The Nation July 28, 2012

Dana plane crash: Obakpolor’s panel 5 faults airline’s maintenance practice, NCAA’s surveillance PAGE

Ondo guber election

Boko Haram: PDP alleges illegal voters’ 11 killed in Maiduguri 5 registration

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by LP

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Northern govs set up committee on reconciliation

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SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

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Olympic Games begin The Nigerian contingent at the opening ceremony… yesterday SEE STORY ON PAGE 8

Impeachment threat:

Jonathan bows to Reps President to fast-track implementation of budget

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To assent to outstanding bills To consider Senate resolution on privatisation

Subsidy scandal:

Don’t crucify me for my 4 son’s sins, says Bamanga Tukur PAGE

From left: Former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, during a condolence visit to the Ghanaian President, Dr. John Dramani Mahama, over the death of former President John Attah-Mills at the Presidential Villa, Accra, Ghana

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

Senator’s daughter kidnapped in Port Harcourt Bisi OLANIYI, Port Harcourt

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• From left: Senior Manager, SME Segment, Mrs. Barbara Anozia; Senior Manager, Corporate Accounts, Mr. Mohammed Aliyu; and Senior Manager SME & Regional Accounts, Mrs. Omotayo Ojutalayo, all of MTN Nigeria at the launch of MTN HyNet in Port Harcourt... on Wednesday.

Impeachment threat: Jonathan bows to Reps •President to fast-track implementation of the budget • To assent to outstanding bills • To consider Senate resolution on privatisation

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ope of an end to the friction between President Goodluck Jonathan and the House of Representatives brightened yesterday with the decision of the President to bow to some of the demands made by the Reps.

The lawmakers had been at daggers drawn with the President over what they termed an uninspiring implementation of the 2012 budget and the contempt of the executive for resolutions and bills passed by them.

The friction got to a head last week when they gave the executive up till the end of September to implement the budget 100 per cent, failing which they would launch impeachment proceedings against the President.

But feelers from the two meetings the President has held with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Tambuwal, in the past one week revealed that the President decided to yield some grounds to the lawmakers because of what a Presidency source called his “deep concern for the nation’s political stability.”

The implementation of the budget is now expected to be fast-tracked while the President is also said to have demanded a fresh, comprehensive report from the Finance Minister, Ngozi OkonjoIweala, on the Director-General of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Arunma Oteh.

Oteh was recalled from suspension by the Presidency without regard to the position of the House that she was undeserving of the position in view of the result of their investigation into her tenure.

A source privy to the talks said: “The sessions were frank as the President and the House leadership were able to identify issues and grey areas to address.

“So far, the talks have been useful; all outstanding issues are likely to be resolved on or be-

HE daughter of Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange, Mrs. Diepreye Dagi Darego, was yesterday kidnapped in Port Harcourt and taken to an unknown destination.

She was kidnapped at about 9 am on her way to Port Harcourt International Airport to receive her sister.

Barigha-Amange, a lawyer from Nembe-Ogbolomabiri in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, represented Bayelsa East between 2007 and 2011 and is now based in Port Harcourt.

The ex-legislator said the unknown gunmen shot repeatedly at the car conveying his daughter, before seizing her.

Barigha-Amange said: “The sister Diepreye (kidnapped woman) was going to the Port Harcourt International Airport to pick is planning her traditional marriage, which is supposed to commence tomorrow (today) in Bayelsa State.

“The vehicle used by my daughter, from which she was kidnapped, has been recovered, but her actual destination is yet to be ascertained.

“The kidnappers have been communicating with my relatives. I am pleading with them to release my daughter unhurt.”

The Ijaw leader expressed optimism that with the efforts of the anti-kidnapping squad in the office of Rivers Commissioner of Police, operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) and other security agencies, his daughter would soon regain her freedom from the kidnappers’ den.

Rivers Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ben Ugwuegbulam, said he had not been fully briefed about the incident.

The incident occurred a few days after four kidnappers, including a woman, were arrested and their victim rescued in Port Harcourt by men of the Rivers State Police Command.

African First Ladies approve $552,300 as budget for 2012-2014 •AFLPM headquarters to cost $50 billion Olugbenga ADANIKIN, Abuja

Yusuf ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation fore the House resumes in September.

“I think at the end of the day, we may not get to a dead end.

Things are going to work out; the two sides are beginning to understand each other.

“But there may be another meeting with the House leadership before the recess is over.

Certainly, it is obvious that the ongoing rift may end soon.”

Asked to be specific, the source said: “The President agreed that there is need to fasttrack the implementation of the 2012 budget and he gave details of what his administration has done. “ The Presidency source

added: ”Mr. President is committed to having everything in place. He believes that while he is addressing insecurity in the country, his administration should not give room for political instability.

“The President has asked the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to release funds to MDAs before the end of this month. The Ministry of Finance has started doing that, and it was on this basis that she had the confidence to say that budget implementation has moved from 30 per cent to 56 per cent.

You can go to the MDAs; they will tell you that the situation is improving.

“I can tell you that he will address some of the issues tabled by the House. Some of the

bills awaiting assent may be signed next week, although he will be taking them one by one on merit. Any of the bills which requires fine-tuning may be returned to the National Assembly after mutual consultations.

“The President has also taken steps to pacify the Senate which is also aggrieved by non-implementation of some resolutions, especially the Report of its Committee on Privatization.

There may be action on reports from the National Assembly on BPE, SEC and Pension scam.

“If not for the maturity of the Senate President, Chief David Mark, the relationship between the Executive and the National Assembly would have been Continued on Page 4

US returns 11 cultural artifacts to Nigeria

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HE United States has returned 11 cultural artifacts to Nigeria.

Authorities said French customs officials tipped off the U.S. in April 2010 about a shipment headed to New York’s Kennedy Airport.

The 10 Nok statues and a carved tusk were seized from a Manhattan gallery owner, and an investigation determined they were bona fide antiquities. The artifacts are to be displayed in Nigeria’s national museum.

Nok statues are about 2,000 to 2,500 years old, among the oldest sculptures in West Africa. They were first unearthed in 1943 at a tin mine near the village of Nok in Plateau State.

Homeland Security investigators say two Nok statues and a carved ivory tusk were previously seized at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

At a repatriation ceremony held at Homeland Security Investigationoffices on the west side of Manhattan on Thursday, Nigeria’s Consul General Habib Baba Habu, took legal possession of the terracotta sculptures, which he said had been stolen from the National Museum.

“It is the day that America has extended a gift of friendship that we will never forget,” he said.

On display for the ceremony were seven pieces of figurines, which resembled bits of cylindrical gingerbread men thanks to the orange hue of the terracotta. The two best preserved pieces, a head and torso, and a pair of legs standing on a pedestal, appeared to have once belonged to a single figure.

All are the work of the Nok culture, which existed within what would become Nigeria from more than 2,000 years ago, before disappearing in the early centuries of the first millennium.

Each of the six terracotta heads bore a distinctive face, which is typical of Nok sculpture, Habu said, explaining that the ancient artisans drew from individual people in normal life, depicting them riding horsesor donkeys, for example, or with farm tools.

Nok artisans were prolific, many similar figurines have left Nigeria, Habu said: “Many of them are at museums all over the world, some were taken out legally.”

Nigeria has laws that control the export of Nok pieces; however, the sculptures have flooded out of the country. In the 1990s, so many reached the European art market that the prices dropped sharply, according to a New York Times article in 2000.

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HE African First Ladies Peace Mission have approved the sum of $552, 300 as its two-year budget for the 20122014 biannual.

The sum will be used to fund all programmes aimed at promoting peace in the region.

In a communique issued yesterday at the conclusion of the summit in Abuja, member nations agreed to adopt the policy prepared by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Union in Banjul, Gambia in 2006 on development and post-conflict reconstruction.

While the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Gender Issues, Dr. Asma’u Abdulkadir, read the communique, she stated that “the summit has approved the AFLPM in the sum USD$552,300 as its budget for the 20122014.”

The summit acknowledged the commitments of member states to strengthen women participation in socio-economic and political affairs in their respective countries.

They urged Dame Jonathan to present their resolutions to the Chairperson of African Union Commission for submission to the AU Assembly in order to indicate their contributions to peace and conflict resolution in Africa.

In her remarks, President of AFLPM, Dame Goodluck Jonathan, stated that the resolution would strengthen their commitment to promoting peace in Africa.

She revealed that Setraco Construction Company is to build the mission’s secretariat while she praised UBA, Glo, Access Bank and Arab Contractors, among others, who have contributed resources for construction of their permanent office.

Dame Jonathan urged members to support their spouse towards achieving peace and sustainable development.

The representative of Setraco Construction company said the building would cost over $50 billion with 200 car park spaces.

Retraction of publications on Professor Biyi Afonja (rtd) OUR attention has been drawn to two publications on page 46 of The Nation On Saturday, May 29, 2010, headlined “Protests as Governor Daniel’s man emerges PDP front runner”, and on page 4 of The Nation,Monday, May 31, 2010, headlined “Protest as Daniel’s man emerges Ogun PDP flagbearer”. In these publications, it was said that Professor Afonja attended high level political meeting of a certain ‘Apex Committee’ of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).with the aim of appointing gubernatorial candidate for the PDP. We have since discovered that the stories are not true because Professor Afonja did not attend the meeting as reported by us. As a matter of fact Professor Afonja was not and is not a member of the PDP let alone its Apex Committee, neither has Professor Afonja ever been a member of any political party..

We deeply regret the embarrassment and inconveniences which the said publications might have caused the highly respected, revered and distinguished professor of international repute.

The story is hereby unequivocally retracted.

Editor

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

4 News

Subsidy scandal: Don’t crucify me for my son’s sins, says Bamanga Tukur N

ATIONAL chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has deplored attempts by critics to crucify him for his son’s role in the oil subsidy theft, saying that as an adult, his son is old enough to answer for his actions.

Tukur’s son, Mahmud, is one of the 20 persons standing trial for alleged looting of the Petroleum Support Fund. Mahmud is the Managing Director of Eternal Oil and Gas, one of the companies indicted in the scam.

Speaking through his Special Adviser on Monitoring, Mr. Bernard Mikko, yesterday, the PDP chair said there was no reason to castigate him or diminish his status for his son’s alleged involvement in the scam.

According to the aide, “The anger with which Nigerians

Gbade OGUNWALE, Assistant Editor, Abuja vent their venom on corrupt officials or persons can therefore be seen from the standpoint of the angst against corruption or that they would have been the beneficiaries rather than the persons caught.

“This explains why we are quick to try suspects, especially those linked to top government functionaries in media circles, creating frenzy where none exists. Our laws are clear and even a primary school pupil knows we are all presumed innocent until proven otherwise and convicted by a competent court of

law” He continued: “The sons of the past and current PDP chairmen are no exception. Mahmud is the son of Bamanga Tukur, the current PDP national chairman. But since the reported arraignment of the former, the trial seems to have not only shifted from the courts to the media, but also shifted from the son to the father.”

Waxing biblical, Mikko said what is happening in Mahmud’s case contradicts Deuteronomy 24:16, which states that “the father shall not be put to death for his children and the children for their father; every man shall be

put to death for his own sins.”

He also quoted from Ezekiel 18:20, which states that “the soul that sineth shall die. The son shall not bear iniquity for his father and neither shall the father bear iniquity for the son.”

Expatiating further, the aide said these biblical verses underscore the point that every individual is accountable for his or her own actions and that a parent cannot take medication to cure his or her child’s ailment.

He went further to make allusions to an uncle to the United States President, Barack Obama, Onyango Obama, who was arrested in Boston, Massachusetts

in August 2011 for traffic offences.

Mikko also cited another instance in which President Obama’s aunt, Zeituni, was arrested for alleged immigration offences in April, 2008, pointing out that in none of the cases was President Obama’s reputation impugned upon by the American public.

“In South Korea, a ranking member of parliament and an elder brother to the president of that country, Lee Sang Deuk, was arrested for receiving $525, 000 bribes from chairmen of two troubled saving banks between 2007 and 2011 in return for help-

ing them avoid regulatory audits and punishment.

“The former lawmaker was arrested just about two weeks ago, precisely on July 11, 2012, and his younger brother, Lee Myung Bak, who is also the incumbent president of the Korean Republic, was not dragged into the case as we are seeing in the subsidy trial in Nigeria.

“Corruption as a global phenomenon requires concerted effort by all to mitigate, and the simple way to this is to promptly report or expose all cases of it and allow justice to take its course. Once vendetta or any atom of ill will and malaise is introduced into it, it becomes corruptive in itself and will result in injustice,” the aide emphasised.

Shape up or ship out, Niger Delta group tells Jonathan •Asks Senate to join in impeachment proceedings against President Gbenga OMOKHUNU, Abuja

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GROUP, Niger Delta Peace Foundation, on Friday in Abuja called on President Goodluck Jonathan to “sit up and be alive to his responsibilities” in the protection of lives and property, saying “he has deviated.”

The organisation suggested that if the Presidency could no longer tackle the security challenges in the country, the National Assembly should commence the processes for the enactment of legislation for the creation of state police in Nigeria.

It said: “We are much matured to have state police. We support state governments agitating for state police. If the government is not making serious efforts to tackle the security challenge in the country, the lawmakers should do something in that respect.”

The National President of NDPF, Chief Daniel Ebahor, stated this at a press briefing where he also called on the President to overhaul the Federal Executive Council for them to face their work and reduce “their present non-challant attitude to the welfare of Nigerians.”

Today, the system of government in the country, Ebahor said, has created enormous problems “too difficult for the administration to solve as a result of bad governance emanating from lack of provision of infrastructure and unemployment, which has given rise to the insurgence of Boko Haram, insecurity and militancy.”

He added: “The Executive should sit up. This is a wake-up call on Jonathan to perform because he has deviated. The security challenges in the country have nothing to do with budget implementation. There is no work, no job and no money, and you are saying you have security challenges.

“That is why kidnapping, militancy and terrorism are rife. The recent happenings in our country must give serious concern and mental torture to any right-thinking Nigerian who takes into account and in retrospect the aims and objectives of our forefathers in enthroning democracy as the best system of government in Nigeria. The administration of the present Federal Government needs a very critical analysis and review.”

Ebahor commended the House of Representatives for its impeachment threat on the President, saying it would ensure probity and accountability in Nigeria.

He, however, urged the Senate “to borrow a leaf from the House of Representatives in order to make the Executive to be alive to the plight of Nigerians.”

While calling on the Federal Government to “overhaul the Federal Executive Council with a view to making them work and be alive to their responsibilities,” NDPF suggested that the government should immediately increase the oil derivation allocation to oil producing states from 13 per cent to 50 per cent.

This, it said, would “help alleviate the economic backwardness and untold hardship the people of the Niger Delta have suffered from different administrations at the federal level.”

Curb HIV prevalence in Africa, UN tells AFLPM Olugbenga ADANIKIN, Abuja

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HE United Nations (UN) has tasked first ladies of the African states under the aegis of AFLPM to intensify their efforts towards reducing HIV prevalence in Africa.

The Executive Director, UNAIDS, Dr. Michael Sidibe, made the call during the 7th AFLPM summit in Abuja.

In a statement in Abuja yesterday, he urged the first ladies’ to double their role by including HIV control strategies in the progrmme.

Sidibe said: “There is evidence of linking HIV/AIDS to conflict and security. I call upon all of you to exert all your influence to ensure that HIV transmission is prevented both in times of peace and conflict.

“Conflicts simply create conditions favourable for the spread of HIV.” He decried the continuous increase of vulnerable groups as a result of conflicts among African nations.

•Nigeria’s First Lady and new President ofAfrican First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM), Dame Patience Jonathan, saying ‘thank you’ to delegates at the close of the 7th summit of the mission in Abuja yesterday. Right ss the representative of the First Lady of Sudan, Mrs Afaf Abdelrahman.

Impeachment threat: Jonathan bows to pressure, Continued from Page 2 worse.

“The truth is that the President has tried to overlook some things but the House is not reciprocating as expected.

“On the constituency projects, the President conceded to have these included in the budget as long as it will be cost-saving, development-oriented and to be managed by the MDAs. He bent backward to accommodate the National Assembly to ensure easy passage of the budget.

“Initially, what the lawmakers wanted was N120 million projects per constituency, but the President said it could not work. They went as far as reducing it to N80 million worth of projects per constituency but they came back to N40 million after the President insisted that he would not allow waste.

“So, a deal was struck for the constituency projects which will be executed within the budget framework of each relevant Ministry, Department or Agency. They also sought leave to bring contractors.

“But after the first quarter funds were released, some members of the House started going to MDAs to ask for variation of funds allocated to projects in their constituencies.

The executive arm, however, decided to stick to the budget as passed, leaving the House members angry.

“What happened during the public hearing into the manage-

ment of the Capital Market and Fuel Subsidy probe on allegations against members made the Executive to be more circumspect on this budget palaver?

“The House may be making a point but the President believes that its members are doing so with politics. Right from inception, the relationship between the Presidency and the House has not been cordial.

There is that suspicion that may be the Speaker and some PDP members in the House are working for the opposition.”

The Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, however, said no member of the chamber is involved directly or indirectly in the execution of constituency projects.

Mohammed said: “It is unfortunate that there is a deliberate attempt to smear the image of House members on the constituency projects. The House has said it but I want to repeat that we are not contractors and we have nothing to do with the award and execution of constituency projects at all. It has been the exclusive right of the Executive to execute constituency projects.

“When the budget came, the President gave an envelope for constituency projects. They consulted and they asked National Assembly members what projects they would want executed based on the needs of their constituency or Senatorial District .

“Based on the overtures, members only provided areas

of need and likely locations for these constituency projects, which are meant to accelerate development at the grassroots.

“No member of the House has anything to do with the award and execution of these constituency projects.

“The projects are even under sub-head in MDAs that are relevant to them. If members are not awarding and executing projects, it is sad to cast aspersion on them that they are asking for variation of the contract sums. There is no iota of truth in this allegation.”When we cried out on non-implementation of the 2012 budget, we did so in the interest of the nation.

We assisted the President to know why things are not working because at the end of the day, Nigerians will blame him.”

Fiscal federalism best for Nigeria, says Bolaji Akinyemi

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ORMER Foreign Affairs Minister, Prof.

Bolaji Akinyemi, has decried the present practice whereby the 36 states converge on Abuja every month for the purpose of sharing money to run their affairs.

He prefers what he calls total fiscal federation, saying the current system has rendered most of the states unimaginative in generating ideas on how to make money independent of the centre.

Akinyemi, who was on a courtesy visit to Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State in Umuahia, said the state governors should start looking inward on how to boost their internally generated revenue with a view to facilitating a rapid development of the states.

Ugochukwu UGOJI-EKE, Umuahia

He said it was this kind of fiscal autonomy that made the development recorded by the regional governments in the First Republic possible.

Prof Akinyemi, who was in the state on a private visit said: “I have been to four states in the federation and the little I have seen shows that the current governor, Theodore Orji, has done well with the little resources available to him.

“These are not things one could say were done by the past governments, as they are infrastructure that are at several completion stages and not repainted structures”.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

News 5

•Family members of the deceased Rev. Ayodeji Kolade and his wife, Ngozi, who died in the June 3 Dana plane crash in Lagos, during their burial in Lagos yesterday. From left: Mr. Nwaiwu Gabriel; Mr Olubunmi Cole; Arch. Akinola Cole and Dr (Mrs) Margaret •From left: Barrister Shade Balogun; Dr. Oyobode Cole and Mrs Lassey Stella nee Cole at the burial Mafe.

PHOTOS: Gbenga KUTELU

11 killed in Maiduguri day of rage

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BOUT 11 people, including four believed to be members of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, were killed in separate incidents in Maiduguri yesterday.

But what could have turned into a more bloody incident was averted after soldiers attempted to disperse worshippers who had gathered on a road in the city for their jumat prayers.

The worshippers were restrained by peacemakers from confronting the soldiers and calm was restored.

Unknown gunmen first struck at Gwange, Ajilari, Bulumkutu and Gomari between Thursday night and yesterday morning, killing seven people in their homes.

Two of the victims were killed at Gwange, three persons at Ajilari, and one each at Bulumkutu and Gomari.

Simultaneously, men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the city raided suspected hideouts of the sect at Biafra Bulabin, Kasuwan Shanu and GRA, killing two suspects and confiscating assorted weapons.

Twenty-six other suspects were arrested.

Later in the afternoon, sus-

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•Seven residents killed by unknown gunmen •Four Boko Haram members felled in clash •Residents scamper for lives •Confrontation with worshippers averted •51 suspects arrested Abiodun JOSEPH, Maiduguri pected members of Boko Haram allegedly attacked a patrol team of the JTF at Shehuri area of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. Two of the hoodlums were killed in the attack, which took place around 1 pm.

Spokesman for the task force, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, said his colleagues repelled the attack, gunning down two of the terrorists in the process.

As the exchange of gunshots raged, residents took to their heels. Soon, the streets were empty and commercial activities were paralysed.

Lt. Col. Musa said of the incident: “A JTF patrol vehicle was attacked at about 1300 hrs today (yesterday) in Shehuri General area by suspected Boko Haram terrorists, and the attack was resisted.

“The incident led to the killing of two Boko Haram terrorists. Two JTF personnel who were wounded are stable and are responding to treatment at UMTH. “Twenty-five suspects have so far been arrested in connection with the episode.

“Similarly, an improvised explosive device was detected by our own troops and detonated by the bomb disposal unit of the task force at Bulumkutu area, Maiduguri metropolis at about 1130 hrs.”

The JTF described the faceoff between its men and the worshippers as a minor misunderstanding.

It said: “There was a mild misunderstanding arising from impatience, compounded by lack of effective communication and respect to constituted authority between JTF personnel on a rescue mission

rushing to evacuate wounded and dead colleagues to University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital at about 1345 hours when they met some worshippers seated on the main road ready for the Friday congregational prayers at Maisaje Friday mosque, and requested them to give way for them to rush the injured and the dead to the hospital.

“The request was vehemently resisted with some worshippers using vociferous, uncouth language against security men on legitimate duty.

The soldiers exercised restraint amidst the surging crowd, as no shot was fired except that someone attempted to snatch a rifle from a policeman–a member of the team. No casualty was recorded and the timely intervention of JTF spokesman doused the tension.”

On the JTF raid, Musa said:

“Following intelligence report available to the Joint Task Force Operation Restore Order, special operations were conducted on Thursday 26 and early hours of Friday 27 July, 2012. The operation led to the arrest of 26 terrorists and the killing of two suspected Boko Haram terrorists at Biafra Bulabulin, Kasuwan Shanu and GRA in Maiduguri metropolis.

“Some of the suspects killed and arrested were responsible for the killing of two Indians, a cleric and several other killings in Maiduguri in the past.”

Musa said items recovered during the raid included two AK 47 Rifles, three AK 47 Magazines, 200 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition, a primed Improvised Explosive Device which was detonated by the Bomb Disposal Unit of the outfit, a large quantity of cutlasses, daggers and charms.

Also recovered at the hideout, according to Musa, were blood-stained clothes used during the killing of a cleric in Kasuwan Shanu, Maiduguri.

He disclosed that the items and suspects were in the custody of the JTF for further action.

Foundation awards scholarships to students in Ondo AS part of its strategic contribution to the development of Ondo State, Jacob Abiloye Foundation is awarding scholarships worth N1 million to 30 students of Ondo State origin in tertiary institutions across the country.

The beneficiaries of this year’s scholarship scheme were drawn from Akoko South East Local Government, comprising Ipe, Isua, Ifira, Sosan and Epinmi towns in the state.

The scholarship award ceremony scheduled to hold on August 28, 2012 at the Palace of Olupe of Ipe Land, Oba Francis Ola Apata. The scholarship award ceremony is one of the activities lined up to commemorate this year’s Ipe day.

Speaking on the annual scholarship award scheme, Mr. Abiloye Olutade Martins, Chairman, Mart Signature Ltd, said the scheme was instituted on behalf of Chief Jacob Abiloye, his father, community leader and philanthropist, who is committed to the welfare of Ondo people and the socioeconomic development of the

Dana plane crash: Obakpolor’s panel faults airline’s maintenance practice, NCAA’s surveillance

HE Technical and Administrative Review Panel set up by the Federal Government (FG) to investigate the June 3, 2012 Dana plane crash in Lagos yesterday turned in a damning verdict on the airline’s maintenance practices.

At least 153 passengers and crew members died in the crash.

The committee chairman, Air Commodore John Obakpolor (rtd), deplored the non-conformity of the airline’s technical log book to recommended standards.

Obakpolor spoke while presenting the committee’s report to Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah.

The committee recommended measures to check disasters in the industry and re-energise the sector.

He said: “At the end of its deliberations, the committee came up with 59 findings and 41 recommendations, in line with the terms of reference.

“The panel found that certain maintenance practices

by Dana Airline, particularly the use of Technical

•Recommends declaration of emergency in Aviation •Lists measures to check disasters Olugbenga ADANIKIN, Abuja Logbook were not in conformity with standard and recommended practices. It was also found that in some instances, the surveillance

by Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) inspectors on the airlines’ maintenance practices were below expectation.”

He blamed the lapses on insufficient manpower and training and urged the Federal Government to immediately declare a state of emergency in the aviation sector.

The committee also recommended a quick implementation of an Aviation Sector Emergency Programme (ASEP).

It said it is important for the NCAA to embark on continuous training and ensure that airline operators are placed under closer surveillance.

The Minister pledged to study and implement the report “appropriately and sincerely”.

She agreed a state of emergency was needed in the sector for complete transformation.

The minister lamented the state of infrastructure, stressing that she inherited poor and abandoned infrastructure in the aviation sector.

She said the report would serve as the first point of duty to realise the vision of transforming the aviation sector.

The committee recommended the following measures to save the industry from going under: ”The Federal Government should immediately declare an emergency in the aviation sector and commence implementation of the Aviation Safety Emergency Programme (ASEP) “To adequately perform their duties, it is important

that the NCAA inspectors should have continuous training to ensure that they have the qualification, operational or technical work experience compatible with the operations that they are required to certificate or inspect and that their qualification compares favourably with those of operators personnel they will encounter in their operation.

“NCAA should ensure that airline operators are put to closer surveillance. Maintenance actions carried out by operators, if not routine, should always be queried to establish what necessitated the maintenance action and ensure the continuous proper use of the technical logbook.

“The Federal Government should intensify efforts to complete the ongoing reconstruction and remodelling of the terminal buildings and structures, as well as construct new ones across

the country.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria should empower commercial banks to create a window for a long-term low interest funding for direct lending to aviation. The industry will require at least N500 billion for this purpose.

“An aircraft leasing company with an initial investment of $10 billion should be setup by the FG to acquire modern aircraft directly from major manufacturers and lease to qualified Nigerian air operators at preferential rates. This will help in the reduction of operating cost and improvement of efficiency and competitiveness. See the Chinese Model.

“Greater emphasis should be placed on proper and adequate maintenance of aircraft, rather than age restriction.

“The FG should review downwards, all taxes and charges relating to airline

operation. These includes: import tax or duties on aircraft and spare parts, stamp duty on aircraft purchase, lease agreement, withholding tax and VAT on aircraft lease.

“The FG should take appropriate measures to reduce cost of aviation fuel. This should include urgent resuscitation of local refineries.

“The FG should facilitate the formation of a local aviation insurance pool that is able to negotiate better rates in the international insurance market for Nigerian airlines so as to reduce insurance premium payable by domestic air operators.

“The FG should take urgent steps to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities capable of handling maintenance of various aircraft types operating in the country up to DCheck. In the interim, government should fast track the completion of the MRO facility at the Akwa International Airport, Uyo and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria.”

NEWS 6

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

PDP unprepared for Ogun LG polls, says ACN T HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ogun State declared yesterday that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should hold itself responsible for its failure in last weekend’s local government election in the state.

The ACN swept the polls to the chagrin of the PDP with its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, alleging rigging.

But responding to the PDP allegation, the Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Mr. Sola Lawal, said contrary to the opposition party’s claim, the ACN “won fair and square,” because, as he put it, “the ground for the PDP trouncing at the polls was already prepared by the mutually-destructive factional warlords in the Ogun State PDP unready to confront the ACN election war machine easily decipherable in the coordinated campaign led by Governor Ibikunle Amosun across the state.”

He told the PDP to “ desist from unhelpful search for excuses for failure in place of engaging in efforts to rebuild its thoroughly collapsed house.”

He added:”The Olisa Metuh ranting is only a lifeless roar-

ing of a caged lion devouring itself from within. One keeps wondering which of the PDP three factions in Ogun State he speaks for.

“The massive and grassroots campaign could not have resulted otherwise.

“Rather than point blind,

uninformed and patently laughable fingers, Metuh should have asked his wards in Ogun State where and if they embarked on serious campaign for the election.

“It is pretty clear that the PDP in Ogun State is yet to purge itself of archaic master-

servant relationship it enshrined, promoted and executed with the people of Ogun State for the eight years it trampled on them in the name of governance.

“Understandably, the PDP must have been shell shocked by the Ogun humiliation coming barely a week after its pummelling in Edo State by the ACN. It is, however, not enough reason to throw a wild accusation of theft.”

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From left: Former Chairman, Odua Investment Board, Sen Brimoh Yusuf; Group Managing Director, Mr Adebayo Jimoh; Chairman, Chief Sharafadeen Alli; Director representing Ogun State on the board, Alhaji Tajudeen Bello; and Iyalaje of Yorubaland, Chief Alaba Lawson, at the inauguration of Almond Court in Ibadan yesterday.

Sulaiman SALAWUDEEN, Ado Ekiti Grammar School, Ado-Ekiti (Ekiti Central) yesterday, Governor Kayode Fayemi said N600million of the N2.5billion would be spent on furniture for pupils and their teachers.

The governor said the renovation is part of his administration’s plans to restore order to Ekiti schools.

He explained that the exercise would take place in 100 of the 183 secondary schools in the state.

Fayemi assured that all 100

schools would be completed and delivered before the pupils resume for the 2012/2013 academic session in September.

Fayemi said the intervention programme is part of his administration’s plan to equip pupils with learning, enlightenment and enterprise that would enable them face the challenges of life more effectively.

The governor added that 30 secondary schools have been selected from each of the senatorial districts, based on the urgency of their condition.

He noted that effective learning can only take place

in a conducive environment.

Fayemi said: “Our resolve to ensure that this impacts on functional education is done under a conducive atmosphere, informed the Operation Renovation All Schools in Ekiti (ORASE), being flagged off today.

“Even though the first phase of this operation, involving 100 secondary schools is expected to be done within only seven weeks, we have in the rebuilding of the burnt hostel of Government Science College, Ayede-Ekiti, which was rebuilt, equipped with beds, and inaugurated within a few weeks.”

Ondo guber election: PDP alleges illegal voters’ HE Peoples Democratic posal that all registration acregistration by LP Party (PDP) in Ondo State tivities in this state by whatyesterday exposed an al-

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leged plot by the ruling Labour Party (LP) to rig the October governorship election in the state.

The PDP accused Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s party of conducting an illegal registration of voters at Government House,Akure with a view to giving it an undue advantage at the polls.

A similar exercise,he added, is ongoing in several government offices, including the Water Corporation headquarters, Akure and other parts of the state.

The PDP Chairman, Mr. Ebenezer Alabi, exposed the plot at a press conference in Akure. He showed reporters photographs and video clips of the said registration.

The state government, Mr Alabi said, procured 20 secured finger-print scanners, Model AET 63, at the rate of N265,569 per unit for the project. They were shipped into the country last month, he said.

Two Indian experts are alleged to have been invited by the state government to train local hands in the use of the scanners.

“It is a pity at a time when Nigeria is battling with the

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ENATOR Oluremi Tinubu has said the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) will take over Ondo State in the governorship election coming October.

She noted it was time for Ondo to witness real development being experienced by Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Edo, Ekiti and Osun states.

Senator Tinubu spoke yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, capital of Ekiti State, at the Ekiti Central Women Traders’ Empowerment Scheme programme organised by Senator Babafemi Ojudu at Adetiloye Hall, Trade Fair Complex, Ado-Ekiti.

Commending Senator Ojudu on a programme which she said would turn around lives of the women if well and judiciously implemented, Tinubu clarified that people should know that the senator like any other one today in Nigeria is not getting constituency allowances.

She said the obligation of executing constituency projects by Senator Ojudu “is met solely from monthly salaries and allowances acruing to him by virtue of being a senator of the Federal Republic and not because he is taking or had taken constituency allowances.”

She further said: “I want to say that no senator is today taking constituency allowances for constituency projects.

Project execution is a task of the executive arm of government and that is what it should be.”

Lagos CP, others for security seminar

Ekiti to spend N2.5b on schools’ renovation, furniture HE Ekiti State Govern ment will spend N2.5billion on the renovation of 100 schools and supply of 40,000 units of furniture in 16 local governments.

The exercise, which will be completed before primary and secondary school pupils resume from their summer holidays in seven weeks, is under Operation Renovate All Schools in Ekiti (ORASE).

Flagging off the first phase at the Methodist Comprehensive High School, Aaye Ekiti (Ekiti North); Corpus Christi College, Ilawe-Ekiti (Ekiti South) and Olaoluwa Muslim

ACN ‘ll take over Ondo in October — Senator Tinubu

Damisi OJO, Akure problem of insecurity and electoral malpractices that we could have a government at whatever level engaging in acts capable of breaching public peace and security, Mr. Alabi said.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the reasons why we consider the ongoing registration exercise in Ondo State illegal and therefore criminal are obvious. One, there is no announcement or publication on the exercise. “ Two, the locations are hidden and unpublicised. Three, the exercise is selective, not for everybody. Four, there are some details required which are only applicable to voter’s registration, but unnecessary for mere workers’ bio-data.

Five, it is INEC, not the Ondo State government that has responsibility for registration of voters.

“We were reliably informed that those involved in the conspiracy include some functionaries of the INEC in Ondo State, top officials of the LP and the INEC Voters’ Register for Ondo State through a method known as elimination by sub-

stitution.

“In other words, the intention is to use the exercise to delete the names of genuine voters and replace them with the fake voters being secretly registered now.

“It is also apposite to employ this medium to bring to your attention some activities of the state government in recent time that are calculated attempts to prevent a free and fair election in the state.

“These include: The so called Kaadi Igbe Ayo (registration of citizens according to wards, involving biometric data); collection and conversion of voters’ cards around the state, induced adoption of Dr. Mimiko for second term by the civil servants in the state; as well as the training, arming, kitting and patronizing of vigilance groups in the state for election rigging purpose.

“It is on record that the state government recently organized a three-day workshop, God-knows-what, for the group. We shall resist their involvement in whatever form in the forth-coming election.

“We call on members of the public to be vigilant. We say with all emphasis at our dis-

ever name called, involving biometric data and fingerprint machines particular at this sensitive period are all devices aimed at rigging the forthcoming gubernatorial poll.”

But, a top government source who preferred anoynomity claimed the registration was for civil servants, but refused to disclose its purpose.

All efforts to speak with the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state,Mr Akin Orebiyi, proved futile as his phone was switched off.

Church auditorium for inauguration

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HE Ark of Covenant Spiritual Church (Cherubim & Seraphim) Mount Olive Parish at Iyana Lusada Bus Stop, Atan, Ogun State, will inaugurate its church auditorium on Sunday, July 29.The time is 10.00 am.

Speaking on the event,the minister-in-charge,Prophet Micheal Ajisafe, said: ”Glory and honour belong to God for making the event possible. I am sure all that will attend the event will be richly blessed”

AGOS State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umaru Manko, and Chairman, Ojo Local Government, Hon. Yinka Durosinmi, are among the speakers at a security seminar, where subject of discussion will centre on terrorism, kidnapping, communal clashes, religious violence and other forms of criminality currently ravaging the country.

The security seminar with the theme, “Disaster Management/Grassroots Security Intelligence Network,” is billed to hold August 3 at Alaba International Market, Ojo, Lagos. It is being organised by an NGO, Preventive and Assistance Initiative in collaboration with Electrical Dealers’ Association of Nigeria (EDAN) as a private sector initiative to address the problems of insecurity and violence which have continued to pose serious threats to the nation's economic activities.

The organisers, in a statement signed by Mr. Felix Akpounonu, the Public Relations Officer to the EDAN, observed that security operatives in Nigeria have been over-stretched to a sensitive level by hoodlums and organised criminal groups, hence the purpose for organizing the seminar is to strengthen the operations of the security operatives, especially in our localities.

Other reasons adduced for the seminar include carrying out an advocacy campaign on security issues to the grassroots, mobilising the citizens for capacity building and provision of logistics that can help security apparatus to match the fragile insecurity situation in the country.

The organisers further noted that the levels of corruption and insecurity in the country are already assuming a disaster level, adding that without adequate provision of security, peaceful coexistence and meaningful development would be a mirage.

Osun signs N17.8b road contract agreement

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SUN State Govern ment has signed a N17.8 billion contract agreement with SAMMYA Construction Company Limited for the dualisation of the 45-kilometre Osogbo-IkirunKwara State boundary road.

The dualisation has been segmented into three of Osogbo-Dagbolu (International Market) to Alamisi Market in Ikirun (9.52 kilometres); Osogbo (Old Garage) to Ikirun junction road (20.5 kilometres) and Ikirun-Ila Odo- Kwara State boundary road (16.55 kilometres).

In signing the agreement on Thursday, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Transport, Engineer Oladepo Amuda, said that in line with the agreement, the project would be completed within 24 months, of which the work had already commenced.

