Sun News- October 14, 2012

OCTOBER 14, 2012 EXPLORE

DOOSHIMA YEMISI SUSWAM:

Our marriage was three months old when my husband said he was going into politics PAGES 20-22

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OCTOBER 14, 2012 EXPLORE

Adam &Eve 36 and pregnant: What would you do if the man denies it?

By PATIENCE AKPURU onyenmapat@yahoo.com

R

EMEMBER the famous Sound of Music’s ‘when you are 16, going on 17, and waiting for life to start?’ That is just one of the many songs in that age-old movie. True to that song, at 16, life for every woman is just beginning.

Now, how would you describe a woman’s life at 36? Starting, half-way gone, or ending?

It is popularly believed that a woman’s life is tied to time. As a result, once they are past age 30, most women, especially in our clime, become desperate for marriage. This is because they know or rather believe that their biological clock is ticking faster than ever before.

So, when a woman waits endlessly for Mr. Right and it becomes obvious that he has lost his way, she often delves into single parenthood. ‘Just get me pregnant,’ she would beg. Often, she has the strong backing of her mother, where the mother didn’t instigate the whole process. Once pregnant, she goes off somewhere to have her baby. It is her baby!

In some other cases, women at this age crave other women’s husbands. Sometimes, they end up as second, third or 40th wife of some moneybags. Very likely, that is what the protagonist in this story sought desperately. Well, it does seem that the whole adventure backfired and she is now licking her wounds and crying foul.

She is a famous Yoruba actress, even though reports have it that she has not featured in any movie in the last two years. Bisi Ibidapo-Obe is her name. She claims that she is pregnant for our highly-coveted human rights activist and former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dino Melaye, who himself is married with three kids.

But he says, “No, it’s not possible. In fact, I never saw her in my life. She is trying to victimize me. I am not her first victim and may not be the last.” And you very well know that our own Dino will not succumb to any form of victimization, not on his life!

Then he went further to describe the pregnancy tale as a “joke and imaginary creation of a serial liar.” And seeing the aspersion the rumour would likely cast on his person, Dino added quite aptly, “I am not disturbed about slanderers. I also counsel my beloved friends not to be worried at all over this wicked lies from the pit of hell. I am more than capable of tackling liars and claimants. I am not distracted a bit about this.”

Then he quoted fervently from the Bible. “Matthew 5:1112 is clear,” he says. “No slowing down, no loitering, no parking.” Well, she should have known better than to get pregnant for a warlord, for he seems so ready.

By now, Bisi, Omo Logba Logba, as the actress is popularly called, should have been very happy about how very soon she and the father of her unborn child would stage a christening ceremony of their unborn baby. Well, that will not happen, at least, not with Dino standing beside her as she carries the fruit of their ‘labour’.

“I actually met Dino

through Lola Alao sometime in March or early April.

Honestly, I was in need of help and Lola promised she would introduce me to someone who could help. The person turned out to be Dino. I actually visited him in Abuja.

He was actually forthcoming and helpful. I was not the only one involved then, but he took particular interest in me.

“We got to know each other and at a point I was scared because he was all over me. Overtime, he showed me he meant well and we became good friends. As they say, one thing led to the other and we started dating. He appeared nice, loving and showed me a lot of affection,” she was quoted.

It was while she was in Canada a few months later that she discovered she was pregnant for this Kogi-born activist.

“Immediately, I called Dino in Nigeria and shared the news with him. He was excited about it and told me he was looking forward to seeing me in Lagos soon. When I returned, he received me with joy and on one occasion he took me to his hometown, Kabba, in Kogi State. He told me he wanted to marry me. He was so nice to me.”

Well, that was to change, and very fast too. “Sometime in May, I went to London, came back and he called and said again that he actually wanted a big society wedding for me, but since his parents are clerics and the rules and regulations of their church frown at pregnant brides, he would want me to get rid of the pregnancy. I was shocked. I wept uncontrollably all night.

“Later, I called and told him that since that’s his new position, I will advise him to go to his parents with another lady and marry. I’m not keen about society wedding, but love to keep the pregnancy and have my baby. He did not allow me to say my mind before he dropped the phone. I called him severally, but he refused to pick my calls. I sent emissaries, friends to him, but he refused to listen. His complaint, according to my friends who took the courage to ask him, was that I was rude.

“You can imagine; Dino refused to understand; he failed

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OCTOBER 14, 2012 EXPLORE

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Adam &Eve ‘My parents say he is too old’ Hi Njigirl, LOVE your work and I hope you keep growing in wisdom to help people.

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I’m 26 and want to get married but it has been the most difficult aspect of my life. Every time I meet a guy I like so well, something odd comes up and he goes away. It’s either he wants me so bad but he is a Muslim, he cares a lot and I’m not attracted to him, I like him but don’t know he is married or the guy is stingy and wants me to always lend him money, he likes me but doesn’t have a job, or he is way older than me. Something isn’t always right. I sit up every night and wonder because with all this, they keep coming and going. I don’t know if it’s my fault or I’m unlucky. Advice me please.

Hello, I am not sure if your situation is as a result of ill luck or just not being able to strategize correctly. Are you the one that drives these guys away after you realize that they do not meet your expectations or do they meet you and say: see you later alligator! Whatever the case may be you need to strategize and make sure that the men that you meet are genuinely interested in you. You do not need to work so hard to impress them.

Just be yourself and make sure that you are able to hold your own.

Dr. Nj Dear Njigirl, I like a girl in my class but I don’t know how to tell her, because I’m afraid that she might turn me down.

What do I do?

Hello, Well you will never know until you try right? I think that you should let the girl know how you feel so that you can gauge her reaction to you. If she likes you she will reciprocate. Now if she turns you down at least you would clear your chest and move on.

Dr. Nj Hello, This is the first time I am using this medium or any at all for advice; I have seen the advice you gave other people and I am really impressed. I am 27 and still sin-

gle. I have plenty men with both good and bad intention to get married to me, but I’m scared of marriage because I fear it might not last.

I am currently dating a man of 39, who has a four-year-old daughter.

(Njigirl, your problem solver) We are good together and very close. I don’t know his intentions but I know njigirl@hotmail.com he likes me a lot and we have been dating for three tion or divorce in the first place. I am only bringing months now. My parents think he is too old for me this to light for you to understand that you will be because he was previously married. Should I tell him caught in the middle of this trio. Be sure that you have what my parents said or just ignore them and continue no animosities and that you promise to care for the with the relationship? They are other men but I want to child who may eventually come to reside with all of settle for this. you and that you treat her as your own.

• JESSICA The second issue you need to come to terms with is

Heart

Clinic

with Njideka Nwapa-Ibuaka

Hello Jessica, Thanks for writing. Let me make one thing clear: you are the one to live your life and make yourself happy, not your parents. Having said that Jessica, you must make your choice based on what values you attach to marriage, what principles you want reflected in your choice and what desires you believe will fulfill you in the marriage. This guy that you speak of is 12 years older than you but you acknowledge that he makes you happy. You stressed that “this is what you want.” As you know, I can only advice you on relevant steps to take in order to reach a suitable conclusion for you.

You are the only one that can decide what you actually want; I can only offer tips. So, there are things that you should consider before making that bold step on which you want to spend your life with. Jessica the biggest issue to deal with here is the fact that he was married previously and that he has a child from that marriage. What I mean is, he has another family that will always interplay with the family that you will build with him. Regardless of whether his ex-wife has re-married, they still have a common bond, that is the child. Believe it or not, she will always be in his life as long as they all live. The relationship they have may be positive and healthy or nasty, negative and full of regrets. These will depend on what led to their separa-

that you may be defying your parent’s orders. If they make their intentions known in this way from the onset, you will have to take a stand and if that stand is to continue with the relationship then be prepared to meet their wrath. How would you deal with it? Remember that if they are very obstinate about their convictions, they may distance themselves from you and your new family. Can you deal with that? In the long run it will be up to you to mend the fences and draw them back into your circle while explaining your happiness and situations to them. By this time precious time might be lost and since we have no control of our destinies, we have to make choices that are fair and just. The bottom line Jessica is that you ask yourself if your man is worth the entire hassles. You are the only one that would know this.

The third question Jessica is about how you truly feel for him and how he deeply returns the feelings for you.

Are you both compatible? Does he make you happy?

Does he have a sense of humor? How about you? Is he kind and gentle to you? Is he romantic and loving? Is he hardworking and wise? Does he fulfill your sexual needs and most importantly, Jessica, are you both in love with each other? Take a moment to consider all of these before you take that bold leap. Take care, Dr. Nj

‘Every child has a father, whether far or near’ Continued from page 18 to know that I’m no longer a baby. This is my joy, joy unspeakable to me, something I have been praying for and he wanted me to be funny with it. It’s ridiculous. Since June, Dino never showed up, he never came. He stopped picking my calls. But each time I tried to call him with another mobile number, he would pick the call, but as soon as he finds out I’m the one on phone he would drop it. I have not wronged Dino. I have only chosen to do what is right for me, but he sees it differently. I’m no longer a kid.”

Well said; since it is always for a woman to prove beyond reasonable doubt that she is pregnant for a particular man. On the other hand, the man will do everything not to prove that he isn’t responsible, but that the baby is not wanted. And in this case, it is Bisi’s baby that is not wanted by Dino. But as expected, Bisi is being stubborn about it because she has prayed fervently for this “joy unspeakable.”

On the other hand, both Bisi and Dino knew he was married with children when they started out on this ill-fated love trip.

How come Dino didn’t remember that when he went unprotected with a mature childless woman? Did he expect she could not get pregnant or that she would be willing to abort it as if she was just 16? But then, again, he told her tales to warm his way into her laps. He made her promises he very likely knew he could not fill. And to crown it all, he wanted to trick her into aborting her blessing. How unfortunate!

Bisi had hoped that Dino was different from every other married man simply because he is an activist. She probably felt he would stand up for her rights and would be the last person to oppress or abandon her.

Well, she was disappointed, as in one of his tweets, he allegedly told her to “go and swallow gallons of acid.”

Then she cried: “”It’s painful that such action is coming from a man who claims he loves the masses, the oppressed people of this country; and he is oppressing me. My fate is in the hands of God and He will see me through.”

At her age, Bisi should know better than to join issues with a man of that stature. The baby is hers and she should guard it with all the energy she can muster. Already, it was wisdom on her part that she didn’t cave in to Dino’s trick to have the baby aborted. In fact, she should be grateful that this man made her pregnant at no cost.

Whether or not Dino shows up for the child, Bisi should not be perturbed, for every child indeed, has a father, whether far or near. She should concentrate on the task ahead and forget about a man who doesn’t care a hoot for the baby she desperately needs. It could be her last chance at motherhood. Maybe, someday, he would show up cap-in-hand. But until that day, she must work at being the best mother she can be.

Already, reports indicate that she would soon be jetting abroad to have her baby.

Well, Bisi, safe delivery!

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EXPLORE OCTOBER 14, 2012

Explore Interview

By KEMI YESUFU

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EATED comfortably behind a massive executive worktable is Dooshima Yemisi Suswam, the articulate wife of Benue state governor, Dr. Gabriel Suswam. Judging by the magnificence of the Benue Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, one expected that the lady of the house will be completely aristocratic welcoming guests with a quizzical look to see if they qualify to be in her presence. But the founder of SAV-AV Foundation who doubles as the chairperson of the Northern Governors Wives Forum welcomed the EXPLORE team in a warm manner that reminded us that she is a deaconess of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) who has inculcated the virtue of humility. Though everything about the Benue First Lady is stylishly done, her hair, her nails and her makeup, showing the kind of understated elegance expected of a person of her class, her broad smile and outstretched hands pointing us to the two seats in front of her desk made us comfortable. Her simplicity notwithstanding, all through our time with her, Mrs. Suswam displayed the poise for which she is known.

She answered our questions like a pro. The only time she went off rhythm was when her husband peeped into her office to tell her to meet him up at home. The interview continued after she answered with a smile and an affirmative nod of the head.

Excerpts: How would you describe your experience as the first lady of Benue state?

It has been great. I believe you don’t need academic qualifications to handle responsibility. I am of the view that if you are determined and committed, you can live up to your responsibilities. By the time we came in, public service wasn’t a completely new terrain to

Yemisi Suswam:

Our marriage was three months old when my husband said he was going into politics me. My husband had been in the National Assembly before he was elected governor.

