Why we are yet to deafeat boko haram- jonathan by Vanguard Media Limited

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Arqiva launches new channel Arise News on Freeview

Why we’re yet to crush Boko Haram — Jonathan By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, blamed saboteurs and other external forces over the Federal Government’s inability to crush Boko Haram insurgents in the North East geopolitical zone of the country. Over 5,000 Nigerians have been killed since the insurgents began their campaign to make the country an Islamic state over four years ago. However, Jonathan, spoke when a delegation of Nollywood stars under the aegis of “Creative Professionals” visited him at the Presidential Villa, pointing out that the frustration in crushing the insurgents was from internal and external realms. The delegation was led by an actor, Segun Arinze. The President did not state the names of the saboteurs or the institutions they belong to, even as he reiterated his resolve to end the vicious cycle of violence unleashed on the country by terrorists and other malevolent elements in the land. His words: “One of our greatest challenges and I have to thank you for observing that one-minute of silence in their honour, is this security challenge. “But we are working very

President Goodluck Jonathan receiving a thank you Card from Members of the Creative Professionals, Ms Fiberesima Ibinabo, Culture Minister Obong Edem Duke; President of the Association, Mr Segun Arinze with Vice President Arc. Namadi Sambo, and FCT Minister Senator Bala Mohammed (r) during a thank you Visit of Creative Professionals to the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida hard, we have our frustrations, we have issues of sabotage: internal and external but we are working very hard and by the grace of God, we will overcome.” The President last year said that the insurgents had moles everywhere including in government. Beyond the security challenge, the president pointed out that Nigeria also needed serious effort to beef up its infrastructure to meet the needs of the nation and its citizens.

While promising to expand the horizon, he pleaded with the actors to call some politicians noted for generating negative issues to tone down their tirades in the interest of the nation. Jonathan had in 2012 lamented that there were Boko Haram elements in his administration but did not say who they were and where in particular they were situated. The admission of the presence of Boko Haram sympa-

thisers in the administration however drew flaks from Nigerians, who blamed the president for not naming the suspected saboteurs. Also, the Federal Government had promised several times in the past of its determination to wipe out the insurgents in the country but had, furthermore, blamed some foreign powers for sabotaging its efforts to defeat the Boko Haram insurgents by refusing to sell arms and ammunition to Nigeria.

Buhari in dilemma over running mate •Why decision may be delayed By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

LL Progressives Congress, APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is in a dilemma over the choice of a running mate for the forthcoming presidential contest. Buhari’s dilemma was said to have been accentuated by the rise in his ratings after the largely successful convention which has raised the prospects of a possible APC led Federal Government thus attracting many more interests into the choice of a running mate. Basking in the euphoria of a largely successful nomination convention, party elders, hours after the convention Thursday night, went into a meeting in an undisclosed location in Victoria Island, Lagos with the issue top on the agenda. Buhari, it was learnt, was at the meeting but no conclusion was arrived at.

Many interests, Saturday Vanguard learned, had emerged to stake a claim for the position or the right to propose the vicepresidential candidate. Among them are a national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who had a principal role in swinging victory towards Buhari at the convention ground. The Tinubu camp is seriously being challenged by the camp of the governors who are insisting on pushing one of their own or determining who gets the job. Meetings were held yesterday in Lagos by party stakeholders who remained in Lagos after the convention to project their interests on the issue. A meeting of major stakeholders has been scheduled for today in Abuja still on the issue. An APC governor who spoke on the issue yesterday said the decision would have to reflect geopolitical considerations in line with the resolution of the party

that party tickets at all levels should reflect ethnoreligious balancing. It was learned that the earlier assumption that the choice of a running mate be restricted to the Southwest was seriously being reexamined with the SouthSouth now being considered. Among the persons under consideration from the Southwest were Senator Olurunnimbe Mamora, former commissioner of justice in Lagos State, Prof. Yemi Osibajo and former Governor Kayode Fayemi. Governor Babatunde Fashola who is a popular choice among many stakeholders, is however, challenged by a resolution of the party on ethnoreligious balancing of the party ticket. Stakeholders pushing for the Southwest are saying that a candidate from the region would galvanise the people of the region to fully come out in support of the party

during the election. That argument is also said to be re-energizing the prospect of Governor Fashola with some saying that the Southwest is unmindful of religion in the determination of political office holders. Governors Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State were the two persons being mentioned by stakeholders, multiple sources said yesterday. The projection it was learned was based on the idea of giving their SouthSouth region reason not to see that they have totally lost out in voting out their son, President Goodluck Jonathan who is the candidate of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP. Faced with the conflicting desires, the party was at the weekend still said to be undecided on the choice of a running mate and sources said a choice may not be made until the middle of next week.

RQIVA has announced the launch of global news and entertainment channel ARISE News in standard definition on Freeview channel 136, using the more advanced Digital Video Broadcasting technology MPEG4 DVB-T2. Arise News will be available to those Freeview viewers who are within the •Nduka broadcast coverage of Arqiva’s new HD multiplex – around 72% of the UK population – provided they are watching a Freeview HD compatible iDTV or Freeview HD set top box. The Arise News service would also be available to YouView, BT Vision and TalkTalk TV homes within this coverage area. Viewers can find out if they are able to receive this exciting new channel by using the coverage checker on the digital UK website at www.digitaluk.co.uk ARISE News delivers real time international news and entertainment to global audiences, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on cable, satellite, mobile devices and on the internet while celebrating diverse communities and cultures across all continents. Mike Finchen, Director, Digital Terrestrial Television at Arqiva said: “We are delighted to welcome ARISE News to the Freeview platform. Most Freeview HD homes will be able to enjoy the rich cultural and educational content available on the channel. We at Arqiva are committed to broadcasting a variety of content to offer viewers great channel and programme choices.” Nduka Obaigbena, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief at ARISE News, said: “Today, we reach yet another milestone as we launch on Freeview. ARISE News is committed to covering issues of the day and world events that matter from an uncommon perspective, engaging citizens of the world in an emerging new global order truly representing the experiences of the under-served communities often ignored by conventional media.” ARISE News joins other news channels, BBC News, BBC News HD, Sky News, Al Jazeera English, Al Jazeera English HD, Al Jazeera Arabic and RT on Freeview. ARISE News is carried on Arqiva’s Com 7 HD Multiplex and will be available to viewers with Freeview HD products within the commercial HD network coverage areas. Arqiva, the communications infrastructure and media services company, operates at the heart of the broadcast, satellite and mobile communications markets. The company is at the forefront of network solutions and services in the digital world. Arqiva provides much of the infrastructure behind television, radio, satellite and wireless communications in the UK. Also, ARISE News is an emerging 24-hour news and entertainment channel brought to you by a diverse team of over 500 world-class journalists and broadcasters, behind-the-scenes and in front of camera.

Defection: PDP loses suit against Amaechi, Wamakko, 2 other APC Govs

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

HE Peop les Democratic Party, PDP, has lost its bid to declare seats of the four ‘rebel’ governors that defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, vacant. In a ruling yesterday, the court dismissed the suit against Governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), and Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara). Though PDP originally dragged five governors before the high court, however, following the impeachment of Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State, his name was accordingly struck out from the suit. Justice Gabriel Kolawole struck out the suit against the governors on the grounds that the originating processes filed by the PDP to initiate the action were invalid. The court upheld the arguments of the plaintiff that the originating processes were wrongly issued and served on the defendants. Justice Kolawole held that failure of the plaintiff to seek court’s leave to serve the governors through substituted means by publication in the July 3, 2014 edition of This Day newspaper contravened provisions of Section 96 of Sheriff and Civil Processes Act. Besides, he maintained that absence of endorsement on the processes violated Section 97 of the same law.

6 — SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

East-West road project will attain 90% completion by Dec 31 — Minister By Chris Ochayi

HE Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Dr. Stephen Oru, yesterday, said the ministry ’s flagship project, the N373.3 billion contracts for the dualization of the EastWest carriageway project would attain 90% completion by the ending of this month. Dr. Oru, who spoke while presenting the ministry’s scorecard at the 2014 ministerial press briefing in Abuja, however, said that substantial achievements has been recorded on the various sections of the construction project, especially the KaiamaAhoda Section being handled by the Setraco, which is almost completed. The minister, who failed to announce a definite timeline for completion of the entire 338 kilometres road project, lamented that, “however, due to paucity of funds and the short dry season prevalent in the region, the commissioning of some of its completed sections was shifted to the first quarter of 2015.” According to him, “The Federal Executive Council, FEC, has just approved Section V of the East-West road covering Oron to Calabar in Cross River State. a distance of about 23.09 kilometres. “This extension will reduce the travel time

from Oron in Akwa Ibom to Calabar in Cross River State from a normal journey by road of about three hours to les than 30 minutes.

Dr. Oru, while giving the financial status of the project, said the contract for the Sections 1-4 of the road project was awarded at N373,352,625,774.70,

From right: Mr. Yomi Fawehinmi, guest speaker, Mr. Godman Akinlabi, Mr. Yemi David and Mrs. Bimbo David, during memorial service in honour of Dr. Myles Munroe, legacy, founder of Bahamian Evangelical Christian Evangelist and ordained Pentecostal minister, who died in Air crash with his wife held at Grandeur Event Center, Ikeja, Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez

Buhari not only APC’s candidate but the choice of Nigerians —Aregbesola •Congratulates ex-Head of State; predicts victory for APC By Gbenga Olarinoye, Osogbo

HE Governor of Osun State , Mr Rauf Aregbesola has said that the emergence of former Head of State, Gen Muhammadu Buhari as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress is the best democratic pill to gal-

vanise Nigerians towards the needed change. He said the former Head of State is not just the candidate of the APC but that of the entire Nigerians who have been yearning for a dramatic and total change. Aregbesola said the decision by all party men and women to elect the former head of state dem-

Cynthia Osokogwu: I never ordered, nor purchased any drug — Suspect By Onozure Dania

HE prime suspect in the murder trial of Cynthia Osokogwu, Okwumo Nwabufor, told an Igbosere High Court in Lagos yesterday that he never ordered the pur-

adding, “as at today, the total sum of N275,344,983,750.77 had been paid to the contractors on Section I-IV.

chase of the drug Ryhophnol that was used to drug the deceased before she was murdered. Nwabufor, said this while he was being cross-examined by Chris Obiaka, the defense counsel to the third defendant.

“I never asked the third defendant Orji Osita to sell any drug to me, neither did I purchase any drug.” He said. Nwabufor, 34, is standing trial before Justice Olabisi Akinlade alongside Olisa Chidera, 24, Orji Osita 33 and Ejike Ifechukwu 25, over the murder of Cynthia Osokogwu at Cosmilla Hotel, Lake View Estate, Festac Town, Lagos, on July, 22, 2012. The defendant also told the court that the reason he had late Osokogwu’s blackberry phone in his possession was because she gave him her phone to repair and sell for her. “Cynthia asked me to repair and sell her blackberry phone for her and I gave the phone to the fourth defendant (Ifechukwu).

onstrates the commitment to presenting a candidate who would not only win the presidential election but go ahead to rescue Nigeria from the present quagmire anti-democratic and anti-development elements had brought her in more than a decade and a half. Aregbesola, in a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, was quoted as speaking shortly after the declaration of Gen Muhammadu Buhari as the presidential candidate of the APC after a keenly contested primary held in Lagos. “We must congratulate Nigerians for the emergence of Gen Muhammadu Buhari as the presidential candidate of our party. The excitements, commendations and jubilations that have greeted the election and consequently the announcement of Gen Muhammadu Buhari are clear demonstrations of the fact that Nigerians have been anxious and now poised for an immediate change in Nigeria.

How we stamp out exammalpractices — JAMB •Wants ICPC check on school authorities By Caleb Ayansina

HE Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Professor Dibu Ojerinde has said that the agency had successfully stamped out corruption in form of examination malpractices using its innovative biometrics platform. This, according to him, allows JAMB to conduct e x a m i n a t i o n s throughout West Africa and produce the results same day to block chances of manipulations. Dibu, who said they had succeeded in blocking all avenues upon which examination malpractices thrive, however, noted that there was need for school authorities of various institutions to carry out the last check on their prospective applicants, who seek admission in their schools. Consequently, he solicited the collaboration of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in this regard to completely stamp out corruption in the admission process. Dibu was speaking at the 11th ICPC Good Governance Forum with the theme; “Good G o v e r n a n c e , Accountability and Transformation: The JAMB Experience”, held in Abuja. Explaining how the success was achieved, he said other issues such as faking of admission letters had been checked through the issuance of electronic admission letters and embossment of same with photos of the candidates that had been offered provisional admission. According to him, in cases where examination malpractice practitioners have used business centres to superimpose another photo on an admission letter, such is checked by verifying from a comprehensive manual which has earlier been sent to the schools. “The candidates do not have access to this manual. It is sent only to the schools. Admission letters presented by candidates are verified using this manual before the candidate is registered in the school. But some schools do not use this manual for whatever

reason; and that is where we will need the help of the ICPC,” he said. Ojerinde noted that in the past, everybody with the institution contributed to examination malpractice and leakage of question papers, from the secretariat staff to cleaners, computer operators, clerical staff, messengers, schedule officers, typists, proof readers, editors and scanner operators. However, he maintained that the new system had shut all the officers out of the process, including himself, the chief executive; leaving the process to a select few officers who are isolated for the period of preparing the questions and writing the exams. “During this period, they do not have access to their phones for 38 days, they do not have access to their families and the outside world but they are well taken care of ”, Ojerinde said. On how it is possible to come up with 98,000 results two hours after the exam ; and 617,000 results in five days, after writing the exam, Professor Ojerinde explained that the examination body had 26 scanners ; one of which works on 15,000 scripts per day running three shifts. The 26 machines works on 390,000 scripts altogether in a day, hence, the ability to produce the results within minimum time frame. “Releasing results in very short time reduces the possibility of manipulation”, he said. In his remarks, the Chairman of the ICPC, Barr. Ekpo Nta expressed delight at the success of JAMB, adding that only institutional changes, not necessarily mass arrest can stamp out corruption in Nigeria. To this end, participants at the forum asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other government agencies such as the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), NCCE, National Population commission (NPC), National Identification M a n a g e m e n t Commission (NIMC) and NABTEP to adopt the biometric innovation made by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to effect systemic change and stamp out corruption in the country.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014—7

SPECIAL REPORT FROM HOLY GHOST CONGRESS

PDP vs Tambuwal: Court fixes Jan 19 for hearing By Ikechukwu Nnochiri, Abuja

HE Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, fixed hearing in the suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, against the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal for January 19, 2015. Cited as respondents in the matter were the office of the Speaker of the House of Reps, Tambuwal himself and Ihedioha, as 1st to third respondents, respectively. The party is praying the court to compel Tambuwal to declare himself as unfit to represent Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency in view of his defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC. Alternatively, PDP urged the court to compel the Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps, Chief Emeka Ihedioha to declare Tambuwal’s seat vacant, in line with the provisions of Sections 68(1) (g) of the 1999 Con-

stitution, as amended. According to the PDP, Tambuwal, having defected from the party that sponsored his election into the House of Representatives, ought to vacate his seat. Moving the motion exparte for an order of Mandamus and injunction against Tambuwal on the last adjourned date, counsel to the PDP, Chief Mike Ahamba, SAN, insisted that under Section 68(2) of the 1999 Constitution, it was mandatory for the Speaker to declare vacant, the Kebbe/ Tambuwal seat considering that he had defected from the party that sponsored him to the legislative house. The party specifically asked the court for anorder of mandamus compelling the first respondent to give effect to the provisions of Sections 68(1) (g) of the constitution (as amended) by declaring the Kebbe/ Tambuwal Federal Constituency seat vacant as required under section 68(2)

of the 1999 Constitution. Although hearing was earlier scheduled to begin on the matter yesterday, it could not go on following an application by both Tambuwal and the House of Reps, who sought time to file their responses to the case. Tambuwal’s counsel, Mr Mahmoud Magaji, SAN, and that of the House, Mr Jibril Okutepa, SA N, told the court that Ahamba only served them the court papers on December 9. Owing to their applications, Justice Ahmed Mohammed adjourned the matter till next year for hearing. PDP is among other things, seeking an order of injunction restraining the second respondent from performing or continuing to perform the functions of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or sitting or continuing to sit in the House as a member consequent upon the order of mandamus.

Shinkafi, Ajibola emerge as APGA, PDP gov candidates for Zamfara, Kwara States By Demola Akinyemi and Salisu Maradun, Gusau

HE National Secretary of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Alhaji Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the party in Zamfara State. Shinkafi was unanimously endorsed by all the delegates of the party during their primaries held at the Gusau Airport in the state capital. In Kwara State, the Senator representing Kwara South in the National Assembly, Suleiman Simeon Ajibola also emerged the gubernatorial candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the state for the 2015 general elections. Ajibola will slug it out with the incumbent Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed also from the area during the election. However, the APGA election in Zamfara State was peaceful, also saw the emergence of

contestants of various elective offices unopposed. Speaking shortly after he was adopted, Abdullahi explained that he would do his best to ensure total

transformation of the state if elected governor next year. He said that he joined the race in order to save the people of the state from the ruins brought upon it by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

2015: Olanrewaju backs Agbaje as Lagos PDP gubernatorial candidate By Bashir Adefaka

EOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and former Minister of Communications, General Tajudeen Olanrewaju has lauded the outcome of Lagos State governorship primary election, which produced Mr. Olujimi Agbaje as standard bearer of the party for the 2015 gubernatorial election. Describing the intraparty election as free and fair, Olanrewaju said it was good to know that the election having been keenly contested was able to present a candidate that enjoyed

resounding applause by people of Lagos State. Congratulating the governorship candidate, the former General Officer Commanding, Third Division of the Nigerian Army said, “I am so delighted at the outcome of the election and with a candidate like Olujimi Agbaje, victory has begun to beacon to PDP in this state and, because our major interest is to win Lagos State, which has not happened since the inception of the ongoing Fourth Republic, we are going to work hard and harder all together to realize this dream.

From left: Pa Abiona,a guest, Prophet S.K Abiara, General Evangelist, Christ Apostolic Church; Bishop Mike Okonkwo, Presiding Bishop, The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, TREM and Bishop Joe Imakando, Senior Pastor, Bread of Life Church International, Zambia during the 2014 Holy Ghost Congress held at the Redemption Camp, Km 46, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Lagos. Photo Lamidi Bamidele

Eminent clerics pray for Nigeria •••25 babies born Christ Apostolic Church,

By Sam Eyoboka Prophet S.K Abiara adand Olayinka Latona vised couples to honour

RAYERS were daily offered for God’s intervention at the ongoing 17th annual Holy Ghost Congress of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, as several eminent gospel ministers from other denominations led the daily expanding crowd of worshippers in supplication to intercede for the family, the church, youth and the nation at large. On Thursday night, at least two Pentecostal bishops, two Pentecostal pastors and one prophet including former CAN Vice President, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, Bishop Joe Imakando of Bread of Life Church, Zambia, CAN president, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye were all on parade at the star-studded day. Speaking on a topic: “Peace be still”, Pastor Oritsejafor, in his sermon told the crowd that the country will not go under in spite of the series of challenges confronting the country. Defining peace as the ability to rest in the presence of war, he urged the congregation not to forget the place of God in the country, saying God is still inside the boat of Nigeria. He prayed that the Good Shepherd is giving peace to the nation, peace in all communities and individual life. Urging the worshippers and Christians in general, to allow God take charge of all the affairs of their lives, CAN president said God can only manifest His awesomeness if man allows Him to enter the boat of his or her life. Leading the congregation on prayer for families, the General Evangelist of

and keep their vows of marriage, explaining that for peace to reign in the family, it is paramount for couples to adhere strictly to their marriage vows. The man of God said there was need for Christians to pray for peace in families as peace experienced in individual family will transcend to the nation as a whole. He added that marriage is like a car which nobody can drive without obeying its rules. Describing love as the bedrock of any marriage, Abiara asked husbands to love their wives, learn to forgive and forget, adding that any of the couple who failed to forgive the wrong committed by his or her partner was wicked person. Presiding bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, Bishop Okonkwo, speaking on “The Church”, told the worshippers that the Church, as a body of Christ, has lot of responsibilities saddled on it to show forth God’s light, reveal God’s agenda for mankind, most powerful agent of change that God placed on earth, saying anything against such is a disappointment to God’s kingdom. Also ministering, spiritual head of Bread of Life Fellowship, Zambia, Bishop Joe Imakando, speaking on “The power of knowledge”, described knowledge as an essential tool that man needs to be successful in life, pointing out that many Christians struggle in poverty, some destroyed and deceived by false prophets because they lack the true knowledge of God. Enumerating the importance of knowledge, Imakando said “knowledge influences one’s

personality, puts one in charge, determines how far one can go in life, knowledge has the ability to set one free from deception, false doctrine as it helps man to be successful in life and set one free from ignorance”. Headlining activities for the fourth day of the congress with a short message titled; “In His Name”, the general overseer of the church, Pastor Adeboye said the Great Shepherd has many names and each of the names has its purpose. As the Way, he said God makes a way where people said there is no way, adding that his name guarantees freedom. As Life His name has the power to rescue one from the jaws of death. Continuing, Adeboye said Jesus name makes life wonderful, can do the impossible as He specialises in special miracles and as Mighty God, He can still the storms in a man’s life. Pastor Adeboye warned that sin, unforgiveness, not having right perspective for getting breakthrough, laziness in place of prayer, failure to pay vows among others as some of the obstacles that hinder prayers. He assured that God answers prayers because He is faithful, He is the Almighty, He is All Sufficient, loves mankind, merciful and that God wants to glorify Himself in the lives of the people.

25 babies born A totalof 25 children have been delivered at the on-going Holy Ghost Congress at the Redemption Camp of the Redeemed Christian Church of God on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Feelers reaching Saturday Vanguard indicate that as at 4.00 p.m. yesterday, nine girls and 16 boys have been born since Monday when the congress started.

8 — SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

BRIEFS

Court stops PDP from forwarding Akwa-Ibom congress results to INEC

Buhari represents change Nigeria needs — Amaechi Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North

ARELY a day after the emergence of former head of state, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as the Presidential flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress, Rivers State Governor, Chubuike Rotimi Amaechi, has described him as the change that Nigeria urgently needs in order to move forward. Amaechi, who took to his twitter handle to air his view, said that the emergence of Buhari also represented the emancipation of Nigerians from the shackles of the ruling People’s Democratic Party. The governor, who is one of the names being mentioned as a likely running mate to Buhari, wrote: “Our emancipation from the evil shackles of PDP is near. APC with Gen. Buhari represents the change we all earnestly

seek. “APC+GMB=CHANGE,” Amaechi tweeted. In the keenly contested primary in Lagos, which lasted about 48 hours, Buhari won with a clear lead of 3430 votes. Kano

Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso came second with 974 votes followed by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar with 954 votes. The choice of a running mate for Buhari is the next item of interest as President

Goodluck Jonathan has already named his vice as his running mate, putting to rest suggestions that he intended to drop him for one of the Northern governors.

ENATOR Ayogu Eze yesterday asked the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, not to accept any other name as governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, other than himself. In a suit number FHC/ ABJ/CS/2014 filed by his Counsel, Yusuf Ali, SAN, Eze also asked the court to restrain ‘’the PDP, the National Working Committee, NWC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by themselves, agents, officers, officials, privies or representatives and other person whatsoever, deriving authority from them from submitting, forwarding or sending the names of any other person other than himself, as their duly elected governorship candidate for 2015 governorship election in Enugu State, pending the final determination of the substansive case. ‘’To restrain INEC, its agents, privies, or representatives from recognising, accepting or giving effect to the name of any other person other than himself as the

High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sit ting at Kubwa, yesterday, restrained the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from forwarding to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the result of the Special Congress it held in Akwa Ibom state on December 8 for the purpose of producing a gubernatorial candidate in the state for the 2015 general elections. Justice Y. Halilu who granted an ex-parte application that was filed by a chieftain of the PDP in Akwa Ibom State, Chief Ime Effiong Ekanem, ordered the party not to send the outcome of the said congress or the name of any one as gubernatorial candidate for the state until January 5, when the substantive suit will be heard.

DELTA 2015: Obuh congratulates Okowa, urges support for PDP candidate

From left: Alhaja Gbolahan Daidu, Chairman SUBEB Maryland Lagos, Mrs Ethel Emma-Uche, Brewery Manager, Education Secretary Surulere LGEA Mrs Emete Tonukari, Corporate Social Responsibility / Sustainaibility Manager (NBL)and Mr. Akoni Laolu S/Adviser to Governor Fashola on Projects in Lagos State during the Commissioning and hand over of renovated Adisa Bashua Primary School Surulere, by NB Plc in Lagos, recently. Pix by Diran Oshe

Stop PDP, INEC from accepting any other candidate other than myself, Ayogu Eze asks court By Emeka Mamah

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

governorship candidate of the the PDP and the NWC of the party for the Enugu State governorship election in 2015 as well as such further or other orders as the court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case.’’ The plaintiff said that the PDP and NWC conducted ward congresses in Enugu State on November 1, 2014 as a result of which a list of delegates for the conduct of primary election for

the governorship candidate of the party emerged consisting names of the elected delegates. According to him, the list was sanctioned and authenticated by the Federal High Court, Abuja, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/816/2014, which judgement was delivered on November 24, 2014. Eze further said that he emerged as the governorship candidate of the party based on the correct dele-

gates list sanctioned by the same court adding however that the defendants were bent sending another person other than his name to INEC as their chosen governorship candidate for the said 2015 election, adding that granting ‘’if the defendants were not restrained from doing so, pending the the determination of of this case, the judgement of the court will be rendered nugatory.’’

Okorocha’s failure to get APC presidential ticket good for Imo — Mbata

MO State-born youth ful entrepreneur, Prince Alex Mbata has declared that the failure of Imo state governor, Owelle Rochas Okoroccha to win the APC President ticket is a blessing in disguise for the people of Imo state. Mbata who is the CEO of ABM Global group, stated that what the nation has lost in Owelle Okorocha being president, Imo would gain as he will remain at Douglas House, Owerri for another four years to con-

tinue the Imo Rescue Mission which he has effectively done in the last three years. Mbata pointed out that it is clear that the Imo state governor would not complete the several laudable programmes he has started before May next year. “It is better for us to have him as our governor after May 29 next year. If Owelle Okorocha had gone to Abuja there is no guarantee that the good work he has started in Imo will continue. So, for me, his not getting the

presidential ticket of APC is good for Imo people. Even Okorocha’s political opponents can attest to the fact that Imo is being renewed in the area of infrastructure and in all other sectors, especially education. So, why lose a man that is rescuing Imo to Abuja?” Mbata queried. Mbata who is the pro chancellor and chairman governing council of Imo state university was full of praise for the Imo governor for turning education around in Imo state.

IR Tony Obuh who contested to become the governor of Delta State has sent a congratulatory message to the winner of the PDP governorship primary, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, urging total support for the flag-bearer at the forthcoming general election in 2015. His congratulatory message reads: “I write to formally congratulate you on your emergence as the PDP Candidate for the forthcoming 2015 General Elections. As in all contests where only one position is available, only one person favoured by the electorates can be chosen, hence your emergence at the just concluded primaries.”

Rivers govt warns against use of quacks for survey By Jimitota Onoyume

IVERS state government has warned against the use of quacks for survey jobs in the state. Commissioner for Lands and Surveyors, Mr Ezemonye Ezekiel-Amadi who handed down the warning at an end of year dinner of the state branch of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, NIS, in Port Harcourt said the issue had become a major problem to the government. He also advised registered surveyors in the state not to be involved in unauthorized survey of government layouts in the state. According to the Commissioner, Mr Ezekiel-Amadi some surveyors were being used to tamper with government layouts illegally.

Minimah, Jibrin bag awards By Aderonke Adeyeri The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth T.J. Mimimah has bagged the prestigious Security Centennial Award by the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON) just as his counterpart, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin was equally conferred with similar award by the same group. The military Chief was conferred with the honour in recognition of his commitment to professionalism and development of professional security in Nigeria.

LASPPAN 2014 award

HE Lagos State Professional Photographers As sociation of Nigeria (LASPPAN) in Amuwo Odofin LGA, Lagos State, recenly presented an Award of Recognition to the Okhaifo of Ekpoma Kingdom, Chief Monday Onuwabhagbe, chairman and CEO, Evergreen Digitals, Festac Town. The award was in recognition of his selfless and outstanding contribution to the growth of photography Business and Support for Association.

SA TURD AY V anguard SATURD TURDA Vanguard anguard,, DECEMBER 13 13, 2014 — 9

BRIEFS

Crisis looms in Onitsha market as trustees vow to halt govt’s caretaker system

Catholic Church rakes in N15m for new TV Station •as Onaiyekan flays regulatory policy By Emmanuel Elebeke

BOUT N15 million was yesterday, realised at a dinner organised by the Abuja Catholic diocese for the formal take off of her new Television Channel, called Catholic Television in Abuja. The church requires about N300 million to set a standard television studio that would serve her evangelization p u r p o s e s . In his keynote address at the CTV dinner organised by the church, the Archbishop of Abuja Metropolitan See, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, said the new television station is intended to be used as a tool of evangelisation to deepen the faith of the Catholic faithful within and outside the c o u n t r y . The Cardinal said the

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new TV station is expected to provide all the Catholics the opportunity to evangelize in the future, using the electronic media to reach families in their homes. Cardinal Onaiyekan, said the inspiration came, following the recent comments by various Popes, who have

constantly admonished the church on the need to use the means of communication for evangelization today. “Pope John Paul 11, himself used the media effectively to propagate the faith. It is for this reason that after having encouraged the stability of our Archdiocesan newspaper, I now wish

to support the growth of our new Archdiocesan media project. “What ever we do is part and parcel of what we preach in the church, spreading the good news of peace, love and charity. CTV is part of the broad based agenda of the gospel, which is part of the revolution,” he stated.

