Sunday, July 15, 2012 by GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LIMITED

THE

Big Read

P. 3-6

Plateau:

News

P. 51

Another air mishap averted

Still, the bloodletting continues

...as Arik aircraft hits NAF plane z

NCAA: Pilot ignored weather warning

www.nationalmirroronline.net

Vol. 2 No. 31

Sunday, July 15, 2012

N150

Edo Guber: Oshiomhole overwhelms Airhiavbere

P8, 9

...Anenih, PDP candidate lose wards

INEC official, three policemen drown delivering election materials z Late accreditation, absence of officials mar exercise z

Edo election result at a glance LG/Ward/Unit

ACN

PDP

Unit 1

260

Unit 2

244

Unit 3

280

Unit 4

203

Unit 5

277

Unit 6

142

Unit 7

268

Unit 8

264

Eghosa Gram Sch. Egor LGA

â&#x20AC;˘ Continued on page 9

Three Ondo student union leaders die in road mishap P. 49

Governor Adams Oshiomhole casting his vote at exactly 12:54 p.m. at Ward 10, Unit 1, Iyamho Primary School, yesterday

PDP gubernatorial candidate, Maj.-Gen Charles Airhiavbere casting his vote at Garrick Memorial Nursery and Primary School at Ekenwan Road, Ward 1 Unit 20 in Benin, yesterday.

Plateau villagers get 48-hour Death toll rises in ultimatum to vacate settlement Rivers tanker explosion z Five villages affected z STF launches manhunt for gunmen

P. 12

z 13 more casualties recorded

P. 12

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What’s new Interview

Seven Days TALKING POINT OF THE PAST WEEK JULY 15, 2012

FG introduces new 65 percent levy on wheat flour Only Boko Haram can determine if Nigeria ‘ll remain beyond 2015 –Sagay Legal icon, Prof. Itse Sagay, in this interview warns against the continued violence in the country in order to ensure its survival beyond 2015. He also speaks on the $620,000 bribery scandal rocking the House of Representatives, among other sundry issues.

Politics

The Federal Government has announced an additional 65 per cent levy on wheat flour imports and also established a Cassava Bread Development Fund. These and other fiscal measures unveiled by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, are to ensure that the policy on cassava bread succeeds and impact positively on other links of the cassava value programme of the government. The additional levy will also be

paid with the 35 per cent duty on the commodity in line with the approved 2012 budgetary provision, which becomes effective this month. According to her, the money to operate the Fund would be sourced from the newly imposed 65 per cent levy on wheat imports and would be managed at first instance by the Ministers of Finance, Agriculture, Trade and Investment and Science Technology and the Director General of the Budget Office.

Outrage trails Jos massacre Outrage on Monday trailed last weekend’s massacre in Jos, including the killings on Sunday of Senator Gyang Dantong, the Majority Leader of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. James Gyang Fulani and 20 other mourners. The renewed violence that engulfed several communities reportedly claimed over 100 lives.

Kenneth Iyoha

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, SENSATIONAL BLISS, A TALENT AND EVENT MANAGEMENT AGENCY

Wellness

Cataract: Symptoms and treatment

A survey of blindness and low vision in Nigeria carried out by Sightsavers, an international charity organization, in association with the Federal Ministry of Health, found out that nearly half a million adults in the country are in immediate need of cataract surgery.

I’ll flush out corrupt judges, says Mukhtar

The first female Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, has promised to flush out corrupt judges, admitting that the perception of Nigerians about the nation’s judiciary was negative. She was responding to a question on the state of the judiciary during her screening and confirmation as the

new CJN by the Senate in Abuja. “As at now, it is very bad and I am saddened by it. I will try. I don’t want to sound like a broken record. I will try to ensure that the bad eggs that are there are flushed out, cleansed by the National Judicial Council, NJC, based on petitions. I will ensure that the perception will change,” the new CJN said.

Subsidy fraud: We’re set to nail oil cabal –EFCC

EFCC has confirmed the discovery of massive fraud in the fuel subsidy payments, with the revelation that some of the vessels oil marketers claimed to have been used in the importation of fuel into Nigeria are not in existence. An impeccable source

in the commission told National Mirror that prima facie cases had been established against some of the marketers and that they would soon be charged to court. “We have established cases of infractions, irregularities in the subsidy payments. The whole subsidy matter stinks.

MON

Ciara Funmi Adekanbi is a model and a makeup artiste. She says models are poorly paid in Nigeria. Ciara who claims she has hot legs but small boobs declares she can model nude if the pay is right. She speaks with Adaeze Amos on the lapses in modelling in Nigeria.

TUE

‘If I have the opportunity, I would want to do boobs enlargement’

WED

Wednesday is not different from Tuesday. This day we can be shooting, we can be on location shooting and this can be on Monday or Tuesday or even Wednesday I have no particular day for shooting adverts, it depends on my clients. But before shooting, there is casting that is conducted and pictures are taken. This can be demanding.

THU

Fashionista’s World

My activities during the week are almost the same. This day, I meet a lot of people especially models and artistes that want to be managed This day, I go out to meet with my clients , get briefs and work on it. Most times, I have to be on location to see how the shooting is going on and sign contracts.

FRI

A legacy of reforms

On Tuesday we step out maybe we have gotten telephone calls or email from our clients that our services are needed in one or two places. This can be challenging. But, sometimes it may require that what one needs to do is just office work. But most times our work is in the field so we go there and get things done.

In the morning on Friday, I work, tidy up every activity for the week and in the evening I go clubbing, and enjoy myself with my friends. I at times use my friend to host my friends. My Friday is always a thank-God-is Friday. I usually have maximum fun. Also if I have events, I go for events but if I have to shoot on Friday, it means I have to be at the location working.

SAT

Musdapher:

Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Tarilah Tebepah. Others are J.E. Oye, Samson Ayibeboa, Antonia Koroye, Ziwari Billie, Buruboyefa John, Dikuro Ayebameh, Serge Williams, Olu Kuruom, G.I. Izein, Philomena Alodie, Omietimi Kojo, Ese Izonebi, Ohougha Maythias, James Clinton, Moses Teibowei, A. Samanyi and Viv-ian Odiowei.

When I come to work on Monday normally I have a meeting with the members of staff where we discussed the affairs of the week. How the week is going to be like and plan adequately for it. We make our itinerary for the whole week on this very We also appraise ourselves for the previous week-what one did right and what one didn’t do well.

Saturday, if I have an event, I will have to be there but mostly in the morning on Saturdays, I relax because of the hangover activities of Friday.

SUN

Jonathan’s wife, 17 others appointed Perm Sec in Bayelsa First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, was on Wednesday appointed permanent secretary in the Bayelsa State civil service, thus becoming the first of such appointment in the nation’s history. Dame Jonathan was among 18 permanent secretaries, whose appointment was approved by Governor Seriake Dickson. Also appointed is Linnet Tebepah, wife of the current Chairman of the

Dantong, representing Plateau North and Fulani, representing Barkin Ladi constituency, met their deaths in the hands of gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, who ambushed them and others while they were in a funeral procession on its way to bury victims of Saturday’s attack at Maseh in Riyom Local Government Area of the state.

Sunday I go to church most times and sometimes if I will have to work, nothing stops me I will be at the site/ location *Compiled by Adaeze Amos (0802 301 2293)

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

THE

Big Read SUNDAY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION JULY 15, 2012

Plateau: Still, the bloodletting continues

Peace has eluded the state on the Plateau. Sleep has also eluded its leadership. Bloodletting has gone on and on without abating. The question is how long this state of horror would last. What really went wrong with this peaceful haven now turned to a death zone? Our Jos Correspondent, James Abraham, reports

Jos, the beautiful and pristine capital of Plateau State, is troubled. Both the people and the government are in pains owing to the escalation of the age long crisis in the state. Within the last few days, no fewer than 200 people have been killed. The recent killings, which took place between March 7 and July 10, had claimed, according to statistics released in Jos by Berom Youth Movement (BYM), close to 704 Berom natives, apart from locals, who have also been killed in large numbers. Those murdered in cold blood were mostly defenceless women and children, who died without knowing why. Some were butchered on their beds while others were hacked down while trying to flee from their attackers. The women, who were the worst hit, were cut down as they tried to cover and protect their children with their bodies.

At other instances, little babies were snatched from their mothers and thrown into the burning flames set up by the attackers. But, what is baffling to many within and outside Jos is the fact that the perpetrators may never be brought to book. This development, observers believe, are largely responsible for the continued bloodbath in the state. As it is, victims cut across men, women and children including the rich and the poor. Lawmakers were not spared in the latest attacks in some parts of the state that have left many wondering whether the mayhem would ever come to an end. Added to this, is the fear of bomb attacks, which had occurred both in the city as well as in the villages. This situation in the Plateau has robbed residents of those comforting thoughts of serene, peaceful city that was the delight of Europeans in those days of peace. Today, the state on the plateau has lost its peace and innocence. For the families of the victims, the crisis have dislocated their lives, shattered dreams, maimed many and kept residents in constant fear. Just like many other families, life would never be the same again for the families of Senator Gyang Dantong, who represented Plateau North in the National Assembly

‘CRISIS IN JOS, RELIGIOUS BUT CLOUDED BY POLITICS’

before his untimely death, and Hon. Gyang Fulani, the Majority Leader until his death, in the Plateau State House of Assembly. Both died along side many others as a result of the attack on Sunday by gunmen at Matse village in Barki Ladi. Dantong was in Jos that Sunday morning and was said to have been scheduled for a church programme in Riyom, his village, before he changed his mind to attend the mass burial of 63 of his kinsmen. Unknown to Dantong, death was lurking around the corner. They were allegedly shot by Fulani attackers on Saturday, the previous day, who kept shooting from the hills causing panic among the mourners. He was later confirmed dead at a hospital in the council area. The mood of people, who had been trooping in at his Rayfield residence in Jos, where prayers were said in his honour underscores the calamity, which has befallen the people. Rwang, his younger brother, who spoke to this reporter, described him as not only a man of peace but a mediator between his people and other tribes. Across the state, many families were also in grief due to the loss of their loved ones to the series of attacks in the state. However, the death of the two lawmakers last Sunday has again

GOV., GBOM GWOM SHOULD PLAY FATHERLY ROLE –MOHAMMED

The Big Read

Sunday, July 15, 2012

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‘Perpetrators promote ethnic and religious sentiments’

Late Senator Dantong

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 brought to the fore the trend that Plateau crisis in the past few years has taken. This development has, indeed, made speculations rife that either some people are hell bent on keeping the state in perpetual crisis with active support of those in whose hand lies the responsibility to halt the trend. Before the Sunday incidents, residents had woken up to the news of another attack by the gunmen said to be in military uniform. The attacks, according to the state Governor, Jonah Jang, in a state wide broadcast to the people, “indicated that heavily armed gunmen swooped on nine unsuspecting communities in Barkin Ladi and Riyom local government areas in the early hours of Saturday.” The governor disclosed that in the ensuing attack, dozens of innocent unarmed civilians, including security personnel were killed. Houses were also set ablaze; as a result, many were rendered homeless, Jang added. According to the governor, “the perpetrators of these attacks have shown that they are willing to resort to killing of children, women and the elderly and to embark on poisonous propaganda to bring Nigeria on its knees. They also promote ethnic and religious forms of mobilisation even when the state does not have any aggressive purpose against anyone. As a state in the comity of states, we do not have any aggressive purpose against anyone.’’ Jang did not stop there. He also said the attacks were clearly a declaration of war on Plateau State orchestrated through well trained militants, who are not willing to live and let live. “They have established a terrorist base on the high grounds and hills of the Plateau. This destructive work even

Late Hon. Fulani

Dantong’s widow, son and Senate President, David Mark.

will happen in the next minutes. More than 40 of our church members, who were injured in the blast were hospitalised with broken limbs and legs. One of them eventually died four days after. What is their offence? Can’t the people worship their creator again in this country? Why can’t the security agents and government apprehend and punish those behind these evil acts so that we can have peace in the Plateau? What kind of life are we living in this country?’’ the pastor asked.

Pastor Uzoka

under a Federal-imposed State-of-Emergency has reached a climax with the unfortunate death of a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a Member of the Plateau State House of Assembly amongst several other innocent citizens,” he stated. A day earlier, about 50 persons were discovered burnt in the house of a pastor of the Church of Christ in Nigeria in Matse village in Riyom local government area. Twenty eight-year-old Sunday Dachomo, who lost his mother and two sisters in what many have described as a barbaric incident, could not hold his tears as he reflected on his future. “My sister who lives in Abuja just came to visit us in the village. She is the breadwinner in the family and the one responsible for my university education. Now almost the entire family members are gone just like that. I am the only one remaining. Right now, I don’t know what to do,” he sobbed. In the immediate past, the state had also

experienced other attacks. The COCIN, St Finbarr’s as well as Christ Chosen Church of God had been bombed with many dead or critically wounded. The memory is still fresh in mind. Monday Uzoka, 43-years-old, is the Pastor of the Church. On June 10, his church located along Rukuba Road, was bombed by terrorists while service was still on; the entire building caved in thereafter. Uzoka had just returned from the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), where he spent three weeks treating the multiple injuries he sustained during the blast before that. About 43 other worshippers of his church sustained serious injuries in the incident. “I keep wondering why the bombers should be allowed to continue to cause havoc on the people. Now, look at our church; they have destroyed everything including every property I had. The House of God is in ruins. People in the street are afraid of their lives because they don’t know what

Descent into abyss Though, the problem in Plateau is not new. What is rather confusing is the dimension it has assumed. From the initial crisis, it has graduated to a full blown terrorist acts against the people or so it seems. Incidentally, there are divergent views as to what is responsible for this disorder. Disagreement over indigenship, ownership of Jos, politics, ignorance, religion, unemployment and sheer wickedness has, at one time or the other, been identified as major causes. Indeed, like a festering wound, which has refused to heal, others say the recurrent crisis in Plateau State had its roots in 1994. This was when the first major crises broke out in Jos over the appointment of a sole administrator for the Jos North Local Government Area. The crisis, which claimed many lives, threw up the ownership issue of Jos North. But, the issue was not properly treated and nipped in the bud. Instead, it implanted a major seed of discord among the stakeholders, mainly between the indigenous ethnic groups in the state and Hausa Fulani settlers, who appeared determined to lay claim CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

If what’s happening is political, why Bishop Ransom Bello is the Chairman, Kano State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and General Overseer of Calvary Life Assembly Church. He spoke with Augustine Madu-West on the security challenges in the country.

Bello

What is your concern about the security situation in Kano as it affects Christians in the state? I think it’s been much of a hard time for Nigerians with the growing security challenges, especially in Kano State. There are so much of

apprehension, threat to lives and properties, particularly when some of these threats are not empty as the Boko Haram sect has shown. So, many people have been killed in Kano and other northern states by the extremists. The situation is very fearful; that’s the way I see it. The JTF, to the best of my knowledge, are doing their best in the circumstance. Though, there is still room for improvement; along with the police, otherwise Kano would have been in total mess by now. How does this situation affect the Nigerian nation? At the national level, I think, there has been a problem too. Our economy has equally been dealt with, the same way the economy of the

North is devastated, and this is why we keep praying and fasting to seek divine intervention into this unfortunate situation. Again, the government should come out with more pro-active measures to ensure that the security agents are adequately equipped for this and other challenges threatening the country’s peace and unity, and work towards restoring confidence of the people in the government. The road to peace appears not in sight for now as this Boko Haram conflict lingers. How do you see this? Yes, going by experience, we have not seen much of a sign that this situation will abate in the nearest future. Instead, it appears the situation is deteriorating with spate of attacks lead-

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The Big Read

Sunday, July 15, 2012

‘Crisis in Jos, religious but clouded by politics’ Hassan John is the Director of Media, the Anglican Diocese of Jos. He says in this interview with Isioma Madike, that ‘big men’ in Abuja have deliberately been misinformed about the crisis in Jos. Jos was once described as a peaceful haven, now a death zone. What would you say is the genesis of the crisis on the Plateau? The genesis of the crisis on the Plateau will be explained in different ways by different people depending on whether they are Christians or Muslims or politicians. But let me quickly take you back into history. This will clear up a few things. Muslim campaign could not spread its tentacles and influence on the Plateau because the terrain was strange and over the years the people resisted Islam as a religion till date. This is seen as unacceptable if the ‘North’ must claim to be predominantly Islam. Also, the unfortunate incidents of February 13, 1976 military coup that killed Gen. Murtala Mohammed has the totality of the blame dropped on the people of Plateau. Col. Buka Suka Dimka was seen as the Plateau man that terminated then Head of State and the manhunt for Dimka lasted months. Many innocent military officers who were indigenes of Plateau were summarily executed. But, some people have also pointed to Sharia politics. What is the implication of this to Jos crisis? That’s a good question. When the nation was thrown into the ‘Sharia’ politics that saw some northern states declaring the Sharia law, the Hausa Muslims in Jos joined in the clamour for Sharia to be introduced in Jos North local government area if not the entire state. Many Muslim since then declared that as Muslims they were answerable only to the tenets of Sharia and not the Nigerian constitution. This was also the case in Wase LGA in the southern parts of Plateau. In 2004, 23 Christians were massacred in Yelwa Shendam and this was followed by the killing of a local chief; this stirred the reprisal attack by the local community in Shendam on Yelwa community that resulted in the state of emergency in 2004. What would you say ignited last week’s

and Muslim. Let’s also not forget that Islam has the growing popularity of a ‘terrorist’ religion worldwide. Is there any possible way out of the crisis; if yes, what is the way out? You just asked a question that only President Goodluck Jonathan should answer. This is because there are first of all other questions we must address quickly. First, Jos has been conscripted as part of the North ‘or northern part of Nigeria’ by the political exigencies of the politics of Nigeria so as to gather a strong bargaining power by the far North. This has worked for many years but Plateau insists it is ‘the middle belt’ region of Nigeria. So, the question remain, are we ready to coexist as a country with the recognition of our distinctiveness? Or must we be forced to be under a tyrannical autocratic Emirship? This may work for Islam but does it work for Christians?