But I must say that the duties of the wife of

governor definitely come with higher responsibilities, though the challenges are largely the same. Just like when my husband was an

active member of the House of Representatives as a mother and a wife, I do my best to successfully combine public life with my duties in the home. As the wife of the Benue governor, I have to cater for a wider audience, I have to handle the problems of more people, indeed, the number of people I have to work for has increased in multiple folds since my husband was a lawmaker.

However, I like to see things from the angle that I enjoy working for the people and because of this, I handle each project with much enthusiasm. I am ever ready to assist my husband in delivering service to the people of our state.

You were a relatively young couple when you got into the Benue Government House.

How do you cope with dealing with varying demands?

Like I said, the political terrain wasn’t new to me when we moved into the Benue Government House. During the period my husband was in the House of Representatives I learnt how to deal with the public. I also mastered the art of combining my professional life with my duties as a mother and the wife of a politician. One thing that helped is that I am a professional and just like other professionals I meet people each day. Architecture is one profession that exposes you to different kinds of people. When you meet people you get to study their behavior and this goes a long way in helping your understanding of behavioral patterns. When you understand individuals or groups, it becomes easy to handle the issues that affect them. For my husband, I will also say that his being a professional also helped.

His training as a professional ensured that he focused on identifying areas of importance to the Benue people. From when we got into the government house till now, I have been committed to supporting my husband in his quest to deliver service to the people. In all, I can tell you that we couldn’t have done well without the help of God. I particularly, have been able to combine my duties in the home front with

EXPLORE OCTOBER 14, 2012

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Explore Interview public life by the grace of God. I’m happy with what we have done so far and I give God the glory for what we have been able to achieve.

What are your major achievements as Benue First Lady?

I am grateful to God that I succeeded in keeping my duties as wife and mother as my topmost priority. I must tell you, for many women, keeping the home front intact is the most difficult thing about being in public service. Outside the home I have worked hard in assisting government to better the lot of the youth, women and People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs). Over 800 Benue youths have graduated from a training program organized by my Non Governmental Organization (NGO), the SEV-AV Foundation. My hope is that one day, the youths who acquired life-changing skills from my foundation will become employers of labor. I am particularly grateful to God for the life ahead of the beneficiaries of our training programs. Before now, many of them didn’t have jobs but now they are self-reliant. Nothing gives me joy like when I meet beneficiaries of my scheme and they tell me how much their life has changed. I am also excited about our achievements in the area of HIV/AIDS control and management. We intensified the awareness campaign on HIV in all 23 Local Government Areas in Benue state. The kernel of our awareness campaign is that we owe it to ourselves to have an HIV free generation in the state. We at the SEV-AV Foundation have given a new lease of life to People Living With HIV/AIDS who had lost hope. We provide treatment for over ten thousand people in the nine hospitals established by SEV-AV Foundation.

Most of them now understand that by adhering to their treatment regime they can live fruitful lives.

They also know that PLWHAs can have HIV negative babies. I feel fulfilled with the success rate we have recorded in our Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission programs. From what we have been able to do with the SEV-AV Foundation, people have seen that there is no need for them to give up on life because they tested positive to HIV. The north has witnessed a high level of violence most of which has been orchestrated by the youths.

As the chairperson of the Northern Governors Wives Forum can you tell us what your group is doing to turn the youths away from the path of destruction?

As mothers, we recognized the need for us to do our bit in order for peace to reign in the northern states. First we had to be good home keepers.

When a youth comes from a peaceful home he is likely to lead a life of peace because he doesn’t know any other way.

It’s the duty of mothers to ensure that children are brought-up in a peaceful atmosphere.

Moving away from the home, we have upped our advocacy drive. All the wives of northern governors have agreed to embark on advocacy cam-

paigns to ensure that peace returns to the region.

Our last meeting was well attended and we decided that women and the youth have to be enlightened on the need for us to maintain peace in the north. We also will be seeking the help of traditional rulers in our quest for peace. Wives of northern governors will equally be concentrating on augmenting the job creation programs of government. We understand that like the common saying goes an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. Studies have shown that it’s unemployed youths who are violent at the slightest provocation. You hardly see youths who have a source of livelihood fighting or killing people.

Aside from job creation, sports is another medium by which youths can be gainfully engaged. I have used sports as a tool for change among youths in my state with excellent results and this why I have advocated to my colleagues in the forum to promote sports in their states. I remember during one of the editions of a statewide football competition I organized, a woman commended the idea. She told me that since the competition started, her neighborhood enjoyed peace. Coincidentally, the team from her district won the cup that year. But above all, what we can do as wives of governors, we must put the situation in the north into prayers. We have agreed that we will intensify our prayers for peace to reign in the region. We will equally be praying to God to increase the wisdom of our husbands and other leaders in the country so that they will do all that is needed to move the country forward.

Talking about prayers, how have you been able to combine your duties in church with your other responsibilities?

Serving God is a lifestyle that comes naturally to me. I don’t think anyone who genuinely wants to serve God is restricted by schedules.

If working for God is your priority, you w i l l always create time to be in h i s

presence. It’s what you really don’t want to do that you hardly have time for. But once you have decided to serve God and you are spirit filled, He will help you so that you will be able to manage your time effectively. In all, I don’t think my lifestyle has changed much though I have other responsibilities. I still have the same mindset about the three things that matter the most. For me, the three most important things are your relationship with God, your family and your career.

And because of these, I do all I can to effectively combine my duties in Church, the home and my work as the wife of the governor.

What was your reaction when your husband first told you that he was going into politics?

My husband got into politics on the return of civil rule. It was a period of uncertainty , because nobody could predict if the military would hand over power as promised.

Secondly, our marriage was only three months old when he told me that he wanted to go into politics. I told him to wait a little since we were just settling into

•Continued on Page 22

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EXPLORE OCTOBER 14, 2012

Explore Interview ‘My life as governor’s wife, mother and RCCG worker’ •Continued from Page 21 married life. He responded by asking me to pray about it. I sensed that he was resolute about going into politics. So I prayed about it and God signaled that I should support him. The truth is, I wasn’t against his going into politics because my father was a politician. I wasn’t a novice to politics; I only wanted him to postpone his entry so that we could start building our family. But all my fears have been taken care of by God , because we have built our family and my husband has enjoyed a steady rise in his political career. So far, I have never regretted supporting my husband’s political career. My advice to young women who have husbands with political ambition is to support them especially when they know that he has what it takes to improve the lot of the people and when their husbands get into office they should do all they can to ensure he remains committed to God and his family. I say this, because politics the world over is time-consuming, the electorate always want their leaders to put them first, it’s therefore the duty of the wife to manage her husband’s time in a way that he doesn’t neglect other important aspects of his life.

How did you cope with the emotional roller coaster of elections your husband contested?

It’s good that a candidate goes into an election only when he/she has a bright chance; even when the candidate loses, the best thing is for him to congratulate the winner. In the case of my husband, he has always gone into elections as a favorite and because of this, I have never feared that he would lose. Secondly, my husband is a professional and he has something to fall back on. This is why it’s important that we encourage professionals to get into politics.

For most professionals, politics is not a do or die affair. I followed my husband during his campaigns after which I prayed for his success. This is the much I could do. I tried not to worry about the outcome of elections, rather I prayed until the results are announced.

What are the fond memories you have of your childhood?

I have many fond memories. My childhood was fun filled just as it was exciting.

My father was the kind that made life exciting for his children.

But he was also strict. He never compromised on his moral standing. My parents gave us a

strict Christian upbringing. No matter how late you slept, my parents would wake you up by 5AM for prayers. My parents adhered to word of God which advises that children be brought up in the way of the Lord so that they wouldn’t depart from it. I have imbibed this family tradition and I would advise that all parents raise their children to fear God. If parents raise their children to fear God, I don’t think we will be witnessing the high level of violence across the country. I never for once saw my father raise his voice against my mother. Ours was a happy home.

My father never allowed any of his children sleep outside his house. In our time, any child that spends the night outside his/her home was viewed as wayward. My siblings and I attended the best schools and we went home straight after school. There was nothing like going to places where my parents couldn’t find us. Though we had domestic helps, my parents made sure that we handled house chores. Till date, our former domestic helps are close to us, the children of house. It’s worrisome that the virtues our parents instilled in us are hardly taught to children these days. As youngsters, my generation cared a great deal about having a good reputation. It’s the opposite these days and the situation is saddening. These days, many young ones don’t care about their reputation. As a matter of fact, youths exalt evil and they mock well-behaved ones among them. A good youth is now the outcast unlike when the bad eggs were kept at arm’s length. I pray that things will return to the way they used to be in my lifetime.

What’s the best advice you have been given?

I can never stop talking about my father though he passed on ten years ago. He played a pivotal role in my life. He taught us to be contented. He warned us not to long for something we can’t afford. He advised us against vaulting ambitions. My father always told us not to take what doesn’t belong to us. For me, this piece of advice is my guiding philosophy. If I could, I would ask that all Nigerian parents instill this value in their children. If all parents teach their children the value of honesty, we will rid the country of corruption. It’s because people are used to taking what doesn’t belong to them that corruption has eaten deep into society. As lit-

tle kids, we dared not go home with items that belonged to someone else. If my mother packed a red pencil in your school bag, you dared not return with a blue one. My parents instilled the love for integrity, honesty and forthrightness in my siblings and I. We haven’t changed, because an honest and contented life is the only way we know.

What does style mean to you?

Style is the product of an individual’s creativity. Your appearance tells your level of creativity. When I see a person, I can tell his level of creativity from the way he/she looks. Another thing that determines what you wear is your mood. Personally, I love to dress according to the occasion. Like today, I dressed in formal attire because I came for an event organized by a professional body. I wouldn’t dress this way, if I was to meet with people in the informal sector. I like changing my style to suit the occasion. I really don’t like monotony.

What’s your fashion must-have?

I don’t have one. But one thing that you will never see in my wardrobe is a dress that exposes my body. I have never been desperate to own a fashion item. I hear some ladies say ‘oh I must have this bag or that shoe’, but I am not that kind of person. I only pick things when I need them. I don’t just buy this or that fashion piece because Mrs. X has it or it is the new edition from a designer label. I only buy things when I need them. I also don’t follow trends that much. These days, women like big handbags. I guess it’s because they have a lot of things to put in them. I like my bags small and handy because I only go out with things I need.

What’s your idea of a great holiday?

My idea of a great holiday is getting away from all the hustle and bustle of living. When I see people hopping from one shop to the other during their holidays I don’t think

they are having fun. My perfect holiday is one that I rest all through so that I return to work refreshed. I can go to any nice place for my holidays, what really counts is that I get enough rest. My advice is that people should learn to go on annual vacation as it goes a long way to keeping people healthy and strong. Nigerians aren’t like our brothers in the Western world who save for their annual vacation. But it would be nice for us to emulate them in this regard, because annual vacations are good for the wellbeing of individuals and families too.

You are in good shape, what’s the secret?

I work out daily. I work out an hour a day and when I have a busy schedule, I make sure I spend up to forty-five minutes in my personal gym. I concentrate on cardio exercises and this is why I spend twenty minutes on the treadmill and another twenty on the stationary bike. After the cardio exercises I do stretches. Though I can ascribe my shape to my genes, exercise and eating right has helped me stay in shape.

Exercise also keeps me alert and it makes me happy.

•Yemisi Suswam

Aity moves up with Amkpaidem OCTOBER 14, 2012

Tonto Dikeh shuns critics over music career 23

ENTERTAINER

EDITED BY TOSIN AJIRIRE O8056008696

What mum taught me about sex –Nuella Njubigbo

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OCTOBER 14, 2012

ENTERTAINER

BY SAMUEL OLATUNJI

N

uella Njubigbo’s story reads like a novel.

She started as a little girl with dreams, and dared to live her dreams. She began by writing scripts and today she’s behind many of the scripts being churned out in Nollywood. In fact, Nuella has been described as the one of the fastest growing brands in the industry. In this interview with The Entertainer, she shared the story of her career, pains and glory. Excerpts: LET’S START WITH THE MANY RUMOURS ABOUT YOU, THEY SAID YOU DATED FORMER IMO STATE GOVERNOR IKEDI OHAKIM AND WHEN HE LEFT POWER, YOU WENT FOR MOVIE PRODUCER, TCHIDI CHIKERE AND NOW YOU ARE GOING OUT WITH EMMANUEL EMENIKE, A FOOTBALLER, HOW COME YOU ARE ALWAYS DATING ‘BIG MEN’?

