I'll deal with you

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2015: Ijebu Muslim leaders solicit support for Dapo Abiodun

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uslim leaders in Ijebu land have called on the people of Ogun East to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate in the area, Prince Dapo Abiodun, in next year ’s general elections.

Chief Imam of Ijebuland, Alhaji Abdulrazaak Salaudeen, who made the call at the weekend, hinged his admonition on the sincerity and honesty shown by the business man cum politician which he described as rare qualities hadly exhibited by politicians.

The cleric made the call shortly after the Friday Jumat at the Central Mosque, Ijebu-Ode while receiving a brand new 18-seater bus from Abiodun which he donated to The League of Imams for the use of Ijebu Rabitah Academy.

He stated that his resolve to call on the sons and daughters of the district to vote the APC candidate was not unconnected with his (Abiodun’s) track records and for the fact that his word is his bond.

All the Baba Adinis and other highly placed

clerics in Ogun east participated in the prayer rendered for the donor within the premises of the Central Mosque.

Also present were some local government chairmen in the district.

The Chief Imam also charged politicians and public officeholders to see themselves as servants of God who are given the role of administering God’s people.

He said they should ensure the welfare of the

people is sacrosanct and do all they could to run the affairs of the nation with the fear of God. Addressing newsmen after the presentation, which is in fulfillment of a promise made some weeks ago, the APC candidate, who emerged victorious at the recent party primaries, explained that it is part of his principles to honour his words and would not make promises he could not meet.

NSCDC Commandant buried

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

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he late Comman dant of the Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Alhaji Issa Shuaib, was, yesterday, buried in his home town, Ilorin, Kwara State capital amidst tears from family,friends, sympathisers and colleagues.

He was aged 46.

Shuaib was confirmed the Commandant of the corps in Ondo State about three months ago,having

Calabar Carnival 2014

Cross Rivers State governor, Senator Liyel Imoke; and his wife Obioma; Minister of Tourism, High Chief Edem Duke [2nd right]; Cross Rivers State Deputy Governor, Effiok Cohbam[r]; the state PDP governorship standard bearer, Senator Ben Ayade and wife [l], during the kick off of Carnival Calabar 2014, yesterday in Calabar. Photos: Nwankpa Chijioke

served in acting capacity for several months.

He died on Friday at the Kidney Care Centre of the Ondo State Hospital after battling with a protracted illness, according to family sources.

The body was buried in his private residence in Adewole, Ilorin according to Islamic rites.

Both the Onimasa compound, Odeada Ilorin,family residence of the deceased and his private residence were besieged by mourners as sympathisers.

Governor Liyel Imoke dancing with Nigeria's Dance Hall Super Stars Psquare at the Calabar Carnival.

ESOSA TONNIE IREDIA AND EGHE MARRY IN BENIN Eghe Igbinovia, an American-based pharmacist, who served in the US Marines and currently manages a series of pharmacies in Las Vegas, Nevada, the United States, took Esosa Tonnie Iredia, a company secretary and lawyer, who lives in London and is currently engaged in commercial law, for wife. Here are some photographs from the event.

The couple and the bride's mother, Mrs Phil Iredia

R-L: Groom’s aunt, Julie Izevbigie, Archbishop Margaret Idahosa and groom's mother, Mrs Igbinovia

From right: Chief Obazuwa of Benin Kingdom; the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion; Mrs Clara Ogbemudia and husband, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia

The couple in traditional gear

From right: Bride’s father, Tonnie IREDIA; the Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Igbinedion; and former DG, NOA, Idi Farouk

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014 — PAGE 5

2015: Jega moves against Commissioners *Redeploys 37 RECs

BY JIDE AJANI

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HAIRMAN of Ni geria’s Indepen dent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru

Jega, last week, launched an offensive against entrenched interests in states of the federation as he redeployed the 37 Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs. The re-deployment is with immediate effect and all the RECs have been directed to, by December 31, 2014, “conclude all handing and taking over formalities”.

The statement redeploy-

ing the Commissioners was signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs. Augusta C. Ogakwu.

Sunday Vanguard learnt from usually dependable INEC sources that Jega chose this path of re-deployment to further “sanitise the Commission ahead of the 2015 general elections”.

Although this could not be confirmed from the electoral body at the time of going to press, Sunday Vanguard’s sources suggested that some of the Commissioners “may have been on the take” from their host state governments.

And whereas Jega and the Commission’s Secre-

Continues from page1 tary did not mention this in the re-deployment letter sent to all the Commissioners last week, it was understood that “in some instances, some RECs were hosted to such hospitalities and Afro-centric packaging in volumes that sometimes surpasses the usual remuneration from INEC”,.

It was gathered, from within the Commission’s system, that there was a handful of very committed and unflinching officials of REC cadre in whom Jega invested so much trust and who the Commission Chairman believes would not compromise, the decision to ensure that all the RECs were moved from

their present posting was said to have been taken at a meeting held by and agreed to with the Commissioners.

With the re-deployment, Jega is sending a fresh signal to INEC officials that he would not condone any form of indiscipline or sabotage within the system as INEC prepares for next year ’s potentially volatile general elections.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that some of the Commissioners were very cozy with their host governments, thereby creating the impression that the 2015 elections may be a mere formality in some states as the incumbents were to be retained via a convoluted electoral process.

With the re-deployment, entrenched interests, a source said, would suffer.

The table containing the states of origin and the new posting for the Commissioners is published along with this story

Ihedioha boosted by increased support from Imo leaders, youths

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From left: Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, PDP governorship candidate in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and former Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin, at the inaugural meeting of the PDP South-West 2015 campaign, at the Ondo Government House, Akure, yesterday.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY THE WORLD AND THE WORD-2

By Richard Eromonsele

home for the season, as well as some of the fruits of reconciliation after the primary election, have all stepped up their support for Ihedioha-this is even as the race to the governorship election becomes a threehorse- between the PDP, the APC and APGA. Reported reconciliation moves between Ihedioha and Senator Ifeany Ararume who came second in the Imo PDP primaries, has also bolstered confi-

Jonathan, in Minna, gets IBB’s support

By Ben Agande

Yes, man by nature is selfish, and that is why he covets the things of the word more than the word.

The word is a check and guide on man’s chosen path to self-destruct. Pray! Why will a man drink a whole carton of beer? What does he stands to gain from such? Every pack of cigarette in Nigeria today contains the inscription “the federal ministry of health warns that smokers are liable to die young”.

Inspite of such warning, many are bent on committing suicide, why?

The world is enticing. And like every other thing enticing, it leads to destruction….

ITH just a little less than two months left before the election of a new Governor for Imo state the support base for the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha has continued to grow, with more Imo people rallying behind his candidacy.

During the Christmas holidays, Imo youths, influential leaders of the state, citizens visiting

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resident Goodluck J o n a t h a n , yesterday, visited former President Ibrahim Babangida in Minna, Niger State capital, in what the President said was to appreciate Babangida and consult with him after his recent medical trip abroad.

Babangida, who emerged from the closed-door meeting with Jonathan, urged all Nigerians, who mean well for the country, to support the President.

Jonathan told journalists the meeting was to seek his input as a former leader on how to solve the myriads of problems confronting the country.

He said: “First and foremost, I have to use this opportunity to appreciate our leader, President Babangida, for his leadership, his commitment to ensuring that this country is united and we live in peace.

“Of course, you know that this is the end of the year.

Within this period, people pay visits. So I have come to visit him. You know he just came back from a hospital abroad, not too

long ago. Since he came back, we have not seen. I need to see my father to know how he is feeling. I am quite pleased the way I have seen him.

“Of course, you all know that as a nation, we are facing challenges: security challenges all over, not just in the North. Yes, Boko Haram in the North. The South is not safe: Commercial kidnapping and robbery.

“He is one of our experienced leaders. As somebody who is sitting where he was before, I need to see them from time to time to listen to their suggestions. That is one of the areas where we can collectively move the country forward and ensure that Nigerians live in peace.

“That is the key thing and I am quite pleased that we had a fruitful discussion”.

Also speaking to journalists, Babangida said the President means well for this country and every Nigerian who means well for the country should support him.

“What I will say is simple: The President means well for this country and he is working well for this country. Anybody who

means well for this country should support the President to make sure that Nigeria survives as a united country ”, the former leader said.

The President was accompanied on the trip by his Chief of Staff, Gen. Jones Arogbofa (rtd.); the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd); the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Muhammed; former Gover nor Peter Obi of Anambra State and Senator Ahmadu Ali, among others.

dence in the party which is aware that it must go into the election as one PDP family.

The youths- a critical support base in any election threw their support for Ihedioha two days ago when leaders of Imo State students’ body endorsed him in his quest to dislodge the incumbent All Progressives Congress (APC) government during the 2015 election in the state. Speaking on behalf of the students of the five tertiary institutions in the state, during a solidarity visit to the governorship candidate at his hometown in Mbutu, Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area, the Chairman, Council of SUG Presidents and SUG President of Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Nwadike Orient, said: “We are here to congratulate you on your emergence as governorship candidate of PDP. “We have followed your activities and progress in the legislature and having seen what you have able to achieve for the students, women, youths and other sectors of the state. We make bold to say without any fear or favour that your conferment as Commander of Youth Development was no fluke.”

Archbishop Akinadewo is dead

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HE Founder, Pri after service at the internamate, Prophet and tional headquarters of the Supreme Head of church in Ondo.

Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide, Archbishop Isaiah Moyinlorun Akinadewo (Omo Jesu), is dead.

A proprietor of many missionary schools, publisher, administrator and Ondo religious leader, he died on Friday night.

A statement signed by Senior Superintendent Gabriel Akinadewo says the remains will be buried Late Archbishop today at the Mission House Akinadewo

PAGE 6 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014

Boxing Day: Muslims urge Nigerians to emulate Oritsejafor’s philanthropic spirit

All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, acknowledging cheers from youths during the 10,000 man-march to muster support for Ambode yesterday.

By Sam Eyoboka

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N30bn not missing from Excess Crude Account — Federal Ministry of Finance

By Emmanuel Elebeke

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HE Federal Ministry of Finance has dismissed the allegation by Governor Adams Oshiomole of Edo State that $30 billion is missing from the Excess Crude Account as misleading and untrue.

A statement from the Special Adviser to the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Paul Nwabuikwu, said the allegation was shocking and untrue.

He said the comment by the governor reflected, once again, the tendency of some political players to politicize the management of the economy on the basis of half-truths and sundry distortions, warning that such baseless allegation was not good for the country.

Oshiomhole had in a widely publicized story recently accused the Federal Government of not accounting for $30 billion from the Excess Crude Account but the CME disagreed with him.

“The widely published comment by Governor Adams Oshiomhole alleging that $30 billion is missing from the Excess Crude Account is shocking and totally untrue,”the CME said.

“The comments reflect, once again, the unfortunate tendency of some political players to politicize the management of the economy on the basis of half-truths and sundry distortions. This is not good for the country.

There should be a limit

to negative politics even during an election season such as this. “ G o v e r n o r Oshiomhole’s sweeping comments give the impression that the Federal Government sits alone in secret and doles out whatever it wishes to the states from the Federation Account. But anyone who is familiar with the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) process knows that this is simply not

true. The meetings are held every month and Commissioners of Finance and other officials represent their states and agreements are reached on issues including the sharing of proceeds from the Account.”

Nwabuiku insisted that no such amount was missing in the excess crude account as alleged by the governor, wondering “how can such a huge amount be missing from the ECA and the

Edo State governor will be the only one privy to this?” “ It is instructive that the Edo State government did not table this allegation before FAAC for investigation or clarification before going public with a sweeping, political allegation based on casual, back of the envelope calculations,” he stated.

He recalled that Gov-

Youths development my priority — Jonathan

By Simon Ebegbulem, Benin City

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has vowed to make youths development his priority if voted into office for second term.

The President gave the assurance when he met with youth leaders in the South-South in Benin -City yesterday.

Jonathan, who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on Youths and Students Affairs, Mr Jude Imagwe, said the federal administration had laid the foundation on youths development in the last four years, adding that the second coming of the President will consolidate on the achievements made so far.

While urging youths to stay out of crime and allow the Federal Government provide the enabling environment for them to excel, the President lamented that youth

restiveness in some parts of the country had undermined the accelerate development the nation craved for.

“With the policies and programmes initiated by Jonathan’s administration, there is hope for youths in the country. We have programmes such as YOUWIN, Youth Employment in Agriculture Porgramme and many others. In life, we have every right, as growing people, to get ourselves involve or associated with anything that makes us happy”, he said.

“But in whatever we do, we must realize that in becoming that man you want to be tomorrow, you must stay alive, because the man you want to be tomorrow, if you had died esterday, you certainly ill not have somebody you want to be like. Anoher thing I want to us to understand is to believe in ourselves. A whole lot of us give up on ourseves. We believe we have tried and had

failed. None among us today or even among those sitting with us, failed several times yesterday but they refuse to allow their failure deferred who they were.

“Our challenge does not defer who we were but it is our hope that makes us who we are.

These challenges will always be there but when this hope is strong, it will give us a reason to identify our challenges.

“Our hope will give us a reason to confront our challenges and our hope will give us the strength to address these challenges and this is what makes us who we are. I advise the students to be careful of what they think and the thought they allow to settle in their minds because an issue that is not addressed today, will certainly disgrace you tomorrow” he said.

He further urged the youths to ensure victory for President Jonathan so as to achieve their aims in life.

HE intractable secu rity situation in the country, arguably hinged on religious intolerance, took a new twist Boxing Day, when the Managing Director of Federal Housing Authority, Prof.

Mohammed Al-Ameen, described the National President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor’s annual empowerment programme as an unparalleled act of philanthropy that can destroy the yoke of militancy in the country.

Al-Ameen was intrigued by the commitment and deep desire to uplift the living standard of the poor in the country that he advocated the upgrading the annual poverty alleviation programme to a national scale with a view to bridging the gap between the rich and the poor as well as breaking the circle of militancy across the nation.

The 2014 edition of the programme featured the presentation of seven brand new Hyandai Grand cars, 20 tricycles, 100 grinding machines to the less privileged in the society. The gesture also included an instant donation of a car each to a pastor in Maiduguri and the Chief Imam of Maiduguri, both of whom, meeting for the first time at the annual e m p o w e r m e n t

programme, immediately pledged to work towards the peace of Borno State in particular and the North East geopolitical region.

Pastor David Solomon and Imam Mohammed Saidu, commended the philanthropic spirit of the CAN president, and his determination to ensure peaceful co-existence among every Nigerian in every part of the federation, while many eminent Nigerians have chosen to remain silent.

Al-Ameen, accompanied by several Islamic scholars including the Chief Imam of Maiduguri, Alhaji Mohammed Saidu and Dr. Abdul Ishaq who sat through the entire programme and helped to present some of the items,described Oritsejafor as a man working his preaching.

Saying that what the CAN president told him during an interfaith gathering on March 27, 2014 in Abuja was far less than what they have witnessed, Prof AlAmeen said: “This is a man that will gather the down-trodden in the society and empower them with things that will totally change them for better and forever.

“Honestly speaking, I am very happy to be part of this memorable occasion. And I was telling him, this event should not be restricted to Warri alone.”

2015: Obanikoro urges supporters to work for Jonathan, Agbaje

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RSTWHILE Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has enjoined his supporters work and win the forthcoming elections for President Goodluck Jonathan and the candidate of the PDP gubernatorial candidate in Lagos, Mr. Jimi Agbaje.

Obanikoro urged them to forget the pains of the past and move on with zeal to ensure victory for the party at all levels.

He also used the opportunity to plead with his supporters not just to ensure Jonathan’s victory but also that of Agbaje.

His words: “Let me tell you one of the reasons we initially agreed to go on. The presidential election is a must win for PDP and not just for PDP but for Nigeria. You all know I am a player at the national level, at the state level and at the local level. The presidential is a national issue and for the good of our country, President Jonathan must continue and PDP must win Lagos because it is extremely cr ucial to Mr. President.”

He also urged them to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of next year ’s general elections.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 7

APC accuses FG of suppressing audit report on missing $20b oil money

By Olayinka Ajayi

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the PDP-led Federal Government of trying to suppress the audit report on the missing $20 billion oil money, saying the deadline for the release of the report, which was set by the government itself, has come and gone.

In a statement issued in Ilorin, yesterday, by its National Publicity Secretar y, Alhaji L ai Mohammed, the party said the Minister of Finance; Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had said, at the Financial Times Africa Summit 2014 in London in October, that the report would be ready in November 2014.

It quoted the Minister as saying at the Forum on Oct. 6, 2014: ‘’We engaged PwC (PriceWaterHouseCoopers) with the Auditor General of the Federation taking the lead. They asked for 16 weeks to complete the work; they have spent 11 or 12 weeks so far and they will be done in a couple of weeks.”

APC said adding the remaining four weeks for the conclusion of the report, as requested by the auditors, meant that it should have been ready latest Nov. 7, 2014. ‘’It is now over a month since the deadline for the release of the report expired, and the government has simply kept mum on the report,

apparently in an effort to sweep the issue under the carpet, as it has done with all other reports of widespread corruption under the present dispensation,”the statement said. ‘’However, Nigerians will not allow this to happen. They will continue to demand that the audit report be made public, in the interest of transparency. We also believe that the Minister of Finance should strive to protect whatever is left of her international reputation by living up to her words that the

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RMED men suspected to be cultists have reportedly shot and killed a policeman at Agudama on the outskirts of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Though the police confirmed the armed attack, they, however, said no policeman was killed and that those injured were receiving treatment.

The deceased cop, it was learnt, was shot dead by some cultists at about 12am on Christmas Day during routine patrol of the Agudama area.

According to sources, the policeman was killed on the spot while two others sustained injuries.

The attack occurred some distance away from White House area, according to a resident, who pleaded anonymity.

The attack, it was learnt, has triggered police raids in the area.

Contacted, the spokesman of the Bayelsa

L-R: Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Obasanjo's wife, Bola, at the 2014 Ibogun Day celebrations held at Ibogun, Ifo, Ogun State...yesterday .

Buhari unfit to rule — South-West PDP leaders

By Dayo Johnson, Akure

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EADERS of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South-West, yesterday, declared that the opposition presidential candidate, Gen Muhammed Buhari, is not fit to rule the country going by his antecedents.

They said that the change the opposition mouths “ is indeed a change from democracy to totalitarian and dictatorship as represented by the presidential candidate of the APC, Gen Muhamadu Buhari”.

This was contained in a communique issued after the over five hours inuagural meeting of the PDP National Campaign Council, South-West for the 2015 elections held in Akure, Ondo State capi-

Policeman feared killed by cultists

By Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa

issue will not be swept under the carpet. It is not only Nigerians but the entire international community who are interested in the outcome of the audit.

“If there is any reason why the report has not been released, the Minister should immediately come out and tell Nigerians.

Otherwise, she should release the report today so that Nigerians will know exactly how much of their oil funds is missing and those to be held responsible for the unprecedented heist.’’

Police Command, Asinimi Butswat, said the attack on the police patrol team was carried out by yet-tobe identified gunmen.

“The gunmen opened fire on our patrol team and injured our men. While no policeman was killed, three officers among the team were injured. One of them have been discharged, while two are receiving treatment,” he said.

tal. The communique added, “Judging by his temperament, political antecedents and intellectual capacity, General Muhamadu Buhari, the APC candidate, is unfit to be the President of Nigeria”.

It was signed by the National Coordinator, Dr Olusegun Mimiko; Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose; former Osun governorship candidate, Iyiola Omisore; former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro; Oloye Jumoke Akinjide; Oyo State governorship candidate, Teslim Folarin; Chief Kolapo Ogunjobi; Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe and Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun.

Other PDP leaders who attended the meeting include a former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; erstwhile presidential political adviser, Mr Akin Osuntokun; and Senator Hosea Agboola.

The communique read: “ We resolve to fully back and work for the reelection of President Goodluck Jonathan in the presidential election and all PDP candidates in other elections. “ We commend the ongoing conscious efforts of the party in ensuring genuine reconciliation of aggrieved party leaders and members towards ensuring that we approach the presidential

and other elections in unity”.

The communique, read

by Mimiko, who is also the governor of Ondo State, commended President Goodluck Jonathan for developing structures and institutions through which the country had evolved cashless financial system, dismantled the fertilizer corruption cartel, improved food security, democratised access to education through the establishment of additional universities, polytechnics and Al-majiri schools and conducted successfully the 2014 National Conference.

The meeting agreed to go beyond zonal planning and be more focused in micro planning at the state, local government, ward and polling units levels.

The meeting also resolved that concerted ef-

forts should be made to educate the people, particularly the younger generation, of the history of the main opposition presidential candidate.

Speaking at the open-

ing of the meeting, which lasted for about five hours, Mimiko said it was high time the PDP leaders rose to challenge the propaganda machinery of the APC. According to him, Nigeria should not be allowed to regress as the only change being clamoured by the APC and its leaders could only return the country to the dark old days.

Mimiko said the APC presidency would spell doom for the South-west and Yoruba race, saying Buhari, at 72, cannot change and what made him lose in the last three presidential elections

By Olayinka Ajayi

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chieftain of the P e o p l e s Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State and candidate for Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Federal Constituency seat in the February 14, 2015 National Assembly elections, Hon. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, has urged the Christian

•Says Oshiomhole is a true progressive

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FORMER Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mr Frank Okiye, says many members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state are dumping the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC) because the PDP leadership in Edo is confused.

Okiye spoke when he led 20 other PDP leaders and thousands of their

supporters to APC in Edo Central senatorial district.

Okiye said, “We have walked into the centre from various directions and I have found out that, in life, the only thing that is permanent is change and I have found that the wind of change has taken off. This wind of change has been epitomized and demonstrated in the aggressive approach to liberate our people. It is my pleasure to come out straight to identify with

and the Yoruba leaders who were sent to jail for being governor of their respective states.

Do not be deceived by Buhari’s overture, PDP chieftain urges Christians communities nationwide not to be deceived by General Muhammadu Buhari’s overture.

Agbonayinma said, in a statement yesterday in Abuja, that “the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, has begun questionable romance with the Church with the aim of

Why PDP leaders are dumping party for APC in Edo — Okiye

By Simon Ebegbulem

would still repeat itself in next year ’s general elections.

According to him, a Yoruba man was to be Speaker of House of Representatives in 2011 but was denied and the slot given to the NorthWest with the connivance of the leaders of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Also, he said the position of the Minority Leader in the Senate was to be given to Yoruba but was also taken to the North-Central which already has the Senate Presidency.

Mimiko said a vote for Buhari is a vote against the sensibilities of journalists who were jailed by the military regime

those things that have come from the administration of the Comrade Governor of Edo State, that, today, we are now freer than we were.

“There is no gainsaying that change has taken place in Edo whether anybody likes it or not.

“The old order has become moribund and monotonous that ideas are no longer generated but here we have a governor that has fire in

his bones. He came and believed that there is need for change and there are evidences to demonstrate that this man has a focus and he is aggressively pursuing it.

It got to a point where people realize that this man has a goal and they are with him fully, and that is the train of change. “ I want to be part of this change before it get to its destination. I and my leaders that are here have resolved to make our little contribution to this process of change.’’

securing its critical support in the 2015 presidential election”.

“He went on: It is indeed worrisome that Gen. Buhari has become very desperate to win the presidency, hence his overture to the Church, where I gathered he is now being taught how to sing Christian songs, which he will sing during campaign. “This is patently unacceptable as this questionable romance runs contrary to Buhari’s antecedents and the records of his public positions and declarations on the issue of religion.

“This is a man who had, in the past, cared less about hurting the sensibilities of Christians with his fanatical disposition about Muslim religion.

“He said in August 27, 2001 that he would ‘continue to show openly and inside me the total commitment to the Sharia movement that is sweeping all over Nigeria,’ and was quoted to have further declared, ‘God willing, we will not stop the agitation for the total implementation of the Sharia in the country.”

PAGE 8—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014

NEWS ANTI-VIOLENCE BOND

Bolaji Akinyemi replies Jonathan: ‘I have done my part’ •Caliphate says President already has traditional rulers’ recommendations

By Bashir Adefaka

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Minister of External Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, said he was not moved by the Presidency’s dismissal of his advice that possible post-2015 polls unrest be forestalled through an anti-violence agreement by the two major contestants, Peoples Democratic Party ’s Dr. Goodluck Ebelle Jonathan and All Progressives Congress’ General Muhammadu Buhari. He said he had done his part.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Sunday Vanguard, on Friday, the Deputy Chairman of the 2014 National Conference replied in one sentence that he had no reaction to the statement made on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati. When asked to respond to a call by Akinyemi that Jonathan and Buhari should sign an undertaking that they would control their supporters against violence before, during and after the 2015 elections, the Presidency’s spokesman said that there was no need for its principal to heed the suggestion by the former External Affairs Minister to sign such agreement.

Many calls and texts to the National Publicity of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, were not returned. In the absence of official statement by the APC at the time of filing this report, a party chieftain, who spoke anonymously because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, did not see the Akinyemi’s suggestion as a bad idea. He said Buhari, being a man of peace and order, “considering the manner he handled what he saw as electoral fraud against him in 2011 by simply approaching the court and accepting the outcome”, would have no problem with anything that would bring peace and security

to Nigeria particularly during and after the 2015 elections.

But Abati said, “The President does not need to sign an agreement for him to achieve something to which he is fully committed and of which he has been very consistent.

Free, fair and credible elections constitute one of the major legacies of this administration for which President Jonathan is proud of.

“He proved the point in the conduct of the 2011 general elections and it is public knowledge that every election that has been conducted under President Jonathan’s watch has been successful, free, fair and credible. Even when it is an election which the opposition is the winner, he has always been the first to congratulate the opposition.”

But a public analyst told Sunday Vanguard that Akinyemi’s call for the anti-violence agreement was imperative considering the fact that the claims of free, fair and credible elections conduct by Jonathan, as stated by Abati, failed to ensure violence-free society in the aftermath of the 2011 elections.

His words: “There should not have been any need for violence that greeted parts of the North as a fallout of the irregularities and fraud that greeted the 2011 elections in Nigeria. The claims of free, fair and credible election, as we have been made to believe by the President’s man is anything near the truth. To forestall a repeat of the unfortunate incidence is the reason President Jonathan should have been the first to prove the apostleship of peaceful, free, fair and credible elections conduct that he claims to be by embracing what the brilliant professor has suggested.” The Presidency, according to the Abati statement, referred

Akinyemi to many reasons Jonathan was not to be seen as the problem justifying why he should not sign any such anti-violence bond. “The people that we should be worried about are the people who have been openly threatening fire and brimstone over an election that they have not yet participated in. You were in this country when one character said that they will form a parallel government,”it said.

“You were in this country when another character said that heaven will fall if they do not win the election. You were in this country when some characters claimed that they have already set up a cabinet over an election which they have not yet participated.”

This angle of the Presidency ’s statement did not go down well with the public affairs analyst, who queried why the opposition’s comment should only always be the one that bothers the President whereas many inciting statements had been made by Jonathan’s loyalists such as Chief Edwin Clark, Asari Dokubo and ‘General’ Tompolo and government took no action.

“Asari Dokubo had said

The hunters have blown their whistles.

If the dogs of war do not want to listen, that is their own business

•Akinyemi... Proponent of undertaking ahead of polls that Nigeria would collapse if Jonathan did not win the 2015 presidential election. In a democracy?

He has said more and we have read and probably that has also been confirmed by how one of the ex-militant leaders, connected with the maritime security of this country, reportedly purchased six warships. To do what? If anybody does not tell us what for, we know that an effort is thus being made towards fulfilling the threat to collapse Nigeria if Jonathan does not win the 2015 presidential election,”he said.

“Even the refusal by government to issue a statement on Tompolo’s warships, as to what action they have taken against him which must include seizure and forfeiture to the state of such warships, has further aggravated tension thus making it imperative that the President should see Akinyemi’s letter as a good contribution from concerned stakeholders to a leadership that is truly in love with the unity and peace of the country and the people.”

I won’t react to Jonathan’s statement – Akinyemi

Asked about his response to the President on his suggested solution, Akinyemi said, “I have no reaction to that. The hunters have blown their whistles. If the dogs of war do not want to listen, that is their own business!”

Traditional rulers gave recommendations to Jonathan – Sultan

In the meantime, as a way of playing its natural role of ensuring that there is no violence after the 2015 polls, the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, NCTRN, co-chaired by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji

Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, on Tuesday, convened its 7th General Assembly under the theme: “Sustaining the natural mandate of the traditional institutions in contemporary Nigeria,” where the Sultan reaffirmed the commitment of traditional rulers to ensure peace, unity, justice and stability of the nation. The monarch asked the government to look into their recommendations positively with a view to implementing them.

Since collective effort of the traditional rulers was what was required, the Sultan, who did not want to make a personal statement on the matter, said the assembly of monarchs would deliberate extensively on issues affecting the country, particularly the preparations leading to the 2015 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the insecurity ravaging the country, among others.

When Sunday Vanguard called on the Sultan to get his reaction to the Presidency’s attitude to the letter by Akinyemi, which was also written to the Sultan and other eminent traditional rulers across the country, the Secretary to the Sultanate Council, Alhaji Attahiru Hussaini, said only the Secretary to the NCTRN was qualified to make comment on it and that since he, Hussaini, was not at the Abuja meeting, there nothing to say. He added that the Sultan had no personal comment to make but that being a collective NCTRN thing, whatever the national monarchy made on the matter was final.

The best way to avert post-election violence — Abubakar Umar To Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, a former

governor of old Kaduna State, the best way to avert or minimise post-election violence in 2015 was to ensure that the polls are free and fair and that the winners should be magnanimous in victory.

His words: “Of course, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi’s view is straightforward. The winner must be magnanimous in victory and the loser must be a good loser.

That, I think, is the best formula to avert post-election crises. If people do not play by the rules or allow sentiments to prevail, there could be dire consequences; so we call on everyone to play by the rules and show magnanimity in victory and the loser should accept defeat in good faith.”

He advised people to vote wisely so as to preserve the unity of Nigeria.

UN, EU, AU, ECOWAS fear for Nigeria

Diplomatic sources told Sunday Vanguard that the United Nations, UN; the European Union, EU; the African Union, AU; as well as the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS; are planning a roundtable on the need to save Nigeria from postelection conflict.

The bodies are already in consultations and are keenly interested in the outcome of the 2015 general elections.

A source, who disclosed this, said the bodies with representatives in Nigeria, were worried about events in the build up to the elections.

The roundtable, Sunday Vanguard was further made to understand, would examine ways of reducing the heat in the polity, sue for an arrangement that would ensure a free and fair electoral process as well as facilitate better relationship between the candidates and the parties.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 9

DIASPORA

Broadband: Huawei calls for industry collaboration, We write our news for the regulatory support

world, by M. Babajide-Alabi

By EMEKA AGINAM

I

T is safe to say that Nigeria is always in the global news. Being in the global spotlight should be a good thing, at least, that means someone somewhere in the country is doing something (right). But often this is not the case.

A

T the just concluded International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom World 2014 held in Doha, Qatar, Huawei while highlighting a better connected digital lifestyle has called for industry collaboration and regulatory support for broadband business innovation.

At the event where Huawei showcased its vision of “Building a Better Connected World”, the technology company outlined a more convenient and smarter lifestyle featuring futuristic 5G connectivity technologies, ubiquitous broadband connectivity, and connected smart cities and smart homes.

At the event where Huawei and ITU co-hosted the “Broader Way Forum” with the theme “Enabling the Digital Future”, Mr. Ken Hu, Huawei Deputy Chairman of the Board and Rotating CEO, delivered a keynote speech that outlined the digitized future and broadband network development trends.

He encouraged regulators to balance the interests of various stakeholders and foster cooperation and business model innovation.

“In the future, broadband networks will continue to be the critical infrastructure that enables content providers, app developers and network operators to collaborate and engage in joint business innovation..

“I believe that the model of innovation in the future would be featured by meshshaped new partnerships, enabling any party along the value chain to participate and innovate. I would suggest all stakeholders to focus less on competition, but more on cooperation. The future of innovation for broadband can create diverse value for multiple winners including customers, enterprises, and investors.”, he said.

Calling for support from the regulators, he said that, “I hope that the regulators can keep up with the pace of change in the development of technology and business models, while striking a balance between protecting the interests of various parties involved in the value chain. Looking forward, I anticipate regulators to encourage technology, business model, as well as investment model innovations related to broadband network deployment and utilization,

However, we Nigerians have been "writing" the content of the news stories aired or published in the western media. Unfortunately the news stories we all are "wiring out" are not impressive at all.

Therefore being in the news does not mean there has been any positive development.

•Mr. Ken Hu, Huawei Deputy Chairman of the Board and Rotating Chief Executive Officer paving the way to rejuvenating global broadband development.”

Also speaking, Houlin Zhao, Deputy SecretaryGeneral and next Secretary-General, ITU, noted that, “Broadband networks form a key driver for a country ’s socioeconomic growth.

“Ubiquitous broadband has increased government efficiency, transformed business models, and improved people’s lives.

“C r o s s - i n d u s t r y collaboration and innovation are crucial to achieving digital inclusion for all. Huawei has actively

partnered with governments and operators to modernize networks, accelerate broadband access, and build networks in remote areas.

“In addition, Huawei has supported the ITU in building a connected world and making lives better. At this year’s annual meeting, the ITU named Huawei as a Strategic Partner in recognition of its significant contributions to and achievements in telecom initiatives worldwide. We look forward to broader collaboration in the industry to take society into a digital future.”

PATECH assures on expanding frontiers on African tech ecosystem

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HE President of Pan African Association of Online Technology Publishers (PATECH), Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata has assured on expanding frontiers on African technology ecosystem.

Agbata who disclosed this recently in Lagos during maiden media briefing said that Africa’s tech community has made giant strides in recent times but certainly needs more support and exposure.

“For this and many other reasons, Pan-African Association of Online Technology Publishers (PATECH) is born - a non-profit organization that is committed to supporting Africa’s fledging tech community through sharing of information and advocacy.

“PATECH aims to provide a suitable platform for foster learning and development, initiating

and buildingcollaborations and also to propagate further collaboration among bloggers. The organization will be seeking to provide training to members and clients on aspects of blogging and cyberspace publishing including content development and social media” He explained.

At the event that was attended by Prof. Pat Utomi, he said that members of PATECH would engage in consultation and advocacy that would seek the growth of local technology marketing for both new and existing startups.

Part of PATECH strategy , he said is to create interesting and awesome events and conferences that will further add value to the ecosystem.

“An ecosystem that has thrived and keeps thriving with little or no support, it is time to beam the light on the Africa’s promising future which is her tech startups and innovators” he added.

THE DOCTORS SENT IN THEIR REPORTS It's been a while that any good news about Nigeria has featured in the Western media. The only memorable "positive" news about the country in 2014 was when Nigeria was declared Ebola free.

Even with this, a section of the Western media was still cautious of its reporting, instead "played safe" and focussed on the collapsing health system in Nigeria, especially the Doctors' strike at the height of the Ebola scare.

In this wise, the striking medical doctors wrote a perfect story for the international media.

NO BLAME PLEASE No one can blame the Western media. We need to look inwards and reappraise ourselves. In doing this, we would need to ask, has there really been any news coming from Nigeria worth celebrating? I doubt very much. This is why we have to understand the plight of the Western media when they struggle to report Nigeria. You cannot blame them when they report lack of stable electricity, poor road network, falling educational standards or insecurity in the country. These are what their "on the ground staff" are witnessing and reporting. And these are the stories we Nigerians and the government are "filing in" for them.

MADE IN THAILAND Towards the end of this year, 2014, a new wave of international reporting pushed Nigeria up in the news level, at least on the social media. There was "breaking news" from Thailand, written, reported and acted by Nigerians.

I bring to you "News of Nigerians in Thailand".

Warning: The actors (and actresses) in the clips are Nigerians like you, who decided to "sacrifice themselves" on a platter of "death" via execution for

The actors are real Nigerians who tell their stories by themselves. And in doing this they show how desperate some of us have become in the face of unemployment or opportunities back at home

drug trafficking in a country that has zero tolerance for drugs.

I bet you have seen one of these video clips I am trying to describe here. There seem to be some sort of coordinated releases of these clips from Thailand on social media networks in recent times.

If you have been so preoccupied and have not seen the video clips, please do yourself a favour and book a "box office ticket" to them on YouTube or Facebook.

The settings are the same a dingy police interrogation room, one or two Nigerians on spotlight, shadows of Thai police officers and a video camera with a flashlight on the faces of these "actors".

