The Nation October 21, 2012

FLOOD Five feared drowned in Bayelsa

Gunmen kill family of seven, ex-Customs chief Boko Haram: SSS grills sect commander, probes senator

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Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

Vol.06, No. 2285

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

Ondo State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate Rotimi Akeredolu casting his vote at ward 5 unit 6 Isale Ijebu at about 12:50 pm in Owo, LG in Ondo yesterday. Photo: NIYI ADENIRAN

SUNDAY

OCTOBER 21, 2012

Labour Party (LP) candidate, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, casting his vote at Unit 20, Ward 7, Agbogbo Oke area of Ondo town at 2:15 pm yesterday: Photo: BISI OLADELE

People Democracy Party (PDP) candidate, Olusola Oke casting his votes at poll 10, standand beare Ugbo ward 3 Ondo yesterday

Ondo: Violence, logistics mar polls –PAGE 9

BUY AND WIN A BRAND NEW CAR SEE PAGE 70 FOR DETAILS

N200.00

Thugs disrupt polling in Ido-Ani, Idanre, Ifon, others Commissioner, LG boss held over arms possession ACN ahead in Ondo North, PDP Ondo South, LP Ondo Central Run-off a possibility

‘Sacked’ Kogi Speaker, ‘N300m stolen daily at 12 others petition AGF Police Pension office’ Say: ‘We were impeached –PAGE 2 with fake mace’

Recovered N36bn remitted to –PAGE 4 Federation Account

IGBOS CELEBRATE EKWUEME WITH DEMAND FOR NEW STATE –PAGE 2

NEWS Sacked Kogi Speaker, 12 others petition AGF Say: ‘We were impeached with fake mace’ From: Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

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HE sacked Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Bello and the 12 principal officers of the House who were removed recently have taken their battle for a return to office to the Federal Government.

They are seeking the intervention of the central authorities in the crisis-torn assembly.

The embattled lawmakers, in a petition to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) claimed that their purported impeachment was effected by those who removed them with a fake mace.

The petitioners spoke of a “looming crisis engulfing Kogi State House of Assembly and by extension Kogi State.” They added: In line with the tradition of the Legislature, on 30th August, 2012, the State Assembly unanimously resolved to proceed on working recess to allow the various Standing Committees of the House to undertake a holistic appraisal of the year 2012 budget.

“This is done routinely to prepare the Assembly for the laying and receipt of year 2013 Appropriation Bill which the Governor of Kogi State is expected to present late in the year.

“To our surprise and dismay, 12 out of 25 members of the House broke into the Assembly with a fake maze where upon they were said to have issued a statement for the removal of all the seven (7) principal officers of the Kogi State House of Assembly.

“It must be noted that though the members of the Assembly have the right to shorten their recess to reconvene, that can only be exercised by the Speaker of the House who shall issue an official proclamation in that regard. This I did not do to warrant them to sit at all.

“Secondly, the removal of the Speaker and his Deputy requires two-thirds majority of the total members of the Assembly which when translated into the situation of the Kogi State House of Assembly with 25 members is 17 members.

“However, only 12 members sat to carry out the purported removal of the principal officers. Kindly find attached a copy of the resolution of 13 members that passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of the House.”

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HE demand for a new state in the South East yesterday dominated the grand carnival to mark the 80th birthday of the Second Republic Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, in Enugu.

Speaker after speaker at the event where Dr. Ekwueme was elevated from his traditional chieftaincy status of Ide Aguata to Ide Ndigbo by Igbo traditional rulers said the creation of an additional state for the zone was overdue and coming now would be a befitting birthday gift for him.

President Goodluck Jonathan in a goodwill message to the veteran politician called him a living symbol of the Igbo people.

Leading the agitation for a new state was Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State who insisted that other zones should wait until the South East’s demand is met.

He said “An additional state for Ndigbo should be created first to put us at par with other zones before talking of creating states in

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

Igbos celebrate Ekwueme at 80 with demand for new state From Chris Oji, Enugu

other zones.”

The governor told Ndigbo to stop complaining about marginalization in the polity because as he put it, talking about has become obsolete.

Describing Ekwueme as a rare gift to Nigeria and Ndigbo in particular, Okorocha said: “When I grow up, I will like to be like you (Ekwueme).”

Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State, took a cue from Okorocha and emphasized the need for unity in Igboland, saying: “God blessed us with Ekwueme.

He is an all rounder who has excelled in his every endeavour.”

Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State asked Ndigbo to use the occasion to unite and start speaking

with one voice.

“Igbo have not taken their rightful position in Nigeria. When Igbo take their position in Nigeria, the country will find its direction. All it requires is for the Igbo to organize themselves and work together,” Obi said.

He described the Igbo as the pillars of Nigeria who spread out to other parts of the country to invest, build houses and live there with their families, while other Nigerians fail to come to Igboland to do likewise.

Also speaking, the President of Ohanaeze Nd’Igbo, Ambassador Ralph Uwechue, said of Ekwueme: “This man is a special gift to Igbo. His humility is exemplary. We want our youths to emulate him.”

President Jonathan, in his goodwill message, eulogized Dr. Ekwueme as a living personification of the highest ideals of patriotism and selfless service.

He lauded the celebrator’s contributions to national development over the years, saying that his “unassailable integrity and consummate diligence” have made him one of Nigeria’s most respected elder statesmen.

He said: “On the occasion of your landmark 80th birthday anniversary, I join your family, friends, and well-wishers in thanking Almighty God for the richly fulfilled life He has blessed you with.

“A thorough-bred professional, an accomplished administrator and leader of men, an epitome of the highest ideals of selfless

•Commander, 35 Artillery Brigade, Abeokuta, Brigadier General Osuji; Nii Kpobi Tettey Tsuru III La Mantse; Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and his wife, Olufunso during the conferment of the Best Security Conscious governor in West Africa on Amosun at the 9th Security Watch Awards in Accra, Ghana... at the weekend.

service and unwavering patriotism, your unassailable integrity and consummate diligence have combined to make you one of our most respected national icons today.

“Over the years, you have consistently invested the benefit of your inspiring attributes in dedicated service to our dear country, while continuing to avail our generation of leaders of your enduring wise counsel. It is my prayer that Almighty God continues to keep and prosper you even as He blesses you with robust health and a life of perpetual fulfilment,” President Jonathan wrote.

He was represented at the occasion by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.

Former Senate president, Chief Ken Nnamani, former national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, former governor of the old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo, former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife and Senator Joy Emordi also spoke at the event.

The chairman South East Traditional Rulers Council, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya on behalf of other traditional rulers in the zone announced the elevation of Dr. Ekwueme to the status of Ide Ndigbo .The formal conferment of the title will take place at a later date.

In attendance were former Minister for Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji; deputy governors of Enugu and Ebonyi states, Prof.

Chinedu Nebo, former governor of Central Bank, Dr. Charles Soludo as well as members of the National Assembly.

South South leaders warn North over violence threat

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OUTH South leaders under the auspices of Southern Mandate (SM) have lambasted former Governor of Yobe State, Senator Bukar Ibrahim, over his threat that there would be violence should President Goodluck Jonathan fail to increase budgetary allocation to the North East geo political zone.

Senator Ibrahim, in an interview, deplored what he called the paltry allocation of N50billion to the North East in next year’s budget proposals.

However, Southern Mandate, comprising political and business leaders from the South-East, South-

From Shola O’Neil, Port Harcourt

south and South-West, after an emergency meeting in Effurun, Delta State, cautioned the former governor that such pattern of intimidation and harassment of President Jonathan would no longer be tolerated by the President’s kinsmen.

They declared that no single region has a monopoly of violence.

Dr. Godwin Omene, who addressed journalists after the meeting, said: “We note with dismay the recent threat issued by Senator Bukar Ibrahim that if President Goodluck Jonathan does not allocate

more resources to the North East zone, a more violent insurgency than Boko Harm would be unleashed on Nigeria. We state that this has gone beyond mere agitation, intimidation and blackmail and has entered the domain of treasonable felony.

“He (Senator Ibrahim) should note that the North East or any part of the North for that matter, does not have exclusive right to the use of violence.

“We too, in the South and the Niger Delta in particular, are prepared to protect our son President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in this unenviable task of a nation building, transfor-

mation and national unification,” the group added.

Omene said the group and other Niger Deltans would resist any attempt by the National Assembly and some northern leaders to impeach the president.

“It is common knowledge that the Boko Haram insurgency was deliberately masterminded to create a scenario of insecurity and portray President Jonathan as incompetent to govern the country.

“President Jonathan is today considered weak and impeachable on account of the Boko Haram insurgency, and nonimplementable resolutions from a confused National

Assembly, because he has not ordered the killing of innocent people and total destruction of a town in the north over the activities of a few misguided criminals as was the case in the past,” the group added.

“We hereby state that in the face of relentless provocation by these elements of disunity, the Southern Mandate has reviewed its earlier stance of not responding to development in the interest of peace, stability and national unity.

We affirm that henceforth, we shall take commensurate measures in response to any form of attack on the interest of the South and South-South in particular.”

Column

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

Back to the future A S we await the outcome of the historic Ondo State gubernatorial polls, it is clear that there is turbulence in the House of Oduduwa.

Once again, the Yoruba political elite have arrived at one of those critical conjunctures of history. The unprecedented militarisation of Ondo State by the federal authorities in the wake of the election, the high decibel scaremongering, the level of elite rancour and mutual loathing, the arrows of hatred being shot in all directions, point at a fundamental fracturing of consensus.

When the din of political commotion has receded, when tempers have cooled, when frayed nerves have calmed considerably, we will have to resume the dialogue, if not for our own sake but for the sake of our children, for the sake of posterity and for the sake of a nation in total shambles. All the major post-independence and post-colonial crises of the Nigerian state and nation have always emanated from the old west. Once again, the omens are dark and dire.

The complete militarisation of Ondo State on the eve of its fourth gubernatorial election after the advent of

F

ROM Friday October 26th till Sunday October 29th, the cream of Yoruba intelligentsia, business elite, dominant leaders of the Yoruba progressive wing, or the Afenifere old guard as they are known , and emergent political conquistadors gathered at the alluring ambience of the Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Ibadan to map out the way forward for the Yoruba and Nigeria.

Snooper was there, and was as busy as the proverbial beetle. It was not as a learned pundit or intellectual hell-raiser, but as a humble student of history. And history was aplenty to learn from. As Solzhenitsyn, the great Russian writer has noted, there can be no greater test for a doctor than to suffer an affliction in his own speciality.

There is a crisis of intellectual initiative in contemporary Nigeria, and snooper is badly hit.

The first shock on entering the hallowed premises of the Tropical Institute was profoundly cultural, and then perhaps social and political. It is hard to imagine an oasis of rationality in a desert of disorder. But there it was in all its lush splendour. Everything worked, including the showers. The staff were polite and focused. And yet virtually all of them are Nigerians.

Less than three miles away is the urban hell of Ojoo where berserk trailers compete with its equally disturbed denizens for the laurel of lunacy. The Americans at the apex of things at the Tropical Institute would have none of this nonsense. They have created a little America in suburban Ibadan. If Ojoo and its deviant ethos were to be transported to America, the entire inhabitants would have been quarantined as a threat to national sanity.

The distinguished and illustrious Yoruba sons and daughters who thronged the Tropical Institute did not come for sight-seeing, but it helped in this particular instance to show how far Nigeria has regressed. So did a guided tour of the institute at the end of proceeding.

They came from far and wide.

From the academic community, the arms-bearing strata, the business and industrial sector , the political class, civil society spectrum and indeed from the powerful Diaspora. It was , so to say, perhaps the greatest collection of Yoruba brains since Chief Jeremiah Oyeniyi Obafemi Awolowo dined alone.

Needless to add that it was a revealing and illuminating occasion. It was also not without its great ironies.

Unlike major gatherings of the Yoruba in the past that held under an atmosphere of federal siege against the people or against the backdrop of an imminent dissolution of the federation itself, this one took place in an atmosphere of perfect tranquility.

Ironically, it was this seeming atmosphere of peace and political pla-

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nooping around With

Tatalo Alamu

•Awolowo

military rule does not bode well for the development of democracy or the deepening of civil rule. It speaks to the continuing inability of the political elite to internalise the elementary norms of democratic rule. The post-military con-

solidation of civil rule is facing its most severe test. Soldiers are already out in full force maintaining civil order in several parts of the nation. Gradually, a significant section of the old north is coming under informal military rule.

Slowly but inexorably, the entire country is being placed on a war footing.

In the old west, a bitter confrontation and rearguard rallying is unfolding between the new dominant tendency of the Yoruba and the old hegemonic forces in alliance with disaffected fractions of the Yoruba intelligentsia and the inevitable mainstream mensahib. A regular feature of Yoruba political infighting is for the emaciated and emasculated faction to hide under federal might to cause mayhem in their own fatherland. Given recent disturbing signals, will the old Afenifere grandees go in the same direction, destroying all they have fought for in the twilight of their career?

We speak with caution and circumspection. Exactly five years ago, the cream of the Yoruba political and eco-

nomic elite together with their intelligentsia gathered in Ibadan for a historic reapproachment. In a famous riposte at the gathering, Chief Olu Falae noted that fighting ends when fighting itself is tired and exhausted. (O tire ija) But it is obvious that given Chief Falae’s recent vitriolic and volcanic outbursts that fighting is far from exhausted. On the contrary, it is bearish and bullish. What went wrong between October 2007 and October 2012?

When a child falters and falls, it looks instinctively at what lies in front.

But when elders stumble and fall, they cast a glance backwards. This morning snooper takes a retrospective look at the immediate past as a prelude to confronting the future. We republish the report of the Ibadan deliberations which took place exactly five years ago this week.

Thinking the unthinkable

cidity that increased the background anxiety. Coming after eight years of sustained assault on law and order, on political rationality, on the fundament of the federation by a power mafia led by a Yoruba son and culminating in an election marked by spectacular fraud, the joke was on the Yoruba elite.

This time around there was no Kaduna mafia to rail at. There were no Hausa-Fulani hegemonists to harangue and harass. The caliphate supremacists have retreated into their dark laagers, battered and badgered into submission by the militarised might of a monster state. Having contributed their own quota to the stunning incompetence and malevolence of the Nigerian state, there was a lot to be modest about for the Yoruba elite.

If a bungling old soldier, a combatively incompetent autocrat, was all they could contribute to moving the nation forward, then why have they been disturbing the peace of the nation for 40 years? For the Yoruba, the enemy is not abroad. The enemy is within.

In such circumstances, it was to be expected, and also perfectly rational, that Obafemi Awolowo should loom large. And the sage from Ikenne was there in all his commodious and overpowering presence. Awolowo hovered over the conference like a presiding deity and spiritual paterfamilias. He dominated the proceedings, and at every turn, his illustrious name was invoked like a timeless talisman.

It is a measure of Awolowo’s stature as a politician and philosopher that 20 years after his death, it has proved impossible to move Nigeria or the Yoruba nation forward without first coming to terms with his prognosis and prognostications. Just as it has proved impossible for the capitalist world to move forward without first coming to terms with Karl Marx’s historic hectoring, it is impossible to think Nigeria without first thinking through Awolowo. But since Nigeria has been in permanent denial as far as Awo is concerned, the best thing is to leave Nigeria severely alone until we all come to our senses.

That being said, Awolowo remains the greatest Yoruba man in recorded history. But just as the late twentieth century was to prove that despite his devastating critique, Karl Marx was nothing but a great closet capitalist, it may yet be that when Awolowo’s ideas are fully implemented, he would be seen as the greatest closet Nigerian, contrary to the impression of his many traducers who dismiss him as a tribalist.

It was not surprising that the surviving Awolowo lieutenants were there in their full strength. These are the titans and grandees of the struggle for the emancipation of the Yoruba within the federation of Nigeria. History will

accordingly note their heroic stance and principled refusal when it mattered most. The last five years must have been a nightmare for them, having seen their flock dispersed and their influence dramatically whittled down.

And so they sat in suburbia Ibadan hunched with fright and disoriented by looming political irrelevance. Despite the occasional sabre rattling by the most rambunctious of them, it was clear that the fire has gone out of the belly of the old men. Their 2003 capitulation to Obasanjo was historic in the sense that it was an acute reading of the handwriting on the wall and of the mood of the sophisticated Yoruba political mob.

Having studied them at close quarters between 1999 and 2003, Obasanjo forcibly appropriated their mantra as defender of Yoruba interests without provoking massive revolt and animosity from his northern patrons. Thereafter, Obasanjo raided their ammunition dump to the bargain. If you say you are

“M

AY we know you, please?” one of the interviewers, a born charmer, opened with smiles and easy charm.

“If you no sabi Okon, wetin you dey do here? See me see trouble oo”, Okon demanded.

“No, no, we mean can you tell us about your background?”, the poor fellow added.

“Aha”, Okon began in an expansive mood. “My back no dey for ground ooo. I tell you ten Yoruba wrestlers no fit do dat. But my name be Okon Anthony Okon, my father be Uzor James Uzor. We don dey live for Slessor’s street so tey. I come from Calabar. My father come from Calabar. Him papa come from Calabar.

Him own papa come from Calabar.

Him own papa come from Calabar.

Dem papa come from Calabar. Dem papa come…”

“Enough of this rubbish and drivel”, the mean looking chap screamed.

“Na your papa be rubbish and driver. My own papa be palm wine tapper”.

“What? I’m gonna take out this stinking asshole”, the mean one scowled and was about to get up.

“Twenty of you no fit. If I no wan go out, you no fit take me”, Okon shouted as he began an elaborate war ritual.

“John sit down”, the leader of the team ordered the surly one with full authority.

At this point, the fellow in traditional costume who had been eyeing everybody with mirth and relish got up and started singing an ancient

the defender of Yoruba interests against northern domination, here is a Yoruba son who is providentially positioned to do it much better and with vast federal resources too.

Reading the script correctly but fatally was Bola Ige who was on the verge of resigning from the federal cabinet in order to quarantine his beloved South West from the PDP power-mongers even while conceding the centre to Obasanjo. But by then, the great Cicero himself had done enough to undermine and hobble the AD and had also supplied enough ammunition for his own demystification to Obasanjo.

It would have been a nasty dogfight indeed with Ige in a lose, lose situation. Thereafter, the west succumbed to internal conquest by a mafia that knows everything about power but nothing about its responsibility. The result is the political regression and underdevelopment that stare us in the face today.

But you cannot step into the same river twice. If Awolowo himself were to be alive today, he would have had to reinvent himself severally and severely to take on board new political realities. Brilliantly proactive as usual even while holding dismal cards, Awolowo saw this when he retired from active politics in 1983.

Something tells this columnist that time is up for the Awoist old guard.

But among the Yoruba there is a protocol for the retirement of elders.

Snooper will not support the old men being harassed and harried into humiliating political dotage. Let them take their time in a dignified exit. We must learn from the crisis of the last eight years and even from Obasanjo’s iconoclastic intervention, whether we like him or not. Having proved themselves to be human and fallible if the old men are expecting instant obeisance from the new generation of progressive Yoruba political warlords, they are in for a rude shock.

Okon speaks on Awo Yoruba tune.

Eyin te maja wa (Those who have brought the mad dog) E mo’kun ko le oo ( Do not relax the tight leash) Eyin te mu were wa (Those who have brought the madman) E ma jo’kun o ja (Do not let the leash snap).

Everybody, including Okon, started laughing, and the interview got on an even keel all over again. The man in traditional dress sat down, beaming with mischief.

“Prince Okon, can you tell us about your father?”the great charmer asked in a soothing and rather unctuous manner.

“Ha, my papa, my papa, may god receive am if he don quench becos one day he come disappear say he wan go fight dem French for Bakassi but mama say na Owerri agaracha wey come turn him head with Ofe nsala.

But na better palm wine tapper. Na him dey supply Awolowo with palm wine when he dey Calabar prison. At times sef, the Yoruba wizard go vamoose from prison to come drink palm wine”.

There was total silence. Everybody was stunned by the gale of the revelation. It was the surly chap who recovered the initiative and went on the offensive.

“That sounds to me like a load of shitty crap”, he moaned under his breath as the leader whipped him with his eyes into quick compliance.

“Prince Okon, what we are saying is that Chief Awolowo was a tee-

totaller”, the leader opened cautiously.

“Taller than who? I beg no vex me oo”, Okon said as he sprang up.

“Awolowo na short man, he no tall pass anybody”.

“Asiwere. (Madman)”, the man in traditional costume said with a superior smile. He seemed to have a full measure of Okon as the Calabar rogue avoided him.

“Prince Okon, what we mean is that Awolowo never drank or smoked”, the leader offered with a calm mien.

“No be dat you for say? All dis gbamugbamu grammar I no dey.

Abi no be the yeye Sina boy who say grammar no be success? But you Yoruba people, I no get your problem. Anything that Awolowo man tell you you take am as if god don speak. Yeye people wey dey worship one man”.Okon said with a deflated look.

“All right, all right. What do you think about the last census?” the leader asked Okon with all authority.

“Which census? No be di thing we dey talk about for dis yeye kontri? You count all dem camel and cattle for dem north finish, you count all the oporoku and dem anoya people for the east, you count all dem Yoruba bush meat and goat finish but you no fit count all dem fish and shark for Calabar creek. So dat one na census?”, Okon snapped. Everybody started laughing, except Okon who wore an angry frown.

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Former Muammar Gaddafi spokesman captured BRITISH-EDUCATED Libyan who became the public face of the Col Muammer Gaddafi’s regime during its final months has been captured in or near the loyalist town of Bani Walid, Libya’s caretaker deputy premier and military figures announced on Saturday.

Musa Ibrahim, said to be a member of Col Gaddafi’s clan, was among the most curious characters that emerged during the conflict between the deposed regime and Nato-backed rebels now dominating the oil-rich country.

Militiamen from the city of Misurata say he was captured exactly a year to the date after Col Gaddafi’s capture and death. Mr Ibrahim’s capture, if confirmed, could further embolden militiamen who have ignored the weak civilian leadership in Tripoli and a launched a multipronged attack on Bani Walid to rid it of alleged Gaddafi loyalists to avenge the death of one of their own.

The capture, first posted to a Facebook news page used by Misurata rebels, attributed news of the capture to Lotfi Amin, described as a Libyan army official. Caretaker deputy Prime Minister Mustafa Abushagur later confirmed the capture on his Mr Ibrahim was alleged caught while trying to escape from Bani Walid to Tarhouna another nearby loyalist stronghold. A report later said he had been transferred to Mitiga air base in Tripoli.

Previous reports of Mr Ibrahim’s capture turned out to be false. But a Libyan television channel said it would soon air images of the captive During the civil war last year, Mr Ibrahim appeared frequently on television to defend the regime while staying at the luxury Tripoli hotel that housed many international journalists.

Sporting a crisp British accent, he voiced a hard line against the rebels, often adopting the rhetoric of Col Gaddafi in referring to the rebel fighters as “gangs” and criminals.

He could often be seen in the lobby and cafés of the Rixos Hotel, hobnobbing with journalists or strolling with his German wife and infant son, who accompanied him to Libya during his stint as the regime’s most public face.

He disappeared following the August 2011 collapse of Gaddafi’s rule in Tripoli but later posted defiant messages and audio footage.

A

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

News

Gunmen kill family of seven, ex-customs chief I

T was a black Saturday in Potiskum, Yobe State yesterday after gunmen suspected to be members of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, killed an employee of Potiskum Local Government and his six children.

They also abducted and killed a retired comptroller of Customs in Katsina State, Mr. Ajiya Waziri Golili.

Killed along with him, according to the police, was his doctor son, Ibrahim.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Patrick Egbuniwe, also confirmed the killing by slaughtering, of a former police officer yesterday in Potiskum, the largest commercial city in Yobe State.

The killings were the lat-

From Duku JOEL, Damaturu

est in a week marked by a bloody confrontation between the sect and the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the state between Thursday and Friday.

It was gathered that the gunmen numbering 10 forced their way into the late Golili’s residence at Nahuta on Gombe Road at about 3am, ransacked all the rooms and carted away a large sum of money.

“They came in a large number, broke the door and entered the house. They searched all the rooms in the house, collected money and his wives’ jewellery. They insisted on going away with the late Golili but his son Ibrahim resisted,” one

source said.

“They finally succeeded in overpowering the helpless son and tied him and his father, dragged them outside along Fika Road and shot them in cold blood.”

Egbuniwe said: “The report I got from my DPO was that the retired customs officer was abducted with his son in the house and taken away and killed. His house was also burnt down.”

Father and son were buried yesterday according to Islamic rites after prayers at the Central Mosque close to the Emir of Fika’s palace.

Many described the late Ajiya as a simple, humble and easy going person who enjoyed assisting the less privileged. The Thursday attack left several public schools in Potiskum in ru-

ins.

These include Iqra and Al-Furqan, an Islamic School, Sabon Layi Primary School, Buraima Primary School, Chadi Primary School, FCE Staff School and Business and Engineering Skills Centre.

Potiskum Local Government Secretariat including some residences were also burnt into ashes by the gunmen.

Hospital officials in the town said the wave of attacks has left at least 23 people dead.

FG votes N23.6bn for Niger Delta militants • Reneges on judgement debt

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•Gov. Theodore Orji of Abia State being received at the venue of the lecture by Hon. (Capt.)

George Ntojo, Mp Hq Central as Prof. Henri Fouche' of the University of South Africa (middle) looks on during the 2012 Annual Security Watch Africa Lecture at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel Accra, Ghana. Photo Ibeabuchi Abarikwu

THE coming year is looking good for the former Niger Delta militants with the Federal Government earmarking N23.6billion for their stipends. Thirty thousand of them are expected to share the amount.

Another N35.4billion will be spent on what government calls re-integration of transformed ex-militants and N3.699billion for the presidential amnesty programme.

Government is also going back on its promise not to settle judgement debts after the 2012 fiscal year.

It plans to spend N7billion next year to settle such debts.

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala had vowed that Federal Government would not settle judgment debts beyond this year be-

‘N300m stolen daily at Police Pension office’

A

BOUT N300million is looted daily from the Police Pension funds, the Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Force, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, has said .

The task force has already remitted N36billion of the recovered funds to the Federation Account.

Maina while on a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, said 120 properties acquired with money stolen from the funds have also been seized.

The commission’s Head of Media, Mr. Folu Olamiti, in a statement, said: “The Reform Task Team said it had covered some grounds in the fight against Pension Funds thieves. It disclosed that it was able to uncover a fraud to the tune of N36 billion within the Police Pension Funds Office, alone.

“It said it had remitted the whole sum to the purse of the federation, while seizing about 120 properties allegedly acquired with stolen pension funds by the cabals.

• Recovered N36bn remitted to Federation Account FROM: Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

Maina said investigations by members of his team had revealed that the cabals in the Police Pension Office were in the habit of stealing up to N300 million on a daily basis through fictitious cheques prepared in the names of fake pensioners.

“He said investigations into the Police Pension Office were still ongoing, disclosing that his team had covered 40 percent of investigations into the pension funds scam.

“A member of the Pension Task Team, who is also a former member of the House of Representatives, Ngozika Ihuoma, told ICPC about similar fraud with Local Government Pension Funds, disclosing that from 1976 till date, a total of N3.3 trillion had been deducted from the funds without proper accountability.”

The breakthrough recorded by the Pension Task Team on recovery of stolen

pension funds is said to have started attracting the attention of the Presidency following a formal invitation extended to the Chairman by the Economic Management Team for special briefing.

Mr.Olamiti said: “According to Maina, President Jonathan had personally invited the Pension Task Team to brief the Economic Management Team on its achievements so far, most especially the e-pension model the Team had developed to reduce stealing of pension funds across the country.

“Maina thanked President Goodluck Jonathan and the ICPC for the support both have been throwing behind the Task Team, just as he appealed for further support from the government of Nigeria on how to rid the pension departments in Nigeria of fraudulent cabals.

“He disclosed that he has continued to receive death threats from those he suspected as Pension funds

The deaths resulted from a series of explosions and shootings that began on Thursday.

Residents said several buildings were destroyed in the region, which has been targeted in previous attacks by the militant group.

Earlier this month, Human Rights Watch said Boko Haram had committed “widespread and systematic murder and persecution” in attacks on government agents, Christians and moderate Muslims. However, the U.S.-based group also said the Nigerian government had engaged in abuses while fighting the militant group.

The rights group called for the International Criminal Court to examine the actions of both sides in the conflict.

cabals, recalling the recent mail sent to him, threatening to bomb the office of the Pension Reform Task Team.”

The ICPC chairman, Nta, said the consistent pilfering of pension funds by officials of government could cause a major national disaster.

According to the statement, Nta said “since pensioners were in every home in the country, the idea of denying them their rights and entitlements through stealing of their pension could put pressure on the national economy.

“He observed that the stealing of pension funds easily attracted irreversible curses on perpetrators.

“He assured the Pension Task Team of preparedness

by ICPC to support the fight against stealing of pension funds in Nigeria, promising to partner with the National Television Authority (NTA) and the Africa Independent Television (AIT) in a Special Forum on Pension Funds.”

Nduka Chiejina Assistant Editor

cause they usually eat deep into public funds.

In 2012, the National Assembly appropriated N11 billion for the settlement of judgment debts, N1billion less than government’s request.

Under the consolidated revenue funds charges for 2013, the executive arm is asking for N13 billion to settle external financial obligations, N15 billion for job creation, N23.6 billion as stipends and allowances for 30,000 Niger Delta ex-militants, N35.4 billion for reintegration of transformed exmilitants and N3.699 billion as operational cost for the presidential amnesty programme.

Next year, the federal government has budgeted N5.1 billion for recurrent adjustments N1.9 billion to settle arrears of monetisation, N2.5 billion to insure sensitive assets and youth corps members, N2.3 billion to settle the entitlements of former presidents, heads of state, vice presidents and chiefs of general staff, and N2.599 billion as benefits of retired heads of the civil service of the federation and federal permanent secretaries and N11 billion as group life insurance for all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

To settle domestic debts, government is asking for N38 billion to settle local contractors’ debts, N75 billion is proposed to be spent on the payment of maturing domestic debts bonds, another N25 billion to be paid into the sinking fund for retiring future matured bonds, N8 billion for gas revolution initiative, and N5.7 billion to compensate victims of the 2011 election violence and civil disturbances (damage done to public properties and places of worship).

In addition, government is proposing to spend N45 billion on the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), N20 billion to be refunded to states for the rehabilitation of federal roads.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

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HE Joint Task Force (JTF) in Rivers State yesterday shot dead one of the alleged brains behind Thursday’s killing of a student of the University of Port Harcourt and two others at Rumuchakara, Choba, a host community of the institution.

Operatives of the JTF, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, also arrested three others suspected to have taken part in the killing of the 300 level female undergraduate identified as Bere Aghagha; a member of Batch “C” National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Gabriel Akinbayo, who passed out in Port Harcourt earlier that day and Kennedy Okodhi.

Two other members of the gang reportedly escaped with gunshot wounds.

The hoodlums opened fire on their victims at about 9:45 pm on Thursday soon after celebrating Akinbayo’s completion of his national service.

It was gathered that the security outfit which launched an immediate manhunt for the killers tracked them to their hideout at Choba at 1:45 am and intercepted their operational vehicle, a Toyota Avalon, with registration number Kano: AG 320

News

UNIPORT: JTF guns down students killer • Arrests three others • Identities of victims revealed by JTF From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt MDB. A gun battle soon ensued resulting in the death of one of the hoodlums and the arrest of another.

The Public Relations Officer of the 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, Major Michael Etete, paraded the suspects yesterday.

Etete stated that after the shoot-out, two young men suspected to be members of the gang, came on rescue mission in another Toyota Avalon car, with registration number Rivers: AU 207 PHC, but were arrested at Choba Junction bringing the number of arrested killers to three.

The army PRO pledged that efforts were being intensified to apprehend the two fleeing gunmen.

Items recovered from the

hoodlums included two Toyota Avalon cars, four AK-47 rifles, 16 magazines, and many rounds of live ammunition, six mobile telephone handsets and three driver’s licences.

Thursday’s killings happened barely two weeks after four undergraduates of UNIPORT were murdered at Omuokiri-Aluu, Ikwerre LGA, another host community of the university.

Thirteen persons arrested in connection with the lynching have been charged to court The Vice-Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, stated that only justice would satisfy the bereaved families and members of the public that watched the October 5 gory lynching of four students of the university, while pleading for calm.

Ajienka said: “We want

Protesters gather on motorbikes at a road block of burning tires in the northern Lebanese city for Tripoli yesterday, as they demonstrate against the murder of General Wissam al-Hassan in a car bombing in the capital Beirut the day before.

Photo: AFP

to be sure that our students and staff, who live in the host communities, would be guaranteed of their

safety and harmonious relationship with their landlords, as used to be the case.

“Many of our staff and students no longer feel safe in the Aluu neighbourhood.

I have a responsibility to all of them. In a society that is governed by the rule of law, we all expect that everybody that is directly or remotely connected with the heinous murder of our students will be speedily brought to book, to serve as a deterrent to others, who may wish to follow such unacceptable conduct.”

FLOOD: Five feared drowned in Bayelsa • Bayelsa is cut off, Dickson cries out

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IVE persons were feared drowned yesterday on Epie Creek, near Yenagoa, Bayelsa State after two canoes collided in the raging flood in the state.

The victims were mainly artisans.

One body had been retrieved at press time.

Eye witnesses said one of the canoes was paddled by a woman.

A survivor who refused to disclose his name said he was in one of the canoes with his friends when the accident occurred.

According to him, when the two boats collided, the occupants of his boat, which included his three friends drowned, while he held on the canoe until sympathisers came to his rescue.

“As my friends drowned I held to the canoe.

People saw me and came to rescue me,” he said adding, “My friends don’t know how to swim, even me.”

Three of the victims were identified as Abiola, a panel beater; Obisco, a mechanic; and Isiaka a driver.

Isiaka’s body was retrieved shortly after the incident while divers brought in by government were searching for the others.

Meanwhile, Governor Seriake Dickson has warned those in charge of relief materials for flood victims not to make it a business affair.

Governor Dickson who got to the scene of the accident while on a tour of

Isaac Ombe, Yenagoa

camps for those displaced by flood ordered immediate supply of life jackets to boat transporters around the area, and warned against overloading of canoes.

He warned transporters to ensure that passengers use life jackets before they are conveyed across the Creek.

Members of the community have decried the noncompletion of a bridge being constructed by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The bridge has been under construction for over two years now.

“If this bridge which has been under construction since 2010 had been was completed this wouldn’t have happened,” a member of the community told the governor.

At the Igbogene flood Victims Camp, the governor said: “Nobody should expect to make money out of this flood situation. This is an emergency period. The East/ West road is blocked, nothing comes into this state from Port Harcourt, nothing comes from Warri- Ughelli side. This state has been cut off for a long time,” he said.

“The whole state is a camp; the state is in an emergency situation. The whole of the state is a refugee camp, even in Yenagoa you have a camp that is almost ten, and I am addressing all of them.

It is a major problem.”

Boko Haram: Security agencies grill sect commander, probe Senator • Suspect was not arrested in my residence but he is my nephew, says Senator

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ECURITY agencies yesterday in Abuja began the interrogation of a Boko Haram Commander, Shuaibu Mohammed Bama, who was allegedly arrested in the house of a serving Senator, Ahmed Khalifa Zanna, on Thursday in Maiduguri.

The agencies are also probing the activities of the Senator on his relationship with the Boko Haram Commander.

But Senator Zanna said the Commander was not arrested at his residence, contrary to the claim of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Borno State.

The Boko Haram leader was picked up on Thursday in a house on Damboa in Maiduguri.

From: Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

A source said: “We have started interrogating the sect Commander and so far he has given useful information to security agencies.

“When some operatives of the JTF stormed the Senator’s residence, some members of his immediate family confirmed that Bama is a relation of the Senator.”

The source however claimed that despite the denial of the Senator, his activities are being probed.

He said: “The ongoing probe will determine the level of his culpability. We will then be able to determine whether we should arrest him or not. But so far, we are looking at the activi-

ties of the Senator.

“For a while, the Senator, from Borno Central, had been placed under surveillance following repeated security reports of his alleged link with one of the Boko Haram leaders.

“As a matter of fact, a former Commissioner of Police in Borno once claimed that some of the loyalists of the Senator had links with Boko Haram.

“But security agencies became curious when the Senator was persistently speaking to BBC, VOA and other international media calling for the withdrawal of soldiers from Borno State.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “No one is declaring the Senator guilty but certainly for a

Boko Haram Commander to be linked to him, security agencies cannot gloss over it.

“When we finish preliminary findings, the public will be briefed accordingly. But so far, the latest arrest confirmed our suspicion that the Boko Haram menace had insider’s knowledge.”

Senator Zanna only confirmed that the Boko Haram Commander is his nephew.

He denied that the suspect was in his house.

He said: “They said they arrested the man in the house of a lawmaker in Damboa Road, and there is no any lawmaker in Damboa Road except me.

“They did not arrest him in my house, they went to my house but did not find him,

and instead they arrested children in my house and put them inside the hot sun and started beating them. And they asked them whether they knew Shuaibu Bama, and one of the boys answered yes. He then took them to where they arrested Shuaibu Bama.

“Shuaibu Bama is a son of my sister. But the lie is what they are saying that they arrested him in my house, which is a lie. And we cannot hide or harbour a Boko Haram sect member.

“And since he was not arrested in my house, they should go and investigate his relationship with people they arrested him in their house. I don’t know anything about it and just heard yesterday.”

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Fitch affirms Nigeria’s BB rating, says outlook is stable

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ITCH Ratings has affirmed Nigeria’s Long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) at ‘BB-’ and ‘BB’ respectively with a Stable Outlook.

The agency has also affirmed Nigeria’s Shortterm foreign currency IDR at ‘B’. The Country Ceiling has been affirmed at ‘BB-’.

The affirmation reflects progress on a number of fronts including a tighter fiscal stance, an improvement in electricity supply, increased agricultural output which has helped reduce imports, and an increase in international reserves.

Nonetheless, the reinvigoration of structural reforms has yet to feed through to a higher growth rate and weaknesses including a vulnerability to oil price shocks, high inflation and governance challenges weigh on the rating.

The partial elimination of the petroleum subsidy in January sent a strong message about the government’s reformist intentions.

Although the move did not go as far as originally planned, it is an important step in the right direction.

Moreover, the political furore it prompted paved the way for a clean-up of the subsidy payment system and crack down on the inefficiencies and fraud that have been uncovered.

This has brought important gains to government revenues and international reserves, including the Excess Crude Account (ECA) which has risen to USD8bn this year.

The reforms have yet to have a noticeable impact on GDP growth. Growth has slowed this year, averaging 6.2% in H112, compared to an average 7.4% in 20092011. Fitch believes the slowdown is temporary, affected by security and weather problems which have particularly affected agriculture.

A recovery to 7% or more should be possible next year. However, there is no sign yet that growth is moving to a higher plain, which should happen as the reforms take hold.

The banking system is also still convalescing, with credit growth barely positive in real terms due to high interest rates, limited lending opportunities and improved risk management.

A redraft of the longdelayed Petroleum Investment Bill was recently submitted to parliament. The prolonged debate of this key piece of legislation, affecting a vital sector of Nigeria’s economy, has brought major uncertainty and been detrimental to investment. Passage of a bill that achieves the goal of a progressive fiscal framework while encouraging investment would be credit positive.

6

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

News

Kano withdraws from malaria control loan From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

K

ANO state governor, Engr.

Rabiu Kwankwaso, has directed the Ministry of Health to work out modalities towards exiting a $27 million loan obtained from the World Bank for a malaria control project by the previous administration.

He stated that the directive became imperative because the state has enough funds to cater for health concerns of citizens.

The governor, who spoke while exchanging views with the World Bank Country Director in Nigeria, MarieFrancoise Marie-Nelly, during a visit said: “As matter of policy, the state government is not taking any loan. What government is getting presently is enough to manage our health challenges.”

Kwankwaso, however, explained that exiting from the loan does not mean discarding the programme.

He assured the government will single- handedly fund the programme if it is found worthy of continuation.

He recalled his administration did not obtain loan during his first tenure, pointing out that Kano has no compelling need to borrow for now.

Kwankwaso, however, maintained his administration is favourably disposed to grants and projects, which could be executed through counterpart funding.

Nigeria gets new regulations to combat environmental disasters F T

Kalu offers loans to Nigerian businesses in DRC

HE National Environmental Standards Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has introduced four regulations to combat the menace of flooding ravaging several parts of the country.

They were rolled out at the Annual Regulatory Dialogue held in Abuja.

The Minister of Environment, Mrs. Hadiza Mailafia, attributed the menace of flooding disaster to non-compliance with set regulations.

She said: “The environment functions as source of raw materials and energy, a provider of services

From: Olugbenga Adanikin and Faith Yahaya, Abuja

such as maintenance of climatic system and ecological cycle and a sink for waste, unfortunately, the functions of the ecosystem are under threat arising particularly from disregard for environmental laws and regulations.’’

She explained the new regulations include: National Environmental (Quarrying and blasting species) regulations, 2012; National Environmental (pulp and paper, wood and wood products) regulations 2012; National Environmental (Motor

vehicle assembly and miscellaneous assembly) regulations, 2012 and National Environmental (alien and invasive species) regulations.

Mailafia, who was represented by Dr. Modupe Odubela, described environmental regulations as a body of rules that ensures sustainable use of resources and for the social and economic development of the society.

According to her, environmental protection flows from a principle of a moral and ethical belief that citizens should protect the air, water and land.

“Environmental governance is not all about government. As citizens of this country, we have a key role to play in promoting environmental governance and in ensuring a cleaner and healthier environment,’’ she added.

The Director General of NESREA, Mrs. Ngeri Benebo, stated that the laws are to ensure full compliance with environmental regulations.

She called for collective efforts, stressing that the guideline will place all stakeholders on the same page as individuals, government, academia, and corporate body.

Lagos deputy whip condemns Kogi impeachments

By Oziegbe Okoeki

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‘Why South East roads are bad’

By Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

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EDERAL roads in the South East are in deplorable conditions because the contractors handling them cannot access funds allocated for the projects, the member representing Awgu/Aniri/ Oji River Federal Constituency of Enugu State, Hon. Toby Okechukwu, has stated.

He spoke over the weekend when he led some members on oversight function of some federal roads in Abia.

None of the contractors handling the AhiaukwuUmuajata and OlokoroIkwuano roads, including their workers were on sites when the lawmakers visited.

It was learnt they abandoned work several months ago for lack of mobilisation fund.

12 cultural centres for commissioning

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HE Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, High Chief Edem Duke, will commission 12 cultural centres built across the nation next week.

During the commissioning on October 30, the keys to the centres will be handed over to state governments for effective management.

The centres are sited at: Ibi and Bali, Taraba State; Inyi, Enugu Sate; Abeokuta and Odeda, Ogun State; Auchi, Edo State; Owo, Ondo State; Sokoto, Sokoto State and Gidan Ajia, Orozo, FCT.

ORMER Abia State governor, Chief Orji Kalu, has launched a foundation in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to provide soft loans to Nigerian businessmen.

The Project Coordinator, Mr. Ozon Ife, at the official unveiling of the foundation in Kinshasa, capital of DRC, said the initiative is to mitigate the economic hardship Nigerians faced in financing their businesses in DRC. He described the initiative as a timely intervention that will provide opportunities for Nigerians to engage in lawful businesses.

Chief Orji Kalu said the initiative has achieved great success in Nigeria and other African countries.

He advised all Nigerians irrespective of tribe, religion and sex, to explore the rare opportunity in growing their businesses and investments in Nigeria and DRC. He recalled how he borrowed a penny from his mum for his trading business, which has now grown to an international empire with interest in banking, insurance, oil and gas, aviation, real estate, trading, hotels.

He admonished business owners to be steadfast and persevere in their business drive and vision.

•Cross section of the senior army officers and heads of Army formations during an interactive session with the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on the new Lagos Road Traffic Law at the 81 Division Nigerian Army, Auditorium, Onikan, Lagos, on Saturday, October 20, 2012. INSET: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN (right) addressing the army officers.

‘Why treaties Act must be reviewed’

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HE House of Representatives is seeking amendments to treaties making procedure Act to avert another fiasco similar to the Green Tree Agreement (GTA) which saw the ceding of the Bakassi Peninsular to Cameroon.

The House Committee Chairman on Treaties and Agreements, Hon. Ekundayo Bush-Alebiosu, made this known at a public hearing on the Amendment of the Treaties making procedure Act Cap T20, 2004 last week.