(Laughter) Or how come they love to associate me with big men? Anyway I don’t know what to say but at the end of the day, I never met ex- Governor Ohakim. As for Tchidi, we used to work together a lot, we are just good friends, there is nothing more to it. So, the story about me dating him is a lie. The issue of Emmanuel Emenike is not something I should talk about because I just met him once at an event and the exchange between us was not more than ‘hello and hi’. We are not dating.

YOU STARTED ACTING IN 2007, BARELY FIVE YEARS NOW, HOW HAS IT BEEN? It’s been a very rocky ride, God has been good to me, He has been faithful and I don’t have any reason to regret, I am happy to be where I am today.

SO, HOW HAVE YOU GROWN? I have grown to be a better person; I have become very comfortable with my job, the advantages and the disadvantages. I have grown to become very comfortable with all the sides to it. I have grown to know how to handle issues better especially criticisms. I know that everybody cannot have the same line of thought; it has made me the kind of person that others also look up to.

HOW ABOUT MONEY? ARE YOU RICH? Of course I won’t deny that, if I deny that it means I am not grateful, God has blessed me, He has done well for me, He has been putting food on my table for sure, very good food for that matter.

HOW BIG ARE YOU? I don’t know how big I am, I have no idea, people out there should be in a better position to say that.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

I am from Anambra State but grew up in Lagos. I speak Yoruba but not much because I did not go to school here. I had my secondary school education in Owerri; my university education was also had in Imo State. I only came to Lagos for holidays so I didn’t have Yoruba friends, but I understand the language more than I speak.

For me, growing up was normal, I had a normal childhood, and I enjoyed my childhood a lot. I grew up with my parents and siblings. It was just a normal, cool childhood, something I don’t have regrets about.

because since I was a child, I used to do some things I see on TV. I actually thought I would be a broadcaster because I would sit in front of the mirror and read my own kind of news.

I had a faint idea of what the broadcasters do at the time, but I didn’t know I would act eventually.

HOW OLD ARE YOU? I won’t tell you (laughter).

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS DO AND HOW MANY SIBLINGS DO YOU HAVE? My mum and dad are just business people, they are selfemployed and my younger ones are students, I have three brothers, I am the first child and only girl of the family.

TALKING ABOUT YOUR PARENTS, NATURALLY, THEY HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, HOW DID THAT AFFECT YOUR OPINION OF MARRIAGE? I have always had an opinion that marriage should be a place where everything comes true, a place of happiness, and a place where children can be brought up in the fear of God, that’s basically it.

HOW CLOSE ARE YOU TO YOUR MUM? Very close, my mum taught me almost everything I know about life. She is full of morals and she is always there for me.

She is very strong and has a lot of faith in God. Sometimes when I am down, I look up to her. I want to be that kind of mother to my children. If I can be that kind of mother to my kids, then my dreams would have come true.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SPATE OF MARRIAGE BREAK UPS THAT WE HAVE NOW IN THE INDUSTRY? Well, the thing is that I don’t like to talk about something I don’t have a primary opinion about. I am not in their shoes, I don’t know what goes on in the house, so for me it would be wrong to comment on that subject matter because I have never been married So, for now I cannot voice my opinion, maybe later when I am married.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR DAD? My dad was a busy man; he comes in once in a while. He is either out there chasing contracts or doing some other things, he was that busy.

My parents live in Okota, Lagos but I no longer live with them.

WHEN THEY SEE YOU ON TV, HOW DO THEY FEEL? I don’t know if my mum is still surprised about that

WHO ARE YOU DATING PRESENTLY? I won’t say that here, I would like it to be confidential.

BUT DO YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP? Yes, I do.

SO WHAT DOES HE DO? I don’t want to say anything about him because he hasn’t given me the permission to do that.

I SUSPECT HE’S A FOOTBALLER...

Why would you say he is a footballer, are you for real? I am in a relationship, I am not going to say who he is, even if I decide to say his name, you may not know him. He is not a public figure.

HOW DID YOUR JOURNEY IN NOLLYWOOD START? I was still a student when I started acting. I had this family friend, Iyke who was a director. I told him I wanted to act, so he said I should write a script for him. I did and he made the script into a movie. That was how I started. I kept going for auditions and I started getting roles, that was just it.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST SCRIPT YOU WROTE? I wrote Lord of Marriage. Yes, I did act in it WHICH WERE YOUR EARLIEST MOVIES? Lord of Marriage and Desperate Prince were my earliest movies.

WHICH OF YOUR MOVIES WOULD YOU CONSIDER AS VERY INTERESTING? Lord of Marriage, Burning Kingdom, Tears of a Prince, Arch Angel, Desperate Prince, Man Disciple and lots of others, I can’t name all.

HOW COME NONE OF YOUR FILMS HAS EVER BEEN TO THE CINEMA? One actually did.

WHAT SCHOOL DID YOU ATTEND? I attended Federal Government Girls College, Owerri and then I went to Imo State University where I studied Government and Public Administration. I graduated in 2010.

THAT MEANS YOU HAD BEEN ACTING EVEN BEFORE YOU LEFT THE UNIVERSITY? Yes and that was so because I love acting and at the same time, I wanted to finish my tertiary education too.

AS A STAR ON CAMPUS, HOW DID THAT MAKE YOU FEEL AND WHAT KIND OF ATTENTION DID YOU GET FROM YOUR COLLEAGUES ESPECIALLY THE GUYS? I didn’t even have time for that. When I was not studying, I was on location, acting or writing so I didn’t have that time to notice all that. I tried to be very friendly with people and didn’t give room for some things. If anyone wanted to woo me at the time, I would run, so I didn’t give guys that opportunity to woo me.

WHAT KIND OF GUY CAN YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH? I won’t say it because if I do, a lot of people would start acting along that line.

HOW EASY WAS IT FOR YOU TO BREAK INTO THE MOVIE INDUSTRY? I think it’s just the favour of God because others have better qualities and opportunities than I do. Secondly, I was also writ-

OCTOBER 14, 2012

25

ENTERTAINER ing maybe that was another added advantage for me. I don’t know because at the end of the day, a lot of other writers are still out there.

HOW MANY PEOPLE DID YOU SLEEP WITH BEFORE GETTING THIS FAR? No! That’s not me. I don’t have anything against any actress having an affair with highly placed people in the industry. But it’s a different scenario when you see a person and you actually like that person, it’s not an issue but when you do it for a role or movie exposure, I have not experienced that.

ARE YOU SURE? I am very sure about that and I think writing also gave me an advantage WHAT IS YOUR IMPRESSION OF LOVE? Love is something you feel, something you can’t even explain.

IF YOU CAN’T EXPLAIN LOVE, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IT? You would know especially when you ask ‘why do I feel this way for this person?’ To me, that is love. You can’t really say why you feel what you feel for that person; it’s something you just can’t explain.

HAVE YOU EVER GOTTEN YOUR FINGERS BURNT IN THE GAME OF LOVE? I have gotten my heart broken before if that’s what you are asking and I feel it is part of life. You learn from each experience you have.

HOW MANY HEARTS HAVE YOU BROKEN? Not even one! There are just times you make certain decisions. It was a long time ago and I don’t think it was heartbreak.

SO, WHICH RELATIONSHIP BROKE YOUR HEART? My first relationship HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? I was heartbroken in the sense that he didn’t dump me; he wanted to take the very bold step, which I wasn’t ready for at

that time.

same direction with and above all, God fearing.

WHY ARE YOU AFRAID OF MARRIAGE? I haven’t said I am afraid of marriage. I am not afraid of it, I will not get married in a rush and the only reason I would marry would be because I am in love with the person and I understand him. There must be bonding too because when the love is not there anymore, the bonding can keep you two together. I am not the type that would ‘manage’ a relationship because I love attention a lot.

SO THAT MEANS HE CAN BE FROM THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY? Well, I cannot say no because I am not God. I don’t know where he would come from so I cannot say no.

YOU SAID YOU LOVE ATTENTION, WHAT KIND OF ATTENTION DO YOU LIKE, IS IT PHONE CALLS, SENDING SMS, EMAILS, WHAT IS IT? I just love a man who can be there for me all the time, a man who thinks along with me most times. Someone I can easily bond with.

SO, YOUR MARRIAGE HAS TO BE PERFECTLY RIGHT? I don’t want to ‘try’ but at the end of the day, nobody is God, and so you cannot say what will happen.

But at least, I have to feel right. For sure, I want to get married and stick to it but one needs to be careful and not be in a rush.

For me, I have to be very sure of what I feel, like I am willing to make this work, I am willing to sacrifice for this person and willing to go all the way to make it work. For people to be together, they have to be ready to sacrifice.

WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES YOUR MAN SHOULD HAVE? He has to be someone who is real, someone we kind of reason alike, someone I can go in the

HAS A MAN EVER CHEATED ON YOU? I haven’t had that kind of issue with any man. It was never an issue.

HAVE YOU EVER CHEATED ON ANY MAN? Why would I cheat when I have already made up my mind to be with him? Any day I cheat that means I like the other person more and that would be it. At the end of the day, you cheat yourself when you cheat. If I see a shortcoming in my man, I would tell him.

CAN YOU FORGIVE A CHEAT? I don’t like talking about things before they happen; I have never experienced it so I cannot comment on it for now.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SEXUALLY HARASSED? No! I never had that experience. It just doesn’t happen to me. I didn’t come across to people as desperate.

WHAT DID YOUR MUM TELL YOU ABOUT PRE-MARITAL SEX? She told me all I needed to know about it. She made emphasis on not doing it before marriage.

SO, ARE YOU FOLLOWING HER ADVICE? ‘We’ are trying (general laughter)

•Nuella

New cable TV to broadcast from Tinapa

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inapa, the world-class integrated business and leisure resort located in Calabar, Cross River State, is about to emerge Africa’s hub for the most compelling

ensemble of media and entertainment content, of which film, TV and music production would be a very significant part.

Currently, there are moves to award the multi-billion Naira Tinapa, built in the tourism resort centre in Cross River State, to a new media and content company, which will bring its rich experience and robust technical know-how to bear on the media and entertainment sector so as to reach the whole of Africa through cable television broadcasting.

Already DSTV, the South African mega cable television brand has signed on the new company to broadcast on its channels across Africa. Programme content will focus on lifestyle, music, entertainment, fashion and beauty, and will reach millions of Africa’s youthful population through the DSTV channels.

Commencement date for the operations of the new media and content company has been put as the first quarter of next year.

Ashionye steps into Nollywood with Journey to Self

F •Imoke

ormer radio presenter and singer, Ashionye Michelle Raccah, is set to release her newly shot movie entitled, Journey to Self.

Produced by Alleykat Media, an outfit managed by Ashionye Michelle and Freesia Entertainment, owned and managed by Mr. Garg, Journey to Self is an intense story of friendship, sacrifice, empowerment and self-respect.

The movie parades Nollywood superstars like Nse Ikpe-Etim as Nse and Dakore Akande as Alex. Other cast includes Ashionye Michelle Raccah as Regina, Katherine Obiang as Rume, and Tosin Sido as Uche. It also features Carol King, with cameo appearances by Kalu Ikeagwu, Femi Brainard, Femi Jacobs and Chris Attoh.

Speaking on her choice of storyline, the screenwriter/producer of the movie, Ashionye said: “As you’re probably

aware, I’ve always been a proponent of the grave. The letters provoke her friends women’s rights and female empower- to open up on emotional baggage, as ment, the Girl Power series of shows secrets and fears are revealed, leading to a being one of my initiatives.” journey of self-discovery. For Regina, Journey to Self, an intense dialogue Nse, Rume and Alex, the weekend they movie was directed by Tope Oshin-Ogun spend in Uche’s house becomes an emowhile Tosin Sido emerges as the executive tional roller coaster as producer is Tosin Sido. individual charFour childhood friends, Regina, Nse, acters are Rume and Alex, receive news that tested. another long-time friend of theirs, Uche, has died. Uche was the magnet that pulled her friends together and over the years had become their shoulder to cry on, so much so that she never felt she could tell them about her own problems. As part of her last request, the ladies travel to Uche’s home in Abuja for her funeral.

