Bloody Xmas in Benue: 47 persons feared dead by Vanguard Media Limited

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Political killings: North asks Jonathan to prosecute Obasanjo •Insists no second term for Jonathan in 2015 BY EMEKA MAMAH & SONI DANIEL, REGIONAL EDITOR, NORTH

HE North has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to explain who he was waiting for before taking action to bring officials of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo administration to book over political killings which he (Jonathan) said were the order of the day when Obasanjo held sway as the head of government in the country. It also insisted that the next president of Nigeria, must emerge from the area, pointing out that President Jonathan must stand down for their own in 2015. The northern groups, Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, and the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, made these known at two separate interviews with Saturday Vanguard yesterday. Reacting to a letter from Obasanjo, alleging that the President had placed 1000 people on watch list, Jonathan had in turn placed political killings in the country on the door steps of the former President. Jonathan replied Obasanjo’s 18-page open letter dated 2, 2013, to him, pointing out that all the political killings since the Fourth Republic began, took place at the time Obasanjo was President. According to Jonathan, although political killings had occurred in the country, none of them had taken place since he became President about three years ago. Among those who were said to have been politically murdered during Obasanjo’s administration included, the former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige, and South-South politicians, Chief Harry Marshall, Chief A.K. Dikibo, a former Senatorial Candidate of the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party, ANPP, in Imo State, Uche Orji, Arc Layi Balogun, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN, Prof Chimere Ikoku, former Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, in Anambra State, Chief Barnabas Igwe and his wife, Chief Victor Nwankwo of Fourth Dimension Publishers and

Chief Funso Williams. However, the Secretary General of NEF, Prof Ango Abdullahi, confirmed in an interview with Saturday Vanguard that the North had made its position on the 2015 presidency known to President Jonathan’s emissaries, who had attempted to recruit some of their key stakeholders for the next poll. In the letter to Obasanjo dated December 20, 2013, Jonathan further stated, ‘’There have certainly been cases of political assassination since the advent of our Fourth Republic, but as you well know, none of them occurred under my leadership. ’’Regarding the over 1000 people you say are on a political watch list, I urge you to kindly tell Nigerians who they are and what agencies of government are “ watching” them. Your allegation that I am using security operatives to harass people is also baseless. Nigerians are waiting for your evidence of proof. That was an accusation made against previous administrations, including yours, but it is certainly not my style and will never be. Again, if you insist on the spurious claim that some of your relatives and friends are being harassed, I urge you to name them and tell Nigerians what agencies of my administration are harassing them. ’’I also find it difficult to believe that you will accuse me of assisting murderers, or assigning a presidential delegation to welcome a murderer. This is a most unconscionable and untrue allegation. It is incumbent on me to remind you that I am fully conscious of the dictates of my responsibilities to God and our dear nation. It is my hope that devious elements will not take advantage of your baseless allegation to engage in brazen and wanton assassination of high profile politicians as before, hiding under the alibi your “open letter” has provided for them.’’ However, reacting to President Jonathan’s allegation on political killings before he came into office, the National Publicity Secretary of ACF, Mr Anthony Sani, said, ‘’If you consider the submissions by Mr President,whose place in the order of things, is to

From left: Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, unveiling a plaque, Chief (Mrs) Kemi Nelson, All Progressive Congress (APC) chieftain, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure and Engr. Tayo Bamgbose Martins, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works & Infrastructure, during the governor’s handing over of Simbiat Abiola and Kodesoh road in Ikeja, Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

provide order and direction to the nation... I wonder if he needs ACF to ask him to take necessary actions that are within his mandate. ’’I have made it clear that what the former president wrote to his placeholder, President Jonathan, except perhaps the issues of training and arming snipers against political opponents-was common place knowledge. The same with the issues raised by President Jonathan. Meanwhile, Prof Abdullahi who spoke in an interview with Saturday Vanguard noted that the North had already made its position on the 2015 presidency known to President Jonathan’s emissaries, pointing out that a list of 151 key northern politicians and leaders

was drawn by presidential political tacticians with a view to wooing them to work for the president in the next general elections. The former ABU Vice Chancellor and Presidential Adviser on Food Security admitted to Olusegun Obasanjo, said that he and some other northern leaders, whose names appeared on the list, had already been contacted for possible support to Jonathan ahead of the impending election. He said however that the presidential team must have hit the rock, as most of the northern elements consulted on the need to work for Jonathan’s re-election, politely turned down the offer. Abdullahi did not men-

tion the name of any of those who contacted them and who politely rejected the offer to work for the president. His words, “What I can tell you now is that my name is on the list of the 151 Northern leaders and politicians, who have been earmarked for consultation by those working for Jonathan. But the good thing is that most of those contacted have also politely turned down the offer. “What Nigerians should know is that the North as it is today, is ready to receive and welcome a Nigerian president from any of the 19 northern states come 2015. He can come from any of those states and we are ready to support and work with such a leader

come 2015. “I have been contacted by those who believe they can lure me and other Northern leaders to change our cause and we courageously but politely made our political position regarding 2015 very clear to them. “They must have got our message and have decided to adopt other strategies, which in any case, would not change our position regarding the emergence of the Nigerian president in 2015.” Although President Jonathan is yet to declare his intention to run in the 2015 poll, his body language suggests he would run, hence, opposition has been mounting against his second term particularly from the North, which claims that he signed a deal to run for only a term of four years after completing the remaining two years of late President Umaru Yar ’Adua. The lingering disagreement among some of the party leaders and governors in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over 2015, led to the defection of five PDP governors to the opposition All Progressive Congress, APC, last month. President Jonathan has repeatedly said that it is too early in the life of the administration to begin campaign for re-election in 2015, pointing out that it was better for him to concentrate on the provision of social amenities for Nigerians than dissipate energy on an election that was still far away.

It’s a lost battle for PDP, say Bello-Osagie, Ribadu BY SIMON EBEGBULEM & AHMED SAJOH

member of the Fed eral House of Representatives, Mr Rasaq Bello - Osagie, yesterday, said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is currently on “intensive care” and stand no chance in winning as the the party is fighting a lost battle with Nigerians. The All Progressive Congress (APC) lawmaker who is representing Oredo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, de-

clared this in a 3-day event at his constituency office, where he reeled out his achievements to members of his constituency. According to him, “from what we are seeing now, the PDP as a party in my opinion is still existing through an oxygen. It is in the intensive care unit. By the time a man begins to lose his hand and his leg, then your eye, very soon you will have no nose to breath then what are we talking about. I think it is a question of time.

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, said People’s Democratic Party, PDP, is fighting a lost battle with Nigerians ”What is going on today is a war between Nigerians and PDP. People are leaving PDP because they want to be on the side of Nigerians. ” Nigerians now understand that PDP is fighting them while APC symbolised the platform for change,” Ribadu said. He endorsed former President Obasanjo letter letter to Jonathan as a good development say-

ing Obsanjo deserves commendation for coming out bold to say what many people knew but we’re reluctant to say it out to the leadership of the country. Ribadu said the letter which generated a reply and public discussions would bring something positive to Nigeria in the long run. Ribadu re-iterated APC’s commitment to transformed Nigeria for the better and urged those yet to decide to join the train of APC to do so and be part of history.

6 — SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

Odi: Indigenes barricade East-West road over FG’s refusal to pay N37.6bn compensation BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA, Yenagoa

NDIGENES of Odi community in Kolokuma-Opokuma local government area of Bayelsa State yesterday took their protest to the East-West road causing serious gridlock on the busy route over the federal government refusal to pay the sum of N37.6 billion compensation as directed by the court for the destruction of their community. The protesters made up of the community youths, old women and men were armed with placards highlighting their plight and recalling the atrocities meted to their defenceless population by the Nigerian military over a decade ago. Saturday Vanguard learnt that the protest was also to commemorate the 13th anniversary of the military invasion which left Odi, one of the biggest communities in Ijawland in rubles in the

wake of the killing of some policemen by some hoodlums. The indigenes of the community said they were forced to take their protest to the busy federal highway which straddled the states of the South South zone due to the continued refusal of the federal government to obey the court order to pay their community the sum of N37.6bn for the injustice visited on its population by the Nigerian military. It took the intervention of the police to prevail on the protesters to vacate the busy road and returned to their community where a memorial service was held to commemorate the destruction/genocide unleashed on Odi. Spokesman of Odi community, Lt Commander Koku Imananagha (rtd), warned that they might be forced to take their case to the international community if their appeal to the federal government to pay them as

directed by the court failed to yield result. Speaking on the long drawn legal battle which went in favour of his community, he said, it was their resolve from the beginning to take the path of justice in pursuit of this matter through the courts of the land even though it was a clear case of total destruction/genocide against Odi by federal government. He said, “So, it was a big surprise to see a Human Right abuse case in this 21st millennium dragging for 14 years. Eventually, 19th February, 2013 the Federal High Court Port Harcourt presided over by Justice Lambo Akanbi in a substantive suit awarded Odi community the sum of N37.616,871,000 only as compensation for the destruction of Odi to be paid within 21 days. Despite the Inge road to this victory the federal government and the Central Bank of Nigerian instead of taking the path

From left: The Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion flanked by the chairman of Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Dan Orbih at the conferment of chieftancy title of Esama of Uromi on Orbih on Tuesday.

of glory to put smiles on the faces of the long traumatized people of Odi, chose to take us through further legal battle.” According to him, on March 12, 2013 the Federal High Court Port Harcourt still presided over by Justice Lambo Akanbi turned down a stay of execution filed by the Attorney General of the judgement sum without C further delay to the law M Y abiding citizens of Odi. K “Furthermore on 14th May, 2013, the Federal Appeal Court in Port Harcourt presided over by Justice Ejembi Eko granted the withdrawal application by the AGF for an out of court settlement with Odi community, for which the AGF did nothing thereafter. “Consequently, on the

31st May, 2013, the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, gave a Garnishee a order Nisi compelling the garnishee (Central Bank of Nigeria) to pay the judgment Creditor/ Applicant (Odi) the sum of N37,616,871,000. The Garnishee Order Nisi had a mandatory 17 days life span which gives the Federal Government yet another room to conclude the out of court settlement with Odi Community. This failed because of the inaction of the AGF. “Finally, on 17th June 2013, the Federal High Court Judge Justice Lambo Akanbi pronounced as follows: That Garnishee Order Nisi is hereby made absolute directing the Garnishee (Central Bank of Nigeria) to pay the

judgement sum of N37,616,871,000 which is judgement debt owed the Applicants by the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as epitomized by the judgment debtors. “Accordingly, in view of the sequence of legal successes in our favour and inaction of the federal government to pay the judgement sum, the good people of Odi are now appealing to the a human rights organizations, NGOs, the press and all well meaning individuals and groups to prevail on the federal government of Nigeria to do the needful in accordance with the judgement of the courts without any further delay,” he said.

Cool FM hosts 10th anniversary of Praise Jamz we brought a gospel singer show up,” he said. BY ANOZIE EGOLE

N line with giving Nigerians the fun they crave for during the yuletide,CoolFM Praise Jamz, an inspirational family radio borne out of the desire to inspire and share God’s love, during the week, held its 10th anniversary at the prestigious Eko Hotel and suits, Victoria Island. Speaking at the event, the Group MD of CoolFM, Amin Moussalli, said that the event is aimed at telling the story of the organisation and celebrating the 10th anniversary. “When we started this praise jams we began on the sea side we were selling tickets but as you can see the way God wanted it, we are no longer selling tickets and we are here in a bigger and well organiSed hall. This year’s edition is unique in the sense that, for the first time,

from South Africa, Kionell Peterson and many other artistes like, Buchi, Sammie Okposo, Eben, Tim Godfrey among others. In the next edition, we are looking forward to bringing someone from other parts of the continents like, Europe to spice the

According to Amin Mousalli, this year ’s edition is going to be unique. “ This year ’s edition will be unique in the sense that, we are not going to do any raffle draw this year. We want everybody present to participate fully.’’

Obi says Anambra needs equity, justice for progress, devt

OVERNMENT Peter Obi said that Anambra State needed a leader with equitable sense of justice for her to sustain the present development. He said this yesterday during the presentation of a cheque of N20m to the Anglican Bishop of Mbamili, Most Rev. Dr. Henry Okeke to pay off the N13m loan by farmers from Anambra West from First Bank, which they defaulted in

paying due to the flood of 2012, as well as N7M as loan to farmers for 2014 farming season in the area at no interest at all. Speaking further, Gov. Obi said that as a leader, most Commissioners and those that took decision always wanted to site all available projects in their home town, but that he always refrained them from doing so, arguing that projects should be sited according to needs.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013 — 7

Fashola reads riot acts to auto •Says don’t convert walkways to showroom dealers•Commissions Kodesoh, Simbiat Abiola roads BY MONSURU OLOWOOPEJO

•Governor Liyel Imoke and wife Obioma at the Carnival Calabar yesterday.

OVERNOR Babatunde Fashola has warned auto dealers and traders to desist from displaying cars and trading on the walkways in the state, saying auto dealers or traders who fail to heed government warning will face the full wrath of the law. Fashola however disclosed that the state government had a few

Court fixes Dec 30 to decide fate of Briton, four others over N15bn fraud A

Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday, fixed December 30 to decide the fate of a Briton, Gareth Wilcox, and four others, charged with N15 billion fraud. Wilcox, a former Managing Director of Ibom Power Company and LYK Engineering Company, is standing trial alongside Prince Johnson Adebami and Uche Uwechia, on a 21-count charge. Adebami is a former Managing Director of the defunct Gulf Bank Plc, while Uwechia is a former legal adviser to the bank. Also charged with the accused are Ibom Power Company and LYK Engineering Company, owned by Wilcox. The trial judge, Justice Mohammed Yunusa, fixed the date after counsel representing the accused had respectively moved their application for the bail of their clients. Counsel to the first accused, Mr Samuel

Oshodi, in adopting his bail application, urged the court to admit the accused to bail on liberal terms. Oshodi argued that the fundamental right and liberty of the accused were lready at stake, since he had been detained at the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) for over 20 days. Citing the provisions of Section 118 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Act, and Sections 35 and 41 of the Constitution, Oshodi argued that the presumption of innocence enshrined in the law, still availed the accused. He, therefore, urged the court to grant them bail. Counsel representing the other accused, Mr Martin Liadi and Mr Daniel AdePeters, also aligned themselves with the submissions of the first defence counsel. Responding, to the argument for bail, the Prosecutor, Mr Dania Abdullahi, adopted his counter affidavit and urged the court to exercise its discretion in determining the application for bail. He noted that the amount

stated in the charge was monumental, adding that operatives of the SFU experienced great difficulties, in securing the arrest of Wilcox. Abdulahi, therefore, left the issue of bail to the discretion of the court. Justice Yunusa, adjourned the case till Dec. 30 for ruling on the bail application, but ordered the continued remand of the accused at the SFU. The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the accused were arraigned on Dec. 23, following the charge of fraud and had pleaded not guilty. The judge, however, ordered their remand at the SFU, pending the determination of their bail. Abdulahi had told the court that the accused converted more than N15 billion from the defunct bank, in the guise of granting loans and overdraft facilities to various companies, without appropriate accounting records.

Police arrest native doctor for aiding kidnapping, armed robbery

HE Enugu State Police Command has arrested a native doctor, Theophilus Attama, from Umuopu Umueze in Igboeze North Local Government Area for encouraging kidnapping and armed robbery. Attama, also known as ‘Ejeje’, was nabbed on the Christmas day by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, following the confessions of one Paschal Onah alias Achisa, a member of a kidnap gang. A statement from the command’s spokesman, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, on Friday said Attama was among the native doctors implicated because of their role in crime perpetration and conniv-

ance. The statement said Onah was arrested for his role in the kidnap of Madam Adiza Ogbo, her subsequent death and her quick burial in his residence in a shallow grave after about one week of her abduction. The suspect allegedly collected N300,000 from late Adiza Ogbo’s sons and relations to set her free from their net which was later discovered to be Onah’s house. “Attama is one of the native doctors that prepared charm for the group for their operations for which they paid him N50,000 or more. The statement said the native doctor had revealed how a charm to compel kidnap victims’ relations to quickly agree to pay ran-

som demanded by the kidnappers was prepared. It further revealed how he prepared charms against “accident and general protection” to avoid the kidnappers from being harmed and to escape from any form of danger. The statement also said that Attama was currently helping the police with further information about his role in the kidnap of a foreigner. Late Madam Adiza Ogbo was abducted and a ransom was demanded by her abductors before she allegedly died in their net, prompting them to bury her in a shallow grave inside the compound where she was kept.

He said that they also converted and appropriated a total of 55.3 million dollars and more than N3.7billion belonging to the bank. He said that part of the money was used to finance a non-existing refinery, while the others where converted to personal use. Abdulahi explained that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 390 of the Criminal Code, Cap A6, Laws of the Federation, 2006.

days ago awarded the construction and upgrading of 25 roads, aimed at reducing travel time across the state. The governor who handed out the warning at the commissioning of the newly reconstructed 600 meters; Kodesoh road and 550 meters; Simbiat Abiola road in Ikeja lamented that auto dealers and traders in the state have turned walkways to trading spots despite several appeal from different agencies of government. According to him, “As long as we turn our roads to shopping malls where everybody buys in traffic, we all pay the price as those who sell on the roads and those who don’t sell spend hours in traffic and that causes stress and hypertension. “As I was driving down here, I discovered that auto dealers and traders in the state especially on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, have turned the walkways on the highway into showrooms and shops. “I am using this opportunity to tell them to get land where they can display and sell their cars. If we want to be

great people, we don’t turn our highways into car shops. And whether you sell computers, electronics or whatever, this is a mega city, you can sell your goods at the markets and the malls. You can’t sell on the highways.” he added. Fashola said his administration is committed to completing 200 inner city roads, pointing out that construction work is on-going in Shomolu, Epe and others area of the state. “Just recently, we handed over 16 roads in Mushin. And the work in Ikeja is not finished. Work is still ongoing on Joel Ogunnaike, Isaac John and couple of other roads. All of those 200 roads and the 25 news roads we awarded few days ago. “They will be finished because our capacity to complete them hasn’t diminished. I promise to serve you till the last day of this administration. The most important is for all of us to know the reason why the government builds roads.”

Obasanjo should apologize to Jonathan — NPA BY ANOZIE EGOLE

OLLOWING the controversies generated by the open letter from Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Jonathan, the Network of Progressive Activists, (NPA) has expressed deep worry that if the issue is left unarrested, the brewing diatribe which is already over-heating the polity could boil over and lead to unimaginable consequences. In view of this, NPA opined that the former President should tender an unreserved apology to the incumbent

for peddling falsehood and desecrating the office of the President and Commander in-Chief of the Armed Forces, of the Federal Republic. In a statement made available to Saturday Vanguard, the Coordinator and National Secretary of NPA, Timothy Ademola Simon Imobo-Tswam said, “ The former President Olusegun Obasanjo should apologize to President Jonathan and the people of Nigeria for peddling falsehood and desecrating the office of the President and Commander in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Fed-

eral Republic of Nigeria. We note that despite General Obasanjo’s pretenses to infallibility, his records of service are replete with broken promises missed opportunities, mis-steps and folly. Nigerians are tired of being trampled upon by revisionary historians whether they hail from the plain farm fields of Ota or from far flung corners of our beautiful country. Nigerians are tired of being played as fiddles by politicians who are hell bent on plunging us into the abyss for selfish, misguided and malevolent reasons,” he said.

Man sentenced to death for armed robbery

Katsina State High Court sitting in Malumfashi yesterday sentenced one Aminu Ibrahim of Rogo Local Government in Kano State to death by hanging for armed robbery. The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the convict, on hearing the verdict, immediately attempted to commit suicide in the court’s cell room using an iron bar. He was, however, overpowered by prison warders who struggled with him for minutes before

pinning him down and dragging him into a waiting vehicle. Ibrahim was convicted and sentenced by Justice Abbas Bawale for armed robbery, an offence contrary to section 1,(2) CAP. R.11 of Robbery and Firearms Act, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The charge was filed on Oct. 13, 2011, while the offence was committed in Sept. 2011 on KafurMalumfashi road, where victims were robbed of their valuables. In his Judgement, Bawale held that the

prosecution had succeeded in proving its case beyond reasonable doubt. He said that the court was satisfied with the testimonies of the five witnesses, including some of the robbery victims and the investigating police officers, presented by the prosecution counsel, Mr Aminu Garba. Garba had also tendered five exhibits including a locally made gun, used fillets and a stick, all used during the commission of the crime and which were admitted by the court.

8 — SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

We don’t have record of attack on Ogun APC Chieftain — Police BY DAUD OLATUNJI, Abeokuta

GUN State Police Command has said that it did not have the record of attack on a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State , Chief Kushimo Lukmon who was reportedly attacked by unknown gunmen who broke into his house at

ita-Eko, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi in a statement, yesterday said the command was disappointed in the victim for his failure to report the incident at the police station. The victim had told newsmen that a gang of six men invaded his residence at 5,Famuyiwa close, Surulere,

Sanusi to leave office April 1 BY BABAJIDE KOMOLAFE

OVERNOR of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Lamido Sanusi will proceed on retirement leave effective April 1st 2013, two months to the end of his tenure. It would be recalled that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua nominated Sanusi as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on June 1, 2009 and his appointment was confirmed by the Senate on June 3, 2009. Hence his five year tenure is scheduled to end on June 3rd 2014. Contrary to speculations that he has been forced to immediately procede on retirement leave, Saturday Vanguard investigations revealed that Sanusi will still be CBN Governor till March 31st. Though, when contacted, Director of Corporate Communications, Mr. Ugo Okoroafor said he was not aware of the CBN Governor being forced to proceed on retirement leave, a highly placed regulatory official, who pleaded anonymity confirm that Sanusi is scheduled to proceed on terminal leave after March 31st. He however said this is normal, and it is not true that the Governor is being forced to proceed on leave. “It is a normal thing; some people go on six months, some on three months. So, there is nothing abnormal about it. You cannot force your Central Bank Governor to go on leave, it could damage the economy”, the source said. But this did not apply to Sanusi’s predecessor, Professor Charles Soludo, who left office on May 29th, when his tenure expired. A CBN source however said this was because Soludo was hoping he would be appointed for a second term. According to the source who pleaded anonymity, the issue of the governor going on retirement leave is a normal thing for us. It would be recalled that Sanusi had in a chat with Bloomberg on March 24th indicated his intention not to seek second term as

CBN Governor. Sanusi said that he had intimated President Goodluck Jonathan way back in 2011 that he would not be interested in seeking second term in office on the expiration of the present tenure in June 2014. “I informed the President way back in 2011 that I would not be interested in serving for two terms,” Sanusi told Bloomberg adding that “the job has been done, largely”. In November, he called for earlier announcement of his successor, saying the Federal Government should take a cue from the United States and announce the next CBN Governor three months to the expiration of his tenure. He said, “I think the issue of Bernanke and Yellen, if you remember, it started about two months ago and Bernanke ends in December. Tomorrow it will be six months to the end of my term, probably a bit early for the government to start talking about the next person. But I do hope that about two or three months before then, there should be some announcement. “Central bank governors don’t comment on who they think their successor should be. It is not our business to do that, it is the President’s decision. But if I have input at all, I will try to encourage that we announce a successor two to three months before the end of my tenure so that everybody knows who that person is, what the views are and so people prepare accordingly. By the way, some of the names are out there in the newspapers and more can come out later.”

Ita-Eko, Abeokuta, around 1:am on Monday and threatened to kill him if he did not drop his ambition for Ogun state House of Assembly. But, reacting to the incident the PPRO said, “the command is taken aback to read the said story in the paper as we do not have record of such incident. The Command considers such publication an unnecessary alarm geared towards getting cheap popularity and malign the integrity of the security agencies of Ogun state. “The victim is expected to report such a case to the Ibara Divisional Headquarters considering the nature of the incident.”

L-R: Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, CAN President, his wife, Mrs. Helen Oritsejafor, Governor Godswill Akpabio and Dr. Eruani Godbless cutting the cake during the Word of Life Bible Church poverty reduction programme yesterday in Warri. Photo: Akpokona Omafuaire

Nigerian Army redeploys senior officers BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI & CHRIS OCHAYI, Abuja

he Nigerian Army Headquarters yesterday announced a major posting of its senior officers, which saw Major General John Kwabe as the Chief of Logistics, Defence Headquarters; Major General Ugo Buzugbe, Commander Nigerian Army Armoured Corps; and Major General Ebiobowei Awala, as the Military Secretary

(Army). Others affected by the posting according to Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Ibrahim Attahiru in a statement in Abuja, include Major General Olufemi Adeosun, who is now Director, Policy Defence Headquarters; Major General John Nwaoga, General Officer Commanding 3 Division; Major General Chris Olukolade, Director Defence Information; Major General Sunday Adebayo, Commander Nigerian

Army Education Corps and Major General Mohammed Idris, Commandant Nigerian Defence Academy, Also affected are Major General Mobolaji Koleoso, now Director, Armed Forces Simulation Centre; Major General Letam Wiwa, Director Military Intelligence; Major General Patrick Akem, Director Legal Service (Army); Major General Charley Okoro, Director Peace Keeping Operations Defence Headquarters;

Niger Delta govs warn youths against crime BY SAM EYOBOKA, Warri

WO Niger Delta region governors, Thursday joined the National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN to caution youths in the region against criminal activities especially kidnapping for ransom, warning them to rather avail themselves of various poverty reduction opportunities provided by the government and some s t a k e h o l d e r s . D r. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State and his Akwa Ibom counterpart, Obong Godswill Akpabio as well as Pastor Ayo OritseJafor

spoke during the 8th yearly empowerment programme organised by the Word of Life Bible Church in collaboration with Eagle Flight Micro Finance Bank, Warri, Delta State. Six brand new Hyundai Verna cars, 15 tricycles, 100 grinding machines including generating sets, refrigerators, flat screen televisions, 100 bags of rice among other consolation gifts were given out free to certain indigenes of the region in celebration of the 8th anniversary of the micro finance bank. Commending the founder of the church and President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor for

the yearly hospitality to the people of Delta, Akpabio said it is imperative of other wealthy and well placed Nigerians to give back to the society part of what they have achieved. Akpabio who doled out the sum of N10 million to support next year’s edition of the programme, noted that while it is the responsibility of government to eradicate p o v e r t y . Uduaghan, on his part, said the Word of Life Bible Church in collaboration with the fast growing Eagle Flight Micro Finance Bank have not only been alleviating poverty but also assisting government in no small dimension in reducing crime among the people of Delta State.

One killed, 10 injured as Police, MASSOB clash in Onitsha BY VINCENT UJUMADU, Awka

NE person was reportedly killed yesterday in Onitsha while 10 others sustained various degrees of injuries during a clash between the police and members of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sover-

eign State of Biafra, MASSOB. According to an eye witnes, trouble started when a motorist was allegedly flagged down along the Onitsha/Owerri Road in Onitsha by a police team on surveillance and as he obeyed, argument reportedly ensued between the motorist and the police. The MASSOB members around, who

have been controlling the traffic since the yuletide season began, felt they should come to the rescue of the man and reportedly intervened. The action, it was learnt, led to heated argument which resulted in a cladh between MASSOB and police which resulted in the death of one MASSOB member instantly.

Consequently, the MASSOB members in anger barricaded the ever-busy Onitsha / Owerri road for two hours and made bonfire with fairly used tyres, forcing traffic flow to divert to the Obosi by-pass. The corpse of the dead MASSOB member was said to have been taken to the Awada Police Station.

Major General Obidah Ethan, Chief of Civil Military Affairs; and Major General Junaid Bindawa, General Officer Commanding 7 Division. Major General Modibbo Alkali is now Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Artillery; Major General Shehu Yusuf is Commandant Depot Nigerian Army; Major General Ahmed Mohammed, Commander Nigerian Army Training Centre and Major General Iliyasu Abbah is Commander, Joint Task Force (Operation Pulo Shield). The exercise also saw Brigadier General Arinze Ebenebe, as the Commandant Warrant Officers Academy; Brigadier General Ebenezer Ogundana, Director of Army Reserve Recruitment and Resettlement; Brigadier General Kasimu Abdulkarim, Director of Physical Training; Brigadier and General Enitan Ransome-Kuti, Commander Multi-National Joint Task Force. Brigadier General Ibe Nicholas is now the Commander 23 Brigade; Brigadier General Ohifeme Ejemai, Commander 9 Brigade; Brigadier General Bright Fibionumama, Commander 3 Brigade; Brigadier General Ibrahim Attahiru, Commander 13 Brigade; Brigadier General Mustapha Onoyiveta, Head Nigerian Army Operations Monitoring Team; Brigadier General Lanre Bello, Commander 34 Brigade and Brigadier General Olajide Laleye, Director Army Public Relations among others. Brigadier General Ibrahim Attahiru said the exercise was part of routine posting of senior officers in the Nigerian Army and appointment of its senior officers.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013 — 9

Bloody Yuletide: 47 persons die in boat mishap; clash between Tiv farmers and Fulani herdsmen BY PETER DURU Makurdi

T least 47 persons were feared dead in two separate incidents in Benue in what appeared to be a bloody yuletide in the state following a clash between Fulani herdsmen and native Tiv farmers at Agasha and a boat mishap on River Buruku, in Buruku local government area. Saturday Vanguard gathered that seven persons lost their lives at Agasha, Guma local government area of the state in a fresh skirmish between the natives and Fulani herdsmen. A reliable source told Saturday Vanguard that the crisis which erupted few days to Christmas spilled into yesterday, leaving seven persons dead while property and farmland worth millions of Naira were also destroyed. ”The crisis started just few days to Christmas when the herdsmen in-

vaded Nzorov and Gbajimba and from there they moved to Agasha, burning and destroying anything in sight.” ”About seven person may have so far been killed in the fighting, we are yet to account for some missing persons, but in the next few days, we should be able to come out with an authentic figure of the dead.” the source added. Meantime, its all wailing and crying in Buruku, after about 40 persons were feared dead in a Boxing Day boat tragedy at River Buruku when the wooden boat conveying them across the river capsized at the middle of the river. An aye witness told Saturday Vanguard that, the victims of the mishap were young fun seekers; “They met their untimely death while returning from a picnic on the other side of the river. ”When they arrived the boarding point at about 8pm yesterday, most of them were drunk, they boarded the canoe and jam packed themselves in the wooden boat

against the advise of everyone including the driver that conveyed them. ”Unfortunately, the canoe could not make it to the other side of the river, it cap-

sized at the middle of the river; as I speak to you, bodies of most of the victims are yet to be recovered from the river. When contacted, the

Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Deputy Suprentendent, DSP, Daniel Ezeala confirmed the death of seven

FRSC records 197 deaths out of 286 crashes in Bauchi ji made this known yester- documents. The commis- es during the season, said BY SUZAN EDEH Bauchi

HE Bauchi State Com mand of the Federal Road Safety Commission FRSC says it recorded a total of 197 deaths out of 286 autocrashes from the month of January to November, 2013. The State Sector Commander of the commission, Mr Sunday Henry Olatun-

day during a special operation tagged “a suaka Lafiya”, which commenced from December 19, 2013 to January 2, 2014, According to the Sector Commander, “the Special operation was an initiative of the commission to ensure safety of lives during the festive season and arrest drivers who commit traffic offences such as overspeeding,overloading,use of mobile phones while driving and invalid driving

sion embark on such special operations several times in a year to instill the culture of safety in drivers and passengers” He said,“ the commission recorded a total number of 1,203 casualities from 286 autocrashes for the year 2013. Out of the crashes, 197 persons were killed while 1006 were injuried”. Mr Sunday who disclosed 34,000 officers were deployed nationwideto minimise the high rate of crash-

RAGEDY struck yes terday on the Bayelsa State stretch of the East-West road as three persons were killed in a ghastly accident while eleven others sustained serious injuries. The accident occurred at about 10.10am some distance away from the popular Zarama junction market on the MbiamaZarama axis of the East West road. The vehicles involved in the crash were Toyota Sienna car with registration number BJ 292 BWR and Toyota Hiace passenger bus with plate number YA 820 AAA owned by ABC Motors. The deceased persons, all male, were in the passenger bus and were burnt beyond recognition while eleven others sustained serious injuries. The ill-fated transport

Elizade University matriculates 214 students

•Family of eight narrowly escapes death bus it was learnt was comBY SAMUEL OYANDONGHA, Yenagoa

that 350 officers, which include marshals were equally deployed to all the FRSC commands in the twenty local government areas of Bauchi state.

