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Saturday, March 16, 2013

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Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi flanked by Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Uduah; Chairman of Senate Committee on Aviation (second right), Sen. Hope Uzodinna and Managing Director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) during the commissioning of remodelled Kano Airport in Kano…yesterday.

Pardon For Alamieyseigha

US Deeply Disappointed In Nigeria, Says It’s A Setback By Godwin Ijediogor, Debo Oladimeji, Samson Ezea and Berthram Nwannekamma (Lagos) Oghogho Obayuwana (Abuja), Abba Anwar (Kano)

FG Summons US Envoy, Protests Comment Sagay, Azaiki Laud Jonathan Over Action

HE dust over the presidenT tial pardon granted some Nigerians, particularly former

action. Indeed, the United States expressed “deep” disappointment while TI urged President Goodluck Jonathan to rescind the pardon for Alamieyeseigha, who was convicted of money laundering. In just two, but weighty sentences, the US, through its embassy in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, thumbed down the decision to grant a state pardon to Alamieyeseigha.

governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, is not about to settle. More Nigerians and the international community, including the United States (US) and Transparency International (TI), a global anti-corruption organisation, have queried the

Using its Twitter account (under the US Mission in Nigeria mast), the US government twitted: “We are deeply disappointed. We see this as a setback in the fight against corruption.” The tweet, which was a response to other twitter messages asking for a US’ reaction to Alamieyeseigha’s pardon, as well as further action from America, is already generating

considerable heat in and around Nigeria, with international news organs, such as Fox News, already feasting on it. Other following tweets, as can be seen in the US Mission tweeter page (#USG and # Nigeria), also spoke of possible sanctions. Officials of the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the US embassy yesterday, which

Group Accuses INEC Director Of Using Fake Form To Register ‘APC’ ...Says Signature, Logo Are Fake From Adamu Abuh, Abuja HE last is yet to be heard of T the alleged registration of the African Peoples Congress

directed The Guardian to its Tweeter account, said they were not authorised for now to give any further details. But the federal government yesterday summoned the Deputy US Embassy Chief of Mission, to protest a statement credited to the spokeswoman of the Embassy, Deb MacLean, on the Embassy’s Twitter account. The Ministry expressed the hope that “the Embassy of the United States of America would henceforth desist from making unwarranted comments on Nigeria’s internal

(APC), as a group of concerned Nigerians yesterday accused a key official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of being the brain behind it. The group, led by a member of the Save Nigeria Group, Salihu Aminu Mahmoud, further claimed that the sponsors of the new party, which was unveiled on Thursday in Abuja, used a fake INEC registration form. Mahmoud said the INEC official, who works at the Directorate of Party

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

Sanusi Commissions Remodelled Kano Airport Terminal From Abba Anwar, Kano UBLIC officers who are hard P working in their places of calling will continue to get all

the necessary support and encouragement from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Governor of the CBN, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, gave the assurance yesterday at the commissioning ceremony of

Says Hardworking Public Officers Will Be Encouraged the remodelled International Terminal of Malam Aminu Kano International Airport Kano. (MAKIA), Sanusi, who was the special guest of honour, commissioned the remodeled section of the airport. He said: “CBN

APC’s Logo, Signature Fake, Says Group CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Registration of the commission colluded with one of the aides of President Goodluck Jonathan to hurriedly apply for the registration of “APC” as part of a plot to block the registration of the All Progressive Congress (APC). But when contacted, Mr. Kayode Idowu, the media aide to the National Chairman of INEC, Prof Attahiru Jega, declined to comment on the issue, saying: “There are different manners of things being said about INEC. All I can say for now is no comment on the issue.” Flanked by Abdul Mahmoud, Mamoud Abdullahi and Kawu Idris Hausawa, Mahmoud said the INEC official, hurriedly arranged for the fake computerprinted INEC form, ensured it was filled, stamped and acknowledged receipt of it between March 1 and 5 until it evidenced its receipt on March 12. Mahmoud, who brandished alleged copies of the computerprinted form, expressed concern that a body like INEC, created by an Act of the National Assembly, not only has card-carrying members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in its midst but could descend to the level of taking sides with the PDP.

The group further questioned the rationale behind INEC decision to accept an application to register the ‘APC’ from a legal firm, knowing that there was precedent as in the case of when INEC years ago had to insist that it can only take request for registration of a political party from either the chairman or the secretary of the party seeking registration. Other oddities about the “APC” registration form is that it has blocked columns filled with the computer as against the original INEC form that is usually filled in handwriting and the green colour of the form as against the yellowish or sea green colour of the original INEC form. He further pointed at the colours of the coat of arms on the fake registration form, which is different from that of the original INEC form, and the computer-engineered logo as against the practice of affixing the logo of a party seeking registration on the original INEC form. Mahmoud also pointed at the inconsistencies in the signatures of the chairman and secretary of the “APC” to buttress the point that it was a desperate attempt to stop the all progressive congress (APC) by all means.

supports public officers that are doing something. There is no one that can go to Kano airport or Kaduna airport or Benin airport of Abuja airport and tell you that something is not happening.” He commended the Minister of Aviation Princess Stella Oduah, for awarding another contract to put another international terminal at the MAKIA. Sanusi hoped that the Aviation Ministry would imbibe a maintenance culture to continue preserving the good work done during the time of the Minister.

Earlier, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma, reminded that the remodeling of Kano International airport and other airports was part of the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. He described Kano airport as very strategic because it provides the shortest distance from Nigeria to Europe, Middle East and other parts of the world. “I congratulate the Minister on her ability to keep with the

transformation agenda of Mr President”, he commended. Mr George Uriesi, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority on Nigeria (FAAN), revealed that Kano was the beginning of aviation history in Nigeria. “We take Kano as a strategic place in our aviation thinking”, he maintained. He thanked the Central Bank Governor for giving the Ministry of Aviation a helping hand in areas of remodeling airports across the country. He further assured that soon, the

Ministry was going to start work on Kano Terminal. Before the commissioning ceremony, the Minister paid a visit to the Governor of Kano State, Engineer Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso. She said at the Government House that “Malam Aminu Kano International Airport has been restored to its glory. We are happy for the good support we have been receiving from the state government.” Princess Oduah revealed that the Ministry has awarded contract for two cargo areas, a perishable cargo area where perishable goods could be imported from the airport to other parts of the world.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih, Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio, Alabo Graham Douglas and Prof. Jerry Gana during a courtesy visit to the Government House, Uyo.

Sagay, Azaiki Laud Jonathan Over Pardon CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 affairs, which are capable of undermining the friendly relations that exist between both countries.” According to a late night statement from the ministry, Nigeria deplores the use of the words “deeply disappointed” over the pardon and “a setback in the fight against corruption” in Nigeria. In the protest conveyed via a diplomatic note, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the comment from the US Embassy in Abuja, which it described as undue interference and meddlesomeness in the internal affairs of Nigeria. It pointed out that this was not the first time a govern-

ment in Nigeria or elsewhere would grant state pardon to individuals who have committed one crime or the other. The ministry further stressed that the pardon granted is entirely consistent with the provisions of the Nigerian constitution. TI, in a statement by its Vice Chairman, Akere Muna, said: “This decision undermines anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria and encourages impunity. “If the government is serious about uprooting public corruption, sanctions against those who betray the public trust should be strengthened, not relaxed.” Similarly, a lecturer in the Faculty of Law, Bayero

University Kano, Ahmed Rabi’u, described the action regarding Alamieyeseigha as improper, untimely and political. He said though Jonathan has every constitutional right, as the President of the country and Chairman of the National Council of State, to grant pardon to any ex-convict, there are fundamental things for him to consider before doing so in the best interest of the country. “There are three things to look at- morality, politics and law. The President has every legal right to grant pardon to any exconvict, but granting such to Alamieyeseigha contradicts morality, because of the political undertone involved,” he stated. Former Chairman of the Ikeja branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Adebamigbe Omole, said the intendment of the drafters of the constitution could not have been that the provision for state pardon be used to grant pardon to treasury looters and economic saboteurs. He said: “It is not disputable that the President, in the exercise of his constitutional power, can grant pardon to felons, but in granting such, the President must act reasonably, responsibly and in the overall interest of the nation. “Thus in a situation where state pardons are granted to those convicted of looting the treasury of their states, criminal breach of trust, embezzlement of depositors and shareholders fund and coup plotting, the conclusion to be drawn by any reasonable man is that the President, acting on the advice of the Council of State, if any, has not acted reasonably and in the best interest of the country, especially with

the position of the country on global corruption index.” For Lagos-based rights lawyer, Malachy Ugwummadu, the action is a confirmation that the fight against corruption in Nigeria has ended. “Note that there was not a single ordinary Nigerian convicted for stealing handset or tubers of yam that was pardoned. “But by far more, the poverty of the situation is that all the state resources, energy and public resentment that went into the processes before Alamieyeseigha’s conviction have now come to naught, because as at today, he can pick up PDP form to vie for a seat in the Senate come 2015, which is where they all want to be and push further for immunity. “Nigerians must be united in condemning this reckless, insensitive perfidy. Even the international community will become very circumspect in their embrace for direct foreign investment,” Ugwummadu said. But some Nigerians saw it differently. Prof Itse Sagay (SAN) believed the pardon was in order, considering that Alamieyeseigha had been tried and convicted, with his property seized, whereas there are thousands of corruption cases in court that are not being followed up. He commended Jonathan for granting the ex-governor pardon, adding: “There is one particular case of a man that got perpetual injunction at the High Court level to stop his probe and trial and nothing has happened about it till today. What type of corruption

are we still fighting? “There is nothing relevant between Alamieyesiegha and corruption anymore. The government should stop running after its wrong enemies. There are those corrupt government officials that are walking freely. These are the people that the government should go after. Alamieyesiegha deserved to be pardoned.” Prof Steve Azaike said much as it is true that Alamieyeseigha made some mistakes, but he was a victim of political manipulation, because of his strong position on resource control, fair distribution of our oil wealth, with special consideration to those who produce the oil. Azaiki, who was the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) when Alamieyeseigha was governor, disclosed: “Only yesterday, two members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly said they were forced to sign documents to impeach Alamieyeseigha. It is in the wisdom of the President and the National Council of State to give pardon. It is not the first in history.” He added: “What the President and the National Council of State have done is morally and politically correct. The pardon will give Alamieyeseigha a second chance to contribute to the progress, peace and development of our country.” National Chairman of United Peoples Party (UPP), Chief Chekwas Okorie, said that it was the constitutional power conferred on Jonathan that he exercised in granting the pardon, more so since nobody among those who attended the

National Council of State meeting opposed him. “In a normal society, the decision is supposed to haunt the President and his party in 2015 general elections. “Presidential pardon can only be granted to ex-convicts and that was what the President has done. It is left for Nigerians to guard their votes well to ensure that these people did not return to the seat of power again,” Okorie stressed. Lagos lawyer, Bamidele Aturu, noted: “If we extend pardon to those who are convicted of economic crime, financial crime and all sorts, then we are sending a very dangerous signal to the people and the outside world that we are not interested in fighting corruption. “We are making it clear and loud that in Nigeria, anything goes.” He added: “We are talking about people showing remorse, what about those who were jailed for stealing two tubers of yams after they had shown remorse. Have they not shown remorse? Should we then go and break open the prison gate? “I think this is a show of shame to the ruling elites. I am not about the president alone because what we heard was that the Council of State unanimously endorsed the proposal for pardoning. “And the president himself can claim that he has complied with section 125 of the law that empowers him to grant pardon, saying he has put it before the Council of State and they approved it.”

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

NEWS

‘US Has No Plan To Deploy Troops In Mali’ From Oghogho Obayuwana (Foreign Affairs Editor) HE United States governT ment does not have any plan to deploy troops to Mali to help consolidate the fragile peace that currently exists in the West African country. The US, according to the country’s Ambassador in Nigeria, Terence McCulley does not favour either the entrenchment of its African Command (AFRICOM) or sending special forces to Mali as part of its peace building mechanism and anti-terrorism strategy on the continent. McCulley who is also the American Permanent Representative to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),

spoke alongside the US Ambassador to Mali, Mary Beth Leonard in a telephonic conference with journalists in Abuja, Bamako (Mali) and Lagos. Responding to TheGuardian’s question on the need to provide support for the Africanled International support Mission for Mali (AFISMA), he said: “We have a training support for AFISMA. Certainly, we do not envisage US troops on the ground. We are cooperating with the efforts to bring about peace in Mali. For example, we cooperate with Nigeria in terms of pre-deployment training such as has just held in Jaji. “This year alone, we have provided $96 million to help AFIS-

MA and the US is hoping to provide additional training. Additionally, $52 million is in the pipeline for logistics, also a contract is on the way for life support for AFISMA.” Acknowledging that the problem in Mali has a regional dimension with groups such as Boko Haram in Nigeria going to that country for terrorism training, the American envoy however implored the federal government to step up and meet the peculiar challenges that breed alienation and a resort to militancy. He said: “That is why we advocate multipronged approach in solving the security problem in Nigeria. The Nigerian government has the responsibility to address the economic

and social situation. 2000 people have been killed since 2009 when the Boko haram insurgency started. What we want is a comprehensive strategy that helps to take care of the situation without killing of civilians; and where there is respect for human rights.” The US says it has already given $6.5 million in support of the upcoming elections in Mali, even as Ambassador Leonard reported yesterday that “there is still fighting in northern Mali and ethnic tensions are still high.” Corroborating Ambassador Leonard’s submission, McCulley maintained that the hope of the US is that its support for AFISMA “would continue to restore Mali’s territo-

rial integrity.” The US ambassador also disclosed yesterday that the agreement which his country has with Nigeria’s northern neighbour, Niger is helping the allies fighting understand the situation in the region. The international coalition helping to restore peace in Mali fear that worsening corruption may continue to harm the country’s wobbling economy. The country which was ranked 78th in 2011 in the anti-corruption index, has since dropped to number 105, one of the reasons the military gave for its intervention which was eventually smeared by the resurgence of Islamic terrorists and tribal militants.

Mark Leads Nigeria’s Delegation To Papal Installation RESIDENT Goodluck P Jonathan has named Senate President David Mark as leader of Nigeria’s delegation to the formal installation of Pope Francis 1 in Rome, Italy on March 19.

Braithwaite Loses Sister-In-Law RS. Adebisi Braithwaite, M wife of the late Mr. Adebayo Braithwaite, elder brother of Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, is dead. She died yesterday in London, England, after a brief illness. She was 81. She is survived by many children, including Mrs. Derin Disu, Mr. Desoye Braithwaite and others.

Agbaso Sues Imo Assembly As Impeachment Process Begins From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri State Deputy Governor, IImoMO Jude Agbaso, has taken the State House of Assembly to court over the ongoing plan to impeach him. He wants the court to stop the impeachment process. In a suit number FHC/OW/174/2013 filed at the Federal High Court, sitting in Owerri, Agbaso is accusing the Assembly of lack of fair hearing in the investigation of bribery scandal which was investigated by the Simeon Iwunze special ad-hoc committee that indicted him of stoppage of some work on some roads in Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe. The deputy governor has been accused of receiving N458 million bribe from the Managing Director of J PROS company Ltd, Mr. Joseph Dina. The matter has been fixed for March 18, 2013. Meanwhile, the House has written to the Chief Judge of the state to institute investigation committee to investigate Agbaso. This is sequel to the affirmative stance of about 26 members of the Assembly, commencing formerly the process yesterday.

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and Senator Gbenga Ashafa during the 9th Executive/Legislative Parley with the theme at Orchid Hotels, Lekki, Lagos… yesterday.

Gunmen Attack Prison In Borno, Set Inmates Free From Njadvara Musa, Maiduguri HERE seems to be no end yet T to the orgy of violence in Borno State as gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect members attacked a prison in Gwoza with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and petrol bombs, setting all the unspec-

ified number of inmates free at about 6.30pm on Thursday.. Gwoza, a border town with the Republic of Cameroun, is 135 kilometres southeast of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. According to an eyewitness and resident, Yahaya Inusa, the gunmen took

the police and other security agents unawares. They came in three vehicles, chanting, ‘God is great, God is great,’ in Arabic language, before detonating IEDs and throwing of petrol bombs at the prison building, located near the emir’s. He said the gunmen operated

unhindered. Residents and passersby, he added, had to scamper for safety, as one person was hit by a stray bullet in the chest and taken to hospital for treatment. He said: “The attack on and bombing of the prison building lasted for only half an hour before the gunmen fled to

unknown destination on the Gadamayo and Market roads of Gwoza town. Spokesman of Borno State Police Command, Gideon Jibrin yesterday in Maiduguri confirmed the incident, adding that no arrest was made by either the JTF or police.

UNICAL Dismisses Five Academic Staff, Demotes 10 From Anietie Akpan, Calabar HE Governing Council of T the University of Calabar has dismissed five academic staff and demoted 10 others for what it referred to as “academic dishonesty”. A release from the Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr. Effiong Eyo, quoting the Secretary to Council and Registrar of the Institution, Dr ( Mrs.) Julia Omang disclosed that the action was necessary to check further academic dis-

honesty. He said four of the dismissed academic staff were involved in plagiarism while one was a case of financial fraud. The release added that “the 10 academics that were demoted chose to publish their works in fake or cloned journals and proceeded to submit same and obtained promotion in the process. “The academic staff that have been dismissed for outright plagiarism include, Dr. Azubuike Iloeje and Dr.

Maurice Bisong of the Department of English and Literary Studies, Mr. Oden Ubi (Department of Marketing) and Dr. Paulinus Noah of the Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies. Dr. Damian Agom was dismissed for salary overpayment, enriching himself to the uone of N7, 268,044. 95 over a period of 11 months”. The release further stated that “the 10 academic staff demoted for publishing in fake or cloned journals include

Professor Udoayang, Dr. Asuquo Akabom, Dr. Sunday Effiong and Dr. C. O. Udoka, all of Accounting Department, Professor Molinta Enendu Department of Theatre and Media Studies and Dr. E.S.Akpan of Banking and Finance “Others include Dr. A.I. Afangideh and Dr. Francis Okpiliya of the Department of Geography and Environment Science and Dr. K.B.C Ashipu of the Department of English and Literary Studies.

Professors Udoayang and Enendu, Dr. Okpiliya, Dr. Afangideh and Dr. Ashipu were demoted to the ranks of Senior Lecturers, others were stepped down to Lecturer 1”. Besides their demotion, he said “they are to refund all monies earned from their unmerited promotion and barred from promotion for the next six years”. The action by the university, according to Eyo, was carried out after due investigation on the matter.

Ndigbo Lagos Lauds Fashola Over Reopening Of Ladipo Market By Onyedika Agbedo GROUP, Ndigbo Lagos, has A lauded Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) over the re-opening of the Ladipo auto spare parts market in the Mushin earlier in week. At a joint press conference with the market executives, president of the group, Prof. Anya O. Anya, commended the governor for “the leadership and maturity he displayed in his handling of issues leading to and arising from the closure and subsequent reopening of the multi-billion naira market.” Anya noted that with the measures already put in by the government, it would be difficult for the market to return to the old order. He said: “We are on to a new situation. This is the first time the Lagos State government is setting up a joint committee with a private organisation to sort out this problem once and for all.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

NEWS

No Going Back On 100% Metering, Says Power Minister From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja ESPITE the recent hiccups D experienced by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) over its 18 months compulsory metering scheme, the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo said yesterday that government would not look back on its quest to metre every Nigerian within the shortest time possible. The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission also said yesterday that the new metre scheme is optional. Nebo, who spoke at a stakeholder meeting on the new consumer metering scheme— Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI)—stressed that metres availability would give the nation a more reliable revenue collection system and ensure that consumers only pay for what they consume. Represented by the Market Operator at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mr. Evarestus Mogbo, Nebo emphasised that the issue of effective metering is important to the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI). He said: “One hundred per cent metering is compulsory. Due to a few issues that were not anticipated, we are now finding a way to sort it out. We want to sort it out to move forward in our march to reform the power sector.” The Chairman of NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, stressed that the distribution companies would implement the CAPMI, noting

that distribution companies shall refund the customer cost of the metre only with interest through rebate in monthly fixed charge, while the DISCOs would render monthly reports to NERC. “Under the new system, distribution companies will refund the consumers who advance money for metres their money overtime. We will ensure that consumers who make payments are to be metred within

48 days. The money will be put into an escrow account. NERC will come out with an order to back this scheme up and give it legal backing,” he said. He added: “This plan is not new at all. Initially, the money for metre was captured in the tariff consumers pay. But now, consumers would be allowed to pay, while they get a refund through electricity credits and reduction into their fixed

charges over time.” According to him, “one of the top priorities of the Commission is the speedy metering of customers. Numerous customer complaints indicate a high level of dissatisfaction with the way they are billed by the DISCOs. Currently, no upfront payment for metres is required of customers. The Commission, therefore, considers it expedient to

explore other avenues of ensuring that customers are metred to eliminate wildly estimated bills.” Amadi said willing customers could be allowed to advance funds for the purchase and installation of meters. “These advance payments are subsequently refunded through a rebate on the fixed charge element of their electricity bills. CAPMI will minimize estima-

tion and enhance revenue collection,” he noted. He disclosed that metre specifications that shall comply with the Metering Code would soon be issued to metre manufacturers. He added: “The cost of metres and associated installation costs is as approved by NERC and no profit shall accrue to the DISCOs. The DISCOs shall follow a transparent and competitive procurement process determined by NERC/Bureau for Public Procurement in selecting the vendors/installers. All vendors/installers shall be certified by NERC/ BPP.”

Yari Joins Call For Police Reforms From Isah Ibrahim, Gusau OVERNOR Abdul’aziz Yari Abubakar of Zamfara State has called for the reform of the Nigeria Police in order to have effective security operations that can accommodate modern security challenges in the country. The governor made the call yesterday while receiving the executive members of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) in charge of Zone 10, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Gusau. Describing the Nigeria Police as the most important crime fighting institution in the country, Yari noted that the force would do better if propOndo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko (middle); retiring Bishop of the Diocese of Akure, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion); Bishop Michael Ipinmoye erly reformed. (right), and his wife, Julie, during a visit to the governor yesterday. The Governor said the criteria and screening pattern for recruitment into the Nigeria Police has been below global APC showed that there were Congress (APC) is con- vage the country for the better. standard, alleging that candithe 2015 general elections. Theactivistalsofaultedthestate some politicians who were hell- demnable. Those that are As a country, we have been let dates were not properly pardon granted by President bent to prevent the registration behind this are nothing but down by succession of corrupt, screened before being recruitthe new pursuing the goals of the incompetent Goodluck Jonathan to the for- of ed into the force. mer Governor of Bayelsa State, opposition party by the Federal Government. Their and destructive leaders since Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, Independent National Electoral aims and objectives is to the return of democracy. saying that the decision of the Commission sabourtage attempt to register Nigerians are tired, Nigerians 2015: Andy Uba government showed that it was (INEC). the APC and Nigerians are fed up with all the corrupnot committed in fighting cor- Sani stressed: “The attempt by will resist this attempt of mis- tion, mal administration, hope- Tasks Ndigbo ruption in Nigeria. some fraudulent and oppor- chief with all vehemence.” lessness which have been the On Unity Sani in a statement yesterday tunistic individuals to register a According to him, “our position character of the Nigerian state From Lemmy Ughegbe, Abuja argued that the controversy politicalpartywiththeacronym remains very clear that the APC under the PDP.” in isonsalvationmission,itisaparthat has emerged over a politi- APC Sani further explained that HE Senator representing order to frustrate the registra- ty of redemption. It is the only “with the present attempt by cal Anambra South, Andy Uba organisation with the acronym tion of the All Progressives alternative for Nigerians to sal- some individuals to stop APC, it in the upper legislative house, shows that PDP is on a destruc- has said that Igbos must put tive and up a united front if they are to sabourtage mission, and we claim major stakes in the shall not allow this to happen if political equation of the counBenzene which causes cancer in the NNPC and include his name. gradually revive the economy. we are actually practicing try come 2015. underground water, makes it Delighted that peace has been “I will discuss security in line democracy in the true sense of Ubah, who is also the Senate imperative for government to restored to Okrika, Amaechi with what I consider my contri- it.” Committee Chairman on the check corporations whose activ- recalled that before he became bution to the growth of the On the state pardon granted Independent National ities endanger the lives of the governor, the state economy was state. When I became governor to some prominent Electoral Commission (INEC) people. at its lowest ebb causing most of Rivers State, you all know how Nigerians by Jonathan, Sani not- also urged the Igbos to redisAmaechi made the assertion expatriates and companies to Rivers State was. You know that ed that “the state pardon grant- cover the enterprising and during a town hall meeting with relocate to other parts of the it was bad. I hardly had time to ed to Alamieyeseigha is the rea- hardworking spirits the people of Okrika, which was country on account of insecurity sleep because if one group is not sonforallotherpardon”,adding bequeathed to them by their attackinghere,anothergroupis that “the inclusion of the late progenitors and make use of once the hotbed of militancy and in the state. abode of kidnapping gangs. He noted that due to his resolve attacking there. They were all General Shehu Musa Yar’adua them to advance their interThe governor charged the peo- to tackle insecurity, government everywhere and it was like a war whom I shared prison cell with ests on the country’s political ple to initiate a class suit against was able to restore peace and zone.” in Kirikiri prison from 1995 to chess board. 1998 and that An electronic statement of Diya and others was to give made available to The credibility to the pardon given Guardian by the Senator’s to Alamieyeseigha.” aide, Jerome Azubuko said the Apugo’s son, who accused his malign some notable state PDP terness. He added: “And from all indica- lawmaker made the call at an Chukwudi who spoke with father of “sticking to his age members including the state tions, the pardon granted to interactive forum held at the some journalists in Umuahia in long politics of bitterness and governor, Dr. Theodore Orji. him (Alamieyeseigha) is to sim“Even if he has a good grouse ply clean him and deodorise main lounge of Enugu Sports the week, urged his father, who god-fatherism,” said this has Club that was attended by capsaid he is a member of the Board alienated him from party stal- which I can understand, his him and reintroduce him to the tains of industry, business brand of politics is no longer in political of Trustees (BoT) and a founding warts in the state and beyond. scene moguls, market associations, Noting that he had been sad- vogue. He should not expect the in Nigeria. I do not think that member of the party, to change members of the club as well as his political attitude, become dened by the divisive and bitter state governor to be coming to such a person should be par- students from various tertiary tolerant of other members of politics of his father, he alleged his house to bow down and take doned, together with others the party, and respect political that the elder Apugo his has instructions from him,” Apugo whose offences were purely institutions from across Enugu State. been using his attitude to said. office holders in the state. political.” The statement quotes Uba as lamenting that the pioneering roles played by Ndigbo as a tribe both in pre-independence and post-independence history of Nigeria appeared not to have been followed up by the present crop of Igbo politicians.

Sani Condemns Plot To Prevent APC Registration, Faults State Pardon For Alamieyeseigha From Saxone Akhaine, Kaduna HE leader of the Civil Society T Coalition in the North and human rights activist, Mallam Shehu Sani has condemned the attempt by some politicians to frustrate the registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Sani pointed accusing fingers to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as being the brain behind the saga in order to prevent credible challenge against it in

Rivers May Sue NNPC Over Pollution From Kelvin Ebiri, Port Harcourt IVERS State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi has threatened to sue the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for indiscriminate pollution of Okrika environment. The governor noted that the recent United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland which revealed high level of

Father, Son On Collision Course In Abia PDP From Gordi Udeajah, Umuahia PEOPlES Democratic Party A (PDP) chieftain in Abia State, Chief Benjamin Benedict Apugo has been criticised by his son, Chukwudi Apugo, who is also a stalwart of the party in the state, over his style of politics, which his son described as one of bit-

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

NEWS PFN To Engage FG, Others On Security

AAUA To Deliver Convocation Lecture In Yoruba Language

From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City HE new leadership of the T Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) yesterday said it

From Niyi Bello, Akure NDO State-owned O Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), is set to

would engage the Federal Government and other religious and interest groups to find lasting solutions to Nigeria’s security, political and socio-economic challenges. Newly-elected President of the association, Rev. Felix Omobude stated this during an interactive session with journalists in Benin City, Edo State, where he also said he would meet with the leadership of independent churches in thecountrytoworkoutandmarshal out plans for peace and unity in the association. “The PFN will engage every stakeholder, particularly the government, with the aim of bringing peace to the nation.

Elumelu Emerges DELSU’s Governing Council Chairman

Edo State Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff and representative of Gov. Adams Oshiomhole, Hon. Stephen Idehenre; Minister of Works, Hon. Mike Onolememe, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan; President of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Mr. Emeka Eleh and former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, during NIESV’s 43rd Annual General Conference held in Edo State….

From Hendrix Oliomogbe, Asaba ITH a firm directive to meet W national and international standards in the educational programmes of the Delta State University, Abraka, (DELSU) through teaching, research, training and university service, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan yesterday in Asaba inaugurated the school’s Governing Council. Chaired by the Chief Executive Officer of Heirs Holdings Mr. Tony Elumelu, Uduaghan told the eight member council that the state government was worried by the challenges facing the educational sector in the country, especially the tertiary level. The governor remarked that the realisation informed the selection of the seasoned and tested crop of professionals, who are expected to bring their expertise and exposure to bear on the institution.

Diageo Awards Announce Extension For Entries EADLINE for submission of D entries for this year’s edition of the prestigious Diageo African Business Reporting Awards (DABRA Awards) has been extended till March 22, 2013 in order to afford opportunity for submissions by intending participants. The Awards recognise the achievements of business journalists reporting on the continent and provide a prestigious forum for international recognition of their work.

Yobe Relaxes Curfew In Six Towns From Njadvara Musa, Damaturu OBE State Government has Y relaxed curfew in six towns of the state. The development, government said, is to ease movement of people and vehicles in the affected towns, including Damaturu, the state capital. The six affected towns are Potiskum, Garin Alkali, Gaidam, Ngelzarma, Damaturu and Gashua, 85 kilometres NorthEast of the state capital. In a statement by the special adviser on Press Affairs and Information, Abdullahi Bego, the curfew would be from 7 am to 9 pm for five towns, and 7 am to 10 pm for Damaturu, until the security situation fimproves.

Court Priest Orders Police To Pay N5m To

From Inemesit Akpan-Nsoh, Uyo UYO High Court siitingin Akwa Ibom State has ordered the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to pay N5 million compensation to Rev. Francis Ubong, a priest of the Roman Catholic Church, following assault meted out on him by a police official attached to the antikidnapping unit in the Akwa Ibom State command. It would be recalled that a police man, allegedly slapped Ubong at Ekpo Ekpo

Integrated Ventures filling station along Atiku Abubakar Way, Uyo, the state capital on February 18, 2011 when argument ensued between the duo. Giving ruling on the application yesterday, Justice Pius Idiong, held that it was inhuman, degrading and embarrassing for a police officer to slap a clergyman in the public glare. The judge ruled that the police officer violated Ubong’s fundamental right to dignity of life as guaranteed and protected

by section 34 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Article 5 of the African Charter of Human and People’s Rights. The respondent was also ordered to write an unreserved and acceptable letter of apology to the applicant to be published in the state owned newspaper, Pioneer Newspaper. “The respondents whether by themselves or through their agents, servants or privies, howsoever called be and are

hereby restrained from further violating or infringing on the said applicant’s fundamental right, or at all, save only in the circumstances permitted by the Constitution of the law. “The respondents, jointly and severally shall forthwith pay to the applicant the sum of N5 million only to compensate him for the indignity, injury, embarrassment and mental agony which the said breach of his fundamental right has caused him,” the judge said.

Laboratory Scientists Allege Doctors’ Plot To Render Them Useless By Joseph Okoghenun EDICAL laboratory scienM tists (MLS) have alleged surreptitious and deliberate efforts by medical doctors, who are heads of health institutions in Nigeria, to replace them with other health professionals. MLS cited recent employment advertisement by AdoEkiti Federal Medical Centre (FMC),Asaba FMC,Owerri FMC and the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) as basis for their fear and allegation. National President, Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), Dr. Godswill Okara, exclusively told The Guardian that though there has not been documentary evidence for the allegation, members of the association were getting worried with recent advertisements by the aforementioned health institutions were positions legally

meant for MLSs were advertised for other health professionals. Okara said the move might not be devoid of “ parochial interest” by doctors to punish MLSs for challenging them to do what is right in the healthcare sector. Medical doctors head almost all health institutions in Nigeria, a situation that is currently generating ripples between them and other health professionals, especially MLSs and pharmacists. Chairman, Association of Chief Executives Federal Tertiary Hospitals (ACEFTH) and Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Prof. George Akpede, a medical doctor, said he was not aware of the plan to make MLSs irrelevant. He, however, told The Guardian that health institution’s advertisement is often based on need. “Advertisements are made on

the basis of need of an institution,” Akpede said. NIMR’s Director General, Prof. Innocent Ujah, said his institution advertised based on its need devoid of emotions. Second National VicePresident of AMLSN and NIMR’s Chief Medical Laboratory Scientist,Mr. Raheem Toyosi, said the trend would impact negatively of

the already weakened healthcare system. He added that if the trend is allow to continued, it might delayed the country in meeting World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) (WHO –AFRO) Accreditation programme aimed at improving public medical laboratories throughout Africa.

Ford Foundation, Group Train Union Leaders union leaders by the non-gov-

From Gordi Udeajah , Umuahia

EVELOPMENT experts at a two-day training on rightbased approach to development conducted by Cleen Foundation, Development and Citizens Center for Integrated Development and Social Rights in Umuahia, Abia State, has said that Nigeria was having challenges with governance because government is not people oriented. The Umuahia version is the continuation of training for

ernment organisation (NGOs) across South-Eastern States of the federation. According to the Cleen Foundation Representative, Mr. Ifeanyi Anyanwu, 51 participants comprising Development Unions and Development Associations leaders in the 17 local councils of Abia State were involved in the training targeted to find sustainable solutions to the challenges of governance and security.

DPO Warns Vigilante On Abuse Of Firearms, Arrest From Chuks Collins, Awka THE Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Ogidi Police station, Mr. Abdul Yusuf, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) has warned the vigilante operatives in the area over abuse of firearms and illegal arrest, maltreatment and detention of suspects. The DPO gave the warning during interactive session with the Nkwelle-Ogidi Community Development

Union executive and citizens as parts of a reception organised for him on assumption of his new posting to the community yesterday. He noted that the vision of community policing by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, was to effectively track anti-social conduct within the nation’s borders, using every member of each community, especially the vigilantes.

Yusuf emphasized that the vigilante operatives were always expected to immediately hand over any apprehended suspect to the police for effective investigation and prosecution, adding that they have no legal rights to detain, torture, maim and or kill any suspect, as such actions would attract severe sanctions and murder charges. Yusuf also promised to train and re-train the local vigilantes regularly, admitting

that a well-trained and equipped vigilante makes the job of police easier in any community. President of the Union, Chief Maurice Ebo, said the community was ready to partner with the police to flush out undesirable elements in the area. He noted that his executive has done so much to empower the youth and the citizens as a way of discouraging idleness and misconduct in the community.

make history as the first academic institution in the country to host the presentation of a convocation lecture using a Nigerian language as a medium. The lecture titled “Kin Ni a Fe Fi Ede Yoruba Se?” which literarily translates to “What Do We Do With Yoruba Language?”, would be delivered by renowned academic, literary critic,author and artiste, Prof. Akinwumi Isola, to mark the fourth convocation of the 13year old institution. According to the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nahzeem Olufemi Mimiko, who spoke at a press conference to herald the convocation programme, the choice of the topic and the language, was borne out of the desire of the university to do things in its own unique way to draw attention to the course that similar institutions should be charting.

Firm Unveils Reward For Kids S part of efforts aimed at A reaching out to young consumers, Chi Limited Nigeria, the makers of Capri-Sonne Natural Fruit Juice, has unveiled exciting reward campaign for kids tagged “CapriSonne School Surprises Offer”. The offer comes with several exciting gifts for children in school, like wristwatches, flashlights, pouches, color pencil cases and many more packed inside every carton. The offer also has an extra bonanza option, where customers submit Capri-Sonne flaps and stand the chance to get free jumbo crayons and watercolour boxes. The Campaign will be supported with a television campaign, outdoors and an activation programme where the CapriSonne team would visit schools across Nigeria.

‘73% BenueYouths Interested In Agric’ From Joseph Wantu, Makurdi BUJA-based consultancy A firm in agriculture, ESFAJ and Partners, has urged Benue State Government to invest more in agriculture, noting that about 73 per cent of youths in state are interested in agriculture. Senior Partner of the firm, Simi Fajemirokun, who made the declaration at the Government House, Makurdi, yesterday while submitting findings of the survey carried out in the state by the firm to establish the attitude of youths in the state towards agriculture to Governor Gabriel Suswam, maintained that the state has huge potentials to sustain the country’s food security if properly harness. Fajemirokun revealed that the three months research done in 102 council wards in three senatorial district of the state has shown that 50 per cent of secondary school leavers engage in farming as against less than 30 per cent of graduates who show interest in agriculture. The research further intimated that, Ukum Local Government has the highest number of youths within the ages of 15 and 35 in farming, while Ado Local Government showed the least interest.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

NEWS Rufa’i Commends British Council’s Intervention In Education Sector From Mohammed Abubakar, Abuja INISTER of Education, Prof. M Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i has commended British

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduagha (4th right); Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Heir Holdings and Chairman of Delta State University Governing Council (4th left) and other members of the council after the inauguration of the council by the governor in Asaba, Delta State…yesterday. PHOTO: HENRY UNINI

Govt Launches 29-Year National Infrastructure Master Plan ...Makes Entrepreneurial Training Compulsory In Tertiary Schools By Chinedum Uwaegbulam, who was in Benin

PPARENTLY to bridge the A gap in the nation’s infrastructure, the Federal Government has moved to develop a National Integrated Infrastructure Master plan for a 29-year period to serve as a catalyst for economic growth and national development. The Government has also directed all tertiary institutions to make entrepreneurial training compulsory as a means of tackling the scourge

of unemployment in the country and ensuring that “future graduates have the requisite skills to launch into the world of industry.” President Goodluck Jonathan who announced the plans for 2014 – 2043 infrastructure master plan at the 43rd annual conference of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) holding in Benin, Edo State, admitted that inadequate infrastructure has continued to militate against

the realisation of the lofty objectives of the transformation agenda of the government and the nation’s 20:2020. Jonathan, represented by the Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen said that the priorities of the government in the next five years are good governance, human development, real sector, infrastructure and funding infrastructure projects that impact positively on the realisation of the gains from areas such as agri-

culture, mining, manufacturing, oil and gas, trade and investment, health, education and tourism. The President urged members of NIESV to develop NIESV President, Mr. Emeka Onuorah noted that investment in infrastructure has the potential to generate multiplier effects in the economy that will impact positively on our unemployment and poverty levels, productivity, prices of goods and services and even housing.

NLC Predicts Imminent Spread Of Labour Party From Abiodun Fagbemi, Ilorin HE Chairman of Kwara T State chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), Farouk Akanbi yesterday predicted an imminent spread of Labour Party (LP) across the 36 states of the federation. According to Akanbi in a chat

yesterday with The Guardian in Ilorin, the good leadership qualities of the Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko, who remains the only governor under the platform of the LP has endeared the party and its structures to many Nigerians. Speaking on the seeming peaceful co-existence between

the NLC and the government of Kwara State, Akanbi said the political atmosphere in the state “where doors are not slammed against anyone,” and the alleged unfavourable revenue profile of the state in federal allocations, could not be divorced from the development.

He commended the state government for making it possible for retired workers in the state to commence receiving their pension immediately after retirement. But he believed that more efforts should be put in place to make payment of gratuities prompt especially at the LGAs level.

Nigerian Emerges Guinness World Records’ Holder From Abiodun Fagbemi, Ilorin R. Oluwagbemiga M Adesoye, a civil engineer from Offa, Offa Local Government Area (LGA) of Kwara State has joined the family of Guinness World Records’ holders. It is not certain, however, if Adesoye, who is also the son of the foremost Nigerian educationist, Chief Emmanuel Adesoye, is the only known Nigerian among the family. In a letter dated February 15, this year, written by Kristin Teufel, from the headquarters of Guinness World Records

Limited, Drummond Street London, Adesoye was described as a genius for designing and putting into use, the largest Ludo Board Game in the world. According to Teufel, “we are pleased to confirm that you have successfully set the new Guinness World Records title for Largest Board Game, Ludo. We know what an incredible experience it is to join the Guinness World Records family of record holders. Enclosed is your official Guinness Records Certificate confirming your title.” The game, a hitherto indoor

game was presented and measured in Adesoye College Offa on July 3rd, 2012 with four referees. It started at 3.55 pm

and ended at 4.43pm. The event creator and initiator, Adesoye attributed the idea to “God who is the wisest.”

Nigeria Expert Group On Primary Health Care Submits Report By Chukwuma Muanya S part of efforts to revitalise Primary Health Care (PHC) services in the country, the 25member expert group on PHC revitalisationinNigeriahassubmitted its report even as 24 Primary Health Care Agencies (PHCAs) have been inaugurated by different state governments and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as parts of measures to ensure effective primary healthcare delivery to the overwhelming majority of the population. Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Ado Muhammad, disclosed this on Thursday while receiving the report of a 25member expert group on PHC revitalisation in Nigeria. According to a press statement signed by the Assistant Director, Public Relations Unite of NPHCDA, Saadu Salahu, Ado, while expressing delight over this development called on other states to constitute and inaugurate their Primary Health Care Development Board (PHCDB) for better coordination of primary healthcare service in their domain. Presenting the report earlier, the chairman of the committee, Dr. Shehu Mahadi advocated establishment of PHCBs in all states of the federation as part of strategy towards addressing issues affecting PHC in the country.

Ondo Oil Communities Praise Chevron For Local Content Implementation From Niyi Bello, Akure HE Ondo State branch of T Association of Oil and GasProducing Communities of Nigeria (AOGPCN) has commended American oil giant, Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) for the mutually beneficial relationship between the company and its host communities.

In a rare endorsement of the operation actions of multinational oil companies operating in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region, Chairman of the association, Chief Adewale Omojuwa, said other oil companies should emulate Chevron in its handling of the affairs of communities in its areas of operation. Omojuwa, who was the

immediate past Chairman of the Ondo State OilProducing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), specifically gave kudos to the American company for the way it implements the local content policy in favour of its host communities in Nigeria and particularly Ilaje local council area of the state.

Council for its support to the promotion of quality education delivery in Nigeria, while also expressing the willingness of the Federal Ministry of Education to continue to partner with the agency in the drive to transform the education system to achieve the desired goals. The Minister made the commendation at a sensitisation meeting of researchers on Internationalising Higher Education organised by the Council in Abuja. She expressed the belief that the outcome of the research would help to improve the quality of higher education in the country, noting that the research promises to address the acquisition of skills among undergraduates to meet the needs of the labour market. While assuring the Council of continuing partnership, she called for closer collaboration and synergy between the Council and the Ministry for the purpose of proper recording and documentation of their intervention.

Jigawa Highbrow New Layout To Gulp Over N5 Billion From John Akubo, Dutse HE highbrow new layout T under construction in Dutse, Jigawa State will gulp additional N1.2 billion, bringing the total contract to N5.73 billion. The Commissioner of Information, Youth and Culture, Alhaji Babandi Ibrahim Gumel who made the disclosure yesterday at the end of the first state executive council meeting in 2013 said the additional cost will be used for street lighting, plumbing and water works. Babandi said that N545 million has been set aside for additional external work at the new state secretariat, adding that the revised cost of the contract now stands at N1.4 billion. The commissioner indicated that N212million was earmarked for additional external work at the State High Court bringing the revised cost to N811 million.

Taraba Maps Out Strategies To Reduce HIV/AIDS From Charles Akpeji, Jalingo HE Taraba State Agency for T the Control of AIDS (TACA) has mapped out mechanisms that will as a matter of urgency reduce to the barest minimum the present HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in state. The prevalence, which has risen to 5.8 per cent and adjudged the highest in the Northeast zone, has become a source of concern to the leadership of TACA and other stakeholders. Among the strategies include the need to bring on board all and sundry, especially elected local government chairman to extend the much needed olive branch to the leadership of the various coordinators of Local Action Committee of AIDS (LACA) in the 16 councils of the state.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

METRONOTES

Oriade Women Begs Fashola To Re-open By Onyedika Agbedo S the bulldozers were pulling down markets along the LagosBadagry Expressway last year following the ongoing reconstruction of the international highway, a new market sprang up in the AbuleAdo axis of old Ojo Road to console market women who were displaced by the demolitions. But another misfortune befell them just as they were settling down in their new environment, which was said to have been developed by Oriade Local Council Development Authority (LCDA)—the owners of the land on which the market was being built drove them away last October. Since then, the market has not been functioning. The women are now crying out to the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola for help. During a peaceful protest from the location of the market to the headquarters of Oriade LCDA on Tuesday, the women pleaded with the Chairman of the Council, Hon. Ibrahim Babatunde Sanusi, to liaise with the state government to resolve whatever issues have stopped them from trading in the market with the parties involved. According to Alhaja Amokpe Abu, who led the protest: “We want Governor Fashola to help us through Oriada LCDA to reopen the market. We were already selling there before we were driven away and we have nowhere to go. We have no money to rent shops in the plazas; we want to be selling there. We use proceeds from our trading to look after our families. Some of us are widows and among us are also women whose husbands are jobless and our children must feed and also go to school. We are ready to start selling there today if they ask us to,” she said. Narrating the circumstances surrounding the closure of the market to journalists, Mr. Fatai Oladiga of Alagbo Agbojojoye Chieftaincy Family of Ijegun Nbasa, Satelite

Market women during a peaceful protest from the location of the market to the headquarters of Oriade LCDA Town, said the family actually gave out the land to the local council to build a market but some people are laying claim to the property. “What happened was that almost five years ago, we gave the land to Oriade LCDA to help us to build a market there. About two and a half years ago, we noticed that they had started the work and we were very impressed. Shortly after, some market women moved in and occupied the available shops. But about six months ago, they just closed the market down and people have not been trading there. “We met the local council chairman

to find out why they closed down the market and he told us that he was not the one who closed the market and did not know anything about it. So, we are appealing to the state governor, Babatunde Fashola, to help us to re-open the market. The market in Agboju has been demolished and most of these women need a place to carry out their businesses. “We are not seeking to collect the land from the local council. We want the land to be used for a market. We don’t want the place to remain a bush; we want the land to be put to use. That is why we are cry-

ing out for the intervention of the state government,” he said. However, the Chairmen of Oriade LCDA, Sanusi, while responding to the protesting women, said the piece of land the market was built upon belongs to the Federal Government and has been allocated to a company named Management Enterprises Limited. He said: “The land along Old Ojo Road belongs to the Federal Government and it has been allocated to one company called Management Enterprises Limited (MEL). And if the land has been allocated to MEL, I have no power to

take over the land. But we are consulting with the Federal Ministry of Lands and MEL. I have gone through the whole place; I have done a lot of research because it is something that has been on for the past one year. So I know the nitty-gritty of that place. So, they should be patient. We have requested five acres from them for us to use it for a market. From every indication, the negotiation will yield the expected fruit. But they have to be patient; they should not take laws into their hands. And if anybody is advising them to go into that place, the person just wants them to spend unnecessary money.”

Rotary Takes Anti-Corruption, Terrorism Campaign To Secondary Schools By Bankole Shakirudeen Adeshina HE Rotary Club of Lagos-West, District 9110, Nigeria, has speare-headed a national campaign aimed at “decontaminating” the minds of Nigerian youths and teenagers against corruption, terrorism and other social vices. According to the President of the humanitarian organization, Mrs. Yetunde Lawson, the objective would be achieved through continuous interaction and inculcation of right morals and quality attributes into the youths, especially in secondary schools. Lawson spoke exclusively with The Guardian at her club’s Peace forum ‘Developing Youths As Agents For World Peace,’ organised for teens and young adults of three secondary schools in Lagos—Festac Senior Grammar School, Ilamoye High School and Chrishill College. At the event, which featured debates with topics like: “Traditional Rulers are Better Leaders in Conflict Resolution than Religious Leaders” and “ Litigation is Better than Mediation in Conflict Resolutions,” the organizer stressed the imperatives of peaceful and understanding society to the youthful audience and their roles in achieving it. In his address, the guest speaker and an Assistant National Commandant, Training and Operation, Peace Corps of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter, Mr. Oyemike M.D Oyemike, said the best way to secure a brighter future for the country, is by preparing youths adequately for the tasks ahead. Oyemike said permanent solution to leadership problem in Nigeria and the entire African countries required concerted efforts to decontaminate its future leaders from immorality. According to him, “We can achieve this by engaging and exposing them (young adults and youths) early enough to right attitudes

and attributes of good leadership. We should periodically, like the Rotary Club of LagosWest has done today, stimulate their interest in growing to become better individuals and leaders, regardless of the hopeless situation of today. “Yes, the Nigerian political environmental is overwhelmingly corrupt and bad, but the best way to correct it is to uproot the toxic and kleptomaniac culture, by giving the youths high morals and other quality attributes expected in a good leader,” he added. In her account, the organizer, Lawson, said the road to a sustainable world peace and understanding is a long one and all stakeholders—government, the governed, civil groups, parents and the entire citizens have roles to play. “Our resolve to target the teens and young adults as the beneficiaries of the peace forum was born out of concerns, as parents, teachers and guardians. We have seen situations where people explored their vulnerability and youthful exuberance to lure them into cultism, robbery, terrorism and all forms of immorality. “Therefore, it becomes imperative to inculcate in them positive attributes of a quality and good leader, through seminars like this. And we are hoping that they put these into practice as they grow older and find themselves in positions of leadership,” she submitted. According to Lawson, who is the Principal of Festac Grammar School, the best way to discourage crime is by engaging the youths actively through education on the fundamental needs for them to commit themselves to peace, tolerance and unity. She argued that,“ The point is if there is total commitment to peace and tolerance, there will be no provocation of aggression and where there is no confrontation, there will be

Representatives of Chrishill College, winner of the debate (in white school uniform), being presented the first prize by the Guest Speaker and Commandant, National Peace Corp of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter, Mr. Onyemike M.D Onyemike (second from left). The organiser and President of Rotary Club of Lags-West, District 9110, Nigeria, Omotunde Lawson (left), watches in admiration. no retaliation. And if there is none of this, no one will have reason to cause violence. Speaking with The Guardian, two of the leading debaters, who represented Festac Grammar School and Chrishill College, Master Edoh Moses and Miss Agbede Kofoworola, articulated their views on how best to promote peace and tolerance in the country. Moses, an SS3 Science Class Student of Festac Grammar School, stressed that traditional rulers are more effective in conflict resolution than religious leaders because of their closeness to the people. According to him, “ I actually supported the motion that ‘Traditional rulers are more effective in conflict resolution than religious rulers’ because of their strategic closeness to the people. By this virtue, they always have their ears to the ground, through their informants and village chiefs. They know every youth by his or

her clan and can trace such person’s ancestral homes and fetch out his or her parent. “Besides, they are also the custodians of culture and traditions and this makes them better-placed in knowing all necessary to prevent insecurity or any unfortunate occurrence, by appeasing the gods of the land.” The other debater, Kofoworola, an SS 2 science student of Chrishill College, who supported the motion that ‘Litigation is better than Mediation in Conflict Resolution,’ argued that such remains the most reliable approach to obtain justice. The young lady explained, “Litigation is the surest and most reliable way of obtaining justice. It might be a long and torturous journey, but eventually, all parties involved are bound to comply with the verdict of the court of law. Unlike mediation, which is just advisory and not binding on either party.”

