2016 Nov 5th edition

Vol. 6 No. 44

Saturday, November 5, 2016

National Mirror Online

P.8 NEWS DIVORCE COURT P.48P.26 Shagamu end of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway ‘My wife has no not closed ­— FG vaginal opening’

@NationalMirror

N150

NEWS

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Musiliu Obanikoro regains freedom

‘Former Minister may have squandered N1trn’ P. 6

President Buhari receives Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki at the State House.

FG charges Supreme Court Chief Registrar, others for N2.2bn fraud

a tori c i V P.17

P. 6

Don’t politicise rejection of Buhari’s $30b loan ­­—Senate Sealxk T

Do you regret your one night stand?

P.9

P. 24

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NOVEMBER 5, 2016

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Top Stories 2 NDLEA arrests four suspects with

various illicit drugs at Lagos Airport Olusegun Koiki

T

he National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, said it has apprehended four drug couriers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos.

The suspects, NDLEA said had attempted to courier the drugs to countries, which attract capital punishment for such offence.

According to a statement by the spokesman of NDLEA, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, the suspects had attempted to courier the drugs to China, Indonesia and Qatar.

INSIDE

Ofoyeju gave the names of the suspects as Aniebue Peter Nnamma, 50, Sokpe Zubbye, 37 (A.K.A Nzube Chukwudi), Ugwuezumba Hyacinth Arinze, 38 and Obinna James Obi, 30 years old.

Ofoyeju said that Nnamma, who sells clothes at Aswani market Lagos inserted 11 wraps of cocaine weighing 460 grammes into his anus, Zubbye, a freight forwarder from Anambra State with a Ghanaian passport ingested 955 grammes of cocaine.

He said both suspects were on their way to China. Also, Arinze, who deals in musical instrument at Alaba market Lagos was also caught with 2.130kg of methamphetamine. He disclosed that Arinze ingested 36 wraps weighing 570 grammes and packed 1.560kg in his luggage on his way to Indonesia.

The other suspect, an aluminium fabricator in Umuahia whose destination is Doha, Qatar was found in possession of 5.2kg of cannabis.

He stated that all four suspects are under investigation and would be charged to court soon.

Ofoyeju emphasised that if the suspects had been napped in the various countries they attempted to courier the drugs to, they would have been given capital punishment as the crime attracts death sentence in those countries.

Commenting on the arrests, the NDLEA Commander at the Lagos airport, Ahmadu Garba, said that the anti-narcotics agency would continue to ensure that drug couriers are arrested in any Nigerian airports and other points they might want to perpetuate their criminal acts.

Also, the Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd.), expressed worry over the spate of execution of Nigerians abroad, relating to drug trafficking offences coupled with the number of

those on death roll.

Abdallah urged perpetrators of the illicit act to desist from the heinous crime, adding that “drug couriers must see beyond the transient monetary gains of narcotic trafficking and appreciate the fact that they are actually endorsing their death warrant.”

Abdallah who described the action of the suspects as unfortunate and shameful said that drug trafficking was a criminal offence that has sent many to early graves leaving family members and friends in unbearable pain.

He added, “It is sad that the execution of those caught with drugs in these countries has not deterred them.

Many have died prematurely while others are daily counting down to their execution. This development has left their family members and friends in pains.”

Court remands 23-year-old for illegal crude oil possession Wale Ibrahim LOKOJA

WOMAN ‘No friend can influence me to disobey my husband’

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Beware! Stress can ruin your

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Crime Watch

Family accuses police over death of teenager Page 34

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Lokoja Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Lokoja has remanded a 23-year-old man, Mallam Abubakar Ibrahim in prison custody for illegal possession of 33,000 litres of crude oil suspected to be stolen.

The Chief Magistrate Levi Animoku who gave the order in his ruling on arraignment of the accused yesterday,said the offence alleged against the accused was grievous as it touched on the economy and live-wire of the country.

Animoku explained that the penalty for the offence was high and so was the propensity for the accused to elope justice if granted bail.

“The presumption of innocence guaranteed the accused notwithstanding, I am not convinced to admit him to bail. Consequently, the accused shall be remanded at the Federal Prisons, KotonKarfe. Meanwhile, the case is adjourned to November 17, for mention”, he declared.

Earlier, the prosecuting counsel, Musa Jubril of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kogi command, fold the court that Ibrahim was arrested by troops of the Nigerian Army.

Jubril said that the troops during “Operation Iron Fence” on LokojaKoton-Karfe-Girinya road in Kogi Local Government of Kogi State at about 1:30 am on August 26, arrested the accused with 33,000 litres of crude oil.

He said that the accused, without lawful authority did conspire with one Alhaji Yahaya and one Shehu whose first name is

unknown, now at large, to “illegally steal, posses and deal in crude oil of about 33,000 litres.”

The prosecuting counsel therefore charged Ibrahim with Dealing in Petroleum Product Without Lawful Authority contrary to and punishable

under section 1 (17)(a) and (b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap. M17 of the Laws of Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Jubril opposed admitting the accused to bail as he urged the court to remand him in prison custody in view of the gravity of the offence which carries life imprisonment upon conviction saying, “It is not safe to admit the accused to bail.”

Nigerian graduate sets up fufu processing firm with N75,000

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young university graduate, Wilson Ekeledirichukwu, who set up a fufu processing plant valued at N75,000, at Ihiagwa, near Owerri, said he established the outfit in order to be self-employed and also create jobs.

Mr. Ekeledirichukwu, a graduate of animal science from the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday in Owerri.

Fufu is a local delicacy made from fermented cassava, and is popularly eaten by many Nigerians, especially people from the Southern and North-Central Nigeria “As an undergraduate, I resolved that I will be among Nigerians to create jobs and not those looking for jobs that are not easily available in this country now. ‘’After my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in Oyo State between 2014 and 2015, I first ventured into paint production but discovered that the project required much capital,’’ he said.

Mr. Ekeledirichukwu said he finally

settled for the processing of fufu. He said the equipment for the fufu processing cost him about N75, 000.

He said the “uniqueness of our fufu is that it has no odour”, adding that rather than the local method of pounding fufu, his outfit “uses turning method and gas cooker to process the product.’’

According to him, he has been supplying fufu to restaurants in his alma mater, Federal University of Technology, Owerri,(FUTO), Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri and a growing number of customers.

Mr. Ekeledirichukwu put the staff strength of the outfit at three, with N15,000 each monthly salary.

He said his intention was to establish a food processing firm with capacity to engage over 100 workers.

“If I sustain the income margin I am making now, I hope to establish my dream business before long.’’

“I feel that there are vast opportunities to tap by the young and energetic Nigerians, all that is needed is for people to have entrepreneurial spirit to drive their vision.’’ (NAN)

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Saturday Starter 3 NOVEMBER 5, 2016

Who will save Nigeria from militants?

The activities of militants in the Niger Delta have become a major cog in the wheel of progress in the country. The renewed insurgency in the region has robbed the country of huge income.

However, in spite of the efforts made by the present administration to pacify the militants, the problem remains unresolved, writes MUDA OYENIRAN

J

ust a day after President Muhammadu Buhari met with leaders of the Niger Delta to resolve the crisis in the region, a major oil pipeline was sabotaged.

The attack breached a crude export line that was commissioned on Monday. An official said the explosion occurred at the line that transfers stored crude oil to vessels for onward export.

Before this latest attack, the Niger Delta Avengers had told blew up critical infrastructures in the oil rich region causing untold economic loss. Eni, the parent company of Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, said the oil firm’s production had been cut short by 65,000 barrels per day following Friday’s attack on its pipeline in Bayelsa.

Earlier attacks in the oilfield had resulted in shutdown of some 5,200 barrels of the Eni’s equity share of oil output.

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Saturday Starter

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘We need Sovereign State not pipeline contracts’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

“The total deferred production due to the attack is 65,000 barrels of oil equivalent daily According to crude production figures provided by the oil firm, the country is losing about 3.12 million dollars in revenue each day the NAOC operated facility remains out of production.

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, had said that Nigeria was producing 1.6 million barrels of crude per day which excludes further production outages due to attack on Agip, Chevron and Shell facilities.

A militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers, has claimed responsibility for most of the recent attacks. The group rejected dialogue with the federal government calling instead for a Niger Delta republic.

The Nigerian military has vowed to deal with the militants and has deployed attack aircraft, and Naval war boats to the region Niger Delta Avengers, the new militant group that has claimed responsibility for a string of attacks on oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta, continued its disruption of Nigeria’s oil production with the bombing of more crude oil pipelines Thursday.

The Avengers added that the latest disruption is “in line with our promise to all international oil companies and indigenous oil companies that Nigeria oil production will be zero.”

The group did not say which oil company is operating the pipelines.

The group’s operation had become more audacious in recent weeks as it continued to cripple Nigeria’s oil production, demanding a sovereign nation of the Niger Delta people.

The Avengers had rejected a meeting recently convened in Abuja by the federal government, warning of its readiness to carry out an attack that will “shock the whole world”.

“The Niger Delta stakeholder’s meeting is an insult to the people of Niger Delta.

What we need is a Sovereign State not pipeline Contracts.

In order to curb this menace, President Muhammadu Buhari had on Tuesday this week met with some Niger Delta stakeholders including state governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting had stakeholders from nine states including Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo, Cross Rivers, Imo, Akwa Ibom and Abia.

Also at the meeting are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, governors of Edo, Cross River, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo and Akwa Ibom.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachair David Lawal, some ministers, Service Chiefs and the National Assembly members are also present at the meeting.

Amongst the stakeholders from Niger

Delta included Chief Edwin Clarke, His Royal Majesty, Chief Diette Spiff, former governor of Cross River, Donald Duke, former governor of Akwa Ibom, Obong Victor Atta, Ankio Briggs, Alabo Graham Douglas, Timi Alaibe and Mr. Nduka Ogbegbena.

After the meeting the Leaders of the Niger Delta region presented a 16-point demand to President Muhammadu Buhari, handing out proposals they say would help restore peace to the oil-rich region.

Top on the list of demands is the relocation of the administrative and operational headquarters of major International Oil Companies (IOCs) to the Niger Delta region. The leaders say the decision would fast-track the development of the region.

The region’s leaders, under the aegis of Pan Niger Delta Forum, also demanded the clean-up of other communities affected by spill, besides Ogoniland.

They also asked for a review of the amnesty programme’s core mandate of

providing a robust exit strategy, to ensure that those trained have jobs to return to or are given stipends.

President Buhari admitted that there were no quick fixes to the region’s problems. He said that peace was critical to the development of Niger Delta. He therefore called for a collective approach in solving the issue of militancy in the region.

According to him, it was imperative for the leaders to unit and seek ways of ending the militancy and the sabotage of oil infrastructure in the zone.

He however stated that anyone who had another country apart from Nigeria was free to leave the country. He expressed the determination of his administration to stay focused on its key campaign promises of securing the country, fighting corruption and creating jobs through the improvement of the economy.

A statement by his spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu stated that the president listed peace, security, investment and

The Niger Delta stakeholder’s meeting is an insult to the people of Niger Delta. What we need is a Sovereign State not pipeline Contracts

prosperity as close linked together, adding that “if we give peace a chance, investors will come here to invest. Nobody will invest in an insecure environment.

“We are determined to make life comfortable and affordable to all Nigerians. If anybody has a country to go to, let him go, we will stay here and salvage our country.” In welcoming the 16-point request presented for negotiation by the Niger Delta leaders, President Buhari said he was still expecting reports from officials he had instructed to review the implementation of the Amnesty program to determine where government fell short so that amends can be made.

The President said the service chiefs were putting together their own assessment of the militancy situation, saying “when I have these reports, including this one (just presented), we will revisit the situation (in the region) to ensure that we succeed this time.” He however cautioned the leaders of the Delta that they had more to do than anyone else to bring peace to the region, given the influence they have on militant groups. The President who delivered his report card on the war against corruption and the efforts to secure the country repeated his call to the Niger Delta leaders to join the administration in bringing peace to the troubled region.

“Please Your Excellencies, Your Majesties, Distinguished ladies and gentlemen; we all have our individual constituencies.

Let us try to pacify our constituencies. Let us first recover our country, secure the country and let us invite people who will invest. Let us create jobs for our people and let us be accountable to our people where we are sitting on treasuries, whether it is local government, state or the center. We

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NOVEMBER 5, 2016

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‘There were no militants at Buhari’s meeting’ should ensure that we rebuild this country.

Nobody wants to fail. So, the only way out is, if people understand and believe that we are doing our best at all levels, then we will have some peace. But it they have reason to doubt our performance and sincerity, then we will have problem”, he said.

Briefing journalists after the closeddoor meeting, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibeh Kachikwu, alongside the Minister of Niger Delta, Usani Usani, Edwin Clarke, King Alfred Diette Spiff, the Amayanabo of Twon-Brass and Francis Tabai, a retired justice, said the meeting was the first of several meetings that would hold quarterly in different states in the region.

They said the dialogue had already begun to yield results as daily oil production had reached 2.1 million barrel.

“What that means is that it is going to be an ongoing engagement. It will never finish. The Ministry of Petroleum is continuing a quarterly meeting involving the oil companies who fairly beaten up a little bit today and the governors and the stakeholders which will happen once every 3 months,” Mr. Kachikwu said.

“The first one is going to happen in Uyo in December and we are going to rotate that between the states so that we will have a platform irrespective of the negotiation that is going on to deal with the issues and continue.

“The reality is that as of today and this morning, we are at 2.1 million barrels production. That’s substantial. That would not have happened without efforts that went behind through the royal fathers and leaders, through the militant leaders.

A lot of behind-the-scene engagements had taken place and will continue to take place,” he said.

The oil minister said the president, in his response, said there was no quick solution to the problems, and that he would prefer to go to the roots of the Niger Delta problems.

“He wants to dig in and find a final solution,” Mr. Kachikwu said.

Mr. Clark, who spoke on behalf of the group, said the president received the document and “will now set the ball rolling with the Minister assisting him.

Then we will appoint a very capable team of experts to negotiate on our behalf ”. He said the issue of the maritime university was sorted out during the meeting.

The group, in the document presented to the president by King Spiff, asked for economic development and empowerment for the region.

He called for the implementation of the Brass LNG and fertiliser plant project, including the NLNG Train 7 in Bonny, and a review and update of the national

gas master plan to integrate the economic interests and industrialisation of the region amongst others.

The leaders also demand an inclusive participation in oil industry and ownership of oil blocs.

They also want a fast track of key regional critical infrastructural projects in the region, including the East-West road, and the full implementation of the rail project that is designated to run through the Niger Delta region to Lagos.

The other issues are: The issue of

increased military presence in the Niger Delta which has resulted in the invasion of communities, displacement of persons, harassment and other forms of human rights abuse.

They demanded the prompt take-off of Maritime University, and proposed that contracts for the security surveillance and protection of oil and gas infrastructure should be handled by communities rather than individuals.

The representatives also called for increase the restructuring and funding of

Buhari’s meeting was with traditional rulers, governors of the region and many people

Goodluck Jonathan administration, whereas that participated in the

the most important people are the youths in their

20s and 30s who are

the actual militants

the Niger Delta Development Commission and the strengthening of the Niger Delta Ministry.

The leaders also supported the call for fiscal federalism and urged that federal government to treat the matter expeditiously.

Chris, an indigene of Akwa Ibom state however accused the federal government of lack of sincerity in ending the insurgency saying the federal government should talk to the right people and not the political jobbers in the region. According to him it was the same people that have been representing the region that also came for the last meeting with President Buhari Also speaking in the same vein, Samson Akindele, a public Affairs analyst said: “The meeting of President Buhari with the stakeholders was not inclusive. People at the meeting were traditional rulers, governors of the region and many people that participated in the former President Goodluck Jonathan administration, whereas the most important people are the youths in their 20s and 30s who are the actual militants in the region. So the best thing for Buhari to do is to call the major militants for a meeting in order to resolve the issue”

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FG charges Supreme Court Chief Registrar, others for N2.2bn fraud

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he Federal government has brought forgery charges against three Supreme Court officials.

The officials, including the court’s Chief Registrar, are accused of N2.2 billion fraud.

The charges, filed on October 3 at a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory by

the Attorney General of the Federation, also contain allegations of bribe amounting to tens of millions of naira.

According to the charge, the defendants, Ahmed Saleh, Muhammed Sharif, and Rilwanu Lawal diverted N2. 2 billion belonging to the Supreme Court to their personal bank account at the Unit-

ed Bank for Africa, with account number: 2027642863.

Mr. Saleh is the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court.

He had been pencilled down as the next Secretary of the National Judicial Council, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

Mr. Saleh, who is from Hadejia, in Jigawa

State, graduated from both Bayero University in Kano and Usmanu Dan Fodio University, Sokoto.

He and the other two suspects were also accused of collecting tens of millions of naira as gratification contrary to the provisions of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act.

Gloria Usman

scope. “There is no structure in the country that can help them move their research to the next level; if that structure doesn’t exist I don’t think it’s wise to say they should not go outside”.

“If the inventor can get a partner outside that can help him or her to translate that research and development effort into products and services, then the knowledge is broadened and can be better harnessed,” the director-general said.

According to him, most of the ancient inventors used the same methodology.

“The ancient inventors used the same methodology; their citizens went into the Diaspora, had opportunities to broaden their thinking and skills and eventually brought the knowledge home and participated in national development.

“We need that exposure; our inventors need to see other opportunities so that

when they come back to Nigeria, they may be able to solve some of the problems we are facing,’’ he said.

Ibrahim said it was “important for Nigerian inventors to get that international exposure” adding that, historically, the most striking innovations could be traced back to external interactions.

He also said that most Nigerians in the Diaspora were patriotic and always willing to come back home to contribute to national development.

“They are itching to come home to see how they can contribute to the development of the country; what they need is the encouragement, sincerity of purpose and qualitative leadership.

“They are our strength and we just need to encourage them; I am happy that we have a Special Adviser on Diaspora who is working tirelessly to harness these strengths for national

good.”

However, He said that government had seen the need to close the gap between inventors and commercialisation of research findings by setting up an innovation body.

“I am also happy about the coming of this administration particularly the Minster of Science and Technology; he is now vigorously pursuing the establishment of a National Research and Innovation Council.

“The bill, I learnt, has passed second reading in the Senate; the bill when passed into law, will establish the council and allow it to have a dedicated fund that can take all the innovations to the next level which is the commercial level.

“So, we are making progress although it is at a very slow pace; this is not uncommon in developing countries; there will problems, but we will get over them,” Ibrahim said.

Inventors’ exposure in Diaspora necessary for national development –NOTAP

ABUJA

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irector-General, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP),Dr DanAzumi Ibrahim, has called on Nigerian inventors in Diaspora to return home and contribute to national growth.

Ibrahim made the call in an interview with the newsmen yesterday in Abuja.

He noted that the exposure of Nigerian inventors to the Diaspora would help fast track the country’s socio-economic development.

He said that the country lacked the framework to harness some of the innovations and develop them in commercial quantity.

Ibrahim said such inventors needed to sojourn the Diaspora, to exchange ideas and experiences with other experts and broaden their

Count one deals with allegations of conspiracy.

In the charge, the defendants were said to have recieved N2. 2 billion, and transfered same to their UBA account, between 2009 to 2016.

Count two contains allegations of a breach of trust.

Count three says the defendants received N10 million from a company, Willsdave Limited, a private contractor to the Supreme Court.

In count four, the officers are also accused collecting N6 million as

bribe.

The defendants were also accused of collecting N16 million from a company, Dean Musa Nigeria Limited, as gratification in 2015.

Count Eight says the officials received N19 million from Ababia venture limited, between 2009 to 2016.

Count Nine says they took also N21 million bribe money from MBR computers limited, between 2009 to 2016.

Some of the charges suggest the bribes could have been received to influence the award of contracts at the top court.

‘Former Abuja Minister may have squandered over a trillion naira’

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he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is investigating a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed, for alleged financial crimes in excess of N1.6 trillion.

Sources within the agency revealed that Mr. Mohammed, who served from April 2010 until May 2015, was allegedly involved in extensive land racketeering as a minister.

Prices of lands in Abuja are amongst the highest in Africa. A 1,400 sqm piece of land could go for as high as N250 million.

Plots can sell in up-

scale areas of Asokoro, Maitama and Wuse 2 for over a billion naira.

“After computation of the land deals that he struck, we discovered that more than N1.6 trillion could not be accounted for,” a source said.

Mr. Mohammed, a former senator from Bauchi State, was arrested on October 24 by EFCC operatives. He has not been released since then.

Sources said the EFCC had procured a court order to remand him for a longer period.

The former minister could not be reached for comments.

NATIONAL NEWS

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NOVEMBER 5, 2016

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Amosun, Daniel, Yayi, Kaka, others mourn Olaniwun Ajayi’s demise Femi Oyeweso ABEOKUTA

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gun state governor, Ibikunle Amosun, former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel as well as former Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial district, Gbenga Kaka joined other eminent citizens of the state to commiserate with the family over the death of the late Afenifere Chieftain, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi who died in a private hospital in Lagos yesterday at the age of 91.

Scores of residents of Isara - Remo in the Remo North local government area of Ogun state, also trooped to the country home of the elder statesman to register their condolences over his sudden passing away.

Saturday Mirror gathered that Sir Ajayi last had complained of chest pain last Thursday afternoon and was taken to a private hospital in Lagos by his eldest son, Dr. Konyin Ajayi before he eventually breath his last at the early hours of yesterday Friday.

As at the time Saturday Mirror visited the Isara country home of the late Afenifere chieftain, sympathisers and well wishers were seeing trooping in and out of the Ajayis’ palatial mansion, with others signing the condolence register opened for such.