There is no introduction, rather it is straight to business.

I must state here that there has been no media coverage of Nigeria that equals these video clips. The actors are real Nigerians who tell their stories by themselves. And in doing this they show how desperate some of us have become in the face of unemployment or opportunities back at home.

These video clips show Nigerians arrested for drug trafficking, who despite their knowledge of the death penalty for drug trafficking in this country still risk their lives to "hawk the stuff". The clips are painful to watch as the arrested Nigerian criminals crumble under interrogations. It is more painful watching them trying to justify their involvement in the drug business. They struggle through their sentences in thick Nigerian accent. Some beg for mercy while some with straight faces lie through their ordeal.

SHAME OF CRIMINAL MINDED CITIZENS

A 419 Nigerian pastor was featured in one of the clips, visibly and audibly trying to pull the wools over his interrogators' eyes. Every time this guy was caught out in his lie, he quoted copiously from the Bible to support his lie.

This disgrace is further accelerated by the booming voices of the Thailand police interrogators. They shout at these criminals, trying to put the fear of the law into their hearts. The officers, making no effort to hide their hatred of Nigerians (maybe for their criminal activities) ask in grandstanding styles what part of Nigeria these criminals are from. It is obvious the Thai officers have very good knowledge of the geography of Nigeria.

Maybe from experience, they have a belief that it is citizens from a particular tribe in Nigeria that is giving them the greatest headache in drug trafficking and 419 business.

DISGRACEFUL ACT The point here is the disgraceful act of these Nigerians who have put a general condemnation "curse" on every Nigerian living in or visiting the country. No matter how educated you are or your area of competence, as long as you are a Nigerian in Thailand you are regarded as a potential criminal, drug trafficker and a scam artist. To shake this tag off takes a lot of explanation and personal uprightness.

It is not only in Thailand that a citizen's pride as a Nigerian is curtailed. There are many more countries all over the world where these set of hard core Nigerian criminals have rubbished their countrymen. From downtown Soweto to the affluent part of Accra or the streets of New York City there are Nigerians who have little or no regard for the country's pride.

GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION These latest wave of video clips from Thailand calls for intervention from our government. There is need for education for young Nigerians who risk their lives by trafficking drugs in these no drug tolerance countries.

Do we still wonder why the western media reports us negatively? We write the stories for them.

PAGE 10—SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014

Nigeria by taking action NOW. Incidentally, some of Obasanjo’s “armor bearers”, “food is ready columnists” are now in the Jonathan Campaign team.

It will be interesting to see on

faith, a devoted family man and a role model…”

General Buhari, December 17, 2014; after the choice of Yemi Osibajo, SAN, as his running mate.

Surprise is a vital element in all wars; and

politics has always been war by other means. For months, know-nothings have been driving themselves into a frenzy about APC fielding a Muslim-Muslim ticket; or the party being a “Muslim Party ”. One Oxford educated lawyer, who apparently cannot differentiate rumour from fact, decamped to PDP based on such fallacy.

Good riddance to a load of rubbish.

As Nigerians digest the truth, namely, that a Muslim-Muslim ticket was the product of the over-ripe imaginations of such individuals, they have a major problem.

THEY WILL HAVE TO INVENT ANOTHER LIE. Yemi Osibajo, the VP candidate of the APC is not only better qualified than anybody on the other side, his integrity, is like that of Buhari.

The demonisation of Asiwaju Tinubu, for having legitimate political ambition, should ordinarily stop now. But, it won’t. Those who equate their own “god” with the true Messiah, Jesus, will not admit error. They will press on with more falsehood.

But, I have bad news for them. Nigerians are wiser now. They know the government which had enriched one per cent of the population while impoverishing 99%. By contrast, they can trust the man who said: “The lives of the poor [99%] are bled dry,

cynic, at this eleventh hour?

Why not earlier? Peoples' lives do not matter before?

This is a country where 22 governors have not paid their civil servants their salaries as it is believed that the salaries will be used for coming election.

These men (and women of valour) have an aversion to the truth and even when the wiring is legibly on the wall, they spurt out more of their diatribe diarrhoeic verbiage.

Every time they open their mouth, a big whopper comes out and you wonder who buys their lies, in the age of information. Only the ignorant would swallow their lies hook, line and sinker.

Disturbingly, most people do.

There are so many comical Alis parading as presidential publicity, spokesperson. These, people would hope that more people can dispense the truth but that they continually stare down the lens and drop another whopper bigger than the last.

The trouble is when you believe your own lies then your reality and fantasy becomes blurred even to the point of ridicule. They are constantly lying that Houdini has nothing on these sleaze conjurers. In the age of information, I believe ignorance is a choice. And every Nigerian should make up their mind on what to believe. I honestly don't believe anyone would want the same of the last years for their children and family.

This is exactly more of what people will be experiencing

with these men of Valour, they simply are morally vacuous and with no integrity, they have sold their principles long time ago. The longer they are given the power, the more they will continue to deliver their brand of truth and damage the fragile peace.

They do not know how to build. They destroy and put one tribe or religion against another.

What people are fed and exposed by bamboozling people with outright lies are wrapped like important information and threats. This is simply not the way for people of clout only to abuse their position

army? This man has a very over inflated image of himself. Pardon me, the last time I looked, Nigeria was still a democracy and people can vote for who they want. So in order for peace, the man threatens people with war. How oxymoronic! Where are the police or the security agents when this man publicly made these threats? They say that the apple does not fall far from the tree. GEJ through his deputy, Namadi Sambo, declared "that GEJ's administration had managed the country's economy to become the greatest in Africa and one

Obasanjo versus Obasanjo on Jonathan

Change must come, they have no choice "We cannot trample upon the humanity of others without devaluing our own.

The Igbo, always practical, put it concretely in their proverb Onye ji onye n'ani ji onwe ya: "He who will hold another down in the mud must stay in the mud to keep him down."-- Chinua Achebe

W

HAT is it with some people that they believe their own lies and feel compelled to ram it forcefully down the throat of others even when these people know that it is not in the collective peoples' interests? The pathology of such people is simply they lack conscience and thrive whenever there is mistrust and hatred.

I mean, what is it to them that many of our young have no job, no training, or in education. What is it to them that our old and vulnerable are without support, that thousands of Nigerians are displaced and are refugees in neighbouring state or in the neighbouring countries? That Nigeria has the highest number of people with Diabetes in Africa. According to WHO,

Nigeria has the highest mortality rate for the disease and 1,218,000 people are affected and 3.85 million have impaired glucose tolerance and in Nigeria there is over 6 million Nigerians with full blown diabetes mellitus and WHO has warned Nigeria that it will be a major threat to public health beyond the year 2030.

That Nigeria accounts for 14% of the world's total maternal deaths and 11% of deaths of children, shockingly, that is 2.5% of the world's population.

That it means that one million children under five dies in Nigeria every year.

Every day or so there is more massacres by the insurgency and the girls from Chibok remain missing and many more since have been killed or kidnapped. That the general hospitals are dilapidated; people cannot have access or the means to procure medical intervention. Yes, I know, GEJ has now signed the National Health Bill into law but it will be a long way before the people can receive a good quality health care. And call me a

deal of the corruption, during Obasanjo’s government, was traced directly to Obasanjo himself – the purchase of a Peugeot 607 for a lady of easy virtue, out of PDTF account, being one of them.

Since none of the numerous shady deals traceable to Obasanjo has been overtaken by time, no statute of limitation, Jonathan will get rid of a national nuisance and help

The last thing Jonathan should do is to send anybody to Obasanjo to beg.

The damage has been done; the words are out and cannot be denied. The incumbent Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces is at war with the former C-I-C; Jonathan must fight it to win – or go down fighting

,

,

B

have gone from frying pan to fire. If in the past corruption was in the corridors of power, it would seem now to be in the sitting room, dining room and bedroom of power.”

Given the timing of the book launch, it was obviously designed to inflict maximum damage on Jonathan – who, on this occasion has my sympathies. He is being accused by the most selfrighteous and hypocritical man in Nigeria – if not the whole world. My advice to Jonathan is that he should not run for cover under this barrage of attacks by Obasanjo. I would like to send him a copy of my book PDP: C O R R U P T I O N INCORPORATED. In it he would discover two powerful weapons. First, he will read about how Abacha, tired of Obasanjo’s attacks, sent him to jail – using an amended version of a decree Obasanjo himself signed into law when he tried to get Gowon shot for coup plotting. Second, he will find how a great

,

“Liars ought to have good memories.”

Agernon Sidney, 16221683.

(VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, p 127).

ACK in 2010, a few days after late President Umaru Yar ’Adua passed on, former President Obasanjo thundered: “Jonathan, you must run; don’t tell me you won’t run.” One would have thought that the man was patriotic enough to recommend someone competent to run the ship of the Nigerian State to us and the world.

Two weeks ago, the same Obasanjo launched a book he titled My Watch.

In it he had these to say about the same Jonathan.

“Jonathan is lacking in broad vision, knowledge, c o n f i d e n c e , understanding, concentration, capacity, sense of security, courage, moral and ethical principles, character and passion to move the nation forward on a fast trajectory….Under Jonathan we seem to

which side they will line up – their former paymaster or their current benefactor.

Certainly, truth or principle will not dictate their choice – only naked self-interest; as their families’ history, in the old Western Region, had amply demonstrated.

The last thing Jonathan should do is to send anybody to Obasanjo to beg. The damage has been done; the words are out and cannot be denied. The incumbent Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces is at war with the former C-IC; Jonathan must fight it to win – or go down fighting. That is what courage demands.

APC SURPRISES THE RUMOUR MONGERS “I have chosen a man of unimpeachable integrity, an excellent professional, a man of

There is a lot of disconnection and liberal dose of exaggerations when it comes to their version of what is happening to Nigerians under their watch

with a multiplication of infractions.

One such mighty men of Valour, Asari Dokubo has been up to his buffoonish bluffing, he said ; "I will destroy Yoruba land completely and proceed to finish the North if Jonathan is not returned to Aso rock" Only in Nigeria can a man of no significant talent or achievement be given airtime. So, he and his army want to take on all Yoruba in Yorubaland and then he will proceed to the north and deal with them.

He should tell that to the marines! He and whose

,

of the largest in the world".

And he went on that his government had changed the course of history in the country. Which country?

According to the president, he had fulfilled all his electioneering campaign promises he made to Nigerians during the 2011 presidential election.

When it comes to truth telling it seems there are so many versions of the truth and a lot of what was said does not resemble the reality of peoples' lives.

For instance ,GEJ went to church for Christmas and in his speech he was more

while of the wealthy [1%] soak in abundance. It is time to end this demeaning chapter in our nation’s history.”

Buhari had been in charge of great wealth before. He refrained from illicit self-enrichment.

No foreign magazine listed him among the richest in Africa and the world. A man who could resist the temptation for avarice – at forty or fifty – will not start at 71. That is the difference between a pet dog and a wild dog; the difference between a real guard dog and a predator.

WAIVER PAL AVER; OKONJO WAHALA “Federal Government loses N24b yearly to crude import waiver ” CBN Governor, Guardian, Dec. 15, 2014, pp 1-2.

For sixteen years of PDP rule, it means that N384b went into the pockets of “friends” of PDP to import crude. For five years of Jonathan administration, it meant N120b was given away to “supporters” of the “ Tr a n s f o r m a t i o n Agenda”. How much did you get?

LAST LINE: As 2014 comes to a close, can you honestly say your life has improved? If not blame GEJ and let him know it on Election Day. Visit: www.delesobowale.com or Visit: www.facebook.com/ biolasobowale or follow on Twitter @DrDelesobowale concerned with the statements made by other politicians and how they were " setting the country ablaze". He did not mention the spirit of Christmas or peace nor compassion. He was more concerned about politicians that he urged them to "desist from sowing the seeds of discord, saying that the country does not belong to politicians alone". Well, it seems the man knows where his priority lies.

Oh and the GEJ described the security challenges as "temporary and asked the church to continue to pray".

Wow, what an understatement! This version of the truth is akin Emperor Nero playing the fiddle while Rome burns or Comical Ali convincing everyone but himself that Iraq had fallen into the hands of the Allied troops.

There is a lot of disconnection and liberal dose of exaggerations when it comes to their version of what is happening to Nigerians under their watch. In fact, they believe and are convinced that they are not to blame for the rot,epidemic of corruption, insecurity and structural demise of institutions and societal degradation. But they are quick to lay claim to everything that has been good or been a success including the eradication of Ebola.

The intensity of their insolence and alacrity has grown exponentially now that the election is round the corner there is so much name calling and disrespect when it comes to the court scribes.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 11 are till date yet to send in theirs.

Presidential election. A look at the list of donors easily shows that much more must have been raked in since then because the usual generous donors- the business tycoons of Nigeria

Interestingly, some analysts have not been able come to terms with the huge donations by some ‘awkward’ donors. What such analysts do not know is that the PDP has this magic which propels the poor to financially bail out the rich especially at electioneering periods. Let us remember that during the recently concluded nomination of candidates, the nomination form of President Goodluck Jonathan was reportedly purchased on his behalf by herdsmen etc.? Whereas he needed only N22million to get the form, he received donations worth N98million from many people that are mistaken as poor. Among them were: Central Market Traders Union, Kaduna State which donated N1million, Miyetti Allah Kautal Horethe national body of Fulani herdsmen- N5million, the Northern Youths ForumN2million and even the National Association of Widows that donated thousands of naira. In the case of Governors wishing to move to the Senate, there were wealthy youths around to serve as sponsors. This happened in Akwa Ibom in respect of the form for Governor Godswill Akpabio just as another set of youths under the aegis of Benue Youth in Diaspora Association (BYDA) allegedly provided money to purchase the senatorial

people Christmas time is a period of stress every December. Yet, because of old habits and the religious significance of the occasion, very few people make the required behavioural changes to reduce the collateral stress and inconveniences that come with Yuletide. In my opinion, Christmas is o v e r r a t e d .

Businesspersons and the clergy deliberately hyperbolise it for selfish material benefits. And because most people are

Christian sources.

Tradition has it that Jesus was born on December 25, and his birthday is celebrated on that date.

‘Christmas’ means “Christ’s Mass,” that is, the mass commemorating the feast of Christ’s nativity, or birth. The C h r i s t m a s Encyclopaedia states that the choice of 25 th December as Jesus’ birthday had no biblical precedent, but was a pragmatic adaptation from Roman festivals held at the end of every

PDP must not spend its N21billion on elections! engage the same international construction companies that build great roads abroad, we pay more than four times what others pay for the same task. The other day, there was an unrefuted allegation that Imo State paid N400 million per kilometre!

Who then can say Nigeria is poor? Let no one use our inadequate health care system to assess our level of

,

It is the current government party that should be sensitive about the basic purpose of governance which is to ensure the security and welfare of Nigerians

poverty. That our hospitals are virtually empty with little or no modern facilities and drugs is in essence not a true reflection of how rich we are; after all our leaders are always able

PhD, Department of Philosophy, University of Lagos,

Facts, fiction and Christmas (1)

T

HE purported b i r t h

of Jesus of N a z a r e t h , commemorated every December 25 as Charismas, is the most popular religious celebration in the world.

Even in non-Christian countries such as China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey and Iran, reverberations of Christmas are unmistakable. Across major towns and villages in Nigeria, there is increased tempo in activities as millions prepare for the occasion.

Of course, markets, shopping malls and supermarkets witness huge upsurge in patronage, because customers seem very eager to spend money for enjoyment and for meeting social expectations.

Contemporary Christmas is definitely one of the triumphs of capitalism and r a m p a g i n g consumerism. With increased economic activity during the festive period, there is a quantum leap in the incidence of criminality, especially armed robbery, advance fee fraud, kidnapping, etc.

to afford the cost of oversee check-ups. Indeed, the occasional repatriation of billions of public fund misappropriated by our leaders suggests that as a nation, Nigeria is more than solvent. Of course she is; considering that only a few days ago, our ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) raised N21 billion within the twinkle of an eye to handle the February 2015

Expectedly, thousands of city dwellers travel to the villages during Christmas. For Ndigbo particularly who constitute the most centrifugal and gregarious ethnic nationality in Nigeria, yuletide holidays afford them the opportunity to meet loved ones they had not seen for years and participate in community meetings and other cultural activities. Again, unmarried men and women use the occasion to hook up with potential spouses. But the major problem with travelling for Christmas in Nigeria, especially to the south east, aside from dilapidated roads, is that transporters arbitrarily increase transport fares, thereby making things more difficult for the masses. As a corollary, prices of everything rise very steeply, whereas in developed countries prices of goods and services go down considerably so that everyone would enjoy the festive season. The average businessperson in Nigeria is solely interested in maximising profits - he or she is not bothered about the effects of arbitrary price increases on the poor. To be candid, for many

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IGERIANS, who once a while, wonder why the rest of the world hardly comes to our aid even in times of danger often lose sight of the fact that we are to a large extent, a wealthy nation. Other countries are aware that we have enough to meet all our needs. At least, we are better placed to meet our needs than many other countries. Our annual budget for instance is usually bigger than those of our 15 neighbouring countries put together. Why then should anyone classify us among poor countries?

Again, that so much of our money is hardly accounted for should not be taken to mean that we are poor; it is just that our public funds are in the private pockets of the powerful and privileged class. At the same time, that only a few roads are built or resurfaced should not be mistaken to mean that we don’t have enough to produce many more smooth and beautiful roads. We are unable to do much more because although we often

As a corollary, prices of everything rise very steeply, whereas in developed countries prices of goods and services go down considerably so that everyone would enjoy the festive season

gullible in religious matters, they fail to see the folly in stressing t h e m s e l v e s unnecessarily just to “belong.”

Since about ninety-nine percent of Christians are ignorant about certain important facts concerning their religion, including Christmas, it would be useful to explain how the festival originated and highlight some problems with the received tradition embodied in New Testament.

According to “The Truth about Christmas,” published in Awake December 2010 edition, Christmas celebrations evolved from non-

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year, about the time of winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.

Integral to those festivals were the Saturnalia, in honour of Saturn, god of agriculture, and the combined festivals of two sun gods, Sol and Mithra from Rome and Persia respectively.

Both birthdays were celebrated on December 25, the winter solstice, based on the Julian calendar.

The evolution and adaptation of these celebrations into Christian practice began around 350 A.D., when Pope Julius I proclaimed December 25 as Christ’s birthday. Subsequently, the nativity celebration

nomination Governor, Suswam.

form for Gabriel

The point that has been made with much ease is that there is money in Nigeria. What remains to be stated is how our money can be more reasonably used. To deploy PDP’s N21billion on elections for instance, would be patently wrong for many reasons.

First, our Electoral Act makes it illegal for any candidate to raise either by himself or on his behalf any sum in excess of N1billion.

There is even the specific provision in the law that “An individual or other entity shall not donate more than N1, 000,000 to any candidate.” Thus, those who gave more than one million naira are wrong, so are those who received the donations. They are liable according to Section 91 of the said Electoral Act to a fine of N1m or imprisonment for a term of 12 months or both. The same section also makes it an offence for any candidate to spend more than N1 billion as election expenses at a Presidential election. In which case the PDP is under obligation to put no less than N20 billion of the fund it raised at their special dinner into other uses.

It is therefore suggested that the party should donate a good chunk of the money to our military to update their equipment in their bid to stop the ravaging

gradually absorbed and supplanted all other solstice rites, while solar imagery became increasingly prominent in depicting the notion of “the risen Christ” or sol invictus. In addition, the ancient solar disk metamorphosed into haloes around the heads of Christian saints. It must be observed that for most New Testament scholars the entire paraphernalia of Christmas, together with the date, Christmas tree and so on are rooted in ancient superstition and rituals, which predated the birth of Christianity itself.

Now, despite centuries of historical research, there is little solid historical evidence to back the veracity of the gospels’ narratives concerning the birth of Jesus. Indeed, eminent historians and philosophers, such as Arnold Toynbee and Bertrand Russell, have questioned the historicity of the character named Jesus in the gospels. But even if we ignore the historical problem and presume that the gospels’ accounts are accurate, it is still a fact that Christmas celebration was never recommended in the Christian scripture.

Actually, it is virtually impossible to ascertain precisely from the gospels the actual date Jesus was born; they merely gave imprecise geographical and seasonal indications of the birth and early

insurgency in parts of the country. This is because the PDP, more than any other person or group, has more at stake. It is the current government party that should be sensitive about the basic purpose of governance which is to ensure the security and welfare of Nigerians. Such a function ought to be more important to the party than an election because if the insurgency does not end, our people are justified not to rely on that party at future elections. The way the PDP dinner was organized and the ease with which it raked N21billion suggest that the party is capable of doing whatever it sets out to do.

The Chairman of the Fund raising dinner, Professor Jerry Gana confirmed this when he eloquently described how the donors would be mobilized. The efficacy of “If you are a teacher, you teach well”Gana’s legacy re-echoed at the dinner. Nigerians should therefore request the party to handle the battle against insurgency in the country with the same vigour and efficiency with which it has left nothing undone to be battle ready for elections.

The promise of the federal government that it would ensure free and fair elections in 2015 presupposes that the government party will obey the rule limiting election expenses so as to prevent commercialized politics with its legion of ills.

circumstances of Jesus.

Luke 2:8, for instance, suggests that when Jesus was born, shepherds were living out of doors herding their sheep at night near Bethlehem.

However, the cold rainy season in the area of Jesus’ nativity usually begins in October, during which shepherds, especially in the colder highlands such as those around Bethlehem, bring their flock into protected shelters at night. The coldest weather, sometimes accompanied by snow, occurs in December, thus making that period inappropriate for shepherds to tend their animals at night.

From the foregoing, it is unlikely that Jesus was born in December.

The four gospels that contain the story of Jesus’ origins and birth not only contradict one another but also, at times, violently disagree.

Moreover, their accounts are considerably vague.

Consider this: of the four gospels, two - Matthew and Luke - contain stories of the birth of Jesus, and they are at odds with each other. Matthew portrays Jesus as an aristocrat, connected to the Davidic bloodline through Solomon. On the other hand, Luke says that Jesus’ family, though connected to the house of David, was of a somewhat less exalted stock. But where did the legend of “son of a poor carpenter ” originate from?

To be continued

PAGE 12— SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014

ew on kun is not nin. He to n su O in k a RA political terr the nation’s e h ig h e s t le v e l o f al t th o p e r a te d at w h e n h e w a s Po li ti cun g n e se nt Olu gover nm rmer Preside, h e w a s th e fo to r e is v d A e fo r e th e n cy O b a s a n jo . Birector of the News Agen w, ie D v g r Managin (NAN). In this inte g of Nigeria iagnoses the polity, fieldinns o d ti n c u ing ele Osuntok the forthcom questions ontenders. Excerpts: and the con

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HE N21b donated to the PDP presidential campaign has generated interest among a section of the public with some people saying those who donated the money committed illegality.

Some people in fact called it obscene while a group of lawyers were reported as calling for the prosecution of the PDP and some of the donors. Should mere donation to a campaign generate hues and hues?

With due respect, Nigerians tend to be sensational even at the risk of sounding hypocritical, most of the time. I was a director of a presidential campaign like this in2002. I can tell you that just paying like N1000 or N2000 per agent in all the polling booths all over the country amounted to about N10b. That is just paying them, all over the country. When people hear that it is N21b, may be it is generating reaction because it is PDP. Everything the party does, they think it must be discredited but, more importantly, I think I have mentioned this fact once which is that there is a lack of rigor and seriousness about the way commentators and observers respond to issues. They are given to cheap and careless talk. I would have expected that there are relevant facts that should be taken into consideration. One of such is, what does the law permit? And within the context of what we are talking about, is that law even reasonable?

Because I was reading a while ago that the presidential campaign donation should not exceed N1b. How can that be possible when paying your agents is a lot more than N1b? You are going to travel around the country, charter planes and hire buses, hotel expenses are there. The logistics of going round the country for a presidential campaign are enormous. May be political editors should, through their writings, speak to the minds of those who crafted the law, it is an unrealistic law. It is not logical given what is on ground. But, campaign finances, like in the advanced democracies, you saw what happened in the last presidential election in the U.S., the money spent was well over 1b dollars and their own Supreme Court was the one that actually gave judgment and removed any decided to raise a certain amount? ceiling on the money spent on In any case, don’t let us overreach election. The money spent during ourselves. The problems of the last congressional election in elections in Nigeria, if we were to the US was well over 400m give them priority, donations made dollars. Yes, it is good to limit the would not rank high. I think we impact of money so that it can be should be more concerned about regularized in such a way that, credibility of voting on the day of having taken into account what election so that every vote would you need to spend on logistics, you count, establishing a conducive can now use that to factor what the atmosphere. Whatever the peg you law should consider excessive spending. I think Nigerians need to put on donation is ultimately irrelevant if you cannot attain the be educated and counselled not to standard of credibility that was get carried away by figures easily. achieved in Ekiti and Osun states. I I think the source of the funds is hope you know that it is on record also important and that is what that the single most expensive the critics are querying. You find application form in the history of Jerry Gana and friends donating Nigeria was paid by General N5b, TundeAyeni, an operator in Buhari. This is where the hypocrisy the power sector, donating N2b, of some people like Buhari begins and people are saying when these people contribute this much to come in. How can you say you stand for probity and you find it in to the campaign, the chances are yourself to pay N27m? it would that they will have some have been credible of him to say, influence on government when ‘look, if this is what I need to pay to the party wins the election at the get this, I am not going to do it’. If end of the day. you want to live by example and Was the government of America image his supporters are projecting taken over by those who him to be, then he has no business contributed money especially the paying N27m to get application Republicans? There is no logical form. He went head telling stories correspondence between the two. that he got it from bank a manager The fact that you put down money and so on, tell that to the marines. does not mean you exert needless If they say the N27m application influence over government activities. Obasanjo said so in 1999 form was intended to weed out unserious candidates, to the best of that ‘consider the money you have my knowledge, none of the five donated as a wise investment but applicants stepped down on nothing further’. Jerry Gana was account of the application fee. But able to mobilize N5b, all well and I am saying here is a man who says good. If you want to investigate it he has only one house, I don’t know as an issue, go ahead and do it, but whether it is true or not, you are why should you bother yourself if this and that. If he refuses to pay some people among themselves the money, will APC disqualify

•Osuntokun

Buhari’s claim to nationalism is suspect — Osuntokun

•‘Jonathan contending with the most formidable opposition since 1960’ •Lists the quick fixes Jonathan needs ahead of polls •‘How S/West will vote in 2015’ him? I assumed and it was proven at the primary that he was their most formidable candidate, and I thought he would have used that platform to insist that the right thing must be done. He didn’t choose that path What does that tell you about Nigerian politicians generally?

Where this is significant is the gap between deed and precept. He projects himself and he is being projected as a cut apart. The man that has come to fight indiscipline, corruption and so on and he had not even started the race before exhibiting contrary tendencies. This is my personal problem with people like Buhari, they will say something and not want to be judged by it regarding the kind of statements made all over the place. I must have mentioned it somewhere in my writings. He championed the destabilization

and subversion of Obasanjo government, because Obasanjo probed PTF and he was invited to clarify issues that did not bear out the reputation of integrity. And he then exploited the issue of Sharia to instigate division and incite regional rebellion against Obasanjo.

And here lies my fundamental objection against his aspiration-that anybody who uses the instrumentality of division and polarizing the people of this country should not be rewarded with the presidency of Nigeria. He attained to political popularity by pandering to the base sentiment of religious persecution.

Until a year ago, what was he saying about Book Haram? He said when the Niger- Delta militants did their own, they rehabilitated them, sent them to schools abroad, this and that, but when it came to

He has the dubious distinction of heading a government that was the most unbalanced and parochial in the history of Nigeria. He was a Muslim from the North, the late Idiagbon, his deputy at that time, was a Muslim from the North also

Boko Haram in the North, they are burning their houses and killing them (Boko Haram sect), and for that, it is an injustice to the North.

This was what this man said, just barely a year ago. And Nigerians tend to have short attention span and are given to wilful ignorance.

Choose that which they want to remember and choose which to forget. The impression I have gathered in some of my write ups on him is that some people don’t want to know the truth; they care less about putting their own candidate under scrutiny. And, I say that is unfair. If Jonathan is being put under 1000 megawatts light, his language, body movements, everything is scrutinized, every second of the day, it is only fair for the opponent to be subjected to a measure of scrutiny too.

In essence, Buhari is not under adequate scrutiny Most certainly he has not. Look at his antecedence. He has the dubious distinction of heading a government that was the most unbalanced and parochial in the history of Nigeria. He was a Muslim from the North, the late Idiagbon, his deputy at that time, was a Muslim from the North also.

You can see the trend of his instinct.

When he was the Chairman of PTF, almost 70% of the expenditure of the PTF was expended in one section of the country. He was Chairman for five years. During those five years, no single staff of PTF was tried for corruption, is it

•Continues on page 13

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 13

Buhari’s claim to nationalism is suspect — Osuntokun imagination i think that he should him which is, he just believes in •Continued from page 12 realistic to assume that for those five years no corrupt act was perpetrated at the agency? PTF was perhaps the only agency on record that handed over its mandate to just one consultant-the Afri-projects Some people may argue that as the boss who set the rules and lived by example, people under him were able to key into that?

Well they didn’t key into it and it was his duty that he ensured they did.

When you say they did not, then you must have a contrary view.

I am telling you that they didn’t key into and it is unrealistic for you to assume that nobody was corrupt in PTF. In any case, there are papers that established sundry acts of corruption. The buck stopped on his table which is what they are saying about Jonathan. If your wife is unable to deliver safely today, they will find a way of attributing it to Jonathan; that is an exaggerated way of saying he takes responsibility for everything. You as the executive Chairman of PTF, the buck stopped on your table on everything done there. I think Nigerians need to think more and beyond the superficial.

I thought that was in the past and the past should be in the past Oh I see! They belong to the past.

Okay, what Jonathan did yesterday should belong to the past too, right?

He is an incumbent president, his case is different.

So the standard of judging an incumbent president should be different from somebody who says he is better than him? Buhari has record. It is the height of hypocrisy to say that you don’t want to hold him to that record. The aspect of it you think is convenient for you, you want to trumpet it to high heavens, who is fooling who? Even if you want to discountenance the past, the act of him purchasing a form for N27m alone speaks volumes of Buhari. Again, it is very unwise politically for him to have done that. I think that is where he should have started his anti-corruption crusade. What we have in Buhari is the character of a man so desperate and obsessed with power.

After he lost the election in 2011, he said he was no longer going to contest again. A year later, the story has changed You worked closely with Obasanjo and in the emergence of Jonathan as running mate to the late Yar’Adua. I can’t find the connection between the present Obasanjo’santagonism towards somebody he is supposed to be guiding. What went wrong?

I think it has one or two dimensions. Some aspects of it are political. Some aspects are genuine worries. No president is perfect. Like Jonathan said and I often tell people that they don’t have a full measure of the problems a president gets confronted. On that seat, you are going to get about 10 conflicting advices on one issue. That alone puts you on the spot. I am a supporter of Jonathan which means that I don’t agree substantially with the position Obasanjo has taken. It is not that I believe that Jonathan is the best that has happened to Nigeria, it is not that by any stretch of

not be criticized. I have no objection to that. Mine is this. If 90% of those who have access to the media are publicly criticizing a man that you cannot find any good thing to say about him, the man cannot be totally bad. I took a deliberate position to advocate for him, to put his case forward, for the sake of balance. In the past two, three weeks, I have been asking myself, what really is the problem that critics cannot see anything good in this man? I travelled by road from Abuja to Lagos and saw evidence of works all over, and yet, people are saying he has done nothing. The railways is there. Go to agriculture and see what he has done there. It really worries me.

Some of these things are so contrary to logic. By temperament and training, I believe in fairness and balance. People exaggerate the short comings of the president, they are grossly exaggerated. Nigeria got the best rating from Transparent International since, I think, they have been rating Nigeria. This year, T.I said 37 countries are more corrupt than Nigeria. Before, Nigeria used to be either the most corrupt or the second or third. What is it that they have seen that we are yet to see?

They are not partisan. They have no obligation to be. They have more access to the information they use to evaluate a country. This is why I say people should pause and reflect. A man has to speak for himself anyway. May be they are not doing a lot of that. But, I see a lot of intimidation, stampeding the president all over the place. And, to be fair to Obasanjo anyway, he has played that role to a higher and lesser degree since he left as military head of state. So his criticism of Jonathan, is to that extent, not peculiar. But, at the end of the day, everybody would answer for himself. And one thing I appreciate him (baba) for is that, he has not in any way tried to influence me against the position that I take, not at all. Not once did he say or imply ‘don’t support Jonathan’.

If you were president today, given the fact that elections are two months away, what would you be doing as quick fixes in order to tilt that perception you said is fraudulent to positives to assure the people that you are still the best man for the job?

He should find a way of getting across to people on his achievements. But there is a problem here and this is where style obstructs actions. If only people can be open to see objectively what he has done, I just gave an instance that there is nobody who drives from Abuja to Lagos and will not be impressed whichever government was responsible for the road works. I think his style, gestures and symbols for instance matter. Like the woman who died of Ebola, Dr.Adedevoh, I don’t see why he should not extend substantial goodwill gesture to her. Although the argument was that you cannot give her national honour post humorously, I thought he needed to have done something spontaneously. To me, if you name the National Hospital, Abuja after her, I don’t think it is too much.

This is why I said it is about style.

So, you ask, why has he not done it? That is why I said it is a matter of style. Then, there is an aspect of

allowing processes and situations to play themselves out even if it is at a cost to himself. I think he has this attitude of saying, ‘Look, what is there? My conscience is clear, I have done this right, if people believe it or not, God is there’. But again, the opposition he has now is the most formidable any government can have since 1960.

We have a significant segment of the South- West which is propaganda powered, plus the most entrenched interest in Nigeria, the North. If you have those two segments to contend with… where it becomes double jeopardy is that by nature, the president is a recessive personality.

And you know this 24 hour news cycle; what you do now-in 30 minutes the news is all over the world. So, whoever is in the spot light is under public scrutiny 24 hours a day. It never used to be like that. And as a media person, in our own profession, how it is damaging is that, he no longer has the luxury of time. Before the global village era, If you receive a news item in Vanguard, it doesn’t get to the public until the following day, so that gives room for damage control, but not any longer. These are some of the problems he is contending with. And it is like something that has acquired a momentum of its own, negative news feeding negative news. Its like anything you see or read about government, you immediately push it to your subconscious that it has to be negative. People are not ready to give him the benefit of the doubt. You assume the worst, almost immediately. I give you an instance, there was this controversy, I think, some months back about a plane taking 9.12 million dollars to South Africa.

The interpretation by his adversaries and many nonadversaries too was that there was some kind of corruption involvedand that is because people don’t want to give him any benefit of the doubt but I did. I was with my friends and I said to them that if a president wants to steal money and take it out, will it be 12m dollars that he will steal? But along the line, we now found the reason, not because they told us, but because it was the reality. They had to go and purchase arms in the black market. You cannot blame him for that because the security operatives cannot afford to tell you that ‘this is what we want to do, here is the place we are going to buy it from’.

Nigerians now know but the damage has been done. Another one: Before the Governor of

If Jonathan is from any of this majority group, WAZOBIA, he will be less vulnerable to this kind of political intimidation. And one of the reasons I stand up for him is that I don’t like intimidation

•Osuntokun Central Bank, Lamido Sanusi, left his position, he made this allegation about 20 billion dollars missing. At the time he left office, all parties to that controversy, including himself, agreed that it was only 11 billion dollars outstanding, but up till today, if the London Times is writing about it, everybody in Nigeria, it is 20 billion dollars unaccounted for. I am not saying 11 billion dollars excuses anybody, but this illustrates the predisposition to exaggerate the man’s shortcomings.

How about the issues of the economy and power which have become a campaign issue?

You talk about the economy not doing well, what parameters or yardsticks are you using to measure it and relative to what in Nigeria? I am not saying the economy of Nigeria is in good shape but you also have to look at it objectively, and relative to what?

Is it any worse than before. There will definitely be areas of improvement. The government has adopted macro economy stability model-like Obasanjo did. In the short run, it is going to impact some level of discomfort but, again, that is a policy debate. I told someone that if you want to get an honest assessment of the Nigerian economy, go to the World Bank or IMF or the rating agencies. You spoke about power, I am not happy about it too. I think the problem is circular, that is when the cause becomes the effect and the effect becomes the cause. Another political problem I found is that, people think he took the tenure that should have gone to the North. A large amount of the hostility towards him emanates from there.