Assemblies of God Church crisis: Court upholds Paul Emeka as GS By Francis Igata

HE lingering leader ship dispute that has factionalized the Assemblies of God Church Nigeria may have been put to rest as an Enugu High Court ruled on Thursday that Rev Prof Paul Emeka remains the authentic General Superintendent of Church. It declared null and void, the purported

meeting held on March 6 presided over by the retired General Superintendent of the Church, Rev Charles Osueke where he (Emeka) was allegedly suspended from office, even as it ordered those occupying offices illegally on account of the suspension to vacate without further delay. Ruling in a suit brought by Emeka over

the breach of his fundamental human rights, the Court presided over by Justice Anthony Onovo, held that he was never removed as the General Superintendent of the church, stressing that the meeting that took the decision was illegal as it was convoked without regard to the constitution of the church or law. The Judge also frowned seriously over the refusal of a faction of the church led by the Assistant Superintendent, Rev Chidi Okoroafor to an injunction of the court on the matter of March 8 this year where it had ordered a return to status quo pending the determination of the matter. On March 6, this year, a meeting by a group of members of the church called Ambassadors of the Kingdom presided over by the retired General Superintendent of the Church; Osueke had met and suspended Rev Emeka from office for alleged corruption and embezzlement. It went further to appoint Okoroafor the acting General Superintendent and advised branches of the church nationwide to severe dealings with Paul and disallow him from using their pulpits anywhere to preach the gospel. They further accused him of taking the church to court contrary to the stipulations of the church’s constitution. Perturbed by the development, Emeka had on March 8 rushed to the Enugu High Court, where he filed a suit challenging the action of the group and order for return of status quo ante.

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

RISIS is currently brewing at the Bridge-head market, Onitsha, Anambra State, following moves by the trustees, patrons and stakeholders of the market to stop the state commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Chief Ifeatu Onejeme from what they termed institutionalization of care-taker system of leadership in the market against democratically elected executive. They expressed dismay over the state government lukewarm disposition in conducting an election that would usher in a democratically elected market executive, as stipulated in the market constitution. The traders recalled that the incumbent Commerce commissioner, Onejeme and his predecessor during former Governor Peter Obi’s past regime, Robert Okonkwo kept inaugurating one caretaker committee after the other and even extending their tenures. Chairman of the trustees, Chief Robert Ozigbo and a stakeholder in the market, Bonaventure Ucheagwu lamented that since 2008 when Emeka Ilonze-led executive was elected, the two commissioners refused to allow the traders to conduct fresh election even when their four-year tenure terminated in 2012. The duo who flayed the position of the state government in the administration of the market, stated that the officials involved had ulterior motives. They also said that government officials are only interested in the multiple levies imposed on the traders and not on the welfare.

Police smash 3-man robbery gang in Enugu •2 nabbed for impersonation By Francis Igata

PERATIVES of the New-Haven division of the Enugu State Police command have nabbed a three-man gang of armed robbery suspects including a woman, who specialises in stealing of valuable items from targeted supermarkets within Enugu metropolis and its environs. The arrest of the suspects was sequel to a distress call received by the operatives, indicating that some hoodlums were operating at a shopping plaza located at Upper-Chime Avenue,New-Haven Enugu on December 9 at about 2.15 PM. The operatives swung into action were they promptly cordoned off the supermarket, and arrested two suspects who gave their names as Ejike Emeka and Joy Anatonwu, a lady, who had allegedly stolen some assorted Brazilian hair attachment, dresses,bags, make-ups,shoes,hand bags amongst other items.

Ndigbo ‘ll still vote for Jonathan despite lack of FG’s presence in S/East – APGA chieftain By Nwabueze Okonkwo

member of Board of Trustees, BoT of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka assured that Ndigbo would still vote for President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 presidential election, despite lack of federal presence in the Southeast geopolitical zone. He, however advised that in as much as Ndigbo has already made up their minds to vote massively for Jonathan, Jonathan should on his own part, be ready to reach an accord with Ndigbo to ensure a guarantee for Igbo votes. Ezeonwuka, lamented that for over 15 years the PDP has been in power, it failed to maintain Eastern roads built within only four years by the Shehu Shagari administration. “We will vote for Jonathan on the condition that he has to speed up the second Niger Bridge project, maintain Eastern roads, give us uninterrupted power supply and ensure federal presence in the Southeast region,” the APGA chieftain said. He noted that APGA, as an Igbo party has already endorsed Jonathan for the second tenure, inspite of all odds, adding that it is now left for Jonathan to reciprocate the gesture by swinging into action to fulfil his own part of the bargain when he commenced his second tenure administration.

10—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

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SATURDAY

Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014—11

SENSUAL NUDITY:

An emerging fashion now threatening woman's dignity

•Serena Williams

BY ONOCHIE ANIBEZE & CHARLES ADINGUPU

abriella Sabatini looked sexy on court. She was elegant and late Ayo Oshitelu once wrote that the Argentine tennis girl would easily win a beauty contest if she entered for any. Her figure was amazing and facial beauty incredible. Walking from the net to the baseline after making a point was thrilling. There was music in her steps. Ositelu, in one of his trips to Wimbledon wrote that her beauty attracted more fans to the arena than the game she played. Sabatini appeared sexy in her times but the reigning players now have made her show a child’s play. At the Olympic Games, World Championships and other international events the skimpy wears of athletes have become part of the game. They entertain the eyes. Ever wondered why people spend hundreds of dollars to buy tickets for events that would be aired on television? You can’t beat the stadium atmosphere. The television cameras do not pick all the fans enjoy in venues. The elegance of athletes entertains. The athletes appear to be aware of the C M Y K

•Jennifer Lopez

imagination they create in the minds of fans and they make efforts to outdo each other. We are talking about female athletes. They make sure that fans have value for their money. Nobody goes to the Olympic games and regrets it. You are thoroughly entertained by the actions on the courts and the apparels of the female athletes. It is not only in sports that women have taken upper

Continues on pages 12

•Gabriella Sabatini

12—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

Continues from pages 11

Nigeria female entertainers go nude too

hand in entertaining fans. Male musicians sometimes wear jackets which they fling to the fans or simply pull off while performing. Not so with women. They must entertain with some nudity. And the fans like it. Female artists the world over have opted to debase the sanctity of womanhood in their acts, a conservative person may argue. But the world is changing and sex sells. From the ancient days to now, the dignity of a woman lies in her body. But female entertainers in the music industry, drama, sport and modelling have carried their performances beyond the ordinary. To them, there’s dignity in the creating imagination in the minds of all. From America, Europe and down to Africa performing almost nude on stage and posting nude photographs online have become a phenomenon. Jennifer Lopez, a global figure and a mother of two stirred the honest nest in her stage performance at the recent America music award and a British female journalist,ANNABEL COLE writing in The Daily Mail captured her with these words: “She mounted the podium decked on a tight-hugging body suit, fish-net tight and lashing of lipsticks. Critics liken her display to that of an aspiring starlet who was in a hurry to make fame in the competitive music world. From one end of the stage to another, Lopez gyrates provocatively treating the audience to eye watering views of her naked body as she rendered the lyrics of her new song, titled, Booty. For the audience, it was as if the popular female musician was communicating the lyrics of her song with her anatomy. As she craws suggestively across the stage, displaying her famously curvy derrière and at a point, spanking Australian rapper, Iggy Azalea who is young enough to be her son. “This overtly sexy act by Jennifer Lopez has elicited divergent reactions even among her fans.’But watching this aggressively titillating performance from the comfort of his sofa, one of her adult male fans said; ‘’I was overwhelmed by the desire to hide my face behind the cushions. My 15year- old daughter, Elsa, watching alongside with me was even less charitable. Yuck! She •Cossy shrievelled. She’s way too old to be doing that.’’ Ironically, thrice divorced Jennifer Lopez is surely not the only artist who wants to show global audience how sexier they are as singers despite their age. Madonna, who’s 56 also seems to be trying in putting her young rivals on the edge. She frequently appears on stage in her sheer bra tops that leave almost nothing to the imagination of the audience. Her regular stage costumes of fishnet skirts and suspenders flashing her knickers at the audience did not suggest otherwise. “Still on the trail of nude female singers is 68 years old Cher whose latest dress to kill tour would have been dabbed Dress To Die Of •Tonto Dikeh Embarrassment. Cher recently performed in a sheer fringed body show her gusset, while her ample stocking with her modesty covered embodiment was barely held in by pink sequinned nipple tassels. check by her strapless, jewelled But unfortunately, it does not seem bustier in a concert in China”. as though any woman of her age would want to flaunt her body in Nigeria Female such debasing manner. Entertainers Go Nude Too “Just last month, 44 years old From the music scene to Mariah Carey was reported to have Nollywood, Nigerian female artists worn a mini skirt that appears to

•Maheeda

It seems we are gradually approaching an era where nudity and sex have become a big time business

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•Ini-Edo

•Tiwa Savage seem to embrace this trend. Today, performing almost nude has become another way of showing how sexy they are. This openness to emotional susceptibility has demonstrated that the female artists have the emotional capacities to achieve their pursuit of sensual pleasures. Available reports showed that celebs going naked is not exactly a

new phenomenon. Last year witnessed more of them shedding their sensitive parts in the name of promotion. At the moment, Nigerian female celebrities nude photos inspire instant fascination from fans. With the likes of Singer Maheeda, Dencia, actress and Afrocandy model, Ify Jones, Tiwa Savage, Continues on pages 13

SATURDAY

Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014—13

Continues from pages 12 Cossy Orjiakor, Tonto Dikeh, Ini Edo, the most beautifully girl in Nigeria [MBGN], Munachia Abii now rapper, Eku Edewor and others blazing the trial, the trend is on fire in Nigeria. Female celebs have a way of converting every advantage into an opportunity to display their attributes, be it on the red carpet or on instagram photo. This trend has assumed unprecedented dimension as these female artists crave to forge ahead in their career as actors or models. For a beginner, it starts with dressing half nude just like a test with one weary foot before committing the whole body. Nude Maheeda spills iced cream and milk over herself. But the singer has dismissed her critics, saying ,‘’it’s deliberate. I know what I’m doing. The pictures are not targeted at anything. It’s all about attention and there’s no mistake about it. This business of music is called show business and I’m convinced I’m on the right track. I owe no apologies. I just realised this way will be faster hit than any other way. The pictures are working for me”.

In Churches Too

Not even religious temples are spared by women who opt to dress in the name of sex appeal. Today, women also dress up in sexy styles in churches. And they are

•A Volleyball player C M Y K

In sports, Nudity is part of the game causing sensation. . The Archbishop Emeritus of the metropolitan See of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Olubumi Okojie attested this much in a recent gathering. “Most girls nowadays go around almost naked all in the name of fashion with the so called ‘’Spaghetti” or micro mini” kind of dresses. It is more disheartening when one finds mothers with the sacred parts of their bodies exposed, all in the name of fashion’’. This trend which seems peculiar to new generation churches has become a sight too in orthodox churches known for their conservative disposition. As bizarre as it may sound, married women have joined the foray. On worship days, residents in the neighbourhood of Oregun in Lagos are treated to free eye watering view of sexy dressed female worshippers who throng the churches domiciled in the vicinity. One of the residents who gave his name as Ifeanyi Olise said, Sundays in Oregun is interesting. “We feed our eyes with all manner girls who dress sexy and women alike as though they are in beauty contest trying to outdo one another in the house of God. But the most painful of this experience remains the married women, who too, want to show off how trendy they could be in their tighthugging skirts or blouses”. But in a swift reaction, a female worshipper in one of the churches who would not Continues on pages 14

•Sharapova

•yelena isinbayeva

14—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

bring forth. Besides the cheering of the spectators, the photo journalists go wild with their cameras clicking from every impossible angles in order to capture the ‘potent’ part of a female athlete. It’s part of the game. Hence, papparazis and photo-journalists would always take front-row seat awaiting any wardrobe malfunction or a slide that will show the full weight of what lies down under. Check out the likes of Serena Williams. And the fans seem to be conscious of the fact that nudity sells in sports. A recall of how tickets to the female Beach volleyball matches at the London 2012 Olympics were sold at record prices in the first hour of being made public in the weeks before the global sporting extravaganza attests this. Surprisingly, most of those who bought front-row seats to watch these sexy beach volleyball ladies were mainly white-collar job guys. In Nigeria, the queen of the track, Mary Oyenli Omagbemi, Olympic long jump medallist, Chioma Ajuwa, a host of other athletes of that time and now Blessing Okagbare had, in their various athletic exploits, given fans a lot to cheer. It’s all part of the game.

•Rihanna

Lead us not into temptation Continues on pages 13 want her name in print told Saturday Vanguard that women must not risk losing their husbands to teenagers because they want to dress conservatively.

Lead us not into temptation

Pastors have had to restrain themselves from the tempting display of sexy wears by some of these women in churches. They are human and sometimes they fall to these temptations.

Nollywood Too

Apart from the romantic scenes which dot most Nollywood films, their sexy costumes have become another source of attraction. This trend is peculiar to renowned Actress as Tonto Dikeh, Mercy Johnson, Ini Edo and host of others. But the trend is global and they are just trying to keep pace with the changing world of entertainment.

Why Going Nude?

For female entertainers all over the world, going almost C M Y K

naked shows how sexy they are. It helps promote their works and also elicits imagination from the fans. But for the old generation artists, as Jennifer Lopez and her contemporaries, they want to remain relevant in the industry that is fast becoming wild. Most upcoming female artists who indulge in the act want to hit limelight in a jiffy which in turn could earn them mileage in terms of promotion. Interestingly, a recent psychological study showed that men who regularly lust to view exposed breasts of women could live longer. According to the report, viewing the breasts arouses excitement that releases some hormones in men that make them live longer. Though much as this fact cannot be empirically verified, the much touted claim that laughter also promotes good health could attest to this claim.

game. Female athletes dazzle fans with their skimpy wears. Apart from their sheer brilliance in the game, spectators fall over heels in sheer admiration of what they see. From the tracks to the tennis courts, and from the beach volleyball to the gymnasium and to the

swimming pool, the entertainment in today’s sports is also in fashion. The female athletes who, apart from their dexterity in the game, thrill the spectators with their skimpy sport wears and tight-hugging apparels attract admiration. This disposition of the female athletes adds colour to the entertainment they

•Jennifer Lopez

In sports, Nudity is the game

In the exciting world of sports, nudity is part of the

•Amber Rose

•Nicki Minaj

•Lady Gaga

SATURDAY Vanguard , DECEMBER 13, 2014—15

arlier in the week, the United States of America made another mark in their record of what some people have described, and accepted, as the trait of their “exceptionality”—that, is their attribute of being exceptional, or of being like no other, in their ways. One of the first executive actions of the Obama administration was to put an end to the routine torture of those captured by the Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, in connection with the horrible aggression of “9/11”. It is only natural that any American would tend to over react at the horror of that day when the triple-headed attack, replete with all the elements of surprise, was standards; corruption and visited on civilians far dishonesty; tyranny. away from the theatre of Wole Soyinka was in the war. The operations of the midst of the mix when CIA under the Bush Nigeria began to totter administration in that towards what could be seen regard, however, exceeded as the certain deterioration what was acceptable of values and, being alive, within the standards set by he spoke out. For his pains, America for the decent he was put into solitary nation she aspires to be; confinement for several and so President Barack months. And while manifest Obama ordered that the injustice reigned and activities of the CIA be disintegration reared its “re-calibrated” (to use one head, Wole Soyinka was of the President’s own released into an expressions). environment of tyranny But the CIA, which attempted to thrive distinguished for hardly under the insincerity of the recognizing any other slogan: “To Keep Nigeria direction but its own, stuck One Is A Task That Must Be to its path. As it was later Done.” Unrepentant, revealed by an enquiry, Soyinka had a ready riposte the security body had even even on his way from hidden most of its prison: “To keep Nigeria activities from the Bush one, justice must be must be government, the done”. immediate preceding government, which had hat was some 45 years unwittingly endorsed its ago. Some of his horrible tortures that, would-be critics who were howbeit, even largely fell only knee-high to a short of profitable ends. grasshopper then, only give The report ran over six a sad imitation of the child thousand pages of who would teach his countless atrocities which grandmother how to suck portrayed the dispensation eggs. They would now of American justice and discern as anarchy what he respect for human dignity has been doing all along in in a repulsive light. It the face of injustice. He has presents a negation of never been one to condone much of what America has it, and that is why, not always upheld as its minding bootlickers, I, in national philosophy, a the company of highly document of travesty in respectable organizations relation with not only what and personalities within the nation has stood for, this country and the outside but of how she strives to world, have always seen make the rest of the world him as a divine gift to also believe; in short, a Nigeria. Prestigious as record of selfwinning the Nobel Prize for

tyranny anny.”… .”…Wole Soyinka * "The man dies in all who kkeeps eeps silent in the face of tyr anny .”… people and the progeny that issues from us are what remain. That brings in the regime of General Sani Abacha during which our treasuries were pillaged by this man, and our rights were assailed with a will. Even if we would admit that our Chief Executive rulers at state and national levels had indeed felt free always to rob us whether we chose them or they forced themselves on us, the level of Abacha’s depravity was simply fabulous. But he did not stop there. He was brutal. He did away with the liberty and lives of his countrymen.

Wole Soyinka was in the midst of the mix when Nigeria began to totter towards what could be seen as the certain deterioration of values and, being alive, he spoke out

recrimination. It therefore recommends itself at once for the innermost shelf of classified materials, never to see the light of day.But here comes the amazing part of it all. “Publish it,” orders Obama. Just like that. That must indeed be amazing to those who hold themselves, or situations in which they are involved, higher than anointed standards—and that approximates an immense proportion of the world. Among them are those in whom the man dies at the sight of what is patently wrong—betrayal of

Literature is, his stand for what is right and noble was mentioned even at the presentation of the award in Oslo. A high point of the rounds of applause which the citation drew was where he was described as “a writer and a fighter”. That hall, packed full of the cream of the very genteel, reacted like a winning soccer crowd. The Nigerians among them led by the late Chief M.K.Abiola were, of course, the loudest at that point. Kogi has always had quite a number of “cohorts”, most of whom have recently

•President Obama joined him in expressing their disapproval of what the police did by locking the members of the House of Representatives out of their chambers. It was an action that will always deserve to be condemned. It is not in keeping with the standards that we have always espoused as Nigerians. And it is a well—conceived notion that the legislators who scaled the fence to claim their right should be lauded for their statesmanship. They were the ones called upon to confront anarchy in its true form — that is, disorder— and they responded like men in whom the man has not died..We ought to keep talking about the ugliness of that incident until we are sure its type will no longer be repeated. Condemning it over and over again may indeed contribute to its removal from our nation. That, in fact, was one of the reasons which President Obama cited for publishing the report mentioned earlier. When we address our shortcomings as we should to their face, they are sure to be eradicated. Some have attempted to exclude any direct connection of President Goodluck Jonathan with

what befell the legislators, since they were, as a matter of fact, going to convene the aborted meeting at the President’s own bidding. How could he first invite them and later frustrate them from honouring his invitation? Of course, he could— to prove a point. And the point that needed be proved would be the rejection of Muhammadu Tambuwal as the Speaker of the House, stemming from his resignation from the Peoples’ Democratic Party — the President’s party.

s an ardent party man, and against the background of his earlier setto with governors of the opposition party, it is absolutely admissible as a suggestion verging on an assumption, that the President would be displeased at the loss his party would thereby sustain in several ways. But even then, would the IGP act so boldly on his own? Would he feel comfortable to assume the powers that rightly belong to a court of law, as to whether the resignation of the Speaker from his former political party automatically removed him from office? That is most unlikely.Presidents come and go, but some of their achievements in various directions linger. We, the

everal nationalists fled in fear of losing their lives. It is sad, very sad, that there are people today who, to promote support for their hero, or patron, could denigrate that desperate act for survival as mere escapes through the bush, or forest, like fugitives from the pursuit of society’s vengeance. On the contrary, flight from the flaming hand of tyranny demands the sacrifice and courage that compound the sinews of true heroism. People who could make their minds function that way truly deserve our sympathy. In the United States, men and women of good will are spontaneous in their support of what is decent and in keeping with the standards that not only prosper the fortunes of a nation, but also ennoble a people. However, the wheeler-dealers and men who disdain scruples deny the obvious truth, and complain about the “timing”of the release the of the report on the CIA misdeeds. Here in Nigeria, we too have seen that decency and the love of what is right and proper have become ingrained in our character, though there are also still nooks from where issues out a stench of unwholesome comment. Those who come face-toface with tyranny and injustice and cannot endure the flare of a burning conscience, and so speak with a tongue on fire, must all the same bear the anger and snigger of those in whom the man has indeed died. Time out.

16 — SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

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SATURDAY Vanguard Vanguard,, DECEMBER 13, 2014—17

his season, called the Ember months, always fills me with some trepidation and I usually heave a sigh of relief when it rolls to a crescendo on January 1. About this time next week, it would be a year since a dear friend Sesan Ogunro lost his life to armed car snatchers. Till today, to the best of my knowledge, none of his assailants has been apprehended. Meanwhile, his children have had to continue life without a father who left too suddenly for a proper good bye. His wife Dupe has trudged on bravely to try and complete the projects they started together, keep his Advertising Agency going and in the past year —in shared generally perform the music, in jokes, sometimes told role of two people. It by strangers, in shared gifts and could not have been easy values, in situations where I felt especially when many of he would have passed a the promises from comment. There is no time I friends and clients have meet Kehinde Phillips his turned out to be nothing friend and next door neighbour but hot air; but she is a that his name does not come up. strong woman, a Sometimes we use phrases we survivor. Because she is know he would have used or who she is, I have no jokes he would have cracked doubt that she would especially when the three of us cope with the big picture. were together. Even when I But what about the little pass by his office, there is this things? Things as simple as reporting a child’s action to their father; or a friend’s action to your husband; or sharing a joke at church or at compulsion to stop. I did that a work. couple of times and I left the hat about the office sadder than when I touch, the entered. My presence certainly intimacy, the very breath didn’t do the staff any good. It of a companion of many just brought back memories of years. There is also the what life was. So if I have felt his death so issue of what you do with his things, and the keenly, I wonder how Dupe and things you once shared his children would have felt together? More especially when faced with importantly, what do you those little things we always do with the memories of take for granted in relationships the good and bad times? and life but which they will now Sesan Ogunro has miss. Yet our personalities are popped up in my sub- defined by those little things. conscious more times From personal things like the than I care to remember kind of food we like and how we like it made; what side of the

The power of little things bed we like to sleep on, how we like our watches whether with leather or chain, our music, whether rock, ballad or mushy love songs, the favourite colours in clothes and home décor to external things like the kind of parties we like to attend and the kind of friends we like to relate with. The more of these things you know, the more you can be in tune with the person you claim to be your friend/ lover/ partner/ spouse. I have had to think in the last couple of days about these little

If President Jonathan was to leave office tomorrow he would be remembered for some little things

things and how sub-consciously, we use them to form an opinion about a person’s character. In my interviewing days, the clustered desk of my subject told me certain things; an appointment arranged by a secretary and adhered to nonetheless told me another thing. So did a duly made appointment that was forgotten or disregarded. I picked clues from the mannerisms, the approach to the interview, mode of dressing etc. and I am sure many would have formed opinions about me from unconscious clues too like being late, being neat or being prepared etc.

od does not want His people to be ashamed. In the name of Jesus, you shall not be ashamed. To be ashamed means to be disgraced, defeated, humiliated, frustrated and embarrassed. It also means to be ridiculed, to come short of glory and honor. It also means to be stigmatized to be an outcast. Jepthah in Judges 11, was driven away by his family all because his mother was an harlot. His brothers made up their mind that he will not partake in their father ’s blessings. They drove him out in shame but at the end he was ashamed. The same people who drove him away soon came to look for him to be their leader. I declare over your life that that situation that is staring at you to bring shame into your life will not prevail. God that turned the tide in Jepthah’s favour will do likewise for you and you will not be ashamed. When shame is on you there is no honor and favour. You meet with closed doors. There is fear, insecurity, emptiness, barrenness, poverty and sadness. The enemy devastates, steals, kills and destroys. But God has spoken in Joel 2:27, “… and my people shall never be ashamed”. Claim it for yourself. Declare it against the enemy. God’s word cannot return back to Him void. Just make sure that you are right with God. Whatever you have lost will be restored back to you.

People we are meeting for the first time send messages that are often unintended but which can help in forming a lasting impression. Is he quiet and welcoming, or does he behave as if he has all the answers? Does he disappear into a corner or does he dominate the whole room? Is he the life of the party or a shy individual who has difficulties in getting the words out of his mouth? I can go and on; but make no mistake, these things define us. A certain queen in Western Europe is remembered for asking her people to eat cake when they rioted because of bread. It was a statement that led to a revolution. A certain First Lady in Eastern Europe is remembered for her collection of shoes. It was a reason to topple her husband. A certain King in Africa is noted for his fondness for virgins just as a certain Leader in Western Europe went to the dock for sleazy, extramarital affairs. None of them is remembered for the roads they must tarred or the hospitals they must have built or their domestic achievements but for these little things that exposed their frailties and their indulgencies.

What are the little things that reveal the character of our President and the transformation of same? At the beginning, the signal was that of a loyal deputy—first as deputy governor and later as Vice President. Then as an under-dog whose rights were being denied. His campaign message of a shoeless one got empathy and connected with many across the country. He won the election with a lot of goodwill and when he retracted one or two decisions, he was seen as a humble leader who was willing to accept his mistakes. His decision to appoint committees on virtually all contentious issues portrayed him as a consensus builder who was willing to bow to collective wisdom. It was when he did nothing about the reports that he began to be seen as a man who is unwilling or unable to address the nitty gritty of governance. If President Jonathan was to leave office tomorrow he would be remembered for some little things; his decision not to visit the Chibok girls for example; his decisions or indecisions on; petroleum subsidy scam, the allegedly missing billions in NNPC, the flamboyant, extravagant and uneconomic lifestyle of his oil Minister, the militarisation of Ekiti and Osun States’ elections, the undue influence and power of the First Lady, the governors’ forum election where 16 became superior to 19, the culture of impunity where State organs are used overtly to fight partisan personal and party wars etc. May the soul of my friend whom I pray will be remembered for pleasant little things, continue to rest in the Lord.

business took a different dimension. What was meant to cause him shame was reversed to yield increase. I decree supernatural increase upon the works of your hands. Your business shall not the barren. There shall be overflow beyond your wildest dreams in Jesus name, Amen. Fear not, for thou shall not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more (Isa. 54:4). Know that God’s word is forever

afflict you and remove all your burdens. He will give you a name and praise in every place you have seen shame. He will give you a name and praise among all people. I decree over your life, your family, our great nation Nigeria and President Goodluck Jonathan, no more shame forever. Have you given your life to Jesus? If not, please pray this prayer. Father, I come to you as I am. I invite Jesus into my life to be my personal Lord and Saviour. Wash me cleanse with the blood of Jesus and empower me with the power of your Holy Spirit. Thank you Father for saving my soul and making me your child.

You shall not be ashamed

C M Y K

Your in laws may have taken or seized what your husband left as a result of his death. Don’t worry about it. Someone may have duped you and now your finances are in a mess. Rejoice. Whatever the enemy want to use to bring shame to you, God will use to bring favour and honor to you in Jesus name, Amen. Isaiah 50 : 7, says “For the Lord God will help me … and I know that i shall not be ashamed”. In that hopeless and awkward situation God will give you victory and you will not be ashamed. Remember the story of the

woman caught in adultery. Her case was really shameful. The people wanted to stone her to death according to the law. But an encounter with the Lord Jesus changed it completely. All her accusers disappeared and honour was restored back to her. I decree over you that all your accusers will be put to shame. You will be honoured and celebrated again. When God help a man there is no room for shame. In Luke 5, Peter went out to his business and returned empty. He met with Jesus who instructed him on what to do. He obeyed and experienced what he has never encountered in his life. His

settled. God has promised that for every shame you will receive double honour ( Isa. 61:7). I say to you that the Lord will judge all that

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

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

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18—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

DELTA 2015: How power -drunk politicians misinformed Uduaghan BY Emma Amaize,

Sudden reversal UP till the last 48 hours to the December 8 governorship primary of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, won by Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, in Delta State the heart of the governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, was for a successor from the Delta North senatorial district (Anioma) in line with an unrecorded power shift covenant, about eight years ago, by the power brokers of the party. Uduaghan not only indicated so by his body language, he mimed it severally at some strategic meetings, but those, who knew that his heart was for Delta North were thunderstruck at what happened 24 hours to the primary when information came that he had switched his machinery to Delta Central senatorial district (Urhobo). Some influential Delta North opinion leaders, who were contacted by the governor, over two years ago, to help put their house in order to ensure that the governorship did not elude Anioma because of the refusal of its governorship aspirants to speak in one voice, knew that whatever happened to make him change his step was inexplicable, but what they could not immediately comprehend was why. Investigations by Vanguard showed that up till July, this year, Uduaghan was not against Okowa’s aspiration, particularly as both were good friends and had come a long way in politics under the Ibori political family. Also, Okowa was the one anointed by the party’s brokers. He and Okowa served in Ibori’s cabinet as Commissioners before he (Uduaghan) was appointed Secretary to the State Government, SSG. When Uduaghan became governor in 2007, he appointed Okowa. SSG. Okowa later resigned to C M Y K

Regional Editor, South-South

contest for the Senate and won. Both families have been close since then.

What irked the governor was that the same Delta North people he was fighting for to produce governor were the ones castigating and writing petitions against him when they knew that he was on their side and had told the aspirants so on several occasions

Powerful clique Unknown to him, members of a powerful group within his government were not comfortable with Okowa as his successor. They felt that if Okowa became the governor, he would be antagonistic to him and all his associates. A vigorous campaign was mounted to make the governor support somebody else. They crusaded about somebody that is already in government, who clearly understood and would continue with his Beyond Oil Agenda. And above all, a person they would approach when he (Uduaghan) would no longer be in power, and he would not say no to their demand. Governor Uduaghan did not quickly understand the selfish interests of the power-drunk group whose members were after positioning themselves in the next government. Actually, some of them felt that Okowa as governor would not give them the same latitude Uduaghan gave them. To be sure that the governor, who trusted them as members of his kitchen cabinet, did not change his mind on the project, they made it a top secret and prevented well-meaning leaders, who would have been able to talk Uduaghan out of the project from knowing the game plan. Enter Obuh Our dependable source, who is a member of the cabinet, said, “That was how the idea of Mr. Anthony Obuh came. If you observed, Mr. Obuh had about two months or so to retire from the Civil Service, he had no plan to be governor, he is a very humble person, who wanted to go into farming on retirement, but because of his excellent service, they convinced the governor that he was a good candidate to succeed him.” The Obuh scheme was a secret, but it soon leaked and those, who goaded him

Governor Uduaghan

into it made it look as if it was the governor’s idea and they had to key in. Of course, other governorship aspirants from Delta North, who had been in the race before the new game plan vehemently, opposed the idea.

