N894M CONTRACT SCAM: Court frees Bankole by Vanguard Media Limited

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House Leadership: Court hears PDP’s suit against Tambuwal, APC told the court yesterday. lawmakers Feb 21 Arguing through their BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI, Abuja

USTICE Ademola Adeniyi, yesterday, fixed February 21 to hear the suit seeking to stop members of the House of Representatives that defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, from changing the leadership of the House. This was even as the Speaker of the House, Mr Aminu Tambuwal, yesterday, joined forces with APC lawmakers in asking that the suit which was filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, be dismissed for want of merit. Whereas the House of Representatives, was sued as the 1 st defendant in the matter, those listed as 2nd t o 10th defendants were all the principal officers of the House comprising the Speaker, Deputy Speaker (Emeka Ihedioha), Mulikat Akande-Adeola (The Majority Leader), Leo Ogor (Deputy Majority Leader), Isiaka Bawa (Chief Whip), Ahmed Mutkar(Deputy Chief Whip), Gbajabiamila (Minority Leader), Samson Osagie (Minority Whip) and Sumaila Kawu (Deputy Minority Leader). All the APC lawmakers that decamped from the PDP were also cited in the matter as the 12th to 53rd defendants. The APC legislators, in their eighteen paragraphed counter-

affidavit deposed to by one Mr. Mike Msenge, told the court that from prolonged practice of the House of Reps (1 st defendant), the political party with majority of members in the House forms its core leadership. They argued yesterday that PDP “is not a human being but is one of the registered political parties in Nigeria. The leadership seats in question are being occupied by the 2nd —8th defendants, who are human beings”. More so, they contended that prior to the defection of the lawmakers to APC, the plaintiff, PDP, hitherto had majority membership in the House, “hence the 2nd8th defendants, being

IPU Visit: Deputy Speaker House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha chatting with Deputy Secretary General of Inter- Parliamentry Union Mr Martin Chungong while Hon. Daniel Oritsegbubemi looks on during his visit to National Assembly Abuja . Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan. members of the plaintiff, were elected into those leadership positions they are currently occupying in the 1 st

defendant. “But with the defection of the 12th—53rd defendants from the plaintiff to the APC on De-

cember 18, 2013, the plaintiff has lost its majority status, which has switched to the APC,” the lawmakers

team of lawyers led by Mr Sebastian Hon, SAN, and Magaji Mahmud, SAN, the lawmakers, stressed that PDP, lacks the locus-standi to query into administrative issues within the House, “The plaintiff has by this action, shown that it is nothing but a busybody and m e d d l e s o m e interloper”, they added. They persuaded the court to discountenance PDP’s argument that the Speaker and other principal officers of the House were merely holding a mandate that was entrusted upon them by the party, even as they yesterday urged the court to differentiate the case of Rivers State Gover nor, Chibuike Amaechi, from that of the leaders of the House.

Don raises alarm over France’s plan to invade Nigeria BY OKEY NDIRIBE, Abuja

Nigerian don has raised alarm over alleged plot by France to

invade Nigeria through Cameroon as a proxy. This alarm was raised last Thursday in Abuja by Prof Olaghere, President of United African Diaspora States, while addressing

news men at the Women Development Centre. The don further accused France of providing finance, equipment and training for the Boko Haram sect in a bid to continue with its

destabilization plot against Nigeria in particular and Africa in genera l . According to him: “France has already deployed about 60, 000 troops to Africa, pre-

e-ID cards: NIMC concludes User Acceptance Testing BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE, Abuja

HE National Iden tity Management Commission, NIMC says it has successfully carried out User Acceptance Test on the National Identity Smart Card facility to ensure that it conforms to international standards and best global practices in tune with the defined objective of the NIMS project. The User Acceptance Testing is aimed at meeting the complete requirements as provided by Datacard Group to NIMC, while demonstrating the comprehensive function of the system, which include communication

with other sub-systems in NIMC, identifying each citizen by installing personal data and applications on the chip and physical customization of the card to suit each individual. It also includes complete delivery of the validated system. The Director General of the Commission, Barrister Chris Onyemenam, in

a telephone interview, said the test case “was necessary to check the Factory Acceptance Test, FAT and the System Acceptance Test, SAT configuration. Explaining the process of the Factory Acceptance Test, FAT and the System Acceptance Testing, SAT, the NIMC boss noted that ‘test data’ was used to en-

code on the chip of the e-ID card before it can be printed. “The Smartcard chip encoding applications allows for personal information to be encrypted on the chip of the National Identity Card according to the card profiles, while the machines were used to write names on the card.

2015: Jega wants support for Media BY OKEY NDIRIBE, Abuja

HAIRMAN of In dependent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega yesterday in Abuja called for greater support to the nation’s media industry in order to strengthen professionalism and promote ethical conduct among practitioners. Jega made the call when he received a delegation of the European Union led by its Ambassador to Nigeria Mr. Michel Arrion when they paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

He further stated that INEC was ready to increase its interaction with the media in order to enhance exchange of information, develop competence and professionalism, adding that EU’s support would be welcome in this regard. The INEC boss commended the European Union (EU) previous election observation missions and declared that the commission was ready to receive a pre-election midterm review report. He said previous election observation missions have been very beneficial to the commission, adding that INEC had studied

their reports and did it best to implement many of the very good recommendation contained in them. Jega appreciated the EU’s contribution to the joint donor basket fund, saying it had gone a long way to support democracy, governance and developmental project in general. He called on the EU to support those processes which INEC had found very beneficial, explaining that as the nation moves towards 2015, there are calls for additional collaboration and cooperation in a number of areas especially in the area of voter education.

paratory to invade the whole of Africa”. The don further claimed that the Federal Government was in the know about the activities of France designed to provoke Nigeria into a military clash but had all along tread with caution and refused to make it public to avoid full-blown confrontation between both countries. He condemned French interest in the disputed Bakassi region and raised the alarm that France is currently targeting attacks against Nigeria. Olaghere said, “I want to use this platform to let Nigerians know that France is ready to come and invade Africa and Nigeria is the target. They are right now training Cameroon.” He said, “France is fighting you and it is going to drive you out of your house and it is your duty to defend Nigeria at all costs. ”France won’t be allowed to invade Africa. For me, I am fighting and it is left for us to start fighting. ”France must be asked to leave now; France must move out of Africa. ”From March 1, any army of France found anywhere in Africa, anything that happens to you, you are on your own. ”It is peace we are working for. We want to see peace prevail in Africa.”

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Court acquits Bankole over alleged N894m contract scam •Says EFCC failed to establish case against him BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIR, Abuja RESPITE came the way of the erstwhile Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Dimeji Bankole, yesterday, as the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, discharged and acquitted him over allegation that he used fake companies and defrauded the federal government to the tune of N894 million while he was in office. While upholding a nocase-application that was filed before the court by the former Speaker, Justice Evoh Chukwu, held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, failed to establish a prima-facie criminal case against the accused person. Consequently, Justice Chukwu, quashed the entire 16-count charge against the ex-Speaker, saying he was satisfied that the accused person has no case to answer with respect to the charge. According to the Judge, “The prosecution failed to prove that the accused person acted with the intent to defraud. There is no evidence that the accused unilaterally or in conjunction with anybody inflated prices of contracts. Evidence of the prosecution never showed that the accused entered into agreement with either the supplier or contractors. “There is no justification for the continuation of this trial, the prosecution failed to disclose a prima-facie case to warrant the court to demand explanations from the accused person. There is no nexus connecting the accused with the alleged offence. “Besides, none of the witnesses linked the accused with the award of the alleged contracts or showed that he entered into collusive agreement with anybody with regard to the offence contained in the charge. “From the preponderance of evidence before the court, there is an agreement that the accused does not know any of the companies or any of the con-

tractors. Prosecution witnesses testified that contracts within the upperlimit were only approved by principal officers of the House of the Representatives. “The question the prosecution has failed to provide answer to remains, at the end of the contract, did the accused person enjoy any personal benefit? There was nothing in evidence so far laid that will require any further explanation by the accused. There is no evidence that he acted in breach of the Public Procurement Act. “There is nothing to show that he selected or superintended over the bidding process, nothing to show that he is a signatory to the account or any of the companies that got the contract. “What explanation does the court then require the accused to give based on evidence adduced by both the prosecution and the witnesses? “It is my considered view that the prosecution has not disclosed any corrupt, unlawful influence, bribery or corruption by the accused in the award of the contracts. “Section 35(6) of the 1999 Constitution placed the onus on the prosecution to prove the guilt of the accused person who by law is presumed innocent until otherwise proved. “The no-case submission succeeds, accordingly, the accused is hereby discharged and acquitted,” the trial Judge held. Specifically, Bankole who was on 11 November 2013, re-arraigned before the court on an amended 16count charge preferred against him by the EFCC, had through his counsel Chief O.Akoni, SAN, maintained that the anti-graft body failed to establish his complicity in the alleged contract fraud. Contending that he neither approved nor supervised the execution of the said contracts, the former Speaker, insisted that in the absence of evidence, there was no basis to allow him to pass through the rigours of trial. Basically, EFCC, alleged

that Bankole rigged bid for the purchase of 3 units of Mercedes Benz S-600 cars, 2 units of Range Rover vehicles (without bullet proofs) and 400 units of DSTV systems, by refusing to follow all the procedures prescribed for public procurements in Sections 17 to 56 of the Public Procurement Act No.14 of 2007, leading to a loss of value to the national treasury and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 58(4)(e) of the Public Procurement Act, No.14 of

2007 and punishable under Section 58(5) of the same Act. It told the court that some of the alleged deals that formed the conduit pipes through which monies were pilfered by the accused person, included the purchase of 400 units of 40inch Samsung (LNS. 341) television sets, 800 units of Desktop Computers (HP Compaq dc 5700), 100 units of Sharp Digital Copier 5316, 400 units of HP LaserJet 2600N, among others.

To prove the complicity of the accused person, EFCC, called six witnesses and tendered several evidences it urged the court to rely upon and convict the exSpeaker. Among those that testified included the Clerk of the House, Mr Mohammed Sani Omololu, investigative officers of the EFCC and BPE officials. Some of the witnesses had narrated how bulk of the contract sum was lodged into an account maintained in the Kaduna

Gov. Peter Obi ( 2nd right), with visiting members of House of Representatives Committee on Erosion, Hon. Uche Ekwunife (2nd left),Lanre Odubote ( 1st left) and Khalid Ibrahim( 1st right) during the inspection of the ongoing work at Sacamori Erosion Site, Onitsha, yesterday

branch of Zenith Bank by a company, Multigate Resources Services Limited, whose address could not be traced by EFCC. The lead Investigator, Mr. Ibrahim Ahmed, told the court that whereas the contract funds were released via Cheques in the name of different companies, the monies ended up in the same Zenith Bank account in Kaduna. The witness, who testified as Pw-1, insisted that spirited efforts by EFCC to trace the locations of the companies were futile as the addresses found on the contract award documents purported to belong to the companies, were non-existent. He said the investigation was prompted by a petition that was lodged before the anti-graft agency by Bankole’s colleagues in the House of Reps, led by Mr Dino Melaye. Ahmed said, “We wrote to the banks and requested for the statements of the accounts. We analysed them and discovered that the cheques were cleared with one account called Multigate Resources Limited with Zenith Bank, domiciled in Kaduna. ”We also collected the account opening packages and we doscovered that it had the same address with the company we could not locate.”

Erosion: Obi seeks international assistance

OVERNOR Obi once again called on international organizations to come to the aid of Anambra State on tackling the menace of erosion in the State. He made this call yesterday at the Sacamori site , Onitsha, while conducting the House of Representatives Committee on Erosion led

by the Chairman, Hon. Uche Ekwunife around some erosion sites in the State. Gov. Obi who said that Anambra State had over 1000 active erosion sites, some of which the State had worked or was working on, revealed that work would commence on 12 other sites in few days time. He said the State had

over N2b Naira saved for the projects and expressed optimism that his successor would continue along the same path. Explaining the Work the State Government had done in Sacamori before the Federal Government came to her rescue, he said that even the money voted for the project was not enough considering the scope of

Rivers: PDP expresses worry over delay of salaries of 13,000 teachers salary, as the letters issued By JIMITOTA ONOYUME, P/ Harcourt

EOPLES Democratic Party in Rivers state has expressed sympathy with the 13 thousand teachers that have not been paid their salaries months after they were employed by the state government. Chairman of the party, Mr Felix Obuah who spoke through his media aide, Mr Jerry Needam said the party was really

disturbed by the plights of the teachers. ”PDP, Rivers State Chapter, again expresses serious concern on the plights of the newly recruited teachers, whose salaries are being owed by the Rivers State Government after several months of their engagement. “The party wonders why up till this moment, none of the employed teachers knows how much he/she is entitled to, as monthly

to them do not state how much they will be paid monthly by the government.” The statement also expressed worries with the time the biometrics being conducted on the teachers was taking. The PDP also notes with dissatisfaction the calculated delay in the biometric exercise started over a month ago with the Junior Secondary, which is being supervised by the Universal Basic Education, UBE.

work and the terrain of the area. Speaking on their visit, the leader of the Committee, Hon. Uche Ekwunife thanked the Governor for personally conducting the members around erosion sites, unlike some States where the Governors did not show concern. She said the Governor’s action was a sign of commitment to the people. Speaking further, Hon. Ekwunife who, with other Committee members drilled the contractor handling the Job on all aspects of the job, expressed satisfaction with the quality of work but noted that it was grossly underscoped.

She directed the contractor to make available all the papers relating to the job, including copies of complaints he wrote the the Ministry of Environment and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for further details.

6 — SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

God will punish politicians who fail the people — Shekarau STORIES BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA, Yenagoa

HE former Gover nor of Kano State, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau has warned that any political office holder or state governor that failed to impact positively on the lives of the people would not escape God’s punishment. Shekarau spoke yesterday in Yenagoa during the Bayelsa monthly transparency and ceremony marking two years in office of the Bayelsan Governor, Seriake Dickson. He said any state governor and political appointee that embarked on road construction and other capital projects without proper welfare policies, prompt payment of pensions and other economic empowerment will incur the full wrath of God. The former Kano State governor rated Dickson high in the area of respect for rule of law, proper siting of peoples oriented projects, fiscal regulatory control and anti-corruption. According to him, the performance of any administration will be judged on the “How” and the “Why ”. He said: “If the How and Why are not in accordance to God’s law and the peoples benefit, God’s blessing will not be with you. ”The transparency aspect of governance is in accordance with the law of God. All the judgement of God on politicians will be placed on two pillars. It will be that of why and how. If your Why is not Godly and your How is not in accordance with the dictate of God, God has no business with you. And your end result may be hell fire. ”Clerics have told us that we should make our future a priority with transparency and probity and God will prioritize our years. ”When a man in the village heard all the billions read out in the transparency briefing of the governor, he may likely dismiss it with a wave of hand.He will declare that he has not seen it on his plate of food. And there-

fore, any action, policies and programmes initiated by government, in a small way, must go to change the lives of the human being”. Shekarau said though he had just defected to the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and had wondered what a PDP governor such as Hon. Seriake Dickson will show him as performance,”but I am now convinced that PDP Governors can perform.”

On the fight against corruption in Bayelsa State, he commended the Bayelsa governor over the signing into law a bill for the establishment of an anti-corruption agency in the state. In his solidarity message, the Leader of the Caucus of National Assembly members from Bayelsa State, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri commended the performance of the state governor and agreed that such performances will ensure victory for the ruling PDP in the state in 2015.

Nnewi market women protest tax imposition BY NWABUEZE OKONKWO, Onitsha

HOUSANDS of market women at Agbo-Edo main market, Nkwo Nnewi, Anambra State yesterday locked up their shops and trooped to the streets to protest the imposition of N4,800 tax on them by the leadership of the market . The protesters, some of whom were nursing mothers carrying their babies at their backs in the scorching sun took Owerri Road from Nkwo Nnewi market chanting war songs and causing human and vehicular traffic as they headed for Nnewi North Council headquarters before they met a team of policemen that barricaded the entrance gate to the council secretariat. According to the Divisional Police Officer of Nnewi Central Police Station, Mr Ikechukwu Egbochukwu who led the team that stopped the women, the protest was illegal as there was no police approval. Spokesperson of the women who gave her name as Mrs Chioma Jesus said that traders in the market, especially women, were over burdened with multiple levies in the market, adding that the most vexatious one was a recent imposition of N4,800 per trader in the market as tax, no matter how small your business is. “We face authoritarian leadership in the market. We are not given a breathing space at all. They said we should pay N4,800 this time per head. But we are resisting that even though

they have vowed to deal with defaulters decisively as from next Monday. We want government to tell us why women should begin to pay tax in Anambra state”, the spokesperson said. In corroboration with the women’s complaints, another group in the market under the auspices of Concerned Traders of AgboEdo United Market Association had enumerated stallage fee, development levy, sanitation and security levies, loading and unloading, parking, gate, among others as some of the fees the traders pay. “After paying all these levies, yet the market has no public convenience. Traders and customers urinate and excrete indiscriminately. There is no drainage system. And when it rains, the result is that everywhere is flooded which is hazardous and injurious to health and can cause outbreak of epidemics,”the concerned traders led by Mr Christopher Osuojukwu lamented. They contended that the current leadership of the market under Mr John Nwosu who they alleged had done his second tenure should step aside for a new election to be conducted. But Mr Nwosu in his reaction on telephone said the tax in question was imposed by the State government uniformly in 52 markets across the State

“and Agbo-Edo main market case will not be an exception.” He said he was only two years in his second tenure and would go when it expires”.

Market women protesting tax imposition at Nnewi, Anambra State

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8-yr-old girl dies in hospital due to alleged negligence BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA, Yenagoa

N eight-year old girl has reportedly lost her life at the Bayelsa owned Diette Koki Memorial Hospital for women and children due to alleged power outage. The deceased girl, identified as Inato Sunday, it was learnt was until her death a primary two pupil. Miss Inato Sunday, was said to have died due to alleged negligence of staff and management of Diete Koki Memorial Hospital. According to some aggrieved family members, the death was caused by the unavailability of the technical staff of the hospital in charge of the power generating set. The deceased, an Ogbia indigene of Ogbia Local Government Area of the state, was reportedly rushed to the hospital by the parents on Monday due to stomach ache complaint but that her situation got worse on admission and died in the early hours of Tuesday at about 2am. The father of the deceased, Sunday Nyingasa, lamented that following the administration of treatment and series of unidentified

drugs, the deceased started convulsing. “Before we knew it, my daughter started convulsing. We prayed as the doctors tried all their best to stabilize her condition. Later she became calm and they said that they have no choice but to put her on life support machine. “To save the life of my daughter I paid for all they asked me to do. But the doctors allow my daughter to die because of power failure.” The father of the deceased said though power failure was experienced in some parts of the state and when it occurred at the hospital at about 2am, “I was thrown into confusion.”

“The staff in charge of the generating set that would have switched on power was nowhere to be found. “It took the nurses over 15 minutes to look for the man who was suppose to put on their power generating set. So sad, my daughter couldn’t hold on any longer, as she started vomiting and later gave up the ghost.” Another family member noted with sadness, “the late Inato Sunday would have marked her eight year birthday in July but the negligence of staff and management of Diete Koki Memorial Hospital in Yenagoa made sure that this didn’t happen.”

Boko Haram: Again, US expresses concern over and violence against fellow NigeBorno attacks *Discrimination rians never justified — US BY VICTORIA OJEME, Abuja

HE United States (US) has again expressed concern over the recent attack on Konduga, Borno State, where dozens of people were killed, many injured and young women abducted. The dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram, had,

on February 11, 2014, attacked the Konduga Village, killing the civilians and abducted students from the Government Girls Senior Science Secondary School and Ashigar School of Business and Administrative Studies. Consequently, US has called on some Nigerians not to justify violence

2015: Fresh Party goes for e-registration of members BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

RESH Party Chair man and Presidential aspirant, Rev. Chris Okotie who recently declared his intention to run for the Presidency next year, has announced plans to launch an on-line registration of members of his party. General Secretary of the party, Mr. Fela Binutu, said the decision to register members online was taken at its meeting in Lagos on Wednesday. “In the next couple of weeks, we shall start our on-line registration of members. This was the decision reached at our party’s national caucus meeting in Lagos,” he said in a press statement. Binutu urged members to note that the FRESH Party is very much alive, having won its case against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC’s) deregistration of the party at Federal High Court pre-

Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke (m) flanked by Dr. Franklin Ani, Rector, State’s College of Health Technology (L) the Registrar Mrs. Philomena Obaji and Commissioner for Health, Prof Angela Oyo-Ita cutting tape to commission an ultra modern 2 storey building that comprises laboratories and lecture auditoriums at the College yesterday.

sided by Justice Gabriel Kolawole on June 29, 2013. He added that FRESH has taken its case to INEC Chairman, Prof. A. Jega over the

non-inclusion of FRESH in the ballot paper in some states where elections are being held for Governorship or other offices.

against Nigerians based on their sexual orientation. ”We have noted that Since the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act was signed, it has expressed concern as a friend of Nigeria that it might be used by some to justify violence against Nigerians based on their sexual orientation. Recent attacks in Abuja deepen our concern on this front. ”We hope that all Nigerians can agree that discrimination and violence against any fellow Nigerian is never justified”. In a statement made available, yesterday, by the embassy in Abuja, the US strongly condemned the terrorists’

Konduga killing: NOSCEF urges service chiefs to deliver on presidential order BY SAM EYOBOKA

EEVED by the huge number of casualties in a recent attack by the proscribed Islamic sect, Boko Haram and the vicious attacks on residents of Konduga in Borno State, the Northern States Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF) has called on the newly inaugurated service chiefs, especially the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh to urgently deliver on President Goodluck Jonathan’s order that security be restored to Borno State. In a reaction co-signed by its vice chairman, Dr. Michael Ango and na-

tional secretary, Emmanuel Subilim and made available to Saturday Vanguard, the forum expressed disgust at the continued attack on Christian communities in the North. It will be recalled that members of the sect killed over 39 residents of the community which sent shock waves across the environs resulting in the President’s order that something drastic be done to resolve the security challenge, saying “ we will not sleep until people in Borno State can sleep.” According to the forum; “We are deeply upset and horrified to learn of yet another callous act of violence committed

against our fellow Northern Nigerians in Konduga, Borno State. We, in NOSCEF, believe that all Nigerians have the right to speak out and worship freely, without the threat of violence or intimidation.

action describing it as a brutal attack. It said that it was deeply concerned about the welfare of the young women currently being held against their will, while urging the Federal Government to inves-

tigate the attack and to ensure that “all abductees are safely returned to their families.” The US also called on the government to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice as soon as possible.

Deltans in diaspora throw their weight behind Monye BY TOMMY ANADUAKA

S the race for 2015 governor ’s office in Delta State gathers momentum, a cross section of Deltans living outside the country have thrown their weight behind the aspiration of the Special Adviser to the President on Mornitoring and Evaluation, Prof. Sylvester Monye. Speaking at a gathering held in Los Angeles, in the United States of America the group under the aegis of ‘’Deltans in Diaspora for good governance ‘’ the President Dr. Anthony Obanyedo said that the decision of the body made up of over two thousand members of various ethnicities to

give their support to Prof. Monye was as a result of a recent research carried out during the visit of members to the state and their Independent interactions with most aspirants for the plum position as well as indigenes. Dr. Obanyedo remarked that there was need for all to join hands and ensure that a credible person that has all it takes to continue from the good works of the governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan is elected adding that Delta as a mini Nigeria cannot be left in the hands of just anybody rather someone with the vision to lead the state and its people to the promised land.

Aka Ikenga decries extortion of motorists by hatchet men In a statement made spector General of Police and copied the Governor By ANOZIE EGOLE

N Igbo non-political social group, Aka Ikenga, has urged the Comrade Governor, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state to save the souls of motorists who ply the Benin Ring by pulling out the henchmen from the federal roads.

available to Saturday Vanguard, the President of Aka Ikenga, Chief Goddy Uwazurike, said, “ We in Aka Ikenga, have noted with dismay the return of the hatchet men and women on the Benin Ring Road who disappeared from the Federal Roads in Edo State after we petitioned the in-

of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the Local Government Chairman involved. Today, the Local Government men are back to the federal roads around Benin city to demand money from travellers whose only crime is that they are passing through the Federal highway in Edo State.

8 — SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

Anti-graft war: EFCC gives self pass mark •Vows to convict more corrupt persons in 2014 •Set to discontinue use of private prosecutors BY SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North

ESPITE the esca lation of corruption in the country, the Economic and Financial Crimes a Commission boasted yesterday that it did well last year by securing the conviction of 117 corrupt persons. At a media briefing in Abuja, the commission’s Head of Media a n d . P u b l i c i t y, M r. Wilson Uwujaren, said the agency was poised to drive more corrupt persons into the prison in 2014 given the directive by the Chief Justice of Nigeria to judges to accelerate corruption trials. Uwujaren said, “In 2013, the Commission charged a total of 533 cases to court and recorded 117 convictions. “This convictions figure represents an improvement over the 105 convictions recorded in 2012,” he said. According to Uwujaren, “the fact that 99 per cent of the convictions were secured by lawyers in the legal and prosecution department of the EFCC has buoyed the determination of the leadership of the Commission to strengthen the department and deemphasise the use of private solicitors for the prosecution of EFCC cases”.

From Left: Clerk, Senate Committee on Gas Resources; Dr. (Mrs.) Betty Okoroh, Senator ‘Gbenga Ashafa, Senator Boluwaji Kunlere, Operations Base Manager (Pan Ocean Oil Corporation),Mr. Monday Ikhureigbe, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, Senator Ahmad Zannah, Senator Bello Tukur and the Deputy General Manager, Corporate Strategy (Pan Ocean Oil Corporation) Mr. Adeshina Shittu,during the Inspection of the facilities of Pan Ocean Oil Corporation (Nigeria) Limited by the Senate Committee on Gas Resources in Delta State, recently. Uwujaren said the Commission achieved

this result despite the onerous challenges it

faced in prosecuting economic and financial

crimes cases. “These figures indicate a steady progression in convictions return, which is encouraging in the light of the well publicized encumbrances that the EFCC contends with in the prosecution of economic and financial crimes case”. Uwujaren seized the opportunity of the media briefing to call on all stakeholders, especially the media to join the fight against corruption so that the social malaise can be exterminated from the Nigeria society. “A Corrupt free Nigeria is better for us all” he said. Among those convicted in 2013 included Pastor Glory Abrefera and Reverend Vincent

Okpogo and their company, Mustard Seed Micro Investment Limited. The two men of God where found guilty on a four count charge of carrying out banking practice without licence. The accused persons were said to have collected over N1 billion from different individuals and organizations as deposit in an illegal investment scheme, and failed to account for all the deposits they collected. Justice Ibrahim Buba, of the Federal High Court Asaba, Delta State convicted and sentenced the accused persons to 10 years imprisonment on each count and a fine of N2 million on each of the counts.

Cross-defection: Five lawmakers left APC to escape shipwreck – Gulak BY HUGO ODIOGOR & CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

PECIAL Adviser to the President on Political Affairs Alhaji Ahmed Ali Gulak has dismissed as wild and frivolous, allegations by the All Progressive Congress (APC), that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) offered money to five federal lawmakers to make them dump the opposition Party. In a chat with Saturday Vanguard, Gulak said: “There is no grain of truth in the allegations that PDP offered money to five lawmakers who discovered early enough that they were entering into a ship that is headed for the rocks and de-

cided to pull back from shipwreck.” “The five lawmakers chose to stay with a par-

ty that offers them stability and continuity, it is therefore insulting to the integrity of the five law-

makers and their families for anybody to allege that they were induced with dollars to abandon the

Court stops ex-senator from building on Ikoyi land certificate of occupancy, property to him and to take BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

former Senator for the Anambra South constituency, Ikechukwu Obiora, has lost a legal bid to further develop a property on 6, Okotie-Eboh Street, Ikoyi, following an order by a Lagos State High Court in Igbosere. Justice Folasade BankoleOki ordered that status quo be maintained, pending the hearing of the claimant’s (Chief Louis Onwugbenu) application for injunction and warned that any party who flouts the order would be held in contempt of court. ”I don’t need to tell anybody that when there is a status quo order, there are legal consequencies if it is violated,” the judge said. The judge ordered that photograph of the property be taken, noting that the photograph of the property will be verified by all counsel by way of an affidavit. Onwugbenu sued the exsenator, his company Corporate Ideals Properties Limited; a businessman A. B. C Orjiako and property firm Orangeline Limited. Urging the court to hold that he is the rightful owner entitled to the grant of

Onwugbenu claimed that he gave the senator the sum of N1.4billion for the purchase of 6, Okotie-Eboh, Ikoyi and other properties in Lagos. The claimant sought an order directing the defendants to return the original certificate of occupancy in respect of the

necessary steps to perfect the title to his name. In the alternative, Onwugbenu sought an order directing the senator to refund the sum of N1.4billion to him, which he claimed he gave the former senator in trust for the purchase of the properties.

JAMB moves to curb exam malpractices through computer based test According to her, “this is BY SIMON EBEGBULEM. Benin

S part of its efforts to curb examination malpractices, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), yesterday commenced Advocacy and sensitization Campaign for students writing its examination in Edo state. The Zonal Coordinator of the JAMB, Mrs Priscilla Ogunsola, who disclosed that over 150 people are participating in the Computer based test (CBT) across Edo state, explained that the campaign was to enlighten those writing their exams on how to make best use of the computer in answering questions.

to demonstrate the use of computers for our examinations. Apart from curbing examination malpractices, the reoccurring issue of incomplete results will be eliminated. We found out that most times, students forgets to shade the subjects they choose and that leads to incomplete result when the results are released. “So we decided to sensitize those who are going to write our examinations on how to use computers to write the exams, in order to eliminate the problems we have been encountering all these years. With computers the relevant datas will be there and it will be easier for us too to work on after the exams.

opposition party.” He continued: “We have seen that when people cross over to APC, they are not accused of doing so for financial gains but when those who see that APC has nothing to offer Nigerians and return to PDP, they are accused of being bribed. We must feel concerned that APC now sees itself as the political party that would control the minds and reasoning of its members. This is a dangerous slide into fascism; their members are not allowed to reason independently or take rational decision as human beings. “We are worried that APC has developed a penchant for throwing wild allegations without substantiating such allegations but most importantly, it has developed a psychology of making false and frivolous claims on issues of governance. APC has continued to accuse individuals and groups of corruption without providing proofs to back its claims. We expected the APC to provide credible opposition to the ruling party, but the APC has turned itself into a pressure group whose mission is to frustrate the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, inflict hardship on Nigerians and create violence if it fails to accomplish its goals. This is a brand of politics that Nigerians must reject.”