Governor Amosun in his

.... An indefatigable advocate of democratic rule —Senator Adeola

own condolence message, described the late Ajayi, an associate of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, as one of the icons of Ogun state and architect of modern day Nigeria.

Amosun, in the statement issued yesterday in Abeokuta, the state capital by his Special Assistant on Media and Strategy, Juwon Soyinka, expressed mixed feelings over news of the death of Sir Ajayi, saying that the late elder statesman lived a long, fulfilled life in good health and made it to the gracious old age of 91.

While commiserating with the Ajayi family, the good people of Ogun state and indeed the entire nation, over the loss of the elder statesman, the governor said his words of wisdom will be missed at this critical stage of the nation’s development.

Meanwhile, his own condolence message, the former governor of the state, Daniel described the late Afenifere chieftain as a democrat of repute and an elder statesman who dedicated his life to the service of his people and the country.

Daniel, who expressed shock over the Olaniwun’s sudden demise, further described him as few remaining titans which ended another glorious chapter and

Shagamu end of Lagos-Ibadan expressway not closed, says FG

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ollowing the panic traffic buildup along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway as a result of alleged “closure” of the road, the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing has clarified that there is only a diversion on the road and not a full closure.

In a statement Friday, the Ministry, said Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, the contractors handling the road, only diverted the Lagos-bound side, from Shagamu interchange to Kilometre 37, to the Ibadan-bound side to enable it lay final layer of asphalt wearing course

on the Lagos side.

The Statement said contrary to the Traffic Advisory on a “closure” attributed to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), the diversion was necessary to enable Julius Berger use the double finishers at the same time thereby avoiding cold joints.

While urging motorists to be patient and tolerant in order to ensure orderly traffic management, the Statement said the company had promised to carry out the job quickly in order to reopen the side of the road on which the diversion had been effected.

created a deep void in Nigeria’s politics.

“Late Sir Ajayi was a very strong force in Nigerian polity and well respected in the political landscape over the years as he improved on the democratic ideals of the founding fathers and played his roles in the service to the nation in various capacities”.

“He remained principled when it mattered most and never compromised his stance even in the midst of challenges. His invaluable contributions to national

development will be greatly missed”.

In his own condolence message, the Senator representing Lagos West Senatorial district, Solomon Adeola Yayi described late Ajayi as a true welfarist who was earnestly committed to the welfare of humanity.

In a statement issued and signed by his Media aide, Chief Kayode Odunaro, Senator Adeola said the death of Sir Ajayi signaled the end of a great and principled man, who was loyal and consistent to

the welfarist philosophy of late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

“He was an indefatigable advocate of democratic rules and for years, was involved in the struggle against Military rule”.

Also, the former Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial district, Adegbenga Kaka, in his own condolence message said described late Sir Ajayi as “a consumate Awoist, political mentor to uncountable, legal Icon, epitome of good morals, neatness personi-

fied, educationist, a communicator per excellence, spiritual developer in his area of influence, passionate upholder of our cultural values, peace maker with no boundary, outstanding lover of his family, community and nation”.

Kaka further stated that it may take Nigeria decades to realise the value and importance of what our the country would be missing in the death of Sir Ajayi, “just as the lost opportunities in late Papa Obafemi Awolowo”.

L-R: Brand, Communications and Sponsorship All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), Marllo Tsosetsi; Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Head, Culture Division, African Union, Ms Angela Martins; Director, Africa, One Campaign, Ms Nachilala Nkombo and Chief Executive Officer, Knitting Factory Records, UK, Mr. Rikki Stein, during the AFRIMA 2016 Africa music Business Roundtable: ‘theme: Economic power of music for a new African’, held at Eko Hotel and Suite, Victoria Island Lagos, yesterday

Suspend Amechi, Onu, PDP urges Buhari George Opara ABUJA

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he factional national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend from office the ministers involved in the allegation of bribery in the ongoing investigation of the seven suspended Juges.

The National Judicial Commission, NJC, lately has suspended Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro of the Supreme Court pending when the Department of State Service, DSS, will conclude investigation on the accusation of official corruption against them.

Others are Justice Mohammed Tsamiya –Presid-

ing Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division; Justice Kabiru Auta of Kano State High Court; Justice Adeniyi Ademola, Federal High Court, Abuja; Justice I. A. Umezulike, former Chief Judge of Enugu state and Muazu Pindiga, federal high court, Gombe Division.

In a statement Adeyeye signed yesterday in Abuja, he said in line with the NJC suspension of the accused Judges to allow for a fair and independent investigation that the President should in like manner suspend the ministers accused by the judges of attempting to bribe them from office.

It would be recalled that Justices Ngwuta and Okoro have alleged that they are the targets of a witch hunt for their refusal to accept offers of inducement

and bribes made to them

by Rotiimi Amaechi, minister of Transport and Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science and Technology respectively.

The ministers were squarely accused by the embattled judges of wanting to subvert the course of justice in appeals against the decisions of lower courts in election petitions in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ekiti and Rivers States.

Adeyeye said by this bold step taken by NJC, the judiciary has set a good example in its quest to fight corruption and proved also that it is ready to reform itself.

‘Likewise, we call on the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to emulate the decision of the National Judicial Council (NJC) mandating the 7 Justices to suspend the per-

formance of their judicial functions pending the conclusion of investigations against them’ Adeyeye stated.

He said that anything less from the NJC standard will confirm the long held notion that President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration consider themselves to be above the law and not subject to the provisions of our laws and the institutions of our democracy.

‘If President Muhammadu Buhari retains these Ministers in the face of the serious allegations against them, he will reveal that the entire judicial corruption saga is nothing more than deliberate attempt to blackmail the judiciary in order to subjugate it and make it a rubber stamp institution of the administration’.

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NOVEMBER 5, 2016

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Ondo PDP: Fresh panel commences sitting Doosuur Iwambe ABUJA

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he fresh panel constituted by the Court of appeal president, Justice Zainab Bulcachuwa, to preside over all the appeals emanating from the Ondo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, yesterday commenced sittings.

The three man panel headed by Justice Ibrahim Salauwa however adjourned proceedings to November 7, 2016, after identifying all the processes filed by parties in the matter.

The Justice Ibrahim Salauwa led three member panel took from Justice Jummai Sankey’s panel which disqualified themselves last week following allegations of bribery by some defendants in the case.

At the resumed proceedings yesterday, counsel to Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, Chief Wole Olanikpekun SAN, prayed the leave of court to appeal the judgment of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court.

Olanipekun, urged the court to grant expeditious hearing to the application because the matter required urgent attention.

On his part, lead counsel to Prince Biyi Poroye, B.E.I. Ngwufor SAN, drew the attention of the court to a motion filed on November 3, 2016 challenging the composition of a special panel.

Ngwufor told the court to determine his motion before that of Jegede since it is challenging the jurisdiction of the court.

In his own submissions, counsel to the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff led faction of the PDP, Godswill Mrakpo told the court that neither

the application by Jegede nor the motion filed by Ngwufor were ripe for hearing.

He informed the court that the processes in both applications were only served on him on Thursday evening adding that he needed time to file his response to them.

But it was the application brought by Ahmed Raji SAN, counsel to the Senator Ahmed Makarfi led faction of the PDP that threw up controversy in the courtroom.

Arguments ensued between Raji and Raphael Oluyode, another counsel representing the Sheriff faction of the PDP, over who has the authority to represent the party in court.

While Oluyode informed the court that there is no appeal from the party against the judgment of Justice Abang, Raji insisted that he has the authority to appeal against the judgment of the trial court.

Besides, Oluyode drew the attention of the court to a motion seeking to strike out the purported appeal by the Makarfi faction of the party in urging the court to invoke Order 11 rule 5 to strike out the appeal.

But Raji stood on his feet to counter the submissions of Oluyode insisting that there was a competent appeal before the court.

Irked by the protracted arguments in court, a member of the panel, Justices Ignatius Igwe Aguba slammed the PDP for its failure to internalize democracy within the party.

Justice Aguba who said he wanted to be quoted stated ‘I feel sorry for our country. I feel sorry for the legal profession. There is need for the PDP to internalise democracy, if the party has done that; it will not be passing through this. The party has been factionalized and now come before us to wash

Osun University gets new VC

G

ov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has appointed Labode Popoola, a professor, as the new Vice Chancellor of the University of Osun (UNIOSUN).

This is contained in a statement issued by Semiu Okanlawon, media aide to the governor, on Friday.

According to the statement, Mr. Popoola’s ap-

pointment followed the recommendation by the Governing Council of the institution.

It said the recommendation was signed and forwarded to the governor by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council, Yusuf Ali, for approval.

The statement said the appointment was with immediate effect.

(NAN)

its dirty linen in court. Go and put your house in order and stop bothering the court.’

Meanwhile, members of state executive of the PDP in six South West states (loyal to Ali Modu Sheriff) led by Biyi Poroye (factional Chairman of the Ondo PDP) have asked the Court of Appeal to reverse the decision by its President, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa to constitute a fresh panel to hear appeals relating to the dispute.

In a motion filed by Godswill Mrakpo, they also asked the court to disband the panel comprising of Justices Ibrahim Salauwa, Ignatius Igwe Aguba, and George Mbaba, allegedly set up in breach of the applicant’ right to fair hearing guaranteed under Section 36 of th Constitution.

Poroye and others equally prayed the court to order the return of the case files relating to the appeals and the application for leave to appeal as an interested party (against the decision of the Federal High Court of 14th October 2016 in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/395/2016) filed by Eyitayo Jegede (factional PDP candidate of the Ondo PDP) “to the Registry of the Court of Appeal to take its normal course and turn in the docket of the court.”

The affected appeals are: CA/A/551/2016 filed

by Ahmed Makarfi and Ben Obi against Biyi Poroye and 10 others and CA/A/551A/2016 filed by Clement Faboyede and another against 10 others; CA/A551B/2016 filed by the PDP against Biyi Poroye and 9 others and CA/

A/551C/2016 filed by Eyitayo Jegede against Prince Biyi Poroye and 10 others They argued that not only did the President of the Court of Appeal act without hearing from them, the case, being a pre-election matter did not warrant any urgency to require the constitution of a special panel.

They added that those who filed the appeals against the June 29 and October 14, 2016 decisions of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja were not parties in the cases leading to the decisions.

The applicants also argued that no others were made against any of them (those behind the new appeals) and that they (the applicants), who were plaintiffs in the suits, were not informed when the President

of the Court of Appeal acted solely on the request by the appellants to constitute the panel on the grounds of urgency.

They have also filed a motion before the Supreme Court seeking a stay of all proceedings before the Court of Appeal in relation to the appeals pending the determination of the two appeals they filed on October 31, which have entered and given number: SC/914/2016 and SC/915/2016.

The motion filed by two members of the party, Benson Akingboye and Ehiozuwa Agbonayiwa particularly seeks stay of “all further proceedings and further hearing in CA/ABJ/402A/2016 filed on behalf of the PDP by a lawyer engaged by the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the party’s leadership.

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and Presiding Bishop of Sword of the Spirit Ministries. Bishop Wale Oke and during the Coalition of Nigerian Apostolic Leaders meeting in Lagos.

Buhari administration picks 200,000 for volunteer jobs V ice President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday said the engagement of the first 200,000 out of the Federal Government’s 500,000 Volunteer Job Programme will begin in about two weeks’ time.

Mr. Osinbajo gave the assurance in Lagos at a colloquium on The Way Forward for Nigeria.

“We are trying to create jobs directly,’’ he said, adding that “the government is creating space for more private sector activities for facilitated economic growth.’’

Mr. Osinbajo said the Volunteer Corps Pro-

gramme ought to have started on October 31.

“The delay is because we are trying to provide as many equipment as we require. We also want to ensure that we provide opportunities across the states as they come.

“Close to a million registered; we should start with the first 200,000 in 14 days or thereabout.

“It is a temporary opportunity for young graduates. We have volunteer teachers, public health officers. They will be given a device that contains training module,’’ he explained.

He added that registra-

tion was ongoing for the micro credit scheme for a million artisans and market women.

In a separate statement, Mr. Osinbajo’s spokesperson, Laolu Akande, said the engagement of the 200,000 Nigerians was awaiting the completion of Bank Verification Number (BVN) clearance.

According to him, the verification is to ensure that the beneficiaries are paid directly. He said that no fewer than 500,000 Nigerians would be engaged in the job-creation scheme.

He said the first selection was done by Presiden-

cy officials in collaboration with Ministries of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Health and other government agencies.

He added that foreign consultants were neither used nor needed.

Mr. Akande said that three criteria were used for the selection of the 200,000.

He said 40 per cent was selected based on the number of applications per state; a special markup was made for the six states of the Northeast; and a discretionary addition for states with low numbers of applicants.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NOVEMBER 5, 2016

NATIONAL NEWS

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Don’t politicise rejection of Buhari’s $30b loan ­‑Senate Rotimi Fadeyi ABUJA

S

enate President, Bukola Saraki yesterday said the rejection of Buhari’s request for a foreign loan plan of $30 billion should not be politicised.

Saraki spoke shortly after he joined President Muhammadu Buhari for Jumat prayers at the Presi-

dential Villa.

Speaking with State House Correspondents, Saraki said, “I came here to pray, I have finished praying and I just had a general felicitation with the President. It didn’t go beyond that” On the relationship with the executive regarding the loan, Saraki said, “we should not look at that as

a reflection of the relationship. Don’t let us politicise very important issues. As we said this is work in progress” The Senate had on October 25 rejected the request for external borrowing plan of $29.96 billion to finance infrastructural projects across the country between 2016 and 2018.

However, the Minister of

information and Culture, Lai Mohammed had last Wednesday said that President Muhammadu Buhari would re-present the request to the senate.

Mohammed while briefing State House Correspondents on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council meeting, explained that the government would continue to engage lawmakers on

need for the loan.

According to him, the senators would approve the request when the government further engage them and make more details available.

“It is not unusual for the

I

Pro-Buhari group urges Niger Delta militants to present harmonised demands

T

he Buhari Media Support Group (BMSG) canvasses a common endeavour among the aggrieved militant groups in the Niger Delta for the success of the on-going dialogue between the Federal Government and leaders from the zone on the aegis of Pan Niger Delta Development Forum (PANDEF).

BMSG says in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Mallam Muhammad Labbo and Secretary, Cassidy Maduke, that the dialogue as a good leap in efforts towards ensuring amicable resolution of crises in the Niger Delta.

The BMSG notes that the line of dialogue which the Federal Government opened with PANDEF is germane on the need to end hostilities in the Niger Delta zone The

dialogue, the group contends, will help to bring the Niger Delta zone of Nigeria on board plans to end the biting recession in the country with full resumption of economic activities in the zone.

It hails the primary success that trailed the meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the leaders from Niger Delta, nothing that both the youths from the zone and the leaders need to henceforth work in synergy to crown all efforts towards ensuring the on-going dialogue produces very positive results.

BMSG, against this background, urges the plethora of militant groups to harmonise their demands and present a common position before the Federal Gov-

ernment through the elders who participated in the dialogue with the President.

BMSG says it would be counter-productive for the aggrieved Niger Delta militants to work at cross-purposes, while singing discordant tunes against every effort aimed towards addressing hostilities in the Niger Delta region.

The group observes it is about time leaders of thought in the Niger Delta seized the scope of their on-going dialogue with the Federal Government to take urgent and necessary steps towards pacifying the militant groups, many of who they are familiar with their need to unite and embrace the on-going dialogue for peace with the Federal Government.

BMSG sys the entire Niger Delta zone has a lot to gain from plans to return the zone to a lasting peace, given the multi-faceted programmes the government had proposed for developing the area, anchored on youths empowerment, education, infrastructural development, the clean-up of devastated lands in the oil producing areas, among others.

“We contend that since every conflict has always ended on a negotiation table, the aggrieved youths in the Niger Delta should see the on-going dialogue by the government with their leaders as a window of opportunity to address their own demands and collective desire to live as responsible citizens of Nigeria while doing away with militancy,” says the group.

government and the Senate to have some disagreements, they want more information.

“We will continue to engage them. We will give them all the information they need”, he said.

IGP condoles with family of late Etim Iyang, emphasizes on training of officers Dare Akogun

L-R: Lagos Commissioner for Commerce Industry & Cooperative, Mr Rotimi Ogunleye, Representative of Lagos Governor, Mr Tunji Bello, President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce & industry [LCCI] Chief Mrs Nike Akande, and Chairman, Trade Promotion Board, Mr Shola Eyitayo, at the Opening Ceremony of the 2016 Lagos.

9

nspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris has restated the resolve of the Nigeria Police Force to continue to train and retrain men and officers of the force in conformity with the international best practices.

Just as he advised police officers to see themselves as part of the community and not apart from the community, in order to create an harmonious working relationship with the member of the public.

Idris disclosed this while paying a condolence visit to the family of the late ex-police boss Etim Inyang, who passed on recently, in Lagos yesterday.

Represented by the DIG in charge of Training and Development Emmanuel Inyang, he described the former police boss as a rare breed which the force is lucky to have as its former head.

The DIG while reading from a condolence letter signed by the IGP and presented to the widow, Mrs Mary Inyang, stated that the entire police family received the news of his death with shock and would have wished he lived longer in order for the police force to continue to tap from his numerous wealth of experience.

“With the demise of rtd IGP Inyang, Nigeria has lost one of her best people. He was one of the best cop ever produced and who served meritoriously while in

office as IGP. “There is no doubt his exit is an irreparable loss to the Nigerian Police Force and the country as a whole.

“He will be remembered for his honesty, humility and selfless service to his father land, “ he added. Responding on behalf of the family Barrister Inyang Etim Inyang, appreciates the overwhelming support of the federal government and the IGP in particular, which he described as sowing a seed which will be bountifully reaped.

“This is the first time an individual will be sending three different condolences letter to the family of a late ex police boss.

“The first condolence message was relieved when we notify the IGP of the passing on of our patriarch. The second was received following our invitation letter providing him with details of the obsequies and the third one is the one read here. “ We express our sincere gratitude and appreciation for the support shown so far from different section of the country. This goes in a long way of portraying the police force as a unit that should be cherished and respected,” he added.

Accompanying the IGP for the visit is the AIG in charge of Zone 2 command Abdulmajid Ali, Lagos State Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni, Commissioner of police Airport Command Victor Onofiok.

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NOVEMBER 5, 2016

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Oniba’s kidnap: Drama, as dispute over legal representation stalls trial Wale Igbintade

T

he much awaited trial of suspects arrested in connection with the kidnap of Oniba of Iba Town, Oba Yishau Goriola Oseni before a Lagos High Court in Igbosere was on Friday stalled due to dispute by two lawyers over legal representation of one of the suspects.

The Lagos State Government is prosecuting the

Obanikoro regains freedom Olufemi Adeosun ABUJA

D

ays after being a guest at the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, has regained freedom.

Saturday Mirror reliably gathered that the Lagos State born politician was released at about 6:pm yesterday.

Obanikoro voluntarily submitted self to the anti-graft agency on his return from the United States on October 17, months after he had engaged the commission in a battle of wits.

He was, however detained by the commission to enable operatives attached to his case drill him to ascertain his level of complicity in the mismanagement of the $2.2bn arms procurement fund entrusted to the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (Rtd).

While in detention, there were many stories detaining his readiness to refund some monies.

For instance, a reliable source from the EFCC told our correspondent that Obanikoro refunded N100m out of the N800m he allegedly stole.

The source said the former minister’s travelling documents were confiscated as part of the deals to regain his freedom.

In custody with the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) stalwart, include a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, ex-spokesman to the former President, Reuben Abati, and a former FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed.

However, while Obanikoro can now feel an air of freedom and cooling off in his Abuja home, the trio are still being held by the commission.

Apart from the former FCT who is being held for his involvement in the multi-billion Naira land scam, Abati and Fani-Kayode were accused for having partaken in the arms largesse, derisively targeted, ‘armsgate’.

suspects on an eight-count criminal charge of conspiracy to murder, murder, armed robbery and Kidnapping.

At the last adjourned date, the suspects - Duba Furejo, Ododomo Isaiah, Reuben Anthony and Yerin Fresh were arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, while the case was adjourned for commencement of trial.

However, when the case was called, two lawyers - Mr. Seliowei Baidi and Mr. Anthony Onwaeze announced appearance for the fourth accused ( Yerin Fresh), a development which made Justice Taiwo to intervene to settle the disagreement.

Onwaeze, who is the new lawyer briefed by Fresh, had told the court that he already discussed with Baidi on the issue before the commencement of sitting for the day, but that he (Baidi) insisted not to

relinquish the representation until all his legal bills were settled.

But Baidi fired back saying that Onwaeze failed to take appropriate steps required by law in taking over legal representation.

While citing Rules 29(1) of the Court’s Rules, Baidi said upon receiving instruction to take over the case, Onwaeze ought to have addressed a letter to the court and to him, adding that it was disrespectful to the court for his learned friend to just attempt to start representing the accused without following the rule of law.

The prosecution represented by the State’s Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs. Idowu Alakija, however, told the court that in view of the development, she would have to accede to the adjournment of the case for the defence to put their house in order to resolve the issue of represen-

tation.

In a brief ruling, Justice Taiwo ordered the two lawyers to abide by professional ethics and shun any bickering over the matter.

The judge also asked Onwaeze to assist Baidi in getting the necessary fees for the services rendered to the fourth accused person.

She said: “This matter is hereby adjourned to November 11, 2016 for hearing.

Witnesses must be in court at the next adjourned date and counsel must resolve the issue of representation.