The four ladies, on arriving at Uche’s house, find that she has left a series of letters in which she speaks to them from beyond •Ashionye

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OCTOBER 14, 2012

ENTERTAINER

I will take Nollywood by storm

Finesse Entertainment unveils Classiq

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new record label, Finesse Entertainment, has unveiled its new sign on, Barnabas Buba Luka aka Classiq and his new single entitled Sama which has been described as an up bit mid-tempo track.

Produced by Finesse’s in house producer, SuperSoniq.

According to a statement from the platform, Sama is a unique Northern sound with a distinct Afro/pop and Techno beat.

“Sama means up in Hausa,” Classiq explains, “It means to move up. It is not just a song but a movement asking people to move up in life weather you’re in the club , school or where ever.”

Classiq belongs to the new school of Northern Nigeria and Hausa artistes proudly carrying the Hausa culture in their music through their lyrics and sound.

Born in Bauchi and raised in Kano, the 21 year-old singer is a grwaduate of Computer Science from Bayero Univeristy, Kano.

–Amaka Anioji

“I

almost jumped out of my skin!

I couldn’t believe I had won.”

These were the words of star of Till Death Do Us Part, Amaka Anioji, who won the award for Most Outstanding Actress at this year’s edition of Abuja Film Festival 2012 when she spoke to The Entertainer in Lagos during a special reception for her organised by her management, Enlil & Chi Entertainment at Chopsticks, Opebi, Lagos.

According to Amaka, there were more talented and more popular actresses on that category.

Consequently she never believed she stood a chance.

“When my name was annoucned as winner, I screamed, I almoist faited with joy. There were so many other talented actresses on that category with me. I was the least experienced so I thought that naturally, Ini Edo or one of the bigger actresses will win.”

However she adds: “Winning was a dream come true for me. Now I am ready to take Nollywood by storm; I want to thank my fans out there and tell them to watch out for greater things to come from me,” Meanwhile, her management treated her to a warm reception last week at Chopstilks, Opebi, Lagos. In the house to celebrate with her were the likes of Lancelot Imasuen, Kate Henshaw, Kunle Afolayan, Zik Zulu and Mike Nliam to mention a few.

Nigerian environment hostile to creativity –Ayo Joseph Awe

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ast rising Jazz artiste, Ayo Joseph Awe has declared that the Nigerian environment is hostile to creativity. Ayo, who is set to drop his second album come November after a successful debut outing entitled Your Honour says he has been playing Jazz music for the past 23 years.

“The Nigerian environment is hostile to creativity,” he told The Entertainer in an exclusive chat, “it does not give room for creative minds to flourish and that could be one of the reasons why we are bombarded regularly with a lot of sub standard stuff on the airwaves.”

Ayo who describes his style as Jazz Gospel began his career while working with the Nigerian Army.

However, he resigned and released his first album, His H o n o u r,

which he says opened a lot of doors for him. He adds that currently he has completed work on his second album and come November, it should hit the Nigerian market.

However says that one challenge he faces pushing his style of music is that Nigerians have not really come of age when it comes to jazz music: “What I do in my songs is that I use my lyrics but I use popular gospel melodies that Nigerians are already used to and that way, people are able to identify easily with my style of Jazz.

“The idea is just to give my songs a Western smooth jazzy flair but the message remains indigenous so anybody who is not Nigerian can still appreciate my music.”

Tracks in the yet to be released album include Awesome God and To RI Naa to mention a few. He also did a duet with popular jazz artiste, Kunle Ayo.

Gloria Doyle moves to revive career

C

ontroversial singer, Gloria Doyle, is on the verge of reviving her career which took a tailspin after she failed to do a follow up despite the relative success of two singles she dropped in 2008.

“It’s almost seven years after I dropped my debut album, Folakemi and I can assure you that right now I have wrapped up plans to return to music. I have completed work on a new strictly Gospel album and plans are ongoing for a mega concert which will attract the crème de la creme of the industry and launch me back to centre stage,” she told The Entertainer.

Doyle hit the music scene in 2005 when she released her debut album, Folakemi. In 2008, she released two singles but there was no follow-up because as she put it ‘I was busy pursuing her ministry.’

“Now I want my fans to know that I am back in the game with a brand new album; a 12 tracker. This is Gloria Doyle as never seen or heard before. I cannot speak much on the album for now because I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag,” she added.

Only recently, the mother of three kids launched her NGO, Talented Artistes Forum (TAF), geared towards discovering and nurturing up and coming talent.

A

Spin Club rocks with Ara, Tony Tetuila

n events outfit, Spin Club, treated fun lovers to a night of fun and entertainment during the independence weekend at Club Vegas, Lagos.

Indeed, the event witnessed a parade of stars as the likes of Ara, Tony Tetuila, British returnee, Tunde Ednut, Artquake, Jaywon, Ninjin and Danny Young among a host of other celebrities stormed the venue for a party that lasted till the wee hours.

At exactly 12 midnight, the party kicked off with Ara doing a unique rendition of the National Anthem to the delight of guests.

“Today Nigeria is 52 and I am proud of my country and that’s why I am here getting down at Club Vegas with my friends in the industry. As a Nation we have come a long way and had our challenges but we thank God that God has brought us this far,” Ara said.

Commenting on the objective of the show, boss of Outrage Entertainment, the brains behind Spin Club, Emmanuel Odole said that Spin Club is proud to host the personalities as Nigeria clocks 52.. “We want to use this ocassion to make a statement and let Nigerians know that when it comes to events and parties, Spin Club is the outfit to beat. I wish my fellow Nigerians a happy 52nd birthdasy celebration.”

He added that Spin Club will redefine events management in the country.

•Ara

OCTOBER 14, 2012

27

ENTERTAINER WALL GECKO with Gbenga Bada

MTN is back as sponsor of Headies

Tonto Dikeh shuns critics over music career

A

fter a hiatus in the partnership between one of Nigeria’s biggest and most popular music awards, The Headies and MTN, the telecommunication network has reiterated its decision to support this year’s edition of the awards.

Scheduled to take place later this month, Kola Oyeyemi, General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN, said that the brand is partnering with the organizers of The Headies because it has been described as the rallying point for the identification, grooming, recognizing and rewarding of Nigerian music talent. “Music, as we all know, is a veritable platform to leverage the passion points of the over 40 million Nigerian youth, whose strong bias and attachment to music cannot be over-emphasized.”

He added: “MTN is a brand that has strong passion for the youths and is always ready and willing to help them achieve their dreams. Over the years, we have been able to identify music as one of the strongest passion points for the youths, and we are determined to partner with any brand that will make the dreams of the youths come true. This is not the first time MTN is supporting the Headies Awards, but this year is unique because of the new dimension to the awards.

Apart from inspiring the next generation of Nigerian music stars, this year’s award is also going to be dedicated to a good number of lessprivileged children in the society; therefore, we are delighted to be part of such a laudable initiative.”

This year’s awards will reward the best of Nigerian music acts in eight categories: Artiste of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Music Video, Best Street Hop, Best Pop Single, Best R&B Single, African Artiste of the Year and the coveted Next Rated which comes with a car prize.

•Ready to drop debut album

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espite criticisms from several quarters since she made her intentions to sing public, actress Tonto Dikeh is damning critics and is getting set to release her music effort.

Wall Gecko was reliably informed that the actress has completed the songs for her album and has damned all consequences to ensure that she makes a grand entry into the music industry.

A source close to the actress noted that she is not bothered about the criticism, saying she’s used to people saying a whole lot about her. “Tonto is not bothered about the critics because even before the song was released people have been chastising her for singing and she believes she has every right to explore her musical talent. She said the sales and acceptance by all and sundry is her priority and not the criticism of few people in the industry,” a close aide of the actress disclosed.

D’banj, Ibinabo Fiberesima decry Aluu murder

S

•Dbanj

ensational singer, D’banj and newly elected president of Actors Guild of Nigeria, Ibinabo Fiberesima have decried the senseless killing of four students of University of Port Harcourt in Aluu community of River State recently.

In the words of D’banj: “Five days ago, I woke up to yet another unspeakable tragedy. Four young men, all undergraduates, brimming with great dreams, unfulfilled aspirations and a promising future were killed. To express the depth of my pain and shock at their murder is impossible. And

understanding how events could have degenerated to this level is truthfully beyond me. I mourn deeply with the families of these young men because this is our collective loss. They were our colleagues, our classmates, our neighbors, our brothers, our friends.”

Ibinabo, who was close to tears, said: “As a mother, I’m deeply touched because of the barbaric act perpetuated in a civilized society governed by laws. We urge the government to haunt and prosecute the people responsible for the killing.”

•Ibinabo

G

rand Hotel, Asaba, Delta State was agog last weekend when pretty plus size ladies slugged it out to win the coveted crown for the Miss Plus Size beauty pageant initiated

by Victoria Iheakonye, CEO, Vichiano Service Limited.

The event, which left memorable marks in the minds of guests and contestants, saw top stars of Black Entertainment Television (BET) from the United States taking part in making the show a success. The judging committee was headed by Qristyl frazier, a notable face at BET, Rip, the runway pageant as well as Nicole Esperenza Zepeda, Spry Lee Scott, Aquila Njamah and Ifeoma Okeke.

The event kicked off on time at 7pm with Ola of Big Brother fame and plus size model, Liris Crosse, hosting the show. Onyeka Nwanne, an undergraduate of Madonna University, who emerged as winner of the pageant, took home a brand new Toyota car.

No lies for OFA

A

fter 10 years on the music scene, new soul music act, Oris Fadekemi Ann, otherwise known as OFA is set to launch her debut album entitled, No Lies.

Speaking on her career, the beautiful singer, who started music while at the Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State, where she was a member of a gospel group, Potter’s House, said: “After school, we formed another group alongside three of my mates but we were not as committed as we did while in school, so I did backup for several artistes before I decided to concentrate on my own career. I just thought if I had given the kind of commitment I gave to those bands on my own, I would be a better artiste, so I decided to take the bull by the horn and form my own band.”

After forming her own band, the light skinned singer is set to release his 11track debut album on November 18, 2012.

Funke Akindele, Funke Kuti, Kate Henshaw walk against domestic violence

O

ne musician, who has been missing the presence of his mum in his successful career, is Davido, the 19year-old son of manufacturing billionaire, Adedeji Adeleke.

Davido, whose rise in the industry has become one of the most talked about, recently took time out to show how much he misses his mum. The flamboyant singer, who was on a spree of jewelry acquisition with his HNK gang last weekend in the United States, couldn’t help but share with close buddies how much he misses his late mum.

Davido took to micro blogging site, Twitter, recently and tweeted thus: “RIP mama…wish you were here to see all this!

God rules still.”

Davido lost his mum when he was barely 4-year-old and those close to the family hinted that he might not have been allowed to go into music this early in his life if his mum, who was said to be a beautiful but strict disciplinarian, were alive.

BET stars storm Miss Plus Size pageant

ome October 25, top entertainers to preach and talk against domestic vioincluding Funke Akindele, Funke lence and abuse. The walk would start Kuti, Kate Henshaw, Weird MC from Ojuelegba and end at Teslim and Engager would join the Acts Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Generation Organization for a walk t h e m e d “Stomp Out Domestic Violence & Abuse”.

Expected to attract women and men as participants, the walk is said to be an avenue for the organization •Kuti •Henshaw •Akindele

C Davido misses mum

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OCTOBER 14, 2012

ENTERTAINER

Aity moves up with Amkpaidem G ospel singer and Akwa Ibom State Cultural Ambasador, Aity Dennis is poised to storm the gosple music scene with a brand new video. This is coming on the heels of her successful US tour which took her to 10 cities in God’s Own Country.

Entitled Amkpaidem, the video was shot in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital and features tourist and hostoric sights of the state.

Commenting on the video, the indegene of Akwa Ibom said: “This video portrays me in a new and exciting light.

As a native of Akwa Ibom I always try to project my roots in my music and that’s why we chose choice locations in Akwa Ibom for this video. The idea is to project the tourist potentials of my state.”

