Believe it Jim or not, my Iyke deliverance is real P. 26
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Boko Haram
We’re yet to verify Shekau’s claim of being alive –Army
Ex-Rivers Speaker dies after P. 2 tennis game
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Agagu buried amid encomiums P. 8
•Family scales down ceremony in honour of crash victims
•Feyi, Agagu’s son in stable condition P. 8
•DNA tests on charred bodies begin today
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•Scavengers comb crash site
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Doctors’ strike
Effects of action bite harder P. 9
•New patients shut out as consultants, student doctors take over
Remains of the Late former Governor of Ondo State, Chief Olusegun Agagu during the final burial in Iju Odo, Ondo State,yesterday.
Associated Airlines
Cause of crash to be known next week
...as AIB reads out CVR NCAA, Associated Airlines disagree over record of plane x e S alk Crimes of passion: The evil men do in bed T
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Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
October 5, 2013
Ex-Rivers Speaker dies after game of tennis …gave up ghost while being flown abroad
SAM OLUWALANA
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he former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Tonye Harry, died mid air yesterday while being flown abroad in an air ambulance. Harry, who represented Degema Constituency in the House of Assembly, was a two-term Deputy Speaker and Speaker of the Assembly. He died mid air to France where he was being flown for medical treatment. According to an eye witness report, Harry slumped at the elite Port Harcourt Club on Monday after a game of Tennis with some friends and he was immediately rushed to a private clinic in Port Harcourt where he was said to have been stabilized. However, His condition became critical in the following days and Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, directed that he should be flown abroad for further treatment. “He had a game of Tennis with his friends and he was in a jovial mood throughout the game. He didn’t give any indication of being under stress or exhaustion. However, some minutes after he entered the changing room, he slumped and the people around rushed him to a private hospital after calling his wife and the state Governor,’’ the witness said. Before Harry’s demise, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker, had given hope that he will be fit again,
Divorce court
‘My wife left our matrimonial home for no reason’ P.40
•There’s a reason. I don’t love him anymore –Wife
It is not a sin to wear jewelry –Gloria P.34 Bamiloye How Nollywood actor was shot dead three weeks after wedding P.26
Brothers in court for raping 50-year-old woman P.50
Legalising paedophilia •Iran passes Bill allowing men to marry their adopted P.36 daughters
Harry
when he informed journalists on Wednesday that the former Speaker’s condition was stable and that the deceased could be flown to France for further treatment. A family source confirmed to Saturday Mirror that the former speaker died mid air en route France. Late Harry was a Deputy Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007. He worked directly under Governor Amaechi who was the Assembly Speaker within that period. He was elected Speaker during the six months administration of Celestine Omehia. Harry was acting Governor for 24 hours when the Supreme Court sacked Omehia in 2007. He was the Speaker of
the House between 2007 and 2011. He was, however, removed as Speaker at the inception of Governor Amaechi’s second term in office. A source within the House of Assembly, who would not want to be named, confirmed his death but declined to react officially to his demise. He added that the house will have to wait for his family’s statement before issuing its own. “We are waiting for the family’s statement before our own official reaction,” he said. Meanwhile, the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Leyii Kwanee, has confirmed the death of his predecessor in office. Kwanee, who is on an official trip to the United States, while mourning Harry’s death, advised politicians to be wary of their commitment to the ruled and make the best use of every opportunity they have to serve their people in the course of their lives. “I am in the US to attend a conference scheduled for this weekend. As it is now, I will cut short my trip. I have been communicating with my colleagues in Nigeria over this sad news. It is painful that we (State House of Assembly) had to lose Hon. Tonye Harry at this period of our democracy. It is a lesson to politicians to know that life is short and for them to make the best use of any opportunity they have to serve the people. My heart goes out to the family of Hon. Harry. It is a very sad devel-
opment for us in the House of Assembly.” A statement from the Rivers State Government house has said that Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has received with shock and disbelief the death of the Former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Tonye Harry. Describing Harry’s death as deeply shocking and traumatic for him, Governor Amaechi recalled with nostalgia and fond memories the life and times of Tonye Harry. “I am still traumatised by the sad news of the death of Rt. Hon. Tonye Harry. I still find it impossible to come to terms with the fact that Tonye is no more. I was with him, by his hospital bed shortly after he fell ill and everyone was very hopeful that he was going to come out of the health crisis, stronger and better. Sadly, he couldn’t make it but God knows best. “Rt. Hon. Tonye Harry will be dearly missed. He was a thorough and distinguished legislator, an astute politician who believed that politics and public office should be about service to the people. Over the years, he worked very hard and diligently to make Rivers State a better place. His contributions to the legislative development of the State were indeed enormous. Over the years, we worked together, very closely; he was a friend and brother that will be dearly missed. He has left a vacuum that will be very difficult to fill.
Nigerian migrants send home £12 billion ($21 billion) annually
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igrants send £255billion home to their families compared to £77 billion foreign aid, a World Bank study reveals. The figure will likely surpass £308 billion ($500 billion) by 2016. These remittances are almost four times more important to these countries than official foreign aid. The study report states unequivocally that “The money that migrant workers send to their families and homeland is far more valuable to developing countries than foreign aid and is expected to grow 6.3 percent this year. Migrants are expected to send £255 billion ($414 billion) in remittances home this year to developing countries, the study said, and the figure will likely surpass £308 billion ($500 billion) by 2016. That makes remittance funds almost four times more important to developing nations than official foreign aid from governments, which the United Nations says amounts to about £77 billion ($126 billion) a year. India, the biggest benefactor from such funds got £43 billion ($71 billion) in remittances. China got £37 billion ($60
billion,) the Philippines £16 billion ($26 billion,) Mexico £13 billion ($22 billion) Nigeria £12 billion ($21 billion) and Egypt £12 billion ($20 billion.) The current global total of remittances to all nations is £338 million. Many migrants use informal methods to send money home - the terror attacks in 2001 meant the U.S. shut down many money-transfer offices Money sent home by migrants is crucial to these nations. Almost half of Tajikistan’s gross domestic product comes from remittances, the study said. Kyrgyzstan gets 31 percent of its GDP from remittances; Lesotho and Nepal, 25 percent; and Moldova, 24 percent. Growth of remittances has been robust all around the world except in Latin America and the Caribbean, where the recent recession in the United States hampered the regional economy. Remittances should be encouraged to go through official channels, the World Bank said, but many migrants use informal methods to send money home. This is partly the legacy of the World Trade Center and Pentagon terror at-
tacks in 2001. The United States shut down many money-transfer offices as a way of cutting off potential fund sources for terrorists and worked with countries around the world to shut down fund-transfer agencies. The World Bank said the cost of sending money now averages 9 percent of the transaction, and ways should be found to make it cheaper by working through official channels. The U.N. says there were 232 million international migrants this year, up from 175 million in 2000. The World Bank study comes on the eve of a two-day high-level meeting at the U.N. General Assembly on issues and problems involving migrants and development. U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said that the conference will take up measures that ‘range from protecting the human rights of all migrants and eliminating migrant exploitation, to reducing the costs of migration, addressing the plight of migrant workers stranded as a result of humanitarian crises, and enhancing migrant partnerships and cooperation. ‘
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
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October 5, 2013
Saturday Starter K AYODE FALADE
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r Babatunde Raji Fashola is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, and governor of Lagos State. But on 23 September, 2013, he stirred the hornets’ nest, for that is what the legal term “plea bargain” has become in Nigeria. How? The learned gentleman asked justices to utilise the plea bargaining option in the dispensation of justice especially to accelerate it. Fashola through his Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye, at the Lagos Central Mosque during a service marking the beginning of the 2013/2014 Legal Year said plea bargain was necessary, especially with the congestion of prisons. “Everybody must be involved if the administration of justice will not be delayed. They should comply with new court rules and adhere to e-filing and the digitalisation of the judicial system,” he added. The governor said plea bargaining was necessary especially in situations where prisons are congested. Fashola noted that nation’s judicial system relies on witnesses rather than forensic evidence, a development which he said makes it difficult to discard the plea bargain concept if cases are to be concluded on time. Not that the governor erred in law. He only touched a rather a raw side of the criminal administration justice of the country. It is one legal option that does not fail to whip up sentiments and emotions anytime it is brought up. In layman’s language, the plea bargain system entails the reaching of a mutually agreed disposition between the criminal defendant and the prosecutor. In it, the prosecutor will give the accused person the opportunity to plead guilty to a lesser charge or to the original charge with a lighter sentence. Although plea bargain has become a global means of achieving results in prosecuting criminal offences, many countries including Nigeria have refused to codify it or create a legal frame work for its use. The claim, often, is that the aim is to enable the prosecution secure a faster conviction, though the offender ends up getting a milder punishment than what should have obtained normally. The plea bargain process, many, including the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, have alleged, was smuggled into the nation’s judicial system by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. At the mention of the term, some celebrated corruption based cases readily spring to mind. The first of these notorious cases is that of dismissed Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun. The number one cop was unceremoniously removed from office by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and hauled before the EFCC
Plea bargain
A dubious saviour?
Balogun
Igbinedion
which was then led by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. Yes the chicks had finally come home to roost, most Nigerians applauded and concluded. To say they were disappointed at the end of the day would be an understatement. What happened? On 22 November, 2005 Balogun, after pleading guilty to graft, was sentenced to six months imprisonment. Initially, Balogun, who was forced to resign in January and arrested in March, was slammed with a 70 count charge. These were later reduced to eight. And Judge Binta Nyako in her judgment had said she considered the fact that Balogun was a “first offender” and had “shown remorse” throughout the trial. “I hereby sentence the accused to a term of six months’ imprisonment and a fine of N500,000 on each of the eight charges against him,” said Nyako. “The six months will run concurrently and the 67 days he had already spent in detention during the trial will be deducted,” she added. In addition, he would forfeit all his assets, shares and landed property acquired with the fund stolen from the police treasury. The assets totalling 150 million US dollars, included money stashed in banks, shares in blue chip companies and 14 luxury buildings. Responding to the judgment before he
Yusuf
was taken to the prison, Balogun said “life is full of challenges, it has its ups and down. I was up yesterday, I am down today but I will bounce back.” In the charge, preferred by the antigraft Economic and Financial Crimes Commission under the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, Balogun was said to have incorporated some companies to loot the police treasury through bribes and kickbacks on contracts. Billions of naira were fraudulently withdrawn by him from the police account and transferred to the companies to buy shares, landed properties and foreign currency. In Balogun’s case, after sessions of plea bargaining, the multitude of offences he was alleged to have committed, including registering phoney companies, into whose accounts police funds were allegedly diverted and later withdrawn were collapsed into eight counts. Though the former Inspector General lost a number of assets and money which were seized from him, the sentence he got was described by many as a “slap on the wrist”. In 2008, the former governor of Edo State from 1999 – 2007, Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion, was arraigned by the EFCC before the Federal High Court, Enugu in charge No FHC/EN/6C/2008 on a 191count charge of corruption, money laundering and embezzlement of N2.9b.
In a plea bargain arrangement, the EFCC through its counsel Mr. Rotimi Jacob reduced the 191- count charge to one - count charge. The terms of the plea bargain were that the prosecutor would reduce the 191 - count charge to one and in return, Lucky Igbinedion would refund N500m, three properties and plead guilty to the one - count charge. So, on 18 December 2008, Justice A. Abdul Kafarati convicted Igbinedion on the one- count charge and ordered him to refund N500m, forfeit three houses and sentenced him to six months imprisonment or pay N3.6m as option of fine. There was a general outcry and disappointment by Nigerians over the judgment, which made the then chairperson of the anti-corruption agency, Mrs. Farida Waziri to issue a statement that the plea bargain duly entered into fell short of its expectation. The money laundering case of former Governor Dipreye Alamieyeseha of Bayelsa State was resolved via plea bargain as he forfeited some of the assets believed to be fraudulently acquired in order to escape a stiff sentence. Another case worth mentioning is that of Mrs Cecelia Ibru. In the case of the former Chief Executive Officer of the Oceanic Bank, Mrs Cecelia Ibru, the prosecution and the defence agreed under plea bargain that she should forfeit 199 assets and funds worth about N190 billion and be sentenced to only six months’ imprisonment. The one that, perhaps, drew the ire of Nigerians the most is that of the pension thief, Yusuf John Yakubu . Yusuff, a former Assistant Director of the Police Pension Board, was accused of embezzling N 32.8 billion from the funds he was meant to oversee. The accused entered a guilty plea and by the time Justice Mohammed Talba gave his ruling, many of those who heard it started to doubt if Nigeria would ever be free from corruption. The judge ordered the forfeiture of 32 choice assets acquired by Yusuf and sentenced him to six years imprisonment, two years for each of the three counts the accused faced or an option of N 750,000 fine for each count. Yusuf paid the fine before leaving the courtroom and left as if nothing happened. He became a free man once again. Meanwhile, for stealing a N50,000 Sony Ericsson phone belonging to Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, a 31-year-old, Kelvin Ighodalo, was on 30 April, 2013 sentenced to 45 years imprisonment by an Osogbo High Court. Justice Oyejide Falola found Ighodalo guilty on six counts, which included conspiracy, stealing and fraud. He was sentenced to 10-year imprisonment for the first three counts and five years for each of the last three which included impersonation, obtainCONTINUED ON PAGE 4
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October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Saturday Starter
It is alien to Nigerian law – Benjamin Odeh is a Lagos based legal practitioner
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hat is your take on plea bargaining? Plea bargaining is alien to our law. There is no provision for plea bargaining in our criminal administration justice. However, if you look at it this way, i think what the government has been doing on this issue of plea bargaining is that we have come to realise that our criminal justice system is highly deceptive. It needs amendment. For instance, if I steal one kobo and am prosecuted and found guilty, the ultimate end of it is for me to go prison, isn’t it? But now, if another person steals say N50 billion and found guilty, the person cannot be jailed beyond the maximum jail term specified by the law for that particular offence. Now, the government has come to realise that since the criminal administration justice
has not been amended, the best thing is; instead of somebody stealing that much being given say a five-year-jail term. Now, you know how long it takes to prosecute a criminal case. Supposing the law prescribes a 10-year-jail term for the offence committed and it took five to years for the criminal prosecution to go through, the period of trial will be considered in the judgenment of the court. But the person had already stolen such a huge sum of money and bought so many things; plea bargaining is better. You have stolen this amount and you have bought so and so with; are you agreeing to give us back some of the money, then we can now commute the sentence for you? That is one part of it. I don’t think there is something absolutely wrong about plea bargaining. But, it is not constitutional. It is not in
our law. Don’t you see this as aiding corruption? No. I don’t think it will aid corruption. All the government needs to is to amend the existing laws. If plea bargaining could be adapted into our law with some modification, i don’t think that it would aid corruption. Even when the plea bargaining was not being practised or adopted. I don’t think this would aid corruption. There are other issues and circumstances that aid corruption. I disagree completely with the idea of plea bargaining aiding corruption. However, if the existing laws can be amended, plea bargaining can be introduced with some modifications to adapt to our own circumstances in Nigeria.
Nigeria is not ripe for plea bargain – Mohammed Fawehinmi, a Lagos based lawyer
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hat is your take on the suggestion of the introduction of plea bargaining to the
country? It should be abolished. We are not ripe enough for plea bargaining because we are going to abuse it. However, we should first of all deal with all corrupt leaders; those who have stashed our billions of naira which should be used to provide electricity and all other basic infrastructure that we need abroad. Let all these leaders bring the money back; we need to develop.
But the argument in some quarters is that since the punishment specified for stealing public funds in the country is so light, plea bargaining is the answer. Do you agree? It is true that the sentence on stealing is so light, it should be great. But plea bargaining is not the answer. Nobody should be allowed to plea bargain. Take the Pensions board man, ..., for instance; he was allowed to plea bargain. Someone who stole billions was asked to pay N750,000. And the judge granted it. Such a judge should be punished, if not removed from the bench. So, let us deal
with corrupt leaders first so that we can have proper structures. Nigeria should be a global power. We don’t need all these thieves running the country. I have been without electricity for the past three months. Now I have to ration the use of generator. They give us power around 2am and take it at 5am. I have to do everything I need to do around that time. If not, that’s all. I have to iron my cloth, read and do some other things within a limited time space. Some people stole $1.1 billion telling us they wanted to give us light. What type of people do we have running our government?
Plea bargain: Panacea to prolonged trial or soft landing for rich criminals? CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 ing property by falsehood and collusion. Falola, who ruled that Ighodalo deserved the jail term, held that the convict used the phone to obtain N500, 000 from the Owa of Ilesa, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, while he obtained N200, 000 from Mr Shengen Rahman, an associate of the governor. The jail term, which Falola pronounced would run concurrently, means that Ighodalo will spend the next 10 years behind bars. These and many more have fuelled speculations that plea bargaining in the Nigerian justice system gives offenders a legal backing to enjoy the rest of their loot after some might have been forfeited to the Government. And thus the wide condemnation it has been receiving from most of the people. One of those who are staunchly against the plea bargaining option is former CJN Justice Dahiru Musdapher. He described it as dubious. He said: “The concept is not only dubious but was never part of the history of our legal system — at least until it was surreptitiously smuggled into our statutory laws with the creation of the EFCC.” Musdapher made the submission at an Alternative Dispute Resolution summit organised by the Negotia-
tion and Conflict Management Group and the National Judicial Institute. A lawyer, Mr Spurgeon Ataene, argued that plea bargain favours only the rich and influential, adding that it has caused some controversies in the judicial system “because those who looted public funds don’t want to be punished’’. He advocated that the concept should also be applied in cases involving the poor so that they can take its advantage. A SAN, Mr Vincent Ohaneri, described plea bargain as a well thought-out initiative but would not thrive in Nigeria’s political, judicial and socio-economic milieu. According to him, the concept will not augur well in because most political “big wigs” have seized the opportunity of plea bargain get away with serious offences that required criminal prosecution. “A handful of our elites in the country have used plea bargain to run away from just punishment for criminal acts. The concept should be completely abrogated from our judicial system. I say this because Nigeria as a nation is already faced with too many cases of corruption and financial malpractice. “These culprits should be made to face the wrath of the law, rather than romancing with them in the name of plea bargain,” he stated.
Mr. Mike Agbamuche, a former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, is also of the opinion that plea bargain enables individuals to get away with their wrong doings. He said that financially-enhanced individuals, who enter into plea bargain, do not feel the brunt of punishment because they merely refunded a specified amount. Agbamuche said: “I do not see the justice in plea bargain as that is a door left open for abuse. When a crime is committed against a society, there should be deterring punishments, and to my mind, plea bargain is not one of such deterrents.’’ He, therefore called for its abolition. Mr Onyekachi Ubani, the Ikeja branch Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch, also describes plea bargain as unhealthy to the judicial system. “The manner and mode of application of plea bargain is questionable,” he said adding that the process is clearly a recipe for impunity in corruption cases. Renowned constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), said that the advantages of plea bargain surpasses its disadvantages because it makes room for conviction, sentence or sanction with resources saved. “As long as it is carried out in an honest manner— without any underhand arrangements— it has more of
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October 5, 2013
Saturday Starter
Fashola
Tambuwal
Adoke
Plea bargain: A dubious saviour? CONTINUED FROM 4 advantages than disadvantages,” Sagay argued. A lawyer and university teacher, Prof. Adedokun Adeyemi, explained that plea bargain was not specifically provided for under any Nigerian federal legislation, and that the nearest to plea bargain was Section 14(2) of the EFCC Act. He accused the EFCC of employing the section to make defendants to make restitution in derogation of Section 29 (2) of the Evidence Act. According to the don, the Evidence Act provided that confessions are inadmissible if obtained by oppression, but that the EFCC has been employing Section 14(2) of its Act to persuade defendants to make restitution “with promises made by the commission’s agents’’. The section, Adeyemi argued, empowers the commission to compound any offence punishable under the Act, by accepting money as it deems it, notwithstanding the amount to which the accused would have been liable if convicted. He said: “Before resorting to plea bargain, there must be voluntariness on the part of the person willing to plea bargain; this willingness must be backed by a court approval.’’ Adeyemi noted that the concept is being abused in Nigeria’s criminal jurisprudence. He, however, noted that plea bargain expedites the conclusion of the criminal process without the need for a formal trial, thereby reducing congestion of the cause lists of courts. The professor said that plea bargain reduces cost of prosecution, noting that in the United States (U.S.), more than 90 per cent of criminal cases was being settled through plea bargain. The Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, is, however, satisfied that the agency has been able to use plea bargain to conclude some high profile cases. He listed the cases to include those involving former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Alhaji Tafa Balogun; Alamieyeseigha, Igbinedion and Mrs. Cecelia Ibru. But on 5 April, 2013 two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba and John Baiyeshea, in Ilorin, Kwara State warned against misapplication of plea bargain in the country. Their positions were in responses to the Criminal Justice Administration Bill, 2013 which had passed second reading in the House of Representatives and was set for public hearing. The Bill is being sponsored by the Chairman, House Committee on Justice, Dr. Ali Ahmad. Agbokoba said plea bargain was a good concept but noted that it had been misapplied in Nigeria, adding that the Bill should set conditions for its application to avoid abuse. Baiyeshea stated that plea bargain might be useful when properly applied in a civilised and credible so-
ciety or system. He, however, warned that it might be misapplied. “In the Nigerian context, every policy is subject to abuse and corruption. I am not a pessimist but I perceive that the policy may now be used by fraudsters, criminals and big time crooks to short-change the system, run down the society and undermine our criminal justice process,” Baiyeshea said. Others who have urged caution in the application of the process if eventually adapted and adopted in the country are a judge of the Abuja High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello, and Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, Ekpo Nta. The duo kicked against the use of plea bargain in settling cases involving major crimes like corruption, kidnapping, murder and rape. They spoke at a workshop for stakeholders in the country’s justice administration system, with the theme, “The Practice and Perspectives of Plea Bargaining in Nigeria,” where a Draft Bill on plea bargain prepared by the Nigerian Law Reform Commission, NLRC, was considered. Justice Bello warned that the application of plea bargain in criminal matters would further worsen the already high rate of crime in the country. He said: “Cases like corruption, rape, fraud and stealing of public funds should never be part of the concept of plea bargaining, I don’t also agree that there is the need for sentence bargaining. “I believe that plea bargain should only come when it is difficult for the prosecution to prove a case of corruption as a means of recovering some of the looted funds.” The ICPC boss, Nta, warned against the application of plea bargain to offences such as corruption, homicide, murder, manslaughter, infanticide, genocide, kidnapping and rape. He noted that it was imperative that criminals who committed major offences were made to serve the appropriate sentences. The ICPC chairman, who was represented by the Acting Deputy Director, Legal, of the Commission, Akeem Lawal, said, “On the other hand however, it would seem that offences like stealing of small amounts of money, thievery and common assault, stealing of animals, articles and properties, dealing in stolen goods, traffic offences and other crimes that are not life threatening with the exception of armed robbery, should ordinarily be considered amenable to determination by pleabargaining process in order to save time and de-congest our courts.” Nta also threw in another caveat: plea bargain should not be applicable to corruption cases. According to the ICPC boss it (corruption) had the “potential to truncate the dreams and aspirations of the youth of any nation to qualitative education.”
Nta said the ICPC had studied the Draft Bill on plea bargain. “We consider it appropriate, but would only advise that it should not be made applicable to cases with serious moral reprehension on the lives of Nigerians,” he said. Chairman NLRC Justice Umaru Kalgo, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, quoting from the Black’s Law Dictionary, defined plea bargain as a process whereby the accused and the prosecution in a criminal case work out a mutually satisfactory disposition of the case subject to court approval. Justice Kalgo said, “It is clear from the above definition that the process is subject to court approval, but there is no doubt that by pleading guilty to a charge or charges, the time for trial of the case is saved and expenses involved minimised. “The disposition of criminal charges by agreement between the prosecutor and the accused is, in my view, an essential component of the criminal justice administration and if properly followed will eliminate or reduce to minimum the time and expenses involved in full-scale trials.” However, the sponsor of the Bill at the National Assembly, Ahmad, who represents Ilorin East and South Federal Constituency, said one fundamental aspect of the Bill was the provision for plea bargain. He stated that plea bargain might then become part of Nigeria’s law unless there were strong arguments against it. When passed into law, the Bill will make it stricter for anyone to engage in plea bargaining, which has been abused by high profile criminals, especially those involved in financial crimes, as currently being practiced. Lawmakers in considering the Bill unanimously backed the prohibition of arrest of family members or associates of criminals in lieu. Sponsor of the bill, Ali Ahmad, said: “The Bill was developed to address the major shortcomings of the Nigerian criminal justice system by aiming to achieve speedy dispensation of justice, protection of society from crime as well as protect the rights and interests of victims as well as defendants”. He also stressed that, if passed into law, the Bill would become a model for states to adapt and simply adopt through their respective legislatures. The implication according to him, is that criminals option of jumping from one state to the other as a result of lenient criminal justices system would be eradicated. The bill is placing stricter checks and balances on plea bargain, henceforth, it must conform with police investigation and must be in public interest among other conditions. To institutionalise speedy trial, the Bill is also seeking to limit adjournment of cases to five and not more than 14 days in between.
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NATIONAL NEWS
October 5, 2013
Bomb scare at PDP secretariat OBIORA IFOH ABUJA
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he headquarters of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party popularly called Wadata House was thrown into confusion on Friday over alleged threats to bomb the secretariat by undisclosed shadowy group. Top party officials were scampered to leave the secretariat while some direc-
tors hurriedly discharged their staff for the day. The move to get out of the secretariat saw many driving their cars out just as middle and junior level officials were seen in small circles discussing the matter. Some principal officials who reportedly left the secretariat on the basis of the security reports include the national auditor and the departemental di-
rectors among others. Checks by anxious journalists revealed that a report was relayed to the party secretariat Thursday night disclosing a verified report of a credible threat to attack the secretariat starting from Friday. A director of the party was said to have received the report and relayed it to the neccesary quarters within the leadership.
This was later leaked to the general staff who took the news in hysteric reactions. The party chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, and new National Secretary of the party, Prof Adewale Oladipo were not in the office. A top security official of the party confirmed the development, disclosing that “the threat is real and we are all aware of the situation.”
L-R: Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr. Augustine Nwosu; representative of the Chief of Defence Staff, Commodore Isaac Kilik; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Fatima Bamidele, and Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mr. David Daradang, during the decoration of newly promoted Comptrollers of Immigration in Abuja, yesterday.
Boko Haram: We’re yet to verify Shekau’s claim of living –Army UBONG UKPONG ABUJA
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he Nigerian Army yesterday, said that it was still waiting to authenticate the claim by Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, in a video clip that he was still alive. At its monthly press briefing in Abuja, the Army Headquarters said that the video clip was still being investigated. Speaking through its Director of Public Relations, Brigadier General Ibrahim Attahiru, the Army said that the video had been subjected to tech-
nical processes and would be made public immediately it was concluded. Attahiru further disclosed that the Army was embarking on an unrelenting offensive in the general areas of the North East part of the country, against the Boko Haram insurgents. This follows the renewed killings and wanton destruction of property by the insurgents in Benisheikh, Buni-Yadi and Gujba areas of Borno and Yobe states last week, which the Army said were unprovoked and malicious. He said that the Army had since commenced of-
fensive operations aimed at apprehending the insurgents involved in the dastardly acts. “Several insurgents’ camps have been effectively neutralised”, the Army stated through its Director of Public Relations, Brigadier General Ibrahim Attahiru. General Attahiru added that the Army was mindful of the need that necessitated the creation of Division 7, NA on August 22, into the operational theatre, to keep the peace in that troubled zone of North East. He said since the creation of that Division, it had continued to carry out stability operations in most
urban centres of the zone, but admitted that, “the general security situation however remains fluid.” The General also disclosed that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Azubuike Ihejirika, was talking with top military commanders from all major formations of the Nigerian Army, to reappraise the counter terrorism and counter insurgency efforts in the North East, with a view to making future plans. He assured that security forces would continue to pursue the insurgents in order to bring them to justice as well as secure the people.
EFCC to prosecute Capital Market offenders
•Signs MOU with NSE KENNY ODUNUKAN
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he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to commence the prosecution of Capital Market offenders and stock broking firms found to have flouted the money laundering prohibition
Act 2011. This was disclosed yesterday to newsmen by EFCC chairman, Mallam Ibrahim Lamorde, at the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Bell ringing ceremony between EFCC and NSE in Lagos. Lamorde said that the collaboration between
these institutions sought to stop perpetrators of fraud at the stock market, achieve highest level of transparency in the operation of NSE and also take the market to the next level. In his word: “All our collaboration with NSE seeks to do is to ensure that those who engage in money laundering do not use the stock market to indulge their shady deals”.
He attributed the collapse of stocks on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) to insider abuse and money laundering perpetrated by operators of the market, stressing that most of the transactions were not genuinely done. He disclosed that EFCC presently had 20 capital market infractions cases in court and so far secured seven convictions.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
N10.2billion suit against Melaye: AGF’s late response stalls hearing ISE-OLUWA IGE
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he Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Bello Adoke (SAN) has stalled hearing in a N10.2billion libel suit filed by him against former lawmaker, Dino Melaye, owing to his late service of court process on the defendants. The court was scheduled to open hearing in the case, Thursday, but was moved to abort the planned hearing on learning that Adoke served his response on the defendants just the previous day. Defence’s lawyer, Anthony Itedjere, from the firm of Bamidele Aturu and Co, told the court his clients were served the previous day, with copies of Adoke’s “reply on point of law to defendants’ written address filed on September 4, 2013.” He sought for time to examine the documents, a request Justice Olasumbo
Goodluck granted. She adjourned to December 5. Adoke is being represented by a consortium of five Senior Advocates of Nigeria - Robert Clarke, Bolaji Ayorinde, Ahmed Raji, Babajide Koku and Donald Denigwe. Adoke had sued Melaye (former House of Representatives member) and a group, Anti-Corruption Network (ACN), accusing them of damaging his reputation in a petition to President Goodluck Jonathan. Melaye and his group had in the petition dated April 11 this year, detailed incidents of alleged graft and “outrageous use of powers against public interest” by the AGF. In the suit, Adoke is among others, is claiming N10.2b in damages and cost against Melaye and his group. In their defence, Melaye and ACN urged the court to dismiss the suit.
Why quality of judgments dropping –NBA, Body of SANs ISE-OLUWA IGE
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he Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) yesterday identified failure by the appointing authorities in the judiciary to appoint morally and intellectually qualified legal practitioners from the academia, private and public practice into Supreme Court bench as one of the principal causes of consistent decline in the quality of judgments of the apex court. The appointing authorities including the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC), the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Presidency are in the practice of elevating judges from the trial High Courts to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court with strict adherence to quota system The two bodies (BOSAN and NBA) which dismissed the practice yesterday as unconstitutional also decried the trend of appointing justices who have less than five years to clock the 70 year mandatory retirement age into
the Supreme Court bench. They argued that the trend was affecting the justice administration in the country in that such justices retire from the bench at a time when they had fully keyed into the system and when their services were most needed. Indeed, keen watchers of the judiciary including prominent senior lawyers and retired jurists, had, in the past, expressed concern over the drop in the quality of judgments from the nation’s appellate courts and the incessant conflicting judgments from superior courts of record owing to the quality of judicial officers serving at the apex court bench. Both BOSAN and the NBA spoke on the same issue yesterday extensively in Abuja at the valedictory court session organised for Justice Stanley Shenko Alagoa who retired from the Supreme Court bench yesterday. They spoke on a day the retiring Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Alagoa, warned sitting judges and jurists against hobnobbing with politicians, business men and traditional rulers if they must retain their integrity.