John

mass killings in Jos? I think that last week’s mass killings in Jos were not an isolated or independent incident. Let me also quickly remind you that this is simply an extension of a campaign that started on April 12, 2010; there was the Dogo Na Hauwa massacre in which about 500 people were butchered in the night in three villages and their surroundings. That same day in Gimli, a village near Gindiri where the former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, comes from, the entire village was destroyed my Fulani attackers. The village of Byei, in Riyom was also attacked exactly two weeks later where women and children, numbering over 20 were butchered in the same sophisticated military style and precision. The attackers came in at night, conducted over three hours of killing spree and left, conveniently just before the Joint Task Force arrived in the morning to convey the few who survived with traumatic injuries. Then the village of Maza was attacked, women and children butchered and the attackers got away. These attacks were in the same fashion and same precision; the attackers came dressed either

in military camouflages or in black, firing from AK 47s and using machetes to butcher. What is responsible for the recurring violence in Jos? Let me put it this way; the misinformation on the actual issues at stake in Jos and the inability to address them squarely is responsible for the recurrence. Because the ‘big men’ in Abuja have deliberately been misinformed because of religious sentiments- that is why I insist that it is fundamentally a religious campaign against Josthe federal government itself is completely confused about the issues in contention, so they generalise. The lack of political will and boldness to address the issues squarely as well as address the issue of those sponsoring the violence are the other reasons. These attacks cannot persist without sponsorship; it is simply impossible. Why are Muslims and Christians unable to live together in peace in Jos Plateau? Trust has been eroded completely. Wherever and whenever there is no trust, there can never be peace. Not between Christian

What are the religious leaders doing to help put an end to the crisis? Again good question! Nothing! Let me say, to be fair that the Christian community has tried in the past. But three years of siege have made many Christian youth abandon the Church and returned to Juju. They heard too much of ‘turn the other cheek’ and be CHRIST-like and peaceful severally, while many of them saw their families slaughtered with their own eyes. Many barely escaped with scars of the ‘war’. Am sure you have heard of youths ‘eating human flesh. Well, let me put that in perspective. Many of the youth got frustrated. The Church kept praying, the governor, though the ‘chief security officer of the state’ could not order the police commissioner or even a troop, so the war raged on. The youth seeking salvation for the deaths decided to go back to ‘traditional ways’ and now we are breeding young men who think they have seen the juju man and he has made them invincible against ‘Hausa and Fulani attackers’; they are no longer going to Church or listening to their pastors. On the other hand, the Islamic clerics have maintained this ‘code of silence’ over most of the issues. All you hear are denials that the attackers are not ‘true Muslims’ and feeble condemnation when it becomes necessary. Almost all peace efforts have been initiated by Christians and NGOs rather than Muslims leaders in Jos.

attack churches, Christians? Asks Kano CAN chair ing us with hopeless situations even though I said the security people are doing their best, I cannot see an end to this in a short time. The military men have been on the streets of Kano for a while now. How long will this be; is it proper for them to remain outside the barracks indefinitely? It is not a normal thing for soldiers to be on the streets, but our situation right now justifies this. It is not a normal situation; we have serious security challenges and the regular presence of the military in nooks and crannies of the streets creates its own problems, like fear. It is a reflection of a conflict situation, but that does not mean we should clamour for their removal from the streets

otherwise, we will pay dearly for it. We are in a state of terror, so we should accept the situation as the best in the circumstance. As Christian’s leaders, we will continue to pray and we hope God is hearing our prayers. The attacks on churches have lately been constant. What are the implications? It has different kinds of implications, depending on your line of thinking. Some say it’s political and not religious and I keep wandering, if it’s political then why the churches? Is the church a political party that they should be dealt with? Definitely it’s more than that. In my opinion and the opinion of many, it’s purely religious, the foreseeable danger in the attack on churches is the ten-

dency for a religious war, it might get to that extent; don’t make the mistake about this. This is why government and northern leaders should do something to arrest the trend, because I also believe the perpetrators are out to push this country into a religious war by setting the Muslims against their Christian counterparts. The Boko Haram insurgency has claimed two key officers in this government. The NSA, Andrew Aziza, and Defence Minister, Haliru Bello, who were sacked. Don’t you think that action was too hasty? We wait for time to see whether their sack is justified or not and how much difference they can make. Well, before the hammer,

there have been calls for the removal of Azazi as NSA, now that we have a northerner there, let’s see the miracle or magic he will perform; we wish whoever is there well. Do you agree with the notion that the Boko Haram saga was designed primarily to frustrate President Jonathan’s government, being a Southerner? Look, there is also a political dimension to the insurgency, no-doubt about this. Many believe the organisation came to being following the emergence of a Christian as President of the country, and many believe also that the day power returns to the North, the whole story about Boko Haram will remain at the level of history.

The Big Read

Sunday, July 15, 2012

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Hausa community being persecuted, relegated by state –Mohammed CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 to the local authority. According to Hassan John, director media of the Anglican Diocese of Jos, “Jos Township has an estimated 1.5 million people; made up of Igbos, Yorubas, people from South-south and so many other tribes. Jos also has just about 7, 000 Hausa ‘settlers’. The term is part of the contention in Jos since the minority Hausa insist that they founded Jos; historical data notwithstanding. The Hausa community’s insistence that by right and not by the ballot box, they must be given the Jos North chairmanship, created a deep gulf among the people. They were not disposed to any other tribe laying claims to the chairmanship. They see it as ‘rigging’ if whoever wins is not Hausa. This was the issue that sparked off the November 28, 2008 crisis.” John, however, believes that it would be right to attribute the crisis to religion, somehow. “There were these prolonged religious crises in Kaduna and Kano where Christian were attacked and killed and an Igbo man beheaded on the claims of the desecration of the Quran. Those that fled from Kano and Kaduna settled in Jos. You can imagine the stories of horror they came and settled in Jos with. This also increased the tension and mistrust in Jos apart from the Zango Kataf “war”. Many from southern Kaduna have strong affiliation to people in Jos. So, if you are looking for the genesis of the problems in Jos, I would say it is basically religious but heavily clouded by politics. “Not economic like many others are forcing people to believe. It has become the general call that when there is a conflict some people see it as an avenue to provide employment for the ‘street kids’, children of parents who have refused to take responsibilities for the upbringing of their teeming wards. Plateau State is not poorer than Bauchi, Zamfara, Nassarawa or Taraba States; if it is poverty, why has the crises not devastated these states? When the nation has produced a generation of youths that are not properly educated and are unemployable, there are bound to be consequences nationwide, not just in Plateau State,” he said. But, at a recent stakeholder’s meeting held at Rayfield Government House in Jos, a community leader and Secretary of Jamaátul Izalatul Bidáh Wa Ikamatus Sunnah, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed, told the visiting NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, that the Hausa community is being persecuted and relegated to the background by the state government, which he said has not helped the peace efforts in the state. “The governor and Gbom Gwom Jos should not only play fatherly role but strive to accommodate the Hausa community in the state. That is what I think is the solution for peace in Jos,” he said. However, the Chairperson of Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) in Plateau State, Hajia Wasilat Abdulsalam Amirah, is pleading for peace. She is not happy that the crisis in the state has lingered despite peace efforts by different stakeholders. According to her, “Women and children are the most vulnerable any place there is crisis. To say the least, Muslim women in Plateau are not happy with the continued crisis in the state because we are all affected. A few days ago, we held a peace conference where the women, irrespective of tribe or religion, took time

A family of three wiped out in Gada Biya village

to pray for peace in the state and Nigeria in general. There is no reason why we should be fighting and killing ourselves because none of the holy books encourages us to do so. We asked God to expose those who are behind all these destructions in our society so that we can forge ahead. Without peace, there would be no progress.” As a measure to resolve the problem, a judicial Commission of Inquiry was set up by the then military but the recommendations of the committee never saw the light of the day. For a period of about seven years, peace reigned in the land until 2001, when another crisis erupted in Jos North. Following the crisis, the Federal Government appointed Muhammed Muktar as the state co-coordinator of the poverty alleviation programme. The appointment, instead of helping to resolve the problem, threw up the hitherto unresolved conflict of interest between the indigenes and the settlers. Although, there were many versions of what led to the disturbances that shook the state capital and neighbouring towns, the account that the 2001 violence was triggered off when the only access road to Congo Russia, a Christian dominated area were blocked during the Friday Jumat prayer by Muslims gained more acceptability. Muslims alleged that a Christian school girl trying to find her way home desecrated their prayer and this triggered off the violence in different parts of the city including Massalaci Jumaa’a, Ungwan rogo, Rikkos Abbattoir, Yankaji, Ali-kazaure, Sabon Layi, Tudu Wada, Gangare, Dilimi Street and Zaria Road. So many lives were lost and properties destroyed. In 2002, violence erupted yet again in different parts of Jos and in the process the Jos ultra modern market, considered the pride of the Plateau people and centre of commerce in the middle belt was burnt down. The destruction of the market, which accounted for a major revenue earner for the state, no doubt, affected the economy of the state and negatively impacted on the lives of the people. That same year, the violence snowballed to the Southern part of the state where Christians in Nshar and Yelwa Shendam were attacked during the early morning church service. About 50 people, mostly women and children, were reportedly massacred. Within the same period, some Christian leaders in Wase local government council were invited to the then Emir of Wase palace for a peace meeting. After the meeting, seven of them were allegedly ambushed

Shocked Gada Biya survivor

and killed by Muslim youths in the area. The crisis that was to follow engulfed the southern zone of the state, which culminated into the declaration of State of Emergency in 2004, by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo. This same unresolved issue reared up again in 2008 local government council election in the state when Gov. Jang decided to conduct election into all the 17 local government areas of the state. Aminu Baba, who contested under the platform of All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), lost the chairmanship election of Jos North. But, the youth, mainly of Hausa Fulani extraction, could not swallow the bitter defeat. They went on the rampage, killing people and destroying properties in Jos metropolis with Christian clergies and worship places as target. In January 2010, youths of Jos North, again went on the rampage. Christians in three villages in a community near Jos were shot and butchered in cold blood in the early hours of Sunday, March 7. On Sunday, March 17, at Nassarawa Gwom near St. Michael Catholic church, the youth, not done with the March 7, massacred, destabilised church sessions, killed a number of worshipers and destroying the church. In that attack, children and their mothers, including the aged were hacked down in the surrounding fields while attempting to escape from the night marauders. Even breast sucking babies were not spared in the attack. There was also the Dogo Na-hauwa massacre. Besides that, there were other pockets of invasion and killings in some villages between April 2010, and November 2010; it continued till 2011. For instance, in Maza village of Jos North, 12 people, mostly women and children were killed in their sleep while in Rewyienku village in Bassa local government council, six were massacred. In Byei village in Riyom, 17 people were equally slaughtered by the night invaders. Aside that, Wereng, Rim and Jol villages in Riyom local government council also lost over 22 people while Sho, Fan, Heipang Yelwa and Rantis villages in Barkin Ladi lost 20 and their cattle rustle. It was the same story during the 2010 Christmas Eve where multiple bomb blasts simultaneously hit four suburb of Jos metropolis. That incident introduced yet another dimension to the intractable crisis in the state where hundreds of people were burnt to death with over 200 others sustaining various degrees of injuries.

From January 2011, till date, the series of violence had continued unabated in spite of the presence of security personnel. Intervention not yielding the desired results Both the federal and state governments, including stakeholders have adopted several measures in order to end the lingering crisis but none has worked thus far. In May 2004, after the violence that spread to the Southern part of the state, the federal government, which apparently was overwhelmed by the extent of destruction, imposed a State of Emergency in the state. That order by President Obasanjo marked the beginning of soldiers’ occupation in the state. Although they left after the expiration of their six months job, the soldiers, nonetheless, returned in November 2008, when violence broke out, which they promptly quelled. The federal government also set up a special military task force with a mandate to end the crisis in the state. Unlike in the past, the soldiers were asked to relocate permanently to the trouble state to enable them respond quickly in the event of any outbreak of violence. But rather than douse the tension, the action spurred the conflict from bad to worse. The situation challenged the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejerika, to overhaul operations of members of the special task force on Jos crisis. There were public outcry that trailed the security set up in the state as virtually all the segment of the society have, on several occasions, accused them of taking side. Women have also protested against the soldiers continued stay in the state. In addition, the federal government had on December 31, 2011 slammed another State of Emergency; but, this time on Jos North, Barki Ladi, Riyom and Jos South, considered as the hotbed of the crisis. Other unworkable measures had equally been taken to end the crisis. For instance, since 1994, the federal and state government had set up six different commissions of inquiries to proffer lasting solution to the incessant Jos crisis. Among them were the Febrisima and Nikki Tobi’s Commissions in 2001; Felicia Dusu Commission of 2004; the Peace Conference in 2004, the Federal House of Representative panel in 2009 and the most recent, Prince Bola Ajibola panel in 2009. Incidentally, the commissions or committees turned in their reports with dozens of far reaching recommendations, but none are yet to be implemented.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday, July 15, 2012

NOTICE OF NEC MEETING Notice is hereby given of the 60th meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as follows Date:

Tuesday, 17th July 2012

Venue: PDP National Secretariat, Plot 1970, Michael Okpara Street, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja. Time:

12 noon prompt

All NEC members are advised to attend unfailingly and on time as important Party matters shall be discussed.

Chief Olisa Metuh National Publicity Secretary

News

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Absence of INEC officials, materials mar election SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN

he 2012 Edo State governorship election suffered serious delay and hiccups yesterday owing to the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to hit the ground running at many of the voting centres with its officials and electoral materials. Also, three policemen and one INEC ad hoc staff were reported to have died in a river during the election in the process of delivering electoral materials to one of the riverine communities. Prior to the election, INEC National Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega; National Commissioner, Dr. Ishmael Igbani, and Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Kassim Gaidam, had spared no words along with the InspectorGeneral of Police, Mr. Mohammed Dikko Abubakar, to express readiness for a hitch-free and fair election. However, while the police have apparently upheld their promise to ensure a non-violent conduct of the election, the case has not been so especially for INEC based on its poor performance in Oredo Local Government Area, which was placed under the supervision of Igbani. At Oredo, a council that is credited with about 162,000 registered voters making it the largest in Edo State, and which houses the Benin Traditional Council (BTC), accreditation did not begin in many voting centres as at 12 p.m. At Garrick Memorial Grammar School, off Ekehuan Road, where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Major-General Charles Ehigie Airhiavbere, was going to vote, neither INEC officials nor electoral materials were sighted as at 11.00 a.m. The situation created anxiety and drew the anger of voters who rained curses on INEC staff. The situation was the same in other voting centres such as the one at Niger College, opposite Guinness Nigeria Plc at Ikpoba Hill, most of which are considered as strongholds of the incumbent Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole. Reacting to the situation in his village, Iyamho, Oshiomhole blamed Jega and Igbani, whom he described as “one of the

Highlife music icon, Sir Victor Uwaifo (right) and Mrs. Anne Ogbebor at Garrick Memorial Nursery and Primary School at Ekenwan road, Ward 1 Unit 20 in Benin.

Empty Ring Road roundabout in Benin City during the election.

old crooks in INEC” as being responsible for the shoddy job. He described it as a scientific rigging that was carefully designed by INEC leadership to undermine his reelection. He said when he complained earlier on, Jega had kept on assuring that all was well with the election organisation. Oshiomhole, who voted at exactly 12.54 p.m. spoke at 1.00 p.m. The governor further alleged that he was in receipt of information about how ballot papers were being thumbprinted in the home of a PDP chieftain in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area, which report, his campaign organisation

has already made available to the police and state security. Oshiomhole thereafter drove to Benin City, where he promised to go and mobilise the people against the rigging process that he alleged. Oshiomhole, who was overheard frantically calling some people on the telephone at different times, said, “Accredition was supposed to stop at 12 but as at 12, materials have not arrived. Many people have come and found that their names were not on the register. We requested INEC to display it. If they had displayed it we would have been able to see it. In a particular place that about 500 names were

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

EDO GOVERN registered, 200 names could not be found on the register. That this is only one state election and INEC is wobbling and Prof Jega can’t vouch for his lieutenants is really worrisome. It is the heart of Benin City and all the materials have been distributed by yesterday. Just to distribute them within Benin when we are talking of 10, 15 minutes drive... what are they telling me: Oh, they didn’t have materials... Oh, they did not pay (the ad hoc staff)... If you remember, I told Jega about all these more than a month ago that one of the things they (PDP) intend to do was to collaborate with INEC to delay the distribution of election materials, which they ever so often do. And Jega had kept on giving assurance even when I kept on telling him that he must not assume everybody in INEC was an angel.” Sunday Mirror also visited Edo Central, where a heavy build-up armed military and mobile police presence marked major roads. The election however witnessed a very large turnout of both male and female voters, especially the youths and where early results put the ACN in commanding lead. The situation was also peaceful in Ehor, Ekpoma, Avhiele, Auchi, Igarra, Ibilo, Iyamho, Fugar, Jattu, Ikabigbo and Ogbona. In all the places, no violence was reported even as malpractice was reduced, compared to past elections in the areas. In Otuo, the capital of Owan, a ballot box was allegedly declared “lost” by INEC, which later replaced it so as not to disrupt the election there. Yet, complaints on the election were not limited to only the ACN as the PDP also made a complaint at Aiyegunle in Igarra in Akoko Edo Local Government Area. Speaking with Sunday Mirror, a PDP chieftain and former Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tunde Akogun, accused ACN chieftains of causing some “disturbing incidences” in Somorika. Akogun, who accused the ruling party chieftains of trying to line up and buy voters ahead of accreditation, also alleged that electoral officers failed to show up in Sasaro. He said he had reported to the police. However, the election was generally peaceful and devoid of the violence that had terrified and scared eligible voters ahead of the time. Most roads were devoid of the usual traffic in observance of the no-movement order even as security personnel were civil to the few that broke the law, merely telling them to park and wait.

Late accreditation, impressive turnout OBIORA IFOH IN BENIN

do State governorship election held yesterday with an impressive turnout by the electorate who also conducted themselves in orderly manner. Though accreditation started late in many polling centres in the state, the exercise was largely peaceful aås voters queued and waited for their tuårns for accreditation. Reports also showed that there were compliance by the general public on partial restriction of movement in the state. Motorists from all the border states including Kogi, Ondo and Delta were pre-

vented from entering into the state during the duration of the exercise. There was also massive security presence in the entire city as the personnel of the Nigerian military, mobile police and a few regular police officers were virtually in the nooks and cranny of the state ensuring orderliness. At a ward near the Oba of Benin palace by the Oredo Local Government Council secretariat, an army officer told our correspondent that two fake police officers were arrested. The fake officers who were handed over to the police, according to the officer, wore the uniform of the regular police but on interrogation was discovered were fake officers.

Major General Charles Airhiavbere (rtd), the governorship flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on arrival to his Garrick Memorial College polling Centre at about 9:45 a.m. reassured that the election would be peaceful, indicating that there was watertight security on ground. The flag bearer who was in company of his wife, Yetunde, and other family members said, “The security is very tight, electorate are coordinated; everyone is going about their businesses. I assure you the election will be peaceful and credible.” Meanwhile, a mild drama ensued at Garrick Memorial College polling centre,

said to be the unit with the largest ward in Benin City as voters protested their non-exclusion from the voter register. But for the timely intervention of officials of the State’s Independent National Electoral Commission, a near fracas would have ensued. Sunday Mirror gathered that an addendum register had to be used to remedy the situation after it became apparent that tempers were flaring up. Speaking on the issue, Gen. Airhiavbere said he was optimistic that the issue would be resolved by the electoral commission, noting that such challenges should fortify the electoral commission in the future.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Sunday, July 15, 2012

NORSHIP POLL

Oshiomhole in early lead OUR CORRESPONDENTS

Security officials, yesterday

Large turnout of voters at Oredo council area.

Heavy military, police presence on major roads ONUKWUBE OFOELUE

Huge crowd assembled at Aunty Maria School Polling Centre waiting to be accredited yesterday. The accreditation started at 9 a.m. When Sunday Mirror arrived at 9. 41 a.m. there was a heavy military presence, all battle-ready, with guns and a sprinkling of policemen. However, they were not harsh to the people. There were speculations among the people that the soldiers may force them to vote for the PDP candidate, who was a soldier. Aunty Maria, which is Ward 2 Egor Local Government, is made up of Units 1 to 5, Ward 2. At Oliha Primary School, Oredo LGA ward 5, voters were in different lines waiting to be accredited. Unit 26 was orderly, but at Unit 27, voters were complaining. They alleged that accreditation started after 11, some minutes after Sunday Mirror arrived at the centre. The place was rowdy and officials as well as policemen battled to control them. A police orderly who spoke with Sunday Mirror said that voters refused to form the accepted two lines, but were trying to form between three and six lines. Some voters who experessed dissatisfaction said that INEC officials arrived at Ward 5 very late. One of them, Gloria Omosefe, argued that it was a form of rigging: “Three policemen and a policewoman cannot control the crowd, is that possible? It is just that they don’t want to control them. They should have brought soldiers here. I know they are trying to rig the elections, that is why they arrived late with the polling materials.” At Units 25, 28, and 29, accreditation was already over when Sunday Mirror arrived (11:10 a.m.), and voters sat idly waiting for elections proper to begin. When Sunday Mirror returned to Aunty Maria Schools, accreditation was over, and by 11:50 a.m., INEC officials invited voters to form queues to commence voting.