Unmoved on Anioma agenda However, Uduaghan still maintained his stand on an Anioma successor. His position discomforted the Delta Central, which wanted power back to the district in 2015 by all means. The Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, apex sociocultural group of the Urhobo ethnic Olaiyato vote against the PDP, nationality threatened both at the state and national level if the party went ahead with an Anioma gubernatorial standard-bearer, Uduaghan refused to budge.

Avalanche of petitions All the Delta North aspirants knew that his heart was for their district, but their disagreement with him was on his choice of Obuh. A number of them ganged-up with some Urhobo aspirants to fight him. It was gathered several petitions were written by Delta Northerners against Uduaghan to the Presidency and some of them went to the former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark, to lodge series of complaints. Clark stated openly that he received reports that Uduaghan was supporting Obuh and invited him for discussion on the matter. He said he was satisfied after the governor assured him that he was not imposing anybody, and he advised him to provide a level-playing field for all the aspirants to go to primary.

What unsettled Uduaghan Our dependable source said: “What irked the governor was that the same Delta North people he was fighting for to produce governor were the ones castigating and writing petitions against him when they knew that he was on their side and had told the

Continues on page 19

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Continues from page 18 aspirants so on several occasions.” His words, “Some of the royal fathers did not also help matters as they had interest in some aspirants and were querying the support for Obuh as if Obuh was not from Delta North like others.” “But, what finally broke the camel’s back was when the suggestion that the governor should not have a say in who becomes his successor. It sounded like a humiliation to him. And to add salt to injury, he was invited to Abuja and told to forgo his senatorial ambition because of the intrigues arising from his position on his successor. You know what it means for a governor to be told to drop his senatorial ambition and also be told that he had no power to determine his successor, they didn’t do that to any other governor and that’s why people like Rotimi Amaechi left PDP,” he added.

Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014—19

How power-drunk politicians misinformed Uduaghan

What saved the day?

Nwaoboshi told Saturday Vanguard that the night preceding the D-Day, all Delta North PDP leaders met in his house at Asaba, where they voted Okowa as the consensus candidate of Anioma and forged an alliance with Delta South as earlier per-mutated by him and other political analysts. Okowa’s acceptability and full activation of the Ibori political structure against UPU’s candidate, Olorogun David Edevbie, who polled 299 votes against Okowa with 406 votes completed the magic.

Pushed to the wall

“They pushed him to the wall and he was not happy. Frankly, the man was frustrated, he felt betrayed by the same Delta North people he was fighting for and you could sense the anger. Having lost his senatorial ambition and faced with the palpable reality of not being allowed to have a say on his successor, he budged to the UPU pressure, something he ingenuously resisted over the last few months,” Saturday Vanguard gathered. Saturday Vanguard learned that Uduaghan acted out of anger because he believed it was the petitions and blackmail by Delta North that made him lose his senatorial ticket.

Nwaboshi, others flabbergasted

Former state chairman of the party, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, who is the party’s Delta North senatorial ticket was convinced beyond doubt that Uduaghan was working for an Anioma successor and was fine-tuning plans with him from time to time, was in the dark on the last minute maneuver. The cabal knew that Nwaoboshi would have singularly deflated the plan, so he was never contacted on it. Nwaboshi, who spoke to Delta North governorship aspirants when he heard that some people wrote petitions against Uduaghan and visited the governor to re-assure that the matter was being handled, was dumbfounded by the

wished them luck. He told Saturday Vanguard before casting his vote that his heart was for Delta North, but the people he was supporting were the ones fighting him. It was noticeable that he was disturbed, but he tried to keep his cool. Speaking with newsmen soon after he voted, he clarified, “My position is that the best candidate should win and whoever wins, others should support him as the party’s flag bearer. You can see that the whole thing is free and fair.”

Ifeanyi Okowa

Anthony Obuh

Okowa, Uduaghan still pals

Victor Ochei

decision. He told SaturdayVanguard that the governor gave him his word that his heart was for a Delta North governorship standard-bearer and he showed in his actions, but the change “caught me unawares” Delta North members in Uduaghan cabinet were also sidelined by the powerdrunk clique, who swayed the governor to take ill-fated decision. A source said the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chike Ogeah, who is a confidant of the governor, was surprisingly shut out by the group.

Godsday Orubebe

Okowa drove to Governor’s Lodge after he was declared winner of the primary to brief Uduaghan and both strategized for nearly one hour on the next phase of battle

Festus Okubor

Too late

According to a source, “The governor might have realized the implication of his action too late, but because the primary was only 24 hours away, he could not act otherwise. But what he decided was not to manipulate the procedure for anybody.” Saturday Vanguard observed that when he came to the venue of the primary on December 8, Uduaghan sat with delegates from his local government, Warri North, and it was much later into the proceedings that he went to the VIP stand to greet the aspirants and

He left the venue thereafter, but soon as Okowa was declared winner, he sent a message of congratulations to him. Saturday Vanguard was informed that contrary to the rumored unfriendly relationship between Uduaghan and Okowa, the duo remain good pals. It was learned that Okowa drove to Governor’s Lodge after he was declared winner of the primary to brief Uduaghan and both strategized for nearly one hour on the next phase of battle. A source said Okowa understood the dynamics of the game as a politician and is prepared to work with everybody, including those who opposed him to ensure that party wins the 2015 governorship election, which is the most important thing. For Okowa, this is not the time for bickering; it is a time for all hands to be on deck. Former Speaker, Mr. Victor Ochei, who came third with 185 votes, congratulated him on the spot and both of them were already working together. Other aspirants, including the former Minister of Niger-Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe and Dr. Festus Okubor have also congratulated Okowa and prepared to join hands with him for the ultimate battle in 2015. C M Y K

20—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

Why Amosun has failed in Ogun —Gbenga Daniel

Speaks on OBJ and PDP •

•Gbenga Daniel

BYBASHIRADEFAKA

ormer Ogun State governor, Otunba Justus Olugbenga Daniel on Thursday November 27, 2014 received Vanguard Newspapers’ General Editor, Mr.Adekunle Adekoya and Bashir Adefaka for an exclusive interview during which he spoke on the state of Ogun State politics and other issues.. Excerpts: I think the best way to start this interview is for you to make an open statement on the state of politics in Ogun State. What is your take? I don’t know where to start from because, as you can decipher, a lot of has happened. First, as a country, we have made tremendous progress. We could say it is definitely not yet uhuru because we still have several areas of challenge that you and I are conversant with. .The issues of security and power. Those are the two knotty issues that we are facing nationwide. But in our own state, Ogun, it has been three and a half years now getting close to four years since we had the change in the administration. I will think that it is a mystery, and depends on what angle you are looking at it. They have made additional progress in so many areas but there is no doubt that we have also retrogressed unnecessarily in so many other areas. So, whether the retrogression is more than the progression or vice versa is now the perception of whom you are talking with. I am sure if you are talking to the people in government, they will definitely tell you that they have done quite a lot; they are building bridges across the state and that they are expanding roads, which are clear evidence.

But if you ask some other people, they surely have a completely different view. I think from the amalgamation in 1914, it is now one hundred years, governments have been coming in and going out. But clearly in these hundred years, the number of roads that have been tarred have fallen into insignificance . So, if you want to look at it from my own perspective, I will say the government in Abeokuta, to a large extent, has failed. How do you mean, Your Excellency? Okay, I can begin to look at it from the things that are important to the people. Because of our own culture, education is key to our people. Employment is key to our people. Once people now get educated where many families spend fortunes, borrow money to send their wards to school to get qualified, they come out, they cannot get any job and government policy is not directed towards job creation, then that government has failed. I think they are talking about the case of major towns in the state, let us even forget about the rural places that have not been touched, even the so called places that have been touched, that have had their own distribution of bridges; because it does appear now that this administration is assessing itself by the number of bridges that have been constructed; so even in those places that have had bridges, the agitation is even more. Because people would say that, “Yes, we have seen these bridges under construction but they have not added any value to our lives. In the course of constructing these bridges we have lost our shops, our means of

livelihood and the worse is that we have lost our homes so much that even our dead have not been spared; our dead have been exhumed.” If you know the meaning of that in the Yoruba mythology, they will tell you it is a curse. And yet, the people who are building these roads and bridges are not our own people. These are foreigners. This is capital flight. So these have no added value. But more than anything else, in each of those communities they will tell you that, “Oh, if the government knew they had so much money, they should have asked us what our needs were and we would say okay, even if you want to do a bridge here, don’t do dual carriage bridge where there is no traffic.” This is the first time I am seeing dual carriage bridges where there is no traffic. If you have so much money, government has the right to say this is my priority. Okay if building of bridges happens to be your priority then, why don’t you say, okay, I mean the parts of Shagamu and Ijebu Ode that I go, if you go down to Aramawa in IjebuOde, if there is need for a bridge and of course there is no need for a bridge there, then why is it not a single carriage bridge so that the other billions that are being wasted can be used to tar some of the other roads

Oh, if the government knew they had so much money, they should have asked us what our needs were and we would say okay, even if you want to do a bridge here, don’t do dual carriage bridge where there is no traffic

inside town. The one in Shagamu is a dual carriage bridge where there is no traffic. I keep comparing some of those bridges that he has built in Ogun State with the nearest one here in Lagos, the bridge that we take to the airport, which over-fly Bank Anthony to the airport. That is a single carriage bridge. That is the road to the airport and yet, without mincing words, that Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, is probably one of the three busiest roads in Lagos. If I want to count the busiest roads in Lagos, I would say okay, Ikorodu Road; then I would say okay, that Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Way and I would say even Allen Avenue and then I would go to Broad Street. That Bank Anthony Way bridge that links the airport, the nation’s airport, which is the busiest, is a single carriage bridge done 38 years ago! And even now I don’t see them needing a second bridge there probably for another 50 years. So, why do you now go and do bridges that are not required? That is a misplacement of priority. Earlier you emphasized education. What informed your education policy that upped the number of higher institutions at the time you were in government? Everybody is aware that in Ogun State there are eleven tertiary institutions making it the state with the highest number of higher institutions in the country. We did that because education is the bane of our people in the Southwest in

Continues on pg 49

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Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014—21

How Bokiestar fought off mum and dad for music never wanted any of their choices for me.

Ekperigha Binta Bokizibe, known as Bokiestar in the music industry, didn’t just follow her heart to satisfy her passion for music, she also studied the art to be complete as a musician. But, So far, the journey has been an uphill experience for her, where joy comes with pain, where every smile comes with a sigh but as they say “whatever doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger’. Hear her story: By ANOZIE EGOLE

hat are you working on for now? I am working on so many things; I am trying to bring out another track. It is not going to take long, I will soon be dropping the single and I am hoping it is going to be a hit. How soon are we expecting an album from you? As we know, dropping an album is not easy, I still want to make more noise and bring out more singles before I talk about an album. I want people to know more about me before I talk of producing an album. How many singles do you intend to drop before you release an album? No particular number for now. Right now, I am doing everything by myself so, it is not really easy. I don’t have a sponsor or any support. So, it is not that easy for a girl like me doing everything by myself. Let’s see how it goes, if I get sponsors from now, I can think of releasing an album. What is the idea behind the title of your first single, Promise and fail? I would say that it has a lot to do with my personal life. It is just about me, I put it together because I felt every person has his/her own story to tell. People always promise and fail, especially guys. For me, it is my past relationship, so, it is all about guys that promised and failed. What inspires your kind of music? I would say that I am a person that has music inside and right now, I still have more songs that I have written but yet to release. My songs are all about love and emotions. Would you say that you are the emotional type? I don’t know, I can’t answer

that one. It is not only about me and guys; it is about love in general. Even a mother’s love for a child can go unrequited. When a mother loves a child and she does not get back the love in return from the child, how do you think she will feel? The citizens need love from the government and when they did not get it from them, how do you think they will feel. These are some of the things that inspire my music. So it is not only about me. What is your journey into the music industry like? I started music in PortHarcourt before I came down to Lagos five years ago. But, it was not that serious for me then. I did not know how to start, so, when I came to Lagos, I stayed in Lagos for like a year. While in Lagos, I got myself enrolled into Tenstrings Music School for a year. After that, I went back into music again. But before then I felt I needed to go and study more about music. That was how I went to school to do one year diploma in music. If music was what you had in mind while growing up, why did you not study that in the university? Because some parents would not want us to do what we wanted to do then. It is only when you grow up that you have the freedom to do what you feel you want to do. Then, my father wanted me to be a teacher but I told him that I would not teach. All my whole life, I never liked teaching and my mother wanted me to be a nurse too. It is rather sad I

Tell us about your educational background I am a graduate of the University of Port-Harcourt. I did Theater Arts and I majored in acting. Is there any plan of going into Nollywood? Yes, I am even doing some movies in Nollywood now. I featured in Lekki Girls, Girls in the Mood among others and in each of the movies I did, I played a major role. My pictures are even in the posters. Between movie and music, which would you prefer? I would prefer music. I find more fun doing music than movie. What does love mean to you? Love means a lot to me. It means fair play, understanding and trust and also communication. What can get you irritated in an opposite sex? If you love the person, there is nothing that can irritate you in an opposite sex. Whatever he/she does, you will overlook it. Even if you caught the person having sex right with another person, you would forgive. Who is you role model in the Nigerian music industry and why Omawumi is my role model. I like her vocals, she has a wonderful voice and her songs are good as well. Among the male folks, I like Darey’s songs. You need to listen to his songs. When Darey sings, you know he is singing. He delivers lots of messages with good lyrics unlike other musicians we have in the industry today. What is your take on celebrity marriages and divorces? I don’t really know but I think it is about understanding. People do not understand themselves before they rush into marriage. And when they finally get into marriage, everybody wants to be the captain; the woman will like to take control of the family without considering the man. Tell us about your background? I am from Bayelsa State and I grew up in Yenagoa.

Love means a lot to me. It means fair play, under standing and trust and also communication

22 — SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

With FLORENCE AMAGIYA 08061644307 email: daise4000@yahoo.com

Gbenga Adeyinka

Versatile MC on the path of Greatness FR, ent by the title C ns w ho w a, nk yi de ia edian, Gbenga A ) has made Niger ith o doubt, Ace com N (Grand Comedian of Nigeria w r la pu po Gbenga is very and now GCO in the Diaspora. he may not be the most d an e m ho at Although proud both tar Game Show’. stands him out and that is his ‘S bo bo e in sh ent e his shin igeria, one thing Adeyinka is known to use differ who N in n ia ed m co median comedy. amazing of delivering his e and he is arguably the only co peer major m m spectacular way co ho g his comedy He is known to comedy was languages to brin to the 36 states of the country. y ch into stand-up has taken comed ows in dramatic ways. His laun ll time job in an engineering sh r left it for a fu nga left ceremonies and days, but he late as re-written when young Gbe lieving ty si er iv un s hi during ally be story w hool. But his hi tertaining people without actu d. He has en company after sc ge of an ce his dream s story has ch employment to fa ything out of it. Today, Gbenga’ ith world class reputation an y business w he would make de in the comed ca de a an th e or age. spent m 20 years in marri e bl ta et rg fo un and an Read on…

Gbenga Adeyinka

HE Ogun state born superstar, Gbenga Adeyinka, who hails precisely from Abeokuta, got employment in his uncle’s engineering firm after his graduation from University of Lagos, but he left the job without much ado because of his love for the stage and comedy. For him, comedy was ultimate as it comes naturally to him and fun, so even when given a good paying job, he opted for the stage. But young Gbenga didn’t know how far he would go until he met the likes of Akin Akindele and Tee A. Along the

C M Y K

•Gbenga Adeyinka & Wife line, he knew that he could do better by becoming an MC instead of a stand- up comedian and when he took that decision, he found out that he made the right choice because he was launched into limelight. Of course it wasn’t always easy because he was virtually doing shows for free or close to nothing, this he continued doing until after he had paid his dues, then the glory, the fame, and the money and recommendation came in. Gbenga started anchoring Television programmes

on AIT, Galaxy TV, MBI and African Magic on DSTV and on other television shows. His greatest selling point is his ability to speak the language of a particular tribe if he has to talk about that tribe. This made people from all parts of the country to identify with the brand, Gbenga Adeyinka. Gbenga is so down-to-earth that he could sit on the floor to play with children without any air. Perhaps this is the

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014 — 23

•One of Gbenga's cars

•Gbenga with Richard Mofe-Damijo

reason behind the contract he had with Nigerian Breweries. He was chosen as their corporate affairs director after he had anchored a major TV show for them known as “Star the game show”. Gbenga Adeyinka would dress like someone from Niger Delta and speak the three major Nigerian languages and other international languages to buttress his comedy.

Industry. His exciting career has taken him to the UK, Sierra Leone, Liberia, South Africa and to the whole 36 states of Nigeria.

His brand and accolades

benga Adeyinka has grown his brand to the extent that he compeers wedding ceremonies for the rich and mighty in the society. He is a man of many parts; Gbenga is the first Stand-up comedian to have worked in Ghana where he has a huge fan base. Gbenga is the publisher of the first Nigeria’s Comedy Magazine called LAFFMATTAZZ MAGAZINE described by many as the voice of the Nigerian Comedy

•Gbenga with Funke Akindele

eagues with Coll a g n e b G •

Gbenga has worked for the Nigeria Breweries Plc., for whom for the past seven years he has hosted the award winning STAR TV GAME that runs on NTA and other major networks in Nigeria and internationally on DSTV. He has had the privilege of anchoring Nigeria’s premium Music Concert STAR MEGA JAM and even shared the same stage with reputable international stars likes Awilo, Akon, LL cool J, Ja Rule, Kevin Little, T Pain, Kanye West, Buster Rhymes, Ludacris and other Nigerian artistes. Gbenga Adeyinka in more than one occasion has been described as the most versatile comedian in the business; he has the ability and sensibility to work a large crowd to frenzy. In the past, he had compeered corporate events, passed the brand message while making the crowd excited about it. The grace in his life isn’t limited to large functions as he compeers’ small private parties for the very rich. He is known to do the job, make his money and get wonderful commendation. It then would not be an exaggeration if he is described as the toast of government and government parastatals, as Gbenga Adeyinka is the Corporate Nigeria’s stress reliever. Gbenga is known to mentor upcoming comedians, and he goes on yearly charity visit to orphanages while raising funds in shows he anchors.

•Gbenga Adeyinka with Ali Baba

C M Y K

24 — SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

By KEHINDE AJOSE 08024212530

2face, Faze, BlackFace reunite at the Hennessey Artistry grand finale

Wizkid’s naira rain

I am selling nasty music and getting rich off it —Reminisce

OPULAR indigenous rap per, Remilekun Safaru known as Reminisce has come out to declare that though people term his indigenous rap music as foul and disgusting music, but he is getting rich off it. “I don’t think anyone has given indigenous rappers any chance, we took it by ourselves. We just decided among ourselves that we need to make people know what we have to offer. Indigenous rappers own the crowd. Let’s be very honest with ourselves, how many people can speak good English in this country? It’s about the audience affiliating with the artistes who speak their language. It’s not about calling indigenous rappers razz and local. More people want to be razz now; they think razz is the new cool. Luckily for me, I am selling razz music and I am getting rich off it. “ The Alaga Ibile star also said that his voice is what sets him apart from every rapper. “I think it’s my voice that makes me different from any other rapper. My voice is my strong point, nobody sounds like me”

yo Balogun a.ka Wizkid is an artiste who loves to come up with different gimmicks to blow the minds of his fans. On Saturday, December 6, 2014, Wizkid shocked his fans at the recently concluded Hennessy Artistry grand finale, when he threw into the crowd stacks of N500 notes during his performance. Those close to the stage jostled for their own share of Wizkid’s naira rain. Just last year, Wizkid played up the same stunt at Felabration.

Davido, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Olamide and others battle for The Headies

HE Landmark centre in Lagos came alive last Saturday December 6, 2014 when music lovers were thrilled to a variety of music from the old and new generation Nigerian artistes. The fans who were expecting to see the conventional artistes perform were shocked when the likes of Blackky, Jazzman Olofin , Baba Fryo, Daddy Showkey, Zeal and Shifi of Stylplus, Azadus, Olu maintain and Ruggedman mounted the stage to perform their oldies which caught on like widefire amongst them. The high point of the night was when 2face was joined on stage by Faze and BlackFace of the defunct Plantashun Boiz. The trio did some of their hit songs like You and I,Baby Don’t You Know, bringing back nostalgic feelings to add to the exhilarating spectacle of the night. The new generation acts like Lil Kesh, Reminisce, YoungGreyC, Runtown, Shaydee also dazzled the audience with their performances.

•Reminisce

•2face

he Headies has gained the reputation for becoming one of the most revered awards ceremonies in the Nigerian music industry. It’s the award every Nigerian artiste, both young and upcoming dream of . Come this Sunday, The Eko Hotels and Suite Convention centre will play host to the biggest entertainers in the country as the Headies award come to town again. A brainchild of showbiz mogul, Ayo Animashaun, the most successful artiste in the year under review will go home with the artiste of the year award. The nominees for this category are Tiwa Savage, Davido, Phyno, Olamide, Kcee, Flavour and Wizkid.The artistes are currently using their social media platforms to seek for votes.

•Black Face

•Face

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014 — 25

By AYO ONIKOYI, 08052201215

Project Fame taught me to be disciplined •BabaDee

- Geofrey Oji, winner Project Fame West Africa Season 7

n a chat with Show time, Geofrey Oji, winner of Project Fame West Africa Season 7 said being part of Project Fame taught him to be disciplined. “ I feel blessed winning Project Fame; it was an opportunity for me to showcase what I have and also to represent the other contestants who were on the academy. Project Fame taught me to be disciplined. In as much as we have fun attached to entertainment, it’s not really about fun, but more about discipline. It’s about you being committed to what you are good at. The only way to apply the discipline is to be disciplined.” When asked how he handles attention from his female fans he said: “Everybody wants to identify themselves with success. Nobody wants to identify with a failure, so it’s just basically applying wisdom. It’s not really easy hanging out with a whole lot of ladies. Every lady wants to be your girlfriend; every lady wants you to be her boyfriend. One cannot date the whole world. One has to at some point stick to someone one loves and be good with that.”

I don’t use sex as propaganda to sell my music - BabaDee

are Fasasi otherwise known as Baba Dee, has beat en his chest that he doesn’t use sex as a propa ganda to sell his music. The dancehall star and actor, who recently co- produced a movie with his brother Sound Sultan said: “It is the normal thing that happens in America and other countries. I for one has never been a propagator of sex as means of selling my music” he said “ Even when I do, I try to make it subtle. I don’t think it’s right, I don’t think it’s the best way. I don’t have a right to judge people that are doing it, but I don’t do it. Our camp, Naija Ninjas don’t do it, we have had responsible releases over the years” he added.

How I was Award special: discovered by Future Linda Ikeji Sound Sultan donates N1m to - Young Greyc fight Ebola

AIJA Ninja songbird Young Greyc who has been getting lots of attention lately for her dancehall themed song Chukwuma , has laid bare how she was discovered and signed to Sound Sultan led Naija Ninja. She puts it this way: “I needed people to discover the talent I have got and also needed a big platform to do that. So, I decided to call Sound Sultan and I asked if I could be one of his backup artistes. He said yes, one thing led to another and I got signed to the label. On why she is called Young Greyc, the beautiful lady explained: “I am young and my other name is Grace, so I decided to blend them”

•Young Greyc

BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA

t was indeed an unforgettable evening of inspiration and glitz, as the Future Awards Africa 2014 held on Sunday at the prestigious Intercontinental Hotel. The event hosted by Iyanya, Osas Ighodaro, Ice Prince and Flavia was graced by stars like Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Banky W, Funke Akindele, Seyi Shay, Dakore Akande, Timi Dakolo, Toke Makinwa, Toolz, Uti Nwachukwu, and others notable dignitaries. Ten outstanding individuals were rewarded for their excellent work across different fields: business, entertainment, politics, science and technology and education. A star highlight of the evening was the final phase of TFAA’s #STOPEBOLA campaign, which was held via an auction on a custom piece by A-List haute couture designer, Lanre Da Silva Ajayi. Blogger, linda Ikeji bid a whopping sum of one million naira on the dress which proceeds will go to United Nations Ebola Response Fund.

•Linda Ikeji

26—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

Okrika agog, as Ibinabo weds next week! T HE ancient town of Okrika, Rivers State will erupt in excitement from Thursday, next week when family members, friends and celebrities gather there for the elaborate wedding of ex-beauty queen and incumbent president of the Actors of Guild of Nigeria, Ibinabo Fiberesima, and her long standing lover, Uche Egbuka. Already, Nollywood stars are excited about the event being tipped as one of the ‘notable weddings’ of the year. Thursday’s affair, according to those in the know, will be the traditional arm of the entire wedding ceremonies, with the white wedding scheduled for the following day, December 19, at St Peters Anglican Church, Okrika. The white wedding already dubbed, “The Ultimate Love Story” by the actress will be attended by the who-is-who in the entertainment industry in Nigeria. A source close to Ibinabo said the actress is leaving no stone unturned in her resolve to make her wedding the ‘talk of the town’. The excited bride-to-be recently released their official wedding card, after she unveiled the identity of her man. This is Ibinabo’s first marriage as she had her three kids outside wedlock. Her husband to be, Uche, also has grown up kids.

*Majek

Majek FFashek ashek re turns tto o stage returns at Carniriv 20 14 201

*Ibinabo and hubby, Uche

AVRS will consolidat e consolidate ef ts of audio visual efffor orts audiovisual sect or ys NFC sector or,, sa says

T * K u n l e Afolayan

AVMCA 2015: Kunle Afolayan

set to make another history

unle Afolayan’s award-winning film, ‘October 1’ which carted away three awards at this year’s Africa International Film Festival, AFRIFF, is set to make another history as it tops the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, AMVCA, 2015 list with 11 nominations. The film which premiered on September 28, will be battling for the awards with films such as “Invasion 1897” by Lancelot Imasuen, “The Meeting” by Rita Dominic,AY’s “30 Days in Atlanta” and “A place in the Stars.” While “October 1” is shortlisted in 11 of the 27 categories, “A Place in the Stars” and “ The Meeting” got 10 and 6 nominations respectively. Lancelot Imasuen’s “Invasion 1897” got 3 nominations as well as “30 Days in Atlanta”, which got 4 nominations. Other nominees include, Gideon Okeke, Richard Mofe Damijo, Frank Donga (real name Kunle Idowu), Mercy Johnson, IK Ogbonna, Ireti Doyle, Wale Ojo, Mike Ezuruonye, OC Ukeje, Ivie Okujaye, Joselyn Dumas and Linda Ejiofor. Announcing the nominees on Wednesday were popular on-air-personalities, Nick Mutuma of Mashariki Mix and Sika Osei of 53 Extra during a special live broadcast on all Africa Magic and Maisha Magic channels. With them in the studio to discuss the quality of this year’s entries was renowned writer, film maker and AMVCA judge, Mr. Femi Odugbemi. Written by Tunde Babalola, produced and directed by Kunle Afolayan, “October 1” talks about Nigeria on the verge of independence from British colonial rule. C M Y K

he Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) has reacted to the formal recognition and licensing of a Collective Management Organization (CMO) for Audio Visual Property Rights in Nigeria, describing it as very timely, apt and commendable. In a statement by its Public Affairs Head, Brian Etuk Head, NFC said the establishment of the CMO will among others, go a long way in adding up to the consolidation efforts of the Audiovisual sector of Nigeria’s Creative Industry especially the film sector which has continually attracted the attention of government, private entrepreneurs, fund providers and investors to be regulated. The statement, quotes Dr. Danjuma Dadu, NFC’s Managing Director, as saying that the establishment and licensing of the CMO was achieved through the collective efforts of all stakeholders geared towards protecting the intellectual property rights of Audio Visual professionals as well as enabling them have access to residual benefits thereof. Dadu averred that the CMO has also brought to rest, the issue of non-compliance with the international rules by users of Audiovisual works without approved rights or payments thereof. He tasked filmmakers to take opportunities that have been provided with the licensing of the CMO and improve on their quality of production. The Nigerian Film Corporation, he said, will continue to engage all stakeholders on the need to adequately regulate the sector in line with best global practices. All relevant laws, including that which will regulate the professional practice of filmmakers in Nigeria, Dadu said, are being adequately addressed. He commended all filmmakers for the sustenance of the fortunes of the film industry in the outgoing year. Dadu equally charged the Mahmood Ali-Balogun interim leadership of the CMO to constructively engage and sensitize all stakeholders on the role and benefits of subscribing to the CMO as registered members. Meanwhile, Mahmood Ali-Balogun has said that it is no longer going to be business as usual, especially for users of audio visual works. Compensation must be paid for every use of our intellectual property by every broadcast media or organizations that use our works for profitability. Goal posts have moved, licenses must be obtained for the exploitation of films and broadcast works,"Ali-Balogun said.

igerian reggae legend, Majek Fashek, who has been missing on stage for a long time now, will be thrilling his fans once again as he performs at this year ’s Carniriv, which kicked off yesterday in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State. Majek will be performing alongside fellow reggae star including Ras Kimono, renowned for his unique Rumba Style genre. Other artistes slated to thrill the audience at the carnival which runs from 12 to 20 December, includes Davido, Timaya, Pato Ranking, Run Town, Phyno and Terry G, amongst others. Director General of the Rivers State Tourism Development Agency (RSTDA) Dr. Sam Dede, made this revelation during the week. He said, the fusion of young and fresh faces with iconic musical role models aptly captures the essence of Carniriv, a carnival conceptualised to appeal to different interest groups and demographics within and outside the African continent. The carnival kicked off yesterday with the debut Miss Carniriv pageant designed to crown the official face of the carnival in a contest that has attracted close to a hundred entries from within and outside the state.