For instance, people would tell you that he said he would only do one term. But where is the evidence? At any rate If Jonathan is from any of this majority group, WAZOBIA, he will be less vulnerable to this kind of political intimidation. And one of the reasons I stand up for him is that I don’t like intimidation....simply because he is from the minority and they are not as cohesive as those of us that come from the so - called majority groups. He is from minority within minority within minority.

Would you blame people when they criticize the ruling party given what is happening in Ekiti State where, with the collusion of the sitting governor, seven members of the state House of Assembly have upstaged 21 colleagues?

Can you mention any other PDP governor that has done that? If one out of 22 governors did that, why

should you be generalizing it as PDP? You did not ask a similar question about Fayemi who was reported to have purchased two beds for N50m, who built a mansion at over 3billion naira with a yearly maintenance fee of N150m. and this in a state that is the poorest in the country. I am sure if it was a PDP governor, there would have been protest marches all over the country.

Where do you see the Yoruba nation of the South-West before and post - 2015?

I was reading my brother SegunAdeniyi recently talking about the Buhari fever in the South- West. Personally I don’t have a fever. And Ekiti and Ondo states, I don’t think anybody can consider them feverish for Buhari. In Oyo and Ogun States, the APC is in the minority, even though it is the government there.

In Oyo state the combination of Ladoja, Akala and residual PDP constitute by far the majority. As a matter of fact, APC has been a minority all along, it is not just now. The case has just gotten worse. At the beginning, if you added the votes of those who split from PDP to the original PDP, if you put all the votes together, APC would have lost, and the same thing in Ogun State. The situation in Ogun has gotten worse now because Chief Osoba has taken his own faction out of the APC. So, when people write in the media, talking about Buhari fever in the South- West, I just laugh. These people in Oyo and Ogun states, they may quarrel among themselves at the moment, but they have to make one choice at the presidential election, it will be between Jonathan and Buhari, I don’t see any of them pitching its tent with Buhari or APC. Effectively, the probability is that Jonathan will win in those four states, Oyo, Ekiti, Ogun and Ondo.

There remains Lagos and Osun states. The case of Osun state is very interesting. The kind of stuff we are hearing at the tribunal is that the APC has some questions to answer, but let us assume that Jonathan wins the percentage of votes that Omisore won during the governorship election in the state, add it to those four states. In Lagos, there is an aspect of the Lagos voting population that I would not want to refer to here but in Lagos State, there is very high probability that the PDP will surprise pundits. I hope you can now see how the Buhari fever has been effectively contained in the South West-the way and manner Nigeria successfully contained the Ebola fever.

PAGE 14—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014

The problem with Obasanjo, by Falae

*‘If you think I am a spent force in politics, wait till the 2015 polls’

• Chief Olu Falae....Corruption must die for Nigeria to survive

Chief Olu Falae, an economist, was Secretary to the General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida-led Federal Military Government.

In 1999, he ran against PDP’s Olusegun Obasanjo as the joint candidate of the ADAPP in that year’s presidential election. He is the National Chairman of the newly registered Social Democratic Party, SDP. The party’s Lagos State Chapter was presented to the public recently. Falae, after the presentation, spoke to Sunday Vanguard.

Y

ou were formally of the SDMP, now it is SDP. What happened?

Yes, I am now for SDP. Let me give you a little history about it. When we formed the SDMP, the name we wanted to use was SDP which I used to belong to. But then, we were reminded that the military government then had banned the SDP before they left. So, if C M Y K

I had put forward the SDP, INEC would not have registered us. So, we added M, to make it different from SDP. After registration, some of us went to court and the Supreme Court ruled that the only laws on parties recognized in this dispensation are the Constitution of Nigeria as amended and the Electoral Act as amended. All decrees and enactments are null and void.

And so, our party was free to operate. So, we wrote to INEC to change our name from SDMP to SDP. Can this new party make any appreciable impact before and during the 2015 elections?

We are making appreciable impact already. All the three senators and seven of the nine House of Representatives, from Ogun State, are members of the SDP. A former governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, is with us. And in Ondo State right now, the brand is moving. On daily basis, we receive people in droves, both from PDP and

,

BY BILESANMI OLALEKAN

Is there any sense in citizens killing other citizens in the same country? The whole blame should be on the table of the president

,

APC, they are decamping to us on daily basis. We welcome everybody into our party, there is no exception. However, it is now left for the leadership of the party to manage them.

It is said that majority of you promoters of the party are spent forces?

If you think I am a spent force, wait till the next elections in Ondo State; wait for the next elections in Ogun and Lagos States. Who is a spent force to start with? Did they define who a spent force is?

No, they didn’t. If spent force means age, then wait till January. You are spent when you no longer have idea that can contribute meaningfully to the society. You are spent when you can no longer connect with the people, when you are no longer connecting with the concerns of the people. That is what they call spent force.

How about those saying that majority of the members are people aggrieved from other parties?

I am not an aggrieved member of any party. Chief Ade-

banjo is not an aggrieved member of any party. I think one should challenge some of these comments they are making. Who is an aggrieved member? In any case, all the people they were referring to were in SDP. Osoba became governor as an SDP man. He merely returned to his political home. Please don’t listen to such idle talk.

You said the party is fielding candidates for all the elective offices. How about that of the presidency?

We will have our presidential convention in December, why not wait till that day. It is only when we are through with our convention and we don’t have a presidential candidate that we can begin to talk about supporting some other presidential candidate from another party.

What is on your take on the Federal Government handling of the insurgency in the North-East?

If I were the president, I would have finished them long ago. Two years ago, I said we should declare war on these people, some said they are our citizens. Is there any sense in citizens killing other citizens in the same country?

The whole blame should be on the table of the president.

Look at the invasion of the National Assembly by the police recently, that action was not up to what happened in the West in 1968 before the entire place was put under state of emergency. What does that mean? It means that if there are anti-democratic forces around, that action was sufficient enough to truncate the democratic process.

Former President Obasanjo alleged that members of the National Assembly are corrupt I have said it and still saying again, corruption must die so that Nigeria may live. The two cannot live together. It is true they set up anti-corruption agencies. Yes, they enacted anti-corruption laws but the Obasanjo regime sowed the greatest seed of corruption since independence. It was during his time that Ghana Must Go bag full of money was brought to the National Assembly during the third term agenda debacle. It was during regime that ministers were arrested and charged to court for promoting corruption activities. It was during the regime that public officers were accused of stealing billions of naira. We never had all these before. It was the regime that encouraged corruption on large scale.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 15

Why we are promoting Mimiko’s legacy — Hon. Akinlaja

By Emmanuel Ajibulu Hon. (Comrade) Joseph Iranola Akinlaja represents Ondo East/West Federal Constituency at the National Assembly in Abuja and doubles as Chairman Iroko Legacy Platform, a group set up to identify, monitor and document the achievements of Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State so as to create room for generation yet unborn to have records of his indelible milestones. Akinlaja was Assistant General Secretary of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, between1981 – 1999, General Secretary 2001 – 2004 and Deputy President, Nigeria Labour Congress between 2003– 2006. He is presently the Grand Patron and Technical Consultant to Petroleum Tankers Drivers Association of Nigeria. In this interview, he gives insight into the Iroko Legacy Platform and his political aspirations.

Excerpts: As Chairman of Iroko Legacy Platform, can share the group’s vision? must first of all thank the principled people of Ondo State for voting Governor Olusegun Mimiko as their leader for the first and second terms respectively and, to the glory of God, the state is better for it today. Mimiko has placed Ondo State on an enviable footing through various programmes and legacy projects that he put in place since the inception of his administration on February 24, 2009. It is most gratifying and commendable that today we all can see a developed and prosperous Ondo State which has become the pride of Africa and the black race. He has consis-

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I am encouraged by the teeming support we have received from our youth who are endowed with fresh ideas, bubbling energy and a passionate desire for the sustenance of Iroko Legacies •Hon. Joseph Iranola Akinlaja tently displayed courage, and, out of his wealth of experience, rekindled our innovative instinct as a state, showcased our character and turned the dream of Ondo State into reality. I must also note that I am encouraged by the teeming support we have received from our youth who are endowed with fresh ideas, bubbling energy and a passionate desire for the sustenance of Iroko Legacies, they are the hope of this nation, without them, we really can’t talk of a future with hope and confidence. I should not be misconstrued though, because Iroko Legacy Platform is not exclusively for the youth, people of older generation have a part to play in this as well. Now, to be more direct, Iroko Legacy Platform is saddled with the responsibility of documenting the achievements of Governor Mimiko among other things, such that even when he eventually leaves office, generation yet unborn will be able to have access to those records of his indelible milestones which have largely portrayed our focused and amiable governor as best in Nigeria in the areas of health care deliv-

ery with a particular emphasis on infant and maternal mortality, this particular milestone which is popularly called Abiye is the mother of all achievements in my personal view. Others are human capital development and capacity building, urban renewal, agriculture, social welfare, education and so on. Interestingly, his legacies would serve as benchmark for good governance in the state in particular and Nigeria in general. It would be a benchmark through which the performance of subsequent governors would be measured.

Again, for all of us in Ondo state, it would be our abiding duty therefore to ingrain into the subconscious minds of Nigerians the enviable Legacies of Governor Olusegun Mimiko of our time.

Why did you consider Abiye health initiative of Governor Mimiko as mother of all achievements?

The facts are very empirical.

Within four years of his first term, Governor Olusegun Mimiko effectively surpassed the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 which many countries of the world are still battling to meet up with; I think this symbolic

achievement is quite remarkable and should not be downplayed.

We must continue to say this for others to emulate and join the trend of visionary and purposeful leadership for the good of our people so that posterity won’t judge them harshly. From the point of view of the governor, the Abiye programme was conceived to ensure that pregnancy would no longer be a death sentence for women in Ondo State, through the provision of free and adequate healthcare for pregnant women and children of zero to five years of age. The programme was clearly designed to tackle four major factors predisposing pregnant women to death, namely; delay in seeking care when complications arise; delay in reaching care when decisions are made; delay in accessing care on arrival at healthcare facilities; and delay in referring care from where it is initiated to where it can be completed. The Abiye strategy was therefore put in place to counter delay in seeking care, delay in reaching care, delay in accessing care and delay in referring care through various provisions and actions ranging from assigning Health Rangers to pregnant women for proper monitoring from conception to birth; provision of mobile phones for maintaining free contact with Health Rangers and Healthcare Providers; provision of appropriate transportation like fourwheel and tricycle ambulances; renovation of existing basic health centres and construction of new ones and adequate provision of drugs and other consumables. Abiye has recorded so much success such that it has been signposted as the model for tackling infant and maternal mortality in the developing

world. This global acclaim is evident in the fact that the World Bank officially listed Ondo State Abiye programme on its website as one of the success stories coming out of Africa. The tertiary healthcare aspect of the Mimiko Healthcare Revolution revolves around the Mother and Child Hospital, Akure, the Medical Village, Ondo, which accommodates among others, the Trauma Centre, Kidney Care Centre, Gani Fawehinmi Diagnostic Centre and another Mother and Child Hospital. All these are my convictions.

You already have your ticket to run for another term as representative of Ondo East/West Federal Constituency at the National Assembly on the platform of People’s Democratic Party, what’s your reaction?

Honestly I feel so elated and rewarded for another opportunity given to me by my people to test my popularity once again at the 2015 National Assembly polls, it is not everybody that is so privileged to enjoy such rare grace. Remember we were in Labour Party before, until recently when we have to collapse our structure and join force with PDP, and this is a party which already has its existing structures in place, some of these realities made the whole process not to appear as easy as some people may think, but today we thank God, things are falling into places in the interest of our party. I don’t know if you could permit me to use this platform to extend my profound gratitude to my constituents, Governor Olusegun Mimiko and political associates, especially the leadership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State as well as those who share our views and aspirations. I reassure them all that I will not disappoint them.

Enugu PDP primary and Senator Eze: Matters arising

BY SILAS OMENKA

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HE Peoples Democrat ic Party, PDP, primary election in Enugu State has come and gone but its ripples stay with us.

On December 8, 2014, about midday, something dramatic happened. As the King Asara A. Asara governorship primary election panel chose to brief the seven governorship aspirants about the task before them, some startling revelations came up.

During the briefing, some interesting submission was made by one of the aspirants, Sen. Ayogu Eze, over the list of delegates for the election, whereupon the panel chairman admitted, in the full glare of the press, that the list of delegates given to him was totally at variance with the certified true copy of a court judgement containing the list of delegates elected on November 1, 2014.

Eze had alerted the panel that these authentic delegates were not allowed into the venue chosen for the primary.

Those denied access to this

venue, which had earlier been taken over by illegal delegates made up of all sorts of people hurriedly put together, were 306 delegates from Enugu North, another 231 delegates from Enugu East and 120 other delegates from Udi and Ezeagu local governments from Enugu West.

The authentic ad hoc delegates denied access into the venue totalled 657. There were also some statutory delegates who weren’t in that venue, plus some ad hoc delegates who were against the attempt by the authorities in Enugu and Abuja to manipulate the primary.

These people were the authentic delegates who converged on Filbon Hotel, New Haven, Enugu to elect Eze the authentic flagbearer of PDP for the 2015 governorship election in Enugu State.

There are, on the whole, 1,008 delegates in Enugu State, made up 780 ad hoc delegates, and over 200 statutory delegates, which included five of the seven governorship aspirants. Two of them are already statutory

The curious thing is, if he truly won the election, would he rush to court to put a road block on the way of someone who he said, didn’t participate in the election?

• Senator Ayogu Eze delegates.

Where then did they conjure up the 937 votes they claim their man, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, scored when 657 delegates were absent besides other delegates who shunned that sham called primary?

When 657 is removed from 1,008, you are left with 351 genuine delegates. Add to it the statutory and ad hoc delegates who shunned that charade at the stadium, you’ll be left with barely 200 genuine delegates there.

In Filbon, 672 delegates were accredited. This was

made up of 538 delegates from Enugu North and Enugu East deliberately removed from the concocted delegates used by the government and other ad hoc and statutory delegates who weren’t at the stadium.

Again, on November 9, 2014, a day after the primary election, Ugwuanyi rushed to court to obtain an injunction restraining Eze from parading himself as the candidate.

The curious thing is, if he truly won the election, would

he rush to court to put a road block on the way of someone who he said, didn’t participate in the election?

They know they did not participate in any genuine primary election. They know that the cerebral, focused and outspoken senator won the election, fair and square.

This same matter is a subject of two litigations, one in an Enugu High Court and another one in an Abuja High Court.

One would then ask, why sponsor write ups in the newspapers against Eze if not just because someone has something to hide and is hoping to confuse the judiciary by planting falsehood in the national dailies?

Anyone who followed the primary as I did and who listened to the electoral panel chairman when he admitted that he was handed a concocted delegates list would not be surprised that Ugwuanyi and his advisers can go to the extent of committing contempt of the court just to market a falsehood that cannot stand the test of time. *Omenka is resident in Enugu C M Y K

PAGE 16 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014

E X C L U S I V E !

My lesbian stor y —Movie star, Yvonne Nelson

•'I like Jim Iyke because heis a hot guy’

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Y interview with top Ghanaian actress – Yvonne Nelson-was a revelation in so many ways. Of the leading Nollywood stars, Yvonne is among those I had not had a close relationship with. I had watched her from afar, seen countless number of her movies and had always thought she was a great and talented actress – someone who combined poise, beauty and style. I had also heard of some unsavory things ascribed to her – the rumors of sexual orientation which some say verged between pure lesbianism and bi-sexualism – all manner of shenanigans that had been whispered and published about her.

Some years ago, she came out with a movie, “Heart of Men”, in which she seemed to have appeared in frontal nudity– a development that set off a firestorm of protest among Nollywood lovers –with many condemning the exploitation of graphic sexual images to promote and sell movies – which was a deviation of what Nollywood had always been seen to represent: a family friendly entertainment medium.

Added to an alleged fight for supremacy between her and fellow Ghanaian actress – Jackie Appiah – a development that was said to have resulted in her much publicized one-year ban from Nollywood- you begin to have a profile of an actress who may come across as a diva and somewhat opinionated.

It was with mindset that I welcomed the chance to interview Yvonne Nelson, when her representative called and informed me that the pretty actress was in New York, and would love to talk to me. And so, on the balmy and unseasonably warm evening of March, 2012, I drove to the Marriot Hotel located at the heart of Times Square, Manhattan, where she was staying, to do this interview.

Bad girl roles

The first revelation was that Yvonne Nelson is an exceedingly pretty actress –far prettier in real life than in her movies. Second, she is a far cry from those bad girl roles

she plays in movies. Yvonne neither smokes nor drinks. An offer of drinks from me was flatly but graciously rejected. Her depiction as a diva also felt flat because the Yvonne that I saw and interviewed was thoroughly grounded and even shy.

So why all the misconceptions?, I asked her. In a diction and vocal cadence that showed a highly educated and urbane mind, Yvonne told me she had been hugely misunderstood. “That is why I am willing to address some of those misconceptions now. Even though it pains me to have to talk about them, but I will. I am nothing close to the roles I play in movies. People should understand that I am an actresses and I get scripts that expect me to act in a certain manner. As a consummate professional, I am not going to turn down those scripts because I was expected to act in a certain manner,”she said. “I am aware that some people took exception to the role I played in the movie “Heart of Men” where there appeared to be some form of frontal nudity, but the truth of the matter is that there was no such overt display of nudity. But let’s even for the sake of argument say there was some nudity, why are we so judgmental and somewhat hypocritical? The same people who took issues with that movie watch Hollywood movies where sexually graphic scenes are shown in a most morally appalling manner. We don’t condemn such roles; we, as a matter of fact, celebrate such roles. I am not an advocate of nudity or sexually graphic images in our movies. I have actually spoken against some of those tendencies; I will never appear frontally nude in any movie no matter the fees promised. “I have morals and my morals are held closely to my chest. As you may recall, I was not the only person in that scene; there were others, and I am always at a loss when my role appeared to have been the one that garnered the most reaction. If you have been following the industry, which I believe you do, overt resort to nudity has been greatly reduced.

It was a phase-one that was experimented by some producers and realizing that it ran counter to the values that Nollywood

•Yvonne Nelson

orGallywood espoused, the producers went back to doing stories that are heavy on family values.”

One of the rumors that dominated the industry, last year, was one that centered on her sexual orientation. It was widely speculated that Yvonne Nelson was a lesbian or, at best, a bi-sexual. Until this moment, Yvonne had not commented on that rumor and when I asked her what her real sexual orientation was, she looked me straight in the eye and said “look at me….what do you think? Of course, I am not a lesbian.

Lesbianism is against my religious beliefs, it’s against my cultural norms and I think it was very mischievous for people to insinuate such about someone they hardly knew. The rumor was started by a notorious website in Ghana last year when they reported that they had never seen me with a man. In their warped and twisted calculation, I was thus a

lesbian. Can you imagine such crass reasoning? That they had not seen me with a man, and may have seen me with my girlfriends going out to have fun, and then automatically I was a lesbian. It was a hatchet job – an attempt to discredit me, but they all failed. I am heterosexual and would remain one till the end.

When you are in the public light as I have been blessed and privileged to being, your life becomes a public property and some mischievous people will say all manner of things about you. It comes with the territory, so I forgive them.”

‘Jim Iyke and I’

Sometime ago, it was also reported that Yvonne was in involved in a hot romance with Nollywood actor – Jim Iyke. Jim Iyke then was hot and heavy with the Jamaican model – Ketura Hamilton - an affair that has since ruptured.

Continues next week

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 17

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•Nazareth Jesse Bako

•Sarraphina Onyekachi Amaechi

•Didi Ekanem

•Crystal Okoye

•Lizzygold Onuwaje

In the Spirit of the Season F

(New Photo shoots)

rom time to time, entertainment celebrities take to photo studios to showcase what mother nature has endowed them with. It is in fact a necessary exercise to remain fresh and relevant in the industry. For the yuletide season, some hit the studios again and come out looking like what? It is for you to decide.

•Chika Oguine

•Awele Edota

C M Y K

•Collete Orji

•Uche Iwuanyanwu

PAGE 18 — SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014 Onikoyi68@gmail.com

I’m still a virgin

I want to be that sex symbol in people’s bedroom – Maheeda

—Adokiye Kyrian

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aroline Sam known as Maheeda in the entertainment industry may be the bad girl most parents wouldn’t want within a yard of their wards, but the former prostitute turned musician has an ace up her sleeve. In a riveting interview with Potpourri in the year, the pretty mother of one gave reasons why she is using sex and nudity to sell her music, first gospel, before really going secular.

According to her, she is treading the path most Nigerian entertainers wouldn’t dare because of their inhibitions.

“I had this vision of what’s happening right now. Like I’m very bad, like I’m the baddest girl in Nigeria which is not true. So, my vision is actually to see my posters in people’s bedrooms and stuff like that. I want to be that sex symbol one can fantasize about” she boasted.

Giving her reason for wanting her nude and sex posters to adorn people’s bedroom, the Lasgidi Chick and Naija Bad Girl crooner explained it is a sort of brand she is trying to build.

“Because it works abroad, it could work here too. I had my challenges.

They are still there but there’s no stopping me because I know that for anything new you have to fight for it. I am leveraging on being a sex symbol because sex sells. I want to make money and also, I want to ( All Vanguard exclusives) make my name. It’s the only space in the Nigerian music industry that ontrary to the general opinion that showbiz stars live t is just there, everybody is scared to heir lives in the open they rarely open up on intimate tread on such a path, so I’m daring matters concerning them. They are as cagey as they come it” she said. when beset with media probings. But for one reason or another Potpourri has been able to get into their skin to draw out what have come across as confessions. Thanks to the bold ones who have made this venture an enterprising and interesting experience. Here are some of the boldest confession that emblazoned this column in the course of this closing year.

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dokiye doesn’t seem to have the kind of beauty that grabs you like a live-wire but she has that subtle, seductive and vulnerable loveliness that envelops you the moment you come in contact with her. But beneath those delicate features is an unusual streak of bag of tricks.

When she told Potpourri she is still a virgin at 23, she started a media riot that got somewhat violent and venomous. Within some minutes of the story going online, some over 500 comments have been lashed at her.

Some just could not marry the girl that posed almost nude for a few dollars in a magazine a couple of years back with the virgin staring them in the face.

Even up till last month of the year, Adokiye maintained her stand and still keeps to the price of losing her coveted flower.

“Any man that buys my mum the private jet I promised her, wins my heart” she had said.

Boldest confessions o f 2014

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Why I dumped mothers of my two daughters

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– Oritsefemi

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ouble Wahala crooner, Oritsefemi, revealed to Vanguard during the year that he had a rough beginning. But his rough beginning did not stop him from impregnating two childhood lovers who had a daughter each for him. Until his interview with Vanguard no one really knew it wasn’t his present fiancee that had the daughters for him. Oritse explained extensively how the daughters came about and why he left their mothers at the time, “My two daughters are from different mothers and I am not marrying any of them. It’s a long story. Back in the days, as a street boy, growing up in the ghetto city of Ajegunle, I had some childhood girlfriends who got pregnant.

“Then, I had no means of livelihood to sustain them. But I ensured that I took care of my kids right from when they were born. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take care of their mothers because of my financial status then. But now, that God has elevated me, I am planning to take my children abroad” he said.

C M Y K

Party without alcohol is nothing, born-again Christian Eniola Badmus confesses

•Eniola Badmus

•Oritsefemi

f stereotypical movie roles have anything to do in defining the true character of an individual, then Eniola Badmus should be nothing but a bad girl in real life. In the two films that made her a star, Omo Ghetto and Jenifa, the plus-size actress played the role of a leader of a band of bad girls and she brought home the character the way a bee would bring honey. The flipside however, is that Eniola Badmus is a born-again Christian in real life.

Born-again Christian? Aren’t those supposed to be holy and free of the vices of life. Not Eniola who boldly confessed to Potpourri that she could not have a party without giving out alcohol.

“When you have a party, you don’t give alcohol?

See, I am a kind of person that doesn’t see a thing like that as anything special. How can any normal person have a party without alcohol? I’m not an SU o, let them know. I’m a born-again Christian but I’m not an SU. When we have parties, we serve alcohol, it is normal. Party without alcohol is nothing, its zero” she declared.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014PAGE — 19 Onikoyi68@gmail.com

Why I can’t kiss any actor on set – Jaiye Kuti

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opular Yoruba actress, Jaiye Kuti has become an iconic figure in the industry, not only as a result of her talent but also for her carriage and reputation as a respectably married woman. She is like a good wine, age has done nothing but added good taste.

The motherly figure in an interview with Potpourri said her husband encourages her to kiss well on set whenever her script says so.

“My husband is even of the opinion that Nollywood is not doing well enough. There was a time he told me “I wish you were much younger, I would have taught you how to make better romantic scenes” she revealed.

But that doesn’t seem to lay the ground for the actress who has her reservations about most of the actors she has come across in the industry.

“No, I can never have a wet kiss with another man. I really don’t know how my husband will feel but I will rather drop that job than kiss another man, tongue to tongue. Besides, there are some actors you dare not put your mouth into theirs because their appearances are far from being clean” she asserted.

•Jaiye Kuti

Bank alerts turn me on – Lizzygold Onuwaje B

•Lizzygold

udding Nollywood star and former Miss Delta State sent the social media into frenzy when she declared in an interview with Potpourri that she loves money so much banks alerts turn her on. Her courage to bare her mind should be commended because not many stars would stay so true to their minds.

The beautiful actress in the unforgettable chat said she had to dump her former boyfriend because he could not keep pace with her growing success. Unlike many who would pretend that it is love rather than money that count, Lizzygold owned up it is the other way round for her.

“The affair didn’t crash because I went into acting. The basic truth is, he doesn’t have money, so I decided to end the relationship. I dumped him in 2013 because he didn’t have much in terms of money and he didn’t have any push as my kind of man. If you don’t have money, don’t even bother to call my line, don’t even bother to admire my pictures (Laughs). I love money so much. I can’t marry a poor man. Never! I need a rich man; I don’t want a man that is a bit okay.

Money means a lot to me, in fact, money turns me on. I just need to imagine so much money in my account and I’m turned on. When I get a credit alert on my account, Oh my God, I get turned on immediately” she confessed.

Fela inspired me to go into music – Awilo Logomba I

t is not often the likes of Awilo Logomba could be tracked down for an interview, let alone reaching down into the inner recess of his mind to draw out secrets never before known. Potpourri did just that when he caught up with the Congolese singer at the 2Face ‘Ascension’ album launch earlier in the year.

The Soukous singer revealed many things, including what has been happening to him musically in recent times. However, no one was prepared for how he got his inspiration to go into music.

According to him, Afro-beat king, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti inspired him into music. “The Afro-beat legend, Fela Kuti inspired my going into music. He was the biggest musician Nigeria ever produced and he popularised the Nigerian music all over the world. As a kid, I enjoyed one of his songs, ‘Shakara’. That song inspired one of my hit songs which you all know and sing till date.

Afro-beat is the best music genre in the world,” he said.

•Awilo Logomba

•Shirley Igwe

I am waiting for someone to propose marriage — Shirley Igwe N

ow, if there is ever a woman that would make the graves give up their dead, should she decide to take a walk through the cemetery, that woman is Shirley Igwe, the chic principal protocol officer to Imo State Governor.

No doubt her beauty must have come handy in getting her the plum deal of being the Face of Delta soap. Every Delta soap woman has been a ravishing beauty and Shirley by many accounts has been one of the most beautiful.

But how come her beauty hasn’t struck a man helpless to propose to her? Shirley blurted it out to Vanguard recently in an interview. “I can’t marry myself, someone has to propose. I’m still waiting for someone to propose” she said.

But that does not mean men are not coming her way. It is almost impossible for such beauty not to have men chasing after her.

“Of course there are men but it didn’t work out. So, there was no marriage. I don’t want to get married and then divorce. I don’t even pray that for my enemy. I believe in getting married and staying married. I want to get married and stay in my marriage” she confessed.

C M Y K

PAGE 20 — SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014 Onikoyi68@gmail.com

I enjoy being called a porn star – Afrocandy J

udith Mazagwu, Nigerian actress and singer known as Afrocandy has been scandalised so often she is known as nothing but a porn star.

No doubt she hasn’t made matters easy for herself as she has done a couple of films that would make Kama Sutra look like a film for the kids. But contrary to that luscious image, Afrocandy is as upright as the next African woman.

At least her role as a mother speaks much in her favour. “When I’m in the house, I’m a strict mother. I’m the kind of mother that when I look at you, without saying anything or hitting you, you must behave yourself. When my first daughter started misbehaving I went to her school and beat her up. The whole school was shocked. I don’t joke when it comes to raising my children.

Afrocandy is a stage thing, when I get home, I’m a different person” she once told Potpourri in an interview.

Concerning her image as a porn star, the sexy actress said she never knew how people came up with it. But instead of getting mad she confessed she is rather pleased with the tag.

“Since they see me as a porn star, I’m enjoying it. . Okay! I’m a porn star, the only porn star in Nigeria. I’m fine with it. But I’m only asking anybody who is calling me a porn star, to please show me any porn movie I’ve done before now.

This is because I haven’t watched my porn film before” she said.

My marriage was based on lies — Uche Ogbodo

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•Uche Ogbodo

•Afrocandy

I found love in Nigeria

ollywood actress, Uche Ogbodo never bargained for what she got .

She had thought her marriage to ex Nigerian footballer Ato Ubby would be the matrimonial bliss she has heard so much about but the case wasn’t to be as the marriage hit the rocks barely months after the solemnisation.

Though when the marriage crashed it was an open secret as the media went to town with it, but the shopping wasn’t on a cruise control as no one could really proffer why Uche and Ato could not keep it together as man and wife. Many reasons were flying around until she talked to Vanguard and put the records straight.

According to her, cracks in the marriage began to emerge under a month after the union. What were hidden to her became manifest after she had gotten pregnant.

“My marriage was based on lies. I cannot tell you in detail what those lies are. It’s a pity it didn’t work out. I didn’t go into the marriage to crash it. I wanted a family; I wanted a loving home and a loving husband. That was why I went into it in the first place but as nature would have it, I didn’t get any of those. I still thank God my head is intact” she said.

Debunking the rumour by some sections of the media that the marriage crashed as a result of infidelity, Uche said: “No, it’s not about women.

Like I always say, you cannot build a home on sinking sand. You need to build a home on a rock. What I mean is that a marriage built on deceit and lies is no marriage at all. If you want a solid marriage, it must be built on honesty and trustworthiness. If not, it’s definitely going to crash. If it doesn’t crash today, it will crash tomorrow, so the lies are my reasons” she added.

—Ella Mensah

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tella Damasus never accepted she had a thing for Daniel Ademinokan, ex hubby of another actress, Doris Simeon until recently when they were engaged. Same thing happened between Tee Billz and Tiwa Savage, her erstwhile manager until they were found at the altar.

The point really, is that celebrities hardly agree there is something going on between them until the whole thing has blown out of proportion.

But for Ghanaian actress, Ella Mensah, she let the cat out of the bag the moment she was challenged with the question of her romance with Double Wahala singer, Oritsefemi. It was actually City People magazine that asked the question, painting the pictures of their unusual closeness but Vanguard provided the answer. Could it be a Ghanaian thing?

Vanguard got the actress on phone and asked her if truly she is having anything to do with the singer. Her answer: Yes, I found love in Nigeria. I am dating Oritsefemi. I am okay with him. He is a sweet guy. Don’t worry I am fine” she said matter of factly.

C M Y K

Kisses make me ‘horn y’ ‘horny’

•Harmony

—Harmony

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he dream of every interviewer regardless of calling is to come across an interviewee who would not have roadblocks placed on every issue. To have an interviewee that would open up her soul to you on every sundry issue is a rare •Ella Mensah occurrence and we got one in Nigerian budding actress and singer known as Harmony. She was a live, and we got electrified by everything that came out of her mouth in response to our questions.

From sex to nudity to social vices, Harmony has no scruples. “Sex is nice, everybody needs it. So long as you do it with the right person and

you don’t regret after doing it, sex is good for everyone.

It makes your mind open, it makes your body open, you think nicely after having sex, so long you do it with the right person and at the right time. The last time I had sex was four days ago in South Africa” she opened up in an interview with Potpourri Are there many women who would tell you what turns them on or make them wet? Hell no. But Susan Ekwe alias Harmony didn’t bat an eyelid when she threw it at us. “ I can’t have sex with a guy that I cannot kiss. Kisses make me wet, sucking on my nipples makes me wet too” she said.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 21

My wife likes oral sex, but .........

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i!

I received a mail upper week from a reader who wanted a few tips on how to enhance his sexual relationship with his wife.

According to him, he suffers from premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction. To help his wife attain orgasm, he has resulted into giving her oral sex which he said she has been enjoying ever since. (who wouldn't?) His concern however is that he believes that the female vagina "contains series of micro-flora especially the Staph type which I learnt could lead to infection". He therefore wanted to know if he should stop or continue. Though I have tried to alley some of his fears, I also asked him to join me here today as I will be talking about oral sex.

Simply defined, oral sex is sexual activity that involves the stimulation of a lover's genitals with the use of the mouth, lips, teeth, or tongue or throat.

(Remember the movie, Deep Throat?) Oral sex when performed on a female is known as cunnilingus. When on a male it is called fellatio and anilingus when it is performed on the anus of either sex. Oral sex may be

Networking/ Sponsorship • Fidelis, 39, needs an individual or corporate bodies to sponsor his TV programme.

07085022002 •Kingsley, 20, needs someone to sponsor his football career.

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performed as a physically intimate act by itself, (Monika Lewinsky's record remains unbeaten yet in the history of famous BJs) or as foreplay to ignite sexual desire along with other sexual acts. Some partners also use it to finish off when coital sex is inadequate, especially for the woman.

Though shrouded in controversy, the benefits of oral sex is enormous and creates unlimited opportunities for partners to explore their imaginations and enjoy a more robust and intimate sex life. It is practiced across sexual preference by both the heterosexual and homosexual couples. Unlike penetrative penile-vaginal sex, oral sex on its own cannot result into pregnancy , as there is no link between the human gastrointestinal system and the reproductive system. Where sperm is ingested by the woman during oral sex, it would be killed by acids in the stomach and broken down into protein in the small intestine.

Depending on perception, oral sex is ideal for individuals who wish to retain their "virginity" (non penetrative sex) which is why it has now been discovered to be very popular among teenagers and young

people. According to a 2005 report issued by the National Centre for Health Statistics in the USA, a survey administered on over 12,000 Americans aged between 15 and 44 indicated that oral sex among teenagers was "on the rise". Also, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in 2009 released a report which indicated that "oral sex is commonly practised by sexually active male-female and samegender couples of various ages, including adolescents."

Though the risk of disease transmission for oral sex, especially HIV transmission, is significantly lower than for vaginal or anal sex, like most forms of sexual activity, it also poses a risk for contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Unfortunately, even in the USA, no definite barrier method has been evaluated as effective by the Food and Drug Administration for oral sex.

STIs like Chlamydia, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), gonorrhoea, herpes, hepatitis (multiple strains), and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), can be transmitted through oral sex too. In fact, any sexual

exchange of bodily fluids with a person infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, poses a risk of infection. The risks are higher if the receiving partner, (the one receiving the oral sex) has a wound on the genitals or the giving partner has a wound or sore on the mouth or gum.

Brushing, flossing or undergoing dental work shortly before or after performing oral sex can also increase a person's chances of contracting STIs. In addition, recent studies

Harcourt, needs a man for a relationship.08072736868, 08030801203 •Glory, 39, single mother of three, needs a God fearing man, who is from Edo or Delta state, aged 48and above, for marriage. 07037492779 •April, 20, a student, pretty, dark in complexion and with great curves, needs a rich man who will pamper her, with love and money, for a relationship.

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08188226424

DISCLAIMER! Dear readers, please note that we neither operate, nor are we an affiliate of any match–making agency in or outside the country. Any reader who transacts business with any one claiming to be our agent does so at his/her own risk. Our mission is only to provide a platform for social networking.

Also note that neither Vanguard, nor Yetunde Arebi will be liable for any error in the publication of requests which may result in any form of embarrassment to any member of the public. We therefore request that text must be sent through at least one of the numbers for contact. This notice is necessary to enable us serve you better in our refreshingly different style. You can send your requests to 33055. For enquiries, text or call 08026651636

The study also concludes that people who had one to five oral sex partners in their lifetime had approximately a doubled risk of throat cancer compared with those who never engaged in oral sex

employed and resides in Benin, needs a caring lady.

