadership; establishment of the Economic Bureaucracy like Economic Planning Board (EPB) and think tanks made up of university professors; willingness to sacrifice for next generations of laymen; educating children at whatever cost; government-private/ industry partnership; foreign direct investment; deliberate promotion of exports; benchmarking best practices from other countries/ and or private sectors; preparation and persuading people for that direction. A major debate at the workshop was the recommendation of an element of “benevolent dictatorship” as a leadership model for developing nations like Nigeria to move forward. Most arguments against “benevolent dictatorship” centred on the fact that Nigeria was drawn backward by a long period of military interregnum in its political life. Also, many participants believe that freedoms or benefits of democracy create better atmosphere for development than any leadership model. But Prof. Hong said; “For any nation to succeed, it needs some elements of benevolent dictatorship. I do not see any democratic state developing itself so fast as South Korea has done. I am aware that almost 90 per cent of dictators are bad, but that is when you think of predatory dictatorship. A developing nation needs good, courageous and visionary leadership; a leader who will be selfless who will lead changes rather than wait to be changed.” What alternatives for Nigeria In the ongoing workshop in the Kookmin University, leadership and political stability have been identified as major challenges which Nigeria must tackle. Prof. Hong said: “Given its enormous resources, Nigeria has the potential to be a great country, but you must get it right by putting service to the nation above all other interests. You need CAN DO spirit. Do not depend on aid because it may help you for a short period of time, but it may reduce your instinct to develop yourselves. The present President of Korea, Ms Park Geun-hye, is a daughter of the late President Park who transformed our country. This was why older generations decided to vote for her.” Growing at the same pace with South Korea in 1960s, Nigeria, with abundant crude oil, is still grappling with challenges of development, a trend which was described as “strange.” Having less than 3% of its population left in the agricultural sector, South Korea has banished hunger and poverty. Hong said: “Government–industry partnership is one of the major reasons for the successful development of Korea. “Our strategy changed in 1960s to export promotion and industrialization. We are mainly protecting infant industries and subsidizing export industries to secure growth. We later moved to heavy and chemical industrialization. Now, we have focused on IT industry.” Also, Nigeria may have to do away with ethnic and religious politics. In South Korea, religion is given less prominence in national affairs. It is a personal choice. Statistics indicate that 47% of Koreans have no religion; 23% Buddhist: 18% Protestants; 11% Catholic: Muslims and others account for 1%. Cho Han-deog said: “Koreans see themselves as one and we work for our nation at all times.”
•Signpost of a thriving economy
for our sons and daughters…let’s do our best… not to put them in the same situation.” To Prof. Hong of the Kookmin University, Park Chung-hee, who was assassinated by his aide on October 26, 1979, had a tremendous political will to develop Korea. He said: “There is nothing called impossible if you have a strong will. President Park viewed the economic transformation of South Korea as a military warfare and he approached it in that manner.” Upon assumption of power, he floated a policy of export-oriented economy/ industrialization. The per capita income of South Korea was US$72 then, but today it is about $22,489. Prof. Hong said: "The Korean export was about $100million in 1962, but by 1971, under Park, it was $1billion. And from 1971 to 1977, we achieved $10billion.” Hong also said Park introduced five-year development plans which were executed in seven phases to bring the lifespan to 35 years. He also established the Economic Planning Board (EPB), Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and Ministry of Finance (MoF) with economic bureaucrats in charge who he listened to and accepted their advice. Speaking on Park, KOICA’s Director of Strategic Planning Team, Cho Han Deog, said: “He was a selfless leader; he did not acquire wealth in office and when he died nothing was found in his account.” The turning points border on the discovery of latent potential of steel for industrialization; judicious use of foreign aid, grants and loans; government-private driven economic policy. Without having iron ore, South Korea has become a giant in automobile, construction and ship-building industry because of its investment in the steel sector. Armed with his experience in the Japanese Army on the importance of steel to technological growth, the military regime of ex-South Korean President, Park Chung-hee decided to invest in steel mills to lay the foundation for technological aspiration of his country. He braved all odds to source for US$73.7 million in government grants and loans, US$50 million credit from the Export-Import Bank of Japan and technical assistance from Nippon Steel and other corporations. In line with his government-private partnership vision, he made the POSCO(formerly Pohang Iron and Steel Company)) project a joint venture between the Korean Government and Taegu Tec which was owned by the late Park Tec. The same government driven policy accounted for the encouragement of elite businessmen and their entrepreneurship by the late President Park and other successive leaders to take risks with credit guarantee by the Korean government. The successful investors who were supported by Park and others were Chung Joo-Young (Hyundai); Lee Byung Chull (Samsung); Koo Ja Kyung (LG), Kim Woo Jung (Daewoo), Choi Jong Hyun (SK) and so on. A former President of South Korea, Kim Dae-jung, in a speech to the Japanese Parliament said: “The miracle is attributed to the blood and sweat of Korean people.” Korea today From nothing about 52 years ago, documents obtained in Seoul on Wednesday revealed that South Korea has the following ratings in the world: the first in the distribution of high speed information and communication network; first in the distribution of computers; first on semiconductor rate; second largest builder of ship; second in mobile phone industry; third in construction industry; fifth in world’s iron and steel production industry; fifth in automobile manufacturing; fifth in utility rate in single nuclear power plant, among others. These achievements have also reflected in Korea’s economic and development indices as follows: a nation fourth largest foreign reserves in the world ($323 billion excluding
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‘Park Chung-hee laid the foundation for modern Korea’ gold); exports rise at 3.2 per cent year over year; unemployment rate is officially at 4%; GDP growth rate is estimated at about 2.5–3.0 per cent this year (an increase from 2.0 per cent in 2012; the low level of public debt (36 per cent of GDP); current account surplus (3.8 per cent of GDP). The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday pegged South Korea’s growth rate at 3.7 per cent in 2014 because the "global growth is in low gear and downside risks persist." Other development indices of Korea include self-employment by about 5million out of its 50milion population; nearly 100 per cent in basic and high schools; 85 per cent of high school products enter universities each year; urbanization (either in the cities or rural areas) is 91.1 % because of Saemaul Movement (New Village Movement); life expectancy at birth is 83.21 years. Threat to Korea’s success While savouring its global success, the strain in South Korea’s relationship with North Korea is a major security issue confronting the world. A resurgence of conflict between the two nations could trigger the Third World War because the development gap between South Korea and North Korea could attract unhealthy rivalry. The muscle flexing by North Korea, especially its disdain for the presence of 28,500 troops in Seoul, suggested that it could not be trusted with its nuclear weapons and long range missiles. As part of pre-emptive strategies and long term planning, South-Korea devotes 2% of its GDP and about 10 per cent of its annual budget to defence. It has also placed more than 500,000 troops on the alert. While the contributions of South Korea to the non-personnel costs of the US troops on its territory rose by about 6 per cent to $765m between 2008 and 2012, the US budget increased by 85 per cent to $1.1bn over the same period. What lessons for Nigeria? In her welcome remarks to the participants, the Director of KOICA, said: “The workshop was designed to share our successful experience with partner countries such as Nigeria. We vividly remember receiving a lot of assistance from the international community, and they led Korea to transform from a beneficiary to a donor in one generation.” A document made available by Prof. Hong listed some factors which liberated South Korea from poverty to great-
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FAMIL Y HEAL TH AMILY HEALTH
Renewing your marital relationship
D
ear Reader, You are welcome to this glorious and exciting moment in God’s presence. As you pay rapt attention to God’s Word concerning your marriage today, Him hands shall rest upon your marriage. This month, we shall be looking at this all-important subject, Renewing Your Marital Relationship. To renew your marital relationship, one of the things that must be in place is your Expectation. Every man sets a stage for his miracle. It is your expectation that gets fulfilled. One key factor for the miraculous is expectation. Do you totally and truly believe Him? Don’t you doubt Him somewhere in your heart saying, “I tried everything….but nothing worked. I never saw anything. I am tired. I don’t think it will work.” Don’t’ be offended in God, for the fact that you still have the breath of life. Express your mind to God. Say, “Lord God, I thank You. I know You are forever faithful. Thank You for the gift of life. That I still have a mind to know what I could not get last year, and I am still alive today to approach You, I appreciate You. You have even promised me a glorious and fulfilling year ahead of me. I know You will do it.” Forget about old things; they are old. God will do a new thing in your family, this year, which will make you live everyday of your life thanking Him. God is set, but you have to be set too. To be set, you must determine to do some things, especially, if a successful home is what you desire this year. Husband, can you see a turnaround in the character of your wife? Can you see your children obedient and God-
fearing? Can you see abundance of peace, joy and harmony in your home? Wife, what do you see? Do you see your husband turning from his sinful habits to pleasing God this year? Do you see his business going up, and he begins to provide more for the family? Can you see serenity in your home? As far as you can see, it shall be given to you. It is only what you see that you can possess. Stop seeing the negative. Stop seeing your business going down, because of economic meltdown. Stop deducing reasons why you think things won’t work out well in your family. Stop celebrating failure. Believe God and let it be counted to you for righteousness. If God has said what He will do, let it be settled in your heart and in your actions, that He will do it. He is not a liar! Many years ago, I made up my mind to believe God’s Word in Proverbs 4:18. I have never had cause to doubt it. No last year has been better than the current one for me and my family. In fact, my present position as at today, is the least I can ever be. God is ever faithful. Friend, see good and you shall have good. See no lack around you this year, and you shall walk in abundance. God will see to it that His Word does not fall to the ground in your own life. Choose to believe God and you will have no occasion to regret. See with your eyes of faith. Walk by faith and not by sight. Don’t determine the happenings in your home this year by the environment. See into the plans of God for your life and family life, and assure yourself of the best of times ahead. Someone once came to me for counselling, and had been having a very tough time in her marriage. As she spoke, I discovered that the root cause of her problems was her wrong idea about marriage. She had expected grief and calamity. So, when the storms rose against her marriage, she began to say, “They told me it will be like this.” You must first desire a tower, before you can plan to build one. Don’t enter into marriage without an expectation. The Word of God says: For surely there is an
Lysine help the hair to grow? Lysine in an amino acid your body needs, but doesn't produce. Foods and supplements provide lysine, which helps ensure proper physical growth, calcium absorption, energy production and hair health. One cause of hair loss, according to Jack Norris, a registered dietitian and coauthor of "Vegans for Life," is lysine deficiency. If you develop hair loss as a result of lysine deficiency, improving your intake can help stimulate hair growth. While most people reap enough lysine from foods, vegans who do not eat legumes and athletes are at heightened risk for deficiency. Top food sources include meat, cheese, cod, sardines, nuts, eggs and soybeans. Adults should aim for 12 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day.
Vitamin B-12 help you grow? Vitamin B-12 procell production and helps your body mewhich is essential for ment. Vitamin B-12 destunted growth and dren, who require 0.9 day, according to the Supplements. Adults day. Consuming too tigue and physical keep you from developmuscle mass. Top include seafood, meat, fortified cereals.
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
motes healthy red blood brain function. It also tabolize fat and protein, growth and developficiency can cause development in chilto 2.4 micrograms per Office of Dietary need 2.4 micrograms per little can also cause faweakness, which can ing or maintaining sources of vitamin B-12 eggs, dairy products and
Protein powder grow glutes?
Building your gluteal muscles, or glutes, requires regular strength training and a healthy diet. While squats and lunges help build gluteal muscle, foods and supplements cannot add muscle to one chosen area. Protein does, however, provide the amino acids your muscles require for growth. To build muscle mass, your protein needs increase to 1.4 to 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, says the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. To determine your weight in kilograms, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. You also need a plentiful amount of carbohydrates, which energize your muscles and keep your body from burning lean tissue as fuel during workouts. Protein powders can help you increase your protein intake and muscle mass as part of a balanced diet, but a weightlifter's ideal protein sources are whole-food sources such as lean meats, fish and beans. Source: August McLaughlin, Demand Media
Impotence is the inability of a man to perform the sexual act satisfactorily. It may consist of a weak erection, inability to gain an erection, loss of sexual desire, premature ejaculation or loss of normal sensation at the time of ejaculation. Transient impotence is fairly common and does not imply a physical or psychological disorder. It is often related to mild degrees of anxiety, depression, pre-occupation or fatigue associated with ordinary problems of daily living. Chronic impotence, on the other hand, is due to either physical or psychological reasons. The physical factors include ageing, chronic debilitating disease, alcoholism, drug addiction, diabetic neuropathy, disease of the nervous system; especially spinal cord damage, endocrine disorder, damage to the urethra, large hydrocoeles and hernias. Various drugs, including certain antihypertensive drugs, may produce impotence in some men. The psychological reasons for chronic impotence often include guilt and anxiety about the sexual act itself, hostility towards the partner, unwillingness to assume responsibility for all that goes with marriage and children, unhappiness at
end; and your expectation shall not be cut off (Proverbs 23:18). What you expect is what you will get. Like God’s servant, Bishop Oyedepo would always say, “Expectation is the mother of manifestation.” God has promised to grant your expectations, whether good or bad. So, let your expectations be based on God’s Word, for it is higher than any evil experience or information you may have had or heard about marriage. If you are already married, there is still an opportunity for you to change all your negative expectations. As a couple, discuss your positive expectations and I guarantee that things will work out more smoothly in your home. As single persons, what do you expect in marriage? Your expectations shall not be cut off! Before my husband and I got married, we made discoveries from God’s Word that made us expect a hitch-free marriage. Till today, those expectations have not been cut off. If you expect the best, it will be yours! A right expectation begins with being connected to God. You get connected by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Saviour and Lord. That is what being born again is all about. If you are ready to be born again, please say this prayer: Dear Lord, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You for saving me. Now I know I am born again! Congratulations! You are now born again! Till I come your way next time, please 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 Pastor Faith Oyedepo are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all the Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work and Building a Successful Family. parasidiaca, Triumfetta cordifolia and Verbena officinalis.
Impotence home and neglect by the wife, who may even neglect herself to the point of becoming unattractive and undesirable, especially after menopause. Apart from the causes already mentioned, other known causes of impotence are fatty tissues (like in obesity), venereal diseases, stress and excessive intake of alcohol. When a couple cannot have a child, the wife is always thought to be the culprit and looked down upon as an outcast, with disdain. Yet, many a man constitutes the weak link in the chain most times, without the slightest suspicion that they are.
Prevention and Control
From observations, the failure to perform sexual acts effectively could be due to disuse of the organ over a long period – a condition we recognize biologically as disuse atrophy. Every part of the body must be exercised (although, in this case, not indiscriminately!). Conversely, over-indulgence in sexual activity in early days in a man’s life should be avoided, particularly where stimulants are used. These can cause impotence at early middle and old age.
Treatment and Control of Impotence
In treating this disorder, the patient is advised to rest well. In Holistic Lifecare, it is strongly advised that the client should go back to nature.
Firstly, a strong cleansing herb is given to him, to help remove fats from his internal organs. The patient should abstain from sexual intercourse for a specific period while he is being treated. He must stop alcoholic drinks and smoking. A healthy, energy-giving diet is recommended. Most importantly, the Holistic remedy being suggested for impotence is a combination of natural extracts of herbs such as Colocasia antiquorum, Musa
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: 0803330-3897 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.
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
FAMIL Y HEAL TH AMILY HEALTH
53
Drugs you should know about: Pain killers
PAIN killing is a paradox. If the commandment: “thou shall not kill” refers to pain we would all be dead by now. Pain is a killer, is seems. It disturbs our enjoyment of life and our productivity. However, pain is not the real enemy. Rather, pain is a warning that something is disturbing our life. Very often we try to kill the pain with a drug and forget the something that the pain is warning us about. We use pain killers cosmetically, covering up a medical problem. This is perhaps one of the first things we should remember when we take pain killers. Pain killers work to relieve the pain but one should be on the look-out to see if and how the pain recurs so that any real serious underlying problem can be brought to one’s health care professionals.
We use pain killers regularly. Some persons may actually use pain killers routinely without any prescription. Choosing a pain killer depends on the kind of pain that one is suffering from. Many pain killers are over-the-counter drugs that one does not need a doctor’s prescription to buy them. Amongst the most popular are paracetamol and NSAIDs (Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug). There are chemical substances in our bodies called prostaglandins. They are amongst the mediators of pain and inflammation. The enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX) promotes release of prostaglandins. Disease conditions increase COX activity. NSAIDs
Health Matters With DR MIKE OYAKHIRE 08170268670
email: drmikeoyakhire@yahoo.com Continued from last week
There have been many conferences and slogans with strategies directed at reducing infant mortality, maternal mortality and deaths due to vaccine preventable diseases. Recently attention has focused on creating environmental conditions favorable for every Nigerian child to go to school , especially the girl child. By allowing the situation in our tertiary institutions deteriorate to the level where lecturers after several failed promises have no choice than to seek dialogue by withdrawing services, one wonders where our priorities reside . As the situation lingers, events are more likely to lead us, into the unknown, unless some one, some where decides to pick and hold the gauntlet so he can properly direct events. A few weeks ago I wrote an article on street children, classified according to public health physicians into children of the street and children on the street. Soon after, major organizations came out with relevant statistics-Nigeria has the largest number of street children. The article on street children sought to explain the potential dangers inherent in doing nothing to make the streets less attractive and the schools more attractive; to do so is not only to enforce and ensure that children are off the streets and in the class rooms, but in addition, helping parents in many little ways ,while making sure that children learn in class rooms order than under trees. Many graduates are already out there facing unemployment problems. It is pretty obvious we will complicate issues when we add undergraduates to the streets who would want to do anything , just anything to survive . When they are in school and their sibs are at home, people are likely to reassure themselves, it is just a matter of time, but when undergraduates now crowd homes with their older unemployed graduates , negative reinforcement of dangerous habits becomes unavoidable. Some people feel that education is a waste of time and for the families spending huge sums of money to keep students in programs which require long years like Medicine, pharmacy, law, and engineering, the burden is great, and the probability of a parent giving up is high, a situation that is more likely to affect education of girls. How do we convince young people that education is a passport to better life for an individual and his community and not an avenue to waste away ? Many other Nigerians and even non Nigerians who are engaged in various forms of legitimate business activities inside and outside campuses have been thrown out of business, increasing the number of able bodied men and women that are currently looking for new opportunities ,with increased potential for the creation of pools from which recruits for all sorts of dangerous activities can be sourced. Many Nigerians including university students are already suffering prevention fatigue permanently under stress ,and just waiting to hear a vaccine with proven efficacy has been discovered for HIV/AIDS. At the moment, many of them are diving here and there, and will eventually snap. For female students now exposed to strangers , neighbors and family friends , the fragile ability to negotiate for safer sex is likely to be further weakened by the stress of idleness and the opportunities for travel and adventure provided by relationships with older men. The academic environment with restrictions on dress codes, language and many others tend to tame students when sessions are on. In these periods, what they don't see in the various shapes and forms of fame and glamour may not bother them . They are kept busy; Students teaching students-they become occupied, and academic advisers guide and direct them on general life as well as academic issues. Continuous stimulation of the brain tones up the organ, and prepares it with the capacity for academic load of any size, but at home, only few determined ones will have the necessary discipline to help themselves and their parents, others will be extremely mobile , ready to experiment and apply superior knowledge in areas that may not be legitimate, asking if there are any special benefits obtainable from going to school when many other avenues exist for making quick money .Sudden money may present itself with a paragon of beauty, but beside it, is the possibility of crime. For a strong young man, uncertain about his future, temptations are often too high a fence to jump. That is why people in authority should develop an attitude towards creating conditions that make education more attractive.
are COX inhibitors. Paracetamol which is also known as acetaminophen appears to act more directly within the brain. Aspirin and the other NSAIDs inhibit COX in most parts of the body. They decrease both pain and inflammation caused by prostaglandins produced by COX. Over-the-counter preparations of paracetamol include Panadol, Excedrin, and Tylenol in 500 mg tablets and they are used for headache, arthritis, rheumatism, and musculoskeletal pain. Paracetamol use is generally safe. However excess or extended use of this drug can cause fatal liver damage and kidney damage. Paracetamol is taken orally or rectally. Intra-
venous preparations of the drug are also used by doctors to treat patients before an operation. Aspirin and NSAIDs are well known to cause peptic ulcers, renal failure, allergic reactions, and occasionally hearing loss, and they can increase the risk of spontaneous bleeding. Children suffering from viral illness can develop a severe liver disorder called Reye’s syndrome, if given aspirin. Aspirin is the oldest painkiller used in modern medicine and is perhaps the cheapest. Common over the counter names include: Anacin, Bayer, Bufferin, Ecotrin for aspirin products. Aspirin is commonly manufactured as 81mg or 325 mg tablets. It is used for minor aches and pains, cold, headache, and muscle ache.
If you are stressed up and want to use a pain killer for pain, remember aspirin may cause upset stomach and gastrointestinal bleeding because stress increases stomach acid secretion that can lead to ulcer. Paracetamol may be less risky in this respect. Some aspirin tablets (coated and buffered preparations) are specially made to decrease the risk of ulcer therefore ask your pharmacist for such preparations. People with asthma should
avoid aspirin because it can cause allergic reactions. Children under 16 year are best treated with paracetamol because aspirin can cause Reyes syndrome. To be continued. 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 or 08160944635
Paralysis of academic activities in Nigerian universities; a rhapsody of realities It is sad but realistic to accept that too much idle time has been spent by graduate and undergraduate students in the company possibly of many other individuals during this long period of uncertainties. Increased level of interaction amongst students and other persons made possible by lack of serious academic activities is likely to increase the number of Nigerian undergraduates testing positive for HIV/AIDS that by the time it is all over, there will be countless numbers of social networks ,and many of these will be networks of infections, particularly infections with hepatitis B and C , as well as HIV/AIDS. In deed more people ,not just university students are likely to test positive for the virus and while students carry their infections to their various campuses . Other potential carriers disappear into the general unsuspecting population. This is certainly not what we want, but it is the direction events seem to be taking us.. In our quest for technological advancement, failure to recognize the role of universities and other higher institutions in our country-Nigeria will be our Achilles heel . Taking one step forward, while misplacement of priorities takes us back three steps will only make us sink deeper into dependence, even as we celebrate the 53rd anniversary of our independence. An attitude that considers one group big enough dialogue while dealing with another in the invisible can only precipitate blunting of national patriotic zeal. Reciprocity of respect underpins peace and harmony in modern societies. Without it any thing goes. In many house holds where house maids are treated as second class citizens, as hewers of wood and drawers of water, infants are fed with their excreta mixed with their baby milk products, and Mom and Dad drink battery acid and urine added surreptitiously to food items in the deep freezer. Lesson? Never look down on any employee, but unto every one, do as you would want others to do unto you. In Newtonian physics, action and reaction may be equal in quantity, but not in direction, not only opposite, they have since modified itLong term implications . It is left for Nigerians to decide which way to go. Chinese chairs are crafted for Asian populations and in the same way if a 60 year old Nigerian requires to have an artificial hip replaced for him by an orthopedic surgeon, time spent under anesthesia will be short and the probability of successful surgery higher if we have an artificial hip bone, manufactured in Nigeria for Nigerians . Just as in football, there are always scouts around, waiting to take away the best Africans can produce. Members of ASUU, Senior Doctors and professors are endowed with uncommon spirit of patriotism , committed with unalloyed taciturnity to academic progress and yearning for the ultimate social, economic, and political emancipation of their fatherland through sound
education and health for every available Nigerian, so that extreme poverty can be eradicated. Why create the environment that will favor flight of intelligence? Over the years, ASUU has remained like a mountain with a solid philosophy that no matter how the winds blow and the thunder storms roar ,they will not be moved, like the young man who stayed by his father while the prodigal son dissected and blew away the mans' wealth , ASSUU values and protects the infrastructures that belong to this country, using these and the other types of infrastructures that no one sees, their minds, brains. As brain boxes ASSU continues to appeal for understanding from all relevant quarters, seeking honest dialogue not dishonest monologue. They do not deny the fact that their employers have done well ,neither are they unaware of opportunities for greener pastures ,even within Nigeria, but seek healthier environments for teaching and learning so they can continue to help the ordinary people ,young men and women, and these if we want to face realities are the real ones, not the others' who are likely to stay in this country after graduation and participate collectively in her development.
7x3
54 NEWS
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
SOLOMON LAR (1933-2013)
Lar couldn’t pay rent —Aide ioneer naGbade OGUNWALE, Assistant Editor, Abuja contract for the tional chairbuilding of a teleman of the ruling Peoples vision station. Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Solomon “The first money that touched my Lar, who died in an American hospital hand came from him. He is a different on Wednesday, was still struggling to kind of human being." pay his house rent in Abuja, the federal Consoling the family, Tukur said he recapital, at the time he died. ceived the news of Chief Lar's death This was disclosed by a Personal Aswith shock, describing him as one of sistant to Chief Lar, up till the time he Nigeria’s greatest nationalists. died, Ambassador Danladi Wuyep, He said of the late party chair: "Chief when the national leadership of the Solomon Lar has been a close friend and PDP, led by the chairman, Alhaji Baan associate to me politically for a long manga Tukur, paid a condolence visit to time now. He was open minded, fearsome of Lar's family members in less, dogged and a resolute fighter for Abuja. the right of the oppressed and the less Wuyep told the party leaders that his privileged. late boss, up until the time he died, "A great family man and disciplinarnever owned a building anywhere ian, Lar was a dependable husband to within the federal capital city, Abuja. He his spouse and a loving father who cherneither built nor bought one, the aide ished his children. emphasised. "He did not spare anything in giving Wuyep told the party leaders: "Chief his children the best training and educaLar does not own any personal house tion." anywhere in Abuja. The wing of duplex Tukur observed that Lar was one of in which he lived before his death was a those who challenged certain policies of rented house. the military regime at a certain point in "The building is located in the the nation's history, despite the dangers Maitama District and he was having posed to his safety and that of his family challenges paying the rent before he members at the time. died. He continues: "Chief Lar stood to be "We were planning to seek audience counted among other nationalists and with the PDP chairman, Alhaji Bamanga brave statesmen who refused to keep Tukur, to table the matter before him quiet while the nation was getting close when Chief Lar died." to the precipice. Apparently touched by the pitiable sit"It was his group that midwived the uation, a business mogul, Chief Arthur formation of the Peoples Democratic Eze, who was on a separate condolence Party (PDP). Lar was one of the foundvisit, promised to buy a house for the ing fathers of PDP and our pioneer family in any location within the federal chairman. capital territory. He also promised to "He also led the PDP to electoral vicpay the rent arrears for the family. tory in 1999. In a sense, Chief Lar laid Eze said Lar made him what he is the foundation for the strong, resilient today through some assistance he got and vibrant political party which the from the late party chair when he was a PDP is today." civilian governor in Plateau State. Lar Thanking the party chiefs, Lar's was a Second Republic governor. daughter, Beni, a serving member of the The businessman described Lar as a House of Representatives, said her fadetribalised Nigerian who was ever ther Iived for the peace and unity of the willing to offer a hand to uplift the country. down trodden. She charged the PDP leaders to carry "I came to him from Enugu. He never on with her father's legacy in the PDP knew me before, but he gave me the family.
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• Dame Paulin Talen, Selcia Maina and His Grace most Rev Kaigama at Lar’s Jos residence yesterday
• Sympathisers queue up to sign the condolence register
He had no premonition of death -Tallen ormer deputy governor Yusufu Aminu IDEGU, Jos turned home after the medof Plateau State, Dame ical trip. I feel so disapPauline Tallen, has said that Chief pointed that he could not make it as he Solomon Lar had no premonition of his had wished. Death must be very cruel." death, as he had expressed hope to reTallen described Lar as a pillar of politurn from his last medical trip to the tics, a teacher of politics and a mentor. United States. Baba has mentored most of us. He was Tallen, who said she was on board of always on the side of peace. We will an aircraft with the late Chief Lar during miss him greatly. Plateau State and the his last trip to the US about two months entire nation will miss him.” ago, made this known during her conFormer governor of Plateau State, dolence visit to the late politician’s resiChief Michael Botmang, who was at dence in Jos yesterday. Chief Lar's residence in Jos for a condoTallen said: "I received the news of the lence visit, also lamented the death of death of Baba with shock and disapthe first civilian governor of the state. pointment because we boarded the Botmang said: "The death of our fasame aircraft during his last medical trip ther, Baba Lar, shocked a lot of us beto the US and he expressed high opticause he has helped a lot of us. He has mism that he would return to the counhelped the entire Plateau State. try in good health. "He will be remembered for his peace "We parted on the trip at the Heathrow making culture. He has been able to Airport in London. I was going to see keep Plateau State as one even when he my daughter who put to bed in London was out of government. and he was heading for his medical "When I was in power, each time we check. Little did I know that would be had internal problem, we normally went my last encounter with him. to him for help, and he was never short "While on the trip, Baba, as usual, gave of advice any time you met him. He some advice and political wisdom and continued to advise younger politicians we both promised to meet when he retill his death. We will miss him greatly."
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•Former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro, signing the condolence register
•Elder Toma Garba signs the register
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
NEWS 55
SOLOMON LAR (1933-2013)
Life and time of Solomon Lar Yusufu Aminu IDEGU, Jos the new head of state, hief Solomon Dausep Buhari. Like a shining diaLar, a teacher, politician, mond which has no hiding place, Lar father, mentor and emancipator, as resurfaced again in 1999 during the forcalled by admirers, was born on April 18, mation of new political parties under the 1932 in Kwalak village in the present two party system midwifed by the BaGazum district of Langtang North Local bangida regime. He became a major factor Government, Plateau State. He had humin the Social Democratic Party (SDP) ble parents in Mr and Mrs Larmor. He atwhich dominated the Nigerian political tended the Sudan United Mission (SUM) scene between 1991 and 1993. Primary School, Langtang in 1943, after Lar was appointed Minister of Police Afwhich he proceeded to Gindiri Teacher's fairs by the Gen. Sani Abacha regime. He College for a preliminary teaching course later joined other politicians of like minds between 1950 and 1953. to form the defunct Congress for National He returned to the Teacher's College Consensus (CNC) in the battle to bring to later for his senior teacher's training an end to series of military regimes. courses. Lar proceeded to Ahmadu Bello The zeal to push the military out of University Zaria in 1966 where he acNigerian political scene also made Lar to quired a diploma in Law. In 1969, he objoin a team of politicians known as the Gtained his LLB (Hons) from ABU Zaria. 18. He took the courage and risk to deThereafter, he went to the Nigerian Law liver a letter to Gen. Sani Abacha, which School, Victoria Island, Lagos in 1971 and contained a message asking Abacha and was called to the Bar in 1972. his military junta to quit office and pave Lar had worked as a classroom teacher way for full democratic regime. between 1954 till 1959. But in spite of his The original G-18 grew in membership training in Law, he never practised the to become G-34, comprising of the crops profession, as he was lured into politics of politicians that culminated in the presfrom teaching. In 1959, he was elected by ent ruling People's Democratic Party his Tarok kinsmen to represent them in (PDP) in 1998. It was not surprising to the Langtang Native Authority as a councillor in January 1959. That was the begin- many then that Lar was made the pioneer national chairman of the ruling PDP, ning of his political life. Based on the recognising the fact that the name PDP confidence reposed in him, the young Lar was suggested by Lar and was accepted was elected as the member representing Lowland East Federal Constituency in De- by all its founding members in 1998. Lar worked hard to ensure that PDP cember 1959. He was later elected into the won the governorship contest in most Constituent Assembly of 1977. As the young politician continued to ex- states of the federation. He crowned his success by making sure that PDP under hibit unequalled leadership qualities, when it was time for the people of Plateau his chairmanship won the 1999 presidenState to pick their first civilian governor in tial election which produced former President Olusegun Obadanjo. President 1979, Solomon Lar was called for this hisObasanjo therefore did not make a mistoric task. His political experience as a take in appointing Solomon Lar his adyoung politician made the difference in viser emeritus after serving out his term the multi-party democratic system of the as the national chairman of the party. First Republic. The seasoned politician did not allow Lar won the 1979 election as governor of the state even on the platform of an oppo- his political career to distract him from establishing his family. He got married to sition party, the Nigerian People's Party young and pretty Mary through whom he (NPP), by defeating the candidate of the had four children. dominant National Party of Nigeria His hobbies include reading and poli(NPN). Solomon Lar won his second term ticking. He practised politics in such a disbid in 1983 by defeating, for the second ciplined manner that he was never time, the candidate of the ruling party of associated with violence in all his over 50 President Shehu Shagari. But his second years of politicking. If for anything, he term mandate was truncated by the miliwas famous as an advocate of peace. He is tary coup led by Gen. Muhammadu famous for flaunting two white handkerBuhari. chiefs while responding to salutation from Lar and some governors were arrested admirers. and detained by the military junta led by
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• Some family members at the residence
•Some politicians at the residence
•Former Plateau governor, Chief Michael Botman, signing the condolence register
Lar feared democracy could be truncated by politicians -Sango hief Solomon Lar reYusufu Aminu IDEGU, Jos Nigeria and the present democracy. Baba is actually mained deeply conunhappy with the way things are going cerned about the recent political and he wished he were around. developments in the country and made a "There and then, I prayed for his quick restrong appeal to politicians and political leaders to refrain from actions that were ca- covery for him to come back and deploy his vast political experience to help the napable of truncating the nation’s demoction. racy. “Unfortunately, he could not turn back The first civilian governor of Plateau the hand of the clock. He had to answer the State and pioneer national chairman of the ruling people's democratic party (PDP) also call of nature," said Sango. According to Sango, the entire nation, expressed fears that the way and manner politicians were acting could make the mili- particularly the present set of leaders will miss him more. We the people of Plateau tary to renew ambition for power. State and his Tarok tribe, because Baba Lar Delivering Lar's message in Jos while signing the condolence register at Lar’s res- was more to the nation than Plateau State. He said: "I'm sure if Baba had been idence yesterday, former minister of sports, Damishi Sango, said: "On the 53rd Nigerian around in the last one year, he would not have allowed this democracy to be subindependence anniversary last week, I jected to the level of absurdity it is today called Baba (Lar) in the US to congratulate him on the anniversary and he did not hide because the man laid his life to defend this democracy. his feelings on the state of the nation. “He confronted the military government "Baba asked me to tell politicians that he of Gen. Sani Abacha face to face and asked wished this hard earned democracy has Abacha to quit and allow democracy to recome to stay, but that he feared we might turn. truncate it if we continued the way we “His political associates call him 'The were going. Samson who fought the lion without injury. "From the way he spoke with me on the “He will be greatly missed." phone, Baba expressed so much love for
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Bali, Dariye, others pay tributes he news of the death of Chief Solomon Daushep Lar, the first civilian governor of Plateau State was received in the state with mixed reactions. While some people expressed delight that he lived a long and fulfilled life, others expressed regrets that the nation and younger politicians would miss the experienced counsel of the seasoned politician. The general secretary of the Tarok Cultural Organisation, Pastor Nanlir Kartim Napbut, said: "Chief Lar was a pillar of politics in Plateau State and in Nigeria as a whole, who will be greatly missed by all. Though the family and the entire Tarok nation will miss him greatly, we are not regretting his death because he lived a fulfilled life and served his state and the country at large credibly." Pioneer speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Prof. Dakum Shon, who served with the government of Chief Lar in the state said: "Lar was a father and a great leader. Simply put, he loved Plateau and Nigeria so dearly. “As his speaker, we initiated and developed a government of emancipation for the political and economic emancipation of the people of Plateau State. Prof, Shon said: "Lar was the one that laid the foundation of modern Plateau and will no doubt be greatly missed by the people of Plateau State. May the soul of the great
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emancipator rest in peace." The Ponzhi Tarok and Chairman Tarok traditional Council, His Majesty Gen Domkat Bali (rtd) said: "Lar was a worthy son of Tarok land in whom the Tarok people are proud of, due to his genuine and credible service to his people and the nation at large." Former governor of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye, said the news of the death of Chief Lar was a rude shock to him, having wished that the seasoned politician would live longer for the nation to tap from his experience. But I'm happy he died an accomplished politician and nationalist." Senator Dariye, who is representing Plateau Central senatorial zone in the National Assembly, said: "It is a pity that Lar died when his political experience was needed most, especially at this critical period when the nation’s democracy is facing serious challenges. "The proposed national dialogue was first advocated by people like Chief Lar. He was among the few politicians in the country who fought the military regimes in defence of democracy. “He would have lived to offer advice to the present generation of politicians on how to make success of the proposed national dialogue. May his soul rest in peace."
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
COMMENTARY 57
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Rivers: A chronology of impunity
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N its most recent intervention on the seemingly intractable crisis in Rivers earlier this month, my party said it is very important for Nigerians to pay attention to the situation in the state, because everything happening there suggests it is being used by President Goodluck Jonathan as a testing ground for fascism. We made that assertion with all seriousness, considering the level of lawlessness, impunity and constitutional infraction going on in the state. As I intend to show shortly, democracy has been stifled in Rivers and this constitutes a clear and present danger to democracy in the nation at large, if left unchecked. Suffice it to say that, shorn of all pretences, the root cause of the Rivers crisis is the 2015 elections, specifically the presidential poll. Because he is hell bent on running and obsessed with winning at all cost, President Jonathan does not give a damn (to use his own language) if Nigeria, not to talk of Rivers, disintegrates in the process. That was why we alerted Nigerians to the situation and quoted the Iate Irish political philosopher Edmund Burke, who said all it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing. Back to the 2015 elections, I can say without equivocating that if the President and his puppets succeed in their current anarchic experiment in Rivers, they will simply re-enact the Rivers scenario in as many states as possible in the run-up to the elections, thereby ensuring the polls will be everything but free, fair and credible - with consequences too grim for anyone to contemplate. Imagine the antics of the arrowhead of the presidential onslaught in Rivers state, Alternative Inspector-General of Police Mbu Joseph Mbu, being replicated in other states? Imagine an Mbu or his like as the Commissioner of Police in any state during an election? He will simply ask his men to disperse all monitors and party agents, coerce the electoral officers into writing the result and then dare anyone to challenge him (Mbu). In other words, he will give cover to uniformed thugs and assassins who will decide the outcome of the election. Under President Jonathan’s watch and Alternate IGP Mbu’s self-assumed authority, Rivers state now has two parallel governments, one being run by Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, who was elected by the good people of Rivers State, and the other by the Commissioner of Police (now Alternate IGP) Mbu, who derives his unlawful authority from President Jonathan. To those who may think we are exaggerating things, a few examples of what has transpired in Rivers State in the last couple
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The situation in Rivers State is the worst nightmare for any democracy. The rule of Jonathan and the police has replaced the rule of law, and Rivers has become a police state in its most brutish form
Lai MOHAMMED
of months will prove beyond doubt that we are not just crying wolf where none exists. 1 On the 6th of May 2013, Mr Mbu practically provided the needed backing for a group of hired thugs and ex-militants with dangerous weapons to unlawfully and forcefully invade the Rivers State House of Assembly to terrorize its members, sack them and other management staff members from the complex and prevent the lawful exercise of legislative functions. 2 A caretaker committee lawfully set up for Obi/Akpor Local Government Area was prevented from delivering governance to the people due to the sealing of the LGA secretariat by police operatives acting under Mr. Mbu’s directive. 3 Security details were withdrawn from the principal members of the state government, including but not limited to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Attorney-General and principal judicial officers of the state 4 On the 17th of May, 2013, the same Commissioner of Police summoned the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Otelemaba Dan Amachree, to appear before him on Monday, 20th May, 2013, following an open letter written by the Speaker to President Jonathan to intervene to restore peace to the unnecessarily-charged political climate of Rivers State. 5 On the 22nd of May, 2013, Mr Mbu again provided cover for a sponsored protest by over 5,000 ex-militants and other criminal elements brandishing dangerous weapons to completely take over and parade the streets of Port Harcourt, thereby creating fear and an
Afe Babalola and Figure 21 Continued from Page 9
vocation ceremonies have always been week-long activities, with the grand finale coming up either on Fridays or Saturdays. But here we are, ABUAD’s first convocation ceremonies, which will flag off next Thursday, October 17, with a Press Conference will climax on Monday, October 21, perhaps the first of its kind. This got one curious to the extent of asking the multiple chief if he was born on 21 of any particular month. A pleasantly unusual man, Babalola said:”my brother, I don’t know when I was born” an assertion further corroborated in his entrancing book Impossibility made possible where he wrote inter alia “…My parents could not tell me the exact date when I was born. This was because both parents could neither read nor write. It was not a disgrace or strange that they could not. Indeed nobody in the family or that quarter of the town could read or write (then)”. If he was not born on 21, the question still arises as to whether figure 21 has any significance in his life, bearing in mind that his first car, from Stuttgart, Germany, was registered WP 2121 while yet another one in subsequent years (a white Mercedes Benz 200) was registered OD 2121 E and now the grand finale of ABUAD’s first convocation ceremonies is on October 21, 2013. Babalola did not give a direct answer, but he quipped: “Figure 21 could really be my lucky number. I recall in those days, if I had a judgment fixed for 21st day of any
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•Amaechi
month, I was almost sure to win such a case. Besides, I have since discovered that anything I do on 21 always come out to be very successful and I believe this first convocation of our university will not be an exception. It will follow the same pattern. It will be successful”. But in the same book, Impossibility made possible, Babalola revealed more about figure 21 when he said: “Almost all my children were born on the 21st of the month…So those who say there is nothing in a number are mistaken”. There may be a universal dimension to the phenomenon of lucky number after all. For example, Americans attach importance to particular numbers, the more reason number 13 is omitted in most elevators in America because 13 is seen as unlucky number. It is on record that the 13th Rocket that fired Astronauts into space caught fire, killing all the Astronauts, which was explained off with the belief that 13 is not only an unlucky number, but an ‘evil’ one at that. But that is neither here nor there. Whatever might be the nexus between Babalola and figure 21, the fact remains that he associates a high dosage of success to the number. It has worked for him before. May it continue to work for him now and in the future. •Olofintila writes from Ado-Ekiti.
atmosphere reminiscent of pre-amnesty siege in the minds of right-thinking residents. Curiously, bus-loads of ex-militants from neighboring Akwa Ibom State, Bayelsa and Delta State, complete with their dangerous weapons and paraphernalia of secret cult membership, were cleared to join in the unlawful procession by the Police. 6 On the 26th of June, 2013, Mr Mbu almost engineered an unnecessary but deadly riot by directing his men to restrain over 500 people - including traditional rulers - from the Orashi communities of Rivers State from paying a scheduled and legitimate courtesy and solidarity visit to the State Governor at Government House, Port Harcourt. 7 In July 2013, a potential bloodbath at the Island Community of Bonny was averted only by the maturity exhibited by the young members of the Rivers Leadership Advancement Foundation in the face of serial provocation by members of the Rivers State Police Command 8 When sometime in August, five colleagues of Governor Amaechi - who felt they were exercising their constitutional rights of free movement and association - had the temerity to pay him a solidarity visit in Port Harcourt, they were molested and humiliated at the Port Harcourt Airport by hired thugs under the protection of Mr Mbu 9 On September 26th, police operatives used tear gas to cause a potentially-deadly stampede through the forceful dispersal of 13,201 newly-recruited and trained teachers who had gathered at the Liberation Stadium in Port Harcourt for the final round of their training, orientation, mobilization and deployment to primary and secondary schools. 10 To cap it all, a few weeks back, the Rivers State Command blockaded a road leading to the Government House in Port Harcourt, forcing the Governor’s convoy to turn back
and take another route to his official residence. These are just a few of the reign of terror that has been unleashed on Rivers by Mr. Mbu, and it should be clear to any discerning mind that what is going on in Rivers State goes far beyond political or personal differences between the first family and Governor Amaechi. It is simply the takeover of an elected government by a clique aided and abetted by President Jonathan and Mr Mbu. The situation in Rivers State is the worst nightmare for any democracy. The rule of Jonathan and the police has replaced the rule of law, and Rivers has become a police state in its most brutish form. More worrisome is that in spite of the well documented allegations of abuse of office, high-handedness and disrespect for the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria against Mr Mbu, neither the Presidency nor the Police hierarchy has deemed it fit to subject his indiscretions to any review. A petition to the Police Service Commission (PSC) by the State Governor, in his capacity as the Chief Security Officer of the State, has yet to receive any attention and, even if it did, its outcome is yet unknown. Similarly, resolutions passed by the National Assembly asking for the redeployment of Mr Mbu have been given the toilet paper treatment. Even the 21-day ultimatum issued to the Inspector General of Police and the PSC on Sept. 27th by the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress to redeploy Mbu or face an indefinite workers’ strike will fall on deaf ears. Against this background, is anyone still in doubt that Rivers State is indeed in a state of anomie? Is anyone still in doubt that Fascism, in its classic sense, is far off? The theatre of the absurd in Rivers State must be stopped immediately to restore the rule of law and save our democracy. Some people have accused the APC of crying more than the bereaved on the Rivers State issue. Our response is that we in the APC are indeed the bereaved anytime the rule of law is supplanted with the rule of the jungle; and we are the bereaved anytime a democratically-elected President thumbs his nose at the Constitution of the Federal Republic. The system of government that we operate does not make provision for an imperial presidency, who can neither be criticized nor opposed. Therefore, when an elected President begins tottering on the edge of Fascism, the mechanism built into the system to check that must automatically kick into action. •Lai Mohammed is the Interim National Publicity, All Progressives Congress (APC)
NEWS
‘Why our youths take to crime’
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HE president of the Caring Sisters’ Association, Mrs. Mercy Mgbechikwere Okoye, has enumerated the reasons why some people take to crime, especially young men and women. Mrs. Okoye said young men and women take to crime because they don’t have something doing. She said: “Young men can take to crime when they don’t have something doing and when they are not from good families. “We need to stop this bad trend by empowering the youths. We have many projects to empower them. One of such projects is to build training centres where we can teach these young people crafts, especially how to make soap and other products in order to make them
Ebele BONIFACE
useful to themselves, their parents, neighbours, friends and the country.” She said further: “We also intend to assist the physically-challenged children. We don’t want them to lose hope. We want to turn their disabilities to abilities, so that they can make positive contributions to the growth of the nation.” On how the association was formed, she said: “The association was formed 10 years ago and that is why we are celebrating our 10th anniversary with the theme ‘Touching and Rebranding Lives’.