She also used the opportunity to speak on her US tour and thanked the organisers for

giving her the opportunity to take her gospel message abroad.

“I was surprised that in most of the states where I performed I have an overwhelming fan base. The experience has opened my eyes to many new possibilities and I want to use this opportunity to thank the organisers of the tour for inviting me,” she said.

Meanwhile, her latest album, Unstoppable, a 17 tracker is making waves as the album continues to win rave reviews. Aity is ecleftic as her music cuts across all genres including traditional music, highlife, hip hop, afro beat and dance hall to mention a few. She has seven album to ber credit.

The US tour was sponsored by Majesty Promotions, AKISAN and Glorious Praise Concerts.

Dapo Dina, Mike ‘Bere others to headline Muson Jazz Festival he festival Planning Committee of Sunday 21. This will be follwed by a Youth Musin Jazz Festival 2012 has inveiled Concert on Wedneday 24 which will feaplans for this year’s event which ture a solo competion for youths between kicks-off on October 18 and runs through the ages of 14 and 21. Thursday October 25 is Musobn Day and celebrations will be October 25.

Among others the event will feature an held to mark the founding of the Muson exclusive line up of both local and interna- socierty in Nigeria.

The climax will be the opera event tional jazz stars who will thrill at two shows tagged: The Magic Flute, which holds on come October 20 at 3pm and 7pm respecOctober 28 and this year, the drama protively at the Shell Hall, Muson Centre, Lagos. Stars on parade include Dapo Dina, gramme will feature award winning Sefi Atta’s play entitled An Ordinary Legacy.

Mike ‘Bere, Ayodel and Agboola Sadare from the USA among others.

Meanwhile, the festival which kicksoff on October 18 will feature My Kind of Music, an event where top personalities will share their passion for music and billed to feature this year are Justice Ayo Philips, Chike Onyejekwe, Sefi Atta and Femi Lijadu.

This year’s edition will aslo feature a •Atta classical concert which will hold on •Dina

T

The Ultimate 2012 discovery holds November 10

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ll is set for the second edition of the annual children’s talent hunt dance competition tagged: The Ultimate 2012 Discovery as the organisers, Lianchi Concepts, have announced the date for the event.

Speaking at a news conference in Lagos, Lianchi Concepts Boss, Lilian Obieze said: “The event holds on October 10 at Lekki Horizon & Events Centre, Lagos. Red carpet begins at 10am and the event proper will kick-off by 11am. Its going to be an exciting day for kids so we are call-

ing on parents to bring out their kids for this great event” Amomg others the initiative is targeted at encouraging kids who have a talent for dance to exporess themselves in a heathy and competitive environment. Side attractions include fun with Ben 10, face painting and celebrity appearances to mention a few.

The maiden edition was held last year and the first prize was clinched by Fubdamental School, Ajah, while Chrisland School, Victoria Garden City went home with the second prize.

Alex Zitto bounces with new video

Back in the day he electrified the music scene with hits like Tickle Me, Baby Walakolombo and Country Girl.

He released his debut album, Getting Loose in 1988 under the Polygram imprint.

The album was nominated for the Nigerian Music Award (NWA) for two years conlex Zitto has broken his musical secutively. He was tutored by the late silence. As you read this piece, the Steve Rhodes.

Tickle Me crooner who hit limelight in the 80s alongside Majek Fashek, Alex O and Mike Okri to mention a few has dropped a new Reggae number entitled Many Hearts and the video is currently trending on YouTube after almost two decades of silence.

While his peers who relocated with him to the US have since relocated back home, Zitto is still in the US doing his music.

However, there are strong indications that he might relocate home any time soon to pursue his music career fully and Many Hearts is rumoured to be the lead single of his soon to be released album.

•Alex Zitto

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ENTERTAINER E D I TO R I A L T E A M

Entertainment Editor: Tosin Ajirire Correspondents: Sam Anokam and Braide Damiete Contributor: Tony Ogaga Ehrariefe Layout & Design: Paul Nnayereugo THE SUN ENTERTAINER is a weekly publication of THE SUN Publishing Ltd. 2 Coscharis Street, Kirikiri Industrial Layout, Apapa. PMB 21776, Ikeja, Lagos. 01-8980932, 6211239 Email: entertainer@sunnewsonline.com Website: www.sunnewsonline.com

Bakassi: Tears over a coveted peninsula Page 32

YOUR SUNDAY MAGAZINE

OCTOBER 14, 2012

Editor: SHOLA OSHUNKEYE

DR.MIRIA MATEMBE Ugandan ex-minister and ex-member of Pan African Parliament

Voice of voiceless African women

–Pg 36

OCTOBER 14, 2012 SUNDAY SUN

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ICON PROF. TIMOTHY UZODINMA NWALA Father of contemporary African philosophy

By IKENNA EMEWU, Abuja

The brainwaves of a pioneer.How he helped midwife ASUU,NYSC,...G-34 (Continued from last week) n this edition, we conclude our interview with Professor Uzodinma Nwala, which started running last week.

Enjoy it:

I

‘’

After the war, we had a serious problem re-orientating Igbo youths into accepting to be Nigerians once again after we had told them during the war that Nigeria was evil

How were these courses received by the academia?

They aroused so much international interest. A number of correspondences on the subject came from Britain and the United States seeking further clarification on the course-content and bibliography for teaching those courses. One of such letters came from Professor Peter O. Bodunrin, who was then teaching at Grinell University, Iowa in the United States. When Bodunrin, an eminent professor, a former Vice Chancellor of Ondo State University, the third national president of the Nigerian Philosophical Association (NPA), presented a paper to mark the Silver Jubilee Celebration of the Department of Philosophy, UNN, he remarked: “It can be said with a great deal of justification that what has come to be respected today, namely, African philosophy, first received emphasis in the curricula of this University (UNN).”

What informed the formation of your philosophy journal, and why did you call it “Uche”?

Uche was meant to promote general philosophical discourse, including, of course, African philosophy. It was in the face of my very consummate and passionate engagement with this apparently intellectual tour that I did not find the debate, as to whether there is an African philosophy or not, either challenging or historically a focal issue when it began. It is true that I was not very familiar with Egyptian or any other recorded ancient African philosophy, at least not in any significant sense.

Let me answer your question on the name. Uche means thought. Philosophy is about thoughts, and since I was out to pursue the development of Igbo and African philosophy, I thought the most apt name for the pioneer journal should be indigenous.

I got an experience of the exploratory state of affairs into the field of African philosophy.

And, as I have argued severally in debates on African philosophy

at several places, the mistake of most of our colleagues who had initially debunked the idea arose from the same state of ignorance.

In devoting a course on traditional African philosophy, I had a major concern with and focus on that strand of African philosophy.

I believed and still believe that traditional African societies do have authentic worldviews embodying rich philosophical conceptions about reality, our place in the entire cosmos as well as about our ways of cognising and relating to this reality. It is

Nwala

just like the other change we championed to awaken the academia when we did the groundwork that resulted in the formation of ASUU. I was part of the awakening.

I recognised, from my researches, the existence of sages in our traditional society. There are those people in traditional society who possess exceptional intelligence and wisdom, who are vast and knowledgeable in the lore of the land, and who introduce new ideas and guiding principles, and reformulate existing ideas and beliefs and, thereby, provide new perspectives, guiding principles which become points of reference. These are the men who help to critically reorder or transform an existing worldview or aspects of it.

These are the people who later were designated as sage-philosophers, a concept popularised by

our Kenyan colleague of blessed memory, Professor Odea Oruka.

Many such sages are priests, elders, medicine men or simply wisemen, highly intellectuallyendowed, who play religious, political and intellectual roles within the traditional society.

Following the Nsukka initiative, virtually all Departments of Philosophy in African universities, and many Afro-American and Philosophy Departments in America have both undergraduate and graduate programmes in African philosophy. And that prophesy of mine came true in my lifetime that copious literature will evolve to promote specialised studies in African philosophy.

Even the Great Debate, thought born out of error, played a major role in the development of the study and research on African philosophy.

You mentioned the role you played in ASUU, what exactly was it you did in the formation and strengthening of the union?

As a key player in the ideals to gave birth to and strengthened the union, let me give you a little background history of what has become the major mouthpiece of the Nigerian university system.

During the students’ crisis of 1978, that is the famous AliMust-Go students’ unrests, the late Comrade Ola Oni organised his usual one-man demonstration. He carried a banner in his hands, hung another in front of himself, and yet a third on his back. On three of them were boldly written the same words, “The revolution is here now!”

But many asked or wondered how anyone could realistically equate students’ uprising with socialist revolution? To what extent can polemics alone destroy the capitalist class?

These were some of the experiences which made me wonder about what we were doing in our fanatical struggle to help bring about change in our society. Were we really serious about reinventing our society or were (in our socialist parlance) simply intellectually masturbating?

Worried by this problem, three of us, Dr. Edwin Madunagu, then of the University of Calabar, Dr. Biodun Jeyifo of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and I, decided to bond ourselves into what we called Revolutionary Directorate. Every fortnight, we were either at Calabar, Ife or

OCTOBER 14, 2012 SUNDAY SUN Nsukka, doing exactly the same thing for which we criticised our previous formations – intellectually masturbating about change and revolution.

Then one day, I posed the question to the group: “How can we ensure that all the profound schemes we have been devising for the betterment of our society are actualised in practice? How can we ensure that our ideas have practical bearing on events in our society?” At the end of our long discussion, we agreed to seize or insert ourselves into one of the popular social organisations and turn it into an instrument of struggle.

Our analysis showed that the newly-recognised Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was the best candidate for actualising our scheme. This was how I left Nsukka to take charge of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), provide it with an organisational and popular ideological focus, a programme of action, and turn it into an instrument of struggle.

Before my friends and I arrived at the scene, ASUU lacked both ideological and programmatic focus. It did not have the capacity or experience to wage protracted struggle. The ASUU strike of 1981 turned out to be the longest in the trade union history of Nigeria as at that time.

The ideological standpoint on which we rested ASUU, as a popular democratic organisation in Nigeria, came in some ways. It focused on education, especially tertiary education, as the most vital instrument for the transformation of society.

Therefore, both the conditions of teaching and learning must be made conducive for effective learning and research. Those best suited to protect and advance the cause of education for development are the educational workers. The conditions for their success include an effective and disciplined orgnisation, led by ideologically-conscious leadership inspired not by pettiness, but high moral and spiritual ideals.

Nobody will deny that today most of the successive generations of ASUU leadership have maintained a clear and patriotic focus and dedication to the ideals of the organisation. We may quarrel with the frequency or overuse of the instrument of strike, but we cannot fault the dedication of the union to maintaining itself as a vital instrument for change, especially within the educational sector.

Do you feel good about ASUU, its activities in the university system, considering the efforts you put into it? Has it not been a destabilising factor truncating the calendar too often?

This is not the first time I am asked the question by people who heard that I played a role in the formative years of the union. I have to tell you that at a point, we sat down, that is some academics, to evaluate ASUU over time.

But in all, ASUU has been worth the sweat that went into its formation. But for the union, there would have been no university left in Nigeria. All the agitations of the union have always been 90 percent for the good of the system and about 10 percent about the teachers’ welfare. And in essence, even the teachers’ welfare is part of the good of the system. If there were no ASUU, the past administrations of this country would have done worse damage to the universities. It is possible that we would have had nothing left called a university in Nigeria managed by the public sector. The possibility of sustaining the public universities has engendered mass literacy. And remember, in the days ASUU came to being, no one had contemplated a private university. If ASUU were not there, the universities would not have been there, and education spread would have dwindled and the nation worse than it is, because the people would have less enlightenment. The problem of truncating the school calendar is not the fault of ASUU or its presence, but the disposition of the government not to tackle serious reforms demanded by ASUU. Why didn’t you go into politics after retirement when you know it’s the shortest way to make money?

I am happy to hear you ask that question, because everybody retires into politics.

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‘Before my friends and I arrived at the scene, ASUU lacked both ideological and programmatic focus.

It did not have the capacity or experience to wage protracted struggle’

Nwala You should know that it is not everybody that is cut out for what every other person does. But all the same, I have had some shot at politics but strictly as one that went in there. In 1995, I was a member of the Constituent Assembly organised by the late Gen. Sani Abacha. In the assembly, I remember working closely with Dr. Alex Ekwueme, the late Dim Emeka Ojukwu and others.