No bickering, please.”

The suspects, who allegedly carried out the crime on July 16, 2016 at the palace of the monarch, were said to have murdered a security detail attached to the palace, Sunday Eniola Okanlawon, and a commercial motorcycle rider, Joseph Okeke.

They were also said to have attempted to kill the monarch’s wife, Olori Abo-

sede Oseni while making efforts to dispossess her of her property at gun point.

In count one, Furejo, Isaiah and Anthony were accused of conspiring with others now at large to commit murder contrary to Section 233 of 2015 Criminal Laws of Lagos State C.17, Vol. 3, while in counts two and three, the suspects were accused of murder contrary to the same law.

In count four, the accused allegedly attempted to kill the wife of the monarch contrary to Section 230 of the law, while in count five, the accused with others now at large, conspired to rob Olori Abosede of her mobile phone.

In count six, the suspects were accused of armed robbery contrary to Section 297 (2) (b) of the law, while in counts seven and eight, they were said to have conspired to kidnap Oba Oseni at gun point contrary to Section 411 of the law.

L-R: Chairman Ad - Hoc Committee to investigate the disbursement and utilization of bail out funds by states, Hon Ibrahim Sadiq, members of the committee Hon Adeyinka Ajayi and Hon Anayo Nnebe during the investigative hearing at the National Assembly in Abuja yesterday.

PHOTO ROTIMI OSASONA

APC chieftain faults call for Onu, Amaechi resignation Rotimi Fadeyi Abuja

A legal practitioner and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Tony Odey has faulted the call for the resignation of both the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and his Transportation counterpart, Rotimi Amaechi over bribery allegations.

Following his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Justice Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court had indicted the two

ministers, accusing them of approaching him to influence the court panel on Ebonyi and Rivers governorship elections.

But Odey who was a former member of the defunct All Nigerians Peoples Party, ANPP which was chaired

by Onu stated that the call was unnecessary.

He said: “Justice Ngwuta had alleged that the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu had approached him to influence the judgment of the Ebonyi State gubernatorial election in favour of the Labour

Party candidate.

“The allegation of Justice Ngwuta in my considered opinion is short of the truth and further reveals the ranting of a drowning man who under survival instinct can hold on to anything whether it is helpful or not.

“As a former member, Board of Trustees of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, who had worked closely with the Honorable Minister who was also a statutory member of the Board then, being the National Chairman of the ANPP the, I believe

strongly that Dr. Onu would not do anything that’s capable of diminishing his hard-earned and long established integrity.

“On Chief Rotimi Amaechi, the Honorable Minister of Transportation whose role goes with the sobriquet “the lion of the tribe of the South South”, I am no longer surprise that his role in the last political dispensation that brought the change to perfection would have attracted the recent blackmail by those bent on pulling him down as one of the leading lights from the south south zone.

Adult and youth literacy: FG to build synergy with UNESCO Gloria Usman ABUJA

W

ith the ongoing effort towards revitalisation of adult and youth literacy in the country, the federal government has urge UNESCO and other stakeholders to remain steadfast in providing technical supports to the federal government in the interest of nation building.

Speaking through the wife of the Vice President, Mrs Dolakpo Osimbanjo at the one day private sector lunch in support of Revitalising Adult and Youth Literacy project in Nigeria today in Abuja.

Mrs Osimbanjo said, it is disappointing to see illiteracy statistics grow in Nigerian as it has lead to inability to access fundamental rights including health, employment and livelihood.

She pointed out statistics that further add up to the 10 million out of school children in Nigeria, thereby urging stakeholders to work tirelessly for the uncommon goal inorder to enable the nation attain it mandate.

Meanwhile the Director, UNESCO multi-sectoral regional office abuja, Dr. Benoit Sossou highlight the significance of the partnership as development of a nation is determined by the level of literacy of it citizenry as it leads to economic, political and social development.

Dr. Benoit expanciate that with Nigeria ranked 152 out of 188 among countries that are still illiterate in the UN development report of 2015, calls for a National Alliance against illiteracy.

He however commend the intervention of the federal government through the MDG office which made available financial resources to the tune of $1billion in trust domiciled with UNESCO therefore urge all stakeholders to work across boundaries in order to end illiteracy in the country.

NOVEMBER 5, 2016

POLITICS

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Trump won’t be ‘allowed’ to win –Julian Assange •Julian Assange claimed Washington elites want Hillary Clinton to win •He said the media, arms industry and foreign money all want her to win •Assange accuses Clinton donors of backing the rise of ISIS •Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed next week’s election is ‘rigged’

W

ikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, has claimed Donald Trump ‘won’t be allowed to win’ next week’s election.

The Australian computer hacker was speaking from inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London where he also accused Hillary Clinton of receiving donations from the same people funding ISIS. Assange said he was basing his claims on emails released last month

by WikiLeaks.

Speaking to Australian journalist John Pilger for Dartmouth Films, Assange claimed one of the leaked documents between showed a message sent by the then Secretary of State to John Podesta, who was an adviser to President Barack Obama.

Assange said the email urged Obama to ‘bring pressure’ on the governments of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, ‘which are providing clandestine financial and logistic support to ISIL [ISIS] and other radical Sunni groups’.

He described the email as the ‘most important’ in the entire collection.

He claimed: “All serious analysts know, and even the US government has agreed, that some Saudi figures have been supporting ISIS and funding ISIS, but the dodge has always been that it is some “rogue” princes using their oil money to do whatever they like, but actually the government disapproves. But that email says that it is the government of Saudi Arabia, and the government of Qatar that have been funding ISIS.” Clinton has also been criticized over claims that the Clinton Foundation receives funding from Saudi and Qatari sources.

Later in the 25-minute interview, which will be broadcast on ‘Russia Today’, Assange claims next Tuesday’s presidential election has been fixed in favour of Hillary Clinton.

He added: “My analysis is that Trump would not be permitted to win.

Why do I say that? Because he has had every establishment off his side.

Trump does not have one establish-

Clinton

Assange ment, maybe with the exception of the Evangelicals, if you can call them an establishment. Banks, intelligence, arms companies, foreign money, etc. are all united behind Hillary Clinton.

And the media as well. Media owners, and the journalists themselves.”

Donald Trump has repeatedly said Tuesday’s presidential election may be rigged, while providing scant evidence, and has urged supporters to keep an eye out for signs of voting fraud in Philadelphia and other heavily Democratic areas.

Democrats worry that this claim could encourage Trump supporters to harass minority voters in a state that could determine whether Trump or his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, wins the presidency.

Voting-rights advocates said they are already receiving reports of harassment.

Democrats have launched a legal blitz of their own in an attempt to shut down Trump’s poll-watching efforts in Pennsylvania and three other battleground states, arguing in law-

suits that Republican monitoring efforts amount to ‘vigilante voter intimidation’ that violates federal law.

Assange earlier denied he was a stooge for the Russian intelligence services, claiming they were not behind the damaging leaks to the Clinton campaign.

He has been wanted by Swedish authorities since 2010 over rape allegations.

He has been hiding the Ecuadorian embassy in London over fears he will be extradited to the United States.

He said: “The Clinton camp has been able to project a neo-McCarthyist hysteria that Russia is responsible for everything.

“Hillary Clinton has stated multiple times, falsely, that 17 US intelligence agencies had assessed that Russia was the source of our publications. That’s false – we can say that the Russian government is not the source.”

The first tranche of emails published by WikiLeaks claimed the Democratic party leadership actively favoured Clinton over her rival for the

nomination, Bernie Sanders.

The Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said last month they were ‘confident’ the Russian government was responsible for the leaks.

But Russia has denied this and presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said it was ‘nonsense’.

In an interview with veteran John Pilger on ‘Russia Today,’ Assange said: “We have independently authenticated the emails. WikiLeaks has a decade-long, perfect record in the accurate authentication of leaked documents.” (Mailonline.com)

Trump

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Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

I almost ran away from office after taking over from Jonathan — Buhari

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said he contemplated running away from office shortly after he was inaugurated as Nigeria’s president on May 29, 2015.

Mr. Buhari said the ongoing economic crisis has made him feel as though he is suffering the consequences of someone else’s transgressions.

The lamentations were part of the president’s address to members of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies who visited him in the State House Thursday afternoon.

“Actually, I felt like absconding,” Mr. Buhari said. “Because 27 out of 36 states in Nigeria cannot pay salaries.”

Mr. Buhari said when he assumed office, he asked officials if there was enough money in the federal coffers for him to spend and he got a negative response.

“I asked if there was any savings and I was told there was no savings. I asked what they did on agriculture, power, rails and roads. There was nothing,” Mr. Buhari said.

Mr. Buhari said he also discovered that Nigeria had no strategic highways and the available ones were in a terrible state.

“You know more than I do because you move around. I have not been moving around since after elections but you do.

How many of the Trunk A roads are still good enough?”

Mr. Buhari also said even though cases of sabotage are frequently recorded in the power distribution, that still failed to explain why Nigerians are still grappling with poor electricity supply.

“How much power do we have although there are some elements of sabotage?” Mr. Buhari said.

Mr. Buhari said his government has been rendered largely helpless in the face of the economic crisis because crude oil no longer sells at high prices as he had hoped.

“Between 1999 and 2015, the average cost of each Nigerian barrel of oil was $100 per barrel. When we came it fell to less $30 per barrel and is now hovering between $40 and $50,” the president said.

The president said officials also told him that the government was spending heavily to import fuel and food items, an excuse he said he found ridiculous since Nigerians hardly consume imported staple.

“I was told the money was used to import food and fuel. I didn’t believe the answer and I still do not believe it.”

“Up till now, a substantial number of people in the East eat garri and groundnut; in the West they eat pounded yam, cassava, vegetables; in the North, they eat tuwo which is made from any of the grains: millet, sorghum.

“They eat it in the night and warm it in the morning and eat it and take fura in the afternoon. How many of those people

Buhari can afford foreign food?”

Mr. Buhari also condemned the fuel subsidy regime of his predecessors, saying it served as a conduit which the Nigerian elite exploited to swindle the poor masses.

“Then they said I should check out the

petroleum sector. The legislature dedicated 445,000 barrels per day for internal consumption and that is just 60 per cent of our requirements. I said ‘okay, what of the 40 per cent?’

“The marketers that are bringing it just present documents, papers are just

stamped and monies are taken away.

“This is the type of things that the Nigerian elites are doing for our own country. When you go back, look at your colleagues and encourage them to be truly Nigerians.”

The president, however, vowed to do all in his capacity to resolve the economic crisis.

He has repeatedly blamed the former government for his administration’s woes.

Mr. Buhari’s renewed blame game came days after his party accepted responsibility for the economic crisis and promised to desist from further blaming the past.

The Governor of Imo State and chairman of APC Governors’ Forum, Rochas Okorocha, said since their party has been in power for well over a year, it was time they more forward and began proffering solutions to the country’s multi-faceted crisis.

“We must take responsibility and we must never shift the responsibility to anybody,” Mr. Okorocha said. “We are responsible for everything happening in Nigeria.”

“The good, the bad, the ugly but we are promising Nigerians that we shall fix it.” (Premium Times)

How Uthman Dan Fodio stood against corruption — Osinbajo

V

ice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday drew from the recorded words of Uthman Dan Fodiyo, the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, on the need for leaders to stand firm against extremism, injustice and corruption in the country.

Speaking in Sokoto at the 10th year commemoration symposium for the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar’s ascension to the throne, Mr. Osinbajo recalled the legacy of Dan Fodiyo, saying he acknowledged that a leader had the responsibility not to be corrupt and also to look after the well-being of his people.

“He wrote and I quote ‘when you find a man who has the tendency to steal, he is in same class as a monkey’,” Mr. Osinbajo said.

The event was attended by Sokoto State’s Governor Aminu Tambuwal, the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi, among several other dignitaries.

Mr. Osinbajo also traced the legacies of past Sultans, their contributions towards promoting justice, jurisprudence and overall development of the society.

He said it was gratifying that Mr. Abubakar, the 20th Sultan, took after his forebears.

He said the reign of the monarch has been remarkable given the myriad of challenges which the country has been

Osinbajo facing since he ascended the throne.

He said the Sultan is in good standing both with his people and Nigerians.

“You have led by a string values and you have worked hard to break parochial barriers. You have developed deep friendship with leaders such as Cardinal Onaiyekan, Bishop Matthew Kukah, Christian leaders and leaders of

all faiths locally and internationally,” Mr. Osinbajo said.

He congratulated him for the milestone recorded in the last decade and praised the Sultan for “your extended great kindness and generosity to so many, regardless of status, recognising common humanity and frailties of all”.

Entervaganza

The Saturday Mirror Magazine

Fashion

Seven tips for wearing wedges P.24

Sex talk Do you regret your one night stand?

P.24

Relationships Should a woman change her name after marriage?

P.24

e t u m e i k O

... Project Fame winner

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NOVEMber 5, 2016

ELEBRITY

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I was scared while in Project Fame

Okiemute is this year’s winner of the successful annual music talent competition, Project Fame West Africa. OSEYIZA OOGBOD met her and she spoke about her time in the competition.

How do you feel as the winner of Project Fame West Africa 2016?

Oh! I feel blessed. I’m happy.

I feel speechless. The feeling is just overwhelming.

hugging you intimately on stage after you won. Who’s he?

My fan. You could see he wore my shirt. Everyone came and hugged me. He’s just my fan.

Is there a secret behind your success? You went all the way out of thousands of hopefuls. Is there something you did differently? Is it that you were working the hardest or you were able to canvass many more people to vote for you?

Well, we were in the academy, and we didn’t even know what was going on outside. We didn’t know whether people were voting more for this person or that person. As for me, I was scared. I didn’t go on probation at all, and I was like, does West Africa love me, like those people who had been on probation and were saved by West Africa?

So that thought kept running through my mind and I can’t really say there was a specific thing I did particularly different as everyone was a strong contender that could win.

When did reality dawn on you that Project Fame was a competition?

Oh, reality dawned on all of us, I would say, when Favour was eliminated. She was the first elimination, and even the faculty knew that reality had dawned on us.

There was a white guy who was

—Okiemute

Now you are going to go into the music industry proper. Do you think you have what it takes to compete with successful female artists like Tiwa Savage?

Compete? I don’t believe in competing, because there were people that were there before you, who made impact and we know what they did. So I can’t say I’ll leave Project Fame and go and compete with such people.

What I can only do is learn from them, not compete with them.

How do you intend to cope with your newfound fame? Can you

still buy boli on the road, for instance? Can you still enter a public bus?

If I want to buy boli, I must buy it oh. I’ve been in Port Harcourt for 8, 9 years and boli, you know, boli is a major delicacy in Port Harcourt. So maybe we’ll get something to be preparing the boli, or do you think that I’ve not asked the boli sellers the recipe, because as a woman, you’ll want to know how they do it just in case you have to do it yourself.

And even if I want to buy it from them sef, we’ll find a way.

You are in a relationship, right?

That is an exclusive piece of information you are seeking.

OK, what do you look out for in a man?

I love happy people. I love people that love life, that love God, that love themselves.

Because if you can love yourself, you can love me.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Oseyiza Oogbodo 08036961187 kingseiza@gmail.com

American singer, T-Pain, takes over at Live Your Music

Moelogo

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he highly anticipated Live Your Music party which was announced as the official afterparty for HeinekenLFDW 2016 delivered on its promise of providing the ultimate musical experience for music lovers as the party started in the last hour of 29 October and the music kept on blazing until the early hours of the morning of 30 October.

Bright lights, blasting speakers, thumping feet, excited whistles and united chants were all prominent features of the Live Your Music party hosted by multiple award-winning American R ‘n’ B singer, T-Pain.

One of the numerous interesting parts of the party was the music Takeover. The Takeover is an interactive Heineken Live Your Music feature that involves a programmed system that proposes two songs for audience to choose from using a wristband. The crowd went into a frenzy as they selected between green and red lights on their wristbands to vote the song that eventually played.

T-Pain performed some of his hit tracks, Buy You A

Drink, Panda, amongst others during his first session.

Dotun of Cool FM kept the show rolling with his grand mastery of the crowd, and together with the DJs, he took the audience down memory lanes with tracks that have ruled the airwaves over the past decade being churned out to the delight of the crowd. These include hits from artists like Dagrin, 2face, 9ice, Eedris Abdulkareem, Awilo Logonba, Remedies, Styl Plus, Dr. Sid and many others.

The grooving also got turned up a notch when T-Pain and his crew were challenged to show their dancing skills to Nigerian dance steps including galala, shoki, yahoozee amongst others.

The crowd went into another frenzy as T-Pain hijacked the shakiti bobo move and started dancing the move as vigorously and entertainingly as possible.

The party kept on till the early hours of the day, and everyone was thoroughly entertained. The Live Your Music wasn’t just another party, but an ultimate musical experience that is only befitting a brilliant and T-Pain fantastic fashion show like HeinekenLFDW2016.

Storyteller Ibe~Jii releases Fefe drops first single, Ayanfe Neighbour video

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Ibe~Jii

ee Entertainment, in collaboration with Stargaze Management, R&B-PR and Ibejii Music proudly announce the release of Ayanfe by the nation’s most compelling new sound, Ibe~Jii, of the first single from his hugely acclaimed body of musical works, GreenWhiteDope.

Presented in his familiar Yoruba vernacular, Ibe~Jii, the eclectic African storyteller, delivers his sensual tale of love and longing with musical verve, energy and sensitivity, using his musical journey to tell melodic tales of love, life and wonderment.

Rooted solidly in the western Nigeria culture renowned for its high incidence of twins and musical giants, Ibe~Jii wears his unusual birth marking and musical

roots as authenticity, an embodiment of sweet sound, great soul, warmth and sensitivity.

Poet, thinker, romantic, Ibe~Jii’s journey is a subtle blend of the Taiye and the Kehinde, the seen and the undisclosed, the old and the new, African vibes and international sounds. His is a genre of storytelling – of tales of love, life and hope; of unbridled love - pure, true, unblemished and selfless.

Ayanfe is Ibe~Jii’s first gift to the world he inhabits: A world of pure souls, of lovers of edifying verse, a world of chivalry and character - a beautiful, beautiful place.

Ibe~Jii welcomes lovers of great sound to join this journey of self-discovery – a journey that embraces hope and promise, but also self-doubt and diffidence.

A

fter the success of the viral video for her Neighbour song which reached over 880,000 views in three months, promising singer, Fefe, has released the official music video for the hit single, Neighbour.

Fefe

The video features celebrities such as Mark Angel, Emmanuella and a few surprises. The video was shot by Legacy Films.

Expect another music video from Fefe before the end of the year.

Fefe

IllBliss)

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CLASSICAL LYRICS

IllBliss showcases Illygaty: 7057 H

E

arlier in the month of March, Bharder Boiz Muzik Group recording artist, Nessy Bee, came through with his debut single titled Ori Owo. The tune was released alongside its crispy clean visual which got aired on various satellite television stations earning the budding artist his first run of attention on the Nigerian music scene.

He quickly followed this number up with Ojojumo Aye in the month of May to mark his birthday accordingly.

And with a growing fan base across radio, TV and social media, he’s gone further to amuse music pundits with the release of a new single titled Fantasy. On this number, he enlists the

Bee and Orezi

services of the Call The Police crooner, Orezi, as well as hardworking producer, Chimbalin (of Mandela fame).

The hardworking Nessy Bee is proving to be an industrious artist and this has been duly characterized with his performance at the just concluded Felabration 2016 where he got to perform Fantasy to fervent music lovers at the event.

Going further, Fantasy has been receiving massive airplay across radio stations, and with a visual set to be released in the coming weeks, Fantasy is sure to put Nessy Bee at the forefront of an emerging recording act and the Bharder Boiz Muzik Group artist promises even more and better releases in due course of time.

Artist: Tiwa Savage featuring Don Jazzy Intro Eminado (2x) Hmm hmm…yeah Eminado (2x) Tiwa savage Eminado (2x) Don Jazzy Eminado (2x)

ip-hop pioneer and entrepreneur, IllBliss, has showcased songs from his 4th studio album, Illygaty: 7057, to an exclusive audience at 5ive Live: Hip-Hop Sessions with elements of hip-hop such as graffiti, rap, DJing and B-Boying also thrown into the mix and Jesse Jagz, Pryse, Eva, Dice Ailes, Ola Dips, Ms Chief, Terry Apala and other artists also performed.

5ive Live: Hip-Hop Sessions follows the 5ive Music Launch and is the second installment in a series of events tagged 5ive Live promoted by 5ive Music Group to provide a unique platform for artists and priceless experience for discerning fans.

5ive Live is available to artists of varying status and genres and the primary consideration is quality.

5ive Music is a publishing company established by experienced music practitioners to create sustainable revenue for talent and investors and to contribute to the development of the Nigerian music industry. Partners include Chocolate City Group, Now Muzik and Storm/Cabal.

5ive Live is supported by Cloud Nine, Olorisupergal, YNaija, NET, Str8upbangin, BellaNaija, 360Nobs and PulseNG. IllBliss

Nessy Bee features Orezi on Fantasy

Eminado

Verse 1 (Don Jazzy) So I ask her What do you want from the bank I just dey come from the bank And I get money to throway So everybody oya oh eh Rocking her body (2x) Rocking her body for me Keep rocking her body Rocking her body for me

Lil’ Dizzie hooks Ghana’s Spicer

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ndustrious and tireless, Lil’ Dizzie continues to prove his steadfastness for his musical craft as the Nigerian rapper who’s been poised and known for moving in and gaining control of international features as an independent artist once again leaves the shores of Nigeria and puts out a collaboration with Ghanaian recording artist, Spicer, with production from Base Records (BRMG) Ghanaian producer, Dr. Spooky.