He said the Act was overdue for review, citing how the National Assembly and the Executive sang discordant tunes during the Bakassi saga.

The lawmaker, who represents Kosofe Federal Constituency of Lagos, said both arms of government must agree on the components and consequences of any treaty before signing.

Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, who declared the public hearing opened, said the Attorney – General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, must brief the committee on the status of all bilateral and multilateral treaties pending with the presidency.

He lamented that several treaties have not been domesticated and ratified by the Na-

By Sunday Oguntola

tional Assembly in line with section 12 of the 1999 Constitution.

Tambuwal, who was represented by The Deputy House Leader, Hon. Leo Ogor, said such treaties do not carry the force of the law until they are ratified.

Sponsor of the bill, Hon. Emmanuel Jime, said Nigeria needs better treaties Act to pro-

tect national interests.

He disclosed that only the active participation of the National Assembly could create a seamless and faultless treaty because of the need for checks and balances.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Professor Bola Akinterinwa, commended the drive of the committee in seeking review of the treaties making procedure.

The exercise, he said, will ensure wider participation of several interests and stakeholders before treaties are signed on behalf of Nigeria.

Akinterinwa faulted the position of the Attorney-General of the Federation that the procedure does not need any amendment.

He argued that leaving treaties alone in the hand of the Executive will be counter-productive.

IPMAN executive jailed in Saudi for drug trafficking

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UTHORITIES of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have sentenced a Nigerian and executive member of the Kwara State Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to six months in prison for cocaine trafficking.

The embattled petroleum marketer (name withheld) went on lesser hajj last August with his wife en route Kano.

He allegedly hid the suspected substance inside the yam flour neatly packaged in his travelling bag.

But Saudi security officials allegedly fished out the substance from where it was stuck.

When interrogated by se-

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

curity personnel, the IPMAN executive was said to have owned up while his wife was instantly set free.

He was said to have been convicted immediately according to Saudi laws.

It was gathered the development automatically prevented him from performing the lesser hajj.

Friends and relations could not ascertain his whereabouts until the wife was said to have contacted them on the development.

It was also gathered authorities of the Saudi Arabia government had communicated the decision to the leadership of IPMAN in Kwara state.

Not a few members of the association have expressed dismay over the development, describing it as unfortunate.

A member of the state executive of IPMAN, who craved anonymity, confirmed the development.

He said zonal and national offices of IPMAN had taken steps to fill the vacant seat.

A member of the executives said it is morally wrong for the association to allow an ex-convict to return to office.

The source said, “the move for his replacement would serve as a lesson to the people, particularly the members.”

It was gathered he had commenced serving the jail term, which ends in December, since August.

EPUTY Whip of the Lagos House of Assembly, Hon. Rotimi Abiru, has described the impeachment of the speaker and other principal officers of the Kogi House of Assembly as a hoax and shameful.

Abiru spoke with reporters last Friday in his office.

Declaring that the exercise cannot stand, he said: “It is obviously instigated by the state executive that is not happy with the leadership of the House for refusing to dance to its tune.’’

According to him: “The Minority Leader of Kogi House of Assembly, Yori Afolabi, had earlier alerted the nation of an alleged N15 million largesse dangled before the lawmakers by the executive for the impeachment of the speaker.

“How can a 25 member House that requires two/third majority impeach a 12- member body of principal officers?

Does it mean that the speaker also voted for his impeachment? Obviously due process was not followed.”

Police arrest 13 suspected cultists From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

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HE Cross River State Police Command has arrested 13 suspected cultists.

The state police commissioner, Mr Osita Ezechukwu, yesterday said they were rounded up by his men while going for initiation of new members in Akpabuyo.

He said: “Some cult members were arrested and recovered from them was one locally made pistol and implements used by cultists. We arrested them about three days ago. They even confessed that they were going for initiation in Akpabuyo.”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21 , 2012

Amaechi to enforce free education come 2013

By Ozolua Uhakheme Assistant Editor (Arts)

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ROM next year, it will be criminal for parents in Rivers State not to send their children to school.

Governor Rotimi Amaechi stated this yesterday at the special children presentation during the 2012 edition of Garden City Literary Festival (GCLF).

He disclosed that a bill will soon be passed into law by the House of Assembly to make primary and secondary education compulsory in the state. An agency, he added, will soon be set up to assess the standard of primary and secondary schools and the quality of education provided for the children.According to him: “As from next year, it is a crime not to send your children to school because education is free.”Education is compulsory in Rivers State and it is key to our administration’s policy.”

He observed that many schools in the state are currently in bad shape and need upgrading.Amaechi vowed that anyone that does not meet the standard would be closed down.

News

Why Nigeria is economically stagnant, by Daniel T

Flood: MDGs to scale up cash transfer scheme

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

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ORMER Ogun State governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has traced the dwindling fortunes of the nation’s economy to the many leakages that give room for wastages and poor management.

Daniel, who spoke in Abuja on Friday night when he was honoured as a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Economists, also noted that the nation’s accountants should share part of the blame.

He argued they have failed to give proper advice that could make the economy grow.

Also honoured at the

From Yomi Odunuga, Abuja Bureau Chief

event were Prof Ajagbe Toriola of the Lead University, Ibadan and Otunba Obey Akinlaja of the Nigeria Agip Oil Company, Ogun State.

Daniel said: “When I was informed that I’ve been invited to chair the occasion, I couldn’t understand why because I’m not an economist, a serving governor or holding any current public position.

“The bane of our challenge as a nation, despite 52 years of our independence, is because our economy hasn’t been properly managed.

“As governor for eight

years, I saw wastage in government circles. I have no doubt in my mind that until professional economists are given their pride of place, the country will not move forward. The question is why then do we not have professional economists in key government circles?”

He went on: “I have always said that until we economically manage our resources, the resources will never go round.

If we have 160million people and the national budget is judiciously used, I’m sure Nigeria will solve her problems. If we manage our resources well, Nigeria shouldn’t be a poor country.

“We heard, sometimes ago, that they wanted to extend the runway in the international airport. The amount which was N60billion they budgeted was alarming. ‘’If this is the way contracts are run as a country, we will not make progress. As economists, these are some of the issues you must look at.’’

Describing accountants as major impediments to the nation’s economic growth, he said: “”If I were in a position of authority to take certain decisions, I would have fired some of those accountants and bankers. Economists must come to the rescue and salvage the situation”.

How local, state offices were underfunded, by NOA boss From: Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

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HE Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mike Omeri, has disclosed all offices of the agency at the local government level were collecting N2, 500 each as monthly running cost.

State offices, Omeri further disclosed, were also collecting N150, 000 as running cost monthly.

He spoke when members of the House of Representatives Committee on Information and National Orientation led by its Chairman, Hon. Umar Buba Jubril, visited the agency as part of its oversight function.

Omeri, however, said that the fund for the local government office has been increased to N10, 000 and that of states to N200, 000.

He also lamented the poor budgetary allocation, which he said is not enough to run the agency.

He said: “We have offices in the 774 local government areas and the 36 states of the federation and we have to fund their operational logistics.

“Immediately I assumed office, the NOA in local government areas were given N2, 500 every month as running cost. So we decided to increase it to N10, 000 which is still inadequate, but I think that is enough for them to undertake some sensitisation programmes in market places.

“We have asked them not to be over ambitious and to operate within their budget. In the state offices, we found out that they were collecting N150, 000, so we have increased it to N200, 000.”

Omeri lamented the poor financial situation of the agency in the past, saying: “This agency has, over the years, suffered from financial neglect and that has affected the implementation of most of our programmes.”

7

LG Poll: Abia PDP berates PPA over postponement

•Obi presenting the cheques to Okeke

Obi applauds partnership with church

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NAMBRA State governor, Mr. Peter Obi, has declared the state is already reaping the fruits of partnership with the church, especially in the education and health sectors.

He spoke while presenting a N15 million cheque to Holy Rosary Specialist Hospital and Maternity, Waterside Onitsha for the on-going ultra -modern maternity complex project.

Obi also presented another N10 million cheque for continuation of work on the students’ hostel of the School of Midwifery of the hospital.

He said he was impressed with the pace and quality of work on the projects and assured that government will ensure that they are completed according to specifica-

tions.

The governor commended the commitment and dedication of the church in executing the projects.

This, he said, has further reinforced and strengthened

the state/ government partnership with the mission.

The Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Reverend Valerian Okeke, described Governor Obi as a man of integrity who has continued to

fulfill promises made to people.

Okeke noted that his administration has continued to feel the pulse of the people and remained responsive to their needs and aspirations.

Our kidnap ordeals, by 10-year-old victim

A

10-year-old boy released last Friday has relieved his experience with kidnappers.

Emmanuel Eko and his 4year-old sister, Treasure, were abducted at gun point by masked gunmen while their mother was taking them to school in Calabar last Tuesday.

They were eventually released last Friday.

Emmanuel said it felt nice to be back to his family.

Recounting his experience, he said they were scared as the

From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

gunmen blindfolded them and took them to an unknown house.

According to him: “They gave us food. They did not beat us. They gave us food like boiled yam and egg. rice and stew.

“Beans and meat. They were not talking to us. They were just keeping quiet. We just lie down on the bed in the room.”

Commissioner of Police

Osita Ezechukwu said the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and other units swung into action after the case was reported.

He said: “I am pleased to inform you that the kids have been recovered and reunited with their parents in good health. Meanwhile, the manhunt for the perpetrators of the crime has intensified.”

Fashola, Tinubu, others win NUJ Award

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AGOS State g o v e r n o r , Babatunde Fashola, and wife of the National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Senator (Mrs.) Oluremi Tinubu, yesterday bagged political leadership award from the Nigeria

Union of Journalists (NUJ), Information Chapel of the state’s Ministry of Information and Strategy.

Also recognised and awarded along were Senator Olugbenga Barewu Ashafa, and former commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele.

HE Senior Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Dr. Precious Gbeneol, has said that conditional cash transfer scheme to cushion the effect of flood disaster in the country would be scaled up.

Gbeneol spoke at the Saint Joseph flood camp in Aguleri, Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State on Friday, when she visited the state to sympathise with the victims.

She was accompanied by Governor Obi and members of the state committee on flooding.

Gbeneol presented relief materials worth over N7m to them, including 300 bags of rice, disinfectants, 200 cartons of tomatoes, milk, to mention but a few.

She said that MDGs office also planned to reach out to more than 56,000 households across the country.

Gbeneol announced that Anambra State was one of the states that would benefit from the conditional cash transfer scheme.

She added that MDG will collaborate with Obi and the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) to mobilise health resources as a precautionary measure in view of the health hazards that could follow the situation.

Obi said that he would shock the people of Anambra State when the flood recedes.

He assured his administration will speedily rehabilitate all those affected by the flood, promising to also involve civil society groups in the programme.

Receiving the award, Fashola who was represented by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Aderemi Ibirogba, urged journalists to remain steadfast and be committed to the sacred obligation of informing the people.

•Emmanuel and Treasure in Calabar...yesterday.

From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

T

HE Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Progressive Peoples’ Alliance (PPA) to put its house in order and allow Governor Theodore Orji face the task of governance.

The party in a statement in Umuahia signed by its Publicity Secretary, Ogbuka Uchechi, said that the PPA has no moral right to question the shifting of the council elections formerly planned for next January.

The Abia PPA had, last week, condemned the state government and the House of Assembly over its insistence that the January date for the council elections will not be feasible due to the alleged non-preparedness of the state electoral body.

Uchechi disclosed that Orji has inaugurated the board of the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC), which has the duty to organise and conduct such election in the state.

He said: “If ABSIEC fails to conduct council election at the stipulated time due to logistic reasons and demanded for an extension of time to enable it prepare properly and conduct an election that will not only be free and fair but also credible, there is nothing wrong in that.”

News

8

Glo to rock Ojude Oba festival

By Adetutu Audu

G

LOBACOM has reiterated its commitment to re-position the Ojude Oba festival celebration in order for the annual cultural fiesta to attract investments in tourism in Ijebu land.

Speaking at the pre-event press conference at the Awujale’s Palace in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State to herald the 2012 edition, which holds on 28 th October 2012, Head of Marketing, Globacom, Mr. Adeniyi Olukoya, said that firm is committed to the success of the festival.

He reassured that it will introduce some exceptional milestones that would stimulate local and international investment in tourism in Ijebuland and Ogun State.

According to him, Globacom recognised the “Ojude Oba festival as a social melting-pot where all divergent issues affecting the growth and lives of the people in the community are discussed; where the Ijebus both home and abroad congregate as brothers and sisters and share similar ideas of bringing developments to their community.”

The secretary of the Ojude Oba 2012 Planning Committee, Alhaji Kayode Alatise, expressed appreciation to Globacom for partnering with the planning committee for seven consecutive years, noting that the company’s participation had raised the bar of the festival to a world class convergence of people and ideas.

Aba holds Int’l trade fair in November From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

T

HE Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA) in conjunction with AIITEX consortium will be organising the first international trade fair in the city from the 12th-22nd of November 2012.

The trade fair will offer producers resident in the commercial city of Abia State the opportunity for them to also attract international recognition and allow foreigners the chance to see what people in Aba can produce for export.

Speaking at ACCIMA office in Aba, the chairman of the trade fair organising committee, Philip Ekwempu, said that the trade fair is mainly to announce the return of economic activities in the once boisterous commercial city east of the Niger.

Ekwempu said that some years ago that kidnapping and other violent crimes forced many manufacturers to flee from the city, “Now security has been restored through the doggedness of the state governor, Chief Theodore Orji, and people need to know that Aba is functioning again.”

In his own speech the president of ACCIMA, Eleanya Agu Okoroji, said that the Abia State chapter of the Chamber of Commerce will ever remain grateful to NACCIMA for granting them the right to host the international trade fair in the state.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012 Monarch hails ex-lawmaker’s generosity to flood victims

Ogun crash: 12 bodies recovered, search continues T T

From Polycarp Orosevwotu, Warri

HE Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) yesterday recovered 12 bodies of passengers of a coastal bus which veered off a dual carriage bridge before plunging into a river last Friday at J4 in Ogbere - Ijebu stretch of Lagos - Ore expressway.

The FRSC was assisted in the operation by the National Emergency Agency (NEMA), Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Nigeria Police Force and Red Cross Society.

The victims were 11 women and the driver.

They were travelling in the Federal Urban Mass Scheme coastal bus marked BWR 428 XA to Edo State for a burial at Uronigbe in Oriohwon local government.

21 persons were said to be in the bus at the time of the accident.

The Ijebu-Ode Unit Commander of FRSC, Mr. Issa Seidu, who confirmed recovery of the 12 bodies, said three persons were earlier rescued alive on Friday night and taken to a private hospital in Ore, Ondo State.

On the cause of the accident, Seidu said: “It is a clear case of over speeding on the part of the driver of the bus.

If you look at the distance from which the bus ran into the river, which is about a kilometre away, you realise the driver was on a terrible speed.

“It clearly shows that the driver was on a suicide mission. Although we don’t know the actual number of people in the bus but one of

From Ernest Nwokolo

the survivors said they were 21.”

An official of NEMA South-West Zone 2, Mr.

Ibrahim Farinloye, said the agency is yet to ascertain the number of passengers in the bus.

He added: “This is the

first phase of the operation; the second phase which is going to start soon will be search and rescue operation for the rest bodies.”

Expert canvasses investment in ICT

F

•Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon 78th birthday in Jos, yesterday.

declaring open a Golf Tournament to mark his PHOTO: NAN

Army officers pledge to obey, enforce new Lagos traffic law

T

HE General Officer Commanding the 81 Division of the Nigeria Army in Lagos, Major General Kenneth Minimah, yesterday pledged that the Military will not only conform but also champion enforcement of obedience to the law.

He spoke at an interactive session between Lagos state governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola and senior Army officers as well as heads of army formations in Lagos on the new road traffic law at the 81 Division Auditorium, Onikan.

Minimah said there is no reason why the new Traffic Law should not work.

He asserted that the military formations will go beyond just obeying the law but take part in enforcing it since it is a legitimate law of the state that has passed through the necessary processes before becoming a law.

Fashola said everyone must realise roads are shared assets citing the latest accident on the Shagamu Benin Expressway where 33 people were reportedly drowned when their vehicle plunged into a river.

He said he has refused to use the siren because it

HE Pere of lgbilegbri Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Shigborogha 11, yesterday hailed the former lawmaker representing Ward 8, Burutu Local Government Area, Hon. Joseph Alubeze, for donation of food items worth hundreds of thousands to flood victims in Egodor, Bikorogha, Ogbeingbene, Agbodobri and Kiagbodo communities of Burutu.

While applauding Alubeze, the royal father urged others to emulate the gesture to alleviate the sufferings of the internally displaced persons.

The community vice chairman, Mr. Johnson Orode and the Secretary, Mr. Mathew Ogbaudu, who spoke while receiving the food items also lauded Alubeze’s gesture, saying it was a demonstration of the ex-lawmaker’s compassion for the less privileged.

Presenting the food items including bags of rice, over forty litres of native and groundnut oil, cartons of indomie, and N25,000 cash to the flood victims, Alubeze said he was touched by the plight of his people when he heard at Port Harcourt how the ravaging flood has displaced and rendered them homeless.

is part of his job to move traffic and using it will mean escaping and leaving the tax payers who employed him to bail themselves out.

He also spoke on his experience in terms of traffic infractions with some members of the Armed Forces.

Those examples, he said, did not typify who the members of the Armed Forces are truly but just a case of “a bad

event on a bad day”.

He said in several democracies, the Military have been responsible for fashioning democracy citing the example of George Washington who was formerly a soldier before becoming an elected President.

On commercial motorcycles, Fashola said several people have lost their lives,

limbs, arms or become maimed through the reckless activities of the operators.

He said the new traffic law has prescribed that the motorcycles cannot ply the major highways like Lagos- Badagry Expressway, Third Mainland bridge, Ozumba Mbadiwe road and selected roads and bridges.

OR rapid economic development in the country, private individuals and organisations have been urged to support government‘s efforts to boost technology transfer by investing in information and communication technology (ICT).

The Director of Information in the Lagos State Ministry of Information, Alhaji Tayo Lawal, gave this advice in a chat with journalists at the official commissioning of S.B. Selem ICT Centre, in Ansar-Ud-Deen High School, Surulere, Lagos.

Lawal who is also the National President of Ansar-udDeen Old Students Association (AHOSA) said the group donated the centre in conjunction with Ibeji Foundation, a Lagosbased non-governmental organisation (NGO), adding that the gesture was in honour of the immense contributions of the school’s founding principal, Alhaji Babatunde Selem.

Flood: Probe dredging of River Niger, activists tell FG

F

ORMER Secretary-General of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Mr. Udengs Eradiri, has called on the Federal Government to probe the dredging of the River Niger following the ravaging floods that has left thousands of people homeless along the bank of the river and other parts of the country.

Eradiri, who made the call while handing over relief materials to some displaced persons in Bayelsa State, said the probe has become necessary because the reasons given for the dredging of the river have been defeated by the floods.

“Owing to the floods that are ravaging Nigeria, one begins to wonder if there was need to dredge the River Niger in the first place. The reasons they cited then were the excess sand in the river, navigational purposes and mostly to

By Sam Egburonu

forestal flooding that could damage lives and properties of those living along the bank of the river.

“That was why over N3 billion was earmarked for the project. But the question now is: where is the 10 cubit metres of sand expected to have come out from the dredging exercise?” he asked.

He said the “contractors discharged the very sand they were supposed to dredge out back into the river. They deceived Nigerians and I am calling on the National Assembly to swing into action just like they did in the fuel subsidy regime.”

In his reaction to the flooding in Bayelsa State and the rest of the country, Comrade Wilfred Frank Agbatobo, a member of CPC Renewal Committee, said the disaster

is an indication that “there is much to be desired in the way and manner we have managed our part of the earth and like in the days of Noah, the emptiness, wastage and corruption in our humanity have come to the fore.”

He called on the governments and people of Nigeria to use the unfortunate development as an opportunity for deep reflection.

On Bayelsa State, Frank Agbatobo regretted that the state has remained stagnant because of what he described as divisive tendencies since 1999.

Eradiri on his part called on lawmakers to monitor funds approved by the Federal Government to be used for the states affected by the flood, saying they may end up in private pockets. “Those who sit in cossy offices in Abuja cannot feel the pains

of the people displaced by the floods and I guarantee you that 90 per cent of the fund released by the government will go into private pockets,” he said.

Eradiri also called for the revocation of the contract for the construction of the EastWest road, alleging that the contractor is yet to achieve up to 10 per cent of the job.

He said: “We are bitter as a people because the Ministry of Works keeps on saying that it has spent over N25 billion on road repairs. They should show us the roads and the President should stop using helicopters to his village. He should drive through the roads and feel the pains of the Niger Delta people. He should also stop relying on pseudo security reports aimed at extorting money from him. Hundreds of our people have lost their lives on that road.”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21 , 2012

News

9

ONDO 2012

P

ROMISES by the security agencies to keep the peace during yesterday’s governorship election in Ondo State failed to materialise in many parts of the state just when it mattered most.

Violence erupted in Idanre, Igbotako, Ilu-Titun, Okitipupa, Ido-Ani and Ifon to mar an election the authorities had touted as a model for future polls in the country.

It was so bad at Okeluse that the result for the area had to be cancelled.

Thugs believed to be working for the Labour Party (LP) went wild in those towns and the riverine areas hijacking ballot boxes and harassing supporters of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and People Democratic Party (PDP).

Two key actors – Mr.Niran Sule, the Commissioner for Special Duties and Mr. Tunde Ojomo, chairman of the Owo Local Government-were arrested by security agents for being in possession of six AK 47 rifles.

They were taken to

Why there were no enough INEC officials From Leke Akeredolu, Akure

T

HE Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Akin Orebiyi yesterday explained why there were not enough electoral officers in some polling units.

He told The Nation at the State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Akure, that the recent change of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) from October 23 to October 18 caused the insufficient electoral presiding officers at the polling units.

He said “Don’t forget that we have a MoU with NYSC and which is still ongoing and we are expecting that during the election we will have enough from batch A and batch B and batch C from the NYSC. “But the batch C of NYSC was originally meant to pass out on October 23, but somehow the date was changed to October 18, the implication was that the NYSC batch C was no longer in the care of the NYSC with that some of them refused to participate.

“Not only this, majority of the tertiary institutions in the state are on holiday, we only manage to use some Adeyemi College of Education Students in Ondo town as presiding officers.

Orebiyi commended the electorate for trooping out in large numbers to cast their votes for candidates of their choices.

He assured that every vote would count, adding that the election has been fair.

However, as at 10:50am election materials were yet to arrive at the INEC office in Akure from all the 18 local government areas in the state.

According to Orebiyi, majority of the materials were still in the various collating centres in the various wards.

Violence mars Ondo guber election •Commissioner, council boss arrested over arms possession •Thugs on rampage in Idanre, Okitipupa, Ido- Ani, others

By Our Reporters

Akure for interrogation.

Anxiety filled the air last night in Ondo State as residents and stakeholders awaited the result of the election.

Tension was particularly high at the Alagbaka, Akure secretariat of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the campaign offices of the three leading candidates in the poll-Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of the ACN, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko of LP and Mr. Olusola Oke of PDP, as results began streaming in from the wards and local government areas.

Yet to be confirmed reports showed that the ACN led in the North Senatorial District followed by LP and PDP, while LP led in the Central District with ACN second and PDP in the third position.

PDP however, led in the South Senatorial District with ACN coming second and LP a distant third.

All together ACN has reportedly won eight out of the 18 local government areas in the state–four in the north, two in central and two in the south. PDP on the other hand won five and LP five too.

Although, the Central District has the largest number of votes, whatever edge the LP had there may not stand in view of its poor showing in the North and South.

This holds out the possibility of the election being resolved through run-off polls.

Turn out for the election was generally high across the state although electoral materials got to many poll-

ing units late.

Despite assurances by the security agencies, thugs were unleashed by desperate politicians in many places to intimidate or scare away voters.

Fifteen youths had earlier been arrested on Thursday at the Akure house of a chieftain of Afenifere for allegedly stuffing ballot boxes with thumb-printed ballot papers in favour of the Labour party.

Six chieftains of the party in Ese-Odo Local Government area went underground on Friday after reports of their own thumbprinting leaked.

As voting got underway yesterday, suspected thugs of Labour Party were said to have exploited the inadequate security to scare away ACN voters.

In fact, Sunmonu Famoritiye, a chieftain of the ACN was said to have been arrested on the orders of Mimiko. As of the time of filing this report his whereabouts was unknown.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the armed thugs attacked his party’s agents and intimidated its supporters, especially in the rural areas.

He said: ‘’If those saddled with the responsibility of providing adequate security are unable to do so, and many voters are disenfranchised because of that, then the election in the area cannot be adjudged free and fair. If thugs acting in support of the Labour Party are given a free rein and agents and voters of the ACN are scared away from the polling units, the election in the area cannot be adjudged to be credible, on the grounds of technical exclusion.”

•Elderly voters queue to cast their vote in Owo yesterday.

He also said ACN agents in several polling units were barred from the polling units because “INEC allegedly made a mistake by not inserting ‘ACN’ in the agents’ tags it issued to them.”

Alhaji Mohammed also alleged inadequate security especially in Idanre and Okitipupa where thugs on motorcycles had a field day “harassing voters and agents of the opposition. There are also reports of stuffed ballot boxes being moved to polling booths with the protection of Labour Party thugs”.

Security was relatively tight and the election was generally peaceful.

Accreditation and voting began as scheduled in some parts of the state.

As early as 6am, armed soldiers, anti-riot policemen and other security operatives had commenced patrolling major roads.

Vehicle movement across the state was not allowed Intra city movement was also restricted as only vehicles on election duty, including those conveying journalists, were allowed to operate.

Even then such vehicles and the occupants were searched .

In some polling units, security agents were seen scanning voters before being let in.

Police officers and DSS agents were seen on guard in polling units.

In Unit 10, Ward V, Afulu in Oka Akoko where Senator Ajayi Boroffice registered, two regular policewomen were on ground.

Speaking to journalists, Borroffice, who was one of the governorship aspirants on the platform of the Action Con-

gress of Nigeria (ACN), complained about inadequate security personnel in his unit.

He expressed fears that some people had threatened to disrupt voting there.

However, he said soldiers who mounted guard about 500 meters away gave assurance that they would respond when called upon.

Voters trooped out eagerly in Akure North local government area.

Accreditation and voting went well at Itaogbolu, Iju, Oba Ile, Igbatoro, EleyowoBolorunduro and AyedeOgbese.

However, a traditional ruler in the area reportedly threatened the people to vote for Labour Party or be dealt with.

The election was also peaceful in Ondo North Senatorial District.

Many voters got to the polling stations as early as 6.30am.

Accreditation began in some units promptly by 8am.

In others, it began at about 9am.

In Unit 8, Ward 6, Ayegunle, Oka-Akoko, Akungba, voters were being accredited by 8am.

At Unit O4, in Ward II, the Presiding Officer was calling out names of registered voters as at 9am for accreditation.

Old women, elderly men and youths gathered at the unit on Victory College, by Jubilee Market, Ugbe-Abuja Road.

Accreditation was peaceful in the unit, but a Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPO) Oladele Adebisi, who was monitoring activities in Akoko North East, said some of the Presiding Officers did not turn up.

He said he was trying to

PHOTO: NIYI ADENIRAN

send more officers to units where there is a higher number of voters.

“The people are complying, and we’re working hard to meet up with time and finish with accreditation on schedule.

“The only challenge we have is a shortage of hands in some units. So right now I am looking for more hands for units where there are more people.

“There is supposed to be an Assistant Poling Officer (APO), APO I and APO II in each unit. But the people we would have used are not available,” he said.

At Unit 05, Ward 1, CAC Primary School, the Ofua of Ikareland, High Chief Alfred Omotola, described the turnout of voters as impressive.

He said: “We are peaceloving people. We are orderly here. There is no problem at all.”

Election materials delayed in Ilaje, says Oke From Damisi Ojo, Igbokoda

T

HE Ondo State governorship elections went peacefully in Ilaje local government area yesterday as people of the area trooped out in their numbers to elect their choice candidate in the poll.

The electorate turned out enmasse and stayed back at various polling units after accreditation to participate in the actual voting.

However, there were no security men at many of the polling units, especially in the riverine areas, a situation which created tension in some of the polling units.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Chief Olusola Oke, after casting his vote at his Unit 005 at Ilogho in Ugbo III Ward in the Ilaje Council area, expressed disappointment at the late arrival of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials and materials for the poll in the council area.

Oke said, this was responsible for lateness in starting the accreditation and voting in many parts of the council.

He lamented that voting did not take place in some units in the Ugbo Ward I and other areas owing to absence of polling officials.

The PDP candidate, said although INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, meant well in the bid to transform the nation’s electoral process, there were some bad eggs in the electoral body that needed to be removed for elections to be perfect.

He lamented that some registered voters were disenfranchised as their names could not be found on the INEC register.

10

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

News

Ondo 2012

•An unidentified PDP supporter arrested with cash, list of beneficiaries and agents' handbook Photo: Bisi Oladele

•Voters at Ijebu 2 ward 5 unit 6 waiting to cast their votes.

PHOTO Niyi Adeniran

•Some of the Owo High Chiefs at the polling booth

•Ondo gubernatorial election

•Ondo REC Akin Orebiyi addressing journalists on INEC's preparations for voting.

Photos: Joseph Jibueze

•Senator Ajayi Boroffice casting his vote

Photo: Joseph Jibueze

•A physically challenged casting his vote in Owo. PHOTO: Niyi Adeniran

•An elderly woman being led to vote

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

News

11

Ondo 2012

•Osuporu ward, electorate queue (Owo).

•INEC officials showing empty boxes to voters before election in Owo.

PHOTO Niyi Adeniran

PHOTO: Niyi Adeniran

PHOTO Niyi Adeniran

PHOTO Niyi Adeniran

•INEC officials and election materials at 8;15am

•ACN Candidate Rotimi Akeredolu queuing for accreditation

•Voters for accreditation

•Electorate looking for their names.

•A soldier on duty at a polling booth

•Security agents on the road.

PHOTO: Niyi Adeniran

PHOTO Niyi Adeniran

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

News

12

Ondo 2012 Soldier voids vote of polling unit

By Segun Balogun, Okitipupa

A

soldier voided the vote of Polling Unit 7,

Ward 2 of Igbotako in Okitipupa LGA. Labour Party members insisted the vote will not be counted and they began throwing stones and beating up ACN and PDP members.

During accreditation, the polling officers made a mistake while counting the number of accredited voters. They counted 244.

While voting was ongoing, the polling officer discovered that some people who came for accreditation had their thumb marked, but their names were not ticked on the list.

This mistake was reported to all the three parties’ agents, who agreed that voting should continue. At the end of voting, 254 voted.

Labour Party agent flared up, insisting the vote must be cancelled. He denied ever being informed of any mistake. The Presiding Officer said the vote should be counted while any complaints should be written on the form provided for party agents. All entreaties by law enforcement agents and two other party agents to allow the vote be counted were met with strong refusal.

An Army officer declared the vote void when threats of violence were growing beyond control, a decision that drew chants from Labour Party supporters.

Consequently, the results from other polling units were not announced as expected.

Olugbo urges traditional rulers not to be partisan From Damisi Ojo, Igbokoda

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HE Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom, Oba Fredrick Akinruntan, yesterday said traditional rulers should not be partisan.

Besides, the monarch assured that the governorship election would go smoothly without hitches.

Speaking to reporters in his palace, Oba Akinruntan said, “I decided to remain in my palace because as a royal father, all the governorship candidates are my children. ‘’There is no need of voting for any one among them, election comes and goes, Obas should not be partisan. ‘’I have been witnessing election in the country since 1963, it is better for traditional rulers to remain fathers of all without bias.

I must satisfy everybody because they are all my sons, all my subjects have assured me that there would be no problem during this election, and I believe their words.’’

Impressive turn out at polling centres

T

HERE was an impressive turn out of voters as the accreditation process for the Ondo governorship election got underway yesterday.

A survey by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) across the three senatorial districts indicated a large turnout of enthusiastic voters.

In Akure Ward 10, Units 1 and 2, a NAN correspondent sighted long queues of voters as at 8:05 am while INEC officials as well as security men were at their duty posts.

Also in Ward 9, Unit 6, Iworo Junction, there was a long queue of voters going through the accreditation process as at 8:45 a.m.

A NAN correspondent also sighted a long queue of voters at Ward 7, Unit 4, Arakale area, where there was a large turnout of voters who were being accredited as at 8:55 a.m.

However, in Ward 2, Unit 33, a large number of voters were seen waiting for INEC officials who were yet to arrive as at 8:35 a.m.

There was, however, a heavy presence of security men including policemen and NSCDC officials.

But, while accreditation was going on at Ward 9, Unit 6, INEC officials and materials were yet to arrive at Ward 9, Unit 5 and 7, with aggrieved voters openly complaining about the pace of accreditation.

In Ondo Ward 7, Unit 20, Ondo Central Senatorial District, where Gov. Olusegun Mimiko was accredited at about 10:30 am, there was a massive turnout of voters.

There was also a massive presence of security officials although there was free human movement across polling units.

Accreditation also commenced on schedule while the

ad hoc INEC official at the polling unit, Mr Ajayi Alaba, said adequate personnel and materials were already on the ground.

Alaba, an NYSC member, said voters were also conducting themselves in an orderly manner.

The governor’s mother, Mrs Muinat Mimiko, was brought on a wheel chair for accreditation; she advised the electorate to conduct themselves in an orderly manner.

In Orun Ward 1, Akoko North East Local Government, Ondo North Senatorial District, there was a large turnout of voters with accreditation starting at about 8: am.

There was also total paralysis of business activities as shops and other business outfits remained shut.

However, in Orun Ward 1, Unit 5, Akoko North East Local Government, voters could not find their names on the

•An empty road during the election...yesterday.

register.

The ad hoc INEC official at the unit and NYSC member, Miss Oluchi Osuala, who confirmed the development, told NAN that efforts were on to resolve the problem.

A voter, Mr Dauda Ishola, said it was inexplicable that some names were missing on the voters’ register, urging that this should be promptly investigated.

But in Ikado Ward 1, Akoko North East Local Government, accreditation started at 8:15 am with an impressive turn out of voters.

Also, there was a massive turnout at Iyomata Ward 1 in Ikare Ikun polling unit while there was a heavy security presence.

At Ikoya/Oloto Polling Unit in Okitipupa Local Government, Ondo South Senatorial District, more than 50 voters were sighted as at 8:28 am while the INEC presiding of-

PHOTO: Niyi Adeniran

LP, ACN, PDP candidates praise voters over conduct T HE candidates of the three major political parties contesting in the Ondo State governorship election yesterday lauded the electorate in the state for their massive turnout and orderly conduct.

Gov. Olusegun Mimiko, who voted at about 2:18 p.m at his Ward 7 Unit 20 Polling Unit in Ondo, told newsmen after casting his vote that the turnout for the election was “ decent and unprecedented.’’

He also said the accreditation of voters across the state was fairly carried out, adding that he would give his final verdict after the election.

The ACN candidate, Chief Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), also cast his vote at 12:50 pm at his Oke-Ijebu Polling Unit in Owo. Akeredolu, who spoke to journalists after casting his vote, said that he was impressed with the turnout and conduct of voters.

Also, Akeredolu’s wife,

Betty, told journalists that she was impressed with the turnout.

The PDP candidate, Chief Olusola Oke, who cast his vote at 2:25 pm, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the accreditation process was

slow.

Oke, who voted at his Ward 3 Unit 5 Olori/ Otunmara in Ilaje Local Government Area, said it took INEC officials an average of 30 minutes to accredit one voter.

He also said the secu-

rity arrangement in the riverside communities was not up to the desired expectation while INEC officials were absent in some polling units in the area.

The PDP flag bearer, however, commended the electorate for their patience and orderly conduct.

ficial, Mr Olufemi Ajiboye, said there were adequate materials and personnel for the poll.

NAN also observed that armed security men mounted road blocks at various strategic spots in Okitpupa township.

In Igbotako, also in Okitipupa Local Government Area, there were long queues of voters while accreditation commenced in some polling units as at 8:10 am In Ward 3, Unit 5, Olori/ Otunmara, Ilaje Local Government Area, the PDP governorship candidate, Chief Olushola Oke, was accredited at about 10: 30 am by the presiding officer, Mr Tomi Dosunmu.

He, however, complained about the handling of the accreditation process in the river side areas of the state, claiming that it was taking officials about 30 minutes to accredit one voter.

Oke, however, commended the people of the area for their peaceful conduct.

NAN reports that INEC materials arrived late at about 9:30 am with some voters expressing displeasure at the development.

In Owo, Ondo North Senatorial District, there was also a massive turn out of voters while there was a visible presence of security men.

At Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Unit 16, accreditation started only at 10:10 am while NAN correspondent sighted students waiting for the exercise on the queue.

The presiding officer at the unit, Mr Chukwuwak Mark, said there was a serious delay in the supply of materials by INEC, assuring that with the supply of the materials, accreditation was commencing in earnest.

But in Unit 5, Rainbow Junction in Owo, accreditation was going on when NAN correspondent arrived at the scene at about 10: 20 am.

NAN also reports that ACN governorship candidate, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, was accredited at the Unit 6, Oke Ijebu GRA Owo polling unit at 10 am.

Mimiko in company of his wife voted at 2.30 pm. He condemned the late arrival of materials especially in Akure.

PDP governorship candidate Olusola Oke was delayed for over one hour at Igbotako for flouting the order that candidates should not go around with security details.

He had with him four security men. He was, however, released after making calls.

No security here, says Akintelure

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HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Deputy Governorship candidate, Dr. Paul Akintelure, criticised the Election Day security arrangement at his polling unit yesterday. He spoke to reporters after casting his ballot.

“As can you see, there is no security on ground. There is no single armed security agent on ground to safeguard lives and properties and ensure things do not go out of hand.

“Unlike what we saw yesterday in the display of reti-

nue of security agents on major roads, there is a radical departure from what we saw yesterday. I am very suspicious of this because it is happening when the real voting is about to start.

“I hope things will continue peacefully but should there be chaos, I don’t know how peace can be guaranteed here. I call on INEC chair Jega, the Inspector General of Police to deploy security personnel to Igbotako, Ilu-titun, Okitipupa, Ikoya, Iju-Odo, Erekiti, Omotosho and the so called ‘big route 49’.

“After several years of de-

mocracy, we should be mature enough to desist from act that would make us a laughing stock at international level. It is disappointing because my party is irrevocably committed to electoral reforms and ensuring that individual happiness of all Nigerians. The electorate know they want a change and that

is why you see this level of turn out.”

Akintelure voted at Ward 2, polling unit 13, Igbotako in Okitipupa Local Council.

RESULT Polling unit 12, ward 2, Igbotako ACN - 103 PDP – 90 LP – 84

Result at Akeredolu’s polling HE Unit 6 where while LP got -144. In booth units

T

Akeredolu voted was divided into two by INEC. In polling booth 1, ACN got-139

2, ACN got-67 while LP got-58.

In all, ACN got 206 while PDP got 202.

13

COMMENT and ANALYSIS THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

Amend the people, not constitution Festus Eriye

Changing the 1999 constitution without changing attitudes will be a wasted effort

efestus2003@yahoo.com 08052135878 (SMS only)

Otufodunrin@thenationonlineng.net 08023000621 (SMS only)

Patience’s second chance

I

M

OST people would agree that Nigeria’s 1999 constitution is a flawed document. The product of a succession of manipulative military juntas, it was the shaky platform used to usher in a Fourth Republic that could not wait for the perfect thing – given the tense political atmosphere in the country in the immediate aftermath of the deaths of General Sani Abacha and Chief M.K.O. Abiola.

Any constitution written for a country with Nigeria’s diversity is bound to be problematic because of the need for endless compromise. In our case the agreement seems to have been to leave all the hot button national issues alone in the vain hope that some sages down the line will get around to addressing them.

That has not happened. Instead all those questions have come back to haunt us on an almost daily basis. That is why most reasonable people won’t argue with the need to amend the constitution to enable our democracy grow.

But much as amendments are desirable, there’s much about the current process that just makes you wonder whether it won’t all end in tears.

At the last count the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the Constitution headed by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, disclosed it had received 240 memoranda on the subject. A similar committee in the House of Representatives says it has also received well over 200 such memos.

This will suggest feverish interest in the process. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Powerful interests like governors and other factions of the political elite have seized the process - predictably – and this is reflected in context of the issues that are emerging as top of the agenda for review.

Among them are things like state creation, state police, tenure for political office holders, independent candidacy, proportional representation, onshore-offshore dichotomy, indigeneship and adjustment of the 13% derivation principle.

Some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are evening pushing items like rewriting the whole document in gender-neutral language, or more explicitly so that references would be made specifically to “he” or “she” rather than the politically-incorrect current references to only “he”.

In the unlikely event that this massive shopping list of amendments pass muster, then the advocates would celebrate the fact that Nigeria has finally joined the ranks of countries with so-called ‘progressive’ constitutions.

I beg to demur. What may be progressive or desirable for some might not necessarily be in the national interest at this point in time. There are those who argue that you don’t need a constitutional amendment in other to create states. They say the procedure is already clearly spelt out in Section 8 of the

Lekan Otufodunrin

•Ekweremadu

•Ihedioha

present document.

I would go further to say it is downright unpatriotic to be talking about creation of new states when many of the existing ones are virtually on their knees. State creation is a slippery slope. The Nigerian politician will never get sated until we have one for every ethnic nationality.

Again, take the issues of a six or seven year single tenure, and the requests by registered political parties for proportional representation (PR) as means of taking heat out of the contests for political office. I doubt whether the introduction of these items into the constitution will change what is wrong with our politics.

Even if we provide a single tenure, blood will be shed over who gets it at any point in time. As for a PR system that replaces the current first-past-the-post arrangement, all that it will do is ensure that more people – outside of the current ruling parties - hop on the gravy train. But is that in itself a guarantee that these new office holders would be coming to serve? You know the answer to that one.

Let me reiterate that I am all for amending the constitution. But I think we need a bit of a reality check here, and not go around thinking that we have found the perfect cure for the problem with Nigeria.

Let’s not forget that there are countries which don’t even have a written constitution and things still work in a reasonably organised fashion. Three of those nations are New Zealand, the U.K and Israel.

A constitution alone is no guarantee that the system will work. Indeed, amending the 1999 document without amending the attitudes of the people who will operate it will simply make the on-going exercise an expensive wild goose chase.

A reckless and irresponsible driver will readily crash the best engineered and retooled car on earth, and the problem won’t

be with the vehicle but the driver’s immature conduct. In the Nigerian case, rather than work on the driver we would start tinkering with engine of the blameless automobile.

In discussing this issue I always project a hypothetical scenario. Most independentminded people will say that the US constitution works. Now, if all 200 million plus Americans were removed from their country and replaced with all 160 plus Nigerians, would that constitution still work in the hands of the new arrivals? A document does not a country make.

For all the flaws of the 1999 constitution, my position is that we have not given ourselves enough time to use and test it. The United States constitution which is 225 years old has only been altered18 times in that period. In our case I have lost count of the number of occasions when we’ve sought to touch up the document in the last 13 years.

A few of those occasions we tried to do so for blatantly selfish reasons. A case in point is when former President Olusegun Obasanjo tried to amend the constitution to give himself a third term – a stunt that blew up in his face and short-circuited the process.

Given the interest of presidents, governors and legislators in some of the items listed earlier, I believe that some sort of broad review of the constitution will happen in the not too distant future. It is in their collective career interest to see that they push this through. But what they will end up producing will be a document by the political elite for the political elite – never mind the empty boasts about being the people’s representatives.

The overwhelming majority of Nigerians are not engaged with what is going on, and very few understand how it could affect their future. Many are probably battling with the devastating impact of floods that have swept away their homes to care about new states and single tenure.

But if the ongoing review is to be free from the stain of illegitimacy which the 1999 military construct suffers from, it has to be subjected to some form of mass participation. If there will be no sovereign national conference, a decent compromise would be a national referendum that allows ample time for national discussion at grassroots level.

I suspect that were this to happen, some of the things that are so important to our politicians will swiftly bite the dust. Unfortunately, the middlemen in the National Assembly will never let this happen.

“There are countries which don’t even have a written constitution and things still work in a reasonably organised fashion. Three of those nations are New Zealand, the U.K. and Israel.