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NCAA, airline disagree over records of plane OLUSEGUN KOIKI
T
he last may not have been heard about the ill-fated Associated Airline aircraft of Thursday as the regulatory body, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, and the management of the airline, Associated Aviation Services Limited disagreed on when the airline last flew. The Chief Operating Officer, COO, of tha airline, Alhaji Taiwo Raji, had told journalists on Thursday that the crashed plane last flew on August 30, 2013, but NCAA disagreed. Raji had said, “The crashed 120 Embraer aircraft flight no 361 last flew on August 30, 2013. But a report by NCAA yesterday insisted that the plane last flew on August 22, 2013 and not August 30, 2013 earlier claimed by the airline. This contradiction however revealed that there are lapses in the records kept by both NCAA and the airline. These conflicting record, Saturday Mirror learnt, has
started creating confusion about the truthfulness of the records being turned out. The Director of Consumer Protection Unit, Alhaji Adamu Abdulahi, who spoke on the issue stated, “Before the ill-fated flight, the airline last operated the EMB 120ER 5N-BJY aircraft on a charter flight on the 22nd August 2013.” Besides, the former assistant secretary general of Airlines Operators of Nigeria, AON, Alhaji Muhammed Tukur, who could not hide his anger towards what he called unlawful interference of the ministry of aviation in the running of NCAA blamed the crash and problems confronting the domestic airlines on the excessive pressure government is mounting on them. Tukur who raised the alarm over the rate the federal government, through the various aviation agencies, is stifling live out of the domestic carriers through the multiple taxation the agencies are slamming on them, said the move was enough to force any of the airlines to cut corners to remain in business.
Former airport commandant raises fresh fear over safety OLUSEGUN KOIKI
T
he former Airport Commandant, Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos, Grp Captain (rtd), John Ojikutu, has raised fresh fears about the safety of the Nigerian airspace. Ojikutu, in an interview with Saturday Mirror in Lagos, said that the Thursday plane crash involving the corpse of the former governor of Ondo state, Chief Olusegun Agagu, and other 20 others, revealed that Nigeria still lacked efficient accident management. Ojikutu accused the Ministry of Aviation of taking over the roles of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, as spelt out in the Act establishing the agency and other Civil Aviation Authorities in the global aviation industry. He explained that the taking over of the roles of NCAA and other operators in the industry, led to the conflicting figures and information being released immediately after the crash in the state. He insisted that NCAA
NATIONAL NEWS
October 5, 2013
that was supposed to take the leading role in the accident after the Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, was inappropriately silent on the matter. “The CAA defines the roles of NCAA and other industry operators as against the ministry. Recent events have shown that such roles provided for have been taken on by the ministry and that explains the conflicting figures by the ministry and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria on the Thursday crash. The NCAA has been inappropriately silent. “Secondly, we have gone through the circus of uncoordinated aviation emergency management procedures of which, are universal, but over the years, we have not developed emergency management programme for the airport and outside the airport,” he said. Ojikutu decried that despite the myriads of accident, which had occurred in the country for a few years now, the authorities were yet to define the first and the second responders from accident within and without respectively.
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ASSOCIATED AIRLINE CRASH
L-R: Executive Secretary, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Ado Muhammad; Chairman, House of Reps. Committee on MDG, Hon. Ado Dogwa, and Director- General, Centre for Policy Development and Political Studies, Dr. Aderemi Ifaolopin during the Public Administrator PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA of the Year Award in Abuja, yesterday.
Cause of crash to be known next week …as AIB reads out CVR OLUSEGUN KOIKI
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arely 24 hours after the crash of the Associated Aviation Services Limited aircraft in Lagos airport with 20 souls onboard and the corpse of the former governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, the Accident Investigation Bureau said it would do the readout of one of the black boxes recovered from the crash site next week. With the decoding of the Cockpit Voice Recorder , CVR, it would be possible to detect the probable cause of the crash, which killed 13 out of the seven souls onboard. AIB said activities were in full swing to carry out the read out of the CVR in its facilities in Abuja. The spokesman for the agency, Mr. Tunji Oketunbi, revealed this to Saturday Mirror in an exclusive interview yesterday. AIB said the decoding and readout would be carried out in the presence of the airline’s representa-
tives and other relevant authorities in the industry. This is the first time that the agency would be carrying out such decoding in its recently constructed facilities. Oketunbi was, however, not specific on the actual date the read out would be carried out in Abuja, but assured that it won’t exceed next week. On the decoding of the other black box; Flight Data Recorder, FDR, Oketunbi said the equipment would also be decoded in its facilities very soon. He said that unlike the CVR, which is easy to decode, the FDR is more difficult, technical and time consuming. He said, “We are going to do a readout of the CVR with our facilities next week. I can’t be specific on the actual date, but it’s what we are working towards.” Meanwhile, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA,has disclosed that the son of the late former Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Agagu,
Feyi, is responding to treatment at the hospital. The agency also revealed that it has reached out to about 80 per cent of the victims’ families involved in the crash. Briefing journalists on the condition of the seven survivors, the director of Aeromedical, NCAA, Dr Theresa Basil, said that the regulatory body and other aviation agencies had visited 80 per cent of the families’ victims and that the son of the late Agagu ;Feyi, was doing very well, as he was talking and discussing with family members when they visited. She disclosed that two of the survivors were in the Intensive Care Unit of the LAGOS State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, and that one of the survivors that was at the Federal Medical Centre at Ebute Metta had been moved to Special Burnt Unit at the Gbagada General Hospital for intensive medical care. Bassey also said that some of the survivors had burns and fracture, adding that one
of the survivors also had a successful surgery. On when the least injured survivor will be discharged from the hospital, the director of Aero-medical, said, “we will not go into doctorpatient confidentiality. At this point we should just say everything is going on very and the doctors are happy with the progress.” The medical doctor said that among the survivors were two cabin crew and one technician. She also disclosed that the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation led by the chairman of the committee, Hon Nkiru Onyejiocha, was also at the hospital to see the victims. On the claim by the airline that it had an insurance policy with Sema Insurance and Re-Insurance, Head of General Aviation, Capt Dele Sasogbon , said that NCAA could not answer the question. He added that it was only the AIB in the cause of its investigation that could reveal if the claim was true or not.
Rivers PDP warns Amaechi over S’Court ruling SAM OLUWALANA
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he Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has warned the gtate governor over what it terms ’’his affront to the Supreme Court, in his reaction to a ruling made by the apex court” on Thursday. The party said it viewed
the statement credited to the governor “while reacting to the Supreme Court ruling yesterday that, no Court and no one can remove him from office till the end of his tenure, as an affront on the Court’’. According to a statement issued by the party, on Thursday, the party said ‘’that Governor Amaechi’s desperation to remain in power has no
limit and should be cautious of his statements and actions, particularly on matters before the apex court in the land. “ “The people deserve to know the true decision of the court in the matter and such decision of the Court ought to be obeyed and respected. “Misrepresenting it to the public does not portray anyone as being subject to its de-
cisions,” the statement said. The party also warned the governor not to drag the Supreme Court into politics by misinterpreting it’s decision on matters before it, adding that Amaechi’s interpretation and information on the October 3 decision of the Supreme Court concerning the governorship of Rivers State did not reflect the true position of the highest Court in the land.
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NATIONAL NEWS
October 5, 2013
Agagu buried amid encomiums
•Family scales down ceremony in honour of victims of plane crash HAKEEM GBADAMOSI AND OJO OYEWAMIDE AKURE
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he remains of the late former governor of Ondo State was yesterday laid to rest in Iju Odo, his hometown in Okitipupa local government area of Ondo State amid encomium.
The corpse of the late former governor did not arrive at the town until some minutes before 2 O’Clock. The delay in the arrival, it was gathered, followed the transportation of the corpse by road from Lagos. It was, however, noted that the hearse carrying the corpse of Agagu was
that of the Bells Funeral Services as opposed to that of MIC that was originally contacted for the service. The casket was also changed. This might not be unconnected with the death of the Managing Director of MIC, Tunji Okusanya, who lost his lives in the ill-
fated plane crash. It would be recalled that the Associated Airline aircraft which was to convey the corpse and some other persons to Akure for the funeral crashed minutes after take off at the Lagos airport on Thursday. No fewer than 13 persons, including the chief execu-
L-R: Professor Anthony Okpere, his wife, Maria, and former Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Akin Aduwwo (rtd), during the burial service of late former Governor Olusegun Agagu in Iju Odo, Ondo State, yesterday.
Feyi, Agagu’s son in stable condition –Doctors
DNA test on charred bodies begin today •Scavengers comb crash site MURITALA AYINLA
F
eyi Agagu, son of the late former governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Agagu is recuperating, a doctor at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, has said. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the doctor who said they had to call off their strike to attend to victims of the Thursday crash involving the aircraft of Associated Airline. This is as scavengers have besieged the site of the crash in search of the carcass of the ill-fated plane made of aluminium and other personal effects of the victims. It was gathered that some of the resident doctors and consultant doctors were directed by Lagos state Governor Mr. Babatunde Fashola to resume work to perform needed surgery on some of the victims in a bid to save their lives. Speaking with Saturday Mirror, the doctor said: “I can tell you we worked throughout the night to keep them in a stable condition
here in LASUTH. The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, was actively involved. In fact he was communicating with the governor regularly and consultants were also brought in to stabilise the patients.” The doctor said Feyi Agagu was moved from the emergency ward to a private ward within the hospital due to the improvement in his health condition. “We have to move Feyi Agagu from emergency ward to a private ward because he is doing fairly well. He is active. He must not be in emergency to receive better medical attention. The other new wards have good medical personnel and facilities. We are very hopeful about him and the other victims receiving treatments in this hospital,” said the doctor. As at the time of filing this report, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, confirmed that five of the victims were still receiving treatment at LASUTH while one is at the Airforce Medical Centre. Another he said, is in the Lagos Trauma and Burns
Center located at the Gbagada General Hospital. The commissioner said he was satisfied with the level of attention the patients were receiving in the hospital, adding that one of the survivors had surgery on him Thursday night while three were doing well. Meanwhile, one of the survivors recuperating at the Lagos Trauma and Burns Center in Gbagada was still in a critical condition due to severe burns he suffered. Our correspondents who went round the hospitals observed that family members, friends and sympathisers were in the hospital but not allowed to see the survivors. A family member who gave her name as Bisi said, “Akeem is my brother ,I came from Akure since morning but I have not been able to see him. I cannot tell you anything more than this because in have not seen him but we are happy that he is alive. We thank God”. Allaying fears of relatives, the President of National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) Lagos State University Teaching Hospital
(LASUTH) chapter, Dr. Jimi Sodipo, told Saturday Mirror that his colleagues were in the hospital to save the lives of the crash victims. Sodipo also confirmed that resident doctors had been on ground which made it possible for them to mobilise them to assist the consultant doctors who were treating the crash victims. According to him, “We don’t want patients to lose their lives and we don’t want the total breakdown of the system. “We have spoken with the national president of the association and he’s very happy with our efforts so far and he has also asked us to intensify it to ensure that all emergencies are covered and that is why you can see that we are in the hospital at this point.” As for the DNA test required to identify the bodies of unidentified victims, it was gathered that biological relatives had not been coming forward for sample needed for the examination, even as an official in the hospital disclosed that the exercise would begin tomorrow at the Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
tive of MIC Funeral Services, Mr. Olatunji Okusanya, who was billed to carry out the burial services. The casket bearing the corpse of the late politician was also dented. It was learnt that the casket housing the late politician was changed in Ondo where the people of the town who wanted to catch a glimpse of the former governor caused a heavy traffic gridlock. The situation was not different in Ore town in Odigbo local government area but the bishop in charge wasted no time by commencing the funeral service as the purple coloured casket was ushered into the church immediately. Speaking during the sermon, the Bishop of the Diocese on the Coast of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Bishop Ebunoluwa Joshua Ogunele, admonished Nigerians against acquisition of wealth saying all wealth acquired would be left behind after death. He noted that none of Agagu’s wealth and properties would be buried with him. He thanked God that the corpse of Agagu was not burnt in the plane crash. He said “None of his properties will be buried with him. What remains with him is his faith in Jesus Christ. He was a lucky a man; if his corpse had been burnt yesterday, none of us would be here today. “If you don’t have time to serve God but have time to acquire wealth, you will perish one day. Your faith must reach God before you can be recognised by Him. God does not recognise your title. “ The Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubayode, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan described the late Agagu as an intellectual of great commitment and a man of honour. He noted that Agagu contributed immensely to the development of the state as a governor saying the party, the people of the state, and the nation as a whole would miss him. He commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives in the Thursday plane crash in Lagos. The church premises was full to its capacity while some hundreds of people were seen hanging around the church premises. Provision was made for some under a tarpaulin within the church premises. Dignitaries at the buri-
al ceremony include: former governors of Ekiti, Osun and Oyo states: Segun Oni, Olagunsoye Oyinlola,and Adebayo Alao Akala respectively. The Group Managing Director of Global Media Limited, Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim; Minister of Communication Technology, Omobola Johnson; former Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Akin Aduwo (Rtd); Joseph Makoju; Otunba Gbenga Daniel; former deputy governor of Ondo State, Omolade Oluwateru, and PDP governorship candidate in Ondo State, Olusola Oke, were present. Agagu, former governor of the state, who was born some 65 years ago in iju Odo in Okitipupa local government of ondo State died on the 13th of September 2013 in Lagos after returning from an overseas trip. Meanwhile, the family of the late former governor of Ondo State has commiserated with the families of those who lost their relatives in the illfated air plane crash which occurred in Lagos on Thursday while conveying Agagu’s corpse to Akure, Ondo State capital. In a press release signed by the immediate brother of the former governor, Femi Agagu, the family explained that it had decided to stem down the burial activities as a mark of honour and respect to those who lost their lives in the plane crash. Agagu said “In deference to all the families who are in bereavement, and out of respect for the memory of the departed, the Agagu family has decided to scale down the details of the funeral to its barest and basic minimum. Accordingly, the funeral will now be a private family affair, shorn of all the pomp and pageantry of a state funeral.” He hinted that the traditional Christian wake was also cancelled because of the unfortunate incident saying, “the Agagu family deeply commiserates with all the bereaved families and prays fervently for the repose of the souls of all the departed, even as the family continues to remain in close contact with all the families affected by this tragedy.”
CHANGE OF NAME Ogu: Formerly known as Ogu, Agnes Azin now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Agnes Adebowale Babatunde. All former documents remain valid. Industrial Training Fund ( ITF) and general public take note.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
NATIONAL NEWS
October 5, 2013
9
Doctors’ strike: Effects of action bite harder ...as new patients are shut out •Consultants, medical students come to the rescue
MARCUS FATUNMOLE, THOMAS USHIE AND FUNMI SALOME JOHNSON ABUJA
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he effects of the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) is already biting hard as Nigerians in search of medical care are being shut out in major hospitals across the country. Investigation carried out by Saturday Mirror showed that although services at the hospitals have not totally collapsed, activities at the hospitals were very dull as compared to the normal situation before the strike. At the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) sources said that the hospital had been attending only to patients who were either admitted before the commencement of the industrial action or old patients who had appointments with consultants, No patients, whether on
emergency or referral, the source said, were not attended. Saturday Mirror’s checks at different wards of LUTH, yesterday, showed that services going on were skeletal. At the Dialysis Centre, in-patients were being attended to by a doctor on duty and some nurses. A visit to the DOT Centre where patients with Tuberculosis, cough, are treated, saw a large number of patients waiting patiently for treatment as nurses and few doctors were seen going in and out of the centre. In an interview with Saturday Mirror, a doctor who spoke on conditions of anonymity said that the doctors on duty were not resident doctors. According to him, LUTH, as a teaching hospital had readily available human resources to offer skeletal services in the absence of the residents doctors. He also disclosed that the doctors on duty were consultants, house officers and
medical students, especially those in their final year. At the General Hospital Gbagada, Lagos, our reporter found patients hanging around waiting to be attended to but the doctors were nowhere to be found. A midwife who pleaded anonymity, told our reporter that there was nothing they could do as the doctors were not around to work. “As much as we would have loved to do our jobs and attend to the patients, there is virtually nothing we can do because the resident doctors are on strike and they are not even around to attend to them,” she said. She explained that although consultants and other health workers were on ground, they were unable to meet the demand of the patients. “We have the consultants and other health workers like the nurses, midwives and matrons and others on ground but you cannot compare the pace at which work
is done to when the resident doctors were on duty,” A visit to some of the federal government-owned hospitals in Abuja, namely University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, UATH; National Hospital and the Federal Staff Hospital revealed persistent gory tales of patients who battle for survival. Investigations showed that the three hospitals had varied challenges, arising from the strike. At UATH, a few patients were available and they corroborated the situation in Lagos. “There are Consultants and nurses who attend to us,” said a young patient who simply identified himself as Ismaila at the hospital. He added that “Though we don’t have many patients again here like last week when I came here, the strike can lead to many deaths if these doctors and nurses are over-burdened,” He said further: “We
Don’t allow diversity to destroy Nigeria –Ribadu TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE
F
ormer chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, has urged Nigerians not to allow Nigeria’s diversity to destroy the country. He faulted those who believe that the problems the nation is facing today is a result of its tribal, religious and social diversity, arguing that such ought to be the real strength upon which the nation could draw. Speaking at a public lec-
ture to mark the official opening of a new Law office building of Tayo Oyetibo & Co: Solicitors and Barristers in Lagos, Ribadu, who was the Action Congress of Nigeria’s (ACN) presidential candidate in the last general election, also noted that the nations that had faced more critical crisis across the world were those with common language and religion. Ribadu, while delivering his speech titled, “The Social Contract: Which way Nigeria,” said that: “Those who think that the problem with Nigeria is its diversity are getting it all wrong, the
most prosperous and strong nation in the world today is America and America is also the most diversified country in the world.” The former EFCC boss reflected on his sojourn in the EFCC and how he was able to regain his rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police and have his dismissal reversed. His words: “I am here today not just to honour my brother, Barrister Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, but to sincerely express a depth of gratitude for his selfless contributions to my personal and public service career.
Chemical attack: Can the world stop Syria? In the last count, no fewer than 1, 300 persons were gassed to death near Damascus, Syria; being world’s most recent, deadliest chemical attack. While the United Nations is investigating the genocide, the United States has expressed willingness to take military action against the administration of President Bashir al-Assad of Syria, an intention that the Russian government frowns at. But now, the UN is determined to destroy Syria’s chemical arsenal to save mankind. In this detailed report, we examine the implications of the Syrian genocide and the probability that the UN will succeed in its mission.
What Nigerians say on national dialogue Enthused by President Goodluck Jonathan’s acceptance of a national dialogue, many Nigerians, including activists and key opinion moulders have begun to bring up agenda for discussion. Read what they expect from the Femi Okurounmu-led committee on national conference, especially as it concerns the restructuring of the Nigerian state.
P
resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday called for an expansion of bilateral relations between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), saying that Nigeria would welcome greater direct investment for the development of its power, agricultural, oil and gas, communications and solid minerals sectors. Speaking at an audience with the UAE’s Min-
on a daily basis. I assure your leadership that we are keen on developing and expanding areas of cooperation between us,” President Jonathan told Mr. Mazrouei who was at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, as a Special Envoy of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the UAE. Jonathan also seized the opportunity of Mr. Mazrouei’s visit to restate his call for greater international cooperation against the scourge of terrorism.
Passion
ABUJA
ister of Energy, Mr. Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, the president said that he looked forward to the early conclusion of agreements for the protection of investments and avoidance of double taxation between the UAE and Nigeria which are expected to boost the inflow of investments from the emirates to Nigeria. “The United Arab Emirates and Dubai are becoming increasingly important to us. A large number of Nigerians now visit Dubai
not all hospitals in the country have the number of Consultants we have here.” Mr. Innocent Okorie who has been at the National Hospital for three weeks, receiving treatment for partial stroke spoke with our correspondent. Said he: “If there are labour issues and the issues are supposed to be resolved, they should be resolved on time to avert this type of adverse experiences. The spate of strike we are witnessing in the country today is because strike is the only way by which workers could be attended to. And, it is to the detriment of Nigerians.” At the Federal Staff Hospital, Jabi, the hospital which has only operated for barely a year had least patients of all the public hospitals visited by Saturday Mirror. A mother of a patient at the Female Ward of the hospital said: “Some of the patients in this place have gone because they thought they would not be attended to by doctors. But, the consultants here have really been trying for us.”
In your refreshingly different
Jonathan seeks stronger bilateral ties with UAE ROTIMI FADEYI
are entirely discouraged by what is happening in our health sector. Since Monday, we thought this would have ended. It is uncalled for at this time that our government is claiming it is pursuing MDGs when its health sector is witnessing this embarrassing situation, nationwide”. When Saturday Mirror visited the National Hospital, Abuja, the hospital was expectedly devoid of its usual high patronage by patients. Most of the hospital beds were vacant while the available in-patients were being attended to by only consultants and nurses, including youth corps members’ doctors as claimed by some of the patients who spoke with our reporter. One of the patients who refused to give his name said: “We thank God for the youth corps members’ doctors for assisting us this far. But for them, all of us would have run out of this place. Since the strike started on Tuesday, it has not really been easy. I am sure that people are dying because
Bayelsa’s controversial loan Bayelsa State is now abuzz with heated debate over the state government’s plan to take a 60 million Euro loan as the opposition has described it as an attempt to enslave the state. But the Seriake Dickson government has his reasons for gunning for the loan. Find out the detail tomorrow
‘I kiss in movies, and so what?’ Nollywood actress, Gloria Mba, has been into acting for about a decade. She says though her profession is challenging and heartbreaking, it is fulfilling. In tandem, she says she is less bothered with gossips over her acts in the movies, especially, kissing. She also speaks about her lifestyle and versatility in romance movies. Excerpts: These and many more available tomorrow in your
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PHOTO NEWS
October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
OLUSEGUN AGAGU 1948 – 2013
L-R; Dr Tunji Abayomi; Group Managing Director Energy Group, Barr. Jimoh Ibrahim, OFR; former Ekiti State Governor, Segun Oni; former Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Mr Femi Agagu, during the final burial service of Late Olusegun Agagu in Iju Odo, Ondo State,yesterday.
Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi, his wife Shade, and Prince Yemi Adefulu
Former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel and his wife Funke. Former Governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala and his wife Kemi..
L-R: Professor Anthony Okpere, his wife Maria and Admiral Akin Aduwwo rtd.
L-R: Daughter of the Late Olusegun Agagu, Mrs Solape Hammond; Mrs Bose Ajayi and the widow Mrs Funke Agagu
Agagu’s family members during funeral service Agagu’s family members with clergy men
Mourners in church
More mourners
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
REGIONAL NEWS
October 5, 2013
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SOUTH WEST
APC, Sen. Ashafa seek improved monitoring of aviation sector MURITALA AYINLA
T
he All Progressives Congress (APC) has condoled with the families of all those who died in Thursday’s plane crash in Lagos and prayed for the speedy recovery of those who were injured, thereby calling for improved monitoring of the aviations sector. The party urged the Federal Government, especially the regulatory agencies, not to relent until total safety is achieved in the nation’s aviation sector. In the same vein, Senator Gbenga Ashafa has prayed God to give the family of late former governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Agagu the fortitude to bear the loss of their loved ones. In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Al-
haji Lai Mohammed, the APC expressed shock and deep sorrow at the double tragedy, considering that the crash involved the remains of the late Ondo
State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, as well as his family and friends. It prayed that God will give Dr. Agagu’s family and the families of all
the victims the grace and strength to tide over the calamitous occurrence and the difficult days ahead. APC said the crash,
coming about 15 months after the air disaster involving Dana Air, has shown that in spite of the progress so far made in ensuring that the coun-
Chairman., Local Organising Committee, 2013 Faculty of Paedriatrics, National Post Graduate College of Nigeria, Dr. Mohammed Salisu, flanked by the Consultant and Specialist, Prof. Oluyinka Ogundipe and the Faculty Chairman, Dr. Kike Osinusi at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Auditorium, Ikeja, Lagos, recently.
National confab: Gani Adams lauds Jonathan TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE
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he National Coordinator of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, has thrown his weight behind President Goodluk Jonathan’s resolve to convoke a national conference to dis-
cuss the issues that have combined to stunt the growth of Nigeria. In a statement made available to Saturday Mirror, Adams noted that the conference would go a long way to address most of the problems besetting Nigeria and also provide green lights to how Nige-
rian could move forward as a nation. The statement read in parts, “I think we should praise President Jonathan for setting up a committee for a National Conference. I sincerely believe that the conference will proffer solution to most of the problems
that have prevented the country from developing. I am also convinced that most of the problems that we are going through as a nation can be addressed by the conference. The OPC leader, however, urged the Dr. Femi Okunrounmu-led Presidential Advisory Commit-
tee for the National Conference to see the work given it as a call to service. He advised members of the advisory committee to learn from the mistakes of the political reform conferences set up in 2005. Continuing, the OPC leader says, “The committee should also ensure
try’s airspace is safe for the travelling public, the government must not relent until total success has been achieved. The party says, ‘’It is the responsibility of the government to make our airspace safe, and all those involved, especially the regulatory agencies, must not relent until that safety has been achieved. This is the best way to immortalize all those who have lost their lives in avoidable plane crashes over the years.” Speaking with Saturday Mirror, Ashafa said the frequent air mishaps in the country calls for serious concern for everyone, urging the aviation stakeholders intensify moves to make airspace safe for everyone, even as he called for quick rehabilitation of roads in the country. that it does not allow itself to be used by selfish political elements to attain selfish goals. They should not allow political figures outside or within the government to hijack discussions at the conference at the expense of the people of Nigeria, as doing this would definitely lead to the failure of this great task before them.”
...As Senator seeks fair representation at national confab
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ice Chairman, Senate Committee on Air Force, Senator Akin Odunsi, has advocated for fair representation of all ethinic nationalities in the country in the proposed national conference, saying the Awori people deserved to be adequately represented in it Senator Odunsi said this while addressing selected journalists in Ota, Ogun State during his inspection of ongoing projects his senatorial districts. His words: “The national conference is a good development and I hope when the conference is finally convened all the various ethnic nationalities would be
...calls for probe of abandoned N35m science laboratory project adequately represented and representation would be fair. I know that one of my own concerns and one of the things I want to see at the national conference is the representation of the Awori people because it is an ethnic nationality that
has been so very well marginalized in this country,” he said. The federal lawmaker, during a visit to Oke-Odan Community Grammar School, expressed his dissatisfaction in the delay in the completion of the
school science laboratory project and ordered for a probe into the slow pace of work there. Continuing, “I really want a probe of this project. The laboratory was my 2012 constituency project which was awarded by the Federal
Ministry of Education. And the sum of N35 million was appropriated to it in 2012 budget. But as I speak to you, I don’t know where that money has gone into,” he said. While commissioning the transformer and electrification projects
he provided for about four communities in Idiroko, Ipokia Local Government Areas of Ogun State Senator Odunsi assured residents of the areas that he would continue to represent their interest at the National Assembly.
Tinubu returns, cancels reception in honour of crash victims OBIORA IFOH ABUJA
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ecuperating National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, returns to the coun-
try today after successful surgery on his injured knees, but the grand reception in his honour has been put on hold. The cancellation of the rally/reception was in sympathy with the families who lost their loved
ones in the air crash of last Thursday. The former Lagos State governor is however scheduled to address a world press conference later today. Shortly after the death and burial of his mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, few months ago, Asiwaju went for medical checkup
abroad where his injured knees were discovered and was advised by doctors to undergo immediate surgery on the injured knees immediately. The surgery was successful and the APC National Leader has been recuperating in London after the surgery.
He has also been playing host to various political leaders from his party among who was another National Leader of the party, Major General (rtd) Muhammad Buahri; governors, party leaders, national assembly members and local government chairmen among others.
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REGIONAL NEWS
October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
SOUTH EAST
Anambra guber: Don’t intimidate our candidate, NNPP tells govt
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he New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has raised alarm over alleged intimidation of its governorship candidate in the forthcoming November 16, 2013, governorship election in Anambra State, Chief Leonard Uchendu. The party is reacting to the order asking Uchendu to quit his position as the PresidentGeneral of Umuawulu in Awka South Local Government of the state. The state government,in a letter signed by the Special Adviser to the governor on Chieftaincy and Town Union Matters, Dr. G.N. Muotolu, on September 18, 2013, requested Uchendu to step aside from his position, pending the conclusion of the investigations against him over claims that he is using the town’s vigilance outfit to molest,
intimidate and harass the people of his community. Addressing a press conference in Lagos, yesterday, ntional chairman of the
party, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, said that the letter requesting Uchendu to step aside as President-General of Uwuawule Town is “a
deliberate move by Governor Peter Obi-led All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) to witch-hunt the NNPP candidate.”
In the words of Aniebonam, “From every indication, it is obvious that the popularity of our candidate in the forth-coming guber-
L-R: Mrs. Vivian Nwandu; Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State; Mrs. Chinyere Okunna (1st right) watched as the governor presented the cheque of N50 Million to the Superior General of the Congregation, Mother Mary Claude Oguh (2nd right) for the rebuilding of their health facilities across the state, recently.
Bomb scare in Imo as Okorocha, aides scamper for safety CHRIS NJOKU OWERRI
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ll hell was let loose yesterday at the Ahajioku Convention Centre in Owerri, the Imo State capital, when security aides to Governor Rochas Okorocha, suddenly whisked the governor away from
the centre following a bomb scare. An eyewitness told Saturday Mirror that, the governor who was holding a meeting with some political stakeholders in the state, was interrupted by his security aides, who broke protocol to alert him of imminent danger.
The source, said that the attitude of the security operatives, which provoked fear among the audience resulted to a stampede, which left several people injured as they scampered to safety. According to the source, “Suddenly the security men started run-
ning helter skelter and cordoned off the podium to shield the Governor, so everybody started running in all direction and some of the people were trampled upon, the source who pleaded anonymity said. “But after the initial pandemonium, it was dis-
covered that the course of the stampede was an empty bag that was abandoned on the gallery”. Meanwhile, it took the bomb disposal unit attached to the Government House, who arrived the scene about an hour later, to confirm that the content of the bag was
Anambra guber: APC primary not masterminded by Ngige
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he All Progressives Congress (APC) primary, which saw Senator Chris Ngige emerged as its gubernatorial candidate for the forthcoming election in Anambra State gubernatorial election was not masterminded as being speculated. The election, which was done in public domain in presence of everyone, saw how Senator Ngige emerged with a landslide victory. Media Consultant to Dr. Ngige, Clementina Olomu, made this known while responding to some of the allegations against the emergence of Ngige as the candidate of the party. Olomu said most of the analyses done in favour of the opposition do not represent the views of the people of Anambra State and described it as a cal-
Olomu said the former governor of the state is well loved and appreciated by his
people, saying that the APC governorship candidate was not living on past legacies.
natorial election may be giving sleepless nights to some members of APGA because we are reliably informed that over 75 per cent of the PresidentGenerals of the various towns in Anambra State are working with him at the moment. “It is also a fact that the present majority leader in the State House of Assembly who happens to come from the same town Umuawulu with our Candidate may be feeling threatened by the popularity of our Candidate. It is now very clear that the idea of asking him to step aside as the PresidentGeneral of Umuawulu is merely an intimidation with an intent to wear him down using government machinery and apparatus,” Aniebonam said. books and other personal effects that was probably forgotten by somebody. Speaking later one of the bomb disposal experts, who did not want his name mentioned, disclosed that they arrived late at the scene because they had no operational vehicle and functional equipment, blamed the governor’s security details for stampeding the audience. In her words, “Ngige’s achievements and immense contributions to the general wellbeing of all, including his people, are evident for all to see,” she said.
culated attempt to preempt election figures in favour of the opposition.