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

OVERLAPPING WORD GAME with OLULANA KAYODE O8023183727 olulana3@yahoo.com Starting from the square numbered ‘1’, fill in the first word, writing from left to right. Also fill in the second word, starting in the box numbered ‘2’ You will observe that the second word will overlap the first word. Also, the third word will overlap the second word and so on. Keep on filling the words in a clockwise direction until all the squares are completely filled, using the clues/ definitions below:

Solutions To Overlapping Word Game ‘14’

Overlapping Word Game ‘15’ 1. Camouflage 2. Keep apart from others 3. Put something to bear 4. Serious shock to the body 5. Used to express sorrow 6. Showing shrewdness 7. Frame of mind 8. Being in a vertical position 9. One who trades 10. Feel strong repugnance 11. Flexible 12. Tapering ice spike 13. Meager 14. Oxygen deficiency in the blood 15. Hymn of loyalty 16. Territory ruled by an Emir 17. Bank employee who pays out money 18. Pistol having a revolving cylinder 19.One that reacts to a stimulus 20. Aperture 21. Discontinue 22. Exterior 23. Modify 24. Precipitation of water drops

How To Cultivate Good Thinking

Leonid Hurwicz hands were helpers to their brains. As your thinking shapes your life, it follows that your success is determined by your creativity. As you think creatively, you will discover that thinking for a change does not tell you what to think; it teaches you how to think. As you get acquainted with the skill of creative thinking, you will find that in certain circumstances, you think well, but in others you don’t.

DISGUISE

SECLUDE

EXERT

TRAUMA

ALAS

ASTUTE

TEMPER

ERECT

TRADER

10.

REBEL

11.

ELASTIC

12.

ICICLE

13.

LEAN

14.

ANEMIA

15.

ANTHEM

16.

EMIRATE

17.

TELLER

18.

REVOLVER

19.

REACTOR

20.

ORIFICE

21.

CEASE

22.

EXTERNAL

23.

ALTER

24.

RAIN

By Bayo Ogunmupe\ 08034673443 http:/ogunmupe.blogspot.com

On The Path Of Winners

It is good to embrace good thinking as a lifestyle for your level of thinking determines your level of progress in life. For you to change your life, you must change your way of thinking. Your life today is the result of your past thinking. Your tomorrow is determined by how you think today. If you change your thinking, you can change your feeling. Through changing your feelings, you change your actions. And new actions based on good thinking can change your life. Many educators would have us believe that good education leads to a better life and the more formal education you have, the more successful you will be. Unfortunately, education cannot always deliver on such promises. The bulk of the world’s great achievers are school dropouts —- Bill Gates, Thomas Edison and Steve Jobs are examples. Two delusions about higher education are that what is taught is what is learned and that this will pay off in money. But the problem is that schools teach people what to think not how to think. But knowledge alone is not power. Knowledge has value only in the hands of a good thinker. You must learn to think creatively to achieve your dreams. What you think determines what you become. Here are three ways to cultivate creative thinking. One, creative thinking creates good results. The quality of your thinking determines the quality of your results. Poor thinking produces poor results. Average thinking results in failure. Creative thinking produces progress. Great thinking produces great results. The reason people fail is that they desire success without changing their thinking. You need to visualize success before you can succeed. Successful business people have succeeded through their thinking. Their

Learn to develop creative thinking and you will become a better thinker. Learn all that you can -- including the process of shared thinking, which compensates for your weak areas and your life will change for the better. I once read that the battle for the control of the world has always been waged most effectively at the idea level. An idea, whether right or wrong, that captures the minds of a nation’s youth will soon work its way into every area of society. In our multimedia age, ideas determine consequences. Achieving your potentials comes from good thinking. That was certainly true of Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart. He explains: “In all my years, what I heard more often than anything was: ‘a town of less than 50, 000 in population cannot support a discount store for very long.’” But Walton did not think along the line of his competitors. And for that reason, he struck a greater potential, while others followed popular thinking, Walton thought creatively. That paid up in a remarkable way. Today, Wal-Mart is the world’s largest retailer, employing more than one million people and achieving annual sales in excess of $191 billion. Every week, over 100 million customers visit Wal-Mart store. No wonder, Jack Welch, former chairman of US General Electric, said, “The hero is the one with Ideas.” The greatest detriment to your success tomorrow is your jaded thinking today. Achievements come from the habit of good thinking. The more good thinking you gain, more good thoughts you create. It is like creating a never-ending army of ideas capable of achieving almost anything. As French playwright, Victor Hugo, asserted: “An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an invasion of ideas.” How was the typewriter able to resist the desktop computer?

Our champion for today is Leonid Hurwicz, the polish American economist and mathematician of Jewish descent who won the 2007 Nobel Memorial Prize for economics for having laid the foundation of mechanism design theory. He originated incentive compatibility, which shows how desired outcomes are achieved in economics, social science and political science. Interaction of individuals and institutions, markets and trade are analyzed and understood today using the models Hurwicz developed. Leonid Hurwicz is the oldest Nobel Laureate, having received the prize at the age of 90. Born in Moscow in August 1917. Hurwicz died in June 2008. He was encouraged by his father to study law; in 1938 Hurwicz received his LLM from the University of Warsaw where he found his future vocation in the economics class. He then studied economics at the London school of Economics, leaving without a degree. He also studied at the Graduate Institute of International Studies In Geneva. After moving to the United State, he continued his Studies at Harvard and the University of Chicago. He had no degree in economics, saying in 2007: “Whatever economics I learned, I learned by listening and learning. In 1941 Hurwicz was a research assistant at M.I.T, and in 1945 he received a Guggenheim Fellowship becoming associate professor of economics at Iowa State College. In 1951 he became a research professor of economics at the University of Illinois. Named for Hurwicz was the Hurwicz Criterion in the area of decision making called “under uncertainty” There is also the Leonid Hurwicz Distinguished Lecture delivered yearly at Minnesota Economic Association. Finally was the Nobel Prize in Economics which he shared with Eric Maskin and Roger Myerson. When asked which of all the applications of mechanism design he was most pleased to see, Hurwicz said welfare economics. He applied games theory to discover the best and most efficient means to reach a desired outcome, taking into consideration the individual’s knowledge and self interest. Owing to his old age, the prize was delivered to him in the U.S.A, in company of Evelyn, his spouse of 60 years.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

AFRICA

Odinga Delays Legal Challenge To Vote

Egypt’s Islamists Warn Giving Women Some Rights Could Destroy Society

ENYA’S defeated presidenK tial contender Raila Odinga has delayed his legal

rights could destroy society by allowing a woman to travel, work and use contraception without her husband’s approval and letting her control family spending. The Islamist movement that backs President Mohamed Mursi gave 10 reasons why Muslim countries should “reject and condemn” the declaration, which the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women is racing to negotiate a consensus deal on by Friday.

challenge to last week’s election result, his allies said yesterday, extending a period of uncertainty over the outcome of the disputed poll. Reuters reported that Odinga refused to accept the slim first-round win by rival Uhuru Kenyatta - and his allies had said he would present a petition to the Supreme Court yesterday alleging collusion between the president-elect and the electoral commission. But officials from Odinga’s CORD coalition told reporters the papers would now go to the court a day later today - the deadline for complaints - to prevent their challenge getting “mixed up” with other election-related cases. “The reason for the postponement is merely strategic and has nothing to do with the content of the petition and other accompanying documents,” senior CORD member James Orengo said. Kenyatta, the son of the country’s first president, faces charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court alleging he incited violence during the bloody aftermath to Kenya’s 2007

Odinga presidential vote. He denies the charges. There has been no repeat of that elections’ deadly tribal violence that sent the region’s biggest economy into a tailspin and threatened the country’s image as a safe place for tourists and investors. Odinga has called for calm while he takes his case to court and has said he will accept the final ruling. While Odinga’s petition and the delay to its filing will prolong uncertainty about the outcome of the vote, most Kenyans said they were relieved the dispute was being fought out in the courts, not the streets. “No-one is ready to go back

to the streets. We believe the judgment will reflect fairly what happened,” said doctor Jack Kataka from Odinga’s tribal homeland in the west of Kenya. Chief Justice Willy Mutunga has promised to deal with any election petitions in a fair, speedy and transparent manner. The court’s performance will be seen as a test of ongoing reforms of the judiciary. Kenyatta only just avoided a second round in last week’s poll after winning 50.07 percent of the vote - candidates need more than half of all votes cast to win outright. But he was more than 800,00 votes ahead of Odinga, who also lost the 2007 election.

WORLD Cameron Differs With Pope On Falklands As Vatican Rejects Argentina Junta Claims Priest abducted by Argentine junta reconciled with pope RITISH Prime Minister David Cameron yes- tal right-wing junta, has come under intense B terday said he “respectfully” disagreed with scrutiny. Argentine-born Pope Francis’s assertion that Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said: the Falkland Islands belonged to Argentina. Argentine media have quoted the pope, the former archbishop of Buenos Aires, as telling reporters in 2011 that the Falklands are “ours”. “I don’t agree with him, respectfully, obviously,” Cameron told reporters in Brussels, pointing to a referendum this month in which 99.8 percent of the islands’ inhabitants voted in favour of remaining British. “There was a pretty extraordinarily clear referendum in the Falkland Islands and I think that is a message to everyone in the world that the people of these islands have chosen very clearly the future they want,” Cameron said. “The white smoke over the Falklands was pretty clear,” he added. The sparsely populated South Atlantic archipelago triggered a war between Britain and Argentina in 1982. Also yesterday, the Vatican rejected claims that Pope Francis failed to do enough to protect two priests kidnapped and tortured by Argentina’s military junta and said he had in fact helped save lives. Meanwhile, a Jesuit priest whose arrest and torture by Argentina’s military junta in the 1970s sparked criticism of Pope Francis said yesterday he had reconciled with the newly elected pontiff. Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the first pope to hail from Latin America, has been criticised by leftist critics for his actions during Argentina’s “Dirty War” in which 30,000 people died or disappeared from 1976 to 1983. His role in the arrest of two young Jesuits, Orlando Yorio and Francisco Jalics, who were taken to a notorious torture centre by the bru-

“There has never been a credible, concrete accusation against him. The Argentinian justice system... has never charged him with anything.” He said the campaign against Bergoglio was “well known” but claimed it was defamatory and aimed at discrediting the Church. “The accusations come from parts of the anticlerical left to attack the Church and must be denied,” said Lombardi, insisting that Bergoglio “did a lot to protect people during the dictatorship” when he was not yet a bishop. Bergoglio himself has always denied any involvement in the case, and even says he intervened with the head of the junta, Jorge Videla, to beg for them to be freed. The two men were released after five months. The newly-elected pontiff, who is also the first Jesuit pope, earlier urged the troubled Catholic Church that he has inherited not to succumb to “pessimism” and to find new ways of spreading the faith. “Let us not give in to pessimism, to that bitterness that the devil offers us every day,” he told an audience of the world’s cardinals on his third day in office. In a reference to the declining number of worshippers in many parts of the world, he urged the cardinals to find “the courage to persevere and also to find new ways to bring evangelisation to the ends of the earth”. Amid allegations that Jorge Mario Bergoglio, then archbishop of Buenos Aires and now pope, betrayed him to the military regime, Father Francisco Jalics said in a written statement that he had spoken to Bergoglio years

GYPT’S ruling Muslim E Brotherhood warns that a U.N. declaration on women’s

The Brotherhood, whose Freedom and Justice Party propelled Mursi to power in June, posted the statement on its w e b s i t e , www.ikhwanweb.com, and the website of the party on Thursday. Egypt has joined Iran, Russia and the Vatican - dubbed an “unholy alliance” by some diplomats - in threatening to derail the women’s rights declaration by objecting to language on sexual, reproductive and gay rights. Reuters reported that the Muslim Brotherhood said the

Seven Dead In Raid On Army Post In Western Ivory Coast EVEN people were killed in along the volatile, porous Sclashes western Ivory Coast during western border with Liberia, between the army and fighters believed to belong to a militia once allied with the president, an army report said on Thursday. The world’s top cocoa-growing country is emerging from a decade of political crisis that ended with a brief civil war in 2011. Sporadic armed violence has continued, blamed generally on President Alassane Ouattara’s exiled foes. In Wednesday’s pre-dawn hours, however, gunmen dressed as dozos, a group of mystical hunters who fought on Ouattara’s behalf during the 2011 conflict, attacked an army post in the village of Zilebly

according to the army report. “The first reinforcements ... fell into an ambush. Two more groups of reinforcements with the participation of gendarmes took back Zilebly at around 5 p.m. (1700 GMT),” said the report, which was made available to Reuters. Four civilians, two soldiers and one of the attackers were killed in the fighting. Another government soldier was wounded. The clashes prompted nearby village inhabitants to flee, a spokeswoman for the U.N. humanitarian coordination office, OCHA, said.

declaration would give “wives full rights to file legal complaints against husbands accusing them of rape or sexual harassment, obliging competent authorities to deal husbands punishments similar to those prescribed for raping or sexually harassing a stranger.” U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice last week touted at the commission - a global policy-making body created in 1946 for the advancement of women progress made by the United States in reducing the rate of violence against women by their partners. “All 50 states in our union now have laws that treat date rape or spousal rape as just as much of a crime as rape by a stranger,” Rice said. “We cannot live in truly free societies, if women and girls are not free to reach their full potential.” The contrasting views show the gap that needs to be breached in negotiations on the declaration, which this year is focused on urging an end to violence against women and girls. The commission failed to agree a declaration last year on a theme of empowering rural women due to similar disagreements. Egypt has proposed an amendment, diplomats say, that would allow countries to avoid implementing the declaration if it clashed with national laws, religious or cultural values. But some diplomats say this would undermine the entire declaration.

after his release. “Afterwards we celebrated mass publicly together and we embraced solemnly. I am reconciled with the events and, for my part, consider them finished,” said Jalics, who has lived in Germany since 1978. “I wish Pope Francis God’s rich blessing for his office,” he added. Jalics and another young Jesuit, Orlando Yorio, who were both working in a slum in Buenos Aires, were taken to a notorious torture centre by the brutal right-wing junta in 1976. After five months, Yorio and Jalics were freed. In 2010, Bergoglio was questioned as a witness by judges probing the arrest and torture of the two young Jesuits, who were taken to the Naval School of Mechanics, known as a torture centre during the so-called Dirty War. Bergoglio, who became the first pope from Latin America Wednesday, was alleged to have betrayed the young missionaries to the regime because they had become opposition sympathisers and he wanted to preserve the Pope Francis delivering a speech during a meeting of the Jesuits’ political neutrality. world’s cardinals…yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

China Gets New Premier From Oghogho Obayuwana, Abuja (with agency reports) HE world’s second largest economy,China, yesterday named Li Keqiang as its premier. The new leader is the son of a local official in Anhui province. As premier, he will oversee a large portfolio of domestic affairs, managing economic challenges, environmental woes and China’s urbanisation drive. Mr Li, who already holds the number two spot in the Communist Party, takes over from Wen Jiabao. He was elected for a five-year term but, like his predecessor, would be expected to spend a decade in office. Only last Thursday, Xi Jinping

was confirmed by legislators as the new president, completing the transition of power from Hu Jintao. Li Keqiang’s widely-signalled elevation was confirmed by 3,000 legislators at the National People’s Congress, the annual parliament session, in Beijing. He received 2,940 votes to three, with six abstentions. The appointments seal the shift from one generation of leaders to the next. A raft of vice-premiers and state councillors will be named today (Saturday). Mr Li, 57, is seen as close to outgoing leader Hu Jintao. He speaks fluent English and has a PhD in economics. He has already called for a more

streamlined government, eliminating some ministries while boosting the size of others. But his time there was marked by a scandal involving the spread of HIV through contaminated blood. Already, the United States (U.S) President Barack Obama has called to congratulate him and raise concerns over ongoing issues, including cyber hacking and North Korea. Mr Obama is expected to send both Treasury Secretary, Jacob Lew and Secretary of State, John Kerry to Beijing in the coming days, in an apparent bid to reach out to the new administration.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

VATICAN Europe and America are bundles of contradictions. These are people trying to glamorize same-sex marriage, abortion, all kinds of things you can imagine under the sun. These are same people too, who are demanding so much of their priests and co. You don’t really know where they stand.

Father Osu On New Pope:

in other places but because maybe a priest is involved it makes more attraction for newspaper pages and co. Well, the church has mechanism for dealing with such cases and I believe that in other climes too, they have ways of dealing with all these crimes and co. What I believe is wrong is the approach by some of our human rights groups trying to make it look as if it is only priests’ problem and therefore, the church should be destroyed. It’s all money, money thing. I hope you mark my words, I do not condone it, I can never condone it, the church officially and unofficially will never condone it. Priests, who are involved anywhere have been disciplined, And I’m not his medical adviser or doctor, who ment with him. Issues are there and I’m sure, some have died, most of them even have died. The problem I call it ‘European society sickness’ should be able to say, “oh, he cannot” and he doesn’t rule alone too, you should know for now. Europe and America are bundles of conthings like that, but we believe that out of that that. He would sit with some consultors, he tradictions. These are people trying to glamorize 115 cardinals that voted, the Spirit chooses, God has curare and co. They would think, they has bestowed (it) on him well, that is the man. won’t just jump into action, without thinking. same-sex marriage, abortion, all kinds of things So, at 76 by European standard and First and Slowly, they would adapt themselves to it. But, you can imagine under the sun. These are same people too, who are demanding so much of their Second World War standards, I don’t think he is I know the major issues in the world the too old. Whoever “my son listen to him”, you church has always been involved — wars here priests and co. You don’t really know where they stand. It is the society that has become debased, know, that is the person He has chosen for us. and there, name it, all kinds of problems, moral- wise. I hope you mark my words. All I’m From what you’ve seen of him, does he have poverty, malnutrition, wrong education, trying to say is that nobody condones anywhere, the charisma that can endear him to the same-sex marriage —- the church has always Catholic faithful, and the rest of the world? been on these and it will continue. How about either in the church or in the government. We don’t condone all these crimes and so on. Even How many hours have the rest of the world the abuse of young boys by priests? seen him? We have not seen him for 48 hours. You see that is what I hate. The way you put it, where the church says we are very sorry publicly So, we would not be in the best place to judge, it’s as if priests alone are involved in this kind or privately people are still saying “no”. What else should they do? The basic thing is that there is but again, like I always insist and I have insist- of things or Roman Catholic Church, I’m not discipline, the church has its mechanism to dised, that is the man in the spirit, and that is the to … sin is sin, abuse is abuse, it should be cipline erring people, the state has its own mechman that God has given His cross and key of dealt with. It’s an aberration, moreso, if it is anism to discipline people who err. But this is Peter to hold on. If by charisma, you mean, abuse, it should be dealt with. But this What are your expectations, generally, from dancing from one stage of the altar to another, labelling as if there are no cases of such things time for reconciliation. This is a new beginning, a new pope coming in and when he comes in, let Pope Francis 1? that is not wrong. But again, his pedigree … to us give him the chance to act, and I’m sure he Y expectations cannot be different from rise to that level, to be a cardinal, he is Jesuit will act like Christ. that of any Catholic priest or from any bap- priest, definitely and he is a scholar per excelDo you think more Nigerians will be appointed tised Christian and in particular any baptised lence. So, we’ve not seen much of him to be cardinals in his tenure? Catholic. That is, I expect him to carry on the able to quickly categorise… except people who Am I in his mind? They don’t just appoint cardiwork of Christ, the cross of Christ, which again, are closest to him, maybe in Argentina those nals on the basis of religion, colour, or nation. might sound ‘foolish’ to the unwise. That is, the are the people who will really know. Without The cardinal is the priest of the universal church Pope, who will carry on the message of Christ belabouring myself, time will tell. He just not just Nigerian church or black man’s church. undiluted, the 10 commandments undiluted. became a Pope; he is yet to be inaugurated so, Before they appoint cardinals, so many things Do you think that at 76, he is still strong enough we will see more of him. And I believe for a long are considered. In his own tenure too, with his to lead 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide without time, positively. own curare, consultors, and co., anywhere in the over-stressing himself? What are the issues you think he should first world. When they see the need, they will do the When the Spirit chooses who are we to start address, globally? appointment. But, definitely, not on tribal basis. questioning? But you saw him on the screen. Let’s leave that for now. I don’t run the govern-

God Chose Francis … Give Him A Chance As the world awaits the inauguration of Pope Francis 1 on March 19, Catholics and non- Catholics are full of expectations. CHRIS IREKAMBA in this interview with the Director of Social Communications, Archdiocese of Lagos, Very Rev. Msgr Gabriel Osu, sought his views on salient issues concerning the new Pope.

We’ve not seen much of him to be able to quickly categorise him… except people who are closest to him, maybe in Argentina. Those are the people who will really know… Time will tell.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

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SOCIETY Nigeria Shines With Warships In Cameroun By Odita Sunday IGERIAN Navy ships, NNS Thunder and NNS Burutu which took part in this year’s International Maritime Sea Exercise tagged ‘Exercise Obangame Express 2013’ and contingents from the Navy and Air Force arrived Doula, Cameroun recently amidst pomp and pageantry. The sea exercise which involved 16 nations including Nigeria, the United States, Spain, Belgium and other Gulf of Guinea nations, began on February 25and ended on March 1

part of the Nigerian contingent. Nigeria’s Defence Attaché in Cameroun, Navy Captain Patrick Chibueze Nwatu; the representative of the Consul General of Nigeria in Doula, Mr. Obed Aluko; the Deputy Defence Attaché, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Onoja and other embassy staff, received the contingent on arrival. During his visit to the ships, Captain Nwatu said he was delighted to receive the Nigerian Navy contingent on behalf of the Nigerian Ambassador to Cameroun, Mrs. Hadiza Mustapha as well as the entire staff of the Nigerian Emthis year. The two Nigerian warships left Port Har- bassy and Nigerian resident in Cameroun. court on February 17, 2013. The Nigerian Air Here are some faces at the opening ceremony Force Maritime Patrol Aircraft also formed of the exercise.

Camerounian Minister of Defence, Mebe Ngo’ o Edgar d’Allain, Nigerian Ambassador to Cameroun, Hajia Hadiza Mustapha and other delegates after the opening ceremony

Navigation Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Thunder, Commander Benjamin Francis, Commanding Officer, Special Forces of Nigerian Navy, Commodore Dolapo Kolawole; a Senior Officer in the Special Forces, Lieutenant Commander Omopariola and an Officer of the Togolaise Navy

Commander Francis and Lieutenant Commander Jerry Omodara with some Belgian Navy participants

Director Public Affairs of the Nigerian contingent to Exercise Obangame Express, Lieutenant Commander Jerry Omodara; a Commodore in the Nigeria Air Force, Commanding officer NNS Thunder, Captain Adeseye Ayobanjo; Nigerian Deputy Defence Adviser, a Lieutenant Colonel and the Commanding officer in charge of NNS Burutu, Captain Aminu Hassan

Nigerian Defence Adviser in Cameroun, Navy Captain Patrick Nwatu; Nigerian Consule General in Yaounde, Mr. Mohammed Akan; Nigerian Consule General in Douala and captain Ayobanjo

Allain and Hajia Mustapha Ayobanjo and Hassan discussing with the Deputy Defence Adviser

Director of Exercise Obangame Express and a member of the US Navy, Captain Dave Rollo and Commander Francis at the event

Some of the Ratings on board NNS Thunder on parade

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

DIARY

Chairman, Leverage Multi-Global Concept Limited, Innocent Uchibuolu; Former South Africa President, Thabo Mbeki; Editorial Consultant, Basil Okafor and Executive Director, Ifeanyi Ozoh during an interview on the forthcoming pictorial biography of the Ex-Commonwealth Secretary –General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku at Mbeki Johannesburg residence…recently

Wife of the governor of Katsina State, Dr. Fatima Ibrahim Shehu Shema, during her Women Empowerment Programme distribution of 204 tricycles to six women in each of the 34 councils, including 34 living with HIV/ AIDS, as part of activities marking this year’s International Women’s Day celebration in Kastina…recently

he Consul General of the American Embassy Jeffrey Hawkins; The Project Manager, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Fistula Care Project, Chief Iyeme Efem; the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Sunday Adeoye and wife of the Ebonyi State governor, Josephine Elechi who is also the Chairman of the National Task Team during the official visit of the Consular General to inspect facilities and services of the National Fistula Hospital, Abakaliki… recently

Wife of Abia state governor, Chief Mrs. Mercy Orji; Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State; President of Johns Hopkins University Washington, Mr. Ron Daniels; Prof. Ruth Wedgwood and Chief Ojo Maduekwe after a lecture delivered by the governor at the University in Washington, United State of America…recently

Chairman, Board of Trustfund Pensions Plc, Mrs. Ngozi Olejeme, receiving this year’s Commonwealth Ambassador Award from former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, at the International Commonwealth Day celebration by the Commonwealth Society of Nigeria at the Abuja Sheraton Hotels and Tower during the week

Representative of The Society For Family Health (SFH) Dr Mrs. Noel Ogamba handing over Microscope to the Commissioner for Health Abia State, Dr Okey Ogah during SFH’s campaign against malaria and its control programme in Umuahia, Abia State… recently

GMD Courteville Business Solutions, Mr. Bola Akindele and Her Worship, Angela Browne Burke, The Mayor of Kingston, Jamaica during the Courteville Meets the Caribbean Trade Mission’ in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago…recently

Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Mahesh Sachdev; Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii and Director General, Pharmexcil, Dr. P. Appaji at the Indian Pharma Exhibition held recently at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island in Lagos.

Head, Human Relations, Proforce Limited, Anthony Odijie; Group Managing Director, Proforce, Eng. Ade Ogundehin; Director General, National Automobile Council, Mr. Aminu Jalal; Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom and Security officers during a visit to inspect the armouring facility of the company in Ode-Remo, Ogun State…recently

L:R: Regional Sales Manager, Nestle nigeria Plc, Mr. Dayo Adekoya; Finance Director, Mr. Martin Krugel; Managing Director, Osun State Investment Company, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji; and Managing Director, Nestle nigeria Plc, Mr. Martin Woolnough, during the presentation of Outstanding Distributors Award at the OSIC, in Lagos

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

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ISSUES AND POLITICS

Secretary to the Government of Akwa Ibom State, Umana Umana (6th left), addressing the National Good Governance Team at the Tropicana Complex, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. With him are NUJ President, Mohammed Garba; Emmanuel Enoidem, Commissioner for Lands & Urban Renewal; his Information counterpart, Aniekan Umanah; Information Minister, Labaran Maku and Special Adviser to Governor on Technical Matters, Etido Inyang.

When The Good Governance Team Visited Akwa Ibom

By Etim Etim

LONG stretch of vehicles bearing journalists, A civil society members, technicians, cameramen, photographers, security personnel and federal government officials swept into the Governor’s Office in Uyo last week to begin a three-day assessment tour of projects, facilities and infrastructure provided by the Godswill Akpabio administration. Although the leader of the delegation, Labaran Maku, minister of Information, and NUJ president, Mohammed Garba, have been to the state before, the team had apparently been looking forward to the visit to the state, the 16th they have been to since the programme commenced late last year. Akpabio was appointed Chairman of the newly formed PDP Governor’s Forum, and this had attracted quite a measure of headlines and commentaries. As soon as they arrived, the visitors, joined by Uyo-based journalists, went into a briefing session with the governor in the new Governor’s Office. Maku said the tour was a non-partisan, nonpolitical coalition of professionals on a fact-finding mission. “The media and some commentators have given the erroneous impression that the nation is stagnated. But as we go around, we have seen democracy at work in various parts of our country,” he said. I had requested to join the tour out of curiosity triggered by the disparaging comments of some governors and wanted to see for myself if the visits were a waste of resources, as they alleged, or it was designed as fact-finding mission to review the level of development in the country. Soon, the tour commenced and we were taken round the new Governor’s Office commissioned late last year by President Goodluck Jonathan. Costing about N33 billion and to be fully completed next year, the complex will provide a onestop family entertainment, leisure and recreation and provide thousands of jobs. There were a handful of government officials, led by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Umanah O. Umanah; Aniekan Umanah, Commissioner for Information; Emmanuel Enoidem (Lands & Urban Renewal) and Etido Inyang, Special Adviser to Governor on Technical Matters to provide answers. They noted that the complex has adequate local content, where materials are readily available, such as in civil works, and the management of the complex would be contracted out to a competent international firm to ensure profitability and sustainability. The airport was the next port of call. With an MRO (Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul), state-

of-the-art facilities and a 3.9-km runway, it is the most modern airport in the country. The government is currently building the main terminal and a second taxiway and on completion, the facility will save the nation millions of dollars currently spent by Nigeria’s airlines on aircraft repairs overseas. The team then moved to the permanent site of the University of Uyo (UniUyo), which started as a state-owned institution in the early 1980s and became a federal institution in the 1990s and has been operating on the same temporary location where it began. Work on the main campus has been progressing at a very slow pace since 1995 and the visitors were not impressed with the several uncompleted projects that dot the large expanse of land. The second day started with a visit to a housing estate, where the administration is building 10,000 units of houses for middle-income earners across the state. The first phase of 2,000 units, each built at N11 million, is almost ready. After being briefed on the design and layout, infrastructure and recreational facilities to be provided in the estates, the team drove off to the new Federal High Court complex commissioned by the President last year. A far cry from the dilapidated rented structure used previously, the new building offers a conducive environment for dispensation of justice. Nearby is the new Central Bank building located in the financial district of the capital city. A new and fast-growing city, Uyo has been well planned to allow banks and other financial institutions to be located in a beautiful layout with good roads and parks, thereby allowing for security and convenience. From the CBN, the entourage went to the elibrary, one of its kind in West Africa, with about 70 million copies of e-resources, over two million games, 35,000 hard books of various genres, 350 computers with full Wifi connectivity, language lab, conference facility, etc. The team also visited Itam Junction, a major intersection of well-built roads that leads to Port Harcourt, Aba and Calabar, which was once a slum, but has been reclaimed and rebuilt into five flyovers, with parks and water fountains. Atop one of the flyovers, Maku quickly grabbed the microphone and intoned: “This is development; this is democracy at work. “This is the type of issues that our media should be focusing on. Journalists should not be obsessed with political speculations and negative commentaries.” Early in 2007, Akpabio, then a governorship candidate, had visited some of us in Lagos to brief us on his programmes.

He mentioned the flyovers. A few of us struggled with the thought of such projects in Uyo when traffic was yet a problem. But government is not just about solving today’s problems. Great leaders see very far. The government is also reconstructing and expanding the Uyo-Ikot Ekpene-Aba Road. This federal expressway will bring enormous traffic in and out of the city through the intersection, in addition to the traffic to and from Calabar and Port Harcourt. A short distance away from the intersection is the 20th Anniversary Specialist Hospital conceived to mark the two decades of the creation of the state in 2007. Work on the hospital project started in earnest in 2011 at a cost of N13 billion. It is an ultra-modern six-storey facility, with 287 beds, six modular operation theatres, MRIs and other sophisticated medical facilities that are available in any comparable hospital overseas. In addition, it will handle cancer screening and treatment. Behind the hospital, a swanky staff residential area will spring up. The government will enter into a management contract with a reputable international hospital management company to run the facility as a commercial and profitoriented business. “The idea here is to ensure that Nigerians who travel to India and Dubai for medical treatment will have alternative at home,” Umanah explained. We then moved to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, where projects like outpatient block, radio diagnostic facility, laboratory and theatre are being built. From there, we went to the 30,000-capacity world-class stadium, with covered four-level spectator area, sealed VIP booth, collapsible seats, conference centre, banquet hall, restaurant, etc. The external clad will be a glass facade, the fourth stadium in the world to be so draped. There will be training pitches, swimming pools and tennis courts in the facility due to be completed next year. A quick 15-kilometre ride took us to Abak, where we visited the state government’s underground pipe jack drainage system and the federal government’s Junior Girls Secondary School. I was glad to note that the federal government is building this school in a few states to promote the education of the girl-child as part of its special education programme in sync with others, like the Nomadic Education, Almajiri School and the schools for young boys who had dropped out. Construction started five months ago and it is costing about N300 million.

Day Three was the final moment, but it came with its drama and some fanfare. We got on the road early and drove north to Ikot Ekpene, the oldest council in West Africa, created in 1951 to introduce a local government system by the British colonialist. The council chairman, Mrs. Gloria Useh, noted that the newly built Recreation Park is located at what was once a refuse dump and a prison yard. A new prison has been built about 20 kilometres away by the Akpabio administration. With 35 newly constructed city roads and a beautiful park, Ikot Ekpene wears a fresh look. We then moved into Akwa Ibom Polytechnic, a short distance away, to inspect newly built internal roads, with sidewalks and renovated buildings. Although the visit was on a Saturday, a large group of students swelled around us to praise the governor and make more demands. We soon arrived Essien Udim council, the governor’s place, and visited a hospital commissioned by First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, two years ago, the Police Secondary School and a prison, all built by Akpabio. From there, we drove for over an hour to a section of the controversial East-West Road constructed by the Italian company, Gitto Construction, where the minister and state government officials were visibly disappointed in the company’s poor performance. The tour ended in the evening with a Town Hall meeting. I am particularly engrossed in the development of Akwa Ibom. Created 25 years ago, we have emerged from being one of the poorest and most retarded to the top five in the country. The tour was quite revealing and educative. Although I have been resident in Uyo for three years now, I did not fully realise the magnitude of development projects the Akpabio administration is pursuing simultaneously. Over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs have been created in the various project sites strewn across the state since 2008 when the governor launched his Uncommon Transformation Programme. The Akpabio administration has spent N162 billion to reconstruct 232 kilometres of federal roads. The federal government should make good its promise to refund this expense to the state. There are gaps that the next governor will fill as immediate economic agenda: well designed agricultural development programmes, modern city transport system and industrial development. Etim, a banker and writer, lives in Uyo

TheGuardian

| 15 March 16, 2013 49 Saturday, Saturday, January 5, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Cover Hostage Killings Raise Security Concerns For Foreigners In Nigeria By Godwin Ijediogor AST Saturday’s announcement by Ansaru, a L breakaway faction of Boko Haram, that it had executed the seven foreign workers it kidnapped last month in Bauchi, is still raising security concerns for Nigerians, but particularly expatriates Brendan Vaughan (British), Silvano Trevisan (Italian), Imad Elandary (Lebanese), Carlos Abou Aziz (Lebanese), Konstantinos Karras (Greek), Ghaida Saad (Syrian) and Julio Alkhouli (Syrian), all staff of Setraco, a construction firm, were abducted from a camp in Jama’are, Bauchi State on February 16 by the group, after overpowering the company’s security personnel. The family of Vaughan, 55, from Leeds in northern England, described him as “a lovable rogue,” who “lived his life to the full and on his own terms,” and “has been deprived of meeting his first grandchild, a baby girl to be born in May.“Brendan may be gone, but will be never forgotten,” they said. Trevisan’s Thai girlfriend, Orasa Arpornkaew, wrote in Facebook message: “You are always in my heart,” while his friend, Peter Dixon, said: “RIP mate.” Another friend, Dom Cooney, noted:

“Can’t believe it. He was like an ox.” Vaughan’s page includes details of where he was working in Nigeria and photographs of armed guards at his compound. Ansaru said the hostages were killed following a newspaper report that British warplanes noticed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja, probably carried troops to be used for a mission to free the hostages, even when the British authorities had clarified that the planes were being used to transport Nigerians and military equipment troops to Mali. Ansaru, which posted an online image showing a gunman standing over what appeared to be bodies, also linked its action to a message from President Goodluck Jonathan that the federal government would do anything in its power to free the hostages. The group’s gunmen first attacked a prison and burnt police trucks before blowing a back fence at the company’s compound, killing a guard in the process, and taking away the hostages, leaving the Nigerian staff unharmed. The killings came on the heels of Jonathan’s visit to Borno and Yobe States, where he rejected calls for amnesty to terrorist groups, who he stated remain faceless. In January last year, Jama’atu Ansarul

Muslimina Fi Biladis-Sudan, known as Ansaru, declared itself a splinter group from Boko Haram. The group, also known as “the Vanguard for the Protection of Muslims in Black Africa,” said to be led by one Abu Ussamata al-Ansary, was formed after a disagreement with Boko Haram over killing of fellow Muslims. It is therefore not surprising that most of their targets have been foreigners and Christians. This is not the first time hostages have been taken and later killed by their captors in Nigeria. Chris McManus, a British, and his Italian coworker, Franco Lamolinara, died in a botched rescue bid in March last year when Nigerian troops and UK Special Boat Service commandos tried to end their nine months in captivity. They were taken hostage by gunmen suspected to be members of Ansaru while working on a Central Bank building project in Bernin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital. Until then, most of the kidnappings of foreigners were in the oil-rich Niger Delta region. But the kidnappings were mainly for ransom to sustain their agitation for resource control which was later hijacked by criminals out to enrich themselves.

The hostages were not known to be killed, although a few died in custody, but were released once money exchanged hands, or they were freed by the military deployed to the area to protect oil installations and restore peace to the restive region. In December last year, over 30 gunmen stormed a house in of Kaduna, killing two and kidnapping a French engineer working on a renewable energy project. Chinese construction workers also have been killed by gunmen in and around Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, which is the epicentre of terrorist activities. Not long ago, two North Korean doctors working for a hospital in Yobe State were stabbed to death and a third beheaded in an attack for which no group has claimed responsibility. Foreign missions in Nigeria have issued travel warnings to their citizen, especially to the Northern part of Nigeria. This became compelling with the French military intervention in Mali and Nigeria’s decision to send troops to the country to help battle the terrorists there. Last week, the United States embassy in Abuja put out a warning following the killing of the Koreans and polio workers in Kano.

A hole on the fence through which the kidnappers entered the compound

The video posted by Ansaru

Expatriates Keep Low Profile In Abuja Over Ansaru Killings By Oghogho Obayuwana

OLLOWING the killing last Saturday of seven abducted foreigner workers of Setraco Construction Company in Bauchi by members of the Boko Haram splinter group, Ansaru, The Guardian combed Abuja in search of foreigners to gauge the general state of mind of those living in Nigeria at this point in time amid the current security challenges. Are they scared? Are they safe? How is their day-to-day living? Just how does the recent killings affect them and their kin living in the Northern part of Nigeria? And if their families are here, how do these dependants cope with the security challenge? Then of course, for those

still around, how much longer are they willing to stay? All respondents spoke on conditions of anonymity, not just about their names, but in some cases even nationality. “We have to take it as it comes. I mean the security situation. I have been living in Nigeria for the past three years. I am relatively safe. Maybe because I have always been in Abuja,” said an American diplomat who also said she believes that the Nigerian government will eventually get on top of the situation. How, she was asked. “If the government continues to work on this current collaborative pattern. Right now I know that the government is getting help. This international assis-

tance coupled with an unshakeable straight-line war would help. I really believe this,” she added. Surprisingly, there are many expatriate construction workers still in Abuja but most of them would rather not speak. It took personal friendship for one or two to open up. Mr. Malik (not real name) was among those who summoned up courage to speak. He is Italian. He said: “As you can see, I work for a big construction company. And I have travelled all over the world including some countries in Africa. No, my family is not here. We have been briefed about how to move around in Abuja. Common, what do you want me to do? Run away? I have to work to live. I do my job by supervising others. I continue doing it.”

Another expatriate with a construction firm touted to be the biggest in Abuja, dismissed any hanging fears. “Yes, officially, you have to reckon with the fears. And particularly office staff, they now live a routine life. My family is here. We go to our recreation facilities only. But I still find my way around the city. I have no choice. We do purchases. We engage at the management level with your government officials. We are still being seen around even though to be candid, a good number of us have since taken back their families. The number of wives and children from workers here now living in Germany have increased recently. And you know why,” he said.

The submission of a diplomat with one of the United Nations agencies in Abuja was instructive. He simply said: “What can I tell you? You come here regularly and you see we are still here. I cannot speak for other cities but you know, since the bomb blast that rocked our building which we are yet to get back, things were not going so well initially. But we have moved on. I have lived in worse places in the course of my job. I cannot tell the Nigerian government what to do, but we survive all the same. What Diplomats And Setraco Are Saying Ordinarily, diplomats maintain the highest code of silence on purely CONTINUED ON PAGE 60

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

COVER

‘Killing Of Foreign Nationals Is Regrettable’ Chief Ralphs Okey Nwosu, National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) spoke on the killing of the hostages and its implications. By Godwin Ijediogor WANT to believe that those foreign engineers “I and construction workers are still alive. Otherwise, their killing is a senseless act; just the same way the whole Boko Haram thing is nonsensical. The nation is hurting, we are sliding real deep. For the foreign nations and businessmen, they can afford to do business anywhere. They operate even in more dangerous places. When Iraqi war was raging, a lot of companies were there, and a lot of corporations are in Pakistan, Afghanistan, even Syria at the moment. But the cost of doing business in such areas could be astronomical, same for governance. It is unwarranted in Nigeria. “That said, it is important to note that Boko Haram was the concoction of some governors ab initio. The political operators in the far Northern states foisted this into the nation’s space with the intent of entrenching their dynasties in their respective states. It all started about 12 years back when some insecure governors started inventing all kinds of tricks including Sharia as a façade to give themselves maximum power over state/political and religious affairs, a veiled design to keep people they do not want out of the political system. “Since 2011, all their inductees and other zealots have graduated and transited to killer squads and tools for those that threatened to make the nation ungovernable should Goodluck Jonathan win the 2011 election. It is an age old truth that any contraption to unjustly dominate people, seize power or attempt to keep power out of reach of some people is not sustainable. It always boomerangs and the perpetrators look ridiculous. “Amnesty should not be the focus yet, there is nowhere in the world where such is the first card on the table when a people take laws into their hands and continue their killing and destructive rampage non-stop against the nation. These boys come from somewhere and they espouse one religion. Where are the community, ethnic and religious leaders; they should counsel these people or turn them in. “The leaders of the various communities and religions must take the responsibility of stopping their sons and faithful followers from further destruction and invest time to redirect their psyche, and get them back to sanity. It is expecting too much to ask the Presidency to come and do the parenting, midwifery and Imam’s job. Not till the leaders do the needful should the federal government consider forgiveness of any sort and some empowerment schemes to help them lead worthy lives. “President Jonathan is running a transforma-

tion programme. I am sure he has robust plans for the deprived Northern youths and everyone. What the former US president Bill Clinton said recently to the effect that the masses of some Northern states are three rungs of the ladder beneath their counterparts from the other states of the country may ring a bell, but it points out the illogicality in the sectional, tribal or ethnics power syndrome that seems to define us and our politics as a nation. “I doubt it is a new realization, except that our elites shy away from obvious realities. President Jonathan must be better informed on this matter, but the people must allow the man to govern and unpack the goodies in his transformation agenda. The small operatives or the suicide bombers are not really the problem, their godfathers and financiers are the real stumbling blocks, and their game is that Jonathan must not be allowed to succeed. I wish they will realize that Boko Haram or stop Jonathan by all means is a losing strategy. “Alvin Toffer says that the illiterates of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. I wonder what some of the political elites are about, knowing where we have come from and being aware of where we are at the moment. We should pause, reflect, and question our consciences so that we can move forward. While the killing of foreign nationals by these so called sect group is regrettable, the international community, especially the British, are very much aware of the power dynamics in Nigeria and I believe they are more prepared than us for what is happening. So, if the intention of the manipulators is to attract sanctions on Nigeria or discredit the government so much that international pressure will pile on the President as 2015 approaches, they are making a grievous mistake, because any worthy foreign nation will back Jonathan at any time with all the facts on ground. “I pray that we are able to learn, unlearn, and relearn, from events of very recent histories to enrich our perspectives. Ominous conspiracies of power mongers, maximum rulers, notorious political elites and their apologists bring ruin and self-destruction as only outcome. USSR and Czechoslovakia disappeared from the UN list of Nations, and the case of apartheid South Africa, more recently, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Somalia, Rwanda, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan are living testimonies. “Change is difficult, but we cannot do without it; we have all it takes to be one of the eight most important, wealthiest and powerful nations in the world, but except we change our ways we cannot get there. Let’s face it, all these games we are seeing now, which unfortunately involve human lives, are the consequences of the first major change we have had in over 50 years of our nationhood. “Goodluck Jonathan is not the usual person we expect to be President; he is not an Army General, he neither served in the military. He is not Hausa/Fulani neither is he from any of the

Nwosu so-called majority tribes. So his election and becoming the number one citizen and Commander-in-Chief irk some, and caused a major jolt, and what could be referred by social psychologists as a disorienting dilemma for some more people. Some of the elites, especially those from the North, consider it uncomfortable and inconvenient that the extremists amongst them reacted with extreme violence. Some of them reacted instantly, that was the arson and killings that followed immediately after he was elected. For some, it took time for what happened to sink and theirs was the Boko Haram menace, some are taking the intellectual approach by sponsoring bad news to try to reverse the hands of the clock. “There are probably a lot more vicious attacks that may be going on outside the public glare. Wisdom in this case is to exercise caution. This very patient and highly liberated man Jonathan comes from the Niger Delta that gives the nation its pride. He needs our support, and we cannot but give it to him for the interest of our country.

president will overcome. Boko Haram or sponsored terrorism will make all of us come out stronger at the end. Responsible governments of the world have no options than to work with Jonathan to stave off this aggression. The Presidency needs to up their strategies. Mr President cannot win a closet war because he does not belong to the power cabals and he does not have to dance to their tunes to the detriment of his administration and the entire country. “All Jonathan has to do is construct a more pragmatic frame; instead of trying to deal with the power zealots in closets, at mid night or secret conclaves, the winning strategy for him is to focus on the people and share some of his challenges with them authentically. I am sure that by the time the president lets the Nigerian people have a glimpse into 20 per cent of what he knows or get’s to hear and the ‘bullshit’ he has had to go through in the process of seeking peace and cessation of the Boko Haram and other threats, the acrimony against him will de-escalate. The Nigerian people will make his worries their own; he will be empowered by the support of majority of the people including Northern youths and elders to carry on with his transfor“However, there is really not much reason to mation programme for the country to have panic. I am not daunted or pessimistic about peace and prosperity.” the situation at all, and whether or not this

‘Foreign Assistance Not Needed; Nigerian Military Should Be Given Clear Mandate’ Ekhomu

By Godwin Ijediogor and Laolu Adeyemi

Chief Ona Ekhomu, a renowned security expert, spoke on the implications of the murder of the abducted expatriates by terrorists.

T is not easy to tell if the captives Igovernment have been killed or not. The British and the other foreign

governments have accepted that their nationals have been killed. Nigeria is yet to make a declarative statement whether the men are alive or not. In order to conclude that the men are dead, we should not take their announcement of the killing on its Do you believe their captors have actu- face value. The Nigerian authorities ally killed the expatriates? must see the bodies (corpus delicti)

before declaring them dead or alive. The Boko Haram/Ansaru terrorists do play a lot of mind games and disinformation campaigns and it is not clear if this is one of them. The YouTube video could have been doctored and made to look like the criminals are veritable killers. Would this scare away expatriates and affect development projects? The incident, if true, will dampen business in Nigeria, because investors want an opportunity to provide their goods or services.

The Boko Haram/Asaru terrorists do play a lot of mind games and disinformation campaigns and it is not clear if this is one of them.

It has already scared away many foreigners and many foreign partners now refuse to come to Nigeria for one or the other, because of security concerns. Certainly, projects will suffer and funding will dry up. The killing of the seven foreign workers, if true, will have damnable effects on the psyche of police personnel too. It will definitely affect the economy in a negative manner. These include reduction in multilateral initiatives, reduction in technical cooperation, funding for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that rely on foreign donors may dry up, there will be increase in the number of foreign visa applications denied by the host government and reduction in tourism, etc. What would be the impact on Direct

Foreign Investment (DFI) and foreign relations? Inflows of Direct Foreign Investments (DFIs) assume political stability and low crime rate. So, the attack on foreigners will definitely sour Nigeria’s relations with countries involved. The international community certainly sympathises with Nigeria on the loss of the hostages, but will demand quick action in the detection and punishment of the killers. The usual inability to arrest and punish the perpetrators may not be welcome by the foreign governments. Is the talk of amnesty to insurgents still relevant, in the face of the purported killings? Like President Goodluck Jonathan said in Maiduguri, the leaders of Boko Haram must come forward to state their grievances before dialogue may begin. I think we are still a long way from dialogue and amnesty. Borno elders should prevail on Boko Haram elements to sheath their swords to give room for dialogue to commence. Should Nigeria seek military assistance or further collaboration to curtail this onslaught at this point? It is not needed or wanted; the Nigerian military is capable of the task. It should be given clear mandate of what is expected in the theatre of conflict.

TheGuardian

Saturday, March 16, 2013 17

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Love&Life

... Celebrating The Feelings You Share!

With Michael Uchebuaku

IN THIS EDITION

Princess Of

Love

True Confession:

‘I’m Not Having An Affair, But It’s More Than A Friendship’ Love Adventure:

‘I Slept With My Cousin’

Aso Rock, Abuja: Rock Of Victory! Romantic Jokes Link-Up (Love/Dating Connections)

True Confession From Abroad:

‘Revenge Is Sweet, Or Should That Be Savoury?’