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published in the New England Journal of Medicine and another by the Malmo University's Faculty of Odontology found a correlation between oral sex and throat cancer. Both suggested that people who perform unprotected oral sex on a person infected with HPV might increase the risk of oral cancer. The study also concludes that people who had one to five oral sex partners in their lifetime had approximately a doubled risk of throat cancer compared with those who never engaged in oral sex. It is therefore advised that protections such as condoms for fellatio and dental dams for cunnilingus is used during oral sex.

However, because oral sex is so pleasurable and has been identified as a possible answer to some of our sexual challenges, (premature ejaculation and promotion of orgasm or even multiple orgasm depending on individual and experience) it will be a pity not to try it out, don't you think? So, my advice to our guy is: "Carry go" as they say. Relationship is all about trust, discipline and forgiveness.

I Hope you have had a wonderful Christmas holiday.

I look forward to being here in 2015. I pray for stability and peace for our nation. God bless Nigeria. Do have a lovely Sunday!

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08042230891

PAGE 22— SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014

Email: vanguardwoman@gmail.com

•LUTH

Death of detained mother over bill at LUTH raises more dusts …as groups link detention to rising maternal mortality rate

By Josephine Agbonkhese

W

hen earlier this year a campaign tagged “Not Again” was launched by notable women human rights group, Women Advocates Research & Documentation Centre, WARDC, calling for concerted efforts towards ending the increasing number of Nigerian women who die at childbirth, not many understood the need for more of such campaigns in Nigeria until a couple of weeks ago when another needless maternal death dramatically occurred.

That death this time around resulted from the alleged detention of a mother of four at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, in Lagos, over her inability to completely settle a bill of N1,382,700. The victim gave up the ghost 43 days into detention, leaving behind four little children, the youngest being 4-month-old.

Illness during custody The deceased, 35-year-old Mrs.Folake Oduyoye who was a fashion designer residing at Ijesa-tedo in Lagos, was said to havethbeen admitted at LUTH on 7 September, 2014, following complications arising from her delivery th at a private hospital on 30 August, 2014.

She was discharged by the st hospital on 31 October 2014, but allegedly prevented from going home for failure to settle her hospital bill.

Her husband, Mr Adeyemi Oduyoye, a printer, had paid N300,000 leaving a balance of 1,082,700. Adeyemi was said th to have written a letter dated 11 November, 2014, to the Chief Medical Director of LUTH,

Several women have died due to failure of the hospital management to attend to them and several are still being detained for failure to make up the fees appealing for a waiver and structured payment to offset the balance monthly. That letter reportedly yielded no reaction from the management.

The deceasedth later died in detention on 13 December, 2014, from a cough-related illness for which she allegedly received no care and treatment while in LUTH’s custody and was also prevented from seeking treatment anywhere else.

This case, according to women human rights groups, raises a number of issues that border on the violation of fundamental human rights of women and children which are guaranteed in international and regional instruments which Nigeria is party to, as well as in national frameworks.

Call for independent postmortem, compensation In a petition to the management of LUTH, the two

groups handling the case, WARDC and the Women Consortium of Nigeria (WOCON), are asking the management to conduct an independent post-mortem examination to ascertain the cause of death of Late Mrs. Oduyoye, as well as compensate the Oduyoyes or risk legal action.

Also condemning strongly the practice of illegal detention after birth for women who cannot afford the cost of treatment for pregnancy and child birth related issues, they asserted that the penalty for non-payment of hospital fees for maternal health care should not be false imprisonment.

Debt not criminal “Section 35 (1) of the 1999 Nigeria Constitution provides that “no person shall be deprived of their liberty save in cases such as in execution of the sentence or order of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty”.

Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Right which Nigeria is party to provides that “everyone has the right to liberty and security of person and no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as are established by law”.

The matter of not being able to pay up the balance is a civil matter and not a criminal one.

Hence, the management of LUTH should have taken the option of going to court to compel the couple to pay their balance instead of detaining anyone,” Dr (Mrs) Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi and

•The late Folake Oduyoye Chief(Mrs)Bisi OlateruOlagbegi, Executive Directors of WARDC and WOCON respectively, said.

LUTH reacts In a swift reaction, Acting Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof. Chris Bode, at a press briefing penultimate Saturday in Lagos, however said that the death of Mrs.Oduyoye was regrettable as it occurred despite the hospital management’s efforts and ‘not because of negligence.’

“Our healthcare team had kept her alive in spite of the ongoing health workers’ strike.

This lady came into LUTH in critical condition, unconscious and infected from a caesarean section performed in another hospital. She underwent a major operation at which plenty of pus was evacuated from her abdomen.

“She underwent a

tracheostomy, creating a hole on her neck to enable her breath and stay alive. She was admitted into the Intensive Care Unit, with multiple organ failure, and for one month she was on ventilator, a machine which was breathing for her.

She also developed two episodes of cardiac arrest from which she was rescued. She also developed renal failure for which she underwent four sessions of haemodialysis.”

“The multiple surgeries, specialised tests, interventions, dialysis, drugs and consumables cost N1.5 million.

The family paid a total of N300, 000 and requested that a total bill of N1.2 million be waived.

The husband requested to pay in installments of N15, 000 per month and this was accepted, but he could not bring anyone to stand as guarantor. The conditions of Oduyoye became suddenly poor and she died of pulmonic complications on Dec.13,” Prof Bode said.

‘Abolish detention of mothers at LUTH’ Dr.Abiola-Akiyode and Chief Olateru, at a press briefing last week in Lagos, however insisted that an investigation and abolishment process should immediately begin on the practice of detention after birth for women at LUTH. The groups are also demanding the immediate release of every woman held presently in such manner at the hospital.

“According to information gathered, a large number of women are being prevented from going home after discharge from LUTH for their inability to offset huge bills relating to pregnancy and child birth. Yet further treatment is withdrawn from these women and they are not free to seek treatment in other hospitals.

According to Mr. Oduyoye who was with his wife most times at the hospital, several women have died due to failure of the hospital management to attend to them and several are still being detained for failure to make up the fees. Thus this case is of great concern to us because if nothing is done immediately, more women would likely suffer the same fate as the Late Mrs. Oduyoye,” they said.

Detention and maternal deaths Giving reasons why the case of the Oduyoyes should provoke a renewed efforts by government over maternalchild mortality, Mrs.Akiyode said , “Nigeria has the second highest number of maternal deaths in the world, accounting for more than 10% of maternal deaths worldwide. As shown by recent studies conducted by Lancet Studies, WARDC and Centre for Reproductive Rights (CRR) maternal deaths have increased by 56% while hospital deliveries fell by 46% after user fees were introduced. Most women don’t want to go to hospital because they know that when they give birth and cannot afford the bill, they will be detained. This is one of the detentions and this is the result.”

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 23

08112662589

Warning to senior girls: Sexy does have a sell-by date!

I

once watched clips from Tina Turna’s (75 next year), 70th birthday and marvelled at her tenacity. Clad in a micro skirt and a low-cut top, she was mesmerising as she performed a writhing, pouting dance routine that involved suggestively stroking her long thighs and thrusting her hips with enough raunch to put the average teeny-bopper to shame.

Requel Weich, on the other hand happily poured her body in or skin tight leopard-skin print and carries her vast breasts at improbable height on her aged chest.

At 73 going on to 74, only a scaffolding could have allowed her to achieve such a feat!

And not to be left out of the glamour mania are our equivalent of these celebrities on our own social circuit. A few months ago, at a highbrow birthday bash, female guests mostly in the age-bracket of the celebrant, out-did each other in the ridiculously young dresses they had on with their cleavage struggling not to jump out of their constraints! ‘’What’s with these senior girls?’’ grumbled an advertising guru I sat

next to. ‘ Why can’t they grow old gracefully?

That part of their bodies they seek to display is essentially no more than a relic!’’ Haba!, I protested. He continued: ‘’Those breasts are over 30 years past their sellby date for their true purpose, which is the suckling and nurturing of a beloved, needed baby.’’

That got me thinking.

Does sexy really have an expiration date? Of course it does, explained Gloria in her 40s and a psychologist. According to her, ‘’Sexy, with slicked lips, big eyes, bouncy boobs, bare skin, rossy cheeks and killer heels (which aid in lifting the weight of the bum) is all about fetility.

Sexy is the means by which the female lures her make. Sexy is attacking the seed to make your babies and it’s a come-on. With intent. So when, with the best will in the world, that intent can no longer be met?’’

Looking at me dramatically, she answered her own questions: ‘’That is when it hits the expiration date! I’m not saying here that

sexuality does not endure. Many women and men enjoy a sex life to a fine old age, before tumbling into the tomb with a well-satisfied grin on their faces. But that is a private twinkle, not the frantic, futile public display of women trying (and inevitably, failing) to look sexy past their time. ‘’You might argue that we should let them be; that their delusion harms no one but themselves. I am not so sure. I mean, if this is now newsworthy

women behave, what is the message they project to other women? The press goes on endlessly about the sexualising effect of young actresses and pop stars upon women at the younger end of life. Might we not, thereefore, spare a thought for the similarly unrealistic pressure upon women at the old end?

It’s a sad fact that broken marriages among the over 50s have skyrocketed in recent times.

That means that a great many women – possibly

deserted by their husbands for a younger model – are suddenly singletons again, fearful for their future, with their self-esteem at rock bottom! ‘’So the look to the public face of women of their age, and what do they see?

Good God! On top of everything else they have to go cope with, they are supposed to look sexy too? Must they prance around in their fineries like a star doing the redcarpet walk? At best, they ’re not inspired; at worst, they might feel ashamed. They know what their bodies look like – breasts drooping inexorably south, chins multiplying by the week, tummies still softened from where their babies once lay, legs wobbly above the knee and thickened below it – and that’s before you count the varicose veins! How can they compete? How can they even begin?’’

Shortly after this conversation with Gloria, I was at a social event and right opposite us sat a group of ‘groovy grannies’ with different shapes of cleavage. One of them lost her husband two years ago and has hit

the social circuit with a vengeance. ‘’All those years of plastic surgery has left their marks on her,’’ snared a lady on my table, virtually glaring at this poor widow. ‘’You know the husband was impotent years before he died?’’

How did she know? I daren’t ask! ‘’But would she leave the poor man alone?’’ She continued. ‘’Most of the time, she had his dick in her mouth, giving him the blow-job of his life so he would keep the zip on his wallet opened. That’s why her jaw is now wonky and sagging in a grotesque way, and now hubby is dead, where would she get the cash for the expensive facelift she desperately needs? ‘’I feel sorry for her. Yet she had a good run for her prowess whilst the man lived. Now all the men who ran after her then just look the other way not because she’s old, but because she’s no longer needed to make the desperate connection with her husband now he’s dead. With him dead, her sell-by date just hit the roof!!”

08052201867(Text Only)

Keep your body internally clean

M

ODERN medi cal science now sees the tremendous sense it makes in keeping the body internally clean.

Indra Devi in her book ‘Yoga For You, Philip Rice and his book Oxygenmaster of Cancer”. Dr. Rice entertains the opinion that cancer is caused by oxygen deficiency in diseased cells that start multiplying in order to get sufficient Oxygen. But this is not what attracts India Devi. What catches her fancy is that the ideas expressed by Dr. Rice in cancer prevention closely resemble the Yoga principles of diet, breathing, exercising and hygiene.

Just like the yogis, he believes it is of paramount importance to keep the body internally clean by drinking enough waterone glass to every 14 Ibs of body weight on a daily basis and eating plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and salads. And cleansing the colon by taking enema about twice monthly to rid the system of accumulated poisons that are the cause of most of our ailments. I shall return to the subject C M Y K

of enema pretty soon.

See, we know the world is of two thirds water and a third land. The human body is built on almost the

am only pointing out the necessity of eating sufficient vegetables and fruits.

I simply will not do to fill the belly with so much

The Spinal Twist same ratio of liquid to solid. With this in mind, it sure makes sense to assume that the greater bulk of the food we eat should rather be from the vegetable kingdom to ensure that the food items, therefore, give us enough fluid for the proper maintenance of our bodies.

I am not preaching absolute vegetarianism here. I

meat and white bread both of which contain no fibre.

This lack of fibre presents a herculean task to the perislatic waves moving the digested food along the alimentary canal. Bowel movement is hampered and in the end constipation ensures. With constipation poison accumulates and we become heirs to otherwise avoidable ail-

ments.

So what do we do?

Simply eat well.

Hippocrates admonished long ago: “let your food be your medicine.”

Human nutition has become an immense problem of life. The rich diet is acid forming as it is deprived of its alkaline requirements.

It cannot harmonise the acids of the stomach.

Meat (it pops up again!)

For instance rots in the intestine forming gases which get into the alimentary walls. The blood is here surcharged with waste materials which block the capillaries chronic diseases, weakness and low vitality can be traced to the accumulation of waste matter.

Before we have gone far in the yoga exercises, I have thought it imperative to discuss the internal environment. Once we keep our insides clean and watch what we eat, performing the exercises will then bring about great improvement quickly in our well being.

Now back to the business of taking enema.

Let it be known that there are various types but we shall for our purpose here concern ourselves with one of the simplest, namely honey enema.

Dissolve three table

spoonfuls of honey in a the back at an angle of 90 quart of water, preferably degree. Change legs for boiled first and then al- the other way round. lowed to cool down to On each side of the room temperature. Assume posture breathe with an a knee-chest position pro- even rhythm for as long as jecting the buttocks in the comfortable. air and keeping the head, The benefits of the twist down then administer. posture are that spiral In this position gravity deformities are over come helps the flow of enema and the nerves are through the descending co- strengthened. The qualilon across the transverse ties of self-confidence and into the ascending colon. determination are also For very effective cleans- imparted by the twist. ing, the complete filling of For those who may not the colon is absolutely be able to execute the essential. posture as described, they The enema must be held may try to do the modified within for 10 to 15 minutes version which is as folbefore dislodging the con- lows; arrange legs as tents of the bowels. already described. Place For exercise we shall right hand over the left consider the twist posture. knee but instead of holdThis posture belongs to the ing the left ankle simply group of basic yoga pos- clasp the side of the left tures as does the head to thigh with the left hand knee, the how and others. down behind the back on To assume the twist pos- the floor for support and ture sit up straight with then wist left ward. both legs out stretched.

Change legs and perPlace the right heel under form the other way round. the left thigh with the right leg lying horizontally on the floor.

Turning the chest to the left, place the right STARTED arm infront of the left Physical Therapy Centre knee which is vertically erect and hold the @ 32 Adetokumbo Ademola, left ankle with the left Victoria Island Lagos. turning the head in the 9.00am — 10.00am same direction. The left hand should be on Saturdays placed midway across

Yoga Classes

P AGE 24 — SUND AY Vanguard , DECEMBER 28 , 2014 SUNDA

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk 08056180152, SMS only

Warning: Energy drinks are dangerous to your health!

A

study last year showed that energy drinks can change heart rhythms. A team of researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany scanned the hearts of 17 people an hour after they ’d consumed an energy drink. They found the left ventricle of the heart, which pumps blood around the body, was contracting harder after the drink. Frane’s public health agency has said young people who drink energy drinks are at risk of sleep disorders, daytime drowsiness and developing addiction to other substances.

“A third of young people who consume energy drinks say they’ve mixed them with alcohol. The caffeine makes the person feel less drunk, so they are less likely to stop, and end up drinking even more,’’ observes Andrew Brown of Mentor, a drug and alcohol prevention charity for children and young people. ‘’Energy drinks can have different effects on different people. We know three out of five teenagers are drinking them with sport even though this is not recommended and not necessary.”

Hence the warning: ‘Because of their composition, these beverages have a stimulating effect which, when associated with certain other behaviours (alcohol consumption, sports, etc), can give rise to serious cardiac accidents in consumers with common genetic predispositions which frequently go undiagnosed. It is therefore recommended that avoiding the consumption of so-called energy drinks in association with alcohol or during physical exercise should be encouraged.

understand what the active ingredient is.”

In 2008, 21-year-old Chioe Leach in East Yorkshire, collapsed and died after drinking Red Bull and a cocktail containing vodka and caffeine at a student party. A post-motem examination found that Chloe probably had an undiagnosed heart condition, and the caffeine she consumed may have triggered faulty electrical activity in her heart. The same year, 14year-old Naomi Haynes was hospitalised after her energy drink habit reached 50 cans a week.

Doctors warned her that her consumption of the drinks was putting her at a risk of a heart attack.

Recently, 19-year- old Joshua Merrick died after downing a highcaffeine drink.

Meanwhile, in the U.S, the Food and Drug Administration is said to be investigating a number of deaths and hospitalisations linked to energy drinks. Two mothers are suing the manufacturer of Monster over the deaths of their children from heart attacks. The drinks have also been linked to emotional problems and suicide. Aside from the worries over caffeine energy drinks are

Y

OUR column to express your loving thoughts in words to your sweetheart. Don’t be shy. Let it flow and let him or her know how dearly you feel.

Write now in not more than 75 words to: The Editor, Sunday Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E.mail: sunlovenotes@yahoo.com Please mark your envelope: “LOVE NOTES"

7 sins you must never commit against a woman

extremely high in sugar: one 250ml can of Red Bull contains five-and – a half cubes, for example. Given the growing body of evidence that implicates sugar in a host of health problems, this is fuelling calls for the drinks to be more strongly regulated.

With many children drinking several energy drinks a day, there are also concerns over addiction.

Caffeine on its own is not addictive, but it does create dependency, says Peter Rogers, professor of biological psychology at Bristol University and a leading expert on caffeine. According to him: ‘’Caffeine creates a state of dependency where if one stops taking it, one feels tired, fatigued, headachy and studies show this happens in children as well. Louise Van de Valde believes her son, Jordan, developed an unhealthy relationship with Red Bull at the age of 14.

She said: “I didn’t realise at first that he was drinking it. Then, when I did find out, he’d sneak cans into his room or have them at school.’ But Louise noticed the drinks were causing her

son to suffer from highs and lows. ‘’He was really moody and never slept well – he’d be up till 4.00am playing computer games. I kept telling him that he felt tired because of those drinks, and I banned them, but it didn’t make any difference. In the end, he got so stressed out and irritable that he realised he had to stop them. He did it gradually and did complain of tiredness for a while, but now he’s fine and back to normal.’’

The British Soft Drinks Association says highcaffeine energy drinks are not recommended in the UK for consumption by children, and its code of practice states that products containing more than 150mg caffeine per litre must carry the warning: ‘Not suitable for children, pregnant women and persons sensitive to caffeine.’ But experts feel this does not go far enough. ‘’The marketing of these drinks is very attractive to young people,’ says Andrew Brown. ‘’Brands associate themselves with cool stuff like extreme sports.

These are available next to soft drinks and many children don’t really

1. Don't beat her 2. Don't verbally abuse her 3. Don't disrespect her 4. Don't make her feel unloved 5. Don't Rape her 6. Don't cheat on her 7. Don't ignore her Love Languages. Give her kindness, she'll give you LOVE, Give her smiles, she'll give you laughter, Give her your heart, she'll give you her LIFE. Give her a house, she'll give you a HOME. Give her an idea, she will give you a plan. Give her sperm, she'll give you babies. Treat Her Like a Queen, She ll make you a KING. LOVE her, and she'll SUBMIT herself!.......?.But sin against her and she

How To Store, Serve And Preserve Left-Over Wines Now, you’ve got an impressive array of wines this festive period ,do you know how to store them?

Experts advise 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. Left-over 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 45o F and 55oF, so keep it in the fridge. If it’s too cool for your taste, let it sit on a counter top for about 15 minutes before drinking.

Red wine is generally best served between 32oF and 35oF. If the cork breaks in half while you’re opening the bottle, gently screw the corkscrew into it and pull it out. If the cork shatters, push it into the bottle, then pour the whine 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 all means? Aroma vs ….Bouquet: Aroma is the smell of a young wine. Bouquet refers to the aroma a wine takes on after it has aged in the bottle. Body; the weight of wine in the mouth.

Wines are usually described as being either light, medium or full bodies.

Dry: A descriptive terms 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 description term for wine with some amount of sugar.

Noise: A wine term synonymous with aroma (e.g. you might say,”’’The nose of this wine reminds me of cherries’’). Oakey, a descriptive term for a wine that has a pronounced oak flavour, generally as a result of aging the wine in new, small oak barrels.

Chardonnay is often oakey.

Tanning: A group of beneficial compounds in wine that come mainly from the grape’s skins and seed. Tanning gives wine structure and, because it acts as a natural preservative allow wine to age.

How to Ser ve Your Wine: If you had unlimited space and an unlimited budget, you could buy a different glass for practically every type of wine. But for the rest of us, here’s a simple guide to glassware.

Red Wine: Choose a glass with a broader bowl. This allows you to enjoy more of the bouquet of red wines.

White Wine: Narrower glasses work well for lighter white wines, where the aroma is more delicate.

One Glass: Don’t worry if your budget or space permits only one type of wine glass.

will make your life miserable,..... #HappyNewYearInAdvance!

Chris Onunaku 08032988826/08184844015.

You've changed my life

Thanks for being there when I needed a shoulder to lean on, for patiently listening to my personal problems. Baby, I just want you to know how happy am I to have you in my life and I thank God for that. Thank you for the love and the joy you bring. You've changed my life, Merry Xmas and Happy New Year Baby!

Innocent Oluku, profprof2010@yahoo.com

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 25

Questions as strange fire kills Akure doctor •Dr. Oguntuase’s hospital after the inferno a pregnant woman a threerazed the building was so Dayo Johnson, Akure year-old girl while no fewer much than what something that could have been caused F the mysterious fire that that 50 shops and houses were by candle light”, they said. razed a private hospital, consumed and properties worth millions of naira deThey alleged that some eneUniversal Specialist stroyed.

The state government mies of progress may have Medical Clinic, situated at been responsible for the dasAraromi area of Akure, Ondo has, however, promised to tardly act against Oguntuase.

State capital, and snuffed life compensate genuine owners of the razed shops and houses at The doctor’s neighbours at out of the owner, a former Actthe Arakale area of the state Araromi where the hospital is ing Medical Director of the But Oguntuase’s death in located wondered why he Federal Medical Centre could not run out of the build(FMC), Owo, Dr David Ogun- the fire has left many questions unanswered. ing when the fire started. tuase, is called a horrifying Tongues are wagging that They said there was more Christmas gift to his family, it than meets the eye in the fire. is definitely not an under- the deceased doctor might have been assassinated in his An eye witness who saw statement. office before his hospital was Oguntuase’s corpse before the The deceased worked as a torched to cover up the act. police came to remove it said consultant Pediatrician at the His colleagues in the Nigehe met face down and burnt FMC, Owo. beyond recognition.

The tragedy came barely a rian Medical Association (NMA) are alleging foul play His intestines, the source week after a gas explosion over the incident. said, were out by the side of wreaked havoc in Akure, in“The intensity of the fire that his stomach but seemed he was juring eight people including stabbed before the body was burned by fire.

The source said that the legs, separated from the body, were burnt. The Ondo State Police Command has vowed to get to the root of the incident.

Speaking with Sunday Vanguard, the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Wole Ogodo, said the cause of the fire that consumed the doctor would be thoroughly investigated.

Said Ogodo: “The doctor was consumed in an inferno in his clinic and we have commenced our investigation while his corpse has be taken to the morgue for autopsy.”

The wife of the late doctor, Wuraola, according to the police PRO, reported the incident at a police station in Akure.

Sympathizers who trooped to the scene when the fire was quenched could not hold back •The charred remains of the hospital their tears as they watched

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Tongues are wagging that the deceased doctor might have been assassinated in his office before his hospital was torched to cover up the act

Oguntuase’s remains being removed from the razed building.

An eye witness account said candle light may have caught the window blind of the room the doctor was sleeping in and spread to other parts of the hospital.

It was said that the oxygen used to revive patients kept in cylinder in the room where the deceased was sleeping may have aided the fire.

The ensuing explosion reportedly attracted neighbours who rushed to the scene but could not save the situation because the fire was much.

Speaking to Sunday Vanguard, one of the deceased’s neighbours, Ademola Adejare, said he heard distress calls around 2.am and that, on coming out, he found that the hospital was on fire.

Ademola said while many sympathisers were using water to put out the fire, some ran to the fire brigade station for assistance.

According to him, because “of the intensity of the fire, aided by gas explosion, we could not save the doctor”.

Another witness said Oguntuase had called his wife around 7 o’clock that night to say she should expect him home the next morning.

Sunday Vanguard learnt that the deceased doctor informed his nurses and staff to go home and celebrate Christmas with their families since patients too had refused to visit the hospital because of the festivity.

A source said it was the doctor that was alone in the hospital when the fire incident started.

PAGE 26 — SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014

Dayo Johnson, Akure

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HE looked innocent when she was paraded among 44 suspected criminals said to have been terrorizing the people of Ondo State.

Adenike Adeniyi, a 42-yearold mother of four, was arrested and paraded for allegedly receiving stolen properties in Ondo town.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Sunday Vanguard after she was paraded, Adenike denied she was a receiver of stolen goods.

Adenike said she was arrested for an offence she never committed.

In a related development, the police in Ondo State narrated how two suspects allegedly trading in human skulls were arrested.

Two other suspects, Ilesanmi Adeyemi, 29, and Muideen Alabi, 30, insisted Adenike was a receiver of stolen goods.

The crackdown on criminals has been the determination of the Isaac Eke-led Ondo State Police Command.

The crackdown also led to the arrest of two alleged ritualists with a human skull along Ibillo/ Isua expressway in Akoko South East council area of Ondo State.

Only last week, the senator representing Ondo South, Boluwaji Kunlere, donated 13 police patrol vehicles to the state command to fight crime in his district.

Kunlere said the spate of crimes in the southern area of the state was alarming, prompting him to donate the police vehicles to fight the menace.

Parading the 44 suspected criminals, the state commissioner, Isaac Eke, said they include 32 suspected cult members, six suspected armed robbers, four suspected burglars and two suspects in possession of human heads.

Of interest was the innocent look of the alleged receiver of stolen goods.

While the two other suspects allegedly confessed they committed the crime and mentioned other members of the gang, the receiver kept shouting she knew nothing about it.

The police commissioner alleged that the suspects burgled the house of one Bukola Ayodeji of Lawyer Yinka Valentino area in Ondo town.

The victim was quoted as saying the suspects stole foodstuff and other properties.

Following the complaint, detectives swung into action and the suspects were C M Y K

They were said to be going to sell the skull which they reportedly exhumed from a burial ground

•The suspects with a skull arrested and a Bajaj motorcycle marked LSR 608 QB was allegedly recovered from them.

Sunday Vanguard gathered learnt that the alleged receiver was picked up by the police after the confession of the two suspects.

Eke said that the suspects will soon be arraigned in court at the conclusion of investigation.

He pointed out that efforts were on top gear to arrest other alleged members of the gang.

On the suspected ritualists, the police boss said policemen attached to Isua Divisional Police Station in Akoko South East, while on stop and search along Ibilo/Isua expressway, intercepted them while on an unregistered motorcycle.

Eke said that the two men cleverly wrapped a human skull in a black polythene leather.

The suspects are Lukuman Sule of Ikiran, Edo State and Alaiye Sule.

Eke said the case was still under investigation.

They were said to be going to sell the skull which they reportedly exhumed from a burial ground when they were apprehended by the police patrol team.

Speaking on the 32 suspected cult members, the police commissioner said they were arrested in Akure, Ondo and Owo and have been responsible for terrorizing, stealing and rapping in the towns.

He pointed out that other members of the cult, including their armourer known as Lukman, were still at large.

How we caught human skull traders – Police •Mother of four, fellow suspects trade accusations over stolen goods

•The suspects in the controversial stolen goods

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 27

Botched EPZ commissioning: It’s an affront on Itsekiri people —Jalogho-Williams M

r Hosanna Jalogho-Williams, an Itsekiri, is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State. In this interview, he bares his mind on the botched commissioning of the EPZ project in the state describing it as an affront on the Itsekiri people. He also comments on the emergence of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as the PDP governorship candidate among other issues. Excerpts:

By Dapo Akinrefon As a chieftain of the PDP, how do you see the recently conducted governorship primary in Delta State? he primaries have been a very unique one especially the gov ernorship primary that became extremely complex at almost the end of it because it became glaring that some powers that be wanted specific candidates to win. It became obscure at the direction victory was going because such powers that wanted specific candidates victorious were now absorbing and adopting the great counsel of Ahitoffel and, at the end, it was obvious that God brought confusion amongst the powers that be just like what happened in the Tower of Babel.

What are your expectations from Senator Ifeanyi Okowa who emerged the governorship candidate of your party?

My expectation from the victor, Senator Okowa, is for him to unite the state and inculcate the spirit of collective development. This development should be such that would embrace the continuation of the dreams of his predecessor which have been cut short by sycophants. The truth about some of

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these things is that, when someone is in power it is always difficult to apply self discernment. It is when you exit or you are on the verge of exiting that you begin to see the lacuna constituted during the period of engagement.

I sincerely urge Senator Okowa to see governance in that perspective and knowing well that this distinguished senator is a very thorough man, I am confident that he would exhibit and perform in totality the confidence reposed in him.

Would you say Okowa has what it takes to bring about change in Delta if elected governor of the state?

Delta as it were today requires the truth about issues that have to be corrected. Senator Okowa, being a very truthful man will be able to hit the nail on the head as is the true position of the state. Let us remember that he is a man of pragmatism, he places the cards on the table the way they are. It is true indeed that the reason for certain shortfalls in Delta state in terms of development is the fact that we mix up all facets of party members participation. In my own view, party members’ participation should be divided into three categories viz: professional politicians: those who vie for electioneering positions; professionals in pol-

• Jalogho-Williams itics otherwise called technocrats: these are the people who advice the professional politicians and constitute the think-tank of the party; and then the field men: those who coordinate the affairs if the party to see that victory is achieved. Now, the problem we often times encounter that resultantly brings us to non-achievement, failures and incompetence is that we allow a large proportion of mix-up in the three categories to ensue. In the circumstance, just like Chinua Achibe, the centre can no-longer hold. But I am confident that Senator Okowa, a very thorough man, who filters the filtrate before embarking on any overture would be able to trisect the application of these categories of party par-

‘Awuff now, now!’ winners M r. Chef, one of Ni geria’s leading food seasoning brands, heightened the fun of the festive season in the Northern Zone of Nigeria when it presented prizes to winners in Kano in the ongoing nationwide Mr. Chef Awuff Now, Now bumper customer-reward promotion. Alhaji Saleh Abdullahi topped the list of winners when he received his gift of a ticket to Dubai. Other winners of high value gifts in the bumper reward programme include Karima Ishmaeel, Isa Rabiu, Saidat Abubakar and Muhammed Gafar, each of whom won a generator. Abdullahi Adamu and Garba Musa won mini refrigerators whilst Saminu Saminu Ya’u Yankaba won a big fridge and Abdullahi Salihu Usman, an LED TV. Three other winners also emerged in Minna, North Central Zone and Aba, Eastern Zone and Benin, Eastern Zone where Messrs Abubakar

•Operations Manager, Sambajo Enterprises, Alhaji Shirajo Sambajo, Managing Director, Bayswater Industries Ltd, Mr. Piyush Nair and prize winner, Mallam Isah Rabiu at the presentation of prizes Enterprises, to Northern Zone winners in the on-going Mr. Chef Awuff Now, Now consumer promotions in Kano

Muhammed won a big fridge; Shiloh, a 1.2KVA generator and Ngozi Nwaneri, a mini fridge respectively. Many more winners are expected to emerge in different regions before the promo ends on 31 December, 2014.

Managing Director of Bayswater Industries Ltd, Mr Piyush Nair, who presented the prizes to winners at the Kano

Main Market said that Mr. Chef Awuf Now, Now promo was launched to sustain the brand’s excellent relationship with its loyal customers not just by offering them quality products but by giving them instant rewards for their unwavering patronage. “Awuff Now, Now is a reward promo to celebrate the fruitful relationship between Mr. Chef and our teeming cus-

tomers all over Nigeria in a manner that makes everyone a winner,” Mr. Nair said. He said that the promo is open to all customers who purchase Mr. Chef beef and chicken-flavour seasoning cubesand that every carton of Mr. Chef ’s beef or chicken seasoning contains a free pack of 100 cubes in addition to instant gifts that include Biros, Exercise Books,

ticipation.

How do you see the recent cancellation of the EPZ project commissioning over reported threats from the Ijaw?

The recent cancellation of the EPZ project by the Ijaw is a total rape to the Itsekiri people. Just few years ago, the same Ijaw people rained fire and brimstone about their displeasure on the location of Warri-Southwest local government headquarter in same Ogidigben because, according to them, it was an Itsekiri village. All of a sudden, they have emerged again to claim ownership or stakeholdership in the EPZ project because they assume full monopoly to violence. I am stunned to see that a whole Commander-in-Chief of a multi-tribal country like Nigeria can be restrained from carrying out a national duty by a small orbit in a country of well over 180million people. It goes to remind us of the significance of people like former president Obasanjo who is strictly allergic to threats.

In your opinion, what would guarantee peaceful coexistence among the ethnic nationalities in Delta State?

What will guarantee peaceful coexistence in Delta is for the security agencies to take up their full responsibilities and a total disarmament of certain quarters be embarked upon. It is really strange that after the widely celebrated amnesty programme, some people are still seen with arms and ammunition threatening lawful authorities in the country. Secondly, the next dispensation should bring back moral instruction as a subject right from the primary education and education should be highly encouraged in order to occupy the human brain with events of development and cognition rather than violence and resentment.

Cutlery Sets, Trays, Face caps, Towels, Aprons, T-Shirts, Radios and Mobile Phones. Said Nair: “Although you get an instant free gift with every purchase you make, the high

value gifts, some of which we have just presented in Kano, are won by scratching the cards in the cartons; what you scratch is what you instantly win at Mr. Chef ’s redemption

Xmas: Oil firms fete children of host communities, advise them on safety

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HILDREN have been called upon to be safe ty conscious at all times in order to avoid all forms of accident during and after the yuletide which may lead to deformities or death.

The call was made by Mr. McQuin Obi of the Health Safety and Environment Department of Platform Petroleum Limited, Umutu, in a Children’s Christmas Party put together by PPL and their joint venture partner, Newcross Petroleum Limited for children of host communities in their areas of operation.

The Christmas party which took place at the Delta Plaza Hotel, Obinomba, in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State, aimed at catching yuletide fun, had children of Adonishaka, Ogbe-Uzu and Umutu communities in attendance on the first day being the 22nd day of December, 2014

while those of Akoko-Uno, Umuosele and Umueziogoli having theirs on the second day being 23 rd of December, 2014.

According to Mr. McQuin Obi, children should avoid playing with harmful or sharp objects as well as making sure they are not overloaded on motor bikes to avoid accidents that may lead to deformities and even death.

Earlier in an opening address, the Manager Legal Department of PPL, Barrister Andy Achugbue, who spoke on behalf of management said the children’s Christmas party was another way to further appreciate host communities members for their cooperation so far, which has led to smooth operations of the company, noting that it will also enhance the existing cordial relationship between the company and host communities.

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PAGE 28—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014

By DEMOLA AKINYEMI & BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO

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n average wife, particularly from southern Nigeria, dreads being a widow because of the unpleasant experiences associated with it.

More often than not, women go into spiritual sessions in mosques, churches and mountains seeking divine protection over their husbands and indeed the family. Perhaps, that is why women are found more in those places of worship than men.

Fears of widowhood stem from the fact women and their children are deprived of the property of the husbands at their death by the extended family.

While many widows live to tell the story after they have found helpers and nurtured the children to greatness,others don’t survive it.

Mrs Yemisi SmartAdeyemi,wife of a former National President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists and senator representing Kogi West, Prince Smart Adeyemi, had been a victim of widowhood; so she knows where the shoe pinches.

As a teenager, her father, at 50, died, and from there, she knew what it was to be a daughter of a single mother.

Mrs Adeyemi recalled in an interview with journalists how she use†d to take clothes and food items from home, secretly wrapping them and giving them out to widows and the needy in her church.

For the past five years now, Mrs Adeyemi has operated a charity foundation, Manna Dew Foundation, through which she reaches out to widows in Kwara and Kogi states.

The widows, about 200 of them, were carefully selected from churches in the two states and empowered to take care of themselves and the family.