Reacting to recent media report that Ngige is living on his past legacies,
CHRIS NJOKU
Doctors’ strike: FMC Owerri battles with influx of patients
OWERRI
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everal patients yesterday besieged the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri, following their rejection from other public hospitals
in Imo State over the nationwide strike embarked upon by the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD). Investigation revealed that the public hospitals no
longer admitting patients for lack of manpower, a situation that has put pressure on the federal hospital, which now operates with few medical consul-
tants. When Saturday Mirror visited the FMC complex, many of the patients were seen struggling to see the few medical staff avail-
able, while nurses attended only to those already on admission. Many relatives looked confused as they were seen discussing the situation.
Agric stakeholders flay disconnect between FG policies, rural dwellers DENNIS AGBO ENUGU
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takeholders in the agricultural sector in the country have called for synergy between federal government’s schemes in the sector and the rural farmers who are supposed to be the direct beneficiaries of such schemes. This was part of the recommendations at the
4th National Agricultural exhibition and symposium in Enugu, the Enugu State capital. In a statement after the summit, Director General of Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Mr. Emeka Okereke, said that participants at the summit solicited for elaborate collaboration between federal government and farmers as well as nu-
merous funding partners for the actualization of the transformation agenda of the Jonathan administration. The stakeholders though commended the federal government’s efforts at revamping the sector, but urged the federal government to bridge the gap between policy formulations and direct impact on the targeted farmers. The statement reads in part: “Participants called
on the agencies of the government including the Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Agriculture and industries, etc to sponsor model agricultural farms in Universities and colleges to encourage skill acquisition and entrepreneurship in agriculture among youths. “We frowned at the low level of participation and support by relevant MDAs in the annual symposium and exhibition; an unfortu-
nate loss of opportunity to promote government agricultural programmes among actual key stake holders in agriculture. “The forum commended the Raw Materials Research and Development Agency for its consistent participation and support to the agricultural symposium and exhibition and called on other MDAs to emulate the example of RMRDC,” it said.
Politics Group demands fulfilled promises from politicians
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Cleric backs national conference
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religious leader and the International Director, Club 2000 Network, Dr. Austin Adesola, has thrown his weight behind the proposed convocation of a national conference, where major ethnic nationalities will come to bring an end to all the problems militating against the growth and development of the country. Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, Dr. Adesola also described lack of empowerment as the bane of insecurity in Nigeria. He also disclosed that there is poverty in Nigeria due to lack of efficient leadership. His words: “I believe greatly in national conference as every sane person must agree on this idea as the reality is there for everyone to see. “Nigerians should come to the round table and discuss their sovereignty as a nation and this will bring an end to all the menace rocking the country. It is only way out to answer all the questions on the lips of Nigerians and also bring to end to the insecurity in the country.”
October 5, 2013
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PDP is drifting P. 14 into deeper crises –Hon Asita
BRIEFS
group in the newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC), Total Loyalty group, has urged political leaders in the country to fulfil the promises made to the electorate during political campaigns. The group made the plea during a state public awareness and orientation crusade held in Lagos on Thursday. The Total Loyalty group said to be a pressure group in the APC, also tasked leaders of the new party to bring the much needed change into the nation’s governance once elected into power in 2015. Speaking to journalists at the rally, the president of the group, Toyin Balogun, said that the time had come for Nigerian youths to demand positive change from the nation’s leaders which he said would place them at par with their counterparts in other parts of the world. “The time is now when Nigerian youths begin to demand for good governance from the nation’s leaders ad that is what we are doing at Total Loyalty group. “We are out to sensitise Nigerians on the need to restore the lost glory of the country and also complement the efforts of our progressive leaders in the APC,” he said. The awareness campaign, which drew party members from all local governments in the state, ended with a communiqué that demanded change for the country in the next general elections.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Anambra guber election
Going to battle with divided houses
Ukachukwu
Obiano
TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE
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head of the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State, the political tempo is becoming high as preparations for the election are going on on a daily basis. Political parties, their candidates as well as politicians in general are doing everything possible to ensure that they carry the day. Since the emergence of the governorship candidates of the various political parties, especially, those that made the list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the battle for who succeeds the incumbent governor, Peter Obi, is becoming fierce. According to the list released by INEC last week Tuesday, Chief Willie Obiano will fly the ticket of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) while Senator Chris Ngige Ngige, Chief Nicholas Ukachukwu and Ifeanyi Ubah will contest on the platforms of All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) respectively. Mr. Godwin Ezeemo and Prince Akanegbu Ogochukwu will fly the ticket of the Progressives Party Alliance (PPA) and United Progressives Party (UPP), while Okonkwo Webster and Comrade Aaron Igweze will run on the platforms of National Conscience Party (NCP) and Alliance for Democracy (AD). Others are Mr. Okeke Chika Jerry (AA); Chukwuemeka Nwankwo, Accord Party; Dr. Ifeatu Ekelem, Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD); Engr. Anthony Anene, Allied Congress Party of Nigera (ACPN); Chief Anayo Arinze, African Democratic Congress (ADC); Pat-
Ubah
rick Chukwuka Ibeziako, African Peoples Alliance (APA); Chief Austin Nwangwu, Citizens Popular Party (CPP); Chijioke Geofrey Ndubuisi, Democratic Peoples Party (DPP); Christian Ikechukwu Otti, Independent Democrats (ID); Chief Dennis Nwaforka Oguge, KOWA Party; Pastor Simon Okafor, Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPPP); Prince Leonard Uchendu, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP); Hon. Basil Ijedinma, Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN); Onuorah Onyeachonam, Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP) and Barr. Okoye Godson, United Democratic Party (UDP). With the release of the candidates by the electoral commission, the coast is now clear for the candidates and their respective political parties to hit the ground running as campaigns, intrigues, alignments and re-alignment take the centre stage. While some of the candidates had vied for the post before, others are greenhorns who are trying their luck in the race for the first time, hoping to take advantage of
Ngige
some political permutations, intrigues and schism to spring a surprise. Although 23 candidates will take part in the election, the contest is believed to be among four candidates, who many people see as major contenders in the race to Anambra Government House. The candidates are Obiano, Ngige, Ukachukwu and Ubah. It is believed largely that some of the determining factors in who emerges the governor at the end of the day are religion, party structure, popularity of the candidates and the political party, wealth, zonal agitation, incumbency and antecedents. Obiano, a former banker emerged as APGA candidate with the support of Governor Obi and the party’s national chairman, Chief Victor Umeh. The emergence of the Aguleri-born former Executive Director of Business Banking at Fidelity Bank Plc. is seen by many as part of the bid of Governor Obi to make the people of Anambra North produce the next governor. Although Obiano is a greenhorn in active politics, many people believe that the power of incumbency would work in favour of the APGA candidate. He would also be banking on his credentials as a good manager of human and material resources. The solid support of APGA leadership and the party’s structures in all the nooks and crannies of the state will also work for him. Ngige’s emergence as APC candidate does not come to many as a surprise because he is the life wire of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which is one of the political parties that formed the APC. He was a governor of Anambra State and he is presently representing Anambra Central Senatorial zone in the Upper Chamber of CONTINUED ON PAGE 15
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October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
PDP is drifting into deeper crises –Hon Asita Hon. Honourable Asita, a member of the lower chamber of the National Assembly representing Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni/ Ahoada West Constituency in Rivers State is the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Local Content. He spoke on the factionalistion of the PDP, 2015 presidency and other issues. TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE reports.
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t present, your party, PDP, is facing serious crises which have divided the party into two factions. Are you not worried or concerned about the present situations in the PDP? Well every rational person should be worried and deeply concerned about what is happening in the party. There are two factions now. The Abubakar Baraje’s faction is claiming that they are the authentic PDP and the Bamangar Tukur’s faction is also claiming that they are the authentic PDP. So, what is clear is that there are crises in the party and there are two clear factions. So, the party has become factionalised and for us, as members of the party, it is very disturbing and very worrisome because this means that the strength of the party will be reduced. When you have cracks in a building, insect easily creep in. So, this crisis will open doors and windows of the party to poachers and I can imagine that even in the estimation of Nigerians that the integrity of the PDP is becoming gradually compromised. The Baraje’s faction has consistently accused the Bamangar Tukur-led faction of lawlessness, gross intolerance and impunity. Now, over time, Nigerians have been aware that the Baraje’s faction cannot be lying because these things are being shown to Nigerians on a daily basis. Take for instance the suspension of Governor of Rivers State from the PDP is clearly unconstitutional and illegal. It is not defendable by law and the party is justifying it. From where did they derive the power to suspend a governor? The constitution is clear on how disciplinary procedures can be meted out to a governor. Now, let us look at what happened at the convention. Unfortunately I have to use Rivers State as an example because I am from Rivers State. If you look at the situation and the scenario in Rivers State for instance, an Abuja High Court assumed jurisdiction in a matter concerning the PDP in Rivers State and gave judgement in favour of a person who did not contest an election. By that judgement, what Nigerians now know is that even a Sokoto High Court would have assumed the jurisdiction because the Abuja High Court that assumed jurisdiction is not a Federal High Court.... This is lawlessness. It is not in the spirit of judgement. It is not constitutional, it not in consonance and in pursuant to the provisions of the constitution of the PDP. What would you say are the challenges and issues leading to the ongoing crises in your party?
The challenge we have in PDP is that even when you are aggrieved, you cannot complain. That is exactly what happened in the House of Representatives last two weeks. The Baraje-led faction had gone with the governors to the Senate, they saw the Senate President very quietly and the Senate President listened to them. This people are aggrieved and they are coming to complain and when people are complaining, it means that they want a solution. They want a resolution of the issues, so they came to complain to the Speaker and the members of the House of Representatives from the Bamangar Tukur’s faction disrupted the proceedings. Have you seen a situation where people are even prevented from complaining? You have an issue and you want it addressed and they don’t even want you to be heard. I don’t know where we are heading to. Fortunately, we are not in the military regime but even in the military era, people are allowed to, at least, express their grievances. Now if you don’t know my grievances, how would you solve it? So this is the situation we find ourselves now and we can see the party drifting into deeper crises. It is the same group that has even met with Mr. President so they are not members of a hidden group. This is the character of the PDP that we are complaining about. It is a party that does not allow people to air their grievances, it is a party that is willing to suffocate its own and we say it cannot continue. The party must be governed by laws. We believe that there is still a ray of hope but our future cannot be left in the hands of lawless people. But are you not afraid that this will affect the party’s chances in future elections following the successive merger of the major opposition parties as APC? My worries have never been the merger of other opposition parties. My worry is that we have a brand. We had that brand in the last election with which we won an election. That brand is now being decapitated by its own people. That brand is now being destroyed by its own people. That is my worry. For instance, if there is no internal democracy in the party, we cannot move forward. For example, the Deputy National Chairman of the party, Dr. Sam Jaja, was prevented from contesting during the August 31 national convention. What were his disqualifying factors? What are the yardsticks used to disqualify him other than impunity and lawlessness. So what I am saying is that those who call themselves the leaders of the party led by Bamangar Tukur are destroying that brand and unless something serious happens the
Asita
party will kill itself. It is the fear of the party itself that is more to me than the fear of the opposition party. What is the PDP in the National Assembly doing to resolve the crises? I heard that the Senate President has heard their complaints and he promised to take up the issues. The Speaker of the House of Representatives also listened to them and he has also promised to take up the issues and intervene. The issues have been escalated to the level where the president of the country, who is a member of the PDP, is involved in the discussion. That shameful act in the House of Representatives was needless. The president himself and some others in the hierarchy of the PDP are discussing with this other factions. So, what happened at the National Assembly was completely need-
less, it was shameful. Now, I believe that because of the calibre of people involved this discussion may yield some positive fruit. However, the Bamanga Tukur-led faction is not helping matters. Take for instance, while the discussions are going on, it has gone ahead to dissolve another state executive of the party believed not to be loyal to him. If this kind of impunity continues, then there is no hope of a resolution of the crises in the PDP. You are very close to Governor Rotimi Amaechi. How true is the speculation that he (Amaechi) is one of the sponsors of the newly registered political party, APC? I know Rotimi Ameachi. I have known him for a very long time and he is a man CONTINUED ON PAGE 15
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POLITICS
October 5, 2013
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 of strong character. He is a member of the PDP and he is actually in court with PDP now over his suspension, which he believes is illegal. I also believe it is illegal and unconstitutional. He has not told me that he is interested in APC. If he is interested, there is freedom of association. Does he need to go to court with PDP? It is madness to assume that he is sponsoring another party when he is in one party. It doesn’t make clear sense to me. Those are political rumours, people need to say things to discredit such a man of strong character. Everybody knows that Amaechi is a strong member of PDP. He is one of the best governors that you can use to campaign for the PDP. Look at the issues in Nigeria today; we are talking about security issues, we are talking about oil theft. Ameachi has bought two surveillance helicopters for security purposes, where are the helicopters? They have prevented him from bringing them in. So, we believe as a country that it is better to be losing the way we are losing than to be bringing in those helicopters to be manned by federal security agencies to provide security in the Niger-Delta. We prefer that the situation should continue like that than to bring in those
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‘PDP is drifting into deeper crises’ things so that it does not give credit to Amaechi. We all know what Amaechi is doing in Rivers State. We were there when he came in as governor and we know the condition that we were in Rivers State at the time he came in and we know the condition of the Rivers State now. We have seen the transformation in the state. As Chief Security Officers, he is known to be one of the strongest supporters of the police and the other arms of the Armed forces working in his state in term of logistic support and provision of hardware and all of that. But now you can imagine that PDP could sacrifice such a strong pillar. Do you think President Jonathan has done well to deserve another term? Well, as a member of the PDP, I will not criticise the president because we are the ones who brought him out and that was the brand we used to win the presidential election - PDP and President Jonathan. But I must say that the presidency is open to Nigerians. We have seen all the president has done and
Asita
what he has not done. As somebody who is from SouthSouth, do you think the zone has witnessed enough federal projects?
Now, if I have to talk as a representative from Rivers State, unfortunately, I may not give him a pass mark. This is because if we look at federal projects in Rivers State for instance, the performance is very dismal and very poor. Security in Rivers State has been weakened such that we have a situation where there is open confrontation between the police in the state and the governor and other officials of government. We would want a situation where the police would do their work. The law is very clear. So, honestly, at this opportunity I would not want to score the president. He has addressed the nation and asked everybody to score him based on what he has done and you know the opinions of many Nigerians about what he had done. If you ask me and I am coming from the Niger Delta, I have not seen substantial federal government projects in the Niger Delta where the president and I come from. They say it is our turn, so we are waiting for a project in the Niger Delta that will show us that this is our turn before we talk about second or third term.
Anambra guber election: Going to battle with divided houses CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 the National Assembly. Ngige is not new in the gubernatorial election; he lost narrowly to the incumbent governor during the February 10, 2010 governorship election. Considering his wealth of experience in politics, many people believe that Ngige is the most experienced in the race and his political clout may work in his favour. The emergence of Ukachukwu as PDP’s candidate was a surprise to many people who believe he was not the winner in the PDP primary conducted by the two factions of the party in the state. Ukachukwu participated and came second to Comrade Tony Nwoye in the party primary conducted by the Mr. Ken Emekayi-led state executive of the party’s primaries, recognised by the national leadership of the party. He became the PDP’s flagbearer following the allegation that Nwoye submitted forged tax papers for clearance. Ukachukwu, a successful businessman who represented the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003 is not a greenhorn in politics. He contested during the 2010 governorship election on the platform of Hope Democratic Party (HDP) and also contested for Anambra South Senatorial seat in 2003 and 2011. He lost in all the elections. In the November 16 governorship election, Ukachukwu will be relying on his party’s structure in the state to emerge as the next governor of Anambra State. Ubah, a business magnate and chairman of the Capital Oil and Gas Industries Ltd will fly the Labour Party ticket in November 16. Though he is a new entrant in the governorship race, many people believe that Ubah who is from Anambra South Senatorial district is one of the major contenders in the governorship race. He has a deep pocket to finance his elec-
tion and with the present structures he is erecting in every nooks and crannies of the state since he declared his intention for the governorship election, he comes across as the candidate to beat. Irrespective of the chances of the major contenders, if urgent steps are not taken some of them may go into the election with a divided house, considering the crisis in their political parties and various events that led to their emergence as flagbearers. Though INEC has recorgnised Obiano, Ukachukwu and Ubah as gubernatorial candidates, APGA, PDP and Labour Party still have factional candidates for the election. Despite the list released by INEC some of the political parties are still battling with the fallout of their primaries. Nwoye and Senator Andy Uba emerged as party flag bearer during the PDP primaries conducted by the two factions of the party in the state. While both of them were battling for the party’s ticket at the court, Ukachukwu was recognised by the PDP leadership and INEC, thereby making nonsense of the tussle between Nwoye and Uba. Without any iota of doubt, PDP will be going into the election with a divided house and the post-primary crisis may haunt the party. Some political observers are of the view that PDP may experience the repeat of the Anambra 2010 gubernatorial election, where many PDP chieftains worked against the party’s victory in the election. It would be recalled that Uba, Ukachukwu, and about three PDP aspirants, after losing the party’s ticket to Prof. Chukwuma Soludo at the primary, contested on another platform, thereby splitting PDP votes during the election and making Soludo, despite federal might to come a distant third in the election won by Governor Obi.
Apart from the factionalisation of the party in the state, the ongoing leadership crisis that has split the party into old PDP and new PDP led respectively by Alhaji Bamangar Tukur and Alhaji Abubakar Baraje may also affect the fortune of the party in the governorship election. In the case of the ruling party, APGA, the leadership tussle between Chief Victor Umeh and Barr. Maxi Okwu, who are both parading themselves as national chairman of the party, may affect the party’s chance in the election. During the primary conducted by the two factions, Obiano emerged as the Umeh-led faction candidate while Dr. Chike Obidigbo was Okwu’s faction’s candidate. However, INEC recognised Obiano. Besides the leadership tussle between the Umeh and Okwu-led factions, there are also fears in some quarters that other aggrieved APGA governorship aspirants such as former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Chukwuma Soludo and members of the House of Representatives, Hon . Uche Ekwunife, who might feel short-changed by how Obi and Umeh influenced the choice of Obiano, may work against the party. Unless the crisis between the two factions is resolved in time, the crisis may prevent the ruling party from extending its rulership of Anambra State beyond March 17, 2014, when Governor Obi is expected to pass on the baton. Though there is no issue of factional governorship crisis in the APC, some people are of the view that the alleged disagreement between Senator Ngige and APC National Deputy Chairman (South), Senator Annie Okonkwo, who stepped down for Ngige, may affect APC’s chances in the election. It is believed that both leaders of the party in the state are not in good term and that is one of the reasons why Okonkwo turned down the request
of his party to serve as the Chairman of the APC campaign team. Some also believe that the defection of Ezeemo and some of his supporters to run on the platform of PPA may affect APC. In Labour Party, two primaries were also held during the party’s primary on August 28. The two primary elections, the Emmaus House, produced Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah, as a candidate while the other faction produced Mr. Peter Nwosu, as the candidate. But Ubah was the recognised candidate by both INEC and the party’s state and national leadership. Apart from the various crises within the political parties, the clash of interest among major stakeholders in the state may also make or mar the chances of the major contenders. It is also believed that the choice of gubernatorial candidates and their running mates has protected and worked against the interest of some people. The people whose interests were not protected, therefore, it is believed, may decide to fight back and that move may not be in the interest of many of the candidates. The quest of the people of Anambra North Senatorial District to produce Obi’s successor may pitch them against the people of Anambra Central and Anambra South, where most of the major candidates in the November 16 election hail from. After all said and done, except the parties settle their internal problems, majority of them may go to battle with a divided house and that may not do any good to any of them. With almost all of the parties sharing the same problem, the emergence of the next governor of Anambra State may largely be determined by which party least suffers the effect of a divided house. And of course, anyone that sees the advantage of the power of a united house may just be the lucky one.
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October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
From the Civil Service 325 trainee midwives will be deployed to rural areas in Kebbi - Coordinator
T
he Coordinator, Kebbi Midwifery Service Scheme, Alhaji Ahmad Shehu, on Friday said 325 trainee midwives would be involved in programmes aimed at reducing maternal mortality and child morbidity. Shehu said this when the newly posted trainee midwives visited, Dr Muhammad Ka’oje, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, in Birnin Kebbi. He said the trainee midwives would be posted to all local government areas for their services to the people. “The decision to post the midwives to rural areas
was in line with the policy of the Federal Government for the development of health care delivery nationwide,” he said. The coordinator said that rural dwellers lacked access to public hospitals due to difficult terrain and economic hardship. He said this was one of the reasons for expanding the scope of home delivery by midwives that would be trained locally with modern techniques. Shehu assured the trainees that their security would be guaranteed, considering the sustained peaceful coexistence in the state.
Ogun Head-of-Service’s office generates N14m in 6 months
T
he Head of Service in Ogun, Mrs. Modupe Adekunle, has disclosed that the office generated over N14 million between January and June. Adekunle said this in Abeokuta in a message to members of the Ogun House of Assembly Committee on Establishment and Public Matters who were on oversight visit. The Head of Service, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Foluso Osunjimi, said the money was generated from rents collected on
government quarters. She said the amount generated so far was more than the approved revenue target. The Permanent Secretary, State Bureau of Pension, Mr Adesina Badmus, said that non-remittance of workers’ deduction and employers’ counterpart 7.5 per cent of contributory pension as at when due was a major problem. ``Inadequate vehicle for the Bureau and insufficient office accommodation are other challenges that need quick intervention,’’ he said.
Medical workers task Anambra govt on welfare
T
he Anambra chapter of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) has called for the improvement of workers’ welfare to boost performance. The Chairman of the union, Mr. Patrick Obianyo, made the call in Awka in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). He said the health workers in particular had suf-
fered a lot of hardship under successive governments in the state. According to him, permanent secretaries in the state received a net pay of N150,000 monthly while directors got N110,000 per month. ``You can imagine what the salary of lower workers will be with this, even when they have remained committed to duty,’’ Obianyo said.
Ibikunle Amosun, Ogun State governor
Dakingari, Kebbi State governor
Non-Executive staffers of CAC protest, go on strike
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on-executive staff members of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on Friday in Abuja commenced an indefinite strike over alleged wide disparity in their salaries and those of executive staff of the commission. The workers, under the aegis of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), announced the action during a protest at the commission’s headquarters. The protesting workers, numbering about 100, barricaded the entrance to the commission’s head office. They carried placards with inscriptions as: Mr President, please sack CAC Board and Management, No nine per cent arrears,
no peace, Lamorde, you have work to do in CAC, and so on. The Chairman of the union, Mr Yusuf Buba, said they were protesting against the wide disparity in the salaries of executive and non-executive staff members of the commission. He said the workers were expressing their grievances over nonimplementation of the agreement reached in 2010 between the management and AUPCTRE to address the issue. Buba, who accused the management of appropriating privileges and allowances to themselves outside consolidated salaries, also alleged that the salaries of the non-executive cadre were slashed by nine percent. ``This is contrary to the
monetisation policy of the Federal Government’’, he said. The chairman also accused the management of allegedly buying luxury cars for Directors and board members. He said that management used the commission’s pool drivers on permanent basis and paid yearly subscription for DSTV to executive staff. Others are purchase of Ipads for executive staff and board members, payment of N45,000 yearly internet subscription for executive staff and N45,000 recharge cards for executive staff on monthly basis. Buba also accused the management of paying subscription fees of exclusive sports clubs to executive members. He said that apart from paying for the mainte-
nance of the houses of executive members, management paid the utility bills and bought 240 litres of petrol every month to each executive member. The chairman also accused the management and board members of allegedly squandering the commission’s funds on ``unnecessary and excessive overseas travels’’ and buying items not needed by the commission. He said the union had intended to embark on indefinite strike on Sept. 9 after the expiration of 21 days ultimatum, but for the intervention of the Minister of Labour and Productivity. Buba said that a meeting was convened on Oct. 3 at the minister’s office to resolve the matter but ended in deadlock.
NMA decries Kano Govt employment of Egyptian doctors
T
he Kano State Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has criticised the employment of Egyptian doctors by the state government. This criticism is contained in a statement by the NMA Chairman, Dr Shehi Ali, in Kano on Thursday. According to the state-
ment, the number of the employed doctors is over a 100. It said the association considered the action of the government as `insensitivity to the plight of doctors working under the state and the health sector in general’. “The government has been dragging its feet for the past two and a
half years in meeting its contractual obligation to doctors’ salary under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), due to lack of funds. “Surprisingly, it suddenly has funds to employ foreign doctors. We are shocked that a doctor in Kano with full knowledge of local diseases is of less
value to the government and cannot be paid 100 per cent of his salary, but an Egyptian doctor can be paid $6,000 dollars per month,’’ it said. The statement urged government to look into the shortage of manpower in the health sector and also stop the current exodus of doctors from the state.
Living
Gladis
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
October 5, 2013
17
Salisu
At the mercy of the elements but ‘looking unto God’ for help THOMAS USHIE
T
he roof of her abode is the open sky. Her beddings are nylons and tattered rubber carpets. Foxes have holes and the birds, nests, but Gladys Chidi, for that is her name, has no place to lay her head. For more than two weeks, Saturday Mirror observed her lying at the Ojuelegba end of Lawanson Road, Lagos, from dusk to dawn, wrapped in her dusty wrapper. Throughout the observation, the reporter did not see her yelling or stretching her arms for alms. Her sight evokes forlorn despair existential condition, especially to whoever had paid closer attention to her. Many think she is mentally challenged. Many others, too, believe she is one of the victims of the poor socio-economic conditions in the country. Others think she is depressed. But this fateful day, at about 7.40 p.m., the reporter reached out to her to know about her true living conditions and how she got to the Ojuelegba/Yaba/Funsho Williams intersection where she “lives” under the sun and in the rain, with the menace of articulated and other vehicles releasing dangerous fume into the air she breathes daily. “I am Gladys Chidi. I am from Delta State,” she volunteered her names and
That they are both Lagos residents is not the only bond of similarity between Gladys Chidi and Ibrahim Salisu. They have both seen the better side of life but now on the streets. Having been failed by men, the duo now only looks up only to God for rehabilitation. place of extraction while beaming with a beautiful smile. “I had accident sometimes ago which affected my legs. Since then, I cannot walk. I have been at this Ojuelegba junction for over three months because I have no place to go. This is where I sleep day and night. I am stranded here,” Gladis said. Wondering how an accident could confine her to such a dangerous spot when she could have sought solace from her family, Saturday Mirror enquired about her family. “I have families but I have been the sole bread winner of my family. After the accident, I was stranded. I came to Lagos and went to Obalende to see one of my family members, Mama Anthony, but I discovered that she is late. So, I became stranded in Lagos. The accident took place at Delta State while I was standing on the road; a vehicle knocked me down and did not care to stop. Having tried to treat myself and run out of finance, I
decided to come to Lagos to see Mama Anthony. Unfortunately, my trouble doubled when I discovered that she is dead. I am now living on the streets as a destitute,” she groaned. “After I heard of the death of Mama Anthony, I thought of where I could go to and decided to search for my former church, Morning Star at Rufai Street, Surulere. When I got there, I got information that the church had been closed. I was perplexed when I heard it. As I was thinking what I could do, I saw one police officer passing, I told him of my plight and he said that he can only help me to the police check point at Ojuelegba here. That was how I got to this place,” she claimed. Has Gladys been to Lagos prior to her last adventure that took her to the street? She said that she had lived and worked in Lagos before relocating to Delta State. “I was living here in Lagos. I was working with ACB at Martin Street, on the Island before the bank closed shop and I was sent into the job market. By the time the
bank closed shop, I went to a Bible School, at Ogbor Hill in Delta State,” she claimed. Gladys spoke with the reporter in good and faultless English language, dispelling, to a very great extent, the thought of her being mentally challenged. The reporter became curious to know her level of educational attainment and how life has treated her so far. She said: “I told you earlier that I was a bank official, working with African Continental Bank (ACB). I graduated from Mary Mount College, Agbor, Delta State. You know in the banks then, when you are employed with A/Levels certificate, you would be trained to handle some aspects of the banking job. “When rain is failing, when the sun is harsh, I look unto God for help. I was lying on the bare ground. A Good Samaritan just gave me this mat and carpet I am lying on now. I have been praying for God to send me a helper that could CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
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LIVING
October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Sun set at noon: Agony of a young widow When Helen and Felix Thompson had their nuptials last year, little did they know that their union would be short lived. Friday, 20 September, 2013 will forever remain a scar in the heart of Helen. It was the day death took her husband away in mysterious circumstances. FUNMI SALOME JOHNSON
I
t was a Friday and Felix Thompson was excited. The weekend had begun. Little did he know that it would be his last. According to Helen, his widow, Thompson left home that day excited with the mindset that the following day was a work free day and he would be able to spend quality time with his wife and daughter. The wife had bid farewell happily looking forward to his return, but that was not to be. She was later to be informed by his college via a telephone call that he was involved in an accident at the site where he was working and had been rushed to the hospital. “My husband was always excited about Fridays because he didn’t work on weekends unless there was an emergency. That particular Friday, he was excited and left home happily with the mind of returning after the hard day’s job to rest for the rest of the weekend which I always looked forward to too. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17
take me out of this place. But it is not by my power. I am looking unto God for this help but I know God will send somebody or group of people who would help me out of the situation I am now. I need treatment for my legs. I need to put my life back on the track. But who would help me out? I am stranded and looking unto God for an angel,” she said. Asked of the church she worships currently, she said that as a result of her incapacitation, she has been unable to go to church but has been “tapping into the worship of churches around Ojuelegba” from where she lies hapless. “Whenever they are praying, singing, I just follow them in the whole worship, especially the Redeemed Christian Church of God that is closed by at the upstairs.” At the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), where the first independence parade took place 53 years ago, 68 years old Ibrahim Salisu lay in anguish. He lost his right leg to elephantiasis about 15 years ago. Since then, Salisu who came to Lagos about 44 years ago, said that he has been living by the grace of Allah. At the time Saturday Mirror encountered him, it was getting dark. Yet, he lay calmly with clutches by his side, even though anguish and gloom decorated his face. Salisu was at home with no sign of leaving to his place of abode. His beddings
Thompson
Around 3pm of that day, I had a telephone call from Mr Abayomi, a colleague of my husband. When I saw the call coming in, I was wondering why he was calling but I picked and the next thing I heard was that my husband had an accident at the site and had been rushed to the Gbagada General Hospital close to the site where he was working. I was speechless and scared at the same time. Then I asked which kind of accident and was told that he fell from a three storey building where he was working with another colleague of his. I became weak and felt like I was going to pass out. I was so perplexed instantly and didn’t know what to do; I burst into tears. After a while, I called my sister-
in-law to inform her and she told me to wait for her to come so we could go to the hospital together. When we got to the hospital and located his ward. I saw Mr Abayomi and another co-worker that I have never met by the door. I asked to see my husband and they came holding me back that I should take it easy, that God would be my help. I was confused and at the same time afraid of the unexpected. My heart started to beat faster. ‘Where is my husband? Let me go in and see him, I kept shouting, Mr Abayomi then held my me close and said ‘Madam, it will be alright, we lost Oga, he didn’t make it’ I was shocked, I started shouting and crying” she disclosed sobbing quietly. According to Helen it is exceptionally
terrible for her because their baby was only three months old. “It is really a sad one because he doesn’t deserve to die like that. He was too young to die. We had this baby just some three months ago. Who will now be there to father her now?” she asked amidst tears. On inquiry, Helen disclosed that she was told that her husband was working in an uncompleted site with a colleague and from what she gathered; it was as if he was pushed by his colleague from where they were working. Although, the case was taken up by the police “my brother-in-law had withdrawn the case,” she said. She continued: “I cannot really say what actually transpired because I was not there and it was only God that could judge because He is the one who sees it all. If he was actually pushed by him, I know that by the grace of God, nemesis will definitely catch up with whoever pushed him and if not, God knows best” Helen further disclosed that it took him a long period of search before he got the job two years ago “and now he had to die on the job” she said. Although 38 years old Felix had been buried, the scars he left behind in the mind of his wife and other members of the family will remain for a long time. “I miss him so much; he was such a loving and caring man. Anytime he was around, he would do everything to make us happy and he was very domesticated. He would help me in the kitchen and we did things together unless he was not around. He was such a good man” dissolving into a fresh pool of tears.