AVRS boss, Mahmood Ali-Balogun

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014 —27

‘I’m scared of producing another film after Ije’ P

roducer of the award winning block buster, “Ije: The Journey”, Chineze Anyaene has opened up on why she has not produced another movie few years after she produced the film that broke the box office record in Nigeria, making over N59.8 million in six months. The film featured two star actresses, Genevieve Nnaji and Omotola JaladeEkeinde who are regarded by many as industry rivals. Chineze said, after producing “Ije: The Journey”, she needed to take her time before returning to he trenches again. She told HVP, that apart from being scared of the horrible experience she had after the cinema run of he block buster movie, she went back to the drawing board to

improve on the craft. “It’s scary for me to go back on set. But having worked with several people, I have noticed that there is something which a lot of film makers have not done.” Explaining further , Chineze who studied Theatre Arts at the University of Abuja and film at the New York Film Academy, United States, added that she would be comfortable producing just five films, rather than 100 films in five years. However, she revealed that she’s working on a new project, which will soon hit the screens. Despite the success "Ije" recorded, Anyaene decried the heights of exploitation in Nigeria, revealing that tax took 20 per cent of the money while the cinemas took half of what remained.

Chineze

*Anyaene

Empress Njama celebrates birthday with 1000 kids

•Empress Njama

mpress Njama brought the city of Abuja to a standstill last Sunday, as she marked her birthday in grand style at The Druz Garden, Maitama, with over 1000 less-privileged children. In her welcome address, the CEO, House of Empress (HOE), said, what inspired the move was her desire to reach out to the lessprivileged, a feeling she has nursed from childhood. “It all comes from the love I have for kids; this is something I like to do and my mum is not surprised that I am doing it today. I have always had a passion for kids. It’s like we are a big family; my mum is the mother of us all and I am their aunty and big sister,” says Empress, who also, revealed that it

all started when she was a baby after she told her mum she wanted to spend her birthday with kids and the family ended up having a lavish Christmas party. Advising her colleagues to learn to give back to the society, Empress said, “ You have not given until you give to someone who can’t repay you. A lot of us don’t understand what charity is all about but with very little we can put smiles on the faces of these kids; we need to make these kids know that we need and love them.” Present at the event, were actors and musicians including Fred Amata, Charles Inogie, Oghenekaro, Benson Okonkwo and Cynthia among others. Also, Empress’ mum, Mrs. Njama was visibly present at the event.

‘I am impressed with performance of Invasion 1897 '

elebrated Nollywood director, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen has expressed satisfaction with the performance of his epic movie, “Invasion 1897” which is being distributed by Silverbird Distribution West Africa, at the box office. The award-winning film was released at the cinemas on December 5, across the country. “The film is doing very well at the cinemas. I am excited that Nigerians are getting to love the film. It’s catching fire at the cinemas,” Lancelot said. Symbolically, the release of the film coincided with the Igue Festival of the Benin Kingdom. The attempt of the British to traduce this festival was at the centre of the

conflict explored in the film. The film is based on the invasion of the great Benin Kingdom by the British in 1897, which led the deposition of Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi. Theatre goers have been captivated by the power of the storyline of the movie, which parades an impressive cast, including Mike Omoregbe(lead actor), Segun Arinze, Rudolph Walker, Charles Inojie, Paul Obazele, Justus Esiri, Charles ‘Chucky’ Venn, and Leo Mezie, "Invasion 1897" premiered worldwide on August 27, at the Toronto African Film and Music Festival. It was also premiered in Dallas on October 18. The movie won the award for Best Feature Film (Nigeria) at the Abuja International Film Festival 2014. It was also an official selection of the Africa International Film Festival 2014.

Lancelot Imasuen C M Y K

28—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

By Iyabo Aina

Jeremih speaks on collaboration with J. Cole, Nicki Minaj

ear 2014, has been good to RnB crooner, Jeremih as he has scored a platinum hit with his DJ Mustardproduced single, “Don’t Tell ‘Em”. Now, he hopes to carry the momentum into the new year with the release of his third album, ‘Late Nights’ which after few delays is set to drop during the forthcoming Valentine’s Day. The RnB crooner has collaborated with J. Cole on “Planes,” which he

plans to drop in the next two to three weeks. He described the record as “Eclectic”, something you aren’t ever heard before.” Jeremih also, spoke about Nicki Minaj. “She the baddest. I’m surprise in this whole wide world that there’s nobody that can compete with her,” he said of the rap queen. “To work with a woman like her is definitely cool.”

Break up: Chris blasts Karrueche for cheating not love. And if that’s what you he on- and off-again cou define as love then I don’t want T ple, Chris Brown and it. Yes, I have not been so smart Karrueche has announced their separation,as they engaged in a nasty exchange, revealing some intimate details about their relationship. Last Friday, when DJ Breezy announced that he was single during Power 106’s Cali Christmas concert, also American model Karrueche, fired back by writing, “Niggas be in the feelings when you break up with them lol.” But that was only the beginning, as on Saturday afternoon, Karrueche shared more insight into the breakup. “Once you find strength within yourself, it’s hard to allow any type of people around you. I refuse to be repeatedly mistreated especially by someone who claims to love me. That’s

before in the past but I made a promise to be a better and stronger woman and I’m keeping that promise. If you can’t love me the right way, then don’t love me at all. Don’t be mad at me because I prefer to be happy. Keep love in your life folks. Not just love between people but love within your heart, flowing in all aspects of your life. I promise life is so much better.” Meanwhile, Chris posted and later deleted a long message on Instagram calling out his ex for only visiting him once while he was in jail. Instead, he claims that she was taking secret trips to Toronto to go on dates with Drake. According to him, Karrueche also agreed to participate in threesomes.

Drake, Diddy brawl at Miami Nightclub

fter being caught in the middle of Chris Brown and Karrueche’s break up, the “0 to 100” rapper had a physical confrontation with Diddy at a Miami nightclub last Monday morning. The fight reportedly erupted at DJ Khaled’s birthday party outside LIV

Miami at the Fontainebleau Hotel over an argument regarding music rights to an unknown song. “Drake and Diddy got into it outside the club,” as an eyewitness disclosed. “They were arguing over the rights to a song, and got into a physical fight. Diddy claimed that Drake

Lil Wayne parting ways with Cash Money

I Chris Brown and Karrueche

t seems Lil Wayne’s days with Cash Money are num bered, as the music dude posted shocking tweets during the week, as the rapper addressed his fallout with the label while on a live appearance. On Thursday, Weezy also tweeted that he will be out of his deal soon, and that his album, “Tha Carter V” won’t be released because Birdman and Cash Money refused to put it out. “It’s a fucked up situation, but I will be out of it soon, and I do it for ya’ll,” he said while performing at Vice’s 20th anniversary party in Brooklyn on Friday . Nevertheless, it’s unclear what Wayne’s next moves are, but the door is open at G.O.O.D. Music as Pusha T has invited him to join Kanye West’s label.

was using music without the proper rights.” According to reports, Diddy said, “You will never disrespect me” before punching Drizzy, who was stunned but wasn’t knocked out. Rick Ross’ DJ Sam Sneaker claims that Drake was taken to the hospital for a dislocated shoulder.

SA TURD AY SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, DECEMBER 13 13,, 2014—29

L-R: Deola Oshinaike, Modela, FADAN President, Funmi Ajilade-Ladipo and Kola Kudus

FADAN set to hold first annual fashion exhibition A s the year 2014 draws to a close, members of the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria, (FADAN) are set to round off activities with a fashion and exhibition tagged, “A stitch in time: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”. The two day event scheduled for the 19th and 20th of December at the Muri Okunola Park in Victoria Island, will echo styles and designs of the years of yore. Veteran designer, Abba Folawiyo’s designs will be put on exhibition showcsing its evolution. She would be accompanied in this journey by the very creative label,Ruff and Tumble. The event will also showcase emerging designers under the auspices of DaViva, one of the major sponsors of the show. Unveiling this programme at a press conference in Lagos, National President of FADAN, Mrs Funmi Ajila-Ladipo, said the event will not only help to preserve history, but will help bridge the gap between the young and old designers. She also added that the inclusion of older designers in the event will help inspire the young ones and provide mentorship opportunities for them. While acknowledging the efforts of the founding fathers and mothers who laid the foundation for today’ s fashion, Mrs Ajila –Ladipo, pointed out that whatever the new generation of designers are producing today are recycled works of older designers that have been tweaked to meet today ’s demand. She announced that during these

two days, a hall of fame will be opened for them. Of special mention are Mrs Shade Thomas Fahm, Princess Abba Folawiyo, Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, Chief Lai Olumegbon, Mr. Lanre Ogunlesi,

Mrs. Mauren Onigbanjo, Doyin Sonuga andMr. Kolawole Vaughan popularly known as Dakova. The event is being put together in conjunction with Nike Arts Gallery.

Natures Gentle TTouc ouc h empo wer ouch empow erss youths with professional skills

Officer, Recare Limited, stated that the s part of its corporate social institute’s nine months intensive responsibility initiatives and to training programme empowers ensure that professionally trained students with theoretical and practical hair stylists man the industry, skills needed to establish financial international hair care brand, sustenance in the beauty and personal Natures Gentle Touch, care industry. manufactured by Recare Limited, Commending the training and recently graduated some programme, Oluwatobi Sangonuga, students from its hair institute. one of the graduating students said ‘’ Established to bridge the gap in it is a privilege for me to have hair care services in Nigeria, the participated in the nine months students who graduated recently, training. The training has sharpened were trained in cosmetology, my artistry and given me a treasure trichology and professional that no one can take from me. I am development. The Natures Gentle very happy I participated and hope Touch Hair Institute provides to establish my business someday”. student with the knowledge and skills to elevate the hair care services industry to international standards and be able to make impact beyond the salon. Speaking on t h e graduation, Mr Ramesh Hullur, Chief E x e c u t i v e •Group photograph of graduating student

Why beer must be drunk responsibly

he need to drink responsibly and dispel age long myths about beer was echoed recently at the first Nigerian Beer & Health Symposium held in Lagos. For many years, beer producers seem to have given up on the negative notions associated with beer drinking. Since there is hardly a gathering without beer, beer drinking is not just a social activity but a lifestyle and as a result it has necessitated the need to preach responsible drinking. Although current perception is that beer gives pot belly, makes women become ugly and that it is not good for the heart, experts at the symposium showed that recent researches and studies, have proven how beer is also capable of helping against certain diseases in human. According to brew masters and scientists, they argue that beer is a natural alcoholic beverage brewed from four natural ingredients - grains, hops, yeast and water. Quoting empirical research evidence, experts said beer is a natural and nutritious drink and which if consumed in moderation, is capable of helping against certain diseases - from reducing risk heart diseases to strengthening bones, preventing diabetes and mental decline. For ladies and gentlemen who value their style and appearance this message may just be the word for now. But would the beer lovers drink in moderation? The experts include, Prof. TolaAtinmo, Professor of Human Nutrition in the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Dr. Kathryn O’Sullivan, Manchester, UK-based Public Health Nutritionist and Dr.Olu Malomo, Acting Head of Department of Food Technology and Associate Professor of Food Technology, Bells University, Ota, Ogun State.

30—SATURDAY

Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

Sexual health and a healthy marriage

Lifestyle

re you living in a “sexless marriage”? Is there less sex in your relationship than you feel is appropriate? If a couple is not having sex in the marriage anymore, there’s a problem. Sexless marriages are not uncommon. It is estimated that 1 out of 5 marriages are “sexless.” Busy or not, when sex is gone from an intimate relationship, it’s a problem already or one in the making. What exactly is a sexless marriage? This topic came up during the week among a group of friends. For practical purposes, a sexless marriage is one in which a spouse feels there isn’t enough sex or there is no sex at all. The definition of a sexless marriage is not dependent upon whether or not there is no sex in the marriage but on the effects of differing sexual drives. The problem lies when there is a huge difference in the sexual needs of the spouses. Sexually discordant Here is a typical scenario. Biola wants sex every night but Bayo, her spouse, only wants sex three times a week. According to the experts, Biola and Bayo are not living in a sexless marriage. As for Kemi who desires sex at least three times a week and Olu, her spouse who is content with sex once a month, it’s a different story. Sexologists say Kemi and Olu are living in a sexless marriage. Olu could care less about sex. He does not see what the big deal is about. He is quite happy and content having sex once in a month. Kemi, on the other hand fully understands what the “big deal” is. Kemi has a healthy sexual appetite and meeting her sexual needs means sex at least three times a week, not once every month. She has no control over getting her needs met though because when it comes to sex, Olu is calling the shots. Sex is on his terms because in his mind they are having a healthy sex life. After all, his needs are being met and to him that means there is no problem. C M Y K

•Satisfying sexual needs of the spouse It may not be all bad however. Having sex once a month or once every month may actually fulfil the average couple’s needs. In their mind they are not living is a sexless marriage because their needs are being met. Common causes Experts give several real and important reasons why couples are likely to stop having sex. The most common cause is no time for sex. Others include household chores and parenting responsibilities, the birth of a baby, caring for aging or sick parents, acute job stress, or diagnosis or treatment of a potentially terminal illness such as cancer, etc.,—anything that disrupts your rhythm can wear you down. All this is normal according to the experts. It should be expected. But when it continues to just not happen, and you find yourself looking for excuses to rationalise it rather than make a change, then it’s an issue you must face or risk damaging your marriage. Barring physical or medical causes, a sexless married life signals deep issues brewing. Seeking answers Is there a way to fix a sexless marriage? Maybe, maybe not. Being able to fix the problem depends on what is causing the problem. Identifying what is causing the lack of sex is

•Make time for rest to meet your sexual need

the first step. Second is taking steps at finding solutions for the causes. Men and women who aren’t measuring up to their spouses are desperately seeking answers. For those with low libido, it could be a case of hormonal imbalance that would cause low sex drive. Often, the lack of sexual intimacy becomes selfperpetuating. Research proves that absence of

touch and arousal creates both physical and emotional distance between you and your spouse. Turn it around, not by waiting for the mood to strike, but by making the act priority and being committed to keeping the spark alive.

Seeking a solution A sexless and unsatisfying marriage could potentially leave you or your partner open to getting your needs met elsewhere. Make time for rest and relaxation. Understand the need for intimate bonding between you and your spouse. Communicate. Couples don’t talk about sex generally. Yet it’s healthy to let your spouse know what you do and don’t like when it comes to the act. It is also healthy to let your partner know if you are less than satisfied with your sexual relationship. More sex talk can lead to more sex in the marriage! Work together as a couple at bringing back a little romance and connecting both emotionally and physically. Observe your daily habits. Spend some time connecting to each other. Appreciate. Get physically closer to your spouse by reaching out and holding hands when you normally wouldn’t, or smiling and locking eyes before you head out for work in the morning. These subtle, affectionate cues will help re-establish your connection and set the stage for more intimate moments later on. When and if you’ve tried everything, it may be high time to consult a qualified third party to intercede.

SATURDAY

Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014—31

Nature’s Health

Foods that boost immunity T

he immune system is the first line of defence against disease and ill health. A strengthened immune system remains the best line of defence against infectious disease whether Ebola, cancer, HIV or any disease for that matter. Nature, in its wisdom provides powerful protective and preventive natural antibacterial and antiviral substances that readily boost the immune system. Eating plenty of nutrients will help keep the immune system on guard. Ensure your body and immunity run smoothly by rounding out your plate with plenty of colourful servings of fruits and veggies, plus enough water a day, at the very least. Apple cider vinegar Contains a mixture of powerful substances that work together as a very effective antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal tonic, with high levels of vitamins, mineral salts and amino acids.

Garlic Garlic produces a chemical called allicin, which gives it its powerful smell and makes it effective as an antibacterial and antiviral food. Garlic lovers who chew more than six cloves a week have a 30 percent lower rate of colorectal cancer and a 50percent lower rate of stomach cancer. Ginger Ginger is a very powerful and aromatic root. The aromatic smell comes from essential oils and phenolic compounds that increase the movement of the gastrointestinal tract. It also has analgesic, sedative, antiinflammatory and antibacterial properties. Horseradish root Horseradish is antibiotic, treating sinus, intestinal, bladder and skin infections. It helps kill and expel parasites from the system C M Y K

•Drinking green tea

and is also increases number of white blood cells in the bloodstream.

the molecular level, preventing disruption of proper cellular function.

Onion A powerful compound called quercetin in onions is known to play a significant role in preventing cancer. Onions reduce inflammation, heal infections, and reduce risk of developing gastric ulcers.

Chicken soup A powerful immune booster; the amino acid cysteine, released from chicken during cooking, enables chicken soup blocks migration of inflammatory white cells. The soup’s salty broth keeps mucus thin the same way cough medicines do.

Habanero peppers Among the spiciest foods on the planet, Habaneros contain capsaicin which produces the heat that makes them so beneficial to health. Capsaicin stimulates blood flow throughout the body, which can help relieve congestion. Turmeric The most effective nutritional supplement known. Contains curcumin, a powerful antiinflammatory compound and very strong antioxidant that fights inflammation at

Tea Regular drinking of black and green tea which are rich in an amino acid called L-theanine, gives the immune system a tremendous boost. Sweet potatoes The skin is part of the immune system. To stay strong and healthy, it requires vitamin and one of the best ways to get vitamin A into the diet is from foods containing beta-carotene such as sweet potatoes.

•Chicken soup

•Sweet potatoes

32— SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

Runtown dre marrying R

Says “ Good music is g By DAMILOLA SHOLOLA

ouglas Jack Agu popularly known by the stage name Runtown has proven that he is not just a one-hit wonder like so many artistes of his time. His chart topping hit Gallardo featuring Davido got him an award for Best Collaboration of The Year 2014 at the NEA awards which held in New York earlier in the year. He has also released other hit songs like Domot, Party Like it’s 1980, to name a few. In this exciting chat with Showtime Celebrity, the fast rising star talks about his career, music and more… How has your career been so far? It’s been great, everything’s been going great, the reception has been good, with a lot of air-play now. My songs have been doing well on the charts both in Nigeria and Africa; everything Runtown is on bangs well. Do you do shows outside Nigeria? Yeah, I have a show on 22nd in Nairobi, I have a show on the 28th in Malaysia and I have a show on 20th in Dubai, so it’s Runtown worldwide now How do you come up with the lyrics of your songs? I just hear the beats and then inspiration starts coming in. The beats inspire most of my lyrics Who inspired you to go into music? My love for music inspired me to go into music. I have a supreme passion for music Do you make the beats of your songs? I produced the beat for my new songs coming out soon. Even my popular song ‘Party Like It’s 1980’ I produced it. So Runtown is a producer too and I co-produce Have you faced any challenges so far? Our major challenge back in the day was getting to promote our songs. The media then, weren’t giving us as much airplay as much as we would love but thank God things are different now.

Agu

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Are you planning on releasing any albums? Yeah, next year 2015; the album the whole world has been waiting for. I’m thinking of putting like 20 tracks in the album

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014 — 33

eams of Rihanna

That’s Runtown for you; I am at the Domot . In the chorus, were you speaking in Hausa? No, that’s Igbo, that’s from an old song .What it means is ‘This is where we’re now, this is the happening place’. This is where we are, at the Domot

good sound.”

How do y o u handle y o u r female fans? I h a n d l e them with love and affection, in a

How many songs have you released now? There’s Gallardo, Successful, Domot, Baby Answer, but not all these songs would be on my album; some would be on bonus tracks A lot of people think Nigerian music today is lacking in lyrical content? Free those people abeg, we came

polite way, the way my mom taught me

here to have fun. I need to meet those people saying that so I can rub it in their faces that we are having fun. Once you go on stage and people are happy, you’re entertaining people, that’s what I’m here for, to entertain people

Are you the only artist under EricManny? No, there’s Presh. He just released a new single with Tiwa Savage.

ow would you compare the music of today with that of the past? We’re better than those people and we are fresher. I think then, they had more lyrical content but their sound production was poor. Past musicians didn’t dwell on generic sounds and generic names; we had a lot of great songs especially from the 80s. They’re the ones that inspired us, people like Fela, not just their music but their lifestyle too. Fela was a human activist so even if you’re not a musician, you learn a lot of stuff from Fela As an artist, what’s your idea of good music? Good music is good sound. Whenever good music comes on, you don’t say please turn that s—t off, that’s good music. Noise is not good music, noise is opposite of good music Did you go to University? I’m not done with my University education. I’m currently in F I T; it’s a fashion school in New York, Fashion School of Technology. I’m studying Fashion Management, that’s the business aspect of fashion. We show designers how to make money from their designs How do you feel topping the charts with Gallardo? I feel like a bad guy topping the charts How many videos have you released for your songs? I have videos for Gallardo, Domot, Successful and Baby Answer Did you shoot them in Nigeria? Gallardo was shot in Nigeria, Domot was shot in South Africa, Baby Answer was shot in Los Angeles, and Successful was shot in New York. Your Domot song, what is it about? Domot is the front porch of a house, so I’m just talking about Runtown being at the front of the industry. Everyone is looking at me to see what I am made of, because I am kind of running the show.

Which artiste do you look forward to working with? A lot of good artistes, both upcoming and the ones there; Don Jazzy, and a lot of others. How would you classify your style of music? Afropop. It’s a fusion of Afro beats and Hip hop Are you planning to get married anytime soon? No, not any time soon. Runtown plans to get married fifteen years from now.

o you hope to work with any International artistes? Of course, Runtown is international so I need to work with international people. I want to work with Rihanna and if she’s not too old in fifteen years time, she might just be my lucky woman. What do you consider your ideal woman? A woman that is respectful, that’s all I need. I don’t care if she’s a bad girl or good girl, what I need is that respect How do Nigerian artistes really make money that with one single they buy houses in Lekki? It depends on how your star is, it depends on how lucky you get, how hardworking you are and how smart you are, if you can use one song to achieve all that. An artiste gets money through shows, endorsements, through meeting people because everything happens through meeting people. Just be at the right place at the right time Are you still releasing any songs this year? I have two more songs to release this year, two more singles

How do you view the Nigerian music industry today? It’s growing, we are getting there. At least now we have artistes going on Soul Train awards, everything is taking shape What more should people expect from Runtown? They should expect my other joints, dope songs from Runtown and more awards.

C M Y K

34—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

08 116759 759 081 6759759

Watch out Kim

Kardashian! A

Romanian life coach and author has suddenly found herself in demand for something completely different—her backside. Alexandra Harra, 27, writes regularly about subjects ranging from love through to success in business, and is well paid for speaking at seminars. But when she was persuaded to pose on the cover of the Romanian Playboy magazine, she suddenly found it was not her university education that people were interested in. She runs a coaching and personal training business with her 59year-old mother Carmen Harra, and although initially there was little fuss when she showed off her rear, that all changed after the recent Kim Kardashian naked

Chinese ne wborn sur viv es being newborn surviv vives flushed down the toilet by mother

newborn baby has survived being flushed down a toilet by his mother shortly after she gave birth in north-west China A passerby heard the little boy’s cries from a sewer in Suide County, in Shaanxi Province, and called emergency services who found him lying in a pool of filthy water. The boy, nicknamed Xiaoxiao, meaning ‘teeny tiny’, survived the ordeal with just a few scratches, and is now recovering in hospital while police attempt to find his mother. ‘It was really a race against time because somebody could have flushed something down the sewer again at any stage, or the baby might have turned over and ended up face first in the filthy water and drowned,’ Suide County fire department squad leader Li Zhi said. ‘But we didn’t want to smash the pipe because we thought that might also hurt or even kill the baby ‘So we had to use a mixture of tools in order to ease him towards the opening and then pull him out. ‘He still had the

shots. She said. ‘Someone in Romania noticed that my bottom size at 109cm (42ins) is larger than Kim Kardashian’s at 101cm (39ins). ‘Now I am in the paper all the time as the Romanian Kim Kardashian.’ The blonde, who now lives in Florida, in the United States said she was surprised about all the interest in her backside back home. She said her work as a life coach and psychologist in the business was still her main interest. Her mother Carmen said:‘My daughter is being labelled as the blonde version of Kim Kardashian. ‘But we don’t try to imitate anyone, we’re just ourselves.’ Alexandra certainly likes the finer things in life, like her Armenian doppelganger. She owns a Mercedes S 550 2015 model worth £95,000 and a Mercedes CLS 550 worth £63,000.

Sleep around, date less and drop your expectations

umbilical cord attached and it had obviously been clumsily cut.’ The newborn was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was cleaned and fed, but otherwise did not need further medical care. Doctors say Xiaoxiao is perfectly healthy and they do not expect him to suffer any complications as a result of his rough start in life Xiaoxiao is being taken care of by members of the fire department who have volunteered to be his temporary parents while an investigation begins to determine how he ended up the sewer. Police say they have started a search for the mother of the child, and added that it was not the first time that an unwanted child had been abandoned in such a way. They have launched appeal for help in tracking down the mother, who may be in need of medical care after the birth. However, if the mother is found, she will face possible child abuse and neglect charges.

ran is criticizing the U.S. and specifically the Obama administration for its ‘racist’ treatment of minorities. A statement released Sunday by Iran’s Foreign Ministry calls for action to end the country’s ‘racist, inhumane crackdown on blacks’ in the wake of the controversial grand jury decisions not to indict police in the deaths of both the Eric Garner and Michael Brown. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Marziyeh Afkham told the press America has to ‘stop police brutality and racist and inhumane treatment of minorities and colored populations in the country.’ The deaths of Garner and Brown and the perceived failure of authorities to fairly seek justice has sparked protests and outrage nationwide. Free Beacon notes that Iran ironically is at the forefront of executing both children and political dissidents. ‘It is expected from the U.S. administration and judiciary to

omen should embrace numerous sexual partners instead of channeling their energy into finding ‘the one’, a new book advises. Sex coach and midwife Lauren Brim, 31, grew up in a Christian family in Orange County, California, which taught sex is sacred in marriage. It is global a social construct, she

says, built to wound women sexually. Now, with eight partners on the go and about 100 under her belt, LA-based Brim insists she has been enlightened. ‘Sex is really energising. What’s tiring is dating,’ she told The

Iran wants U.S. to end ‘racist, inhumane crackdown on blacks’ in the wake of controversial grand jury decisions comply with their duty and take lawful and just actions in dealing with their citizens and stop the practice of racism and inhumane behavior,’ Afkham continued. Iran news organization FNA reported that the spokeswoman further demanded that ‘U.S. administration [must] show respect for human rights and set aside its politically-tainted view on the issue. ‘The U.S. administration has continuously criticized other countries and made an instrumental use of human rights and adopted double-standard criteria in the last few decades, while it has ignored domestic situation at home.’ Far from having a moral high ground, it should be noted that Iran continually outrages human rights activists by reportedly torturing prisoners in cruel and unusual ways, setting them on fire or cutting off limbs.

Telegraph. ‘Women are so insistent on partnership and marriage because culture gives them no other format for sustained and socially approved sexuality and love.’ In her recently-released book, The New Rules Of Sex, Brim describes her colorful catalogue of sexual experiences—sex with exes, with women, with numerous people at once, in all manner of unusual locations. And she reveals midwifery led her to a sexual awakening. ‘I was watching women giving birth,’ she explains in a YouTube promotion, ‘and I was seeing that women who were in touch with their sexuality had much easier birth experiences— sometimes orgasmic birth experiences; empowering experiences. ‘Women who weren’t in touch with their sexuality really struggled. They had a lot of interventions, a lot of problems.’ The realization provoked her to analyze the rules of sex in western society, she says. Brim, a trained dancer who has performed with New York City ’s Radio City Rockettes, insists the book is not a How To guide— rather a reconfiguration of sexual rules. She says readers will be empowered to stop expecting love from sex, which should be celebrated in its own right. ‘These expectations I had of my sexual partners—“ why didnt they love me?” ‘Sex and relationships and love were knotted up and I needed to unravel them. ‘Where do sexual ideas come from? Why are we telling women they can only have relationships? ‘We need to set women free because women are really sexual and they’re powerful. Her message to the female population? ‘Relate to people differently, have less expectations.’

SA TURD AY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014—35 SATURD TURDA

Ex Def ence Minist er ’s son w eds Defence Minister weds

aturday, December 6th 2014 would remain a day to cherish for General Godwin Osagie Abbe (Rtd), former military governor of Akwa Ibom State, Rivers States and former Defence Minister of Nigeria as his son, Osaruese Allthings swept Adejumoke Ifueko, daughter of Mr Kunle Williams off her feet in a matrimonial bliss. The couple, Jumoke and Osaruese took their vows before men of God at Our Saviours Church, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos. Thereafter, the wedding train and the high-profile guests proceeded to City Hall for a reception treat which was as grand as it was refreshing and entertaining. Photos by Diran Oshe

Sandra Bassey marks bir thda birthda thdayy THE winner of face of independence Nigeria 2014, Ms Sandra Bassey a model and an entrepreneur celebrated her birthday in style on the 8th of November and 20th of November, 2014 respectively marking the “Global Child’s day” with children in Calabar and environs, sharing her benevolence with different schools, distributing exercise books to them and adding value to their life’s.

Sandra Bassey with school children

L- R: Mr. Kunle Williams, bride's dad, Mrs Abiola Williams, bride's mum, the couple, Mr & Mrs Osaruese Abbe, with Gen. Godwin Osagie Abbe (rtd), groom's dad and Mrs Patience Eniye Abbe, groom's mum.

Sandra Bassey with school children

L- R: Engr. Boswell Fadaka , Mrs Boswell Fadaka, Mrs Tinu Smith and Dr ( Mrs) Yemi Cole.

L-R: Mrs Abiola Williams, bride's mum with Mrs Patience Eniye Abbe, groom's mum.

Sandra Bassey with school teachers

Pastor Omale weds

T L-R: Former Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Odein Ajumogobia ( SAN), Gen. Godwin Osagie Abbe (Rtd) groom's dad and Mrs Patience Eniye Abbe, groom's mum.

L-R: Mr Dan Inneh and Princess Ekiuwa Inneh C M Y K

he Wedding of Pastor Gabriel Omale to former Miss Elizabeth Adikwu took at Dunamis International Gospel Centre, DIGC, Arab Road, Kubwa 1, Abujaon December 6, 2014.

Dr & Mrs Jackson Obaseki.

Gen & Mrs Hasiz Momoh

Mr & Mrs Omale

36—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

What’s ugly about

breastfeeding in public?