Expert blames falling education standard on parents
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HE Proprietress of Diadem College, Ifako, Mrs. Abimbola Oladinni, has attributed falling standard of education in the country to attitudinal problems both on the sides of the parents and the teachers. She stated that while some parents are not committed enough to the education of their wards, our teachers and lecturers are not also getting enough motivation to do their jobs. Mrs. Oladinni spoke in Lagos during a commendation ceremony organized to celebrate some pupils of Diadem College, Ifako, who performed excellently well in the 2013 Basic Education Certificate Examinations. The pupils celebrated included Deborah Tolulope Abilawon who scored 13 As, Mayowa Adeboye eight As and Victoria Bankole eight As.
The proprietress attributed the outstanding performances of her students to the total education approach being adopted by Diadem College in their teaching methodology, as well as in preparing their pupils for examinations and future educational attainments. She said another reason why their students excel in their academics was traceable to cordiality in relationship between parents and the school management and high motivation to their teaching staff. The proprietress, therefore, appealed to parents to be more involved in the education of their wards by closely monitoring what they do in and out of school, while also calling on those in charge of education to have a change of attitude towards teachers’ motivation and provision of good facilities to run our schools.
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
NEWS 59 APC chieftain makes case for teachers chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, Hon. Kunle Ademoye, has described the teaching profession as the noblest of all professions. The ex-lawmaker, in his address to the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Lagos Mainland branch, during the World Teachers’ Day, emphasized the need for adequate remunerations and incentives aimed at boosting teachers’ morale in order to bring the best out of them. He also urged that teachers be given considerable freedom on matters of discipline over their students and pupils, adding that instances in which teachers are gagged or manhandled by illtempered parents for subjecting their children to discipline should be a thing of the past. The ex-Chairman, Committee on Housing, Lagos State House of Assembly, however, enjoined teachers to recognize the divine nature of their calling, and approach their duties with dedication. “Teachers should not superimpose their private affairs or private tutorial engagements over their main official duties. Our esteemed teachers should also set good moral examples for their students and pupils to emulate. This is to say that their personal moral code should inspire the youths whose mind they mould in the positive sense of it.
A •From left, Mr. Peter Carter, British Deputy High Commissioner, Lagos and His imperial Majesty, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, The Alaafin of Oyo, during a visit to Alaafin’s palace.
Warder jailed 10 years for selling 'Indian hemp' to inmates n Precious IGBONWELUNDU n prison warder, Frank Obi, will spend the next 10 years at the Ikoyi Prisons, following his conviction by a Federal High Court, Lagos. Obi, 31, who was caught by prison authorities trying to smuggle drugs concealed in noodles carton into the prison cells, was arraigned on October 9, 2013, on a count of drug trafficking, to which he pleaded guilty. He was accused of supplying about 3.8kg of Cannabis Sativa (Indian Hemp) to prisoners at Kirikiri Prisons by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA. While reviewing the facts of the case before Justice Ibrahim Buba, the prosecutor, Kalu Orji, said the convict committed the offence on May 6, at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prisons. According to Orji, the convict met his waterloo when the prison authorities apprehended him for sneaking in about 3.8kg of Indian hemp to some inmates. Orji told the court that Obi concealed the narcotic in an Indomie carton to avoid suspicion. "Further investigations revealed that the he had been in the business of collecting money from inmates to supply them with narcotics.’’
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17 killed in Kwara auto crash
people have died in a ghastly auto crash in Kwara State. The accident, which occurred in the early hours of yesterday at Peke village, Kilometres 16 Ilorin-Jebba expressway, also left no fewer than ten people with varying degrees of injuries. It involved a DAF truck, with registration number XD 762 KNT and two Toyota Hummer buses with registration numbers TAK 113 XA and XC 185 NSK.
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n Adekunle JIMOH, Ilorin n
It was gathered that the accident occurred around 3.30am at the spot where the dualisation of the expressway terminates. According to reports, the truck was said to have rammed into the commercial buses. Eyewitness account said that the Hummer buses, each with 19 passengers, took off from Lagos and were heading for Kastina
State. The Sector Commander of the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) in Kwara state, Mrs. Mary Wakama, who confirmed the incident, said the corpses of the deceased had been deposited at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH). She added that two victims with severe injuries had been taken to Sobi Specialist Hospital, while others with minor injuries
are receiving treatment at private hospitals. Mrs. Wakawa, who blamed the accident on attitude of most drivers in the country, discouraged night travelling, saying it portends danger. She also said that the auto crash may have been caused by fatigue on the part of the truck driver, adding that visibility is always poor in the night, stressing that assistance would also be difficult to get at night.
Alleged N77 million fraud: Ex- Oyo commissioner gets N10 million bail former Commissioner in Oyo State, Kazeem Adedeji, accused of defrauding the state of N77 million was yesterday admitted to bail in the sum of N10 million by a Federal High Court, Lagos. Adedeji, along with a former Director in the state's ministry of Trade and Investment, Yinka Fatoki, as well as an employee of the Bank of Industry, BOI, Kolawole Adewole, were arraigned on October 3 on six-counts of conspiracy and fraud. Although the trio had pleaded not guilty to the
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n Precious IGBONWELUNDU n alleged offence, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke had remanded them in prison custody pending ruling on application for their bail, filed by their counsel, Olabode Iranloye. At their arraignment, the prosecutor, Effiong Asuquo, told the court that the accused committed the offences between July 2012 and June 2013 when Adedeji was commissioner. He said that sometime in 2012, the Oyo State Government entered into a partnership with the BOI,
known as the OYSG/B.O.I Fund. Asuquo had said the fund, a total of N1 billion, was a pool from which indigenous entrepreneurs could access credit facilities. He told the court that the state government and the bank had each contributed N500 million respectively towards the fund aimed at promoting Micro and Medium business in the state. He further alleged that Adedeji lodged the said contribution into Enterprise Bank, where his wife worked as account officer, without
the consent and approval of Oyo State Government and conspired with the others to obtain over N77 million from the fund, which was allocated to non-existing companies. Asuquo said the accused granted the facilities to JoshTolani Ventures, Tembenatil Ventures, Ojoo God’s Grace Cooperative Society, Agric Preserve Company Ltd and Adis Steel Works Ltd. “But upon investigation at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), it was discovered that none of the companies were registered,” said Asuquo.
Dignitaries honour Fayemi’s wife at 50th birthday celebration IBERIAN Nobel Laureate, Ms. Leymah Gbowee, has urged a review of the education curricular across the African continent. Gbowee spoke yesterday in a lecture, entitled ‘Leading the change: The Journey of a Great African Icon’ in Ado Ekiti. The event, which witnessed books presentation, was organised as part of celebrations marking the 50- year birthday anniversary of the wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi. Lamenting the extreme fall in the standard of education, the Laureate stated that the scholarship grants, which she spearheads, now lay for years without any qualified candidate. According to her, Afica would have to restructure the
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Sulaiman SALAWUDEEN, Ado-Ekiti education curricular to answer current challenges of development relevant to the continent. Gbowee said: “It is baffling that students are still being taught how the Portuguese came to the West Coast of Africa for trading. What is the benefit of any curriculum that has no relevance to the future of our nations?” Admitting her indebted ness to Erelu Fayemi, who she described as a mentor, trail blazer and a leading light on the continent,, Gbowee said: "humility remains an essential ingredient for successful mentoring of upcoming talents." She urged women to be steadfast in challenging stereotypes that have remained the undoing of
many women across the continent, noting that she found 'her voice' when she started to speak out. Also, renowned feminist, Professor Abena Busia of the Department of Gender Studies, Rutgers University, USA and Mr. Kunle Ajibade of The News Magazine, Lagos, separately reviewed two books written by Erelu Fayemi. The books are ‘Speaking Above a Whisper’ and ‘Speaking for Myself'. Former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, University of Nigeria, Nzukka, Prof Bolanle Awe, who was the Chairman of the occasion, stated that the roles women are allowed to play was essential to the development of the continent. She described Mrs. Fayemi as a trail-blazer in the struggle for the emancipation of women on the continent.
Olokun Foundation to honour Ooni, Alaafin, Wole Soyinka, others n Segun AJIBOYE n RMY Cantonment Junior Secondary School, Ikeja, Lagos, has emerged as the winner of the 2013 Olokun Festival Yoruba quiz competition. The school beat nine other schools to the trophy and N70, 000 cash prize. Community Junior Secondary School, Mushin and Oshodi Junior High School came second and third respectively. The competition, according to the Chief Promoter of Olokun Foundation, Otunba Gani Adams, was the organisation’s own way of teaching the young about the culture and tradition of the Yoruba race. According to him, “We are continuing with our tradition of teaching the young ones about our culture and tradition,” Adams said, adding that efforts are on to present winning schools with better prizes from next year. Meanwhile, the highlight of the 2013 edition of Olokun Festival will be the presentation of awards to deserving Nigerians who have contributed to the growth of Yoruba culture and tradition. Disclosing this during a world press conference on Wednesday, Otunba Gani Adams said the awards would be in six categories. The awardees would include Lagos State governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola and his Osun State counterpart, Rauf Aregbesola. Others are the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; Professor Wole Soyinka and Professor Akinwunmi Ishola among several others.
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Akanni-Aluko to host Owa Obokun, Sunny Ade, others tomorrow n Oseheye OKWUOFU, Ibadan n
•Chief Alege
HE Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Azeez ArisekolaAlao, Chief Ebenezer Babatope and Chief Oba Otudeko are among personalities expected to honour the publisher of the defunct Third Eye newspapers, Chief Akani Aluko, as he celebrates
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this year's annual harvest tomorrow at Ilesa, Osun State. Other dignitaries expected to grace the occasion are: a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Alhaji Soro Atanda; a media guru, Mr Joe Abiola; Engr. Obi Daramola; Chief Olusola Gilbert; Chief Alabi Aluko;Chief Lekan Alabi; Chief Perry Aluko, and the juju maestro, King Sunny Ade. The annual event, according to a statement by Chief Aluko, will also witness an array of traditional rulers and
chiefs, including the reverred royal fathers, Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran, Elejigbo of Ejigboland, Oba Omowonuola Oyesosin, and Yeyemeso of Iwara, Chief Bola Ojo. He said this year's festival “will be unique because our special guests will celebrate with us in our new church building under construction at St. Victoria Catholic Church, Ijebu-Jesa Road, Ireti-Ayo, Ilesa on October 13 at 9.00am.” The chairman of this year’s harvest is Chief Olagoke Alege.
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THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Governor Uduaghan solicits support of security agencies in fighting crime
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ELTA State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has solicited the full support of various security agencies in tackling criminal activities in the state and the South-South region. Speaking in Warri, during separate courtesy visits on him at the Governor’s Office Annex, Warri, Governor Uduaghan harped on the need for cooperative efforts at fighting and winning the war against criminals. Those who visited the governor separately were the Flag Officer Commanding the Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Sidi-Ali Usman and members of the Forum of State Directors of State Security Services (SSS). Playing host to the naval boss, Dr. Uduaghan said the cordial relationship with the Nigerian Navy would be sustained in appreciation of the contributions of the Navy Force to the peace and security in the state. While affirming that the state’s romance with the Nigerian Navy had positively impacted on the security situation in the state, the gover-
nor thanked the force for dedicated services and positive roles in restoring peace in the state. He observed that about 40% of Delta State is riverine which necessitated much naval presence. Governor Uduaghan hailed the professional operations by the navy in the waterways which had drastically reduced criminality in Delta State, particularly kidnapping, sea piracy and illegal bunkering. In his remarks, Rear Admiral Sidi-Ali Usman said he resumed at the Central Naval Command in June this year but the exigencies of office prevented him from meeting the governor earlier. While commending the friendly disposition of the state government in aid of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Usman urged for the sustenance of the relationship to make them more efficient. Meanwhile, Governor Uduaghan also received members of the Forum of State Directors of the SSS, and lauded them for choosing the state for their conference. He said criminal activities affect the states of the Niger Delta region badly.
Ex-militants protest non-payment of allowances, besiege SSS office
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group of ex-militants who claimed to belong to the Bakassi Freedom Fighters have protested the non-payment of their allowances since March 2011 by the amnesty office in Abuja. They accused the leader of the BFF of conniving with Amnesty Office to shortchange them. The protesting ex-militants who besieged the Cross River State headquarters of the State Security Service in Calabar yesterday, where it was gathered, BBF was, said they were supposed to have been paid their allowances directly
Nicholas KALU, Calabar from the amnesty office but for some reasons, had to be paid by the BFF leader. One of the ex-militants, Daniel Asuquo, who said he also goes by Commander Saddam, said: “We are all exmilitants of the Niger Delta, Bakassi Freedom Fighters. We are here for the fact that our general, is sitting on our allowances. For the past two years, we have not been paid our monthly allowances. He said they had to mobilise themselves to the airport where they caught
up with the BBF leader. “Except something is done today we will not vacate this premises. If he does not give us our money, we are ready to fight him to the finish. We are ready to die. As you can see, the sun is beating us. Nobody on earth would stop the BBF leader from paying us our money. All our allowances, transition safety allowance, housing allowance must be paid. We caught him at the airport yesterday and brought him to the SSS office. One of the protesting exmilitants, Victor Edet, accused Special Adviser to the
President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Kingsely Kuku of not handling the situation well. “We have been writing to Amnesty Office, but nothing has been happening. So that is why we brought him to SSS so that the agency can help us and do the job. But the spokesman for the BFF, Nicholas Theophilus, told The Nation yesterday that they did not recognise the protesters as members of the BFF,” adding that “if they are aggrieved, they should channel their grievances to the proper channel and not take the laws into their hands.”
35 roads sets for rehabilitation in Edo
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HE Edo State Rapid Response Agency said a total of 35 roads in the state capital are to be rehabilitated before December, 2013. This was disclosed to newsmen by the agency Managing Director, Engr. Mujaidu Dako who said work on the roads commenced last week. To this end, he said the sum of N250 million had also been approved by the state House of Assembly to purchase earth moving equipments, while N100m has been released to the interventionist agency by the state government. Dako noted that plans have also been concluded to rehabilitate more roads in the state capital in the first quarter of 2014. “It is our hope that these roads that have been listed for rehabilitation would be completed before the year runs out. “We are poised to ensuring that the people and commuters have good roads to ply and also ease traffic flow in the city. “We are just not limiting ourselves to these roads that have been penciled down for
Osemwengie BEN OGBEMUDIA, Benin rehabilitation. We want to take advantage of the dry season; plans have also been concluded to do more in the early part of 2014, before the rains set in.” Asked why rehabilitation of roads were limited to the state capital, Dako said: “It is our wish to spread this intervention to all part of the state but for paucity of fund, our scope is restricted to the capital city for now.” While noting that quite a good number of roads have been rehabilitated by his agency within the last three years, Dako, however, noted that apart from the issue of paucity of fund, the agency has challenges of obsolete equipment. He said most of the equipments being used by the agency were over 44 years that were inherited from the state Ministry of Works. “For us to be effective as an interventionist agency in the road sector, we need reliable and modern equipment to work with aside the problem of funding.
Take burden of teachers' salaries from us, ALGON Osemwengie BEN tells Jonathan OGBEMUDIA, Benin
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HE Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Edo State chapter, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to remove the burden of payment of teachers’ salaries from local government councils’ statutory allocation. The call was made by the state chairman of ALGON, Mrs. Itohan Osahon-Ogbeide, when the Edo State council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists paid her a visit in Benin. Itohan-Ogbeide who doubles as the chairman of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo, advocated
for the establishment of a commission for the Nigeria Union of Teachers similar to that of the Universities. The Edo ALGON boss stressed that the present economic reality in the country necessitated the call. She said the removal of teachers’ salaries would be a relieve to council areas in the country. According to her, if councils were made to continue with the payment of salaries, the third tier of government in the country would collapse based on the current reality.
•Members of the Medical Women's Association of Nigeria, Rivers State branch, during cancer awareness campaign in Port Harcourt … yesterday
Shell MD tasks firms to invest in development of world-class processes, structures
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HE Managing Director of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), Mutiu Sunmonu, has tasked Nigerian companies on the need to continue to invest in the development of world-class processes and structures to match any available ones anywhere in the world. He declared that the Nigerian content was achievable, stressing that the Anglo/ Dutch oil giant (SPDC) had a long-term and continuing commitment to Nigeria, its people and the economy, as well as helping the country
Bisi OLANIYI, Port Harcourt
unlock its energy resources. Sunmonu stated this in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, at the 3rd Nigerian Content Day/Exhibition, hosted by the Shell Companies in Nigeria. The event had as theme: “Showcasing Nigeria Manufacturing Capacity in Products, Materials, Goods, Equipment, Materials and Services in the Oil and Gas Industry.” Sunmonu also noted that Shell was fully committed to complying with the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and
Gas Industry Content Development Act. The managing director of the SPDC, who was represented by the oil firm’s General Manager, Sustainable Development and Community Relations, Nedo Osayande, stated that the Nigerian content support had been a success story. Sunmonu said: “We need to recognise that local content is not to reduce quality of manufactured items in the sector, but to domesticate the production of goods and services that could compete favourably with those produced anywhere in the
world, in terms of quality standard and prices.” In his remarks, The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Ernest Nwapa, noted that the Federal Government felt that some companies were paying lip service to the Nigerian content and decided to put the law in place. Nwapa, who was represented by a member of the organisation’s board, Ginah Ginah, an engineer, stated that the Nigerian content law must be obeyed, while penalties awaited defaulters.
Cross River deputy governor's father kidnapped
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HE father of the deputy governor of Cross River State, Efiok Cobham, Etubom Essien Cobham, was yesterday morning kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Creek Town Odukpani Local Government Area. Cobham was abducted at about 1am yesterday from his house, it was learnt. The uncle of the deputy governor whose name could not be ascertained was equally believed to have
Nicholas KALU, Calabar been abducted by the kidnappers. It was gathered the house of the Director General of the State Security Service (SSS), who is from the area, Mr Ita Ekpenyong, was vandalised. Government officials kept mute over the situation but residents of the area who witnessed the incident said the gunmen were shooting sporadically. It was gathered that the
gunmen gained access to the area through the Calabar River in two speedboats in the wee hours of yesterday. They had a dog with them it was learnt. The gunmen abducted Cobham, who is in his eighties, without any resistance it was gathered as the man had no security attached to him. They made away in the same way they came through the river. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Hogan
Bassey confirmed the incident but said: “For security reasons, I can’t tell you what we are doing to rescue him.” At press time yesterday, the kidnappers had not gotten in touch with the family. Creek Town is mostly accessible from Calabar, the state capital by the river. The community is about 20 minutes from the state capital by the river and one and a half hours by road.
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
NEWS
Anxiety as Okorocha's reception is stopped in Aba he proposed civic reception in honour of Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okocha, scheduled to hold in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State was stopped allegedly by the state government. The reception which was organised by clergymen to mark the 51 birthday of the Gover-
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Okodili NDIDI, Owerri nor Okorocha, was cancelled on the guise that it was a plot to launch the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. According to one of the organisers who pleaded anonymity, "all arrangements have been concluded for tomorrow's (today) event to
mark our governor's (Okorocha’s) birthday, we have paid for the venue and obtained police permit, but suddenly, the instruction came that it should not be held on the soil of Abia." When contacted, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the governor, Mr. Chinedu Offor, said that they were not aware why the
Anambra PDP: Appeal Court hinges judgement on S/Court’s decision he court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has reserved judgement on the suite by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), National Executives challenging the recognition of Nicholas Ukachukwu as the standard bearer of the party in the November 16, Anambra State governorship election. The reservation of judgement is hinged on the decision of the Supreme Court on the motion filed by Ukachukwu against members of the appeal panel. Lawyer for Ukachukwu, Prince Orji Nwafor Orizu, at the resumed sitting of the court yesterday brought a notice of appeal at the Supreme Court and urged the Appeal Court to stay further hearing on the substantive case, pending the determination of interlocutory injunction appeal on the matter before the Supreme Court. He presented documents including application by the higher court, asking for lower court to stay further proceedings following the applications of appeal by Ukachukwu before it. Arguments on the main appeal by PDP and Tony Nwoye challenging Justice Aliyu’s decision were taken last Tuesday, and judgement in the matter was reserved indefinitely. The court, however, re-convened yesterday to deliver the judgement, before Ukachukwu made his presentations. Yesterday’s sitting led by Ejimbi Eko granted the application and ruled that the judgement should remain reserved pending the determination of the motions before the Supreme Court. He said: “It is undesirable for the lower court to proceed in a case when it has come to its notice that an appeal has been entered in the higher court, particularly in this case, where there is an application by the Supreme Court praying for stay of further proceedings
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Rosemary NWISI, Port Harcourt pending its decision in the appeal number 556 2013. “Since the judgement of this court has not been delivered, the reserved judgement is now awaiting the ruling of the Supreme Court in the motion; we stay proceeding in the appeal number 695 and 696.” Justice Aliyu Suleiman of the Federal High Court also in Port Harcourt last month made an order urging the party and INEC to recognise Ukachukwu, the first runnerup to Tony Nwoye in the party primary election held by Ken
Emekanyi-led faction of the party in the state, as the authentic party flag bearer in the next month’s election. Nwoye reportedly won the election and the party National Chairman, in an elaborate ceremony in Awka, the state capital recognised him (Nwoye), as their flag bearer and gave him certificate of run. PDP Executives led by Bamanga Tukur had filed an appeal to challenge the jurisdiction of the federal court on the issues of tax payment which was an exclusive internal matter of the party.
reception was stopped, adding that it was not a political rally but a religious affair. According to him, "our brothers and other progressive minded people in Abia State, felt that since the governor had been hosted in the South West, they felt they also should Felicitate with him, so I don't see anything wrong with that." However, efforts to reach the Chief Press Secretary to Abia State governor, did not succeed as calls made to his phone went unanswered.
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Jonathan’s aide lauds Obi on projects he Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals, Dr. Precious Gbeneol has expressed satisfaction with effective implementation of MDGs projects in Anambra State. She said that MDG was working in Anambra in view of impressive projects executed through it and expressed the wish that other governors should work like Governor Obi. Gbenol was speaking while commissioning some completed building projects at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Ihiala, Holy Rosary Hospital, Onitsha, Iyienu Hospital Ogidi and the commissioning of small town Water Scheme Project at Ozobulu. She was accompanied by Governor Peter Obi and some top government officials.
Other projects commissioned were school of nursing students’ hostel, school of midwifery students’ hostel and the multi-purpose hospital building at Ihiala while the school of laboratory students’ hostel under construction was inspected by the Senior Special Assistant. She also witnessed the presentation of life ambulance to the hospital and the presentation of a cheque of N50 million for other projects. At the Holy Rosary Hospital, Onitsha, she commissioned the gigantic hospital already completed and the hostel for the school of midwifery. She also inspected the ongoing laboratory and diagnostic building and witnessed the presentation of cheque of N50 million for ongoing work.
wudum and Chinedu Onyebuchi, President and SecretaryGeneral respectively, said the Anambra election would give Nigerians a preview into what to expect in the 2015 general elections. “It is obvious that the Anambra State governorship election would give Nigerians a preview into what to expect during the general election of 2015.” The communiqué stated: “Fol-
lowing the unveiling of the 23 candidates for the forthcoming Anambra governorship election, Ndigbo Unity Forum held a closed-door meeting on how to ensure that the election is hitchfree. “The youths must resist the urge to mortgage their bright future and that of unborn generations for short term pecuniary benefits promised them by desperate politicians. We call on traditional rulers, leaders of thought, the civil society groups and other stakeholders to sensitise the electorate on the dividend of not selling their sacred rights. “We call on Prof. Attahiru Jega-led INEC to once again prove skeptics wrong by maintaining its stance as an impartial umpire. We urge the security agencies in the state to resist the lure of being used by people in high places to truncate the wishes of the people.” The group also called on the candidates not to see the election as a do or die affair.
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Anambra guber poll: Prove your critics wrong, group urges INEC boss head of the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State, an Igbocultural organisation, Ndigbo Unity Forum, has urged the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Atahiru Jega, to prove skeptics wrong by ensuring that the election was free and fair. The group, in a communiqué, signed by Augustine Chuk-
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Gov Orji assures Abians on selfless service •Gov. Obi (2nd left), with Chinyere Okunna (1st left); Precious Gbeneol (3rd left); Bishop Owen Nwokolo of Anglican Diocese of Onitsha (1st right); Victor Umeh (2nd right) and Vivian Nwandu (3rd right), during the presentation by Obi of a cheque of N50 million to Iyienu Hospital for ongoing work under the MDGs, shortly after Gbeneol flagged off many completed projects at the hospital...yesterday.
Anambra agency dismantles Ngige’s billboards he billboard of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Chris Ngige are being dismantled and destroyed in Anambra State by the state agency, according to Ngige Campaign organization.
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•He owes N8.5m, says agency Nwanosike ONU, Awka Briefing reporters yesterday at the APC campaign headquarters in Awka, Ngige Media and Publicity Director, Chief Charles Amilo, described the action as brigandage and fanning
the embers of discord. But the Chief Operations Officer, Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency, Jude Emecheta, told reporters yesterday that Ngige owed the state government N8.5million,
effectively engage all stakeholders to develop the aquaculture industry to create jobs, create wealth as well as increased food (aquaculture) production. He noted that the duty of the platform was to organise the aquaculture business so that the industry would stop being chaotic as it was now and encouraged fish farmers to work as team players to enable them build a solid aquaculture value chains and innovation platforms in the South East region. He informed on the need to advance knowledge through innovative platform in the aquaculture value chain in
line with Institutionalizing Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D), the West and Central African Council for Integrated Agricultural Research and Development (WECARD). Dean Faculty of Agriculture, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. (Mrs.) Uba Nwuba who led a team to the business meeting, said the platform would encourage further research into the processes of value addition to aquaculture products for clearer and deeper understanding of the aquaculture value chain.
WAAPP partners Teemartins Aquaculture on value chain innovation platform he West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) is partnering Teemartins Aquaculture to establish the SouthEast Innovation Platform for the Aquaculture value chain. Commissioner for Agriculture, Anambra State, Chief Ndubuisi Menakaya declared the inaugural business meeting held at the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), Awka open. Menakaya, represented by Director, Engineering Services in the Ministry, Mr Anthony Chigbo, informed that the forum was timely and commended the facilitator and CEO/MD Teemartins
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Odogwu Emeka ODOGWU, Nnewi Aquaculture for his personal contributions for the industry in Anambra State and Nigeria at large. He said WAPP and Teemartins partnership for a private sector driven fish industry would take the aquacultural sector to the next level. He said if the government provided an enabling environment for the private sector, the Aquaculture industry would thrive in the country. According to the South East Zonal Coordinator and Managing Director of Teemartins Aquaculture, Mr Emeka Iloghalu, the objective was to
adding that he had only paid N2 million to that effect. According to Emecheta, “they should comply with the simple law. Nobody is fighting Ngige as being speculated, but we are giving them up till next week Friday to complete their payment or we continue our job. “Nobody is pulling down Ngige’s billboards for the sake of it, there is rascality in what they do. We must function as an agency established by law, it has nothing to do with politics,” he said. However, briefing reporters yesterday, Amilo warned that Ngige Campaign Organisation would not tolerate such again, adding the action was brigandage of the worst order. He said: “We have paid all money the state government asked us to pay concerning this issue, we believe that they have seen the hand writing on the wall and decided to turn Anambra into a catastrophic state.
Ugochukwu UGOJI-EKE, Umuahia bia state governor, Chief Theodore Orji has pledged to serve the people of the state with all his abilities and the highest commitments that he has gained in life whether he is in office as governor or out of office. Orji said that the pledge he made the to the state when he assumed office as the state governor is aimed to sustaining the fast tracking of even development in all facets of the state to the next level and beyond to other laudable values of the public service. Speaking in Umuahia during a grand civic reception organised in his honour by the consolidated Abia state public service, Orji said that is elated as the people of his constituency immediate have decided to honour one of their own. Orji noted that what the entire state work force has done has proved wrong the traditional saying that a prophet is not recognised in his place, as the civil servants in the state have come out in their numbers to honour him as a former civil servant and now the governor of the state.
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SPORT EXTRA
Ethiopians eager to see Mikel, Moses
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ANY Ethiopian fans are not only looking forward to the match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Walyas Antelopes of Ethiopia but once in a lifetime opportunity of seeing Nigerian stars plying their trade in the English Premier League. Many of the fans who spoke with SportingLife on Friday expressed happiness at the prospect of meeting Chelsea midfielder, Mikel Obi and on-loan Liverpool
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IGERIA coach Stephen Keshi is likely to start the same team he paraded last month against Malawi on Sunday in Ethiopia. Keshi, for one, did not change his squad for last month’s final group game in Calabar. This means Keshi will again keep out 2013 AFCON hero
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From Akeem Lawal, Addis Ababa striker, Victor Moses, who they only watch on television. According to Beleke Tesfu, a taxi driver, who noted that Mikel has been wonderful in Chelsea midfield, congratulated the Nigerian for scoring his first premier League goal for the Blues. “Mikel is my player anytime any day. I’m a Chelsea fan and enjoyed how he plays. Even I was very happy when he
Keshi to stick with Malawi conquerors
Sunday Mba and Real Betis Nosa Igiebor for Italy-based Nnamdi Oduamadi in the midfield. Keshi has praised Oduamadi’s dare and speed.
Overall, the Eagles played with a lot of understanding and spirit against the Flames of Malawi in Calabar. And the 2-0 win was a bit
before.They have only played a draw,” Nsofor said. “We are African champions and any team that plays against Nigeria will want to die. But in as much as they want to die for their country, we too also want to die for country, to show that we are African champions. “I believe that together, playing as the coaches want us to play, as we have always played, we will win.” Nsofor says the target is to win in Ethiopia and make the second leg much easier. “That is our game plan. We want to
make the second game back in Nigeria be more favorable, with a bit of relaxation, no pressure. “This is the time for us to kill the game. In our heads, in our plans, we are working hard to counter the altitude, the humidity to make us stronger for the game.”
Echiejile plays down booking
E L D E R S O N Echiejile has assured he will be at his best against Ethiopia in Sunday’s World Cup playoffs even though he is on a booking. The Sporting Braga star defender was booked when Nigeria forced Kenya to a 1-1 draw in Calabar in March. He therefore risks missing the return leg in Calabar on November 16 if he were booked on Sunday inside the Addis Ababa National Stadium. “The booking will not affect me. I am a professional and I have the experience to deal with such a situation,” the 25year-old left back said on his official website www.elderson3.com. “It’s a very important game
important one for us, what I’m really happy for about this game is that it will give me the opportunity of meeting some of the Nigerian foreign players in the Premiership who I’ve been watching every week. “My best player is Moses (Victor). I loved him more when he joined my team Liverpool on loan. Though I wonder why Mourinho will loan out such a player, I still hope we can get him on a permanent deal.”
ETHIOPIA VS NIGERIA
We are ready to die —Nsofor
IGERIA international Obinna Nsofor is confident the Super Eagles players are willing to give their all to get a result against Ethiopia in Sunday’s 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier. Nsofor is one of five players in the current squad who were in Addis Ababa the last time the Super Eagles played there, and he says the Ethiopians will be hungry to win. “They are a young team, they’re thirsty, they’re hungry to beat the Super Eagles because they have not beaten us
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scored his first goal in the premiership some weeks back. I learnt the Nigerian team will be arriving for the match on Saturday, I will be at the stadium as early as possible to welcome them, especially my Mikel.” Another fan, Shinma Fuyma, a contraction worker, said he can’t wait to meet Victor Moses face to face as he is also planning to be at the airport. “My African brother, though this game is an
and at all times the team comes first.” The defender is one of four Nigeria stars on a booking heading to Sunday’s World Cup final playoff. The others are Fenerbache striker Emmanuel Emenike, Ogenyi Onazi from Lazio and Turkey-based defender Godfrey Oboabona.
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flattering to the visitors because their goalkeeper pulled off at least three big saves in a game dominated from start to finish by Nigeria. Jet-heeled Ahmed Musa, who is going great guns at Russian double champions CSKA Moscow with some very crucial goals, would have scored at least two goals, but he was not clinical in front of goal on the day. And he was not at his best during the AFCON clash against Ethiopia. MTNFootball.com scored him 3 out of 10 in that match.
Fly Eagles, fly •Continued from back page altar of preserving their legs for their European clubs. It could be sacrosanct to do so. Yet the World Cup offers the biggest podium for any player to reinvent his career for life. Need I waste space to list players whose future blossomed after the World Cup? Keshi shouldn’t give players who are not ready to give their100 per cent on the pitch our jerseys on Sunday. We want to see players fighting for the ball, winning it and effectively utilising it to score goals. It is about time the Eagles won matches for their teeming fans. The defenders have shown remarkable understanding when defending the goal area. Most times, there are yawning gaps in the midfield which most of our opponents have exploited. It is heartwarming though that the coaches have jettisoned their old fashioned two-man midfield for the fourman arrangement. And we saw how they left the South Africans panting in Durban during the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup game which Nigeria won 2-0. I don’t envy Keshi. He must be growing grey hairs over his team selection. It is good for him because no player is indispensable. However, Keshi must be told that no coach changes his winning squad. He needs to begin Sunday’s match with those who have been through the mill in the making of the Eagles from their time in Faro, Portugal, ahead of the South Africa 2013 Cup of Nations, where Nigeria emerged tops. John Mikel Obi and Eddy Onazi are the regular men in the midfield. It is looking like Oduamadi is playing himself into the midfield quartet. His inclusion has added impetus to the team’s attacking option, with the goals that he scores. Many still remember his equaliser for Nigeria against Kenya in Calabar. Oduamadi’s hat-trick in Nigeria’s 6-1 whiplash of Tahiti at the Confederations Cup in Brazil served as the announcement to bench those who held the fort at the Africa Cup of Nations. Suddenly, Nigeria’s saviour at the Africa Cup of Nations, Sunday Mba, is slowly losing his starting shirt in the team. Will Mba fight back to reclaim his shirt? The answer is blowing in the wind because he has an in-form Victor Moses to contend with, going by Keshi’s match strategies. Keshi prefers a two-man attack comprising Ahmed Musa and Emmanuel Emenike. It is the wise choice if only to err on the side of caution or sticking with known men. The fillip in Keshi’s rebuilding process is that he has capable replacements for most of the positions. This invariably translates to a healthy competition for shirts, which is chiefly responsible for some of the remarkable feats achieved by the squad. We must make qualifying for any World Cup tournament default for Nigeria. There are certain countries (Brazil, Germany, England, etc) synonymous with the global event. Nigeria belongs to this league, given the way our players beat their nationals to get shirts in their European clubs. Our players have taken their game to the heights where European scouts and managers crave to have Nigerians in their folds. Our coaches must toe that line. Interestingly, the new coaches are those who have graduated from being European league players to managers. It is not enough to have played the game to the highest level. They must do the courses that would provide them with the techniques to compete with better exposed European coaches in bigger competitions. The reason our players undermine our coaches begins when their training methods are outdated, compared to what they are taught by their European coaches. Our football chiefs must identify and encourage some of our stars in the twilight of their career to undergo coaching courses as a prelude to getting national team jobs.
Nigeria/Ethiopia: Be focused, Rufai tells Keshi
former Super Eagles of Nigeria goalkeeper, Peter Rufai on Friday advised Stephen Keshi and the Eagles’ players to be focused as they engage the Ethiopia senior national team on Sunday in the first leg of playoff for the 2014 World Cup. The ex-Eagles goal tender gave the advice when he visited the Edo commissioner for Youth and Sports in Benin City. He said though the match
•Edo commissioner for sports begs Jonathan to increase Bonus
is going to be a tough one, Rufai therefore urged the coach and the players to avoid any form of distraction form their opponent. Rufai, who commended the present crops of players in the national team, said all they need to emerge victorious was for them to remain focus before and during the match.
He said he considered the match a difficult one because it is easier playing against a European team than an Africa team. “That is why I’m urging the players and their handlers to remain focus and not consider their opponent a weak team. “Nobody should consider them weak for them to have come this far. “The Eagles must also be careful because the Ethiopians are going to
Babalola, the competition has been successful with the players benefiting from taking part. “I think every player that took part in the championship has commended the organization while the foreigners were not left out of this and this for us will spur us on to do better in
subsequent editions,” he said. Babalola added: “The unrated players will surely improve in their ranking while the rated ones will get improved ranking from the World Chess Federation (FIDE). This alone for us has scored the tournament high and we believe our players have indeed gained from participating in the competition.”
From, Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin
Nigeria, Egypt dominate Lagos International Chess Classics
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FTER four-days of action, host – Nigeria and Egypt tied in their rating to dominate the Lagos International Chess Classics. After seven round of matches, Nigeria’s trio of Omoifo Osemekhia, Ochuko Onovughe and Emmanuel Maduagwuna tied with Egypt’s duo of Abdelrahman Hesham and Mohammed Ezat
to share the star prize. The five players all tied with six points each, while the grandmaster, Serbia’s Dejan Antic and Uganda international master, Elijah Emojong, who were topping after six round of matches lose their last match to settle for 5.5points. According to the tournament director, Adebayo
throw all forms of antics to ensure they win the match come Sunday. “So, our players and handlers should and must prepare themselves to overcome these distractions, especially the issue of bumpy pitch,” he stressed. Asked which department of the game he considers as Eagles strongest, Rufai responded saying, “Football is a team game and one department does not win a match. “What I’m trying to say is that presently, we are good in every department of the game, from the coaching crew to the attack.” Also speaking, Edo commissioner for Youth and Sports, Lady Omorede Osifo appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to increase the match bonus for both pkayers and coaches in the match against Ethiopia.
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EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 11-10-13
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Fed Govt plans public offer for National Theatre
HE Federal Government would soon unbundle the National Theatre for privatisation through a public offer as part of initiatives to enliven and open up the tourism and hospitality sector for private investments. Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, during a visit to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) under the authority of President Goodluck Jonathan has already approved the transformation of the National Theatre and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation is now working on repackaging and public sale of shares of the ailing national edifice. According to him, the government has approved that the National Theatre should be transformed to a leisure and entertainment city and a dutyfree territory. "That approval has been conveyed and we are working with one of your members to ensure that it can be repackaged and brought here for the participation of all and sundry," Duke told the stockbrokers.