At the mercy of the elements but ‘looking unto God’ for help were cartoons and nylons with a combination of wide metal tray and cartons as pillow. “I hope there is no problem,” he enquired when the reporter got close to him and asked about his wellbeing. Obviously scared, he said that “I am only an old man who is struggling daily, looking up to Allah for survival”. Telling Saturday Mirror why he resorted sleeping at the square, he lamented that “I have nowhere to lay my head so I have been sleeping here. If I have a choice, I would not be sleeping here at this age. I survive by the mercy of people who pass through this area at day. I don’t go begging but people who pass through this place do help me financially and otherwise. That is how I am surviving. Before I was amputated, I was selling provisions at the Nigerian Airways compound. Now, I am selling sweets. Most people buy from me and leave big changes for me. Some who know me walk in and drop some money for me to take care of myself. I have been in the Island for a very long while so I know many people
around this area but not enough to be accommodated.” Asked his age and his perception of life immediately after independence and now, he bust out in laughter, paused, looked down, shook his head in obvious disappointment then decried the post First Republic socio-economic developments and how it had impacted on the common man on the streets. “I am about 68 years. I witnessed the independence and how things fared very well from the administrations of Tafawa Balewa to Gowon. Things have changed very drastically. Things are no more in favour of the common man on the street. There were jobs everywhere then. At this age, I am still struggling to eat, nobody, not even government, to take care of the aged. This is definitely not a sign of good things in this country. In the days of the Zik, Sarduana, Awolowo, things were good. Life was easy going and we thought that things would be getting better for everybody in the country but little did we know that life would turn out this way. Nigeria has
not changed. Nigeria is still good but it is the leaders that have changed from being good to the people,” he lamented. Narrating how he lost his right leg to elephantiasis, anguish enveloped his countenance. “I took ill sometimes ago and discovered that my leg was always itching. With time, the leg grew very big and I could not use it to do anything. I came to Lagos from Kano sometimes ago to hustle and make a living out of the city. But this leg would not let me do what my heart urged me to do. As time goes by, the pain from the leg was unbearable and I travelled back to Kano where the leg was amputated in the hospital. After I recovered, I returned to Lagos. I was already used to Lagos life and despite what happened to me, I thought that this is where I belong. Before now, I was squatting at Nigeria Airways building where I was selling sweets. I need a house, a place where I can sleep like a human being. I still believe that one day, God will send somebody or government that would help out of my present condition,” he enthused.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
LIVING
October 5, 2013
19
End of the road for fake kidnappers They held the people of the town by the jugular not by their guns or bullets. The D Watch gang of Enugu held their victims in terror by mere phone calls and text messages. How did Ignatius and his gang accomplish the task of milking people by mere messages? SEGUN ADIO
W
hen a resident of Enugu State particularly Nsukka receives a text message via his phone, what he first does is to pray or make a wish. Reason: it could be from a gang which would threaten to kidnap or kill him, child, parent, or spouse if a specified amount of money is not dropped at a given location within a stipulated period of time. And the pay, such a resident does. The fear of threat by the gang sending the message quickly became the beginning of wisdom for the teeming residents of the university town and environs. That, happily, is no longer the case at least from a couple of weeks ago. Residents of Enugu State and environs can now, at least, sleep with both eyes closed. Coordinated efforts and painstaking man-hurt for some perpetrators of heinous crimes in the affected communities have paid. Some of these bad eggs have been arrested. A notorious group, known as D Watch group, has now been apprehended by the police in the state. For residents of Nsukka, Wednesday, 18 September, 2013, was a day of great relief as news filtered to town that the leader of a notorious gang reportedly specialising in terrorising members of that community has been arrested. The group is identified as D Watch group, said to be notorious for kidnapping and based in the city. Saturday Mirror gathered that as part of their modus operandi, the gang sends text messages to would-be victims, who are the well-to-do in the society, demanding huge sums of money from them. It is reportedly led by one Ignatius Ejike Onyeke Ignatius, the gang leader, and his cohorts, would identify their prey, get their telephone numbers and go into a hideout and begin to send text messages to them. The gang, it is reported, usually threatens their victims with kidnapping should they fail to pay a certain amount of money that they would be asked to drop at a designated place. More often than not, the gang would issue death threats to their victims should they refuse to do their bidding. For a long time, this gang held the residents of the town by the jugular. But when they (residents) could not hold it anymore,
they complained to the police who heard their groans and sprang into action. Based on the volume of text messages threatening kidnap and the huge payoff demanded by the gang coupled with the Save Our Soul messages of the victims to the police hierarchy, the anti-kidnapping unit of the Enugu State Police Command was placed on red alert by its Commissioner Abubakar Adamu Muhammed. A manhunt was launched for members of the group who had gone into hiding upon learning that law enforcement agents were on their trail. The efforts of the law enforcement agents, however, paid off that fateful Wednesday when they swooped on the No 4, Owerri-Ani village, Nsukka-hideout of the gang. At the hideout, the police found the alleged leader of the gang, Ignatius, and two others identified as Joseph Chukwuebuka Agbo and Emmanuel Onah. The three partners-in-crime were immediately whisked away to the state police command while investigations into their crime commenced immediately and a manhunt for the other members of the gang was launched. A resident of Nsukka, Francis, told Saturday Mirror that many residents of the town had suffered in the hands of the gang. According to Francis, “The news of the arrest of the gang members was a big relief to many people here. Though I have not come in contact with any of the gang members, neither have they sent such text messages to me, I have heard a lot about their activities. I think a lot of people had fallen into their trap so if they had been arrested truly, then I can say many will begin to sleep with their two eyes closed”. Confirming the arrest of the three suspects, Enugu State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, told reporters that items recovered from Ignatius and his gang included a handset containing the numbers used in their activities. “The suspects are cooperating well with investigators while search is still on for their partners-in crime,” he added. In the same vein, another notorious criminal in the same grade as Ignatius, Emmanuel Ossai, said to have been on the wanted list of the anti-kidnapping unit of the state’s police command, has been arrested. Ossai is said to also be cooperating well with law enforcement agents in their investigation of his crimes.
Ejike
IGNATIUS, THE GANG LEADER, AND HIS COHORTS, WOULD IDENTIFY THEIR PREY, GET THEIR TELEPHONE NUMBERS AND GO INTO A HIDEOUT AND BEGIN TO SEND TEXT MESSAGES TO THEM.
THE GANG, IT IS REPORTED, USUALLY
THREATENS THEIR VICTIMS WITH KIDNAPPING SHOULD THEY FAIL TO PAY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THEY WOULD BE ASKED TO DROP AT A DESIGNATED PLACE
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LIVING
October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
I sleep with my daughters to protect them –53yr-old-father Residents of Lokoja, Kogi State could not but stare with mouths ajar as they listened to a 53-year-old man, Yusuff Alabi, as he regaled them with tales of how and why he had been sleeping with his two grown-up daughters in the last 10 years.
z He has been doing it for long –Neighbours
WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA
Y
usuff Alabi is 53 years old; a father of four and a civil servant. He is neither a rogue nor robber. He has not perpetrated fraud either. Yet, he is cooling his heels in police custody. His crime: he has allegedly been having carnal knowledge of his two biological daughters. Alabi according to neighbours had engaged in this act for a long time to the consternation of his wife and family. Continuous appeal and entreaties to him, they said, had also fallen on deaf ears as he reportedly continued unabashed. Nemesis, however, caught up with Alabi recently when his first son caught him on top of his second daughter (the boy’s younger sister) humping away. The boy, Abdul Malik, raised the alarm. But instead of feeling contrite, what Alabi did was to pounce on the boy threatening to kill him. While parading the 53 year old civil servant at the Police Command head quarters in Lokoja, Kogi State the Acting Police Commissioner, Mr. Augustine Evhakaivbokun, stated that the command received information that one he, Alabi, was having sexual intercourse with his biological daughters. He explained that one Abdul Malik living behind Muslim Community Secondary School Lokoja came to the SIB office and reported that his father, Yusuf Alabi had sexual intercourse with his younger sister and he was caught in the act. “The complainant added that when he challenged his father, he was said to have threatened to kill him,” the top cop added. The Acting Commissioner of Police pointed out that it was this that prompted the boy to report the incident to the police, adding that detectives immediately rushed to the scene and arrested the suspect. Evhakaivbokun stated that upon interrogation, the father admitted to the crime and saying that he was committing the act in order to protect the lives of his children. He added that his act was in compli-
Alabi
ALABI, CONFESSED THAT HE ACTUALLY COMMITTED THE SAID OFFENCE TO CURE THE AILMENT AFFECTING HIS TWO BIOLOGICAL DAUGHTERS, THAT HE CONTACTED A HERBALIST AROUND
OMUPO IN KWARA STATE TO SEEK
PROTECTION FOR THE DAUGHTERS WHOM HE CLAIMED WERE GROWING LEAN BY THE DAY ance with the directive of his native doctor that in order to prevent his children dying prematurely he should be having sexual intercourse with them. This, he disclosed, had been going on for the past 10 years. He hinted that the suspect would be
charged to court for incest after the through investigations. While speaking in an interview with journalists at the Police Command Headquarters in Lokoja, the randy father, Yusuf Alabi, confessed that he actually committed the said offence to cure
the ailment affecting his two biological daughters. Alabi explained that he contacted an herbalist around Omupo in Kwara State to seek protection for the daughters whom he claimed were growing lean by the day. He disclosed that he had been sleeping with his first daughter for about 10 years now but never impregnated her nor her sister. However, sources closed to the family at their Lokogoma residence disclosed that the suspect had been engaged in the abomination act for a very long time. They added that when the wife got wind of this, she packed out of the family house but when the family members intervened she returned home. It was also learnt that the randy father was said to have cultivated the habit of watching pornographic films and have over 200 CDs which he used to entice his daughters The source noted that the 53 years old civil servant was becoming recalcitrant despite the outcry by the mother of the girls. The son of the suspect who pleaded anonymity confirmed that he caught his father sleeping with his sister; he stated he raised the alarm and confronted him telling him that what did was an abomination. The father’s reaction was, however, to threaten to kill him and “that is why I rushed to police station to report the incident,” the boy said. Speaking on the legal implication of the alleged act, a Lokoja based legal practitioner, Mr. Yemi Mohammed, stated that Alabi had committed incest which is punishable under the Penal Code. Mohammed cited the section 390 of the Penal Code, adding that if he were found guilty he might get between three to seven years jail term with fine. Section 390 of Penal Code reads: “Whoever being a man has sexual intercourse with a woman who is and he knows or has reason to believe to be his daughter, his granddaughter, his mother or any other of his female ascendants or descendant of his sister or the daughter of his brother or sister of his paternal or maternal aunt and whoever being a woman voluntary permits a man who is and she knows or has reason to believe to be her grandson, her father of any other of her brother male ascendants or descendants, her brother or son, her brother, the son of the brother or sister or paternal or maternal uncle to have sexual intercourse with her shall be punished with imprisonment for terms which may be extended to seven years and shall be liable to fine”
Entervaganza
With OSEYIZA OOGBODO
08023755142 kingseiza@gmail.com
Sex talk
Woman
Crimes of passion: The evil men do in bed
It is not a sin to wear jewelry
–Gloria Bamiloye
Relationships B l Balancing i your joint account
Fashion Stripe tricks for curvy girls
Ebube
Oge Rukky ...Bikini babes
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ENTERVAGANZA
October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Project Fame is better than Nigerian Idol and X-Factor -Olawale Celebrity H
ow do you feel as the latest winner of Project Fame West Africa? I feel blessed. I feel great and excited. I just feel blessed most of all.
Were you already aspiring to become a music star before you entered the competition? Winning Project Fame is like a dream come true for me. It’s like I had a dream that one day I’m gonna be someone people will sit down at home and listen to, that my voice will be heard all over the world, so Project Fame has made the dream much more achievable, but I’m still aspiring to be great, great, great.
Olawale Ayodele Ojo is the winner of this year’s Project Fame West Africa and its top prize of N5m, an SUV and a recording contract. He however tells OSEYIZA OOGBODO that he doesn’t see his N5m prize money as the least on offer when compared to the N7.5m and N24m offered respectively by Nigerian Idol and X-Factor, Project Fame’s major rivals. same time, it wasn’t like a do-or-die thing for me, because I had never been to a competition before, so I was nervous. During my first audition, I was nervous, I was like almost shaking, because looking at the people that came, among them were people who had been going to auditions for years, and being my first time, I didn’t feel like I should be like ‘I want to win, I want to win’ when many
So why do you think you escaped both times? I don’t know how. I will say God. The first time, I escaped by votes. The second time, the contestants saved me. I didn’t really expect it. It was a very slim
But if you were aspiring into music before, hadn’t you tried to record and promote and perform? Like I told my other contestants, and some of them didn’t believe me when I told them that I’ve never been to the studio to record a song, but that’s just the truth. But I believe that Project Fame has now given me the platform to start doing that. So what were you doing actually before Project Fame? I’m a student of LAUTECH. And in school, I was into business, repairing and selling phones and laptops and the likes. That’s just it basically.
How much did you have in the bank exactly before your N5m windfall? I don’t know oh. Coming into the competition, did you think you would win? Well, I just came into it in a neutral sort of way. I wanted to win, but at the
Being a businessman, did you formulate a winning strategy once you were in the competition? I think my winning strategy was God. It’s just God. Each time I want to go on stage, each time I’m alone in the Academy, I just talk to God, I just tell God that let Your will be done as You brought me all the way into the competition out of so many people who auditioned. How many times were you nominated for elimination? Twice.
Before Project Fame, what had you achieved musically? Nothing. No achievement in music before now.
You just won N5m. How rich were you before, since you were into business? I wasn’t rich. I mean, I was just a student. Though there are some rich students, I wasn’t one of them. I was just normal. I didn’t have a car. I was just doing the business to make some little, little money that you don’t want to call daddy for, shopping and all that.
of it.
chance, you know, but God did it. What do you think those who voted for you to win saw in you? I don’t really know what they who had more experience me hadn’t even come close. So winning didn’t really occur to me. I just had it in mind that let me give it my best and see what comes out
saw i n me. But I might say it’s because of my originality. And maybe they love my personality as well. But I suspect my originality helped me because I like
to be original in all the songs I perform, so anytime they give us a song, I do it my own way. Do you think your friends and church members also helped you by voting? I am sure they did. I’m also sure that if there’s anything more than voting that they could have done for me, they did it, because they value me. What are you going to do with the N5m? Before I won the N5m, I was actually living. I was eating and drinking so it’s an added thing so I just can’t rush into spending it. I will take my time, so I can’t say now that this is what I will do with it. It will have to be just there as the most important thing for me now is my career, not spending the money. So what’s the next step for you? I told you I’ve never been to the studio, so I will be going to the studio very soon to record my first single. There are three major music talent hunts in the country presently. You won N5m, Nigerian Idol is N7.5m and X-Factor is N24m. How do you feel that yours is the least among them? Mine is not the least, because the platform here is the biggest in West Africa and beyond. The reason I didn’t go for any other show is because I’ve taken my time to study all the competitions be- cause it’s actually not about the money you win. There’s no other show that has the Project Fame format in Nigeria. No show that has Joke Silva teaching you how to pronounce your words well, how to remote, stuffs like that. I’ve never seen such, even in international shows. So, money will definitely finish, but there are some things that can’t finish, like the platform. Anything that has to do with MTN, men … I’m so lucky to be a part of MTN. They are the best. You’ve won and all that. But do you actually have what it takes to be a star? Everyone is a star in one way or the other. But because mine is in music, that’s why it’s more pronounced. I won’t be here if I don’t have what it takes to be a star. Like I said earlier, I didn’t bring myself here, so it means being a star is my destiny.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
23
October 5, 2013
Kelly Hansome blasts Lagos … ‘It’s another man’s land’
I
t seems that after clashing with virtually all the biggest names in the music industry - D’Banj, MI, Wande Coal, Don Jazzy, Keke, D1 – Maga Don Pay singer Kelly Hansome now feels he has to take on a whole state. During the week, he tweeted that “Lagos is another man’s land o. Let us start now to develop and build our own.” Frankly, it doesn’t take a genius to begin to guess what Hansome means. He is from the Eastern part of the country and he ended his tweet on a crystal clear note: “NdeIgboUnite.”
Hansome
Wizkid shoots Jaiye Jaiye video F
ans of Wizkid who have been wondering why he hasn’t given them the video of his monster hit, Jaiye Jaiye, months after it started dominating airwaves can now heave a sigh of relief as the Star Boy has shot the video with respected director, Sesan. Location pictures of the shoot have been released and they disclose that the video was shot in line with the song’s theme of living a life of luxury. In the pictures, Wiz was cruising with a Bentley, one of the most luxurious cars in the world. He was also hanging out with a lot of sexy ladies, and we can only wait for the video which will drop any time from now to see it’s worth both the wait and the scenes we’ve seen of it so far.
BrymO defies
Chocolate City
A
ra singer, BrymO, has taken a step that tells the world he is sick and tired of his previous record label, Chocolate City, and doesn’t intend to have anything to do with them again. He released a new song, Down, and it is already receiving the generous airplay befitting of his star status. While he is taking steps he believes are in his own best interests, the eggheads at Chocolate City are not sleeping. They are headed by a seasoned lawyer, Audu Maikori, and he insisted recently that BrymO’s issue with them is already in the court and that he’s not bothered about it as he is sure it will be resolved in Choc City’s favour.
Wizkid
General Pype gives birth to Independence child
A
s you are reading this, Champion singer, General Pype, is still in seventh heaven, and will be for quite some time. He gave birth to his first child on October 1st, and as Nigerians worldwide were celebrating Independence Day, he was celebrating both independence and his fatherhood status.
That the child also shares the same birthday with his dear country, Nigeria, is another thing that is also said to be making Pype very happy. The child is a boy who has been named Xavier. Pype is yet to fully legalise his union with its mother, a White American lady named Zee.
Actor shot dead three weeks after wedding
F
lavian Okojie, an actor who cannot be said to have attained the heights of success that some of his more popular colleagues did, is however making the news due to the manner and time of his death. Reports have it that Okojie was shot dead in Benin City just three weeks after his wedding. Needless to say, the tragic news is still sending shock waves across Nollywood.
Okojie
Pype
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October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
CLASSICAL RYHMES
E-NEWS
DJ O’kay arrives with 234Radio O
ne of Nigeria’s top DJs, O’kay Megamixer, has founded 234Radio as his latest contribution to the continuously growing radio broadcasting sector in the country. “234Radio is a child of necessity,” he told Entervaganza. “I am not one to just sit back and watch other people make substantial contributions. I am the type who must also make essential contributions, and while I’ve been doing so all along in the entertainment industry as a DJ, consultant and so on, I decided that establishing 234Radio would be a really definite way of making a statement to the whole world that I am ready and willing to contribute greatly and definitively to the entertainment industry.” Speaking further, he said, “We cannot dispute the fact that the internet is the major innovation in the world presently and that it is affecting every industry in one way or the other. And with that in mind, I decided that it would be better for me to start 234Radio as an internet radio first. Listen-
ers can therefore listen anytime and anywhere in the world by visiting www.234radio.com on any internetenabled device.” He added that 234Radio has begun transmission already and is transmitting from Nigeria, UK, Jamaica, USA and other parts of the he world. “The response to 234Radio has been amazing. Artists sts who have been starved of airplay on n terrestrial radio stations are now getting ting it on 234Radio to not just any y audience but a worldwide audience e as we don’t have any geographical barrier. arrier. Ours is total entertainment without bounds, so it’s not surprising ng that the world is warming up to us.” Having amassed d over ten years experience in radio o programming himself working king with different radio io stations, O’kay iss able to effectively juxtapose several genres of music all on 234Radio
successfully. “We play every sort of music. Alternative, blues, classical, country, electronic, hip-hop, rap, inspirational, jazz, afrobeat, afropop, reggae, R&B, soul and so on. We are not here to play, we are here to take over, so don’t be surprised when we d do so,” he conclude concluded confidently.
Olamide DJ O’kay
Artist: Olamide
CBR, NOPA Awards’ get December dates N
ollywood and media personality and founder of the Nollywood Outstanding Personality Awards, Stanley Okoronkwo, has announced that this year’s edition will be totally different from what obtained before. “We are leaving no stones unturned to surpass the high standard that has become NOPA’s hallmark since 2007 when we started it,” he told Entervaganza. “This year’s edition will be especially different because personalities who are primarily not often identified with the movie industry will also be honoured because of their silent but effective contributions towards the growth of the nation’s film industry.”
Going on, he said NOPA which will be held in conjunction with the Association of Movie Journalists, will have its usual categories: Diamond Pen, Special Recognition, Grand Patron of Art, In-Depth Coverage and the Evergreen Icon. Adding that NOPA will hold on December 8th in Ikeja, Lagos and that Sir Walter Ofonagoro will be the chief host, he concluded that another innovation for this year’s edition is the Face of NOPA who will be crowned at the event. And just like NOPA, organizers Of the Club Bar and Restaurant Awards which was established to improve the hospitality sector in the country, have also announced that it will also hold in
Some of the principal people behind CBR Awards. LR: Ola Alabi, Peju Ugboma, Wale Onibudo and Tannaz Banham.
Durosoke
December According to Ola Alabi, its creative director, CBR Awards 2013 will hold on December 13th in spectacular fashion. It will host one thousand guests from Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt at two events, an industry networking reception and a banquet/dinner award ceremony, to celebrate and recognise the players in the hospitality sector. Explaining why CBR Awards was established, he said, “Clubs, bars, and restaurants have always played a major role in Nigeria’s nightlife and hospitality industry. They deserve recognition, reward, and appreciation. The majority of the establishments in this industry have invested millions of naira to create an exceptional atmosphere for Nigerians to socialise, as well as for visitors to get a taste of the culture of Nigeria. Their work has supported countless other industries, including the travel and tourism industry, food and beverage industry, distribution and production companies, and the business community by providing an interesting and exciting cultural destination for both companies and employees.” Categories of the CBR Awards include best restaurant, best hotel restaurant, best desserts restaurant, best curry restaurant, best oriental restaurant and best Nigerian cuisine restaurant. Nominees include established hospitality outfits like the Lagos Country Club, Ikoyi Club, Eko Hotel’s Sky Lounge Restaurant and Chocolat Royal.
Hook Them be feeling us Now dem dey famz just to be with us Alowo alenu, ademo yan o Anjaye oriwa kode koyan ooyeeeeey See d money now We weigh, we no dey count count d money now We fully loaded ready on this now Ananananana nino nauyeh Chorus Se kowale, ko durosoke (4x) Se kowale ooo, ko duro soke oh (4x) Verse 1 Badoo, baddest guy ever liveth Headmaster lomo, kon se prefect School wo loti wa, OSU abi IFE Abi Babcock, ki lo de yon beef e Mosunmola, somo lolly pop la Oun tuda, oun tu re, oya tola Kilo se ena, yema fimi pop collar Ofe ma paja lobo funmi, semo kola JJC kolawon eleyi, oga ade UNILAG ojina s’ilewa gbagbe Mo ti r’omo, mo ti r’omo yapa Hausa, Fulani, Ibo ati Tapa Awon omo mi, awon omo mi n London Awon omo mi l’America, awon stubborn Awon to ma n twerk lori youtube I know u love me, I love you too Story yi tife ma long, ma se bayi now Igba wolode tofe ma lo, mase bayi now Won roko, won roko, tasi wole Oju re lomase, wa r’awon mo tama sin lole Won fowo pa o lara, ondun meeeoowww! S’ologbo ni oni, osi wan womi loju baaun (Repeat hook) (Repeat chorus) Pre-verse 2 Oya ekawo le fun verse 2, e kawo le, ekawole (baddest guy ever liveth…ose)
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
25
October 5, 2013
E-NEWS
Jatto’s golden offer of help to upcoming artists O
ne of the major problems encountered by upcoming artists in the Nigerian music industry is how to get their songs played on radio, in clubs, parties, concerts and so on. Several of these upcoming artists throw in the towel on their fledgling music careers when they find out that unless they are able to settle radio presenters with huge sums of money that add up to millions of naira, they won’t
get the necessary airplay that will make their songs become popular, as radio presenters play songs based on how much they are settled, not the quality of the songs. With this in mind, America returnee entertainment and media personality, Ed Jatto, who has vast connections in entertainment, has come up with a concept to help upcoming artists get unlimited airplay. “It is very sad that Nigerian artists
are not getting played on Nigerian radio,” he told Entervaganza. “In America, once your record is ready, you can be sure of unlimited radio airplay. For years, it has disturbed me, but I’ve finally come up with a plan to help the upcoming artists who have this problem. All they have to do is join my Universal Performing Musicians Promo Club. When they do, they will have ample airplay of their songs as I have put in place the necessary structure.”
Jatto
I do love women –Benson Okonkwo T
here are many entertainers out there who believe that controversy and scandals actually enhance their brands. Such entertainers will tell you flippantly that scandals come with being in showbusiness. If scandals do enhance brands, then it just might be true in the case of Benson Okonkwo. His star has really shone since he started acting in gay movies. His name is now on virtually everyone’s lips with everybody
wondering if he is truly gay or not. But if he took the risk of acting gay roles, he is not taking that of admitting he’s gay. There are insinuations that he is, but no definite proof as yet. Anyway, he continues to be a subject of interest and continues to make the news on a steady basis. And as he keeps battling the issue of his being gay or straight, he has come out to say that he does love women.
Okonkwo
Obey, Aragbaye, Tope Alabi, others for Kings’ Praise T
op gospel musicians, including Evangelist Ebenezer Obey, Funmi Aragbaye, Dunni Olanrewaju better known as Opelope Anointing and Tope Alabi, will converge in Abeokuta next week Thursday for this year’s edition of Kings’
Alabi Obey
Praise, a yearly event which assembles traditional kings across the country to praise God, the King of Kings through praise worship. Speaking about Kings’ Praise 2013, Evangelist Obey Fabiyi, who also doubles as the organizing committee’s chairman, said, “This year’s edition is quite unique because we have gone international by inviting other traditional rulers across Africa and they have shown interest in coming. Also, this year is the tenth anniversary of Kings’ Praise, and even that reason alone makes it extremely unique this year.”
Ereon to hold two-in-one beauty pageant
I
n a bid to claim a substantial share of the lucrative beauty pageant sector, Ereon Pageantry headed by Scherey Momoh has concluded plans to hold a two-in-one beauty pageant, Miss Capital City Nigeria and Most Beautiful Girl in Eko. According to him, MCCN is a national beauty pageant and its winner can be an indigene of any part of Nigeria. MBGE can also be won by any Nigerian but with the caveat that she must have been resident in Lagos for several years. Excitedly, he said, “Both pageants are to promote African values, culture
and identity which are fast disappearing. They will hold on one stage and will produce three beauty queens each, the winners and their first two runnerups, and their combined task will be to spread the message that nothing can compare to our culture and we should not lose it.” Adding that the camping of the contestants of both pageants will begin on October 23rd, and that they would hold jointly on October 27th, he concluded that side attractions at the pageant would include a fashion exhibition, comedy performances, choreography and so on.
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October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Jim Iyke’s deliverance of controversy … It is a publicity stunt –Ghanaian radio presenter … I don’t care what people say -Iyke … It is false –Dencia … Leave him alone –Okey Bakassi
A
Iyke
Bakass si Bakassi
fter having failed to make the headlines in a sensational way for quite some time now, Nollywood bad boy actor, Jim Iyke, is back in a major way. And what better way than that which sees him linked to a place of worship which is also well known for its own ‘alleged’ myriad issues. What better issue to draw attention with than that which will definitely resonate with Nigerians: deliverance from evil spirits. Nigeria is an extremely spiritual nation, so anything to do with the spiritual will definitely be talked about. When that spiritual issue involves a celebrated actor whose several problems are well-documented, it will be talked about more. And if the spiritual issue is the romance variety, then it will be talked about most, so Iyke is on every lip right now. Information, backed by explicit pictures, has it that he has been delivered from the marine spirits preventing him from getting married. Whether this is true or not is not
really bothering people; they are just shocked at it all. After the shock however, they have been reacting, and the most popular reaction is that it’s a contrived situation by Iyke to remain relevant. As far as Iyke is concerned, he has been delivered and doesn’t care what people say or not. He tweeted thus to make people know his stance about his deliverance: “It’s beautiful, that’s the least I can say. Nothing else truly matters to me now. Absolutely nothing! God liveth whether you’re a believer or not.” Trying to deflate Iyke’s happiness, however, was another alwaysseeking-attention celebrity, the singer Dencia. Quoting the Bible, she tweeted that: “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” Just like Dencia, Ghana’s Kwame Bee, a radio presenter, didn’t mince words. He described the deliverance as a publicity stunt and a deceitful action.