“It is not barbaric.It is motherhood intuition; it is a strong, natural force compelling the mother to nurse her baby when and where the need to do so arises”

Mother breastfeeding her baby

By Josephine Agbonkhese & Anino Aganbi

young, educated mother was at a shopping mall with her 4-month old baby when the ‘natural’ instinct to breastfeed arose. Without hesitating, she grabbed a seat, flung open her left breast and simply lowered it unto her baby’s mouth. While other shoppers showed no hint of concern, some stared at this mother with disgust and eyes wideopen. As normal and natural as breastfeeding is, and with the World Health Organisation and even the Nigerian government persistently encouraging moms to breastfeed exclusively for at least six months, there has been so much fuss about doing so in public places. Many mothers, like that young mother at the mall, have repeatedly had to deal with open confrontation(including all manner of illegal rules) while breastfeeding ‘happily’ at work, in shopping centres, market places, parks, public buses,

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restaurants, airplanes or just about anywhere. But are some people exactly becoming critical about breastfeeding even though babies have a right to be breastfed and mothers too have the right to breastfeed? “It is obscene for a woman to bring out her breast in public and begin to breastfeed her baby these days. The sight could have a worse effect on some susceptible minds than that of scantilydressed girls which people say could be provocative. In fact, women who are breastfeeding need to be cautious about the venue, for their own safety,” a 70-year-old grandmother retorted. “I am a grandmother but I can tell you I never breastfed in the open. Not even with relatives or guests in my sitting room. I always excused myself and went to the bedroom to breastfeed my baby. I think it is barbaric and immoral to expose ones breasts in the guise of breastfeeding. I taught my children this and till date, they try not to indulge in

arises. It is putting your baby’s hunger pangs needs first before bothering about what the elite man or woman by your side thinks. It is done with a genuine call to obey. Its intention and purpose are sincere and it is done without any ulterior motive,” Ibifuro Tatua, a mother of four protested. Another mother, Lady Bethel Obieri, spoke in

exposing their breasts simply because they want to breastfeed. At most, a mother can go about with a shawl to conceal her body when she has to breastfeed,” another woman said. “It is not barbaric. It is motherhood intuition; it is a strong, natural force compelling the mother to nurse her baby when and where the need to do so

HOW TO BREASTFEED WITHOUT EXPOSING IN PUBLIC *Wear bras specially designed for nursing mothers. *Wear two-piece outfits. *Never wear dresses unless they have a wrap-style front or can be opened from the front. *Wear shirts that button from the bottom up, lift up or pull to the side easily, or have hidden flaps. *Put a shawl over your shoulders so that it drapes over your baby’s head when you feed. *Scout out ideal corners, like an out-of-the-way table in a restaurant, to nurse in public places. *Don’t let your baby get so hungry that he or she starts crying; it’s much easier to nurse discreetly if you’re both calm. *Know your rights so you can stick up for yourself and your baby’s right to nurse.

support of Ibifuro’s view. “They are being hypocritical! I’m sure they don’t mind all the half-naked pictures of women in all of the media lately. The pornographic stuff all over the world is never regarded as barbaric...but a mother feeding a baby is,” Bethel said angrily while hitting back at people who label breastfeeding in public ‘barbaric’. When a male’s opinion was sought, popular designer, Mr. Lexy Mojo-Eyes of Legendary Gold, emphasised that mothers must try to be discreet when breastfeeding in the open, regardless of the circumstance. While the controversy lasts, anyway(even amongst you readers right now), in the absence of special ‘rest rooms’ where nursing mothers could conveniently breastfeed or change babies’ diapers in public places, below are tips to help nursing moms feed their babies in public without stirring up commotion.

SATURDAY

BY Morenike Taire

layinka ThomasOgboja, Founder and CEO of Thomas O. Women Network (TOWN), got into the non-profit sector by accident. Nevertheless, she has plunged herself into the non-profit’s project with the same zeal as she has with her business, and then some more! She recently launched a project tagged ‘Bathe a Child, Preserve a Life’, an initiative in which she tours rural as well as poor urban areas to educate mothers who cannot ordinarily afford sufficient soap on health, hygiene and the simple right to bathe their child with soap. In addition, TOWN has given away hundreds of thousands of bars of soaps, many of them financed in-house. TOWN, she says, is also focused on promoting and empowering Nigerian women. Here, she shares her hopes and plans with Woman to Woman. Excerpts.

Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014—37

My first love is women empowerment - Olayinka, Founder, Thomas O. Women Network soap and then we can crush these soaps and remould them, just to promote this initiative. The future for me is for us to have recycling centres where we can recycle and make all our soaps locally. Also, to have a growing network of suppliers all around and after making sure that we have covered all parts of the country, we can go international. Health is wealth and must be taken seriously, because a lot of diseases can be prevented and that’s why I feel that what we’re doing has immediate value to these less privileged women and we are ready to contribute our quota towards it. What motivated you into setting up an NGO? The truth is, I’ve always been a business person from the onset. But there comes a time in one’s life when it doesn’t have to be all about the money. You don’t have to wait till when

What are your projections for TOWN? ’m really excited about our recycling centres. I saw the vision and I’m ready to sell it to the world. I hope that we will get centres all over Nigeria which will also provide employment for these women. With the growing network of hotels, we will have the raw materials which are the used

JAZZ YOUR SPACE

Inexpensive ways to make your kitchen look expensive BY Josephine Agbonkhese

up your wallet.

hese upgrades will bring a touch of luxury to your kitchen without drying

Paint a lighter colour A light colour on the walls and cabinets instantly brightens a space, giving it a bigger and more expensive look. Also, light colours reflect light and hide a multitude of sins, including those scratches and dents in your old cabinets.

Update drawers Hardware can immediately change the look of cabinets. So, try replacing

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drawer and cabinet pulls for a new unique look that instantly updates your entire space. Replace cabinet doors Replacing or refurbishing worn out cabinet doors with new ones will give your kitchen a sleek new look. Bring in glass, or highgloss doors for a dose of glam or create open shelving in some areas, to show off your nicest pieces. Change lighting Chandeliers and pendants are the perfect accessory to not only brighten your kitchen but change the mood. Use artwork

Artwork is a great way to elevate any room and it will do the same in your kitchen. Don’t be afraid to go big and bold because it will give the illusion of a bigger space. Replace bowls Replace an old bowl or decorative elements. Change out your fruit bowl with beautiful bowls or trays for a subtle change that makes a big difference. Hide small appliances This is very essential. Nothing brings down a space more than clutter. Keep your counter space clear of small appliances like toasters, blenders and coffee pots. They are easy enough to take out when you want to use them.

you have billions in your account before you can give back. I didn’t really sit down to say I must have an NGO. When I started, I just wanted to profile women who are doing well and nobody knows about them, they aren’t recognised in the society. I’m just passionate about this, it isn’t a profitmaking venture. The fact that you are doing something for people without expecting anything in return and the value that is being added to their lives is very rewarding. Basically, I started it from school, when I was asked to go and interview women CEOs. There are quite a number of them who are famous, but I decided to look out for those of them that are doing very laudable schemes which are not attractive to the public, but have been very consistent with them. What’s your educational background? I come from an educated family. My mum is a professor and my dad is a doctor. I have a B.Sc and Masters degree from the University of Ibadan. From there, I proceeded for another Masters programme in the United Kingdom, University of London where I studied Project Management. Presently, I’m doing my Doctorate degree programme in Business Administration. My first love is business and women empowerment. I also believe so much in personal development. How do you intend to spread the TOWN initiative to other parts of the country? Business has taught me that when you are about to get to the next phase, you know that it’s time for expansion. If I have enough network in Lagos, the structure is already in place, then it is easy for me to ride on that platform. We won’t necessarily wait to cover Lagos before spreading to other parts of the country. That’s why we are willing to partner with NGOs across the country so that they can take our soap bars to some of their communities. It all depends on the level of awareness we put out there and the reception we get. Why women? I’m all for women empowerment. I believe that a lot of women can do more if only they are aware. I want to tell women that they can do it and that they can be the best at what they do. Even if they fall, they’ll rise again.

38—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

Still want a sex life? Ban your man from the labour room By RACHAEL ROUNDS

he black designer silk and lace lingerie I bought for my honeymoon four years ago cost almost as much as the wedding. As far as I’m concerned, it’s worth every penny, because my husband still loves it. Despite being busy parents of a lively two-year-old boy, my husband, Tom, still fancies the pants off me and, if anything, that side of our relationship is better than before we had our son. Our secret? I maintain it’s the fact that he wasn’t by my side at our son’s birth. And so does Tom — whenever he hears about celebrities like Robbie Williams making a song and dance about being at their wives’ side during labour, he declares: ‘That’s it for them. It’s all over for their sex lives. No man should have to watch his wife give birth. It is just plain wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Far from being cross at his somewhat old-fashioned attitude, I agree with him. Not only do I believe men should not be there during the actual birth, I don’t think they should even enter the birthing suite. Like most modern women, I used to think very differently. I had always assumed that, when I gave birth, my husband would be there at my side. When I discovered I was pregnant in

January 2012, I’d already been through two miscarriages. So, for the first couple of months, I was terribly cautious about making any plans for the birth. My fears were only allayed after my 20-week scan, when we were told we were expecting a healthy boy. I began preparing for the baby ’s arrival, but I guess alarm bells should have started ringing when Tom refused to go to our antenatal classes, saying he had no intention of sitting around, listening to a bunch of women talk about cracked nipples. He stuck to his guns, even when I told him how humiliating it was being the only woman there without her other half. So it was with trepidation that I approached the issue of him being my birthing partner. I explained that I really needed him by my side, that as I loved him more than anyone else, and he was responsible for my pregnant state, he simply had to hold my hand. I even said he could stay up at the ‘head-end’. He wouldn’t have to cut the cord, or ‘look

downstairs’, as it were. But it was to no avail. The answer was the same: a straight, firm, and resolute ‘no’. The man I’ve loved for 13 years told me again and again there was absolutely no way he was having anything to do with the birth: he’d ‘done his bit’ and, anyway, he couldn’t

stand the sight of blood. Maybe I should have seen it coming. Tom is from Fiji and belongs to a line of traditional, testosterone-fuelled men, who think the act of fertilisation is pretty much the beginning and end of their role when it comes

Continued on page 39

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014 — 39

Still want a sex life? Ban your man from the labour room Continues from page 38 to producing offspring. He is much older than me — 67 to my 43 — and is very traditional. He does the ‘manly’ things, like fixing our cars and mowing the lawn. But to him, women’s stuff is women’s stuff. I cried, I screamed and even refused to speak to him for a week. Finally, I sat down and, through sobs, begged him to change his mind. It was then he revealed the truth. ‘I can’t,’ he said. ‘It’ll put me off sex with you for ever.’ His admission stopped me in my tracks. In that moment, I gave up the fight. I couldn’t bear for him not to see me in the same way. I didn’t want to become nothing more to him than a saggy-bellied, milksoaked, mummy-type, who had lost her sex appeal.Despite my

disappointment, my mum and best friend Anna, a nurse, kindly stepped in and became my birthing partners. Rachel says giving birth was an ‘absolute nightmare of gore and horror ’ With hindsight, it was the best outcome for us all. The birth, in October 2012, was an absolute nightmare of gore and horror. I have never felt pain like it. Labour lasted 12 hours. I pushed for an hour-anda-half, before the nurse told me my son’s head was stuck and I was whisked off to theatre for a forceps delivery. All the while, Tom, who had driven us all to The Great Western Hospital in Wiltshire, at 6am, was sitting patiently outside my hospital room. He had, at least, agreed to stay, rather than go home. Though that didn’t last — he

popped his head around the door as the anaesthetist was preparing my spinal block to announce he was heading off to the pub. ‘Do text if you need me,’ he said. Far from being furious, I was relieved. I felt exposed and vulnerable. Him seeing me like this would have made things even worse. At one point, I was violently sick all over my best friend; my hair was stuck to my head with sweat; I was angry, in pain, and had my legs stuck in stirrups. I felt embarrassed. I didn’t want my husband to have the memory of his ‘top totty ’ (his nickname for me) behaving like a crazed farmyard animal. There has to be a reason why, for years, men paced up and down the corridors, smoking cigarettes, outside bedrooms and hospital wards across the country. This was accepted

behaviour for a reason — so a man could look at his wife as a mother, but also as the sexual being he fell in love with. At a recent girly get-together, my friend Samantha confessed that, in the two weeks since she had her second baby, her husband has kept reminding her to do her pelvic floor exercises. Apparently, having seen the head appear, he is fretting sex will never feel the same. Another friend confided that her husband had found their daughter ’s birth traumatising. The first few times they’d attempted to make love, he found it impossible. A few months ago, I got a call from an old university friend. We used to be really close, so I wasn’t entirely surprised when he asked if he could tell me something he could never tell his wife. He went on to explain that, after watching her give birth, he’d been incapable of forgetting the memory. He seriously thought that he had PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). As he went on, I began to feel really sorry for him and his wife. I knew she would be desperate to feel like a woman again, but he said that he just felt queasy at the thought of them resuming their former marital relationship. Meanwhile, I know for sure that my husband’s view of me hasn’t changed at all. Although it took me a while to feel like a woman again, our love life became better than ever, as my husband candidly said he fancied me even more, thanks to all my extra curves. Although it took me a while to feel like a woman again, our love life became better than ever, as my husband candidly said he fancied me even more, thanks to all my extra curves Every couple’s sex life takes a while to adjust after the birth of a child. But what’s rarely alluded to is that it’s often the husbands who are reluctant to reconnect physically. They won’t admit they find it impossible to think of their wives sexually after witnessing them give birth, or that they feel they succumbed to peer pressure to stay by her side during labour. A view like mine might be unfashionable, but men being at the birth is a very recent phenomenon. Gordon Ramsay once said if he watched his wife in labour, his sex life would be damaged by images he’d only ever want to see in a sci-fi movie: ‘It would feel like skinned rabbits and conger eels coming at me from everywhere. I didn’t want that to be in my memory.’ At the time, I felt really sorry for his wife, Tana, forced to live with such a dinosaur. But now, I can’t help but agree.

40 — SATURDAY

Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

ohn came back from his village recently. For some reasons he has not been there since the new millennium. His trip was a mixed bag: happy to be back to his root, but came away with a cultural shock: Many of his relatives and age mates had 10 or more children with some having many wives. But that was not his concern; his concern was that many of them are poor and unemployed, with those employed not earning more than N15, 000 monthly. “What goes on in these people’s minds? How do you just breed without thinking about how to cater for them? They practically stripped me of every kobo and belonging I travelled with”, he lamented. I decided to tease him. “But you know these people do not belong to sports clubs or social clubs, children. Some of the children are without they do not have cable basic education; they are underfed, undertelevision and other pleasures cared for, under-clothed and underfor recreation, so they turn to housed. He has two homes, each for one the only recreation they can wife and her children, but both abodes afford: sex. As for multiple cannot be more than a three-bedroom flat wives, they do not want to deal combined and that is where almost 20 with any inhibitions resulting family members reside (Some of the from sickness, childbirth, children have married and moved out). menstruation or ‘shakara;’ so When a family member advised him to stop they marry many so that at procreating and concentrate on taking every point in time at least one care of the children, he was non committal, wife is available.” “But they should enjoy responsibly. asking: “Is it not God who Can’t they plan? Can’t they gives children?” This man is use contraceptives?” he asked. pushing his luck very far; the “Even if their religion allowed lives of his under-nourished them and they are disposed to wives are at risk, their bodies it, they cannot afford it”, I are not recovering well rationalised. In my quiet moment later I enough before the next pregnancy. Every pregnancy and childbirth put started thinking about the women at risk and there is a limit to what encounter. I could not help but wonder: how much are a woman’s body can take. Doctors also talk children really worth? about risk of cervical cancer, incontinence, Recently, another friend weak womb, among other health narrated the story of a family challenges, although even one pregnancy member. He has two wives who can cause some of these medical problems. combined have given birth to These children, without education and any 28 children. The 27th child was form of formal training, face an uncertain still crawling when the 28th future. Some might end up as domestic child was born by the same helps while the parents get the proceeds. wife. The wives are locked in The larger society might also be at the a very unhealthy, mindless receiving end of their vices later in life. and foolish competition on who How much are children worth? Just recently I heard of a new trend would give birth to more

injured. Why go through so much to bring a child into this world and throw him/her away in a jiffy? If there is anything the recent insecurity in the country has taught us, it is the fact that there is a thin dividing line between life and death. But just because some people have cheapened life so much should not make it seep into our character; Life is still precious. Death might be an inevitable end, but do not force it on your innocent children, be safety conscious. Children are treasures, the value which you cannot quantify. Children are God’s, we are just custodians. Just as those servants the master gave five, two and one talents, respectively, were called to render account, God is going to call us to render account for every child he has put in our custody. It will not be nice to give excuses like the servant who got one talent (Mathew 25: 24-25).

How much are children wor th? worth?

Dear Miss Devi,

I became afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 17 and in a matter of months was helpless in bed with every joint of my body ankylosed. After 6 years the doctors gave me up and my parents brought me to Florida. Recently our neighbours introduced me to Yoga and in C M Y K

ime and again, stories crop up everywhere as to how the deep breathing and gentle exercises of yoga have helped individuals who’d almost lost hope of recovery to regain health. I have myself, been fixed on all kinds of things in my very body by the practice of yoga. I haven’t had an attack of angina in the past 28 years. And that is heaven if you ask me. It’s about time everybody was made to realise that irrespective of one’s condition—sick or well—the body can be given tremendous help in restoring health, and in safeguarding it. I like to tell my colleagues at Vanguard that, this is my third year with the House and that I have the singular distinction of never having walked into the clinic on the premises for even panadol. And I put it down to my practice of yoga. Below is a letter written to Indra Devi by someone who’d been introduced to yoga with her book, Forever Young, Forever Healthy. St. Peterburg, Florida

where young girls deliberately get pregnant and terminate the pregnancy after some months. They then sell the foetus for rituals. It did not make sense to me, but the talebearer vowed it is true. Just how much are children worth? Or does a foetus not qualify to be called a child? Another area of concern is our safety consciousness. You would have noticed parents driving on Nigerian roads while carrying toddlers on their laps. Sometimes

In saner societies you will go to jail and/or lose custody of your children

children under five years stand on the passenger seat in front or behind. What is going through these people’s minds? What manner of ignorance is that? Legally it is wrong. In saner societies you will go to jail and/or lose custody of your children. But my interest is not in the legal implications. My concern is the endangering of the children’s lives in the guise of love or ignorance. While in motion, if you slammed on the brakes, the baby’s head could hit the windscreen, the steering wheel or the windows. In extreme situations, the baby could be thrown out of the vehicle. All these scenarios will either leave the baby dead or critically

Health in double-quick time

The Plough

Congratulations Congratulations to our daddy and mummy, Chief and Mrs Joseph J. Akpieyi, who quietly celebrated their 46th wedding anniversary last Sunday. Forty six happy years together is awesome, especially in a world where some marriages collapse before they are consummated. Even with my new aversion to cakes, I ate a chunk of the anniversary cake and also wished myself longevity of marriage. Thank you for showing the world the worth of children by your enormous love, care and sacrifice for your biological children, grandchildren and others whose lives you touched. I wish you many more years together in good health. I eagerly await your 50 th anniversary.

Gulf where I also exercise. I can walk although stiff-kneed, swim and float alone. I am doing the deep breathing and following your diet suggestion and have faith in recovering fully. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this letter, and I thank you from my heart and soul. Sincerely, Thelma L.

The Bridge particular to your wonderful book, Forever Young, Forever Healthy.

started on the 60-day lemon juice plan and also the lemon and orange leaves tea.(It is delicious) as outlined in your book. I am unable to do the yoga postures but another son of the same neighbourhood works with me everyday practising the movements I can make. The results have been remarkable. I am developing muscles and strength, have increased mobility, particularly in the hips and spine which have been so tight. The shoulders, arms

The Mountain Pose and ankles are also looser. I am now able to take full steps forward (with assistance), and since last week also I go swimming every other day in the

his letter lends credence to the notion that dietary changes coupled with exercise works wonders. The body is totally at a handicap if it does not get exercise. The extra oxygen you get into the system, the small rise in heart rate by working the muscles improves the body, the immune system gets a boost and the body’s healing system can be easily shifted to overdrive. Yes, if you exercise regularly, you, “undoubtedly develop quick recovery powers. Even wounds heal faster when we stay in good shape. It may sound too simple to suggest to someone that their redemption could depend on learning to breath deeper. But that could be gospel truth. These yoga postures are wonderful to the health.

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

SATURDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 13, 2014—41

juliecoker100@yahoo.com

I can’t get over my divorce Aunty Julie, I’m a man of 38 years who is going through a divorce. The process is so painful because of what I passed through in the hands of my ex wife. We have been living apart for sometime now but the problem is that I haven’t really been able to talk to any girl since our breakup. We haven’t really signed any divorce papers, so I feel very obligated to stay faithful to her even though our relationship as we know it is over and done with. Will I still have this problem even when we actually get divorced? And will I forever feel bad about making the first move to end this relationship? For the past three months, I could neither sleep nor concentrate on my career. My commitment to her and my love

for her was the only thing that helped my to go on with my life. Now that’s over, I am totally lost. My family thinks she fed me with a love portion. Please help me with my problem. Sunkanmi, Ibadan

Dear Sunkanmi, Passing through a divorce or separating from a partner is one of the most significant stressors life can throw at you, and the sometimes overwhelming feelings of guilt, distraction, and disorientation you are experiencing are so normal as to almost be expected. Knowing that these emotions are common might not seem to make them easier to handle, but it might bring some comfort to know that the process of grief and loss is indeed universal. People cope with loss differently. Some cling to feelings of remorse, guilt, and a notion that if they remain faithful to the relationship, they might be able to save it. Others feel numb and closed off from themselves and others. In both cases, it can be very helpful to focus on who you are, who you want to be, goals for your

future, and tangible steps you can take get there It’s hard to offer a guess as to when you might start to feel better, whether it’s when the divorce becomes official or sometime before or after that. But allowing yourself to feel how you’re feeling and to fall apart a little bit may be an essential part of recovering your sleep and work habits, and emerging back into your life in a new way. You cannot rush the grieving process. Many people report that after letting themselves come undone, they are able to put themselves back together stronger than before. The path of healing may seem like an impossible uphill journey, but all mountains are climbed one step at a time.

Why did she break up with me?

Dear Julie, My girlfriend of one and a half years broke up with me out of the blue. We never fought or argued. I asked her why but she wouldn’t say a word. I asked her what did I do wrong and she said “nothing.” She was my first ever girlfriend and I was planning to ask her to marry me. I don’t understand what I did wrong. There has to be a reason. Why won’t she tell me? Albert, Enugu

Dear Albert, Breaking up is hard to do, especially when you are the one left wondering what went wrong. This must be a tough time for you, especially considering that you were planning on proposing. It can appear

challenging to start over when you thought you had your life all squared away. But start over you must! Have faith and believe in yourself — it will become easier with time. What really matters is that you realize you did nothing wrong and that you couldn’t have prevented the break up. In order to heal, it may help to have a sense of closure. Why it ended needs to be clear to you; otherwise, you may have doubts about the relationship and yourself for a long time. Do you feel comfortable letting your ex-girlfriend know that an explanation, or one reason, for breaking up with you will help you to go on with your life? Even if it has

nothing to do with you, you deserve to know at least part of the reason why. It is possible that she may not even know why she broke up with you. Have you considered the possibility that your ex-girlfriend needs some personal space and time to reflect on her needs and desires. While unpleasant to think about, it is always good to have a back-up plan in case she won’t give you an answer. Your family and friends may help you to reaffirm your selfconfidence and move forward in life and new fulfilling relationships.

Am I under a curse? Dear Julie, I have been in three marriages. I married the first time at 19 after dating the guy for four years. The marriage lasted for nine years before we divorced. Then, I married a man whose wife had died, leaving three boys without a mother. I later found out that he was an abuser and that his wife died from the intense stress of living with him. Our marriage lasted for three years. He lived with his late wife for 18. My third marriage was not out of love but to help someone acquire his American green card. He needed to be married to get that. He died soon of cancer. You would think I would give up by then. But I dated two other guys. One ended up revealing he had a two-year affair before filing for divorce and that was why he could not marry again. The other was temporarily separated from his wife. Then I met was a co-worker who presented himself as unmarried. I found that he was married four months into the relationship and

that he had two little kids. He left his wife and moved in with me. But he decided that it was too costly to leave the marriage and so he returned. I equate my bad choices in men as a fact that most men are bad, especially when you’re in your 40s. I know I should have run away the minute I found the red flags. The problem is, if you are a hungry person, you might be tempted to eat food that is laced with poison. What should an intelligent, attractive, 41-year-old professional female do to meet a compatible bachelor nowadays? I am getting of tired of wanting. Sienne, Port-Harcourt Dear Sienne, You have an interesting relationship history but I am sure when you were younger, you were more optimistic about men. However, I am going to bet that your childhood taught you that men are bad and relationships don’t work out. You may not even

Three old ladies Three old ladies are sitting in a cafe, chatting about various things. One lady says, “You know, I’m getting really forgetful. This morning, I was standing at the top of the stairs, and I couldn’t remember whether I had just come up or was about to go down.” The second lady says, “You think that’s bad? The other day, I was sitting on the edge of my bed, and I couldn’t remember whether I was going to bed or had just woken up!” The third lady smiles smugly, “Well, my

recognize this as true right now, as these were most likely hidden, subconscious beliefs. Even though you were optimistic as you went out into the world to find a mate, your choices and relationship behaviour were mostly driven by these hidden beliefs, because when it comes to relationships, all of us without exception act from our hidden beliefs. But hidden or not, our beliefs inform our brain what to select for us to see and experience. You only got to see bad men. As you said, you were starving and felt that poisonous relationships are better than no relationship, so you went ahead and had bad relationships. You ask how to meet a compatible bachelor. By compatible, I think you really mean a good guy who can finally make you happy. Actually, chances are you won’t meet him at all, until you change what your brain selects for you. In other words, you have to start believing that there are plenty of good men out there before you can

C O C K - T A L E S memory’s just as good as it’s always been, knock on wood,” she says as she raps on the table. Then with a startled look on her face, she asks, “Who’s there?” Fairy tales “Mommy,” Little Johnny asked, “do all fairy tales begin with ‘Once upon a time’?” “No, dear,” she replied. “Sometimes they start with ‘Darling, I’ll be working late at the office tonight…’ “ Squealing like a stuck boyfriend A young girl and her boyfriend are driving down the road one day. Her boyfriend suggests that they play

meet one. And not just pretending to believe it. You actually have to instill this belief deep inside you, so that it becomes stronger than your belief that all men are bad. And let’s be clear. I am not saying you have to look at men you consider “bad” and say they are “good.” You actually have to believe that there are other men out there who are wonderful, loving and looking for a great relationship, and that they have been simply invisible to you up until now. It is possible that perhaps your current beliefs are not an accurate reflection of reality. I mean, cant you judge all men based on a handful of your own experiences and a small number of famous men whose bad behaviour shows up in the media? Next, start looking around for good men. How about men known as faithful and loving husbands? Seek out other evidence that there are good men out there, even if they are married. That will be a good start for you. Then, be careful before deciding on the next guy so as not to end up like the rest. The truth of the matter whether you believe it or not and irrespective of your experience is that there are good men around.

road games and that whoever loses has to strip. They play every game known to man and the girl loses every time. Soon she is bare naked. The boy takes a long look and runs off the road. They slide into a tree and the boy is trapped in the car. He yells to his girlfriend, “Quick, go get help!” She says, “I can’t, I’m naked.” He hands her a shoe to cover with. Desperately she covers her “lower parts” and runs to the road. She flags down a truck driver and yells, “Help me, my boyfriend is stuck.” The truck driver replies, “Honey, if he’s that far gone, I don’t think we can get him out again!”

42 — SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

C M Y K

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014 — 43

C M Y K

44 — SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

C M Y K

SATURDAY

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

y training, a military officer is expected to bear pains and control his emotions even when he is overwhelmed. . But this was not the case with Brigadier General David Mark, (retd), who has since embraced democracy. David Mark was elected into the Nigeria Senate since 1999 and was elected the Senate President about eight years ago and since then, the once upon a time turbulent Senate has witnessed relative peace. In what may be viewed as a recognition of his leadership qualities, people from his constituency recently mounted pressure on him to continue to represent them in the senate by contesting the 2015 National Assembly elections which he has won the primary on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. They bought the form for him and during the presentation, he got emotional and couldn't hold back tears. Unlike in the Western countries where experience and competence are the main consideration in electing people to the parliament, the reverse is the case in Nigeria as consideration most times is on monetary gains, hence, Senators with experience are sacrificed on the altar of zoning. However, in the 109 senate membership only two Senators, David Mark who incidentally is the Senate President and Bello Gwarzo, the Chief Whip representing Kano North have retained their seats since 1999 till date, thereby making them the most experienced Senators. Senator Mark was a military officer who rose to the rank of Brigadier General before his retirement. He has remained one of the most experienced Senators in Nigeria in the senate since his foray into the political field and has steered the ship of the senate as the

Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014â&#x20AC;&#x201D;45

'Why we returned David Mark'

â&#x20AC;˘David Mark senate President for two terms of eight years. His leadership qualities and his ability to utilize his position for the peace and unity of the country as well as attracting quality projects to his constituents has endeared him to his people who in a way to reciprocate his quality representation recently besieged his Otukpo country home, Benue state last month with a Peoples Democratic Party nomination /expression of interest forms. The Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, led scores of the political leaders from the nine local government areas that made up the senatorial

district to the Benue State secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party in Makurdi where they had earlier deposited N4.250m to purchase the forms for Mark. Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Moro, said the people of the senatorial district were overwhelmed by the outstanding performance of Mark in the senate and therefore decided to return him in 2015 to continue the good job. He commended the nine council chairmen who bought the forms on behalf of their people, assured them that Mark would not disappoint his people. Also in the league of those that urged the Senate President to go for re-election was a representative of the Civil Society Groups Mr. Philip Agbese, who recalled the efforts of Senator Mark during the January 2012 protest against the removal of fuel subsidy.. Agbese said, "Nigeria was falling at that time and it appeared the country was going to collapse because the civil society groups had mobilised millions of Nigerians to occupy major towns of the country, marching and organising rallies with workers, students, artisans and market women. "It was as if Nigeria would not remain a single nation again until our own Senator David Mark intervened and Nigerians were back to work again." The Interior Minister while handing the form to Senator Mark , "The Senate President has provided a shield, and a refuge for the Idoma people. He has widened the political landscape of the Idoma kingdom. The idoma people have agreed that

no person has all it takes to do the work that the senate president is doing now. "He has represented us equitably. The combination of President Goodluck Jonathan and David Mark had given us the required leadership. Senator Mark has saved Nigeria from confusion, and collapse through the doctrine of necessity." The Deputy Governor of Benue State, Chief Steve Lawani, said the endorsement of the Senate President was a confirmation of the position of the state government because of Mark's unprecedented achievement in the Senate. While accepting the nomination form from his kinsmen, Mark, who lost control of his emotions after the outpouring of encomiums from his own people, fought back tears as he collected the microphone to respond to the honour given him by his constituents. He told them, "This is the covenant with my people. This endorsement speaks volume of the immeasurable responsibility on my shoulder by my people. For this trust and confidence repose on me, I cannot afford to fail. Let us work together as a team. I am prepared to give the last paint of my blood to serve my people diligently.â&#x20AC;? Assuring his people that the sacrifice they have made would not go in vain, he said, "This project is not about David Mark, it is about the future, it is about our senatorial zone. It is about our generation yet unborn, it is about tomorrow. I won't take your honour for granted." The senate president continued to betray emotion after his speech as he intermittently cleaned tears of joy from his face following of the overwhelming crowd surging to have a handshake with him and his wife, Helen at the event.