•Tourism sector seeks access to capital By Taofik Salako
He pointed out that he came to the NSE to explore opportunities for private investments in the tourism and hospitality sector, noting that the sector has immense potential that could rival the largest sector of the economy with appropriate capital from the market. "Our visitation to the NSE today was meant to open a new page in the engagement of the private sector to look at the second largest economic sector globally and to raise the awareness that investors in Nigerian Stock Exchange must also look beyond the traditional areas of investment and look into the new frontier," Duke said. He said that tourism presents opportunity for diversification of Nigeria's economy and thereby restore hope and create new platform for national economic development and jobs for the youths. He urged the stockbrokers and the general investing public to champion the cause of tourism development pointing out that as Nigeria begins to look at the dwindling fortunes from the traditional sectors, culture and tourism
holds great opportunity for the future of the country. Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema said there was need to partner ministry of Tourism, Culture and Orientation in order to increase awareness on saving and investment. According to him, working with the ministry of tourism and the agencies under it, the stock market can work to unlock the business potential in tourism. Responding on behalf of stockbrokers, doyen of stockbrokers, Mr. Rashidi Yusuff said the way to start Nigeria's economic regeneration is to embedded savings and investments as a culture. "Saving and investing is what drives the economy of this nation and it is high time we encourage it. Every country that is developed has a very high level of investment and that forms the ba si s of t hei r d ev el opment. That culture is partly being eroded and we believe when the ministry of culture is inaugurated into the system, it will go a long way to sensitise Nigerians on culture base on saving and investing," Yusuff said. According to him, Nigeria has almost worked against the culture of saving and investing because of oil money as people engage in lavish spending.
NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 11-10-13
TOMORROWPUNCHLINE IN THE NATION
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL.7, NO. 2634
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HE late political economist, Professor Claude Ake, had an uncanny ability to create fascinating concepts to illuminate aspects of social reality under his scrutiny.One of such concepts coined by the erudite scholar is that of 'defensive radicalism', which he utilised in his book 'Revolutionary Pressures in Africa', to explain some of the antics employed by conservative, even reactionary, ruling classes in Africa to maintain destructive strangleholds on their societies. The concept is seemingly problematic. It sounds contradictory. Yet, its explanatory power is phenomenal. Ordinarily, there is nothing defensive about radicalism. It is a necessarily offensive concept. Radicalism denotes an aggressive momentum to dislodge the status quo. It embodies a commitment to fundamental change and transformation in society. When then does radicalism become defensive? This happens when individuals, groups and social forces benefitting from a given iniquitous and inequitable status quo affect deceptive radical stances and become emergency advocates of change. This deft move disarms opposing forces and reinforces the capacity of the proestablishment elements to maintain and continue to exploit a system that requires urgent and drastic change. Thus, beneficiaries of the status quo become the most eloquent and passionate exponents of social or national transformation. Yet, this strident advocacy is a grand pretence. In reality, the more things seem to change, the more they remain the same. There is so much motion but little or no movement. While their feigned transformational radicalism lulls society to somnolence, fuel subsidy gangsters continue to smile to the bank, pension fund fraudsters continue their feast of obscene opulence, the Nigeria Ports Authority Board remains the preserve of party election fixers and aircraft routinely drop from the sky as alleged acts of God while satanic party contractors aggressively white wash airports. Some transformation! An excellent example of defensive radicalism at work was former President Olusegun Obasanjo's unprecedented anti-corruption war. It was fierce. It was intense. It was relentless. Yet, it was horrendously hypocritical and ineffectual. Right from inception in office, the Ota farmer projected himself as a veritable anti-graft radical saint. He ensured the enactment of stringent anti-corruption laws by the National Assembly. He set up anti-corruption agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He mercilessly made a mince-meat of his corrupt political opponents who were foolish enough to play into his hands. It seemed that the slightest scent of corruption made the immaculately clean General sick and mad. Yet, behind this huge obscurantist cloud of anti-corruption radicalism, government contractors, mega companies and even public institutions were corralled into donating lavishly to our hero's private presidential library project. He was allocated huge shares in the Transcorp Corporation project initiated by
People should naturally think twice when a government notorious for not honouring agreements says it is changing its mind on a contentious issue as the national conference — Tunji Adegboyega
segunayobolu2@yahoo.com
National conference as ‘defensive radicalism’
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The lesson of our history is that without a government with the requisite ethos, vision and values at the centre, a hundred national conferences cannot change Nigeria
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•President Goodluck Jonathan his government. The petroleum sector, particularly the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) remained a cesspit of graft throughout his tenure. The National Assembly's probe of the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) revealed that our 'Chichidodo' could enjoy a feast of maggots after all while affecting a public disdain for faeces. And we can all still recall the brazen third term agenda that remains the single most atrocious case of political and alleged pecuniary corruption in this political dispensation. That then is how defensive radicalism works. An aggressive anti-corruption war was feigned only as a cover for the consolidation of corruption. The masters of political deception are at it again. Radicalism has suddenly gone rampant in unexpected quarters. First to set the ball rolling was none other than the Senate President, the venerable Saint David Mark. At the resumption of the Senate, he announced his conversion to the idea of a national conference. It appears that his dramatic encounter with truth occurred, not on the road to Damascus like Saint Paul, but on the highway to Boko Haram's Damaturu. But then, he was only John the Baptist; a voice in
the wilderness preparing the way for a greater one whose shoelace he was unfit to untie. And verily verily, on October 1, the political Messiah emerged. In his national day broadcast to a surprised nation, he announced: "Repent ye, for the kingdom of the national conference is at hand. Verily verily, I say unto you, unless you are born again to the cause of a 'national conversation', you cannot enter the Kingdom of the new Nigeria". And of course, the desired effect is largely being achieved. President Goodluck Jonathan is being lauded to the high heavens by advocates of a national conference who see this as a triumph of their long cherished desire. The ever so lucky President must be chuckling happily to himself: "Ah! The kingdom of a second term come 2015 seems to be at hand". But then, have advocates of a national conference clamoured for it over the years simply for the sake of having a dialogue? I do not think so. The calls for a Sovereign National Conference have been made within the context of the erosion by the military of the country's federal and democratic ethos. After the thorough devastation and despoliation of the country for close to two decades, the discredited military oligarchy beat a retreat in 1999, but carefully engineered the emergence of the PDP as its successor to en-
sure the preservation of the decadent and dysfunctional status quo even in a supposedly post-military Nigeria. The PDP has faithfully performed this task over the last 14 years. It has largely retained the military's structure and philosophy of governance and virtually all sectors of our national life have steadily degenerated under its inept and venal watch. Why is Nigeria in the pathetic and prostrate condition we witness today? It certainly is not because a national conference has not taken place. On the contrary we have had several national conferences. It is the absence of a progressive, change-oriented government at the centre since independence that has retarded Nigeria's progress and aborted her potentials. The lesson of our history is that without a government with the requisite ethos, vision and values at the centre, a hundred national conferences cannot change Nigeria. And if you have such a government with the courage and competence to initiate fundamental change, a national conference may be totally unnecessary. While inaugurating the Senator Femi Okunrounmu-led advisory committee, for instance, President Jonathan averred that the 1957 conference "effectively prepared Nigeria for independence". So why had the country degenerated to military rule and outright civil war six years after independence? The answer is the lack of a visionary government at the centre. The President lauded the 1978 Constituent Assembly for saddling us with the 1979 presidential constitution "with its attendant checks and balances and fundamental human rights provisions". But a succession of inept and visionless administrations at the centre have utilised the immense powers of the wasteful presidential system to undermine accountability, erode the rule of law and worsen underdevelopment. President Jonathan claimed that the 1995 conference gave us the informal concept of a six-zonal structure. But governments at the centre that do not believe in a genuine federal ethos have still kept us bound to an essentially unitarian structure that breeds inefficiency, corruption, poverty and is fast turning Nigeria to a failed state. Without a fundamental change in the values, orientation and vision of the government at the centre, the planned constitutional conference jamboree will be another exercise in futility. For the first time since independence, the mainstream, unitarist forces that have ruled Nigeria since independence under both civilian and military rule are politically vulnerable. The President's undisguised second term ambition has badly fractured the ruling party at a time when the opposition is getting its act right for the first time ever. Thus, we have this sudden manoeuvre of having a distracting national conference when the 2015 elections, according to the electoral law, must hold by December next year. It has taken 14 years for the PDP to see the light. Are Nigerians too gullible not to see through this trickery? I hope not.
Ade Ojeikere on Saturday talk2adeojeikere@yahoo.com 08111813079 - sms only
I
T is unthinkable that renowned marathoners Ethiopia will be in Brazil for the 2014 World Cup, ahead of Nigeria’s Super Eagles. True, upsets are common in soccer, but not of the magnitude that will witness Ethiopia toppling African champions Nigeria. Tufiakwa, many will say, not out of arrogance or disrespect. One isn’t expecting the Ethiopians to lie down to be slaughter. After all, they qualified from a group where many had written them off as upstarts. They have promised-as expected- to beat the Eagles in Addis Ababa. The humidity may affect the Euro-laden Eagles stars. Our players are used to cold climate. Having gone to Ethiopia during the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, they have an idea of what to expect from the fans and the undulating turf inside the stadium. But Nigerians are not new comers to high altitude matches. Beside, the NFF has pro-
Fly Eagles, fly
vided the antidote by ensuring that the team arrives in Addis Ababa Saturday morning. Eagles’ biggest challenge would not be the Ethiopians, but themselves. If they put their heart to the game and play to their potentials, the Walya Antelopes will be a stroll in the park. Ethiopian fans may have this tendency to take the law into their own hands, but they understand the game. They are very passionate about their national team, just as we do. But, if the Eagles bury their players with early goals on Sunday, the task of qualifying for Brazil 2014 would have been half-done at dusk. Victory will be guaranteed if the players work in unity. The ball should be given to the player with the clearest chance to score goals. Only goals count at the end of matches, not how well the team played or dribbled the most. From the blast of the whistle, the mandate should be clear to the Ethiopians- that we
want to beat them at home. It won’t be out of place, given our players’ pedigree. With our players’ experience, they should dictate the pace of the game. Their passes should be accurate and shots targeted at the goal post. Our players’ objective on Sunday should be to win the game in the first half with plenty of goals. Leaving the goals late could be counter-productive because the weather would have taken its toll on our Europe-based stars. A command performance from the Eagles will frustrate the Ethiopians. It will also kill their enthusiasm to fight to win the game. The challenge for the Eagles rests with how they implement the coach’s match plan and improvise when the need arises. The Eagles have struggled in most away games because of the players’ sloppiness. We watched in awe in Kigali as the Rwandans drilled our better exposed players on the game’s rudiments. It took a tongue lashing from the chief coach for the players to rise to
the occasion. Even with the harsh words from Stephen Keshi, it took the heroics of goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama to secure the barren draw result in one of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. In Monrovia, Enyeama was the villain, with his movement off the goal line, conceding two cheap goals that gave the Liberians a 2-2 draw. Those were the Eagles’ early days, many would argue. But it is important to remind the players that there should be zero tolerance for mistakes when the game begins in Addis Ababa. Keshi must field only our best players. He must read the game tactically. His changes must be spot-on. He must not hesitate to pull out any fumbling player whose replacement should play according to the coach’s instructions. The Eagles have struggled on undulating surfaces in Africa because they are scared of sustaining career-threatening injuries. You cannot blame anyone for such caution. Yet they must adapt because the platform of playing at the World Cup cannot be lost on the
•Continued on Page 62 Published and printed by Vintage Press Limited. Corporate Office: 27B Fatai Atere Way, Matori, Lagos. P.M.B. 1025, Oshodi, Lagos. Telephone: Switch Board: 01-8168361. Marketing: 01-8155547, Abuja Office: Plot 5, Nanka Close AMAC Commercial Complex, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja, Tel/07028105302 Port Harcourt Office: 12/14, Njemanze Street, Mile 1, Diobu, PH. 08023595790 `Website: www.thenationonlineng.net E-mail: saturday@thenationonlineng.com ISSN: 115-5302 Editor: DELE ADEOSUN
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Kokori: Kelvin’s gang talks tough: •Release our leader or there’ll be deadlier attacks
•The deserted palace...yesterday
•Women intensify protest n Shola O'NEIL, S/South Regional Editor, and Okungbowa AIWERIE,Warri n EMBERS of the Liberation Movement of Urhobo (LiMUP) have warned that the arrest of their leader and alleged kidnap kingpin, Kelvin Ibruvwe (aka Oniarah), may unleash deadlier violence in the area. Speaking with our reporter on Kokori on Thursday, the new leader of the group, simply identified as Don Jazzy, gave the clearest hint yet that one of the men arrested by Department of Security Services (DSS) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, is Kelvin Ibruvwe. Don Jazzy, who wielded an assault rifle like scores of other young members of the group, said, “If one Kelvin is removed another Kelvin will replace him”. “Government is of the opinion that if they take the leader out, his followers will be demoralised and be dispersed, but that is a dangerous road to take because these followers will become more desperate and engage in heinous criminality without any restraining influence which the leader provides. “We are still willing to carry on the legacy; even a little child from this community today when he grows up and this level of injustice persists, will end up agitating for a better life." He accused the government of playing politics with the agitation of the Kokori people in view of the enviable position of their counterparts from the other ethnic group. "The truth of the matter is that the government knows what to do and we have already told them before. Kelvin told them that we have one thousand ‘Kelvins’, this is not a joke." According to him, the struggle for the emancipation of Urhobo land will continue despite the setback suffered following the arrest of their leader. Don Jazzy urged the Federal Government to release Kelvin Ibruvwe and issue a presidential pardon for all the militants, including the imme-
IN SI DE
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diate commencement of the development of Urhobo people. His words: ”All the people that have been arrested must be released. Massive infrastructural projects should commence in Kokori and other Urhobo land .Our youths are armed but we are not happy that we are carrying arms to fight the government but we are pushed to the wall. For the youths to put down their weapons and for us to clear our names, there has to be a presidential pardon." He condemned the deafening silence of the apex Urhobo socio-cultural organisation Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU) in the impasse, urging the group to stand up and fight for the rights of the Urhobo people. His words: “Our leaders should stand up and fight for our rights. If our leaders stand up to government insisting that the right things must be done, government will have no choice but to listen to us. If our leaders do not listen to the youths and become collabo-
rators, we will deal with them in due course. They are the ones who sponsor the media against us calling us names because they have money to take care of their children and send them abroad to school." Meanwhile, hundreds of elderly women in Kokori community on Friday continued indefinite protest to force troops of the Joint Task Force, 'Operation Pulo Shield', from the community. The troops from the 222 Battalion of the Nigerian Army were deployed in the community in the wake of the arrest of alleged notorious armed robbery and kidnap kingpin, Kelvin Oniarah. On Thursday and Friday, they carried freshly cut twigs, marched through the main (Market) Road in the town singing songs denouncing the activities of some personalities in the community. They vowed that the protest would con-
•The protesting women...yesterday
agedy:
ble tr u o d s ’ o d Iju-O
arch n o m t s o l Town re o f e b s k e two we eath Agagu’s d Pages 20&21
•Kelvin
tinue until Kelvin, the Egba priests and all youths arrested in the community are released. Their leader (Otota Eya), Mrs. Omotejowho, who was dressed in the all-white traditional attire of the Egba cult, spoke in pidgin English saying: "Our juju priest and children arrested by soldiers must be released by government. They should be given jobs, not arrested. "Kokori has one of the best blends of crude oil in the country, yet we have nothing to show for it. Go round yourself, you will find there is nothing to show our position as an oil-producing community. The Ijaw and Itsekiri, our counterparts, are doing well while we are suffering," she added. At the end of the march, Omotejowho led the women to a military post before proceeding to the gate of the deserted palace of Agbon monarch and deposited the twigs to express their displeasure with him. Omotejo who accused soldiers of visiting mayhem on the community, stressing that scores of persons were killed, property worth millions of naira were destroyed, while scores of women and children were still missing. She slammed the Ovie of Agbon Kingdom, HRM Mike Omeru, Ogurimerime Ukori 1, for allegedly turning his back on the people shortly after he was crowned.
y is ‘Everybod oil e enjoying th e are w money but se of it’ u dying beca Pages 14&15
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Agagu: Pilot's error caused Lagos plane crash
ARELY 10 days after the Associated Airlines Embraer 120 aircraft crashed at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, killing 14 passengers, the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has said that the preliminary readout and analysis of flight 361 flight recorder indicated that the right engine of the aircraft was faulty. The agency also said that preliminary investigation indicated that the captain-incommand of the ill-fated aircraft, Abdulrahman Yakubu, ignored the warning from the onboard computer voice. This was disclosed to journalists by the Commissioner for AIB, Capt. Usman Muktar, while reading out the preliminary readout and analysis of flight 361’s flight recorders in Abuja yesterday. He said the investigation was done in AIB laboratory in Abuja in conjunction with international flight recorder experts from Canada, who designed the laboratory. Capt. Mukthar said the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) contained approximately 47 hours in solid state memory, while the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) contained thirty-two and a half minutes of audio, which included internal conversation of two pilots, radio calls, and the overall environment in the cockpit. Muktar said that Associated Airlines flight 361 was cleared for take-off by the Air Traffic Controller on runway 18 left of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) Lagos, adding that at that time, the wind was calm and weather was not considered a factor in the accident. He added that four seconds after the engine power was advanced to commence take off roll, the crew received an automated warning from the onboard computer voice which consisted of three chimes followed by “Take off Flap, Take off Flap, Take off flap.” He stated that this configuration warning suggested that the flaps were not in the correct position for take-off and there was evidence that the crew might have chosen not to use flaps for the take-off. According to him, “This warning did not appear to come as any surprise to the crew, and they continued normally with the take-off. This warning continues throughout the take-off roll.“ Capt. Mukhtar added that AIB was in the process of verifying the accuracy of the flight data, adding that the agency had not been able to confirm the actual flap setting and that AIB was expected to determine this in the fullness of time. The AIB commissioner added that the ‘set power’ call
•Captain ignored co-pilot's advice against take-off Last conversation between control tower and crashed plane’s pilot
Kelvin OKUNBOR was made by the captain and the ‘power is set’ was confirmed by the First Officer as expected in the normal operations, adding that approximately three seconds after the ‘power is set’ call, the First Officer noted that the aircraft was moving slowly. Approximately seven seconds after the ‘power is set‘ call, the internal aircraft voice warning system could be heard stating ‘Take off Flap, Auto Feather’. He explained that auto feather refers to the pitch of the propeller blades, adding that in the feather position, the propeller does not produce any thrust. The Flight Data Recorder, he said, contains several engine related parameters, which the AIB was studying. “At this time, we can state that the right engine appears to be producing considerably less thrust than the left engine. The left engine appeared to be working normally. The aircraft automated voice continued to repeat, Take off Flap, Auto Feather.’ “ According to an aircraft engineer, Sheri Kyari, the flap on an aircraft is located at the trailing edge of the wing. It is at the rear end of the wings. Kyari, a former president of Pilots and Aircraft Engineers in the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited, the function of the flap when operational increases the surface area of the wing, thereby generating enough lift at low aircraft speeds. This is when the aircraft is taking off or landing. Kyari, is convener and executive director, Centre of Aviation Safety and Research. “When the flap is not set to the required degree for take off, the aircraft will have to do a long take-off run before gaining enough lift to lift-off the ground,” he said. Reading out the preliminary report, AIB said “the standard ‘eighty knots’ call was made by the First Officer. The first evidence that the crew indicated that there was a problem with the take-off roll was immediately following the ‘eighty knots’ call. “The First Officer asked if the take-off should be aborted approximately 12 seconds after the ‘eighty knots’ callout” AIB added that the captain, in response to the Flight Officer’s question to abort the take off, said that they should continue, adding that the crew did not make V1 call, which is the speed at which the decision to abort or continue a take-off is made, or the Vr call, which indicates the speed at which it is planned to rotate the aircraft. The Commissioner added that normally, the non-flying
I
NDICATIONS emerged yesterday that air traffic controllers at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, queried the status of the ill-fated flight as the aircraft struggled to take off on Runway 18 Left at flight level 190 .
TIME
STATION
08:03 08:03 08:03
SCD361 121.9 SCD361
08:03 08:03 08:03:30 08:03 08:03:37 08:03:41 08:03
121.9 SCD 361 121.9 SCD 361 121.9 NIG119 121.9
08:03
SCD 361
08:03 08:03 08:03
121.9 121.9 SCD 361
08:20:52
SCD 361 118.1 118.1 SCD 361
08:26:31
118.1 SCD 361
08:28:25
TOWER SCD 361 TOWER SCD 361 TOWER
08:28:53
TOWER
08:28:07
SCD 361 08:30:40
A copy of the transcript obtained in Abuja gave details of the conversation between the pilot of the Embraer 120 aircraft with 20 souls on board and air traffic controllers at the Lagos Airport tower. Below is Tape Transcript on SCD 361 ( 5NBJY) on 121.9 MHZ:
COMMUNICATION LAGOS GROUND GOODMORNING SCD361 SCD361 GO AHEAD TOP OF THE MORNING, REQUESTING START UP TO DNAK, 5NBJY. END 5HRS POB 28-7 FLIGHT LEVEL 190 CONFIRM YOU HAVE A FLIGHT PLAN? AFFIRMATIVE, YOU SHOULD HAVE A COPY OK, STAND BY CONFIRMING CALLING NEGATIVE, STAND BY LAGOS GROUND NIG119 THE SCD361 TO DNAK ATC IS NOT WITH YOUR FLIGHT PLAN, STANDBY WHILE I VERIFY STATUS OF YOUR FLIGHT PLAN WITH AIS UNIT, YOU ON YOUR OWN PART CALL YOUR FLIGHT PLAN CREW TO VERIFY. WE WILL STANDBY I HAVE A COPY OF THE FLIGHT PLAN WITH ME HERE IN THE COCKPIT, BUT I WILL STANDBY ALRIGHT SCD361, START UP APPROVED CONTACT TOWER 118.1 START UP IS APPROVED, WE WILL CONTINUE WITH TOWER, GOOD DAY LAGOS SCD 361 AT THE GAT REQUEST TAXI SCD 361 TAXI HOLDING POINT RUNWAY 18 LEFT SCD 361 REPORT TYPE OF AIECRAFT AND LEVEL REQUESTING E120, REQUESTING FLIGHT LEVEL 190 AND ON BOARD WE HAVE 21 CORRECTION 20-7 SCD 361 CLEARED TO DNAK VIA A609 CLIMB FLIGHT LEVEL 190 SQUAWK 0504 CLEARED TO AKURE VIA A609 FLIGHT LEVEL 190 COMING ON THE SQUAWK A0504, WE REQUEST R778 IF AVAILABLE, WE JUST SET COURSE FROM THERE COPIED STANDBY THANK YOU SCD 361 LINE UP AND WAIT RUNWAY 18LEFT SCD 361 TO POSITION AND HOLD RUNWAY 18LEFT SCD 361 RECLEARED R778 TO FLIGHT LEVEL 190, WE WILL BE READY SHORTLY SCD 361 WIND CALM, AFTER DEPARTURE MAINTAIN RUNWAY HEADING , CLEAR TAKE OFF RUNWAY 1 8LEFT SCD 361 ROLLING, KEEP RUNWAY HEADING AFTER DEPARTURE SCD 361 CONFIRM OPERATIONS NORMAL?
TAPE TRANSCRIPT ON SCD 361 (5NBJY) ON 121.9MHZ pilot pulls back both the V1 and the Vr speeds, He said that when the Vr was called, the flying pilot pulled back the control column. The First Officer asked the Captain ‘gently’, a word that indicated that the aircraft was not performing normally.
He added that the aircraft did not produce enough overall thrust and that it was difficult or impossible to climb without risk of an aerodynamics stall. An aviation expert, Mallam Muhammadu Dodo, described aerodynamics as the streamline of air flow around
the aircraft due to its design. It enables it to attain a stable and safe flight. Immediately after lift-off, the aircraft slowly veered off the runway, heading to the right and was not climbing, and that the aircraft behaviour made ATC to ask the pilot if Flight 361 operation was nor-
mal but that they did not respond, and that 31 seconds after the warning, the aircraft crashed.
N35,549,000,000 was shared from the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) by all the tiers of government and an additional N7,617,000,000 from the continued monthly instalmental payment from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Addressing journalists at
the end of the meeting, the Minister of State for Finance and Chairman of FAAC, Dr. Yerima Lawan Ngama, said the committee approved the August and September accounts. Speaking further, Ngama said the month of September witnessed a drop in the amount of revenue which accrued into the federation ac-
count by N22.783 billion “due to the slight decline in crude oil production as a result of Force Majeure declared at Brass Terminal, maintenance issues and theft.” By this development, only the actual accruals into the federation account was
SEE THE FULL PRELIMINARY REPORT ON PAGE 63
FG, states, LGs share N1.19tr August, September allocations •States kick against CBN's 50% compulsory deposit T
HE Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) yesterday approved and disbursed a whopping N1.196 trillion to the three tiers of government for the months of August and September. According to the spread sheet made available to journalists at the end of the much awaited twin FAAC meeting for the months of August and September 2013, the net statutory disbursements to
Nduka CHIEJINA (Assistant Editor)
the federal government was N484,429,000,000 or (52.68%); the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) N245,708,000,000 or (26.72%) and the 774 local government areas, including the six area councils of the FCT N189,431,000,000 or
(20.6%). To make up the N1.19 trillion windfall for the governments, N127,661,000,000 was distributed between the federal government (N19,149,000,000); states (N63,831,000,000) and local g o v e r n m e n t s (N44,682,000,000) as proceeds of the value added tax (VAT) for the two months.
•Continued on Page 5
NEWS 5
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
DELTA SENATORIAL BY-ELECTION
Delta Central senatorial by-election holds today
T
HE Delta Central sena torial by-election will hold today in eight local governments constituting the Urhobo nation, Delta State. The die is cast among the three major political parties in the district-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC) and Democratic Peoples Party (DPP). After the poll, the candidates- O’Tega Emerhor (APC), Olorogun Emmanuel Aguariavwodo (PDP) and Chief Ede Dafinone (DPP)-will know their fate. The seat became vacant few months ago, following the death of Senator Pius Ewherindo, who was elected in 2011 on the platform of the DPP led by Chief Great Ogboru. Many Urhobos have returned home since Thursday in solidarity with the candidates of their choice. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 843, 411 registered as voters. The commission has promised a transparent poll. To make it possible, it solicited for the cooperation of the stakeholders.The police command has also given assurance of security during the poll, urging the candidates and voters to abide by the rules. In this by-election, none of the three candidates can be dismissed with a wave of the hand. But many factors, according to analysts, will shape the poll. Although the PDP has dominated the state since 1999, that power of incumbency collapsed during the last senatorial election in Delta Central. DPP was en-
Emmanuel OLADESU Group Political Editor dorsed as the party of choice by the Urhobo. During this electioneering, that perception changed for two reasons. The APC candidate came with a bold challenge. The Urhobo nation also reckons with him as a great leader, philanthropist and strong personality. Also, his party came with clear manifestos. Many things may work against the PDP. The cry of marginalisation is loud in Urhobo land. The indigenes have alleged that both the federal and state governments have neglected the ethnic group. Recently, a politician from the area, Chief Ovie Omo-Agege, complained to President Goodluck Jonathan that, despite its huge population, Urhobo has no minister in the Federal Executive Council. Other Urhobo politicians have also complained that the distribution of appointments by the President has always favoured the Ijaw. However, it appears that the ethnic group is looking beyond the DPP for salvation. In the past, Urhobo distanced itself from the progressive bloc, owing to its deep-seated sentiment against the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Action Group (AG) Premier of the defunct Western Region, who re-christened Olu of Itsekiri as the Olu of Warri, despite the fact that three ethnic groups-Itsekiri, Ijaw and Urhobo-exist in Warri. But, the people, who had rejected the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and Alliance for
•Emerhor Democracy (AD), have not extended the hostility to the APC, which they perceived as a better alternative. Urbobo leaders have maintained that the DPP, which produced Ewherindo more than two years ago, had depleted, owing to the defection of some members to the APC. It was evident that a split had occurred in the party before the senator passed on. Many APC leaders were surprised that Ogboru refused to participate in the merger that culminated in the birth of the main opposition party in the country. “DPP is now an isolated minority party, an orphan, and, if it is denied victory, nobody will fight for the party. We have been clamouring for a better political platform and APC has given the Urhobo that platform”, said a politician from the district. It is a big test for the APC, which has been flaunting its
•Dafinone national spread and credential of its governors and national leaders. This is the first major election and challenge the party will confront. Many youths in the district, who assessed the candidates, said that, in a free and fair election, Emerhor may have an edge. According to them, the APC candidate has done much for the district by attracting financial institutions, which generated employment. He is also perceived as a philanthropist, whose contributions have been acknowledged by the Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU). The association recently gave a medalist to Emerhor, who is serving as the chairman of its fund-raising committee. The PDP is working assiduously, but it has not impressed the people during the senatorial campaigns. Other parties have alleged that PDP intends to rig then poll, an allegation the party has denied. Aguariavwdo is per-
Delta senatorial by-election, a litmus test for 2015 — Akume S ENATE Minority Leader, Dr. George Akume, has described the Delta-Central Senatorial by-election holding today as a measure of the preparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free, fair and transparent elections, and hence a litmus test for 2015. He also called on people of the Senatorial District to come out en masse and vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the byelection, Olorogun O’tega Emerho, describing him as “the right man for the job.” In a statement issued in Abuja by his Media Assistant, Mrs. Beckie Orpin, Akume said in the light of the massive irregularities that marred the 2011 polls, it was imperative for the INEC to get its acts right this time around so as to rekindle confidence in the nation’s electoral system. The former Benue State governor said the conduct of credible polls was a democratic emergency, particularly as Nigerians and petitioners have come to the painful conclusion that the courts and tribunals cannot be relied upon to redress matters of electoral fraud perpetrated during elections. He, therefore, called on the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to rise above board, and prove that the “Giant of Africa does not
have clay feet when it comes to electoral matters or that Africa’s largest democracy is incapable of meeting the minimum standards of credible elections.” The statement reads in part: “The much-talked about Transformation Agenda must also transform the INEC and the reforms being trumpeted in government circles must reach AttahiruJega’s INEC, and evidently so. Let votes count. “Let neither INEC officials
nor security agents become parties in this election. It is not too good that the Giant of Africa is giving electoral support to smaller African countries like Sierra Leone, but cannot herself hold commendable polls.The INEC must move from rhetoric to performance. “The INEC must take a cue from smaller countries like Mali, Ghana, Sierra Leone as well as South Africa, and begin to discharge its mandate as an impartial umpire. It is
less than wonderful that after every election, the INEC engages in self-congratulations, while other parties, save the supposed winners, head for court. “And the Federal Government should also know that the acceptability of an electoral process or the stability of the polity does not lie in the intensity of the official propaganda or in militarization of the polity before and after elections; they depend on the free, fair, transparent and credible conduct of the exercise itself. Today’s exercise offers us that possibility!”
...police raise alarm over planned invasion by hoodlums during by- election
D
ELTA Police Com mand has warned of dire consequences for troublemakers in the Delta Central Senatorial by-elections scheduled to hold today. The eight local government areas where the by-elections will hold include Udu, Uwvie, Sapele, Ethiope West, Ethiope East, Ughelli North, Ughelli South and Okpe Local government areas The Delta Police Command says intelligence report revealed that politicians intend to bring miscreants and hoodlums from neighbouring states into the eight local government
Okungbowa AIWERIE, Asaba areas in a bid to cause restiveness and mayhem. In a signed statement made available to The Nation, Delta Police Commissioner, Ikechukwu Aduba, urged the public, politicians and other stakeholders to play by the rules, adding that the electoral body has put machinery in place to provide a level playing field to all. Aduba warned that the command will not hesitate to clamp down on persons attempting to circumvent the law or truncate the peace en-
joyed in the state. The police said it has perfected plans “to nip in the bud the ill-conceived intentions,” adding that vehicular movement will be restricted in the local government areas where the by-elections will hold. Aduba warned policemen not on election duties not to act as escorts for politicians in the eight local government areas, adding that violators will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law. Aduba warned parents not to allow their wards to be used to foment trouble during and after elections, urging the politicians to play by the rules.
•Aguariavwodo ceived as President Jonathan’s choice. But many have said that he has issues to settle at home. Many Urhobo have not forgiven him for resigning as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC) chairman to contest for the governorship. “As the NDDC chairman, he was regarded as the governor of nine oilproducing states. Many really wanted him to continue in that important office”, a source said. Besides, a section of the PDP is angry that the 2011 candidate, Chief Ighota Amori, should have been compensated with the ticket for his persistent loyalty. During his campaign tour, the PDP flag bearer was harassed by some thugs. To analysts, that has demonstrated that he is not a popular candidate. In the DPP, the candidate, Dafinone, has earned the appellation of ‘Daddy’s boy’. This is because he wants to repeat his father’s feat as a senator. The elder statesman, Senator David Dafinone, was a senator in the Second Republic on the platform of the proscribed National Party of Nigeria (NPN). The younger Dafinone is facing some challenges. The bitter primaries in the DPP has generated post-primary crisis. But Dafinone has the backing of the majority in the party. The question is whether the chartered accountant can deliver the votes to his party like the late Ewherindo.
Across the eight councils, opinions differ. The total number of registered voters is 843,411. In Ethiope West Council, there are 84,262 registered voters. This is Amori’s stronghold. Unless the people are pacified before the poll, they may turn their back at the PDP. Sapele local government has 95,031 voters. The council is made up of Itsekiri and Urhobo people. The three candidates will struggle for the votes there. But some observers said that, based on the Amori factor, protest votes cannot be ruled out. According to the electoral commission, 90,559 people registered to vote in Ethiope East. This is the home of Ogboru. Definitely, the political king will sway the votes there. In Udu council, there are100,656 voters. If the acrimony that trailed the rejection of Richard Odigbo by the DPP is not resolved, the party may not make headway there. In the local government, the APC state legislator is on ground. In Okpe local government, there are 79,436 voters. It is the home of Prof. Sam Oyevbaire. DPP and PDP will slug it out there. 147, 261 registered in Uvwie Council. It is the APC’s stronghold. Mr. Festus Keyamo and Akpore are from the area. It is the largest local government in the district. Ugheli South, the home of Ewherindo, has 94,811 voters. Ugheli South, the home of Emerhor, has 151, 425.
FAAC shares N1.19tr for August, September •Continued from Page 4
shared for the two months as earlier agreed by all the parties, thus bringing to an end the culture of augmenting monthly allocations which fell short of the budgeted sum for the month. The minister also disclosed that the NNPC had made 27 monthly instalmental payment of N7.617 billion to FAAC as agreed. As a result, the corporation has only six more instalmental payments to make to offset all that it owes FAAC. After the meeting, the state governments expressed concern at the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) directive of 50 per cent compulsory public sector deposits to banks, saying that the sates are not comfortable with the CBN’s directive.
Speaking to journalists after the FAAC meeting, the Chairman of Commissioners forum, Barrister Timothy Odaah, said the apex bank’s directive was “giving states harsh experience as banks are no longer eager to extend facilities to states without the say-so of the CBN among other negative effectives to the investment desires of the states and the fact that they now have to pay higher interest when they borrow from the money market. Odaah hinted that the state governors would present their misgivings on the compulsory deposit to President Goodluck Jonathan at the next National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, to look for possible ways to bale the states out of economic difficulties.
6 NEWS
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Amaechi, Wike’s camps in fresh exchanges
HE Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, has asked the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and his supporters to move to another political party to test his popularity, declaring that change has come to the Niger Delta state. An ally of Amaechi, Emma Chinda, however, described Wike as a political jobber whose primary interest was how he could become the governor of the state in 2015. Chinda, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Rivers Commissioner for Agriculture declared that the Minister of State for Education resisted moves by Amaechi to deliver Rivers State for President Goodluck Jonathan during the 2011 presidential election. Wike equally described Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), as disobedient to President Jonathan and the traditional institution in Rivers State. Wike, the grand patron of the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), spoke through the Secretary-General of the GDI, Samuel Nwanosike, yesterday in an interactive session with reporters in Port Harcourt. The Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief Tony Okocha, had earlier asked Wike to stop his 2015
Bisi OLANIYI, Port Harcourt governorship campaign and face the strike by the members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP). The Chief of Staff also urged the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, to call Wike to order for violating the rule of campaigning 90 days to elections. Nwanosike said: “In 2011, Barr. Wike was the DirectorGeneral of Amaechi Campaign Organisation and he used the platform to get President Jonathan and Amaechi elected. “Amaechi and six Northern Governors, who are now friends, wanted Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the PDP in 2011, but Chief Wike opted for Dr. Jonathan. “Chief Wike wants change in Rivers State. He has come to liberate Rivers State from mismanagement and underdevelopment. The Minister of State for Education is not campaigning, but participating in the GDI’s thanksgiving and inauguration at the ward and LGA levels. “Amaechi and his confused supporters should move to another political party
now to test their popularity. The era of money politics has gone in Rivers State. You must now be popular to win elections.” Chinda urged Rivers people not to take Wike seriously, but to continue to support the focused Amaechi’s administration in its transformational agenda. The Rivers governor’s ally said: “Wike resisted moves by Governor Ameachi to deliver Rivers State for President Jonathan in the 2011 general elections when he was the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt. The present posture of Wike is a deception to achieve his political ambition of becoming Rivers Governor in 2015. “Wike is playing political gimmicks. He has just announced himself clearly as a political jobber. “I still remember that in 2011, when we were doing the presidential campaigns, Wike was the person who headed a campaign against President Jonathan. “If not for the intervention of Governor Amaechi, Dr. Jonathan would not have got many votes in Rivers State because Wike was bent on making sure that President Jonathan was not elected. “I know that Wike does not care if President Jonathan loses the 2015 election or not. What he wants is to see how he can
Lagos to upgrade Wempco Road
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AGOS State government on Thursday unveiled plans to upgrade the entire Wempco Road, off Lateef Jakande Road in Agidingbi axis, into a dual carriageway to address traffic gridlock along the route. Addressing a stakeholders forum on the road at Ashton Gardens yesterday, Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) said when completed, the 1.8 km long road would take pressure off Agidingbi road and reduce stress and travel time along that axis. LAMATA's Director of Roads, Mr. Funso Elulade, an engineer, said the road is being embarked upon with the assis-
Adeyinka ADERIBIGBE tance of the World Bank. Leading other management staff of the agency, among whom were: the Technical Adviser, Communications, Mrs Angela Olanrewaju; the Deputy Director, Social Safeguards, Prof. Olukayode Taiwo; and Project Manager, Engr. Tajudeen Olanipekun, Elulade assured residents which include schools, hospitals, steel companies and diary companies along the route that there would be strict adherence to the time frame of 18 months. Elulade said the road would be one of its kind not
only in Lagos, but in Nigeria when completed, as it would have a bicycle lane on both sides of the carriageway. Other highlights of the road feature, would include a pedestrian walkway, traffic signs and road markings street lights and bus stops. Prof Taiwo also said LAMATA would address all issues that might affect all residents with a view to reducing the pains they might experience throughout the period of the construction. Stakeholders praised LAMATA for putting together the forum and urged the government to stick to the timeline in order to reduce the pains to be experienced by residents and other road users.
Nigeria, Kuwait to sign two agreements
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UWAIT new Ambassa dor to Nigeria, Dr. Abdulaziz Ahmad AlSharrah, has said his responsibility is to enhance the bilateral relationship between his country and Nigeria. He also said both countries are set to sign two bilateral agreements. Dr. Al-Sharrah, who recently presented his credential to President Goodluck Jonathan, said his ultimate
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Vincent IKUOMOLA, Abuja goal is to contribute to enhancing the brotherly relationship between our friendly countries, and to multiply efforts as to deepening it in all fields, be it political, economical, social, cultural and touristic. He said the two bilateral agreements between the State of Kuwait and the Federal
Republic of Nigeria are to be signed, while four more agreements are undergoing study and amendments, making the total of six bilateral agreements. Besides, the Ambassador said the State of Kuwait ready to host the 3rd Arab-African Summit within the period 1820/11/2013 Captioned “Partners in Development and Investment”.
‘Beware of Christmas gifts’
HE Commissioner of Police (CP), Anti-bomb Command, also called the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Command, Mr. Abdulmajid Ali, has advised members of the public to be careful in receiving gifts from people they do not know very well to avoid receiving bombs as gifts. CP Ali gave the advice on the occasion of the graduation ceremony of the Basic EOD Training Course 16B, 2013 for bomb technicians and investigators, at the Traffic Training Wing, Police Col-
Ebele BONIFACE lege, Ikeja, Lagos on Wednesday. He called on people to be watchful and report strange faces or vehicles parked in strange manners to the police in order to avoid disastrous occurrences. On the command’s efforts in fighting terrorism, he said: “The police are winning the war against terrorism. You can agree with me that insurgence has subsided following intensive efforts by the President
Goodluck Jonathan and the Inspector General of Police (GP) Mohammed Dikko Abubakar to checkmate the terrorists.” On what the American government had done to assist Nigeria in fighting terrorism, he said America had been trying her best. He cited many efforts made by the country the areas of logistics and training . He advised the graduands to use the knowledge they acquired to better the service delivery and image of the force.
use Dr. Jonathan’s name to launch his own political programme in Rivers State. He should realise that Rivers people are more than that. “We need to tell him that we have passed the era when we say: oh, this person is there, to an era when we now say: oh, road is there; health centres, schools, employment opportunities are there.” Chinda challenged Wike to quickly bring an end to the ASUU strike which has been on for over three months and that of the ASUP, thereby stopping to heat up the polity in Rivers State. He said: “Wike has got a
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plethora of problems to solve. Let him go back to his Federal Ministry of Education. He has a tall task of making sure that Nigerian universities and polytechnics reopen, of making sure that teachers do not go on strike. “Wike is not ashamed as a supervising Minister of Education that policemen chased away with teargas at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt, 13,000 newly-recruited teachers who had gone to collect their posting letters. Till date, he has not made any comment about it. “What kind of minister is that? We should realise that
this man is just clueless and what he is doing is political jobbing.” Nwanosike later added: “In what capacity can Emma Chinda describe Wike as a political jobber when he (Wike) facilitated his (Chinda’s) appointment as a commissioner in Rivers State? It would be recalled that the face-off between Amaechi and Wike (both Ikwerre) started with the governor declaring that it would not be ideal for another Ikwerre person to succeed him in 2015, while preferring another ethnic group or senatorial district, which did not go down well with Wike.
Standard & Poors affirms Nigeria Sovereign rating at BB-
NTERNATIONAL credit rating agency, Standard & Poors, has affirmed Nigeria Sovereign rating at BB- with stable outlook. The affirmation is coming when the agency is downgrading other sovereigns like the United States, due to the current global economic difficulties. The outcome of the rating assessment was disclosed by Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, at a press briefing, at the ongoing IMF/World Bank Annual meetings in Washington DC. The rating agency, while acknowledging the challenges facing Nigeria, said the economy remains robust with macroeconomic indicators remaining strong.