While Dencia frowns at it all, and is not ready to keep her opinion to herself, the same way she exposed Ice Prince when he didn’t let Nigerians know that his American BET award was presented to him backstage, Okey Bakassi rose stoutly to Iyke’s defence. “I’m fed up with all the noise about my actor colleague who gained independence from ‘demonic influence ‘ or ‘deliverance.’ I respect him for seeking spiritual help when others are shying away from the reality of their situation. “Even those who are ‘demons’ themselves are throwing insults at Jim. Our level of hypocrisy in Nigeria is nauseating. Established ‘sinners’ find it convenient to throw stones at those whose stories become public, making it more difficult for people to seek help. “If you have never presented yourself for ‘deliverance,’ keep quiet because you are not sure of what forces are speaking through you. Congrats, Jim, for being ‘man enough.’ ”
Dencia
L-R: Sanda, Nwagbo and Okoye
Rukky Sanda outshines Ebube Nwagbo, Oge Okoye in bikini blast
W
hat do you get when three hot and sexy actresses, Ebube Nwagbo, Rukky Sanda and Oge Okoye, go to the pool to chill out in their
bikinis? What you get is best left to the imagination. If you are still wondering, though, then check out the
pictures and conclude what you should. Of the three actresses, though, Sanda was the most daring. Her bikini was very hot and racy, and her blonde hair was also very striking, so she easily stole the shine off Nwagbo and Okoye who preferred to be on a lower key level than their friend.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
27
October 5, 2013
le StyGlam and
with Yemisi Adeniran
(08037801158) ydiran@yahoo.com
from Viv La Resistance
N
o matter the worth of what-
designer, Mo Alatise, the brain behind Viv
them in the most confident and sexiest
ever a woman wears, she must
La Resistance fashion label, this should
manner ever. “The Viv La Resistance woman
be irresistible enough for a
remain an established fact. To become
is mysterious, sexy, confident, timeless and
second glance from any man or
irresistible, however, you must be able to
a head turner wherever she goes,� she says.
merge colourful prints together and express
Just check these models out.
woman she comes across. And for Nigerian
28
STYLE & GLAM
October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Fashion Frenzy
S
tripes have been in trends season after season, and really it does not look like they are going anywhere soon. They
may appear good whichever way a slim girl go about them but definitely not for the curvy ones. Not to worry, however, the following tips will specially show you how to rock this trend if you are the curvy type without having to think twice about it and looking absolutely classy and chic in it. The aim is to help you flaunt your curves for the world to see even with the stripes. Don‛t be afraid to mix prints: Wearing a leopard maxi skirt for instance under a striped shirt will be a hit! Dress it up or down: Ranging from skirts to trousers to shorts, stripes can look absolutely fantastic on each piece. One particularly good thing about stripes is how you can dress it up and dress it down, be it the biker chick look or the corporate look or even “a night out with the girls.” Dressing the stripe wear will do a lot of trick. Avoid horizontal stripes: Please, note that horizontal stripes make you appear wider, so, as a plus size lady, you would want to stay away from appearing wider. On the other hand, you can‛t go wrong with Vertical stripes. They make you appear a little slimmer. Accentuate your curves by throwing up a nice Vertical blouse, dress, with a pop of colour for an effortless chic look. But if you love wearing horizontal stripes, you can create a Figure-8 illusions by putting the horizontal stripes below and the vertical stripes on the top so as to make you appear slimmer on top and wider below. Accessorise right: On a Saturday afternoon when thinking about what to wear, you can snag on your mini stripped dress and pair it with a denim jacket for fitting. Add your simple sandals and nice retro shades for a twist. You can also put on a fedora hat and still get the same twist to the outfit. Remember to finish this look with a tan cross body bag, killer accessories and luscious pink lipstick.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
October 5, 2013
STYLE & GLAM
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STYLE & GLAM M
October 5, 2013
Fashion Guest
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
‘My dream is big and ecclectic’ Until very lately when Yetunde Alabi (a.k.a Sasha P) came out olely with Ecclectic, her fashion label, her creativity trait was solely he two associated with music. Is there, then, relativity between the EMISI worlds? The daring Nigerian rapper turned clothier told YEMISI ADENIRAN her story.
A
t what point did you decide to become a clothes designer? I have always designed my outfits by myself since I was in school. I love to stand out in whatever I wear, I wouldn’t wear just anything just because people are wearing it. I love to invent things and I thank God I am able to live my dream. I always desire to do things the way they have never been done before, that is good things. I love to make good impacts and you see, once my mind is bent on doing something, I don’t look at the challenges. I just forge ahead, I don’t see the crowd and I won’t notice whatever people see or call limitations. Does this mean you are not bothered about the many fashion labels in town? Exactly, no! I am not easily intimidated by competitions. As a matter of fact I won’t go to any area that challenges are not present. The Nigerian fashion world has become very big and one to be proud of but that does not mean other people cannot join the race if they believe they have something special still to offer the world. My dream has always been big and I am set take on the world with every of the gifts that God has given unto me. Do you have people who inspired you into this? My mother really spiked me off in this. She used to have a clothing line called Poise fashion and you know as a growing child, I had a
doll that I kept making clothes hes for the same way she was doing ng her thing too. Honestly, that was as how I got interested. This helped me to go into making special wears ars for myself when I had special musical shows. There was no way you ou could get to the market and get exactly ctly what you have pictured for shows like that. What’s fashion to you? I think it is a way of expressing ressing oneself. It is that which you are able to identify boldly with without breaking aking your bank. It is that which makess you look and feel good. What’s your aim at Ecclectic? lectic? It is to take Nigerian fashionisshionistas to a wonder world of expressive ressive fashion with all ease and boldness ldness in the most affordable price.
Sasha P Fashion Trivia
Aquafina Elite Model Look Nigeria 2013 showcases outstanding designers
O
nly eight fashion designers were qualified at the just concluded Aquafina Elite Model Look Nigeria. They were; William Tempest an acclaimed British designer Known for his elegantly structured and well-detailed pieces, his “High street tempest” collections qualified him. Agbani Darego, a recent line created by former ex-beauy queen Agbani was also picked for its is luxurious and chic intricately designed to fit all body types for comfort and simplicity. Ella & Gabby label, the
third label stood out according to its creative designer Ada Mgbudem, for its ability to reflect Ada’s vision to celebrate the beauty, boldness, class and pride of a woman in the detailed and simplified art of sophistication and luxury. Others were Kinabuti which was noted for its commitment to celebrating, inspiring and empowering women through very personal and innovative designs that enhance their natural beauty and make them feel good with themselves, Poosh, a luxury boutique that recently launched her Bespoke
Tailoring section; stocking some of India’s top designers, consisting of brand ranges from beachwear and casual kaftans to elegant one-of-a-kind evening gowns that stand out at any special event and Andrea Iyamah, a Canadian-Nigerian brand that has established itself as a leading fashion brand with a diversified audience. For jewelries, Creative Director Aisha Ugah Igbinovia worked tirelessly to make her bags and jewelry unique with a delicate attention to detail, intricate materials and unseasoned style.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
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October 5, 2013
Male Essentials
08036961187
with Oseyiza Oogbodo kingseiza@gmail.com w
What you must know about wristwatches
F
or most of us, watches are a tool. Specifically, watches are a tool that tell us when it’s five minutes to happy hour, when it’s five minutes to the end of happy hour and how long we’ve been in jail after violently insisting that happy hour continue. But for many men, watches are regarded as the No.1 male accessory because they encapsulate coveted masculine attributes: namely style, engineering and status. And because this “thinking-man”’s accessory shows no sign of being supplanted by something less intricate - like sweatbands - a solid background in watches is a necessity for any chap looking to elevate his profile. Thankfully, we’ve taken the time (pun unavoidable) to compose a primer of everything a men’s watch novice needs to know in order to stay afloat in the sometimes cutthroat world of watch aficiona-
dos. So read on and make sure that you never get stuck trying to convince anyone that your calculator watch is a personal GPS. IWC and Franck Muller There are great watches that have made their way into mainstream culture, such as Patek Phillippe and Breitling. Then there are those brands that are unanimously respected solely within the watch community - for example, IWC and Franck Muller. IWC (the International Watch Company, not the International Whaling Commission) is the only watch company in Eastern Switzerland and is renowned for the elegance and engineering found in its Flieger, Portugieser and Aquatimer lines. Franck Muller on the other hand, is a watchmaker who is greatly admired for his intricately complex timepieces, including Revolution 2, Revolution 3, Crazy Hours and Colour Dreams.
Panerai and Oris Unlike the sometimes disturbingly young up-and-comers in Hollywood, watch companies that are on the rise can be well over 100 years old. For example, the Italian luxury watch brand Panerai was founded in 1860, but is only now becoming a favorite with watch lovers on the strength of its Radiomir and Luminor series. In contrast to the older Panerai, Oris is a young, nubile trendsetter that started in 1904. Most well known for attaining one of the highest quality ratings in the history of the COSC (we’ll tell you what that acronym denotes later), Oris recently gained recognition for becoming the official watch of the BMW Williams Formula 1 team. Tag Heuer and Movado If you spent enough money, you could probably get plenty of people to think that clams were great watches. Many aficionados feel that that’s how Tag Heuer and
Movado powered their image as elite Mova vado do have h watchmakers. Chided by many watch lovw atc ers as grossly overrated, the recognition these companies reap is usually attributed to their marketing campaigns: Tag having paid massive sums to have the likes of Tiger Woods to sport their line, and Movado having glossed over the astronomical price tag of their quartz watches with glitzy ad campaigns. Chronograph Even though this term is a combination of two small intimidating words - “chrono” and “graph” - don’t worry; all chronograph refers to is a type of watch that has both timekeeping and stopwatch functions. What you will need to look out for are the different types of chronographs available, namely analog chronographs (the old style with separate hands) and digital chronographs (those watches with electronic displays that no aficionado would be caught dead wearing). The Swatch Group The largest watch company in the world, the Swatch Group houses some of the most famous, but not necessarily reputable, watch brands on the planet, including Breguet, Blancpain, Omega, Jaquet-Droz, and Voltron (we might be wrong about that last one). “Rolex is the best.” We don’t want to give you the wrong impression: Rolexes are great watches. But what you need to understand is that Rolexes are revered among watch lovers in the same way that BMWs are revered among car enthusiasts: Great cars, but can still be outdone by Mercedes and Porsche. “Is it waterproof ?” Luxury watches do promote themselves as being “water resistant” - meaning that water and moisture are incapable of entering the casing. But asking if a watch is “waterproof” implies that you’re looking for a timepiece that you can use for swimming, scuba diving or water-balloon fights (i.e. activities not appropriate for watches designed to fit an upscale style). “Does the watch light up at night?” In a similar fashion to the “waterproof” faux pas, this question connotes that you are looking for a watch that helps you coordinate a 3 a.m. ice-cream binge, not one that will accent your Armani suit.
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October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Relationships
How should you handle Be proactive and sensitive
I
t’s a huge step to take for most people who are used to spending all the money they earn without any supervision, restriction or consultation with and by anyone to wake up one morning and say that they want to have a joint account with a partner. For a lot of people it’s really unusual and for some it’s even a foreign idea but be that as it may, a lot of people are doing it these days and I’m not ashamed to say I’m one of them because it saves a lot of headache on explaining how much I can afford for a lot of things that the family may need or expectations from me. Starting off a joint account with your partner for most people involves more than the issue of love and trust in the relationship. It has a lot to do with mutual understanding of the purpose to which the account is being set up for. If you trust your partner’s approach to money, there’s nothing wrong in putting all one’s money in a joint account and sharing all things between each other. A lot of people these days when starting off a joint account in most cases always have a reason for opening the account in the first instance. The purpose may be to save for an immediate or remote purpose, opportunity or even for an occasion. Some other people may operate a joint account for the purpose of having just one account to withdraw money from to solve all family issues. The basic thing here in managing the account has to do with how well we can communicate with each other on issues involving the financial situations we come across daily as individuals or together. This therefore takes us to the question of taking cash out of joint accounts on occasions without a prior knowledge of one’s partner or consultation before the act is done. Mutual accounts that are co-funded by partners in most cases are done for a particular purpose and for a mutual reason. Knowing the difference between a personal account that belongs to your partner which
you may have access to through being granted permission to do so and a joint account which you both have direct access to will go a long way in solving so many headaches that may come out of our spending habits. Having a joint account means that both partners have joint full responsibilities for anything and everything that happens to the account and how it is managed. Bills concerning the home and other joint commitments being managed through the account have to be seriously scrutinized before any cash goes out of the account to service the joint debts incurred. Seriously managing a joint account therefore will only work if both partners stick to their side of the bargain of not incurring debts or lending cash out of the account without discussing it first with each other. Some situations may arise however where one of the partners may have cause to go outside of the laid down rules or agreement to do so and this will definitely tell on the relationship if care is not taken. To forestall situations like this arising and to safeguard the relationship, it is always good to be proactive in one’s approach towards managing a joint account and being aware that moments or emergencies will arise when one of the partners will have to spend out of the joint account without prior consultation or permission. One of the ways of being proactive is to decide on a spending limit for each partner to which any of the partners can spend daily or at once without consulting the other person. This will help reduce unnecessary tension in the relationship that may be caused by not consulting each other before some cash can be taken to salvage a situation that we may not want or need to tell our partner about. Therefore when we look at the situation from this dimension, I’ll say that there’s nothing wrong in lending or using funds from a joint account without consulting your partner once you are proactive and sensitive enough about the feelings of your partner.
SEX TALK
This column is x-rated
Crimes of passion: The evil men do in bed You’ve got her as far as your bedroom. What could possibly go wrong now? Many things. Read these and find out why she never phoned or returned your calls. Not shaving - Like love, your stubble hurts. When you drag your chin across her face or thighs, she might not be moaning from pleasure, but from pain.
and a vagina. Pay attention to the rest of her. Every inch of her body is yearning for your tender touch. Concentrating on your two favourite destinations is kind of selfish.
Blowing in her ear - There’s a big difference between erotic whispering in someone’s ear and huffing and puffing as if you want to blow the house down.
Not disposing of used condoms This is the responsibility of the person who wore it. Don’t leave them lying around for her to pick up, just like you do your socks and underwear.
Twiddling her nipples - Nipples are sensitive and should be treated gently. They should not be treated like radio dials. Don’t knead them like dough. Some tender squeezing, licking, caressing and such gentle moves would be just fine.
Not kissing first - Foreplay starts with passionate kissing. Don’t skip this part – she will feel neglected by your apparent haste. Women are like old engines. They need to be warmed before you ‘hit the road.’
Ignoring the rest of her body - A woman is made up of more than two breasts
Attacking the clitoris - Be gentle and don’t use direct pressure. This could be
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RELATIONSHIPS
October 5, 2013
33
CHINWE ANNIE AMAECHI 07028684481 chinweamaechi@gmail.com
your joint account? Full disclosure!
M
This column is x-rated both uncomfortable and painful. You will leave her too sore to enjoy the rest of the encounter. That means she will be in pain while you are grunting and puffing in utter pleasure. How would you like that if you were in her shoes? Stopping for a break - Women cannot pick up where they left off. In this respect they are different from men. If you stop, she will go back to square one very quickly. Taking only your trousers off - There are very few things less attractive than a man in only socks, a shirt and underpants. Even if it’s just a quickie, treat it and her with respect. Going too fast - Remember this is not an Olympic event. There is no need for you to pump away like a hydraulic power tool. Build up slowly – and you both might have more fun.
This column is x-rated being dragged to a cave by the hair. If both of you enjoy oral fun, this will happen by itself. Don’t involve an element of force. Taking pictures - Her first thought will be “Who do you want to show them to?” The worst thing ever is to have a nice warm encounter with a woman, only for her to find pictures of your intimate moment on the Internet later. This is just abominable. Please don’t do it even if things go bad between you. It’s just not right. Giving love bites - Gentle suction on the sides of the neck can be highly erotic, but real bites can be painful and lead to infections. Keep your teeth for chewing your food. Squashing her - Just remember that most men weigh more than women do. If you lie too heavily on her, she might stop breathing. Even if she doesn’t stop breathing, it will rob her of all the fun. There is no way of mixing discomfort with fun.
Asking if she has come - You should be able to tell, shouldn’t you? If you can’t, assume that she hasn’t and treat her with some consideration. It’s not very nice to leave her high and dry after you’ve had your fill!
Talking dirty - This might make you sound like a desperate sex maniac. Listen to her first – if she doesn’t talk dirty, don’t. If she does, ride on fella!
Nudging her head down - All women hate this. There is an element of desperation involved here when men do this. For women, it’s a very short step from
Don’t thank a woman for having sex with you - It makes you sound desperate and makes you look like a charity case. She won’t be back for more!
oney matters rank tops on the list of marital problems and there are many angles to them. Unfortunately, it is one of the least discussed during courtship. Many marriages have been destroyed due to unaddressed ‘money issues’, although most times, the couples do not acknowledge money as the primary cause. For those who run joint accounts, there are “issues” that arise regarding the management of the account and use of the funds in the account from time to time. Again, it is difficult to say whether those who operate joint accounts have less financial quarrels than those who do not. Most times, the “contributions” towards a joint account are not equal. Sometimes, the imbalance is permanently tilted towards one side, while in some instances, the pendulum fluctuates. There are variants when it comes to the earning power of the couple or the mode of contribution into the joint account. You could, like a lot of people, have Three bank accounts – one individual account for each person and a joint account with both of them as signatories. For a few couples, there is just one joint account where all incomes are deposited. You could have both of them working or with a steady income, one steady income earner and another with occasional income; one steady income-earner with a zero income earner; two occasional income earners, etc. The objective of a joint account could be to enable the couple have access to funds on a steady basis or to ensure that one spouse will have easy access to the other’s funds in the case of death or some form of incapacity, where the mandate allows one signatory to withdraw funds independent of the other. Of course, the issue about taking funds without consulting the other can only arise where cheques bearing only one person’s signature can be honoured. In such cases, except he/she has already been informed, other spouse will get to know about the transaction when he/she receives the email or sms alert from the bank. In my opinion, when cash is
jointly owned, it may be improper to lend part of it out without discussing it with your partner. However, if the cash is being withdrawn for your own use, I do not see the need for prior consultation. No doubt, there are exceptions to every general rule. The truth is that what is proper or improper would depend on the couple’s agreement on how the account should be operated. A couple may have a threshold for “funds that can be taken without consultation”. In such a case, one need not consult his/her spouse for funds within the threshold. In another instance, the couple could agree that each person should have free access to use his/her contribution without consulting the other, but there must be consultation if funds needed exceed one’s contribution. This will definitely be a challenge for a zero or occasional income earner! In my opinion, consulting or simply informing one’s spouse about how funds are used will aid better communication and transparency in marriage. There is a big difference between consulting (seeking permission) and informing (just for his knowledge, not consent). It takes wisdom to know which to do at various times. Ideally, one should exercise a level of “freedom”, even in financial matters. I am a strong advocate of transparency and complete communication in marriage. Full disclosure should, under normal circumstances, breed peace in a marriage. However, it is better when it is offered freely as against being demanded. As much as I do not subscribe to spouses demanding full disclosure and trying to control their partner’s use of finances, I think life will be much better if we involve our partners in our day to day financial dealings. Clearly, the general rules don’t work for everybody and people must study their spouses to know how to handle such issues. Different strokes for different folks! So, is it okay to lend out or use funds from a joint account without consulting your partner? It depends.
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Mount Zion Ministry International, a foremost Christian drama outreach in Nigeria added a year more recently. Evangelist Gloria Bamiloye, the pretty wife of Evangelist Mike Bamiloye and the Vice President of the ministry spoke with YEMISI ADENIRAN on the good, the bad and the ugly of the journey of 28 years. Excerpts:
October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Woman
H
ow will you describe your 28 years of Christian drama ministry? I can assure you that it has been challenging but very worthwhile. God has been very faithful. He has proven that He is indeed the one who calls and gives strength and mobility to the called for the good success of the call. What I am trying to say is that God is always at the beginning, the middle and of course the end of whichever journey He engages any of His called. He is the owner of the journey, He is the one piloting the boat, rocking it and He remains the one that will ensure that the boat sails safely to His preferred destination. All that I have said does not mean the journey has been smooth but then because it was God that called us into this ministry, He has supplied us with all that we needed, He is still supplying us with all that we need for the good success of the assignment. As I have once said, we started the journey of this drama ministry at a time when it was very strange to everyone, at a time when it was not popular, at a time when those in the call were despised and seen as very unserious and unfocused. But God was there, s, we could hold firmly to what we believed and because we would not look back, He allowed the Jordan on our way to be driven back. Are you saying the same way the worldly actors and actresses of those years were viewed was the same way you were viewed? I honestly may not be able to say categorically how it was for them then, but I can boldly tell you that even Christians then did not think we had a serious ministry. They thought we were just playing around and just acting one or two stories in the Bible. And the reason is not far-fetched; the whole idea was very strange to the church. Drama was then mostly associated with children and was allowed on children events. They did not know that it is a ministry on its own and could easily win more souls to God even without boring people with Bible passages. I mean just as music is a ministry n its own and it took us time to discover and accept it like that, drama is a ministry through which an evangelistic work can be expressly achieved. Whenever we approached any church then for us to perform, we had to plead and plead before they would allow us perform. As far as they knew, it was a distraction and could hinder the flow of God. Most times, they would allow us performed when the main service had almost ended. It was a very challenging time but like I said, God was in the boat with us, so He kept lifting our spirits up whenever they were downcast. What God usually compensated us with was a good success at the end of every performance. The entire church was always impressed and
It is not a sin to wear jewelry –Gloria Bamiloye
touched beyond even the normal service routine. As God will have it, it is a new song, a better song we are singing today.
Will you have a church one day? Unless God says so. Drama ministry is what God has called us into and that is where we are, it is what we will continually do. If God says we should go a step further, we will surely do. Until then, we will
stay within our call.
What about some minsters who combines more than one ministries? May be it is their own injunction. What is good is to operate within the instruction given by God strictly. That time one will make a good success of whatever thing one is doing.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
WOMAN
October 5, 2013
I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST JEWELRY. RIGHT FROM MY DAYS AS A MUSLIM, I WAS NOT INTO MAKE-UP AND JEWELRY. IT IS JUST NOT MY STYLE. I DID NOT STOP WEARING JEWELRY OR MAKE-UP BECAUSE I AM NOW A CHRISTIAN. I WAS NEVER A JEWELRY FAN. BUT THAT IS NOT TO SAY IT’S SINFUL How do you determine a good success from a bad one, is success not success? If success is rated the same way, the Bible would not have call one good in the book of Joshua. A good success is that which comes with peace and a strong feeling of fulfillment that everyone can attest to and emulate. It is not determined by the number of cars, houses and other physical acquisition one may lay claim on. It is measured by how much one’s life and journey in life can be said to be pleasing God. Is there a way someone can have an idea that he or she is pleasing God? Yes, there is. Those who follow God are to follow Him in spirit and in truth and the Holy Spirit in you must bear you that witness. There is no how your inner being will not give you a nod if you are doing something good and of course it has a way of frowning at you whenever you are going wrong. If you are staying on a good course, you will know and if you are derailing, you will definitely know. How do you relate this to your stand in this ministry so far? I make bold to say that we, I mean myself and my husband are happy with the life we are living. The faithful God who called us has stood by us and is still standing by us to make our own mark in His kingdom work through a ministry that used to be alien to people, the world and the church particularly. Our ministry has moved from the unknown to the known. God has beamed his light on our effort which is why it is making a way with the people. The Bible says the gift of a man makes way for him. This has worked for us this far and it is still working for us. Mount Zion Ministry is not just welcomed by people, it is working the work of salvation, preaching peace and guiding even those who are already established in the word how to be watchful still so as not to fall. We have a full ministry in our hands and the fact that this is making an incomparable impact in our world home and abroad is the peak of fulfillment. It is the best of success we can ever made if we had stayed glued to our own desire. For instance, I wanted to be a teacher but I don’t think I would have made any good impact in the kingdom of God as much as God is helping me right now in this calling. The
same way goes for my husband. And although, at the initial stage, it was like we would regret our pairing together, God has made us a good example unto others. We have then chosen to remain where He want us to be because we want to continue to enjoy His presence as we journey through life. Imagine how many other drama ministry that have emerged after us? That is part of the good success we are talking about. Not so many couples in the same job last long in their relationships. What’s your secret? We are not just husband and wife, we are ministers of God, so, our lives, we both conclude and know is supposed to be a message to others all the time. At home, I can tell you honestly that my husband is a homely and very romantic man. You know unlike many other women who didn’t propose straight to their wives, my husband did to me. He came to propose t me with that popular line of “Will you marry me.” You know we went to the same college of education, though he was passing out when I was coming in, we had always seen each other. At home, we are close and related like lovers, friends and brothers and sisters. At work, however, he takes the place of my boss and we both have it that way. Beyond that, I respect him and he does the same to me. All that couples need is the presence of God in their home and grace to live by His instructions. Wives must submit, respect and honour their husbands while husbands must do the same by sacrificing all for their wives and home just as Christ sacrificed himself for the church. Husbands need to go the extra mile always for their wives and children in all godly ways. Your wear jewelry and makeup only on set. Is it sinful to do so? There’s nothing wrong with people who wear make-up or jewelry and I don’t think there is any sin in wearing it. I have nothing against jewelries. Right from my times as a Muslim lady, I was always off make-ups and jewelry. It is just not my style. I did not stop wearing jewelry or make-up because I am now a Christian, I was never a jewelry fan. This is not to say it is sinful.
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Keeping ABREAST
Should pregnant women exercise? F
or most women, being eight and a half months pregnant means taking it easy, sitting back and hoping that ‘Junior’ will put in an appearance before too long. Not Lea-Anne Ellison (pictured). The 35-year-old bodybuilder from Los Angeles has sparked an online storm after posting photos of herself lifting heavy weights on Facebook - with her due date just two weeks away. Ellison’s photo has already had more than 16,000 comments posted beneath it since it first appeared on 15 September and the feedback has been very mixed. While some appeared to support her decision, including several who claimed to be doctors, others were horrified. Lea-Ann has, however, declared her intention to be a ‘hot mom’ and plans to continue with her workouts But should pregnant women exercise? In decades past, doctors advised pregnant women to remain sedentary and calm -heart-thumping exercise was out of the question. In 2010, research has shown that pregnant women can greatly benefit from exercise. According to some experts, pregnant women who exercise are often more physically comfortable, can tolerate the pain of labour better and recover faster from childbirth than women who do not exercise. Thus, as long as the pregnancy is progressing normally, a pregnant woman can and should exercise on a daily basis with her doctor’s approval.
Frequency Women who are physically fit and accustomed to a regular workout may continue to exercise as frequently as they are already doing so -- as long as it isn’t to the point of exhaustion. Five to six days is plenty enough for active women, taking a day or two off for rest. On the other hand, women who are out of shape or who didn’t exercise before getting pregnant should probably exercise only every other day at first, slowly working their way up to exercising nearly every day.
Intensity The intensity of the exercise de-
Lea-Anne Ellison
pends upon how physically active you were pre-pregnancy. If you aren’t used to working out, you should only engage in mild or moderate exercise throughout your pregnancy. If you worked out regularly prior to becoming pregnant, you can generally continue your usual routine during pregnancy.
Types Low-impact exercises which do not put undue stress on the joints and ligaments such as swimming, water aerobics, stationary cycling or just walking. Avoid exercises which carry a high risk of falling or injuries to the stomach, which could have a grave effect on the pregnancy, and exercises that require you to lie flat on your back, particularly after the third month, as that position can restrict blood flow to the uterus.
Warning Signs Stop exercising if you feel dizzy or faint, or experience any bleeding, cramping or contractions. If these symptoms continue after you’ve relaxed for several minutes, call your health care provider.
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October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Parenting
Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression
Appropriate chores for your children D
o you know what chores are important for your children to learn, and what they are capable of doing? Remember that every child matures at a different pace. Here are some general guidelines for personal and family chores. This list is only meant as a guide and reflects the types of chores that many children in these age ranges are capable of completing: Ages 2 and 3 Personal chores: •Assist in making their beds •Pick up playthings with your supervision. Family chores: •Take their dirty laundry to the laundry basket •Help a parent clean up spills and dirt •Dust Ages 4 and 5 Note: Personal chores: •Get dressed with minimal parental help •Make their bed with minimal parental help •Bring their things from the car to the house Family chores: •Set the table with supervision •Clear the table with supervision
•Help a parent prepare food •Help a parent carry in the light groceries •Answer the phone with parental assistance •Hang up towels in the bathroom •Clean floors with a dry mop Ages 6 and 7 Note: Personal chores: •Make their bed everyday •Brush teeth •Comb hair •Choose the day’s outfit and get dressed. Family chores: •Sweep individual rooms •Wet mop individual rooms •Fold laundry with supervision •Put their laundry in their drawers and closets •Empty indoor trash cans •Answer the phone with supervision Ages 8 to 11 Note: Personal chores: •Take care of personal hygiene •Keep bedroom clean •Be responsible for homework •Be responsible for belongings •Wake up using an alarm clock. Family chores: •Wash dishes •Wash the family car with supervision •Prepare a few easy meals on their own •Clean the bathroom with
supervision •Put all laundry away with supervision •Take the trash can to the curb for pick up. Ages 12 and 13 Personal chores: •Take care of personal hygiene, belongings and homework •Set their alarm clock •Maintain personal items, such as recharging batteries •Change bed sheets •Keep their rooms tidy. Family chores: •Clean bathrooms and do dishes •Clean mirrors •Baby sit (in most states) •Prepare an occasional family meal with supervision. Ages 14 and 15 Personal chores: •Responsible for all personal chores for ages 12 and 13. Family chores: •Do assigned housework without prompting •Do yard work as needed •Baby sit •Prepare food — from making a grocery list and buying the items (with supervision) to serving a meal — occasionally •Wash windows with supervision. Ages 16 to 18 Personal chores: •Re-
sponsible for all personal chores for ages 14 and 15. Family chores: •Do housework as needed •Do yard work as needed •Prepare family
meals — from grocery list to serving it — as needed •Deep cleaning of household appliances, such as defrosting the freezer, as needed.
Tiny Feet
NAME: Esther Oluwatoyosi Kehinde
BORN TO: Mr. and Mrs Dipo Kehinde AGE: 3 months BIRTH WEIGHT: 3.5 kg
Have you just had a baby? Send a picture of your bundle of joy to mirrorbabies@gmail.com
ParentingUpdate
Legalising paedophilia
Iran passes Bill allowing men to marry their adopted daughters
L
awmakers in Iran have passed a bill allowing a man to marry his adopted daughter while she is as young as 13. Human rights activists and others are outraged, claiming the law “legalises paedophilia.” Ironically, Iranian parliamentarians passed the Bill claiming it would protect the rights of children. However, the Bill includes a clause that allows a man to marry his adopted daughter as long as she is 13 years of age or older.
Shadi Sadr, a human rights lawyer, “This Bill is legalising paedophilia. It’s not part of Iranian culture to marry your adopted child. Obviously incest exists in Iran more or less as it happens in other countries across the world, but this Bill is legalising paedophilia and is endangering our children and normalising this crime in our culture. “With this Bill, you can be a pedophile and get your bait under the pretext of adopting children,”
Sadr said. Iran’s Guardian Council, a body of clerics and jurists which vets all parliamentary Bills before the constitution and the Islamic law, has yet to issue its verdict on the controversial legislation. Currently under Iranian law, girls may marry at 13 and boys at 15, and children under 10 may marry with the approval of their guardian and the court. Hundreds of girls below the age of 10 are forced into mar-
riage in Iran every year, and the trend is experiencing a dramatic increase. According to recent data released by Iran’s Association of Children’s Rights, the number of girls married in Iran under the age of 15 went from 33,383 in 2006 to 43,459 in 2009, a 30 percent increase in three years. An initial draft of the Bill, which had completely banned marriage with adopted children, was not approved by the council and it is feared that MPs introduced the condition for marriage to satisfy the jurists and clergymen. This is why Sadr fears it can
pass the council this time. The Bill has prompted backlash in Iran with the reformist newspaper, Shargh, publishing an article warning about its consequences. “How can someone be looking after you and at the same time be your husband?” the article asked. Shiva Dolatabadi, head of Iran’s society for protecting children’s rights, has also warned that the Bill implies that the parliament is legalising incest. “You cannot open a way in which the role of a father can be mixed with that of a spouse. Children can’t be safe in such a family.”
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October 5, 2013
A
rthritis literally means inflammation of one or more joints. It is a group of condition that typically involve inflammation and pain in the joints. A joint is an area of the body where two different bones meet. It functions to move the body parts connected by its bones. Arthritis can affect anyone at any age, including children. The incidence increases with age, but nearly three out of every five sufferers are under age 65. There are many types of arthritis. The type range from those related to ‘wear and tear’ of cartilage (a cartilage acts as a cushion between the bones of joints) such as in the case of Osteoarthritis, to those associated with inflammation resulting from an overactive immune system (such as rheumatoid arthritis).
gradually with subtle symptoms. The joints are primarily affected though there can be systemic effects (i.e organs) as well. Morning stiffness, lasting more than an hour, involvement of the small bones of the hands and feet, extreme fatigue, rheumatoid nodules and symmetrical joint involvement (i.e both knees not one knee) are all characteristics of rheumatoid. Treatment includes use of corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs. If left undiagnosed and untreated, many types of arthritis can cause irreversible damage to the joints, bones, organs and skin.