46—SA TURD AY 46—SATURD TURDA

Vanguard, DECEMBER 13 13,, 2014

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

If your marriage failed once,it could fail again!

HEN Angela’s first marriage broke, she was only 29 with two young children to take care of. “I was 22 when I got married,” she said, “and my husband was some years older. When I had my first child at 23, it was clear we wanted different things from life. He wanted a submissive wife in spite of the fact that I was an industrial nurse, but I wanted a husband who could also be my friend. By the time I had our second child, I was no longer happy in the marriage. I didn’t take the decision to divorce my first husband lightly but I had to choose between staying in a marriage that was making me unhappy, and leaving while I was still young to make a quality life for myself. “My second marriage lasted 14 years, and our only child was born after a year of our getting married. We were happy for the first eight years, but he was always away on business, and had just discovered the joy of playing golf—so most of his spare time went into his new found game. “Naturally, this caused a lot of stress between us. I got used to making all the family’s decisions and became resentful when I had to handle masculine tasks like reconstruction of damaged portions of the house or looking for the right artisans besides doing most of the housework. In short, I realized I was smack rather set up home with the in the middle of problems I other woman. Fundamentally, ran away from in my first I think I’m too independent to marriage. By the time I was settle for the facade of a approaching 40, I knew my marriage where the husband second marriage was over in would rather be with someone all, but name. It was a sad else. reality. I should have learnt “I started going out with from my first marriage not to men after my divorce and marry a man so similar to my even had a relationship that first husband. It was actually lasted for eight years—some a relief when he started an marriages today don’t even affair and admitted he would last half of that distance. The

man involved wanted marriage —I didn’t, simply because he was almost seven years my junior. As things stand now, I have no intention of marrying again. There’s no point. My children are doing very well, and I’m emotionally secured. After two failed marriages,

eatery. He was always with his friends, eating and boozing as if they had no care in the world. When I joined the group, we all started going out in the evenings and I latched on to Labi. We started living together when my landlord gave all his tenants notice that he wanted to renovate his property, so I moved in with labi. That set a pattern for our relationship. We never consciously decided what we wanted to do. We got engaged because some members of the (group’ had gotten hitched, and I can’t remember him proposing— we just drifted into marriage especially when I got pregnant, that sort of sealed our fate. I discovered we didn’t have common goals. He was too much a (group’s man.’

David Virtually swept me off my feet and we loved being together, just the two of us, and we talked about everything

I’m too cynical to enter a third now I’m in my 50s!” Faith, an events manager has been married to her current husband for over 10 years. According to her, her first marriage broke because. she married from the ‘group’. “I met Labi, my first husband, when I was working in a bank and ran into him at my usual

ven when we had our honeymoon, I was hurt when he said how much more fun it would be if all our friends were there too— and that was the first time we’d spent together, just the two of us. “By the time he found another job that entailed his travelling most of the time, I’d had enough. I’d started toying with the idea of going into events management full time. As soon as I took possession of the property left to me after my father died, I renovated it without telling my husband. When next he travelled, I left my matrimonial home with my son, leaving him a “Dear

Must couples sleep in the same bedroom? A

few years ago, Barbara Bray, 70, a British, killed herself after her husband, Harry, disturbed by her snoring—told her to move out of the matrimonial bedroom. The couple had been childhood sweethearts and had been married for 49 years when Barbara snapped. Their son, John Bray, told the coroner: “There was a large disagreement about the fact that my father had wanted my mother to sleep in another room and she had moved her possession out of the shared room. I don’t think my mother was behaving rationally at the time. I tried to help her move her possessions into the room and she said she couldn’t live like this.” “The shared bed represents intimacy,” explains Gillian

Walton, a marriage guidance counsellor, “It’s a symbol of having a sexual relationship. Of being ‘a couple’, of being in the right place. And while some people sleep apart and are perfectly happy, it can be a sign that something is wrong when one person moves into another room.’ Yet there’s no doubt that sometimes, sleeping apart is the best option, particularly when a health problem is involved. You toss and turn. He gasps and snores. You are too cold. He’s too hot. Neither of you has had a decent night’s sleep in months. But you live together and that means sharing the same bed, for better or worse. “Maybe you’re a light sleeper’ and the other person is a heavy sleeper.

Perhaps he’s an owl and you’re a lark, or he prefers more or fewer blankets than you do. One of you could be an insomniac. Or maybe you just prefer to be alone in your bed! It’s very rare to find someone whose sleeping patterns exactly match your own.”

he believes that we attach far too much importance to sharing a bed. “Sleeping together is not an age-old custom. Most Victorian men would have found the idea of sharing a bed very strange. This romantic idealized view of marriage only became popular around the 1920s. But these days, sleeping apart—even for good reasons carried a stigma for

many couples. It’s still considered an embarrassing thing to admit. People will make assumptions about the state of your relationship based on that knowledge. “Yet, for a successful relationship, you need distance as well as intimacy. If you overemphasize the importance of sleeping with your partner, it could be a danger sign that you are too independent. You need to keep your sense of individuality within a relationship. Many people overstress togetherness, but it’s equally important to do things by yourself and be happy spending time by yourself.”

John” letter. I’m ashamed I did that, but after all those years of not communicating properly, I didn’t know how to tell him it was over. “When we eventually met to talk things over, it was hard to end things because the marriage was never abusive. It was just a mediocre one and I wanted more than that— I wanted a good and solid marriage. I apologized for causing him so much pain, but I don’t regret leaving or I wouldn’t have this fantastic second marriage. I’m now enjoying. “David Virtually swept me off my feet and we loved being together, just the two of us, and we talked about everything. When he learnt of the low-key marriage that I had with my first husband, he insisted we had the whole works—proper engagement with a lot of pump and a lavish wedding reception that brought tears of joy into my eyes. “Sexually, our relationship is also different. Not that I had a bad sex life before, but now, I’ve experienced real passion and closeness.

aving children together was the icing on the cake, it brought another level of intimacy. He was there in the labour room when our two children were born, and the pride and joy when he held each child made me weep with joy. “I don’t regret my first marriage because I believe the person you are is the result of different experiences. Splitting up then was traumatic but I’ve learnt that l’m a strong person, and I like myself more now than ever ...” She, however, agrees that, “ you have to be careful when going about a change. Say: I’m finding it really hard to sleep. What do you think we should do about it?” Put the suggestion out there, rather than just announcing that you’re moving out. ‘’

SATURDAY

Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 47

YETUNDE AREBI

Aphrodisiacs and us

finally got the opportunity I had long been looking for last week at Mr. Taju's automobile workshop (Mechanic Workshop). I had gone to service my car and while waiting, a female herbal drinks and concoctions hawker, popularly known as oni paraga, walked in to sell her stuff. After their banters, they got down to business as each stepped forward to place an order, several shots of the variety of herbal drinks available. It was a golden opportunity I could not afford to miss. So, I took them on, both buyers and the seller. "Aunty, what are these drinks used for", I asked? "They are many ma, it depends on what you want. I have herbs for malaria, jedijedi (haemorrhoids), and general body rejuvenation, that will make the body strong". Everyone broke into laughter. I decided to feign ignorance and asked for their names. Naturally, their laughter intensified and Mr. Taju informed me that it was not used by women and I should ignore them. I was not about to give up at all, so I decided I would not direct my questions to anyone in particular, I will just allow things to flow naturally and see what comes up. Paraga, I finally learnt was not a herbal drink or aphrodisiac but simply any highly concentrated alcoholic drink such as gin, brandy, or ogogoro (local gin) and she did not deal in such. Her products were mainly targeted at male libido and included herbs for Iba, (anti-malaria) because malaria will cause weakness, joints and body pain and you need the waist and legs to have sex, no matter the sexual position, she said. Jedi herbs will strengthen your waist and back bones and also tighten your anus and pelvic muscles. If you have problems with your anus, it will affect the turgidity of your manhood. Finally, there are those for enhanced sexual performance which they listed as Opa eyin, Opa iwaju (also called Ale) Afato used to boost sperm production among others. The lady informed me that there are two types of all the different concoctions, water based and alcohol and that the alcoholic drinks sold faster, thus more common. Except for those with laxative properties, there are no measuring directions, how much you take depends on your system's tolerance to the herbs and what you want to use them for. "Like what", I asked? "For sex now, if a man wants to satisfy a woman, he must be sexually fit to perform optimally. So, he needs these drugs. A man with jedijedi cannot perform very well, " she explained. The laughter continued but this time, the guys began reeling out several reasons men need aphrodisiacs generally. According to them, it is not all the time that a man wants to do two or three minutes and rolls off, sometimes, he wants to prolong the enjoyment and C M Y K

satisfy himself. Another reason proffered is that women secretly like sex even though they pretend not to, and they would not appreciate a man who cannot satisfy them. Again, a man must be the boss at all times. His manhood is defined by the status of his penis and if you allow a woman to say you are lazy in bed, then you are not a man. She must be the one to tell you she has had enough, not the other way around. Also, some of the women out there now are firebrands, some take alcohol even more than men and some also use female sexual enhancers. One would need a little extra to satisfy such women. Those who have multiple sexual partners will definitely find it difficult to satisfy them all and if you have erectile dysfunction, you may not even be able to satisfy any woman at all. Sometimes, a woman can challenge you and if you fail, you become the butt of their jokes. Then, you can use it if you want to punish a woman too. One of them told of how he once used it to deal with a greedy girlfriend. According to the story, the first time they went out to a hotel, she had forced him to overshoot his budget because she'd insisted on eating a large meal and drank two bottles of Stout. Though they had sex that day, he was not happy as he'd felt cheated, the enjoyment was not commensurate with the money he spent on her. So, on their next date, he'd prepared himself better. She'd asked for the same things, fried rice, chicken and Stout and she'd paid dearly for them too. She called off the relationship after that but he was satisfied. Aphrodisiac are perhaps as old as man's documented sexual history. These are classified as any substance used to enhance or increase sexual desire. Please note that increased sexual desire is not the same as increasing fertility level and so must not be confused for each other as in the case of Afato mentioned above by the Paraga woman. (She recommended Afato which according to her is used to increase sperm flow, for men with low sperm count or watery sperm which are fertility issues and not mainly sexual issues). The Arab and Asian cultures are best known for their expertise in this area. It is therefore not surprising to know that our brothers and sisters in Northern Nigeria are also well knowledgeable about the efficacy of these herbs and drugs. And you are likely to find them hawking their wares along the streets of large cities in the South here too. In Lagos, the popular Lagos Central Mosques and Moshalashi Alhaja in Agege area are their main markets. In fact, aphrodisiacs play a very large

and important role in Northern societies because of their lifestyle and religion. A man with four wives and perhaps a couple of concubines on the side needs a little over the average sexual appetite and stamina to deal with the issues involved. Similarly, because of the stiff competition between the women, they are taught the importance of keeping their men happy in bed with the use of herbal aphrodisiacs to perpetually keep them in the mood for sex. It will not work in your favour if you turn your man down when he has chance to warm your bed. The Kaya Mata is a sex ritual performed for young women and according to sources, especially for very young girls who don't know anything before being married off. The herbs are either taken raw, with beverages or cooked as a whole meal to be eaten by the bride. Most popular being the herbs prepared with a whole chicken to be eaten by the bride alone. The bones of the chicken are then buried and the bride sent to her husband. The ritual is to help the young bride perform her sexual duty as she will constantly be in a state of sexual arousal, ready for her husband. There are other varieties like the sweet, the groundnuts and even chewing sticks. And on special request, I met a trader at the Lagos Central Mosque who claimed its his speciality to prepare couture aphrodisiacs for men and women who can afford his price. Foods such as Avocado, Chilli Pepper, Carrots, Cucumber, Garlic, Ginseng, etc, are said to be endowed with aphrodisiac properties. So also are animals such as the Rhino whose horns are reputed for its high deposit of calcium and phosphorous which is used for energy boosting drugs and have led to the poaching and illegal killings of the animal for ages. The Spanish Fly is perhaps one of the most famous sexual enhancers known to man. It is extracted from the beetle which secretes an acid-like juice called cantharidin from its legs. Ironically, the danger posed by the consumption of this substance appears to go unnoticed by its users, same for those who indulge in the lethal alcoholic concoctions of the Paraga woman. This is what scientist say happens when the Spanish fly is ingested. The body excretes that cantharidin in the urine, causing intense irritation and burning in the urogenital tract, leading to itching and swelling of the genitals. It is this swelling that was assumed to be sexual arousal and led to the belief that Spanish fly had aphrodisiac qualities. Unfortunately, cantharidin is highly toxic. The kidney may suffer inflammation and may even be permanently damaged. Spanish fly can also cause severe gastrointestinal disturbances, convulsions and even death. Yohimbe is another common herb in aphrodisiacs. Because this comes from the bark of the Evergreen tree common to West African countries, I strongly believe this is the main ingredient of most local aphrodisiacs. What this herb does is that it blocks alpha-2 adrenergic receptors and increases dilation of blood vessels which are involved in achieving and maintaining erection. This herb is also quite dangerous if taken in wrong quantity, but the paraga woman insists that there are no prescribed measurement, you consume as much as your system can manage. Yet, the negative effects of excessive alcohol consumption on the brain, mind and body cannot be overemphasised as the liver, kidney, heart and brain are targets of its debilitating effects. Laced with these dangerous herbs, I wonder what the long term effect of this will be. Yet, there seem to be no abating of or boundaries to man's yearning for sexual satisfaction. In fact, sex, sexuality and all the business attached to it is at an all time high in the history of man, defying age, status, race, etc. Oftentimes, I run into male colleagues and friends either sharing a bottle 0r one concoction or another, or discussing the efficacy of one they have used. Some have them in bottles under the tables which they sometimes sip from. And their excuse is usually jedi. They either want to cure or prevent jedi. Jedi as I have come to understand it has little to do with artisans at my mechanic's workshop or elsewhere, it is a general ailment that can afflict both male and female. Haemorrhoids or pile as it is called in English is inflammation of the anus. They are swollen veins or blood vessels of the anus which cause pain, swelling and itching of the anus causing it to dilate and protrude in severe cases. Haemorrhoids is especially caused by low fibre diet and sedentary lifestyle, just as Jedi is caused by our high intake of oils, rice and starchy foods and especially sugar and beer. My understanding is that pile may compromise the muscles of the anus and surrounding pelvic area which are needed for ejaculation and female sexual enjoyment. The stronger the pelvic muscle of a woman, the more likelihood of achieving an orgasm, quicker and stronger, hence the advice for Kegel exercise. (my view, please let me have yours). Let's meet again next Saturday for the concluding part of this article. Do have a wonderful weekend!

48—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

BY CHRIS ALIGBE

ith a rising profile that has taken the industry by surprise, Skyway Aviation Handling Company – SAHCOL is now the focus of many an analyst. What has engaged the minds of aviation business analysts is to fathom how a hitherto little known Handling Company – Skypower Aviation Handling Company, property of the liquidated Nigeria Airways, privatized in 2009, has, under five years, become a cynosure of best practices and a multidimensional case study. The SAHCOL success is one that has never before been recorded in the nation’s aviation sector, and indeed, amongst all public enterprises privatized since 1999 under the government‘s privatization programme. The success of SAHCOL becomes more astounding when juxtaposed with various investments in the aviation sector over the years. More often than not, all that is talked about and discussed in the industry is failure of investments and lamentation and justifiably so. Everywhere in the sector is dotted with failed enterprise. As Capt. Mohammed Joji pointed out in one of his papers, the country has witnessed the collapse of fortynine airlines between 1983 and 2014 averaging three airlines in two years. All these airlines, apart from Nigeria Airways, were private airlines including Virgin Nigeria, operated and run by Richard Branson-led Virgin Group. It is however necessary to point out that a measure of success has been recorded in investments in helicopter and executive jet operations as well as by airline catering service companies. All failed and limping investments in the industry have common stories to tell; stories that put the bane of failure on government and unconducive environment. None of them ever turned the searchlight on itself. The crux of the matter is that while some of the challenges raised by all failed and limping investments in the industry are real, they are also real and so for the investments that have succeeded, such as Helicopter and Executive Jet operations, Airline Catering Service providers and the newest of them, Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL). The issues of multiple taxation, high user-charges, high cost of aviation fuel, high cost of AGO, scarcity of quality manpower and unstable policy environment as well as challenges of power, affect all investments in the industry. What distinguishes one service provider from the other in terms of success and profitability is a function of right business model, entrepreneurial competence and, most critically, ownership discipline. Wherever any, or a combination of these factors is absent in businesses, such businesses collapse. These factors make themselves manifest in the absence of good corporate governance, poor organizational structure, low managerial skills, poor service delivery, poor staff welfare and motivation, poor executive decision-making and strangulating debt profile. In the industry, what has been found is that usually, in the driving seat of collapsed businesses is what is termed the “Ownermanager syndrome” – OMS. The visible imports of this syndrome are, reckless financial management as the Owner dips his hands freely in the tilt of the organization, interferes in the day-to-day operations, even when he has no or limited knowledge of the business. Such owner-managers hire staff at their whims and usually determine equipment at their fancy as well as staff emolument without any respect to organizational reward system and structure. Management’s under them are titular and mere window dressing. Such Ownerships exhibit executive arrogance that in most cases trickle down the

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Ownership discipline and the

SAHCOL

success line, leading to service staff behaving to customers as if they are doing them a favour in offering them services they have paid for. A study of all the collapsed private airlines, Okada which once had 27 aircraft, Kabo or ADC and Bell-View, both of which in their heydays were a pride of Nigeria, and the Nigerian “false hope” national carrier – Virgin Nigeria, show that all of them are replete with the above factors in varying degrees and their collapse is largely traceable to these factors. Even existing businesses show a heavy bent to these negatives. In fact, these terminal factors have become so infectious in the industry that every new business hardly escapes them. Today, the bare truth is that the less these factors are present in any set up, the higher the chances of success and vice versa. Success in the industry is today determined by the extent to which any business enterprise can insulate, albeit quarantine itself from these killerfactors. This is the case of Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited – SAHCOL. How did SAHCOL avoid falling prey and joining the bandwagon in spite of the fact that its parent company that owns it 100% is a brain child of Barrister Taiwo Olayinka Afolabi? As the Owner and Chairman of SAHCOL, Afolabi is well saddled to exhibit, or at least, is susceptible and highly vulnerable to the afflictions of “Ownership syndrome”. A study of SAHCOL’s operations reveals that the vaccine or antidote as it were, is sheer Ownership discipline and strength of character that allow SAHCOL run its day-to-day management without any form of Ownership interference. With a Vision “to become the leading provider of Passenger, Ramp and Cargo handling services in the West African Sub-region and a Mission “to provide quality and efficient Passenger, Ramp and Cargo handling service in line with best practices and highest international standards...”, SAHCOL runs a right business model targeted at both its Vision and Mission. The Handling Company, one of the last standing assets of the liquidated Nigeria Airways, acquired by SIFAX Nigeria Limited at the sum of N5billion from BPE in 2009, has an asset estimated today to have more than quadrupled in value both in infrastructure and equipment. Unlike, in other collapsed concerns, what the Ownership did was to hire a highly knowledgeable, competent and acquitted professional, Mr. Olu Owolabi, to manage the Handling Company with

far-reaching mandate that allows the exercise of professional input in both management and decisionmaking. This approach eliminated the Owner-manager syndrome that is the bane of the industry. This has translated into a professionally run organization with a clientele that has moved from about eight small airlines to about twenty, which includes strong global and legacy airline. A peep into how SAHCOL has managed with financing its ongoing ambitious terminal project reveals that much of it comes from the Ownership. This is contrary to the experience in the industry, where Ownerships are known to feed recklessly on the day-to-day revenue of their businesses to the detriment of the companies. There are records where Chairmen/ CEOs went to sales desks personally to ask for and collect daily sales returns without accountability or even the knowledge of accounting officers. In SAHCOL, project development and equipment acquisitions are usually decisions of both the Management and the Board and usually based on Management proposal. The growing size of SAHCOL clientele is no doubt primarily a function of aggressive marketing by the Management and vastly improved service delivery quality. But it is also a function of strong ownership support and approval of free hand. In SAHCOL today, there are very little issues on corporate governance and transparency. No doubt, Skyway Aviation Handling Company which, at a date yet to be decided, will go public in consonance with its sale agreement with BPE, will remain for a long time, the greatest success of privatization of a governmentowned concern. More critical, the ownership discipline which drives SAHCOL’s success should be a classic lesson for private businesses in the aviation sector, particularly domestic airlines and indeed airports that may be concessioned in the nearest dispensation as well as numerous state-owned airports sprouting up around the country. A major lesson to learn is that it is not a guarantee for success by owner-managing concerns or using family members to manage. Rather, use the right professionals, sit back and watch carefully. The SAHCOL success should be a case study for our Business Schools and Universities to further advance knowledge in the role of Ownership discipline and entrepreneurial competence in business especially in the aviation sector and the nation in general. Chris Aligbe, Aviation Consultant kandimuwa@yahoo.com

SATURDAY

things were getting to hell, they became clear that if you didn’t allow the South South to rule, there probably may not be peace. That is where we are now. And where we lack equity and fairness, there cannot be peace. Have I answered your question?

Continues from pg 20 general and Ogun State in particular. When I became governor we had Olabisi Onabanjo University; Moshood Abiola Polytechnic and of course the Federal Government established the University of Agriculture. But we looked at the fact that the number of our secondary school students coming out of school who could not be accommodated into higher institutions was high. We then started looking at areas of demand, which led us, for instance, to the establishment of the ICT Polytechnic, planned to absorb people because for a long time to come, there will still be demand for people who have ICT training. That is where the whole world is going. So, rather than going for course like business administration – anyway I am not disparaging them – and all of those common courses where graduates are thrown on the streets without jobs, let us turn this place our own silicon valley. India is now there Bangalore producing the ICT products of the world. They are now exporting ICT. So, we said, let us use our own state as our silicon valley, which was what prompted us to establish all those institutes. We did the one in Shapade. We established the one at Ijebu-Igbo, we did the one in Itori and we did another one in Igbesa. We did GIP in Nani apart from the University of Education, which became necessary because it was important to improve the quality teaching. A number of people don’t know that the National Board of Technical Education, NBTE, had decided that NCE graduates are not enough to teach in secondary schools and that for you to be a teacher in a secondary school you must be a graduate in education. And that was how we were propelled to establish the Tai Solarin University of Education, the first in Nigeria and second in Africa, because it is from the quality of the teachers that you have the kind of results that you want from the pupils. You would be shocked to hear that part of what this current Ogun State government wanted to scrap was Tai Solarin University of Education. Why? As we found out, the simple reason was that, this was an OGD initiative. I was talking to some people and they told me that this is the last year of this administration and that this government has not visited any of the tertiary institutions in Ogun State safe, of course there was one convocation of Olabisi Onabanjo that I learned that the governor attended, he has not visited any. But what reason did he give, that you are aware of, for not visiting the institutions? I don’t know and I cannot understand it because when I became governor in 2003, the third day of my swearing in, I was at the Olabisi Onabanjo University and interacted with them. I said to them, “What is going on here? How can I help you students? I tried to meet a few demands. I did the same thing at MAPOLY and I did all round. Barely four years gone, our governor has not deemed it fit to even go and see the state of affairs, instead, what he is saying is planning how to scrap or merge, saying that he does not know how to fund them. You don’t know how to fund university or tertiary institution but it is not a problem for you to be spending close to one billion naira per kilometer on existing road when the best of such that we did cost us not more than one hundred million naira per kilometer. The facts are there. I want to be very polite but this is daylight robbery of the resources of the people of Ogun State. You wanted to ensure that the four

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Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014—49

•Gbenga Daniel

Why Amosun has failed in Ogun — Gbenga Daniel major zones of the state: Ijebu, Remo, Egba and Yewa produced governor of the state. Yewa has not been able to produce a governor. Why? There is nothing extra ordinary that is not easy for an average man to decipher. Actually, my own take on this is that regrettably people don’t want change. There is a common saying that people who make democratic changes impossible will make violent changes inevitable. And if only our people can learn from these things, we would understand and appreciate the fact that the capacity of a people must not be pushed too far. People say if you push a goat to the wall it will bite you because it has nothing else to do. It has happened all over the world and our own history in this country is peculiar. Once upon a time some people in this country believed that they were born to rule. There is nothing wrong in the people strategizing to lead in any environment but in any where the principle of equity and fairness was

neglected anarchy follows. It virtually resulted into anarchy in the course of the June 12 struggle. Regrettably, we had our heroes and some people had to lose their lives before the incumbent found out that, “Ah, whether we like it or not, we have to concede that some other people should be allowed to lead, which was what led to the current experience that now gave Chief Olusegun Obasanjo the opportunity to be President in 1999. And continuing with that tradition, some other people now said, “Well, if we are the people producing the wealth of the nation, who says we cannot rule?” And this struggle started with Ken SaroWiwa. He had to be the matter of that struggle. Additional attempts were made to suppress all of that until finally the oil pipelines were now getting blown and kidnapping set into our environments; kidnapping of expatriates, things that were strange to the Nigerian lexicon, they created it indirectly. And when

Yes, you have, which obviously explained why you formed the PPN and had GNI, Gboyega Nasir Isiaka as the governorship candidate. But in the current dispensation, we don’t really fathom your movement into the Labour Party and all other political maneuverings. Was the Labour Party a special purpose vehicle for that…? (Laughter). The crisis in 2011 in Ogun State wing of the PDP became aggravated simply because the leadership of the party at the centre did not take action. You see, politics is about struggle and a struggle also has structures. The responsibility of a leadership is to ensure that if there is a struggle that tends to tear the party apart, the party must step in. But regrettably the party did not step in, in 2011 and I think the result is there for everybody to see. Regrettably, again, the crisis in 2011 started in 2008. So for three years the party had an opportunity to right the wrong but, one way or the other, probably they didn’t think that it was important enough and they were busy with other things , everybody looked the other way. That gave opportunity for the people we called Abuja politicians, which means people would go to Abuja and derive their powers from there without any grassroots support. But if I can answer your question correctly, I didn’t have to form PPN and I didn’t form PPN. It was a PDP open primaries where Gboyega Nasir Isiaka won free and fair and some other people then went and held illegal primaries according to the PDP rules and regulations. What the party should have done was to say that primary was illegal, null and void and of no effect. That should have been the end of the matter. PDP would have been ruling in Ogun State today but because of the fear of certain personalities, the party failed to do what it needed to do and so illegality now became legality and before you knew what was happening, like Papa Hubert Ogunde would sing, “Won gbare felebi, won gbebi falare, won p’ole kowaja, won tun p’oloko wamu,” meaning that they award favour to the guilty and pass guilt to who should be favoured; they invited a thief to steal in the farm and are the same ones that ask the farm owner to come and arrest the thief. (Laughs). That was what happened in Ogun State and the only thing that, that can lead to is disaster. But having ruled for all of the eight years, I have become some sort of elder statesman and I have no choice than to see how we can make peace. In 2011 people felt cheated and said they would have to go to another party, which they did, to try their luck. But after the election was lost and won, I have been working very hard to bring everybody together.