Bukola AFOLABI, Washington DC The finance minister attributed the favourable rating to the current fiscal stance of the Federal Government, adding that this is one more external validation of the economy. On the Fiscal side, S$P says Nigeria’s GDP growth remains strong in 2013 through 2016, buoyed by non- oil sector growth. According to the rating agency, Nigeria’s debt stock remains relatively low, while foreign reserves remain strong. The agency also views the economy positively in the light of the redeemed N1.7 trillion Non-Performing Loans purchased by the Asset Management Company of Nigeria
(AMCON) which will be finally written off its books. S$P equally views non-oil Sector development especially growth in agriculture, retail, telecoms and power as positive. Also at the briefing, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said the S$P’s assessment of the Nigerian economy aligns with the difficult global economic environment which has seen countries like the United States being downgraded. The governor further stated that in today’s global economy, there is limited pool of investable capital and huge competition among countries to attract such funds, and that going by this rating, Nigeria would be favorably disposed for such investment decisions.
COMMENTARY 7
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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Sovereignty, authority and global justice
read some where that colonialism ‘with its across bor ders and across seas‘ nature was indeed the forerunner of globalization and I sneered then that someone was trying to glamorize colonialism in contemporary terms to make it relevant perhaps to accommodate it in modern history . Events in the last week however have shown that my skepticism on the issue was misplaced. Just look at the foray of US special forces into Somalia and Libya this week and the reactions of the bona fide governments in both nations and you see all the imprints of a new form of colonialism actually mocking globalization as we know it today . When you also hear that former Liberian strong man Charles Taylor who has been jailed for various crimes including rape, terrorism and the use of child soldiers in Sierra Leone’s war is to serve his 50 years sentence in a British prison because Britain requested for this, then you see how colonialism is very akin to globalization. Furthermore the news that Cameroun’s military chasing Boko Haram terrorists off their territory informed their Nigerian colleagues across the border to make sure that the terrorists did not escape really showed that ECOWAS’ cooperation in fighting Boko Haram can take shape in spite of colonial heritage, its differences, and history. Again, the decision of the US to cut military aid to Egypt and the Egyptian government’s retort that it will not yield to US pressure but that Egypt will pursue its own path to democracy say a lot about the topic of the day. Starting with the overnight strike of US special forces in Somalia and Libya, the reaction of the two governments was markedly different. The Somali PM welcomed the development and praised the Americans .He told his interviewer that Somalia welcomes the intervention of its foreign partners in fighting Al Shabab anywhere including Somali territory. Ostensibly the Americans had come to attack or kidnap terrorists who had bombed the Westgate Mall in Nairobi Kenya killing over 65 people. But the raid in Somalia this time was not successful because the Americans had a new rule of engagement which did not allow them to attack where civilians are engaged. To the Somali PM then, sovereignty was a not an issue, and he had no qualms in the Americans usurping , as it were, the authority of the de facto and de jure government of Somalia, as long as the objective is to flatten the nose of Al Shabab operatives which Somali leaders regard as a form of international justice being meted out to Al Shabab. In Libya, the Americans carted away an Al Qada operative who took part in the bombing of the US embassy in Dar Es Salaam sometime ago. They kidnapped him in Tripoli and took him for questioning on a ship in the Mediterranean. The Libyan government was livid with rage and summoned the US Ambassador in Libya for explanation. Worse still, over 100 gunmen were reported to have captured the Libyan PM Ali Zeidane only to release him after 8 hours . Before his kidnap and arrest, the Libyan PM had appealed to the International Community to help his government because it could not control the volume of arms flowing in and out of Libya, which he feared would destabilize the entire region. After his bizarre kidnap and release, the Libyan PM thanked those who worked for his release and noted that the issue was a distinct Libyan problem that would be resolved inhouse. What is clear is that the Libyan PM has scant authority ,if any, and his tenure is at the mercy of those who brazenly arrested and later released him, as there was nothing stop-
ping them from a repetition of the drama. Zerdane lost power albeit momentarily and was lucky that he did not or has not lost his life yet. In effect then the militia that detained Libya’s PM took umbrage at the capture of the Al Qada operative on Libya’s soil and used the PM’s arrest to protest American violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Libya. Yet the minlitia knew it had no authority for what it did and returned the PM to his impotent office while it took cover in the oblivion from which it emerged to kidnap Libya’s PM. In effect then both Libya and Somalia showed their vulnerability as failed states last week. The difference is that while Somalia is reconciled to its fate, Libya is remonstrating like a school boy who lost his toy and did not know who to blame but to break into childish tantrums only to calm down and live with his loss. In Charles Taylor’s case one can only have some admiration for British sense of justice no matter how grudgingly. As far back as 2007 the British had passed an Act of Parliament to allow Taylor to serve his sentence in the UK at the cost of government. This is because the Sierra Leonean and Liberian government did not want the Liberian war lord to serve his sentence in the region for obvious reasons. According to the British, the conviction of Taylor is a landmark moment for international justice. This is because it shows that no matter how long the mills of justice grind slowly they will grind exceedingly fine and catch up with those leaders who rule their people with impunity, any where in the world. It is in this light that I look at the request of Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta’s that he could face his trial for post election violence on video rather than going to the Hague as his Vice President William Ruto had done for charges against them for post election violence in Kenya’s 2007 elections. Kenyatta’s request should be granted as he is a seating president. His request still shows respect for international law and the rule of law and is a climbdown from the resolution passed by Kenya’s parliament not to recognize the ICC. Really I think Britain’s willingness to play gaoler to Taylor would have moved the Kenyan leader in the direction of trial by video rather than outright refusal, given that Britain was the colonial government in Kenya and both the British and Kenya and indeed the Kenyattas know each other so well. Which again is a positive development for global justice brought about by
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Really I think Britain’s willingness to play gaoler to Taylor would have moved the Kenyan leader in the direction of trial by video rather than outright refusal, given that Britain was the colonial government in Kenya and both the British and Kenya and indeed the Kenyattas know each other so well. Which again is a positive development for global justice brought about by globalization en route colonialism
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globalization en route colonialism. Similarly, the border cooperation between the Camerounian and Nigeria military over the elimination of terrorists is a welcome development in the region. This sort of accord should be extended to nations that border Nigeria in the North East especially Niger. Before this, the language of the Colonialist namely French and English had created mistrust amongst the armed forces of both nations with France encouraging cooperation amongst Francophone states to the exclusion of the armies of former British colonies like Ghana and Nigeria. Such close ties with France have been more pronounced in recent times. That was why it was not ECOWAS that intervened in Ivory Coast to displace Laurent Gbagbo and install President Ouattara but French troops that came and fought on the streets of Abidjan. The same goes for the French troops intervention in Mali while ECOWAS was still vacillating and dithering on getting forces and logistics of intervention ready .Cross border cooperation between sovereign forces should be recognized if ECOWAS is to contain the fast and viral rise of terrorism in the Sahel, especially the Boko Haram threat that is giving the Nigerian government a run for its money, by killing students and burning churches and mosques with impunity. Lastly, the way the US government of Barak Obama has cut some military aid to Egypt goes further to show the confusion of the US government in the way it is selling democracy to the whole world. US policy on military coups with friendly governments is to cut off aid. Everyone in this world knows that the displacement of Egypt’s elected government of Mohammed Morsi was a military coup except the Obama government. The army in Egypt had asked that people come out to demonstrate against an elected government and that call was heeded and the army proceeded to form an interim government which is the precursor of military intervention in politics called military coup. Yet the US cannot call a spade a spade and apply its own policy. Of course the Egyptian army knows that the US present administration has no stomach for any fight as in Syria and will dig in like Assad and evolve its democracy on the blood of demonstrating and defiant Egyptians who think the initial street revolution fuelled by the US has been hijacked by the military in Egypt. Well, the US president is is busy at home fighting for his economic and social legacy over debt ceiling with the Republicans in the US and has scant time for Egypt and its tottering democracy or is it diarchy? So in Egypt the sovereignty lies between the army and demonstrators with the army having the upper hand. Even with the suspended military aid the Army is stronger. In terms of global justice however the US president is learning at great cost what his predecessors have known to their cost. That is that if you abandon foreign policy for too long for domestic policy your diplomacy will be in tatters sooner that you can ever expect and vice versa.
8 COMMENTARY
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Between the princess and bleeders of the nation
HOSE who had expected Nigeria's Aviation Minister, Prin cess Stella Oduah, to maintain a dignified silence in the face of the combustible attacks against her person after last week's deadly plane crash in Lagos obviously didn't know how things work here. In saner climes, and regardless of the media hype either justifying her performance or condemning her ineptitude, this beautiful Stella would have tendered her resignation letter not so much for what she has done but for what she has refused to do. We have read stories outside our shores where public servantstendered letters of resignation without waiting to be found culpable in national tragedies of monumental proportions under their watch. Sometimes, it could be a minor indiscretion like spending some office coins to pay for a cup of tea! For crying out loud, there is no way she can exonerate her office from the decay in that sector. Okay, we agree that she is doing her utmost best to fix the inherited rot. Question is: how long must we wait before we stop blaming every jot of tragic indiscretion on the will of God? We might as well do away with all those amorphous regulatory agencies in our aviation sector, including the ministry itself since we now know that, in hugging the skies, every successful landing is dependent on the grace of God. What then is the point in wasting billions of naira buying equipment and servicing personnel that could as well sleep on their hands at the airports while planes keep falling from the skies? As a specialised sector, the Nigerian aviation industry would need more than the cosmetic posturing some persons are employing to dab the painted sepulchre. Frequent fliers would readily admit that they do so with trepidation in our airspace. We still lag behind in technical and operational matters even if the minister has performed wonderfully well in rehabilitating some of the buildings in our airports. But with the scandalous and unbelievable stories filtering out from the closets of the airport operators, those parading themselves as regulators of this critical sector ought to cover their faces in shame. No matter how hard they try to twist the tale, they are ultimately culpable in the over 190 deaths that have been recorded through air mishaps in the last two years. Oduah may be right that these things do happen even in countries with the best safety procedures, what she cannot defend is the frequency with which avoidable air accidents occur under her watch. That is why we had expected her to accept responsibility for the latest Associated Airlines crash in Lagos and be more reflective in addressing the issues. In quipping that she remains the overall boss of all the other bosses in that sector, Madam ought to know that the buck stops at her table. If she comfortably giggles when being dashed the plaudits for 'repositioning and transforming' air travel in Nigeria, why shouldn't she be at home with taking the knocks for the frequent, needless, avoidable and fatal air crashes? If safety is everything, then it must be all-encompassing. We simply can't be satisfied with the present shiny structures in most airports while the hangars are laden with flying coffins! It is, to say the least, uncharitable and pedestrian, for anyone to wave the losses as an inevitable act of God. If we accept such illogic, then we may as well accept the savagery of the Boko Haram insurgents as the will of the Creator, clasp our arms and wait for our own violent end. Unfortunately, those we should rely on to stop the sickening madness are not in any way better. As usual, they have been quick to anger and have equally threatened fire and brimstone
Ogochukwu Ikeje ohgeeoh@gmail.com 08084235961 (SMS only)
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PART from walking or riding on a don key from one rural community to an other, there is no better way to travel than flying. In towns and cities, cycling and motorcycle rides have been proven to claim more lives than shuttling in the skies. Car and bus rides are also far more dangerous. This leaves the air space the safest way to travel. But if the airplane is the champ of travel, why is there so much heat when it crashes? Penultimate Thursday, a small aircraft went down just outside the Lagos airport shortly after takeoff. Of the 20 people on board, 16 died, while the rest were taken to hospital seriously injured. The plane, belonging to Associated Airlines, was conveying the remains of former governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Agagu, to Akure, the capital, for burial. A son of the late politician, also a commissioner in the state, died in the crash. Since the incident, there has been so much heat in the country, and it is not just the hot exchange between Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, a former aviation minister, and Ms Stella Oduah, the current chief. Nor is it merely that Oduah’s submission that the crash was an act of God has in itself won her much criticism. Temperatures have risen in private places as well as at the high-
in unraveling the rot that has made death so cheap in the air. But when the chips are down, can we count on them to carry through the threats? Here, I speak of the raving crowd in the National Assembly who, on Tuesday in Abuja, expressed utter frustration at the rate at which planes now crash in Nigeria. But if precedents are anything to go by, we would be deluding ourselves to expect something concrete from the latest summons of Princess Stella Oduah, the heads of the agencies under the ministry and airline operators by the lawmakers. The truth is that these folks have practically done nothing other than contributing their quota to the problem. They rake up as much muck as they can but hardly evolve time-tested solution aimed at avoiding a recurrence. Perhaps, if concrete steps had been taken after the June 3rd, 2013 Dana Air crash, we would not be talking about another fresh probe of that sector, including the audit of airlines. We have found ourselves in this mess because we hardly learn from the mistakes of the past. How are we sure that Dana Air's operations would have been suspended by the aviation authorities but for the unfortunate incident involving one of the aircraft of Associated Airlines? What is the nature of the 'operational lapses' that warranted the suspension and how many other airlines patch things up just that they can fly? If it was found out that the crashed aircraft bearing the remains of ex-governor Olusegun Agagu was over 23 years old, then someone should be queried for flagrant display of incompetence for allowing the airline to flout a law, banning such old planes from flying the Nigerian airspace. Or was that not part of the recommendations made at the joint sittings of the National Assembly which probed the Dana Air crash? How many airlines still fly these antiques in our airspace and are the planes really airworthy? Of course, Oduah is at liberty to burst into riotous rage if she truly feels that her personality has been smeared on this matter. That's why we can pardon her for the Freudian slip in which she referred to one of her critics as speaking 'under the influence of whatever" or 'ignorant' or that the particular individual should "hide his head in shame" for what she considered a rabid attack. It must, however, be pointed out that the issue at hand is too serious to accommodate a shambolic response of the inevitability of crashes. I am sure Oduah is aware that the senators who raised questions on the ways she has been running the aviation sector could not, by any stretch of imagination, be drunk neither would they be talking under the influence of 'whatever?' These lawmakers raised fundamental questions about the state of the industry under her watch. Could it be true that the crashed Associated Airline plane was under repairs after being grounded for a month
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The time to put an end to the harvest of deaths in the air couldn't have come at a better time than a period when the engine room of democratic governance, the legislature, is battling to wean itself of the tag of bleeders of the nation's treasury
Knucklehead With
Yomi Odunuga E-mail:yomi.odunuga @thenationonlineng.net SMS only: 07028006913
and should ordinarily have embarked on a test flight as highlighted by Senator Smart Adeyemi? Is there a dearth of professionals in the industry as noted by Senator Barnabas Gemade? Could it be true that, in spite of the noise the minister has been making about upgrading infrastructure, this nation has the unedifying aplomb of having the worst airport runway in the world as credited to Senator Oluremi Tinubu? And can we ignore the observations made by many of the senators that the industry requires a holistic overhaul as it is already in a state of emergency? These and many other questions beg for answers. To underscore the scary scenario trending on the social media, a friend of Facebook, Kester Busugbe, posted an interesting piece on his wall, noting: "The way things are going in Nigeria, soon before air travelers board a plane, they will personally inspect the plane, check the airworthiness, check with the agency that issued it, check the pilot's competence, make sure that the oil in the engine gauge, check the tire pressure, check if there is enough jet fuel, see the insurance certificate of the aircraft, check the approval given to the airline to operate in Nigeria, check the age of the aircraft, check what part of the world it went for service and ask the manufacturing company if it still remembers the aircraft. After over 100 passengers must have done this, then the plane will be set to fly. So, please come four hours before scheduled take off time." Laughable as it is, no one can shrug off this reality if we continue with the shadow-chasing in the aviation sector. And so, in addressing the issues, the lawmakers need to do more than the usual huffing and puffing after every critical moment in the history of this country. If they cannot bite, then they should stop the hollow barking! If they must rescue us from this free fall, then they must be prepared to get to the root of the rot in the aviation sector, which has thrown many families into permanent throes of unmitigated woes. Good enough, they have been challenged by one of their own, Senator Abiye Sekibo, to be truly committed to their oversight functions by finding out the airworthiness of all the aircraft in the fleet of the airlines operating in the country. If heads must roll in that sector, let the heads roll without any compromise. The time to put an end to the harvest of deaths in the air couldn't have come at a better time than a period when the engine room of democratic governance, the legislature, is battling to wean itself of the tag of bleeders of the nation's treasury. In case they don't know, rumour abound in town about how corruption played a major role in the failure to implement the recommendations of reports on past air crashes including the recent Dana crash. Some persons have been said to have sold their conscience for the lure of lucre. Unfortunately, they are doing so at the peril of the larger populace and even themselves. Would they do things differently this time in order to inject some sanity into an industry that is completely rotten? We can only agonise over this question as we set out on yet another journey into finding how and when we got into this mortal mess!
’ No ‘bus stops’ in the skies
est levels of government. President Goodluck Jonathan has offered his regrets and ordered an investigation. The revered chambers of the Senate have equally been heated up as lawmakers fulminated over the October 3 crash and others. Why do air crashes trigger such emotions? Put it down to a number of factors, some profound, others neither here nor there. Air mishaps tend to involve more of the rich and powerful since they prefer the skies to the roads. And everyone knows that the more the clout of the victims, the higher their news value and the more the focus on the incident. Also, plane crashes claim so many lives instantly, especially if they are commercial flights. The Bellview crash in October 2005 left all 117 people on board dead. One year later, when an ADC Airlines flight crashed with 104 passengers, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Maccido, and his son were among the casualties. This incident triggered so much heat, with many calling for the overhaul of the aviation sector. Mid last year, over 160 people perished in the Dana Air plane crash. There were several other mishaps. Now, this. And to think that in a matter of weeks, the skies have been a constant source of apprehension. From Lagos to Kano to Sokoto, air passengers and even people in their homes have been struck by fear. A plane filled with pilgrims crash-landed. There were reports of tyres exploding. There was another report of an air return, that is, a flight suddenly returning to base without getting to its original destination. Shortly after, the airline, Dana, to give it its name, was
forbidden to fly until further notice. This is scary. There are also issues of aviation regulators’ integrity and competence, as well as concerns over the Ministry’s perceived faults. Then, add to that the cry that airlines are grappling with grave odds, some complaints being that staff are owed salaries and may even be poorly remunerated. All that should leave Ms Oduah worried. But she should not only be worried; she should fix the problem. To be fair, under Oduah’s watch, the airports are looking inviting, but some reports point to unflattering deficits, too. For instance, it is said that communication facilities at the airports are poor, making pilot-air-controller linkups difficult. This is dangerous, if it is true, and will undermine the efforts and the huge cash sunk into making the airports look tempting.
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Why do air crashes trigger such emotions? Put it down to a number of factors, some profound, others neither here nor there. Air mishaps tend to involve more of the rich and powerful since they prefer the skies to the roads
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Flights are mechanical, and things can, and do, indeed go wrong sometimes, anywhere. Perhaps, that was what Ms Oduah was hinting at when she said the October 3 crash was an act of God. But the right words let her down. The minister will not deny that air mishaps are threatening to sully her grand efforts. She will do well to address the sources of those threats. Air disasters have their deathly peculiarities. No passenger wants to hear the voice of the captain announcing that some turbulence lies just ahead, let alone that the flight may not land safely. And this is for very obvious reasons. At such peculiar moments, the best engineers on board will not be able to go under the flying airplane to fix any mechanical problem. Potential problems ought to have, to a reasonable extent, been detected and sorted on the ground before takeoff. Again, once airborne, there are no air safety personnel positioned in the clouds to prevent an imminent danger. There are no bus stops any where, as it were, to quickly tackle a present threat. Tyres ought to be certified fit before flying. Nothing should be overlooked. The plane conveying the body of Dr Agagu, for instance, was reported to be overloaded with fuel. This is not acceptable. The air remains the safest route to travel but it also presents its own peculiarities, making it probably the only transport mode that requires the most thorough attention. I am sure Oduah knows this more than anyone else. Now, what she has to do is move quickly to correct what could possibly overshadow her aviation efforts.
COMMENTARY 9
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Trigeminal neuralgia: Living with the enemy SHOCKS of excruciating pain radiate across the side of the face like a fierce electric shock. It feels like fire or hot coal is being held to the face while that same face is being stabbed with a sharp object and a razor-blade scraping down it leaving it raw and bleeding. When the sharp, stabbing and shock-like pain starts, there is no relief for days, months or even years. That is the painful experience that people who suffer from the dreadful and paralyzing condition of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) have to endure on a constant or regular basis. TN is a very uncommon disorder which causes facial pain that is associated with the trigeminal nerve that carries sensation from the brain to the face. When there is a blood vessel pressing on the trigeminal nerve as it exits the brainstem, it causes a compression with the potential to wear away the protective coating around the nerve. TN symptoms can also occur in people with multiple sclerosis or may be caused by damage as a result of compression from a brain tumor. In many cases, a cause cannot be identified. The pain is one of the most excruciating agonies a person may experience. The disorder has been described as one of the most painful conditions seen in medicine and is generally referred to as the suicide disease because the pain experienced is so spasmodic, paralyzing and intense that it has been known to have driven some people to suicide in some societies. When the condition strikes, even the slightest touch to the face, whether it’s a breeze, hair falling onto the temple, simply brushing the teeth, head movements, talking, eating or even a loud noise may trigger flashes of pain. There is no relief from the pain. The pain suffered as a result of TN is the type of pain that no one believes unless they have experienced it themselves. It is relentless and takes over a life to the extent where it is difficult to find any joy in life. The triggers are so many, and it is impossible to avoid them during the course of everyday living. Considering that the episodes of the attack are precipitated by even the mildest sensory stimulus, when a person is suffering an attack it becomes impossible for them to communicate effectively. Their life becomes an existence riddled with excruciating pain or the anticipation of pain at every moment. Even when the condition goes into remission, that period of relief usually lasts a short time — if the sufferer is lucky enough to have one at all. Because TN is so uncommon, most physicians have very little experience with it and many fail to identify it on first diagnosis. This makes it very difficult for patients that have to endure living with the pain without having access to proper treatment. There have been several incidents where people suffering from TN have been referred to dentists by physicians who presume that the pain to the face is caused by a toothache. And in a large percentage of those cases, patients have had their teeth removed by dentists in order to ease that pain that is perceived to be caused by an abnormality in dentition, making the pain of TN presumably worse. Part of the challenge faced by both sufferers of TN and the
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It is important for facts about TN to be shared in public and stories of sufferers to be told so that people who may have family or friends that suffer from the condition may learn and become more aware of how to support sufferers of this dilapidating and horrendous condition
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medical practitioners is the fact that there is no single test to diagnose TN. Diagnosis is generally based on the patient’s medical history, description of symptoms and a physical and thorough neurological examination by a physician. And because of overlapping symptoms and the large number of conditions that can cause facial pain, obtaining a correct diagnosis is difficult, but finding the cause of the pain is important as the treatments for different types of pain may differ. However, whilst the trigeminal nerve might be involved, it does not automatically establish the diagnosis of TN. There is no cure for TN; at least not a permanent one. Even though there are several options a sufferer can have access to in order to manage the condition and there is the possibility of the condition going into remission for a period of time, people who live with TN generally have to manage it for the full duration of their lives. Currently it may be managed by a combination of medications, ranging from anti-convulsions, anti-depressants, strong opiates, muscle relaxants or anti-inflammatories. These medications often have awful side effects such as confusion, dizziness, memory loss, chronic fatigue, drowsiness, weight gain, to name but a few, and, in many cases, they do not even completely control the pain. However, in cases where medication fails to relieve the pain of TN or produces
intolerable side-effects, there is the option of surgical treatment. The neurosurgical procedures available to help with TN depend on the individual’s preference, physical well-being, previous surgeries and the area of trigeminal nerve involved. The most common surgical procedure suggested to sufferers of the condition is known as microvascular decompression. However, although this brain surgery results in the longest period of pain relief, it is the most invasive and can have very serious consequences. Another option is to have a rhizotomy. And although the rhizotomy is not as invasive as the microvascular decompression, it includes a method where the nerve fibers are destroyed to block pain. This causes some degree of permanent sensory loss and facial numbness sometimes causing the side-effect of hearing loss, balance problems, infection, and stroke. But the most discouraging aspect of any of the procedures and treatment of TN is that, no matter what procedure is adopted, often the condition will at some point still return. There are also assortments of drug treatment available to quell the pain of the disorder, of which Carbamazepine is the most effective. But this drug has a lot of side-effects such as vertigo, drowsiness, ataxia and double vision; so elderly patients may not be able to tolerate this drug. Given the seriousness of TN and given the fact that it is universally considered to be the most excruciatingly painful condition known to medical practice, it is shocking that it remains relatively unknown. Sufferers of TN have until now been silent but have begun a push to be pro-active by trying to raise awareness and understanding of the condition that has destroyed lives. They did so by marking October 7, 2013, as the first International Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day. So, this Monday, dozens of buildings and structures across the world lit up teal for the day and it was used as a starting point for TN suffers to get recognition. An online petition was also submitted to the World Health Organization asking for TN to be added to their “Health Topics List”. Globally, this will raise awareness, give access to resources, create opportunities for funding and research, would increase understanding and give individuals access to information. It is important for facts about TN to be shared in public and stories of sufferers to be told so that people who may have family or friends that suffer from the condition may learn and become more aware of how to support sufferers of this dilapidating and horrendous condition. Living with a debilitating, life-changing condition, for which simple things that most people take for granted like brushing teeth, eating, talking, or even moving the head is impossible, is like living with the enemy. For those who struggle to survive the pain and the harsh medications that accompany it, they can only pray that a cure is found for the world’s most excruciating pain. Because nothing can be worse than living a lifetime of unimaginable pain where one is driven to their knees. Unfortunately, that is the painful reality of those who live with TN, the enemy within.
Afe Babalola and Figure 21
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EOPLE often ask these nebulous questions as to what is in a name and what is in a number. My answer to the first question came sometimes in April, this year, when I read the story of a family blessed with a set of triplets after waiting for 10 years. Through the sheer length and meaning of the names given to each of the triplets, with the longest one having 26 letters followed by 25 and the shortest, 19: TanitoOlorunobatoseyitan,MosinmileileriOluwatikiiye, Oluwaseohunarafunmi, this family has shown its immeasurable joy and gratitude to God. Surely, there is so much to and in a name. So, we can say it with names. As for numbers, we are told, in number theory, that a lucky number is a natural number in a set which is generated by a “sieve” similar to the Sieve of Eratosthenes that generates the primes, with number 21 (under reference) being a member of the surviving sequence. The term, introduced in 1956 in a paper by Gardiner, Lazarus, Metropolis and Ulam, also suggests calling its defining sieve, “the sieve of Josephus Flavius” because of its similarity with the counting-out game in the Josephus problem. Lucky numbers, we are equally made to understand, share some properties with primes, such as asymptotic behaviour according to the prime number theorem. Needless to say, there are infinitely many lucky numbers. Juxtaposing the lucky number theorem with Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, and his new baby, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, one is tempted to remember Juju music maestro, King Sunny Ade, who sang in one of his records in the 80’s that “Ori to mi a d’ade, o pe o ya, o ni lati d’ade”, meaning no matter how long it may take, a man destined to be king and lead his people, will surely be crowned a king sooner or later. Sunny Ade sang this song in commemoration of the ascension to the throne of Oyo by the incumbent Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, Bablola’s intimidate friend and client. If Sunny Ade’s song was apposite to Oba Adeyemi then, it is no less apposite to Babalola, the Founder and Chancellor of the wave-making ABUAD, even when Babalola’s formal education ended at the elementary school level. Many things stand out the less than four years old university, which is graduating its first set of 120 students in the College of Sciences and College of Social and Management Sciences on October 21 after only three and half years of in-
•Afe Babalola Tunde OLOFINTILA tensive, strike-free academic works, an uncommon accomplishment in a country where their colleagues are still battling and sweating to complete first or second sessions in other universities where four year courses take between six and eight years. No thanks to all manners of strike actions by all manners of unions in the universities. Looking at Babalola’s antecedents and rustic background, perhaps Sigmund Freud, the primogenitor of dreams, could not have dreamt that Babalola who suffered grinding poverty and deprivation during his early life, but triumphed to be what he is today, could rise up to establish a university which has been rated by the World Universities Webometric as number 2 Best private university and Number 13 of the totality of 157 Universities in Nigeria in barely three and half years of existence. Truly, like Sunny Ade sang, ori to mi a d’ade, o pe, o ya, o ni lati d’ade. But what informed the establishment of ABUAD? Babalola, who providence saved three times from being consumed by rampaging tigers when he was growing up, is al-
ways quick to point to his eight years stint as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the University of Lagos, during which time he was able to see, bare-facedly, the rot and decay that characterized public universities in Nigeria and his burning determination to stem the ugly tide by establishing a university that will reform functional education by providing and leading others in quality education, service, industry and character as well as discipline. A man given to great dreams and their actualization, Babalola quickly pumped everything he had, time, money, energy and the goodwill he had cultivated in his several decades of legal practice, into this dream project, so much so that the model modern university which was established in 2009 commenced uninterrupted academic works on January 4, 2010. The monumental investment in ambulatory and non-ambulatory matters remind one of the mercurial words of Georges Sada, the Iraqi Air Force General, in his book, Saddam’s Secrets wherein he said “if you want to understand what is important to a man, look at where he spends his money”. Whereas Saddam, in his warped and twisted ambition to control the Arab world, busied himself spending the wealth of Iraq and its oil money to acquire tanks, missiles, bombs, guns and explosives as well as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs), which he consistently denied, Babalola, a self-made man, is deploying billions of Naira and other resources to run a university primed to produce world leaders and achievers who can stand on their own anywhere they find themselves after graduation. No wonder an appreciative parent recently described him as a missionary and not a ‘mere’ Founder of Afe Babalola University because this particular parent sees him in the mould of great and selfless Christian Missionaries of old like Henry Venn, who founded CMS Grammar School, Lagos, the first secondary school in Nigeria, on June 6, 1859 and Archdeacon Henry Dallimore who established Christ School, Ado-Ekiti in 1933 to shape destinies and light the lamp on the country’s educational path. Having said so much about the university, let’s then address the point in issue: the place and significance of figure 21 to Babalola. Although there is no law saying convocation ceremonies should of necessity be held on particular days, but as far as one’s memory and experience could attest, con Continued on Page 57
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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12 NEWS
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Alumni association condemns protest by students HE Alumni Association of the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State, has condemned the recent protest by students of the institution, cautioning the students against such protest in the future. A press statement issued by the association, signed by its National President, Comrade Festus Olaifa, frowned that the protest by the students disrupted a major sporting event that was to be attended by prominent
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such could be hijacked by hoodlums and political thugs to cause mayhem and damage the integrity of the institution.” Olaifa lauded the Rector of the polytechnic, Mr. Patrick Hussein, for his pragmatic leadership, pledging the full support for his regime. The Alumni also hailed the Governing Council of the polytechnic and other stakeholders for their efforts in taking the institution to greater heights.
LASPOTECH, NAC collaborate
AGOS State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) and the National Automotive Council (NAC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the construction of Automotive Test Centre on the Ikorodu Campus of the Polytechnic. The Rector, Dr. Abdulazeez A. Lawal expressed his gratitude to the Lagos State
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personalities, and embarrassed the corporate image of the institution. “The Federal Polytechnic, Ede, is known for peace and academic excellence. This is the legacy built over the years by hardworking staff of the institution and past students. We appeal to the students to strive to sustain this legacy and even raise the bar. “We advise students to shun unjustifiable protests, because government for the approval of the execution of the project in the Polytechnic, and hailed the decision of the National Automotive Council to select the Polytechnic as location for the project. According to Lawal, the project will not only contribute to the development of automobile industry in Nigeria, but will also give
students access to proven facilities, as well as broadening their scope in automobile. He also noted that the National Automotive Council (NAC), in conjunction with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) had earlier donated mechatronic equipment (training systems) to the Polytechnic.
Katsina restricts operations of commercial motorcyclists, tricycles ATSINA State government has restricted the operations of commercial motorcyclists/ tricycles in the state. The restriction order on tricycles, popularly known as Keke NAPEP and motorcycles, according to the police, will
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n El-Zaharadeen UMAR, Katsina n take effect between 9.30pm and 6.00am daily. The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Muhammad Hurdi, who confirmed the ban, while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the State Security Council meeting, disclosed that
ICOBA 73 set holds 40th anniversary EMBERS of Igbobi College Old Boys Association (ICOBA), who passed out from the school in 1973, will tomorrow hold a thanksgiving service and merit award. The old students were admitted into form one in 1967, sat for the school certificate examination in 1971 and completed their Higher School Certificate in 1973. According to a statement signed by Rev. Bola Oyeledun, a member of the Organising team, the thanksgiving would take place in the college’s chapel at 10.00am, while reception and Merit Awards would hold in the college hall.
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the ban, which is to cover all parts of the state, will remain in force till further notice. According to Hurdi, the ban on operations of the motorcyclists and Keke NAPEP would help to secure and strengthen the security of lives and properties in the state. Following the ban, the police boss enjoined people of the state to continue to support government policies and programmes, and to live in peace with one another.
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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Pastor who predicted calamity during Agagu’s funeral •For ex-Ondo gov’s town Iju-Odo, it’s double tragedy •My last moments with exOndo Governor –Regent Story on pages 20&21
•Pastor Adedokun
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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COVER SERIES L IA C T SPEEPOR R
•Left: A woman dries cassava produce by an SPDC gas flare. Right: A farmer displays a tiny fish caught after hours of laborious fishing in a vanished and polluted river in Gokana
A sad dirge wafts from the creeks in the delta. It speaks of dying earth, vanishing rivers and meadows sodden by crude oil spilt by multinational oil companies. Dangerous gas flares belch irrepressible diseases and death, and naked sand dunes congeal into repellent mud flats, running into distances of squalid settlements across Nigeria’s oil rich region. It’s a paradoxical tale of the geese that lays Nigeria’s golden egg dying of starvation. Every household in the Niger Delta suffers a sad narrative; together, they amplify the strains of a dreadful funeral song. Writes OLATUNJI OLOLADE, Assistant Editor
‘Everybody is enjoying oil money but we are dying because of it’ HERE is fire in Utorogu; where the forest craves the cool windstir, bird-note and lull. There, in the heart of the greenery, red-yellowish flames burst from the mouth of an iron pipe. Few metres from the blaze, a lesser flame flares from a smaller duct. Together, they muster a fierce combustion. There is death and loss in the incineration. The sweltering heat singes the skin and destroys plants and food crops within reach; it sears the air decent metres from the scene of conflagration. It scorches the earth too, and causes Monday Agabor’s crops to wither and die off many months before they are due for
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harvest. “This land used to be fertile but today it is not anymore. I inherited it (farmland) from my late father…When I was a kid we used to follow him to work on the farm at harvest time. Back then, harvest used to be big and very plenty. We had enough to eat. My father also gave out yams and cassava as gifts to our neighbours and we sold the rest at the market at a profit,” he says. Today, that same land barely produces enough food for Agabor’s household to eat. “My children won’t go to the farm with me. They know there is no hope in farming. These days, I am lucky if I get good yield, and when I do, it’s barely
enough to feed me and my family,” laments Agabor. You will know the farmer’s pain extends beyond impoverishment and bad crop yield simply by looking at him. Agabor, 65, looks gaunt; he treads in unstable gait and his severely worn skin hangs loosely on shoulders that seem to have been sorely burdened for too long. His body is a curtain of rash and scratch sores and he wheezes between sentences. “The weather has been very bad these days,” he says breathing very sharply. But 68-year old maintains that he is “not sick,” even as he perspires uncontrollably. Agabor suffers very bad sight; so does
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COVER SERIES
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We used to grow vegetables and cassava on our plot of land but after the spill, our harvest became smaller. My husband couldn’t catch fish like before as all the fish had either died or become too poisonous to eat. In frustration, he took to heavy drinking and smoking until he died …These days; I can barely get enough food to eat. I can’t even feed my children. Since the oil spill, the price of food has increased. It’s a luxury now to get good fish to eat
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•Sunny Ofehe, environmental activist and founder, Hope for Niger Delta Campaign (HNDC) explains the dangers of a ground level gas flare in Oben
buy a fish for N50 ($0.35). Now you have to pay N300 to N500 ($1.95 to $3.25) for a fish. As a result, many families can’t afford to buy food with enough nutrients. But the hapless natives have learnt to swallow grief like sour cornmeal. “Nobody dares talk. Everybody is enjoying oil money but we, the people that produce it are dying because of it…I just wish to go back to the time that Thomas (her late husband) was able to catch good fish and we had enough of it to eat and sell in the market. Fish wey no dey smell of oil (Fish that doesn’t reek or isn’t polluted by crude oil spill),” says Collet. The widow’s utmost wish is that SPDC and other oil companies scattered across the delta pays them adequate compensation and vacate their land completely.
•A woman searches through vanishing river and mudflats for periwinkles contaminated by oil spill. Inset: Periwinkles polluted by crude oil his wife, Tabitha. Rachel, his wife’s niece and an auxiliary nurse, blames their bad sight on years spent working too close to multinational oil gas flares in their neighbourhood. Of Agabor’s worries, getting a decent livelihood and at least two decent meals towers above all others every day. But he has no job; neither does he enjoy the luxury of a decent diet. “Such is the scourge of every community hosting a gas flare,” notes a Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) staff (name withheld), stationed at the company’s plant in Utorogu. The “Structural engineer” admits to The Nation that the impacts of gas flaring are indeed grave. “But there is nothing anyone can do. Frankly speaking, forget where my loyalty lies, our leaders (Nigerian government) are unserious about the ultimatum they issued to us (oil companies). Before you issue such a directive, you have to be sure that you have the nerve to back it up with the force of law. No oil company takes us (Nigerians) serious. They know that whatever they do, and whatever its impact on the host community, they will get away with it,” he says. And they just might get away with it; as you read, the Niger Delta metaphorically regarded as the goose that lays Nigeria’s golden egg, writhes in untold hardship and devastation. Besides gas flaring, oil spills by multinational oil firms in the area devastates the region. Echoes of pain and desolation resonate across the country’s oil rich expanse; the effect is petrifying – bitter, violent narratives of pain, native disillusionment and impoverishment steal unto the air with a tragic peal. They echo the pains of a jobless fisherman
like Austin Ibenedo. Ibenedo, 46, hails from Gokana Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State. Like thousands of men scattered across the Rivers State LGA, Ibenedo survived by fishing; until the catastrophic oil spill of August 2008. “Before the spill, life was easy. Many of us lived a very simple life. When we were hungry, we simply went to the river to catch fish and make soup with it. After the spill, everything was destroyed,” says Ibenedo. Collet Okorowari, 35, used to trade in fish. She is a native of Bodo, a town in Gokana LGA of Rivers State. Bodo used to be a serene rural community, locally known as the fish basket of Gokana. Her husband used to be a fisherman until he died of respiratory disease in 2011. Since his demise, Collet has been braving the onerous task of raising their four children. According to her, after the August 2008 oil spill, all the fish in the creek died, moved away or were too polluted to eat. Subsequently, Collet became a petty trader like many of her peers in the region. She does not enjoy the support of her man anymore thus making survival an arduous task to her. “We used to grow vegetables and cassava on our plot of land but after the spill, our harvest became smaller. My husband couldn’t catch fish like before as all the fish had either died or become too poisonous to eat. In frustration, he took to heavy drinking and smoking until he died…These days; I can barely get enough food to eat. I can’t even feed my children. Since the oil spill, the price of food has increased. It’s a luxury now to get good fish to eat,” she laments. Since the oil spill, the price of fish has increased in Bodo. Before the spill you could
Health fears While the land, water and vegetation of the Niger Delta are being destroyed by oil spill, the air has been subjected to ecological degradation as a result of routine flaring of associated gas. In Utorogu and Rumuekpe in Emuwa Local Government Area of Rivers State for instance, fierce combustions burn at the ground level. Mothers often dry their cassava extracts near the flames and children gather nearer to have fun and feed their eyes with what they consider to be an amazing sight since the huge fire continues to burn brightly, day and night. They do not know that by assembling or getting too close to the flames, they increase the chances of having their health destroyed by dangerous chemicals being pumped into the atmosphere. Also, food products dried by the gas flares become poisonous to eat. The first solid data on the health impacts
of oil pollution in Ogoniland for instance, came from the recent United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) study, which notes: “Petroleum hydrocarbons can enter people’s bodies when they breathe air, bathe, eat fish, drink water or accidentally eat or touch soil or sediment that is contaminated with oil.” The report also referred to raised concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons in the air and drinking water. The long-term effects are not yet well understood, but could include cancer and neurotoxicity. The short-term effects are described as follows: “Dermal exposure can lead to skin redness, oedema, dermatitis, rashes and blisters; inhalation exposure can lead to red, watery and itchy eyes, coughing, throat irritation, shortness of breath, headache and confusion; and ingestion of hydrocarbons can lead to nausea and diarrhoea.” Recent research findings reveal that oilfields in the Niger Delta contain large quantity of gas mixed with crude oil. Some even contain more gas than oil. In the process of extracting the oil, the ‘associated gas’ comes out; such flared gas also contain large amount of methane and carbon dioxide which are major contributors to ozone layer depletion. Gas flaring over the years is said to have led to noise pollution, steady temperature rise, acid rain, corrosion of roofs and respiratory diseases among many other health problems Perhaps, a vivid picture of what is happening in Niger Delta is captured by the Secretary of the World Environmental Movement for Africa, Dr. Lucky Elenia. Describing the situation in Omoku in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government of Area of Rivers State, he laments that the atmosphere has been so polluted that the oxygen content is less than normal. With a global oxygen requirement of 21 percent, Ogba communities have less than 11.8 percent. Community members living close to gas flares complain of high ambient temperature from the flaring site. The concentration of acid in rain water appears to be higher in the Niger Delta region and the practice has altered the vegetation of area, replacing local vegetation with “stubborn” grasses which connotes that the soil where it grows is no longer fertile for cultivation of crops. The location of gas flaring sites close to inhabited areas no doubt constitutes an environmental anomaly. In Rumuekpe Community, the community hosting ELF
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
The untold story of South Korea •Night view of the Buk Seoul Museum of Art in Junggye-dong, Nowon District, northeastern Seoul
An emerging economic power in the world is the Republic of South Korea. But unknown to many, the Asian country was an aid recipient for many years before its economy took a drastic turn for better in the 60s. In this piece, our Managing Editor, YUSUF ALLI, who is on a study tour, reviews the rags-toriches history of Korea. or about three hours on Tuesday at the Kookmin University in Seoul, a group of 18 planners, who were drawn from the National Planning Commission, the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and similar desks in Kwara, Kogi, Akwa Ibom, Kano, Gombe, Cross River and Jigawa states, was regaled with the story of the “economic miracles” which had transformed the Republic of South Korea in the last 52 years. The workshop was facilitated by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). A pin drop silence overwhelmed the hall as the video clips and accompanying lectures were putting Nigerian participants through the “grass-to-grace” journey of the Koreans. The solemnity became apparent going by the fact that the timeline for Korea’s transformation coincided with the period of independence of Nigeria. Yet, the gap in the development between Nigeria and Korea paints a picture of a malnourished child and an overfed type. Once given a less 0.1 per cent chance of survival, Korea rose from the rubble of war and psychological distress to take its destiny in its hands. Written off as a nation from the beginning/a troubled past A peninsula, South Korea comprises mainly of hills and mountains, but there are large coastal plains in the western and southern parts. Initially, it had the misfortune of being colonized by China and Japan, as part of a larger Korea (North and South) until 1945 when Japan surrendered the territory to Allies. But following attendant cold war between the United States and the defunct Soviet Union, the Korea was divided into two at the 38th parallel leading to the founding of South Korea on August 15, 1948.