Voting at Jossy Wisdom Polling Centre, Oliha Ward Units 10 and 11 by 1:41 p.m. was peaceful and voters stood in queues, under the sun, casting their votes. A voter, Maxwell, who came late, said he came out to cast his votes because he was convinced there was hope in politics. He made it clear he was voting for the ruling party, ACN. “When PDP was in power, there was no improvement - no water, no roads, no development, but since Oshiomhole came to power, he has been working. If not for him, what am I coming out to vote for?” Christiana Ohenhen, who was around to observe the election proceedings, also spoke with Sunday Mirror: “The accreditation has been done, and Jossy Wisdom is so far very peaceful. We don’t have any difficulty here at all, if there is going to be rigging, it definitely will not happen here. I must say that this is the best elections that have ever held in this state. It has been the most peaceful, from all the reports I have had.” At Oronmiyan Primary School, the story was not different. The expansive compound was packed with voters who had turned out en masse. They stood in queues and waited till it was their turn to vote. The weather too, was fair, as there was neither rain nor burning heat. Three police officers each guarded each polling unit, while three military officers sat near the gate, in apparent idleness, as there was no cause for them to act. An ACN party agent, David Omorodion, who spoke with Sunday Mirror said the peaceful atmosphere was not as a result of the heavy security around, but because the people conducted themselves well. We don’t discuss politics here, but everybody is happy that Edo is getting developed, and are going to vote for the man behind the development. The calmness is spread, you can see that even the weather itself is conducting itself. There was a very brief shower of rain, but it’s gone. Even the weather is happy the way the elections are going today. The elections ended at 4 p.m. on the dot.

s the curtain was drawn on the Edo State governorship elections indications have emerged that Governor Adams Oshiomhole of the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) was leading with a wide margin in the results of some of local councils and polling units declared yesterday. His closest rival, Maj-Gen Charles Airhiavbere of the People Democratic Party (PDP) came far behind the governor’s scores, in the tensionsoaked poll. The PDP candidate is said to have lost in his ward. Strong man of Edo politics, Chief Anthony Anenih reportedly lost his ward too in what is turning out to be a landslide for the ACN candidate In Oredo Ward 4, for instance, while Oshiomhole led with 223, Airhiavbere trailed with 37 votes. In Colben polling booth, the governor’s ACN led with a wide margin of 149, against PDP’s 12 and ANPP’s seven. In Oredo Oba Market, being the heart of the capital city, the governor also came tops by scoring 423 while the PDP got 62 votes. The trend was the same in other polling units like Isiukhuwu, Utekon ward, Ilushi Unit 4 and scores of other polling units in many of the council areas. Though collation of votes was still in progress at press time yesterday, there was no indication of a major upset, going by available pattern of voting. However, there were allegations of rigging at a popular hotel near Airport Road, Benin. Besides, reports indicated that soldiers were sending voters out of the counting centres at some polling units in Benin though they allowed each party’s agents to stay behind to monitor proceedings. Meanwhile, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Edo State yesterday said no politician could use him or bribe him to manipulate Edo governorship election.

From Ikoha Polling Unit in Ugbogui ward, Ovia South West LGA came reports of fighting between rival parties. PDP political godfather in Edo State and former national chairman, Board of Trustees of the party, Chief Tony Anenih, after casting his vote, said the turnout of voters was amazing. Meanwhile, accreditation in Ikpoba LGA was two hours late, as recorded in some polling units. One of the voters at a polling unit in the area said the INEC supervisor forgot his stamp. Accreditation, however, started at about 2pm. Oshiomhole, reacting to such complaints, cried foul over the lateness of voting materials in some local governments, saying he would hold the INEC chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega responsible should the election failed. He, however, cautioned the electoral body not to create chaos in the state. “If INEC does not allow the people to vote and they pronounce the winner, there will

be trouble. It is a shame that they have programmed this to embarrass the Nigeria nation,” the governor reportedly said. But PDP officials said the governor’s condemnation of INEC was too hasty. Former Governor of Edo State Prof. Osariehmen Osunbor, in an interview after his accreditation said he hoped the judiciary would not annul the wishes of the people after the election. Meanwhile, voters at a polling unit in Ward 12, Oredo Local Government Area of Benin refused to commence voting, accusing INEC of using fake register. INEC said about 1.5 million registered voters were expected to vote in yesterday’s poll, which was billed to hold in 2,627 polling units. In all, it was observed that there was excitement in the air during the poll as voters trooped out in large numbers to polling centres across the state to exercise their franchise.

EDO ELECTION RESULTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

LG/Ward/Unit

ACN

PDP

Esan North LGA Ward 2 (Anenih’s ward)

3,480

1004

Oredo Ward 1 (Airhiavbare’s ward)

1,275

168

Unit 1

332

Unit 2

287

Unit 3

291

Unit 5

241

Abraka Unit Ward 7

819

Unit 7

Ward 3, Ovia North East LGA

122

Unit 6, Ward 5, Owan West LGA

130

Iguododo in Orhionmwon

484

Oredo Ward 4 Unit 2 Orokponta Hall

223

Ovia North East, Ward 4 Unit 24

149

Unit 12 Okhoro

Etsako East Ward 9 Unit 2

285

Aunty Maria Sec Sch Unit (Egor LGA)

Esan Central

Isiukhukhu Unit Adolor

Egor, Unit 11, Ward 9

Ovia N.E, Colben ward 4

149

Unit 17/ward 9 Egor

Unit 4 Ward 2 Oredo LGA

388

Ward 2, Unit 003

126

Unit 12 Ward 9 in Egor

273

UNIBEN

690

Ward 4 Unit 003 Ebenezer Pry Sch Benin

126

Tension in Lokoja over Edo poll ADEMU IDAKWO LOKOJA

here is a high degree of tension in Lokoja, Kogi State capital, as both supporters of the contending parties, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, were glued to their television sets waiting eagerly for the victory of their parties in Edo State. Already supporters are now laying claims to

victory, a situation that nearly resulted in violence in Adankolo area in Lokoja. Admirers of the incumbent governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, have become so worry in view of the protest by his supporters in the state over missing of names in the voter register. Speaking to Sunday Mirror on the issue, the President of Edo indigenes in Kogi, Mr. Richard Edebiri said the people of the state were hopeful of the victory for the governor adding that anything short of it was unacceptable.

SM Extra

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

STORIES THAT TOUCH YOU JULY 15, 2012

ECHOES OF RIVERS TANKER EXPLOSION

‘I was engulfed by fire... I ran... tearing my cloth’ EMMA GBEMUDU AND CHINEDUM EMEANA

ndigenes of Okogbe community and its environs, Ayakama and Obolobo in Ahoada West local government, Rivers State, are in a mournful and sad mood. Their eyes are wet with tears. The locality is still gripped with panic on the misfortune that befell them. They will not forget in a hurry the “black” Thursday, July 12 when 100 persons, including mothers and their children, were roasted to death, as a result of a spilled fuel tanker explosion which occurred at the outskirts of Okogbe. Already, 89 of the victims that were burnt beyond recognition have been given mass burial at Okogbe, while six of deceased have been released to their relations for burial. Eighteen persons who sustained severe burns in the incident, are currently receiving medical attention at the Ahoada General Hospital, Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Yenagoa, Bayelsa State and some hospitals in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. But the whereabouts of the ill-fated tanker driver is still unknown. The tragedy is reminiscent of the Jesse fire explosion in Ethiope West Local Government of Delta State, which killed about 1,000 persons while scooping spilled fuel on October 18, 1998. Majority of the victims of last Thursday’s incident hailed from Okogbe, Ayakama and Obolobo. Also, 34 motorcycles and eight other vehicles were burnt beyond recognition in the disaster. According to an eyewitness who pleaded anonymity, trouble started in the area at about 6.30am when a tanker laden with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol was involved in an accident with a Toyota Corolla car, Hummer bus and Mitsubishi bus along the deplorable East-West Road. The accident caused the tanker to tumble, thereby falling into a ditch as spilled

The lure of good life coupled with a desperate bid to escape the harsh economic realities in the country, underlies the mad rush by young Nigerians to travel abroad. And for those who are fortunate to get there, they soon realise that the land is not paved with gold, after all. In a chat with Olufemi Adeosun in Berlin, Germany Mr. Pascal Chijoke, narrates the moving tales of his several battles with survival in Europe.

fuel flowed into the area like a stream. Immediately, indigenes rushed to the scene of the accident with jerry cans scooping fuel. They were indeed excited with the free fuel that would fetch them money when the product was sold. Commercial motorcyclists plying the locality and bus drivers were not left out. Unfortunately, the fuel tanker exploded at about 7.20am as the inferno trapped the people scooping the fuel. The intending ones rushing to fetch fuel retreated and wailed. Even the security agents that rushed to the scene could not control the surging crowd scooping fuel into jerry cans. Some also brought their small power generating sets to fill them with the free fuel. It was gathered that the driver of the tanker had warned the people of the dangers of their action before the explosion occurred. The locals had planned how to generate funds by selling the scooped fuel, but their plans were aborted. They were unlucky as most of them burnt beyond recognition. Few persons that managed to rush out with burning fire stumbled into nearby stagnant water by the road side. Women and men quickly pulled off their wears as the fire ravaged their bodies. Sympathizers rushed some victims to the Ahoada General Hospital. Relations of victims of the fire incident, and those lying critically at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC)Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, are, however, gripped with fears over the inability of the medical centre to treat the first degree burns of the patients. Investigation revealed that eight victims at the medical centre have been referred to the University Teaching Hospitals in Benin and Port Harcourt where the patients could get proper medical treatment. A medic, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that the burns could not be handled by the FMC owing to the unavailability of medical equipment used in the treatment of such high

Rescuers putting off the fire burning some victims.

degree burns.”When they were brought in, we tried to administer first aid treatment to stabilise their conditions and referred them to UPTH or the UBTH,” he said. One of the victims at the FMC, Yenagoa, Collins Efejiro, 34, said he would have died; only a few days to his traditional wedding ceremony billed for Ughelli, Delta State on July 21, but that God intervened. Efejiro, who is a commercial motorcyclist, regretted that his skin was burnt badly burnt in the inferno that engulfed them while scooping fuel from a fallen tanker. He said: “I was called by some of my friends to come and get free fuel from the tanker. When I got to the scene, I met a rowdy situation and struggled to get closer, but there was no way. At the end, one of my friends that had a 50- litre jerry can filled with scooped product offered to fill my empty 10-litre jerry can.” Continuing, he said, “As he was pouring

the fuel, we heard a very loud explosion. As we looked up to the direction of the fallen tanker, we saw some bodies of people we knew being flung all around us. We could not move for few seconds. Within that same second we were engulfed in fire. I ran towards the road and tearing the clothes on me. But, I could not see my friend again.” “Everywhere was like horror film where you see “zombies” moving on the road with blood dripping from every parts of their body. I saw my neighbours on fire; women tore off their clothes and went naked to ward off fire. Men went naked too, pulling off clothes that were on fire. God saved me,” he narrated. In the same vein, a 54-year-old victim of the fire incident, Sunny Ighoha, who hails from Bayelsa State, cried out that he lost his wife and two sons in the inferno. Ighoha’s body was wrapped with bandage owing to severe burns.

‘In search for the good life, I was forced

undreds of young Nigerians plunged into the uncertain life in Europe and America partly because of pressure from peer group, or as a way of escape from

Chijioke

the society that cares very little for their future. Thus, in search of greener pasture, many young Nigerians would give up anything, including risking their lives, to give travelling abroad a shot. In doing this, many, most of whom do not have valid travelling documents, are trapped both in neighboring African countries, and in Asia, while many more die, unable to tell the tales. Interestingly, Pascal Chijoke, a young man from Udi Local Government of Enugu State is one of the few young Nigerians, who survived the vagaries of life in Europe. Chijoke had the world under his feet back in Nigeria, doing good in his spare part business. Having served his boss for four years and some months, he settled down to a life of his own and was doing fine in his shop locat-

ed between Nigeria and Benin Republic. But a chain of events in his life later landed him in Asylum in the remote village of Habke Awtoba, Berlin, Germany. Because, his brother’s friend, Emeka(not real name) who was living in US used to parade fleet of cars, good dresses and lots of dollars whenever he visited Nigeria, he had assumed all that he needed to make it big in life, was to travel abroad. In his desperation, he sold all he had laboured for, for close to 10 years, including his shop to process his travelling documents.He recalled thus,”I was doing good in my business, but I used to admire my friend’s brother who was living in US by then. And whenever he visited home, he nomarlly came with good cars and a lot of dollars. And I really admired

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

SM Extra

Sunday, July 15, 2012

ALLEGED WITCHCRAFT:

Ripples over 70-year-old woman tortured to death

She died, expectedly, like a witch –Community Killing is condemnable –Ekiti Govt

A bus burnt at the scene of the incident.

‘It was like a horror movie... blood everywhere dripping from people’ “I was sleeping when one of my sons called me that some people were scooping fuel from a fallen tanker. My immediate instinct was how to make money, but, I ended up losing my treasures,” he said. In an interview, Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Rivers State, Kayode Olagunju, confirmed that over 95 persons were burnt to death on the spot while two died later in the hospital, as 18 others sustained third degree burns. Olagunju disclosed that 89 of the victims that were burnt beyond recognition were buried near the accident scene, adding that six victims whose remains were identified were released to their relations. Councillor Representing Ward Five of Ahoada-West Local Government, Thompson Otonbo, described the death of the victims as horrific. While another eyewitness, Sunday Erufe, said he narrowly escaped death due to his delayed search for a jerry can to join in the scooping of fire. His words: “There were more than 100 persons scooping fuel. I was rushing to the place to fetch my own fuel when the tanker exploded. It is not only our community, other nearby communities such as Ayakama, Obolobo were also involved. They all came to fetch fuel”.

Gift Ekpete just graduated from the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt and was waiting to be called up in the second batch to serve in the National Youth Service Corp scheme. Unfortunately, last Thursday’s fuel tanker explosion fire severely burnt Ekpete as he gave up the ghost last Friday afternoon at the Ahoada General Hospital. And with his death, like many others who died in that fire disaster, their hopes and aspirations just faded out, leaving relations and friends in tears and sorrow. If it were possible to delete Thursday 12 July from the calendar and with that all the pains and heartache that it brought to the Okogbe community, many would gladly do it. Once the doctors confirmed that Gift had lost the battle to stay alive, Oluwafemi, his younger sister became inconsolable. She cried and cried. The Ekpete’s family eventually lost three victims, two young men and a mother of six children, to the inferno. Oluwafemi’s mother and and two brothers were among the dead. She muttered: “They died because of money, because of money. What kind of country is this that cannot provide for its people?” Mrs. Reuben, whose husband is an uncle to late Gift, threw herself all over the place in grief.

to seek a German asylum’ him. From that time, I developed a longing for travelling abroad. First of all, I left Nigeria for Benin Republic and I served my boss there for seven years and eight months. I was staying in the northern side of Benin Republic, but because I had the desire to travel to Europe, I relocated to the capital city, Cotonou. At that time, he had a brother who was living in Nnewi, he met a friend who used to travel to Europe and he demanded from him if he could help him secure a way for his brother to go to Europe. His friend accepted and because he was living in Togo, we were able establish a line of communication. In order to process my Visa, I sold everything I had,including my shop. In-fact, when I sold everything the day I was going to leave my shop, I still had about N500,000 left.

And that was how he left for Europe in August 17,2007. However, the reality of his foolhardiness stirred him in the face on arrival in Berlin, Germany. Barely a week of stay, his brother’s friend told him point blank that he would have to seek asylum because he did not have valid travelling documents. According to him, in order to perfect the deal, his brother’s friend told him he would have to lie that he was of Sudan nationality and an orphan who ran from the country to avoid being killed in a wave of genocidal war going on in Sudan at that time. Without any viable alternative, he had to accept his fate to enroll at the asylum camp where he was to be fed through 135 euro from the German government welfare package per CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

Ekiti State Police Commissioner, Mr Sotonye Wakama.

Daughter of the deceased, Mrs Grace Smith.

ABIODUN NEJO

According to him, the late Rebecca died after allegedly confessing being a witch and one of those behind the strange illness of her step son, Ola Adewumi. The chief explained that a younger sister to the sick Ola came to the palace sometimes in May to confess that some members of the community including herself and the late Rebecca were responsible for Ola’s strange illness. He said the girl said Ola’s offence was that the gospel he was preaching was disturbing their peace. The chief said that after the intervention of the palace and the woman’s denial of membership of the coven, the age grade of the sick Ola, known as the Imekula went to inquire from Rebecca the solution to the boy’s problem, following which she confessed and died before daybreak. Orojo, who denied the involvement of the monarch of the community and self in the woman’s death, however, confirmed that they removed her loin and made her drink a concoction prepared by one pastor in the community. But Grace, who is seeking justice over the alleged killing of her mother, also lamented that another worrisome thing, apart from the fact that she had been in Ado-Ekiti since she came back from Lagos following her mother’s death, was that they did not know where the body of their mother is, much less talking of burial. However, the Police Commissioner, Wakama, said the police got report about the incident and the petition by the family, adding that the police could not rely on the names listed by the lawyers in their petition because they were not at the scene of the alleged crime. He said the state Commissioner of Justice, Mr. Dayo Akinlaja, contacted him about the issue the day it happened and that nobody had been arrested as at Thursday because no eyewitness to the alleged crime had come forward to identify any suspect. The police boss, who said his command would arrange for how to take the corpse down to Ado-Ekiti from Omuo-Ekiti for autopsy at a government hospital, said the police would not rely on the autopsy carried out by pathologists in a private hospital.

ADO EKITI

ike a scene from an ancient movie, events played out in Omuo Ekiti in the Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State and culminated in the death on June 30 of a 70-year-old woman, Mrs. Rebecca Adewumi. Tongues are still wagging and many are still unwilling to believe that the story of how the woman was allegedly tortured to death could be true in this age. It is beyond imagination in this modern world that for the mere accusation of witchcraft, a septuagenarian could be allegedly given poison to drink, dragged into the rain and beaten for days. Her head was also shaved with broken bottles aside severing her fingers with scissors and left to die by scaring away relatives. According to her daughter, 52-year-old Mrs. Grace Smith, not only was the woman killed in that gruesome manner, her dead body was locked up in the house while others were scared away from coming to the house for burial before they eventually removed the corpse to an unknown destination. Grace said on Thursday that she neither had the courage to go to their Omuo-Ekiti hometown nor knew where the dead body of their mother was. This, she said is because, those responsible for her mother’s death were threatening fire and brimstone that the woman’s children would be similarly killed if they dared step into the town, especially as they boasted that nobody, not even the police could stop them. But the community said her story were fabrications and imaginations to distort the truth and whip up sympathy. The monarch of the community, the Olomuo of Omuo-Ekiti, Oba Noah Omonigbehin, represented by High Chief Dayo Orojo, the Head of Olisan Quarters, said the woman confessed to witchcraft and died as expected of confessed witches. Orojo said the woman was not tortured as claimed by her daughter, but confessed to witchcraft after several denials and pleas that she would die if she confessed her membership of the coven, as initiated members were not expected to openly expose the witches’ secrets.