A constitution alone is no guarantee that the system will work”

JOIN the First Lady, Patience Jonathan, in thanking God for returning ‘hale and hearty’ from her recent ‘trip’ to Germany.

Considering speculations over her health while her six-week stay abroad lasted, she really has reasons to thank God that she came back alive. Among the speculations was that she went for a tummy-tuck operation, while some said she had a terminal disease.

I remember seeing a particular edition of a soft-sell magazine with a headline that she was down with Parkinson syndrome being sold on the streets of Lagos.

Much as I had doubt over the authenticity of the report I was really worried for Dame Patience.

Apparently shocked by the wild speculations, the First Lady on arrival immediately denied the reports but stated that “God has given me a second chance.” While Dame Patience should be angered by the speculations which indeed amount to unethical practices by the media organisations concerned, the presidency should be blamed for refusing to give a clear picture of why she was suddenly flown abroad.

No official statement was issued on her trip until the online media was abuzz with speculations. Even when journalists requested for the whereabouts of the First Lady, her media aide, Ayo Osinlu, first claimed that his boss was retiring, after the rigours of hosting the African First Ladies Summit.

Thereafter he and other presidency officials declined to speak on the very sensitive issue and gave room for more fertile imaginations by the speculators. The president also kept mute over the issue and recently went to visit his wife who was supposed to be ‘resting’ in Germany. If indeed she was resting, there was no justification for the president’s visit. It was bad enough that our president’s wife could not rest at home and had to incur God-knows-how-much money to ‘rest’ abroad.

Nigerians would have been more sympathetic if the truth of Dame Patience’s trip had been disclosed.

Just like any human being, she could take ill and Nigerians deserve the right to know. If the best treatment she could get is abroad, so be it, but to have smuggled the First Lady out of the country and kept quiet about what was wrong with her amounts to the height of deception and undue secrecy about what should be public knowledge.

This second chance is an opportunity to be the First Lady she should be.

Now that she is back, she needs to work hard at making the best use of the second chance God has given her as she acknowledged. She should cut down her self-imposed multiple public functions which most times keep her in the news for the wrong reasons.

She needs to operate more from the background than getting into controversies that rub off negatively on her husband. Since the role of the First Lady is not constitutional, Dame Jonathan should stop throwing her weight around like she has done on occasions when she clashed with elected officials.

On this second chance, she should be modest in implementing whatever pet project she is running and not incur unnecessary expenditure like some first ladies before her, whose projects don’t outlive their stay in office.

14

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

Comment & Analysis

Ogochukwu Ikeje

Only truth will set us free

ohgeeoh@gmail.com

Full disclosure would have averted rumours on First Lady’s health

08084235961 (SMS only)

R

ELIEF returned to the country as First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan’s plane touched down in Abuja last week. Moments before she stepped off the aircraft, her hands went up in the air, a broad smile flashing across her dark-goggled face. It felt good to be back after what she called her “trial time.”

That trial took over a month to conquer. And it was, crucially, about health. On the one hand, she was relieved and happy; on the other, she was quite sad and concerned. She expressed those contrasting emotions almost in equal measure. Waxing spiritual, in fact, quoting the Bible, Mrs Jonathan just about blessed those who prayed for her. As for those who spread uncomfortable tales about her during her ordeal, the First Lady had a word of caution, to put it mildly. They will do well to remember that God’s plans are different from man’s, she told the tale bearers, some impertinently reminding their audience that not all First Couples going into Aso Rock came out intact. Some thought and speculated that she had gone for either a face job or tummy tuck.

I subscribe to the Dame’s admonition because life is too precious to be made light of, especially when it is in any danger. Besides, man’s best efforts to declare who will live or die, often fall flat simply because he is so miserably unqualified to venture into that field.

Doctors, for instance, have given up on their patients, only for the condemned to bounce back to life.

Still, it is quite easy to understand why Mrs Jonathan’s health status excited the tale bearers. There is so much secrecy surrounding leaders and their spouses in this country. We know pretty little about those whose business it is to mind our business. And where information is scare, speculation thrives. Where truth is nonexistent, lies fill the vacuum. We have experienced this all too often and paid very dearly

for it. Our leaders across the tiers of government, as well as elected or selected ones, steal away to foreign lands, claiming to be on vacation, whereas they went in search of answers to their health questions. They are entitled to their privacy, of course, but at some point and to some extent, individual privacies must be surrendered to the public. For public officers are, after all, public property, as it were, being sustained by taxpayers.

In the days of President Olusegun Obasanjo, it was after the unfortunate death in 2005 of his wife Stella at the hands of an incompetent doctor in Spain that Nigerians learnt the First Lady had gone for a tummy job. The physician was later jailed for placing a tube in the wrong place, his licence suspended for a time. His last high profile patient was just weeks away from her 60th birthday.

In President Umaru Yar’Adua’s era, things worsened in this regard. When the president’s health seemed to fail and the people desired to know the truth, the issue of squash and how he could play it almost nonstop, popped up. When the president disappeared from view entirely, his handlers said everything was just fine. When it finally became public knowledge that Yar’Adua was rushed to a Saudi hospital and

that he might be there for a while. His minders said all was still well with his administrative obligations, and that he could indeed preside over the affairs of the country from any part of the world. Then, one fateful night, when much of the country had gone to bed, his caretakers smuggled him back, still doing their best to sustain the lies they had been serving up. One day we heard the Commander-inChief was ascending and descending the staircase; another day we were told he recognized his mother. One day it was all over.

All the secrecy and lies were unnecessary.

They reduced the number one man to an object of manipulation. This was unfortunate. His handlers also gave Nigeria away as a lying country but, more crucially, they made infirmity look like something of which to be eternally ashamed, whereas everyone knows that people, including presidents, nurse one disease or another, some even doing so through life.

Yar’Adua’s protectors either neglected or more ignorant of the fact that leaders are never judged by their health profiles, but by their records. Tumours have been extracted from presidential insides, and the executive patients returned to duty. Commanders-in-Chief have

“It is quite easy to understand why Mrs Jonathan’s health status excited the tale bearers. There is so much secrecy surrounding leaders and their spouses in this country. We know pretty little about those whose business it is to mind our business. And where information is scare, speculation thrives.

Where truth is nonexistent, lies fill the vacuum. We have experienced this all too often and paid very dearly for it”

had their diseased hearts attended to. One president administered one of the most powerful countries in the world from a wheelchair, and at a time of great crisis.

The First Lady’s health concerns brought back the pains of the past. For one, her well being is of interest to the entire nation by virtue of her position. Enshrouding the whole “trial” period in secrecy, kept much needed information from Nigerians to whom she is a mother. No one knew exactly where she was or what was happening to her and how she was coping with it. Even those disposed to prayer may have been starved of precise prayer points. A vital point in all this is that this sort of secrecy alienates leaders from their people.

And consequently, as in the case of the First Lady, scarcity of information put the rumour mill and tale bearers to work, bringing a whole lot of distraction to the country and it’s people.

Mrs Jonathan was disturbed that the “bad people,” to borrow a term from her arrival response, went as far as mentioning a certain hospital in Germany. She dismissed the claim, as she denied going for plastic surgery or stomach operation. All were denials and denials but she may be right and all the rumour mongers wrong. Still, the First Lady failed to set the records straight. She neither named the ailment for which she was flown overseas, nor disclosed the hospital where she was attended to. She desires respect and support, and rightly so, but it is equally imperative that she does not starve her people of information.

Still, the First Lady should not be singled out for blame. Why? It is not a personal failing.

Hoarding information from the public is a national pastime. See how difficult it is to make freedom of information easy. Everyone keeps what they should give out. It is hard knowing how much our leaders earn, how much they pay in tax, how much they get to lead or how much they spend leading. It is difficult to get the truth.

But that is the basis of leadership. We need the truth. Our leaders need to open up more.

They need to admit where they have failed.

Only truth will set us free.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

Comment & Analysis

15

Nigeria’s rating descent From the Mo Ibrahim ranking and report, we have a lot to do to fulfill our dream as a people

T

HE 2012 Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s Index rating of Governance in Africa that was published recently underscores the shambolic state of governance in virtually all African countries. Expectedly, Nigeria got poor ratings in human rights’ issues and political participation, transparency and accountability.

Quite shameful too, the Foundation’s Prize Committee found none of the continent’s former leaders worthy of winning the £3.2m reward for excellence in African leadership. The committee identified topmost countries from the four geographical regions of the continent. They include South Africa, Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria. However, all of them were considered by the foundation established in 2007 to have performed badly in the set criteria for the ratings.

The records of these countries in the realm of rule of law and public safety, political participation and human rights were said to be on the decline. The reality in the spheres of sustainable economic opportunity and human capital development for the regional powers is also nothing to write home about.

Comparatively, on the index ratings, South Africa ranked fifth, Egypt 14th and Kenya 25th. Political participation in these countries was said to be poor except for Egypt that reportedly witnessed significant improvement in economic opportunities; the others scored low points. Somalia in its usual tradition expectedly occupied the last position. Tanzania, for the first time since inception of the award was among the top 10. Liberia, Sierra Leone and Angola also got significant lifts. Mauritius was adjudged the leading nation in the overall index; Cape Verde, Botswana and the Seychelles, respectively, followed Mauritius in the tradition of last year.

Nigeria ranked 14th position out of the considered 16 countries in West Africa and 43rd out of the overall 52 listed countries: the country came out worst of the top four adjudged countries in the con-

T

HE recent massacre of four University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) students tagged criminals by the people of Aluu in Rivers State, who became the prosecutor and the judge overnight in their own court of law has left many Nigerians and foreigners in a stupor with pangs of anger and righteous indignation.

It had been shock, grief and lamentation since the judicial killings took place. Before the unfortunate incident, forty students were killed at the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi in Adamawa State. Why kill innocent souls for no just cause, especially future enlightened leaders? The action of the killers is embarrassing, degrading and has not only dented but denigrated our image nationally and internationally.

Now that the Aluu community has massacred four students for an unconfirmed allegation, which was not substantiated by a court of competent jurisdiction but its people, who are now the real criminals, is it the Aluu community or the students? The jungle justice exhibited by the people without following the appropriate procedure is condemnable, wicked and a clear demonstration of not wanting or encouraging any good thing. To me, the people of Aluu are the

tinent. The nation’s ranking descent is saddening, judging from its sliding from 37th position in 2006 to 41st in 2011. Of all the top ranked countries, Nigeria, without equivocation, has the most abundance of resources. Yet, the rating confirms that the country is the most mismanaged. Its Index rating shows that Nigeria for the first time dropped to the last 10 countries in the overall rankings.

The opportunities offered by the foundation are enough incentives to goad leaders of countries across Africa to govern well. But, as if the continent is cursed, leaders of the various countries have been ensconced in promoting perverse values.

What better governance incentives could be expected from the Mo Ibrahim Foundation that provides winners of its award the opportunity to pursue their commitment to Africa once they have stepped down from office? The foundation’s award, reserved for democratically elected former African heads of state or government, is acknowledged to be the world’s biggest individual prize.

It offers a $5m reward for 10 years and after a decade $200,000 annually for life, to the winner.

Equally, it offers another $200,000 per year for 10

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

•Editor Festus Eriye •Deputy Editor Olayinka Oyegbile •Associate Editors Taiwo Ogundipe Sam Egburonu

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

LETTERS

years for good causes backed by the winner.

We acknowledge the fact that all the four regional powers have enormous natural and human resources but the fact that Nigeria came last on governance score sheet among the quartet makes it sad. What this translates to is that since the country scored low in economic and political areas, it could not be relied upon to provide good examples worthy of emulation by other less endowed countries in the continent. Furthermore, it could not be a model for providing direction when occasion demands.

Nigerian leaders need to provide the desired direction in governance not only for the interest of the citizenry but for their own interest. The dearth of good leadership not only in Nigeria but Africa generally needs rigorous examination. By the verdict of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, it could be assumed that a leader that is not doing well in his home front is not in any way doing himself any good. It is the sterling internal performance that would rub off on the leaders outside office and make eminent foundations like that of Mo Ibrahim to consider them for worthwhile ventures after leaving office. This is the message inherent in the foundation’s refusal to give any of the leaders this year’s award; none of them met the set criteria.

It is a shame to the big four that Mozambique’s Joaquim Chissano won the inaugural prize in 2007; Botswana’s ex-leader, Festus Mogae, won it in 2008 while Cape Verde’s former president, Pedro Verona Pires won it in 2011. The big four countries’ former leaders are just curious onlookers to the lofty attainments of former leaders from these smaller well managed countries. Too bad!

We consider above all, the poor ranking of especially Nigeria in the Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s index rating to be a sad reminder of the lull in governance and a wake-up call that Nigerians are not feeling the impact of governance.

The Aluu massacre and national malady criminals for going into wanton destruction of students by taking the law into their hands.

Furthermore, the Federal and Rivers State governments should rise to the challenge of unmasking the real culprits behind the cowardly and dastardly act no matter how highly or lowly placed. This is because the act is not only condemnable as it is despicable and regrettable putting Nigeria in bad light

S

O, who do we blame, and really is it a blame game or the scary realisation that we are just a nation run on auto-pilot, one for which after 52 years, we are still plagued largely by the same problems?

We are 52, part of the country is in water. We are deep in flood and equally flooded on all fronts by corruption, mismanagement, maladministration and poor governance.

Two months ago when parts of the Shendam/ Mikang axis and the Southern part of Plateau were cut off from the North, it was just one of those rare occurrences. The city centre was next with scores of death; parts of Bauchi were not spared. But like all floods, all issues that have plagued us,

which is the very depth of abomination.

Consequently, there is need for all to be guided by the word of an elder statesman, octogenarian and first executive president of Nigeria, Alhaji Aliyu Shehu Shagari, who said “This moment of our history demands of all of us the spirit of tolerance and cooperation rather than the things that divide us, we will have succeeded in bequeathing a fitting legacy to the coming generation.”

However, let this be a time of sober reflection for us all. As Nigerians and the international community condemn the wicked act, let everybody look inward and reappraise what happened.

Injustice and oppression cannot but ultimately produce a desire for revenge and or rebellion but the law of the land should be adequately applied. Let our deep sympathy go to all who lost their lives, persons and sense of security. Nige-

ria needs to be made safe for all; and the federal government should lead and show the way especially through its security agencies.

In my opinion, all progressive and articulate Nigerians irrespective of religion, tribe and status must dislodge the idea of being agents of darkness and destruction. In this connection therefore, it is absolutely necessary with due respect, humility and sense of responsibility to appeal to all

Nigeria and floods with a wave of hand, are confined to the bin of history.

As said earlier, this is no blame game, NEMA has tried. In the face of tight budget, the agency resorted to big boats and canoes for the evacuation exercise, exhibiting ‘Nigerian promptness and expertise’ in the rescue efforts and relief distribution. But it smacks of selfishness that on the immediate, very little had been done as prevention, by a body responsible for combating these forces of nature.

Lake Nyos is close to Nigeria, and sources say a 2005 UNDP report had predicted that the dam was at “a point of potential collapse”, in

fact, within 10 years it may collapse. Yet, after seven years, nothing has been done.

Based on the report, financial losses estimated in billions of naira, comprising crops, residential and commercial structures, utilities and infrastructure, including roads and bridges and other services will occur.

Although Lake Nyos is yet to collapse, when it does, all these predictions and others not known will occur. We are not only just faced with a bad case of flood, but possible outbreak of epidemics, it is so strange that with the level of devastation, no national emer-

gency was declared.

Depending on whose figures, more than 30,000 people around the country are displaced, and stranded. Death toll now is over 500 people and it’s on the increase. No one really cares, and 52 years, no one cares.

One cannot point to any very-quick-fix-it solution, drastic measure or long term plan. No one even understands how and why the dam was opened, causing the rise in water level in some states.

I dare say government has failed.

By Charles Dickson

Nigerians to remain steadfast, focused on the path of truth, honour, fairness and justice so that Nigeria can make meaningful progress economically and politically in our current democratic structure.

With these recent killing of students in Port Harcourt and Mubi, one may say that Nigeria’s democracy is therefore dangerous if the massacre is not properly investigated and the perpetrators brought to face the music. If not it might lead to a stage that the falcon can no longer hear the falconer and that things will fall apart.

This is not the best for Nigeria’s democratic structure. In the words of Desmond Mpilo Tutu, “Justice must be done to the poor and oppressed and if the present system does not serve the purpose, the public conscience must be roused to demand another.”

In other words, the federal government needs to investigate thoroughly if there was gross negligence by any person or group of persons that would have helped to stop the killings and then follow due process. Let us not make Nigeria a sick country by our actions.

Charles Ikedikwa Soeze, Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta State.

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16

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

Comment & Analysis

Ropo Sekoni ropo.sekoni @thenationonlineng.net

T

IME will tell if the people of Ondo State actually spoke in a free and fair election a few hours ago. But if at the end of vote counting today or tomorrow Ondo State 2012 gubernatorial election is adjudged by citizens and political parties to be free and fair, the federal government would have endeared itself to citizens of the state, more than any other government since 2000. If there was any party that engaged in rigging in last night’s election, that party would have endangered the life and peace of innocent citizens in the state.

Such political party(ies) would have robbed the state of direly needed peace and progress.

The history of election rigging in Ondo State (as part of a larger unit in the past or in its present form) has been characterized by damaging disruption to the state’s economy, polity, and culture. Any party that rigged in yesterday’s election – caught or not caught for rigging—must have repeated some act that had brought disaster to Ondo State in the past. It must have created a problem that is difficult to get

Free and fair election in Ondo State?

It is dangerous to imagine another election with any trace of fraud over emotionally, even after court adjudication. It must have caused a division that is capable of further alienating citizens from their government and pitting families and communities against each other.

Historically, election manipulation in the area that is known as Ondo State today has been a source of disaffection not only between the winner of an election perceived to have been rigged and the governed but also between families and communities that believe they have been cheated and those perceived to have benefited from cheating.

When parties cried out loud about the possibility of rigging in the last few weeks, it was to ensure that a politically evil act is not done in a state that has a Monastic view of electoral integrity, a people that do not separate their ego from their vote, a people that traditionally view agents of election rigging as abusers of their humanity.

A verifiably free and fair election in Ondo State would be a rare gift to the people from Jega’s INEC and the federal government that is responsible for providing security, to prevent rigging. In my trip to the state in the last two

weeks, I was amazed by how many narratives of agony from election rigging I heard from citizens I consider too young to know so much about the destruction that rigged elections had wrought in the state in the past.

Any accomplishment by INEC and security forces to prevent election rigging, though a statutory responsibility on their part, would have saved the state and its citizens the harrowing experiences captured in didactic tales told by youths about the danger of election fraud in the state.

Election fraud in the Sunshine state had always been a source of economic, political, and cultural convulsion. For example, in 1965, an attempt was made to rig the election of a professor candidate of NNDP against a trader candidate of AG to the Western House of Assembly. The NNDP candidate was a man of stellar reputation and man of high integrity who happened to have ideological differences with the AG. After duly losing the election, he congratulated his AG counterpart. But the ruling party in Ibadan chose to give the NNDP candidate electoral victory which he openly rejected.

This attempt to steal votes

through media announcement fractured the town emotionally for a long time. Citizens got violent with individuals and families that supported the ruling party to change election results.

Scars from the days of violence over election in the state, otherwise known as Wetie are still on the faces of several families today.

Similarly in 1979, a day before the election to the House of Representatives, some successful business men were caught conducting voting in their houses twenty-four hours before the official election time. Some accomplished professionals who were in the race for the Federal House were also caught trying to steal ballot boxes on the day of the election. These acts infuriated the citizens, leading to slaughtering and singeing of those believed to be robbing citizens of their citizenship rights. Such acts left indelible scars on the psyche of lifeaffirming adults and children at the time.

In addition, the stealing of Ajasin’s votes for Omoboriowo in 1983 led to large-scale violence. People of Ondo and now Ekiti states were incensed by what they considered to be acts

of dehumanization. Citizens that were generally known to be pacific in their communities got on the streets, destroyed government property, killed prominent citizens, and caused general mayhem in all the towns of the state. The gory nature of the events of the time is better left unrepresented in print. The only election rigging that did not lead to open violence was the one of 2007. But the financial and emotional cost of two years of contestation between PDP and Labour Party and the crisis of legitimacy that the contestation threw up left negative impact on governance and economy of the state and on the psyche of citizens.

If at the end of the exercise today or tomorrow citizens and their political parties feel satisfied that the election of yesterday was free and fair, INEC and President Jonathan would have created a respectable space for themselves in Ondo State’s election museum. They would have enhanced the country’s electoral democracy in a verifiable way. For citizens of the Sunshine

The North: No to secession try regional integration Femi Orebe femi.orebe @thenationonlineng.net 08056504626 (sms only)

‘A

S much as every ethnic race and their affiliates deserve an independent country, there is only one solution - we must return to the previous system of governance before the tragic civil war. This time, ethnic groups must be allowed to choose whatever region they sincerely want to tag along with. No ethnic group MUST be forced or lumped together in the name of some fuzzy history. In this way, any region can develop at its own pace with little or no external interference. The mutual feeling of distrust and ill-feeling will disappear to some extent. - A commentator.

Alhaji Bello Kirfi is a distinguished man of honour whose services to the country spanned over 28 years and still counting, that is, if he does not succeed in truncating Nigeria. For ease of reference, and to let my readers know that Alhaji Bello Kirfi’s call was not a flash in the pan or made by some inconsequential personality, here’s a snapshot of the technocrat. He was Permanent Secretary for four ministries, Health, Land and Survey, Education and Finance and retired as Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Bauchi state. A former Minister of State, he also served as director, Bank of the North, Equity Bank and Steyr (Nig).Ltd. He is currently the Chairman of Giwo Holdings Limited. A truly lucky and privileged man, and he is certainly not alone as Northern civil servants go, Alhaji Kirfi attended the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and graduated with a di-

Northern leaders should seriously discuss how to economically empower their people ploma in Accountancy in 1971.

With a background as illustrious as this, it should not surprise that Alhaji Kirfi was able to assemble the eminence grise .of Nigeria’s North-Eastern geo-political zone amongst who were highly regarded Malam Adamu Ciroma, Ex-Defence Minister, Gen T.Y Danjuma, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, Ex-Petroleum Minister and Senator, Professor Jubril Aminu, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Alhaji Adamu Maina Waiziri, Gen Timothy Shelpidi (rtd), Alhaji Bunu Sheriff, and Alhaji Aliyu B. Modibbo.

Also in attendance were: General Yakubu Usman; Deputy Senate Leader, Sen. Abdul Ningi; Senator Aisha Alhassan; former Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Inna Ciroma; and former Education Minister, Alhaji Dauda Brima. And nobody could have been surprised to see the distinguished Professor Ango Abdullahi, former University Vice-Chancellor and foremost Northern irredentist.

The fact that Alhaji Kirfi invited General Danjuma to the summit must be proof positive of his belief that there is a groundswell of reasons why the North must now ‘secede and take its destiny in its own hands’. I say this because he cannot claim to be unaware of what would be the disposition of a man who has serially asserted that another civil war will practically kill off Nigeria. He must have felt that there are some commonality between him and those invited as to the disadvantages the North currently suffers from the status quo.

But it did not surprise, either, that the General was one of those who, at least, temporarily squelched the

call to secession.

What then are the conjecturable reasons for the call?

Without a doubt, since the Southern friend the North inflicted on us all turned against them by neutralising, if not completely eliminating, the sources of easy money and arrogance of power, it has been jeremiad upon jeremiad amongst the hitherto extremely powerful Northern politicians/soldiers. Obasanjo has completed his denouement of this class of Northerners when he went ahead, without as much as asking their permission, to make the late Yar Adua the choice of the North to succeed him.

For purposes of clarity, Obasanjo did not do that for altruistic reasons but just to be the voice behind the throne, a throne he knew had been weakened, ab initio, by the incoming President’s state of health. This neatly eliminated the Northern influence to the point that by the time Hajia Turai came unto her own, not a single Northern politician , or any of the erstwhile swashbuckling generals, could any longer rein in her excesses. Not a whimper was heard from Minna where two former presidents of Northern extraction reside nor from Kaduna where power had formerly oozed from. Indeed, Obasanjo had gone further to defoliate some sources of unconscionable personal wealth further driving in the bitter sword.

And he was not done.

Even though rotational presidency as party policy had been formally ratified by the Peoples Democratic Party which, ipso facto, meant that a Northerner should succeed to the presidency at the end of Yar Adua’s first term, given that he was no longer available to continue in office, Obasanjo did much

more than Chief Edwin Clark in edging on former Vice-President, Goodluck Jonathan, to throw in his hat into the presidential ring.

Things have never been the same ever since.

It is not unknown that some Northerners have since promised to make the country ungovernable for Jonathan and the consequences have been absolutely ferocious.

Boko Haram, even though did not come at the instance of these disgruntled politicians –since they were originally the roughnecks of the ANPP government in a particular state in the North-East – have since found justification for their extreme excesses in the angst the PDP politicians have against the President.

I, however, believe that the immediate precursor for the secession call is Jonathan’s decision to no longer treat Boko Haram with kid gloves. Rather than the hoped-for intervention funds, ala those government has put in place in the Niger-Delta area, humongous funds some Northern leaders would think they would again latch on to further pauperise their people as has habitually become the norm, the President has chosen to treat Boko Haram as urban terrorists who deserve nothing but strong hands. No longer do we hear of negotiations with some faceless bloodhounds which NorthEast elders continue to make their demand.

I agree completely that the Federal government must intervene appropriately in taking the North out of its economic miasma which, without a doubt, has been selfinflicted because its elite has, over these many years, been very selfish and completely unsympathetic to the agony of its hoi polloi.

Northern leaders should, however, start a process of replacing their sundry sterile summits with serious discussions on how to economically empower their people.

In this regard I strongly recommend that they interrogate, very seriously, Regional Economic Integration as panacea to the lingering economic incubus in that part of the country.

The DAWN Document which copiously documents South-West’s DEVELOPMENT AGENDA FOR WESTERN NIGERIA, but which many have demonised as the document to underpin Yoruba secession fromNigeria, is a serious document put together by the Yoruba intelligentsia and Professionals and to which the legislative houses in the region have since bought into and is being assiduously driven by its governors who have since set up Ministries of Regional Integration..

The North, it must be said, cannot always rely on the federal government. It may bear relevance to mention here that during the Obasanjo years, with an Alhaji Muktar Shagari as the Water Resources Minister, and to the near total exclusion of the South-West, billions of naira were being voted for irrigation projects in the North that AGBAJO, a Pan-Yoruba SocioCultural Association, had to set up a 3-Man Rapid Response team, to react to the almost weekly announcement of these humongous awards at the end of every Executive Council meeting. That then was a function of how much hold the North had on Obasanjo until he was able to break loose.

That preferential treatment for the North is no longer possible is one of the reasons predisposing any group of Northern leaders to suggest ‘Araba’. Without a doubt Alhaji Kirfi must have confided in very many of the confreres before the summit and the fact that the Ciroma’s and the Danjuma’s were able to shut it down now does not mean it is dead as a cause.

Comment & Analysis

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

Tunji

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

O

THER things being equal, the governorship election in Ondo State must have come and gone by the time you are reading this piece. But the kind of security arrangements that were put in place by the police and other security outfits for the election is mindboggling. Barely 72 hours to the DDay, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, said roads leading to Ondo State would be closed from last Thursday (October 18) preparatory to the election. Not only that, 20 armoured patrol security personnel and marine police patrol men would be provided at the riverine areas. “There will be no fishing on that day. Whatever fish you have on that day, stay at home and eat it…”

Abubakar said, among other things.

Even soldiers are not left out of the security arrangement. The General Officer Commanding (GOC) Nigeria Army 2 Division, MajorGeneral Mohammed Abubakar gave a shoot-on-sight order against hoodlums who may want to rig election or foment trouble to disrupt the polls.

In addition to the no-fishing order by the inspector-general of police, the GOC also said that there won’t even be any hunting on Election Day (yesterday). So, people who might want to carry arms under the pretext of going to hunt must have been effectively checkmated. Also, soldiers drafted for the election would get a dress code to differentiate them from fake ones that some politicians might have recruited. Again, soldiers would

Ondo election on my mind Militarisation of the state shows we still have not got it right mount check points on major roads even as the INEC office has been heavily protected against bombing and other criminal activities.

Now, do we blame the security agents for relying on ‘war and chariot’, as it were, to give us free and fair election? Yes and no. I will explain.” Experience”, they say, “is the best teacher”. The fact of the matter is that our politicians have not imbibed seeing election as any other contest in which there is bound to be a winner and a loser. In other words, they are bad losers. Long before former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s coinage of ‘do-or-die battle’ to describe election, elections in the country have become another kingdom of God that suffereth vio-

lence and only the violent taketh it by force.

I agree that is not good enough, but the point is that in its 13 years of governing the country since the return to civil rule in 1999, the PDP has not taught us much lesson concerning corruption, particularly political corruption. And there is a limit to how far it can go in the matter because it is a major actor in and beneficiary of election rigging. But I plead with the army to take things easy by not killing innocent voters in the process of killing hoodlums.

Again, the point must be made that all these security arrangements would amount to naught if they are for superficial purposes. We will only have result if the security

agents were posted on election duty for genuine reasons. The point must be made too that it would be tragic if all these security arrangements are to feather the nest of any of the contending parties, particularly the federal ruling party. It would be tragic because of the peculiar history of the Ondo people who cannot tolerate their votes being tampered with.

All said, it is important to point out that Ondo election and even the last governorship election in Edo State that returned Adams Oshiomhole, the Action Congress of Nigeria’s (ACN) candidate to office are now assuming the nature of serious business that elections should assume, that is minus the

17

violence aspect. In spite of the fact that Oshiomhole ought to have been returned ‘unopposed’ based on his track record, he still had to fight the battle of his life to ward off the rampaging PDP that wanted to rattle him out of the seat.

We saw the same thing in Ondo State. The three leading contenders for Mimiko’s job, Mimiko himself, of the Labour Party (LP), Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), the candidate of the ACN, and Olusola Oke of the PDP; and particularly the first two, had been selling themselves to the people in the last few weeks. They had traversed the state in their individual attempt to woo the voters.

The incumbent must have fought a battle of his life too. This is the way it should be; votes need not come cheap because when they do, they are hardly appreciated. What you do not labour for, you do not value. As they say, “no pain, no gain”. If we continue in this hard work tradition for elections, one day, the voter would be the king that he should be.

Welcoming our dear Patience Jonathan

I

WAS angry when Dame Patience Jonathan left the country’s shores unceremoniously late August. I was still angry when she returned on Wednesday. Indeed, I was angrier when the media made her return an issue. Why must you roll the carpets out to welcome someone who did not bid you goodbye when she was travelling? Even if she was not capable of doing that, should her aides too not have explained at least a little of what the issue was as she was leaving the country, or even after she had left? To make matters worse, one of them had to remind us that madam is not his ‘mate’, when we asked him for an idea of when to expect the First Lady. “Is she my mate”, that I should ask her that kind of question? he asked angrily. Anyway, my Christian conscience would not allow me grudge her for too long. So, welcome back, ma’am.

But I won’t allow what I noticed when she returned to go just like that.

For a man whose wife had been away for about seven weeks, one would have thought that President Goodluck Jonathan would be more romantic when receiving his wife on her return. But, what did we see on Wednesday? A President Jonathan who appeared too shy to properly hug his Dame in the open, when she returned after the weeks of ‘resting’ abroad.

He must have disappointed those of us who were waiting for the award-

winning picture of the President hugging his wife on the tarmac, and squeezing her tight, Lagos-style, her two feet off the ground in the process.

I trust President Barack Obama, if he had such an opportunity in the open, he would convert it to political advantage so that weeks after the great ‘event’, it would still be the focus of the media worldwide.

President Jonathan would be lucky if the women’s rights groups would not conspire with others at large, to wit: sue him for this run-on-the-mill welcome peck. And when the President should have been making plan to make up for this casual welcome back home hug, he left the country for Niamey, the Niger Republic capital on official assignment. Pray, what business has he in Niamey at a time Patience’s lips must be saying something like ’near-me’?

Anyway, President Jonathan has a rare third chance: having returned from Niamey, he should declare a week-long national holiday to do the needful; Nigerians would understand. Then, in their inner recesses in Aso Rock, they should put a sticker on the door with the stern warning: “First Couple at work” (or is it at play?) with some of the best hits of Donna Summer, Sonya Spence and (cap it with that of) Marvin Gaye, at the background. It is dangerous to let Patience run out of patience.

One giant mental institution, that's our Nigeria!

Postscript, Unlimited!

By

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

D

ID you hear the one about a mentally unstable man who was released from an institution for good behaviour?

Well, his doctors felt he was sufficiently healed to be let into the society so he got out and went on the streets. Two hours later, he was back at the institution. What was the problem? He said that while he stood by the road side, he saw a man wearing thick glasses riding a commercial motorcycle and carrying a pregnant woman who had a child on her back, and another one who carried three passengers on his motor cycle. He also saw a taxi driver who had carried seven passengers in his four-seat vehicle and a policeman who only laughed and collected some money from him. Then he thought, ‘the people out there in the world are all madder than me, and I am the one committed!’ So, to avoid being contaminated, he went back.

This last week, I listened in on a radio programme celebrating World Mental Health day. And I thought, ah, mental health! That is the inability of the mind to distinguish between what is socially acceptable and what is not.

Reader, pause awhile and say a prayer for Nigeria for we have, by our behaviour, converted it into a mental institution For example, since most husbands have not been able to distinguish between what is domestically acceptable (such as leaving all their month’s pay in the pockets of their pants for their wives to find) from what is not (such as leaving those pants on the kitchen table), we can assume that their mental health is challenged. There’s someone else whose mental health is challenged: my dog. For reasons best known to him, he thinks barking is beneath him. Do what you like, he just won’t bark. To harass visitors therefore, he simply, err, licks their feet. Grrr!

That dog is so in need of a specialist.

Obviously, then, anyone whose mental health is challenged needs help. I can count the people who need help. All taxi drivers need help. All Lagos bus drivers need help. All okada riders need help.

Believe me, all husbands need help.

How else can you classify a husband who sells his wife for a sum of money if not someone in need of help? No, that happened in literature. But I know one who nearly sold his wife because she was costing him too much to feed.

Really, what constitutes mental health is a matter of perspective.

After all, I once drove the car into one of the walls of the house. No, no one pushed me; I just thought the road extended there. Of course, need you ask? Those around me went, ‘But, were you mad?!’

So, like everyone else, I interpreted the mental health day to mean the day we pause in our respective tasks, think for a

moment about any mad person we know, say a little prayer for them, and then move on to choose what we are going to have for dinner.

Not so, explained the resource person, it means the day we examine our mind and clear it of debris such as excessive love of money, excessive hatred of our noisy neighbour and too many death wishes such as driving the car at one hundred and forty kilometres an hour on Nigeria’s rough roads. Or, we can just use the day to think about those who appear well on the surface but are really sick beneath, like Nigeria.

Reader, pause awhile and say a prayer for Nigeria for we have, by our behaviour, converted it into a mental institution. Seriously. The poor thing thinks it is well but it is really, really sick. Just think about the antics of her citizens. Where else in the world can you find a people so cheerfully bizarre, yet uncompromisingly devilish?

Where else can you find a people so nice and yet so wicked to each other all at once? I say, where else can you find a people so artful at biting each other and so equally artful at blowing palliative air to soothe the pain? Where else but in this your good ol’ country can you find people perpetually screaming at each other ‘You hit my car, are you mad?! You beat my son, are you mad?! You stole my prayer, are you mad?! You stole my future, are you mad?! You stole all the meat in the pot, you this stupid child, are you mad?!!!

When we think of the fact that what peoples the walls of this country is a veritable mix of schizophrenics, psychosomatics, psychopaths, sociopaths, sociogoths and psychogoths (if you know what those are cause I don’t), repressed and depressed joy killers, quarter-mad, half-mad and fully-mad individuals, and all in need of specialists, then we know we need to tread a little. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at the Lagos traffic and transport system.

That is pure madness. Whoever contrived that system should be hung up for the world to behold as the example of a mad man. Or, you might look at Abuja driving. For exercise, drive to and from Abuja and you will see what I mean.

Clearly, every driver along that route needs a specialist. The ones inside the city itself appear to be beyond redemption, so the government appears to have left them alone to finish one another off. When they finish getting rid of one another, to the last one of them, then we can claim the city back from madness. Right now, it is on the brink.

When we think of the mad things we have done to this country, then we would agree that it is all but hanging on a thread, or just hanging. And it all began when we stood the country on its head, much like when you stand logic on its head. Again, pause a while and let us go over the facts together. Is it not in this country that people who have been convicted or are

under suspicion are also ‘elected’ into political office? Is it not in this country that people who say they are trying to salvage the country’s economy ask to be paid in foreign currencies? Don’t these things boggle your mind? They do mine.

Sadly, it is also in this country that people go out to kill in the name of God and still preach that that God, in whose name they have killed others, stands for love.

Hmm. Strange love. Anyway, this is also the country that houses the highest number of people who steal from the government so that they and their children will never be poor again. Yet another kind of strange love. So, with so much strange love going around, are you surprised that there is so much madness in the land, and we are all ensconced in this giant mental institution?

The World Mental Health day came and went without too many people noticing it. Perhaps, those who did were the only sane ones among us. I dare say the rest of us were too busy displaying our mental instability to notice. So it comes down to this. The mental health of this country is in your hands. Stop screaming at others; stop driving recklessly; stop embezzling recklessly; stop killing in the name of God, and begin now to take care of yourself and others in this mental institution. Who knows, if we begin to behave ourselves we might be let off, and be allowed to join the comity of sane nations soon, real soon.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

Comment & Analysis

Tipping point in fight against slavery?

T

HERE are, shockingly, more people in slavery today than at any time in human history but campaigners think the world is close to a tipping point and that slavery may be eradicated in the next 30 years.

The estimated number of people in slavery - 27 million - is more than double the total number believed to have been taken from Africa during the transatlantic slave trade.

Ship records make it possible to estimate the number of slaves transported from Africa to the Americas and the Caribbean, from the 16th Century until the trade was banned in 1807 - and the figure is about 12.5 million people.

The figure of 27 million slaves today comes from researcher Kevin Bales, of Free the Slaves - who blames the huge figure on rapid population growth, poverty and government corruption.

Many people still think of slavery as a thing of the past, but it exists in many forms, on every continent ranging from sex and labour trafficking, to debt bondage where people are forced to work off small loans.

“I often think about a quarry slave from North India,” says investigative journalist Ben Skinner, who has travelled all over the world documenting cases of slavery.

“I could go in at night and interview him, so I asked him why he didn’t run away. It was because he feared the extraordinary violence of the quarry contractor who held him to a minuscule debt.

By Melissa Hogenboom

“In his world, the contractor was god. He was not only the taker of life but also the giver of sustenance.

When we look at why slavery has persisted we have to look at breaking those cycles of dependence.”

Not all slaves were from Africa.

Slavery existed among some Native American groups and in some Asian countries, and Europeans were sometimes enslaved by the Ottoman Empire.

Skinner says that many of the slaves he met in India had never known a free life. They came from extremely isolated communities, and were not aware of their basic universal rights.

But while developing countries have the highest number of slave labourers, developed countries with strong human rights laws “fail to resource the law enforcement to deal with the problem in comparison to virtually any other law”, says Bales.

Barack Obama recently painted a portrait of contemporary slavery.

“It’s the migrant worker unable to pay off the debt to his trafficker,” he said. “The man, lured here with the promise of a job, his documents then taken, and forced to work endless hours in a kitchen. The teenage girl, beaten, forced to walk the streets.”

The US government spends billions on tackling homicide, Bales argues, but only a fraction is spent on slavery “even though we know there are many more slaves than homicides in the US”.

In Europe too, victims of slavery cannot always rely on the law to protect them. Anti-trafficking charity Stop the Traffik cites a case where a girl was returned to Hungary after being trafficked abroad. Upon her return to supposed safety, she was raped and returned to her traffickers.

As well as being transported out of Africa during the transatlantic slave trade, slaves were also captured and sold within Africa Brazil has an official “dirty list” of employers using slave labour. 2,700 charcoal camp workers have been freed from slave-like conditions in recent years, according to Greenpeace Many children and adults in India become bonded labourers because of family poverty. The conditions of employment mean workers can’t pay off debts so can be stuck for life But the International Labour Organization (ILO) - whose figure of 20.9 million people worldwide in forced labour does not include bonded labour - believes slavery can be completely eradicated.

The momentum has been growing for the last 10 years, says the ILO’s Beate Andreas, pointing to a “growing movement and growing leadership on the part of key countries to take action”.

She compares this struggle to the battle against HIV, where it took a number of years to generate the momentum and the commitment needed to overcome the epidemic.

Slavery is already illegal in every country in the world.

“We have not quite reached the tipping point, but it’s much more

difficult for countries and companies to get away with forced labour nowadays,” Andreas says.

“There is reason to be optimistic.

We have seen a sweeping change in recent years in terms of legislation and better regulation.

“There’s a clear sign that more companies are becoming aware, and more governments are willing to take action. If we have the critical mass of leaders ready to take action, then it can be eradicated.”

Bales says there was a time when law enforcement agencies knew how to deal with a truck full of drugs, but lacked clear procedures for dealing with a truck full of people. This is changing, he says.

The UN’s anti-trafficking protocol talks about the “three Ps” prosecution, protection and prevention.

The pressure group Stop the Traffik focuses on prevention. In Kyrgyzstan for example, it works with street children to teach them to recognise the warning signs so they can avoid being recruited to beg and steal.

Businesses are also playing a role in prevention, by boycotting goods produced by forced or slave labour.

A number of major retailers have stopped buying cotton produced by forced labour in Uzbekistan, and last year a trade deal with Uzbekistan was rejected by the European Parliament because of its use of child slaves.

In Brazil, a nationwide antislavery plan set out in in 2003 introduced changes in regulation and

labour inspection laws that have resulted in the freeing of thousands of slave workers. Employers are put on an official “dirty list” if they are found to use slave labour. This currently includes nearly 300 companies and individuals. The ILO also works to help other countries also spot the “invisible signs” of forced labour.

In 2008 the state of Niger was found guilty by a West African court of failing to protect a former domestic slave, and the government ordered to pay compensation.

Dr Aidan McQuade, director of Anti-Slavery International, says that following the verdict, the news spread and large numbers who were in forced labour simply walked away from their situation, something they would have been too afraid to do before.

These are some of the factors that make slavery “a solvable problem within our generation”, Bales argues - 25 to 30 years.

“The best estimates suggest that slavery puts about $40bn (£24.9bn) in the global economy. While that’s a lot of money it’s also by far the tiniest fraction of the global economy ever represented by slave output. Twentyseven million is a large number, but its also the tiniest fraction of the global population to ever be in slavery.

“Slavery is standing on the edge of its own extinction - if we give it a hard push. Certainly, we need governments to work together and to enforce their own laws. But that’s do-able.”

Source: BBC News

Reengineering Nigeria’s education sector C

RITICS of Nigeria’s education sector have for a long time refused to accept that something good can ever happen in the sector. This is perhaps based on their experience in the past.

Since the creation of the Federal Ministry of Education in 1958, succeeding ministers have tried to improve the lots of the system, but the ship refused to berth.

This, singularly, paved the way for these critics to remain with their cynicisms of the sector and even those appointed to paddle the canoe of the sector never thought they could move the hand of the clock away from where it was years behind.

One problem that has continually bedevilled the sector is the lack of continuity of governance and this is amplified by the fact that in 54 years, no fewer than 26 senior ministers and 13 ministers of state have been appointed for the ministry of education.

Averagely put, it goes to tell a story that at 54, each minister had served the ministry for not less than two years, although some spent less than one year, three or even four years and above.

In view of this lack of continuity, policy summersault became an inthing. New ministers refused to embrace policies formulated by their predecessors and most often, categorised them as theoretic without implementable norms.

However, the coming of Prof.

Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, as minister, re-awakened the roadmap theory. She continued with it and after a careful study, promulgated the One-Year Strategic Plan for the development of the sector, which later metamorphosed to a four-year strategic development plan for the education sector 2011-2015.

Specifically, the decision of President Goodluck Jonathan to transform

the basic education sector of the economy was with clear objectives to improve the service delivery for the overall development of the nation.

Therefore, within her first year in office (2010 to 2011), the one year plan focused mainly on identified areas like strengthening the institutional management of the sector and standardisation of the system with quality assurance.

The other critical areas were on teacher education and development; access and equity; funding, partnerships and resource utilisation as well as technical, vocational education and training.