He said that the project was not the usual direct contract award, but a contractor-financing transaction which came out of the confidence of the contractor in the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, saying that the money for the contract would be repaid across 36 months after the completion of the project.

A development financial institution, the Infrastructure Bank Plc (TIB) which is the Transaction Advisor, Fund Arranger and Financier of the project is working in conjunction with the construction company and other stakeholders to fund the project.

He further said: "The road will link the market hub at Dagbolu with a spur from the major road to the market and from there to Alamisi Market in Ikirun.

The major one will go from Old Garage and directly to Ikirun and to Kwara State boundary. The road is crossing rail lines in two locations and as a result, we are considering fly-over at the locations as part of the second phase of the project".

The Chairman, SAMMYA Construction Company Limited, Mr Sammy Adigun promised to meet up with the 24 months deadline for the project, saying that a lot of more hands are being employed to meet up, just as he noted that "we are segmenting the project into three and internally, we have three projects working concurrently".

NEWS

THE NATION, SATURDAY 28, JULY 2012

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APGA faults court order on Umeh

HE All Progressives Grand Alliance ( APGA), in Enugu State, yesterday, expressed concern over the interim injunction granted by the state high court on Thursday restraining its National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh from convoking the national, state or local government executive committee meeting of the party.

The party accused some officials of Anambra State Government of sponsoring some “dissidents” to cause trouble in the party.

The state Chief Judge, Justice Innocent Umezulike who granted the application for an interim injunction brought by a former member of the party in the state, Mr. Jude Okoli, also restrained the APGA National Chairman from expelling any member pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice fixed for Tuesday, July 31.

Reacting to the order of the court, the State Chairman of APGA, Mr. Okechukwu Nkoloagu, said that though the judiciary was the last hope of

Chris OJI, Enugu the masses, the court might have been misinformed to take the action because the said plaintiff was no longer a member of the party.

Nkoloagu said: “First and foremost, the so-called injunction by Jude Okoli vs Victor Umeh did not involve the party but they went ahead to restrain him from conducting the party’s affairs, so they should involve the party. How can they restrain the National Chairman from conducting the affairs of the party when the party was not included in the matter?

“I was wondering why the court honoured the suit because Chief Umeh, asthe National Chairman of APGA, is not contesting any land dispute with Jude Okoli. And Jude Okoli himself is an expelled member of APGA; he has no locus standi to go to court and begin to join issues with the National Chairman of a party he is not a member. So, be it as it may, we will go to court on Tuesday and by God’s grace we will vacate the order.”

Nkoloagu disclosed that Okoli was expelled by the party having been found culpable by a disciplinary committee which found that he

was working hand in hand with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to get the party’s vehicle,”so he was duly expelled.”

“Remember that some expelled members of the party in the state had gone to court earlier this year challenging my tenure of office and the matter was vacated on grounds of jurisdiction. So I was surprised when this case came up and was honoured.

“I believe that on Tuesday we will go to court and make a better presentation before the court and by God’s grace the court will uphold our argument,” the APGA chieftain

said.

He alleged that some officials of Anambra State Government were sponsoring some dissidents in Enugu State to cause problem in the party.

“Let me put the record straight, APGA is a one united family.

Last two weeks, we had our meeting at Abuja and all the 36 states’ chairmen and their secretaries were there. Over 22 members of NEC were in attendance, so there is nothing like faction in the party. It is just a creation of a group of dissidents who wanted to hijack the party but they will be dealth with according to the party’s constitution,” said Nkoloagu.

Police quiz activist over death of Oshiomhole’s aide Osagie OTABOR, Benin

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XECUTIVE Director of the AFrican Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Rev. David Ugolor was yesterday quizzed by security operatives over the murder of a private secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Olaitan Oyerinde.

He was whisked away by security operatives who stormed his office in a commando style.

Staff of the organization were locked inside the one- storey building while their handsets were allegedly seized.

When newsmen visited the office, a white colour Hilux pick-up van marked AG 837 SKN was stationed at the gate while two armed security operatives were at the door of the office.

Director of State Security Service (SSS) in Edo State, Bello Bakori said he was not aware of the arrest of ANEEJ director and the Police Public Relations Officer, Anthony Airhuoyo of the state Police Command also claimed not to be aware of the incident.

Police sources said Ugolor was quizzed over the death of Olaitan as he was the last person with the deceased a few hours before gunmen stormed his residence and shot him three times.

Four persons have been arrested in connection with the killing.

•Anambra Governor, Peter Obi, with some children at the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity School, Onitsha shortly after flagging off the distribution of educational materials by the Federal Government to the South-East... recently

Imo LG crisis: Chairmen shun meeting with Okorocha

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HE ongoing crisis between Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and elected council chairmen recently reinstated following the Appeal Court ruling, has taken a new dimension as the chairmen have shunned a meeting convened by the state government to seek an end to the impasse.

The 27 council chairmen yesterday boycotted the well-publicized meeting between them and the governor, to the astonishment of the state government.

The council chairmen who complained that they were not duly invited for the said meeting, said they were allegedly derogatorily referred to as PDP council chairmen instead of executive chairmen in a radio announcement.

According to them, “His Excellency is the governor of Imo State and not APGA governor and would take kindly to being referred to as the lat-

•Say: ‘We do not need his approval to resume work’ Okodili NDIDI, Owerri ter.”

A statement signed by the 27 reinstated council chairmen further read: “In the event of the governor intending to invite the elected Executive Chairmen of the local government councils to a meeting, we expect that such invitation must be in writing, specifying our official status, date, venue and time and most importantly, prior to such meeting, the governor must by himself direct all local government staff to resume their duties immediately under the democratically elected local government administration.”

Addressing a gathering at the boycotted meeting, the governor who had insisted that the status quo remained, pending the determination of the Supreme Court, directed the reinstated council

chairmen to resume work immediately.

Reacting, the spokesman of the council chairmen, Enyinnaya Onuegbu, a lawyer, said the council chairmen did not need the governor’s permission to resume duty as they were duly elected by the people and their mandate endorsed and certified by the law of the land.

According to Onuegbu, they were elected for a three years tenure and would serve out the full term of their tenure.

This move, according to the governor, is in the interest of peace, unity and stability of the state.

Okorocha, however, justified his reasons for sacking the council chairmen last year, saying that the elections that brought them into office were conducted in violation of an existing court injunc-

Edo police parade kidnap suspects

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IVE persons who allegedly threatened to kidnap and kill their victims have been arrested by men of the Edo State Police Command.

The suspected kidnappers paraded by the police yesterday included two brothers, Charles and Endurance Onah.

Charles told newsmen that

Osagie OTABOR, Benin he and his 16-year-old brother threatened to kidnap a man who he claimed sold sand to him and still owed him N3,500.

He said he ordered the man to send him N5,000 recharge card without disclosing his identity before they were ar-

Our error

The picture captioned Senate Leader Victor UdomaEgba on Page 38 of yesterday's edition is wrong. The caption should have read Senator Smart Adeyemi.

Error is regretted.

—Editor

rested Two other suspects, Andy George-Olufemi aged 32 and Godwin Otoro aged 25 were arrested at Suleija where they were to cash N18,000 paid into Godwin’s bank account by a victim.

George-Olufemi said he threatened to kidnap and kill a man he had worked for if he (the man) failed to pay N18, 000 into Godwin’s account.

Godwin said GeorgeOlufemi asked for his bank account but he didnt know what it was intended for and that he was arrested when he

was about to cash the money.

The last suspect, Nosa Onaghinor told newsmen that he called his victim and demanded for N200,000 or he would be kidnapped and killed.

He said his victim, whose name he gave as chima promised to send hirm N14,000 to appreciate him.He said they were arrested at the bank when he was about to cash the money.

State Police Spokesman, Anthony Airhuoyo told newmen that the suspects made confessional statements.

tion which restrained the exercise.

He maintained that in dissolving the councils, he had not breached the law and still remained a true democrat. He advised politicians using them to foment trouble in the state to desist forthwith.

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Academy trains youths

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AGNUS Film Academy, a sister company of Magnus Media & Entertainment, is set to embark on a four-week nationwide free training programme on film making to empower Nigerian youths willing to make a career in the film industry.

The project, with the theme, "Live Your Dream", is being packaged as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme by the company in conjunction with corporate establishments as co-sponsors as well as key career artists, film producers and film directors from the film making industry as facilitators.

At a media chat in Lagos to introduce the programme, the Chief Operating Officer of Magnus Media & Entertainment, Mr. Cyril Odenigbo, said “the project is designed to take Nigerian youths who have been facing challenges of unemployment off the streets and impart into them basic knowledge in film making, acting and directing which they can continue to build on as a career.”

Mr. Odenigbo explained that the project will take off in Enugu State where the programme slated for August 31 to September 29 will be conducted at Airport Valley Resort Hotel, Emene for at least 1,000 youths in all aspects of film production business.

Speaking on the profile of his company, Mr. Odenigbo, a former Chairman of the Association of Movie Practitioners, Nnewi chapter, and a film producer, said Magnus Media & Entertainment has a diverse business portfolio spanning music/movie productions, training on film making, corporate branding, modelling, talent and event management.

While calling on willing youths to register for the programme online through the company's official website, www.magnusfilmacademy.com Mr. Odenigbo said part of the motivation for the programme was the fact that the industry lacks formal training structures as most early callers into the industry grew through on-thejob training which does not make for good professionalism.

PUBLIC NOTICE This is to inform the general public that Mrs Oluwaseyi Elizabeth Ekundina, is no longer married to Mr Oluwaseun Elijah Ekundina.The marriage having be dissolved by a court of competent jurisdiction on 9th April 2009.Anyone transacting with her in that capacity does so at his/her own risk as Now: Mr Oluwaseun Elijah Ekundina-Ota accepts no responsibility.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY 28, JULY 2012

NEWS

Boko Haram: Northern govs set up committee on reconciliation

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HE Northern Governors are to set up a committee on Reconciliation, Healing and Security to address the prevailing security challenges in that part of the country.

The proposed committee will comprise eminent citizens from the zone to work on continuous basis as a team towards “mitigating the alarming rate of insecurity in the North.”

This is one of the decisions taken by the Forum at a meeting in Abuja late on Thursday night.

The meeting discussed at length the security challenge in the North and the common position of the region on the constitution amendment.

They were, however, not

•Say Nigeria not ripe for state police •Back retention of immunity clause, others Vincent IKUOMOLA, Abuja convinced by on-going agitations for the introduction of state police in the country.

Nigeria, in their view, is not yet ripe for state police, and therefore want the status quo to remain.

Eighteen of the 19 northern governors were at the meeting and resolved to oppose the introduction of state police all the way once the process for the amendment of the 1999 constitution commences.

But they want the police force reformed in such a way

that the states will be involved in the control and management of police affairs, especially police commissioners in the states.

The governors, in a communiqué at the end of their meeting, said: “The Forum is not in support of creation of state police.

“It, however, resolved to prevail on the Federal Government to embark on police reform that will assist the states in control and management of police affairs, and sound philosophy of modern policing by amending the provision of Section 215.”

The Section reads: “Subject to the provision of this sec-

tion, the governor of a state or such commissioner of the government of the state as he may authorise in that behalf may give to the commissioner of police of that state such law directions with respect to the maintenance and securing of public safety and public order within the state as he may consider necessary, and the Commissioner of Police shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with.”

They want Section 214 of the Constitution, which stipulates that such order from the governor must be sanctioned by the InspectorGeneral of Police, expunged.

SSS parades seven students over alleged abduction, possession of fake currency notes HE Kwara State Directorate of the State Security Service (DSS), yesterday paraded seven tertiary institution students in Ilorin, the state capital over alleged abduction and rape.

Other offences allegedly committed by the suspects include cultism and possession of fake currency notes.

The suspects are Abdulrasak Abubakar, Musa Sikirullahi; Kamaldeen Isiaka;

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Adekunle JIMOH, Ilorin Olanrewaju Lawal; Ibrahim Olanrewaju, Tunde Yusuf and Abdularaham Jimoh The state Director, DSS Williams Ologba told reporters shortly before parading the suspects that items recovered from them included cult masks, charms, locally made pistol, three different sizes of cutlasses, and N72, 000 fake currency notes in N500 denominations.

He added that the suspects were students of one of the state colleges of education, saying that “there was information that a female student of one of the colleges of education in the state was abducted and raped by four other people.”

Ologba, who said there was a resurgence of cult activities in the state, added that items displayed were recovered from the suspects during the raid of their hideouts.

He said two of the suspects allegedly raped one of their female colleagues, adding that the culprits who were arrested, subsequently named other members involved in the crime.

Mr. Ologba who said investigations had revealed that cult members have declared every July as their month of cult activities, appealed to members of the public to expose suspected cult members in their communities as part of measures to keep them out of the society.

His words: “It has become necessary to invite you because of the recent development in the state. Not too long ago, we had incidents of cult activities where two cult members were killed and one of them was beheaded.

We were made to understand that the beheading was to hide the identity of the victim. The state government had taken resolute measures to check further occurrence.

“There was information that some students of one of the colleges of education in the state was abducted and raped by four other people. In the course of the investigation, the culprits were arrested and other members of the gang were arrested.

In the course of our search, these items were found. Seven people were arrested.

“They were arrested in connection with abduction, rape and cult activities. Their arrest followed the cooperation of others. If the victims had not reported, it could have been difficult for us to make these arrests.

“We are urging members of the public to help us get the perpetrator so that we can take measures to protect the society and take the culprits to where they can be reformed to rejoin the society after reformation.

The Northern governors also threw their weight behind the retention of immunity clause as enshrined in Section 308(3).

On the tenure for president and governors, they said extant provision of the Constitution “that provides for two terms of four years for president and governors be maintained.”

The governors were also against the incorporation of the six geo-political zones in the constitution, although they accepted the arrangement as an essential tool to address political exigencies.

Besides, they want the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to remain one as against calls that it be separated.

The governors, however, want the office of AccountantGeneral of the Federation split.

One is the office of Accountant General of the Government of the Federation saddled with the responsibility of handling accounts of the Federal Government only and the other, a new one, office of Comptroller of the Federation to handle revenue

accruing to the Federation Account.

The governors asked for a fresh look at the issue of onshore and offshore dichotomy.

On judiciary, the governors said that the number of justices of the Supreme Court be limited to 12 while the National Assembly could determine the number of judges in the Court of Appeal.

They kicked against National Minimum Wage and said each state should be allowed to determine what it could pay its workers.

The governors said they do not want any constitutional role assigned to traditional rulers and that the current local government administration should be retained.

The governors also want an end to Federal Government monopoly of electricity generation and the states be allowed to generate and distribute power if they wish.

They plan to meet with Speakers of their Assemblies for further deliberation on all the issues while they constituted a technical committee to study the Petroleum Industry Bill and advise them accordingly.

Sokoto hospitals, varsity get Islamic foundation doctors, lecturers

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VERWHELMED by the robust commitment to the educational and healthcare development services by the Sokoto State government to its people, the World Muslim League, through its International Islamic Foundation for the Development of Education in Nigeria (Rabidah) is to provide the Murtala Muhammed General Hospital and the Orthopaedic Hospital, Wamakko both in Sokoto State with free medical doctors.

Similarly, the Rabidah foundation has undertaken to provide the newly established Sokoto State University with free Science and Technology lecturers from across the world.

Briefing newsmen yesterday in Sokoto, the state Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Professor Musa Garba Maitafsir said the Foundation would take care of the remuneration and all other allowances and fringe benefits of the experts.

Maitafsir explained that the development was as a result of a visit by a team of senior officers of the Foundation to the state, adding: “They were taken round and were impressed with the Almajiri sys-

Adamu SULEIMAN, Sokoto tem of education and other educational and health developments in the state.”

The organisation, a subsidiary body of UNESCO and the highest Islamic organisation which activities are carried out across the globe has also presentedGovernor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State with its Foundation’s prestigious Membership seat.

According to Maitafsir, “by Wamakko’s appointment, the Sokoto State governor is the second personality to occupy the seat after the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello.

“The governor is free to be in Saudi Arabia as a special visitor to the government with automatic membership on any event on Islam,” the Commissioner added.

According to Maitafsir, the body has listed Sokoto State, for the establishment of its international office in Africa and another in Europe with state of the art facilities.

He disclosed that the state has also been scheduled to host the foundation’s International Conference of Muslim League which will draw attendance of muslim leaders from across the globe.

Queen declares London Olympic Games open

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HE Queen declared opened the Olympic Games for the second time in her 60-year reign after a spectacular ceremony on Friday night that lived up to its billing.

Director Danny Boyle's £27m production kicked-off London 2012 with imagination, style and a very British sense of humour. At its heart was a show-stealing performance by the Queen who made her movie acting debut alongside James Bond star Daniel Craig.

In a comedy sketch filmed in advance, Craig arrives at Buckingham Palace in a dinner jacket, striding past the corgis towards the royal study.

"Good evening Mr Bond," says the Queen before they board a helicopter which takes them to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford.

On their arrival the 'monarch' and '007' are seen skydiving from the chopper into the arena - much to the delight of the actual crowd.

Seconds later the real Queen and Prince Philip

received a standing ovation as they took their places in the Olympic Stadium in Stratford accompanied by Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Entitled Isles of Wonder, the opening ceremony was devised by Oscar-winning Boyle with the aim of celebrating all things British and charting the nation's history.

It started with the ringing of a giant bell by cycling hero Bradley Wiggins, who last weekend became the first Briton to win the Tour de France. The stadium was then turned into a green and pleasant land with hills, a cottage and people enjoying an idyllic version of British life.

Animals including 12 horses, three cows, two goats, 10 chickens, 10 ducks, nine geese, 70 sheep and three sheep dogs also appeared in these opening scenes. The peace was shattered as the age of industry sprouted from the ground with loud banging.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

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HE London 2012 Olympics started in London yesterday and the euphoria and competitive spirit that the Olympics represent have been on display immediately. While war such as the one going on in Syria is politics by violent means, the Olympics is politics through peaceful sporting competition characterized by mutual understanding emanating from friendship, solidarity and fairness.

This was the hall mark of the Olympic Charter established by Baron Pierre de Coubartin the founder of the modern Olympics.

That spirit has already been put to an unexpected test from an even most unexpected source and the challenge has been sternly and quickly removed in the interest of well acclaimed Olympian values and well grounded ethos.

The Greek Olympic Committee has sent home Greek female athlete Voula Papachristou for her racist tweet or remarks about black immigrants in Greece and her unabashed support for a political leader with well known racist tendencies in Greece. Again, the Greek Olympic Committee has shown that there is no room for discrimination in sports and especially in the Olympics which started in the Greek capital of Athens ages ago.

Indeed the Greek sporting authorities and the government battling Greece’s well known debt -ridden and pauperized economy , have risen up to the challenge of putting down the rising trend in their nation of racism, on the pretence and excuse that immigrants are the source of Greece’s economic woes and high sovereign debts. The Greeks have shown that while they may be down materially and economically they are not bankrupt in terms of Olympian values and principles and that is why they have shown their errant athlete the way out in the true spirit of the Olympics.

Really, the Olympic Spirit to me is akin to the Christmas spirit of joy and goodwill to all men and that is the way I want to discuss the topic of today. I have already explained the Olympic spirit. Politics for our purpose here can be described as who gets what, when and how. Se-

The olympic spirit, politics and security curity in simple parlance is the safety of life and property and in this regard we are talking of the safety of the participants at the London 2012 Olympics which this time around is the responsibility of Her Majesty’s Government of Great Britain.

In a world in which terrorism holds sway like a wicked behemoth and hydra headed monster, Britain itself will be the first to affirm that it has enough enemies globally with ample malice to want to mess up British security and intelligence services by putting spanner in the works and blowing up one or two sites with athletes at this London Olympics.

Of course no one can ever forget the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972. Just as history will never also forget Adolf Hitler’s anger and walk out at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin three years before the start of the Second World War, when Jesse Owen a black American won three gold medals. This was a slap in the face for Hitler’s Nazi party ideology of the supremacy of the Aryan race with white color and blond hair.

Which just shows the rich history of the Olympics in terms of politics and security concerns and I daresay the London 2012 will definitely not be an exception. I say that however with a sense of responsibility and great respect for the capabilities and pedigree of the British security apparatus and their devotion to their duties.

I say that to give support to the Nigerian contingent to the Olympics led NOC Chairman Sanni Ndanusa and Team Nigeria by Captain Chika Chukumerije and assisted by our Queen of the tracks the fleetfooted Blessing Okagbare on whose graceful sprinting millions of Nigerians pin their hope for a gold medal. I am stressing this to show the world that even though

Boko Haram has given Nigeria a bad name for terrorism and burning and bombing of churches Nigeria still has young men and women with patriotic zeal and passion in the London 2012 Olympics; and indeed our athletes can put behind security fears such as Boko Haram or Independence Day bombings and really go for gold in all their events in the London Olympics.

This again is because of the recent security feat or pedigree of the British Security apparatus in having recently, a national royal wedding with street parties without any security breach and topping that with a Diamond Jubilee celebration for the British Monarch Queen Elizabeth 11. Aside from security steadfastness and efficiency, the British also know how to reward their heroes especially when petty leaders want to humiliate them or downplay their importance.

That is what Lord Sebastan Coe the boss of London Olympics2012 has done in naming soccer star David Beckham, the British Olympic ambassador after Stuart Pearce the Team Britain soccer coach has left the former United star out of his team to everyone’s surprise.

Nigerian athletes can take a cue from this - that millions of Nigerians will adore them, forever, if they bring Olympic medals from the London 2012 Olympics just like the

British sporting fans have never been able to forget the soccer feats, charisma and patriotism of David Beckham and regard him as the positive face of their society in sport at least.

This is not to say that there can not be any serious security challenge at the London 2012 Olympics as God Almighty is the Ultimate Security Provider. What I am saying is that the British have learnt not to be cowed or castrated by the prospects of terrorism and terrorists. Indeed terrorist tremble at the capabilities of the British Security apparatus. Yet the British have deemed it fit to bring US Security experts to Heathrow Airport for the London Olympics which shows that the British are not complacent or resting on their oars but are open to new ideas to promote the security at this Olympics.

Down playing publicity for terrorists seem to be working in Britain and it is in this regard that I commend the attitude of the people of Colorado in the US where a Ph D dropout in Neuroscience recently gunned down 12 people and wounded about 50 at the premiere of a Batman film. The people of the town decided according to reports not to mention the name of the gunman but to refer to him as just ‘Suspect A ‘thus denying him the publicity that drive such terrorists or lunatics to their nefarious and

bloody activities. After the mad shooting President Barak Obama and his opponent for the next presidential elections were asked to discuss the issue of gun ownership in the US by Mayor Bloomberg of New York.

But given the powerful gun ownership lobby and its electoral value to either candidate they have both skirted the issue and simply condemned the killings which they said no one can prevent. Obama indeed stressed that guns should not be allowed to get into the hands of lunatics and criminals and that the issue of gun ownership should be resolved in a common sense manner – whatever that means.

Going back to the Olympics let me end by paying tribute to its competitive spirit which is in competing but not necessarily winning.

We know some consider that as obsolete but really aim to win. This should however not be at all costs as in doping , which the NOC condemns squarely and is on the alert for infringements at any point in time. But Shakespeare’s Henry V captures the mood of the athletes at the London 2012 Olympics with this disjointed quotation which really was a charge by Henry V to his outnumbered troops on the eve of the Battle of Agincourt with the French – ‘Dishonor not your mothers he said; Now attest that those whom ye called fathers did beget you; Be copy now to men of lesser blood and teach them how to war; I see you stand like greyhounds on the leash straining upon the start; the game is afoot follow your spirit……‘ Which in a way is an appeal for patriotic zeal and pride in the competitive spirit and strength which is really politics without violence.

Surely such sentiments are the currency of operations among the various national delegations in the Olympic Village at the London 2012 Olympics and that really is what the Olympics again is all about .I therefore pray we all enjoy the great spectacles of the London 2012 Olympic competitions safely , peacefully and without any hitch whatsoever, where so ever in our sporting global village .Amen.

10 COMMENTARY

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

A constitutional role for the First Lady agree more ‘ I cannot with her. If her W

ITH the open inauguration of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, as a permanent secretary in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State penultimate Friday, renowned maritime lawyer, Olisa Agbakoba, and others who had doubted the veracity of her appointment can now swallow their doubts.

Asked for his comment when the news broke that the First Lady had been appointed a permanent secretary, Agbakoba had laughed it off as a joke, saying it was too absurd to be true. But given the First Lady’s vocal assertions in her post-inauguration chat with journalists, I am certain that Agbakoba and his ilk are now convinced that both the appointment and its acceptance are eminently justified by her frustrations as a First Lady without a constitutional role.

I had always felt it was an omission on the part of the eggheads who drafted our constitution not to have assigned a role to a “staeswoman” of the status of the President’s wife. But I did not appreciate how gravely they erred until those venomous outbursts of the First Lady on television moments after she was sworn in by Governor Seriake Dickson. The mother of the nation said she could not understand the basis for the criticism that had trailed her appointment when elsewhere in the world, presidents’ wives function as ministers. Why then, she wondered, did the drafters of the 1999 Constitution not think it wise to assign a role

to the wife of the President, so that when she leaves office, she can also enjoy retirement benefits like her husband?

Hear her: “We, the wives of political office holders, if our names are not in the Constitution and our husbands retire with benefits, the constitution amendment should also look into the issue of wives of political appointees. We should be included in the Constitution so that we too can retire with benefits. With that, we can enjoy our career.

When it suits them, they will say we don’t have office... My name is not in the Constitution that I have no office. Why now won’t I pursue my career that I am sure of?”

I cannot agree more with her. If her husband is the head, she, being the neck, should necessarily be where her husband is.

After all, the Bible instructs that whatever God has joined together, no one should put asunder. Besides, I cannot stop imagining the vast and rapid progress we would make as a nation if our first ladies at federal and state levels double as vice president and deputy governors. In that wise, critical state decisions would be made in the quiet ambience of the bedroom, completely devoid of the distractions that usually occasion the noisy debates on such issues.

It is disappointing really that we are still talking about assigning a role to the First Lady in the Constitution many years after the exploits of the late former Nigerian First Lady, Mrs Mariam Babangida, who will always be credited with giving the office the visibility it enjoys today. Only mischievous adult Nigerians will claim to have forgotten the Mida’s touch with which the former First Lady instantly transformed the miserable lives of rural Nigerian women with her famous Better Life for Rural Women programme. Barely two years after she initiated the programme, the dividing line between rural women and their city

husband is the head, she, being the neck, should necessarily be where her husband is.

After all, the Bible instructs that whatever God has joined together, no one should put asunder

’

counterparts became so thin that one would require a microscope to notice it. The rural women became as sophisticated as beauty queens, spotting expensive jewellery, highheeled shoes, exotic glasses and head gears that threatened to touch the sky.

So successful was the programme that by the time Maryam stepped aside with her husband in the wake of the political crisis generated by the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, it was impossible to find a single poor rural woman even in Koma, the cavernous Adamawa State settlement where their women previously wore no clothes. Unfortunately, successive first ladies after Babangida neglected this allimportant instrument of national redemption with the consequence that rural

women have since returned in their millions.

Mercifully, Dame Patience Jonathan appeared on the scene about three years ago and has since shown the kind of promise Maryam Babangida showed, with the Nigerian widow as the cornerstone of her own redemptive efforts. So much is the passion she wields for this class of unfortunate Nigerians that she once addressed them as “fellow widows”. One can then imagine the vast contribution she would make to the nation’s development with the backing of the Constitution.

It is added advantage that we have a President who is not favourably disposed to polygamy. A reliable source even said his matrimonial configuration does not leave any room for the practice. So as the vice president, the Dame will suffer none of the distractions caused by polygamy. But even if we have another Obasanjo as our president, with a first lady and two or three supporting wives, the task of appointing a cabinet will only become less rancorous. One of the four wives the President chooses will become the first lady/vice president, while the three others become ministers, special assistants or special advisers. And if the future president can muster enough as much courage as Masaba, the super polygamist in Minna, Niger State, the better for the nation. It means the President can conveniently fill all the cabinet positions and still have two or three sets of potential cabinet members on the reserve list.

In the mean time, Dame Patience Jonathan richly deserves to be vice president. With his gentle mien, it should not be difficult to persuade Architect Namadi Sambo to step down for her boss’ wife. In that case, we may not even need to go through the rigours of constitution amendment to get her a constitutional role.

See reactions to this column on Page 22

As our kleptomaniacs breed their ilk… Knucklehead

More tenacious than blood-sucking vampires, their beaks and claws are thrust deep into the veins of our economy and they will not let go until the victim falls. With the scale at which this nation’s economy is being sucked dry by the incorrigible kleptomaniacs in the system, it is becoming inevitable that some sort of rules of engagement on corruption would have to be developed in order to save the country from slipping into permanent paralysis. If we must accept grand larceny as a state policy as some persons have suggested, we must, at least, have the shame to do it with some modicum of dignity. Evidently, that is lacking in the way and manner our elites struggle to lay filthy hands on, and perpetuate their unwholesome grip on the national patrimony. Those who truly crave an insight into how deep we have sunk should take time to read Prof. Niyi Osundare’s paper titled “Why we no longer blush.” Right under our own very eyes, corruption is gradually becoming a virtue such that most Nigerians simple simply cannot understand why anyone should be castigated for his ‘good luck’ of grabbing a huge chunk of the ‘national cake.’

In the past, those who preside over our collective till seemed to be content with grabbing a few millions for themselves and family members. Today, the methodology has changed. It is as if all those in the rat race at the top are perpetually struggling to keep the looting privilege within the family. The trend is simple - A man works his way into an influential position, he creams off billions of Naira illegally from the system, influences the appointment of his wife into one lucrative board or the other and then positions his children as briefcase business persons who rake billions as profits without lifting any finger. While the people wallow in poverty, these fake ‘oil magnates’ and rent-seeking contractors continue to feed on the blood of others. Because we hardly ask questions about how they came into sudden wealth, they become money-drunk and snigger at our poverty-stricken faces. They laugh at our collective ignorance.

Some months back, we could have sworn that they ‘made’ their billions through entrepreneurial innovations - strategic planning, hard work and a bit of luck. Now, we know better. We now know that the motionless movement of the nation’s economy is not just about ‘budget padding’ by an avaricious legislature and fitful implementation by a lethargic but equally rapacious executive. Our problem is deeper than the obvious and the scarification across the veins of our economy and public treasury will endure long enough to horrify coming generations. Quite a number of the persons in positions of leadership are too far gone in their fixation on looting that they just can’t see any other way to ‘rule’ or kill us softly. They steal without any shred of shame. No scruples whatsoever and no prickling of a deadened conscience. It is called blind looting. We have it in such abundance in our governance system that some angry patriots have been tempted to describe our system of government under both our military and civilian kleptocrats as nothing but a mere kleptocracy.

Take, for example, the shocking revelations about how some briefcase businessmen neatly creamed off almost N400bn fuel subsidy funds without any evidence of importing a single litre of Premium Motor Spirit into the country!

Such malfeasance, I hasten to say, can only take place in an environment where due process is treated as an exception rather than the norm. At the heart of this crime against humanity is mind-numbing, destructive corruption.

According to the report, which was submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday, 21 firms were indicted for making N382bn fraudulent claims from the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), a body saddled with the responsibility of painstakingly verifying such claims before authorising payments. With few exceptions, official connivance in such jumbo corruption schemes remains a public secret. To explain how a moderate budgetary allocation of about N350bn shot up to N1.7 trillion in 2011, the Presidential Committee on Verification and Reconciliation of Fuel Subsidy Payment chaired by seasoned banker, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, detected several cases of overpayment, irregular payment, fraudulent duplication of documents and issuance of short-time certificates. However, it was not surprising that the committee not only recommended criminal investigation and prosecution of culprits but also further interrogation of “the external auditors and any government functionaries who served to determine the roles, if any, in the issues that were discussed.” Clearly, corruption has no better poster than this!

As fate would have it, the Aig-Imoukhuede fuel subsidy theft report was submitted on the day the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) made good its promise to prosecute those found culpable in the fuel subsidy scam as investigated by the Ad-hoc committee of the House of Representatives formerly chaired by now-embattled Mr. Farouk Lawan. Snippets from the EFCC statement indicated that the ‘settlement culture” in high places was carried a notch higher with the sons of the rich and highly connected brazenly receiving payments running into hundreds of millions of Naira without lifting any fuel. In all, N13, 403, 504, 083 was lost to the fraud that allegedly involved the sons of two chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party. As if to underscore the significance of official endorsement in the prevailing culture of impunity, the criminal acts were carried out under the watch of an erstwhile chairman of the self-adulating ‘greatest party in Africa’. As chairman of PPPRA, he supervised the flagrant and classical betrayal of public trust.

Now add that to the millions of barrels of crude stolen in Nigeria daily and billions of dollars lost annually to illegal bunkering over the past few years and you will understand why the country is in dire straits. Multi-billion Naira pilfering of crude oil had never been worse than what the current administration treats with kid gloves. In just one year, it has been alleged that about one trillion Naira had been lost to sundry fraudulent practices in the fuel subsidy regime right under the noses of government officials who are heavily paid to check the rot. Not even the government is sure of how

With

Yomi Odunuga E-mail:yomi.odunuga @thenationonlineng.net SMS only: 07028006913 much the country loses daily to crude oil theft and neither has anyone been able to tame the powerful cabal behind it. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s accounts are not any better when it comes to verifying what should accrue to the federal purse from oil crude sales. The operational manual is twisted to suit the whim of some fellows in high places. The looting is endless. The rich keep helping the rich to loot more.

That is our tragic story.

Is there an end in sight to the looting spree especially with the promise by the present administration to punish oil thieves? Like most citizens, I have my doubts. Without any prejudice to how this matter would be handled in the court, the Nigerian judiciary does not give citizens much confidence about a capability to rise above the shenanigans going on. It is part of the systemic corruption that has grounded the nation.

Oftentimes, the rich always get a slap-on-the-wrist judgment for milking us dry. The poor gets maximum punishment in accordance with our laws. Like someone puts it, our laws not only pamper pen robbers, it is too soft on them. That is why it is easy for one successful looter to transfer the egregious official contacts and the dubious craft of looting to close family members as it is evident in the unfolding drama in the oil sector.

The entire case against fuel subsidy magicians may soon fizzle out. In this land of abracadabra, the nation witnessed how the judicial inquiry into the ‘killing’ of the Federal Superphosphate Fertilizer Company (FSFC) in Kaduna in year 2000 ended in spite of the astonishing revelations of how millions of naira were siphoned illegally by some persons (See the story titled “Panel invites Idika Kalu over payment of N201 million” in the Guardian of February 7, 2000). Just the way it started, all talks about the official report of the Justice Ekundayo panel’s work and the likelihood of punishing powerful barons behind FSFC’s fate disappeared from the headlines. The present fury over what some have dubbed the trial of the oil thieves may just take the back seat in few weeks time. All it takes is for someone to commit yet another monumental fraud and the focus shifts to that issue. That is our fear and it is real!

Yet, whichever way we look at it, there must be an end to this madness that has impoverished millions of souls. We just can’t go on like this forever. Will they apply the brakes now or will the impunity continue until corruption kills us all?

Makoko...

The end Residents lament as Lagos demolishes slum community

THRILLER / 19-21

I'm not an ex-militant, I'm a militant tal and -Environmenact ivist human rights Annkio Briggs at 60

LIFE & STYLE/ 41

SCREEN/ 21

‘Strange way I landed in Nollywood’

Weekend

PEOPLE THE NATION, Saturday, JULY 28, 2012

n e k a t e v I’ t h g i l p y m l l i w e h t as of God Man who lost wife, seven children to Jos floods

Relat io

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11

THE NATION, Saturday, July 28, 2012

12

Jos

flood victims count losses ature could not be any crueler than it was last Sunday when the sky opened its reservoir and literally emptied its entire content on the Muslim community in Jos, Plateau State.

This was just when the city was still smarting from the mass killings of nearly 200 people including a senator and a member of the state House of Assembly during a burial ceremony.

Seven communities including Alikazaure, Rikkos, Gangeri, Conner Shagari, Angwa Rogo, Sarkin Mangu, Nassarawa all in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State Jos were in fasting mood. As with the annual ritual, they had waited for the commencement of the Ramadan month with all the temperance that often highlights such solemn season. They bore no inkling of a looming disaster.

But four days into the Ramadan fasting which began proper on July 19th, a disaster of incalculable and unprecedented proportion struck and punctuated the usual countdown to the end of the fasting by the Muslim Umma.

On the fourth day, heavens’ tears were let loose and wrecking

N

I Yusufu Aminu IDEGU Jos I unkindest havoc on humans and property in the seven Muslim communities. They were submerged in flood waters.

The rain had stolen in like a thief at night, lasting for about three hours. By the time the pounding was over, desolation etched visibly on the faces of lucky survivor wailing for their loved ones ‘swallowed’ up by the ravaging flood waters.

The residents of the seven communities were jolted from their sleep by the night rain with no one available to offer a hand of rescue for the victims. At the end of the deluge, all people could do was to gather bodies of their drowned victims. 39 bodies were assembled before the break of dawn with about ten recovered the next day.

Some families were lucky to fish out bodies of their relatives while others were no quite lucky, as they could not find their missing relations. About 60 members of the communities were missing after the flood. The search is still ongoing.