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‘I Slept With My Cousin’ M

Y cousin and I didn't meet till we were in our late 20's. And it was at her wedding. The wedding was out of town. After her wedding, during my whole three-hour drive home, all I could do was think of how beautiful she was. I didn't get to see her till three years later. At that time I found out it was a short marriage. Well six months after her divorce, she contacted me to let me know she would be moving to my city. I was thinking “cool, I can

Love Adventure show her around and introduce her to some people so she could learn her way around”. Well after about a month, she called me late one evening and said she had a long day at work and she wanted a drink but didn’t want to drink alone. Cool, so I went over with a bottle of wine. I didn't know wine made her horny. Well, after the bottle she

decided to slip out of her work clothes and get comfortable. After 20 minutes or so, she returned in a t-shirt and no panties or bra. I didn't really notice. I started watching TV. So, to make a long story short, she sat in my lap and then I became aroused. She gave me oral sex and then we were ready for intercourse. I wasn't even

thinking this is my cousin and so it had to stop. It didn't even feel wrong because we were never that close even though she is my second cousin. We never talked much. We had sex for two hours. After that, I kept sleeping with her again and again. The experience is so sweet that I am so confused right now. Am I wrong for going back two times a week for more? I am not sure if I want this to turn into a relationship that will lead to marriage and if our families will be

comfortable with it, because we are having great sex together. And if that’s the case, how can I continue to make booty calls to my cousin? Courtesy: www.experienceproject.com *Do you have an amazing or adventurous love experience to share? Tell us how you met. E-mail your story to: ireto007@yahoo.com. Call 07031028714, 07032944123.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

18 |

LOVE&LIFE

‘I’m Not Having An Affair But It’s More Than A Friendship’ Dear Love Doctor, ’M not having an affair but it’s more than a friendship. My husband and I have been friendly with another couple for about five years. But a year ago, the man started to work at my company and we have great fun together. Not during work because that would cause problems, but a couple of times a week we have lunch together and we take it in turns to drive to and from work. My husband isn’t the least bit bothered about this but his wife is quite a jealous person and now when we’re all out together, she makes digs about us spending so much time together. Later this year, we go away for a threenight conference and she’s already started moaning about it, so I asked my husband if he wanted to come although partners aren’t really expected to join us. He said he couldn’t think of anything more boring and said I should stop pandering to her – that if they had any issues it was up to them to sort out. He’s right and there’s no way we would have an affair but I talk to this man the way I talk to my sister. We’re very close and we even discuss sex which might sound a bit strange but there’s nothing in it. I mean, I think we’re both attracted to each other because we discussed it once and agreed that if we’d met when we were single things would have been different, but we are both happily married so we’ve put that

Love Connections CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 Ebuka, 36, clearing agent, in Lagos, wants a rich Igbo lady for marriage this Easter. 07030886680. A guy, 35, in Lagos, needs a sophisticated lady to pamper. 08034612809. BB PIN 267D2992. Matthew, 32, graduate, in Lagos, wants a sugar mum of 33-50years. 08037245051, 08099351204. Austin, 27, tall, handsome, fair, employed, from Kaduna, needs a caring sugar mummy. 08185720366, 07034531060. * Call Mike on 07031028714, 08023700641 to link up and for direct hookup. *If you have announcements to make: Call Mike-07031028714 or Simon-07032944123. *SCAM ALERT: Beware of scammers! Please do not respond to any strange numbers besides the official number 07031028714 above for link up or to publish your request. Be warned!

Romantic Jokes Ekaete And Mum! Ekaete: Mummy, Akpos paid me to climb a tree.

behind us and just enjoy being friends. The only annoying thing is his wife because I really think she could cause problems – she’s started going on at him to apply for other jobs.

Advice:

Although you feel you’re totally honest with each other, perhaps he’s not telling you the full story about how his wife sees you. Your husband sounds very calm and confident, maybe because he senses

08023913619. Visit www.romancestory.org *Announcement: The Love Connection Easter Show for all Singles & Married will take place this Easter, featuring De Sound Dr and other musical artistes and comedians with Ernest Paul. Come and have fun, you might meet your life partner there. The venue, time and ticket sales will be announced soon. Call 07031028714 or 07032944123 or visit www.romancestory.org for details. Be there!

CONFESSION FROM ABROAD

‘Revenge Is Sweet, Or Should That Be Savoury?’

Y friend Louise never does anything by halves, which didn’t really bother me until she became a mother. Up until then she’d been as much of a beer swilling meat-eater as the rest of us, but giving birth transformed her into the ultimate organic, free range, ‘my body is a temple’ sort of bore you’d never wish to meet. The rest of us gave up drink while pregnant but still had the odd glass to see us through the long sleepless nights, but that was simply not good enough for Louise and if it hadn’t been for her husband Steve working with my husband Grieg I would have dumped her without a second thought. That makes me sound really shallow, but until you’ve endured one of Louise’s lectures about how we owe it to the future generations to embrace only everything that’s good and pure you cannot actually imagine expiring through sheer boredom. All of us had kids at the same time and suddenly socialising was based around going to each others’ homes for easy suppers, which were usually fairly relaxed, even with Louise in full flow. After witnessing her shake her head in horror over anything meat-based most of us were reduced to always adding a dish of plain pasta and salad to everything else on offer, but even this wasn’t enough and she started bringing her own tasteless meals. Again, most of us would have just ignored that and got on with it, but it was difficult especially as a dinner couldn’t go by without one of her lectures. Steve’s a lovely guy so we didn’t really want to dump him, and as Greig reminded me a few times, he’s also my husband’s boss so keeping him onside was always going to be a good move. Having exhausted all her attentionseeking moves, and finally becoming

Fertility

Problems/Miscarriages/Seeking Male Child: Are you finding it difficult to conceive, have miscarriages or need a baby boy? Call 07025350586 or 08122352054. Ekaete: I knew it, but I’m smart. I Premature Ejaculation/Low Sperm removed it before climbing! Count – Solution is here. Call 07025350586. Baby Sex/Gender Selection – Decide the sex of your baby (male or female). Love makes labour light. Love alone Call 07025350586 or 08122352054. gives value to all things. – St. Teresa Call Mike on 07031028714, 08023700641 to link up and for direct of Avila. hook up. Also call if you have engagement, marriage, wedding, anniversary or birthday announcements to make. What Is Low Sperm Count? Mummy: He is an idiot. He wanted to see your pant.

Words Of Wisdom

Love Dictionary

Azoospermia is the medical condition of a male not having any measurable level of sperm in his semen. It is associated with very low levels of fertility or even sterility, but many forms are amenable to medical treatment. In humans, azoospermia affects about 1% of the male population[1] and may be seen in up to 20% of male infertility situations.

some extent. Perhaps you could nurture a separate friendship with her, so she learns to like and trust you more and realize that you’re not a threat. that even if you and this man find each Ultimately, it’s up to your friend how other attractive you have no intention he responds to her jealousy though of doing anything about it. If your you acting totally normally around friend tells his wife that you discuss sex- her should help. ual issues or that he finds you attractive, that could be why she reacts like this. *Send your comments/stories to Love However, it isn’t your problem other Doctor. E-mail: ireto007@yahoo.com than how her jealousy could impact on Call 07031028714. For free your friendship and she will have a fair marriage/relationships counseling, amount of influence, so you might call Love Doctor Mike 07031028714, want to consider reassuring her to 08131161840, 08023700641 or Chris

True Confession

Lovers' Answers Game: The rule: Ask the opposite sex one question about love, and choose your lover from the top three answers. Sandra, 21, on 08033751555, 08066047789, is asking all men: “Why would a guy engage a girl with a ring and after 5-7years he has not yet wedded the girl?” *Call Mike: 07031028714 to send questions or issues.

aware that we were all now tuning her out or changing the subject when she starting droning on, Louise decided that anything non-organic, vegetarian or free range was making her ill. She sprung this on us one night when Wendy had cooked, and we were halfway through the meal when Louise leaped to her feet, clutching her throat dramatically and gasping. The table was in an uproar with everyone thinking she was choking and after much coughing and wheezing she turned to Wendy and gasped “Oh my God, what was in that dish?!” Poor Wendy was absolutely mortified and stammered that the food was totally vegetarian. “But not organic? said Louise, “Oh Wendy, I’m so sorry. I should have told you that anything non-organic gives me a terrible reaction. I can feel my throat swelling up but it’s all my own fault!” and she thumped down dramatically in her chair, waving a paper napkin in front of her face. Wendy was practically in tears and I wanted nothing more than to throttle Louise, but instead I suggested that everyone come to our house for dinner the following month. I reassured Louise that my past experience stood me in good stead as waitress for the evening. “Trust me,” I said firmly, “I’ll make you all a vegetarian meal you’ll never forget.” I thought long and hard about my menu for that evening, utterly convinced that Louise was talking complete nonsense about bad reactions to non-organic food but unsure how to put an end to her behaviour once and for all. Eventually, when I realised that the Monday after my dinner party was going

to be the school open night I realised I had the perfect opportunity to make such a fool of her that she’d never abuse someone as timid as Wendy again. So when everyone arrived at our home they were greeted by huge pitchers of homemade organic beer and banana chips and although Grieg wasn’t the only one making anguished retching faces I ignored the murmurs and made a huge fuss of Louise. “Rather than serving two lots of food and drink I thought we could all have a vegetarian night!” I announced briskly, “We’ve got spinach and ricotta bake and soya lasagne, so tuck in!” I could see everyone helping themselves to tiny portions and then the look of surprise on their faces as they realised the food was absolutely delicious in comparison to the foul concoctions of vegetable crumble and meat free casserole that Louise served, but that was hardly surprising as I’d spent a fortune on steak mince for the lasagne and added a rich chicken stock to the ricotta bake. The so called organic beer was one of the cheapest lagers I could find decanted into jugs and Louise was drinking glass after glass with no ill effects, as well as having second portions of the lasagne. There was an awkward moment when I brought in the massive strawberry cheesecake and she stopped for a second to say “You didn’t use gelatine for this, did you?”. “Of course not’ I frowned, “I made sure it was just lemon juice as that’s such a good setting agent with the cream” and she piled her plate high. When we reached the school on Monday night Louise was at the home baking stall, in full flow to all around her.

“We really need to address this issue of catering for different dietary requirements” she said loudly, “I’m not the only one who suffers terribly as a result of this but with a bit of effort everyone can lead as normal a life as possible. Emma made a wonderful meal on Saturday and I enjoyed every bite, knowing that there was nothing there which could make me ill” she beamed approvingly at me. “Are you sure you were fine?” I asked imploringly and she beamed, “Absolutely. I felt marvellous. Why do you ask?” I looked round at all the interested faces, especially those who had witnessed her behaviour at Wendy’s. “I’m so sorry” I said earnestly, “I made two lots of everything and thought I’d frozen all the meat based food. But I froze the wrong lot and everything we ate on Saturday wasn’t just non-organic but had meat in it, even the beef gelatine. But thank God you’re alright – at least it means all your allergies have cleared up.” She might still be a vegetarian but if she is she never talks about it. Picture posed by models Your say: Have you ever sneakily tested someone's allergies you suspected to be made-up? What happened? Have you experienced a similar situation? Tell us your story. Call 07031028714. Courtesy: womansday.ninemsn.com.au NB: Call Mike on +2347031028714 if you have a story from abroad to share with us.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

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LOVE&LIFE

ROMANTIC PLACES, FLIGHTS & CRUISES ... hotels, airlines, ships, restaurants, clubs, resorts, beaches & more.

Aso Rock, Abuja:

Rock of Victory HETHER you are on a holiday or a business trip to Nigeria, visiting Aso Rock and Cave is a must-do. Aso Rock is the largest and tallest rock in Abuja and measures about 936 meters above sea level. Its location is scenic, lush yet urbanized as the rock overlooks residential quarters, an office building and a presidential villa. It is an ideal spot to get a bird’s eye view of the city. The serenity surrounding the rock creates the whole feel of an island within the city’s parameters. The word Aso means Victory in Gbagyi dialect. The Aso Rock and Caves hold significant importance in the culture and also, have quite a few myths and stories associated with them. To date, they are taken care of, by local priests of high stature. Even if you are planning to have a climb or enter the caves, you may be asked to seek permission form the priests. Aso Rock and Caves symbolize Victory in Nigerian culture. The Gbagyi people, also called the Gwai are known as the courageous and victorious of all. They are the people of victory. Aso rock, dominates the

city’s landscape as being the largest rock within the metropolis’s parameters. The name Aso rock is synonymously used to describe Nigeria’s capital as a symbol of power, strength and success. It is the magnificent and spectacular ruling enigma of the rock that makes it a symbol of power in Nigerian folk tales. Other than the rock itself, the caves within the rocks are also spectacular and hold equal appreciation from travelers and visitors. History tells, that caves within the huge rock provided a perfect hiding place and protection during inter tribal wars. On your way back from Aso Rock and Cave, it’s also recommended to visit the Aso Rock Park and zoo adjacent to the rock. The park provides a complete entertainment and activity for the whole family. There is a huge play area and up close encounters with various animals including Monkeys, Donkeys and Giraffes. Aso Rock and Caves are easily accessible from the city centre and also, if you are an international traveler you can get direct flights to Abuja from London Heathrow with Arik Air.

Points To Remember The rock is the largest rock within the Abuja metropolis, ranging from about 936m above sea level, dominating the landscape of the capital city and overlooking residential quarters and office buildings like The National Assembly, The Supreme Court and The Presidential Villa. The rock has become synonymous with the Nigerian nation’s seat of power. It has some caves within the structure, which can be visited by tourists with the permission of the local priest. Aso people used to take refuge in the cave during intertribal wars. The rock is a sight worth seeing for every visitor in Abuja. Courtesy: www.zimbio.com Photo: www.nairaland.com *Are you going to get married or wed soon? Do you want us to cover your wedding or to report on your hotel/resort next? Call 07031028714, 07032944123, 08023700641. *If you want to advertize or sponsor Love & Life call 07031028714, 07032944123.

How To Have Baby-Making Sex Y

OU don’t have to be a gymnast or know any fancy yoga poses, but there are ways you can help the sperm get to its final destination: the egg. You have the timing right, you’re in the mood and you finally get around to doing the business. So what’s the best way to make love in order to get pregnant? Should you be up against a wall or in the missionary position? While it’s possible to get pregnant in any position, there are certain ways that make it a little more likely. Let gravity do the hard work Making sure the sperm are as close as possible to your cervix (the neck of your uterus) is vital for egg fertilisation. Getting sperm to swim up your fallopian tubes is the key, so help them by letting gravity do some of the work, either

by lifting your bottom and legs up in the air or leaning them against the wall. You could also try lying on your back in the missionary position with a pillow underneath your hips to give you an extra lift. Be a missionary It might seem like the boring way to get intimate, but the missionary position, with all that deep penetration close to your cervix, is going to give your partner’s sperm a little extra help in their swim for the egg. Stay in bed Don’t leap out of bed and go straight to an aerobics class after sex: if you want to get pregnant, stay put. Lie on your side and draw your knees into your stomach. Get your partner to bring you tea and croissants in bed and don’t forget to take a pre-pregnancy folic acid tablet with some orange juice. Stick a pillow under your

hips, put your feet against the headboard and relax for a while. Try to visualise your body making a miracle. Have an orgasm As well as bringing a smile to your face, good sex makes babies! It’s official: a post-coital study of women found that those who had orgasms and enjoyed sex retained more sperm than those who didn’t. It’s all to do with the muscular contractions you experience during an orgasm, which suck up more sperm. Do your pelvic floor exercises Strong pelvic floor muscles are good for women, they’re good for him and they’re good for making babies! Well, we don’t know for sure, but a few pulls in and up after sex can’t do any harm, can it? Staying behind

Doing it doggy-style is guaranteed to get your partner’s sperm close to that allimportant organ, the cervix. Want another position for deep penetration? Lie side by side as you have intercourse. Don’t be on top Get off him! You don’t want to be on top at the end of the action, as all his sperm may come rushing back down again. By all means, do it this way before he comes, but when you know it’s getting serious, swap positions! Don’t rush Enjoy the moment. After ejaculation, ensure your partner stays inside for a few minutes before withdrawing slowly. All material is © Mother & Baby: Making Babies Courtesy: ninemsn.com.au *If you want to advertize or sponsor Love & Life call 07031028714, 07032944123.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

RELATIONSHIP

Why Bad Girls Get The Good Guys By Kemi Amushan HEN I sit sometimes with my girlfriends W to have a drink and chat, one of the subjects we talk about is “Why do the worst women out there get all the best men?” What do they know that the rest of us don’t? This is one question that baffles us and we talk about it every time we get together. While in the university, I watched a lot of girls go out with different men every other night. I remember we used to call them ‘Aristo girls’. These type of girls had cars, latest phones, carried expensive bags or wore expensive clothes. But after graduating, I also found out that those girls were the first to settle down to get married and they also got the best men. Now have you ever watched a guy you like, that dream guy you’ve had a secret crush on for a long, long time end up with a woman you absolutely hated? It’s infuriating right? The bad girls get the best men in the dating game while the good women get nothing! And even if we do get something, the men we end up with are often weak-willed, abusive, or just plain lousy at love. Why is the dating game like this? How come the good men all go to the bad women? Today, I’ll explain precisely why and how you can beat these bad girls at their own game! First, let’s tackle the biggest question: What do these bad girls know that the rest of us don’t? The answer is simple: In the dating game, they’re more active. The rest of us are more passive. Have you noticed? The bad girls go out there. They meet men. They flirt. They go out with more than one man at a time. The rest of us just watch and cringe! Here we are, waiting to “be found” by hardworking, respectful, commitment-ready men while the bad girls are going out with them. Have they no shame? Actually, here’s the thing, what they’re doing is actually not shameless. Why? Because these “bad girls” know something that most women don’t. They know that casual dating is not the same as a serious relationship. It’s not! “Dating multiple guys” does not mean “having multiple boyfriends.” Yes, when it comes to serious relationships, you should have only one at a time. You should only have one boyfriend at a time. But when it

comes to casual dating, you’re not limited to just one date. In fact, there’s no limit to how many men you’d like to date in rotation. (Although personally, I suggest you limit yourself to just three at a time!) Now What’s The Purpose Of Casual Dating? Here’s the problem that too many of us have: We think the first purpose of dating is to get a boyfriend. And that simply isn’t true. That’s

why this wrong belief leads to one disappointment after another in the dating game! So instead of thinking of dating as “boyfriend hunting,” think of casual dating as “shopping around.” Let’s say you’re looking for a new pair of shoes. At the shop, do you buy the first pair you take off the shelf? Of course not. You pick a few pairs and try them all out then you choose the one that

Understanding The Adolescent By Alita Joseph dolescence is the time when a human being grows from childhood to young adulthood. It is a period that he/she becomes self-aware. It is the point of life when he realizes that he has to take responsibility for himself as a person. As he develops physically, the mind also changes and he becomes unsure of the world around him. He doubts if he would be able to do what is expected of him as an adult. For the male, the new deeper voice and the wispy hair under the chin reminds him that he can no longer be considered as a child. For the female, the breasts which appear to have formed overnight and other things that go on in her body drive home the point that she is on to another stage in her life. All these changes bring emotional tension, which is why adolescence is regarded as a turbulent period in the life of human being. But adolescence is a normal phase of life which a human being must pass through if he must grow up to face responsibilities in life. But it is also a time that is stressful and crisis-prone for the youth himself, parents and teachers. Under these Teen issues, words like teen rebels, toxic youths and so on have developed. Handled poorly, adolescent troubles have led to issues like teen pregnancy and teen robbers. The adolescent is still a child in a way and not beyond parental care at all. It is therefore regarded as a time for preparation for the real life. A time parents must be more attentive to their growing child. He/she is very curious at this stage and is eager to learn. She is still confused though about the new responsibility that the changes demand from him/her. This is the time that you parents should strive to be closer to this new creature that has just emerged in your home. It is not enough to feel satisfied that he can run some errands with the car while you can now rest from doing the school run. It is also not enough to think that if your 16year-old daughter can prepare the family

meal at the same time as she bathes her siblings that she is emotionally stable. Talk to your teenagers. Ask them how they feel, gently raise a topic concerning the opposite sex. Part of the ongoing maturity is their sexual awareness. If we can conduct virginity test in this century, it means that dating and relationship matters are still taboo in some homes. Avoiding the topic does not mean that your teenager is not interested. It is natural that she may want to explore too. Be a friend and guide her from making mistakes. If you use force, you may raise maladjusted adults: we have some who are misfits in relationships because they were not taught early and discussions that bordered on relating with the opposite sex were considered a taboo in their homes when they were growing up. It is not correct to feel that you are successful in your career because your own parents forbade relationship talks while you were growing up. Career and male-female are different from each other. And being a successful businessman does not translate to being a successful spouse. Look at this moment. The teenager feels more pressure now than the teenager of the 1980s. Consider what is happening in your life now. What is the state of your relationship? Is it happy? Do you think that it could be happier if you had known certain things when you were younger? If you answer “yes”, teach the youth using your experience. In the negative, you can still help the youth in your care lovingly by pointing out the gaps. We cannot stop the development of sexuality in the adolescent. It is normal. At this stage, a youth becomes aware of differences in gender. There are major differences in the way he sees the opposite sex. Even in early teens, his interest may be of romantic nature. He is capable of developing a strong desire to win the approval of members of the opposite sex. He may want to actually indulge in sexual ac-

tivities because his physical development tells him that he is physically matured. But the adult knows the implication of this. That is why adolescence is also a time of preparation; including sex education. The youth has to know that indulging in sexual activity means that he is “ready” to take the responsibility of taking care of a wife and children. But it is the duty of parents to tutor them that they may not be ready for that responsibility, psychologically. If he/she sees the vast opportunity that lies in acquiring education and a good job, he will listen to good advice. Sex education should give information about family planning and also aim at reducing social or peer pressure which often misleads the youth into early sex. He/she gets into the act because he/she was told to act mature or because friends are doing it. It should also include information about what to do or say when they are put under pressure. Boys and girls must come together on occasions; it becomes also imperative that they know just how close to dance with each other. The ones who have become friends or are dating do it under the watchful eyes of adults and should be taught to limit the expression of feelings at this stage. Sex education can entrench values and prepare the youth for their roles as future wives/husbands as well as good parents. Schools should also step up and include sex education in their curriculum. It is no just what is learned in Biology class, but sex in the social, cultural and psychological aspects of it. For instance, even when girls have heard so much about menstruation, the experience remains a source of stress for a long time. Their developed bodies remain issues for some time too. Parents must create time for discussions on these issues, otherwise their peers who know little or have the wrong information become their sources of information.

has the best balance of comfort, style, and cost for you. Am I right? Or let’s say you’re buying a new car. At the showroom, do you buy the first car you see? Of course not. (At least, I hope not!) Instead, you take a few of the cars out for a testdrive and then you choose the one that’s best. Am I right? That’s exactly how casual dating is! It’s all about meeting and “testing” the men you meet in the dating game, to see who’s the best fit for your life. The only difference is that, while you can buy a new car or a new pair of shoes in a single afternoon, finding a good match for yourself can take months, sometimes, even years. So yes, it takes time and patience. But is the reward worth it? Absolutely. And if you don’t believe me, well then maybe you’ll believe the “bad girls” who are happily married to really good men! Now I’m not saying you should be a bad girl. Thankfully, not all bad girls end up with good guys. Some bad girls end up with really bad guys, too! What I am saying is this: If you want to find true love, you shouldn’t be too passive. Yes, it’s much better to “be found” by a great guy than to “find” a great guy. But with all the “bad girls” out there, snatching up all the great guys, you’re getting left behind! So here’s my advice: Stop thinking about “getting a boyfriend.” Start dating casually! And by the way, casual dating won’t just help you spot the great guys in the dating game. It also builds your confidence, makes you a better lover, and protects you from depression and loneliness. And if you followed my suggestion to date only three men in rotation, I’m quite sure you’ll find a few good matches in just a few months. But what’s next? What comes after casual dating? After you find a strong, loving, respectful man, what should you do next? The next stage of love is the exclusive dating stage and it has a whole different set of rules from the casual dating stage. The stage after that, serious relationship, also has a different set of rules as does marriage, the stage after. And yes, the “bad girls” know all the rules for those stages, too! So you better up your game and don’t be left out. I wouldn’t want the best men in the dating game end up with women who don’t deserve them and neither should you. To the relationship we all deserve, good luck in love and life. Cheers.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

LOVE & LIFE 21

08033832503 Email: amara@amarablessing.com

WEEKEND with AMARA

Hindrances To Good Sex those scented soaps you use on your private part. her sexual needs the moAJORITY of cases brought to my office by married couples started because of bad sex Reduce your intake of spicy foods. Avoid panties ment she becomes a wife M that are not cotton. Do away with those tight un- and mother. Sex should be life. We live in a society where couples, especially women, are advised to ignore their sexual needs for the good of their marriage. Churches are not left out as everybody is made to say “it is well” even when it is obvious there is nothing well in their marriage. Some churches will crucify the woman for even opening her mouth to discuss sex. I was surprised when a caller on a radio programme was advised by an ignorant man to forget everything about sex for eternity. This very woman wrote that she has never enjoyed sex with her husband and so does it just to please him; she wanted an advice. God wasn’t foolish when He created sex. So, outgrow the mentality that sex is strictly for procreation. Today, I am going to let you into your spouse’s world and help you see the hindrances to your having the good sex life. I shall tell you those things he or she has wanted to tell you but couldn’t. Hey, do away with the picture of that porn video you watched; deal with that mindset that makes you believe your husband or wife has to perform like the person in the book you read. Those guys in the movies you watch go high on drugs and some other things before performing. Okay; let’s start with my fellow ladies Being one with your spouse, you must be able and willing to find out what the problem is. Some women harbour resentments against their husbands and this hinders the flow during sex. You can never bond well with your man if there are unresolved grievances. This is one reason why it is absolutely necessary to marry your friend. No matter what he has done in the past, no matter the level of offence, please let it out and let go if you want to be in and enjoy that marriage. Women often complain about their husbands not being able to make them enjoy sex. Are you aware that the odour oozing out from your vagina during sex makes him uncomfortable (though I heard some abnormal men like it). You have to do something about it because no normal person likes foul odours. How is he going to run his tongue all over your body if he knows that he is going to have a bitter experience with it? To deal with this, please look for my article on vaginal health and read. Drop

derwears and girdles. Avoid douching. You should also endeavour to keep that place tight for him. Engage in Kegel exercise to help your pelvic muscles. I must let you know at this point that the old wives tale which tells women to stay off sex until three months after childbirth is not to be followed. While you bond with your new bundle of joy, please don’t ignore the man. Your time of resuming sex depends on how you feel. Stop acting the good girl in your bedroom. Give it to him however he wants it but please don’t dehumanize yourself by stooping so low to engage in anal sex. For you to be able to engage him in any position, you have to be flexible. Go to the gym if you must, but please keep yourself flexible for him. You should be a prostitute for your husband in the bedroom. Please run away from any religion that tells you not to wear sexy lingerie at home. You must be sexy at all times for him. Some women, as a result of changing church, quit taking care of themselves because they are told to go for the eternal. That very doctrine is from the pit of hell. We all know that the spirit man is more important than the physical, but that doesn’t mean that the physical has to be ignored. What do you expect from your husband when you tie your hair inside one velvet material from morning till night? Don’t you know that the hair will be stinking by the time you lie with him at night? Now you know why he has refused to do the cuddling they taught you at the marriage class. Your husband wears his jeans and looks boyish while you tie wrapper and follow him to his friend’s house. Do you think he is happy moving about with his “grandmother”? Age shouldn’t make you quit sex with him. Stop complaining about him disturbing you after ten children. He loves you, he enjoys your body and that is why he disturbs you. All you need to do is to find ways to rekindle the sparks in your relationship. He must not be the one to fund your trips; take him to a resort or live in spa for the weekend, away from the children and home front. Make it a time for intimacy and heart-toheart conversation. For you my brothers, you often struggle so much to please her as a girlfriend only to ignore

sweeter in marriage because players in a game get better with time. Please don’t ignore your wife. Frigidity is a very big problem in marriage. A good number of women lose interest in sex and become frigid due to so many reasons. Some were raped (their husbands don’t even know this), told all kinds of negative things about sex, others have no relationship with their husband and so the bonding that is needed for good sex is absent, some have husbands who batter them either physically, verbally, or emotionally; they can’t enjoy sex with this kind of men. Other women have confessed to not enjoying it and so there is no point engaging in it. Sadly, a good number have resorted to self-help —- the use of vibrators. Men, oftentimes believe that a woman, because she is a full-time housewife, shouldn’t complain of stress and tiredness. Sir, childcare remains one of the toughest jobs on planet earth. Please try to take her away from the home as often as you can to enable her relax as that will improve her response to your sexual needs. If you can afford it, employ domestic helps for her. Helping her out in the kitchen and playing with her as she cooks adds some spark to your love life. I would prefer a man who plays with me while I do my cooking to a man who gives me ten stewards but doesn’t look at my face. Women love attention and they cherish that man who gives it to them. Never allow your job or business take the place of love in your relationship. She is not good with sex because all she sees is a man who throws money at her but doesn’t care to know what hairstyle she has on. Money can never take the place of her husband, her love. Sex is physical to a man but never to a woman. Majority of the women who come to me for counselling talk about their husband using negative words on them throughout the day only to ask for sex at night. Oga, she is a human being with feelings. Your penis can stand firm even after fighting with her; that makes you a man.

IMAGE AND ETIQUETTE With Pamela T IS HUMAN nature to Iwrong want more. This is not in itself except if it be born of greed, selfishness, covetousness – or wickedness. As simple as it might be, it is not easy for us to judge our hearts. It is possible with the help of God and more so, God instructs us to judge ourselves so that we are not judged. This I understand to mean that if we can turn away from our mistakes we will not be chastised by the Lord. In other words, if we can set ourselves on the right path, we need not suffer the full repercussions of our mistakes. There is a time, in a person’s life when his or her heart thirsts for something more. This place of wanting is a deep place that we all reach every now and then and for some people, very often. It seems like an innate desire that cannot be satisfied. I believe it will only seem insatiable when we have no idea what we are looking for or how to go about the search. Very often, if this situation is not properly addressed, the person is restless because of that deep emptiness. Ignoring it doesn’t solve the problem; trying to fill the void with friends and loud music won’t solve the problem; and for those of us who have partners, looking unto them to fill that void worsens the problem. No one can fill that void. Seeing we cannot (or should not) drown out its assertion should make us see that we can never satisfy ourselves by our own hands. It gets worse when we try desperately to make up for it; we end up in a continuous worsening state that brings us back to that place where we still want more. As a prerequisite, you must know God. You must know your Creator if you wish to fill the void you have in your heart. Nothing else will fill it and no one else can. It is His place – It is out of His place – out of that wellspring of life that every aspect of our lives are nourished. If you ever have a feeling of emptiness… If you ever have a feeling of emptiness, do not

But for a woman, there is no wetness, no secretion of that vaginal fluid if her heart is bitter. Pamper her and treat her like a queen if you want to enjoy her. Hey, deal with that selfish part of you. I know you are so much in a haste to get in there and start pounding, but sir, it is not about the pounding. Sex is not about your ability to show your “macho” in the bedroom. She wants her man to help her climb to the peak of the mountain. She wants her man to engage her in some soothing pillow talks. She wants her man to spend more time on foreplay than the act. To you, the digging is the actual thing; to her, it’s the foreplay. Your look and level of grooming contributes to it. Please learn to brush your mouth and shower well (better together) before lovemaking. She loves you; I agree, but she doesn’t enjoy the smell from your mouth and armpit. Reduce the hairs on your chest and keep them trimmed. What about those strands of hair on your nostrils and ears? Please visit a spa for proper grooming. Some wives don’t like the way their husbands give it to them and so there is no point wasting her time in it. She also can’t talk about it because our culture is such that the man begins to suspect her of infidelity the moment she opens up on her feelings. Sir, you need to get her to that level where she tells you her mind. Building friendship is necessary. You must keep your communication lines open at all times. Effective communication helps to change things. Have a good sex life.

08167089656 (SMS only) e-mail: regalgraces@yahoo.com

Coming To Your Own rush off, ask yourself honest questions and be forthright with your response. It’s sad, but a lot of us are so wrapped up in public perception, peer pressure, fleshy feelings and a multitude of influences that it becomes difficult to hear our own heart. Think how many grave mistakes one might have avoided had one been honest and true to one’s own heart. It helps if you pray the Father to help you. He will always answer a prayer that is according to His will. Your life has a purpose Your life has a purpose. I think the point comes across simply enough with the word purpose. I like the wordweb definition of the word: “An anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions.” Two beautiful words there are “anticipation” and “guide”. The Word of God in Jeremiah 1:5 says “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (KJV) Jeremiah had a God- given purpose even before he was formed in his mother’s womb. Before he was born, God ordained or established him in his purpose. You see…we are all wired to do something very specific, different and dynamic! Why do we wonder when we feel unsatisfied and grieved after we have abused ourselves? We will never know true success or satisfaction or happiness unless we are doing exactly what we were made to do. It so much easier to follow our original purpose than to struggle to accommodate some other desire. No matter how we try to justify our selfish desires we can never write a better plan for our lives than God can!

We are our own worst enemy We are our own worst enemy. I dwelt more in an earlier article how we can be afraid of success and in that fear stay in a place that places no demand nor expectation on our performance. Walking in your purpose can be a very trying place; it’s filled with challenges and trials. However, no other place will make you feel so alive and at peace. In no other place will you triumph and receive your true wages than in the place of your calling. No other place will Heaven rejoice over you and the sons of men thank God for you than in your place. You have everything you need to fulfill your purpose within you regardless of who may stand in your way. You’re the only one holding up. Where does this journey begin? Where does this journey begin? The journey

starts at no other place than at the Potter’s Feet. There is just no other Way! Image and Etiquette addresses general perceptions, societal norms and expectations and personal expressions with the goal of cultivating social graces, suavity and a dignified presence for interpersonal relationships. If you have questions on Image and Etiquette please send them toaskpamela@regalgraces.com or SMS 08038240870. Pamela also covers Online Correspondence Courses, Workshops and Keynote speeches on Corporate Image and Etiquette, and manages Perfect Healthlife Wellness Center. For online correspondence courses emailinfo@regalgraces.com with the title “Online Course (Saturday Guardian)” for our promotional price. 08167089656 (SMS only).

22 LOVE & LIFE

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

MARITAL SEX

Between Your Children And Your Spouse By Juliana Idoko

N a piece titled, How can I make my husband love me?, a woman wrote to a relationship magazine narrating her ordeal with her husband of 12 years. It reads in part, “… my husband is rich and generous to everybody but me. He can spend any amount on our children and extended relatives but spends on me only if he has exhausted all the excuses that might make him do otherwise. He tells me not to be jealous of the kids. I have resorted to inflating the price of children’s wear, foodstuff and recently, their school fees in order to get some money from him. We are not quarrelling but I don’t need a soothsayer to tell me that he loves the children more than me…” Loving the children more than the spouse is a big problem, which leads incrementally and ultimately to a degeneration of marital bliss and divorce. It was thought to be a problem with the women, whom it is believed, abandon their husband’s sexual and emotional needs once the babies start coming. However, while women exhaust all their attention on their infants leaving the husbands jealous, some men take over when the children are a bit grown, paying the wives in the same coin. Couples forget too easily that before they had kids, they had the time, energy, and money to devote to themselves and their relationship. They had time to chat, play, dance, cook together and go to the movies without a second thought. They made love any time caring about nothing but each other. Why is it that once kids enter the picture, everything changes? Do we practically forget how it feels to be loved and honoured by our partner? Unfortunately, once the spouse is made a second fiddle, it becomes a Herculean task salvaging the relationship when the children are grown and gone. Then it would be a case of two disgruntled oldies living under one roof for the sake of the family name. It is against this backdrop that we decided to find out how far couples know about the need to put each other first before the children in order to have a connected and healthy family. As expected, the question we posed, “who comes first in your life, your spouse or your children” elicited a lot of reactions from both the happily and the unhappily married. We bring them to you as usual, using pseudonyms. “All fingers seem to point to the women anytime this issue is raised,” Monica said. “Most men believe that women forget them as soon as the babies start coming. However, if women fail in nurturing the newborn, all blames would still come back to them. The love I have for my child and the love I have for his father are completely dif-

Samuel C. Ezeala

“H

E brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes” Ps. 105 vs 37. “Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. Deut. 7 vs 14 God made man upright. Most of the problem we experience in our lives or health is more of our own making than spiritual, or superstitions (Eccl. 7 vs 29). God wants us to enjoy our lives, our marriages. God wishes us well. But connected to the fulfillment of God’s plan and programme for our complete health and success is our personal cooperation to the law so related. One of the most frightful experience of the man is when he is declared ‘Impotent’ or the thinks himself so. The inability to have or maintain an erection is the dread of every man. It is not just the problem of the women as most think. It bothers the man and throws a dart at what little glory he has. This condition takes many forms and can occur at any age, even in adolescence when the human male is at his sexual peak and is usually able to have organism and ejaculate several times during a sexual encounter. It has been estimated that about half of all men have experienced occasional impotence, but it has only been brief and very temporary episodes in their sexual lives. It is important to note that a man will still be able to ejaculate without a full erection, and thus be able to father a child, if he ejaculates within his partners vagina. It is usually called an impairment of penile erection or erected dysfunction, instead of impotence. Impotence takes many forms, and these include the following: the inability to

ferent! You shouldn’t have to compare them anyway. If my husband can’t get over the fact that our children should come first, then he needs to grow up!” she declared. “For me, it all depends on my spouse,” John declared. Some women do not deserve any love or attention. Some marriages still exist only because of the children and so the children get all the love, he said. About my own family, I’m lucky to have a good spouse whom I love. She is good and together we have two lovely kids. If I were married to an unfaithful or wicked woman, I won’t tolerate her and if I do, because of societal pressure, I won’t waste my time loving her,” he explained. “The Oyibo people that put their one-weekold baby in a room all alone in order to sleep with their spouse’s, how far have they fared?” Ruth queried. The rate of divorce there is still very high and juvenile delinquency in their society is something else. We are Africans and

so our approach to issues like this is different. I don’t think it is an either or situation. Though marriage is the primary commitment, my spouse is my partner in parenting the children. He is part of me and the children are the result of our love and marriage. We are to love and support each other to love the children better. No amount of love is too much to be showered on the children and my husband and I understand that.” According to Friday, “Children should be part of the bonding process. Initially, it was you and your spouse alone and you can’t help having him/her at the centre of your attention. However, as soon as children come, the focus shifts to bringing them up in the right way. They will grow and go their ways and you still have more time to continue to bond with your spouse. That is why I am a strong advocate of couples sharing one room. It helps to keep them connected whether the children are there or not,” he advised.

“My relationship with my husband is the corner stone of our family,” Mary said. We have to be connected as parents and partners. I am so in love with my sons that when I look at them at times I feel like crying, but I don’t want to go the way of my parents who loved us more than themselves and ended up separating and putting us into untold distress. The boy’s needs are always met and come before “our” own. But my healthy relationship with my husband who also is in love with our children comes first,” she explained. The responses we got from our respondents to a large extent show the health of their marital relationships. The marriage relationship is the foundation on which the family is built. If it is not strong, the family collapses. Being a good mother or a good father starts by being a good wife and a good husband. So for that strong, connected and healthy family, shower your spouse with love and care. Children learn more by example than advice. They need to see you to understand what it means to be a good wife, husband or grandparents in love. Please oblige

Sexual Dysfunction (I)

achieve erection during foreplay; loss of erection when the penis is about to penetrate the vagina; erection when the penis is fondled by hand or stimulated orally but lost when intercourse begins; erection when a man’s sexual partner dominates the situation but lost when he is expected to play a dominant role; or the reverse. Some man are able to have partial erections but cannot achieve firm erections; and some man are totally impotent no matter what the situation. For example, a man may be able to have an erection in a casual sexual encounter, but may not be able to achieve or sustain an erection with his wife. Or the opposite may be true. There are both physical and psychological causes of impotence. The physical causes may include birth defects, certain diseases, (like peyronie’s disease, hard thickened plagues of the penis), diabetes, or disease of the nervous system, and hormone deficiencies. It can be caused by malnutrition, certain injures or operations; urinary tact and prostrate gland problem. Any severe illness, for that matter, can cause temporary loss of potency. Drug addiction and excessive intake of alcohol and some rare disorders. Tranquilisers and hypertensive agents will also constitute. Most of these can be treated. Most through surgical operation. It is advised that such should see a doctor, or a medical practitioner: There is no hopeless case. Just identify the problem and talk to a health professional. E. C. Samuel 08027173447 SMS ONLY intimatefaithministry@yahoo.com

TheGuardian

Saturday, March 16, 2013 23

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Life&Style A quiet, humble but committed Northern activist and Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), Kaduna Branch, Hajia Rabi Umar Sogandi, is unwavering in her determination to positively affect her society. BANKOLE SHAKIRUDEEN ADESHINA, who spoke to her, profiles how the soft-spoken woman has been using her developmental initiatives to drive the emancipation of impoverished northern women and children. AJIA Rabi Umar Sodangi as a woman, professional, and one of Nigeria’s quiet activists, is one of the greatest things to happen to the Northern region of the country. Born into a popular Unguwar Alkali family (Judges Quarters) in Katsina State, Sodangi is one of the quiet activists to have emerged from such a privileged background. Her father was Hon. Justice Umaru Abdulahi (Rtd), a former President of the Court of Appeal and her mother, Hadiza Abdullahi, a modest and religious house wife. Sodangi brand of activism focuses on provision of education and human capital development for the marginalised, especially for Northern women and children. Her refusal to be complacent was born out of her compassion for the sufferings of the average Hausa woman and child, and the emotional trauma they are constantly subjected to. For instance, the activist Hajia, is more worried about the developmental disparity between a typical Hausa man and woman. She vowed to make a change, even if it requires partnering with relevant authorities to achieve her goal. Like the world-renowned American freedom fighter, Martin Luther-King Jr, Sodangi believes that every human being has potentials to excel, given the opportunity. She attributed the limitation of her northern women folks to lack of support for education. According to her, “the fundamental challenges faced by typical Hausa women are mainly lack of support for education, dependence on parents, husbands, brothers etc for means of livelihood.” She said this trend could only be changed with adequate enlightenment programmes for the people. To achieve the goal, she has already started a change process, through her different initiatives, vowing to explore all available resources within her capacity and anywhere else. She is driving this crusade on four different platforms: the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), Kaduna Branch, where she is a fellow and the Branch Chairman; Almanar Women Association, where she serves as the Ameerah (Head); Queen Amina Old Students Association, where she is the Vice President; and Alhidaya Charity Group, where she is a member. “And I have been and will still be doing all I can to see the situation change for the better. For instance, the Almanar Women Association where I'm the Ameerah (Head), evolved purposely to educate and empower women in the region. Under this platform, we have two training centres for marriage counselling and skill acquisition in 17 Liberia Crescent, Malali and 2B Fulani Road, Unguwar Rimi, Kaduna, all in Kaduna State. We also organise workshops and lectures on moral issues, support the sick, pay orphans’ school fees etc.” Her little efforts to promote quality leadership among northern men and women are gradually being noticed. For instance, under her leadership, NIM, Kaduna Branch emerged the 2012 Branch of the year. The award was presented to Sodangi and other members at the organisation’s national conference in Abuja last September. In her words: “The award was significant to me as the Chairman to be the best branch nationwide. The executives worked as a team and we got the support of our members to achieve what others could not. “Many organisations recognised our contributions to management development and supported us. Such as Katsina State Government, Kaduna State and organisations like National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency, NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation), Armed Forces and Staff Command, Jaji; Kaduna Polytechnic, NNDC and many others,”

WOMAN

Hajia Sodangi:

A Quiet Northern Activist she added. Sodangi recalled some of the activities embarked upon by her branch to entrench quality leadership in her domain: “We contribute a lot in promoting management excellence through our monthly management talk to members, every first Thursday of the month at Maharaja Hotel, Independence Way Kaduna, public lectures on 10th April every year in celebration of Management Day, annual NIM Week celebrations which include visits to corporate organisations to interact and exchange ideas, workshop, awards for management excellence, membership drives. We got 170 new members in 2012. “We produce Kaduna Manager, a management development magazine every year. We organise fellows luncheon for fellows of NIM in Kaduna to meet and discuss how to improve management practice.” However, as challenging as her leadership obligations appear, she did not let the task erode her ethical values. “This is because, my parents are very gentle and caring people. They will rather advice and guide than scold, abuse or spank a child. They are also philanthropic, so I was raised to believe in and fear Allah, earn my livelihood, be just, support the needy and generally be of service to the community. And nothing can change this, no matter what.” Interestingly, Sodangi’s grandfather, Mallam Abdu Unguwar Alkali, was also an astute lawyer and reputable judge himself. Alkali, before his death, was a registrar and thereafter, Khadi (Judge) in many places including, Faskari, Bindawa and Mashi, all in Katsina State. Other reputable legal luminaries, who came from Sodangi’s clan are a former registrar Of the Supreme Court, who is now in the Court of Appeal, Muntari Dodo; a former Judge in Kaduna and Katsina states, the late Usman Mohammed; a former Abuja Khadi and Grand Khadi in Katsina State, the late Aminu Ibrahim; Grand khadi Katsina, Isa Dodo and Commissioner of Justice, Katsina State, -Muntari Ibrahim. “All these are my cousins, my uncles and the names are just too many for me to mention immediately,” Sodangi added. Then comes the natural question, “why did Sodangi not pursue a career in law? “Because I was cut out for something else. Three of my siblings are already lawyers, including a sister.” From childhood, she had always dreamt of becoming a medical doctor. This aspiration was soon truncated by her traditionally mandatory early marriage. According to her: “I wanted to be a doctor, but I was married off immediately after my secondary school because my father could not say ‘no’ to his senior cousin about the date. Immediately they heard my husband was interested in me, they fixed a date for the wedding. Because my husband was living in Kaduna, I could not go to Ahmadu Bello University or Bayero University, Kano where I got admission. I had to be with my husband, so I got admitted into Kaduna Polytechnic.” Was she emotionally comfortable with the marriage arrangement that early? “Initially I felt I was not ready for it, but when it happened I found my husband very caring, loving, understanding and supportive. Yes, I could not pursue a dream to become a medical doctor eventually, but then, I’m still very happy with what I am today,” she submitted. Sodangi attended the Kaduna Polytechnic and obtained Higher National Diploma in Hotel Management, Post Graduate Diploma in Management and Masters in Business Administration from Bayero University, Kano. Previously, Sodangi attended Rafindadi Primary School in Katsina and Queen of Apostles College (now Queen Amina College) Kakuri,

Sodangi Kaduna before being handed over in marriage to her distant cousin. Sodangi started her professional career in1982 with Arewa Hotels Development Company, as an Instructor; worked as a Lecturer at the Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic; Assistant Chief Lecturer and Head of Home Economics Department of the Federal College of Education, Okene. Thereafter, she joined the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and rose to become its Chief Administration Officer and proceeded to join the National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency (NSRMEA) as Chief Personnel Officer. She gradually rose to her current position, as Director of Finance and Human Resources However, marrying to one’s cousin, in the African culture, is rather strange, but Sodangi stressed that it was “Islamic” and she is very comfortable with it. “My husband is my first cousin. Then, he became my friend and gave me all the necessary love and support a husband could give a wife.