In any of these areas of intervention, certain levels of progress were made, therefore, when she was reappointed for the next four years, she re-echoed the pursuit of the unfinished business with zeal, enthusiasm and commitment, thus giving birth to the Four-Year Strategic Plan.

The new plan of action (2011 to 2015), is undoubtedly, an expansive order from the one-year plan. Little wonders, therefore, that just last week, 101 Nigerian graduates, with first class degree, were awarded scholarships to study in any of the 25 world-best universities across the globe.

In the same way, her desire for increased access to university education led to the creation of nine new Federal Universities in Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina, Kogi, Nassarawa and Taraba States.

So far, most of the universities have taken off, thereby increasing access with pioneer students of over 500 being admitted into the Federal University, located in Oye-Ekiti, while between 200 and 400 others were admitted in other universities.

Besides creating jobs, Prof. Rufa’i said that with the take-off of the nine

By Aliyu N. Othman

new universities, President Jonathan has fulfilled one of the most important promises on education delivery.

Within this period of her services, the minister launched a campaign on access to basic education, which targeted at larger number of children that were out of school. These included the Girl Child Education, the Boy Child Education, the Early Childcare Education, and the Almajiri Education programmes.

These special interventions are targeted at special groups of nine million children who are out of schools. The Almajiri intervention scheme will ensure the construction of over 100 day and boarding Junior Secondary Schools in different parts of northern Nigeria, thereby making it possible for the identified disadvantaged children to go to school.

At present, the President has launched the campaign and opened the Almajiri model school in Sokoto, the first of its kind in the country. He has also launched the back-to-school campaign in Enugu aimed at bringing drop-out boys back to school to ensure that they get educated to be more useful to the society and the nation. The programme is also planned in the West, to reduce the area boys’ insurgency in that geopolitical zone.

This policy implementation has also confirmed the Minister’s desire to improve basic education delivery system as provided for in the plan document already being implemented since last year.

The adoption of the Transformation Agenda provided the minister a clear direction to organise two levels of retreats for the Ministry’s Directorate and Agencies and another retreat on UBEC Stakeholders to identify roles and key areas into the agenda.

It was at this retreat that the minister challenged stakeholders in the education sector to do more to ensure that the transformation really work for maximum benefits.

Symbolically, the minster noted that ‘“the first necessary factor for rapid educational development and growth is quality leadership”, thus ensuring that teacher development and training was taking the front burner in the scheme of things.

This effort led to the changes, especially in students’ performance in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council’s SSCE results.

Although the results are still below expected target levels, they are appreciable from 13 per cent ratio, which she met on assumption of office in 2010 to 30 per cent in 2011 and right now, the country is witnessing a jump to 39 per cent for WAEC and 50 per cent for NECO in the 2012 examinations regime.

It is hoped that by 2015, the targeted year for eradication of illiteracy in the country, the average results would stand at 60 to 70 per cent or more in all examinations conducted in the country.

This target is expected to ensure that students score at least five credits including English and Mathematics as the basic requirements for admission into tertiary institution.

Since 2010, no fewer than 300,000 teachers are expected to benefit from the training schemes as base line aimed at improving teachers’ efficiency and ability to impact knowledge on children.

As at 2010, 17,000 have graduated from the Federal Teachers Scheme (FTS) project for public primary schools in the 34 states including the FCT in the training conducted by the NTI, while 1,200 teachers from the six geo-political zones, and have also received manpower training for enhancing the integration of ICT com-

ponents in the teacher- learning process by the NCCE. Besides these, the minister’s personal inter-relationship with unions in the education sector, ensured peace on the campuses. For a start, former President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof.

Ukachukwu Awuzie, was appointed into the Nigerian Universities Need Assessments Committee.

For the first time in the history of journalism, education writers under the umbrella of Education Correspondent of Nigeria (ECAN), honoured the minister’s feats in the sector.

This was closely followed by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and various media houses in the country.

The latest of the prowess and list of honour for ‘mama education’ came from the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), on October 5, 2012 at the Eagles Square, as a distinctive recipient in education development.

There is no disputing the fact that Prof. Rufa’i deserves the honours, awards and accolades bestowed on her by various stakeholders in the system.

Against this backdrop, one would not forget in a hurry that she is aware of the need to encourage entrepreneurial education towards self-employment, provided special intervention to fund the procurement of vocational and technical equipment for the Polytechnics and Monotechnics in the country.

This policy, when fully implemented, will ensure the creation of more jobs and making the nation graduates self-employed and employers of labour, rather than job seekers.

Othman is Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Education

POLITICS

19

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

•Tukur

•Babangida

T

Northern PDP governors, Tukur in cold war

HE ‘war’ did not start of recent. It actually dated back to the vigorous campaign period that preceded the election of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Left to most of the northern governors elected on the platform of the party, Tukur’s chairmanship ambition would have been dead on arrival.

The Genesis: In fairness to Tukur, he campaigned harder than any of the other aspirants for national chairmanship seat. During one of his whistle stop visits to a PDP governor in one of the northern states, the governor was alleged to have sounded out Tukur on the possibility of the emergence of a new president of northern extraction in 2015.

According to sources, Tukur allegedly responded that having a northern president in 2015 all depended on the disposition of President Goodluck Jonathan, who despite denials in official quarters, is believed to be interested in seeking re-election.

Though shocked by Tukur’s response, the governor, who is rumoured to be nursing a presidential ambition in 2015, smartly masked his displeasure, but quickly wished Tukur the best of luck in his aspiration.

It was not long before words went round on what transpired between the then national chairmanship aspirant and the governor. In a spate of few weeks, Tukur had gone round almost all the states selling his credentials and eligibility for the position.

But contrary to his expectations that his candidature would be given an open endorsement, most of the governors in the north remained non-committal.

According to findings, the northern governors in several of their private discussions resolved to scuttle Tukur’s ambition and back another candidate from the North-East where Tukur also hails from.

The Bauchi declaration and its aftermath The arrowhead of the hurriedly packaged summit was the Bauchi State Governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda. In a deft move, he succeeded in convincing his counterparts in the other North-East states on the importance of attending the parley.

•Lamido

The cold war between the governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, is taking a new dimension contrary to assumptions that all is well. Remi Adelowo reports

By the time the powerful backers of Tukur got wind of the game plan that was afoot, it was already too late. Tukur’s chairmanship aspiration was torn into shreds and, in his place, another aspirant, Dr. Musa Babayo Shehu, was endorsed as the North-East candidate for the PDP national chairmanship seat.

Sources disclosed that it was a stunned President Jonathan, who quickly summoned a meeting with northern governors at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The sole agenda of the meeting was a review of the Bauchi meeting and its implications for the unity of the party.

Knowing full well that the governors largely hold the ace on who becomes what in the party, the president allegedly pleaded that Tukur should be supported, while also subtly reminding the governors that as the sitting president and national leader of the party, his preferred candidate should be given a smooth sail at the convention.

Though not pleased with the president’s intervention, the governors, however, made a u-turn from their earlier position and decided to back Tukur.

In deference to the president’s wish, the governors allegedly instructed the other aspirants for the seat, including Babayo Shehu and the former Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters to late President Umaru Yar’Adua, Senator Abba Aji, to step down

for Tukur.

Despite his election as the National Chairman, sources said it was clear to Tukur that he may not enjoy the full confidence of some of the PDP northern governors, thus the beginning of a cat and mouse relationship between the two parties.

Tukur’s other ‘sins’ Some days after he assumed office at the Wadata House headquarters of the party, Tukur, through his spokesman, announced the appointment of key aides to assist him in the discharge of his duties.

Two key appointments were that of Alhaji Habu Fari and Chief Osaro Onaiwu, as Chiefs of Staff and Protocol respectively.

Fari, said to be the first ever Chief of Staff at the PDP headquarters, moved to assert his authority. The first person he clashed with was the National Secretary of the party, Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who reportedly complained that some of the correspondences he sent to Tukur were either blocked or delayed.

Oyinlola, it was gathered, also allegedly frowned at a situation where correspondences, which should emanate directly from Tukur to his office, were usually signed by Fari.

The Nation gathered that like Oyinlola, some PDP governors also allegedly complained bitterly about alleged shabby treatment from Tukur, who despite scheduled

appointments with governors, usually direct Fari to act on his (Tukur’s) behalf. “He (Tukur) relates with the governors like a school principal to his pupils,” said a source who is an insider in the party.

Final parting of ways?

The governors were not happy with their national chairman, and they craved for an opportunity to get back at him.

That opportunity presented itself when Tukur launched his biography, The Global Villager, in Abuja. According to sources, the president, all the governors and senators elected on the platform of the PDP were duly invited to the event.

Surprisingly however, while the president came to honour Tukur, the governors with the exception of Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, shunned the occasion and did not send representatives, despite indications that many of them were in Abuja on that very day.

Although Orji tried to rationalise the absence of his colleagues, the import of the governors’ action was not lost on discerning observers of the power play in the ruling party.

The scheming for 2015 With unconfirmed reports indicating that almost all the PDP governors running their second term in office are interested in the presidency come 2015, sources revealed that with Tukur still holding sway as the party’s boss, the chances of a northerner being elected or picked as the PDP presidential candidate may be rather slim.

For the governors, Tukur is no more than the president’s stooge, who will work for the alleged second term of Jonathan, contrary to the position of the northern political elites that a northerner should succeed Jonathan in 2015.

20

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

Politics

The Niger Delta Development Commission, an agency raised to hasten development in the region, has vowed to complete ongoing projects, writes Augustine Avwode

W

HAT is the fate of the numerous uncompleted projects dotting the nooks and crannies of the Niger Delta region? Will they be completed and commissioned or abandoned?

These are the questions agitating the many stakeholders in the region.

But the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), a federal government interventionist agency established to fast track the development of the region, has reiterated its commitment to the completion of existing projects across the nine states covered by the commission. The Commission’s Head of the Corporate Affairs, Mr. Ibitoye Abosede said the agency will not abandon any existing project.

Reacting to concern being expressed in some quarters about the fate of such projects, he said “The Board is aware of their concern and appreciates it. The MD/CEO, Dr. Chris Oboh, has said at various fora that no existing project would be abandoned. He means just that and that is what the commission is focusing on”, he stated.

There are many uncompleted projects initiated by previous boards of the commission since it was set up by the government in 2000 to drive development in the oil-rich region, which has suffered serious neglect and degradation over a long period of time.

At one of his major media briefings in April, the MD/CEO acknowledged the challenges posed by such uncompleted projects and

Developing oil bearing communities declared his determination to deal with the issue.

“One of the challenges we met when we came on board was the multiplicity of uncompleted and ongoing projects across the region.

We are aware of stakeholders’ concerns and are committed to ensuring the completion of as many of such projects as possible within the limit of available time and resources.”

The commission has since swung into action by undertaking a comprehensive and extensive audit of all on-going projects across the region, an exercise Oboh described as a “demonstration of the commitment of the board to the completion of projects awarded since the inception of the NDDC in December 2000”.

The board constituted itself into three monitoring committees made up of three members each to go round three states and see things for themselves; One for Delta, Edo and Ondo states; another for Riv-

ers, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states and the last one for Cross River, Imo and Abia states.

Assessment tour: The monitoring committees have since inspected projects in all the states spread across the region.

These projects include roads, bridges, land reclamation and shore protection, flood control and canalisation as well as university hostels. The task before the monitoring groups was to assess what was on ground and recommend measures that would facilitate the completion of the projects placed on fast-track by the commission.

The first monitoring committee to Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom was led by Mr. Edi Orubo, the Bayelsa State representative. The others were Prof. Ibitamuno Aminigo, representing Rivers State and Imaobong Inyang, representing Akwa Ibom State.

The team visited the 29-kilometre Ogbia-Nembe road, a project the commission is building in part-

nership with the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

The road project, which has 10 bridges and 99 culverts, has been described as one of the most challenging projects of the commission obviously because of the difficult terrain. The project was allegedly mooted some 35 years ago but has been left untouched by successive administrations until SPDC and NDDC decided to handle it.

In Rivers State the team inspected the hostel projects at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology. They also inspected the Buguma-Edo-AbalamaAbonema road as well as the Buguma shore-protection and reclamation of about 150 hectares of land in Ogu-Bolo, all in Rivers State.

But while they expressed satisfaction with the land reclamation project in their report, the team has harsh words for the contractor at Buguma.

And in Akwa Ibom, the team inspected the hostel at the University

of Uyo permanent site and the one at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital , including road and bridge projects in the state. The roads projects visited include the 30 kilometre Nsasak Junction-Okon Essien Udim road; the 33.5 kilometre Ikot-Akpan-Udoh road; IkoAtabrikang-Opolom-Iwuo Achang road with a bridge in Ibeno and the Uquo-Odoro Nkit-Ntak-Inyang road.

The second team which took off from Abia State was led by the state’s representative Mr. Alloysius Nwagboso. Others are Peter Ezeobi representing Imo State and Dominic Edem, representing Cross River State .

The team inspected the 25-kilometre Uzoukwu-Owaza Iguruta Road and bridge project. It was also at the site of the 132 KVA transmission line and sub-station at UkwaWest Local Government Area of Abia State. The team also inspected projects in Nsidung and Idebe communities in new Bakassi/ Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State communities in new Bakassi/Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The last leg of the inspection took members to Delta, Edo and Ondo States. It was led by Chief Solomon Ogba, the Delta State representative on the board. Other members of the team are Mr. Henry Okhuarobo, representing Edo State and Mr. Omogbemi Oladele, representing Ondo Notwithstanding the assurances, however, a group of contractors under the aegis of Niger Delta Contractors Coalition (NDCC) has alleged that the board stampeded on-going projects and “removed them from the budget to give the new board room to award fresh and dubious contracts”.

But a source within the commission described the advertorial as the handiwork of disgruntled contractors. The source claimed that for a board that has barely 12 months left, as it was meant to complete the tenure of the previous board, it should at least award new contracts while it ensures that old projects are not only completed but to specification.

Whatever the case is, it will be in the best interest of the region which has suffered untold neglect over several decades to be treated with a sense of rapid development by ensuring the completion of old projects and even the execution of new ones.

Reconciliation moves as Uduaghan celebrates A

S Delta State governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, marks his 58th birthday, some concerned leaders and advocates of peace and democracy in the state have harped on the need to use this auspicious occasion to promote peace and harmony in the state.

Recently, the state has come under serious verbal attack over alleged state of insecurity among other allegations, portraying the Uduaghan-led government as lagging behind.

But the People’s Movement, a nascent advocacy group on good governance and transparency on Thursday in Lagos congratulated the governor and called on his political opponents in the state to join hands with him to ensure greater development and progress.

The group also advised Chief Great Ogboru, the governorship candidate of the Democratic Peoples’ Party (DPP) in the 2011 governorship election in Delta State and other members of the party to support Uduaghan, pointing out that since the apex court would not reverse its decision, it would be bet-

As Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan celebrates his 58th birthday, Sam Egburonu reports that some groups are making moves aimed at permanently reconciling him with his political opponents ter to collaborate with Uduaghan for the general interest of the state and the people.

“This is the time to bury the hatchet and to join hands with the governor to move the state forward,” the group said.

A statement from the group said groups of prominent Deltans, committed to the rapid development of the state, will hold discussion soon with concerned leaders, intellectuals and stakeholders to fashion out a template for the development of the state.

The group reflected on the five years of the Uduaghan administration and declared that the state was in a promising direction. “ We are confident that the measures Governor Uduaghan has initiated are measures in the right direction” the Director of Communications, Mrs. Ibifuro Tatua said in a statement issued in Lagos.

Debunking criticisms that the state government has failed to

tackle the problem of insecurity, the group observed that security is a major problem in Nigeria and not just Delta State. It also debunked the insinuation that Delta State has the highest number of kidnap cases.

“His Excellency is winning the war against kidnappers and other criminals”, the group said, adding, “It is against this background arising from serious security challenges that Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan decided to put in place strategies towards addressing security challenges in the state’, the statement said.

It added that Uduaghan’s administration had set up special courts dedicated to trying offenders of these crimes, in addition to acquiring communication gadgets to assist law enforcement agencies to track down the criminals.

On the menace of flood , the group said the problem is not peculiar to Delta alone, pointing out, “It’s all over Nigeria and indeed,

all over the world”.

According to statement, Uduaghan has carried out massive work in terms of clearing of drainages and removing structures obstructing natural waterways before the flood, complaining about the behavior of some people, who intentionally dump refuse in drainages and gutters as well as those who build their houses or fences on a water channel .

The group therefore appealed to the people to support the governor, warning some people it described as enemies of the state to desist from their activities. “Such people should think of what they can do to help their people at any level rather than allowing themselves to be used as agents of darkness and destruction,” it advised.

Alleging that criticism against the government may have been informed by refusal to share the state resources, It also urged greedy politicians, godfathers, thugs and

•Uduaghan

youths waiting for the current governor to share state funds with them to forget the idea, adding that the governor is committed to the utilization of such funds for the growth of the state and the people.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

Politics

Political Politics

I still look back longingly at politics of AD —Odanye Akinrogun Tunde Odanye, PDP chieftain, who contested for the governorship seat of the state of Osun in 2007 under Alliance for Democracy, tells Sam Egburonu in this interview that he is still longing for the progressive politics of AD. Excerpts about eight years before he got there.

N

IGERIA is 52 this year and most citizens feel the country is still like a baby? Why do we have to face this fate?

I will say yes, we are a toddler nation at 52. But I will like to point out that for a change, we are gradually getting our acts together. We all seem to agree today that a lot has to be done. I mean that both the ruler and the people seem to be on the same page today as to what needs to be done. I think the only problem is the sincerity of those who are ruling and of course some of the people who are being ruled, who are beneficiaries of the corrupt system and so want it to continue. But I think we will get there. You see, unlike in the military days, when the rulers either had cotton wool in their ears and were totally deaf to what the ruled were saying or just could not be bothered, in this democratic setting, everybody knows you have to deliver because it is your performance for a second term, and assuming that is not the greatest motivation for you, assuming your second term is guaranteed, whether you delivered or you did not; there is also the fact that when you leave that office, there are a number of people who will ask you questions on why you failed to deliver.

Are you implying that the leaders we have today are listening to the governed?

None of them can pretend not to hear what the people are saying. Is just that some care, some do not care very much and some may not care at all. But you can hear them defending themselves, trying to justify their actions and promising to do more. We are all witnesses to what is happening today. We have a situation that when you criticize the president, you get a reply. I will give you an example which I find very ‘emulatory’ of Mr. president. Somebody in the social media carried the rumour that it was the president’s wife that was responsible for the Dana plane crash; that she was visiting and air space was closed, etc. Of course, that allegation was baseless. In times not

•Odanye

too long ago, that fellow would have been locked up and the keys thrown away. But what do we have now? We have a president and his wife, who replied, saying this was where I was oo!

In otherwise, we have a president and his wife who had to provide an alibi, which was totally unassailable and simply responding that the allegation has no truth, no foundation. You criticised the president on the removal of petrol subsidy. Some of us believe it is necessary. We know that those subsidies were entering into private pockets. We are not the beneficiaries of the subsidy. But the president harkened to the cries of the people. The most recent was the issue of the N5,000 note. He listened to your criticisms.

So, I think he is listening. Change could be slow a times. Its like an Elephant’s turning. When damage has been done for quite a long period of time, rectifying it may not be very easy.

It is the same thing they are harassing Barack Obama in America. They have forgotten he has been there for only four years. Damage has been done

Political

ripples Mark, Suswam disagree on 2015 succession

F

OR many years, Senate President, David Mark and Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, have enjoyed a warm political relationship that borders on mutual respect.

But the duo are said to be having some disagreement of recent in connection with •Mark the 2015 governorship elections in Benue State. Sources revealed that while Mark is alleged to favour his tribe, Idoma, to produce the next governor, Suswam is believed to be thinking otherwise. How this will play out is a major issue in Benue State politics of today.

You know it’s easier to destroy than to build.

I think what has led to the greatest reverse we had was the time the late President Yar’Adua was ill and it was like nobody was really in charge. It was his ministers and some caucus of his close friends, who were directing affairs not necessarily to the best benefit of the citizens but to their benefits. That was when we heard that there were millions of dollars flying around in hard currency amongst ministers because they had no boss, more or less.

The impression that the president is slow, which led to allegations that he was rudderless and such like, has not been helped by government’s handling of Boko Haram and other security challenges. Do you agree that he is confused?

I am not saying this as a politician, I am responding now as a lawyer and as a regular citizen, based on my discussions with people across different political strata; I know that every enlightened person understands that many of this problems cannot go away over night. America and Israel, which are supposed to be the most security conscious countries in the world still have same experience every now and then. They don’t blame it on their president. 9/11 was never blamed on the President of America. In the UK, they are still arresting fundamentalists, both Islamists, the skin heads, etc. I ask, are we intentionally mischievous or what? Don’t we read newspapers everyday: bomb blast in Spain, bomb blast in Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, Kenya, everywhere. Are all their presidents rudderless? Its like saying anywhere there is crime, it’s Mr. president’s fault.

One of the reasons already adduced for this state of insecurity is poverty of the common citizen, and this is not occasioned only by the president. The state governments and local authorities have contributed in this unfortunate reality and so, when these people begin to react, it is not directed at the president alone but also at their state and local leaders.

Continued on Page 22

OBJ won’t give up on Ladoja

F

OR the third time in six months, former president, •Obasanjo Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, some days ago, paid an unscheduled visit to the Ibadan residence of former Oyo State governor, Chief Rashidi Ladoja. For the past one year, the expresident has been putting pressure on Ladoja to return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a party he dumped about two years ago for the Accord Party when he lost out in the power play that preceded the 2011 general elections. Having allegedly realised that Ladoja’s return to PDP could boost the party’s chances in the 2015 elections, OBJ, according to sources, has allegedly vowed not to retreat in his efforts to convince the former governor that his political future lies only in PDP.

21

turf

with Bolade Omonijo boladeomonijo@yahoo.com

Fayemi: Activist, administrator and politician

I

WOULD have more aptly titled this piece, A Man of the People, but for the fact that a number of writers have adopted that as headlined for their write ups to mark the second anniversary of the John Kayode Fayemi government in Ekiti. It is no secret that, when the man took charge, a number of people feared that the crisis of expectation that attended the struggle that brought him to power could diminish whatever he may do in office.

Some loyalists and admirers feared that the position of the state as one of the poorest in the country could hinder good performance. The struggle to reclaim a stolen mandate had been hinged on the need to anchor democracy on justice.

Many volunteered to be soldiers of democracy and readily surrendered their time, and in some cases, health and lives, to the revolutionary movement that brought Dr. Fayemi to office. He promised, therefore, that his government would work for the people, the masses. He pledged to commit the resources of Ekiti State to creating a better environment for prosperity. He said poverty would be declared an unwanted guest in the state. He undertook to be a child to all the aged and a father to the youth.

Two years after the solemn promises, how far has he gone? How does he rate with the people? In the early part of the administration, I heard many people bitterly criticize him. Some said it was common with academics to promise so much and deliver so little. Some said activists are only good at agitation and rarely make good leaders. Good governance, some cynically remarked, is not an item available at the market for purchase by those who mean well but lack practical administrative experience.

Many of us who grew up in the same political community as the Ekiti State governor squirmed whenever we heard the soul wrenching comments. But, what I did not do was panic or ever lose confidence in the ability of the governor to deliver the goods. I had known him for some time and felt if there was anyone for the job, it is the man from Isan Ekiti.

I have also studied leaders far and wide and realize that it takes careful, meticulous planning to achieve success in the public square. I do not have to go far in citing examples.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu became the governor of Lagos State at a most difficult moment. He succeeded a military administrator who was perceived an achiever. He came in through a tortuous process and there was no money to make the mark immediately. The setting then changed.

Under the military, it was easy for a governor or administrator to run to the Head of State for special grant.

It meant nothing as the military operates the highly centralized command structure. The governors were agents of the Head of State. But, under the pseudo-federal structure in operation when the civilians take charge, that is not really possible.

At the time Tinubu took over Lagos, records show that the state was almost fully dependent on federal allocation and monthly income just amounted to about six hundred million naira. The Tinubu miracle was that he raised internally generated revenue to a dizzy height of about nine billion naira monthly. No one believed it was possible.

It took careful planning. It took time. It began to yield fruit after about 18 months.

Then, more recently, Edo State. Adams Oshiomhole’s background is known to all. He fought for and alongside the people. When he took over Edo in 2008 in a situation similar to Ekiti’s, he promised to reclaim the state from godfathers and parasites who had held on to the treasury for ages and thus prevented real growth and development.

In the first 18 months, the criticisms were quite heavy. But, by the time the people saw where he was going, it was not difficult convincing them to vote the ACN again.

Fayemi has done the impossible in Ekiti. He has turned things round. Most of those who jeered at him in 2010 have come round to accepting that his ascendancy is the best thing that ever happened to the very rural state. He has shown that there is a place for an intellectual in power, that power not backed by the intellect can only lead to disaster.

The roads are now well paved. As it is in the capital tow n, Ado-Ekiti, so it is in the rural areas. Ado is wearing a completely new look and it has shown that, under Fayemi, the future could only be better.

The Ekiti State governor was a beauty to behold in Ondo during the redemption rallies. He lost no opportunity in telling the Ondo people to vote ACN because of what he has been able to achieve in Ekiti. His success in Ekiti is not limited to road construction. The schools testify to the rare Fayemi touch. The health institutions have been given a new lease of life and he has his eyes on the future. The plans around the Ikogosi tourism corridor testify to this.

It is good that the testimonies are coming from the people. What he has done in taking care of the aged is unprecedented. He introduced a social security system that has ensured good life for those who gave their past that Ekiti could witness a better present and glorious future.

There is no doubt that this governor is working. As he is taking care of the people, may he reap the reward that has been the lot of Tinubu in Lagos and Adams in Edo.

22

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

Politics

In this interview with Nicholas Kalu in Calabar, Mr. Eyo Nsa Ekpo, legal practitioner and Secretary of Cross River State Elders Forum of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), expresses concern over the level of corruption in Nigeria amid suffering of the masses and warned that except something is done quickly, a revolution would be inevitable.

Excerpts

‘Revolution imminent in Nigeria’

W

HAT is your opinion on the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan’s anti-corruption war and the probe of the rot in the petroleum sector?

Our people have a saying that the fish starts rotting from the head! This President has shown a tendency of endorsing corruption. Let me give you three clear examples.

As Vice President under Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Dr. Jonathan publicly declared his assets because his boss did so. Let us not also forget that as Governor of Katsina State from 1999-2007, late President Yar’adua publicly declared his assets. This is called transparency and is undertaken by leaders with integrity, who lead by example. When President Jonathan was elected as incumbent in 2011, he blatantly refused to publicly declare his assets.

What do you call this attitude?

Secondly, the monumental corruption in the petroleum industry: In other climes, the Minister of Petroleum Resources should have resigned or be sacked!

Thirdly, despite allegation that Dr. Doyin Okupe, Mr. President’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, duped Benue State Government in excess of N800,000,000.00, Mr. President has not deemed it fit to relieve him of his duties.

What further proof do you need?

Within the past three years, under the watch of Dr. Jonathan, the cancer of corruption has permeated every fibre of our national life. The Judiciary, the Legislature, the Executive, our educational system, even the National Honours Awards, the entire system has been turned on its head. Primitive accumulation of wealth, unsubstantiated and unmerited wealth is today the number one priority of most Nigerians.

The promotion of ethnic and sectional interests above the national interest is vigorously pursued by the conservative wing of the Nigeria ruling elite. The intention is to deceive the unwary Nigerians into believing that they are truly defending their interest, but when it comes to looting our collec-

•Ekpo

tive patrimony, these brigands bond together irrespective of their ethnic groups, section or language!

A political and social revolution is imminent. All the objective conditions are here.

You may have noticed that the reactionaries ruling Nigeria today are themselves clamouring for change or what they call reforms.

You may also have noticed that these reforms are unending. It is a fundamental condition of a revolution that the ruling elite should no longer be able to rule without a change.

Secondly, when the hunger, deprivation, economic hardship of the masses has grown more acute than usual as we have noticed recently, you know a revolution is imminent.

The third signal is when as you may have noticed, there is a considerable increase in the social and political activism of the masses who may without any complain allow themselves to be robbed silly in peace-

time but in turbulent times and times of crisis such as this, they are drawn both by the circumstances of the crisis and by the progressive left of the political elite into an independent historical action.

What is your assessment of PDP leadership of the country since 1999?

The PDP is a collection of very cynical reactionaries bonded together by the simple desire to control the wealth of Nigeria for their own self-interest. The PDP seeks to control and indeed controls power not for the sake of rendering services to the nation but for purely mercantilist reasons beneficial only to themselves.

The monumental wealth accruing to the nation under the PDP watch since 1999 has been swallowed up by monumental corruption. That is why nothing substantial has happened in the past 13 years. In 13 years of PDP leadership, no new federal road has been built and maintaining existing roads

is an uphill task. No new refineries have been developed.

When the military handed over power in 1999, our power generation capacity was over 3000 kilowatts, it remains the same today despite trillions of Naira sunk into wasteful integrated power plants system. By the way, where is Elumelu Report on the power sector scam? More than 10 former PDP governors are supposed to be standing trial for corruption. It took only the British Court to jail James Ibori who was completely exonerated by Nigerian Courts. What has happened to all the high profile anti-corruption cases? If a nation fails to set the right standard of reward for achievements and punishment for crimes and other deviant conducts, how do you expect proper fundamentals to be passed from generation to generation?

The existing railway lines have not been extended or updated to meet modern railway system in the world. No new airports has been built, the Federal Government since 1999 has not built any new university.

Let us come back to Cross River State.

What would be your assessment of the present administration in the state?

The present administration is playing the “blind-man’s-buff” with the destiny of Cross River State. We are the butt of jokes in the committee of states in Nigeria. Under the present administration, we have lost Bakassi, lost our 76 oil wells to Akwa Ibom State, lost our access to the sea; we are now a land-locked state. This government is not pursuing educational enlightenment of Cross Riverians because education in public schools is not free. The only state university, CRUTECH, has just recently upped its fees by more than 70 percent.

This government is certainly not interested in providing prosperity to Cross Riverians. No employment has been generated in the past five years. There is no deliberate policy of economic empowerment of Cross Riverians except a few self-serving acolytes, praise-singers and hirelings of this government. I want you to take a census of businesses in Cross River State and tell me the percentage of participation of Cross Riverians: Almost zero. That is why the economy of Cross River State is controlled by non-Cross Riverians.

What would be your take on the clamour for state police?

This is a prelude to disaster. Whoever proposes state police force at this time has no love for Nigeria. The idea is not a bad one but the time is not ripe. Our level of maturity and our democratic experience cannot sustain a state police at this time.

‘I still look back longingly at politics of AD’ Continued from Page 21 But because we are used to the military mentality of ‘with immediate effect,’ we want everything to be done with immediate effect. When Obasanjo came, it was by immediate effect but we see that most of the decisions he took that way had to be reversed.

Now, we have a president who takes his time to come to a decision because he doesn’t want to reverse it; a president who discusses the actions he want to take. As a result, most of the actions President Jonathan has taken have passed the test of time. That is, a good number of his actions did not need to be reversed.

Many also have this bad impression of President Jonathan because he is a meek person with a humble mien. You know that in Nigeria, we tend to respect people that throw their weight around. We don’t easily respect humble people but the truth is that any enlightened mind knows that arrogance is usually informed by ignorance. The most arrogant people in this world are usually

the most ignorant. To some of them, it is a defence mechanism. The more informed you are, the more you will realise that you are just a lucky person, that but for the grace of God, you could have been the next mendicant on the street. We have a president who has a PhD, who is sufficiently informed and exposed.

Not long ago, you were quoted as saying that by the time some judges are tried and jailed, Nigeria’s anti-corruption crusade will become more successful. As a lawyer, are you saying the judiciary is to blame for the state of corruption in the country?

We like pretending or deceiving ourselves. We say we are fighting corruption, how many high profile people have been convicted and sent to jail.

But how do they tackle corruption abroad, they make sure they go after the biggest crooks, so that the small ones will be too scared to even think of it. You know when Abacha locked up those leaders Nigerians thought were untouchables, like Olusegun Obasanjo, MKO Abiola,

Shehu Yar’Adua, etc; you have to be very very bold to talk after that.

What I am saying is that corrupt judges should also be sent to jail.

As at 1999, honest, decent people could win elections in this country. I remember Chief Bisi Akande, who was governor of Osun state then, he used to say proudly that he did not think he spent more than N50,000 in his governorship campaigns. That election cost a total of about N3million. Now, you will need a couple of billions of naira to prosecute governorship elections in almost any state in Nigeria.

This high cost of prosecuting electoral campaigns, is it a confirmation that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is also corrupt?

This current INEC is not corrupt. What I am saying is that this Professor Attahiru Jega-led INEC is good, is delivering and even if it is somehow corrupt, it is at a level you can describe in Nigerian context as moderate. The results we have been getting since the 2011 elections have been results we all

believe are authentic. In fact, this INEC is the shining light in this dark and corrupt era.

Originally, we know you as an active AD chieftain. Now, you are in PDP. Do you sometimes feel uncomfortable in your current political family?

The truth of the matter is, I still look back longingly at the politics of AD. In those days, when we had AD, PDP, APP, politics was still practiced the way it should. That is no longer the case. But in PDP, one is still free to ventilate his ideas.

But you once admitted that PDP is not perfect. Are you denying that fact now?

The major difference between PDP and the other parties is that PDP realises it is not perfect. Others seem to say they are perfect.

Twice or thrice, you contested for the governorship seat in your state, Osun, are you preparing for another attempt in 2015?

I don’t know yet. One is that things seem to be getting worse. Before, the South-West was largely insulated from money politics.

Now, things have gone haywire.

INSIGHT

23

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

Living in the shadow of hackers •Hacking, a costly pastime

T

HE coming of the Internet has changed our lives. It has changed the way we think, the way we relate and what we do.

So long to all the other ages, this is the information age. And no one wants to be left behind. From the kids to the adults, it’s a scramble to stamp an online presence. Politicians, religious leaders, and other public officials have all embraced its use. However, one by one, many Internet users are becoming wary, following vicious attacks from hackers who have begun to drive fear into most users.

A report from Symantec’s latest Internet Security Threat indicates that Nigeria has moved six positions up the ladder, to occupy the 59th position globally, amongst countries with greatest Internet security threat.

Only recently, Pastor W. F. Kumuyi, the General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church, announced in an advertorial that his account on the popular social media website, Facebook, has been ‘compromised.’

According to the advertorial signed

by U. J. J. Asemota, the church secretary; “Through messages purportedly sent by the General Superintendent, the criminal elements solicited for funds from unwary citizens to be sent to a designated account for reasons that simply wrankle the mind.”

Though, the advertorial recognised hacking into peoples’ Facebook account isn’t a new

From bank accounts to emails, the online security of many Nigerians is being breached. In this report, Joe Agbro Jr., Rita Ohai, and Bukola Afolabi shed light on the hacking threat scheme, it presumed “no one, not even by a stretch of imagination, could have thought that respected servants of God such as Pastor Kumuyi would be made victim to this disturbing act.”

Sadly, the church failed to realise how level a playing field the Internet is – for anybody and everybody. The Facebook account of Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) was also attacked. And upon becoming President, Goodluck Jonathan had embraced the social

media website as a tool to reach out to more Nigerians. This ploy actually proved a robust tool for reaching out and being reached. But, the fairy tale ended shortly and the president’s Facebook account is no longer as engaging. Popular musicians, D’Banj and Tuface Idibia, have also had their Facebook and twitter accounts compromised.

Cyber spying According to a 2011 Facebook post titled, ‘Learn how to hack any Facebook account using a web based exploit, written by Hacking, “through

the use of Twitter combined with Facebook’s ‘Mutual Friend’ feature, we can use a friend’s account to verify your own, in other words, if the person you want to get the login information from is on your friends list on Facebook...you can use your Twitter account to verify your friend on Facebook taking advantage of the vulnerability of the twitter status sync exploit, and get their login email and password sent to you. But the victim must be on your friends list on Facebook.’

While the goal of every website, especially social media websites, is to guard their website, hackers tirelessly come up with indigenous ways to breach this security. And to many geeks, hacking is becoming a huge pastime done maliciously or at times as a prank. In fact, many tutorials online teach how to hack into other peoples emails or social media account.

In September, Facebook announced it had one billion active users. But, the constant poaching of data is the latest in security headaches for many internet users. But while many computer users cringe at the antics of hackers, Gabriel Setoboh, an Information Technology expert, explains that there are misconceptions surrounding the job.

“Hacking is a profession, he said.

“People actually go to school to •Continued on Page 26

24

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

SUNDAY INTERVIEW

‘North has no leader. Nobody is highly respected today that he can dictate to, or direct others in the region. Nobody!’ ting officers who did not understand what leadership meant. How do you expect stability in this situation?

That was the beginning; the problem is not oil. Oil could be part of the problem but not the real problem. Of course, after the military intervention and sudden change of power the young officers, they didn’t know how to use the power to the benefit of the Nigerian people; they mismanaged the proceeds from oil to enrich themselves.

There was no problem when oil was discovered and explored. When exploration was to start, the southern states had no money, so we resorted to use the resources from groundnut, cotton, cocoa, coffee and so on to explore the oil. But suddenly, people began to feel this is

“

“Atiku is a Fulani man and a Muslim from the north and Jonathan is a Christian and a minority tribe from the south. When votes were cast, we had 150 delegates from Katsina State but Atiku got only 11 votes and Goodluck Jonathan got 137 votes. Is it sincere, is it not a total sell out? Is this the effect of money?”

N

“

IGERIA has just celebrated its 52nd Independence. What were your expectations at independence as regards the country’s leadership? Have these expectations been met?

By and large, whether we like Nigeria or not, whether we like its leadership or not, we can say Nigeria has progressed by leaps and bounds in the last 52 years. It has improved tremendously compared to the preindependence time. Like in many places where there were no roads, today we can see them. We went to the college in low rates. There were few roads with coal tar, but today we have them.

When I was in Kaduna College, we came to school by lorries, and even in the college there was no proper accommodation - with students lying on bare mats. Things have changed and so, we can say there is tremendous improvement.

What other things can you say are the fundamental successes and challenges facing the country after 52 years today?

Well, there are so many challenges, some have been solved or resolved. If you talk of Boko Haram, if you talk of Maitasine, they are all challenges. I know in Kano, Maitasine was there; fully trained young men were ready to die, killing people and so on, but the problem was resolved and peace returned to Kano. So there are some of these challenges and crisis that we faced after the 1964 crisis.

You can recall the electoral crisis of 1964 when Northern Peoples’ Congress (NPC) contested elections and won. There was boycott and that created crisis between Action Group (AC) and NPC, but it was successfully resolved because of maturity and sincerity. This was because every one of the leaders then was after the success and wellbeing of Nigeria as a country - not to make money for himself unlike the situation we find ourselves in today. Now, everyone is to himself. So there is a wide difference between the situation then and today. Now, everyone wants to make money (laughs). But then those leaders we inherited governance from were not interested in that, they were only interested in the wellbeing of the Nigerians, the wellbeing of ordinary people.

What brought all this excessive greed, I believe, is the unfortunate military intervention. With the military intervention young, immature, inexperienced officers from nowhere, not trained, now seized power. That was the beginning of troubles for Nigeria.

Before then, before you became somebody as a leader, you must have been groomed by somebody. Even in party membership, like in Northern Element Progressive Union (NEPU) where I was, before you become a member, you must have been groomed for years. People didn’t just mischievously jump to power as you have it today. This is what we are doing today. Today everyone can just become leader at any highest level without learning or understanding what leadership entails. All the language they understand now is how to steal money; how to amass wealth that does not belong to them but to the common people of Nigeria. So, all

is not well with Nigeria any longer.

We were told by some elder statesmen who witnessed the lowering of the Union Jack and the hoisting of the Nigerian flag at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos on October 1st 1960 that, as a leader, if you were offered bribe, the money was thrown back in your face, ethnic and religious tolerance was at its peak, security was guaranteed, until crude oil was discovered. What is wrong with Nigeria? is it oil?

I have told you my understanding that what brought about indiscipline and corruption and so on, was the intervention by military officers in Nigerian politics and the sudden change of power. You can imagine, Tafawa Balewa as Prime Minister was a teacher for twenty years; he was a councillor. He was groomed. He knew all the intricacies of power. Then, suddenly, Gen. Aguiyi-Ironsi came in and took over power from a village in Ibo land. Not that I belittle him, no! I don’t belittle him but because as a very young man, very inexperienced except to hold the gun, he killed this man, took over power, without the knowledge of how to use that power.

He was equally surrounded by very young gun-tot-

their own not our own, after the bastardisation of the system by the military boys. This continued up till the movement of federal capital from Lagos to Abuja, which itself produced elitist leaders who now partitioned to themselves the resources and wealth of this country and dumped the common man to his fate.

This is the system now in place.

I want to tell you that oil money was just a contributory factor to indiscipline and corruption. If you haven’t gotten money, there is no way you can use it to corrupt people. So, money was there aplenty during the oil boom in the early 70’s, and it was part of the problem but not the strongest influence.

You can imagine a young man and a friend of ours, an army officer then who was a military administrator, solely got a contract worth one hundred million naira then.

A young man without experience of what to do with that

huge amount of money was playing around with such money. At times, he would come to us with one hundred, two hundred, three hundred and four hundred thousand naira in his pocket. I knew some of them. He was not even married then, but he got this plenty money suddenly. This has been so all over the country. Imagine, young officers - they were young friends, to make such plenty money was shocking then. And that was how they encouraged all sorts of things.

I am not saying a young man should not have money, no! But they are not experienced at handling such huge amounts of money without indirectly causing havoc to the society. It is fair and better for you to go through the decent process of getting this money. If you go through the decent process of getting this money, you will respect it. But as a young man without a wife, without responsibility and you come across hundreds of millions of naira, what do you do with it?

Obviously, you will squander it, you will spend it recklessly. You will go after cheap girls, drinking and so on. All they want is playing around the whole country with reckless livelihood and that is what we do today.

•Continued on Page 25

“

There was no problem when oil was discovered and explored.

When exploration was to start, the southern states had no money, so we resorted to use the resources from groundnut, cotton, cocoa, coffee and so on to explore the oil. But suddenly, people began to feel this is their own not our own, after the bastardisation of the system by the military boys.

“

Alhaji Muhammodu Lawal Kaita is a former chairman of Nigerian Maritime Authority (NMA) and was governor of old Kaduna State from October 1st to December 31st 1983. A Northwest Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and die-hard supporter of former Vice President Abubakar Atiku’s presidential ambition, the octogenarian has seen the good, the bad and the ugly in governance. He bares his mind on contemporary issues in this encounter with our Katsina Correspondent, ISah Idris.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

SUNDAY INTERVIEW

25

•Kaita

That is the greatest problem we have in Nigeria today.

If you are talking of leadership or rulers, we have two different kinds of rulers. We have the traditional ruler and we have political ruler. To be a traditional ruler, you must be part of the traditional system. You must be born and bred in that system.

In the political system too, the same traditional system bred the political system. People like Sardauna, Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa, Isa Kaita, Ribadu and so on, were groomed in the same system and they ruled Nigeria with utmost sincerity. All they wanted was peaceful co-existence and to help ordinary people.

That was the true system in place then. Now, the systems are totally bastardised.

Now, the political system is entirely different from traditional system. The political system brings in views from nowhere, from unknown, unsound background or unknown sources just like that. No experience, people don’t know what it means to govern or rule people, because, suddenly, some people came and took over power. So, this is part of the problem with us.

Northern leaders have demonstrated severally that they have lost focus after abandoning the ideals and legacies of the late Sir Ahmadu Bello. We are now faced with insecurity and threats to lives and properties, Almajiri now flood our streets, and people are now picking bullets instead of groundnuts. Any hope for a responsive northern leadership and a secure north?

What happened in the North was quite unique really. North was very disciplined, loyal, hardworking and obedient but suddenly these collapsed. You ask me why?

Well, this total collapse came in the last few years; because there is total collapse now such that, virtually, north has no leader. Nobody is highly respected today that he can dictate or direct others in the region. Nobody! Before from Waziri, Isa Kaita, Hassan Usman Katsina, these people could collect the people in the north and they would come and listen to them, but today, nobody.