To be Continued

50—SATURDAY

Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

BY DAUD OLATUNJI

n 28 of October, 2014, the deputy governor of Ogun State, Prince Segun Adesegun threw a jab at his estranged boss, Governor Ibikunle Amosun through a stinker he wrote to him, which got leaked to the Press. In the letter, Adesegun chronicled Amosun's 'sins' which he described as injustices against his person and his office. Findings have shown that the letter was written October 24, 2014 which gave the credence to a lot of speculations in the Government House that both Amosun and Adesegun live the life of cat and mouse, but had chosen not to rock the boat before the present moment. Both Amosun and his deputy did not belong to the same political party from time, but, had cause to work together against the then incumbent governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel who was almost done with his two term tenure on the platform of the People's Democratic Party. Initially, Amosun was a member of the defunct All Nigeria People Party and had contested for governorship seat in 2007 which he lost to Daniel. His bid to re-contest after four years led him to collapse his political structure into that of the defunct Action Congress , the party of his now estranged deputy governor shortly before it later metamorphosed into the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria. After several permutations, Amosun became the governorship candidate of the then Action Congress of Nigeria and eventually won the seat. Findings however, showed that, the choice of Adesegun as his deputy governor did not go down well with Amosun as he had planned to use his former running mate during his 2007elelction, Mrs. Elizabeth Sonubi from Ogun East. He was said to have raised objection to the choice initially, but, was rebuffed by the leadership of the party led by a former governor of the state Aremo, Segun Osoba. Saturday Vanguard also gathered that, while Amosun was still nursing the wound of not being allowed to nominate his running mate, the party inflicted another one on him when it chose all the national assembly members in the state and about 85 per cent members of the state Assembly without his input. He was only reportedly given just six slots at the state assembly. This among others were said to have infuriated Amosun who reportedly hinted some of his loyalists of his plan to hit back at the leaders of the party after he became the governor. True to his words, Amosun displayed his power as the executive governor of the state. He first of all changed the plan by the party to install the candidate of the party for the post of deputy Speaker and replaced that with his loyalist. The party had designed that, Suraju Adekunbi would be the speaker while Adijat AdeleyeC M Y K

Prince Segun Adesegun

Governor Ibikunle Amosun

Amosun vs Deputy :

How the friendship turned sour Oladapo would be his deputy. But, Amosun played a fast one on the party, replaced Adijat with Tola Banjo as the deputy Speaker. Apart, from this, Amosun also ensured that, some of the party nominees as commissioners scaled through, except Chief Olu Odeyemi, a long time loyalist of Aremo Osoba. In the area of local governments, Amosun also resisted the plan by the party to have its way during the local governments election. But, Amosun was left with no choice about the inclusion of Adesegun in his cabinet , but, to accept his fate. It was reliably gathered that,Amosun decided to deal with the party leadership following an unconfirmed report that, the party had positioned Adesegun to take over Amosun's government after he must have been impeached two years after he was sworn-in. Like an offended snake, Amosun would sting and ensured he took control of the government machinery including house of assembly. Perhaps, as a way to protect himself, Amosun was reported to have stripped his deputy of power of representation whenever he was absent. Unlike, what is obtained in some states including Lagos,

Adesegun had no portfolio and had his convoy extremely reduced . An unconfirmed report has it that, at the executive council meeting, all the members have been directed to drop their mobile phones with their aides except the governor. But, the deputy governor reportedly defied the order , the action which was reported to have generated heat arguments and almost led to the harassment of the deputy by some members of the cabinet. The relationship has been like cat and mouse but, the two political leaders had never washed their dirty linen in public, before this present moment . In his10-paragraph letter of complaint of injustices meted against him,Adesegun accused Amosun, among other things, of starving his office of funds and allocation of old vehicles to his office. He claimed that the governor had failed to deliver on his promise that he “would enjoy his tenure as the deputy governor while contesting the governorship election in 2011 under the(defunct) Action Congress of Nigeria. “My governor, as I am writing to you, the feeding and out-ofpocket allowance of the deputy governor for the months of

September and October 2014, as well as the monthly sundry expenses for the months of September and October 2014 are yet to be paid. “Last year, in my letter to your good self on the affairs of the state, I concluded by reminding you that at a meeting held in February, 2011 at Alhaji Rafiu Ogunleye’s house, while you were the governorship candidate of the ACN, you called me aside and promised me that I will enjoy my tenure as your deputy but since then I have not felt the benefit. “I write to say that rather than improving, the situation is worse. Seven months ago, electricity supply to my official residence was cut off because the state government owed the then Power Holding Company of Nigeria. ”I have to spend an average of N30,000 daily on diesel to provide electricity for my residence. I wondered why my lodge was not initially connected to the state mini-power plant even when it is on record that several government premises, including private residences and organisations enjoy power supply from the plant. “I informed you personally (and severally) during the State Executive Council meetings, requesting necessary action from the appropriate quarters. Up till Continues on page 51

SATURDAY

Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014—51

Continues from page 50 now, I am still living in darkness. “Of course, your Excellency knows that till date, I remain the deputy governor in Nigeria without a portfolio, in spite of entreaties made to you from various quarters. Worse, several attempts made by me for the office of the deputy governor were rebuffed by your good self. And I keep wondering why this is so. “Another very relevant issue is my official car. The engine knocked in December last year. Your Excellency will recollect that you were formerly using the car and that it was when you rejected it that it was transferred to me. So, when it had problems, I thought you will appreciate and understand my plight, rather you ignored me. “I had cause to remind you many times, but nothing was done. I resorted to using my personal car as back-up even when I was aware that you were giving vehicles, including Custom-made bulletproof vehicles to others. It was when a Good Samaritan bought a Tundra Truck for me that you deemed it fit to send a Toyota Prado XL V4 engine to me in late August. “My convoy of old vehicles break down intermittently when travelling. On numerous occasions, we have had cause to stop while on a journey to effect repairs on vehicles . Obviously, these vehicles are to be changed every two years under best practices, even when newly bought. These vehicles in my convoy were used by the last administration and transferred to me. “Your Excellency may also note that the fund you approved for my vacation with some members of my immediate family and two aides in August 2014 is yet to be paid. Please recall that I discussed the vacation with your good self in May, and you graciously conceded that I should forward a memorandum in June, only for it to be approved in August.“Despite your approval, the fund was not released. I made several spirited efforts to no avail. " It got to a stage that I was being bounced between you and the Commissioner for Finance. I eventually proceeded on the leave without collecting a dime. “I am therefore constrained to ask if the non-payment of these allowances is as a result of the state government not being able to meet her financial commitments? C M Y K

Governor Ibikunle Amosun

Prince Segun Adesegun

Amosun vs Deputy :

How the friendship turned sour Or is the state financially bankrupt that it cannot meet its responsibilities?” But, Amosun seems to have kept a sealed lip over the allegation. Amosun was quoted to have said that, he did not want to dignify his deputy with response. He was reported to have said that Adesegun remained "the Number Two Man in the government and it is important to respect both the office and the person occupying it". Saturday Vanguard gathered that, the governor showed a list of benefits to those who quarried him of the action against his deputy. In the record, according to the findings, Adesegun has been allocated 12 vehicles, nine of which were given to him as brand new – never been used. These included four jeeps, a Toyota Landcruiser, three Prado Sport Utility Vehicles, one Hiace bus and five Hilux vans. The last of the Prado SUVs was supplied in July this year (2014). Evidence

of regular weekly or fortnightly supplies of fuel supply to Adesegun's official quarters was also reportedly showed. But, in a swift reaction, the deputy governor denied the governor's claim, saying, there was no iota of truth in the response. He said "By standard practice, vehicles attached to newly elected governors and deputy governors are brand new and these vehicles are changed every two years. Addressing newsmen recently, the deputy governor explained why he defected to the Social Democratic Party and plan to contest for governorship against his enstrage boss. Adesegun who defected from All Progressives Congress revealed that the disagreement between him and Amosun had begun before they were sworn in, in 2011. He however, said that he and other leaders of the defunct Action Congress (AC) were instrumental to Amosun’s emergence as governor in 2011.

According to him, “the events that culminated in that letter started shortly before we were sworn in. There were quite a lot of issues, which at this time decency does not allow me to talk about. “The letter I wrote was a pri-vate letter. I had earlier written one and I felt that after writing that second one, if nothing was done, I would go to the press and refer to the letters and if nobody was willing to publish it for me, I was going to pay to publish it. But somehow it got leaked and it became an issue”. “I have gone to this length to say that there is no doubt there are issues. But today, I don’t want to talk about those issues again because I want to close that chapter. Hitherto, all the issues raised, nothing has been done. “In producing the next gov-ernor, we thought of quite a lot of things. Eventually, the entire leadership felt that we should invite the then Senator Ibikunle Amosun believing that with him and his knowledge politically, having been in the ANPP, then, we will be able to score some points politically, especially when we felt that we were brothers and sisters. “And that was how we met. God was on our side, we had several meetings and he became governor and I became his deputy", he said . If the SDP picks Adesegun as it's governorship candidate, he would need to slug it out with his estranged boss at the poll which would end the animosity as the duo part their ways.

52—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

How Okowa picked Delta PDP ticket

votes of the majority Urhobo tribe and some others to emerge. Obuh was to be offered the position of his running mate and would have another shot at the post after Edevbie. This development was seen either as a betrayal or as a capitulation by Governor Uduaghan, depending on which side of the divide you belong. This made Delta North people more united. Meetings were held and they decided to queue behind Okowa. Surprisingly, Edevbie did not get the total support of the Urhobo and it turned huge advantage to Okowa who had remained resilient.

Delta North trembles

Taken together, Delta North people saw their cause as less optimistic. Most dreadful was the prospect of living under the hegemony of Delta Central if the PDP Governorship Project was blown into shreds. This was the atmosphere prevailing in the state as the stage was set for the primaries.

The Poisoned chalice

BY HUGO ODIOGOR

atchers of the political drama that attended the emergence of Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa as the standard bearer of Peoples’ Democratic Party’s in the 2015 governorship race will not forget in a hurry the palpable fear that pervaded the atmosphere at the Event centre, Asaba, the venue of the governorship primaries held on December 8, 2014. For the 26 aspirants, their supporters and the accredited delegates, whose mandate was either “to liberate the state from pervasive mediocrity and sycophancy or to continue with the status quo”, the task was not going to be easy.

Dramatic events

The dramatic turn of events that resulted in the dropping of Sir Tony Chuks Obuh from the race was too hard for the man and his supporters to swallow. Sir. Obuh had about three years to stay in the civil service and everybody expected that at most, he would retire as the head of service, but he was encouraged by circumstances around him to retire and contest to be the next governor of the state. Sir. Tony Obuh formally retired in August. Before Obuh pulled out of service, Dr. Uduaghan was said to have called a meeting where the Special Adviser on Political Matters, Chief Ighoyota Amori, the Secretary to the State Government, Comrade Ovuzure Macaulay and the former State Chairman of PDP, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi were in attendance. The Governor briefed them of his decision to allow power shift to Delta North. This was the genesis of the Obuh project. When his journey came to an abrupt end on December 7th, it was a shocker to Sir Tony Obuh, his family, supporters and political opponents. In fact the entire Delta North was thrown off guard as they saw Delta North 2015 slipping away. C M Y K

For many Urhobo politicians, Dr. Uduaghan handed them a poisoned chalice. The endorsement of Chief Edevbie came too late that he could not utilize whatever advantage the incumbency factor was supposed to confer on him.

Okowa’s burden

Ifeanyi Okowa

The Rescue Mission

The looming humiliation that came with the news of Dr. Uduaghan dropping Sir Obuh was too hard for the Obuh Camp to contain and there was no time to organize any rescue mission. There was no plan B and there was nobody to reach out to. Sir Obuh became a pawn in the political chess game between Chief James Ibori, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and the Stakeholders in the state. Name droppers went to town that it was the presidency that asked that Sir Obuh should be dropped. Of course there was no truth in this. For most Anioma people, the idea of dropping Obuh was seen as a response to the series of threats by the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) which had insisted that its members would vote against the PDP and against President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, if the governorship ticket was not given to Delta

Central. The Obuh drama added apprehension and revulsion to the power game as he was said to have lost the support of Dr. Uduaghan who was now said to have endorsed Olorogun David Edevbie, an aspirant from Delta Central which is opposed to equity in the political space. But Uduaghan’s action was said to have been fueled by the lack of cooperation from Delta North people who appeared to be fighting him in spite of his preference for a Delta North candidate to emerge next governor. And since the more than 15 candidates from Delta North would not agree to reach some agreement to present one or two candidates there was this fear that they would split the votes and finally lose the chance. This caused the last minute change that craved for support for Edevbie, an Urhobo candidate who was expected to pull the

Dr. Okowa had been favoured to win the primaries even though he had to face the stiff challenge that came his way from all directions. In 2007, he narrowly lost to Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. Dr. Okowa emerged tops in the screening organized by Anioma Congress to trim the number of aspirants from Delta North. He was followed by Hon. Victor Ochei and Hon. Ndudi Elumelu. But some other aspirants protested against the work of the Anioma Congress. The introduction of Sir Tony Obuh and Hon. Charles Elumelu’s names in the work of the Anioma Congress created further complications. The Secretary General of Anioma Congress, Sir Dan Okenyi told Saturday Vanguard that “the victory of Dr. Okowa is a vindication of the work of Anioma Congress.” Sir Okenyi said even Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has called the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Chike Edozien, to commend the foresight of the Anioma Congress in the choice of Okowa who seems to have a Pan

Deltan Agenda

Okowa won the votes of Bomadi, Patani, and Burutu Local Governments. Okowa also won solidly in Isoko North and South. The votes from Warri South and Warri South West also went to Okowa. He received about 45% votes from the Delta Central. This minimized the impact of the 185 votes that Hon. Ochei received and the 50 and 49 votes that went to Hon. Elumelu and Elder Godsday Orubebe, respectively. A former Chairman of Oshimili South Ogbueshi John Efianya, said the victory of Okowa at the PDP primaries was the beginning of the battle ahead. According to Efianya “We must sustain the grassroots and Pan Deltan appeal of the Okowa candidacy. We have to work with Delta South and retain the friendship of Delta Central who shunned divisive politics.” The political strategists in Delta Central have gone to the drawing board to decide which party they will adopt for the 2015 election. Chief Great Ogboru who has been contesting to be governor since 2003, is the flag bearer of Labour Party while Olorogun O’Tega Emerhror is the candidate of All Progressive Congress. Dr. Okowa is not carried away by the euphoria that he picked the PDP ticket because it’s still morning yet on creation day.

SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 13, 2014—53

Ugwuanyi

Enugu Guber 2015

The colour of water

beneath the PDP primary

BY FRANCIS IGATA,ENUGU Empirical facts behind last Monday’s conduct of primary for the governorship seat of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, depict that the party in Enugu State, is heading for a stormy voyage.

he Enugu PDP governorship primary election held on Monday, December 8, 2014 ended in crisis as the aspirants strongly disagreed with the Electoral Panel from the party’s National Secretariat over the list of delegates used for the exercise. The disagreement forced some of the aspirants to hold parallel primaries which produced three candidates. The governorship candidates laying claims to the PDP ticket are Senator Ayogu Eze, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Professor Onyeke O. Onyeke, all from Enugu North senatorial zone where the governorship slot had been zoned by the party. The disagreement that led to the disintegration of the aspirants on the day of the primaries was said to have been caused by the PDP Governorship Primaries Electoral Panel for the state headed by a Bayelsa Monarch, King Asara A. Asara. Other members of the panel were Ukpai Ukairo (secretary), Saratu Umar, Engr Alamu Adeyemi and Ikeje Asogwa. The party had before the governorship primaries conducted C M Y K

the State House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senatorial primaries using the list of delegates elected at the November 1, 2014 ward congresses in the state. Although, there were parallel primaries in some of the constituencies, the exercise was conducted with the list of authentic delegates duly certified by the Federal High Court, Abuja. Governor Sullivan Chime had assured party stakeholders at a meeting he summoned before the primaries began that only the delegates “approved by the Abuja Court” would participate in the primaries hence in most of the constituencies, the list of delegates contained in the Certified True Copy obtained from the court was used for the primaries. But when the Governorship Electoral Panel arrived in Enugu for the primaries on Monday, the aspirants were shocked to hear the declaration by its chairman that another list of delegates were handed over to them by the National Secretariat for the governorship primaries. Asara had on arrival in Enugu summoned all the governorship aspirants to a pre-primary briefing at the Allens Hotel, Independence Layout, Enugu. Aspirants present at the conference hall of the hotel were Senator Ayogu Eze, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Hon. Eugene Odo, Chief Anayo Onwuegbu, Chief Sam Onyishi, Mr. Chinedu Onu and Prof Onyeke O. Onyeke.

While the meeting was holding at the Allens Hotel, accreditation of delegates was in progress at the Okpara Square while those accredited were being conveyed to the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium for the primaries. Majority of those present at the venue were officials of the state government and a few of the elected delegates. When the authentic delegates arrived at the accreditation venue, gun-wielding security operatives at the entrance of Okpara Square drove them away and some of them who found their way to the accreditation table were told that their names were not on the delegates’ list. Consequently, they relocated to Filbon Hotel, New Haven to decide on the next line of action. Asara informed the aspirants that the panel was in the state to conduct transparent primaries and assured them that the panel would not be biased. However, when the aspirants asked Asara to let them see the copy of the list of delegates they intended to use for the primaries, he told them that the list of delegates given to him from the PDP National Secretariat Abuja was different from the Federal High Court-Certified True Copy, which was shown to him at the meeting by Senator Eze. King Asara insisted that the panel would not disclose the list of delegates to the aspirants at the meeting as it had no mandate to do so before the exercise. The

statement that heightened suspicion among the aspirants that the panel was not in the state to conduct a free and fair primaries. Eze had told newsmen shortly after the pre-primary meeting with the chairman of the electoral panel that, “There was only one primary election at which the genuine delegates, elected on November 1, 2014 voted for me out of their freewill. What happened was that during the pre-primary briefing by the Governorship Primary Electoral Panel the bewildered aspirants were told that the list of delegates given to the panel from Abuja was different from the names of delegates elected at the November 1, 2014 congresses in the state. The electoral panel was also shown a certified true copy of the list of delegates obtained from a Federal High Court in Abuja, which it confirmed was different from the list given to them. I also reported to the panel that these genuine delegates were being denied accreditation and entrance into the venue of the primary Ekweremadu election. I was heading to the venue of the primary election when these frustrated delegates called me to address them at Filbon Hotel, New Haven, Enugu, where they had already assembled to ponder their next move. Once I arrived at the venue they insisted they must conduct the primary. They went ahead to elect me the PDP candidate. The electoral panel commenced their work at the so called primary election venue very late in the evening because the government had difficulty assembling people to come to the venue. They filled the stadium, venue of the supposed primary election, with non party members. It was an assemblage of passersby, touts, cheerleaders and office messengers who were hurriedly railroaded to the venue as a face saving measure. I want to state that I have the highest regards for the governorship electoral panel, headed by High Highness, King Asara Asara. Their hands were tied by the manipulations that produced the illegal list at the party headquarters in Abuja and they clearly told all the aspirants so. The electoral panel addressed seven governorship aspirants at the pre-primary briefing but only two of the seven made it to the stadium with the panel because of the panel’s confession that the list of delegates given to them was different from the list obtained at congresses of November 1, 2014 in the 260 wards of Enugu State. There could not therefore have been another primary election in Enugu State. A gathering of jesters and non party men could not have been described as a properly constituted forum of the party to elect a governorship candidate for our great party. Even the presence of a few responsible people at the venue was not enough to confer any respectability on such an illegal gathering”. Another governorship aspirant, Onyishi, said,”I will not be part of an illegality. Why would NWC change the list of delegates for the governorship? It simply means that they are applying selective delegates in the exercise. “I had to boycott because of the adulteration in the delegates list. I have a certified true copy of the delegates list authenticated by the Abuja high court. I had campaigned to all the 797 delegates using the list. I will win the primary if they conduct a credible primary with the list. I am still very much in the race. I have petitioned my party over these inconsistencies. Once am through exhausting internal party machinery to seek a credible primary, I will seek other measures for redress.”

54—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

BY EMMA UJAH Abuja Bureau Chief

gitators who expect the administration of Presi dent Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to reduce the prices of petroleum products may be disappointed, as investigations have shown that it is not currently being considered. It was learnt that the considerations of the federal government is that what should have been a direct benefit to consumers as a fall-out from the crash in the prices of crude oil in the international market has been lost to the devaluation of the Naira. The Central Bank recently devalued the Naira from a longstanding N155==$ 1 to N168==$1, owing to pressures on the currency at the foreign Exchange market. The Petroleum Products Pricing regulatory Agency, PPPRA, claimed in its Thursday, December 11, 2014, that it was buying products from foreign refineries at the rate of N171.36 ==$1. PPPRA's Pricing Template indicated that as at Thursday, its Offshore Nigeria Price stood N78.67 per litre and a Landing cost of N88.90 per litre. When all distribution margins and other costs are added to the landing cost, Expected Open Market Price got to N104.39 per litre, thus still leaving the federal government with a subsidy of N7.39 kobo. State actors claimed that the federal government now needed much more Naira to buy the products which should have cost consumer more but for the reduction in the cost of crude , as well as, subsidy it pays on the products. Brent prices have fallen to about $ 70 per barrel, with industry experts forecasting further fall to as low as $ 50 per barrel in the months ahead. Products prices across several countries around the globe have been cut by marketers in countries like the United Kingdom

Why FG is reluctant to reduce petrol price

President Goodluck Jonathan where the prices have been deregulated. In that country, ASDA, Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsburry have reduced petrol prices by at least 2 per litre, bringing prices around 112 . 7 per litre. Malaysia, India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka also officially cut their petroleum products’ prices, some by as much as 6 per cent. The federal government while responding to the development in the international crude oil market has cut 2015 subsidy budget to about N 458.68 billion, down from N 971.14 billion in the current Fiscal Year. It has also reviewed downwards it oil price benchmark twice to avoid being caught napping in the crashing oil prices scenario. It originally proposed $78 per barrel of oil for the 2015 budget, but later revised to $73 per barrel and lately $65 per barrel. Agitation for the a cut in prices of petroleum products have been mounting with Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, last week, criticizing the federal

Diezani Alison-Madueke

government over its reluctance towards reducing the pump price of oil from the current N97 per litre, after a significant decline in crude prices. The Governor spoke while addressing hundreds of youths at the Lagos State After School Graduation Development Centre, AGDC, IGNITE Employability Project 5, Ikeja. His words, “Now, we should be enjoying cheap fuel if the price of oil has dropped globally. And even as we import the product, a major component has reduced in price. While this has reduced, the pump price of fuel in the country still remains the same. Something is wrong. “If the price increases in the country when the price of oil goes up globally, then it should also reduce when the price of crude oil drops. “I am not an economist but I have some logic and common sense to ask critical questions. For instance, if one buys flour at N10

per kilogram, and the bread is sold at N1 per loaf, if the price of flour drops, the price of the bread should also change”. The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has also joined the agitation by calling on the federal government to reduce pump prices of petroleum products in line with falling crude prices in the international market as has been done by other countries. General Secretary of NLC, Dr Peter Oso-Eson, told journalists midweek that NLC was worried prices of products have remained static. According to him, ”The area that worries us very seriously is that crude prices are falling. In order countries, what that is immediately translating to, is that the price of petroleum products and pump head is coming down. In the United States, in the last one month, the price of a gallon of petrol, has come down from $3 to $2, in response to this price adjustment. In our country, we are not allowed to enjoy that benefit. What government is doing is that in order to shore up its naira revenue, it has gone to devalue excessively, the naira; $13 devaluation in one day, and then a continuous process of depreciation. “What that does, is that, because we import petroleum products largely, the gains from the falling price of crude which ought to translate to consumers, is prevented by that devaluation; because, by devaluing the cost of the head price, it might even increase. ”We say that that is wrong and the benefits of the falling price of crude, must be translated to Nigerians. Therefore, going forward, we want a situation in which the pump of petrol and other petroleum products should actually be adjusted downwards.”

FALLING OIL PRICES

Gas producers move to strengthen gas exporting countries forum

ith no end in sight to the

plummeting global oil price, major Gas producing countries across the World are rallying to consolidate on a formidable bloc to maximize their natural gas resources via enthronement of a stable and reliable gas market. Sources close to the newspaper indicate that the producers who are uniting under the auspices of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, GECF, are compelled and impelled by the declining crude oil prices to strengthen the 15year old Forum which had its inaugural session in Tehran, Iran and was attended by governments of Algeria, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Turkmenistan and Norway in May, 2001. Few years later, countries like Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela, as well as Iraq, and the Netherlands as Observers joined the Forum. The central mission and objective of the Forum from inception in accordance with the statute is to support the sovereign rights of member countries over their natural resources and other C M Y K

abilities “ to independently plan and manage the sustainable, efficient and environmentally conscious development, use and conservation of natural gas resources for the benefit of their peoples”. Nigeria with proven gas reserve of over 187 trillion cubic feet is seeking alternative markets for its LNG against the backdrop of growing competition amid declining demands from hitherto reliable off-takers in the Asia pacific zone as well as the US. With recent surge in production of Nigeria’s gas to over 8 billion cubic feet per day, Nigeria is the eight largest producer of gas in the world and sixth largest gas supplier to Europe. However close Industry watchers say that it would be in Nigeria’s interest to canvass its capacity to supporting the EU’s energy sector priorities as it relates to long- term security and diversification of gas supplies especially I the wake of volatile supply situation from Russia. Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources and newly elected President of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, Mrs.

Growing the nation's gas exports Diezani Alison-Madueke told journalists in an earlier interview that the Federal Government has earmarked significant investment to support expansion of the sector in the coming years.

“Though increasing domestic power generation through adequate supply of gas to power is a priority for the government, export capacity will also rapidly grow, particularly as new LNG projects are completed,” the Minister stated.

SATURDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 13, 2014—55

Research, development critical to innovations —ODARO

s the new brand from Guinness Nigeria Plc, Orijin continues to enjoy handsome patronage, speculations are rife that the alcoholic blend with the flavour of Africa herbs and fruits may be inimical to consumers’ well being. But in this encounter with Saturday Vanguard Business, the company’s Marketing Manager, Innovation, Ms. Omosefe Odaro insists the drink is a product of years of careful research. Why did Guinness Nigeria launch Orijin? At Guinness Nigeria, Research and Development (R&D) is critical to any decision to innovate. Our research confirmed that adult Africans want to stand up and be counted as part of the modern world while still staying connected to their African identity and traditions. These findings led to the birth of Orijin - a drink made for Africans by Africans. Orijin contains Sodium Benzoate. Is it true that Sodium Benzoate causes cancer? This is a widely used food preservative that is present in most drinks that we consume every day. It has been approved for use and recognised as safe by NAFDAC, WHO and U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other recognized bodies. It is not harmful. Some consumers also claim that Orijin is medicinal, how true is that? This is not a claim that we have made but as you can imagine, consumers always have various experiences as they interact with any brand. For us, Orijin is an alcoholic blend with the flavours of African

herbs and fruits, combined to give a refreshing bitter-sweet taste and we are proud and happy that Nigerians adore this brand so much. Is it true that Orijin contains too much sugar? The sugar content of Orijin is not more than other beers in the Nigerian market and the recommended quantity for human consumption. Orijin is relatively a new brand, what do you think is responsible for the success it has recorded so far? Any innovation from Guinness Nigeria only gets to the market after extensive research and development has taken place to determine what the consumer really wants. Orijin is no exception. The drink meets the needs of the modern African who wants to enjoy the benefits of modern life without necessarily compromising their African roots. I think that it is this unique offering and the fact that it is produced by a well-respected, quality conscious company with outstanding experience in producing world beating global brands dating well over 250 year that makes the brand so successful. Are there particles in Orijin that could be harmful to health? Orijin is made of herbs, fruits and alcohol. There is nothing in Orijin that is harmful to health. Just shake the glass and enjoy your Orijin. The product is very popular and

Glo excites subscribers with Overload, Allawee Promos

igeria’s national telecommunications carrier, Globacom, has launched two mega promos, Glo Overload and Glo Allawee to spice up the season for its customers. Glo Overload instantly gives 200 per cent airtime and data bonus. This opportunity will make its clients 100 times richer every time they recharge with N200 or more. As part of the programme, subscribers will win N120 million cash prizes during the promo, while Glo Allawee gives every new customer N18,000 worth of free airtime for calls and text messages. A release by the firm disclosed that the two offers are part of a series of promos being unveiled by the company to create unprecedented excitement for millions of subscribers on the network. Under Glo Overload promo, subscribers are guaranteed 200 per cent bonus airtime automatically for every airtime recharge of N200 denomination and above. C M Y K

For instance, a subscriber who recharges with N200 will automatically get N600 airtime; a N500 recharge will give the subscriber N1,500 airtime; a N1,000 recharge will give N3,000 airtime to the subscriber; N2,000 recharge will give N6,000 airtime and N5,000 recharge will give the subscriber a whopping N15,000 airtime. Subscribers are to dial *200# to signify interest in receiving the Overload bonus and subsequently get the bonus as many times as they recharge their airtime. Additionally, Glo Overload gives subscribers 200 per cent bonus data for new data plan or renewal from N2000 and above. Consequently, subscribers get 2GB of data for N2,000 worth of data they buy, 4.5GB for N3,000 data plan, 12GB for N5,000 data plan and 24GB for N8,000 worth of data plan they purchase. Also, a subscriber who recharges with N5000 airtime or data bundle stands a chance to win N500,000 cash every time he or she

recharges with that denomination. Earlier, Mr. Ashok Israni, Regional Chief Marketing Officer said this is Globacom’s way of rewarding its esteemed customers for their consistent loyalty. He urged telecommunication subscribers across the country wishing to benefit from Glo Overload to dial *200# on their phones. They will consequently be admitted to the promo platform and be able to enjoy all the promised benefits. Glo Allawee on its part, enables subscribers to get free airtime of N50 everyday when they use N50 or more on calls, text messages or data before 10pm. The bonus is credited the following day and can be used to make calls or send text messages to Glo lines only. According to Globacom’s National Sales Coordinator, David Maji, “Glo Allawee was developed to encourage and empower teeming subscribers to join the network and begin to enjoy many other benefits.

sometimes it can be scarce. What is Guinness doing to ensure that Orijin is readily available all the time? As part of our capacity expansion programme which saw an investment of N52bn injected into increasing capacity at our Benin and Ogba breweries, we are in a better position than we have ever been to meet demand for all our products including Orijin. Odaro: Orijin has some imitations now in the market... We have a robust brand assurance process that handles any counterfeit related issue. However, we can assure you that we have not come across any case of Orijin adulteration. Make sure you look out for the Guinness mark of quality on the packaging. Why should I stock Orijin? Orijin is loved by consumers. It is very profitable to customers as it has more cash

margin per case than average mainstream beers. The DG of NAFDAC recently commended Guinness Nigeria on observing good quality standards, what do you have to say about that? The commendation was well received and we are committed to continually improving on our quality to keep satisfying our customers and consumers.

Sterling Bank identifies with customers on new complaints portal

n a move best described as unwavering dedication to customer service, Sterling Bank Plc has registered as a “Responsive Company” on Reportam.com.ng, a free-touse, independent and unbiased portal where Nigerian consumers can post reports about good and bad customer service experiences. As a Responsive Company on Reportam.com.ng, Sterling Bank has the opportunity to get automatic alerts about complaints or compliments, view customer

details, respond to reports and reach out to customers, among other benefits. Speaking with the Reportam Team, the Customer Experience Manager of Sterling Bank, Ms. Oluwabusola Awosile, said: “We are happy to register Sterling Bank Plc as a Responsive Company on reportam.com.ng. Delivering excellent service experience is at the forefront of what we do and we appreciate any platform that allows us to do this well.” “We are happy that Sterling Bank has shown true commitment to resolving its customers’ issues by registering on our platform,” said Mrs. Ireti Oladapo, Head of Communications for Reportam.com.ng. “We hope other companies in Nigeria will emulate Sterling Bank and see the value this platform provides and register as Responsive Companies.” Reportam.com.ng, which was created by a group of young Nigerian professionals, is an online customer service feedback and complaint portal, which was recently launched in Nigeria. Through this platform, companies are able to view and resolve customer complaints, get commendations for good services and also reach out to their customers directly or via the Reportam website.