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Barely after its emergence as an independent nation, South Korea was plunged into war as a result of the invasion of its territory by North Korea. This invasion led to the Korean War between June 25, 1950 and June 27, 1953. The casualty figure of the war was put at about four million with South Korea completely devastated. As at 1953, the Republic of South Korea (ROK) was ravaged by food shortage, high maternal and infant mortality, epidemics, lack of potable water, electricity and acute accommodation crisis with many Koreans living on the street. In his appraisal, Prof. Sung Gul Hong of the School of Public Administration and Public Policy, Kookmin University, Seoul said: "The Korean war had a devastating effect on South Korea, leaving about 70 per cent of industrial capacity destroyed and about four million casualties. The bombs used during the Korean War were more than the bombs dropped on European continent during the Second World War." Blessed with little gold in its mines, South Korea depended on agricultural products to manage to survive the post-war years. The products are rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit, cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs and fish. The agricultural sector could not sustain the Koreans because the pains of the war were too much to bear and they resorted to receiving aid from the United States and others to stay afloat as a nation. In 1958, about 80 per cent of the South Korea’s national budget came from the aid offered by the United States. Other nations later rescued South Korea with aid such that it got about US$25billion assistance between 1960s and early 70s when it regained its economic rhythm. The fragile situation of South Korea earned it derisive appellations as “the hell-hole of foreign assistance”, a “bottomless pit” and a “hopeless case”. Hong said Japanese had written off South Korean when rated the Koreans as "lazy, dirty and liars." Another report by the USAID Director in Korea in 1957, which was sent to the State Department, labelled it as “the poorest country in the world and completely hopeless.” Desperate to survive, records at Kookmin University showed that South Korea opted for foreign debts to grow its economy between 1963 and 1979 as follows: $157m(1963); $206m(1965); $2.992b(1971); $3.589b(1972); $4.260b(1973); $8.456b(1975); $14.871b(1978); and $20.500 (1979). Miraculously by April 1, 1991, the same Korea had transformed from being a recipient, an Official Development Assis-
tance (ODA), to a donor by giving aid (KOICA) to underdeveloped and developing nations through KOICA. The Director, Strategic Planning Team of KOICA, and Cho Han Deog, who spoke in Seoul, said: “Aid gives hope if well utilized; aid helps to break the yoke of poverty; we can testify to this as a nation. This is why we are giving back to the world for coming to our rescue at the time of need. And our aid is untied; we do not seek anything in return. The ODA volume of South Korea has increased from $212million in 2000 to $1.325bilion in 2011. The beginning of recovery of South Korea from the rubbles The road to the economic recovery of Korea began in 1958 when its sole backer, the United States reduced about twothirds of its aid to it. The decision of the US was based on 1957 USAID Report. Many hungry Koreans were upset by the development, but the government was forced by circumstances to rise to the occasion instead of begging. The Korean government then created the Ministry of Reconstruction which began to prepare economic development plans beyond living on aid or grants. In spite of many interventions, most Koreans agreed that committed leadership was behind their economic “miracle” because what they had in abundance was only human resources. The emergence of Maj-Gen Park Chung-hee as Korean military leader through a coup d'état in 1961 was a turning point for his country. Although he overthrew the Korean Second Republic and became the head of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction (until his election as the President of the Korean Third Republic in 1963), Chung-hee laid the foundation for modern Korea which has become the envy of all. Park was so passionate about Korea’s development to the extent that he wept during a state visit to the defunct West Germany while addressing Korean immigrants. He said: “Let’s us work our best,
• Continued on page 50 •Investment yielding results
THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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Pius Omole
PHOTOS: Olakunle ABIMBOLA Olakunle ABIMBOLA with Hannah OJO
Continued on Page 19
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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‘Oil destroys everything’ Continued from Page 15 collection centre, AGIP collection centre and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) flow station and booster station, a flaring site was located about 250 meters from inhabited houses in the community. Vertical gas flaring was previously practiced by the oil companies; the method involved raising the flaring nozzle high up into the sky. This method makes the practice conspicuous. However, due to opposition to gas flaring in the region, the oil companies now use the horizontal flaring method to obscure the practice. Burning at ground level, the flames point menacingly at communities, belching heat, smoke and dangerous toxins at ground level. Economic importance of gas Natural gas can be used for the operation of fleets of indus•A woman fetches as firewood what trial equipments, plants, mais left of the dying vegetation in Bodo. chineries, vehicles and cars that use diesel and petrol for transby the end of 2009. In its Susportation at the national and international tainability Report 2006, the firm level. In business and in other commercial asserted that it would end rouactivities Petroleum and natural gas enhances the construction of electric generating tine gas flaring everywhere in the world in 2008, except in the plants or energy supply source like gas turNiger Delta. bine. The export of quality liquefied natural “We will continue our efforts gas and diesel would earn Nigeria desired to end continuous flaring at uphard currency, increase foreign reserve and stream locations, other than service the country’s foreign debt – this will Nigeria, by 2008. In Nigeria, the in turn increase the country’s per capita Shell Petroleum Development Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Natural gas, Company (SPDC) joint venture as dangerous as it is, if managed scientifiexpects to end continuous flarcally has wide application in domestic uses ing there as planned, during including refrigeration and air conditioning. 2009,” the report says. They gave two reasons: the Prodigal nation first reason given was that some The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) says Nigeria is losing over $4.9 million of the locations are too inaccessi(more than N735 million) daily to gas flaring. ble. And the second reason George Osahon, a Director in DPR, made the given was that the flares would only end in some locations by disclosure at the 14th Business Forum of the shutting down production. In Nigerian Gas Association (NGA) recently in Shell’s Sustainability Report Lagos. 2007 these two excuses for not Osahon, who was represented by Oliver ending gas flaring are dispensed Okparaojiako, a Deputy Director in DPR, said that in spite of the country’s massive hy- with completely and a more drocarbon endowment, Nigeria is yet to fully convenient one was conbenefit from the resources. According to him, structed: that the oil fields are Nigeria gas reserves endowment is up to 600 too violent. ExxonMobil thinks that the Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF), hence the country realistic flares down will be end is often described as a large gas haven with of 2010. The corporation’s Area little oil. Manager in Nigeria, Ms Kim Oil production currently stands at 2.5 mbpd, while gas flared in the country stands Bates, gave ExxonMobil’s perspective in a talk on Gaps in the at 1.4 billion cubic feet per day. This means Gas Development Chain. The that an average of $4.9 million worth of gas is being flared on daily basis which translates corporation claimed that the end of 2007 was not feasible beto about 1.4 billion cubic feet of gas flared cause of the security situation in daily by the international oil companies. the Niger Delta, the pricing From research, 168 billion cubic meters of regime (probably for gas) and natural gas is flared yearly worldwide. It is equivalent to 25 per cent of gas consumption funding for infrastructure devel•A woman works on her farm very close to opment. in the USA and 30 per cent of European For Chevron, ending gas flara ground level gas flare in Rumuekpe Union (EU) gas consumption. The flares ing in 2008 is not practical it pump 400 million tons of CO2 annually into would have dire economic conthe atmosphere; and 13 per cent of the gas companies. flared in the world comes from Nigeria alone sequences and would “defer income from “Now, who do you blame? The oil compa480 million barrels of oil between 2009 and and stands at about 23 billion cubic meters nies or the Nigerian government who lacks 2012." Chevron’s official, Charles Adeniyi, per year. This quantity is enough to meet the political and legal will to ensure that the stated this while speaking on behalf of the oil companies obey our judicial ruling? Can Nigeria’s energy needs and leave a healthy industry at a public hearing on flaring held balance for export. But all these go up in Shell or Chevron disobey a court ruling in at the National Assembly in November 2007. The Netherlands or the United States?” smoke yearly, leaving death and destruction The industry wanted the deadline shifted to in its path. 2010, adding even this would depend on Punitive fines or pat on the back? government action. Politics of gas flaring Fines set for gas flaring have been so palAccording to Sunny Ofehe, Founder/ExIt was in response to local and internatry that it is still cheaper for the corporations ecutive Director, Hope for Niger Delta Camtional pressure that the Federal Government to pay the fines than to act to halt the obnoxpaign (HNDC), in Nigeria and Netherlands, pledged to halt gas flares in Nigeria and set ious act. By the Associated Gas Reinjection “There is no intention by the oil companies January 1, 2008 as the deadline. But by DeAct 1979, the fee charged for flaring was first to end gas flaring. It is five years after the rulcember 17, 2007, a new target date of Decemfixed at N0.50 per million cubic feet (mcf) but ing and we still see the fire burning in the reber 31, 2008 was announced. In response, from January 1998, this penalty was ingion. Remember it is cheaper for the oil Shell estimated that an additional investcreased to N10 per mcf. A World Bank report companies to flare the associated gases ment of $1.85 billion (about N247.9 billion) notes that, “in recent years oil companies in would be required to complete some projects rather than convert them to cooking gases as Nigeria have been charged a total of between done in developed countries by the same oil that would enable it achieve zero flare level N20 million and N50 million (or US$150,000-
$370,000) annually for flaring associated gas.” The DPR announced that from January 1, 2009 the penalty for gas flaring would be raised to $3.5 for every 1, 000 cubic feet of gas flared. At a public hearing held by the Senate in November 2008 on a proposed anti-gas flare bill, the Senate President, David Mark noted that the proposed fine of $3.50 per 1,000 standard cubic feet (scf) of gas flared is meager and would not be a deterrent to the companies which have continued their act with impunity. But despite the hot air blown, the government is yet to enforce the December 31, 2008 deadline. Ticking time bomb One of the greatest challenges to human development in the Niger Delta region is how to win people back to the traditional livelihoods that sustained them in the past. The youth are mainly interested in rent-seeking from oil operations in the form of standby money or oil bunkering, hostagetaking and sabotage of oil pipelines. The host communities suffer harmful health effects of oil exploration and loss of livelihood: mainly fishing and farming. Continued degradation in the form of spills and gas flares render the Niger Delta extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change with a projected loss of 50 per cent ability to produce cereals by the year 2020 – which would rise to 80 per cent loss by 2050. This is worse than any armed conflict, according to Nnimmo Bassey, environmental rights activist and founder, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF). It is expected that gas flaring and other harmful practices of petrobusinesses operating in the country’s Niger Delta will be curtailed when the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is passed into law. The objective of the PIB is to increase exploration activities, facilitate domestic usage of gas, expand reserves and formulate a National Oil and Gas Policy. Ghana, Niger Republic, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Chad and Angola are some of the countries that a decade and half ago were not commercial crude oil producers but the story is different today. The most disturbing news is that by 2030, Nigeria’s largest buyer with regards to crude oil sale, the United States of America will become a net exporter. By then, the US will surpass Saudi Arabia which is the largest producer of crude oil among the members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The country has been able to achieve this feat by revolutionising its shale gas technology. Chevron’s GMOU Industry analysts identify Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL)’s Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMOU) as an ambitious measure to mitigate the damage caused by oil exploration. GMOU is a community-driven development approach adopted by CNL in 2005 to manage conflict and administer social investments in communities in its areas of operations. By the end of 2012, Chevron Nigeria claimed to have completed a total of 203 projects worth about $79 million in communities. These projects, the company claims, cut across education, health and sanitation, economic empowerment, capacity building, housing, jetties, bridges, and transportation. However, no such measure according to Ofehe, will ever be enough palliative for the monumental loss and hardships that CNL, SPDC and other petro-businesses wreak on the poor, helpless natives of the Niger Delta.
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THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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When I started, my family because I slept under a
•Pastor Adedokun’s church. Inset: The bromide of the letter the pastor wrote to Iju-Odo town’s chiefs RIOR to Friday, October 4, 2013, not many people knew anything about Pastor John Adewale Adedokun and his Christ Apostolic Church, Cannan Land District, Olowo near Ore, Ondo State. Before that day, the prophet’s fame had not gone beyond Okitipupa and its environs. But after news of the ill-fated plane crash filtered into town, words quickly spread round about the man of God and his warning. One week earlier, Pastor Adedokun had written a letter to the chiefs of Iju-Odo, hometown of late Dr. Segun Agagu, warning them of an impending danger. To ward off the danger, he advised that a three-day revival programme be held in the town before the burial of the former Ondo State governor. The chiefs did not waste time in heeding the advice of the man of God, as the entire town came together to hold a three-day revival, starting from Monday, September 30 through Wednesday October 2, 2013. During the programme, with the theme ‘Forbidding Satan and cohorts in the land created by the God of our fathers’, the man of God urged the indigenes to pray fervently against losing more people to death in Iju-Odo. The impact of the message dawned on
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n Segun AJIBOYE n the people early Friday when words filtered in that the plane carrying the remains of the former governor had crashed shortly after take-off. No sooner they learnt of the crash and the fact that no relations of Agagu died than they bombarded the prophet with phone calls and thanking God that they heeded his advice. His church is located on a large sparse of land in a non-descript remote settlement along the Ore-Okitipupa road. The settlement, Olowo, is not known to many beyond Okitipupa, Ore and environ. But the church, and indeed Pastor Adedokun’s activities are fast putting the name of the hitherto unknown settlement on the map. When our correspondent visited the church on Tuesday, different kinds of people, many of them allegedly coming from distant places, were seen praying with various degrees of intensity. Not even the absence of the man of God in the auditorium could take away from the seriousness which the people attached to the prayer session. And if you expect the man behind the revelation to appear to you in a well-cut suit or agbada, you sure got it wrong.
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You can ask anybody who attended the programme, my prayer point during the programme was that the people should pray to God that no other corpse, aside from that of the former governor, would be brought to the town. And God answered our prayers, because that programme aborted the plans of the wicked ones to cause more pains, not only to the Agagu family and the entire town, but to Ondo State and Nigeria in general...
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Dressed in a pair of shorts and a simple shirt, you stopped short of saying ‘Sir, it’s the prophet I came to see, not you’. But you quickly changed your mind when the man standing before you introduced himself as the man you came to see with a smile. Speaking with The Nation in an exclusive interview inside his church in Olowo, near Ore, Prophet Adedokun said: “We went to
pray at the Olusooye Hill (Ori Oke Olusooye). It is located between
Ifetedo and Garage Olode in Osun State. It was while we were praying that God told me to ask the people to pray fervently. God said they should have a three-day prayer and fasting session to avert an impending doom. He also said it that the programme should be done before the remains of the
Iju-Odo’s double tragedy: two weeks before I
JU-ODO, Ondo State, hometown of late Dr. Segun Agagu, is in deep mourning. For the town, Agagu’s death on Friday, September 13, 2013, was double tragedy. Two weeks earlier, precisely on August 28, the town had lost its monarch, Oba Daniel Taiwo Temola. At the time of the monarch’s death, their prominent son and former governor of Ondo State, Segun Agagu, was in faraway United States of America. The elders immediately communicated the demise of the monarch to Agagu, who in turn told them to continue with the programme for the rites of passage, promising to be back in the country soon. The elders went ahead with other programmes pending when Agagu would return, himself a leader and eldest son of a former Ojomo of the town. But that was not to be. As the town waited eagerly to give their king a burial befitting a monarch, they received the
n Segun AJIBOYE n
shocking news of the death of Dr. Segun Agagu, putting an immediate stop to whatever burial plans the town had for their late king. Last Tuesday, three days after the interment of late Dr. Agagu, the entire town was still in deep mourning, as there was no sign of festivity expected to follow the passing of such a personality. And everywhere you turned, the few people on the streets refused to talk about their loss, with most deciding to mourn in silence. “What do you expect us to do or say?” an old woman who refused to disclose her identity said. But she quickly added: “My son, for us in this town, his death is a very big loss. It is not about him being a governor, but about what he has been able to do for us. Go round the town, and you would see his touch everywhere.’’
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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thought I had gone mad tree for three years – Pastor who predicted calamity during Agagu’s funeral
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With little or no fund available to him, he lived on a bench under a tree for three years after he took possession of the land in 2005. But at this stage, his immediate family became very worried about their man. They feared that he might be suffering from mental disorder, and came to take him away. “But the first day they came to take me away, I was praying with some people. After they observed what was happening, my family decided to leave me alone’’
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man of God was hearing from God. Though many of the old revelations may not have been of the magnitude of this latest one, Pastor Adedokun insists that he is merely a servant of God, and that he says whatever God directs him to say. “I don’t really know by what title you want to address me. But the truth is that it is the God in me who is working. And like I told you, I simply do what God directs me to do.” The story of his journey into the world of evangelism and prophecy is etched in mystery. Born some 56 years ago in Iragberi, Osun State, Prophet Adedokun spent the early part of his life in faraway Ivory Coast where he lived with an uncle. He returned to Nigeria in 1977, having been trained as an electronics repairer. And for the next few years, life was sweet as young Adedokun made money and enjoyed spending it while it lasted. He said: “Prophet Hezekiah Oluboye Oladeji, founder, CAC Canaan Land, Garage Olode, Osun State, is the one behind this ministry. It was him who God used to bring me into His fold. Prophet Hezekiah and I are like Elijah and Elisha. It
was through him that I found God’s favour. I am the first of three children. I was taken away to Ivory Coast in 1967. I came back to Nigeria in 1977. Life was good and I made money. But by 1990, I lost everything because I lived life as a non-believer. ‘’After that, my siblings tried to get me a job. But because I didn’t have any certificate, all they could get for me was security jobs. But I know that I am a strong man, so I opted to go into farming rather than do security job. That was how I started farming and also help people to harvest palm fruit. Between all this, I also served as a house help for some period. It was while I was doing this that I got to a settlement, called Kajola Ojurin. I finally settled there in 1997, and left in 2004. “At that time, I was a member of The Apostolic Church. At a point, the pastor was transferred, and nobody was brought to replace him. One particular Sunday, I just decided that I would lead the congregation. I was doing this until one day when the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) requested for somebody to represent our church. The church decided that I should
Town lost monarch Agagu’s death The mood at the palace was not in any way different. The Regent of Iju-Odo, Chief Seyindemi Oguntoye, Ojomo of Osooro Kingdom, like most people in the town, is still in shock over the death of the former governor. Though a few years older than the late Agagu, Chief Ojomo said Agagu’s death has robbed the town of a prince and a performer. “Agagu was somebody we respected so much. His father was a late Ojomo of this town. So he was a prince. But the main reason everybody loved him was because of his contributions to Iju-Odo. Go round the entire town, and you would see his touch. If you go to Ilaje towns, you would see his works. He constructed bridges to connect the people with their neighbours on land. Before his government, no Ilaje community, except Igbokoda, could be accessed by land. But those bridges opened up those places. These were towns that you could only access by canoes before him.” Chief Ojomo’s pain would be appreciated if
you knew his relationship with the late Agagu and their last discussion, which was a day before he died. According to the chief, Agagu visited him shortly before he travelled to the US in August. During the visit, Agagu explained that he would not be around to attend the wedding of the chief’s son, billed for a few days later. He offered his goodwill, and promised to see the family on his return. “The last time we saw was August 17. On that day, he came to my house to tell me that he would not be able to attend the wedding of my son, and he gave me an envelope. After that, we discussed about our town, the state and Nigeria in general. He lamented the state of affairs, and said he feared for the future of our people. He left after about two hours.” The two would speak again two weeks after that encounter when the town lost its monarch. Their discussion centred around the rites for the late king and the arrangements
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go. But don’t forget that I said I was a farmer, not a pastor. But I found favour before the leaders of our church, and they sent me. “One day, we decided to hold a revival programme. So, as we debated on who to invite, we all agreed that it should be Prophet Hezekiah. We went to his church to inform him. The first time we met him was November 11, 2004. Meanwhile, I was still doing my farming work alongside the pastoral work. On the day the prophet came for the revival programme, it was like all his messages were directed at me. Though he did not know anything about me at the time, but all he said was about me. When I heard him, I started crying. But at a point, I heard him say that God asked him to shake hands with three people. I was lucky to be one of the three people who shook hands with him that day. Immediately after that, I clearly heard God talking to me about my salvation. God specifically told me not to go back to my house, and that I should leave that town immediately. He said if I obeyed His command, that I would fulfill what He sent me to do on earth. I tell you, from that crusade ground, I didn’t go back home. I left the town that day and came to Olowo, Ore, to meet my friend. That was how I got to this town.” When he arrived at his new abode, he did not waste time to commence a threeday fasting and prayer that God ordered him to observe. “I started almost immediately after I arrived at Olowo town. Interestingly, people started coming to me that I should pray for them. I did that for the next three days when a message came that I should tell the people, irrespective of their religion, to come together and pray to Him. God said if they did that, He would hearken to their cries. I did as ordered by God, and the people turned out in large number for the programme. The town head
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late Governor Segun Agagu was brought into the town. God specifically said bad people wanted to use the opportunity of the burial to cause more calamity to the people of Iju-Odo. We quickly did a letter to the chiefs, warning them of the danger. I am particularly happy that they heeded God’s warning.” Asked what would have happened if the revival programme had not held, the man of God said: “You can ask anybody who attended the programme, my prayer point during the programme was that the people should pray to God that no other corpse, aside from that of the former governor, would be brought to the town. And God answered our prayers, because that programme aborted the plans of the wicked ones to cause more pain, not only to the Agagu family and the entire town, but to Ondo State and Nigeria in general.” And why did he not pray to avert the crash? Prophet Adedokun said: “What God told me was to tell the people of the town to pray against whatever evil the wicked might have in stock for the people. God specifically said the prayer should be that no other corpse would be brought into the town aside from that of the former governor. And that was what we did.” On what revelation he had, Prophet Adedokun said God asked him to tell the people of the town to ensure that a three-day prayer and fasting was observed before the burial to avert further problems in the town. “We regularly go to pray on the hill in Osun State. On this day, as we were praying, God told me to tell the people to pray to Him to avert further troubles in the town. And as we were descending the hill, I remember vividly that I suddenly turned back and told my people. I said: ‘The wicked people want to cause havoc with this burial’. That was why we quickly wrote a letter to the head of the town to intimate them with the revelation.” The revelation was not the first time the
•Chief Oguntoye
But while the elders were waiting for their prominent son to arrive, a mostshocking news spread into town. “We were already making arrangements for the meeting when somebody rushed in to tell me that he heard that Agagu was dead. In fact, I almost fainted while I was trying to make meaning of what he just told me. For several minutes, I could not comprehend the impact of what I was told’’
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SOCIETY
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Oshiomhole’s aide Charles Idahosa at 60 The Political Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Chief Charles Idahosa, turned 60 recently. A reception was hosted in his honour in Benin City. Below are some of the dignitaries who attended the event.
•Hon. Idahosa at the reception
•Hon. Idahosa with daughters
•From right: Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rt. Hon. Pius Egberamwen Odubu, Hon. dahosa, his wife and another guest
•First Executive Governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie Oyegun (left), and Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Cromwell Idahosa
•Younger sister to celebrant, Mrs Nosa Uwegba, and Ms Ekaetee Abak of UNIBEN
•Hon. (Mrs.) Elizabeth Ativie, member representing Uhumwonde Constituency, Edo State House of Assembly
•From right: Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uyi Igbe, the Iyase of Bini Kingdom, Chief Sam Igbe, and Justice Efe Ikponwoba
•From right: Chief Igbe, and Madam Akakasiaka Idahosa
•From right: Edo State Commissioner for Environment and Public Utilities, Prince Clem Agba and wife, Justice Idahosa, Chief Oyegun and Minority Leader, Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Samson Osagie and wife
Inside The
Glass House WITH AMINU MAIGARI
La Liga Top Scorers
Sat. 12 Oct., 2013 Cagliari v Catania Milan v Udinese Sun. 13 Oct., 2013 Atalanta v Lazio Sassuolo v Bologna Verona v Parma Fiorentina v Juventus Genoa v Chievo Livorno v Sampdoria Torino v Internazionale
Sat. 12 Oct., 2013 Newcastle vs Liverpool Arsenal vs Norwich Chelsea vs Cardiff Everton vs Hull City Man Utd vs Southampton Stoke City vs West Brom Swansea vs Sunderland West Ham vs Man City Sun. 13 Oct., 2013 A Villa vs Tottenham Mon. 21st Oct., 2013 C Palace vs Fulham
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Eagles: Soak the pressure
I
F football were to be mathematics, this weekend World Cup play-off between Super Eagles and Walyas Antelopes would be won by the latter. But football is not mathematics, it is biscuit as you cannot predict how it would break. The Ethiopians are the Antelopes. They are the lowliest rated of the ten teams remaining in the last round of the Brazil 2014 qualifiers in the African continent and therefore should be no problem to the Eagles. But football does not add up that way. The Antelopes may be lowly rated yet they are the most improved of the teams in contention for the five African slots. They have come from no hopers to a top flight team. Despite getting three points deducted, the nimble-footed Ethiopians beat the South Africans to the tape though the Bafana Bafana have not been top notch since they won the 1996 African Cup of Nations. The South Africans were roundly beaten by the Eagles in the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup, losing 2-0 at home to the African Champions. It simply means that the Ethiopians played in a weak group and have not met their match since the competition kicked off. Not that the Antelopes do not merit their place among the cream of the top ten. They do, and they need to be in top gear to survive the attack of the Stephen Keshi’s men in Addis Ababa. It is not only mathematics that favours Eagles. History is also on their side. Since they have been playing against each other, the Antelopes are yet to record a win against the Eagles especially in this modern time. The most recent confrontation ended in a 2-2 with Nigeria forcing a draw. It was during the era of Samson Siasia as the coach and the stake was different. It was in the 2012 African Cup of Nations which Nigeria failed to qualify for. Eagles gave two goals away only to be lucky to pull them back. Since then, quite a lot has changed in the Nigerian game as well as the Ethiopian. Eagles have gone on to have a new coach who won the African Cup of Nations in February. The team which played the Antelopes in Addis Ababa in 2012 has changed drastically as well. The ‘new’ coach has called in home based players into the national team which is different from the Siasia’s squad comprised solely foreign based players. There are five home boys in the squad which is heading for the Ethiopian capital today though only one or two may put on the jersey. The current team has not lost to any African one in a competitive game since they were brought together in the last one year. They have rolled from one victory to another and this is the statistic the Ethiopians will attempt to bring to an end. It will take some time for the fear factor to return to the Nigerian team. The Antelopes will definitely not be afraid of our Eagles as they are the home side. It would take more time and more victories for other African teams to fear our national team as it was in the past. The Antelopes will, however, respect them and it would be in the best interest of our boys to respect the Ethiopians as well. Nigeria is no doubt a big team in African football and Ethiopia will want to square up to her man for man. The Antelopes will have a 12th player filing out for them tomorrow in the World Cup cracker. The ‘player’ is the weather and the high altitude which had been difficult for other teams to break down. The high altitude has been the story of their success at home in this past one year. It takes 15 days to acclimatize. As there is no time to do that, the football house has adopted a touch-and-go strategy. It hired a chartered flight which leaves today for Addis Ababa. By the time that the effects of the weather would be setting in, the match would have been done away with. The high altitude will have a great effect on the outcome of the match and I wish Eagles well to surmount the obstacle. The Ethiopians will attack with everything they have gotten. They will want to win with a good margin at home and then make the return leg a mere formality. That would be their thinking and they will carry it out to the letter. Their greatest weapon is the midfield where they will play as many as five players with two strikers and three defenders. They play modern football and it has brought them out of the African football woods. Eagles need to stop them in the middle by choking them and disallowing them to play. Eagles have never been known to sit back and allow the enemy to come at them. This may be the appropriate way to play the Antelopes. We need to soak the pressure and then go at them when they would have gone dry of ideas. They will throw everything into the game and that would make them tire easily especially towards the end of the game which Eagles may exploit to take the match. The only thing that can stand between Nigeria and victory in the encounter is complacency. The Walyas Antelopes do not have to be underrated for anything. They have changed from the team that Nigeria forced to a draw at home in 2012. They have become more formidable and experienced. They played in the last Nations Cup finals in South Africa. Though they did not go beyond the group stage and lost 2-0 to the Eagles, the fact that they have gone this far is a testimony that they can be dangerous. Therefore, they should not be underrated by the Keshi’s wards. Doing that would be to their peril.
Saturday, October 12,2013
Patience SADUWA and Paul UKPABIO
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THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
With KAYODE ALFRED
E-mail:kayflex2@yahoo.com
TEL:08116759807
THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
TEL:08116759807
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LIFE & STYLE
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
What I find romantic about my husband? His smiles and gap tooth — Ekiti Governor’s wife Bisi Fayemi at 50 For more than two decades, the First Lady of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, has been in the forefront of issues that border on woman empowerment and social justice in Africa and beyond. As the wife of the Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, she has been a major factor in the positive change the state has witnessed since her husband became the governor. In this exclusive chat with KEHINDE OLULEYE, she speaks about her life as the first lady and how she got attracted to her husband.
• Bisi Fayemi
ow does it feel to be 50? I clocked 50 on June 11 this year. I thank God almighty for keeping me till this time. I feel great and blessed. I'm very happy. Your two books, Speaking Above a Whisper and Speaking For Myself are scheduled for public presentation. What inspired them? Speaking Above A whisper is my autobiography and Speaking For Myself Is a collection Of essays and speeches I have done over a period of 21 years. What are the unique things in the book? I can't tell you that. People should get the book and find that out. What I can say is that it is a story of my life. Some of the information are public knowledge, some of them are not. They chronicle my childhood, my early years, the people who influenced me, the circumstances that influenced me, going to school. I schooled at Abeokuta Grammar School and did my A-
H
level at the Methodist Girls High School in Lagos. I attended the University of Ife (Obafemi Awolowo University), did my youth service and went back to Ife for a master’s in History. It was when I went back for my master’s that I met my husband. He came to do his master’s in International Relations and we shared a class. When I finished my master’s in History, I went back to the United Kingdom. I was born in the UK in July 1963 and came back to Nigeria with my parents in December, 1969. So when I got back to the UK in 1988, I worked with the British Civil Service briefly. Then I went to work for a non-governmental organisation called AMWA. Its focus was to provide support for African women. During my time at AMWA, we established the African Women Leadership Institute, which was a training forum for young African women. And over the past 15 years or so, so many institutes have been in existence and we have trained over 60,000 African women. I left London 2001 to move to Accra, Ghana to establish the African Women Development Fund, which I co-founded with two other African women. The focus of our work is to provide grants to women organisations across Africa as well as capacity building and technical assistance; the main focus of our work being financial support. So, I was in AWDF for 10 years. By 2010, I moved from Accra to Nigeria because my husband became the governor of Ekiti State in October. Are you still involved with AWDF? Yes, I'm still on the board of African Women Development Fund, I'm no longer the CEO, but I'm on the board. I'm one of the three co-chairs of the endowment campaign for AWDF. The other two are President Ellen Sirleaf and Mrs. Graca Machel. You just concluded a market tour in the 16 local government areas, during which you empowered the market women with cash and other materials. Why market women? First of all, women empowerment and gender equality are
part of the 8-point agenda of the administration of Dr. Kayode Fayemi. So, everyone knows that issues of gender equality are very important to the administration. We've campaigned on this issue: the fact that there's going to be a better deal for women in the state. Last year, I did a tour of all the groups of people in the state. We've supported different women in the state from inception, and at a time, I promised the market women when they complained that I was not paying attention to them when doing ground assessment of the different associations. I promised that I would do something different for the market women because they are a major part of the informal economy. A lot of things take place at the market place. A lot of decisions take place at the market place and we can't afford to take them for granted. So, I conducted a feasibility study with the support of the Ministry of Women Affairs as well as the caretaker chairmen of all the local government areas. They told me the things that they needed. They included things like water, toilet, lock-up shops, cash for micro credit and others. So, with our own assessment and the help of the local government chairmen, we were able to go round the 16 local government areas. We gave them tools for micro-credit as well as a vehicle for each of the market women associations. It was a very successful tour, way beyond our imagination. I hope to be able to repeat it sometime in the future. The market outreach is going to be an ongoing feature of my work. Your husband has been in the saddle as Ekiti State governor for three years, and you seem to have succeeded in proving that the office of the First lady is not a drain pipe. How were you able to achieve this? I have always been involved in causes that promote social justice and development. My career has always been in the field of women development and philanthropy. And If I spend most of my career working on social justice and human rights issues in different parts of the world, the least I can do is to apply what I have learnt to my own state. I am the chair of the Ekiti State Aids and Control Agency (Ekiti SACA). I also chair the Consultative Committee on Arts, Culture and Tourism and the gender-based violence prohibition law that was signed in 2011 by His Excellency has an implementation committee. So it is called the Genderbased Violence Law Implementation Committee. I chair that as well. My involvement in these agencies ensures that I put in some of the experience that I have acquired back into the state. Are you recommending that to other states? We all have things to learn from one another. A lot of wonderful things are going on in other states as well that we can learn from. It is about doing things that can help our people, inspiring ourselves to do better. And then my husband has a leadership philosophy of service to the people, as opposed to people serving you. I share that philosophy deeply. So I'm actually very grateful for giving such service to the people, based on the experience, the expertise and the network that I have at my disposal. I’m quite willing to give it to the people of Ekiti State because they deserve the very best. Back to the question of the office of the first lady… I believe that there has been a lot of debate in recent times on the constitutionality of the office of the first lady. And the debate has gone back and forth. Early last year, I wrote an essay, Speaking for myself: The 1st Lady Debate, to share my opinions on the matter. And my view is that people should separate the argument around the need for a mechanism to support the administration of the president or the governor to be able to do the things that the incumbent cannot do from the misdeeds and the misdemeanor of the individuals who have occupied that seat over time. They are two different things. And then not all the offices and administrations are in the constitution. In the essay I wrote last year, I gave an example of the office
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013 of the Chief of Staff. The office of the Chief of Staff does not exist in the Nigerian constitution but it is something administrations have put in place even at the state level. One thing they have learnt is that it is almost impossible for anyone to administer a country or a state without having someone to perform the role of the chief of staff. How can you expect a president or governor to function to his fullest potential if he does not have a partner who can do the things he is not able to do? Now, that is a different argument from saying that those who have occupied those places, who have been corrupt, who have abused state resources, constituted themselves into a security threat, who have undermined their partners’ administrations. That is a separate argument altogether. So, what I’m saying is that we should not conflict the two. The countries that we are fond of citing as examples are the United States and the United Kingdom. There is provision for the office of the wife of the president and so on, but there are very clear rules of engagement and there are very clear rules in terms of the things that they can do. They do work as ceremonial and in philanthropy. And if there are issues that they care about, they drag those agendas as well and learn the voices to those issues. In my own case, being fully aware of the criticisms that have trailed the office of the wife of the governor, the first lady, I have been careful to ensure that I don’t find myself in such a situation that my integrity or the integrity of my husband will be called to question because everything I do is worth the support for my husband, and anything that will undermine that, I will not do. I focus on my work. I focus on the things that interest me. I focus on the areas that I can add value. The issues that I spoke about—human right issues, HIV/AIDS, violence against women—are issues that I have worked on for most of my life at policy level, at the level of academy and research and at the level of community engagement, and I will continue to do so regardless of whether I am the wife of the governor or not. Governor Fayemi has signified interest in running for a second term. What does that portend for Ekiti women? It will be a consolidation of what has been achieved so far. A lot of good things have happened in this state for everybody, men and women. And women have benefitted a lot. We have an unprecedented number of women in decision making in Ekiti State right now. Gone are those days when female politicians in the state were just on the sidelines. They were the ones cooking, dancing and cheering the men. Now we are equal partners in the democratic processes that we have. We have the female deputy Governor. We have a significant number of women in the state cabinet. We went from having no women at all in the House of Assembly to having four in the April 2011 election. And we have a record number of women as permanent secretaries or as members of boards and parastatals in the civil service. So, women have achieved a lot under this administration. Women happen to be the majority of voters in the state, whether in rural or urban areas. My hope is that women in the state will come out in their numbers to support my husband when the time comes, because they know that the foundation that has been laid now is solid enough for a lot of beautiful things to be built on, and when women benefit, the community benefits. I learnt that there is an equal opportunity bill in the state house of assembly right now. Can we really have equal rights and opportunities in this part of the world? Many people are not aware that there is a national women gender policy that the federal government agreed to in the year 2005. The national gender policy covers things to do with the political, economic and social empowerment for women. It is supposed to be a road map and planning tool for the ministry of gender at all levels from the state to the federal. Ekiti State so far is the only state to have domesticated the national gender policy. That was done in June 2011 as a result of my advocacy and working in partnership with other stakeholders. There are some key elements of the gender policy that need the backing of the house; like discriminatory decisions in the work place, having affirmative action so that we can have more women in decision making and so on. So if the bill is passed, it will mean that we are no longer paying lip service to the issue of gender equality. Because it is one thing to claim that we are going to give women opportunities. If it doesn’t have the backing of law, then it cannot be enforced. It is not the same thing as saying men are no longer the heads of the home. What we are saying is that women require equal opportunity with men. Any man who has a daughter will not want her cheated. They might feel differently about their wife. A man asked me the same question recently. He said, ‘Erelu, do you think a woman can now stand up and say me too I can do this...’ I said, I know that you have a daughter who made a 2nd Class Upper in the university. She is a lawyer. How would you feel if in two years time, she went for an interview and the first question they asked her is, ‘are you married?’ The second question is, ‘if you are married, when do you want to start having children?’ At the end of the day, they don’t give her the job because they think she can abandon the job to follow her husband. He said he would feel
LIFE & STYLE
• Bisi Fayemi
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45 Ghana where old women are dumped and called witches. These are women whose children cannot take care of and they accuse them of witchcraft. They are being looked after by missionaries. So, the AWDF at some points started to give these women economic empowerment and health needs. As a result of the attention which we are able to give to these women, a documentary film was made, called the Witches of Ganbaga, a couple of years ago. And now, people are averse to this phenomenon of falsely accusing women of witchcraft and depriving them of their rights based on superstitious beliefs, and it has really, really helped these elderly women. I started to notice that trend in our community—elderly women being falsely accused of witchcraft—and I know that ultimately, we are going to make sure it does not continue to happen. When I see our efforts, it continues to inspire me because there is always work to be done. What is your advice to young Nigerian women who might want to emulate you? You might start a life given to you by your parents but you need to work hard. If you are relying on a man somewhere to help you or you wish to meet a rich man who will one day become the governor, you are in for a rude shock. You have to work hard. You have to study. You have to be able to build a career for yourself. You have to listen to good advice. By the grace of God, you‘ll be given the spirit of discernment to know the difference between good and bad advice. Learn how to balance things and plan so that you can discharge effectively your responsibilities and your roles. There are no short cuts, and the only person you can rely on is yourself. Who are your role models and heroes? I have many. There are women who have been of influence to me. I will like to acknowledge my late father, Chief Akinola Adeleye. My father is my first role model. He was an absolutely wonderful father. He set me on the right path in life through the values, the spirit of community service and responsibility. My husband is another role model in my life because I happen to think he is one of the greatest thinkers and leaders of my generation. And there are other people who have had great impact on my life. People like Madame Graca Michel, President Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf and many women all over the world, particularly the African continent. Their stories of triumph over tragedy have blessed me. One of my role models is the ordinary market woman who sits out in the sun and in the rain trying to make sure that there is food in the home and money to send their children to school. What have you learnt from Ekiti people? The people are very hard working, God fearing, concerned about development and want to have good things for their communities. They always want to be the best they can be. They are people of honour and integrity. I love their spirit of responsibility. They are one of the most homogenous people in the country. How can the wealthy people help the masses through philanthropy? I have always said that what defines philanthropy is not the size of your pocket but the size of your heart. In my view, anyone who can dip their hand into their pockets can become a philanthropist. I think the very wealthy in our midst should be encouraged to engage in more formal and structured philanthropy; philanthropy that has to do with more social justice and getting to the root of a lot of issues that we are grappling with. Because a lot of our problems—abandoned children, kidnapping—are symptoms of much deeper problems. And I’m beginning to see that in our society, with people like Mr Tony Elumelu of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, retired Major General Theophilus Danjuma of TY Danjuma Foundation, Alhaji Aliko Dangote with the Dangote Foundation, the federal government needs to do more to encourage indigenous philanthropy in Nigeria. We need to start teaching our children too the culture of philanthropy, so that they can also have a sense of entitlement and reach out to others. Was there any childhood experience that shaped your life? Read my book, everything is there. If I tell you everything, there won't be anything to read about my book, Speaking Above a Whisper. Do you miss living the normal life as someone in the public domain? You mean do I miss my privacy? Well, I do sometimes. But this was what we signed. Sometimes I wish I had my privacy but I can't complain as long as people are being imparted and lives are being touched. You are aging gracefully. What is the secret? (Laughs) I don’t sweat the small stuffs. I don’t surround myself with people who give negative energy. I try to stay healthy. I try to eat right. I try to exercise. I default every now and then. How romantic is Governor Fayemi? (Laughs) Why are you asking me? Go and ask him. He is romantic in his own way. The most romantic thing he can do for me is to flash his smiles at me and I see his gap tooth.