As families count their losses, the loss in property became immaterial. The major concern was the human losses. From the

•Volunteered rescue team searching for bodies in the Dilimi river after the incident

•Dr Khalid Usman Imam who lost five family members in the flood

•Recovered items

distraught faces of victims’ families, you could tell which family or household was worst hit.

Rikkos and Gangeri recorded the worst human casualties. In these two areas were householders who lost five to seven of their family members.

Here, the case of Alhaji Abdulhameed Huseini came to mind. He lost all his seven children and his wife.

You might think Alhaji Huseini will opt for suicide, hear him, “This is the work of Allah, he gives life and takes it when it pleases Him, we as parents are only caretakers of our children, the owner is Almighty Allah and He can take them anytime” On how it all happened, he said: “We were not prepared for the disaster, my wife and I had discussed the Ramadan fasting and the time she would wake up to prepare the meal for breaking the fast the next morning. The belief in Islam is when you are going to bed at the end of each day, whatever you plan to do the next day, you will conclude by saying, ‘I will do those things if Allah wakes me up tomorrow, or you will say if Allah takes me to the next day’ He continued: “So if you wake up the next day, you give thanks to Allah, but if you do not wake up the next day, you still have to thank Allah. That was exactly what happened to me. I am

missing them (wife and children) because we had lived together for years and now I can’t see them any longer. But because I believe in the fact that all lives belong to Allah, I also believe the life of my wife and children belong to Allah. I’m not disturbed except if I want to question Allah, but who am I to question him?

“There is no need narrating what happened, it is flood disaster, they all died and death is a cap on everyone’s head.”

Also in Tudun Talakawa of Rikkos, Dr Khalid Usman Imam lost five children in the threehour rain. Even though the loss could be painful, Dr. Usman, however, found consolation in the fact that his wife and children died during the Holy month of Ramadan. He quipped: “How my wife and children died does not matter to me, my consolation is that they died in the Holy month of Ramadan. As a believer in Islam, there is no better time to die that in the Holy month.”

In Gangeri, a 15 year-old boy, Faisa Kabiru, was the only surviving son of a family of five, his mother, father and three brothers gone with the flood. He is currently living in a displaced people’s camp in bewilderment.

Faisa told “The Nation on Saturday”: “My mother and father were sleeping in one room; my two younger brothers and I were sleeping in another room. I was outside playing with my

friends earlier, but it was the rain that forced us to bed. While it was raining, I had already slept off. After a while, my father came to wake me up that water was coming into the rooms, we opened the door to run out but the water had filled everywhere.

As soon as we opened the door, more water rushed in and we were contemplating whether to remain in the room or to go out.

Before we knew it, the wall of the house started crumbling and the house was about to fall on us, so we had no option than to go out and that was all. My mother was not feeling fine before the incident. That was why she could not survive it. For me, I don’t even know how I escaped the flood. At first I thought I was dreaming.”

“The Nation on Saturday” gathered some corpses were traced to Bauchi State. Public Relations Officer of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) Plateau State chapter, Farouk Umar Musa said: “So far, we have recovered and buried 30 victims as at Monday, but just this morning (Tuesday), four bodies recovered by the rescue team have been brought to the central mosque for burial.

“Generally the toll is rising; we have received information that in some Bauchi villages, some corpses floating in the river were recovered by sympathizers and those bodies we are suspecting may have been carried by the

THE NATION, Saturday, July 28, 2012

13 •Recued household items from the flood

•Search for the bodies of the victims in the rubbles

•NEMA officials off-loading relief materials from a truck at Gangeri camp

flood water across the Jos boundaries because the river channels run through Bauchi State as well.

“So the figure at the end of the day will be far above what we are quoting now, we have formed volunteer rescue team that are digging the to recover bodies buried in sands by the water,” said JNI. Alhaji Sabo Shuaibu of the JNI also confirmed that the wife of the man who lost his seven children and wife to the flood had been recovered last Tuesda. Bodies of his six children were recovered earlier on Monday.

According to Alhaji Shuaibu, “We have identified 320 residential houses washed away in the flood, we have 1,185 Muslims displaced and are currently in two main camps, the camp in secondary school Gangeri accommodates 750 people and the camp in Rikkos has 431 people.”

He said NEMA had responded promptly to assist the people but “we can’t depend on NEMA alone, we need the state government to also provide items that will solve the immediate need of the displaced persons.”

The PRO of JNI also said: “There are eleven injured ones currently receiving treatment at various hospitals in the state.

There is cholera outbreak at the two camps and there are fears the outbreak may spread if

•Abdulsalam Muhammed leader of NEMA team

government did not act fast.”

A medical team of the Federation of Muslim Women of Nigeria, Plateau State chapter, also confirmed the cholera outbreak at the camps. Leader of the medical team, Tawa Abdulrahaman, a medical laboratory scientist said: “There are 65 cases of cholera recorded so far and we have referred them to our clinic for treatment. We are still around monitoring so as to attend to any other cases available, we are monitoring closely so as to avoid its spread.”

According to Tawa, “the cholera which is affecting mostly children may have been as a result of contact with contaminated water in the course of swimming in the flood, most of them must have swallowed contaminated water before they

were rescued.”

It was also gathered that the flood water swept away more residential houses in Ali Kazaure.

But there was no life lost in Ali kazaure as experienced in Gangeri, Rikkos, Tudun Talakawa etc.

The Plateau State government delegation led by the state Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development, Alhaji Ibrahim Idih Waziri visited the leadership of the Muslim community at the Jos Central Mosque which also serves as the state JNI secretariat.

The government delegation visited the scene of flood and also visited the displaced people taking refuge at College of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Rikkos as well as those in secondary school Gangeri.

Alhaji Waziri told the Muslim leaders at the Jos central mosque that he was asked by Governor Jonah Jang to lead the delegation to condole the Muslim Umma. He said: “Governor Jang is deeply saddened by the disaster which has caused so much loss of lives.

The governor is so worried as the disaster occurred when the Muslims had stepped into the Ramadan period, and he has asked me to extend his condolence to all the families that lost loved one in the flood.

“Gov Jang has also directed the state relief committee to commence intervention program immediately so as to alleviate the

suffering of displaced persons.

The Governor would have been here personally to pay his condolence but he could not come because he is hosting the Federal Government officials who are already in Jos for the burial of late Senator Gyang Dantong.”

In his remarks, Chairman of the state council of Ulama and the Chief Imam of Jos Central Mosque, Sheikh Balarabe Dawud said: “We are appreciative of the gesture of the governor to send this delegation in spite of his obvious engagement in the burial program.”

“Our appeal to the governor is for him to assist victims the way he can as doing so will give everyone a sense of belonging in the state.

The chief imam used the opportunity to disabuse the minds of Christians in the state that Muslims in Jos are planning to Islamize the state. He said: “We should use this opportunity to say it loud and clear that the Muslim community has no plan to islamize Plateau State. We also want to express our regret that the minds of youths in Plateau State has been poisoned with such insinuation, which has led to Christian youths to make their Muslim counterpart their enemies.

“Such erroneous belief will not help us achieve the peace we desire in this state. We on our own are ready to work with the state governor in find lasting peace to the state. We will also want to convey our condolence to the governor and Christian community over the death of Hon. Gyang Fulani and Senator Gyang Dantong.”

A victim, Musa Halilu, taking refuge in Rikkos camp said: “I have never witness this kind of disaster in my life. I have lost my seven room apartment to the flood. I was sleeping along with my family when the incident occurred. The rain scattered my nine children as we all ran in different direction trying to get out of the flood, but I later found them.”

A widow, Hauwa Abdulsalami, whose family house was swept away by the flood said: “It is only government that can save me from this hell. I am a widow. I was managing our four rooms with my five children, the house is no more and we are in camp, I have no hope of rebuilding the house, it is only the government that can help.”

Abdularahaman Muhammed,

Zonal Coordinator, North Central Zone of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), led a team to deliver relief materials to victims displaced by the flood. The Zonal Coordinator said: “We are here with food items and household equipment.

Food items like bags of rice, beans, millets, Semovita, maize etc. we also have household items like mattresses, blankets, mats, and toiletries etc. Basically, the items we have are the ones that will offer them immediate need because these are people that have lost all they had.

For now we can’t confirm the number of displaced people because as at yesterday (Sunday), some of them left the camps to go in search of their missing relations and family members, some have returned to the camp, some are still searching, so the figure we are dealing with here is not certain.

Plateau State government, even while sympathizing with victims, admitted that the state government envisaged the disaster, but citizens ignored government warning signals.

“You may be aware that a couple of weeks back, the Plateau State government, through the office of the state Ministry of Enviroment informed the citizens of Jos through the state media that there shall be increase in rainfall and residents were advised to clear their drainages.

Government advised people who build houses on waterways to vacate to avoid any loss that may result from the rains.

Unfortunately, citizens did not take government warning seriously. And we found ourselves in this circumstances that was avoidable.

“Government will continue to enlighten its citizens on the danger of residing on waterways or living along river bank.

Government will continue to educate its citizens on the danger of building against government master plan. As it is, we will encourage certain citizens on the need for them to relocate to a more habitable areas so as to avoid this kind of disaster.

“Creating conducive atmosphere for citizens has been the utmost desire of the current administration of Governor Jang, we have what we call the ‘Greater Jos Master Plan’ which this government had reviewed for better town planning. Once that is implemented, it will take care some of these challenges,” he said.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

14

S

OME months after a court punctured the Lagos State government’s efforts to clamp down on the activities of strip clubs’ operators in the state, a new but worrisome dimension has been introduced to the unholy business that has continued to grow like weeds, especially in high brow areas of the state.

It was gathered that the ungodly business has transcended the confines of clubs and has become a means of entertaining guests at parties, not only in Lagos State but anywhere the services of the nude dancers are needed across the county.

While you may have previously enjoyed all other forms of entertainment at various parties, entertainment by naked dancers may well be a new form of treat that your host may present to you subsequently, especially if you are a regular guest at closed-door parties. For all they care, the development is simply a form of expansion that every business person desires in his business life.

Checks revealed that the practice has been a regular feature at many closed-door parties in the country. Some of the strip dancers, who have been hired on different occasions to entertain at such parties, told our correspondent in an informal conversation that apart from earning better income, they prefer to perform at such parties because it gives them the opportunity of getting connected to prominent men in the country.

One of the ladies, who gave her name as Joy, plies her trade at Wall Street Pub on Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos. She was highly elated when our correspondent told her that she would be needed to entertain at a close-door party involving about 100 guests. She was quick to narrate how well she had been entertaining people at such functions and how she had been travelling around the country to treat people to the latest styles in nude dancing.

She further enriched her profile by telling our correspondent that she had the ability to mobilise as many ladies as the correspondent might wish to have for any party. For an allnight naked performance that precludes other sexual services, Joy pegged her fee at N10,000 and did not hesitate to give out her mobile phone number for our correspondent to give her information about the number of ladies he would need for the party.

She said: “I can entertain very well at parties, if you can pay me. If you want me to perform at a party, it must be a closed-door meeting where big boys would be in attendance. It is not a big deal because I have been travelling around the country with my colleagues to entertain people at parties. If I could strip naked and entertain people that may not pay me any money at the end of the day, why would I find it difficult to do it for people that would pay me good money?

“I prefer to entertain at closed-door parties because it gives me the opportunity of getting connected to well-to-do guys in the country. If you limit yourself to striping in the clubs, you would not grow and your chance of making good money would be limited. For example, the least amount I charge for performing at parties is N10, 000, and that does not include the cost of my transportation and any other service my client may want me to render. If you want me to give you a lap dance, you pay me N1, 000 for as long as an average musical track would last. If you want to make love to you, the fee would depend on the length of time. The fees for a short time and all night love affair are quite different.

“I am capable of mobilising as many babes as you may want. I have many friends, both undergraduates and graduates, that I can call upon at the shortest notice to join me to perform at any show. What matters is your ability to pay.”

Explaining how she found her way into the business of dancing nude, Joy said: “I came into the business two years after fruitlessly searching for job. I could not continue to ask my parents for money because they had tried by doing everything they could to train me in the university.

“I found it very difficult to strip naked the first day that I came here. I had come out to entertain the people when I suddenly lost courage and ran inside. It was my colleagues that emboldened me. They gave me hard drinks and some Indian hemp. It was after I had consumed them that the sense of timidity disappeared. Now I can strip naked even without drinking or smoking, although I am now addicted to them.”

Aisha, another strip dancer at Cave Strip Club at Ikeja GRA, also gave an insight into how she had been travelling round the country to dance naked at parties. After her encounter with our correspondent, the slim-built young lady has continuously called to follow up on their previous discussion.

Unlike Joy, who pegged her performance fee at N10, 000, Aisha requested for the sum of

Nude dancers take trade beyond clubs •’We’re only expanding our business’ Innocent DURU N20, 000 to entertain at a party. As an operator in Ikeja GRA, she said, her fee would not be the same with those in other areas.

The dark complexioned lady, who claimed to be an undergraduate and a model, said: “If you want me to entertain at your party, you will pay me N20, 000 only. If you want more than that, the fee would change. The fee of anybody operating at Ikeja GRA can never be the same with those in other parts of Lagos.

“First of all, the gate fee of our club is not the same with others. While they charge N2, 000, we take N5, 000. The class of girls that I would bring to your party is not the kind of girls you find in other places. This place is different because the people that established it are people of class who wanted something different from what obtains in other places.

“I am not the only person that pockets whatever money I make. The club management also shares from it because I am answerable to them.

They have the power to approve or reject any appointment that I have. We even have a standard ratio for sharing whatever money we collect officially from our clients. “ “I am ever prepared to perform at parties. And if you care to know, I have been doing this for some time. I have travelled to different parts of the country to entertain at parties. Abuja is always the best place to entertain. Whenever I get invitation to perform in Abuja, I always feel happy because it is certain that cool cash would enter my pocket for that period. At times, I get paid in dollars. The kind of currency you get depends on the calibre of people that are at the party.

“I am an undergraduate and a model. I was introduced to strip clubbing by my colleagues who are also into modelling. I accepted to join them because the future looked bleak for me in modelling. Instead of parking my eggs in one basket, I decided to be using this to sustain myself and my education.”

The ugly development has, however, attracted the condemnation of Christian and Muslim clerics, especially those in Ikeja where many of the strip clubs are located.

Alhaji Abdulrasheed Oladimeji, the Chief Imam of Sahadatu Central Mosque located very close to Wall Street Pub, said he would not in any way be surprised to hear that the strip club girls can be paid to entertain at parties. He said it is against Islamic religion for a woman to expose her bodies to any other person apart from her husband.

“If it has been happening in night clubs, I believe it can be extended to any other place. There is simply no difference between a club and a party.

Anybody that can dance naked openly can do it anywhere, irrespective of the class of people that may be in attendance. For this class of people, money is the driving force. The moment they are paid what they want, they would do whatever

S

HE looked innocent and responsible. She sipped her drink as if it was meant to last for eternity.

As she moved her plump body to the rhythm of the music at the background, the numerous earrings on her ears, her pierced nose, decorated with a tiny ring-like object and her loud eyelashes drew attention to her.

Although it was a hotel environment, you needed to look at her again and again to suspect she could be a call girl.

Even at that, she would not admit that what she was involved in was prostitution. She and her counterparts, most of whom are students of higher institutions in Osun State call it ‘runs’.

Abola is a 27-year-old mother of one. She leaves her daughter with her mother any time there was business. She said she ventured into the trade three years ago and had not regrettrd doing so.

“My brother, I entered this business because I needed to survive, My father has about five wives. He is from the Eastern part of the country while my mother is from the western part. You know that in a polygamous house,

they are asked to do. They have lost every sense of shame and decency. I can never attend such party and nobody on earth can invite me to such. I am not the type that anybody would invite to a party where ladies dance naked.

“It is against the teachings of Islam for a woman to expose her body. A chapter of the holy Koran dealt seriously with this.Prophet Mohammed said that the whole body of a woman apart from the hand and the face should be covered. A woman is not expected to show her body to any other person apart from her husband and a few others like the daughter or the son. The son is not even allowed to see certain parts of her body at a particular stage in life.

Dancing naked anywhere is totally forbidden by the Islamic tenets. I have been hearing about it but I have not seen one. I am aware that there was a time the government came and shut them down on this Allen Avenue, but I learnt that they have reopened. Why did they allow them to re-open such ungodly places?”

He opined that corruption and unemploy-

ment are largely responsible for the shameless act.

“I think the levels of corruption and unemployment in the society are responsible for this. If you take time to investigate those ladies, you will find that most of them are graduates who have fruitlessly combed the streets without getting any job. If there are jobs for the citizens to do, there would not be any reason for anybody, a woman in particular to resort to dancing naked to earn a living.

“The promoters of such business should be arrested and thoroughly dealt with. It is not a good business that should be allowed to exist in the society. All the problems going on across the country may be as a result of God’s anger on this nation because of the satanic practice like this.”

He added that: “The effect on the society is that it promotes promiscuity. Adultery and fornication are capable of increasing as a result of this and when these vices increase, sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS, would also increase. It is also the major reason why cases of child abandon-

A day in the life Gbenga ADERANTI it is every man for himself. I’m the eldest from my mother’s side and the burden of taking care of my mother rests on my shoulder,” she said.

It would be difficult for many to believe she possesses only secondary school certificate.

She speaks good English, and if the man who donated the semen that got her mother pregnant had not been distracted by his array of children, she would probably have done something better with her life.

Engage Abiola in a discussion and you are bound to be impressed with her capacity for argument. Yet, as friendly as she seems, the quickest way to get her angry is to try to make her feel she is in the wrong trade. She believes that ‘runs’ is as noble as the noblest of professions.

“I am not ashamed to tell my daughter that this is what I do for a living. After all, this is where I get the money to take care of her. My mother and siblings believe I do legitimate job. I have a shop where my mother manages my small business. And any time I am travelling, I tell her that I am going to work as an usher, and she believes me,” Abiola said.

She confessed to having good clients. On monthly basis when business is good, she makes between N120, 000 and N160, 000. “Any time my service is needed, I have people in the hotels who give me calls and I make good money. ”I did not go beyond secondary school.

Where do you think I would get a job that will give me enough money to take care of my needs?” she queried.

As hard as she may sound, she sometimes feels for some of her clients. “You see, it is not as if I don’t feel the passion too. But most of

15

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

•Alhaji Abdulrasheed

ment have been on the increase. The only way to get these ladies out of the bondage they have found themselves is for the federal and state governments to provide employments for the citizenry.”

On his part, Rev Mosignor John Aniagwu, parish priest, St Leo Catholic Church, Ikeja, blamed the development on the general moral decadence in the society. He described the promoters of such strip clubs as agents of the devil. He said the promoters of the business are worse than the girls that they are recruiting to do the job.

He said: “It is news to me that such is happening here in Nigeria, even here in Ikeja as you said.

It just shows another level of moral decadence in this nation. The values we inherited from our forefathers, the values of our various religions are being progressively eroded. Things that people were ashamed of doing in the past are now what has become the norm. It is depravity of the highest order. You can be sure that the church can never be in support of such. If we find any of

our church members in such ungodly act, we would sanction the person. We do not and would never approve of such immoral activity. ”It is a result of the general moral decadence in the society. Nigeria is progressively becoming a lawless and immoral society not just only in the area of sex. In the area of material wealth look at the level of cases of corruption that se have in this country. When people are bent on making money at all costs, when it comes to using their bodies to make money they will.

“Those that are promoting it are agents of the devil. They are merchants of evil. They are to be condemned in the strongest possible terms because they are worse than women that they are even recruiting to expose their bodies. They deserve greater condemnation because they are exploiting their fellow human beings for personal gains. The law may not be able to deal with them, but the truth is that not everything that is lawful is moral. Some things are lawful but they are morally wrong in the eyes of God and decent

of a ‘runs’ girl them you have feelings for see you as an object to be used and thrown away. At times, I enjoy the sexual act with some men, but I try to shut my mind against them because I know it is a feeling that will go nowhere.”

The job comes with its own hazards too, Abola admitted. But the least of her fear is contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

“I’m not afraid of contracting any disease. I can’t contract STD because I make sure I adequately protect myself. Inside my bag, I have condoms. I don’t do it without using condom. Though at times, I get scared. You hear of ritual killers everywhere, but I pray that I don’t fall into their hands.

“I always pray whenever I’m going out that that nothing bad should happen to me. I go to church on Sundays and pray to God go forgive me.”

She does not rule out the possibility of settling down in the nearest future on the

condition that her would be husband would accept her daughter and would not bother about her past.

Irrespective of the way she tries to justify what she does, she is looking forward to the day she would have enough money to quit the trade.

“If I get good money or a good job, I may quit the trade. But this is not realistic,” she said.

While Abiola’s journey was as a result of poverty, how do you explain the case of Jane who is from a well-to-do background but chose to do ‘runs’?

Like Abiola, she has a kid. On one of the nights, she came to the club with his son. The boy is aged between two and three years. Jane, came to the club that night wearing a revealing outfit.

“This guy (pointing to a young man) sent me back to do ‘runs’. I had quit and decided to settle down, but instead of the guy controlling his libido, he chose to sleep with my friends,” he

people. It is unfortunate that such we have such promoters who take pleasure in reducing their fellow human beings to mere animals just because of money.”

Regretting the effect of the act on the society, Mosignor Aniagwu said: “It has grave effects on the society and family values. The values of the families that were already being eroded before this would be further eroded. It can never do the society any good. It can’t even do the individuals concerned any good.

To be deriving pleasure for exposing your bodies for others, especially for the people of the opposite sex to pay and watch is a sick thing. This is a sick nation my dear. I mean Nigeria is morally sick and this is one of the chronic sicknesses of this nation.

“It is not the fault of the parents. It is the fault of the society. The society has failed the parents and the parents in turn fail their children. Everyone is failing everybody. When the whole society is sick, it is not possible that the components would be healthy. The parents and their children are

complained to the reporter. “Don’t worry come and see the people I go out with now,” she said with pride.

As she was about to continue her outburst, one of her clients came and she abandoned the table.

Like her mates, Jane does not see anything bad in what she is doing. A guy who once picked her narrated his experience, saying he was shocked to discover that Jane hailed from a good home.

He said: “My friends came to visit me and we needed some girls to keep them company.

So, I picked some of these girls from the club.

Unfortunately, while others were busy with the rest of the girls, Jane was the person he picked.

“I was shocked to see my friend’s sister doing ‘runs’. I was speechless. Rather than for Jane to be embarrassed and be remorseful, she said: ‘Egbon (brother), don’t sermonise, this is business and strictly business. If you are not ready for me, I will get out of this place and look for those who are ready to pay.’

“To my chagrin, she insisted that I must pay.”

•Mosignor Aniagwu members of a sick society, and are, therefore, victims of the situations they have found themselves. Parents should ordinarily do their best to give good moral upbringing to their children.

“Unfortunately, many parents have capitulated into the moral decadence in the society.

Some parents are so bad themselves that they don’t have the moral authority to control their children. Where the parents are still sane and have their heads properly screwed, they can protect their children from the evils in the society.”

On the role of the church to curb the spread of such menace, Mosignor Aniagwu said: The church cannot do more than preach against any form of immorality in the society. Like I told you earlier, if I should find any of my members in such ungodly act, I will sanction such member. If, for example, I find out that a young girl in my church is one of the people dancing naked in the club, I would invite her and advise her to quit the act. If she doesn’t, I will sanction her. She would not be allowed to do certain things in the church.

“If she belongs to any society in the church, she may be suspended or expelled. She would not be eligible to receive sacraments in the church. She would not be entitled to get any benefits that she ordinarily get as a member of my church. If I also find out that a member is a patron or owner of such a club, I will even punish him more. I will advise him to either close it down or cease to be a member of the church. You can’t be a member of the Catholic Church and be engaged in that kind of business. It is just like a member of my church being a cult member or engaging in 419 or other criminal activity. We cannot tolerate that kind of thing”.

He concluded by advising the ladies to “realise what is being done to them. They should realize that they are degrading the dignity of womanhood. If you are exposing you nudity just to get money, then you are not different from commodities like pepper, onions and vegetable. They should not allow themselves to be exploited by unscrupulous members of the society and begin to free themselves from such people with immediate effect.”

16

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

•The controversial building

I married my wife out of sympathy, but she kicked me out of my house —66-yr-old retiree

•The house is mine, says wife I

T HAS all the trappings of a Nollywood movie, except that it was not plotted to end on a happy note.

The union of Michael Adesanya Agbola and his estranged wife, Rachael Funke Alasiri, blossomed before it was strained by a disputed property and crashed irretrievably after 11 hectic years.

Right now, Agbola and his estranged wife are engaged in verbal war over the real owner of a bungalow on 26, Apode Street, Ojodu, Lagos. The 66-year-old Atakunmosa, Osun State-born driver claims that his estranged wife forcibly evicted him from the property he built about four years ago in order to inherit it, while his ex-wife says “he is talking rubbish”.

Reliving the turbulent marriage in a chat with our correspondent, Agbola said he had married Funke in 1997 out of sympathy. He said: ”I met her in 1997 during a visit to my drycleaner in the neighbourhood. I saw her hawking clothes and bought two T-shirts from her. On getting home, my twins sons said I should buy them T-shirts too.

“The same day, I went back to my drycleaner, who took me to Funke’s

Kunle AKINRINADE house because she said she was the one actually supplying the hawkers.

Surprisingly, she started crying when we told her that we wanted to buy some shirts. We asked what the problem was, but she kept crying. When she would not open up to us, we decided to leave.

“On our way back, I decided to go back to her without the knowledge of my drycleaner, because I was touched by her plight and wanted to find out why she was crying. She later opened up and said she had lost all the money she invested in the business and that many of the hawkers had failed to pay up after taking the clothes on credit. She also said she was duped by conmen and that she lost all her investment on a boutique she once opened somewhere in Egbeda (Lagos) to them.

“I was deeply touched by her explanation, so I promised to help her out and told her to stop crying. She said she was a graduate of Accountancy from a polytechnic. I also told her that I worked as a driver with Ashland Petroleum (now Addax Oil ) “

•Agbola during the week

17

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012 Agbola said thereafter, he gave Funke some money to start another business and even abandoned his eldest wife for her; a decision he says he is now regretting.

He said: “Three days later, I gave her N25, 000 to start supplying wasted cloth pieces and wool to an Ibadan-based company. I later added more money for her to also start trading in palm oil when I noticed that she was fairly industrious. She was then taking her stock from Okitipupa, Ondo State.

“But when I noticed that she was stressing herself too much, I made up my mind to assist her further by opening four shops for her, where she sold empty plastic containers, cooking utensils and plastic chairs while she also rented out chairs and tables. And when she started selling clothes, shoes and bags in offices, I bought her a fairly used Toyota Camry car to enable her move around corporate organisations where her numerous customers worked. At this time, I had moved in with her, abandoning my first wife.”

Agboola alleged that a few months later, he bought a parcel of land from one Mr Mukaila Olakunle Adams with a house ownership package paid to staff by the management of his company, on which he built a bungalow consisting of seven mini-flats and a shop. He also leased a portion of the land to a local parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

However, the house in question became the couple’s albatross, as Funke now lays claim to it.

Agbola said: “In March 1998, my company gave all staff members money to purchase landed property. My share of the incentive was N763,810. I was introduced to one Mukaila Olakunle Adams who had a parcel of land to sell. I tried paying him through Funke’s bank account at First Bank, Ketu, but Adams said he wanted cash.

He returned the cheque that was issued in his name. I withdrew the money from the bank and paid him N650, 000 for the land in the presence of Funke who stood as witness with one Alhaji Adegbenro.

“Because I was still working, she was the one supervising the construction of the building but I was giving her the money with which she purchased building materials. But now, she has been using the fact that she supervised the project to lay claim to the house. Please ask her to produce the transfer of ownership from the original land owner.

“She never knew that I have a copy of the cheque that was returned by the man who sold the land to me. The cheque was never cashed. I built a bungalow on the land, despite the fact that I had another land in Unity Estate, Ojodu, because I loved the location.

“Then we started having problems because of her violent attitude and messy request for sex all the time. She started making sickening requests, asking me to suck her private part, which I did on several occasions. When I demanded an explanation for this weird request, she told me it was the fad among urbane couple and that I must do it to satisfy her. I never knew she was mixing juju in it to hypnotise me, because no sooner did I started sucking her private part than I completely abandoned my first wife and four children.

“Each time I sucked her private part, I would start spitting like a pregnant woman because the thing was so repulsive. At a point, I warned her never to ask

•Agbola

•Funke

me for oral sex again. But on a certain day, I was dressed for work when she rushed at me, begging me to come and suck her private part. It was at this point that I regained my consciousness and left her to marry another woman who has a child for me.

“You won’t believe that Funke got to know where I was living with my new wife and visited us, warning me of the consequence of leaving her. I did not know how I ran back to her three days later and became trapped again.

“Before then, she had taken me to a marabout somewhere in Oshodi, where the man gave me a concoction to eat. She claimed the concoction was meant to protect me from any attack from my first wife.

“She also took me to a herbalist in Ibogun near Ifo, Ogun State for similar reason, not knowing that she had connived with those men to hypnotise me to the extent that I no longer bothered about my children.”

She chased me out of my house when I no longer granted her request that I should suck her private part, which I considered devilish. She told me that she would make three requests and that I should prepare for a showdown if I did not grant one of them. One, that I must divorce my eldest wife. Two, that I should give her permission to adopt a child. Three, that I should share my property with her because she feared that she might never get anything from my will if I died.

“I turned down her irrational requests and queried her for wanting to adopt a child when I was not complaining about her childlessness. Moreover, she has two children from her previous

marriage. It was at this point that she threatened to use the police to deal with me for rejecting her requests, and she boasted she would take over my property while I am still alive for being an ungrateful husband.

“I suspected she might kill me if I continue to share the same bed with her. I decided to be sleeping in the passage of the building because I suspected she might attack me with dangerous weapons, like cutlass, in the night. She would put up a fight for flimsy reasons and tried to harm me. When it became apparent that her intention was to kill me, I ran away from my house after a fight on November 28, 2008.

“She later denied me access to the house by using policemen to harass me on allegations of threat to life. But she was rebuked on each occasion by senior police officers in charge of some of the stations.

“She has been collecting rent from my tenants and all my efforts to stop her have failed because of her strong connection with the police. Now, I want the whole world to know her atrocities. I fear she might sell the property because she had sold my other landed property for N3 million and kept the money for herself. She has so far collected about N5 million as rent from my tenants.”

“One of her brothers, who happened to be a retired Commissioner of Police, Oba Emmanuel Adebayo, the Elemure of Emure-Ekiti, had made futile efforts to intervene in the matter and had even sent some of his chiefs to ascertain the veracity of her claims of ownership of the house. I had

turned down the decision by the Emure-Ekiti chiefs who asked us to share the ownership of the building, based on false testimony by some women in the area, who did not know how I purchased the land on which I built my house.

“But more importantly, all the documents relating to the ownership of the house are in my name and I do not know how she can justify her ownership of a house built with my sweat. As I speak, I am living with one of my sons-in law, and I guess it is high time I challenged her in the open because of my futile attempts to get justice at the Lagos State Citizens Mediation Centre which handed off the matter for no clear reason.”

However, our correspondent was told a different story when he spoke on the telephone with Mrs Funke Alasiri. She dismissed her ex husband’s allegations as “rubbish and unfounded”.

She responded to all the allegations and the reason she quit the relationship a few years ago, as well as her ownership of the controversial building.

Funke said: “My brother, the man is a pathological liar. He does not own the house. He is only trying to reap from where he has not sown. I am a trained accountant and I had worked in many establishments, including the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, before I settled down to private business many years ago.

I bought the land with my money through a cheque I issued for payment for the property via First Bank, Ketu Branch, Lagos.

“I asked the owner to put Mr Agbola’s name on the deed of transfer of ownership agreement because I did not know that he

She has been collecting rent from my tenants and all my efforts to stop her have failed because of her strong connection with the police. Now, I want the whole world to know her atrocities. I fear she might sell the property because she had sold my other landed property for N3 million and kept the money for herself. She has so far collected about N5 million as rent from my tenants

‘

,

could betray me. Everyone on our street knows that I own the house. You can come and find out the truth. I borrowed a lot of money from various sources to build the house, and I have all the receipts of the building materials purchased during construction of the house.

“I was the one that paid all the workers on site and many of the receipts are in my name. It was because of the fact that I don’t have any child for him that he wanted to drive me out of the house so he could take it over.

“He once impregnated one woman called Omolara and brought the woman to my house when she had a child for him.

The woman then started giving me problems to the extent that she reproached me for being childless. It was then I asked that she must leave the house because I can no longer stand her despicable attitude.”

She denied taking her husband to a marabout and a herbalists.

She dismissed the allegation as baseless and unfounded, saying, “Please ask him to tell you the name of the Alfa and where he lives.”

On the allegation that she demanded for oral sex, she said: “When we went to Agege Customary Court where he had filed for a divorce, he mentioned the same thing, that I demanded for oral sex by asking him to suck my private part. He was rebuked by the President of the court for his nasty remarks.

“I want you as a journalist and educated person to look at the kind of question you have just asked, whether I actually asked him to suck my private part. So, it means that he was sucking my private part for 11 years that we lived together as a couple? What kind of thing is that?

“He left me when debtors started disturbing me for their money. He said he never asked me to borrow money from anyone to build the house. That was how he took his belongings and left the house. He had petitioned the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) that I took his house from him and the IG dismissed his petition because it lacked merit. His intention is to kill me so he could take over the house.”

Some of the residents who spoke with our correspondent said the matter had been on for a long time. They suggested an amicable resolution of the matter in the interest of peace.

One of them, who asked not to be named, said:”My brother, the tussle over the real owner of the building between the erstwhile couple did not start today, and there is a little I can say about it because I did not know how the land was purchased. I believe it is a difficult domestic affair. But that does not mean that it cannot be resolved. We used to know them as a couple until the man left the house a few years ago.

That was when the tussle over the ownership of the house started.”

A copy of a receipt purportedly issued by the former owner of the property to Mr Agbola on April 3,1998, which was made available to our correspondent reads: “I , Mukaila Olakunle Adams, hereby acknowledge the receipt of N650,000 from Mr Moses Agbola of Ashland Oil Nigeria Ltd, being the purchase price of my parcel of land and the uncompleted structure thereon consisting of a three-bedroom bungalow situated, lying and being at Yakoyo-Apode Street/ Association Way, Ojodu in Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State of Nigeria. I accept the said sum of N650, 000 in full and final settlement of all my interest whatsoever in the said property.”

18 PERATIVES of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos State Police Command has crushed a suspected two-man robbery gang whose members specialised in impersonating officials of the Lagos State Transport Management Agency (LASTMA) to snatch motorcycles or extort money from hapless motorcycle owners. Sometimes, they caused their victims to sustain serious injuries or even die as they pushed them down while the bikes were in motion.

Confessing his involvement in the crime, the suspected gang’s leader, Saheed Akintade (37), a native of Ikirun, Osun State resident at No. 16 Ojimu Street, Oke Aru town, Ogun State, said: “I am a professional driver. I obtained my driver’s license from the Federal Road Safety Commission in Ogun State. I was duly tested by the licensing. I am happily married with two kids.”

Asked why he was arrested by the police, he said: “I was arrested because I was robbing motorcycle riders and extorting money from them, using LASTMA uniform.

We operated around Opebi, Allen Avenue, Oregun, Oba Akran Road, Agege, Abattoir and Abule Egba areas.

“We used to have two things on our minds during our operations.

One was to deceive the motorcycle rider and run away with his motorcycle after pushing him down while on motion. We usually took the motorcycle to a waiting buyer, who bought one between N15,000 and N30,000, depending on the make and condition of the machine. Sometimes, we could sell a bike fopr as low as N10,000 if that was the highest price we could get it sold, because delay is dangerous.

“Our eyes have seen a lot. Do you know that the receivers sometimes plan to take the motorcycles without paying a dime? They are very greedy. If you don’t collect money immediately, no matter how small, the rest is empty stories like ‘the police stormed my shop and seized all my motorcycles, including the one you gave me..’

“The second thing we normally had in mind any time we were on operation was to merely take bribe from the motorcycle rider and let him go. We collected sums that ranged from N1,000 to N2,000. If we got between five and six motorcycle riders within three hours, we were okay for the day.

We would share the loot and give thanks to God for a successful day.

“But, where the motorcycle rider wanted to prove that he was wise by pretending not to have money to bribe us, we would teach him the lesson of his life. We would either snatch his motorcycle or give him a thorough search, during which we would collect all the money in his pocket and design his face with duty slaps.

“But we never used a gun. It is not just because LASTMA officials don’t carry guns but because we never planned to operate as armed robbers. We were mere bribe takers or motorcycle thieves.”

On the number of operations he participated in, he said: “It is difficult to count. What I know is that we operated at least twice a week and at different locations. I have been operating since March this year. If you calculate it from March till date, you will know.”

Asked how much he had saved from the shoddy practice, he said: “Oga, I will tell you the truth: there is an evil spirit in the money we used to collect. If you checked the amount of money we made in one operation, sometimes we got as much as N50,000. Many of

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

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The second thing we normally carry in mind anytime we are operating is to take bribe from the motorcycle rider and let him go. At times we collect N2,000, N1,500 or N1,000 and by the time we get five to six motorcycle riders within three hours we are okay for the day and we share whatever amount we were able to get and we always give thanks to God in every successful operation

,

them kept money in their pants, especially when they are about to buy a new machine.