He supported my education and my career. We were blessed with six children, four boys and two girls, but we lost one of the boys (Muhammad Zaki) 11 years ago. May his soul rest in peace, ameen. “Together, we have visited many places of interest from Niagra Falls in the states to Taj Mahal in India, London Planatorium, Disney Land in Paris, Table Mountain in Cape Town, Petrona Twin Towers in Malaysia, Burj Dubai, Yankari, Mount Pati and Obudu Cattle Ranch in Nigeria.” Besides being a caring husband, according to Sodangi, marrying one’s cousin also comes with other rare advantages. “Besides having a supportive husband, I have always had either an aunty or a cousin living with us and helping in taking care of the children. Because we are related, my people and my husband's people feel at home in our house. And that helped my career a lot,” she said.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

PEOPLE

Emeritus Professor Alfred Susu:

An Extraordinary Synthesis Of Scholarship, Style And Sports After a distinguished career at the University of Lagos, Alfred Akpoveta Susu, a Stanfordtrained scholar was conferred the title of Emeritus Professor. This title allows him to be addressed as ‘professor’ even when he has officially stopped teaching in the university. At his house in Unilag Estate, Magodo, Lagos, Susu takes AJIBOLA AMZAT through a life journey that is defined by a running theme of achievements and upheavals, of mirth and distress, and other experiences that shape his total sum as a success story. IS long full hair, the colour of cheese rooted on an average size skull would easily give him away as a man of learning. His carefully selected dress the day of this interview –a striped brown shirt, a pair of khaki trousers, chocolate brown shoes and socks, and a leather strap of Omega watch – gave him away as a beau-monde of some sort. He is none of the both. Emeritus Professor Alfred Akpovita Susu is rather a man of great learning, the type you describe as an erudite scholar, and you wonder still if you are not scaling down the profundity of his scholarship, yet a classy dresser without the foppishness of some Nollywood Narcissus. The latter point was missed out in the citation read on his behalf when he was declared scholar extraordinaire and conferred the title of Emeritus Professor of the University of Lagos at the 2013 convocation ceremony of the University where he taught for 35 years. In the sparsely furnished visitors’ room of his house at Magodo, where the reporter was still waiting , Susu walked in –unsteadily. The imperfect step is a vestige of infirmity left on his body when he suffered stroke19 year ago. Good enough, the stroke gained no access to his intellect. Does Professor Susu look any more different than he did in 2004 when the reporter first interviewed him after he won the debut NLNG Nigerian prize for science along with his student, Kingsley Abhulimen? The reporter scrutinised him closely for answer. Yes, a slight change has occurred: His wiry hair has gone grayer and taller. But his alertness is not diminished by the passage of time. If stroke had done anything more telling to Susu, it was the reinforcement it gave to his creative energy. Rather than bow to the full weight of that ailment, the professor of chemical engineering had recoiled and hit back at the disease that had killed millions and rendered several more millions invalid in Nigeria and elsewhere. His experience of that affliction has indeed made him re-focus his

research enterprise on biomedical engineering, a combination of engineering and medicine to provide solution to some medical problems such as stroke, diabetics, epilepsy and others. Products of such research effort include a paper he co-authored with Babagaba, G., titled “Mass Transport in Arteries and Localisation of Atherosclerosis in Human Clinical Science” and a few others. Detail of his research effort in the new area would be documented in his autobiography, which may not be published anytime soon. Long before he started out on the autobiography project, Susu however had been writing his own profile as a precocious child in Baptist Academy, Secondary School, Lagos where he was always coming first in class. “My parents didn’t have to check my report card at the end of term, because they know it was going to be first.” And for being so gifted, he was ‘hated’ even by his friends. “Fred”, his buch of friends once called him during the burial ceremony of their late principal, Dr. Adegbite, “do you know why we don’t like you? Certainly not because you take first in Mathematics or Physics, but because you consistently come first even in English Language, Literature and Bible Knowledge.” Trust Susu, he had an answer prepared for his green-eyed friends. “For every person, there is 24 hours in a day, you spend great part of your time partying, I spent mine studying. This is what keeps us apart.” Like Young Marlow in Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops To Conquer, Susu had little time to cultivate sociability. In 1963, he got a reward for his hard work. He was admitted to study Chemical Engineering at University of Idaho, United States and was supported by African Scholarship Programme of American Universities (ASPAU). He came first again among the graduating class of 1966 at Idaho, and proceeded to Stanford University in 1967 under the African Graduate Fellowship Programme. He completed his PhD in 1971. Yet if you think Prof Susu is a bookworm, wait

Susu in the middle at the rear. Inset: Young Susu

Susu

until he shows up on a long tennis court. You will think William Sisters got their DNA from the Ughelli man. The man, Susu swings his racket skillfully. O yes, he does! He was also a clever football and table tennis player. Susu indeed competed at junior level with the tennis pro the likes of Lawrence Gbadura Awopegba in the 60s. And while he was the staff of the University of Lagos, he used to play tennis at Lagos Tennis Club on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 4 o’ clock till there was no light anymore in the sky. “I was also a member of Lagos league of tennis in Shell club at Surulere”. But that was before cerebrovascular accident (aka stroke) knocked him down. “I was going to the toilet, then I realized I could no longer exert pressure on my left legs.” The next thing, the 6ft2 tall tutor started crashing under his own weight. He was lucky he didn’t sustain head injury before his family came to his rescue. Susu was lucky because his was a middle-stage stroke. His colleague at Unilag, Professor Bode Osanyin was not that lucky. The Nigerian playwright and scholar and former head of Drama Department died in 2005. But Susu fought his malady gallantly, the reason why his recovery was quick. Being a Scorpio, Susu is a feisty spirit. He will fight anything – disease or demon – that stands between him and freedom. Or any person or system that he so considers. The memory of titanic battle, he and eight other professors in Unilag fought against the administration of the late Professor Jelili Omotola, still unfurls at slightest recall. The decision to establish the extension of Unilag in South Korea without consulting the University Senate drew the ire of the nine professors, whom the media then demonized as the “Ogoni Nine”, a parody of the sobriquet given to the environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa and his colleagues. Of course they got into trouble. Colleagues ostracized them; some hoodlum beat up Susu himself; his wife, a professor of law, was also roughened up by the unholy visitors. “But it was worth it,” Says Susu. Defending the timehonoured tradition of the university and the course of justice are the ideals that characterized Susu’s year in Unilag. And if there are people whose memory he would forever cherish, they are members of the Ogoni Nine, namely Prof. O. Abass, (Computer Science) Prof. M.O.A. Adejugbe, (Economics),

Prof. T.A.I. Akeju, Prof. A.I. Akinwande, (Biochemistry, College of Medicine) Prof. S.A. Balogun (Mechanical Engineering), Prof. E.O. Fagbamiye (Educational Fondation), Prof. Olu Ogboja (decease, Chemical Engineering) Prof. A.A. Susu (Chemical Engineering), Prof. Fola Tayo (Pharmacy, College of Medicine), and Prof. S. Tomori (Economics). Considering the gain of exporting Nigerian university education to the far Asia, some within the university community would insist that the role played by the “Ogoni Nine” is open to question. But Susu will insist that Nigeria needs moral leaders like the Ogono Nine. Susu identified Albert Einstein as his greatest inspiration, and Didie Dogba as his favourite footballer. For a scientist-footballer; that was not out of character. But in the same breath, the rather dour Professor of Chemical Engineering would go ahead to declare himself an ardent fan of Michael Jackson and Mohammed Ali. such fethishness goes to define the complexity of Susu personality. In fact, the day his house got burnt –for the second time – Susu was in the living room watching the final proceedings of the child abuse case against Jackson. “Jackson was just being silly. He didn’t have to go through that trouble he put himself,” he said, mock annoyance visible on his face. That day MJ got his freedom back; while Susu lost his possession to the inferno. “We escaped the house only with our pajamas on.” Nonetheless, Susu together with his doctoral student would later won the most prestigious Nigerian prize in Science for their work on Real-Time computer Assisted Leak Detection/ Location Reporting and Inventory Loss Monitoring system. With that innovation, the incidents of pipe vandalisation, massive oil spillage can be minimized. The judges described the research work as an outstanding contribution to research in leak detection in a network of pipelines carrying fluids. Both the teacher and his student got $20,000 cash reward for the project. Earlier, Professor Susu had won an annually renewable grant of $10, 000 for Basic Research from 3M Corporation in the United States. It was originally awarded for original investigations to advance scientific knowledge. Those were just few among other recognitions that Profess Susu has got in his CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

PEOPLE

Obafemi: A Registrar by Providence, A Referee By Passion He is due for retirement in November, but Emmanuel Dada Obafemi has emerged as the new registrar, University of Ilorin at the 136th meeting of the Governing Council of the University. Why did he get a chance to serve the university for another five years? With FATIMA ABUBAKRE the registrar-designate shares his story. Excerpt:

ITH the signing into law the 65 years retirement age for non-teaching staff of Nigerian universities last year, Emmanuel Dada Obafemi, 59, has succeeded in reaching the pinnacle of his career as the new registrar of the University of Ilorin after putting almost 32 years in the service of the University Before now, Obafemi had begun preparation for his retirement, which ought to begin from November this year. But as fate would have it, he was announced as the Registrar-designate of the institution at the 136th meeting of the Governing Council of the University of Ilorin. Emmanuel Dada Obafemi fondly called ‘ED’ by colleagues and friends takes over from the incumbent Registrar Mrs. Olufolake Oyeyemi whose tenure will expire on April 28. Had he retired at the expected age of 60, Obafemi had decided to go into full-time career as a referee, a career he built alongside his job in Ilorin, for he is not just a skilled university administrator, ED is also an international referee – a FIFA and CAF instructor of referees “I have had the privilege of working with registrars and vice-chancellors who gave me the opportunity to get myself involved in the hobby that I love so much.” He had been refereeing since his student days at the University of Ibadan, and by the time he joined the staff of the University of Ilorin, he was already a certified referee. “For about eight years, I was everywhere representing the country but one thing is paramount, if I have a match either in Cameroon or other countries, I insisted they mention University of Ilorin as a compliment to the University of Ilorin”, the organization that always allowed him participate in those sporting events. He last officiated as a referee in 1998. Asked about his vision for the University as the Registrar-designate, Obafemi re-stated

the answer he gave during the interview: “when I was interviewed for the position, I told the panel that any Registrar that says he has a vision outside the articulated vision of the ViceChancellor does not know what he wants to do. If a Vice-Chancellor has a direction, the registrar must key into the vision and mission of the Vice-Chancellor, because the law says you are responsible to the Vice-Chancellor for the dayto-day running of the University.” The Registrar-designate noted that his years of service to the University of Ilorin as one of its longest serving administrators is an advantage, which puts him in good stead to serve the institution further. “I have been privileged to know everything about this University and with that which I know, I will now have to align with the ViceChancellor; we would synergise and then we would be able to put our thoughts together to be able to sustain the development that we already have and then build on it. So my mission and vision are very simple; which is to

ensure that the vision and mission of the University is sustained,” he said. Mr. Obafemi believes in staff welfare as he says all university staff must be trained and retrained especially in the use of ICT in the discharge of their duties. “The more a staff is trained, the better the performance of the staff,” he submits. ED, a father of six children, is worried like many other parents about the erosion of values in the country. He says: “I look at my children and I pity them because first, they can’t socialize; they cannot move freely; by 9pm, I call all of them and tell them I am closing my gate’. Reminiscing on his days as an undergraduate at the University of Ibadan he says with conviction ‘this would never happen in our days. We were free. Culturally, socially, there is a lot that youths are now missing today. Educationally in our time what is exam malpractice? There was nothing like that. Everybody is going to read but today you are scared to get to the exam hall. That is not to say things are not bet-

ter today. There are things that are better today. In those days we never enjoyed telephones or laptops but now we have it. But instead of putting these technologies to good use, the youths of today abuse them.” After his national youth service year in 1978, he worked with the Kwara State Ministry of Information, Youths, Sports and Culture as an Information Officer before joining the services of the University of Ilorin on September 28, 1981, as an Assistant Registrar (Information). Born in Kabba Kogi State on November 19, 1953, Obafemi had his early education at St. Andrews Primary School, Kabba between 1959 and 1966 before proceeding to Government College, Keffi from 1967 to 1971. He later attended the University of Ibadan between 1974 and 1977 where he studied History. The Registrar-designate has also attended the National Institute of Public Information, Kaduna (1981), Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Badagry (1995) and Digital Bridge Institute, Abuja for different professional certificate programmes. He attributes his new appointment to grace from God. “Ordinarily this time last year I thought I would retire in November this year. In fact, I was already preparing for retirement; If not for God, how would I have even been registrar? It never occurred to me. If God says yes, even if anybody says no, that person will be joking.” Reminiscing on the final match of the 2013 African Cup of Nations where the Super Eagles of Nigeria lifted the trophy, Obafemi ever the soccer enthusiast, says “I think the match was very good; we were just fortunate because if they (Burkina Faso) had equalised and we had to go into penalty, it could have been very difficult because you see, our players usually lose out in penalty; they don’t take time to practice playing penalty. They just believe that anybody can score but they have forgotten that anybody can also miss; but nevertheless, we thank God we got it and we are where we are.” As a football referee, he has won several laurels including the Bournvita Award for the Best Football Referee in Nigeria (1991); Award for Outstanding Performance as a Football Referee in 1997 by the Oyo State Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN); Special Merit Award for Dedication, Service, Honesty and Exemplary Commitment in the discharge of duties as Member of the Referees Placement Committee of the Nigerian Football League (NFL) (2007); Distinguished Personality Award for Excellent Refereeing and Development of Refereeing by Kwara State All Stars Family (2010) and Unilorin Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities Award (SSANU) for the Uplift of Humanity and Empowerment of Human Dignity (2012).

A Slice Of Life Of the Emeritus Professor Susu CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 career. A fellow of Nigerian Academy of Science, a founding fellow of the Nigerian academy of Engineering and holder of Nigeria merit award(NNOM), Susu indeed has surpassed the expectation of his American teachers who sniggered at his choice of returning to Nigeria after a brilliant performance in their top universities. As usual, they were already looking forward at appropriating him as one of their success stories, “there is no future waiting for a gifted scientist in ‘savage’ Africa”, they suggested in their characteristic clever demeanor. Susu disappointed them by calling their bluff. He headed back to the fatherland. Decades after his return, does the Professor of Chemical Engineering regret his decision. “Not at all. I have my hands full here. Besides, I could not have been able to survive the scourge of racism in America. Though, it is subtle, but it is there. And someone like me could not just function in such system. I will be running into trouble all the time.” Well, Susu indeed runs into trouble. His commitment to social justice, his disregard for pettiness, his aversion for Owambe culture and reckless dalliances do not sit well with most family members and friends. But professor Susu does not care a hoot. A friend once accused him of not returning his

many social visits. “Did I invite you to my house” was the reply he got. “I am not just into social functions”. At another time, a family member shows up at his house unannounced, Prof warned him never to do so again. Yet he would go extra mile to fight on behalf of anybody who is being unfairly treated by power figure. Behind his dour exterior lays a good measure of tender humanity. His wife, his three children and friend like Professor have seen beyond the gravitas. But Susu is a complex blend of multiple personalities. A focused researcher, a dedicated teacher, a blunt critic, a homely patriarch, sport enthusiasts, a car freak, a solitudinarian, a tasteful dresser and all. Susu is a Christian going through moment of redemption in traditional belief. His attitude towards religion now is: no religion is superior to the other. “Promote your truth and faith and all you can, but do not discount the others. `The wisdom came through his encounter with many traditional medical healers for whom herbal medicine and Africa spirituality is an objective reality. For Alfred Akpoveta Susu it is time to probe that area of knowledge, if for nothing else, but to showcase the repressed heritage of the black nation to the world. That is why after retirement; Emeritus Profess Akpoveta Susu

Susu, Professor Ibidapo-Obe and other awardees

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

TheGuardian

Weekend

CElEBrITY

Olu Jacobs, Mercy, Afeez, Ivie, and OC Ukeje Cart Home AMVCA Awards

across the country including Kunle afoloyan’s Phone Swap. The product of the university of Ife and the university of Ibadan where he obtained a Bachelors of arts and a Master of arts degree in Theatre arts respectively is reputed to have won more awards than any other actor in the industry, including the afro Hollywood awards, which he received in the uK in october 2012. The senior lecturer at the adeniran ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin, lagos and an indigene of adegbola in Iseyin local Government of oyo State is also reputed to have received countless nominations including a deserved nomination at the 2012 edition of the african Movie academy awards (aMaa). oC ukeje (Best actor in a drama). HEN the talented actress, scriptwriter and producer Blessing Egbe released her engaging movie Two Brides and a Baby, a critic remarked that oC ukeje would be one of the reasons why the movie will be applauded in the acting department and he was right. oC’s effort there earned him a nomination in the best actor category of the aMVCa and as it turned out it was on oC’s shoulders that the pip —-that of the best actor in a movie —- was placed. In Nigeria, every new act, particularly products of reality television shows, must find their own rhythm as their winning the reality show does not guarantee star status for them on the turf. It is common to find winners of reality shows peter out soon after. abia-born actor okechukwu Chukwudi ‘oC’ ukeje is one of the exceptions. His artistic contributions is making a way for him in Nollywood. From his screen debut White Water, oC, a Marine Science graduate of the university of lagos, has been having a steady run in the movie and it appears that the beat wont stop for him as long as he continues to work with the right crew. obi Emelonye (Producer and director of Mirror Boy) IRROR boy, the movie by Nigeria-born but london-based filmmaker, obi Emelonye, picked three crests at the aMVCa. The movie, about an enthralling journey as seen through the eyes of a london-born 12-year-old african boy was shot in london and in Gambia and it featured some of africa’s finest actors like Genevieve Nnaji and osita Iheme. The movie which got a couple of nominations and one award, at the 2011 edition of the african Movie academy awards (aMaa), made a strong cinema appearance at Empire leicester Square in london in 2011 and was recorded as the first african movie ever to be premiered at the Square. It was reputed to have had a mind-blowing effect on the Ghanaian cinemas same year. obi Emelonye, the producer and director who used to play professional football, studied theatre arts at the university of Nigeria, Nsukka. He relocated to london in 1993 and has since remained an actor and filmmaker. Mercy Johnson Tar actress and mother of one, Mercy Johnson okojie was declared winner of the best actress in a comedy at the aMVCa. MJ as the actress is simply called, got the award for her role as Dumebi in a movie of same title. MJ ran over the indubitable actress, Funke akindele oloyede and two other nominees to emerge winner in that category. Funke was nominated for her role as Jenifa in the two-part movie of same title and she was roundly tipped to win that category considering her popularity and the success of the

By Shaibu Husseini

It was not all a South African win at the maiden edition of the African Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA), which held last Saturday at the Banquet Hall of the Eko Hotel in Lagos. Though South Africa, with two of its most recent significant films -- “Otelo Burning” and “Man on Ground” picked up the most coveted awards of the all glam award event, practitioners of the motion picture industry in Nigeria proved they were the undisputed acting champions as they fetched almost all the acting awards, including the award of best actor in a comedy, best actress in a comedy and best actor in a drama. Celebrity salutes these stars, including Obi Emelonye whose movie Mirror Boy fetched three awards—-that of costume, best script in a movie and best movie in drama. oludotun Jacobs, MFr (Industry award) HIS consummate and world-class actor got the biggest award of the aMVCa. His was a special recognition award—an industry award conferred only on a personality that has contributed immensely to the development of the profession. So when his name was mentioned as the artiste to receive the recognition, oludotun Jacobs got a standing ovation. The large crowd that the award ceremony attracted and those who monitored the live broadcast of the awards across the continent agreed that it was the head of the septuagenarian actor and recipient of the national honour of Member of the Federal republic (MFr) that the cap fits. They say that the winner of africa’s Best actor in a leading role crest at the 2007 edition of the african academy Movie award (aMaa) deserves to be honoured for his many accomplishments and meritorious service to the profession, which spans almost five decades. The fifth child in a family of eight, “uncle olu” as younger colleagues call him hails from abeokuta in ogun state. He trained at the royal academy of Dramatic arts in london. He had a successful career as an actor in England in the 80’s before he returned to motherland to continue acting. also called the ‘Igwe of Nollywood’, an alias he earned for being most of the producers’ first choice for a king in most of their epic movie productions, the stage and screen actor was to later be part of a number of stage, movie and television productions, including the award-winning feature film Vigilante produced by aa productions. Married to the award-winning and celebrated stage and screen actress, Joke Silva, uncle olu whose citation at the award ceremony was read by an equally accomplished actress Taiwo ajayi lycett thanked aMVCa for the honour done him and reiterated the need for practitioners in the industry to continue to work assiduously so as to get the industry to a more envious height. To his younger colleagues, Jacobs said: ‘’we can’t all be in front of the camera. We must identify our strong points, be it in directing, scriptwriting and costuming and hold on to them.’’

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Celebritygist… Benita is face of NAMA Ivie okujaye (Most Enterprising artiste award) or being so resourceful since she won the amstel Malta Box office (aMBo) reality show programme a little over two years ago, emerging actress, scriptwriter and producer, Ivie okujaye, received the most enterprising artiste awards at the aMVCa. although critics are still not sure how the organizers arrived at Ivie’s choice for the award, they nonetheless agreed that the Economics and Statistics graduate of the university of abuja has done so well for herself since she won the aMBo reality show. They reasoned that without any push or talent progression plan from the organizers of aMBo, Ivie has been able to make some impressions as an emerging actress and scriptwriter. Young, beautiful and on the slim side, Ivie has an unquenchable passion for dancing and acting. It was that passion that got her to register for the defunct aMBo reality project sponsored by Nigerian Breweries. a car, cash and a film project —- Alero’s Symphony directed by Izu ojukwu were what

Ivie got for emerging winner of the aMBo project. She earned a continental acting pip shortly after when she was declared winner of the promising actress category of the 2012 edition of the african Movie academy awards for her role as alero. That aMaa winning was to later open the floodgates for Ivie who has worked on a few projects under the guidance of the actor-turned-director Desmond Elliot. afeez oyetoro (Best actor in a comedy movie) NE actor who was sure to win whether the category he was nominated in was decided by the aMVCa judges or viewers choice, was the celebrated comic artiste and theatre teacher afeez oyetoro. The actor popularly called Saka, has in the last few years established himself as an accomplished comic actor. Indeed oyetoro deserved to pick the crest for his immense range as a comic actor. However the aMVCa wining will not be the first for the actor who has featured in more hit productions in 2012, especially productions premiered and screened in cinemas

oPular actress, Benita Nzeribe, has added two P pips to her already fully decorated shoulders. The actress of many credits was among a few distinguished personalities recently conferred with the Peace ambassadorial appointment by the Nigeria-based universal Peace Federation and Youth Federation For World Peace. Benita was honoured for distinguishing herself as an actress and for the impact she has made in society as an entertainer. The ovation that saluted the appointment had hardly died down when words spread that she has received another ambassadorial appointment. The actress was recently named the face of the Nigerian airspace Management agency (NaMa). although we are still trying to get the details of what her appointment entails, sources say Benita will be the ‘’face’’ of NaMa’s safety awareness campaign across the country.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 17, 2013

FASHION

Stay Stylish In Hot Weather By Ibukunoluwa Kayode

HE HEAT IS ON, terribly blasting at a higher Centigrade scale, especially in the afternoons when we go about our daily businesses. Since we all know that high temperature combined with high humidity can really make the skin feel intolerable and uncomfortable at a time like this, sticking to the rules of what to wear will go a long way in allowing the skin breathe at its normal temperature. To stay cool and fashionable in the present hot climatic condition, there are quite a number of fabrics that can work the magic without posing any discomfort on your skin. Choosing natural fabrics at a time like this are great options to work with to feel light thereby allowing the skin breathe because the more intense the weather the more sweat the body produces. Some fabrics tend to trap heat by providing an insulating layer over the skin while some reflect heat back to the body to inhibit the outward flow of warmth like polyester. Natural fabrics such as cotton, linen, chiffon and rayon are great options to stick with in order to get the skin to breathe healthily. When making any choice dress for the hot season, short or three quarter-sleeve shirts and tops are great options to wear. Flutter sleeveless tops made with light fabrics will also accentuate gorgeousness than plain sleeveless clothing. When choosing anything long-sleeved ensure it is a light fabric. Chiffon tunic is another option of great outfit to stay fashionable in during the hot climate condition. Chiffon tunics are usually a piece of loose or flowing garments that allow air circulation close to the body which helps to keep the body dry, preventing irritation, rashes and skin infections. They can perfectly fit into a work or casual outfit. There are tunic shirts and long blouse tunics, but pairings must be carefully done in order to avoid fashion flaws. Here are few dressing tips to follow in the sweltering heat: . Go on natural fabrics Choose fabrics like cotton, linen, chiffon and rayon to allow your skin breathe in other to avoid skin irritation and infection Wear light fabric maxi dresses These keep the skin cool thereby allowing air circulation into the skin pores for healthier looks. Wear loose fitted clothes Wearing skinny jean or any tight fitted clothing wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do you any good at this time of the season. Since the heat wave is so intense it is advisable to keep to loose clothing to make the skin feel cool and better. Keep the make up simple In hot weather strictly keep to simple make-up, this is advisable in order to avoid sweat and moisture clogging the pores. Avoid dark colours Research shows dark colours attract heat while lighter colours are more cooling. For those who find it hard to do away with dark colours such as black, it is advisable to be worn in skirts or trousers in order to reduce the heat. Stay hydrated This is the most important routine to observe in hot weather. To avoid dehydration, remain fashionable and avoid looking pale it is necessary to hydrate the body by drinking at least eight glasses of water per day to stay refreshed and healthy.

Stay cool in this hot weather by dressing to beat the heat

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

28 |

HOME&DECOR

Serving Pieces ARIOUS dining pieces such as plates, bowls, V trays and cups contribute in the presentation of a dining table or meal. The materials

childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dining. They do not withstand the heat of the microwave oven. Enamel: There are stylishly that dining pieces are made of could be indica- and elegantly designed tive of the ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s status. That is why a lot of enamel plates and bowls people spend some fortune acquiring various that can be used to prestypes. ent food and brighten the Serving pieces are often made in attractive dining table. Enamel does not shapes and designs. They come in enamel, plas- break when it slips off from the hand tic, ceramics, china and stainless steel. Some but the coating can chip, which can are even a combination of different materials. cause the dish to wear out faster and For instance, enamel bowls can come with even get perforated. stainless steel rims and plastic or wooden han- Ceramics: These eating dishes, which dles. come in various styles and patterns, look Plates could be plain or patterned. They could very attractive. However, they are breakbe flat or designed with little depression at the able. Some are made to withstand temperbase. ature in the microwave oven. China: They are also very attractive but very Round bowls are common but other shapes such as square and rectangle are also used to delicate. They break easily when they fall from create interest in the kitchen or dining table. any height. Plastic: This is not usually considered as some- Stainless: There are interesting designs that thing of style point in any dining or setting brighten the dining table and hold some touch that is considered classy. They are useful in of class. storing food items in the refrigerator and for

Going Artificial With

Flowers RTIFICIAL flowers give a perfect decoA rating option for homes and offices. While it is nice to decorate your home with live flowers, this may not always be possible. It may be due to a number of reasons ranging from unavailability of the plants at certain periods of the year, high cost, or fading of the blooms over time that leave wilted or dead stems. Interestingly, these days, artificial flowers are so well made that they rival the real flowers in authentic colours and textures. Going for artificial ones means they will last longer. Natural flowers and trees can be a bit messy especially with the need to water them regularly which might lead to mud

strewn around them. You also need to position them right so that they get sufficient sunlight for growth and survival. For artificial arrangements, once properly setup, they serve to beautify your space without the need for watering. They do not mess up your house with dirt and they neither attract insects nor mosquitoes. They are only realised when they are touched by the hands. Silk flowers or the silk bouquets are extremely gorgeous in their appearances. Fabric flowers are easy to clean, most needing only a vacuum every few months. There are various flower boutiques that are stuffed with colourful flowers. When shopping for artificial flowers, take the time and spend the money on the best that you can afford. A visually appealing arrangement of artificial flowers can be bought readymade or can even be made at home with a little bit of creativity.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 16, 2013

Nothing Is Left Untapped Towards Achieving A Delta Beyond Oil E came from a humble background to become a voice in Nigerian politics. His Excellency, Prof. Amos Agbe Utuama, SAN, has left no stone unturned in serving the people of Delta State in his present capacity as the Deputy Governor of the state. His contributions towards the actualization of the Three Point Agenda of the state has not gone unnoticed, the words of the executive governor of the state, His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan who described him as 'a loyal, consistent and active deputy governor' lends credence to this. A legal practitioner of repute, Prof. Utuama, SAN hails from Otu-Jeremi in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State. His early days at school saw him displaying an exceptional quest for knowledge and excellence in every areas of human endeavour, this became evident as he always finished atop his class. After his secondary school education at Anglican Commercial Model School, Benin City, young Utuama wrote and passed both GCE Ordinary Level and GCE Advanced Level at one sitting in 1972/1973. In 1974, he applied to the University of Lagos where he was given admission to study Sociology and Law, he opted for Law and graduated in flying colors. He was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar in 1978. After obtaining a Master Degree at his alma mater in 1981, he took up an appointment in the Faculty of Law as a lecturer. There, he became the first Nigerian to bag a Ph.D in Property Law in 1990 and subsequently becoming a professor in 1998. He heed the clarion call to serve his people in 1999 when he was appointed Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, he served in this capacity till 2006 when he resigned to team up with Dr. Uduaghan for the 2007 gurbanatorial elections. Asked if he envisaged becoming the Deputy Governor while serving as Attorney General, he said, "I wasn't there when the choice was made. I can only say I did my best to defend the interest of the state while serving as Attorney General, I ensured there was justice where there was need for justice. I am grateful to the people of Delta State and my Governor for giving me the opportunity to serve in this capacity." As Deputy Governor, Prof. Utuama has continued to discharge his duties with a sense of diligence, dexterity and humility. He is a member of the State Executive Council, State Security Council and Chairman of the State Tender's Board. He also oversees the Implementation Committee of Airport Development in the state among several others. His excellent working and social relationship with his principal, Dr. Uduaghan is such that the governor is always at ease leaving the state in his care whenever he is on vacation in line with the relevant provisions of the constitution. "Myself and Governor Uduaghan had known ourselves a long time and we have been in government since 1999. We were both commissioners at that time and in 2003 he became the Secretary to the State Government while I retained my position as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice. We know ourselves and that has helped to strengthen the relationship between us. We also demonstrate a high level of maturity in sustaining the good relationship between us, that is the secret of the perfect relationship between us", he revealed. A leader extraordinaire, his concept of leadership is the ability to motivate the people and harness them to attain the defined goal of development. Commenting on the provisions of section 193 of the 1999 constitution which leaves the Deputy Governor under the dictates of the Governor in terms of responsibilities, Prof. Utuama explained that the deputy governor is important to the nomination of the Governor as he validates the governor's ticket to participate in a gubernatorial race. He further argued that upon victory, the governor should accord the Deputy Governor some recognition by assigning duties to him or her before any other member of his cabinet. According to him, "the deputy governor has a boss who is the Governor but in the origin, it is a joint ticket. Without a running mate, there cannot be a valid nomination for the governor which means the two of them worked together for the validity of the governor's ticket, so when the Governor is elected, the Deputy Governor is also elected along with him. It is true that the executive powers of the state are vested in the governor, but in allocating responsibilities, he must allocate first to the Deputy Governor before any other member of the cabinet." No doubt, Prof. Utuama is an absolutely bril-

PROF. AMOS AGBE UTUAMA, SAN DEPUTY GOVERNOR OF DELTA STATE liant fellow, principled and well-informed man of vision. His intellectual integrity coupled with his penchant to always seek facts before providing insights has made him a man worthy of evaluation. He is always opened to new ideas that will improve and sustain the quality of lives of the people, this is evident in his enormous contributions at implementing the state's three point agenda of Peace and Security, Human Capital Development and Infrastructural Development in diversifying the economy of the state beyond oil. "It is a truth that a mono-economy is a threat to good governance. Delta Beyond Oil is a philosophy that is bringing to the consciousness of the people that one day the oil which presently serve as the economic spine of the nation can get finished or the price could fall so low as to cause financial breakdown of good governance in the state and the nation at large. It simply means that there is need to diversify the economy by using the present revenue from oil to develop other sectors of the economy, thus making the state less dependent on revenue from oil and we believe that a combination of our three point agenda is a platform to lift Delta State beyond oil", he informed. Speaking further, he explained that the first agenda which is peace and stability is pursued to attract investors to the state. It is a principle which is aimed at eliminating anxiety in the state to foster a ground for development and productivity. According to him, "in ensuring peace and stability in the state, we have a Security Council meeting every week where we discuss security issues in the state and wherever there are threats, we try to nip them in the bud. We utilize the professional ideas of security chiefs which include the Army, JTF, Navy, Air Force, SSS, the Chief Security Adviser and the Commissioner of Police to drive our peace agenda. We also have the Water Ways Security Committee which was recently inaugurated and also a Technical Adviser on Land Security, these two came to be because Delta State is geographically divided into two; the riverine area which amounts to 40% while the land area is 60%. We discovered that criminals in the riverine areas run to the mainland to hide while those who operate on the mainland run to the riverine areas to hide." Delta State is oil rich, but the human resources is more important to the Uduaghan led administration which is why the administration is investing massively in its human

capital to ensure that everyone is able to achieve their dream within the philosophy of Delta Beyond Oil. This aspect of the three point agenda covers free health care across the state, skill acquisition and investment in education. It is a known fact that a woman who receives antenatal care would give birth to a healthier child than one who because of ignorance or poverty did not receive such care. To fulfill this, the state government provides free antenatal care to all pregnant women in the state which has yielded great result in reducing maternal mortality in the state. Right from birth till the age of five, the state government provides free medical services to all children within the age bracket based on the fact that the mortality rate of under five children is the highest. In the area of education, there is a free education programme available to primary and secondary school students which is aimed at ensuring that no child in Delta State is deprived of quality education. At the tertiary level, there is the bursary scheme, scholarship programme for exceptional students and the international scholarship for indigent first class graduates who wish to further their educational career. "It is important to prepare the necessary manpower to drive the economy of the state beyond oil. The effort of driving an economy beyond oil would be a waste if you don't have the necessary manpower to sustain it", he maintained. Entrepreneurs are not left out as the state has continued to empower them through a Micro-Credit Scheme which has won the Central Bank award three consecutive times, at present, over 100,000 entrepreneurs have benefitted from the scheme Youths with interest in entertainment and sports have also been encouraged to tap into the concept of Delta Beyond Oil. Shedding light on this, he said, "no doubt 70% of comedians in Nigeria are from Delta State, so we are encouraging these youths through the Ministry of Culture and Tourism because we don't want them to wait on government for employment. Very soon we will be having the first Delta State Athletics Festival in Sapele, this is aimed at encouraging our youths to participate in sports because we are now in an era where sport is producing millionaires who in turn would invest in the country." The third agenda which focuses on Infrastructural Development is described as the platform that would ensure the economy

properly takes off. According to him, "we are constructing road networks across the state, we have completed work at the Asaba International Airport and the construction of another one at Usubi has been approved because that region is where the oil wealth is deposited. This of course will bring revenue to the state and there will be no need to rely on the federal allocation." Speaking further, he informed that the state is also focusing on developing its agricultural sector and it has gone into partnership with Obasanjo Farms. "Like I said ealier, we have 60% arable land and a sizable part of the land can be used for growing food crops and animal husbandry. We have trained thousands of youths in different areas of agriculture because we believe we should be able to feed ourselves in Delta State. We have also realized that agriculture has the greatest potential of creating wealth than any other venture because as humans we can't do without food and these food items come from the farm. "In the area of tourism, work has already commenced at Oleri in Udu Local Government where we are having a tourist resort, plans has also commenced to construct a zoo at OgwashiUku. Nothing is left untapped in our philosophy of Delta Beyond Oil, even in the transport sector a lot is being done at facilitating the movement of people within the state and interstate", he emphasised. With the merger of four political parties to form a strong opposition against the PDP come 2015, Prof. Utuama insist the merger is no threat to the PDP but would help the PDP to achieve more. He said, "it is constitutional for people to associate and dissociate whenever they want. It is good for Nigeria in the sense that it has created a competition for good governance which would help the PDP deliver more in other to maintain our size." Commenting on how the recently inaugurated PDP Governor's Forum would strengthen the party, he explained that the purpose of the forum is to act as a peer mechanism that will enable governors of PDP ruled states to compare notes on achievements within the compass of the party's manifesto. This he said would keep the governors to be up and doing. No doubt, the office of the Deputy Governor in any state comes with a lot of challenges, Prof. Utuama informed that the greatest challenge is being able to understudy the governor because it would be difficult working with the governor without having a proper knowledge of his programmes. "You must be passionate about his programmes, sometimes Governor Uduaghan would summon me to represent him at an event without any brief, if I don't understand his programmes there is no way I will be able to speak for him. Another challenge is being able to implement his decisions",he said. A recipient of the prestigious title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, during his time as Attorney General, he handled numerous cases in the High Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court on behalf of the state which went in favor of the state. Within the period through powerful advocacy he articulated the legal principles to provoke and sustain the political agitation for resource control and true federalism. He also embarked on a positive turnaround in the state judiciary system, he pioneered the creation of two posts of permanent secretaries in the Ministry of Justice, namely the Solicitor General/Permanent Secretary to take charge of the legal and administrative demands in the ministry and a Permanent Secretary (administration) to take charge of general administration. He created the Department of Peoples Right to apply Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) techniques for speedy resolution of disputes. He expressed his satisfaction as regards improvements in the judiciary saying that the judiciary has been able to stand tall in terms of integrity over the other arms of government, however, he condemned continuous litigation after such case had been decided by the supreme court, adding that there is need for the judiciary to imbibe the philosophy that will speed up the delivery of justice . He also called for improvement from the other arms of governments as it would go a long way at strengthening the judiciary. His excellency, Prof. Amos utuama, SAN would like to be remembered as a Deputy Governor who rendered selfless service to his people. He urged politicians across the country to be committed and focused in their service to the nation.

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 16, 2013

Job Creation Is Key To Peace And Tranquility In The Country IS humble beginning made him appreciate that when you work hard towards a goal and you succeed in attaining it, the pride of that success is sweeter than when you get it on a platter of gold as you may not really know the value. His Excellency, Dr. Pius Egberanmwen Odubu, the Deputy Governor of Edo State no doubt is an exemplary role model with uncompromising character, a loyalist in its real sense who would under no circumstances betray the trust reposed in him by the Governor and the good people of Edo State. A legal practitioner by training, Dr. Odubu attended Immaculate Conception College, Benin City, where he won a scholarship awarded by the Benin Area Joint Board. In 1977, he proceeded to the United States to further his educational career and consequently bagged a Bachelor Degree in Political Science, a Master Degree in International and Comparative Law as well as a Doctorate Degree in Jurisprudence at the Philandersmith College, Little Rock, Arkansas; Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Georgetown University Law Centre, Washington DC. respectively He returned to Nigeria in 1985, attended the Nigerian Law School, Lagos and was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar in 1986. Passionate about the welfare of his people, the amiable Deputy Governor has remained selfless and dogged to the cause of democracy for the betterment of the people; this he has played out in various capacities in his over two decades as a politician. According to him, while in private legal practice, he was invited in 1990 to contest for the chairmanship position in his local government due to the enormous contribution of his father to grassroot politics in the community but the council was dissolved due to the creation of Edo and Delta States from the old Bendel State. "I was renominated to contest for the same position after the creation of states and it was a bitter sweet experience because we were rigged out. Though we went to court but we couldn't reclaim our mandate so I went back to Legal Practice. In 1998, I joined the Peoples Democratic Party and won the election to represent Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode Constituency at the Federal House of Representatives in 1999. I was returned unopposed. In 2003, I was re-elected; but the unexpected happened towards the end of my second term as I was deregistered alongside some other members of the party", he recalled. Speaking further, "I subsequently joined the ACN where I was picked as a running mate to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for the 2007 gubernatorial race. At that time the PDP was in control of power across the state so nobody gave us a chance but for the reputation of Comrade Oshiomhole. The people voted for us massively and of course we were robbed of our mandate, because a different result was declared. But being the dogged fighter that he is, the Governor was able to reclaim his mandate. We delivered on our promises in the first term and that was why the people re-elected us for a second term." A member of the Who Is Who in American Universities, Dr. Odubu assured that the people of Edo State would benefit in the second term of the Oshiomhole led administration as much as they benefited from its first term. He said, "Governor Oshiomhole is not that type of politician that would renege on his promises having secured a second term because he is driven by a passion to make life better for the people. I could remember during the thanksgiving service after we reclaimed our mandate in

the Law court in 2008, the reverend father in his homily said, 'I know you Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole will deliver the greatest good to the greatest number of persons within the shortest time possible', that shows the level of trust the people have in him and that statement has been one of our greatest sources of inspiration. "In all the 18 Local Government Areas of Edo state, we have completed road projects connecting the rural areas with the urban centres. Here in Benin we are constructing a 30 billion naira drainage system into which all secondary drains will go. It starts from Adolo College road in Ugbowo through Teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; House on Siluko road, on the way to Ogba River which is over 7 kilometres. Now the problem of flooding in Benin City is substantially tackled unlike before when it was always problems whenever it rains. Not only that, His Excellency also embarked on the rehabilitation and construction of public primary and secondary schools across the state and the schools are well equiped with modern facilities and furniture. The situation now is that students are always eager to be in school", he stated. He continued, "Before we came on board there was an embargo on employment, the governor did not only lift the embargo but also employed thousands of youths. Our pensioners are happier now because the governor has made it compulsory that they be paid before those of us in active service, so also our workers receive their salaries the last week of every month. Governor Oshiomhole is workers-friendly and he is passionate about making life better for the people. That is why the people find it easy to associate with him and this was evident in his re-election by winning in all the 18 local governments of the state, never has that happened in the history of Edo State not even when the PDP was in power. We pray that God will continue to use him for the good of the people of Edo State and the nation at large." Speaking on the position of the Deputy Governor as stipulated in section 193 of the 1999 constitution, Dr. Odubu affirm his satisfaction with the provisions of the constitution as he believes there cannot be more than one captain in a ship; the Captain being the Governor. In his words, "the Governor and his deputy are just two sides of a coin and their relationship depends on the personalities on board. In Edo State, the relationship between Governor Oshiomhole and I is such that it is only in name that there exists a difference. As the deputy governor, he carries me along in all decision making processes of the state. Every morning myself, the Secretary to the State Government, the Head of Service, the Chief

of Staff as well as other key stakeholders converge in his office to discuss issues affecting the state and that has placed us in a position to talk on issues affecting the state at any time." "We are a model of a harmonious working relationship that is why I said, it depends on the personalities on board. The provision of section 193 of the constitution should not be looked at in isolation, because the constitution went further to state that whenever the governor is not around, the lot falls on the deputy governor to step in as Acting Governor. Governor Oshiomhole is one of the warmest personalities you can find around, he is an extrovert while am an introvert, and as they say, opposites attract. I like working behind the stage, getting things done and then move on, he recognizes this and that has helped smoothen the relationship between us such that you will think we have known each other for donkey years", he enthused. Challenge-driven and performance-oriented, Dr. Odubu described the challenges attached to his office as that which demands readiness to carry out assignments at any time. "Governor Oshiomhole is a workaholic and protocol demands you don't leave your boss behind at the office. The biggest challenge is coping with his work schedule", he said. With the recent merger of four political parties namely ACN, ANPP, CPC and a faction of APGA to form the All Progressive Congress (APC) in a bid to oust the ruling PDP at the national level come 2015, a lot of predictions are generating across the country as regards the political scene come 2015, Dr. Odubu believes the APC would rule at the national level in 2015. According to him, "a lot of dynamics will be at play, and it is obvious the ruling party is apprehensive. T h e masses are in support of the merger because

DR. PIUS EGBERANMWEN ODUBU Deputy Governor Of Edo State

they finally have an opportunity to stand up and be counted. I must commend the leadership of the four parties for coming together. Before now, it has been difficult for parties to come together because the individuals would rather want to look after themselves at the expense of the party but now the party leaders agreed to subsume their personal interest for the overall well being of the people. As it is, a lot of PDP members are already signaling their interest in joining the APC because they see progressively minded individuals who share a common vision of making life better for the average Nigerian. We believe the APC would become the ruling party at the national level in 2015." Asked what the position of the ACN would be in the merger, he described the merger as a case of equals where no ranks exist. "The parties came together with shared committment and vision to provide a credible alternative to the PDP, we are all equals", he stated. On the issue of security across the country, he opined that the only solution to reduce crime is for both government at federal and state levels to create employment opportunities and establish skill acquisition centres so that people would be busy doing legitimate businesses. "It is said for a rich man to enjoy his riches, he must provide for the poor, the private sector is trying as regards employment but the government needs to do more. When we came in, Governor Oshiomhole created agencies which provided thousands of youths with employment, not just that, there are skill acquisition centres across the state where people are trained in various vocations after which they were given loans to start off. Very soon we will be having the biggest fertilizer plant in West Africa, a deal which has already been signed with the Dangote Group and upon completion it will create more jobs for our youths, so job creation and employment are key to maintaining peace and tranquility in the society", he advised. A recipient of multiple awards within and outside the country, His Excellency, Dr. Pius Odubu would like to be remembered as a Nigerian who gave his best in the service to his people, as somebody who contributed to the success of the Oshiomhole administration and as a God fearing person who believed in the principle of collective responsibility. On his future aspirations he said, "I leave that in the divine hands of God Almighty, because no man can foretell what will happen tomorrow. So let God lead because, as Wale Adenuga said, we are like pencils in His hands, let Him write my story and I will act well my part."

THE GUARDIAN, Friday, March 16, 2013

A Leading Light Among Nigerian Women H ER Excellency, Princess Victoria Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State no doubt is an exemplary role model. An embodiment of humility and uncompromising character, she is a politician extraordinaire who has devoted herself selflessly towards service to humanity, she has indeed etched her name on the sands of time in her fight against women and child abuse. A grassroots politician of repute, she started her political sojourn of over two decades at the Lagos State House of Assembly in 1991 under the umbrella of the defunct Social Democratic Party, SDP. She later served as electoral commissioner in the state before her appointment as the Honorable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation under Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and her reappointment by Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola , the position she held for eight years making her the first person to oversee the ministry for such long period of time. Asked if she ever thought of reaching this height in Lagos State, she said, "I always give God the glory every second, minute and every day for His grace and I always put in my best to impart on humanity. I envisaged becoming the deputy governor in 2007 because my name was mentioned but somehow, things changed and I was reappointed as Commissioner in the same ministry by His Excellency, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), who advised that I should continue in my capacity as the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation before my nomination as Deputy Governorship candidate in 2011. I believe God has a plan for my life. I never thought I would be a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly when I did and when I was at the House, I never thought that I will get to this position. To God alone is all the glory. In her own humble way, Princess Orelope-Adefulire has been able to re-write women's role in contemporary history and changed the perceived role of women often used as ushers, backbenchers and professional praise singers at political events and in some cases seen as a tool to satisfy men of easy virtues. Her sojourn in active politics has in no small measure contributed to preparing the women folk in the journey to nationhood. "I will continue to use the opportunity given me to serve in a responsible way, because opportunity often comes with responsibility", she stressed. The number two citizen of the "Centre of Excellence" has continued to champion the campaign for women development child survival, protection and the correction of social vices associated with child abuse, street trading and hawking which has continued to destroy our value systems. These societal ills which have cropped up in the nation's march to modernity have invariably made women to be more at the receiving end of these issues and often the underdog to be used and discarded. Her numerous activities and pro-

skill acquisition centre, egbeda

PRINCESS VICTORIA ADEJOKE ORELOPE-ADEFULIRE Deputy Governor Of Lagos State grammes had genuinely indicated that she is among the very few politicians who knew and realized that political power is useless when it can not be used to promote growth, when it cannot be used to impact positively on the lives of people "I am a grass root person and I know that women are facing a lot of challenges in their homes, in the hands of their husbands, who should be their confidants and motivators. This is one of the reasons why Domestic Violence Law was enacted in Lagos State to reduce violence in our homes. A political office holder must be able to leave a positive mark as a legacy irrespective of the available resources . If you cannot make any positive impact in the lives of people who entrusted their votes in you, you have no place in politics", she emphasized. Speaking further, "I also don't believe in a woman being a full housewife, because we are created to give helping hands. God created Eve to assist Adam. That is why we have continued to encourage our women to embrace the various vocational training programmes going on in our state where they can learn different trades free of charge and receive free medical examination, because we believe it would go a long way at reducing

LASMI executive cabs

domestic violence in our homes. The campaign has since turned erstwhile housewives into reliable partners for their husbands", she informed. Princess Orelope-Adefulire has indeed imparted more than any of her ilk in contemporary women leadership. In the fight against child abuse, she fought hard and got the Lagos State government to enact the Child Rights Law in 2007 It is expected that the law would go a long way at enforcing the rights of the child and protect the girl child from constant molestation, neglect, exploitation and deprivation both from parents, guardians, teachers and members of the society, on this score, the state has taken a lead among other states of the federation in the enactment and enforcement of the Child Rights Law. According to her, "the rate of child abuse is worrisome especially on the girl child. We have received so many cases of rape and gang raping involving under aged girls, you can only imagine the psychological trauma these girls will go through. It is in view of this that we advise women who are in the habit of sending their children and wards to hawk on the streets and highways to desist from such act because it will not only expose the children to all forms of

Skill acquisition centre, Isheri

vices, it also exposes them to accidents on the roads." She continued, "Women and other categories of traders must ensure that business activities and other forms of trading should be done within designated places. We don't want to continue to see useful lives, wasting away on the highway as a result of street trading", saying, The Road Traffic Law has come to stay. On poverty eradication, it is to her credit that 18 vocational centers were established across the state providing long term life skill training and technical education to young school leavers and the unemployed graduates and other categories of youths in a bid to reduce unemployment and poverty which has been the bane of development and cause of the various societal ills. Presently, the centres have produced more than 200,000 beneficiaries from the long and short term training programme at no cost. Also worthy of mentioning as part of her genuine concerns for poverty alleviation at all cost is the successful take-off of the modern taxi scheme, a partnership between the Lagos State Microfinance Institution, LASMI, and some Commercial Banks in the state. She worked assiduously to get the support of the state government for the scheme which saw the procurement of 250 new vehicles at the first phase of the scheme for drivers who automatically became owners after full payment through installment arrangement. Today the scheme has rolled out more than a thousand executive modern cabs. We owe it a duty as public officers to make things happen, the people we represent do not care how you get it done, but because they believe so much in us as their representatives, and whatever the case may be, we must put up our thinking cap at all time. On the issue of deputy governors being at loggerhead with their principals which has seen the resignation of deputy governors in Abia and Akwa-Ibom states, she explained that the constitution of the country doesn't assign any duty to the deputy governors, thus deputy governors can only perform whatever duty the governor assigns to them. "At the federal level, the duties of the vice president are well spelt out but at the state level, it is expected that the principal will assign duties to the deputy. Coming to occupy the seat of the deputy governor, you should know that you have no constitutional assigned responsibilities, so it is expected you remain loyal to your principal and perform whatever duty assigned to you", she stressed. On her relationship with Governor Raji fashola, she described him as a brother, friend and boss who doesn't look down on his subordinates. "He carries everybody along and respects peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s views, that is why we have been able to achieve so much. She further enjoined more women to participate in politics as the responsibilities of nation building rest on the shoulders of both men and women.