Mrs. Adeyemi, while giving out the end of the year gifts to widows in Ilorin, described their motive for helping widows as an intervention from God, “a sort of divine inspiration”.

Her words,”I have passion for widows. I am also a child of circumstance. My mother is a widow. My father died at 50 years of age. But God saw us through. That notwithstanding, God put in my mind to just have

I am a child of circumstance with a pact on widows — Mrs Smart-Adeyemi

• A cross section of widows at the event. Inset: Mrs Smart – Adeyemi sympathy for widows, especially widows with young children.

“The group was inaugurated on December 8, 2009 in Kwara State, about five years ago. We spend about N10 million every year to organize this in Kogi and Kwara states. And the source of the funds has been through God really, my husband and from our business interests here in Kwara and in Abuja.

“My most exciting moment is that each time I distribute things to them, the sleep I get that day is always different, so deep a sleep.

This is money some people take to Dubai and all those places to buy gold and diamond. But I don’t really care about that. Whenever I do this I derive inner satisfaction that I can’t describe”.

She appealed to people to have compassion for widows.

“If you can’t help them,

just leave them alone. Bible says whoever showeth mercy will also receive mercy from God. But those who do not show mercy

My most exciting moment is that each time I distribute things to them, the sleep I get that day is always different, so deep a sleep. This is money some people take to Dubai and all those places to buy gold and diamond

behave harshly to people and it’s not a curse when one says that their own children will suffer it too.

So, if you want your children to live good life, when you see people who are in need, if you can’t pity and show them love, leave them alone.”

On her advice to people on philanthropy, she said, “Everyone who has eaten and has leftovers should show love, compassion to other people. You may start in little way with just two people at a time. Whosoever that does not show love does not know God because God is love. This is true love. You see them. They are happy and celebrating. And I pray God to bless a lot of people to be able to do this.”

Widows at the occasion gave testimonies on how the foundation has enabled them to be financially independent and economically empowered to

take care of their children’s education and other needs.

One of them, Mrs Awe, described the attention they were getting from Mrs Adeyemi as legendary,showering prayers and praises on her and her husband who was also present. ‘’Without madam, only God knows what would have become of us has been taking good care of us by empowering us on our respective skills, and even helping us whenever we have family problems to attend to. Through her support, we have been able to take care of ourselves and the children’’, she said.

Happiness was boldly written on the widows faces as they departed for their respected homes with gifts.

It was indeed a Christmas well celebrated for them.

The highlight of the event was a special prayer session for Mrs Smart Adeyemi and her family by the widow’.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 29

Odi in ruins in the wake of the military attack during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime

15 years after massacre, Odi boils again

BY SAMUEL OYADONGHA & EMEM IDIO, YENAGOA

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HAT is playing out in Odi in Koloku ma-Opokuma local government area of Bayelsa State in the wake of the N15bn Federal Government compensation for the 1999 military invasion and the sacking of the community, could best be described as shocking. While some blame the tension in the community over the sharing of the compensation money on lack of understanding between the leaders and members of the community on what to do prior to the payment of the largesse, the unemployed and frustrated youths of the community want a piece of the cake. The community is divided and the essence of ploughing the money into infrastructural development might be a mirage.

After 15 years of waiting for justice from government over the 1999 military invasion which led to the sacking of their ancestral homes and loss of lives, reprieve came the

way of the natives last February when a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt ordered N37.6bn compensation for the victims of the invasion.

The suit was filed by Prof.

Kobina Keme-Ebi Imananagha, Chief Ndu Gwagha, Chief Shadrack Agadah, Mr. Idoni Ingezi and Mr. Nwaka Echomgbe, on behalf of Odi. The community had, among other things, asked for N17.618bn as general damages, N20bn for special damages as well as a public apology and rebuilding of Odi by the Federal Government in the N100bn suit.

It was a surprise to many that a human right abuse case in the 21st century could drag on for 14 years.

The Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Lambo Akanbi, awarded Odi the N37.616, 871,000 compensation for the destruction of the community to be paid within 21 days.

On March 12, 2013, the court turned down a stay of execution of the judgement filed by the Attorney General of the Federation.

On May 14, 2013, the Court

of Appeal in Port Harcourt granted the application by the AGF for an out of court settlement with Odi. Consequently, on May 31, 2013, the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, gave an order compelling the garnishee (Central Bank of Nigeria) to pay the judgement creditor/ applicant (Odi) N37,616,871,000.

The garnishee order nisi had a mandatory 17 days life span which gave the Federal Government yet another room to conclude the out of court settlement with Odi. But this was not to be.

The indigenes of Odi sometime, last December, staged a protest blocking the East West Road to compel the Federal Government to respect the court order.

H o w e v e r, the Federal Government agreed to pay N15bn to the com-

munity.

It was learnt that out of the initial N15billion paid, about N9bn was left after deduction by the consortium of lawyers engaged by the community and other sundry expenses.

But things have not been the same again in the community

The division caused by the compensation snowballed into open skirmish last weekend when some youths attacked the deputy traditional head of the community, Chief Ebitimi Karuiru, and other indigenes over their alleged involvement in the sharing of the compensation money

since the payment of the N15bn compensation. The division caused by the compensation snowballed into open skirmish last weekend when some youths attacked the deputy traditional head of the community, Chief Ebitimi Karuiru, and other indigenes over their alleged involvement in the sharing of the compensation money.

The youths, according to reports, were angry over alleged disappearance of over N600 million, which they claimed was deducted by the Odi invasion case committee headed by some prominent indigenes as payment for their efforts to secure the compensation for the community.

The youths, who went naked, marched through the town demanding for the heads of those identified as the beneficiaries of the missing N600million including chiefs and notable government officials from the community.

An eyewitness told Sunday Vanguard that the youths

Continues on page 30

PAGE 30—SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014

15 years after massacre, Odi boils again

*A vehicle burnt during last week’s mayhem Continued from page 29 marched to the Odi burial site and invoked curses on those accused of diverting the funds for the victims of the invasion.

Though normalcy has been restored in the community following the intervention of the state government, the feeling of foreboding still pervades the community.

An indigene of the community, simply identified as Tombra, told Sunday Vanguard that though the community is peaceful, some people are still living in fear. “With the youth body yet to be constituted, the youths and sections of the community are currently divided,” he said.

The signatories to the community trust account could not be reached as they were said to have travelled while nobody was prepared to speak to visitors on the contentious issue.

But representatives of the families in the community have been summoned to a meeting with officials of the Bayelsa State government with a view to finding solution to the crisis.

When Sunday Vanguard visited the home of an Odi chief, Koku Imananagha, the compound was quiet. The security guard said, “My oga is not around. He travelled out of town and I don’t know when he will be back.”

At the home of the deputy traditional head, who was attacked and his SUV set ablaze during the orgy of violence that rocked the community, last weekend, only the charred remains of the car and livestock were proof that it was inhabited. The deputy

*A car damaged

traditional head, who is also the community chief priest, it was learnt, was receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital in the state.

Before the violence that unsettled the community, the process of sharing the largesse among the people was ongoing and indigenes at home and abroad were mandated to visit home for biometric accreditation.

It was, however, learnt that with three families remaining, the accreditation was sus-

With the youth body yet to be constituted, the youths and sections of the community are currently divided

*Odi after the disturbance pended when it was alleged that disbursements were secretly made to some individuals.

Mobile policemen have been deployed to Odi to maintain law and order.

A community source, who pleaded anonymity, said the protest by the youths was a response to the alleged diversion of funds by the committee in charge of the N15billion compensation.

It was learnt that out of the alleged missing N600million, N300million has been recovered, while the other half is expected to be refunded by

those given by the committee.

The state government through the office of the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd), has demanded for the list of the beneficiaries of the missing money.

Present at a meeting to fashion out a way forward for the troubled community, it was learnt, were indigenes of the area including commissioner for ICT, Hon Ndutimi Komonibo, special adviser to the governor on security matters, Col. Bernard Kenebai (rtd), among others.

A source at the meeting told Sunday Vanguard, “The issue

of the sharing of the money has become a poisoned chalice to the community. If not for the intervention of the state government, Odi would have boiled again. At the meeting convened by the state government, it was agreed that representatives of women and youths should be included for wider representation in the N15bn compensation money committee.

“It was also agreed that the signatories to the compensation money account should be changed. And the N9bn should be domiciled in a special account pending the resolution of the issues.”

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014 — PAGE 31

The Boko Haram many routes into Nigeria

BY NDAHI MARAMA, MAIDUGURI

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INCE July 26, 2009, acts of domestic terror ism perpetrated by the Jama’atu Ahlissunnah Lidda’awati wal Jihad (People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad”), also known as Boko Haram, have eclipsed Nigeria’s long standing security threats such as piracy, militancy, kidnappings, and armed robbery. The Nigerian Islamist group attracted worldwide attention beginning from July 2009, when it staged a violent anti-government uprising that resulted in the death of thousands of people, mostly civilians, security operatives and the sect members including their spiritual leaders, Mohammed Yusuf.

The group has since then ramped up violent attacks on diverse government and civilian targets, including a suicide bombing attacks on different locations in the country, with the most hit states being Adamawa,Yobe and Borno, the epicentre of the crisis.

Of particular concern are the growing sophisticated arms and weapons used by the Islamists in recent attacks, as shown in the seizures made by security forces in northern Nigeria.

Geographically, Borno, with an area of 61,435sq.km, is the largest in the federation in terms of land mass. Located on the north eastern corner of Nigeria, the state occupies the greatest part of the Chad Basin and shares porous borders with Republic of Niger to the north, Chad to the north east and Cameroon to the east.

In Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States, the porous nature of the borders is almost tearing the states apart due to the war waged by Boko Haram against government as well as security establishments including school children, business men/women and teachers.

The terrorist war, which has so far caused the deaths of thousands of security and civilian population and the destruction of property worth billions of Naira, is gradually crippling the socio- economic activities in the three affected states in the North-East.

Pundits believe that the preponderance nature of the porous borders in Yobe and Adamawa must be tackled to stem the influx of terrorists into the two states, including Borno, seen as the birth place and breeding ground of the Boko Haram sect.

According to the Comptroller of Immigration in Borno

Chibok town where over 200 girls were abducted on April 14

Dozens of villages and small towns in the state where it is difficult to identify whether their indigenes are Nigerian, Nigerien or Chadian have all been sacked by the ongoing violence

State, Mr. Modu Musa Miringa, the state shares borders with Niger to the north, Chad to the north-east and Cameroun to the east.

Speaking on the influx of illegal immigrants into the state almost on daily basis, Governor Kashim Shettima, in an interview, said: “Locals in border communities believe that willing emigrants from Niger, Chad and Cameroon can venture into Nigeria through more than 10,000 routes that have no gate, police and Customs or Immigration officers.

“It is equally through the same unmanned borders that smugglers, peddlers, traffickers and other sundry offenders troop into Nigeria from

Sudan, Central African Republic, Mali and Libya”.

“From Cameroon, for instance, there are over 300 routes that people can get into Nigeria or out of the country with any kind of truck or load, provided they know the terrain,” said a local fisherman called Kunce Mai Zare in Kuros- Kawwa, a village in Monguno Local Government Area of the state.

He alleged that smugglers of contraband goods and those engaged in arms shipment use various means of transportation including donkeys, camels and bull-driven carts to ferry their consignment into the country without a trace.

A primary school teacher in

Ashigashiya, Mr. Yusuf Usman Ngoshe, who relocated to Maiduguri as a result of the crisis, told our correspondent, in an interview, that “there are over 50 border villages and hamlets directly linked with some settlements in Cameroon”.

Investigation also indicated that many people in central Borno, Bama, Kala Balge and Ngala Local Government Areas have direct links with Cameroon. Also, apart from Banki, Maksamari, Kumshe, Sigal Diba, Mokhole, Djilbe, Wulgo and Gamboru, there are dozens of settlements with hundreds of people who are more connected to Cameroon than Nigeria. Today, all these local government areas are under the control of Boko Haram.

Likewise, dozens of villages and small towns in the state where it is difficult to identify whether their indigenes are Nigerian, Nigerien or Chadian have all been sacked by the ongoing violence.

Such communities are Zaga, Fage, Bula Batube, Ngilewa, Kabbal Balram, Ngurno, Baga, Kawwa, Barwati, Bisagana, Arage, Mitile, Mallam Fatori, Kadi, Asagar, Gashagar, Foguwa and Galjiya, among others.

“Boko Haram has been able to smuggle arms into Nigeria

using various methods such as the use of specially crafted skin or thatched bags attached to camels, donkeys and cows where arms are concealed and moved across the borders with the aid of nomadic pastoralists or herders. Its members are known to connive with merchants involved,”a security source said.

There have been deadly Boko Haram attacks in Borno since the beginning of this year. These attacks started in the mountanous villages between Gwoza, Gamboru Ngala council areas which share boundaries with Cameroon and Chad.

The attacks subsequently spread like wildfire targeting security formations, public and private schools, markets, places of worship as suicide bombers hit church and mosques while towns and villagers were captured by the Islamists under security agents watchful eyes.

The attacks claimed thousands of lives, left others injured and property worth billions of naira destroyed as the terrorists gained confidence and were better motivated than our security forces.

Governor Shettima lent credence to the motivation of the Boko Haram fighters when he

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PAGE 32—SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014

The Boko Haram many routes into Nigeria

Troops preparing to battle the insurgent group Sabon Gari of Hambagda Jaji Continued from page 31 Ward of Gwoza L.G.A by suspected terrorists.

12th January: 5 killed in said: “Our security operatives including the military forces Kayamula village of Konduga are incapacitated to fight or by suspected terrorists.

14th January: 43 killed in a challenge the activities of the insurgents in the North-east sub region”.

Shettima apparently implied that the terrorists have sophisticated weapons more than our security agencies, and that is why anytime they strike, they succeed and overawe our armed security forces and civilians.

Over 15 local government area and hundreds of communities and towns in Borno have been sacked/displaced by the activities of the insurgents since the beginning of this year.

A rundown of the activities of Boko Haram between January and March 2014 in Borno and, by extension, Yobe is as follows: 3rd January: 9 killed in Kayamula village of Konduga L.G.A. by suspected terrorists.

8th January: Wala, country home of member representing Chibok, Gwoza and Damboa federal constituency at the National Assembly, Honourable Peter Biye, came under attack. No live was lost, but the attackers destroyed the lawmaker ’s house, a church before carting away food stuff, etc.

9th January: 38 suspected terrorists and one soldier lost their lives in an encounter with troops of 195 Battalion, Damboa.

11th January: 8 killed in

Our security operatives including the military forces are incapacitated to fight or challenge the activities of the insurgents in the North-east sub region

Boko Haram fighters bomb blast at the general area of Post Office, Maiduguri.

15th January: Terrorists attacked a police station in Banki, a town bordering Cameroon Republic and killed one policeman.

16th January: 12 people killed in Gashigar village of Mobbar Council Area by suspected Boko Haram Islamists.

Gashigar shares boarder with Niger Republic.

19th January: 19 killed in Ngawo Fate, Alau villages of Konduga L.G.A by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.

20th January: One staffer of Government Girls Secondary School, Wulgo, Gamboru Ngala L.G.A was shot dead by suspected insurgents.

20th January: 3 killed by suspected terrorists in Wala village of Gwoza L.G.A. 21st January: 8 killed in Kaya Village of Damboa L.G.A. by suspected terrorists.

21st January: 10 killed in Njaba village of Damboa L.G.A. by suspected terrorists.

24th January: Soldiers engaged fleeing terrorists along Firgi- Gwoza Highway and during exchange of gunfire, 4 suspected terrorists were killed.

24th January: Suspected Boko Haram members invaded Wala village of Gwoza Council area and killed two civilians.

26th January: Suspected Boko Haram members invaded Kawuri village of Konduga Council area and killed 85 residents.

30th January: Suspected Boko Haram members planted improved explosive devices (IEDs) on Gwoza -Madagali highway killing seven bus passengers.

From 1st to 4th February: 75 Strike Group, NAF, Yola raided Boko Haram hideouts Bulabullin, Yujiwa, Alagarno vil-

lages of Damboa axis of Borno and inflicted heavy casualty on the insurgents.

5th February: 18 traders in Gulani council area of Yobe killed by suspected Boko Haram members who ambushed them in Ngalda village.

5th February: 3 killed by suspected insurgents at a relaxation spot/ beer parlour in Askira Uba Council Area.

10th February: 7 killed by suspected insurgents in separate attacks in Chinene and Jebra villages of Gwoza L.G.A. 11th February: 62 killed by suspected Boko Haram terrorists in Konduga Council Headquarters of Borno state.

14th February: 10 killed in Baga town of Kukawa Council Area, a fishing community bordering Chad.

16th February: 106 killed in Izge village of Gwoza L.G.A. 18th February: Suspected terrorists invaded the country home of Major General Tukur Buratai, the JTF Commander in the Niger Delta, in Buratai District of Biu L.G.A. And killed two security guards.

19th February: Over 100 killed in Bama L.G.A by suspected terrorists.

19th February: About 75 of attackers in Bama council area killed by military airstrikes at the outskirts of the town while attempting to flee after an attack.

22nd February: Two killed in Mairari village of Konduga in suspected Boko Haram attack.

24th February: Over 40 students of Federal Government College, Buni Yadi in Yobe were massacred by suspected terrorists.

28th February: One female student of Waka College, Biu L.G.A was slaughtered by suspected insurgents in a rented room (off campus) in Bubalwada ward.

1st March: Over 70 killed in twin explosions in Ajilari Railway Crossing, Gomari general area of Maiduguri.

1st March: 40 people killed in Mainok village of Kaga by suspected terrorists.

2nd March: 36 people killed in Mafa Council headquarters by suspected terrorists.

3rd March: About 15 killed in Jakana village of Konduga Council area by suspected terrorists.

5th March: A clash between terrorists and security operatives in Mafa General Area left many terrorists killed.

The second and third quarters of 2014 were considered as the worst in Borno following the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok Local Government Area while writing their SSCE WAEC on the 14th of April.

Kano, Bauchi and Plateau states were also not spared of Boko Haram attacks during the outgoing year.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 33

The threat Boko Haram poses to Nigeria,

by Ayo Oritsejafor *’Our people are dying’

*Oritsejafor..... Boko Haram is not a northern problem, but a Nigerian problem with global implications

BY JIDE AJANI

This is the story of Pastor Ayodele Joseph Oritsejafor’s crusade against members of the Jama’atu Ahliss-Sunnah Lidda’awati Wal Jihad, otherwise known as Boko Haram. It is also the story of a crusade which foresaw the dangers that this group constituted at a time when the Federal Government of Nigeria chose to play footsy. It is a story mired by governmental incompetence and a lack of proper grounding in the art of statecraft. It was a passionate plea to the United States of America’s House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights. This plea was made on July 10, 2012 – a time when the activities of the terror group had not attained madness of gargantuan proportions. hairman Smith and Members of the Sub committee, I want to thank you for the opportunity today to address this committee and for your interest in

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the situation in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and especially the increase in terrorist attacks targeting Christians and Christian Institutions. Just this last weekend, 58 people were killed in Christian villages in Jos, including a federal senator and a state lawmaker. Boko Haram already claimed responsibility for these coordinated attacks against the Christian community in Jos, and they also reaffirmed their earlier position saying that “for Christians in Nigeria to know peace they must accept Islam as the only true religion.” Boko Haram is not a northern problem, but a Nigerian problem with global implications. Nigeria is not a country divided by North and South, but a country divided between those who support freedom and equality in the eyes of the law, and those who promote persecution and violence as a means to an end. To an outside observer it may appear as though Boko Haram is not a monolithic group; that

it is fragmented and disorganized, I am here today to give you the Nigerian perspective.

Since its creation, the Boko Haram network has never hidden its agenda or intentions.

Boko Haram has openly stated that they reject the Nigerian State and its Constitution and seek to impose Shari’ah Law. To this end, Boko Haram has waged a systematic campaign of terror and violence.

They seek an end to western influence and a removal of the Christian presence in Nigeria.

This is outright terrorism, not legitimate political activity or the airing of grievances.

By refusing to designate Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organization, the United States is sending a very clear message, not just to the Federal Government of Nigeria, but to the world – that the murder of innocent Christians, and Muslims who reject Islamism, and I make a clear distinction here between Islam and Islamism, are acceptable losses. It is hypocritical

for the United States and the international community to say that they believe in free-

It is hypocritical for the United States and the international community to say that they believe in freedom and equality, when their actions do not support those who are being persecuted

dom and equality, when their actions do not support those who are being persecuted. A non-designation for the group only serves to hamper the cause of justice, and has emboldened Boko Haram to continue to strike out at those who are denied equal protection under the law.

The frequency, lethality and sophistication of Boko Haram’s attacks raise disturbing questions regarding training and logistical support they have received from other like minded international terrorist networks. In January 2012 the United Nations Security Council published a report stating that Boko Haram members from Nigeria received training in AQIM camps located in Mali and Chad during the summer of 2011. That same summer Boko Haram carried out a bold terrorist attack against the United Nations building in Abuja. Boko Haram did not

Continues on page 34

PAGE 34—SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014

’Our people are dying’

Chibok girls still missing Continued from page 33 hesitate in claiming responsibility for the attack, nor has it ever hesitated in claiming responsibility for its ongoing attacks against police, military, local businesses, and increasingly churches and Christian institutions.

In Nigeria, my people are dying every single day, and it is only a matter of time before the international terrorist links and anti-democratic Islamist agenda of Boko Haram turns its attention to the United States. In fact, this may already be a reality, in April of 2012 the NYPD learned that a U.S. resident living on the East Coast had sent surveillance, including maps and photographs of lower Manhattan and the Holland and Lincoln tunnels to an alleged member of Boko Haram based in Nigeria.

State Department designated Boko Haram’s current leader; Abubaker Shekau and 2 others as “specially designated terrorists”, but fell short of designating the organization. This would be the equivalent of designating Bin Laden as a terrorist, but failing to designate Al Qaeda as a ter-

rorist organization.

Although I am aware that the designation of Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization is not the final solution to all of Nigeria’s problems, yet it is an important first step towards restoring the confidence of those who support freedom and equality in the eyes of the law.

We too, want to have freedom, freedom of religion, freedom to worship as we choose without fear, we want to have justice, based in equality and not driven by discriminatory religious practices. Let me remind us that this is not about economics but about an ideology that has a history of sponsoring genocide based on religious intolerance across the globe. As Boko Haram increasingly turns towards genocide through the systematic targeting of Christians and Christian institutions in pursuit of its goals, history will not forget the actions or the inactions of your great nation. I thank you for this opportunity and I look forward to continuing our strong partnership with America.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Boko Haram fighters

*Terrorists

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 35

Our 2015 fears — Manufacturers .Naira devaluation taking toll on sector

BY UDEME CLEMENT

The trend of events on the economic front in Nigeria in the last quarter of 2014, which began with a rapid decline in crude oil price from over $100 per barrel to about $61currently, announcement of austerity measures by the Federal Government, Naira devaluation and a slash in 2015 budget benchmark, has, no doubt, created panic and uncertainty in the system.

While government is still trying to re-strategise on the way forward, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), predicted slow growth rate for Nigeria’s economy in 2015.

The Chairman, Toiletries and Cosmetics Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr. Ikpong Umoh, speaks on the forecast of IMF for Nigeria, the need for Nigeria to leave ECOWAS Commission and the devaluation of the Naira. he IMF has just predicted slow growth rate for Nigeria’s economy in 2015. What is your take on this?

The IMF uses some parameters in economic forecasting and what they predicted for Nigeria may likely happen if government does not act fast to diversify the economy. Now is the time to take a decisive action on the economic framework. The IMF forecast is based on the trend of events in the economic front in Nigeria in the last quarter of this year. For our economy not to be sluggish in 2015, it means government must put measures in place to reposition it and ensures that all sectors are given adequate attention. Also, resources in all sectors, especially agriculture and manufacturing, must be adequately harnessed for greater growth.

Many economic experts are of the opinion that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) acted hastily on Naira devaluation. Do you share similar opinion?

Well, the devaluation is not in the best interest of manufacturers, though government took that step to maintain stability of growth indices recorded before the dwindling crude oil price.

The reality with our economic system is that government leaves a lot to the market forces, which is like a typical neo-liberal economic framework. Frankly, our economy is worse off because the economic indicators are predicated on crude oil, and the declining oil price in the international market now has created uncertainty in the system. You can see the rapid

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Government should ensure that the real sector is producing enough.

Also, the production capacity must not be left to the multinationals alone. It must trickle down to the Small and Medium Enterprises

• Mr. Ikpong Umoh decline from above $100 to about $61 now, and there is the tendency that the oil price may continue to drop. And if that happens, our economy will face enormous challenges, because the 2015 budget is planned based on oil revenue.

Look at the situation we are in now. We have been urging government to diversify the economy into non-oil sectors, especially manufacturing many years ago, but there was no practical response. So I believe this is the right time for government to act, to reposition the economy for optimum growth within the short and long term expectations. Government should ensure that the real sector is producing enough.

Also, the production capacity must not be left to the multinationals alone. It must trickle down to the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

This is quite imperative because the SMEs have the ability to create thousands of jobs for the citizens. Also, government should discuss with relevant stakeholders in the economy as well as operators in the SMEs subsector, in order to look at areas where the economy can be opened up for more investments.

Aside from diversifying the economy into non-oil export sectors, what practical steps will you advise government to take in order to realize a rapid turn around?

Nigeria should leave the ECOWAS Commission and close its borders to goods that

can be manufactured locally for local industries to thrive.

For example, Nigeria occupies a central position in ECOWAS, yet we are not making good use of our strength, which is population to move our economy forward. We are not utilizing our position in the Commission to ensure that every sector of our economy is developed. The number of industries in Nigeria are more than what they have in other ECOWAS countries, still, our economy is backward and characterized by unemployment as well as high rate of poverty. For instance, over 90 percent of cosmetics products in Nigeria are imported, to the detriment of local cosmetic companies.

Since Nigeria is not making good use of its position in ECOWAS, it is better to quit.

Do you also consider the economic implication of leaving ECOWAS Commission?

To me, it will do us a lot of good. For instance, Britain left the European Economic Community and today, their economy is doing very well, growing stronger than what they had in the past, even their currency is stronger now.

This is the time for government to adopt the Chinese’s economic model, by closing its borders to all goods that can be produced locally.

That way, our industrial sector will thrive to create jobs for our people.

Recently, government disclosed it plans to set up a development banks. Do you

think government is moving in the right direction?

We have specialized banks in advanced economies and there is nothing wrong if government decides to establish one in Nigeria.

Realistically speaking, opening such a bank in Nigeria must be based on necessity to either finance infrastructure or create jobs, and not just about spending government’s money.

Currently, we have Bank of Industry (BoI) and the bank for agriculture. Government should first review the performance of these banks to ascertain their level of development and what they have achieved over the years before setting up another specialized bank.

Government should evaluate the achievements of BoI and the bank for agriculture before investing in another development bank.

Government said inflation is single digit at the rate of 8.1, that all macro-economic fundamentals are moving in the right direction, yet no jobs. As a stakeholder in the manufacturing sector, how will you assess the economy in 2014?

Looking at the economy pragmatically, with the rate of unemployment, poverty and most recently devaluation of the local currency, I think the economy in 2014 has not been well at all, not as many manufacturers thought.

Personally, I think the economy is worse off in 2014, as the oil price dropped drastically and the Naira devalued. The devaluation of the Naira is taking its toll on our economy and the manufacturing sector as well.

Recently, T and C group of MAN organized a summit to review its activities for 2014.

What was the significance of

that programme?

At the beginning of the year, we had set agenda to carry out an advocacy based on genuine dialogue with all stakeholders, with a view to reducing obstacles to our survival and growth in the industry. We identified four main areas that needed to be addressed. In the Nigerian cosmetics market, the ratio of foreign made cosmetics to locally manufactured is 9:1.

This is embarrassing and unacceptable in any growing economy like ours. The T and C industry was subjected to double GMP-based regulation by two government regulatory agencies, such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food Drugs, Administration and Control (NAFDAC). The industry has not been visible in the activities of MAN with no credible representation in MAN council where crucial issues are discussed and decided. Government policies on tariffs and imports prohibition of locally made goods discriminated against T and C as its finished cosmetics did not make that list, and its raw materials input with no local substitution attract 10 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT).

So, the programme was put together to address these issues.

The theme for that event was, ‘The role of regulatory agencies in supporting T and C sub-sector ’s positioning in the re-based economy’. It is no news that the recent rebasing of Nigeria’s GDP for 2013 placed our economy as the largest in Africa. The implication is that the economy is more diversified than was previously assumed.

The sectoral contribution shows that agriculture contributed 22 per cent, services 51 percent, oil and gas 15.9 percent, Telecoms 8.7percent, manufacturing 6.7percent and entertainment1.2percent.

Therefore, T and C group certainly has a role to play in increasing the contribution of manufacturing from the paltry 6.7percent. This industrial sub-sector has enormous potentials to create multiple chains of sustainable jobs to mop up idleness of youths on the street, transform the industrial landscape of rural communities and contribute to GDP as well as export drive.

Our members have the zeal to do just that, but we need an enabling and supportive regulatory environment, which NAFDAC, SON and other government agencies can do by simply adopting international best practices in the discharge of their mandates.

PAGE 36—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014

BRIEFS

Administrator commends award winners

Why the insurance industry must grow in premium, job creation — Okonjo-Iweala …Says fixation on govt business is alarming

By Favour Nnabugwu

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UST six days ago, the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, decried the over dependence of all sectors on government for growth and survival, a situation she said the insura nce sub-sector of the economy is not exempted from. According to her, the insurance sector should concentrate on how an average Nigerian, in the cities or suburbs, has access to insurance than focusing on business from government. She said: “The fixation on government in the country is too much, everything is government, is government the market?

This penetration we are talking about, the fact that we need to increase our penetration from 0.4 to 1.6 within the next decade is not about the government”. Explaining the reason government delays premium payment to the sector, she said the ministries, departments and agencies are supposed to cater for the payment of insurance premium from the budget but oftentimes, they don!t do that and often than not, the sector keeps crying to government through the budget office for payment. She said government was working on modalities to avert delay in the nearest future”.

“Normally, ministries, departments know what assets they have should be insured; so they should ordinarily cater for the insurance of those assets but where they have not, this is something that we will work harder on to find a more systematic approach to resolve the issue once and for all”, she stated. “That is not to say that there are no other big business insurance practitioners can fix they eyes on. The question is what should the insurance industry be doing to sell insurances to big organisations and to households and individuals in the country?” The minister explained that there was the need to build integrity in the industry as many Nigerians are still doubtful about the industry due to sharp practices of some bad eggs in the industry. “Many Nigerians are skeptical and hold a negative perception of our insurance industry. To an extent their skepticism are justified. There are many insurers in our industry who are eager to take premiums, but are not ready to pay when genuine claims are submitted. This

practice must stop”, Okonjo-Iweala said..

“This is one of the reasons people don’t buy insurance; when the time comes to get their payouts, they don’t get it. This is something that we must definitely stop and improve upon”, she said.

The minister stressed that government had laid the table for the country ’s insurance sector to grow the country’s Gross Written Premium (GWP), which stands at N300 billion, to N1 trillion ($6bn) in the next three years and to N5 trillion ($30bn) in the next 10 years. She pointed out that the insurance industry is a powerful engine for job creation in the country, saying that government’s target is to grow the number of direct employment to 100,000 in the next three years from its present 10,000.

“Unleashing the latent

energies of the insurance industry to create more jobs and boost economic development is one of our strategic responses to close the gap created by the economic challenges we are confronting at the moment. “Given the great progress which the banking and pension sectors have made in the last decade, insurance can do as well or even better,” she said.

The minister stressed that to widen access from three million policy holders to its targeted 10 million in 2017, “There is need to extend microinsurance and takaful insurance (Islamiccomplaint insurance) to rural parts of the country especially to Nigerian farmers who are exposed to various climate risks”.She described insurance sector as “a sector that can put large amount of finance

together for investment in other sectors of the economy”.

The Commissioner for Insurance and the CEO of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Mr Fola Daniel, in his welcome address at the Insurance Summit 2014, tagged: “Transforming the Nigerian Insurance Sector: A Three-Year Agenda”, said the corporation had set a three-year agenda to transform the sector. Daniel, who transformed his dream of the nation’s insurance industry to faith in the sector, said the industry is a critical part of a nation’s economy, with the potentials of galvanising the optimal performance of other sectors and reducing pressure on public sector finance.

Prices of foods, manufactured products go up

By Udeme Clement

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BVIOUSLY, the crisis rocking the economy since the last quarter of 2014, arising from the continuous drop in the prices of crude oil in the international market and Naira devaluation, had adverse effect on Christmas in many parts of the country, as the celebration was characterised by high prices of food items.

Aside from the skyrocketing prices of food items, markets in Lagos State recorded low turn out of traders as well as buyers. Even markets where fabrics and second hand clothes are sold were scanty during the period. It was observed that big fabric markets like Katangua, Arena, Oshodi and Balogun had fewer number of people.

When Sunday Vanguard visited specific markets across Lagos, it was observed that the prices of food items had increased by over 20 per cent. For instance, at the popular Oyingbo market, which serves as a depot for different food items coming from the East and other parts of the country, goods were very expensive. Items like cray-fish and stock fish, sold at cheaper prices in the market,

were unusually exorbitant. A small paint container measurement of cray-fish formally sold between N800 and N1,000, was sold for N1,500, a medium plastic measurement of egusi went for N2,000 instead of N1,500 and a small size bag of stock fish went for N10,000 instead of N7,000.

Also, a bag of rice sold for between N12,500 and N12,000 instead of N8,000, live turkey sold for N15,000 instead of N10,000, a kilo measurement of turkey sold for N900 instead of N800, a kilo of chicken went for N850 instead of N700.

At Ketu market, which serves as a depot for fresh tomato and pepper coming in from the northern part of the country, things were not different in any way. A medium basket of tomato sold for N15.000 instead of N10,000, pepper went up to N12,000 per basket instead of N8,000 and a basket of onions was sold for N10,000 instead of N7,000. On the other hand, a big tuber of yam previously sold for between N400 and N500 increased to N600.

In the same vein, prices of manufactured goods like plastic plates, basin, kitchen utensils and cosmetics increased by about five per cent. The cost of transportation in

many areas of Lagos as well as Ogun State did not increase, even as official pump price of fuel remained stable, still at N97.00 per liter .

A trader at Oyingbo market, Mrs. Precious Idem, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard, said, “The hike in prices of food items and general goods is a recurring factor in December period largely because of the number of people buying and selling. This year is different because from the second week of December when people expected increase in prices of goods, there was nothing like that, but the prices suddenly went up between 24 and 25 December. We believe this is due to the crisis our economy is facing, especially the Naira devaluation”.

She went on, “Another thing extra-ordinary about 2014 Christmas is the low turn out of travelers, which could be the reason the cost of transportation has not increased like what we experienced in 2013 December. The low turnout of commuters is also another signal that our economy is e x p e r i e n c i n g challenges.

We are looking at government to turn the economy around for better growth in 2015”.

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DMINISTRATOR of Grace children school and Grace High School Gbagada, Mrs Tokunbo Edun yesterday commended the staff and pupils of the school for winning the prestigious International School award given by the British council for schools working towards global citizenship.

The award presentation ceremony took place on December 9 at the Lagos office of the British Council.

According to Mrs Edun, the ceremony was first of its kind in Nigeria and Grace Children School was the first and only school in Nigeria to receive the award competed for by 50 children schools in Nigeria.

The award is given to the school with the best globally recognized curriculum which also makes the best presentation of scientific and technological innovation by children. The award means that the recipient institution has global accreditation which lasts for three years according to Mrs Edun. Speaking with pressmen yesterday at the school premises the administrator said ‘’the school is proud of all the staff and the pupils that have worked hard to earn this international recognition” . We are indeed very pleased with you all.” It is a reflection of the standard of the school, she said.

Xmas: Methodist Church Prelate congratulates Nigerians

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hristians , Nigeria over, irrespective of tribes or callings, have been enjoined to embrace the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ as a genuine departure from the present unfortunate travails, to a very sober reflection of a transparent complete rebirth, reflection of a very true disciplined sanctity and virile nation, where all could be very proud to honestly emulate at all times.

In addition, they were also charged to draw such exemplary behaviour of absolute humility, love, kindness to one another especially to proffer humble solutions to the nation’s and society ’s socio-economic and political instability presently facing the society and the people.