BY DAYO JOHNSON, Akure

Three killed in Bayelsa road accident ing from Warri in Delta State and heading to Calabar in Cross River State when it crashed into the Toyota Sienna vehicle in front of it conveying a family of eight. Though the family of eight escaped unhurt, three of the occupants in the passenger bus were not that lucky as they were burnt to ashes in the inferno that engulfed the bus. Eyewitnesses told this reporter who visited the scene of the crash that the eleven persons in the burnt passenger bus who sustained injuries were taken to the Niger Delta Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri by men of the Federal Road Safety who rushed to the scene of the carnage. Miraculously, the occupants of the Toyota Sienna car which though suffered serious damage escaped unhurt. The driver of the Sienna who simply identified himself as Martins told Vanguard that he lost control of his vehicle and veered off the road into the bush when the passenger vehicle rammed into his from be-

persons in the Guma crisis but pointed out that he was yet to get the full details of the Buruku boat mishap.

Rev Samuel Akpan-Isong (in suit) Rev Father Charles Emore and others during the sharing of materials to widows, flood victims in Delta State.

Royal fathers can rescue the nation — Isa Yuguda BY ABAYOMI ADESHIDA

HE Obasayero of Oyo Empire, Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has appealed to traditional rulers in the country to rise up to the immediate challenges facing the country to avoid a collapse of the nation as predicted in some circles. Mallam Yuguda further stressed that unless royal fathers rescue the nation, the challenges of oil theft, insecurity and mutual distrust along ethnic and religious lines are potent enough to disintegrate the nation sooner

than optimists thought. Yuguda who spoke at an audience with the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi opined that it was high time for, “traditional leaders across the country to put heads together to help find a lasting peace in the country. “Political leaders are your followers and will accept your input as royal fathers to guarantee peace, harmony and love among NIgerians so that the country can move forward. “The country is in dire need of royal leadership especially now that we are faced with challenges of oil theft, corruption, security

and division along ethnic and religious lines. “God has brought us together for reasons best known to Him alone and I think that was why he blessed us and made us to be intertwined along cultural, emotional and commercial activities beyond our control and understanding. “I have come here with a delegation to appreciate your recent gesture which I accept as a gesture from the entire Yoruba race to, not only my family, but the entire Northern Nigeria and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III also acknowledges this fact and sends his warm regards,” Yuguda stated.

ITHIN 10 months of its commencement of academic activities, Elizade University, Ilara Mokin, Ondo state has introduced 16 new academic programmes verified and approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC). Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Valentine Aletor said this at the weekend during the matriculation of 214 students of the Institution. Prof Aletor said that the curricular of the programmes were designed to meet the specific needs of the society. This according to him are in the industrial,technological and socio- economic domains. He said the university kick started with 64 students admitted into two facukties of basic and Applied Sciences and Humanities and Management Sciences. The VC added that 214 candidates have registered in three faculties which include faculty of Engineering. Basic and Applied Sciences and Humanities and Management Sciences. He told the matriculating students that the institution has zero tolerance for cultism, drug , examination malpractices, sexual immorality, disrespect for constituted authourity and other vices.

10—SA TURD AY 10—SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

EDUC ATION SECT OR S TINKS (2)

Pupils learn under makeshift tatty structures, trees and sandy floors Education has remained the pillar of social, economic, technological, scientific and industrial advancement of nations that accord it priority and adequate funding in the scheme of things. But in Nigeria, the education sector is usually treated with disdain, lack of proper financial appropriation which in turn translated into dilapidated infrastructure, illmotivated personnel, poor incentives, unconducive environment both for teaching and learning. No wonder that the public universities can be closed down for nearly six months of the academic year, because of the strike by lecturers which was finally resolved by the special intervention of President Goodluck Jonathan and provision of initial sum of N200 billion for revitalisation of infrastructure in the university system in a total package of N1.3 trillion within the next three years. For the polytechnics, they have remained shut ever since as the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) went on strike over poor infrastructure and personnel neglect. Federal Government has ignored the polytechnics leaving them to their fate. Basic education – primary and secondary schools are in bad shape, crying for salvation. Over 10 million children are out of school in Nigeria. There are no classrooms for many school children, a lot of them receiving lessons under the trees, while overcrowding is now common place. Teachers are poorly paid and looking forward to their reward in heaven as they seemed to have lost hope on earth. The education sector at all levels is in terrible situation caused by monumental neglect, absolutely poor funding, mismanagement, stealing and diversion of education funds by state officials and their collaborators. The sector is heading towards total collapse if nothing is done to salvage it. In continuation of our Cover Story on the stinking education sector, we are running the second part on infrastructure decay and the need to tackle the decline and restore the past glory of Nigerian education.

BENUE: BY PETER DURU, MAKUDI

ince the advent of the

present administration in Benue state, schools around the state have continued to remain a top priority of the Governor Gabriel Suswam led administration. So much funds have continually been expended on the construction, furnishing and the upgrading of infrastructures in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the state. This accounts for the sweeping changes that have so far taken place in the education sector in the state in the last six years. The deliberate policies and conscious efforts of the state government to enhance and improve teaching and learning in the state stems from the administration’s drive to bequest lasting lagacies in that sector. Moreover, this conscious efforts could also be tied to the government’s working document, as encapsulated in the “Our Benue Our Future” development plan of the administration. Suffice it to state here that the

administration in Benue state is resolute in its determination to take the state education sector from the doldrums to an enviable position as obtainable in some states of the Federation. This also accounts for the huge funds being expended in the payment of Primary school teachers which gulps over N2billion monthly. In fact Benue remains one of the few states in the country where teachers enjoy steady upward payment of allowances and salary increments regardless of the recently introduced minimum wage for workers in the country. Only recently, the Special Adviser to the Benue State Governor on local government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Solomon Wombo told newsmen that that state is one of the few states in the country that was able to implement the 27.5% salary increment for teachers regardless of the payment of the new minimum wage. According to him, “ while most states are still battling with that demand by teachers, we wasted no time in ensuring that our teachers enjoyed the benefit of their labour without delay. ”Though it is not in doubt that huge resources are expended in the payment of the remuneration of teachers, we have continued to

It is also important to note that the state government has consciously undertaken the task of revitalizing the sector, especially with the ongoing construction of facilities at the Benue state University, BSU ensure that teachers at all levels in the state are not denied whatever is due to them.” While acknowledging that meeting the demands of teachers was an uphill task across the country, Wombo posited that the sector would do better if the federal government took over the payment of salaries and the running of Primary Schools in the country.

”But despite these nagging challenges, Benue state has continued to forge ahead with the drive to improve the sector”, Wombo stressed. It is also important to note that the state government has consciously undertaken the task of revitalizing the sector, especially with the ongoing construction of facilities at the Benue state University, BSU. Today, the institution can boast of a state of the art law faculty which has been completed and awaiting commissioning; same is the story of a 350 capacity female hostel being constructed personally by Governor Gabriel Suswam. The hostel which is fitted with modern boarding facilities remains the best and biggest single facility donated to the institution by a single individual since the inception of the university. That aside, the administration also ensured that teaching and learning facilities at the Benue state University Teaching Hospital, that was abandoned midway by the erstwhile administration was completed to facilitate teaching and learning by medical students and lecturers of the institution alike. The state government has also ensured that Secondary Schools in the state are enjoying deserved attention especially with the

complementary efforts by individuals and missions that are investing heavily in the establishment of both primary and secondary schools in the state. Be that as it may, it is also pertinent to point out here that more has to be done in the upgrading of infrastructure at the primary school level. Though one must acknowledge as rightly pointed out by Mr. Wombo that running Primary schools is an uphill task; many primary schools in the state are adorned with dilapidated infrastructure and unconventional learning facilities. A ready example is the Local Government Education Authority, LGEA, Primary school, Ahume, in Gwer West Local Government Area among others that are spread in the hinterlands of the state. At these schools, pupils are are made to learn under makeshift tatty structures, under trees and sandy floors which is far from being conducive for teaching nor learning. Commenting on the situation at the LGEA Primary school Ahume, a local who claimed to be a parent at the school, Tarfa Yongo told Saturday Vanguard that the management of the school had repeatedly promised that authorities had planned to erect more befitting structures in the school.”But we are yet to see the promise come to reality, and since we are left with no other option our children are still attending the school,” he said. Reacting, a top ranking staff of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, who craved anonymity, told Saturday Vanguard that the Board presently supervises over 2,350 primary schools with the meagre resources that accrue to the state. ”You will agree with me that there is no way the board can meet all the demands of these schools given the financial challenge we have to grapple with at that level. And I must add that Benue state deserves special attention from the federal government in view of the pupil enrollments we record every year which remains one of the highest in the entire northern states. ”But the truth is that we are doing our best in the present circumstance, moreover, in the area of manpower we are also not lacking,” he stressed. Saturday Vanguard also gathered that primary school teachers have been on strike in the last five weeks owing to disagreements with the state government over the non payment of the new minimum wage to the aggrieved teachers. But in his reaction to the minimum wage dispute, the Special Adviser to the Benue State Governor on local government and Chieftancy Affairs, Mr. Solomon Wombo, whose office supervises the disbursement of funds to the SUBEB for payment of salaries, maintained that the state government was not owing the striking teachers. According to him, “the strike is just unfortunate, because no teacher in Benue state today earns less than N18,000 as wage and we have consistently maintained timely payment of the salaries since the inception of this administration unlike what obtained in the past, that is why I see no justifiable reason for the strike.” Also reacting to the decision of the teachers to down tools, Governor Gabriel Suswam urged the people of the state to prevail on the striking teachers to return to classes.

SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013—11

Poor infrastructure in Universities water supply and standby Generators, 11. Construction and Furnishing of Faculty of Arts Office Block and Lecture Halls.

What late Prof Festus Iyayi said on the issues

EDO SSTTATE BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE, BENIN

HERE are five Universities operat ing in Edo state. These are the University of Benin owned by the federal government, Edo State owned Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and Igbinedion University, Okada near Benin, Benson Idahosa University Benin and Samuel Adegboyega University Ogwa which are privately owned universities.

In Uniben, decay is setting in

Prof. Tony Afejuku, former Head of DepartmentEnglish and Literature, radical lecturer, poet, author and former chairman- ASUU UNIBEN Chapter who spoke on the state of infrastructure in the University had this to say, “Our universities are dying and this is what ASUU is fighting for. First, there are no facilities to teach the many students that we are teaching; the classrooms are no classrooms, lecture theatres are no theatres, many of them are too small to accommodate students and needed to be expanded, many of the chairs in the classrooms are broken and no electricity, fans do not work” “In many instances, there are no air conditioners provided for lecturer ’s offices as obtained in other parts of the world and as a Professor, I should not teach more than 15 students at a time. I have just returned from abroad and I spoke with some of my colleagues there and they said they never teach more than 35 students in a year to enable them have time for research and teachings. Our colleagues in Nigeria do not go for international conferences

yearly unlike our colleagues abroad. So, the lecturers are not being encouraged by the system. If you go to students’ hostels, they have become jungles as a result of the dilapidation there, no good laboratories and candles are being used to conduct experiments.

Lack of good accommodation, faculty buildings at AAU, Ekpoma CHAIRMAN of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of AAU, Professor Fred Esumeh who spoke with SATURDAY VANGUARD on the state of infrastructure in the University said, “We deserve a good Auditorium in the

the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma For instance, the TETFUND projects which Prof Cordelia Agbebaku has attracted are: 1. the construction of 3-in-1 300 Capacity Lecture Theatre at Permanent Site, 2. Construction of Faculty of Social Sciences Building Complex at the Permanent Site, 3. Procurement and Supply of 969 Volumes of Books in 26 Subject areas to the University Central Library, 4.Procurement of Brand new Toyota(STD). Bus Ambulance Equipped Medical Facilities at University Health Centre, 5. Procurement of 35 Electronic Library Equipment at Faculty of Clinical Science Library, 6. Procurement of 100KVA/ 1104C44TA922 at University

“Our universities are dying and this is what ASUU is fighting for. First, there are no facilities to teach the many students that we are teaching; the classrooms are no classrooms; lecture theaters are no theaters; many of them are too small to accommodate students University, we need good hostels for the accommodation of our students. We need Faculty buildings because for the 30 years that the University has been in existence, we have only three Faculty buildings, that is, Law, Architecture and Social Sciences”. “We need a Teaching Hospital instead of the MoU with the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital owned by the federal government; a Sports Complex, and Laboratories well equipped. There is a shortage of manpower in the university but we will gradually continue to recruit to meet the National Universities Commission (NUC) minimum standard” However, SATURDAY VANGUARD gathered that a lot is being done in the provision of infrastructure at

Central Library, 7. Procurement of Teaching and Research Equipment for the Departments in the College of Medicine, Department of Architecture and Computer Science. Other TETFUND Projects are: 1.Furnishing of the 1000 Capacity Lecture Theatre with Modern theatre seats including rehabilitation of the ceiling and painting at Main Campus, 2. Procurement and installation of Language Laboratory Facilities in the Department of English, Faculty of Arts, 8. Procurement and installation of Furniture and Equipment for the Department of Political Science, 9. Procurement and installation of Furniture, Fittings and Equipment for the Faculty of Law, 10. Procurement of various laboratories works Facilities Equipment for

Speaking on the state of infrastructure in Nigerian Universities in his last interview with SUNDAY VANGUARD , Late Professor Festus Iyayi said, “ Government set up a committee called the NEEDS ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE and it went round the Nigerian Universities and what it found was shocking. First, if found that the students – teachers ratio was 1-400 on the average instead of being 1-40. It found out that the classrooms were grossly inadequate and could accommodate only about 30 percent of the number of students that needed to enter those classrooms; they went round and found students standing in their lecture theatres with other students writing on their backs, they found lectures going on under trees in some of the universities, they went to laboratories where they found people using kerosene stoves instead of busen burners to conduct experiments, they found specimens being kept in pure water bottles instead of the appropriate places where such specimens should be kept. They found Chemistry labs without water; they found people doing examinations called theory of practicals and not the practicals and you will imagine what the practical ought to be.” “And when the report was eventually presented to President Goodluck Jonathan at the Federal Executive Council, we understand that Jonathan said that he was embarrassed and did not know that things were all that bad. It was on that basis that they said that this money should be spent. As we speak, the money has not been provided, no intervention has taking place and the academics are tired. We negotiated for three years, 2006-2009, we went on strike in December, 2011 and government apprehended that strike; we signed an MoU in January 2012 and between then and now nothing happened. That is why we are on strike. We are saying, look, rehabilitate the universities. As a reporter you can go around our classrooms and you will see what our classrooms are like.

In this era, it is the quality of knowledge that you acquire that will determine the position you occupy in any part of the world. We did this and government did not do anything” “ A Professor came from Bayelsa state recently to the University of Benin, looking for Journals, we went to the Library because we have an e-Library and he could not do anything there because there was no light and for two days, there was no light in the library. If you go round here now, lecturers now have generators for their offices so as to be able to work in their offices, every Department now have two or three generators so as to be able to do their work. Is that what a university should be like? If you go to the students’ hostels, they in sorry state, they live 12 in a room; they are like piggries, like poultries, they now have what they called shut puts, they excrete in polythene bags and throw them through the widows into the fields because there are no toilets. If you come into this building (Faculty building), there are no toilets and if you walked round you will find faeces sometimes in the classrooms because students have no place to use. And it is like that all over Nigerian universities. Academic staff have said enough is enough, we cannot continue to work under these conditions especially when government gave commitment in 2012 that this matter would be addressed and up till now nothing had happened” “And when students leave here, they apply for progammes outside of Nigeria say to the United Kingdom, United States and other countries for their Master Degrees, Phd or other postgraduate programmes and they are told that they cannot be admitted because their degrees are suspect. Shell Company here in Nigeria spent millions of Dollars in re-training graduates, people who have made First Class after they have left the university and when they test them, they found out that they have problems. How can you take an engineer who has not conduct an experiment, all he did was the theory of practical? He does not know how the equipment works. We have said that we cannot continue. If you want a properly educated student population, you have to provide the facilities. That is why ASUU is on strike.

12—SA TURD AY 12—SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

YOBE SSTTATE

med Lamin, is the taking of students from junior secondary schools into the senior secondary schools, including almost all the students that passed out from junior secondary schools, into the senior secondary schools to make sure that it accommodates all granduands of JSS into senior secondary schools and this explains why the authority is trying to expand some of the schools like the GSS Damaturu, GSTS Gaidam and that of Mamudo to take more students. These schools are also being provided with virtually all the required classrooms and dormitories so that they could accommodate all the students. And as the commissioner for education, Alh. Mohammed Lamin explained, the government plans, in the future, is to expand all the senior secondary schools so that they could accommodate all the junior

secondary schools coming out from those areas to ensure that no child will be left without going to secondary school. However in the aspect of having qualified teachers in appropriate ratio to students, the commissioner admitted that the sector does have enough for now. “We have fairly, reasonable number of teachers to take care of the teaching and learning processes in our schools. But Government has recently approved the recruitment of 3000 teachers, some are graduates although they do not have teaching qualifications but we intend to use the services of the Nigeria Teachers’ Institute (NTI) to train some of them in order to give them the rudiments of teaching so that they would be able to handle the classrooms and effectively teach in the schools, while we will continue to give intraining services to our teachers so that they will be well equipped to teach,” said Lamin. “And we will continue, with state government assistance, to employ the services of more teachers to teach in our schools, especially in the areas of science subjects where we have shortages like chemistry, biology, physics. And of course the Governor has given the Head of Service the go-ahead to recruit more teachers in addition to the 3000 teachers we have already employed. So this is the effort of the state government to improve both the number and quality of teachers in our schools,” the commissioner added. To solve the problem of overcrowding in classrooms which is found in most cases in Day schools which are located in the urban areas like in Potiskum and Gashua towns respectively, where there are day secondary schools.

Aside taking away the burden off parents by providing free compulsory education and provision of free uniforms to the pupils and students in primary and secondary schools. Though a noble gesture by the government, the contractor who supplied the uniforms did a shoddy job by supplying uniforms which are under size with the result that most of the pupils are forced to fly their shirts since they cannot tuck in as required. The state government through the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) also awarded contracts worth N3.5 billion for 300 schools while the state Ministry of Education awarded contracts for another 200 schools valued at about N1.9 billion. The 200 primary schools include headmasters’ and teachers’ quarters with an inspectorate team set up to monitor the jobs. Saturday Vanguard also

learnt that as part of the programme of upgrading the school infrastructure, the state education commissioner further awarded contracts for secondary schools bringing the government investment in the sector to over N6bn According to the governor the contractors were mobilized up to 40 per cent of the contract value to ensure speedy completion of the the products due to the to the importance that his administration attached to the sector. Also, boarding facilities are being built in secondary schools across the state beginning with schools in Yenagoa so that full boarding education could start in the next two to three years. The governor had assured that after providing boarding facilities in some secondary schools in Yenagoa such as St. Jude’s Girls Secondary School, which is ongoing, the senatorial districts and the constituencies would later follow.

Insurgents destroy facilities in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions By Bala Ajiya

obe state is one of the states recorded as being backward in education and the administration of Alh. Ibrahim Gaidam is doing its best to uplift the standard of education in the state. However, several attacks by insurgents had brought a setback in the education sector with so many of the school facilities destroyed, and this also resulted to the closure of schools in the state for some times. Well, in providing education and bringing it up to the required standard, it is important to put a lot of things in place so that you can lift the standard of education in the state. So the challenges faced are the provision of basic facilities in all the institutions, schools, colleges of education and the state university. This include

the provision of classrooms, staff quarters, furniture, laboratory equipment and these require a lot of resources to provide them. Of course the state government at the present is doing a lot in this respect. It has started renovating about three schools holistically in that when a particular school is taken, the authority makes sure that it renovates it completely, provide virtually every structure needed in that school. That is exactly what the government is presently doing in Gaidam Government Science Technical School, Government Secondary School Damaturu, and Government Secondary School Mamudo in Potiskum local government area. These last two schools in Damaturu and Mamudo became so special to the government because of the recent attacks by insurgents

where classrooms, dormitories, staff quarters and other facilities were burnt down by the insurgents. The government’s plan is to put all the structures back in place so that conducive learning environment will be created in these schools. It has started renovating and fencing work in Damaturu GSS and that of Mamudo as well as the Government Science Technical school in Gaidam town of Gaidam local government area of the state. The government has equally signed agreement with three different contractors for the fencing of the College of Agriculture (COA), Gujba in Gujba local government area of the state where insurgents murdered dozens of students in cold blood recently Other action as gathered from the state Commissioner of Education, Alh. Moham-

BA YELS A SSTTATE BAYELS YELSA

Years of neglect cause decay By Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa

rivate schools are springing up in droves in Yenagoa the Bayelsa State capital. While some of these schools do not have standard playground to enable the pupils actualise their potentials in the areaof sports, they however have magnificent structures most of which are attracting parents. Interestingly, most of the rich, especially senior government officials are the very ones patronizing these private schools while the public schools wallow in decay, a development that prompted Governor Seriake Dickson to declare an emergency in the education

sector (public schools) and went ahead to invest heavily in the sector. Though much is expected from the government given the inherent decay in the sector caused by many years of neglect, many are nonetheless optimistic that with the measures so far taken and fund invested, the state may get it right in no distant future. Most of the schools are in deplorable condition, lacking desks and chairs to make learning conducive for the students. In some of the schools the classrooms are overcrowded due to large student population making teaching a cumbersome exercise for the teachers. The situation is worst in the riverine hinterland of the state where most of the

teachers are hardly at their duty posts only to resurface at the end of the month for their salaries and vanish into thin air again. These categories of teachers were only exploiting the far-flung location of their place of work convinced that the supervising officials from the Ministry of Education would not venture out of the comfort of their offices in Yenagoa the state capital. Corps members posted to the communities in the hinterland are most often left to take the students in more than three subjects due to truancy on the part of the teachers in the employ of the state government. Dickson on assumption of office declared emergency in the educational sector to address the decay of school infrastructure across the state.

SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

NIGER SSTTATE

e must have acted on a tip-off- and he acted swifty on the information provided. The information led to an unscheduled visit of Niger state governor Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu to some state owned primary Schools few months ago. The story was almost the same in most of the public schools he visited in Chanchaga Local Government area which is within Minna, the state capital-dilapidated nature of the building and with some pupils receiving classes on bare floor. As if he has not seen the worst, the governor and his entourage comprising most of his cabinet members were stunned at another public school in Minna the state capital where the entire building was dilapidated which could easily be described as an eye sore especially since it is within Minna, the state capital. Governor Aliyu could not hold his emotion as he shed tears over what he saw. Part of the numerous questions he asked were as follows- where are the funds allocated to these schools going to; what explanation could be given for these rot; if these type of buildings are at my door step (Minna), then what happens to schools in the rural areas? Something must be done to arrest the situation, the governor remarked Few days later, the governor inaugurated an independent committee to travel to the three senatorial districts of the public schools in the state and report back directly to him for immediate action. Unfortunately, the tour was truncated by “powers that be” for “lack of funds” to complete the project knowing fully well the implication if completed. All the same, a comprehensive report both in print, and video was passed on to the chief servant but with the suspicion that the report was blocked in transit since there was no response or comments made by the principal on the “excellent work” carried out by the body. Till today, the story is almost the same in most of the public schools especially in the rural areas with dilapidated buildings; with roofs, almost falling down; with no windows, no fence to protect the buildings, no water for the pupils within the school compound to drink thereby exposing them to danger when crossing the busy roads in search of water and worst is that most of the classrooms visited are without benches and desks to sit and write on by the pupils. Even within Minna the state capital, the bare floor on which the pupils are receiving lessons have already cracked and very dusty thereby forcing both the pupils and their teachers to wet the floor before the commencement of classes and at intervals daily to avoid dust during classes. The lack of fencing of the schools has led to some of the classroom turned into public toilet by outsiders who capitalize on the porous nature of

Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013—13

Gov Aliyu wept over dilapidated infrastructure in public schools in the state

these schools to defecate in the classes with pupils forced to clear the mess every morning. Most teachers are not even provided with the common chairs and tables for them to sit and write while classes go on. Also conspicuously unavailable are simply teaching aids for the pupils which are lagging in most of the public schools thereby making it absolutely difficult to impact the simple knowledge to the pupils. Because of lack of these basic

The lack of fencing of the schools has led to some of the classrooms turned into public toilets by outsiders who capitalize on the porous nature of these schools to defecate in the classes with pupils forced to clear the mess every morning. Most teachers are not even provided with the common chairs and tables for them to sit and write while classes go on infrastructure and teaching aids, most of these public schools especially in the rural areas are virtually empty with both the pupils and teachers always absent from school. What has happened in Niger is exactly what is happening in many states across the country where contracts worth billions of naira are awarded without supervision by the appropriate authorities and only for the Chief Executives to be deceived by their officers that ALL IS WELL. With the zeal and concern shown by the Chief Servant on what he saw in some of these public schools in Minna the

state capital some few months ago which led to his shedding of tears, and with the official report turned in by the committee he inaugurated to embark on tour of other public schools in the state, one would have expected a rapid and immediate transformation of these schools for the reverse is the case. However, the state commissioner of Education, Alhaji Danladi Abdulhammed who just took over the ministry admitted that there are dilapidated classrooms all over the state but assured that the state government has taken a bold step to reposition them. “Definitely, we must tell ourselves the truth. The issue of education as I use to say is that we are in a period of reconstruction, realignment, rejuvenation and making the sector born again because the sector has suffered neglect for too long and we all believe that this is the basis of development and therefore, we are busy building new classrooms in the rural areas and highrise buildings in the urban centres,” Abdulhameed explained. The commissioner assured that government is also going to concentrate on perimeter fencing for security purposes and to guide against the school lands from being encroached upon. According to him, “ we know there are challenges but they are summountable but all we need is the co-operation of the general public, parents and the stake holders in the sector.” Alhaji Abdulhameed could not however state how much would be needed to put these dilapidated buildings in order but said, the affected schools have been captured in next year ’s (2014) budget saying, “Education is one of the sectors that government is going to pay attention on in 2014 budget. All the old buildings that are collapsing have been captured in our budget and by next year, most of these collapsing buildings will be seen erect and functioning,” the commissioner assured.

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ABIA SSTTATE Huge corruption predominant in UBE, fee increment in tertiary, burden to parents BY ANAYO OKOLI UMUAHIA-LIKE most other states in the country, Abia state is not immune from the rot in the education sector which occurred as a result of long neglect in the past. But the present administration has begun to address some the problems of the sector. TERTIARY EDUCATION SCHOOLS The state operates one university, a polytechnic and a college of education. In the last two years, the government has increased the subvention of the institutions to improve their facilities. The state university in Uturu and the polytechnic in Aba have actually witnessed reasonable improvement in facilities. However, the minus was the recent increase in the fees charged by the institutions which had been a big burden on the parents. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS For the primary and secondary schools, the rots were huge that despite the rehabilitation so far carried out by the government a lot still needs to be done. Many primary and secondary schools across the state, especially in the urban areas have witnessed rehabilitation by the Universal Basic Education [UBE], many in the rural areas are still in bad shape. Those rehabilitated were also provided with desks and chairs. However, the government has assured that most of the schools in bad shape would be tackled. It will be proper to state here that the rot in the sector could be attributed to corruption. Investigation showed that several billions of Naira received by the UBE in the state in the last couple of years, only an insignificant fraction was deployed to work on the schools. This situation prompted Governor Theodore Orji to set up an inquiry into the activities of the UBE in the past and the report of the panel submitted recently speaks volume of huge corruption in the organisation. The corruption in the UBE was so much that free text books provided for the schools were sold in the open markets, a discovery which made the governor to instantly change all the education secretaries in the state’s 17 Local Government Councils and reprimanded the chairman of ASUBEB for laxity.

14—SATURDAY Vanguard , DECEMBER 28, 2013 resident Goodluck Jonathan’s reply to Chief Obasanjo’s celebrated letter left me nonplussed. I wondered if I was reading an abridged form. I expected a response enlivened by some pungent statement of repudiation and counteraccusation, laced with some vitriolic flavour. Perhaps it was far removed from the influence of one or two of his well-known aides who shall be nameless here. Their input, which would’” naturally be of an acerbic nature as usual, could have generated some heat but also added a bit of feeling to the reply. But many people feel it was satisfactory. Of course, one dissident children. His sensitivities seemed to have been would not have expected the slightly bruised by the awful implications of the entire erstwhile fiery Amazon of Ijaw drama which had drawn out aspects that both parties awareness, Ms Annikio Briggs, had denied or condemned, to the extent that he would to find any flaw in the rather not be involved in the rights and wrongs as they President’s position. She saw have been spread out. His reaction could be the response as “dignified”I summarised by a famous quote from the Holy Book: viewed it as almost timorous. “Go thou and sin no more.” What is emerging gradually, but steadily, in my own Most of her reaction was estimate, is that too many people are awed by the threat directed at the opposition to the of “heating up the polity” that is hung over several issues President from the APC with whom Obasanjo recently identified himself, even though still a card-carrying member of the PDP. My good friend, Guy Ikokwu, one of the founders of the PDP and a notable football administrator in his youthful days, also thought the President’s replay was “timely”. But it seemed to me almost belated. He believed we should thank Jonathan for responding to the former President’s “vituperations and unstatesmanlike public declarations on security and delicate matters “in a very cautious manner”” which would not escalate the tension of the present fragile democratic structure the country is saddled with. As for Ayo Opadok:un, who was one of my favourite •Mr. Femi Falana commentators on national issues, he contended ,that these days. That sentiment seemed to have bent opinions Jonathan “substantially” in favour of the reactions of several so-called “peacetackled all the issues that loving” people who, like the President of the Aka-Ikenga, Obasanjo raised. He also the Igbo intellectual think-tank group, would rather declared “a pox on both their “leave Jonathan alone to govern the country”, and not houses” as he pointed out the put distractions in his way. What Obasanjo wrote could obvious truth of both the hardly have been more inflammatory from the pen of a former President and the former President of the country, and it may be indeed, incumbent merely sensible to be wary about one’s reaction. But the stakes maneuvering to get control of are high, and a more robust reaction from the President would only probably have served to put a lot of the issues the destiny and commonwealth in due perspective. of the Nigerian people”. I dare say the National Democratic n fact, that approximates the position of the former Coalition(NADECO) which Governor of Kaduna State, Musa Ballarabe. He did Opadokun was very much not mince words about his disaffection for the writing of associated with, was not very the public letter with regard to every point raised, but distant from such inclinations he clearly stated that it would have been far worse if Obasanjo had kept everything under wraps. It is not either. surprising however that an organization like the would also not wish to join Northern Elders Forum would find the President’s reply to Obasanjo “pedestrian”, and I am not saying that it is issues with him on the not. But the fundamental stance of the group’s position maxim, “the medium is the about the presidency has cast a cloud of bias on almost message”, in the way in which everything they say concerning Jonathan. he seemed to have reduced the Without a doubt, the most respectable views about the meaning of the medium in that president’s response to the controversy raised by the context to denote the letter have been from Mr. Femi Falana, SAN. He bluntly “messenger”. A more stated that President Jonathan did not address the key fundamental connotation issues. He referred to some areas which he described as would, in fact, relate more to the treated in a “woolly” manner. He specified some of those manner or means of the areas, especially those that deal with corruption, and the slack response to its confrontation from government, delivery, as distinct from the as evidenced in the incidents like the Harliburton, deliverer. Wilbros and Siemens cases. He expressed disapproval The highly articulate social of the way in which the recent Stella Oduah’s bullet-proof critic, and highly regarded cars’ scandalous purchase has been treated so far. In constitutional lawyer, Professor every direction, Falana spoke with incisiveness to affirm Itse Sagay, seemed to adopt the his point that President Jonathan badly “fluffed” it. It stance of the parent of two was all a lucid presentation, typical of the human rights activist and shining light of the Nigerian bar, fair and

ek o 0 ni baje 0 *ek eko ying shame * a cr crying

w yyear ear happyy ne new ear? *happ

What is emerging gradually, but steadily, is that too many people are awed by the threat of “heating up the polity”

fearless, simple and straightforward. But I must leave the last word with Mr Yinka Odumakin, reputed to be the spokesman of the so-called Pan-Yoruba “SOCIO-CULTURAL” organization, Afenifere . In a statement that falls short of being “woolly” itself, Odumakin welcomed the fact that President Jonathan had responded to the letter Obasanjo wrote to him, but went on to warm the cockles of my heart when he added, “Jonathan has denied the allegations of training snipers; it is now left for Obasanjo to substantiate this, so that Nigerians will not see him as a frivolous person. If he is able to substantiate it, it means there is trouble. But if he is not able to substantiate it, I think there are appropriate laws to deal with such a person”. Obasanjo has affirmed that he can substantiate all the claims he made in that letter.However, he says he has said the last word about it, having delivered it as a national duty. President Jonathan has also accounted the former President’s reticence with regard to evidence as inappropriate. But since the gentleman says he is no longer going to talk about it who, or what, can make him see that what he has rendered, far from being a service, is a disservice to the nation? Who has the will? Which laws can make him do the needful — if you will pardon my recall of that offensive phrase? At the end, all the furore about such “letters which they are not supposed to write”, ( to borrow from a recent statement of the President’s at a church service), would only serve as no more than an additional distraction from the judicious pursuit of correcting several rampant indiscretions and misdemeanours, like the purchase of bullet-proof cars at humongous cost to the people of Nigeria. We shall hardly remember all this at the turn of the year. Happy new year?