News

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Plateau villagers get 48 hours ultimatum to vacate settlements JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

he Special Military Task Force (STF) on Jos crisis in Plateau State has ordered some villagers to vacate their settlements within 48 hours. This is to enable it carry out a military operation in order to smoke out those behind the incessant killings in the state. The affected villages, according to a statement signed by STF spokesman and made available to Sunday Mirror in Jos yesterday, include Mahanga, Kakuruk, Kuzen, Maseh and Shong 2, all in Barki Ladi and Riyom council of the state. The statement also urged other neighbouring communities not to panic throughout the period the operation will last. It will be recalled that the crisis in the state escalated last Sunday with the killing of the chairman, Senate Committee

on Health, Senator Gyang Dantong, and the Majority Leader of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon Gyang Fulani, while a member of the House of Representatives, Hon Simon Madwakom escaped by a whisker. A day before, gunmen numbering about 200 had invaded Barkin-Ladi and some parts of Riyom Local Government Area of the state, killing over 100 people. The three lawmakers, along with other top government functionaries, were at Maseh village for the mass burial of about 63 people in the area on the day of the incident. It was gathered that while the mass burial was going on, about 50 suspected Fulani herdsmen stormed the venue and opened fire at random at the sympathisers at the burial site, in the ensuing stampede, the lawmakers reportedly slumped, while many people also

sustained varying degrees of injuries. However, the General Overseer of Evangelical Bible Outreach Ministries International (EBOMI), Prophet Isa ElL Buba, has challenged President Goodluck Jonathan to do something urgently to bring to a halt the incessant attacks by Fulani herdsmen against the defenceless villagers of Barkin Ladi and Riyom local councils of the state before the situation gets out of hand. The clergyman in an interview with journalists in Jos at the weekend warned that there was a level those attacking the defenceless people of the state would get to that people would begin to react in a proportion that could shake the country to its foundation. According to him, the claim by Boko haram Islamic sect to be the brain behind last Saturday and Sunday coordinated at-

tacks in Riyom and Barkin Ladi councils of the state was false and diversionary, saying the villagers knew who their attackers were and did accuse their Fulani neighbours of hiring militia groups to carry out the massacre that took place. He added that he expected the Muslim community in the North to condemn the acts of terrorism that are being perpetrated by the Boko Haram group and the Fulani herdsmen in Plateau, arguing that “if the Muslim community is claiming igno-

rance of what is going on in Plateau and other parts of the North, why have they failed in forming human shield around their Christian brothers and sisters on Sundays during church services just like the Muslim community in Kenya did recently to protect their brothers of the Christian faith?” According to the cleric, the Muslim community is only pretending and does not want to expose their brothers who are members of Boko Haram in Borno, Yobe, Gombe and Bauchi states respectively,

saying Boko Haram elements are all Nigerians. He also charged the President to realise that he was not voted into power to romance with unrighteousness. He said what he told Jonathan when he was campaigning for president in Jos at a banquet was that God wanted him to defend righteousness where there is injustice. He noted that the governors have no power to command the security operatives in their states because the power to do so lies with the presidency.

Rivers tanker fire tragedy: Death toll hits 108 EMMA GBEMUDU AND CHINEDUM EMEANA

eath toll of the Okogbe tanker inferno in Rivers State at the weekend increased from 95 to 108 as the various hospitals in Bayelsa and Rivers states are battling to save the lives of the survivors who are in critical condition. Investigations by Sunday Mirror revealed that 13 patients admitted at Ahoada General Hospital, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and Braithwaite Memorial Hospital, Port Harcourt, died last Friday. The situation is generating anxiety among relations of the victims. There are indications that more deaths may be recorded due to the severe conditions of the survivors, but, a medical personnel who craved anonymity said they may survive if they are flown abroad for medical attention. Eight patients who are in critical conditions at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, Bayelsa State have been referred to the University of Port Harcourt and Benin Teaching Hospitals where they could be properly

treated. It was gathered that FMC, Yenagoa lacked medical equipment to treat the first degree burns. Sunday Mirror learnt that only eight survivors are left at the Ahoada General Hospital, as others have been transferred to UPTH and BMH. Sunday Mirror learnt the General Hospital lacked space and equipment to treat the severe burns sustained by the patients. South-South zonal Coordinator of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Emenike Umesi, disclosed yesterday that at least 43 survivors of the ill-fated fuel inferno are battling to stay alive in various hospitals. Speaking with Sunday Mirror in Port Harcourt yesterday ,Umesi said 13 of the lot who were initially brought to hospitals had died from burns sustained in the incident bringing the death toll to 108. The NEMA official said most patients at the Ahoada General Hospital and other hospitals in the Ahoada town had been transferred to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) and Braithwaite Memorial Hospital (BMH)where Doctors and other health

workers are battling to save their lives. He revealed that some relatives of the fire victims took them away from the hospitals to traditional healing homes for treatment, regretting that such patients had been left to their fate as no one had record of where they were taken to. Umesi said the challenge the hospitals were facing was the decimation of their drugs stock because of the influx of the victims. However, he said NEMA management would supply more drugs from Abuja on Monday to assist the hospitals treating the patients. Umesi reminded that there was need for synergy among stakeholders in the handling of emergencies, as he assured that the agency would continue to sensitise people on safety consciousness and how to handle emergencies without fear. Last Thursday, a fuel tanker tumbled during an accident involving three other vehicles at Okogbe, East-West road, where fuel was spilled on the ground making villagers and others to scoop the product. • See Okogbe traditional ruler’s reaction on Page 49.

Lagos State Governor and Guest Speaker, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN (left) being welcomed by the Chairman of the Governing Board of Whitesands School, Professor Albert Alos (middle) and the Principal, Dr. Lorenzo David (right) during the School’s Graduation Ceremony and Prize Giving Day at Lekki, yesterday.

‘In search for the good life, I was forced to seek a German asylum’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 month. According to him, he stayed in the camp for two years. “My trouble started barely one week that I arrived Berlin. My brother’s friend informed me that I would have to go to one camp remote from the city centre to seek asylum. He said I should tell officials there that I was a Sudanese orphan forced to leave the country because of war. I insisted that my Christian faith would not let me do that, demanding to know why I must seek asylum in the first place. “It was at this point he dropped the bombshell, warning me that I could be deported back to Nigeria if I failed to do so. And since I could not face the shame of having to go back to Nigeria, I accepted my predicament in good faith and headed for the camp where I later stayed for two years,” he said. That was just the beginning of the sad tale, on leaving the camp through the help of a Sudanese friend, they both relocated to another surbub of Berlin where they had to live with street boys. According to him, apart from feeding on food items with less than two to three days to expiring date, he had to resist the pressure of dealing in drugs through the abiding grace of God.

The expectant father added that, although he had now settled down to good family life in Germany with a child, he lamented that many Nigerians are actually languishing in prisons in different parts of Europe due to drug-related offences. He said,” As I speak with you, a good number of young Nigerians are in asylum in different camps across Europe. In fact, many of them are serving jail terms ranging between six to 10 years due to drug-related offences.” He, however, has a word for the Nigerian government: “Now that I have settled down, I pray I would have the opportunity to talk to our leaders. I will not insult them, but I will only encourage them to do better. Some Nigerians working in the Nigerian embassy do not like to be posted back to Nigeria because of what they enjoy here. So you can see that they too like the way the system is running here. They like the good road network, the transport system, the water and the uninterrupted power supply. “I am advising our leaders to study this system and replicate it in our country. If the system is running well in our country, nobody would want to take the risk of coming to another man’s land with all its entrenched risks and uncertainties.”

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Interview ENCOUNTER WITH A NEWS MAKER JULY 15, 2012

Only Boko Haram can determine if Nigeria’ll remain beyond 2015 –Sagay Legal icon, Prof. Itse Sagay, in this interview warns against the continued violence in the country in order to ensure its survival beyond 2015. He also speaks on the $620,000 bribery scandal rocking the House of Representatives, among other sundry issues with News Editor, Muyiwa Oyinlola. Excerpts. What occurred to you when you heard about the allegation of $620, 0000 bribery scandal against Farouk Lawan by Mr Femi Otedola, especially against the backdrop of president Goodluck Jonathan’s anti-graft campaign? To start with, I don’t think the president comes into this directly. However, I was definitely shocked by the involvement of Lawan Farouk because we have always regarded him as an epitome of integrity, a transparent leader, somebody you could rely on, an upright man with tenacity to pursue the truth. In fact, we wrote him off in matters relating to corruption and discipline. That is the way we saw him. So, his involvement is very discouraging. In fact, it is heart-breaking because it confirms the title of a lecture given by Prof. Niyi Osundare at a seminar on Monday which he entitled: Why we no longer blush -Corruption as the grand commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So, corruption is now the grand commander of our Federal Republic. If a man like Farouk could be corrupt, then who in the National Assembly is not corrupt, then who in the public service is not corrupt. So, we have been completely overwhelmed by corruption and it is killing this country. Every day you wake up, there is a new case of corruption. That of the capital market is still there, the pension scam is there, there are so many. It’s a very depressing picture. Given these indices, how do you rate the president in his fight against corruption? He has been too equivocal, he has not been firm. He’s sort of taking the back seat, allowing things to happen instead of making things happen. In fact, he has not played his role; because people who are going to be corrupt look at the people in charge of the country and if they feel they would be tolerated then

they go as far as possible. What are people like you doing to right the situation? People like who? Am I employed in any public office? Do I have any authority? I can only talk, I don’t have power, I don’t have any authority. You people should stop looking in the wrong direction; the person who is going to end corruption in Nigeria is somebody that is in office, who has power. That’s the only way it can be solved. And until we have somebody who is totally incorruptible then there is no way corruption can be stamped out. Back to the Lawan’s bribery scandal, he has alleged that the video is doctored. Is video evidence admissible in law? Yes, it is. He’s also saying he’s going to hire forensic experts to determine the authenticity of the video...... He’s only muddling the water, trying to create enough confusion and distraction to distract people from thinking about his role. He has confessed already that he took the money, but his claiming that he collected it as exhibit and you took it for three months trying to show it as an exhibit and you cannot produce it in one piece now. He has already confessed. I think Farouk’s case is an open and shut case, we should worry about that. I don’t know why the police is wasting time. We should leave that and move to the oil marketers. They should be investigated and prosecuted. How do you juxtapose the clarity of the case with the lawyers that are defending him? It is the duty of lawyers to defend anybody no matter how reprehensible his conduct. It’s a duty; it’s not even a choice. The Code of Conduct of law-

Sagay

yers imposes it as a duty. That is at times when nobody agrees to defend a criminal the judge would look at the court and point at one lawyer and say ’you, defend him’ . The lawyer cannot say no, it’s the requirement of the law. We have no choice but to defend. But we have a choice to be able to say the man is guilty, though I’m defending him; and to tell the client, ‘admit your guilt, if you don’t admit your guilt, I cannot continue your defense’. So, if a lawyer knows that a person is guilty and he continues and persists in proclaiming the person innocent and instead of proving his innocence is trying to put difficulties in the way of the way of the prosecution by bringing preliminary objections and all sorts of frivolous applications, that lawyer is also committing a breach or violation of his oath of profession.

How do you react to the fact that the former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami has not been reinstated contrary to the directive of the National Judicial Council (NJC)? It’s purely political. PDP people have decided that they would visit all their judicial losses of political offices on him, from Edo to Ondo, to Ekiti to Osun. He’s only a victim of PDP bitterness; it has nothing to do with law. Do you see the possibility of his being reinstated? No, I don’t think so. And if I were Justice Salami and President Goodluck Jonathan says he’s going to reinstate me, I would reject it because Jonathan had had the opportunity to do something that is right and proper, and he has missed it. He does not deserve the CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Interview

Sunday, July 15, 2012

tant responsibilities of a government have collapsed. One, Section 13 of the constitution says it is the responsibility of a government to provide security for the people and as well provide for their welfare. Security has collapsed in Nigeria. We have a situation now where gunmen now stand on the hill and start firing not only at civilians but even at military men and everybody scatters. That is the ultimate evidence of a total collapse of security. Two, welfare. The economy has nosedived. The income par capital is down. The GDP is down. The finance minister has even said the nation is broke and that means it may not be able to meet up with its obligation. And if you look at other areas like health, education, quality of life, longevity; we have failed. I think it is time the PDP leaves power and allow some other parties to try their hands at salvaging this country.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 fight to reinstate Salami any more. That right is now beyond him because he has missed it. How do you think we can end the ethnic killings going on in Plateau state with the killings of two lawmakers and several other people last weekend? Well, the state, that is, the federal government has failed so far. These killings have been going on now for about two years. You have the Fulani herdsmen, who, whenever they feel like, go about killing people in dozens, burn down houses and walk back. The way I see it is that any community that is subjected to that kind of regular decimation which is almost amounting to genocide should organise itself to defend itself. So, I don’t see why the people of Jos cannot organise themselves to defend themselves against anybody who wants to wipe them off the face of the earth which is what is happening now. If you look at the international sphere, after the Second World War in 1945, the world was divided into two, the Soviet sphere and the Western sphere. Both were very powerful. Both had different ideologies, both hated each other, both wanted to eliminate each other and both were heavily armed. So, they kept looking at each other, each saying if I attack him he would retaliate. That’s how the doctrine of ‘balance of terror’ was established. So, the Berom people in Jos and other groups who have been regular victims of genocide attacks by now should have organised themselves such that whoever wants to attack them would take so much causalities such that if they get home they won’t come back. So, it’s no point crying to the federal government. If the federal government is not doing it and it’s your life, your community, why are you not defending yourself ? With the new National Security Adviser (NSA) in office, do you see an end to the rage of Boko Haram soon? I really don’t know. I don’t know what magic wand the new National Security Adviser has, I hope he has, because if you read what Boko Haram is saying today after the Jos mayhem, they are congratulating themselves. They’re even claiming they are the ones who did it and that their intention is to go beyond Jos and subject the whole of Nigeria to Islamic religion and Islamic rule. It’s a good alert to the whole country; if they succeed they should be congratulated. If the other parts of the country are waiting quietly to be overrun by terrorists, then they deserve to be overrun. You see, it has got to a stage in which everybody should assess the danger to his own part of the country and be prepared to meet such danger with equal ferocity. Do you think the removal of the former NSA was borne out of incompetency or perhaps because he made some statement that the ruling party is not comfortable with? I don’t know. But what I would say is that if you occupy that office for about a

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sagay

‘Beroms should not complain again but organise and defend themselves’ BEROM PEOPLE IN JOS AND OTHER GROUPS WHO HAVE BEEN REGULAR VICTIMS OF GENOCIDE ATTACKS BY NOW SHOULD HAVE ORGANISED THEMSELVES SUCH THAT WHOEVER WANTS TO ATTACK THEM WOULD TAKE SO MUCH CAUSALITIES SUCH THAT IF THEY GET HOME THEY WON’T COME BACK year and there is constant failure as was recorded during his time in office, even though it may not be due to your incompetence, the practice in the civilised society is for that person to go and a new person comes in with fresh ideas. While one is not necessarily blaming him, one may say he was unlucky that these things happened under him and he could not provide the needed answer. The same thing would happen to the new man if in the next six months these killings continue and he’s not able to do something about it. I like to know your view about prediction that Nigeria may not survive as a single entity beyond 2015. One cannot say. Boko Haram, in my view, is the greatest threat to the con-

tinued unity of this country. For example, this idea of saying they would Islamise Nigeria and extend their attacks beyond areas they’re doing right now. If they do that, even as they’re congratulating themselves for killing Christians, as contained in their statement. If as a result of that, southern Christians in the north would begin to come back, it means in effect northern Muslims in the south would have to return. There’s no question about that. And by the circumstances of the facts on ground, the country may have divided itself into two if Boko Haram is not stopped. However, my view is that just like the former NSA that did not do well, the PDP since 1999 has been a failure. Under its watch, the two major impor-

How do you think we can have a free and fair election in 2015 such that there would be no crises after results may have been announced as witnessed in 2011? There is no guarantee of what will happen. We just expect and hope that political leaders will behave in a matured and responsible manner and control their supporters so that they will conduct themselves peacefully. Even if the outcome of the election is not credible, there is always a judicial option. But I want to say this; the courts have virtually ruled themselves out of relevance, especially the Supreme Court, by saying that after 180 days at the tribunal level, and after 90 days at the Appellate level, there’s no longer jurisdiction in any court. For me, that is a major let down of the hope of the people of this country and a total acceptance of the iniquity of rigging as a way of life for this country. To think that the Supreme Court does not have people who have enough creativity, resources and thirst for justice to find a way round that type of iniquity is an admission that this country is in a sorry state at every level. For I know that if this were to be in the late 70s, 80, or early 90s when we had people like Justices (Kayode) Eso, Oputa, Nnamani, Obaseki, Aniagolu in that place, there’s no way you have accepted that you can rig yourself into an office and then use delay tactics to allow the 180 days to pass and then the court would now come and say we have no jurisdiction. It is totally unacceptable, it’s a shame, I feel really that it brings disgrace to the whole electoral system and the civilised conduct of affairs in this country. What is your take on the agitation for the scrapping of NYSC due to the security threat to corps members in some parts of the country? I don’t think it should be scrapped, I only think it should be suspended in those volatile areas. Let those opposing this position send their children there first. You send your children abroad and you want to send other people’s children to death. They are cruel and inhuman people.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics PROVIDING FRESH PERSPECTIVES TO ISSUES

Akwa Ibom: Still savouring its oily victory P. 16, 41

JULY 15, 2012 “IT IS SO EASY TO CRITICISE. I MEAN, CRITICISM OF LEADERSHIP

‘Constitution amendment beyond National Assembly’s capacity’

BUT I THINK WHAT WE NEED NOW IS NOT CRITICISM OF THE LEADERSHIP. WE NEED TO SEE HOW WE CAN HELP THE LEADERSHIP. IF WE STAY THERE AND CONTINUE CRITICISING LEADERSHIP, ULTIMATELY IT DOES NOT SOLVE OUR PROBLEM.”

Briefly

IS VERY EASY.

–PRINCE TONYE PRINCEWILL

P. 16, 41

Musdapher: A legacy of reforms TORDUE SALEM ABUJA

he Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Dahiru Musdapher, would cease being the judicial numero uno of Nigeria on Monday. His successor, Justice Mariam Alooma Mukhtar, would then make history as the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria. But, like every conscientious leader of any ilk, Musdapher yearns to leave a legacy behind. To implant that legacy, the old jurist, last week took a Bill loaded with 52 proposed amendments to the 1999 Constitution to the House of Representatives. Musdapher, along with his other justices of the Supreme Court, presented the “Fifth Alteration Bill, 2012”, to the 1999 Constitution with 52 alterations and insertions to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. The CJN told Tambuwal and his colleagues that the proposal for judicial reforms is an “Important step in our comprehensive plan to reposition the judiciary”. The sections Justice Musdapher proposed for amendment in the constitution are: sections 155, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 236, 237, 238 and 239. Section 231 provides that: “The appointment of a person to the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria shall be made by the President of on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC) subject to the confirmation of such appointment by the Senate”. But Musdapher seeks an insertion that would give the NJC the powers to recommend for Senate confirmation, without the mere ceremony of presidential appointment. That proposal is directed at whittling the powers of the Executive over the Judiciary and fortifying the independence of the Judiciary. Proposed insertions in section 5 also seek to strengthen the Judiciary and allot more functions to it.

Benue ACN youth wing backs Akeredolu

Benue State youth wing of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) at the weekend pledged its support for Mr Olarotimi Akeredolu, the flag bearer of ACN for the October 20 governorship election in Ondo State. Deputy Youth Leader, Mr Austin Agada, said the party’s choice of Akeredolu was a wise one and ‘a welcome development’. Agada told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi that Akeredolu was a man of integrity and a legal luminary who had contributed to democratic practice in Nigeria. “The youths in Benue are confident that Akeredolu’s candidature was the only way to remove the Labour Party (LP) government in Ondo State. “The youths are very happy about his choice. It is a good omen and we know that ACN would not have made a better choice,’’ he stressed. Agada pointed out that the Ondo ACN governorship flag bearer was a seasoned lawyer who would embrace the rule of law in the state. He urged the Benue community in Ondo State to rally round Akeredolu during the Oct. 20 governorship poll.