These remarks were made respectively by the Prelate, Methodist Church, Nigeria, Dr Samuel Chukwuemeka Kanu Uche, along with the Bishop Diocese of Lagos Mainland, Rt Revd Isaac Ayobami Olawuyi, in their Christmas messages to Nigerians.

Going through several biblical injunctions, they asserted that the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ was purely, an unflinching love and kindness to mankind, basically premised on humility and extreme concern to the plight of all, especially with our Lord Jesus Christ birth in a manger. They therefore reiterated the need for the Leaders, especially the Members of the Political Class, to rule with the absolute fear of God to provide such vision and very meaningful succour with gainful life to the hopeless for a very secured better tomorrow for all, at all times.

LP chieftain commends Ejimife

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CHIEFTAIN of the Labour Party, LP, in Ughelli North local government area of Delta State, Comrade Omomarho Onorhime, has applauded one of the House of Assembly aspirants in the just concluded party’s primary, Hon. BrumeEzewu Ejimife, for stepping down for a coaspirant, describing his action as a sign of loyalty and respect for the party’s leadership.

The chieftain, who spoke to newsmen said Hon. Brume-Ezewu had shown his commitment and high regard for party leadership, saying that such person with impeccable character is difficult to come by in Nigeria nascent democracy, urging members to emulate him.

Onorhime said, Hon. Brume-Ezewu Ejimife stepping down for Hon. Oharume who won the primary election keenly contested by Hon. Jenkins Oghenevwede and Hon. Oyibogare on the ground that both of them are from Agbarho and wouldn’t want the ticket to leave the Agbarho axis.

“I want Oharume to emulate Hon. Brume-Ezewu’s loyalty and do all within his power to at all times fulfill promises made to his people if he emerges as member representing the constituency, since that promise is the only confidence the people will repose on him.”

SUNDAY, Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 37

Pomp as K asumu’s daught er w eds Oy owe’s son Kasumu’s daughter weds Oyo

A

debimpe Wakilat, daughter of Alhaji Kayode Kasumu and Mr. Oneoritsebawo Ewubemogba, son of Mr. Augustine Oyowe, consummated their relationship in a Holy union, a fortnight ago, at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The wedding was witnessed by ministers of God and dignitaries who joined the couple in the celebration.

Photos by Bunmi Azeez

.

From left: Mrs. Florence Oyowe, groom's mother, Mr. Austin Oyowe, groom's father, Oneoritsebawo Ewubemogba and his wife, Adebimpe Wakilat, Alhaja Iyabo Kasumu, bride's mother and Alhaji Kayode Kasumu, bride's father.

From left: Mrs. Florence Oyowe, groom's mother, Mr. Austin Oyowe, groom's father and Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, Chairman of the occasion.

From left: Mrs. Rita Amuka and Mrs. Dele Kartey

From left: Mr. Godfrey Etikerentse, Chief Felix Esisi and Mr. Sonny Okpuvhe.

From left: Aji Rone-Orugboh, Bridget RoneOrugboh and Mabel Akpieyi-Otuedon.

From left: Mr. Dayo Adeneye and his wife, Caroline.

… and daught er hooks hear t-thr ob daughter heart-thr t-throb

A

lso, Mr. and Mrs. Augustine Oyowe gave out their daughter, Toritseju, in traditional marriage to Mr Oluyori Olutimayin, son of the late Mr Simon and Mrs Oluremi Olutimayin. The ceremony took place at the Magodo residence of the Oyowes. Photos by Lamidi Bamidele

Mr Oluyori Olutimayin, groom, his wife, Toritseju and bride's parents, Mr. & Mrs. Oyowe.

Lydia and Isaac Oghogho with Emmanuel and Claudere Oghogho from United States of America

Mrs Oluremi Olutimayin (3rd right) groom’s mother and other members of the Olutimayin family.

From right: Barrister Nelson Sunlola, Capt Sunny Adegbuyi, Chief Dotun Oduneye and his wife

From left; Mrs Rita Amuka, Ms Lesley Ikomi and Arc Fred Dudu

Page 38 — SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014

SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

The unseen dangers confronting Nigeria, by Prof.

Chukwumerije Okereke *What President Jonathan must do!

It is worth pointing out that many countries have now moved away from seeing environmental issues as something that is t h e c o n c e r n o f the Environment Ministry. The national flood disaster is a good example in demonstrating the national economic importance of environmental issues.

Lives were lost, livelihoods were endangered and properties worth several hundreds of millions of naira were destroyed.

I read somewhere that the economic cost of the flood was about 0.5 % of Nigerian GDP, which is a lot of money. A few years ago, a bill to create a National Commission on Climate Change was passed by the two houses of parliament.

This bill was expected to bring Nigeria in line with other progressive countries in the world in terms of climate governance infrastructure.

It would have given political visibility to the complex issue of climate change and brought about g r e a t e r i n t e r ministerial coordination in tackling the problem.

However, for reasons best known to the politicians, the bill was not signed into law but was allowed to die a natural death.

BY JIDE AJANI

At the Oxford University’s Smiths School of Enterprise and the Environment, SSEE, a Nigerian scholar, Chukwumerije Okereke, a Professor at Reading University, brought home the dangers of Nigeria’s approach to the issue of sustainability and the environment in a constantly changing world. At one of the lectures on Sustainability and Development during the course, packaged by These Executive Minds, TEXEM, and the SSEE, Oxford University, Okereke presented a paper to a diverse group of Nigerians in government and the private sector, including the media, on the dynamic nature of sustainability in a world that is inter-connected.

Now, in this interview, he explains why the Nigerian authorities should make hay and fix the roof while the sun shines.

Excerpts:

J

ust taking a bird’s eye view of the Nigerian nation within the context of sustainability, what strikes you?

I am struck by many things, most of which, I am sad to say are negative.

I am struck by the fact that Nigeria remains a monocultural economy with over 90 per cent of its foreign exchange earning coming from one single commodity - oil.

An economy that is not diversified is not sustainable.

The recent fall in the price of oil and the immediate impact it has had on the economy amply demonstrates the need to promote resilience t hrough economic diversification.

Furthermore, to enhance national energy security, Nigeria should be looking for ways to get more of its energy through renewable sources.

I am also struck by the fact that our country somehow still allows a huge amount of oil spillage every year.

I am sure you remember the media attention and the reaction of the US government in 2010 when the BP oil disaster occurred. Now, I have read somewhere that there is an oil disaster of equal or more magnitude to the BP oil spill, every year in Nigeria. I am struck that as a country we are still flaring a huge amount of gas that could easily be converted to energy,

•Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke while majority of the people go without electricity. I am struck at the rate at which our forests are disappearing and the seeming lack of political will to tackle it. I am struck that there is lack of environmental awareness and well designed policies to tackle a host of sustainability related challenges in the country such as erosion, desertification, climate change, waste accumulation, etc.

Looking at the complexities inherent in and contradictions arising from policies that are not well thought out in Nigeria, how can a framework or a pathway be charted for those in government with a view to strengthening areas of sustainable develop-

An economy that is not diversified is not sustainable. The recent fall in the price of oil and the immediate impact it has had on the economy amply demonstrates the need to promote resilience t hrough economic diversification ment?

You have put your finger on the pulse, as they say..

In my view one of the greatest problems in Nigeria, in terms of sustainability management, is lack of coordination a m o n g r e l e v a n t

government ministries and agencies involved.

This disjointed and fragmented approach means that sustainability issues are not addressed in an integrated and holistic fashion.

But how can we use the discourse on sustainable development to better Nigeria’s present economic situation?

This is a good question.

While the tendency in many quarters is to see sustainable development as a threat - something that limits economic growth - there are actually many ways in which the p u r s u i t of sustainable development can create opportunities or provide platforms for stronger economic development. Nigeria, for example can become richer by harnessing rather than flaring its gas. By exploiting its abundant renewable energy (such as sun and wind), Nigeria can move closer to addressing the lingering electricity problem that have hindered economic growth for decades. China as of today is one of the largest manufacturers of wind turbines and solar panels.

Continues on page 40

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 39

Why the EU is interested in Nigeria’s 2015 polls

Iraq, Syria and Ukraine?

I don’t think we should put the three countries in the same basket. They are quite different. As a matter of principle, the EU firmly believes in peaceful resolution of conflicts. So we are trying to de-escalate any form of violence. As far as Ukraine is concerned, being at the border of Europe, the whole philosophy of the European Union is to establish sustainable peace in the continent; we are not going to start another war after 70 years of peace after the Second World War, we want to avoid any war by all means in Europe.

— Ambassador Arrior

I would like to know what interest is Nigeria’s forthcoming election to EU? You know that we in the EU are friends of Nigeria and we will like to see peaceful, transparent elections in the interest of Nigeria. We also hope for the best in those elections because Nigeria is strategic to Europe as one of the largest countries in subSahara Africa and the biggest economy in Africa.

Also Nigeria is going to set a precedent; we have five or six elections in 2015 in Africa . In February, we will have the Nigerian elections; we believe Nigeria can show a good example to the other countries in Africa.

How much has EU committed financially into the Nigeria elections?

At the financial level, we are providing 35 million euros to INEC and we are channelling the funds through United Nations Development Agency.

However, we are not financing the core budget of the elections, the Federal Government is providing the budget. It is very good because, after all, it is Nigerian elections and they must be financed by the Nigerian budget.

So what we are doing is providing additional support with the financing of specific actions that will focus primarily on voter education, civic education, support to civil society, platforms of local observers or local trainers to facilitate the Nigerian civil society to really be involved in the electoral process.

So, it is not a direct support for NEC but we have agreed with INEC on this budget and division of labour in the electoral body’s actions and the partners. The EU is contributing the largest part to the basket fund.

To what extent has the EU supported the strengthening of the Nigerian political institutions to bring about free and fair elections?

Before the financial support, we were engaging not only with Nigerian institutions but the various components of the society and all political stakeholders. We believe a lot of responsibility to deliver credible elections remains with the political parties, not only INEC. When you ask about the institutions we are supporting, I want to put a clear emphasis on the political dialogue we have not only with the authorities of the electoral commission but also with the political parties. EU is facilitating the dialogue between the Nigerian institutions and the international community; we are engaged in permanent dialogue with INEC, we are engaged in dialogue with the civil society, with political parties and we try to have common views and common messages from the international community to all political stakeholders and those messages primarily focus on two issues that will contribute to the important question of credibility in the election: Peace and inclusiveness. Every adult Nigerian has the right to vote; so the question of registration, voter card, access to the polling stations, etc are absolutely key. Everybody must be given the chance to vote, that is extremely important. So those two questions of non-violence and inclusiveness are the two points we have repeatedly discussed with all political stakeholders and we are quite happy about the quality of the dialogue we have been having with INEC and government.

It is important that we engage with the central government as well as the governors in the states and the media because the media is an important part of the economic development of the country and they play also an important

W

•Ambassador Michel Arrion...We need double track to tackle Boko Haram role in disseminating information to the people.

When we tell the political actors that they should refrain from instigating violence, it is not only a message for the political actors but also for the media because the media repeat and convey messages that are those of the politicians, the politicians without the media will not be vocal; so the media is very important in the process not only in the political analysis and dialogue that we have but also what the media tells its audience.

There is the suggestion that Nigeria is going to break up.

,

A

mbassador, Head of Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Michel Arrion, speaks on the interest of his employers in Nigeria’s 2015 polls.

In February, we will have the Nigerian elections; we believe Nigeria can show a good example to the other countries in Africa

,

Is EU worried about that?

Frankly, you know I made the point about violence and, unfortunately, there is a kind of pattern of electoral violence and political violence in Nigeria, but it has never reached the point of breaking up. So we are not pessimistic to a point that we fear any kind of break up or collapse. We believe that Nigeria has strong institutions and a very strong civil society. We believe there is a strong feeling of nationwide nationalism in Nigeria, we are fully convinced that Nigerians want to remain united in their diversity because it is very important to recognise the diversity of Nigeria. You can be both diverse and united.

This is violence that could be avoided if all political stakeholders address all serious issues and engage with INEC and other institutions to refrain from it.

We have sorts of violence that are not necessarily linked to elections but can use the opportunity of elections to develop like general crime, communal violence, terrorist attacks. So, on the occasion of the 2015 elections, one should not exclude other types of violence that could add to electoral violence but we don’t expect any kind of collapse of the state.

What is EU doing to check the escalation of violence in

e believe in peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine and we believe that there will be a peaceful solution to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. Now Syria and Iraq are two different cases compared to Ukraine, but also again Syria is not Iraq.

In Iraq, we see the aggression of this terrorist group called ISIS and we are supporting the Iraq government and other forces to resist the aggression and it is war against terrorism.

I want to emphasise that EU is not a state, it is not a country with European army, but a union of sovereign states and together we can work to combat terrorism and to co operate with other countries in their fight against terrorism; that is what we are doing in Iraq with allies like the US. Syria is even more complicated because Syria is a place where you have a government, you have insurgency and you have a third party which is the Islamic State; it is much more complicated and we are also working with the neighbouring countries and democratic forces within Syria to fight the terrorists. We have a specific issue in Syria where foreign fighters, nationals and citizens from Europe member-states are in fact fighting with the terrorists, other armed groups and we have to jointly address that.

You may have seen articles on foreign fighters coming back to their countries, they are indicted, they are held accountable for co operating with terrorist groups but that we don’t have in Ukraine.

How committed is EU to the fight against Boko Haram?

Regarding Boko Haram, it is important to note that the EU has no army, we have no secret service but all our memberstates do co operate with the

Continues on page 40

PAGE 40 — SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014

Continued from page 39 Nigerian government and in particular some forms of co operations in the field of exchange of information.

We believe that the Boko Haram threat is both local and regional, it is clearly an insurgency with roots in the North East of Nigeria and also along Lake Chad. You also find Boko Haram in southern Niger, northern Cameroon, southern Chad; that is why we call it a regional threat and we believe that the response that has been implemented so far through regional co operation is the most appropriate answer. We firmly support the co operation between Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger to put in place regional information unit, joint task force. Our member-states are quite active with Nigeria in supporting those initiatives at regional level.

We believe also that to address the root causes of Boko Haram, one has to follow a double track. Of course we need a security response to the insurgency but also have to understand that part of those fighting within Boko Haram are also people who would not have joined Boko Haram if they had access to basic social

Why the EU is interested in Nigeria’s 2015 polls — Ambassador Arrior services, if they had been educated properly, if they had some kind of minimal income.

So we believe addressing the root causes of Boko Haram means also fighting extreme poverty and providing basic social services to these people.

The question of basic education, counter radicalisation, youth employment are where the EU can contribute to a solution.

providing some technical assistance to the National Security Adviser.

A

nd you know as the consequence of Boko Haram insurgency, more than a million people have been displaced and some have crossed the borders and are refugees in foreign countries; so we are providing humanitarian assistance to develop a system for refugees and Internal Displaced Persons but we certainly need a comprehensive approach, humanitarian development, military security response and all those responses are in the power of Nigeria, they have different and comparative

•Ambassador Michel Arrion advantages. So, not all of us have the spectrum of assistance that is needed, some are better in military co operations, some humanitarian services and development and we try to be everywhere. But the EU is more active in humanitarian and developmental assistance than in military co operations but for instance we are also

What advice do you have for Nigerians as they work towards the elections?

I think people have to consolidate democracy in Nigeria. Nigeria has already gone through 15 years of civilian rule and each and every election has shown progress compared to the previous one in 2003, 2007, 2011.

Therefore, what we hope is for better elections in 2015, we think it is possible. As I said at the beginning of this interview, what will make the difference between good and bad election will be the two main points of violence and inclusiveness. To avoid violence is quite easy, it is a soft approach, it is a soft measure, we think that all politicians, all political parties, all political stakeholders have to address this basic principle of peaceful election and

‘What President Jonathan must do!’

Continued from page 38

Given how rich we are in oil resources, the county should be promoting plenty of allied c h e m i c a l and pharmaceutical industries that can feed off the by-products of oil manufacturing processes.

Furthermore, taking sustainability seriously would require paying closer attention to how the country can improve local manufacturing (textiles, for example), local agricultural production, local tourism, and many such other sectors to reduce dependence on external imports and create employment.

I am sure you know that nature-related tourism (eco-tourism) is one of the most important sectors in countries like Kenya and R w a n d a .

Finally government could attract a lot of green fund from the international community if it is seen to be showing good i n t e r e s t and implementing good policies in the pursuit of climate and environmental sustainability.

For example international cli-

mate finance is worth about USD 100 billion per year and I can tell you that Nigeria is attracting very little of that money at the moment way behind smaller African countries like Ethiopia and Rwanda.

Is it possible to isolate Nigeria from the grid of underdevelopment and the backlash occasioned by global trends, and focus on how to deal with the crippling ethno-religious and economic tensions that have brought the nation to where it is today?

Well, yes and no.

Yes, because, at all times the priority of any government should always be national security and national sustainable economic development.

It will be wrong to be focusing on so-called global issues when your house is on fire.

But, I also say no, because many of the things you might describe as global trends actually have far reaching consequences for national economy and national security.

Let me give you a concrete example. Somebody, very high in government once told me

that attending to climate change and seeking ways to pursue low carbon development are not things that the government should be getting too exercised about. The suggestion is that, if you like, this is a white man’s problem. But I tell you this kind of thinking is ignorant and myopic. Are the white men the only ones that are dying as a result of climate change? Are the white men who are suffering from climate-induced drought and famine?

The fact is that whether it is flooding, drought, sea-rise or indoor pollution, it is developing countries like Nigeria that are bearing the greatest impact of climate change.

Indeed, available research suggests there are about 5 million climate change induced deaths per annum and that 98% of these are in developing countries.

Take another example, the fall in oil price which is adversely affecting the Nigerian economy today has a lot to do with the shale gas oil boom in the US and the increasing dependence on renewable energy by China. So, you see, it is not always possible to create a distinction between local and global issues.

Global and national trends

are connected and any sensible government will think systematically about these things and seek long term sustainable approaches for tackling them.

I’m sure you would agree that Nigerian leaders have not keyed into the sustainability paradigm. Therefore, what strategies would you suggest that we put in place to achieve sustainability?

One way forward is to create a national, high level, inter-ministerial body on sustainability with sufficient powers to integrate and mainstream policies into national development planning.

The National Planning Commission, NPC, could be a home for such a n a g e n c y, at least for a start. Another critical thing would be to build human and institutional capacity within the ministry of the E n v i r o n m e n t .

The government needs to have highly capable and experienced people running the ministry - from the minister through the senior to medium level officials. I am not making any judgement on the abilities of those in the ministry; but I am saying that it is important to have a culture of excel-

peaceful resolution of problems. And if you have a problem of any kind, go to court, we don’t use violence, we don’t response to violence with violence. A bad action doesn’t justify another bad action; if you read the Bible, if you are slapped on the left cheek, you must offer your right cheek.

The second thing is more technical: we need all political stakeholders engaging with INEC to deliver inclusive elections which is the possibility of every Nigerian citizen to vote. These are serious challenges and they can be overcome. We are already in mid December, one month for all political stakeholders to work hard to give the Nigerian citizens the possibility to vote and that means that registration of voters, collection and distribution of permanent voter card and the technical implementation of all the logistics of the election, the next four weeks will be crucial.

lence, as well as continuous training and human capacity building.

Are there ways you plan to collaborate with the Nigerian government on the scale you did in Rwanda?

Rwanda is an exemplar for other African countries, when it comes to trying to mainstream sustainability into the national economy plans of governments.

I was the founding project manager of an Oxford Universityled project to design a National Green Growth Strategy for Rwanda, in 2010, which was first of its kind in Africa. Following on from the project, Rwanda has now received about USD 20 million to implement the recommendations made in green growth report. I am desperately hoping that Nigeria will follow in the footsteps of Rwanda by commissioning a detailed study that c a n h i g h l i g h t the opportunities for l o w c a r b o n development green growth in the country. It is not necessary that I must be the one to lead such a study.

The important thing is that government is doing the r i g h t t h i n g s that will lead to sustainable economic development for the country.

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 41

2015: OBASANJO’S GAMBIT

The agenda for Interim Government How Goodluck Jonathan dug deeper in a hole

z

zAnd

the scenario to come

BY JIDE AJANI

T

his story examines former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s latest dance steps, a break-dance of twists and turns with one suspected objective: the actualisation of a selfserving agenda that is at variance with the projection of a united Nigeria. Yet, a more perceptive incumbent President would have pulled all the stops to successfully rein-in Obasanjo.

Instead, aides and confidants, who are far, very far, from being adroit at statecraft, continue to mislead President Goodluck Jonathan, as part of a turf battle that is raging inside Aso Rock Presidential Villa. Interestingly, the perceived shoddiness of the Presidency, a Presidency foisted on Nigerians by Obasanjo and which he ought to be working to adequately address, is being allowed to flounder because of self-conceited considerations by political leaders who ought to work at nation-building. Said to be desperately working for a stalemate immediately after February’s presidential election, some political leaders in Nigeria, as this report will show, are going for broke.

YOU AREALL MARKED Sometime last year, Matthew Okikiolakan Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo, at a private meeting with two former aides and a former minister (while they were still hibernating in the All Progressive Congress, APC) implored them to ensure that Goodluck Ebele Jonathan did not return as President in 2015. At a time when the cluelessness of Nigeria’s presidency was manifestly waxing more embarrassing by the day, especially with a First Lady that had become gung ho, Obasanjo’s move appeared altruistic. Nigeria needed to be saved from the Jonathans – or so it seemed.

It was at that meeting that Obasanjo revealed that should Jonathan return next year as President and Commander-inChief, those at that meeting

Olusegun Obasanjo

would have to go on exile because, according to a source who was in attendance, the former Nigerian leader said, ‘Jonathan would go after all of you here, including me; so you all would have to go on exile. But I, Obasanjo, would be here. Therefore, he must be stopped’ by whatever means!

During a closed door meeting with the leadership of the APC sometime late last year, Obasanjo admonished it to do whatever it would take to ensure that Jonathan did not return.

Again, Obasanjo, just this month, repeated the same threat of stopping the President in a BBC Hausa Service radio interview.

According to him, Jonathan must be stopped.

I WILL JAIL YOU Last month, one of the key pillars in the merger that gave birth to the APC re-defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The reason for his movement back to PDP could not be ascertained

by Sunday Vanguard at press time. However, Obasanjo is, according to sources, not taking matters lying low. He did not like the idea of his protégé returning to the PDP.

Aides and confidants, who are far, very far, from being adroit at statecraft, continue to mislead President Goodluck Jonathan, as part of a turf battle that is raging inside Aso Rock Presidential Villa

Just a fortnight ago, after the redefection of the said confidant from the North-east and who is considered very close to Obasanjo, the latter, reportedly, sent two former state governors of South west extraction to the said confidant to convince him on why he should return to the APC. According to a very dependable source, for two hours, the former governors tried in vain to convince the said confidant.

Undaunted, a telephone call was placed to Obasanjo in Maputo.

It was understood that for almost an hour, the former President also, in vain, tried to convince his erstwhile protégé that he should return to the APC. Strangely, Obasanjo ended the notso-pleasant conversation on the note that should the said confidant refuse to return to APC, he, Obasanjo, would jail him.

But the question is where will the former President get the power to jail somebody?

Meanwhile, Obasanjo, whose statements and actions should not be taken lightly, is believed to have his agenda close to his chest.

OBASANJO’S MOVES An Ebora is likened to a spirit - a

strange one - in Yoruba folklore.

For those who know Obasanjo too well, he doesn’t shoot in the dark; and if and when he does, he already knows the spot where his target is. His comments and statements are almost always weighted not necessarily on sincerity but on forbearance hinged on a selfconceited agenda.

According to Obasanjo, in his much fractured and derided book, My Watch, which Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, has condemned as a pack of lies, the former President wrote of Jonathan: ”Jonathan is lacking in broad vision, knowledge, confidence, understanding, concentration, capacity, sense of security, courage, moral and ethical principles, character and passion to move the nation forward on a fast trajectory.”

That was not all. He went on: “Under Jonathan, we seem to have gone from frying pan to fire. If in the past corruption was in the corridors of power, it would seem now to be in the sitting room, dining room and bedroom of power.”

Obasanjo has not said anything new and this would not be the first time he would be taking on a sitting leader.

However, what makes this instance very curious is that it is this self-same Obasanjo who, against an agreement on power rotation which he signed, sealed and delivered on December 22, 2002, in Aso Rock Presidential Villa, urged Jonathan to run for election in 2011.

Diplomatic sources and political leaders across geopolitical zones in the country disclosed to Sunday Vanguard that Obasanjo’s agenda is not about saving Nigeria from Jonathan.

In fact, a very authoritative source, who remains very close to Obasanjo but who does not share his beliefs, confided in Sunday Vanguard: “The APC does not understand the game Obasanjo is playing. Obasanjo has committed himself to some northern political leaders and traditional institutions that he would return power to the North in 2015. It is obvious that Obasanjo is no longer interested in the success of the PDP. But the APC leaders should ask him why he has not openly declared as a member of their party?”

The counterpoise, however, as put forward by Sunday Vanguard, is: How does Obasanjo’s membership of a political party obviate the genuineness of his observations about President Jonathan?

In what was to shock Sunday Vanguard as would shock Nigerians, the source made it clear that Obasanjo’s sudden realization that Jonathan must be stopped is not about Nigeria but about Obasanjo.

AN AGENDAWITHIN AN AGENDA According to another source, the only thing that can stop the PDP from running away with victory

Continues on page 42

PAGE 42 —SUND AY —SUNDA

Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014

Continued from page 41 next year would be an opposition that can match the ruling party. APC, which was the merger of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, with the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, was meant to address that challenge.

Curiously, the regime of derision that had crisscrossed and dominated the relationship between Obasanjo; APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu; and the APC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, did not matter any longer.

However, unknown to the APC leadership, sources say Obasanjo’s agenda is “purely to force a stalemate at the polls such that Nigerians will have only one option which is a third way – neither Jonathan nor Buhari,” an interim arrangement or a government of national unity.

The first plank of Obasanjo’s grand design is, according to sources, to overwhelm leaders of the opposition with uncommon support for their cause. That way, he would be welcomed and seen as part of their party. That has already been achieved – but Obasanjo has never claimed to be a member of APC. The second plank, Sunday Vanguard was told, is that Obasanjo himself would overheat the polity with incendiary comments. He has already started doing that. Unfortunately, however, the book he wrote, My Watch, is already suffering credibility crisis because in that book, only Obasanjo comes out clean.

But, more significantly, the book is meant to sensitize the international community, rightly or wrongly, to the fact that the Jonathan Presidency is a never-do-well contraption headed by a President who is, at best, confused and, at worst, incompetent. As part of this plan, sufficient public angst would have a fertile ground on which to germinate and set the stage of massive outpouring of resentment. Another component of this leg is the drive to engineer discontent in the polity through verifiable and unverifiable claims and counter claims that would further drive the wedge between both leading political parties.

That way, a diplomatic source concluded, “any outcome of the 2015 presidential election would not be acceptable to the losing party”.

The source went on: “But you know what that means for Nigeria once parties refuse to accept the result of an election. What Obasanjo has succeeded in doing is to help shore up the opposition which is good for democracy; but it is also good for his own agenda which is a return to power.”

The downside, however, is that Obasanjo’s own agenda goes beyond having a strong opposition.

Another source disclosed: C M Y K

Obasanjo

Jonathan

‘How Goodluck Jonathan dug deeper in a hole’ “The whole idea of supporting the APC is to force a stalemate at the polls. Obasanjo does not do anything without his own interest.”

To buttress the point of the former Nigerian leader’s interest, Sunday Vanguard has been told of the existence of the report of a probe into the activities of General Buhari as Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF, Chairman.

The interesting development is that between Obasanjo and the PDP leadership, the details of that report would become public knowledge. So, why would Obasanjo be interested in leaking the report? It is for the same reason as “damaging Buhari the way he has written about Jonathan”, an Obasanjo aide who has since fallen out with the former President disclosed.

The Obasanjo former aide added: “Since the first election in 2015 is the presidential election, any unpalatable fallout may make it difficult for subsequent elections to hold. In the event that that happens, Nigerians should begin to brace for an interim arrangement which is what Obasanjo is working towards. To him, it is either Jonathan is removed or another arrangement is put in place”.

When Obasanjo threatens that he would jail an individual, the question is, how? – he is no longer President. But the scenario, said to be anticipated is that the need to legislate for an interim government would not need too much push as Nigeria’s National Assembly, by February ending, would house a preponderant of legislators whose stake would amount for nothing because they were not re-nominated by their parties for another term.

The dangerous mix of having a stalemate and an assemblage of disgruntled lawmakers would make for a tantalizing cocktail for disaster in a country of clashing socio-political, economic and religious interests.

The international community would wade in and would rather support an interim arrangement than sees a unstable nation.

CONCERN OF LEADERS As investigations for the

Sunday Vanguard has been told of the existence of the report of a probe into the activities of General Buhari as Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF, Chairman.

The interesting development is that between Obasanjo and the PDP leadership, the details of that report would become public knowledge.

So, why would Obasanjo be interested in leaking the report?

scripting of this piece was ongoing, Bolaji Akinyemi, a professor, and former Foreign Affairs Minister and who just served as Deputy Chairman, National Conference, 2014, alerted Nigerians on Monday that danger looms. He sent an open letter to both Jonathan and Buhari, calling on both men to conduct their campaigns with decorum as well as ensure that they abide by the outcome of next year’s presidential election in order not to set Nigeria on fire. He also called on leaders to intervene and meet with both candidates.

Since Monday when the letter was published, as if driven by a peculiar spirit, both camps have not ceased to tone down their rhetoric of assault. While the Buhari campaign claimed to tacitly support mutiny, insisting that the military has a right to protest, Jonathan’s camp has been busy pouring invectives on the person of Buhari. This is exactly the type of scenario Obasanjo had allegedly envisaged.

Mercifully, a few of those leaders of thought that Akinyemi suggested should meet with both candidates appear to be on the same page with the former minister and erudite scholar.

Sunday Vanguard learnt that a former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, agrees totally with the observations of Akinyemi.

In separate interviews with Col. Abubakar Umar, the Caliphate and other prominent Nigerians, they all agreed that Akinyemi had hit the nail on the head.

WHEN OBASANJO SPEAKS From the Olympian height of nationalism, logging a record in 1979 as the first African military leader to voluntarily hand over power to civilians, Obasanjo has fumbled down the hill with a deafening fall occasioned by his attempt at tenure elongation in 2006.

Perhaps, a more thorough interrogation of the man, Obasanjo, would have revealed a self-conceited individual whose only claim to goodness is opportunistic.

Yet, consider the following: In 1983, during the deadly days of the post-1983 election violence, Obasanjo took a swipe at the then President Shehu Usman Aliyu

Shagari for running a clueless government. Soon after, precisely on December 31, that year, the military struck.

Again in the early second half of 1985, Obasanjo, while delivering a lecture somewhere in the South West, lampooned the General Muhammadu Buhari junta and, barely two months later, Buhari was toppled.

When Obasanjo tried something similar in 1989 against the Ibrahim Babangida administration, attempting to ride on the back of the riots against the Structural Adjustment Programme, SAP, of that government, younger military officers out-shouted Obasanjo. Whereas Obasanjo, who holds the traditional title of Balogun of Owu, doubling as the Ekerin Egba, had counseled that Babangida’s SAP must have a human face and a milk of human kindness, Navy Captain Okhai Mike Akhigbe charged back on behalf of that government, describing Obasanjo as a frustrated chicken farmer. That silenced Obasanjo for a while.

It was not until the troubling days of June 12, 1993 presidential election annulment, a time when it would have been expected of Obasanjo to be on the side of decency, common sense and logic, that the former President found his voice in a most ludicrous and egregious manner. Rather than keep quiet in the face of nothing meaningful and helpful to say, Obasanjo declared that the winner of that election, Bashorun MKO Abiola, was not the messiah Nigerians were waiting for. That statement further emboldened the military to stay the course and cause of annulment.

In retrospect today, maximum dictator Sani Abacha, by a twist of ironic tragic-comedy, hauled Obasanjo into prison as a way of stopping his serial pranks – the coup tribunal actually ordered Obasanjo kept out for life.

Interestingly, had those administrations Obasanjo criticized found accommodation for his influence, all would have been well in his estimation!

For a traditional man, it takes a strange individual to do what Obasanjo does with relish. After imposing Umar Musa Yar’Adua on Nigeria, it was the same Obasanjo who railed against the former when his illness became imminently terminal.

And after campaigning for Jonathan to become President in 2011, and when the centre could no longer hold for both men, Obasanjo switched on his atavistic and cantankerous mode.

Make no mistake, it is only a manifestly shambling and shambolic presidency like Jonathan’s that would be a receptacle for all manner of dirt. And which is why an Obasanjo, with the attendant ills of his administration, would not see anything good about Jonathan, his protégé.

SUND AY SUNDA

Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 43

Analysis

The Obasanjo tempestuous watch

By Charles Kumolu

B

RAYAN Johnson, in his 2012 piece, titled: 10 Most Influential Books That Were Controversial”, observed that books are often written as a result political and economic contigenences as well as religious inclinations.

While other propelling factors of book writing abound, those identified

by Johnson are often the drivers of authorship in this age.

Certainly, one of the reasons triggered off the urge to write a 1967 New York Times bestseller, titled: The Report From Iron Mountain.

Reportedly written by a 15-man Special Study Group, the timing of the publication was during the Vietnam War, while the setting was the United States (US).

With a thrust that focuses on the role of the US in the war that turned out as one of America’s greatest military misadventures in the 20th century, it was easy for the book to attract global attention.

This is the story of The Report From The Iron Mountain as told by Wikipedia:”The Report from Iron Mountain is a book published in 1967 during the Lyndon Johnson administration by Dial Press which puts itself forth as the report of a government panel. The book includes the claim it was authored by a Special Study Group of fifteen men whose identities were to remain secret and that it was not intended to be made public. It details the analysis of a government panel which concludes that war, or a credible substitute for war, is necessary if governments are to maintain power.

“The book was a New York Times bestseller and has been translated into fifteen languages. Controversy still swirls over whether the book was a satiric hoax about think-tank logic and writing style or the product of a secret government panel. The document is a favorite among conspiracy theorists, who reject the statement made in 1972 by satirist Leonard Lewin that the book was a spoof and that he was its author.

“U.S. News & World Report claimed in its November 20, 1967 issue to have confirmation of the reality of the report from an unnamed government official, who added that when President Johnson read the report, he

‘hit the roof ’ and ordered it to be suppressed for all time.”

“Orders were sent to U.S. embassies, instructing them to emphasize that the book had no relation to U.S. Government policy.”

For an administration that was receiving bullets from home and abroad over its mission in Vietnam, the release of that book is believed to have dealt blows on its image.

In God’s Name, an investigative book on the death of Pope John Paul (1) after 33 days on the throne, also made the list of scholarly works that drew the ire of the state.

The contents of the investigative piece by David Yallop, a Vatican insider, was reportedly dismissed by the church, just as the book was not to be seen inside the city-state.

Though the Presidency is not known to have physically identified with the developments, many are not convinced that the spirited efforts to keep the autobiography out of sight are bereft of highpowered influence

•Obasanjo Peter Wright’ s 1987 memoir, titled: Spycatcher, was another book that pitched a citizen against the state.

As reported by Wikipedia: “Wright wrote Spycatcher in Tasmania, after his retirement from MI5. He first attempted publication in 1985.[3] The British government immediately acted to ban Spycatcher in the UK. Since the ruling was obtained in an English court, however, the book continued to be available legally in Scotland, as well as other jurisdictions. The UK government also attempted to halt the book’s Australian publication, but lost that action in 1987; it appealed but again lost in June 1988.

“English newspapers attempting proper reportage of Spycatcher’s principal allegations were served gag orders; on persisting, they were tried for contempt of court, although the charges were eventually dropped.

Throughout all this, the book continued to be sold in Scotland; moreover, Scottish newspapers were not subject to any English gag order, and continued to report on the affair.”

The aforementioned, even though different in settings and characters, share many things in common with the latest account on Nigeria’s democratic experiment.

Titled, My Watch, the book was published by no other person than former President Olusegun Obasanjoa man whose significance in the nation’s socio-political space is as towering as the controversies around his personality.

Despite not being a baby author of historical accounts, the work, which revealed some backstage actions and inactions of past and present governments, has been a source of controversy.

So much was the beef over the

publication, that attempts were reportedly made to foreclose the possibility of it hitting the book stands.