The seamless offering titled Booty Overdose follows up on Lil’ Dizzie’s vibrant year following previous releases like the Zimbabwean/South African collaboration titled Feeling Her Ways with EL Deeper and Brythreesixty, the EL Deeper mixup titled Go Down, and more recently, the MajorSlim_DJ/J.Fitts tune titled Ballin’.

Not only is Lil’ Dizzie out with a new piece, he’s also under a UK-based record label/ management team,

AK Smalls Records/AK Smalls Entertainment; the visuals for “Booty Overdose” is currently in focus and would be shot on location in Ghana with a few shows already lined up in the same zone - delivering his piece in his mother tongue, the Yoruba language,Lil’ Dizzie shines alongside Spicer who delivers a lovely chorus and an amusive/ entertaining verse over the Dr. Spooky instrumentation.

Listen up and watch out for the video which promises to be nothing short of fascinating and riveting in all ways.

Dizzie

Chorus Here I go … oh here I go It’s time to show me your love Open the … open the door I’ll leave you … begging for more Oh oh oh … oh my baby Carry me ... like your baby I don’t know What you did to me But I’ll never leave, I’ll be your Eminado (2x) Your one and only Eminado (2x) I’ll be your African Barbie Eminado (2x) You be my six pack bobo Eminado Verse 2 (Tiwa Savage) One without the other One without the other is nothing baby What God join together Let no man come put asunder baby We will be together Ma and you together forever baby For now nothing matter Make you just relax and watch me while I’m Rocking my body (2x) Rocking my body for you Rocking my body Rocking my body for you Chorus Verse 3 (Tiwa Savage) Oh I feel brand new Every time I think about you We can do anything you wan do Oh boy I want you to know that I got your back Oh I feel brand new Every time I think about you We can do anything you wan do Make we enjoy the moment Watch me while am Am rocking my body Rocking my body Rocking my body for you Rocking my body Rocking my body for you Chorus (2x)

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Kaffy defends herself of maltreatment allegations T

his isn’t the best of times for highly rated dancer, Kaffy. After attacking Davido with the intention of defending the rights of dancers, she found she accused him unfairly and apologized. However, a dancer who felt she doesn’t treat dancers right, capitalized on her gaffe to disclose that she also doesn’t treat them right so her purported defence of them was hypocritical.

Unsurprisingly, Kaffy couldn’t keep quiet and she responded with the words below.

“I really want to use this medium to address the so-called maltreatment allegations of dancers that has been in circulation!

“It is a pity that it is the same people you fight for with clients for countless hours at meetings. Dancers who mostly get jobs out of the relentless hours of conviction and negotiations not to talk of back and forth that goes on with various DEALS and clients in order to secure them jobs while they sit at home waiting for a call by we leaders in dance that they are insulting today, in this case I’m the kingpin EVIL QUEEN. “You see it is easy for people to see you on top and wish for your position but they are never ready to take the pain and sacrifice required to get there. A dancer that started today wants to earn the same as people that are more experienced and skillful than him just because they stand side by side at rehearsal grounds.

“I am a victim of my humanity and humility. It is emotional attachment to want to help as many people as possible that has caused me bigger problems in my life but I can’t change what God is using me for just because of persecution.

“They say I put 50 people in a room without

pay. Please what kind of room is it oh and where? When you make allegations, please be ready to defend to the last with proof. Where did this occur?

“Which job have you done that I have gotten paid for? Can you prove I have gotten paid and failed to pay you?

“You say I maltreat u when all you do is try to even sabotage jobs that you begged to be part of I made it happen then you stab me in the back.

“I don’t condone misconduct around clients because in business customers still have an edge and we have been faced with the most difficult clients and as dance leader are thrown into the storm of protecting our clients and dancers who are to render services at the same time. Do you know how difficult that can be sometimes? Sometimes budgets are reviewed and cut without warning even with the tightest contracts the corruption of our country still subjects us to succumb and try to resolve matter with humility even when the other party is wrong.

“Don’t you think I’m tired of looking bad to dancers because of what I face with defaulting clients? If I have never paid you, why do you still come to work for me?

“Why do you guys betray me and come back to beg over and over and over again and I keep forgiving because I know it’s a phase you’r going through and for each time you do wrong and come back to beg, I take you back against the will of my family and friends.

“I have lost my family for dance. I have lost love for dance. You say I’m owing you for Calabar. Am I the carnival commission who didn’t pay?

“You are all bunch of ingrates. I have been doing carnival since 2012 till 2015. For

Kaffy

every year, you got paid except a handful left for 2014 . The same people I called again did 2015 and the carnival band paid you all promising to remit previous payment as soon as the government sorts them. When payment was delayed for almost 8 months in 2012 but u guys got paid less than 3 months after. Did you know where the money came from? My personal funds. Same I did for 2013 and 2014.

Till today, I’m still owed. An average dancer gets five gigs from me and he’s owed for one then I become a thief.

“It’s further painful that a lot of you are not even skillfully ready for any job. We practically train you on the job, giving you knowledge

that you use to start your own thing.

“In fact, if those of you that have passed through my company ever paid for the knowledge, you will still be owing me and other choreographers.

“You don’t train yourself to be better but you want more MONEY. I will even be begging you, rehearse. I open my home, you come and don’t expect to clean, wash etc. Then u stay rent and utility bill free and I make you money and you still expect me to cook for you? From DNMT to AWANJO. From DNA to GGB, I have impacted and open doors for u guys to earn a living with or without me. What more do YOU want?”

Campus Storm features music, dance, comedy, pageantry at Nekede

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Kimani

he campus community of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, enjoyed a full dose of sublime entertainment during the Campus Storm music concert held on Friday, October 28, at the institution located on the outskirts of Owerri, Imo State.

The show, which was the third in the 2016 edition of the music concert, was a potpourri of events designed to entertain the students, staff and other members of the campus community.

At the concert, the fusion of music, dance, comedy and pageantry snowballed into an evening of classic entertainment.

Kenyan hip-hop diva, Victoria

Kimani set the ball rolling when she appeared on stage wearing a netted hipster and tank top. The singer engaged the awed crowd in a manner akin to the American hip-hop star, Beyonce.

Omawumi’s sensational act with her live band jolted the crowd to their feet. She rendered a blend of afro-pop, soul and hip-hop in her tracks: If You Ask Me, Belle, You Must Love Me, As I Dey and I Go Go. Emotions drew high when she gave out her shoes to one of her fans.

Eme Stephens’ re-enactment of late Michael Jackson’s electrifying dance steps won him the best dancer prize, a contest he competed for with several

other students. MC Gordons’s comic challenge of the winner caused a stir among the crowd who couldn’t stop laughing.

Then came the pageantry. A group of eighteen young male students and eighteen female students vied for the position of Campus Data Dude and Diva. The keenly contested pageantry produced Bright Amadi, an ND II Building Technology student, as Campus Data Dude, and Amarachi Ezenwugo, an HND I Public Administration student, as Campus Data Diva.

MI’s performance climaxed the show.

Omawumi

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Style &Glam

ET UMEH with JULI

ail.com

meh@gm

9592) juliu

(0803793

Lines by Chaab

L

INES BY CHAAB is created by designer Ogochukwu Akabogo.

Her collection is for every woman of style, class and sophistication.

This collection serves as a remarkable testament to the power and determination necessary to make it as a female African entrepreneur today. After a few short months of self-tutelage in sewing that culminated in her assembling her first collection, Akabogu successfully

captivated tastemakers throughout the fashion industry in Lagos – first by winning competitions such as Nigeria’s Next Top Designer 2013 and Music Meets Runway Rising Icon 2014, and then by featuring her work at the illustrious Africa Fashion Week Nigeria 2015. LINES

BY CHAAB has since steadily taken the Lagos fashion world by storm, wowing fashionistas with its intricate designs and highquality pieces.

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Style & Glam

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Fashion

Fashion

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Seven tips for wearing wedges

1. With dresses Wedge shoes look great with both long and short dresses. When looking at how to wear wedges with dresses, it all really comes down to your personal style. Choose a style of wedge shoe that works best with your wardrobe.

are perfect for showing off your wedges, but if you’re wearing bootleg or flared jeans make sure that the hem covers most of the wedge as this will create the most streamlined silhouette.

2. With skirts When wearing wedges with skirts, steer clear of anything too form fitting. Wedges can appear quite chunky, and teaming them with a pencil skirt can give an unflattering and ‘clunky’ appearance. Fuller, flowing skirts ultimately look better with wedge shoes.

4. In Summer Work a playful look during the summer months with wedge sandals or espadrilles. Open toed and strappy styles are perfect for letting your feet breathe. There are a myriad of options for how to wear wedges this way, as they look great with everything from summer dresses to preppy shorts.

3. With jeans When it comes to how to wear wedge shoes, jeans are a classic option. However, it’s important to take note of the style of your jeans. Skinny jeans

5. In Winter In winter, try wearing your wedges in boot form. A knee high boot with a wedge heel can give your outfit the extra edge. Wear them over tights

n frenzy

and with a shift dress and layered knits for a cool off-duty look.

6. To Work If you’re looking to wear wedges to work, stick to classic pump style shoes. When looking at how to wear wedges to work, look for a mid-heel shoe with an enclosed almond-toe. A black leather wedge shoe is a great versatile option. Patent finishes are also ideal for creating a polished, sophisticated finish.

7. Create Balance Wedge shoes can be quite commanding, so it’s important to create a sense of balance. If a shoe seems particularly chunky, tone it down with softer fabrics and silhouettes. If a shoe lies at the ‘neutral’ end of the spectrum, then you’re freer to wear them with a brighter and busier outfit.

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Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

WOMAN

‘No friend can influence me to disobey my husband’ Angela Omie-Benson has been married for 37 years. She is a lawyer, arbitrator, a teacher and author of books. In this interview with JULIET UMEH, she reveals the secret of her long lasting marriage, proffer solution to successful marriage, what inspired her into writing books as well as other issues.

Excerpts:

T

ell us about yourself such as where you grew up and your childhood experiences.

I was born in Kaduna of Kaduna State but I left there after the civil war broke and went to my home town in Imo State. I commenced primary school under the tree due to the war planes that were throwing bombs on buildings. I went to secondary school in Aba after the war. It was rough but God used that to make us know our home town. I later came to Lagos after my secondary school and there I met my husband and we got married.

What kind of people are your parents and what kind of legacy did they live for you that is guiding you today?

My parents were good Christians. They were Catholics and did not joke with morning mass, Angelus, Novena etc of Catholics. My mum particularly was very hard working. She was a human rights

activist. She was a singer and a dancer.

You have a chamber, how long have run it and what are the challenges of running a chamber in Nigeria?

I worked in the Lagos State Judiciary and I retired from Lagos State Ministry of Justice after 35 years of meritorious service and then started my own practice. I started in the year 2010 to run my personal chamber. This is actually very challenging in Nigeria as most clients find it difficult to pay. Their questions sometimes are “What did the lawyer spend in this matter; biro and paper?” especially if the matter does not require going to court.

What’s your take on recent judgments in Nigeria, do you think it is to the highest bidder?

No! Judgement is not a cash and carry issue. We have the Nigerian Constitution, Criminal Code, Penal Code and other Law books that lawyers use. Judges don’t deliver judgements just by discretion. They

interpret the law and deliver judgements dispassionately. Any party that is not satisfied by the judgement has an option to go on appeal. They are absolutely not for auction sale where goods are sold to the highest bidder.

You look trendy despite the fact that you are retired as a lawyer. What’s the secret?

I don’t grudge anybody. I try as much as possible to forgive anybody that wrongs me. Forgiveness is not just the favour you confer on another person. It protects even you the forgiver from illness, diseases etc and can make you look trendy. On the other hand, if I feel that I have offended anyone, I apologise immediately. I also eat the essential foods for people of my age.

Vegetables and fruits are very good and I take them daily.

You are an author of several books, what inspired you into writing and how is the patronage like?

Yes I am an author of books. My latest book is on Marriage. It is titled MARRIAGE OR CONTRACT. Honestly, the inspiration to write came from God. I am a teacher and a Lawyer. As a teacher I was always writing my lesson notes, researching on topics to be taught and providing hand outs. I never plagiarized. I formed my own notes after reading texts books and my students always did very well. You know it is said that when the students fail, it is the teacher that failed. As a lawyer in the ministry of Justice, we were always writing. Case files sent to the ministry from the police would be carefully read, law reports relating to such cases would be referred to and carefully read before the legal advice would be written. I did that for several years and to say the least, I did very well. I worked under the current Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo. He is a very hard working and thorough person who likes efficiency and

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

I impressed him a lot. In fact, I put my best as a legal counsel.

Another reason for my interest in writing my own books is that I read a lot of books. Then, about my book “Marriage or Contract”, it is in various book shops and churches, people who read it always call me to say one or more reasons why they like it. It cuts across all levels of relationships. The book gives the real answers to challenges in marriage relationships. It describes ways by which couples who desire a ‘till death do us part’ marriage can reach their goal. It is of 12 chapters.

For how long have you been married and what are some of the challenges you have faced. Also tell us the reasons behind your successful marriage.

I have been married for 37 years. There is no marriage that is built on a platter of honey and honey comb. As I said in one of the chapters of the book, the teeth and the tongue are always in one small chamber of the mouth, but they sometimes bicker at each other by the teeth biting the tongue.

I got married early in life when I barely had my school certificate. I was trained by my husband Chief Temple Benson. On the day of my traditional marriage, my mother, the human rights activist of those good old days requested that my husband signed an undertaking that he will sponsor me in the university, she gave him a blank sheet of paper to sign and he did that. She kept it and was reminding him of the agreement every now and then. My husband complied and even did more. He sponsored me up to my third degree level.

I read education, law and had a master’s degree in law. I also did arbitration so I am a qualified teacher, lawyer and arbitrator, above all these is God. He is my director, my guardian, my all. To me, I am very humble and my watchword is, I will never act or do things exhibiting to be higher than my husband. No friend can influence me to disobey him. I may proffer opinions to every matter and he will be the final arbiter. He likes that and I accord him that respect. This, in, fact is the secret to my successful marriage.

What do you think is responsible for many broken marriages we have these days?

In, fact the reasons for broken marriages these days are numerous lies you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand. When couples lie to each other, definitely when the truth trickles out the other party would not have faith in his/her spouse any longer. In my book ‘Marriage or Contract’ I gave instances of such lies. Where a man told his wife that he works in an oil company; another where a girl took pictures with the National Youth Service Corps outfit when she never saw the four walls of any university; another when a boy and girl during their courtship cross lied to one another. The boy told the girl he was born in the UK and the girl told him the same. When the bubble burst, the girl found out that her boyfriend was not a citizen and vice versa, they ended up calling off the marriage. Other reasons are: Going to different churches. Why should a woman be attending another church different from that of her husband?

They may also be going to vigils in those different churches, in this case, where would the children belong? Any couple practicing this are postponing the evil day.

The language of “please”, “I am sorry”,

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I have been married for 37 years. There

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Keeping ABREAST

are always in one

How menopause destroys sexual function •

small chamber of

Study maps timeline of decline in libido and bodily functions in women over 5 years by tracking sexual function of 1,400 women

•

the mouth, but they

Finds women start to decline in sexual function 20 months before last period

•

The decline is rapid from that point until a year after the final period

sometimes bicker at

•

It continues for another year but at a slower rate

is no marriage that is built on a platter of honey and honey comb.

The teeth

and the tongue

each other by the teeth biting the tongue “Thank you darling” are essentials in good marriage relationships. Where they are lacking, things may go wrong. In fact, the book “Marriage or Contract” contains all these and many more.

What are the things you would want to recommend as basic for a long lasting marriage?

For a long lasting marriage like mine, the wife should stoop to conquer. We are Africans, our men like to show that they are in charge even if he may not be providing all the necessities of the home.

Couples should spend time together when they are not at work, there should be honestly and trust worthiness between couples and they should feel accepted, passionate and romantic all the time, make love and be emotionally healthy, have meaningful conversations around their common interest, be open to one another, apologize easily, love whatever your spouse loves, put on a smiling face when your wife is talking before other people, attend the same church services, sleep together on the same bed all the time, pray together, play together etc.

What’s your advice to the youth especially single ladies?

They should be natural in the way they do things. The clothes they wear should not be revealing. This is because men who want to marry do not like taking half naked ladies for wives. Ladies should prefer to cook by themselves than to advice their male friends of eating out.

They should abhor lies. Ultimately all singles, girls and boys should pray, seek divine direction from God before they get to the level of “I do”.

What kind of a mother do you think your children may say you are?

My children say that I am a perfectionist. They take their time to do things that satisfy me. They think their mum never gets tired. They believe I overdo everything like reading, household chores etc. They see me as a problem solver because I always proffer solution to every issue at stake “let’s fix it attitude”.

To all these I give God the glory. I am always led by the Holy Spirit. It is a gift; I pray and believe it comes to pass the way I requested from God.

Y

ou probably know that sexual function declines with age. But a new study has mapped out exactly how much menopause affects or drives that decline.

The findings published this week by Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), were stark.

Researchers monitored 1,400 women. They found that on average, twenty months before the final menstrual period, sexual function began to decline. There was then a sharp dip from that point until a year after the final period.

During this time women experienced a far more sudden onset of side effects such as vaginal dryness and low libido.

There was then another year of declining sexual function, but at a slower rate, before it leveled off.

Overall, the five year period from just before and just after menopause drives a swift decline in sexual function for women, the study found.

The importance of this data was highlighted by another

recent NAMS study, in which 75 percent of middle-aged women surveyed said sex is ‘extremely important’ to their lives.

Dr JoAnn Pinkerton, NAMS executive director, warns the findings show a serious need to confront female sexual dysfunction.

“This study highlights the need for healthcare providers to have open conversations with their patients about their sexual issues, because there are many options for women to help maintain or improve their sexual lives as they transition to and beyond menopause,” Dr Pinkerton said.

“Low-dose vaginal estrogen, for example, which has minimal risks for most women, is an effective and safe treatment for painful intercourse as is non-estrogen therapy.”

The decline was smaller in black women and larger in Japanese than in white women.

Women who had a hysterectomy before the final menstrual period did not show a decline in sexual function before surgery but did experience a decline afterwards. (Mailonline.com)

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NOVEMBER 5, 2016

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Male

Jide animashaun 08034710902

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Angle

Should a woman change h Up to the woman

W

hat is in a name?

William Shakespeare once asked that question through the historical romantic character Juliet when she asked Romeo the question, “what’s in a name?

That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. Juliet was telling Romeo that a name is an artificial and meaningless convention. I believe in that maxim too. A name is a man made contraption used in personal and individual identification.

A man called ‘Smart’ will not automatically be intelligent, just like a woman called ‘Joy’ will not automatically be a naturally happy person.

Most Africans believe that a name has an impact on how much a person behaves or what the person becomes in life. To most of us, a good name has a way of opening ‘doors’ of good luck and opportunity to its bearer. One of the common examples is the name Goodluck which has been attributed to be the reason why President Goodluck Jonathan has been successful in life and politics.

Be that as it may, it is not surprising that people want to be identified with something or someone after marriage.

The funny thing is that even when a woman wants to be identified as someone’s wife, she also wants to have a personal identity outside of the man’s name. She wants to be seen and known as a person in her own rights who as an individual will not be an appendage of someone else. The African society through culture and religion on the other hand, believes that a woman must only be seen and not heard. Her voice is silent. She has no opinion on issues.

A lot of men and some women too will crucify me for holding on to this opinion. I know I will be called names. Funny names and not so funny names, but the truth must be said. One question I ask peo-

ple especially men who insist that their wives should change surnames after marriage or who make an issue out of this topic is that does name change by married women affect or hinders the qualities they saw in these women before they became their wives? How has my wife’s changing her surname to mine after marriage made her to become a different person or has it made her less a wife or someone else’s wife? So why the uproar over a woman’s name change?

A lot of people hide under culture and traditions to say that it’s what their ancestors have been doing, therefore it cannot and should not be changed. Some men will tell you that their religion even demands that the woman should not only lose her surname, she must submerge her identity to theirs. If you ask me, I’ll tell you that the idea is becoming outdated and obsolete. When this topic came up, most of the people I discussed it with said they believed a woman need to change her name so as to have a marital identity connected to her husband. They went further to say that once a woman gets married; she should give up her identity and become part of the man’s.

What I ask them is, ‘what happens to the former identity that it took her some time to build?’. Is marriage supposed to be bondage of sorts? A prison from which one’s identity is forever lost?

Call me what you will. I may be called an apologist or a rabble rouser, or even an iconoclast maybe? I don’t mind.

I believe that it should be a woman’s prerogative whether she wants to change her surname after marriage or not.

No one should use culture, traditions or religion to shackle her down. This is the 21st Century and we need to have an attitudinal change on a lot of issues, even if these changes may look radical in nature.

SEX TALK

This column is x-rated

Do you regret your one night stand?

Men and women both feel bad after casual sex (but for very different reasons). A new study involved participants from Brazil, the US, Canada and Norway. They were asked which emotions they felt after a one night stand. Women were most likely to believe they had moved too fast.

Men tended to want to avoid future contact with the sexual partner.

What’s your experience?

C

asual sex can fill many people with regret. New research has found four out of five men, and even more women, have wished they had not acted on impulse after a one night stand.

But their reasons are very different, the study found, with men often wanting to avoid future contact with the sexual partner and women most likely to believe they had moved too fast.

Participants from Brazil, the US, Canada, and Norway - all under 30 were asked if they had suffered from any negative emotions in the early stages of a relationship.