“We made enough money from every operation but our lifestyle and the devil who is the owner of stolen money would not allow us to save or invest even a little from it.

“We slept with prostitutes in hotels after every operation. We paid for accommodation and drinks, and settled the prostitutes. If we contacted veneral diseases, like gonorrhea, it was the prostitute that bought herbal medicine for us.”

On the operation that culminated in their arrest, he said: “It was a Saturday morning at Opebi Road. We saw an okada (commercial motorcycle) rider carrying two passengers. I noticed that the motorcycle was fairly used. I blocked the rider and asked him why he was carrying two passengers. Before he could make any explanation, I ordered my colleague to seize the motorcycle.

“Because it was the kind of motorcycle we wanted to snatch, we told the two passengers to look for another motorcycle. I ordered the rider to sit in the middle while I sat the back and Mayowa rode the motorcycle.

“Unfortunately, as we were riding along Opebi Road, the motorcycle had a flat tyre and I told Mayowa to find a vulcanizer and see that the motorcycle was put in order and taken to the office. I left them, expecting Mayowa to use his brain to find his way before trouble would come.

“When I left and went to a distant corner to watch the drama, the okada man held Mayowa and started shouting, ‘You are a fake LASTMA official. I will not let you go until you produce your partner. His voice attracted a mob who attempted to treat him with jungle justice but later decided to hand him over to the police who later transferred him to SARS office at the Police Headquarters, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.”

Annoyed that they had the guts to operate in Lagos territory, the

•Suspects

We sold snatched motorcycles for N10,000 — Fake LASTMA officials Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, ordered the officer in charge SARS, Abba Kyari, a Superintendent of Police, to fish out the gang leader. Kyari’s crack squad went into action and used suspect Mayowa to track down Saheed.

Recalling how he was arrested, Saheed said: “I was in my wife’s house at Agege when I received a call from Mayowa that he had escaped from police custody and wanted to come and meet me. I told him not to worry; that it would be better for me to come and meet him at a neutral place because my wife did not know that I was a criminal and I did not

want her to know or monitor our activities. I also did not want him to know my wife for security reasons.

“At the same time, he was the one holding the money we had made before the last operation, including the N30,000 paid by a buyer. I wanted to see him to take some money from him, because he had kept the money somewhere before we went for the last operation.

“Unfortunately, when I got there, I saw more than five SARS operatives emerging from different directions. The OC SARS asked whether I am Saheed and I said yes. I was immediately hand-

cuffed and whisked away to Scorpion building. They searched everywhere and did not recover any gun from me or my colleague. We don’t operate with gun, and we only used LASTMA uniform to intimidate our victims. It was not a do or die operation. We were caught because Mayowa was not clever.

“Our receivers included one Gafari, an auto mechanic at Orile, Oko-Oba area of Agege, and one Followcome, who resides near Iju Road Station Bus stop.”

Asked how they got the LASTMA uniforms, he said: “It was one man who follows LASTMA officials to go on illegal duty that helped us to produce the uniforms. His name is Wasiu Omolasi. I also stole some of the uniforms from LASTMA officials who usually come to my house in Agege, near Pleasure bus stop, to change their clothes after performing illegal duties. Some of them used to sleep in my house and go to work from there. It was the opportunity that Mayowa and I seized to steal uniforms, including caps and jackets. It was only the belt that we could not get, but we wore the uniforms like that because the jackets covered our waists.”

Explaining why he went into motorcycle snatching, he said: “I was frustrated by LASTMA officials.

They seized my bus and wrote a N50,000 ticket for me. That annoyed the owner of my bus and he sacked me after paying the money.

“For about one year thereafter, I could not get another bus to drive.

I could not feed my family or pay my house rent. I decided to rob and survive than die of hunger and starvation. I called Mayowa and we formed a two-man robbery gang to help ourselves.”

On how much they paid the LASTMA official who helped them to procure uniforms he said: “Wasiu’s problem is beer. Once we bought him three bottles of beer, he was okay. He is satisfied with the money he gets from following LASTMA officials to perform illegal duties.”

The second suspect, Mayowa Saheed (24), a native of Ikare, Ondo State said he had not operated for four months like Akintade claimed he had, He said the operation in which they were arrested was the first he would participate in. “You can ask him. This is the only operation I have participated in, and he deceived me into following him because on that day, I desperately needed about N20,000 to pay a creditor who had been disturbing me.

“Akintade called me on the phone to meet him at Pen Cinema in Agege.

He said there was a job on ground that would fetch us big money without much stress. He assured me that at the end of the day, I could go home with more than N40,000. He gave me a LASTMA uniform and shoes and we started work.

“We arrested an okada man for carrying two passengers but we wanted to snatch the motorcycle on the way. Unfortunately, it developed a fault and could not move. When Akintade noticed it, he tactically escaped, leaving me and the okada man to drag it out. When the okada man noticed that my colleague had escaped, he raised the alarm that I was a fake LASTMA official. A mob nearly lynched me but some policemen on patrol rescued me and took us to the police station. In fact, this showed me that police are indeed our friends. They really saved my life.

“Even the OC SARS assured me of being speedily charged to count if I cooperated to track Akintade down, which I did by calling him on the phone and he came and was arrested.”

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

Saturday

THRILLER

Makoko...

The end Residents lament as Lagos demolishes slum community

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

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LONE, at the edge of a ruined porch, Deborah Iyonso leaned despondently. The 53-year-old’s eyes are trained where several river paths meet, along the way to her former abode, or what remains of it. Around her lay clothes, food baskets and fishing nets; stagnant sea filth palpitates with heat and that is the only peaceful motion you get to see, in the neighbourhood. Every path and every homestead is in disarray in the wake of the demolition of Iyonso’s home among other dwellings in Makoko, a shanty settlement.

“They came in the morning while I was dishing out breakfast to my kids. They didn’t care that I had little kids in the house; they started destroying my house and threw my belongings outside. Many of my valuables fell into the water,” laments Iyonso. Then she lays her wrinkled hand steadily on her cheek, shifting her gaze from the spot where several river paths meet.

All about her, children and livestock eddying through the day, old wizened neighbours trading news titbits and war stories and licit lovers public as a play, dot the neighbourhood. They have all been rendered homeless and displaced.

“Look all around you. Our community is a shadow of itself. We do not have our houses anymore. Our children have nowhere to sleep. The government have cast us into the cold,” lamented Iyonso with a piteous inflection of her voice that seemed a heartfelt sigh.

That heartfelt sigh boomed like final fate and the scourge of the joint task force comprising policemen, soldiers and officials of Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) that carried out the demolition exercise of Makoko recently.

In the wake of the exercise, nothing is happening. And that surely, is recipe for strife, according to many of the displaced residents. In the attack, Comfort Kolehse lost her most prized possessions, seven livestock and N3, 000. A grocer who simply identified herself as Mide, claimed that her daughter’s piggy bank fell into the water along with many other valuables as they struggled to salvage what they could while the task force sacked the coastal community.

The victims’ loss is limitless according to Modupeola Gbadamosi, a former resident and primary school teacher. “Many of our people, particularly nursing mothers were forced to vacate their homes. Most of them are currently homeless and at the mercy of every street element,” she said.

The quit notice The demolition exercise was carried out at the expiration of a 72-hour quit order.

According to the order, the shanty community constituted environmental nuisance, security risk, impediment to economic and gainful utilisation of the waterfront such as navigation, entertainment, recreation among others which necessitated the urgency to rid the Lagos coast of such structures.

At the expiration of the 72-hour quit order, a joint task force comprising policemen, soldiers and officials of Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) visited the community to effect the demolition.

Lagos defends action However, in the wake of condemnations and outcry against the demolition exercise, Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, has explained his reason for demolishing the shanty community. According to him, it was necessary to halt the continuous expansion of the community into the lagoons with its negative impact on the environment.

Addressing scores of Makoko residents who came to the Lagos House, Ikeja to appeal for a reconsideration of the decision to demolish parts of the fishing community, Fashola explained that while the government was finding a solution for residents within the recognised boundaries, it would not allow further expansion of the community.

He said sequel to several meetings with leaders of the community and an agreed boundary set, the government had been working in the area to find solution to the difficulties, which the indigenous residents encounter by providing basic infrastructure and amenities to uplift the standard of life of the people who, according to him, have been there for a long time.

The governor explained that rather than maintain the established boundary, what had happened over the years was a rash of illegal shanties which expanded towards the

Olatunji OLOLADE, Assistant Editor Third Mainland Bridge and underneath the high tension electricity cables across the area.

Expressing the readiness of his administration to meet with genuine representatives of the community, Fashola advised them to be wary of people who are profiting from their difficult situation. He advised the community to resist being used by people who want to take advantage of them. He said: “The truth must be told; some people are benefiting from your difficulty and that is the truth. They are taking advantage of you in the guise of being your friends. They are taking all sorts of grants purporting to help you but it never gets to you. But as your government, we understand the challenges you face there and we are working to solve them.”

“We owe you a duty, but we also owe the greater part of Lagos a duty. That lagoon is the only lagoon where we drain water during rainy season from Akoka, Bariga, Shomolu, Oworonsoki and from Macgregor Canal. The lagoon is shrinking because they are expanding and building into it; it has to stop,” he said.

The governor noted that piling saw dust on the lagoon, discharging wastes in it and blocking the discharge points for storm water had contributed to the flooding in places like Bariga, Shomolu, Ebute-Metta, Ogudu, Owode, Ajegunle and Ikorodu, among others.

Giving the clarification about government’s intention, state Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Prince Adesegun Oniru, said the government took the decisive step to ensure the safety of residents, adding “their continuous stay leaves them at the mercy of being victims of environmental hazards.”

He said: “It is true that the state government issued them notice to quit. However, we had met the community leaders about a month ago and government’s plan was conveyed to them.

They knew what the government was planning for the area and beyond that the LCDA leader in the area also met with us and we told them the same thing about government’s plan for the area. They got quit notice from the state government before we embarked on what is going on now in Makoko.”

Fashola apologised for the loss of life during the clearing exercise, describing it as regrettable and promised that the government would investigate the circumstance under which it happened. He, however, added that it was the duty of government to protect the ecosystem, to protect the environment and, more importantly to protect the life of the people.

“I regret that such has happened and we would investigate the circumstances to which it happened. You must look more to your government than to any other person, we do not act in those areas for our own benefit, and we act for the benefit of the community at large.”

A bitter-sweet exercise In the meantime, residents of neighbouring communities such as Akoka and Bariga, has expressed joy over the demolition exercise, noting the operation would eliminate the security problem they encountered from criminals who often attacked them from the waterfront, which had become hideouts for criminals who live within the community.

Some of the residents of Bariga, Makoko, Iwaya and Akoka also stated that the demolition exercise would stop the flood problem they faced, adding that the shanties erected on the water front obstructed free-flow of water into the Lagoon, thereby making the community prone to flooding during the rainy season.

Makoko, a small community in Yaba Local Government Area of Lagos State was home to the Ilaje and the Egun ethnic group from the Western part of Nigeria. Their major occupation is fishing and they resided in wooden cubicles put up on stilts above a running sea of excreta and filth.

The depth of their poverty and extent of their filth overtime became a source of worry to their neighbours on the mainland and the Lagos State government thus the demolition exercise.

The grim picture In Lagos, the homeless population grows at an alarming rate thus making it one of the fastest growing cities, precisely the fifth fastest growing city in the world. Lagos compares only to China’s Beihai, which grows by 10.58 percent of an annual growth in 2006. A press release published by Amnesty International suggests that homelessness in Lagos may be the rippling effect of the forced evictions that took place from April 25 to 27, 1995.

End of a shanty paradise

•Vintage Makoko: A shanty kid searches for a playground amidst a sea of filth

•A former resident departs her former residence in a canoe

•Many residents of the former shanty are currently homeless According to the report, ‘it is estimated that in the last five years, over 1.2 million people have been forcibly evicted from their homes in different parts of the country. Such evictions generally target marginalized people, many of whom have lived for years without access to clean water, sanitation,

adequate health care or education. Poverty is rife in Nigeria, despite the fact that it is Africa’s largest oil exporter’. Lagos’ current population of approximately 18 million is one of the fastest growing in the world, and by United Nations’ estimates, this will hit the 24 million inhabitants mark by 2010.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

•Residents were reluctant to quit the slum despite its stench

government permits very difficult, and the unmitigated corruption in the allocation of government land within the framework of the Land Use Act. The root of the malaise According to Joachim Onyike, Head of the Department of Estate Management, Imo State University, Owerri, Imo State, “The situation is compounded by high incidence of corruption in all other relevant sectors of the Nigerian economy and the lack of adequate political will by the government to deal with the housing problem. There is also a conflict of objectives among the major actors in the housing industry namely, the funding institutions and the developers on one side and the consumers of housing on the other side. The profit maximization objective of the developers and funding institutions tends to conflict with the affordability of housing to the housing consumers, especially the lowincome earners with the government standing by as a disinterested umpire.”

Consequently, Nigeria suffers very huge and escalating housing deficit which stood at approximately eight million housing units in 1991 and 14 million housing units in 2007.

A more recent estimate puts the figure even higher at 17 million housing units. Therefore, at an average cost of N2.5 million per housing unit, the nation would require N35 trillion to fund a housing deficit of 14 million housing units.

Little wonder, the country’s urban housing problems manifest in overcrowding, slumming and the development of shanties in virtually every major Nigerian city. The housing problems vary from inadequate quantity and quality of housing to the attendant impact on the psychological, social, environmental and cultural aspects of housing.

Housing is capital-intensive, no doubt. The cost of adequate housing is currently beyond the reach of most Nigerians. This thus brings in the financial dimension - the question of the affordability of housing. The challenge becomes not only to provide the houses but to make the houses affordable to the average Nigerian worker emphasised Onyike.

•An aerial view of Makoko before the demolition exercise

•A former resident and her kids shanty stare bleakly ahead amidst the ruins of their former abode Consequent upon the failure of past administrations at the centre to resolve the nation’s housing problems, the 21st Century heralded more grievous problems of inadequate housing, undeveloped housing finance system, limited supply of long term funds, low household income levels, high

interest rate on mortgages, high cost of land and building materials, poor planning and poor implementation of housing policies and programmes, existence of administrative bottlenecks that make the processing and securing of approvals for building plans, certificates of occupancy and other necessary

Addressing Lagos’ 21st Century housing problems Not a few people, tenants to be precise, have applauded the recent enactment of the Lagos Tenancy Law. In a nutshell, the law hopes to achieve two things: make rental housing more affordable to Lagosians, by outlawing the practice where building owners require prospective tenants to pay multi-year rent upfront, sometimes requesting up to three years advance payment. The other objective is to punish erring building owners and tenants.

“While this step in itself is laudable, it will, in my opinion, go the way of other similar laws enacted by past administrations in Lagos State. The reason is very simple. Private building owners enjoy an absolute monopoly in the rental housing market in Lagos State in particular, and Nigeria in general.

“This is already evident in the reaction of

building owners in Lagos to the law. Some of them are quoted as telling prospective tenants, who remind them of the existence of the law, to go and rent Fashola’s house, if they don’t want to pay two-year rent.

And there goes the question. How many rental housing has the government of Lagos built or supported its construction in the last 20 years?” noted Victor Olapojoye, a Lagos resident.

According to him, enforcement of the tenancy law should start with the Low Cost Housing Estates where housing units built with Lagos State money were sold to private individuals who have, through the years, turned them into rental units and are collecting multi-year rent from tenants.

“The next part of the solution is for LASG to ensure there is competition in the rental housing market. This can be achieved be either directly financing rental housing projects all over Lagos State or working out PPP arrangements with private developers to design, build and finance rental housing projects. This must, however, come with specific milestones.

“For instance, one of the goals could be, having in place two million rental housing units in Lagos by 2015. Announcing this goal alone will make current private building owners understand that the people of Lagos will soon have a more affordable and more decent rental housing alternative, and as with all human beings, they (building owners) will fall in line. This is because, Lagosians will be able to, not only own, but also rent houses that Fashola helped build,” he said.

This solution can be wrapped into the Lagos Home Ownership Scheme by providing Rental Housing Developer financing guarantees to private developers in the rental housing space through the scheme. This will enable private developers, who are committed both morally and legally to abiding by the provisions of the Lagos Tenancy Law, access financing at concessionary rates to develop rental housing projects. The FMBN model is a good starting point. Other considerations will be cost-effectiveness and timely delivery, explained Olapojoye.

More experts have suggested measures by which the current administration might resolve the state’s housing problems.

Olabisi Iyiola, an architect, suggested a purposeful mass-centred social housing scheme. According to her, such scheme unlike what exists currently should be geared to assist majority of the low income earners.

“It should offer adequate and affordable accommodation. The Government should seek to assist the housing corporations and certain private developers to provide affordable housing to alleviate the housing problems of majority of the urban low income earners. This can be done through direct funding provisions or negotiated tax waivers,” she said.

22 COMMENTARY

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

Reactions to Saturday Flakes

Re: Would NYSC have sentenced our innocent youths to death?

•Without the intervention of the Lagos State House of Assembly, the House of Representatives and other concerned Nigerians, the government and the NYSC would have sent our young graduates to the lion’s den in the troubled states in the name of serving their fatherland. Then some of them would lose their lives, God forbid.

But why do we forget so soon? Was it not just last year that we lost many youth corps members to the insecurity situation in some northern states? We are grateful to God that the director-general of NYSC and the Federal Government decided that the youth corps members posted to those states should return to Abuja for redeployment.

Gordon Chika Nnorom, Umukabia, Abia State.

•Vincent, there are many callous, insensitive men and women in Jonathan’s government. Would they have waited for public outcry before doing the right thing if any of their family members had been a victim of the mayhem in those states?

Alhaji Adeboye Lawal, Ibadan.

•With respect to your piece on NYSC, I admire your comment that the pledge of security constitutes an assault on our collective memory. And I add that it is callous and cruel in the first place for NYSC to have dreamt of sending anyone to the highly volatile northern part on the ground that security is guaranteed, even if some of them insist on going.

Can the authorities guarantee security even for themselves? Again, how many of them would send their children or wards to the North to serve as a result of guaranteed security? It is high time we stopped this self-deception that seems to have found a permanent abode in our system.

Oguntuase Dayo, Akure.

•The initial decision of the authorities of NYSC to post corps members to Boko Haram-infested states of the North might have been taken to sample public opinion on the issue. Perhaps the authorities of NYSC did not want to be accused of orchestrating the already known violence in those areas and heightening the already palpable fear, anxiety and tension in the land. The decision of NYSC to yield to popular public opinion on this issue may attest to that.

Agu MC, Aba, Abia State.

•The initial directive by the media manager of NYSC, Mrs Aderibigbe, that corps members posted to volatile states should report in camp is a clear instance of how our leaders toy with the lives of helpless youths in this country.

Those that experienced the post-election mayhem but survived it are still haunted by the incident. Forcing youth corps members to report to camp in a troubled zone is like asking them to walk through the biblical valley of the shadow of death,

•Oh Vincent son of Akanmode! Have seen call-up letters turned into death certificates. Have heard how places of primary assignment suddenly become some of the world’s most despicable golgotha.

Therefore, as a lover of humanity, I rise to support the new NYSC policy which abrogated the posting of youth corps members to states that could at best be described alka dama (field of blood) Godfrey.

•It is a truism that the fear of Boko Haram has become the beginning of wisdom in the northern part of the country.

This does not mean that other parts of the country are immuned to insecurity. Was is it not in a border town between Abia and Rivers states that some NYSC members were kidnapped and kept for many weeks before a huge ransom was paid for their release? Is a traditional ruler not standing trial in the South West for allegedly raping a youth corps member?

The truth is that the entire country has become unsafe for lives and property. The only way the criminals in power would appreciate what other people’s children are going through is to make it binding

•All said, it is now evident that most of our Customs officials took to it not in the interest of the nation but for their own personal interests. While nobody should encourage the killing of Customs officials, as some importers may want to resort to that in anger, it is also worthy of note that the officials are themselves responsible for that.

•Okorie Affia that all the children of our leaders, beginning from Mr President to the least political office holder, must serve wherever they are posted in Nigeria without any special security arrangement.

Insecurity will cease if this is done.

Ifeanyi O., Abuja •It is quite unfortunate the national malaise has affected the once glorious NYSC. The whole thing borders on bad administration and poor governance at the

•It is indeed shocking to learn that fellow Nigerians who are aware of the way the Boko Haram sect has turned the North into a death zone could still be so insensitive and heartless to want to send our promising youths to the same area all in the name of national service.

The overzealousness of some of our government agents, often couched in the usual refrain, ‘I am doing my job’, even when they are quite aware of the irrationality of their action, has indeed become one of the major leadership problems in this country. For even when a certain decision of these agents on a certain national issue is generally seen as one lodged or in a fanatical lack of self censorship, they would still want to insist that it is sacrosanct if only to be considered loyal, relevant and hardworking by their employer, with little or no regard for its consequences for the rest of us. God help us.

Emmanuel Egwu, Enugu.

Re: Of subsidy thieves and representathieves •Vincent, when you analyse the role played by each arm of government in the subsidy matter, it is evident that the House of Representathieves, no matter its sullied reputation, is to be commended for rising to the occasion when the nation burned in rage. Rather than support the House, the Senate was prudish while the EXCO, under Jonathan’s leadership, took sides with our traducers.

He has been quick to implement unpopular judgments, yet unconcerned even about those things that are within his powers to set right. As for Obasanjo, only God will deal with him for failing to do the proper thing when he was given the opportunity.

Mary Nyitse •I do not know whether Thomas Hobbes was referring to Farouk Lawan when he said, “Man is essentially selfish. He is urged to action not by his reason or intellect but by his greed, desire and appetite.” But I do know that the lower chamber can now be referred to as Rub Alkhali (the empty quarter) since the man who epitomised the integrity of the House chose to bury his integrity in the garden of Gethsemane orchestrated by Otedola.

Ogbaisi •Oga Vincent, why don’t you let the police finish their investigation before

Re: Time to tame these uncustomed customsmen •The Nigeria Customs Service was working beyond their jurisdiction by killing innocent people without any cause. The government needs to caution them. How many times have we heard that customsmen in other countries kill innocent citizens? Our men should learn how to handle rifles when pursuing smugglers in the midst of the people so as not to kill them. Let our men conduct themselves well in the cause of serving their fatherland.

Chika Nnorom.

local governments, states and federal level.

Service was interesting even in the 1986/ 87 session when I served in Kafanchan, Kaduna State without any fear.

However, youth corps members posted to Boko Haram-infested states have absolute right to seek and be redeployed to safe areas/states until our government is able to guarantee safety in such volcanically life-taking areas/ states.

Lanre Oseni, Lagos.

when they are not David.

Please drum it into their ears, they should not waste the precious lives of our youths in the name of national service.

Kola Alao, Lagos.

A situation where hundreds of millions of naira is often demanded by some corrupt Customs officials from even legitimate importers outside the official clearance duties before releasing their goods can indeed frustrate any importer and cause him to go to the extreme for a redress, no matter how unacceptable such a crude method is.

Even so, I think it is just time the government called its unruly customs officials to order, especially now that they have taken to the cruel transfer of aggression to innocent Nigerians in the streets. The anus cannot fart only for the head to get knocked.

Emmanuel Egwu, Enugu.

•I read your comment on our uncustomed customs men. I think the government should act fast before it is too late. Keep it up. More grease to your elbow.

AY.

crucifying Otedola? He said he was not the one that started the deal, that Farouk called him. Did Farouk deny it? Otedola said he only imports diesel, which has no subsidy.

You said he should have gone to court. To do what?

Please, let us wait for those investigating.

When it is taken to court, the truth will come out. Don’t be surprised that the money has been shared. That is why they cannot supply the evidence. Please, leave Otedola alone.

Olusola, Ilorin.

•Your write-up on the Lawan-Otedola saga is a masterpiece. Your assertion that Otedola tempted Lawan is correct.

Unfortunately, Lawan fell for the temptation. Iam very sure that anybody could have fallen for such temptation. $3 million is a huge sum only a prodigal son or ‘money miss road’ would offer as bribe.

We may be angry with the legislators, but we are also enraged with Femi Otedola. I know he will never come out victorious in this roforofo fight. He is also a culprit.

Kola Alao, Surulere, Lagos.

•All the oil thieves who defrauded our country through subsidy payments for fuel they did not import will pay for their sins.

0805511129..

•Thumbs up for your piece on the Lawan/Otedola saga. Lawan has just revealed that he is no longer the Lawan we thought he was . He has joined the ranks of conforming Nigerian poliuticians.

080234567'’ It pains me even more than Lawan himself that “the real politicians” think they have successfully rubbished the integrity of Lawan and those of the other members of his committee to scuttle the implementation of of their report. But I trust God to vindicate Lawan and expose the rogues in the end. He who laughs last, laughs best.

Isaiah Ayugu, Abuja.

•Otedola must answer a simple question: why did he ask for his company’s name to be removed if he knew he was clean?

080554392..

•I have no intention of putting a false label on Hon. Farouk Lawan, but I wish to state that whilst we condemn the unfortunate action of our once beautiful bride, let us bring to mind the words of Martin Luther, JR, who

said there is something good in the worst of us and something evil in the best of us.

Those who set him up must have got him at his weak moment and were able to thrust the sword of defeat into his side.

Osa-Kindness, Benin •Our criminal jurisprudence is very clear.

The House probe into the Lawan/Otedola saga. It is unconstitutional and ultra vires. It is diversionary and an interference with the police investigatory and prosecution powers.

Olukayode Ajulo, Egalitarin Mission for Africa.

•Vin, if you asked me, it does not matter what the temptation was intended for. There is always an element of corruption in all our professional politicians. You cannot fall for something you don’t desire.

But come to think of it, how come it is Mr. Chairman who pushed for the removal of former Mrs Speaker for her involvement in N620 million contract scandal? Wsa it a case of the pot calling the kettle black or is that nemesis is taking its course now?

Don Ezeala, Port Harcourt •Whether or not Otedola acted as Lucifer, we should cal a spade a spade. Lawan Farouk, highly looked upon as a man of integrity, fell into disintegrity. He accepted when he was expected to decline. He was supposed to report to law enforcement agents but he kept mute. Once the appropriate penalty/sanction is meted out to any culprit, this nation will grow.

Lanre Oseni, Lagos.

•Vincent, Otedola lied. The $620,000 is not marked money from the SSS as he claimed. If you set up a sting operation, the security agents must be within the vicinity and spring the surprise as the money is being collected. They would not allow Farouk to leave the scene. Otedola had the backing of both the Presidency and the PDP. Their target is the House Committee report.

They want to discredit the report and use it as an excuse for dumping it.

Alhaji Adeboye Lawal.

•Vin, may your ink never dry. The ‘brain box’ of the PDP really set Lawan up. He has not forgotten the role Lawan played during the impeachment brouhaha when Naaba was the speaker. His statement weeks before the story broke shows that he knew what many people did not know.

Seye, Akure.

LOCATION

BACKSTAGE

SNAPSHOT

REEL NEWS

MUSIC

SCREEN

Edited by: VICTOR AKANDE

Tel: 08077408676

E-mail: victor_akande@yahoo.com

ntertainment

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012, 2012

23

SEE PAGE 28 - 37

Strange way I landed in Nollywood

窶年ollywood actress, Shan George

24

STAND BY! h

Wit

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

I

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

THINK

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

Where goes the classical music culture?

T is peculiar with us as a country to think that everything is subject to a phase, without thinking that the phenomenon of change isn't about jettisoning the things of old. Rather, it is in advancing them, and making them look up-to-date. A heritage, for example, should not be seen as ephemeral, because indeed, it is a part of one's history that does not stand on its own, but which also says a lot about a people's today.

I am inspired by the annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival, which I have been privileged to be a part of. I see a concerted effort of artistes, show promoters, tourism organizations and music lovers who do not want Jazz to die in the face of other contemporary genres of music that hold sway among today's youths. And this brings my mind to other forms of local music in Nigeria, which are only managing to survive in the heart of those who savoured them in their good old days.

These are men and women who have been considered as 'old school', without the evidences of show promoters and the corporate Nigeria to do a proper market segmentation and letting their brand live in the minds of other music lovers, other than just the rap, hip hop and R'n'B enthusiasts. After all, every product cannot be a youth brand.

Recognition must however be given to some Nigerians, who either as individuals or corporate organizations have tried to distinguish themselves, by promoting some of these genres of music that have been in comatose.

An attempt by MTN in late 2008 brought the older generation of the Nigerian artistes together on one stage at the Ocean View Restaurant, Victoria Island.

That event came across, as one of the best, jolting our memories to the early days of Nigerian music, but for

But if we think that High Life, Juju and Reggae genres of music are out of vogue, I can only take our minds to the success of the Jazz concert in Lagos two years ago, which sold out its tickets even before the day of the event whatever reasons, another edition has not seen the light of the day.

Another effort that looks like it was the dream to make Chief Ebenezer Obey and Kinng Sunny Ade to perform on one stage. After the first attempt was aborted for reasons the show promoters could not say, another promoter gave the idea life at the last Children's Day celebration. The level of success of the show nothwithstandintg; history was made in what they tagged Oleku Concert.

But if we think that High Life, Juju and Reggae genres

Cape Town International Jazz Festival has grown into an enormously successful international event since its inception in 2000.

As it celebrates it 12th anniversary this year, industry watchers have ranked this proudly South African event as No. 4 in the world

of music are out of vogue, I can only take our minds to the success of the Jazz concert in Lagos two years ago, which sold out its tickets even before the day of the event. If a genre that you may consider foreign to our culture, but which was part of our development as a music destination could achieve that feat, this only to tells us that the impossible is yet to be born. I am referring to the Concert staged by the new Smooth FM radio station which brought critically acclaimed international artistes, including Angie Stone, Gerald Albright, and Richard Bona and featuring Mike Stern and Nigeria's Bez, Tiwa Savage, and Pure and Simple to what it tagged the Love Music, Love Life Luxury Concert.

It is therefore plausible what the South African Tourism Board and other agencies are doing by promoting an undying culture of jazz music, and presenting the country, South Africa, as a major runner of this initiative that brings about 34, 000 visitors to that country every year, thereby boosting its tourism potentials.

Undoubtedly, Cape Town International Jazz Festival has grown into an enormously successful international event since its inception in 2000. As it celebrates it 12th anniversary this year, industry watchers have ranked this proudly South African event as No. 4 in the world, outshining events like Montreaux Jazz Festival and the North Sea Jazz Festival. With more than 34,000 in attendance and more than 40 international and local artistes to perform over two days on five stages, the festival has earned the status of being one of the most prestigious events on the African continent. Sure, there are lessons to be learnt

by Nigeria, a country that is blessed with so many brands of local music that could be exported to the world.

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

SNAPSHOTS

Husband cheers Funke Akindele

A

CTRESS Funke Akindele Oloyede, it seems, is enjoying the best of two worlds; career and marriage.

As one of the celebrity Olympic Torch bearers this year, the actress was joined by her hubby, Mr. Oloyede, to witness the Olympics.

Report says that the man kept cheering his wife, with so much enthusiasm from the spectators’ stand.

Mr. Oloyede was said to have constantly had his eyes glued on the actress, as she ran with her colleagues holding the Olympic Torch.

“Take it take easy. Please ooo,” were the words he kept saying throughout, as he watched her with glee.

Artistes mourn Gogo Ombo

O

NE of the most reliable actors of Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka has been reported dead, after a brief illness in Lagos, just a week after Soyinka celebrated his 78th birthday. Gogo Ombo, as the actor is known, played major roles in Soyinka's Beatification of an Area Boyand King Baabu

by Nàwáo Produktion Zürich.

Also prominent for his roles in classic stage plays, the veteran actor from Nembe, in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, also played famous roles in Daniel O. Fagunwa's Ireke Onibudo: The Fabulous

Adventures of a Sugarcane Man of the annual Chams Theatre Series. Gogo Ombo Gogo was also Are Agoro Ajayi in Kurunmi, the classic play of the late Professor Ola Rotimi, directed by Ben Tomoloju between December 22, 2009 and January 1, 2010 at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos. He was in Odia Ofeimun's A Feast of Return directed by Felix Okolo in 2011.

Gogo featured in several Nigerian movies including Tunde Kelani's Ti Oluwa Nile and Dwelling in Bondage, and Kunle Afolayan's Figurine.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

RE ELNEW S Award scheme honours Amb. Olusola

O

RGANISERS of the annual Nigerian Broadcasters Award have revealed plans to honour the late Ambassador

•Amb. Olusola

C

OME tomorrow, July 29, celebrity restaurant, O'jez, National Stadium, Lagos, will celebrate all the recipients of its monthly Award in the first half of year 2012. The event will be a joint bash for its award recipients from January till June and a formal induction for them, into the O'jez Hall of Fame.

Organisers say the event has been designed as a night of fun, comedy, music and dance. The likes of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; Otunba Babatunde Okunuga; Nollywood actress, Sikiratu Sindodo; veteran actor, Justus Esiri and celebrity designer, Mudi are among the celebrities expected to be at the event.

“We ensure that on the seventh month of the year, we induct all recipients of the O'jez Entertainment Forum awards in the last six months into the O'jez Hall of Fame. This is a ceremony

Segun Olusola, whom they described as a great patron of the award initiative during his life time.

In a statement, Kazeem Popoola of Reality Entertainment, organisers of the scheme, expresses regret for the sudden demise of the broadcast icon.

“As the preparations for the third edition Nigerian Broadcasters Awards gathers momentum, Ambassador Segun Olusola, the Grand Patron of the yearly NBA, passed on! However, to honour the highly respected culture aficionado, broadcaster, patron of the arts and diplomat, who died on Thursday June 21.”

Popoola said his organisation has concluded plans to have a seminar and a football match in honour of the late ambassador.

He said: “The two-day

O'jez opens Hall of Fame for awardees that is dear to our heart because so far, there is no monthly award running in the country at the moment.

We have been able to sustain

ours for a couple of years now, consistently,” says Chief Executive Officer of O'jez, Chief Joseph Odobeatu.

T

Gabosky may get N1.8bn loan from BoI

D

ESCRIBED as the proposed Nigeria's first national auditable movie and music structure, Gabosky Films Incorporated, is working towards accessing part of the USD200M intervention fund for the entertainment industry. The company, owned by prominent filmmaker, Mr. Gab Onyi Okoye, otherwise called Gabosky, may get the sum of N1.8 Billion facility, if it scales through the final stage of documentation.

Gabosky Films Incorporated is expected to, with this fund, establish and fund the operations of a 10, 000 national movie and music distribution network, as contained in its proposal for the facility.

Reports say, the journey towards the actualisation of the loan started in 2011, when the company submitted its application, business plan and financials to the bank. And according to Mr. Yinka Ogundaisi, a consultant to Gabosky on the project, Igwe Gabosky was one of the

three applicants of BOI, mandated by the bank to present their projects to the stakeholders, during the last Zuma Film Festival in Abuja.

Ogundaisi added that the loan will provide a revolving capital to a minimum of 10, 000 grassroots traders that the company intends to partner with in each strategic neighbourhood of the country.

He said a period of 90 days has been earmarked to engage all interested existing video works (music/movie) traders across the country and other Nigerians wishing to do legitimate business to access their revolving capital.

The project, he said, is structured on territorial basis, to comply with the provisions of the National Film & Video Censors Board, NFVCB's New Distribution Framework (NDF), with all its inherent auditable and transparent business features.

Ogundaisi noted that although the project is a private initiative of Igwe Gab Onyi Okoye and he is personally carrying the risks of the loan by providing its collateral, the network will nonetheless function as a national institution which all interested Nigerian Producers and Musicians can use not only to raise funds for their productions but also for the profitable marketing of their works.

Fund disbursement is expected to commence in August when the project will also be formally presented to the public. Activities at the moment are being focussed on firming up the project's partnership with banks, regulatory agencies, telecomm companies, and other industry stakeholders.

Lady of Africa hits scene on three fronts

Curtain closes on 5th Project Fame auditions

HE Lagos leg of auditioning into the th 5 Season of popular musical reality show, MTN Project Fame, has ended, with memories of a 2-day of massive turn-out of young music talents from within and around the suburbs of Lagos.

Young talents numbering over 3000 bustled with vigour, as they make frantic efforts to listed at the Ultima studios premises, Lekki, venue of the Lagos auditions.

Ozioma Isaac, one of the youths who came for the auditions said, 'I came in from Onipanu to participate in the audition not minding the odds of distance and traffic. MTN Project Fame has made me to work stronger, work on my vocals, singing and all that because I was here to audition last year and I didn't go through the first audition stage. Even if I don't end up getting into the academy, I got a first 'Yes' and I'm elated to be part of it'

Film Distribution:

event which will also double as a warm-up to this year's edition of NBA, scheduled for November, will be holding at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, on August 16 and 18. The event is in partnership with the Association of Mass Communication Students (AMACOS) of YabaTech.”

He noted that the seminar with the theme: Broadcasting In Nigeria, Past, Present and Future, Problems and Prospects', will see veterans in the electronic and print media, as well as selected onair personalities, delivering papers on above subject.

“More so, on Saturday August 18, it's going to be a battle of the titans, as famous TV/ Radio presenters will lock horns with movie stars, in a football match tagged 'Battle of Great Voices and Faces'.

Popular musician and 'Eji Owuro' crooner Sola Allison in her post-audition statement said: “The Project Fame platform showcases, trains and grooms many music talents and youths who would have been unheard if not for the MTN initiative. And because this is open to every talent regardless of social class, anybody that has the music talent can come and be seen on a larger stage. It's not all about being the first, second or third; it's about the exposure you have when you get into the academy level.”