National dialogue should hold now –Adams

Adams

Justice Musdapher

Other amendments he proposed were to sections: 244, 246, 247, 248, 250, 251, 254, 254(B), 254(c), 254F, 256, 257, 259, 261, 262, 264, 266, 269, 270, 271 and 272. Others are: 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 279, 281, 284, 287, 290, 291, 292, 295 and alteration of paragraph 12 of part 1 of the Third Schedule of the Constitution on the Federal Judicial Commission. Other alterations are to paragraphs 13, 20, 20A, 21, 22 of Part 1, Third schedule of the Constitution. The CJN also wants paragraghs 5 and 6, part 2 of the 3rd schedule of the Constitution amended, as well as the alteration of paragraph 1 and 2 of Part 3 of the Third Schedule of the organic law to amend the Judicial Service Committee of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. In his response, the Speaker promised the outgoing CJN that the lower chamber

will do its best on his proposal, as he acknowledged that the visit of a CJN was unprecedented and historic. The Speaker who lauded Justice Musdapher for the “series of reforms witnessed in the last few months of his stewardship”, said “The proposed reforms will no doubt transform the judiciary and will no doubt rid the bench of corruption”. According to him, “As lawmakers, we are determined to give Nigerians the qualitative justice they deserve and we assure you that the House will give the necessary attention to the Bill”. He noted that, “This is the first time in the history of this House that a serving CJN will be coming, not only to make this heavy presentation, but to present bills proposing to amend the Constitution”.

The National Coordinator of the pan-Yoruba group, Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, has said the current insurgency in parts of the country is the right time to hold a national conference. In a release issued yesterday, Adams said the call for a national dialogue being advocated to rebuild the nation and rescue it from imminent collapse was getting louder by the day. “Over the past months, the Boko Haram sect has escalated its deadly attacks on innocent Nigerians and maimed several others in the northern part of the country”. He said the activities of the group have no doubt heightened fears among Nigerians about their safety adding that, “there is a growing sense of insecurity everywhere you turn as a Nigerian, especially those based in the North who now live in fear”. Adams, who described the current security problem in the North as “unfortunate and a bad omen”, said there was no gain repeating the fact that the lofty dreams the founding fathers of the country had prior to independence from the colonial masters had been dashed. “Having studied the current problems confronting the country, it has become incontrovertible that the only means available to Nigerians at this period is the ‘dialogue option’, he said. “We need to come together to resolve our problems and rescue our beloved country from collapse. While the government may seem to be doing its best in combating the activities of the Boko Haram, its effort, to say the least, does not seem to be yielding the desired result as stories of attacks on and bombings of defenseless Nigerians hit the newsstands every day.

Politics

Sunday, July 15, 2012

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Constitution amendment beyond National As Chief Ayo Adebanjo is a chieftain of pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere. He is also a leader of the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD) and played a great role in the sack of the military from politics with his active part in NADECO during the post-June 12, 1993 presidential election upheaval. In this interview with Ayo Esan, he speaks on various issues as they affect the polity. Excerpts:

cent, it is not the salary that matters it is the allowances they attracted to themselves. And he never touched that. Before he came in, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said there was need to reduce the cost of administration, that the administration was too unwieldy. Instead of reducing the cabinet members, he increased it. They should just stop kidding us.

The National Assembly is set to review the 1999 Constitution and it is already seeking inputs from various leaders in the six geo- political zones. How do you see the move and which aspects of the constitution do you think need to be changed? In the first place, our constitution does not need a revision and what they want to do is not even a review but an amendment. We need a surgical operation on the constitution. The defects that have been detected in the constitution are so fundamental that they are beyond the capacity of the National Assembly to amend. For instance, we are having a military constitution. You remember Chief Rotimi Williams once described our constitution as a fraudulent document. Why did he say so? Tthe preamble says, “We the people of Nigeria”. But we never did that constitution; it was General Abdulsalami Abubakar who did it. Even when he did, nobody knew about it until he handed it over to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on the day he swore him in as president. It was after Obasanjo was sworn in that he knew what the contents were. We find that the constitution was called federal in name but was unitary in contents. That is fraudulent, that is number one. Do you do adjustment to that by amendment? You see, the main thing the country requires now very urgently is a national conference to do a surgical operation on the constitution. All the aspects of the constitution that the people are complaining about, we can sit down and discuss them, including the issue of Boko Haram, and Jonathan himself seeking a seven single-year term for president and governors. It is a good idea, I buy it in principle but I believe we should sit down and discuss it. The country after 50 years should be tired of amending constitution. How many times has the American constitution made several years

On May 29, 2012 Nigeria celebrated 13 years of democracy; how will you assess our democracy? It has been 13 years of civilian government not of democracy. We have never had democracy. Another thing is that May 29 is not democracy day. If we are going to declare any day for democracy it has to be June12. Without June 12 there can’t be May 29. You see people are bypassing the June 12 because they are not ready to do the right thing. You are talking of democracy when the government of the day does not obey court injunction. Right from Obasanjo, you remember, a lot of judgments given against O b a s a n j o ’s administration were not obeyed. We are just de- Adebanjo ceiving ourselves but one day God will give us a government that will respond to the wishes of the people. Jonathan knows the allowances of the National Assembly members are too large, but he can’t do much because he knows the implication.

TONY ANICHEBE UYO

he Supreme Court, sitting in Abuja, in a unanimous decision last Tuesday, dismissed the case of Cross River State against Akwa Ibom State on the ownership of the disputed 76 oil wells, describing the case as lacking in substance and merit. In the judgment delivered by Justice

Akpabio

ago been amended? But we resort to amend every time we should have once-and-for-all operation on the constitution. This piecemeal amendment, I don’t think is right. The governors are now shouting for state police. People like me have been clamouring for state police for long. State police is a fundamental instrument of a Federal Constitution which they refused to acknowledge. How can you say somebody is chief security officer of a state without having the instrument of performance? If they say they want to amend such a constitution, they will be scratching the surface. But some argue that the National Assembly members have the sovereign authority to carry out the amendment? There are many of us who believe that the National Assembly as presently constituted is not really the representatives of the people. If they are, were they elected to go and amend the constitution? Many of them were elected under dubious circumstances in their respective places. The election was won by the highest bidder even within their own party. In their party was there a fair ground for everybody where in a primary people were spending millions of naira to win party nomination not election? That is why they are oppressing the nation. The amount of money the National Assembly is spending is so high but the executive lacks the courage to cut it because they are all consuming the amount of money they spent before they got to the legislature. That is the crux of the matter. You remember when the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria said the National Assembly was spending much money. What did Jonathan do? He was just scratching the surface. He said he cut the salary of ministers by 25 per

How can we then improve our democracy? In many ways. One, we have an awkward federation

Akwa Ibom: Still savouring Rhodes Vivour, the Court observed that Cross River had lost its littoral status following the ruling by the International Court of Justice in 2002 which had ceded the Bakassi peninsula to the Cameroun.

In a judgment that lasted about 10 minutes, the court held that Cross River was not a littoral state and therefore cannot lay claim to the 76 off shore oil wells on the Atlantic coast. The court held that the agreement entered into between Cross River and Akwa Ibom States on derivation benefits on the said oil wells could not be legally sustained because it was based on the assumption that western Bakassi would remain in Nigeria , thereby giving Cross River access to the sea. The court consequently dismissed the case without recourse. Akwa Ibom governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, described the judgment as “justice for Akwa Ibom and Cross River States , and indeed Nigeria ” and expressed the belief that it would strengthen the bond of friendship between the two sister states. Akpabio, however, decried what he described as falsehood being spread before the judgment and commended the Supreme Court Justices for standing on the path of justice. The governor further decried a situation where attempts were made to create fear of a possible loss of Nigerian maritime territory on a purely baseless ground. Going down memory lane, Akpabio recalled that before 2005, the oil wells had belonged to Akwa Ibom and said it was based on the assumption that Cross River shall access the sea through the administration of Western Bakassi which the Nigerian gov-

ernment had negotiated with Cameroun. According to Akpabio, “the issue of the 76 oil wells started in 2005 with a letter from the National Boundary Commission where the president said that because he was negotiating to have Western Bakassi in Nigeria, the oil wells could be credited to Cross River, and we had no objection to that because Cross River is our sister state. “The issue is that in 2008. Bakassi together with Western Bakassi was finally handed over to Cameroun. After that unfortunate incident, Nigeria without our prompting did the right thing through the National Boundary Commission and the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Allocation Commission when the oil wells were returned to Akwa Ibom, where they rightly belonged,” he said. Akpabio further said he had explained to the leadership of Cross River State the futility of going to court as the state, not being a littoral state could not have had oil wells in the ocean. He promised to continue to work towards the continued peaceful existence between the two sister states but admonished peddlers of falsehood from within and outside Cross River to tender unreserved apology to the federal government agencies and their officials whose integrity they had tried to impugn . Lead counsel to Akwa Ibom State , Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN), hailed the judgment of the Supreme Court describing same as good for

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A PUBLICATION OF GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LTD BARRISTER JIMOH IBRAHIM OFR PUBLISHER All the Facts, All the Sides STEVE AYORINDE

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HEAD, GRAPHICS

NNPC and the kerosene rip-off

eports early in the month painted a graphic picture of how sharp practices by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its corrupt officials presently force Nigerians to cough up N150 or more for a litre of kerosene, as against the government subsidised rate of N50 per litre.

The Technical Committee on Payment of Fuel Subsidies (TCPFS) report submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan recently revealed that the NNPC consciously allowed the price of kerosene (Dual Purpose Kerosene, DPK) to remain at the rooftop by selling the product to depot owners (middlemen) instead of directly to retail outlet owners as statutorily required. While the depot owners buy from the NNPC at N40.90 per litre, they sell to marketers and retail outlets at between N115 and N125 per litre; but by the time the product gets to the end user, the price has risen to N150 per litre. The TCPFS reportedly said: “The distribution of DPK which was being imported solely by (the) NNPC was skewed in favour of depot owners who have no retail outlets. Two-thirds of the kerosene sold by (the) NNPC between 2009 and 2011 was sold to depot owners and “middlemen” who in turn sold the product to owners of retail outlets at inflated prices of between N115.00 and N125.00 per litre (compared to the ex depot price of N40.90), leaving consumers to pay higher prices than the N50.00 per litre directed by government… For several years now, the country has been incurring huge subsidy bills for kerosene and its citizens are not receiving

the benefit – instead the country has been financing “rent” for the middlemen.” Indeed, the NNPC was said to have collected N331.55 billion as kerosene subsidy for 2011 alone, even when no citizen bought the product at the government subsidised rate of N50 per litre that year from any retail outlet, including NNPC’s mega stations. The situation was said to have persisted since 2009; and has been blamed for the acute scarcity of kerosene since the past three years. In addition to NNPC’s rip off with depot owners, Petroleum Resources Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, at a town hall meeting in Lagos not too long ago, revealed that kerosene marketers were responsible for the scarcity and hiked pump price of the product. She said because the bulk of the kerosene imported was of the same quality as that used in the aviation industry to fly airplanes, dishonest marketers on securing their allocation from the NNPC – the sole importer of kerosene – divert same to airline operators where they make more money because the cost of the kerosene in that sector was deregulated; as against the regulated price for the kerosene consumed in homes. It is quite distressing that a very important state agency like the NNPC, established to serve the needs of the populace, has exploited every opportunity that came its way over the years to shortchange the nation and ordinary Nigerians; and had consistently worsened the people’s plight instead

of providing the needed respite. If the NNPC and regulatory agencies could be so heartlessly complicit in the corrupt and conspiratorial frauds perpetrated by government officials and marketers in the massively abused fuel subsidy fund management, as alleged in the report of the House of Representatives’ recent subsidy probe, it is no surprise, the additional startling revelation now coming from the TCPFS. It is thus clear that the kerosene rip-off was hatched and executed by the NNPC in collusion with its ever ready friends and associates - fraudulent marketers, since it (the NNPC) had the sole licence to import the product. It is, however, doubtful, if the dubious deals and questionable application of kerosene subsidy funds came under the Reps intense scrutiny as did fuel subsidy. Consequently, the FG should ensure that the TCPFS report is not wasted like others before it by ensuring that all the NNPC officials who presided over the manipulated scarcity and high cost of kerosene since 2009, especially, are brought to justice, along with the fuel subsidy culprits. For, fundamental as changes in the leadership of the oil sector and regulatory agencies, including the NNPC; Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR); the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) may seem, the course of justice and public interest will not be served except fuel and kerosene subsidy culprits are made to face the wrath of the law and their loot recovered.

Reminiscences JULY 15 IN HISTORY 1933: Hundreds die over China river flood Hundreds of thousands of Chinese peasants were homeless due to the Yellow River overrunning its dykes and flooding thousands of acres of land. Famine also affected men, women and children and hundreds died from starvation. 1945: Italy declares war on Japan Italy formally declared war on Japan, a former Axis partner. 1954: U.S. Boeing 707 takes maiden flight America’s first jet airliner, the Boeing 70, took off from Renton Field in Renton, Washington on its maiden flight. 1979: Jimmy Carter blames OPEC President Jimmy Carter in a live speech to the American people blamed the long period of recession in the US, on the effects of OPEC’s 1973 cuts in oil production and the increases in fuel prices which in turn fuelled inflationary pressures. 1996: Microsoft, NBC in news partnership MSNBC, a joint venture between Microsoft and NBC, a 24-hour all-news network, was launched on cable TV and the Internet. 1997: US - Italian fashion designer murdered The Italian fashion designer, Gianni Versace, was shot twice in the head on the steps outside his Miami mansion by Andrew Cunanan. 2006: UN sanctions North Korea The UN Security Council imposed sanctions on North Korea after the country tested a long-range missile and several shorter-range missiles. The vote was unanimous. 2009: Iranian plane crash kills 168 A plane flying from Iran to Armenia crashed killing all 168 passengers on board. The plane crashed unexpectedly only 16 minutes after it took off. The majority of the passengers were Iranian. 2011: US recognises Libyan rebels as legitimate The United States department officially recognised the TNC, the Libyan opposition, as Libya’s “legitimate governing authority”. The decision came after the TNC (Transitional National Council) agreed to pursue democratic reform.

Opinion

Sunday July 15, 2012

Uncensored U nc

Sheriff S Folarin

E-mail: sheffie2004@yahoo.co.uk 08094217972 (SMS only)

ome persons have forcefully posited that Nigeria is a failed state, or, at least, a failing one. They allude to the growing insecurity and breakdown of law and order as the proofs that the state has failed. A group of scholars in a 1995 edited book, Crippled Giant- citing more than insecurity, but also outlining infrastructural decay, economic comatose, the devastating effects of the structural adjustment programme, among other factors- had deposed that Nigeria was crippled. This view was reinforced by Karl Meier in 2001 when he tried to depict the failing health of the Nigerian society. In his classic, “This House has Fallen: Nigeria in Crisis”, Meier captured the sick side of the country, pointing out the indices of a failed state. In more recent times, some scholars and public commentators may not have used the phrase “failed state”, but they have toyed with milder terms to describe symptoms of a failing state, thus subtly underscoring the fact that Nigeria has failed. Declining health system, ailing economy, crass materialism culminating in endemic corruption, completely collapsed transportation (road, rail, sea, and air) system, totally poor power supply, emergence of blighted cities, upsurge of slums, and general insecurity, are among the indices cited. The loss of faith in the Nigerian State has been ascribed to its refusal to work. Attempts after attempts from independence, to make Nigeria work, have plummeted. Governments have come and gone, so have generations of citizens, the Nigerian project just could not work. For the people who hold this seeming negative position of a failed state, the failure of the Nigerian State has been the factor in the frequent calls for a Sovereign

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Is Nigeria a failed State? National Conference (SNC), or a National Conference of the peoples to determine, independently and by themselves, the sociopolitical structure of a future Nigeria. SNC is called because government at all levels seem to have lost total control and ceded governance to road transport workers, garage touts, vigilance groups, kidnappers, ritualists, terrorists, armed robbers, assassins, lawless security agents, fraudsters, among other anti-social elements. SNC is advocated because the ethnic nationalities just cannot find a melting-pot, decades after independence. SNC has become the swan-song of advocates of a New Nigeria because religious fundamentalists are on the rampage, committing murders without any government capacity or will to arrest the situation. When SNC becomes the popular call, it means that the likes of Meier, Osaghae, Soyinka, Braithwaite, Agbakoba, et cetera, are not far from the truth that Nigeria is a fallen Gulliver who requires a surgical operation. But can Nigeria be, indeed, a failed state? What is the universally acceptable definition or description of a failed state? Noam Chomsky, in his 2006 book, “Failed States; The Abuse of Power and Assault on Democracy,” describes a failed state as a sovereign political territory perceived as having failed at some of the basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government. The failed state is characterized by social, political and economic failure. The 2012 Failed States Index of the United States ThinkTank Fund for Peace includes Nigeria. This is probably because the latter tends to exhibit most of the attributes as outlined in that document. The Fund for Peace enumerated the features thus: a weak or ineffective central government that has little or no practical control over much of its territory; nonprovision of public services; widespread corruption and criminality that have battered the economy; loss of the monopoly of the use of physical force; as well as erosion of legitimate authority to make collective decisions, among others. Today, there are 33 states in the world listed in the “failed state” category. Africa leads the pack with about 21 states. Soma-

lia in the Horn of Africa, which started exhibiting these attributes from the end of the regime of President Siad Barre in the 1990s, is a territory without an effective government, but with powers diffused among Islamist and ethnic warlords. Liberia, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, Chad, among others, occupy prominent positions. Nigeria occupies the 14th position in the Fund for Peace Failed States Index. But is Nigeria indeed a failed state? No Nigerian would accept this verdict, either for patriotic reasons or for religious purposes. An average Nigeria would literally and religiously “reject” such a pronouncement and rebuke whoever calls his country “failed”. However, from a perspective of political realism, what Nigeria seems to have exhibited over the years, are symptomatic of what is highlighted above. So, is Nigeria a failed state? The central government has shown so much weakness in the face of internal adversity. Boko Haram has convincingly proven that they are in control of Nigeria. Government is so cowed that the President, Cabinet, Minister of Defence, Security Advisers, former security chiefs, ex-military and civilian leaders, the great Nigerian Army, Police, Navy and all those who should be firm and authoritative in taming terrorism, are on their knees begging for dialogue and forgiveness from a small group of insurgents who have killed thousands of innocent women, children and men. Government at all levels cannot guarantee the security of those they swore to protect. Government cannot provide security any longer. Even government personnel, such as a Federal Senator and Plateau House of Assembly member have become the latest victims of government’s weakness in the face of local insurgency. The Police Headquarters, police stations, army barracks, etc, are successfully invaded by ordinary civilians who constitute Boko Haram. Yet, all the Federal Government can do is begging terrorists to stop the killings. Could that imply that Nigeria is a failed state? Government has not been able to stop the menace of criminal gangs, including robbers, kidnappers, ritualists, as well

as many other regular citizens who dare or defy constituted authority and take laws into their hands to unleash terror on innocent people. Policemen and customs officers, against the order of their High Command, kill, maim, extort money or even mount road blocks and yet cannot be apprehended or dealt with. They drive against traffic, use sirens and gunshots arbitrarily to intimidate harmless people. The MASSOB, OPC, and other ethnic militias have become the alternatives security agencies, doing the work of the police and army. In sum, security apparatuses have become a state operating within a state. Every other man or woman simply is their own government, creating a perpetual state of tension and fear, which signposts the end of state power. Has government been able to provide the basic infrastructures: potable water, electricity, ordinary graded roads, basic healthcare, clean environment, effective traffic control, ordinary street lights? These are basic necessities of life. What has government been able to achieve of them all? Could that suggest why Nigeria is listed among the failed states? What of factionalized elite, another symptom of a failed state? Rwanda failed in 1994 because of this syndrome. Hutu power set itself against Tutsi aristocracy, which resulted in a fratricidal war that led to the death of over 800, 000 citizens. The Nigerian elite are probably the most factionalized in Africa. Aside factionalization along ethnic, religious, political and sectional lines, there are also vulnerable groups who are cheaply compromised by fat grafts, juicy contracts or plum political appointments. The state of fear in Nigeria now, created by the reckless run of locusts in the North, and the inability or incompetence of government to stop the violent-few, who have held over 140 million people to ransom- and indeed the laughable government gesture to dialogue or beg Boko Haram the same way they did with MEND- may have presented Nigeria as a failed state. Has Nigeria failed? •Dr. Folarin teaches Politics at Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria

Of NBA’s exorbitant conference fees EMMANUEL IKUSAGBA

he 2012 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference holds this year in Abuja between August 26 and 31 2012. It is said to be open to all lawyers. The conference is an annual event of the NBA and the theme for this year is “Nigeria as an emerging market: Redefining our laws and politics for growth”. Whether this theme is apposite and relevant in view of the contemporary challenges of Nigeria today as a nation is doubtful but that is not the import of this article.