The international study is the first

to show both sexes feel strong negative postcoital emotions.

After a one night stand, both sexes can be concerned about their reputations and show remorse by trying to put their weakness behind them.

“There’s nothing new about some people having negative feelings after sex,” said co-author Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair, Professor of psychology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

“But why? How can something that starts out good result in such negative emotions?

“The sexual act itself can reinforce the ties between the parties if the right

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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NOVEMBER 5, 2016

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Female

Angle

JULIET UMEH 08037939592 email: juliumeh@gmail.com

her name after marriage?

W

This column is x-rated hormones are triggered. But for the partner who gains the most from moving on to other potential shortterm partners, it more often triggers a feeling of distance instead.”

Kennair added men on average wanted to leave to a greater degree than be intimate after sex.

“Women gain from having quality rather than quantity,” he said. “They want the man to stay to a greater extent. This preference applies on a group level, and obviously not to everyone.

“In Norway, sex for the sake of sex is more accepted here. We can speculate that this is due to a greater level of sexual equality and sexual liberation.”

Participants from Brazil, the US, Canada, and Norway - all under 30 - were asked if they had suffered from any or all 23 negative emotions in the early stages of a relationship, including need to be comforted, a feeling of worthlessness, tearfulness feeling rejected, shame, guilt, pity, and frustration. They found the feelings occurred universally even if sex happened after a long courtship.

This column is x-rated The percentage of men who have already experienced one or more negative emotions at least once was between 79 per cent and 84 per cent.

The frequency was between 86 per cent and 89 per cent among women - much higher than previous estimates.

Professor Kennair added: “To our knowledge, this is the first study to date investigating prevalence of negative postcoital emotions in men.”

The authors, writing in the journal ‘Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences’ concluded: “That suggests that sex differences in negative postcoital emotions are in line with the main differences in sexual strategies between the sexes.”

Evolutionary psychologists argue that men have developed an ability to distance themselves from the objects of their affection in order to move on if they are not suitable as a long-term partner. For women however there is a stronger desire to form a nurturing relationship, the study claimed.

No big deal

ell, in this part of the world, a woman taking her man’s name after marriage is mostly regarded as marital tradition. To me, a woman making that choice is based completely on personal preference, even though it’s hard to ignore the public debate-one which is often laden with finger-pointing, guilt, and rampant stereotyping.

Generally, it is viewed that a woman changing her maiden name is one of the binding factors between her and the family she has just entered.

Also, people said one of the major logistical benefits to having the same legal last name is to make it easier to know what to write on the children’s birth certificates if they ever come.

From research, a 2010 study published in Basic and Applied Psychology in United States of America showed that women who change their names after marriage are more typically viewed as more “caring and emotional,” while women who kept their last names were viewed as “smarter and more ambitious.” The same study has it that based on that one decision; many people decide that they know everything about who you are and what you’re about.

However, the first American woman to legally maintain her last name after marriage was Lucy Stone, who in 1856 became an icon for women who wanted to buck marital traditions. So, decades after her, women who kept their names after marriage were known as “Lucy Stoners,” which, incidentally, would also be a great name for your metal band).

In the decades since Stone, keeping or changing your name has become both a personal decision, and one that many people are eager to read meaning into: does changing your name make you more traditional? Does keeping it make you a feminist? In a bid to dig deep into this topic, I decided to ask some married women about why they changed or kept their names — and the answers were far more complex and thoughtful I thought. However, I discovered that whereas most women easily and comfortably relinquish their father’s name for their man’s name, a whole lot of others especially career women are mostly not comfort-

able with this. But if worst comes to worst, they might just hyphenate the husband’s name with their fathers’ name. I’m sure you wouldn’t blame them after reading through their reasons because they are simple, I guess.

Meanwhile, some women who gladly jumped at it told me that changing to their husbands’ name makes them feel like a wife while introducing themselves as Mrs. whatever their husband’s name is.

Then for the career women, here are some of their reactions: “For me, to adopt the surname of my partner and relinquish my own would profoundly affect how I think about my own identity. I like my name, I like the lineage connection to my family of birth, and I like that my friends, colleagues, and school and professional networks know who I am now and in the future,” the woman said.

Another woman also said: “Frankly, I’m proud of the career I built in my name. I did not change my name because I feel it is an antiquated practice. I had my name for over 30 years and was not about to change such a huge part of my identity and career because I chose to get married.

I would never ask my husband to change his name.”

Obviously, it is different strokes for different folks, this 45 year old publisher told me. “I’m a writer and editor, so my byline is tied to my current last name. I am reluctant to give up a last name that has a lot of interesting history and heritage behind it. I consider those things part of my identity. I honestly think the assumption that women will give up their names and take their husband’s is old fashion,” she said. Another career who also spoke said: “We Africans like to attach importance to trivial matters. As far as I’m concerned because my maiden name is easier to pronounce and spell correctly than my husband’s name, and my father has no sons. So what I did was to add my husband’s name to my father’s name because it is my professional name. I built my career on it.”

So, I strongly believe that it’s not a big deal as long as the husband in question is not bothered. But in a situation whereby the man insists, to allow peace reign, the wife may combine the two names.

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NOVEMBER 5, 2016

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

divorce court

‘He doesn’t provide food for me ’

• I want an end to this marriage because he has even abandoned me at home. So, I am no longer interested in the marriage —Wife

A

n Ilorin Area Court has dissolved a four-year marriage between Aminat Abubakar and Ahmed Ibrahim for abandonment.

Aminat, a resident of Ita Alamu, prayed the court to dissolve her marriage to Ahmed because he no longer cater for her.

She said the marriage, which was contracted in 2012, which produced no child was no longer appealing to her.

“He doesn’t provide food or

any other thing for my sustenance maybe because I have not given birth yet.

“I want an end to this marriage because he has even abandoned me at home. So, I am no longer interested in the marriage,” she said.

The defendant was not present in court, but the presiding judge, Abdulquadr Ibrahim, dissolved their marriage and issue a certificate of divorce to the petitioner.

‘My husband wants to sacrifice our son’ F

‘She has no vaginal opening’

• My wife had been deceiving me since we got married I have never seen her pass through menstruation.

My wife does not have any vagina opening. Anytime I ask her for sex, she would give an excuse to back up her refusal. Meanwhile, we have been praying to God to give us children —Husband

• I came across our 11-year-old child recently and I saw multiple razor mutilation all over his body. “It was a gory site to behold and I immediately became apprehensive of what my two children were undergoing in my absence with Raufu.Then, the child told me that his father, Raufu took him to a ritualist who compelled him to carry some sacrificial objects at 1:00 a.m. after designing his body parts with razor mutilation —Wife • My lord, he is my son, I cannot use him for anything negative, but to take care of his spiritual deficiency — Husband

Stories by Muda Oyeniran

A

Customary Court in Mapo, Ibadan has dissolved a 12-year marriage between an Ibadan-based businesswoman, Sekinat and her husband Raufu Abdulakeem, over attempted child sacrifice.

The President of the court, Mr Ademola Odunade, held that there was nothing the court could do since Sekinat and Raufu had both concluded to part ways.

Odunade, however, awarded custody of the two children produced by the union to Sekinat for proper motherly care.

He directed Raufu to pay a monthly feeding allowance of N3,000 for the upkeep of each of the two children in addition to been responsible for their education and other welfare.

Sekinat had said that Raufu sent her away from the house in order to offer their 11-year-old child for sacrifice.

“My lord, after Raufu, had sent me packing from his home more than a year ago, I came across our 11-year-old child recently and I saw multiple razor mutilation all over his body.

“It was a gory site to behold and I immediately became apprehensive of what my two children were undergoing in my absence with Raufu.

“Then, the child told me that

his father, Raufu took him to a ritualist who compelled him to carry some sacrificial objects at 1:00 a.m. after designing his body parts with razor mutilation.

“The boy further said that his father, Raufu, had alleged that he was trying to prevent him from further stealing and that was the reason for the sacrifice.

“My lord, the fundamental questions at this point is that Raufu is an Alfa with strong Islamic background, what is his association with an herbalist and making a child at that tender age to undergo such a midnight exercise.

“Before sending me out of his house, Raufu had subjected me to such dehumanizing ex-

periences such as regular battery and inadequate care for I and the two children.

“I have all along been responsible for the welfare of the children and I want to have custody of all the children because he might use them for ritual,” Sekinat stressed.

Raufu, however, denied the allegation.

He acknowledged that it was true that he took his son to a ritualist and the intention was to cure him of the spirit of stealing in him.

“My lord, he is my son, I cannot use him for anything negative, but to take care of his spiritual deficiency,” Raufu said.

NAN

‘Husband divorces wife for being dirty’

A

man has divorced his wife over her dirty and indecent ways.

The husband, James Fidelis, told an Ejigbo Customary Court about his wife’s,

Imabong Fidelis, dirtiness.

He said efforts to make her change didn’t yield any result, adding that she mismanages the children’s upkeep.

The president of the Cus-

tomary Court moved to dissolve the marriage with immediate effect.

The court, after listening to the estranged couple, directed Fidelis to pay his wife

N20,000 monthly for their children’s upkeep, and additional N250,000 accommodation fee.

The couple were married in August 2001 and have three children between them.

emi Olayiwole told a customary court in Ake, Ogun state, his wife, Kemi, has no virgina opening and has kept it a secret from him since they married.

“My wife had been deceiving me since we got married I have never seen her pass through menstruation. My wife does not have any vagina opening.

“Anytime I ask her for sex, she would give an excuse to back up her refusal. Meanwhile, we have been praying to God to give us children”, he told the court.

Having found out, he decided to approach his wife’s parents, who confirmed it to him.

“My wife did not tell me anything about her condition before we got married, until February this year that she confessed to me that she had never experienced menstruation in her life.

“I thought she was lying, so I went to see her parents who told me it was true, and that they thought their daughter explained to me before we got married,” he stated.

Olayiwole also accused the wife of constantly fighting him, all for which he wanted the marriage dissolve Although, the wife was not in court and was said to have severally ignored summons for her appearance, Olalekan Akande, the court president dissolved the marriage.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

divorce court

NOVEMBER 5, 2016

‘She lied about her age’

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27

• That woman is a liar because she lied to me about her age. I found out when I was going through her certificates.

When I confronted her, she said I should mind my own business —Husband

A

43-year-old man, Uchenna Nwosu, recently pleaded with an Agege Customary Court in Lagos to dissolve his marriage of eight years.

The father of three accused his wife, Christiana, of being disobedient, nagging and assaulting him publicly.

He claimed that the marriage started on a wrong foot and because of that, it could no longer work.

“My wife is a very disobedient woman, she nags at every little thing I do. She disobeys me and also encourages the children to disobey me as well.

“That woman is a liar because she lied to me about her age. I found out when I was going through her school certificates.

“When I confronted her, she said I should mind my own business, that it is her life. To me, this is not marriage, this is hell.

“On May 28, 2011, she wanted to go out that evening but I was trying to persuade her not to go because her children needed her to prepare food for them.

Instead of her to stay back, she

left, giving the excuse that she had an important thing to attend to.

“When she came back, she met my children and I watching a programme on the television, the next thing she did was to switch off the television and asked me to return the money she lost because I delayed her from achieving what she went out to get. I saw that I couldn’t handle the situation again so I moved out.

“A month later, she came to my office to embarrass me. She tore my shirt in the public pretending to demand the children’s school fees. Due to this incident, the management asked me to resign.

“Before I got married to her, my family did not approve of our union, but I went ahead because of the love I had for her then but now, I can’t take it anymore, I want a divorce,” Uchenna pleaded.

However, Christiana refused to show up at any of the hearings at the Magistrate’s Court and the Customary Court.

The president of the court, Mr. Emmanuel Sokunle adjourned the case for continuation of hearing.

‘My businessman husband is a popcorn seller’ • He once punched me in my stomach and I lost my first pregnancy. I have lived every minute of my life in fear, but I cannot go back to my parents because of the bride price —Wife

A

disappointed wife says she falsely believed her husband owned a provision stores, but knew he sold popcorn by the roadside.

Margaret Agwu said her husband, Onu, persuaded her parents to let him marry her when she was just 12 years– promising to educate her–and they obliged. Aside, Onu told Margaret’s parents he owned a provision store in Lagos and also lived in a flat.

All, Margaret said, turned to be a lie.

As couple, Margaret alleged Onu usually beat and strip her.

“He once punched me in my stomach and I lost my first pregnancy after a fight. I have lived every minute of my life in fear but I cannot go back to my parents because of the bride price,” she said.

Margaret, now 45, said Onu, later, ran away with their five children – one of whom she

said is now married without her knowing about it.

“When I called him after he packed out, he just told me that he was no longer interested in the marriage and since then he refused to pick my calls”.

Margaret told an Igando Magistrate Court to dissolve the marriage, citing no more love for Onu. She also urged the court to assist her return Onu’s N600 bride price to him.

Moreover, Onu also claimed he was no longer interested in the marriage when the court called him on the telephone.

Consequently, Adegboyega Omilola, the court president dissolved the marriage.

“Throughout the duration of this case, the respondent refused to honour court summons, therefore, the court has no other choice than to dissolve the union”,Omilola said.

‘My wife steals my money to play Baba Ijebu’

.

• I never knew that I was married to a criminal for three years. She constantly steals my money to play Baba Ijebu —Husband • My husband doesn’t care about me and our son. He only drops N50 or N100 a day for my feeding and my son—Wife

A

mild drama was played out at the Agege Customary Court when a middle aged man, Mr. Momoh Abdul Ganiyu told the court that his wife, Mrs. Doris has been stealing his money to play local gamble game popularly called baba Ijebu in local parlance.

He said that contrary to his earlier believe that he was married to responsible woman but her behaviour is that of a criminal. “I never knew that I was married to a criminal for 3 years.

She constantly steals my money to play baba ijebu.” Aside of this, he continues, “she is a street fighter.

She almost throws my cotenant wife from our one story apartment for the quick intervention of neighbours who averted the tragic,” Mohom recounts.

He is praying that the court dissolve his three years marriage which is blessed with a son owing to lack of respect, constant stealing and fighting. Momoh gave the court the knife that his wife tries to use to stab him.

The petitioner, who came to the court with a swollen face that was banged, gave a graphic account when his wife out ofannoyance attempted to bite off his eyes, according to him it was by

God’s grace that made her to miss his eyes when her teeth landed on his cheek.

“My wife is very troublesome, when I was asking her to return my stolen money, she refused.

In the ensuing argument, she attempted to bite my eyes but God saved me that she missed her target. She bites my cheek continuously with her mouth full of blood, while I was heavily bleeding from the teeth attack,” Momoh opined.

In her defence, Mrs. Momoh said that problem started when she lost her job. She explained that her husband is a tight-fisted man that only gives her N50 for daily upkeep. She added anytime she demands for a raise; he would turn her into his bouncing bag.

The defender display a hotel receipt and a empty pack of condom that he alleging used to the court, stressing that the petitioner preferred to use his salary on hotel and with women of easy virtue.

“My husband doesn’t care about me and our son. He only drops N50 or N100 a day for my feeding and my son. This condition had made her to resort into begging her family member for feeding. He preferred to use his money in hotel. When he is very happy, he would drop N3000 for monthly feeding,” she said.

She went on to refute the claims of her husband that she is a chronic gambler that she often steal his money to play baba ijebu. She pointed out that the baba ijebu receipt that her husband gave the court as exhibit was not hers. That her son picked it on the floor insisting that he just want to give her a badname.

The court was shunned when she narrated that her husband after impregnating her asked her to abort it or risked being push out of her matrimonial home. According to her when his antics failed, he resorted to punching and kicking of her belly in order to forcefully abort the pregnancy.

In her word, “When I was pregnant for him, he told me that due to his present condition he can’t fathered any child. To make sure I lose the pregnancy, he often punched and kicked my belly.

“He gave me N4000 and introduced me to his friend, one Momoh that took me to a hospital in Ishaga area of Lagos where I had the abortion. I did it because he threatens to kill me if I don’t.”

The president of the court, Mr. Emmanuel Shokunle urged both parties to maintain peace and later adjourned the case for further hearing.

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BRT: Return of Molue buses

In an effort to alleviate the sufferings of Lagosians occasioned by uncomfortable ride in the then popular molue buses, and its subsequent ban, the Lagos State government in March 2008, introduced the decent mass transit buses better known as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) scheme. However today, the idea seems to have had a relapse as the vain glory of the molue days has returned in full force. ERIC ELEZUO writes.

B

RT was introduced as a way of easing the stress Lagos residents were facing in their everyday lives commuting on Lagos commercial buses; the frustration knew no bounds. And so during the twilight of Senator Bola Tinubu’ administration as Lagos State governor, mechanisms were put in place in form of routes, bus stops and officials to kick start the BRT expedition. This was released when Babatunde Fashola, SAN, took over the reins of administration.

The euphoria that greeted the innovation was tremendous as for the first time in modern times, Lagos was categorized among cities with a transport system to be reckoned with. The ever popula molue buses were outlawed from plying the major route of the metropolis, thereby taking

them out of circulation.

So with gusto and much determination, and with a desire to improve the commuting experience of residents, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), in collaboration with the operator of BRT, has launched buses after buses to beef up the existing fleet along the route especially Mile 12 to CMS, Ikorodu – CMS and back route among others But today, the euphoria that greeted the replacement of molue buses with BRT buses has turned to despondency or to a great number of Lagosians, has completely gone to comatose as there is no difference between the molue of yesteryears with the so called modern BRT buses of today.

“For those of us who existed in Lagos in the 70s, up until the late 90s, even sometime

For those of us who existed in Lagos in the 70s, up until the late 90s, even sometime into the new millennium, we can tell that the molue we used to know is fast making a comeback in BRT buses into the new millennium, we can tell that the molue we used to know is fast making a comeback in BRT buses. This is in consideration of its stuffy and jam packed nature,” a commuter at Egbeda Bus stop said.

According to another commuter who gave his name as Chukwudi, and claims that he plies regularly the Ikorodu Road to CMS axis confided in the Saturday Mirror, saying that what the people enter these days is becoming worse that the legendary molue era, which dominated Lagos city transport, as captured in one Bro Martins music.

“I entered this BRT bus one day, and was forced to count the number of people in the bus on the day because of the discomfort I was feeling, and to my utmost surprise, I got to 150 persons before I got confused.

While about 42 were sitting, the remaining number was standing, holding loosely to a crossbar metal. You can tell the frustrations on the faces of the people but none dare voice his discomfort,” Chukwudi said.

The BRT buses are categorized into the blue and red coloured types, and report CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

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NOVEMBER 5, 2016

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‘Molues in the making’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

has it that they operate under government franchise run individual efficient corporate organizations. The operations of the operators are closely monitored by the state government, who supports with logistics such as enabling environment, manpower and security.

According to Managing Director of LAMATA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, who briefed journalists as the complaints of dilapidation of the buses rent the air, the operator of the BRT system, First BRT Cooperative, had ordered 50 new buses, 40 of which had arrived and been deployed into operation, as part of a holistic plan at returning the BRT operations and experience to its once efficient and effective state at launch in 2008.

He said the remaining 10 buses were expected to be delivered before the end of the year, stressing, ‘Besides the addition of the new buses, the operator has commenced refurbishment of 100 serviceable buses, 22 of which are already deployed for commuting services.’

Mobereola said the acquisition of the buses was in fulfillment of the agreement reached between government and the operator with a view to improving the BRT operations and return bus services along the Mile 12 to CMS corridor to the vision of a world class transport system for Lagos.

He informed that the idea of introducing the Bus Rapid Transit system BRT was to improve the quality of commuting for Lagos residents without stress, noting that it has always been hectic and appalling.

However, commuters now worry over the falling standards in this once comfortable means of transportation. Before the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) was introduced in Lagos, there was the use of and the Molues, which are the big buses converted from trucks that were designed to accommodate from 44 to 50 passengers per trip. The molue buses, though designed to convey 50 passangers, are known to convey over 100 passengers many of who are squashed together and those without seats are packed into the aisle or hang on the doorway. Commuting on these tightly-seated buses was an experience one would not want to have twice because they were always crowded and filthy. But the reverse is the case today.

At the Iyana Ipaja Bus stop, Alimosho Local Government Area, the boarding of BRT buses takes centre stage, especially with passengers heading to the city’s capital, Ikeja. The queue is always filled to capacity with spill over even to the adjoining markets, and while passengers appreciate the mode of transportation because of its cheap nature, constancy and speed, they lament the irresponsibility of the service in terms of loading and management attitude.

Saturday Mirror sought the opinion of most passengers on the queue at Iyana Ipaja, and a cross section reported that given the opportunity, they would not want to board the bus again, saying that the only attraction left of the greatly touted mass transport was the price.

A woman who gave her name as Mrs. Aderonke, who works in Ikeja, said that the glory days of the BRT project has ended, stressing that what is left of the laudable project is memories of the time past.

“Except for the price, there is no more attraction in this mode of transport. The interior of the buses, especially the ones that ply this route are practically decayed, and still passengers are stuffed together like canned foods. The authorities do not

even care about the health of their passengers,” she lamented.

However, in a twist of reaction, another passenger, who was later identified as Fatai interrupted the woman, angrily saying that the authorities have nothing to do with the issue, especially the standing passengers. He noted, albeit with renewed annoyance that boarding the BRT buses or even standing throughout a trip is not by compulsion but choice, adding that no one has ever been forced to stand on the bus even as many people do.

“The price for standing and that of sitting is the same thing, and so there is no basis for anybody to want to stand if not by choice. As a result, anyone standing should not blame the authorities because he chose to stand, and should be ready to bear the health hazards of his actions,” he said.