Home & Clinics for Physically Challenged Children, Ketu

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

BALOGUN BISI OMIDIORA OON, FCA

Here Comes The Generalissimo Of Ile-Ife @ 80 “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength…..and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper’’ (Bible Quotes). What is to add to a ‘towering’ man who is like a Rock of Gibraltar, standing tall among his peers! ALOGUN Johnson Olabisi Omidiora, the Balogun of Ile-Ife, a past President of ICAN, former Executive Director of UAC of Nigeria Plc., and Life Lay Deputy President of Diocese of Ife, was born on Thursday 12th March 1933 at the ancient city of Ife. He had his primary education at St. Paul’s Anglican School and his Secondary Education at Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife, where he came out with Grade One, oversea Cambridge School Certificate in 1953. He was the senior prefect of the College in 1952/1953. He proceeded to the UK in 1957, for his General Certificate of Education, Advanced level certificate, which he obtained with distinction from the North West Polytechnic, London in 1958/1959 before proceeding to the prestigious London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where he graduated with a B.Sc Honors Degree in Economics in 1962, specialising in Accounting. On completion of his studies in UK, he took employment with the UAC Group of companies, where he had a very distinguished career spanning some 25 years, ten of which were spent on the Board of the Conglomerate. Starting as an Accountant in 1966, he rose rapidly through the system and acquired a number of ‘firsts’ within the Group, beginning with the First Nigerian Senior Accountant of Palm Lines Agencies of Nigeria Limited, the First Nigerian Commercial Manager A.J Seward and Kingsway Chemist, the First Nigerian General Manager of R & A services, and crowning it up as the first indigenous African to hold the position of Chief Accountant of the UAC Group of Companies, and the first and the only Nigerian to occupy the seat of the Financial Director of the Company. Other positions held before he retired from UAC in 1988, included the Chairman of Vono Products Limited, Director of UNIC, Director and Head of Property Division UACN, Head of Group Operation (Deputy Chairman) and Chairman of the Board Committee on Growth and Opportunities for UACN Plc. Balogun Omidiora had since his retirement from UACN carved a niche for himself, in the world of Public Accounting Practice as Managing Partner of Olabisi Omidiora & Co., Chairman and Chief Executive of Comas Securities Limited, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Coma Management Consultants Limited. He had served as Chairman of Ogun/Oshun River Basin Development Authority, a Federal Parastatal, and a member of the Governing Council of Ladoke Akintola College of Technology. His other National Assignments included member of Oyo State Political and Economic Council. Member Federal Civil Service Reform Committee, Chairman, Implementation Committee of TCPC on Commercialization and Privatization of Tafawa Balewa Management Square. Balogun Omidiora was a pioneer Director and Vice Chairman of Multi-Links Telecommunications Limited, the first private wireless telephone service company in Nigeria. He also served on the board of Wemabod Estates. Socially, Balogun Omidiora is the past President of Victoria Island Lions Club, Treasurer of the LSE Alumni Association, and President of Oduduwa Old Boys Association, Lagos. He is a member of the Metropolitan Club, Lagos. Yoruba Tennis Club, Ikoyi Club, Island Club and the Ife Club of which he is the President. He is the current Deputy Chairman of Ife Honourary Titled Chiefs. He was conferred with the chieftaincy title of Obasegbatan of Ile-Ife in 1980, and with the prestigious title of Balogun of the Source, Ile-Ife in April 1996. In February 2009, he was investitured as the Life Deputy Lay President of Synod of Ife Diocese. In recognition of his outstanding achievements in the Business Industry and contribu-

tion to the growth and development of Nigeria, he was awarded The Men Of Achievement Award in 1993, and the Fellowship of the Institute of Administrative Management of Nigeria in 1994, Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce Merit Award for services to Industry and Commerce in 2001 and was conferred with the National Merit Award OON (Officer of the Order of Niger) in October 2001 by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria. He is an awardee of Osun State Merit Award, Ife Distinguished Merit Award and ICAN Gold Merit Award 2007. To Balogun Olabisi Omidiora, God has given an understanding and supportive wife, who had been his tower of strength in the period of tribulations and trials, and a stable companion in the time of victory, joy and salvation. It may be difficult to say that Balogun Omidiora would have been where he is today if that courtship at Oduduwa College with young Princess Eyinade Oyindaola Aderemi, daughter of Sir. Adesoji Aderemi, the late Ooni of Ife , in 1952, had not consummated to their marriage in London in 1958. That marriage, which is 55 years old, is blessed with five (5) children, who had, by the grace of God achieved eminence in their respective professions, two of whom are Chartered Accountants. Princess Eyinade Omidiora was honoured with an award by the Society of Women Accountant in 2010 for giving excellent support to her husband in the performance of his duties. At eighty, Balogun Omidiora have contributed immensely to the socio-economic development of the state through your various beneficial services to humanity. In your career spanning over six decades, you have not only distinguished yourself as a Celebrated Administrator, a thorough-bred Business Mogul, a renowned, Chartered Accountant, a Financial Expert, Elder Statesman, Community Leader and a Great Philanthropist, but you have also written your name in gold in the annals of the nation. No doubt, Africa and indeed the great people of Nigeria have benefitted from your wisdom, foresight and patriotism through your distinctive character and uncommon contributions towards nationbuilding. We pray that God will continue to give you the strength in good health to achieve more success in life, and to the service of our great nation, Nigeria. Congratulations! In his words the octogenarian, Balogun Olabisi Omidiora says “I was born 80 years ago, in the days when Nigeria was under Colonial rule. Britain ruled the waves and ruled a large empire in which the sun never set. It was in the days when the white District Officer was the master, police officer, magis-

trate superintendent of prisons and other important and sensitive posts in the country. Economic and industrial development was slow or non-existent in the rural area. But in the urban areas, there were well-built roads, good education, few but excellent, well-run hospitals and health clinics. Employment was available at the government departments, Nigerian Railways, Customs and Prison Services and the multinational companies such as UAC, PZ, UTC etc, for the few that passed out of the secondary schools that were in existence at that time. I had the benefit of a sound education at Primary and Secondary school level at the St Paul School, Aiyegbaju Ife, and the famous Oduduwa College Ile-Ife, between 1941 and 1953, afterwards I worked at the Produce Inspection Service of the Western Region between 1957 and 1958. In 1959 I proceeded to the prestigious London School of Economics and Political Science where I obtained a degree in Accounting with Specialization in Accounting in 1962. Because I had an oversea Cambridge school certificate Grade One with excemption from London matriculation, I did not have any problem in securing admission to the North Western Polytechnics, London for my A Level subjects, which I passed with distinction to qualify me to enter the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) for a degree in Economics specializing in accounting. Despite the discrimination against black people, I was lucky to be employed by Hallet and Eglington, a firm of chartered accountants on Cannon Street, London. I was one of the privileged few who passed the final examination of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales in 1965. Some students were known to have sat for the exam of the Institute three or four times, but before qualified, I instantly had an offer of employment from UAC of Nigeria while I was in UK, which I joined as one of the pioneer Nigerian qualified accountants to be employed by the then largest conglomerate in Nigeria. Most accounting positions in the company were filled by unqualified but experienced expatriate accounting managers, supported by Nigerian accounting supervisors. Starting as an accountant in 1966 at Niger House Lagos, I rose rapidly through the rank to become the first Nigerian Chief Accountant, of UAC Plc in 1978 and the first Nigeria to occupy the position of the Finance Director of the Group in 1979/80, which positions were exclusively reserved for expatriates at that time. When I was appointed to the Board of UACN in 1980 as an executive director, the Board was made up of

very distinguished Nigerians, including the late Chief S.A. Adebo, the late Alhaji Isa Kaita, The Emir of Zaria, General Wasisi (Rtd), Chief Arthur Mbanefo, the late Chief Silas Daniyan and Chief Ernest Shonekan, who later became the Chairman of the Board and the Head of Interim Government of Nigeria. It was a pride to be a member of the Board. My experience and challenges at UAC Plc where I was boss to many expatriate general managers, as the Head of Group Operation (Deputy Managing Director), supervising Chief Executives of the four largest divisions of the company convinced me that whatever a white men can do, a Nigerian can do the same and better, if he is given the opportunity. I was also proud to say I was able to match the ability, discipline and integrity of the expatriate managers because I was professionally qualified. I was able to perform well because, in my time, there was no stress, and frustration arising from lack or epileptic supply of electricity, water, unmaintained infrastructures. Junior staff in the office and personal staff at home were loyal, honest and dedicated. With one digit inflation rate, the naira was as good as the dollar or at times higher in exchange values. My salary as an accountant was probably not more than that of an accounts clerk today; but it was of a good value. I was able to borrow money from my company to buy a car of my choice on arrival from UK. I could also borrow money from my company, the bank or building society to build a house of my own. In UAC where I worked, honesty and integrity were the only policy. It was an abomination to give or take bribe. Professionalism and skills were the major yardstick for appointment to good positions and a call to render services to the state and Federal governments and private sector institutions. Hence I was invited by the state and Federal government to serve as chairman or Member of the Boards of many companies in the private and public sectors. I was extremely proud of my profession and I was much respected and honoured in the country as the President of my Institute, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, which was the only body of accountants recognized by an Act of Parliament in 1965, at that time. I retired from UAC at the company’s retiring age of 55 to start my practice of accountancy as managing partner of Olabisi Omidiora & Co and Chairman and Chief Executive of the very successful Corporate and Management Consultants Limited, a firm of financial consultants with an office in Western House, Lagos. I am into Insurance, communications and properties. At 80 I thank God that I still remain relevant today, holding directorship positions in some companies and still retain my active membership of Ikoyi Golf Club, The Metropolitan Club of Lagos, Yoruba Tennis Club and Life Membership of Ikoyi Club and Island Club. Through the amazing grace of God, I have combined the prestigious position of Balogun of Ife with the time consuming position, in the service of God as Baba Ijo of St Peters Church Iremo, Ile-Ife, The Patrons of many societies, in the Lagos and Ife Dioceses. I am the Life Lay Deputy President of the Diocese of Ife. I am also on the Diocesan Board of Lagos Mainland Diocese. God has given to me an understanding wife and provided me with children who are all making their marks in medical, banking and accountancy professions. God has done great things for me for which I will ever remain grateful. To those who are coming behind, the accountancy profession is a life of hard work and challenges, but of greater opportunities than most professions, particularly now. For the world class computer literate, chartered accountants, the future is well secured and prosperous, not only under a presidential system of government, but in a growing and promising economy of Nigeria. My advice to future chartered accountant is that they must always strive to be on top of their job, competent, transparent, accountable and disciplined.’’ If you want to feature on this page concerning your landmark birthday(s), please call 0803 584 2984, 0802 317 5487.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

TheGuardian

37 | Saturday, March 16, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Entertainment

Sony Neme nemesony@yahoo.co.uk 07054576639

Ejiro

Nollywood cameramen at work

FG N3b Grant To Nollywood Is God Sent, Says Zeb Zeb Ejiro is a co-founder and director of Nigeria’s foremost private film and broadcast academy located in Ozoro, Delta State. The notable filmmaker spoke with Sony Neme at his Surulere, Lagos office, on Tuesday, about the N3billion grants from President Goodluck Jonathan to build structures in Nollywood, the Motion Practitioners Council of Nigeria (MOPICON) Bill and mitigate against the emerging culture of fund raising whenever an actor passes on. Excerpts…

So, the loans is going to help in more job creation ond moving producing nation in the world. I would like to add that the movie industry has reacross the 774 local government areas; increase mained dynamic, but things are not working the commercial activities; and arrest youth restiveway they should be for practitioners. We are not ness, as young graduates would be engaged in filmmaking. For me, I can’t remember any presi- making movies like before. The fact that we have dent of this country that has given Nollywood this gone back to cinema is the more reason that we kind of needed attention. So, I want Nigerians to need to provide more content that would present give Mr. President kudos for this because he has viewers with different choices. So, I would look forward to someone that would shown with the frequent meeting with movie practitioners that he is interested in moving the make the industry more vibrant, someone that will move the industry forward, get us foreign collaboindustry forward. What are you doing in making a difference on rators, get us more corporate sponsorships, so that, we would be able to create more jobs and get peostructures? That is part of the reason we have been champi- ple busy again. Someone who will take us to that point that practitioners would be busier than what oning the need for a well-structured Guilds to meet up with certain criteria. For instance when is obtainable now; that way we would be able to What does the recent Federal Government N3bil- each of the existing Guilds make it mandatory for meet up with the task of absorbing the teeming lion grant to Nollywood mean to you? members to part with a certain sum to the union theatre graduates that are roaming the streets, proS a movie practitioner, I want to commend for medicals and insurance, it becomes automatic duce more quality films and take us back to our the Federal Government for it. With almost for such Guild to look at the members’ status, if second position as the second movie producing nathree decades of experience in the movie in- such member is financially up to date; such Guild tion in the world. We can say we are even third dustry, I will say this is the first time a sitting Pres- would move in to take care of either the medical now. It is sad that we have gone this low. ident of the Federal Republic of Nigeria would or life insurance bills. What I see is actually wrong Why is it that each time a filmmaker dies or a Nollyfrequently identify with the industry. Presidents in the industry is that we need an enabling envi- wood member is down with an ailment, fund raishave come and gone, but none of them ever iden- ronment. That is why I keep championing the ing committees spring up to meet with tified with Nollywood like President Jonathan. need to structure the industry through the Guilds. government officials, corporate bodies and philanSo, for me as a major filmmaker, he is the best First of all, the Guilds have to reposition, restruc- thropists for donations; does it mean that these thing to happen to the industry. ture and come up with equity laws, collaborations people don’t save for the rainy day? Being the second of its kind, practitioners are see- and memorandum of associations that will guide That is not true my brother. What you see playing ing it as a political gimmick as the first $200mil- practitioners. Once that is done we can then take out there is that we are like one big family. So, lion provided appears inaccessible? on other issues like the Motion Practitioners Coun- whenever anything happens to any of us, we owe it I do not agree with that statement that it is ei- cil of Nigeria (MOPICON) Bill, a document that a duty to be part of it. Be it birthday, naming cerether a Greek gift or politics of 2015 because most structured and covered the industry and how it mony, marriages or what have you. We come toof our colleagues that met the criteria were should be run. This document was put together by gether to donate our widow’s might. Why that of availed with the loan. Be that as it may, there is a movie practitioners to the Movie Censored Board death and ailment seem more pronounced is that difference as the N3billion Naira from the presi- for onward presentation and it has remained at Africans attach so much importance to the dedent is a grant that would be access through the that office for years. It is loaded with all these parted. But we are always there for our colleagues. Ministry of Finance for infrastructural develop- things we are talking about now. If other professionals are not doing it, it goes to ment. Unlike the $200 million that was a loan, How true is it that the Nigerian Film Corporation show how much camaraderie that exists in such that we had to source through the Bank of Indus- (NFC) is functioning optimally to meet up with the groups. With the down turn in the economy, at try. Again the clear difference between this grant vibrancy of Nollywood? times an actor has not shot a movie for six months, and that the previous loan is that, it is called an I believe the present NFC boss is doing his best, so, he makes do with what he has made; ours is yet intervention fund for the development of infra- though his efforts may not have met the standard to be like the oil and political field where money is structures to develop Nollywood, not for just needed to take the industry back to the position readily available to take care of practitioners’ filmmaking. we were when UNICEF declared Nigeria as the sec- needs.

MTN Afrinolly Film Competition Set To Unveil Winners By Tony Nwanne INNERSof the two categories of the MTN Afrinolly Film competitions will be unveiled at a Prize presentation ceremony, scheduled for Friday, March 22 at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos. With cash prizes totaling $100,000, the digital-based competition, which ran from November 1 to January 31 was open to Africans who are, at least, 18 years old and either resident in the continent or in the Diaspora. The aim was to give upcoming African filmmakers the opportunity to express their talents and compete favourably with the rest of the World. Divided into two categories, such as short movie and documentary, prizes will be awarded to the top 10 in each of the top two categories, at the presentation ceremony. The panel of judges, which includes Femi Odugbemi, Tunde Kelani, Juliet Yaa Ashante, Bongiwe Selane, Franklin Leonard and Mahen Bonetti, comprise international film and documentary experts from different African countries and the US. The audience can as well participate through online voting. $25,000 goes to the first prizewinners while the second and third will get $10,000 and $5,000 respectively. The 4th to the 10th positions will as well get $500 each, in both categories. The competition is entirely an online challenge that is essentially designed to prepare the next generation of African filmmakers for the challenges of modern filmmaking technique. It is as well a platform to position the continent to compete favourably for a share of global film revenues.

Tim Godfrey excites fans with Gbemisoke By Tony Nwanne

OMINGfrom the stable of Tim Godfrey and the Xtreme Crew is talented gospel artiste Tim Godfrey, who is making waves with his latest single titled Gbemisoke.

According to the gospel act, “I bet, you have never heard something like it before. It's a fresh beat, fresh sound, fresh lyrics and a fresh grace. It’s going to get the clubs banging and set every party on fire.” Tim’s songs basically talk about real

life issues and hope. It talks about life and the society. It's also talks about God. Produced by Masterkraft, Tim has been making his way into the minds of gospel music lovers by doing what he knows best. “It's been a long time coming and I

have been cooking something hot for my fans and friends out there because I know they should be hungry by now, it took me this long because I don't want to give my fans just anything; it has to be something outstanding, so, we've been working behind the scene to Iyanya make this happen,” he said.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

38 |

ENTERTAINMENT

PMAN Returns With A 45-Man Interim Team

Gloria Ibru

Tee Mac

to the lingering leadership crisis that has dealt severe blows to the real essence of the association. Hitherto, achieved with the setting up of a 45- about three members of the union are laying claims to PMAN presiman interim committee that will midwife the birth of an elected lead- dency. They are Dr. Tee Mac Iseli, Amb. Predy Wise, and Ras Murphy ership within 18 months. This feat did not come easy as a group of no- Van Anthony. Another faction acting under Oizz Ikhide also perfected the table members of the union had crisscrossed the length and breadth relocation of the union’s headquarters to Ariya at Jibowu, Lagos without of the country for nine months seeking for a peaceful resolution of recourse to the constitution of PMAN. This scramble for power also their problems. led to several court cases involving This was unveiled by Peace Initiative Committee (PIC) on Tuesday at the O’jez Nite Club, National Stadium, Surulere - Lagos. It was historic as the committee made up of some prominent musicians had in the last nine months gone to the agHE second batch of winners in the grieved factions on the need to sallifestyle entertainment television vage their union. programme, Glo Presents The Big Friday According to a release from PIC, “It Show, have been presented with their is a formula designed to usher in prizes. The prize-presentation ceremony PMAN, with a new era of peace gen- was held last Wednesday at the MTV uine reconciliation, justice and Base office, Ikoyi, Lagos. The prizes, progress.” which included Samsung Galaxy Tabs, Meanwhile activities for the inauguration are on as the last week of March 2013 has been fixed at a venue yet to be announced. The event would mark the official end of PIC activities. The group’s spokesperson, Oritz Wiliki: “Today’s gathering is to intimate our colleagues and members of the public that the leadership crisis, which had engulfed PMAN for about seven years has been resolved. This is courtesy of the ongoing peace process undertaken by a group of committed members of the association in conjunction with a few elders and well meaning Nigerians.” Wiliki said that PIC coordinated by Mr. Chris Mba has seasoned musicians like Gloria Ibru, Fatai Rolling Dollars, King Feladey and Stella Monye. Among them also are Mike Okri, Brigadier Brown Bread, Maureen Ejezie, Desmond Offong, Ochoma Innocent, Kabiru Kehinde, Aita Bonny, Richard Cole, Joshua Omokhuale and Oizz Ikhide. He said, “the committee has been in search of a permanent solution T last the Performing Musicians A Employers’ Association of Nigeria is back on track. This was

Don Jazzy PMAN and its members. A situation that further relegated the union to the background as nobody wants to be associated with the once beautiful bride that PMAN was.” He hinted that, “to draw the attention of our members to the situation, a two-day Town Hall Meeting was convened by PIC on Tuesday, July 31 and Thursday, August 17, 2012 at O’Jez Entertainment Night Club, Surulere, Lagos. Over 208 musicians including all the factional leaders and their supporters were in atten-

dance and endorsed the concept. They gave us the mandate to reconcile all warring factions. So we swiftly moved into a wide range of consultation through a referendum in form of a questionnaire suggesting how to move PMAN forward.” In agreement with elders of the union and all the factional leaders, Wiliki said, the committee had to adopt the 63 per cent majority opinion for an interim administration. The names of the nominees into the

45-member Interim Administration of musical outfit are Dr. Tee Mac Iseli, Sound Sultan, Jazzman Olofin, Black O’Rice, Papa Latty, Alh. Sadeeq Abdul Rasaq, Alh. Hakeem Abayomy, Alh. Kabiru Kehinde, Alh. Sikiru Kolotili, Pst. Samson Nwachukwu, Psalmist Adeolu Afolabi, Flavour Nabama, Ochoma Innocent, Daddy Cool, Ben Ufeli, Mrs. Adeola Levite. The 14 members are also included in the structure for monitoring and supervision.

Winners emerge in Glo Presents The Big Friday Show

Blackberry handsets and Glo High Speed Internet modems were for two of the competitions for viewers of the show, Prank Yo Peoples and Celebrity Surprise segments. For the Prank Yo Peoples contest, viewers were required to prank their friends and send in their ‘pranked’

videos by MMS or upload them on Facebook. On the other hand, the Celebrity Surprise contest allowed subscribers the opportunity to surprise their friends by arranging a visit of the friend’s favourite celebrity with the help of the Big Friday Show crew. Both the Glo subscriber who did the prank-

ing and his friend that was pranked were equally rewarded with the prizes. Similarly, the subscriber who set up his friend for a Celebrity Surprise visit and the friend also received prizes. A total of 32 prizes comprising eight Samsung Galaxy tabs, 12 Blackberry phones and 12 Glo High Speed Internet modems with recharge cards were won by subscribers who participated in the competitions. Those who won the Prank Yo Peoples prizes were Akingoboye Oluwaseun and Anthony Ebguna, CJ Carlos and Ade, Adewuyi Adeyinka and Ashirudeen Doyin, Taiwo Amusu and Dolapo, Gilbert and Gabriel and Longjohn Aba and Dipo Fagbolu. Ubrufih Rukevwe and Obaseki Omamen, Ayeni Tobi and Sango Fajimi Funsho, Monday Akpan and Enosi Akpan, Theodora Atta Peters and George Atta Peters as well as Anene Ifeoma and Mercy Iyamu won the prizes for the Celebrity Surprise competition. Every week, a lucky Glo subscriber wins the chance to meet and interview the celebrity guest of the week and feature on the Big Friday Show. Viewers are also given the chance to send questions via SMS and MMS to their favourite celebrities. These questions are then answered directly by the celebs on the show. The programme runs every Friday at 6pm on Silverbird Television (STV), 7.30 pm on MTV Base (DStv Channel 322) and on Wednesdays on African Independent Television (AIT). It is also shown on ORTB (Benin Republic) and ViaSat1 (Ghana).

Dee Dee Records Debuts new record label, Dee Dee Records, is set to A make a mark in the Nigerian music scene as it unveiled its Nigerian artistes last week in Lagos. According to the CEO of records label, Damien Iwumene, Dee Dee Records will take entertainment in Nigeria to the next level. Iwumene said: “We have been making noise in the US and we are known for what we do. Now, we want to take the gospel back home and empower our youths. We have three American and two Nigerian artistes, so, the

outfit is one big cross-Atlantic family of talented artistes.” He added that right from his days in the secondary school in Nigeria, he had always loved music. However, it was when he got to the US that he finally realised his dream and after set up Dee Dee Records three years ago. Iwumene informed that the two new Nigerian acts to join the label are Saint Leo (the masked One) and Indo while its American artistes include Ptyte, Moses Efret and Masq Satrazy. He also

disclosed that the label is currently concentrating on releasing the debut album of Nollywood actor, Moses Efret. “Right now we are pushing Moses Efret’s debut gospel album, which would be dropped in May or June both in Nigeria and in the US. Once we do that we will push St. Leo and Indo’s albums. They are currently in the studio recording. Moses Efret’s Na My Time is available on YouTube. He also said that their outfit has wrapped up plans for its artistes to

do collabos with Flavour whom he described as a very popular artiste in the US. “We are working on doing collabos with Nigerian stars and Flavour. He is a great artiste and very popular in the US. We go for the best in hip hop, afrobeat and gospel music. If your music is good then you’re welcome to Dee Dee Records.” The label also has plans to go into movies in the nearest future. Founded in 2010, Dee Dee Records is an independent US-based record label.

TheGuardian

Saturday, March 16, 2013 39

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Arts&Culture iRep... Reawakening Consciousness Of Documentary Film By Chuks Nwanne N popular myth, the word documentary was Ierson coined by Scottish documentarian John Griin his review of Robert Flaherty’s film Moana, published in the New York Sun on February 8, 1926. Written under a pen name, The Moviegoer, Grierson’s principles of documentary were that cinema’s potential for observing life could be exploited in a new art form. He opined that the original actor and original scene are better guides than their fiction counterparts to interpreting the modern world and that materials taken from the raw can be more real than the acted article. On his part, American film critic Pare Lorentz defines a documentary film as a factual film, which is dramatic. Others further state that a documentary stands out from the other types of non-fiction films for providing an opinion, and a specific message, along with the facts it presents. It is described a filmmaking practice, a cinematic tradition, and mode of audience reception that is continually evolving and is without clear boundaries. It refers to what people do with media devices, content, form, and production strategies in order to address the creative, ethical, and conceptual problems and choices that arise as they make documentaries. In Nigeria, the success story of Nollywood has increased the level of filmmaking, with a large number of youths getting involved in the act. While some of them pursue their film career as a passion, others see it purely as a means of livelihood. In this direction, little or no attention is being paid to documentary film, which is seen as ‘unattractive financially.’ Apart from foreign documentary films occasionally shown by some TV stations, Nigeria’s airwave is dominated with feature films. While accusing fingers could be pointed at the programmes department of TV stations for not venturing into documentary film production, the reality is that filmmakers of this era think less of documentary films, thereby forcing the stations to make do with feature films, which are readily available in different languages. In a bid to reawaken the consciousness of documentary film in Nigeria, a group of film experts and enthusiasts instituted iRepresent International Film Festival (iREP). Since 2011 when the intervention project was launched, documentary filmmaking has greatly improved over the last years, with a number of youngsters showing interests in the genre. “A typical example is Afrinolly partnering with us for their short film competition. Also, there are now several TV stations that are willing to produce more documentary films. This was not the case two/three years ago. This clearly shows the documentary film genre, with iREP at the helm, is growing and is attracting the right kind of attention from other relevant organisations,” Femi Odugnemi, the IREP director, said. To Odugbemi, bringing back documentary film to the forefront remains the biggest gains of iREP since inception, adding that the project has provided a viable platform for the appreciation of the genre, especially among young filmmakers. “They are more aware and have a better understanding of the documentary film genre; the excitement is palpable. We have filmmakers doing documentaries on a much larger scale and they in turn motivate their colleges to do the same. Most importantly, content of the work produced is inspiring; it shows that these filmmakers take away relevant information from festival subjects/themes and encourages them to create works that attempt to define their world in a conscious, responsible and artistic way.” However, to get more young filmmakers involved in making documentary films, Odugbemi pointed out the need to give them a clearer understanding of why documentary is important to them as artistes, as Africans, as the generation next of Nigerians. “The very basic role of creating a film is to tell a story. The rule applies to documentary film-

Odungbemi (right) and Tunde Kelani at a previous iREP festival making as well. Content is key. Unfortunately, in Africa the manner in which documentary films were introduced to the public –– as a colonial tool for brainwashing –– has left a rather bleak and boring impression of the genre. However, this is changing. At iREP, we strive to emphasise that documentaries can do so much more. And this reflects in our choice of themes and subjects that are discussed in our yearly festivals.” As for monetising the genre, like their counterparts in the feature film, Odugbemi noted that, “it is important for young people to also be able to monetise their skills. It is becoming more difficult every day for young artistes to do art just for art’s sake and it is rather impractical to expect such. A good example would be the Afrinolly Short Film Competition; it was a success. “Filmmakers created shorts films, entered into the competition with the knowledge that there would be a chance to receive some financial gratification for their efforts. Attaching some form of monetary reward will build enthusiasm, nurture healthy competition and give this emerging genre the growth that it needs.” On the availability of documentary film market in Nigeria, the former ITPAN president observed that, “it is not yet strong enough to be felt economically, but with the rise in interest of young filmmakers, and challenging topics to be discussed, I am sure in the not too distant feature, the documentary genre will become a force to reckon with, economically, politically and socially.” Now in it’s third edition, this year’s iREP International Film Festival is billed to open on March 21 and runs through March 24, at the Freedom Park, Lagos Island, starting from 9am. With the theme, Africa in self conversation and sub theme Reconnections, the festivals will also feature a cocktail events, which will serve as a platform for filmmakers to mingle and network with international and local filmmakers, who are expected to participate at the event. “It would look at how Africans at home and in the Diaspora see or think about themselves and their identity and discuss the different impacts of western education; religious and economic value systems on the African socio-cultural life,” Odugbemi, the

The very basic role of creating a film is to tell a story. The rule applies to documentary filmmaking as well. Content is key. Unfortunately, in Africa the manner in which documentary films were introduced to the public –– as a colonial tool for brainwashing –– has left a rather bleak and boring impression of the genre. However, this is changing. At iREP, we strive to emphasise that documentaries can do so much more. And this reflects in our choice of themes and subjects that are discussed in our yearly festivals. CEO of DVWorx Studios & Zuri24 Media said. This year, the keynote speaker is Professor Awam Amkpa, Dean of African Studies at New York University and co-founder of the Reallife Documentary Film Festival, Ghana. Amkpa has directed film documentaries such as Winds Against Our Souls, It’s All About Downtown, National Images and Transnational Desires, and a feature film Wazobia! He is the author of several articles in books and journals on Modernisms in Theatre, Postcolonial theatre, Black Atlantic Issues, and Film Studies. Professor Amkpa will discuss at length the theme Reconnections, and its composites, spirituality, identity and economy. Also, Prof. Niyi Coker, an E Desmond Lee Professor in the Department of Theatre, Dance and Media Studies at the University of St. Louis, will serve as Co-curator at the festival. Coker has served as Director for several professional theatre companies ranging from the National Theatre of Nigeria, to Malmo Hogskola in Sweden, Copenhagen, Denmark, Ghana and England. His Film writing, directing and producing credits include, Black Studies USA, which won Best Short Documentary at the 2005 Berlin Black Film Festival in Germany, 2007 Silver Remi Award at Worldfest in Houston, and was Official Selection at the 2007 Hollywood Black Film Festival. Dr. Coker will speak extensively on identity. It is believed that the age-old question of what makes and African, African, will be explored as well as the social, economic and structural relevance outcomes.

The target for iREP this time is to facilitate relevant and productive conversations between local filmmakers and African filmmakers in the Diaspora, who are interested in engaging the African issues in their documentaries. “We also seek, as part of our training programme, to extensively educate filmmakers on how to overcome primary challenges most of them face in the process of making their films and accessing funds. We will hold a pitching round table and filmmakers will be instructed on how to go about accessing funding from both local and International funding organisations,” he said. Though challenges abound, for Odugnemi, it has been an interesting journey running iREP. “So far, iREP has successfully established itself as a platform, where emerging documentary filmmakers can find a voice that can be heard in the film industry. We have also created a great way for bringing filmmakers, both emerging and established together and channeling documentary filmmaking in a more positive way. We have trained young filmmakers with transferable skills that can be used for the making of both documentary and feature films. We have also facilitated networking of filmmakers that is international in focus that allows young filmmakers to form beneficial and knowledge enhancing relationships.” On the other hand, it has also been a journey full of discovery, of trial and error in some parts, growth and satisfaction with the realisation of what the organisation has given back to the society. “We have made it this far and we are thankful, especially to our sponsors and benefactors in the arts and culture scene. Our biggest challenge is funding. The festival is primarily self-funded to date and we would appreciate more sponsors. We strongly believe that documentary films are the way forward in tackling Africa’s political, soci-economic issues and above all, a way to recreate the African identity and retell the African story from our perspective. We encourage filmmakers, producers, writers, and TV producers and students to come learn, experience and answer to the call of creativity.”

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

ARTS

Lagos Black Heritage Festival 2013... Spotlighting Brazilian Con-

left to right, Commissioner for Culture and Inter-governmental Affairs, Lagos State, Oludisun Holloway (left); Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka; Chairman, Boat Regatta, Engineer Segun Jawando; and Festival Ambassador, Erelu Abiola Dosunmu at the briefing on the forthcoming festival last week at the Freedom Park, Lagos PHOTO: CHARLES OKOLO By Daniel Anazia LL is set for this year’s Lagos Black Heritage Festival (LBHF). It will run from March 25 to April 1. Culture lovers in and around the city will yet be treated to another opportunity of cultural extravaganza that the LBHF is becoming known for. Inspired by the spirit of convergence for which Lagos remains pre-eminent, the festival celebrates African creativity in a carnivalesque tradition of contemporary dance, music, painting and photo exposition, drama, design and fashion display, beauty pageant, international symposium, film and video fiesta and other artistic and intellectual offerings, both inter-state and international. To broaden and deepen the knowledge of Africa and Africans of Lagos and the festival both historically and contemporaneously within the context of recall and celebration, the carnival will be organized around the theme The Black in the Mediterranean Blue, with a special focus on the city’s relationship with Brazilian, as part of black African presence in the Mediterranean, a series that is in its second year. Last year, the Italian connection took centre stage, by way of a remapping of Africa’s connection the Mediterranean countries and how it impacted on the continent and its Diaspora presence. Beginning with a cultural exploration in 2012 tagged The Italian Connection, the 2013 edition will be on The Year of Brazil and it focuses on Bring Back Brazil. According to the festival consultant, Prof. Wole Soyinka, the festival will map out how Nigeria and Brazil influence each other. While speaking during a press conference at Freedom Park, Lagos, Soyinka disclosed that among other things, the festival would celebrate African creativity, noting, “The series is designed to expose African culture through the Mediterranean Blue. We hope to bring back history in affiliation with Africa, Nigeria, and indeed, Lagos. “After Italy and the Horn of Africa in the series The Black in the Mediterranean Blue - comes the turn of Portugal, once a great European maritime nation, and the first European nation to establish diplomatic relations with an African counterpart - the Benin Kingdom. This historic encounter degenerated into participation in the infamous slave trade, but it also resulted in the greatest ‘rainbow’ nation in the world - The Republic of Brazil!” Explaining reasons why Brazil is in focus, the literary giant pointed out that “our children do not understand why we have people who practice Nigerian cultures in Brazil; all they know is

that in Brazil they have blacks who are descendants of slaves from Nigeria. They are astonished to see traditions of the Yoruba on streets of places such as Salvador during carnivals. “Brazil, inevitably, once a Portuguese colony, became an irresistible magnet to us. There, the African identity, emotion runs deep, rendered vibrantly in cultural retentions in forms of worship, largely of the orisa of the Yoruba (the candomble) in performance modes, cuisine, language, attire and music. Such was the enthusiasm from Brazil that it became necessary to transform the festival into a two-part celebration, so as to provide more time for the participation of the Afro-Brazilian Diaspora.” Continuing, Soyinka said, “What has now turned into the year of Brazil was formally launched in December 2012, by the award-winning Thobias de Vai Vai Samba Group. The performance signaled a formal declaration that the Brazilian calendar had been brought forward - on the authority of the Yoruba orisa - Aase! - thus, inaugurating an Afro-Brazilian year that commenced in December 2012. The year now progresses into the festival’s regular Easter calendar in a feast of thematic exhibitions, dance, drama, debates and spectacles with a special cultural presence by the Afro-Brazilian descendants of Nigeria.” While calling for sponsorship from corporate organisations to make the festival better, Soyinka said the Easter event would pay homage to the late Afro-Brazilian playwright, painter, revolutionary and senator, Abdias do Nascimento, whose life-long dialogue with the orisa will dominate the exhibition. His spiritual play Sortilege will also be put on stage for the first time in West Africa. “Abdias is the most impassioned Brazilian link with the continent in the realm of culture, racial identity and political struggle”, Soyinka stated. “Exiled in Nigeria’s Yoruba cradle of humanity, Ile-Ife, for some years during the Brazilian dictatorship, it is only fitting that this radical humanist be brought back to his most memorable place of exile. He remains the dynamic symbol of African affirmation in the face of historic odds, the vitality of her cultures, and the assertiveness of racial identity. Befittingly, his widow Elisa Larkin do Nascimento will flag

off the year’s lecture series with a lecture on Abdias’ life, art and struggle”. The second part of the festival, which holds from October 1-10, Soyinka said, might yet prove to be the largest Diaspora return since the Black and African Arts Festival in Lagos, better known as FESTAC 77. “The October event will be a reunion of FESTAC 77,” he stated. Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism and Inter-Governmental Relations, Oladisun Holloway said the 2013 festival would also introduce a special feature - a Guest Company, saying, “Inaugurating that slot is the Rwandan Dance Company, known for its elegant, levitating display of balletic poise even in numbers dedicated to warriors. They will conduct a joint workshop with Nigerian counterparts, and perhaps instigate a new dance synthesis in the search for contemporary idioms for African dance expressions”. He also noted that Lagos State would always open her arms to men, women and children of all races, histories, and cultures in her mission to animate the past, celebrate the present, and illuminate the future. The Grand Parade of Masquerades, drawn from all corners of Yoruba land, a moving mosaic of colour and motion, will usher in the festival. The programme will dedicate each festival morning to featuring the O’odua states - the modern offspring of the revered Yoruba ancestor and nation-builder - Oduduwa. This year also introduces a modern brass band, the legacy of the Afro-Brazilian returnees, who dominate the area around Campos Square, famous for its surviving Brazilian architecture. The Bariga Kids will inject youthful verve into the general medley of rhythm and motion. Oba Koso, the tragic music-drama of late Duro Ladipo, will open a window into the tragic vision of the most talented tragedians of West African traditional theatre. The play scored many firsts world wide, but most relevantly, as the first Nigerian dramatic work to tour Brazil. A drama of the rise and fall of an Alaafin of Oyo, inducted into the Yoruba pantheon as Sango — god of lightning and thunder, it had great resonance for the Brazilian spectators, whose preservation of the deities of their original home defied all efforts at suppression by their

Explaining reasons why Brazil is in focus, the literary giant pointed out that “our children do not understand why we have people who practice Nigerian cultures in Brazil; all they know is that in Brazil they have blacks who are descendants of slaves from Nigeria. They are astonished to see traditions of the Yoruba on streets of places such as Salvador during carnivals. Brazil, inevitably, once a Portuguese colony, became an irresistible magnet to us.”

slave masters. On the same theatre bill is the Festival premiere of Wole Oguntokun’s dramatization of a slice of Lagos history in her early colonial throes — Oshodi Tapa — a key historic role player in the colonial encounter between Lagos traditional governance and the imperial sway. Brazil and Nigeria again meet in the Video and Film sector. Synopsis of Brazilian films will be provided where the reels have no subtitles. These film encounters are of course primarily for audience enjoyment, but they are also planned to offer alternative ideas – including technical aspiration, to the now increasingly adventurous Nigerian cinema. Vision of the Child — the Children’s Art Competition — will features an unusual but highly topical theme. The orgaisers through the Festival talent scouts visited about 400 schools — formal and informal — since the Festival’s inauguration in December and assembled the lucky talents for their final contest, and a date with recognition at the Gala Award Night. Do Your Own Thing — a platform for individual or group to showcase their specializations, talent, and creativity — Jugglers, singers, instrumentalists, formal and street poets, illusionists, choreographers, mummers, or indeed any kind of inspired lunacies. As usual, the dark history of the continent will be commemorated and victims of the Slave Era will be honoured in the solemn Fitila (Oil Lamp) Procession in Badagry, a reminder and the triumph of resilience and survival. This will begin at the Point of Embarkation and terminating at the Point of No Return, with traditional rituals and invocations. The night event is dedicated to the rites of collective reflection, drawing strength for the present and future. The joyous face of human concourse will be displayed along the lagoon with the Water Regatta that will light up the lagoon with decorated crafts, fluttering pennants, synchronized paddles — a display of marine skills and ethnic symbols created by cultural groups, labour unions, youth organisations, craft guilds, warrior descendants with some floats narrating the histories of the riverine and sea-going communities. The Lagos Street Carnival, which traditionally rounds up the Festival amidst percussive medley of voices, instruments and pounding feet will take to the streets along designated routes that begins from Awolowo Road, Ikoyi and ends in Tafawa Balewa square with the crowning of the Pageant Beauty Queen. The Children’s Street Carnival — an innovation that enlarges the scope of youth participation, will

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

FOOD&DRINK

Boiled Yam Served With Stew By Chinelo Nwagbo

EALTHYliving is all about making healthy choices that keep one physically, mentally and spiritually fit. These healthy choices include eating nutritious and balanced food, being physically active by engaging in daily physical exercise, and not smoking. Consuming healthy foods makes one to be smart, happy and energetic. It also helps in reducing the risk of illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, which are all deadly diseases. Mrs. Layo Bokun, a nutritionist reveals that eating healthy food does not mean one should spend a fortune. There are so many healthy foods that are available all over the world. You get a healthy and balanced food by combining the six classes of food that are available in your locality. Boiled yam served with stew is one out of the many nutritious and healthy foods. This meal has yam, assorted meat and vegetables like tomato, pepper and onion as the base ingredients. It is good source of carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins such as vitamin A (beta carotene), B6 (pyridoxine), B1, (thiamin) C (ascorbic acid), E (tocopherol), minerals such as copper, calcium, potassium, iron, manganese, phosphorus, and water. This food provides the body with energy. Children, the elderly, pregnant women, nursing mothers and sportsmen need boiled yam served with stew to get energy that is needed to carry on with

their daily activities. It is an ideal food for those that are suffering from serious infectious diseases (measles, small pox, cough) and for those that want to be a healthy. Adolescent girls and women within the childbearing age can benefit from regular consumption of this dish to help replenish blood lost during menstruation and in child delivery because of its high iron content. It is an ideal food for children to help enhance mental health, develop and maintain healthy bones and teeth. It is advisable to eat meat in moderation due to its high content of fat and cholesterol, which can give rise to a line of disorders that directly affect your heart and circulatory system. Take boiled yam with stew today and enjoy all its health benefits. Ingredients Quantities Assorted Meat 1kg Fresh tomatoes 8 medium size Tomatos puree 1 tin Fresh pepper (ground) 2 medium size Onion 1 medium bulb Olive oil 3 tablespoons Tatashe (ground) 4 medium size Seasoning cube 1 Thyme 1 teaspoon Water 1 litre

Method of preparing beef stew Cut the meat and wash thoroughly. Steam with few slices of onion and salt for about 10 minutes. Pour the olive oil into a pot. Add the ground ingredients (ground tomatoes, pepper, and onion) together with the tomato puree. Stir and fry for another 10 minutes. Add the seasoning cube and pour the seasoned meat. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir and add salt to taste. Remove from heat and serve with boiled yam. Ingredients for boiled yam White yam â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as much as you can eat. Water Method of preparation Cut the yam tuber into one-inch slices. Peel and cut the slices into half moons. You can leave it circular if you want. Wash the slices, place in a pot and pour water to cover the contents. Boil till the yam is soft. This is when you can easily drive a fork into the slices without resistance. Turn off the heat and drain the water. E-mail: chineloeby@yahoo.com

Sweet, Faintly Chocolaty Irish Cream By Bukola Apata

AILEYS Irish Cream is a famous cream liqueur that is made from fresh Irish dairy cream, Irish whiskey and pure spirit. Beautifully woven together, these three flavours ensure a creamy blend that is incredibly rich and smooth. Sweet and faintly chocolaty, Baileys Irish Cream can be best served chilled or on vanilla ice cream and can be taken with cheese cake, burger or sharwarma. It has a shelf life of 30 months and will still taste as fresh as it did the day it was produced or opened for consumption, whether stored in a refrigerator or not. Baileys is perfect by itself, yet it also serves as a wonderful addition to many of your favourite drinks. Its hint of whisky aftertaste leaves a warm feeling in the mouth as it travels down the throat. It has no preservatives as the alcohol content preserves the cream. It has nutritional values of 14g of fat, 24g of carbohydrate and 3g of protein with a declared alcohol content of 17 per cent in a 750ml bottle size and contains about 50 per cent cream and trace amounts (about 0.5 per cent) of lactose, which is a constituent of milk.

TheGuardian

42 | Saturday, March 16, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Travel&Tourism DESTINATION

Nigeria Shines At ITB Berlin Exhibition 2013 ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA who was in Berlin for the just-concluded ITB Berlin, an international travel and tourism trade exhibition, writes on Nigeria’s impressive performance at the expo.

HE imageries, colours and beauties, displayed at the 47th edition of ITB Berlin in Messe, Berlin will for a long time resonate in the industry and expectedly, open doors for many of the destinations and businesses in the travel and tourism trade to reap from the promised windfall. The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), a UN agency in charge of global tourism, last year predicted a brighter outlook this year for the industry. It is particularly instructive that the yearly travel and tourism trade international expo which is regarded as the world’s largest and leading exhibition platform, and is expected to generate over six billion euro business this year, held on the heels of international tourist arrivals hitting the one billion mark prediction by UNWTO. A historic 1.035 billion figures in 2012 (3.8 percent growth) with three to four per cent growth was forecast by UNWTO for 2013. In the light of this, the UNWTO Executive Director for Competitiveness, External Relations and Partnerships, Marcio Favilla de Paula expressed the hope that ITB Berlin will set the stage for driving the growth. “In view of these results, I trust ITB, one of the major tourism fairs in the world, will once again be the ideal stage for the sector to show its dynamism and capacity to adjust and grow amidst constant change,” he enthused. However, what was on showcase all through the five days of the expo went beyond mere dynamism. It started with the opening ceremony, which for the first time had in attendance the Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel alongside Indonesian president (Indonesia was the partner country for this year), and other political

bigwigs The optimism, colours and excitement generated at the formal opening ceremony characterised the entire exhibition with the over 188 countries, sundry exhibitors and businesses in attendance. They delighted the audience with spectacular and exotic displays. The exhibitors came from far and wide: the Americas, Asia, Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Europe, with variegated products with promotional gimmicks to boot. Some bordered on the grotesque, bizarre, comic and delightsome, drawing large audiences. The interaction amongst the different exhibitors, buyers, sellers and visitors as well as the travelling public was quite high and commendable. Also commendable were the various educational and informational sessions held, particularly some of the special ones by the organisers – Messe Berlin. They included ITB Technology Day, ITB Business Convention and ITB Hospitality Day. Exhibitors, stakeholders, experts and national tourism board administrators from African also made great impression with their destinations and products with halls 20 and 21, the traditional home of the continent, becoming a beehive of activities throughout the duration of the expo. The exotic and sophisticated displays of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), which had such countries as South Africa, Zambia, Nambia, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, all having a ball in hall 20, to the somewhat nature and culture-dominated nations of the Western, Eastern, Central and Northern regions of the continent, enthralled the visitors. Nigeria, Morocco, Algeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Eritrea, Republic of South Sudan, Congo, The Gambia and Burundi as well as Rwanda, treated visitors to a kaleidoscopic session of dance, music, cuisine and art. Nigeria ’s stand and offerings were particularly exciting as it was besieged by many of the participating countries and visitors. Represented by the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) led by its Director General, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe with a handful operators from the private sector, the country was a cynosure of all eyes.

The climax was on the fourth day of the expo. It was the celebration of the Nigerian Day, which this year took a different turn in terms of its heavy content and entertaining presentations. For Runsewe, this year’s outing was a glorious and fulfilling one in many respects. According to him, the country witnessed increase in the numbers of visitors and investors who indicated willingness and readiness to invest in the country and partner with NTDC in opening up the tourism frontiers. Of note is the United States-based Medical Tourism Association (MTA), a private and non-profit organisation which has signed with NTDC to promote medical tourism in the country by helping to set up a chapter in the country. Besides, Runsewe entered into partnership with the Preferred Hotel Groups to have Nigeria hotels listed in its prestigious preferred hotels, resorts, boutiques and destinations yearly guide. MTA group would also feature Nigeria’s golf facilities in its Preferred Golf Resort publication, which is done in partnership with America Express. According to Runsewe, for a start, five golf facilities are to be featured. They are Le Meridien Hotel and Ibom Golf Resort in Uyo, IBB Golf in Abuja, Ikoyi Golf Club, Golf Garden in Abuja and Oturkpo Golf Club. In the area of investment in hospitality, a group known as Lionheart Advisory Group led by two of its principal partners, Trevor Barran and Tracy Ganske had fruitful discussions with Runsewe on establishing first class hospitality facilities in Nigeria. All of these prospects and contacts gained at the expo, Runsewe said, would be explored once the team gets back home where it hopes to meet with the relevant state governments and federal government agencies, ministries and departments and the private sector to strategise on how best to concretise the various interests. For the Managing Director of Jenick Travels and Tour, Mrs. Amaka Adinnu who was attending the expo for the first time, it was a great forum to be exposed to the interna-

tional make up of the travel and tourism industry. “It is a good place for young travel agents like us, as it gives us a new outlook about the travel business,” she said. While thanking Runsewe for giving the opportunity to be at the exhibition, one of the lessons for her, she said, is to learn more about Nigerian tourism, stressing that many of the countries at the expo are not as endowed. She averred that Nigerian operators, especially the travel agents, need to do more of inbound travel sales and promotion. This too apparently was the concern of the Second Deputy President of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mrs. Suzanne Akporiaya. According to her, the country needs to expose more of its destinations to the international audience. She pledged a rewarding engagement by NANTA with NTDC to evolve the best strategies in marketing the country. Perhaps one of the most delighted Nigerians on the day of the celebration of Nigerian Day was the country’s Ambassador to Czech Republic , Mrs. Catherine Okon, for obvious reasons. She was one of the leading personnel in the country’s tourism industry – a former director of International Tourism Department in the then Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Cooperatives and Tourism, and a retired permanent secretary. According to her, she got to known of Nigeria ’s presence at ITB Berlin on the Internet and immediately, she travelled down from her base in Prague to lend her support. Dressed in overflowing blue traditional gown, the elated envoy was so excited that she danced and sang throughout the evening, expressing delight at the progress made by the country in ITB Berlin. Her words: “I think the whole concept is great, the people (NTDC) are improving by the year because if you know what the country used to present in years gone past, then you would understand and appreciate what we are witnessing today.” For Runsewe and his team at NTDC, this is a testimonial and an acknowledgement of effort at improving the status quo over the years.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

GARDENING

sereba.agiobu.kemmer@ngrguardiannews.com

With Sereba Agiobu-Kemmer

Water In The Garden (II) den planted in a relaxed style. If lots of plants are your main preferences, an informal type of pond is the best option —- a bog garden can be added to a garden. Also, mention was made of created as an extension of the pond, and makes the perfect transition between pond and garthe variety of water features available, but the type to choose will depend largely on the style den. An informal pond tailored to provide a wonderful wildlife environment too. To look as or design of the garden. natural as possible, an informal pond should Still water projects ideally be sited in the lowest part of the garden, Design: Formal or informal? A formal design has straight lines as a square where water will naturally be found. or rectangle or other geometric shapes, and can A pond can add a new dimension to the plantbe particularly suitable where space is limited. ing in your garden, particularly with a bog garden, which enables you to grow many stunning, This type of design looks best in more formal surroundings, such as near the house, adjacent moisture- loving plants with bold, handsome foliage. to the patio or in conjunction with other features such as straight paths and pavings. Ponds Mini Ponds Miniature ponds have a charm and attraction of can be raised or sunken, a raised pond is very their own, and one of such attractive ponds can formal in appearance. easily be made using a half wooden barrel. By contrast, an informal design is irregular, The small scale of a barrel pond is perfectly in made up of soft sweeping curves with few, if keeping as a central feature in a tiny garden, and any straight lines or sharp angles. This type of design looks perfect within a garin a larger garden it can be incorporated into a ONTINUING from the last article on water C features in the garden, we did say having water is the most attractive feature that can be

Guppy molly pond

Barrel pond with display of rocks and aquatic plants

Pond built close to house

Sunken ceramic mini pond in a corner of the garden

patio or seating area or just tucked into a border. A couple of marginal plants and dwarf water lily can be grown in a tiny pond, or you could have a small fountain to give the relaxing, splashing sound of water. Stone troughs are just one of the many containers that can be used to make a delightful miniature raised pond. Even a tiny area of water such as these lends an air of tranquility to a garden. Whatever the size of your garden, adding a water feature creates a continuous source of movement, sound and light. It introduces an exciting new dimension to the landscape and provides a natural habitat for a rich variety of plants and animals. Lacking the finances to construct streams and waterfalls, and for electricity and pumps needed for circular water fountains, one can opt for simple containers. Anyone can incorporate these in their garden, its often the simplest ideas that work best. It can also be surprising to see how many birds

Group of movable small container water features

Formal pond

Water feature for indoors in earthen ware

Informal pond

visit these water stations. They provide endless form of garden entertainment. You may have a singular feature as focal point or several focal points enticing you to stroll along paths, while others are tucked way in quite corners and alcoves inviting you to stop and savor the surroundings. Water feature/tips • Any waterproof container will make a water feature and if it has drainage holes block these with silicone bathroom sealant. • Once filled, top features periodically and every now and then flush them out to refresh stale water. • Control mosquitoes by stocking your container with gold fish or mosquito fish, remembering to take the size of the container into consideration. • Make container child-proof by fitting steel mesh wielded on to stabilising rods inside the containers below water level. Don’t forget to give a coat of paint to the mesh to prevent it from rusting. Whatever the size of your garden, adding a water feature creates a continuous source of movement, sound and light. It introduces an exciting new dimension to the landscape and provides a natural habitat for a rich variety of plants and animals.