And in addition, I was a core part of the drafting of the document that gave birth to the G34 and later PDP. If these are part of politics, then possibly I have not been lacking there. But as regard the common thing we call politicking, it is possible I am not very interested, because I value my peace of mind. That is the reason when G34 turned into PDP and became what we never

‘We made a proposal to Gowon. It gave birth to NYSC. But he refused to acknowledge us’

envisaged, some of us lost interest.

You also have a story to tell about the birth of the NYSC programme. What is it like?

Immediately after the civil war, some of us came together to champion the rehabilitation of victims of the war in the East Central State. Because of the success the group made in Enugu, it grew large to reach the whole states. And that exceptional volunteer effort is what gave birth to the youth nationalistic orientation programme.

There is no dispute that NYSC was incubated in Enugu from where we took it to Lagos and the larger Nigeria.

That initial group we formed championed the processes that led finally to the NYSC, although the government refused to acknowledge our role.

When we laid the ground rules, there was no inkling or imagination of taking it to the larger nation. Funny enough, no mention was made of our names or the role we played or that the original idea came from us.

I graduated from the university as the only student in the class as I mentioned earlier.

The war had started taking a toll on UNN and the entire region and the university closed down as the foreign lecturers ran away.

After the war, we had a serious problem re-orientating Igbo youths into accepting to be Nigerians once again after we had told them during the war that Nigeria was evil. And moreover, there was so much damage and ruin that needed rehabilitation, and so we started in Enugu with a team of youths who cleaned places, cleared rubble, rebuilt houses, assisted victims of the war. It was called Work for Food, because as we rendered our service

we were paid in food. We handled the rebuilding of the UNEC and many other public institutions, and later we extended the services to all the 34 divisions of the ECS (East Central State). The body was split into eight committees for efficacy.

Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN), who was a great dramatist, was a member of the Hospitality Committee, while Zebrudaya (Chika Okpala) was our entertainer. With over 3,000 volunteer youths, we spread out to all parts of the state and handled rehabilitation. With the success of the body in the region, we were imbued to extend it to the larger nation. We later conceived the idea of taking the project to the Federal Government. On September 30, 1970, we left Enugu for Lagos with a proposal to submit to General Yakubu Gowon. Apart from Lagos, we sent teams to some other parts of the country for the sensitisation that led to our re-integration. I remember so well that the team we sent to Ilorin met with the Emir, Sule Gambari, whose wife was Igbo from Owerri. They came back with a story of how the woman lavishly entertained them with ofe owere.

Because of the festivities of the Independence Day, we could not see Gowon, so we dropped our proposal with a senior government official. I must tell you that neither Gowon as an individual nor his administration acknowledged our effort or receipt of our laudable idea. But we later heard from Ukpabi Asika that in recognition and appreciation of the work, Gowon sent the state government N75,000. Well, government made use of the money and we were never consulted or got anything out of it.

Three years after, the Gowon administration announced the creation of the NYSC. What we sent was not called the NYSC, but it was solely the idea with some adjustments. For instance, we had proposed that the programme should be for undergraduates who would work on vacation for three months in states other than theirs. But the final approval changed it to a year’s service by fresh graduates. The policy was strictly resisted by graduates but later, it took roots and still survives as one of the most laudable programmes of the nation. I am impressed that close to 40 years, the programme still flourishes.

Last year, the NYSC faced threats to its existence. How did you feel that your dream was about to die?

I laughed when I heard all the comments against the scheme, because I knew it wouldn’t be scrapped. Nigeria must not have achieved much in unity via the NYSC, but nobody can wish away the positive impact. I am sure NYSC will live as long as Nigeria does. It might be modified, but scrapping it won’t be so easy to come.

It has been a great project and will get better as the nation gets better in awareness and focus on advancement.

OCTOBER 14, 2012 SUNDAY SUN

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Special Assignment

Bakassi:

Lamentations over a peninsula lost As the curtain for an appeal over the long-disputed island of Bakassi fell during the past week, old and fresh issues were thrown up, with Nigerians taking different positions.But it is the present plight of the displaced people of Bakassi and the bumpy future that awaits them that experts fear might leave the biggest reminder of the whole tussle.

By ERIC DUMO fter about 10 years of aimless sailing, the Bakassi “ship” finally sank, last week, with Nigeria’s refusal to appeal against the judgement of the International Court of Justice, ICJ, which ceded the area to Cameroun, Nigeria’s Eastern border neighbour, in 2002. The ICJ had awarded possession and control of the area to Cameroun on October 10, 2002 after years of tensions and arguments over the ownership of the place between both countries. But it was not until 2006 that the Federal Government, under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, moved to respect that decision by the global court.

After a meeting brokered by immediate-past United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, between Obasanjo and Cameroun’s Paul Biya, on June 13, that year in New York, the former Nigerian leader agreed to withdraw the country’s troops within the next 60 days before finally relinquishing the territory to Cameroun over the next two years under a Green Tree Agreement, GTA. Obasanjo kept his promise and handed over the area on August 14, 2008. The move earned Nigeria encomiums on the international stage, but it marked the beginning of a new journey for the Bakassi people – a voyage that would leave the people paying the biggest price of what many have termed a diplomatic blunder by the government.

Until last Tuesday, October 9, Nigeria had the chance to appeal the ICJ ruling by calling for a review of the judgement. The statute establishing the International Court allows a 10-year window for appeal if there is fresh fact and evidence not known to the court or the affected party before judgement was pronounced. The Bakassi people had hoped the government would utilise the opportunity to challenge the 2002 verdict of the court and save them from losing their ancestral home to Cameroun. They had fought the battle for about 10 years and badly needed some support from Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, to lay claim to the only place they had known as home all along. But events of the past week have only meant that they might have to sweat a little longer in their clamour for justice.

On the eve of the expiration of the appeal window, the Federal Government announced its decision not to contest the matter. It said through the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, that there were no new facts to compel the ICJ to review its decision in the country’s favour.

“Government decided that it would not be in the national interest to apply for revision of the 2002 ICJ judgment in respect of the land and maritime boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria,” a statement from Adoke’s office read.

“The Federal Government retained a firm of

A

People of Bakassi protesting international legal practitioners to advise on the merits and demerits of the case for revision.

The firm after considering all the materials that were placed at its disposal against the requirements of Article 61 of the ICJ Statute came to the reasoned conclusion that ‘an application for a review is virtually bound to fail’and that ‘a failed application will be diplomatically damaging to Nigeria.’ Therefore, we shall not call for a review.”

That news came as a rude shock to all those whose destinies depended on it, especially the troubled people of the oil-rich island. While some described it as terrible, others said it had destroyed everything they had built together as a people. Senator Bassey Ewa Henshaw said the people would now set aside every October 10 to remember the injustice done to them.

“We will continue to mark it until the people of Bakassi are returned to their original home,” he pledged.

Outspoken Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, who hails from the area, is not happy that the place has been lost to the Francophone country. She said thoughts of an appeal only days to the expiration of the grace period came too late. “I have not moved away from my position, which is

proper resettlement of my people in Dayspring.

My people will be happy if the Federal Government looks into their needs.

“An earlier plebiscite would have solved these problems. My people would have been asked where they wanted to belong to 11 years ago. I am appealing that the position of my people should not be politicised,” she said.

For his part, Akin Ricketts, Cross River State Commissioner for Information, said Bakassi and its people would always remain a part of the state. Said he: “Any step taken, no matter how little, to address the ceding of Bakassi is a welcome development. Bakassi has always been part of us and their plight is ours. We never voluntarily ceded a part of us to Cameroun.”

Government’s decision not to utilise the opportunity that just passed appears to have aggravated the wounds of the Bakassi natives who have now been forced to weigh the options before them. There are reports of a possible alliance with the Efik in Cross River State to establish a sovereign state together with Southwest Cameroun. There have been protests in several parts of the country with those affected marching through major streets of Calabar to register their frustrations. The protesters, who

carried placards with various messages, said they were prepared to stake their lives to reclaim their territory.

“We will not rest on our oars until the time ownership of the area is ascertained. The whole issue surrounding the ceding of Bakassi was fraudulent because we provided enough evidence and very soon, we will release it to the entire world to see. The people of this land will not rest until we find justice,” Obong of Calabar and Grand Patriarch of Efik Kingdom, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu (VI), under whose control the disputed island falls, said.

The failure of the country to embark on an appeal in spite of popular demand for it, has forced the National Assembly to call for an immediate review of the status of treaties and agreements signed between Nigeria and other nations. Leo Ogor, Deputy Leader, House of Representatives, said Adoke needed to come clean on pending bilateral and multilateral treaties involving the country.

His words: “I think that besides the agreement on Bakassi, there are several treaties before the Attorney General of the Federation that have not been domesticated and without them being ratified by the National Assembly in line with

OCTOBER 14, 2012 SUNDAY SUN

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Special Assignment

Ki-Moon, UN Sec. Gen. Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution, they will not have the force of law.”

The National Assembly is pained that the executive arm of government acted on its own in signing the 2006 Green Tree Agreement and ceded Bakassi to her neighbours without its nod.

The lawmakers have insisted that the move was in gross violation of Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution, which requires that such treaties must be ratified by the legislature to have the force of law in Nigeria.

Victor Ndoma-Egba, a senator who has also been at the forefront of the Bakassi debate, disclosed that the agreement to give up the territory

by Nigeria was not backed by law and the citizens of the country.

He claimed: “What was forwarded to the 6th Senate was the Green Tree Agreement for ratification. To the best of my knowledge, that agreement has not been ratified till date. As far as the constitution is concerned, the treaty is an incomplete act.”

But while the people of Bakassi carry their cross and continue to bear the brunt of the problems before them, experts have been baring their minds on the implications of the latest development for all parties involved, especially those affected persons who have now been thrown into confusion. While some rained hard knocks on the government for not seeking a review of the ICJ ruling, others commended the administration’s decision, insisting that appealing the judgement would have further tainted the country’s already poor image in the comity of nations.

Gbenro Olajuyigbe, Human Security Manager of ActionAid, a human rights movement, is not happy with the condition of the inhabitants of Bakassi. He is sad that the people were not involved in the entire process leading to the ceding of the area to Cameroun. He fears the opportunity to correct things might have passed.

“Legally speaking, there is no way out of this matter again. For 10 years, the government of Nigeria had the chance to appeal the ICJ verdict.

In the Green Tree Agreement, there was no consideration for the people of Bakassi. As far as I know, government is only interested in the oil in the region. Nobody really cares for the citizens.

The people have been thrown into confusion, turmoil if you like. The things that we have seen are signs of a government that does not care about its people. The Bakassi people have been displaced and thrown into tragedy. Individuals and families have lost material possessions and sources of livelihood. Children’s education has been affected and there are no signs that things would improve soon.

“Government claims it has resettled affected persons into other communities. But that is not completely true, because all they have done is creating a few relief camps and that is not resettlement. You just have to provide everything for them because you put them in that situation today. You have changed their lifestyles and you must face the consequences,” he submitted.

Professor of law, Itse Sagay, who condemned the court’s pronouncement for not acknowledging the wishes of the people in question, labelled calls for an appeal as shameful. Sagay asserted that the chance to make that move had long been lost. “The judgment of the ICJ was a faulty one because most international laws respect the selfgovernment right of the people. By applying the international law, the most superior factor is to

Jonathan

Obasanjo

Biya

Adoke

allow the people to vote and determine where (which country) they want to belong.

“As it is now, the case appears incurable. You cannot appeal the judgment; you can only review it if there is a new fact that was not known to the court at the time of the judgment.

This can only be done within six months and this is 10 years after.

“The situation is miserable and hopelessly difficult; it is technically impossible,” he said.

Dr. Chidi Odinkalu, expert in international law, said he would be happy to see government put the welfare of the now largely displaced natives of Bakassi on the priority list. He is among those who had different ideas other than seeking a review with the ICJ. “I agree entirely with the decision of the Federal Government to turn the page on the agitation for a review of the ICJ’s decision in the Bakassi case and the reasons given for the decision.