Saturday Mirror sought the comments of the officials comprising ticketing officers, checking officers and supervisors, at the site as regards the exact number of passengers permitted to stand on the bus at each trip.

“Everywhere in the world, this type of bus makes provision for standing, and so it is not a surprise or crime that people stand on BRT buses here. However, while there is no specified number of people programmed to stand, the passengers keep trooping in, and we just can’t ask them to stop. So the problem is more of the passengers’ than the authorities,” the checking in officer, who craved anonymity, said while perforating tickets of boarding passengers.

In contrast however, a local government health officer at a primary health centre at Igando, Miss Ibrahim, said that the authority in charge of the BRT project are not sin-

cere if they claim that the passengers are the ones to check their going in or not, saying that man being what he is, is bound to do anything to help himself no matter how dangerous or detrimental to his health. He added that this desire is the reason for laws and law enforcement officers otherwise there will be no need for enforcement.

“An average person, especially Nigerian wants to use the short cut no matter the danger, and it is left for the constituted authority to call him to other. Most of these passengers will tell you that they are already late to work, and that explains their hanging precariously on the bus. But the authority in charge must stamp its feet, and save the people from killing themselves; that is why they are there, and that is why they are paid tax payers money,” she said.

But while axis of the project lament the indecent treatment, some others are said to be enjoying an element of comfort where some of the buses are endowed with televisions and air conditioners, a situation most people believe is just temporary.

Akinade, an Ikorodu passenger, said that what people see today is just the fact that the buses are still new, adding that within a short period of time, it will become like the others in every ramification.

“Those scattered ones were once like the ones. It s just a matter of time and they will be like others. The same thing wey happen to others go happen to them. This is not only in terms of the buses, but also the management, especially those ones on the ground. The tickers are so rude and snobbish, just like the drivers are very abusive just like the drivers and conductors of old.

My friend there is no difference anymore,”

The price for standing and that of sitting is the same thing, and so there is no basis for anybody to want to stand if not by choice. As a result, anyone standing should not blame the authorities because he chose to stand

Akinade said.

A cross section of respondents told Saturday Mirror that the tout-like attitude of the drivers and conductors is not unconnected to their origin as according to them, they are the very same persons who drove and conducted the defunct molue vehicles.

They highlighted that it is a case of old wine in new bottle.

A ticketer at the Yaba area of the BRT bus stop told our correspondent that they have to behave the way they do because a lot of people have come to see them as low life because of the job they do, and they have to defend themselves to an extent But according to the LAMATA boss, ‘Government would continue to support initiatives that would give succour to the commuting public by alleviating their transport needs.’

He assured that with the reforms already put in place, the BRT operation would soon return to what commuters used to experience at its original launch.

However, this disgusting molue experience is fast becoming the case of the BRT buses as commuters criticise the spate of how fast it is becoming uncomfortable to move around with.

It should not be lost to the people, government and authority of the BRT project that the purpose of introducing BRT was to phase out the molues, which have become inadequate, old-fashioned and inappropriate for the status of Lagos. Having been on the streets of Lagos for the past eight years, commuters continue to wander if there is still going to be another better transport system as it has cumulatively failed to ease the discomfort of commuting on Lagos roads.

Some Lagos residents believe that since the suffering and squashing endured during the molue bus era is still very much available, nothing has change, and a change should be the next big thing for a revolution in the sector.

This story was told by a BRT passenger sometime ago: “I boarded a BRT bus that was headed for CMS and I did this just to avoid the tightness and discomfort of travelling with other buses. However, to my surprise when we got to Oshodi Isale, the driver packed and started loading more passengers unto the already filled-up bus.”

He added: “Despite our protest, he simply turned deaf ears to us and took in over 15 more passengers. That journey that day was very uncomfortable and annoying for me because I felt I was in a molue bus.”

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Beware! Stress can ruin your health!

H

appy New Year to you our numerous readers and thank God we all made it to year 2016. There is this freshness that comes with the beginning of the year. It offers fresh opportunities packed in a bundle of 365 or as in this leap year, 366 promising days. As such, it gives a feeling that those things we were unable to achieve the previous years will all be done in the New Year. We make resolutions; we set new goals and begin the race on the first of January, hoping to get to the finishing line immediately. Sometimes, nature cuts us a break and things go the way we planned. Sometimes, however, things don’t work out exactly as we planned it and this puts us under pressure.

For year 2016 particularly, the forecast by economists have not been too encouraging. With the prediction that the price of crude oilNigeria’s main foreign exchange earner- will crash further government spending will definitely be affected. Some jobs will be put on the line and the economy of families may not be what it used to be.

This may put some pressure on everyone to stay afloat and the stress level will definitely rise. When moderate, stress has been known to spur people to performing far beyond expectations. But when the levels rise to the unbearable and become life threatening, then is the time to watch it, so as to prevent productivity and income from falling and medical bills from rising.

Stress is what results when you are under so much mental, emotional or even physical pressure that you are unable to cope.

Ordinarily, stress is the body’s way of responding to challenging situations. It is a way the body prepares for and responds to pressures of work place, family life and day to day living. So it actually helps in preparing the heart, the muscles and the mind to cope with those occasional breathtaking situations that requires every of our personal resources. It only becomes a problem when the body fails to relax after such encounters or when such situations become persistent. In other words, when we have failed to apply the necessary coping mechanism.

Causes:

The causes of stress could simply be referred to as Stressors and stressors could be positive or negative. If you just got promoted or built your own house it could be as demanding as you having issues in your marriage or facing financial hardships.

Sometimes, the stressor is more internal and a function of individual’s outlook to life; hence being pessimistic and filling your mind with negative thoughts may stress you ,much unlike people with a more positive outlook to life who are more ready to weather the storm believing more in themselves. Causes of stress then could be –financial hardships –relationship problems –major life events

–children, family, or work related negative situations –too loaded work schedule –being negative and pessimistic –setting unrealistic goals and having unrealistic expectations –Being rigid about self (as they say, don’t take yourself too seriously, no one else does!)•

Symptoms:

At the onset of symptomatic stress, the signs are no more than a handful of involuntary actions. You may notice that: –You unconsciously grind your teeth –you tense your jaw and other muscles –you bite your nails –you hold your breath and rarely breathe deeply –you become short tempered When you don’t apply the brakes at this point, it only gets worse and systemic symptoms surface, such include: High blood pressure or heart conditions Weight problems: you may eat too much and gain weight or not eat enough and lose weight Problems with digestions: you may get more constipated or have occasional diarrhea Poor libido: you may lose your sex drive Sleep problems: as in lack of sleep or excessive sleep Dental problems: you ground the teeth! remember?

Skin conditions: like eczema may develop and persist Menstruation: may become altered in

women Mood problems: you also risk depression, procrastination, nervousness etc Substance abuse: you may resort to alcohol abuse and smoking excessively (this is DISASTROUS!)

Treatment:

The treatment of stress ‘’begins with you!’’. You actually have more control over it than you think, and there are several coping mechanisms that stand everyone in good stead without having to resort to harmful practices such as excessive alcohol consumption or indulgence in unhealthy food intake. Importantly, the following are steps you can take to manage your stress 1) Get talking: A problem shared is half solved; goes the saying. Even if the individual you are expressing yourself to cannot really help, the act of engaging in conversation with another individual releases some stress reducing hormones. So if you notice you are stressed just engage yourself socially.

2) Get moving: When stressed, it helps to move your arms and legs. Walk, run, dance or swim Just exercise! You may do this alone or as part of a group. Physical activity has been known to defuse stress and help you up.

3) Get more relaxation: Set aside time for relaxation. Meditate, and take deep breaths. Plan a relaxing activity that you can eagerly look forward to each day such as reading a book, listening to music or tending a garden.

4) Get more sleep: To bust stress, you need a balance. Getting adequate night sleep helps with this. It gives you a clear head and helps you to cope.

5) Get help: Sometimes you cannot handle the effect of stress on your own or you have delved into unhealthy coping

mechanisms. At this stage, you are advised to get help from medical experts. Cooperating with such experts in taking prescribed medications and undergoing necessary rehabilitative measures will get you back quickly on your feet.

Prevention:

Sometimes you may just choose not to get stressed. That is, you see it coming and you duck! To achieve this, there are preventive steps you can take; some of which are also ways of coping in an already established stress; 1) Maintain good relationship with friends and families 2) Eat healthy diets and avoid artery clogging foods 3) Exercise regularly 4) Be optimistic 5) Learn to calm down and control your emotions And 6) Be confident in your ability to overcome every difficult situations

Conclusion:

Let me conclude by wishing us a stress free, fulfilling and prosperous New Year Tips on avoiding Stress: Watch out for early signs of stress such as teeth grinding, jaw clenching etc Make eating a healthy diet a habit.

Exercise regularly Engage yourself socially Relax, sleep and play Never indulge in alcohol or smoking to reduce stress Get help immediately if you feel you need it.

You can chat with a doctor FREE at www.prettyhealthcare.com.ng.

Every Wednesdays and Fridays (4-8pm)

Spo rt

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NOVEMber 5, 2016

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Operation stop Algeria:

Agali, Adekpoju, Ogunjobi caution against complacency

Super Eagles in a group photograph

W

ith barely a week to the 2018 world cup qualifier against Algeria, some Nigerian ex-internationals have advised the Gernot Rohr led Super Eagles to avoid complacency when they face their North African opponents to guarantee picking the maximum points at stake at the all important cracker.

Super Eagles will on November 12, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State meet the Desert Foxes of Algeria in their second Group B match of the qualifiers.

Nigeria began the campaign on a good note in their opening match of the qualifiers by beating Chipolopolo of Zambia 2-1 in Ndola while Algeria settled for a 1-1 draw in Bilda with the other group member, Cameroon.

Speaking on the match, ex- international Victor Agali stated that judging by the performance of the Super Eagles against Zambia, Nigeria can go all out and beat Algeria but was quick to point out that they must avoid complacency because the

Algerian game will be more tactical than the first match.

I’m really happy with the performance of the Super Eagles against Zambia in Ndola. It is an indication that the team is regaining its lost glory because it has been a long time we recorded an away victory and I want them to re-enact that form against Algeria next weekend’, noted the former Olympique Marselle striker.

According to Agali who was a member of the country’s Sydney 2000 Olympics noted that there is the need for the Super Eagles to take the Algerian match serious because the North Africans are a force to be reckoned with in African football and as such should not be toiled with.

“When you look at the Algerians, you will discover that as a typical North African side, they are mobile and a tactical team.

“It is true that the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon played out a 1-1 draw with them but it is important to know that the Desert Foxes who are the third best

African ranked team after Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal will not take chances in their second match which will make the game difficult to predict”, stated the former Hansa Rostock and Schalke 04 play maker.

Speaking on the match, a member of the Nigerian team that played in the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship and former Super Eagles player, Mutiu Adepoju expressed confidence that Nigeria will be victorious next Saturday but reminded the Eagles that North African teams are hard nuts to crack just as he appealed to the technical crew to work on the Eagles defence.

“With what I’ve seen from the Super Eagles lately, I’ve no doubt in my mind that they will get the maximum three points at stake. Their performance against Zambia has shown that the team is gradually discovering itself but they must not underrate their opponent as that is the only way victory can be achieved.

On the sudden replacement of goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme by Daniel Akpaeyi on account

of injury, the former Shooting Stars, Julius Berger and Racing Santanda of Spain midfielder who was recently appointed to help raise the profile of Spain’s La Liga in Nigeria expressed confidence that Akpaeyi is capable of stepping into Ikeme’s shoes.

“It is unfortunate that Ikeme pick up an injury few days to our world cup qualifying match but I still believe that his replacement, Daniel Akpeyi will be a worthy replacement.

“Nigerians should remember that Chippa United of South Africa stopper manned the post for Nigeria at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and as such is experienced to put on the number one shirt”, submitted Mutiu who appeared for Nigeria in three world cups namely; 1994, 1998 and 2000 and many Africa Cup of Nations.

On his part a foremost sports administrator and former Secretary General of NFF, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi while acknowledging that the game will be tough, noted that Nigeria will be victorious at the end of the full 90 minutes.

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Amapakabo wants Ezeji named NPFL ambassador Stories by

IFEANYI EDUZOR

N Harrington

Turkish Airlines Open: Harrington questions withdrawals

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layers who pulled out of this week’s Turkish Airlines Open because of security concerns may have over-reacted, says three-time major winner Padraig Harrington.

World number three Rory McIlroy withdrew following last month’s missile attacks in the Antalya region, which hosts the tournament. It will feature only three of the top 10 players in the Race to Dubai.

The leading 70 players in the Race to Dubai were eligible for the Turkish Airlines, but the withdrawals mean the field goes down as far as Sweden’s Pelle Edberg, who is ranked 102nd.

Harrington, who is 43rd in the standings, said he encountered no problems when he played at the 2016 Rio Olympics, amid fears of the Zika virus, and in Northern Ireland, during the Troubles.

“That was a big factor cited in not going to Rio, safety reasons, and how wrong they were there?” he said.

“I’ve tended to travel and play around the world because I did it in the late 80s and early 90s in Ireland when we had our troubles in Ireland.

“I played a lot of golf in Northern Ireland during that period and I remember other golfers from down south saying ‘you’re mad going up there”, he concluded.

Ryder Cup: McIlroy calls for selection overhaul

F

ormer world number one Rory McIlroy has urged the European Tour to scrap its controversial rule barring non-members of that tour from competing in the Ryder Cup. According to McIlroy, the absence of United States-based Paul Casey affected Europe’s bid to win the biennial team competition for a fourth successive time in Minnesota last month.

Holders Europe lost to the

United States by a crushing 1711 margin at Hazeltine National, prompting the European Tour to consider changes to its selection criteria for the 2018 edition in Paris.

“It should be the best 12 players from Europe versus the best 12 players from the U.S.,” McIlroy was quoted as saying.

“To have a guy like Paul Casey not on our team when he is playing some of the best golf in the world right now, it definitely hurt us “, he concluded.

Akwa Ibom agog for dreamland football cup

A

rrangement have been concluded for the kick off of the third edition of the dreamland football academy cup 2016 for under 17 - 23 players.

President/ Chief Executive Officer of Dreamland Football Academy, Ndudi Edede told Saturday Mirror that this year’s edition is being organized in collaboration with Akwa Ibom State Football Association and Ituen Sports Academy, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

“The tournament is for 16 teams and will be staged from November 11-17, 2016. “it is also designed for players who are between the ages of

17 and 23 and it will be an opportunity for players to exhibit their talents and for premier league managers to get quality players”, he explained.

According to him, they are expecting foreign scouts from Slovenia, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Spain just as he announced that some of their technical partners for this year’s tournament are B4sports, Slovenia Lucufreyer Management group, Academico Juvenstude Alcochet of Portugal, CS Blue Angel Cristian- Brasov of Romania and Noor Sports International, Cairo, Egypt amongst others.

igeria Professional Football League winning Coach, Imama Amapakbo has once again reiterated his desire to see Nigerian League Legend, Victor Ezeji named an NPFL Ambassador by the League Management Company .

Amapakabo who won the just concluded NPFL season with Enugu Rangers Football Club is of the opinion that Ezeji remains one the best players the Nigerian League has ever produced and he should thus be so honoured.

The Rangers Coach who happened to have played with Ezeji as a player at Sharks and also coached him at the same club had earlier in August called on the LMC to name Ezeji as one of its ambassadors.

As Ezeji gets set to celebrate his much talked about testimonial in December, Amapakabo says there would be no better time than now to officially name a player whom younger players in the league consider an icon, an ‘Ambassador’ of the league.

“Who has won more than Victor Ezeji? He is a legend in his right. And I think it is about time the LMC made him an Ambassa-

Ezeji

dor of the league as opposed to someone who didn’t play in the league.

“He won virtually everything in the land, highest goal scorer, MVP and more. He is the one that we see and he is the one that we know. He is the one the young players look up to.

‘There is no person that plays in the league today that does not know Victor Ezeji. Mention his name and you’ll see he is an idol.

Is it because he is one of us? We should celebrate one of our own.

I duff my hat to him”, concluded Amapakabo.

Imama Amapakabo was team captain when Victor signed up for the now defunct Sharks FC in 1996 and was a coach at Sharks when Ezeji returned for his third stint at the club between 2008-2012.

Ezeji from the time he began his top flight career in 1996 would then go on to play in 20 top flight seasons only halted for a brief spell when he tried his luck in Tunisia.

The Victor Ezeji Testimonial is scheduled to take place at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt on the 10th of December.

SA 2016: Special Sports nominees emerge AFOLABI GAMBARI

O

rganisers of the 2016 Nigeria Sports Award have released another set of shortlisted nominees for the 5th edition of the award billed for next month.

Chairman of the Award Panel, Mr. Ikeddy Isiguzo, said the panel had concluded plans to give out recognition awards to deserving former sportsmen and women, in addition to sports management bodies as part of the activities to commemorate the event.

“Three members of the Powerlifting Team to the Rio 2016 Paralympics GamesEzuruike Roland, Kehinde Paul and Innocent Nnamdi made the shortlist of the Special Sports Person of the Year (Men),” Isiguzo disclosed “The duo of Roland and Paul won gold in the 54kg and 65kg powerlifting event respectively while Nnamdi won bronze in the 72kg powerlifting event,” the panel chairman added.

“For the Special Sports Person of the Year (Women), three

Powerlifters;Bose Omolayo, Orji Josephine, Ejike Lucy and two field athletes-Onye Lauretta and Ugwunwa Flora-made the shortlist. Omolayo, Josephine and Lucy won gold in the 79kg, 86kg and 61kg powerlifting event respectively while Lauretta won gold in the F40 Shot Put event and Flora won gold in the F53/54

Javelin Throw,” Isiguzo further said.

The nomination list was compiled from members of the public through the various nomination platforms.

The prestigious Nigeria Sports Award will take place on December 2 at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

o,

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NOVEMBER 5, 2016

Crime Watch Family accuses police of foul play over death of teenager Patience Ogbo

F

amily members of late Joshua Bello, 19, a secondary school leaver who was found dead in a swimming pool at the Adeniji Jones area in Lagos are calling on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Idris Ibrahim to take over the investigation, so as to unravel the mystery over the death of their son.

According to family sources, Joshua’s lifeless body was recovered from a- 9 feet swimming pool at the weekend, where he was called for a barbecue grilling job.

Narrating how the family learnt about Joshua’s sudden demise, his elder brother, Michael Bello, whom he lived with before his untimely death said, “He was called for a grilling job, something he does as pastime, so as to save money towards his education. He left my house on Saturday, 29 October about 6:00am so he could get to the venue early and set up. I waited for him to return home that night and I called his line at about 7pm but it was switched off. I could not sleep all through the night.

My brother is not the kind of person that stays out without making contact. I was howev-

er shocked when I was called by the police at about 8am on Sunday morning telling me to come over that my brother was arrested. It was when I got to the ManCentre police station that the news was broken to me that he was found dead that morning at the bottom of the pool in a private residence around Adeniyi Jones where the party held” Bello however said they are suspecting foul play as the police have yet to arrest anybody over the death.

He added that the family is contacting a lawyer as the police have already concluded that the deceased committed suicide even before an autopsy was conducted.

He said further, “We are suspecting foul play.

The police at the ManCentre police station told my mother that my brother committed suicide. His corpse is in the mortuary and autopsy is yet to be conducted so why is police saying he committed suicide? We are contacting a lawyer to help us with the case. According to the owner of the house, the party ended at 7:30pm.

The caterer that engaged him said he left at 8pm The security at the house said they saw him still grilling between 8:00 and 8:30pm. They claimed he properly went for a

Late Joshua

dive after working that night and drowned and they did not see him till the next morning but as at the time he was been dragged out of the water his body wasn’t floating it was still deep beneath the pool which

was 9 feet deep. Joshua is a very good swimmer and I have seen him swam even in deeper water with high current that is why we are suspecting foul play.

They claimed they found his personal items by the pool side

Indian Hemp trafficker reveals modus operandi

A

35-year-old man identified as Olamilekan Taiwo an alleged Indian hemp trafficker is telling policemen how he came about 62 compressed parcel of Indian Hemp weighing about 10 kg each.

According to the police, the suspect who was arrested at the border in Ogun statewhile attempting to traffic the illegal substance to a neighbouring country.

The suspect had lied to the policemen that he had a load

of cloths for sale.

The policemen were however not convinced, decided to inspect the entire goods and discovered that 90 percent of the folded package was filled with wraps of Indian hemp.

Following the discovery, the suspect was taken to the police station where he admitted to have moved several loads of Indian hemp across the border through Ogun state.

Asked what his modus ope-

randi is, the suspect stated that he is an errand boy as he has contacts in and outside the country that supply and buy the illegal substances.

On his arrest, a police source said that investigation is on-going to arrest his accomplices. “It is no longer going to be business as usual on our borders as the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris had redeployed newly trained officers to assist other agencies to man the nation’s border.

These special officers were sent to other developed countries like UK and US to under study how best to protest our borders from criminal activities.

The recent raid led by CSP Victor Badeh , is one out of several results that is expected in the coming days. “ Criminals are warned to seek other alternatives as any attempt to take advantage of our borders will no longer be tolerated,” the source said.

which include his Polo shirt, Jeans trouser, wallet but no cash was found in it while the caterer confirmed giving him N3000 which was the money he was paid that night for the Job. His phone Infinix hot2 with 2 SIM cards, An Apple iPos, hisNike snicker, with sock, a black Rayban sun glasses were recovered by the pool side. The most painful part at the moment is that the inspector in-charge of the case (Man center police station, Wemabod Estate, off Adeniyi Jones said he had already ruled out foul play and this is even before the autopsy results are even out. It seems to me the police have already been compromised. We are calling them but they are not picking their calls That why am reaching out to the press so they can get the story out to the Inspector General of Police to take over the investigation”.