TheGuardian

44 | Saturday, March 16, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Healthfeature ‘How To Prevent Kidney Failure’ By Samuel Oluwole Ajayi IDNEY failure grabs the headlines mainly K for two reasons: when it afflicts the famous or a public figure and when it afflicts the poor who launch appeals for help on mass media, especially the television. In spite of the sufferings and economic ruins it brings to many, it is a preventable disease. Indeed, in many instances, the kidneys only happen to suffer collateral damage from other illnesses. Most people are born with two kidneys and they are well protected deep inside the abdomen. They are bean-shaped organ, which receives chunk of blood supply because they filter waste products from the body, which come out as urine. This function is important for our well being, for when the kidneys fail, the wastes accumulate as toxins, and the body is unable to get rid of excess fluid. These problems are responsible for the body swelling and a sense of ill-health. The kidney performs an additional function of helping to manufacture blood, and this is why kidney disease sufferers lack blood and become weak. In children, the commonest cause of kidney disease and failure is infection, which leads to inflammation within the kidney, whereas in adults who survive this infection, or in whom the inflammation is controlled, the commonest causes are hypertension and diabetes. Of course, the smoldering inflammation that started in childhood may become manifest in early adulthood or later. Hypertension is not called a silent killer for nothing. It has no symptoms of its own but it is capable of destroying key organs such as the kidneys, the brain, the heart and the eyes silently over a considerable period of time. The symptoms of hypertension then are symptoms of other organs it has ruined. One common cause of kidney disease and failure is the indiscriminate use of herbs, drugs, and certain creams. Certain individuals, at the slightest bodily discomfort will take painkillers. A visit to site projects, mechanic workshops and other places of labour often reveals how men abuse drugs. In these palaces we find hawkers of cocktail of gin mixed with ‘buta’ and other assorted painkillers. These drugs do burden the kidneys cumulatively. So, sometimes, we encounter patients whose kidney failure we can’t explain, until we ask about what drugs they have consumed over a long period because they are neither hypertensive nor diabetic, and we can’t easily find obvious causes of their illness. Indeed, they can’t remember having suffered from any kidney disease in the past. On the other hand, use of certain medicines or herbs can result in a blitzkrieg, a “lightning war”, on the kidneys. This is what we call acute kidney injury. Once in a while, we read of children who die in scores from using Mypikin, or adults who perish with their families after drinking certain materials. Some years ago, a group of religious worshippers were admitted for kidney failure after using ‘Holy Water’, which was made from substances that included cupper sulphate to give it the attractive blue colour. Therefore, kidneys can fail slowly or suddenly or acutely. But we can prevent the two modes of failure. The theme of this year’s World Kidney Day (WKD) is Stop Acute Kidney Injury or Attack. WKD is organised by a consortium of associations interested in raising public awareness about the epidemic of kidney diseases. They include International Society of Nephrology and International Federation of Kidney Foundations, and it is endorsed by WHO. It is an annual event, which kidney specialists in Nigeria under the umbrella of Nigeria Association of Nephrology participate by carrying out several awareness programmes, including screening for kidney diseases. The association did this in February in Abuja, and 14th of March, which is the World Kidney Day. This arises from firm evidence that kidney failure is eminently preventable by sim-

Health Minister, Prof. Chukwu Onyebuchi ple measures. Kidney specialists are more interested in prevention than the use of dialysis or even transplantation, which only a few people can afford. The cost of two weeks on dialysis machines is more than sufficient to buy drugs to treat hypertension for a year in most people. Kidney transplantation costs millions of Naira. The following simple tests will help in taking measures to prevent the catastrophe of kidney failure in most people: regular blood pressure checks, urine tests, blood sugar tests, and a certain test of kidney function. These tests can be done in any clinic in Nigeria. Diseases that lead to kidney failure can be detected and tackled by doing these tests; most people can afford them annually. Whenever there is a disease within the kidneys, they begin to leak certain proteins or blood in minute amounts invisible to naked eyes, and this is easily detected. For most people, urine test is the most important test of kidney disease. Therefore, if people would make time (everyone is busy now!) to visit a hospital and do a medical checkup, which include these tests, kidney failure can be prevented. One expensive test that most people like to do is ultrasound. But ultrasound ought to be recommended after these have been done even though many people come to the hospital with ultrasound reports on the kidney and we have to start from the basics. In addi-

tion, if people would heed NAFDAC’s advice to desist from taking non-recommended drugs and be careful with the use of herbs, our kidneys would live long. The government can, through its policy, promote healthy lifestyle, accessible and affordable health care. The National Health Policy could be a framework to do this and it is heartwarming that the National Assembly is working on this. The celebrated and most trusted UK establishment, the National Health Service (NHS), was established by an Act of Parliament with specific functions at every level of care, and it is a recommended reading for our policy makers. It one of the ways that the government has ensured an equitable distribution of resources, because health is wealth; a few health policies have been implemented through it. For example, in 2006, the UK Government began to implement what it termed the New Deal in the NHS. Today every adult person who consults his or her General Practitioner (GP) in the community has the kidney tests done. If the tests raise any concern, the patient is referred to the specialist in the hospital. Many who are beginning to develop kidney disease, but without knowing or feeling it, are treated by the GP appropriately. This has cut down the number of patients who would later require expensive treatments in the hospital. We do not have NHS yet, but the level of awareness today about HIV is such that most people now ask them-

selves whether they have HIV. How did we do it? We can do this for other non-communicable diseases like kidney disease, hypertension and diabetes. A strong support and funding of primary, secondary and tertiary tiers of health care will ensure that at every level the proper thing is done and this will make our health care system an excellent one. Our citizens will not travel abroad to have blood pressure measurements, urine tests, lipid tests, electrocardiography, echocardiography, mammograms, and so-called “complete body scans” which many of our specialists can do here. We know this because when they come back from overseas with a panel of laboratory results, they sometimes see specialists here to get further information on them. So on this World Kidney Day let us all check up on our kidneys. If there are no volunteers in our communities doing the screening, we can go to the nearest health centre and do a medical check, if only to be reassured that all is well. Our kidneys want to serve us for a lifetime. Let’s keep fit by exercising, keep our weight in check, stop smoking, cut down excessive salt intake to a teaspoon per day, and drink water instead of those other things. These will even help to moderate our blood sugar and blood pressure. Dr Samuel Oluwole Ajayi is a Consultant Physician/Nephrologist at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

46 YourMoney

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

BRANDINTELLIGENCE

With DESMOND EKEH desmondekeh@yahoo.com; 08023215535

Meet Zuriel Elise Oduwole: The 10-Year-Old That Is Working To Re-brand Africa By Ntia Usukuma N a bid to kick start series of specialsed programmes aimed ISpeak at encouraging and inspiring young Africans to “Dream Up, Up and Stand Up” for Africa’s renaissance, the Pan African University’s School of Media and Communication in conjunction with Galatian media in the week played host to Zuriel Elise Oduwole, the amazing 10-year-old who is likened to a comet and touted by some to be “the next Larry King”. A precocious child of Nigerian-American heritage, at just 10, Zuriel has shown amazing media and communication talent, especially in the area of in-depth personality interviews. A 30minute documentary produced by this whiz-kid was shown at the unveiling/interactive session. Speaking to a crowd of students, mostly postgraduates in media and communications at the Pan African University recently, the young Zuriel, like an experienced motivational speaker, counseled them on the need to identify their passion in time and follow it up with due commitment and diligence, if they must be successful. She encouraged them to look forward to the African renaissance bearing in mind that there is something they can offer to the continent to make it a better place. Zuriel is variously reported to possess amazing talent that has resulted in her interviewing business leaders, current and past world leaders and heads of states for her documentary project. They included the current Presidents of Tanzania, Mauritius, and Malawi–one of Africa’s only two female national leaders. Others are ex-presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Kufuor of Ghana. In demonstrating absolute depth in her coverage ability, she became the youngest global international media representative

ever on record last November, competing with seasoned correspondents from CNN, Reuters, Super Sports, CNBC, the UK Guardian, South African and local media houses. She also received a standing ovation for her sets of provoking and creatively intelligent questions to tennis superstars, Venus & Serena Williams, during their world press conference in Nigeria. Zuriel has also had a one-on-one interview with Africa’s most successful businessman, Mr. Aliko Dangote. Her visit to Nigeria was also aimed at showcasing her current work in documentary format, where she is telling the story of Africa’s political and business leaders, making a positive, selfless and clear commitment to improving the continent’s fortunes. It served as an opportunity for Nigerians to see her truly world-class documentary making skills first hand. Zuriel also used the visit to encourage young Nigerians, especially girls, to Dream up, Speak Up and Stand Up for the positive values they believe in as Nigeria prepares to celebrate its centenary. Her visit also brought attention to Nigeria’s abundant and numerous human resource assets, which are strewn far and wide. In a chat with The Guardian, Zuriel spoke about the motivation behind her intellectual enterprise. “Apart from my future aspiration to becoming an engineer, athlete and the President of United States of America, it is also my desire to be an exemplary figure and project the positives in Africa. I also want to show that Africa has great things to offer the world other than corruption. I believe in the African project not only because I am a Nigerian but also because I have a lot to offer in my generation,” she said. She also underscored her desire to be a change agent and help to alleviate the challenges of the girl child in the society. “I encourage every less privileged child to have a strong desire and attitude to rise above their immediate challenges. They should focus on what they want to become or profession in life. Personally, I do not like the way and manner poverty affects the girl child. I know a great deal about Africa by watching news and documentary,” she added. According to her, she has not been granted an interview by the President of Nigeria because of his busy schedules but hopes to achieve that soon. Interestingly too, Zuriel intends to write two books namely The Adventure Of

Centrespread Repositions, Parts Ways With DraftFCB Network UST weeks after Prima Garnet and her foreign affiliate of over one and a half decades went their separate ways, Nigeria’s Centrespread Advertising has also parted ways with DraftFCB, its long standing global agency network. According to a release from Centrespread, the 30-year-old Nigerian affiliate of Interpublic Group’s DraftFCB that has Kolawole Ayanwale as Group Chairman, took the initiative to end its long-standing relationship with the global advertising entity having taken a dispassionate assessment of the over the decade old relationship. The management of Centrespread cited business re-alignment and the

need to re-position for greater performance in the years ahead as reasons for the decision to part ways with the global network agency. In an official statement announcing its decision, the agency noted that current dynamics in the global advertising business have made continuous evaluation of business relationships a key strategy for growth and continued relevance. The statement reads in part: “The Centrespread group has reached an important milestone as a whollyowned Nigerian brand, having just celebrated 30 fruitful years of business existence, during which it has risen to become one of the bright

lights of the Nigerian advertising industry. As expected of any forwardlooking brand, we have chosen to reinvent and re-position for better performance. “To this end, the next focus is how do we as a brand retain our front-line status in the industry over the next 30 years, given the current dynamics in the global advertising terrain. To be able to embark on this new phase of our exciting journey, we need to reassess our strengths, alliances, relationships, supports and, more importantly, business philosophy and direction. The affiliation with Draft FCB cannot support our dream further.”

Kids and The Ancient Egypt Adventure Speaking on what motivated PAU to embark on the project, Dr. Isa Momoh of the School of Media and Communication said, “being a university, we are focused on youth development because the future belongs to them. The more you mold them, the more the future is molded. We see Zuriel as a model for Africa children, especially the girl child. Seeing a 10-year-old child with her whole future stretch up in front of her, everybody must join hands to show that the African girl child has a future.” Dr. Austine Nwanze, of the same school feels Zuriel story will inspire African parents, children and the nation at large to dream big. “Like Zuriel, we should have dreams, even as adults. If anybody rejects you, do not reject yourself; the moment you reject yourself you are done. We can actually rise above our present state and create a better society where others can benefit. Without inspiration, this nation Nigeria cannot grow to its full potentials.”

‘How Our Rebranding Efforts Have Repositioned Akwa Ibom’ HE Commissioner for T Information in AkwaIbom State, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, Akwa-Ibom, has revealed that the secret behind the huge attraction received by the state from both local and international visitors is the physical and metal rebranding efforts undertaken by the government of Governor Godswill Akpabio in the last five years. In a recent chat with journalists, Umanah spoke extensively on the recent transformation efforts and other developmental issues that have yielded so many positive results as the state has continued to attract attention.

“There has been a physical and mental rebranding of the state and the people. Today, what used to be a pedestrian state has become a world-class destination in Nigeria and that itself is rebranding. That tells us about the uncommon transformation that has come to be with us under the administration of Gov. Godswill Akpabio,” he said. Speaking on the state’s growing relevance in tourism, Umanah explained the state has developed the Ibom Tropicana Entertainment Center to complement the Ibom Meridian Hotel and Golf Resort.

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THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

BRANDNEWS Verdant Zeal Holds Innovention Lecture March 22

BRANDINTELLIGENCE LG Mobile Announces Christmas Jumia Gets €26 million Boost Bonanza Winners From Summit Brothers

ERDANT Zeal, a reputable multi-dimensional and contextuINNERS have emerged V al communications outfit based in Lagos is holding its sec- Win the LG Mobile ond Innovention lecture on March 22, this year, at Muson Christmas Bonanza recently

Centre, Lagos. The Innovention lecture is Verdant Zeal’s effort to annually galvanise and bring to the fore, ideas, innovations and invention that can propel Nigeria to a higher level. It is organised in commemoration of the sixth year anniversary of company. The theme of this year’s lecture is: Beyond Branding —Building Lasting Values for the Nigerian Nation. Speaking to journalists in his office, the Managing Director of the company, Mr. Tunji Olugbodi explained that, ‘‘the Innovention lecture is our effort in contributing our quota to the growth of the Nigerian nation. If we want a change, we need do things from a different perspective. You can’t do things with the old order and expect to make impact. That is why we started the Innovention lecture series— to stir our desire for a new thinking. In our few days of existence, we think we have been able to make remarkable impact which I believe is a seed that can create the desired change.’’ Olugbodi added: “Since we develop brands every day, we have decided to devote one day in a year for governance. To ensure the lecture achieves its objective, we have invited people who have political might in recognition of the fact that this country needs to go beyond branding.”

put together by LG Mobile, a global leader in mobile communications. The promo, which ran during the yuletide season, has produced for winners. Three people won LG Optimus Vu Phones while Mr. Chijioke Kanu, a business executive, won the star prize, a Kia Picanto car. Speaking at the award presentation ceremony, General Manager, LG Mobile, Mr. JS Yoo said: “This initiative was put together to reward our loyal customers for their dedication and steadfastness. We are committed to offering consumer experiences that are second to

none. We will however not rest on our oars but will continually make cuttingedge mobile devices available to our teeming customers.” Reacting to promo result, the star prize winner, Kanu said: “I was very excited to hear that I had won the car, which happened to be the star prize. I am very proud to be the star prize winner on the LG Mobile Christmas bonanza.” He thanked LG Mobile for putting together the competition, noting that the contest couldn’t have come at a better time, as he had been contemplating on getting a new car to ease the stress of commuting for his large household.

IGERIA’S online retailer, Jumia.com, is leaving no stone N unturned in its resolve to remain a frontline online brand in the e-commerce sector of the Nigerian market. Recently, Summit Brothers, a growth equity firm that invests in rapidly growing companies invested €26million in the Jumia brand across Nigeria, Egypt and Morocco, with new funds tailored for setting up more ventures across the African subregion. According to co-founders of Jumia.com, Raphael Afaedor and Tunde Kehinde, “it is a no brainer for these investors to want to invest in this market, with its growing middle class and an increasing demand for goods.” “We have risen to become the fifth largest local content site (according to web research site, Alexa.com). With our order volumes increased significantly we are the largest e-commerce player in this market. We are excited to be joined by Summit Partners, a new investor that shares our aspirations for Africa’s e-commerce. This investment allows us to offer new categories of products, strengthen our operations, deliver to our customers even faster, and recruit the best talent,” they added.

Market Share: Indomie To Sample Nine Million Consumers Nationwide UFIL Prima Foods Plc, makers of Indomie Instant Noodles D will sample over nine million people nationwide this year. This projection came about as a result of the company’s Creative Director, Dipo Adesida; GMD, Tunji Olugbodi; and Business Service and Development Director, Lanre Oyegbola, all of Verdant Zeal Limited, at a media briefing by the company on the 2013 Innovention Lecture Series in Lagos…recently.

Nesma Xandria Has Revolutionised Marketing Recruitment, Says COO UMAN resource company, H Nesma Xandria Limited has made the recruitment of marketing professionals easy and exciting, the Chief Operating Officer, Natasha Michaels, has said. Michaels said that companies who need professionals in marketing-related fields like marketing, advertising, public relations, brand management, and events management now have a great opportunity to get tailor-made professionals that meet their needs by offering both online and offline platforms for companies and marketing professionals to be linked up. He added that Nesma Xandria has removed the stress and hassles both companies and job seekers face in meeting their needs. While

companies easily get valueadding professionals that boost the organisational goals, professionals also get into their dream organisations. “Marketing is the engine room of every organisation, and those who operate in that critical department must be selected with utmost professionalism,” Michaels said. He added: “We have realised that there is a dearth of quality marketing professionals in the country. So, we have made it our duty to seek out these professionals with painstaking care and our knowledge of that segment of the economy, so as to save organisations time and money, as well as save them the agony of recruiting under-performing people.”

Etisalat Hosts CEOs At CSR Forum RUE to its brand nature of innovation and commitment T to development, Etisalat Nigeria recently hosted over 30 CEOs at a one-day forum to share ideas on the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with the theme ‘The Challenges of Sustainability in Emerging Markets’. The forum, which took place at Oriental Hotel, Lagos, was held under the auspices of the Etisalat CSR Centre, Lagos Business School. The CEO Forum had as keynote speaker, the Head of Department of the People Organisations and Society at Grenoble Ecole de Management in France, Prof. Patrick O’Sullivan. The event also had in attendance the CEO of Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Nicolaas Vervelde; CEO of Promisador Nigeria, Mr. Keith Richards; Managing Director of Julius Berger, Mr. Wolfgang Goetsch; and CEO of Sahara Energy Nigeria, Mr. Tonye Cole; among others. In his speech titled ‘Corporate Sustainability: A worthy Goal,’ the CEO of Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Steven Evans who was represented by the company’s Director of Legal Services, Mrs. Adeolu Idowu, said businesses were often associated with a singleminded focus on profits, returns and self-interest. “They are sometimes seen to sacrifice the needs of their stakeholders, on the altar of profit-making. However, there is an increasing requirement for accountability in today’s world. Individuals, and now governments and corporations are accountable for their actions or lack of action. Organisations are ultimately responsible for their decisions regarding investments, processes, values, business practices and their interactions,” she noted.

desire to surpass last year’s 6.5 million consumers sampled last year. Speaking on this development, the Marketing Manager of the company, Mr. Manpreet Singh affirmed that the company intends extending the sampling to every geo political zone in the country. The sampling will be carried out on all flavours produced by the brand. He stated that the intent behind the sampling exercise is to create excitement and increase the emotional connection between the brand and its consumers, as it is a way of reproducing a store experience in the consumer’s home. “Indomie aims at winning consumers by letting them try it before buying it. Sampling our consumers is important to us because it affords us the opportunity to have an idea of their preference, which no other medium can do, that is, putting a physical product in the hands of a consumer, free of charge. This would further increase the bond between the consumers and the brand,” he said.

Lipton Delivers On Promo Promise To Consumers IPTON Yellow Label tea LUnilever from the stables of Nigeria made good its promise when the company presented wonderful prizes to numerous winners that emerged in the just concluded ‘Lipton Switch On and Win’ promotion. The presentation took place at the company’s Oregun Head office in Lagos recently. About 100 customers were rewarded with different prizes throughout the duration of the promo. One of the lucky winners was eight-yearold Ebonyegharun Osadumebi Zion, a pupil of Ajelogo Nursery and Primary School, Ketu, Lagos. She was

rewarded with a 100, 000 prize. The highlight of the event was the presentation of two brand new Picanto cars to the two star prize winners, John Folajomi, a 29-year old plumber from Kano State, and Ikemefuna Isioma from Delta State, who works with General Motors in Lagos. A very elated Folajomi said, “when I got the call that I had won a brand new car, it was as if I was daydreaming. I have always looked forward to winning something this big. Isioma, who said the car was her first car, expressed joy for the prize and gave thanks to

FDHL Strategises For Financial Market Services Datanet House FtheINANCIAL Limited (FDHL) has said relevance of any given organisation can only be measured by its strategic position and contributions to the development of the economy, together with its impact on the social environment. The Managing Director of FDHL, Tayo Onadele, made the assertion during a media briefing with journalists on the activities of the company and its sojourn to a fullfledged consulting firm. According to him, organisations should be strategically focused, such that its services and presence would be beneficial to both the intended and others who may not be directly intended. The company, which management team is wholly made up of Nigerian profes-

sionals, who are committed to providing world-class standards, started as a financial market consulting firm and developed its services in small segment of the market, to a full-fledged consulting firm, delivering top notch services to broader areas of the financial market, management and human capital development. Onadele explained that the company, through its dogged approach and quest to deliver on its core values of learning, confidentiality, integrity, passion and provision of highest quality standard, broadened its reach to cover risk management, corporate treasury management, corporate governance and management, with extensive focus on financial markets, organisations and people.

Odua Awards Holds In Lagos UTSTANDING individuals that have contributed positively O to the advancement of the Yoruba nation would be honoured at a special award and dinner slated for Lagos holding on March 31, this year, at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja Lagos. All Odua late heroes and icons will also be honoured during the programme. They include the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the late Chief Bola Ige, Pa Adekunle Ajasin, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, and the late Chief Abraham Adesanya, among others. The award dinner is put together by Odua Future Group, a pan Yoruba body that is seeking to honour men and women of integrity, honesty and hard work and to motivate the upcoming generation.

70th Precinct Develops New App For Star Brand Precinct has StionEVENTIETH developed a music applicafor Star, the leading lager

One of the winners of a Picanto car, Mr. John Folajomi (left); Marketing Director, Mr. David Okeme; Category Manager, Tea and Spreads, Mrs. Oize Gyang; Vice President Operations, Mr. Anil Gopalan, all of Unilever Nigeria Plc; and Head, Regulation and Monitoring, National Lottery Board, Mr Jude .O. Ughowujabo, at the event…recently.

beer in Nigeria. The app was recently launched in Lagos in a spectacular event that featured top Nigerian music stars and celebrities. The launch of the app added yet another first by the firm. This app will create for Star consumers and also music lovers an avenue to stay

in touch with up-to-date information in the music world internationally and locally. According to the Chief Executive Officer of 70th Precinct, Osamede Umweni, “it was a privilege for us to be part of this phenomenon called ‘Star Music’. What we have done is to create a remarkable and interactive application, the first by any brand in Africa.”

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THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

NEWSMAKER

Awosika-Fapetu

ry and practice because in our schools, we teach a lot of theory. We don’t teach the students how we use the information that we give them. So, through the NBTB Innovative Diploma programme, we would be able to teach the theory but as they are learning the theory, we are putting in the practical. For example, the model that we have chosen to use is to make sure that the students actually form groups, groups that will start their own small businesses before they graduate and they will run those businesses for two years while they are in our programme so that we can watch them, guide them, and scrutinise whatever things they are doing so that they can learn. The idea is that when they graduate, they are not looking for that elusive government or corporate job. I mean, we can’t expect government to hire 160 million Nigerians. So, some of us will have to step out and do something on our own. I am hoping that when the students get out of here, they will be looking forward to doing something on their own. And even if you are not cut out to be a business owner, you will at least have an entrepreneurial spirit wherever you work. This will enable you to see your employer’s business as your own business and be able to point your organisation in the right direction knowing how a good business is run. So, that gave me the leverage that I needed to start the National Innovative Diploma (NID) programme and once we grow, we can graduate to a university. So, the dream of a university is still there. So, this was how Olawoyin Awosika School of Innovative Studies established? Olawoyin Awosika is my father and the school is named in him to recognise what he had done in his time as a politician in this country. We found a few articles that pointed to the fact that the Universal Primary Education idea was actually his. The party wanted a programme that would endear it to the people and he had already started a free primary school in Ondo. So, he suggested the idea of expanding the programme to the entire Western Region. Today, we know what happened; the party accepted the idea, implemented it and then it spread to the rest of the country. So, in order to honour that idea, I decided that the school would be named after him. What are the available courses of study in the school? Students can get an NID in Banking Operations, Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, and International Were you decided on what you were coming Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN). At the same Management. All of these are carefully home to do or the idea cropped up after you time I was doing children’s programme for pegged. First of all, Banking Operations is the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). When returned? Well, it is quite interesting because returning managing people’s money. You have to be I finished at YABATECH, I went to work for well trained to do it well. In Business here is like you are a foreigner in a different Wema Bank in the Registry Department. It Administration, it doesn’t matter what you country (I was out of the country for 26 years was thereafter that I travelled to further my read because whether you are a physicist, altogether). I worked in Lagos for many years education. before I travelled but even now, I can’t find my medical doctor or lawyer, you are going to However, after I got my Ph.D, I returned to start a business. Your practice is a business way around perfectly. One is a little familiar Nigeria and taught business courses at the University of Benin for a year and then went because one knows some of the people and still and so when you start a business, you have recognise some of the places but it is like start- got to know how to run it. So, I believe busiback to Wema Bank as their Training ness administration is very critical. ing afresh. Manager. I left there to work for myself and International Management is there because And so, when I was coming I was a bit skeptiestablished a consulting firm. I went back to the world is global now. People who are the United States after that where I got a job as cal; I didn’t know what the Nigerian economy was going to say. I didn’t know how people were going to interact globally must know some a Faculty Member at Montreat College in things about international management. going to receive any ideas that I might have. North Carolina. I rose to become the Vice Actually, I didn’t even have much money in my And then of course, entrepreneurship is key. President and Dean of Academics for the pocket. But it was providential that just before You have to know how to run a small busiwhole university before I decided to finally ness and what to watch out for. You have to the little I had ran out, Obafemi Awolowo return to Nigeria in 2009. know how to manage your profits, University, Ile-Ife, got in touch with me that How long did you stay in that position? I vacated that position in 2009 when I decid- they needed my services. So, that was how God resources, inventory, and all that. So, those are key areas we are focusing on for now. ed to come back to Nigeria. I figured that my stepped in to keep me moving until I found How do you think the school’s programmes time there was enough. I felt I had impacted a exactly what God wanted me to do. will impact on the economy? I knew I was going to start a school. Actually lot of lives there through my students and I We are hoping that they will impact the my dream was to start a university. However, figured I could return to Nigeria and do the when I came in, the idea to start small cropped economy tremendously. We are not going to same thing. churn out graduates who have head knowlup. At that point, I started thinking of a polyDidn’t you lose sleep over the level of infraedge. We will be churning out graduates technic. I started investigating and found out structural decay and spate of insecurity in who also have the practical knowledge to go that through the National Board for Technical Nigeria while thinking of coming home? Education, I could do something like that. And with their head knowledge. A lot of people I understand that but what I tell people is are in business but never had any form of that there is more to life than power; there is it would actually fit what I wanted. My dream was to bridge the gap between theo- training. There are those that actually had more to life than even the security of your training but they have never actually practiown life; there is more to life than good infracalise it. And so, what we are doing is putstructure. When you think about other peoting the two together. When we do that, the ple, then those things don’t matter anymore. return to the economy is quicker and faster When you think about the lives that you can because they can hit the ground running. I impact, when you think about even just the mean, they can go out there and begin to do acknowledgement that you get on this side of things rather than wait for somebody to the world, then you forget every other thing. invite them to join their company. When The respect, the self-esteem boosters that you that happens, whether they go into manuget from coming here, is not the same when facturing or service, whatever they do in this you are in somebody else’s country, especially economy helps the economy go round. We in the Western world. will enjoy the multiplier effect. When I returned to Nigeria, I made a mental Not only that, more jobs will be created by search and decided that I am going to make it the businesses that our graduates will set work. I am not going back unless to visit; I up. And if nothing else, the knowledge of mean, I can go anywhere in the world I want how to run a business, how to relate internafreely. But as far as what I have returned to tionally, and the rest, would come around to Nigeria to do is concerned, I am going to help the Nigerian economy grow. make it work by God’s grace.

‘Entrepreneurship Is Key To Nigeria’s Economic Growth’ Prof. Abiola Olanrewaju Awosika-Fapetu is the Executive Director/Owner, Olawoyin Awosika School of Innovative Studies (OASIS). A former Vice President and Dean of Academics, Montreat College, North Carolina, United States of America, she is a Professor of Business. In 2009, AwosikaFapetu left her flourishing career in the U. S. that spanned over two decades and returned to Nigeria to establish OASIS where she hopes to bridge the gap between theory and practice in teaching and learning in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector. She speaks on her career and dreams about the institution in this interview with ONYEDIKA AGBEDO. Briefly tell us about your background and career I am from Ondo State born into the large Awosika family. My father was a Minister in the First Republic. He served in several capacities including as Minister of Works, Minister of Housing, Minister of Finance, among others. I had the pleasure of going to school here in Nigeria. I after my primary and secondary education, I got an OND in Company Administration from Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH). Shortly after, I travelled overseas where I finished my HND at North London University and also completed the courses of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators at the same time. I moved on to the United States of America where I got my Masters and Ph.D in Business Administration. My emphasis was on finance and economics with a lot of management and international management. In terms of work experience, I actually started as a teacher right after high school. I taught at St. Andrew’s Primary School, Abeokuta. From there, I went back to YABATECH where I did some work for the Federal Radio

I tell people is that there is more to life than power; there is more to life than even the security of your own life; there is more to life than good infrastructure. When you think about other people, then those things don’t matter anymore.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

Best Performing Presidents of Professional Bodies-Part 1 ROFESSIONAL bodies regulate and control the P various professions that abound in different countries of the world and so, Nigeria’s case is not different. These bodies set up the roles and standards that must be attained before one becomes a member. For these professional bodies, it is the practice to have a president whose tenure is already fixed. Normally, every president looks forward to a charismatic and

fulfilling tenure. Of course, each has it at the back of his mind that he will be measured by his achievements while in office and mindful of what history will record in his name. An appraisal of the professional bodies has shown that some are more goal-driven and thus more resultoriented than others. This, research has shown, can be traced to the quality of the person who sits on the seat

of President. It has been observed that some Presidents have been excellent in office, while some are average and others marginal. In this special project titled: Best Performing Presidents of Professional Bodies, the first in this series, we will be showcasing current Presidents whose tenures have been very positive, brilliant and has added tremendous changes for their various bodies.

Nigeria Can Become Africa’s Major Hub In Pharmaceutical Production Pharm Olumide Akintayo, President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) R E S I D E N T , P Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Few associates of professionals in Nigeria hold such importance as the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN). This with a special focus on drugs, a commodity that comes second only to food in a man’s desire to live a healthy life, the PSN’s major thrust is ensuring the right people are involved in the business of pharmacy practice, What makes it more important is that for such a vital professional body to function effectively, the person at its helm of affairs must be highly competent, focused and determined to take the association to a position of respectability. That is the reason why personalities who emerge in the leadership position of PSN are men and women of proven integrity and professional acumen. In her Annual General Meeting held recently, the PSN conducted a change of guards in an election that ushered in Pharm. Olumide Akintayo, a seasoned pharmacist whose experience as a practitioner spanned over 30 year with 25 of these years spent in active service of the PSN. A graduate pharmacy from the prestigious university of Ife, now known as Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Akintayo’s records and reputation puts him in good stead as the professional that can drive the PSN’s vision. Pharmacy, according to Akintayo, is a way of life. He stated that his day is not complete if he has not dedicated a part of it to the cause of the profession. “Pharmacy as a profession is a very advanced and specialized branch of science. The object of pharmacy revolves around drugs. This is because 90 percent of healthcare endeavours revolves around drug use. This makes pharmacy a very strategic profession anywhere in the world. We have always advised the government to focus on the expertise and opportunities in this sector because it can serve as a veritable source of Internally Generated Revenue, (IGR). We have seen what goes on in China and India. I am confident that with our expertise, we can meet self sufficiency in drug production and go ahead to become a major hub in pharma production in Africa and therefore be a major exporter of finished drugs to other countries of the world. At full capacity of our pharma industry, you can imagine what we can do in terms of job creation while improving on our national prestige. There’s nothing ultimately like controlling the quality of drugs your

population consumes. It is so very delicate that some unscrupulous elements may take advantage of by lacing any fast selling drug with a lethal substance because our channels of distribution is not controlled. It is made more tragic because we don’t have a formal recall mechanism once these products get into the open market. Akintayo a Member of the

Nigeria Institute of Management is also a Fellow of the West African Post Graduate College of Pharmacists, he expressed concern over the growing incidence of health excursions to foreign countries by Nigerians. According to him it is a phenomenon that has come to stay at a result of the dysfunction of Nigeria’s health system.

Sharing his plans for the PSN, the President outlined several innovations that he expressed confidently will “move the profession from the depth of proclivity to the height of productivity through capacity building”. “It is a revolution of ideas that is aimed at oiling the PSN machinery for improved performance. One of them is that we plan to set up a Pharmacy Academy that will

involve the best brains in pharmacy intended to create a strong pharmacy leadership and a cordiuated sense of mission for the profession. This academy will also be charged with lobby and advocacy initiatives at all levels on the social, cultural and political strata as the need arises. Secondly, the PSN will strive to get the government to establish a National Postgraduate College of Pharmacy in Nigeria. This is

because the PSN was in the forefront of agitations for the establishment of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP) of which I have been an examiner with for close to 5 years, so, it is imperative to pursue our own national postgraduate college”, he said. “At some point in its National th evolution, Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control

CONTINUED ON PAGE 50

ADVERTORIAL

National President Trade Union Congress, Tuc HE Trade Union Congress, TUC, is undoubtedly one T Nigeria’s most formidable unions. Under the leadership of one of Nigeria’s brightest and doggedly committed man in the person of Comrade. Peter Esele, the union become a force to reckon with in Nigeria’s polity especially when it concerns giving the working class a better deal. A born leader, Esele’s voice send’s quivers down the spine of the oppressor and he is reputed for getting his demands wherever he steps in a crisis situation. An inspirational figure to the younger generation, Esele’s youthful looks mask the mind of a relentless and tireless representative of the workers. “I didn’t set out to be a union president. I could remember when I was still working in the oil and gas industry, one of the staff lost his job and the way he was treated after working for so long was below what we all expected. And I said if this could happen to this guy, it can surely happen to any other staff and we need to do something about it. So, a couple of us came together and I had to start going about begging people and explaining to them the need for us to have a union, and the importance and benefits of having union. That was the beginning. So, after 5 years of joining the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association, PENGASAN I became the Deputy President and later becoming the President. After I left PENGASAN, I moved to Trade Union Congress, TUC,” he recalled. Speaking on the issues of strikes in resolving conflicts between the union and government or employers of labour, Esele said, “There is no way we would go out and bring down the economy without first having a round table discussion. If you look at those who make up the TUC, you will see that our members are senior staff of various companies, we have not reached that level of enlisting junior staff. We have debates going on within the TUC whether to expand it or not. But for now, you have to be a senior staff in your organisation to be a part of TUC. This means if you do not have a university degree, you must have spent some years in your organization as a senior staff that would qualify you a middle management. We do that because it will give us room to critically analyse whatever we are doing. For instance, a person in that bracket of being a senior staff is a potential manager. “We have had several strikes and sometimes we all sit down and discuss whether to continue with the strike; what are we going to achieve? What is our goal? We know what we stand for as a union. We are pressure group and we are not trying to overthrow anybody. When we are in loggerhead with government, most of the time government doesn’t stick to agreement. If we have a collective agreement, signed and sealed, the union always keeps its own side of the bargain. But when government fails to keep to its own bargain then strike may be the only option left. “I always say that the relationship between the employee and employer is symbiotic. We need each other. You can’t be a member of union if you do not have a job, and you can’t run a company if there are no people to help you work. We need to have that mutual respect; a mutually beneficial relationship would be good for all parties. But not where the employer is making so much money and he gives so little to the employee at the end of the month as wages or salaries. And what that means is a call for an action that is not palatable to both parties. But in a atmosphere where everything is moving on peacefully, there won’t be call for any strike.” On the mission statement of the Association, the Trade Union Congress President informed that the union was set up to organize, nuture, unite, and defend the socio

Comrade Peter Esele economic and political interest of workers and society where social justice and democracy thrive. He added that the aims and objectives of the TUC are: to organize and unite all registered senior staff associations in Nigeria into a single entity; to promote and safeguard the economic and social welfare of its members, preserving and extending their civil rights within a free and democratic society; to secure and and equitable observance of all agreements reached between the TUC and all employers of labour and among members themselves; to promote and support legislations in the interests of Senior Staff Association in Nigeria; amongst others. Explaining the problem of contract workers in most organization and what the association is doing to stop this menace, Esele said, “When a contract worker signs a contract in an advanced country, the company would be responsible for the workers transport, accommodation, health care and so on. They build all of these costs into the wages knowing that the job is short term. A particular case is Onne Free Trade Zone; I had to talk to the Minister of Labour on the contract workers which led to some members in the oil and gas to decide to join the union. “The way most people of these companies go about it now they do third party contract. It’s like working for company ‘A’ and you have the identity card bearing the name of company ‘B’. But the truth of the matter is that ‘company ‘A’ give the contract to company ‘B’ and tells company ‘B’ to cater for the employee. But the irony of it is that he employee was interviewed by company ‘A’, and found out that this man is qualified. What company ‘A’ now does is to send the employee’s name to company ‘B’. So, company ‘B’ will employ him and refer him to company’A’ and collect percentage of employee salary for nothing. So, if the employee decides to join the union, what company ‘A’ now does is to allow the contract of the employee to expire despite the fact that the employee has been there for about 16 years. And when he leaves the company, he goes with nothing. The main reason why this is going on is because of the

ineffectiveness of the judicial system. So, what we have been doing all these while is that we have take all these cases to the Ministry of Labour but the judiciary system has been a big problem and it does not give us cause for confidence. So, because of that challenge, we have to use what we have." Mr Peter Esele, is also a Committee Member of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, he explained, that the government came up with the SURE-P to support the on going projects of the federal government as a result of the inrease." The executive decided where they wanted the money to go and then it was appropriated by the National Assembly and it became a law. SURE-P committee have no input in it. We don't have any input in the 2013 budget. It is between the Ministry of Finance and Budget Office. “Initially, everything that had to do with SURE-P was appropriated by the national assembly; no member of that committee had an input into anything. N15 billion goes into SURE-P account with the Central Bank every month, totaling N180 billion. It was appropriated by the national assembly; it was deployed to certain infrastructural needs without any input from any member of the committee. We are supposed to ensure that the monies deployed were actually put to the use for which it was deployed, we look at the budget and say okay, this is what was appropriated by the national assembly, and we make sure that it is executed. Maybe East West road, one kilometre or two kilometres, if SURE-P fund for that road is maybe N10 billion, and the road requires N300 billion to complete it, the little portion of N10 billion which will not take you far, is SURE-P money and it is there. So, what SURE-P is doing is to ensure that the money so appropriated is actually put to those uses. The other part of it that we are very keen on right now is the vocational training which we think will be good for the youths. Our intention now is to concentrate on those manpower needs that has capacity to create huge employment. We’ve identified a lot of training schools, shockingly, in some of our ministries we have these training schools that are completely run down. The British High Commission is helping with that, the Canadian High Commission is also helping out.” Esele continued, “One of the major problems we have in this part of the world is how we budget for things. For instance if I want to construct Lagos – Ibadan expressway and I know that N500 billion is required, yet you go and provide N20 billion in the budget and you start the road. Going by the actual budget required to complete the road, it means that construct work on that road may last for 25 years. Meanwhile every two years, you have to deal with variation; that is why nothing gets done, that is why we kick against many of these things. Being in that committee has also been an eye opener about how government works, and how we may end up constructing one road for 100 years. All the projects that SURE-P is funding, we want to have sign posts indicating that those are SURE-P projects just like we had during the days of PTF. SUREP is however an improvement of the PTF because we want to have projects domiciled in the ministries through the project Implementation units, PIU. Some of the projects embarked upon by the PTF are wonderful projects, but once that government left and PTF was disbanded, that project died. However if you bring a project, like the Kano-Lagos rail line, and we are going to have another one, the Kano – Port Harcourt line domiciled under the ministry of transport, whether tomorrow SURE-P ceases to exist, there will be people managing the project.”

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

Best Performing Presidents of Professional Bodies-Part 1 Nigeria Can Become Africa’s Major Hub In Pharmaceutical Production

A SEASONED ADMINISTRATOR Prof. Mark Addison Wokocha President of the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC-Nigeria)

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 49 (NAFDAC) as an agency was structured to deliver its mandate through a pool of expertise of pharmacists who were in the driving seat, the PSN will effectively strategise to get the government to follow the dictates of statutes which compel NAFDAC to be led by a Registered Pharmacist. Once this is achieved, NAFDAC shall be positioned as a resputable brand in the area of service delivery again”, he stated. Akintayo continued further hat the PSN will seek to dialogue with the government on many illperceived laws and policies hat have become excruciating burdens in the

Can we Know You Sir? AM Professor Mark Addison Wokocha, Professor of Education and Philosophy, past Provost of two Colleges of Education and now the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria. My experience spans over 40 years and I serve in advisory capacity to many organizations. I am the President of the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC-Nigeria). I am also a member representing Nigeria at the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI) which is the global

Pharm Olumide Akintayo, President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN)

quest of moving the profession forward. He promised to take actions to

redress outstanding matters that threaten the rights and survival of the profession.

organization overseeing and promoting best practices in management consultancy. What are the vision and mission of the IMC? A vision is what you want to be like within a given future period. In that regard, the IMC vision is to be one of the leading ethical world-class professional Institutes whose members are known for their expertise and professional ethical conduct. We are succeeding in this direction because the ICMCI have accredited and certified us as being in the same class with the USA, UK, Japan, Germant, France and South Africa among other countries.

ADVERTORIAL

We Have Developed A New Means Of Approaching Our Issues Comrade Igwe Achese

National PresidentNigerian Union of Petroleum & Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG)

Comrade Igwe Achese, National President of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, he is a man of moral, principles and pedigree, who based his dealings on ethical standard, integrity and the fear of God. A graduate of the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, and later Univeristy of Port Harcourt, in this special interview, Achese expressed his feelings on burning national issues and the way forward. ExcerptHow did you emerged as President of NUPENG? STARTED my career in labour activities as far back as 1992 and as a representative, from there, branch officer before becoming branch Chairman. From there, I proceeded in becoming the deputy president before I was elected four years ago as President. I am just running my 4th year, and it was the first of its kind in the history of the union where one was elected unopposed to emerge the president. That gave me a challenge to come in and turn things around for the better. When I came in, I met with some turbulent issues but I can beat my chest and say so far so good, we have fared well. Relevance of the Association to national development? NUPENG is acknowledged as a pressure group even internationally. We came into limelight as a result of the June 12 crisis where we fought against the power-that-be concerning late M.K.O. Abiola’s election. However, we have been in existence since 1977 as an organization. NUPENG has been a key instrument to the current democracy we are enjoying today in Nigeria, we have never relented in all our struggle in terms of government policies that will affect negatively on the citizens of the country as well as our primary constituency which is the oil and gas sector. We have taken series of cases or scandals like the fuel subsidy scam, fuel price increase, government policies concerning refineries on the two sides of the equation whether to rehabilitate or privatize them coming to the conclusion that the best way is to make them work before talking about privatization. You will agree that the mainstay of the country’s economy is the oil and gas and NUPENG as an institution has been playing a vital role not just in downstream sector but also in he extractive and refinery sectors as well. Although we are more involved in the downstream, our presence is quite visible in the upstream and midstream sectors. Is strike the only way of resolving disputes? The only constant thing in life is change. We cannot continue to do things the same way all the time especially when we are looking for better results there must be a new approach. We are no more banking on the approach that the only means to fight a cause is to totally shut down the economic activities of a country. Remember we

Comrade Igwe Achese are established to fight against negative policies that affect the citizens of the country. So our primary responsibility is to the people of the country. So if we have an issue with for example, Lagos State, it will be unfair to Nigerians if we shut down the economic activities of the whole country. One good thing we have been able to do is we have developed a new means of approaching our issues. If we have issues with Lagos State that refused to be resolved, we can successfully shut down our operations in Lagos State. If it is about Abuja, we will definitely shut down the FCT successfully. This is a new approach to localize our struggles but I have to be clear that the union is very much capable when it comes to national level of addressing issues. That is if it becomes the last resort to get attention to our demands as a pressure group taking a stand against wrong government policies and for the protection of Nigerian’s interest. The union still has bite and remains formidable in strength and reputation but not necessarily as a union that creates chaos and hardship on Nigerians. This new approach is giving us result that is expected as a union. How is the union helping to tackling the issues of oil bunkering? The issues of illegal bunkering did not start today. It has been on for decades and its only recently it has become institutionalised and operating at a large scale that attention has been drawn to it. Now the activities have taken a step ahead to illegal refining of crude as finished products to Nigerians leading to damages and fire outbreaks due to the adulterated

and unperfected nature of the products. Before it was a problem of taking these products into vessels and exporting to foreign lands. I will state again there is no way this illegality can continue to succeed if we do not have a system failure in our security system. The security check points are too numerous for these products to get from source to the point of delivery. We have made our agitations a union to the government, we made a statement that until our security institutions in this country wakes up from their slumber, the issue of illegal bunkering will continue and this agitation made JTF move from the militancy approach to product monitoring now referred to Operation Polo that is extended to the high seas. During Obasanjo administration, we took up the issue of militancy, we presented a voluminous proposal to the government on how to approach the issues of the Niger-Delta militancy, but Obasanjo rejected that proposal. As soon as Yar’adua came, he went back and looked at the document and various contributions from other agencies and what we requested was granted with the amnesty approach and we got where we are today. Now here we are with the illegal bunkering existing across the Niger Delta region and our position is this: Arresting the ingenious youths who engage in this act as a means of survival will not stop the problem. Our position is that the government should show interest in their local means of refining crude oil. The international companies we are inviting to build refineries started some how before they improved on their technologies to get to where they are today. Instead of looking to build huge multimillion naira refineries, that produces huge numbers of barrels per day we can have modular refineries like one in Rivers State (Ahoada) that refines AGO and a significant quality of PMS. If we sit down with hese young Nigerians who because of unemployment are going into illegal refining of oil and say lets improve on your local technology and make available to them facilities they normally don’t have access to, we can create a new innovation in micro-refinery and address issues of illegal bunkering and refinery. Like its said the idle mind is he devil’s workshop so we need to address this problem before their minds would go into committing worse crimes. If they are further trained and given necessary support I am sure these people will have a sense of belonging and they will surely embrace it like they embrace amnesty. If we are able to get our energy sector right, there are Nigerians who can sit down and start developing things themselves. Your 2nd term election I see it as another challenge to beat. Now there is a new work regime, the issue of PIB is also setting in and we are yet to see a true version of the bill although we have come up with our own position proper. My focus is to tackle the issue of casualisation or contract staffing in our industry. Out there in foreign countries that we claim to borrow these work regimes from, casual workers are actually paid higher salaries than regular workers. Here in Nigeria contract staffs are treated as slaves and its something we intend to tackle once and for all.