The collapse came in the last few years because of the effect of money and the naira in particular. What I am saying is that greed and money politics has destroyed the discipline we once had in this country, and

especially in the north. A young man without food, without a penny, you give him five thousand naira, ten thousand naira to go and do this and he will do it. Go and abuse this man, go and harass this man, he will do it for you in the name of politics and he will even kill and many instances abound. This crisis has continued to play out itself for over some ten years now.

So, money politics has destroyed the discipline in every society in Nigeria. Once you give money or naira, you can be assured, everything you need will be done for you.

Everybody now, even the traditional rulers are now suspected to be induced by money. The judiciary itself, the last hope of the common man, is accused of accepting bribe and corruption. Don’t talk of police.

Unfortunately, they are now exposing the very heart of the nation – the army - to corruption. They are on the streets stopping cars and vehicles, begging for bribe money. So, after this stage, the entire system that we inherited from our founding fathers will collapse because of money. Other means of livelihood have been dumped for bribe money and quick money making.

For instance, a Katsina man used to live virtually on farming and smuggling. Easy money has taken over hard money. When you go to farm and get money, it is hard money. If you get money through smuggling and other cheap sources, you dump farming. You are now saying why go to farm to work and get one hundred thousand naira when you can get five hundred thousand naira a day through cheaper and mischievous ways. So, all these things continued to multiply until we found ourselves in this mess.

The government which makes and executes laws failed to stop this. All the agents of government instead become part of this corrupt practice system, and there has never been a salvation from the situation we found ourselves. If you start a meeting here now, the government, or somebody, an agent of government will give one million naira to some gang of people to come and scuttle it, because the government is not comfortable with the meeting. So, if you give out money, you can achieve whatever you want, good or bad in Nigeria, because everything is money nothing else matters.

Take for instance, the last presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) between Atiku and Jonathan in Abuja. Atiku is a Fulani man and a Muslim from the North and Jonathan is a Christian and a minority tribe from the south. When votes were cast, we had 150 delegates from Katsina State but Atiku got only 11 votes and Goodluck Jonathan got 137 votes. Is it sincere, is it not a

“

“You can imagine, Tafawa Balewa as Prime Minister was a teacher for twenty years; he was a councilor. He was groomed.

He knew all the intricacies of power.

Then, suddenly, Gen. AguiyiIronsi came in and took over power from a village in Ibo land. Not that I belittle him, no!”

“

•Continued from Page 24

total sell out? Is this the effect of money? (Laughs!)

It is not a conscious effort. Nobody knew Jonathan in Katsina but everybody knew Atiku because he has come to Katsina several times. Did people vote for Jonathan or they were made to vote for him? (Laughs!) You see, this is part of the collapse, when things are not done on their own merit. By this type of action, you are expecting to get something from the presidency in return. You don’t look at the problems we are facing as a society. Everything in Nigeria now is rotten. Is it safety, is it corruption, is it money laundering? Name it.

Nigeria cannot afford to remain perpetually in this mess. As an elder statesman ,how do you think we can get out of the woods?

Obviously, we have to get out of this bad situation otherwise the country called Nigeria will collapse. I think we have various arms that are working towards how we could get out of this wood. There are various committees working now. Government is involved, everyone is involved. I believe everyone in Nigeria today has realised the danger the country is facing, everybody, no exception.

Even those who think they have succeeded… may be they have stolen enough money. They are all lying.

Everybody knows Nigeria is in danger of disintegrating, if it disintegrates, nobody is a benefactor, nobody will benefit. Whatever it is, we are better together as one nation. Even the fact that Nigeria is the largest country in Africa is enough to boost your morale. If you are in a country like Botswana, you will know the worth of Nigeria as a country. Since everyone has realised our dilemma as Nigerians now, big or small, I think we are getting somewhere.

You mentioned that the Nigerian military has been involved in corruption. Can you expatiate on the extent of their involvement instead of their being occupied with defending the sovereignty of the nation?

What more do I say? You see it, I see it. You know it, I know it. What do I explain?( Laughs!) As the sole guardian of this nation, the military should not be involved in this beggarly activity. You can see them in the streets, stopping cars of the road users. I can see many road users offering them money, what else, they are being introduced into this money evil called bribery and corruption and that is bad. In those days, if the army came out during troubles, they stopped it and went back to the barracks.

Now, they are permanently on the streets doing police work. It is another dangerous trend, a very dangerous situation. It has to be reversed.

26

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

INSIGHT •Continued from Page 23

learn hacking because it is valuable intelligence tool. Even though there are guys out there who are using it to find new ways to harass people, defraud corporations and steal information, it is actually a skill government agencies pay millions for.”

Although there’s no denying that there are hackers out there with bad intentions, they make up only a small percentage of the hacker community, says Setoboh. “Many of the people who try to break into your email address or website are actually a small set of mediocre folks. The real pro’s deal with major data and there are more hackers out there than you can imagine. Every ICT firm has a team helping to monitor activities, all reliable banks have them and many other serious minded corporations because it helps them keep tabs on their competitors and their staff.”

In spite of widespread worry of the low level of security users of social media have, Leke Sijuade says the choice lies with the owners of the web pages, “The Internet is the most unsafe place to be but most people refuse to believe this. That is why most of the security problems encountered on the Internet are due to human mistakes.

“People share too much information online. You see people posting all manner of nonsense on the Internet in the name of being social when they know that this is a public venue. For example, why should any right thinking person put their original house address or their date of birth online? That’s ridiculous! If people cannot exercise some level of maturity on the internet then they will just continue to give rotten eggs a platform to mess with them,” he said.

Technology journalist, Mat Honan, who writes for Wired,a magazine devoted to technology, would find out in August when he had all the data on his iPhone, iPad, and MacBook deleted by a hacker. His twitter account was also compromised. Writing later about his experience in an article titled, ‘How Apple and Amazon security flaws led to my epic hacking, Honan said; “In the space of one hour, my entire digital life was destroyed. First my Google account was taken over, and then deleted. Next my Twitter account was compromised, and used as a platform to broadcast racist and homophobic messages. And worst of all, my AppleID account was broken into, and my hackers used it to remotely erase all of the data on my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook.”

A wired and compromised world Considering the populist tendencies of the Internet, this trend is scary, as the cache of data online becomes so vulnerable. As technology gets sophisticated, so does the breaches.

And this security issue is of special concern in the banking industry, as banking is highly based on trust from its customers. Hence, the risk of hackers, denial of service attacks, technological failures, breach of privacy of customer information, and opportunities for fraud created by the anonymity of the parties to electronic transactions all have to be managed.

Cybercriminals are increasingly looking at business rather than consumer accounts to hack as banks scramble to shore up their defences.

Investigations by one of the new generation banks revealed that consumer banking units in the country have been hit hard by hackers, but some banks have implemented stronger security controls.

Also, business banking systems

Under the threats of hackers •Different faces of hackers

used to transfer much larger sums of money are targeted more frequently, because the retail side of the bank (the consumer) has spent more years building defences and learning about it, while the wholesale side (the business banking) has done nothing, as a result this segment of the industry has come under attack.

In Nigeria, business accounts can be a more lucrative haul, as many accounts have been compromised through Automated Clearing House

(ACH) fraud, where the ACH is used by banks to handle direct deposits, cheques, bill payments and cash transfers between businesses and individuals.

Further investigations revealed that the United Kingdom has a wider network for retaining money mules, or people who agree either knowingly or not to accept funds into their account for immediate transfer somewhere else, while in the United States where consumer online bank accounts

often only require a login and password, hackers have obtained more account details than they can find money mules.

Chris Uwaje, chief executive officer, Connect Technologies, who spoke on the issue, said, there has to be some security and procurement standards in place to checkmate the activities of cybercriminals.

“A lot of people buy IT infrastructure that are porous and as a result, some of their information can be released to hackers,” he added.

He said that the level of security where hackers operate matters a lot, noting that most of the attacks by hackers are based on window servers because it is a straight jacket, but find it difficult to use the open source application. However, he was of the opinion that all government servers should adopt an open source application, because of security issues. Noting that there is a lot of insider information to cybercriminals both here and abroad, Uwaje said that each company must have IT security and standard.

He also emphasised that there is a need to have directory of who and who is practising IT in the country.

Although with improvement and convenience in banking through the use of ATM cards, users could be heading for misfortune as reports of fraud and hacking into customer accounts increase.

Tim Akano, the Vice Chairman of WINI Group, a partnership platform of 25 global companies in e-payment, risk management, IT and database security, among others, said banks must put in place appropriate technology to check activities of hackers.

“One of the things, which the CBN has done, that is very good, is the decision that before the end of the year, all banks should have at least two-factor authentication,” he said.

“Your password is not enough to protect you from being hacked; your PIN number as at today can also not protect you from being hacked. Technology has advanced to such a level that someone who is interested in using your details for dubious purposes can bring everything you have done on your computer back. That is why it is imperative for banks to move from one-factor authentication, which is the usage of your PIN number/ password to two and even three-factor authentication so that if one factor is compromised then the second or third factor authentication will be in place to protect the bank’s customers.”

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has already compelled banks and financial institutions to attain Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) certification by January next year.

The PCI-DSS was created by the major payment card brands such as Visa, MasterCard, and American Express to ensure that all companies involved in processing credit card transactions have a secure platform.

According to Head, Shared Services Office at CBN, Mr. Chidi Umeano, “CBN will sanction banks, should they fail to meet up with the compliance by 2013, and apart from imposing sanctions, I think it is in their interests to become compliant in order to protect customers’ money and to strengthen their confidence as banks.”

But, as banking operations go digital, the fear is whether they might just wake up one morning to find their precious digital life and fortune compromised.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

Some men could denounce God to have sex –Omawunmi

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EANS have got that little bit more sophisticated with the popularity of leggings and skinny jeans. As we all know, jeans are a key part of most women's and men's wardrobe; so, what trends should you go for this season?

From skinny jeans to coloured jeans, high waist styles to ripped and boyfriend denim, celebrities and fashionistas just can't stop wearing these dazzling styles everywhere. So, check out latest jeans trends that have styles for all body types, as seen on our favourite celebrities.

Ripped jeans-Daring fashionistas love wearing ripped/distressed jeans as they are super hot and flirty. These jeans

•Lanre DaSilva Ajayi

t u o b a l l A s n a e J r you are really popular and look super chic if paired with the right outfit and accessories.

hottest jean styles. These are tight to the knee and then flare out to the hem.

High waist jeans -The 70s-style high waist jeans are back on the scene. High waist jeans are great for lengthening legs and make a trendy choice for every fashion-oriented woman.

Coloured jeans -Coloured Jeans is the latest favourite trend. Celebrities and fashionistas are brightening up their wardrobes with cool and splashy coloured denim. One can easily achieve a bold and eye-catching look with a crazy and sexy pair of colourful denim.

Flare jeans -Bring a retro touch to your wardrobe with a pair of bellbottom jeans. Flare jeans are one of the

Skinny jeans - Skinny jeans is one of the hottest jeans styles that everyone can pull off. These jeans are a true

wardrobe staple. They draw attention to the curves and flatter anyone's body type. Boyfriend jeans - Next hottest trend in jeans is the boyfriend look.

Boyfriend jeans are more comfortable, casual in comparison to other styles but still look lady-like.

Cropped jeans -Cool and stylish cropped jeans are so hot right now.

Whether you're going for a relaxed look or an edgy look, there are lots of different cropped jeans styles to suit any taste.

Tie & Dye jeans - If you want to try the daring look, then try out tie and dye jeans.

30

Glamour

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

How to avoid making mistakes with your brush

Clothes and you!

H

OW you take care of your clothes determines how long they will last. This will also determine whether they will look cool or not. Either expensive or not, it is the little care and attention you give to your dresses that matter. Along with good laundering techniques, your clothes will benefit from proper care and storage.

“Clothes can be taken care of in different or many ways, but you have to understand the language of fabrics,” says Mr. Adeola Richard of Royal Drycleaners, Lagos.

Although there are many dry cleaners around, only a few seem to know how to take care of fabrics. “It is the texture and colour of a fabric that determines the care that will be given to it. There are polyester, cotton, silk, etc. Some fabrics should not be washed. You will be

surprised that some fabrics do not need sunlight at all. All that they need is only chemical,” Richard says.

Richard also explains that there are different soaps for specific fabrics, for dry-cleaning items. He says some fabrics do not even require water. These types need only dry-cleaning machines, perculine or white spirit or other chemicals.

“There is much liquid soap around.

There are some that are good for stain removal and others that help to maintain the colour of your fabric; they keep the colour of clothes intact. That is part of the professionalism of the job,” he says.

The graduate of political science says laundry is an art, which has to be mastered in order to get the best result and that when professionals are doing

Caring tips that can keep your clothes •Rub zipper teeth occasionally with wax to keep the zipper working smoothly •Get rid of wrinkles by running hot water into the bathtub or bucket and hang your clothes on the shower rod, the steam will remove the wrinkles.

•Separate clothes into categories before washing. Base this separation on colour and texture.

•Get the appropriate soap for white fabrics; do not use the same soap for white and colour fabrics.

•As for stubborn stains, use the right chemical in terms of texture and colour; the bloodstain remover for white might not be suitable for black because it may ruin it.

•Cold water starch is the best, the local starch, may be because of the processes involved, stains dresses and it smells. And most spray-starch only make ironing easier, they do not hold clothes. Starch is, however, not advisable for all fabrics.

Storage odour Storage odour can be checked in different ways. Because of the nature of our environment and because of

insecurity, when people are leaving home in the morning, they shut their windows, wardrobes and to make matters worse, in most places, there is no cross ventilation. All these contribute to storage odour. So the best ways to get rid of storage odour include: •Creating cross ventilation in your room.

•Allowing breeze to blow on your laundered and ironed dresses.

•Sun-drying your dresses for some minutes after wearing them.

•Opening up your wardrobe once in a while during the rainy season.

•Fumigating your wardrobe with powder or liquid insecticides and covering it up for some minutes.

•Scattering camphor in your wardrobe if you are not allergic to it.

Things to do before laundering are: •Make sure that the water is clean. If not, the dress will absorb some dirts.

•Look at the areas that are stained.

•Use soap that is fabric and hands friendly.

•During laundry, take consideration of the neck, armpit, bums, back, pockets and the up-front of your trousers, skirt or gown and the back of the heels.

•Funke Akindele

laundry, they do not make use of common soap or detergent, rather they use some special soap that is better suited for cleaning fabric.

As for suits, Richard says it is better to dry clean them. “Only dry clean a suit and when you dry clean with your machine and chemical it will look better.

All you need to do is that you must blow off the stains at the edge, neck, and armpit and at the major points, with the same chemical you must have put inside the machine, and the machine will do the rest while you go and sleep,” he says.

According to him, some laces are better cleaned by washing machine, because of their stones.

•All colours are not going to work for you. Choose a colour that is most like your skin tones after exercising. It should either be a soft red, pink or plum shade.

•Don't sweep colour onto your face in a visible line. Try a few different placements and then soften it by pressing your fingers onto the cheeks.

The colour seems to melt into your skin.

•Your brush starting and ending points must not be visible.

•Look at photos in beauty magazines. Now copy the placement.

Ignore the bone structure the model might have and give it a try and see how it works. You might be amazed.

•Try mixing your own shades. Two colours that don't seem to work might look great when mixed.

Lastly, bronzers don't work on all people!

•Chioma Chuk

wuka Akpotha

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

Awardwinning English and Yoruba actress, Doris Simeon reveals her top favourites to Kehinde Falode

Glamour

31

1

Favourite bag designer Nine West and Lulu Guinness

2

Favourite shoes designer I love Guess and Michael Kors

3

Favourite wrist-watch designer For wrist watch, I love Rolex, Armstrong and so on.

4

Favourite colour My best colours are red and black; maybe because I'm fair-skinned

5

Favourite makeup kit I love Black Opal, Iman and Mary Kay too

6

Favourite perfumes Paco Rebanne, Hugo Boss and Flora by Gucci

7

Favourite cloth designer Estito, Damilola Heart of African Fashion 8

Doris

top

0 1

Favourite food I like garri and anything that goes with it

9

Favourite nail polish Chanel polish in midnight red, nail polish is always red

10

Favourite hair do I love my hair long and curly

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Glamour

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

Courtesy: hellobeautiful.com

THEATRE

t

BIGSCREEN

With VICTOR AKANDE

SOUND TRACK

E-mail:

plus

GISTS

victor_akande@yahoo.com

PAGE

Tel: 07029013958

•Skales

•George Benson

•AY

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Entertainment

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

Entertainment

•Ruggedman

NSE ETIM IKPE

34

•Bukola Olubona

39

Sport&Style THE NATION

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

SHOWMANSHIP Beckham takes a spin on his motorbike

PAGE 35

FITTEST & !

T S E T H G I R B

CHIC IN CAMEL SKIN Bleakley enjoys autumn stroll with Lampard

VIVA MOSES!

Super Eagles star shapes up for babysitting

Phelps tops Ronaldo in 100 fittest men list OBUDU MOUNTAIN RACE BOSS SPEAKS

'I enjoy spending time with my family'

36

37

NATION SPORT & STYLE SUNDAY, October 21, 2012

NATION SPORT & STYLE

NATION SPORT & STYLE

SHOWMANSHIP

David Beckham takes a spin on his motorbike

SHOW-STOPPING

GODDESS Sports Illustrated gal back in her swimsuit for second Vogue shoot

W

ITH his state of the art motorbike and tattooed arms, David Beckham looks like a Hell's Angel in the making.

Just one thing ruins his tough guy pose - instead of a beer, he's sipping on a green smoothie.

When it comes to health consciousness levels, the soccer player would be far too 'Hollywood' for the biker crowd.

The 37-year-old was spotted riding around in the Los Angeles sun wearing a dark Tshirt and jeans for the trip into the popular area.

But in the back of his fitted trousers, the sportsman revealed he was carrying a healthy green juice for the ride in the sweltering heat.

The rest of his look consisted of a black helmet that had much of the varnish scratched off and he donned brown shoes to match the pockets attached to the side of the bike.

The motor itself was hardly gleaming and was perhaps pieced together from several different vehicles over time.

Obviously David is more concerned with his fashionable appearance and the underwear model made sure his fresh pair of white boxer shorts was showing above his belted bottoms.

& T S E T FIT !

T S E T BRIGlH ps tops Ronaldo,

Michael Phe e's n i z a g a m n i e e L e c Bru r e v e n e m t s e t t i f 0 0 list of 1

O

LYMPIC swimmer Michael Phelps is the fittest man alive, according to one magazine.

Just months after becoming the most successful Olympic athlete in history, taking 22 medals, Phelps has nabbed the number one spot of the 100 Fittest Men of All Time, beating Bruce Lee, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Muhammad Ali.

CHIC IN CAMEL SKIN Christine Bleakley enjoys autumn stroll with Frank Lampard

T E L Y T S L R SCHOOL GI

Abbey Crouch sports cute plaits as she heads to a workout

S

HE might have left school a decade ago but it seems that Abbey Crouch digressed back to her younger years.

The 26-year-old model was seen sporting a youthful style with a pair of plaited pigtails as she made her way to the gym in Wilmslow.

The hairstyle showed off the different sections of Abbey's hair, making her tresses have a stripy appearance.

Abbey showed off her super-slim pins in a pair of black workout trousers, she teamed the trousers with a gym top and

a black bike jacket.

The TV presenter had swapped her high heels for a pair of trainers and she seemed ready to run as she made her way to the gym.

It seems that Abbey had a postworkout meal at the ready as she carried a plastic container filled with food into the fitness centre.

The WAG, who is married to Stoke City striker Peter, was making the most of some alone time, having left their daughter, 19-month-old daughter Sophia at home.

HERE'S been a definite wintery chill in the air of late, and Christine Bleakley made sure to wrap up warm as she headed out on an autumn stroll. The 33-year-old TV presenter looked chic and stylish as she stepped out with her footballer fiancé, Frank Lampard.

Chatting and giggling as they wandered through Chelsea, London, and the couple seemed to be enjoying a relaxing weekend day out together.

The Northern Irish beauty looked sophisticated in a camel double-breasted coat, which she teamed with a khaki jumper, black skinny jeans and chocolate-coloured boots.

Christine completed her fashionable ensemble with a tan oversized handbag and her dark brunette locks flowing around her shoulders.

Meanwhile, Frank looked dapper in a charcoal grey cable knit jumper, jeans and smart black shoes.

Although the couple seemed to be the epitome of happiness as they stepped out for the day, there is still no sign of a wedding date for Christine and Frank, who got engaged in Los Angeles in June 2011.

The couple's romantic day out comes after

James Bond's Daniel Craig came in under the wire at 50.

Phelps, 27, says he keeps his body ripped with his gruelling daily 5hour workouts, reports Men's Health.

To fuel the workouts, Phelps reportedly stuck to a 12,000-calorie daily diet, which included three fried-egg sandwiches topped with cheese, one five-egg omelette, a bowl of grits, three slices of French toast, and three chocolate-chip pancakes.

And that's just breakfast.

TOP 10 FITTEST MEN EVER 1. Michael Phelps 2. Bruce Lee 3.Arnold Schwarzenegger 4. Jack LaLanne 5. Herschel Walker 6. Jim Thorpe 7. Cristiano Ronaldo 8. Lance Armstrong 9. Manny Pacquiao 10. Bjorn Daehlie

K

ATE Upton was dismissed as a girl with 'the kind of face that anyone with enough money can go out and buy,' by Victoria's Secret earlier this year. But now, as she lands her second Vogue shoot, there is little doubt that the model is a bona fide member of the high fashion set.

Hailed 'The New Girl' by the fashion glossy, Miss Upton, 20, was shot by top photographer Steven Meisel in a backless black one-piece with damp, tousled hair for the November issue.

The rest of the seven-page spread sees her model classic sportswear in a crisp palette of red, black, white and blue.

But the model, who shot to fame at the start of this year after landing the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, has no plan to embrace the superskinny high fashion look.

'I don't want to starve myself,' she says. 'I still want to hang out with my family and be a normal girl. You have to be confident, and that doesn't mean starving yourself.'

In fact, she plans to use her raised public profile to be an ambassador for a healthy approach to body image.

Vogue cover 'I think it's important to look at magazines and think a healthy lifestyle is attainable,' she explains. 'Now that the fashion industry likes the idea of me, I'm happy if I can have an influence.'

On-off couple, Kobe Bryant and wife enjoy lunch date

I Chri stine recently returned from a visit to Uganda to see how some of the £67.9 million raised for Sport Relief 2012 is already changing lives for the country's poor and vulnerable.

T'S hard to keep up with Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa. The on-off couple were spied heading to lunch in Newport Beach despite the fact they are currently in the middle of a divorce. According to TMZ.com the pair shared a Tuscan chicken sandwich and a tortilla soup and spent an hour enjoying their meal at the PDM Bakery and Café. Last month Vanessa put one of the couple's Newport Beach homes up for sale, after filing for divorce from the Lakers star in December 2011.

But since then Vanessa was seen supporting her husband during the

London Olympics.

Not only did the former dancer support him from the stands but the pair also found time to take in some of the other sports with their six-year-old daughter Gianna Maria-Onore.

The former dancer originally filed for divorce in December after Kobe reportedly cheated on her multiple times with other women over the course of their marriage and, despite him handing her over a large settlement that included the deeds to their three mansions, the pair never finalised it.

OBUDU MOUNTAIN RACE BOSS SPEAKS

'I enjoy spending time with my family' H

E is a man of many parts. A Knight of the Catholic Church, chief executive of thriving firms and the boss of the Obudu Mountain Race since its inception in 2005, Sir William Archibong told The Nation Sport and Style that enjoying quality time with his family is sacrosanct!

One month to the November 17th date of this year's edition of the classic Obudu Mountain Race (OMR), it was apparent that Sir Archibong has little time for high jinks with a firm instruction to the reporter that he had only five minutes to give out of his tight schedule.

“I enjoy quality time with my family,” he said with relish.

But what is quality time?

Gary Demonte Chapman, relationship expert and author of The Five Languages of Love, perfectly provided an insight into what might be going through the mind of Sir Archibong as we sat for a tête-à-tête in his well-structured office, located within the ambit of Asari-Eso Layout in downtown Calabar, around midday on Wednesday“Quality time is giving someone an undivided attention,” noted Chapman, who doubles as the director of US-based Marriage and Family Life Consultants. “I don't mean sitting on the couch watching television. I mean sitting on the couch with the TV off, looking at each other and talking, and giving each other your undivided attention.”

He further argued that the 'central aspect of quality time is togetherness, not proximity,' insisting that 'togetherness has to do with focused attention.' “Quality time is a powerful emotional communicator of love.”

Sir Archibong seems to have learnt all of this by heart. His home is a stone throw from his office, which apparently gives him the latitude to go home back and forth if need be, and he glibly expressed it.

“I don't need to sit down at home for 24 hours to have quality time with my family,” noted Sir Archibong.

“But if I spend quality one or two hours on whatever I'm doing with my family, I'm sure it would be a time well spent and I would get quality result.”

Without doubt, Sir Archibong is a man of means and style. On this day, his Black Mercedes Benz G-class was neatly packed on the passageway leading into the front desk of the office. After some minutes of waiting, the reporter was led into the sanctuary of his office, to find that the man sitting behind the desk, busy on his laptop, is a man of steel and stillness.

Gore Vidal, American novelist, stated matter-offactly that 'style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.'

Undoubtedly, he had the likes of Sir Archibong in mind.

“Style is just how you do things. I'm a practical person that approaches things the way they p r e s e n t themselves,” said

Contd. on page 38

By Morakinyo Abodunrin the CEO of Escore, without blinking. “If you are not a practical person, you would be presenting yourself as plastics to others.

“I'm a practical person and I'm practical to the extent possible. If it is not possible, it is impossible,” he further explained, as he spoke eloquently about how much of this practicability he has brought to bear on the annual Obudu Mountain Race under his watch. Excerpts....

What are the practical things about the Obudu Mountain Race?

We have worked from all what is practical.

Right from the time of Governor Donald Duke up till know, he started it and little did he know that the efforts would put Obudu into the international arena. Those who knew Obudu before would be amazed with the transformation over the last years. The cable car facility, for instance, is the longest in this part of the world and I think credit must go to him for starting it. Governor Imoke took over from his predecessor and has taken Obudu to a higher level. This is wonderful given the experiences in other parts of the country when a governor starts a project and his successor would discontinue it. Governor Imoke, believing in progress, continued what Governor Duke started, by improving upon what he met on ground. We are very lucky to have had the two of them as chief executives in Cross River State.

You have been chairman of the Obudu Mountain Race since its inception in 2005, what are some of the challenges you have been facing organising this event?

First and foremost, let me say my nomenclature as the chairman of Obudu Mountain Race has changed. In line with what obtains in the international arena, I'm now the President of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the Obudu Mountain Race as we countdown to 2014 when we are hosting the

Archibong

Sport&Style SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

V

ICTOR Moses finally exploded with two brilliant goals as the Super Eagles handed a 6-1 defeat to Liberia last Saturday in the 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifier.

Expectedly, the Nigerian Chelsea's new signing dedicated the goals to his newly-born baby boy much to the delight of all. Indeed, the manner of Moses' goal celebration at the U.J Esuene Sports Stadium in Calabar that day evoked memories of the USA'94 World Cup when Brazil's striker, Bebeto, seemingly set the trend for every proud new father in football with his 'rock the baby' celebration.

Joined by Romario and Mazinho, the Brazil star swung his arms to celebrate the birth of his third child, Mattheus, who was delivered just two days before their quarter-final victory over Holland in Dallas.

Eighteen years after, Moses repeated the same 'please, help me carry my baby' goal celebration, and spoke slickly afterwards why he dedicated the two goals to his adorable son.

“I thank God first for helping me to score two goals and I will like to dedicate the goals to my son who has been a major inspiration to me since he arrived,” Moses told a battery of reporters.

But away from public glare, Moses has exclusively told The Nation Sport& Style other behind-the-scene details that have happened since the arrival of his cute baby.

“I was literally speechless, very happy and thankful to God with the arrival of my first son,” said Moses, who is now valued at £13m following his transfer from Wigan Athletics to London giant, Chelsea. “I was at the hospital too when the baby came out and I felt really good about it.”

Exactly 25 days ago (September 27th), the 21-year-old Moses took to Twitter -an online social networking and micro-blogging service- to announce the birth of his new

PAGE 38

By Morakinyo Abodunrin

son. “Really proud to announce I'm now a dad! Brentely Moses born this morning 3.960kg, all healthy thank God! Thanks for your support,” he stated on his twitter account.

Many may still wonder why Moses and wife settled for Brentely, but according to ourbabynamer.c om, the name is of Celtic and English origin.

Brentely is generally used as a boy's name that consists of eight letters and two syllables; a n d i s pronounced as Bren-tley.

In 2011 it was reported that Brentely is not one of the top 1000 most popular US boys names, but with Moses adopting this name for his son, there is the likelihood that it would become famous in this part of the world particularly with adoring Chelsea's fans who would like to associate with their Nigerian star at Stamford Bridge Moses may be a prima donna on the field of play, but he has squealed that he has already started learning the art of babysitting so that he could be of help on the home front in his spare time.

For new fathers, babysitting which involves many things that are not limited to playing, cradling and singing is usually a challenge, but Moses has enthused that he has started making the necessary adjustments.

“Honestly, I have started doing that (babysitting) already and I will continue,” he said.

VIVA

MOSES! Super Eagles star shapes up for babysitting

Moses Following his £9m mega-money transfer to Chelsea, Moses was nostalgic about the death of his parents in 2002 during a religious upheaval, saying: ''Definitely, wherever they are at the moment, they should be proud of me, looking down being proud."

But Moses proudly said that he would be fulfilled if Brentely eventually picks football as a career.

“Well, it is the wish of every footballer that their sons succeed them but let's wait and see because this is way too early,'' he said.

Moses is still celebrating the two goals he scored against the Lone Star of Liberia last Saturday as he shared what was going through his mind on that fateful day he showed Nigerians what he is capable of doing.

“It was simply incredible to score my first goal, which was a good one,”he said. “But to score two goals on the same day against a team like Liberia was just a dream.

“I know I have ability and I thank God and my teammates for helping me to display them. I want to also thank Coach Stephen Keshi who played me and Nigerians who supported me. I hope to score many more goals for Nigeria,” he added.

'I enjoy spending time with my family' Contd from page 37

30th edition of the Mountain Running Association Championships.

Yes, there have been challenges no doubt.

As you know, Obudu is located in an area that is difficult to access because of the road network to the ranch. A lot has been done still; a lot has to be done. This time, we are hoping to make use of the airport facilities that the Cross River State government has provided. The Bebi airstrip is about the best you can find anywhere in this country and hopefully, we are going to use this next month when the 8th edition of the Obudu Mountain Race is held.

Today, October 17th , makes it exactly one month to this year's Obudu Mountain Race, how are the plans going and what are you looking forward to see?

All invitations have been sent out and acknowledged. In fact, all the athletes invited are set. We are going to fly all invited international athletes straight from Lagos to Bebi and Nigerian athletes who find their way to Calabar would also be taken to Bebi by flight. Other logistics have been taken care of, the accommodation is ready and we are just waiting for the D-day.

The prize money of $50,000 for the champions is huge, how are the organisers helping local athletes to benefit from the largesse, given the fact that it's the international athletes that have been the ones winning the competition?

That is an interesting question but the prize money has remained the same for the past eight years. The only difference which was introduced three years ago was by spreading the prize money across the first 10 athletes as against five we started with. The prize money of $50,000 dollars remains the same for both the first male and female athletes.

As for encouraging local athletes, I think we have done that by providing the

platform for them to compete against the best from the rest of the world. There are a lot of headaches for the organisers already and I think it is the prerogative of the athletes to prepare themselves well so that they can take good advantage of this initiative. They should train well so that they can win the main prize. As I'm talking with you, I understand there are about two dozen

Archibong

athletes at the Obudu Ranch training for the competition. Obudu Mountain Race is known today in all parts of the country and beyond, so I would expect any athlete, be it a marathoner or an endurance athlete, to prepare well in order to compete. The organisers are not going to run because their duty is to provide the platform for our athletes to compete with the rest of the

world. Particularly, I expect athletes and people in the host community of Obudu and its environs to prepare themselves well to take advantage of the competition. This would gladden the heart of His Excellency, Senator Liyel Imoke, who has spared little in organising this competition.

Cross River State recently won the rights to host the 30th edition of the Mountain Running Association Championships in 2014, how enthusiastic is Governor Imoke to this project? It was not a mean achievement particularly when the heavyweights of the world did not even support us, but our presentation was a formidable one.

Certainly, Governor Imoke was excited that we were able to overcome such a strenuous bid process and I remember the short service message he sent to me after we won the bid saying 'the hard work starts now.' Between now and then, all hands are going to be on deck.

Officials and council members of the World Mountain Running Association Championships are going to be on ground during the 8th edition of the Obudu Mountain Race to assess the level of preparedness of Obudu for 2014. The governor is excited and committed in ensuring that we make the country proud by being a good host in 2014. It is an international event and what would be going out there is Nigeria and not only Cross River State, so we are determined more than ever before to project Nigeria positively. The LOC has no choice than to follow through and support the great effort of Governor Imoke.

For the benefit of anybody reading this interview outside Cross River State, who is Sir William Archibong?

Sir Williams Archibong is the person sitting before you (General laughter). Well, I'm in the private sector; I have a civil engineering firm and also another company that manufactures polythene products. I'm a Papal Knight of the Catholic Church.

40

Entertainment

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

Enebeli’s grateful heart

Flavour drops out Of Top10 MICS Niteshift Coliseum brings Wednesday Live Plus

miere Stars invade Hoodrush pre

•Ken Caleb-Olumese

•Chris Ihidero

•Gabriel Afolayan

Entertainment

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

Mercy Michael

•Kilo One

•A guest, Commissioner for Transport, Comrade Kayode Opeifa and Hon. Lateef Ibirogba

Filmmakers set to gather for one-day int'l forum on copyright

•Tunde Kelani

•Chidi Mokeme

41

42

Entertainment

BIG

PICTURE

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

CINEMA GUIDE LAGOS

Supported by: SILVERBIRD CINEMAS

ABUJA

PORT HARCOURT

The Dictator:

A despotic outrage

Glamour

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

43

‘Some men could denounce God to have sex’ Omawumi Mgbele came second on West Africa Idol, in 2007. Today, she is not that reality show star who is depending on the fame of the show to survive. The sassy songstress who is now a mother stirred up controversies when she became pregnant out of wedlock despite a huge and overwhelming acceptance of her music. She told ADETUTU AUDU that motherhood has not robbed her of anything, rather it has helped her to become more focused.

A

SIDES Headies what are you working on?

I have been working; I have a new script on the table. You know I am also an actress. I am also working on my album which will soon be released. I have my personal business. There are a couple of songs I do that support social issues. Like what I did for the Inspire Africa Benefit song and Maga no need pay. There are others I won't mention because I am not endorsing their brand.

How have you been able to combine music and acting?

It is my second love. So I started making it known that I wanted roles and whenever anybody came and told me they wanted me to make a cameo appearance in their movies, I'd ask for auditions.

So the first I had was a movie directed by Fred Amata. It was exciting. The second one was the Return of Jennifa. She told me she wanted me to make a cameo appearance but I asked for a role and it worked. I did about eight scenes and it was good.

Then I started getting scripts, most of them I don't like. I like to act in blockbuster movies because I like to associate myself with big things.

Do we then see you quitting music?

No chance for that. Music is my first and only love. No doubt I enjoy acting Doest it mean you have really forgotten about the wig and the gown?

She sings, 'If you ask me (Na who I go ask)'? The matter on the ground/ e heavy for mouth o.

What inspired the song If You Ask Me? Many things inspired it. I'm an ambassador for Project Alert, an organisation set up by a lady called Mrs. Josephine Effah-Chukwuma. It's an association against all forms of violence against women and young girls. First of all, I've heard about men beating up their girls and some raping girls or using them for money ritual and other nonsensical things.

And then I witnessed one at a particular barracks because if you listened to the song, it featured me coming out from a place and eavesdropping on a family's conversation. There, I saw it was a small commotion. And naturally, as a Warri lady, anywhere I see such happening, I'll want to know what's going on.

So, as I was about to do that, I heard a conversation, apparently, the girl had been going around the barracks with different soldiers and her father was beating her up for bringing shame on the family.

Then the girl retorted that the father had also been sleeping with her. And then she even went on to say she'd had an abortion for the father in the past.

So it was really upsetting. I was in the bathroom and the inspiration for the song started coming. And whenever my opin-

ion was sought about the matter, I'd always reply that if you ask me, I think the father should be punished. And usually when I say that, my mother would say that she thanked God nobody asked me and that's the way I talk naturally.

When the inspiration came to me, it came to me as a mid tempo song and I took it to t h e p r od u c e r , Cobhams, b u t h e asked to change the theme of the song because it's very sensitive. I wanted us to talk about the travails of the country. But at the end of the day, Cohbams said we should leave it like that and that although it's sensitive, the song would catch attention. That's how the song came.

I felt the experience you had getting pregnant was what you put into the song‌ The song doesn't have anything to do with me. It was about a father who got his daughter pregnant.

But it could have meant anything..

Yes. It could have, but the song wasn't meant to be a satire in any way. I was saying it as it is. It was a sensitive subject that I had to say playfully. So it has no connection whatsoever with the fact that I was pregnant.

Was the song written before you gave birth?

Of course not. I had the song even before I got pregnant.

How's motherhood treating you?

We bless God, I am happy and fulfilled. I know my daughter is a blessing; she has turned my life around.

God has used her to stabilise me. I am now more focused and grounded.

Any regrets. Has motherhood robbed you of anything?

There is nothing that it has robbed me of that I will consider more valuable than being a mother.

What has fame done for you?

I don't dwell on fame. I think it is just about my work. What my work has done for me? Well, I thank God, acceptability and the fact that I get better everyday. I sing and people still enjoy it. This industry is about

relevance.

I try not to dwell on the negative aspect of my life or business. I think to have come this far in such a short time is indeed a miracle.

Can you recount the memories of Idols West Africa?

It was interesting. I can only tell you it was a mixture of emotions from start to the finish. I made new friends and met some mishaps along the way, but it has been a great experience. I am happy the way it turned out. It made me a better singer and it gave me more experience. I wasn't good enough back then.

Even up till now, I am still learning. One of the starting points before the video came out was when I performed the song at the East African Idols round up in Nairobi. The reception I got there was rapturous.

Then there was this day I went to Balogun Market with my hair scattered and no make-up and this woman recognised me even with the disguise. And she insisted I took a picture with her. She obviously saw me on the East African Idols stuff. I felt humble at that point.

Reality shows have taken over the country.

What is your view, especially the fact that you are a product of one?

It is a good thing.

It means a lot of people can dream, get an opportunity to show that and if possible, become a success.

But there are hangu p s , a n d downsides to everything.

W h e n i t becomes meaningless and purposeless, then, it is not healthy for the youths.

How do you manage your friends and fans?

I used to have a lot of people around me and I found out it wasn't good for me.

The people you consider your friends are actually not. So, sometimes, it is not good. And a lot of people around you make you disorganised. It is basically the same thing with fans. You don't have privacy.

Describe your sense of style Sexy, confident and comfortable. I particularly like wearing short dresses in African prints, it is cheaper and looks nicer and I get to promote my culture.

How will you describe yourself?

I have been told that I am real, which means some people are fake. I say things the way I see them and have no room for pretence. I would say I am too playful, fun-loving, assertive most times, and confident.

So how do you handle men now?

Whenever I'm asked this question, I tell them that it's a very wonderful thing.

It is not something to be handled. Isn't it a good thing that men should admire you?

I'm not exactly a prude. The thing is that as a Warri girl, I grew up in the midst of nine boys. So the ways of the opposite sex isn't strange to me. My brother could invite four girls to the house at the same time, so I already knew this.

My mum told me that there's nothing a man wouldn't do to have sex with a woman. Some men could denounce God because they want to have sex with a lady. So the way I look at it is that if I sleep around, what is then left with me? I love it when I get to a place and I have the dignity to look into people's eyes and relate with them.

But why would you keep the identity of the father of your child secret?

That is because it doesn't concern anyone. Does it mean that we're not entitled to our privacy because we're stars? What people should be more concerned about are the songs I sing and not my private life.

Maybe because you are a star..

Then, it's nobody's business. But if someone told you about the identity of my child's father then, I'll be angry at such a person. He's a very private person and doesn't want people to know him. I appreciate that fact and would prefer people to concentrate on my song and leave my child and the father alone.

What is next for you as a mother?

I have a lot of things to do. In this entire thing, I'm very happy and content.

My daughter is the best thing that happened to me. She has changed my life and the way I reason. I'm happy. And I'm in a loving relationship and that's the way it should be.

44

Glamour

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

Social

ADETUTU AUDU (E-mail: crownkool@yahoo.com, Tel: 08023849036)

Pamela Adedayo adds another feather

Glamour

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

K

EEP-FIT expert, Pamela Mojekwu, is in cloud nine now.

We gathered that the lady who ruled the tube in the 90s with her fitness programme has found love again.

Pamela, sources said, is now engaged to Delta Stateborn Marine Engineer, Mac Anthony Okonji. Apart from ruling the tube, she kept a column on fitness in one of the newspapers before she relocated abroad with her daughter.

45

46

Glamour

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

& Heritage Award

OLUSEGUN RAPHEAL (08033572821) raphseg2003@yahoo.com

holds in Lagos The 2012 edition of heritage of life award was last weekend held at the Muson Centre Onikan, Lagos.

By OLUSEGUN RAPHEAL L-R: Gboyega Balogun and Emeka Anyaoku

L-R: Prof. Femi Olubanjo and Prof. Mrs. Mopelola Omoegun

L-R: Lekan, Tokunbo and Dimeji Belo

L-R: Funke Amba and Chief Mrs. Leila Fowler

Owaloko of Iloko-Ijesha goes home

T

HE remains of Oba Oladele Olashore, Owaloko of Iloko Ijesha, was interred in his hometown some days ago. The revered traditional ruler, who was an astute banker before he was installed as king, left indelible footprints in his banking career, while his immense contributions to the development of his domain has been widely acknowledged. His interment was witnessed by dignitaries from all walks of life.

By OLUSEGUN RAPHEAL

L-R: Son of Late Oba Olashore,Olalekan, Kehinde Olashore and his wife Lawunmi Olashore

L-R: Oni of Ife Oba Okunade Sijuade; Olori Faramade; ACN National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; and Osun State Deputy Governor, Chief Titi Laoye- Tomori

L-R: In-law to Oba Olashore, Mr. Olumide Sofowora.

His wife Olapeju; Mrs Foluke Abayomi and her Husb and Dr. Tunji Abayomi

L-R: Oba Rasaki Aluko; Oba Johnson Obaleye; and Oba Aderemi Obaleye

L-R: Chief Richard Ahonaruogho ; Mr. Kolade Amire-Kola and Otunba Dele

L-R: Mrs. Atinuke Olashore, Olori Mary Olashore; Olori Modupe Olashore; and Mr. Abimbola Olashore

L-R: Mr. John Darlington; Mr. Seyi Ase; Mrs. Adun Abe; and Mr. Henry Onukwba

L-R: Mrs. Yemi Opayemi; Mr. Duuni Opayemi and Mr. Noah Oyeneyin

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

47

VOL 1 NO. 037

Advertising quality standard P

ERHAPS there is a need for us to re-iterate the mission of MC&A DIGEST, which is: to contribute towards upholding those practice values expected of advertising practice, based on the ethics of the profession, to the extent that there remain a population of practitioners (no matter how small in size) that will carry on from the past and outgoing practitioners, based on the grand rules, for the good of all. We at MC&A DIGEST are committed to protecting the profession and practice of advertising from hunger, intellectual laziness, inordinate ambition, disregard for ethical standard, lack of commitment and such other compromises owing to inadequate training and experience preparatory to acceptable practice standard.

In pursuit of our mission, we have been consistent in stating and restating those fundamentals in the practice of advertising (brands management, marketing communication and advertising), in the last eighteen months of our publication. We have been challenged to continually remind practitioners of the duties, roles and responsibilities of advertising. Advertising is a service requiring of careful application of peculiar skills and abilities, towards peopleinformation, enlightenment and guidance; it is a delicate application of identifiable variables for purposes of influencing the mind. It is about information management – gathering, processing, analysis and dissemination. Advertising is highly influential in the process of decisionmaking.

Advertising practice is highly demanding of intellectual and mental engagement. Practitioners toil to add value in so many ways; they are most often cut out to live for others.