Last season's winner, Monica Ogah, whose presence motivated the youths said “If I mad e it through, then a Season 5's winner is also out there, so am here to tell you to believe in God and to also believe in yourselves.”

Following auditions in the 5-city search for talented individuals to be admitted into the prestigious Project Fame music academy, Nigerians await the list of the lucky youths who would be slogging it out in this year's contest.

A

FTER several years of hard work, dedication and unabated vigor, the self styled Lady of Africa, Princess Olubukola Fasuyi who runs a special Foundation for the less privileged is set to hit the Scene on three fronts simultaneously.

Princess Fasuyi who just produced her first movie titled Ife Ja'ye ju will also be organizing the first wholly indigenous street Carnival tagged, “Adire Street Culture Carnival”. In the same breath, the Foundation established in the memory of her life experiences will hold a special concert titled “The Raise a Finger Drama and Music Concert” In a recent interview she

I •Monica

disclosed that the movie Ife ja'ye ju was motivated by her interaction with a number of young Nigerians who have been swayed by circumstances and events thereby losing focus and consequently taking shortcuts that often lead to destruction.

Dismissing the excuse of young people concerning their inability to live their dreams, she revealed that she started her conglomerate of businesses at a tender age and without any cash from any benefactor, today she says most of her businesses sustain her and the array of people she cares for through the Lady of Africa Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation.

Fratelli Rossetti beckons

TALIAN foremost fashion brand, Fratelli Rossetti has concluded plans to establish itself more prominently in the Nigerian and Ghana markets through Jetcomm Ventures.

Olajide Arthur Olaitan of Jetcomm Ventures, sole representative of the brand in the African continent says “the idea of maintaining a stronger presence in Nigeria is because we are aware that Nigerians are fashionable and fashion conscious people who aim for only the best, we are bringing these brands closer to the people starting with the Nigeria

and Ghana markets so they can get the originals of their preferred brands” Olaitan said Jetcomm Ventures Nigeria have been designed to bring together an exciting mix of Fratelli Rossetti brand that attends to mid income earners to high stake rollers (Shoes, Loafers, Hand Bags, all unisex) and latest seasons releases in all the brands. “These are great brands are in high demand amongst our country men and we are set up to meet that demand at reasonable prices by bringing these original brands closer to the people. .”

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

No regret singing like K1 —Fuji act, Ramoni Akanni

T Despite being born to a carpenter father and a petty trader mother in 1986 and raised in a suburb called Okokomaiko in Lagos State, Ashimi Olawale known as Brymo has been able to pursue his dream and today he is one of the known stars in Nigeria after his hit track Ara. In this interview with DUPE AYINLAOLASUNKUMI, he talks about his career and record label amongst others.

D

ID you know that Ara was going to be a hit track?

I knew it was going to be a great song, but I didn't know how big it would get.

So how did you feel, having been able to make a track accepted by people so fast?

It felt great. When I got the feedback, I was more than glad things turned out that way.

How would you describe your signing on to Chocolate City?

A little preparation combined with a little talent and a little mixture of luck and opportunity, if you will permit me to describe it that way. After meeting the Chocolate City bosses, I realized that things were changing and I was on my way to success. It is definitely the most important event of my life in the past decade and I am grateful.

How come Ara beat your other songs?

I don't think any of my songs is better than the others; it's just the purpose each song serves that is different. But Ara is a great song without any doubt.

Having done well with your hit track, how do you intend to maintain the level you have attained?

I don't even know the level I am (laughs). Making music is more important for me, so as long as am able to better myself and improve on my art, I'll be fine.

What is it like working with the other artistes on the same record label?

It's absolutely a beautiful experience especially because they are all rappers and they are great song writers too, so it's music all the way.

ALAZO Extension Fuji sensation, Alhaji Ramoni Akanni whom many have often accused of singing like Wasiu Ayinde Marshal a.k.a K1 has squealed that he's unperturbed by the remark.

He said; "I started sounding like K1 in 1987 and there has never been a regret in my career ever since.” The Ogbomosho, Oyo state, based artiste described K1 as a great blessing to the Fuji music industry which is one of the reasons he emulates him.

Abuja star sets to hit market Double, Double From, John OFIKHENUA, Abuja

I wrote the song Good Morning for my fiancée—Brymo Artistes envy one other, especially if one is doing well and new on a label.

What is your own experience?

It's only human to envy, I guess... I've been in that situation severally and all it has done is to help me grow. But fortunately, I am working with people I can easily call family, so no problem, am good.

Now that you are in the limelight, how have you been able to manage the ladies?

You make "the ladies" sound like it's a business, well I love my female fans, they are amazing.

What attracted you to music as a career?

I don't know. I used to like football a lot; suddenly music took its place. But I am greatly influenced by my mum who is a big music fan.

We are used to artistes having problems with their record label. Do you see that coming in the future?

Sometimes, we lose track of what we are trying to achieve and then we start to fall out with each other, but if we stop and give it a minute, everything will be fine. That's what I'd try to do if I find myself having problems with a company I once enjoyed working with; everything can be worked out if people just talk about it.

What are you working on presently?

I am working on my sophomore album, called The son of a carpenter due to be out in the last quarter of the year. I just concluded the video for my second single titled Good morning. So far it's been a fine year, am grateful.

Are you in a relationship?

Yes. Who do you think I wrote the Good Morning song for?

When do you intend to make it official?

If making it official means telling the whole world, well, I am a private person, so there'll be no need going to the press!

How has she been coping with the new development in your relationship?

If you are in love with someone, you don't cope. You just love each other.

Most parents do not support their children to do music because of the negative sides. Did you get approval from your parents from the start?

Nope!! Parents will always be afraid their kids might fail and all, and that's where the problem stems from. They don't say no when you pick a profession such as this because they hate it, they say no because they are afraid you either end up doing drugs or you might never blow.

So, my parents had their share of that fear. But things turned out the way they did, I am glad they are relieved a little.

Why the name Brymo?

It came from the need to have a unique stage name. I didn't want to share my brand name with anyone so I created it from my original names, Brym came from Ibrahim and the O is simply Olawale.

Any plans to go back to school?

There are plans to learn as much as possible.

If it was not music, what would you have gone for?

Maybe football or I'd be a zoologist.

A

N Abuja based singer, Ozeeis set to release two singles titled Double Double and Down Down.

The artiste is already working round the clock in preparatory to the debut album.

Ozee who is presently busy with promotion of the new work 'Double Double' and 'Down Down', has assured his fans that this is an improvement on previous singles, 'Designer Girl' and 'Shack Me' The young star who said he was inspired by artistes like 2face, MI, John Legend and Drake, added that he featured Chocolate City Producer and Rapper, Jesse Jagz in his latest single, 'Double Double'.

While describing working with Jesse Jagz as 'a wonderful experience', Ozee added, ''my new singles are definitely an improvement on the work I have done before. After my first singles last year which is 'Designer Girl' and 'Shack Me', I decided to go back to work and bring out something better.

So, each time am bringing something out, I want my fans to be able to say, yes, he's giving us something better than the last.''

He described hard work and passion as the path to success, adding that he looks forward to a successful life in the music industry.

His words: ''In the next five years, by the grace of God, I hope to see myself among the top ten artists in Africa, as a recognized, award winning artist.

Definitely, I am going to do my best and by the grace of God, who knows, I might be the first Nigerian to bring home a Grammy award.'’

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

Gospel acts mourn pastor's wife

GOMAN enters 4th decade

DaGrin’s Haters goes on Spinlet

T

HE Gospel Musicians Association of Nigeria (GOMAN) celebrated its 30year anniversary recently. The group's celebration was held at the Blue Roof hall of Lagos State Television (LTV), Ikeja, Lagos with fanfare. The well attended event was graced by eminent Nigeria such Asiwaju Sir Michael AdeOjo, Chairman, Toyota Nigeria ltd, Evangelist (Dr) Ebenezer Obey, Rev. Ekpenyong Bassey, Pastor J.I. Kalejaiye, Bishop Kayode Odulaja, Papa Solomon Akinpelu (GOMAN first president), legendary Mama Deborah Fosoyin, and a host of others.

The event featured musical performances from top Nigerian gospel singers. They include Funmi Aragbaige; Bukola Akinade (aka Sewenle Jesu); Evangelist Chucks Chidube; Benita Okojie, Oshadipe twins and a closing performance

by Evangelist Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi.

Highlight of the event was the honouring of Evangelist Obey, who was described as the visioner and pillar of the body for the past 30 years. GOMAN celebrated the music icon by marking his 70th birthday with outpouring of tributes, and cutting of his specially designed birthday cake.

D

UPE Olulana, Hope Davies, Midnight Crew and Rosemary Chukwu are among the gospel music artistes who have paid tributes to Pastor (Mrs) Connie Madubuko, wife of Apostle Anselm Madubuko who died recently.

The decease was reported to have died of cardiac arrest in a Lagos private hospital. The tragic occurrence has brought about broken emotions and tears among some top Nigerians gospel musicians whose life and ministry could be said to have been blessed by the ministry of late pastor Connie Madubuko.

Following her interment at the Ikoyi Cemetery, Lagos, Gospel artistes have continued to send tributes, testimonies and condolences to the family and church members of the diseased.

Meanwhile, Apostle Anslem has said th that the 10 edition of the annual Asuza Praise Concert must go on despite his wife's demise. The concert, hosted annually by Apostle Anslem Madubuko and his Revival Assembly, Church, Lagos, is said to be ready, as usual, to thrill gospel music lovers with gospel vibes.

Pelli eyes stardom

F

AST-RISING act, Pelli, is willing to take over the urban music scene.

The artiste's mission is considered so, in view of the fresh materials, energy, and passion he is putting into music.

With the release of his latest offering 'Dance', which is already enjoying massive radio airplay in Nigeria, Pelli who is signed to Raindrop Music says he is more than ready to take over the Nigerian music scene with his unique style of music Real name; Chike Uffundu, Pelli's music career saw him go through the phase of miming to his favourite music bands, to enrolling for Mr. Heartland pageant, emerging the first runner up.

After a few years, he moved to Lagos and started recording and writing new songs.

Therein, he enrolled and won the first edition of “Do your thing”: a talent hunt show.

With two singles already out, and a video on the way, Pelli says he's grabbing 2012 with both arms.

“I've practically been living in the studios for months now. 'It's been a period of mixed blessingsI'm glad I'm getting such amazing support for my career, and I'm humbled by the growth I've recorded since the release of “Dance”.

•Pelli

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AGRIN'S tribute song, Haters, has been released exclusively on Spinlet, Nigeria's premier digital music distribution platform.

The latest single is from the late artiste's forthcoming posthumous album on the Spinlet platform.

The work features sensational hip hop star Dammy Krane, Tipsy, PennyHustle, Oba Dice and Bigstreet.

Mark Redguard, Chief Marketing Officer of Spinlet, who announced the release of the single said: “For such a young artiste, DaGrin's music was way beyond his years. It is an inspiring fusion of Nigerian rhythms, hip hop beats and a gritty street soul that strongly endeared him to thousands of fans. Just like his fans, we are determined to keep his music living forever, so we are just as excited to present Haters to Nigerians and the world in general.

It would be recalled that just recently, Spinlet announced the release of new singles from Nigerian gospel artiste, Nikki Laoye, as well as from Hip Hop star, Rocksteady.

•Obey

•Dagrin

Darey features Flavour, others in Sisi Eko

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ESCRIBED as Africa's king of R&B, Darey Art-Alade, has once again received thumbs up from industry watchers, who see his longanticipated video for his hit single "Sisi Eko" (remix featuring Flavour), as a master piece.

The big-budget video shot in the heart of Lagos in May, with a cast and crew drawn mainly from Lagos and South Africa, shows Darey and Flavour taking turns in trying to woo a beautiful and elegant Lagos lady whom they spot, window-shopping, as they ride together in the famous Lagos traffic.

Things get tense as the drama builds, with neither Darey nor Flavour willing to let go motorists complain bitterly as both men cause traffic to further build up, but they're so lost in the competition, that nothing would move them.

The work is produced by Soul Muzik, Directed by Mark Hofmeyr and supported with trendy African prints by the first pan-African print brand by and for Africa, the popular WOODIN! Cameo appearances include Ali Baba, Dr SID, Seun Kuti, Waje, Omawumi , DJ Jimmy JATT, Julius Agwu, Mo'Eazy, Zaina and many others.

Ace says Show Me What You Got

C

HUKS Austine, popularly called Ace is back! The Fusion Music recording artiste this time is looking to score once more point with his latest release, Show Me What You Got (SMWYG).

The hotly anticipated single which promises to be a chart buster hit the music stands this week and is available for free download.

Ace performed the unreleased single at the Celebrity Basketball 2012 and also recently at the popular weekly Spinlet and Trace/Urban weekly Industry Nite at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos. His introduction to the Nigerian public as a performer was at the Sound City Urban MusicBlast Concert.

He also performed in the 2009 Face-Off Celebrity Basketball competition which featured top-notch Nigerian musical acts including; 2face, P-Square, Darey, 9ice, Wande Coal, Sauce Kid and Banky W. Ace who is now signed to Glitterati Records just ended a tour with the Samsung/Spinlet activation Nationwide Campus Tour which will hold in 10 cities for 10 weeks starting from July 7, 2012.

The artiste already has three singles to his credit, Lalale Friday which has a video, The Ace is Here and Je Ka Lo.

•Paloma

By

Harry Iwuala

Inside The

Glass House WITH AMINU MAIGARI

AKINLOYE

AT LARGE

08050246155 atlarge84@yahoo.com

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

HO LLYWOOD

Rapper Snoop Dogg to release reggae album C

ELEBRATED rapper, Snoop Dogg, turns rasta on Reincarnated album due later this year. The artiste has been renamed Snoop Lion for his debut reggae album.

As reported in March, Snoop's 12th studio album sees the 40-yearold hip-hop star trading guns and blunts for dreads and blunts. Snoop will sing his way through most of Reincarnated, which is due later this year on Vice Records.

"Sendin the positive vibes all around!!! jahh!!! rastafari!!!" the

Big Brother Stargame

Ghana’s Keitta, Kenya’s Alex out

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newly christened Snoop Lion declared on Twitter. With that Rastafarian tweet came a link to La La La, his new single, along with a lo-fi video. The song is completely, unabashedly reggae, with loping bass line and cooed chorus, and guest vocals by Jovi Rockwell.

According to his SoundCloud page, Snoop Lion is based in Kingston, Jamaica.

Snoop's last album, 2011's Doggumentary, featured Gorillaz, R Kelly, Willie Nelson and Kanye West. It debuted at No 44 in the UK.

Doctor D Who actress dies

OCTOR Who actress Mary Tamm, 62, died after a long battle against cancer, her agent confirmed. Tamm, who played the first incarnation of the Doctor's companion Romana, alongside Tom Baker, died at hospital in London. Her agent Barry Langford said she had a 'zest for life.'

However, She died at her home in Battersea, south west London after suffering from cancer for 18 months.

Her husband Marcus Ringrose said: 'On set and offstage, her

earthy northern humour and selfdeprecating wit brightened every occasion. She was a consummate actress, and immensely popular in the profession.

Mary was born in Bradford, the daughter of impoverished refugees, and through sheer talent and hard graft got herself to Rada, starred opposite Jon Voight in The Odessa File, and found a form of immortality as the Time Lady Romana opposite Tom Baker in Doctor Who. She also appeared in soaps Brookside and EastEnders

Crane over Ghollywood

Ghana celebs mourn President Atta Mills

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HE death of President John Evans Atta Mills last Tuesday came as a surprise to almost everyone and many Ghanaians have been placed to a sad mood. Here, some of the nation's celebs comment on the death of the man many have come to know as Asomdwee Hene.

Yvonne Okoro: This is the time Ghanaians should come together as one no matter our political differences. A peace-loving man that he was but today he's no more. He was our President whether we liked it or not and therefore have to accord him that respect than people trying to blame others for his death. He was calm, very respectful land a hard working man.

Abeiku Santana: The president was a very good friend of mine, we lived in the same neighbourhood, attended the same church, Emmanuel Methodist Church and come from the same hometown. The late President consoled me when my son and daughter died and today he's no more. I am in tears now and really don't know when I can recover from this. He calls me Abusuapayin and I love to respond the same. He is a gentle

Atta Mills

and peace loving man and I believe God has prepared a special place for him. He is my mentor, my father and my leader.Abrantie Amakye Dede: I will do whatever I can as a musician to console the bereaved family. The news of the President's death is a sad one since this is the first time in the history of this nation. I am still in shock trying to forget about it but it's not that easy. Whatever the family has lost due to this tragic death, I pray that the good Lord replaces it. I'm not into politics but I know he is a good

man and had the country at heart.

May he rest in perfect peace.

Eazzy: I am still in shock now; I was watching the news on television in the afternoon when I got to know that the president John Evans Atta had passed on.

This moment, all I will wish is that Ghanaians unite as one people no matter our political differences. It is my hope that the new president, John Mahama leads the country peacefully till December when we go for elections. My condolence to the wife. May God be with him wherever he is.

ITH just seven Housemates left in the Big Brother Stargame competition, the show which finally, and gradually drifts to its end, is nothing short of tension, as the cash prize of USD300 000 now stare the competitors closer in the face.

The exit of Nigeria's Goldie was followed last Sunday, by the eviction of Ghana's Keitta and Kenya's Alex. And although Keitta didn't receive a single nomination last week, he found himself up for eviction, after Head of House, Kyle saved Keagan and put the Ghanaian up instead. Keitta did not escape the precarious position.

But IK was not does with the massage of doom yet. He returned to the house and delivered the news that another housemate would be evicted right away. “I'm back for another eviction. The seventh housemate to leave Upville is… Alex. You are going home tonight, Prezzo you're safe.” And that was it.

As Alex said his goodbyes,

Zeus and Lomwe returned with Double Wowza.

When Alex arrived on stage, IK asked him why he had continued to nominate his countryman Prezzo. ”He wasn't social, he was up tight, I thought I'd nominate him,” Alex told him. “Do you have the same taste in women as your brother?” asked IK. “Seriously, I have a different taste!” said Alex with a laugh. “So Tamara's more your kind of person then?” IK pressed. “Exactly!” said the Kenyan. IK quizzed Alex about his plans now that he had been evicted, and he told Africa he would be finishing his studies and then look to start his own business.

Monday is nomination day and things are getting tight!

The nomination results will be revealed live at 20:00 CAT on Monday and voting opens at 20:30, straight after the show. Viewers have until 06:00 CAT this Sunday to vote to keep their favourite housemates in the game.

Titi Aboyade Cole’s show hits airwaves

F

INALLY, all is set for renowned London OnAir Personality and Publisher of Social Diary Magazine, Titi Aboyade Cole, to hit the Nigerian airwaves with a program tagged Titi Aboyale Cole Show.

The new TV show embraces societal values, showcases talents, addresses pressing issues, while informing and educating Nigerians at home and in Diaspora on the state of the nation, and socio-economic and political issues affecting

African in general.

Host of the show, Titi, is a Nigerian who is based in the United Kingdom with knowledge of current situations in Nigeria. The debut edition of the show, it is said, airs today July 28 on MITV and DSTV Channel 136 at 9:30am. It was also revealed that the show would also start running on international TV in UK from the August 4, 2012 on Praise TV (sky channel 598) at 2pm and also in America on Hi Point TV channel 7(roll box) at 9am New York time

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

Get these knives away from our markets

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love Nigeria to my bones and I am one of those who will defend my country any time and anywhere. I have been to others countries to know for certain that no country is exactly without its own problems. Today, we have issues of Boko Haram, kidnapping and other vices. It is sad, but we are not really different from countries where knifing, gang groups and gun trading have taken hold of the minds of the youths.

However much I love my country, Nigeria, there are so many things that get my blood boiling. One of them is the way siren-blowing vehicles try to push you off the road. The other time, we were saved by the whiskers when a convoy of such vehicles came suddenly from us and we had nowhere to turn. I really still can’t say In order to build your self-esteem, what powerful hands held our car as we veered dangerously off the road you must establish yourself as the master of your own life. Every single to let them pass.

In these days and times of unpro- minute of your life is a moment you voked aggression, one of the things can change for the better.

If you’ve been delaying some I fear most when I go to the market is the way youths carry knifes about action for half the day, don’t dwell in the market in the name of selling on it or beat yourself up for it, shift them. Worse still is the way they your focus to the present moment come very close to you ‘brandish- and what you can do right now. Start ing’ those knives for you to see and with the smallest or the most buy. They always almost poke the important task.

The following are tips to help knives in your face and a fertile mind continuous upward like mind can’t help but imagine how build ‘useful’ those knives may become in momentum towards higher self case an uprising happens. We can’t esteem.

1. Start Small pretend not to know that in this part Start with something you can do of the country, market places are relevant grounds for settling ethnic immediately and easily. When we start with small successes, we build unrest.

I remember vividly an incident momentum to gain more confidence that happened many years ago while in our abilities. Each completed task, I was growing up in the city of regardless of how small, is a building Ibadan. An insane man went into one block towards a more confident you. of the markets in that city and went What are some small actions you can straight to a tool shop. The cutlasses take immediately to demonstrate on display caught his attention. These that you are capable of achieving cutlasses were newly filled and as a goals you’ve set for yourself? For result very sharp. The insane man example, clean your desk, organize must have felt he had a score to settle your papers, or pay all your bills.

2. Create a Compelling Vision with sane people and he didn’t waste Use the power of your any time in running after many people and managed to severe many imagination. Create an image of hands and inflict cuts on several yourself as the confident and selfpeople before he was overpowered. assured person you aspire to At the end of that day, many people become. When you are this person, who woke up as able-bodies men how will you feel? How will others and women ended up without a limb perceive you? What does your body and became physically challenged. language look like? How will you That was the result of having tools talk? See these clearly in your mind’s eye, with your eyes closed. Feel the in the wrong hands.

I pray we never have a situation feelings, experience being and anymore in this country where seeing things from that person’s brothers will turn against brothers perspective. Practice doing this for for some stupid reasons. Whatever, 10 minutes every morning. Put on we must all fight against the sale of music in the background that either dangerous tools openly in the mar- relaxes you, or excites you. When you are done, write a description of ket place.

Knives, cutlasses and all such dan- this person and all the attributes gerous household equipment may you’ve observed.

3. Socialize be used for other reasons, so we must Get out of the house or setup a keep them safe. In fact, they should be better sold in well sealed pack- lunch date with a friend. Socializing ages. At least if anybody wants to with others will give us use such as weapons, he or she has to opportunities to connect with other and practice our first break into a stall and open it people, from the package by which time his/ communication and interpersonal her would-be victim might have had skills.

4. Do Something that Scares You an escape route. Or what do you As with all skills, we get better think? with practice and repetition. The more often we proactively do things that scare us, the less scary these situations will seem, and eventually •Tochukwu, 35 resides in Lagos will be rid of that fear. needs a mature woman who con5. Do Something You Are Good siders herself good enough for a At man to call himself lucky. Call: What are you especially good at 08083395384. or enjoy doing? Regularly doing •Ikechukwu, 35, businessman things that you are good at reinforces based in Lagos, AA genotype needs your belief in your abilities and a woman btw 30 and 35 for a rela- strengths. I (Tina) can be very tionship that can lead to marriage. efficient with completing errands or Call: 08082489650.

Hearts With Adeola Agoro

E-mail: libranadeola@yahoo.co.uk Tel: 08023162609

13 tips to building self-esteem

Matchmaking

administrative work. Whenever I have a few hours filled with ways in which I’ve maximized my time, I feel highly productive and this boosts the confidence have in my abilities as an organized and efficient person.

6. Set Goals According to a study done at Virginia Tech, 80% of Americans say they don’t have goals. And the people who regularly write down their goals earn nine times as much over their lifetime as people who don’t.

By setting goals that are clear and actionable, you have a clear target of where you want to be. When you take action towards that goal, you’ll build more confidence and self-esteem in your abilities to follow through.

7. Help Others Feel Good About Themselves Help somebody or teach them something. When you help other people feel better about themselves and like themselves more, it will make you feel good about yourself.

See what you can do to make others feel good or trigger them to smile.

Maybe giving them a genuine compliment, helping them with something or telling them what you admire about them.

8. Get Clarity on Life Areas Get clarity on the life area that needs the most attention. Your selfesteem is the average of your selfconcept in all the major areas of your life. Write down all the major categories of your life, e.g., health, relationships, finance, etc. Then rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 in each area. Work on the lowest numbered category first, unless they are all even. Each area affects the other areas.

The more you build up each area of your life, the higher your overall selfesteem.

9. Create a Plan Having a goal alone won’t do much. Get clarity on your action items. One of the biggest reasons people get lazy is because they don’t have a plan to achieve their goals.

They don’t know what the next step is and start to wander off randomly.

When you’re baking a cake, it’s a lot easier to follow a set of clear instructions, than randomly throwing ingredients together.

10. Get Motivated Read something inspirational,

towards creating a better life for ourselves and our families.

11. Get External Compliments As funny as this point suggests, go find a friend or family member and ask them “What do you like about me?” “What are my strengths?” or “What do you love about me?” We will often value other people’s opinions more than our own. We are the best at beating ourselves up for things not done well, and we are the worst at recognizing what we’ve done well in. Hearing from another person our strengths and positive qualities helps to build a more positive image of ourselves.

12. Affirmations & Introspection Use affirmations, but in the right way. Some people think that when they’re in a slump, using positive affirmations will help them get out of it. I love affirmations, but I’ve realized you have to use them in the right way. Sitting on your couch and saying “I am highly motivated and productive” does nothing. Say something like “I am sitting here being very unproductive right now, is this the ideal me? What would be my best self?” Your affirmations have to be the TRUTH. Once you’re honest, take the first step towards doing the thing, no matter how small.

13. No More Comparisons Stop comparing yourself to other people. Low-self esteem stems from the feeling of being inferior.

For example, if you were the only person in the world, do you think you could have low-self esteem?

Self-esteem only comes into the picture when there are other people around us and we perceive that we are inferior. Don’t worry about what your neighbor is doing. Accept that it’ll serve you more to just go down your own path at your own pace rather than to compare yourself. Pretend you’re starting over and begin immediately with the smallest step forward.

Self-esteem comes from selfdominion. The more power you have in getting yourself to take the right actions, the more self-esteem you will have. Your level of selfesteem affects your happiness and everything you do.

39 This issue of selfesteem and selfconfidence has to be revisited A few weeks ago, I treated the issue of lack of self confidence, and I must say I have received more telephone calls on that more than have received questions on sex and relationships. I have had to repeat the same things I wrote on this page and during this period when I go without food and water in the day time, I get exhausted talking on the same issue over and over again.

I sought more expert advise on hoe open can get self esteem and other related issues.

I’m sorry that the other questions sent to my email and phones are not being treated this week. I will make sure I make a call to those of you with very urgent problems. By next week, I will openly treat them without betraying your identities as I have always done.

What should I do?

Hello madam, there’s this girl I admire so much but when I approached her for a relationship she said no. The problem is that this girl has been requesting things from me and she actually comes to my sister’s shop to see me whenever she’s free. What should I do?

I’m from PH. So, you feel like a ‘mugu’ that she’s taking things from you and yet continues to say no. It’s not bad at all that she likes your company and also finds it comfortable to ask you for things. It’s not every time that you must be shagging somebody before you can be good to them nooowww. She probably takes you as a big brother or a friend and it’s not her fault that you can’t get her out of your mind. Most of the people who have ever been good to me have NEVER asked for anything in return. I also have other people’s children I’m training in school and feeding without them being of any use to me. That is the part I’m supposed to play in their lives just as others are playing their parts in my life. Get it off your mind that you must conquer whoever you’re being good to. Don’t forget that the Maker pays us back a million fold for whatever good or evil that we do.

And who knows, your being good today without taking anything in return may so touch her that she may fall for you before you know it. After all, she likes you from what I can see and before long, that likeness may grow into love.

listen to something empowering, talk to someone who can uplift our spirits, who can motivate us to become a better person, to live more consciously, and to take proactive steps

•From left: Mr. Mofoluso Ayeni, Vice Chairman; Mrs Abosede Ayeni, MD/CEO and Dr. Jaiye Oyedotun, Chairman, Tantalizer Plc at the 14th Annual General Meeting of the company in Lagos recently

The founder, Didi Museum, Dr Newton Jibunoh (middle), with his wife, Elizabeth, and other guests during the 30th anniversary and reopening of the first private museum in Nigeria at Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos recently.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

A

S my aunty spoke, I stared at her as if I was seeing a ghost. I turned confused, to my mother and she also had this dazed look in her eyes.

“Could this be true, Mama?

Is aunty speaking the truth?”

I asked in a shaky voice when she finished speaking.

She didn’t say anything but simply nodded.

A massive headache came suddenly upon me then and the earth started spinning.

Noticing my obvious distress, my mum quickly led me to the bed to lie down.

They both looked at me worriedly, my mother placing her hand on my forehead.

“Your skin is hot. Are you feeling any pain?” she asked me.

I shook my head.

“No, I’m fine. I just need some cold water,” I stated.

She went out of the room with aunty to get the drink and I was left alone with my thoughts.

How could this be? I wondered. That BJ, my loving and caring husband was the one behind my problems, the reason why my babies were dying and the miscarriages too.

My aunt had stated that that was what the Seer had seen with his clairvoyant powers and had felt it was necessary for me to know the truth.

But was he right? How could my educated, sophisticated, debonair husband, a man who had travelled the world, be involved in such things?

“He is said to be a member of a society. He has sold the souls of all your male children and exchanged them for wealth and status in the society,” my aunt had said.

Could this be true? Could I trust the Seer’s words despite his acclaimed supernatural powers? I was sceptical as I didn’t believe in such things, considering them relics of a bygone era, a throwback to the old days of our forefathers. This was the 21st century, the computer age so could such supernatural things really exist? And as a Christian, was believing in them not against my religious beliefs?

And if the Seer was correct, how could BJ do such an evil thing to me? To our family? How could he be killing our precious children, both

Palace of pain (5) the unborn and the ones I had given birth to? For what kind of wealth? What status? It was only someone with an evil, devilish and deadly heart that could do such a thing, someone who belonged in the pit of hell and not among decent people.

These thoughts kept going round and round in my head, worsening the headache...

Living in pain Later, a decision was taken by my family on how to tackle the serious situation. Every member of my family believed the Seer and could not understand why I was still having doubts.

“He has never been known to make fake predictions or speak falsehood in all the years I’ve known him,” my aunty pointed out.

“The Seer said the evidence lies in your house. So, why don’t we go there and get it,” said my cousin, David who was present at the meeting. According to the Seer, there was something BJ had kept in the house which would prove that his words were true.

They all turned to look at me.

I remained silent for a while. Then I spoke: “I don’t feel like going to that house for now. So, you can send people there.

It’s only the servants there as BJ has travelled. I’ll call one of the maids to let you

into the house,” I stated quietly, staring fixedly at the floor.

A few people including my mother and aunt were picked to go to my house.

They were accompanied by the Seer.

After they had gone, I called the pastor of my church but could not reach him so I spoke to a senior member of our church who was like a family friend.

“So, what do you plan to do now?” he asked after I had told him what the Seer had said about my husband.

I sighed.

“Honestly, I don’t know sir. Right now I’m confused. I don’t know what to think or even believe anymore,” I said.

He advised me to wait till my mother and the others had returned from my home on the fact-finding mission before taking any decision.

“This is a very sensitive matter. So, you need to be careful. Have you heard from your husband?” he asked.

I told him we had spoken a few days before.

“Don’t tell him what’s going on. Call me as soon as your mother and the others return to brief me on their findings,” he said before ending the call.

My mother and the others came back some days later with some items that the Seer said I must not look at as it could be disastrous for me and my unborn child.

But my mother described

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Would they still envy me, knowing that my husband was nothing but an evil-minded person who could mortgage the souls of his children for wealth and position

’

it as a small wooden box which contained a piece of red cloth, a wooden figurine of a baby boy, some feathers, cowries, strands of hair, a white cloth stained with what looked like blood and some other stuff too gory to mention.

She said they had found the box in a locked cupboard in BJ’s study/den. I wondered how they had been able to get into the room as my husband always kept the room locked whenever he was not using it.

If I had any doubts, they were all wiped away by the contents of the box. I was in a state of shock and I just sat in my room, my hands on my chin, staring blankly into space. It was one of the worst days of my life as I felt my life, my dreams and hopes were over.

“This can not be happening,” I thought aloud. How could my beloved husband be so fetish, so evil-minded?

My mother tried her best to console me but I could not get out of the deep depression that held me in its grip. I sat dejectedly, bitter tears rolling down my face.

“My daughter, you have to take it easy. Remember your condition. Do you want to lose this one too?” she asked, with a glance at my stomach.

“What do I do now, Mama? Where do I go from here? I never knew when I married BJ that things would end up this way! My life is over!” I wailed pitifully.

“God forbid! Nothing will happen to you! As long as you do what the Seer says, that you must not return to BJ’s house, you will be fine,” she stated.

The Seer had said that since the source of his wealth had been exposed and the box’s contents destroyed, BJ’s fortune will nosedive and things

will not be the same again for him.

“You need to stay away from him. And you cannot return to the house for your own safety,” the Seer had warned sternly.

Because of his warning, it was my mother and aunty who had to return to my home to get my belongings.

They got a truck and packed all the things I instructed to get.

While all these incidents were going on, BJ was still abroad. But someone, maybe one of the domestic staff, must have tipped him off for he called me a few days after my mother had returned with my belongings.

“What is going on, Tilda?

Is it true you have packed out of our home?” he asked.

“Yes. And I’m not going back,” I said firmly.

“Why? What is the problem? Have I offended you in any way?” he queried in a worried tone.

“You will find out on your return. There’s a letter for you with the maid, Angy,” I replied.

“Letter? I don’t want any letter! Talk to me, honey! We can sort this out!”

“There’s nothing to sort out. Just read the letter,” I said irritably and hung up.

He rang back immediately but I refused to pick his call. The phone kept ringing so much, I had to switch it off.

My mum too, refused to talk to him when he called her. We all decided to ‘blank’ him out.

He had caused me too much pain and anguish and I was not in a frame of mind to listen to him.

I had to get another number so he couldn’t reach me.

I was full of regrets for ever having anything to do with such a cruel man, much less marrying him. I remember our high-profile wedding, how all my friends had been so envious of me for ‘hooking’ someone like BJ- a guy who was rich, cultured and caring. I wonder what

those friends would say now at the turn of events. Would they still envy me, knowing that my husband was nothing but an evil-minded person who could mortgage the souls of his children for wealth and position?

Perhaps I should have listened to my sister, Betty. She had never been in support of my relationship with BJ. Back then, I had thought that she was simply jealous that I was getting married while she was still single. But as things have turned out, she had been right. I should have studied him more, found out more about him before tying the knot.

Perhaps, as she said then, I was carried away by the money, the glamour. But as they say, not all that glitters is gold. How true that has turned out to be in my case!

On the surface, I was living the dream life- a posh home with all the comforts and with servants at my beck and call, more money than I could ever spend, a loving and doting husband. But scratch that surface a little and what emerges is a life of sorrow, pain and anguish. I was living in a palace but pain and suffering dogged my every step.

But I had no one to blame but myself. The only consolation I have from all this mess is my lovely daughter Stephanie. And my unborn baby. And for their sake, I’m ready to do anything to ensure they live and remain healthy. That is why I have sworn that I will never return to BJ’s house. For doing so will endanger not just my life, but those of my children. And that I can never do.

Or what do you think?

Concluded Names and places have been changed to protect the narrator’s identity Send comments/reactions to 08023201831 or psaduwa@ yahoo.com.

•Michael and Dabira Olaitan with their mummy during their birthday celebration

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THE NATION, Saturday, JULY 28, 2012

I'm n o t , t n a t i l i m x e an 'I m a militant nd a l ta n e m n o ir v n E human rights activist Annkio Briggs at 60

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THE NATION SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

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Crème d' la crème honour Kema Chikwe

E-mail:kayflex2@yahoo.com

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Abah Folawiyo BKK Kuti celebrates quietly moves uphill

Bola Ilori gets busy Lewis Osobase in Sogo Oluwabiyi loses mother double celebration

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Olumide Ogunlesi shuts down Fantasyland

Princess Dolapo Adeyemi clocks 40 in grand style

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

Renowned environmental and human rights activist, Annkio Briggs, who turns 60 tomorrow, is popularly referred to as the Amazon of the Niger Delta. She is the President of Agape Birthrights; the spokesperson of the Ijaw Republican Assembly (IRA) and the United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS). She has been into activism since 1998 when her marriage broke and has since been at the forefront of the Niger Delta struggle. In this interview with BISI OLANIYI, she declares that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the worst thing that has happened to Nigeria. She also vows to continue to be a militant, describing the late environmentalist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, as her hero. She insists that President Goodluck Jonathan is not a tribalist and admonished Nigerians to always demand good governance, justice and accountability.

‘Father didn't raise me like a girl; I learnt to use speedboat at 10 and motorbike at 14’ H

•Briggs

How does it feel to be 60?

It does not feel any different from 20, 30, 40 or 50. At 60, I am more mature. I am more exposed. I am clearer with life, with what I expect from people, from the nation, from situations and even from myself. It is great to reach the age of 60. I am really humbled and honoured by the way people are reacting to the realisation that I will be 60 years old on July 29.