The court order, granted in this respect, gave an inkling that the product of Kachifo Publishers promises to be a thorn in the flesh of antagonists and protagonists.

And that has been the case ever since Obasanjo, who had authored My Command, This Animal Called Man, Nzeogwu, among others, defied the order.

Justice Valentine Ashi of Abuja Federal High Court, after listening to Alex Iziyon’s motion ex-parte brought on behalf of a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Buruji Kashamu, restrained the former president from going ahead with the publication of the book.

Ashi equally barred the former President from having someone publish same on his behalf.

Since there were reports suggesting that the Presidency had allegedly pleaded to the former leader that the book be released after the 2015 polls, observers were not jolted by the groundswell anger over the matter.

Though the Presidency is not known to have physically identified with the developments, many are not convinced that the spirited efforts to keep the autobiography out of sight are bereft of high-powered influence.

Opinions are hardly divided considering the mind-blowing revelations contained in the compendium.

A look at the various issues and questions raised in the book, published by online news website, Saharareporters, could as well increase the growing curiosity over the issue.

PAGE 44—

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014

*The house where family perished. Inset: Ter, a neighbour

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

T

hey had gone to bed that fateful night in Gboko, Benue State, not knowing they would not sleep to see the break of a new day - no thanks to the outage in public power supply which compelled the head of the family, Lawani Oye, to put on his power generating set.

His intention was to avail his family members a good sleeping environment, but it all turned out a disaster that claimed the lives of no fewer than seven members of the family.

They were all roasted in an inferno that engulfed the block of three flats at the early hours of Friday, at Ayankor, close to Young Secondary School, Gboko East, in Gboko local government area of Benue State.

Sunday Vanguard gathered from an eyewitness that the inferno, which started at about 1am, engulfed the block of flats, killing the husband and wife, Mr. And Mrs. Lawani Oye, and their five children.

Lawani Oye was said to be a popular automobile panel beater in Gboko while his wife was a business woman in the neighborhood.

‘Oye omo Yoruba,’ as he was popularly called at the mechanic village in Gboko, was said to have switched on his power generator but mistakenly left a lantern with flames not far from where the generator was positioned on the night of the incident.

This fatal mistake led to

C M Y K

Man, wife, 5 children roasted in midnight mystery fire the razing of his house and the death of his entire household.

One of his colleagues, who simply gave his name as Ter, said the late Oye, before his untimely death, was one of the most trusted hands in the panel beating business in the area.

“He was a man who knew his job and had no issues with anyone. We were all shocked to hear that he died after closing from work, alongside his entire family in the disaster,” Ter said.

“Though we have declare a day of mourning for him and the family by closing our business for the day in respect and honour for the departed family, we will all miss him because he was a good man.” .

Another eyewitness, who preferred anonymity, said the fire which started when everyone had gone to bed, razed the entire block of flats, though other occupants of the building managed to escape.

According to him, “ we all sat outside after an outage in public power supply, to discuss contemporary issues that night, after which everyone retired to his house.

“It was shortly after that, as usual, that they put on their

The fire, which started when everyone had gone to bed, razed the entire block of flats, though other occupants of the building managed to escape generator and went to bed only for everybody in the neighborhood to be woken up by the shouts of fire and there was so much confusion as everyone ran for dear life.

“I think the fire started at about 12 midnight in Oye’s flat when everyone in the neighbourhood, including the victims of the inferno, had gone to bed.

“It was his wife and mother of the dead children, who we popularly called Mama Tunde, who also died in the disaster that raised the alarm that prompted other neighbours to rush out of their flats.

“In the midst of the confusion, we all battled to put out the strange fire in order to rescue the family but it was all

in vain. After failing, however, we all managed to escape with our families.

“While this was going on, some people tried to reach the fire service but it was too late.

“Our pain about this tragic and unfortunate incident is that the same woman who died with her family in the fire was the one who raised the alarm that saved others and her family could not be saved; they were burnt beyond recognition.

“The whole thing is still a mystery to neighbors and no one can at this moment ascertain the cause of the inferno but the only clue we have is that their generator was on that night, and, by the time we went round after the fire, we saw that a lantern was

positioned very close to the generating set.

“Perhaps the fire was ignited by the petrol in the generator and the flame of the lantern, but no one can really say for sure”.

The eyewitness, who said some relations of the deceased family were contacted after the incident, also ruled out the possibility of sabotage.

“I believe that what happened here could be a case of negligence, but unfortunately it turned out a fatal one; it is just painful,” he added.

Sunday Vanguard further gathered that the charred remains of the deceased were deposited at the morgue of the Gboko General Hospital though unattended to because workers in the hospital were on strike while arrangements to bury them where on.

When contacted, the acting Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, of the Benue State Police Command, Assistant Superintendent, ASP, Matthew Oku, said he was yet to receive the full report of the unfortunate incident from the Gboko Division of the Command.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 45

C

hief Christian Ojimba, fondly called Chief Jab, is a lecturer at the Federal College of Education, FCE, Kabuga, Kano. But for mother luck, the doctorate student at the Bayero University, Kano, would have been dead when Boko Haram terrorists attacked the college on Wednesday, September 17, 2014. The attack lasted 45 minutes.

In this interview, Ojimba, currently recuperating in his home-town, Umuagbuchi, Eziama-Uli, in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, recounts how playing dead made him escaped being killed by the terrorists, adding that he cried like a baby on the day of the attack. Excerpts:

A

s one of the survivors of the deadly attack on Federal College of Education, FCE, Kano, can you recount what happened on that fateful day?

It was a very serious attack and an unexpected one. Before the attack on our school, Boko Haram terrorists had attacked Kano State Polytechnic inside the city centre, with the new strategy of using female and male teenagers, who they arm with bombs.

In broad-day light on Wednesday, September 17, our school, the Federal College of Technology, Kano, was attacked. That day, I didn’t have lectures, but, in my usual way, I had to go to school, because I am very friendly with my students. I am always in my office to solve their problems because I love my students. I must say that I had premonition which, if I had heeded, I wouldn’t have been involved in the attack. One, I didn’t have lectures; two, when I got to the school gate, I discovered my office keys were not in my bag; three, my wallet containing my identity card, driver’s licence and other important documents was not with me. But when I got to the office, my colleague had already opened the door with his own key. If the door had been locked, I would have gone back home.

I stayed in the office, Room 78, upstairs at the new site of School of Arts and Social Sciences, FCE, Kano. Around 1.15pm that day, I heard the sound of multiple bomb explosions at close range.

Before you knew it, there was pandemonium. Students and staff were running helter skelter for their lives. On noticing this, I came out of my chair to check what was happening and what I saw was the Boko Haram people wielding AK-47 guns shooting sporadically and directly at everyone at sight.

Downstairs, they had killed one of our lecturers, Dr. Thomas Kayode Ajamu from Ogbomoso, Oyo State. Dr. Ajamu, a former Head, Department of Christian Religious Studies, CRS, was buried that same week.

Surveillance strategy So when I came out of the door, there was no way to pass.

Dead bodies littered everywhere because this attack happened at the prime-time for lectures.

Before the attack, I have reason to believe terrorists came on surveillance. Several male teenagers came visiting our offices in pretence that they were begging for money. The one that came to my office said,

teacher good afternoon, please I am going to the hospital, I am not feeling too well, but I don’t have money for transportation.

Even though I don’t understand Hausa very well. I replied him in Hausa, that I forgot my money at home, that there was no money on me, and he thanked me and left.

That was the conversation during the surveillance time and they did it in all the blocks in the five departments of the school- Department of History where I belong, Department of Geography, Social Studies, Christian Religious Studies, Islamic Religious Studies, and the Deanery. They surveyed everywhere before the attack.

Pillar as escape route My office is located on the first floor of a one storey building, so, I couldn’t jump down. I saw students jumping down, some got injured, while others didn’t.

What I did was that I hugged a pillar from the first floor, trying to come down through it. So, when students noticed I have created an escape route, many joined me and it was in that process that there was a stampede. I fell down and couldn’t move because the long bone joining my right knee got broken and shifted out of its socket.

I was trapped. I couldn’t run because a Boko Haram man was just a stone throw. So, I told myself, ‘to God be the glory, God receive my soul in heaven’. There was no escape, the man was directly shooting sporadically at any person in sight. He was shooting directly at both the young and old.

They didn’t spare young boys and girls who came to the school to sell groundnut and pure water. All of them where shot dead.

The big testimony At the end, there was a massive attack, many people were killed, several others were wounded. The big testimony of it all, was that the Boko Haram man was standing on me, while shooting at others. When I saw him I played dead. I remembered when I was in Alvan Ikokwu College of Education, Owerri, in 1984, there was this lecture we had then on self-defence mechanism. I remembered the lecturer told us how to escape if we were in situations like this.

So, that knowledge came into me. Another thing that came into my mind at that critical moment was that I remembered that I and my wife had been praying and fasting against gun shots, bomb blast.

At the Boko Haram man stood

*Chief Ojimba... recuperating following deadly attack.

I cried like a baby when Boko Haram attacked Kano college – Lecturer

By Ikenna Asomba on me as if I was a dead victim, I didn’t know how God seized the pains I was going through as a result of the broken knee bone and also my breathe was also seized.

Saying the last prayer Few minutes later, the man left me and was walking away towards the school gate. At that same time, there was one of the female lecturers in my department who was finding her way out with four others.

The man spotted them and asked them to say their last prayers. While they put their hands up to say the prayers, the bomb the man had on his body blew him up.

Shortly thereafter, a security guard came to me and asked me to stand up, stand up, but I told him I couldn’t, that my leg was broken. He tried to pull me but it was not easy because I was bigger than him. He managed to pull me to hide behind a door inside a class.

There too, I also played dead

I was trapped. I couldn’t run because a Boko Haram man was just a stone throw. So, I told myself, ‘to God be the glory, God receive my soul in heaven’ because the sound of gun shots was still raging.

Some minutes later, I peeped from the door and saw some policemen inside the school. I was in dilemma as to whether to call them to come and help me or not, because, sometimes,

these Boko Haram people dress in police and military uniforms.

Everybody had vacated the school premises, nobody knew I was behind the door writhing in pains. I said if the policemen were not authentic security agents that means I am gone, because there was still sound of gun shots.

God receive my soul I said within myself, if they were genuine policemen, I have a testimony to tell, but if they were fake, God receive my soul. So, I summoned the courage and called them, ‘Officer, officer, please come and rescue me’, and they said ‘who are you?’ I introduced myself as Chief Ojimba of History Department of the college. I told them I fell from upstairs and my leg was broken.

It was then that they mobilised other soldiers. They asked for my ID card. I told them I left it at home. They didn’t believe me and threatened to kill me. I said I couldn’t stand up, my leg was broken.

PAGE 46 —

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014

A CRY OF AGONY:

‘We escaped Boko Haram killers, help us escape poverty’

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

A

s you approach the internally displaced persons’ camp, mostly populated by women and children and situated at a corner of the Zang Commercial School, Bukuru, a funny smell hits your nostrils. You see the inmates going about their daily chores wearing long faces.

Except the laughter from children who play quietly in the compound, the sight is depressing.

While some of the women were seen washing clothes and plates, others were bathing little children.

Some were plaiting their hair. This was the morning of Tuesday, December, 23 when Sunday Vanguard visited the camp.

Some young men were seen lying on bunks lost in thought while some old men lay on thin mats on the floor despite the morning cold.

These internally displaced people from villages in the NorthEast found their way into Jos, the Plateau State capital, after escaping insurgents’ attacks. While some came as a family, many came as individuals as they could not locate their family members and could not tell if they were alive or dead.

On arrival, 1,000 of them were taken in by Mr. Mark Lipdo who runs the Stefanos Foundation, a Christian organization helping persecuted Christians especially in northern Nigeria.

Since their arrival in the first quarter of the year, many public

*A people displaced spirited individuals and groups have given helping hands for their upkeep but the people are not happy as they have no means of livelihood and are practically destitute.

Speaking to Sunday Vanguard, one of the camp’s inmates, Simon Musa, lamented the hard times they were going through, saying the only consolation was that God will one day wipe away their tears away.

He appealed to government at all levels to do all within their power to end of insurgency in the county as “it is disheartening being a refugee in one’s homeland.”

Musa called for the plight of IDPs to be

These internally displaced people from villages in the North-East found their way into Jos, the Plateau State capital, after escaping insurgents’ attacks adequately addressed as the trauma they were through was enormous maintaining, “ we luckily escaped from the killers, help us escape lack by empowering us.”

He went on: “Some of us here have lost contact with our family members, some escaped without any family. We are here depending on others

to eat and survive but for how long? We are traumatized but something can still be done to empower us and make us selfreliant because we lost everything, particularly our means of livelihood.”

However, to alleviate the plight of the children in the camp during yuletide, the Interim National President of the

Christian Association of Nigeria, Youth Wing, Ekiye Ekiye, gave gifts to them.

Addressing the IDPs during the visit, Ekiye urged them to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness, desist from holding grudges and pray for those who persecute them.

He added, “We came here to identify with you and encourage you not to give up on your faith in God. Jesus is Lord forever; don’t hate those who put you in this situation. Pray for them and remember that you have to love your enemies irrespective of the circumstances. We believe God will help us as a country to overcome these challenges.”

Responding on behalf of Stefanos Foundation, Ayuba Planji, who is the Foundation’s Project Manager, appreciated the gesture but appealed to public spirited people and organizations to donate medicine and vaccine to take care of the health needs of the people. According to Plangji, “We have 1,000 people from 114 families here and they are mostly women and children. We tested them when they arrived and, so far, 45 people have been diagnosed with Hepatitis B. Healthwise, there is a risk, so we plead with people to come and donate vaccine and medicine to treat the people and curb the spread of the sickness in camp.”

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014 PAGE 47

2015: A word for Osinbajo

By Femi Fani-Kayode

I

am glad that the APC even tually took my advice and saw the wisdom in not fielding a Muslim/Muslim ticket for the 2015 presidential election even though I hear that, right up till the last minute, they almost did.

I congratulate my friend and brother, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, on his nomination as the vice presidential candidate of the APC and running mate to General Muhammadu Buhari.

I have known Yemi for a number of years and I must say that he is not only a very pleasant and civilised person with a warm and gentle disposition, but he is also a cerebal lawyer with a brilliant mind. I have immense respect for him.

Yet, sadly, ever since I heard about his nomination and announcement as Buhari’s running mate, I have felt nothing but sheer pity for him and a deep sense of pathos. My counsel and words for him are as follows: A respected pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, a devout and committed Christian and an intellectually-sound, well-bred and well educated professor of law accepts to be running mate to a military dictator and a diehard believer in the philosophy of ‘’born to rule.” This is serious.

A gifted servant of God, who is a favored spiritual son of Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church Of God, is associating with one of the troublers of the faith and one of the most consistent enemies of democracy and Nigeria? This is very sad.

Adeboye is, undoubtedly, one of God’s greatest and most respected generals on the planet and one of the Church’s most humble and best-loved precious gems, yet one of his spiritual sons has surely let him, and indeed the Kingdom of God, down by choosing to play ‘’man Friday’’ and second fiddle to an individual that represents everything that is troubling to the 21st century? What a tragedy.

A professor of law and a senior member of the Nigerian Bar, who is the leading authority on the law of evidence and who has written numerous books on that topic, chooses to play number two to a military dictator!

C M Y K

•Fani-Kayode

Quest for power

It is only in Nigeria that this sort of thing can happen. Poor Yemi. Look at what a dictator’s apostles have done to him and look at what they have reduced him to. Is there anything that these creatures will not do?

Is there anyone that they will not use in their quest for power?

The truth is that each and everyone one of us, including my friend, Yemi, will ultimately have to answer to God for the choices that we make and we must live with the consequences of those choices.

It is no wonder that the Redeemed Christian Church of God has disassociated itself from the claim that the church and, by implication, Pastor Adeboye, was supporting the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket.

One can always trust Pastor Adeboye to do and say the right thing because he is a man that is truly ‘’after God’s heart’’.

Yet the denial of an endorsement and tacit support from his church is just the first of many shockers and unwelcome surprises that Yemi will be served within the next few weeks. He will get shock after shock and surprise after surprise until the battle is over and circumstances compel him to go back to his very lucrative legal practice.

Sharia spread

Those that say Buhari has changed simply because he chose a pastor as his running mate are ignorant. Did he not have a pastor as his running mate in his last outing in 2011?

Did he not still say that it was his intention to ‘’spread Sharia throughout the country’’ and that ‘’an attack on Boko Haram is an attack on the North’’?

Did he not oppose a state of emergency in the north eastern states and say that it was unfair for the military to kill Boko Haram members? Did he not say that instead of killing them they should forgive

Those that say Buhari has changed simply because he chose a pastor as his running mate are ignorant

them, pamper them and treat them in the same way that the Niger Delta militants were treated?

Did the spokesman of his party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, not say that the proscription of Boko Haram by the Federal Government was ‘’unjust” and ‘’unconstitutional”? How does the fact that Buhari has opted for a Christian running mate change any of these things?

In any case, he only opted for a Christian running mate because he was compelled to do so as a consequence of the hues and cries that the prospect of a Muslim/Muslim ticket had already started to generate.

Are those that cite the fact that he has a Christian running mate as evidence of his new-found love for Christians aware of the fact that during the American civil war, a small, ignorant, misguided and deluded group of negro slaves actually fought on the side of the southern confederate forces in an attempt to keep slavery in place?

Did that suggest that the leaders of the southern confederate ‘’secession” states suddenly changed their minds and fell in love with the blacks that they had enslaved and treated like animals?

Is Buhari’s claim of not being partial to his own HausaFulani tribe not a little farfetched? Did he not lead a

northern delegation to Alhaji Lam Adesina, the late governor of Oyo State, some years ago, when some Fulani herdsmen were slaughtering Yoruba farmers on their own land and asked him, ‘’Why are YOUR people killing MY people?”

Apparently, Buhari believed that the aggressors that had invaded the land and farms of others and that killed all the occupants had a right to do so simply because they were Fulani. Yet some people still claim that the man is not a tribalist.

Ignorance and lack of knowledge is a terrible affliction but, in this context, it is not only terrible but also very dangerous. Buhari’s choice of a pastor as his running mate means nothing and changes nothing about him or his entrenched views and ancient mindset.

It rather provides clear evidence of his sheer desperation to win power at all costs and it is a reflection of his obvious and deep-seated deceit. Let the truth be told even though the heavens may fall: Christian vice president or no Christian Vice President, Buhari’s heart remains antiChristianity.

We shall meet him in the field. Let God’s will be done.

*Fani-Kayode was Aviation Minister

Page 48, SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014

VIEWPOINT

The weight of the APC presidential ticket

By Johnson Momodu VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

A presidential ticket on scale

A

FTER a lot of speculations and behind-the-scene manipulations, the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, presented Professor Yemi Osinbajo to the public as his running mate for the 2015 presidential election. The choice was not a great surprise, since the Professor ’s name had always been in the air as one of the dark horses for the position.

Professor Osinbajo is a Law Professor who served as Commissioner for Justice and AttorneyGeneral under the administration of Bola Tinubu in Lagos State, between 1999 and2007. Although Osinbajo’s name surfaces in the newspapers once in a while, since that time, he is not known to be a politician. In fact, his experience in government can be said to be limited to a provincial level, having been only a State Commissioner. He is, definitely, an unknown quantity at the national level and, therefore, not a person of national significance or with appreciable national following,

if any at all.

Why was Prof. Osinbajo the choice of the APC for the VicePresidential slot, out of the constellation of superstars who were interested in the position? The expectation was that the VicePresidential candidate of the Party would have been one of the serving Governors, such as Babatunde Fashola, Adams Oshiomhole or Rotimi Amaechi. An exGovernor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, was also regularly mentioned. It did appear that the struggle for the position was mainly between the South-West and the SouthSouth. Interestingly, nobody in the South-East was considered.

This, perhaps, was due to the fact that the only APC Governor in the South-East, Rochas Okorocha, had contested for the Presidential candidacy of the party. The popular wisdom is that anyone who has shown such an ambition would not normally be suitable for a secondary role.

The choice of Osinbajo was a product of Tinubu’s failed ambition to be the Vice-Presidential candidate of the APC. Buhari and Tinubu were able to work together because of their mutual ambi-

tion. Tinubu facilitated the merger that resulted in the formation of the APC and bank-rolled the party because he wanted to be Buhari’s running mate. It has been suggested that Tinubu’s ultimate ambition was to be the President, in view of Buhari’s age.

The understanding between the two men to run together was the reason behind the floating of the idea of a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

The expectation was that the VicePresidential candidate of the Party would have been one of the serving Governors

2015 election: Abraka PDP stakeholders assure Okowa, others of bloc vote

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HE Peoples Demo cratic Party, PDP, stakeholders, Abraka kingdom in Ethiope East local government area of Delta State have reassured the party’s governorship candidate, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, and other candidates of the party of massive vote during the 2015 general elections.

The resolution, taken during an enlarged meeting of the PDP, convened by the former local government chairman of Ethiope East and Director of Youth Mobilization, Delta State PDP chapter, Hon. Sunday Onoriode, was attended by party leaders from the

three wards of Abraka community.

In the resolution, the leaders from the three wards, Chief Tony Onoharigho, Chief Sapele Atigogo, Chief Cheko Inomiesaha, Chief Warri Godday, Kizito Oweh, Hon. Felix Erhimedafe, Hon. Wilson Agbure and Mrs. Grace Uwhumiakpo, stated that Abraka community is PDP’s

HE Deputy Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, and member representing Isoko federal constituency, Hon Leo Ogor, yesterday, celebrated Christmas with orphans.

The federal lawmaker, who visited the Ascension Grace Outreach Centre situated at Irri, Isoko South local Government area of Delta State with friends and associates, said he embarked on the gesture

By Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa

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six-year-old girl was reportedly burnt to death in a Christmas eve fire at the Swali suburb of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.

It was learnt that two brothers of the deceased also suffered first degree burns and are receiving treatment in a private hospital in the state capital.

The fire, which occurred at about 9pm, it was learnt, consumed a

winning formula has led the party to conjure a flawed combination, which may be described as a combination of fanaticism. The partnership between Buhari, who is an Islamic extremist and Osinbajo, who is a Pentecostal fundamentalist, is surely a recipe for failure, if not disaster.

Professor Osinbajo’s apologists have been quick to point out that he is a pastor of the Redeemed Church, which is to suggest that he would bring the mass membership of the church behind Buhari.

Well, all I can say is that it would require a miracle for this to happen! Also, the fact of his being a son-in-law to the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, has also been advertised as one of Prof. Osinbajo’s virtues. Is it not sardonic that the name which Tinubu has laboured hard to supplant now provides a straw which he and his party now seek to hold on to in their desperate bid to capture the south-west votes for Buhari, an unrepentant religious bigot, northern irredentist and political demagogue?

•Momodu sent this contribution from Benin City.

6-yr-old girl dies in fire popular slum known as “Batcha” estate in the area leaving the residents homeless.

One of the victims of the inferno whose home was affected, Famous Egboje, said the fire was triggered by the mother of the deceased who reportedly lit a candle, put it on the carpet floor and went out while her three children were sleeping.

According to Egboje, before neighbours noticed the fire, it was already too late and it took the brav-

5 shot in Benue Christmas picnic mayhem

By Peter Duru

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T was a bloody yule tide celebration at Lessel town, in local government area of

Hon Ogor celebrates with orphans

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home and will continue to vote the party in all elections.

Reaffirming their position to deliver the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate and governorship candidates of the party at the 2015 general elections, the leaders charged PDP members to be committed to the activities of the party.

In spite of the general revulsion and public condemnation of a Muslim-Muslim ticket, Tinubu was still pushing his ambition, even after the emergence of Buhari as Presidential candidate.

However, he could not overcome the heavy resistance from important stakeholders in the party.

Nonetheless, he insisted on the Vice-Presidential slot going to the South West/ACN component of the APC, which, in essence, meant that he gave himself the right to nominate the Vice-President. It would, therefore, not be uncharitable to say that Professor Osinbajo is a proxy of Tinubu. Some might even say that the Professor is a puppet and Tinubu the puppeteer.

Professor Osinbajo may be a helpful hand in certain areas of legal or administrative matters.

However, given that he has no political background, lacks any national experience in politics and governance and, considering the physical disparity obvious at his introduction, he looks more like a newly appointed Special Assistant (SA) to Buhari than a Vice-Presidential candidate. The desperation by the APC to find a

because he is proud to associate with the kids, and also an opportunity to identify with them and their success.

Earlier, the founder of the Children Revolution Foundation, Rev. Precious Abraham, appealed to the visitors present at the church service on some of their challenges which include hostel accommodation for the orphans, which is currently under construction through the effort of the federal lawmaker.

Benue State, where a clash between the police and irate youths led to the shooting of five youths with one confirmed dead while four others are said be in critical condition at a public hospital.

This is just as a suspected rival cult clash in Agbouhogh village, in the outskirt of Makurdi

town left no fewer than 15 persons with serious injuries.

Though the reason for the bloody clash was not yet clear at the time of this report, the injured and some of the suspects were reported to have been apprehended and taken to the ‘D Division’ of the Makurdi Area Command of the police

from where some of them were taken for medical attention.

Meantime, Sunday Vanguard gathered from an eyewitness that the yuletide mayhem at Lessel started at about noon when over 2,000 youths from across Ushongo converged for a procession to the popular Ushongo Hills for their an-

ery of a sympathiser who broke into the building to rescue the surviving two kids.

He said though the fire service came early enough, there was little they could do due to the haphazard nature of the area and shortage of water.

Another victim, who lost valuables, said she had left her child at home but was lucky to return on time to rescue her child before the fire engulfed their building. nual Christmas picnic.

“They were prevented from moving into the hills by the Police who were allegedly directed by the District Head of Mbayegh, Chief Nathaniel Hoyough, to prevent the picnic from taking place in his domain where the hill is located,”the eye witness said.

PVC: Ekweremadu tasks INEC,NOA on voter education campaigns

By Francis Igata, Enugu

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HE Deputy Senate President,Ike Ekweremadu has urged the Independent National E l e c t o r a l Commission,INEC, and National Orientation Agency,NOA, to intensify efforts towards sensi-

tizing Nigerians especially Enugu State indigences on the need to collect their Permanent Voters Card,PVC, ahead of the 2015 general elections.

This is also as the ECOWAS Parliament Chairman revealed that Enugu state is the least in the ranking of PVC

collection nationwide, with a fifty-one percent collection rate.

The Enugu-West senatorial candidate disclosed this at the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria,TAN, office, GRA, Enugu during a Christmas parley with 500 widows from Udi,Agwu,Orji-

river,Aninri and Ezeagu council areas that constitute the constituency he represents.

He said:”Enugu people should avail themselves the opportunity created by the Christmas holiday to collect their PVC’s. The people’s power in every democracy is their ability to vote."

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 49 sam.eyoboka@gmail.com

08023145567 (sms only)

Adeboye, CSR, criminal justice system et al

By Sam Eyoboka

very much honoured to play host to the man of God in spite of his very busy schedule.

Stating that there are people in the prisons who had spent 37 years and others who had spent some period on the death row, the DCP said: "apart from the physical requests made by the chaplain which Baba had already granted we will want to let him know that our wants here are unlimited even though we are Federal Government children and we know that the resources are too meager."

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HE Nigerian Constitution states in Section 36 (4) that: "Whenever any person is charged with a criminal offence, he shall, unless the charge is withdrawn, be entitled to a fair hearing in public within a reasonable time by a court or tribunal."

Unfortunately, this is not the case, and several efforts by stakehoders including the immediate past Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Aloma Muktar to reform the nation's criminal justice system achieved very little.

Last Sunday's visit of the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye to the Maximum Security Prisons in Kirikiri, Lagos had again revealed the primitive state of the nation's criminal justice system where inmates spend four years awaiting trial for offences that attract a conviction of three years and condemned criminals wait endlessly for execution.

Relief materials Adeboye, on a scheduled bi-annual visit/end-of-the-yearservice to the Maximum Security Prison, was stunned when an inmate, giving a testimony of how he got converted to Christ in the prison, narrated that he was just convicted a few days earlier for three years after spending four years awaiting trial.

The man of God had earlier commissioned a 40 solar powered street lights for the use of Prison community in Kirikiri in addition to a donation of several relief materials including 100 copies of 2015 Open Heaven, 30 cartons of Indomie noodles, five cartons of toilet soap, five cartons of antiseptic soap, five carton of toothpaste, five cartons of toothbrush, 10 dozens

Touch lives Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God (m) cutting the tape flanked by DCP Abdul Mojeed Olaniran, Deputy Controller of Prisons, Maximum Security Prison, Kirikiri, Lagos (left) and Pastor Trevor Akindele, Pastor of City of David, RCCG during the 2014 Kirikiri Maximum Prison End-of-the-year service/commissioning of Solar Lights sponsored by City of David on Sunday. PHOTO: LAMIDI BAMIDELE of bathroom slippers, 15 dozens of singlet, 10 dozens of boxers, 10 cartons of biscuits, five cartons of beverages, five cartons of milk, three cartons of antiseptics and 100 bags of rice and vegetable oil for the officers.

Legal Department Before preaching a sermon on the real source of help, Adeboye pledged to involve the church's legal department to study the case of the inmate who was convicted three years, after four years of awaiting trial.

"I am not a lawyer but I thought that if someone has been in detention for four years for an offence the punishment of which is three years, I think, on conviction they would just say, go....Our legal department will look into this. If there is anything at all that can be done, we will do it," Adeboye said, explaining that there was a similar case that rended his heart into two during President Obasanjo's presidency.

"I remember I met a man here who had been on death row for 27 years. What he told me then tore my heart into two; he said

execution is done very early in the morning, and for 27 years he had waited till 4.00 a.m. before he could sleep; that if he didn't hear any footsteps before 4.00 a.m., he knows he would not die that day.

For 27 years years he had suffered that," he said.

Continuing, Pastor Adeboye said when he left the prison that day, he contacted the then President Obasanjo and "I told him no matter what this man did, suffering for 27 years is enough punishment and he directed me to the then governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. I talked to Gov. Tinubu and Tinubu said I should talk to the chief judge and I thank God something was done."

According to him, he was also told then about people who had spent 11 to 13 years awaiting trial for offences that would attract fewer years on conviction and "I talked to them and I thank God they did something by way of decongesting the prisons."

Freedom from prison Speaking on behalf of the prison authorities, the chaplain of Liberty

Chapel, Pastor Tunwashe Kabiru expressed gratitude to Adeboye and his church for their contribution to the prisons, including the renovation of NOUN building, payment of school fees of 10 inmates in NOUN since 2011, renovation and equipment of the counter class in addition to "A CAN can make a difference", saying that "the weekly visitations of RCCG parishes are really making a difference in our lives physically and spiritually."

He also appealed to Pastor Adeboye to solicit on behalf of condemned convicts in the prison, to the state governors, especially the South West governors of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo and others, noting that what is uppermost in the hearts of inmates is freedom from prison.

On that request, Adeboye promised to speak to the some of the governors, hoping that they would listen, stressing that the ultimate source of freedom is Jesus Christ.

Responding to the kind gesture of the church, the new Deputy Comptroller of Prisons, Mr. Mojeed Olaniyan said he was

Mr. Olaniyan said “definitely, this will go a long way in changing the psyche of the inmates. Apart from the material goods he presented to us the word of God given by Baba will definitely touch people's lives."

Pastor Oscar Onu of the City of David, RCCG, Victoria Island, Lagos said: “Like you heard Daddy GO's story during his ministration, he was here some time ago and in the cause of his promise to the inmates, he told them he will visit them every two years to bless and pray for them."

On the impact of the church’s CSR project, Onu said “ we can’t blow our trumpet but it’s obvious we have done a whole lot for the prison. We are giving back to the society. The Bible says let your light so shine before men.

You can’t preach to someone who is hungry. Daddy is just doing exactly what the Bible instructed all believers to do; while coming to minister to them he came with material gifts.”

On the commissioning of streetlights, Onu said, “every two years while Daddy GO is going to minister to the inmates he comes with somethings that could make impact on them.

So this year, he commissioned 40 solar lights from the beginning of the prison gate to the Navy Gate.”

YULETIDE: Children fellowship with Tinubu

By Gabriel Olawale

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MUSICAL Youth Fiesta for youths and children residing in Lagos was put together by Senator Oluremi Tinubu to praise and worship God for His mercies and perfect love towards mankind.

According to Senator Tinubu, the vision is aimed at creating a Godly environment where the children would learn to respect, praise and emulate the life of Christ.

“It is an assignment from God to bring the youths and children together so that the young ones would learn from them on the need to praise God in different languages and with different instru-ments.

Such programme will motivate the children to apply what they learn in their various home or churches,” she stated.

Explaining the rationale behind the theme, “Perfect love”, Mrs. Tinubu said, when you look at the current state of the nation, you would see so much violence, but when we love ourselves and understand the nature of love itself, Nigeria as a country can start all over again.

“It is time to preach love and love should be our watchword for 2015. We have to build this nation again and restore what has been lost. 2015 is our year of restoration and Nigeria has to go back to the glory that every other people knew Nigeria for,” she noted.

The initiative which has continued to enjoy the support of churches like the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry, The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, TREM, The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Christian Pentecostal Mission, CPM, among others held its first edition in 2011.

Speaking, wife of Lagos State governor, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola urged both the youth and children to always bear in mind that God is love.

“Our charge to the youth of this country and the world at large in this year ’s Musical Youth Fiesta is that they should engage themselves in demon-strating perfect love which is the fulfilling of the law according to the Word of God in Romans 13:10.”

PAGE 50—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014

I nearly committed suicide ---Bishop Simeon Okah @ 62 *'God called me from the womb'

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ISHOP Simeon Okah, an end-time oracle of the Most High God, is the governing patriarch of the Flock of Christ Mission, Warri in Delta State, founded in 1982. He attended the Morris Cerullo School of Ministry in Sandiego, USA, where he was grounded in the norms and complexities of the distribution of the gospel, the supreme work on the earth plant. From a congregation of five families at Olodi Primary School, Enerhen, the father of six children, who is married to an affectionate spouse, Rev. (Mrs.) Comfort Okah, now sits atop a flourishing ministry with headquarters in Warri, a total of 42 branches located in different parts of the country with 97 pastors, deacons and deaconesses. At 62, the messenger of the gospel is not ready to be superannuated; he is still depopulating the kingdom of darkness. He spoke with Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South South about his days in Egypt, his deliverance, challenges in ministry, what he has learned from the school of life and lots more.

My conversion and mentor Talking about conversion, my conversion was something that really proved that God is God because I was about eight years old when I started seeing heaven open. Before I was born, my father and mother were told that they were going to give birth to a prophet and he would be very powerful. I was born in Ndoni, Rivers State. I will have a dream and just wake up and announce that there would be bad weather or a big tree fell on a chief in the area and he died. I would run to my mother to tell her what I saw.

My mother would say, 'my prophet, my prophet'.

She would not attach any importance to it, but between 5.00 and 6.00 pm, the whole place would be abuzz, you know if a person dies, before the body will come home, people would have heard what happened.

At 62 and a minister of the gospel, what has life taught you?

Life has taught me a lot of things. Number one, I have been made to understand that if you come to this world and you don't know Jesus Christ, it is not fair. And how did I get to know that, in my teenage years, between 17 and 20 years when I did not know God, I saw hell on earth.

I was a mechanic but I could not get job because of powers of darkness. I wanted to join police and after I have been enlisted in “A” Division, the man-in-charge said they

*Okah rejected my tape; they felt that the material was too forceful.

Back to corruption. I was almost like the old Elijah.

Elijah’s case was even better than mine because there were 7,000 people God prepared, which he was not seeing, but I did not see anyone because even my church members were asking me if I was the only pastor. That I should preach what others preach are preaching and leave this corruption issue alone.

*Okah should return my paper that I was too handsome to join the Nigeria Police Force. I cried home as a young man.

Then, I worked in J. Allen, when the French man saw me, he said I was a masquerade and ordered the security men to arrest me. These are the things that witches did to me.

With that, I got to know clearly that life on its own is not fair if you are not a child of God. Life has also taught me that if you have Christ, you are greater than the Devil. In the time past, I have seen a lot of forces fight me. They fought me, they thought because I was young, they would kill me, but I am still alive.

Jesus Christ faced a lot of

25 churches mark Christmas

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BUJA - OVER 25 churches in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), weekend, put aside their denominational differences to celebrate Jesus Christ at Christmas, reports CALEB AYANSINA. The collaboration, known as 'The Church In The City' (TCITC) reiterated that unity was what is required in the body of Christ.