What with the trouble of gathering and processing information in form of research and (strategic) planning, competitive analysis, creative planning and interpretation of research findings…the process of generating advertising products is tedious, elaborate, critical and expressive.

Functionally, therefore, adverts and/or campaigns are tied to clearly identifiable objectives, namely: 1. AWARENESS GENERATION/GROWTH. As basic necessity, brands need to create and send out information for and about their selves to exist, starting from market entry/ introduction to rebirth, repositioning and for tactical reasons such as sales activation, promotion and announcement. At this point, the campaign (and indeed the marketing) objective is to MAKE-KNOWN the brand person, value offer and essence.

2.

IMPROVE (D) MARKET PERFORMANCE. Marketing is about taking advantage of opportunities to drive for competitive advantage - at the market place. Therefore, research findings, at some point, suggests the need for brand information communication for purposes of either taking advantage of a particular opening or correcting a prevalent perception of a given brand among target market, considered a wrong representation of a rather true situation that should be to the brand's advantage if presented differently, to improve on the brand's performance in the market. Sometimes, the resultant gain could be qualified in terms of value or volume.

When such needs are identified, the campaigns to address them are so-classified by the challenges they are to address.

3.

BRAND, TRADE & CONSUMER REWARD PRO-

MOTION. When campaign objective is to promote a given brand, it is often times related with new offer price, better or improved consumer service in terms of improved distribution network or channel expansion, introduction of new product pack and other such need to communicate relative change in the brand person to the target market for clear competitive advantage. Sometimes, such promos are designed to reward trade and/or consumer, for their loyalty and support over a period. Such promos are also used to recruit new users, check

the activities of competing brands or frustrate new (brands) entrants.

4. (CONSUMER) EDUCATION. In some rare cases, the peculiarity of some brands necessitates some form of consumer education on how-to-use, and some other reasons. In the course of practice, one has had to develop such campaign for a brand of analgesic pain-killer and a medicated and antiseptic soap.

Brands gain immensely from such efforts because if wrongly used, such brands deliver negatively on their value-essence and promise, resulting in negative consumer experience and ultimate consumer rejection. So it is imperative for brands requiring of peculiar usage pattern to ensure adequate awareness of how-to-use among their target users, to optimize their competitive advantages. Some campaigns are designed for this purpose.

By extension, however, some educational campaigns are targeted for long term attitude change among the critical mass in a given market segment for purposes of creating the enabling environment for the introduction of a new and hitherto unfamiliar variant of a product category.

5. BRAND PROTECTION. There have been times when brands have had to protect themselves against legal issues, perception or a reckless competitor. Such information could be sent in form of public announcement, infomercial or commercial. So, at some point, Panadol had to so warn “if e nor bi Panadol,…!

From the profiling thus far, it is clear how important advert messages are, in respect to their functions and the role they play as communication tools. We also imagine it is by reason of this importance that the regulators took time to establish the necessary quality and ethical standard to guard against abuse or wrongful application. For this and other regulatory related purposes, the ADVERTISING PRACTITIONERS' COUNCIL

of NIGERIA - APCON – was established.

For the purpose of this article, we like to also mention other related agencies and government departments here, to include: Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), National Agency For Food & Drugs Administration (NAFDAC), National Lottery Regulatory Commission and the Consumer Protection Council. Together, all of the above-listed are challenged by the common goal of protecting the public from wrong and misleading information about brands and products on offer at the market place, ensure acceptable quality standard in the production and dissemination of advert messages and uphold top-end ethical standard in advertising and marketing communication practice. Expressly stated, please see the mission of the AAAN: “AAAN SHALL seek to regulate the practice of advertising, among member-agencies towards improving standards, corporate responsibility, profitability and knowledge; encourage symbiotic relationships among practitioners and other related sectoral bodies, in order to enhance the business environment in which WE operate, thereby strengthening the contribution of advertising to the nation's development” Please note that the emphasis on WE above is mine.

Of all contained in the AAAN MS as above, our concern is on (a) regulation… and (b) strengthening the contribution of advertising to….

Readers should please deduce the importance of the duties of the other agencies and departments we listed above, from the mission statement of AAAN, in relation to the objective of ensuring acceptable standard advertising and the protection of consumers against brand/product offering and advert messages that are capable of misleading the public.

Given the narration so far, we at MC&A DIGEST like to, on behalf of the general (consumer) public, ask the following questions: 1. Are advert messages being generated and broadcast by advertising agencies and their clients truly vetted with the objective of protecting the consumer-public against misleading information in mind?

2. Can the offer and promo promises being made by some brands in the market today be taken as truly actionable and redeemed as promised 3. Is it true that consumers in Nigeria will become so individually powerful to be able to pick up 50kg weight with the left hand and still be so strong to leisurely do carpet hover, just by drinking (what measure of) milk a day?

4. How do we ascertain that the new variant of Panadol on offer is 5 times more powerful than the one previously offered?

Hmm! We shall stop the story at this point.

But we like to report, as practitioners in brands management, that the regulators have plenty of work to do, because so many of the product campaign and promo messages on parade are not sincere. Consequently, “consumer” apathy is growing, the quality of practice is dropping aggressively and the consumer is being compromised.

We rest our case!

Please Note This page is open for sponsorship and advert placement.

48

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

New WOMAN

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21 , 2012

49

with

YETUNDE OLADEINDE

molaralife@yahoo.com

A rose trampled upon…

B

Working T

OO tired? Often d r o o p y ?

N o reserves?...That's the life of the average career mother who is determined to excel at home and work.

Many times the sound of the alarm feels like a dope slap and we literally have to peel ourselves out of bed. Breakfast and school drop-off are a drowsy whirlwind.

We nod like bubbleheads at our midmorning meetings.

We're cranky and clumpy by 3 p.m. We can barely get through the dinner or bath or bedtime shuffle with our kids running around the house, making a tone of noise. Then, when it's finally time to crash, we toss and turn.

Clearly, working moms are stretched and sapped. But here is how we can find the energy we need to do what we need to and sustain energy levels at crucial points in our day, so we can tackle our endless stream of tasks with maximum gusto…without burning out:

moms:

Planning for hectic workdays

The Night Before Prepare clothes: Listen to the weather report, know what to expect, and have the proper cleaned-and-pressed clothes ready to go.

Prepare for work and day carePack your briefcase and your baby's diaper bag. Keep the items you need near the door to avoid lastminute frantic searches.

Fix lunches.

Plan breakfast: Serve everyone the same breakfast to save time and dirty cooking pans.

Prepare the table.

Prepare caregiver instructions Write instructions down; don't plan to depend on your memory. Keep them in your briefcase or the handbag you're planning to use the next day.

In the Morning Get up earlier: You will be surprised what a difference in

composure an hour makes. You have more time to get yourself ready and to spend with your family.

What's more, you can easily cope with the unexpected when, for example, your caregiver calls in sick or your baby spits up on your only clean blouse.

After Work Use the trip home to relax: On public transportation, take a book for relaxation and get your mind off responsibilities. Listen to soft music in your car, not the bad news of the day. Use devices such as your phone to organise and store your personal favourite play-lists consisting of calming and relaxing music you enjoy the most, or record comical stand ups from your favourite comedians to listen to wherever you go to keep yourself in a good mood.

Laughter is the best relaxer.

Leave problems at the officePrepare to meet your child again. Think of positive things; take a few deep breaths and relax. The office problems will still be there in the morning when you're better able to deal with them.

Focus on your childThis is a highstress, low-energy time of day for your baby also. Be understanding if your child remembers feeling angry and confused during your morning departure and greets you with resentment.

Develop a good-bye ritualSmall children find it difficult to have the continuity of their lives disrupted. A

good-bye ritual will make leaving a child-care centre easier. For instance, a goodbye wave to the caregiver or teacher, to a favourite toy, or another child is reassuring.

Bring a special toy or treat for the ride home, such as soft fruit slices or easily-digested oat cereal.

In the Evening

Get comfortable: As soon as you get home, change into something comfortable. This can become a symbolic signal that it's time to stop thinking about work and to begin a family life.

Have a dinner planned in advance Plan your weekday evening meals so that they are simple and fast to make. Set the stage for good behaviour at the table. Turn off the TV, turn some quiet music on low, and make it clear that dinnertime is for pleasant conversation, not bickering.

Concentrate on your childPlan a relaxing ritual or some activities that are done only at this reconnecting time. Be generous with hugs and kisses. Talk about the evening ahead. In other words, make homecoming a positive experience.

Save time for yourselfIf you neglect yourself, you won't have the stamina for all the things you want to do. Read, knit, surf the net; in other words, have fun!

Avoid strugglesQuality time with your child has less to do with physical needs than with doing things you all enjoy. Don't butt heads over disliked foods or insist on a bath when your child doesn't want one.

Limit interruptionsLet the message machine or voice mail take your calls during the evening visit with your child. Return the calls later.

Create a peaceful sleeping environmentHelp your baby go straight to sleep with the hum of a fan, sound of the dryer, ride in a car, running vacuum, or rumbling dryer.

Organisational strategies will work one week but not necessarily the next. Be ready to improvise.

When life at home goes smoothly, everyone wins.

RIDGET is not the kind of gal that you find around these days. Even on campus when her friends painted the town in different colours, got wild with all kinds of escapades, her story was different. She actually kept her virginity till her final year on campus when she met the one she fell in love with. “I thought that I had found love. I thought we were going to spend the rest of our lives together and I trusted him with all my heart.”

So what happened? “One day I went to see my dear Gbolahan and he told me that he would be travelling for a training programme. I was excited because he told me that he would be away for only two months. I did almost all the shopping for him and went with him to the airport the night he travelled. I was happy and looked forward to seeing him soon. As soon as he left that night, I felt a vacuum in my heart. It looked very boring without him and I started counting the minutes, days and months.”

On the eve of the day Gbolahan told her he was going to come back, he sent her a letter. A love letter? No, it wasn't.

It was a letter betraying her emotions. He simply told her not to wait for him anymore because he had found love elsewhere. He had travelled with this new found love and they had tied the knot already.

Ha! Could this really be her Gbolahan? Had he always been like this or was something amiss somewhere? Well, the truth of the matter was that he never really loved her. It had been a journey of lust and when he found a younger babe, he decided to drop her for 'good'. It's been over eight years since Gbolahan left but Bridget is still stagnant, still in love with this emotional Judas. In the process, she appears to have lost everything. All the guys who would have done anything to have her by their sides then cannot look in her direction anymore. She is indeed a shadow of her former left just because someone trampled on her emotional side. But this shouldn't be the case.

She should have learnt the principal which says that when one emotional door closes, then you need to open another door. It could actually turn out to be better than what you want to die for if you give love the opportunity.

Bridget was like the rose flower, but that is no longer the story now.

The rose flower is indeed very attractive. It is pretty and great to behold. Of course, that is why beautiful ladies are sometimes linked or described in this context. However, when a rose is trampled upon, it loses it value; it is no longer great to be admired or cherished anymore.

Interestingly, this applies to some of our beauties who seem to have lost their identity and the things they placed a high premium on turned out to be a source of great disappointment.

Just before they get hooked to their prince charming they are like roses, beautiful, adored and admired by all.

Now that they have found their dream man, Mr. Right, or is it prince charming? then you would expect them to blossom, fly higher to cloud seven.

But to their dismay the reverse is usually the case. Now, that they are faced with another version of the beauty-andthe-beast tale, they go back to the drawing board.

Unfortunately, it may just be too late. Their emotions like the rose have been trampled upon and sometimes they never really get out of this love woods again.

It could be tough finding your bearing in a relationship where the guy is neither here nor there. The experience is what experts call an emotional roller coaster. The stress of living through an "on again, off again" relationship is better imagined than experienced.

Unfortunately, if you are trapped in this kind of situation then you need to take a decision now. Naturally, it should be goodbye to the wishy-washy noncommittal man.

It is indeed a tight emotional rope to walk on. Just when you think you have finally come to the end of the difficult part of the rope, it snaps off and you are back to square one. It, therefore, becomes very difficult for you to express yourself.

At this stage, what you are going to have is a situation where you would always be wondering and withholding your love because you're not sure if he's really going to be there for you, or not.

You are also going to be in a confused state. A state where you may not be able to predict what to do next and everything gets messy before you know it. Yes, the crux of the matter is that he is being reckless with your heart and your love. A man who loves playing the abracadabra game with your heart should not be taken seriously at all.

The truth is that if you go on like this, and don't figure out what to tell him and how to handle his behaviour, you're going to stay stuck in this situation. Interestingly, love can bring out the best in you and your partner. But this can only happen when your love is aligned. If you're in an "on again, off again" relationship then you're by definition not aligned with your partner in your love.

50

Etcetera

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

SUNNY SIDE

Cartoons

By Olubanwo Fagbemi

POLITICKLE

deewalebf@yahoo.com 08060343214 (SMS only)

Canine calamity

CHEEK BY JOWL

OH, LIFE!

THE GReggs

YEARS into manhood, Mike held on to the inclinations of youth.

Owning a dog helped maintain heartfelt connection, and the latest was a brown, leggy, shaggy-maned canine Mike called “Love”. Love could be a very embarrassing name, but how embarrassing Mike didn’t know until the evening he took the dog for a walk and the animal slipped his leash and trotted off.

Mike looked all over the city for his beloved companion. Hours after foregoing the comfort of his bed just to be reunited with the cultivated carnivore, he ran into a police officer who asked what he was doing at a secluded spot so early in the morning. Mike said: “I was looking for Love.”

He was charged to court.

One day in May, Mike went to the local council to get a license for Love. The clerk thought it was funny. He said: “I would like to have one too!” Mike wasn’t amused. “I’m talking about a dog,” he said.

The clerk said he didn’t care what she looked like. Then Mike said, “You don’t understand. I’ve had Love since I turned 18.”

Said the clerk: “Who’s a lucky boy then?”

Months after, Mike planned to get married and approached the Marriage Registry at the town secretariat. He told the official that he would have Love at the wedding. The official thought Mike should wait until after the wedding. “But Love has played a big part in my life and my whole lifestyle revolves around Love,” said Mike.

The official didn’t want to hear about Mike’s personal life and announced that he would, in fact, no longer conduct the marriage.

When Mike insisted on the ceremony because everyone coming to the wedding would enjoy having Love there, the official had had enough.

The next day, the marriage was conducted elsewhere. And Mike’s family was barred from the secretariat.

Undeterred, Mike and his wife took the dog along on their honeymoon to Honolulu, Hawaii. As they checked into a motel, Mike told the receptionist that he needed a room for a couple and a special room for Love. The receptionist claimed that every room in the motel was designed for Love. “You don’t understand,” said Mike, “Love keeps me awake at night.”

“Me too,” said the receptionist.

Back home and relaxing with a close friend afterwards, Mike let it out that he once had Love on TV. The friend said: “Oh, you’re such a show off!” But when Mike told him it was at a contest, the friend thought Mike should have invited everyone he knew.

Yet, bliss eluded Mike and his partner. Much coveted by both, the dog often went missing. Mike and his wife were soon separated. A messy court battle ensued, but the fight was not for custody of children, for there were none between them. It was, instead, for the dog.

Asked to speak in court, Mike said: “Your Honour, I had Love before I was married.”

“Me too,” said the Judge.

Mike added that after he married, he often searched for Love.

The judge said: “Me too.”

Mike won the case, but happiness evaded him still. Jailed, married, divorced and with more than a fair share of trouble with the dog than imaginable, Mike began to fear that he was losing his head. Upon the advice of his personal physician, he decided to see a psychiatrist.

At the first session, she asked: “Now, what really is the problem?”

Mike said: “Well, Love has died and left my life. It’s like losing a best friend and life is so lonely.”

The doctor said, “Look Mike, you and I know that love isn’t predictable. Why not get a dog?”

QUOTE The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipment.

—Warren G. Bennis

Jokes Humour Lawyer’s Last Stand LYING on his deathbed worried whether he would make heaven or not, a lawyer requested that his wife assemble all the spiritual men she could get as soon as possible. Being a religious woman, she thought it a good idea and carried out her husband’s wish faithfully.

As soon as she returned with the men, the lawyer scanned the assembled group, his eyes darting left and right. Aware of the curiosity his action aroused, he said, “Help me, I’m looking for loopholes!”

The Last Laugh

IT WAS many years ago since the embarrassing day when a young woman, with a baby in her arms, entered a butcher’s shop and confronted him with the news that the baby was his and asked what was he going to do about it.

After some argument, he finally offered to provide her with free meat until the boy was 16. She agreed.

He had been counting the years off on his calendar, and one day the teenager

who had been collecting the meat each week came into the shop and said, “I’ll be 16 tomorrow.”

“I know,” said the butcher with a smile, “I’ve been counting too. Tell your mother, when you take this parcel of meat home, that it is the last free meat she’ll get, and watch the expression on her face.”

When the boy arrived home, he delivered the message. The woman nodded and said, “Son, go back to the butcher and tell him I have also had free bread, free milk, and free groceries for the last 16 years and watch the expression on his face!”

Boy Wonder A CAREFREE little boy got lost at the youth hostel and found himself in the women’s locker room.

When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover.

The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, “What’s the matter, haven’t you ever seen a little boy before?”

•Culled from the Internet

M

AKING Writer ’s Fountain your story If you need a thief to climb an old staircase and characters real: If you want your with a lantern in his hand then do exactly that. character to do something unusual, first do it You might find it necessary to step on the inside yourself. of the stairwell to avoid telltale creaking noises, Otherwise, you will never be able to convey and to breathe slowly. You don’t want to leave the experience, feeling, hearing, smell or taste tell-tale finger marks. surrounding the character. Remember, if it’s Both activities would provide enough realistic, you can do it. material to leave the reader in no doubt as to the If, for instance, you want your character to authenticity of motive and action in the writer’s rescue an Eagle trapped high on an ancient tree, stories. You simply can’t make most details up. scale a big tree nearby. After 10 feet, your hair You have to live through them or discover them. should be thick with dust, leaves and insects.

Many a famous writer who sets his stories Your trousers should grow green with mould in old buildings and in particular places or time and you might have cuts and bruises. would visit them with camera, notebook and tape measure. This way if he tells you that his Animal instinct: •A dog can hear high frequency sounds, hero half a century ago wriggled out of a kitchen window that was of an exact measurement and which a human ear cannot.

•A donkey will sink in quicksand but a distance from the courtyard or the main gate, you can trust him. He measured it. mule will not.

That’s one way to have a loyal readership.

•A giraffe and rat can go longer without After all, what if some readers take it upon water than a camel can. A giraffe can clean themselves to visit the locations of novels, just its ears with its 21-inch tongue.

•A cow produces 200 times more gas a day to check out measurements?

So, don’t just imagine it. Do it. Walk your than a person. story as far and as reasonably as possible.

•A bird requires more food in proportion Readers would more likely believe you and your to its size than a baby or a cat. story.

THE ARTS

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

Culture parastatals under microscope Edozie Udeze writes on the visit by Federal House of Representatives Committee on Culture and Tourism to the parastatals in the Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism which didn’t seem to create any impact

•Committee members touring CBAAC

•National Troupe performing at the occasion.

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HE recent visit by the Culture and Tourism Committee of the Federal House of Representatives to the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), the National Theatre and the National Troupe of Nigeria, did not only serve as an eye opener in terms of the level of understanding of cultural matters by the lawmakers, but how the federal government has

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HE excitement was high penultimate Saturday as the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, Kaduna State chapter, held its annual October Lecture. The event, which was held in collaboration with the Kaduna State University, KASU, had as theme, ‘Literature and the Developing Nigerian Political Culture’ and featured as guest writer, Dr. Wale Okediran, former president of ANA. According to the chairman of the chapter, Mr. Usho Smith Adawa, the Lecture was instituted and co-hosted by the ANA chapter and Kaduna Writers’ League, KWL, in October 2006. “The Lecture was borne out of the need to create a space for writers, academics as well as policy makers and members of the public to discuss the various ways through which literature can enhance the growth and development of healthy societies,” he said.

Delivering his paper titled, An Overview of Nigeria’s Prose Fiction, Dr. Alexander Kure, highlighted

PHOTOS: EDOZIE UDEZE

chosen to invest and show interest in the sector.

The oversight visit was led by the deputy committee chairman on culture, Alhaji Abdulmalik Usman, accompanied

by Abbas Machika both of who said they stood in for the chairman who was on an official assignment somewhere. However,

none of the two made any remarkable statement or impact that will help to move the sector forward. Not only that, Abdulmalik was in a hurry to conclude the visit and get back to Abuja, he couldn’t even give one serious official position of the government on the state of culture in Nigeria. This stand, to the surprise of many culture reporters, indeed set minds wondering as to why the Federal government has over the years deliberately decided to stifle the sector of enough funds to run its affairs.

At CBAAC, Professor Tunde Babawale told the committee why the Centre was set up after the 1977 2nd World Festival of Arts and Culture which was held in Lagos. He explained that the relics of the festival are kept in safe custody on behalf of other countries of the world that took part in the event. But beyond that, CBAAC is the only parastatal in the Culture Ministry with an international mandate to project and propagate PanAfricanism in its outlook and content.

Babawale, whose department has practically become immobile financially in the past few years, took the committee down memory lane on the programmes they have done since seven years with the meager resources provided by the government. “We try to do the much we can with the little allocation given to us.

We have seven outreach centres across the nation, yet we do not have enough overhead to cater for all our needs. It has been very difficult to have some things done due to shortage of funds,” he said.

Babawale went on to appeal to the committee to raise the budget of the Centre in next year’s budget. “Please, I appeal to you to use this opportunity to look into the plight of CBAAC, so that we can effectively discharge our statutory mandate not only to Nigerians but to all the Blacks wherever they are. As at now, we are the least in the budget in the ministry, yet we have a lot of international official responsibilities to

discharge.”

Although Abdulmalik promised to ensure that the financial situation be looked into by the committee, the promise did not sound convincing to many.

He said: “We should have proper value for what is ours. This is why we will like to take care of CBAAC. We can see that this is a serious parastatal and it needs funds to continue to run its affairs.

We know that this Centre has an enviable record. Therefore, we will ensure that the funding of the sector is increased in the next budget,” he said.

At the National Troupe of Nigeria, which the committee deputy – chairman mistakenly called the National Trip, it was a different ball – game entirely.

There, there was no time to tour the artistes’ hotels and assess some of the facilities that needed urgent government attention. The reason was that they were running out of time. For this reason, a sketchy stage dance was performed to tease them. Even then, Abdulmalik and co did not have the patience to savour the beauty of the dances. After an interval of ten minutes or so in the hall, he signalled for a stop.

Addressing reporters thereafter, the committee deputy chairman opined that the culture sector be allowed to be more private-driven. “This is why we have an oversight visit which is part of our official assignment as law-makers. We have also seen that the National Theatre is in a very bad shape. Many things need to be fixed and we will see to all that soon,” he said.

All said, these promises sounded hollow and familiar. For many years now, these issues have been raised and brought to the attention of the federal government.

Each new culture minister and House committee members will come and make tall and high-sounding promises, yet none has been fulfilled. This was why many received this last one with some level of skepticism and doubt.

Okediran reads to ANA, Kaduna the prose tradition in Nigerian literature and extolled Okediran’s “dexterous use of alternate narrative techniques of the first-person narrator and the omniscient narrative in an engrossing, suspensefilled and highly informative manner to portray a nation in dire search of its lost soul” in Tenants of the House.

Highlight of the event was Okediran’s reading from his latest novel, Tenants of the House. Though a fictional work, of particular interests from the audience were the political intrigues, the money-politics and moral decadence that have found its way to the legislative chamber. The question and answer session that followed was very engaging as the audience wanted to know if the stories were real, and what motivated the author to write such a book that took a swipe at Honourable members which he was a part of. His straight answer was that the book is a work of fic-

tion based on the antics of some of his colleagues in the House.

In his remarks, the chairman of the occasion, Col. JIP Ubah, a patron of the chapter, said the Lecture was timely and a worthy exercise at this time when the nation is in dire need of direction. With writers as spokesmen and spokeswomen of our collective memory, he said, Nigeria needs literature as a developing nation.

Okediran was born in April, 1955, in Oyo State, qualified as a medical doctor from University of Ife, (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1980. He worked in government and private hospitals, before veering into private practice in 1987. In 1999, he went into politics and was appointed Chairman, Oyo State Hospitals Management Board. He later contested for a seat in the Federal House of Representatives, where he represented his constituency from 2003 to 2007. So far, he has over ten books

to his name. They include The Boys at the Border, The Rescue of Uncle Babs, Dreams Die at Twilight, Strange Encounters, and Tenants of the House, which is a fictional account of some of the happenings in the National Assembly of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.

The event which was attended by writers, students and dignitaries from Kaduna State and beyond included dignitaries such as the state’s first lady, Mrs. Amina Ibrahim Yakowa, who was represented by Mrs. Naomi Kish Adamu, wife of the Kaduna State Commissioner of Justice, and the Vice-Chancellor, represented by Dr. Hauwau Evelyn Yusufu, Director, Consultancy Services.

•Okediran

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

Arts/Reviews

A photo trip through Lagos

• Wilschut with his photograph, Sealed Property, behind him

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HICH images would represent seven days in the life of a city, its people, soul, and energy? Answering that question was perhaps what organisers of the third edition of the LagosPhoto had in mind when it chose as its theme, ‘seven days in the life of Lagos.’

As usual, like the past two editions, the photographers generated a wow effect in portraying the different sides of the city of Lagos.

In Makoko Now, 12 photographers, videographers, and journalists took boat rides, visually documenting scenes of Makoko, an ancient fishing slum community of stilted shacks right on the lagoon. On the photographic voyage to Makoko, which was recently demolished by the Lagos state government, were Aderemi Adegbite, Tunde Adegboye, Kehinde Sangonuga, Medina Dugger, Maja Flink, Joseph Gergel, Jane Hahn, Hauwa Mukan, Bayo Omoboriowo, Zemaye Okediji, and Olayinka Sangotoye.

Guerrilla performer and founder of Crown Troupe of Nigeria, Segun Adefila, also exhibited too. And his images takes his fans backstage where all the practice and sweat is a daily grind. His troupe had earlier performed at the Black Light Project, an exhibition of photographs, words, and graphic novels held at nearby

By Joe Agbro Jr.

Federal Government Press, and documenting West African civil wars by photographer Wolf Bowig and novelist Carlos Mendes. Adefila’s image, Streets as a stage, aptly fits the routine of performers in the city.

And referring to the rowdy seconds of ‘se were’ which means ‘be crazy’ in Yoruba language, that goes on at the Afrika Shrine, Ikeja, then one’s likely to understand why Dutch photographer Judith Quax and organisers thought it fit to feature the Shrine. Visiting the Afrika Shrine last year, Quax said of the experience; “I thought it was going to be rougher, but, I loved every minute.” Chantal Heijnen also joined her in the Fela Kuti odyssey by staging Fela Kuti.

Bunmi Adedipe in Waste to wealth captures a man sleeping behind a dumpster, a common sight of many labourers in Lagos, while Alafuro Sikoki’s 2 minute photo theatre, the imaginative locations – a bus, a bus shelter, that serve as business sites to both photographer and client.

Akintunde Akinleye detailed the activities of sand excavators in a series termed, Lagos Sand Merchants while Kelechi Amadi Obi also participated, exhibiting Family, a series of portraiture compris-

Eight writers make shortlist of Literary Star Search contest

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REATIVE Alliance, organisers of the grassroots literary contest, Literary Star Search, has announced the eight shortlisted writers for the Literary Star Search contest.

Here, in no particular order, are the eight writers, whose short stories have impressed the three-man jury - (Tade Ipadeola, Ayodele Olofintuade and Terh Agbedeh).

The entries include Chasing Lizards by M.S.C. Okolo, The Woman Without a Name by Bode Asiyanbi, Mother by Bonaventure O. Chukwu, Bank of Nigeria by

Buhari A. Sulaimon and Echoes from Bariga Local Government by Soyemi O. Isaac.

Others are The Oodua Code by Kayode Ketefe, The Wailing Drum by Kurotmunonye I. William-West, and Hiding in a Cupboard by Obinna Udenwe.

A statement by its spokesman, Mr. Seun Jegede, said the final three writers for the one million naira prize money will be made known at the end of the month when the judges would have made a final decision. The award is scheduled to hold on a date yet to be decided in November.

PHOTO: Joe Agbro Jr.

ing a black man, a cacucasian woman, and a black child.

Hans Wilschut, Benedictte Kurzen and Andrea Stultiens worked around the theme Lagos Enlarged. With bold imageries, these photographers reduced mega-sights of Lagos to large frames. For instance, Wilschut’s photo (Sealed Property) of the Bank of Industry ruins on Broad Street when it collapsed is breath-taking.

Putting the show together was artistic director Stanley Greene, Azu Nwagbogu, and Caline Chagoury.

With exhibits in eight different venues of Lagos, LagosPhoto2012 is ensuring many Lagosians take a minute, and pause to see everyday scenes, frozen.

While the grand opening held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, exhibitions simultaneously take place at the African Artists Foundation, Nimbus Arts Gallery, A White Space, Omenka Gallery, The Federal Government Printing Press, and the Kalakuta Museum.

Also, outdoor exhibitions showing in a maze-construct Lagos of many sides and phases will hold at Muri Okunola Park, Victoria Island, Falomo Roubdabout, Ikoyi, and UBA Park, University of Lagos.

Views in Colour opens

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N art exhibition entitled Views in Colour by Osazuwa Osagie will open on Saturday, October 27 at the National Museum and Monuments, Onikan, Lagos. Time is 3pm.

Chairman of the occasion is Chief Philip Asiodu, while Abdullahi Muku of the National Gallery of Art (NGA) will be the special guest of honour.

The exhibition will run till November 3 rd , 2012.

Books

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HE metaphor of a moving train is a strong one in literary history as it evokes charting through a determined path; questing for a different reality and journeying to discover new frontiers.

In the filmic medium, the train and the train station has been a much favoured setting to enact and re-enact solemn or happy arrivals and departures.

The picture of a lone passenger with a luggage waiting for a train to arrive or coming too late to catch a departing train and wistfully looking at its rear is one that never fails to connect with the human spirit.

It is therefore dramatically refreshing to encounter the new play, Cantankerous Passengers, from Patrick Adaofuoyi Ogbe, which is largely set inside a train coach on a journey to one of the furthermost parts of the nation, Maiduguri, which in our recent history has become a hotbed of strife and insurgency.

The title of the play itself gives an inkling of the medley of people, voices and dispositions that make up the dramatic world of the play. The confine of the coaches of the train is a metaphor for the geographical Nigeria while the characters cut across the different shades of ethnic groupings, classes and socio-religious persuasions that can be found in the country. The journey itself can be interpreted as that being made to discover our nationhood. The playwright’s intent appears to be to highlight the expected cacophonous outcome when such divergent persons are confined within the same space, the train coach, albeit the nation-space Nigeria.

Dialogues and repartees in the play between and among the various characters mirror the reality of the nation that has since the start of her journey in 1960, been unable to “speak with one voice” as they say. Some of the characters in the play who carry direct ethnic reference by means of identification such as “The Tiv Man,” “The Fulani Man,” “The Old Yoruba Man,” and “The Igbo Man” all be-

Re-tracking a nation

By Denja Abdullahi

have as stereotypical of similarly perceived roles in the referential world of the play. By this it may seem the playwright is merely interested in regurgitating the fault lines in our journey towards nationhood but a close reading of the play reveals a nobler objective.

That objective is dramatically sustained by the character of the “The Professor” and “The Corps Member” who beyond acting out their peculiar idiosyncrasies, throw up critical questions and mediate in the resultant conflicts of the divergent occupants of the train coaches. Through these two characters, who are consistent in intervening in the actions around them, the reader gets to understand that rationality and positive actions devoid of primordial sentiments are requisite tools for successfully charting the journey towards true nationhood.

The metaphor of the train journey(railway transportation) itself employed in the play and its actual national history of a glorious beginning and gradual descent into decrepitude parallels the Nigerian story of hope at independence and the eventual unraveling of such hope in the difficult march towards nationhood. Railway transportation, though a colonial creation used in funneling resources from the hinterland to

the coast to service colonial industry, also played intricate roles in uniting the various constituent ethnic groups in Nigeria via trading. The cantankerous passengers in the train at a point in the play actually abandon their divisive discourse when it became known that the train is heading towards disaster with the loss of the driver who mistakenly took an overdose of sleeping pills.

This awareness of the imminent collective destruction as a result of lack of leadership or any kind of steering in a way unites the groups towards a search for solution.

The solution came in the form of “ a new man…at the helm of affairs in the train driver’s compartment,” steering the train away from listlessness and derailment. Does that say something about Nigeria?

Since a play as a text is always considered as unfinished until performed, it will be necessary to briefly dwell on the production possibilities of Cantankerous Passengers. The major setting, inside a moving train, may appear unachievable, but from the playwright’s directorial notes interspersed within relevant sections of the play’s six scenes, the reader’s and a potential director’s appetite is wetted for a possible production. With the accomplishment in the area of technical theatre today, it will be very possible and quite interesting to recreate the mood and setting of a life changing train journey on live stage. The language of the play is assured, simple, apt for the characters and not descending into verbosity as common with some plays of similar nationalistic concern. The theatrical picture presented by the text of the play is one that will be amenable to radical re-interpretation in the hands of an imaginative director, considering the scope, twists and turns of the Nigerian story being told.

Be your own person

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HIS book is targeted mainly at the youths.

In a society where people, particularly the young, find it difficult to know where to start from in life early enough, it is proper to begin on time to point the way forward for them. This is the basic concept and goal of this book.

The title of the book, 35 years old – Never a fool at forty, shows the author, Chile Ndukwe, chiding Nigerian elites and the society for not showing enough leeway to the younger ones. This is why, in her reckoning, poverty is ever on the increase in Africa.

Why is Africa regarded as the Third World and incidentally the most underdeveloped continent in the world? There is no true and convincing paradigm to encourage people to start out early in life. For many young people who do not have the right background and conduct, it may be difficult to finally make it in life.

Education has to be the first basis of foundation for everyone. It is the proper

By Edozie Udeze

benchmark to prepare for the challenges of life. Education is the key, in the words of the author. On page 6, she makes it very clear: “Some young people have not truly understood the role that education would play in their lives.”

She went on: “Being in school is seen as merely a routine or a necessity than as a tool for economic and social empowerment. In most cases, the true essence of education is grasped as one matures in age and that may be after raking in some poor school certificate grades due to wrong perception.”

Although life itself is a game, but it is a game that should be taken seriously so that much progress can be made before one turns forty.

People have to build themselves for the future. And people should know on time how to handle life and be on the way to the top. Time, as it is often said, waits for nobody. This is what the author highlights and says that for those who want to be big, it is better to start early, with more poignant zeal and as-

piration.

This is why she handles the chapters under different titles. This is obviously to make it easier to understand.

First, you should correct the errors of the past. Do not allow what happened to others to happen to you. Second, picture yourself in the future and what you intend to achieve. Then set goals, set targets, empower your mind. Be your own person, and try not to be a fool at forty.

There is no food for a lazy man. So go to work.

Think deep and creatively about who you want to be and start on time.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

Millionaire pirates in troubled waters

Blessing

Sama

Captain Mike

Contd on page 54

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Miscellany

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

Day Cross River met Songhai Rushdie and Bono

By Enuma Chigbo

Contd from page 53

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

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At the mercy of robbers for two hours —PAGE 56

•Pasted passport photographs of intending couples on the notice board PHOTO: TAIWO ABIODUN

24 hours at Ikoyi Marriage Registry The Federal Marriage Registry, Ikoyi, Lagos is unarguably Nigeria’s most patronised registry. Taiwo Abiodun spent a day watching proceedings.

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S early as 7am, the Federal Marriage Registry, Ikoyi’s compound had started receiving visitors from all walks of life.

It’s the dawn of another business day. By 8a.m. the premises had become jam-packed with a crowd of intending couples, relations, friends and well wishers. In and outside the premises were hordes of exotic choice cars decorated with ribbons and tagged About To Wed or Just Wedded in place of their number plates.

Some of the cars, however, had no decorations, they remained simple or rickety with no indication that they came to the registry. As some couples were disembarking from their exotic cars and stepping into the compound others too strolled in to consummate their wedding and tie the nuptial knots. The Event Halls in the compound were filled to the brim by those who came from all corners of the country. It was a Thursday.

Tying the knots In a jiffy, the hall of the registry and the compound were filled with friends, family members and well-wishers bearing their gift items to present to the newly wed couples who either wore their English wedding gowns and suits or were there in their traditional dresses.

While the Registry officer was announcing the next number of intended couples to come in and perform the “ritual’’ one after the other, their families happily followed them into the inner room where they would be joined together and become husband and wife!

While some of the well wishers were dressed in fanciful traditional attires others were in uniform known among relatives as aso ebi. They added colour and panache to the occasion. In their happy mood and joyous moment the well wishers danced along with the newly weds, singing praises to the Lord who made the day to come to pass without any hitches. To liven the occasion and pep it up dancers and traditional drummers who are officially attached to the Ikoyi Registry joined in the celebration with their native drums, and beaded gourds [sekere] and gongs drumming, singing praises of the couples. They sang to high heavens and the

shouts of Hallelujah rent the air. The couples and well -wishers in return ‘sprayed’ money and pasted different naira denominations on the fore heads of the drummers and dancers who entertained and thrilled them. While the official photographers attached to the Registry also took photograph of all. Officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria who launched campaign against what they called “abuse of the naira” may perhaps need to pay a visit to this place to see how our currency is treated.

The Registry is the ultimate leveller. Both the high and the low of different status, different ages and from all ethnic groups and nationalities assemble to sign the dotted lines, after saying the usual “I do’’. After this ritual, the couple would hug, kiss and take photographs with their family members and well wishers. All these protocols over, the merriment go into full gear.

Some of the couples in their happy mood would display their wedding certificates!

Throughout the week there are no dull moments. In fact, one is tempted to ask whether it was a weekend or not, for it was all fun throughout. The idea of holding weddings at weekends has become a thing of the past as weddings are consummated from Tuesday through Saturday!

Outside the Registry is a big billboard which is the centre of attraction of all patrons. Many eyes are focused on the bill board as they turned it to a model house or studio taking several photographs at different postures. The young and the old irrespective of their ages posed in front of the bill board. Many of the couples posed in front of the billboard as evidence of their presence at the Federal Registry, Ikoyi, which is believed to be the only Registry with authentic and recognised marriage certificate outside the country.

Photo opportunities The question on most lips is: Are all these wedding ceremonies genuine? How do we know the real ones? What is the intention of the new couples? And why did they prefer Federal Registry, Ikoyi to the ones runs by local governments? Questions in search of answers.

However, investigation reveals that most of all these wedding ceremonies were consum-

mated for one reason or the other, while very few are genuine, others are said to be ‘arrangee ’, fake and full of insincerity and deceit as there is a motive behind most of them. But deep in the couples’ minds they know what they are doing!

To cap it all, with serious scrutiny and for someone with eagle’s eye one could observe how and why the newlywed after signing the dotted lines or after the wedding event struggle to take photographs of different postures and pose with the giant billboard placed at the entrance of the

hall and making sure the words on the big billboard : Federal Marriage Registry, Ministry of the Interior Ikoyi –Lagos is conspicuously seen.

Welcome to the Federal Registry Ikoyi, where marriage activities take place four times in a week. It is considered to be the Marriage Registry that attracts more clients than any other one in the country!

Posted on the office boards of the Registry •Continue on Page 57

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

Life

T was at about 2am on Saturday, 13 th October 2012, men numbering about 12 using the darkness as ally and a cover forcefully gained entry in to the compound of Akinbode Oluwafemi, a journalist and Director of Administration, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN). For several minutes they had been outside firing guns at the gate and attempting to gain entry. After several shots of gunshots to scare neighbours they scaled over the high security fence by cutting the barbed wire. On gaining entry, they shot ‘Terry’ an Alsatian guard dog which unaccustomed to that mode of entry into its master’s household had resisted the night intruders.

Several bullets caught the dog in the stomach and it died instantly. The night watchman was the next target. On spotting him they pumped several bullets into his room. And to ensure that he was really dead, an order was given to locate his body and pump more bullets.

The night raiders continued with their display of gunfire, exhibiting much confidence and dexterity in the use of the dangerous arms, they began to rain bullets on the cars in the compound using AK 47, pump action rifles and other guns.

Theatre of war At this point, the Oluwafemi household was in turmoil. “It was like a war, I have never seen anything like this before. You would think there was war going on here,” he said. But the war was really yet to start. The robbers spent about 40 minutes trying to break down the main door in order to gain entry into the house.

After scaling the wall and killing the dog, they cut the padlock that was used in locking the gate.

They flung it open for other members of the gang to go into the compound. After spending sometime cutting the burglary proof, they gained unfettered entrance into the house.

“When we heard the hail of bullets, we all went and locked ourselves in the toilet, that was when they were trying to break down the door, before they eventually came in through the window. Then, immediately they entered the house, they began to shoot indiscriminately. Maybe the long and hard shooting was to forestall any resistance; they were just spraying the house with bullets.

“They then came upstairs and were shouting that we should open the door. I thought to myself that if we don’t open the door they may get violent when they eventually come in. And as the head of the house, I decided to face them.

Immediately I came out of the room, a bullet flew by my head and lodged inside the air conditioner above my head. The bullet missed me by whiskers. That was when all hell was let loose,” Oluwafemi narrated.

For about two hours, the robbers held the innocent residents of the duplex hostage and terrorised them to no end. Every conceivable valuable item was taken by the robbers, and as all this was going on, the robbers constantly threatened to annihilate the entire household. While no one put up any resistance, they still went ahead to kill and maim.

Narrating the ordeal of the family as the robbers held them hostage for over two hours, he said, “They turned the whole house upside down; I gave them everything they asked for including the car keys. I cooperated, despite that they shot my brother in- law. When I saw the blood, I pleaded with them; I begged them

At the mercy of robbers for two hours

As the year comes to an end, robberies. Seun Akioye in this report writes about a family whose house was invaded by a 12-man gang of robbers.

•Windows broken in the break in

•Upturned property, inside the house.

•God of mercy!

•More bullets on the airconditioner •Dog shot

•The tools, gun and bullets used and later abandoned by the robbers

for his life because he was under my care. Yet they finished him off.

“They continued to ransack the house for another thirty minutes after they shot him, he was losing blood, I was desperate to get him to the hospital so we could save his life. Immediately they left, I rushed him into the car downstairs. That was when we also discovered the security man had been shot. We took the two of them into the car and rushed them to the hospital.”

Helpless neighbours While the robbers continued to terrorise the Oluwafemi household, neighbours gathered in groups to mobilise resistance albeit unsuccessfully. “We could not move near the house, the fire power was too much, there was no way we could have successfully resisted them, so we began to call for help which unfortunately did not come,” one of the neighbours, who does not want to be named, revealed.

In the morning, two persons lay dead. Kolade Kehinde, the brother- in-law, who was shot inside the house. While at the General Hospital, Ota, Ogun State where Kolade’s body was deposited, they were told that another

body had been found in a gutter in front of the house. This was later identified as a security guard (Olode) who must have been abducted by the robbers and killed after the operation.

The security guard of Oluwafemi escaped death by pretending he was dead. There were reports of two other killings by the gang members, who reportedly killed their own members. One was reportedly shot accidentally while the circumstances of the death of the other could not be ascertained. The bodies were said to have been carted away by the robbers. In the afternoon, a body was found somewhere in Ogun State.

The description of the clothing on him was said to match that of the robber who was accidentally shot by his own gang member.

The weekend robbery and invasion of the Oluwafemi household in Ota, a border community

between Lagos and Ogun State has thrown up interesting permutation about the security implications for those living on the border with Lagos State. While Lagos State could be said to have made giant strides in the fight against the men of the underworld, and has also initiated the Lagos emergency numbers which enable citizens to call toll free from any network and seek for help, the same cannot be said for those in neighbouring states like Ogun where the robbers dislodged from Lagos have reportedly relocated.

“We called the police, but they told us that the area is in Ogun State and so they cannot help.

Many of us called the Lagos emergency number; they insisted every time that the location is under Ogun State Command. They even refused to help us radio for help in Ogun State. I don’t understand since this is supposed to be a Federal Police Force,” one of the neighbours recounted in frustration.

According to Oluwafemi, “I think the Police Force needs to be more proactive. We live on the border with Lagos, and when you are in Lagos you feel safe but immediately you cross the line into Ogun State it becomes a different story. The border community is bearing the brunt of the effectiveness of Lagos policing and I think the Police in Ogun State should be empowered the same way their Lagos counterparts have been. This is a wake-up call to all of us; it is my turn today, who knows where it will be tomorrow.