Just a word about how loosely the people of Lagos treat themselves shamelessly with the neglect of their traditions. The sheen and glossy finish that is spread over the island only covers an inner core of tradition which has protected and preserved some of the most cherished aspects of the people’s culture. That has always baffled the other professed “Lagosians” who are not able to penetrate the essence of what is Lagos. It is all innate in the subtle nuances of the people’s way of speaking and of reacting to the daily pursuits of life, and intimately embedded in the philosophy to which a real “ Omo Eko ” responds in his behaviour. The untutored see it as arrogance or conceit, but the well-informed, the “clued-up”, know it as confidence in the pride of belonging to a sophisticated

upbringing steeped in values of self-worth. At the core of the dignity of this cultural consciousness is the Adamu-Orisa Cult. The only aspect that is exposed to the public about the cult is the display by the Eyo masquerade which is meant to be part of the funeral obsequies of very important personalities within the community. Unfortunately, however, the custom has been violated down the years, and the Eyo display has been staged for various reasons, and in conjunction with ceremonies that are far removed from what it is meant for. On such occasions, it would hardly have even been possible to perform some of the rites that should precede an Eyo outing. The most recent was the performance of an Eyo troupe at a particular purely political occasion. It is not being civilized to desecrate the ancient traditions of a people, especially by the people themselves. Lagos definitely does not deserve this. Those who are in charge know what to do. Eko 0 ni baje o!

If anyone really wished to hurt Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the good man with whose patriotic services the Lord has blessed Ekitiland, the malevolent one would probably do away with someone known to be very close to him. Well, some people did that last Sunday. Sesan Ogunro was shot on his way back from church. A group of four seized the car, relieved him of some valuables, and then cut him down in cold blood, in the presence of his wife and children. If you knew him even only casually, you would be near to tears at the cruel fate that overtook him. I knew him well. He was quite older than my children but I loved him like a son. I cannot write his obituary. I will not even read whatever is written as a tribute either, for he will never be dead to me. And yet there is so much that could be recounted. Yes, let others do it. Those who can remember his toothy grin, or recall his passionate zeal in the pursuit of a worthy cause, or the gentle banter that he creates when he is in a teasing mood — let them do it, if they can, with a dry eye. Those who committed this heinous crime may very well have a variety of other reasons. However, one thing they can a lay a good claim to: they know how to hurt other human beings. They have hurt so many: his wife and children and the rest of his family; they have hurt his co-professionals some of whom viewed him as a model; they have hurt his wide circle of friends, including me, who will for ever miss the warmth of his comradeship. And all that hurt will rise up and cry out for justice in this harsh land of crying shame.

SATURDAY

Vanguard ,DECEMBER 28, 2013—15 Vanguard,DECEMBER

The remarkable collections of Chuka Momah Signif icance of Chris tmas Significance Christmas sporting accident prevented

me from a sporting event I would have given anything to attend last week. This happened on a Monday evening. I had gone for my usual game of squash — please don’t say again—when it happened. We were on the last game, and despite my vow to take things easy on the court, my competitive spirit took over. I went for a ball I should not have gone for and crowded my opponent in the process. He also wanted the point (badly?) and tried to hit the ball when he should have held back.( In modern squash with its safety precautions, neither of us was right). The result was that the racket smashed my lower face — it could have hit anywhere with worse consequences. I immediately covered my mouth and rushed out of the court. When I removed my hand, it was covered with blood and what I spit out was pure, thick blood. I was worried, and so were the people now gathered around me. A constant gargle with salt and cold water revealed that the teeth were intact—thank God— but the lips were not. It had been cut inside and outside. On my way home after I had been patched up, I scrolled my phone to see the missed calls as I usually do. One of them came from Chuka Momah, one of country’s best sports commentators in print and on air. I was however in no shape mentally and physically— the upper lip was swelling by the second— to return any call. The following day, Chuka had followed up with a text message which invited me to the launch of his two books; one on Mohammed Ali, the boxing legend, and the other a collection of his articles from various publications. It was an event I would have wanted to attend given my interest in sports and my relationship with the author. I was also a consultant of sorts to the printing of the books.

from those who do. So I decided, wisely in my view, to stay at home although my heart wanted to be at the launch. My resolve was sorely tested when Chuka called on Friday morning to ask after my mouth and if it was in a good shape to attend the book launch. I told him it didn’t look too good but that I really wanted to attend. He then requested that I should please go through the books and do a review since I already had them. I was let off so gracefully!

hat evening, after the Channel TV news, I opened ‘Sports Spectacular’, the bigger of the two books, meaning to flip through and find a peg for my write- up. I did not close the book again until 4am. I know Chuka writes well. I had followed him over the years and I know of his flair. I have also watched enough of his sports programmes on TV to attest to his knowledge of different kinds of sports, especially of boxing and tennis. But the book surprised me. I had thought it was going to be a chore, which was why I had delayed reading the books while waiting for

I know Chuka writes well. I had followed him over the years and I know of his flair

took a look at my mouth in the mirror however, and did not see how it would go down by Friday. So I sent a text to him explaining my predicament. He called almost immediately with words of commiseration and advice. After discussing sundry things— Chuka is also a good conversationalist— we agreed to watch things and let the mouth speak for itself come Friday. With a bombardment of medications given by concerned doctors; concerned because they felt I had no business returning to the squash court after what happened to me last year, the lip began to respond to treatment, and by Friday, had considerably gone down. But I still attracted the occasional curious look from those who don’t know me well enough to ask the big question and ‘what happened?’

C M Y K

‘free time’. Last Friday evening/ Saturday morning turned out to be a very pleasurable one. I savoured the articles, including the preface and the foreword, for the simplicity of words and elegance of language. If there is any criticism, it is that he tried too hard on the details, many of which would probably not be retained by the readers. It is like the

reporter who writes that the Guest of honour’ arrived to an event at exactly 10.03 am in an ash-coloured Mercedes Benz 350 E class. When all the reader really needs to know is that the man- or woman- arrived at 10 in the morning in a Mercedes Benz. I guess that is what makes Chuka Momah encyclopaedia Chukanica as someone fondly calls him, and the book, a rich source of information. The variety and depth of the collections in ‘Sports Spectacular’ will make you wonder how a non journalist – he is a pharmacist— has been able to amass such quantity and quality in a rare field. Many have recommended the book for all sports people, young and old. I want to go further and recommend it to anybody who loves the written word. Chuka is gifted and the book is more than a gift. It is a treasure. It is also a positive book written by a man who does not believe in hitting others when they are down. He was effusive when appreciating talent and spartan when commenting on human frailties. His autographed message to me ended with ‘I feel proud to call you my friend’. Having read ‘Sports Spectacular’, I should be the one to feel proud to be called his friend.

ALELUYAH. You made it to anoth er Christmas. The season of joy, peace and goodwill to all men. Of a truth God is really good to you. The best however is yet to come. God still has so much in store for you and by His grace He will manifest them in your life and all that concerns you. Merry Christmas to you and your entire household. Now what is the significance of Christmas that the world all over is celebrating? People are today celebrating Christmas without having an understanding, and so do not enjoy the benefits. Some think it is a time of merriment in the sense of drinking, partying and all manner of immoral acts. However, the reverse is the case. Of a truth, it is the season of merriment but of a different kind. Christmas was born to eradicate all manner of evil and to establish the Kingdom of God here on earth. When God created the heavens and the earth, He made all things good. When man was made, God said he was very good. God gave man the dominion of all things on the earth (Gen 1:26-28). After the fall of the enemy satan, God cast him out of heaven to the earth. While on earth, satan the devil made man to fall out of the place of God (Gen 3). Thus man lost the presence and glory of God and in essence the authority to rule over the earth. Man handed his earthly kingship to the devil (Luke 4:6), who is today referred to as the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4). With the fall of man came sorrow, hardship, death, sickness, poverty and all manner of evil. The beauty of it all is that God did not allow the devil to have its way. In Gen 3:15, God said, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel”. God made a way for man to be reconciled back to Him through the birth of His Son Jesus Christ, who will destroy the works of the devil and place man back again in his original position of authority and glory. Thus enjoying God’s presence once again. In Luke 2:6-14, the bible says, “ And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger;

because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior , which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God , and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”. Thus, Christmas is heavens new agenda for man. Mankind was being baptized with the joy of heaven. You cannot abide in God’s presence with sorrow. Adam was driven from God’s presence because of sorrow. Why? In God’s presence is joy. You can’t hear God without joy in your heart. The angel said, Jesus would bring glad tidings of great joy to all men. You are included in all men. This simply means He is reversing everything that causes you sorrow. Let the joy of the Lord be your strength. Don’t stop the move of God in your life. Allow God to have His way. Let the joy of God dominate your life. He also came to give peace on earth. It is the peace that passeth all human understanding (Phil 4:7). This peace that no man can give to you because it is divine, sets the pace for God’s intervention in our lives (Exo 14:14; Ps 46:10). Position and possessions does not guarantee peace. Jesus is the only source of this peace. Finally, Christmas (the birth of Christ) brings good will to all people. This connotes blessings. It is the will of God to bless you. I welcome you to your season of blessings. Know that Christ came to enhance your values. Between this Christmas and next Christmas no one will say sorry to you and you will surprise yourself. I speak joy, peace and good will that come through the birth of Jesus Christ our Saviour into all your concerns and to our great nation Nigeria. Once again, let Christ be seen in your celebration and we wish you all a Testimony filled New Year, where Christ reigns and causes us to encounter great Restoration in 2012. Have you given your life to Jesus? If not, please pray this prayer. Father, I come to you as I am. I invite Jesus into my life to be my personal Lord and Saviour. Wash me cleanse with the blood of Jesus and empower me with the power of your Holy Spirit. Thank you Father for saving my soul and making me your child. Your prayer request and praise reports will be welcome. Our contact details are below. You can also partner with us by supporting us financially.

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, DECEMBER 28, 2013

o, President Goodluck Jonathan finally respond ed to Obasanjo’s letter after sixteen days of receiving it and when many Nigerians were already thinking he had nothing to say or that the allegations made against him were true. Some mischief makers even suggested that perhaps, the President was waiting for Dame Patience Jonathan to respond on his behalf or give him the goahead to do so. It is true to some extent that many strong men in history were rubbished by the women they love but Jonathan does not belong to that category. That he is the man of the house and therefore the man of the people is not in doubt. He is a man who confronts his fears and political enemies in a manner that even when he tells them to go to hell, they look forward to the journey. If politicians are not known to be too patient, President Jonathan has proven himself to be different. His long silence before responding to Obasanjo’s letter was not the silence of the grave-yard. It portrays a man who is in charge!!! Even when his aides rushed out to venture where angels feared to tread, Jonathan cautioned them and kept his calm mien to the level that his political enemies likened him to Emperor Nero of ancient Rome who played the fiddle while Roman empire was on fire! But shame to bad people! Jonathan has proven to be the man. Politicians who tend to fight back like wounded lions whenever their paths are trodden upon have been shown the path of honour by Jonathan. We’d all recall when it happened before. It was former President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida that drew the ire of Obasanjo when he chose to lambast Obasanjo for not doing much in the power sector after spending eight years as President. Hardly, had IBB finished saying this than OBJ gave a rebuttal, saying “Now, he has the audacity to talk about anybody; I think that is unfortunate. I also read where he said in his time, he gave the dividends of democracy and at the same time he regretted. When I read that, well, I said Babangida should be pitied and shown sympathy, rather than anger or condemnation because the old saying says a fool at 40 is a fool forever and I would say a regret at 70 is a regret too late. Well, a regret at 70 is a regret to the grave.” But in the case of Obasanjo versus President Goodluck Jonathan over grave concerns raised by Obasanjo in his recent letter to Jonathan, mum remained the word contrary to sundry expectations that the President would vent his spleen on the issues raised almost immediately. It was Abati that responded first but then was asked to keep quiet. I am wondering what Reuben Abati would write about Jonathan and his regime after serving him. I wonder if he would repeat exactly those words he used in defence of Jonathan or if he would change gear and tell all of us who would read his future ‘best-seller’ his real perceptions about Jonathan’s regime. I wonder if he would still find Obasanjo’s letter to Jonathan as leaked to the media highly unbecoming, mischievous and provocative or whether he too would impugn the integrity of the President and denigrate his commitment to giving Nigeria the best possible leadership. One truth he did say however was that Jonathan would at the appropriate time, offer a full personal response to the ‘most reckless, baseless, unjustifiable and indecorous charges levied against him’. Jonathan did exactly that earlier this week but I’m not really sure Jonathan’s letter properly ad-

C M Y K

Et tu Jonathan

President Goodluck dressed the salient issues such as training of snipers who allegedly target 1000 political opponents, the dwindling of the economy, corruption and the promise of one term rule among others raised in OBJ’s letter. Allegations of keeping over 1,000 people on political watch list rather than criminal or security watch list and training snipers and other armed personnel secretly and clandestinely acquiring weapons to match for political purposes like Abacha and training them where Abacha trained his own killers, if they are true, is a big deal. I’m not worried about single or double tenure but about loss of lives because nobody would want history to repeat itself. What I consider admirable is the fact that Jonathan was more restrained and polite in the language of his letter. Yet, he called OBJ an irresponsible hypocrite and liar, a veritable security risk, a leader who had a long history of subverting his party and the electoral process, an inciter of the public against authority, an ambitious leader who is scheming to install puppets in place of Jonathan, and many more things that should keep anyone, other than Obasanjo, awake at night. Many believe that Jonathan’s responses were carefully chosen, neither leaving him at the risk of being further taken up, nor sounding unduly apologetic. He did not make any reference to Iyabo Obasanjo’s letter to her father and ignored the deluge of condemnations over the manner Obasanjo made his letter public. Well, Obasanjo has already said he would not write another letter, open or top secret to Jonathan in the nearest future even though Jonathan’s response did not mitigate the damage of OBJ’s letter. OBJ succeeded in battering Jonathan’s ego and Jonathan showed an unusual maturity by exhibiting a calm mien. Only, nobody knows what was going on within him. A man’s mind is a deep ocean of secrets!

Jonathan has set up a committee to that effect and that would douse the tension of whether truly he raised a killer squad and compiled a list of opponents to watch. We have enough security issues in Nigeria and to add another 1000 people in the list is a big deal that should not be swept under the carpet. One is not worried about Jonathan’s ambition to run in 2015. Nigerians have the franchise to vote him out if they don’t want him. One is worried that his party the PDP is facing massive challenges due to his undeclared ambition. Political realignments are taking place which have major im-

iticians who believe Nigeria has no business being one indivisible entity. I’m not a fan of Jonathan but if he is a tribal leader, I see the worse tribal leaders in opposition government. I see in opposition, a party that will finally divide Nigeria. Why shouldn’t Jonathan run? For national interest? Who among the opposition has national interest at heart? Is it not stomach democracy that is driving the opposition? Is it not about sharing the national cake? There are people committed to making sure that Jonathan remains President until 2019. If he jumps ship in 2015, they will blame the rest of Nigeria for throwing him overboard, and may make sure no one sleeps with two eyes shut just as those who swore to make Nigeria ungovernable for Jonathan if he won 2011 election are living up to that. President Jonathan is as good as being a candidate in 2015 and Obasanjo’s letter will give him the impetus to stick to the course. But Jonathan should sit up in all ramifications. He said Obasanjo is misinformed and mischievous in his interpretation of the performance of the economy. It is true he inherited a bad economy from Obasanjo but Nigerians expect more radical steps against corruption and poor management from his government. Paying Obasanjo back in his own coin will not solve any problem in the polity. He should work harder in building a greater Nigeria. Work is the price we pay to travel the highway of success. Great civilisations were built by people who worked and pulled relentlessly on the oars, not those who rested on it. Work is the foundation of all business, the source of all prosperity and the parent of genius. It has laid the foundation for every fortune. Work erected the most monumental land marks on earth and engraved so many names in his-

OBJ succeeded in battering Jonathan’s ego and Jonathan showed an unusual maturity by exhibiting a calm mien. Only, nobody knows what was going on within him. A man’s mind is a deep ocean of secrets! plications for the 2015 elections. The opposition All Progressives Congress , APC, is already calling for his impeachment which is rather surprising. The National Assembly, especially the House of Representatives is in shambles. The Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal is neither here nor there. The opposition had cited massive unemployment, insecurity, among others as grounds for the impeachment of the President. And the presidency had threatened treasonable charges against the opposition. But I don’t think the opposition will be a better alternative for Nigeria either. I’m not comfortable with the political history of some of it’s leaders and I know they will not augur well for Nigeria. I keep having this nagging feeling that APC will implode someday! A political party that has been on the mission to polarize the nation in a manner it has never been more polarized if Jonathan contests in 2015 will do worse as a party in government. Most leaders of the opposition are pol-

tory. It is the salt that gives life its savour. So why won’t Jonathan work harder than he is doing to make life comfortable, purposeful and more fruitful for Nigerians? All we are saying is that he should learn to give governance his best shot. If the likes of Al-Mustapha should challenge the ex-president Obasanjo to a public debate on the allegations against Jonathan, expressing disappointment at the former president’s approach and saying that OBJ made allusions to him (Al-Mustapha), then the security issues are more complicated than we think. Al-Mustapha had said: “I read Obasanjo’s letter and subsequent comments by Nigerians. I would have responded immediately, but I was away in India receiving treatment. Perhaps it is Obasanjo and his cronies that are planning what he was insinuating. From 1974 to the present, a lot of things are buried with all sorts of lies, but all would be revealed one day. I urge everyone to pray for Obasanjo to accept my challenge for a pub-

lic debate so that the truth will come out.” That statement was loaded. I hope OBJ heard that! There is no common political culture to suggest that all Nigerians should think alike. Some are conservative while others are liberal. Some have more negative attitudes toward public officials than others. These attitudes should determine how Nigerians participate, whom they vote for, and what political parties they support. And many factors, including family, gender, religion, ethnicity and region also contribute to Nigerian’s political attitudes and behaviour. Nigeria needs to forget her past mistakes and hurts. Nigerians may not start the drive they need in building a nation that works if we hold unto our past. We all need to get ourselves motivated to believe Nigeria is not a ‘dead’ nation. There’s no way our leaders would perform miracles because that would not happen. We as individuals need to do our little to move the nation forward. We need to free ourselves from our old beliefs that Nigeria may not work. Democracy provides people with the opportunity to be active citizens rather than passive subjects. However, the promise of participation comes with a number of challenges. Citizens must evaluate a large number of political objects (such as candidates, parties, and platforms) and then aggregate these preferences in a way that allows them to be mapped into a simple vote decision. We need to re-build Nigeria but to start making that work, our leaders need to get down to work towards moving the nation forward with the right attitude and not believe that they can always get away with their inactivity and corrupt practices. eaders are not elected just to lead, but also to serve. They should work with people who have the right attitude to navigate the ship of the nation on the right direction. I doubt if many of such leaders exist in Jonathan’s administration. Nigerians have heard enough of promises. Now, we want those promises to be fulfilled. Let us leave the politics and tantrums that go with politicking and concentrate on making Nigeria work. Opposition needs to be more pro-active. They should be seen to mean well for Nigeria and not to be working to break it as they are perceived to be doing at present. Jonathan needs to address poverty, which has ravaged the nation all these years. He should remember when he had no shoes and know that many Nigerians don’t just have shoes but legs as well. Nigerians need to start enjoying the dividends of democracy, constant power supply, which has long been overdue. Nigerians need good roads and cheaper and affordable communications, better employment opportunities and increased livelihood. The people need adequate and cheap medical facilities, world class education that can be comparable to what is obtainable in advanced countries instead of what is obtainable today. Jonathan needs to put his promises to work and stop the self gratification that has been the bane of our system in the past. Nigerians have suffered enough neglect and need open and transparent leadership which has the people’s interest at heart. We need a nation that works and therefore Jonathan should gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience and should really endeavour to look fear in the face. He should indeed begin to tackle the issues raised in OBJ’s letter and read the people’s commentaries about it. It is time to forget politics of mudslinging and face the truth.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013—17

C M Y K

18—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

My dream is to make ‘top ten artistes’ in Africa— PRYSE

Hip Pop artiste, Princess Esindu, popularly known as PRYSE, is one of the fast growing rap artistes in the nation’s music industry. The Enugu State born artiste was in Benin City penultimate Sunday for the South South Music Award, as one of the nominees . Though she did not win, she displayed sparkling performance which thrilled the large crowd who came to witness the event. She has produced several albums and in this interview with First Person, she disclosed that her latest album ‘Niger Delta money’ will soon hit the air waves. She talks about her life and the music industry. Excerpts:

y stage name is Pryse. I am a recording artiste for Chocolate City. I was born and grew up in Port Harcourt but my Dad is from Enugu state. I have always been into music and into rap. While growing up , I had three older brothers. I was a tom boy because I always emulated them. I used to follow them around and each time they rapped or listened to music, I always joined them. When I was 8-10 years , I wrote my first rap and when I was 14 years, because my family owns a studio in Port Harcourt, I started going to the studio with my brothers to record songs. So that was how I went into music but then, I did not take it seriously until recently. Our family owns a Media outfit in Port Harcourt known as Frontline TV. The company now acquired an audio studio as part of it. So my brothers started learning to produce and that was how my brothers started singing while I started rapping, and they would be recording. Rap is something that came out naturally from me. Besides ,I don’t think I have a fantastic voice to sing the normal songs. Hip- up is what I am good at and that was why I went into hip- up. My motivation really on one part is from MI, because at the time he discovered me, I was in school in the United Kingdom recording and he said ‘Pryse, you are so good and I think you should join the Chocolate City. And I said whao, if this guy that has done so well can think that I have something to offer, who am I to say no. He really motivated me to take music serious. I did not study music. I studied Media and Communication Arts in Nothingham Trent University in the United Kingdom because my family is into media. So, the dream is for all of us to go

I think all that we lack in the industry here is the structure, we just need the right structure

By SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY

and study Media -related courses or Television so that we can come back and contribute to the family business. But somewhere along the line, I ventured into music but that does not mean that I will not go back to the family business because the TV aspect of it is something that I am used to from day one. It is really about the passion, not about the money because what my family is doing has more potential of paying in future than music. The music business is something you can put in a lot of effort s

Staying In

in Nigeria because before he came out, people didn’t care about rap , but MI came and made people to start listening to rap and made it interesting for Nigerians to enjoy. If you listen to his Africa Rapper Number One, or CRAZE, it’s just fantastic. Wiz Kid has also made huge impact in this industry and from these people I mentioned, one can say that they have trained hundreds of other musicians because after they released an album, you’d will see a whole lot of people singing along that line because they appreciate the work they are doing. I think all that we lack in the industry here is the structure, we just need the right structure. Like it is done in the US or the UK, when you are signed to a label, that label is signed to a bigger label. There are like six major record label companies in the whole US, and then

those ones will now sign the little ones like Young Money. They have a structure that works, they have royalties that sustains them. People like Maria Carey, right now t don’t even need to produce songs to make money because their royalties are paying them. All the songs that they sang will keep paying them because each time the radio stations play their songs, they pay them. There is nothing like royalty here . Our radio stations will tell you to be grateful that they are playing your songs . You have to even beg them here to play your songs and that is why our musicians don’t make money from their albums. You make an album in Nigeria you don’t make money out of it, the only thing that gives our artistes money is when they perform at shows or endorsement if you are lucky enough to have something like that.

Going Out

Decorate the rooms together

Beach activities

hese are the moments that become joyful, everlasting, holiday memories for children , as there are heaps of lovely, simple ideas for making seasons decorations with kids fun . You can enlist your family help in decorating the house and teach them interesting trivia about the symbolism of Christmas traditions. Making your own wreath, decorating baubles, icing gingerbread shapes can also be a good idea . C M Y K

sometimes but nothing will come in; while at other times you can put in little effort and get plenty returns. So, it is not really about the money, it is about the passion. Music is a talent I discovered that I have and felt I should share it with the rest of the world instead of wasting it. The industry is blossoming. I remember ten years ago when you go to our clubs , you’d only listen to foreign music but today if you go to parties, you hardly hear foreign songs but all Nigerian songs. So I believe we have come a long way and right now, there are even so many talents. Tuface is one person that has made a huge impact in our music industry because from the days of P lantation Boys till now, he is still recreating himself musically. He has been putting up new songs that people continue to enjoy. I will also say MI because MI is one of the people that actually brought rap into the mainstream

•PRYSE

each activities cover not just the sand, but the waves and air too. Sandcastles, volleyball and kite surfing are just a few of the things you can do at the beach. Going to the beach isn’t just about lying on the sand and getting a tan. There are a host of beach activities you can do in or out of the water, or even in the air.

SATURDAY VANGUARD,DECEMBER 28, 2012—19

Aunty Julie, I was in a relationship for 12 years. He left me for his ex. They live together. Recently he has began calling me. He even sent me flowers. The breakup was devastating for me. I still love him and he has been coming over a lot. He says he still has a lot of feelings for me. I am confused on what to do. Should I move on and forget him or wait and see what happens. He says he is not happy with her. They have separate rooms. Sex has stopped. I am unsure of what to do. Can you please advice me please. I do love him but do not want to feel that pain again. I never moved on. Iyabo, Lagos Dear Iyabo It is obvious from your mail above that you genuinely love this man. And it’s unfortunate that things have turned out this way. Irrespective of how much you love him, you have to be realistic when evaluating what he’s done to you and what he’s planning to do with you again. Let’s analyze this with an open mind. He had a love relationship with his other woman before he met you. Things turned sour between them and he came to you or fell in love with

I want to be more than just friends with her

Aunty Julie, I am a 30-year old man. There is this lady I know and I take her out a lot. I like her a lot, but I don’t know how to tell her, because she thinks we are going out as friends. I would like to go as a little more than just friends. Also, the last time we went to the beach, she kept rubbing my elbow with hers. Should I put my arm around her or what? Kemi, Lagos

He left me for his ex you. He spent 12 years of his life loving you and promising you he will be your everlasting love. Then suddenly, he walked out of your life and inflicted a terrible pain on you. Stop and think about this. He couldn’t have gone back to his ex the very first time they met. That is, the first time they got together after he started a love relationship with you. It is likely that sometime in that 12 years he spent with you, he met his ex again. It could have been a chance meeting where they talked and he apologized. She might have apologized and they spoke about their previous life together. They left and arranged to meet again .And they met again and again. It takes a while for two people who have broken up and went their separate ways with

different mates to break away from their new lovers and get back together. It may have taken as much as one and more or less. There was a period in your relationship when he lied about a lot of things and his whereabouts in order to be with her. He broke up with you when his relationship with his ex reached a crescendo and he couldn’t hide it anymore. What would he do then? Would he leave you for her as he did before? Or will he stay with you permanently this time? I don’t know. The question is, “will he stay with you forever through thin and thick, through good and bad times? Or will he walk out on you again to his ex girlfriend or some other girl he falls passionately in love with in the future? Only time can answer that.

Dear Kemi, Of course, you can wrap your arm around her. Or, you can put your hand next to hers and then gradually and gently begin to hold or intertwine her fingers with yours. Remember to be aware of her response: Is she open to your move? Or does she back away from you? Is she particularly resistant to your action? Or does she smile or seem to welcome your move? Does she seem uncomfortable in any way? A lot depends on reading the signals she gives you . You can try to gauge her feelings by the looks she gives you, how she responds to what you say, etc. So, let her response to you ; her body language, her facial expression, and her verbal comments help guide you on ; whether it’s to stay where you are, to proceed further, or to stop and take away your arm or hand. If you decide to test the waters, whatever her reaction, after the outing is over, it would be good to talk with her to help clear up any possible confusion over a potentially awkward situation. If she seemed to enjoy the closeness, you can bring up the conversation by saying something like, “I had a really good time with you tonight, and I hope you did, too.” If she agrees, then say: “I’d really like to get together with you again soon. What do you want to do next time? I’ll give you a call so that we can make plans.”

How could he just stop loving me?

Dear Aunty Julie, I’ve been going out with this guy since I was in Secondary School. I just graduated from the University. We’ve been on and off. Recently, I heard so many things about him . He is so popular among the girls. He told me I was his love and we would always be together. Also he called me his “wife”. I love him so much. He is a professional sportsman and plays big time football. But recently, we haven’t spoken in about a month and the last time we spoke, he said he still cared about me a lot. But when I asked him if he still loves me, he would avoid it. It makes me so upset. How can he be doing this to me? And I’ve heard he’s getting on with all these girls. I don’t know what to do. I want to get over it and move on but I love him and want to know how he could just stop loving me from one day to another!!!! Josephine, Abuja

Many girls beg sportsmen to give them attention , even if it’s just a little attention. Unfortunately, many men can’t handle the pressure. One moment they are ‘nobody’ and the very next, they’re the toast of the crowd.

Dear Josephine, You must understand that sportsmen get a lot of attention from girls. Girls practically run after them. Many girls beg sportsmen to give them attention , even if it’s just a little attention. Unfortunately, many men can’t handle the pressure. One moment they are ‘nobody’ and the very next,

* A wife says, “Hey! Look at that funny guy who has been drinking a lot.” The husband responds, “Who is he?” The wife answers, “Well, five years ago, he was my boyfriend and I denied him for marriage.” “Oh my God! He’s still celebrating his freedom!” says the husband. • There is a husband and a wife. The husband dies, and during the funeral, the wife starts to laugh. Everybody starts to ask her why, and she says, “This is the first time that I know where my husband is going.” *After Brian proposed to Jill, his father took him to one side. “Son, when I first got married to your mother, the first thing I did when we

they’re the toast of the crowd. Fame sometimes make people forget their friends. Is your man in this category? Perhaps he is. You said you’ve been together since secondary school. At that time, he was sweet, he said then you were his love. And he even called you his wife. But now he can’t even say “I love you” anymore. Now things have changed. You haven’t spoken in a month. And the last time you spoke, he couldn’t get round to say he loves you. How could he just stop loving you? Before you reach that conclusion, you need to be sure he has stopped loving you. You’ve heard he’s getting down with all these girls. Is that true? Have you tried to verify the rumours? Have you asked him about it? You say you love him. If you really do, you will be interested in what’s happening to him. The girls are all over him. And some of these girls are stunning, dazzling, awe-in-

spiring, incredibly and absolutely beautiful. And some are desperate. They will do anything to get a man they fancy. Your man faces another challenge besides the girls swarming round him. He faces the challenge of managing fame and fortune. Not everyone can. Take a look at celebrities. Many live weird lives. It’s almost as if a new spirit takes over when one becomes popular. Celebrities seem to think they have the world at their finger tips. And they feel they can do just about anything and get away with it. Only a few people get fame and fortune and still keep their head. Take a count of celebrities that are ‘sane’, and you will understand how bad things can be. Your man has become a celebrity of some sort. He may manage it well or he may lose his head. What can you do? Find out what the matter is with him: Are the rumours correct? Is he fooling around with all those girls? What’s happening with his career?