Do you have a story for us? Contact 08062202130 or crimewatchmirror@yahoo.

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Crime Watch

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NOVEMBER 5, 2016

Father of nine arrested with 15 rifles

P

olicemen attached to the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team are investigating a suspected notorious kidnapper, armed robber and political thug, Zakeri Yua Isiaka, who according to the police has been terrorising Kogi states and its environs.

The suspect who claimed to be 30 years old is married to nine wives and has 15 children.

Saturday Mirror gathered that the suspect was arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special, IRT, on Sunday, on the Okene- Akure Highway.

The police said, following search of the suspect’s residence, they recovered 15 assault rifles including an Ak47 rifle which was snatched from the IRT during an encounter with the police.

The police also said they recovered several magazines and ammunition from the suspect’s house.

Narrating how he got involved in crime, the suspect said, “My name is Zakeri Isiaka. I am 30-year-old, from Odu-Ochelle Village in Dekina LGA of Kogi State. I am married to nine wives and 15 children. I am a secondary school dropout and I went into

farming after I left school. I farmed at Isenyi in Oyo State for about eight years before I went to PortHarcourt, Rivers State and joined the Ateke Tom’s camp of the Niger Delta Militant.

When I got to Portharcourt, I was squatting with a boy from my home. I started visiting an Indian hemp joint to smoke and I discovered that the people coming to those joints were mainly into oil bunkering. I told them that I wanted to join them and they started beating me.

They thought I was an informant, I was beaten for one week before a guy who identified himself as an Ateke-Tom’s boy, took interest in me and he allowed me to join them. They taught me how to handle fire arms and we carried out lots of oil bunkering. I was making close to N3million on each trip. After I made my money I came to Abuja and settled down. I built a house and then I went into car business. I also came back with three guns and I kept them in the village. At that time, the governor had given guns to all the thugs in my state and since they had killed my blood brothers, I thought it wise to have my own guns so as to protect myself with it. In that election, I was hired to protect ballot boxes so

that thugs will not snatch them.

When Captain Idris Wada and Prince Audu contested in 2011 elections, I went back home and still protected the votes of my people. I made sure I used my guns to protect my people’s votes.

One of my friends was even killed in the process. After that election, I came back to Abuja, went back to my business, and I bought motorcycles for people to ride. I had three wives at that time” Zekari also narrated how he and his gang robbed vehicles of huge sum of money and he made away with over N50million from the operation adding that he was almost killed in that operation He said “It was Dan that brought the job to me. He told me that some politicians were moving money around Abuja and it seems that the money was meant for election. We mapped out a strategy and we sighted the vehicle approaching us, we double crossed it and we snatched the vehicle from the driver.

After the operation, I kept three big bags for myself and I gave Dan and others involved two big bags of money to share. But while we were sharing the money, one of Dan’s friend who had a gun with him wanted to shoot me and he ended up shooting himself. Anoth-

Fatai Owoseni, Lagos CP

er operation I did was in Okene, I did that job with a guy called Black and we made N10, million from that. I lost seven of my ri-

fles to the police in Niger State after they arrested my younger brother who used one of my guns to snatch a car’’

Assassins kill businessman in Lagos Patience Ogbo

D

etectives attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, are investigating the murder of one Mr. Kelvin Uzozie, a 42-year-old who was allegedly assassinated in his residence at No. 7 Rasheed Yusuf Street, Onireke off Badagry Expressway Lagos .

It was gathered that suspected assassins broke into the deceased house through the back door after cutting the burglary to the three bedroom apartment where he lived alone on October 8.

Source said the deceased before his untimely death, owned a haulage company in Lagos but his family members were not living with him as they reside in Onitsha

Anambra state.

A neighbour who identified himself simply as Kenneth said, ”Kevin was a good man and a peace loving fellow. He would never allow you cheat anyone and would always go for what is right. Although he lived alone, but he never kept other female company except for his wife who would always come to visit him from Onitsha, where she works as a government school teacher. She was even in Lagos about a week back before the incident.

“It was at about 4 am on the 8 October, when I heard some sound coming from one the 6 flats in our building. I really couldn’t tell which flat it was coming from but the sound was quiet heavy like people fighting. I choose not to go out because I didn’t know what it was all about. It was about 6am when I heard other neighbours

shouting outside that I went out. To my dismay, I saw people gathered in front of Kelvin apartment. When I drew closer, I saw his body covered with blood from his nose and mouth and it was obvious he was no more.

“I asked other neighbours if they heard the sound earlier and they said yes, one other said he thought robbers had invaded the compound. We however went round his apartment for any clue as to why he was killed and if the suspected murders had come to rob or just to end his life. We discovered the burglary at the back door was cut off and that was how the killers gained entrance into his apartment and they possibly left through his front door because it was left wide open. The rooms were scattered. We even found a stick in his room lying not too far from him cov-

ered with blood stains. It was them we knew that those who came for the job had used a stick to perfect their act.

“Since late Kelvin lived alone and there was no one to ask, so we decided to go and report the matter to the Onireke police division, three police men came with us to the house asked a few questions around and we arranged for his body to be taken to a mortuary.

“We are all still in great shock as to the incident. It’s been weeks now but the fear is still very much in us. Some of us even fled our houses after the incident but only to return about three days after.”

It was gathered that the police have carried out an autopsy on the corpse and had released his corpse to his family for burial at his home town in Neni, Anambra state.

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SOUTH WEST

Oniba’s kidnap:

Dispute over representation of accused stalls trial

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he much anticipated trial of suspects arrested in connection with the kidnap of Oniba of Iba Town, Oba Yishau Goriola Oseni before a Lagos High Court in Igbosere was on Friday stalled due to dispute by two lawyers over legal representation of one of the suspects.

The Lagos State Government is prosecuting the suspects on an eight-count criminal charge of conspiracy to murder, murder, armed robbery and Kidnapping.

At the last adjourned date, the suspects - Duba Furejo, Ododomo Isaiah, Reuben Anthony and Yerin Fresh were arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, while the case was adjourned for commencement of trial.

However, when the case was called, two lawyers - Mr. Seliowei Baidi and Mr. Anthony Onwaeze announced appearance for the fourth accused (Yerin Fresh), a development which made Justice Taiwo to intervene to settle the disagreement.

Onwaeze, who is the new

lawyer briefed by Fresh, had told the court that he already discussed with Baidi on the issue before the commencement of sitting for the day, but that he (Baidi) insisted not to relinquish the representation until all his legal bills were settled.

But Baidi fired back saying that Onwaeze failed to take appropriate steps required by law in taking over legal representation.

While citing Rules 29(1) of the Court’s Rules, Baidi said upon receiving instruction to take over the case, Onwaeze ought to have addressed a let-

ter to the court and to him, adding that it was disrespectful to the court for his learned friend to just attempt to start representing the accused without following the rule of law.

The prosecution represented by the State’s Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs. Idowu Alakija, however, told the court that in view of the development, she would have to accede to the adjournment of the case for the defence to put their house in order to resolve the issue of representation.

NOVEMBER 5, 2016

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35

Ambode, Amosun mourn passage of elder statesman, Olaniwun Ajayi

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agos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Friday expressed sadness over the passage of foremost elder statesman and member of the Obafemi Awolowo political family, Pa Olaniwun Ajayi.

Olaniwun Ajayi, a prominent chieftain of the pan Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere died in the early hours of Friday morning at the age of 91.

The Governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, said the late Ajayi was a frontline politician who was passionate about the progress of the Yoruba nation and Nigeria at large.

“Papa was one of the few surviving close associates of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. After Chief Awolowo’s death, he was a consistent advocate for the struggle to see Nigeria achieve the dreams of her founding fathers.

“He was very passionate about the progress of Nigeria, he was an intellectual genius who had an enthusiasm for the development of his immediate community and the country at large.

“I recall my last meeting with him just about

three months ago at the residence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It was like a premonition. He had admonished all of us to give him a long lasting legacy and ensure that the Yoruba hegemony is not trampled upon and tarnished.

“This wish of his, as a great Nigerian statesman, and true son of Yoruba land, we are committed to uphold and to cherish,” the Governor said.

Governor Ambode recalled that Pa Olaniwun Ajayi’s law firm which was established in 1962 grew from being a sole practitionership to one of the largest and open partnerships in SubSaharan Africa and in its five decades of existence, held briefs for various corporate organisations and the government at both the federal and state levels.

“There was virtually no sector in Nigeria that Pa Ajayi’s law firm was not prominent. His law firm in no time became one of the most sought after fullservice legal practices in Africa,” the Governor said.

He also prayed that Almighty God would grant the soul of the departed peaceful repose and for the family, the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Applicant writes Aregbesola over UniOsun VC’s selection process L-R: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle), in a group photograph with Special Adviser on Food Security, Mr. Ganiyu Okanlawon Sanni; Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. Abdul-Hakeem Abdul-Lateef; former National President, Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Alhaja Latifat Okunnu; National President of the Association, Hajia Amina Omoti, Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluranti Adebule; Commissioner for Youth & Social Development, Pharm. (Mrs.) Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf; Special Adviser on Housing, Mrs. Aramide Giwanson and her Urban Development counterpart, Mrs. Yetunde Onabule during FOMWAN courtesy visit to the Governor, at the Lagos House, Ikeja, recently.

Lagos will not discriminate on tribe or creed ­­–Ambode

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agos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, on Thursday hosted the executive members of the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), at the Lagos ºHouse, saying that his administration would not subscribe to any form of discrimination based on tribe or religious affiliation.

The Governor, who hosted the group at the Lagos House, Ikeja, said as much as the State is home to a large number of religious organisations, the government would continue to respect the constitution of the country which allows for freedom of association, however urging all religious bodies to continue to exhibit tolerance and unity among themselves.

“In Lagos, it is very clear that there is heavy presence

of religious organization, Lagos is a cosmopolitan state, we do not discriminate, and we are set out to obey the constitution of this country.

And in doing so, free citizens of Lagos State should be given the chance to excel to where God has planned for them to be”.

“We do not discriminate based on religion, we would not discriminate based on tribe, we are not going to discriminate based on where you come from. It is not the will of God and we would not practice it,” he said.

The Governor, who said Lagos was honoured to be chosen as the host for the 31st edition of the FOMWAN Conference, also commended the group for embarking on laudable projects just as he assured them of the readiness of his government to partner with them in executing the projects earmarked to be

done in the state.

He said what the group was pursuing was not just for their own benefit, but for the purpose of positioning mothers for nation building and the future leaders of the entire country as a whole.

“I have read some literature about you, I am very happy to associate with this association because you have done things that government should ordinarily do. And it is not about women, it’s about you, and it’s about the future of Nigeria,” Governor Ambode said.

He said the group deserves to be celebrated for promoting peace, unity and empowering of women in general as well as having 36 branches in the 36 states of the federation with about 2000 delegates together.

“It is not something we should overlook. This is

something that we should celebrate, we just want other groups to emulate. Not minding what government can do for us, but you are using religion to promote peace, promote unity and also promote what our children can actually do as well as empowering our women,” the Governor said.

Earlier, Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs) Idiat Oluranti Adebule, who is also a member of the group, expressed appreciation, especially for the support the group and the entire Muslim family has been receiving from the Governor.

Also speaking, President of the group, Hajia Aminat Omuti, said they had come to visit the Governor ahead of their Conference and equally commended him for the giant strides he has done in the state in the last 16 months of his administration.

Boladale Bamigbola, OSOGBO.

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ne of the applicants for the vacant post of vice chancellor of Osun state University, UniOsun, Prof. Andrew Akinmoladun, yesterday petitioned Governor Rauf Aregbesola, alleging plot to skew the selection process of the new VC for the institution to favour a particular candidate.

Akinmoladun, a founding academic staffer of the university, who left the institution in 2012 for Bronx Community College of the City University of New York, United States of America, USA, in a letter addressed to Governor Aregbesola, said he applied for the job, when it was advertised last year August.

Akinmoladun said he decided to apply for the post because he met all the requirements, adding that he had travelled down to Nigeria from his base in US purposely to attend interview for the post of vice chancellor.

He however alleged that some elements

within the university conspired and ensured he did not get shortlisted despite possessing all the requirements stated in the advert.

The letter, copies of which were obtained by newsmen in Osogbo, reads in parts: “I received a response to my application from the Institution through the Registrar vide a letter dated 17th October,2016 with Ref: R E G / E S TA B / E X T / 1 7 / VOL.111/161 intimating me of scheduled dates of Wednesday, 2nd and Thursday, 3rd November, 2016 respectively for the interview of candidates.

“I immediately boarded the plane from New York to Nigeria to make myself available for the next procedure. On my arrival I heard that a Prof. from within the university has been adopted as government candidate and that he held a meeting with the UniOsun internal member and persuaded them to make sure I was not shortlisted because of my ICT and international exposure.

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36

Senator lauds Ishaku for restoring peace in Taraba Justin Tyopuusu JALINGO

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eputy Senate Minority Leader and Senator representing Taraba South in the National Assembly, Emmanuel Bwacha, has lauded Governor Darius Ishaku for restoring peace in the state.

Bwacha, who was speaking in his home town Mararaba when the leadership of Tiv in the state led by their President, Mr. Goodman Dahida, paid him a courtesy call yesterday, said even if the governor did not achieve any other thing, the peace being enjoyed in the state was a great achievement.

The Senator called for unity among the Tiv people in the state, saying with their population in the state, they can achieve a lot politically if they are united.

Bwacha, who lamented that the Tiv people have over the years been treated unfairly in the state called on government at all levels in the state to carry the Tiv people along.

“You all know that Tiv has only one district in Taraba which I influenced. It almost cost me, but I stood firm.

“It is wrong to discriminate against Tiv in the state. Tiv people should be carried along for the purpose of development. All that I have been doing for the Tiv and other ethnic groups in the zone is not because of politics, but my covenant with God and for justice,” he said.

He tasked the leadership of Tiv culture to unite their people in the state and call for support for the leadership among Tiv and government to enable them succeed, even as he cautioned the leadership against trading their people for personal gains.

Earlier, leader of the group, Mr. Goodman Dahida, told the senator that they were in his house to appreciate him for all he has been doing for the Tiv people and for the good representation he has given the people of Taraba South in the National Assembly.

Dahida also appeal to the senator to consider employment opportunities for his people into Federal Government ministries, department and agencies, adding that his people would continue to support Governor Ishaku’s efforts at restoring peace in the state.

NORTH

NOVEMBER 5, 2016

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Police arrest most wanted kidnapper, assassin in Kogi

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suspected notorious kidnapper and serial killer alleged to have been terrorizing high profile citizens in the country, has been arrested.

The suspect, Zakeri Yua Isiaka, is also alleged to be an armed robbery kingpin as well as a political thug responsible for series of death in the last general election, in Kogi and some states in the South-West.

His gang, usually dressed in military camouflage during operations, was allegedly involved in the kidnap of high profile citizens, especially in Kogi State.

The suspect, aged 30, was arrested by the operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Special, Intelligence Response Team (IRT), led by Chief Super-

intendent of Police (CSP), Abba Kyari, penultimate Sunday, along the OkeneAkure Highway. Items recovered are 15 automatic rifles including an Ak47, suspected to have been snatched from policemen.

Also recovered were several AK 47 magazines and different calibres of ammunition. A security personnel who participated in the operation that led to his arrest, described Isiaka as the most dreaded political thug in Kogi, Kwara, Ondo, Ogun and Lagos states.

The source also disclosed that he was trained by a factional leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) before he formed his own gang.

According the Police source, the suspect and

his gang members had been involved in several major robberies, kidnappings and political-related killings in the country.

The suspect in his confessional statement said: “My name is Zakeri Isiaka Yua, I am from OduOchelle Village in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. I have nine wives and 15 children. I went into farming after I left school. I farmed at Iseyin in Oyo State, for about eight years before I went to Port Harcourt , Rivers State where I joined the militant leaders.

“When I got to Port Harcourt, I stayed with a boy from my village because I had no job. I started visiting an Indian hemp smoking joints in the area. I later discovered that those who visited the joints

are mainly into oil bunkering. I told them that I wanted to join them and they started beating me.

They thought I was an informant. I was beaten for one week before a guy took interest in me. He allowed me to join them,” he noted “They taught me how to handle fire arms and we did lots of oil bunkering.

I was making close to N3 million each trip. After I made my money ‘I came to Abuja and settled down.

I built a house and then I went into sales of vehicle.

I was buying and selling cars. I also came back with three guns and I kept them in the village.”

The Police said they have declared man hunt for other members of the gang and that the suspect would soon be charged to the court.

Al-Makura directs suspension of contractors’ payment Igbawase Ukumba LAFIA

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overnor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State, on Friday, directed that payment to contractors be suspended forthwith and monies hitherto allocated to such obligations be channel to shore-up amount available for payment of workers’ salaries for the month of October.

The state’s Commissioner for Finance, Dominic Bako, disclosed

this at a press briefing in Lafia on the accruals from Federal Allocation Account Committee (FAAC), to the state and payment of October salaries.

He said that after a total disbursements of over N2 billion from the N2.3 billion received from the Federation account, the state was left with only N346,177 million, representing about 30 per cent, as salaries to core civil servants and political appointees.

The Finance Com-

missioner consequently lamented that the leftover was far from the sum of N929, 386 million required to pay core civil servants.

His words: “Faced with this grim situation, the governor, out of compassion and at the expense of contractual obligations, has directed that payments of contractors be suspended forthwith and monies hitherto be channeled to shore-up amount available for payment of salaries.”

Hitherto, the Com-

missioner continued that all core civil servants and political appointees will be paid 60 per cent of their salaries for the month of October.

Bako, however, called on workers in particular and citizens at large to appreciate and show understanding for the efforts of government to ameliorate the hard economic conditions being passed through, even as he reiterated that arrears of the monthly shortfall will be paid in due course.

PLACOBPA, CIPE predict boom, unveils fresh business agenda for Plateau James Abraham JOS

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he economy of Plateau State has a bright future. This was the prediction of experts from different business and professional bodies under the aegis of Plateau Coalition of Business and Professional Association (PLACOBPA) during the launch of fresh business agenda for the state which held yesterday in Jos, the state capital.

The new business agenda is intended to shore up opportunities for growth of the business sector and strengthen the capacity of professional coalitions by creating an enabling environment for all parties to thrive.

It was launched by PLACOBPA in partnership with Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), a non-governmental organisation working to strengthen democracy around the globe through private enterprise and market-oriented reform.

Governor Simon Lalong, who unveiled the launch of the business agenda, expressed optimism that the new initiative will bring a turnaround in the state economy in line with the efforts of his administration to uplift the well being of the people.

Lalong, who was represented at the occasion by the Permanent Secretary in the office of the SSG, Mr. Samuel Ibrahim Ngumar, promised that government was ready to support the initiative to enable it succeed.

Also speaking, the Country Director of CIPE in Nigeria, Mrs. Omowumi Gbadamosi said only private sector driven economy can take most jobless Nigerian youths off the Country’s streets She maintained that a vibrant market growing environment dictates the confidence citizens of any Country build on the democratic system alongside their political class.

Chairman of PLACOBPA, Chief Simon Tangni, who identified many issues militating against the smooth running of businesses in Plateau State, including lack of peace and security, multiple taxation, cumbersome land administration and lack of a central market among others stressed that the issues will soon be a thing of the past.

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NOVEMBER 5, 2016

Flood victims petition Umahi over diversion of relief materials ...blame SEMA officials of distributing decomposed food to victims Aliuna Godwin ABAKALIKI

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lood victims in Ebonyi State, yesterday, called on Governor David Umahi to intervene on the distribution of decomposing food items and diversion of materials meant for the victims of flood in the state.

Speaking to journalists in Abakaliki, one of the flood victims, Rita Umuojiaka, who is a resident of No 28 Chukwu Street, regretted that all materials meant for the flood victims has been diverted by the officials of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

“The fire gutted this building on 20th July, 2016 when I was in the market for my business. I was contacted on phone. By the time I got back, everything have been gutted by fire; no single property was safe.

“Since then, government officials have been coming for their investigations, yet nothing has been done to assist us. But yesterday, I got information that government wants to help us and when I returned home, I saw rice, beans, garri and maize they brought.

My daughter was contacted on phone for the items, and she collected them.

Responding, the daughter, Ifeoma Umuojiaka said: “I wrote a letter to SEMA to assist us. I followed it up with series of phone calls, and one Chibueze Iteshi, who is in-charge of distribution of relief materials called me on phone and said that I should come for collection of relief materials. He told me that I should hand over the relief materials; 6 bundles of zinc, nails, and bags of cement to

him immediately after being handed over to me. He said I will only go with a bag of rice, maize, garri and beans and I agreed.

“I got to the state Ministry of Works and Transport where the items were distributed.

Some of the food items were not shared to me and the ones that were shared to us is not this year’s food stuff, they are rotten. The food stuffs were dusts and I had to collect them because if I refused, it will be as if I am trying to challenge them.

I was not happy that rotten food stuffs were shared to us.

“Iteshi also presented the building materials; zincs, cements, nails among others.

Immediately a camera man finished videoing the building materials, he collected them from me and left the food stuffs. He insisted that I will not go with the building materials that it is not mine but belong to him. He immediately mobilized a vehicle which came and evacuated the building materials.