We must ensure that help is available in the time of distress.”

The Ogun State Emergency numbers: •Area Commander Ota: (Titi Kayode) 08032145961 •Control Room: 08081770416, 08032136765 • PPRO: 08037168147

But the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi disagreed. “I have said it many times that people living in the state should have the number of the police ready. We have publicized our numbers, so that the people can reach us. The calls that were made in that particular incident were to Lagos which does not have jurisdiction over that area.”

Explaining further, the Police spokesperson said: “It is not possible for Lagos Command to respond to that call. And maybe the people they are calling do not even have our numbers. Except you call the DC in charge of operations, Tunde Sobulo, he is the only one who can help because he has our numbers. There is no need wasting time calling Lagos when we are here. That is why we encourage our people to have our numbers, reach us, even to pass security information to us, we will act on it.”

Adejobi also disputed earlier media reports about the casualty figure. “I read that four people were killed. I am not aware of the reported accidental discharge of the robbers. I know the brother in -law was killed and they found another person, possibly a security man, who proved to be a hindrance to them, he was also killed.”

There was also the issue of the rejection of gunshot patients by hospitals. The late Kolade Kehinde was rushed in a pool of blood to a popular hospital in UTurn, Abule- Egba, but the doctor on duty blatantly refused to offer any first aid assistance. The doctor on duty asked for police report before the victim could be attended to. All efforts to convince him that the state government and the police authorities have said gunshot victims should first be treated were rebuffed.

•Continued on Page 57

Life

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

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A day at Ikoyi Marriage Registry •Continued from Page 55

are: passport photographs and information about the intending couples bearing their names and addresses, status [single or divorced], and religious affiliation. All these are conspicuously displayed on the notice board. According to one of the officials of the Registry, this is the first step to inform the public of the couples’ intention to get married. This must be displayed for a mandatory 21 working days. This is to allow any member of the public with any objections to the marriage to state so. This, according to the official is very important. “On the notice board here, one could see intending couples from different professions, ages, and status (i.e. divorcees or singles). This is necessary in case there may be any objections to it , so 21 working days is enough to inform the public of their intention to get married,’’ a male official told The Nation. However, how effective this is yet to be seen. For instance, a person living in Badagry that comes to Ikoyi to wed may not get any objection within the stipulated 21 days because he/she is not in a place where he/she is known!

At the Registry there is more than meets the eye. Take the case of a woman who is about 60years old planning to be the wife of a 35- year old bachelor or a man of 55 who is marrying a 20-year -old girl!

‘Arrangee’ marriages Many who come to the Registry for one purpose or the other reduce their age, and many of the intending couples are either of the same blood or they are from the same parents but needed to ‘perfect’ their travelling papers with their ‘husbands’ or ‘wives’ to enable them travel abroad.

An, old man, Mr. Yemi [not real name] who came as one of the witnesses for the wife could not stop laughing seeing a ‘couple’ whose husband could either be 30years older than his wife. The old man burst into laughter and said “All these fake marriages are done just to have access to travelling documents, now people have been forced to bear all sorts of names to reflect the names they gave the whites and over what they are going for.’’ Another man who came to celebrate with a couple interjected, “It is not new, we are used to it,” the two again burst into laughter.

As the clerk calls another number for the couple to come into the inner

hall, to go and sign the dotted lines the well wishers burst into songs while the officials seized the opportunity to squeeze money out of the couple and family members asking them to dole out money meant for different kinds of celebrations such as money for special prayer (owo adura), money from well wishers, among others.

The most surprising thing is that the ages of some of the couples, especially the brides are either under-aged or too old for marriage, while some of the grooms are either very old or too young to marry the bride. In a nut shell, some are of no match. Some are even blood relations as they look alike and from their conversations one could notice the relationship between the intending ‘couples’.

According to the officials in the Ministry of Interior, there are some prerequisites which all intending couples must fulfill before they are joined together as husband and wife.

The official who does not want his name mentioned said, “For a couple living in the country, they must pay a fee of one thousand naira and this has to be paid into the bank. Later they would pay N5,000 for the oath of marriage and that is the financial aspect of it. However, for the intending couple living abroad and who wants to come home to marry legally here, they must bring their documents revealing their status and their identities for example,

whether the man was a bachelor, and to affirm the woman’s status as a spinster too. They must also in addition bring their birth certificates of which must be from the National Population Commission [NPC], certificate of origin, a bio data page of their international passport and evidence of living in United Kingdom or wherever they live. They must also bring along SOA [Seen On Arrival] and which must have been stamped at the point of entry at the airport, all these must be in coloured print. On the financial aspect of it, the sum of N34,000 must also be paid along with it, while another N20,000 has to be paid for the approval to the administration, all the money to be paid. in a specified banks.

“If anyone of them had divorced , he or she must bring proofs like Nissi, which is the first divorce letter given to any one of them and [this is the divorce letter given to a party to think about the intended divorce for three months in case they might want to change their minds] while another divorce letter called ‘Absolute divorce’ will be presented, before the wedding takes place, if the couple have both divorced they must bring their divorce certificates.’’

The official continued, “An amount of N1000 is paid to the Registry if the wedding is to take place during the week days [Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday] but if it is on Saturday

the couple will have to pay N3,500 only, since it falls on weekends.

About 50 intending couples are joined together in a day. Each intending couple is called upon one after the other. And sometimes they finish at 3pm depending on the number of couples that booked for their wedding on that day.

A man confided in this reporter and said,“ I had been here over six hours and my sister who came from America was yet to be called to the room to sign the dotted lines, her husband whom she had married for a long time cannot join her in the US because of marriage certificate, they have done the traditional wedding but the embassy demanded for marriage certificate which must be from the Federal Ministry of Interior .That is the reason why his wife had been in the country and his wife who is my sister will soon go back to file for him since this is the only acceptable and recognised certificate outside Nigeria .’’Another lady who came with another couple said “We came all the way from Alimosho local government to do this wedding here, because the Embassy demanded for wedding certificate and that is the evidence of marriage .’’ She added “You can see how people are using style to pose with the signboard of the Ministry , this will convince the oyinbos the more, and that is what they

want.’’

Another couple who many believe are brother and sister, because of their striking resemblance, could not stop people from laughing when they could not hug as husband and wife! They struck a wrong cord as husband and wife.

Another scene that sent everybody reeling in laughter was a ‘couple’ which when asked to hug themselves, only pecked each other’s cheeks! In a hushed tone someone from the crowd said “This wedding na wa o, just to have access to America!’’

Since some of the marriages last for a few hours and in order to save cost most of the items brought are rented! Items such as wedding gowns, men’s suits etc. These go for between N5000 and N8,000 while flowers are provided for a fee of N500, a wedding gown is rented for between N5,000 and N8,000.

A woman who rented out wedding gowns said categorically that “There is no need of going out there to sew a wedding gown for huge amount of money when one would use it for only few hours! Our business is to rent out the wedding gowns.’’

Worn -out wedding gowns Interestingly some of the wedding gowns have become brown and dusty, they are no longer white and sparkling, showing that they had seen good old time and overused. That is not all, the men’s suits are of different sizes and hues. For this too, grooms can pay as little as N4,000 to rent one.

The entertainers had FMR boldly written on their uniforms showing they are registered officials working in the vicinity of the Registry. On how much they charge, one of them said “We don’t charge, we collect whatever they give us and we make our cool money here.”

True to what this reporter was told, immediately after the wedding, some of the brides removed their rented gowns, and changed to what they wore to the venue.

They have achieved their aim and are no longer in need of the wedding apparel; they have taken pictures with them and posed with the signboard of the Registry in order to add it to their travelling documents!

The day is over and the wedding is ended. Thus ended the reporter’s day at the country’s most -famed marriage registry!!!

At the mercy of robbers for two hours •Continued from Page 56

From this point it was a race against time as Kehinde was rushed back to Ota. He did not make the journey. He died on the way after losing so much blood.

“I went to our family hospital immediately, because I know there has been a directive that gunshot victims should be treated first by hospitals while they contact the police. It took some time before we could locate the doctor and they still asked us for police report. That was our family hospital, where we are registered. We are not new clients to them,” Oluwafemi lamented.

However, when the hospital was contacted none of the medical staff were willing to be quoted. “There was a case of gunshot victim; the doctor said the patient was brought in dead. The doctor who was on duty said he advised those who brought the victim to take the body to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and on the way get a police report. We have a policy here not to turn away any gunshot victim, we have police station here and what we will do in that instance is to treat the patient

•Security wires cut to enable robbers to scale the fence. while we make a formal report to the police.”

There were many questions with few answers coming forward. There are many probabili-

ties on how things might have turned differently if help had come in time and if the law enforcement agencies had been efficient.

The Ogun State Police Command has, however, promised to get to the root of the matter. “For now, we don’t have any suspect; we will spread our tentacles to

get the robbers. The Commissioner of Police is aware of this case and he has personal interest in it. The case is under investigation and we will not leave any stone unturned in this matter. Our sympathies are with the family and we will ensure that the culprits are brought to justice,” Adejobi told The Nation.

Kolade was buried four days later in his hometown. But the incident has also brought to the fore the role of effective policing in Ota and other border communities.

The Ogun State Police Command advised residents: “We need to be our brother’s keepers, when such incidents happen the community should rise up and help.

They should call us, you need to help us publish our numbers again, so that the people can have it and reach us,” Adejobi said.

One of the cars that the robbers used in carting away valuables was however recovered on Saturday around 1pm on Adiyan Road where it was abandoned after the security tracking was shut down.

Akioye is a Lagos based freelance journalist

58

Your HEALTH THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

How to prevent low blood pressure

By Rita Ohai

BUSINESS

59

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

P

RESEIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has signed performance contract for civil servants.

The scheme is to replace the obsolete examination for promotion, which had hitherto been in existence.

Making this known over the weekend was chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Deaconess Joan Ayo. Ayo who disclosed this

Jonathan endorses performance contract for civil servants From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

during a press briefing in Abuja said the new scheme takes effect from next year.

Justifying the need for the

scheme, she said: “President Jonathan endorsed the proposal that this process of management and progression in the service should take precedence over and above the

previous assessment practice of conducting examination for promotion of civil servants.”

She said the Federal Civil Service Commission in partnership with the Office of the

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) are expected to work out the modalities for the implementation of the new scheme.

“It is believed that this will

provide the nation with more accurate form of assessment of its working civil servants, their competence and the level of service delivered to the public by their given activities. The objective is to create before the next budget year a template for the overall assessment of service productivity so as to justify discontinuation of the previously know, practice,” she stressed.

Canada donates $50,000 to aid flood victims C

ANADA’S Minister of International Cooperation, Julian Fantino, announced that the Government of Canada, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), is providing assistance to help those affected by the flooding in Nigeria.

“Canadians are caring people, and this support is a continuing demonstration of Canadian generosity to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by the floods in Nigeria,” said Minister Fantino. “Through CIDA’s partnership with the Red Cross Movement, we are able to ensure that immediate and concrete action is taken to alleviate suffering and provide relief to those who need it most.”

Canada is providing

$50,000 to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies through the Canadian Red Cross Society to help those impacted by the disaster.

This funding will help provide housing and other immediate needs to those most affected.

Heavy rains that began last August and continued in

September have led to the worst flooding in Nigeria in more than 40 years. Nigerian authorities report that as many as 623,900 people have been displaced by

flooding in 30 of the 36 states in the country.

CIDA, through its International Humanitarian Assistance programme, aims to save lives, alleviate suf-

fering, and maintain the dignity of those affected by conflicts and natural disasters by providing appropriate, timely, and effective responses.

…As Trade Minister leads trade mission to Nigeria, others

M

INISTER of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, Ed Fast, has hinted of plans to lead a trade mission to Ghana and Nigeria in early 2013.

“With Africa as one of the fastest-growing economic regions in the world, our government is committed to opening new markets and creating new opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses throughout the continent,” said Minister Fast.

“Canadian companies that

succeed in international markets also create good jobs and greater prosperity here at home,” he added at a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of Canadian Council on Africa.

Fast who will be accompanied by Canadian companies in the extractive and infrastructure sectors since being appointed to the international trade portfolio has led a number of trade missions, including to fast-growing Brazil, Russia, India and China, also known as the “BRIC” economies.

Canada’s numerous trade and investment initiatives in Africa include negotiations toward a free trade agreement with Morocco and multiple foreign investment promotion and protection agreements (FIPAs) with African countries,

such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Tunisia and Zambia. A FIPA has just been concluded with Senegal.

“More and more African economies are embracing trade and investment as an engine for

growth and poverty reduction,” said Minister Fast. “I am pleased to be leading a trade mission to a region where world-class Canadian companies are creating jobs and prosperity and proving the win-win benefits of closer economic ties.”

CBN issues mobile money license to firm

C

ELLULLANT Nigeria Limited, a leading mobile commerce network operator, has joined the league of organisations operating mobile money services in the country having successfully secured a licence by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The firm was issued the licence last September.

The apex bank issued the first set of mobile payments licences in 2011 to several

firms in a move to make Nigerians access payments services through their mobile phones.

The Managing Director, Cellulant Corporation, Mr. Goke Akinboro, who expressed delight at the award of the licence, assured that his firm would offer its customers value for their money.

“Our firm is very excited that the CBN has considered us worthy to be granted a mo-

bile payment services licence.

We view this as a challenge to us to give Nigerians very reliable and customer-friendly services,” said an elated Akinboro, adding: “We have already proven our expertise in various mobile wireless applications and solutions that we provide across various segments of the Nigeria economy and it is our intention to do the same in the mobile payments services segment.”

Firm launches scratch card lottery

I

•From left: Member, Board of Trustee, Empowerment for Less Privileged Foundation (ELP) Rev. Oluwayomi Uteh, Member, Mr. Francis Adetola, Dr Oluwadamilola Matti, Head Medical Team, Dr Taiwo Faleti and Executive Secretary of ELP, Mr. Adesina Matti, during the free medical check-up organised the Foundation in Lagos over the weekend.

PHOTOS: MUYIWA HASSAN

•From left: Pastor Steve Akonni, Senior Pastor First Assembly Ministries, Mike Aniah, Secretary to the Cross River State Government and Ken Egbas, Managing Partner, TruContact, organisers of the Nigeria CSR Awards

SIS Gaming Limited has launched the first-ever scratch card lottery that offers players a variety of gaming options in Lagos.

“Unlike other conventional lotteries, what you see under the silver panel on the scratch card is what you win, thus eliminating the stress of forecasting and waiting for results to be announced,” the firm said.

ISIS is entering the lottery market on three exciting platforms namely – C money + which sells for N50 and players stand a chance to win from

N50 to N50, 000, Money-Rain which goes for N100 and winners have the chance to win from N100 to N200, 000 and the Big-Boy selling for N500 where winners could win from N500 to N500, 000.

In his address at the event, the Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State Lottery Board, Mr. Lanre Gbajabiamila, commended the initiative, saying “it is the first of its kind in the country.”

He further stated that the members of the public who patronise the product are spending their money on a

good cause as against the “general gambling” belief people hold against lottery, explaining that revenue generated from the lottery will be channeled to infrastructural development in Lagos State.

The company’s Marketing Executive Officer, Okharedia Otibho, in a chat with journalists, said the company is committed to promoting good cause and enrich lives by developing new games with the high winning chances and payout ratios, adding that the lottery’s winning will also include scholarships awards.

•From left: Obike Chuka, Head, Mobile Payment, Cellulant Nigeria, Goke Akinboro, Chief Executive Officer and Kalejaiye Olufemi, Head, Business Development at the Cellulant Nigeria Secures Mobile Money Licence briefing held at Sheraton Hotel , Lagos…recently

60

C

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

INSIDE BUSINESS

OULD you respond to the raging controversy involving the N141 billion settlements made

by Femi Otedola to AMCON in view of the nine-man committee set up by the Reps to probe the deal?

I have a number of things to say about this whole drama from the House of Reps. First, I don’t like that it is called a deal. It is a normal settlement agreement that we had. I understand that the National Assembly has the responsibility to account to the people.

But people look at this transaction and say all sorts of things. I only wish that the National Assembly had invited me to come and make presentation about the transaction in a closed briefing session. And if after that briefing, they were uncomfortable and had other questions, they should have made their queries known before people started making all kinds of insinuations about secrecy and all of that.

Hopefully, I know they want to be informed, they want to ask question, but the words I’m hearing, “secrecy”, “unauthorised”, and so on, are unnecessary. As far as I’m concerned, we’re all different arms of government who are trying to do the same job. So, there is really no need for rancour of any sort. But if they want information about these transactions, we’re happy to share it anytime, any day.

Otedola’s companies were among the 131 companies blacklisted by the CBN from taking further credits from banks due to their indebtedness.

I think people are curious that the issue of Otedola’s settlement to AMCON came up just after the CBN directive...

One thing I need to say is that this settlement with Femi Otedola had nothing to do with the CBN directive. We have been engaging with him for at least nine months. We had to value the assets and that takes time.

We had to get different sets of valuers to value the assets. Then, we had board decisions; we had exco meetings, then board meetings. It was just a coincidence. If people are imputing that the settlements had something to do with the CBN directive, they are incorrect.

It is just unfortunate that people are insinuating that these settlements had something to do with the CBN announcement. That’s not true.

What I can tell you, however, is that there are people who have now approached us because of the CBN directive and that process will take anywhere from three to six months.

I wish it was that easy to recover debts. He (Otedola) had court injunctions, we had to negotiate. So, it is a complicated matter. We had to negotiate, we got lawyers involved. But it is a changing list because people perform. And if they convince AMCON that they can pay, then we’ll write the CBN. And if the CBN agrees with AMCON’s recommendations, then only they can remove the person from the list. Bu the CBN doesn’t necessarily have to agree with AMCON. So, it is not an AMCON regulation. The purpose of the CBN directive, I must emphasise, is to prevent a bad situation from occurring again.

So, we’re certain that if people that have demonstrated that they cannot pay are disallowed from the accessing credit, the banking system would be protected. That’s the objective.

Nobody said let’s do this so that we can pay AMCON, no. They did it so that they can protect the banking system because we know these people brought the banking system to its knees and we need to be careful before we let them in again. So, it’s not about AMCON, we are well ahead of our projections.

Besides Otedola, could you let us in on the other companies that have made efforts to clear their debts?

(Laughs)...Nice try.

It has been argued in some quar-

Loan, not constitutional right - AMCON boss Mr. Mustapha Chike-Obi, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), a debt recovery vehicle set up by the Federal Government about one-and-half years ago to clean up the toxic loans in the banks, has been in the news in recent times. In this interview with Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf, ChikeObi, who doesn’t suffer fools gladly, speaks on the raging controversy over the N141billion settlements to the corporation by business mogul, Femi Otedola, and also takes us through the activities of the corporation in the last 18 months or so vis-à-vis its challenges and prospects

• Chike-Obi.

PHOTOS: IBRAHIM APEKHADE YUSUF

ters that the CBN’s decision to cut off credit to debtors is an attempt to criminalise debts. What’s your view on that?

Criminalise is the wrong word because nobody is pursuing anybody criminally and criminalising anybody. Having said that, what people have to understand is that there is no constitutional right to borrow money from the banks. If the banks decide to give you money, pay it. Most importantly, they have to consider that you can pay back that loan.

Now, in other countries, they have something they call credit scores and if your credit score is below a certain amount, you cannot borrow

from the banks anymore, whether as an individual or an institution.

So, the notion that somebody who has demonstrated that they are unable to pay deserves further credit is absolutely wrong.

In fact, all those debts that AMCON bought, the banks have been trying to recover them in the last two to three years or more. So, somebody who has demonstrated that he does not have the ability to pay up his debts, I think it is wise in order to avoid the crisis to not let them borrow more money so that they don’t create further problems down the road.

So, this is a CBN prudential regu-

“

We have said that the problem of toxic loans in the banks is over. But part of it is to ensure that the people that created the problems are watched carefully to make sure they don’t borrow more money. So, if somebody owes a bank, it is wise for the bank to say you owe us money that you have not paid and therefore you cannot borrow more since you haven’t demonstrated the ability that you can pay

”

latory decision and we at AMCON supports it because we do not want a situation whereby five years down the road, there is another issue that somebody has to rescue a bank. We have said that the problem of toxic loans in the banks is over. But part of it is to ensure that the people that created the problems are watched carefully to make sure they don’t borrow more money. So, if somebody owes a bank, it is wise for the bank to say you owe us money that you have not paid, and therefore you cannot borrow more since you haven’t demonstrated the ability that you can pay. So, nobody is criminalising anything.

Also tied to the issue of bankruptcy is the problem of the escalating rate which many borrowers are contending with. I think this is a major hurdle..

I don’t know what point you’re trying to make. But if you don’t have enough resources as a business, the best thing to do is to increase your equity. I think this is a problem with most Nigerian businesses; most of them rely on debts to fund their businesses. At some point, it may become a problem to pay such debts. If you can’t pay back a loan, there is no need taking it in the first place.

The facility is usually subject to going rates, no doubt. But you should plan your business and take deci-

sions based on wise calculation of the risk involved.

So, I’ll not be so quick to blame it on the banks and so on. The CBN in the last two years has made it clear that it will ensure price and exchange rate stability possible and in a predictable manner because it is only when inflation comes down that interest rates can also come down.

You talked about credit rating earlier. We don’t have too many of these around apart from Augustus and co and so on. Is it that there are no opportunities available in credit rating?

It is still developing in the country. It’s one step at a time. Credit agencies require some expertise, some investments and we have to have enough people that would be on ground. So, I think they’re developing. But I think that five years from now, credit agencies will become renowned in the country.

Having said that, to what extent do you think credit rating agencies would help stabilise the financial sector?

They would provide information that a prospective lender would use in making their lending decision.

That I believe will ensure that the banks know the customers’ financial habits, his lifestyle, among others.

Yes, credit rating agencies will help you make lending decisions but the banks are not supposed to rely on them completely. The banks would need to use other variables to reach a final decision.

Still on knowing your customers, there have been cases where relationship managers of most banks hardly know their customers. Don’t you think this dereliction of duty by this category of bank staff is partly responsible for the crisis in the banking sector?

AMCON’s job is clearly spelt out.

So, when you talk about behaviour of bankers, that’s not our core, it’s more a matter for the CBN. We’re not a regulator. Much as I agree with you that the banks need to really know their customers, I think it’s the CBN that can do something about it.

So, AMCON cannot tell the banks to know their customers better.

But we can tell the CBN, that part of the problem we noticed with ABC is so and so, do something about it as a regulator.

I know you have recovered over 500 loans. But could you bring our readers up to speed on the activities of your corporation in the last one and half years?

Our work was in three stages.

The first and immediate thing we had to do was to take out the nonperforming loans from the banks. The reason why we did that was because when banks have a high percentage of nonperforming loans, they cannot focus on their real business.

So, we took out the nonperforming loans because capital was trapped in those loans. That was the first thing.

The second thing is having taken out the non-performing loans, there was a need for capital in most of those banks.

As far as we are concerned, no bank has more than five per cent of those debts.

We needed to capitalise the bank because after they took the loans the bank recorded a lot of losses. Most of Continued on page 61

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

INSIDE BUSINESS

61

• Dangote volunteers donating relief materials to Kogi flood victims

• Chike-Obi

Continued from page 60

Loan, not constitutional right - AMCON boss them were having negative capital. I really need to explain to the public what it means when a bank has a negative capital. It means that their assets are not enough to pay their liabilities. And the first liability that a bank must pay is the depositors. So, when you have a bank with negative capital, it means you can’t pay the depositors and if you can’t pay the depositors, then every other liability is legally extinguished. Because if you cannot pay the depositors then you certainly cannot pay the staff salaries, gratuities, can’t pay shareholders and you cannot pay anybody.

So, everybody from the depositors was already wiped out. So when people complain and shout I just wonder.

What AMCON did by recapitalising those banks from zero was to pay the depositors.

AMCON’s legal obligation is to make sure a depositor must not lose money. So, we recapitalised those banks to ensure that when people get to the banks they can get their money back.

The third and last stage is to manage all the assets that AMCON has now acquired, the properties, nonperforming loans, in such a manner that we would make maximum resources in order to satisfy our obligations.

So, now, we have become really what our name is, an asset management corporation. And our objective is to make sure that we have enough assets at the end of a period of time to pay every liability without taxpayers’ money.

On the last point you made about taxpayers’ money, it is the view of some people out there that the corporation is being heavily funded through taxpayers’ fund.

What is your take on that?

It keeps amazing me that people talk about taxpayers’ money.

The only taxpayers’ fund in AMCON was the statutory, budgeted expenditure of N10billion which was used as take-off grant for AMCON. When you’re talking of the obligation of N5trillion debts that we have, you’ll see that the N10billion is a very small amount.

So, it always amazes me when people keep talking about taxpayers’ money. This country should not and does not have N5trillion to give AMCON. But what the government had done is to provide guarantee so that

AMCON can realise money from the assets so that at the end of time, AMCON can have a way of paying back its obligations without spending taxpayers’ money. It has always been the plan and the plan is still on course.

I’m aware that AMCON has recovered over 500 loans out of about 12,000 loans. What measures has AMCON put in place to recover the rest?

We have recovered for restructuring about 500 loans. Now keep in mind that the top 1000 loans represent about 90 per cent of the obligation. The balances are smaller. So, when you say 500 loans, those loans represent about two thirds of all our outstanding.

How would you assess AMCON’s loan recovery drive thus far?

The record for recovering nonperforming loans that we are aware of is the Malaysian model, which is about 54 percent. So far, we are averaging over 100 per cent. We recognise that easy loans are easy to recover. So, naturally, you do the easy ones first. But overtime, we will be able to get around the 100 per cent.

But again, as I said, the best in the world, which is 54 per cent that we know about, is by Danaharta in Malaysia. So, we don’t want to blow any trumpet yet; we want to keep working hard. But our plan is for 70 per cent, that’s what we projected and the balance will come from the banks. But so far, we’re doing very well. But time will tell.

What is the lifespan of AMCON? And if it does have a lifespan, what is the exit plan?

AMCON does not have a lifespan. But AMCON, as I described it is a self-reducing organisation. We’re planning that this whole process should take up to 10 or 15 years. That’s our plan. In the best case, it could be 10 years but in the worse case 15years depending on how things work out. We hope to get smaller and smaller. But it’s useful to have an organisation that has a law and a body even if it’s one or 10 employees so that if there is any need to resuscitate AMCON, it will be easy. But it is a wise decision that AMCON does not have a terminal date. We’re planning this rescue operation; this phase will be almost finished or very small.

On a lighter note, I know part of your brief is to go after debtors and all of that. If you’re not chasing after debtors, how do you unwind?

(Laughs). My job is a fulltime one. My brief is to ensure that Nigerian banks are rescued from incidents of bad debts and all of that.

And we’re working round the clock to ensure that this is achieved.

Dangote brings succour to Kogi flood victims S UCCOUR came the way of displaced flood victims last week in Kogi State as a team of volunteers from Dangote Group visited four camps established for the victims within the state.

The team drawn from Dangote Volunteers, a quick response humanitarian team in the Group embarked on the visit to distribute several relief items they raised from the staff in Dangote Group. Dangote Volunteers sourced for funds and materials from fellow staff to help alleviate the sufferings of the flood victims.

The flood which devastated many states is adjudged to be by far one of the worst to have ravaged the country in decades. The Volunteers chose Kogi State as the first point of their intervention and visited four relief camps located in Idah Community.

The camps are located at St Boniface Primary School, Qua Iboe Primary School, St Michael’s Primary School and St Peter’s College. At these camps where the Ibaji people are camped, the Volunteers shared several hundred cartons of bottled water and clothes donated by the staff of the group. Distribution of the materials among the four camps was based on the number of victims sheltered in each camp.

Receiving the gift items, the secretary of Camp 2 located Qua Iboe Egwuenu Abuma commended Dangote Volunteers for the gesture of coming to Idah Local Government.

He explained that the local government is far from the State capital Lokoja thereby reducing the volume of aids coming to the camp. According to him, Dangote Volunteers’ team visit is an expression of love and affection for the flood victims who are in pain and anguish.

At Camp 1 located at St Boniface Primary School, the camp leader Pius Oyiko said the donation of bottled water will help in stopping residents in the camp from contacting water borne diseases.

Dangote Volunteers is borne of the desire of staff of Dangote Industries Limited to have a quick response team devoted to humanitarian efforts. The team which is on voluntary basis raises funds and materials from fellow staff for intervention Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects.

Its intervention in Kogi State is the first outing with more lined up to come. The intervention came on the heels of the donation of N430million ($2.6million) by Alhaji Aliko Dangote to victims of the flood disaster, and for women empowerment in Kogi State.

Kogi is home to Dangote’s Obajana Cement Plant, which is reckoned to be one of world’s largest. It also hosts Dangote Academy of

Learning and Development where young local talents are trained to boost the manpower needs of the nation’s industries.

Dangote said the contribution which is given through his Dangote Foundation is meant to complement the efforts of the government in providing relief materials to the victims and in resettling them as soon as possible.

Dangote, who gave out N50million ($312,500) worth of foodstuff and relief materials, and N150million ($937,000) in cash, also said N230million ($1.4million) would be distributed to 1,000 women in each of the 21 local government areas of the state to boost economic activities.

Dangote said he was touched by the pain the victims are passing through, noting that the flood has led to loss of lives, property and may cause outbreak of epidemic.

“Obviously, the government alone cannot shoulder this onerous

responsibility of bringing relief to the victims,” he said. “The private sector and public-spirited individuals should join hands with the government to assist the victims of this national disaster that has ravaged about 21 states of the federation.”

In his response, the state governor, Captain Idris Wada, described both the flood disaster, and the donation by the Dangote Foundation, as unprecedented in the history of the state. He said 73 resettlement centres have been opened for the victims from the affected nine local government areas, adding that one of the local governments was completely submerged.

While thanking Dangote for his philanthropic gestures, he said the $1.4million meant for women empowerment scheme would help in reviving the economy of the state, and creating stability in families. The Kogi flood disaster is said to be one of the worst in Nigeria’s history as over a million persons are affected.

•From left: Managing Director, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Bravo Kim; Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and his deputy, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Olayinka at the foundation laying ceremony of Samsung Electronics’ Engineering Academy in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State recently

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

62

There can be law without justice but there can be no justice without law.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

63

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

64

THE NATION ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2012

Business

‘Charlatans have hijacked bureau de change operations’

A

S a major player in the nation’s banking subsector over the last two decades how would you assess the industry?

From my own experience, the banking industry has gone through so many challenges, some of which were caused by the bankers themselves and some by the regulatory authorities. For instance, because of the craze for competition, a lot of things evolved in the early 90s and I can tell you that also caused some of the problems we have in the banking industry and the collapse of some banks in the mid to late 90s.

When we started banking there wasn’t rush for deposits and so on. But because of competition created by CBN a lot of banks started advertising.

I’m very sure you must be aware that these days you see in front pages of newspaper something like, “we are the largest depositor; we are the best bank in terms of credit, assets” and so on. Thus, this attitude created distortion in some of reporting lines in banks. A lot of banks started doctoring their reports so that it will look good in the eyes of the public by just posting profits, and their balance sheets cannot even support the profit they are declaring.

And the media was awash with a lot of advertisements from the Nigerian banks and even from some unrecognised award givers in Europe and America. And when you see many Nigerian banks going abroad to receive one award or another, the question you should ask yourself is why are the likes of HSBC, American Express Bank, Barclays and others, how many times have you seen them winning awards?

But so many awards were created by those institutions over there because they wanted money from Nigerians and because we love publicity. So, that exactly contributed significantly to the failure of banks in the mid 90s.

Banking is supposed to be conservative. In our time when you see a banker you will know this is a banker because of his attitude and way of life but this not so any more.

The CBN has said banks should divest all their equities from their subsidiaries. Is this the way to go?

I agree 110% with that because from the onset we got it wrong. For example, I worked in Ritz Bank in Washington, in the early 90s and what I could gather from American banking system is in terms of unit banking.

We wanted to introduce that into Nigerian market about some 15-16 years ago when Magnum Bank came in and were doing what we called franchise banking, and that is exactly the American model. You can never see an American bank with 560 branches; you can never have such.

The Ritz Bank, where I worked in Washington, only operates in a county in America, you know like what Magnum was trying to do.

They were selling franchise to

Folorunsho Odutan John, an astute banker with over two decades experience in the industry, sits atop as the Managing Director/Chief Executive, Tag Nigeria Limited. FOJ as he is fondly called by friends and associates has served in various capacities in top flight banks and was until recently the pioneer Managing Director of First Bank Bureau de Change, a subsidiary of First Bank Plc. In this interview with Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf, he shares his views on sundry issues affecting the nation’s banking sub-sector

•John

some people. Let’s assume you want to open a unit bank in Maroko, you are only entitled to operate within that Maroko; you get what I’m saying.

That’s what we call unit banking. A situation where you now have a bank having about 560 branches, it’s crazy, and that is why the cost of operating the banks are so high that banks have come up with a lot of funny charges.

It’s only in this country that you have C.O.T or commission on turnover. I have travelled very wide and have never seen any bank that they charge you commission on turnover.

In fact, it’s a parlance that is only operating in Nigeria.

So because of the cost of operation, it has made some banks to start charging some frivolous and unacceptable charges and that’s why the public don’t have confidence in the banking sector again.

So do you think the model chosen by the CBN is in order?

Coming back to your question, whether the banks should adopt a model as put forward

by Sanusi, I agree like I said 110% because one thing banks should face the business of banking. What led to the capital market failure is because some banks have subsidiaries and the subsidiaries were even buying the shares of those banks and making the banks look good in the market and in the process the banks were taking undue advantage in terms of determination of the price in the capital market.

The question you should ask yourself is that when the banks are declaring billions and billions in terms of profit what’s happening to the real sector? That’s one fundamen-

INTERVIEW tal economics that a lot of Nigerians have not been able to come to terms with.

What is happening to the likes of the Dunlop, the Michelin the PZ the Unilever, Cadbury, where are they today? In my elementary economics in the University of Ibadan, I was taught by one of the best and renowned economist, then in Nigeria, Professor Aboyade, and he always emphasised a point and students then in the early 80s we had that memory about the equation of Nigerian economy or early economy of the whole world.

I left university about 30 years ago and the thing still reverberates through my brain. We have a problem of equation of the national income. You know Nigeria we have been boxed into a corner because of the oil, and we have lost even the middle class; the middle class is supposed to generate that savings that we need to invest, but how many of them have savings now?

People now take their investments out of Nigeria. And that’s what we have not been able to address fundamentally: the inability to develop that culture of savings.

And how do you develop it? It’s simple. Without the power sector running there is no way you can industrialise.

Most companies in Nigeria today have gone to Ghana; some have gone to South Africa. I learnt that even one company has now relocated to Togo. Look at Togo’s population; it’s not more than half of

Lagos.

Until we are able to solve the power problem and have able leadership in terms of policies things will not change for the better.

What’s your assessment of the bureau de change sector?

Look at the operation of the Bureau de change today, you and I know that the mallams you see out there are illegal traders because to trade in foreign exchange you must have a trading license. What I’m saying is that government knows that these people are handling an illegal business.

And we have a government that is not even aware of what they are doing then we have a problem as Nigerians. I feel so bad that you have an economy that is funding bureau de change and I have said it so many times even to the CBN governor when we had a meeting in Abuja and I told him that this is the only country in the whole world where CBN funds bureau de change. I don’t know but somebody told me that it was to control exchange rate. But even then, you don’t control the exchange rate by funding bureau de change. That’s an artificial funding. You generate foreign exchange through production.

The issue of bureau de change, I say it and I want anybody to challenge me, the people running bureau de change today are speculators because we have turned bureau de change into another commodity, and when you turn your currency into a commodity it will be subjected to trading. And no currency is being traded except commodity.

65

Beyond Talent

By Adetayo Okusanya Email: adetayookusanya@hotmail.com

Bringing home the trophy

M

ANAGING people, i.e. achieving objectives through others, has to be one of the toughest challenges an individual can face in any organization. I used to think (or should I say secretly hope) that I would naturally be a great manager, until I actually managed a team and realized that I had been overly optimistic about my leadership capabilities. Give me figures, words and tasks and I am in paradise, but throw in people and emotions and sometimes it feels like I am chewing glass or walking on nails.

Human beings, I have come to discover are such complex creatures, who sometimes masquerade themselves and play complex organizational games.

It often takes significant time and effort to peel away the layers and get to the genuine and authentic core of who an individual is and what they really want. Add to that, the fact that people have different preferences and you will quickly realize that a one-size fits all approach is simply not the way to successfully lead others. I was definitely a little green and rough around the edges, and there was much that I needed to learn about leadership and people management.

I am older and wiser now, and I cannot say that I blame those individuals who make the conscious choice to follow the path of technical leadership rather than subject themselves to the “drama” that naturally ensues when individuals are brought together to work in teams. People management requires the effective balance of both results and relationships. It requires a focus on the tasks that need to be done to achieve maximum output, as well as consideration for the preferences of the individuals who are required to carry out such tasks. It sounds very easy and simple in theory, but try combining your own individual idiosyncrasies and preferences to the mix and you might just have a recipe for a dysfunctional team.

I remember once hiring an associatewho, in my opinion, was inexperienced but showed potential. I knew there would be an upfront investment in handholding the associate and I thought I was up to the task as a new manager fresh off the press. I later found out that handholding was not my preferred leadership style and this relationship became a stretch assignment for me because of the high standards I set for myself and others. I had to constantly dial down my drive for results and dial up my relational and coaching skills so that I could help this associate succeed.

Additionally, this individual demonstrated a preference for extraversion whilst mine is introversion, and so I had to learn to occasionally engage in conversation that was about anything but the task at hand. I eventually came to the conclusion that if I could make a success of that relationship, I could survive anything. And I did. There is nothing more rewarding than a direct report coming to you to say, “I know now that you were on my side and everything you did was to help me be successful. I get it now”.

Many people see the opportunity to lead teams as a status symbol or a rewardbut if they truly understood its ramifications, they would know that leadership is a responsibility and a burden; a burden that comes from serving others, rather than being served.

It is the leader’s responsibility to ensure that a team performs to its highest potential and this is no easy fete. The climate in a team and its performance is a reflection of the leader and can ultimately be traced back to a decision or action that was taken by the leader, or lack thereof. Consequently, I am of the opinion that a “winning” or “high performing” team is the most important leadership output.

What is the quality of your leadership output? If your team played in the championship, would they bring the trophy home?

Outlined below are 14 attributes of a winning team. Rate your team on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) and then reflect on what changes you can make as a leader to take your team to a higher level.

My team: •Has the right mix of skills and knowledge required to achieve set goals •Assigns the right people to the right tasks •Has access to the right resources such as Funds, People, Knowledge , Process •Clearly understands team/organizational goals and priorities •Produces desired team/organizational results •Works well together •Willingly and regularly shares information, knowledge and performance feedback •Sharescommon values, goals and vision •Embraces change and continuous improvement •Resolves conflict quickly and effectively •Has clearly defined team norms and ethics •Values and rewards members for their contributions •Has a say in decisions that affect them •Invests in the success of team members

• Okusanya is CEO of ReadinessEdge

66 CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

ADEYEMO

ONUH

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Adeyemo, Abigail Mopelola, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Akinremi, Abigail Mopelola. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Onuh Faith Ojoma, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adejoh Faith Ojoma. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public should please take note.

AGHA

I,formerly known and addressed as Ebonyi Elizabeth Ladi, now wish to be known and addressed as Okpoju Ladi Elizabeth. All former documents remain valid. NECO, JAMB and general public should please take note.

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Agha, Chinyere Ogechi Peace, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Madu, Chinyere Ogechi Peace. All former documents remain valid. Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), NYSC and general public should please take note.

OJIMBA

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Joyce Chizoba Ojimba, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Joyce Chizoba Igwe. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

OYEGBAMI

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Oyegbami Opeyemi Elizabeth, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Odiachi Opeyemi Elizabeth. All former documents remain valid. Sifax Group, Obafemi Awolowo University, ICAN and general public should please take note.

EDEM I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Edem Abigail, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ogundare Abigail. All former documents remain valid. Nigeria Police and general public should please take note.

BURAIMOH

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Mayowale Aminat Buraimoh, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Mayowale Aminat Agbetoba. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

ABBEY

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Abbey Victoria, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Sanni Victoria Adunni All former documents remain valid. Nigeria Police and general public should please take note.

EMEZANA I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Emezana, Mercy Ufuoma, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Akaroro, Mercy Ufuoma All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public should please take note.

MOEMEKE

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Moemeke Ngozi Blessing, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Dabone Uzorchikwa Blessing. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

BAMISILE

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Bamisile, Joy Temitope, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adewuyi, Joy Temitope. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

NNANYEREOZO

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Josephine Nwanneka Nnanyereozo, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Josephine Nwanneka Duru. All former documents remain valid.

Federal Polytechnic, Nekede and general public should please take note.

BELLO

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Bello, Yetunde Afusat, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Yetunde Afusat Mahmound.

All former documents remain valid.

Finbank Plc., FCMB, Plc. and general public should please take note.

IMOUDU

I,formerly known and addressed as Mrs. Imoudu Ajara Mojisola, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Awumey Esther Mojisola. All former documents remain valid.

Finbank Plc., FCMB, Plc. and general public should please take note.

BABATUNDE

I,formerly known and addressed as Babatunde Ojelade, now wish to be known and addressed as Miracle Olatunde Oluwalade. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

EBONYI

AINA

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Aina Omolara Adedola, now wish to be known and addressed as Dr. Mrs. Oduwole Omolara Adedola. All former documents remain valid. Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria general public should please take note.

AKANNI

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Akanni Fausat Omolara, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Hassan Fausat Omolara. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

AKINOLA I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Akinola Fayokemi Comfort, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Leonard Fayokemi Comfort. All former documents remain valid. Nigeria Police Force and general public should please take note.

ADESINA

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Adesina Atinuke Aderonke, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Atinuke Aderonke Adebanjo. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.I

AWE

I,formerly known and addressed as Awe Joseph Olajide, now wish to be known and addressed as Ayodele Joseph Oladele. All former documents remain valid.

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ADETOKUNBO

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Adetokunbo Tosin Joy, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adetugbo Tosin Joy. All former documents remain valid.

Ekiti State University and general public should please take note.

AZEEZ

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Aderonke Mojisola Owolabi, now wish to be known and addressed as Aderonke Mojisola Obi. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

EWA

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS EME BEVERLY ANDEM EWA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS EME BEVERLY IKPEME. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

OBI

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. NGELE KELECHI EGBICHI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. UMA KELECHI KALU. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

NZEAKAH

OKORO

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS NZEAKAH IJEOMA STELLA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS EDO IJEOMA STELLA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Okoro Mercy Nkechi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ebo Mercy Nkechi. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss OMOLARA ORIYOMI ONI, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs OMOLARA ORIYOMI ONIKE.. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

IDREES

ONYEMARA

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss ONWELANI GLORIA ASHINEDU, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. FORCADOS – OYINKURO GLORIA ASHINEDU. All former documents remain valid. PHCN and general public please take note.

ONUKE

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss AKAMO ADIJAT KUBURA ADEOLA, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. ALONGE ADIJAT KUBURA ADEOLA. All former documents remain valid. LASU and general public please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS IDREES AMINAT AJOKE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. BABATUNDE AMINAT AJOKE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

SULEIMAN I, formerly known and addressed as MISS HALIMA FAROUK SULEIMAN, now wish to be known and addressed as MISS HALEEMA FAROUK SULEIMAN. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

OJO

I formerly known and addressed as Miss OJO Nurat Abiodun, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Rauf Nurat Abiodun. All former documents remain valid OGUN STATE LOCAL GOVT COMMISSION and general public should take note.

EKAJEH

I formerly known and address Miss Ekajeh E Omamurhomu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Uba Eruyefiakpo Omamurhomu.

All former documents remain valid.

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IFEACHO

I formerly known and address Miss Adefeso Adeyinka Elizabeth , now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ayinde Adeyinka Elizabeth.

All former documents remain valid.

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ANIMASHAUN

JOHN

OLUPINLA

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Olupinla Solape Ronke, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Olorode Solape Ronke. All former documents remain valid.

Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, NYSC and general public should please take note.

OLAKIITAN

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Olakiitan Bukola Serah, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Folarin Bukola Serah. All former documents remain valid.