How can you expect a president or governor to function to his fullest potential if he does not have a partner who can do the things he is not able to do? Now, that is a different argument from saying that those who have occupied those places, who have been corrupt, who have abused state resources, constituted themselves into a security threat, who have undermined their partners’ administrations cheated because it would mean that the investment in his daughter had been wasted. So, I asked him is that something you would like? He said no, now I understand. Everyone will benefit from the bill. What are the three things people don’t know about you? Three things people don’t know about me? Hmm, that’s hard. When I was putting my memoirs together there were a couple of things that came to my mind. People don’t know that I play the ayo game. I’m very good at it, and I used to beat a lot of the older people at the game. There are a lot of things people know about me. I like to dance. People don’t know that I like to spend 15 minutes every day not talking to anyone, not seeing anyone, not watching TV or anything; just to think on my own, reflecting and decompressing. The third thing people don’t know about me is that I wear dread locks simply because I think as African women, we shouldn’t pretend to be anything unnatural. Every strand of hair you see is my own hair. There is nothing Brazilian or Chinese or Indian about it. A lot of people don’t know I have dread locks because my hair is normally wrapped up. Those are the three things, I play Ayo, I reflect on my own for the first fifteen minutes every day and I have dreadlocks (smiles). You are involved in a lot of things. What drives you to do all these? The two that come to the mind, first of all, there is a lot that has to be done. In spite of the fact that many of us in the women events have worked hard over the years to ensure that we have laws and policies, mechanisms in place to protect women from violence or to ensure that women’s rights are appreciated, there is a lot more that has to be done, and what drives me is to do more to be able to make sure that all the aspirations and all the goals we have to ensure that women have gender justice are actualised. The second thing is seeing results. At the African Women Development Fund for example, we support women organisations to run a whole range of programmes in different areas—economic empowerment, capacity building governance, security, arts, culture, sports and so on. We see tangible results. We see very clear ways in which the lives of women can be impacted on and that women have access to the tools they need. We have seen women who have no hope, never being able to look out for themselves the financial support that helped them to survive, start their own businesses and support other people. There is a group of old women in the northern region of
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
How did the wedding ring and gown originate?
Please ma, how did the wedding ring originate and hasn’t the wedding gown outlived its usefulness since there are hardly pure brides these days? – Uche, Ibadan (08097724479). The Origin of the Wedding Ring Many of the wedding traditions that we follow today date back to centuries past, while others are only a few years old. The exchanging of rings, depending on which explanation you believe, is one of the oldest marital traditions around. One version of the origin of the wedding ring states that, during prehistoric times, the groom would bind the bride’s ankles and wrists with grass, to keep her soul from escaping (some say it was really to keep her from running away!). Once the ceremony was complete, he would re-
move the rope, and tie it to one of her fingers. This tradition gradually evolved from grass, to rope, to leather, and finally, to a metal band. Another story comes from the ancient Romans, who placed a ring on the third finger, because it was believed to house the “Vena Amoris” or the “Vein of Love,” which ran directly to the heart. They chose the left hand, because the heart was then believed to be on the left side of the chest. These traditions were spread ’round the world, as new lands were discovered; thus, we have the tradition of the wedding band that is still highly recognized today across many religions and cultures. As to whether the wedding gown has outlived its usefulness, it depends on the colour we’re talking about here.
Somebody who knows has something to say: Since the tradition of wearing a white dress has nothing to do with virginity at all, then yes. The white dress was orignally a symbol of weath, since white fabric was expensive and the dress would only be worn once. The wealthier families showed they could spend a large sum of money on a dress for one day that would never be worn again by purchasing a white dress. It wasn’t until a couple of queens wore white dresses, and their photographs widely publicized (both in the late 1800s) that white wedding dresses became widely popular. In fact, even in the century during the Great Depression era, most wedding dresses were not white.
From you to me God’s grace will always speak for you, give you beauty for ashes, fame for shame, joy for sorrow and set your feet out for uncommon dance. Your story on the community court was ended abruptly ma. God bless you. More anointing for greater exploits. A fan frm very way back ma. 07038437926.
I’m 26 and in love with a 27-year-old girl
Hi wise lady Adeola, I am in love with a girl, she is 27 and I’m 26. She has a child which she told me about. She is a virtous woman l always see her in my dream playing without sex. She said that age is the problem. I want to marry her after our NYSC and my parents love her so much. Please help me because I don’t want to miss her. Hi. If I had a crown to give to people with heads of wisdom, you would have taken one now. How many Nigerians guys your age
My Aries girlfriend is not satisfied with my being self-employed
My Aries girlfriend is not satisfied with my being selfemployed because I’m not always meeting her financial needs I’m Sept. 25th, she is April, 6th and we had had a pious (no kiss, hugs and sex) relationship for 7 years now and my intention is marriage. I love her dearly and a minute with her renews my humanity, however, I perceive she loves me less and is not satisfied with my being self employed in pursuit of my passion and not always meeting her financial needs on time. On my part, her posture drove me into a relationship that has produced a child of 2 years old which I have not told her about for fear of the unknown even though she got wind of it through a whistleblower. Please forecast the future of this relationship. Orya. I’m a Libran and I know that restlessness in us to do the things we love doing even when we have to suffer for a while before our feet get strong on the grounds we have chosen. You have a passion for whatever you’re doing now - let no one kill your dreams. Financial needs my foot! You need financial help yourself. So let her get a job or a business that will take care of her needs until you’re able to. Pronto. Your child is a big part of you. The child came during the uncertain period between you two, so don’t be afraid to let her know. You can’t hide the existence of your child forever because you fear the reactions of an unstable person. Tell her and if she wants
to stay after getting over the shock the revelation is bound to bring, good for her, if not, good luck to her wherever she wants to go. I’m not a psychic t know what the future is like between you two, but I’m publishing a normal Libra male and Aries female astrological compatibility: Libra and Aries Aries and Libra are directly opposite one another in the Zodiac — 180 degrees apart. Each Sign possesses qualities that the other lacks; combined with Libra’s natural yen for harmony, this can be a relationship that enjoys great balance. Aries is the Sign of Self while Libra is the Sign of Partnership, and the differences continue: Aries is impulsive, excitable and ready to jump right into something new and exciting, while Libra is indecisive, peace-loving and prefers a calm, smooth approach. Aries can learn from Libra that their own way isn’t necessarily the best way. These two Signs share the great sexual attraction common to all Signs opposite in polarity. At the same time, though this pair’s connection is amazing when it’s good, it can be extremely challenging when it’s bad. All polarities have energies that tend to tangle or knot if understandings can’t be reached. As a combination, Aries and Libra are well-balanced. Charming, cultured Libra can teach brash Aries something about style. Libra prizes harmony in a relationship and will go to great lengths to maintain it. Aries is very decisive and can teach indecisive Libra about relying on intuition for answers.
Aries is a Fire Sign and Libra is an Air Sign. Working together can be challenging at times. However, both Signs have wide-ranging interests, and at the end of a long, active day, Aries can come home full of interesting stories to tell the more cerebral Libra! Aries and Libra are both Cardinal Signs. They both have a lot of initiative — but lack in followthrough. They both tend to start things they’re never going to finish, whether it’s a job, a project, a relationship … Aries will appear
to be the leader because of their energy and forceful nature, but Libra leads from an intellectual standpoint. Both Signs want to be in charge, but Aries uses force and sometimes intimidation to get what they want while Libra uses charm and sometimes manipulation. Compromise is essential to this relationship’s health. Diplomatic Libra has a much easier time with compromise than does Aries, who strongly dislikes yielding to another person, viewing it as submission. Libra may have to give in more often to Aries’s wishes in order to keep the peace that they so cherish.
He is 40 and I am 23 Aunty Adeola, I really need your help, about my boyfriend who is 40 and I am 23. He claimed he loves me but never took me to his house, nor did I know any of his family. We usually meet in a hotel. I am confused because he said he will be coming to see my parents. My fear is that I don’t know if he is married or has children that he doesn’t want me to know because he always tells me he is single anytime I confront him. Should I let him come and see my parents? I am confused. Blessing. Dear poor Blessing, this man has been catching his fun at your expense and he must be having a good laugh behind your back. You don’t seem to be wise about the antics of men. Even men that give you the keys to their apartments have other girlfriends who come to do short-time when you’re away at school or work.
• L-R The Director General,Lagos state Financial Management Bureau, Mr.Ahmed Mustaphe, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs. Nike Animasahun, Microsoft worldwide Director for Services, Tara Larson, Microsoft Industry Director worldwide, Barbra Terry,the Governor of Lagos state Mr.Babatunde Fashola (SAN),Honourable Commissioner for Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr. Adebiyi Mabadeje, Senior Director Microsoft Middle East headquarter, Mr. Yasser Elaba,and Deji Fafowora at the Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Microsoft International for Partnership and better service delivery in Lagos state in Seattle Washington State U.S.A
Some even have wives and children in other towns, so they have the freedom to do anything with you if you’re not wise enough. And here, we’re talking about a man who takes you to a hotel to sleep with you! No dating, no romance, it’s just pure sex. A man who hass the intention to marry you will sleep with you if he can’t wait, but you won’t have to ask before he begins to introduce you to his friends and then family members. He gets you to speak with them on phone and arranges for you to meet them at family events etc. So, this man is telling you he will eventually meet your family. Lies! No man needs waste time to meet the family of a girl he loves and he doesn’t need to take her to hotels before he proves his love. Get out of this relationship as fast as your legs can get you. I have said my own. You may seek other people’s opinions.
would be thinking of marrying a gilr who lready has a child? Most may want to date her and leave her for some married men to take as a mistress or a second wife. But here you are, younger than her and ready take her the way she is. This is wisdom. This is love. I doff my hat for you. If she were my younger sister, I would ‘koboko’ her for being concerned about something as mundane as age when she should be happy that she has found real love and there are no family members from your end to disturb her about the child. Sit her down and let her know that you don’t see the one-year age difference as any big deal. Let her know that true happiness does not recognize age difference, tribe, language or color. Show her child
enough love too and before long, she will be the one proving more love. Don’t mind her, she’s just being self-conscious and trying to hide that behind a little shakara so that it would be on record that you didn’t get her easily despite the fact that she already has a child. The shakara will soon fade away to reveal a beautiful love life for both of you.
Enhancement drug Aunty Adeola , I used the enhancement drug for only one week when my wife began to love me more and I can actually feel my size increasing a little. I love the feeling I’m getting. God bless your home. – Akintunde, Kogi.
Is it true that if a girl is not deflowered on time, it will be difficult for her to give birth? I’m a girl, I am 22. Is it true if a girl is not ‘disvirgined’ on time, it will be difficult for her to give birth? What has the time of losing virginity got to do with either pregnancy or labour? Nothing! Whoever told you that came to you with one of those lies from hell to make you give up your virginity for free. Tell them you’re ready to wait until you get to that bridge before crossing it. You’re already an adult, so all your reproductive organs are mature and ready to carry a healthy baby to full term and
except you have a medical condition, you should be able to go to a labour room and come out with a baby in your arms. If what they mean is your virginal wall not opening enough, it is also a lie. By the time you are married, you’d be having regular sex and you won’t be a virgin again by the time you get pregnant anyway. So your vagina would ready to accommodate a baby’s size. Don’t forget that the vagina is elastic anyway, so there’s no need to worry. Keep your virginity for the right person and laugh those liars to scorn.
My boyfriend is angry
Dear Adeola, I’m a 19-year-old gal, I have a boyfriend who loves me and do also love him but recently after we had a serious fight over the guys I hang with and he accused me over having other boyfriend apart from him which wasn’t true it took him a week to forgive me but ever since then he doesn’t call or text as he used to and when I want to see him to talk to him about his recent attitude he said he wasn’t just not in the mood. Please help me out, I just don’t know what to do. It’s just as if I am all alone. Aunty Adeola I am a very BIG admirer thank for all our words of wisdom. Please ma can you hook me up with a caring lady. -07034948889. Thanks for the drug for male enhancement. It’s working and I need some more to take with me to Israel as I will be going for the Holy Pilgrimage with my wife, but I want you to know if interferes with diabetics as my sugar level has gone up a little after I started using it. – Osakwe, PH. P.S : I’ll help you find out.
•Prince Demola Adedokun, Welfare Officer, Archbishop Magnus Adeyemi Atilade, National President Superior Evangelist Sena Wusu, Public Relations Officer and Mr John Nnadi, secretary of the Christian Welfare Initiative (CWI), during the press conference on the state of the nation, held in Lagos .
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
F
ROM being best friends, Kari and I nearly became sworn enemies. Some mutual friends of ours tried reconciling us but I was not ready to budge. I felt betrayed by her. A good friend did not snatch another’s boyfriend as she had done to me so I swore never to have anything to do with her again. Though it was difficult since we were still in school, I tried as much as possible to avoid her. Once in a while I would see her together with Dan and it really hurt me to see how close they had become. Dan, from what I heard from some of the other girls, was crazily in love with Kari and there were rumours that he had proposed marriage to her. Normally, I should be happy with her at her good fortune but because of the circumstances, I could not. I felt bitter and angry with both of them. There was a particular day I was coming from lectures and saw them in front of the hostel, holding hands and chatting earnestly. I was so angry, I could have killed her then. I just ignored them though and went up quietly to my room. After that semester’s exams, I went home for the short holiday. From the campus gossips, I learnt Kari had travelled to the U.K with Dan to shop for their wedding. “I heard they will be getting married as soon as Kari
The only son (2) graduates. She’s so lucky! I wish I can get someone as rich as Dan,” Fanny, a classmate said. I was not interested in their wedding plans, a wedding I had no intention of attending anyway. We finally resumed for our last semester in school. I decided to focus on my studies as our final year exams were approaching. Then, one Saturday morning, I was in my hostel doing my washing when Fanny rushed in. “Have you heard?” she asked breathlessly. I shook my head wondering what bad thing could have happened on campus again for Fanny was usually the harbinger of bad news. “Kari and Dan have broken up. I heard she’s so devastated that she wanted to jump down from the balcony on the third floor of her hostel!” It was shocking news indeed. What could have hap-
pened to cause the break-up, I wondered. They seemed to be so much in love and were even engaged to be married. Fanny was not done yet. “I heard it was Dan’s parents especially the Mum that was against the relationship. They want him to marry another girl, the daughter of a family friend and business partner. I understand they are equally as rich as Dan’s family...” After Fanny left, I sat on my bed thinking over what she had just told me. I will be lying if I say I did not feel some joy in hearing about what had happened to Kari. ‘Serves her right,’ I thought as my mind wandered back to the time when Dan and I had been together before Kari took him away from me. Now, someone else had done the same to her. She will now know what it is like to be dumped, I said to myself.
For some days, I did not see Kari around campus. I later heard from one of her roommates that she had gone home to her parents, ‘to cool off from the break-up of her relationship to Dan.’ Together again Then sometime later, I was returning from seeing a friend one evening when I ran into Kari on the staircase of her hall. For the first time in months, we exchanged greetings. I noticed she looked downcast and dull-looking, not her usual effervescent self. It was obvious she was still nursing her broken heart. We stood chatting for a while before she said in a pain-laden voice: “You must have heard what happened.” I nodded. I didn’t say anything at first but just kept staring at her. In all the years I had known Kari, I had never seen her look so miserable. What
had happened to that bubbly, cheerful girl, I thought. At that moment, my heart went out to her and I forgot about our quarrel and the fact that she was the one who had taken Dan from me. Feeling sorry for her, I stated: “It’s ok, Kari. Everything will be alright.” “It’s easy for you to say. How can it be alright when Dan has left me!” Then she suddenly broke down and started weeping. To avoid prying eyes of students walking up and down the stairs, I quickly took her to her room. By then she had stopped crying so I told her to lie down a bit to rest. She immediately slept off and before leaving, I told one of her roommates, Claire who was around to keep an eye on her. After that day, Kari and got back together. Our other friends were surprised to see Kari and I together again but they didn’t know that there was a bond between us that nothing could break, not even a guy. With time, she recovered a bit and life went on. After the split, Kari discovered she was pregnant for Dan. I advised her to contact him, to let him know about it. But she refused. She decided to handle the situation in her own. What she did and the consequences of her actions will be disclosed later in my story. We finally graduated and left school. Kari and I stayed in touch and since we were both living in Lagos, we saw each other regularly. Luckily, we both got jobs shortly after our service year and our adult lives began fully. Then about four years ago, I met Christo. An only child, he had lost his father at a young age and had been brought up singlehandedly by his mother. We worked in the same industry and we had met at a seminar for professionals in my field. After the programme, we exchanged contacts. I had been attracted to him from the beginning so I ensured I kept in touch with him in the hopes a relationship could develop between us. It wasn’t easy for though he said he liked me, he only saw me as a colleague and not as a love interest. But I did not give up on him and kept hoping he would develop interest in me. Christo was the calm, cool type, thoughtful and considerate and I found myself falling deeper for him daily. He was the man I wanted and because of that, I turned
away other suitors that were coming for me. Each year, my company usually organises an end-ofyear party for its staff. I invited Christo as my date and to my surprise he agreed to attend it with me. After that day, we went out on a few more dates. I was happy as I felt that he was finally warming up to me. One day, Christo and I attended the birthday party of Kari’s flatmate, Monica. It was a cool party and I was enjoying myself until Christo met Kari. Now, I realise it was my mistake. That I should not have introduced Christo to her at the party. But she was my friend so there was no way I could have avoided it. Besides, how was I to know that he would fall for her at their first meeting? It had taken me months to get Christo to pay any attention to me, to see me as a woman yet the minute he set eyes on Kari, he was all over her! He kept hanging around her so much, at a stage, I had to drag him away, saying I had a headache and I had to go home early. Later, I kept wondering what was it about Kari that attracted men to her so much? It wasn’t as if she was that pretty. Infact, I was the prettier one among the two of us. When I was a little girl, total strangers used to stop my mother on the street to comment on my beauty. I had thus grown up with that mindset-of being more beautiful and better-looking than my mates. Ok, Kari was not bad-looking; she was quite attractive in a sultry kind of way that drew men to her. But I still had the edge over her looks wise. So, I could not not understand why she always had more male admirers than me. As you can see from my story so far, it didn’t start today. It began right from our undergraduate days back in school when Dan left me for her. Was history going to repeat itself again? To be continued Will Christo dump Susan for Kari? More next Saturday! Names have been changed to protect the identities of the narrator and other individuals in the story. Send comments/suggestions to 08023201831(sms only), psaduwa@yahoo.com or psaduwa007@gmail.com
Janet Jackson and Wissam Al Mana
•How do you pep up your wife or husband? Send in your contributions by sms only to: 08020771894
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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COVER SERIES
‘Why I didn’t aspire to be a professor’ Continued from Page 19 The lesson abruptly ended and Omole, a sad man, packed his engine back in his car and headed home. Obidi was crestfallen. His students were disappointed. “Interestingly, about three months later,” Omole recalled, Obidi “tendered his resignation and went back to Canada. So, who lost? The university lost a very resourceful young man. He lives in Canada up till today. “That was the sort of thing I saw in the university,” he complained, obviously still pained at the event, no less than 20 years after. “After that, I kept my engineering things to myself. Incidentally, that fellow (the HOD) became a deputy vice-chancellor. On one occasion, he even sent me an invitation to a Christian fellowship at Premier Hotel. I tore the invitation into shreds! He probably had forgotten what he did.” Indeed, later in Omole's home, his current official quarters at 4, Lisabi Crescent on the UI campus, were indeed relics of his engineering hobbies: dismantled cycles, bikes, TV disused parts, cycle tyres and allied junk. At least that is what the naked eye would see. But to the informed eye, the ruins are clearly the restless manifestation of science in a don paid all his academic life to teach the arts yet had to battle with an unrelenting scientific bug. Unfortunately for him, the Nigerian university system abhors any grey. It's either black or white absolutely no for disciplinary cohabitation, especially when such hunch is not certificated, but only backed by restless talent! Still, why would the don lock up his cars in his garage, and cycle or bike around? Rebellion? Hippy influence? An eccentricity to be different? “The do-it-yourself culture was very
much part of me,” he disclosed. “Fixing a how can Nigeria that couldn't even do the bicycle from the wheel and everything up normal technology well, with the failed is very much a do-it-yourself culture. Ajaokuta, go into space?” Doing car engines is a do-it-yourself culThen he broke into a mirthless laugh: ture. So, “it was just one thing leading to “Did you see the last launch in China on the other.” TV? NTA foolishly would beam the camera So, behind the placid arts don, who on the Chinese busy calculating or seriwould rather be damned than publish like ously engaged. But the same camera picked his conventional peers, there is indeed a the Nigerian representatives clapping and creative spark? hailing! I was just thinking: the “In a way, I was very interChinese busy, our own people ested in being in control of hailing. So, who is gaining what I rode. I don't so from this?” much like the new cars Asked about his that work with computthoughts of UI then ers. I am not too good and now, he enwith computers,” he thused: “Oh, UI was pristine! It was confessed. beautiful! Perhaps “So, that's part of when you have less my prejudice. But number of people, sophistication in enthere won't be gineering, I think, much pollution of gets to a particular space. And there peak, beyond which were a lot of white it becomes a disadlecturers. There was vantage, rather than the White influence, an advantage. In the which I still met when do-it-yourself thing, I started work here. you trace faults, you fix That started to dwindle the faults and it will con•Omole after the 1980s, and we tinue to work. So, I am a litstarted to determine my own tle old fashioned in that fate.” respect.” And concerning standards, he said: Golden primer on evolving indige“I'd tell you this: in the humanities, it is apnous technology, as basis for sustainable palling. We can't even use English language development? very well. When I came into the university “We are putting the cart before the and I visited the English Department with horse,” he declared matter-of-factly. “We Banjo (Prof. Ayo, famous English scholar are shooting rockets into space. The counand former UI vice-chancellor) and other tries that went into space had done all the people, I was humbled and I learnt a lot.” things to get to that level. Even China had Looking back now, does he have any to go through all that. It's necessary befond memories? cause space science is very delicate. It re“Teaching the students I taught would alquires the combinations and the precisions are so much; and then you start wondering: ways be fond memories to me. For in-
stance, people greet me with such affection. They don't run away from me even though I don't do things that are grand, for instance, riding a bicycle and not wearing normal clothes. Some will just come and greet me with a certain respect. It just makes me to feel very respected and loved.” Does he have any regrets? “One of the pains I had was the scrapping of Creative Writing. They scrapped it (at the undergraduate level) after you left. So I was pained pained so much that I went to the English Department to ask them if I could teach their creative writing. By then, Niyi Osundare (Prof.) was either on sabbatical or something. So, I taught creative writing in the English Department. But I still teach it at CLA post-graduate classes. ” Asked why it was scrapped, he said: “Nobody told the teacher of creative writing. I was the teacher of creative writing.” Was it something done against him as a person? “I don't know.” Pius Stephen Omole, slightly bent sixfooter and father of three, a bag perpetually strapped on his back, like some pilgrim, traversed the Academy at Nigeria's premier university for 36 years; consistently teaching prose fiction writing, poetry writing, writing for mass communication, techniques of writing, remedial English (essay development) and rhetorical criticism. Bowing out at 65, the academia's harsh publish-or-be-damned censure vaulted him no higher than Lecturer 1. Even his wife, he disclosed, once grumbled that one of their children wondered why his dad was not a professor! But the judgment of his numerous students would be much kinder. Now, the famous campus cyclist/biker is disappearing forever, but not from UI's prodigious institutional memory.
Pastor who predicted calamity Continued from page 21 and the elders later asked me to stay and live with them. As a matter of fact, the first person to ever call me a prophet was the second-in-command of this town. And people started calling me by that name since then.” Having agreed to live with them, the head of the town pledged to donate a piece of land to the prophet to build a church. But he lacked the capacity to start a church at the time. So he was advised to go back to Prophet Hezekiah to explain his experience to him. “I went back to the prophet three months after that encounter with him. And surprisingly, the moment I entered into his presence, the first thing he said was ‘Welcome God’s prophet’. ‘’I later explained to him my experience since he shook hands with me. It was him that advised me to go ahead with the plan. And that is why our church is called CAC Cannan Land. You know that his ministry is called by that name.” With little or no fund available to him, he lived on a
bench under a tree for three years after he took possession of the land in 2005. But at this stage, his immediate family became very worried about their man. They feared that he might be suffering from mental disorder, and came to take him away. “But the first day they came to take me away, I was praying with some people. After they observed what was happening, my family decided to leave me alone.” However, one particular thing about this time was that the people observed that whenever the man of God prayed, they got result. And if he told them anything, it came to pass. So, the church began to grow gradually, with the eight people present at the first service held in the church about eight years ago. But the growth did not come on a platter of gold for the church and Pastor Adedokun. For years, the only thing he held on to was his faith in God. “Don’t forget that I told you that when I arrived in this town, I had only a pair of trousers and three shirts. And for years, all we had was the forest. As a matter of fact, I kept warm by making bonfire with logs of wood, which must not be extinguished or else the cold would be too much to endure. It was tough.”
Eight years on, the fame of CAC Cannan Land, Olowo District, has grown beyond the little town. Last Tuesday, though not a Sunday, the church was filled with people, all seeking spiritual healings to various challenges. But the crowd does not appeal to the man of God. “I am not fascinated by the crowd. I tell you, whenever a man of God tells you that he is happy to see a large crowd at his programme, he is definitely happy with the amount of offering he is expecting. Our main concern should be whether the people would go back home without receiving the healing they expected to get. That should be the concern of men of God.” The prophet attributed the suffering in the country to lack of selfless leaders. According to him, “At the root of the problems facing us is the lack of leaders who would be selfless and would love their fellow man like themselves. There is too much greed among the people. They forget that whatever you acquire in life would come to an end one day. Mark it, if our people can begin to exhibit a bit of love for others, life would change for the better for us.”
My last moments with Agagu –Regent Continued from page 21 for a befitting burial ceremony. As a prominent leader, Agagu told the elders to go on with plans, promising to join them two weeks later. “On August 28 when our Oba died, I called him to inform him about the death of Kabiyesi. He said we should go ahead with the plans, and promised to cut short his trip to the US so that we could commence arrangements for the burial ceremony.” Agagu kept his promise when he arrived in Nigeria on Thursday, September 12. On that day, he called Chief Ojomo and asked to be updated on the plans for the burial of the monarch. After a brief discussion, he promised that he would arrive the town on Saturday, September 14. “He called me on Thursday shortly after he came back from the US. I updated him
on how far and what we have done concerning the burial. He pleaded that he wanted to hold a meeting with some people on Friday. I told him that we would have a meeting at 8am on Saturday. But he asked us to delay the meeting till 4pm. He said he would have arrived by that time. “ But while the elders were waiting for their prominent son to arrive, a most-shocking news spread into town. “We were already making arrangements for the meeting when somebody rushed in to tell me that he heard that Agagu was dead. In fact, I almost fainted while I was trying to make meaning of what he just told me. For several minutes, I could not comprehend the impact of what I was told. Then I picked my phone and called his number, it rang but nobody picked it. After several attempts, it dawned on me that the news might be true after all. I could not tell my wife despite her attempt to ask me what was wrong.
“You know there are rites and stages involved in the burial of a king. So the meeting was to address all the modalities for the programme. There was a plan to host the kings in Okitipupa and Osooro land. But all the programmes have been put on hold for now.” While the town was still battling to come to terms with the loss of two prominent sons, the chiefs received a letter warning them of an impending doom. The letter, written by the prophet of a church some kilometers away, advised the elders to commence a three-day revival programme to avert the doom. But more shocking was the fact that the revival must hold before the burial of Dr. Segun Agagu, which had been slated for a few days later. “I was at home when I received a letter from a church. The letter said we should hold a revival programme. They said we should hold the revival before they brought
Agagu’s corpse into the town. They also warned that if we failed to do it, something bad would happen. The elders quickly arranged for the programme to start. We fasted and held vigil. The programme ended in the morning of Thursday (The day the crash occurred).” On how he viewed the revival programme, Chief Ojomo said: “It was God’s grace that helped us to heed the advice. I just cannot imagine what would have happened if we had failed to hold the revival programme. Believe me, it was the prayer that helped us, or we would be in worse mourning now.’’ The town, according to Chief Ojomo, is making plans to immortalise the late Agagu’s name. But while the plans are on, the chief said the people are pleading with the government of Ondo State to name the Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) after the late governor.
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
The Confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue in Nigeria is iconic both historically and in the physical make-up of the country. Many explorers lost their lives while seeking to find it. Many wars were fought to be control of this important area. Trading activities have gone for hundreds of years in this place. OKORIE UGURU recently went on a trip to the confluence and writes.
•A woman on the River Niger
T
HE middle-aged woman was en grossed in her row ing. Gentle stroke of the wooden oars flapped the water, as she manoeuvred the canoe through the water. At the bank of the river, children and adults were engrossed in their petty trading activities. The water of the River Niger flows swiftly heading for the confluence. It has been like that for thousands of years. It would likely be the same thousands of years to come. The woman checked her net to see if there were fish. The net came out from the river empty, nothing. It did not seem to bother her. She simply sorted out the net and doggedly turned the direction of the canoe and continued in her search. At the bank of the River Niger in Lokoja, we waited for the person that
would take us to the point of Confluence between the Rivers Niger and Benue. The point of confluence of these two rivers has been the basis of the strategic importance of this old, cosmopolitan city of Lokoja. It really does not have the complete stamp of a particular tribe. Many ethnic groups have regarded the town as their home. Although there has always been indigenous inhabitants of Lokoja on top
of the Mount Patti, it was the intrusion of a certain British explorer in 1775, Mungo Park, that changed the complexion of this beautiful environment. He was the first European in Lokoja. Others were to follow. McGregor Laird and Richard Lander carried another expedition more than 50 years later in 1832. This was to be followed in 1841 by an exploration commanded by William and Bird Allen. Subsequently, Dr. Belfour Baike
•Members of the team to the confluence
and other explorers followed suit in 1854 and 1857. In the course of these unwanted intrusions by these foreign visitors, the importance of the town as a link between the River Niger and the Atlantic Ocean became known. Trading followed, and with its search for wealth. Wars, either as punitive or in whatsoever guise, were not far away. Just about 50 metres from the bank is the colonial cemetery. All the names of the those buried were likely British. Of course, it was here that the reason for Nigeria’s marking of 100 years as a single entity was first muted by a Flora Shaw. For our trip to the confluence point, two boats were at our disposal. Unfortunately, the life-jackets were few . More misfortune still, I was among those that had to do without one. Ordinarily, I never risked travel on water without a life-jacket, but the tug of an adventure trip to the point of confluence was stronger. I had not phobia for water, so off we went. The engine seemed to protest the excess the canoe was carrying, but we
went. Further in the water, the city of Lokoja unfolded from the bank of the river sweeping through the town and at the back. Due to the heavy rain, the current was a little fast and the water muddy. But we paid little attention, lost in the wonderlust of the scenic beauty that unfought on this water, many colonial soldiers that the bottom of this water serves as their everlasting resting place and the natives whose bones are sitting deep at the bottom of the water. Gradually, we inched towards the confluence. Our tour guide told us there is a distinction between the
water from Benue and Niger and that despite the fact that the two water meet at this point, they still maintain their identity like oil and water not mixing together. He said because of the muddy nature of the river as a result of the rains, it was difficult to notice that at this time of the year. On our left we could see the bank of River Benue. At a point in time, I could picture the map of Nigeria and where I was. The boat did a U-turn and headed for the Benue River upstream. I scooped some of the water. There seemed to be no difference between the two rivers, yet their distinct identity is like the day and night. Although the point of confluence is the point where the two rivers become one, there are other tiny rivulets where the two rivers also link up. It was from one of these we linked back to the Niger and then to the bank of the river. As we approached, I thought of Lokoja today, its position in history, the people living there and every other thing about the town.
•Lokoja from the confluence point
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
COVER SERIES
•President Park talking with traders at a seafood shop in a market
• Continued from page 16
•Incheon International Airport
ness. These are clean political leadership; less corruption because there was no private accumulation by those in government; long term political stability; less uncertainty for the future and having benevolent leadership. Others include economic leadership; establishment of the Economic Bureaucracy like Economic Planning Board (EPB) and think tanks made up of university professors; willingness to sacrifice for next generations of laymen; educating children at whatever cost; government-private/ industry partnership; foreign direct investment; deliberate promotion of exports; benchmarking best practices from other countries/ and or private sectors; preparation and persuading people for that direction. A major debate at the workshop was the recommendation of an element of “benevolent dictatorship” as a leadership model for developing nations like Nigeria to move forward. Most arguments against “benevolent dictatorship” centred on the fact that Nigeria was drawn backward by a long period of military interregnum in its political life. Also, many participants believe that freedoms or benefits of democracy create better atmosphere for development than any leadership model. But Prof. Hong said; “For any nation to succeed, it needs some elements of benevolent dictatorship. I do not see any democratic state developing itself so fast as South Korea has done. I am aware that almost 90 per cent of dictators are bad, but that is when you think of predatory dictatorship. A developing nation needs good, courageous and visionary leadership; a leader who will be selfless who will lead changes rather than wait to be changed.” What alternatives for Nigeria In the ongoing workshop in the Kookmin University, leadership and political stability have been identified as major challenges which Nigeria must tackle. Prof. Hong said: “Given its enormous resources, Nigeria has the potential to be a great country, but you must get it right by putting service to the nation above all other interests. You need CAN DO spirit. Do not depend on aid because it may help you for a short period of time, but it may reduce your instinct to develop yourselves. The present President of Korea, Ms Park Geun-hye, is a daughter of the late President Park who transformed our country. This was why older generations decided to vote for her.” Growing at the same pace with South Korea in 1960s, Nigeria, with abundant crude oil, is still grappling with challenges of development, a trend which was described as “strange.” Having less than 3% of its population left in the agricultural sector, South Korea has banished hunger and poverty. Hong said: “Government–industry partnership is one of the major reasons for the successful development of Korea. “Our strategy changed in 1960s to export promotion and industrialization. We are mainly protecting infant industries and subsidizing export industries to secure growth. We later moved to heavy and chemical industrialization. Now, we have focused on IT industry.” Also, Nigeria may have to do away with ethnic and religious politics. In South Korea, religion is given less prominence in national affairs. It is a personal choice. Statistics indicate that 47% of Koreans have no religion; 23% Buddhist: 18% Protestants; 11% Catholic: Muslims and others account for 1%. Cho Han-deog said: “Koreans see themselves as one and we work for our nation at all times.”
•Signpost of a thriving economy
for our sons and daughters…let’s do our best… not to put them in the same situation.” To Prof. Hong of the Kookmin University, Park Chung-hee, who was assassinated by his aide on October 26, 1979, had a tremendous political will to develop Korea. He said: “There is nothing called impossible if you have a strong will. President Park viewed the economic transformation of South Korea as a military warfare and he approached it in that manner.” Upon assumption of power, he floated a policy of export-oriented economy/ industrialization. The per capita income of South Korea was US$72 then, but today it is about $22,489. Prof. Hong said: "The Korean export was about $100million in 1962, but by 1971, under Park, it was $1billion. And from 1971 to 1977, we achieved $10billion.” Hong also said Park introduced five-year development plans which were executed in seven phases to bring the lifespan to 35 years. He also established the Economic Planning Board (EPB), Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and Ministry of Finance (MoF) with economic bureaucrats in charge who he listened to and accepted their advice. Speaking on Park, KOICA’s Director of Strategic Planning Team, Cho Han Deog, said: “He was a selfless leader; he did not acquire wealth in office and when he died nothing was found in his account.” The turning points border on the discovery of latent potential of steel for industrialization; judicious use of foreign aid, grants and loans; government-private driven economic policy. Without having iron ore, South Korea has become a giant in automobile, construction and ship-building industry because of its investment in the steel sector. Armed with his experience in the Japanese Army on the importance of steel to technological growth, the military regime of ex-South Korean President, Park Chung-hee decided to invest in steel mills to lay the foundation for technological aspiration of his country. He braved all odds to source for US$73.7 million in government grants and loans, US$50 million credit from the Export-Import Bank of Japan and technical assistance from Nippon Steel and other corporations. In line with his government-private partnership vision, he made the POSCO(formerly Pohang Iron and Steel Company)) project a joint venture between the Korean Government and Taegu Tec which was owned by the late Park Tec. The same government driven policy accounted for the encouragement of elite businessmen and their entrepreneurship by the late President Park and other successive leaders to take risks with credit guarantee by the Korean government. The successful investors who were supported by Park and others were Chung Joo-Young (Hyundai); Lee Byung Chull (Samsung); Koo Ja Kyung (LG), Kim Woo Jung (Daewoo), Choi Jong Hyun (SK) and so on. A former President of South Korea, Kim Dae-jung, in a speech to the Japanese Parliament said: “The miracle is attributed to the blood and sweat of Korean people.” Korea today From nothing about 52 years ago, documents obtained in Seoul on Wednesday revealed that South Korea has the following ratings in the world: the first in the distribution of high speed information and communication network; first in the distribution of computers; first on semiconductor rate; second largest builder of ship; second in mobile phone industry; third in construction industry; fifth in world’s iron and steel production industry; fifth in automobile manufacturing; fifth in utility rate in single nuclear power plant, among others. These achievements have also reflected in Korea’s economic and development indices as follows: a nation fourth largest foreign reserves in the world ($323 billion excluding
50
‘Park Chung-hee laid the foundation for modern Korea’ gold); exports rise at 3.2 per cent year over year; unemployment rate is officially at 4%; GDP growth rate is estimated at about 2.5–3.0 per cent this year (an increase from 2.0 per cent in 2012; the low level of public debt (36 per cent of GDP); current account surplus (3.8 per cent of GDP). The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday pegged South Korea’s growth rate at 3.7 per cent in 2014 because the "global growth is in low gear and downside risks persist." Other development indices of Korea include self-employment by about 5million out of its 50milion population; nearly 100 per cent in basic and high schools; 85 per cent of high school products enter universities each year; urbanization (either in the cities or rural areas) is 91.1 % because of Saemaul Movement (New Village Movement); life expectancy at birth is 83.21 years. Threat to Korea’s success While savouring its global success, the strain in South Korea’s relationship with North Korea is a major security issue confronting the world. A resurgence of conflict between the two nations could trigger the Third World War because the development gap between South Korea and North Korea could attract unhealthy rivalry. The muscle flexing by North Korea, especially its disdain for the presence of 28,500 troops in Seoul, suggested that it could not be trusted with its nuclear weapons and long range missiles. As part of pre-emptive strategies and long term planning, South-Korea devotes 2% of its GDP and about 10 per cent of its annual budget to defence. It has also placed more than 500,000 troops on the alert. While the contributions of South Korea to the non-personnel costs of the US troops on its territory rose by about 6 per cent to $765m between 2008 and 2012, the US budget increased by 85 per cent to $1.1bn over the same period. What lessons for Nigeria? In her welcome remarks to the participants, the Director of KOICA, said: “The workshop was designed to share our successful experience with partner countries such as Nigeria. We vividly remember receiving a lot of assistance from the international community, and they led Korea to transform from a beneficiary to a donor in one generation.” A document made available by Prof. Hong listed some factors which liberated South Korea from poverty to great-
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FAMIL Y HEAL TH AMILY HEALTH
Renewing your marital relationship
D
ear Reader, You are welcome to this glorious and exciting moment in God’s presence. As you pay rapt attention to God’s Word concerning your marriage today, Him hands shall rest upon your marriage. This month, we shall be looking at this all-important subject, Renewing Your Marital Relationship. To renew your marital relationship, one of the things that must be in place is your Expectation. Every man sets a stage for his miracle. It is your expectation that gets fulfilled. One key factor for the miraculous is expectation. Do you totally and truly believe Him? Don’t you doubt Him somewhere in your heart saying, “I tried everything….but nothing worked. I never saw anything. I am tired. I don’t think it will work.” Don’t’ be offended in God, for the fact that you still have the breath of life. Express your mind to God. Say, “Lord God, I thank You. I know You are forever faithful. Thank You for the gift of life. That I still have a mind to know what I could not get last year, and I am still alive today to approach You, I appreciate You. You have even promised me a glorious and fulfilling year ahead of me. I know You will do it.” Forget about old things; they are old. God will do a new thing in your family, this year, which will make you live everyday of your life thanking Him. God is set, but you have to be set too. To be set, you must determine to do some things, especially, if a successful home is what you desire this year. Husband, can you see a turnaround in the character of your wife? Can you see your children obedient and God-
fearing? Can you see abundance of peace, joy and harmony in your home? Wife, what do you see? Do you see your husband turning from his sinful habits to pleasing God this year? Do you see his business going up, and he begins to provide more for the family? Can you see serenity in your home? As far as you can see, it shall be given to you. It is only what you see that you can possess. Stop seeing the negative. Stop seeing your business going down, because of economic meltdown. Stop deducing reasons why you think things won’t work out well in your family. Stop celebrating failure. Believe God and let it be counted to you for righteousness. If God has said what He will do, let it be settled in your heart and in your actions, that He will do it. He is not a liar! Many years ago, I made up my mind to believe God’s Word in Proverbs 4:18. I have never had cause to doubt it. No last year has been better than the current one for me and my family. In fact, my present position as at today, is the least I can ever be. God is ever faithful. Friend, see good and you shall have good. See no lack around you this year, and you shall walk in abundance. God will see to it that His Word does not fall to the ground in your own life. Choose to believe God and you will have no occasion to regret. See with your eyes of faith. Walk by faith and not by sight. Don’t determine the happenings in your home this year by the environment. See into the plans of God for your life and family life, and assure yourself of the best of times ahead. Someone once came to me for counselling, and had been having a very tough time in her marriage. As she spoke, I discovered that the root cause of her problems was her wrong idea about marriage. She had expected grief and calamity. So, when the storms rose against her marriage, she began to say, “They told me it will be like this.” You must first desire a tower, before you can plan to build one. Don’t enter into marriage without an expectation. The Word of God says: For surely there is an
Lysine help the hair to grow? Lysine in an amino acid your body needs, but doesn't produce. Foods and supplements provide lysine, which helps ensure proper physical growth, calcium absorption, energy production and hair health. One cause of hair loss, according to Jack Norris, a registered dietitian and coauthor of "Vegans for Life," is lysine deficiency. If you develop hair loss as a result of lysine deficiency, improving your intake can help stimulate hair growth. While most people reap enough lysine from foods, vegans who do not eat legumes and athletes are at heightened risk for deficiency. Top food sources include meat, cheese, cod, sardines, nuts, eggs and soybeans. Adults should aim for 12 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day.
Vitamin B-12 help you grow? Vitamin B-12 procell production and helps your body mewhich is essential for ment. Vitamin B-12 destunted growth and dren, who require 0.9 day, according to the Supplements. Adults day. Consuming too tigue and physical keep you from developmuscle mass. Top include seafood, meat, fortified cereals.
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
motes healthy red blood brain function. It also tabolize fat and protein, growth and developficiency can cause development in chilto 2.4 micrograms per Office of Dietary need 2.4 micrograms per little can also cause faweakness, which can ing or maintaining sources of vitamin B-12 eggs, dairy products and
Protein powder grow glutes?