C O C K - T A L E S got home was take off my pants. I gave them to your mother and told her to try them on, which she did. They were huge on her and she said that she couldn’t wear them because they were too large. I said to her, ‘Of course they are too big for you, I wear the pants in this family and I always will.’ Ever since that day, son, we have never had a single problem.” Brian took his dad’s advice and did the same thing to his wife on his wedding night. Then, Jill took off her panties and gave them to Brian. “Try these on,” she said. Brian went along with it and tried them on, but they were far too small. “What’s the point of this? I can’t get into your panties,” said Brian. “Exactly,” Jill replied, “and if you don’t change your attitude,

Does he have any challenges? Is there any way you can help? How is he managing the pressure of fame and fortune? Does he feel like he wants to crack? How is he managing all of those girls? Any man would be tempted by the vast array of angels swarming about begging for attention. Is he? Does he love you? Does he want to marry you? Is there a future for the two of you? Talk to him with an open mind. Don’t be prejudiced. Understand his dilemma. If there’s hope for a love relationship with him, you will see it. If, on the other hand, he’s gone beyond your reach, you will also see it. If he’s been overrun by the lure of fame and fortune, don’t kill yourself over it. Don’t join the throng of girls begging for his attention. Find a way to move on. It has happened before. It will happen again. I sincerely hope your man still loves you and that your love relationship will work out well. However, if he has left you for good, take heart. Brace up yourself and move on.

you never will!” *An explorer goes into an undiscovered tomb for the first time, and in the center of the tomb there’s a lamp. He picks it up, and as he starts to rub the dirt off it, a genie comes out of the lamp and says, “I want to know the person you hate the most.” The explorer says, “That’s gotta be my ex-wife. Why?” “I am a cursed genie. I will grant you three wishes, but whatever you wish for, your ex-wife will get double that amount.” “Okay, I wish for a billion dollars.” “Granted, but you ex-wife gets two billion dollars.” “I wish for a mansion in California with a swimming pool, and tennis courts, everything.” “Granted, and your ex-wife gets two.” “Now make your final wish.” The explorer walks around for a few minutes, returns to the genie with a stick, and says, “You see this stick? I’d like you to beat me half to death.”

20—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28 28, 2013 08052201257

Managing your in-laws I n Nigeria, a man’s in-laws are major part of the family. In some cultures, a man’s in laws are perceived as his gods. When you are in a long-term committed relationship, it is inevitable that you and your lover interact with each other’s families. Some men, though, never leave the influence of their families - especially their mothers, the tension of this tends to create problems that bubble just beneath the surface, exploding when other situations in the relationship are tense. The easiest way to avoid in-law problems is to establish friendly but strict boundaries. But for these boundaries to work, you and your man both have to enforce them. If that were easy to do and he could be relied on, there would not be the tension that exists. Add to this mess, fundamental personality conflicts, and you have the basis for something that could destroy your relationship. There are many common in-law problems that a wife or girlfriend has to deal with, and there are some solutions that can at least make these bad situations less destructive to a love partnership. Sometimes, mothers-in-law show up and try to take charge. What do you do if your mother-in-law shows up with ideas different form yours on how to run the house? What if she insists some household products are not necessary, and you realise that they are necessary for you to keep house ? Or that she thinks her son is

spending too much money on running the house or taking care of you? While you have to interact with his family, distance can help. If you treat her with respect and deference when on neutral territory, you can assert control over your own domain. Also, having other engagements that force you to leave as she is arriving (real or imagined engagements) might make her feel unwelcome without having to take it to a confrontation. When it comes to visiting his mother, he is in charge. Relinquish any responsibility for making time for the visit and planning the trip to her place. Cooperate of course, and even encourage him to get there early. This will make leaving on time all the more easy. If he complains that you do not cook like his mother or clean like his mother, it might be time to think back to some conversations you have had with him. He might have griped about his mother in the past. This is the perfect time to bring up the things he has said he dislikes about his family. You are his partner, not his mother and he needs to be firmly reminded of this in as direct terms as possible. While the two of you are a couple, there are things of yours that he is not entitled to lend. If you two have a joint bank account, he has no right lending money from that to a relative. If he lends a relative his own money and then is unable to pay bills or contribute

He’stoodomineering M

y guy wants to run my life as if I’m a robot. He orders me around as if I have no brains and cannot think. He tries to tell me how to manage my resources by putting himself in charge and almost forces me to do things I don’t want to do with my money. It bothers me that my family is unhappy with me for falling so deeply for a man that is yet to pay bride price on my head. But I am too weak where he is concerned and I feel so unhappy. What do I do about this? Madeleine, Lagos

Ans: You have to be honest with him and tell him how you feel about his attitude. It’s good that you realise that your guy is controlling. Tell him that you think he has been taking control of the whole relationship. Relationships are about equality. He doesn’t have to step on your toes and walk in front of you or walk behind you either. If he’s understanding, then he will listen to you. Try to break free from the control of your beau. You have to be assertive. One way to deal with a controlling partner is to find out the reason they are exerting this control. It may be due

to the relationship as before, this situation needs to be addressed. He needs to be the one to take charge in asking for the loan to be repaid or valuable property be returned. One secret to make mooching relatives go away is to be careful in sharing the successes you have in life. If you brag about your new promotion or show off your wealth in any way, those less well off than you might be envious. And some of your husband or boyfriend’s relations might be so bold as to ask for some of what you have earned. Consider it the admission price to bragging rights. As much or more, tension can occur when you are on the borrowing side of an in-law money-lending situation. When your in-laws loan you money, they may have the feeling that they can tell you what to do with your lives. Often, with an employment situation that involves working for your in-laws, your job doesn’t end once you leave the shop or office. Suddenly, you are expected to fulfill all sorts of domestic demands from your new business . The only way out of this is to pay off what you owe and get away from relationships that have a suffocating effect on you. Or better yet, just never borrow money from an in-law. Pressure to have children is the

number one source of tension between in-laws and the woman who marries their son. In Nigeria and the entire Africa, marriage fundamentally means that a couple will be procreating. This subject needs to be thoroughly discussed and agreed upon before you two even announce your engagement. If you have two or three children and an in-law is pressuring you to have more against your will, you have to either ignore this pressure or insist that your spouse address it along with you to the person who wants to direct your reproductive activity. Expectations are one of the most important reasons to meet and mingle with his parents before you go too far in a relationship commitment. If they have expectations that you will be adhering to specific cultural norms that differ greatly from yours, this needs to be confronted, examined and understood by everyone, most importantly your spouse. Even after marriage, a mother-in-law might insist that you live up to certain religious or ethnic ideals in your dress, diet or habit. Understand that many people use these moral codes as a way to butt in to your private life. Once you let her butt in, she will never butt out. Do not challenge your in-laws on this most sensitive subject, but do not let them oppress you with their cultural ideals.

to the parental examples they were shown as a child. If one parent was seen to be more dominant than the other, this model may become ingrained in the child. As an adult, they may be unconsciously mimicking this type of control. Another possible reason for the behaviour of a controlling partner may be found in previous relationships. If a previous relationship ended due to a lack of trust or some form of deceit, this can continue on to the future relationships. A controlling partner may not realize that they are being controlling to the extent that it is harmful to the relationship. There are many ways that a controlling partner can exert his or her

control. It can take the form of simply phoning the partner continually to check up on him or her. It can take the form of verbal abuse and constant arguments. If left unchecked, it can often lead to physical abuse and domestic violence. A domineering behaviour can make the other partner feel unhappy, inferior or even inutile, if you will. In this case, communication is very important. Let your partner know how you feel about his attitude towards you and in your relationship. Make him realise that you are a team and that not one is or should be powerful over the other. A team means working together to achieve goals and not competing against each other.

on 08067969126 *Dan, 35 years, from Benue, based in Lagos, •Taiwo, 53, self-employed, desires fair, employed, wants a lady of 25-35 who is a Yoruba lady who is a Christian, ready for a relationship on 08160066583 aged 45-52 for a serious relationship •Matt, employed, resident in Port-Harcourt, on 09091726090 desires an employed Christian lady of 22-26 •Love, 27, businessman , based in Benin, wants a nice and caring •Eddy, 47, self-employed, resident from the S/South or the S/East for a fruitful lady for a serious relationship that can lead to marriage on in Lagos, wants to meet a Godrelationship on 08054976956 08062414928 fearing lady who is employed, •Ahanna, 43, single, fair, resident in Abuja, •Emeka, 50, self-employed, from Anambra, wants a mature lady independent, sincere and ready to hails from Enugu State, needs a working class/ of 35-45 from Anambra, for a serious relationship and marriage business lady that is ready for marriage on settle down, aged 2208092953472 27; from Edo state on •Wale, 37years, graduate, wants to meet a Do you have reactions to our stories or have you any experience you want 08058076238 God-fearing lady between 22-37years who •John, 36, from Edo must be in good health for a serious State, Christian, needs Do you want to be linked? relationship on 08053871003 a working class lady of Neither Chioma Gabriel nor Saturday Vanguard has any relationship with anybody wanting •Seun, 47, civil servant from Osun State, 24-30 for marriage on needs a Godfearing lady between 27-46 old to be linked. We have no agents anywhere and charge no fees. We have no personal informa- 07033225295 tion of people who have been linked or want to be linked and therefore, are not answerable for for a serious relationship on 07034752194

C M Y K

SATURDAY

Vanguard,DECEMBER 28 28,, 2013—21

Is it a good idea getting back with an ex? hen Wendy rang to ask me if I’d go on a date with her, my first reaction was that she’d gone com pletely insane,” recalled Jubril, a university lecturer. “Our relationship was great when we first got together but it ended baldly and since they we’ve only seen each other occasionally. “I was her first serious boyfriend but called the relationship off because we never agreed on anything. We were constantly rowing, then making up. We must have worn each other out as she quickly went into another relationship and came out with a child. I’ve had two kids myself but still single but I wasn’t desperate. I’ve always believed getting back with an ex is a bad idea and I worried we wouldn’t get on. “It was good fun going out with her again and we went a lot about the past. But the to our favourite restaurant. spark wasn’t there. I can’t After a few drinks, we talked ever see us getting back

together.Too much has changed for us to get back what we had before.”

recalled Sade, an IT manager. “We were very much in love but whilst I got admitted to a university in Lagos, he went up North. I missed him like crazy the first year but whilst absence could make the heart grow fonder, with us it eventually became out of a sight, out of

“

“I did my Higher School Certificate in a mixed school and that was how I met Gabby”

Things were a bit awkward for about an hour but once we got over our nerves, we were our old selves! He took me to lunch and grown-up Jubril was a more intense version of the funny witty man I knew years ago. “I was amazed by how easy it was to talk to him

It was good fun going out with her again and we went to our favourite restaurant. After a few drinks, we talked a lot about the past

mind. “I was in the office when he just walked in. It was a shock to see him. I almost didn’t recognise him. He looked much better than I remembered and has spent a lot of time at the gym because he looked well built.

about everything — work, family and other people we’d been put with. We even talked about our break up without hurling insults at each other. It was obvious the old chemistry was still there and two years later, we got married!”

Make the most of your favourite wine this period!

ne of the so-called divi dends of democracy is the re-appearance of choice wines and exotic liquor on various wine and department stores. On the party scene, no matter how lackluster the party, you can guarantee the appearance of different wines. What you can’t guarantee, however, is the authenticity of such wines as fake ones rub shoulders with genuine ones no matter how expensive. Now the festive period is here, loads more wines will surface, and will be enjoyed right into the New Year. But seriously, when that bottle of wine is plunked in front of you at parties, on the restaurant or at home, do you know what you’ll be guzzling? Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay —the names may be familiar, but they can’t tell you what’s in the bottle. Here’s what to expect from some of the most commonly available types of wine from wine experts, Stephen Reiss, author of the Wine Guide: Juice Jargon. Reds: Carbenet Sauignon, (pronounced cab-air-nay-sovee-n’yohn); A heavier wine, often made to improve with age, Merlot (mair-Io); A medium bodied wine, Pinot noir (Pea-no nwahr); One of the lightest red wines; often treated with oak to help it age. Sauvignon blanc/fume C M Y K

blanc, (so vee-n’ yohnd Blahn/Foo-may Blahn) medium bodied, often has a taste like freshly cut grass; great with food, Pi not grigio/ pinot gris, (Pea-no gree-d’jo/ Pea-no gree); A light, simple wine. The Italian name, Pinot Grigio, is the better known. Riesling (Reesling); A tart white wine that can range from very dry to very sweet; one of the best wines with any type of food. There are loads more varieties of course, but the ones listed are some of the commonest. A glass of wine with a good meal is one of

they’re rare, not necessarily because they’re the best. You can get a great bottle of wine for less. If you enjoy a certain wine, write down its name. Keep a list on a small pad and bring it with you when shopping for wine. Wine myth 2: There is a right and wrong type of wine for different foods. There are no singular, exclusive pairings for particular kinds of food. Different wines bring out different aspects of food. So don’t be afraid to pair red wine with fish, for example. Even if you don’t like the particular wine you chose to go

Nowadays, over abundant choices and all the supposed rules about wines can make choosing a bottle intimidating

life’s pleasure, as a lot of us are now discovering. Reiss pointed out that greater demand had led to tremendous growth in the wine industry, and nowadays, over abundant choices and all the supposed rules about wines can make choosing a bottle intimidating. His advice? Do your thing by debunking some of the wine myths. Wine myth 1: You have to spend a lot of money to get a good wine. Most expensive wines are pricey because

with a certain meat, it’s not a crime. You can always try again.

Wine myth 3: You have to be an expert to enjoy wine: Absolutely not! To enjoy wine, all you need are your taste buds, your nose and a little bit of time. Wine myth 4: American wine are as good as European wines: Every region offers its own unique addition of the world of wines. Great wines and poor wines can be found anywhere.

Wine myth 5: Corked wine is good, while wine with a twist-off top is bad. Cork is traditional, but these days, twist-off caps and even alternatives to bottles (wine in a box, for instance) are becoming more common. Now, you’ve got an impressive array of wines, do you know how to store them? Reiss advised you keep unopened wine in a cool, dark place, and store bottles on their sides to keep the corks moist. Dried corks shrink easily and allow air to seep into the wine. White wines may also be stored in the refrigerator, though it isn’t necessary. You can simply chill the wine in the fridge two hours before serving. If you have left-over wine after it’s been opened, replace the cork and place the bottle in the’ fridge. It should keep for three to five days. If you prefer to drink red wine at a warmer temperature, remove it from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature until it warms to your liking. Leftover wine can be used within three to five days after it has been opened. How to Serve Wine: White wine is generally best served between 45oF and 55oF, so keep it in the fridge.

If it’s too cold for your taste, let it sit on a counter top for about 15 minutes before drinking. Red wine is generally best served between 55oF and 65oF. If the cork breaks in half while you’re opening the bottle, gently screw the corkscrew into it and pull it out. If the corks shatters, push it into the bottle, then poor the wine through a cheesecloth or coffee filter into glasses or another container to strain out the pieces. Are you familiar with the vino lingo? “Sweet:’ “dry”, “oakey” - what does it a 110 mean? Aroma vs ... buguest: Aroma is the smell of a young wine. Bouquet refer to the aroma a wine takes on after it has aged in the bottle. Body; the weight of swine in the mouth. Wines are usually described as being either light, medium or full bodied. Dry: A descriptive term for wine with no perceptible sugar content. Finish: The final aftertaste of a wine, very good wines tend to have relatively long finishes. Sweet: A descriptive term for wine with no perceptible sugar content. Noise: A wine term synonymous with aroma (e.g. you might say, “The nose of this wine reminds me of cherries”).

22—SATURDAY

Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

was listening on the car radio to an artiste being interviewed the other day, and had to smile at his response to what Christmas reminded him of. ‘”Rice, chicken and minerals!” was his pithy reply. What tickled wasn’t the spiritual insensitivity of his answer (given the reason for the season, after all) but the particular use of the last word. Yes, ‘minerals’ is a technically valid (if not globally popular) reference to a non-alcoholic beverage (at exactly what point it became established in the lexicon of Nigerians remains a mystery, as does the use of the meaningless word ‘trafficate’ instead of ‘indicate’), but still its mention personally conjured images of substances far less consumable.

he country was in the 7 th year of its fourth attempt at democratic governance, had just spectacularly decimated its towering edifice of crippling debt to smouldering rubble, and boasted amongst its troops a clique of internationally respected technocrats — not the least of whom was the then-serving Minister of Solid Minerals, whose zeal for the prompt implementation of wideranging sectoral reforms placed the country squarely in the radar of the industry’s global behemoths. As a then-member of the financial services community, I was privileged to attend a number of the investor roadshows organized locally and abroad to showcase the

mouthwatering potentials of the sector and stimulate firm investment commitments. From the Australians to the Chinese, the Russians, the Indians, the South Africans ... they came from every corner of the globe to assess the opportunities to exploit the diverse resources the land

With all due respect to the erstwhile Nigerian governor and his now infamous response of ‘Coke, Fanta and Sprite!’ to the innocent inquiry concerning the minerals available in his constituency, the mention of the word takes me back to around 2006; a time when global appetite to invest in Nigeria seemed to be at its zenith.

Minerals for Christmas it seemed that the only thing left to finalize the several deals and partnerships that were furiously brewing was the passage of the Mining & Minerals Act that was required to lend the highest legal credence to the process and safeguard the considerable investments expected to flow

Think of the perennial power blackouts that from time immemorial have plagued a country blessed not only with sufficiently abundant reserves of gas to light up both itself and the rest of the continent

is blessed with, which included gold, zinc, tin, copper, lead, bitumen, coal, uranium, tantalite, etc. But more impressive than their mere participation was the clear respect they had for the reform initiatives and especially the Minister who was championing it. The professionalism and meticulousness presented a rarely seen aspect of the country that whetted international appetites, and

in. Nine months later. The highly effective Minister has been redeployed to another Ministry for reasons that remain an enigma but which were clearly not informed by the uncompromising pursuit of progress for the sector. The legislative bill was yet to be passed. The momentum and impetus of reforms that had attracted global attention had totally dissipated. The flurry of dealmaking emails and phone calls had evaporated. The investors stayed home (or

in reality, went elsewhere). The international financial tsunami swept in soon after in 2008. The investors ran for cover from even their domestic customers. Africa was not even on the radar. And for Nigeria? The opportunity was gone. The thousands of jobs that would have been created directly and indirectly to absorb our ever-growing legion of unemployed graduates — gone. The technology transfer that would have resulted from the strategic partnerships with global players — gone. The opportunity to significantly boost the nation’s non-oil revenues and reduce its dependency on hydrocarbon income – gone. This is not to say that minerals exploitation in the country is comatose. Far from it. But as is the case with far too many of our precious resources in the country, a lot of the activity is illegal, unaccountable and unreported – deliberately so, in order to allow the beneficiaries continue their silent raping (sorry, reaping).

C M Y K

The skeleton of marriage attach to each other by ligaments and further attach to muscles by tendons thus working together to enable movement. Faithfulness to our vows moves our marriages from good to great and the best possible. iv) Blood cell production and storage- Without blood a human being will die. Ignore your marital vows and your marriage is dead. I cannot see any difference between skeleton and vows. While

n the course of my encounters with some young adults preparing for marriage, I am often amazed at their prioritization. So much emphasis is placed on wedding apparels, venue and decorations, food and drinks, gifts, etc. to the detriment of fundamentals like prayers, learning how to be a good spouse, contemplating on parenthood, and the vows they are about to take. Vows are to marriage what the skeleton is to the body. According to Livestrong.com the skeletal system provides the framework to which all the other tissues and organs attach forming the human body, just as our marital vows ought to provide the base or framework from which all our thoughts and actions spring forth sequel to marriage. Livestrong.com lists five fundamental functions the skeleton performs in our body and there are correlations with marital vows. i)Shape- the structure of the skeleton gives shape to the body; fidelity or otherwise to our marital vows shapes our marriages. ii) Support and Protection- the skeleton provides support to the body and holds internal organs in their place. It also protects vital organs from damage. Faithfulness to our vows supports spouses emotionally, spiritually and otherwise and holds the marriage together. It protects spouses from heartbreaks, emotional trauma, and nervous breakdown. iii) Movement- the skeletal bones

family had the good life. Then an error of judgement and everything came crashing; he neither invested nor delayed his gratification, he ran out of money soon after. Right now the good life is gone but his marriage is still very much intact. That is “for richer for poorer”. A man noticed that his wife had become self-conscious since after a mastectomy operation as a result of breast cancer. But as far as he was

Would-be Christian couples need to do a thorough self-examination and make up their minds

skeleton is associated with one person, vows are associated with two people who biblically become one after exchange of marital vows. Let us now look at some of these vows and put them in perspective. “For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part”. A company executive was flying high in his career,he and his

concerned while the wife has lost major components of her womanhood, “the main the main” was still intact and available and he was satisfied with that. The husband’s contentment brought more healing to the wife than the cancer treatment and chemotherapy. That is “for better for worse.” Also a woman had breast cancer and was emitting an offensive odour; even her children could hardly

Think of the several lives that have been lost on our dilapidated roads and highways, in a country whose bitumen deposits occur along a belt that is 5 – 8km wide and stretches over 120km spanning four different states (Lagos, Ogun, Ondo & Edo). A resource estimated at the equivalent of over 13 billion barrels of oil (if we didn’t have enough hydrocarbon reserves already).

hink of the perennial power blackouts that from time immemorial have plagued a country blessed not only with sufficiently abundant reserves of gas to light up both itself and the rest of the continent, but also with coal deposits that would have provide a useful feedstock option in the present privatization dispensation of the power sector as Nigeria’s strains to narrow the formidable chasm between demand and supply. Think of the prevailing security issues in the land that may not have flourished quite so readily if the antagonists had instead been constructively involved in the exploration and exploitation of the mineral resources available right under their very noses. We need another champion for the sector who can reinvigorate interest and bring back those investors. The nation would undoubtedly be better off for it. And we definitely need another name for Coke, Fanta and Sprite

stay around her, but her husband endured till God freed her from her pains. That is “till death do us part.” Again, a young lady’s figure used to be the envy of other girls; it made men who beheld her drool and salivate. But after four kids she just lost the plot and piled on the weight. The husband who never liked fat women has had to adjust and continue loving and cherishing his wife. That is to “love and cherish”. Not that I encourage obesity with its health implications. Also in his prime, this guy was a war horse. He could take a woman apart in bed and the wife lapped it all. A diagnosis of diabetes and the guy is now a shadow of himself. The wife has to stick to him and together find a way out. That is “in sickness and in health.”These might be extreme cases, but then Christian marriage is an extreme sport, there is little or no room for mental weakness, faint heartedness and fickle-mindedness. Exchange of wedding vows is the peak of a Christian marriage ceremony. In fact, no wedding can be concluded without exchange of vows. Would-be Christian couples need to do a thorough selfexamination and make up their minds to take the giant leap into matrimony. For those of us already in it, it is time for reappraisal. Would our marriages have been different if we had considered our marital vows as important as our skeletons and taken them more serious? It is not too late to make amends. This is one resolution I advise couples to make in 2014. Happy New Year in advance.

SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013â&#x20AC;&#x201D;23

(Text Only)

The Plough Technique: ie flat on your back, take a deep breath and swing both legs backwards such that the toes touch the floor with the chin pressing against the chest. If you can't manage that it will do to let the legs hang some distance to the floor. In fact, you may even use a chair, resting the feet on it. Once you assume the plough posture, your breathing should be normal. You may retain the pose for 10 seconds. Then bend the knees and gently roll down flat onto the floor.

Your work and play better with exercise

stimulated and better blood circulation is effected to the abdominal orgains, the spinal column, the back and the back of the neck. It relieves tension from

the cervical (upper back) and shoulder regions. Excess fat from the abdomen, thighs and nips are also reduced. On the mental front, it relieves insomnia and restless sleep. It enchances physical and mental relaxation.

Benefits: his posture relieves and removes various diseases and complications off the back, spine and shoulders as well as pains in the stomach and elbows. The spinal nerves are

The Locust Technique

ie flat on the floor with face downwards and keep the hands by the side of the body with the fingers clenched into fists. Rest the chin on the ground by raising the head. Inhale a n d

Yoga Classes STARTED @ 32 Adetokumbo Ademola, Victoria Island Lagos. 9.00am â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 10.00am on Saturdays

stiffen the body by pressing the fists against the floor. Slowly raise the legs as high as possible. Keep the legs in a straight line, while the two thighs, knees and ankles touch each other. The weight of the legs must fall on the body and hands. Contract the muscles of the buttocks, stretch the muscles of the thighs and further extend the

position of the legs. Retain the posture for a few seconds in the beginning and gradually increase the duration. Concentrate on the upper portion of the body, i.e. above the waist. Slowly lower the legs to the floor and simultaneously exhale. Relax with normal breathing. Repeat the posture two or three times.

Relax in Makarasana. Benefits:

he practice of this Asana fenders the spine supple and elastic. It relieves back-ache or strain on the spine caused by the hard work, etc. It also tones up the muscles at the back and the intestinal organs in the abdominal region and relieves pain in the lumbar and sacral regions. Above all, it aids digestion and relieves gastric troubles.

24—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

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 my 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 pocket 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. 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 that I need to take before the act

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

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. 60 Obviously, you need to see your doctor or a

it frequently. Money is a challenge to the strongest of relationships. Money is power and this can easily create an imbalance in the dynamic 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?

skin specialist. Your delay has escalated the problem. You may have to do a number of tests before diagnosis is 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 medication for the burning and the pain. Use a condom in the meanwhile.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013—25

anozieegole@yahoo.com

08116759764

Maheeda

‘I love sexuality’ S

exy gospel singer, Maheeda recently break her silence concerning what prompted her decision to upload her semi nude pictures on the internet. The controversial singer who has been receiving criticisms and abuses from Nigerians based on the suggestive pictures she uploaded on the internet argued that in abroad, where she lived, at some certain age, parents would start teaching their daughters about sex. “ I’m not posting those nude pictures on the internet to teach people to start going naked. I posted them because I felt I am sexy and I love sexuality. In Europe, where I live, at certain age, parents will start to teach their children about sex . But it is unfortunate that, I

came from this part of the world (Africa) where sentiment is attached to everything. I’m 31 years old and I can’t pretend to behave like a baby or something. I’m sexy and I like it. I’m still spiritually inclined and I have some gospel songs which are not out yet. One of them is “Papangolo”. On being a role model, the singer said, ‘I think the parents have a lot to do in that respect. They should try as much as possible to prevent their children from going naked on the streets. Parents should teach their children about sex education. Those nude pictures you see is Maheeda. That is me. I am just expressing myself. I’m sexy and I am only appreciating that fact, because I love sexuality. ”

Frank Edoho tto o wed Sandra

elevision presenter and host of the popular show, ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’,Frank Edoho is getting set to say’ I Do’ to his long standing lover, Sandra Onyenenenecheya. Matinee gathered that Frank travelled to the home town of Sandra in Abia State for the traditional marriage last weekend. The TV presenter, divorced his first wife and mother of his three children, Katherine few years ago.While wishing them a happy married life ahead of their white wedding, It’s our utmost desire to see Frank smile again and do well to put his critics to shame.

Yaw, Wizkid, others set for Koga One Night Sta nd

opular On-air-personality, Yaw is the host for the December edition of Koga One Night Stand which is billed to hold today December 28, 2013. The leadin g Lagos mainland musical concert which has witnessed performances from the likes of Sound sultan, Olamide, Kay switch, Samklef, Skales, Eva and Ketchup will play host to Wizkid, Terry G, Wande Coal, Reminisce and Sean Tizzle. Koga open house finalists: Zayo , Skinnie Tweed and Dris, are also billed to perform at this event. The event has been billed to take place at Koga event center, Oregun, Lagos.

Mercy Aigbe weds hubby

efore now, hardly would anyone believe that Nollywood actress, Mercy Aigbe has not tied the nuptial knot with the father of her son, Lanre Gentry. But recently, the couple did what is expected of them when they formalised their marriage at the Ikoyi registry. Their union has produced a three year old son. One hopes that this is the beginning of another chapter in their marriage life. C M Y K

hat’s the secret of your success story in pursuing your musical career? The secret of my success is originality. Right from day one, I knew that if I try to be original, the sky would be my limit. But I know it’s going to take some time before that dream would become a reality. This is because nothing good comes that easily. I work so hard to sound so original in my music. Right from when I released my first album, there has been a tremendous improvement in my music. And this time around, I had enough funds to do better videos which has distinguished my style from other artistes. Africans as a whole love originality, even though some might pretend about it . If you are original in whatever you are doing today coupled with being down-to- earth, you will get to anywhere you want to. That has been the secret of my success. I began my career as a drummer for a local church in my home state, Enugu State. What has actually kept you going till today ? Having passion for what I’m doing. I have so much passion for music. I started singing at the age of 13. I went to the right source because I had some companies that gave me a scholarship as a way of encouraging me. They trained me in music. They believed in me becoming as a rising musician then. The director always tell us that people used to regard musicians as irresponsible and wayward people. People who squander all their money on women and cars while trying to live a flamboyant lifestyle. If you are talented, you need to work hard to give back to the society. That has been my driving force. People now see me as a responsible person and an example to the young ones. I have to keep my head low and stay humble and keep doing what I am doing well. So, the passion has kept me going. Initially, when I started, I didn’t care whether I had some money in my pocket or not. I was just doing it for the love of music. But I wanted to get somewhere. Where do you draw your inspiration from ? I draw my inspiration from people around me, especially things that happen around me I like when things go bad and when things go good because it doesn’t have to be good all the time. So, all I do is to keep focus and balance the two situations that come my way. And sometimes friends around me inspire me even when my family were against my keeping too many friends, I still get close to them making them know that they are very important to me. To me, I think as a musician you should have a story to tell .

Ladies beware! I’m not ready for marriage —Flavour

hinedu Okoli popularly known as Flavour N’abania is one of

some of these scandals. But the issue is that I try to stay away from trouble. For instance, I don’t even go to clubs. Anything I want to do something, I do it in the comfort of my house. I party inside my house. I do my recording inside my house. When you start mingling and partying with everybody in different places that is where one or two things would start to emerge. I’m either here in my house or in my second house in the Island. When you mingle much with people, at times you start trusting people that are not supposed to be trusted. You start having divided attention. You would take a picture and make joke with it and tomorrow it’s all over the newspapers and internet. So, the question is Who did it? Is it not someone you trusted? That’s how it happens . Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow, you just have to guide yourself in anything you are doing. We also heard you proposed to your girlfriend? People will always talk and turn around stories. But I am still single because marriage is not my priority for now. I still want to hit the top before thinking about marriage. It’s not yet

26 — SARTURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

IYABO AINA

Things around me inspire my kind of music . Glo endorsed you recently. How do you feel about the endorsement ? It’s something great, it’s not only Glo I still have a lot of awards both within and outside the shores of the country . Glo endorsement is a wonderful opportunity , it’s good to associate with big brands and it’s also good for big brands to recognize big artiste and not to just use the person to build up a platform. It’s something nice and I am enjoying the relationship, the tour , interviews and the photo shoot; I am enjoying everything. Can you share some of the pains and gains of becoming a celebrity ? Let me start with the pains because it’s the bigger part of the challenges we face as celebrities . The painful part of it is that we go through a lot and people don’t know and they don’t even care to know. They just want to see you up there so what we go through as artistes every day is unimaginable. Even when you get to meet your fans , the way some of them will approach you is something else . Then the challenge of being on top of your game; But if you know what you are doing the pains will become a blessing and a watchword for you. You have to take so many things away from you , you don’t live your normal life again though not everyone. But left for me, I am free spirit. I want to wake up and walk around the street buy something that I want. Sometimes you will want to have fun alone but you won’t be able to do so because other people will want to associate with you; you don’t have to chase them away because they are coming because they love your music even the once with bad intention you have to show them love and accommodate them. Meanwhile, achieving my dreams and getting to where I want today remains part of the gains . I am also, not relenting on efforts. My work just keeps going and I have so many things to do and also achieve .