It is of general knowledge today that the security issue facing our nation is very gigantic and compelling of everybody’s attention. Pardon my ignorance; I wonder how Nigeria can be described as an emerging market when embassies and other nations are beginning to warn their citizens about their safety in the Northern part of the country. The central focus of this write-up is the penchant of the leadership of the NBA. The outgoing leadership has taken such to the peak, exploiting its members

by charging them exorbitant registration fees year in year out. It was not like this in the past, and this phenomenon stands highly condemnable because it has no regard for the feeling of the generality of the Nigerian lawyers, apart from the less than 10 per cent of its members that are super-rich. A larger percentage of our members are struggling to make both ends’ meet, particularly the junior members of the bar who are either roaming about the streets in search of employment in a law office or are being paid between N25,000.00 and N30,000 per month where they are fortunate to get employed. In 2011, the conference was held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The registration fees for lawyers between one and five years at the bar was N10, 000.00; this year it has gravitated to N20, 000.00 for the early bird registration and N25, 000.00 if the registration is done after August 15. Between six and 10 years at the bar, registration fee is now N30, 000:00 for early birds and N35, 000: 00 after August 15. A lawyer between 11 and 15 years at the bar who paid N20, 000:00 as an early bird in 2011 now has to double the amount while he runs the risk of

paying N45, 000:00 after August 15. The Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) are to pay 150,000:00 as against the N100, 000:00 they paid last year. I don’t care how much they pay. A good number of the SANs, including the president and chairman of the Conference Planning Committee are completely insensitive to the plight of the generality of Nigerian lawyers. The reference to the registration fees charged by the International Bar Association (IBA) in their conferences which has been used as a benchmark every year is unpersuasive and indeed absurd. Those who attend the IBA conferences know what they get there. Even though I have not personally attended any of the IBA conferences, I have been reliably informed that people get value for their money, not only in terms of paper presentation on diverse legal issues, but also in terms of social and other networking activities. Besides, I feel somebody needs to tell the leadership of our association that those of its members, particularly the overwhelming junior members many who do not have the resources to attend IBA conferences should not be schemed

out in the conferences holding in their own country through exorbitant fees. It is also important to state that the NBA is a professional body established by law to cater for the interest and welfare of its members and defend the cause of the legal profession while promoting the rule of law and democracy. It is most certainly not a profit-making body. It is not a Plc. I believe most Nigerian lawyers are interested in how much profit the NBA makes through its annual practice of extortion and exploitation of its members only as long as such conferences are not run at a loss; lawyers will be happy. I will most respectfully wish to call the President and the Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee to order immediately. In the event that the leadership fails to scale down this astronomical registration fees, we shall have no option than to take a motion to the Annual General Conference of the association for appropriate refund of an amount not less than 50 per cent of all registered conferees. •Ikusagba Esq., a lawyer, wrote from Makurdi, Benue State.

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Applause LIFESTYLE, FASHION & ENTERTAINMENT JULY 15, 2012

I have an aura that discourages improper advances –Lara George Lara George is a mother and wife who balances her musical career with the home-front. She says this has been possible because her husband doesn’t encumber her with much kitchen work. Lara tells Adaeze Amos in this interview that one fashion blunder that irritates her is that of old women with flabby breasts who show cleavages in public, among other issues. Excerpts:

Do you have any regrets being a woman? Well, sometimes, I do feel like it’s very difficult in this society. I don’t know if I would use the word regret. For me, I just see a challenge. It’s a challenge being a woman, it’s a challenge being a married woman, it’s a challenge being a Nigerian married woman and it’s a challenge being an African married woman. It is a male dominated society. Even in the entertainment industry, you would be amazed at the male dominance. Once money is involved, people want to push women aside. But, I see it as a challenge. For me, I choose to take on the matter and I try to educate people as much as I can that the fact that you know I’m a woman doesn’t mean you should treat me like lesser being. I try to use the little public thing that I have in my profile to just try to get people to listen to me and to educate people to let them know that if you give women a chance, they can actually do well, perhaps even better than men. There are women who have all-female children, no male; they are worried. How do you see this? That’s a lot of pressure from our society. It’s not about how many children you have, it’s all about how well trained those children are. There are women who would do you proud but in our society people believe that once a woman gets married, and goes to her husband’s house, that she belongs to that family and loses the maiden family name. But it’s not true. Examples abound in our society. We have women like Dora Akunyili, Okonjo-Iweala, who have been able to contribute their quota to the society and actually create change in our environment. I think that’s what our prayer point should be. If you are a woman out there and you haven’t had a male child, please don’t allow society to pressure you. Just pour all of your energy into training those children in the way of God and you would see that at the end of the day, you would turn out to be happier and prouder than the woman that has nine sons that are criminals. How do you combine the home front with your music profession? I have a lot of support from my husband. The truth of the matter is that my husband really gives me enough time. He doesn’t demand that I cook three meals a day at home. He understands my job. At all times he is there with me, as you can see he is here with me now and that makes it far easier for me. He doesn’t do some things that would make it difficult for me and that is why I’m still able to do what I’m doing. Honestly, it’s not easy and God has also been kind to me. My parents have been very supportive. You are one of the renowned musicians today, how do you cope with the male folk who seek intimacy? I don’t know any man who wants to get intimate with me. People have this image of me that haa, when they see me they are like that one? She is floating in the sky, don’t even go near her. No one ever brings that kind of topic. I also believe that as a woman, there are ways you can present yourself that would encourage or discourage men from making undue propositions to you. I have a kind of aura around me that is very discouraging for such men. I put it on to discourage any kind of advances like that. I’m very happy to say that I’m hundred per cent advance-free. How did you meet your husband? I was part of Kush when I met my husband thus I had already started singing. We actually worked in the same office. I used to work in a real estate firm when Kush was on and it was at that firm that I met my husband. Also we attended the same church, so I knew of him but by the time we started working in the same environment. We became

‘MY HEADGEAR IS DELIBERATE, IT STANDS ME OUT’

friends and he started liking me. What fascinated you about him? Initially when I met him I wasn’t really excited about him. In fact, I didn’t like him at all. Yes, initially I didn’t just like him but when I got to know him, I found out that he is a very focused person. When I choose my friends, I look for people who have values, I look for people who have plans for their future. When I was trying to choose who my husband would be, that was a very important factor. The fact that he is somebody who plans for the future, a Christian, very God-fearing, and he is also a very sociable person, which I’m still learning to be, excited me. He complements me in a lot of ways. How do you see the high divorce rate in our society? It is definitely a big source of concern for me. I was asked this question by friends a few days ago and we were analysing the situation. We came to agree that there is a lot of promiscuity in our society. The men, especially, believe that life has not started if you don’t have like 20 girlfriends outside, which is a problem. Secondly, people are not raising their children up in the way of God, so when those children grow up, they grow up seeing their fathers abusing their mothers and so they go on and do the same thing to their wives. They grow up seeing their fathers with, like ten other women, so they believe that is the norm. I think the mothers really have a huge responsibility, it’s not just for the mother but if the father fails in their duty, then the mother must take on that reCONTINUED ON PAGE 20

‘IF I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, I WOULD ENLARGE MY BOOBS’

Applause

Sunday, July 15, 2012

My headgear is deliberate, it stands me out –Madam Kofo Her name is Biola Atanda but she is fondly known as Madam Kofo. In every event or occasion, her headgear stands her out. She ties it in flamboyant and glamourous styles and insists that her headgear is her style signature. She informs Adaeze Amos in this interview that old women who flaunt cleavages are deceptive. What is your style signature? My headgear of course, check it out (she says pointing at her head).

for me the first time but I had to start practising and today I’m perfect. I have perfected in all styles. I know I make fashionable people happy with my headgear.

Why headgear? That is my way of promoting my culture. I believe that as an African woman, you should appear African. Like me, if I’m travelling anywhere in the world, this is how I dress. My headgear must be on my head. If I’m going to London or America, this is the way I dress. They always like my dress sense, my style, my headgear. There was a time in the United States when a white man called and said to me ‘madam could you please step forward,’ I was afraid at first but I knew that ‘no shaking, I no do anything’. So, when I got to where he was, he said, I wanted to bring you forward because I saw the way you are dressed, how are you? Where are you from? I said I’m from Nigeria in Africa. So, wherever I go, I carry my tradition along because it is important.

The colours of your eye shadows blend so well with your attire and accessories; what’s the secret? I’m an artiste first and foremost, a creative artiste. I’m an actor, I also know a little bit of comedy, and a little bit about dressmaking.

Apart from promoting our culture through your styles of headgear, what else is your reason for having it on all the time? My headgear is my fashion statement. I like to stand out. It stands me out in any occasion or anywhere I go. I like people to see me the way I am. Doesn’t it take long to tie your headgear? It doesn’t take me time at all, maybe just one second. Have you been teaching some other younger ladies how to tie it? Sure, I have been doing that for four years now. When you see ladies who don’t tie their headgears well, how does that make you feel? I don’t feel happy about that. That is one very thing that puts me off. A lady should know how to tie her headgear. I believe that as an African woman, you should appear African when the need arises. If I’m travelling anywhere in the world, I dress African. Meanwhile, I didn’t learn how to tie it. I could remember that I started tying it when we started ‘Second Chance’ program on NTA. It was Grace E g ba gbe, Tina Eziok e , that tied it

What’s your beauty routine? I don’t really have a beauty routine, I must confess to you. I take my bath and I use black soap. I have been using black soap for years and it suits my skin. Then my cream is Vaseline. Does it not darken you? I’m already dark. How come you are not showing your cleavages, not even three inches that style pundits say is ideal? You see, I’m not a young girl now. Even some grannies flaunt theirs, why not join them? That’s their style, I don’t believe in that kind of rubbish.

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‘As a woman, there’re ways you can present yourself’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 sponsibility and do what they can to train their children in the way of God. The Bible says that when he grows old, he would not depart from it. We as adults need to make conscious effort not to allow the devil into our homes. Choose your friends carefully. If your friends are doing those kind of things, you really shouldn’t be hanging out with them. Spend more time with your family so that you can bond with your wife, the wife of your youth and do not put the wife of your youth away. That’s what the Bible says. Everyone has a part to play in the whole thing. What do you do in your spare time? I like to spend time relaxing, just chilling. I also like watching movies; I really enjoy it. I like to meditate into the world of fiction, I like reading books sometimes. I like spending time with close friends and family. Sometimes I do go out of Nigeria to some quiet places and just have a change of environment.

Did you say rubbish? Yes it is rubbish as far as I’m concerned. What are you exhibiting? How do you derive your inspiraFor whom? tion? Anything is inspiration from Is it not the trend, the fashion now? the heat of Lagos …from when Well, if you say that’s trend, it’s okay but I don’t want to follow that you have to queue up for fuel somekind of trend. I believe a woman should show her children how to times, to joy sometimes and to dress well. When you tell your child not to do something, you should laughter. Every single thing gives not be doing that. If I want to tell my child that she should not dress me inspiration. So I can write my half-nude and I’m good in wearing clothes that reveal my private songs about anything: from love to parts, my advice won’t make her change. I believe mothers should war, to any topic whatsoever. Evbe role models, we should always remember that our children look erything is inspirational. up to us. Therefore, we should be mindful of what we do, the way we dress and the kind of friends we keep. You don’t have to appear How much can you collect in a naked before men can approach you. The way I am dressed, is not show? bad. Some women would expose it all, overdo it, especially mothers. I have different prices. I give a If single ladies are the only ones flaunting cleavages, I won’t mind. highly discounted charge when Even the young girls I don’t mind, they are still young at heart. But I’m doing for churches or charity. women who are old like me, what are we looking for? Who are we When I’m doing a regular show I trying to impress? don’t want to mention specific amount but since you insist maybe As an artiste, where is your tattoo? somewhere around N1.5 million. I’m not a tattoo person. I know it’s traditional, it’s African but I don’t like it. Talking about style, what are some fashion blunders you hate What do you like then? What’s your style? to see in the street? I like to be myself. I like to dress to please myself and not to please I think the most annoying blunanybody. I don’t believe any woman is more beautiful than I am. I der that I see regularly is the way can’t bleach, why do I have to bleach? women show cleavages that are not even fresh. I mean old-old cleavages What is your style slogan? and they would be bringing it out. I like to stand out. I like people to see me the way I am. I don’t pre- The boobs would have fallen and tend, I don’t like people to pretend to me, I don’t even like liars. I don’t they would still be bringing them believe you should tell a lie at all because if you tell one lie, you need out. Tired, flabby boobs, and they another hundred to defend that one. So, why don’t you be honest and would still be bringing them out. be yourself. And be prayerful. Honestly, it’s amusing. Please women keep your breasts under cover. Prayer is power, isn’t it? I think that’s the biggest fashion Yeah, sure! blunder. Do you pray? I do, I’m a Moslem.

How about those whose boobs are firm? Well, I actually think that it’s What’s your striking prayer point? important to be moderate. You can I tell God to make me reap the fruits of my labour, to make me see look beautiful without showing all my children through their education. That is my prayer point all the of your flesh. You can still be beautime. I’m the only one they have … a single parent. tiful without being naked.

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Cocktail Whispers

Stories by Olumide Segun-Oduntan

0818 941 8761 e-mail: lumidezy@yahoo.com

July 15, 2012

Femi Kuti, Funke conclude divorce proceedings If you are one of those who are still wishing that Afro-beat king, Femi Kuti, and his estranged wife, Funke, will one day get back together as husband and wife, then what you are about to read is bound to make you leave fantasyland and come back to the reality zone. If the information at Cocktail Whispers’ disposal is anything to go by, then the former love birds may have formally decided to put an end to the thought of ever getting back as an item. According to feelers reaching Cocktail Whispers, Femi Kuti and his erstwhile sweetheart, Funke, are now officially divorced. It was gathered that the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, has concluded the divorce proceedings, which was instituted in February, 2011 by Femi Kuti himself. And the marriage has finally been dissolved at the proceedings’ final sitting few days back. Just so you know, Femi Anikulapo-Kuti and Oyefunke Yusuf tied the knot at Ogbomosho

North Local Government Marriage Registry on May 27, 1995, when he was 34 and she was 24. However, some years ago, Femi and Funke, who is the mother of his first child, Morinmade, decided to go their separate ways. And until now, many of their friends and well-wishers have been hoping that the three-time Grammy Awards nominee and the boss of FK Management (Funke’s company) would soon get back as husband and wife. In fact, many of those who were at Femi Kuti’s Afrika Shrine recently when he celebrated his 50th birthday thought that he was already back together with Funke, especially when they noticed her input into the birthday gig. But Cocktail Whispers learnt that Funke had always played a major role during Femi’s birthday celebrations over the years despite their separation. Now with the conclusion of their divorce proceedings, it seems that Funke and Femi Kuti are truly done with their marriage.

About Iya Raibow’s stunning revelation

Iya Rainbow

Believe it or not, Madam Idowu Phillips, popularly called Iya Rainbow, has what it takes to thrill movie fans any day, any time. If you doubt it, all you need do

is pick any of the Yoruba genre films she acted in and you will be convinced of her acting talent. Madam Phillips has also thrilled those who like television series. Of course, she has several awards to show for her huge acting talent. However, while Iya Rainbow has brought smiles to the faces of many movies fans through her interpretation of several movie roles over the years, not many of her fans are aware that she has not had any bedroom action in the last 30 years. Yes, as shocking as it may be to believe, Madam Phillips, who clocked 70 recently, has disclosed that she has not had sex in the past 30 years. And according to her, she is not planning to have sex till she departs this life. But just so you know, Iya Rainbow lost her husband many years ago less than 15 years into her marriage. Now many people are wondering if the fact that her late husband cared so much for her and spoilt her silly made Madam Phillips to feel that no man might match up to him and thereby deciding to stay away from sex (or men). Or could it be that the burden of caring for her children made sex unappealing to her? Who knows?

There is no doubt that versatile Nollywood actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, is one of the most successful actresses in this clime. And her ingenuity on the screen may have put her in the spotlight. Also, her beauty, hard work, and charitable works have endeared her to many and sustained her on the limelight. Her undying love for charity was again brought to fore recently when the delectable actress visited an orphanage in the East African country, Tanzania. She was invited to help raise money for orphanages there. The mother of four, who was welcomed to the country amidst thundering cheers of Karibu Sana Omosexy (you’re very welcome Omosexy) and paparazzi right from the Julius Nyerere airport, was in Tanzania for the premiere of Tanzanian model and actress, Wema Sepetu’s movie, but she also seized the opportunity to show her charitable side

Femi Kuti and Funke Kuti

Iyabo Ojo denies romance with Obanikoro

Iyabo Ojo

The rumour mongers have filled the air with tales that she is currently in a hot romance with a politician and planning to marry the one-time gubernatorial candidate.

Omotola in Tanzania for charity

Omotola (middle) in Kenya

as she visited children at the Mitindo House for HIV infected children.

In fact, the rumour peddlers alleged that he was responsible for her new ride, apartment, and paid the bill for the production of her latest movie. However, celebrated actress cum movie producer, Iyabo Ojo, has debunked all the rumours making the rounds that she is an item with Senator Musiliu Obanikoro. According to the sexy movie star, she is not engaged to Obanikoro and she is certainly not planning to marry him anytime soon as alleged by speculators. To start with, Iyabo Ojo maintained that she bought her latest car herself when she was in the United State early this year. The popular actress also insisted that the rent for her accommodation came from her purse. As for the bill for the shoot of her latest movie, ‘Arinzo’, Iyabo Ojo disclosed that the film was sponsored by both herself and her marketers. And while she accepted that she is currently seeing someone, the single mother-of-two would not disclose the name of her beau. In case you are not aware, Iyabo Ojo started out in the movie industry several years ago and has since become one of the most sought-after actresses in the Yoruba genre of the industry.

The children were so excited to see the screen goddess they had adored severally on their screens as they reeled out to Omosexy the storylines of several of her movies they had watched. She was then presented with hand-written cards by all the children and later had lunch with the children and their minders. She thereafter left for the Giraffe Hotel for the Launch of the movie, Super Star. It will be recalled that Omotola is an ambassador for many international humanitarian and charity organizations like Amnesty International. She took her commitment to charity cause to another level in 2010 when she hosted a one-day charity concert for the less-privileged as one of the activities that marked her sophomore album launch. The proceeds of the concert were handed over to charity.