The way people have called in, sent text messages, wanting to be part of whatever I am doing, I am grateful to God. You said some people want to be part of what you are doing. Will there be elaborate parties in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt or Abonnema your native town?

I was raised in the creeks, in Rivers State, in the Niger Delta. Whatever I am going to do will be done in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. It will be marked,

by God’s grace, from 6 pm on August 3 at the Atlantic Hall of Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, but strictly by invitation. I am who I am today because of the way I was born, the circumstances of my birth and the way I was raised. It is a combination of a lot of things. The creek is a large part of who I am and what I am doing.

Will it be correct to describe you as a creek girl, even at sixty?

Oh yes! Definitely, absolutely and totally, I am a creek girl. You can take me out of the creek, but you cannot take the creek out of me.

What were the circumstances of your birth?

I am of a mixed race. My mother is British and my father is Ijaw. I was born in England and I was raised in the creeks of Niger Delta. I relocated to Port Harcourt with my father when I was four years old. It is not everybody who is from the creeks that is raised in that manner. I continue to hold dual British/Nigerian nationality. Having lived in the UK and the USA, I returned to the Niger Delta in 1998.

You do not look your age. At 60, you still look very active and beautiful. What are the secrets?

The secret is God. Whatever I do, I believe I am led by God. I believe in what I am doing. I enjoy what I am doing. I like the fact that I am who I am. I wake up in the morning, I look at myself and I like myself.

You have been mentioning God. Are you a Christian?

Yes, I am a Christian.

Do you go to church?

Oh yes. I attend Salvation Ministries in Port Harcourt, on many Sundays as I can afford to go.

You must be a Deaconess or something…

I am not a Deaconess. I am a child of God. Are men still making passes at you or proposing to you at 60, given your beauty and considering the fact that you are a single/divorced mother?

I give God the glory for being beautiful. But that should not be a reason for men to make passes at me.

You are from coastal Abonnema. Will it be correct to say

that you had fun while growing up?

My growing up was loaded with lots of fun but spiced with unfortunate incidents here and there; loss of loved ones and the civil war, which affected many of us in the Niger Delta. A lot of people died. Many people lost their property.

The war was very painful for people that were born at that time, especially a teenager that I was during the war.

Generally, my childhood was fun, full of love and care, and I enjoyed growing up in the creeks. I do not know what it would have been like, not to growing up in the creeks. I cannot swap growing up in the creeks with any other childhood. I was raised like a tomboy. I was always in shorts. I was always on the water with my dad, because he was a marine engineer. Living in the creeks, my playground was the waterfront. There was no other place to play than the water. I loved fishing. I loved going into the creeks and I loved going to other communities.

My upbringing was fun, but it was very strict.

My dad is dead, but my mother is alive. She is in England.

I went to primary school in Abonnema and secondary school at Holy Rosary in Port Harcourt, before the civil war broke out. I lost three years to the civil war. After the war, I went to England to complete my education. I read Marketing. I got married in England, where I raised my children.

My dad was my mentor. Really, I do not like talking about my dad in the past tense. He died in 1992. My father raised me to be caring, forthright, tell the truth, respect elders and everybody. I was raised by my grandmother and my father. I do not tell lies. What I am today is a combination of God, my father and my grandmother. You cannot give what you do not have.

What I am doing today is a product of my upbringing.

Your father was a marine engineer. Were you travelling on water with him? And how was the experience like?

My father would buy a radio and completely pull it apart and would make me watch while putting it together. My father would put speedboat engines together and he would make me help him by handling spanner number 3 or 5. I used to enjoy it. My father would be clothed in grease and I would also be clothed in grease.

That was a wonderful experience. My father would have shorts made for me; the same colour as his.

After closing from primary school, I would move to the waterside before returning home to do my home work. My life was on the waters of the creeks. My father had speedboats and he thought me how to use a speedboat when I was 10. I learnt how to ride a motorbike when I was 14. My father did not raise me like a girl. My father made me do hard things that my grand-

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

•Briggs

mother thought I should not be doing at my age then. My father believed I could do the things and I could not let him down.

I have been to so many places that I now know by the activities of my sons and brothers that went into the creeks for Niger Delta agitation, before the amnesty offer of the Federal Government. While growing up, I knew places like Bile, Soku, Kula and other places in the Niger Delta, long before they became famous for militancy.

Your ex-husband is still alive. What is responsible for the divorce?

No comment. It is very personal and would not be discussed on the pages of a newspaper.

Is your ex-husband a Nigerian or an expatriate. How did he propose to you, and do you intend to remarry?

No comment.

Will you want any of your children, a son and three daughters, to go into environmental and human rights activism?

I will want them to do what they want to do. My father did not choose anything for me. He made sure I understood what was right and what was wrong. He encouraged me to be interested in whatever I wanted to do. There was a time I wanted to join the military and my father did not talk me out of it. It was something that I grew out of. I will not want to decide for my children.

Definitely, it is good for them to know where my passions are. They have been exposed enough. If any of them ends up going into activism, whether it is environmental or human rights, I will not discourage the child, but I definitely will not force anything on my children.

What are your children currently doing, are they in Nigeria and planning to get married, so that you can become a grandmother?

The ages of my children range from 18 to 35. The oldest is a lady. One is in the university, two are out of the university and working, while one is about to go into the university. I do not want to say where they are.

People younger than me are grandmothers.

It is not by age. Getting married by my children will happen at God’s time.

How will you react to the move by members of the National Assembly, especially the House of Representatives, to remove President Goodluck Jonathan for non-implementation of budget, with September deadline given?

This is not the first time we are hearing of the threat or move to impeach the President of Nigeria. Even during the time of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, there were threats to impeach him. The current threat to impeach President Jonathan is not new.

Since the tenure of President Jonathan, this is the second time that impeachment discussion is being pushed. Which President in Ni-

‘

geria, since 1999, not to talk of military regime, has fully implemented the budget? This is why I always say that at this particular time, Nigerians, especially the politicians, should be very careful. It we are not careful, we will self distraught.

Some people should not feel that since Boko Haram suicide bombings have cooled down in Nigeria, particularly in the North, then they will want to distract or put pressure on President Jonathan. I am not saying that Dr. Jonathan’s government is perfect. Of course, it is not. It will be wrong of me to say that Jonathan’s government is not being put under excessive pressure by external forces or interests outside government. There are even interests within Jonathan’s government who are not really working in favour of President Jonathanled government. We need to appraise where we have come from and where we are going. A man from the Niger Delta, by God’s grace, is today the President of Nigeria, for the first time.

He should be well supported to succeed. If Nigerians continue to allow the way the Jonathan’s government is being pressurised, it will be disastrous.

I will advise President Jonathan, as I will advise anybody else. Not just because he is also from the Niger Delta. We have been advising governments to develop the Niger Delta and governments have failed the people of the region, rich in crude oil and gas. Governments have not developed the Niger Delta.

Dr. Jonathan is the President of Nigeria. I will expect the right things to be done. But are we allowing the right things to be done? If President Jonathan as a person can singularly implement the budget, then he should go ahead and do so. But if there are other people around him, with roles to be played in the implementation of the budget, they should also play their roles.

There are people who are responsible for different roles in Nigeria. They must pull together and ensure that Jonathan’s government is a success.

If they want to impeach President Jonathan, then they should impeach the Vice-President, Namadi Sambo; all the ministers and governors, among others. Constantly attacking and threatening President Jonathan is not fair. He is trying his best. He has ministers and others working with him.

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, is from Delta State in the Niger Delta.

He should live up to people’s expectations.

There is nothing in the Niger Delta to show that we have a Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

There is nothing that is happening in any of the ministries, whether it is power, education or health, to show that the ministers are actually working with and supporting President Jonathan, in his administration’s transformation agenda and to deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians, in line with the campaign promises.

A militant is not somebody who carries AK-47 rifle or throws bomb into a church, when service is going on. A militant is somebody who believes in something, and he or she continues to believe in the thing, until whatever it is changes the situation

’

I find it frustrating that we can find ourselves in a situation where non-performing ministers are still in office. If the ministers cannot perform up to Nigerians’ expectations, what are they still doing? We have passed one year into the government of President Goodluck Jonathan, if the ministers appointed are not performing, they should be removed. The President has the final say. Uneasy lies the neck that carries the head.

If the people of the Niger Delta seem overprotective of President Jonathan, it is because we feel he is being victimised. If we are overcritical of President Jonathan, it is because, like everybody else, we expect so much from the President. If we do not expect too much from President Jonathan, who do we expect so much from? Many of the people governed Nigeria and they did not give us anything. We have a right to expect that our own should be able to give us something.

Quite truthful, Niger Deltans are not even interested in the Presidency of this country.

What we are interested in is our God-given land.

The Niger Delta region belongs to us and our resources belong to us. The fact remains that we are not benefiting from the resources. Very oppressive. Very frustrating. I do not think it will go on for another 50 years.

You earlier stated that governments have failed the Niger Delta. You are always at the forefront of the Niger Delta struggle, has any impact been made, considering the deplorable state of the East-West Road and the East-West Coastal Road, that is still being planned, in spite of President Goodluck Jonathan hailing from Otuoke in Ogbia LGA of Bayelsa State in the Niger Delta, based on declaration by most people that the July 12 petrol tanker fire at Okogbe in Ahoada West LGA of Rivers State, where over 200 persons lost their lives after an accident, with many people still hospitalised, was caused by potholes and craters on the narrow and ever-busy East-West Road, currently being dualised by the Federal Government through Setraco Construction Company, which they say is very slow?

Dr. Jonathan became the substantive President of Nigeria from May 6, 2010. The day after President Umaru Yar’Adua died. He was sworn in a year after as an elected President and has just celebrated one year in office. We are talking about two years of Dr. Jonathan being the President of Nigeria. We are comparing two years to 60 years of neglect of the Niger Delta region. Nigerians cannot have their cake and eat it at the same time.

It they are saying, and we agree with them, that with Dr. Jonathan coming from the Niger Delta, he should make a difference, then they should allow him to do as it pleases him to develop the Niger Delta if that is possible. But we know it is not possible. One minute, people are accusing President Jonathan of running a Niger Delta government and concentrating development in the Niger Delta, while at another minute, they are accusing him of not bothering about transforming the region, rich in crude oil and gas, the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy.

We need a lot of money to develop the Niger Delta, even to the level of Abuja. We have eightlane road that is being built day and night in Abuja. The money for the Abuja project is being pumped in by the Jonathan’s government from the crude oil and gas in the Niger Delta, which currently has deplorable roads. There is lack of development in the Niger Delta. There is nothing that we, the people of the Niger Delta, can see that is going on in the region.

The tanker that exploded at Okogbe, probably belongs to somebody who is not from the Niger Delta. The accident might have been compounded by the deplorable situation of roads in the Niger Delta, but we cannot blame it on one person or one government. We gained independence in 1960. I knew the East-West Road when I was four years old, and it has not been extended or widened more than it is today. We cannot blame that on a President from the Niger Delta. A President from the Niger Delta should know that the East-West Road has to be quickly dualised.

I actually called for mass protests on the neglect of the East-West Road. We will block the road periodically, to stop goods, oil companies’ equipment and passengers from moving for two or three days at a particular time, in order for them to feel the economic impact of the fact that our people are dying. Dr. Jonathan is now the President and yet the East-West Road has not been dualised. Niger Deltans are demanding that before the end of 2013, the strategic East-West Road must be completely dualised.

Work must also immediately start on the EastWest Coastal Road, which is also very important to the people of the Niger Delta. The right thing to be done in Nigeria is for every state or region to own the resources on their land.

Will it be right to describe President Jonathan as tribalistic and slow?

President Jonathan is definitely and abso-

lutely not a tribalist. His Chief of Staff, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, is not an Ijaw man.

Most of the ministers are not Ijaw persons.

Anybody that calls President Jonathan a tribalist is not being fair to us, who are from his tribe.

If there is any group of people today that feel left out collectively of Dr. Jonathan’s government, it is definitely people from the Niger Delta. The President has bent over backward, by almost sacrificing the Niger Delta. He earlier promised not to neglect any part of Nigeria, to develop the Niger Delta. A man who could give such assurance should not be described as a tribalist.

Most Nigerians also said the late President Umaru Yar’Adua was slow. They are now saying President Jonathan is slow.

Whether Dr. Jonathan is slow or not slow is not really the issue. Is everybody in the government of Jonathan working collectively to move Nigeria forward? People who lost elections are causing problems and creating insecurity for the country not to move forward.

If we truly love this country, as a people, we should demand good governance, justice and accountability from President Jonathan to the councillor. If Nigerians truly make the right demand on any government, not just Jonathan’s government, things will be turned around.

Dr. Jonathan’s government must fight corruption. That is why I am confused about the issues of fuel subsidy probe; pension scam, which is unbelievable; police pension fund and so many things that have gone wrong in this country, especially fraud and looting of the resources.

You were very close to the Niger Delta militants, especially the “Generals,” before the 2009 amnesty offer by the Federal Government. Will it be correct to describe you as an ex-militant?

I am not an ex-militant. I am a militant. I am a militant for justice and truth. I am a militant for Niger Delta people. I will continue to do the works that I am doing.

A militant is not somebody who carries AK-47 rifle or throws bomb into a church, when service is going on. A militant is somebody who believes in something, and he or she continues to believe in the thing, until whatever it is changes the situation.

I believe that the Niger Delta belongs to the Niger Delta people, even though it is in Nigeria. I believe that the resources in the Niger Delta, on the people’s land they are found, belong to them and should be used to develop the Niger Delta. The same way gold, coal, diamond or bitumen is found anywhere else in Nigeria. Why are they particular about crude oil and gas and neglecting the other resources?

How can the issue of ex-militants, who are complaining of exclusion from the amnesty initiative, be addressed?

It is a matter of choice. If they carried guns in the past and everybody that carried the guns at some point was identified as a militant, then these people have the right to identify themselves as militants. If as militants they feel that they are left out of the process… But we should not forget that the process also had a timeline or timeframe.

I was involved in the discussions. We never had a negotiation with the Federal Government. We were given an ultimatum.

Nobody negotiated with us. We accepted that there was a need to make our sons and brothers to understand that they needed to lay down their arms, because we were afraid of collateral damage.

The Federal Government made it very clear that if we were not able to bring them out of the creeks, it would go in. And we knew what that meant. Houses would be burnt and innocent people would be killed.

We did not want to lose our communities, the way we lost Odi and Odioma in Bayelsa State, as well as Gbaramatu in Delta State and so many other communities that have been attacked by the Federal Government through the military.

If people feel that they are left out and should be included, the Federal Government needs to listen to them, because there are some people that are benefiting from the process and the process is for a limited number of people—ex-militants. People who really were identified and accepted as people who carried guns. Some of them are benefiting and some have not benefitted.

We should not lose sight of the fact that the 26,000 youths in the Niger Delta, who carried arms and are now being integrated into the society, is a fraction of the capacity of youths that can carry arms again in the Niger Delta. We have that capacity. As long as nothing changes in the Niger Delta, there is the real anxiety and concern that next time; we may •Continued on Page 51

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

Look stylish in blazers

S

MARTLY sown blazers of any colour or design are now worn on jeans trousers and mostly without ties simply because they make you look elegant with very little effort. They are perfect for today’s men who do not always want to dress up for all formal outings. Dressing casually cool, especially with blazers, is one way to keep you from looking sloppy.

Indeed suits combination, designs, material and usage have undergone a revolution. Blazers and suits without ties create a distinctly up-to-date taste. They are particularly great choice to match with jeans. Stylish suits smartly combined give the wearer a classy look that no other fashion is ever able to give. So it is no surprise that men, especially the fashionistas and career types, are spending fortunes to get classy blazers. Nowadays, blazer suits are used to make a fashion statement. They are trendy and eye-catching. Gone are the days when only a few guys go for blazers. They are soaring high and gaining popularity at socials, events, parties and so on.

Just like other important fashion accessories, your blazers can either make or mar you on the social scene.

Tips on how to rock blazer •The first colours to invest in are usually black and navy after which grey follows traditionally.

•Skinny fit does it here too; the most important thing about a blazer is how it fits the wearer.

•Spend money on a great fitting blazer. They will never go out of fashion and will last you a lifetime so this is one purchase not worth scrimping on.

•Make sure it is fitted at the waist and the length covers the widest part of your hips.

•For wardrobe longevity, block colours are best. So go for a classic black, navy, white, grey and so on.

•If you are going for the white vest and denim look with your blazer, make sure your denim is a great fit on the leg and your white vest is crisp white.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

Versatile black leggings Wumi OGUNTUASE

L

EGGINGS are one of those fashion accessories that evoke strong feelings. You either love or hate them.

Whatever your opinion, it appears the legging trend will be around for a while, so you might want to learn how to slot them into your wardrobe. Multipurpose leggings can be worn year round and make the switch from casual weekend wear to a night out with ease. Another plus is that leggings are cheap. You can find cheap leggings everywhere.

The latest in funky fabric choices include feminine laces, comfy corduroys, artificial leathers (to appease your inner wild child) and “jeggings” that replicate skin tight blue jeans without the obvious discomfort. When shopping for leggings, you should be aware of the rules for a proper fit. It should fit snugly but comfortably.

Tips

•For pear shaped ladies (small on top and rounder on the bottom), you can rock the leggings too. The proper pieces will draw the eyes upward, taking the concentration off the hip area.

•Tall and slender figures are wellsuited for leggings. You should make the most of your figure with outfits that highlight your assets. Show those long legs by pairing your leggings with bright tops and nice jackets.

For the curvy females who have •If you are petite, opt for ankle length leggings. hourglass shape, you should celebrate Scrunch leg looks sloppy on a shorter leg. your perfect proportions with leggings.

•If you have a full figure, you can partake in Please remember that leggings are the leggings trend too. There are many plus size not a suitable substitute for pants. leggings and it is a necessity in your wardrobe.

Under any circumstances, resist the Pair with a long tunic top or cardigan and add a high boot or flat shoes, whichever you prefer, and urge to show your amazing booty for fashion’s sake. a scarf for a fabulous outlook.

Ex-beauty queen opens hair store Gone are the days when ex-beauty queens disappear after the expiration of their tenures. The Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 2011, Sylvia Nduka, recently opened her hair store called Sylvia’s Hair Gallery on the popular Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, Surulere, Lagos.

The unique thing about the hair shop is that it displays and sells Sylvia’s branded hairs which were exclusively made for her. The hair arena was opened amidst plenty of fun and glitz.

Shoes from Madonna Here are the shoes that Madonna promised us, Her first Truth or Dare footwear collection will arrive in stores this fall, and Glamour got a first look at 32 of the styles (there will reportedly be 60 in total).

Manufactured by Aldo Group, Inc. and priced from $89 to $349, they’ll be available at Nordstrom and Macy’s.

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I

A lot has been said about your experience with cancer. But just how tough was it?

How tough was it? It was tough. But, you see, when I say life is hard, my daughter would say ‘life is hard, but your God is harder.’ So, you could say my experience with cancer was tough, but my God is tougher. Knowing that your God is tougher than any situation makes it bearable.

A diagnosis of cancer is like a death sentence in this part of the world. Was it the same with you?

My cancer was not discovered here. In Nigeria, I got very clean bill of health. But I was on holiday and I went to see my doctor. It was a casual visit, but it was discovered that one breast was more tender than the other. So, I had to go for another diagnosis. It was then that it was discovered that it was cancer. We have seen people with cancer live many more years. So, I think it is not just about where it was discovered. It is about faith, management and the person’s ability to fight for his or her life.

You mean you were not scared even after you were told it was cancer?

Unfortunately, as an educated and enlightened managing director of a bank, I didn’t know much about cancer at the time.

Yes, I heard about this person or that person having cancer, but I didn’t really know much about it. So, when I was told I had cancer, my first reaction was, ‘How can I have cancer when I’m not a white person?’

To me, it was something that happened to distant people that you would only offer your sympathy. It was only after my experience at the cancer centre that my oncologist started telling me that ‘I have treated this Nigerian and that Nigerian, how come your own treatment is failing?’ These were prominent people we all knew as society people, but we never knew they had cancer. That was when I realized how serious the thing was and that I had been so ignorant despite the fact that prominent Nigerians were suffering from it.

I then made a vow that if God made me to survive it, I would shout it to the world.

It is one thing that we don’t discuss. And when you mention it, the next thing you’ll hear is ‘God forbid’ or ‘I reject it in Jesus’ name’. But with me, I am going to make sure that we yell it to the roof top, so that everybody will know. Imagine, I was discussing with a professor, and he told me an 11-year-old boy was discovered with colon cancer. That would be the youngest ever in Nigeria. They will tell you that colon cancer has to do with food or something like that. But what could an 11-yearold have eaten to have it? The common cancer with kids like that is cancer of the eye or cancer of the mouth. I am sure they must have thought it was one witch from the village that was responsible for it.

So with your own experience, rather than keep quiet, you have decided to yell it to the roof top.

Yes, it is very important to do so. We have to create the awareness, and through that, we can prevent it. People need to know what it is, because it has broken every barrier. You know what? A man was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. !t does not know gender, class or any barrier. Again, if you are aware, you can guide yourself and be on the look-out. For example, If a doctor treats you and the ailment persists, you should be able to talk to your doctor about it. Drugs like anti-biotic are not supposed to be taken over a prolonged period of time, because they cause other damages in the body. So, by yelling it, the people know what to ask their doctors and it gives room for early detection. And once there is early detection, there is the possibility that it would be cured.

It seems wrong diagnosis of the disease is a major problem in Nigeria.

Yes, wrong diagnosis is a major problem.

But it is not the only one. Other problems include lack of equipment and lack of specialists.

You mean there are not enough specialists in Nigeria?

We do not have enough specialists. The hospital with more specialised doctors for cancer in Nigeria is LUTH (Lagos University Teaching Hospital), then UCH (University College Hospital), Ibadan. After that, maybe they have three or four oncologists in the east. And because of Abuja, you could find five or six up north.

Unfortunately, there is a practice in Nigeria: the doctor you get to see in the hospitals is the oncologist, he is also the gynaecologist, physiotherapist and many other things, all rolled into one. They are specialists in everything. But abroad, such

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

Princess Sola Adeoti, former Managing Director of the defunct City Express Bank, is no stranger to pains. She went through an excruciating ordeal in the claws of cancer of the breast. But like a lion, the daughter of the Kwara State-born multi-millionaire and industrialist, Chief Samuel Adedoyin, fought for her life and survived to tell her story.

With the bitter experience etched on her mind, she established a foundation that caters for cancer victims. She shared her ugly experience, childhood and life as a banker with SEGUN AJIBOYE.

‘I lost my mum at six and dad 'pampered' me with lashes of belt’ —Princess Sola Adeoti, cancer survivor and former MD, City Express Bank

•Adeoti

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

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I think every strong-willed child is stubborn, though I didn’t know I was strong-willed at the time. But I would always do what I wanted to do and later go on to serve the punishment. I knew dad would give me lashes, but I would still go on to do that thing

ticular time you going to make it?

Yes, not just once. there was a day I me come and rest, would not make it day. But the fol-

As a matter fact, begged God to let and I prayed that I till the following lowing day, to my utter shock, I was still there, and still in pain.

Why would you do that?

You see, I was in a centre where I had friends and partners. They are buoyant, doing very well that I begin to use them as examples, that one day I would be able to do like them. But cancer is the trickiest of all diseases to treat. I often tell people that it takes God, faith, plenty of money and personal strong will to survive it. So, to see people who you think are doing well, and within one week they deteriorate and die, and they were not even in so much pain like I had, you begin to think that there can be no hope. It got to a point you would say let me go now.

Were there periods your kids came visiting and you felt like you couldn’t look them in the eyes?

My twin daughters were with me in the hospital in London. I think they were about four at the time. There was this day that I was in so much pain. The sister with me, Sister Sijuade, went out to get something and the nurse had not come. The girls were very hungry and they were crying out loud.

I tried to crawl out of bed. I crawled on all fours with great difficulty, trying to reach their cornflakes. When the girls saw me, they thought I was playing, and they too went down and started crawling behind me. I stretched and pulled the cornflakes, but its smell made me to vomit on the cornflakes that had scattered on the floor. My daughters didn’t even know, and they picked it and ate. When the sister came in, she too started crying. But I was like what is wrong with her? Why is she crying?

But even somebody with a heart of stone would crack seeing you in such condition?

Yes, you are right. But after that, you’ll realise that a cancer patient does not need crying. A cancer patient needs somebody that can look him in the eyes and tell him get up, you don’t have to lie there and hope for death. You have to be okay.

You said one needs love, faith, money and the will to live to survive cancer. I’m sure you had all these in abundance.

Yes, by God’s grace, I have them. Don’t forget that as at that time, I was already a parish

•Adeoti

a thing will never happen because they are properly regulated.

Another thing is that when our doctors make mistakes, we keep quiet, making them go on to make other mistakes. There was a particular case of someone who was being treated for a kidney problem in one of the best hospitals in Abuja, but she was given an infected blood. I tried to get the brother to see reason why we needed to take the matter to court, but he would rather we left it alone. That is the kind of attitude we display most times. We would have saved the system from further damage by exposing the person who committed the error.

What was the first thing you did when you decided to come out with your story?

The first thing I did was to tell my story in the media. After that, the Maria Sam Foundation took off.

When did these happen?

This was in 2007. But the actual discovery of the disease was in 2005. You know, by that time, I was going through the period of treatment. So, the first thing I did when I was strong enough to stand up was to come out and tell my story.

And after that?

The next thing we did was…you see, by the time, Genvieve had brought a mammogram machine into LASUTH. I called Betty Irabor that I had somebody I wanted them to scan for us. But she said the machine was not working at the time. Because I was interested in the person’s survival, I asked what would make the machine to work and she said they needed a generator. I was very rich at the time. I think I had about N3.5 million in my account. But I also knew we had to do something fast. So, I cleaned my account and bought a generator for LASUTH to power the mammogram machine. Unfortunately, before the person could go for the scan, she passed on.

In your own case, was there any par-

’

thought you weren’t

pastor. I was even a zonal pastor at the time.

And you know in Redeemed Christian Church of God, you have a lot of people praying for you. So, I had all the spiritual support that I needed. But you know, you might have all the support in the world, and you are like…because nobody knows what you are going through because you are in your own world of anguish. Every touch on your body feels like nails, and the person trying to comfort you is confused.

So, you need a lot of patience and understanding to work with somebody with cancer.

S,o the generator was the starting point for your foundation?

After that, we started to screen patients.

We screened in corporate world, churches, markets and government offices.

How many people have you screened?

By this year, we have screened about 32, 000 people.

How many of these people did you find out have cancer?

You see, normally we screen for seven ailments. They are HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, Cervical and breast cancer. But because we do manual screening, we send people for further screening when we suspect that they have any of the ailments. Of the figure, I think about 20 per cent of them are positive. But HIV is the highest figure, followed by hepatitis.

Of all those that you have helped, which particular case would readily come to your mind?

There are quite a lot, especially friends and family members. For example, my aunt had colon cancer. I prayed and God said she was coming home to rest. The husband called me and said my aunt wanted to see me in England. I went to see her, but you know there was no way I could tell anybody what God had told me. I invited another pastor and we prayed for her and asked her to make restitution, which she did. I later left her to go the US to see my own doctor. But the third day, she was dead.

There are so many cases like that. But when God has spoken, He has spoken and there is nothing we can do about it. So now, when the Lord tells me such, I just accept it and pray to Him. So what particular lesson did your own experience teach you?

It taught me that what had to be done should be done immediately. Then always try to keep your affairs tidy because you are guaranteed tomorrow. So, we should always be prepared.

So what other things have you done?

We have treated about 28 patients. But unfortunately, we have lost about 17 of that figure. We have sent five doctors abroad for training, and we have retrained about 40 doctors in Lagos. Most of these doctors are volunteers.

Do you have partners?

We have a partnership with LUTH. They give patients from us prompt attention. We also partner some pharmaceutical companies in order to assist the patients to bring down the prices of drugs. We also give advice to patients and assist them in getting the right doctors and the best treatment. We also provide what we call support service for patients. However, all these are for free.

Let’s move away from cancer. You were the MD of a bank at a very young age. What was the experience like?

Yes, I was quite young at the time and it was very challenging. Initially, it was a bit challenging because it was a man’s world.

There were very few women. As a matter of fact, the only two women who had gone ahead then…the only female MDs of a bank, were Maria Sokenu, and I was very close to her because when I became an ED, I knew I needed to work with people who had gone ahead, to get their encouragement. You can imagine entering a meeting and you see these old men in suits looking at you, saying ‘who is this small girl?’ She helped and encouraged me. The other person I looked up to is now with the Bank of Industry. But then, she was with First Bank. She too did a lot to encourage me. Funny enough, our first meeting ended on a sad note because she threw me out of her office. She taught me a few tricks.

Do you mind going back to the banking hall?

I mind.

Why? I think banking has lost a lot of virtue.

And the honest truth is that it has deteriorated. I believe we were building something that would have helped in sustaining the economy of the nation if it had be given time to mature. But in Nigeria, we don’t have patience, and we’d rather go round in

circles. If you remember, at that time, there were lots of finance houses, but they killed them. Then they brought mortgage banks and killed them again. After that, there were merchant banks and others.

For instance, look at the Nigerian economy. If there were merchant banks, exports will grow. In those days, the merchant banks were the ones financing exports. Then, commercial banks were just doing their own thing; taking and lending money. The merchant banks were funding the export of wood, cocoa and other local produce, and the economy was growing. We were not just relying on oil.

What do we export now?

I remember I was one of those who travelled with President Obasanjo to the US. We had a meeting with the Department of Commerce, and they were abusing us.

But I got up, stopped them, and told them off. After that meeting, they created an opportunity for us. Then EXIM bank came to Nigeria and started funding industries.

But Nigeria never took advantage of that opportunity.

But what led to the extinction of your bank?

It was the recapitalization and consolidation policy. And, of course, some people just wanted the bank dead because they thought Princess Sola was controversial.

And are you controversial?

It was just because at the time, I was one of the major people who spoke against recapitalization and consolidation. See the Nigerian banks today, how have they benefitted the masses? They also said they didn’t want family banks, and I called Mrs. Ibru and Bimbo Olasore and other family banks, but it was difficult to fight a joint battle. We also met the President, and I remember I said this thing would not work. At that meeting, we set up a bank committee. Tony Elumelu was the chairman of the committee, while I was the assistant chairperson. We were meant to write on whether it would work and what to be done. We submitted that there was no problem, but that it should be gradual. We also asked government to fix the infrastructure problems facing the country. But the next thing was that they stampeded everybody into running around.

Were you a spoilt child?

Far from it. I am not in any way a spoilt child.

You mean you were not pampered in any way?

You know my mother died when I was six. And don’t forget we have a very large family. My dad pampered me with lashes of belt and other punishments.

You must have been stubborn as a child…

Is there a child that is not stubborn? I think every strong-willed child is stubborn, though I didn’t know I was strongwilled at the time. But I would always do what I wanted to do and later go on to serve the punishment. I knew dad would give me lashes, but I would still go on to do that thing.

Can you recall a particular incident?

There were lots of things that I can recall. I was suspended from school at Aunty Ayo at Keffi, Lagos. About six of us were suspended for getting to class late because we were gisting and watching others fight. My friend, Funmi Bank-Anthony, we still make fun of the event till today. After the suspension order, instead of me going to beg the teacher, I simply said, Nno problem. You want me to go home.’ I packed my bags and went home.

I didn’t tell my dad what had happened.

The following day, I went to school with my siblings and sat at the gate. I didn’t really know how my dad got to know.

But on the third day, he took me back to school. What amazed me was that my father prostrated before the teacher. I was so ashamed and upset with a feeling that he had dirtied me in front of my teacher.

So, instead of feeling remorseful, I got more hardened and enraged. You know my father was a proper ara oke (uptown man). But that night at home, I received one of the toughest punishments from my dad.

I’m sure this was before papa arrived.

What do you mean arrived? We were already living in Ikoyi at the time. He was already rich.

So you were hurt that your dad, despite being rich would prostrate to a common teacher?

Not only that, the next two weeks were like hell. I received lashes every single day of those weeks.

THE NATION, Saturday, July 28, 2012

50 INTERVIEW While his colleagues remain stuck in the classroom, the Chief Executive Officer and President of Turkish Airlines, Temel Kotil braved the odds to leave university(as a Professor) to put his vast experience in Aeronautical Engineering into practice. His efforts paid off as he is now synonymous with the success of Turkish Airlines. In this interview with a group of journalists in Istanbul , Kotil gave insight into secrets of the success of the company and how any airline can be profitable. Our Managing Editor, Northern Operation, YUSUF ALLI, was at the session.

–Turkish Airlines CEO

,

Why did you leave university environment for Turkish Airlines? Wasn’t teaching paying off?

Thanks. I was born in 1959 and I have been part of the aviation industry since I graduated from Aeronautical Engineering Department at Istanbul Technical University (ITU) in 1983. I later obtained Ph.D. degree from the University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , in 1991. By 2001, I had served as a guest professor at the University of Illinois , followed by a position of Research Engineer in Advanced Innovative Technologies Inc, in Troy , New York , between 2002 and 2003.

My service with Turkish Airlines in 2003 when I was made the Deputy General Manager in Turkish Technic Inc. I was made the CEO of Turkish Airlines in 2005.

Aeronautical Science has been part of my life. I have not abandoned university environment. I see my job in Turkish Airlines as a call to service and a challenge to make my experience available to this carrier and my country. It may interest you to note that despite my busy schedule, I find time to lecture for some hours every week. It is insufficient being a CEO if you cannot pass your knowledge to future generation. So, I am still in the academic community. I am 53, I grew up here How has it been for Turkish Airlines in a period that some major carriers cannot break even?

In the last 12 years, we have recorded modest progress, but our ambition is to become the preferred leading European air carrier with a global network of coverage.

Currently, we are the seventh largest carrier in terms of network size. From 69 aircraft in 2000, we have increased our fleet to 187 in 2012 with young fleet age of an average of 6.3 years. From statistics, Istanbul provides 86 per cent connectivity compared to Frankfurt and 71 per cent compared to Dubai .

Our number of passengers grew from 12million in 2000 to 32.6million in 2011.

We also fly to 161 international

We’re planning to link the heart of Nigeria

•Kotil destinations daily in 2012 compared to 78 in 2000. These include 25 major cities in Asia; 31 in Middle East; 27 in Africa; 83 in Europe and six in America .

What are the secrets behind your success story?

We place premium on the following core values: Honesty and fair dealing; customer satisfaction; respect for individuals; innovation ; team work ; leadership ; productivity; confidentiality ; and “open door” policy. We also hold tenaciously to strict compliance to flight safety, reliability, product line, service quality and competitiveness. Most airlines grow at about two to three per cent, but we grow at about 20 per cent because our quality is good, our cost is low. All these factors have raised our revenue profile from $1.6billion to $7.8billion.

We are taking this business very serious.

Every day, we carry about 200,000 passengers and we get 700 complaints.

The ratio is small, but who cares about ratio. For us, if a single person talks about us, we care. We want everybody to travel as if they are in office or home. Our philosophy is that passengers should feel comfortable.

Eeh…Cuts in We are also ambitious to get to the top.

So, we work hard, we pray to reach the peak and we invest a lot. We are the seventh largest carrier in the world in terms of network, but we want to be number one. We are a friend to the top 10.

Our cost is about 30 per cent less. Our aircraft are new, we are using less fuel.

Our aircraft age is about 6.3 years. We have no problem anywhere we are going.

From your experience, why are some major airlines running at a loss?

What is happening actually is that every

We are also ambitious to get to the top. So, we work hard, we pray to reach the peak and we invest a lot. We are the seventh largest carrier in the world in terms of network but we want to be number one. We are a friend to the top 10.

Our cost is about 30 per cent less.

Our aircraft are new, we are using less fuel. Our aircraft age is about 6.3 years. We have no problem anywhere we are going

airline has its network. What is competing is the network, not the airline. It is the system.

Airline business is global. If you have a good thing you will do well. Let me give you an example of how we are keeping to standard in Turkish Airlines. We make sure that nine per cent of our revenue goes into buying aircraft and 18 per cent goes to the employees. We are hiring and training pilots at the same rate that we are growing.

So, if any airline wants to succeed, it must be on its toes. If you start getting lazy inside, you are gone. It cannot be always smooth for airlines but with adherence to standard and internal checks, any airline can survive. In 2002/3, we made a good profit, in 2004 but 2006 and 2007 were difficult.

What other factors could assist emerging airlines?

I think if any airline goes public, it can survive. Turkish Airlines used to be a state company which was not efficient and not commercially motivated. In 2006, however, 51 per cent was ceded to the Stock Exchange Market and with that development, it is now private. We raised more than $2b. Since then, we have started expanding. In 2008, we were listed as one of the major profitable airlines. We have been making $7.8b, but we want to make more. Today, we have no debt; I mean we have zero- debt profile.

What is your plan to expand the Nigerian market?

I must admit that you have a nice country. It is true that you have problems, but they are solvable. We used to have thousand of problems like your country, but we are now better. You also have the economic potential to be a great country.

,

We are planning to link the heart of Nigeria . We want to fly to Abuja , Kano and Enugu . We love Nigeria .

During my recent trip to Nigeria , I met the Minister of Aviation, Stella Odua, on our demand for more slots to ensure convenience and satisfaction for our passengers.