On the other hand, a mission is what an organization exists for, that is to say, its mandate. In our case, we exist to serve as a voluntary professional body for management consultants, ensuring high standards and ethical conduct among members and making sure that consumers or clients of management consultancy services get value for their money. Can you highlight some of the objectives of the Institute? The purposes and objectives of the IMC-Nigeria are as follws: To bring together those professionals who offer consultancy services in the field of management sciences and related disciplines: to improve standards of professional performance; to encourage the training and development of Nigerian Consultants; to provide opportunities for dialogue among practicing consultants; to increase the understanding of Consultancy’s true role in both business and government; to provide opportunities for consultants to improve their technical and consulting skills through specialized training and career development programmes; to gain public recognition for the Institute’s certification and to enhance the reputation of management consulting as a profession; to assure the public that members possess the ethical standards and the professional competence and independence required for membership and are, therefore, qualified to practice; to help ensure standards, which will engender public confidence in the management consulting profession. What are the benefits of the IMC? The benefits are as follow: A direct Involvement with a growing body of senior professionals exchanging ideas and setting new standards; a unique opportunity for selfdevelopment. IMC have frequent opportunities to exchange ideas with experienced consultants and update and expand their consulting skills. Selfdevelopment in IMC is an ongoing programme encapsulating new ideas and procedures in all phases of management consulting; Access to information and services. IMC headquarters office and full time staff serve as a clearing house of information on consulting strategies and techniques. A journal, newsletter and special research reports keep members informed about emerging issues in the profession, locally and internationally; Client information. As a service to clients, IMC maintains extensive files on management consultants and provides information regarding consultants with particular skills. MIMCs are usually cited for client

CONTINUED ON PAGE 51

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

DEVELOPMENT

‘SURE-P, A Failure Without Youth Inclusion’ Subsidy Reinvestment & Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) was introduced last year to upscale activities in the social and internal child-health sector, creation of jobs and infrastructure development. Knowing the relevance of youths to the success of the programme, SURE-P led by the representative of the youth, Audu Maikori, held two-day Youth Empowerment and Employment Retreat (YEER) recently at Calabar to create, connect and collaborate for empowerment. VICTOR OLUSHOLA was there. LL efforts of the Federal Government through the SURE-P would be in vain if the youths, who A are the direct beneficiaries of the programme, are not involved in the scheme, the Minister of Youth Development, Inuwa Abdul-Kadir, has said. In a chat with newsmen at the just concluded 2013 SURE-P Youth Empowerment and Employment Retreat in Calabar, Cross-River State, Abdul-Kadir said the programme was deliberately organised to gather the input of youths and other stakeholders on the project. “This is an assembly of stakeholders who are not only concerned about this matter but are also involved in it,” he said. “We need their inputs and ideas to improve on what the Federal Government is doing on this.” The Minister urged Nigerians to watch out clearly on the activities of the SURE-P to rule out the insinuation of misappropriation of funds. In his words: “the measures to make sure the programme is successful are Nigerians themselves because they can see clearly. The government has been channeling money to the development of the roads, railways, health sectors, empowerment of youths, creation of jobs and other areas. This program just started and you can’t expect a 100 per cent result but with time it will get better.” Maxi Sam Ohuabunwa, who represented the Chairman of SURE-P at the retreat, said they were able to create an opportunity for the representatives of youths, women and vulnerable groups, to understand the intent of

SURE-P and the plans of the Federal Government for them. “We need them to be part of the program and this will create more jobs and improve the quality of lives. But so many people do not understand what the project stands for. This meeting is to create an understanding of what we are doing.” Thus, he pointed on the need for people to understand what SURE-P means, explaining, “it is an intervention programme set up by FG to upscale or fasten certain activities in the social and internal child-health sector, creation of jobs and infrastructural development.” To Ohuabunwa, SURE-P has not performed badly considering the period it was established. “You know how government work. The project was inaugurated in February last year and it took three or four-month to set us up. It also took time to build our own infrastructure and system because we wanted to do something different given the caliber of the people in the committee. “We knew that government brought us into it to make a difference. So, we have decided to introduce transparency, honesty, and value with a sense of urgency in delivering projects and programmes. I know the state of roads like Abuja Lokoja road, Shagamu when we went there April last year. But by the end of last year many of those roads have been touched…” However, the Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation, Josephine Washima, said in-line with the Sure-P objectives, the Office of the Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation has mapped out some activities, which include Job Creation Edutainment (series), One Million Leaders and Resume Writing Workshop, amongst others to re-orient the Nigerian youth. Washima called on schools across the country to help structure the minds of fresh graduates to start thinking as entrepreneurs and not job-seekers, saying, “unemployment rate in Nigeria is increasing at 16 per cent per year.”

Best Performing Presidents of Professional - Part 1

Maikori speaking during the retreat

She added that the just concluded retreat was inclusive as it gathered everyone from different parts of the country together, including people with disabilities “This is the reason we are in Calabar for everyone to have a word on how SURE-P will not fail. What causes failure is if you fail to carry people along or you feel you know all. “Try to learn from people that know, share your knowledge and interact with people, and this is what SURE-P is doing.” As the Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation, Washima lamented that data collection has been a big challenge owing to the country’s population. “This event is successful because they have planned for a number of people and they knew how much food, transportation and accommodation to carter for. Not having data is just like a blind man in the dark. “But we have now come up with strategies that will last even after I leave the office. We are by next month doing exhibition and Job fair targeted towards the youth. It will be free to attend. We are getting everybody involved

and we have already spoken with National Youth Service Corps to partner with us. We want to know the numbers of unemployed persons in Nigeria,” she revealed. In a different dimension, the Convener, Community Services Women & Youth Employment (CSWYE) Committee, Audu Maikori, bemoaned the reports published in some media houses on SURE-P, saying, “the media should always project the positive things in the society too.” He asked for Nigerians’ trust and patient. “Give us the chance; you do not need to praise us. I am doing this not for the money but because it is my chance to make a difference. Audu, who is the youth member of the SURE-P broad, later revealed that they are looking at areas to work on and this kind of retreat was the best way to get the answer. “What will be the outcome of this retreat is a document, which will now be use to influence some of our policies subsequently. Though they have been side talks on who is doing well or not but SURE-P was only inaugurated last year and it took some time before funds were released to us”, he said

THE INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 50 selection because their credentials are known; The Satisfaction of helping a good cause. Members take pride in contributing to the development of their profession through their support of the IMC. What are your challenges and how can government help your Institute? There are two main challenges that are confronting the Institute and its members. Right now, there is no law regulating the practice of management consultancy. Because of this, people carry brief cases ar about, parading as consultants. It is difficult for clients to know the qualified management consultants. We are trying in our own way to help clients to distinguish the qualified consultants and those you cannot be sure of. We train our members and we are educating clients on how to identify our members who are certified as MIMC, FIMC or CMC. If there is a law regulating the practice, this task will become easier. The second challenge facing us is corruption among clients and unethical consultants. Sometimes corrupt officials of client organizations induce consultants to do unethical things such as forging documents to show that a job has been done when there is no such thing. This country cannot achieve its vision when such things are allowed to happen. Because

LEGAL STATUS The Institute of Management Consultants is the body of professional management consultants approved and registered by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The constitution and by-laws establishing the Institute empower it to regulate the standards and practice of management consulting among its members throughout Nigeria. The secretariat of the Institute of Management Consultants is located at NNDC Building, 18/19, Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna. Professor Mark Addison Wokocha is the President and Chairman of Council while Professor David Iornem is the Honorary Director General of the Institute. MEMBERSHIP Membership of the Institute of Management Consultants is by application. Acceptable members would normally possess a University degree or other professional qualifications, plus suitable experience in consultancy. Membership grades into which applicants are admitted depend on the length and nature of their experience in management consulting. Full membership grade is strictly reserved for practicing management consultants, patently qualified professional managers who have responsibility for planning at the corporate level, practicing consultants in allied fields and management educators. It is only those management experts with glaring personal and management qualities coupled with outstanding achievements that are admitted to this grade. Fellowship of the Institute is reserved for members who have attained a minimum of five years consulting experience or in managing large systems or anyone who is deemed by the Council of the Institute to have made outstanding contributions to the field of Management Consulting, Management Science, Economics, Technology, or in any field of human endeavour directed towards the promotion of good management, world peace, national stability and economic progress. Fellows are not elected through individual applications but nomination by the council of the Institute.

Prof. Mark Addison Wokocha President of the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC-Nigeria)

there is no law regulating the profession, bad eggs find themselves in the profession and they are willing to collude with corrupt officials to do a lot of damage through corrupt practices. Can you tell us the relevance of the Institute of Management Consultants? The Institute of Management Consultants is playing an important role in the training and retraining of consultants through workshops and seminars. Our members work with clients to make organizations more capable of achieving their goals.

Internationally, the IMC in Nigeria is a member of the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI) which is a consultative member of Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Through our membership of ICMCI, we are able to contribute to quality regulation internationally and we share experiences with 50 other countries that are members. In Africa only Nigeria and South Africa are members of the ICMCI. So, we are doing our little bit to shine for Nigeria in this world body.

ACCREDITED STATUS WITH THE INTRNATIONAL COUNCIL The international body that oversees the affairs of management consulting institutes globally is the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI). The Council is an international membership organisation and a network of the management advisory and consultancy associations and institutes worldwide, who have a common purpose and shared values and goals. The secretariat of the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes is located at 2, Savoy Court, Strand, London, WC2R 0EZ, UK. The IMC-Nigeria is a fully accredited member of the International Council. By this status, IMC-Nigeria has the authority to assess individual consultants and to award the CMC internationally recognized consultants’ certification. CMC CERTIFICATION Certified Management Consultant (CMC) is the new qualification designed by the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI). It is a response to the growing demand and necessity for an international standard qualification in management consulting. It is the outcome of efforts initiated in 1986 at the Paris Congress to harmonize qualifications for management consultants. Holders of CMC qualification are instantly recognised as having met strict standards of quality set by ICMCI. CMC stands for Certified Management Consultant. As a member of the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI) the Institute of Management Consultants in Nigeria can grant its members who meet the ICMCI standards the internationally recognized CMC certification. Those involved in transnational consulting assignments may find this a most useful additional qualification. MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES Membership application forms and all other details about the Institute of Management Consultants, Nigeria can be got from the Institute’s secretariat. Details can also be gotten online from the Institute’s website: www.imcnig.com. Request for information about the institute can also be made through email: openlearning3000@yahoo.com or phone: 0802 288 7111.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

NEWSINTERVIEW

‘South Sudan Won’t Rely Solely On Oil’ Ambassador Sitona Abdalla Osman, the Republic of South Sudan’s envoy to Germany, is big in stature but she carries herself well. Swift on her feet, she is witty and very intelligent. A trained Physiotherapist- turned-political activist, she spent most of her life working for the political Movement of South Sudan long before the country gained independence from Sudan last year. In the old Sudan, she served as political officer, adviser, director and secretary for women and child welfare. Now, she is very passionate about the future of her new country. Down to earth and in a hurry to fulfil her mandate, Ambassador Osman manned her country’s stand at the just- concluded International Travel and Tourism Trade Exhibition (ITB Berlin) where ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA spoke with her on different issues bordering on the development and future of South Sudan. hat were the reactions of your host counW try and other ambassadors like you when you resumed here as an ambassador of the newest country in the world? I was well received at the airport till I arrived at my hotel and until I presented my credentials. The Germans really showed that they respected our country because when we first gained our independence, they were the first country to recognise us after Sudan had formally done so. Thereafter, they opened up office in our capital, Juba, at ambassadorial level. Then, the African ambassadors, especially the dean who is from Togo, received me warmly. The dean gave me good advice and a lot of information that I really need and which I am working with till today. He is very humble and at any time you request information from him, he gives it readily. And of course, my colleagues from the Arab countries also assisted and demonstrated that they really want to help us move ahead. They are happy about our independence and we are very comfortable with that. What are the challenges you face representing a new country as an ambassador? The challenges are enormous but the priority for us is to attract investors to our country because we need developers to assist us with our developmental efforts. But you know, the Germans are a bit slow in their decision making process because they want to ensure that everything is in place. But one thing is that Angela Merkel made it clear from day one when she recognised us that she would treat us – Republic of Sudan and Sudan – equally following the peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues between the two countries. On January 29 this year, a business conference between the two countries for German investors was organised and it was very successful and since then, we have a lot of investors going to our country from German. The other challenge that we have is infrastructure because we don’t have everything ready for the investors. So we are looking at our road networks, telecommunications, water and electricity among others. The other challenges have to do with the outstanding issues between the two countries. For instance, the oil matter is there. We are now negotiating on opening the oil pipelines but the security issues are affecting the decision on this and we are waiting to see how Sudan resolves the security matter with the rebels in the north by our borders. We can’t disarm them because we are already separated from them. They are the ones to deal with them and settle them as stated in the peace deal between us. So this is the issue and it is a real challenge. Also, we have the challenge of schools, especially because we have children from all over the world due to the war. Some from East Africa with East Africa curriculum; some from Sudan itself with it Arabic curriculum, and all over the place like that with different curriculums. Now, we are developing our curriculum, so this is a challenge for us. Another challenge is that in the constitution, the official language is English but we have a lot of people who

Osman were living and working in Sudan where the language is Arabic and to make that transition for them is a bit difficult. We have so many challenges actually but we are trying to see how we can solve them one after the other and we are working hard on them. How did your people receive you here and how are you dealing with the issue of integrating them into the new nation? Before the independence, we had many South Sudanese who were living here and became German citizens but after independence, majority of them have gone back to the country and it is a good development that many of our citizens all over the world are going back home to help build the new nation. I was well received here and all over the world, people of South Sudan are happy about the independence because this is what everybody had dreamt of all their lives since 1965 that we should have independence. The people who are now grown up are the policy makers and when they were kids, they never had peace because they fought all their lives. But now they are very happy that there is independence. So many of them have had to go back. For the ones who are still here, we hold meetings with them, inform them of hap-

penings back home and we exchange ideas on how we should move on, both here and home. Is there presently issue of conflict of identity among your people? We don’t have that conflict but what we do have, and which is the immediate challenge, is that most of the people here are German citizens and our constitution allows for dual citizenship because the people recognised that a lot of us have been outside the country as a result of the struggle over the years. Now, what is the issue here? The issue is that many of the people who want to go back need to hand over their German passports before going and when they have to do that, the problem is that we don’t issue passports here, which means that they have to travel home with their household members to get their passports done and that is very expensive to do right now. But since we don’t have the mandate yet to issue passports here, what we have resolved to do is to try to collate the statistics of those who want the passports, then send it back home to the ministry to send officials here to issue them with the national identity cards and passports. Another issue in this respect that we have been battling with has to do with some of the people from other African countries who,

We are learning a big lesson even now from the Khartoum government because when they had the oil money, they didn’t develop the other sectors and now they are feeling bad. So, we are learning from that and learning from Nigeria as well because I know what is happening in Nigeria.

before now, had claimed to be citizens of South Sudan. This is an issue that the immigration here have raised and from time to time, bring some of the people here for us to identify and authenticate their true nationalities as to whether they are South Sudanese as claimed by them. Also, there is the issue of the people who are really South Sudanese but don’t have any paper and so they can’t travel because since they have not become full citizens of Germany. They give them what is called a stay permit, which is stamped on their passports. It was in their former Sudanese passports and now all Sudanese passports have been cancelled so it is a problem for them because if you don’t have the new Sudanese passport, you can’t afford to travel to South Sudan because you are still like a refugee. So we are trying also to deal with this. There are also some people who can’t travel because of health issues and if you don’t go back home, you can’t get the new passport. How far has your country gone in it the journey to true nationhood within the short period of independence? We have been trying to make our journey easy by comparing our lives and the development in our country before independence. Before 2005, for instance, there was nothing in Juba, but from 2005 we started to develop our country. If you go there now you would see a good number of infrastructures and the difference is very huge. And what is our problem? Our problem is our people; their aspirations are very high. You know, it is easy to destroy but to build is very difficult. To build infrastructure requires a huge amount of money and to convince investors to build for you a road takes quite a lot. We can say that we are the fastest growing country now – working on housing, roads, telecommunication, energy and many more. So, I think our journey started well but we do have our challenges. Any assistance from foreign countries and international donor agencies? Yes, there are. China, Malaysia and Japan are doing well and German investors are there too. We are doing well in terms of investment from the international community. Africa, the most important, is there, working very hard for us to make progress. Nigeria was the first country to call for peaceful negotiation and to lead the way towards achieving it. That was why when I saw the Director General (Otunba Olusegun Runsewe) of your tourism body here, I went to him to say thank you because if not for your country, we would not be here today. Now we have accomplished the peaceful negotiation and they are all still working towards us accomplishing the comprehensive peaceful negotiation and development, which is very important. Now, your country has oil. Is your government just going to rely on that or move on to diversify your economy to avoid the mistake other oil-rich countries have made by depending on oil alone? We are learning a big lesson even now from the Khartoum government because when they had the oil money, they didn’t develop the other sectors and now they are feeling bad. So, we are learning from that and learning from Nigeria as well because I know what is happening in Nigeria. So, because of that, we have to diversify our economy, especially after we closed the oil pipelines and we said that it is good that the oil has been closed so that we can look at the other sectors. I am very happy that we are developing other sectors and because of that, we are now depending on agriculture because all our lives, we have always depended on agriculture. Now we have started all over again because last year, everybody went to his/her own town to farm. Because of that, they gave them Fridays to Sundays to go and farm. How are you addressing the issue of religion now? We are very, very stable now because of what we had faced and suffered from. We don’t have any problem whatsoever with religion now. We all live as one. For instance, in my family, I am a Christian while my sister is a Muslim and we all live as one and it is the same in some other households. We have said that we don’t want any problem about religion and so we have separated religion from the state. The state is to govern while the people go about their religion the way they feel like because you can have a church here and a mosque there side by side if the people so wish.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

COVER

Trevisan

Vaughan and his girl friend before his death

Yama

Jama’are Residents Lament Abduction, Killing Of Hostages From Ali Garba, Bauchi N Jama’are town in Jama’are Council of Bauchi ItheState, some things have actually changed since abduction of seven expatriate workers of Setraco Construction Company last month. And more are bound to change as the dust raised by the execution of the expatriates by their abductors begin to settle. Although all may seem normal to a first time visitor as the people go about their businesses, but an interview with a few residents, especially youths, would reveal that all is not well. For the people of town, too much has changed in a space of less than one month between February 16 and March 9, this year, chief of which is taking away of their source of daily bread following the attack on the firm’s camp. It has been estimated that no fewer than 700 youths are on the verge of losing their jobs following the attack, abduction and alleged killing of the seven foreign workers. When The Guardian visited Jama’are to assess the impact of the attack and killing of the expatriates, it was learnt that Setraco provided employment opportunities to over 700 youths at every point in its operations. While 400 of the staff are indigenes of the state, the remaining 300 were drawn from neighbouring states and across the country. It was further gathered that the company had successfully operated in the area and indeed the North Central zone in the past six years. It was involved in the dualisation of roads from Borno to Kano states. When contacted, the Chief Security Officer of Setraco Company Life Camp in Jama’are, Mohammed Kuda, said on the day the expatriates were abducted, they had completed their duties and handed over to the next people on night duty around 10pm. “All of a sudden, we heard several gunshots, but we don’t know it was inside our Life Camp. When the gunshots stopped, we came out and discovered that it was inside our camp and some expatriates had been abducted,” he recalled. Kuda said the attackers bombed the southern and northern parts of the camp and on entering the premises, and went straight to the Club House where they kidnapped four expatriates. He added that they forced themselves into one house and captured two more, while other one just opened his house to peep and when they saw him. They forcefully broke his door and abducted him. Kuda added that the security man who was killed was unfortunately because when the gunmen were shooting their way into the camp, he hid at a spot where they eventually gained entry. One of them asked him if he was a policeman and told him to surrender his gun, but when he told them he was not a policeman, they asked him

where the mobile policemen who usually guarded the place was and he said he didn’t know where he hid himself. The attackers, Kuda noted, did not believe him, because he had removed his own uniform and one of them just opened fire and shot him dead. In his account of the incident, the Human Resource Manager of Setraco in charge of the Maiduguri-Kano road project, John Yama, said: “On that fateful date, we heard gunshots severally. We were all displaced and later discovered that gunmen, who they took away seven expatriates, invaded our life camp. “Since then until now, we have not not heard anything about them, not to talk of paying any ransom to free them.” He said the company has suspended operations in Jama’are for some time, even though security has been beefed up. “We pray they will not harm them, but release them hale and hearty so that they will be reunited with their families,” he said. The Chairman of Jama’are Development Initiative, Mallam Shuaibu Nafada, and many residents of the town, said the abduction of the expatriates has left them in fear. They blamed security lapses as the main reason the attackers successfully abducted the expatriates with ease. Nafada recounted that on the night of the attack, the gunmen continued to fire shots between 9.30 and 11pm, but no security reinforcement was sent to stop the attackers who also passed through the two military checkpoints between Kiyawa and Jama’are unhindered, and another between Azare and Jama’are. “None of the security agents at the checkpoints made any effort to stop them because we heard that they came in three vehicles. “We suspect that they must have passed through the road blocks and military checkpoints before taking them to wherever they intended to keep them.” He said they had become friends with the expatriates, who had spent about six years in Jama’are. Nafada added: “We don’t have problems with them. They came to markets, they went for morning exercises, like running and jogging, in the town. Their presence helped to boost commercial activities in the town, but unfortunately, they were abducted. “The people of Jama’are are hospitable and very caring people. They didn’t have any misunderstanding with our people throughout their stay with us. Since their abduction, we have been confused. We are left in terrible fear; we don’t know what may happen tomorrow.” Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of Jama’are Council, Adamu Aliyu, described the attacks and killing of the expatriates as unfortunate. “But we don’t have adequate security personnel in the town; hence the need for the relevant authorities to deploy more policemen, both uniformed and plain-clothed, to Jama’are town

We Live In Fear- Expatriates

to give the policemen currently posted there more courage and boost their morale to perform their duties effectively and efficiently,” Aliyu said. Earlier on February 22, hundreds of youths in Jama’are council, angered by the kidnappings, took to the streets in protest and appealed to the state government to fish out their abductors. They marched to the Emir’s palace and tendered a letter to register their displeasure over the development. The youths, led by Hassan Usman, strongly condemned the kidnappings, saying the economy of the area would decline if the company shut down operations in the area. He said the presence of the company in the area has uplifted the standard of living of the people and appealled to the state government to intervene, so that such things would not happen in future. Usman pointed out that apart from employment benefits, they company also provided accommodation for non-indigenous staff, transportation services and other numerous benefits. He also appealed to Ansaru to consider the plight of the youth, especially those who would lose their means of livelihood, and desist from such activities. A spokesman of Setraco, Usman Malik, in a telephone interview, said the company was only temporarily shut and all the remaining expatriates evacuated to Abuja for safety. On the whereabouts and fate of the expatriates, Malik said that they (Setraco) were unable to establish any contact with the kidnappers up to the time that they were allegedly killed. The state Police Command Public Relations Officer, Hassan Mohammed Auyo, said: “The police have no evidence that the kidnapped expatriates have been killed. We are still investigating the matter; we are also investigating the authenticity of the information pasted on website allegedly by the group.” A reliable top security sources also said: “We heard about the killings of the expatriates as you heard about it, but we are still making enquiries to get the correct information, because we did not carry out any rescue operation, either jointly or separately. We are still monitoring the situation.” It was also gathered that 40 mobile policemen were specifically posted to provide security for Setraco in Jama’are, but only 10 were on duty when the incident happened. The Bauchi State government immediately condemned in strong terms, the incident and vowed to do all within its powers, in conjunction with the federal security agencies in the state, to ensure the safe return of the foreigners.

The expatriates unanimously said that “even though we may feel safe at our respective residences and workplaces, we are seriously mentally affected by the Boko Haram activities in Maiduguri and other parts of the state,” including the projects sites of CCECC, Eighth Engineering Company (EEC), Grandscope Company (GC), University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) and the two other hospitals in Bulunkutu, Maiduguri. From Njadvara Musa, Maiduguri They said their movements to markets, schools and other recreXPATRIATES from various countries, including China in South- ational centres in the metropolis have been restricted by incesEast Asia and Egypt in North Africa,have said that they are sant attacks, bombings and killings in the metropolis. “ We may engulfed by “fears and psychological trauma” in Maiduguri, fall victim,” one of the foreigners said. “We do not know who Borno State, because of activities of the dreaded Boko Haram in could be the next target by these gunmen as innocent citizens the Northern part of Nigeria. are indiscriminately killed without any genuine reason.” There are over 30 expatriates working for the Federal and Borno At the Umaru Shehu Ultra-Modern Hospital, Bulunkutu, State governments in health and roads construction sectors in Maiduguri, some expatriates told The Guardian that Boko Haram Borno State. insurgency engulfed them with “fear and psychological trauma”.

In a press release issued by Ishola Michael Adeyemi, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Isa Yuguda, the state government described the act, which also included the burning down of a police station and forceful attempt to enter the prisons, as outrageous, criminal and barbaric. “We condemn the act in all its ramifications,” said the statement. It urged members of the public to furnish security agents with useful information that could lead to the arrest of bad eggs in the society. Shehu Usman, a businessman in Bauchi, said if it is true that the foreigners have been killed, no reasonable person, especially foreigners, would accept to work in the North. “This lingering crises have crippled our economic activities. Most of the big companies are closing their offices because of insecurity. “We are not happy about what is happening in the north; we don’t understand it again. Politics has come into the crises,” he said. Usman said most of the people now live in fear as security outfits and agents have closed down roads leading to their offices and residences. Jolly Pascal (not real names) said Nigerians do not feel safe anymore, let alone foreign investors, who the government is wooing to come and invest in the country. He said the situation would negatively affect tourism and ultimately, the state’s internal revenue generation and urged the federal government to tighten security in the country to pave way for investors and tourists to come.

‘We Want To Maintain A Low Profile Posture’ From Isa Abdulsalami, Jos HREE expatriates residing in Jos, the Plateau T State capital, declined to respond to questions on their safety, in view of the intensified attacks, kidnapping and abduction of foreigners, especially in the Northern parts of the country. In separate chats, they unanimously said granting any interview at this point could ultimately expose them to danger. Besides, they argued that granting press interviews is against the terms of their employment agreement. “We want to maintain a hidden and low profile posture. Granting interviews will expose us to risks. “We thank God that such happenings as kidnapping and abduction of foreigners have not spread to Jos. “So, we want to remain unknown; we don’t want publicity. We like the quiet way we are living in the state,” one of them said.

“Since my arrival to Borno state in 2008, the Boko Haram insurgency has continued for more than three years now. Throughout this period of attacks, bombings and killings in Maiduguri, we were not psychically affected, but the fears are there. “The men of the Joint Task Force have tightened security at both our workplaces and residences. This has physically protected us to work in Maiduguri for the state government and people of Borno State,” an expatriate told The Guardian. He continued: “For over three years in Maiduguri, our movements have been restricted because of the incessant attacks and killings in the metropolis. These developments have also affected us mentally.” On whether some of them are living with their family members, he, however, said: “My family members were supposed to have been visiting me annually, but because of the insecurity situation in Maiduguri, they have not been coming for vocations.”

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

COVER

‘Terrorism Threatens Foreign Direct Investments In Nigeria’ ple call militants in the Niger Delta had certain considerations. Interestingly, it was given by a president who was a Northerner. This question of amnesty and what have you. They want to use that to blackmail him. And unfortunately, he does not seem to sufficiently grasp the geopolitical implications. Forget the recrimination of All Progressives Congress (APC) versus People’s Democratic Party (PDP). It is beyond that now. We are talking of the viability of the Nigerian state. Once Jonathan shows the international community that he is serious-minded about tackling the issues bedeviling the country, he might get a reprieve. He needs the support of these powers to fulfill whatever transformation promises that he has been making in the recent past. That is the crux HAT have been the effects of terrorism on of the matter. But I think that the clock for the foreign direct investment in Nigeria? survival of Nigeria stands at five minutes to midnight. There are all sorts of considerations. The incidence of terrorism will appear to have We have been telling him in the last two years escalated in the country. The immediate consethat he needs to rejig his cabinet, at least his quence of thus is that Nigeria now has a reputakitchen cabinet. tion of instability. No foreigner will want to go to What has been the impact of the rejig he has a country where his life will be in jeopardy. done? Nigeria depends on the international communi- What I am saying is that Goodluck Ebele ty for capital inputs and for technology acquisiJonathan just has to go back to the drawing tion. In fact, international trade and investment board. His major project now seems to me to generally. For instance, we need other countries be 2015; how to ensure that he comes back. But to supply us with refined petroleum products. if he is not careful, the way things are going, Even though we are oil-exporting country, we there may be no 2015. Harold Wilson used to don’t have the requisite refining capacity to satis- say that one week was a long time in politics. In fy our needs. Nigeria, one day can be a long time. He has to Then it could even result in trade sanctions. demonstrate sufficient capacity to hold Nigeria Nigeria gets 95 per cent of its foreign exchange together, just as General Yakubu Gowon said: from the export of crude petroleum. Imagine ‘To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be what the situation will be if those we supply now done’ during the civil war. refuse to trade with us? Are we going to drink our What is your take on dialogue and amnesty for oil? It will, in my view, cause deleterious conseterrorists? quences for the country apart from the ugly The government has not proven that it is capaimage terrorism has earned the country. ble of putting the cap on the antics of those Secondly, the impact of the resurgent of terrorthat don’t wish Nigeria well. There have been a ist activities, especially in the Northern part of the lot of flip-flops in their approach. Some people country, is that it portrays Jonathan’s governsay the government needs to negotiate. ment as an incompetent administration. The Negotiate with whom? I don’t understand the essence of a state is to protect lives and properrationale. In fact, my suspicion now is that ties. Once a state has been proven to be unable to those who are canvasing a negotiation as a step do that, we can say that state has failed. towards the granting of amnesty are those that The third aspect is the consequence of terrorism really do not wish Nigeria well. The population on the geo-political equation within Nigeria has been decimated in certain parts of the itself. It seems to me that the Islamic fundamencountry. Negotiating with terrorists for me is a talists are not fighting only to bring the Jonathan sign of weakness. government down, but to in fact destroy Nigeria Why, in your view, are the terrorists now going as we know it. They said they want to establish after foreigners? Sharia government throughout the country. It is obvious that they want to internationalize I just feel sorry for Jonathan because he is going the conflict. They want to drag in these foreign to be blamed for inability to take charge. He tried powers that you are talking about. No decent to play a strong card when he visited Maiduguri, country will sit idly by and allow its nationals to but again, he was not sufficiently adroit to handle be killed just like that. Such a wanton killing of the situation. Because it seems some people in foreign nationals is senseless and callous. No this country want to blackmail him because he country will just leave it at just complaining. comes from the Niger Delta and some of the peo- Countries go to defend the interests of their

Prof Akin Oyebode is a professor of International Law at the University of Lagos. He spoke with DEBO OLADIMEJI on the implications of Boko Haram threats to Nigeria’s unity, foreign direct investment and the way forward following the killing of seven foreign hostages by the Ansar al-Muslimeen (widely known as Ansaru), a splinter group of the Boko Haram sect, last Saturday.

Oyebode nationals when such interests are in jeopardy. The British went once went to war over the cutting of the ear of an English man. America too. You can’t hurt an American too and think you will get away with it. The empire will fight back. In Nigeria, the government doesn’t seems to be in charge of our destinies. It portrays the weakness of Nigeria as a nation state. For me, this is the time for Jonathan to convene a conference of all the leaders of this country. It is not a political or partisan matter. We are talking of survival of the Nigerian nation state. I can’t speak for the international community but if you go by the antecedents of the imperialists nations led by the United States of America and the foreign powers like Britain, France to some extent Italy, I think they will be mapping out strategies now as to how to contain the situation. You know, that the United States is fighting a global war against terrorism. That was why the U.S hunted Osama Bin Laden and it has eliminated important figures within the AlQaeda. What do you think the Western powers can do to nip the situation in the bud? You must be aware of the global war against terrorism. America will want to count the allies.

Who and who are for them and who is against them? So we have been caught in the vortex of global terrorists and in this struggle there are no middle roaders. Will the Western powers not be seen as interfering with Nigeria’s sovereignty if they decide to hit at the terrorists’ hideouts? The Nigerian government has been seeking help from wherever. Not just from America, Britain, France and Canada. The Nigerian government has cried for help for any party that can offer aid to come and help them because Boko Haram and the Ansaru Movement, they are not just local fighters, they are being armed by countries like Iran, insurgencies in Afghanistan and Pakistan. These people see it as the continuation of the struggle of Al-Qaeda. What Prof Samuel Huntington called the clash of civilizations . They believe that they have a war against those they believe are enemies of Islam and they believe that the Western states are against Islam. The bodies of the hostages were displayed on the Internet. Britain and France have access to the satellite pictures taken from space to affirm the execution of the hostages. Nigeria also has one satellite or so in space. What use are we making of the satellite that China built for us? It is ridiculous that we don’t have a finger on what it is happening. If we want to be taken seriously as a member of international community, Jonathan’s government must now wake up and take decisive action against terrorism. How do we curb the infiltration of terrorists from neigbouring countries through our porous borders? From the history of African borders, they are artificial borders. Those borders were products of imperialist conflicts. That is why Africa has 103 borders not drawn by Africa. They were drawn by the imperialist nations, especially at the Berlin conference in 1884-1885. Then, many states lacked the wherewithal, they lacked the means to ensure their security. And then, technological basis in terms of intelligence gathering gadgets, even highly trained manpower. I am taking about our personnel in Customs, Immigration not to talk of the Police. Is it correct to link the resurgence of terrorism in Nigeria to the downfall of Muammar Gaddafi ? The late Libyan leader, Gaddafi was never a good friend of Nigeria. There was a time he said that Nigeria should be divided into two; the so-called Muslim North and Christian South. And he was always envious of the potentiality of Nigeria. Gaddafi behaved like a leader without a country. He was a leader of a country of eight million population . Nigeria has a population of 160 million. You come to Africa, you don’t come to Nigeria, it is a wasted trip. Nigeria is the promise of the black race. Forget the way we were stitched together and all that.

‘Extremism Is Not Part Of Nigeria’s Identity; It’s Imported’ From Saxone Akhaine, Kaduna

not very much aware of the context. I am learning every day and trying to grasp the situation in Nigeria to better serve my agency for the people of Nigeria. We have global regulations that are governing our stay in any country. Of

Govanni Fontana, Deputy Head of UNESCO Office in Nigeria, speaks on insecurity in some parts of the North, especially as it relates to kidnapping and killing of foreigners resident in the region. Sinan Kaynak from Turkey, who owns a furniture company in HAT do you think about the inse- Kaduna, speaks on the same subcurity in the Northern parts of ject of insecurity as it affects Nigeria? expatriates living in the North. I think it is a very unfortunate situa-

tion. Nigeria deserves unity, peace and development. The immediate threat of insecurity is infringing on the lives of people, but in the long run, it will really be one of the major obstacles for real development in the country. We need to look at the roots of this and the causes. UNESCO believes in dialogue, education and sharing of information for better development. Is insecurity affecting your stay in the country, especially in the North? Well, I am new in the country and I am

OW do you see to the issue of H insecurity as it relates to foreigners in some part of the North? I came to Nigeria in 2010 and have been living here in Kaduna State. Also, I have been to some different places within the North, like Bauchi, Jos and the rest, but each time I traveled, I am so much afraid. After 7pm, I remain indoors; I don’t go anywhere. If I hear anything happening somewhere, I pray to God and from then, I am not going to live

course, there is a contextualise assessment of the country, which is obliging us to follow certain rules. But these are rules applicable to all UNESCO staff, regardless of the nationality, as it also applies to Nigerian staff. How best do you think the situation

can be arrested? My advice is to be united and bring back the people who are prone to easy messages coming from abroad. I believe personally and with the little I understood of this country, that extremism is not part of Nigeria’s

identity. It is somehow imported from outside. So, the advice is for Nigerians to go back to their own identity to better understand who they are, where and what they want to attain.

‘We The Foreigners Are Living In Great Fear’ in that side again. In addition, every morning before I go out, I have to check the news and ask the securities if they have any alert on outbreak of violence in anywhere. Indeed, we the foreigners are living in great fear here. All we hear on the news is that today they kidnapped somebody and I don’t know maybe tomorrow, they will kidnap me. So, tell me, how can we relax? How is this affecting your stay in Nigeria and the North in particular? I don’t think I will stay for long in Nigeria, but I don’t actually know

how long I am going to stay here. But the bottomline is that I am so much afraid. I am afraid of the insecure environment. Are you planning to stay or leave the country because of the insecure environment? Like I said, the environment, even as it is not secure, there are places that are secure, like Kaduna and Abuja, and as such, I can stay in those places. But on the other side, places like Bauchi and Jos, I can’t live there, because they are violent areas. How do you think the situation can be remedied?

My advice here is that they (governments) should pay attention special security and special education. And I want to ask this question: What do they (militants) exactly want by kidnapping and killing foreigners? And what do they want from foreigners? Different people from different countries don’t want to come to Nigeria for business because they are really afraid of this country. Again, the image of Nigeria abroad is bad. Even me before I came into this country, everybody was asking me why I was going to Nigeria which is a very dangerous country.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

COVEREXTRA

Jonathan

Adoke

Outrage Over Presidential Amnesty For High Profile Ex-Convicts By Samson Ezea HE recent presidential pardon of some high profile ex-convicts has continued to generate mixed feelings and reactions from different quarters. While some see it as endorsing crime and corruption, others, including the Presidency believe there is nothing constitutionally wrong in the action of the President Goodluck Jonathan on the matter. Beneficiaries of the Council of State’s reprieve are a former Governor of Bayelsa State, DSP Dipriye Alamieyeseigha; a former Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, the late Maj-Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and some military officers implicated in the 1995 and 1997 coups against the late military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha. Also on the pardon list are former Chief of General Staff, Lt.-Gen. Oladipo Diya; a former Minister of Communications, Maj.-Gen. Tajudeen Olanrewaju; a former Minister of Works, the late Gen. Abdulkareem Adisa; former Managing Director of the defunct Bank of the North, Alhaji Shettima Bulama and Dr. Chiichii Ashwe. While majority of the beneficiaries were convicted for their alleged roles in a phantom coup during the military junta, two others, Alamieyeseigha and Bulama, were convicted for money laundering and looting public funds while in office as governor and bank chief executive respectively. It was revealed that President Jonathan made the recommendation for pardon the first item on the agenda at the last Council of State meeting and did not drop any hint on whether or not he had consulted the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM)

According to a source at the meeting, Jonathan told the meeting that he had decided to exercise the powers conferred on him by Section 175 of the 1999 constitution as amended which states as follows: The president may (a) grant any person concerned with or convicted of any offence created by an Act of the National Assembly a pardon, either free or subject to lawful conditions states as follows: (b) grant to any person a respite, either for an indefinite or for a specified period, of the execution of any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence; (c) substitute a less severe form of punishment for any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence; or remit the whole or any part of any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence or of any penalty or forfeiture otherwise due to the state on account of such an offence. Invariably, the Constitution confers similar power of prerogative of mercy on governors of the various States in Nigeria for offences committed by members of the state Houses of Assembly. But despite the constitutionality of the presidential pardon, many are of the opinion the action carries on moral burden on the Presidency and its fight against corruption. It is believed that President Jonathan granted the pardon specifically to give his godfather, Alamieyeseigha, a reprieve and just added other names on the list as a ploy. “From the countenance of the President at the meeting, we suspect that the meeting was called purposely because of Alamieyeseigha, but they included others to give it national representation,” a source disclosed.

Although it was disclosed that Alamieyeseigha had formally applied for pardon from the Federal Government and that it was the application that the President chose to act upon, some of those pardoned had been recommended to the Council of State since 2009. For instance in June 2009, Lt-General Oladipo Diya and 44 other military officers convicted in the General Sani Abacha coups of 1995 and 1997, were recommended for pardon. In a memo dated June 23, 2009, others recommended for amnesty to the Council of State were Maj-Generals Abdulkareem Adisa (deceased); Tajudeen Olarewaju, Col. Lawan Gwadabe, 41 other officers, four other ranks, Senator Chris Anyanwu, the late Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti and a journalist, the late Bagauda Kalto. Others were former special adviser to the Chief of General Staff, Prof Femi Odekunle; an activist, Comrade Shehu Sani and two State Security Service operatives, Anthony Awoloyi and Julius Badejo. Also on the list were a former Managing Director of the Bank of the North (BoN), Alhaji Shettima Mohammed Bulama and Dr. Chiichii Ashwe, who were convicted for contravening financial laws but craved for the removal of the stigma attached to their names for purposes of re-integration into the society. “So, it was not surprising that these names were on the list put to the Council of State by the President,” the source said, adding: “Surprisingly, none of the governors raised issues on Alamieyeseigha at the session. Instead, some of them stood up one by one to condemn the circumstances under which the former governor was convicted.” A governor said: “The President harped on the

need to forgive, reconcile and re-integrate. He based his decision on Section 175 of the Constitution. Some of us looked at the relevant section and accepted his recommendations. Even though we know the decision might have to do with 2015 poll, we felt we should leave the ultimate decision to the public and posterity.” Before now, high profile beneficiaries of presidential pardons include late Chief Obafemi Awolowo who was granted pardon by General Yakubu Gowon’s government in 1967. In 1982, the then President Shehu Shagari granted pardon to former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon and ex-Biafra warlord, the late Chief Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu. In 1985, the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida granted presidential pardon to late Bola Ige and others. General Olusegun Obasanjo was released from prison in 1998 and was subsequently granted presidential pardon by the Abdulsalam Abubakar administration which paved way for his emergence as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP’s) presidential candidate and president of the country in 1999. Also in 2002, President Obasanjo granted such pardon to the former Speaker House of the Representatives, Alhaji Salisu Buhari who was convicted over certificate forgery. Obviously, since independence, such pardons had been granted mainly for political reasons, but none of the beneficiaries before now were convicted for financial crimes like Alamaeyesiagha, Buluma and Ashwee. It is for this obvious reason that Nigerians are raising eyebrows on the action which has invariably put a question mark on the government’s anticorruption fight.

‘Pardon Shows We’re Not A Serious People’ By Godwin Ijediorgor and Laolu Adeyemi Y position is that if we extend pardon to those who are convicted of economic crime, financial crime and all sorts, then we are sending a very dangerous signal to the people and the outside world that we are not interested in fighting corruption. We are making it clear and loud that in Nigeria, anything goes. In Nigeria, one can get away with stealing and treasury looting. I think that is the nostalgic statement we are making to the world. It doesn’t show that we are a serious people and we know the havoc corruption has done to our people. Corruption has sent many people to their untimely graves, it has ensured that infrastructure are not developed. Corruption has sent many youths out of school; it has compounded our developmental woes. And if we don’t do something about it, certainly it will do something about us. That is why many Nigerians were shocked but I was not shocked. This is why the whole thing was embarrassing. If somebody has committed

a crime that revolves around politics like treason; nobody will cry much about such pardoning. But pardoning somebody like Alamiesiagha who was convicted of act of corruption when corruption is still a big problem in our nation, it doesn’t shows any seriousness. If that is the zenith of pardon, why didn’t they go and open the gate of Kirikiri prison because all of them there are not also righteous? We need to look at corruption and its devastation at this present historical conjuncture. It is good to pardon people when they have shown remorse but what is the historical conjuncture, what is message are we sending out? I think those who brought it before National Council of State did not reflect deeply on it because if they had done, they would have known that this goes beyond Nigeria pardoning those who have shown remorse. In any event, we are talking about people showing remorse, what about those who were jailed for stealing two tubers of yams after they had shown remorse. Have they not shown remorse? Should we then go and break open the prison gate? I think this is a

show of shame to the ruling elites. I am not about the president alone because what we heard was that the Council of State unanimously endorsed the proposal for pardoning. And the president himself can claim that he has complied with section 125 of the law that empowers him to grant pardon, saying he has put it before the Council of State and they approved it. So what crime has he committed. The truth is that our ruling elites are not capable of fighting corruption. Nigerians should decide on what they want to do with this old elites and the democracy. So it is more of moral matter and not legal? That is the truth of the matter. I am still trying to look at some of the legal implications. When I am done with that I would take a decision as to whether to go to the court and challenge that decision. I think this kind of decision should not be set aside like this. We are not in the jungle and we cannot allow people to rule this nation the way they like. My worry is that if this goes unchallenged, it then means that no suc-

Aturu cessful war can be won in this country. Because if tomorrow comes and you are trying to fight somebody involved in corruption; people will just ask if it was because the person didn’t come from the same ethnic origin with him. Then ethnicity comes in. That is why I said morally, it is a very backward decision and I

am not excluding any member of the Council of State. Council of State members deserve our utmost respect. But they must earn that respect. If they cannot earn the respect to take decision that made us a laughing stock in the committee of nations, we re not going to take that from them. We have children and we would have grandchildren and we don’t want to live in a country which doesn’t have any moral values. W We must raise our voices and do whatever we need to do as Nigerians, as journalists, professionals and as people who have conscience that this thing can’t continue like this. We need to show them that this clearly a backward decision. Is it all about Alamieyesigha? What about the others? Our problem in Nigeria today is not about military involvement in politics, not about people who want take over government by force or arms. That we want to pardon anybody who commits any political crime cannot raise the same moral issue with somebody like Alamieyesiegha who was caught in the act and convicted.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March, 16, 2013

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THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March, 16, 2013

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NWABUEZE: Formerly Miss Nwabueze Chinyere Belinda now Mrs. Anuebunwa Chinyere Belinda. Former documents remain valid. Public note. NWACHUKWU: I formerly Miss Eucharia Nwachukwu now Mrs. Eucharia Ugoaru. Former documents remain valid. Public note. NWAFOR: Former Miss Amarachi Sandra Nwafor now Mrs. Obasi Amarachi Sandra. Former documents remain valid. Public note. NWAGUGU: Formerly Miss Nwagugu Cecilia Chinwe now Mrs. Agboeze Cecilia Chinwe. Former documents remain valid. Public note. NWAJUAKU: Formerly Miss Nwajuaku Uzoma Chidimma now Mrs. Umeaku Uzoma Chidimma. Former documents remain valid. Public note. NWAKOR: Formerly Nwakor Azubike Hyacinth now Mr. Nwakobi Azubuike Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Favour. Former documents remain valid. Public take note. NWANJI: Formerly Miss Favour Nwanji, now Mrs Favour Agu. Former documents remains valid. Public note.

NWANKWO: Formerly Miss Nwankwo Favour Ngozi now Mrs. Obasi Favour Ngozi. Former documents remain valid. Public note. NWANKWO: Formerly Miss Nwankwo Chinwe Eunice now Mrs. Udeh Chinwe Eunice. Former documents remain valid. UNTH ITUKU Ozalla, public note. NWAUBA: Formerly Miss Nwauba Onyinye Lilian now Mrs. Agu Onyinye Lilian. Former documents remain valid. Public note. NWOBILO: Formerly Maureen Nancy Nkiruka Fredrick Nwobilo now Mrs. Maureen Nancy Nkiruka Maxwell Musa. All former documents remain valid. Public note. NWOSU: I, formerly Mr. Nwosu Ejike Stephen now Mr. Ukwuoma Ejike Justus. Former documents remain valid. Nigeria Immigration, public note. OBADINA: Formerly Miss Elizabeth Adebukola Obadina now Mrs. Elizabeth Adebukola Adebowale. Former documents remain valid. The general public and all Government Parastatals should take note. OBASI: Formerly Miss Onyinyechi Blessing Clara Obasi now Mrs. Onyinyechi Blessing Clara Opara-Philips. Former documents remain valid. Public note. OBIJIAKU: I, former, Miss Josephine Uchenna Obijiaku now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Josephine Uchenna Amanambu. Former documents remain valid. General public please take note. OBISESAN: Formerly Miss Obisesan Modupe Grace, now Mrs. Israel Modupe Grace. Former documents remain valid. Public note. OCHOR: Formerly Mr Obinna Solomons Ochor now Mr Obinna David Solomons. All former documents remain valid. The public

take note. ODEBOJU: Formerly Miss Oluwafunke Ester Odeboju now Mrs. Oluwafunke Ester Adewole. Former documents remain valid. Public note. ODELOLA: Formerly Miss Odelola Temitope Esther now Mrs. Oladele Temitope Esther. Former documents remain valid. Public note. ODIJE: I, former Miss Patience Afekelu Odijie now wish to be known as Mrs. Patience Afekelu Ugbawa. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. ODINA: Formerly Miss Ogugua Olayinka Odina now Mrs. Ogugua Olayinka Ogunjobi. Former documents remain valid. Public note. ODITA: Formerly Odita James Nwanze now addressed as Okozie Kelvin. Former documents remain valid. Public note. ODUNUKWE: Formerly Miss Odunukwe Ifeyinwa Endaline now Mrs. Ugezu Ifeyinwa Endaline. Former documents remain valid. Public note. ODUYEMI: Formerly Mrs. Olayide Oduyemi now Mrs. Idowu Olayide. Documents valid. Public note. OGBONNA: Formerly Miss Ogbonna Ijeoma Huldah now Mrs Ihuoma Ijeoma Huldah. All former documents remain valid. Mds Logistics and public take note. OGBONNA: Formerly Miss Ogbonna Nkeiruka Lucious now Mrs Nkeiruka Obasi Ukaegbu. Former documents valid. NYSC, Public note. OGUNLEYE: Formerly Miss Ogunleye Olubukola Bolanle, now Mrs Aderoju Elizabeth Olubukola Bolanle. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March, 16, 2013

Change of Name OGUNSANWO: Formerly Miss Adenike O l a o l u w a Oluwayemisi Ogunsanwo now Mrs. A d e n i k e Oluwayemisi. O. Ayeni. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

main valid. Public note.

OGUNSEITAN: Formerly Ogunseitan Akinbodunde Olaniran now Oluseitan Akinbodunde Olaniran. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

OKOLODIBE: Formerly Okolodibe Josephine Ekene now Nnaemeka Josphine Ekene. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

OGUNTOKUN: Formerly Miss Cynthia Olaronke Oguntokun now Mrs. Cynthia Olaronke Paul. Former documents remain valid. Public note. OGUNYINKA: Formerly Ogunyinka Benjamin Ade now Folorunsho Oluwanishola Mayowa Benjamin. Documents remain valid. Public note. OJAOKOMO: I, formerly Miss Oluwakemi Doris Ojaokomo now wish to be addressed as Mrs. Oluwakemi Doris Ajayi. All former documents remain valid. Public note. OJEYINKA: Formerly Miss Ojeyinka Olubusayo Abodunde now Mrs. Olubusayo Abodunde Taiwo. Former documents valid. Public note. OJUKWU: I, formerly Miss Chinyere Ojukwu now Mrs. Chinyere Ikem. All former documents valid. Public take note. OJUMU: Formerly Ojumu Abiodun Deborah now Oluwaleimu Abiodun Deborah. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

OKEKE: Formerly Miss Okeke Uche Anthonia now Mrs. Nwaeze Uche Anthonia. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

OKONKWO: Former Miss Nwamaka Chioma Okonkwo now wish to be addressed as Mrs. Nwamaka Benson. All former documents remain valid. Public take note. OKORIE: Formerly Miss Okorie Chikwudo Ogonna now Mrs. Nwoye Chikwudo Ogonna. Former documents remain valid. Public note. OKORO: Formerly Miss Edith Ugochi Okoro now Mrs. Edith Ugochi Okorie. Former documents remain valid. Public note. OKOSODO: Formerly Miss Rebecca Otibhor Okosodo now Mrs. Becky Otibhor Abenu. Former documents remain valid. Public note. OKPARA: Formerly Miss Nwamaka Rose Okpara now Mrs Nwamaka Rose Josepha Ihejetoh. Former documents valid. public note. OKPECHI: Formerly Miss Okpechi Nnennaya Juliana now Mrs. Ogbonna Nnennaya Juliana. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

OKAFOR: Formerly Miss Nkechi Irene Okafor now Mrs. Nkechi Irene Morah. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

OKWECHIME: Formerly Miss Nneka Nora Okwechime now Mrs. Nneka Nora Mbagwu. Former documents valid. Deltaafrik Engineering Limited, First Bank, GTB, Ecobank, public note.

OKAFOR: Formerly Miss Okafor Nkechinyere Chikaodinaka, now Mrs. Ogbodo Nkechinyere Chikaodinaka. Former documents re-

OLATUNJI: Formerly Olatunji Temitope Funmilayo now Mrs. Abioye Temitope Funmilayo. Crawford University and public note.