In a swift reaction, the Executive Secretary of the Agency, Pastor Oziomaeze Kenneth, said he directed the HOD of Administration of the agency and Chibueze Iteshi to be in charge of the relief and rehabilitation, and to distribute the relief materials including building materials and food stuffs, but did not know that the HOD and Chibueze did a different thing.

He vowed that the agency will not sweep the matter under the carpet, and attributed the fraud to the leadership tussle between him and Chairman of the agency, Evangelist Ephraim Ononye.

SOUTH EAST

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37 Ojukwu’s 83rd posthumous birthday: MOSSOB calls Igbo leaders cowards Chris Njoku OWERRI

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he National Leader of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Comrade Uchenna Madu, yesterday described most Igbo leaders as cowards, saying that they are afraid to fight the course of their people.

He said that the movement would commence what it called an internal revolution in the South East against the political leaders who he alleged have connived with the oppressors of Ndigbo, saying that the so called political and religious leaders have continued to sabotage the progress of the people.

The MASSOB leader, who stated this yesterday during the 83rd-year posthumous anniversary of the

late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu held at the National headquarters of the Movement in Okwe, Onuimo Local Government Area of the Imo, said that most Igbo leaders have become cowards who are afraid to defend the course of the people, adding that such leaders would soon be flushed out as the movement would soon commence an internal revolution.

According to him, “Some Igbo political and religious leaders have committed more harmful, dangerous and sacrilegious crimes against Igbo land with their nonchalant attitude and selfishness against our ancestors. Though it is clear that the Nigeria state has abandoned and neglected Igbo land, the question is why must Igbo political, religious,

economic and traditional leaders compliment our oppressors’ deliberate policies against the survival of our people in Nigeria?”

However, he said that the late Igbo leader, Dim Ojukwu, is the only Igbo that his generation, present generation and future generation will continued to honour and adore as the symbol of the emancipation of Ndigbo.

“Today is the 4th of November and ought to be a special day in Igbo land, a day set aside by God Himself which is the day that the greatest Igbo man, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, was born. So, today we are celebrating his 83rd posthumous birthday.

He added: “We gathered to reflect, refresh and revive the consciousness of

Ojukwuism in Igbo land”.

Also, the MASSOB leader reiterated that the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra(IPOB) by President Muhammadu Buhari ‘sregime would not break the resolve of the Pro- Biafra agitators for the actualization of the Soverign state of Biafra, noting that he was himself detained by the Obasanjo government for over three years.

“The continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu by the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is part of the sacrifices that he has to pay for the struggle, and we will not be deterred by that, and don’t forget I was myself detained for over three years by the Obasanjo government, so it is the sacrifice that we have to pay to gain our freedom.”

Abia Great Motivator award winner/ Founder, Self-worth Organization for Women Development (2nd-left), flanged by: Abia Mama Africa award winner, Mrs. Nneoma Elizabeth Enelaman (l), National Youth President, Abia State Youth Development Organization (ASYDO), Prince Obinna Ehumadu (2nd-r) and Chairman of the Occasion, Prince Tony Eze (l) during ASYDO 2016 maiden Edition of Abia Youth Investment and Development Summit, held in Lagos

Abia NSCDC rescues three children from ritualists, kidnappers

Ifeanyi Ashikodi UMUAHIA

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he Nigeria Security and Civil defence corps (NSCDC), Abia State Command, through a tip off, has rescued three children from the hands of kidnappers and ritualists.

According to the Command, the children, two female and one male of between 10 and 11 years were rescued following a tip-off around Aba and Obingwa axis of the state.

The State Commandant, Walter Akubiro Chika,

who spoke through the Civil Defence Public Relations Officer (CDPRO) DSC Uchenwa Oliver, pointed out that the criminal elements came into the state through neighbouring states of Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and Cross Rivers with their collaborators in Abia State, and disguised themselves as scavengers.

Chika said it was gathered that the criminals usually station themselves as scavengers at various refuse dump sites at Aba and Obi-Ngwa LGAs of the state, and

mesmerize teenagers coming to dump refuse in the areas, tie them with iron binders in uncompleted buildings within the areas in anticipation of ransoms and their would-be buyers.

The Commandant used the occasion to warned the general public, particularly parents to be wary of the activities of this criminal element as they send their children and wards on errands.

In a similar development, the NSCDC also paraded a baby girl abandoned by an unknown

person in Avodim, Umuahia South LGA. The state commandant enjoined officers of social welfare department, Umuahia South Local Government Area and the traditional ruler of Avodim community where the baby was picked up to be security conscious.

Officer of the social welfare, Eze Boniface Onyemachi Chidi, promised to ensure that proper legal processes for the handover of the baby is done, and assured that the baby will be well taken care of.

PAGE 38

SOUTH SOUTH

NOVEMBER 5, 2016

Wike, Alibaba, others nominated for South-South Progressive Awards G overnor Nyesome Wike of Rivers State has been nominated for the 2016 edition of the prestigious South-South Progressive Awards (SSPA).

Mr. Kinsley Amafibe, the Project Director of the SSPA, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday that foremost Nigerian comedian, Alibaba and veteran singer, Timi Dakolo, were also nominated for the award.

Other nominees for the award, which would hold on Dec. 16, include King Alfred Diete-Spiff, traditional rulers, as well as industrialists, veteran entertainers and athletes from

the South-South region.

Amafibe said the names were among the list of nominees made available by organisers of the award - Good Dreams Multimedia Concepts, an NGO that celebrates productivity, excellence and good governance.

He said the nominees would be honoured because of their contributions to the peace and development of the SouthSouth.

He added that “we believe that this recognition will always be the push for them to achieve more in their various fields.

“After looking critically at the various achievements of

these sons and daughters of South-South, there is no better way to appreciate them than giving them a boost.’’

The project director said that although there were more people contributing to peaceful coexistence and development in the South-South, there was need to honour the outstanding ones.

He noted that Rivers was peaceful “and very strategic in the South-South; its peace or otherwise can affect other states in the region in one way or the other.’’

He also commended artistes from the South-South, especially those nominated for the awards, adding that “the Nige-

rian entertainment industry has become one of our unifying factors.

“It entertains and brings happiness to Nigerians, which are crucial keys to peace, in spite of tribal and religious divides.

“Besides, these artistes listed for honour have been involved in humanitarian initiatives that have impacted the society, especially in the South-South.’’

According to Amafibe, the 2016 edition of the award will feature a summit with the theme: “Peace in the South-South, Our Hope to Economic Development.”

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Two policemen nabbed for kidnapping in Delta

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he allegations that some security operatives are behind the success of some of the spate of kidnappings across the country has been confirmed as two policemen have been arrested, and are currently being interrogated in connection with the alleged kidnapped of an Asaba-based businessman in Abraka, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State.

The two policemen, both of the rank of corporal attached to the Mobile (MOPOL) unit 31 of Delta State Police Command in Ogwashi-Uku, were said to have carried out the criminal activity in collusion with two civilians, who were still at large, last Tuesday.

The two policemen were arrested at OkparaWaterside, about 40 kilometers from Abraka where the victim was allegedly abducted at Holy Cross Street, identified as Mr. Daniel Umukoro, by the special anti-kidnapping committee established by the Delta State House of Assembly (DTHA).

The two policemen, identified as Corporal Musa Edon and Corporal

Oreva Idide, were reportedly apprehended by a team of the DTHA peace and anti-kidnapping committee following a tipoff by eyewitnesses in Abraka who reportedly heard unusual gunshots during the abduction of the victim.

The special security team eventually swooped on them at the OkparaWaterside hideout, arresting the two policemen while their two civilian accomplices allegedly escaped arrest.

The arrested policemen were first taken to Ughelli Police Area Command where they were transferred to the state police headquarters in Asaba for further investigation.

The acting spokesman of the state Police command, Mr. Daniel Aniamaka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the report on Thursday afternoon, saying the two policemen were still being quizzed.

However, Aniamaka said the two policemen were being disciplined for “misconduct and illegal duty” and undergoing what he called “orderly room trial” for their involvement in the illegal act.

Wike questions NJC’s decision to suspend judges

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L-R: Governor of Cross River, Ben Ayade; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele; and Governor of Kebbi State Abubakar Bagudu, during inspection tour of farm centres in Obudu area of Cross River State.

Minister berates govs over amnesty for militants D espite the widespread jubilation that greeted the Amnesty Programme organized by state governments for militants and cultists in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Usani Nguru Usani, Friday described it as a fraud that does not have any impact.

The Minister expressed displeasure over the manner the state governments granted pardon to criminal elements parading as militants, adding that the exercise does not enjoy the backing of the Federal Government or his Ministry and therefore

is “null and void”.

Uguru who was apparently referring to the recent Amnesty programme organized by Imo and Rivers states, where militants surrendered their arms and were granted amnesty, insisted that the Amnesty programme has been abused by the state governments.

According to the Minister who spoke with newsmen after a workshop in Owerri the Imo state capital, “it is unfortunate that the amnesty programme has been misused and abused. From my own understanding, what is happening is not amnesty. Any criminal

cannot just go and carry his grandfather’s arms and after terrorizing the community for a while, he is granted amnesty.

He continued that, “the amnesty has been abused, in my own view, it has really been abused.

Somebody goes to carry his grandfather’s gun that he used in fighting the 2nd world-war to present and say it’s amnesty, that is nonsense to me, this is my take on this amnesty thing that I see happening around.”

Meanwhile, the Minister disclosed that the Niger Delta Ministry is in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has organized a

workshop to assess the validation of baseline report on projects on the Niger Delta region.

He said; “I am in Owerri to attend the discourse on assessing towards validation on the baseline report on the region; the essential perspective of this report is to be sure that whatever we are doing in any area of the region is according to needs and not perception. So baseline report has been carried out between the Ministry and the UNDP to be sure that we assess the state of affairs intersectorally and regionally to be able to know in our planning what needs to go well according to demand.”

overnor Nyesom Wike of Rivers has said the decision of the National Judicial Council directing judges under investigation to step aside portends great danger to the nation’s democracy.

Wike made the assertion when the executive members of the Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt branch paid him a courtesy visit on Friday.

He said that the u-turn by the NJC will encourage politicians to write petitions against any judge whose judgment is likely to go against such politician.

He said: “This move to ask judges to step aside is in favour of politicians because no judge will deliver judgment against government or a ruling party.

“The implication is that politicians can now write as many petitions alleging that they saw a judge taking brown envelope – which will warrant the judge to be asked to step aside.

“For us, politicians, we are happy with this development because if I notice that I will lose a case, then I will tell my lawyer to write a petition which will

result to the judge stepping aside.

“So, in other not to be alleged to have done anything wrong, judges will not give judgment against government or the ruling party.

“This is because, if judges deliver judgment against government or the ruling party, then agencies of government will come after them.”

Wike said the development portend grave danger to the judicial arm of government and to the common man.

He said the move was a clear manipulation and attempt to silence the opposition, especially as the nation was heading toward 2019 general elections.

The governor said that example to the manipulations was INEC’s quick reaction to announce federal and state legislative rerun elections shortly after the National Assembly ordered it to do so.

He said, “Simply because the Senate said it must conduct election within five weeks; the next day, INEC came up with a time table for the election.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NOVEMBER 5, 2016

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39

Trump’s income might not be as huge as he says

W

ith acres of swanky golf courses and a fistful of expensive hotels, Donald Trump looks to be running a lucrative operation indeed.

Not so, according to the New York Times - or at least, not as lucrative as the Republican candidate would have voters believe.

Figures obtained by the newspaper under Freedom of Information requests reveal that while Trump files disclosure forms showing millions of dollars in income, the actual money he’s making can be significantly less when costs and expenses are taken into account.

Because Trump has so far declined to publish his tax returns, the figures only give an incomplete picture, making it hard to track the flow of money inside through the Trump empire.

Chalking up a loss, or diminished profits, could also actually benefit the businessman. The real estate industry often tries to report a loss in order to minimize its tax bills. Trump has been clear that he pays no more tax than necessary.

Still, the documents do offer a glimpse into the money coming into the Trump machine across high profile properties including hotels, skyscrapers, his Miami Doral golf resort and the Central Park ice skating rinks.

For example. Trump said back in 2008 that his 40 Wall Street building - a skyscraper which the real estate mogul described as ‘the most beautiful building in Lower Manhattan’ - earns him $20 million a year in rentals.

But in an appeal over property taxes, a statement filed with the New York City Tax Commission showed the building had cash flow - i.e. the amount of money coming in - of just $104,000 in 2014 when mortgage payments and costs were taken into account.

In the three years prior to that, cash flow was a negative $5.5 million as the building took a hit from the financial crisis. It has recovered since, with a 95 per cent occupancy rate last year - but still brought in less than $3 million.

Businesses are required to make disclosures on their income. A provision in federal ethics laws allows business owners to put down gross revenue, rather than net income after expenses - something Trump has glossed over in his public filings and statements.

In one disclosure his campaign said his ‘income’ was over $557 million in a form filed this year. In the first presidential debate he said he’d made even more - ‘the income is filed at $694 million for this past year, $694 million,’ he declared.

The businessman has consistently declined to publish his tax returns, breaking with a longstanding tradition for presidential candidates and making it virtually impossible to discern what his true income is.

Clinton has baited Trump on the issue.

‘Maybe he’s not as rich as he says he is,’ she said in the first debate, or maybe he’s ‘not as charitable as he claims to be’.

Last month the New York Times obtained Trump’s 1995 tax records which showed a $916 million loss - which it said Trump could have used to avoid federal income tax for up to 18 years.

Trump appeared to confirm the report

in the second debate. ‘Of course I do.

Of course I do,’ he said - but confused the issue by adding, ‘I pay tax, and I pay federal tax too’.

Throughout his presidential campaign Trump - who has overseen six businesses which filed for bankruptcy over the years - has been keen to portray himself as a savvy businessman, and has presented his avoidance of taxes as a ‘smart’ thing to do.

An IBD/TIPP daily tracking poll showed Thursday that 50 per cent of voters favor Trump to tackle the economy, against 42 per cent for Clinton.

In another instance cited by the Times, Trump contested property taxes at his Doral golf resort near Miami. He bought the course in 2012 for $150 million, during a period when the industry has been losing money.

Trump’s golden goose failed to buck the trend. He reported revenues of $50 million in 2014 - but after costs the resort lost $2.4 million, even excluding millions in mortgage payments.

Magistrate Leonardo Delgado agreed to lower the taxes by $46,534 after Trump’s appeal - but openly laughed at the Republican during a hearing.

‘So he spent $104 million to lose two and

Trump a half million dollars a year,’ Delgado said.

‘I know how to lose that money without having to spend $104 million.’

Other properties show similar stories.

Trump operates the Wollman and Lasker ice rinks in Central Park. He reported income of almost $13 million last year for the rinks.

But after handing over cash to the city for food sales and a share of the receipts, plus expenses, he was left with an average

of just $25,340 a year for both skate rinks.

And in another case, Trump filed disclosure forms for a parking garage and restaurant space at the Trump International Hotel and Tower, on Columbus Circle in Manhattan.

On the forms he declared the income as between $1 million and $5 million. But after expenses, only $43,000 remained, plus a $50,000 management fee.

Clinton edges back with three-point lead after FBI bombshell

H

illary Clinton has edged back in the polls, just a week after the FBI’s email bombshell.

The daily ABC News/Washington Post survey had the Democrat with a three-point lead over Donald Trump at 47 points to 44, it showed Friday.

Libertarian Gary Johnson gets three points and Green Jill Stein has two.

Earlier this week Clinton had slipped behind Trump for the first time, trailing the Republican by one point.

The Democrat took a hit from the FBI’s news that it was investigating emails belonging to aide Huma Abedin, which it found on the laptop of Abedin’s estranged husband, pervert ex-congressman Anthony Weiner.

But she looks to have recovered since then - although her advantage is still within the poll’s three-point margin of error.

Still, the survey showed Clinton close to all-time highs in terms of her support among nonwhites - a key pillar of the Democrat vote. She leads Trump by 76 per cent to 17 in her best showing among the group since July, including a 90-5 per cent chunk of the black vote and 68-27 among Hispanics.

Among whites meanwhile, Trump leads by 53 per cent to his rival’s 38.

More than 30 million voters across 38 states have already cast their ballots, according to CNN - including 7.4 million registered Democrats and 6.4 million Republicans.

A Rasmussen tracking poll currently has Clinton and Trump tied at

44 points each, as does the IBD/TIPP tracker, The LA Times/USC Tracking survey, which has bucked the trend of other polls in consistently showing a lead for Trump, has the businessman at 47 points to Clinton’s 43.

A separate poll by Roanoke College of swing state Virginia put Clinton ahead of Trump by seven points, at 45 to 38.

In New Hampshire the duo are tied at 44 per cent each, according to UMass Lowell/7News.

The RealClearPolitics polling av-

erage calculates Clinton has a 2.6 lead in a four-way tie-up, and a 1.7 per cent lead when just she and Trump are pitted against one another.

There are just four days to go until the November 8 election day. At this point in 2012, Barack Obama was just 0.1 points ahead of Mitt Romney in the polls.

Still, in a sign of the sheer unpredictability of this campaign, Nate Silver’s blog FiveThirtyEight on Friday estimated Clinton’s chances of victory at 66 per cent - her lowest since the end of September.

Tunisia sacks minister for blaming Saudi’s Wahhabism for terrorism

T

he Tunisian government sacked its minister of religious affairs on Friday, a day after he made controversial statements on Saudi’s Wahhabism, a statement by the Tunisian government said.

It said that Abdeljelil Salem was dismissed from his duties after he disrespected the principles of public office as well as making comments that do not conform to Tunisian diplomacy.

In a speech before the rights and freedoms committee in parliament on Thursday, Mr. Salem held Wahhabism responsible for the spread of terrorism and extremism.

He called on Islamic scholars in Saudi Arabia to take steps towards religious reform.

“I said to the Saudi ambassador and the secretary general of the Arab interior ministers, who happened to be Saudi:

reform your school as, historically, terrorism graduated from it,” he said.

Wahhabism, adopted mainly in Saudi Arabia, is known for its strict, ultraconservative interpretation of Islam.

Shortly after Mr. Salem’s comments, the Ministry of Religious Affairs confirmed in a statement that its relations with Saudi Arabia are marked by “harmony and cooperation,” and are strong enough not to be influenced by any factors.

“The ministry affirms its respect for all Islamic doctrines while being keen on clinging to our country’s doctrine and culture,” the ministry said.

The minister for justice has taken over Mr. Salem’s duties until a new minister is named.

This is the first dismissal from the new government that took office in August. (dpa/NAN)

Quote of the day

“We should not look at that as a reflection of the relationship. Don’t let us politicise very important issues.

As we said this is work in progress”

— Minister of Finance, Kemi AdeosunSenate President, Bukola Saraki, on the Senate’s rejection of President Buhari’s request for a foreign loan plan of $30bn. He spoke shortly after he joined Buhari for Jumat prayers at the Presidential Villa.

Saturday, NOVEMBER 5, 2016. www.nationnationalmirroronline.net

BACK PAGE

Leaders and their behaviour patterns (II) W

e may not be able to grow leaders unless we know their DNA and behaviour patterns.

Psychometric examinations comprise two hundred and fifty questions that must be answered in one hour. The result is some sort of generated report, which briefly describes the pattern of behaviour of the subject.

The 360 degree is exchanged with people you are working with for a fair assessment of your behavioural pattern.

As leaders, we must insist that every employee submit to the psychometric test.

This will assist in putting the right peg in the right hole.

I also think any president who wants to succeed must ask all his ministers to take the psychometric text. For example, how do we expect a chronic introvert to handle the Ministry of Commerce or be the Minister of Information?

The posting of right officers to wrong places will affect their performance in no small measure. Natural strength needs to be tested with resistance limit. Fragile strength and potential strength are important to sustainable performance.

Introverts sent to the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Justice as Ministers will deliver superior performance.

An extrovert who was appointed Governor of the Central Bank embarrassed the government in no small

CFR

An extrovert was once put in charge of the Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

She delivered superior performance, as she pursued fake drug dealers with gusto and saved many lives. measure. Maybe he might have done better as Director General in the Ministry that coordinates pilgrimages for Muslims or Christians. There is need to know who works with you, their strengths and their limitations.

For instance, if an extrovert is appointed at ministerial level at the defence ministry, he will not be able to fight terrorists, as he could reveal defence tactics in newspapers and unveil interlocking strategies to the general public unknowingly. Such a minister would be doing more harm

than good to the ministry. He may be best in the ministry of commerce where his potential will be at the high level.

America lost the Vietnam War despite sophisticated weapons because of poor reading of geomorphology. There was no interlocking strategy.

An extrovert was once put in the Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

She delivered superior performance, as she pursued fake drug dealers with gusto and saved many lives. Unfortunately, she left too soon. She is my dear aunty, Professor Dora Akunyili of

blessed memory.

A Minister who scores very high points in leisure will not compromise wealth. It is not unusual for such a minister to procure one car for one million dollars. It is the way of life. S/ he may not steal government money, but s/he will use government money to buy luxury. And if the president scores low in leisure, he may be embarrassed by such a minister.

A minister that scores very high in imagination will be an exciting person that can create ideas. But if he overdoes it, he may be seen as a proud person. A minister that scores low in imagination cannot create ideas for the president. He may be best for the centre of implementation.

Employees with high points in diligence would comply more with directives than those with low points.

In the private sector, most of us are guilty of misapplication of employees to appropriate positions. How does one explain the posting of an introvert to head a marketing department or to be an executive director in a bank? Or how do you explain an extrovert with high points in imagination who is appointed as the head of internal control?

The overall result of such misapplications is that performance is slowed down, and often times, operations are at low ebb. Have you taken the psychometric test?

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