If I get the permission of the Federal Government of Nigeria today, I will start flying to these three cities the next day. I think your Aviation Minister is looking into our request. We appreciate that this thing undergoes some processes. In China , we worked for about three years for it; in Canada , it was six years and they gave us just four flights per week. It was December last year we submitted application to fly to Abuja , Kano and Enugu .

Our network is being enlarged, that is why we are requesting for more flights to Nigeria . We are flying to three districts in China , we are asking for five more. In Asia, we have 25 major cities, in the Middle East 31 cities. If you want to go to Taif, we fly there. In Africa , we fly to 27 major cities. Our plan is to become he strongest carrier in Africa flying 40 cities and later 50 cities. Our strength is building strong network.

How soon will the agreement between Nigeria and Turkish Airlines be signed?

I told you, I have met the Minister myself, she is supposed to come to Turkey for the agreement. We know that the Federal Government is taking time to study our request because Turkey used to be protective too. What I can assure you is that if we take more flights, Nigeria will get the best. We have a good plane, about 151 seats which we have put on the right route

THE NATION, Saturday, July 28, 2012

INTERVIEW 51

•Continued from Page 45 have 52,000 youths that may carry arms, because the things that led the 26,000 youths to carry arms, nothing has changed.

Promises that were made, while we were discussing with the then President, Umaru Yar’Adua, nothing has evolved from the promises that were made. The only thing was that the youths laid down their arms.

Government is the major beneficiary of the amnesty. From 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, they are now able to get 2.76 million barrels of crude oil per day.

In less than a year, the Niger Delta is actually providing the total yearly budget for Nigeria. So, Nigeria is the beneficiary of the amnesty and not the Niger Delta people. There is nothing that we want in the Niger Delta that has been delivered to us. Absolutely nothing, including the Presidency, because the Presidency was never the target of the Niger Delta people. It can never be. Our target is our right to our resources.

You said nothing has changed in the Niger Delta. Can that be responsible for the incessant Boko Haram suicide bombings, with innocent persons being killed and valuable property destroyed and how can the menace be tackled?

I do not see how Boko Haram suicide bombings can actually be compared to the Niger Delta issue, which is an issue of people fighting against injustice.

Boko Haram is a religious issue. They said they do not want Western education; they do not want Christian President. They want Sharia law and so many things that have to do with their religion. I am not opposed to any of their demands. I am not against any of their aspirations and desires, but I am against the fact that they are killing so many innocent persons and destroying valuable property.

I am surprised that the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is saying Sovereign National Conference (SNC) is no issue. If Nigerians demand SNC, I do not think the Senators can dictate to over 150 million people. We need to sit down and discuss the state of affairs of the nation, where we are going in Nigeria.

The answer to all the agitations in Nigeria is SNC. If they like, they should remove the word sovereign, if that is what is irritating them. Nigeria is made up of so many ethnic nationalities, but we must accept ourselves as Nigerians. We need to discuss.

Most Nigerians are saying that President Jonathan has not performed to the people’s expectations, especially with insecurity in the nation and he said he has the right to seek reelection in 2015. How do you react to this?

Dr. Jonathan is a Nigerian. As long as he is not disqualified, why won’t he seek reelection in 2015? Are Ijaw and Niger Delta people disqualified from vying as Nigeria’s President? Dr. Jonathan should run “jo” (please).

The point is that, it is up to Nigerians to vote for him.

Some prominent Nigerians are of the opinion that it will be very difficult for President Jonathan to win in 2015 without rigging, in view of his administration’s alleged poor performance and considering what recently happened in Edo State, during the governorship election, where the godfathers lost in their wards, coupled with earlier warning by the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the 2011 election, Gen. Mohammadu Buhari, that there will be bloodbath in Nigeria, if 2015 elections are rigged, with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the CPC planning to merge, to take over from the PDP. How will you advise your Ijaw kinsman, President Jonathan?

It will be difficult for anybody to win a free and fair election, if one Nigerian one vote is upheld. If the people do not vote for you, there is nothing you can do. You can be anybody. We are aware that PDP has perfected the act of rigging and not conducting elections. You rig elections when you conduct elections. It is worse when elections are not held. That is what we have been experiencing in the Niger Delta.

I was an election observer in Abonnema in 2011 and I also voted. People freely came out and massively voted for Dr. Jonathan.

Nigerians voted for late Chief M.K.O. Abiola and he won overwhelmingly, but the result was not allowed. The evil that was done to Nigerians in 1993, we are still feeling the effects till today. The same people that refused the result of the June 12, 1993 presidential election later formed the Peoples Democratic Party. I am not surprised that the PDP grew up to be the party rigging elections or would not hold elections.

We are in 2012. We are three years away from 2015. We all know that Nigeria is a wonderful country. Anything can happen in Nigeria in three years. Maybe next year, we will be talking about the wonderful things President Jonathan has achieved. It is possible.

People who should run for elections and people who should not run for elections should not be something we should lose sleep over. What we should be losing sleep over should be who we are going to vote for in 2015.

In Edo state, it was made very clear that if Nigerians do not allow rigging, that rigging will not take place and that the people can stop rigging. You will also remember that President Jonathan earlier said that if he would do nothing else in this country, that he would provide the environment for free, fair and credible elections.

If it is true that Governor Adams Oshiomhole requested military men to be deployed in Edo state during the governorship election, to make sure that the poll was free, fair and credible, and the military men were actually provided and the election was free, fair and credible, and Comrade Oshiomhole won, it shows clearly that it can happen in my state, if my people are willing to come out the way Edo state people came out. It shows that it can happen in Lagos state and other parts of Nigeria. The people must insist that their votes must count.

PDP is the worst thing that has happened to Nigeria. Anything that will take PDP on in this country, I am for it. PDP claims to be the largest party in Africa. Doing what? What is PDP doing for Nigeria?

The likely merger between ACN and CPC, if it is going to make sure that PDP does not become the largest party in Africa, then it will be good. If it will minimise the PDP’s capacity to damage Nigeria politically, it will be a good thing. All the other political parties should also merge and confront the PDP, thereby weakening it.

People in their 80s and 90s are still wielding enormous powers and influence in the PDP,

without allowing the youths to take over. They must be disgraced, just like what we saw in Edo state, where the fixers were fixed.

We do not want bloodbath in Nigeria, for there to be free, fair and credible elections in the country. Whose blood? Why should we have bloodbath in Nigeria? There are people aspiring today and are trying to come back in 2015, that clearly, have not been able to deliver anything to Nigerians and Nigeria as a country and yet, they still want to come back as president.

When Gen. Mohammadu Buhari was voting during the 2011 presidential election, so many under-aged (less than 18 years) persons were in the queue.

Is that not rigging? Nigerians should be very careful and vigilant.

That is why I am advocating regionalism. Nigeria should be split into six geopolitical zones, with president for each of the zones, for the zones to develop at their pace. Nigeria is too big a country to be governed by one person, because the diversity is much and there is no way we will be able to get rid of nepotism in Nigeria.

What is your take on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) before the National Assembly?

When we discuss the issue of oil and gas, we discuss the issue of local content, revenue allocation or revenue sharing, among others. My position is that everybody should own their resources. If everybody owns their resources, shall we be talking about PIB? Local content must be local, for the indigenous people and the communities in which oil and gas are found.

Local content is now being said to mean Nigerian content.

You have a situation today where the Brass Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in Bayelsa state. Already, even before the project is started, the jobs have all gone to people that are not from the Niger Delta, not to talk of •Briggs Bayelsa state. Even people, in whose backyard the project is being sited, are not part of the local content or Nigerian content. Everything has been pocketed by outsiders. Non-Niger Deltans.

How close were you to the late renowned environmentalist, Ken Saro-Wiwa and why are the recommendations contained in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland yet to be implemented since August 2011, in spite of the assurance given by President Goodluck Jonathan, when he received the report?

I was not close to Ken Saro-Wiwa. I knew him as a son of the Niger Delta and an Ogoni man. He was from my state. He fought fiercely for the rights of his people all his life. I admire him a lot. He is my hero. I love him. He stood up for something that I believe I am also standing up for. I wish I had known him.

There is nothing new in the UNEP report on Ogoniland.

There is nothing in the UNEP report that Ogoni people do not know about. There is nothing the UNEP report has said that Niger Delta people do not know about. The only thing the UNEP report did was actually to confirm what the people already know about.

The UNEP report in a few days will be a year old. The Federal Government’s reaction to the UNEP report is that the recommendations will be implemented. Twelve months on, there is nothing to indicate that the UNEP report’s recommendations will be implemented. It is very worrisome and quite sad. Niger Delta people are concerned.

I am more alarmed to the arrogance of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) to the fine that the Federal Government imposed on it over the Bonga spill. The arrogance of Shell shows very clearly, the attitude of Shell to the Niger Delta people and the region that it will not pay the fine that the Federal Government directed it to pay.

I wish to caution both Shell and the Federal Government, because the Federal Government is in partnership with Shell.

The Federal Government must insist that SPDC either pays the fine or leaves the Niger Delta. Shell cannot continue to be a country within a sovereign country. Shell is a company.

If Shell refuses to pay the fine, it shows very clearly, the contempt, not only for the Federal Republic of Nigeria; it also shows the disrespect that SPDC has for the environment of the Niger Delta and the people of the region. We are watching what Shell will do and we are watching more, what the Federal Government will do, in reaction to Shell not paying the fine.

You started activism in 1998, do you still believe in non-violent agitation, in spite of lack of commensurate development in the Niger Delta, in the face of injustice and oppression in the region?

I am a very non-violent person. I do not believe in violence. As Niger Deltans, we can express ourselves, without being violent. I am a great believer in defending my rights and my people.

I will continue to resist and agitate against injustice, pollution, oppression, violence, corruption and non-development of the Niger Delta, which is a violent act.

You are the President of Agape Birthrights. What does the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) do?

The NGO was set up in 1998. Agape means God’s love. The NGO has been agitating and standing up for justice in the Niger Delta. Everything is about the Niger Delta: the environment, the people, education, development, economic empowerment, women, youths and children’s rights and security, among others.

We have a right as human beings, to develop in everyway that we choose to develop. The Niger Delta must develop and the people must be adequately empowered. As Niger Deltans, we have the rights to our region and our resources, as everybody else.

Have you ever considered quitting activism because of challenges and when do you intend to retire?

I have faced a lot of challenges in activism, which is very risky. Some people would get agitated against what I am doing, but they are in the minority. There are economic and personal challenges. They are all sacrifices to be made. I have never considered retiring. By God’s grace, I am healthy and strong. I like what I am doing. I will continue to do what I am doing.

How can Nigeria move forward and how will you advise the Niger Deltans?

Nigeria can only move forward by facing the reality we are confronted with today. The reality is that Nigerians are really great people, who come from different ethnic groups. We can confront anything as a nation.

We must be able to respect people from other ethnic groups in the country. There is greatness in our diversity. Whether we use it positively or negatively is up to us. The only people that can develop this nation are Nigerians.

Niger Deltans must continue to resist, to agitate and demand justice, demand rights to their land and their resources and demand to develop themselves.

'PDP is the worst thing that has happened to Nigeria'

FAMIL Y HEAL TH AMILY HEALTH

52

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

Reflecting a suitable spouse (4)

D

EAR Reader, I know it’s been an awesome time with you all through the month. I am sure by now, you have been taking practical steps to be more committed to your spouse, accepting your martial responsibilities, fulfilling your mutual obligations and investing qualitative time in your spouse and children.

As I conclude this series, I will be looking at the key of Understanding in reflecting a suitable spouse.

Your understanding of your spouse is very crucial in reflecting an excellent spouse. For you to have a stable home, you need to have a good understanding of your spouse. You must get to recognize that everything about your spouse is unique. There are no two people on planet earth that are the same exactly.

You are unique and peculiar, so are your spouse and your children and everyone God has made. You are not a carboncopy of anyone, you are an original and so is your spouse.

You and your spouse are wonderfully and fearfully made (Psalms 139:14). You must, therefore, understand your spouse, his/her background, likes, dislikes and what affects his/her mood, if you must enjoy a stable family.

For those who are yet to be married, before you say, “Yes I

do” to any man or lady on the altar, ask yourself, “How much of him or her do I really know?” Someone met me some years back, who has only being married for three months and both of them were already so fed up that they were ready for divorce.

I asked her a simple question, “How much of your spouse did you know before you got married?” I was amazed at the next-to-nothing knowledge of the spouse this person had.

Little wonder in three months, their marriage had technically broken down. If not for divine intervention, that would have ended their marriage with all of its consequent effects.

To enhance the understanding of your spouse, therefore, two things must be in place: You must be sensitive! Never walk around with your eyes closed. Your mind is a sound mind, hence, be sensitive.

Communicate effectively! Communication is the lifeblood of any relationship. Learn to communicate effectively with your spouse and when you know how to do this, it will help you understand who your spouse is.

You need to ask questions. The disciples of Jesus were around Him, but they didn’t only listen to His teachings.

Whatever they didn’t understand they always asked and Jesus never told them to shut up; He always answered their questions. So, rather than assuming you understand something, ask questions. Communicate so you can have a better understanding. When communication is effective, you will become a good spouse. Understanding is what is required to have an outstanding marriage.

Wisdom, the Bible says, is the principal tool for securing peace in the home (Proverbs 4:7). Both the man and the woman in the home need to constantly ask God for wisdom in handling the day-to-day affairs of the home.

Most times, what people call affliction in their home is nothing but ignorance. The treatments for ignorance are

Resting when we need to

R

EST is an important as pect of life which we need to experience continually in order to live life fully here on earth until we come to the “eternal rest” that some religious people tell us that we are supposed to enjoy after death.

Rest and life are inseparable. When the Yoruba say: “O re mi!” it can mean “I am tired” or “I am sick” or “I am weak”. In that tradition, tiredness is not a state of well-being. When we are tired, we are less functional and less capable than normal. All other things being equal, a well-rested person is safer to manage any affair than an exhausted or a stressed-up person. Employers therefore should always make sure their employees get all the breaks they need. Heads of households and parents do well to always include restful activities in family life.

Rest can mean stopping some activity, change of activity, or change of environment.

We live in a fast-paced, sometimes savagely competitive world and the pace of material advancement sometimes drives us into excess activity in our effort to keep up and not be left behind, or even to exceed others. Providentially and thankfully, our bodies are strewn with reminders that warn us when we are going too far. If we ignore these warning signs we are beginning to commit suicide. It is widely believed that life is the greatest blessing we have and other things should serve life, not destroy it. In this line then, we should be ready to stop some work or profitable activity in order to restore the strength of our life: bodily, mentally, or spiritually. Tiredness can be expressed in the form of pain, discomfort, hunger and other appetites, sleepiness,

lack of concentration, weakness, restlessness, lack of zeal or passion, emotional indifference, carelessness, agitation, irritability, senselessness, etc. When we experience these signs or other people around us point out to us that we manifest these signs, we should try to take a break and restore ourselves.

I was sorting out some stored property just recently and wanted to finish the task within a day but it involved sorting out some documents that were in trunks that reeked of camphor. The camphor got to me. I realized that if I insisted on finishing everything all at once, I would be exposing myself to too much camphor. So I had to do some of that work, leave the mess and do other things and return to it later.

In the end, the job took me several days to complete but I saved myself from the excess camphor in the boxes.

Sometimes we do need to let things take the time they take. If we are anxious to finish something hazardous, the danger is, we might be the ones that get finished. In some work environments where employees are exposed to hazards, the supervisors arrange division of labour and short shifts in ar-

wisdom and understanding, which enhance peace in the home. In fact, God’s Word says: Through wisdom is an house builded, and by understanding it is established (Proverbs 24:3 and James 1:5).

Wisdom tells you when to talk, when to keep quiet, what to say and the right time to say it, where to go and at what time. Do you know it is possible to say the right thing but at the wrong time, thereby causing lack of peace in the home? I pray for a fresh baptism of the wisdom of God upon your life today, in Jesus’ name.

One other way to nurture your relationship is by an often neglected key, and that is complement. Every human being loves to be praised either for what he has done or simply for who he is.

The key is to locate the good qualities in your spouse and focus on it. Then express your appreciation for those good qualities by the words of your mouth. Learn to show appreciation for both small and great acts of kindness. You can also show appreciation by giving little gifts.

Make room for praise in your home. Praise God always and complement your husband or wife and your Do you want to be born again? Today, Jesus Christ is knocking at the door of your heart. Say this prayer of faith if you are ready to open up to Him: Dear Lord, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Now I know I am born again!

Congratulations! Till I come your way again next week, call or write, and share your testimonies with me through: Email: faithdavid@yahoo.com Tel. No: 234-1-7747546-8; 07026385437, 07094254102 For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all the Living Faith Churches, and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, and Building A Successful Family.

Lagosians told to plant and ?????????????????????? protect trees

A eas of exposure so that no one is over-exposed to hazards that can hurt him or her.

Taking a break sometimes means changing activity and doing something else that preserves us in certain respects or profits us in a different way. Indeed if we want to be healthy, profitable, and happy in life, we cannot afford to be doing nothing. We could take a break from intense mental or intellectual work and do some physical work such as cleaning. We could take a break from something that is irritating (visually, audibly, tactilely, emotionally, etc.) and do something that is more relaxing or more comfortable. We could take a break from routines to do some reading or Internet search or watch television in order to improve our knowledge. Changing activities and balancing activities are important aspects of resting.

Sometimes when a person suffers from an ailment such as persistent increase in

A lady resting after the day’s work

blood pressure, chronic headache, or severe allergy, he or she may find relief by spending some days in a different environment. The causative factors of some health problems that we may suffer may be environmental. The Traditional African Medicine practitioners know this very well and that is why sometimes when a person complains about an ailment, they don’t examine the person, they examine the person’s life. For example they are interested in knowing: “who is doing you” and “what is doing you” and their investigation aims at getting to the roots of such matters. The orthodox practitioner might consider this as “fetish” and be preoccupied with giving the patient only a physical bodily examination. Environment is an important contributor to health or disease and should be one of the factors we consider carefully in resting.

However, we must be careful not to jump from frying pan to fire. For example, hotel rooms are known to sometimes harbour dangerous mould and bacteria that could make a holiday-maker sick.

The most complete rest (before death) is sleep.

Chronic lack of sleep can be very painful torture for young, active people. We will look at the importance of sleep and sleep disturbances.

Dr. ’Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA. For any comments or questions on this column, please Email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 07028338910

SHOKA, ficus and melaina were trees planted during the annual tree planting exercise in Iru, Victoria Island ,Lagos.

The exercise took place recently in Muri Okunola in the presence of government representatives, the council executives and residents.

The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Fashola, noted that over three million trees were planted in the last four years.

He said trees are cleansing the air around the state by sinking carbon dioxide and replenishing the air with oxygen.

Fashola, who was represented by the Commissioner for Justice, Hon. Ade Ipaye, further said: “Trees provide shade, protect properties, prevent erosion, minimize flooding and act as windbreakers”.

Lagosians were implored to protect trees and ensure they survive so that the people can

Risikat RAMONI live.

In addition, the Lagos State commissioner for the Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, said planting a tree would avert the threat of global warming in the state.

The council Chairman, Mr Abayomi Daramola, represented Bello at the exercise.

Daramola urged Lagos residents and other state governments in the country to plant as many trees as possible in a year.

He said:”Apart from fresh air produced by trees, they can also slow down climate change and save the earth from environmental degradation.

“I made it clear to my cabinet that at the end of each year, they should show me the pictures of the trees they planted in their houses.”

Those who planted trees included Mr Daramola, Hon. Ipaye, among others.

•Hon. Ade Ipaye planting a tree at Iru V.I LCDA tree planting day recently. With him is the Council Chairman, Mr. Abayomi Aramola and other executives of the LCDA

FAMIL Y HEAL TH AMILY HEALTH

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

53 Coping with diseases with Prof. Dayo Oyekole

Male infertility

I Fibroid: How to prevent and eliminate it

•Green beans

•Kidney beans

F

IBROIDS develop some where between first menstruation and menopause. Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths in the muscles that line a woman’s uterus. The foods a woman eats may reduce symptoms of fibroids and prevent new growths from forming. For example, foods that tax the liver, which breaks down estrogen, should be avoided.

These substances include alcohol, milk products, meat and sugar. Dairy products and meats can be a source of additional hormones from livestock and are fatty, which adds to a woman’s estrogen stores.

As women near the onset of menopause, hormonal

changes increase the likelihood of fibroid development. Lower amounts of progesterone and increased amounts of eostrogen can cause fibroids, which can lead to menstrual problems, anemia, dizziness and fatigue.

A few changes in your diet and other healthy natural changes can help prevent the formation of fibroids and shrink and eliminate existing fibroids.

First of all, it would be a good idea to get a complete gyneacological evaluation to rule out conditions that may have symptoms similar to fibroids. Once other conditions have been ruled out, here are some things that can help reduce

and get rid of fibroids: •Avoid meats other than salmon, mackerel, tuna and cold-water fish which actually help reduce inflamed tissues and fibroid irritation. In general, avoid junk foods, fast foods, saturated fats, sugar, bleached white flour and processed foods. Also avoid alcohol and tobacco products.

•Eat a diet that is high in fruits and vegetables, especially raw fruits and vegetables for their fiber content and their digestive enzymes which help remove fibrin.

Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and foods high in B vitamins (lentils, blackstrap molasses and rice bran) help the liver and should make up a large part

of the diet for any woman who has fibroids.

•Incorporate pinto beans, split peas, lima beans, black beans and kidney beans into your diet to diminish estrogen levels and thwart fibroid growth. Eat at least one helping of beans every day.

•Limit the amount of estrogen that enters your body.

Reducing estrogen levels can naturally shrink fibroids.

This includes limiting the use of birth control pills, hormone replacement drugs, spermicides and pesticides.

•Practice stress reduction techniques. Stress can deplete progesterone in the body and lead to a surge of estrogen.

Taking the time to de-stress can help shrink fibroids naturally. Also get adequate sleep, since lack of proper sleep can contribute to stress.

•Watch your weight. Losing weight can potentially help shrink uterine fibroids naturally. Drink two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar mixed with 8 oz. of water once each day to help with the elimination of body toxins and with fat loss.

•Mix one to two tablespoons of blackstrap molasses with 6 oz. milk. Drink once or twice daily to help remedy issues related to anemia by improving iron and potassium levels. The healthiest and best tasting milk, if available, is raw goat’s milk.

•To speed up fibroid elimination, take 3-4 digestive enzyme tablets two or three times daily on an empty stomach. As mentioned earlier, digestive enzymes help break up and dissolve fibrin.

Be sure to include serrapeptase for maximum fibrin elimination.

Preventing burn-out (1)

I

F constant stress has you feeling disillusioned, helpless, and completely worn out, you may be suffering from burnout. When you’re burned out, problems seem insurmountable, everything looks bleak, and it’s difficult to muster up the energy to care—let alone do something about your situation.

The unhappiness and detachment burnout causes can threaten your job, your relationships and your health.

But burnout can be healed. If you recognize the signs and symptoms of burnout in its early stages, simple stress management strategies may be enough to solve the problem. In the later stages of burnout, recovery may take more time and effort, but you can still regain your balance by reassessing your priorities, making time for yourself and seeking support.

Burnout is a state of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands. As the

stress continues, you begin to lose the interest or motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.

Burnout reduces your productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful.

Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.

Most of us have days when we feel bored, overloaded, or unappreciated; when the dozen balls we keep in the air aren’t noticed, let alone rewarded; when dragging ourselves out of bed requires the determination of Hercules. If you feel like this most of the time, however, you may be flirting with burnout.

You may be on the road to burnout if: -Every day is a bad day.

-Caring about your work or home life seems like a total waste of energy.

-You’re exhausted all the time.

-The majority of your day is spent on tasks you find either mind-numb-

•Burn-out can sap energy and reduce productivity

ingly dull or overwhelming.

-You feel like nothing you do makes a difference or is appreciated.

The negative effects of burnout spill over into every area of life – including your home and social life. Burnout

can also cause long-term changes to your body that make you vulnerable to illnesses like colds and flu. Because of its many consequences, it’s important to deal with burnout right away.

To be continued

NFERTILITY is a condition in which a man and woman try to have children but the woman does not become preg nant. Primarily, infertility affects 15% to 20% of couples who wish to conceive. Approximately one-third of cases result from male factors, one-third from female factors, and one-third from combined factors. It is therefore crucial to evaluate both partners before deciding on any form of natural or artificial intervention.

Such evaluation is warranted if there is no pregnancy after 6 months of regular, unprotected intercourse. Hormonal profiles and detailed semen analysis are the cornerstones of laboratory investigations after the history and physical examination.

Investigations for causes in the male are safer and simpler; consequently, they are normally performed first to save cost and to save the woman a series of tests, if a cause can be found in the male. Unfortunately, most men do not submit themselves to fertility tests. Rather, they ascribe the shortcomings to their wife’s conditions only.

Men are sometimes unable to make their women pregnant because they have fewer sperm than is normal. This condition, scientifically called Oligospermia, is the presence of less than 20 million sperms per milliliter in the ejaculate; while Azoospermia is the total absence of sperm cells.

Causes of male infertility include testicular abnormalities, chronic infections such as Gonorrhoea, Chlamydia, Herpes, Staphylococcus, Trichomoniasis, Candidiasis, etc., as well as environmental factors (such as irradiation), nutritional imbalance, drugs, sexual habits, etc.

In trying to solve the problem of male infertility, it should be understood that spermatogenesis, that is, the process from sperm formation to maturation takes approximately 74 days.

It is therefore necessary to go back to nature and observe events while exercising patience over a period of about three (3) months, before drawing conclusion on viability or efficacy of bio-medical intervention.

Thus, a repeat sperm analysis is only meaningful after three (3) months of intervention. It is also important to note that hormones and other medicines commonly given to men who cannot have babies almost never do any good; magic cures are not likely to help either.

Unfortunately, most men with problem of infertility would want it solved overnight; thereby patronizing phony, unscientific and self-acclaimed instant healers! Be careful not to waste your money on things that will not help.

Education, with respect to the proper timing for intercourse in relation to the female’s ovulatory cycle as well as the avoidance of spermicidal lubricants is very important. In cases of toxic exposure or medication-related factors, the offending agent should be removed. Patients with active genitourinary tract infections should be treated appropriately.

Oligospermic and Azoospermic patients will benefit immensely from the holistic natural remedies scientifically formulated from herbal extracts of local plants such as Bombax buonopozense, Triumfetta cordifolia, Momordica charantia and Musa paradisiaca.

For further information and consultation on Holistic Lifecare research and services, especially on Blood Infections, Infertility, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Chronic Debilitating Conditions as well as mental and social problems, please call on: 0803-330-3897 or visit: Mosebolatan Holistic Lifecare Centre, Adeyalo Layout, Ogbere-Tioya, Off Olorunsogo Express Bridge, Ibadan.

Website: www.holisticlifecare.com. Distance is no barrier, we can send remedies by courier if need be. We also have facilities for accommodation, admission and hospitalization in a serene and homely environment.

54

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

•Benin Moat

J

UST after the third junc tion along the Sapele Road, Benin is a spot where the dualised road cuts across a long heap of red earth. The heap is about 12 feet on the right and a little on the left hand side it is about 10.

The red earth has been covered by grasses and trees, most especially on the right. Standing by the side of the road, one could see that the heap deeps into a gully that has also been covered by grasses. There are also refuse heaps on both the heaps of sand and

Benin Moat Amazing legacy of great people inside the gully.

The heap of red sand stretches and meanders out of sight into other parts of the city. It is easy to fol-

low the stretch of red sand as it has formed a kind of green belt that envelopes a large portion of the city. For those unfamiliar with the

history of the Benin people, they would think it is unusual for such a disused area to be allowed inside the city. But for those in the

know, it is an important landmark of the town referred to as the Benin Moat.

It is the second largest earthwork on earth, second only to the Chinese Wall, and it has been in existence for more than 700 years.

The Benin Moat was said to have been built around 1280 AD by one of the Benin oba, Oba Edo. The people of Igodomigodo, famously known for almost a millennium as Benin , had built a moat complex to protect themselves in the wars they

Tourism News

Tourism News N

IGERIA is currently taking part in the 4th African Cultural Festival holding in Caracas , Venezuela from July 23 to 29. The event is featuring acts from several African and South American countries in a deliberate bid to reestablish cultural links between both continents.

The Nigerian cultural troupe, Black Bones, was jointly sponsored by the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) and the government of Venezuela.

The NTDC's input to the event is in fulfilment of its mandate to sell Nigeria's rich cultural heritage to the world using such platforms as the annual African Cultural Festival in Venezuela which commenced in

Nigeria shines at Venezuela’s festival

•A festival in Caracas 2009.

The Black Bones cultural troupe, adorned in rich cultural attire reflecting Nigeria's diverse

traditions, presented superlative display of indigenous songs with local percussion, dance and stunts all synchronizing perfectly to tell the

fought. Oral history still credits the military strategy to Oba Oguola (about 1280 AD). Some two hundred years later, his descendant, Oba Ewuare the Great, a warrior king, revived the moat idea and extended what Oguola built to cover more grounds around the city.

The moat served as a protective shield for the ancient kingdom for centuries until in the late 19th century when the British imperialists breached it and invaded the kingdom.

However, after the fall of the Benin kingdom in 1894 and the advent of modernity in the 20 th century, there was no longer need for the moat as protective shield round the kingdom.

However, the moat became a reference point to the ingenuity and engineering acumen of the old Benin Kingdom in their effort to protect themselves and make their kingdom impregnable.

Modernization did not only render the moat useless, but also led to the expansion of the town, leading to the encroachment of the moat. Apart from building houses close to the moat, the red sand was dug and used to build houses by indigenes of the town. A part of it was also covered to make way for roads.

Recently, the moat was announced as one of the Naija Seven Wonders. This is not surprising. The surprise is that all efforts made so far to reclaim and preserve the moat has not yielded anything meaningful. The moat is currently facing a threat and might go into extinction as a result of lack of care.

Nigerian story.

The group entertained by rendering sublime tunes from several ethnic nationalities that make up Nigeria accompanied by sophisticated dance routines leaving visitors from many countries breathless with excitement and appreciation.

Emulating their Nigerian counterparts, the trio from Senegal, Bidew Boubes, also rose to the occasion armed with the popular Senegalese attire and powerful vocals rendering many peculiar Senegalese songs to the admiration of the crowd who responded with intermittent cheers.

Another group that did Africa proud was The Gambia's Humanity Stars which excited the audience with energetic dance steps accompanied with spectacular lyrics rendered in local dialect

that did not deter the enjoyable presentation executed masterfully to celebrate the best from the West African country.

The event featured an even mix of many African and South American countries with both representatives jostling to showcase their rich cultural potential through the combined instrumentality of music and dance.

The Brazilian representation made up of young ladies was awesome given their unique hairstyle, costume and samba dance, all combining dutifully to reflect an aura of the mystic essence of the Brazilian heritage.

The ballet group, Ochun from Cuba, gilded in colourful outfits, entertained with enchanting melodies and beautiful dance steps, making a strong statement that Cuba was not only good in lightweight boxing, but also cultural representation.

Not wanting to be outstripped by its visitors from Africa and its fellow South American countries, the host, Venezuela, set the stage ablaze as

55

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012 Dr. Joseph Eborieme was a former Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) and the National Commission for Museum and Monument (NCMM).

He was once the curator of Benin Museum. He spoke on the museum.

“The moat has entered the Guinness Book of World Records and it second earthwork done by man. It is second only to the Wall of China. The engineering feat is unequalled.

When asked about the current state of the moat despite its importance in history, Eborieme said: “This was the battle we fought as head of the museum commission and coordinator of the UNESCO heritage team, but the ordinary people don’t seem to appreciate.”

He said due to the length and size of the moat, it was difficult for the NCMM to put in place the logistic to effectively monitor and police the moat from wouldbe destroyers.

Asked why despite its acknowledged place in world history records, the moat has not been able to enter into the UNESCO list as World Heritage Site unlike Sukur in Adamawa, Eborieme said: “Sukur received geat support from the NCMM. Also the indigenes were very co-operative. As soon as we went there, we did not need to sensitise them much. We met a system that was already working. All we did was incorporating their dossier to the UNESCO, and the organisation was pleased with the level of local consciousness, involvement and participation.

“In the case of Benin, we did not get that level of association.

“In the case of the moat, we put signboards in certain places where they should not touch. By the time we got back there, they had been removed. There is a conflict in all these matters. In those days, before you built a house there, the

Pilgrimage: NCPC boss allots 700 seats to Niger T

•A road cutting across the moat

ministry of land would contact us for verification.

After sometimes, they stopped that.”

Eborieme called for cooperation among all the stakeholders in the Benin moat: the state government, NCMM, the Oba of Benin’s

palace and councils.

The co-ordinator of the Naija Seven Wonders Project, Mr. Ikechi Uko, said one of the things that made people voted for the moat as one of the Naija Seven Wonders was that its was the biggest excava-

tion on the face of the earth and that as at the time the exaction was done, the Benin civilization was at par with the civilization of China. He said it is a massive legacy that the government of Edo State needs to preserve and make a real destination.

•Another view of the moat

Tourism News soon as it mounted it performing a scintillating combination of songs and dance routines from the Latin American genres of Salsa, Quickstep, Cha-cha and Rumba to the delight of all in attendance.

Interestingly, the Venezuelans also put together a unity dance with other groups from across the participating countries, including Nigeria. Even guests took to the stage, all competing to be the best dancer to the admiration of the electric crowd which wished the show would never come to an end.

Other activities that marked the festival week was a guided tour for visitors to several landmarks and historical sites in Caracas, all of which depict the rich socio-political and cultural history while telling a fascinating narrative on how the country was liberated from Spanish imperialism by its founder, Simon Bolivar, and other heroes whose insignias are well distributed across the city of Caracas.

PANAFEST postponed to honour Atta-Mill

•The late John Atta-Mills

T

HE rest of the 2012 Pan African Cultural Festival (PANAFEST) activities which had earlier commenced in Ghana has been postponed as a result of the death of the

former Ghanaian presidentf, the late John Atta-Mills. This is in deference to the current mourning mood in Ghana .

According to Kehinde Oluwafunso, a new date would be announced later.

2012 would have marked the 20th anniversary of the celebration of this great African festival. There are so many dynamic events lined up for the PANAFEST and Emancipation 2012.They include twoday Pan African Conference, Theatre Performance, Fine Arts Exhibition, African Market/Expo. Traditional Welcoming Ceremony, Grand Durbar of Chiefs and Queen Mothers, Rights of Passage, Symbolic Boat Ride, Women's Day, Youth Day, Workshops, Reverential Night and Emancipation Day. The Osun, Lagos , Ondo and Ekiti state cultural troupes had been billed to be part of the 20th anniversary.

HE Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) Mr. John Kennedy Opara, has requested the Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu'azu Babaginda Aliyu, to sponsor about 700 pilgrims to the holy land this year.

The NCPC boss made this request recently in Minna during a courtesy-cumsensitization visit to Niger State .

Mr Opara thanked Governor Aliyu for sponsoring about 370 pilgrims to the holy land last year. He commended him for coming out with the formula of 50% and 30% sponsorship for •John Kennedy Opara intending pilgrims in the state which has helped pilgrims to actualize their life-long dream of performing holy pilgrimage.

In the words of the Executive Secretary, "Your Excellency, your formula worked". He explained that pilgrimage is for those who are spiritually rich, but materially poor and that the concern of the NCPC was to use pilgrimage as a tool for moral and spiritual transformation.

He disclosed that he was in the state with his team to encourage the governor on the good work he is doing and to sensitize Christians on the 2012 Christian pilgrimage.

He said: ”We are here to encourage you on the good work you are doing; keep it up; we have come to encourage you.”

The NCPC helmsman commended the governor for the encouragement he has given to the Christians in the state. He equally commended him for making Niger State pilgrims the first to be airlifted during the 2011 Christian pilgrimage exercise. The Executive Secretary said: “You have also shown that you lead by example.”

The NCPC boss also intimated the governor that Mr. President has approved the package for this year's 2012 Christian pilgrimage exercise. He expatiated that Mr. President approved a concessionary exchange rate of 145 Naira to 1 dollar for both Muslims and Christians for this year's pilgrimage exercise. He equally revealed that the commencement of the airlift for this year's pilgrimage would be on October 25 and end on December 24, 2012.

In his remarks, the Chief Servant thanked the NCPC boss and his delegation for their visit.

He stated that life is about opportunity and should be utilized at all times. He said: "When you have the opportunity, please try to do your best", he stressed.

He bemoaned the present state of insecurity in the country which he said required urgent attention. In his words, “anyone who tries to play God must be tested by the real God”.

He decried the present dwindling economic situation of the country which, according to him, “will exacerbate the security situation of the nation".

Governor Aliyu averred that whether Christians or muslims, “we are serving the same God”. He explained that he would pursue and implement anything that would bring peace and progress in the state.

The Chief Servant told the NCPC boss that the state pilgrims would fly from Minna Airport, if the state government could meet up with the 700 seats allotted to it for this year's pilgrimage by the NCPC. He equally stressed that the essence of pilgrimage should be for spiritual transformation.

He advised Mr. Opara to always tell his counterparts in other states during his visits on the need to be proactive as this would help to forestall problems. He described most of the leaders in the state as "settlers". Thus "we must sit here to make Niger State better than we met it", he said.