Coping with arthritis
How does arthritis happen? In most cases, arthritis is a natural part of aging and develops over a lifetime of the use of our joints. In healthy joints, the ends of the bones are protected by cartilage, which is a tough smooth tissue that cushions the ends and allows them to glide smoothly across one another. The whole joint is surrounded by a fluid which lubricates and delivers nutrients to the cartilage. When there is a cartilage loss, a joint can become bone-on-bone which is very painful for the individual. Any part of our body can become inflamed or painful from arthritis. Today, my emphasis will be more on the two common types of arthritis known as Osteoarthritis and Rhuematoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It is also referred to as degenerative joint disease or ‘wear-and-tear’arthritis. It develops when the cartilage wears or breaks down in one or more parts and the bone ends are left unprotected. They may rub together every time the individual moves which can cause pain. The edges of the joints may also develop dense spots and bumps called spurs. Also, ligaments which are cordlike tissues that connect the bones to the other structure around them may
Arthritis
thicken, preventing movement. Factors which may increase the risk of developing osteoarthritis include injury to joints, repetitive use of joints thereby stressing it, being overweight and family history. The joints most often affected are the knees, hips, hands, and spine unlike other types of arthritis which may have systemic effects. Symptom commonly associated with osteoarthritis is pain in the affected joint after repeated use. Initially, osteoarthritis is non-inflammatory and its onset is subtle and gradual usually involving one or only a few joints. The affected joints may swell, feel warm with tenderness of the inflamed joint, muscle weakness and become stiff after prolonged inactivity. Treatment options for Osteoarthritis focus on relieving pain and restoring function to the affected joint. This can be achieved by weight reduction exer-
cise, use of supports, heat therapy and rest. Medication such as topical, orals, or injectables are also used to relieve pain and inflammation. The other form of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis. This is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body’s own immune system mistakenly attacks the cell lining inside the joint. It causes chronic inflammation of the joints, the tissues around the joints as well as other organs. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic potentially disabling disease which causes joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and loss of joint function. Some rheumatoid conditions can result in debilitating, even life-threatening complications or may affect other parts of the body including muscles, bones and internal organs. Rheumatoid arthritis can be difficult to diagnose early because it can begin
The treatment for arthritis vary according to which type an individual has, the affected joints, the intensity of the pain and how it affects the individuals daily life. There is no cure for arthritis, but there are many things the individual can do to cope with the condition. Practice of good posture is important as this will help keep the bones and joints aligned. Walking is an easy way to improve posture. In addition to this, is attaining and maintaining an ideal body weight.
LIFE SAVERS ◆ Morning stiffness lasting at least an hour or more is characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis. ◆ Smoking has been identified as a risk factor for developing Osteoarthritis. ◆ Maintaining healthy weight is important ◆ Earlier and accurate diagnosis can help to prevent irreversible damage and disability.
LETTER
‘Back pain is killing me’ Dear Mirror Doctor, Please I need your advice. I noticed 2 months ago, back ache on the left side of my back. The pain is piercing. I took some pain relieve tablets to no avail. The back pain comes and goes especially when am done with my menstrual flow. Am just done with the menstrual flow a week now, and the pain has
started. Abigail.
Mirror Doctor Replies Abigail, back ache usually originates from the muscles, nerves, bones, joints or other structures in the spine. It can stay in one place or radiate to other areas. It may be a dull ache or
sharp, piercing or burning sensation. From your mail, the back ache is intermittent, piercing, and worse after your menses, and not relieved by use of analgesics. Though you did not mention the location if it is lower back ache or around the upper region, it is good to know as this gives an idea of the possible cause. There are lots of causes of back ache ranging from lumber strain, nerve ir-
ritation, kidney problems, uterine fibroid, ovarian disorders, tumours, etc. The management and treatment depends actually on the underlying cause. Considering the fact that your back ache is associated with your menstrual flow that has not responded to the use of analgesic, it could be due to some medical condition such as endometriosis, which is a reproductive abnormality, dysmenorrhoea which is a result of the contraction of the uterus, stress, anxiety and lack of exercise etc. I advice you visit a trained medical expert for evaluation and treatment.
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October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
‘My wife wants to kill me’ •I don’t want him anymore. He’s too lazy -Wife
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32-year-old man, Gabriel Omoode, on Thursday urged an Ikole (Ekiti State) Customary Court to dissolve his two-year marriage. Omoode said that Mrs. Ruth Omoode always threatens to kill him whenever he attempts to correct her misdeeds. He said her incessant harassment and threat to his life have got to a peak and that he would not wait until she killed him before raising the alarm. The petitioner described his
wife as a stubborn woman, who has no regard for the institution of marriage. “She lacks respect for everybody, no regard for me and my family members. The court should please come to my aid. “I am praying the court to dissolve the marriage so that I
can have peace and forge ahead with my life. I have learnt my lessons and will not fall into the trap of marrying a woman who I cannot control again,” Omoode said. Ruth, however, denied the allegations, saying her husband was a lazy man, who hardly ca-
ters for her and their only child. She urged the court to grant the request of the petitioner and compel him to provide the upkeep of the only child of the marriage. The President of the Court, Yemisi Ojo, adjourned the case to October 9, 2013 for judgment.
‘My wife is too troublesome’ •Separate us -Wife
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n Ilorin Area Court has dissolved the four-year marriage between Usman and Ganiyat Saheed, over the wife’s troublesome nature. Usman, 37, a resident of Ganmo Area, Ilorin, had prayed the court to dissolve his marriage to Ganiyat, due to her troublesome nature. The plaintiff told the court that his wife gets provoked at the slightest provocation and is fond of causing conflict with everybody in the neighbourhood. “My wife, through her troublesome nature has fought every member of our neighbourhood and has scared them away from our house. She has poor manners and no regard for anybody. Our marriage was contracted in 2009 and has produced one male child, Kabiru. My Lord, I want an end to this marriage. I cannot continue to endure with a woman that finds joy in trouble and lacks respect,” said the plaintiff. The defendant did not object to the prayer of her husband, saying she was fedup with her husband’s complaints every time. Ganiyat prayed the court to grant the prayer of her husband without any claim. The presiding Judge, Mr. Ibrahim Abdulquadri, dissolved the marriage and issued a certificate of divorce to the plaintiff.
‘My husband threatened to kill me with charms’
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housewife, Bolanle Ogunjebi, on Thursday urged an Ado-Ekiti Customary Court to dissolve her 10 year marriage to Emmanuel. Bolanle, 49, alleged constant battery, use of charms, public embarrassments and gross irresponsibility against her husband, adding that he told her to pack out of his house one particular midnight.
She claimed that since she packed out of the house, Ogunjebi had never bothered to check on her, noting that he must have been fed-up with the once blossoming relationship. The mother of two told the court that Ogunjebi, at a family gathering, threatened that he would kill her and the brother she was living with. She alleged that her husband had been threatening her life
with charms, and urged the court to dissolve the union because her life was not safe any longer. Bolanle also pleaded with the court to award the custody of the two children to her, alleging that her husband was ‘irresponsible.’ The court’s president, Mrs Akomolede Olayinka, adjourned the case to November 6, 2013 for continuation.
Wife seeks end of one-year marriage over abandonment •She’s wayward -Husband
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house wife, Zainab Auwal, who claims that her husband had abandoned her one year into their marriage, has dragged him before the Magajin Gari Sharia Court II, Kaduna, seeking for divorce. According to her, the husband, Sani Yunusa, was in the habit of beating her and failing to provide food or accommodation to her. Auwal told the court that since they got married a year ago, he had only provided food for the family for two months and was unable to pay house rent. The situation, she said, had forced her to live with her parents in the last four months, with no effort made by Yunusa to address the problems. Auwal therefore asked the court to terminate the marriage as her husband had failed to discharge his matrimonial responsibilities. The accused denied the allegations and accused his wife of waywardness. He, however, agreed that the woman now lives with her parents due to his inability to pay house rent. Yunusa appealed to the court to prevail on his wife and her parents to give him one month grace to secure a new accommodation, claiming that he still loves his wife. The Presiding Officer, Khadi Ibrahim Mohammed directed the couple to come to court with their parents on October 10, 2013 for continuation of hearing.
‘My wife left our matrimonial home without any reason’
•There’s a reason. I don’t love him anymore -Wife
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Grade 1 Area Court, Aso Pad, Nasarawa State, has dissolved an 11-yearold marriage between Solomon Kwasu, 47, and Tabitha, 38, over wife abandonment. Kwasu of Aso Pada told the court that he and Tabitha got married in 2002 and were blessed with a child.
But, he said, “On August 23, 2012, my wife left our matrimonial home without any reason. She ran away to an unknown destination and I pleaded with her parents and relations to make her come back, but she refused. That is why I want the court to separate us since she has left me for over one year,”
Kwasu said. Tabitha urged the court to grant the wish of her husband, saying, “For long now, I have lost the love I have for him. He has no place in my heart any longer. The court should grant him his request. I totally agree to his divorce request. The Presiding Officer of the
court, Mr. Albert Maga, in his judgment, dissolved the marriage, holding that “The marriage between Solomon Kwasu and Tabitha Kwasu is hereby dissolved on this date, October 3, 2013.The petitioner should get a divorce certificate from the registrar’s office.” (NAN)
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
DIVORCE COURT
October 5, 2013
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‘I cannot continue to be childless. I want to try another man’
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udirat Wahab of Ipata Area, Ilorin, has urged an Ilorin Area Court to dissolve her three-year marriage to Wahab Yusuf over childlessness. The 28-year-old woman told the court that the marriage was yet to produce a child and that
•Allah’s time is the best -Husband she was fed up with the situation. “I have no interest in the marriage anymore. I want to go and try another man,” she said. Kudirat told the court that al-
though she had no problem with her husband, she was tired of staying without a child. She urged the court to dissolve the marriage, adding that, “I cannot continue to endure
where I am not happy.” Yusuf, however, objected to his wife’s the prayer, saying, “I still love her. I know that Allah’s time is the best. So, I wonder why my wife is increasingly
worried and complaining.” He urged the court to adjourn the case to enable him to reconcile with his wife. The Presiding Officer, Mr. Ibrahim Abdulquadri, adjourned the case to October 24, 2013 for the couple to explore the possibility of reconciliation.
‘My husband impregnated my cousin’s wife’
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n Ado-Ekiti Customary Court has dissolved a nine-year marriage between a house-wife, Oyeyemi Adenike and her husband, Oyeyemi Dele who allegedly impregnated his wife’s relation. The 32-year-old housewife had told the court that her husband impregnated her cousin’s wife. Adenike also alleged that her husband had been manifesting other acts of irresponsibility, including lack of care for her and their children. Adenike told the court that her husband forced her out of the house, a situation that made her to be living with her mother. The mother of two alleged that the children had been living with her, while her husband had not bothered about their welfare. She alleged that her husband was “so shameless that he once impregnated my cousin’s wife who usually
visited and assisted me with domestic work. Adenike, therefore, urged the court to award the custody of their two children to her while her husband should be responsible for their upkeep and education. The court’s President, Mr Ogunsemi Joseph, said that since the respondent repeatedly shunned the court, he was deemed to have denied himself of the defence on allegations against him. The president also said that the respondent was also deemed to have admitted guilt in the case. Therefore, in his judgment, he dissolved the marriage, adding that the woman should take custody of the children. Ogunsemi ordered that the husband should pay N5,000 on each child monthly for their upkeep in addition to their school fees.
This marriage was doomed from the start because of the wife’s bad character -Judge
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n Osogbo Customary Court II has dissolved a seven-year marriage between Adebisi Badirat and her husband, Akeem. The President of the Court, Chief Bolarinwa Popoola, who dissolved the marriage, said it was “doomed from the start because of the woman’s bad character.” Popoola ordered that Badirat be given custody of the two children until they are of age. He also ordered that Akeem should pay N2,000 to Badirat as monthly upkeep allowance for each child. Badirat had prayed the court to dissolve her marriage over alleged irresponsible attitude and constant beating by her husband. “He is never responsible for our children even at birth.
My mother and I are the ones who buy the things needed for antenatal and postnatal. He also does not give me rest of mind as he beats me every time and threatens me with weapons like cutlass. On several occasions, my husband’s family has been making attempts to give me a bad name by calling me a thief. I pray the court to separate us and let us go our different ways,” Badirat pleaded. She also urged the court to grant her custody of the two children. Akeem was represented by Semiu Adebisi, who claimed to have married Badirat for his younger brother. Adebisi told the court that he regretted betrothing the woman to his younger brother because Badirat had given a bad image to the family.
‘Separate us before he kills me’ •We can only be separated the traditional way since we were married according to Idoma tradition -Husband
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ary Okanya, 31, of behind ECWA 1, Aso Pada, Mararaba, in Nasarawa State has sued her husband, Emmanuel Okanya, 37, in a Grade 1 Area Court, Aso Pada, asking the court to dissolve their 7-year marriage. She told the court that her husband had formed the habit of beating her for no tangible reason. `”He said that our children are `mumu’ and that they are too dull to attend school, so I should give him the money meant for their school fees. When I objected, he threatened to kill me with an axe. I had to run out of the house,’’ Mary said. She said that while chasing her with the axe, he injured her on her left arm before neighbours came to her rescue and took her to the hospi-
tal. Mary also alleged that after injuring her, her husband went inside their house and destroyed all her plates, television and bed. She said that she was fed up with the marriage and that her relatives and her husband’s relatives were also fed up with the constant quarrel in their house. “Through the help of my relatives, I was able to rent another house to stay with the children. I want the court to separate us before I die at his hand,’’ the mother of three said. The presiding officer, Mr Albert Maga, asked the husband if he had anything to say about the allegations levelled against him by his wife. He responded that he could not understand why his wife would drag their matter to
court because he married her under the tradition and customs of the Idoma tribe. ``I told her that since we were married traditionally, we should meet our elders in the village and settle the matter, but because of financial difficulties we could not do so. I cannot force her to like me. I would like the court to give us time to handle the matter in the traditional way,’’ he pleaded. Maga said that since Mary’s husband had pleaded with the court to give him time to settle the matter in the Idoma native customary way, the court shall grant his request. ‘You people should avoid making trouble with each other or fighting each other again,” he warned, and adjourned the case to October 25, 2013 for hearing. (NAN)
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EVENTS
October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
MMI celebrates Independence with senior citizens in Lagos ...
Matured Minders Initiative is a nongovernmental social media group that is aimed at serving humanity. Last week Tuesday, the group made a visit to the Old People’s Home in Yaba to mark Nigeria’s 53rd independence anniversary after which they returned to their secretariat in Ilupeju for the independence gig. FUNMI SALOME JOHNSON was there to capture the mood.
MMI members at the secretariat
The group shortly before leaving fo the Old People’s home
Matured minders Iniative group at the Lagos Old people’s home, Goslo and Ladex having fun Yaba, Lagos with donations
Bunmi Balogun and Susan Olaolu
Members catching fun at the party
Hanson Olatunbi flanked by Bola Jamgbadi and Julie Dorcas Olayiwola
The independence gift
At the initiative’s secretariat in Ilupeju shortly before leaving for the home
At the secretariat during prayers before leaving for Yaba
Relaxing at the secretariat during the independence gig
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
TOURISM
October 5, 2013
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Nok village’s 500BC terracotta heads
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ysteriously the people of the village vanished in about 200 AD. These people were known for their extremely advanced social system and were the earliest producers of life-sized Terracotta in the Sub-Sahara. Hugely historical, archaeologists have found human skeletons, stone tools and rock paintings around this area, not to mention the main act. The inhabitants of what is now called Nok Village, were known to make some of the oldest and culturally intriguing sculptures found in Africa. This led to discoveries that the ancient culture of Nok has been around for some 2500 years. When strolling through the village your senses will be delighted to rediscover an amazing group of people culturally and socially. Not much is known about the purposes of these popular sculptures but some theories have suggested they were used as charms to prevent crop failure, illness and infertility. You’ll really feel as if you’ve had the best history lesson of your life. Weapons of war, terracotta heads of man and animals are abundant as you realise your dream is actually a reality. The Nok culture which dates back over 2,500 years old is no doubt one of the greatest and best known cultures in the world. Although it was Benard Fagg an archeologist who originally began the collection of the Nok Terracotta heads discovered by tin miners in 1943 at the Nok site, when carbon-dated, these masterpieces made of clay were discovered to have been created around 500 BC. Many new findings however indicate that some of the works can be dated much earlier than this. What makes Nok terracotta enigmatic is because of the fact that the three hollows represent eyes and mouth without ears which continue to dumbfound curators all over the world. At the entrance of the village are artworks depicting the creativity of a culture beyond human imagination.
Site of the famous Nok terracotta Within the Nok village is an excavation site originally gored by tin miners in 1943.
The terracotta heads
It is in the process of mining tin in this historic site that the miners discovered the ancient terracotta works. Being a highly superstitious people, they believed that these excavated clay heads were harbingers of bad luck and evil and went on to destroy them. This trend continues until information got to Benard Fagg a colonial archaeologist working in Northern Nigeria at the time, who quickly arranged for the transfer and preservation of the remaining excavated works. His later carbon-dating of the finds, revealed that the works were created around the year 500BC. Because of the significance of this find and the Project, Benard Fagg decided to make his home in the area and ended up with a large collection of the Nok terracotta, some of which he deposited at the newly created Department of Antiquity in Jos.
The Nok people History of the Nok culture is history of a people who left a village called Ham in Egypt many millennia ago. On arriving at this virgin land, according to legend, they discovered that the land is bordered by impenetrable mountains and forests infested with deadly reptiles and loose sand dunes that would easily swallow the unwary and to keep invaders at bay. On finding this land, the people took shelter in the caves and the natural rock shelters abound in the new settlement. This provided them shelter from warring tribes around the area until the European adventure and subsequent pacification that followed their coming, which brought the period of intercommunal warfare to an end. Though secluded from others by the mountains, the Nok people over time developed a system of administration that ensured the main-
tenance of law and order in their place of abode. They built what became known as the city of Nok at the foot of the hills. The basic understanding of the Nok culture can be glanced through their judicial system or mode of inheritance. It is a known fact that the Nok’s judicial system pre-dates the western judicial system. The Nok people created classes of courts used in adjudicating on cases from minor to criminal ones. There are the traditional open courts, area courts, high courts and the appeal courts. According to Mang Gang Chai, the curator of Nok antiquity, these courts were used in investigating and to uncover the truth in both minor and major crimes. The people strongly believe that every crime attracts a curse which was capable of destroying whole family and must be uncovered to avoid the consequences.
Group honours tourism stakeholders
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uild of Tourism Journalists, GTJ, has congratulated the Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, his Osun counterpart Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and its president, Wale Ojo Lanre, of the Tribune titles on the honour conferred on them by the Odua Progressive Union in Amsterdam. The guild in a statement by its Organising Secretary, Mr Austin Jacobson, stated that the recipients deserved the honour as they have all contributed immensely to the growth and development of tourism in Nigeria. The statement said further, “ the duo of Governor Fayemi and Aregbesola has been able to make an indelible impact in the tourism sector in their domains with
the transformation of Ikogosi ( Ekiti) which was moribund to a world class tourism site and Eluminrin Waterfall, Erin Ijesha ( Osun) as well as other tourism sites in their states.” According to the group the fact that the two governors improved on the infrastructural facilities in their states also enhanced tourism development there. While commending Ojo Lanre the group said, “Our President has been an advocate of tourism development in the world, his passion, commitment and hard work has no doubt fetched him many honours both at home and in the Diaspora. This honour is an attestation that his good work is being appreciated not only in Nigeria but also outside.”
Wale Ojo Lanre receiving the Award of Best Tourism promoter in Nigeria from Capt Michael Adesina, Director General , Aviation Training School, Ghana , Nigeria and Togo while Alhaja Nimota Lahi watches.
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October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
‘Funeral undertaking is not business as usual’ The business of funeral undertaking in Nigeria will never be complete again with the exit of the larger-than-life Tunji Okusanya, director of MIC Undertakers who died in the line of duty in the plane that was conveying the remains of former Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Agagu to Akure, the Ondo State capital. Sadly, the masterundertaker was said to have perished in the crash along with his eldest son, also named Tunji, to whom he was warming up to hand the flourishing undertaking business. Man in Business pays tribute to the master undertaker by reproducing an interview he recently granted Saturday Mirror in which he spoke eloquently about what he does best. He spoke to FUNMI SALOME JOHNSON
H
ow and when did you start your funeral undertaking business? “This business was not started by me. It was started by my father. He was actually a cabinet maker who was involved in making different kinds of furniture including coffins. I grew up developing interest in what my father was making. I have discovered it is faster and easier to develop your business along the areas of your interest. Most people you see around succeeding are succeeding because they have developed their interests along the areas of their passion. How did you grow the business to its present stature? I started the business on a small scale and grew it with time. I can only look back to those years of toiling and hard work and thank God for bring us this far. Passion for what you do cannot be overemphasized because that is what
will keep you going when everything else fails. You must have a passion for what you do. Funeral business is not the type of business that you go into with the mind of getting rich quickly. You have to have the zeal and love for the business from within. So whether the money is forth coming immediately or not, you will keep moving on and excelling in it. You also need to do all you can so that the will product be accepted, once there is acceptability, then the sky is your limit. P e o p l e generally think funeral under taking is a strange line of business. How has that perception affected you? Every business is weird in a way, so I don’t feel any oddness in the nature of my business. Rather I am proud off what wha hatt I do. d . do What kind of capital outlay would be required t o start an undertaking business business in Nigeria today? While the businesss may be described as being capital intensive, it may also depend on which angle you are looking at it. For instance, despite the fact that my father had been in the business of coffin making for years, I started from the scratch when I established MIC. I started with four caskets and over the years, MIC went into production of caskets and other areas of funeral undertaking. Funeral undertaking business is beyond casket making, it is an all encompassing business .When you talk of funeral undertaking, it is not just about making caskets. It is an all encompassing business and a very huge one too and that is why it is very capital intensive. In it are casket making, cloth making, hearse, transporta-
tion, embalmment and so many other areas. You, however, don’t have to go into all these aspects to be a successful funeral director. You can focus on the particular area you want to be known for. But as a director, you have to u n d e rstand a l l
these other a s pects of the b u s i n e s s e v e n though gh but but you you don’t have to do them all. It could be likened to an event planner even though it is not exactly like event planning. You have to learn the intricacies of the many parts of the funeral directing business. I believe people should just pay attention and focus on one area. We fail when we just move around into various businesses. For instance, I have a manufacturing section because it is what my father has been doing for years. But I also import from overseas. A prospective funeral director should be able to decide on his or her
own if he wants to be manufacturing caskets or he wants to be hiring hearses. He or she must decide on whatever area of funeral undertaking he would like to specialise in. That is very important. Considering your line of business, do you also pray for good business? Like every other business person, I also pray as I wake up in the morning that God may bring good business my way. But I am not wishing for people to die untimely. But I pray to God to give me business every day. If and when people have spent their lives and have fulfilled the essence of life and have enjoyed their lives to the brim, then one can pray for such ones. Not when a person has been suffering all his life and he now dies and people are now clamouring to give such ones a befitting burial. That is a very sad situation. It is always good to take care of people when they are alive and that is what matters most and not the amount of money you spend on them when they are dead. What advice do you have for would be investors in your line of business? I would say to them that the value of hard work and genuine love for what you do cannot be over- emphasised in this business. Hard work is inevitable in this business and getting personnel that are dedicated to the job and are willing is not easy. You have to be up and doing and be able to exert yourself vigorously before you can then begin to look forward to enjoying the fruit of your hard labour. I have put thirty years into this business and I can tell you that it requires a whole lot of hard work and dedication. As a banking and finance graduate turned funeral director, how has your area of study helped with your business? There are business lessons you do not learn and understand by bagging a degree, neither do you learn them by reading enormous books. Sometimes, the most important lessons in business are better experienced. Education will, however, help you with identifying business ideas and interests, handling competition and developing yourself while managing your business.
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
October 5, 2013
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LEISURE
October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Sport
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
October 5, 2013
45
CAF Champions League
Visiting Esperance of Tunisia looking set to battle Orlando Pirates in today’s CAF Champions League first semi-final tie in Johannesburg.
Orlando Pirates plot Esperance’s fall •As Al Ahly battle Coton Sport in Garoua ANDREW EKEJIUBA WITH AGENCY REPORT
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outh African club side, Orlando Pirates, will entertain visiting Tunisian side, Esperance, today in the first leg of 2013 CAF Champions League semi-final clash with some trepidation. Pirates supporters, starved of international success have asked the legion of club supporters to rally behind the team ahead of their clash with Esperance in Johannesburg. The supporters said continental success was the ultimate achievement adding even a clean sweep on the domestic front cannot be compared to winning Africa’s biggest club accolade. Arthur Faustino, Pirates’ selfclaimed number one supporter said he remembers 1995 success in Abidjan as if it happened yesterday. “We have won several other domestic trophies since then including many league titles but it still feels empty when you cannot emulate that in Africa. “Champions League success is what we need. It is the ultimate,” he said. “I see us winning 3-0 though today and when we go to Tunisia we will finish
off with a draw and go to the finals.” Devan Olivier, a Greek national who has made South Africa his permanent home said he would love Pirates to win this continental silverware, which will be the second time for the Soweto club. “We know it won’t be an easy game because Esperance is a big team. They have been in the finals so many times and have won it on many occasions as well which means that our players have to be on top of their game,” he affirmed. Orlando Pirates attacking midfielder, Daine Klate said the club was ready for the big Esperance game and that the visitors should expect a torrid 90 minutes in Soweto. “We are feeling very confident. We know this is a big one but we are ready for it. The general mood is that of excitement. “We are also past champions and we are a big club. We have been there before and we know what is expected of us as players and for the team as a whole. We are playing at home and we need a good result going into the second leg. This is a must win game for us and secondly we are playing at Orlando Stadium. Few teams come out alive in that slaughterhouse. A win will take us
W/Cup play-off: Ekpo wants Eagles to be P. 46 focused
Orlando Pirates attacking midfielder, Daine Klate.
very closer to the finals and that’s what we need,” Klate said. However, Tunisian giants Esperance have promised to take the match to Orlando Pirates, saying they would attack for the entire 90 minutes. “This is the nature of our game. Our success over the past years has been built around taking the game to our opponents. We believe in soccer’s oldest adage that attacking is the best form of defence. “We are not going to sit back and allow Orlando Pirates to dictate pace on us. That type of soccer is against our culture of entertaining, attack and defend as a soccer unit,” said Coach Maher Kanzari. Meanwhile, Al Ahly will be away today to Conton Sport, Garoua of Cameroun in another second semi-final, first leg tie of the prestigious 2013 CAF Champions League. Coton Sport goalkeeper, Loïc Feudjou, says they have no option other than victory against visiting cup holders Al-Ahly at the Roumde Adjia Stadium today in Garoua. The shot-stopper said the ideal outcome remains victory if they are keen on advancing to the next stage of the premier continental club champion-
I dream to be Liverpool manager –Hyypia P. 48
ship. “We have been preparing quietly for this match. We have been training at the Roumde Adjia Stadium, the venue of the game and we are taking our sessions seriously. “Ahly is a good team, well organized and dangerous to play against. They are also dangerous with set pieces. Our coach has been working towards that to counter them. We fear no team at this stage and will work according to the coach’s instruction. “The ideal outcome is victory regardless of the scoreline. If we win at home, it will serve a great advantage to our qualification to the next stage. We have a good record from away games this season, and winning at home will be a good result. “I don’t think the fact that Ahly is a North African club should worry us. We lost against Esperance (Tunisia) at the group stage, but it was due to specific reasons. We lost 0-2 in the first meeting in Rades, and 1-2 in the reverse fixture in Garoua, but the latter was due to the fact that we had already qualified and the coach gave chance to some new players. However, we are capable of beating Ahly in Garoua,” Feudjou said.
I want to rule the world of female boxing, says P. 49 Helen Joseph
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SPORT
October 5, 2013
Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
National Stadium Lagos: Shame of a nation!
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he National Stadium Surulere, Lagos is Nigeria’s foremost sporting edifice and used to be a source of pride to the nation because of the exploits of our athletes in this once revered sporting arena. Built in 1972, the multi-purpose 55,000 seat capacity stadium was used mostly for football matches until 2002 when government’s neglect of the arena began to rear its ugly head. Prior to then, the venue had hosted several international competitions, including the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations finals, the AFCON 2000 co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, and FIFA World Cup qualifying matches. It has also served as the main stadium for the 1973 All-Africa Games and the Nigeria ’99 World Youth Championship. In 1999, capacity of the stadium was reduced to 45,000. And HT authoritatively gathered that the record attendance at the venue remains 85,000 at the final match of the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations between Nigeria and Algeria. For unknown reasons, the National Stadium has remained an eyesore and has been left to dilapidate since 2002. It last hosted a national team game in 2004 and occasionally has been used for religious gatherings. However, the true state of the stadium is one that should make late Nigerian midfield dynamo, Sam Okwaraji, and many other late ex-internationals to shudder in disbelief in their graves. The stadium has been taken over by ‘area boys’, squatters and even dangerous rodents, while officials of the National Sports Com-
HARD TACKLE with
Andrew Ekejiuba anelsports@yahoo.com
08054103021
Okwaraji
mission (NSC) have not deemed it feat to take a reasonable action at resuscitating the decrepit edifice or better still, putting it to good use. The situation is so bad that even the swimming pool is a death trap. When a delegation of members of the House of Representatives Committee on Sports, led by Hon. Godfrey Gaiya, made a short visit to the stadium last
week, the NSC Liaison Officer in Lagos State, Mrs. Tayo Oreweme, did not hide her feelings as she confirmed HT fears. She pleaded that the complex needs an immediate attention from government. Narrating her discoveries, Oreweme confessed to the august visitors that a portion of the stadium is filled with dangerous reptiles such as crocodiles, alligators and
pythons to mention just a few. HT also discovered that the stadium has become a mini-zoo whereby some animals hibernate near the National Institute for Sports (NIS) situated within the complex. The abandoned stadium is in such a bad state that Nigerians, who cherish sports or football to be precise, will not believe that this was the arena where the Christian Chukwu-led Green Eagles won the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations. What a shame! Further investigation revealed that the reptiles come out to hibernate near the Administrative building of the NIS during heavy downpour, making that part of the stadium a no-go-area especially at night. In such situations, the reptiles are forced to come out probably to keep their heads above the water each time it rains heavily, but the management of the stadium has done well by ensuring that the bush around the swamp is cleared at all times. Otherwise, the animals would have invaded other parts of the stadium. Other facilities begging for the attention in the stadium include the abandoned main-bowl, where the pitch, tartan tracks and seating terraces have all collapsed. Others are the boxing and weightlifting gyms, swimming pools, knock-up hall, main power station, water treatment plant and sick bay which are in a sorry sight. Expressing his disappointment at the high level decay of facilities at the National Stadium Lagos, Gaiya quickly called for a state of emergency on all the stadia across the country which HT concurs. His words captured the feelings of many Nigerian sports fans on the need for
the sports administrators in the NSC to wake up from their apparent slumber and work transparently with government to give sports development the needed support. “We from the House Committee on Sports have seen the dilapidated facilities here at the National Stadium in Surulere, and are unhappy about the situation. “This is unacceptable to us and we believe that the sports-loving Nigerians will not be happy to see these facilities like this. Having said that, we will make our recommendation to the Federal Government to begin an immediate refurbishment of the stadium,” he said. It is also the candid advice of HT that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should without delay commence investigation into the abandoned contract by a company on the multi-million naira 3-star guest house located at the Games Village in Bode Thomas, Surulere. The contract was awarded on March 21, 2011 and Nigerians are eager to know why such an edifice which is supposed to assist in the accommodation of our sportsmen and women should be truncated. The time to resuscitate the National Stadium Lagos is now, as Lagosians and Nigerians dream to see action resume in the arena where Okwaraji lost his life on August 12, 1989, in that crucial Italia’90 World Cup qualifier between Nigeria and the Palancas Negras of Angola. For sure, the souls of Okwaraji, Muda Lawal, Best Ogedengbe and others who once played at the venue before departing this wicked world would only rest in peace if the National Stadium Lagos is brought back to life.