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014 — 9

I resigned to play Delta State politics — Orubebe •Says: I was not sacked •East-West road completion dateline on course BY CHRIS OCHAYI, Abuja

UTGOING Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, has dismissed media reports that he was sacked by President Goodluck Jonathan, saying that he resigned voluntarily to enable him participate in politics of Delta State ahead of 2015 general elections. Elder Orubebe who made the clarification during the formal handing over ceremony of the affairs of the ministry to the Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Arch. Darius Ishaku in Abuja, said he willingly resigned his ministerial portfolio to go home and play politics. According to him, “for the avoidance of doubt, I was not dropped, and I was not sacked. I put in my letter of resignation because I want to go and play politics both at the national level and in Delta state .” The former minister who said, “I have told the people we are bringing new concept of governance in Delta state, added, “I can’t continue as minister and become governor of Delta State.” Orubebe pointed out that his resignation was as a result of his political interest at the national and state level. Orubebe who was first appointed Minister of Special Duties by late President Umaru Yar ’Adua in 2007 was later appointed Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs upon the creation of the ministry in 2009 by President Yar’Adua. He was later appointed substantive Minister of the ministry by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010 following the demise

of President Yar’Adua. Orubebe who succeeded the pioneer Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Ufot Ekaette had been steering the affairs of the Ministry

until 12 February 2014 when he resigned. Orubebe who was a former Councillor representing his Ward at the Burutu Local

N line with bringing investors from all around the continent of Africa to talk about business and technology, plans have been concluded to host the second edition of the global and cultural event,

years, Orubebe declared that, “I want to off load these to the services of my people because I don’t want to go just like that without giving back what God has given to me.”

N4.7bn money laundering: Appeal Court orders Ladoja to continue trial BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

HE Lagos division of the Court of Appeal yesterday ordered former Governor of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja, to contin-

ue his N4.7bn money laundering trial before a Federal High Court, Lagos, instituted against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Ladoja, through his lawyer, Dr. Dapo Olanipekun

from Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) law firm had filed an appeal against the decision of the lower court which refused to quash the 10- count of money laundering charge. In its judgement delivered by Justice Sidi Bage,

the appellate court refused the appeal and ordered the former governor to continue his trial at the lower court. Justice Bage in his lead judgement unanimously adopted by other two justices held that the EFCC has power to prosecute under Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2004. The appellate court held that Section 14 of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2004 gives power to EFCC to prosecute the former governor. Besides, the court held that Section 7(2) of the EFCC Act also empowered

the Commission to prosecute money laundering offences. However, Ladoja through his counsel has vowed to challenge the judgement at the Supreme Court. The former governor had in his appeal argued that the proof of evidence accompanying the charges instituted before the trial court failed to link him with the alleged crime, adding that it did not establish any prima facie case against him. Ladoja prayed the appellate court to reverse the ruling of the Federal High Court and quash the charges.

Amaechi signs Rivers State reserve fund amendment bill into law Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi with Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Chidi Lloyd. during the signing of the Rivers State Reserve Fund (Amendment) Law No.1, 2014. in Government House Port Harcourt, yesterday

2015: 10 PDP aspirants struggle for governorship seat in Oyo BY OLA AJAYI Ibadan

S preparations for the 2015 elections gain momentum in Oyo State, no fewer than 10 governorship aspirants have emerged on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Among them are the former Governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, Engineer Femi Babalola, an Ibadan-based business man, Prof. Soji Adejumo, former State Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Board, Azeem Gbolarumi, former

Obi Asika to host this year’s SMW BY ANOZIE EGOLE

Government Council of Delta State, rose to become the Chairman of Local Government Council, Minister of Special Duties, Supervising Minister of

National Planning, Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. Emphasising on the experiences he had gathered in politics and civil service over the

Social Media Week Lagos next week. This year ’s edition which has been tagged, “A Connected Africa is the Future” promised to feature 55 corporate organisations and entertainment ambassadors from the 55 African countries that will participate in the programme during the

Social Media Week Lagos conference. Speaking at the unveiling programme held in Lagos recently, the host of the event, Obi Asika, said that not only that Social Media Week is a global event, it is also, a cultural event and has some technological values for the participants.

Deputy Governor of the state, Seyi Makinde, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide, the Minister of State, FCT, Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja, former Deputy gover nor, Senator Teslim Folarin, former Senate leader, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja former Minister of Sports, and others. To ensure the unity of the party, Otunba AlaoAkala has begun genuine reconciliation move to bring various feuding factions within the party together. According to his aide, Engr. Femi Babalola, the reconciliatory move being made by Otunba Akala has started yielding positive results.

IVERS State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has signed the Rivers State Reserve Fund Amendment Bill No. 1, 2014, into Law. The amendment of the law, according to him, is to enable the State Government access N30 billion out of the N53 billion saved so far to enable his administration complete ongoing projects. Amaechi disclosed this Thursday when members of the Rivers State House of Assembly presented the bill for his assent at the Executive Council chambers of Government House in Port Harcourt. According to him, “The basic reason for the amendment is that the federal government is claiming that oil theft has affected our revenue and the allocation is dwindling seriously. I want to add that corruption is also responsible. And because we have numerous projects to fund, I have been consulting with other members of cabinet that

there was the need to have access to that fund. We will continue to save when the revenue improves, but for now, I think, it is necessary that we take about N30 billion to fund our projects and also run government.” “I had a debate with the State Assembly on the amendment. I didn’t know that the need to utilize the money will crop up in our regime and at this point, it is an emergency and we need to have access to that fund”, Amaechi explained. Earlier, leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Chidi Lloyd said, the need to access the funds became necessary due to the daunting challenges affecting the Amaechi led administration. Hear him :“We are aware that you (Amaechi) wanted to put a stop to empty state treasury whenever there is transition of government, and critics of this administration has argued that we have not saved any money.”

10—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

ACCREDITATION:

Lagos commercial drivers, conductors, in mad rush for registration the sector had kicked against the exercise which they believed was meant to rake in more money into the state’s government coffers and also described it as “multiple registration exercise”. The state Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, who made the declaration ahead of the planned enforcement, had initially, lamented the uncooperative attitude of some operators in the transport sector who he said were bent on frustrating the effort of government. The exercise, involved all commercial bus owners to visit any of the 21 zonal offices of the Vehicle Inspection Service, VIS, nearest to them for re-accreditation and documentation, while drivers and conductors are to visit any of the five Lagos State Drivers’ Institute, LASDRI, Centres spread across the state where they will be accredited and issued with the Lagos Commercial passenger vehicle driver’s and conductor’s badge after completing the mandatory LASDRI training. The commissioner, while acknowledging the support of the transport unions leadership so far in

he Lagos State Government, last year, signalled the commencement of the implementation of the second phase of the 2012, Lagos State Road Traffic Law, when it directed commercial vehicle owners, drivers and conductors to go to identified centres to register for re-accreditation exercise. The aim is to regulate the operations of transport operators for improved quality service delivery, efficiency, safety and security as well as the sustainability of the implementation of a safe, efficient and reliable public transport system in line with the provisions of Regulations 38 and 41 of the Road Traffic Law. To be precise, on November 1st 2013, the state government announced the commencement of reaccreditation of all commercial vehicle operators expected to last for 60 days which supposedly expired on December 31, 2013, in accordance with the agreement reached with the leadership of various transport unions in the state with a vow to sanction offenders appropriately. Though, some of the operators in

mobilizing their members to key into the programme actively, further directed them to encourage those who have not registered to do so or be ready to face the consequences of their action. At the expiration of the initial set date, National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, in Lagos, appealed to the government to extend the deadline. The government listened to their appeal by extending the deadline to February ending 2014, but the expected turnout at the VIS offices by commercial transport owners was still a far cry. However, it was not

move towards mass transit, there is need for us to know them to cater for their needs. He said; “Full enforcement of the law would soon begin. The enforcement is in line with Regulation 41 of the Lagos Road Traffic Law 2012.” Opeifa said that the state government had been magnanimous to have relaxed the enforcement of the law, adding that when the full enforcement commence, anyone found not to have complied with the directive would be appropriately sanctioned. According to him: “Also, this is hindering introduction of the passenger insurance policy. Every commercial vehicle owner must insure passengers too. This will give the passengers confidence to board vehicle without fear. The issue of one chance will be a thing of the past. “The vehicle insurance they signed, do not cover passengers. So we need to force the owners to embark on these. And we do not want owners to register vehicle in Ogun and use it in Lagos. “The operation in addition, must have a third party insurance policy as well as the Lagos State Insurance Scheme.” There is also approved uniform for drivers and conductors designed by the transport unions that will have badges issued to owners of commuter vehicles, drivers and conductors. Another aspect of the law, is the new state taxi policy system, which make it mandatory for anybody that wants to also operate taxi system to obtain a license and such vehicle will be painted in the state government colour of yellow with black stripes except those belonging to the modern taxi system. “With the license, the operators can get financial assistance from the banking sector.” Opefa assured. The commissioner added that effort was ongoing to ensure that there are taxi stands in hotels and major shopping malls in the State. The commissioner, while acknowledging the support of the transport unions’ leadership so far in mobilizing their members to key into the programme actively, further directed them to encourage those who have not registered to do so or be ready to face the consequences of their action.

The aim is to regulate the operations of transport operators for improved quality service delivery, efficiency, safety and security as well as the sustainability of the implementation of a safe, efficient and reliable public transport system in line with the provisions of Regulations 38 and 41 of the Road Traffic Law

the same story at LASDRI centres where officials are battling to cope with the large turnout of commercial drivers, and conductors in the quest to get registered. According to Opeifa, “We want to formalize everything. This is the only way we can know those that are truly passenger transporters. As we

Opeifa, while commending the operators during the presentation of reports from VIS on the progress so far made in the registration exercise, expressed satisfaction over the turn out, stressing that it would surely improve the availability, safety and security position of public transport operation in the state.

Male folks constitute higher traffic offenders in Lagos State

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014—11 in LASDRI centres are that drivers have not really turned up in the training. It is only when they visit the centres and the institution couldn’t cope with the population, that there can be need for more centres. Re-certification exercise For this, no fee is charged. But for the original certification course which the state government has subsidized, drivers are expected to pay N1, 000. And we have instructed the drivers to pay the fee in the designated banks through the counter or through Automated Teller Machine, ATM which they can swap in the institute. At the initial stage, the aim of the state governor was to train all drivers free. But we had to beg him before he accepted that fee should be attached. We started with N500. Cases of second offender At the end of last year, we compiled the list of multiple offenders and they were 250 drivers. They were not those that had come here for training. We are still compiling the list. We will be sending letters to them as a means of advising them on how they can be good drivers on the road. The reasons for these are based on attitudes.

—LASDRI boss Mr. Ayodeji Peters Oyedokun, is the Chief Executive Officer CEO, LASDRI, Olasunkanmi Akoni, recently visited Oshodi centre and had a chat with him with focus on the update of the on-going re-certification exercise of all commercial vehicle drivers and conductors operating in the state as well as other transport related issues in the state. Excerpts:

On the exercise so far As you can see, we have a lot of drivers on ground. Originally, the centre has capacity to take 75 people per day but we have expanded our facility to respond to the demands. We are now operating two shifts. Oshodi now attends to 150 drivers daily. Also in Lagos Island, one will discover that people are responding. The drivers are coming forward for their registration and re-accreditation. The issue of deadline doesn’t affect LASDRI. And the reason was that anyone could decide to become a professional driver. And if they come forward, the institute will register and accredit them. What I know is that the enforcement is still ongoing. It is having effect on the attendance at the institute. But one may feel that the process is a bit slow, but I want to say that the process is not slow, anyone who is yet to undergo training in any of the LASDRI centres across the state, for the mandatory annual recertification for all professional drivers can come forward to LASDRI. The training process requires that the driver attends a lecture on how to drive safely. After, his biometrics would be captured among others. At the completion of this exercise, the driver will be accredited to be able to drive a commercial public transport in the state. At the moment, the state government is appealing to professional drivers not to concentrate on Oshodi centre alone. This is because we have other four centres. The attendances in the LASDRI centres are building up at the moment; except for Badagry and Epe. Maybe this is due to the population of drivers that ply the roads on these axis at the moment. All those centres have been well equipped by the state government. The equipments have been doubled to respond to the attendance explosion. For now, we haven’t experienced the number that we couldn’t respond to. We are responding to the attendance. Even when the state executive mobilized everyone to visit

The scheme is about bringing orderliness into the public transportation system in the state

Oshodi, we did it successfully; and it was hitch free. Aim of the scheme The scheme is about bringing orderliness into the public transportation system in the state. One will agree with me that in the past, as it relates to drivers and owners of vehicles, we found out that in Lagos, owners of vehicles do not know the driver handling their vehicle at a particular time. You have had cases of drivers handing over a vehicle to another driver without the consent of the owner. I know this because I was part of the enforcement team. We have had cases where we impound a vehicle and in the process, the driver abandons the vehicle. The only person we see after weeks will be the owner; who would want to recover the vehicle. Meanwhile, the driver that committed the offence had dissolved into the society. And another vehicle owner will employ him to drive another public bus. And this person will continue to commit the same offence. In Lagos, we have seen cases of someone with one-arm and one-eye driving the yellow commercial buses pseudonym Danfo. With this training, orderliness, safety and security have returned to public transportation. When drivers know that they have record somewhere, if

Oyedokun

they violate any law, they could be easily apprehended; they will drive with care. Number of people rehabilitated so far The training institute will be five years old in August 2014. That is just one of the windows that bring drivers to the institute. We have other two windows. And the windows are: the mandatory, structured courses-where employers of drivers seek the institutions service to train his drivers-and the third level is the traffic offenders are referred to the institute. And this is the window that is very open to all because anyone can violate the traffic law. Till date, we have rehabilitated 2, 500 drivers in the state both commercial and private vehicle operators. And when one is referred to the institution, we ensure that he or she is trained to know how not to commit such traffic offence again. And this represents both private car owners and professional drivers. That is the only avenue that has brought women to the institution. But men are the highest traffic offenders in the state. Challenge/constraint If you see anyone complaining, it was because we have failed to bend the rule. Many of the drivers don’t have drivers license and they want to be certified. And when they are not allowed to engage in the training, they offer bribe. But because we have trained our officials, they do reject the bribe. When one doesn’t have his driver’s license or a proof that he is processing it, he will be denied. It is time that Nigerians shunned cutting corners. The challenges we are facing

Rickety vehicles On our part, we are working on the drivers. One of the first courses that drivers are taught here is for them to know their responsibility-to the owner, passenger, other road users and their vehicle. We believe that when we train the drivers on the importance of driving sound vehicles, we won’t find rickety buses on the roads again. This is because they now know the hazard of driving rickety buses. We are all enforcing the traffic laws. Today, the number of rickety buses has reduced compared to what is experienced on the road few years ago. This isn’t the effort of one of the transport agency but the combination of all the agencies. And the effort of the agencies has brought orderliness. And I believe that we are moving towards a better transport service. Driver’s license It is not that LASDRI is asking for the card but we want to see the evidence that the person has paid the required fee. The process is in top gear. The reason why we are demanding for the card was that they don’t have driver’s license or they have expired license and they haven’t made any effort to renew it. Fresher courses/capacity building for trainers From the bases, some of the instructors were trained in United States of America, USA, India, Sweden and others. And internally, we organize training for them as well. The issue that we all must understand is that when LASDRI commenced operation, there wasn’t any reference point. There isn’t anywhere in the world where people that have already been licensed as drivers are made to return to the training institute for the purpose of retraining. We are now the reference point for people to learn. We have trained transport officials from Ghana. And in Nigeria, we have trained officials from Kwara, Osun and others. Advice For the employers of drivers, they must have attitudinal change towards drivers. They must know that sending their drivers to training will reduce the anticipated crashes to between 35 per cent and 75 per cent. They should see their drivers like other employees that are sent on capacity training.

12—SATURDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY15 FEBRUARY15, 2014

Sanusi

KEROSENE RACKET:

NNPC’s way of turning relief into nightmare N

igeria is one of the world’s largest producers of crude oil which supposes that kerosene, a by-product, predominantly used by millions of our people as the cheapest energy for domestic cooking, suddenly became a scarce commodity as the price went beyond the reach of most ordinary citizens. Kerosene was once deregulated by the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo when he was the country’s president from 1999 to 2007. Later it was regulated making the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC the sole importer bringing the product at a landing cost of about N130 per litre but supplies at N40.90 per litre yet the end users pay outrightly at double or triple this price. Under the government of late President Musa Yar ’Adua, a regime of subsidy on petroleum products was introduced especially involving Petrol or Premium Motor Spirit,PMS for the benefit of Nigerians. The Federal Government spent billions of naira in en-

suring that petrol is available at affordable price to motorists and public transport operators. Although at high cost to government, subsidy has helped tremendously to stablisise the socio-economic system and removed incessant fuel scarcity in the country, not withstanding the massive fraud and corruption by the marketers. However, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, opened a can of worms, when he described kerosene subsidy as illegal, saying it is a racket. He affirmed that kerosene is not a subsidised product, citing a data of the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, producing evidence that late President Yar’Adua issued a presidential directive removing subsidy payment as from July 2009. Appearing before the Senate Committee on Finance, Sanusi said that the burden of proof on NNPC is to show where they obtained authorisation to purchase kerosene at N150 per litre from Federation funds and sell at N40 per litre, knowing full well that this product sells in the market at N170N220 per litre. He asked at what point

was the presidential directive reversed. Earlier he had asserted that out of the $67 billion that has accrued to the NNPC account, $47 billion have been accounted for. Out of the $67 billion that the NNPC shipped, $47billion had been repatriated to the CBN. What to be accounted for yet is the balance of

BY EMMANUEL EDUKUGHO

Madueke

It was discovered that kerosene was available only at the 36 NNPC mega stations out of over 24,000 retail outlets across the country. Because of massive diversion of the product, consumers are paying for kerosene at between N140 and N150 per litre. A house wife, Mrs. Catherine Ennih, lamented the plight of consumers who are compelled to buy the product at N150 in most filling stations particularly along Lagos/Badagry Expressway. “I reside at Ijanikin and all the petrol stations around always display a signboard saying: “No kerosene.” As a result, often times we go to private retailers either in their homes or shops to buy kerosene some times as high as N175 per litre. But we understand it should be sold at N50. You can never get the product at that price. Who are they deceiving,?” she asked in a brief chat with Saturday Vanguard. According to her, government should look at the kerosene matter with all seriousness as many people use the

kerosene is not a subsidised product, citing a data of the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, producing evidence that late President Yar’Adua issued a presidential directive removing subsidy payment as from July 2009

$20 billion which NNPC claimed was on kerosene and fuel subsidy, through a scheme known as Kero-Direct initiated in July 2011 to assist in the distribution of household kerosene (HHK) to consumers across the country. The Corporation denied knowledge of the presidential directive stopping kerosene subsidy.

product for cooking at home. “I am afraid of gas because it is highly inflammable and I have little children in the house who could tamper with gas cylinders and could cause fire due to leakage. If the government ensures appropriate pricing of the product based on subsidy as applicable to petrol, then the masses will be happy with President Jonathan.”

SATURDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15 15, 2014—13

Nigerians lament as kerosene price soars BY KEHINDE AJOSE & ADERONKE ADEYERI

espite claims by the Federal Government that the price of kerosene has been subsidized, the masses cannot get the product at the subsidised price. Saturday Vanguard sought the views of Nigerians, as they bare their minds on the issue.

Some homes Are resorting to coal already — Funmi Gaji(School Teacher)

“Kerosene is spiritual. We keep consuming and consuming it, and it keeps vanishing .It’s also expensive. Some homes are resorting to the use of coal already. A litre is barely enough for a family in a day. In my home, we use our hot plate pot more, when there is electricity.”

Funmi

Yemi

Ebun

Govt should not deprive the public of kerosene Akinyemi Femi(Civil Engineer)

“Almost every household in Nigeria uses kerosene for one thing or the other. It is a vital commodity that the government should not deprive the public of. We do not get kerosene at our filling stations again and it was never like this in time past. Selling kerosene at a price of almost N130 per litre from retailers is only increasing the suffering of the masses.”

No subsidy on kerosene -Taiyese Ebunlomo(Civil Servant)

” For me the alleged benefit of kerosene subsidy to Nigerians is simply not real. In as much as the masses who use it more don’t have option, it can be said that the masses are not beneficiaries of the subsidy on kerosene .If NNPC keeps selling at N50 per litre and the effect can’t be felt by the people, it’s of no use.”

The cost is outrageous Lara Yusuf (Make-Up Artiste)

“Everybody cannot afford other means of cooking and power supply is bad. Kerosene being on the high side isn’t favorable at all. A large number of Nigerians use it. Government should cut down their budget on frivolities and make things favourable for

Lara the people. Democracy is about the people.”

Kerosene subsidy is only on paper - Olugbemi Olufemi (Entrepreneur)

“I have never heard of kerosene subsidy in Nigeria until this recent controversial $10.8 billion scandal between Central Bank of Nigeria and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. I want to say there has never been any subsidy on kerosene in Nigeria. Let the two parties come out to tell Nigerians where they kept the money. Also, if there was any subsidy on kerosene it was only on paper because I cannot recall buying kerosene as low as N50 in Nigeria and even in NNPC filling stations.”

Is Govt fooling Nigerians? -Titilayo Oyekan (Business

Femi

Manager)

“As far as I am concerned, the federal government and her agencies are playing on the intelligence of Nigerians again. What amazes me is that they always do this at the beginning of the year. It is only a plot to increase the price of kerosene. That was the result of the petroleum subsidy saga we experienced two years back. ”

No subsidy for Nigerians - Agbolade Omowole-(I.T. Professional)

“Nigeria is one of the major exporters of petroleum products including kerosene. If Nigerians cannot enjoy kerosene at a subsidized rate, then the government needs to go back to the drawing board. The price has to be reduced and other distribution networks revamped. One of the basic human needs is food and more than

Titilayo 40 million Nigerians use this commodity to cook. Productivity is limited in the presence of hunger.”

Govt needs to open up sales of kerosene — Wale Odunsi (Public Affairs Commentator)

“The government needs to give license to more capable dealers. They need to call a stakeholders meeting to brainstorm on this issue.”

Reactivate indigenous refineries—Dr Chris Nwaokobia– (Human Rights Activist)

“The government needs to repair our refineries and reactivate indigenous refining of petroleum products. They need to clip the wings of the cabal that profits from this error and do things rightly.”

NNPC’s way of turning relief into nightmare Another woman, a trader in Agbara, Madam Josephine Okome said government should come to the rescue of the common people by establishing NNPC mega stations in more towns and cities. “We need an NNPC station in Agbara. These other filling stations are ripping consumers off. Many house-

wives are going into the forest to fetch firewood for cooking and thereby cutting down trees while government is mounting campaign to plant more trees to protect communities.” Sanusi had revealed in a reported presentation on kerosene that the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA records suggest that NNPC imports about four to six vessels of kerosene a month, of

which the value of each vessel is put at $30 million and the amount of subsidy per vessel is N20m. By this estimate, at an average of five vessels a month, the federation account loses $100m every month to this racket. An energy analyst, Mr. Tokunboh Asaju said government must act fast to get to the root of this racket and confirm if the CBN governor is actually correct.

“Our people are fed up with reports of such scams that tend to short change the interest of the ordinary people. What supposed to be subsidy relief for kerosene consumers had become misery and nightmare. the implication is increased hardship and suffering for the people.” He called for full investigation of the kerosene racket to ascertain what has happened.

14—SATURDAY Vanguard,FEBRUARY 15, 2014

*garment of honour *defection blues *John Ojidoh, my good old friend institution, whether social or religious. However, any mode of dressing could be integrated within a formal uniform, and could be acceptable in compliance with the general aspect of the prescribed wear with regard to colour or character of its manner of employment. For instance, the turban was incorporated into the Boy Scout uniform in Pakistan, and a United Arab Emirate was not even stopped from competing with the hijab. One has to agree that the adoption of any item of apparel that would promote good behaviour in our women deserves every encouragement, and that it should find wholesome achievement without engendering an unnecessary conflict. One has expected a season of distractions this year as a necessary prelude to the major event of next year. A

he President (Female) of the Muslim Student Union of Nigeria, Lagos Area Unit, Hajia Hafsa Badru almost stunned me as she addressed a crowd of supporters at the Gania Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ojota, recently. The occasion was the World Hijab Day, said to be observed all over the world ostensibly to proclaim the precept of chastity and propriety among Muslim women as symbolised by the wearing of the Hijab. This is the fascinating headgear won by women in the Middle East, from where it spread to various Muslim communities across the world. In fact, for eons, it has been identified as part of the female apparel without any particular reference to the faith of the wearer. Its special connection to the Muslim faith these days arises purely from the fact that it is worn as part of the female attire of Arabs who are mostly Muslims. Some Christians in the Middle East wear it as a matter of course. The injunction in the Holy Koran which is usually cited in support of its connection with the Muslim faith does refer in general terms to the proper covering of the female person as a deterrent measure against immorality: “0 Prophet, enjoin your wives, children and the believing women that they should draw their outer garments over their bodies. That is more proper, so that they may be recognized and not bothered. Allah is forgiving, merciful” (Surah 33, verse 59.) It is indeed no more pointed, nor in any way divergent, from St. Paul’s own ruling on the same subject:“ 1 would therefore that .... women in like manner adorn themselves in “modest apparel,with shamefacedness and sobriety ... (1 Timothy 2:9). “ It was a part of the religious or even social precept of the early Palestinians. It was not focused to the head but on the entire female person generally. As shown in the religious artistic depictions widely circulated for centuries,even Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ,was clothed in that manner. However, the purity of the •Governor Aregbesola instruction has been grievously eroded down the years even the governor ’s inclination among the Muslims who, albeit, towards favouring his have continued to champion its religion openly in situations value and thus promoted it into where it would be politic to an article of faith. It cannot be be totally neutral. His said to have contributed attitude of a religious zealot immensely to the general confers little credibility on improvement of morals among the sense of fairness its adherents, though that is an expected from the governor arguable point and does no of a political entity injury to the sincere efforts to comprising elements of make it an instrument for that diverse faiths and suasions. purpose. Additional efforts may He has beneficial lessons to be in fact, needed to impress the learn from his peers around intent of its usage on its users, him, like Babatunde Raji to actually elevate it into the Fashola of Lagos State, to “apparel of honour, garment of whom religion has become a modesty” that its devotees claim means of uniting various it to be. In fact, it possesses an units among the people, and alluring quality of its own that establishing a profound trust could cause its wearers to “be in his sincerity. That was why I was almost bothered”. In plain terms,it sometimes, somehow, turns out, bowled over when MSSN Amirah Hajia Hafsa Badru, in fact, to be somewhat sexy. addressing the crowd in ..The frightening aspect, however, is that the hijab seems Lagos declared, “Our appeal to have become an object of goes to Governor Raji religious confrontation. Fashola to conside our Governor Rauf Aregbesola, has demand on the issue of the undoubtedly scored high marks hijab .... “ What demand? in Oshun State’s educational e shall bring politics development with innovations into it again, or bring like the Opon Imo, his highly acclaimed “Tray of Knowledge.” it into politics, as usual. The But, in some other directions, it government has little to do would have appeared that he with what you wear as long had allowed his enthusiasm to as it conforms to the norms run away with him, particularly of decency and does not in his fervour for the promotion contravene the demands of of his religious preferences as a convention and propriety. devoted Muslim.That is how That has always been the many people see his imposition position of the Lagos State of the hijab on the official school government. For instance, attire of some Christian schools any dress that is not in in the State. There appears to keeping with the standard have been some uniform of an institution may misunderstanding on the issue, not be forced into acceptance not helped by the earlier as a concession to the perception that people have of “demand” of another

Saraki demurred. Some of the senators affected, meanwhile, announced their defection by themselves but were subsequently ruled out of order by an obviously ruffled Senate President. It continued for days. Unconscionable distraction. It makes no odds at all whether you are accounted as belonging to a party to which you do not belong. It does not in any way inhibit your ability to perform your main function as a senator, which is to join others in making laws as presented in the form of bills through your vote —which you may cast as you wish, regardless of your party identity. The Right Honourable David Mark, in our estimate, regrettably fell short of his high standards of conducting the affairs of the senate in this regard. He willingly cuddled a controversy that was preventable and of no moment. Back at the branch, if you’ll grant the liberty of putting it that way, the traffic of defection had changed direction. No less

An unnecessary contretemps have however developed in the Senate

few have reared their heads already, especially in the law courts, one case, particularly, earned its sponsoring attorney a bit of tongue-lashing and a recommendation for further disciplinary attention. The ensuing situations may require more of that judiciary sternness. An unnecessary contretemps have however developed in the Senate. A number of the distinguished members — 11, to be precise —properly desired their intention of leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All P r o g r e s s i v e s Congress(APC)—as has become the fashion these days—to be publicly announced on the floor of the house.But the Senate President who should have performed that act by reading the letter from the senators refused to do so. That incurred the ire of the senators led by Bukola Saraki, but David Mark held his grounds. The issue, he insisted, was affected by a matter before the courts, which, according to the rules, precluded its being mentioned in the senate.

than four members of the APC walked across the carpet to the PDP in the House of Representatives.The Constitution may frown at that actually,because the move did not satisfy all of the conditions it allows for such an exercise. In the cases of the PDP members who had swarmed into the APC, they at least had the grounds of the fractionalization of their former party. But the defecting PDP members may themselves be absolved by the fact that they were not originally voted into the house on the platform of the APC, in the first place. In any case, they don’t split such hairs in the House of Reps. No sir. Magnificent Tambuwal is in charge! Now the Leader of the Minority in the house knows himself.

My good friend, Pa John Ojidoh, passed away last week. He was 87 years old. I had known him very well for more than 50 of those eventful years. But, in retrospect, it all seemed like yesterday. It seemed like only moments ago that we indulged in our common admiration of Pele’s gift with the ball and his immeasurably contributions to

“the beautiful game”; when we discussed the highlights of a particular football game with consuming passion; when we took a foreign match official’s conduct to shreds, especially if it affected a Nigerian team adversely; and, yes, when we painted the town red, whether it was in Benin or Warri, after a zestful afternoon of good football — for John loved the good life too, and so did I,in our youthful days. He was a football buff, through and through. He knew the rules inside out and followed the developments of the game. That was what made him an outstanding referee at a time loud with superlative officiating. He employed the whistle masterfully, authoritatively, in a manner that left no doubt as to who was in control. But he ruled correctly all the time with the confidence and expertise of an experienced practitioner. I always felt comfortable with him as the twenty-third man on the field of play.

hen he later began to write for this newspaper, I was one of his most faithful readers. I enjoyed his views which were mostly on all fours with mine. But that was not really why I was one of his fans. I stayed with his page because it was full of gems concerning the ordering of the game, for he was also an astute organizer and football administrator. He appreciated my feelings when I stopped writing sports, though he kept pounding his beat for a while longer, and I kept encouraging him for it must have been a therapeutic pastime for a once active man now in the autumn of his years. But my encouragement was excited mainly by the worthwhile contributions his articles were making to the organization of football, as many of the younger sportswriters discovered to their delight. He made many of them appreciate that they had a heritage to cherish and preserve for posterity. ; At the end of our last conversation, which was a few days before he passed on, he began to pray for me — quite a lengthy prayer —to my surprise. He had never done that before, I now realize it must have been his way of saying goodbye to an old friend. And this is my own way of saying goodbye to someone I loved like a brother. God rest you, good old John .. You blew a clean whistle. You lived a good life. Sleep well. It would be trite to add that I will miss you .. Time out.