We learnt you are coming up with a reality show. What is it all about ? Yes, it’s not that much. Iam just planning to come out with something very soon. However, I need to put everything in place before I can talk about it. How have you been able to compete with other top artistes in the industry ? If you have your own style , you just need to stick to it; be very versatile and at the same time, original because every now and then, new artistes keep emerging from the blues. You need to maintain the tempo. The hardest part of the job is not to come up with a hit , but to be there and keep giving them the hit till when you retire . The drive is to just keep on doing what you are doing well and going deep into it

time. I am still concentrating on my music.

name across Africa and indeed, the world at large for his massive club banger, “Nwa Baby (Ashawo Remix), “Adamma” and “Oyi Remix” Currently signed to 2nite Entertainment Music Label, Flavour in this interview talks about his music, blossoming career , and why he’s not ready to settle down now and other issues...

I am still single because marriage is not my priority for now. I still want to hit the top before thinking about marriage. It’s not yet time. I am still concentrating on my music. . And always source for ideas , look for different things , know your market and the people that are looking up to you. What they think about your work . For me, I havemade a lot of findings outside the shores of Nigeria. So, that alone makes it difficult because you are not just looking at the crown but also, you are looking at Africa at large. From Africa, you can hit the international stage. Doing collaboration with other artistes is what is in vogue in the industry. In your own case, what are the conditions and things do you look out for before accepting to do collaboration with fellow artistes ? I look out for somebody I can work with, and not someone that just want me to bless his song so that it will just be my glory. There are few artistes in Nigeria who can really release some good stuffs . In every song, I’m collaborating with any artiste, I always try to bring in something new. I bring my creative ingenuity to bear in every song I’m featuring in. The truth is that I must always try to bring in something commercial;

It was once rumoured that you were dating Tiwa Savage after doing a collaboration with her. Was it true? I didn’t feel bad when I heard about the rumour because I knowpeople will always talk even if we didn’t kiss. While shooting the music video, the director came to us and said, you guys are playing love scene, you need to do something intimate. He urged us do it, and I now looked at Tiwa and she gave me a go ahead and I said ‘yes’ we can do it. There was nothing wrong with that. More over, we did music with passion.

something I know the fans and lovers of music would embrace and hold unto. I spend quality time thinking about the listeners and I keep trying to put myself in their shoes. I always ask myself, what are the fans going to hold unto in this song, even if it’s just a word or phrase? So, I keep looking out for such word or phrase. I have to create that unique ‘word’ or ‘phrase’. There is no way you will sing and be appreciated if you don’t appreciate your fans and put them into consideration while composing a song. If you don’t consider them you would end up singing and satisfying yourself instead of your fans. So, what I bring to the table is the key factor in the success of most of my collaborations. But the essence of collaboration is to see two different artistes combining their styles. You tap into my fan base while I also tap into yours. For instance, Omawumi is good; she was the first runner up in the 2007 edition of West African Idols. She is doing well in the music scene and has done good songs. So, in the song, Bottom Belle, she brought in something new while I also did. The same thing applies to other collaborations I have done with other artistes. Do you have a price tag for doing collaborations with other artistes? It depends on the relationship I have with the person. The only artiste I ask to pay me for collaboration is the person I stand to gain nothing else apart from the money. But if you have a fan base, you don’t have to pay me. I tap into your fan base while you also tap into mine. Except if you don’t know what you are doing and you need me to fly, then that is where I will ask you to pay me. Many celebrities are faced with one scandal or the other. How have you been able to stay away from controversy? It’s only God that knows the secret. I’m not better than other musicians just as they are not better than myself. No artiste that ever set out to be faced with scandals. It’s always people around them that fan

•Flavour

SARTURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013—27

What are you working on presently ? Presently, I have been performing almost every weekend. People invite me to perform at different shows and I’ve been working everyday, there is no day that pass I don’t have something to do. I like surprises, and I also like to look at the market and know where I can make my impact. There are also different businesses I have been doing with some cooperate bodies .

Nigeria’s top hit makers who has become a household

28 — SARTURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

C M Y K

SARTURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013—29

C M Y K

30— SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

Compiled by

Ephraim Oseji

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Ramires backing Chelsea's bid for Nemanja Matic R

amires is backing Chelsea's bid for Benfica midfielder Nemanja Matic. Chelsea are eyeing Benfica midfielder Matic in January along with his team mate Lazar Markovic. Ramires said: “If it depends on me then I would sign Matic on January. "I’m convinced with him in the team, he would help us our obtain our objectives.”

Inter chasing Pastore, Lamela and Lavezzi I

nter are trying to sign Ezequiel Lavezzi from PSG and Lamela from Tottenham while they have rejected a move for Pastore. Inter has sent a request to PSG trying to sign Ezequiel Lavezzi on loan but PSG is reported to have declined the offer. However, PSG are open to sending Javier Pastore on loan. Pastore's agent is rumored to be trying to find a new club for him and Inter has been one of the clubs his agent is trying to get him to join. Inter have rejected a loan deal as they do not want Pastore.Tottenham have been contacted by Inter on trying to get Lamela on loan. A decision by Tottenham has not been made.

Porto set to hijack Iheanacho from Man City

anchester City’s pursuit of Nigerian attacker Kelechi Iheanacho could face a last minute hijack from Porto. The African superstar had reportedly completed a medical for City in Spain before stalling the move due to compensation issues. Portuguese giants FC Porto are believed to be offering better terms and compensation to the starlet than City, which has reportedly prompted a change of mind from the talented striker. Iheanacho won the golden boot in this year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup and was set to be quickly snapped up by City, who have completed many more young signings this summer under Manuel Pellegrini.

Aresenal tracking Bilbao def ender defender ender,, Lapor Laportte A rsenal are tracking highly rated Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte. The French centre-back has recently signed a new contract which includes a fairly inflated £30m release clause and this may well prevent the Gunners, and Barcelona, from making a move for the 19 year old.The teenager has already represented the French

Chelsea plan player plus cash bid for Guarin

helsea are ready to offer bit-part player Demba Ba as part a deal to sign Inter Milan midfielder Fredy Guarin. Jose Mourinho is known to be interested in versatile Colombian Guarin, who has been in monumental form this term, and will hope that a cash plus player deal tempts his former San Siro side into selling the 27 year old.

Under 21 international side and has been fine form this season that has helped the Basque side to make fourth place their own in La Liga.Laporte has started 15 of the club’s 17 fixtures this season and is clearly a player with a very bright future.Arsene Wenger is looking to bring in a young pretender to fight the likes of Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny.

United accelerate plans to sign £30m-rated Koke

anchester United are set to bring forward plans to sign indemand Atletico de Madrid midfield player Koke when the winter transfer window opens again. The new Red Devils head coach David Moyes has been keeping close tabs on the recently capped Spain international since last summer ’s Uefa European Under-21 championship.

Premier League Top Scorers

Luis Suárez Sergio Agüero Loïc Remy Wayne Rooney Daniel Sturridge Yaya Touré Romelu Lukaku Álvaro Negredo Aaron Ramsey Jay Rodriguez Olivier Giroud Eden Hazard Robin van Persie Yoan Gouffran Rickie Lambert Yohan Cabaye Gary Hooper Oscar

Liverpool Man City Newcastle United Manchester United Liverpool Manchester City Everton Man City Arsenal Southampton Arsenal Chelsea Manchester United Newcastle United Southampton Newcastle United Norwich City Chelsea

19 13 10 9 9 9 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 6 6 5 5 5

Spanish La Liga Top Goal Scorers Diego Costa Cristiano Javi Guerra A. Griezmann Pedro David Villa Lionel Messi Karim Benzema Carlos Vela Alexis Sánchez Carlos Bacca Jonas Sergio García Cesc Fábregas Gareth Bale Ivan Rakitic Oriol Riera Magem Rodri Ikechukwu Uche Raúl García Giovani Dos Santos Jorge Molina Youssef El Arabi Neymar Isco

Atletico Madrid 19 Ronaldo Real Madrid 18 Real Valladolid 11 Sociedad 11 Barcelona 10 A. Madrid 8 Barcelona 8 R.Madrid 8 Sociedad 8 Barcelona 8 Sevilla FC 8 Valencia 8 Espanyol 7 Barcelona 7 Real Madrid 7 Sevilla FC 7 Osasuna 7 Almeria 7 Villarreal 6 Atletico Madrid 6 Villarreal 6 Real Betis 6 Granada 6 Barcelona 6 Real Madrid 6

French league top Goal Scorers Zlatan Ibrahimovic PSG 15 Edinson Cavani PSG 12 Vincent Aboubakar Lorient 11 Radamel Falcao Monaco 9 Alexandre Lacazette Lyon 9 Andre-Pierre Gignac Marseille 8 Filip Djordjevic Nantes 8 Emmanuel Riviere Monaco 8 Darío Cvitanich Nice 7 Cheick Diabate Bordeaux 7 Bafetimbi Gomis Lyon 7 Nelson Miguel Rennes 7 Salomon Kalou Lille 6 Nolan Roux Lille 6 Rémy Cabella Montpellier 6 Romain Hamouma Etienne 6 Cédric Bakambu Sochaux 6 Kévin BerigaudThonon Gaillard 6 Mevlut Erding Etienne 5 Jussie Bordeaux 5 Prince Oniangue Stade de Reims 5 Foued Kadir Stade Rennes 5 Yann Jouffre Lorient 5 Mustapha Yatabaré Guingamp 5 Ben Yedder Toulouse 5 C M Y K

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013—31

Compiled by

Ephraim Oseji

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Sandro responds to transfer speculation

Why Chelsea are still paying Di Matteo £130,000 a week

andro insists he has no plans to leave Tottenham despite interest from Serie A clubs. The Brazilian midfielder has been linked with Inter Milan and Roma in recent weeks and while he admits he is flattered by the interest, he insists he is happy at White Hart Lane.

Lazio set to offer him return to management

“I have heard that Inter and Roma want me but I’m happy here at Spurs,” he said.

helsea are still paying their former manager Roberto Di Matteo £130,000-a-week, despite sacking the Italian almost a year ago. The former Blues boss won the Champions League in 2012, but was fired by Roman Abramovich just six months later and has been unable to reach a settlement with the Chelsea owner. And now the Italian has already banked £7million and will continue to pocket his £130,000-a-week salary until next June, unless he takes up another job. The 43-year-old has recently been linked with the vacant Crystal Palace job and is been eyed by Lazio, but he would be reluctant to take on a new position with a smaller pay-packet than he is currently pocketing from the Blues.

Marseille set • 12m asking price on Valbuena

arseille have set a •10-12 million asking price on French attacking midfielder and Napoli target Mathieu Valbuena.

Marseille’s financial problems are well documented and the French giants could well miss out on Champions League football next season as they currently sit sixth in Ligue 1, 11 points away from a qualifying spot.

Arsenal refuse to meet Sagna pay-rise demands

rsenal fullback Bacary Sagna won't get his wanted pay-rise. Sagna's current deal expires in June. Report says Sagna has been embroiled in a long-running contract dispute with the Gunners after rejecting a 12 month

extension last season. The new offer does not include a pay-rise on his current £70,000-perweek wages, however.

Cardiff sack Mackay

ardiff have sacked manager Malky Mackay after months of speculation over the Scot's position at the Welsh club. The 41-

year-old guided Cardiff to the Premier League for the first time in their history last season, leading the side to the Championship title. Cardiff have made a solid start in their fight to remain in the top flight, with the club gaining 17 points from 18 fixtures and currently sitting 16th in the table.

Heitinga claims he has options to leave

verton defender John Heitinga has insisted that he has plenty of offers to leave the club over the summer. The Dutch international has not made a single appearance in the Premier League this term and has featured only twice in the club’s Capital One Cup campaign earlier on in the season. Since arriving at Goodison Park in 2009 C M Y K

from Atletico Madrid for a fee of around £5m, he has gone on to make 114 appearances with the club, and has fallen out of favour since David Moyes left to take over at Manchester United over the summer.

I lo senal and lovve Ar Arsenal Chelsea —Jackson Martinez

Man City seek £250,000 for Ibrahim

anchester City are seeking a £250,000 fee for Abdisalam Ibrahim. The Norway Under21 international has been told he can leave the Etihad Stadium by manager Manuel Pellegrini. A host of Premier League clubs are interested in the 22-year-old, including Swansea, Everton and Southampton, while QPR and Reading are also keen.

orto star Jackson Martinez admits he grew up idolising Arsenal and Chelsea. Martinez revealed he supported both Arsenal and Chelsea during his childhood and admitted he would relish a move to the Premier League. "Where would I like to play?" the Colombian international said. "When I was a child I rooted for Chelsea and Arsenal. "I think the best championships are La Liga, the Premier League and Bundesliga, which has grown much in recent years. "But I also really like Serie A and have many friends in Italy."

Zidane tracking Eden Hazrd Real Madrid are set to test Chelsea's resolve with a bid for Eden Hazard. The France legend Zinedine Zidane, a sporting director at Real, tracked Hazard's development at Lille with interest. The Belgian made a £32m switch to Stamford Bridge last summer but now Zidane wants him at the Bernabeu.He has recommended Hazard to Real chiefs with a view to a move, according to sources in Spain.Madrid are so keen to land Hazard they would reportedly be willing to let Angel Di Maria join Chelsea in a cash-plus-player swap deal.

Boateng assaulted on Xmas Day in Germany

erman police are investigating an alleged assault on Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng on Christmas Day following an altercation in Kaarst.Police near Düsseldorf confirmed to the local press, the Rheinische Post, that a 26-year-old man involved was

Lukaku wants Chelsea future

verton striker Romelu Lukaku sees his future at parent club Chelsea. Lukaku has bagged eight goals on loan at Everton this season.He said: "Am I getting ready for Chelsea next season? "Yes, why else would I have signed a contract for five years? "I still want to become one of the best strikers in the world. I hope that you can put me in line with [Edinson] Cavani, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, [Robin] Van Persie, [Luis] Suarez and [Robert] Lewandowski in two years' time.

Capello: Seedorf not ready for AC Milan role

abio Capello believes Clarence F Seedorf is not yet ready to be given the responsibility of coaching AC Milan. Although he feels Seedorf - now playing for Botafogo - is benefitting from his stint in Brazil, Capello believes the Dutchman

would be better off avoiding the San Siro hotseat for the time being."I advised him to go to Brazil over the Arab countries or Russia a year ago.

32— SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

By JULIET EBIRIM

2014: Celebrities speak on expectations!

head of ushering year 2014, Nigerian entertainers share their expectations with your darling Entertainer Talkback.

I expect to bounce back – Oge Nwuba

We need a miracle from God – Belinda Effah

onsidering the setbacks suffered by our government and other sectors of the economy,I expect to see maximum improvement in this country. I hope not to see any form of power tussle in the entertainment industry. It’s also, my expectations that peace, progress, love and unity will reign in our fatherland in 2014. I’m expecting to bounce back in 2014. Excellence is the watchword, by God’s special grace.

y new year expectation will be for a miracle from God in Nigeria, with the best governance where we practice true democracy and all facets of the economy works perfectly. So, that Nollywood and other industries can benefit from its dividends.

Expanding my beauty shop – Iyabo Ojo

Expecting great H things – Ella Mensah

’m expecting great things in my life; acquiring a brand new car, good health and a lot of happiness.

To get close to God – Ijeoma Imoh

Achieving my goals – Vanessa

opefully, friends and family will experience peace and good health this coming year and I’ll also achieve all I’ve set out for the year.

C M Y K

y the special grace of God, my expectations are to get closer to God, get more jobs, progress and prosperity in all I lay my on, come 2014 so that I can give back as much as I can to people around me and society at large. Merry Xmas and a wonderful new year.

oping to expand my beauty shop, Fespris World, show my new movie in cinemas round the world and also shoot more movies. Also, hope to do a lot of travelling next year.

VANGUARD, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2013 — 33

Tunji Olugbodi, CEO of Verdant Zeal is an individual worthy of emulation, not only by his subordinates but also by other frontline chief executives championing the enviable course of organisational development in Nigeria. In this encounter, he bares his mind on how his shrewdness and ability to go through rigours paved way for him. Excerpts:

•Tunji Olugbodi By OLAYINKA AJAYI

My beginning

I started as a freelance reporter in The Guardian news paper back then as an under graduate around 1984/85. I was also part of active campus magazine called Sentinel in Ogun state University. That kindled my interest in journalism. I studied English and I had a very strong bias for literature. It was all part of my eagerness to grow and to be very active in things that have to do with arts. I was also very active in theater after graduation. I did very well in school in my days. That was the reason behind my going back as a graduate-assistant. After my youths service, I headed for The Guardian as a judicial reporter and a sub-editor. In those days, it was interesting because those were the active days of Chief Gani Fawehinmi and all the young ones that he had trained. They were good gladiators in the courts and it always enchanting to cover such people. Then, I was privileged to be working with the big wigs in journalism such as Dr.Tunji Dare, Odia Ofemu, Andy Akporugo and Femi Kusa. These were giants in their field and it was also an incubating period for me in terms of ideas and views because I was working on the editorial page. Somehow on the way, I lost interest in Journalism because I noticed that it is not everything you see that you can write about. I found out that it was just a fraction of what was happening that we were writing about. So I opted out and opting out for me was looking for C M Y K

another exciting thing. Advertising came naturally but that does not mean that I did not struggle to get it.

I did several job interviews, I remember one of the major job interviews I did then with Saal Advertising where I worked as a copywriter and I was there for three months before I went to Promoserve which was one of the biggest agencies and there were over 400 of us that applied for the position of two people. We had seven different intensive interviews and I was fortunate to be one of the two that

got the job. During the interview, most applicants spent 15 to 20 minutes but I engaged the panel for over an hour. It was not because I was argumentative but because I had a clear understanding of what advertising is all about. I joined Promoserve as a client service executive and later became a business executive which was where the professional flowering came from . I learnt a very rigorous discipline there that I followed through in handling adverts briefs and contracts reports. Bottlenecks encountered I have always seen what others call bottlenecks as an opportunity to do better. I ended up doing a lot of things differently. Again, I think part of what helped me was the fact that I was able to own ground handling projects on my own and with little supervision, things that were supposed to be challenges became opportunities to shine. For instance, there were contracts reports that had to do with my interaction with clients that were

meant to be sub-

mitted in 48 hours. I wrote mine under 45 minutes which in turn earned me respect among clients and colleagues in the agency. It was so much that within my first year in the agency, I won the staff of the year award. There was a time I wanted to opt out to do something different like joining a commercial bank as the corporate affairs manager but it did not work out and then

I realised it is only when you venture that you can find help. If nothing is ventured, nothing is achieved Primaganet was just opening and they invited me to be part of Primaganet. It was a rare privilege to be part of something new from the scratch. I think that was where I had challenges because most of us that started Primaganet were very young and we had active advertising agencies then. So, it was not a tea party breaking into the market that was dom-

inated by titans. For me, it was a very big challenge that we had to breakthrough. We were able to have a niche for ourselves within a short period and I think the rest is history. I was part of the first African agency to air a truly global campaign on CNN. The day the campaign broke, it was the talk of the town and that alone made us famous as an agency . I stayed in Primaganet for about 17years. What motivated me to build my own empire After a while, I became restless. The moment people start applauding me on a job, I tend to ask myself the next big thing. I realized I have learnt the basics of the profession and so, I went ahead. We started during the election year in 2007 when there was scarcity of money in circulation and businesses were shutting down and there was so much of uncertainty but the foundation I laid in terms of value and efficiency kept me going. Another thing that spurred me was the challenges clients face every year. So basically,

we have positioned ourselves in a way we would be relevant to solve clients challenges strategically. Attracting and keeping my own clients Nothing good comes easy. My philosophy in life is that there is no shortcut to success. So, it’s been rewarding for me because I see some of the projects I worked on having a life of their own. Things like helping clients in setting their own corporate objec-

tives for us is rewarding which

is something we can’t wish away. We nurture brands based on strong strategies acquired from the bi-monthly lecture which most times is internally organised and we also attend creative summits which strengthen our staff.

What life taught me I realised it is only when you venture that you can find help. If nothing is ventured, nothing is achieved. Unless you make an attempt, you won’t succeed; unless you take a step of faith, you are not likely to achieve anything. I would have started this agency in a two bedroom compound but I said no, that I wanted a compound that we could play with and I said to myself this is the type of property I want to occupy based on my idea and where I was coming from and today, not only do we own property but we also have another property that is bigger than the one we are occupying. So that is the power of vision and I think it is quite instructive . Whatever your dream is, the best time to start your dream is now. I started practically with nothing, although I was able to turn most of my activities into shares. I went through rigours to achieve my goals in life. It is only when you go through rigours that success becomes sweet. Success is not only when you have money in your bank account. To me, success is an inner feeling of impacting an organizastion positively.

34—SATURDAY

Vanguard, DECEM BER 28, 2013

08056180112

After 7 years of trying, Anita is pregnant for a day A

about going through this completely “abnormal” process. It complemented the cycle nicely.

fter seven years of trying to conceive, Anita is finally pregnant and expecting her first child in the first quarter of 2014. When she and Ben her husband met almost eight years ago, he had two young children — Stephen aged 5 and Sheila, 3, from a previous marriage gone sour. Vasectomy reversal On their third date, Anita, who was then 30, was already convinced she wanted to be Ben’s wife. Her feelings about the 44-year-old divorcee did not change even when he told her that he might not be able to have more children due to a medical condition that required him to have a vasectomy soon after his second child was born. However, Ben opted to have the vasectomy reversed, and as a couple they didn’t give up trying to have more children when they got married so as to expand the family.

Now that they understood it, they wanted it but the biggest hindrance was the high cost

Positive test To their surprise, they got their first positive pregnancy test result ever and were ecstatic. There were eight eggs retrieved. Just one matured. It was devastating!! They had an Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection, ICSI, in addition for double measure. Several of the eggs were post mature and others immature. They tried to fertilize the

they never had problems having children. Actually they had seven children. One doctor suggested use of donor sperm. But of course, that was out of the question. No way, Anita affirmed. Pregnancy The couple tried a Frozen Egg Transfer, FET cycle a few months later and to their surprise, she was pregnant again. On the second cycle, seven eggs were retrieved. Four matured, three came from follicles that were too small so they were not ready. Three fertilized. There were eight cells and already starting to develop into morulas (embryo at an early stage of development). The third embryo was seven cells and was kept it under close watch to develop into a blastocyst (an embryo that has developed for five to six days after fertilization). It did, on day six. Ben and Anita were overjoyed!!

Broke Anita and Ben didn’t Living with have a lot of money at the infertility time so jumping into Anita did not do assisted reproductive any home testing technology didn’t cross opting to wait till the their minds. It wasn’t even clinic called to an option because they announce that she did not think about it. For was pregnant. It was a couple of years they the greatest news! It tried to conceive is still unbelievable. naturally, got a few books This time they were and found out that there Infertility in deed is a problem,but pregnancy is an unforgettable experience for mothers much more was still a chance even cautious. Anita against the odds. They immature eggs after they truly did not have decided to have a different doctor to do Break matured overnight but they just another reversal, and this time it super tender breasts or a lot Ben convinced her they should take a didn’t fertilize. The one egg that technically worked, but Anita was still not of cramping. She felt “heavy” two-year break so they could get their did fertilize was their last hope. expecting. and strange sensations but finances together to do the IVF. It was a However it was short lived as nothing like cramps. She had really hard choice. Anita really wanted Anita had a miscarriage at 12 Infertility heart burn and brown/pink her step-children to have a sibling closer weeks. The doctors were Soon, they were becoming more familiar spotting once or twice. But in age and as each year passed that dream particularly concerned about with all the infertility terms. They had read the pregnancy registered. It was slowly fading. However during the her egg quality. They said it all the books on infertility more than once must have been implantation two-year break she was to accept that could be caused by a and found a good centre where they went spotting!! Anita is currently the age difference between wouldn’t chromosomal translocation in for counseling sessions and had over 20 weeks pregnant and matter. They would all be a family her and tried a different type of opportunity to interact with several other very hopeful things will work whether or not they were four years stimulation. couples. They started cleaning up their out. Living with infertility apart or 20. diet, taking every supplement under the has changed her in many Mutation sun and doing acupuncture, but nothing ways, and over the years she IVF cycle Ben and Anita advocated that worked. This went on for a while until they has learned her strengths Two years finally passed and they took for the chromosomal test met with an infertility specialist who and weaknesses in terms of the plunge and did their first round of because they paid for two fresh/ suggested IVF. Now that they understood what she can handle IVF. Anita was so excited to have the two frozen cycles. The results it, they wanted it but the biggest hindrance throughout this process. But cycle. It was a life saver. Besides the high were not what the doctor was the high cost. They didn’t have the one thing is certain — the cost, another reason they waited was she expected. Her chromosomes money and decided they could probably long journey to her IVF was uncertain about putting her body were absolutely normal; it was afford Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) for success story is destined to through the process of IVF. Anita had Ben that had a mutation!! Was it a few tries, but when that didn’t work they have a happy ending. anxieties, but the fertility clinic helped passed down from his parents? were broke and frustrated. her relax and feel somewhat “normal” No it was quite unlikely because

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013 —35

yemisisuleiman670@yahoo.com

*D Banj

ou can Judge a man by his shoes, they reveal whether he takes pride in the little things. If he throws on a nice suit and pairs it with cheap, clunky lace-ups, he’s not what you will call a detail man. And if he leaves his pricey wingtips scratch and unpolished, then he is definitely not the clean guy he should be.. There are numerous styles of shoes out there, but what’s great about being a man is that you can do perfectly well by sticking with just a few. If you invest in a handful of sensible (and stylish) pairs and take care of them, you’ll be set for years. Good news is you don’t have to spend a fortune or go for the Italian brands to get the high quality and style you desire, St David’s brand, experts in leather craft, with a special focus on shoes, a purely Nigerian brand, is here to satisfy that need. For Mr David O. Ibe, Creative Director, the St. David’s a lot of people are not aware that African shoe designs have come of age in terms of quality and style. According to David, who recently showcased a laudable collection of shoes at the GTB Lagos fashion and design week held last October, “We have come to show the public that leather items that can match world standard can be produced here in Nigeria. This is also reflected by the expression of awe shown by visitors to our stand. A lot of them have realized that their quest for Italian shoes was futile all along”. Items from St David’s stables include shoes, bags, belts, wrist bangles and other custom leather products with a bespoke touch to each item.

Fitness Health and Beauty centre opens in Lagos BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA

igerians, particularly beauty conscious women now have a place to go as FIT Fitness Health and Beauty centre opens in Lagos. The world class ultra modern health fitness and beauty is designed to cater for health and beauty needs Nigerians who are health and fitness conscious. Elated Chief Executive of FIT, Jane Amuta, who was excited about the launch of its premium facility, said: “We are very thrilled about the launch of FIT fitness and beauty centre, to address growing incidences of health related issues among Nigerians. She lamented that most Nigerians are fast becoming over weight which she said leads to obesity. ”Even young children are not left out of this ugly trend. So it is imperative that we embrace the culture of exercise regularly,” she stated. The launch which was marked by a media tour of the facility alongside dignitaries, revealed a huge investment in fitness and beauty facilities. Radiating elegance and confidence, the Banker turned Health and Beauty entrepreneur noted that part of the services that would be offered in the facility will

include; aerobics session, personal training, cardio training, dance session, group spinning session, yoga and taekwando sessions, detoxification and saloon services, nail studio, nutrition counseling and heath and beauty shop.” Continuing, she hinted that the facility has inhouse doctors who check clients’ vitals, the heart and body systems to verify that they can actually participate before they engage in any physical activity” she added. Encouraging Nigerians to embrace the habit of regular exercise, Amuta enumerated benefits of engaging in exercise. “Even when you think that your schedule is so busy, you don’t have time, or you are so stressed, engaging in exercise takes off the stress that can kill you, helps you to rebuild, and cope better with the day- to-day challenges that you face.

*Uti Uwanchukwu

Shoe collection by St Davids

36—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

How music kept Mandela in spotlight! BY BENJAMIN NJOKU

“

It is music and dancing that makes me at peace with the world and at peace with myself.” These were the confessional words of Nelson Mandela which he made in 1999 after joining South African singer, Johnny Clegg - the “White Zulu”- on stage in France to express his deep love for music. The former president of South Africa, from all indications was not ignorant of the vital role that music played in keeping his imprisonment and the sustained fight against the then apartheid government in South Africa on the world stage. From reggae legend Eddy Grant with Gimme Hope Jo’Anna to jazz great Hugh Masekela with Bring Him Back Home, and Nigeria’s Sunny Okosun’s “Fire in Soweto”, musicians composed and dedicated songs to Mandela and the anti-apartheid struggle.The message was clear, “Free Nelson Mandela.” Exiled South African musicians like Hugh Masekela, Ladysmith Black Manbazo and the late Miriam Makeba popularly known as “Mama Africa” kept up pressure on the apartheid government through their music. Makeba, known for songs like Pata, Pata and A Luta Continua, addressed the UN Special Committee on apartheid several times. Before and after Mandela’s release, she was one of the first performers to be asked to appear at music concerts in honour of the people’s hero. Before the end of apartheid in 1994, one thing most songs dedicated to Mandela had in common is that they were almost banned by the then white minority government in South Africa. But despite the bans, songs often became powerful weapons in the fight against racial segregation. South Africa’s Clegg reportedly told Talk Radio 702 that activists copied and distributed Asimbonanga, which he wrote in 1986 at the height of the country’s state of emergency when protesters fought pitched battles with police and the army in the black townships. Bob Marley declared war against repressive regimes in Africa. His ‘War’ song, which happened to be an aftermath of a speech delivered by Ethiopian leader then, Haile Selassie to the UN conference in 1963, in New York, against racial inequality in Africa was a direct attack against the apartheid government in South Africa, and the continued incarceration of Mandela as a prisoner of conscience. “Until the philosophy which hold one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited...And abandoned , everywhere is war..”, he sang. Apart from Marley’s “War” song, another famous song that kept Mandela on the world stage was “Free

Nelson Mandela”, written by Jerry Dammers and performed by his band, the British ska group, the Special AKA. Although banned in South Africa, it was played at football matches in the black townships and was an international hit. Dammers was instrumental in organising the 70th Birthday Tribute to Mandela at London’s Wembley Stadium in June, 1988, while Mandela was still in jail.The event, whose line-up included Sting, Stevie Wonder, Jackson Browne and anti-apartheid campaigner Steven Van Zandt, was broadcast to millions of a global audience and did much to raise awareness of Mandela’s incarceration. However, Mandela reportedly had a direct connection to reggae music. While he was imprisoned, he had, however, met with one of the spiritual fathers of reggae music, Haile Selassie, in Ethiopia in 1962, the same year that he began his incarceration. Reggae, born in the streets of Jamaica less than a decade later, took up Mandela’s cause while he was holed up in Robben Island prison. In addition to Eddy Grant’s “Gimme Hope, Jo’Anna,” Nigerian highlife singer Sonny Okosun delivered his incendiary reggae jam “Fire in Soweto” in 1978, in honor of South Africa’s plight. Shortly after he released the song, late Afro-beat King,Fela and his Egypt ’80, in 1989 released the anti-apartheid “Beasts of No Nation” album that depicts on its cover the then U.S. President, Ronald Reagan, UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and South African Prime Minister, Pieter Willem Botha. That was not all, between the mid-eighties and early 1990s, Nigerian musicians came out in full force to compose as well as render songs, calling for the unconditional and immediate release of Mandela from incarceration. Onyeka Onwenu led the way with her “Winnie Mandela” song followed by Mandators and Majek Fashek. However, on the international scene, Jamaican reggae band which was formed in 1962, the Twinkle Brothers frequently composed songs about African wars, poverty and starvation. Nearly every album featured a song calling for African liberation. One of such songs was “Free Africa”.Just as Peter Tosh’s “Equal Rights”denounced the apartheid regime in South Africa. Interestingly, after Mandela’s death, many of the songs that became a soundtrack to the anti-apartheid struggle in the 1980s are reportedly back on the airwaves, adding to the chorus of global tributes to the beloved statesman. Those who attended his memorial service last Tuesday confirmed that it was punctuated with songs and dances from several performers, including a choir that led the crowd in gospel and anti-apartheid songs.