“Now that this distraction is behind us, there remain serious issues in Bakassi that require urgent exertion of Nigeria’s diplomatic and institutional assets. When the transfer happens in 2013, the people of Bakassi will be faced with a choice as to their nationality. Those who choose to remain Nigerians will become aliens on their own land.

“Although the Green Tree Agreement promises to respect their rights to citizenship and residence, there is no obligation on Cameroun to grant residency permits to anyone. As a fact, Cameroun is currently not issuing any identification or citizenship documents in Bakassi. It can also choose to impose impossible conditions for doing so. This impermissible state of affairs can be addressed through a citizenship and residency rights protocol to the Green Tree Agreement,” he stated.

Amidst calls for government to urgently relocate the affected people to another community in the face of growing cases of violence and human rights abuses by Camerounian security forces, the AGF, Adoke, revealed that the administration was working tirelessly to make things work. He said plans were already in place to cater for those whose lives have been hampered by recent developments surrounding the area.

“Government is however concerned about the plight of Nigerians living in the Bakassi

Ita-Giwa Peninsula and the allegations of human rights abuses being perpetrated against Nigerians in the Peninsula and is determined to engage Cameroun within the framework of the existing implementation mechanisms agreed to by Nigeria and Cameroun in order to protect the rights and livelihoods of Nigerians living in the Peninsula.

“Nigeria will also not relent in seeking appropriate remedies provided by international law such as the invocation of the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ; petitioning the United Nations Human Rights Council and good offices of the United Nations Secretary General which has played pivotal role in ensuring the peaceful demarcation and delimitation of the boundary between the two countries and other confidence building measures and calls on the United Nations to continue to provide assistance to the affected populations.

“Finally the Federal Government wishes to assure all Nigerians, especially the people living in the Bakassi Peninsula, of its determination to explore all avenues necessary to protect their

interests including but not limited to negotiations aimed at buying back the territory, if feasible, the convening of bilateral meeting of the Heads of State and Government to ensure protection and development of the affected population. In the meantime, we call on all well-meaning Nigerians in the Bakassi Peninsula to be law abiding and to allow the various initiatives being undertaken by the Federal Government to bear fruitful results”, he urged.

Before now, affected fishermen had been settled in a landlocked area called New Bakassi.

But they rejected the place, claiming it had already been inhabited and not suitable for their vocation. However, there have been suggestions in some quarters that the large expanse of land running into dozens of kilometres between Odukpani Junction near Calabar and Ikom might be a suitable option, as things grow increasingly critical.

The struggle over who owns and would occupy the land in question did not begin today – it is a tussle as old as the peninsular itself. In 1981, a war almost broke out between Nigeria and Cameroun when tensions rose above boiling point. The controversy continued in the early 1990s with violent conflicts between the Nigerian natives and indigenes from the Frenchspeaking country. It was at the height of those bloody incidents that Biya’s nation approached the ICJ for a legal resolution on March 29, 1994.

It was not an easy case for the court to decide over at first – it needed to dig up facts dating hundreds of years back before it could have a template to follow. Even after it mandated Nigeria to give up the territory, it never commanded the locals to move out or shift allegiance to Cameroun against their wish. But the safety and welfare of the affected people have remained a huge debate from that time till now.

Richard Akinjide, a former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, once described the decision as “fifty per cent international law and fifty per cent international politics”, “blatantly biased and unfair”, “a total disaster”, and a “complete fraud”.

Bakassi leaders felt the same way as Akinjide and had at various times pushed to break loose from Nigeria without luck. The situation has led to the emergence of all sorts of groups in the region – some fully armed and deadly. The discovery of oil and natural gas in the area has not also helped the course of the Bakassi people – it has in fact contributed to pushing them away from the only one place many of them have come to know as home.

Mohammed Fawehinmi, a human rights lawyer, believes since the people of Bakassi have expressed willingness to remain in the territory, as Nigerians, their demands should have been respected. He blamed the Obasanjo administration for the whole suffering now faced by the people of the area. “The Bakassi issue shows that the government of Nigeria does not care about the people,” he stated. “Everybody has the right to choose where they want to belong. If the people of Bakassi have said that they want to be Nigerians, it is the duty of the Cross River State government to make their representation. The government should pursue it in such a way that the people of Bakassi would be grateful that they have chosen Nigeria as their home.

“The will of the people is enough ground for appeal. They are not supposed to be given any stereotype rule or condition. The will of the people supersedes any law in the world, so whether Nigeria does not own Bakassi or not, once the people have said they want to be part of Nigeria, then it should stand.”

For almost 10 years, the sun set gradually on the oil-rich peninsular, waiting for the shade of the cloud to douse the heat created. The people cried for help, the land trembled in fear; experts raised fresh questions while the world eagerly awaited the closing episodes of this long and confusing “series”. But after several debates and political moves, it is the drowned voices of the Bakassi natives that would not be heard anymore. Even if they amplify the decibels of their cry for justice, those sounds might never be enough to stir a significant shift in how things stand at the moment. The coming days would no doubt provide plenty of defining moments for thousands of the island’s now homeless and “countryless” people.

Additional reports by ADAEZE ATUEYIOJUKWU.

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OCTOBER 14, 2012 SUNDAY SUN

The Big Question

Aluu killings:What implications for Nigeria?

By ADAEZE ATUEYI-OJUKWU, CHRISTIAN AGADIBE and SIMILOLUWA SIMEON ince the gruesome killing and setting ablaze of four university students in Aluu, Port Harcout, condemnations have been pouring in for perpetrators of the dastardly act. But exactly how does the incident portray Nigeria? What are the spiritual, legal and social and economic implications for the community, the people and the country at large? In keeping with our tradition, we posed these questions to the people and here is what they said.

S

PROFESSOR ISHAQ AKINTOLA CLERIC The attack is barbaric and unthinkable; that anyone would carry out an attack of this magnitude on an institution of higher learning. What is most worrisome is the ease with which the attackers carried out the killings before melting into thin air. It is a serious indictment of our security agencies.

This massacre further amplifies the helplessness of our security network.

Nigeria is no longer safe. People are living in fear. The details of the attack further compound our fear, as it becomes difficult to point fingers at any group.

The government should look inward to identify pernicious policies, which have caused this animalistic behaviour, to fill the empty stomachs of the hungry masses by creating job opportunities for this angry army of unemployed graduates.

MOHAMMED FAWEHINMI LEGAL PRACTITIONER The whole thing looks like our government orchestrated it. I say this because nobody intervened from the local government council, from the Government House, those who are custodians of that state did not do anything. Up till now, we even haven’t seen the Blackberry and laptops that they were accused of. The governor must be held responsible, the local government chairman and the councillor of that area must be arrested. That is the first legal step to take. They

OMOTUNDE ADEBOWALE-DAVIES BROADCASTER We are still battling the terrorist image, now this again; it will make us appear backward and barbaric to the outside world and people will be afraid

must be able to give account of whatever transpired in their area. How can something of such magnitude transpire for more than 20 minutes and there was nobody who could stop it? And people were there shouting and cheering. The Commissioner of Police and the DPO of that area must be called for questioning. The state House of Assembly must look into this matter critically. It is not Nigerians’ fault; the incompetence of government is what caused it. For that action to go on for more than 20 minutes without anybody intervening, I am sorry we don’t have a government.

of Nigerians more than ever. We would be seen as people still living in the bush.

When we have a viable justice system, why would people become like animals and take the life of another? What happened in Aluu will always haunt the people and Nigeria as a whole.

CHIDI MOKEME ACTOR That whole unbelievable and unfortunate incident just leaves me totally speechless. It is the height of man’s inhumanity to man. That Nigerians can perpetrate such an exhibition of extreme barbarism in broad daylight to fellow Nigerians and to the viewing pleasure of bystanding Nigerians, in 2012, is an indication that we still have a long way to go as a country. We as individuals, as a collective, as a people, and as a nation must be ready to ask ourselves some hard questions and commit to hearing the true answers. Which way Nigeria? The souls of the departed will only rest in peace when justice is done. And justice will only be done when every conniving participant in that gruesome act is brought to book.

SAMUEL EJIWUNMI STUDENT I still want to reiterate my stand. While I do not make heroes out of these students who may be thieves or cultists, I just want to draw your attention to the fact that if we allow everyone to take justice into their own hands, we will end up in more chaos than civilisation. The moment we throw away our humanity and descend into such animalistic killing of fellow humans, we are not different from the people we are punishing. So, the animalistic killing of those chaps portrays Nigeria as a primitive environment.

However, I believe that the reaction by Nigerians who have come out to condemn this act shows the world that we do not support such action.

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OCTOBER 14, 2012 SUNDAY SUN

The Big Question

Men – O – Pulse

TONY IWUOMA

toniegoodlaw@yahoo.co.uk Ajonrin

Awopetu

SEYE AWOPETU LEGAL PRACTITIONER The people of the community have no right to take the law into their own hands. Even if those boys had stolen, they were not justified to kill them. It shows us that in Nigeria, we do not have value for lives. If they were to be charged to court on account of stealing, it might not result in death. So, why would they take laws into their own hands and kill innocent people? It just shows we have no respect for laws and human lives.

chologically learn from it. Those involved in this act should be brought to book.

STANLEY OBI CLERIC It does not portray good about Nigeria. It tells people that we are still in the primitive age – in a situation where people take laws into their own hands and take out jungle justice. Innocent 19-year-old students were killed like animals. I don’t know what to make of this act. It is outdated, a joke. This killing alone is going to stop a lot of foreign transactions and people are going to be afraid of coming to Nigeria. Port Harcourt is one of the largest states in Nigeria. If that kind of thing can occur there, I wonder what happens in some interior places. It portrays nothing good about us.

JOE WALEX CLERIC The killing of those students is very heartbreaking. It portrays the level of insecurity we have in our country. Innocent lives have just been destroyed. These are people who had bright future. It does not tell well of us at all. It is terrible and really heartbreaking. I have not been able to get over the shock. I am scared for my children, my family and myself.

Honestly, it is alarming and Nigerians need to wake up. The spiritual implication for that community cannot be imagined. A lot of Nigerians have placed a curse on them, and killing innocent lives is something dangerous.

COSMOS EMEPURU EDUCATIONIST The act is barbaric and inhuman. It is against the rule of law. Where is our fundamental human right? No one can be a judge of his own. Those government officials who have stolen money, why have they not been stoned? I think those guys are morally debased and mentally maladjusted. They can’t escape the punishment of God. FOLAKE ADEBIYI CLERIC I wonder what our country is turning into.

With what is happening, one will think it’s a sign of end-time. But something should be done before it gets out of hand. What happened in Aluu is really a tragedy, I can’t help but wonder at the extent of torture those innocent guys passed through before giving up. This community should be seriously dealt with to avoid a recurrence of such acts. It’s really barbaric and does not prove we are in a civilised country.

CHARLES EZEBUIRO CONSULTANT Barbaric is the word. I couldn’t even watch the video clip. My pain is not just that heartless fellows killed them, because we hear about such inhuman tortures all the time, but there were people standing there and watching these guys being slaughtered like rams. The Boko Haram menace, bad as it seems, tells the world that there is a sect in Nigeria that shares common ideologies with the world’s most notorious terrorists.

However, this act tells the world that there is a community in Nigeria that slaughters her future leaders without a fair hearing

DAVINA ACHUMA MUSICIAN I am shocked by the comment made by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. My position remains that the president must condemn the action of the Aluu people to show that Nigeria is not a lawless nation. Nobody has the right to take another person’s life. It is a shame and the act should be condemned.

CHRISTIAN OBETTA BANKER In my candid view, it is an act of backwardness, it shows that some parts of Nigeria have refused to grow up and accept modern laws.

How can you kill armless suspects in such a cold-blooded manner? That Aluu village should be banished from being part of Nigeria.

NONSO FRANCIS OZOKOILE CIVIL SERVANT It is a very wicked act. The perpetrators have no regard for their fellow humans’ lives. It is both lawfully and morally wrong.