SPORT NEWS
MTN Lagos Street Soccer enters Round of 16 ANDREW EKEJIUBA
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his year’s MTN Lagos Street Soccer tournament enters the Round of 16 this weekend. The 24 centres across the Lagos Local Governments (LGs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) where the championship is taking place will witness electrifying football atmosphere. Out of over the 800 teams that registered in July for the Season 6 of the glamorous event, interestingly, the defending champions, Koilo Street of Lagos Island; 2011 winners, Lawal Akapo Street of Apapa and the last year’s runner up, Ajao Jimoh Street of IgandoIkotun, are still in the race. The teams will tackle other teams in the tournament at Elegbata Sports
Centre, Apongbon, Lagos, in the male category of the tournament this weekend. Also Koilo Street will trade tackles with street-gladiators from Ireoluwa, Oshodi-Isolo, Agbo-Elegba and Apapa Local Government, while the 2011 winners, Akapo Lawal will engage players from Amudalat Jokomba, Bariga and the last years’ runners-up, Ajao Jimoh of Ikotun-Igando Local Government Council Area in a battle to decide the qualifiers for the Round of 16. However, in the U-15 Category, which is entering its second round this weekend at Oshodi playing ground, Ajao Jimoh Street will lock horns with Lasora Soccer, Black Rock and Yaba Starlets in the group one of the category, while Ojoku Street of Ajeromi Ifelodun will trade tackles with Winners Way,
Iba, Salenko FA, Yaba and D.T F.F A. Apapa respectively. Meanwhile, the title sponsor of the event, the telecommunication giants, MTN, has reiterated its brand promise of ensuring life-enriching platforms for its teeming consumers. Speaking at the press conference that ushered in the Season 6 of the championship, the General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN, Kola Oyeyemi, said, the company is very delighted to be the sponsor of Lagos Street Soccer which is in its sixth season. “We believe in the future of Nigeria youths and if their talent is not channelled in the right direction, the kind of energy they have may be directed towards negative things, especially when we come to the grassroots level,” he declared.
W/Cup play-off: Ekpo wants Eagles to be focused IFEANYI EDUZOR
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x- international, Friday Ekpo has advised Coach Stephen Keshiled Super Eagles to remain focused and not take anything for granted when they confront the Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia in the final qualifiers for Brazil 2014 World Cup. He told our correspondent that although the national team could be said to have been handed a favourable draw for their final world cup qualifier, but they should be mindful of the fact that at this level of the qualifiers, no team should be considered small because football is full of surprises. The Super Eagles will
line up against Ethiopia for the first-leg of their thirdround qualifier in Addis Ababa on October 13, while the second leg comes up at the U.J Esuene Stadium, Calabar on November 15. “I am happy that we are going to play against Ethiopia because we have a better chance of picking one of the five places reserved for the continent, but at the same time, we have to take the game very serious in order to avoid a major upset,” Ekpo said. While admitting that on paper the Super Eagles have an edge over their opponents, Ekpo noted that they have to avoid conceding any goal in Addis Ababa in the first leg so as to make the second leg a mere formality.
Ekpo
“Ethiopia has a very good home record with their high altitude and the last time we played them on their home soil, we forced them to a twoall draw. So, there is need for the Super Eagles to prepare well for the trip to Addis Ababa because the game will be very tough,” the exinternational cautioned.
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October 5, 2013
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Nigeria Sports Hall of Fame to be launched Oct 8 IFEANYI EDUZOR
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rrangements have been concluded by the President General of Nigeria Football and other Sports Supporters Club, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, to launch a sports Hall of
Fame. According to a statement by the organisers of the launch and made available to our correspondent, the Hall of Fame which is being launched in conjunction of the Nigeria Football and other Sports Supporters Club will be officially
unveiled on October, 8. The statement noted that at the inaugural meeting of the Hall of Fame screening and management committee held in Lagos, the initiator and founder of the project, Ladipo, informed members that the fame is being set up among
other things to appreciate the country’s sportsmen and women, both past and present. And also provide a platform for the celebration of our sporting greats in all areas of sports such as management, coaching, journalism, marketing and sponsorship among others.
Bankers Games: Mainstreet, NYG: Edo to First Bank in must-win tie feature athletes in all events
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odwills Okute, the Edo Director of Sports, on Friday said that the state would feature in all the 19 events at the maiden U-17 National Youth Games (NYG). The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the competition, basically for grassroots athletes, would hold from Dec. 5 to 15 in Abuja. Okute told NAN on telephone that the state had “vigorously” begun training for all round participation in the events, for utmost performance at the games. “We have intensified our training schedule because the games move closer daily. “We are vigorously preparing because we intend to participate in most, if not all the events, at the festival,” he said. The director added that the state’s technical crew for the events are ready to produce formidable teams to represent the state. “The athletes are doing wonderfully well; the teams are performing wonderfully too as expected and the technical officials are also pulling their weights,“ he added. Okute however advised the Federal Government and corporate organisations to sponsor competitions like the NYG to discover talent that would represent the country internationally.
Crunchy tackle! Joseph Udoh (left) of Mainstreet Bank battles for ball possession against James Okwudi (right) of Keystone Bank when both sides clashed at the ongoing Bankers Games
ANDREW EKEJIUBA
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atch Day 5 of the 2013 Nigeria Bankers Games holds today at the National Institute for Sports (NIS) as the teams continue to quest for a place in the knockout stage. In the first fixture of the day, a resurgent Mainstreet Bank has First Bank to contend with as both teams look to secure a win to fancy their chances in the knock-out stage. Following two straight defeats against Cup holders, Skye Bank and Fidelity Bank, Mainstreet returned for their third game to humble Keystone Bank 3-1 in what could be adjudged an upset given Keystone’s pedigree in the competition which they have been absent from in the last couple of seasons. This is their last Group game and definitely should be considered a ‘Must-Win’. For the Elephant Boys, they need a win after their impressive
0-0 draw with Skye Bank in their only game so far and knowing their next fixture will be against tough Fidelity Bank that are tied at the top with Skye Bank. New signings, Kabiru Yakassai and Dele Oshikomoya will have to justify their joining the team having left Skye Bank and Standard Chartered respectively to join First Bank. Dubbed the Independent Week Star Match, the UBA versus Standard Chartered encounter holds all the trappings of a Cup final as both teams known to always consider their games more of a prestige affair. Having beaten each other in 2011 and playing out a draw in 2012, both sides are poised to play for both the points and their names with UBA going into the encounter to secure their leadership of the Group, while Standard Chartered will strive to draw level on points with a win. There will also be contests in Chess and Scrabble at the University of Lagos Sports Complex.
Ladipo
Konyegwachie picks 7 boxers for World Boxing Championship
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he Head Coach of the National Boxing team, Tony Konyegwachie, yesterday picked seven boxers to represent the country at the World Boxing Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from Oct 14 to 26. Konyegwachie told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos after their training that the seven boxers were chosen as a result of their dexterity and precision punches on target. The coach, however, kept the list of the selected boxers under wraps, in order not to create bad blood in the camp. Konyegwachie said that the names of the selected boxers would, however, be made available soon. “It will be premature to announce the names, now that the camp is still ongoing. Even the selected boxers have yet to be aware of the list. “But one sure thing is that, they were picked based on their dexterity and ability to score valuable points,” Konyegwachie said. He expressed optimism about the ability of the seven chosen boxers among the 30 that were called to camp. Konyegwachie said that those selected should justify the confidence reposed in them by winning medals at the event and revealed that they were products of the National Open Boxing Championship held in Lagos in August.
Nestle Milo Football Clinic holds in Abuja ANDREW EKEJIUBA
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he fourth edition of the Nestle MILO Football Clinic with Peter Rufai kicked off yesterday at the Abuja Old Parade Ground, Sports Complex, Garki. The exercise will transverse seven states including Abuja with Super Eagles former captain, Rufai leading other top coaches to tutor the kids on the rudiment of the game. The clinic is expected to be concluded in Lagos on November 16. With the theme ‘Let’s Build Champions’, which is in line with Nestle Milo’s tagline of being the energy food drink of future champions. This year’s clinic witnessed an impressive growth in the number of cities from five in 2012 to seven this year with centres like Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Akure, Abeokuta and Lagos hosting the exercise, which is open to boys and girls between
the ages of nine and 13. A total of 14,000 kids will be trained during the clinic. According to Category Business Manager, Beverages, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Doja Ekeruche, the clinic is a grassroots sports development programme, which is aimed to develop the champion spirit in children across the country. “Through the clinic, the children develop the technical skills of the football games while also imbibing the lifelong social values learnt from sports (determination, discipline, respect, honesty and team work). This makes them champions not only in sports but also in life,” she said. The Clinic is a sports initiative/platform of Nestle Milo in conjunction with Peter Rufai and FIFA certified European Football Experts to coach the children with the latest scientific techniques of playing football and also teach them the core values for success in the game of life. At the end of the five-day clinic in each city, all partici-
pants will be rewarded with an endorsed certificate of participation, lots of Milo branded gift items, products and in addition, top 32 participants in each location will be rewarded with bursary scholarship.
Rufai
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October 5, 2013
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Ibrahimovic makes Rooney move plea
I dream to be Liverpool Z manager –Hyypia B
Leverkusen finished third in the Bundesliga under Hyypia last season and have started the new domestic campaign strongly, winning six of their seven games to sit third behind Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. While Hyypia remains committed to the cause at Leverkusen, he has stated his desire to manage both Liverpool and the Finland national side.
ayer Leverkusen boss Sami Hyypia has claimed it would be a “dream” to manage former club Liverpool in the future. The Finn spent 10 years at Anfield, winning the UEFA Champions League during his stint with the club, before starting his managerial career at the Bay Arena in 2012 after ending his playing days with the German side.
“I have got two special places in my heart,” he said. “I was born in Finland, and there the job as the national team coach is the biggest job. Liverpool has the other place in my heart. “I don’t want to say, ‘That’s my goal’, but - after the 10 years I played there - it would also be a dream to one day be the Liverpool manager. “I live in the here and now, and that means Bayer Leverkusen, which gives
me a lot of pleasure.” Leverkusen picked up their first win of this season’s UEFA Champions League group stage on Wednesday thanks to a 2-1 success over Real Sociedad. Hyypia’s side can also move top of the Bundesliga today with a win over champions Bayern Munich, provided leaders Borussia Dortmund drop points against Borussia Monchengladbach.
latan Ibrahimovic has called for Wayne Rooney to join him at Paris Saint Germain if he decides to leave Manchester United The big-spending French champions were linked with a move for Rooney during the summer transfer window as the striker’s future at Old Trafford looked uncertain. Ibrahimovic is a big fan of Rooney and he admits the speculation linking PSG with a move for the England star excited him. “When there was talk of Rooney joining us in Paris it was a prospect that excited me. “I think he made it clear in the summer that he wanted a fresh challenge - and things have not been going so well for Manches-
ter United this season. “If he still wants to move next summer, or in January, I would urge him to come and play with me in Paris. The only direction this club is going is up,” Ibrahimovic said. Ibrahimovic believes he could form a lethal strike partnership with Rooney if he did make the move to the French capital. “If he did join he would have to get used to the fact that Zlatan scores even better goals than him,” added Ibrahimovic. “But I don’t just want to play with great players, I want to play with technically great players and that is what he is. “You can work on the technical side but it is not something you can be taught. You have it or you don’t and Rooney does.”
Robinho laments Kaka’s absence
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ilan forward Robinho believes that the absence of team-mate Kaka has affected the Serie A side’s start to the season. Massimiliano Allegri’s men sit ninth in the table after six games, with the Brazilian Kaka suffering from a thigh problem. He has added to a lengthy injury list that has already deprived the club of the services of the likes of captain Riccardo Montolivo (muscle strain) and Stephan El Shaarawy (foot). And Robinho believes that Milan
Kaka
PREMIERSHIP TABLE Team
P
GD
PTS
1 Arsenal
6
6
15
2 Liverpool
6
4
13
3 Tottenham
6
4
13
4 Everton
6
3
12
5 Chelsea
6
4
11
6 Southampton
6
3
11
7 Man City
6
7
10
8 Hull City
6
-1
10
9 Aston Villa
6
1
9
10 West Brom
6
1
8
11 Cardiff
6
-1
8
12 Man Utd
6
0
7
13 Swansea
6
-1
7
14 Norwich
6
-2
7
15 Stoke
6
-2
7
16 Newcastle
6
-4
7
17 West Ham
6
-1
5
18 Fulham
6
-5
4
19 Crystal Palace
6
-6
3
20 Sunderland
6
-10
1
could have enjoyed a better start to their campaign had his countryman remained injury free following his switch from Real Madrid in September. “Kaka is a personal friend to me. He’s a great player, I hope he can come back as soon as possible,” Robinho said with a tinge of regret. “We miss his quality so much, he is a decisive player.” Milan face champions Juventus tomorrow, but will also have to do so without striker Mario Balotelli due to suspension after his red card in the defeat to Napoli last month.
We don’t need Casillas at City –Zabaleta
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ablo Zabaleta has backed underfire Manchester City team-mate Joe Hart, saying they do not need to sign Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Spain captain Casillas’ future has been the subject of speculation with the shot-stopper finding himself out of favour at the Bernabeu under new coach Carlo Ancelotti just like he did at the back end of Jose Mourinho’s reign.
Hart has come under pressure after two mistakes in the midweek UEFA Champions League defeat by Bayern Munich and City have been credited with an interest in Casillas. However, Argentine defender Zabaleta does not believe City need Casillas at the Etihad. “At Manchester City we do not need Casillas,” Zabaleta said. “He’s been linked with other clubs. “I hope he stays in Madrid.”
Ibrahimovic
Giggs: Players to blame for United form
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anchester United stalwart Ryan Giggs has placed the blame for the club’s stuttering start to the season squarely on the players - not under-fire manager David Moyes. Giggs, who made his league debut for United in 1991, says the squad have to take responsibility for their poor results this season. The reigning champions have lost more Premier League games than they have won, the low point ar-
EURO NEWS Sagna ruled out for three weeks Carrick eyes new rsenal defender Bacary United deal
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Sagna has been ruled out for three weeks with a hamstring injury. The France international picked up the problem during the 2-0 win over Napoli in the Champions League on Tuesday, although he did manage to play the whole game.
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Sagna
ichael Carrick has revealed that he wants to sign a new contract at Manchester United. The midfielder’s current deal expires at the end of the season, but he wants to extend his stay beyond his current spell which began when he arrived from Tottenham in 2006.
riving last weekend with a 2-1 home defeat by West Brom. Manager Moyes took over at Old Trafford in July, following in the footsteps of Sir Alex Ferguson who spent more than 26 years at the club. Giggs, who turns 40 in November, said: “Sir Alex was a great manager and a great influence on the team and the club. “You are going to miss someone like that. But I don’t think that is an excuse when individuals aren’t playing as well as they can.”
Wenger warns Wilshere
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rsene Wenger has criticised Jack Wilshere after the Arsenal midfielder was pictured in a national newspaper smoking. Wilshere was snapped with a cigarette outside a London nightclub following the Gunners’ 2-0 Champions League victory over Napoli on Tuesday.
Wilshere
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October 5, 2013
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I want to rule the world of female boxing, says Helen Joseph Helen Joseph is one of the high flying Nigerian professional Female boxers based in Ghana. Presently, she’s IBF Intercontinental female Featherweight champion and will be defending her title against Sarah Achieng of Kenya later in the month. In this interview with IFEANYI EDUZOR, she speaks on her rise in the pugilist trade and her plans to become a world champion. Excerpts:
Y
ou will soon be defending your IBF Intercontinental female featherweight title against East African champion, Sarah Achieng from Kenya. How prepared are you for the title defence? I am really ready to defend my title against her because I do not wait for competition to be around the corner before I start preparations for a fight. I have been training seriously for the title defence and I am quite convinced that I will defeat her. I can’t see myself loosing the title because I have what it takes to be a world champion and my strength will always be there to speak for me. The only thing I am lacking is support and encouragement from the Nigerian Government and corporate organisations. If I can get such support, I will definitely bring more laurels to my father land. Having said this, I learnt that my opponent said she is the Princess of Kenya, but after beating her, she will be the servant of Princess of Africa because I am the Princess of Africa. I am assuring Nigerians that she will be my maid after the title defence. What strategy do you think you can employ against her considering that none of her previous opponents lasts the distance? If the report is that none of her previous opponents’ lasts the distance, it then means that she has not fought a boxer as stubborn and strong as myself. One thing you should realise is that I do not boost and I am not a proud boxer. I believe that the ring will be a better judge between us. I am saying this because at the end of every bout, it is whoever the referee raises his or her hand that will be declared the winner and I want to assure my fans that I will be the one whose hand will be raised on that day. To be sincere with you, the only strategy I will employ against her was the one I used to defeat Hungarian Mariana Guyas on May 3, 2013 to win the title.
you lost to Dahianna Santana, what would you attribute to the loss? I always remember that loss in the Dominican Republic to the current IBF world featherweight champion, Dahianna Santana with great pains. When I went to that country’s capital, San Domingo for that fight, all I wanted was to defeat her in the presence of her home fans and bring back the title to Nigeria, but unfortunately, I lost the fight. She did not win because she was a better boxer. Frankly, I gave a good account of myself that day, but in boxing, things can go the other way round and as a sports woman I accepted the defeat in good faith. In that fight, her numerous fans from her country were supporting her, but when we meet again, it would be a different ball game. I must avenge that loss when next we meet. I have been training very hard and aiming to beat the hell out of her because I believe she will succumb to my firepower in our next meeting. My mission right now in boxing is to avenge that loss by capturing the world title because I believe am better than her not minding the loss. What made you take to boxing instead of other sports? My love for boxing started from my childhood because right from when I was growing up, I love fighting. As I became matured, I realised that street fighting does not pay and one day, I said to myself that instead of fighting on the street, it is better I use my strength to become a world champion and earn a living. That exactly was how I made up my mind to become an amateur boxer, before joining the paid ranks later. I am happy that I took that decision because if I had ventured into other sports, maybe I would not be where I am today. What is your take on arguments in some quarters that female boxing should be banned because of its hazardous nature? People should stop seeing boxing as a dangerous sport because it is sweet to many of us. Those canvassing for the ban of female boxing do not understand the chemistry involved in the game. Such people should realise that a woman is facing another lady in the ring and not a man. I do not think that there is a woman who will be walking on the street and another woman slaps her and she leaves her without retaliating. So, if women can fight themselves on the street, why can’t they fight in the ring? The only thing that is required is for one to train very well by sparring well and with that confidence one can enter the ring and face any opposition. Secondly, people should also realise that there is no
Joseph
sport without its own hazards; even athletes collapse and die on the tracks, while there have been instances when footballers die on the field of play. All the aforementioned incidents, have not made people to call for the ban of football? So, what I am saying is that those making such unguided statements are ignorant of boxing. Did your parents at any time discourage you from boxing? I do not have any body in my family because my parents are late and I am taking my destiny all alone in my hands, believing that God will see me through someday. I believe God will enable me achieve my target of winning a world title for Nigeria. What advice do you have for upcoming Nigerian female boxers? My advice is that they should remain focused and not allow anything to distract them from their chosen profession. They should take their training serious and victory will definitely come their way. I also want to use this opportunity to call on government and corporate bodies to support professional boxing because with their support, Nigeria will produce many world champions.
Recently you relocated to Ghana; what made you take that decision and how would you describe your experiences since your relocation to Accra? My relocation to Ghana does not mean I am representing that country. I still fight with the national colours of Nigeria because I am happy to be a Nigerian. My country, Nigeria is the best country in the African continent and that is why everybody wants to come here. But my relocation to Ghana was because they have a lot of training equipment that enhances my profession. It is unfortunate that here in Nigeria, we lack standard gym and other equipment for training. I am happy that since I relocated to Ghana, I’m training well under Coach Kofi Darku Ricketts and fighting under Golden Mike Boxing Promotion Syndicate and Golden Concept Group which are owned and managed by Henry Manly-Spain and Michael Tetteh. When you fought for the world title last year,
L-R: President of IBF-Africa, Onesmo Ngowi, Helen Joseph, being decorated with the IBF Intercontinental title and Coach Kofi Darku Rickets.
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October 5, 2013
BRIEFS
Man in police custody for raping two sisters
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man, Daniel Sunhe22-year-old police on Thursday arraigned day is currently in police cusZaradeen Idris, 20, and Mohamtody for allegedly seducing med Musa, 23, before a Grade Two two minor with phonographic Area Court sisters in Kado, Abuja, for alleged movies and having sex with two of joint act and causing grievous the hurt. them against their wish in an uncomThe accused persons are workers of pleted building. the National Agency for Road Transport The victims withheld) 12 Organisation at(name Jabi Motor Park aged in Abuand eight were said to have been sent on ja. anThe errand by their mother Sgt. before SunPolice Prosecutor, Simeon day approached them and gave them Ibrahim, told the court that Taiwo N50 Oyeach before leading them to the uncomeleke of Sokale, Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, repleted the building located Iloko-Ijesa in ported matter at the at Utako Police DiOriade Local Government Area of Osun vision on Sept. 22. State wheresaid he raped them. Ibrahim that the complainant reThe ugly incident happened on Sept. 12th ported that the accused persons, on September, 2013 at about 8:10pm. It was 22, conspired with 15 others, currently at gathered that the victims did not return large, to beat him up. home forcing their mothHe that saidnight that thus while the complainant er to raise the alarm before residents was returning from Berger to his officeof in the area a searchstopped for the sisters. Jabi, themounted accused persons him at They were later found inbeat the uncompletthe gate of his office and him up. ed``They building defiled by Sunday . stabbed me on my back with a Sunday who lives at Oyeleke 27, Oke-Adura bottle,’’ Ibrahim quoted as sayStreet, Iloko-Ijesa was accused by the resing. idents of the area being in the of He also told theof court that the habit accused enticing minors with N50 in order to lure persons allegedly confiscated Oyeleke’s them toand watching phonographic N25,000 his ``Techno’’ mobilemovies phone, from his mobile phone and raping them. valued at N2,700. When the victims’ The prosecutor saidmother that thereported offence the incident at Ijebu-Ijesa Divicontravened the provisions ofPolice Sections 79 sion, the prompt intervention of a team and 247 of the Penal Code. of The policemen saved the suspect from offence carries a maximum senbeing lynched by irate residents who tence of seven years’ imprisonment with thronged Sunday’s residence to carry an option of fine. outThe jungle justice on him. accused persons, however, pleaded incident, the Police notConfirming guilty to the the charges. Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP The presiding judge, Mr Ahmed Ado, Folashade Odoro said that Sunday granted bail to the accused persons inhas the beenof apprehended and isacurrently helpsum N20,000 each and surety each in ing the police in their investigation, addlike sum. ingHe that he adjourned would be dragged as later the casetotocourt Decemsoon as investigation is completed. ber 23, 2013, for further hearing.
Six pregnant teenagers arrested for trafficking babies
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ix pregnant teenagers were on aniel Enema, 20, wasinonan Thursday Monday arraigned Umuaarraigned beforeCourt a Grade hia Magistrates’ on 1a Area twoCourt, of Asoconspiracy Pada, Mararaba, Nacount-charge to commit sarawa forand alleged extortion. felony, State, buying selling newly-born Prosecutor PC Friday Adaji told the babies. court that was Blessing reportedDaon Four of the the matter teenagers, Sept. 30 by one Emedom Ijeana of behind vid, Chikodi Samuel, Mercy Dickson and Kris Park, Mararaba Hotel,inatcourt the ‘Awhile ’ DiviMiracle Ifeanyi, appeared sion PoliceErondu Station,and Mararaba. Goodluck Happiness ChineAdajiwere saidabsent. the accused, a resident merem of The Old prosecutor, City Road,Insp. Kabayi, AgwuMararaba, Okoronksnatched Ijeana’s N13,000 wo, told the courthandbag that the valued fifth and sixth and pushed hernot intoina gutter. accused were court as they had ``This happened about .5:40 p.m. near given birth while inatcustody Kris Park Hotel,applied Mararaba 30. of Okoronkwo thaton theSept. names ``Some pursued and caught him the two bepeople deleted from the charge pendwith thetime said handbag”, hebe said, ing the that they would fit toadding stand that trial.the offence contravened provisions of Section 292 of the Penal The teenagers and oneCode. Isaac OkwuThea medical section provides upattolarge, five years onu, doctor, now were imprisonment or an option to pay a fine said to have, between July and Septemby the ber, atconvict. Isaac Okwuonu Memorial HospiThe accused pleaded not guilty to the tal, Ogbor Hill, Aba, conspired to commit charge. felony and trade in newly-born babies.
Crime Watch Two notorious cultists held in fight with cops SEGUN ADIO
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espite recently came the way of men of the Nigeria Police in Lagos and residents of Shomolu and its environs when two alleged notorious cult members cum armed robbers were arrested. The two suspected were identified as Rasaki Oseni a.k.a. Elewure and Steven Uche. Rasaki was alleged to have been declared wanted early this year by the Lagos State Police Command. He was declared wanted for acts relating to the vandalism of over 100 vehicles at the Akoka area of the state during a cult clash. Rasaki, a self-proclaimed leader of a notorious gang, Feeling/Steeling boys (EFCC boys) of Shomolu, was also alleged to have led several groups of notorious hoodlums to terrorise parts of the state. The long arm of the law, however, caught up with him on Tuesday, 24 September, 2013, when policemen from the Alade Division, led by its Divisional Police Officer, effected his arrest. On that fateful day, Rasaki was in company with some of his acolytes like Yesiru a.k.a. Talon Skibo, Rasaki Osanle, Kunle Eyin Bouncing and some others at a location around Morocco Area of the locality. While there, the suspected cult members were smoking marijuana without let. Rasaki, in particular, was said to have walking up and down the street with the marijuana in his hand, and harassing passersby. The street where the cult members were converged was a stone throw from the army barracks in the area. While the wanted cultist and his cohorts were busy smoking marijuana and harassing residents, a concerned resident, who probably recognised him as having been declared wanted by law enforcement agents, put a call to the security operatives in the area. The police boss in the area hurriedly led some of his men to the spot where Rasaki and his partners-in-crime were hiber-
nating. They were reportedly caught in the act as Rasaki and his cohorts were found harassing passersby and trying to extort phones and other valuables from them. He and one Steven, said to be a member of the Eiye Confraternity were reportedly arrested right on the spot. The two had since been transferred to the Area Command of the Nigeria Police Force at Ogudu in the metropolis. A source at Alade Police Station told journalists that the head of the division had put in place a mechanism to have other fleeing cultists arrested and brought to justice. According to the source, “The arrest of Elewure was a great relief to us law enforcement agents and most especially residents of this area and the state at large. He had long been declared wanted by the state command for various offences ranging from hooliganism to cult related issues. A man called the station’s phone lines to intimate us of his presence in the area after a long time absence. Thus, the DPO marched some of us to the area and effected his arrest together with one of his men.” During initial interrogation, Rasaki reportedly admitted to being the leader of the
notorious EFCC gang in the metropolis, saying that his gang only go after the cyber criminals and never participated in any killing as being alleged against the gang. Rasaki was also reported to have thrown more light on the cause of the cult clashes in Shomolu area in the time past. He linked it with a leaked pipe at the Fola Agoro canal where he claimed different gangs always scoop fuel from the pipe. A resident of Fola Agoro, who would simply want to be known as Lateef told Saturday Mirror that the arrest of the two hoodlums would signal the end to persistent cult clashes and molest of innocent residents in the area. Lateef, who claimed he had been brutalised by Rasaki’s boys before now added, “I remember that this same Elewure once stormed our street sometime last year and subjected residents to untold hardship and many people lost their prized items to the gang. I am sure his arrest would be well received by residents of the area.” When contacted, DPO Alade Police Station could not be reached on phone, but a sergeant at the station directed Saturday Mirror to reach the Area Command for further information on the arrest.
Brothers in court for raping 50-year-old woman
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wo brothers, Uba Emehelu and Nnanna Emehelu, have been arraigned before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly raping and assaulting a 50-year-old woman. The incident was said to have occurred at the Orile area of Lagos. It was learnt that the victim, whose husband is based in the United States and has a grown up son, had lived in the same flat with the defendants for many years. She was said to have sub-let two rooms to the brothers when she could no longer afford the full payment of the apartment.
While the victim sells phone accessories, the two brothers, who are Enugu State indigenes, sell textile materials at Oshodi Market. Around 10pm on September 4, 2013, the victim was said to have arrived from her shop and settled down in her room to eat. She later went to ease herself in the toilet. But on her return, it was alleged that the 33 year-old Uba pounced on her, forcefully removed her dress and raped her. The police told the court that Uba further squeezed her neck to keep her from shouting. After the act, the police said the victim held Uba to stop him from escaping and be-
gan calling for help. His brother, Nnanna, 32, however assaulted the victim “with fist blows in an effort to free Uba from her grip.” The brothers were arraigned on three counts of rape and assault. The charges read in part, “That you, Uba Emehelu, on the 4th day of September, 2013 at 10pm, at 34 Coker Compound, Orile, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did by force have unlawful sexual intercourse with one (name witheld), female, aged 50 years, without her consent.”
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CRIME WATCH
October 5, 2013
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Diabetes made me a drug peddler –Suspect cause he needed money to cure his diabetes. “I am a businessman and doing very well in that trade. I supply provision and wine at the Trade Fair Complex, Lagos. My parents are dead and I am now sick. I need money for my medication while my family members look up to me as the bread winner. “If not for my diabetes that I need a lot of money to cure, what do you think I would be doing in drug business,” he asked. Abazu also reportedly pleaded with antinarcotics agents that this was his first time in the illicit trade. But in his reaction to Abazu’s
SEGUN ADIO
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f not that I need a lot of money to cure the diabetes afflicting me, what do you think I would be doing in drug business?” asked Solomon Okwudili Abazu while being interrogated by anti narcotics agents in Lagos recently. Abazu, 44, sells assorted wines at Lagos State Fair Ground along Badagry Expressway, in Lagos. A native of Anambra State, Abazu could not be said to be doing badly in his trade of choice. A known diabetic, Abazu, however, wanted more money to up his trade and hence ventured into drug peddling. He recently told his close business friends that he just got a business link in Brazil and would be heading to the South American nation to perfect it. Unknown to Abazu’s friends and business colleagues in Lagos, he had just been introduced into the illicit drug trade. True to his words, Abazu reportedly left Nigeria for Brazil not long ago and was billed to return home with some consignments of hard drugs meant to be delivered to a cartel in Lagos. So recently, Abazu boarded an Etihad Airlines flight from
Sao Paulo, Brazil en route Lagos. During the inward screening of passengers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, Abazu reportedly tested positive to drug ingestion. As is the practice with suspects, he reportedly denied ingesting any drugs claiming that the scanning machine must have detected his diabetes and not hard drugs. Not wanting to play to the gallery, anti-narcotics agents placed Abazu in observation room and monitored him. Before long after
he was placed on observation, Abazu reportedly excreted 63 wraps of substances that tested positive for cocaine weighing 1.345kg. Medical doctors were also brought in to examine his diabetic claim and reportedly administer some medications on him for that purpose. In his confessional statement at NDLEA Abazu, who claimed he was a first time offender, maintained that he ventured into the illicit trade be-
Three would-be stowaways nabbed
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hree would-be stowaway teenage boys who were arrested on September 24 and 25 have been handed over to their parents by the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Police Command. The Commissioner in charge of the command, Waheed Salau, handed over the teenagers, Joshua Amadi, 14, from Ebonyi State; Onyedikachi Ukpabio 14, Abia,
and Lateef Popoola 13, Ogun, to their relatives. One of the teenagers, Onyedicachi Ukpabio, an SS1 student, said they had not decided where to travel to before they were arrested. He added that they were just at the departure hall when they saw a man, who approached them and asked them if they had a BlackBerry charger to enable him charge his phone.