OLOGUNDUDU: Formerly Miss Ologundudu Olabisi Ajoke, now Mrs. Daodu Olabisi Ajoke. Former documents remain valid. Public note. OLORUNFEMI: Formerly Miss Mojisola Anne Olorunfemi, now Mrs Mojisola Anne EmekaAnyanwu. Former documents remain valid. Public note. OLUFUNMILAYO: Former Miss Olufunmilayo Olayemi Ileyemi now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Olufunmilayo Olayemi Ogunbayo. All former documents remain valid. Public note. OMOTOYE: Formerly Miss Omotoye Oluwafadekemi Abosede Atinuke now to be known as Mrs. A f o l a b i Oluwafadekemi Atinuke. All former documents remain valid. Public note. ONIPE: Formerly Miss Onipe Ahuoiza Rukayat now Mrs. Dawodu Ahuoiza Rukayat. Former document remain valid. Public note. ONOVOH: Formerly Miss Onovoh Chinenye Peggy now Mrs. Onah Chinenye Peggy. Former documents remain valid. Public note. ONOVO: Formerly Miss Onovo Sophia Onyeka now Mrs. Nwaeme-Onovo Sophia Onovo Sophia Onyeka. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

Opara Pat Ngozi now Mrs. Okoli Pat Ngozi. All former documents remain valid. Public note. OPAREMI: Formerly Oparemi Oluwatoyin Moriam now Mrs. Olatunji Oluwatoyin Mariam. All documents remain valid. Public note. OREFOR: Formerly Miss Orefor Joy Anulika now Mrs. Eke Joy Anulika. Former documents remain valid. Public note. OSANYINTOLU: Formerly Miss Osanyintolu Olaitan Magret now Mrs. Kolade Olaitan Magret. Former documents remain valid. General public note. OSUIGWE: formerly miss Osuigwe Peace Ezinwa now Mrs Chinenye Peace Ezinwa. former documents valid. public note. OSUNMAKINDE: I, formerly known as Miss Osunmakinde Opeyemi Cathe now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adetunji Opeyemi Cathe. All former documents remain valid. Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and the entire public should please note. OYELADE: Formerly Miss Oyelade Lydia Adebunmi now Mrs. Dosunmu Lydia Adebunmi. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

OYEYIOLA: Formerly, Oyeyiola Hamidat Oluwatoyin now Ajiboye Hamidat Oluwatoyin. Former ONWUSO: Formerly documents valid. UniOnwuso Chukwudi versity of Benin TeachJustice now Onwusa ing Hospital (UBTH), Chukwudi Justice. For- Nigerian Medical As(NMA), mer documents re- sociation main valid. Public Nigerian Medical and Dental Council, note/ (NMDC), National ONYEJIDE: Formerly Youth Service Corps, Mr Onyejide Innocent (NYSC), and public Uche now Mr Inno- note. cent Uche Daniels. PEDRO: Formerly Miss Former documents re- Ibidunniolu Yemisi mainsÂ valid. Public Pedro, now Mrs note. Ibidunniolu Yemisi ONYIA: Formerly Miss Olusanya. Former docOnyia Rita Jennifer uments remain valid. now Mrs. Eze Rita Jen- Public note. nifer. Former docu- RAJI: Formerly Miss ments remain valid. Raji Sadiat Morayo FBN, public note. now Mrs. Raji Halimat Morayo Owoyele. ForOPARA: Formerly Miss mer documents re-

main valid. NYSC, public note. SAFI: Formerly known as Miss Lena Ama Safi now Mrs. Lena Ama Safi-Abdulai. All former documents remain valid. Public note. SALIYO: Formerly Miss Saliyo Mavis Emamezie now Mrs. Faka Mavis Emamezi. Former documents remain valid. NYSC, public note. SANGOJIMI: Formerly Miss Sangojimi Omolola now Mrs. Samuel Omolola Tunrayo. Former documents remain valid. NIPOST, UBA, public note. SANUSI: Formerly Mr. Sanusi Adelaja Oluwaseyi now addressed as Afolabi Victor Oluwayifunmi. Former documents remain valid. Public note. SHITTU: I, formerly Miss Shittu Ramat Titilayo now Mrs. Oladoyin Ramat Titilayo. All former documents remain valid. Public note. SHUTTI: Formerly Miss Ojuolape Zainab Shutti now Mrs. Ojuolape Zainab Bakare. All former documents remain valid. Public note. SHOPADE: I, formerly Miss Shopade Oluwajuwon Christiana now Mrs. Olorunsomo Oluwajuwon Christiana. All former documents remain valid. UNILAG and general public note. SOJE: Formerly Miss Mary Hadiza Soje now Mrs. Mary Hadiza Aguebor. Former documents remain valid. Public note. SOLIHU: Formerly Miss Solihu Hajaratu Abimbola now Mrs. Bakare Ajarat Abimbola. Former documents valid. Public note. SONOLA: Formerly Miss Sonola Saidat Olasunkanmi now Mrs. Obiwunmi Saidat Olasunkanmi. Documents valid. Public note. TAMARABRAKEMI: Formerly Miss Tama-

rabrakemi Malemi Blessing now Mrs. Blessing Malemi Obinyoefoh. All former documents remain valid. Public note. TASIE: Formerly Miss Tasie Maureen Anurika now Mrs. Uzoaku Maureen Anurika. Former documents remain valid. Public note. TAIWO: Formerly Miss Taiwo Adetoun Funmilayo now Mrs. Lawal Adetoun Funmilayo. Former documents remain valid. Public note. TITUS: Formerly Miss Udofia Kenti Titus now Mrs. Okehielam Kenti Udofia. Former documents remain valid. Public note. UCHE: Formerly Miss Uche Jane now Mrs Kalu Jane. Former documents remain valid. General public take note. UDOFANG: Formerly Udofang Glory Emmanuel now Mrs. Ekanem Glory IniObong Eyo. Documents valid. Public note. UGWU: Formerly Miss Ugwu Gladys Nwanneka now Mrs. Agu Gladys Nwanneka. Former documents remain valid. Public note. YOVWE: Formerly Ofuafo Erhie Yovwe now Mrs. Tobi Vivian Erhievovwe. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

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THE GUARDIAN, Saturday March 16, 2013

COVEREXTRA

‘Alamieyeseigha’s Pardon Is Untimely and Political’ By Debo Oladimeji, Samson Ezea, Bethrand Nwakamma (Lagos) and Abba Anwar (Kano) HE presidential pardon granted former T Bayelsa State governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha has been described as Omole

Okorie

Ubani

untimely and improper because of the political undertone attached to it. This is the view of a university don, Barrister Ahmed Rabi’u of the Faculty of Law, Bayero University, Kano. He said President Goodluck Jonathan has every legal right to do so, but added: “It is legally okay as a Chairman of the National Council of State. There are three things to look at. There is morality, politics and legality. The President has every the legal right to do it but it contradicts morality because of the political undertone involved.” On the issue of whether there was ethnic colouration to the issue, he said is is a nonissue because it is the law of the land that give him such power. He added that any form of offence could be pardoned by the President, according to the laid down procedures. Speaking in the same vein, Chairman of a pressure group, Free Al-Mustapha Forum, Alhaji Sani Abdullahi Garko condemned the presidential pardon granted Alamieyesiegha. “It is very unfortunate. The President should understand that Al-Mustapha stands a better chance to be pardoned,” he said. Sagay Lauds Presidential Pardon For Alamieyesiegha Prof Itsay Sagay (SAN) has commended President Goodluck Jonathan for granting pardon to Diepreye Alamieyesiegha, describing it as perfectly in order. Speaking in a telephone interview with The Guardian on the issue, he said Alamieyesiegha has been tried and convicted with his property seized, whereas there are thousands of corruption cases in courts that are not being followed up. “There is one particular case of a man that got perpetual injunction at the High Court level. What type of corruption are we still fighting? “The government should stop running after

its wrong enemies. There are those corrupt government officials that are walking freely. Those are the people that the government should go after. Alamieyesiegha deserved to be pardoned,” he said. ‘We Can Only Criticize It, We Cannot Reverse It’ “The Constitution empowers the President to grant presidential pardon. It was the constitutional power conferred on him that he exercised. Unfortunately, nobody among those who attended the Council of State meeting opposed him while he was reading out the list of the beneficiaries. “We cannot reverse the decision; rather we can only criticize which makes no meaning because the deed has been done. In a normal society, such decisions are supposed to haunt the President in 2015 general election. Presidential pardon can only be granted to exconvicts and that was what the president has done. It is left for Nigerians to guard their votes well to ensure that these people do not return to seat of power again. Chief Chekwas Okorie is the National Chairman United Peoples Party (UPP) ‘The Action Is Not In The Best Interest Of The Country’ The intendment of the drafter of the constitution could not have been that the provision for state pardon be used to grant pardon to treasury looters and economic saboteur. It is not disputable that the President in the exercise of his constitutional power can grant pardon to felons, but in granting such, the President must act reasonably, responsibly and in the overall interest of the nation. Thus in a situation where state pardons are granted to those convicted of looting the treasury of their states, criminal breach of trust, embezzlement of depositors’ and shareholders’ fund and coup plotting, the conclusion to be drawn by any reasonable man is that the President acting on the advice of the Council of State if any, has not acted reasonably and in the best interest of the country

especially with the position of the country on global corruption index Mr Adebamigbe Omole, Former chairman NBA Ikeja Branch Lagos ‘Presidential Pardon Was An Indication That Anti-corruption War Has Ended’ It is a clear confirmation that the fight against corruption in Nigeria has ended and a public pronouncement of President Jonathan and People Democratic Party (PDP) government state policy in support of corruption. Note that there was not a single ordinary Nigerian convicted for stealing handset or tubers of yam that was pardoned. But by far more, the poverty of the situation is that all the state resources, energy and public resentment that went into the processes before Alamieyeseigha’s conviction, have now come to nought because as at today, DSP Alamieyeseigha can pick up PDP form to vie for a seat in the Senate come 2015, which is where they all want to be and push further for immunity. Nigerians must be united in condemning this reckless, insensitive perfidy. Even the international community will become very circumspect in their embrace for direct foreign investment. Malachy Ugwummadu, Lagos-based Human Rights Lawyer ‘Presidency’s Explanation Is Watery And Provoking’ The anti-corruption fight of the Federal government is clearly in trouble. So far the explanations from the government aides are not only, watery but also provoking. The explanation of people like Dr Doyin Okupe tells you that Nigeria is in serious trouble. He presented President Jonathan as an unrepentant monarch whose various infractions cannot be questioned by his subjects. Okupe needs to be educated that Nigeria is in democracy and her rulers need to exercise their powers in the interest of the nation. Monday Ubani, Chairman NBA Ikeja Branch Lagos

‘President Jonathan Was Misled To Pardon Ex-Convicts’ Sule Kwasau, a seasoned constitutional lawyer based in Jos, was one time the Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Plateau State chapter. In this interview with ISA ABDUSALAMI, he speaks on why some people who were granted presidential pardon deserved it and why others should not have been pardoned at all. HAT are the legal implications of the recent pardon grantW ed to some people by President Goodluck Jonathan? The Nigerian media is awash with comments on the propriety or otherwise of the exercise of the prerogative of mercy by the President on these people. While some of them were found guilty of corruption, others had cases that bordered on political persecution. I am going to sort out these two categories and then make the relevant comments. Let us talk about the politically-persecuted. Recall that in our recent history during the reign of General Sani Abacha, a couple of people were branded as opposition politicians who were bent on thwarting his political ambition to succeed himself. These people include (rtd) Gen. Obasanjo, late Gen. Shehu Yar’Adua, Gen. Oladipo Diya, Gen. Abdulkarim Adisa, Gen. Olarewaju and a host of others. It is clear that these people were just being persecuted because of their political views at that time. So, if Jonathan granted them pardon, it is understandable. Recall that Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar also pardoned Gen. Obasanjo, which facilitated his eligibility to contest elections. And so, what is sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander. I think Jonathan’s pardon to this category of persons is in order. However, considering the fact that corruption has been the bane of our development in the country, the other category of persons that were pardoned like Mohammed Bulama, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and others, I think it is a wrong decision to grant them pardon at this time. While nobody can challenge the right of the President to pardon whoever he chooses, public opinion is not in support of such pardon, especially that the offences they were alleged to have committed bordered on corruption. There is an ongoing war against corruption by the government. Now, granting this pardon at this time will give the impression that government is not serious about the war against corruption. In fact, if anything, it is encouraging corruption. My major problem with the government in power is that each

time a party member commits a bare-faced criminal offence, they quickly run round such a person and say it is a family affair even when the laws of the state have been violated. We remember the struggle that the PDP had over Chief Bode George when he was found to have tampered with the finances of the Nigerian Ports Authority which led to his trial and subsequent conviction. If it were not for the boldness of the Lagos State government and Ministry of Justice, the man would have gone scot-free. So, for me, the President ought to have separated the chickens from the vultures. He should have made a very clear distinction. Now, giving lame excuses that they have shown remorse does not go down well with many Nigerians. So, I think for that, he did not do the right thing by literally saying that, ‘well, go and steal, come back we will forgive you.’ So, that is my position. The President has made his pronouncement and his decision is irreversible. What do you want him to do now? Well, I don’t know whether it is irreversible or not. For me, if a mistake has been done, it can be corrected. That shows courage. Recall that not too long ago, the government unilaterally changed the name of the University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University. Following the outcry against the move, the president recently reversed the decision. When the Governing Council of the university was inaugurated recently, the Chairman of the council, Prof. Jerry Gana was reported to have said that the president had reversed that decision in line with the wishes of the people. So, there is also an opportunity for the president to do the same now in the case of the pardon he granted recently. Is it easy for the president to reverse this kind of decision? Don’t forget that this is within the discretionary powers of the president. So, in the exercise of his discretionary powers, he should do it judiciously. If he realizes there was a mistake, there is no harm in saying, ‘well, it is not yet time for you to be pardoned.’ The whole reason, to my mind, points at 2015 elections. It has political undertones. He feels these people who would go and mobilize support for him in his bid for a return to the Presidency come 2015. Can’t that be done without their pardon? Perhaps some of them may have political ambitions, they want to contest elections and the President, for me, must have been illadvised to pardon this category of ex-convicts. And for me, there is likely going to be a backlash in terms of his popularity. His popularity will take a nosedive in some quarters. Even in the international community, the call for direct foreign investment into the country, with this kind of a decision now, may not yield the desired result.

However, considering the fact that corruption has been the bane of our development in the country, the other category of persons that were pardoned like Mohammed Bulama, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and others, I think is a wrong decision to grant them pardon at this time. While nobody can challenge the right of the President to pardon whoever he chooses, public opinion is not in support of such pardon especially that the offences they were alleged to have committed bordered on corruption. I would not be surprised if other people begin to make clarion calls for such pardon for their own family members who had also engaged in such shady deals in that past and were convicted. I read in the newspapers that late Gen. Mamman Vatsa family is asking that Gen. Vatsa be pardoned. President Jonathan has opened a floodgate and you never can tell how it will end. In fact, armed robbers who had been killed in the past, their family members can come and say, ‘well, I think you need to pardon our family members.’ Because if you don’t, you are discriminating against them and the constitution frowns at discrimination.

Kwasau

THE GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 16, 2013

COVEREXTRA

‘Let Us Accept The Wisdom Of The National Council Of State’ Prof Steve Azaiki, former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) when Dr. Diepreye Alamieyeseigha was governor of Bayelsa state, told GODWIN IJEDIOGOR that

ASICALLY, what is right in the pardon, especially those of Alamieyeseigha and Bulama, who unlike the others were jailed for corruption? Well, the truth is Alamieyeseigha made some mistakes, but he was a victim of political manipulation. Alamieyeseigha was victimised because of his strong position on resource control, fair distribution of our oil wealth, with special consideration to those who produce the oil. So, I will say that Alamieyeseigha’s case was political. Is legally and morally right to grant them pardon in view of the fact that they were jailed for corrupt practices? As I said, Alamieyeseigha’s case was political. Only yesterday, two members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly said they were forced to sign documents to impeach Alamieyeseigha. It is in the wisdom of the President and the National Council of State to give pardon. It is not the first in history. What purpose would it serve? Is it not all politics? The President is not playing politics. He, like many of us from the Niger Delta, knew and know that Alamieyeseigha was a victim of circumstance. What the President and the National Council of State has done is morally and politically correct. The pardon will give Alamieyeseigha a second chance to contribute to the progress, peace and development of our country. He worked so hard to bring peace to our troubled Niger Delta. What does this tell of the so-called fight against corruption, which many believe has been on the slide, anyway? The President is fighting corruption. What is important is that Nigerians, individuals, groups and corporate bodies should join him to fight corruption. It is a fight for all of us. But in fighting corrup-

contribution to the progress and unity of Nigeria. Some believe other names were merely included to give it a face, as Alamieyeseigha was meant to be the main beneficiary? Nigerians like to speculate; rumour is an industry in Nigeria. There were up to 50 names submitted, including that of Alamieyeseigha. Remember that there was a rigorous process before getting it to the floor of the National Council of State. (Major Hamza) Al-Mustapha’s name and others waiting on appeal came up. It was stepped down because they are still in the court of law. Al-Mustapha has written to me twice. I have spoken with him on issues of concern to him. He will have a fair hearing when the time comes. This is time for reconciliation; a time to forgive. Nigeria needs peace and development. What does this tell of this administration and which way for Nigeria? This administration is premised on the rule of law and fairness to all. Alamieyeseigha has paid the price for courage and loyalty to his people. He has paid a huge prize for his mistakes and the Nigerian greed syndrome. He suffered impediments and psychological trauma. The plea bargain he entered in the court of law has impacted against his political career and a chance to play a key role in our nascent democracy. Alamieyeseigha has served our great country faithfully and assiduously in different capacities for over four decades with an unflinching commitment to its overall progress and development. I acknowledge Alamieyeseigha’s imperfections and liability to err, like any other mortal. Alamieyeseigha himself has made frankest admission of his shortcoming. The words of Mahatma Gandhi best define this gracious privilege, when he said “a cause has the best chance of success when it is examined and followed on its own merit.” Measures must always, in a progressive society, be held superior to men, who are after all imperfect instruments working for their fulfillment. Azaiki That moment of working together, forgiving one another, is now. Let us accept the wisdom of Alamieyeseigha, as first civilian governor of the National Council of State and the courage of tion, we must be careful not to victimise any Bayelsa State, is a mentor to many, especially the President to show us the morality of forgiveNigerian for the sake of politics. President Goodluck Jonathan has the capac- in the Ijaw nation. They see him as a couraness and magnanimity to restore geous and committed Ijaw man and they love Alamieyeseigha’s torn and traumitised dignity ity and the interest of the country at heart. Let us support him to win the war on corrup- him. and honour for an offence he has served the Jonathan is the father of Nigeria today and tion. punishment. Alamieyeseigha’s boss, yet he is humble Is it because Alamieyeseigha is Jonathan’s This is a humane decision, especially at this critenough to acknowledge Alamieyeseigha’s political mentor, so to speak? ical time of our nation’s socio-political history.

COVER

Killings: Foreigners Keep Low Profile In Abuja CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 domestic issues in their stations. And it was even more so in this instance. Acknowledging that the problem in Mali has a regional dimension with groups such as Boko Haram in Nigeria going to that country for terrorism training, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Terrence MacCulley has implored the federal government to step up and meet the peculiar challenges that breed alienation and a resort to militancy. He told The Guardian on Thursday: “That is why we advocate multipronged approach in solving the security problem in Nigeria. The Nigerian government has the responsibility to address the economic and social situation. Two thousand people have been killed since 2009 when the Boko Haram insurgency started. What we want is a comprehensive strategy that helps to take care of the situation without killing of civilians; and where there is respect for human rights.” Lebanon whose president begins a state visit to Nigeria tomorrow (Sunday) has a Charge d’Affairs to Nigeria, Wassin Ibrahim who told The Guardian on Thursday that his government has no comments on the state of affairs regarding the correct situation of the hostages, as well as the security situation in Nigeria,

more so as the family of the supposed- on the state of the hostages whether ly dead hostages are yet to be dead or alive, they say we should be informed. better optimistic than pessimistic. He said: “On this matter, I can only Now, how long we are going to wait say that we are abiding by the interna- in this regard, I do not know.” tional convention governing our relaBreakaway Boko Haram faction, tions and our stay in Nigeria. We also Ansaru claimed to have shot dead the align ourselves with the position of seven Setraco Construction Nigeria’s Foreign Minister. It is the Company workers earlier taken Nigerian security that should speak hostage last month at Jama’Are, on the matter and confirm the situaBauchi state. tion with our nationals. We are deeply The perplexed state of affairs surconcerned with what is happening.” The story was similar at the Syrian Embassy where its spokesman, Mukhtar Adam told The Guardian: “We cannot speak on the matter at all. I have no clearance to do that. We await the final comment on the matter by the authorities of our host country, Nigeria.” As expected, host company and employer of the hapless hostages Setraco is even in a more bewildered situation. This explains why the company has kept mute over the issue despite persistent prodding. Finally, Human Resources Officer Lulien Chahine told The Guardian at the company’s corporate headquarters in Jabi, Abuja: “We are waiting for confirmation of the situation by the Nigerian authorities. The secret service and all arms of security we understand are doing their work. It is not for us to tell you. We cannot lay our hands on anything. Yes we are in Setraco Life Camp in Jama’are touch with the security people. And

rounding the hostage saga has largely remained as there is still no official confirmation of the claims of the militant group besides a blurred video posted on You Tube last Saturday. Now, they (victims) and curiously not their bodies, have all been identified by their countries’ missions in Nigeria. More than 2,000 persons have been killed since the Boko Haram insurgency hit the high roofs in 2009. For

the rage of the moment, seven nationals are involved. Brendan Vaughan (British), Silvano Trevisan (Italian) and Konstatinos Karras (Greek), Carlos Bouaziz and Imad Andary (Lebanese) as well as Julio Khouli (Syria) and wife, Ghaidaa Saad. In January 2013, Ansaru had declared itself a splinter group independent from Boko Haram which means ‘Western education is sacrilege,’ Boko Haram is being blamed for at least 792 killings last year alone. An online video also purportedly claims that Boko Haram is currently holding hostage a family of seven French tourists who were abducted from neighbouring Cameroun in late February. Ansaru said the hostages seized in Bauchi were killed because of a rescue attempt by British and Nigerian forces. The first dastardly act for which the group claimed responsibility was an attack on a police station in Abuja in November 2012. Only last year, Chris McManus, a British citizen, was taken hostage by terrorists in Nigeria. He was taken hostage with his colleague, an Italian national, Franco Lamolinara. The British, Greek and Italian governments believe that their nationals are dead and have said so in their statements, but not the Lebanese and the Syrians. And nobody is saying anything else.

TheGuardian

Saturday, March 16, 2013 61

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Sports By Adeyinka Adedipe IGERIA’S participation in the men’s basketball event at the N London 2012 Olympics brought more attention to the game on the local scene with stakeholders hoping that the D’Tigers’ appearance would galvanise the local league. Though, the Nigerian team was made up of players who had never set foot in the country, except for Victor Skinn, Olumide Oyedeji and Ejike Ugboaja, who started their careers in the country, the feeling among basketball faithful is that the Olympic appearance would also inspire players plying their trade in the domestic league. Such performance is what everyone is expecting despite the strong doubt over the commencement date of the Dstv League for men. The league was expected to dunk off this weekend but it seems the non-release of funds by the sponsor have stalled that arrangement. The delay, not withstanding, teams have continued with their preparations which began early in the year, hoping that they would end up as champions at the end of a grueling season, which will see over 48 games being played across the centres. The difficulties experienced in the past have also not dampened the spirit of the players, coaches and club administrators, who are upbeat that this season would showcase the best of Nigerian basketball. The feeling among the club owners is that changes that would favour the clubs should be made so that they could benefit more from the sponsorship fee in the men and women’s league. The administrative cost of running the league, they believe, should be reduced to allow the clubs, who are the major actors, have more money to manage their affairs. Though this had been a recurring issue, respite will only come the way of the club if the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) gets more money from the Dstv, who have promised to present the cheque next week. However, before now, the NBBF had maintained that its current sharing formula was the best considering the logistics involved in running the leagues. But with the men’s teams expected to play more games, the clamour for more money by the clubs has also resurfaced. Another issue agitating the minds of the basketball faithful is the few new talents coming through despite the several youth tournaments in the country. The situation is compounded by the fact that even the few discovered new talents fail to make it to the top clubs, where the older players still hold sway. Some players after gaining the prominence on the local scene either go to colleges in the United States or are drafted into the NBA, while most of them are transferred to some obscure clubs in Europe and Asia where they do not have the opportunity to improve on their skills. In the women basketball league, which will dunk off on March 28, two leading teams, First Deepwater and First Bank are content to battle each other on the domestic scene but have failed to make any impact on the continent. They both came 9th and 10th respectively at the club championship in Cote d’Ivoire last year. The men’s teams have also not done better on the continental scene with Royal Hoopers and Kano Pillars failing to make any impression at last year’s African Club Championship. Since Hoopers burst onto the scene a few year’s back, they have become a strong force with their youthful coach, Ogor Odaudu marshaling his players to breathtaking victories. But the team may struggle this season after many of its important players left the team at the end of last season. A feature of the coming season is the increased number of games, which the NBBF believes will make the league more vibrant. In the new format, each team is expected to play twice the number of games it played last season. Although the clubs have accepted the format, they are saying that they will incur more cost and therefore will need more money to run their affairs. Chairman of Dodan Warriors Basketball Club, Col. Sam Ahmedu (rtd) told The Guardian that it was good to expand the fixture to allow for more games, adding, however, that since each team would play more games this season, they would need money to execute their programmes. He said: “It is good that we are going to play more games, but we will also need more money to take care of logistics that are attached to hosting our home games, which includes getting the halls ready, buying diesel and paying the table officials. “Our spending has doubled so the clubs need to get more from the sponsorship fee. We also have to provide adequate security at match venues, which also requires a lot of money.” Ahmedu fears that if this issue was not properly sorted out, some teams might be able to complete the season, which, he noted, would not be good for the development of the league. He adds that the fixture, which is made in such a way that teams have to play two consecutive games every weekend, would adversely affect the health of the players. “According to the rules of the game, home teams must play with bright colours. So what it means is that after playing a game on Friday, you may not have the chance to wash your jerseys for the other game the following day, or better still, the clubs must provide more jerseys, which will eat deep into their finance.

New Season, Fresh Problems Azuoma Dike of Royal Hoopers (right) goes for a dunk against Islanders’ player during the DSTV Basketball League played at Indoor Sports Hall of the National Statdium, in Lagos. “And if the players have to play with dirty jerseys, there are health implications. “Also, increasing the games and playing two games back-to back on the road and travelling back to your base might take its toll on the health of the players. “For example, my team is billed to travel to Port Harcourt to play Hoopers on the 25 and 26. After the games, we will have to travel down to Lagos, which might take us more days because of the bad roads. “The players may not rest well or rest at all before playing their next set of games the next weekend. They may not have time to even train and this may also affect the quality of the game thereby robbing us of the achievement we crave for. “I believe that the clubs should have been contacted before the fixtures were made. As I said, we are not against the increase of games but it should have been done in such a way that there would be time for the clubs to prepare for every game and ensure that the players do not burn out. “Breaking it down further, each team will play nine games in a month, three games in a week with the league scheduled to run for four months. “Even football that enjoys more sponsorship cannot cope with this kind of arrangement. So I think the NBBF should also look at ways of running the league better.” On the inability of the clubs to attract sponsors, Ahmedu said it was difficult considering that sponsors don’t put their money into bad products. “Clubs can raise money from other sponsors but the league as we

have it cannot attract sponsors. To me it is a bad product and unless it is made better, the desired changes will not occur.” The Warriors top shot said he has been able to attract sponsors to his club because of the other programmes he has created around the club. “We partake in charity activities, do media guide where we advert our sponsors and we have a fan base and our sponsors are involved in the activities of the fans. “As I talk to you, registration has not been completed and the NBBF says the sponsor is yet to release fund so I guess, we might have to wait a little longer for the season to kick off.” Looking into what looks like it would be a difficult season, Coach Ogor Odaudu says his team may not be able to defend its title after nine of its regular players left for other clubs due to the uncertainty surrounding the team. “Most of my players have left and retaining our title looks very remote. I am not predicting doom but with nine first team players out of my team it would be a herculean task to retain the title. Tracing the genesis of the team’s problems, Odaudu noted that the taking over of the club by the Rivers State Government through the sports council has adversely affected the team. “As I speak to you, we do not know whether we would be part of the league, though a little money has been released for us to prepare for the league. “The preparation has also been hampered by the loss of so many players but we are also bringing in new players to fill the positions that were left vacant by the ones that departed.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 62

THE GUARDIAN Saturday, March 16, 2013

SPORTS

The Best Of Football In Three Matches! HAT a week. What an incredible series of UEFA matches. W On Tuesday and Wednesday this past week, I was privileged to witness once again the best of football in three incredible matches that had everything – the good, the bad, the unpredictable, the truly beautiful, the spectacular and much more. The first match took place in Munich. Arsenal FC defeated Bayern Munich on the hallowed ground of the Allianz Arena. Common, wake me up, it cant be true. A team that has shown neither class nor style all season, that has given its millions of global supporters more headache and heartache than joy and cheer, went to the home ground of one of the world’s most disciplined and successful teams, a team that hardly ever loses a match on its ground no matter the quality of opposition, and came away with a 2-0 victory even with a very average performance! It is incredible that although Arsenal FC still did not qualify for the next round despite that victory, its defeat of the great Bayern Munich FC has been a soothing balm of some sort for ‘Gunners,’ who can’t seem to remember what it feels like to win a silver ware. The second even more dramatic match took place at the Camp Nou. FC Barcelona confounded and shut up all doubters like me with a superb display of undiluted attacking football. In 90 minutes it overturned a two-goal deficit, added two more goals, and made AC Milan FC, its conquerors only two weeks ago at San Siro, look like confused and bungling school boys.

The 4-0 score line beclouded what could also have happened had AC Milan Striker, M’baye Niang, converted the best chance of the night 10 minutes into the match and five minutes after Messi’s first magical goal. The match could have ended differently as Barcelona would have found climbing out of that trough and qualifying for the next stage of the championship too steep and almost impossible. Niang, with only the Barcelona goalkeeper to beat, saw his wellplaced, low angled shot hit the upright and bounced back into play. That for me was the real turning point of that match. Be that as it may, Niang lost the chance, Barcelona continued its unrelenting onslaught, got a second goal to clear all outstanding deficit and now had the cushion and confidence to create two outstanding additional goals to seal Milan’s fate. FC Barcelona played an almost perfect game, giving little away, keeping possession of the ball and denying the opposition same, leaving every watcher of that match mesmerized with its endless and seamless passing and movements, and the players of AC Milan in a state of dizziness as they futilely chased balls zipping around them at electrifying speed and accuracy. So, as the mystique of FC Barcelona’s style of play lives on, the scare created by its recent three losses has disappeared leaving the calabash still unbroken. Confidence has now been restored in the team and the world can sit back again, relax comfortably, and continue to enjoy Tiki Taka - a perfect midfield of five of the best players in the world led by, perhaps, the greatest goal-scorer and football player the world has ever seen.

Barcelona’s players celebrate their third goal during the UEFA Champions League game against AC Milan at Camp Nou Stadium. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 61 “To be honest, winning the league will be a tough task but qualifying for the top eight will be a welcome development, though our aim is to retain our premier league place.” Speaking on the expanded league, Odaudu said he was excited that more games would be played as the last format, which had teams playing 14 games in the regular season was very inadequate. “It is good we have to play more games because at 14 games most of the teams are just reaching their peak so for the league to end at that point is not normal. So I welcome more games for our team.” He, however, said that the teams should get more subsidies from the sponsorship fee since they would have to spend more on hosting games at home. “Though we don’t know how much we will get from the sponsorship fee, my candid opinion is that the NBBF must make more money available to the team. We don’t also know what the sponsor will bring so everything seems to be on hold for now. “All the teams should continue their preparation but for my team we will always give our best at all times. My team is making progress and I hope that by the time the league begins we will be ready to take on other teams,” he added. As it is in the men’s game, Coach Lateef Erinfolami of First Deepwater Basketball Club also wants more games for the women’s league. According to Erinfolami, playing more games would help the teams at the continental level. He added: “The female game can improve if we have a system that encourages the teams to play more games and invite teams from other leagues for mini championships at least once in a year. “This will enable us learn from them and study

Segun Odegbami Then there was a third match. It also produced its own awesome drama and a disaster. Pre-match favourites, Schalke FC of Germany did not know what hit it when Galatasary FC came calling from Istanbul. The first match had ended in a 1-1 draw in Istanbul, even in a match that many felt Schalke FC deserved to win. All it needed was a scoreless draw or any win at home to go on to the quarter-finals. However, when Galatasary FC marched out for the second leg of its match in Gelsenkirchen it came armed with missiles that confounded everyone. Playing with a fading but very experienced Didier Drogba as its main striker upfront, the Turkish club players ran non-stop for 90 minutes, covering every blade of grass, contesting every ball like wounded lions, got and took its few chances and broke the back of the Germans with a last minute decisive goal. It came out from that battle bruised but victorious. The final 32 score line was a miracle created by sheer hardwork and the determination and fighting spirit to win. Fans of Schalke FC are still in a shock wondering what hit them. NNPC/Shell Cup - A New Generation Of Footballers To Emerge We always first see many of them at the annual NNPC/Shell Cup All-Nigerian Secondary Schools Football Championship. Several of the top players in our national teams through the years have surfaced into the limelight somewhere along the circuit of the championship, particularly at the final rounds. A competition that exposes some 50 to 60 thousand young players in secondary schools all over the country now holds its own as a permanent fixture in the academic and sports calendar of the country. Next weekend once again all is set for Nigerians (and indeed Africans through television) to witness the emergence of a new generation of Nigerian footballers. It is the competition that, in the 15 years of its existence, has showcased hundreds of players now playing professionally for different clubs in the domestic leagues, foreign clubs and in the different Nigerian national teams. The latest addition to the long list of discoveries is Ejike, the diminutive Super Eagles left winger playing for Rangers International FC and a member of the 2013 African Cup of Nations victorious team. Others before him are Mikel Obi, Chinedu Obasi, Victor Nsofor, Ajani Ibrahim, and so on. All roads, therefore, lead to the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos next weekend for another feast of the best of tomorrow’s football today.

PHOTO: AFP

NBBF, Club Owners Set To Close Ranks their style with a view to countering them when we meet at continental championship.” He lamented that the new league arrangement, which has seen the teams divided into groups, meant that they would play fewer games and the two leading sides might not meet until the play off. “I guess this arrangement is a mistake because we will play fewer games and my team may not get to play First Bank until the play off, which is not good. “What makes the league exciting is that you get to play a team three times and you can conveniently beat your chest as true champions when you win the league. This time it is not so and I don’t see how this will help the playing standard,” he added. Erinfolami, a former international, said his team has been preparing hard for the event. “We were in Cotonou to play in a competition, though it was a tough tournament but it gave us the opportunity to keep in shape for the league. “We are the defending champions and we hope to retain our title playing hard and approaching our games with tactical and technical efficiency. We have beefed up the team with four new players with one of them coming from ABC of Abidjan, while we have a young player from Warri that I am sure will become big in the near future.” He also called on teams to get private sponsorship that would help them improve their finances and help them motivate their players with financial incentives. While allaying the fears of the clubs, Vice President of the NBBF, Muktar Khaled, who is also the league director, said an increase in sponsorship package in the men’s league would definitely translate to more money for the clubs.

He said the NBBF was aware that the clubs would need more money to carry out their programmes, but advised them to be patient until Dstv released the contract and the funds for the new season. Khaled added: “The clubs got their wish for more games and we at the NBBF are also sure that it would help improve the league. We also know the financial implication of the new format. So, we will meet with the clubs once the funds are released to know what they will get. “We must also look at the administrative cost because we also need to pay the referees and take care of other logistics as well. But that said, the emphasis will be on how to cushion the financial burden of the clubs.” Khaled noted that no team would be allowed to miss any game during the season as agreed during the stakeholders meeting, assuring that the NBBF would intervene in clubs who have problem with their sponsors. “We also agreed that clubs, especially state owned clubs, should let us know whenever they have issues with the state government so that we can step in and speak to the state government.” He also disclosed that Dstv was looking for sponsors for the clubs where whatever is realized would be shared among the team to help boost their finances. On the fact that the female clubs would play less games this season, he said: “It is true that they would play less games but we have also increased the number of the teams to 16 and there is no way teams will play in phases like they did last season. “If we have to do that, we will have to spend 20 days in one location before moving to the next venue. It would be very demanding physically and boring. The quality of the games would also

drop as a result of fatigue. “What we have done is that we divided the teams into two groups and candidates for the newly introduced final eight playoffs would emerge after the second phase. The play off will now hold in Lagos.” The NBBF vice president noted that an open championship has been introduced to the calendar, saying, it would enable the teams have more competitions to play in and improve their skills. While admitting that the female league is not doing well due to dearth of talents, he assured that the NBBF would continue to embark on programmes that would reverse the trend. Looking forward to the beginning of the season, the players, who are not concerned by the politics of the game, cannot wait for the league to begin. Last year’s MVP in the Zenith Bank Basketball League for Women, Nkechi Akashile, said her team, First Deepwater, has been training hard and looking forward to retain their title at the end of the season. She said: “Training has been going on well since January and we can only hope that we would put most of what we have learnt into practice when the league begins. “Our parent company, First Deepwater Oil and Gas takes our welfare seriously and this would definitely spur us to victory. “We also won a tournament as part of our build up to the new season and we can only hope for the best. I have not set any personal target for myself, but my wish is to see my team retain its title at the end of the season, any accolade that comes to me will be additional.”

THE GUARDIAN Saturday, March 16, 2013

SPORTS English Premiership

Arsenal Need Bayern Spirit For Top Four Finish, Says Wenger RSENAL need to use the A same fighting spirit they showed against Bayern Munich in every match for the rest of the season if they are to capture a top-four finish in the Premier League, manager Arsene Wenger said. The north London club came tantalisingly close to pulling off an improbable comeback in their Champions League last-16 tie when they beat Bayern 2-0 in Germany in the second leg on Wednesday to go out on away goals after a 33 aggregate result. The only thing left to salvage from an eighth successive trophyless season is a place in next season’s Champions League but, sitting fifth in the Premier League, Arsenal have their work cut out to muscle

their way into the top quartet. “For us anyway every game now is a cup final,” Wenger, whose side travel to ninthplaced Swansea City today, told a news conference yesterday. “Swansea is always a difficult place to go and we need to repeat the game we had at Bayern Munich, it’s as simple as that, again based on solidarity, fighting spirit and a bit win-at-all-costs.” With 47 points from 28 games, Arsenal trail fourthplaced Chelsea by five points and they need to watch their backs as sixth-placed Liverpool and seventh-placed Everton are two points behind them and harbouring their own Champions League dreams.

On paper, Arsenal’s final 10 games of the season are favourable since the only side higher than them in the table they have left to play are leaders Manchester United but Wenger played down any advantage in that. “You know as well as I do how difficult the Premier League is and it’s not as mathematical as that unfortunately,” he said. “I always feel that we have the quality to be in the top four and 10 games is a long way to go but it’s down to consistency. “The away games of course will have a vital part in that in our final position of the season and tomorrow (against Swansea) is a big away game and therefore it’s important to prepare for it.”

Benitez Is Talking ‘Nonsense’, Claims Ferguson IR Alex Ferguson has Saccusations rejected Rafael Benitez’s that he

Arsenal’s French manager, Arsene Wenger reacts during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match against Bayern Munich in Munich, southern Germany, on Wednesday. Bayern lost 0:2 but qualified for the quarterfinals. PHOTO: AFP

Villa May Crack Under Pressure, Redknapp Insists UEENS Park Rangers Q manager Harry Redknapp says today’s opponents Aston Villa could crack under the pressure of playing at home in their relegation tussle. QPR are bottom of the table but have dragged themselves back into survival contention with consecutive

league wins and are four points adrift of Villa who are hovering precariously one place above the relegation zone. “It (Villa) is a massive club with a young team and the pressure of the home crowd can affect people’s performances,” Redknapp told reporters.

“We go into the game away from home and people wrote us off a few weeks go but we’ve put ourselves back in the picture and in there with half a chance, so the pressure isn’t really on us. “It’s a big game for sure. It’s a massive game for both teams. We’re both in a real battle so it’s going to have an important bearing on the league.

refused to shake hands with the Chelsea manager ahead of last Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Old Trafford. Benitez claimed he was waiting to shake hands with the United boss before the game but Ferguson walked past him without doing so. The Chelsea interim manager said: “I was waiting at the beginning. It’s up to him, I was in the way waiting.” Asked why Ferguson might have done so, Benitez added: “Ask him - if you are brave enough ask him. It was his decision. I was ready and waiting. I have some education because I know a lot of people are watching so I know what I have to do.” But speaking yesterday at his press conference ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Reading, Ferguson said: “It is nonsense. Why would I refuse to

Table Team P Man Utd 28 Man City 28 Tottenham 29 Chelsea 28 Arsenal 28 Liverpool 29 Everton 28 West Brom 29 Swansea 29 Fulham 28 Stoke 29 West Ham 28 Newcastle 29 Norwich 29 Sunderland 29 Southampton29 Aston Villa 29 Wigan 28 Reading 29 QPR 29

GD 37 27 15 26 21 20 9 2 4 -5 -8 -9 -10 -18 -9 -12 -26 -22 -21 -21

Pts 71 59 54 52 47 45 45 43 40 33 33 33 33 33 30 28 27 24 23 23

Aston Villa’s star, Gabriel Agbonlahor

Fixtures Today Everton Villa Southampton Stoke Swansea Man United Tomorrow Sunderland Tottenham Chelsea Wigan

v v v v v v

Man City QPR Liverpool Westbrom Arsenal(1500) Reading

(1245) (1500) (1500) (1500)

v v v v

Norwich Fulham Westham Newcastle

(1330) (1500) (1600) (1600)

(1730)

shake his hand? “I was signing autographs and I never saw him. Why he has said that I have no idea. If

he wanted to shake hands he could have stood straight in front of me. “It is absolute nonsense.”

Messi Sends Heineken Champions Planet into Frenzied Celebration HE five star performance T of ‘World Footballer of the Year,’ Lionel Messi, stole the show on Tuesday, as FC Barcelona of Spain secured an emphatic 4-0 win against AC Milan of Italy to book a place in the quarter final round of the UEFA Champions League. But it was not the sole highlight at the Heineken Champions Planet as Heineken did a full rollout of their much anticipated RFID technology. The technology allowed those at the house to share their excitement with friends on social platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Many guests at the Heineken Champions Planet had predicted a slim win for the Spanish giants, with Milan going through to the next round on goal aggregate. However, the trio of Ayodele Bamisile, Alex Valentine, and Lateef Fatola were the heroes of the night at the Heineken Champions Planet as they correctly predicted the 4-0 result to win premium quality Heineken gift. “This is a night I will always remember. My team, FC Barcelona, was on the verge of elimination from this prestigious competition, but we won, and here I am with a fantastic gift from Heineken to crown a glorious night of legendary football,” the elated Bamisile said after the presentation. A superb first-half brace from Messi put Barcelona 2-0 ahead on the night, and leveled the 2-2 tie on aggregate. The stage was set for a tiewinning Messi hat-trick, but it was David Villa who picked out the far corner of the net in the 55th minute following a brilliant pass from Xavi. Jordi Alba, the rampaging

left-back, finished brilliant Barcelona’s job with a closerange strike on the counter deep in injury time to wrap up a historic celebration at the Heineken Champions Planet and at the 98,000 capacity Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona. “Barcelona is back! I am anticipating another Clasico in the competition. We need to revenge last month’s bitter defeats to Real Madrid and put Jose Mourinho and his army of supporters here Heineken Champions Planetin their rightful place,” said a guest at the Heineken Champions Planet after the match. While many Barcelona supporters seemed content with the result of the night, one guest wanted more “I want Lionel Messi to surpass the goal scoring feat of Ruud van Nistelrooy.” he said. Van Nistelrooy, who played for PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United and Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League from 1998 to 2009 scored 60 goals in the competition while Messi, after Tuesday’s show piece now has 58 goals to his credit. But ‘fading’ Raul Gonzalez, a former Real Madrid icon, holds the competition’s record with 71 goals. On Wednesday, many FC Arsenal fans left the Heineken Champions Planet disappointed following the elimination of the North London side by Bayern Munich despite securing a 2-0 away win at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. No thanks to the 1-3 deficit from the first leg at the Emirates Stadium in London. With the exit of Arsenal, it is the first time in 17 years that no English Premiership team makes it into the quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League!

TheGuardian

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

National Junior Handball Championship

Kwara Dethrones Kogi, Wins U-12 Girls Trophy From Adeyinka Adedipe WARA State has won the K under-12 girls trophy of the on-going National Junior Handball Championship by beating champions, Kogi 23-12 at competition that ends today in Isanlu, Yagba east, Kogi State. The Kwara team was on the offensive from the opening minute, dominating the game, a development, which did not go down well with the home fans. The Kwara girls’ passing game proved too much for hosts to contain such that even the instruction from the Kogi bench failed to yield any result. The winners tore Kogi’s game plan to pieces, winning the first half by 8-4. The game continued in the same fashion with Kwara extending the lead to end it at 23-12. Speaking after the match, victorious coach, emmanuel David, said he was surprised by the win, but noted that his team actually trained hard for the event. Despite the win, David stated that the team would continue to work hard to retain the trophy next year. David revealed that it wasn’t too challenging assembling the team “ because most of the players play for Girls Day Secondary School, Pakata and Pitching Handball Club.”

Chelsea On A High, Says Mikel

Chelsea’s Brazilian defender David Luiz (Left) against Steaua Bucharest’s Romanian midfielder, Adrian Popa, during the UEFA Europa League round of 16 second leg match at Stamford Bridge in London on Thursday night. Chelsea won 3-1. PHOTO: AFP

It’s Messi Against Beckham, Ronaldo Versus Drogba

HelSeA are on the ascenC dancy according to their He chance of Real Madrid Nigeria midfielder, Mikel Obi, Tmeeting Barcelona in the after they advanced to the Champions league final at quarterfinal of the europa league. On Thursday night, Chelsea beat Steaua Bucharest 3-1 to qualify for the next round of the europa league on a 3-2 aggregate. “The team spirit is high and I believe we will keep it up,” Mikel told MTNFootball.com “I want to win trophies this season again, it won’t be easy though. But we know we have to play every game in the europa league and the FA Cup like a cup final because now there is no second chance, you lose, you are out.” The Nigeria international said ‘The Blues’ proved a point against the top Romanian club.

Champions League Quarterfinals Fixtures Malaga v Dortmund Real Madrid v Galatasaray PSG v Barcelona Bayern Munich v Juventus. europa league quarterfinals Chelsea v Rubin Kazan Tottenham v Basle Fenerbahce v lazio Benfica v Newcastle

Wembley remained alive when the Spanish giants were kept apart in the draw for the quarterfinals. Barcelona will face David Beckham’s side Paris St Germain - he is the only english player left in the competition - while Real Madrid will take on Galatasaray. In the other two quarterfinals, Bayern Munich’s reward for seeing off Arsenal is a meeting with Celtic’s conquerors Juventus, while Borussia Dortmund will play Spanish side Malaga. Unlike in previous seasons, UeFA did not also make the draw for the semi-final pairings at the same time - that will now take place next month. Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho is aiming to become the first manager to win the Champions league with three different clubs, having achieved it previously with Porto and Inter Milan. His side saw off Manchester United in the first knockout round and also qualified from a tough group comprising the domestic league champions of Spain, Germany, england and Holland.

English Teams Kept Apart In Europa Steve McManaman, the former liverpool and Real midfielder who carried out the draw for UeFA, said: “Real have had to do it the hard way so far - they have beaten a lot of good teams.” Galatasaray’s squad include two former Mourinho favourites - ex-Chelsea striker Didier Drogba and former Inter midfielder Wesley

Sneijder. Barcelona, who came from 20 down in the first leg of the last round to beat AC Milan 4-2 on aggregate, will come up against their former striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Meanwhile, the three english teams remaining in the europa league were kept apart in the quarter-final draw.

Athletes Burn Ijebu-Ode Track, As AFN Begins Journey For World Championship By Gowon Akpodonor IGeRIA’S journey to this N year’s World Athletics Championships in Russia will formally get underway this afternoon, as the first leg of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Relays hold at the Dipo Diya Stadium in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. The event was earlier scheduled for the Gateway Stadium in Sagamu. Today’s first leg of the All

Nigeria Relays event will see the best of Nigerian athletes in action. Those expected to burn the track at the Ijebu Ode Stadium this afternoon include Ogho-Oghene egwero, Obinna Metu, Peter emelieze and Benjamin Adukwu. The AFN said yesterday that the second leg of the event is expected to hold at the refurbished Warri City Stadium, Delta State, on March 23, as a dress rehearsal for the fast

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FelIX OGUeJIOFOR ABUGU

Tottenham appeared to be handed the easiest draw after being paired with Swiss side Basle, while Newcastle will play Benfica from Portugal and Turkish side Fenerbahce will face lazio of Italy. Rubin Kazan will be tough opponents for Benitez’s Chelsea team. The Russian side have already knocked out two Spanish

teams - holders Atletico Madrid in the round of 32 and levante last night, winning 20 after extra time. Rubin were also unbeaten in a tough group that include Inter Milan, and are particularly strong defensively, having conceded only three goals in 10 european matches. Spurs’ opponents Basle scraped into the quarterfinals after Russian side Zenit St Petersburg missed a late penalty against the 10-Swiss side.

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approaching African Youth Athletics Championships billed to flag off on March 27 at the same venue. The Technical Director of AFN, Commodore Omatseye Nesiama told The Guardian yesterday that apart from the relay race, the athletes would take part in ‘Over-Distance’ races. “What I mean by over distance races is that instead of the athletes running 100m, they will run 150m and instead of 200m, they will run 300m. It is a way of putting them in good shape for the challenges ahead. Our relay teams are going to compete in all the legs of the All

Nigeria Relays.” The Coordinator of the All Nigeria Relays, Yusuf Ali, said yesterday that the change of venue from Sagamu to Dipo Diya Stadium was for logistic reasons. According to the former Team Nigeria captain whose national long jump record of 8.27m remains unbeaten for over two decades, the relay events to be competed this afternoon include 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m and the 4x800m relays. He listed the over-distance races to include 150m, 300m, 600m and 3000m in both men and women categories.