Ubah is Miss cent enar centenar enaryy celebration By ANOZIE EGOLE

t was fun fare penultimate week when 23-year- old Queen Uba who hails from Imo State emerged the winner of the first ever centenary beauty pageant which held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Miss Uba defeated Miss Ogun State, Roots Odutola and Miss Cross River,Ruth Cobhams who emerged 1st and 2nd runners up respectively to clinch the star prize. The grand finale which held at Gloryland Cultural Center,Yenagoa, saw the 20 finalists engaged in different activities ranging from quiz to cat walking and display of fashion. At the end of the exercise, Uba emerged the overall winner of the beauty contest. Prizes won by other contestants include, the most photogenic contesC M Y K

tant and the Best costume among others. Anchored by renowned fashion designer, Mai Atafo and Wunika Mukan, the show lived up to its billing as it was a suspense filled event. The audiences were unable to predict the winner until she was finally announced. Interestingly, the show was spiced up with stage performance by Bayelsa born singer, Timi Dakolo. His performance was greeted with a thunderous ovation from the cheering crowd. The talented singer rendered such tracks as “Justice in the world, and “The woman I love” among others. CEO of AOE entertainment, Nike Oshinowo said, Queen Ubah would use her position as the centenary queen to open an NGO which will help the less-privileged.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013—37

Karen Igho opens up on her cancer ailment T

BY KEHINDE AJOSE

HE busty On-Air- personality and ex-winner of the Big Brother Africa reality TV show, Karen Igho re cently took to Twitter to reveal that she has been diagnosed with cancer disease . Karen has been a victim of Twitter critics. They always blast her on the social network for enlarging her breasts. But she keeps explaining to whoever cares to listen that she did it because a lump was found in her breast years back. In her emotion-laden tweet, Karen said, “I have cancer. Are you guys happy? Will be undergoing treatment soon. Lord I commit my life into your hand .I told the whole world about my lump and I get bullied everyday for being truthful.” •Karen igho

BEYONCE to Chimamanda Adichie ...as album sells over one million copies in US

EYONCE has been explaining why she sampled the work of award winning Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie in a track in her new album. The singer put a portion of Chimamanda’s speech about feminism and roles women play in the society in the song, Flawless. The album, which was exclusively available through iTunes store until late last week, is said to have sold over one million copies in the United States. “I was scrolling through

videos about feminism on Youtube and I ran across this video of this incredible Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie. Everything she said is exactly how I feel,” Beyoncé explains “My message in this album was finding the beauty in imperfection. I had this image of this trophy and me accepting these awards and kind of training myself to be a champion and at the end of the day when you go through all of these things, is it worth it? I mean, you get this trophy and you’re like, ‘I basically starved,

I have neglected all the people that I love, I’ve conformed to what everybody else thinks I should be and I have this trophy. What does that mean?” “The trophy represents all of the sacrifices I made as a kid, all the time I lost being on the road in the studios as a child and I just want to throw that s**t up!” •Beyonce

Fashola, Funmi Iyanda to present Remi Lagos award G

OVERNOR Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State alongside Funmi Iyanda will be presenting the Remi Lagos Award to the deserving recipient soon. The award which is named after the late Lagos fashion designer, Remi Lagos is to be given to the most outstanding holistic educational scholarship beneficiary for 2013. The winner is Umoh Uwana, who is also one of Change A Life(CAL) beneficiaries. The show which holds every 1st of January involves discussions on topical issues with celebrities as participants. This year will feature the likes of D’Banj, radio presenters, Matse and Toolz, Susan Eyo Honesty and others. Last year there was Davido, Ebuka, and Linda Ikeji.

The show, according to the organisers, will be aired on the 1st of January 2014 on the NTA network. The discussion will be a fusion of issues peculiar to women in our society including welfare of the girl child, girl child marriage issues, and increase in rate of sexual abuse. “Change-A-Life Nigeria is passionate about children in general and the girl child in particular. Girl child abuse has been prominent in the news in Nigeria this year. We chose this topic to enlighten the masses about the ripple effect of this crime on our communities and why it’s necessary to nip it in the bud with effective and enforced legislation,” said JumokeGiwa, the executive director of CAL.

•Sunny Okosun

Sunny Okosun honoured! D

ESPITE being disowned by the family after the death of Sunny Okosun, Ethel Okosun and organisers of Exquisite Face of the Universe World Finals deemed it fit last week to honour the singer with a tribute performance at the grand finale of the pageant. At the event, Eazy Okosun, brother of the popular musician got on stage and performed a number of Okosun’s memorable songs including ‘African Soldier ’ and ‘Orimolade’ to the toast of the guests. His performance was punctuated with reminiscence. The Exquisite Face of the Universe world finals took place last Thursday, at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos and had over 30 beauty queens from different countries compete for the coveted crown. 19-year-old Miss Dominican Republic, Susan Castano, however, emerged winner of the pageant, walking away with the cash prize of $10,000. Miss Sweden Makda Tewoldeberhan was chosen as the 1st runner-up with a cash prize of $4000 while Miss Brazil, Souza Paula was the 2nd runner up with a cash prize of $2000.

*Gov. Fashola and the crew during last year’s edition C M Y K

38—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

By SAM ANOKAM & FLORENCE AMAGIYA

t has been predicted that year 2014, will bring about revolution and unprecedented intrigues in the Nigerian movie industry. Revolution that will see the old and fading faces of Nollywood giving way for the emergence of the hot ‘new’ faces who will set a new standard for the industry. Here, we bring to you some of the new faces who are poised to rule the screen in the coming year.

Eteimo Tamara

This beautiful damsel who hails from the Niger Delta region is endowed with the hour glass shape. She was born and brought up in Port-Harcourt. She studied Performing Arts at UNIPORT. She came into the limelight in 2011 after she featured in a soap titled ‘Utoha’ from the stable of Wale Adenuga Productions. Today, she has featured in several movies including ‘Finding Mercy”, “Desperate House Girls”, “Mrs Somebody”, “Hell in Church and Dry.” Her ambition is to star in a foreign movie with the likes of Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. With charming looks, Tamara is one of the emerging faces who are poised to take over the industry from the likes of Genevieve Nnaji, Stella Damasus, Omotola, Kate Henshaw, Rita Dominic among others.

Lizzy Gold Onuwaje

Though she started as a beauty queen cum business woman before delving into Nollywood in 2011, she has, however, made her mark in less than one year. She has featured in over 30 movies and still counting. Her movies include, ‘Troubled King, Festival of Kings, Village Babes, Ladies on the Move, Mother’s Betrayal and Nurse Club.

Angel Ufuoma

Pretty cerebral Cambridge trained lawyer who arrived barely a year ago in tinsel town is fast becoming the favourite of filmmakers has featured in a number of flicks including the international acclaim, Dr. Bello. With a penchant for flawless role interpretation, Ufuoma is sure will go places.

Ivie Okujaye

Playfully referred to as ‘Little Genevieve’ owing to their striking resemblance, the Delta State born starlet proved her worth in her very first movie, ‘Alero’s Symphony’ which won her AMAA 2012 award for Best Promising Actress. The Economist graduate of the University of Abuja and AMBO Season Four winner promised to remain in the industry for a long time to come.

Queeneth Hilbert

Blessed with the body of a mermaid and a mulatto by birth, Hilbert began her C M Y K

career as a child model and made it to the top in 2012. She joined Nollywood last year, and already she’s one of the most sought after new faces in Nollywood. Recently, she was nominated for the Best Actress award for her role in the movie titled, ‘My Daughter, My Jewel’. Her other movies include: ‘The Illiterate’, ‘Tears of the Illiterate’, ‘Joy of the Illiterate’, ‘Hidden Crown’, ‘Drop of Tears’, ‘Hand of Fate, ’‘Sins of the Past’, among others.

Uche Iwuanyanwu

She is a diva with a body and face no man can resist; with an aura of self confidence and maturity around her. Uche started acting in 2009 and has featured in over 30 movies. Some of her movies are, ‘Pool Party’, ‘Somewhere in South Africa’, ‘Foreplay Reloaded’, ‘Port Harcourt Babes’, among numerous others but she was combining acting with her studies as she was a student of University of Jos. She is a graduate today; ready to take on the world as she had proven to do by the classic movies she had featured in this short time including a major box office hit titled

‘Cheaters Games’ already in the cinemas all over the country and in Ghana .

Naomi Ihemelu

‘Clinic Matters’, ‘When You Are Mine’, ‘Confidential Romance’, ‘Desire’, ‘Faithful Betrayal’, ‘Kolomental’, among others, are some of the movies and soaps the Anambra State born Ihemelu has featured in. The History and international Relations graduate of Lagos State University, whose career started in 2007, has continued to dazzle home video viewers in both movies and soap operas, especially

Clinic Matters, which is currently the delight of many lovers of soap operas.

Wumi Obanla

With a model-like physique and uncanny knack for roles interpretation, Wunmi who hails from Ondo State and studied Economics from the Lagos State University , is making a huge statement in the make believe world. The multi-talented actress who is currently producing her debut movie,”Iyagbajumo” has also done high profile jobs for many multinational organization.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013—39

Mercy Johnson’s Xmas message to fans N

OLLYWOOD diva, Mercy Johnson-Okojie has sent out Christmas message to her teeming fans, producers, directors and colleagues thanking them for the support and understanding they showed to her during the outgoing year. In a message, she sent through her publicist, Bigsam Media, the actress said, “ 2013 has been an incredible year for me. I couldn’t ask for more. It is one year I won’t forget in a hurry. My fans were amazing. They stood by me and took on my fight. The critics played their parts too. I took the constructive ones, made adjustment and became a better person. How can I forget 2013, the year I had the honour of being the most searched Nollywood actress for the third consecutive year. I am most grateful to the fans who worked the keyboard or keypad reading about me online. I am grateful to my team, the media and management company, Bigsam Media that became like sponge, wiping away the negative past and

Opa Willaims celebrates awards By KEHINDE AJOSE

omedy merchant, Opa Williams is grateful to God for preserving his life. This time last year, he was on a wheel chair back in India, fast forward to 2013, he has bagged four awards for his immense contributions to the business and entertainment sectors. According to his Facebook update: ‘This time last year I was on wheel chair learning how to walk and stand again in far away India after a four star surgery. Now I not only Stand but, I have within a space of five weeks picked up four awards for my Outstanding contribution to entrepreneurship and entertainment. I call it Grace of God upon my life.”

soaking in the future. I am most grateful. Social media, Twitter most especially, played significant role in reaching out directly. My teeming fans on Twitter and other platforms, this is for you. Thank you for loving, tolerating and being there for me. Gentlemen of the press contributed in no small measure to my year, without you, no one will reckon with the brand, thank you. My colleagues, directors, producers and marketers who made the job easier for me, I am most grateful. Without what you do on set, my best won’t manifest. Thanks. To the companies all over Africa that did business with me, I owe you. Thanks for the confidence in my brand. 2014 will be better.”

DStv storms Calabar festival

Feyisekemi set to debut in Nollywood W

INNER of this year ’s Next Movie Star Africa reloaded edition, Feyisekemi Akinwale has reaffirmed her readiness to make her debut in Nollywood. The 19-year-old French student of Ekiti State University, defeated eight other finalists including, Ola Adebolu (Nigeria), NwanmaOdefa (Nigeria), Margaret Vaeveni Shikuyele (Namibia), Imoh Chimezie Emmanuel (Nigeria), Fatou Touray (Gambia), Gideon Moses (Nigeria), Da-Costa Olasubomi (Nigeria) and Belinda Coffie Coleman (Ghana) to clinch the coveted prize. She would be rewarded with a brand new SUV, cash prize and movie roles. While Adebolu, Odefa, Shikuyele and Chimezie who emerged first, second, third and fourth runners-up respectively would smile home with cash prizes and movie contracts for their efforts. Feyisekemi, in chat with HVP said, she is looking to landing her first movie role. According to her, while she is prepared to make her mark in the industry,

there are certain things she wouldn’t want to do in the name of acting, such as going nude in a movie.

Talking about her victory, she described it as “an act of God’, adding “I wasn’t expecting this at all. I just threw myself into the show believing that God’s will would be done. Now, God’s will has been done. I am just excited to say much

now,” she said. Tagged ‘Call 2 Stardom’, the 2013 NMS Africa Reloaded edition featured housemates from Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia, Kenya, Namibia and South Africa. Nollywood actor and former runner up in the Mr. Nigeria contest, Seun Akindele, was the host this year.

s part of its commitment to deliver quality family entertainment to its subscribers, MultiChoice Nigeria through its premium DStv brand is set to thrill subscribers with the live and magazine type coverage oft he month-long Calabar festival, held annually in Cross River state, South-South region of the country. The announcement follows the confirmation of MultiChoice as media partner and sponsor of the prestigious carnival which has grown to become the leading centerpiece of cultural and artistic celebration of the best of Nigeria. According to the Managing Director of MultiChoice Nigeria, Mr. John Ugbe, the dedicated broadcast of the Calabar Carnival on DStv is part of the company’s promise to deliver home-grown entertainment to DStv subscribers and audiences on the continent. Ugbe clarified that the festival, which was initiated as part of the vision of making Cross River State the number one tourist destination for Nigerians and visitors, will be broadcast to over 40 African countries from Thursday December 26, through Tuesday, December 31.

Nadia Buari denies being engaged to Jim Iyke By JULIET EBIRIM

ec ently, it was rumoured that Nollywood contro

versial actor, Jim Iyke has finally proposed to Nadia Buari. The pretty Ghanaian actress was seen flaunting an engagement ring.

Speculations, however, abound that the ring must have been an engagement ring from Jim. But the actress has come out to clear the air, saying that she’s not engaged to Jim. She maintained that she bought the ring by herself. Reacting to the rumour, Nadia accused the media of always spreading falsehood. Stretching her beautiful, yet delicate fingers to show some rings, she said, “When you look at these rings, I think there are three of the same kind of ring. So, is this an engagement ring? I think you guys want to make a story out of nothing.”

C M Y K

40—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

08111813025

Why I prefer Amala and gbegiri soup — GT Da Guitarman By ADERONKE ADEYERI

singer, Akingbogun Gbemiro Tokunbo, a.k.a GT Da Guitarman is our guest in this edition of Celebrity Tummy Talk. The talented dude and graduate of Economics explains why he prefers amala and gbegiri soup to other delicacies while also advising Nigerians to avoid extravagance during this yuletide.

Which kind of food would you prefer this yuletide? My taste and love for food changes as the day goes by. I grew up eating rice to a fault but now I prefer African food especially amala and gbegiri soup with ewedu. Why amala and gbegiri? As someone who hails from Obafemi Owode local govern-

ment in Ogun state, I know that amala is one of our delicacies but the gbegiri is just something I developed overtime . Can you prepare this delicacy? Yes, I can. Right from my tender age, my mummy taught us how to cook and every one in my family loves my cooking especially my mother and I still cook on a daily basis. Did you play any prank to get a particular type of food while growing up? No, I didn’t. My mum allows us to eat whatever we wanted. So, there was no reason to have played any pranks. Do you exercise? I seldom exercise but I jog and skip whenever I feel like. Your advice to Nigerians this season Nigerians should eat balanced diet and should stay away from excessive spending that may result into debts.

WEEKEND TREAT Hot amala and gbegiri soup with ewedu

begiri soup is a Yoruba (South West) soup prepared with beans. On its own, it looks like baby food but it comes alive when you add ewedu soup and meat from your stew. The combination of gbegiri, ewedu, and the stew will surely tease and challenge your apetite. Enjoy. NOTE: Ensure you have some beef or chicken soup because the beef for the gbegiri soup comes from this stew. Remove the beans coat and soak the beans for about three hours. This makes the beans soft so that it cooks in less time and there won’t be need to use potash to cook the beans. Recipe: Beans, smoked mackerel, ground crayfish, palm oil, blended pepper, salt and yam flour. PREPARATION:

Put the peeled and soaked beans into a pot. Pour water to cover the beans and start cooking at medium heat. While the beans is cooking, prepare the ewedu soup which is used to eat the gbegiri soup. Cook the beans C M Y K

till they become so soft that it practically melts when you mash it with your fingers. This takes about one hour. You will need to top up the water from time to time but make sure the water is always at the same level as the beans. This ensures that you have just the right amount of water in the soup when the beans is done. Mash the soft beans with a potato masher. You can also blend it with your kitchen blender for a very smooth consistency. Add the smoked fish, salt, blended pepper, crayfish, palm oil and seasoning. Cover the pot and cook at medium heat for about five minutes or till the oil blends with the rest of the ingredients. Stir from time to time so it does not burn. Your gbegiri soup is ready. To prepare the amala, pour the yam flour into boiling water and stir until it thickens. Enjoy .

HEALTH TIPS

Foods to soothe sore throat

estive period comes with a lot to eat and drink. And when one has a sore throat, eating is the last thing that attracts you . Here is a list of foods which will give you enough nutrients to fight off this illness and make you enjoy the festival .

Banana :Banana is a soft fruit that is gentle on your throat. It is quite easy to swallow, especially when you have a sore throat. Also, this fruit is also rich in vitamins that will soothe your throat. Chicken soup : A hot bowl of chicken soup does the magic. Chicken soup helps in relieving congestion by limiting the viruses that causes the illness. Make your chicken soup full of nutrients-rich carrots,

onions, celery, turnips, sweet potatoes and garlic, all of which are known for their nutritional benefits and healing powers. Lemon juice and honey mixture :Lime and honey mixture makes an excellent throat relieving alternative. A great remedy for inflamed throats. Your sore throat will soon feel better as the inflammation reduces. This mixture will also cool down your aggravated throat apart from thinning any congestion. (Continues next week)

Tummy zone4kids&teens

Feed your child well this holiday

he holiday season is often a time of overindulgence, and children are not immune to the temptation. You can serve healthier party foods that still seem like

a treat, if you use some imagination and holiday magic. As parents, it is part of our responsibility to feed our children with well balanced, nutritive meals at Christmas. Since kids love the sweet stuff, we have to learn to balance sweets with organic, green and healthy foods. Kids love to eat processed canned meals most time . But when you give your child, make sure they are nutritive and balanced. Basically, if you want your kid to grow into healthy adults, give them colourful meals – green, yellow, orange, red, pink – all vegetables and fruits that if properly combined with kids’ favourite canned food, it becomes delicious and nutritious.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28 28, 2013—41

• Ms Evelyn Oputu Middle Flanked by Daughters, left, Jite Brume and Ese

From the Child Who Had - ‘Ovie Brume’ - to Children Who Don’t By KOYINSOLA OJESHINA

he Ovie Brume Foundation, on December 7, 2013, held their annual Christmas Bazaar at their headquarters along Gafar Animashaun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. The foundation was established ten years ago by Ms. Evelyn Oputu in memory of her late son, Ovie Brume. The bazaar, which is held every year, is for the sole purpose of buying and selling and giving the proceeds to charity. The charity focus of the foundation is the children and youth who do not have. According to Mrs Evelyn Oputu: “There are a lot of things that we hope to accomplish as human beings. A lot of things we hope that, before we breathe our last, we can look back at and say we did.” On December 11, 2002, Oviehire Adeyemi Kesiena Brume breathed his last. At the age of 29, he had accomplished quite a lot for himself. He had taken himself to heights of education that people could only dream, was an outstanding athlete as well as a loving husband and doting father. His dream was to be able to provide the opportunity for those who had no opportunity. He was very aware that the opportunities he had been given were not available to a large proportion of Nigerian youth and he feared that as a result, many of them would not be able to fulfill the promise that lay dormant within them. Shortly after his death, his

mother, Ms Oputu, and his siblings took up his cause, deciding that although dead, his dream would live on. The Ovie Brume Foundation (OBF) was founded in 2003 to give opportunity to as many as they have the power to. The Ovie Brume Youth Centre has a variety of things to teach children. Although the main focus is education, they want to be able to groom a child ‘ wholly’. Therefore, the centre offers them classes in: sports, drama, music and soft work. The foundation, which gets most of its funds from friends and family of the Brume household, has changed the lives of many of the children-now-adults that passed through its walls and are now embarking on a new project. ‘PROJECT NO-EXCUSES’ is a scholarship programme for children under the care of the foundation. With PROJECT NO-EXCUSES, a member of society takes up a child and provides him/her with feeding, clothing and education for the duration of his/her primary and secondary school education. While the Christmas bazaar was in full swing, Femme Flair met with some of the foundation’s alumni , who had come to work with OBF as a way of showing their appreciation for what the foundation had instilled in them. One in particular, who everyone calls ‘Beauty’, was a busy bee throughout the event; making sure everything ran smoothly and without any

glitches. Now a student in a tertiary institution, she says that she owes everything she knows to the foundation. Another alumnus, ‘Christiana Dan’ who is now

a student at the University of Ibadan and is a member of the ‘Union of Campus Journalists’ as well as the Deputy Editor of Obafemi Awolowo Hall of Residence Press, says she

owes all that she has become to her training at the Ovie Brume Foundation. She also volunteers when she is not at school to help give back to those that gave her. Although the catchment area of the Ovie Brume Foundation is within Eti-Osa Local Government where they have over 130 students from state schools as OBF members, they have performed numerous outreaches in various parts of Lagos State and have a strong foundation in the Niger-Delta area in partnership with UNICEF. As the aim of the foundation is growth, the Ovie Brume Foundation is building a permanent site near the Lagos Business School. The building was fully designed by Ms Oputu’s architect daughter, Miss Jite Brume. Ms Oputu, who is chair-person of the Ovie Brume Foundation, saw her son’s dream and helped him to follow it through. As the Xmas Bazaar came to a close with a raffle draw during which people took home prizes from return tickets to London and Dubai, to weekend get-aways to luxurious hotels, one could indeed feel the love and warmth in the air. We thank God for the Ovie Brume initiative: From the Child Who Had to Children Who Don’t.

BEAUTY TIPS

TOP 25 BEAUTY Tricks

ometimes beauty tricks that make you look a million naira may not cost an arm and a leg. From your kitchen or in your bathroom there are simple things that go a long way in effecting change. See below 1. Cucumber on eyes to freshen them up 2. Drink 2 litres of bottled water everyday 3. Toothpaste on spots 4. Tea bags on tired eyes 5. Brush talcum powder through hair to freshen it up 6. Sleep in socks filled with moisturiser for soft feet 7. Sleep on back to avoid wrinkles 8. Add sugar to soap to exfoliate 9. Lemon juice on highlighted hair 10. Drinking plenty of milk 11. Toothpaste on insect bites 12. Nail polish in fridge 13. Baking soda on teeth to make them whiter 14. Vaseline on eyebrows 15. Lipstick on cheeks when you run out of blusher 16. Final hair rinse in vinegar 17. Spray hairbrush with perfume 18. Fish pedicures 19. Cold teaspoons applied to eyes to reduce puffiness 20. Using honey as a face mask 21. Super glue broken fingers nails rather than rip them off 22. Steam face in water with fresh herbs added 23. Vaseline to smooth out frizzy hair 24. Rinse hair with beer 25. Lemon juice to whiten tips of nails C M Y K

42—SATURDAY

Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

Dora Eda buried High society parade as Omoworare buries mum Late BURIAL ceremonies for Late Mrs. Dora Eda (Nee

igh-power dignitaries converged on the ancient town of IleIfe on Saturday, th November 30 , in answer to the call of ebullient Senator Babajide Omoworare who laid the remains of his mum, Late Princess Teniade Omoworare to rest. After the funeral service at S.S. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, in Lagere the crowd reconvened at the Himton Event Centre for the reception party which was a super deluxe affair. Photos by Shola Oyelese

Agbeyi) aged 83 years, took place on Friday the 6th and Saturday the 7th of December 2013, at Warri, Delta State. Family and friends graced the occasion in their numbers to pay their last respect. Photos by Akpokona Omafuaire

From left: Mr. Femi Ifaturoti, Barr. Wale Babalakin, Mr. Charles Akinola and Mr. Ade Adefuye.

From left: Mrs. Funmi Odunsi, Mrs. Funke Oyewole and Chief Alex Duduyemi.

L - R: Two daughters; Mrs. Ewetan EdaEnaohwo, Ms. Ebisan Eda, Mr. Eyitayo Adebowale (son in-law), and his wife, Dr. (Mrs.) Bawo Adebowale .

From left: Senator Shola Adeyeye and Mr. Kunle Oyatomi.

From left: Mrs. Nike Omoworare, Senator Shola Adeyeye and Gen. Alani Akinrinade (Rtd.) .

From left: Son of the deceased, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Mrs. & Hon. Yinka Ajayi and Senator Shola Adeyeye.

Solomon Ogbonna bags cchief hief taincy title hieftaincy

hief Solomon Ogbonna was recently conferred with the chieftaincy title of ‘Omeudo 1’ of Eti-Osa local government area by Eze (Sir) Gerald Onuchukwu, Eze Ohazurunyem, Eze Igbo, Eti-Osa, during this year’s Igbo Day in the community

Chief Solomon Ogbonna, receiving chieftaincy title as “Omeudo I” of Eti Osa LGA from Eze (Sir) Gerald Onuchukwu (KSJ), Eze Ohazurunyem, Eze Igbo, Eti-Osa LGA

L-R: Chief (Mrs) Amaka Chukwu, Chief Solomon Ogbonna and Mrs. Ogecbi, Anosokalu

L-R: Chief (Mrs.) Funmi Omokhodion, Lady Bisi Oyedotun, Prince & Mrs. Ogbon, Mrs. Weyinmi Jo-Madugu and Mrs. Abigail Isokpan.

L - R: Mr. Charles Eda, Mrs. Roli Eda Ogbon, Mr. Albert Eda, Mrs. Ewetan Eda-Enaohwo and Prof. Robert Ikomi of DELSU, Abraka.

Comf or eds Christian Comfor ortt w weds FORMER Miss Comfort Ohazurike and Rev. Christian Okeke consummated their relationship in a Holy matrimony at Our Saviour Anglican Church, TBS, Lagos

L-R: Mr. Allen Okeke, groom’s dad, Mrs Faustina Ohazurike, bride’s mum, the couple, Comfort and Rev. Christian Okeke and Mr Levi Ohazurike, bride’s family.

SATURDAY, Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013—43

Sendof or Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede Sendofff ball ffor

aptains of industry, government functionaries and top level management staff of Access Bank Plc gathered on Saturday, December 13, 2013 at Eko Hotel and Suites for an exclusive, deluxe ball, in honour of Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, the outgoing Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Plc. The ball which was a black bow-tie affair was also in part a Christmas party for the staff and it was nothing but a glorious show of class and panache, made all the more exhilarating by American singer, Mariah Carey who simply set the place ablaze with rendition of some of her hit tracks.. Photos by Akeem Salau

Treasure House of God’s thanksgiving THE General Overseer of the Treasure House of God, Pastor Seye Senfuye held a thanksgiving service at the Church last Sunday in celebration of the end-of-the-year. Photos by Wumi Akinola

L-R:Alhaji Aliko Dangote,President Dangote Group,With Herbert Wigwe, GMD, Access Bank Plc and Aigboje AigImoukhuede, outgoing GMD/CEO, Access Bank Plc.

L-R:Senator Udo Udoma,Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, Mrs Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, wife of Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede,outgoing GMD/ CEO Access Bank Plc and Herbert Wigwe, GMD/CEO designate.

Pastor Taylor praying for Pastor and Mrs. Seye Senfuye and others.

Alhaji Aliko Dangote with Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo,Gombe State Governor.

L-R: Mr.Gbenga Oyebode, Chairman, Access Bank Plc with Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State.

R-L: Comrade Wole Sokunbi, Ogun State NUJ Chairman, Pastor & Mrs. Seye Senfuye, G.O, Miss. Imisioluwa Senfuye and others

SNEPCo’s relief for senior citizens and children

s part of its social responsibility agenda, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company,SNEPCo, recently renovated part of the Old Peoples Home in Yaba Lagos as well as expanding and equipping a physiotherapy unit of the Modupe Cole Memorial Childcare, Lagos.

The team led by the Managing Director of SNEPCo Mr. Chike Onyejekwe

Managing Director of SNEPCo, Mr. Chike Onyejekwe with others

Ocean Crest school Xmas carol

Some pupils of Ocean Crest School, Victoria Island, performing a nativity play to entertain their parents and teachers during their Xmas carol.

The company is working on how to deploy healthstraightening system (HSS) in hospitals at Anambra, Ogun and Niger state.

First Lady in Malawi

First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan, congratulating Dr. Kambe, President Joycee Banda’s daughter and her husband, Mr David, during their wedding in Lilongwe, Malawi, Recently

44—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

UPDATE

08 116759 759 081 6759759

Incredible transformation of the little girl with the gigantic head

ying on her hospi tal bed, Roona Be gum almost looks like any other two-yearold. But her appearance today is a drastic transformation to how the toddler looked just a few months ago after her head swelled to twice its size. These dramatic series of images chart her journey which has seen her undergo numerous operations on her skull. Doctors carried out her latest reconstructive surgery on Friday and the results are clear to see in these pictures taken of Roona at a hospital in New Delhi, India, on Christmas Day.

The annual festive dip

housands of swimmers throw themselves into the freezing sea in Devon for the annual festive dip (It’s not really bikini weather ladies). Fancy-dressed swimmers took an icy plunge in the sea to raise money for a host of charities this morning. The event has been going on since the late 1960s and now attracts thousands of people from all over the world. From Borat’s mankini to Santas and snowflakes the people of Devon turned out in force for the festive event.

Popes Francis and Benedict meet to exchange Christmas greetings

Behave yourselfies!

avid Cameron is reunited with Danish PM for the first time since posing for photograph at Mandela memorial. The PM and Helle ThorningSchmidt are both attending an EU summit. It is the first time they are together since their controversial selfie. Taken with Barack Obama, the image from Nelson Mandela’s memorial service drew widespread criticism. There have been calls to release the image from Ms ThorningScmidt’s phone, but she has so far resisted.

Pregnant women pay farmer to touch fivelegged 'miracle cows’

regnant women pay farmer to let them touch his fivelegged cow’s extra hoof so they will give birth to a boy after mother had male triplets. A five-legged cow has been hailed a miracle because when pregnant women touch its fifth hoof they give birth to baby boys. Raj Pratap’s three-year-old male calf, called Raju, has become famous in Raipur, India, since a woman with four daughters touched the animal’s fifth hoof and begged for her next child to be a boy. When she gave birth to a twin boys in February this year, word soon spread that the calf’s fifth leg — a very rare condition which affects just one in every five million cows — was ‘lucky’. Since news got out about the fifth leg, Mr Pratap, a cattle herder, has been swamped by pregnant women who pay to touch the hoof — with 30 women so far stumping up around 500 rupees, around £5, for the privilege. Amazingly, all 30 women have given birth to boys and Mr Pratap is so confident of his ‘miracle calf ’ that he offers refunds if the baby born is a girl.

o pe Francis made a Christmas visit to Pope Emeritus Benedict on Monday and said he found his 86-year-old predecessor looking well. Francis, who was elected in March, spent about 30 minutes with Benedict in an exconvent on the Vatican grounds where the former pope has been living in near isolation. They also prayed together in the adjoining chapel. They walked to a chapel where they stood and prayed before speaking privately in another room. When Francis left Benedict, he said, 'Merry Christmas, pray for me.' Benedict responded, 'Always, always, always.' Benedict resigned on February 28, saying he no longer had the physical and spiritual strength to lead the 1.2 billion member Roman Catholic Church.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013 — 45

C M Y K

46— Saturday

Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

NDLEA arrests four with … Uncovers another clandestine labo

•Adewusi Segun with the parcels of meth ByIFEANYI OKOLIE

ITH just few days to the end of 2013, three Customslicensed clearing and forwarding agents and a motorcycle parts dealer have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA,for attempting to smuggle 352 million naira worth of meth out of the country. This was as a clandestine laboratory, where meth, a powerful addictive stimulant was discovered at a location,

off Lekki-Epe Expressway Lagos. The discovery has brought the number of such laboratories uncovered by the NDLEA in the last two years to six. Meanwhile, the suspects, arrested in connection with the 352 million naira worth of meth weighing 70.4kg, were identified as Adewuyi Segun, 45, Atebata Godwin, 27, Akpaida Kareem Ajayi, 33 and Ukpabi Paul 36. It was gathered that they met their waterloo at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport

•Akpaida Kareem Ajayi with the parcels of meth (MMIA) Lagos, while attempting to export the illicit drugs to Malaysia, through an Ethiopian Airways flight. The NDLEA Lagos Airport Commander Mr. Hamza Umar, who confirmed the arrest said: “the methamp-hetamine consignments include 32.7kg brought by Adewuyi Segun, 20kg

brought by Ukpabi Paul and Akpaida Kareem Ajayi as well as 17.7kg brought by Atebata Godwin. All the suspects are cooperating with investigators,” he stated. One of the suspects, Ukpabi Paul, who hails from Imo State and sells motorcycle parts at Nnewi, Anambra State, appealed for mercy

Banker in police net for stealing N50m from customer By IFEANYI OKOLIE Thirty one-year-old staffer of a new generation bank, Adeola Olokojobi, has been arrested by the Special Fraud Unit in Lagos, for allegedly stealing more than N50 million from a customer’s account. Olokojobi, who is also the account officer to the customer, was said to have transferred the said sum in various installments into a different account, where it will be withdrawn. The Police Public Relations Officer at the SFU, Ngozi Isintume, said customer who alerted the police, became suspicious of Olokojobi activities, when he was not forthcoming with his account balance. According to her; “the bank’s internal investigation

into the account showed a forged instruction by the account officer in April 2013 transferring the sum of N15million to an unknown customer account. Also, the bank discovered other various fraudulent withdrawals made by the account officer from other customers’ accounts in his care through fake transfer instructions amounting to over N50million.” Isintume added that he confessed to fraudulent withdrawals amounting to N50,640,748.00 from the account of the customer by transferring funds into the accounts of customers with forged signature and subsequently withdrew

same. “The funds were used to finance his political campaign, proposed pure water company and purchase of an uncompleted building at Sango-Ota, Ogun State”.