SATURDAY

had an interesting two-hour meet ing with an elder statesman re cently; a man who has been in the corridors of power and influence in Nigeria for almost half a century, who knows— and is known—by past and present rulers, who is respected by political and business brokers in the country. I try to meet him as often as time— his time not mine— permits because each encounter is an unforgettable experience for me. This last one was not different. Most of us at different levels of understanding, believe there is a divine hand that guides the affairs of man and that leaders emerge through divine will and guidance. Our religions recognize this phenomenon; our experiences affirm it. If my conversation with the elder statesman therefore, had been restricted to this phenomenon alone, maybe there would not be anything in it to write about today. But in the course of our discussions, he went further to link the emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan to the biblical Gideon. I found this linkage novel and thus my desire to share it with my readers.

ow let me, for the benefit of those who are not Christians, or whose Christianity is nominal, tell you who Gideon was. The story of Gideon is to be found in the book of Judges in the Old Testament. He was a man from a poor background and he was, according to him, the least in his family. So when he was called by God to lead His people Israel, he experienced many different emotions. He at once felt overwhelmed and unqualified and thus expressed disbelief. He twice demanded proof that he was indeed in the presence of God and not some 419 person. After God proved himself twice (details are not necessary here) God in turn gave Gideon a test. He was to destroy the shrine of the god of his fore fathers. This, to human knowledge and given Gideon’s background, was a suicidal assignment. Accounts showed that Gideon was so afraid that he could not do the assignment in the day time but chose the dead of night. But he did it all the same. He got ten people who utterly destroyed the shrine and scattered the sacred gods. Understandably, there was an uproar the following day and upon hearing it was Gideon that committed the hideous act, his life was demanded by the city elders.

he point this elder statesman was trying to bring out was that when God puts you in a place, He has His reasons and certain roles he wants you to perform. Those roles, those functions, might seem impracticable from human perception, and might even seem suicidal, but if you obey the divine will, He will empower you. But the minute you become wise in your own eyes, then you are on your own. The outcome is usually disgrace as it happened to Saul, a king chosen by God but who tried to be ‘reasonable’ in carrying out God’s specific instructions to utterly destroy a city and kill its king. He spared the king and some choice rams and bullocks so he could sacrifice

Jonathan was prepared for his call.He served as L o c a l Government chairman, D e p u t y G o v e r n o r, Governor, Vice President

ideon’s father, a priest of the shrine, stepped up to defend his son by pointing out a simple logic. If it was indeed the shrine of their most powerful god that was destroyed, then the gods would take action. Why should men fight on behalf of the gods as if they are not capable of fighting for themselves? C M Y K

This argument— which should be used against those religious extremists who fight on behalf of Allah- seemed plausible and logical and the elders decided to leave the gods to avenge themselves. Fortunately for Gideon, the gods never did. But having passed the test, God took hold of Gideon and led him into many battles which eventually freed Israel from hostile domination. Gideon, a poor man from a poor family became the de facto ruler of Israel.

to the Lord. Immediately he was on his own and as we are told, the spirit of God left him and he was eventually killed in battle with Jonathan his heir apparent. Contrast this with the story of David. He was a poor shepherd, the last of seven sons and the least likely to become king; yet he was called by God to deliver his people. He never forgot that his call was not the act of man as he sought the face of God always and became a favoured king that won all

his battles including those he had no right to win if he was to use military prowess alone.

onathan, according to this elder statesman, is the Gideon of our time, chosen by God to lead Nigeria but he needs to destroy the gods that have defiled this country. It is a herculean task given how entrenched and revered some of these gods are. But all he needs to remember is to fear and obey God and he will be empowered. Like Moses who was raised in the palace so he could learn the royal ways, was banished to the desert so he could adapt to its harsh conditions when leading the Israelites, Jonathan was prepared for his call. He served as Local Government chairman, Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President before becoming the President. So he knows the system from the bottom up. How has he fared? Has he destroyed the shrine and scattered the gods that bedevil this country? Or has he spared the fatted cows? Is the second term the will of God or is he now on his own in the acts of the possible and the practicable? Is he obeying the gods and not the God? May God give him a listening ear and a discerning spirit.

God will cchange hange yyour our ssttor oryy

our situation is not beyond re demption. Ever before it started there existed the solution. The devil may lie to you that it cannot be changed and that it is going to become worse. Nevertheless the situation can change. Take the case of the woman with the issue of blood. She was a very wealthy woman but had an issue that ravaged her health and reduced her to a poor woman because of medical expenses. Instead of her getting better her condition grew worse. Her

He is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent. Ever before the challenge occurred He existed. This is why He is called the Alpha and the Omega. He is the way maker. He brings beauty out of ashes. He turns mourning into dancing. He is the Unchangeable changer. Despite the seemeth impossibility of the earth condition God was not troubled. He was not at a loss as to what to do. He always knows what to do. He changed the story of the earth and brought condition went on for forth abundance, twelve years until a cerfruitfulness, prosperitain day that she met with ty, joy, light, direction, the Master Jesus. The etc.. This same God Don’t give up encounter changed her has not changed and or throw in the cannot change. He is story. I say to you authoritatively that your situatowel because the same yesterday, tion will change for good. today and forever. He I know that Know for a surety that evwill change your stoerything is temporary ry for good. greater things and subject to change. Does your life apare in store In Gen. 1:1-3, the Bible pear to be empty? You ahead of you says “In the beginning cannot see a way out God created the heaven of the precarious conand the earth. And the dition? The children earth was without form, are hooked on drugs and void; and darkness was upon and prostitution? Debts are piling the face of the deep. And the Spirit up all around you and the creditors of God moved upon the face of the give you no rest? Hear me, irrespecwaters. And God said, Let there be tive of the situation(s), the story can light: and there was light”. change for good. Don’t give up or From the text above, you could see throw in the towel because I know that there was nothing to write home that greater things are in store about the earth. It was formless, emp- ahead of you. Eyes have not seen, ty and no sign of a way out because nor ears heard, neither has it eneverywhere was dark. Everywhere tered into the heart of man, the must have been chaotic. This surely things that God has prepared for must be a disastrous and hopeless him. situation. Maybe an impossible sitThe bible says the path of the just uation that is beyond salvation and shineth brighter and brighter unto restoration. The obvious question a perfect day. Hold on you beauty would be how can this situation will show forth. The hidden glory change? will be unveiled. The real you is so The good news here was that the glorious and that is why the devil earth didn’t know what to do. It had wants you to stop now. He is envino answer to its challenges but there ous of your future. Don’t let him stop was and is the one that knows what you. Keep pressing on because the to do because the answer was and is light is about to break forth. You will with Him. There is absolutely noth- sing a new song. Your mouth will ing that is too hard for Him to do. be filled with laughter. The heathen will fear your God. God bless A M O S U E S S I E N you, our great nation NigeN G O A L H T N ria and President Goodluck Jonathan. D W A G A N G A C Have you given your life E M O H U A N R A to Jesus? If not, please pray this prayer. Father, I come to L A B U D A P E S T you as I am. I invite Jesus R V O O N U O R A into my life to be my personal Lord and Saviour. Wash K A K U R E I T T me cleanse with the blood of T P F E A G L E T Jesus and empower me with the power of your Holy SpirU E I H E D I O H A it. Thank you Father for savO Z N L O N D O N ing my soul and making me P E S E W A V E H your child. Your prayer request and K Z A K I B A U praise reports will be welA N Y I M T O M O R I come.

The Gideon illustration

Vanguard ,FEBRUARY 15, 2014—15 Vanguard,FEBRUARY

For more details, contact us at Christ Reality Church, beside Gossard Hotel, opposite First Bank Sports Ground, Community Road, Satellite Town or P.O.Box, 3196, Yaba Lagos. Tel: 08023062635 08168955932; 08033378769. Email: Johnson_crm@yahoo.com. Website: www.christrealityministries.org. Our account details are Pastor Johnson Omomadia, Guaranty Trust Bank, A/C Nos. 0005171407; Christ Reality Ministries, Zenith Bank A/C 1011711622.

Worship with us on Sundays, 1st Service: 745am-9:15am; 2nd Service 9:1511:30am. Wednesdays Word Revelation 6pm. Counseling days Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. 11am-5pm daily or by appointment. Showers of blessing every 2nd - 4th Sat. of each month, 6 a.m - 7.15 am.

16—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014 It is the reformer who is anxious for the reform, and not society, from which he should expect nothing better than opposition, abhorrence and mortal persecution — Mahatma Gandhi

hen President Jonathan on Tuesday decided to do the needful and got rid of some excess baggage in his government, there were mixed reactions. Nigeria’s ex Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah who has been trailed by a catalogue of allegations, some of which were real while others were half-truths fell by the way side. But she was one minister who made the opposition hate Jonathan government . There were many sides of that coin. Her’s was one coin that had more than two sides and while she fought to remain in office, the agitations for her removal got stronger . An adage says that when ingratitude barbs the dart of injury, a wound would have double danger . Oduah was enmeshed in first, a web of scandals involving purchase of two BMW armoured cars for $1.6 million and while the fire smouldered, a new scandal involving her certificate emerged. Her blackmailers claimed the university where she allegedly obtained her MBA doesn’t offer MBA as a course of study and so, she allegedly quickly began to delete that qualification from her certificates posted in her website and other places. In other words, they claimed it was a Toronto-like certificate. In the midst of all the allegations against Oduah, one can truly say that President Jonathan gave her a soft landing. First, he allowed the pressure to wear itself out without acting on it and was patient even in the face of further allegation that she was too close to him (Jonathan) for comfort. When the scandal against the illegal purchase of armoured cars for an outrageous sum couldn’t sack her, the blackmailers waited and searched for a fresh scandal which soon manifested. Just in case there are those who do not understand the ‘sins’ of Ms Oduah, we will refresh their memories. Towards the end of last year, Ms. Oduah had allegedly compelled the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to pay Coscharis Motors, an auto dealer, approximately $1.6 million for two BMW bullet-proof cars which highest cost in both the US and UK according to findings should be $267,000 per car. It was alleged by her subordinates in the Aviation ministry that the two cars were never delivered, an allegation that compounded the belief that Ms. Oduah split the $1.6 million funds with Cosmas Maduka, the Chief Executive of Coscharis. C M Y K

airports across the country, the designation of perishable AgroCargo Terminals in Jos, Yola, Asaba, Enugu, Akure, Makurdi and Lagos

Oduah: End of a reformer? sector and strengthening of the agencies under her

Stella Oduah, former Aviation Minister You can say Oduah was a victim of house-hold wickedness. Even the holy book acknowledges that a man’s foes are those of his own house-hold. And for Stella, the very Federal Ministry of Aviation which she headed pulled down her profile from its website , on the allegation that her bio contained falsehood and misleading claims. That website has allegedly been de-activated and her blackmailers insisted that Mrs. Oduah and her associates cleaned up the ex minister’s biographies on the Internet because she lied about her academic qualifications. According to what was alleged , her profile on the Ministry of Aviation was revised, with references to St. Paul’s College removed. Different online publications kept harping on this allegation that the wikipedia page of the ex-minister was edited with no reference to the university Mrs. Oduah attended and that the reference materials to the university she attended was deleted. Oduah’s personal website was also allegedly reviewed to remove any reference to St. Paul’s College. The exminister, it was alleged had claimed she earned a Bachelor and Masters degrees from St. Paul’s College but her claim to a masters degree allegedly could not be substantiated. C’est demange. But to those who loved her, Stella Oduah was a reformist;

a woman who unjustly suffered persecutions for her achievements. To these, Oduah remains a heroine with visible achievements and transformational initiatives to her name and beautiful visage, a woman who stood tall even when the roar of her persecutors was shaking the earth under her feet .

ministry are valid testament to her understanding of the nation’s aviation sector. Just before her removal, she brokered Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the State of Israel. The agreement would expectedly pave the way for direct flights between both countries on reciprocity by designated airlines of both countries. This initiative will put an end to the plights of Nigerians travelling to Israel, including Christian pilgrims, having to stop over in neighbouring countries before being finally transported to their destination. This effort, it is expected will boost bilateral ties between Nigeria and Israel and also promote economic collaborations. If it will be of any consolation to her ,she should be proud of the fact that the nation would extract a value from her service. There had been Aviation Ministers and none had thought of addressing the age-long challenge that kept

Nigerians stranded in foreign lands for decades. Stella Oduah’s midas touch in the aviation

Her blackmailers claimed the university where she allegedly obtained her MBA doesn’t offer that as a course of study and so, she allegedly quickly began to delete that qualification from her certificate posted in her website and elsewhere Oduah was perceived as courageous and undeterred by the antics of her accusers. Many had thought that the crisis in the aviation sector woven around Stella Oduah would subside with the commissioned investigations involving the House of Representatives and Senate Committees as well as the Presidential Panel of Inquiry but the House of Represen-

tatives Committee’s investigations and findings indicted her of the first charge. Inspite of these, it is an incontrovertible fact that Stella Oduah’s appointment as Aviation minister brought developments to the sector. The immediate transformation of the

sector is visible to all, even to her detractors and persecutors, who are perceivably, gagged by their quest to hijack the sector and whose eyes are not blind to the beauty of her achievements in the sector. Persecution, believe those that loved her was the only ploy her detractors had left when she was determined to revamp an ailing sector into one that supports economic growth and national development. Her accomplishments are evidenced by the remodeling and reconstruction of towers, runways, resurfacing and installation of new weather systems at 19

and for expansion to Akure, Bauchi, Ibadan, Calabar, Jalingo, Kano and Owerri to help rural farmers reap the benefits of existence of facilities such as airports in the country and her aggressive investment in Aviation

safety facilities which have boosted the ratings of the aviation sector by the international community. Persecutions against her were mostly rooted in allegations not visible to the discerning eyes but clear only in the conscience of looters fixedly gazing at the soul of the aviation sector. But for peace to reign, her eventual removal is perhaps for the best with the presidential magnanimity of a soft-landing. It is all too easy to forget the pains of yesterday once you are out of a deep, wrenching hole. All of a sudden, the comfort of today becomes all too familiar, all too normal to the point of convenient complacency, and even selective amnesia. Under the circumstance, you even forget that you won the new comfort on the back of severe pains; and probably personal sacrifices. This is the story of the Nigerian aviation sector and the Nigerian airport user. Majority of Nigerians without personal bile for the ex Minister know, and acknowledge this reality. They know what the airports and their travelling experiences were yesterday; and what there are today. The awareness of this acknowledgment by majority of Nigerians should give Oduah boundless joy even in the face of her recent removal. She should also know she stepped on toes when she dared to question the rationality or otherwise of some of the spurious Concession and Lease assessments in the sector and like the Biblical daughter of Herod, they wanted nothing short of her head on a golden platter. Everything that has a beginning must have an end. That is the reality of life. Politics in Nigeria is a different kettle of fish entirely but this fact is not always known to private sector people. They should know that some professional politicians would not want the state to function properly and would not rest on their oars to have permanent control of things. But let Oduah go and put herself in order certificatewise. Maybe, another opportunity would come for her to prove her mettle in another capacity.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15 15, 2014 —17

C M Y K

18 — SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

Music helped me get a degree – Nneka

ffervescent, down-to-earth, passionate about her music, and with many hit singles and globally acclaimed albums, awardwinning German-Nigerian artiste, Nneka Egbuna, could be said to be changing the world with music, laced with timeless messages and socially conscious lyrics. One of her hit songs, Heartbeat, was sampled by Drake and Rita Ora. She has also performed across different continents alongside some of the biggest acts in the global music industry, such as Nas, Damian Marley, Lenny Kravitz, among others.Nneka, who won the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) award a few years ago, talks about how she ventured into music and her life as a GermanNigerian. BY SAM UMUKORO

My style of music y current style of music is Nneka. It is soul, its spirit and it’s real. But it’s also a blend of Afro, reggae, hip-hop, a little bit of rock, and a little bit of everything; it depends on how I feel about a track or what the intention is.

The first album I bought with my money The first album I bought with my own money was ‘I Wish’ by rapper Skee-Lo Song that changed my life There are many songs that have affected me positively, like one of the songs I wrote, Heartbeat. It took me to the next level; gave me more publicity and fame. I got to see the world and was signed up to record labels in America. That changed my life. Have I ever suffered from stage fright I never had stage fright. I was never

•Nneka Egbuna afraid of people but I was afraid for myself. Back then, I had a health challenge and I would always get sick when I was on stage. So, I had to overcome that problem, I knew it was going to be fine. I like to be myself on stage, that’s why I don’t mind lying down on stage. Then, I would ask myself if I would be able to deliver a good performance if I wasn’t feeling well physically, and that was a very tough time. But I never had stage fright. Why I ventured into music Well, it was for the love. It was also for the fact that I could identify and see myself in a different way through music. Music has always been a part of my life, something I felt I needed to express myself with, to help me discover my identity. Germany gave me the opportunity to express my talent and creativity because of the space and time that I had to find and do more research on what I love compared to Nigeria, where I would say I didn’t really have that opportunity to get to know myself as an artiste. And then, my father was an architect and my step-mum was also into catering, which is a creative venture, but at the same time being creative with your mind was not necessarily supported because the kind of society we were living at that time. The focus was more about ‘how do you earn money?’ It was for you to finish school, have good grades and so on. So I guess that was the priority for many parents, and at that time I lived in Warri, Delta State. It was when I only stepped out that I felt like I didn’t even know what I wanted. But to be honest with you, when I got to Germany, I was accommodated at an information facility where everyone there had to pick up a hobby and I felt connected

Sta ying In taying T

his weekend is all about getting you writing on that project you have been meaning to get started for all this time. You must begin to explore a range of fiction writing styles.Reading voraciously to be able to achieve the desired goal. More so, develop and apply fiction writing skills of construction and criticism.

I had to find and do more research on what I love compared to Nigeria, where I would say I didn’t really have that opportunity to get to know myself as an artiste

to music; that was where my love for music grew. That was where I began to get to know myself and express myself. I was a very reserved person before I started music and I was simply doing music for the love of it and not because of the cash flow. Now obviously there is cash in the industry. And then I also needed that cash to finance my studies because when I left my father ’s house, I was on my own. So I had to take care of my education on my own. I had two jobs; I was doing music on the side and studying at the same time. Most of the revenue came from doing music. So, I would say music helped me get my degree.

Going Out G

oing to the movies is favorite way to spend your weekends, but a successful movie-going experience takes a little forethought.You may have to buy your tickets in advance at an online site, or go to the box office early to make sure it’s not sold out.Normally, theater lobbies will be jam-packed with people on weekends, so allow 20-30 minutes to get your tickets, get snacks, and then get good seats. If you have kids with you, limit how many extra items they can have. Try not to buy a lot of snacks: the movie seats are generally small, and you won´t focus in the movie if you have to rescue that falling super-size stack of candy.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014—19

BY JULIET EBIRIM

How far will you go for love? L

ove! What is this four letter words called love? Love means different thing to different people. Yet, love is not true until you have sacfriced a lot of things. It is Valentine again and there is so much love in the air. Here is the responses of some entertainers on the extent they can go for love.

I can’t “die” for love —Adokiye, Singer

ell, there is no limit to which I can fall in love. Though I can go as far as making people happy and fulfilled. But I don’t think I will ever “Die” for Love. I try to stay very far away from any love that will terminate my life. Anyways, I’m a huge fan of “Real Love” and pardon me to say that any love that will take my life is not real. When you die for someone, the person will live to fall in love with another person. So, I have to stay alive to keep loving more and more. Love is very sweet and beautiful and I have enough to share.

I can do anything for love

- Doris Simeon, Actress

would go as far as my strength can carry me. I could hit the streets, pick up some street kids and accommodate them in my house.

I can die for love!

- Benson Okonkwo, Actor

— Djinee, Singer

am an emotional person. I can die for love. I don’t love for just one day, like during Valentine season alone. To me, that’s not love, it’s lust.

I can do anything for love. I have had cause to put my life on the line in the past. Thank God I didn’t lose it.

I’ll go as far as the end of the world —Dare Art Alade, Singer

ove is a beautiful thing. I would go as far as the end of the world for the one I love.

C M Y K

Depending on my strength

Love is not wor th orth dying for!

- Anita Joseph, Actress

I can love, but I can’t die for love. When a man dumps you for someone else, just let him have his way. When you fight too often, you are bound to lose your worth. Nothing about a man is worth dying for.

20— SATURDAY Vanguard Vanguard,, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

08111813022

Liz Benson returns

Emem Isong ‘My most challenging movie’

espected Nollywood producer, Emem Isong has described her latest movie, “Apaye” which means ‘A Mothers’ Love’ as her most challenging work, saying ‘it is a different kind of movie. According to Emem, while she has not done a biograghical movie before in her entire career, Apaye which she disclosed was a commissioned film is based on a true life story. “This is my first time to do a true life story. It was challenging for me. We spent weeks doing research in the creeks of Bayelsa, learning the culture of the people. My choice of cast fit the character in reality,”she said. The movie which premieres on the 7th of March, is a total representation of what the woman whom the movie was shot in her honour really stood for. Directed by Desmond Elliot, the movie parades some of the best brains in Nollywood including, Clarion Churah, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Belinda Effah, Mbong Amata and Millicent Jack amongst others. Relieving the experience while screening the movie to the press, Desmond said, “the movie was shot in the creeks of Bayelsa, and it was particularly exciting working on this project.’

Nollywood actress, Liz Benson who ruled the silver screen in the early 90s and disappeared into the thin air when the ovation was very loud has resurfaced again. The talented screen diva recently featured in Stephanie Okereke-Linus’ new flick, ‘Dry’. The flick centres on Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF), a disease in women that is common in the northern part of the country. Her return to her first love-acting has been greeted with a lot of excitement, especially among her teeming fans who have missed on screen for a very long time. Liz Benson started acting as a kid. She rose to fame when she acted in the popular television series, ‘Fortunes’ in 1993, where she played the role of Mrs. Agnes Johnson. Her role in ‘Glamour Girls’ also stood her out. In 1996, she dumped acting to make peace with her maker. In 2009, she married Bishop Great Emeya at the Rainbow Christian Assembly, Warri, Delta State, which was her second marriage, having lost her first husband, Samuel Gabriel Etim to death.

ses endorses Igbinedion endor ‘Inv asion 1189 89 7’ ‘Invasion 897’ I

n his continuing bold efforts to reposition the dimed glory of ancient Benin kingdom, filmmaker Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen, visited his country home last week to garner support for the forthcoming release of his epic film, Invasion 1897, scheduled for October. It’s a film based on the historical invasion of Benin City in 1897 by the British forces that led to the worse stealing of ancient Benin bronze works and other artifacts scattered in museums and private collections abroad. At the visit to the sprawling GRA home of Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, were some cast and crew of Invasion 1897, including the lead actor, who played Oba Ovonranmwen Nogbaisi, who was deposed and exiled to Calabar, Pastor Mike Omoregbe, the traitor chief, Nosa Ehimema (Ologbose), screenwriter, Osa Elis and others.

GOtv se or Am TTVV show sett ffor

Next Movie Star winner winner,, Feyisekemi to be honoured! W

inner of the Next Movie Star Africa Reloaded 2013, Feyisekemi Ayomiposi Akinwale is due to be honoured by the Ekiti State University come Thursday, February 20. The Principal Assistant (Admin) of the University, C M Y K

Mr. Jada Sola Babatola said, Feyisekemi who is a student of the French Department of the university, will be honoured because of the institution’s commitment to recognise, celebrate and reward youth achievements. The event, which will take place at the Oodua Auditorium in the school, will be attended by high profile personalities including the First Lady of Ekiti State, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, and the Vice chancellor of the University, Professor Oladipo Aina.

Otv Nigeria has created an entertaining TV show from its GOcarry Am promo. A sneak preview of the show revealed GOtv subscribers hurriedly stacking their shopping carts with bags of rice, cartons of noodles, and other groceries within the 2minute time frame allocated to each shopper. Quoting one Lagos shopper who said, “I need to catch my breath,”General Manager GOtv, Mrs Elizabeth Amkpa remarked that, “This underscores the excitement GOtv subscribers experienced when they took turns to shop. Because of the excitement in the air, we have extended to promo end date to the 28th of February, to give a lot more people the opportunity to partake in the promotion”, she stressed.

Mrs Amkpa also stated that footage for the show has been gathered over several weeks during which GOtv took subscribers on a food shopping spree across the country. “There was a lot of cheering from onlookers at the malls that is whywe decided to broadcast the experience to enableother GOtv subscribers share in the fun from their homes,”she explained. GOtv is a fun brand which offers quality and affordable family entertainment;all GOtv subscribers can watch the entertaining 15-minute episodes of the show on GOtv channel 99 and 60seconds versions on local TV stations includingONTV, LTV 8, MiTV, BCOS Ibadan, ITV Benin, RSTV Port Harcourt, AKBC Uyo among others.

SATURDAY Vanguard Vanguard,, FEBRUARY 15, 2014 —21

Zack Orji

08111813022

Nollywood act or oc king bear ds: actor orss rroc ocking beards:

Wearing designer beard

Are they better with or without facial hair? T

here’s something about man face fuzz that just lights up the world and makes everything seem all right. Beards can be epic for several reasons. Whether it has great length or girth or the actor simply has a great face to wear one on, beards can transform boys into men and actors into stars. With a great beard, comes great responsibility. HVP takes a crucial look at some bearded Nollywood actors who have sported the look for more than 10 years.

Desmond Elliot

JIB OLA D AB O JIBOLA DAB ABO

‘Car ving out ‘Carving unique identity’ Jibola Dabo who is currently eyeing politics has unique characteristics that distinguish him from every other actor. The grey bearded veteran actor has sported this look for long as you can remember. According to those who are close to him, he started growing facial hair at a very young age. Today, he has carved out unique identity for himself as a bearded actor. But what will it cost him to shave off the beard? One doubts, however, if Dabo like Pete Edochie would ever subscribe to shaving off his beard for any price. He has such gorgeous bone structure and the beard takes away from that. Most of his roles in movies, which are reflective of his facial hair could be frightening.

Pete Edochie ‘I can’t shave of offf m myy beard even for $1m’

part from his wife and children, Pete Edochie’s most cherished possession today is his beard. Being one of Africa’s most talented and respected actors, Edochie’s beard which has eventually become his trademark is as old as the man himself. As far back as 1980s, when he played the lead role of Okonkwo in an NTA adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s all time best selling novel, “Things Fall Apart’, Edochie had started growing beard. He was quoted as saying in one of his interviews that he would never shave off his beard even for a million Dollars. “Even for a million dollars, I will not shave off my beard. If you pay me such money and I accept, then I would get out of the industry after the movie,” he declared

‘I started growing beard about 7 months ago’

esmond Elliot is one of the few handsome actors who look better without a beard, yet he often seems to be sporting one all the same. Though he looks great and attractive with a beard, most of his fans prefer to see him wear a clean shaved face. With his baby face, the beard gives him a more mature, more distinguished look that really works for him. The actor, told HVP that he started growing beard about seven months ago. And this is because, apart from not having time to shave, he also wants to wear a different look. For the handsome actor, it wouldn’t cost him anything to get rid of his beard.

EMEKA ANI His bear d is par beard partt of his image !

How much would it cost Zack Orji to shave off his “designer beard? You may want to ask.But in as much as the answer to this question is far-reaching, Zack looks gorgeous at any time, in any place. He is one of the versatile actors whose facial hair is a quick way to add a mature and balance facial features. Calm and easy-going, the actor’s beard oftentimes coordinate with most of the roles he plays in movies such as husband, elder brother and a rich guy. But Zack loves rocking his beard, one could see it from the way he maintains the beard. With his new role as a minister of God, his bearded look will definitely add value to his ministry.

mek Ani is another actor with an awesome and intimidating look. Though he has distinguished himself as one of Nollywood’s bearded stars, Ani’s beard has become an integral part of his being. He started growing beard long before he featured in Igwe Gabosky’s movie, “Battle of Musanga”in the 90s. His roles in movies are principally based on his facial outlook.Watching most of Ani’s films, one is bound to be confronted with the actor’s ability to interprete such frightening roles as a native doctor, a mad man or occult Grand Master. But while more and more actors are starting to sport beards, Ani’s still stands out. His beard is part of his image even though it makes him look a human with extraordinary and unusual capabilities to do the unexpected. But one thing that is certain is that wearing facial hair gives one a mature, stylish, artsy, rugged, sexy, bold and distinguished look.

•Desmond Elliot

22—Vanguard, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

08116759764

African Queen’ girl declares:

I didn’t kiss 2face S

everal years after Tuface Idibia released his award-wining song,”African Queen”, one of the girls in the video, Yvonne Jegede has surfaced to declare that she never kissed the sensational singer. The sexy dark-skinned actress,who returned to Nigeria few years ago from Cyprus, where she went to

study International Relations said, she travelled out of the country immediately after featuring the video, adding , she never had anything to do with 2face. She also narrated how the controversial producer and blogger, Charles Novia lured her into acting, saying it all started in 2003, when she ran into Charles Novia in Surulere. According to her, “I saw Charles Novia and shouted

out his name. He stopped and asked me how I got to know his name. I replied, saying I usually watch your movies on the television. Later, he inquired to know if I was interested in acting. I replied in the affirmative and he immediately invited me to a movie location. While I was at the location, the director of 2face’s “African Queen”pleaded with Charles Novia to allow me feature in the music video. That was how my acting career started.”

Davido is in love! KEHINDE AJOSE

Davido

t’s no longer news that Davido’s sparkling new love song ‘Aye’ has been released amidst rave reviews. What is refreshingly news is that the self-proclaimed, Omo Baba Olowo is in love with

Yvonne Jegede

Between Flavour and Dillish!

Kate Henshaw stirs NGT grand finale

arely few weeks since the ex- BBA win ner, Dillish was featured by the Nigerian born award winning singer, Flavour in his latest video, Ikwokirikwo, it seems things are working well for the two of them. After the successful shooting of one of Flavour ’s hit tracks, Ikwokirikwo, the singer decided to take Dillish out for a dinner as depicted with Dillish,and he captioned it: “Dinner with mama! Happiness,” He knows what the next step will be from shooting video to dinner.

all it fashion state ment, you won’t be wrong as sexy actress, Kate Henshaw knows her onions when it comes to looking good. At the grand finale of season 2 of the Nigerian Got Talent which held last weekend, the sultry actress who was the only female judge in the contest stepped out in a long sexy purple and transparent gown which caught the attention of the cameramen and paparazzis who were struggling to capture her through the lens of their cameras. Kate indeed, was a delight to behold. The gown revealed her curves as well as her other enticing endowments.

the prince’s love interest. This is the theme of his newly shot ‘Aye’ video produced by Clarence Peters. In this visual expression, Davido plays the role of a peasant farmer who falls head over heels in love with the prince’s love interest. It’s a music video that will wow his fans this valentine season.