56—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

Awaiting Diezani’s distinction at OPEC BY JOHNAINOFENOKHAI

hen less than 40 days after Diezani AlisonMadueke became Petroleum Minister President Goodluck Jonathan signed the Nigerian Content Bill into law, not a lot of persons saw the good tidings of her appointment in that singular act. It is not clear if she had a hand in the bill sponsored by another Niger Deltan in the last National Assembly, Senator Lee Maeba; but it was under her watch that a law to empower local contractors in the lucrative sector came into being. Today, more Nigerians are involved in sharing the proceeds of their country’s wealth. Also, when it was first broached months ago that Diezani Alison-Madueke was to be made the President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), not many, including this writer, believed that story, because in a men’s club, it was unthinkable, even preposterous, that a woman who strays in will be given the opportunity to head the club. Like others, I concluded that the spin doctors in government were flying a kite to make Goodluck Jonathan look good as always. However, and fortunately, too, one woman, this time a Nigerian, for all that it is worth, including the exposure, now heads the club. And yet some still say that nothing is working in Nigeria, including that franchisee for the All Progressives Congress (APC), the beloved Nobel laureate and intellectual, who dabbles more into politics than academics, Professor Wole Soyinka. The achievements of the Jonathan administration in the petroleum industry under the watch of Alison-Madueke are quite remarkable and they have been documented for posterity. The administration, among others, initiated a critical gas flare-down campaign, which in 2 years, has seen gas flaring reduced by 20% to as approximately 16.7% of produced gas; it completed 100% of the transitional phase objectives recommended by UNEP including capacity building initiatives; identification of site for Integrated Soil Management Centre; designing clean-up plans and developing livelihood C M Y K

Diezani Alison-Madueke

strategies for Ogoniland. It developed a comprehensive secondary school curriculum on the effect of Hydrocarbon pollution, in collaboration with the University of Port-Harcourt; and put together the provision of critical support to the Joint Task Force that patrols the Niger-Delta’s onshore oil fields to apprehend pipeline vandals and crude oil thieves. In addition, it has significantly increased the level of indigenous asset ownership and

enforcing utilisation of Nigerian owned assets such as marine vessels and rigs in supporting oil and gas industry operations; and maximized local value addition, by encouraging the manufacturing of equipment components and parts, in the country, in furtherance of the Nigerian Content Act of 2010. Diezani is a woman of many firsts. She was the first woman on the board of the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC); the first woman to be Petroleum Resources Minister, and she made history by becoming the first woman to lead a country delegation at the annual OPEC conference four years ago. Interestingly, this Amazon in the oil sector studied architecture in England and the United States, returning home to join the SPDC. In 2002, she did an MBA at Cambridge University and in 2006, became the first female Executive Director of the company in Nigeria. Who dares say she hasn’t done much for country and self. Understandably, the bellyachers went to work, just as they did with the rebasing of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), acting as if there was nothing monumental about the fact that ours was the largest economy in Africa, inching its way to becoming one of the 20 developed economies in the world. But every attempt to diminish Allison-Madueke’s, and by extension, Jonathan’s achievements has fallen like a pack of cards, though some foreign powers who pretend to be friends are boycotting Nigeria’s oil, all in an orchestrated effort to push a calabash to the bottom of the river. Never to be suppressed without the consent of Heaven, the country with Jonathan and Alison-Madueke at the helm in the petroleum sector, is looking elsewhere and trudging on, and inch by inch, breaking new ground as occasioned by her election. As if responding to those who do not see anything good in her election, she has been quoted to have told a group of Nigerians in Austria that the position will, amongst other benefits, afford Nigeria the opportunity to be at the driver’s seat when major global decisions on the black gold and its derivatives are

taken. Her words: “When you are in the position, you are also able to relate across board in a very operational way with member countries and also nonmember countries of OPEC as well who today are putting a lot of volumes of production in the market. “As seen today in the downward spiral in price of crude oil, Saudi Arabia is not the only big producer but it is the only OPEC member in the big oil producers and so there is a lot of balancing that needs to be done and, of course, in that position, you are at the forefront of doing that. You are also at the forefront of ensuring energy security which is a major issue globally for us at this point in time.” She further said, “We will also be ensuring that our economies and not just OPEC member countries but of African countries that are now at the forefront of producing oil and gas are also given the frameworks to create enabling environment to allow us to become much more competitive in today’s global crude oil market. “That is a critical objective because the end-user markets are becoming fewer at this time and we must be competitive if we are going to step in there and grab a good percent of the market share of the end user market. I think that it is a position that will, of course, wield quite a bit of advantages for us not just in terms of OPEC member countries but also in terms of the African continent.” There is no doubt that AlisonMadueke understands the entire dynamics of the global oil market and its politics. That is the advantage and strength she is leveraging on to apply herself to the rigours of the OPEC presidency. Having performed magic in her superintendence over the petroleum industry in Nigeria, watchers of the global oil market and the OPEC keep their fingers crossed to see what magic wand AlisonMadueke will wave to deal with contending issues which will seek to define and redefine the market. Mr Ainofenokhai, a public affairs commentator, sent this piece from Benin City via Jonny4deals@yahoo.com

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014—57

II killed killed m myy mast er master because because II needed needed N150,000 N150,000 ffor or Dubai Dubai trip trip —mo —mottor or bo boyy A look at 32 year-old Sani Saidu , will never pass him for a betrayer, let alone a killer , owing to his quiet disposition and soft way of speaking. But his disposition has only proved to be deceptive after all , as he is currently cooling his heels at the Lagos State Criminal Investigations Department ,SCID, Yaba , Lagos, over a case of alleged murder. The Gombe state born suspect allegedly stabbed one Mr Shittu Aremu, driver of a truck to death while accompanying him to Port Harcourt, Rivers state, destination of the 40,000 litre of petroleum product . The late Aremu whose age was put around 56 years, was a driver to S.K Transport Service Nigeria Limited . He reportedly loaded the truck with plate number AGL 368 XA with aviation fuel worth N5.5 million and consequently left Lagos for Port Harcourt on November 13, 2014, to discharge the product. But before leaving Lagos State, he was said to have invited Saidu to work with him as his motor boy, with a promise to pay him an undisclosed amount at the end of the trip. But little did he realize that the invitation would end his life. The first sign that signalled an unpalatable situation for the truck driver, followed difficulty by his employee to reach him on his mobile phone, two days after he embarked on the journey. Further checks from the tracking device on the truck reportedly showed that the C M Y K

truck had been diverted from its original route to somewhere around Mutum Biu, in Taraba state. Suspecting that the driver had a sinister motive up his sleeve ,the company reportedly lodged a complaint at the State Criminal Investigation Department SCID, Yaba, where detectives swung into action by travelling to Taraba state. Fortunately for them, the truck was recovered at the Taraba state Police Command, with only Saidu, the motorboy.

I stabbed him, threw him out of the truck

Preliminary investigation as gathered , revealed that Saidu allegedly murdered the truck driver before diverting the truck to the northern part of the country. In this interview, Saidu gave a graphic description of how he stabbed his master with a knife and threw him out of the truck , before taking over the steering.. Asked what made him carry out such dastardly act, Saidu replied : “ I killed Mr Aremu because I wanted to sell the aviation fuel and use the money to travel to Dubai on a business trip” Narrating how he snuffed life out of Aremu whom he fondly called baba Oyo, , Saidu said: “ A day after we left Lagos, at about 6pm, the company called baba Oyo and instructed him to park at Umunede, Delta state for security reason and that he should proceed on the journey the following day. While there , I bought a knife

without him knowing and tied it with a rope on my leg. Very early the third day, baba Oyo started the ignition to continue the journey. As he was about to move, I told him that one of the tyres had developed a fault. I came out of the vehicle and pretended to be checking the tyres. I went to his side of the truck, bent down as if checking the tyres and in the process, I brought out my knife. But as I raised my hand to stab him, he held my hand and we started struggling, in the process of which the knife cut me on the index finger. I succeeded in stabbing him first on the lap and blood started gushing out. Again, I stabbed him again in the stomach, leaving the knife in there. By then he was too weak to shout. Thereafter, I pushed him out of the vehicle and mounted the driver’s seat and zoomed off.

Diverts truck to the north

My intention was to take the aviation fuel to Taraba state and sell it at the black market. When I got to Adamawa state, I sold four drums , at the rate of N28,000 per drum. On reaching Katsina Ala, the truck developed a fault and I ended up spending N57,000 to fix it. I continued the journey but on reaching Mutum Biu, I was stopped by some soldiers who were on a joint operation with the Police, at a check point. They demanded for the way

BY EVELYN USMAN

Sani Saidu

I did what I did in order to raise N150,000 for a ticket to Dubai. A friend of mine who lives in Kano usually travels to Dubai to buy handsets and sell in Kano. He told me he would take me down if I could raise N150,000

bill and I showed them. But one of the policemen asked where the plate number was and I brought it out from where I kept it. I had earlier removed it because the company’s number was inscribed on it. When the policemen dialled the telephone number, they discovered that the vehicle was supposed to be heading for Port Harcourt. When they asked what it was doing at Taraba, I could not provide a ready answer and I was subsequently apprehended”

I wanted to raise 150,000

The father of five whose family resides in Adamawa state further disclosed that “ I did what I did in order to raise N150,000 for a ticket to Dubai. A friend of mine who lives in Kano usually travels to Dubai to buy handsets and sell in Kano. He told me he would take me down if I could raise N150,000. That was why I did what I did. But with the look of things, it is obvious that I am in a big trouble and may never come out of from it for the rest of my life”, he stated remorsefully. Information at Crime Guard’s disposal revealed that operatives at the SCID would be leaving Lagos for Umunede in Delta state, to inspect the spot where the suspect claimed to have thrown Aremu’s body, with a view to ascertaining whether he is alive or not. Police sources however hinted that the driver’s seat of the recovered truck was stained with blood, adding that at the end of investigation, the suspect would be charged to court for murder and stealing.

58—SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA

od has spared my life on several occasions, thereby giving me a second chance to turn a new leaf. But, I have been recalcitrant. I wonder if I would come out of this alive.” This was the exact words of Ugochukwu Felix, 28, a selfconfessed member of a five-man robbery gang that has been terrorizing Ajegunle, Apapa and its environs. Ugochukwu was arrested in Tolu area in Ajegunle after members of his gang allegedly snatched a Toyota Honda car owned by a resident (names withheld) in the area. Unfortunately for the suspected members of the gang, they were involved in an accident after snatching the vehicle. . While other members of the gang managed to escape, Ugochukwu was not that lucky as he was apprehended by an angry mob. In this interview with Crime Guard, the suspect claimed he was under a spell , Confessing to the crime, Ugochukwu who is currently cooling off at the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja after he was arrested told Crime Guard that his journey into crime started several years back when he began as a pick pocket. From picking pocket, he graduated into ‘one chance operations’ and then, to a full-fledged armed robber. How I got arrested “The previous day before I was arrested, I went to see my girl friend at Ajegunle. From there, I went to a night club at Apapa area to spend the night. While clubbing, I met four old friends I knew in Ajegunle and Apapa areas. I told them that in the morning I would go with them to Mile 2 since they came in a commercial bus. They agreed and early in the morning, I joined in their vehicle without knowing that they were going for a robbery operation. While we were passing through Tolu in Ajegunle, the driver of the commercial bus stopped immediately we saw a resident about to drive his car out of his compound. Two of the gang members alighted from the bus with their guns and attacked the man, snatched his car and drove off. As soon as I saw what was happening, I became uncomfortable and alighted from the bus because it has been long I participated in robbery operation. Unfortunately, the stolen car had not moved up to ten poles when one of the tires deflated and we all came out and fled in different directions. It was while I was attempting to escape that a resident who

saw me alighting from the commercial bus raised alarm that I was part of the robbers that attacked the victim. Immediately he raised the alarm, other residents joined in the chase and I was caught and dragged to the scene of the robbery. It was then they discovered one of the locally made pistols inside the car with some cartridges.

Ugochukwu

How it all started “I have always being a stubborn and very unruly child, just like the black sheep of the family, always causing my parents pain and agony. It was this same stubbornness that made me drop out from school, this same attitude made me quit my apprenticeship where I was learning refrigerator repairs. I was indeed, a source of pain to my mother. My parents have done all within their capacity to ensure that I live a responsible life. But I don’t know why I live a very irresponsible life. I am hard

SHOCKING CONFESSION OF ROBBERY SUSPECT IN LAGOS

I am under a spell *reveals how to locate bandits working and can do any work but I don’t know what is wrong with me. It is like I am under some sort of spell or under a curse, which is why I keep committing different crimes and disgracing my family. Before now I struggled for existence at Alaba international market and Ladipo market. Trader’s give me commission for directing customers to their shops, that is what I was doing before this unruly behavior started manifesting. Started from pick pocket “I started with pickpocketing and snatching of bags at bus stops several years ago, about ten years now. Unfortunately whenever I stole I got caught. I have lost count of the number of times I have been arrested by the police, but this is the first time they transferred me to SARS. All my life, I never knew that a section like SARS existed in the police.

Each time I get arrested by the police, after about two or three weeks, I get released because nobody would come to bail me. The friends that introduced me to pocket picking and bag snatching abandoned me for fear of been arrested when I was always getting caught at each operation, as they felt I had bad luck. The proceeds I made from pick-pocket were what I use to sustain myself. Later, I joined a robbery gang that specialized in ‘one chance’ known also as ‘ push me down.’ I was a member and participated in several operations but made very little from the operations. After the operation, the leader of the gang would share the phones stolen and I normally sold mine. How I escaped on different occasions “If not for God, I would have died a long time ago. There was a particular operation I went for which made me know that God loves me. We were three that went for the operation. After carrying it out successfully, the other two were knocked down by a moving vehicle and both of them died instantly. When I was still doing pick-

pocket, a colleague of mine was lynched to death while I narrowly escaped. When I joined ‘one chance’, police officers engaged us in a gun battle and killed three of my gang members but I still escaped. Locating other members of the gang “I don’t know the actual place where other members of the gang reside because as criminals, we don’t disclose where we live for security reasons. I see them in the neighborhood each time I go out. A criminal can never tell you where he lives. They don’t know where I live too. Usually, we meet in joints, clubs or parties. The only way to locate them is to go to any of those night clubs. Plea “I promised my God to deliver me and if God can save me from this, I will never go back into robbery again. If I get out from this place in one piece, I will go to my father and ask for forgiveness. I plead with youths to shun bad company and live responsibly,” he stated while shedding tears. C M Y K

SATURDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 13, 2014 — 59

2014 NFF Elections:

Analyzing Ajunwa’s verdict

Guidelines provides that: NO STATE SHALL PRODUCE MORE THAN ONE E X E C U T I V E C O M M I T T E E MEMBER. However, the major part of the argument for me is which Executive Committee member got elected first in the cases under review. Remember,the NFF Executive Committee was dissolved on the floor of the elective congress of September 30 in Warri just before the elections that produced the Ordinary Members of the Committee and got constituted immediately

By Toyin Ibitoye

VERY good friend of mine (Names withheld) sent me a DM (Direct message) via twitter asking why we (Nigeria) love to make a ridicule of ourselves among the comity of nations in the football family. Of course, my friend, a Non-Nigerian, who works for one of the largest football publications in the World, merely teased me with that comment to get my reaction to the latest drama of the absurd, as it concerns the Nigeria F o o t b a l l Federation(NFF)Elections Appeals committee with the attendant ‘Majority Vs Minority’ decisions. I replied my friend that the drama is just a reflection of the state of our nation,promising him that I would put my opinion together on the matter once I was able to get the details of the two (majority & minority) verdicts. Thankfully over the weekend I was able to lay my hands on both verdicts and I must confess it was not easy reading through the bulk of both materials but I made sure I sniffed through the most important parts of both documents. I will not pretend that I do not personally know some of the persons involved either directly or indirectly in this matter or that I will not rely on some of the privileged information I got from them to arrive at some of the opinion I will express here.

Ajunwa’s verdict:

The major summary of Barrister Okey Ajunwa’s verdict are here listed 1. Dismissing Dotun Coker from the NFF Elections Appeals committee because of his membership of a NFF standing committee. 2. Annulling the elections of Felix Anyansi Agwu and Sheriff Rabiu Inuwa,NFF Executive Committee members from the South East and North West,disqualifying them from future elections because of the membership of C M Y K

•Pinnick Emeka Inyama (NNL chairman) and Mohammed Kawu (NNWL chairman) on the same NFF Executive Committee. 3. Persons cleared and who contested August 26 and September 30 elections for position of President and Board member for South East and North West Zones be allowed to participate and contest bye elections. 4. Any person seeking to participate and contest the bye election and who had filed any matter concerning the NFF before any court or tribunal in Nigeria (or any other country) or the Court of Arbitration for Sport shall withdraw such case forthwith in order to be cleared to contest the bye election. 5. Electoral committee should harmonize list of persons cleared and that contested for various positions now declared vacant in August 26 and September 30 elections and such persons shall not be disqualified for reasons that they contested the August 26 election. 6. Seyi Akinwunmi’s election as NFF 1st Vice President is annulled as he is from the same zone as the NFF President Amaju Pinnick 7. Shehu Dikko was wrongly disqualified from

•Anyansi-Agwu the NFF Elections. Let’s take a good look at the issues.

1. Dotun Coker’s Dismissal

The questions to be asked are A. Does Okey Ajunwa have the powers to dismiss a member of the NFF Elections Appeals Committee, duly nominated to such a position by the Extraordinary Congress of the Nigeria Football Federation? ANSWER:Based on the statutes of FIFA, CAF and the NFF as well as the FIFA, NFF electoral code,

the answer is no. Only the congress has such powers. B. Does membership of a standing committee of the Nigeria Football Federation disqualify any one from being a member of the NFF Election Appeals committee if nominated to such a position by the NFF congress? ANSWER:Based on the statutes of FIFA,CAF and the NFF as well as the FIFA, NFF Electoral code, the answer is no Article 3 (4) on Basic principles of Electoral Committee as stated in the FIFA Standard Electoral code clearly outlines the ground for any person to be withdrawn from the electoral committees. Barrister Okey Ajunwa needs to know the limits of his powers. The other members of the committee elected him as their chairman. He was not named chairman of that committee by the congress as he claims. His views cannot be superior to those of the other members. 2. Annulment of Felix Anyansi Agwu & Sheriff Rabiu Inuwa’s mandate and ordering of bye elections. Without any doubt,this is easily the trickiest part of the 2014 NFF Elections Appeals palaver. Article 7(b) of the 2014 NFF Electoral

after the elections. It is important for the NFF congress to differentiate between the elections of the ordinary members of the Executive Committee and those coming into the Committee as representatives of the leagues. Interestingly, when this issue of two NFF Executive Committee members from the same state first reared its head in 2011,I initiated the process that challenged the emergence of High Chief Emeka Inyama as the chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL) Board. I argued that since Ordinary member Felix Anyansi Agwu from the same state as Inyama was already on the Executive Committee, it would be a breach of the NFF Electoral guidelines to have him there and so felt his election as the NNL representative on the NFF Executive Committee should not stand but guess what....it was Barrister Iyke Igbokwe (yes, this same Iyke Igbokwe) that stood to Inyama’s defence, stating that his mandate could not be taken away from him after he was duly cleared to contest the NNL Chairmanship position. (I do not hold anything against Iyke Igbokwe

for his change of opinion now. He is entitled to it. We all change our opinion on issues from time to time,sometimes when we get superior information.) If you could remember,the NFF Elections Appeals Committee at that time with Barrister John Ola Mafo as its chairman annulled Inyama’s election but the matter had to be resolved eventually by an Arbitration Panel led by a former Akwa Ibom State Attorney General,Chief Victor Iyanam.Iyanam’s Panel upheld Inyama’s election and advised the NFF to amend their electoral guideline to accommodate the independence of the leagues. I think that Iyanam Arbitration ruling of 2011/2012 should still be very relevant today. However, it is also important to note the major discrepancies that have emerged from Okey Ajunwa’s verdict in this respect. While annulling the elections of Felix Anyansi Agwu and Sheriff Rabiu Inuwa, he ordered for bye elections into the positions he declared vacant like that of the NFF President, the Executive Committee members from South East and North West. Ajunwa then blew off the roof by ordering that persons, who were cleared and who contested positions in the August 26 and September 30 elections should be allowed to contest in the new polls. I gasped for breath as I read that...did I hear August 26? The same August 26 elections that FIFA declared a sham? An event that even the laws of the land, as represented by the National Assembly, proclaimed a fraud? I looked through all the prayers of the appellants to see if any of them had included this in their Appeals...none! I asked the other members as well as the substitute members of the Appeals Committee separately if such was ever discussed at any of their sittings..the response I got was that they NEVER whispered it not to talk of deliberating on it. I put a few thoughts together and tried to imagine where it could have come from. This is it... Reading through Ajunwa’s verdict (numbered 3,4,5 earlier in this write up)one name pops up at me…. Chris Giwa! Barrister Ajunwa goofed big time in ruling that those who were cleared and contested the August 26 election for the post of NFF President should be free to participate in his bye

•Continued on page 60

60—SATURDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 13, 2014

Abubakar to play Champions League for Pillars N

ASARAWA United forward Ibrahim Abubakar, who featured at this year ’s CHAN for Nigeria, has joined champions Kano Pillars. The skillful forward, who could also play in midfield, was recently linked with a move to

South African club Ajax Town after he helped Nigeria finish third at the Championship of African Nations (CHAN) in South Africa. He was sidelined for some time with injury thus limiting his appearances for Nasarawa United.

There has been a dispute over his status at Nasarawa with his handlers insisting he was on loan to the Lafia club. Ibrahim has now been registered by Pillars for both the league and the CAF Champions League.

RVP: Watch me destroy Liverpool

•Ibrahim Abubakar (left) in CHAN action earlier this year

Analyzing Ajunwa’s verdict •Continues from Pg 59 election if they withdrew their case from CAS. Who else could he be referring to? Ajunwa should have been more thorough. He should also have known and also declared that Giwa cannot contest that NFF presidency anymore since Plateau State already has Suleiman Yahaya Kwande on the Executive committee. With Suleiman Kwande,Yusuf Ahmed ‘Fresh’ and Dilichukwu Onyedinma(3 slots)all representing the North Central zone on the Executive Committee,there was no way there would be room for one more. That guy had dug the grave for his own ‘learned’ report. 6. Seyi Akinwunmi’s Election annulled. This is another spurious verdict. If Seyi Akinwumi’s election as the NFF 1st Vice President was annulled because he is from the same zone (South) as the NFF President Amaju Pinnick, how else would any other candidate from the South like Emeka Inyama and (in case the August 26 elections) Obinna Ogba be eligible for the bye election that Okey Ajunwa is advocating without causing some confusion. So if all Southern

candidates are not eligible to contest for the NFF 1st Vice President position what happens? 7. Shehu Dikko’s Disqualification was wrong. On a personal note, I felt bad that Shehu Dikko could not contest the elections after working so hard and I could not really understand why. There were some whispers that a State Security report nailed him. Some others said that report was fabricated. Well which ever way,it is very regrettable that he could not exercise his right. Dikko is well within his right to seek redress and appeal against his disqualification. The confusion now has to do with whether he withdrew that Appeal or not. My correspondent at the Appeals Committee hearing told me that during one of the earlier meetings,the chairman Okey Ajunwa confirmed Dikko’s withdrawal of his Appeal. Some members of the committee corroborated this but suddenly the Appeal resurfaced on the last day This is really baffling. If Dikko had withdrawn his Appeal, who revived it on the

day that the verdict was meant to be given? Well, maybe only Ajunwa and Dikko can answer that.

My Verdict: Majority vs Minority

I have read the FIFA s t a t u t e s , N F F statutes,FIFA Standard Electoral Code,NFF Electoral Code and Guidelines several times and I can safely say this in the larger interest of Nigerian Football. In every judicial committee( for football),FIFA deliberately allows for odd number of members so that there will always be a majority decision if there is a tie, the committee chairman’s vote is usually the tie breaker. This principle of majority decision is also contained in the FIFA Standard Electoral Code in relation to the Electoral Committee (Article 8 on Decisions) I believe that if FIFA Standard Electoral Code agrees to majority decision for the Electoral Committee, the same principle will apply to the Election Appeals Committee. For Barrister Okey Ajunwa,only a national apology for his very disappointing exercise would do. I am ready to provide him that

S Manchester United host Liverpool tomorrow in the EPL, Robin van Persie believes that he is rediscovering his top form just in time for the hectic festive period. “I think everything starts with how you feel physically because when you’re feeling fit and healthy then you can do more. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been feeling very well physically,” Van Persie told MUTV. “I feel like I can make more runs and keep things going up until the last bit of the game. I feel good and I don’t think it’s a coincidence

opportunity for his own sake. I have put this piece together in the larger interest of Nigerian football.Enough of this embarrassment.

•Ibitoye, a broadcaster wrote this piece just before FIFA dismissed Okey Ajunwa’s minority Appeals Committee report on the September 30 NFF Elections. •Continues from BP stewardship of Keshi, as a bad development. Keshi, who won the African Cup of Nations as both a player and a coach, was axed during Nigeria’s 2015 AFCON qualifying campaign. He was subsequently recalled, but was unable to steer his country to a place in Equatorial Guinea. The former Togo and Mali coach is currently waiting for NFF to give him a new contract, but former coach Chukwu has advised him to seek new pastures rather than to wait around for the Nigerian Football Federation to come to a decision. “Well, my candid advice to Keshi, you know with all this problems in the NFF, it

that the goals are flowing in much better now. I feel better now and just hope to play my part in

helping the club beat Liverpool. So just watch out for me destroy our rivals.”

Gabros storm Europe for pre-season

EWLY promoted Nigeria Premier League side, Gabros International of Nnewi jetted out of the country to Greece yesterday aboard Alitalia Airline. According to the leader of delegation, Olisa Onuchukwu, the team, comprising 16 players and four officials will be out of the country for a month as they are billed to open a training camp today in Elatochori-

Gervinho •Continues from BP Garcia. “He [Wenger] never had confidence in me,” Gervinho is reported as telling African media by Gazzetta dello Sport. “Garcia doesn’t differentiate between those who are playing and those who aren’t playing. That’s

Pieria, Greece, 70 kilometers from the city ofThessaloniki. The team will play six top Greek sides including regular UEFA Champions league Campaigners PAOK Salonika during their stay in Greece.

important for a player. “He doesn’t only speak to those who are playing, he talks to everyone as there are 25 players in the squad, not just 11. “As a child I dreamed of playing for Arsenal, because I loved them. “Now I hate them for the way Wenger treated me.”

Chukwu tells Keshi will take a long time for the association to sit and start deciding anything about the technical crew, I think if he has a better offer anywhere he is free to go and his contract will be respected more outside the country because I am talking out of experience,” Chukwu was reported as saying by Megasport. Speaking for the first time since the tragedy in Uyo, Yobo said he was pained that the reigning African champions would not be defending their trophy in Equatorial Guinea. Yobo noted that he expected the coaches to have used younger and talented players to prosecute the AFCON qualifiers but wondered what went wrong with

the team “It is quite disappointing that the team will not be at the Nations Cup. It is disappointing for the country as a whole. It is bad thing. But we have to recover from this quickly. “I spent about 13 years with the national team and I don’t think it is a matter of if I was there that this could have happened or it couldn’t have happened. But I left the scene for younger players to have the chance to play at the biggest level because I also started while I was a young player,” he told journalists in Abuja, while watching the training session of Nigeria’s U-23 team being coached by Samson Siasia.

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014 — 61

C M Y K

62 — SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

C M Y K

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014 — 63

C M Y K

SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 13, 2014

TODAY’S FIXTURES Burnley v Chelsea v Palace v Leicester v Sunderland v West Brom v Arsenal v

EPL Southampton Hull Stoke Man City West Ham Aston Villa Newcastle

4pm 4pm 4pm 4pm 4pm 4pm 6:30pm

Getafe Valencia Cordoba Malaga

v v v v

LA LIGA Barcelona Rayo Vallecano Levante Celta Vigo

4pm 6pm 8pm 10pm

Palermo Lazio

v v

SERIE A Sassuolo Atalanta

6pm 8:45pm

FC Augsburg Hertha Berlin SC Freiburg Schalke Werder Bremen Mainz Nantes Bastia Lorient Montpellier Reims

BUNDESLIGA v Bayern v Dortmund v Hamburg v Cologne v Hannover v Stuttgart

3:30pm 3:30pm 3:30pm 3:30pm 3:30pm 6:30pm

FRENCH LIGUE ! v Bordeaux v Rennes v Metz v RC Lens v Evian

5pm 8pm 8pm 8pm 8pm

Gervinho: I hate Arsenal •Keshi

OMA winger Gervinho says his treatment by Arsene Wenger at Arsenal has caused him to ‘hate’ the

•Chukwu

EAGLES JOB:

Move on with your life, Chukwu tells Keshi •AFCON failure shatters Yobo F

ORMER Super Eagles coach Christian Chukwu has told Stephen Keshi not

to bother trying to retain the Nigerian national team coaching role. This comes as a former

CROSS WORD PUZZLE

•Yobo

•Persie

RVP: Watch me destroy Liverpool — Pg 62

Across 1 Zambia “Chipolopolos” Coach, Honor – (5) 4 First President of Zambia, Mr. Kenneth — (6) 7 Country in North America – (4) 8 France & Tottenham Hostspurs Goalkeeper, Hugo – (6) 9 Zimbabwe’s Former Name – (8) 10 Lebanese Capital City – (6) 11 Malawi “Flames” Defender, Harry – (8) 16 Country in Asia – (8) 20 L.G.A in Osun State – (6) 21 Former Ghanaian President, Mr. Jerry – (8) 22 Director-General, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar – (6 23 Period of Seven Days – (4) 24 L.G.A in Abia State – (6) 25 Beginning – (5) Down 1 Chief of Naval Staff. Rear

Admiral Usman – (6) 2 Italian “Serie A” Premiership Club-Side – (6) 3 President, National Union of Petroleum & Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Mr. Igwe – (6) 4 Ethnic Group in Nigeria – (8) 5 Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Chief Hope – (8) 6 Property – (5) 11 Former Super Falcons Winger, Cynthia – (4) 13 Shout – (4) 14 Brazilian President, Dilma – (8) 15 State in Nigeria Known as “Home of Solid Minerals”? – (8) 17 Director, Pepsi football Academy, Kashimawo – (6) 18 France “Ligue 1” Premiership Club-Side – (6 19 Help – (6) 20 African Deciduous Tree – (5)

club. The Ivorian spent two seasons at Arsenal before moving to the Giallorossi in an €8m deal, and has compared Gunners manager Wenger unfavourably with Lupi Coach Rudi •Continues on page 62

Nigerian captain, Joseph Yobo has described Eagles failure to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations kicking off next month, under the

•Continues on page 60 1

•Gervinho 4

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SOLUTION on page17

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