•Atebata Godwin stating that he is a first time offender. “I am married with three children. My role was to give the drug to a clearing agent by name Akpaida Kareem Ajayi. Please, be merciful ...it is my first time”, he pleaded. While Akpaida Kareem Ajayi, blamed his

involvement on greed and desire to make quick money. According to him: “I have myself to blame because they paid me 500,000 naira to send the shipment. I agreed to participate in the illegal deal because of money that was offered to me.” However, the discovery of a meth laboratory in an urban area has been described as injurious to public health and safety. Two

Lagos NSCDC arrests 150 vand ...deploys 2000 corps for Yuletide By Bose Adelaja Nigeria Security And Civil Defence Corps NSCDC, Lagos State Command, has said no fewer than 150 suspected vandals were arrested in the state within the past 10 months just as he urged Lagosians to report any act of vandalisation of government property during the Yuletide period. Giving the account of his 10 months stewardship in Lagos, the State Commandant Adesuyi Clement, also said the suspects were involved in vandalisation of some critical government infrastructures such as petroleum pipelines, electrical and telecommunication facilities. According to him,

some of the suspects have been prosecuted while others are still under investigation as the vandalised products recovered from them were handed over to appropriate authorities. Also, the Commandant said about 50 private guards companies were sealed within this period as they were discovered to be operating illegally within the metropolis. ‘’The Command has equally sealed over ten companies who defaulted in paying their annual renewal dues,’’ As regards disaster management, he said the Command which is the emergency response team, has partnered with other agencies such as National Emergency Management Authority NEMA and Lagos State Emergency Management Agency LASEMA in the management of disaster scenes. The peace and conflict resolution unit he said, has

Saturday Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013 — 47

N352m drugs ratory in Lagos

Ukpabi Paul with the 20kg parcels of meth. schools, Rock of Ages Creche Nursery and Primary School and 31.7kg and a Nissan Regal Gems International School, Xterra SUV belonging to were said to be located very close the suspect, were also to the building used for the recovered from the laboratory. laboratory. A 30-year-old man with dual Mr. Anum who is nationality of Nigeria and South believed to be the owner Africa, identified as Michael of a transport company Anum, was arrested in connection in South Africa is with the laboratory. While currently being methamphe-tamine, weighing investigated by the antinarcotic Agency.

The Commander NDLEA Lagos State, Aliyu Sule who supervised the operation disclosed that the command acted on intelligence report. According to Aliyu, “ we received an intelligence report on the illicit activities taking place at the building . When we raided the premises, we observed that methamphetamine production was in progress. A total of 31.7kg of methamphetamine have been seized at the laboratory” . Ahmadu Giade, chairman of the NDLEA, in his response commended the officers for the discovery. “This latest discovery of illegal Methamphetamine laboratory is commendable. The Agency is determined to arrest this disturbing drug trend in the country. Drug barons have no hiding place in the country because our counter-intelligence service will soon detect their inimical activities and bring them to justice”.

dals in 10 months

handled over 150 cases ranging from landlord/tenant conflict, marital conflict, breach of public peace, land disputes, relationship disputes, cases of assault, monetary conflict and child abuse. Out of these cases, over 80 have been resolved while the rest are still in progress. ‘’The command has deployed 2000 officers to various strategic locations within the metropolis to ensure adequate security during the Yuletide. Adequate security reporting and grassroots intelligence gathering by this unit has assisted the Lagos State government in checkmating the nefarious activities of some terrorist organisations like ‘Boko Haram’ across the state. The corps in collaborations with other security agencies recently tracked down some ‘Boko Haram’ members who were at the verge of causing mayhem to Lagosians,’’ he added.

2 docked for robbing man of N165, 000 cash BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

wo men, Sunday Meku, 27, and Michael Daniel, 26, have been arraigned before a Lagos High Court in Igbosere, for allegedly robbing one Isaac Ezoh of his property while armed with offensive weapons. Meku and Daniel were said to have attacked Engineer Isaac Ezoh while armed with cutlass, broken bottles and hammer and dispossessed him of N165, 000 cash and six mobile phones. The duo are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery, but pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them. According to the charge, Meku and Daniel committed the offences on June 20, 2008 at Techno Horizon Company, Alesh Str., off Kiri-Kiri town, Apapa, Lagos at 9.00 p.m. State counsel, Mr Afolabi Sholebo informed the court that the offences contravened Sections 402 and 403 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State. At the resumed trial, Sholebo told the court that there were no witnesses in court and asked for a trial date to enable him produce witnesses in court which the defense counsel, Mr O. A Azeez, didn’t object to. The presiding judge, Justice Aishat Opesanwo subsequently adjourned the case to February 13 for continuation of trial.

Ekweremadu’s protocol order delusions BY ANDREW NWEZE t is amazing how I Ike Ekweremadu, the Deputy President of the

Senate and his lackeys have consistently tried to hoodwink unsuspecting Nigerians that he, as Deputy President of the Senate, is Nigeria’s Number Five citizen on the country’s protocol list. It is even more confounding that he would lend himself to such passionate falsehood as a lawmaker and continue to indulge in the ribcracking theatrics of the absurd. Nobody begrudges his undying crave for titles but it is tragic that he now endorses the deliberate misinformation and misrepresentation of facts to massage his over-bloated ego. Only recently, he sent his attack dogs writing with pen names on Governor Sullivan Chime. The latter’s sin, in Ekweremadu’s view, was that Chime breached protocol at the burial of the mother of Senator Ayogu Eze’s mother by not specifically recognizing the Deputy President of the Senate as the number five man! It ought to be noted, however, that the Governor recognized President Goodluck Jonathan, the President of the Senate, David Mark and other senators in attendance. The question is: why did Ekweremadu feel belittled to be recognized as a senator, especially as the President of the Senate had been so appropriately recognized at the same function? At that same function, Ekweremadu took his primitive show of power to such unimaginable level that he breached the same protocol he so religiously covets when he arrogantly strolled into the venue after President Jonathan had taken his seat. He wanted to be noticed but he got the opposite from an enraged crowd. It was rather sad and against official protocol that he would stroll into an event in his home state after Mr. President was already seated. Perhaps, it is just proper to invite our dear senator onto the path of selfinterrogation on how he, as the number two presiding officer at the Senate, is Number Five on Nigeria’s Order of Protocol. Before the law, the Deputy President of the Senate is merely the number two man within the chambers of the Senate. Let the truth be told that Ekweremadu as a

Ekweremadu Deputy President of the Senate is NOT ranked Number Five on the National Order of Precedence. Nigeria has always had an official protocol order. Way back in the Second Republic, the National Order of Precedence was established and has always been respected. For purposes of clarity, let me outline its hierarchical outlook: 1)The President 2)The Vice President 3)President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives Chief Justice of Nigeria 4)Former Presidents and former Heads of State and Government of the Federation 5) GovernorsAfter these seven categories, where is the Deputy President of the Senate? He comes after. No doubt, it is a respected position especially where its occupant carries it with decency and decorum. The problem here is that its present occupant plays parochial politics with it. He needs to be called to order because he was elected to make good laws, not break laws by distorting established facts.The same National Order to Precedence quoted above left the following proviso: “Note: The Governor of a State will rank after the Vice President when acting as host at functions taking place in his State.” Now, if Ekweremadu claims ignorance of the existing Protocol Order, he was present when Senator Teslim Folarin sponsored a bill for an Act to establish a National Order of Precedence of Public Officers and Other Persons in which he said, and rightly so, that the essence is to “maintain public order and decorum at national functions, official and social engagements of the Federal and State Governments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?” The bill also listed the protocol order as follows: President of the Federal

Republic of Nigeria, Vice President, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Justice of Nigeria, former Presidents… Do I need go on? Again, where is Ekweremadu and his number five position that he claims? It is now time to remind the man from Mpu that he is primarily a senator and a principal officer of the Senate by his position as the Deputy President of the Senate. His position was created for the occupant to stand in for the Senate President within the four walls of the Senate. He has no powers under the Nigerian law that guarantees him attendance at statutory meetings on the basis of the position he occupies in the Senate, except on invitation or representation of the Senate President. As a matter of fact, in the absence of the President of the Senate, it is the Speaker of the House of Representatives who presides in a meeting of the National Assembly. That is how far our Ikeoha, the self-styled Nigeria’s Number Five citizen rates in the scheme of things! Those of us who hail from Enugu State or who live here have had enough of his tantrums. The other day, Ekweremadu, through one of his aides, alleged plans by the governor to disrupt/ destroy Federal Government projects attracted to the State, particularly the Enugu West Senatorial District by the senator.Such unfounded allegations, though laughable and lamentable, exposed the limits of political desperation. It was, at best, contrived to provoke a needless war of words which the governor thankfully ignored. The false narratives insulted our sensibilities as a people and regrettably showed the accuser’s desperate quest for power. Nweze sent this piece from Enugu

48—SA TURD AY 48—SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

Measures tak en ttoo aken check decay

CROSS RIVER BY EMMANUEL UNA

OR Three years, the roofs of two-storey blocks meant to take twelve classrooms each at the Pin Margaret Secondary School in Calabar South have

been abandoned by the contractor. All he could do with the millions of naira given to him was to erect the structures and place some wood on the roof which have been persistently battered by rain leaving as eyesore. Consequently, over one thousand of the two thousand students of the school study in makeshift structures erected around the collapsing perimetre fence leaving them at the mercy of putrid elements. That picture reflects what the state of schools in Cross River State are as many of them particularly those in the urban centres have over bloated population with as many as seventy students occupying a classroom meant for thirty pupils. Seven students share a desk meant for three while in the rural areas, some primary schools are without desks with pupils making do with the bare floor as their seating item. When Vanguard sought the views of some head teachers and principals in Calabar on the state of primary and secondary education in the state , the reporter was referred to the State Ministry of Education, “ where officials there have the permission to speak; they will tell you all you want to know”. At the Ministry of Education, Professor Offiong Offiong, the Commissioner for Education in the state is full of praises for what he calls the “Cross River State Standard of Education”. According to him, since the inception of Senator the Liyel Imoke’s administration in Cross River State in 2007, the educational sector which was tottering at the precipice of near total collapse following prolonged periods of utter neglect and abandonment has been revived through consistent innovation and remodeling. Conscious of the critical role education plays as a catalyst for economic transformation and an instrument for socio – political advancement in any society, focus and emphasis was immediately placed on assumption of office towards repositioning the sector in the proper pedestal to produce the right results in spite of its sordid state. From the basic formative level which is the primary, through to the secondary stages up to the tertiary levels, comprehensive, rather than isolated transformation process was adopted through the institution of a three prong approach to rejuvenate this all important sector. The first stage towards addressing the deplorable state of affairs was to assess the level of decay which subsequently proffered and adopted strategies towards combating the identified problems. An assessment process named Needs Assessment , was instituted and seventy five percent of the schools across the state,

Contractor abandons project primary, secondary and tertiary were visited and monitored for six months to collate data and information on the state of affairs and the required measures to bring each school back to life. When the report came out it was so depressing that When Governor Imoke went through it, he was said to have taken ill because of the bad state of things. Without apportioning blame to any single individual or administration, he went straight to work since the bad state of affairs had accumulated for several decades which traverse many administrations. . After a careful analysis of the report, a three prong approach was adopted in tackling the myriad of problems in the sector : Infrastructural Development, Capacity Building and Discipline. To leverage on the plethora of teething issues identified culminated in the establishing of a standard peculiar to the state and this became the Cross River State

structure in schools such as the buildings, desks, instructional and learning facilities such as laboratories, libraries which were near absent in most schools were rehabilitated or installed While on capacity building, training and retraining was adopted with every teacher in the state’s school system made to benefit from one form of training or the other through workshops, seminars and those without the prerequisite teaching qualifications mandated to acquire same as the National Certificate in Education ( NCE) became the minimum standard for teaching in primary schools while first degree became the minimum for teaching in the secondary schools. On discipline, several disciplinary measures were adopted beginning from the local government level through zones up to the ministry. Professor Offiong said the state has carried out comprehensive renovation of sixty

From the basic formative level which is the primary, through to the secondary stages up to the tertiary levels, comprehensive, rather than isolated transformation process was adopted through the institution of a three prong approach to rejuvenate this all important sector Standard in education where every primary school must have modern edifice, well designed classroom s, each with the capacity to seat at least thirty five pupils or students, fully equipped with modern desks , resource room, library, assembly hall for extracurricular activities, teachers room, and a laboratory for basic sciences. In the same vein, at the secondary school level, each school, apart from the modern edifices and standard classrooms, must have a fully stocked library, equipped laboratory for ICT and functional laboratory for each of the three major science subjects: chemistry, biology and physics. Conscientiously, the infra-

secondary and one hundred primary schools across the state. The renovated schools are equipped with desks, libraries, physics, biology, chemistry and ICT libraries. The tertiary institutions in the state, The University of Calabar and the Cross River State University of Technology, CRUTECH, which are now closed to academic activities following the prolonged strike by Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities, ASUU, were only “universities” in nomenclature as nothing or little took place there that really lived to the status of university where knowledge is impacted or acquired. A few years back, the University of Calabar was

sanctioned by the National Youth Service Corps for mobilising below average graduates for national service; a hawker on campus was once mobilized for the programme but detected when she could not speak or write in the English Language in far away Sokoto where she was posted. The class rooms are decrepit, the student number highly bloated, academic performance by most students below average and “sorting” the order of the day in most departments and faculties. “I know you were here some years back but what we have in this school now is a far cry from what it used to be. The classroom which fifty of you occupied and were complaining now seats over a hundred and yet nothing has been added in terms of desks or expansion of the space,” a staff at the Registry in the University of Calabar told Vanguard reporter. According to her, basic facilities like desks, water, laboratory items like burner and tripod are not available for teachers to conduct experiments for the students. “Most of the students in the sciences are not familiar with the items in their course work and most often the teachers have to make do with substitutes or improvise and so when the students graduate and get out there, they confront a lot of issues”. Mr Eyo Eyo, the Information Officer in the University said the current Vice Chancellor, Professor, James Epoke has done a lot in the past two years to bring changes to the University to meet international standards. “Many structures abandoned for many years have been completed to address the accommodation problem that faced the school and this has greatly assisted in improving the learning environment and the quality of the graduate from here”. The school, Eyo stated, is ahead of its contemporary in the standard of teaching and average performance of the students. “Ekpoke has brought a lot of sanity to the system and I can assure that the picture you have of this school has changed significantly in the past two years”

he first stage towards addressing the deplorable state of affairs was to assess the level of decay which subsequently prevailed and adopted strategies towards combating the identified problems. An assessment process named Needs Assessment , was instituted and seventy five percent of the schools across the state, primary, secondary and tertiary were visited and monitored for six months to collate data and information on the state of affairs and the required measures to bring each school back to life. When the report came out it was so depressing that When Governor Imoke went through it, he was said to have taken ill because of the bad state of things. Without apportioning blame to any single individual or administration, he went straight to work since the bad state of affairs had accumulated for several decades which traverse many administrations. After a careful analysis of the report, a three prong approach was adopted in tackling the myriad of problems in the sector : Infrastructural Development, Capacity Building and Discipline. To leverage on the plethora of teething issues identified culminated in the establishing of a standard peculiar to the state and this became the Cross River State Standard in education where every primary school must have modern edifice, well designed classroom s, each with the capacity to seat at least thirty five pupils or students, fully equipped with modern desks , resource room, library, assembly hall for extracurricular activities, teachers room, and a laboratory for basic sciences. In the same vein, at the secondary school level, each school, apart from the modern edifices and standard classrooms, must have a fully stocked library, equipped laboratory for ICT and functional laboratory for each of the three major science subjects: chemistry, biology and physics. Conscientiously, the infrastructure in schools such as the buildings, desks, instructional and learning facilities such as laboratories, libraries which were near absent in most schools were rehabilitated or installed While on capacity building, training and retraining was adopted with every teacher in the state’s school system made to benefit from one form of training or the other through workshops, seminars and those without the prerequisite teaching.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013 — 49

50—SATURDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2013 hief Solomon Ogbon na, is one of the foreC most building developer in

Lagos, particularly Lekki/ Ajah axis, where he has developed a lot of properties with first class building materials equal to international standard. In this interview with Moses Nosike, he reveals why cost of developing properties is high in Nigeria, blaming government for its inability to promulgate housing policies that could enable the masses afford and own houses in Nigeria. Excerpts: With your experience as a developer, what can you say about building development in Lagos, Nigeria? I would not have much to say, only when you look at building in development in Lagos, you would find out that much has been achieved especially in Lekki axis. For instance, in 1991 when I came to Lekki area, at Ajah where I built my house, a plot of land was sold N60,000 at Ado road. A two plots of land say 120 x 60 was sold for N120,000, but today it goes for N15m and when you come to Lekki Phase I as at 1989 and 1990, a plot of land was sold at 2.5m, but today, it goes for N100m or N110m depending on the site of the property. So, development in these areas have risen that you can’t even compare it to Abuja and other states. However, one of the challenges in developing properties these days is that it takes time before you sell them. A plot of land with cost of development could cost you N45m and you are looking for N55m, that could take you one year or more before you can see a buyer. Again, it is capital intensive so, you don’t always rely on it to meet your daily needs, you still have to be doing other things for supplementary. Do you think government, developer have role to play to ensure that cost of developing properties is reduced for the masses to afford it? Well, the death of Mandela should be a lesson to our leaders if they want to learn. It shows that we are pilgrims on earth, so one day whether we like it not, we shall leave the earth. In terms of reducing the cost of building development in Nigeria, our government is not helping matters at all. They are concerned in building estates for their class of people and giving it out for N35m to N40m for a three or four bedroom flat. With such amount, how many civil servants or individuals can afford it. So if government had made it affordable for the masses, even the cost of building materials will go down. For instance, what Jakende did in Lagos for both the rich and common people. People were able to afford flats then. But not with this government that builds for their friends, commissioners and fellow excellencies. It is high time government started building for the poor masses of this country. We have the resources to do that, Nigerians are in need of accommodation. We’ve had several building collapses in the coun-

ing developers with credit facilities with considerable interest rates. But today, reverse is the case. You hardly can get a loan from banks, the conditions are unaffordable except you

Why cost of developing properties is high in Nigeria—Ogbonna try with much accusation on developers for using inferior materials, what is your take? For me, there is individual differences. There are some people who always go for the best quality materials either in clothing, building and other things they do. For instance, if you want to develop a two storey building and you have a concrete foundation with about 9mm iron and with nothing less than 4ft foundation and you cast it with a hardcore, I tell you there is nothing like collapsing

after building. Most times people complain of the materials used but I don’t see materials as the problem. Sand, water, iron and others are natural things, but it depends on the quality the builder applied. Some developers want to be economical in material usage because they want to make enough gain after building having in mind that they would not be the one to live there. So, the foundation and decking is the real building not the beauty of the structure. If you develop a building without a sol-

id foundation if it collapses tomorrow, you will lose. The challenge is that sometimes people get away with all these things because they are connected. In countries where rule of law is active, such developer will face the music. Most building I’ve developed I didn’t joke with their foundation because that is the primary thing needed with developing a property. Major challenges of developers... Five, six years, developing properties were easy because banks were assist-

are close relations of big business people that have made it. Those big transport owners with 100 luxuries, 200 lorries they are the ones banks consider. They don’t give money to small business owners, they feel their money is more secured with big tycoons. They forget that those big ones started with little. Before now I used to obtain bank draft with my bank. So developers provide every of their capital by themselves. In Nigeria today, nobody thinks about merit, but position before you got anything. Until you belong to

their clicks you can’t benefit. They don’t think about the future. How do we move housing development forward in Nigeria? Like I said, banks should be giving loans with low interest rate so that cost of developing properties would reduce and at the same time, the masses can afford it. For government, I always say they know what to do because most of them were poor and experienced what common Nigerians are experiencing today. Some of them didn’t acquire good certificate before they joined government. Years ago, when you complete your school certificate, companies will employ you. But today with your degree and masters you hardly can get employment. They prefer to use cheap labour with school certificate holders to do the job. Nobody is ready to build affordable houses for the masses in this country. Government can build a low cost housing where an average Nigerian can pay N2000 per month. And those with steady income can own a house through installmental payment. In Libya and other countries governments develop a good housing policies for their citizens and execute it and citizens own houses at reduced rate. Nigeria is a place where people don’t listen to their conscience. A country where people in government own 200 houses in prime area of cities and he is not concerned about his staff who live in boys quarter without water hitter during harmartan. How do you expect somebody who has not cared for his workers to think of building for others? Your recent project... I have concluded two storey buildings within Lekki. I also have buildings in Yaba and Ikeja, and I have more land for sell.

Fashola at Airtel Fun Zone, Flags off Lagos Countdown ….As Airtel Showcases 3.75G Internet Offerings

L-R: Managing Director, Red Star Express, Mr. Sule Umar Bichi; Author of Inspiring Growth: the history of Red Star Express, Ms. Ejine Nzeribe; CEO of Stanbic IBTC Trustees Ltd, Ms. Binta Max-Gbinije; the Executive Director of Red Star Express Plc, Mr. Muyiwa Olumekun; and the 1st prize winner of the raffle draw held at the 2013 Red Star Express Customers Forum, Mr Ademola Adepegba of Greenlife Pharmaceuticals Ltd. during the annual Customers Forum of Red Star Express held recently in Lagos.

AFC closes US$250 million syndicated term tal base of USD1 billion, to loan facility ability to support investment be a catalyst for private sec-

frican-led internation al financial institution, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has signed a US$ 250 million (Two Hundred and Fifty Million United States Dollars) syndicated term loan facility (“the facility”), marking its debut in the international syndicated loan market. The facility, which was oversubscribed, has a tenor of 2 years and will be used to enhance the corporation’s

and trade finance across the continent, in line with AFC’s establishment agreement and charter. Citibank, FirstRand Bank, acting through its Rand Merchant Bank division, The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited and Standard Chartered Bank, acted as the Initial Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners. AFC, a multilateral finance institution, was established in 2007 with an initial capi-

tor infrastructure investment across Africa. AFC was established to help fill a critical void in providing project structuring expertise and risk capital to address Africa’s infrastructure development needs, and is increasingly being seen as the benchmark institution for private sectorled investment in the core infrastructure sectors of power, natural resources, heavy industry, transport and telecommunications.

he Airtel Fun zone, a custom exhibition stand show casing the telco’s latest 3.75G Internet offerings, was the centre of attraction, yesterday (Monday, December 23rd, 2013) when the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, officially flagged off the 2013 Lagos Countdown festival, at the Bar Beach stretch, Victoria Island, Lagos. Governor Fashola, in company of his Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Adefulire and other members of the State Executive Council, performed the ceremonial flag-off of the Airtel fun zone, when he kicked off an Airtel branded football, thereby, drawing loud applause from customers that thronged the Airtel Fun Zone to enquire about Internet offerings. The Lagos Countdown is a 23-day event, which commenced on the 8th of this month and will climax on 31st December with games, musical and dance performances. The event is expected to provide a strong platform for family bonding, interaction, fun, celebration of music and culture as well as great entertainment for Lagosians and tourists. Airtel’s Chief Operating Officer & Executive Director, Deepak Srivastava, welcomed the Governor and his team and took them on a brief tour around the company’s exhibition area. He commended the Governor for his visionary leadership and laudable efforts at creating a friendly environment for businesses to thrive in the State. He also commended the Countdown initiative, saying “the Lagos Countdown has brought excellence, quality and standard to the state. “Airtel proudly supports the initiative because we are a brand that stands for quality and excellence. We believe in giving global standard and excellent service to Lagosians as well as all Nigerians.” He also noted that the countdown initiative has brought Lagos to the level of other countries such as Sydney, New York, London, etc.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013—51

BY GAB EJUWA

UESDAY, November 26th made it two years since Chief Ogbe Onokpite, a former Citizens Peoples Party (CPP), governorship aspirant was killed by men of the Nigerian Police Force on allegation of gun-running. While he was alive, not many people in the State, except his native Okpe local government, Uvwie and environs, reckoned with him.“Being the youngest gubernatorial candidate in Delta State since the creation of the State, the 38-year-old who was shot dead by the police at Beeland Hotel, Orhuwhorun in Udu Local Government Area could be said to have grown larger than life since he was killed. Two years after, his remains will be buried today.“His killing, which was like a scene from one of these Hollywood movies was scripted in the presence of police at about 6.00 pm on the ill-fated Saturday, following the arrest of a suspect, Malik Okorokporo, who confessed that he was instructed by the deceased to deliver two AK 47 rifles found on him to one Mr. Collins Egbara. But why he was shot dead and circumstances that led to his shooting, have kept tongues wagging till date.“Following his death, the then Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mamman Tsafe who is now the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police, Zone 2 during a press conference he organized to brief journalists on the incident, said, “the slain politician was gunned down in his hotel while he tried to run, on sighting the police and he died on the way to the hospital.“On November 26, 2011 at about 2.00 p.m, undercover operatives at Beeland Hotel, Orhunwhoro, Udu Local Government Area intercepted a vehicle with registration no. AM 528 JRT driven by one Malik Okorokporo 33 years, of 31 Abasiomo Druona compound, Alegbo, Warri.“The driver was flagged down by the Police patrol team at Udu Orhunwhoro Road. They searched and recovered two AK 47 rifles with Nos. 20613 and 13702, with over 60 rounds of live ammunition. These rifles were to be delivered to one Collins Egbara, Chairman of Agaga community now on the run at the instance of Ogbe Onokpite through his conveyor, Malik Okorokporo.The suspect took the patrol team to Beeland Hotel to apprehend his principal, who attempted to flee on sighting the Police, but was maimed. The principal gave up the Speaking on the ghost on the way to the incident, Keyamo hospital.But reacting to the comments by Mr. Tsefe, said, Without any Governor Uduaghan in an question, the police AIT current affairs programme, had chided the shot him on the leg Police boss for being too quick in making such utterand he was in pain, ances saying, “As a security asking what he had officer, he shouldn’t be quick in making judgment on such done. They shot him incidents. He ought to have been on the chest and properly briefed on the matter, before holding such media body and allowed briefings.”On his part, radical human rights lawyer, Mr. Festus him to bleed and Keyamo, who has since handsdied on the premises off the matter over personal reasons, alleged that Onokpite of the Police at the was assassinated, stating that he would petition the police Area Command, authorities for a full coroner after he was stripped inquest into the killing.Speaking on the incident, Keyamo said, naked “Without any question, the police shot him on the leg and he was in pains, asking what he their part, the Onokpite had done. They shot him on the family of Ugolo –Okpe, Okpe chest and body and allowed him Local Government Area of to bleed and died on the preDelta State, dragged Mr. mises of the Police at the Area Mamma Tsafe before the Command, after he was stripped Warri High Court, even naked. This is what they did to though he was “investigatdefenseless citizens of ing” the incident as ordered Nigeria.”Backing his words with by his boss the IG. In a action, the then Inspector motion on notice filed by General of Police, Afiz Rigim on John Odohisi Esq. on behalf December 14, sixteen days after of the family, the family Festus Keyamo forwarded a urged the court to declare strongly worded petition to him that: “The killing of Mr. Ogbe on the killing of Chief OnokOnokpite by the third responpite, directed the same Delta dent’s men on the 26th of State Commissioner of Police, November, 2011, through to investigate the incident. multiple bullet wounds, is a This, Keyamo rejected, breach of the said Ogbe saying the Commissioner Onokpite’s fundamental right should not be saddled with to life as protected under the responsibility of investiSection 33 of the 1999 Constigating a matter in which he tution.” Furthermore, the had already taken side. On

Late Onokpite

Two years after, Ogbe Onokpite finally goes home

family asked the court to declare that the killing of Mr. Ogbe Onokpite was done without or in the absence of a valid sentence/order of a court in respect of a criminal offence and therefore, illegal, extra-judicial, unconstitutional and without due process. A subsequent relief sought for by the family is an order by the court for an autopsy examination and/or a Coroner inquest into the cause and circumstances of death of the said Mr. Ogbe Onokpite, whose death occurred on the 26th day of November, 2011, while he was in police custody. Granting the prayer of the family, the Warri High Court III, presided by Justice C.E Achenefu, finally ruled that since there was no agreement on the circumstances surrounding the death of the two-time former governorship candidate for the state, an autopsy should be conducted. According to Mr. Odohisi, who confirmed the conclusion of the autopsy, “all the parties in the case were involved in the process.With the result of the autopsy here in Warri, we took the corpse to Lagos because we weren’t comfortable with some gray areas and we needed confirmation, hence, the same test was done in Lagos which came out same with the result gotten in Warri.”However, following the appointment of Mr. Mohammed Abubakar as the new Inspector General of Police, which was followed by a petition from another counsel to the Onokpite family, Messrs Erieta and Partners, the police authorities decided to set up a panel to investigate the killing. In a letter to the IGP, the PSC Chairman,

Mr. Parry Osayande, directed that the panel should undertake a “discreet investigation of facts surrounding the death of the politician while in police custody.” “The letter read in part, ‘’ You are to retrieve all police files records, books, registers, case files and other relevant documents pertaining to this case for proper scrutiny. Identify the police officers and their civilian cohorts who are responsible for the unlawful killing of Chief Ogbe Onokpite while in police custody for disciplinary action and prosecution. ‘’And forward their names to the commission for onward transmission to the Presidential Committee on Police Reform for appropriate recommendation in accordance with its terms of references. The affidavit accompanying the petition by Onokpite’s lawyers to the PSC was sworn to by Mr. Gbenga Onosuyi, said to have witnessed the incident which occurred at Beeland Hotel, Orhuwhorun. The petitioners averred that the deceased was arrested by a team of policemen in uniform and mufti who stormed the Hotel in a Nissan Pathfinder Jeep and two Hilux vans. They added that the police shot the deceased in both knees and drove him away to the Warri Area Command, where he was “finally killed.’’ “Lawyers for Onokpite also argued in the petition that the deceased was killed as a result of his “principled stand’’ on the marginalisation of the Urhobo in the sharing of an alleged monthly N2bn pipeline surveillance fund, given by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company to the state

government. On his part, in a release signed by one of his younger siblings Priest Ufuoma Emmanuel Onokpite, it stated, “We, the family of Onokpite, are giving thanks, honour and glory to the father of our Lord Jesus Christ who saw this day and let it come to pass for our dearest brother Chief Ogbe, because we all know that nothing can happen to a man without the consent of the Almighty God. I have always believed in my brother’s love for God, his zeal for what is right in the cause for the people of Delta State and he subsequently died for that cause. Like our Lord Jesus Christ, Chief Ogbe had no form or comeliness that should be looked at and no beauty that should be desired of at his death; he was brutalized and was stripped of his clothing. Yet, it is the will of the Lord that it happened, because in his death, the Lord has divided him a portion with the great and a spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul for the cause of his people,” it stated. According to Priest Onokpite, “Investigation of the death of the late Ogbe Onokpite has revealed that, one of the policemen identified as one of the shooters, who was said to have removed Ogbe’s necklace, died in mysterious circumstances in his cell, while the duo of British and Orlando where shot by unknown gunmen. These people where living witnesses to the killing of my brother, yet someway, somehow, they were silenced. Even the two AK47 rifles that were presumed to belong to Ogbe were confirmed by the Police Armoury in Lagos as police rifles. Other persons indicted are still out there and with God on our side, they would be brought to book.“Though the case is still under investigation, we urge the judiciary and the Presidency, through Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to be diligent in unraveling the circumstances surrounding his death. We are trusting God who is the highest Judiciary to do justice in this matter.”On its part, the umbrella body of the Urhobo Nation, the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) has been quiet throughout the period of the incident. The manner in which the late politician was killed according to an Urhobo chief who spoke on anonymity is a taboo to the culture and tradition of the Urhobo people. “Imagine an Urhobo chief, stripped of his clothing, shot dead like a common criminal and left on the bare ground to the public glare, it is indeed a slap on the Urhobos,” the source added. While the Onokpite family and associates alleged that his death was politically motivated, the police have always and still maintains that, he was a gun-runner and was resisting arrest when he was shot. As the corpse of Chief Ogbe Onopkite is buried today, the question still remains, what actually happened to Ogbe?