•Flavour having dinner with Dillish

Chidimma steps up with SUV N

Kate Henshaw

igerian born petit singer and MTN ambas sador, Chidinma Ekile has stepped up her game as she recently acquired a brand new Range Rover Sport SUV. The Kedike crooner took to instagram to share the good news. She posted a picture of herself inside the ride with the caption, “I love this new ride”. According to her post, the singer bought the ride with her hard earned money and not a gift. Th post reads, “bigger and better, hard work pays, my sweat not a gift hello 2014 glory to God not man more work to be done God is faithful..e don do”.Ekile’s first SUV was the prize she got when she won the MTN Project Fame West Africa reality TV show in 2011.

Chidinma

Vanguard, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014 — 23

24 —SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

ARAMIDE’s FFeeling eeling the FFeeling eeling

VALENTINE’S CELEBRA TION! CELEBRATION!

5 Best songs that will keep you rocking

ramide is gradually becoming the poster girl for soulful sounds.Her latest offering ‘Feeling the feeling’ is a love song on an hi life beat that will take you to the dancing floor.The song starts with a consisitent talking beat and a groovy electric guitar rhythm.Perhaps Aramide’s strengths lies in her ability to not just wow with her serenading voice but also her lyrics.

BY KEHINDE AJOSE

hat would Valentine’s season be without some romantic songs? If music be the food of love, then this Valentine’s celebration is a proverbial feast for the ears and the heart. There is nothing more sensual than having the right music playing in the background. Everyone has their favourites, but here are some newly released songs by Nigerian artistes that will help to spice up your Valentine celebration.

NIY OLA ’s NIYOLA OLA’s ‘Drunk in Love’ ( BEY ONCE BEYONCE COVER )

DAVIDO’s ‘Aye’ D

avido’s Aye is a refreshing love song that employs a distinct traditional beat reminiscent of his song ‘Skelewu’ and a unique guitar rhythm. Though the lyrics of this song are the usual “Davidoish’ lyrics, the harmonies and production quality can’t be resisted. The song is already enjoying amazing airplays on radio. It will definitely help to spice up your Valentine celebration.

iyola , the EME first lady has finally proven critics wrong with her attempt of Beyonce’s drunk in love. Doing any Beyonce song would pose a challenge for the best of singers, but Niyola displayed her vocal dexterity and voice texture in this musical piece. Traces of her angelic voice range remains indelible on this love ballad .It’s definitely something that will cool your frayed nerves this valentine.

How Robots for Christ won NGT N10m star prize

WANDE CO AL ’S COAL AL’S ‘Plan B’

hough Wande Coal does more of club driven songs these days, he sure got us in a romantic mood with his delivery of ‘Plan B’. In this track he begs a damsel to leave her man to come enjoy his own brand of love.Produced by Maleek Berry ,the song has this spark that will keep you listening to it. C M Y K

BY ANOZIE EGOLE

SASHA ’s ASHA’s ‘F alling in Lo ‘Falling Lovve’

side good looks, one of Sasha’s selling points is her ability to be able to flow on any genre of music. With a Yoruba fused chorus done by Myst and accompanying rhythmic rhyming lyrics, Sasha once again shines in this song. The song is produced by Knight house.The RnB tone the song has will create the right atmosphere for this Valentine season.

t was a moment of conquest, happiness and fulfillment for Robots for Christ, a Beninbased entertainment duo and contestants in the season two of the Airtel-sponsored Nigeria’s Got Talent reality show as they beat nine other finalists to the N10 Million grand prize. Robots for Christ was declared the winner by NGT presenter, Andre Blaize at a grand finale held at the weekend at the Dream Studios in Lagos before the three celebrity judges, Dan Foster, Kate Henshaw and Yibo Koko and thousands of guests chief among which include the

management and staff of Airtel Nigeria, the lead sponsor, management and staff of Optima Media Group, Malta Guinness and members of the media. Continue... The occasion lived up to book makers’ billing as the only nondiscriminatory reality show per excellence with series of fun-filled, exciting and breath taking performances from the ten finalists who sought to convey a message of unity in diversity and Bash, a stand-up comedian who captivated both guests and audience with ribcracking jokes.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

— 25

One year after,

Nigerians remember Goldie

Iyanya’s Valentine message ..Says he’s not ready for marriage now

BENJAMIN NJOKU &ANOZIE EGOLE

t was exactly one year, yesterday when the Nigerian music industry lost of its most talented female singer, Goldie Harvey to the cold hands of death. Goldie died shortly after she returned BENJAMIN NJOKU about the status of his love life, from the United States on Valentine’s Day, he vehemently pointed out that February 14, 2013. Reigning hip hop artiste and he is not yet married and may Goldie who was only 31 had complained MTN brand ambassador, Iyanya not do so anytime soon. of a severe headache shortly after Mbuk, seemed to have returning to Nigeria from the US where According to him, “God’s time highlighted what matters most she had attended the music industry’s is the best’. to people during what is largely Grammy Awards. The songstress was In the same vein, he admitted regarded as the ‘season of love’. rushed to a hospital in Lagos, where she that he admired women and While interacting with fans on was pronounced dead. always checked out their waist a celebrity twitter guest series The news of her death was received as the first attraction. via the MTN Twitter handle, the with shock and disbelief as everyone, This, he said, informed the “Kukere” master explained that especially her fans wondered how she title of his song, “Your Waist”. the greatest gift that can be could have passed away within such little The MTN twitter handle has given to anyone at Valentine is time. Speaking at the time of her death, been enjoying overwhelming Kenny Ogungbe, the CEO of her music “true love”. The talented artiste followership in recent days as label, Kennis Music, said she had “an made the statement when he was the build up towards Valentine abundance of talent” and it was a “gloomy asked about his choice of intensifies among the youth moment” for Nigeria’s music industry. Valentine gift, by a tweep, on the and couples who see the season While details surrounding the cause of celebrity guest series, regarding as the best time to show deep her death are still shroudded in mystery, the high demand for gifting affection to friends, family and after one year of her demise, her fans during this period. When asked lovers. yesterday took to her facebook page to pay tribute to her. One of her fans, Jennifer Jluv wrote on her facebook page, “It’s hard to forget you...actually impossible. You came, left your mark, made an impact. Keep head of the maiden edition of the All living on the continent or abroad, who are resting in the lord. African Music Awards, AFRIMA, a 50 years and above, qualify for nominations. Another fan, mary continental showpiece to celebrate the rich However, incumbent public office holders are Oyibo also said, musical heritage of Africa and her talented ineligible for consideration. According to a “We remember you artistes for the economic growth of the press release signed by a member of the today, one year continent, the International Committee of International Committee and Chairman, gone. Continue to AFRIMA has thrown open the process by Media Committee for AFRIMA, Mr. Steve rest in peace which members of the Board of Patrons for Ayorinde, “The entire process to select the Goldie.”. “You’re Afrima, will emerge. The six patrons to make six patrons must be devoid of politics, forever remember up the board would be selected by popular prejudice or personal interest. Anything short you for your votes from the long list of illustrious Africans of meritorious appointment can taint the beautiful heart. I who have distinguished themselves in various awards project and rob it of its vaunted miss you,” said spheres of human endeavour and social- integrity and independence. “We want Africa Kalu Anya. In his economic life such as governance, arts and to make this decision of choosing ‘their tribute, Goldie’s entertainment, philanthropy, business, patrons’ for ‘their award’, rather than have academia and social advocacy. African citizens patrons rammed down their throats”. close friend,

Obasanjo, W a Thiong O, Wa others for AFRIMA patrons

C M Y K

Denrele described the late songstress as his soul mate. “Everything about Goldie was unique. Everything about Goldie was complex. She wasn’t only beautiful, she was so captivatingly beautiful in and out that no eye could avoid her, and once she had hooked you with her charming innocence, you were blown away by a beauty that was at once shy and confident, sultry and innocent, inviting and biting and as such, I always described her as a Siren of Sorts!” Meanwhile after her demise, many unknown details about her life began to emerge. First came Andrew Harvey, who claimed to be Goldie’s legitimate husband. In an interview, Harvey revealed his relationship with the singer and further backed his claims by posting several pictures of both of them, including wedding pictures online. Questions began to pop up from various quarters, as several people wondered what the whole fuss over Kenyan rapper ‘Prezzo’, Goldie’s Big Brother housemate/rumoured boyfriend was if she was indeed married. However, after the Big Brother show and the exposure she got from the continent, Goldie finalised plans to embark on an Africa-conquering quest, which would have firmly secured her reputation as an artiste on the African stage. In fact, she was more than ready as she had already recorded a number of songs, including ‘Miliki’ with Ugandan artist, Navio, and ‘Ika Maarun’ featuring South African artist, Anatti and the hit track ‘Skibobo’ with feat Tanzanian act AY. Sadly,, she was not around to personally promote the songs, which could have possibly cemented her place as a top female African artiste. Since her death, family, friends, colleagues and fans have not ceased to mourn her. Former label mates Essence, Jaywon and Jo-El and others recorded tribute songs for the late singer. Others, including Denrele Edun, Karen Igho and Uti Nwachukwu who have never stopped remembering her.

SARTURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014—31

26— SARTURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

It’ s not enough to get married to a rich man—

Angela Okorie

By FLORENCE AMAGIYA

ngela Okorie started out as a model before she delved in the world of make-believe. Her acting career started after 10 years of modeling for Orange Drugs, owners of Delta soap. Today, she is not only one of the most-sought-after actresses in Nollywood, but also, she’s a wife and a mother. In this interview, she talks about her career, music and her roles as a wife and mother.

hat have you been working on recently? I’ve been working on a movie. It’s a movie that people should watch because it teaches some moral lessons and also makes us to know that God still exists. As one of the emerging actresses in Nollywood, are you thinking of becoming a producer some day? I am planning to go into movie production. I want to put in my best, so that when people see my movie, they’ll appreciate it. I love entertaining people a lot. There was a rumour that you wanted to go into music. Have you done any song recently? I have not done any song, but I’ve written a lot of them and I will soon hit the studio. I’m still putting finishing touches to my songs before going to the studio. I’m not going to release just single, I’m planning to come out big with my album. This is what I’ve been doing since my childhood; it wasn’t a child’s play for me. I grew up with it. While growing up, I was in the choir,and a soloist in my church. I came back to Nigeria to do modeling and from modeling to acting. So singing has been part of me. Most times, I sing without instrument and if you listen to me, you’ll be convinced that I am a singer. Most musicians started as gospel artistes. Are you going to continue with gospel music? A lot of gospel artistes are actually making it inasmuch as they are not expensive.Once you are contented with what you have, you are okay. It’s not really all about money. Nowadays, most of these gospel artistes are really making it though not as much as the secular ones. I won’t say I’m righteous, some gospel artistes these days want to be identified as ‘Evangelists’. I am not an evangelist yet. My songs are just showing appreciation to God. I have one CD that I’ve developed, but I have not

released it because I’ll have to reproduce it again in the studio. It is reggae, but it’s talking about the world and people suffering. So, it’s not going to be all gospel; it also has to do with things happening around us. What else should we be expecting from your stable? In life, it’s important for people to understand who they are, their calling and gifts which is from God. It is something they know they can do. When your gifts are not working out for you, you look for an opportunity, those other things that would put food on your table. I have a calling for entertainment. Besides that, I hate it when people are humiliated, I like to see people smile,and I like to help. Are you planning to establish an NGO for the needy and oppressed, or even become a UN Ambassador ? Yes, an ambassador. But I’m not ready to do it now, but it’s all part of my plans and when I bring it out, people will now shout. Do you think you have compassion for those in need? Even before I became famous, helping people has been part of me. I visit orphanages often. As a matter of fact, most of the time, I celebrate my birthdays with them. With all these your engagements, how do you manage your family? I just have to cope. My husband understands my job. Even before we got married, he’s been very supportive. It hasn’t been easy, but I just have to cope. Before going into marriage, most men promise prospective wives heaven and earth. Were you sure your man will fulfill his promises...? Some men are better actors than most of us. A lot of them tell lies. Both of you have to sit down and discuss the issue. There are some men who will tell you to quit your career because they want to marry you. I’m not going to say I didn’t have issues in my relationships before getting married to my

Some men are better actors than most of us. A lot of them tell lies

husband. I don’t think marriage is supposed to be frustrating. You should marry your friend, your partner and not just anybody that comes your way. You should marry someone who knows you and knows what you want and will encourage you in whatever you want to do. But at the same time, because you are married, you need to cut down on some things. As for me, I put my marriage first before any other thing. No matter how crazy I am, I still try to caution myself. I know I’m a very crazy person and people like me for who I am. There are certain things my husband would hear about me and he’ll get upset. It’s only natural because he’s a human being. He’s still the man of the house. A man might come to you as an angel, but when he gets married to you, he becomes a devil. If you can’t stay in a marriage, you walk out of it. It’s not a do or die affair. Though the Bible is against it, but then you are dying gradually in marriage. You should save your life first, you are not just living your life for your husband alone. Other people are watching you. Most rumours about celebrities are cheap lies. But then if we are not important, they won’t talk about us. And those people talking about us are jobless. As a celebrity, people must talk about you. I’m not really crazy about controversy, but there is a picture I’m trying to paint for my fans. Though men are polygamous in nature, but I trust my husband so much. Even if he’s doing anything out there, inasmuch as I’m not aware of it, that’s enough respect. He hasn’t given me any reason to suspect he’s cheating .... I’ve never caught him with any woman before. Do you think women should empower themselves before marriage? Of course! Any woman who goes into marriage without engaging in meaningful thing must be stupid. No matter how small, let the man see that you are hardworking. It doesn’t make sense for any woman to sit in the house and just be bearing children all the time. You have to look for something to do to help the man. If a woman is working, there are certain things she doesn’t need to ask the man to provide for. It’s not enough to get married to a rich man. I wouldn’t advise any woman to go into marriage without anything. So, if you do not have anything doing; please persuade the man to help you start something. You are slimming down, how did you do it? I just eat less, go to the gym, I walk out a bit just to keep fit. What’s your advice to women who want to get back in shape after childbearing? They shouldn’t just sit at home all day and eat. Everyone wants to look trendy and beautiful. That you got pregnant and gave birth to a child doesn’t mean you should grow fat and go out of shape. No, you should be able to get back your shape and maintain your husband’s attraction, so

that he’ll still see the same thing he saw that attracted him to you. What’s the highest fee you’ve received for acting in a movie? It was actually when I shot a movie where my head was shaved. I played the character of Anita, the girl who fought for the widows in the community. I was paid well. What is the most challenging role you’ve played in a movie? There are two movies where I played very challenging roles. In one of them, I was a dumb and blind girl and in the other one I was a vampire. It was very challenging because it’s not the usual everyday story in Nollywood. Imagine a human eating raw goat and chicken. I had to read and learn a lot more about vampires in order for me to interpret the role excellently. What’s your advice to the up and coming actresses ? If you’re asked to feature in one scene in a movie, that scene is enough to make you. I’m not crazy about lead roles. It’s not really about playing lead roles, it’s about interpreting the character excellently. You just have to put in your best. I was a bit reluctant to act when I started, but now, I earn more than most people who were there before me. Above all, if you have the grace of God, it doesn’t matter if you do it well or not, people will just like you. When I started, I wasn’t really good at the job, but I’ve improved a lot. I don’t joke with my job. I’ll advice the aspiring actresses to work on themselves. A lot of people in the industry are crazy about publicity, even without doing anything or deserving it. I’m not crazy about awards, publicity or controversies; I’m crazy about my job and how to do it well. It’s not about being on papers everyday. I try to put in my best in everything I do to please my fans, because they made me. Nobody will be in the limelight forever, it is the legacy you leave behind that matters. Do you also watch foreign movies to help boost your interpretation of a character? I read about them. I watch my own movies a lot in order to know where I need to

improve on.

SARTURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014—31

26— SARTURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

It’ s not enough to get married to a rich man—

Angela Okorie

By FLORENCE AMAGIYA

Some men are better actors than most of us. A lot of them tell lies

improve on.

SATURDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014—27

Bid for better skin after 50

n attainment of the golden age of 50 recently, a good friend of mine suddenly became paranoid about her skin. It’s either her skin is too wrinkled, too light, too dark, too scaly too old-looking, but never as smooth or radiant as it used to be. She is not alone in this anxiety. Several women - and men too readily develop a propensity for skin consciousness once they hit the half Century. But one of the landmarks of turning 50 is the inevitability of aging skin.

•How to look good and stay looking good

Changes of Ageing A few fine lines here, a hint of greying there, normal changes of aging are inevitable and often irreversible. All the years of exposure to the sun, soaps, skin creams and hundreds of other events all have effects that become evident on the skin as it ages. Stress, gravity, and obesity affect the way skin looks. With advancing age, the skin doesn’t produce new cells as quickly as it used to. So it gradually becomes less elastic and prone to dryness. Skin care Ordinarily, good skin care is no picnic. It goes beyond soap and water, or oil and lotion. Certainly there are tons of skin rejuvenation products, non-surgical facial treatments and restoration hair care products in the market. There may even be too many options to count for people over 50 who want to enhance their natural beauty. But if you are already into your 50s, chances are, a great looking skin would make you a lot more comfortable with who you are, wouldn’t it? To look good and stay looking good in middle age and beyond, here are a few simple steps and natural tips to care for your skin as you get older.

sleeping in your birthday suit. Invest in comfortable cotton night dress or pajamas. If you can afford silk Olatz pajamas, go for it. Stop sunbathing and skin tanning Stay out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day. If you must be outside, wear protective clothing and sunglasses. Freckles, age spots, and blotchy complexions are linked to sun exposure. Check for skin cancer If there are changes that worry you, call your doctor right away.

•Several women develop propensity for skin consciousness

Don’t take a shower, have a bath There is a world of difference between a shower and a bath. Showers assault the skin, baths massage it. As much as possible, don’t get addicted to hot water baths. A cold bath does wonders for skin health. Take a bath or two daily. Use safe bath products such as Amber & Lavender Bath Oil. Scrub don’t wash Use a hard-bristle brush on your skin to exfoliate the dead cells. You might think it would hurt you, but it doesn’t feel as bad as it looks. Avoid acid-based facial creams Say by bye-bye to all acidic products. Acids make the skin overly sensitive and irritated, and should be used only occasionally. Choose very rich moisturisers and skin nurturing products. Sleep a lot At least eight hours of quality sleep every night is essential. Make bedtime a ritual. Read or watch a short movie, but ensure you

are in bed before midnight.

As much as possible, don’t get addicted to hot water baths. A cold bath does wonders for skin health. Take a bath or two daily

Don’t shampoo at bedtime Wash your hair once or twice a week but avoid shampooing before getting into bed. Don’t sleep with wet hair. Wear night clothes One of the most abominable things you can do to your skin is to go to bed wearing your work clothes. And avoid

Older, fair-skinned people are at high risk and must have a yearly check. Soothe dry skin Use a humidifier. Also use moisturising soaps and lotions. Eat right and hydrate Good nutrition helps the body repair skin. Drinking lots of water helps hydrate skin from the inside out.

28—SATURDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014 it more comfortable for the parents. For instance, if a baby who is sick in FMC Asaba is referred here, they would be going around looking for a car. By the time they get a car, that baby is so cold. By the time they get here, this place is full and there is no bed. So that baby is jeopardized. The reason why the neonatal network is coming into Delta state is for us to work together and manage our work together. We have been given an ambulance just for this service which means that we can go out and if a baby is too sick we can talk on the phone, and then go ventilate it and bring it into the ICU.

t’s no child’s play overseeing activities of a 25-bed space neonatal ward that is brimming with cutting-edge medical equipment and 16 incubators, while ensuring round-the-clock smoothrunning of an ultra modern 33-bedded paediatric ward in a world-class tertiary health institution such as the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, DELSUTH, Oghara. Your work is really cut out if in coping with these, the 20bedded children emergency ward and state-of-the-art Intensive Care Unit still make demands of your attention. This is exactly what Nurse Manager, Laura Ade, does for a living. When a child is sick When a child is sick, a child is sick. I can’t lie on my bed and think its all okay. These children have no advocate but me. Now I reside on the premises, but when I was living in Sapele, the distance didn’t stop me. I used to drive from Sapele down to Oghara. It didn’t matter what time of day as long as that child would live. That’s what matters. Three paediatric experts have just been employed in addition to the four on ground and there is a neonatologist employed on contract from London. No closing time Here, there are no specific working hours. You could be on call at anytime and indefinitely. We don’t have closing time because life is involved. You will never find a nurse here wanting to close at the specified time when there is a case at hand. We cannot go to bed or sleep. If you want a job with a closing time, go to a bank. Whenever you are called, whether at midnight or 3am, you must report for duty because life is involved. This is a specialty that is still growing in Nigeria. It’s a very different culture that we have imbibed and this is as a result of the major changes Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan is making. It involves getting the equipment to work and the staff to appreciate that this is all about life. Pre-term babies A common perception in this practice is that babies born under 23 weeks of gestation, that is, below six months, are not viable and so one shouldn’t even make an effort. In Nigeria, generally,

Lifeline

Advocate for newborns they say viability begins at 28 weeks but we have had babies of 26 weeks, babies weighing 600g, which is not up to a packet of sugar in weight; and babies of 800900g in weight, and they survived. If I get to a delivery and the baby is breathing, then it is entitled to live. Often, it might appear that a 26-weeker is improbable, but we appreciate that the mother might not have calculated the dates right. In the locality in which we are, sometimes women could be up to three months pregnant and not know. So even if a woman who is in labour claims to be only four or five four months pregnant, it wouldn’t stop me attempting to manage that delivery. I would attempt that delivery depending on the assessment of the baby. Referrals Majority of babies in our neonatal units are referrals. We’ve had referrals from Bayelsa State, Edo State and other states. Referrals are coming from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH; Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH and the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan as well as

several other states because of the kind of stuff we do here, a lot of which is new and not available elsewhere. Retcam scanning for neonates There is a Retcam here at DELSUTH. It is highly specialized equipment that scans and detects abnormalities in the retina of neonates who are prone to blindness especially if they are born too early and need to be given oxygen. There is only one of it in the country and we have just had training on it. With this machine every baby will be screened to ensure they do not develop blindness. We are gong to call for babies from Delta and other states to come in for scanning. Treatment can be done with laser but now we want to get a cohort to see how many infants would actually need the treatment because buying the laser for treatment is quite expensive. Images generated here can be sent to the United States for second assessment if our ophthalmologists are not too sure. Neonatal network A lot of referrals are coming in so we are setting up the first Delta State neonatal

network which Governor Uduaghan is flagging off. What this means is that clinicians will be talking to each other. We already have 100 cell phones, that will be given out to all the 65 centres that deliver babies. Every morning, my nurses will call each of these centres and when they come, their patients will get intensive care. When their care becomes less intensive they can go back to their own home base. That makes

Service first, payment later The Delta State government treats emergencies as emergencies. We live in an area in which the people are very poor. We are trying in every way to support them so time is a big factor for us. If a baby comes in within the first four hours and we are not able to do diagnosis, blood transfusion and stuff like that, it is very dangerous. We have to be able to support the parents to get a little bit of courtesy in the sense that we do the test while they go and look for money. At DELSUTH, we treat before asking questions. If somebody is brought in, bleeding or has a life threatening situation, we would start treatment before asking for payment. If you are here and you watch a baby come in sick, you’ll see that the nurses only care about obtaining the referral letter so as to commence treatment. We never, ever ask for money first when a baby is brought in. When the crisis is over, we can talk about money. I am very proud to work in an institution like this.

Marijuana ma op mayy st stop spread of HIV

arijuana has long been used to effectively treat symptoms associated with HIV, such as chronic pain and weight loss. But a growing body of research suggests the plant may be able to stop the spread of the virus itself. A Louisiana State University study published in the journal AIDS Research and Human Retroviruse narrates how for 17 months, scientists administered a daily dose of THC, an active ingredient in cannabis, to monkeys infected with an animal form of the virus. Over the course of that period, they found that damage to immune tissue in the primates’ stomachs, one of the most common areas in the body for HIV infection to spread, decreased. “These findings reveal novel mechanisms that may potentially contribute to cannabinoid-mediated disease modulation,” said Dr. Patricia Molina, leader of the study. The report goes on to explain that while HIV spreads by infecting and killing off immune cells, the monkeys that received the daily THC treatments maintained higher levels of healthy cells. Similar study in 2011 found that infected monkeys treated with THC had a better chance of surviving.

SATURDAY

ublic sector workers in Nigeria enrolled in the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, may soon begin to benefit from life-long health insurance even as President Goodluck Jonathan is canvassing support for provision of accessible, affordable and qualitative healthcare delivery, as he hosts the upcoming Presidential Summit on Universal Health Coverage next month. Newly appointed Executive Secretary of the NHIS, Dr. ‘Femi Thomas, who dropped the hint in Abuja during a courtesy visit of the management of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, led by its Director General, Mr. Mike Omeri, however remarked that the proposal would only come to light if the Labour Unions could persuade enrollees to pay up their 1.75 percent of their salary as counter-part contribution. Thomas recalled that ever since the formal flag off of the Scheme in 2006, Federal Government has been contributing 10 percent of workers’ salaries to the Scheme, adding that efforts are being intensified to ensure that state and local governments begin the enrolment of their workforce into NHIS programmes. “The NHIS has a Presidential mandate of providing access to healthcare for 30 per cent of Nigerians, and raise coverage to 40 per cent by 2015. To achieve this unprecedented feat, the Scheme has initiated a programme to facilitate enrollment of vulnerable groups in the informal sector. “Funding is a critical factor in driving the health insurance process, especially as regards extending coverage to persons identified as vulnerable, who are unable to make contributions

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014—29

Managed Healthcare

Life health insurance for Govt workers? •Dr. ‘Femi Thomas

to the pool. Thomas told the visiting delegation of the management of the FCT Health Services Scheme, that the upcoming Presidential Summit, scheduled for March 10-14, will galvanize support from various sectors of the economy, while exploring more possible sources of funding. “It will seek to generate concepts and strategies to facilitate the process and benefits of

Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria, besides defining a roadmap and work plan for the successful accomplishment of the objective of rapid development of the nation’s human capital.”To date, 68,000 persons have been enrolled under the FCT programme, while 22 communities are captured under the Community Based Health Insurance Scheme, CBSHIP.

FD A recalls Uncle Ben’s Rice FDA D

on’t buy any brand of Uncle Ben’s Rice for the time being because the Food and Drug Administration, FDA, has issued an urgent recall of Uncle Ben’s Infused Rice products. According to the recall notice, FDA’s Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network (CORE) was notified of a cluster of illnesses at three public schools in Katy, Texas. It reported incidences of burning, itching rashes, headaches and nausea for 30 to 90 minutes, among those who consumed the product. The FDA also reports on several other outbreaks of strange symptoms among children who ate the rice. The recall is the latest in a steady stream of bad news about rice, most of which

rue, fruit is good for you. Apples are, in fact, very healthful. They contain antioxidants called flavonoids, which may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, as well as several other chronic diseases. Apples are one of the best fruit sources for fibre, which can lower cholesterol and help weight loss. But a lone apple isn’t enough to keep you out of the doctor ’s office.

Sitting too close to the TV will not damage your eyesight Fact! Rightly so. There’s no optimal distance for watching TV, so sit where you like. Sitting as close as possible to the TV screen might be uncomfortable, but it won’t hurt your eyes. Parents who say this to their children may be reacting to their own weakening eyesight and guessing it might have been caused by their years spent huddled up next to the TV. But the culprit is simply the passage of time. Eating spicy foods will give you ulcer Fiction! Not at all. Enjoy that fiery curry or spicy chili. If the food causes discomfort, visit a doctor to see if it has exacerbated an ulcer you didn’t know you had. Hot dishes can only irritate an already existing ulcer, not cause the ulcer. Ulcers are usually caused by either Helicobacter pylori, or a habitual use of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs, NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen and aspirin.

is grown in Asian countries that lack any real regulation of industrial pollution affecting agricultural regions where rice is grown. In November, 2012, arsenic, a heavy metal linked to many types of cancer was reportedly found in rice imported from Asia.

Spicy Ginger snaps!

Fact or fiction? An apple a da dayy keeps the doct or doctor away Fiction!

inger has long been used in folk medicine to treat everything from colds to constipation. Ginger can be used fresh, in powdered form (ginger spice), or candied. Although the flavour between fresh and ground ginger is significantly different, they can be substituted for one another in many recipes. In general, you can replace 1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger with 1

tablespoon of fresh grated ginger, and vice versa. Consuming ginger and ginger products, in addition to taking any anti-nausea medications as prescribed, may provide some comfort for a queasy stomach during cancer treatment. *Do not take ginger if you are allergic to it or suffer from a bleeding disorder or take blood-thinning medication such as aspirin.

Intercourse in the 9th month of pregnancy can induce labour Fact! It makes sense even though the jury is still out, but this may be true. If you have an uncomplicated pregnancy, go for it. After all, the seminal fluid contains chemicals called prostaglandins, which can cause uterine contractions. Sex can also introduce bacteria into the cervical canal, which can spur the release of prostaglandins. However, medical experts do no advise women to use intercourse as a method of inducing labour. Pluck one grey hair and two will grow back in its place Fiction! Yanking out grey hairs will not cause more of them to grow. Over time, people inevitably get more grey hair so they blame the spreading of the silver on their plucking habit. The pigment formation in one follicle has no influence over the pigment formation in another. With age, the pigment cells in the hair follicles either die off or lose the ability to make and transfer colour to the hair shafts.

30—SATURDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

t last, the longawaited female “Viagra” may have debuted. Developing a feminine equivalent of Pfizer’s revolutionary antiErectile Dysfunction drug has been a hard nut to crack because a woman’s sexual arousal mechanism is very different from that of a man. Regardless of numerous attempts however, this new herbal supplement appears to be, by far, the closest to the real deal. Known as Lady Prelox, the patented female pleasure enhancer is manufactured by Nord Pharma. It works by “encouraging” blood flow to the female reproductive organs and the brain. Results from series of trials show that this herbal preparation truly corrects female sexual dysfunction without major side effects. So for ladies who want “more”, look no further. If you’re on the look out for a dietary supplement to boost that “you-turn-me-on feeling”, Lady Prelox is your dream come true. Unlike Pfizer’s little blue Viagra pills however, the pearl-white Lady Prelox tablets can be bought at your local pharmacy without prescription. I might just

Human Nature

Enters Lady Prelox mention that a pack costs approximately N12,000. And just before you hand over the cash, it is necessary to appreciate that Lady Prelox

is not an aphrodisiac. If you’re not turned on by your partner, no amount of tablets will help.