Movies & Music

Stories by Olumide Segun-Oduntan

Sunday, July 15, 2012

0818 941 8761 e-mail: lumidezy@yahoo.com

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Zeelex hit t

Top entertainers shut down Lagos for DJ Jimmy JATT’s Jump Off

2face

Sunday July 1, 2012 will be a night to remember as award winning and premium DJ Jimmy JATT hosted celebrity DJs and other popular musicians for the fourth edition of his annual gig, Jimmy’s Jump Off at the Get Arena in pomp and style. Starting at about 7pm with a red carpet that lasted for about an hour and half, journalists and photographers had a field day interviewing and taking pictures of celebrities that were present that night. The main event kicked off with performances by different upcoming rappers who set the pace for what should be expected during the night. Most of the upcoming artistes performed so well that guests at the event moved to the rhythm of their songs. The upcoming artistes soon gave way for Nigeria’s hottest DJs like; DJ Xclusive, DJ Sose, DJ Waxzy of Channel O, DJ Neptune, DJ Caise, Snoop Da Damager, DJ Humility and DJ Spin’all who heightened the excitement of the night. The event was not done yet, at least not until legendary musician 2face, 9ice, Davido, Orezi, Vector, Rayce, Jaywon, Durella, 2shot, Hakym the Dream went on stage to perform. “Jimmy’s Jump Off is the happening event in town, if you are a funlover and you were not there, then you missed. I love the way different artists and DJs performed, it is one show I will not forget in a jiffy,” a female guest said after the gig. Jimmy’s Jump Off remains one of the best platforms where top entertainers come together to give an eclectic and undiluted fun to their fans and fun-lovers. The show, which is the brainchild of premium DJ, Jimmy Jatt, is presently in its fourth year.

Fast-rising Hip ho fans to another excit recording artistes u After the success ic brothers have ret track, calling all par The thrilling new Clarence Peters. Born in Kaduna S ter and Tony (Tilex) Justin and Tony are tween two wonderfu Their family exp of hard work. As yo for music in the loc gether as a new age they released two si quickly garnered fa of Kaduna and Nige Although both bro of the two, is more a ing, Jay –Z, Kanye W a powerful singer, w and lots more.

Got Tale

JimmyJatt

Obi Emelonye returns in Last Flight to Abuja The award-winning director and producer of one of the highest grossing movies of 2011, ‘Mirror Boy’, Obi Emelonye, is back in the news with new Nollywood flick, ‘Last Flight to Abuja’. After the cinema success of his 2011 movie, Obi Emelonye, who won the Creative Person of the Year Award by The Sun Newspaper, embarked on the ‘Last Flight to Abuja’ project, a movie which focuses on the ills in the aviation industry. Fans’ favourite, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, the very firm Jim Iyke, Hollywood and Nigerian actor, Hakeem Kae Kazeem, Jide Kosoko, Ali Nuhu, Celine Loader and a host of others took part in the movie that is already getting the people of London talking. The movie recently premiered at the Troxy Cinema in East London, with star actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Jim Iyke and others in attendance. The London premiere was dedicated to the loving memory of the over 150 passengers of the ill-fated Dana Air crash with their names replacing the end credit of the movie. ‘Last Flight to Abuja’ reveals extensively, the daring mid-air difficulties that stares most Nigerian commercial planes in the face and how

Obi emelonye

they are forced to make emergency landings, which sometimes leads to very devastating consequences. Interestingly, the movie will premiere on Friday 3rd, August in Lagos and will be in cinemas from Saturday, 4th August, 2012. The new movie, which features a lot of suspense, action and flashback, tells the story of a set of everyday Nigerian travelers that board the last ‘Flamingo Airways’ flight scheduled to fly from Lagos to Abuja on a fateful Friday night in 2006. The plane cruises at 30,000 feet, tranquil and on schedule. But like a bolt out of the blue, through a mixture of human error, technical failure and bad luck, the plane rapidly develops major faults that send it teetering on the brink of disaster. As the pilots struggle with the controls of the stricken plane, a series of flashbacks unravel the twists, turns and leaps of fate that put each passenger on the fateful flight. Young lovers, an elderly couple, a corporate party, a sportsman on the threshold of greatness; all the passengers are caught up in the nightmare scenario and sense the final moments of their lives approaching.

Omotola

Agata Amata

If you have an am tain, then you are in portunity to showca M&M can reveal tha and Optima Media G ganizations behind ful Nigerian Idols T graced our TV scre ing entertainment fo brought the 6-year-lo ‘Got Talent’ franchis The debut seaso known as the ‘Niger ity show will last from 2012. Already, auditio son of ‘Nigeria’s Go

Latitude Reco

Celebrations all the way as Inside-Out with Agatha clocks 15 For Nigeria’s television audience, the name Agatha Amata would always ring a bell as the programme, ‘Inside Out’, has warmed its way into the hearts of many people especially with its various topics of discourse providing new perspective on issues while sometimes discussing issues that many people would either not speak about or altogether trivialise. Fans of ‘Inside-Out with Agatha’ will be glad to know that the television programme will turn 15 in August and Inside-Out Media, producers of the show have lined up several activities to mark the celebrations. “We are proud to have been on air consistently for the past fifteen years. Many programs have come and gone but we are still here, getting stronger and re-inventing to be fresher every day,” Agatha Amata, Executive Producer, said. The Programme, ‘Inside-Out with Agatha’ began in 1997 and has since grown to become a model for talkshow programmes on Nigerian television and an influential platform for many youths to air their views on issues. The Anniversary kicks off with the 1st ever outside Lagos recording of ‘Inside-Out with Agatha’, which will be held in Delta State on Saturday, July 21st, 2012. The grand finale will hold on July 31, 2012, and will feature the presence of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State as a special guest of honour and Mrs. Adejoke Adefulire, Deputy Governor of Lagos State as the Mother of the Day.

Dr Vee

El-Phlex featu

Music fans will be that Pillars Records much-anticipated ne remix from music d ing Yung6ix, Cynti Seriki, Tizze and IceThe song was prod Tizze (Folakemi Cr and mastered by Ty man (The King of Me Music fans will re nal song was relea showed a lot of poten sical career.

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Deal with your bad habit –Pastor Bamidele

Praise Worship E-mail:richardeghaghe@yahoo.com

E-mail:titusanyanwu.2012@gmail.com

EDIFYING GOD

July 15, 2012

Catholic Church, cleric tell Jonathan:

Convene national dialogue TAI ANYANWU

he Director of Social Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Monsignor Gabriel Osu, has said that there is an urgent need for a national dialogue to bring lasting peace in the country

The cleric was reacting to recent killings in the northern part of the country, especially the latest massacre in Jos by men suspected to be Hausa-Fulani herdsmen. In Matse and Shong villages in Barkin Ladi and Riyom councils in Jos, Plateau State last Saturday, gunmen suspected to be Hausa/Fulani herdsmen attacked and killed about 140 residents. The renewed attacks trailed last weekend’s massacre in Jos, including the death on Sunday of Senator Gyang Dantong, the Majority Leader of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. James Gyang Fulani and 20 other mourners. The renewed violence that engulfed several communities reportedly claimed over 100 lives. Dantong, representing Plateau North and Fulani, representing Barkin Ladi constituency, died while trying to escape from gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, who ambushed them and others while they were in a funeral procession on its way to bury victims of Saturday’s attack at Maseh in Riyom Local Government Area of the state. Monsignor Osu insisted that government must as a matter of utmost urgency convene a national dialogue to address the alarming and unjustifiable rate of insecurity in the land. “Our country is now in a state of siege. Terror, fears and tears have become the order of the day. The citizens now sleep with one eye closed, particu-

WITH AGENCY REPORT

he Episcopal Church has approved a liturgy that will allow priests to bless same-sex couples, making the church the biggest in the United States to endorse such a rite.

Starting on December 2, the first Sunday of Advent, priests whose bishops give the OK will be allowed to bless the unions of gay and lesbian

Pray continually for peace –Yakowa Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State has urged Nigerians to pray, without ceasing, for peaceful coexistence and unity among the people of the North. He made the call while on a two-day working visit to Jigawa State where he inaugurated some projects executed by the state governor, Sule Lamido. The visiting governor stressed that recurring crises in many towns in the North, such as Jos, Kano, Bauchi, Yobe, Maiduguri and Kaduna, among others, were unfortunate and needed prayers from everyone to end. Yakowa explained that development would never thrive in an atmosphere of anarchy, insecurity and mistrust among the people. He, therefore, appealed to northern elders to cooperate and find a lasting solution to the constant crises in the region. “The problem of insecurity bedeviling the northern part of the country should not be the sole responsibility of security operatives and government alone but should be a task that rests on everyone,” he said.

TREM hosts 10th edition of BLENT Monsignor Osu

Bishop Umunna

larly in the northern part of the country where Christians are now being slaughtered like animals on almost a daily basis. These, no doubt, are calculated attempts to destabilise this country. He said the way forward was for the government to call representatives of the various interest groups, including the Boko Haram, and allow them to table their grievances so as to resolve them amicably. “This is a fact government must face,” Osu submitted. He noted that since it was the duty of government to provide adequate se-

curity for the lives and property of the citizenry, it would be foolhardy to disregard the perceived genuine grievances of any group of people in the country. Unless the contending issues are quickly resolved, they may spell more doom for the nation’s unity, Osu pointed out. “Of recent, there have been renewed calls by pro-democracy groups and eminent Nigerians for the convocation of a national conference as a means of solving the challenges. “This is time for all patriots and friends of Nigeria to speak out in fa-

couples, whether same-sex marriage is legal in that state or not. (It’s currently legal in six states, as well as in Washington, D.C.) The church’s two voting bodies approved the rite by nearly an 80 per cent majority Tuesday at the Episcopal General Convention in Indianapolis. “There is a place in this process for every Episcopa-

lian regardless of their level of support,” Bishop Thomas Ely of Vermont said during the debate, according to a story on the Episcopal Church website. “Read it. Reflect upon it. Use it, but please don’t ignore it.” The ceremony is not referred to as marriage, but it can be used in marriage ceremonies in those states where gay marriage is legal. Bishops

‘THE PRAYER-ANSWERING GOD’

Breeding Leaders for Empowerment & National Transformation (BLENT), a programme of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) will be taking place during a special service, on Sunday July 22 at 8.00 a.m. for stakeholders in the sport industry at TREM headquarters, in Lagos. The expected guests for the special service with the theme, ‘Repositioning Nigerian Sports’ include ex-internationals and other stakeholders from various sport sectors. Speakers include Churchill Oliseh, chairman, FC Ebedei, Shagamu, Ogun State; Olympic medallist, CSP Chioma Ajunwa and Col. Sam Ahmedu, an investor in basketball. Activities lined up for the day include donation of gifts to National Institute for Sports (NIS) and Paralympics Committee Nigeria, song ministrations, prayer for the sport sector and word ministration by the presiding Bishop of TREM.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

US Anglican Church endorses gay wedding TAI ANYANWU

Briefly

who do not wish to use the liturgy are allowed to opt out of its use. The blessing is called “The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant,” and includes prayers and vows. The liturgy includes “I do” and an exchange of rings. Notably absent are the words “husband,” “wife” and “marriage.” “While the liturgy we have developed is not called ‘marCONTINUED ON PAGE 24

MANIFESTATION OF DIVINE HELP

Sunday Mirror/Babcock University Bible Quiz: • Current and past winners can collect their prizes from the office of the Editor, Sunday Mirror, 151/161 Broad Street, Lagos anytime from Monday to Friday. Participants should always indicate their names when sending their entries

QUOTE When God decides to help you, He will intervene in your matter. That is, God will take your case personal. –Pastor Taiye Olayemi 32

Praise & Worship

Sunday July 15, 2012

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

New Lagos Catholic Archbishop to be installed in August TAI ANYANWU

he new Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Martins, will be installed on August 4. The date was announced at a media briefing held at the Holy Cross Cathedral in Lagos on Thursday. It was conducted by the Chairman, Installation Committee, Sir Steve Omojafor; Vicar General, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Monsignor Benard Okodua and Dean and Episcopal Vicar of Ikeja, Monsignor John Aniagwu.

Omojafor said that Pope Benedict XVI announced the choice of Martins as the successor of Anthony Cardinal Okogie on May 25, following Archbishop Okogie’s retirement after 39 years of serving as the head of Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos. Before his appointment as the 4th Archbishop of Lagos Catholic Diocese, Martins was the pioneer bishop of Abeokuta Diocese where he grew the parishes from nine to about 30. Omojafor said Martins established new hospitals, health centers and institutions of learning for primary and sec-

ondary education for Catholics in Abeokuta diocese. He said that Martins, who was the Assistant Secretary, is currently the Secretary, Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria for the second term. Archbishop Martins was born to Mr and Mrs Gregory Obasola Martins of Abeokuta in 1957. He had his primary school education at St. Augustine Catholic Mission School at Itesi, Abeokuta, from where he went to St. Theresa Minor Seminary, Oke-Are Ibadan, Oyo State, for his secondary education.

He had his training for priesthood at SS Peter and Paul Major Seminary, Bodija, Ibadan in 1976 and was ordained a priest of the Catholic Church on Sept. 18, 1983. Martins served in several parishes in Lagos from October 1983 to September 1986 when he was sent to help the formation of future priests at the SS Peter and Paul Major Seminary, Omojafor said. The Archbishop holds a bachelors degree in Theology from Pontifical Urban University of Rome and two Masters degrees from University of Ibadan and

University of St Andrews in Scotland. Omojafor said Martins would remain the administrator of Abeokuta diocese until a new bishop is elected to take his place. Oritsejafor said the installation would be an epoch event as the last one was in 1973. Aniagwu also said that Anthony Cardinal Okogie would reside in Lagos during his retirement. Umoh said the installation would start at 10 a.m. at the Holy Cross Cathedral and would be followed by reception at the City Hall and Freedom Park.

US Anglican Church approves gay wedding CONTINUED FROM Page 23

Parish is popularly called, was established in July 2005 when a House Fellowship Centre was approved by the Church District Headquarters, to operate as a branch, with Pastor Alex Ogundipe as the Leader-in-Charge. The anniversary activities kicked off with a two-day wealth creation seminar, facilitated by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) at the church premises locat-

ed on Hamza Abdullahi Road by Phase 2, Site 2 junction in Kubwa. The seminar was not just for members of the church, but was attended by non-members as well. “We have always taken empowerment very seriously, and so, with this seminar, we hope our members and other participants must have benefited immensely on how to fish by inviting SMEDAN to deliver a lecture on wealth creation through fish-

riage,’ we recognize significant parallels,” the committee wrote in its handbook on blessing same-sex marriages, called “I Bless You, And You Will Be a Blessing.” “Two people publicly make a lifelong, monogamous commitment to one another with the exchange of solemn vows in a ritual that pronounces God’s blessing on their life together.” The resolution will go up for another vote at the next triennial convention in 2015. In the meantime, the commission that proposed the liturgy will study its implementation. During the debate that preceded Tuesday’s vote, opponents to the resolution argued that an official liturgy was the same as endorsing same-sex marriage with no theological basis. Church laws define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Supporters of the doctrine urged those voting to continue the Episcopal Church’s history of inclusion. “The signs outside our church say all are welcome,” said Dep-

the cleric warned.” Similarly, another man of God and General Overseer of the World Bible Life Church, Bishop Leonard Umunna, recently said the cause of the insurgency in parts of the North was both religious and political. His words: “Do you know the cause of the bombings? I have told you two things that every right-thinking Nigerian has come to agree, that that is the cause of the problem: political and religious. And I am part of that group. Political in the sense that some people feel that there is injustice in the land; ei-

ther that they are supposed to rule or it has been taken from them, or so. “On the other hand, on the religious side, some people feel, ‘Leave us to run our own government the way we want it our religious way. If you don’t want leave our place or our domain.’ That is that. The cleric added that once the cause of a problem has been discovered, the next is to proffer the right solution. “We have got the right diagnosis of it; nobody should say it is only religious or only political. On the political side, even though the whole world,

right or wrong, say that the last general election was fair, some people still believe that it was unfair. Even though the whole world, at least, those who are knowledgeable in what is right, have agreed that there should be religious freedom or at least religious tolerance, everybody is entitled to worship whatever he wants to worship, but some people feel, “No. You must be forced to do otherwise.” I hope I am correct? That is why I have kept giving the solution and I want you to note this, that there should be a national referendum to decide whether the people want it this way or that

L-R: National Director, Woman’s Ministry (WM) and wife of the General Superintendent Assemblies of God Nigeria, Dr (Mrs.) Sharon Emeka; Lagos District Coordinator of WM, Rev Mrs. Helen Okafor; its National President, Evangelist Josephine Edeji, and Lagos District President, Mrs. Olohigbe Ukadike, at the familiarisation visit of the National Director of WM to Lagos District at the weekend. PHOTO: CHINYERE IKEANYI

C & S Church celebrates 7th anniversary RICHARD EGHAGHE

he Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Dakibiyu District, Kubwa Branch, has held its seventh-year founder’s day anniversary.

The weeklong activities tagged ‘You and God’s Word’ end todaywith a social gathering. The Peculiar Church as the

uty Pete Ross of the Diocese of Michigan, according to the Episcopal Church website. “Do we need an asterisk?” Nine years ago, the church ordained its first openly gay bishop. That move prompted a divorce of sorts between the Episcopal Church and some of its more conservative parishes and dioceses. The Episcopal Church is the American version of the Anglican Church; it has 1.9 million members, down from about 2.3 million in 2003. Also, on Monday, the church approved a policy that will allow transgender people to become priests. The handbook that accompanies the resolution includes responses from the congregation, a discussion guide for congregants with questions about the new liturgy and a series of counseling sessions for the couple to take place before the blessing. The liturgy and music commission that wrote the blessing collected ideas from hundreds of sources, including churches in Iowa, North Carolina and Utah.

Clerics tell govt to convene national dialogue CONTINUED FROM Page 23 vour of a national dialogue. This is the time for President Jonathan to write his name in gold. “We must come together and dialogue as a way of securing our unity. We must not wait until the masses re-enact the revolt of the Arab countries that led to the ouster of the leaders of Libya and Egypt,” the cleric advised. “Unless something is done urgently, a time may soon come (God forbid) when there will be no country to govern,

way,” Bishop Umunna noted. He added that, “you can’t force anybody to worship with the Bible or Koran. They all agree that you can’t work together if you do not agree. I have given the solution, whether by the National Assembly or a national conference; let us not belabour ourselves with the adjective ‘Sovereign’ as what is needed is a referendum. I say a quasi national or referendum be conducted to decide what the people want. As I said, we have not really had a constitution that we can call our own. If not, crisis will leave you with what you can manage.”