Building your gluteal muscles, or glutes, requires regular strength training and a healthy diet. While squats and lunges help build gluteal muscle, foods and supplements cannot add muscle to one chosen area. Protein does, however, provide the amino acids your muscles require for growth. To build muscle mass, your protein needs increase to 1.4 to 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, says the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. To determine your weight in kilograms, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. You also need a plentiful amount of carbohydrates, which energize your muscles and keep your body from burning lean tissue as fuel during workouts. Protein powders can help you increase your protein intake and muscle mass as part of a balanced diet, but a weightlifter's ideal protein sources are whole-food sources such as lean meats, fish and beans. Source: August McLaughlin, Demand Media
Impotence is the inability of a man to perform the sexual act satisfactorily. It may consist of a weak erection, inability to gain an erection, loss of sexual desire, premature ejaculation or loss of normal sensation at the time of ejaculation. Transient impotence is fairly common and does not imply a physical or psychological disorder. It is often related to mild degrees of anxiety, depression, pre-occupation or fatigue associated with ordinary problems of daily living. Chronic impotence, on the other hand, is due to either physical or psychological reasons. The physical factors include ageing, chronic debilitating disease, alcoholism, drug addiction, diabetic neuropathy, disease of the nervous system; especially spinal cord damage, endocrine disorder, damage to the urethra, large hydrocoeles and hernias. Various drugs, including certain antihypertensive drugs, may produce impotence in some men. The psychological reasons for chronic impotence often include guilt and anxiety about the sexual act itself, hostility towards the partner, unwillingness to assume responsibility for all that goes with marriage and children, unhappiness at
end; and your expectation shall not be cut off (Proverbs 23:18). What you expect is what you will get. Like God’s servant, Bishop Oyedepo would always say, “Expectation is the mother of manifestation.” God has promised to grant your expectations, whether good or bad. So, let your expectations be based on God’s Word, for it is higher than any evil experience or information you may have had or heard about marriage. If you are already married, there is still an opportunity for you to change all your negative expectations. As a couple, discuss your positive expectations and I guarantee that things will work out more smoothly in your home. As single persons, what do you expect in marriage? Your expectations shall not be cut off! Before my husband and I got married, we made discoveries from God’s Word that made us expect a hitch-free marriage. Till today, those expectations have not been cut off. If you expect the best, it will be yours! A right expectation begins with being connected to God. You get connected by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Saviour and Lord. That is what being born again is all about. If you are ready to be born again, please say this prayer: Dear Lord, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You for saving me. Now I know I am born again! Congratulations! You are now born again! Till I come your way next time, please 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 Pastor Faith Oyedepo are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all the Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work and Building a Successful Family. parasidiaca, Triumfetta cordifolia and Verbena officinalis.
Impotence home and neglect by the wife, who may even neglect herself to the point of becoming unattractive and undesirable, especially after menopause. Apart from the causes already mentioned, other known causes of impotence are fatty tissues (like in obesity), venereal diseases, stress and excessive intake of alcohol. When a couple cannot have a child, the wife is always thought to be the culprit and looked down upon as an outcast, with disdain. Yet, many a man constitutes the weak link in the chain most times, without the slightest suspicion that they are.
Prevention and Control
From observations, the failure to perform sexual acts effectively could be due to disuse of the organ over a long period – a condition we recognize biologically as disuse atrophy. Every part of the body must be exercised (although, in this case, not indiscriminately!). Conversely, over-indulgence in sexual activity in early days in a man’s life should be avoided, particularly where stimulants are used. These can cause impotence at early middle and old age.
Treatment and Control of Impotence
In treating this disorder, the patient is advised to rest well. In Holistic Lifecare, it is strongly advised that the client should go back to nature.
Firstly, a strong cleansing herb is given to him, to help remove fats from his internal organs. The patient should abstain from sexual intercourse for a specific period while he is being treated. He must stop alcoholic drinks and smoking. A healthy, energy-giving diet is recommended. Most importantly, the Holistic remedy being suggested for impotence is a combination of natural extracts of herbs such as Colocasia antiquorum, Musa
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: 0803330-3897 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.
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
FAMIL Y HEAL TH AMILY HEALTH
53
Drugs you should know about: Pain killers
PAIN killing is a paradox. If the commandment: “thou shall not kill” refers to pain we would all be dead by now. Pain is a killer, is seems. It disturbs our enjoyment of life and our productivity. However, pain is not the real enemy. Rather, pain is a warning that something is disturbing our life. Very often we try to kill the pain with a drug and forget the something that the pain is warning us about. We use pain killers cosmetically, covering up a medical problem. This is perhaps one of the first things we should remember when we take pain killers. Pain killers work to relieve the pain but one should be on the look-out to see if and how the pain recurs so that any real serious underlying problem can be brought to one’s health care professionals.
We use pain killers regularly. Some persons may actually use pain killers routinely without any prescription. Choosing a pain killer depends on the kind of pain that one is suffering from. Many pain killers are over-the-counter drugs that one does not need a doctor’s prescription to buy them. Amongst the most popular are paracetamol and NSAIDs (Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug). There are chemical substances in our bodies called prostaglandins. They are amongst the mediators of pain and inflammation. The enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX) promotes release of prostaglandins. Disease conditions increase COX activity. NSAIDs
Health Matters With DR MIKE OYAKHIRE 08170268670
email: drmikeoyakhire@yahoo.com Continued from last week
There have been many conferences and slogans with strategies directed at reducing infant mortality, maternal mortality and deaths due to vaccine preventable diseases. Recently attention has focused on creating environmental conditions favorable for every Nigerian child to go to school , especially the girl child. By allowing the situation in our tertiary institutions deteriorate to the level where lecturers after several failed promises have no choice than to seek dialogue by withdrawing services, one wonders where our priorities reside . As the situation lingers, events are more likely to lead us, into the unknown, unless some one, some where decides to pick and hold the gauntlet so he can properly direct events. A few weeks ago I wrote an article on street children, classified according to public health physicians into children of the street and children on the street. Soon after, major organizations came out with relevant statistics-Nigeria has the largest number of street children. The article on street children sought to explain the potential dangers inherent in doing nothing to make the streets less attractive and the schools more attractive; to do so is not only to enforce and ensure that children are off the streets and in the class rooms, but in addition, helping parents in many little ways ,while making sure that children learn in class rooms order than under trees. Many graduates are already out there facing unemployment problems. It is pretty obvious we will complicate issues when we add undergraduates to the streets who would want to do anything , just anything to survive . When they are in school and their sibs are at home, people are likely to reassure themselves, it is just a matter of time, but when undergraduates now crowd homes with their older unemployed graduates , negative reinforcement of dangerous habits becomes unavoidable. Some people feel that education is a waste of time and for the families spending huge sums of money to keep students in programs which require long years like Medicine, pharmacy, law, and engineering, the burden is great, and the probability of a parent giving up is high, a situation that is more likely to affect education of girls. How do we convince young people that education is a passport to better life for an individual and his community and not an avenue to waste away ? Many other Nigerians and even non Nigerians who are engaged in various forms of legitimate business activities inside and outside campuses have been thrown out of business, increasing the number of able bodied men and women that are currently looking for new opportunities ,with increased potential for the creation of pools from which recruits for all sorts of dangerous activities can be sourced. Many Nigerians including university students are already suffering prevention fatigue permanently under stress ,and just waiting to hear a vaccine with proven efficacy has been discovered for HIV/AIDS. At the moment, many of them are diving here and there, and will eventually snap. For female students now exposed to strangers , neighbors and family friends , the fragile ability to negotiate for safer sex is likely to be further weakened by the stress of idleness and the opportunities for travel and adventure provided by relationships with older men. The academic environment with restrictions on dress codes, language and many others tend to tame students when sessions are on. In these periods, what they don't see in the various shapes and forms of fame and glamour may not bother them . They are kept busy; Students teaching students-they become occupied, and academic advisers guide and direct them on general life as well as academic issues. Continuous stimulation of the brain tones up the organ, and prepares it with the capacity for academic load of any size, but at home, only few determined ones will have the necessary discipline to help themselves and their parents, others will be extremely mobile , ready to experiment and apply superior knowledge in areas that may not be legitimate, asking if there are any special benefits obtainable from going to school when many other avenues exist for making quick money .Sudden money may present itself with a paragon of beauty, but beside it, is the possibility of crime. For a strong young man, uncertain about his future, temptations are often too high a fence to jump. That is why people in authority should develop an attitude towards creating conditions that make education more attractive.
are COX inhibitors. Paracetamol which is also known as acetaminophen appears to act more directly within the brain. Aspirin and the other NSAIDs inhibit COX in most parts of the body. They decrease both pain and inflammation caused by prostaglandins produced by COX. Over-the-counter preparations of paracetamol include Panadol, Excedrin, and Tylenol in 500 mg tablets and they are used for headache, arthritis, rheumatism, and musculoskeletal pain. Paracetamol use is generally safe. However excess or extended use of this drug can cause fatal liver damage and kidney damage. Paracetamol is taken orally or rectally. Intra-
venous preparations of the drug are also used by doctors to treat patients before an operation. Aspirin and NSAIDs are well known to cause peptic ulcers, renal failure, allergic reactions, and occasionally hearing loss, and they can increase the risk of spontaneous bleeding. Children suffering from viral illness can develop a severe liver disorder called Reye’s syndrome, if given aspirin. Aspirin is the oldest painkiller used in modern medicine and is perhaps the cheapest. Common over the counter names include: Anacin, Bayer, Bufferin, Ecotrin for aspirin products. Aspirin is commonly manufactured as 81mg or 325 mg tablets. It is used for minor aches and pains, cold, headache, and muscle ache.
If you are stressed up and want to use a pain killer for pain, remember aspirin may cause upset stomach and gastrointestinal bleeding because stress increases stomach acid secretion that can lead to ulcer. Paracetamol may be less risky in this respect. Some aspirin tablets (coated and buffered preparations) are specially made to decrease the risk of ulcer therefore ask your pharmacist for such preparations. People with asthma should
avoid aspirin because it can cause allergic reactions. Children under 16 year are best treated with paracetamol because aspirin can cause Reyes syndrome. To be continued. 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 or 08160944635
Paralysis of academic activities in Nigerian universities; a rhapsody of realities It is sad but realistic to accept that too much idle time has been spent by graduate and undergraduate students in the company possibly of many other individuals during this long period of uncertainties. Increased level of interaction amongst students and other persons made possible by lack of serious academic activities is likely to increase the number of Nigerian undergraduates testing positive for HIV/AIDS that by the time it is all over, there will be countless numbers of social networks ,and many of these will be networks of infections, particularly infections with hepatitis B and C , as well as HIV/AIDS. In deed more people ,not just university students are likely to test positive for the virus and while students carry their infections to their various campuses . Other potential carriers disappear into the general unsuspecting population. This is certainly not what we want, but it is the direction events seem to be taking us.. In our quest for technological advancement, failure to recognize the role of universities and other higher institutions in our country-Nigeria will be our Achilles heel . Taking one step forward, while misplacement of priorities takes us back three steps will only make us sink deeper into dependence, even as we celebrate the 53rd anniversary of our independence. An attitude that considers one group big enough dialogue while dealing with another in the invisible can only precipitate blunting of national patriotic zeal. Reciprocity of respect underpins peace and harmony in modern societies. Without it any thing goes. In many house holds where house maids are treated as second class citizens, as hewers of wood and drawers of water, infants are fed with their excreta mixed with their baby milk products, and Mom and Dad drink battery acid and urine added surreptitiously to food items in the deep freezer. Lesson? Never look down on any employee, but unto every one, do as you would want others to do unto you. In Newtonian physics, action and reaction may be equal in quantity, but not in direction, not only opposite, they have since modified itLong term implications . It is left for Nigerians to decide which way to go. Chinese chairs are crafted for Asian populations and in the same way if a 60 year old Nigerian requires to have an artificial hip replaced for him by an orthopedic surgeon, time spent under anesthesia will be short and the probability of successful surgery higher if we have an artificial hip bone, manufactured in Nigeria for Nigerians . Just as in football, there are always scouts around, waiting to take away the best Africans can produce. Members of ASUU, Senior Doctors and professors are endowed with uncommon spirit of patriotism , committed with unalloyed taciturnity to academic progress and yearning for the ultimate social, economic, and political emancipation of their fatherland through sound
education and health for every available Nigerian, so that extreme poverty can be eradicated. Why create the environment that will favor flight of intelligence? Over the years, ASUU has remained like a mountain with a solid philosophy that no matter how the winds blow and the thunder storms roar ,they will not be moved, like the young man who stayed by his father while the prodigal son dissected and blew away the mans' wealth , ASSUU values and protects the infrastructures that belong to this country, using these and the other types of infrastructures that no one sees, their minds, brains. As brain boxes ASSU continues to appeal for understanding from all relevant quarters, seeking honest dialogue not dishonest monologue. They do not deny the fact that their employers have done well ,neither are they unaware of opportunities for greener pastures ,even within Nigeria, but seek healthier environments for teaching and learning so they can continue to help the ordinary people ,young men and women, and these if we want to face realities are the real ones, not the others' who are likely to stay in this country after graduation and participate collectively in her development.
7x3
54 NEWS
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
SOLOMON LAR (1933-2013)
Lar couldn’t pay rent —Aide ioneer naGbade OGUNWALE, Assistant Editor, Abuja contract for the tional chairbuilding of a teleman of the ruling Peoples vision station. Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Solomon “The first money that touched my Lar, who died in an American hospital hand came from him. He is a different on Wednesday, was still struggling to kind of human being." pay his house rent in Abuja, the federal Consoling the family, Tukur said he recapital, at the time he died. ceived the news of Chief Lar's death This was disclosed by a Personal Aswith shock, describing him as one of sistant to Chief Lar, up till the time he Nigeria’s greatest nationalists. died, Ambassador Danladi Wuyep, He said of the late party chair: "Chief when the national leadership of the Solomon Lar has been a close friend and PDP, led by the chairman, Alhaji Baan associate to me politically for a long manga Tukur, paid a condolence visit to time now. He was open minded, fearsome of Lar's family members in less, dogged and a resolute fighter for Abuja. the right of the oppressed and the less Wuyep told the party leaders that his privileged. late boss, up until the time he died, "A great family man and disciplinarnever owned a building anywhere ian, Lar was a dependable husband to within the federal capital city, Abuja. He his spouse and a loving father who cherneither built nor bought one, the aide ished his children. emphasised. "He did not spare anything in giving Wuyep told the party leaders: "Chief his children the best training and educaLar does not own any personal house tion." anywhere in Abuja. The wing of duplex Tukur observed that Lar was one of in which he lived before his death was a those who challenged certain policies of rented house. the military regime at a certain point in "The building is located in the the nation's history, despite the dangers Maitama District and he was having posed to his safety and that of his family challenges paying the rent before he members at the time. died. He continues: "Chief Lar stood to be "We were planning to seek audience counted among other nationalists and with the PDP chairman, Alhaji Bamanga brave statesmen who refused to keep Tukur, to table the matter before him quiet while the nation was getting close when Chief Lar died." to the precipice. Apparently touched by the pitiable sit"It was his group that midwived the uation, a business mogul, Chief Arthur formation of the Peoples Democratic Eze, who was on a separate condolence Party (PDP). Lar was one of the foundvisit, promised to buy a house for the ing fathers of PDP and our pioneer family in any location within the federal chairman. capital territory. He also promised to "He also led the PDP to electoral vicpay the rent arrears for the family. tory in 1999. In a sense, Chief Lar laid Eze said Lar made him what he is the foundation for the strong, resilient today through some assistance he got and vibrant political party which the from the late party chair when he was a PDP is today." civilian governor in Plateau State. Lar Thanking the party chiefs, Lar's was a Second Republic governor. daughter, Beni, a serving member of the The businessman described Lar as a House of Representatives, said her fadetribalised Nigerian who was ever ther Iived for the peace and unity of the willing to offer a hand to uplift the country. down trodden. She charged the PDP leaders to carry "I came to him from Enugu. He never on with her father's legacy in the PDP knew me before, but he gave me the family.
P
• Dame Paulin Talen, Selcia Maina and His Grace most Rev Kaigama at Lar’s Jos residence yesterday
• Sympathisers queue up to sign the condolence register
He had no premonition of death -Tallen ormer deputy governor Yusufu Aminu IDEGU, Jos turned home after the medof Plateau State, Dame ical trip. I feel so disapPauline Tallen, has said that Chief pointed that he could not make it as he Solomon Lar had no premonition of his had wished. Death must be very cruel." death, as he had expressed hope to reTallen described Lar as a pillar of politurn from his last medical trip to the tics, a teacher of politics and a mentor. United States. Baba has mentored most of us. He was Tallen, who said she was on board of always on the side of peace. We will an aircraft with the late Chief Lar during miss him greatly. Plateau State and the his last trip to the US about two months entire nation will miss him.” ago, made this known during her conFormer governor of Plateau State, dolence visit to the late politician’s resiChief Michael Botmang, who was at dence in Jos yesterday. Chief Lar's residence in Jos for a condoTallen said: "I received the news of the lence visit, also lamented the death of death of Baba with shock and disapthe first civilian governor of the state. pointment because we boarded the Botmang said: "The death of our fasame aircraft during his last medical trip ther, Baba Lar, shocked a lot of us beto the US and he expressed high opticause he has helped a lot of us. He has mism that he would return to the counhelped the entire Plateau State. try in good health. "He will be remembered for his peace "We parted on the trip at the Heathrow making culture. He has been able to Airport in London. I was going to see keep Plateau State as one even when he my daughter who put to bed in London was out of government. and he was heading for his medical "When I was in power, each time we check. Little did I know that would be had internal problem, we normally went my last encounter with him. to him for help, and he was never short "While on the trip, Baba, as usual, gave of advice any time you met him. He some advice and political wisdom and continued to advise younger politicians we both promised to meet when he retill his death. We will miss him greatly."
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•Former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro, signing the condolence register
•Elder Toma Garba signs the register
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
NEWS 55
SOLOMON LAR (1933-2013)
Life and time of Solomon Lar Yusufu Aminu IDEGU, Jos the new head of state, hief Solomon Dausep Buhari. Like a shining diaLar, a teacher, politician, mond which has no hiding place, Lar father, mentor and emancipator, as resurfaced again in 1999 during the forcalled by admirers, was born on April 18, mation of new political parties under the 1932 in Kwalak village in the present two party system midwifed by the BaGazum district of Langtang North Local bangida regime. He became a major factor Government, Plateau State. He had humin the Social Democratic Party (SDP) ble parents in Mr and Mrs Larmor. He atwhich dominated the Nigerian political tended the Sudan United Mission (SUM) scene between 1991 and 1993. Primary School, Langtang in 1943, after Lar was appointed Minister of Police Afwhich he proceeded to Gindiri Teacher's fairs by the Gen. Sani Abacha regime. He College for a preliminary teaching course later joined other politicians of like minds between 1950 and 1953. to form the defunct Congress for National He returned to the Teacher's College Consensus (CNC) in the battle to bring to later for his senior teacher's training an end to series of military regimes. courses. Lar proceeded to Ahmadu Bello The zeal to push the military out of University Zaria in 1966 where he acNigerian political scene also made Lar to quired a diploma in Law. In 1969, he objoin a team of politicians known as the Gtained his LLB (Hons) from ABU Zaria. 18. He took the courage and risk to deThereafter, he went to the Nigerian Law liver a letter to Gen. Sani Abacha, which School, Victoria Island, Lagos in 1971 and contained a message asking Abacha and was called to the Bar in 1972. his military junta to quit office and pave Lar had worked as a classroom teacher way for full democratic regime. between 1954 till 1959. But in spite of his The original G-18 grew in membership training in Law, he never practised the to become G-34, comprising of the crops profession, as he was lured into politics of politicians that culminated in the presfrom teaching. In 1959, he was elected by ent ruling People's Democratic Party his Tarok kinsmen to represent them in (PDP) in 1998. It was not surprising to the Langtang Native Authority as a councillor in January 1959. That was the begin- many then that Lar was made the pioneer national chairman of the ruling PDP, ning of his political life. Based on the recognising the fact that the name PDP confidence reposed in him, the young Lar was suggested by Lar and was accepted was elected as the member representing Lowland East Federal Constituency in De- by all its founding members in 1998. Lar worked hard to ensure that PDP cember 1959. He was later elected into the won the governorship contest in most Constituent Assembly of 1977. As the young politician continued to ex- states of the federation. He crowned his success by making sure that PDP under hibit unequalled leadership qualities, when it was time for the people of Plateau his chairmanship won the 1999 presidenState to pick their first civilian governor in tial election which produced former President Olusegun Obadanjo. President 1979, Solomon Lar was called for this hisObasanjo therefore did not make a mistoric task. His political experience as a take in appointing Solomon Lar his adyoung politician made the difference in viser emeritus after serving out his term the multi-party democratic system of the as the national chairman of the party. First Republic. The seasoned politician did not allow Lar won the 1979 election as governor of the state even on the platform of an oppo- his political career to distract him from establishing his family. He got married to sition party, the Nigerian People's Party young and pretty Mary through whom he (NPP), by defeating the candidate of the had four children. dominant National Party of Nigeria His hobbies include reading and poli(NPN). Solomon Lar won his second term ticking. He practised politics in such a disbid in 1983 by defeating, for the second ciplined manner that he was never time, the candidate of the ruling party of associated with violence in all his over 50 President Shehu Shagari. But his second years of politicking. If for anything, he term mandate was truncated by the miliwas famous as an advocate of peace. He is tary coup led by Gen. Muhammadu famous for flaunting two white handkerBuhari. chiefs while responding to salutation from Lar and some governors were arrested admirers. and detained by the military junta led by
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• Some family members at the residence
•Some politicians at the residence
•Former Plateau governor, Chief Michael Botman, signing the condolence register
Lar feared democracy could be truncated by politicians -Sango hief Solomon Lar reYusufu Aminu IDEGU, Jos Nigeria and the present democracy. Baba is actually mained deeply conunhappy with the way things are going cerned about the recent political and he wished he were around. developments in the country and made a "There and then, I prayed for his quick restrong appeal to politicians and political leaders to refrain from actions that were ca- covery for him to come back and deploy his vast political experience to help the napable of truncating the nation’s demoction. racy. “Unfortunately, he could not turn back The first civilian governor of Plateau the hand of the clock. He had to answer the State and pioneer national chairman of the ruling people's democratic party (PDP) also call of nature," said Sango. According to Sango, the entire nation, expressed fears that the way and manner politicians were acting could make the mili- particularly the present set of leaders will miss him more. We the people of Plateau tary to renew ambition for power. State and his Tarok tribe, because Baba Lar Delivering Lar's message in Jos while signing the condolence register at Lar’s res- was more to the nation than Plateau State. He said: "I'm sure if Baba had been idence yesterday, former minister of sports, Damishi Sango, said: "On the 53rd Nigerian around in the last one year, he would not have allowed this democracy to be subindependence anniversary last week, I jected to the level of absurdity it is today called Baba (Lar) in the US to congratulate him on the anniversary and he did not hide because the man laid his life to defend this democracy. his feelings on the state of the nation. “He confronted the military government "Baba asked me to tell politicians that he of Gen. Sani Abacha face to face and asked wished this hard earned democracy has Abacha to quit and allow democracy to recome to stay, but that he feared we might turn. truncate it if we continued the way we “His political associates call him 'The were going. Samson who fought the lion without injury. "From the way he spoke with me on the “He will be greatly missed." phone, Baba expressed so much love for
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Bali, Dariye, others pay tributes he news of the death of Chief Solomon Daushep Lar, the first civilian governor of Plateau State was received in the state with mixed reactions. While some people expressed delight that he lived a long and fulfilled life, others expressed regrets that the nation and younger politicians would miss the experienced counsel of the seasoned politician. The general secretary of the Tarok Cultural Organisation, Pastor Nanlir Kartim Napbut, said: "Chief Lar was a pillar of politics in Plateau State and in Nigeria as a whole, who will be greatly missed by all. Though the family and the entire Tarok nation will miss him greatly, we are not regretting his death because he lived a fulfilled life and served his state and the country at large credibly." Pioneer speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Prof. Dakum Shon, who served with the government of Chief Lar in the state said: "Lar was a father and a great leader. Simply put, he loved Plateau and Nigeria so dearly. “As his speaker, we initiated and developed a government of emancipation for the political and economic emancipation of the people of Plateau State. Prof, Shon said: "Lar was the one that laid the foundation of modern Plateau and will no doubt be greatly missed by the people of Plateau State. May the soul of the great
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emancipator rest in peace." The Ponzhi Tarok and Chairman Tarok traditional Council, His Majesty Gen Domkat Bali (rtd) said: "Lar was a worthy son of Tarok land in whom the Tarok people are proud of, due to his genuine and credible service to his people and the nation at large." Former governor of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye, said the news of the death of Chief Lar was a rude shock to him, having wished that the seasoned politician would live longer for the nation to tap from his experience. But I'm happy he died an accomplished politician and nationalist." Senator Dariye, who is representing Plateau Central senatorial zone in the National Assembly, said: "It is a pity that Lar died when his political experience was needed most, especially at this critical period when the nation’s democracy is facing serious challenges. "The proposed national dialogue was first advocated by people like Chief Lar. He was among the few politicians in the country who fought the military regimes in defence of democracy. “He would have lived to offer advice to the present generation of politicians on how to make success of the proposed national dialogue. May his soul rest in peace."
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
COMMENTARY 57
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Rivers: A chronology of impunity
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N its most recent intervention on the seemingly intractable crisis in Rivers earlier this month, my party said it is very important for Nigerians to pay attention to the situation in the state, because everything happening there suggests it is being used by President Goodluck Jonathan as a testing ground for fascism. We made that assertion with all seriousness, considering the level of lawlessness, impunity and constitutional infraction going on in the state. As I intend to show shortly, democracy has been stifled in Rivers and this constitutes a clear and present danger to democracy in the nation at large, if left unchecked. Suffice it to say that, shorn of all pretences, the root cause of the Rivers crisis is the 2015 elections, specifically the presidential poll. Because he is hell bent on running and obsessed with winning at all cost, President Jonathan does not give a damn (to use his own language) if Nigeria, not to talk of Rivers, disintegrates in the process. That was why we alerted Nigerians to the situation and quoted the Iate Irish political philosopher Edmund Burke, who said all it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing. Back to the 2015 elections, I can say without equivocating that if the President and his puppets succeed in their current anarchic experiment in Rivers, they will simply re-enact the Rivers scenario in as many states as possible in the run-up to the elections, thereby ensuring the polls will be everything but free, fair and credible - with consequences too grim for anyone to contemplate. Imagine the antics of the arrowhead of the presidential onslaught in Rivers state, Alternative Inspector-General of Police Mbu Joseph Mbu, being replicated in other states? Imagine an Mbu or his like as the Commissioner of Police in any state during an election? He will simply ask his men to disperse all monitors and party agents, coerce the electoral officers into writing the result and then dare anyone to challenge him (Mbu). In other words, he will give cover to uniformed thugs and assassins who will decide the outcome of the election. Under President Jonathan’s watch and Alternate IGP Mbu’s self-assumed authority, Rivers state now has two parallel governments, one being run by Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, who was elected by the good people of Rivers State, and the other by the Commissioner of Police (now Alternate IGP) Mbu, who derives his unlawful authority from President Jonathan. To those who may think we are exaggerating things, a few examples of what has transpired in Rivers State in the last couple
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The situation in Rivers State is the worst nightmare for any democracy. The rule of Jonathan and the police has replaced the rule of law, and Rivers has become a police state in its most brutish form
Lai MOHAMMED
of months will prove beyond doubt that we are not just crying wolf where none exists. 1 On the 6th of May 2013, Mr Mbu practically provided the needed backing for a group of hired thugs and ex-militants with dangerous weapons to unlawfully and forcefully invade the Rivers State House of Assembly to terrorize its members, sack them and other management staff members from the complex and prevent the lawful exercise of legislative functions. 2 A caretaker committee lawfully set up for Obi/Akpor Local Government Area was prevented from delivering governance to the people due to the sealing of the LGA secretariat by police operatives acting under Mr. Mbu’s directive. 3 Security details were withdrawn from the principal members of the state government, including but not limited to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Attorney-General and principal judicial officers of the state 4 On the 17th of May, 2013, the same Commissioner of Police summoned the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Otelemaba Dan Amachree, to appear before him on Monday, 20th May, 2013, following an open letter written by the Speaker to President Jonathan to intervene to restore peace to the unnecessarily-charged political climate of Rivers State. 5 On the 22nd of May, 2013, Mr Mbu again provided cover for a sponsored protest by over 5,000 ex-militants and other criminal elements brandishing dangerous weapons to completely take over and parade the streets of Port Harcourt, thereby creating fear and an
Afe Babalola and Figure 21 Continued from Page 9
vocation ceremonies have always been week-long activities, with the grand finale coming up either on Fridays or Saturdays. But here we are, ABUAD’s first convocation ceremonies, which will flag off next Thursday, October 17, with a Press Conference will climax on Monday, October 21, perhaps the first of its kind. This got one curious to the extent of asking the multiple chief if he was born on 21 of any particular month. A pleasantly unusual man, Babalola said:”my brother, I don’t know when I was born” an assertion further corroborated in his entrancing book Impossibility made possible where he wrote inter alia “…My parents could not tell me the exact date when I was born. This was because both parents could neither read nor write. It was not a disgrace or strange that they could not. Indeed nobody in the family or that quarter of the town could read or write (then)”. If he was not born on 21, the question still arises as to whether figure 21 has any significance in his life, bearing in mind that his first car, from Stuttgart, Germany, was registered WP 2121 while yet another one in subsequent years (a white Mercedes Benz 200) was registered OD 2121 E and now the grand finale of ABUAD’s first convocation ceremonies is on October 21, 2013. Babalola did not give a direct answer, but he quipped: “Figure 21 could really be my lucky number. I recall in those days, if I had a judgment fixed for 21st day of any
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•Amaechi
month, I was almost sure to win such a case. Besides, I have since discovered that anything I do on 21 always come out to be very successful and I believe this first convocation of our university will not be an exception. It will follow the same pattern. It will be successful”. But in the same book, Impossibility made possible, Babalola revealed more about figure 21 when he said: “Almost all my children were born on the 21st of the month…So those who say there is nothing in a number are mistaken”. There may be a universal dimension to the phenomenon of lucky number after all. For example, Americans attach importance to particular numbers, the more reason number 13 is omitted in most elevators in America because 13 is seen as unlucky number. It is on record that the 13th Rocket that fired Astronauts into space caught fire, killing all the Astronauts, which was explained off with the belief that 13 is not only an unlucky number, but an ‘evil’ one at that. But that is neither here nor there. Whatever might be the nexus between Babalola and figure 21, the fact remains that he associates a high dosage of success to the number. It has worked for him before. May it continue to work for him now and in the future. •Olofintila writes from Ado-Ekiti.
atmosphere reminiscent of pre-amnesty siege in the minds of right-thinking residents. Curiously, bus-loads of ex-militants from neighboring Akwa Ibom State, Bayelsa and Delta State, complete with their dangerous weapons and paraphernalia of secret cult membership, were cleared to join in the unlawful procession by the Police. 6 On the 26th of June, 2013, Mr Mbu almost engineered an unnecessary but deadly riot by directing his men to restrain over 500 people - including traditional rulers - from the Orashi communities of Rivers State from paying a scheduled and legitimate courtesy and solidarity visit to the State Governor at Government House, Port Harcourt. 7 In July 2013, a potential bloodbath at the Island Community of Bonny was averted only by the maturity exhibited by the young members of the Rivers Leadership Advancement Foundation in the face of serial provocation by members of the Rivers State Police Command 8 When sometime in August, five colleagues of Governor Amaechi - who felt they were exercising their constitutional rights of free movement and association - had the temerity to pay him a solidarity visit in Port Harcourt, they were molested and humiliated at the Port Harcourt Airport by hired thugs under the protection of Mr Mbu 9 On September 26th, police operatives used tear gas to cause a potentially-deadly stampede through the forceful dispersal of 13,201 newly-recruited and trained teachers who had gathered at the Liberation Stadium in Port Harcourt for the final round of their training, orientation, mobilization and deployment to primary and secondary schools. 10 To cap it all, a few weeks back, the Rivers State Command blockaded a road leading to the Government House in Port Harcourt, forcing the Governor’s convoy to turn back
and take another route to his official residence. These are just a few of the reign of terror that has been unleashed on Rivers by Mr. Mbu, and it should be clear to any discerning mind that what is going on in Rivers State goes far beyond political or personal differences between the first family and Governor Amaechi. It is simply the takeover of an elected government by a clique aided and abetted by President Jonathan and Mr Mbu. The situation in Rivers State is the worst nightmare for any democracy. The rule of Jonathan and the police has replaced the rule of law, and Rivers has become a police state in its most brutish form. More worrisome is that in spite of the well documented allegations of abuse of office, high-handedness and disrespect for the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria against Mr Mbu, neither the Presidency nor the Police hierarchy has deemed it fit to subject his indiscretions to any review. A petition to the Police Service Commission (PSC) by the State Governor, in his capacity as the Chief Security Officer of the State, has yet to receive any attention and, even if it did, its outcome is yet unknown. Similarly, resolutions passed by the National Assembly asking for the redeployment of Mr Mbu have been given the toilet paper treatment. Even the 21-day ultimatum issued to the Inspector General of Police and the PSC on Sept. 27th by the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress to redeploy Mbu or face an indefinite workers’ strike will fall on deaf ears. Against this background, is anyone still in doubt that Rivers State is indeed in a state of anomie? Is anyone still in doubt that Fascism, in its classic sense, is far off? The theatre of the absurd in Rivers State must be stopped immediately to restore the rule of law and save our democracy. Some people have accused the APC of crying more than the bereaved on the Rivers State issue. Our response is that we in the APC are indeed the bereaved anytime the rule of law is supplanted with the rule of the jungle; and we are the bereaved anytime a democratically-elected President thumbs his nose at the Constitution of the Federal Republic. The system of government that we operate does not make provision for an imperial presidency, who can neither be criticized nor opposed. Therefore, when an elected President begins tottering on the edge of Fascism, the mechanism built into the system to check that must automatically kick into action. •Lai Mohammed is the Interim National Publicity, All Progressives Congress (APC)
NEWS
‘Why our youths take to crime’
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HE president of the Caring Sisters’ Association, Mrs. Mercy Mgbechikwere Okoye, has enumerated the reasons why some people take to crime, especially young men and women. Mrs. Okoye said young men and women take to crime because they don’t have something doing. She said: “Young men can take to crime when they don’t have something doing and when they are not from good families. “We need to stop this bad trend by empowering the youths. We have many projects to empower them. One of such projects is to build training centres where we can teach these young people crafts, especially how to make soap and other products in order to make them
Ebele BONIFACE
useful to themselves, their parents, neighbours, friends and the country.” She said further: “We also intend to assist the physically-challenged children. We don’t want them to lose hope. We want to turn their disabilities to abilities, so that they can make positive contributions to the growth of the nation.” On how the association was formed, she said: “The association was formed 10 years ago and that is why we are celebrating our 10th anniversary with the theme ‘Touching and Rebranding Lives’.
Expert blames falling education standard on parents
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HE Proprietress of Diadem College, Ifako, Mrs. Abimbola Oladinni, has attributed falling standard of education in the country to attitudinal problems both on the sides of the parents and the teachers. She stated that while some parents are not committed enough to the education of their wards, our teachers and lecturers are not also getting enough motivation to do their jobs. Mrs. Oladinni spoke in Lagos during a commendation ceremony organized to celebrate some pupils of Diadem College, Ifako, who performed excellently well in the 2013 Basic Education Certificate Examinations. The pupils celebrated included Deborah Tolulope Abilawon who scored 13 As, Mayowa Adeboye eight As and Victoria Bankole eight As.
The proprietress attributed the outstanding performances of her students to the total education approach being adopted by Diadem College in their teaching methodology, as well as in preparing their pupils for examinations and future educational attainments. She said another reason why their students excel in their academics was traceable to cordiality in relationship between parents and the school management and high motivation to their teaching staff. The proprietress, therefore, appealed to parents to be more involved in the education of their wards by closely monitoring what they do in and out of school, while also calling on those in charge of education to have a change of attitude towards teachers’ motivation and provision of good facilities to run our schools.
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THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
NEWS 59 APC chieftain makes case for teachers chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, Hon. Kunle Ademoye, has described the teaching profession as the noblest of all professions. The ex-lawmaker, in his address to the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Lagos Mainland branch, during the World Teachers’ Day, emphasized the need for adequate remunerations and incentives aimed at boosting teachers’ morale in order to bring the best out of them. He also urged that teachers be given considerable freedom on matters of discipline over their students and pupils, adding that instances in which teachers are gagged or manhandled by illtempered parents for subjecting their children to discipline should be a thing of the past. The ex-Chairman, Committee on Housing, Lagos State House of Assembly, however, enjoined teachers to recognize the divine nature of their calling, and approach their duties with dedication. “Teachers should not superimpose their private affairs or private tutorial engagements over their main official duties. Our esteemed teachers should also set good moral examples for their students and pupils to emulate. This is to say that their personal moral code should inspire the youths whose mind they mould in the positive sense of it.
A •From left, Mr. Peter Carter, British Deputy High Commissioner, Lagos and His imperial Majesty, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, The Alaafin of Oyo, during a visit to Alaafin’s palace.
Warder jailed 10 years for selling 'Indian hemp' to inmates n Precious IGBONWELUNDU n prison warder, Frank Obi, will spend the next 10 years at the Ikoyi Prisons, following his conviction by a Federal High Court, Lagos. Obi, 31, who was caught by prison authorities trying to smuggle drugs concealed in noodles carton into the prison cells, was arraigned on October 9, 2013, on a count of drug trafficking, to which he pleaded guilty. He was accused of supplying about 3.8kg of Cannabis Sativa (Indian Hemp) to prisoners at Kirikiri Prisons by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA. While reviewing the facts of the case before Justice Ibrahim Buba, the prosecutor, Kalu Orji, said the convict committed the offence on May 6, at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prisons. According to Orji, the convict met his waterloo when the prison authorities apprehended him for sneaking in about 3.8kg of Indian hemp to some inmates. Orji told the court that Obi concealed the narcotic in an Indomie carton to avoid suspicion. "Further investigations revealed that the he had been in the business of collecting money from inmates to supply them with narcotics.’’
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17 killed in Kwara auto crash
people have died in a ghastly auto crash in Kwara State. The accident, which occurred in the early hours of yesterday at Peke village, Kilometres 16 Ilorin-Jebba expressway, also left no fewer than ten people with varying degrees of injuries. It involved a DAF truck, with registration number XD 762 KNT and two Toyota Hummer buses with registration numbers TAK 113 XA and XC 185 NSK.
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n Adekunle JIMOH, Ilorin n
It was gathered that the accident occurred around 3.30am at the spot where the dualisation of the expressway terminates. According to reports, the truck was said to have rammed into the commercial buses. Eyewitness account said that the Hummer buses, each with 19 passengers, took off from Lagos and were heading for Kastina
State. The Sector Commander of the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) in Kwara state, Mrs. Mary Wakama, who confirmed the incident, said the corpses of the deceased had been deposited at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH). She added that two victims with severe injuries had been taken to Sobi Specialist Hospital, while others with minor injuries
are receiving treatment at private hospitals. Mrs. Wakawa, who blamed the accident on attitude of most drivers in the country, discouraged night travelling, saying it portends danger. She also said that the auto crash may have been caused by fatigue on the part of the truck driver, adding that visibility is always poor in the night, stressing that assistance would also be difficult to get at night.
Alleged N77 million fraud: Ex- Oyo commissioner gets N10 million bail former Commissioner in Oyo State, Kazeem Adedeji, accused of defrauding the state of N77 million was yesterday admitted to bail in the sum of N10 million by a Federal High Court, Lagos. Adedeji, along with a former Director in the state's ministry of Trade and Investment, Yinka Fatoki, as well as an employee of the Bank of Industry, BOI, Kolawole Adewole, were arraigned on October 3 on six-counts of conspiracy and fraud. Although the trio had pleaded not guilty to the
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n Precious IGBONWELUNDU n alleged offence, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke had remanded them in prison custody pending ruling on application for their bail, filed by their counsel, Olabode Iranloye. At their arraignment, the prosecutor, Effiong Asuquo, told the court that the accused committed the offences between July 2012 and June 2013 when Adedeji was commissioner. He said that sometime in 2012, the Oyo State Government entered into a partnership with the BOI,
known as the OYSG/B.O.I Fund. Asuquo had said the fund, a total of N1 billion, was a pool from which indigenous entrepreneurs could access credit facilities. He told the court that the state government and the bank had each contributed N500 million respectively towards the fund aimed at promoting Micro and Medium business in the state. He further alleged that Adedeji lodged the said contribution into Enterprise Bank, where his wife worked as account officer, without
the consent and approval of Oyo State Government and conspired with the others to obtain over N77 million from the fund, which was allocated to non-existing companies. Asuquo said the accused granted the facilities to JoshTolani Ventures, Tembenatil Ventures, Ojoo God’s Grace Cooperative Society, Agric Preserve Company Ltd and Adis Steel Works Ltd. “But upon investigation at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), it was discovered that none of the companies were registered,” said Asuquo.
Dignitaries honour Fayemi’s wife at 50th birthday celebration IBERIAN Nobel Laureate, Ms. Leymah Gbowee, has urged a review of the education curricular across the African continent. Gbowee spoke yesterday in a lecture, entitled ‘Leading the change: The Journey of a Great African Icon’ in Ado Ekiti. The event, which witnessed books presentation, was organised as part of celebrations marking the 50- year birthday anniversary of the wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi. Lamenting the extreme fall in the standard of education, the Laureate stated that the scholarship grants, which she spearheads, now lay for years without any qualified candidate. According to her, Afica would have to restructure the
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Sulaiman SALAWUDEEN, Ado-Ekiti education curricular to answer current challenges of development relevant to the continent. Gbowee said: “It is baffling that students are still being taught how the Portuguese came to the West Coast of Africa for trading. What is the benefit of any curriculum that has no relevance to the future of our nations?” Admitting her indebted ness to Erelu Fayemi, who she described as a mentor, trail blazer and a leading light on the continent,, Gbowee said: "humility remains an essential ingredient for successful mentoring of upcoming talents." She urged women to be steadfast in challenging stereotypes that have remained the undoing of
many women across the continent, noting that she found 'her voice' when she started to speak out. Also, renowned feminist, Professor Abena Busia of the Department of Gender Studies, Rutgers University, USA and Mr. Kunle Ajibade of The News Magazine, Lagos, separately reviewed two books written by Erelu Fayemi. The books are ‘Speaking Above a Whisper’ and ‘Speaking for Myself'. Former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, University of Nigeria, Nzukka, Prof Bolanle Awe, who was the Chairman of the occasion, stated that the roles women are allowed to play was essential to the development of the continent. She described Mrs. Fayemi as a trail-blazer in the struggle for the emancipation of women on the continent.