Masculine

Moisturise!

en’s faces tend to be oilier than women’s, but to help avoid wrinkles, it’s smart to use a daily moisturizer. Men with normal to oily skin can get enough moisture from a light lotion or hydrating gel. If you have drier skin, try a heavier cream. If your face is sensitive or flaky, use a cleanser that doesn’t have sodium lauryl sulfate, which makes things foamy but can dry your skin. Also look for ingredients like ceramides, glycerin, sunflower or soybean oils, or petrolatum, which moisturize. If your skin is oily, try a cleanser with natural bacteria-fighters like citrus, tea tree oil, or eucalyptus.

he leaned on a fellow female passenger and within seconds began to snore. Ah-ah, Madam please stop! I am sorry Madam. I did not mean to do that. I did not sleep all through the night. Why? My sister, it’s a long story. I just boarded the bus from Mile 2 to Oshodi and before the next bus stop I was already sleeping and snoring heavily. It’s my baby ooo! I don’t know if it is the hot weather or allergy. Each time I look at her little face and the back of her neck I want to cry. She has this awful rash that has spread all over her face, ears and the front and back of her neck. It is worse on the back of the neck. The rash is definitely made worse with skin contact, such as her head resting on my forearm when nursing. So I try to keep a burp cloth between her skin and mine. I hope it is an ordinary heat rash because it should have cleared up in few days but today is two weeks now. She cries all day. No thanks to the Power Holding Corporation, nights are living hell for all us in the house. I no longer know what to do. My baby is suffering so much. I am thinking of taking her to a doctor. Oh no, it has not

Mother & Child

Prevent heat rash, keep your baby cool gotten to that. You see, your baby’s sensitive skin can break out in a heat rash when exposed to hot, humid weather, as the sweat gland openings become blocked. Your priority now is to keep your baby cool. From your story, the baby’s

heat rash was caused when the baby became hot and clammy. The bright red pimply rash developed when sweat clogged the pores in her skin. Cool her skin with cold, wet flannels, or tepid baths. After that, keep her cool naturally and allow as much nappy-free

time as possible. To soothe heat rash, put the baby in comfortable clothing that allows the skin to stay cool and dry. You must take extra care of folds of skin that may be moistened by urine, drool or sweat. Cleanse baby with cool water to wipe away sweat and body oils. Then thoroughly dry the skin. Have you been applying

ointments? You don’t need to do that. When you are indoors, keep the rooms airy. If you are outside, head for the shade. If it is hot at night, fan her. Dress your baby in loose, cotton clothing rather than synthetic fabrics. I am sure you must have noticed that the rash appears in the areas where your baby has been most hot and sweaty like on the chest, neck, groin and armpits. Her pimples may be tender to the touch, and she may feel a prickling or stinging sensation. You don’t need to take your baby to the doctor if she has mild heat rash, but, as with any rash, you may want to confirm a diagnosis. If your baby is very sore, dab on calamine lotion to soothe her skin, avoiding her eyes. You can also apply hydrocortisone cream if the doctor advises it. But don’t use other lotions or ointments. These may trap moisture in the skin and make the rash worse. When you apply all these steps and she is still running a high if she’s under three months, and if the rash is getting worse, or doesn’t go away after three or four days, see your doctor.

32— SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

08111813025

Fruits are my first friend — Biodun BY ADERONKE ADEYERI

iodun Okeowo is un arguably one of the actresses swiftly expanding in profile in Nollywood. The graduate of Communication Arts from Lagos State University hit limelight in the flick, Tolani Oshirin has remained one of the most-sought-after actresses in Nollywood. The diva in a chat with Celebrity Tummy Talk reveals her love for fruits especially pineapple and pawpaw . Enjoy. When do you take your first meal for the day? I usually take my first meal around twelve noon. I start by taking a glass of water

with banana and pawpaw to flush my system and this has been a routine I do not skip for anything.

very close to my mother and the kitchen.

What is your best food? My favorite food is ikokore and ebiripo.

What was your first cooking experience like? That was a long time ago and I can not really remember what it was like.

Is it because you are from Ijebu in Ogun state? Well, I can’t say but ebiripo is a delicacy I enjoy a lot. Ebiripo is a whole meal on its own that can be taken anytime, anywhere irrespective of your tribe.

….your best fruit? Fruits are my first friend because I eat lots of fruits every day. My best fruits are pineapple and pawpaw. I cannot do without these fruits on a daily basis.

Can you cook this meal? Of course yes. I love cooking a lot, in fact I started cooking at age eight. I happened to be the last and the only female in my family which made me

how do you unwind? I watch movies and visit the spa to pamper my body. I also visit the gym occasionally .

Weekend Treat

Tasteful ebiripo and sauce Recipe

Tubers of cocoyam Salt Seasoning(optional) Local (Moi moi) leaves Blended pepper Palm oil Onions Meat Crayfish Fish Locust beans

biripo is a special delica cy peculiar to the Ijebu people from the south west of Nigeria. It is made from cocoyam and can also be eaten at anytime of the day. Enjoy

Preparation

Peel the skin off the cocoyam and place in a bowl of salt and water so that the cocoyam retain its colour. Grate the cocoyam and ensure you use the tiny and closely packed side

of the grater. Add salt and little water to the grated cocoyam, then mix thoroughly with your turning stick. Wrap in local leaves and place in a pot with leaves or chopped off stems lining the base of the pot. Add water to the pot and top up with spare leaves to cover the pot, then cook for 20minutes. Unwrap the ebiripo and proceed to make the sauce. Cook the meat and fish well with onions and seasoning till it softens. Pour the blended pepper into a separate pot and cook on high heat till all the water dries up. Pour your palm oil into the boiled pepper,then fry till there is no water in the pepper. Add the crayfish, locust bean, meat, fish, salt and seasoning . Leave to simmer and it is ready to be served. Enjoy

Biodun Okeowo

FG seals fishing coy

HEAL TH TIPS HEALTH

BY EBUN SESSOU

Let your hair grow through your food (Continued from last week) ust like every other part of your body, the cells and processes that support strong, vibrant hair depends on a balanced diet. The nutrients you eat today help fortify the hair follicle from which each strand is born and the scalp that surrounds it. These are common foods that boost and gives healthy hair. Eggs For a head full of healthy hair, egg should be one of your best friends. It’s loaded with essential nutrients such as proteins, Vitamin B12, iron, zinc and Omega 6 fatty acids in large amounts. Being deficient in any of these vitamins and minerals is known to result in poor quality of hair. In addition, it is also a good source for biotin (Vitamin B7) which is a great aid to fight hair loss.

Skim milk Low-fat dairy product like skim milk is a great source of calcium, an important mineral for hair growth. It also contain whey and casein, two high-quality protein sources. Spinach The iron, beta carotene, folate, and vitamin C in spinach helps keep hair follicles healthy and scalp oils circulating.

Spinach

he Federal Ministry of Agriculture through the Federal Department of Fisheries, FDF has sealed a fishing company in Lagos for allegedly procuring contraband fishes. The Acting Director of FDF, Mrs Foluke Areola told newsmen in Lagos that the on-going Agric Transformation Agenda programme of the Federal Government is aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in food and fish production in Nigeria.”The Department is aggressively promoting local fish production through aquaculture and artisanal fisheries,”she said. According to her, the department has stopped the importation of all farmed fish products since December last year. ”Importation is only limited to pelagic fish including Mackerel, Sardine, H/ Mackerel and stock fish.Fish importers as a mark of commitment to government policy of increasing local fish production are encouraged to embark on fish farming and other local fish enterprises. Any imported farmed fish would be destroyed, and fines paid at N1 per kilogram to Federal Government,” she disclosed.

TIT BITS The acting director explained that on a tip-off, the department heard that the owner of one Fashakin foods in Lagos had illegally imported farmed fish products but added that a task force was set up by the department to investigate the matter. She noted that company was in the process of selling out packed Tilapia and Pangasius, a catfish specie known as Monster Catfish which are banned fishery products. ”130 cartons of pangasius and 1900 Tilapia were discovered in the cold rooms, we have sealed two cold rooms. There are eight cold rooms within the premises but two cold rooms will be on hold, one cold room containing pangasius and tilapia, farmed fish which are illegal products. The second cold room on hold contains Croaker, Croaker is not an illegal product but because the product has foul smell it has to be on hold,she explained. ”So we are sealing and going to send our inspectors to come and take samples of the Croaker fish, and if we find out that they are still fit for human consumption,we release the products, otherwise we will order it to be sold to animal feed producers in the presence of our fishery inspectors. But, if it is neither fit for human consumption nor animal feed production, we will order for its destruction and the owner will bear the cost for destruction.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014—33 Compiled by

Ephraim Oseji

oseji16@yahoo.com

JOSE MOURINHO

Is first owner in UK of the new Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe J

ose Mourinho is the first owner of the new Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe. At the launch of the new Jaguar F-TYPE Coupé at Eastwinter Garden in Canary Wharf, UK, where the Chelsea boss became the first to own the car in the country. As new ‘Jaguar ambassador’ Mourinho will jump the queue for the car as official deliveries begin late in March this year. Recently the Chelsea manager who claims ‘everything I say and do are mind games’, appears to have an ulterior motive for even the

AC Milan to rival Chelsea for Isco

most innocuous of sound bites. He noted: ‘Manchester City is a Jaguar, you cannot put an L-plate on a Jaguar ’. But not just plucked that car brand out of the air for his match of the day interview with Gary Lineker following Chelsea going top of the table after beating Newcastle. ‘I am sure all our customers will be as excited as our new ambassador José Mourinho at

the prospect of driving the new F-TYPE Coupé.” Top of the range is the F Type R with a 550horsepower 5.0-litre V8 supercharged engine which accelerates the car from 0-60mph in 4.0-seconds, and a top speed electronically restricted to 186mph. F-TYPE S Coupé and FTYPE Coupé models complete the range are powered

C Milan are preparing to beat Manchester City to the signature of top target Isco of Real Madrid, according to reports. The 21-year-old made a barnstorming start to his career at the Santiago Bernabeu earlier this season, but has found himself on the outskirts of the starting XI lately with both Gareth Bale and Angel Di Maria returning from minor injuries. And his recent omissions from the squad have reportedly caused him to think twice about his future with the club and sources in Spain have linked him with a summer switch to Italian giants AC Milan.

respectively by 380 horsepower and 340 horse-power versions of Jaguar ’s 3.0-litre supercharged V6 engine giving acceleraton from 0-60mph in up to 4.8 and top speeds of up to 171mph. The cars are priced from £51,235 for the 3.0-litre V6 supercharged F-TYPE Coupé to £85,000 for the F-TYPE R Coupé.

Father kills son at cricket training

YDNEY – An Australian mother spoke of her shock after her estranged husband murdered their 11-year-old son at cricket practice before being shot dead by police in front of horrified onlookers in suburban Melbourne. Luke Batty was beaten, reportedly with a cricket bat to the head, soon after training with his junior team in the evening at the Tyabb oval on the Mornington Peninsula, 100 km southeast of Melbourne. He suffered significant injuries and died at the scene.

34—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

Compiled by

Ephraim Oseji

oseji16@yahoo.com

Atletico Madrid have pr oposed a sw ap of proposed swap offfer to Chelsea for Costa

Fans Zone Are you a Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Barcelona fan and would like to meet fans, male or female from other part of the country. Then send ur name, age, where you live and the club u support to 0802354-2350. sms only

tletico Madrid have proposed a swap offer to Chelsea over striker Diego Costa. Chelsea have been offered Diego Costa in a sensational swap deal involving Thibaut Courtois. High-level talks between the Blues and Atletico Madrid took place in London in the last week, where two proposals were made. Atletico are ready to pay £16m for Courtois and include Spain under21 star Koke - a United target - in

Stella, 28, PH, Manchester United, 08037982904 zKelvin, 22, delta, Chelsea fan needs a female fan as friends.07050447100 zJean, 30, Onitsha, Arsenal needs male and female fans as friends.08126070375 zFelix, 50, Sapele, Liverpool needs liverspool fans as friends.08036694150 z Moses, 28, Chelsea, needs Chelsea female fans as friends.08164862619 zKelvin Oliseh, 24, Delta, Chelsea, needs male and f e m a l e friends.08126445334 z Abraham, 17 Sapele, Manchester United needs a female fan.08169313855 zIssac Enoch, 19, Chelsea needs male and female fans.08168479696 zDennis, Warri, Manchester United, needs United friends.08033382936 z Paul, 35, Anambra, Chelsea, needs male friends.08063016010 zElvis, 18, Lagos, need a male fan.07063334053 z Yinka, 32, Lagos, Chelsea, want female fans as friends.08022880647 zDave, 39, Abuja, Arsenal. 08089556817 zFelix Tombiri, 43, Delta, Man United, love to meet male and female fans. 07030849930 z

Quiz of the Week

United step up pur suit of Jamaal pursuit Lascelles

anchester United boss David Moyes is set to step up his advances for Nottingham Forest youngster Jamaal Lascelles before a bidding war for his signature ensues this summer. United have

reportedly been tracking the 20-year-old for years now and Moyes is eager to get the jump on his rivals as he looks to overhaul his squad at the end of the season.

helsea defender David Luiz is on Barcelona’s wish list again as Catalans ready to move for the Brazilian in the summer transfer window. Various reports in English newspapers including have claimed that Barca are looking for a long term partner for Gerrard Pique and see Luiz as the perfect candidate. The Spanish champions were keen on Brazil international Luiz last summer but the Blues’ returning manager Jose Mourinho refused to sell and the curly-haired fan favourite has played regularly under the Special One this season.

in 2003 u improved £90,000-a Ramos b 1, 2004 as was purch

Mat ts Mataa has no Man Utd regre regrets

Who is the new coach of Swansea FC . Send ur answers to 0802354-2350 sms only

Last week winner (Atube Peter, Asaba)

Inter Milan line up talks ffor or Evr Evraa

David Luiz on Barca's wish list

uan Mata insists he's happy with his move to Manchester United. The former Chelsea midfielder is yet to catch fire since his January switch. "I am happy at the club, very happy," Mata said. "I am enjoying my football, I am getting minutes on the pitch, I am in a very, very big club and I hope we finish the season well.

nter Milan are chasing Manchester United Bosman prospect Patrice Evra.Inter's technical director Piero Ausilio was in attendance at The Emirates Stadium for the 0-0 draw with Arsenal in the knowledge that France international Evra is out of contract in the summer.

PSG Join Man City in race for £35m Mangala

anchester City are facing stiff com petition from Paris Saint-Germain in the race to land highly rated FC Porto centre-back Eliaquim Mangala at the end of the season. The north-west outfit tried to lure the coveted France international during the recent January transfer window, with City even offering a whopping £35m for the 23-year-old.

Yann M'Vila w ants Liver pool wants Liverpool move in the summer

ann M'Vila wants Liverpool move in the summer transfer. Liverpool were strongly linked with a January transfer deal for French midfielder Yann M'Vila to reinforce their current options, but like many it failed to materialise. M'Vila is a defensive midfielder who would provide an alternative to Lucas

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014—35

Compiled by

Ephraim Oseji

oseji16@yahoo.com

ergio Ramos García has an estimated net worth of $60 million. The 27 year-old, central defender is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Real Madrid and Spain. Ramos has earned his net worth from his salary as a professional footballer beginning until currently. He has just been awarded an £4.5 million a years contract by Real Madrid, ie a-week. began with Sevilla FC and debuted on February s substitute with La Liga team. In 2005, Ramos hased by Real Madrid for •27 million where he

was awarded #4 shirt and that he extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2017. During the 2009-10 season, Ramos was appointed as one of Real Madrid’s four captains. In late February/early March 2013, he again captained Real to back-to-back wins over Barcelona. His international career began in 2004 where he became an instant hit in Spain’s under-21, playing six international matches. He scored his first two international goals in a 6–0 away thrashing of San Marino for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Ramos celebrated his 100th cap by opening the scoring in a 1–1 draw with Finland in Gijón for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers on March 22, 2013. Sergio Ramos being sent off for the 18th time in his career

Man City willing to sell Javi City are ready to Manchester sell Javi Garcia. Report saysGarcia

Garcia has failed to establish himself at Eastlands and his departure was discussed as part of negotiations over the proposed deal for Porto's Fernando and Eliaquim Mangala last month. Napoli wanted to take him on loan last month and may come back into the market depending on City's asking price with Garcia.

Matuidi delays PSG deal amid Ar senal, Liver pool int eres Arsenal, Liverpool interes erestt laise Matuidi is holding off Nigeria a new deal at PSG. Bsigninginternational Report says Matuidi had agreed a new contract in principle with PSG but is understood to be holding off signing it as Manchester City and Arsenal show interest. The France midfielder refused to rule out moving away from PSG earlier this week

Szczesny Insists Liverpool won’t put ffive ive PPas as astt him again

rsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has insisted that Liverpool will not humiliate Arsenal again as the two sides square up to each other again in the FA Cup tomorrow. Liverpool notched up an impressive 5-1 victory over the Gunners last weekend after finding themselves 4-0 up inside the opening 20 minutes.

36—SATURDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

I hate my parents

Aunty Julie, I am a teenager living with over ly strict parents. I am not allowed to wear tank tops, skirts, makeup, or jewelry. I can’t wear long artificial braids or weaveons. My parents refuse to let me pick my own clothes. The only boyfriend I ever had was in my dreams. Meanwhile, all my friends have boyfriends. And sex — is completely out of the question. I haven’t even had a first kiss. To make things even worse, I have break-outs and I’m not allowed to use any skin care products. I am ugly and my parents don’t care. Please tell me what I should do! Flora, Port-Harcourt Dear Flora, Dating. Curfews. Leisure time. What you eat. What you wear. These are just a few of the many, many aspects of life that you have very little say in right now. And the small amount of your life that your parents don’t control, your school probably does. Of course, different parents have different restrictions and teens themselves have a wide range of reactions to rules. But you definitely are not alone in feeling like your parents’ rules are too strict. As a teen approaching young adulthood, you are becoming your own person but as young children, we are more dependent on the rules and structure of our parents. How else would we learn the value of everything from brushing our teeth every night to avoiding electrical sockets? So, parents have the difficult task of figuring out which rules to throw out, which ones to ease up on, and which ones to enforce, but more on this later. The other concern you raise is about “being ugly.” Breakouts are the pits, no question.

The exact cause of acne is still not fully understood, but there are likely multiple factors. What is clear is that there are glands in the skin that become quite active during puberty as hair follicles are stimulated for the first time. Thus, pores can become clogged more easily, sometimes because of a mix of dead skin skills (made worse when skin becomes too dry) and excessive oil production. Acne is often more of an issue for people in their teens to early 20s, but can impact people of all ages. Of course, the skin treatment is only a part of this much larg-

He makes me feel less important than the dogs Dear Julie, My husband and I have been having problems for eight years. We have two boys and two female dogs. The boys are now grown up and have left the house to live on their own. The dogs are old and he wants to bring in another dog. I don’t want any more dogs because my husband makes me feel less imortant than the dogs. He refuses to live without a dog and I don’t like dogs. Does this make me less of a person to want this marriage to be over because of dogs? Aishatu, Lagos

Acne is often more of an issue for people in their teens to early 20s, but can impact people of all ages. er conflict. You have a very normal, developmental need to go your own way in certain areas of your life. Your parents are used to being in control since they have the responsibility of protecting you from harm. Is it possible that they are having a difficult time adjusting their roles as you mature? There perhaps are some other reasons they are so protective? Have you tried to understand their reasons rather than just push back? Clashes between parents and teens may be made more intense by cultural differences and generational differences . Though it may seem like they will never come around and see things from your point of view, a little patience and persistence in communicating with them can go a long way.

Dear Aishatu, Obviously, there’s a difference of opinion between you and your husband. He loves dogs. He’s passionate about dogs but it appears as if you’re not as passionate about dogs as he is. And to make matters worse, he seems

to give the dogs more attention than he gives you. Now you’ve reached a crossroad. He either gives up the dogs or forgets the relationship. Already, you’re having problems. Are you less of a person for wanting this marriage to be over because of dogs? Of course, you’re not. You’re human and you have a free will. If you’re not satisfied with something, the least you can do is say your mind. So, it’s perfectly normal for you to say your mind and ask your husband to respect your wishes. It doesn’t matter if it has to do with dogs or something else. You have a right to be heard. However, you must understand that for two people to live together in a happy love relationship, they must be willing to make compromises for each other. If they are unwilling to compromise, they can’t live together for long. In your case, you’ve managed to live together and compromise until now. It’s natural to expect him to also compromise. But what if he stubbornly refuses to give in to your demands to live without dogs, what will you do?From what you said, he’s not planning to give up his dogs. This is entirely up to you. If you also refuse to compromise, then the relationship is as good as over. Do you want the love relationship to be over? Do you love him enough to endure another decade of dogs? Yes, you deserve a life without dogs. If you don’t love dogs, there’s no reason why you should be made to live with them everyday of your life. The ball is in your court. Play it well.

Attracted to another Aunty Julie, I have been dating a guy for well over a year-and-a-half, and we really enjoy each other’s companionship. We have a great friendship and a great sex life. The problem is that I am finding myself attracted to another person. I think this other person has a girlfriend. Furthermore, I don’t want to have a relationship with this other person — it’s just that I find myself dreaming about kissing him because he is so attractive. I know I’m crazy because everything is great in my relationship and people envy the relationship I have with my boyfriend. I just can’t get this guy off my mind. What should I do? Stephanie, Lagos

Best Friend Mark was passing by the bar on the way home from work when he sees his good friend Tom gulping down one shot after another. Fearing the worst, Mark charged into the bar and confronted Tom. “Tom what’s going on?” Mark asked. “It’s my wife Beckie,” Tom replied. “She ran off with my best friend!” “Hey wait a second! Said Mark “Aren’t I your best friend?” “Not any more,” Tom said with a happy smile. “He is!” Gambling John, Sam and Abe, 3 retired friends,would get together every night, rain or shine, to play poker. It was a nice way to pass the time and the men enjoyed it immensely.John’s wife wasn’t so fond of her husband’s poker playing. She thought it was a dirty and low way to fill his time, but she had long ago resigned herself to her sorry fate, although inside of her, there was always a low flame on the back burner waiting to erupt. One Wednesday night, after a few nights of boring games, something exciting happened. Sam watched in amusement as John and Abe, each convinced that they

Hello Stephanie, It is completely natural to think and even dream about people other than your primary partner. All you need to remember is that there is a difference between fantasy (imagining) and reality. Attractions to others are one of the many joys of life. What people imagine related to their attraction allows them to experience and even learn about themselves, their feelings, and their behaviours. People are in control of their behaviours and may make choices and decisions concerning what they may or may not actually want to try. Fortunately, fantasies may create a safe, healthy way to explore the many different as-

pects of sexuality and attraction. Many people are content to leave their feelings of attraction in the realm of fantasy, safe to enjoy privately, or perhaps with a partner. However, if you find yourself wanting to move forward with your attraction, it could prove useful to examine your current relationship. You may assess its strengths and weaknesses and think about how the two of

C O C K - T A L E S had the better hand, slowly put their life savings into the pot. Things started to get really intense when John, running out of available cash, added his car and house into the pot. When there was no money left to bet on, they each showed their cards. As soon as John saw Abe’s cards and realized he had lost, he had a heart attack and died. “Sam,” asked Abe “how are we going to tell his wife?” “Don’t worry I’ll take care of it” Abe replied. Abe knocked on John’s door. “John just lost all of your life savings in a poker game,” said Sam when the door was opened. “He’s afraid to come home.” John’s wife was fuming “he did what?!” she screamed. “Tell him I don’t want to ever see his face again! Tell him to just drop dead!” “Okay,” said Sam nodding his head, “I’ll tell him just that!” Divorce Harry and his buddy Sam were going for a stroll. “Sam” said Harry “You know my wife?” “Sure do” said Sam. “Well she ain’t gonna be my wife anymore!

you may grow within the relationship. Thinking creatively about ways to achieve what’s lacking in your primary relationship may be beneficial. You may then choose not to follow through on your impulses so that you may strengthen the bonds of trust you’ve built over time. Remember, you are ultimately in control of what role this fantasy plays in your life and in your current relationship.

Right after the weekend, it’s gonna be over! I’m divorcing her!” Sam was aghast, “Harry, I can’t believe it! You seemed to get along so well together! And she seemed like such a nice wife too!” Harry stopped walking and and turned to Sam. “Sam, take a look at the loafers I’m wearing. Don’t they look comfy? They have a nice stylish shape, and they look mighty comfortable. Don’t they Sam?” “They do Harry” said Sam, “but I’m not quite sure what you are getting at.” “Well, guess what Sam?” said Harry raising his voice, “I’m the only one who knows that they are pinching my darn feet!!!” Husband “Brian, what’s wrong with you? You’ve been sitting at your desk looking depressed for the last five minutes!” “Oh Dan,” responded Brian “I don’t know what to do! I got in a big fight with my Suzie, she claims I never buy her gifts, so I must not care about her!”“Brian, that’s horrible!What type of a gift does she want already?” “Well, right before she closed the door on my face she said to me: Why can’t you get me something that goes from 0 to 175 in seconds! I don’t have that kind of money? I can’t go out and buy her a car!”“A car?” Asked Dan. “Who needs a car? Just stop by Target and buy her a scale!”

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014—37 08052201257

ou may have noticed that men and women are very different. The physical differences are obvious but what about disparities in motivation, thinking processes, and emotional landscapes? Ever wonder what he’s thinking? Perhaps you’ve asked yourself this question while feeling deeply confused or even intensely angry. This is a question women have been asking, and may continue to ask, for centuries. Differences demand attention. In order to coexist, you need to understand one another and differences in your personalities must be bridged. On the other hand, if you knew all the contents of his head, life would eventually be pretty boring. These challenges become the foundation for a lasting and fulfilling love relationship. What are your intentions? Why do you want to know? How are you asking? Are you shaking your head in amusement as he does something stupid? Men think about more than food and sex. They also think about work, getting ahead at work, sports and getting ahead at sports. They think about household bills and politics and art. The male mind is complexly simple whereas a woman is simply complex. In general, men think in a directed way, often about one thing at a time, while women can cover many topics quickly and can see the larger picture. Men think like a missile, homing onto a target. Women will wonder why people are at war. Men like to compete and declare a winner. Women compete as they manage the battle scene.

Men think in years. Women think in decades. Men and women are physically and biologically distinct. These differences may be honoured, humoured or rejected but they are the essence of life itself. As you go through your life,

What’s on his mind various stages in your relationship can be defined with a male impulse . This thought will cross your man’s mind. In some, it will be strong. In others, it may be a fleeting consideration. When a relationship first begins, men like the chase. This is a primal impulse. Men like to hunt. At this stage, you must listen lightly. He wants something of you and he will say anything to get it. Early in a relationship, there are a series of firsts, goals that must be accomplished. The first kiss is always a big moment. A woman makes the home. The man settles the homestead. He likes to secure things. Putting up a fence. Creating boundaries. Procuring necessities. He is engineering and settling his ownership. Once a relationship has been established, a man likes to find security. He will be quick to defend it. A man with a family is motivated to keep the ball spinning in the air. A family is a busy organization with a cast of characters all moving in a different direction. The family is his foundation. It becomes the glue of

Love is a long dance between the sexes. Sometimes it’s rock and roll. Other times, a slow dance. As a couple, like life, you move and change his life. It is his pride and joy. We place a value on everything. His memory of accomplishments and survival will prove to be a highly valued property that you can revisit endlessly. Men like to take stock, to determine the worth of everything. It is later in life that men will value and honour you the most. These stages in life offer a clue into the mind of a man on a general scale. For example, infidelity highlights

He steps back every time I move closer Ques: Seven years ago, I met a nice man. We worked on a campaign together. We began to talk to each other nightly. He was the candidate so I didn’t know at the time if he was just talking to me because of the campaign or not. Then one night close to the election, he began to talk to me on a personal level. He told me that he was looking for a wife and did I think that he had qualities that I would be interested in. Whenever we went out in public together on his campaign romps, others assumed that we were a couple because he was always so affectionate towards me and when people would ask to get in touch with him, he would tell them to contact me first. Well, the night of the election, he lost. When I got up to leave the watch party, he ran to hug me for several minutes and he begged me to not stop speaking to him even though he lost the election. He said that he wanted

us to continue talking as much as we did before the election. Well, for a few weeks following the election, it was difficult to get in touch with him. Finally, he asked me to several events.He has a son and we hit it off quickly. The first time he came over my house, he brought his son with him. He always told me that if his son did not like someone that it was a deal breaker. His son called me around Easter and told me that of all the women that his father had introduced him to, I was his favourite. He finally invited me over to his home and he told me that he really wants to settle down. He also informed me that he had been divorced twice and that he wanted to make sure that the third time is right . He says that’s why he is taking our friendship so slow. He says that he got out of a relationship two years before we met that devastated him; she left him after he lost another election that he ran in . I got frustrated and told him that I no longer wanted to be friends or whatever he

calls this. He became very alarmed and gave me all of these explanations as to why he is the way that he is and that he is praying for resolution of his problems this year. My question is, if a man has been hurt very badly but says that he hates being single and is hesitant around women because of his life and love experiences, how long should I accept that? Every time I move closer to him, he seems to step back. Adeola, Ekit i Ans: I’m sure you understand why he seems to step back. Going through a divorce process twice is like failing a critical university entrance examination twice. The third attempt you’re filled with caution, anxiety, tension, and even fear. A divorce is even more heartbreaking than a school entrance exam. It cuts deep through your soul and leaves an almost indelible mark. That’s just one divorce. But your man has been through two. It’s likely that each of those last two love relationships started with a lot of love and

many aspects of the male species. What was he thinking when he was cheating? The truth is that he was not thinking. Naturally, women can see the long view, while the male mind thinks in shorter terms. Men think about now and their first impulse. Women contemplate and see the bigger picture. However, just as women have been able to compete in the working world and adapt to a more directed way of being, men also must learn to adapt to a bigger picture and learn to take care of the future as well as the present. In the most traditional model of family relationships, he provides and you nurture. Women bear the brunt of the labour because men tend to think like children. Men create crazy quests and engineer schemes. Flights of his fancy will soar, while you stay grounded and practically minded. Love is a long dance between the sexes. Sometimes it’s rock and roll. Other times, a slow dance. As a couple, like life, you move and change. Most of the time, we do not know what we are thinking, let alone the mind of our mate. Will he ever understand you? No. Will you ever know what he is thinking? No, but you can get closer.

hugs. Everything was fine until something went wrong and the relationship was irredeemable. Now he’s in love again and everything is just perfect. But will something go wrong again? So, fear grips him and he decides to take it slow. What can you do? Ask him what went wrong with his marriage the last two times. The truth is , if he has had two divorces, there’s a big chance your relationship may also end up in divorce. He has been through that road twice. Nothing stops him from going through a third time. Basically, this means it’s important you know why he has had two divorces. Don’t assume his previous wives were bad and intolerable. He may be the one at fault. He may be the one too quick to head for the door. Therefore, finding out the true reasons behind his previous divorce will help you understand him better and decide whether the relationship is worth the investment in view of the risk of divorces down the road.