The Executive Secretary and his team, which included the Federal Commissioner North Central, Mrs. Helen Ugboro; ex-officio member of the NCPC, Mr. Jide Aluko; Pastor Abba Mshelia and other management staff, met with the CAN officials in the state to sensitize them on the 2012 pilgrimage exercise.

Resort upgrades facilities

G

RANDEUR Resort has extended its facilities to foreigners with a view to strengthen Nigeria’s economic base, the chief executive officer of the company, Mr. Oyeniyi Famoriyi, has said.

Famoriyi stated this at the commencement of issuance of houses to facilitate its ‘buy and sell houses’, which will be of immense importance to local and foreign businessmen.

The buildings are located at Agbonmagbe village along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Famoriyi said the system would give many investors the oppor-

Jeremiah OKE tunity to buy chalets, shops, rooms and other facilities on owneroccupier basis. This, he maintained, would go a long way to boost tourism in the country.

He said arrangement had been put in place with the international investors to ensure that Nigerian investors benefit maximally from the innovation while competing with their foreign counterparts.

The organisation has also arranged with an international consultancy firm for the training of the staff of the centre.

THE NATION, Saturday, July 28, 2012

56 ANY towns, cities and villages in Nigeria, especially in the northern part of the country, are heavily shaded by neem trees to prevent the scourge of desert encroachment. In fact, Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, is the most shaded city in Africa — thanks to neem trees. Planting neem tree seedlings has proved to be one of the most effective ways of checking the insidious onslaught of the desert.

Yet millions of Nigerians are not aware or do not know that the seedlings of this revered tree came to Nigeria through Borno. The neem tree remains an enduring legacy or export of Borno to the North in particular and Nigeria in general. The planting of this tree has become part of life-saving strategies to the people of the northern part of the country, whose areas are the most endangered by the encroaching Sahara Desert.

Legend has it that the threat of desertification was first noticed in the 1930s when a team of officials from the then neighbouring French colonies and Borno jointly surveyed the ecological situation vis-avis the threat from the Sahara.

The team found that the desert was advancing at the rate of 6 km per annum and advised that effective measures be taken to halt it. A member of that team was young Musa Daggash (now late), then fresh from the University with a degree in Foresty. Musa Daggash hailed from Marte in Borno.

In 1929, Musa Daggash, as a Forest Officer, visited Sudan in connection with Gum Arabic. On his way back to Maiduguri, he took a handful of seeds of neem trees from Sudan. On arrival home, he sowed the seeds, and from the few seeds, a nursery was established, consequent upon which the feasibility of the neem tree thriving in Borno was practically established. More seeds were later brought into Maiduguri from other sources. One of such sources was Dr. Mohammed Abande Lawan, a forester himself, who also hailed from Borno.

To mark the symbolic millionth neem tree grown, the late Shehu of Borno, Sir Umar Kyari Sanda Elkanemi, and the Senior Resident, Rex Niven, planted two neem seedlings. Today, the two have grown to mighty trees, standing elegantly and massively near the Shehu’s Palace and Friday Mosque in Maiduguri.

With the success of the experimental neem seedlings, a programme for establishing more plantations all over Borno was conceived by the Borno Provisional Administration. To ensure the success of this exercise, the provisional administration embarked on vigorous publicity campaign all over the province to enlighten the people, the farmers, the grazers as well as the traditional rulers on the immeasurable benefits or usefulness of neem plantations. Having been convinced, the people allocated parcels of land for the project and, in addition, participated in the actual planting of new trees around their homes and in the plantations.

And before the shout of Jack Robinson, the success story of neem tree as an effective weapon to combat the desert surge was being replicated in other provinces of the north. At this time, Borno became the Mecca for the provinces where people come to seek more information about the wonders of the neem tree, in addition to taking away the seedlings for onward planting. The legend has it that Borno officials this time were very enthusiastic in helping their brothers from the provinces in this regard.

M

,

In 1929, Musa Daggash, as a Forest Officer, visited Sudan in connection with Gum Arabic. On his way back to Maiduguri, he took a handful of seeds of neem trees from Sudan. On arrival home, he sowed the seeds, and from the few seeds, a nursery was established, consequent upon which the feasibility of the neem tree thriving in Borno was practically established

,

•A typical street adorned with neem trees

dedicated and loyal civil servant who did not live long enough to see the wonders being done by neem tress in Nigeria ”.

The blessings of the neem tree are not only innumerable but immeasurable. The neem tree has a significant relevance to the daily lives of millions of Nigerians. It affects their livelihood in various ways, such as source of fuel and shade, the protection of houses and structures from devastating winds, checking of wind erosion on farmlands and general improvement of the weather.

Jobs have also been provided to thousands of people all over the north in particular and the nation in general in the development and maintenance of neem plantations, or from exploitation of available forest products. In addition, an amiable environment has been provided for all. The production of other crops has also been affected by these plantations positively as they aid and stabilise the soil and conserve the moisture.

Traditionally, the leaves and bark of the neem tree combined with other materials are used for cure of Malaria and other diseases. Besides, the oil extracted from the tree is being used for medicinal or medical purposes.

The systematic arrangement of neem trees in straight lines along major streets in some cities, towns and in plantations in some parts of the north give a fascinating look to tourists.

Coming from Maiduguri and across the Yedsaram River, you are welcome into Bama town in a cool atmosphere of mesmerism by a fleet of neem trees arranged in parallel lines with the town road (MaiduguriBama Road ) in between.

Apart from Musa Daggash and others from Borno State introducing neem seedlings to the North and beyond, they also worked as foresters in various parts of the northern provinces.

For example, Musa Daggash spent 20 years in forestry work in various parts of the north, Borno inclusive. It is therefore imperative for Nigerians, especially northerners, to know that what they are enjoying today and taking for granted as a common amenity indeed came about as a result of indomitable spirit of a few individual workers who came from Borno. They introduced the neem seeds into Nigeria in 1929, and after various experiments, the first plantation was established. It became the model for more schemes now covering thousands of square kilometres across Nigeria. Indeed, a fitting tribute to Borno’s foresight and ingenuity.

Neem trees: Borno’s gift to the North and beyond

•A street in Maiduguri that has neem trees

I Victor EZEKOR I Traditionally, neem is commonly known as “Dogon Yaro”, and this came about through a mere fluke or just by the way.

The forester, a tall gentleman in charge of the pioneer nursery in Maiduguri, was by

name“Dogon Yaro” and was very popular among the people. Before long his name became synonymous with neem.

Anybody who wanted neem seedlings went to him. Thus, his name, Dogon Yaro, stuck to neem tree. According to a commentor, “…. It is a fitting tribute to a

•Victor Izekor wrote in from Maiduguri.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

57

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

THE NATION, Saturday, July 28, 2012

59

ONDON has welcomed athletes from all over the world into its beautiful city. Between the 27th of July and 12th August, the eyes of the whole sports loving world will be fixed on London. A once in a lifetime event is taking place in this historical and unique land; the Summer Olympics, the glory of modern sporting events.To welcome the world, Britain will put on an extravaganza with music, fireworks, dancing, acrobatics and the runners that carry the Olympic torch will light the Olympic flame to signal the beginning of the games. As the representatives of the participating countries flamboyantly parade their nations in a rainbow of colors, there will be only three colors on the minds of every country as they go for bronze, silver and, ultimately, gold!

Between the basketball, wrestling, boxing, athletics, taekwondo, weightlifting, relay and football categories, the London games will see Team Nigeria compete in more sports and disciplines and present the largest single team to represent the nation than at any other games in the last 50 years. As our extraordinary sports men and women make their outing, the hearts of millions of Nigerian supporters will be pounding and racing, fretting and praying for some recorded victory at the Olympics.

Since the 1952 Olympic Games, which Nigeria first participated in, till date, Nigerian athletes have won a total of 23 medals, mostly in athletics and boxing. And in the greatest and most rewarding victory that we have ever recorded, our national football team beat the Brazilian national team to take home the Olympic gold medal in 1996. One would imagine that witnessing Team Nigeria participate in this veritable instrument of national integration, amidst the enthusiasm, it would be easy to for one to convince themself that Team Nigeria will excel in some of the disciplines we are known •Nigeria’s Olympic basketball team to be good in and bring home a couple of medals. Memories of great moments such as the success of ChiomaAjunwa in Atlanta, As suppositions onwhy our rivals in our strongest 1996 when she won Nigeria's first gold medal propel categories will ultimately fail flood our minds, the final thoughts of triumph in our minds.

From Los Angeles 1984, to Barcelona 1992, to Atlanta outcome can never really be accurately analyzed and 1996, to Sydney 2000 and Beijing 2008, there have been may turn out to be something totally unexpected. That memorable moments of pride for Team Nigeria. To this doesn’t stop us though, because forecasts and day one can remember watching several of the events predictions are part and parcel of the Olympics, whether including ChiomaAjunwa, Mary Onyali and they are accurate or not. By the time the competition FalilatOgunkoya outrunning their opponents in the starts this weekend, when all the 204 participating athletics. I can also remember Ruth Ogbeifo and Duncan nations emerge on the center stage with a fortuitous shot Dokiwari flexing their muscles to take home the silver at glory, it becomes clear that no one canaccurately and bronze medals in the weightlifting and boxing predict the winners of the categories because the categories respectively. Then there were the times when Olympics is a platform where its anyone’s game.

While our optimism of victory is largely based on the our national football teams brought home gold and silver medals for Nigeria in at least two Olympic sentiment we feel for our country, one must balance that Games. Watching and remembering those and many with reality. Although I feel a sense of nationalistic pride other events, it is difficult not to feel hopeful, patriotic that Nigeria will make an appearance at this global and optimistic about Team Nigeria’s prospect in gathering, at the same time, stark reality fills my heart with anxiety. My sense of patriotism bully’s me into London.

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Going for gold

believing thatTeam Nigeria must, at least, match the success we had in the 1996 games in Atlanta.

Although some might argue that the Team Nigeria of today is a far cry from those glory days of the mid 1990’s, with focus, organisationand hard work, I believe several members of our team can recreate the magic that our wonder athletes in the 1990’s displayed. No matter what the result of the tournament eventually turns out to be for Team Nigeria, it is imperative for Nigeria to scout out and develop youngand vibrant talent.

Nigerianathletes are blessed with raw talent but lack in direction, encouragement andbasic technical aspects.Sport is a way to promote positive social values and a great teacher of discipline, dedication, perseverance, sportsmanship, and teamwork, to name only a few, for young people. For many of our idle, yet talented youth, finding something as active and healthy as sports becomes for them and for Nigeria, a great gift. We must empower our young sports men and women and encourage them to appreciate the virtues and values of striving for the lofty goals of these Games and sports in general.

The anticipation that goes with the start of the Olympics is quite exhilarating and the hopes quite high.

While I support Team Nigeria all the way and have hope that they will record some measure of success, I know for a fact that any hope we may have must be tendered with a huge amount of finger crossing and prayer.

The Olympics is a great event that manifests all the positives in sports at its highest peak. It is about one being the best they can be; the pursuit of excellence. Those that have had the talent and privilege to represent their country at that level have been given an opportunity to impact the lives of others simply because of what the Olympics represents.

As our athletic representatives emerge on the arena in their green and white attire; as they stand tall and sing our national anthem, I shall be joining my fellow Nigerians in supporting Team Nigeria, wishing them the very best and praying for their success in London and their safe and jubilant return to Nigeria within the next three weeks.

Just as the Games begin, lady luck seems to already be in-sync with Team Nigeria, as the International Olympic Committee announced our men’s 4x400m relay team the gold medal winners from the 2000 Olympics, following the disqualification of the previous gold medal winners, United States as a result of a confession of doping by one of the US team members.

Congratulations to Team Nigerian on this early gold medal. We hope and pray to see more medals draped around their proud and strong Nigerian necks at the end of the Games. Good Luck to Team Nigeria and every other African team at the London Olympics in this special moment as they go for the ultimate gold!

Nigeria’s gold medal prospect comes the image of Nigeria’s biggest public relations tool until 2016 in Brazil when the title of the world’s fastest woman would take the centre stage.

Many would say that Chioma Ajunwa did it in Atlanta in 1996. But it must be said that not many people watched that event because that was the day Dream Team 1 sank the Brazilians in Georgia.

Ajunwa was alone, all alone, so much so that the Nigerian flag that she used for the lap of honour was taken from a little American girl in the stands.

There was no pressure from anyone. I recall the former Sports Minister, Jim Nwobodo apologising to her that he would not watch her jump but promised to reward her bountifully, if she won the event.

Back to Okagbare. Are our coaches studying the tapes of the Jamaicans, Americans, Britons, Germans and others to see if they are saving their best for the last? Have our coaches worked out a plan that would ensure that she doesn’t give everything away for other coaches to exploit? Have the coaches worked on her

movement out of the starter’s bloc?

These questions may look pedestrian but when the race is over, we may be told that if we had addressed some of the posers Okagbare would have been the fastest woman in the world. Want to take a bet?

One only hopes that Okagbare’s feats in London and Monaco won’t be likened to the proverbial deer who danced itself lame before the real dance.

It hurts to think that Nigeria, which made her Olympics debut in 1936, can only thumb her chest on Okagbare’s

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Continued from back page

medal potentials. It explains our penchant for Fire Brigade approach to important issues. Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi should ensure that the new boards in the sports federations have credible people, with the pedigree of changing the fortunes of distressed business concerns.

We need to stop this trend of recycling people who end up waiting for government cash to run the sporting associations. A lot of people have discerning templates to change the face of the industry, if given the opportunity

It hurts to think that Nigeria, which made her Olympics debut in 1936, can only thumb her chest on Okagbare’s medal potentials. It explains our penchant for Fire Brigade approach to important issues. Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi should ensure that the new boards in the sports federations have credible people, with the pedigree of changing the fortunes of distressed business concerns

,

to do so.

Lagos State is experiencing a sports renaissance, using credible people who the corporate world can trust. There is hardly any sports programme in Lagos that isn’t sponsored by the blue-chip firms. Why? Simple- those who run those bodies ensure that every dime budgeted is used for its purpose. There is accountability, which inevitably eliminates scams and suspicion among members.

The talents are here; what we lack is a sports culture that is anchored on a calendar that sports friendly blue-chip companies can incorporate into their fiscal budgets.

Our sports facilities must be maintained. Those old ones should be upgraded to provide the platform for local and international competitions for our athletes.

The minister should ensure that the National Institute for Sports (NIS) performs like its contemporaries elsewhere. It should be upgraded to function as the training ground for our coaches. It should also serve as the brainbox of our sports where policies are implemented.

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THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

61

PLATEAU STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY SERVICE COMMISSION

ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates to fill the following vacancies in the Plateau State House of Assembly Service.

1. The Clerk to the House CODE: COH 001 A. REQUIREMENT i.

Interested candidates must be Directors on GL 16 in the Civil Service with at least 20 years of cognate background experience. ii.

Candidates must possess at least a First Degree in Law or any of the Humanities; iii.

Not less 10 years experience in Legislative functions as well as Computer literacy will be an added advantage; iv.

Candidates must not be retired Civil Servants or with not less than 5 years to retirement. v.

Must be indigene of Plateau State.

2. Deputy Clerk CODE: DCOF 002 A. REQUIREMENTS: i.

Candidates must be graduates of Law or any of the Humanities with at least 20 years cognate experience; ii.

Candidates must be serving Administrative Officers in the Civil Service. iii.

Candidates Must have attained GL15 in the Service; iv.

Computer literacy will be an added advantage.

3. Sergeant At Arms CODE: SAA 003 A. REQUIREMENTS: i.

Candidates must be retired senior military or police personnel of not less than rank of Captain or Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) respectively. ii.

Candidates must not be more than 60 years of age; iii.

Candidates must possess requisite expertise in Legislative security structure; iv.

Computer literacy will be an added advantage.

4. Deputy Sergeant at Arms CODE: DSAA 004 A. REQUIREMENTS: i.

Candidates must be retired Senior Military or Police Personnel of not less than the Rank of a lieutenant or APSP ii.

Must not be more than the 60 years old. iii.

Candidates must possess requisite expertise in Legislative Security Structure iv.

Computer literacy will be an added advantage.

MODE OF APPLICATION: Interested applicants are to obtain Application forms in the Office of the Secretary to the Commission, Plateau State House of Assembly Service Commission Office Complex, No 2 Danduara Road, Jos at the cost of Five Thousand Naira (N5,000 : 00) for Clerk and Deputy Clerk and Three Thousand Naira (N3,000 : 00) for Sergeant at Arms and Deputy Sergeant at Arms.

All Completed Application forms are to reach the Office of the Secretary to the Commission within Two (2) weeks from the date of this publication. All interested candidates are to attach 15 copies of C.V. and Credentials with the Completed forms.

Signed:

MANAGEMENT

THE NATION SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

62

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 27-7-12

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NSE to launch Islamic equity index

HE Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) will on Monday introduce a new index based on the Islamic laws as part of efforts to deepen participation in the stock market.

The Islamic Equity Index to be known as the "NSE Lotus Islamic Index" ( NSE LII) was developed in collaboration with Lotus Capital Limited and will consist of companies that conform with the principles of Shari'ah.

The NSE LII, the first index created to track the performance of Shari'ah compliant equities on the floor of the NSE, will increase the breadth of the market and create an important benchmark for investments as the alternative non-interest investment space widens.

Speaking about the launching, Project Manager for the NSE LII launch, Mr. Osahon Aire, said that investment instruments likesuch as Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) can be built on the index, which investors with a preference for Shari'ah compliant investments can invest in.

According to him, the NSE Lotus Islamic Index would further illuminate

By Taofik Salako and Tonia Osundolire

the massive investment opportunities available to ethically minded investors, both in Nigeria and overseas. “All the companies that would appear on the index have been thoroughly screened by Lotus Capital Halal Investment, in accordance with a methodology approved by an internationally recognised Shari'ah Advisory Board comprising of renowned Islamic scholars," Aire said.

He added that the launching of the index is an exciting development that is in line with the NSE's mandate of broadening and deepening the Nigerian Capital Market.

Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share-Index gained 0.76 per cent to close higher at 23,292.80 points. Similarly, the market capitalisation of all listed equities gained N58 billion, representing 0.79 per cent appreciations, to close higher at N7.414 trillion.

The banking sector went to the bears during Friday’s session as Access

Bank and UBA recorded the only gains in the sector. GT Bank continued to oscillate around the lower N17.00 band; it dropped less than 1.0 per cent at the close of the session. Also heading south were Zenith Bank and First Bank, with losses of 1.3 per cent and 0.5 per cent respectively.

While UACN, Transcorp and PZ Cussons closed with no change to their prices, Unilever and A.G. Leventis closed on the up-tick, as demand, for both companies led to a gradual increase in their prices. Both closed with robust demand which could lead to a continuation of the trend early next week.

In the petroleum marketing sector, Eterna Oil continued its descent, loosing maximum points, Current apathy for the stock, evidenced by glutting offers, could lead to further losses early next week. Oando was also skewed to the sell side as it shed 0.4 per cent. On the other hand, Conoil closed with a 2.0 per cent mark-up.

In all, investors traded 106.199 million shares worth N634.699 million shares in 2,163 deals. This was followed by the Consumer Goods sector with 12.689 million shares worth N494.349 million.

Other actively traded sectors were the Conglomerates, Services, Oil & gas and Industrial Goods.

On the price movement tables, a total of 39 equities recorded price change with 20 appreciating while the remaining 19 reduced in value.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 27-7-12

THE NATION SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

63

SPORT EXTRA

Keshi recalls Mikel for Liberia C

HELSEA ace Mikel Obi will stage a longawaited return to the Super Eagles for a 2013 Nations Cup qualifier in Liberia, officials disclosed.

From the programme Stephen Keshi submitted to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for the AFCON qualifier in Monrovia on September 8, MTNFootball.com scooped that the Chelsea midfielder, who was sensationally left out of the June qualifiers, has been handed a second chance with

the national team.

Keshi has been at odds with Mikel’s commitment to the national cause and that was why he overlooked him in June, just weeks after he starred in Chelsea’s historic UEFA Champions League triumph at Bayern Munich.

“Mikel is among the players listed by Keshi for the Liberia match,” a top official specially informed MTNFootball.com.

Also staging a return to the Eagles is Olympic team standout star Nosa Igiebor, who last featured in

November’s friendly against Zambia in Kaduna.

The midfielder, who can play either as a playmaker or an offensive player coming from deep, has continued to shine at Israeli club Hapoel Tel Aviv.

And with Keshi desperate for creativity in the middle of the park, the former Warri Wolves star has thus been reconsidered.

Another player set for a comeback is Russia-based striker Emmanuel Emenike,

who has already got off to a flying start in the new season with Spartak Moscow.

MTNFootball.com has already broken the story that Emenike will get another chance to impress in a greenwhite-green shirt after he was put in the cold since after the Zambia friendly in Kaduna.

Despite his goals and growing profile in Turkey and now Russia, the big striker is yet to establish himself in the Eagles squad.

Kano Govt releases N73m to Kano Pillars •To offset players’ sign-on fees

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ANO State Government has okayed the release of N73 million to the state owned darling team, Kano Pillars Football Club to offset players and coaches sign-on fees, as well as other entitlements.

The State Commissioner of Information, Internal Affairs, Youths, Sports and Culture, Professor Umar Farouk Jibril made the disclosure, while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting held at Government House, Kano yesterday.

He explained that the money will be utilized for the settlement of players’ accumulated sign-on fees and for the prosecution of the remaining league marches, as well as the ongoing Federation Cup. Also, Farouk said that with the comfortable position

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

Kano Pillars is occupying in the Premier league table, the club is poised to clinch the Continental ticket, pointing out that with the encouragement by the Sports loving governor, the players should reciprocate the gesture by winning the league and the Federation cup, which has eluded the state for 59 years.

The Commissioner also promised the association of coaches that the State government would support them in their quest to hunt for talents from the grassroots to ensure that sports take its rightful position in the State.

He also promised to ensure that all the agenda tabled before his office would be forwarded to the governor for appropriate action, as well as soliciting for their cooperation in the government’s efforts to uplift sports in the state.

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Olympics after admitting he may run the 4x400 metres relay.

The 25-year-old comes into the London Games as the defending champion in the 100 and 200m as well as the 4x100m relay.

But he hasn't ruled out the 4x400m relay as well.

"I always see how I come out of the 200m before I decide, like if I'm tired," said Bolt, who will carry the Jamaican flag at the opening ceremony on Friday.

"If I feel up to it, why not?

For my country I would always do what is necessary.

"It all depends what is needed from me because at the end of the day it is about the team.

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more importantly to support the game by reviving and refreshing the players with Cowbell flavoured milk.

“We took the decision to sponsor Rugby in order to activate and sustain sport development amongst youths in Nigeria and also to identify the young local rugby stars of today and groom them for future challenges. Our dream is to see them play for the Black Stallions (the Nigerian national rugby team),” he noted.

The Head Youth Development, Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF), Mr. Chukwudum Ejikeme said Cowbell Flavoured Milk iTRY School’s rugby scheme is to develop youth players who are well grounded in the fundamentals of the game.

I

N fulfillment of its promise, Lagos State Government yesterday has rewarded its athletes for their feat at the 17th National Sports Festival ‘River 2011”.

The event, which was held at the Mobolaji Sports Centre, Rowe Park had medallists getting cash rewards for their performances in various sporting events.

According to the Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Wahid Oshodi, the gesture was aimed at encouraging the athletes as well as the state’s resolve to give the athletes’ welfare a priority.

With gold, silver and bronze medallists getting N100,000; N75,000 and N50,000 respectively, Oshodi, however, apologized to the athletes that the gesture was coming a bit late, but assured them that their feat in subsequent championships would not take too long before getting recognition.

“We are aware of the hardwork, discipline and dedication that is necessary to succeed in sports. These awards are therefore an acknowledgement by the state of the brilliant commitment of our athletes. We are proud of

you and appreciate your outstanding efforts in representing Lagos State,” he said.

The commissioner, however, charged the athletes to focus on the 18th edition of the championship, which would be hosted by the state, saying “as the host, we are expected to put up a brilliant showing and we will not disappoint.”

He added: “We are a team and we must all work together if we are going to succeed in November/ December this year.

We win together; we lose together. And in all things we must ensure that we are fair and play by the rules. I will always give my best to you athletes, and what I ask from you in return is that you give your best in representing Lagos State. If you do this I am convinced we will have plenty reason to celebrate at the National Sports Festival.”

For one of the athletes and a gold medalist in the boxing event, Olaide Fijabi, it became imperative for them to reciprocate the state’s gesture by ensuring that they put up a good outing come November.

Over 101 athletes and 72 coaches were rewarded with cash prize valued at N16.5m.

Nigerian wrestlers get cash gifts • Charged to be good ambassadors • Keshi

"However, there are limits and the individual 400m no chance."

Bolt, one of global sport's most marketable personalities, said that his mind was not on the times he would run but his ultimate goal of being termed a legend – that would only come if he defended his titles.

However, he admitted that should he miss out on his

Promasidor sponsors Lagos iTRY Rugby Football Coaching Scheme ROMASIDOR Nigeria Limited, makers of Cowbell Milk, has taken another giant stride in the development of sport in Nigeria by partnering with the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) to sponsor the Lagos iTRY Rugby Coaching Scheme.

The Managing Director of the company, Chief Keith Richards made this known yesterday at a press conference in Lagos, stating that, the game is being sponsored by Cowbell Flavoured Milk which was launched in 2010 as a strategic response to satisfy the consumers.

He also said the company is partnering with Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) with the aim of grooming rugby future champions in Nigeria, and

Lagos rewards athletes for Rivers 2011 feat

LONDON OLYMPICS

Bolt set to run four events AMAICAN track star Usain Bolt could win four track gold medals at the

AHEAD OF EKO 2012

It will help the participants to learn to play rugby and develop a greater understanding of the game.

He also said the scheme in its first year recorded many successes; a team of 12 coaches held over 700 coaching sessions in 28 Lagos secondary schools for 1, 200 weekly participants.

“Cowbell Lagos iTRY schools rugby scheme will aid the development of the existing rugby structure in Nigeria. There are currently 17 coaches who have been selected for the programme, some of whom are current players in the Nigerian national team. The coaches will be on employment contracts for the period of their coaching tenure. 30 schools and 2, 000 pupils will participate each year in Lagos”

goals at the Games then it would not be a catastrophe.

"I don't think it will be the end of the world if I lose," said Bolt.

"I would definitely be disappointed if I was second.

Mentally though I am always strong. I have a great team around me who keep me on track.

"I don't think I should be talking about losing anyway as there are friends of mine who will not appreciate that."

Bolt, who also secured triple gold at the 2009 world championships in Berlin, admitted losing in both the 100 and the 200m at the Jamaican Olympic trials to training partner and 100m world champion Yohan Blake hadn't been the best preparation.

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AYELSA STATE Governor, His Excellency Henry Seriake Dickson has doled out an unspecified amount of cash gift to Nigeria Wrestling team just as the World awaits with baited breathe to the final countdown to the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.

Proud that three out of the four wrestlers that make up Nigeria wrestling team to the games are from Bayelsa, Governor Dickson declared that the gift is an inkling to the heroic welcome the athletes would get if they did Bayelsa and indeed Nigeria proud by winning laurels in London.

It was gathered that the surprise and heart warming gift by the Governor has boosted up the morale of the wrestlers, who in turn are primed to put up their best when their competition starts on August 5 at the Excel Centre in London While charging the athletes to shun acts that would tarnish the image of the country at the global sporting event, he equally challenged the Technical Adviser

and Sports Committee Chairman, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon Daniel Igali to guide the wrestlers in his footsteps by winning gold for the country.

Igali won gold at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

Meanwhile, Sinvie Boltic, Adibo Dick and Blessing Oborududu all from Bayelsa State, form the bulk of the wrestlers flying the country’s flag in London. The other female Wrestler, Amarachi Obiajunwa72kg is from Imo State.

Early, this month in the build up to the Olympics, Blessing Oborududu 63kg won Silver medal in Spanish Open Grand Prix in Madrid.

Bayelsa State has always been the livewire for Nigeria in terms of producing wrestlers that has represented and medals for the country at International competitions. They have remained dominant in the mat sports at the National Sports Festival (NSF) and several national wrestling competitions

•L-R: Dr Samuel Adenekan Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager of Nestle Milo, Mrs Doja Ekeruche Category Business Manager Nestle Milo, Mr Martin Woolnough Managing Director Nestle Milo, Mallam Ibrahim Mohammed President, Nigeria School Sport Federation and Mr Lanre Balogun representative of Chief Remi Olowude, Chairman National Collegiate Sports Foundation and Vice Chairman IGI Insurance Plc, at the 14TH MILO SECONDARY SCHOOLS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PRESS CONFERENCE in Lagos recently.

MEET OUR NEW COLUMNIST ON PAGE 59 PUNCHLINE

SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL.7, NO. 3100

As our extraordinary sports men and women make their outing, the hearts of millions of Nigerian supporters will be pounding and racing, fretting and praying for some recorded victory at the Olympics

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LTHOUGH I was naturally elated by Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s em phatic triumph in the last Edo State Governorship election, I did not join the celebration bandwagon. No, I had absolutely nothing against the revellers. They were certainly entitled to their ecstatic songs and dances of victory. This is particularly so when so many men of timber and calibre in the heart beat state were mercilessly ‘fixed’ until they were completely transfixed even in their respective wards. Ah, how are the politically mighty fallen! But then, my point is that the stunning magnitude of Oshiomhole’s victory calls above all else for sober reflections. I am happy that the Comrade Governor himself recognises this, which is why he promised to work even harder to meet the aspirations of the people that risked great odds to ensure his victory.

The comrade Governor should understand that the haughty personages he bested at the polls have only been immobilised – they have not been politically annihilated. The only way to ensure the latter is to continue to retain the confidence of the people through scintillating performance. The truth is that Oshiomhole has only himself to beat now. He set such a high standard of governance in his first term. The electorate rewarded his industry and commitment. Now, he must raise the bar. If he as much as slows down just a little bit, the gap between the heightened public expectations and the resultant growing frustrations may have unsavoury political consequences.

The last election in Edo State was only one battle in the ongoing political/electoral war for the political soul of Nigeria. The outcome of the election can, thus, not be an end in itself. For, as long as Nigeria retains this absurd structure, the full potential of her component parts cannot be maximised. The implication is that no matter how well some of the states are doing, the paralysis of presidential will at the centre and the resultant bureaucratic inefficiency as well as moral depravity will continue to hobble Nigeria like a ‘crippled giant’. It follows that Governors like Oshiomhole must therefore re-dedicate themselves to effective service delivery as a basis for the opposition (if it gets its act right) to make a determined bid for political control at the centre in 2015.

One revelation of the Edo governorship election is the influential role that the traditional institution can play in helping to nurture and strengthen our democracy. Several commentators have rightly showered praises on the Oba of Benin, Omo Nóba N’edu Uku Akpolokpolo Erediuwa (CFR) for helping in his own informal way to achieve a free, peaceful and fair election in which merit rather than ethnic, religious or other primordial considerations mattered. Of

Monarch and democracy

‘

We saw the Oba of Benin admirably and courageously playing this role in the run up to the Edo election. He lent the tremendous weight of his traditional authority to the cause of free and fair elections while also subtly sending the signal that merit should prevail over ethnic sentiments in making the voting decision

•Oba of Benin

course, the revered monarch did not openly make any partisan political pronouncements.

But his body language was evident. The Oba could easily have played the sectional card by seeking ethnic support for a candidate from his kingdom. He did not compromise on merit and performance as the best criteria for giving electoral support.

It is certainly not for nothing that when he was crowned as the 39th Oba of Benin on March 23, 1979, the Oba was given the name Erediuwa, which means “One who has come to put the house or the society in order”. The Oba combines the best in western education and professionalism with profound respect for his traditional roots. He holds a degree in law from the Kings College, Cambridge, England, and rose to become a Permanent

’

Secretary in the Federal Civil Service before ascending the throne of his fathers. I have always marvelled over the years at the way the Oba of Benin conducts himself with such integrity, majesty and dignity. He has never sold his soul for a mess of pottage. Of course, it is not necessarily the high scholastic attainment or his illustrious public service career that have made the Oba such an influential monarch and moral exemplar. After all, you have highly accomplished individuals who have attained such positions across the country but have exhibited nothing but the highest levels of degeneracy. But the existence of the bad eggs must not preclude us from recognising and maximising the potentials of highly self-respecting members of this institution like the Oba of Benin.

In our constitutional engineering over the

years, have we adequately explored the possibilities of the traditional institution as a source of authority that can be tapped to strengthen democratic consolidation in Nigeria? Many of us are quick to condemn the role of traditional institutions during the slave trade in the pre-colonial era. True, even after independence, many of these traditional rulers have been known to compromise with the most corrupt and decadent leaderships.

Yes, there are many traditional rulers who, having lost all respect, do not command a scintilla of influence within their communities. But should we throw away the baby with the bath water? There are still several Obas like the Benin monarch who never devalued the worth of their traditional authority through sheer greed and sycophancy.

This is why the Oba of Benin’s body language could have had such tremendous influence on the outcome of the Edo election.

In any case, are we to continue to ignore hundreds of years of accumulated historical experience and political culture? Is it possible to read the pre-colonial history of the various peoples that make up Nigeria and not be amazed at the variety, relative sophistication and complexity of their traditional political systems? When we plead modernisation to make a case against what is described pejoratively as an ‘archaic’ traditional system, are we not being somewhat pretentious? Can we deny that even in some of our most sophisticated communities, indigenous people have deeply ingrained socio-cultural attachment to these traditional institutions?

Now, I am not suggesting that the constitution should be amended to give traditional rulers a direct role in the management of the state. But we must be able to, collectively, think of ways of tapping this vital source of traditional authority rooted deeply in the norms and culture of the various Nigerian people to strengthen what I described above as democratic consolidation. We saw the Oba of Benin admirably and courageously playing this role in the run up to the Edo election. He lent the tremendous weight of his traditional authority to the cause of free and fair elections while also subtly sending the signal that merit should prevail over ethnic sentiments in making the voting decision. It is not unlikely that the formidable personality of the Oba discouraged the alleged plan to manipulate the election particularly in his domain. The Oba of Benin has shown the light. It is left to others to find the way to the genuine democratic, stable and prosperous Nigeria of our dreams. The path to that democratic kingdom is free, fair and peaceful elections in which the electorate objectively assesses the competence of candidates and vote according to their conscience. I say kudos to the Oba of Benin – Democracy’s monarch.

Ade Ojeikere on Saturday talk2adeojeikere@yahoo.com

Nigeria’s gold medal prospect

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THLETICS pundits seem sure that Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare will shake the world at the London 2012 100 metres for women.

They are awed by her remarkable outing in two Grand Prix events in London penultimate week and last Friday in Monaco.

Many would want to ask: who she is? She told her story to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) last Saturday. There were plenty of interesting twists, including the fact that she spent over nine months in her mother’s womb.

Many had given up on her birth and expected the worst but the family trusted God for a miracle. When, eventually her mother gave birth on October 9, 1988 in Sapele, Delta State, her father aptly named her Blessing.

Blessing, the daughter of Margaret and

Francis Okagbare has lived up the meaning of her name so much so that she has grown to become one of Nigeria’s gold medal prospects at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

She told the BBC: “I asked my daddy why I was called Blessing and he said that I spent over nine months in my mother’s womb.

When I was delivered, he named me Blessing. Since that time, I have brought joy, hope and aspiration to the Okagbare family. I have seven step brothers and seven step sisters.

My family is behind me and keep track with what I am doing. I would have loved to have them in London during the Olympics but in Nigeria, such luxuries don’t form part of government’s obligation to athletes. I agree with the sense that they could distract me, but I will remain focused.

“I am glad that my confidence is coming at the right time. I won’t be distracted with my feats in London and Monaco.”

With seven step brothers, her first contact with sports was football. She played with boys and later soccer clubs.

Asked which between long jump and the 100 metres is her favourite by the BBC reporter in a post-race conference, she paused but quickly said that she was comfortable running the 100 metres. Yet, it was in the long jump event at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 that she won the bronze medal, in her debut appearance.

“I think I’m ready to face the world. I’m just going to go out and do my best. I’m aiming for a top three overall. If I get the gold, I’ll take it. Whatever happens I will accept my fate. You race with them from day to day. It’s not any different at the Olympic Games. They are not threats to me. When I went to Beijing, I was 19 and I got the bronze medal. This year, it feels different.”

What was lost on Okagbare beyond the usual Nigerian spartan fighting spirit was the difficult task before her. Not many athletes can combine the long jump event with the 100metres dash. Of course, most good long jumpers are fantastic sprinters, such as Carl Lewis. Yet, the BBC reporter felt it

would be best for Okagbare to concentrate on the 100 meters than combining both.

This is where Okagbare’s manager and coaches must show that they are truly professionals. A false start -God forbid- in the 100 metres and she is out of the event. This could inevitably dampen her spirit in the long jump. The spiral effect of this unforeseeable fate could spoil the relay quartets’ quest for a medal. The flipside could be a missed step in the long jump –again, God forbid-and her Olympic Games’ dreams would be in tatters.

So, how are we preparing Okagbare for the events beyond the she-can-do-it talk of our coaches? Have they asked her which of the two events that she wants to deemphasise?

Have we learnt anything from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games where she got the bronze medal as a result of the closeness of both events?

We must prepare Okagbare for the two events, knowing too that she anchors the 4x100 metres relay for women. History beckons on her to be the fastest woman in the world, if she wins the 100 metres. With it

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