Olokun Foundation to honour Ooni, Alaafin, Wole Soyinka, others n Segun AJIBOYE n RMY Cantonment Junior Secondary School, Ikeja, Lagos, has emerged as the winner of the 2013 Olokun Festival Yoruba quiz competition. The school beat nine other schools to the trophy and N70, 000 cash prize. Community Junior Secondary School, Mushin and Oshodi Junior High School came second and third respectively. The competition, according to the Chief Promoter of Olokun Foundation, Otunba Gani Adams, was the organisation’s own way of teaching the young about the culture and tradition of the Yoruba race. According to him, “We are continuing with our tradition of teaching the young ones about our culture and tradition,” Adams said, adding that efforts are on to present winning schools with better prizes from next year. Meanwhile, the highlight of the 2013 edition of Olokun Festival will be the presentation of awards to deserving Nigerians who have contributed to the growth of Yoruba culture and tradition. Disclosing this during a world press conference on Wednesday, Otunba Gani Adams said the awards would be in six categories. The awardees would include Lagos State governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola and his Osun State counterpart, Rauf Aregbesola. Others are the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; Professor Wole Soyinka and Professor Akinwunmi Ishola among several others.
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Akanni-Aluko to host Owa Obokun, Sunny Ade, others tomorrow n Oseheye OKWUOFU, Ibadan n
•Chief Alege
HE Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Azeez ArisekolaAlao, Chief Ebenezer Babatope and Chief Oba Otudeko are among personalities expected to honour the publisher of the defunct Third Eye newspapers, Chief Akani Aluko, as he celebrates
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this year's annual harvest tomorrow at Ilesa, Osun State. Other dignitaries expected to grace the occasion are: a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Alhaji Soro Atanda; a media guru, Mr Joe Abiola; Engr. Obi Daramola; Chief Olusola Gilbert; Chief Alabi Aluko;Chief Lekan Alabi; Chief Perry Aluko, and the juju maestro, King Sunny Ade. The annual event, according to a statement by Chief Aluko, will also witness an array of traditional rulers and
chiefs, including the reverred royal fathers, Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran, Elejigbo of Ejigboland, Oba Omowonuola Oyesosin, and Yeyemeso of Iwara, Chief Bola Ojo. He said this year's festival “will be unique because our special guests will celebrate with us in our new church building under construction at St. Victoria Catholic Church, Ijebu-Jesa Road, Ireti-Ayo, Ilesa on October 13 at 9.00am.” The chairman of this year’s harvest is Chief Olagoke Alege.
60 NEWS
THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
Governor Uduaghan solicits support of security agencies in fighting crime
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ELTA State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has solicited the full support of various security agencies in tackling criminal activities in the state and the South-South region. Speaking in Warri, during separate courtesy visits on him at the Governor’s Office Annex, Warri, Governor Uduaghan harped on the need for cooperative efforts at fighting and winning the war against criminals. Those who visited the governor separately were the Flag Officer Commanding the Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Sidi-Ali Usman and members of the Forum of State Directors of State Security Services (SSS). Playing host to the naval boss, Dr. Uduaghan said the cordial relationship with the Nigerian Navy would be sustained in appreciation of the contributions of the Navy Force to the peace and security in the state. While affirming that the state’s romance with the Nigerian Navy had positively impacted on the security situation in the state, the gover-
nor thanked the force for dedicated services and positive roles in restoring peace in the state. He observed that about 40% of Delta State is riverine which necessitated much naval presence. Governor Uduaghan hailed the professional operations by the navy in the waterways which had drastically reduced criminality in Delta State, particularly kidnapping, sea piracy and illegal bunkering. In his remarks, Rear Admiral Sidi-Ali Usman said he resumed at the Central Naval Command in June this year but the exigencies of office prevented him from meeting the governor earlier. While commending the friendly disposition of the state government in aid of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Usman urged for the sustenance of the relationship to make them more efficient. Meanwhile, Governor Uduaghan also received members of the Forum of State Directors of the SSS, and lauded them for choosing the state for their conference. He said criminal activities affect the states of the Niger Delta region badly.
Ex-militants protest non-payment of allowances, besiege SSS office
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group of ex-militants who claimed to belong to the Bakassi Freedom Fighters have protested the non-payment of their allowances since March 2011 by the amnesty office in Abuja. They accused the leader of the BFF of conniving with Amnesty Office to shortchange them. The protesting ex-militants who besieged the Cross River State headquarters of the State Security Service in Calabar yesterday, where it was gathered, BBF was, said they were supposed to have been paid their allowances directly
Nicholas KALU, Calabar from the amnesty office but for some reasons, had to be paid by the BFF leader. One of the ex-militants, Daniel Asuquo, who said he also goes by Commander Saddam, said: “We are all exmilitants of the Niger Delta, Bakassi Freedom Fighters. We are here for the fact that our general, is sitting on our allowances. For the past two years, we have not been paid our monthly allowances. He said they had to mobilise themselves to the airport where they caught
up with the BBF leader. “Except something is done today we will not vacate this premises. If he does not give us our money, we are ready to fight him to the finish. We are ready to die. As you can see, the sun is beating us. Nobody on earth would stop the BBF leader from paying us our money. All our allowances, transition safety allowance, housing allowance must be paid. We caught him at the airport yesterday and brought him to the SSS office. One of the protesting exmilitants, Victor Edet, accused Special Adviser to the
President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Kingsely Kuku of not handling the situation well. “We have been writing to Amnesty Office, but nothing has been happening. So that is why we brought him to SSS so that the agency can help us and do the job. But the spokesman for the BFF, Nicholas Theophilus, told The Nation yesterday that they did not recognise the protesters as members of the BFF,” adding that “if they are aggrieved, they should channel their grievances to the proper channel and not take the laws into their hands.”
35 roads sets for rehabilitation in Edo
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HE Edo State Rapid Response Agency said a total of 35 roads in the state capital are to be rehabilitated before December, 2013. This was disclosed to newsmen by the agency Managing Director, Engr. Mujaidu Dako who said work on the roads commenced last week. To this end, he said the sum of N250 million had also been approved by the state House of Assembly to purchase earth moving equipments, while N100m has been released to the interventionist agency by the state government. Dako noted that plans have also been concluded to rehabilitate more roads in the state capital in the first quarter of 2014. “It is our hope that these roads that have been listed for rehabilitation would be completed before the year runs out. “We are poised to ensuring that the people and commuters have good roads to ply and also ease traffic flow in the city. “We are just not limiting ourselves to these roads that have been penciled down for
Osemwengie BEN OGBEMUDIA, Benin rehabilitation. We want to take advantage of the dry season; plans have also been concluded to do more in the early part of 2014, before the rains set in.” Asked why rehabilitation of roads were limited to the state capital, Dako said: “It is our wish to spread this intervention to all part of the state but for paucity of fund, our scope is restricted to the capital city for now.” While noting that quite a good number of roads have been rehabilitated by his agency within the last three years, Dako, however, noted that apart from the issue of paucity of fund, the agency has challenges of obsolete equipment. He said most of the equipments being used by the agency were over 44 years that were inherited from the state Ministry of Works. “For us to be effective as an interventionist agency in the road sector, we need reliable and modern equipment to work with aside the problem of funding.
Take burden of teachers' salaries from us, ALGON Osemwengie BEN tells Jonathan OGBEMUDIA, Benin
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HE Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Edo State chapter, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to remove the burden of payment of teachers’ salaries from local government councils’ statutory allocation. The call was made by the state chairman of ALGON, Mrs. Itohan Osahon-Ogbeide, when the Edo State council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists paid her a visit in Benin. Itohan-Ogbeide who doubles as the chairman of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo, advocated
for the establishment of a commission for the Nigeria Union of Teachers similar to that of the Universities. The Edo ALGON boss stressed that the present economic reality in the country necessitated the call. She said the removal of teachers’ salaries would be a relieve to council areas in the country. According to her, if councils were made to continue with the payment of salaries, the third tier of government in the country would collapse based on the current reality.
•Members of the Medical Women's Association of Nigeria, Rivers State branch, during cancer awareness campaign in Port Harcourt … yesterday
Shell MD tasks firms to invest in development of world-class processes, structures
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HE Managing Director of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), Mutiu Sunmonu, has tasked Nigerian companies on the need to continue to invest in the development of world-class processes and structures to match any available ones anywhere in the world. He declared that the Nigerian content was achievable, stressing that the Anglo/ Dutch oil giant (SPDC) had a long-term and continuing commitment to Nigeria, its people and the economy, as well as helping the country
Bisi OLANIYI, Port Harcourt
unlock its energy resources. Sunmonu stated this in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, at the 3rd Nigerian Content Day/Exhibition, hosted by the Shell Companies in Nigeria. The event had as theme: “Showcasing Nigeria Manufacturing Capacity in Products, Materials, Goods, Equipment, Materials and Services in the Oil and Gas Industry.” Sunmonu also noted that Shell was fully committed to complying with the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and
Gas Industry Content Development Act. The managing director of the SPDC, who was represented by the oil firm’s General Manager, Sustainable Development and Community Relations, Nedo Osayande, stated that the Nigerian content support had been a success story. Sunmonu said: “We need to recognise that local content is not to reduce quality of manufactured items in the sector, but to domesticate the production of goods and services that could compete favourably with those produced anywhere in the
world, in terms of quality standard and prices.” In his remarks, The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Ernest Nwapa, noted that the Federal Government felt that some companies were paying lip service to the Nigerian content and decided to put the law in place. Nwapa, who was represented by a member of the organisation’s board, Ginah Ginah, an engineer, stated that the Nigerian content law must be obeyed, while penalties awaited defaulters.
Cross River deputy governor's father kidnapped
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HE father of the deputy governor of Cross River State, Efiok Cobham, Etubom Essien Cobham, was yesterday morning kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Creek Town Odukpani Local Government Area. Cobham was abducted at about 1am yesterday from his house, it was learnt. The uncle of the deputy governor whose name could not be ascertained was equally believed to have
Nicholas KALU, Calabar been abducted by the kidnappers. It was gathered the house of the Director General of the State Security Service (SSS), who is from the area, Mr Ita Ekpenyong, was vandalised. Government officials kept mute over the situation but residents of the area who witnessed the incident said the gunmen were shooting sporadically. It was gathered that the
gunmen gained access to the area through the Calabar River in two speedboats in the wee hours of yesterday. They had a dog with them it was learnt. The gunmen abducted Cobham, who is in his eighties, without any resistance it was gathered as the man had no security attached to him. They made away in the same way they came through the river. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Hogan
Bassey confirmed the incident but said: “For security reasons, I can’t tell you what we are doing to rescue him.” At press time yesterday, the kidnappers had not gotten in touch with the family. Creek Town is mostly accessible from Calabar, the state capital by the river. The community is about 20 minutes from the state capital by the river and one and a half hours by road.
THE NATION, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
NEWS
Anxiety as Okorocha's reception is stopped in Aba he proposed civic reception in honour of Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okocha, scheduled to hold in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State was stopped allegedly by the state government. The reception which was organised by clergymen to mark the 51 birthday of the Gover-
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Okodili NDIDI, Owerri nor Okorocha, was cancelled on the guise that it was a plot to launch the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. According to one of the organisers who pleaded anonymity, "all arrangements have been concluded for tomorrow's (today) event to
mark our governor's (Okorocha’s) birthday, we have paid for the venue and obtained police permit, but suddenly, the instruction came that it should not be held on the soil of Abia." When contacted, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the governor, Mr. Chinedu Offor, said that they were not aware why the
Anambra PDP: Appeal Court hinges judgement on S/Court’s decision he court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has reserved judgement on the suite by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), National Executives challenging the recognition of Nicholas Ukachukwu as the standard bearer of the party in the November 16, Anambra State governorship election. The reservation of judgement is hinged on the decision of the Supreme Court on the motion filed by Ukachukwu against members of the appeal panel. Lawyer for Ukachukwu, Prince Orji Nwafor Orizu, at the resumed sitting of the court yesterday brought a notice of appeal at the Supreme Court and urged the Appeal Court to stay further hearing on the substantive case, pending the determination of interlocutory injunction appeal on the matter before the Supreme Court. He presented documents including application by the higher court, asking for lower court to stay further proceedings following the applications of appeal by Ukachukwu before it. Arguments on the main appeal by PDP and Tony Nwoye challenging Justice Aliyu’s decision were taken last Tuesday, and judgement in the matter was reserved indefinitely. The court, however, re-convened yesterday to deliver the judgement, before Ukachukwu made his presentations. Yesterday’s sitting led by Ejimbi Eko granted the application and ruled that the judgement should remain reserved pending the determination of the motions before the Supreme Court. He said: “It is undesirable for the lower court to proceed in a case when it has come to its notice that an appeal has been entered in the higher court, particularly in this case, where there is an application by the Supreme Court praying for stay of further proceedings
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Rosemary NWISI, Port Harcourt pending its decision in the appeal number 556 2013. “Since the judgement of this court has not been delivered, the reserved judgement is now awaiting the ruling of the Supreme Court in the motion; we stay proceeding in the appeal number 695 and 696.” Justice Aliyu Suleiman of the Federal High Court also in Port Harcourt last month made an order urging the party and INEC to recognise Ukachukwu, the first runnerup to Tony Nwoye in the party primary election held by Ken
Emekanyi-led faction of the party in the state, as the authentic party flag bearer in the next month’s election. Nwoye reportedly won the election and the party National Chairman, in an elaborate ceremony in Awka, the state capital recognised him (Nwoye), as their flag bearer and gave him certificate of run. PDP Executives led by Bamanga Tukur had filed an appeal to challenge the jurisdiction of the federal court on the issues of tax payment which was an exclusive internal matter of the party.
reception was stopped, adding that it was not a political rally but a religious affair. According to him, "our brothers and other progressive minded people in Abia State, felt that since the governor had been hosted in the South West, they felt they also should Felicitate with him, so I don't see anything wrong with that." However, efforts to reach the Chief Press Secretary to Abia State governor, did not succeed as calls made to his phone went unanswered.
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Jonathan’s aide lauds Obi on projects he Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals, Dr. Precious Gbeneol has expressed satisfaction with effective implementation of MDGs projects in Anambra State. She said that MDG was working in Anambra in view of impressive projects executed through it and expressed the wish that other governors should work like Governor Obi. Gbenol was speaking while commissioning some completed building projects at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Ihiala, Holy Rosary Hospital, Onitsha, Iyienu Hospital Ogidi and the commissioning of small town Water Scheme Project at Ozobulu. She was accompanied by Governor Peter Obi and some top government officials.
Other projects commissioned were school of nursing students’ hostel, school of midwifery students’ hostel and the multi-purpose hospital building at Ihiala while the school of laboratory students’ hostel under construction was inspected by the Senior Special Assistant. She also witnessed the presentation of life ambulance to the hospital and the presentation of a cheque of N50 million for other projects. At the Holy Rosary Hospital, Onitsha, she commissioned the gigantic hospital already completed and the hostel for the school of midwifery. She also inspected the ongoing laboratory and diagnostic building and witnessed the presentation of cheque of N50 million for ongoing work.
wudum and Chinedu Onyebuchi, President and SecretaryGeneral respectively, said the Anambra election would give Nigerians a preview into what to expect in the 2015 general elections. “It is obvious that the Anambra State governorship election would give Nigerians a preview into what to expect during the general election of 2015.” The communiqué stated: “Fol-
lowing the unveiling of the 23 candidates for the forthcoming Anambra governorship election, Ndigbo Unity Forum held a closed-door meeting on how to ensure that the election is hitchfree. “The youths must resist the urge to mortgage their bright future and that of unborn generations for short term pecuniary benefits promised them by desperate politicians. We call on traditional rulers, leaders of thought, the civil society groups and other stakeholders to sensitise the electorate on the dividend of not selling their sacred rights. “We call on Prof. Attahiru Jega-led INEC to once again prove skeptics wrong by maintaining its stance as an impartial umpire. We urge the security agencies in the state to resist the lure of being used by people in high places to truncate the wishes of the people.” The group also called on the candidates not to see the election as a do or die affair.
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Anambra guber poll: Prove your critics wrong, group urges INEC boss head of the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State, an Igbocultural organisation, Ndigbo Unity Forum, has urged the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Atahiru Jega, to prove skeptics wrong by ensuring that the election was free and fair. The group, in a communiqué, signed by Augustine Chuk-
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Gov Orji assures Abians on selfless service •Gov. Obi (2nd left), with Chinyere Okunna (1st left); Precious Gbeneol (3rd left); Bishop Owen Nwokolo of Anglican Diocese of Onitsha (1st right); Victor Umeh (2nd right) and Vivian Nwandu (3rd right), during the presentation by Obi of a cheque of N50 million to Iyienu Hospital for ongoing work under the MDGs, shortly after Gbeneol flagged off many completed projects at the hospital...yesterday.
Anambra agency dismantles Ngige’s billboards he billboard of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Chris Ngige are being dismantled and destroyed in Anambra State by the state agency, according to Ngige Campaign organization.
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•He owes N8.5m, says agency Nwanosike ONU, Awka Briefing reporters yesterday at the APC campaign headquarters in Awka, Ngige Media and Publicity Director, Chief Charles Amilo, described the action as brigandage and fanning
the embers of discord. But the Chief Operations Officer, Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency, Jude Emecheta, told reporters yesterday that Ngige owed the state government N8.5million,
effectively engage all stakeholders to develop the aquaculture industry to create jobs, create wealth as well as increased food (aquaculture) production. He noted that the duty of the platform was to organise the aquaculture business so that the industry would stop being chaotic as it was now and encouraged fish farmers to work as team players to enable them build a solid aquaculture value chains and innovation platforms in the South East region. He informed on the need to advance knowledge through innovative platform in the aquaculture value chain in
line with Institutionalizing Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D), the West and Central African Council for Integrated Agricultural Research and Development (WECARD). Dean Faculty of Agriculture, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. (Mrs.) Uba Nwuba who led a team to the business meeting, said the platform would encourage further research into the processes of value addition to aquaculture products for clearer and deeper understanding of the aquaculture value chain.
WAAPP partners Teemartins Aquaculture on value chain innovation platform he West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) is partnering Teemartins Aquaculture to establish the SouthEast Innovation Platform for the Aquaculture value chain. Commissioner for Agriculture, Anambra State, Chief Ndubuisi Menakaya declared the inaugural business meeting held at the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), Awka open. Menakaya, represented by Director, Engineering Services in the Ministry, Mr Anthony Chigbo, informed that the forum was timely and commended the facilitator and CEO/MD Teemartins
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Odogwu Emeka ODOGWU, Nnewi Aquaculture for his personal contributions for the industry in Anambra State and Nigeria at large. He said WAPP and Teemartins partnership for a private sector driven fish industry would take the aquacultural sector to the next level. He said if the government provided an enabling environment for the private sector, the Aquaculture industry would thrive in the country. According to the South East Zonal Coordinator and Managing Director of Teemartins Aquaculture, Mr Emeka Iloghalu, the objective was to
adding that he had only paid N2 million to that effect. According to Emecheta, “they should comply with the simple law. Nobody is fighting Ngige as being speculated, but we are giving them up till next week Friday to complete their payment or we continue our job. “Nobody is pulling down Ngige’s billboards for the sake of it, there is rascality in what they do. We must function as an agency established by law, it has nothing to do with politics,” he said. However, briefing reporters yesterday, Amilo warned that Ngige Campaign Organisation would not tolerate such again, adding the action was brigandage of the worst order. He said: “We have paid all money the state government asked us to pay concerning this issue, we believe that they have seen the hand writing on the wall and decided to turn Anambra into a catastrophic state.
Ugochukwu UGOJI-EKE, Umuahia bia state governor, Chief Theodore Orji has pledged to serve the people of the state with all his abilities and the highest commitments that he has gained in life whether he is in office as governor or out of office. Orji said that the pledge he made the to the state when he assumed office as the state governor is aimed to sustaining the fast tracking of even development in all facets of the state to the next level and beyond to other laudable values of the public service. Speaking in Umuahia during a grand civic reception organised in his honour by the consolidated Abia state public service, Orji said that is elated as the people of his constituency immediate have decided to honour one of their own. Orji noted that what the entire state work force has done has proved wrong the traditional saying that a prophet is not recognised in his place, as the civil servants in the state have come out in their numbers to honour him as a former civil servant and now the governor of the state.
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THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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SPORT EXTRA
Ethiopians eager to see Mikel, Moses
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ANY Ethiopian fans are not only looking forward to the match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Walyas Antelopes of Ethiopia but once in a lifetime opportunity of seeing Nigerian stars plying their trade in the English Premier League. Many of the fans who spoke with SportingLife on Friday expressed happiness at the prospect of meeting Chelsea midfielder, Mikel Obi and on-loan Liverpool
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IGERIA coach Stephen Keshi is likely to start the same team he paraded last month against Malawi on Sunday in Ethiopia. Keshi, for one, did not change his squad for last month’s final group game in Calabar. This means Keshi will again keep out 2013 AFCON hero
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From Akeem Lawal, Addis Ababa striker, Victor Moses, who they only watch on television. According to Beleke Tesfu, a taxi driver, who noted that Mikel has been wonderful in Chelsea midfield, congratulated the Nigerian for scoring his first premier League goal for the Blues. “Mikel is my player anytime any day. I’m a Chelsea fan and enjoyed how he plays. Even I was very happy when he
Keshi to stick with Malawi conquerors
Sunday Mba and Real Betis Nosa Igiebor for Italy-based Nnamdi Oduamadi in the midfield. Keshi has praised Oduamadi’s dare and speed.
Overall, the Eagles played with a lot of understanding and spirit against the Flames of Malawi in Calabar. And the 2-0 win was a bit
before.They have only played a draw,” Nsofor said. “We are African champions and any team that plays against Nigeria will want to die. But in as much as they want to die for their country, we too also want to die for country, to show that we are African champions. “I believe that together, playing as the coaches want us to play, as we have always played, we will win.” Nsofor says the target is to win in Ethiopia and make the second leg much easier. “That is our game plan. We want to
make the second game back in Nigeria be more favorable, with a bit of relaxation, no pressure. “This is the time for us to kill the game. In our heads, in our plans, we are working hard to counter the altitude, the humidity to make us stronger for the game.”
Echiejile plays down booking
E L D E R S O N Echiejile has assured he will be at his best against Ethiopia in Sunday’s World Cup playoffs even though he is on a booking. The Sporting Braga star defender was booked when Nigeria forced Kenya to a 1-1 draw in Calabar in March. He therefore risks missing the return leg in Calabar on November 16 if he were booked on Sunday inside the Addis Ababa National Stadium. “The booking will not affect me. I am a professional and I have the experience to deal with such a situation,” the 25year-old left back said on his official website www.elderson3.com. “It’s a very important game
important one for us, what I’m really happy for about this game is that it will give me the opportunity of meeting some of the Nigerian foreign players in the Premiership who I’ve been watching every week. “My best player is Moses (Victor). I loved him more when he joined my team Liverpool on loan. Though I wonder why Mourinho will loan out such a player, I still hope we can get him on a permanent deal.”
ETHIOPIA VS NIGERIA
We are ready to die —Nsofor
IGERIA international Obinna Nsofor is confident the Super Eagles players are willing to give their all to get a result against Ethiopia in Sunday’s 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier. Nsofor is one of five players in the current squad who were in Addis Ababa the last time the Super Eagles played there, and he says the Ethiopians will be hungry to win. “They are a young team, they’re thirsty, they’re hungry to beat the Super Eagles because they have not beaten us
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scored his first goal in the premiership some weeks back. I learnt the Nigerian team will be arriving for the match on Saturday, I will be at the stadium as early as possible to welcome them, especially my Mikel.” Another fan, Shinma Fuyma, a contraction worker, said he can’t wait to meet Victor Moses face to face as he is also planning to be at the airport. “My African brother, though this game is an
and at all times the team comes first.” The defender is one of four Nigeria stars on a booking heading to Sunday’s World Cup final playoff. The others are Fenerbache striker Emmanuel Emenike, Ogenyi Onazi from Lazio and Turkey-based defender Godfrey Oboabona.
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flattering to the visitors because their goalkeeper pulled off at least three big saves in a game dominated from start to finish by Nigeria. Jet-heeled Ahmed Musa, who is going great guns at Russian double champions CSKA Moscow with some very crucial goals, would have scored at least two goals, but he was not clinical in front of goal on the day. And he was not at his best during the AFCON clash against Ethiopia. MTNFootball.com scored him 3 out of 10 in that match.
Fly Eagles, fly •Continued from back page altar of preserving their legs for their European clubs. It could be sacrosanct to do so. Yet the World Cup offers the biggest podium for any player to reinvent his career for life. Need I waste space to list players whose future blossomed after the World Cup? Keshi shouldn’t give players who are not ready to give their100 per cent on the pitch our jerseys on Sunday. We want to see players fighting for the ball, winning it and effectively utilising it to score goals. It is about time the Eagles won matches for their teeming fans. The defenders have shown remarkable understanding when defending the goal area. Most times, there are yawning gaps in the midfield which most of our opponents have exploited. It is heartwarming though that the coaches have jettisoned their old fashioned two-man midfield for the fourman arrangement. And we saw how they left the South Africans panting in Durban during the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup game which Nigeria won 2-0. I don’t envy Keshi. He must be growing grey hairs over his team selection. It is good for him because no player is indispensable. However, Keshi must be told that no coach changes his winning squad. He needs to begin Sunday’s match with those who have been through the mill in the making of the Eagles from their time in Faro, Portugal, ahead of the South Africa 2013 Cup of Nations, where Nigeria emerged tops. John Mikel Obi and Eddy Onazi are the regular men in the midfield. It is looking like Oduamadi is playing himself into the midfield quartet. His inclusion has added impetus to the team’s attacking option, with the goals that he scores. Many still remember his equaliser for Nigeria against Kenya in Calabar. Oduamadi’s hat-trick in Nigeria’s 6-1 whiplash of Tahiti at the Confederations Cup in Brazil served as the announcement to bench those who held the fort at the Africa Cup of Nations. Suddenly, Nigeria’s saviour at the Africa Cup of Nations, Sunday Mba, is slowly losing his starting shirt in the team. Will Mba fight back to reclaim his shirt? The answer is blowing in the wind because he has an in-form Victor Moses to contend with, going by Keshi’s match strategies. Keshi prefers a two-man attack comprising Ahmed Musa and Emmanuel Emenike. It is the wise choice if only to err on the side of caution or sticking with known men. The fillip in Keshi’s rebuilding process is that he has capable replacements for most of the positions. This invariably translates to a healthy competition for shirts, which is chiefly responsible for some of the remarkable feats achieved by the squad. We must make qualifying for any World Cup tournament default for Nigeria. There are certain countries (Brazil, Germany, England, etc) synonymous with the global event. Nigeria belongs to this league, given the way our players beat their nationals to get shirts in their European clubs. Our players have taken their game to the heights where European scouts and managers crave to have Nigerians in their folds. Our coaches must toe that line. Interestingly, the new coaches are those who have graduated from being European league players to managers. It is not enough to have played the game to the highest level. They must do the courses that would provide them with the techniques to compete with better exposed European coaches in bigger competitions. The reason our players undermine our coaches begins when their training methods are outdated, compared to what they are taught by their European coaches. Our football chiefs must identify and encourage some of our stars in the twilight of their career to undergo coaching courses as a prelude to getting national team jobs.
Nigeria/Ethiopia: Be focused, Rufai tells Keshi
former Super Eagles of Nigeria goalkeeper, Peter Rufai on Friday advised Stephen Keshi and the Eagles’ players to be focused as they engage the Ethiopia senior national team on Sunday in the first leg of playoff for the 2014 World Cup. The ex-Eagles goal tender gave the advice when he visited the Edo commissioner for Youth and Sports in Benin City. He said though the match
•Edo commissioner for sports begs Jonathan to increase Bonus
is going to be a tough one, Rufai therefore urged the coach and the players to avoid any form of distraction form their opponent. Rufai, who commended the present crops of players in the national team, said all they need to emerge victorious was for them to remain focus before and during the match.
He said he considered the match a difficult one because it is easier playing against a European team than an Africa team. “That is why I’m urging the players and their handlers to remain focus and not consider their opponent a weak team. “Nobody should consider them weak for them to have come this far. “The Eagles must also be careful because the Ethiopians are going to
Babalola, the competition has been successful with the players benefiting from taking part. “I think every player that took part in the championship has commended the organization while the foreigners were not left out of this and this for us will spur us on to do better in
subsequent editions,” he said. Babalola added: “The unrated players will surely improve in their ranking while the rated ones will get improved ranking from the World Chess Federation (FIDE). This alone for us has scored the tournament high and we believe our players have indeed gained from participating in the competition.”
From, Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin
Nigeria, Egypt dominate Lagos International Chess Classics
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FTER four-days of action, host – Nigeria and Egypt tied in their rating to dominate the Lagos International Chess Classics. After seven round of matches, Nigeria’s trio of Omoifo Osemekhia, Ochuko Onovughe and Emmanuel Maduagwuna tied with Egypt’s duo of Abdelrahman Hesham and Mohammed Ezat
to share the star prize. The five players all tied with six points each, while the grandmaster, Serbia’s Dejan Antic and Uganda international master, Elijah Emojong, who were topping after six round of matches lose their last match to settle for 5.5points. According to the tournament director, Adebayo
throw all forms of antics to ensure they win the match come Sunday. “So, our players and handlers should and must prepare themselves to overcome these distractions, especially the issue of bumpy pitch,” he stressed. Asked which department of the game he considers as Eagles strongest, Rufai responded saying, “Football is a team game and one department does not win a match. “What I’m trying to say is that presently, we are good in every department of the game, from the coaching crew to the attack.” Also speaking, Edo commissioner for Youth and Sports, Lady Omorede Osifo appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to increase the match bonus for both pkayers and coaches in the match against Ethiopia.
THE NATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013
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EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 11-10-13
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Fed Govt plans public offer for National Theatre
HE Federal Government would soon unbundle the National Theatre for privatisation through a public offer as part of initiatives to enliven and open up the tourism and hospitality sector for private investments. Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, during a visit to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) under the authority of President Goodluck Jonathan has already approved the transformation of the National Theatre and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation is now working on repackaging and public sale of shares of the ailing national edifice. According to him, the government has approved that the National Theatre should be transformed to a leisure and entertainment city and a dutyfree territory. "That approval has been conveyed and we are working with one of your members to ensure that it can be repackaged and brought here for the participation of all and sundry," Duke told the stockbrokers.
•Tourism sector seeks access to capital By Taofik Salako
He pointed out that he came to the NSE to explore opportunities for private investments in the tourism and hospitality sector, noting that the sector has immense potential that could rival the largest sector of the economy with appropriate capital from the market. "Our visitation to the NSE today was meant to open a new page in the engagement of the private sector to look at the second largest economic sector globally and to raise the awareness that investors in Nigerian Stock Exchange must also look beyond the traditional areas of investment and look into the new frontier," Duke said. He said that tourism presents opportunity for diversification of Nigeria's economy and thereby restore hope and create new platform for national economic development and jobs for the youths. He urged the stockbrokers and the general investing public to champion the cause of tourism development pointing out that as Nigeria begins to look at the dwindling fortunes from the traditional sectors, culture and tourism
holds great opportunity for the future of the country. Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema said there was need to partner ministry of Tourism, Culture and Orientation in order to increase awareness on saving and investment. According to him, working with the ministry of tourism and the agencies under it, the stock market can work to unlock the business potential in tourism. Responding on behalf of stockbrokers, doyen of stockbrokers, Mr. Rashidi Yusuff said the way to start Nigeria's economic regeneration is to embedded savings and investments as a culture. "Saving and investing is what drives the economy of this nation and it is high time we encourage it. Every country that is developed has a very high level of investment and that forms the ba si s of t hei r d ev el opment. That culture is partly being eroded and we believe when the ministry of culture is inaugurated into the system, it will go a long way to sensitise Nigerians on culture base on saving and investing," Yusuff said. According to him, Nigeria has almost worked against the culture of saving and investing because of oil money as people engage in lavish spending.
NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 11-10-13
TOMORROWPUNCHLINE IN THE NATION
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL.7, NO. 2634
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HE late political economist, Professor Claude Ake, had an uncanny ability to create fascinating concepts to illuminate aspects of social reality under his scrutiny.One of such concepts coined by the erudite scholar is that of 'defensive radicalism', which he utilised in his book 'Revolutionary Pressures in Africa', to explain some of the antics employed by conservative, even reactionary, ruling classes in Africa to maintain destructive strangleholds on their societies. The concept is seemingly problematic. It sounds contradictory. Yet, its explanatory power is phenomenal. Ordinarily, there is nothing defensive about radicalism. It is a necessarily offensive concept. Radicalism denotes an aggressive momentum to dislodge the status quo. It embodies a commitment to fundamental change and transformation in society. When then does radicalism become defensive? This happens when individuals, groups and social forces benefitting from a given iniquitous and inequitable status quo affect deceptive radical stances and become emergency advocates of change. This deft move disarms opposing forces and reinforces the capacity of the proestablishment elements to maintain and continue to exploit a system that requires urgent and drastic change. Thus, beneficiaries of the status quo become the most eloquent and passionate exponents of social or national transformation. Yet, this strident advocacy is a grand pretence. In reality, the more things seem to change, the more they remain the same. There is so much motion but little or no movement. While their feigned transformational radicalism lulls society to somnolence, fuel subsidy gangsters continue to smile to the bank, pension fund fraudsters continue their feast of obscene opulence, the Nigeria Ports Authority Board remains the preserve of party election fixers and aircraft routinely drop from the sky as alleged acts of God while satanic party contractors aggressively white wash airports. Some transformation! An excellent example of defensive radicalism at work was former President Olusegun Obasanjo's unprecedented anti-corruption war. It was fierce. It was intense. It was relentless. Yet, it was horrendously hypocritical and ineffectual. Right from inception in office, the Ota farmer projected himself as a veritable anti-graft radical saint. He ensured the enactment of stringent anti-corruption laws by the National Assembly. He set up anti-corruption agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He mercilessly made a mince-meat of his corrupt political opponents who were foolish enough to play into his hands. It seemed that the slightest scent of corruption made the immaculately clean General sick and mad. Yet, behind this huge obscurantist cloud of anti-corruption radicalism, government contractors, mega companies and even public institutions were corralled into donating lavishly to our hero's private presidential library project. He was allocated huge shares in the Transcorp Corporation project initiated by
People should naturally think twice when a government notorious for not honouring agreements says it is changing its mind on a contentious issue as the national conference — Tunji Adegboyega
segunayobolu2@yahoo.com
National conference as ‘defensive radicalism’
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The lesson of our history is that without a government with the requisite ethos, vision and values at the centre, a hundred national conferences cannot change Nigeria
’
•President Goodluck Jonathan his government. The petroleum sector, particularly the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) remained a cesspit of graft throughout his tenure. The National Assembly's probe of the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) revealed that our 'Chichidodo' could enjoy a feast of maggots after all while affecting a public disdain for faeces. And we can all still recall the brazen third term agenda that remains the single most atrocious case of political and alleged pecuniary corruption in this political dispensation. That then is how defensive radicalism works. An aggressive anti-corruption war was feigned only as a cover for the consolidation of corruption. The masters of political deception are at it again. Radicalism has suddenly gone rampant in unexpected quarters. First to set the ball rolling was none other than the Senate President, the venerable Saint David Mark. At the resumption of the Senate, he announced his conversion to the idea of a national conference. It appears that his dramatic encounter with truth occurred, not on the road to Damascus like Saint Paul, but on the highway to Boko Haram's Damaturu. But then, he was only John the Baptist; a voice in
the wilderness preparing the way for a greater one whose shoelace he was unfit to untie. And verily verily, on October 1, the political Messiah emerged. In his national day broadcast to a surprised nation, he announced: "Repent ye, for the kingdom of the national conference is at hand. Verily verily, I say unto you, unless you are born again to the cause of a 'national conversation', you cannot enter the Kingdom of the new Nigeria". And of course, the desired effect is largely being achieved. President Goodluck Jonathan is being lauded to the high heavens by advocates of a national conference who see this as a triumph of their long cherished desire. The ever so lucky President must be chuckling happily to himself: "Ah! The kingdom of a second term come 2015 seems to be at hand". But then, have advocates of a national conference clamoured for it over the years simply for the sake of having a dialogue? I do not think so. The calls for a Sovereign National Conference have been made within the context of the erosion by the military of the country's federal and democratic ethos. After the thorough devastation and despoliation of the country for close to two decades, the discredited military oligarchy beat a retreat in 1999, but carefully engineered the emergence of the PDP as its successor to en-
sure the preservation of the decadent and dysfunctional status quo even in a supposedly post-military Nigeria. The PDP has faithfully performed this task over the last 14 years. It has largely retained the military's structure and philosophy of governance and virtually all sectors of our national life have steadily degenerated under its inept and venal watch. Why is Nigeria in the pathetic and prostrate condition we witness today? It certainly is not because a national conference has not taken place. On the contrary we have had several national conferences. It is the absence of a progressive, change-oriented government at the centre since independence that has retarded Nigeria's progress and aborted her potentials. The lesson of our history is that without a government with the requisite ethos, vision and values at the centre, a hundred national conferences cannot change Nigeria. And if you have such a government with the courage and competence to initiate fundamental change, a national conference may be totally unnecessary. While inaugurating the Senator Femi Okunrounmu-led advisory committee, for instance, President Jonathan averred that the 1957 conference "effectively prepared Nigeria for independence". So why had the country degenerated to military rule and outright civil war six years after independence? The answer is the lack of a visionary government at the centre. The President lauded the 1978 Constituent Assembly for saddling us with the 1979 presidential constitution "with its attendant checks and balances and fundamental human rights provisions". But a succession of inept and visionless administrations at the centre have utilised the immense powers of the wasteful presidential system to undermine accountability, erode the rule of law and worsen underdevelopment. President Jonathan claimed that the 1995 conference gave us the informal concept of a six-zonal structure. But governments at the centre that do not believe in a genuine federal ethos have still kept us bound to an essentially unitarian structure that breeds inefficiency, corruption, poverty and is fast turning Nigeria to a failed state. Without a fundamental change in the values, orientation and vision of the government at the centre, the planned constitutional conference jamboree will be another exercise in futility. For the first time since independence, the mainstream, unitarist forces that have ruled Nigeria since independence under both civilian and military rule are politically vulnerable. The President's undisguised second term ambition has badly fractured the ruling party at a time when the opposition is getting its act right for the first time ever. Thus, we have this sudden manoeuvre of having a distracting national conference when the 2015 elections, according to the electoral law, must hold by December next year. It has taken 14 years for the PDP to see the light. Are Nigerians too gullible not to see through this trickery? I hope not.
Ade Ojeikere on Saturday talk2adeojeikere@yahoo.com 08111813079 - sms only
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T is unthinkable that renowned marathoners Ethiopia will be in Brazil for the 2014 World Cup, ahead of Nigeria’s Super Eagles. True, upsets are common in soccer, but not of the magnitude that will witness Ethiopia toppling African champions Nigeria. Tufiakwa, many will say, not out of arrogance or disrespect. One isn’t expecting the Ethiopians to lie down to be slaughter. After all, they qualified from a group where many had written them off as upstarts. They have promised-as expected- to beat the Eagles in Addis Ababa. The humidity may affect the Euro-laden Eagles stars. Our players are used to cold climate. Having gone to Ethiopia during the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, they have an idea of what to expect from the fans and the undulating turf inside the stadium. But Nigerians are not new comers to high altitude matches. Beside, the NFF has pro-
Fly Eagles, fly
vided the antidote by ensuring that the team arrives in Addis Ababa Saturday morning. Eagles’ biggest challenge would not be the Ethiopians, but themselves. If they put their heart to the game and play to their potentials, the Walya Antelopes will be a stroll in the park. Ethiopian fans may have this tendency to take the law into their own hands, but they understand the game. They are very passionate about their national team, just as we do. But, if the Eagles bury their players with early goals on Sunday, the task of qualifying for Brazil 2014 would have been half-done at dusk. Victory will be guaranteed if the players work in unity. The ball should be given to the player with the clearest chance to score goals. Only goals count at the end of matches, not how well the team played or dribbled the most. From the blast of the whistle, the mandate should be clear to the Ethiopians- that we
want to beat them at home. It won’t be out of place, given our players’ pedigree. With our players’ experience, they should dictate the pace of the game. Their passes should be accurate and shots targeted at the goal post. Our players’ objective on Sunday should be to win the game in the first half with plenty of goals. Leaving the goals late could be counter-productive because the weather would have taken its toll on our Europe-based stars. A command performance from the Eagles will frustrate the Ethiopians. It will also kill their enthusiasm to fight to win the game. The challenge for the Eagles rests with how they implement the coach’s match plan and improvise when the need arises. The Eagles have struggled in most away games because of the players’ sloppiness. We watched in awe in Kigali as the Rwandans drilled our better exposed players on the game’s rudiments. It took a tongue lashing from the chief coach for the players to rise to
the occasion. Even with the harsh words from Stephen Keshi, it took the heroics of goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama to secure the barren draw result in one of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. In Monrovia, Enyeama was the villain, with his movement off the goal line, conceding two cheap goals that gave the Liberians a 2-2 draw. Those were the Eagles’ early days, many would argue. But it is important to remind the players that there should be zero tolerance for mistakes when the game begins in Addis Ababa. Keshi must field only our best players. He must read the game tactically. His changes must be spot-on. He must not hesitate to pull out any fumbling player whose replacement should play according to the coach’s instructions. The Eagles have struggled on undulating surfaces in Africa because they are scared of sustaining career-threatening injuries. You cannot blame anyone for such caution. Yet they must adapt because the platform of playing at the World Cup cannot be lost on the
•Continued on Page 62 Published and printed by Vintage Press Limited. Corporate Office: 27B Fatai Atere Way, Matori, Lagos. P.M.B. 1025, Oshodi, Lagos. Telephone: Switch Board: 01-8168361. Marketing: 01-8155547, Abuja Office: Plot 5, Nanka Close AMAC Commercial Complex, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja, Tel/07028105302 Port Harcourt Office: 12/14, Njemanze Street, Mile 1, Diobu, PH. 08023595790 `Website: www.thenationonlineng.net E-mail: saturday@thenationonlineng.com ISSN: 115-5302 Editor: DELE ADEOSUN