Ondo State Teaching Service Commission and general public should please take note.

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Jamiu Atinuke Simbiat, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Obanla Atinuke Simbat. All former documents remain valid.

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I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Onyemara Precious Ijeoma, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Nwanne Precious Ijeoma. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, OWOSEENI TOYOSI EYITAYO is the same person as OWOSEENI OLUWATOYOSI ELIZABETH, now wish to be known as OWOSEENI OLUWATOYOSI EYITAYO, all former documents remain valid.

University of Nigeria Nssuka (UNN) and General Public should take note.

ODIGBO

I formerly known and address Miss Odigbo, Rosemary Chikamso , now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Nnaeme, Rosemary Chikamso. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

IWEAJUNWA

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Onuke Stella Obioma, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Onu Anike Stella Obioma. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and general public should please take note.

ONANUGA

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss ADEREMI KUDIRAT ATINUKE, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. AZEEZADEREMI KUDIRAT ATINUKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

I,formerly known and addressed as now Miss Onabanjo Titilayo Adebimpe, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Kamaru Titilayo Adebimpe. All former documents remain valid. AOCOED and general public should please take note.

I,formerly known and addressed as now Miss Onanuga Olufunke Omoyemi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oyetubo Olufunke Omoyemi. All former documents remain valid. Ogun State Teaching Service Commisssion and general public should please take note.

ADEREMI

AKINFOLAJIMI

AGBAYI

I, formerly known and addressed as Mrs. AKINFOLAJIMI OMOBOLA TESSY, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. ADEWOLE OMOBOLA TESSY. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

ETUKUDOH

I, formerly known and addressed as MR. AKINFOLAJIMI KEHINDE OLU, now wish to be known and addressed as MR. ADEWOLE KEHINDE OLU. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

OKOLIE

I formerly known and address Miss Adeolu Wilfred Yewande , now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Tony Akande. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

AFOKOGHENE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Abara Lucky Xavier, now wish to be known as Mrs. John Michael Lucky. All former documents remain valid. Imo State Federal Polytechnic (Nekede) NYSC and the general public please take note.

IGWE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Daniel Hannah Friday, now wish to be known as Mrs. Hannah Ephraim Udo. All former documents remain valid, Akanu Ibiam Fed Poly. NYSC, and general public please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ELIZABETH IJEOMA AGBAYI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ELIZABETH IJEOMA NWAGBO. All former documents remain valid.

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I, formerly known and addressed as MISS JANE FRIDAY ETUKUDOH, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. JANE EMMANUEL FRECON. All former documents remain valid.

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I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. OKOLIE CHIKA CYNTHIA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. CHIKA C. OKECHUKWU ESEDAH. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MRS OHENHEN UZEZI AFOKOGHENE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. OJAEMOR UZEZI AFOKOGHENE. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS IGWE VIVIAN ONYEDIKACHI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. VIVIAN OLUAMARA OKPAN KALU. All former documents remain valid. Abia State Polytechnic, NYSC and general public please take note.

OSUJI

OKOROAFOR

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Ekom, Okora Okora is the same and one person as Ekom, Elucate Okora, now wish to be known and addressed as Ekom Elucate Okora.

All former documents remain valid.

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OKEDIYA

BABAJIDE

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss ITUNU TEMITOPE BABAJIDE, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. ITUNU TEMITOPE OGUNSAN All former documents remain valid. First Royal Oil and and general public please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS OSUJI LYNDA ADAUGO, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. OKEKE LYNDA ADAUGO. All former documents remain valid. NDUTH Okolobiri, Bayelsa State and general public please take note.

I formerly known and address Miss Okediya Justinah Folasade, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Omotoso Justinah Folasade.

All former documents remain valid.

Osun State Local govt. Staff’s Loan Board and general public should take note.

ASHINEDU

ONABANJO

I formerly known and address Miss Iweajunwa Ugomma Akuchinyere, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Chimezie Adiuku Ugomma Akuchinyere Treasure. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

I formerly known and address Miss Okoroafor Mgbechi Peace, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Peace Mgbechi Ikechukwu Humphrey. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

ONI

AKAMO

BOLAJOKO

I formerly known and address Miss Shakirat Omolola Bolajoko, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Shakirat Bolajoko Alarape.

All former documents remain valid,LASAA,LAUTECH and general public should take note.

ADEFESO

I,formerly known and addressed as Pat John, now wish to be known and addressed as Juliet Edward. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

NGELE

ANYADO

AJAMU

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Animashaun Abolade Naimot, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. OlawoyeAnimashaun Abolade Naimot. All former documents remain valid.

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OJI

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. AZUNNAYA OJI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. AZUNNAYA GIFT IMO UDE. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Joyce Uche Anyado, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Uche Joyce Uchegbule. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public should please take note.

I formerly known and address Miss Ifeacho Ifeoma Eunice, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Anthonyoyase Oghaidomhe Eunice. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

I,formerly known and addressed as Ajamu Abimbola Oluwaseyi, now wish to be known and addressed as Odebunmi Abimbola Oluwaseyi.

All former documents remain valid.

ICAN and general public should please take note.

FAGBEMI

I formerly known and address Mrs. Oluwaranti Hannah Fagbemi, now wish to be known and addressed as Miss Oluwaranti Hannah Adeniji.

All former documents remain valid.

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I, formerly known and addressed as OBI JOHNNY HUMBLE OMODI, now wish to be known and addressed as OBI JOHNNY OMODI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note. D

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Azeez, Oluwafunmilayo Rukayat, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ikuesan Oluwafunmilayo Kikelomo. All former documents remain valid.

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JAMIU

OWOLABI

CHANGE OF NAME

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012 CHANGE OF NAME CHANGE OF NAME CHANGE OF NAME

JAIYEOLA

I,formerly known and addressed as Adeshola Olajumoke Abidemi Jaiyeola, now wish to be known and addressed as Adeshola Olajumoke Abidemi Ekpo. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

AKINFOLAJIMI

ADEOLU

ABARA

DANIEL

DEEYOR

I formerly known and addressed as Deeyor Yimanu Ebenezer. Now wish to be known as Joseph Ebenezer Emem Udoidem Jr. All former documents remain valid, general public please take note.

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World News

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

A

FTER a flaccid first debate performance, President Obama redeemed himself in the second event. His performance was nearly masterful. Unlike the first debate where his responses bored the listener by being too wordy and enmeshed in the arcane, his second debate answers were pithy. He not only evinced command of facts and figures that seemed elusive in the first encounter, he spoke of large themes such as economic fairness, gender discrimination, peace and security, and the role of government. Some of what he espoused was too much a rehash of moderate-conservative orthodoxy to do him or the nation much good. Yet, at least, he talked as if he possessed a vision for the country and that the burden of the last four years had not reduced him to a transactional president satisfied with minor policy initiatives at a time when only major steps will suffice.

Taking small steps when the moment begged for a series of huge leaps was the trademark of President Hoover. In the American political context, Hoover’s name is synonymous with failure. As the surge waters of the Great Depression descended on his countrymen, all Hoover could advise was for them to hold their breath and pray they did not drown before the tide subsided. After the first debate, Obama was in danger of being perceived as the spiritual heir of Hoover’s palsied incrementalism.

The difference between the two debates was the president came into this one with starch in his collar. It was a contentious sparring session.

This time, the president did not hire himself out as his opponent’s trampoline. This time following the biblical guidance on giving and receiving, the president delivered more blows than he took in. The long-term importance of his combativeness should not be missed. Throughout his political career, President Obama painstakingly positioned himself as a “non-offensive” black man so as not to perturb too much of a largely white electorate. In 2008, this strategy helped him win the election against an irascible, mercurial John McCain. In 2012, it might help him to lose it.

In surrendering the first debate, Obama gave away more than he realised. He allowed the fallacious Romney to appear presidential, thus pilfering in one easy night a chunk of the goodwill Obama had studiously cultivated over the years. The results of the first debate were extraordinary in that the considerable electoral movement toward Romney was disproportionate to the performance levels of the two candidates.

Romney won that first debate but Obama’s performance was not so meritless as to justify the erosion of support he has suffered. Startled by the loss of fortune occasioned by that debate, Obama was forced to reassess his passive black man strategy.

His performance at the second debate shows that he decided to shelve the passive approach. As such, the second debate may be more important for what it taught Obama than for anything it revealed to the voting public.

President Obama learned he could publicly confront, fight and even ridicule a leading white conservative and still garner enough support to have won the debate. In a politically divided nation, a leader will lose his way if his guiding principle becomes “thou shall not offend.” He has to realise everyone will not like him and that many will bitterly oppose him, politically and personally. Thus, the most prudent thing is to battle your opponents by fashioning policies that attract and galvanise a winning electoral and governing coalition. Obama may now understand that he can forge such a coalition by asserting himself more than he can by acting demure.

He may now understand a black man can actively battle against a conservative white opponent without being completely written off by the white electorate as a Mau Mau run

Obama wins debate but does not recover lost ground •The first battle you must win is the one with your toughest adversary: yourself

•US President Barack Obama addresses a speech while attending with US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Program at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.

AFP PHOTO

By Brian Browne amok. As long as he fights wisely and well, he will maintain enough support. If the president holds on to win the election, he will be able to view his first debate performance as a blessing in disguise. Without having that setback, he might not have abandoned the passive approach and only by abandoning this stance can he move from being a middling chief executive to becoming the excellent one we expected.

Mitt Romney lost the debate but did not suffer in the opinion polls.

Romney did not do poorly, he just did not equal Obama. One of his problems, Romney appeared confident, perhaps too confident. Some of his answers were tinged with the plutocratic arrogance he successfully hid during the first outing. One could sense his natural disposition was to be dismissive of minorities and women whom he did not consider among the masters of the economy.

The concern he expressed for their welfare was as meretricious as a streetwalker’s affections. All in all, the debate showed Obama at his best was better than Romney at his.

Strangely, this might do Obama no good. Although he scored less than Obama, Romney did not implode during the debate. Undecided voters, who are mainly white conservative moderates, can still conceive of Romney as being president. While there is no greatness evident in the man, they believe he can do a yeoman’s job in office. This will be sufficient for them to base their vote on tribal (racial) affiliation. Since they do not feel Obama has proven to be an exceptional president, they feel no hesitation dumping him.

The working thesis in this election is that if these white conservative moderates sense that Obama is only slightly better than his opponent, that slight advantage will be a disadvantage. It will not deter them from flocking to Romney. In American politics, the admonition against changing horses in mid-stream does not apply when the incumbent steed is black and the challenger is a white thoroughbred.

During the debate, the two men battled over many issues. Governor Romney tried to berate “Obamacare” but his attack seemed unduly rehearsed and wooden. Health care reform has been President Obama’s signal piece of legislation. This col-

umn has repeatedly assessed this attempt as a flawed compromise where an impuissant Obama yielded too much to the insurance companies and did not sufficiently protect low-income consumers. Obamacare is the equivalent of giving the poor a raincoat. That would be fine in a storm except that the insurance companies are pelting them with rocks and bullets not water. The poor need a Kevlar shield. Obamacare provides only the image of one. In reality, the measure was not truly health care reform but insurance reform. More people will be entitled to insurance but they will pay a higher price. Those who have little money will end up purchasing insurance policies with coverage that will prove elusive when most needed. As badly as it sounds, this improves the current system. This is where Romney told on himself. He presented no alternative save the current way. He would rather continue feeding a vulnerable public to ravager insurance companies. In effect, he would toss everyone into the water. The fit and lucky would make it to shore. If the alligators don’t get the rest, the piranha will. Such is the way of life and death in the Romney-world of health coverage flimsily regulated.

Regarding the issue of fair pay for women, Obama reminded the audience that he championed legislation calling for equal pay and expanding women’s legal rights thereto. Romney tried to steer away from this big issue by trumpeting that his record of hiring women to important positions when he was Massachusetts governor demonstrated his commitment to equal distaff treatment. However, he never mentioned whether his female staffers received salaries equal to their male counterparts. He dared not enter that territory. He is on public record opposing equal pay for women. When Obama effectively assessed that Romney’s position was not only unjust but poor economics, Romney could not fashion a retort. There was none to fashion. If he told the truth lurking in his heart – that women are lesser beings and thus deserving of lesser pay – he would surely throw the election.

Thus, he sat and silently smirked waiting for this awkward issue to pass.

The most dramatic moment of the debate focused on Libya. Romney thought he had Obama cor-

nered. Romney was right on one point. There was a corner. However, he was dead wrong as to who was in it. Romney strutted about like a bantam rooster when Obama stated he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror merely one day after the attack happened. Romney implied Obama was lying. When the moderator informed Romney the president had indeed used those words, Romney looked nonplussed as if someone just handed him a passage to read in Sanskrit. Attempting to regain composure and the offensive, Romney suggested the Administration had purposely misled the public about what occurred in Benghazi. Obama’s riposte was the highlight of the evening. Firmly and passionately, he defended his team and his own integrity. He said he took full responsibility for Benghazi but that Romney’s insinuation of a cover-up was offensive to decency. Obama declared that was not the way he conducted business as commander-in-chief of a great nation. He said it so deftly that one was left with the impression that Romney alleged a cover-up because that is exactly what he would have done had he occupied the Oval Office at the time. With the turn of a few choice sentences, the accuser, not the accused, was revealed to be morally shallow.

The most important segment of the debate centered on economic policy and taxation. Sadly, Obama stuck to the old saw that deficit reduction was a top priority. He endorsed the recommendations of a commission he established to reduce deficit spending by 4 trillion dollars in ten years. Trying to be evenhanded, he said this would be accomplished by budget cuts on one hand and tax increases on the rich on the other. This is unsound economics. In a period of weak economic growth and significant private-sector debt deleveraging, reducing government deficit spending is the road to economic deflation. In the end, such deflation hurts the poor and working classes while benefitting the financially endowed.

Meanwhile, Romney crafted a tax proposal that seems to give a bit to everyone without taking anything from them. It is too easy to be true.

It is also mathematically implausible that the proposal would reduce the deficit. This is where the fun starts with Romney. If imple-

67

mented, his proposal will produce a higher deficit. Either he tackles this with higher taxes which could be economically poisonous if those taxes fall too heavily on the working and middle classes. However, he could well let the higher deficit stand. Spurring more economic activity by putting more money in private-sector hands, this policy would be condign. Ironically, this is what should be happening given the current economic circumstance.

If this is Romney’s ultimate design, he must be given credit. The ersatz conservative may actually be attempting to accomplish through the sidedoor what an unabashed progressive Democrat would have tried through the front one. Sadly, on economic matters, President Obama has not been a progressive or even a liberal. Thus far, he has had the mind and heart of a 1970’s Republican wrapped in black skin and adroit in the symbolic rhetoric of the mild social liberalism of the first two decades of the 21st century. In other words, Obama is a liberal on social issues but a moderate-conservative on economic matters. The nation would be on more solid footing if the president were less amphibious.

The silliest moment of the debate came when both candidates claimed government does not create jobs, only the private sector does. This nonsense is particularly ironic coming from two men willing to devote so much time, log so many travel miles and spend billions of dollars to win a government job. It is a fairy tale of free market orthodoxy that teachers, firemen and air traffic controllers do not perform real and valuable service to the public and the economy. It makes no sense to believe that when government spends money for the construction of a road, bridge or railway that the laborers on these projects are not performing “real jobs” because the money comes from government. The truth is that government is an important direct employer and indirect job creator in every nation, including America.

Without government exercising this function, the economy would be reduced to perpetual depression. That is a fact that no amount of free-market cheerleading can mask. Not only is it wrong it is dangerous for it belittles the role of government at a time when government has a very important role to play.

In the end, Obama acquitted himself at the second debate. He proved that he is better than Romney. This advantage may be insufficient to sway undecided white voters. The majority of this group may decide that tribal affiliation trumps Obama’s skill and temperamental advantages. While the debate may not stop the move of this segment toward Romney, it has helped to reactivate Obama’s own support base. This will be important to maintaining his leads in many of the key states (Ohio, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Wisconsin, etc.) that will ultimately decide the election.

If he does survive this battle of attrition and hold to the presidency, perhaps the lessons learned in the second debate may lead to a different way of governance in his second term. Stylistically, the president has learned he can be more assertive without alienating the American heartland. Perhaps more importantly, he may summon the courage to break with mainstream orthodoxy and veer toward a more progressive economic path. This path would promote the retooling of the American industrial sector, bolster the middle class with more jobs and better wages, and assure the continued viability of the programs at the core of the American social compact: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Beyond the immediate fallout from the debate, the longer-term hope is that he breaks from the strictures of conservative thought. We do not require this new hope to be one of audacity.

We just pray it will not be a forlorn one.

68

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

WORSHIP THE NATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

'Why Christians, Muslims must cohabit peacefully'

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state of mind and belief system. It is very wrong to force people to become what they are not.

What role do you expect for Christians in the proposed constitutional amendment?

Nigeria’s problem has nothing to do with constitutional amendment. And no matter the constitution you put down, there are some people who have constantly violated it. It has been the problem of the implementation of the constitution. Several panels for instance have been constituted in this country, but which report has been implemented to the letter? So, the problem is the people, the politicians. We are even talking of Boko Haram and things like that. But we must remember that those who sought our votes promised to better our lives, yet when you walk the streets people are hungry while the politicians bask in gluttony. In this place for instance, the only borehole that was given to this community worked the day it was commissioned. Since then no water has dropped from it again.

So, you can see the suffering of the people, the people of the community only fetch from the one provided by the church. The politicians hold it a mandate to provide basic needs for the masses. That is when they can be said to act on what God commands. For Christians, we want a constitution that can further guarantee basic needs of the people and ensure security and freedom of worship at all times.

General Overseer of Divine Appointment Ministry, Lagos, Pastor Ben Eragbai, spoke with Musa Odoshimokhe on issues affecting Christians and the nation. Excerpts:

INTERVIEW

•Eragbai

I

S the government right to propose talks with the Boko Haram sect?

In the first place, the proposal to talk is not well defined. Who is the Boko Haram?

How do you talk with people that you have not seen? Do they have a face? Why are they not showing their faces?

If government is thinking of giving them whatever they think is necessary for peace to

reign, how do they achieve this when they have no defined face? The Niger Delta Militants had their agenda; they were fighting because their oil was exploited without adequate care for their damaged lands.

They said their grouse against government was because of oil spillage which reduced aquatic life to zero.

They were seriously impoverished; this was what led

to the crisis in the Niger Delta in the first place. They took to arms, which of course I am not in support of. But it is not the same with the Boko Haram people.

What is their agenda? They have no oil but are saying western education is bad. Now they are saying things that western education brought are bad, and are making use of whatever has been designed through western education. Is this not a contradiction? Western education is bad - they are using GSM, driving cars, wearing clothes, using media houses to convey their messages. My question is who is fooling who? We all know that education is part of civilisation, otherwise we will return to the Stone Age. They are saying that the whole north should now be called a Sharia region.

They should remember that Nigeria has a constitution which allows freedom of worship which must be followed.

Nobody has raised objection to their belief; in fact there

is a mosque close to this church here. The Imam of the mosque is a very good friend. The last time something happened to him, I walked straight to the mosque. I walked in there to greet him as a friend and that is how we have been living together. There are sometimes I realise I have something to do which I will need to occupy some areas around the mosque.

I just call him and let him know the development and he allows me to make use of it without looking back.

There are occasions on Fridays during the Jumat prayers they have to occupy close to the fence of our church and even block the road. I don’t ask them why they block the road, and that they must leave. I will not do that. We are brothers and sisters and we are living together.

But don’t you believe dialogue will lead to peace?

The conditions they have set for negotiation are not even the best. They want compensa-

NEWS

tions for their members that died. What about the people they have killed? The Christians they maimed, what happened to them? In fact, if the matter is not beyond political, why are they killing Christians? I want to say the Christians deserve apology from them. Even if you have issues with President Jonathan or want him to resign, you should not use it to kill other people.

If you take stock of how many children have lost their parents and are now orphans, the number is quite high. Looking at all they have committed so far, you will know that negotiating with them is simply out of the way. You don’t negotiate with terrorists. In my discussion with some of these Moslems, they don’t like what the group is doing. I know many Moslems who are very peaceful and believe you don’t have to force others to accept your ways. There are no parts of the world such group are negotiated with; the government tackles them headlong because they are not going to shift grounds because this is their

Okogie to Nigerians: Resist same-sex marriage

F

ORMER Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Cardinal Bunmi Okogie, has challenged Nigerians to resist calls for legalisation of abortion and gay marriage.

He spoke last week while commissioning the St. Monica Orphanage Ejigbo, in Lagos built by St. Peter Catholic Church Ejigbo.

He lamented some people could clamour for legalisation of abortion, wondering: “Why do you get married? Why did God make us male and females?”

By Sunday Oguntola

He also called on government to be very sensitive in making laws and avoid listening to people with eloquent speeches.

Okogie also berated Nigerians for always picking up practices while travelling abroad without caring whether they are good or not.

According to him: “Our culture abhors these things. Those who are calling people albino; are they not human beings? Are we not created by God?”

Adeboye prays for police officers

T

HE General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has declared a day of special prayer for members of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

The special prayer session, tagged ‘I will defend this nation’, holds at the Headquarters’ Church of the RCCG, Throne of Grace Parish, Ebute-Metta, Lagos, on November 4 by 8.00am.

Adeboye said God must intervene in the security sector of the nation, saying police officers should be held up in prayers instead of being castigated.

According to him: ‘’ There is the need for spiritual intervention in solving the prob-

lems. We need the intervention of God in this matter. We must pray for the police because they are the security operatives entrusted with maintaining laws and order in the society.

“They are closer to the populace than any of the security operatives or agencies in the country. Judging from the look of things, it is only the police that are entrusted by government with combating crime and other evil occurrences in the society.’’

Adeboye, represented by his spokesman, Pastor Goke Aniyeloye, said: “We are inviting all the Nigerian police officers and men, particularly in the south-west and southsouth states because we are considering the space. “

•L-R: Parish Priest, St. Peter Catholic Church, Ejigbo, Lagos, Rev. Father Gabriel Iheanacho; Okogie and Secretary to Okogie, Rev. Fr. Melchizadek Okpala, at the event

Kumuyi urges artistes to influence society positively

T

HE General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi, has challenged artistes to produce works that will make the society better.

He spoke at an outreach for Yoruba-speaking film makers, musicians, marketers and other theatre practitioners in the Southwest.

No fewer than 500 artistes attended the meeting, which held at the National Arts Thea-

By Joseph Jibueze and Nneka Nwaneri

tre, Iganmu, Lagos.

Kumuyi, represented by Head of the church’s Yoruba section, Pastor Rufus Bamigbayan, reminded the artistes they would render account of their deeds to God. According to him, their influence could be more powerful than that of kings as their messages reach larger audiences in farther places.

The cleric charged them to

shun vices and beware of the sources of inspiration for their works.

Kumuyi urged them to eschew pride and arrogance which fame can bring.

He spoke against piracy, saying it is sinful.

The respected holiness preacher begged those involved in the act to repent.

On why the programme was organised, Kumuyi told journalists: “Musicians, for instance, wield influence on the

society but there is the danger of them misusing their talent. ‘’But if you get a musician converted to Christianity, he will render music positively and will affect society likewise.”

He said through the programme, a “seed” has been sown into their lives, adding that the “total gospel” the artistes heard could lead to the formation of a “total man.”

The church had held a similar session for traditional rulers.

70

THE NATION SPORT SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

SPORT EXTRA 2012 COPA LAGOS

Organisers set to recruit volunteers

K

INETIC Sports, the organisers of the forthcoming COPA Lagos have finalised arrangement to launch the volunteer scheme for the next edition of the 2012 Beach Soccer Tournament.

The Beach Soccer Tournament, which has banking giants FCMB as one of its sponsors, will be recruiting a new batch of volunteers for the 2nd edition.

Last year, Copa Lagos attracted volunteers in excess of 100 through the duration of the event.

The volunteers were able to gain valuable work experience in the sports industry. Positions volunteered for included, § player's assistant, media staff, Usher, concert staff, ticketing and others. In addition to the work experience, volunteers were also granted access to back stage areas with their accreditation, they also got to meet the players, watch the action live, take pictures with the international cheerleaders, and were presented with certificates to commemorate their achievements.

Kinetic Sports officials have indicated that a significant amount of resources have been used to improve the volunteer scheme for this year. The improvements are intended to make the process much smoother and organised.

Audu to name Sand Eagles Thursday

N

IGERIA Beach Eagles will leave the country for Dubai for the Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup October 28, according to an official of the team.

The Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup would be held start in the United Arab Emirates between October 30th and November 3rd and The Head Coach of the team, Adamu Audu Ejor has informed that the Sand Eagles would jet out for the competition two days before its commencement.

Audu revealed that he would name the 12 players that will represent the country on Thursday October 25th, adding that he would not have selection headache despite having a pool of talented 18 players at their Badagry campsite.

Speaking on the chances of the Beach Eagles in Group B against four time world champions, Brazil, Japan and Switzerland, Audu noted that his wards would have no problem with their opponents only if they maintain the same consistency exhibited during their training sessions.

"We are ready for Dubai and we won't disappoint Nigerians,” he said.

“We have players that are ready to do us proud. It is a blend of new and experienced players who have made significance progress since the camp began.

MTN doles out N12.9m to Lagos Street Soccer winners

I

N fulfillment of its promise, MTN Nigeria Plc Friday doled out N12.9million to successive teams in the season five of the MTN Lagos Street Soccer Championship.

At the presentation ceremony held in Lagos yesterday, MTN's Mass Market Manager, Innocent Oboh, said, the company was willing to support youths to fulfill their dreams, adding that they will continue to support youth in their quest to soar high in lives. With the men's teams getting N11million while the women teams were rewarded with N1.95million.

Oboh lauded the teams for giving their best during the tournament, adding being successive among the 900 teams that featured in this year's tournament was commendable.

He, however, charged the players to continue to work hard, while pledging the company's commitment to the competition, which he said has become a rallying point for budding football stars in the country.

Rooney scores at both ends W

AYNE Rooney gave himself an early 27th birthday present as his double in Manchester United's win against Stoke took him to 200 club goals.

It was a strange day for Rooney though, who also became the first United player to score at both ends in a league game since David Beckham in 2001.

Rooney scored twice to give Man Utd a 4-2 score line over Stoke City.

In fact, it was an odd afternoon all told given the own goal meant United once again had to come from behind, recovering courtesy of Rooney, Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck, only to require Rooney's second to ease nerves created by a Michael Kightly goal for the visitors.

And the thrills will only partially divert attention away from Rio Ferdinand's decision to snub Sir Alex Ferguson by refusing to wear the Kick It Out anti-racism T-shirts worn by all his outfield team-mates in the pre-match warm-up.

Ferguson said yesterday he felt Jason Roberts was misguided in his determination not to wear the shirts, so Ferdinand's reasoning will be interesting, even if his position is somewhat easier to understand given the year-long dispute between brother Anton and former England team-mate John Terry.

Away from the politics, Ferguson had described Stoke as the "jolly green giants" prior to the game.

Yet it was Tony Pulis' side who looked like they had the magic beans, such was the gusto with which they attacked their hosts.

Charlie Adam in particular was a major threat, providing Stoke with the kind of direct midfield momentum United so obviously lacked.

It was the Scot's touchline freekick that Rooney ended up nudging into his own net.

Rooney fed his strike partner to the left before heading off into the box, where an inch-perfect cross was delivered.

From a similar position to the one he found himself in at the other end, Rooney again found the net.

Stoke continued to forage but United were now on one of those familiar rolls, and the visitors had no way of halting the steamroller.

...As Man Utd sink Stoke

Manchester United's English forward Wayne Rooney (L) scores against Stoke City during their English Premier League football match at Old Trafford in Manchester, north-west England yesterday AFP PHOTO/ANDREW YATES

Dzeko claims injury-time winner for Man City

E

DIN Dzeko struck twice after his 79th-minute introduction as a substitute, the second of which came deep into injury time, as 10-man Manchester City defeated West Brom 2-1 at The Hawthorns in the Premier League.

City had won only two of their

Marvellous Mata inspires Chelsea comeback

J

UAN Mata ensured that there was no revenge for Andre Villas-Boas as Chelsea continued their unbeaten start to the season at White Hart Lane with 4-2 victory.

The Spanish midfielder dominated Spurs in the second half with two goals and an assist while Gary Cahill and Daniel Sturridge also added a goal a piece for the Blues.

William Gallas and Jermain Defoe scored for the losing.

Chelsea's performance full of the attacking verve its former coach was hired to implement.

This was the best of football, a pulsating, ever-changing derby encounter decided by two goals in as many second-half minutes by the quite brilliant Mata, who shone brightest of all in Chelsea's sparkling midfield and set up Sturridge in injury time for the Blues' fourth goal.

Against the club that sacked him earlier this year, VillasBoas restored goalkeeper Brad Friedel to the starting lineup ahead of Hugo Lloris, while Mousa Dembele missed out

through a hip injury and Gareth Bale dropped out late after his partner went into labor.

Chelsea had initially taken the lead through Gary Cahill's brilliant volley in the 18th minute before Spurs rallied in the second-half to turn the game on its head through goals from Gallas and Defoe.

previous seven games in all competitions and their problems deepened on 23 minutes as James Milner was shown a straight red for bringing down Long following a terrible piece of play from Vincent Kompany.

Though City dominated for long spells despite the dismissal, it was West Brom who took the lead when Long latched on to a mis-hit shot from Peter Odemwingie and produced an intelligent finish to guide the ball past Joe Hart.

At that stage the Baggies were set to overtake City and claim third place in the Premier League after eight games of a remarkable season under Steve Clarke, but Dzeko was summoned from the bench and within 60 seconds had equalised, exploiting a poor piece

of goalkeeping from Ben Foster.

It was the striker's third goal as a substitute this season - more than any other player - and he was not finished, the Bosnian converting with a fine first-time finish in a frantic period of injury time as City hit West Brom on the break to snatch a 2-1 win and end the Baggies' brilliant run of form.

Balotelli then produced a gorgeous first touch to pull down a cross-field pass, finding Carlos Tevez with a cross that enticed the striker into turning an ambitious volley wide at the near post, and the Italian was irrepressible at times, another fine piece of skill taking him between two men before he tested Foster with a fierce low effort.

QPR VS EVERTON

Anichebe eyes Jelavic pairing

V

ICTOR Anichebe said he believes he could play alongside Nikica Jelavic in the Everton attack and says it would be formidable strike force.

Anichebe has deputised for senior hit-man Nikica Jelavic three times so far this season, scoring three goals and underlining his return to full fitness with some impressive displays.

The 24-year-old has shared the pitch with Jelavic for only 54 of the 810 minutes of football played by 'The Blues' this term.

"I think I can play with him.

Me and Niki have spoken about

it before - we could definitely do that well,” he told Evertontv.

"But Felli (Marouane Fellaini) has been playing there and has been unbelievable. We also have Naisy (Steven Naismith) and Tolis (Apostolos Vellios) so we have people who can play with Jela and there is a lot of competition there."

And that wealth of options is something Anichebe said he believes is crucial if 'The Blues' are to continue finding the right balance to pick up points on the road.

Everton travel to Queens Park Rangers in search of their third win away from home this season.

"It is always going to be a tough

game," he added."They have quite a small pitch and the fans are close to the field. They are struggling and they need results which can make it harder. They bought a lot of players so there is expectation on them and they haven't really done so well at the start of the season.

"I am sure their luck will change but hopefully not against us. We need to be wary of that game, no matter what sort of start they have had.

"They will be coming out looking to get a result against us. As long as we prepare well we should be okay."

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THE NATION SPORT SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

SPORT EXTRA

CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Al-Ahly, Sunshine Stars set for titanic battle in Cairo

S

UNSHINE Stars will have to dig deep and pull all strings together to beat Al-Ahly to qualify for the finals of the CAF Champions League.

The first leg ended 3-3 and it looks an uphill task for the Akure side to defeat Ahly in Cairo in the second leg today which kicks-off is at 6pm Nigerian time.

Not many people will give Sunshine Stars a chance to qualify, but players of the Nigeria Premier League side are confident that they can do the unthinkable by qualifying to play in the finals of the competition against either TP Mazembe or Esperance.

In the first leg, Ahly started very well by scoring two quick goals.

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri Sunshine Stars rallied round to draw the game at 3-3. The high score line notwithstanding, Sunshine Stars are sure that they can rely on their good away form to silence the Egyptians.

Captain Godfrey Oboabuna, who missed the first leg because of a card suspension, is sure they can get the job done "Nothing is impossible in football. I'm sure we are capable of winning and playing in the finals of the competition. We have done so well at away matches and the trend will continue in the tough game against Al Ahly. It won't be easy but we are equal to the task," Oboabona

Aregbesola lauds Ashaolu over school soccer

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HE Governor of Osun State, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has lauded that initiator of the recently concluded Eni-Aponle Secondary School Soccer Tourney which reminds people of the old glamorous Principal Cup, organised by Hon. Michael Ashaolu for senior secondary schools in Ilesa East and West Local Government Areas of Osun State.

Aregbesola described the soccer tourney as a boost to the development of grassroots sports in the State of Osun, saying one of his six integral action plans is promotion of healthy living, in which sports plays a very key role.

The governor who was represented at the event by his special Adviser on Youths, Sports and Special Needs, Comrade Biyi Odunlade, maintained that the development of sports is one of the priorities of the governor which

and he does not want it to develop at superficial level but at the grassroots level so that they can discover and develop their talents to become stars.

“This event is in tandem with the vision of the governor of the State of Osun, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola who wants sports to develop from the scratch, so we are in full support of this event which we know will promote the discovery of our talents and enhancement of our positions and image as a sporting state.”

Odunlade noted while delivering the governor's speech.

Ilesa Grammar School which hosted the final played over the weekend defeated United Grammar School to claim the top prize through a penalty shootout after recorded 2-2 score-line at the regulations time.

said.

Soga Sambo is another player that is optimistic they will do well against Ahly: "Two factors will give us the advantage over the Egyptian side. Sunshine Stars play better at

away matches. We are more relaxed playing away from home.

And the match will be played behind closed doors. So their vociferous supporters will not be there to cheer Ahly players.”

Baumgartner happy to make historic jump

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USTRIA'S Felix Baumgartner earned his place in the history books after overcoming concerns with the power for his visor heater that impaired his vision and nearly jeopardized the mission.

Baumgartner reached an estimated speed of 1,342.8 km (Mach 1.24) jumping from the stratosphere, which when certified will make him the first man to break the speed of sound in freefall and set several other records* while delivering valuable data for future space exploration.

After flying to an altitude of 39,045 meters (128,100 feet) in a helium-filled balloon, Felix Baumgartner completed Sunday a record breaking jump for the ages

Baumgartner

from the edge of space, exactly 65 years after Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier flying in an experimental rocket-powered airplane. The 43-year-old Austrian skydiving expert also broke two other world records (highest freefall, highest manned balloon flight), leaving the one for the longest freefall to project mentor Col. Joe Kittinger.

Baumgartner landed safely with his parachute in the desert of New Mexico after jumping out of his space capsule at 39,045 meters and plunging back towards earth, hitting a maximum of speed of 1,342.8 km/h through the near vacuum of the stratosphere before being slowed by the atmosphere later during his 4:20 minute long f r e e f a l l .

Baumgartner's jump lasted a total of 9:03 minutes.

Countless millions of people around the world watched his ascent and jump live on television broadcasts and live stream on the Internet.

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21-10-12

QUOTABLE "If we believe in turn by turn or a president should come from a particular section of the country, it means we are promoting mediocrity. This is the time for us to retrace our steps and ask ourselves fundamental questions on what kind of leaders we want…"

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL. 7, NO. 2285

—Governor of Central Bank, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, decrying politics of ethnicity in Nigeria

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HE First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has finally returned to Nigeria after a 54-day therapeutic trip to Germany. Her flight to Germany in late August, if that was where she went, was a closely guarded secret, with some of her aides eventually coaxed into suggesting that she went on vacation, and would return when she was fully rested. Like her abrupt departure, her stay abroad triggered speculations about the reason for the trip and the destination. Did she have food poisoning, appendicitis, or cosmetic surgery? No one was sure, no one is sure still, but all local newspapers offered diverse perspectives, and her husband and presidential aides lent no helping hand in shedding light on what newspapers came to dub the Dame Patience affair. It must be a reflection of the interesting standards of the Nigerian media that no medium had a realistic clue why she travelled, nor apparently where she went. Indeed, the way she spoke at the airport on her return mid last week, it would not be surprising if media establishments thought she never travelled at all.

Whether it is acknowledged or not, the Jonathan presidency has managed the Dame Patience story much more efficiently than the immediate past First Family managed theirs. Nigerians knew the hospitals in Saudi Arabia and Germany where the late President Umaru Yar’Adua received medical attention, and what ailed him.

Moreover, they also knew the story became a tragicomedy. But in the case of Dame Patience, no one knows where she went or how to categorise her trip. According to her, she was not at any hospital we knew, let alone the hospital where Yar’Adua was attended to, the Horst Schmidt Klinic in Wiesbaden, Germany. So where did she go? Mum was the word. Secondly, she said she did not have any surgery, not to talk of tummy tuck, and had no terminal illness as her detractors speculated or hoped. So what ailed her? Again, mum was the word, except to add that her husband adored her shape. Magnificent. After all, it is pointless asking her husband what he thinks of her shape, or imagining what men think of the shapes and sizes of their women.

It was clear, as Dame Patience put it, that she experienced trying times, but due to God’s mercies could now have a second chance in life. So, she did not dispute the fact that she had certain unnamed difficulties, and except she spoke bad English, we got the impression those difficulties nearly took her life and attempted to destroy her first chance in life. Though she

Dame Patience: The guessing game continues

•Dame Patience

• Seriake Dickson

did not take Nigerians into confidence, and had spoken cynically and derisively about a few who wished her what God did not plan for her life, she gloated that Nigerians actually prayed for her in her time of trouble, and God answered the prayers. This column joins the prayer warriors to wish her well.

Of all the questions Nigerians were dying – oh, that morbid word again – to receive answers to, Dame Patience answered none. It seems even more likely that now and in the foreseeable future, with a considerably mute presidency and cheerfully scornful aides, there will be no answer provided to any question about the First Lady’s trip and her supposed illness. The best the presidency wanted to give anyone during her absence was the few minutes video clip broadcast by the government television station NTA showing a vibrant Dame Patience exulting about taking photo-

graphs with her visiting husband and announcing her eagerness to return home.

And the best we will ever receive now that she has returned is her airport rebuke and sermon. There will be nothing else, not even if there should be a reoccurrence of the unknown trial she obliquely referred to, God forbid.

The airport sermon itself was nothing transcendental, and nothing like the exegeses we are used to when we read Martin Luther or John Calvin. But it was at least simple and touching, if a little exaggerated and affected, and perhaps even engaging and disarming. Hear her in her inimitably alluring grammar: “Thank God Almighty for bringing me back safely to Nigeria. Wherever there are good people, there are also bad ones. There are few Nigerians that were saying whatever they liked; not what God planned because God has a plan for all of us. And God has said it

Ondo formula is simply not reusable

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O police some 1.5 million expected voters in yesterday’s governorship poll, half of whom may not even turn out, the federal government sent in four police commissioners, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman himself, an estimated 8,000 soldiers according to a newspaper estimate, about 11,000 policemen, and a battery of sundry officials, a horde of election observers, and a gaggle of journalists from newspapers nearly all of which are disposed to Governor Olusegun Mimiko, one of the candidates in the election. This certainly cannot be a dress rehearsal for the 2015 polls, for the security agencies would be stretched wafer thin as to be in danger of snapping.

There is no doubt that the October 20 Ondo poll is hugely significant in and to the Southwest. But to deploy an armada, as it were, to police a relatively small voting population appears to me to be excessive. Not only that, it even suggests to me that we seem to think whenever we are confronted by difficult situations, the magic formula is to overwhelm the problem with all the force the nation can muster. Our governments are not intellectu-

ally inclined, have no finesse, and are blissfully unaware of the image and messages they send out to the rest of the world silently but carefully watching our every nuance. Do we think there is no better way of policing votes or ensuring the integrity of elections conducted here? I think there are. The problem is that we have not engaged those novel methods because the government at the centre has not shown the altruism, dignity and detachment required to instil discipline in a combustible polity.

In the last general elections, what did the government do to punish those who undermined the balloting process in some affected states? Nothing. In a few states in the South-South, voter turnout was too fantastic to be true, in some cases recording nearly twice the national average. What did the federal government do to restore confidence in the face of such brazen thievery?

The government implausibly and incredibly argued that since the exaggerated figures merely emphasised the voting pattern, not contradict it, it was needless complaining or doing something about it. The cancer was therefore left unattended. In fact, in the history of elections in Nigeria, the voter

turnout in the riverine states has always been excessively unrealistic. If the president had sensibly cancelled those elections and ordered a rerun, he would have sent the message that whether it favoured him or not the integrity of polls must at all times be upheld, and he would be ready even at his own peril to stake his presidency to secure the sanctity of the elections.

Until we have a president willing to lose an election or to stake his presidency on ensuring electoral integrity, we may never have a poll where the candidates would not be desperate to undermine the balloting process. The use of overwhelming force was first successfully applied in the Edo governorship election, and was again applied in yesterday’s Ondo poll. It will be used in subsequent isolated polls.

But it cannot be applied in the 2015 general elections because the country does not have the resources to deploy as much logistics and as many men as it did yesterday. Indeed, such deployments indicate there is still something terribly wrong with the country, which if not tackled urgently may finally consume all of us. But every time I make such an argument, I feel more and more like Cassandra.

all that where two or three are gathered in His name that He will be with them. Nigerians gathered and prayed for me and God listened and heard their prayers, so I thank God for that. At the same time, I will use this opportunity to tell those few ones that are saying that anybody that goes to the Villa or Aso Rock will die. They mentioned Abacha; they mentioned Stella Obasanjo; they mentioned Yar’Adua and other people. But why did those people not mention those who went there with their families and succeeded and they still came out alive?

We should remember that Aso Rock is the seat of power and that is where God has ordained for us Nigerians that our leaders should rule from and to rule us right. God is wonderful and His infinite mercy endures.” Clearly she has read her Bible, and she studiously quoted the right passages.

But until she alluded to those who wished her dead, few Nigerians knew such talk was abuzz on the Internet, nor that during her therapy she was unnerved by the morbid online chitchats.

If the media would welcome Palladium’s counsel, instead of asking questions to which answers may never come, they should rather come down hard on the governors, ministers, wives of governors and other highly placed government and party officials who indulged their sycophantic bent by going to the airport to receive the First Lady. That was not a show of love. It was typical, insufferable Nigerian flattery.

If the governors and ministers were so grovelingly idle, perhaps we should appeal to the officious and obtruding National Assembly to invite them to the legislative chambers – invitations that apparently irritate the likes of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi of the Central Bank – to ruffle their flimsy feathers.

According to some newspaper reports, at the airport to receive the returning and obviously refreshed First Lady were Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, the increasingly technocratic and dashing Petroleum minister Mrs Diezani AlisonMadueke, the soft-spoken Environment minister Hadiza Mailafia, Education minister Ruqayyatu Rufai, Labour minister Emeka Nwogu, many ministers of state and wives of some governors – all fawning, wife of the Senate president, and many other government officials. Their excuse must never again be that invitations from the National Assembly weary them; for if they could shelve their work to receive the First Lady at the airport, they must be willing to go to the ends of the earth to honour National Assembly invitations, no matter how distracting or cumbersome. Absence, they say, makes the heart grow fonder. It must, however, be deeply ironical and quintessentially Nigerian that Governor Dickson was also at the airport to receive one of his permanent secretaries. Is order of precedence no longer valid in Nigeria, that the senior finds it imperturbable to fawn at the feet of his subordinate in government?

As the second round of guessing game begins, this column welcomes Dame Patience back home to enjoy the second chance she says life is offering her. And by the way, she kisses far better and far more natural than her husband who, in the photographs published on the front pages of Thursday newspapers, made what should be an adorable spousal exercise look like, well, an ordeal. In her broad smiles there was not a hint of distress; but in her sermon there was a touch of the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo Christian conversion – the use and application of elementary theology to underscore the cumulative rejection of one’s detractors. As Dame Patience prepares to forgive her rumour mongering enemies, let her also be prepared to read more online speculations about her health and the recent German trip. She has put the testy trip behind her; but she will not be able to ignore the avalanche of speculations likely to lather her every cough, every wince and every sneeze.

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