• Bamidele, 46, civil servant,from Osun lady between the ages of 20-29 State, needs a God-fearing lady of 28-45 for a for a serious relationship that will serious relationship on 08109655702 lead to marriage on •Efosa, 33, from Benin, needs an employed 07014805091 and hardworking lady aged 30-50 for a •Ifeanyi, male, dark skinned, marriage-bound relationship on graduate, HIV Positive, employed, based in Benin, needs an employed, aged 38, based in Port07052234100 educated man who is employed and also HIV Positive from 37 Harcourt, desires a caring lady of •Tola, 30, humble, gentle, tall, seeks a years and above for marriage on 08105843930 faithful, God-fearing soul-mate of 25-30 for 25-30 for relationship on •Romeo, 29, from Delta, wants to be linked with a working class marriage on 08133490248 07055030185 • Ugochukwu, businessman, from Anambra • Akeju,29, needs a State, 36 years, wants to be linked to a Do you have reactions to our stories or have you any experience you want woman of 25 years working class lady aged 29-35 for a marital relationship on 08148027737 on 08083286432 •Michael, 26, from Abia State, selfDo you want to be linked? •Felix, 33, based in Neither Chioma Gabriel nor Saturday Vanguard has any relationship with anybody wanting Abuja, wants a employed, wants a God-fearing and honest lady for a serious relationship on to be linked. We have no agents anywhere and charge no fees. We have no personal informa- caring lady of 28-35 tion of people who have been linked or want to be linked and therefore, are not answerable for 08109664890 on 07065191962 •Edna, female, from Edo State, 37 years, C M Y K

38—SA TURD AY 38—SATURD TURDA

Vanguard,FEBRU ARY 15 anguard,FEBRUARY 15,, 2014

“St. Valentine’s day celebration? Don’t make me Sick!” RIDAY, February 14, is the day I dread,” wrote in Victoria who called herself a self-opinionated modern middle-aged survivor! “Valentine’s Day is when the populace is cruelly divided into winners and losers. You can easily spot the winners— those smug creeps swanning around with a self-satisfied smile on their faces, like the cat that got the cream. They’re the ones who have flowers delivered to their office, or who already know they have been invited out for a ‘special treat’ on St. Val’s evening. The ones who got a handdelivered cards or special delivery presents. Or the ones who woke up to find a saucy e-card had plopped into their in-box overnight. Yuck! “The rest of us, the so-called losers in love — will spend the day. Superficially behaving as normal, acting as if we have better things to do than drink choice wines and eat romantic dinners by candle light. But deep down, we’ll be experiencing that mixture of jealousy and impotent rage that only comes on St. Valentine’s day — because we’ve been unfairly categorised as rejects, yet again. Tossed on the stockpile of non-essential singletons. Destined never to rise to the dizzy heights of being an object of love, or even an object of fumbled lust. “I loathed the banality of Valentine’s Day, the horrible notion of designating one day in the year that occasion to declare our love for another person. It seems so arbitrary. A fake ‘celebration’ exploited by greetings card manufacturers and florists. As at your local supermarket? for the romantic concept of “My hatred of Valentine’s anonymity that vanished Day started as a teenager. decades ago. With my ugly specs, braided hair and wonky teeth, I was hese days, hand-made never going to be the stuff of cards, designer anyone’s dreams. In my mind chocolates, exotic flowers and I was a winner, an individual, tasteful—not tarty knickers someone whose potential are so expensive we want to hadn’t yet been spotted by make sure the lucky recipient any local member of the knows who coughed up, so we sign our names on the package. “Valentine’s Day started ere are what medical before the Middle Ages — experts advise you even Chauser wrote about it. should look out for, i.e. His The Victorians celebrated it by sexual performance; most sending beautiful handmen experience impotence at painted cards with lacy cutsome time. Causes include outs of birds and flowers. But diabetes, high blood back in those days, sex was pressure, heart disease, something that happened surgery, excessive alcohol, after marriage. Romantic love smoking, some medicines, really existed, and these depression, stress, anxiety cards were one way to express and relationship problems. the unsayable, and perhaps Approach it together and win a woman’s heart. In the don’t let it become a big issue. modern world of sexting and Maintain physical intimacy, e-mails about sexual even if it isn’t sexual. conquests in the workplace, Encourage him to seek what’s so special about medical help. coughing up for a massCheck out his tackle: produced Valentine card, or Genital problems include... an over-priced bunch of roses

could buy cards so they could get into our knickers. “Although by the time I was 16, I had managed to score a few real cards, sadly these were mostly sent by boys who were so creepy I chucked their attempts at romance straight in the bin. These vulgar offerings weren’t worthy of a kiss! Over the years, I have come to associate Valentine’s Day with lying and deception. I’ve often given cards to men I’m fed up with, just for a quiet life. It’s polite, isn’t it? Real love, true passion, has been downgraded into this bland marketing opportunity.

might make a tunny card for my partner, but it will celebrate his quirky shortcomings, not his sexual prowess in bed. As for going out, it’s the worst night of the year to be in a restaurant. At exactly the same time, your favourite restaurant will fill up with slightly embarrassed couples who will start the evening whispering, then gradually run out of things to say to each other, before swiftly degenerating into bored

Research shows that the number of people we count as ‘close’ has diminished drastically over the past decade

mutual silence. “Between each couple will be a sad single rose in a glass, bravely trying to convey a feeling of gorgeous romance. In the background, smoochy music will attempt to paper over the cracks in these flimsy relationships. I mean, how many times can you endure a loop of Chris de Burgh’s Lady In Red, Bryan Adams’ (Everything I do) I Do It For You and — the killer track that often makes me gag — Whitney Houston burbling I Will Always Love You? “Instead, on Valentine’s Day, why not celebrate friendships — our relationships that don’t rely on sex? I shall be spending Valentine’s day evening having a meal with one of my ex-husbands and his very nice wife, together with my partner often years, an old friend and her sister. We’ve known each other for ever, and it will be an evening of laughter.As a society, we need to connect more with our friends. Research shows that the number of people we count as ‘close’ has diminished drastically over the past decade. There’s a worrying number of people who now say they have no one special in their lives at all, and more of us than ever are living alone. “Valentine’s Day should be an opportunity for us to reach out and be friendlier to each other. To hell with the roses, the chocolates, the smutty cards and the frilly pants — why not hug a total stranger on Friday? That’s what modern love should be about!!”

Is your man taking good care of himself? H Tinea cruris (Jock itch) —a fungal infection, similar to athlete’s foot. Watch out for a red or discoloured itching rash spreading outwards from the

opposite sex. Even so, every Valentine’s day was torture — the day when all the ‘normal’ girls gloated and made the rest of us feel awkward and miserable because we weren’t wearing padded bras and didn’t have a cheap card from some spotty bloke who, thanks to hand-outs from their parents

“

older men. It leads to fever and the urge to urinate. It may make him spray and miss the loo, so watch that bathroom floor.

Most men experience impotence at some time.Causes include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, surgery, excessive alcohol, smoking etc

groin and on the tops of the legs. Prostatitis or swollen prostrate gland: Common in

Testicular cancer has risen dramatically in the past two decades: Get your man to visit his doctor if he

finds lumps on either resticles, pain or discomfort in his scrotum; swelling of a testicle; aches in his lower stomach, groin or back. His stress levels: Get him to talk about his problems. If he’s doing any of the following, he could be feeling the pressure...Drinking too much; talking more rapidly than usual; becoming more irritable; not sleeping; being indecisive. Couples are more likely to enjoy a healthy lifestyle — eating well not drinking too much — if they follow if together.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014—39

ove is a naturally free-flowing expres sion of deep affec tion - as long as you keep money out of it. You know how hard it is to keep love alive. All of those steps and starts of a relationship are crazy making. When you add money issues, smooth seas can whip into an angry tsunami which begs the question. When money gets in the way of love, what can you do about it? When problems first arise, you must ask, “What is the relationship to money?” Money can carry a lot of meaning for most people and it tends to be an edgy subject. Not having enough creates worries. For some people, having too much is worse. What does money mean to you? You know that money can’t buy love. It’s merely a tool for trading. Your hard work will earn a paycheck to put a warm roof over your head. Money is an important aspect of our lives, one we must honour with a healthy balance between need and desire. Money has a place in our pockets but not in our hearts. In “A Moveable Feast,” one of the world’s great romantic novels, Ernest Hemingway writes of a struggling writer and his young wife living in Paris in the twenties. They are madly in love and horribly broke. Despite their hardship, they are having fun, learning life and starting a family. Together, they are a team on equal economic footing. They face their challenges together. They survive. These experiences are the foundation of their relationship. True partnership is about love. In every relationship, there is a balance of roles and powers. One of you may be more assertive than the other. Or more giving. Or more affectionate. This gentle balancing act we call love is like a see-saw. Financial difficulties are never tender. Doubt, fear and anxiety can easily upset the balance of your harmonious relationship. You begin to trust each other less. Disappointment may curdle the cream of your affection. Fear poisons our faith in each other and in the abundance of the universe and the earth’s ability to provide. Money is a go-to excuse for emotional struggles. Financial difficulties will flare our tempers and put us on the defensive. But money arguments may cover up deeper

t e g y e n o m Does f o y a w e h t in your love? problems and feelings of shame or inadequacy. A financial fight is often hiding and confusing other issues. In these days of financial chaos and joblessness, there are several steps a strong couple can take to survive the economy and protect their loving bond. Perspective A meditative mind can find clarity in clutter. Use your strength and objectivity to stand back and take a long view of your lives. Do not think of tomorrow. Look much further ahead. Remind each other of your goals and desires. Your perspective will redefine your current hardship as a temporary setback. Your objectivity will allow you

XPERT E S E H T K AS I am a 65-year-old man and experience a normal erection. My wife is 58, and shows little interest in sex. Should I visit a brothel to satisfy myself? At this age, you should learn not to pass the buck. Find out the reason behind her disinterest and then do all that you can to fulfill her needs. There are so many ways both of you can enjoy your sexual life. I am 60 years old. Of late, I have been suffering from erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. I have no other health problems. Kindly suggest some medication. I prefer some tablets

to discover a solution to your problems. Quietly, look inward. Live and love in the present moment Together, speak honestly of the worries and rejoice in the power of living in the moment. Consciously identify the good things. Be grateful. Seek humour. Laughter will turn darkness into light. Touch each other, now and often. Partnership Renew the vows of your relationship weekly, or even daily. If you are married, use your wedding vows. If you are dating, let your significant other know how much you are learning and liking him or her. Repeated as an affirmation, you will find

In these days of financial chaos and joblessness, there are several steps a strong couple can take to survive the economy and protect their loving bond

your strength and priority. Are you stronger together than apart? Most often, money corrodes, rusting the steel of a union. Shakespeare wrote of

that I need to take before the act since I get lucky only once or twice a month. See your doctor and try a course for a one month of Vigomax Forte tablets taken twice a day in the morning and at night before food. I am 42 years old. Twenty years ago, I visited a prostitute and got an infection. There was a white formation below the skin of my penis. I visited a doctor once at that time. He gave me an ointment but it was not effective. I was too embarrassed to visit him again. I used to clean the area below the skin with warm water. But now the problem has escalated again. The sensation at the top of the penis has reduced drastically. Please tell me what to do. Obviously, you need to see your doctor or a skin

specialist. Your delay has escalated the problem. You may have to do a number of tests before diagnosis is

it frequently. Money is a challenge to the strongest of relationships. Money is power and this can easily create an imbalance in the dynamics of a partnership. The timing of a tsunami or a financial crisis is everything. A new couple, young in a relationship, may have more difficulty surviving a tragedy than two partners with time and a history. The challenge can be a beautiful thing. Dating is like shopping, trying a partner on for size. How your sweetie reacts to money can be a very important insight into their character and your future. Pay attention. Does he spend foolishly? Does he honour his hard work and save? Is he solvent? One’s personal responsibility usually shows up in their wallet. Today, financial worries are the norm, not the exception. Everyone is burdened. Jobs and retirement savings are in short supply. The world is uneasy. You need a new mantra: “Everything will be alright.” You must seek the high road and examine your values so you can define what is really important. In conclusion, we must admit that money itself is not evil. And, after all, why shouldn’t your soul mate be wealthy?

possible. I am 47 years old and suffer from diabetes. I am on medication. I noticed red spots on my penis, and the skin was cracked and painful. After taking medicines, the pain subsided but I’m not able to satisfy my partner. When I roll the foreskin back, the burning sensation returns and I lose my sexual urge due to the pain. Your diabetes must be brought under control. Speak to your doctor who can prescribe medica-

tion for the burning and the pain. Use a condom in the meanwhile.

I am 33 years old and my wife is 26. Her

40—SATURDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

Super-rich Nigerian celebs who are living large T

here’s no question that being a celebrity comes with a lot of fantastic perks. There’s fame, fortune, luxury vacations, exotic cars, mansions, private jets if possible, yachts and just generally getting special treatment everywhere you go.Here, we take a look at some of the super-rich Nigerian celebs who are rocking the boat.

KANU NW ANKW O NWANKW ANKWO

UST as his football career was about to pick up in 1993, after a wonderful performance at the U-17 World Championships, Kanu Nwankwo was diagnosed of suffering from a heart related ailment which many football lovers thought would cut shot

his dream of becoming a superstar. But miraculously, he survived the surgeon’s knife and today he is one of the influential footballers of all time. The retired footballer fondly called Papilo today sits atop a multibillion business empire. With the bulk of it in real es-

tate and the hospitality industry, he is also a philanthropist especially with his Kanu Heart Foundation which caters for children with heart related ailments. The former Footballer of the Year and UNICEF ambassador was the captain of the Ni-

gerian national team for 16 years. He has won a UEFA Champions League medal, a UEFA Cup medal, three FA Cup Winners Medals, and two African Player of the Year awards among others. He is also one of the few players who have won the Premiere League, FA Cup, Champions League, UEFA Cup and an Olympic Gold Medal. Nwankwo has a lot of properties scattered across the country especially in Lagos and Owerri. It was gathered that the player owns a mansion located at Opebi and his multi million naira Hardley

Suite in Victoria Island aside his photo shop on Allen Avenue and three mansions in Parkview, Ikoyi, Lagos . Although, he recently lost about N1.4b to fraudsters, he however pockets N2m daily as profit from his hotel business. Though much is not known about his investments abroad but he is a major share holder in big Nigerian companies even as he pockets millions from endorsement contracts from corporate giants such as Peak Milk, Airtel, among others. He is estimated to be worth in cash and assets to the tune of N19b.

PSQUARE

HE sensational music duo, Peter and Paul, known as P-Square are no doubt famous and rich but their rating soared higher when they were rated tops at the Forbes list of Africa’s richest artistes. They were ranked third after Don Jazzy and Akon who

topped the list. The list was put together using factors such as endorsement value, investment, sales, shows, awards, YouTube views, social media presence, influence, among many other factors. The twins who have featured in Forbes list twice sure love the good things of life. They

usually have sold out concerts both home and abroad, presidential guests of at least five African countries, flies private jets and live big. Inasmuch as they churn out good music, they charge heavily for their performances at home and more abroad. They smile home with N5m

per show in Nigeria and charge as much as N24m and above when contracted for their services abroad. Last year, the ‘Chop my money’ crooner were said to be building a N400m mansion in Parkview Estate where landed properties start from N100m. The house as

gathered will be a twin duplex like the one in their Omole Estate home. The Anambra born Glo ambassadors are also into the oil and gas business. of oil and In December, Peter, one of the music superstar tweeted a picture of his newly acquired mansion in San Francisco, USA with his kids and wife Lola Omotayo Okoye. The house is worth over N434m. Psquare sure is one of Nigeria ’s musicians as it has sold above 14 million copies of their CDs since 2005. apart from the four year endorsement deal with telecoms giant Globacom for N240m, they own Rayfield Hotel in Jos including a multimillion naira bakery and sachet water factories. When it comes to automobiles, they do not settle for less. Psquare cruises in different Sports Untility Vans like Sequia, hummer, truck, Range rover sport, among many others.

SATURDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 15, 2014—41

GENEVIEVE NN AJI NNAJI

NLIKE some other celebrities who crave for the klieglight, screen goddess, Genevieve Nnaji, always make headlines whenever she steps out. The Mbaise born actress has carved a niche for herself in the make believe world and she indeed living the life of a star. Having featured in over a hundred movies and still counting, Nnaji, a professional to the core is at the top of her game. Nnaji has received several awards and nominations for her work at home and abroad. The former

CREEN diva, Monalisa Chinda is one of the Nollywood actresses who are living large in recent times. Soon after her marriage to her ex-husband and former boss of Questionmark, Mr Segun Dejo Richards.“Crashed, Monalisa picked the broken pieces of her life and moved on. She shortly put up with ace-producer, Emem Isong before she finally joined the league of celebrities who are residing in the highbrow Lekki area of Lagos. The light skinned actress who doubles as Glo Ambassador is said to worth over N50 million. From the purchase of her brand new automobile, to the maiden edition of her world class dance competition titled ‘Project Help: A Dance For Life’ two years

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

MONALIS A CHIND A MONALISA CHINDA ago, Monalisa ranks among the super-rich Nollywood stars. Last year, she launch her multimillion naira beauty product line ‘M-CODE’. The beauty range is comprised of various varieties of products for both men and women. Besides, she also launched her Monalisa Chinda magazine, which reportedly sells at N5000 per copy. For her beauty product, she started off first with the body spray for both men and women, while other M-CODE brands introduced to the public later on. This is another good way to invest ones resources, and Monalisa is giving it a shot considering the high demand for beauty products in the Nigerian market.

‘Face of Lux’ ‘Face of MUD’, among other commercials has raked in millions of naira apart from her booming clothing line St Genevieve. She was also the brand ambassador of Range Rover Evogue. The revered actress who is romantically linked with music superstar, D’banj is also into real estate business. She is currently acquiring properties in Lagos State . The ebony beauty is said to have recently moved into her magnificent mansion inside Parkview Estate, Ikoyi.

The new property is coming after she acquired a posh home for her aged parents in Lekki. A source claimed that she is also the owner of her former residence in Oniru Estate , Victoria -Island, Lagos State . Fondly called Genny, the queen of the tube and so far the only successful musician in Nollywood who pockets N2m per movie, is in love with designer purses, bags and shoes and she spends heavily in foreign currency in acquiring these items. She also cruises in state of the art cars.

42—SATURDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

Ijaw Professionals’ dinner and award night RI

jaw Professionals Association held their award night and dinner at the Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel,Victoria Island, on Friday,31 st January,2014. The event was well attended by notable professionals from the Ijaw nation accompanied by their friends from various walks of life. Photos Oscar Ochiogu

L-R: Rear Admiral FBI Porbeni, Dr. Ephraim Faloughi Spiff, Rear Admiral Goddy Anyankpele and Mr. Denzil Amagbe Kentebe.

Mrs. Daba Obioha Ofrofanowei.

and

Mr.

Ebitare

Amos K omolaf e becomes Komolaf omolafe NIME’s third Chairman

nauguration of Engineer Amos Olabiyi Komolafe, as the third chairman of Nigerian Institute of Mechanical Engineers, NIME, Lagos chapter and Lecture, held at Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos recently Photos by Bunmi Azeez

From left; Dr. Adebayo Jimoh, GMD, Odua investment Co. Ltd, receiving award of recognition from Engr. [Prof] Adisa Bello, National Chairman,NIME, and Engr. Amos Olabiyi Komolafe, 3rd chairman, NIME.

L-R: Mr. Odein Ajumogobia and Prof. Pat Utomi From left: Engr. Amos Olabiyi Komolafe, 3rd chairman of NIME, Lagos chapter, Dr. [Mrs] Gloria Elemo, Director General/CEO, FIIRO, Oshodi Lagos state receiving award of appreciation from Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, GM/Editor -in- chief, Vanguard.

Mr. Abraham Okomanyi and Mrs. Gladys Bribena.

R-L: Mr. Solomon and Lovelyn Martins

Taiw o, K ehinde Obasa Amoge Anita Oguno aiwo, Kehinde o Bar called tto mark 80 PA Taiwo and Kehinde Obasa, twins, celebrated th their 80 birthday in Lagos recently.

L-R: Mrs. Janet Obasa; Mrs. Docas Obasa; Celebrants; Pa. Kehinde Obasa;Pa Taiwo Obasa; and Mrs Adunni Obasa C M Y K

BARRISTER Amoge Anita Oguno was called to the Bar at the Nigerian Law School, Abuja recently

From left: Mrs. Omolola Shogunle, Dr. Akinpelu Shogunle, receiving award recognition from Engr. Babangana Moahmmed, National deputy chairman of NIME.

Barrister Amoge Anita Oguno (M) with her parents; Dr. Pascal Onyi Oguno and Lady Josephine Oguno.

L-R: Engr. [Prof] Adisa Bello, National Chairman,NIME, Engr. Amos Olabiyi Komolafe, 3rd chairman, his wife, Modupe and Engr. Tunde Zedomi, former National chairman of NIME,

SATURDAY, Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014—43

Punc h MD giv es daught er in marriage Punch gives daughter

t was indeed a day to remember and cherished last Saturday, February 8th when former Miss Oluwaratimisirere Ayomini Osinubi daughter of Sir Demola Osinubi, Managing Director of Punch newspaper, signed off her maiden name to become Mrs Abayomi Adeniyi Oderinde after being joined together in a Holy wedlock at Methodist Church Nigeria, Awuse Estate, Opebi, Ikeja with the dashing young man, who is son of Most Revd. Charles Oderinde. Photos by Bunmi Azeez

L-R:Most Rev. Charles Oderinde, groom's f

L-R:Most Rev. Charles Oderinde, groom's father, Lady Wemimo, bride’s mother, Mr and Mrs. Abayomi Adeniyi Oderinde, couple, Mrs. Margaret Oderinde, groom's mother and Sir Demola Osinubi, bride’s father.

L-R: Prof. Moji Ogungbe, Otunba Iyabo Martins-Kuye and Chief Jubril MartinsKuye.

L-R:Dr. Lance Musa Elakama and Dr. Fred Agbaje

R-L:Bishop Kehinde Adeyemi, Mrs. Veronica Adeleye and Bishop Obafemi Adeleye.

L-R: Mr. Segun Babatope, Mr. Emeka Izeze, MD, Guardian newspaper and Chief Ajibola Ogunshola, former chairman of Punch newspaper.

Omisore’s declaration in Osogbo ONE of the top activities last Saturday may have been the declaration of intention to run in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Osun State by Senator Iyiola Omisore of Peoples Democratic Party. The declaration which took place at the Freedom Park, Osogbo was witnessed by a mammoth crowd and Peoples Democratic Party stalwarts. Photos by Joe Akintola, Photo Editor

The chairman of Osun State People Democratic PartY(PDP),HON Gani Olaoluwa presenting Senator Iyiola Omisore to the People of Osun State.

L-R:Otunba Ayodele Fayose, making a speach at the occasion while Sen Iyiola Omisore and others listen

L-R: Chief Abiola Ogundokun and Dr Olu Alabi

Chinwe and Chris open new chapter

hris Onuoha of Vanguard Media walked his sweetheart,Chinwe RoseJoy Akpajuo, down the aisle on the 11th of January, 2014, at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Ibeafor, Umunumo, Ehime-Mbano Local Government Area in Imo State. The officiating priests are Rev. Fr. John Damian Adizie of Adoration Prayer Ministry, Ekpoma, Edo State, and Rev. Fr. Francis Nwosu, the Parish Priest with Ezinne Charity Onuoha, Mother of Faith.

L-R. H.R.H. Eze M. N. Ofoegbu, Igwuduasato II of Amakohia, Ihitte-Uboma; the couples & little bride Chisom; Nze & Lolo Sunday Akpajuo, bride's parents

The Couple flanked by the Sponsor, Nze Aloy & Lolo Mary Iwunze; Rev Fr. Francis Nwosu (l); Rev. Fr. John Damian Adizie of (r) and guest priest.

The couple, Mr. & Mrs. Chris Onuoha C M Y K

44—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

08 116759 759 081 6759759

Gaddafi's love of late night plastic surgery revealed:

Brazilian student who auctioned her virginity for £485,000

razilian student who auctioned her virginity for £485,000 hopes to sell it again after claiming the last buyer did not have sex with her. A Brazilian student who sold her virginity for £485,000 is yet again offering it up in another online auction, claiming she the original deal was never consummated. Catarina Migliorini, 21, is selling her 'virginity' to bidders for the minimum of £62,000, but says she hopes for at least £930,000 ($1.5million). Miss Migliorini's original 'virginity auction' was filmed

for an Australian documentary, but she claims she was duped by filmmaker Justin Sisely, and that she was never given the money a Japanese man paid for her purity last October. The original auction made Miss Migliorini a minor celebrity in Brazil and she posed for Playboy in her native country and Argentina. 'After being featured by so many media outlets in so many countries, I decided to actually auction off my virginity,' she explains to The Huffington Post regarding her decision to yet again sell her virginity.

Fertility doctor accused of raping patients

ertility doctor accused of raping patients at clinic used by Carla Bruni tells trial he ‘may have fathered some of his clients’ children’. An obstetrician who worked at an IVF clinic used by former French president Nicholas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni, is on trial for rape and sexual assault allegations involving his former clients.Dr Andre Hazout denies rape but has admitted to having sexual intercourse with several of his clients during their fertility treatment after dozens of women came forward. The gynecologist has also admitted that he may have fathered children with some of the more than 30 women who are accusing him of rape or sexual assault, Paris Criminal Court heard. Dr Hazout has been called the ‘Magician of Babies’ due to his high success rate recorded at Clinic de la Muette in Paris for more than 20 years. Both Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, who had daughter Giuliana in 2011, and former Justice Minister Rachida Dati have given birth at the IVF clinic, The Times reports. A total of 33 women have come forward accusing Dr Hazout of rape or sexual assault, but he only stands trial accused of six counts of rape of assault, as the other 27 incidents happened too long ago to be prosecuted. Cecile Poitevin, 56, filed a criminal lawsuit accusing Dr Hazout of sexual assault in 2006. In the wake of the investigation, Dr Hazout’s history of sleeping with his clients was unraveled. Dr Hazout denies all the allegation and insists that none of the women refused to have intercourse with him.The trial continues.

rom his battalion of female guards to his penchant for pitching tents on the lawns of the Élysée Palace, deposed Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi was as strange as he was dangerous. Now the plastic surgeon the despot shared with Italy ’s Silvio Berlusconi has revealed his bizarre taste for cosmetic enhancement—done without anaesthetic in the early hours of the morning. ‘He wanted lipo filling because a desert man gets bad skin and we did the hair implant too,’ explained Dr Liacya Ribeiro, a breast augmentation specialist based in Rio de Janeiro. ‘The operation was performed with local anesthetic only. No sedation.’ He added: ‘He [Gaddafi] was afraid

Thousands of Christian worshippers flock to see ‘miracle’ statue of Virgin Mary

housands of Christian worshippers flock to see ‘miracle’ statue of the Virgin Mary after it begins to ‘weep oil’. Thousands of people have flocked to a small town in northern Israel to view a statue of the Virgin Mary that residents say ‘ weeps’ oil. Members of a Christian family from Tarshiha, near the Lebanon border, said they believe to have witnessed a miracle in their living room. The statue’s owner Osama Khoury said that his wife Amira came home to find the statue inexplicably ‘covered with oil’. Amira said the statue ‘spoke to her’ and told her not to be afraid. After a neighbour witnessed the oil, word soon spread. Parts of the statue appear to be slick with moisture, even after it is wiped off. The family says it is most striking when a ‘tear’ seems to roll down the statue’s cheek. They say some 2,000 people have come to see the statue over the last week.

that somebody might kill him.’ The Brazilian appears in a new BBC documentary, Mad Dog: Gaddafi’s Secret World, which delves into the peculiar lifestyle enjoyed by the late dictator. It also looks at the darker side of life in Gaddafi’s Libya and goes inside the palace where the dictator kept his ‘harem’ of girls, some as young as 14, and raped them repeatedly. Many were virgins kidnapped from schools and universities and kept prisoner for years in specially designed secret sex lairs hidden within Tripoli University or his many palaces. ‘He was a very nice man, he was a television man,’ says the doctor. ‘[But we would do operations at] 2am in the morning.’ The facilities, however, did please Dr Ribeiro, who carried out the operations on Gaddafi in the tunnels beneath his Tripoli palace. ‘It was like a big hospital,’ he remembers.’The surgery room in the bunker was very good.’ But while Ribeiro seems unscarred by his encounters with the evil Gaddafi, not everyone was so lucky. As one former inhabitant of the dictator’s harem, who spoke to the BBC, revealed: ‘I will never forget that first time, that moment. ‘He violated my body and pierced my soul with a dagger. That blade will never come out.’

SATURDAY

Grass

widowhood

education but soon realised that leaving their teenage children alone in those societies without regular parental guidance has downsides. Some of these children spend years doing everything else except studying: while some end up in jail, others end up as drug

esterday was Valentine’s Day. While many of us were celebrating and getting busy with our spouses, some others did not for reasons ranging from separation to widowhood. However, my focus today is on grass widowhood (spouses temporarily living apart). Grass widowhood is a phenomenon that has been with us but has changed in nomenclature. In the 80s, as our economy took a downturn, one of the spouses travelled abroad to seek the proverbial greener pastures and remitted money home for the family. Not all of these adventures went according to plan: Some of the men ended up marrying foreigners to regularise their stay, while some wives saw the “better life” abroad and made their temporary sojourn permanent. Either way their marriages and families were the main casualties. A new trend has emerged; a lot of Nigerians have relocated their families to America, Canada, the United Kingdom and other places while the men who may or may not be financially stable remain in Nigeria. There are varying reasons for the new trend but the bottom line is that some of these people have somehow lost faith in the Nigerian project. One reason is the collapse of our school system. Initially parents sent their children abroad to acquire

though the situation has improved. So what our people do is either send their wives to countries of choice to have their babies and get citizenship or relocate their families to foreign countries until they are eligible for citizenship. In truth you cannot help but envy them

Grass widowhood though has its advantages

addicts. Some have picked up tendencies and orientations that have brought so much pain and sorrow to their families. Consequently couples make the tough decision of setting up two homes so that the mother, most times, relocates to be with the children. For the marriage, that is a heavy price to pay, and for Nigeria a deadly drain of much needed resources. Another reason for grass widowhood is the harrowing experience holders of Nigerian passports go through at foreign immigration points,

when they go through foreign immigration points like a hot knife going through butter while you (Nigerian passport holder) have been pronounced guilty until you prove your innocence. Meanwhile we are all Naija, just that they are carrying European, American or Canadian passports. Couples living apart are in the best position to know the implications of this arrangement. But in running the home and bringing up children both parents have a role to play; doesn’t the

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014 —45

absence, albeit temporary, of one parent have a negative effect on the formation of the children? This is an argument I do not want to stretch too far because our people say that if children whose parents went to the farm are crying, what is expected of children whose parents are dead? Moreover, even in homes where both parents are present some have abdicated their parental duties to their spouses. You also have situations of single parenthood as a result of separation, divorce or death. I feel the surviving or resident parent just needs to step up to fill the void. But another issue: are these couples not robbed of the tolerance and accommodation that living together under one roof daily must necessarily engender in couples? Some time ago a friend’s husband who has been living abroad came back. Responding to my enquiries about her husband a few weeks later, she said in exasperation: “Francis, we have been quarrelling and fighting. John still sees me as that little girl she left behind years back. For Christ sake, I have been all alone in this Lagos these years sorting out myself and my children. I am no longer a baby.” For them, expectations and perceptions have definitely changed within the intervening years. Also, while these couples live apart, do they remain faithful to their spouses or they

find temporary partners? Some of the couples who are rich have a wonderful arrangement where they are reunited regularly, but for some others the story can be pathetic. I heard of a case recently where the couple has not seen each other in the last 10 years. The unemployed husband who is based in Nigeria prefers the wife, the bread winner, to send every kobo rather than come home. Why she consented to this strange arrangement is a mystery to me. For me, there is no marriage any more but a business relationship. Thankfully advancement in technology (Skype, Instagram, Facebook and internet) has ameliorated the situation for couples living apart. Grass widowhood though has its advantages: They are bringing up their children in saner, safer, orderly and more benevolent climes; the quality of education is higher and no disruption through strikes; health care and quality of life there are much better. There is also something about those societies that helps children to realise their potentials faster. In all fairness to these couples, there are times when they make those of us who gave birth to our children in Nigeria and are raising them here look like reckless gamblers, but for varying reasons, that is the lot of majority of Nigerians.