52 — SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

him to take it to his church and sow a seed that I want God to answer my prayers so that my husband will come back. I told him to take it to the church because even if it is a house I would have taken it to sow a seed for my husband to come back. I gave it to him but what I did not know was that he went to change the plate number and other papers that have to do with the car. I was lying down in the house at about 11pm that day when the police came and arrested me”. Asked if she is having extra marital affair with the Pastor, she asserted “ God forbid, I have not had any affair with the Pastor. The Pastor has been a close family friend and we always give him cloths to go and share in the orphanages. And even when I travelled with my husband we gave him our ATM card so that he can take care of our poultry and whatever that is needed to be done. He has been very honest to us so I don’t know what is happening”. She further denied having quarrel with the late hus-

By SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY

t was quite sad and a pathetic end for Mr Victor Nsongbunyo, an in digene of Akwa Ibom state and Deputy Manager at the Nigeria Petroleum Development (NPDC) Company, Benin City. The deceased allegedly murdered by his wife Mrs Enebong Victor and her Pastor boy friend, Prince Udoka Nkanchukwu who were paraded by the Edo state Police Commissioner, Funso Adebanjo last Tuesday. Saturday Vanguard learnt that the deceased who was recently promoted to the position of Deputy Manager, was due to retire next year. It was learnt that the decease and his wife had been having issues with the paternity of their children after the deceased suspected the wife was having an extra marital affair with the Pastor. The deceased was said to have visited home to complain to both his family and that of his wife after suspecting that the current pregnancy which is being carried by the wife was not from him. Consequently, the families resolved that a DNA would be conducted after giving birth to the child. Saturday Vanguard further learnt that it was this arrangement that infuriated the wife that led her into plotting to murder her husband with her lover Pastor. Friday October 22, 2013, It was learnt that the Pastor whom Vanguard gathered has been a close family friend, called the deceased on telephone and told him he wanted to see him. The deceased was said to have drove to somewhere along Sapele road, to meet with the Pastor. On getting there, it was gathered that the Pastor entered the vehicle and stabbed the deceased twice. As if that was not enough, he drove the car to hidden destination along Sapele road and set both the car and the deceased car ablaze. On Monday 25, the wife was said to have gone to the office to report that the husband was missing. But apparently after visiting the husband’s office, she went straight to the bank and withdrew N4milion from the husband’s account. The wife of the deceased also went to the police to report the incident. However, staff of the NDDC was informed that people observed a burnt car and somebody inside it somewhere along Sapele Road, they quickly rushed down and found it was that of Mr Nsongbunyo. The shocked NPDC staff went back to the deceased wife at their home to inform her of the situation but found her sitting comfortably at home watching African Magic. However, detectives intensified search for the deceased new car which was given to him by the company following his promotion. The car, a Volkswagen Passat car was tracked to a compound at Ekenwan road Benin City. Vanguard learnt that a lady was accosted by detectives in the compound and she confessed that the car was packed by a Pastor that lives in the compound. When the Pastor came out, detectives observed burns in his left hand and his face. The Pastor disclosed that one of his daughters in the church sowed a seed with the car. He subsequently took them to the residence of the deceased where it was discovered that it was the deceased wife.The duo

How mother of three and Pastor lover murdered husband Mrs Isonguyo who denied she was having extra marital affairs with the Pastor, narrated that when I did not see my husband I ran to the Pastor because we have known for a very long time. I took my husband’s new car to him to sow a seed in the church so that my husband will be found were arrested immediately and according to the state Police commissioner, have confessed to have committed the dastard act. According to Adebanjo, “what happened was that the Pastor called the deceased to come and meet him somewhere along Sapele Road, when the deceased got

there the Pastor stabbed him twice and then burnt the car. The woman gave the husband’s new car to the Pastor and we found the car with the Pastor. A 2013 model of Volkswagen car. It is a very sad and wicked act. After killing the man in his vehicle he set the car ablaze. The Pastor changed the plate number of the car and put a fake one after he murdered the man. It was when we saw the burnt in his hand that we knew that he was involved. Though he has confessed and after now we will take them to court. They both confessed that they are lovers but I believe that it was wicked on their part to have plotted the killing of the man.

rs Isonguyo who denied she was having extra marital affairs with the Pastor, narrated that “ when I did not see my husband I ran to the Pastor because we have known for a very long time. I took my husband’s new car to him to sow a seed in the church so that my husband will be found. I told him to take it to the church but I don’t know that he went and changed the plate numbers.I had to ask him to pray harder because I love my husband and I don’t want anything to happen to him. I did not kill my husband because I loved him. I brought the car and told

band, asserting that “Until I came to this place nobody told me that my husband is dead. I pray that God should intervene because I have never committed any crime before in my life. I want God to intervene in this matter. I have three boys for my husband, 17, 16 and 15 years”. In his confession, Pastor Ukachukwu whom Vanguard learnt has not been to their church, Land of Evidence Church along Airport Road Benin City, said he kicked against bringing the car to him by the deceased wife but decided to accept it when she insisted that she wanted to sow a seed. According to him “I have been a family Pastor and sometimes I pick their children from school. She called me and said that she wanted to give me a car to sow a seed in my church. When she even brought the car I asked her why she should bring the car in the middle of this crisis but she said her husband is worth more than any material thing that she can make any sacrifice for her husband. I changed the plate number because any gift for Pastors you have to change it in order to be able to drive the car”. CP Adebanjo said the duo would be charged to court for murder.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013—53

2014: Why Nigeria must pray for three days —Prophet Ayodele BY JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA

efore the airplane mis hap that involved Sos oliso and Bellview Airlines in 2005, Prophet Babatunde Ayodele, Founder/Spiritual Head of Inri Evangelical Church, Lagos, warned the aviation sector but was unheeded. Now, while everyone looks forward to raising the curtain on 2014 in a couple of days, Ayodele has again reeled out predictions ahead of 2014, imploring Nigeria to take cover in prayers. Economy Concerning the year 2014, I will advise every Nigerian to take time and be prayerful for the country and for themselves from the 1st to 3rd of January, 2014. This is for God to prevent imminent dangers ahead of the nation and economy. Let us take it from here. I don’t see anything happening in the Nigerian economy. I see debts everywhere- our crude oil, foreign reserve, and all. States will be in debt, the Federal Government will be in debt and Nigeria will be planning to go borrow money. So, the government has to be very

BY FLORENCE AMAGIYA peculations are making the S rounds concerning the alleged murder of late Sylvanus

Okoye, a native of Anambra state who was reported to have been stabbed to death and mutilated recently that his homosexual escapades could have led to his brutal murder. Neighbors around his Ezemegbu drive, Okota, Lagos residence, said the deceased before his death had no girl-friend but male visitors flocked his residence every now and then before his death. The suspect, a 22-year- old, Eji Emmanuel who is now in police net, upon interrogation also claimed that the deceased attempted to rape him and he attacked him in self defense. He also claimed that Okoye had attempted severally to rape him but despite several warning against such illicit act, he persisted. Saturday Vanguard spoke with the deceased neighbours, barbers, tailors and electricians and they expressed fears that Okoye could have been killed for his homosexual escapades. Elizabeth, a 28-year-old popular fashion designer in the area, who hails from Ugwuanja in Edo state said: “ Mr. Okoye stopped by my shop two weeks before his body was discovered. He wanted the phone number of a PHCN guy in the area, but as usual he didn’t give me a second look. We have been suspecting his moves. He didn’t have one female friend. But men flocked his residence and even spent nights there on a regular basis, that was enough to sus-

Prophet Ayodele careful not to be grinded by these debts. Prices of food will increase drastically and flour will be scarce and very expensive. Corruption too will be more prevalent because this government lacks the power to fight it. Fighting oil theft will also pose a major challenge and Nigeria will beg America to support her in the fight. The price of petroleum will increase as well. There will be too much of troubles concerning kerosene. Sea pirates will dominate the waterways and the African Union, AU, will form a common security to monitor our seaways.

Various organisations such as the Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, and The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, will be embarking on industrial action almost at the same time. Again, power supply will be unstable until 2015, 2016. I also see ocean surge in Lagos. Sponsors of Boko Haram will be exposed as well. Very importantly, let us be very watchful so we don’t have any border crisis. Polity Like I’ve always said, President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term is dicey. He will start some political abracadabra in order to gain his second term which will be characterised by so much of negotiations. He will have to cajole and beg a lot of people; he will also beg Obasanjo. What Nigerians see now is only a tip of the iceberg of the clash that will come between Obasanjo and Jonathan. In the process of Jonathan’s negotiations, the offices of the Vice President, the Chief of Staff and the Secretary to the Federal Government will be affected. When he eventually succeeds through negotiation, some of these governors who moved to the All Progressive Congress, APC, will return back to the

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Tukur will be removed. At the same time, I want to tell you that when Jonathan eventually gets his second term, there will be crisis. Also, another person will be shopped by the PDP to take over from Jonathan, but like I said, through negotiation and begging, he will get the second term. Jonathan might be the last president of PDP to rule this country, anyway. He also has to be prayerful and watchful so he doesn’t lose his wife, the First Lady of the country. I also see shake-up in the cabi-

Late Sylvanus Okoye

pect his homosexual life. But what I cannot understand in this matter is the way the young man was killed. If the accused claims he acted in self defense; was it also self-defense to cut off his manhood after stabbing, tieing him with a strong rope to an object? I think the Eji guy has a lot of explanations to make because there is more to this killing.” Mike Lawani, who was the deceased barber said: “Okoye used to visit the barber’s shop where l work, adjacent to the deceased compound. There were no time that he came for a hair-cut that

he discussed women the way he discussed guys. In fact, he would rather give his money to men than to girls. According to the barber: “He was obviously attracted to some younger guys in the shop and sometimes invite them home, but they never visited him because they knew what he wanted. Those who ventured returned with bad reports about him. Okoye lived alone, driving a SUV he recently won from MTN before his death.” “The young men who visited his home said he lived an exotic lifestyle as his fridge was always

Sports, aviation, climate Nigeria will try their best in the World Cup but I do not see them in the semi-final or final. Let us be very watchful in the aviation sector so that pilots

Concerning the year 2014, I will advise every Nigerian to take time and be prayerful for the country and for themselves from the 1st to 3rd of January, 2014 net and ministers being removed and replaced. The Ministers of Petroleum and Aviation will also be seriously probed. Some people might not like theses prophecies, but that is not my problem because I am speaking as God has directed me. Lagos politics

Murder of homosexual biz man:

•Neighbours react

An unknown man will rule Lagos State. Nationally, APC has accommodated traitors and betrayals. It is not yet time for the party to rule this country. However, if they really want to rule, they have to struggle and pray very well to get the right candidate. They must be watchful so that their party is not used for negotiation

packed full with all kinds of drinks and menu. The source added that even with all his profligacy, no woman was seen around him. “There was no lady around him. It is a pity that he died this way, but l think Emmanuel went too far by cutting his manhood; he was pushed to the wall. Don’t forget that it was also reported that the late Slyvanus brother had raped this same young man in Festac and the case was reported at Festac Police Station. I guess this attempted rape brought down all the fury in the young man’s mind. We also learnt that the deceased had promised to give the young man a job but instead what he got was sexual harassment.” Tochukwu, an electrician in the neighbourhood said: “I wasn’t around when the deceased died; I had traveled to Ibadan for a job that period, but it is a known fact that Okoye was suspected to be a homosexual in the area. This is not a speculation because he had toasted me and invited me severally to his house, but I didn’t oblige him because I knew what he wanted; my friends and neighbours till date called me late Silvanus’ boyfriend because he used to give me gifts in monetary forms. He gives to other guys also, but he was tight fisted when it comes to giving money to women. It was indeed strange that he did not mix with women like the normal guys do.” A source added that the middle- age woman at the gate; who collected the keys from Eji Em-

will not go on strike. Also, there will be air turbulence in some of our airports such as in Lagos and Abuja. We also must be watchful so that there won’t be any air crash. I however see reforms in the aviation sector.Let us pray very well so that this growing climatic condition will also not cause mourning for this country.

manuel noticed blood stains on Emmanuel’s neck, but could not raise alarm. She paid dearly for her error as she spent the last month in police detention asnwering questions on the matter. Another source added a dimension to the story dismissing the claim of self-defense by the suspect, saying the murder of late Okoye was a case of a anger of a jealous lover. “The decease was said to have been cheating on his man’s lover. And that the event escalated that evening which led to his death.” And that the jealous lover who is also a bisexual traveled home after the incident and remained there as he was riding ‘okada’,but had calledl his girl friend staying in the Eastern part of the country with the deceased phone. He was also seen by the deceased siblings who eventually alerted the police. Acting in self defence according to claims made by the suspect, he did not only stab Okoye, he went further to tie him with a pressing iron rope, cut off his manhood, locked him inside, gave the key to neighbour and bolted away. It was also gathered that Emmanuel deceived the woman he gave the key to after the murder; telling her that Okoye was not at home until his body was discovered two weeks after. The body of the deceased apparently decomposed was later found in his bedroom, with stench oozing out of the flat. The brother of the decease who lived around was invited to the house by the landlord to gain access into the flat. Okoye was found in his pool of blood, tied with a pressing iron rope, stabbed on the neck, with his manhood cut off.

54 — SATURDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2013

GOLF: Europe decision Asia to lift Royal Trophy E

urope edged out Asia on a dramatic final day to lift the Royal Trophy. Jose Maria Olazabal, who masterminded a similarly thrilling Ryder Cup victory against the United States at Medinah last year, again led Europe for the event in Guangzhou, China. His side began Sunday’s play 5-3 down and lost the first two singles. But they hit back and their 8½-7½ victory at Dragon Lake Golf Club was completed when Nicolas Colsaerts tapped home from two feet on the 17th green. Olazabal’s Ryder Cup side won eight and tied one of 12 matches on the last day to win in Chicago a year ago. When Kiradech Aphibarnrat beat Paul

Lawrie 3&2 and Stephen Gallacher was defeated 4&2 by Thongchai Jaidee on Sunday, Asia led 7-3 and needed only 1½ more points from the remaining six. Even when Marc Warren took the two putts he needed to beat Ryo Ishikawa, it appeared nothing more than a consolation for Europe. But HS Kim then picked up three bogeys on his final nine holes against Davie Howell who made birdies on the 15th and 16th to level, before taking the match with a brilliant last-hole up-and-down from the greenside bunker. The rush stopped partly as KT Kim halved with Alvaro Quiros, but Europe quickly got a move on again as rising star Thorbjorn Olesen saw off Wu Asham with

two holes to spare. Bernd Wiesberger then notched four birdies between the 10th and 15th holes to earn a 3&2 win over Hiroyuki Fujita after they had reached the halfway stage level. It became clear that the trophy would be decided by the winner of the last match, between Colsaerts and Liang Wen-chong. The Belgian edged ahead and then twice recovered as his opponents nipped in front, before taking the lead again with three holes left. Liang then had a 15footer to level on 16 but missed, before he messed up an approach on the 17th. He needed a 30-footer to take the match to the last hole but he threeputted and Colsaerts took full advantage.

•Victorious Europe’s Golf team

Jordan-Higgins targets top spot in 2014 J ersey’s Olivia JordanHiggins believes she now has the quality to finish top of the Symetra Tour money list next season. She is set for her fourth year on the circuit, which provides a pathway to the full LPGA Tour for the top 10. Jordan-Higgins finished 11th in 2013, just $114 away from gaining her LPGA card. “It was hard to take but nothing I can’t bounce back from,” the 25-yearold told BBC Radio Jersey. “I’m going to go back to the Symetra Tour and hopefully finish in the

top 10. “I’d like to finish number one, there’s no question that I can do it and I have the motivation now to do it.” Jordan-Higgins has improved on her final position on the money list every year, but for the past two seasons has left the last tournament of the campaign disappointed. She missed the last two cuts of 2013, dropping from sixth spot to 11th, and a year earlier pulled out of the season-ending Daytona Beach International because of injury, when lying in 14th place on the money list.

She has singled out an improvement in her mental preparation as a target for the year ahead. “I’ve noticed that more and more that’s what it’s coming down to,” she said. “It’s just being able to handle the pressure that you’re put under in situations that you’re not prepared for. “You practice your routine so that’s all you focus on, you don’t even know where you are. Any putt, whether it’s on the practice green or to win $10,000, there’s no difference and you shouldn’t feel that pressure.”

•Pistorius

Turbulent year for South African athletics S

outh African athletics experienced one of its toughest years, plagued by board-room battles and rocked by the arrest of double-amputee Oscar Pistorius for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his Pretoria home on Valentine’s Day. It was not all doom and gloom as some encouraging performances in track and field painted the sport in a better light. Johan Cronje’s bronze-medal run in the men’s 1500m at the World Athletics Championships in Moscow in August and Lusapho April’s third-place finish at the New York City Marathon ranked among the highlights of the year. South Africans woke up on February 14 to the news of Pistorius’s arrest with his bail hearing on February 22 causing a media frenzy. At his bail hearing, Pistorius submitted he thought Steenkamp was an intruder. He was granted R1-million bail with some restrictions, which were later relaxed. Pistorius appeared briefly in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on August 19 and the trial was moved to the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria to start on March 3, 2014. Back on the track, 31-year-old Cronje stunned South Africans with his tenacious bronze-medal run for the country’s only medal from Moscow. The South African record-holder clocked three minutes 36.83, seconds (3:36.83) behind Kenyan Asbel Kiprop, who won in 3.36.28, and American Matthew Centrowitz who finished second in 3:36.78. While his performance came as a surprise, his form earlier in the year was an indication of greater things to come for the Bloemfontein athlete. At the beginning of May, he broke the 20-year-old South African record in the blue-ribbon event, finishing eighth in the opening leg of the Diamond League season in Doha, Qatar. He raced to a time of 3:33.46, improving on Johan Landsman’s previous national mark of 3:33.56, set in Zurich, Switzerland, in August 1993. While Cronje produced the only medal at the world championships there were encouraging performances by a youthful South African team. Seven of the athletes made it into

finals in their respective events with discus thrower Victor Hogan reaching the final, finishing in a creditable fifth place with a distance of 64.35 metres. Olympic silver medallist Caster Semenya, who underwent knee surgery failed in her last-ditch attempt to qualify for the world championships. Semenya only made her return to the track at the Lahti Games in Finland in July, with a pedestrian 2:06.58. In her second attempt, also in Finland, to qualify for the world champs, she clocked 2:04.48 at the Savo Games – 4.48 seconds outside the qualifying standard. While Athletics SA (ASA) was being placed under administration by Sascoc (SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee) for the second time in four years, a new crop of South African talent emerged at the national championships in Stellenbosch in April. In the absence of Semenya, 17-yearold Gena Lofstrand won the 800m race as she led from gun to tape for the victory. Long jumper Lynique Prinsloo, who also featured at the world championships, dished up arguably the best performance. She improved her personal best by more than 20 centimetres with a jump of 6.81m which is the third best distance by a South African. Meanwhile, former South African 800m champion Mapaseka Makhanya made a stunning transition from track to road as she was crowned Women’s 10km Challenge road race champion. She also won the Gauteng Challenge marathon improving the women’s record by six minutes to secured a comfortable victory on her marathon debut in 2:37:06. Boardroom battles were a constant throughout the year, with ASA president James Evans and the board at loggerheads. The board was dissolved at an annual general meeting (AGM) in Johannesburg at the end of November and a seven-member interim board appointed to run the sport for six months. Evans, however, remained defiant and insisted he remained the president of the embattled federation, claiming the AGM – and, therefore, the decision by the provinces to sack the board – was unconstitutional and illegal.

SATURDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2013 — 55

Liverpool boss lambasts ref. Mason

Pillars at crossroads over Ikhana, Emordi N

igeria Premier League, NPL champions, Kano Pillars are undecided on which of the duo of Kadiri Ikhana and Okey Emordi to lead their team for the 2013/14 Glo Premier League season. Already the Pyramid City side have contracted three undisclosed Italians to work with the yet to be named Nigerian coach. The Nigerian duo have been shortlisted for the plum job but the Pillars management is yet to agree on whom to hand over the mantle of leadership. An official of Kano Pillars, Idris Malikawa said the board is still assessing the two coaches and will very soon name one of them to lead the side in their Africa and domestic league campaigns. “The government has mandated the board to go ahead and name a coach for the side. The board’s searchlight has been narrowed down to Kadiri Ikhana and Okey Emordi both of whom have been interviewed by the technical committee specially set up for the purpose. “The board is still assessing

*Kadiri Ikhana the two coaches and once they are satisfied one of them will be named the head coach to work with the Italians already contracted. “The board is mindful of the expectations of Nigerians and is asking for their patience and prayer too to assist the board to do what is right. “Kano Pillars want to go to the continent to contest for the title not to make up the numbers and that’s why we’re taking time to ensure we give Nigerians the best representation by naming the best coach for the side,”

*Okey Emordi Malikawa said to supersport.com. Malikawa said the side will approach the test game against the domestic Super Eagles on Monday in Abuja like they will against the Caf Champions League opponents, AS Vita of DR Congo. “We want to take the friendly tie against the domestic Eagles on Monday as seriously as we would approach the first game against the DR Congo side, AS Vita in the Caf Champions League tie.

HELSEA midfielder Michael Essien wants to leave the English Premier League side during the January transfer window for more game time, according to France Football. The Ghana international wants to be fully fit for next year’s FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil. Essien has been down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge this season and will seeking a loan move with the French Ligue 1 considered his

next destination. The box-to-box midfielder was a hit in France after playing for Bastia and Olympique Lyon before his move to England. The 31-year-old returned to Chelsea this season from Real Madrid where was on loan last term. But manager Jose Mourinho has not been impressed with his output. Essien has made only six appearances for Chelsea so far.

Ambrose, team-mates Turkey bound

UPER Eagles defender Efe Ambrose will travel with his club Celtic Glasgow to Turkey in January, to participate in prestigious Antalya Winter Cup. Scottish champions will test their skills against wellknown European clubs: Galatasaray, Trabzonspor and Ajax Amsterdam. Celtic were drawn against Trabzonspor, who have a couple of familiar names in the squad, like Florent Malouda, Jose Bosingwa or Didier Zokora and the

match will be played on Thursday, January 9. One day earlier, Galatasaray and Ajax will play in the first semi-final and the match, like all of them, will be played at Akdeniz Universitesi-Stadion in Antalya. Third place play-off is scheduled for January 11, and the final for the next day. In order to participate in the tournament, Celtic have already postponed their Premier League match against Kilmarnock scheduled for January 11.

An estimated 500 people took part singing their support of Mackay and the club’s traditional blue home colours, which the owner had changed to red before the start of last season. Lee Spear, 21, from Penarth, who took a banner to the protest saying “Tan out”, said he was not happy with how the club was being run.

Cardiff fans protest against owner “We understand that what

undreds of Cardiff City fans have staged a prematch protest against owner Vincent Tan before the club’s Boxing Day game with Southampton. Supporters said they were angry at the way the Malaysian billionaire is running the club. It follows his “resign or be sacked” ultimatum to manager Malky Mackay before a U-turn at the weekend. Fans, many carrying banners, gathered outside Cardiff City Stadium chanting slogans against Mr Tan.

•Rodgers tween the title rivals and was upset at the overall standard of officiating. “I thought we never got any decision. The linesman on the offside one he wasn’t even on the same cut of grass. If you’re working at this level you have to get it right. It’s not even a difficult one.” “It is a perfectly-timed run and he is given offside when he is through one on one on goal. These are big moments in big games.” “There is another incident when Luis (Suarez) doesn’t get a free-kick when Joleon Lescott went right through him. It is arguable it is a penalty at the end. Luis Suarez can’t jump because he is tugging at his shirt.”

Keshi wants Omeruo out on loan

*Omeruo

Essien heading to France — report

IVERPOOL manager Brendan Rodgers could face charges from the FA after launching a blistering attack on the officials following his side’s 2-1 defeat by Manchester City. Rodgers was unhappy with referee Lee Mason after the match against Manchester City and questioned the official’s appointment. Phillipe Coutinho gave the visitors the lead midway through the first-half, but goals from Vincent Kompany and Alvaro Negredo ensured the City overtook the Merseysiders and moved into the second place in the table. Nigeria international Victor Moses had been brought on as substitute for Phillipe Coutinho, but he did not help his side earn even one point. The most important moment for the match was before the opening goal. Raheem Sterling was incorrectly flagged offside when one on one with Joe Hart and the visitors had two penalty appeals in the second half for challenges on Luis Suarez by Joleon Lescott. The Liverpool manager queried why Bolton official Mason was handed the game be-

we’re doing today will probably not matter at all but all you can do is your best,” he said. Clare Lecrass, from Swansea, was protesting with her nineyear-old son Owain, who she said was unhappy with Mr Tan’s switch of the club’s main colours from to red. She said: “He is obsessed with them staying blue but he still wants to keep supporting them.” Owain added: “I just want the club to play in blue because that’s the right colour. I don’t like the red.”

UPER Eagles head coach, Stephen Keshi, has confirmed to supersport.com that Kenneth Omeruo, will leave Chelsea on loan. Keshi explained that it is imperative for the centre-back to leave Stamford Bridge to secure regular playing time to boost his World Cup chance with Nigeria. “I know he will leave Chelsea soon and it will be on loan. This is a World Cup year and I’ve told him that he needs to be playing regularly to have a chance of being part the team to the World Cup,” said the Nigerian manager said on Friday. The 20-year-old defender last season spent 18 months on loan at Dutch club, ADO Den Haag and Keshi believes that the spell helped the young centre half ’s development. “Kenneth is an important player for us and he showed that this year during the (Africa) Cup of Nations. It was good at the time that he spent his time on loan in The Netherlands (with ADO Den Haag after signing for Chelsea) and that helped his career well. “I believe he will leave Chelsea soon (on loan) to have playing time since this is a World Cup year,” said the former Mali and Togo manager. Omeruo made his debut for Nigeria in a goalless draw with Cape Verde in a friendly match earlier this year and played a key role in the Super Eagles’ run up to winning the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2013

Our minds are focused on South Africa CHAN Eagles

UPER Eagles de fensive midfield er, Ugonna Uzochukwu has said Christmas celebration was the least

worry for his teammates. The domestic Eagles expectedly marked the Christmas celebration in the Abuja camp in further-

No second CHAN(ce) for Iheanacho — Keshi

THE BOSS... Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi supervising a training session of the Eagles before a match. He says there is no more place for club-seeking Kelechi Iheanacho.

HERE will be no second chance for Nigerian Under-17 star, Kelechi Iheanacho in the Super Eagles build-up for the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) scheduled for South Africa. According to the Eagles head coach, Stephen Keshi, the youngster has missed one week training with the team since he opted to leave camp to sign for

•Iheanacho

English club, Manchester City. It is believed that the City deal may have fallen through leaving the youngster and his representatives considering other options. But Keshi explained to supersport.com that Iheanacho had a bright chance of making the Super Eagles squad for the CHAN which kicks off on January 11 after impressing while in camp. “Kelechi did really impress us and at the time he was in camp with us he had started getting used to our style of play, the players and officials. In fact he had started bonding well on and off the pitch with other players. Unfortunately when the call came that he was going abroad to sign a deal for Manchester City I couldn’t have stopped him since he had the backing of his family. “Right now he’s not

TODAY’S MATCHES West Ham Aston Villa Hull City Man. City Norwich Cardiff

vs vs vs vs vs vs

West Brom Swansea Fulham Crystal Man. Utd Sunderland

1:45 4:00 4:00 4:00 4:00 6:30

part of our plans for the CHAN because we’ve gone ahead with our preparation and teambuilding without him. And mind you he has lost one week of training and that’s a big gap to catch up with,” said Keshi said on Friday. Keshi is now ready to soldier on with the players available in the buildup to the competition next month.

“There are other players in camp who are committed and we will have to work with them and get the best out of them for the tournament,” said the Delta-born coach. The Nigerian squad will continue their preCHAN programme with a friendly against a Port Harcourt selected team this Saturday and round off with another game against the nation’s top

flight champions, Kano Pillars next week.

Liverpool boss lambasts referee Mason — Pg 55 Pillars at crossroads over Ikhana, Emordi — Pg 55

ance of preparations for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa next month. Uzochukwu said what was uppermost on their minds during the holiday was to prepare adequately to excel in their debut at the Chan football event. “Christmas celebration is completely off our minds. Of course, we’ve already missed the festivity as we’re still in camp preparing for the African Nations Championship. “Our minds are focused on our trainings and to ensure we contest for the title in South Africa. “We’re ready to sacrifice for fatherland as the African Nations Championship is being viewed by my teammates as a call to duty. “We’re not training tomorrow (Wednesday) being Christmas day so we’ll use the free day to rest our heads and plan ahead for the remaining practice matches coming up on Saturday and Monday. “The competition for shirt is intensifying as nobody wants to be left out from the final list of players to head to South Africa. “The competition for shirt is healthy and I strongly believe whoever that gets the nod to wear the green and white national colours will excel at the Chan. “I’m confident that we won’t add to the numbers in South Africa but strongly contest for the title,” said the Enugu Rangers playmaker to supersport.com. The Eagles will engage the domestic champions, Kano Pillars in a practice match on Monday at the Abuja National Stadium before they head off to South Africa. The third edition of the Chan holds in South Africa from January 11 to February 1. Nigeria will compete in Group A with the hosts, South Africa, Mali and Mozambique.

CROSS WORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1.Golden Eaglets (U-17) Winger, Kelechi – (9) 5.Petrol (3) 8.Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chairman, Comrade Abulwaheed – (4) 10.Kaduna State Governor, Mukhtar – (4) 11.PDP National Chairman, Bamanga – (5) 12.L.G.A in Kogi State (9) 16.Super Eagles’ Coach, Stephen – (5) 19.Vigilant (5) 20.Quadrilateral (9) 24.Delta State Capital (5) 26.Former Italian Currency (4) 27.State in Nigeria Known as “God’s Own State?” (4) 29.World’s Greatest Boxer, Muhammad – (3) 30.Restriction (3) 31.Real Madrid Coach, Carlo – (9) DOWN

1.State in Nigeria Known as “The Eastern Heartland?” (3) 2.Fourth Month of The Year (5) 3.Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Pius – (5) 4.L.G.A in Akwa-Ibom State (9) 6.Liverpool FC Striker, Daniel – (9) 9.Container (3) 12.Afghanistan Capital City (9) 13.Land Measure Unit (4) 14.Country in Asia (9) 15.Computer Language (5) 17.Cameroun “Indomitable Lions” defender, Alexandre – (4) 21.L.G.A in Zamfara State (5) 22.Adamawa State Governor, Murtala (5) 23.Japanese Sash (3) 25.First Man on Earth (4)

SOLUTION on page 15

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