Speaking to newsmen at the special Christmas Carol at National Christian Centre, in Abuja, the convener, Pastor Goodheart Ekwueme said it was so unfortunate that people place doctrine above the necessity of faith, stressing the need for the faithful to come together in harmony.

“We came together some months ago provoked about what we see as a great need in the body of Christ, believing that God is asking us to come together in harmony and unity,” he said.

Ekwueme maintained that as people celebrate; they must be reminded that Christ remains the reason for Christmas.

“We should not just be carried away by the celebration but reflect on the great price He came to pay for us on earth,” he added.

The performing artistes Kingsley Ike and Solomon Lange in separate interviews said unity of churches could not be substituted.

challenges and temptations during his earthly ministry and so do ministers of the gospel today. What have been the challenges and temptations for you, spiritually and physically?

Challenges always come in ministry no matter how educated you are. It is so because God uses these challenges to pass us through school, a school that no man can be able to establish unless God himself. You know in any organization, the owner of the vision cannot do it alone, so the most important thing to a church leader is the people because your greatest enemy may not even be the devil, but the people that are with you.

There is the area of unfaithfulness of pastors, some of them come not because they are called by God, some are sent by the devil and some are just there to make money. At the beginning, I had just two shirts, two or three trousers and two ties, they were always clean, but these pastors created a lot of problems because they were not called.

That challenge has always been on, both from the powers of darkness and weak-ness of personnel.

Mocked for preaching against corruption...

In the late 70s, 80s and early 90s, I was like the only pastor in this country, who really stood and was telling the country about corruption. At a time, in NTA Benin, they

Thieves in the church Yes, the people in the church are Nigerians, which is why corruption is also in the church. Apart from my own church, Flock of Christ Mission, I remember a church, a very big one today where I used to preach for my friend, particularly when he traveled abroad. And when I saw how they were moving the box, the Holy Ghost made it clear to me that the ushers were thieves.

When the pastor came back, I told him and what he should do. Do you know that the head usher seized the pastor ’s car, saying you would kill me or I kill you. It was other ushers that rescued the pastor, not knowing that the head usher had bought more than 10 cars he used for transport. After that Sunday when the changes were made, the income of the church jumped 400 times.

President Jonathan alone can’t fight corruption Corruption is everywhere and this is because even in the Church, some do not really have the fear of God. In Pentecostal churches, a good number of them are sons of God, but there are some, who are not called. Some of them may be called but because of the level of poverty they steal when they are under pressure.

The answer to corruption in this country is for the people and their leaders to fear God. It pains my heart when people say President Gooluck Jonathan should fight corruption.

Jonathan alone cannot fight corruption. Let Nigerians learn to attach value to nationhood because, if you value something, you will die

to protect it. The problem we have today is that we have people in Aso Rock, Government Houses, local government, people in charge of our youths, people in Nigeria Labour Congress, etc, who have no love for the nation and all these are strangulating this country.

What is your advice to younger pastors who want to become bishops, general overseers overnight?

The Bible says that he that desires it desires a good thing; the only bad thing about the ambition of the young leaders is the love of money. Let the younger ministers go back to the Bible. Some of them have even gone to witchcraft, occultism. How foolish are they? What has bewitched this generation. If you need power, Jesus is the ultimate power.

Deep in the world I grew up and went to school and started looking for a job.

At this time, I have gone out of God’s way and went into women, and all that. In a short period of time, I was very deep in the world. I got job in Shell, I never stayed and I got job in another oil company and did not stay either. Witches have done all kind of things and finally, I was with J. Allen here in Warri.

Masquerade When one of the managers here saw me, he shouted, 'see masquerade, hold him, hold him'. As he was saying masquerade, he was running.

So, three security men came and grabbed me and wrestled me down. The man wrote that they should sack me; how do you employ masquerade. I was sacked and the incident really touched me.

Frying pan to fire I had to ask where God is and if He is anywhere, He should come to my rescue. I was taken to a native doctor, who said I should bring the thigh of a human being for him. I asked him how I could get it and he said that was what he wanted to hear. That if I cannot get it, I should give

Continues on Page 52

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SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 51

FESTIVAL IN SALEM:

It's GKS Feast of Tabernacles

BY OBOH KENNETH

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rom December 14 to 26, members of God's Kingdom Society, GKS, the Church of the Living God, gathered in Salem City, Warri, the church's headquarters for their annual Feast of tabernacles. 94 branches had arrived by Saturday, with edifying lecturers, teaching, meetings and processions spread across the week. However, the atmosphere was free from chocking spirituality— it was a colourful festival.

As Brother Godwin Ifeacho, Chairman, Executive Board of GKS said, the feast is a celebration of God's guidance and protection of the Israelites in the travail from Egypt to the Promised Land. Quoting from Zechariah 14: 16-19, Brother Ifeacho said the feast comes with blessings, but that to receive the blessings as Israelites by faith, repentance, settling differences with neighbours are important prerequisites.

Talking briefly on politics, Brother Ifeacho said although GKS members are not encouraged to go into politics, given the peculiarities of the Nigerian system, they must perform their civic duties.

In his address, entitled Unbelievers and Wicked Men Shall Soon Know that there is God, on the Holy Convocation, the final day of the festival, Ifeacho warned: “All leaders should be careful of flatterers and sycophants so as to avoid falling into the temptation that will put them in danger of God's judgement as it happened to Herod.

“Recent history has shown the end of wicked men, including wicked rulers who defied God and worked in opposition to His will.”

But his Holy Convocation address was an icing on a week-long activities of celebrations.

7 days of feasting On the first day, Christians Procession, members of the four zones in War ri an neigbouring branches went round Warri. Another one, Last and Great Day Procession, held on Sunday morning. In each case, display of cultural songs, dances and attires practically turned Warri into a huge carnival site.

Sandwiched between these occasions where lectures. By Thursday, Brother Benedict Hart, Publicity Secretary, GKS, gave a review of the

Brother Godwin Ifeacho, Chairman, Executive Board, God's Kingdom Society, GKS (middle); Bro. F. E. Adedokun, Vice Chairman (left); and Bro. T?. M. Ekiseowei, Secretary, officiating at the Feast of Tabernacles. feast. This was followed by lectures on Making Friends with the Mammon of Unrighteousness and What Does it Mean to Make a Vow to God. On Friday, the Christian Women Assembly held and after the Christian Women Procession of Saturday morning, Brother Uchechumi Ugoji took the GKS children up on Beware of Bad company.

A downpour disrupted evening activities. But by the time the programme started, members were motivated.

With Brother Love Ojakovo, Chairman of the Laity, coordinating, over N63 million donation was realized as members pledged to build an amphitheatre deserving of a church founded 80 years ago

by St. Gideon Urhobo.

All these activities are regularly interspersed by soul-lifting hymns and electric musical performances by different, but beautiful, choir groups that always contrive somehow to look like cakes.

Musical journey Step back a little to Friday evening. What you get are captivating musical performances from Amona Choral, GKS, Asaba; Agbarha-Otor Orchestra, GKS Agbarha-Otor; Ekiti Choral Group; GKS Student Fellowship, Ambrose Alli University, Akpoma; Suile Aghoho Choral Group, Warri.

Others were Ogba Group/ Dancers, GKS Omoku; Edo Cultural Group; Omoluwa Dancing Group, GKS Apapa;

Members at the Feast of Tabernacles Chidi Ebere Ochestra, GKS, Warri; Rivers Group, GKS, Port Harcourt; Zumuta Dancing Group, GKS Abuja; Ghana Troupe, GKS Accra; Uzondu Choral Group, GKS, Aba and Isoko Orchestra, GKS Warri.

A poignant presentation at the St. Urhobo Square venue was the Zumuta Group's performance.

The members enacted the dilemma of a people besieged by insecurity, but found peace only when they looked up to God. A flip side to GKS' appreciation of good music is the fact that the Church of the Living God might be one of the last bastions of our rich culture as Africans. Every choral group performed with traditional costumes, musical instruments and sang songs that brings home to mind.

A way of life Answering a question on smoking on the first day of the feast, Brother Ifeacho said:

The GKS choir performing during the Holy Convocation at the Feast of Tabernacles “While it is not stated in black and white in the bible that smoking is a sin, the fact that smoking is dangerous to health means Christians should not indulge in the habit.” Then he quoted 2 Corinthians 7:1.

That point of view about summarizes GKS' belief system. Brother Ugoji who taught the children on Saturday is in his 40s. Born into GKS, he has known no

other life than the one defined by what the church preaches. “Our faith should not be diluted, so we must catcht them young.”

As Brother Ifeacho said: “Each festival is a celebration of Jehovah and Jesus Christ; an opportunity to renew our faith.”

As the celebrants dispersed, it was obvious they could not wait for the next feast to begin.

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PAGE 52—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 28, 2014

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Beggared prayers If we happen to be Christians, we make a point of asking God for money at every turn. We need money to pay our rent; pay school-fees; put food on the table; buy clothes and shoes; pay our debts and make ends meet. Frankly, if we were to analyse our prayers in 2014, we would probably find that we asked for money in the name of Jesus more than we did for just about anything and everything else.

However, money is not our most important requirement.

It has not even been our most pressing need in 2014. The lame man at the temple asked for, and expected to receive, money. But what he really needed was healing. He needed to be made whole.

Money had not solved, and could not solve, this problem.

No matter how much money he received, he remained lame. No matter how much money they gave him, he was back at the gate of the temple the next day asking for more.

This predicament applies to the rich as well as to the poor.

No matter how much money we earn, we always seem to need more. Solomon says: “Whoever loves money never

GREAT EXPECTATIONS Let us make a detailed list of what we expect God to do for us in the coming year.

,

uke records in the bible the story of a lame man who begged for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. All his wretched life, this man hoped for money, asked for money and begged for money. Indeed, looking for money can be described as the story of his miserable life.

Many of us have similar preoccupations. We spend every day of our lives working for money and making money.

Some of us tabulate what we make on a daily basis. Others stretch out their hands to receive wages and salaries at the end of every month.

has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). A man once asked billionaire Nelson Rockefeller: “How much money is enough money?” He replied: “Just a little bit more.”

Therefore, Peter said to the beggar: “Look at us.” (Acts 3:4).

He decided to change the man’s focus. The beggar had been asking for the wrong thing. What he needed was the definitive answer to all his needs.

Question of expectations How we regard 2014 is based entirely on our expectations. If our expectations were met, then 2014 was a great year. But if our expectations were not met, 2014 becomes one big disappointment. Therefore, to get the right result, it is necessary to address life from the level of our wrong expectations. It is of the utmost importance for us to expect the right things. Jesus says: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

(Matthew 6:33).

How bad a year was 2014?

Was it even bad at all? It all depends on whether our

expectations have anything to do with the will of God? Surely, God himself could not have been disappointed with 2014.

Surely, God’s divine expectations must have been fully met in 2014.

Was 2014 a bad year for the government of God? Not likely!

Isaiah says of God and his Christ: “His royal power will continue to grow; his kingdom will always be at peace. He will rule as King David's successor, basing his power on right and justice, from now until the end of time.” (Isaiah 9:7).

In short, 2014 must have been a good year for the kingdom of God. More people must have come into the knowledge of God. More people must have laid down their lives for Christ’s sake.

More people must have entered into God’s rest. More must have received divine healing. Are we included among these by any means?

Ownership of silver and gold Accordingly, Peter changed the expectations of the beggar.

He told him, “I don’t have silver and gold.” Peter knew money was not the answer to his problem. In any case, silver and gold do not belong to Peter.

God says: “The silver is mine,

and the gold is mine.” (Haggai 2:8).

Peter understood that it is unwise to arrogate to man what God claims as his. No man is born with silver and gold; and when we die, we won’t take silver and gold with us. Aliko Dangote, the richest African, will have to relinquish all his billions when God says “time up.” If the silver and the gold do not belong to us but to God, what then belongs to us? We need to know what is ours by right. We must only insist on what rightfully belongs to us.

Here we can be instructed by the counsel of the psalmist. He was not given any land in Israel. Nevertheless, he says: “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good inheritance.” (Psalm 16:6). What is this inheritance?

He declares: “The Lord himself is my inheritance, my prize. He is my food and drink, my highest joy!” (Psalm 16:5).

It is God that is our inheritance. It is God that is our exceedingly great reward.

(Genesis 15:1). Therefore, we should claim God as our portion. If we have God, we cannot lack silver and gold.

Everything belonging to God automatically belongs to us.

The psalmist says: “The Lord is my shepherd: I have all I

I received my call at Irri, says Bishop Simeon Okah Continued from Page 50 him money to buy the bone and do medicine for me. I cannot remember the amount I paid now, he made the medicine to put at the entrance of my house; that no witch will ever come to press me again.

When I put it there, the first night, it worked, first week, second week, but the third week, it was triple attack. The war just ended then. Igbudu Market was under construction at that time.

One day, I just told myself I wanted to end this whole thing and I took raw acid and as I entered the path road to drink the acid and die; but inside the bush some Igbo people were playing card. I met about eight of them and I said these people have spoiled my plan to kill myself, not knowing that it was God. That was how I went back to my house.

Road to conversion As I was crying, in the house, a man came and asked me, Simeon, what are you doing? I told him life is hard, I want to die, they did not allow me to die. I met Igbo boys there. I told him that he knew my story, I got jobs but they did not last.

The man (now dead) said that he had just given his life to Jesus. I asked him where the Jesus dey? (laughter).

Where is the Jesus? Take me down.

He said, dress up, I will take you there.

*Okah I followed him to Okumagba Avenue, one small Aladura church. The prophet was an Urhobo person involved in magic. I said this one? Na him be the Jesus! He said he is not Jesus but a prophet of Jesus and I sat down; anything they say I should do, I was doing it. I will smell incense. They lit candle. I asked what do I do with it, I was so anxious, I need God. I was just saying that God that used to talk to me when I was young, I need Him. When the man demonstrated and

,

demonstrated, he shouted, young man, stand up. I said me? He said yes. I said the e don reach my own. By then, he had prophesied to two persons. He said God touched me before I was born.

To me, that is not the story I want to hear. I want something that will free me from the witches and get me a lasting job. He went on and on and said among us all here; this young man is the greatest. He then went on to say that you are going to stay with me, but you will not stay wrong because you

need.” (Psalm 23:1).

Therefore, Peter decided to give the beggar not what he asked for, but what Peter had to give. Peter wanted him to know that he had Jesus, the son of the living God. He wanted him to know that while he might not have a pocket full of cash, he was full of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, he said to him: “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

(Acts 3:6).

Excellency of Jesus With this command, the lame man immediately received life.

He started to walk, to run, and to leap. All the money he had received never enabled him to do that. When he begged for money, the more he received the more he begged. But when he received Christ, he stopped begging. He could now get a job. He could now fend for himself. Indeed, he finally got up and went into the temple.

Therefore, let us change our expectations. Let us stop begging and praying for silver and gold. Let us make a detailed list of what we expect God to do for us in the coming year. But let us expect those things that can never disappoint. Let us be focused on those things that pertain to God and his kingdom.

Let us expect a mighty visitation of God in 2015. Let us expect to be closer to him.

Let us expect him to enable us to stop telling lies, to stop fornicating, to stop stealing, to stop cheating, to stop complaining, to stop fighting and to stop being hateful.

Jesus says: “Happy are those who long to be just and good, for they shall be completely satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6). As long as we hunger and thirst after righteousness in 2015, we will not be disappointed.

will discover something which I will not mention.

My call He said for your information, you are going to get three jobs and you will make a choice out of the three. And from the job you are going to take, God will call you into the ministry. And exactly, that was what happened. I got a job in Bendel Transport Company as a mechanic. Fortunately, the technical officer and I were products of the same school, but he is a member of Ogboni Confraternity and that created room for pressure and demonic fight.

I worked there for one year and that was from where God called me. In the work place, there was fight. In the Aladura Church, there was always fight because the Holy Ghost was gradually manifesting upon me and when the man saw me, he shouted the thing don come ooo. I did not understand what he was saying but I was getting some signs.

We went to Irri; where I received the Holy Ghost. The richest man in Bendel then, Oghenevo from Oleh, was a member of that church. I branched out later as the man prophesied because it was becoming demonic. I burnt the man's magic books and he cursed me that I would not have children. But I am glad to announce that I am a father of six children and grandfather of 12 children.

That was how I became a child of God and God freed me from that bondage because of my desire for God.

*SUPPORT THE PERSECUTED CHISTIANS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 53 japhdave@yahoo.com 08066625505 ByJAPHET ALAKAM & CHRIS ONUOHA CULTURE

C

ULTURE is born out of an aggregation of people who come together for the sole purpose of finding meaning to their lives.

Culture as an important ethnic identity, consists of language, ideas, beliefs, customs, taboos, codes, institutions, tools, techniques, work of art, rituals, ceremonies and symbols.

When the various issues that are embodied in culture are put together it could led to development of the society. But, there are ways of life that may negate development and values especially when such a culture fails to adapt to changing challenges. It is for this reason that development can only take place when culture is ready for it. Culture then must be seen as a dynamic mechanism that adjust and adapt to external and internal conditions of existence to satisfy human, biological and social needs, so it can be said that development is midwived by culture.

Based on the above, how can culture be utilized to drive and transform African economy and social wellbeing of the people?

This was basis of the discourse last month, when the Center for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) in collaboration with Bayelsa State Government and University of Port Harcourt hosted the International Cultural Festival and Colloquium in Yenagoa.

Papers from various academic dons with critical issues bordering on cultural renege and negation were presented at the discourse.

Prof. Sule Bello Suleiman, Chairman, African Research and Development Agency, Kano State, who was the Keynote speaker brought to limelight, how Africa with its endowed human, material and ecological resources lags behind in the global developmental reckoning. While attributing some of the problems to the lack of proper focus on values of culture by government, he said that insecurity and disunity among ethnic entities impedes the process too. Furthermore, as he extols the laudable impact made by the entertainment industry which has internationalized the continent’s culture through films and music, it is worthy of note that culture through this sector, has in no small measure moved both the economy, culture and social life of the African people to a height in the global market aside oil.

It is a known fact that African Nollywood is ranking third in world film making industry trailing behind Hollywood (USA) and Bollywood (India), with our Star actors listing in Oscar Award and other world Movie Awards, while Music has gripped a hold on international scene including the prestigious World Grammy Award nominations. This diaspora reach through our cultural endowment is fully packaged with our traditional attributes and cultural heritage.

•L-R- DG of CBAAC Sir Ferdinand Anikwe, Pete Edochie and other Nollywood stars cultural festival in Yenagoa

group.” He added.

Dr. Anthony Onwuma of CBAAC in his views argued that you cannot drive the economic development of a nation outside of their culture. He added that when you look at the Asian Tiger’s success story today, it is because huge attention to their culture came into play which supposedly was the bedrock of the financial empire they built today.

Dr Aminata S. Kiello of the Socio-Anthropologue S/C Fonds de Solidarité Africain B. P. 382 NIAMEY, NIGER, while presenting a paper titled “Popular Culture and Development”,using the descriptive diagram of the Fulani tribe to give an insight of the challenges certain culture have on the development policy in the continent.

“Development brings more or less easy lifestyles, but everyone should better assess the impact of its power and success, the corollary of which is: overwork, stress, psychosomatic illness, throwing out of common life a n d dehumanization, suicide, etc. The Occident, winner of history and thus Leader of the vanquished, is forced today to re-learn the “living together ”, easily practiced by any Fulani of Bitinkodji.”

Looking at it from the views of Dr. Abu Edet of the of History and International Studies, University of Calabar, in his presentation titled “Ancient Treasures of Nigeria: As Instrument for National Development Growth and Promotion of External Relations”, centered on the discoveries, preservation and curatorship of the ancient treasures in museum collections, harped on the need to sensitize everyone, to the fact that the reconstruction of the past is only possible when their heritage is carefully protected and patiently studied in a scientific manner.

“If Nigeria is to keep its integrity in the cultural sector of preservation of the nation’s cultural property, it has to, at all cost; train all professionals in the preservation of Nigeria’s heritage. This is in view of the indispensible role of museum professionals as catalyst in museum development matrix.”

CBAAC, exploring culture as effective springboard for African devt The Director General of CBAAC, Sir. Ferdinand Anikwe, on his part, opined that culture presents itself as both the foundation and the root of human development, whether as individuals or groups; but noted that “it is saddening that we are neglecting our own culture to our peril.”

He made reference to seeming wave of cultural g l o r i e s , realized from the African entertainment sector which have impacted immensely to the world civilization.

“African actors and musicians have placed the continent strategically in the world map through the showcase of our language, lifestyle, costume and f a b r i c s

including our indigenous foods in their home videos and music videos.” Anikwe then called on African States to evolve both policies and programmes for the internationalization of her culture through art, music science and technology, education, tourism and diplomacy by revamping the spirit of the various cultures.

Speaking on the Culture as a ‘ V i a b l e Mechanism for E v o l v i n g Authentic A f r i c a n Identity ’ Adediran Adekunle Amos of the Social S t u d i e s Department, School of Arts and Social Sciences, F e d e r a l College of Education, O s i e l e , Abeokuta, said that Cultural identity can be expressed through certain

Every development irrespective of its dimension is culturally conditioned and it must be used as a framework or platform for development in Africa

styles of clothing or other aesthetic makers from different ethnic group. These identities identify Africans from other people, thereby making them more unique wherever they find themselves. That is why Africans in diaspora are more identifiable with their traditional and cultural make ups.

On the contrary according to him, certain ways of life may negate development and values especially when such a culture fails to adapt to changing challenges and development can only take place when culture is ready for that change. “Every development irrespective of its dimension is culturally conditioned and it must be used as a framework or platform for development in Africa. The relationship between culture and development is symbiotic; just as culture provides the milieu for development; developmental changes serve to constantly prompt the culture to its responsibilities towards the individual or

GenTalks boosts Nigerian creative industry

By PRISCA SAM-DURU READING

I

n a bid to stimulate youth participation in the articulation ”of practical growth strategies for Nigeria’s creative industries, using digital platforms, British Council in partnership with First Bank of Nigeria Limited, launched GenTalks Creative.

The creative programme, which was launched last week in association with Generational Voices (GenVoices) , aims to gather ideas on sector development strategies and reinforce young people’s capacity to participate and lead

policy and development.

sector

The project is designed to stimulate solution focused debate and discourse based on already articulated growth barriers to the Nigerian Creative Industries.

Tagged ‘GenTalks Creative: Growth Strategies for the Nigerian Creative Economy” , the project will crowd source growth ideas online and curate these into a series of face-to-face events with participation from key Nigerian Creative Industries stakeholders and young people interested in the growth of this sector.

The project output according to the organisers, “Will be a green paper which will map out

recommendations for the growth of the sector in Nigeria.

The produced green paper will be used to advocate a more supportive policy framework for the sector in Nigeria.”

Technical expertise for the project is provided by Tom Fleming Consultancy, a UK Creative Consultancy that specialises in research and policy support for the cultural and creative industries sector world-wide.

In her remarks on the motivation for designing and launching the project, Director Arts British Council, Ms. Ojoma Ochai, stated that “The Creative Industries in Nigeria with its

existing comparative advantage and market appeal in fashion, music, film and other creative sectors presents a huge untapped opportunity that Nigeria needs to harness.” She added that “when you consider that the UK creative economy generates 8 Million pounds per hour for the UK economy ’, you can begin to understand the scale of potential we are talking about.”

Commenting on the partnership, the Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, FirstBank, Folake Ani-Mumuney stated that the initiative is a demonstration of the bank’s leadership role and continued support for the development of the Nigerian creative arts industry.

PAGE 54, SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014

Balotelli not returning to Italy — Liverpool boss

Van Gaal fumes over United fixture list M

ANCHESTER United manager Louis van Gaal is not happy with Man Utd’s fixture list as they face Tottenham this afternoon less than 48 hours after beating Newcastle 3-1.

United are now unbeaten in eight games but Van Gaal was not happy about their lack of preparation time before heading to White Hart Lane.

“With FIFA and UEFA, it’s forbidden to play within 48 hours. In England, it’s okay,” he said.

“I cannot prepare my team like I have to prepare. We have unit meetings, and team meetings, we have training 11 against 11, and assimilating opponents. We cannot do that now.”

United are 10 points behind league leaders Chelsea and seven off second-place Manchester City.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are two teams in transition, they appear to be settling down.

Both have new managers with clearly defined styles that have taken time to instil, both started the season erratically and both have found a run of form.

Tottenham go into today’s meeting at White Hart Lane having won their past three in the league and reached the semi-finals of the League Cup, while United have won seven and drawn one of their past eight.

Although United’s run is longer and they sit five points above Spurs in the table, and although they have the more established and glamorous names, there is a strange sense that Tottenham’s surge of form, based on 2-1 wins as it is, is more convincing.

United have been winning games through the brilliance of David de Gea in goal and some fine finishing rather than by any great cohesive play between the two penalty areas.

•Balotelli

L

UP AND RUNNING... Wayne Rooney firing Man United back to reckoning.

Mourinho, Koeman fight for supremacy C

HELSEA manager Jose Mourinho and his Southampton counterpart Ronald Koeman are set to clash in their first ever meeting as coaches after working under Louis van Gaal at Barcelona.

The pair worked together at Barcelona when Louis van Gaal was in charge at the Camp Nou and they will renew their relationship at St Mary’s as Chelsea hope to win and maintain their lead.

“I was there before him.

Obviously he was a very big player for Barcelona, but he left.

I arrived there in 1996 and I think Ron came back in 1999, so I was already a member of the technical staff,” Mourinho said.

‘We helped each other, but we were there to help Mr van Gaal because he was the boss then. I think we did our work quite well.

‘I know that he is a good coach, and I know the football principles that he defends and he likes. When I saw him get his hands on [Mauricio]

•Mourinho

•Koeman

Pochettino’s team, I thought he was the right guy to do it.

Southampton have so far surpassed pre-season expectations, and currently sit fourth in the Premier League, and Mourinho believes the Saints are in an excellent position to have a go at the Barclays Premier League leaders.

“Obviously they lost some good players, but they were very clinical in their choices,’ he

added. They don’t have any pressure because they are very, very far away from relegation and the title is not for them. They are in a fantastic situation to play beautiful football.”

Chelsea were in complete control from start to finish as they eased past West Ham at Stamford Bridge Southampton made it back to back victories in the Premier League after they swept past Crystal Palace.

Man City chase Chelsea, club record R

City starwarts.... Yaya Toure and Vicent Kompany.

C M Y K

EIGNING English premier league champions, Manchester City will today aim to set a club record of having 10 wins in a row, while they keep the pressure on Chelsea who are leading the table currently.

Pellegrini said he wasn’t aware he was about to make club history, but he does say it is a vital time to keep the heat on Chelsea, and he has successive

home games coming up to try to pull level.

City easily beat struggling West Brom 3-0 at The Hawthorns with goals from Fernando, Yaya Toure and David Silva in the opening 34 minutes and Pellegrini said: “I was not aware of the record but we will try and continue our run because it will be a very close fight for the title.

We want to keep our title.

“I know this period is very

important for us. We have Burnley at home next. We do not think of Chelsea. Now there are 20 games more to decide the title, it never finishes in December.

“I am sure the race for the title will not be just two teams, other teams will be involved also. How many, I don’t know. But if Manchester United continue winning...all the teams that can get to 86 points can win the title.

“But this is a very important

IVERPOOL manager Brendan Rogers has ruled out any chance of Mario Balotelli returning to Italy in January.

Reports in the striker ’s homeland have suggested that former club Inter Milan, where Balotelli rose to prominence, may be looking at a loan move for him in the new year in light of his poor start to life at Anfield.

But Rodgers insists he has no plans to further weaken a forward line which is already lacking the injured Daniel Sturridge.

Rodgers said: “It’s not some thing that I have even thought about to be honest. We’ve had a lot of games this season in a lot of competitions. At this moment in time the key for me is trying to keep the squad together.”

While Balotelli continues to struggle to find his feet at Anfield since his £16m move from AC Milan in the summer, Rodgers has been forced to juggle his forwards to find a combination which goes some way to fill the void left by the absence of Sturridge and the departed Luis Suarez.

Raheem Sterling is currently the latest player leading the line and he performed admirably in that role again against Burnley on Boxing Day. His decisive strike on the hour took him to three goals in his last three matches, and Rodgers believes that he has a lot to offer in a position which he is quickly adapting to.

“I think Raheem and anyone with that type of pace will always stretch teams and will always make defenders think,” he said. month and a key week where we play for nine points.

“It is not the week that will decide the Premier League but it is important for us to be top of the table as soon as we can.

“That will give us an advantage for the second part of the season.”

City have won two successive games despite being without any of their strikers because of injuries and have benefited in particular from Silva who has scored three times.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014, PAGE 55

Oshoala, Oparanozie make CAF final award list T

HE Confederation of African Football has announced Super Falcons duo of Asisat Oshoala and Desire Oparanozie among candidates vying for the prestigious African Women’s Player of the Year trophy this year, with Cameroon’s Annette Ngo Ndom.

Rivers Angels star Oshoala tops the list following her superb form for the Falconets at the Fifa U-20 Women’s World Cup and the African Women Championship in Namibia where she won the MVP award, not forgetting her Federation Cup and league title wins with her Port Harcourt based outfit.

Oparanozie on her own part was inspirational in the Super Falcons’ march to becoming African champions for the seventh time while putting up a great showing for her French topflight outfit, Guingamp.

Oshoala could win a double as she is also shortlisted for the Youth Player of the Year award alongside her Nigerian

Allardyce •Continues from BP including victories over Liverpool and Manchester City.

One of the Premier League’s biggest

FIFA •Continues from BP remember that and not underrate themselves at the FIFA Women World Cup. “We must go out there and show that we have come of age and show that we are not push overs. The teams in our group are very good, but we cannot be intimidated by their profiles,” said Nwabuoku.

She stated that her exploits of 2014 was now history and was focused on doing well with the national team at the Women’s World next year.

“For me, my 2014 trophies belong to the past I do not want to dwell on past records. I C M Y K

•Oparanozie compatriot, Uchechi Sunday with Fabrice Ondoa of Cameroon making the list.

Nigeria’s Under-20 women’s national team, the Falconets, will also look to beat Cameroon

and Ivory Coast for the National Team of the Year award for women.

The winners will be announced at the GloCaf Awards Gala scheduled for Thursday, January 8, 2015 in Lagos, Nigeria.

Gervinho’s home burgled at Christmas

R

OMA striker Gervinho had a Christmas to forget when he discovered his Italian home in Axa, near Rome, had been burgled as he spent time with family in the Ivory Coast.

According to La Gazetta Dello Sport, the surprise packages this term, Boxing Day’s 2-0 defeat at Chelsea leaves West Ham fifth in the table.

Allardyce opted to use key duo Alex Song and Diafra Sakho off the bench at Stamford Bridge, presumably with am looking forward to 2015 campaign.

“I can only pray that we get our preparations right. We really need top quality friendlies to keep us sharp for the task ahead. With that I do not see how we wont make the second round,” said the Falcons captain.

Palace •Continues from BP Premier League on Boxing Day after a 3-1 loss to Southampton, with pressure mounting on Warnock and fans calling for his head.

Keith Millen will once again take temporary charge, with Palace travelling to Queens Park Rangers today.

former Arsenal man was robbed after he posted photos on social media informing fans he was going to be out of the country.

It is reported that the unknown culprits took tens of thousands of pounds worth of goods including jewellery and watches. one eye on this weekend’s fixture.

And ahead of the visit of Arsenal, Allardyce stated his desire to pick a full-strength line-up with Arsene Wenger ’s side just a point and a place behind West Ham. Arsenal have won the last eight meetings between the sides, but Allardyce claims his men will be motivated by another visit from one of the league’s “big boys”.

“We’ll try to pick the strongest team possible to start the game, then the subs will play their part as the game goes on, with two games in a short period of time,” he told the club’s official website.

The club confirmed the sacking with a brief statement on their website. It said: ‘Crystal Palace Football Club can today confirm that Neil Warnock has been relieved of his duties and is no longer first-team manager.

‘The club would like to put on record its thanks to Neil for all his hard work and energy over the past four months.’

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 28, 2014

Politics killing Nigerian football — Chukwu

By Jacob Ajom

F

IRST Nigerian captain to lift the Africa Cup of Nations trophy, Christian Chukwu has decried the gradual, but overbearing influence of politicians in the administration of football in the country.

In a retrospective view at the problems associated with Nigerian football in the outgoing year, Chukwu said, “the year has been good and bad, but the bad far outweighs the good. The year was like a dry season as the returns were low.”

Continuing, Chukwu, who spoke through our hotline, said, “although the Falcons won the African Women Championship, the Eagles could not qualify for the 2015 Afcon and the crisis in the Nigeria Football Federation made it worse.”

Chukwu, who captained the Eagles to their first AFCON win in 1980 tasked the leadership of the NFF to ensure the crisis did not escalate. “If they survive this, they should ensure anything concerning elections should be handled properly. Let elections start from the local governments, the states then the national level. That is how it should be. If it starts from the ground up then the foundation will be solid.”

The former national team handler would not say much on the fate of out-of-contract head coach of the Super

Eagles, Stephen Keshi. “I will like to leave that matter for the NFF to deal with. But I believe that results determine the fate of coach. When they allow politics to creep in, it won’t augur well for our football.

Many coaches have come and gone and their stay have been largely determined by their results.”

CONTEST.... Asisat Oshoala attempts to block a pass by Kim Hyang Mi of Korea DPR during the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Canada 2014 . Oshoala is among the contenders for the 2014 African Women’s Footballer of the Year Award.

FIFA Women World Cup:

We must maintain our winning mentality — Falcons captain

By Ben Efe

S

UPER Falcons captain, Evelyn Nwabuoku has urged her team mates to keep in mind their winning mentality, as they prepare for the FIFA World Cup in Canada next year.

The Super Falcons are drawn in what pundits have described as the group of death in the tournament billed to start June 6 2015. Nigeria is drawn in the same group

•Nwabuoku

with the USA, Sweden and Australia, teams that are well above the African champions in the form books. But according to Nwabuoku who had a year full of trophies having won the African Women Championship, the national women league and women Federation Cup, the Falcons can pull a surprise at Canada 2015, if only her team mates do not feel inferior to the other teams, adding also that the Nigeria Football

Federation, should leave no stone unturned to get them quality friendly matches.

“We are the African champions and it did not come easy. My teammates should

•Continues on page 55

Palace sack Warnock

Allardyce unleashes Song on Arsenal S AM Allardyce is confident West Ham can continue their purple patch at Upton Park when Arsenal visit in the Premier League today.

The London club have won six of their last seven home games in the league,

•Continues on page 55

•Warnock

N

EIL Warnock has been sacked as manager of Crystal Palace after just four months in charge at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles dropped into the bottom three of the •Continues on page 55

CROSS WORD PUZZLE DOWN ACROSS 1. Incarcerates (5) 1.Taraba capital (7) 2. Nothing (3) 4.Exchanges (5) 3. Command (5) 6.Crest (5) 4. Cue (5) 7.Speared (7) 5. Vapour (5) 9.Fashion (5) 8. Dog (3) 10.Weird (5) 12. Nigerian state (6) 11.Donor (5) 14. Ovum (3) 13.Domain (5) 15. Connected (6) 17.Crestfallen (3) 16. Cooked (6) 19.Face (8) 17. Glare (5) 20.Pianos (6) 18. Ill-fated (6) 21.Much (6) 22. Maiden name (3) 23.Stayed (8) 25. Revise accounts (5) 24.Frozen water (3) 26. Staggers (5) 25.Snake (5) 27. Old fable writer (5) 27.Own up (5) 28. Child (3) 30. Arise (5) 29. Gave in (5) 31. Evade (5) 33. Benin chieftain (3) 32. Dotted (7) 34. Lariat (5) 35. Moves like a horse (5) 36.Sowed (7)

•Song

TODAY’S MATCHES Tottenham Man City Stoke City Southampton Aston Villa Hull City QPR West Ham Newcastle

v v v v v v v v v

Man United Burnley FC West Brom Chelsea Sunderland Leicester City Crystal Palace Arsena Everton

1:00pm 4:00 pm 4:00 pm 3:05 pm 4:00 pm 4:00 pm 4:00 pm 4:00 pm 5:15 pm

TOMORROW’S MATCH See solution on page 5

Liverpool

v

Swansea City

9:00pm

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