The government should come into the case to make sure that justice is done. It is because our core value system in dead; we are no longer our brother’s keeper, that is why we are degenerating into Stone Age. Indeed, it is a wicked generation of people who live in Aluu community. How can they do such a thing? It is barbaric and they should pay dearly for killing those innocent youths, otherwise more Nigerians will psy-

Oladapo

Etim CHRIS NWANNA ENGINEER Well, I think it is very terrible for a thing like this to be happening. There have been so many deaths, killings and murders in the country that the people are beginning to get used to that way of life. In the case of the UNIPORT students, I see it as a case of false accusation, total injustice and the people took laws into their own hands. It is very much going to tarnish the image of the Aluu community, Port Harcourt people and also the image of Nigeria. People won’t want to have anything to do with them or marry from them. Do you know what the repercussion of burying a child in the forest is? It means that the spirit of that person will never rest and it will torment that community for eternity. I’m not a superstitious person, but so I heard.

RITA ETIM EDUCATIONIST In my opinion, the people who are responsible for the death of the students should be hanged. Although, there are laws against theft in the land, the Aluu people had the opportunity of taking the accused students to the police.

Instead, they chose to brutally murder the students. I believe it was a case of envy from the villagers. It clearly shows how our values of respect for human life have eroded. This is one out of several cases that go on unreported across the country. And on Nigeria’s image, I think the action of one community should not be used to judge the entire country.

OLASIMBO AJONRIN PHARMACIST All the killings happening in the country just show that the country is in turmoil, the level of security is almost nonexistent and the government still doesn’t have a clue or an idea of how to control it. Looking at what happened in Port Harcourt, the action of the people is totally barbaric and hideous. The students were accused of stealing without reasonable proof, and instead of handing them over to the police, they decided to execute the judgment themselves without further delay. The Nigerian security forces should also be blamed for this because they were not alert to the duty. They were supposed to appear at the scene to put things in order, but they were nowhere to be found. So, I think all these happenings in our country should or can be traced down to our leaders if we truly want a solution.

AYOMIDE OLADAPO STUDENT What happened in UNIPORT, I don’t see it as new, because it has happened severally in Lagos; where a thief is caught and set ablaze.

But before a thief can be killed just like that, there should be tangible proof of the crime committed. So, I think why the action of the Aluu people took the general public by surprise is because they did not make enough findings about the theft, they just seized those boys, believing they had really committed the crime and put them to death immediately without any trial or evidence.

Also, the killings in the country are not peculiar to Port Harcourt; we have the Boko Haram sect, robbers who attack without mercy, accidents here and there. These, to a great deal, affect the image of Nigeria all over the world. And I think it is the government that can find solution to the present state of Nigeria through the help of God.

Let’s cage this hyena Thus saith the Lord; a voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children because they were not.

Jeremiah 31:15 My brothers, this is obviously not the best time for our ‘after thought’(apologies, Chief Richard Akinjide) nation, called Nigeria. Over the years, the make shift nation has struggled to deceive itself that a house built on sandy soil could stand. Of late though, virulent storms have been hitting hard on this contraption, thus raking up latent hate and animosity, which underlying unambiguous message points to the imminent collapse of this behemoth and great, indeed, shall be the fall.

What I find most baffling is our conscious efforts to deny the truth about our precarious situation and address it headlong. Take the recent Chinua Achebe book on the Nigeria – Biafra war, ‘There Was a Country’and the heat it has generated, for example.

The insults heaped on the venerable writer’s head for stating obvious truths, are unbecoming of a nation that is desirous of healing old wounds.

Strangely, those abusing the grand old man admit and even quote copiously from statements of the late Yoruba sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, where he said starvation and blockade were weapons of war and he deployed it to the maximum, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Igbo children. Awolowo even admitted crushing the Igbo economically but like the Jews of Africa, the Igbo can never be crushed.

They have risen from the ashes of Awolowo’s TWENTY POUNDS to the apex of Nigeria’s economic power. I honestly believe the book would have afforded us the opportunity to say ‘let bygones be bygones’instead of these furtive recriminations.

However, I am not very comfortable with the timing of the book. Honestly, what it has stirred in me and other diaper-wearing Biafrans during the war, who survived that genocide, is to take up my bazooka and move into battle. So, the book has reopened old wounds but it was not without reason.

I hate it when people blame Ikemba Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu for going into battle to protect his people. The Igbo were being annihilated and till date, it has continued unaddressed. That, perhaps, is why Achebe could no longer keep; the Igbo are still endangered in the land.

Suffice it to say that Biafra is very much alive and can never die. That much is clear to every Igbo man and should be more so to any Nigerian, who thinks he can keep messing up with the collective destinies of the Igbo. Ojukwu is dead, long live Ojukwu. It is to his credit today that all the ills he fought against and for which he was vilified have come back in full force to haunt an unappreciative nation.

What is happening in the North today is nemesis at work. Yes, the Igbo are still major casualties but the irony of it all is that the hyena that was domesticated to devour the Igbo can no longer distinguish the Igbo blood from its owners’, hence everybody is now a victim. However, the Igbo have a choice and some have taken advantage of the choice and returned to their roots but it is ironic that owners of the once pet-hyena now no hiding place.

Is it not the hyena that bombs places of worship and markets? Is it not the hyena that entered college hostels and snuffed lives out of innocent students? Is it not the hyena that slaughtered four students of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) in the most macabre display of savagery in the 21st century Nigeria? Is it not the hyena in all of us that ensured there was not even one sane person that would say enough is enough no matter the offence of the students?

Truly, those young men were no robbers for sure.

My mind tells me they were more of cultists than any other thing but whatever they might have been, they certainly did not deserve that kind of ordeal. But sentiments aside though, if they were cultists, wouldn’t they have meted similar crudityon their victims? The Mubi massacre could also be the handiwork of savage cultists or Boko Haram.

It is the same hyena, trained in the 60s against the Igbo that is ravaging the land and it just has to be caged NOW. We have taught our children that life is short and brutish. We have got to a stage in this nation when we should begin to appreciate the truth, justice, equity and human lives; on those alone hinges the survival of our marooned boat about to hit the rock of attrition. Otherwise, Nigeria will soon be aptly, ‘there was a country’. Or don’t you think so, brother?

36

OCTOBER 14, 2012 SUNDAY SUN

Women in Leadership

DR.MIRIA MATEMBE Ugandan ex-minister and ex-member of Pan African Parliament

My life as a crusader

By KEMI YESUFU,Abuja t’s hard not to pick Dr.Miria Matembe from the crowd.The Ugandan-born gender activists is outspoken and is one woman even giants would find difficult to shout down.A walking encyclopaedia,it was easy for me to notice the woman who describes herself as a “lawyer by training and a politician by calling with a passion for women empowerment”.Thanks to well-articulated positions on issues affecting women,I took note of this remarkable lady within days of working with her as part of a team of 12 African women invited to Germany by the Goethe Institut for a 10-day programme on Women Empowerment in Africa. Matembe,who holds a PhD in Law,first came to Nigeria on the invitation of former First Lady,the late.Mariam Babangida during one of the many activities of the latter’s Better Life for Rural Women group held in Abuja.

She also has met Nigerian lawmakers while working as the chairperson of the Pan-African Parliament Committee on Rules,Privileges and Discipline.

According to Matembe,who spent 17 years in parliament,during which she served as Minister for Ethics and Integrity for five years,she “worked”herself out of government by telling President Yoweri Moseveni that removing the term limit for the presidency was an act of corruption.All around Uganda,Mrs.Matembe,a proud grandmother of five,is well known for fighting for gender equality and her five-year tenure as the anti-corruption minister.In this interview,she speaks on corruption and sit-tight African leaders and the negative effects of both phenomena on the continent.

She also opens up on how her childhood experiences shaped her into the women’s rights fighter she is.

I

Matembe

Having had discussions with you, it is quite obvious that for you women are infallible. Why is this so?

I am not out to look for what is wrong with what women do. I am concerned about seeing that women are treated as equals and that their rights are protected. In other words, I have great passion for women empowerment and gender equality. In broad terms, I have passion for justice and fairness but I chose to focus on gender equality and women empowerment. My focus on women’s rights stems from my childhood experience. As a child in rural Uganda, I experienced discrimination because of my gender. We were nine children in my family, five boys and four girls. As I grew, I noticed that the boys were given better opportunities and we the girls were discriminated against.

Was it your father that discriminated against you and his other daughters?

I wouldn’t put it that way. Let me explain how we were discriminated against. As I said, I grew up in a poor family in a Ugandan village. Whenever school started and we went to school without paying school fees, the school authorities would send us home after a week. I would still be at home when through unexplainable means, my immediate elder brother’s fees would be paid and it would take a week for mine to be paid. In the meantime, I would sit at home. Though, I was a little child, I kept asking myself, why my parents paid my brother’s school fees before mine. As a girl-child, it was also my duty to take care of my younger ones and once it was a market day, I knew that I would have to stay at home to take care of my younger siblings while my mother went to the market. Yet, I was expected to perform well in school like my brother. Another happenstance that made me who I am today revolves around my mother. My mother as a born-again Christian was the leader of the women’s group in her church. She used to move around the homes of other women to minister to them. She also used to host the Mothers’ Fellowship meetings in our home.

Whenever these women came around, they had tales of maltreatment and suffering. I felt sad hearing their stories and I kept asking myself why these women were being treated badly. And when I was about 10 years old, I heard of people called pleaders, who plead on behalf of families of offenders in the village. Somebody got killed in my village and I heard people say, “Oh, he has gone to pay a pleader to meet the family of the deceased”. Then I asked adults around what a pleader means and they explained what it meant.

At that moment, I decided that I want to be a pleader when I grow up to plead for women. With time I got to understand that a pleader is a lawyer of a sort. So I decided to study Law in order for me to plead for women. You can see that my fight for women’s rights is the fulfillment of a childhood dream.

But some people have argued that the African culture is one that guarantees adequate protection for women, for such persons the call for gender equality comes from those who are too Westernised. Do you agree?

It is an old divisionary tactic. As I mentioned earlier, I made up my mind to fight for gender equality due to what I witnessed as a child. As a child, I witnessed women suffer untold hardship.

This is what influenced me. As I child I never saw a white woman. What I saw was the inhuman treatment meted out to our women and girls. I resented it. And I vowed to study Law to see what it says about how women should be treated. I planned that if the Law isn’t fair to women in my country, I would do something about changing it. I soon realised that to change things I had to be a parliamentarian. As a student, I studied the British parliamentary system. It was while I studied it that I realised that the parliament is the best institution

to talk about women and to talk to women.

You spent 17 years in the Ugandan Parliament. Would you say you were able to bring about the change you sought for since your childhood?

What is very important is that I studied Law and I found that my country’s laws weren’t good for women. So I got into parliament. With the parliament, I got the platform that I sought since childhood. I got into the place that I could shout at the top of my voice to tell women that we have been cheated for too long. The good thing is that my dream to fight for women empowerment took me to the national and the international levels. I struggled so hard for gender equality that in 1998, I received an award as one of the 100 women heroines the world over, who have fought for women empowerment. I believe I was selected because I have been the voice of the voiceless not just in Uganda, but in Africa. Although I talk about gender equality and women empowerment, I am particularly focused on improving women’s participation in politics. I do believe that women have to participate in the political process to bring about change. Women have to be in the right position to be able to influence laws and policies so that they are gender sensitive. As long as we don’t have enough women in decision-making posts, we will continue to complain. This is why now that I am out of the parliament I train women politicians in Uganda and around the continent on how to run successful campaigns.

Sadly, from the Nigerian experience most female lawmakers haven’t done much to influence laws to be gender sensitive. People have spoken from a similar position as mine from other parts of the continent. So aren’t you being too optimistic about women politicians improving the lot of the womenfolk?

I don’t think that what you said is correct. The truth is, women tend to judge each other harshly.

They forget that women politicians, like females in other sectors, work under tough conditions.

Women have to fight to make a difference in their economic status; they have to fight to bring about

‘I was a member of parliament for 17 years, I was a minister for five years yet my marriage is intact.

Some women have fallen short of expectations, they get into office, get carried away by the need to survive, they end up in other men’s beds’ a change of the law. If you look back, the Beijing Conference and the Women’s Decade held in Kenya, you will see that African women have done a lot to empower themselves. Look at what Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Leymah Gbowee have done. They won a Nobel Peace prize for their work. The same thing for the late environmentalist, Kenya’s Wangari Maathai. I cannot begin to list all that African women have done to improve their lot. But for anyone interested in knowing what women have done to make their lives better, they can read books. You can also read books because Nigerian women politicians should have done something to help better position