(Text Only)

Exercise: Forward Bend with Knee Up

1. Forward Bend with Knee Up

Backward Bend

Technique: Sitting down with both legs extended forward, bend the left knee and clutching the wrist of the left hand with the right hand behind you, lower the forehead as close to the right knee. Stay on the position for 10 seconds and build over to 20 seconds over time. Benefits: The posture tones the abdomen, hamstrings and strengthens the arms, and back muscles. 2. Backward Bend Technique: Get on your hands and knees then extend the left leg backwards while turning the hands in and

Aim for moderation and regularity placing the foot on the floor behind the left hand, keep the left hands straight and spread out the shoulders throwing the head backwards, hold for 15 seconds and change. Benefit: This posture renders the knee supple, strengthens the arms and back muscles. It also helps to tone the abdominal wall. 3. Standing Forward Bend Technique: Stand with the feet together, bend the trunk down and with the fore finger and thump form a ring around the big toes with the corresponding fingers of both hands. Keep the knees straight and flatter the back with the head hold up.

Yoga Classes STARTED @ 32 Adetokumbo Ademola, Victoria Island Lagos. 9.00am — 10.00am on Saturdays

Benefits: This posture tones the digestive organs. Add flexibility t o the spine and tones the hamstring(muscles of the back of the legs). 4. The Crab Technique: Stand straight with the feet wide apart, bend the knees and passing the arms beneath the knees. Bring the hands out and place them neatly on the feet with the head held up.

The Crab

Standing Forward Bend

46—Vanguard, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

•Lynched suspect Inset: IGP Abubarkar

By EMMANUEL UNA, Calabar

INCE the beginning of 2014, criminals have been on the onslaught in Cross River State especially in Calabar, the state capital,attacking and dispossessing residents of money and valuables. Reports of nocturnal visits by criminals particularly, in Calabar South neighbourhoods have become a recurring decimal. As a result of this ugly development, many residents have been forced to form vigilante groups to take over the security of their streets and neighbourhood. And as expected, when security is in the hands of people who are not trained in security issues, extra-judicial killings and jungle justice becomes the order of the day, and that is what is happening in Calabar currently. In the past few weeks, in an effort to protect themselves, angry mobs and vigilante groups have apprehended and lynched over 20 criminals. The year opened with the lynching of two female robbery suspects and their male accomplice who attempted to snatch N1.5 million from a woman. The robbery suspects said to be undergraduates and their male partner were battered and stripped naked at Murtala Mohammed Highway/ Atekong Drive and before the police arrived, the young man who was inflicted with a deep machete cut on his forehead had died. The gulf car they used was set ablaze and pushed into a drainage. The gang reportedly ambushed the businesswoman who had gone to withdraw N1.5 million at a bank along Calabar Road, near the Watt market, where they approached her to join their cab. The woman who appeared eager to arrive home because of the money she had withdrawn, immediately accepted and boarded the taxi.

•Burnt car

R-O-B-B-E-R-Y A-T-T-A-C-K-S

Residents of Calabar resort to jungle justice •Over 20 suspects mobbed Trouble started as she got to her destination only to discover that the taxi driver became unwilling to allow her alight from the vehicle. Subsequently, the bandits reportedly brought out a gun and ordered her to cooperate with them if she did not want to get hurt. “They told me to co-operate with them and quietly hand over the N1.5 million or I would be killed; Suddenly, I became angry in my spirit because this money is contribution money and my members would not believe me that the money was stolen. So, I was ready to die and I began to raise alarm.” In a related development, on Monday, February 10, 2014, two robbery suspects were butchered along Mayne Avenue/Atu/ Marian roundabout and their operational vehicle, a Volkswagen Vento car set ablaze about 10am. An eye witness who gave his name as Asuquo narrated to Crime Guard how the thieves, operating in a Vento car as taxi, picked up a lady who had just collected some money at a new generation bank along Murtala Highway. “The lady was going to Goldie, so they took her through Target and when they got close to this place, they snatched her bag and pushed the woman out. She started screaming and luckily, some cars that were passing blocked their car and the thieves were trapped.” He said when the thieves saw

that they had been trapped, they simply wound their car glasses and remained inside because the place is a busy roundabout and an attempt to escape would have been fruitless. So, they simply remained inside the car. “I used my hand and broke open the car glasses and dragged out the boys and some people came with machetes.” The thieves, Asuquo narrated,

were inflicted severe cuts before the arrival of a team of policemen from the Atakpa Police Division and they taken into custody. In the same vein, another suspected criminal was also killed along Okpo Ene Street and his corpse dumped at Abasi Obori market. The suspect, said to be a member of a three -man gang was said to have rented a taxi on charter. When they got

to Okpene /Mayne Avenue, they ransacked the vehicle and robbed the driver. ‘The driver raised alarm and some people went after them and one of them was caught and lynched,” he stated. Also at Anantigha, two suspected robbers operating in a tricycle popularly known as keke NAPEP were killed and their tricycle set ablaze by angry mob. Earlier in the week, another suspected notorious criminal was apprehended by members of the vigilante along Uwanse Street and when he was about to be lynched, he pleaded that his life should be spared so that he would take the police to the hideout of his gang. “That night, he led a team of SARS to their hideout and four other suspects and their weapons were apprehended by the

PHOTOSPEAK

The Divisional Police Officer, Adani, Uzo-Uwani L.G.A., Enugu state, DSP Raphael Amah undertook a familiarization tour of Igga Community recently. Picture shows the Traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Herbert Ukuta, Agbalakata 3 (middle), Chairman, neighborhood watch, Uzo-Uwani, Okey Nwabuisi (on his right), Iggah town union President -General, Raphael Amuche (left), Iggah Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Innocent Ejike Mba, members of Igwe’s cabinet, members of NBW, Vice-Chairman, Igga neighbourhood watch, Mr. David Nwabuisi and others.

Vanguard, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014 —

How Police Commander fights crime with catapult in Enugu By CHINENYEH OZOR, Nsukka

•Stripped undergraduate robbery suspects

police. A resident of Uwanse, Mr. Akpan Udo-Ekpo told Crime Guard that they decided to confront the criminals since the number of hoodlums has increased tremendously in the city. “These boys have become too many and the police cannot be everywhere, so we have to combat them ourselves if we must live in peace in this city,”he said. Mr. Udo-Ekpo said before now, they used to apprehend criminals and hand them over to the police but such hoodlums later find their way out and return to terrorize people. Another resident, Moses Etim said they decided to form vigilante groups to tackle the high crime rate in the area to protect

themselves. “We formed vigilante to protect ourselves from these criminals and we will continue to do so until we have peace.” Mr Hogan Bassey, the spokesman of the Cross River State Police Command said the police were aware of the several incidents of jungle justice and advised residents to report cases of attack to the police and not take laws into their hands. “We are aware of these cases; you know incidents of ‘one chance’ robbery have become rampant in this city and we are not resting in our efforts to make the city crime free.”

Murder of couple in Enugu

Police commence investigation By CHINENYE OZOR, Nsukka

OLICE detectives attached to the State Criminal Investigations Department, SCID, Enugu, have commenced full scale investigations into the alleged incident of murder in which one Ogbonna Idoko and his wife, Victoria Idoko, all of Okpowo- Okpo, Enugu Ezike in Igboeze North Local Government Area were allegedly murdered inside their room. The incident reportedly occurred on February 7, 2014 in the night where it was gathered that the victims neck and throat were cut with sharp object probably, a knife. The state police spokesman, Ebere Amarizu who confirmed the incident said four suspects namely ; Ikechukwu Ejike, Michael Ezeja, Solomon Ugwuanyi and Ifeanyi Nwaiyida all of Okpo, have been arrested. He further said the suspects were helping the police in their investigations as the deceased corpses have been deposited at the General Hospital, Ogurute, for necessary action. In a related development, six persons have been arrested by the operatives of the State Criminal Investigations Department, Enugu over their alleged involvement in the murder of on Chukwuemeka Ugwa, a twin brother to one Chukwudi Ugwa. The suspects; Eric Nnebedum, Christopher Onyeahuzi, Christopher Ejeagbasi, Kingsley Ajala, Ifeanyi Ekwusi and Clement Orji were said to had allegedly conspired and chained the victim at the town hall located at Ubaha- Awlaw in Oji River Local Government Area of the state on February 8, 2014 where they allegedly tortured him to death for stealing the sum of seventy four thousand naira. Deceased corpse is now deposited at the General Hospital mortuary Oji River, for necessary action.

HE era of Mohammed Abubakar as InspectorGeneral of Police, seem to be innovating positive ideas and new crime fighting methods in the country.On daily bases, officers and men of the force who have embraced the transformation agenda of their boss in Abuja, engage themselves in fierce competition to out do each other in achieving commendable results. That is why an Area Commander in Enugu State ingeniously devised his own way of complementing the conventional method of fighting crime by using catapult as an added weapon. While birds cleverly fly to its nests without being hit with catapult, criminals in Nsukka, the University town dread the Area Commander of the zone, RosArmson Haladu who is always identified with arming himself with catapult while on patrol. Though armed to the teeth with his official rifle, the Area Commander ’s new dimension of policing has added colour to the onerous duty of the police by carrying catapult at all times to prove that security agencies across the globe have to be combat-ready at any given situation. Walking round Enugu North Senatorial zone while on surveillance, the Area Commander, equipped with his crack team of fierce detectives, still carries his catapult with enough sharp stones to disperse any suspected unlawful gathering. A police source revealed that the Commander had craftily used his catapult in the past to track a fleeing vehicle in a stop-and -search operation along Nsukka-AdaniOnitsha highway. The bandits who were armed with sophisticated weapons had dislodged policemen in Nsukka main town last year after robbing a first generation bank. They were reportedly fleeing leisurely from the town when the Area Commander who had laid ambush on the highway with his men, used his catapult to shatter their windscreen. In the ensuing confusion, the unsuspecting bandits were dislodged. The Area Commander’s catapult-style of policing the

University Town of Nsukka has eventually given him another identity “the Catapult Policeman” as he stands out among other officers with his well tied catapult which makes the difference in the midst of others. Whenever he aims with it, people close their eyes, bend their heads with the two hands covering their faces as a form of defense. This policing with style has made him to be at home with both indigenes of the area and visitors. The resultant effect was the benevolence of one of the his admirers who single-handedly built a multimillion naira bungalow for him. The business mogul, Chief William Agbo popularly called Son of Paddy, said he was impressed with the style of the Police officer and decided to erect t h e

structure as a permanent abode for Area Commanders who will serve in the area. “ S i n c e his assumption of duties two years ago in the area, the agile officer has increased police divisions in the zone from

•Chief Emeka Ugwu-Asadu Ameze

ACP Ros-Armson Haladu

seven to 12, yet carries his catapult as a show of security consciousness, ”Chief Agbo noted. Another prominent traditional ruler in the town, Chief Emeka Ugwu-Asadu Ameze told Crime Guard that “The commander is a focused and dedicated police officer, he is very open and forthright. He is always at the apex of crime situations with his catapult and other weapons together with communication gadgets. To attest to his humble achievements, many residents of the zone heaved a sigh of relief and slept with both eyes closed during the last Christmas celebration.” When asked the secret of adding catapult to his arsenal in fighting crime, the officer simply laughed and advised the reporter to channel all inquiries to the Police spokesman in Enugu.

48—SATURDAY

Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

BY OKEY NDIRIBE

empers flared last Wednesday in Abuja after the communi que of a two day confab which was organized by the Ethnic Nationalities Forum was read. Representatives of some ethnic groups from Southern Kaduna were about to stage a walk-out from the venue of the conference before they were pacified. Their anger was that their demand for the creation of a Southern Kaduna State was not captured in the communique. Not even the intervention of the Chairperson of the session Mrs Ayora KuforijiOlubi could appease the Southern Kaduna representatives. It was not only the people of Southern Kaduna who went to the confab to pour out their soul. Representatives of the Bassange ethnic nationality also used the opportunity provided by the confab to express their grievances over the manner they have been discriminated against in Kogi State. Prof. Awam David Menegbe who represented the Bassange with an estimated population of 500,000, was a sad man when he spoke to Vanguard last Wednesday in Abuja. Giving an insight into the ethnic composition of Bassa Local government Area of Kogi State, he said there are the Igbirras, the BassaKomus, the Bassanges and Igalas. Commenting on how the Bassange people have been marginalised over the years he said, “what they normally do is to gang-up against us.” ”The question I keep asking leaders of the other ethnic groups is “What have we actually done wrong?” he asked. He continued: “They don’t want a Bassange indigene to be seen or heard anywhere. Those who behave in this way include cleaners; he or she would want to remind you that they are the owners of the land.” Said he: “ No member of my ethnic group is either in the state executive council or state legislature. We only have councillors because those incharge can’t manipulate that level of representation.” He accused the Igalas who constitute the majority ethnic nationality in Kogi State of sponsoring other ethnic groups against the Bassanges. Said he: “Because elections hardly takes place at the local government level, they connive and manipulate the electoral system to put those they want in office. But they would never put a Bassange man. They do all these manipulations even at the level of workers unions including NULGE and NUT.” He advocated that the law regulating the Federal Character Commission should be amended to ensure that ethnic nationalities are reflected in appointments into public

Fireworks as ethnic nationalities jaw-jaw

offices. Indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory who spoke at the confab complained bitterly over the seizure of their ancestral land without compensation. A representative of the FCT indigenes who identified himself as Sule Isah said the plight of the indigenous people of Abuja was worse than that of the people of Bayelsa State. Said he: “In their own case, only the oil is taken from their land. In our own case, our entire land has been taken without compensation. We are also marginalized because we are stateless. If our children want to seek admission into publicly owned tertiary institutions, they have to forge letters of state of origin”. The people of Ogba in Rivers State also condemned the present Constitution and general order of things in Nigeria. According to the Igwe Ogba: “The Nigerian Government made an unjust law which gave oil prospectors power to seize the land of the minorities for the purpose of prospecting for oil. When they made the law to regulate mining of solid minerals, they didn’t give that same type of power to prospectors of solid minerals. “ Commenting on the complaints of various ethnic groups in the country, Alfred Ilenre, alter ego to the late environmentalist, Ken Saro

Wiwa who is also the Secretary General, of Ethnic Minorities Organisation of Africa ( EMIROAF) said the various grievances that had been expressed by representatives of various ethnic nationalities indicated a serious contradiction in the Nigerian set up. Said he: “I would like to state that it was the distortion of the Independence Constitution and the abandonment of that document by the military that created the problem we are facing now.” He continued: “If you have read that constitution, you would notice that a National Conference would not have been necessary if the military had allowed the implementation of that document. Most of the issues people have raised here would have been resolved within the mechanism of that constitution; these include state creation, revenue distribution, unemployment, settler-indigene matters and many more.” ”Under that constitution, each region operated as if it was a country on its own. The regions were such that Nigeria was basically a customs union. Each region had control of their education and even customs. ”The federating units at that time had the power to resolve most of the things this conference has set out to resolve. Unfortunately, we won’t go back to the Independence Constitution.” Ilenre believes that if the nation had re-adopted the Independence Constitution at the onset of the present democratic dispensation, it may have been more helpful to the nation. According to him: “Nigerian leaders

who fought for the nation’s independence were all enlightened people. The Independence Constitution and the Constitution of India were very similar. The nationalists modeled the Nigerian Constitution after that of India.” At the end of deliberations at the confab which many considered a precursor to the Federal Government’s planned National Conference, there was a consensus on the nation’s need for a new Constitution. Participants also rejected the Federal Government’s insistence on a no-go area at the forth-coming confab. The forum which comprised of 50 ethnic nationalities across the country also resolved for the inclusion of the right to self-determination including the right to secession in Nigeria’s new constitution. Participants also decided to attend the Government’s planned confab and continue with the agitation for a “proper conference” which would produce a new constitution that should be subjected to a referendum. According to the communique: “....The Ethnic Nationalities are the original and primary stakeholders of the Nigerian project having existed long before colonialism and are the primary targets and sufferers from marginalisation, oppression and injustice which abounds in the country; Accordingly and because they are the heart and soul of the Nigerian State, the Nationalities demand as their inalienable right that they should be given legal recognition in the constitution and their status as separate nations or nationalities should also be recognised; That efforts should be made to harmonize the recognition of Ethnic nationalities and their inherent rights on the one hand and the citizenship rights of the individual Nigerian by the state, federal, and local governments, discharging fairly, justly and equitably the duties laid on it by Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of the state in Chapter two of the 1999 Constitution. The Forum affirmed that the status of the ethnic groups as separate nations or nationalities confers on them certain inherent rights, in particular the right to selfdetermination including the right of secession in accordance with Article 20 (1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights which provides that “all peoples shall have the unquestionable and inalienable right to self-determination.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15 15, 2014 —49

C M Y K

50—SATURDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

hief Andrew Ovikuroma Oru, a legal practitioner, businessman and politician went for the PDP ticket during the last Delta Central Senatorial byeelection and lost. He is known for championing the interest of youths in Delta State, especially Urhoboland. Oru in this interview with Moses Nosike, explains why Nigeria is going through tough political, economical and security challenges and proffered solution. Excerpts: What kind of development do you think Urhobos need, and what are the challenges so far? Well, the Urhobos of Delta State, like you know, are the largest single ethnic group in Delta State and fifth largest ethnic nationality in Nigeria. We occupy a very vast area of land in Delta State which is almost 50 – 60% of the land mass of Delta State. Unfortunately, what ought to be our strength as Urhobo people has almost become an albatross in the sense that over the years, the Urhobo people out of their own magnanimity which is commendable bent over backwards to accommodate smaller ethnic groups in the scheme of things and gave them different areas of opportunity to be at the helm of affairs. Democracy as we know ought to be governance of the people and by the people, which means governance of people by the majority. So ordinarily, if we look at the world politics, we ought to have asserted ourselves and dominated the place all the way, but you find out that Urhobo man right from the days of David Ejor, when he was a military administrator as an Urhoboman was the one who recalled the Olu of Itsekiri or Warri as it is called today from exile. Those were the days everybody believed we were one. The Itsekiri monarch that time was exiled by Itsekiri themselves but it was an Urhoboman who brought him back only for the gesture to turn out to be an albatross for the Urhobo on account of inter-party politics when the

Involve Niger Delta youths in development —ORU late Chief Obafemi Owolowo converted the title of Olu of Itsekiri to Olu of Warri and made it appear as if Itsekiris are part and parcel of the Yorubas instead of allowing them to remain with their closest neighbours, the Urhobos, who have been accommodating them. That was what brought about division in Delta State. And by virtue of the strategic position of Yorubas in Nigeria they have only helped to divide the politics of Delta State. They have unduly made the Itsekiri believe that the Urhobos are fighting them while it is not so. But I still encourage the Urhobos to continue to accommodate very seriously the Itsekiri, Ijaws and others because at the end of the day, we must all be accommodating. Secondly, there is the diversity of the Urhobo, who have turned out to be more republican than any other group in Delta State. In Urhobo we have 22-23 kingdoms, which is unnecessary. There are certain individuals within who keep talking about creation of this monarch and that monarch which we don’t need. At the end of the day we are all Urhobo. What should matter to the Urhobo people is we are one and we should always come out with our best heads in every situation. But instead of allowing the best hands to represent Urhobo, they listen to the people who are dividing them in order to hold them down and create wild crevices among their ranks which now makes it difficult to articu-

late positions that would move Urhobo nation forward in terms of development. So while I advocate we give respect to our traditional rulers, we should deemphaise kingdoms and all that and fuse together as one so that we can fully utilise the strength God has given us collectively. Have Urhobo youths been treated fairly at the federal and state levels? Certainly not! Absolutely not! This also has to do with the way we play our politics in Delta State. On a general note, the youths of Delta State have been treated as if they are only there to serve as thugs during political campaigns and to clear the way for older folks who are already weak and unable to deliver. The older ones insist on being the ones to take charge at all times, which is unfortunate because unless you give the youths opportunity, they will never become capable elders in due course. So we are actually creating a situation where we have a huge vacuum in

Reasons why people should rear grasscutters LIVESTOCK farming is gaining prominence in our society today because of its

significant roles in many economies of the world especially developing countries like

BUSINESS GUIDE

Africa and Nigeria in particular. It’s self-employment oriented and reduces unemployment among nations. Among them all, grasscutter farming because of its medicinal value and cheap to rear etc. has been recommended and commended by a Consultant and Managing Director, Jovana Farm, Prince Onebunne Arinze. According to him, there are many reasons for keeping and raising grasscutters. He said, not only are they friendly, they have a way of entertaining you with their natural antics. “Again, where you have grasscutters, they help in eating up your kitchen vegetable wastes and they can be exhibited and exported too! Onebunne enthused that

Chief A.O.Oru no short time because the people we are seeing today as elders, who are positioning themselves as elders in Urhoboland are completely spent forces. They are unable to move around, so they are circumscribed by horizon. They don’t see what is happening outside their environment even within Delta State. The youths are quite mobile and more interactive. So, the Federal Government should be able to find access to the youths directly, because there is this ozone layer between the government and the youths and no real development comes on until you take the interest and potentials of the youths into consideration and into planning.

grasscutter farming does not require much space but with little space as a room, parking store or kitchen you can start off. There are no much challenges in rearing it. Major of their feeding is grass. In their wild state, grasscutters are one of the many creatures that practice polygamy. In domestication they’re more promiscuous”. It’s very cheap to start Grasscutter raising can be started with a wooden cage and one family of grasscutter breeders normally called a colony, is sold for N45,000 to N50,000 depending on the age and specie. A colony comprises one male and four females. The cage can be constructed at a cost of N10,000 by any roadside carpenter. The cages can be placed anywhere in the compound or even in the kitchen. For meat production Raising grasscutters for meat production is ideal; they are fast growing rodents, live the longest and are also the toughest of all domesticated rodents. They reach a good weight with little supplement feeding and the most preferred bush meat. Male grasscutter on average reach a size up to 2-times larger than chicken meat. Additionally, they grow quickly and can be sold as a breeder at young age as 12-weeks after a diet of primarily milk and pasture. This combination of cheap feed and fast maturation makes grasscutter profitable for those raising the rodent for market purposes. Another reason is that they are efficient converters of wide range of vegetables and grass matters into meat. For breeding stock production This is one of the most lucrative aspects of grasscutter farming. The turnover period could be very short, maximum of 3-4

What is your take on the rising cases of insecurity such as kidnapping, armed robbery etc in the country? In the first place, I don’t want to believe that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes have excuse for what they are doing. Nonetheless, they are operating in an environment where what you get is the result of your organisational machinery. The social, economic and political environments lay emphasis on what you have to display in terms of wealth no matter how you got it. Mind you, these crimes are perpetrated not just by hoodlums, but also by some who called themselves traditional rulers. Even pastors of some churches which are questionable are involved in this heinous crime.

months after birth. Grasscutter breeding family comprising one male and four females referred to as a colony. This colony can produce between 50 and 56 more grasscutters in just one year if well managed. Imagine the financial gains! For employment creation The business of producing, processing, exporting, transporting, financing and servicing grasscutter products should give employment to many people. Rearing of grasscutter for local consumption will decrease importation of frozen meat, chicken, fish and turkey into the country and producing grasscutter for export will greatly enhance the economic potential. It will firm up the Naira, improve the GDP, reduce both inflation and create more jobs for Nigerians. For high multiplication They can produce many litters. In this category, they are next to pigs and rabbits. A female grasscutter of good species can deliver up to 14 babies in a year. They have a rearing period of 24 to 26 weeks and they have a high rate of ailment resistance. Jovana Farms organizes nationwide sensitization training seminars on the practical ways of making it through smallscale animal farming. Visit us at www.jovanafarms.com for more details. Choose also the nearest venue from the advert box in this page or call 080 33262 808, E-mail: jovanafarms@gmail.com

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014—51

HE Department of the State Security Service, SSS, Ebonyi State Command,Thursday, rescued the in-law to the former Governor of Ebonyi State, Hon. Kennedy Ogba when his kidnappers came to collect the ransom of N2 million at Ndubia Ndiagu in Izzi local government area of the State. Briefing newsmen at the Command’s Headquarters, the Director of SSS in Ebonyi State, Mr. Laasan Baba explained that the victim who is the former Majority leader of the State House of Assembly was rescued after five days in the hands of his kidnappers. He noted that the suspects, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwafor alias Oshimiri and Mr. Anayo Kalu were arrested by men of the Command after a gun battle with the suspects adding that two others in connection with the kidnap of the victim are still at large but assured that they would be arrested in no distant time. Baba pointed out that the Command after thoroughly interrogating the suspects discovered that they (kidnappers) had an already prepared list of some prominent Ebonyians in both private and public sector including children that would be kidnapped by them this year. He called on the people of the State to imbibe some basic security education as that would help them to handle any situation that might pose as security challenge to them. He said: “We want to inform you that the man Kennedy Ogba was released yesterday after the command had arrested the kidnappers when they demanded N2 million ransom; they were arrested when they attempted to collect the money. The money is in this bag, N2 million cash. ”They are Chukwuemeka Nwafor alias Oshimiri, who is a herbalist, armed robber, a notorious person and kidnapper. We tried to arrest him last year but he escaped but this year we were able to arrest him. The second person is Anayo Kalu, from Abia State; they are all in the vehicle , you can go and look at them. ”What we found out from them is that they have a list of high profile Ebonyians that they have listed to kidnap this year including politicians, local government chairmen, men and women; those in the private sector and children. "Those in their list have been targeted for ransom; their aim is to confuse the situation because this is election period; they want to cause confusion so that people will think that their own form of kidnapping was related to politics not knowing that theirs is just criminality. ”We have been able to nab this group and those listed would be advised accordingly; the victim is around and after this interview, we will see him, so that you will know that he has been released. We brought the suspects from the hospital from where they were being treated. You know this era we are in, there is rule of law and

Kidnap of former Ebonyi Gov’s in-law:

DSS arrests two suspects, rescues victim after 5 days zI was kept in a shrine — victim

Suspect

The victim, Hon Kennedy Ogba democracy; so, whoever is wounded has to face the law and they cannot face the law if the person is not well. They are being treated at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, FETHA” The suspects kept their victim at Abomege in Onicha local government area of the state and told the wife of the victim to bring the ransom to Ndubia Ndiagu in Izzi local government area of the State in order to confuse anybody trying to assist the victim. Narrating his ordeal, the victim, Hon. Kennedy Ogba stated that his abductors who took him from his residence at Ezzamgbo in Ohaukwu local government area of the State and dropped him in a shrine at Abomege in Onicha LGA of the state. Ogba said, he was tortured, blindfolded and had his two hands tied at the back for five days while in the bush adding that the kidnappers gave him skulls of dead human beings for him to feel, threatening to kill him, if his family members do not cooperate with them. He described his release as an act of God even as he appreciated men of the SSS for their quick intervention which led to his rescue. "In the afternoon of the fateful day, I went to pick my children from school and drove towards my house at Ezzamgbo; as I was driving towards my gate, I saw three strange faces. Ordinarily, one would have stopped them to ask what they were up to but I thought they had a job they were carrying out somewhere so I just passed them. But before I could alight

Anayo, another suspect from my vehicle in front of my house, I looked back; the three kidnappers were close around me. The next thing was that they brought out guns and told me to give them my car key and pushed me inside my car while one sat at the back with me, another in front as they drove off." ”They said, I had to bend my head which I did and they started driving down the road here and there; at a point they would turn left, right and at a point a lost track of where they were taking me to. Later, they brought me out of the car and put me inside the bout of the car. ”The next place I found myself was inside a shrine; they actually brought out skulls and showed it to me even though they had blind folded me, they made me feel the skull with my hands; they told methat I was inside a shrine and that they have sacrificed a lot of people and that I could be next if my people did not cooperate. ”They also said something, that there have been a lingering chieftaincy tussle in my community and they said that members of my community reported to them that I was interested in being a king; I told them no, that I was not interested in being a king except to just worship God and live my life. So, there in that shrine, they kept me; that was Friday, Saturday, Sunday till yesterday when I was released by the special intervention of God and SSS. ”God is the ultimate; it was when I came out that I saw the intensity of the prayers that went on, on

my head. It was on Sunday when I was lying down where they kept me, something told me that I was going to be released on Wednesday; initially, I felt bad because I was going to spend another three days with the kidnappers but as the days went by, I said it could likely be the case. All the while, they have been negotiating with my wife about the ransom that will be paid. ”While the negotiation continued and they realized that the ransom was not increasing, the torture continued until yesterday(Wednesday) when I had the conviction that I was going to be released; one of them came to me and told me that if my family cooperates today, they were going to release me. I said thank God (in my mind), that this was a confirmation of what God had earlier told me on Sunday. I thought it was going to happen

BY PETER OKUTU, ABAKALIKI

bush. We came to a point when he said, let me give you the last chance and call your wife whether she had cooperated; he called my wife who told him that we have paid the two men that were sent and that it is possible they have cheated him or has his fellow members not called him? ”The young switched off and called another number and that number was telling him yes, yes but that some parcels in the money were missing. It was at that point after hearing from my wife and getting confirmation from the person he called that he said that he was going to release me. So, he untied my hands and opened my eyes and pointed to a direction that I should follow and that I shouldn’t ask anybody the way but suddenly he changed his mind and said I should sit down and he re-tied my eyes and told me he wants to check something but that I should stay

there and that he will come back. I told him that if he wanted me to wait for him to go away, that I will wait for him; he said he doesn’t trust me and that I should just sit down there and wait for him; so, I sat down there and waited for him for about 10mins but I didn’t hear from him. So, I carefully removed the blindfold because as at that time, my hands were already untied. ”I lifted the blindfold and saw that there was nobody around but I still waited a little longer to make sure that he was not coming back; so as I moved, I discerned that he might come back again but by divine intervention, I was able to take right and left until I came out from the bush and got to a nearby shop. It was there that I asked for a phone to call my wife after I told them (the people

the suspects kept their victim at Abomege in Onicha local government area of the state and told the wife of the victim to bring the ransom to Ndubia Ndiagu in Izzi local government area of the State

in the morning but I waited all the day until one of them came and lifted me up and said that it was all over for me today and tied my hands behind my back and covered my face and dragged me inside the bush. He told me he was bringing me out to kill me because my family failed to cooperate. So, we continued to go deeper and deeper inside the

in the shop) my ugly story. So, I now called my wife who now told me that she was with the men of the DSS and that they were coming to pick me.” Saturday Vanguard gathered that the cash of N2 million, six sophisticated handsets and a motorcycle were recovered from the suspects who are still receiving treatment at FETHA.

52— SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

MADUEKE BROTHERS:

We kidnapped grandma to raise money for our education BY VINCENT UJUMADU, Awka

ADAM Adafor Madueke, an 89 –year old grandmother was full of life as she was expecting her children and grand children residing outside her Amaeku village, Adazi Ani in Anaocha local government area of Anambra State to return for the last Christmas celebrations. The period usually provided her the opportunity to meet her loved ones and spend quality time with them. Unknown to Madam Madueke, however, two of her grandsons, Kingsley Chukwuebuka Madueke, 24, and Matthew Edozie Madueke, 22, were planning evil against her. The two, who are undergraduates, had perfected plans with two other students, Chukwunonso Onuzulike, 23, from Enugu State and Gabriel Nnaji, 25, also from Enugu State, to abduct the Octogenarian for the purpose of extorting money from their uncle who had been responsible for their education over the years. Chukwunonso, who is a graduate of political science of Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam campus and leader of a cult group, the Black Axe Confraternity in the university, as well as his other accomplice, Gabriel, who is a 400 –level public administration student of the same university, were contacted by Kingsley Madueke to assist him in executing the job. The first meeting among the four persons took place on December 14, 2013 and by December 17, 2013, they had concluded arrangement on how to kidnap the woman. Though Gabriel Nnaji, the leader of the gang, said he was worried about the age of the woman and told her grandsons that the woman might not survive the ordeal, Kingsley Madueke insisted that the job must be done as they wanted to show off with the money from the kidnapping during the Christmas celebration. For the abduction proper, the four persons, on December 16, 2013, snatched one of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University shuttle buses in Awka with which they carried the woman to a bush in Igbariam in Anambra East local government area of the state and kept her there throughout the period they were negotiating with members of the family. While negotiation was going on, other members of the family never imagined that two of their members, Kingsley and Matthew, were the brains behind the kidnap. The kidnap kingpins started negotiation with N50 million and

DSS, apprehended him and recovered N180000. Madam Madueke is still kept in the mortuary, apparently because the family is yet to raise funds for the burial, while all the people involved in the kidnapping are cooling off at the Anambra State headquarters of the DSS. Anambra State director of DSS, Mr. Alex Okeiyi, while parading the kidnap suspects, said anybody planning to kidnap anybody in the state should know that he is taking a very big risk because his men have mastered all their plans. “As it is, it is very difficult for a kidnap operation to succeed because we know more than the kidnappers know,” he said. Looking sober in his hand cuff, Kingsley Madueke told Saturday Vanguard that he planned the kidnap his grandmother because he and his brother, Matthew, were finding things difficult financially in school because their father was having family problems with their uncle who was stopped assisting them in school. The misunderstanding between their father and uncle, he said, started two year ago, adding that it was because of it that their uncle stopped assisting them financially in school, thereby making things difficult for them. Kingsley said: “I felt that the only way to get money from my uncle was by kidnapping our grandmother. At the time I nursed the idea of kidnapping grandma, it never occurred to me that she might not survive the hardship associated with kidnapping because of her age. With her death and what is happening to us, I have realized the grave mistake I made in the first place. “I don’t know what

Madueke brothers

I felt that the only way to get money from my uncle was by kidnapping our grandmother. At the time I nursed the idea of kidnapping grandma, it never occurred to me that she might not survive the hardship associated with kidnapping because of her age.

eventually settled for N3 million. For payment of the ransom, the Madueke family was directed to take the money to Obolo Afor, a border town between Enugu and Benue states on December 23, 2013, while the woman was released at Oyeagu, Abagana in Njikoka local government area of Anambra State on December 24, 2013. One week later, Madam Madueke

died, apparently as a result of her ordeal in the custody of the kidnappers Nnaji, the leader of the gang, took N2 million as the boss and shared N1 million to the other five accomplices, including the grandsons of the woman. Matthew Madueke had spent only N20000 from his loot before the men of the Directorate of State Security,

Some of the suspects

will be my fate and that of my brother and I don’t even know how we are going to face members of our family. But my hope is that what had happened may lead to reconciliation between my father and my uncle.” Okeiyi, the DSS state director said the suspects will soon appear in court.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014—53

By SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY

he went for the maintenance of the truck at the mechanic workshop and he intended to go back to Lagos on Sunday but from nowhere he was shot by this policeman. They were two mobile policemen, they walked up to him and shot him without any argument. When he tried to manage to come down he fell from the truck and the policemen took off. After the incident, people chased the policemen, the one that shot him ran into the tipper garage at Temboga junction. But he started shooting sporadically to scare those pursing him away. He ran into the bush but people were waiting outside for him.

ragedy struck last Saturday along the Ikpoba Hill river, along the Benin Agbor road when a police officer identified as Corporal Valentine Ofuamaka, attached to the Mopol 5, Benin City with force number 364780, shot dead a 35 year old Odion Egbon, a truck driver. The incident caused pandemonium as tanker drivers blocked the entire road searching for the killer cop. However, the Edo state Police Commissioner averted what could have resulted to a bloody clash between the police and tanker drivers when CP Folunso Adebanjo stormed the scene and appealed to the tanker drivers and the families of the deceased to be calm while the police search for the suspect. Following the tension, the Edo state Police Command issued a statement saying that the runaway police officer is attached to the Police Special Protection Unit and not the Edo State Police Command. CP Adebanjo however vowed that the suspect will be arrested. However the family of the deceased continued their protest in Benin City and that attracted the attention of Governor Adams Oshiomhole who invited the family to Government House. Addressing the family, Oshiomhole said, “I want to express my condolences to the family of the Late Odion Egbon. From the narration, a trigger happy policeman killed him. Our laws are clear. Nobody has the right to take the life of another person except as prescribed by the Constitution of Nigeria. Whether you are in uniform or out of uniform, we are all duty bound to respect tLhe laws of the land. From the narrative, it is clear that the man was inside his truck and there was no scuffle or whatever, so clearly this was one death that was completely avoidable. The same day the incident happened, the Commissioner of Police called to brief me about this very sad incident and he assured me that everything is being done to apprehend those policemen regardless of whichever unit they belong to. We have a duty not only to protect lives and properties but also to ensure that law enforcement agencies recognise that they too are under the law and they have no right to do this sort of thing that they did. I want to assure you that both the Edo State Government and the Police are doing everything as we speak to track down those policemen who are alleged to be involved in this murder. I have every reason to believe that we will get them and they will be brought to justice. We will continue to ensure that the protection of the rights of citizens particularly the right to life is respected by all agencies of government, whether it be Federal, State or Local. I assure you that the police are already doing everything possible to ensure that they are brought to justice. To say that it is painful is an understatement and I

o we went back to where my brother ’s corpse was lying and that very day at about 1am, the police in Oregbeni division helped us to convey the corpse down to Central Hospital. And that time I called the state Commissioner of Police and he assured me he will be there Sunday morning Killer cop, Corporal Valentine and at about 7:30am he was at the Ofuamaka, being led by prison hospital with us. So we started making official into the blackmaria after inquiries, the pellet of the bullet I being arraigned at the Edo state handed it over to the CP”. Magistrate Court in Benin city Narrating further how the killer police officer was arrested, Efosa explained that “The commissioner of Police explained to us that the suspect who is from Ogoja, confessed that after shooting my brother, he ran to the bush not knowing that the area is a swampy place, and he could not run again. He had to remove his uniform and was only on boxers so that he will not be noticed. As he was trying to escape he hit his four head somewhere in the bush because we saw a deep cut in his face. He managed to swim across the river to the other side of the road and still came out where the traffic jam was at the road. So he found a trailer and share your pains, and your grief and Ogbeson Chief Magistrate court entered behind the trailer without the the feelings in your heart that someone sitting at Ikpoba Hill, Benin. The driver of the trailer knowing and the who went about his business found policeman and another now at large trailer drove him out of the area himself being killed in his truck.” The according the Prosecution allegedly unnoticed because people were Governor however appreciated the committed the offence punishable searching for him then. family for not taking the law into their under section 324 and And when the hands saying “the kind of situation 316 of the criminal code. trailer passed the The presiding Chief would have been enough to trigger a traffic because it violent protest. So please, don’t take Magistrate, Jonathan was heading declined laws into your hands. Everything is Ogbeide towards Agbor, it being done and I believe the outcome jurisdiction to hear the started speeding, matter due to the nature. will be satisfactory”, he assured. so he could not Earlier, the Spokesman of the family The court then ordered jump down until and younger brother of the deceased, that the case file be the trailer got to and Mr. Efosa Egbon said they were in duplicated somewhere after Government House to inform the forwarded to Edo State the bypass and Governor of the sad incidence and seek Director of public slowed down. that justice be done on the extra prosecution for legal That was where advice. However, the judicial killing of their brother. he jumped down accused (Valentine) plea and ran into a owever, last Monday, the was not taken by the farm, he slept in runaway cop who disguised court and the case was that farm that himself before escaping from the eyes adjourned to 7 March night. But early in Efosa (elder brother of the crowd, was apprehended by 2014 for mention the morning, of the deceased) vigilante members by the Benin vigilante people Elder brother of the bypass after which he was handed saw him and he over to the Police DPO at Ikpoba Hill. deceased, Efosa Egbon, told them not to He was subsequently dismissed from who narrated the ugly hurt him that he is the force after an Orderly Room trial. incident to Saturday Vanguard, said a police man that they should take him CP Adebanjo who announced his his younger brother was killed to the closest police station and that was dismissal, said the matter has been unprovoked by the trigger happy how he was taken to the DPO’s at charged to court and expressed his police officer. He said: “What Ikpoba Hill and it was the DPO that determination to wipe out all acts of happened was that there was a hold brought him to the state CID. Again we overzealousness and high up at Ikpoba Slope due to a truck that were informed that they went on illegal handedness in the conduct of members fell into the river so drivers were now duty with one Corporal Innocent who of the force in his command. The using one way. My brother just came is at large now. suspect was remanded in prison by an back from Lagos, as a matter of fact

How trigger-happy cop slept in a bush in Edo while evading arrest

begged vigilante members to spare his life

54 — SATURDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

Delta Gov’s Cup: Nwakunor charges CSS Ogwashi-Ukwu to remain tops BY EDDIE AKALONU

RESIDENT of Ogwsashi-Ukwu Youth Development Union (OYDU) Henry Nwakumor has charged defending champions of the Delta State Governor ’s Cup soccer championship, Comprehensive Secondary School, Ogwashi-Ukwu to reproduce the same superlative and killer form that fetched them the maiden edition trophy after beating the hard fighting Elegbo Secondary School Effurun 1 – 0 in a grueling final last year. Nwakunor, who was confident that the defending champions would reproduce their impressive form and spirited display of 2013 to retain the cup, stressed

however, that the young lads must train hard and be in their best elements so as to make it again. “There is no doubt that the other schools are envious and eager to get the title off your hold but I trust you will not let them do that,” he said. The 2nd edition got underway last month with not less than 200 secondary Schools and colleges including both finalists of the maiden edition vying for honours at the Warri Township Stadium, Warri. Meanwhile a former popular traditional wrestler cum dancer in OgwashiUkwu, Delta State, Mrs. Beatrice Eliemenye Ugba (Nee Ndabai) who passeed on, on November 12, 2013 at the age of 73, will be committed to the mother

earth in her family compound, in IdimuIsagba Quarters OgwashiUkwu. The late Mrs. Beatrice Eliemenye Ugba was the eldest sister of veteran sports writer and former acting Sports Editor of the defunct West African Pilot Limited, Yaba, Lagos, Robert Ndabai, who also worked in the defunct Daily Times Nigeria Limited, Lagos, National Concord Newspapers, The Punch and Lagos Horrizon(Eko Today) among others. The family said in a statement that the former wrestler who won many championship titles in her hey days would be remembered for her love for peace and unity amongst the people of her clan.

I feel sorry for Nigerian athletes — Ohuruogu IGERIAN-BORN to how people care about wealth Games was not her N British former the sport, it is a bit of shame priority even as her closest Olympic and double world if you don’t invest in it. The rival, Amantle Montsho of champion in the women 400m, Christine Ijeoma Ohuruogu is at a loss why Nigerian athletes have continued to endure hard times and as a result produce poor results at international meets. This is just as athletes of Nigerian descent are doing exceedingly well with the respective countries that they have chosen to represent. “Many Nigerian athletes are my friends and I know what they are going through. From what I see, it is all about football... The Super Eagles do well because they (government) invest in them, they make them feel good, they don’t put anything in there that makes them have problems. “In the UK as an athlete they give me everything I want. I guess it boils down

government cannot complain that the Nigerian athletes are not producing results. “It is not just enough to be training as an athlete. There has to be some support in form of grants and sponsorship and if that is not coming there is always going to be difficulties. “I have spoken to those who defected to other countries and they were rather comfortable with their choice. “I was pained that Nigeria did not win a medal at the 2012 Olympics. It is good in the sense that they now have to plan and see how things could be better at the Rio Olympics. “In my own little way I will see how I can help,” Ohuruogu said while on a brief visit to Lagos on Thursday. She disclosed that the 2014 Common-

Botswana is looking forward to taking her pound of flesh after Ohuruogu denied her the gold at the 2013 World Championships in Russia, Moscow. Ohuruogu stated that she is rather preparing for the 2015 Worlds and the Rio 2016 Olympics. “In Glasgow, I don’t think I will relax. I learned a lot last year at the World Championships. I am working harder than last year to defend my title,” said Montsho who won in New Delhi 2010 with 50.01seconds. Ohuruogu was not there. “I am looking forward to Glasgow as I am the Commonwealth record holder and Commonwealth champion, so I would like to defend my title this year. Montsho will be there, and if Ohuruogu lines up against her in the 400m it will be one battle worth watching this summer.

Suarez scared of missing World Cup L IVERPOOL striker Luis Suarez admits to being ‘scared’ of picking up an injury which rules him out of this summer’s World Cup. With Uruguay tipped to go well in Brazil, with the South American nations expected to lead the charge in their own back yard, Suarez is desperate to spearhead an assault on global glory. His domestic form at present suggests he will make the trip as one of the most feared forwards in world football, and a strong contender for the Golden

Suarez C M Y K

Boot award. Suarez is, however, aware that one knock at this late stage could bring his dreams crashing down - with major doubt having already been cast over the involvement of potential stars such Colombian frontman Radamel Falcao and England winger Theo Walcott after they damaged knee ligaments Suarez told Sport 890 AM: “The truth is that I am scared of what happened to Falcao and Walcott. “But you live in the present and you always give your best for your club

- you can’t be thinking about that all the time. “It is a unique opportunity and we all want to be there, but I prefer to focus my mind on the English league. The moment to think about the national team will arrive later.” Suarez has also been speaking about his behaviour, which has got him into trouble in the past. He claims to have made only ‘two mistakes’ in his career and considers both of those The 27-year-old added: “Let me tell you, I’ve made only two mistakes in my career. My first was when I was playing for Ajax and I bit an opponent. My second was when I bit (Branislav) Ivanovic. “Those two were my only two mistakes as a footballer. “I said I’m sorry and that was all, end of story. I’ve nothing else to regret. All the other things were like a movie that people in England believed in. “The case with (Patrice) Evra was all false. I was accused without proof. But that’s in the past. I was sad at that moment, but I’m happy today. “I have grown up. I have thought more about things before doing them. “Now people in England can’t talk about me because I’m not doing anything wrong. They have to talk about me only as a footballer.”

Rivals United... Christine Ohuruogu (left) and Amantle Montsho at the finish of the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Russia. Ohuruogu is sad Nigerian athletes can’t produce podium performance.

Emedolu predicts rosy future for Nigerian male sprinters

IGERIAN male sprinters of recent times have failed to measure up to world standards. But former international, Uchenna Emedolu believes that starting from this season, Nigerians can expect a revival from their underachieving genera-tion of male sprinters. Emedolu with a personal best of 9.97 seconds was among the last batch of world standard Nigerian runners including David-son Ezinwa, Olapede Adenikan, Francis Obikwelu who was lost to Portugal, Deji Aliu and Olusoji Fasuba who still holds the African 100m record of 9.85 seconds since 2006. Taking a prospective look at the likes of Obinna Metu, Ogho-Oghene Egwero, Seye Ogunlewe, Jonathan

Nmaju, Mamus Emobonuvie, Harry Chukwudike and a host of other up and coming juniors, Emedolu submitted that these athletes will not have problems posting a decent 10.1 seconds run in the season and then progressively go under 10.00 seconds. “Doing 10.1 for our sprinters this season will be an easy thing. From what I have seen of Metu and others, it wouldn’t be a difficult task running a constant 10.1. “There are some juniors that I have seen with prospects and I am sure the others are equally working hard and we are definitely going to see a rebirth of the men’s sprint.” He added that going under 10.00 seconds will not be a piece of cake for these sprinters, however,

with constant training and consistent performances they will join the big boys of world sprints before the 2016 Olympics. “I am not going to stick out my neck and predict that anyone of our boys will go under 10 seconds soon. But let us wait and see how they will get along in the season. If we can have them putting up a consistent performance then we can safely conclude that we can have a 9.00 seconds runner soon.” How much of Emedolu’s prediction that will come true will be put on display this afternoon as the season kicks of at the Dipo Dina Stadium in Ijebu Ode. Athletics officials are optimistic that the athletes who have been through camping and conditioning exercises will live up.

SATURDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 15, 2014 —55

Anambra Stadium Project: Contractor for Youth and Sports Dr. Edozie shuns inspection team Aroh who were on official BY OJIEVA EHIOSUN

HE contractor saddled with the responsibility of building a multi- purpose and a FIFA standard stadium at the Arthur

Aze avenue in the Anambra state capital Awka, Paul B Construction company limited stayed away from the stadium when a consortium of inspection team led by the commissioner

NUGA won’t give us new basketball talents— Umar P

RESIDENT of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Tijjani Umar has said that he does not expect the ongoing Nigeria University Games (NUGA) to produce any basketball talent for the country.. Umar, argued that most of the players doing battle at the NUGA games holding at the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Osun State “are known faces already”. Umar who spoke on the scouting of talents at the games said many of the basketballers in the universities are already featuring in the federation’s league competitions. “There is no new basketball talent that we will say we want to get from the NUGA Games, because they are already part of us. Some of them are playing for clubs in the DStv Men’s League, while some are playing in the Zenith Bank Women’s League and some are even in the national teams,’’ the NBBF president said. NAN reports that the 24th edition of the Games is holding at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife from February 12 to 22. Basketball is one of the 15 sports featuring at the 10-day event. Meanwhile Ile-Ife has come alive as the Games entered its third day yesterday. According to A NUGA Council member, Cecilia Arinye, the arrival of student-athletes to the ancient town of Oranmiyan had raised the socio-economic activities of the people, noting that the town was now bubbling with Games activities. “With over 10,000 studentathletes and massive investment in infrastructure development of the community, the town is in for good tidings. With the huge amount already expended for the event by the Local Organising Committee, it is expected that the expenditure will have a ripple effect on the entire environment,” Arinye said. According to her, Ile-Ife is agog with colourful displays, bright faces, brilliant speeches, broad smiles and loud cheers of athletes, officials and sports enthusiasts as the biennial Games kicked off in fanfare. She said that with the reality of the several postponed event, the students heaved sighs of relief which was depicted in their expressions and exchange of warm banters. “Some of them hoped to use the event as a launching pad to the

C M Y K

Athletes gunning for medals during a championship. forthcoming Commonwealth Games, so, staging the event now is an advantage.

Many of the student-athletes had in the past used the competition to get to the bigger

stage in various sports, while the chances are still available for the upcoming ones,” she said.

NNPC/Shell Cup: State finals round off nationwide P RELIMINARY matches of the All Nigeria Secondary Schools Football Championship for the NNPC/ Shell Cup 2014 have been rounded off in all states of the Federation including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. According to the programme of activities released by the Nigeria Schools Sport Federation(NSSF), the organizers of the championship, all states were rounded off their preliminaries yesterday. In Kebbi state, the final is between Army Day Secondary School, Birnin-Kebbi and Government Secondary School,

Gesse while the in Ibadan, the Oyo State final was played Thursday between Brightville College and Success High School, Babanla, both in Ibadan. The Kwara state final decided at the mainbowl of the Ilorin stadium yesterday was between Government Day Secondary School, Sao representing Moro Local government council and Kwara Football Academy Secondary School, Ilorin. In Osun state, the battle for the zonal preliminaries ticket was be between Progressive High School, Modakeke and Osowusi High School, Iloko-

Ijesha while the .Nasarawa state final was between Government College, Keffi and Government Science School, Andeka Fortune Academy, Calabar took 2N Multinational Secondary School, Ikom for the Cross River state trophy as the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta yesterday hosted the Ogun state final between Alamuwa Grammar School, AdoOdo and Adeola Odutola College, Ijebu-Ode. The Plateau state final is between Government Secondary School, Kopyal and Government Secondary School, Sabon-gida, Langtang.

assignment to see the level of work done following the heat from the House Committee on Sports. It was gathered that the contractor tactically avoided the team for fear of being tonguelashed. Some of the stakeholders who spoke on condition of anonymity lambasted the construction firm for the poor level of work done in spite of the huge amount of money already pumped into the stadium project by the state government. One of them angrily called on Governor Pete Obi to do something about it to save the future of the state’s athletes who have taken to sports as their career. “For Paul B construction, it is shocking that he has chosen to be conspicuously absent from this inspection team. I think he is gambling with his job. We are the major stakeholders in this business, we will not take this from him, he should give us what we want and not what he wants. He should follow the the original architectural plan given to him. What we are seeing here is not acceptable. The job should be given to competent engineers that know what it takes to build a standard stadium,” he said.

Emeteole returns to Heartland

EASONED coach, Kele chi Emetyeole aka Caterpillar is staging a return to Heartland Football Club of Owerri as the side have officially announced hm as their new technical adviser. An official of the side, Cajetan Nkwopara said the management team led by Fan Ndubuoke after careful study of the team decided to bring in a seasoned technical adviser who will lead the technical crew. “As part of the ongoing effort to reposition the team for the upcoming season the management has decided to appoint a ‘seasoned hand’ coach Kelechi Emeteole as the side new technical adviser. The appointment is with immediate effect,” Nkwopara said to supersport.com. Nkwopara confirmed the elevation of coach Ramson Madu as the chief coach, coach Bob Acholonu as the chief trainer and coach Mangut Mbwas as the assistant coach of the team.

Champions League: Injury KO’s Enyimba’s hitman

NYIMBA striker Sibi Gwar will not be available for the side’s decisive fixture at the Togolese side Anges de Notse tomorrow in Lome, reports supersport.com The two-goal hero suffered a minor knock on the right leg in his side’s 3-1 win against the CAF Champions League newcomers in Aba last Sunday but his leg began to swell and the injury worsened. The encounter will hold at the 1 000-seat Stade Anges de Notse as the winners over the

two legs will progress to the round of 32. Gwar, who confirmed his unavailability for the return leg in Lome, Togo, assured his teammates will pick a decent result that will guarantee the side’s progression in the competition. “I’m out of the second leg on Sunday due to a leg injury, the team doctor who examined the leg and advised me to rest to avoid further worsening of the injury. “I picked up the knock on

Sunday and though I felt a sharp pain I managed to finish the game believing it to be minor. “Thereafter the leg got swollen up with severe pain and as I speak with you I can’t play but only jog. I hope to be back in few days’ time. “I feel bad missing the crucial game at Anges de Notse, especially as there is nothing I can do but I believe my teammates will rise to the occasion to either pick an outright win or a draw.

“We missed several chances in the first leg in Aba and I believe those chances will come again which will be well used this time around. “I think the worst result will be a draw, Anges de Notse can’t stop us from progressing to the next stage of the competition,” said the former Niger Tornadoes forward to supersport.com. Enyimba were African champions in 2003 and 2004 editions of the annual elite club competition.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

FA Cup matches Sunderland Cardiff Sheff Wed Man City

v v v v

S’hampton Wigan Charlton Chelsea

1.45 pm 4 pm 4 pm 6.15 pm

Pillars’ll bounce back against AS Vita — Shehu

HE Super Eagles invitee, Abdullahi Shehu who missed Kano Pillars first leg game against Congo’s AS Vita has expressed optimism in the Kano side upturning the two goal deficit suffered last week to qualify ahead their Congolese visitors in their crucial CAF Champions League fixture in Kano The Sokoto-born midfielder, according to goal.com, says he is optimistic Kano Pillars will bounce back when they host AS Vita in the second leg clash at the Sani Abacha stadium in Kano today. Shehu missed the first leg clash owing to a visa hitch which saw the 10-man league champions lose 3-1 in last Sunday’s preliminary round first leg fixture at the Stade Tata Raphael in Kinshasa. The player who was a member of the CHAN Eagles after the Presidential reception Thursday, told Goal: “We’re aware of how crucial the game is as we need to advance to the next round. I believe we will bounce back playing at home in Kano. We’ll be fighting until the end and we can count on Kano fans to support the team to victory on Saturday. “We always knew they are good, and now they have to come to play in Kano where we will be difficult to beat in front of our home fans. We won’t give AIR BORNE.... An action during a league match. The LMC has shifted the kick-off of the them any space. We are going 2013-2014 season to March 7. to put them under pressure from the start, and then we will see how it finishes.

Glo Premier League: LMC announces March 7 new kick-off date •Grants two weeks extension for clubs registration

new commencement date for the 2013/2014 Glo Premier League has been announced by the League Management Company (LMC) which met in Abuja to appraise reports from Stadium Inspection teams. Some of the Clubs are grappling with peculiar constraints including access to funding and validation of registration documentation but the LMC Chairman, Hon. Nduka Irabor said that “we have agreed to accommodate this popular request to extend the registration process period to enable the Clubs tidy up their documents for certification.” Irabor said the LMC has thus resolved on a two weeks delay for the kick-off following representations from Clubs which cited their peculiar nature of fund release by government, their principal sponsors and the observations made by LMC Stadium inspection teams. “We have considered reports of the stadium facilities inspection teams and the need to allow the Clubs two weeks period to correct observed deficiencies in their facilities, hence the League earlier scheduled to start on February 21-23 will now start on the weekend of March 7 through to March 10. There will be no further extension after this period and the League will start with only Clubs that meet the minimum requirements”, declared the LMC Chairman. He said the LMC will however not certify any Club that fails to comply with the recommended upgrades of the LMC Inspection team within the extension period granted. “Consistent with our assertion that the reform policies are not punitive but standard minimum conditions, the LMC is inclined to accept the appeal to allow the Clubs carry out necessary, mandatory and prescribed adjustments in their facilities with the overall objective to have our games played in people-friendly environments”, Irabor clarified. The LMC is insisting on some minimum facility requirements at grounds proposed by Clubs to host league matches and some of these include properly furnished changing rooms, good egress and exit, safety equipments such as fire extinguishers, availability of water and electricity power, amongst others.

Wenger is a failure, Mourinho declares *Ready to face Man City fury in FA Cup

HELSEA manager, Jose Mourinho has labelled Arsene Wenger a ‘specialist in failure’ as he hit back at the Arsenal manager ’s claim that Chelsea are scared of not winning the title. Mourinho has repeatedly stated the Blues are outsiders for this season’s Premier League, despite currently sitting top of the table. And Wenger believes his counterpart’s public negative attitude is to disguise his fear of failure. But Mourinho has offered a stinging response to the Gunners’ boss. “He would know, he’s the specialist [in failure], I’m not,’ said the Blues manager. So if supposedly he is right and I’m afraid of failure, it’s because I don’t fail many times. So maybe he’s right, maybe I’m not used to failing but the reality is that he’s the specialist because he’s had eight years without a trophy. If I do that in Chelsea I leave and I don’t come back.’

Chelsea take a break from the Premier League this weekend as they are up against Manchester City in the fifth round of the FA Cup this evening, while there is another clash of the heavyweights on Sunday when Arsenal host ACROSS 1.Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola (5) 4.Ghana “Black Stars” Midfielder, Michael (6) 7.Objective (4) 8.Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun (6) 9.L.G.A in Rivers State (6) 12.Hungary Capital City (6) 16.Former Ethiopia Wayla Antelopes” Coach, Ifeanyi (6) 19.Ondo State Capital (5) 21.Young Eagle (6) 23.Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka (8) 27.England Capital City (6) 30.Ghanaian Currency Unit (6) 31.Lobi Stars Coach, John (4) 32.Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs Grace (6) 33.Secretary to the Government of the Nigerian Federation, Senator Pius (5) DOWN 1.Real Madrid Coach, Carlo (9) 2.State in Nigeria Known as “The Sunshine State”? (4) 3.Former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Charles (5)

Liverpool. And amid speculation the Blues will make wholesale changes for the trip to the Etihad in order to save players for the Premier League, Mourinho insists the Cup is their only priority heading into the game.

4.African Antelope (5) 5.Acute (5) 6.Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) Chairman, Mr. Ekpo (3) 10.Vietnamese Currency Unit (3) 11.L.G.A in Akwa Ibom State (4) 13.Region (4) 14.Sinister (4) 15.England Premiership Club-Side (9) 17.Cross River State Commissioner for Sports, Mr. Patrick (4) 18.L.G.A in Niger State (4) 20.Brazillian Currency (4) 22.Ammunition (3) 24.Farm Tool (3) 25.Manchester City Striker, Edin (5) 26.Super Eagles’ Midfielder, Ogenyi (5) 28.Chad Republic’s President, Idris (4) 30.Burkina Faso “Stallions” Coach, Paul (3)

“We know they [Manchester City] are strong. Our priority is always the next match. The FA Cup is beautiful for everybody and the draw made it even more so, because two big teams will be knocked out,”he added.

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