From left— Onyedikachi Ukpabio 14; Lateef Popoola 13, and Joshua Amadi, 14.
Ukpabio said they told the man that they didn’t have one, before his friend, Amadi, asked the man if he knew the plane going to Malaysia. He said the question made the man to alert the airport police and got them arrested. Popoola, a primary three pupil from Ogun State, was caught on Wednesday, a day after Ukpabio and Amadi were arrested.
arrest, Chairman of NDLEA, Alhaji Ahmadu Giade, called for stiffer punishment for drug offenders in the country. Said he, “The Agency will continue to arrest drug traffickers and charge them to court. One of the ways of preventing drug trafficking is through stiffer punishment. I commend the arresting officers and urge members of the public to expose drug traffickers in their neighbourhood”. Head, Public Affairs of the agency, Ofoyeju Mitchell, said that the suspect would be arraigned in court upon completion of investigation”.
Alleged N77 million fraud: Ex Oyo Commissioner, others, remanded in prison
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Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday ordered the remand of Kazeem Adedeji, a former Oyo State Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Cooperatives, charged with N77 million fraud. Adedeji, Yinka Fatoki and Kolawole Adewole would remain on remand at the Kirikiri Prisons till Oct. 8, when the court is scheduled to hear their bail application. Adedeji is standing trial alongside Fatoki and Adewole, on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy and fraud. They each pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them. The trial judge, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, however, ordered their remand, following an application by the Prosecutor, Mr Effiong Asuquo. Asuquo informed the court that counsel to the accused, Mr Bode Iranloye, had just served him a bail summons for his clients, adding that he would require time to file a counter affidavit in reply. Justice Aneke adjourned the case till Oct. 8, for hearing of the bail application, but ordered the accused to be remanded in prison, pending the determination of their bail. The prosecutor had told the court that the accused committed the offence between July 2012 and June 2013. He said that sometime in 2012, while Adedeji was still a commissioner, the Oyo State Government entered into a partnership agreement with the Bank of Industry.
The prosecutor explained that the fund, known as OYSG/B.O.I Fund, was to create a pool from which indigenous entrepreneurs from the state could access credit facilities. He told the court that both parties had made a contribution of N500,000,000 each, which amounted to a joint contribution of N1 billion. He said the joint venture was aimed at promoting Micro and Medium businesses in Oyo State. According to the prosecutor, Adedeji lodged the said contributions into Enterprise Bank where his wife allegedly worked as an account officer, without the consent and approval of the Oyo State Government. Asuquo told the court that the accused then conspired to obtain over N77 million, which they allocated to non-existing companies, The prosecutor said that the accused granted the facilities to Josh-Tolani Ventures, Tembenatil Ventures, Ojoo, God’s Grace Cooperative Society, Agric Preserve Company Ltd, and Adis Steel Works Ltd. He said that upon investigation at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), it was discovered that none of these companies existed. The offence is said to contravene the provisions of Sections 1(1), 1(3) (a) and 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, Cap A6, Laws of the Federation, 2004. NAN reports that the offence attracts a jail term of not less than 20 years imprisonment, if convicted.
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SOUTH SOUTH
PDP chieftain, monarch, others escape death in Kokori AMOUR UDEMUDE ASABA
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ragedy was yesterday averted in Kokori, in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State as several youths said to be loyal to detained kidnapper kingpin, Kelvin Onirah, held hostage a top politician and a traditional ruler in the state as well as security personnel. A chieftain of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, and a candidate of the party in the forth-coming Delta central senatorial district by-election, Chief Emmanuel Agwariavwodo,, traditional ruler of Agbon Kingdom, HRH Mike Omeru Ukori I as well as a detachment of mobile policemen and some party leaders narrowly escaped being killed in the hands of the rampaging youths.
Agwariavwodo and his entourage were said to be at the palace of the traditional ruler in continuation of his campaign,
when they were locked inside the palace by the acclaimed Onirah boys and some youths in sympathy with the said kid-
napper kingpin. Saturday Mirror gathered that several cars worth millions of naira, parked inside and out-
side the palace were set ablaze by the irate boys. The commotion, which last several hours, witnessed mass protest by
L-R: Chairman of Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Most Revd. Nickolas Okoh; Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State; Executive Secretary of NCPC, Mr. John Kennedy Opara and the Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Barr. Efiok Cobham, during the commission’s visit to the state, recently.
the Kelvin boys and some of the community youths calling for the immediate release of their boss. The situation almost turned bloody as soon as vehicles were set ablaze outside the palace and Agwariavwodo and people on his entourage were whisked away from the town when it became obvious that the irate youths were ot to kill them. The atmosphere was so tensed that the team found it difficult to leave the town as the youths had laid siege round the community for them. Aguariavwodo had flagged off his campaign earlier yesterday in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area of the state before heading to Kokori for the continuation of the tour.
Bayelsa places ex-Sylva’s aide under security watch EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA
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he Bayelsa State government said it has placed a former Security Adviser to a former governor of the state, Timipre Sylva, Richard Kpodoh under security watch over alleged provocative statements against the present ad-
ministration in the state. To this end, government said it had directed relevant security agencies to take appropriate action against Kpodoh. The step of the state government against Kpodoh was contained in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seriake Dickson, Daniel Iworiso-Mark-
son and made available to Saturday Mirror yesterday in Yenagoa. The statement described the statements credited to Kpodoh as a threat to the existing peace and tranquility in the state. Last Wednesday, Kpodoh had asked Governor Dickson to resign from office for allegedly lying to the people of the
state on the proposed procurement of a 60 million Euro loan from Poland meant for the building of a maritime academy at Okpoama in Brass Island in the state. Kpodoh had claimed that the governor had written a letter to the state’s House of Assembly for an approval of the loan which the governor
I have no interest in Associated Airlines –Igbinedion
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ormer Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, has dissociated himself from the ownership of the ill-fated Embraer 120 aircraft belonging to Associated Aviation Limited which
crashed last Thursday while conveying the remains of a former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Agagu. Igbinedion, a former Chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum(NGF) in a
statement while commiserating with the families of the deaceased, noted that, “My attention has been drawn to the news report linking myself with the ownership of the Associated Aviation Limited, the airline that operates the Em-
braer 120 aircraft with registration number SCD 361, and to state without iota of doubt that I have no interest whatsoever in the airline. No proxy ownership either. This information can be verified from the records at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).”
later turned around to say it was a “Tied Direct Aid” that would be serviced in 30 years period. But Iworiso-Markson reacting to the allegation, said if the inciting statements of Kpodor was not checked, it was capable of plunging the state into chaos. The statement reads in part; “Mr. Kpodoh had in the last couple of days vigorously pursued his inordinate plans by dishing out deliberate falsehood about the federal and state governments with a view to creating a state of insecurity and disaffection, using the platform of the so called new PDP, ostensibly to destabilise the home base of Mr. President.” “Government wishes to remind Bayelsans of the antecedents of
Mr. Kpodoh and warn vulnerable youths as well as the unsuspecting public to be mindful of this group of disgruntled persons, who are only out to mislead and misinform them as part of their grand design to achieve their selfish motives. Piqued by the fact that, the current administration has achieved so much within so short a time, what they couldn’t achieve in five years, they have resorted to deliberate blackmail and propaganda,” the statement said. The state government therefore advised law abiding Bayelsans to be wary of the antics of some mischief makers, who are out to use them to attract undue recognition.
Imoke lauds Jonathan on planned pilgrimage to Israel
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ross River State governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, has described President Goodluck Jonathan’s proposed pilgrimage to Israel later this month as unprecedented. The governor said this
in Calabar while playing host to the Chairman, Executive Secretary and members of the Board of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), who were in the state on sensitisation visit. Governor Imoke said
that the president’s participation in holy pilgrimage to Jerusalem would serve a purpose, especially at this time when the country needs prayer more than ever before. He stressed that President Jonathan would be
making history as the first Nigerian Christian president to embark on Holy Pilgrimage. Governor Imoke prayed that God would grant the President and everyone that would go on the pilgrimage this year their heart desires.
Governor Imoke also used the occasion to commend the Chairman of NCPC, Most Revd. Nicholas D. Okoh, and the team for considering it needful to visit him. He also revealed that he introduced the sponsorship of Chris-
tians and Muslims to the Holy land on assumption of office in 2007. Earlier, the Executive Secretary of NCPC, Mr. John Kennedy Opara commended Governor Imoke for his developmental strides in the state.
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REGIONAL NEWS
October 5, 2013
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NORTH
500 defunct CPC members decamp to PDP in Katsina JAMES DANJUMA KATSINA
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ore than 500 members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), in Katsina State have decamped to the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP). PDPPublic Relations Officer in the state Abdullahi Muh’d, in a statement made available to journalists, said the decampees were received by the Deputy Governor, Garba Faskari in Sandamu council area. The development is coming on the heels of two similar de-camping exercise by opposition members to the PDP in some parts of the state in recent months. The statement said Faskari assured them of equal opportunities with older members of the PDP in the council and state in general.
The deputy governor was also reported to have called on the new members to work hard for the party to maintain its leading position.
Leader of the decampees, Dan Hamza, said reason why they decamped was in recognition of “recorded performance” by current
state government. Hamza assured that he and other decampees would join hands with old members of the ruling party to sustain
achievements so far recorded. The decmapees, according to the statement, include former House of Assembly contestant,
Sirajo Hamza, council party chairman, Shuaibu Hashimu and entire executive members of the defunct party in the area.
L-R: Representative of Gombe State Governor, Mr. Abdulhameed Ibrahim; Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Sagir Saleh and Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Mr. Elias Mbam, at the North-East Zonal Public Hearing on Review of Revenue Allocation Formula in Bauchi, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN
53rd Independence: Plateau LG donates mattresses prison inmates JAMES ABRAHAM JOS
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nterim Administrator of Pankshin Local Government of Plateau State, Mrs Huldah Fwangchi, has donated over 500 mattresses to prison inmates in the area. Presenting the materi-
als to the officials of the prison in Pankshin, the administrator said the donation was meant to address the pathetic conditions of the inmates. Mrs. Fwangchi said the council’s gesture was a way of celebrating Nigeria’s 53rd independence anniversary with the in-
mates. Speaking at the brief ceremony, Mrs. Fwangchi says, ``We are here to show you our little way of concern with these mattresses, which we believe will go a long way in alleviating your discomfort when sleeping or resting. “This kind of gesture
shows that we are concerned about you welfare in the prison as some of you are potential future leaders if you allow the reformations to be part of you, `` she said. The Pankshin interim administrator therefore called on the inmates to cooperate with the prison
officials and avail themselves with the reformation programmes of the prison. Receiving the donations on the behalf of the inmates, the Officer in Charge of the prison, Mr. David Igbako, thanked the administrator for the gesture describing it as ‘very
encouraging.’ According to him, the donation has raised the hope of the inmates and the prison authorities. Igbako stressed the need for well-meaning individuals and organisations to emulate the council’s gesture to enable the prison to function effectively.
Police boss reads riot act to Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue criminals JAMES ABRAHAM JOS
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he Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 4, Micheal Zuokumor yesterday read riot act to criminals in the zone, saying efforts are on to rid the zone of forms of criminality. Zone 4 of the Nigeria Police covers Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue states Zuokumor also said that the zonal command would do everything possible to stem the tide of communal violence that has bedevilled the states in recent times. The AIG spoke with Journalists in Jos yester-
day shortly after addressing officers of the Plateau State Police command on issues that bother on their welfare and retirement. He noted that there has been stability in the past few days due to stringent mechanism
that the police and combined team of other security agencies have put in place to combat crime to make the zone violence free. In the words of the police boss, “I am here to have a chat with the officers of the Plateau
state police command on their welfare so that there can be better service delivery” adding that “the work of a policeman is like the work of an angel, to ensure that there is always peace. Abandoned life starts with good polic-
ing,” he said. Zuokumor also stressed that, “Zone 4 is one of the most peaceful part of the country. Plateau has peace now and the same thing with Nasarawa and Benue states which is part of the zone. The zone is predomi-
nantly farmers and cattle breeders and a lot of problems have been existing but we have done a lot and the skirmishes have reduced, for about three days now, we have not had any single incident and more is been done,” he said.
Kano denies employing 100 foreign doctors
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he Kano State government has denied reports that it had employed 100 medical doctors from Egypt with plans to pay them 10 times more than it is paying indigenous doctors. The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr
Abubakar Labaran, denied the claim while briefing journalists yesterday in Kano. According to Dr. Labaran, ``The ministry of health hereby states that the information is totally misleading and unrealistic. The ministry is highly surprised as to
where and how the Nigeria Medical Association got its information. ``The association has not at any time contacted the ministry or its agencies to either get or corroborate such information before going to the media’’, he said. He, however, ex-
plained that the government was at liberty to employ doctors as there was no law preventing it from doing so. According to him, Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso has lifted the embargo on the employment of health professionals, especially
doctors, nurses, midwives and pharmacists. He said the state has established three new schools and sponsored some students abroad to study medicine and pharmacy as part of efforts to meet the manpower needs of the health sector.
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NORTH
Ex-chairmen threaten to disrupt Nasarawa council polls IGBAWASE UKUMBA LAFIA
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f the threat issued by all former 13 Local Government Area chairmen in Nasarawa State was anything to go by, then there would be no councils elections in the state come this December, unless their one year entitlements arrears were paid. The aggrieved chairmen had been relieved of their positions in 2010 despite that they still had about one year tenure left to serve, but the state government stopped further payment of their entitlements for the remaining year, thus leading to litigations but which was later withdrawn for out of court settlement. Fresh council elections into the 13 local government areas of the state have been slated for December 2013, but the former council chairmen have threatened to disrupt the elections unless their entitlement arrears
were paid to them. In a communiqué issued by the aggrieved chairmen and read by their chairman, Musa Adamu Saidu, at the end of a meeting held at Keffi
Health Care Club, Keffi, headquarters of Keffi Local Government Area of the state, the former council chairmen warned of impending local council electoral shutdown
should their demands were not met. The communiqué read in parts, “We want to make it abundantly clear to the government of Nasarawa State that we, the
former elective chairmen of local government areas in the state will not hesitate to disrupt the forth coming local councils poll in the state by heading back to the Supreme
Interim Sole Administrator of Qua’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State, Mrs Vou Dido (right), presenting relief materials on behalf of the government to a victim of Nasarawa State communal clash, Mrs Jemila Lawal (l), during the distribution of relief materials to the victims in Jos yesterday. With them are officials of Plateau Emergency Management Agency. PHOTO:NAN
Court to revisit our litigation against the state government if our one year entitlements are not paid before the election date. “Our action in this direction is sequel to the refusal of the state government to comply with the out of court settlement which both the state government and the state ALGON agreed that the matter should be settled at home as it was resolved that Nasarawa State government should pay us all our outstanding entitlements in the shortest possible time. “But, to our bewilderment, since the case was withdrawn from the court, the state government have not shown any interest into the case again by way of working towards settling us our one year outstanding entitlement instead, she is concern with conducting a fresh election into the local councils of the state,” the communiqué said.
Nasarawa crisis: Group preaches peace, cultural tolerance IGBAWASE UKUMBA LAFIA
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non-gover nmental organisation, the Inter- Community Consultative Committee(ICCC), yesterday organised a peace summit for youths in Nasarawa State aimed at pro-
DANJUMA WILLIAMS GOMBE
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he Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu Usman Abubakar, has advised state governors in the country to ensure they make an impact in the lives of the masses by ensuring they provide more dividends of democracy.
moting promote peaceful co-existence among the diverse ethnic, religious and political groups in the state and the nation at large. The summit was held at Akwanga, headquarters of Akwanga Local Government Area of the state, where the group’s
chairman, Mr. David Abuluya, said that such summit became imperative considering the seeming intractable crises that had rocked the state and the country in general in the recent past. According to Abuluya, “The summit was aimed
at promoting unity, love and peaceful co-existence among the diverse ethnic and religion groups as well as empowering youths for the development of the state and the country at large.” Explaining the choice of Akwanga for the peace summit in spite of
the relative peace recorded in the town during the crisis in the state, Abuluya maintained that the measure was to be proactive to crisis evolution, rather than wait until situations warrant it. Abuluya, who also said that the group intended to delve into issues
like conflict resolution, peaceful co-existence, cultural tolerance, maintained that “there is the need to educate the people of this area on the effect of crisis to the society and the need to promote peaceful coexistence among themselves.”
Alhaji Abubakar gave the advice after inspecting buses and tractors at the premises of the state’s Ministry of Finance meant to empower the less privileged in the state and boost food production and other agricultural activities. The Emir used the oc-
casion to commend Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of the state for his laudable initiative of empowering people at the grassroots. The Emir urged other state governors to continue to make bold their pre-election promises to the masses. According
to the Emir, “If what we have seen in this state should be replicated in other states of the federation, then I believe the masses would have a lot to rejoice on in this democracy,” he said. The Emir also stated that the purchase of buses, cars, tricycles
and tractors for the needy was the first of its kind in the state and urged the management of the Gombe Leasing Company, the agency responsible for the distribution of the facilities, to ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of the scheme.
Earlier, while conducting the Emir round, Gombe State Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Muhammadu Hassan, reiterated the state government’s commitment to initiating programmes that will empower people of the state.
of operations elsewhere. These were the assurances of the state’s commissioner for police, Mr. Adams Audu, while parading two members of a notorious armed robbers that had been terrorising the Vandeikya, Ushongo and Adikpo areas of the state. The suspects, Terkimbir
Msuega and Aondohemba Tyo were paraded before journalists, while three others suspected robbers escaped and fled through bush paths. CP Audu told newsmen that the gang had held residents of the mentioned communities hostage with their nefarious activities thus making
live unbearable for the innocent citizens of the areas. The Benue police boss used the occasion to appeal to the people of the state to remain vigilant of their environment and also be free to volunteer information on suspicious elements to law enforcement agents.
He also solicited cooperation from the public to join hands in apprehending the fleeing three suspects of the gang. Mr. Audu disclosed that items recovered from the robbery suspects includes one Ak-47 rifle with 30 rounds of live ammunition; SMC
rifle with 18 rounds of live ammunition; pump action rifle with 7 rounds of live cartridges; 12 shells of expended ammunition; 5 extra magazines with 150 rounds of live ammunition and a blue Volkswagen Sharon bus with Reg. No. WNN 59 XA.
Gombe Emir tasks govs on masses welfare
Benue CP assures of crime free state, parades 2 robbers HENRY IYORKASE MAKURDI
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he Benue State police command has assured residents of the state that in no distant time, criminals in the state would beat a retreat and seek abodes and areas
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
October 5, 2013
Boat mishap: Bad weather hampers search for African migrants, over 250 feared dead
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ough seas have forced divers to postpone their search for more than 200 migrants still unaccounted for after their boat sank off southern Italy. Rescuers have so far found 111 bodies, and 155 people have been pulled alive from the seas 1km (half a mile) from the island of Lampedusa. Dramatic video footage shows the boat lying upright on the seabed some 150ft (45m) below the surface. Divers have described seeing horrific scenes inside the wreckage. Corpses are crammed into the wreck and some of the bodies - even in death seeming to cling to the sides of the hull, the BBC’s Alan
Johnston reports. So many bodies have been brought ashore that the island has had to send for more coffins and turn a hangar at the airport into a huge, makeshift mortuary. Italians are aghast at the scale of the tragedy, Italy’s worst ever migrant shipwreck, our correspondent says. A day of mourning has been declared, with flags flying at half-mast and a minute of silence observed in all Italian schools. A special mass is being held yesterday evening in the church in Lampedusa. Pope Francis, visiting Assisi, described yesterday as “a day of tears” for the victims and condemned a “savage world” that ignores the plight of “people
who have to flee poverty and hunger”. He has said he wants to use abandoned Catholic monasteries and convents to house refugees. Lampedusa Mayor Giusi Nicolini - who wept at the scene of so many bodies - said: “After these deaths, we are expecting something to change. Things cannot stay the same.” “The future of Lampedusa is directly linked to policies on immigration and asylum,” she told reporters. “This is not an Italian tragedy, this is a European tragedy,” Interior Minister Angelino Alfano has said. “Lampedusa has to be considered the frontier of Europe, not the frontier of
Italy.” Italian coastguard ships, fishing boats and helicopters have been taking part in the rescue and recovery operation off an area of Lampedusa called Rabbit Island. The search has been widened beyond the initial radius of four nautical miles in an effort to recover bodies that have been swept away by tides. But the worsening weather conditions have put the operation on hold, the BBC’s Gavin Hewitt reports from Lampedusa. Mr Alfano said the divers had seen dozens of bodies in the wreck. “There could be even more in the hold, where the poorest of the poor are usually put,” he told parliament.
Pope Francis is welcomed by Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta as he arrives at St. Francis Basilica during his pastoral visit in Assisi, yesterday
Kenyan youths burn church, riot after killing of Imam
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Salvation Army church and blocked a main road, a Reuters witness said. The Kenyan Red Cross said four people had died, all with gunshot wounds. The worst of the running battles with police took place in Mombasa’s downtrodden Saba Saba neighborhood, where traders shuttered their shops and residents fled for safety. An uneasy calm fell over Mombasa three hours after the clashes began. Omar was killed on the main road to the resort town
of Malindi, a few hundred meters (yards) from where another firebrand cleric, Aboud Rogo, was shot dead in his vehicle in August 2012 in a strikingly similar attack. Al-Amin Kimathi, head of the Muslim Human Rights Forum, said the police were exploiting public anger over Westgate as a cover to extend what he believed was a campaign of killings. “It is a continuation of what has been happening,” said Kimathi.
One-child policy: Chinese mother forced to abort six-month pregnancy
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Chinese woman has revealed she was dragged from her home in the middle of the night and forced to have an abortion, three months before her child was due to be born. Liu Xinwen, 33, and her husband Zhou Guoqiang were left devastated after the mother-of-one was pulled from her bed and taken to hospital to be injected with an abortioninducing drug. The forced abortion is due to China’s strict onebaby policy, introduced in 1979 to keep the country’s population under control
- the couple already have a son. The couple claim that they were awoken at 4am last week after their door was kicked down and two dozen officials from the Shandong Province Family Planning Commission forced their way into their home. Mr Zhou told Sky News how he was held down on the sofa while his terrified wife was taken away to the hospital. He then spent a desperate five hours trying to find out where Liu Xinwen had been taken as officials refused to tell him.
Syrian war: Assad says Turkey will pay for backing rebels
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yrian President Bashar al-Assad has told Turkey it will pay a heavy price for backing rebels fighting to oust him, accusing it of harboring “terrorists” along its border who would soon turn against their hosts. In an interview with Turkey’s Halk TV yesterday, Assad called Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan “bigoted” and said Ankara was allowing terrorists to cross into Syria to attack the army and Syrian civilians. “It is not possible to put terrorism in your pocket and use it as a card because it is like a
scorpion which won’t hesitate to sting you at the first opportunity,” Assad said, according to a transcript from Halk TV, which is close to Turkey’s opposition. “In the near future, these terrorists will have an impact on Turkey and Turkey will pay a heavy price for it.” Turkey, which shares a 900-km (560-mile) border with Syria and has NATO’s second largest deployable armed forces, is one of Assad’s fiercest critics and a staunch supporter of the opposition, although it denies arming the rebels.
Five killed in Egypt as Brotherhood protests against army-backed rule
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ive people were killed in clashes yesterday as supporters of deposed President Mohamed Mursi took to the streets of Cairo and other cities to demand the end of armybacked rule. The marches were the most ambitious attempt by the Muslim Brotherhood to press its demands since August 14, when authorities smashed two pro-Mursi sit-ins in Cairo and then declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew. An Egyptian army vehicle fired live rounds in the direction of Brotherhood support-
ers who had been pushed away from Cairo’s Tahrir Square by security forces, a Reuters witness said. Four people were shot dead in clashes in the southern city of Assuit, medical and health sources said. It was not clear which side they were on. Medical sources in Cairo said a Brotherhood supporter had died from a gunshot wound in clashes in the capital. Onlookers threw rocks at the pro-Mursi protesters, who hurled them back. Riot police earlier fired tear gas to push back the march.
oung Muslims set fire to a church, burned tires and clashed with police in Kenya’s main port city of Mombasa yesterday, leaving at least four people dead after the killing of an Islamic cleric which his followers blamed on security forces. The shooting of Sheikh Ibrahim Omar ignited religious tensions in the commercial and tourism hub, two weeks after Islamist militants killed at least 67 people in a raid on a Nai-
robi shopping mall. The imam and three other men were found dead in a car on Mombasa’s outskirts on Thursday night, police said. Television images showed the vehicle sprayed with bullet holes. Police dismissed allegations by Omar’s associates and people who attended his mosque that the shooting was part of a crackdown on Muslims after the mall attack or any wider campaign. Riot police fired gunshots and teargas to break up the rioters who had set alight a
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Republicans hang tough in standoff over U.S. govt shutdown
ouse Republicans held their ground yesterday in a standoff with President Barack Obama over the U.S. government shutdown, accusing him of intransigence and not caring about the impact
of the shutdown, now in its fourth day. With little sign of compromise on either side, many fear the shutdown, triggered by a dispute over the president’s
healthcare reforms, will drag on until bickering politicians tackle the more dire threat of a possible U.S. default later this month. House Speaker John
Boehner speaking after a closed-door meeting with House Republicans, said the House of Representatives would not vote on a “clean” spending bill. The party has de-
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manded a halt, or at least a delay, in implementing Obama’s healthcare reforms, the signature legislation of his presidency, as a condition of allowing a vote on spending that
would allow the government to reopen. Boehner yesterday also demanded spending cuts in exchange for raising the government’s borrowing limit.
Quote Saturday, October 5, 2013. www.nationalmirroronline.net
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Over 300 lives have been lost to measles since January, as against 100 lives by this same time last year. 53,842 measles cases have also been reported so far, as against 8,243 within this same period last year. Dr Ado Mohammad, Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, sounding a warning note on the rise of measles’ cases.
Opening Up Africa to Africa (III) W
ith almost all African countries gaining independence in the 1960s came the desire for close cooperation among Africans. The continent was moved along two tracks in this regard – those who wanted close and immediate cooperation on political and economic basis and others who preferred gradualism. Despite their different views on Africa’s integration process, both groups generally agreed on the continent’s need for integration. Yet, the nature and character of the post-colonial African state made it unattractive for the political leadership in Africa to aggressively pursue integration. By the mid-1960s and 1970s, however, several economic arguments began to emerge in support of rapid integration. Indeed, it became obvious to African leaders themselves that most African states were too small or too weak to independently negotiate on the international scene. This gave rise to the birth of several regional economic communities which are commonly regarded as the “building blocks” of the African Union. To be fair to them, regional economic communities have played a key role as instruments for the further integration of the African continent. Despite this, integration efforts in Africa have not seen enough success to give many Pan-Africans hope and satisfaction. Intra-Africa economic, political, cultural, or even military
with President Olusegun Obasanjo hexcellency2011@yahoo.com
INTRA-AFRICA ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, CULTURAL, OR EVEN MILITARY RELATIONS HAVE AT BEST BEEN MINIMAL AND INSIGNIFICANT WHEN SUCH RELATIONS ARE COMPARED TO THOSE BETWEEN AFRICAN
STATES AND EUROPEAN OR ASIAN COUNTRIES relations have at best been minimal and insignificant when such relations are compared to those between African states and European or Asian countries. Figures in the early 1990s suggest that the proportion of trade for instance was only 8.4 per cent in 1993 compared with Western Europe (69.9 per cent), Asia (49.7 per cent), North America (33 per cent) and Latin America (19.4 per cent). The situation has hardly
changed today. And let me say here I do not buy the argument that we cannot trade among ourselves because we produce similar or the same commodities. In Europe Germany and France produce similar or the same commodities and they normally trade between themselves. Our inability to trade and relate with one another has meant that we are unable to maximize and fully take advantage of
SPORT EXTRA Glasgow 2014: UK expresses regret over Gambia’s withdrawal
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he British Government has expressed regrets over the decision of the Gambia to withdraw from the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, after 48 years of membership. The UK Foreign Office yesterday described the development as ‘very regrettable’. “Decisions on Commonwealth membership are a matter for each member government, we would very much regret with Gambia, or any other country, deciding to leave the Commonwealth,” spokesman for the Foreign Office, said. The Europe Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the withdrawal was announced on Gambia’s state television. No reason
was given for the action. President Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia had previously branded the Commonwealth a neo-colonial institution. However, officials of the Commonwealth said they only heard about the move through the media and had not yet been contacted by the Gambia authorities. The Commonwealth was founded in 1931 but acquired its modern status after 1949, as former British colonies and protectorates, including the Gambia, started achieving self-government and varying degrees of independence. Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has said that in spite of The Gambia’s withdrawal from
the Commonwealth of Nations, there were still possibilities the country could participate at the Glasgow 2014 Games. A statement by the CGF yesterday said that the country would only miss out in Glasgow 2014, pending an official order from the Commonwealth Secretariat. The Gambia has competed in every Commonwealth Games since 1970, but was barred in Edinburgh 1986, when there was an African-led boycott. The country participated in Delhi in 2010 in athletics, boxing and wrestling. They won their only ever medal, a bronze in the men’s high jump, on their Games debut, also hosted by Edinburgh in 1970.
the synergies and complementarities of our economies and take full advantage of the economies of scale and other benefits (such as income and employment generation) that a larger market integration would have brought about. Isn’t it sad that we still purchase roses and other beautiful flowers grown here in Kenya from fancy stores in London and other parts of Europe? Why is Kiwi shoe polish produced in Kenya not widely distributed all over Africa? Cases such as these where products and services could have been sourced competitively from other African countries but were procured from outside the continent is the greatest sad commentary on our integration efforts. Several factors account for this slow progress including lack of political will, weak inter-country infrastructural facilities, political instability, economic nationalism, suspicions of dominance by large states, divisions along colonial heritage, etc. Clearly, the challenges are mostly political in nature. A major failing of these past efforts, therefore, has been the focus on the political leadership and the negligence of nonstate actors in the integration process. Or put another way, the political declarations are not synchronized with private sector efforts to move the process forward on the economic plane.
TO BE CONTINUED
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Today’s Matches Man City v Everton 12:45 Cardiff City v Newcastle 15:00 Fulham v Stoke City 15:00 Hull City v Aston Villa 15:00 Liverpool v Crystal Palace 15:00 Sunderland v Man United 17:30
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