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Praise & Worship

Sunday July 15, 2012

Though I am a law student, I won’t do any secular job –Prophet Atetan Prophet Vincent Aondowase Atetan is of The Shepherd of Fruit for the Month Ministry, Makurdi, Benue State. Besides his religious calling, he is also a 300-level student of the Faculty of Law, Benue State University (BSU). Prophet Atetan argues that his inclination to read Law at the University is only to update his knowledge in the secular world. He, however, pledges never to abandon God’s calling for secular work. In this interview with Henry Iyorkase, the Prophet spoke on a wide range of issues, which include the seemingly intractable insecurity in the country. Excerpts: What is your opinion on the insecurity in the country, particularly as it is being witnessed in the northern parts of the country? Insecurity in this country is actually a threatening situation. It is something that all of us are actually not happy about. The fact is that God has actually made all of us to be the same. The story of creation tells us that we were created from Adam and being different in colour does not make any one of us different from the other. But because of the fall of man, sin entered the world and people have various gods they are worshipping. The truth, however, is that our hearts know that to kill another man in the name of religion is actually something that is very bad. So the insecurity in the northern states of the country is actually threatening the peace of this country. At the same time, we understand that it is actually a political matter versus religious one. The fact is that, there are politicians that are hiding and the only way you could advance your evil is through religion, because every man is a religious man. So when you mention religion, the heart of men is actually being boiled and a lot of people begin to react against the other; as if they were not serving the same God. So what we actually perceive is that the authorities of the state or the people that are controlling the state have missed God. If our leaders understand that they are made by God and they begin to handle issues the way they are supposed to, the insecurity issue will have to stop. But the fact that people are hiding in good houses, committing evil. When the issue is being mentioned as a religious matter, they don’t see the secret behind it that it is actually political. So, it is exactly threatening the state but we are praying that God will actually keep us together because the Bible says ‘united we stand and divided we fall.’ So which ever religion one comes from, the truth of the matter is that, any religion that connects to God needs to preach about peace. So we need to spearhead peace and our leaders should actually embrace God sincerely; they should understand that it is God that put them there. Suffice it to state here that if we coordinate ourselves together and work, the insecurity issue will actually come to pass. But our leaders have to be very sincere. Are you satisfied with the ef-

Prophet Atetan forts being made by President Jonathan to tackle insecurity in the country? I am 75 per cent satisfied. Why, because the fact is that the Boko Haram issue is actually a security issue. What is even more worrisome is that for people that are coming out to fight you and are ready to die, then there is the need for caution. If you use the military, you are actually really advancing their essence because they are ready to die. I think the issue is much more spiritual than we may think of it. Like I earlier said, it is an issue that involves the whole spiritual leadership of this country, not just the secular leaders. Why should the President not even call for prayers for the whole nation, to pray against this and see what God could do? So I think that is where I am only 75 percent satisfied with what he is doing. And it boils down to sincerity. I am still saying government needs to be very sincere because in one way or the other, they know the perpetrators of this evil. If this were perpetrated by a common man, they would have actually addressed the issue long ago. On account of that, I am not entirely satisfied because

sincerity is lacking from the way they are approaching the matter. You are reputed for being able to wrought miracles; how have you been able to achieve the feats? The truth of the matter is that the word ‘magic’ has to actually work in this context because that is the belief of men and that is the easy word people use in actually trying to advance issues that are supernatural. The truth of the matter that it is not magic; it’s actually an invisible power of God. Right from the story of creation, we were made to understand that the world existed because of the causative agent which is God. The world came to be because God created the world through his mysterious powers. And God by the death of Christ, as recorded in the book of Acts of the Apostles Chapter 10 versus 38, says Jesus Christ was ordained by the will-power of the Holy Ghost and went about healing all that were oppressed by the devil. We understand that sickness and illness are of the devil because God himself loves us to a point that he gave his son to die

for us. So why should we actually be sick? Think God decided by his own doing when I was in Abuja working as a mason but did not believe so much in these powers until I met a people and they told me that God wanted to use me and they will pray with me together and suddenly the Holy Spirit came upon me and God said ‘I have ordained you to go and help your people’ and that was how in my insanity, I left Abuja to Makurdi. I was insane when I came down to Makurdi. I walked the streets naked and was taken to the Psychiatric Hospital in Makurdi but I told the doctors that my problem was not a psychiatric problem. Though I was behaving insane, I said God is talking to me that I should go and help my people, heal the sick and bring deliverance. So that was how I left the place and I have not actually administered any drug for the six months of my insanity. I kept praying that God should heal me and so when God healed me He told me that is how he is able to heal. And I began to actually relate the matters of medicine and whatsoever we have today. Besides, in the book of Acts of Apostles, Chapter 16, the bible says ‘He gave us power to go and heal the sick, lay hands on the sick’, that they will be healed. So with that belief and the faith in God and because of what happened to me myself, I put my belief on it and when people bring their cases before me and I pray in the name of Jesus, which is the only authority that is able to break man from the shackles of sin, God promptly answers. When I pray, these people come back to tell me that they are actually healed. So it is not magical, it is a supernatural grace and release of God upon my life. Recently, Pastor Chris Okotie of the Household of God Church had a second divorce. What is your conviction on the issue of divorce? I don’t want to talk in response to Okotie as a person. But I want to talk as a general syndrome; that divorce is unbiblical, it is one thing that God hates. The Bible in the book of Malachi says that God hates divorce; so God does not want it. Even Moses in the Bible acknowledged that God gave the law about divorce because of the hardness of the hearts of the children of Israel that is why he gave them these laws. Now in

our era, Christ came with three things that were actually and are still operating on the earth. He came to heal, to reconcile and to bring salvation. So now, if a man finds whatever ground to divorce his wife, how has he helped the woman? How are you reconciling that woman because that is the essence of being together as husband and wife? Our instrument is instrument of reconciliation. So, for a man of God that does such a thing, it seems he is actually overtaken by strange spirits. If not, he would not have divorced his wife. He ought to have actually lived with his wife because the bible says you should forgive your neighbour, not your wife, because, the wife, the Bible says, is your body. More so, Ephesians 5 says our wives are our bodies. The Bible also says we should forgive one another, forgive our erring neighbour 77 times in a day. It also states that love does not keep records of the wrong. So, if a man is actually able to divorce his wife, that means the man actually has records of the wrongs of his wife, which is unchristian, because the Bible says love does not keep records of the wrong. You are a clergyman on the one hand and a student of law at the Benue State University on the other hand. Would you not one day leave this pastoral work to practise law? Thank you for that question. The gospel that I am preaching is not an enterprise. I think I have to debunk what many people are doing today in the faith. I am not into an enterprise, I am into a covenant. I am into what God has actually called me to do. I am into a vocation. You know there is a wrong understanding of a vocation. Vocation is the calling of God upon a life of a man because nobody pays you. So I am into a vocation and I didn’t just come into the ministry. I didn’t come into the ministry because I wanted to come and make money. The people I am preaching to are people who know me very well. I never met anybody on account of money. Find out; rich men that I meet, most of them have problems with me because I don’t call them. When I meet you on an issue, I pray with you and that is the end, except you pick your phone and call me back. I am into the ministry because God shed his light upon me and I understand that there is heaven. So I am pursuing heaven.

Praise & Worship

Sunday July 15, 2012

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Seek ye the kingdom of God, says Pastor Okereke Pastor (Dr) Chima Okereke, spiritual leader of Global Success Ministries, says in this exhortation that the glory of God is revealed to a man when he abides in Him. He adds that many people at different ages had served God and are dead, but one important and most precious achievement in those services are the legacies left behind. Richard Eghaghe brings the message

hen we talk about serving God, we are not just referring to the Pastor, Bishop or even the Pope, but we are talking about you and me whom the Almighty had made for this purpose. Rev. 4:11, “Thou art worthy, o Lord to receive glory and honour and power, for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

When things are moving well in your life, it gives God pleasure, but the foundation for your true prosperity is seeking the kingdom of God which means seeking Jesus. In Ps. 35:27, “Let the Lord be magnified which hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” If God derives pleasure in your prosperity, what makes you not to think He had given you on the inside that potential that will make you prosper. The problem that many people are facing today is that they are consulting the wrong manufacturers to interpret the manual of their products. If God is your creator, Himself alone can tell you the best way to make it in life. You are not the one who created yourself. So, if you try from now till eternity, to understand how to correct some things in your life on your own, then you are joking. Some people are prospering in the sight of people but they are very poor on the inside. In Proverbs 10:22, “The blessings of the Lord it maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it.” Go and ask those who you see outside as rich men the type of battle they are going through in their mind. Some of them who do not know the Lord most times are helpless even with their money. Money answereth all physical things but has no power to answer all spiritual things. If the rich is living on medication to sleep, medication to impregnate their wives, medication as a result of diabetes, medication as a result of hypertension, what is the joy than in that wealth? In John chapter 10 verse 10B, Jesus Christ says, “…I have come to give you life in abundance.” One of the greatest gifts to mankind is the gift of peace, especially the peace of mind. This can only come from God. There is no other pleasurable experience that can give you the type of peace we are talking about. In John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” This shows clearly that the peace that

the world gives never lasts. It often leads into pieces. Life without Christ is crisis. In the book of Matthew chapter 6:33, where we got our main text, it says “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” What are the things to be added? They are *enjoying good health without living daily on medications; *blessings on your children that they will not turn to be cults while in the higher institutions or engage in Indian hemp smoking every day. There are so many parents that have lost the right over their biological children. This is one of the most painful experiences any human could go through in life. When your children cannot obey you, who will then obey? Most parents will watch their children die slowly but they will do little or nothing because a few parents or fathers had witnessed their sons threaten them with guns or any other dangerous weapons. When there is crisis that you cannot manage in your family you need a higher power to intervene so that you will live to eat the fruit of your labour. No matter what you (our readers) are going through, join your faith with mine, distance is never a barrier, the Lord who divided the Red Sea and made His people go on dry ground shall visit you in your dream as He did to Jacob and your life shall never remain the same again. It doesn’t matter how many years it had lasted; it doesn’t matter the number of places you had visited for solution, you must not give up because there is a day meant for you for whatsoever that has a beginning must have an end. The time given to that situation you are going through has expired. You must testify like many others in Jesus’ name. •If you have any special request, send a text message to any of the phone numbers or send an e-mail. If you are sick or you need deliverance, send a text message also and you will be told how to receive prayers from the man of God. When you are sending a request, do not forget to tell us where you are communicating with us from, that will help in attending to you, whether to invite or send you a special or deliverance message. The numbers to text are: 08067802407, 07038638984. Email us at: info@globalsuccessministry.org Website: www.globalsuccessministry.org God bless, speak with you next week.

Pastor Okereke

Briefly Pregnant mother testifies to God’s mercy Glory be to God for His everlasting grace and love that He shows toward His children. This is the testimony of Chidimma Ike who had been pregnant and scan showed that the baby in her womb lay breeched. Her husband had taken her to so many prayer houses and hospitals for this condition to be normal but all efforts proved abortive. When it seemed all hope was lost, a God-sent invited them to Global Success Ministry. The first day they came to the church on a Sunday service, the man of God ministered to them and told Chidimma that by the power of the Holy Ghost her baby will be positioned normal. He then prayed for her and the baby turned in the womb. He also told her that she will put to bed any moment from that Sunday to Tuesday. Miraculously, immediately she left the church after service with her husband, labour started. She was then rushed to the same hospital where she registered. By the power of the God of Israel, she put to bed without undergoing operation as prophesied by the man of God, Dr. Chima Okereke. It was indeed an exotic and unbelievable experience because even the nurses were astonished and confessed that for the past 15 years that they had been in service, they had never seen such great miracle before. Everybody started giving praise to the King of kings who showed Himself worthy. Hallelujah!

Global Success holds retreat Global Success Ministries presents her July International Crusade of the year. Titled: “Pharaoh Must Die” Exo. 14:28.

Date: Friday July 20 to Sunday July 27. It will hold from 4 p.m. on Friday and 7 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday July 15, 2012

Block every landing space from enemies, by Pastor Olukoya Any area of your life yielded unto the devil becomes a landing space for the enemy to multiply iniquity. General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Dr. D. K. Olukoya, here warns on the dangers of cleverly concealed evil habits in the believers’ lives. Excerpts presented by Tai Anyanwu

Pastor Olukoya

THE DEVIL DEFEATS CHRISTIANS WHO LIVE WITH UN-CRUCIFIED FLESH. THE DEVIL DEFEATS CHRISTIANS WHO LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN TO THE ENEMY

he flesh lusted after the spirit and the spirit after the flesh. This two are contrary to each other inorder to stop you from what you are supposed to do. The devil comes in when we open the door to him through our un-crucified flesh. So our toughest battle is not with the devil. It is with the flesh. The devil is continually looking for open doors. John chapter 14 verses 30 says, “Hereafter, I will not talk much with you for the prince of this world co-

meth and has nothing in me. There was no place in the flesh of Jesus that the devil has access to. Jesus was dead to himself. He was dead to his own desires and his own agenda. The power of darkness operates the most powerful scanning machines and X-ray machines. As you are sitting down there, they can see you very clearly in and out. They know whether any part of them is in you. They know how strong

Praise & Worship you are. They know those who are spiritual and those who are not. They know those who pray this morning before coming to church, they know those who did not pray. They know those who did their quiet times and those who didn’t. They know those who are warming our benches, who are not really serious with the Lord. They know those who are here to look for good, obedient submissive wives. And they know those who are looking for very brilliant and rich husbands. They know everything; they can see all these things. They can detect the smallest compromise. The tiniest sin, they will know. The cleverly concealed one, they will know. The evil habits that you are covering up, they will know. That is why the Day of Judgment will be very, very interesting. There are many things we don’t know now, but on that day everything shall be made manifest, everything. Jesus now made one serious statement. He said that which was done under the bed, not on top, shall be proclaimed on house top. The person will be shouting it. He will have a megaphone; he will be shouting it out. Everybody will know what you have done. They will know. Very soon, everything that everybody is doing shall be shouted on roof top. That thing that is inside your heart and the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit is saying son, this is not good; daughter this is bad and you wave it aside, those are the grave clothes. You have liberty but no freedom. How can a believer go and buy clothes on credit? And then you wear your clothes and then you are afraid of passing through the shop of somebody else. For the fear of say, someone will say, “You see that cloth she is wearing she has not paid.” It is the grave clothes. Why don’t you take the ones you have, wash it and put it on? The devil defeats Christians who live with un-crucified flesh. The devil defeats Christians who leave the door open to the enemy. He is looking for houses to dwell in. He is looking for landing spaces. And any area of a person’s life can be a landing space for the enemy if the person submits. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. These two are contrary so that we will not do what we are supposed to do. Meaning that this our flesh can easily paralyse the destiny of somebody. If you submit your ear, he will grab it, seriously grab it. If you submit your head, he will grab it. If you submit your thoughts, he will grab it. If you submit your marriage, he will grab it. If you submit your sex life, he will equally grab it. Likewise ordinary finger nails, he will grab it. There are some people now; they have stopped cutting their finger nails. It is very long like that of vultures, and then they have it painted up. Some will now go and buy extra nails, and they have it painted with mermaid colours. And they will put it on; then they start writing. They need deliverance from spirit husbands. Maybe you don’t know, just as physical men find some women very attractive, there are some spirit men that find some women very attractive. Those are the spirits who go about at night violating women and sexually harassing them. You should not make their job easy; but immediately you are dressing in a way

that will make their job easy, they will visit the person. This is a house of God, a Holy place. It is not a place you come wearing transparent dresses; or you are a man you open your chest down so that somebody will see that you have a chain. No, it is not a place like that. When you come before God, you submit and humble yourself. You submit your looks for the enemy, he will grab it. You submit your ears to the enemy, he will grab it. Have you not noticed beloveth that the number of people who hear God clearly in their ears is reducing because of polluted ears? If you submit your mouth to the enemy, he will grab it. If you submit your job to the enemy he will grab it. Any work you are doing and you have to tell lies every time you better go and look for another job before you get into trouble. You better leave it, go and tell God to give you another job where you don’t need to tell lies. If you submit your eye to the enemy, he will use it. If you give him your ambition, he will use it. If you give him your certificate, he will use it. If you give him your voice he will use it. Most of those people who are singing music that send people to the hellfire in the world now, they were trained by the church; but they are now being used by the devil. There was somebody saying that he has death in his pocket. He was a church organist. They were trained in the house of God, but they now go out with it, the devil grabs them. Galatians chapter 5: 24 says if you find out that the enemy strengthens himself against you; the area to check is what we are talking about here, the thief in you must die. The hypocrisy in you must die. The iniquity in you must die so that the spirit of God can use your life for what he wants to use it for. Look at Galatians 5:24, “And they that are Christ’s; they that belong to Christ eh! They have crucified the flesh with their affection and honesty. That is if you don’t belong to Him otherwise, you can live your life the way you want. But at the end of the day there is no problem. You will arrive at the gate of life. And the fellows there will say who are you? And you will say, “I am John Johnson, John Johnson Peter.” And they will say well we don’t have your name; you are our enemy in this place, get out. You are a worker of iniquity. You say oh well, I will be doing it small, small. The danger with small, small is that you don’t know the day the Lord will say, “Son, it is enough, come home.” If he catches evil in your hands, that is it. Yesterday we were coming from prayer rain, by that Gbagada express road is a small boy of about eight or nine years knocked down by a vehicle. He told his mother he was going to play; nobody knew he won’t come back. That same yesterday at somewhere close to Maryland area, somebody thought a molue was going to hit him. He jumped down from the back of his okada and the molue ran through his stomach. That is it. Mr. Death does not give you advance notice. If he gives advance notice, somebody will want to enter a plane and Mr. Death will say don’t enter ooo; this one is going to crash. The person will run back home. He won’t tell them. He has already written down their names. So it depends on what he meets in your hand.

Praise & Worship

Sunday July 15, 2012

How to achieve good success, by Pastor Adeboye General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor E. O. Adeboye, gave a recipe to ‘good success’ in this sermon delivered at the just-concluded Holy Ghost service for the month of July, at the Redemption Camp arena, Mowe, in Ogun State. Excerpts broought by Richard Eghaghe.

oshua 1:8 states, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Not all success is good. Proverbs 1:32 tells us that if prosperity is put in the hands of a fool, the prosperity will destroy him. It said: “For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them”. So, there is a kind of success that can even bring destruction. You will never get that kind of success in Jesus’ name. And not all successes last. That is important. I told those who came for Divine Encounter last Monday that it is better never to have been rich, than to be referred to as ex-rich. It is a terrible thing to have been rich and then become poor. In the name that is above other names, your blessing will be forever. When you study the scripture very well, you’ll discover something about Solomon. He started well. He was very wealthy. At a stage, the Bible said he was shipping out gold as ordinary stone. Silver was dumped in his backyard. But if you read 1King 12:1-4, you will discover that toward the end of his life, because his resources were becoming seriously depleted, he had to tax the people heavily to be able to sustain his lavish lifestyle. That is why when the son came to the throne, the people came to his son, Rehoboam, and said we were groaning under your father. Will you please make our tax lighter? Unfortunately, the young man came back and said: you haven’t seen anything yet. He said, ‘I am going to make things much more difficult for you.” So the people said in that case, unto your house oh Israel. I pray for you one more time; that blessing that will not last will never come your way. So, when God said ‘if you do the following, you will have good success. It tells you straight away that there are successes and there are successes. Some successes can be good, some can be bad. And He said: if you want your own success to be good, this book of the Lord, the Bible shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night to observe and to do all that is written there. For example, if you study the Bible, you will discover that in Job 36:11, which says “If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.” So if you obey and serve thy Lord, then you have nothing to worry about. It said all your days, you will be spending it in prosperity and your years, you will be spending it in pleasure. When you read Psalm 34:12-14, David said: What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it”. That is, it is one thing to live long, it is another thing to live long and enjoy it. He spelt out some certain things you must do: *He said watch your tongue; keep your tongue from evil. Proverbs 18:21 says:

Pastor Adeboye

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit.” *it says you, yourself, depart from evil. Job 28:28, says: And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is under-

standing.” When it said depart from evil, it said fear God. Then if you fear God, Psalm 111:10 states that , “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding has all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever”.

Impartation for wealth transfer, by Pastor Kalejaiye (1) Pastor Kalejaiye stood in for the General Overseer, Pastor E.O. Adeboye at the special prayer session for the ‘Impartation For Wealth Transfer’ at the Headquarters’ Church of the RCCG, (Throne of Grace), in Ebute-Metta last Sunday. Here are excerpts from his message as recorded by Richard Eghaghe:

he topic for today is Impartation for Wealth Transfer; wealth is about to change hands. So go and price a car of your choice now. I am your child. I started from this place. So, I am not new to you. Go to Banana Island and price a landed property. You are not permitted to go to the Mainland, go to the Island because wealth is about to change hands. It is a prophesy and that prophesy is about to come to pass - Impartation For Wealth Transfer. The word: wealth, came from the old English word - WEAL; which means, well being and TH, which means, condition. So when you put the two together, they become wealth; meaning the condition of well being. Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources. It is a measure of the values of all the assets owned by a person or a company or community or country. It includes all material objects that has economic utility. But wealth goes beyond money or material acquisition. It is not only about money alone, but about what money cannot buy. It is not about revenue only, it also includes revelation; that is the gift of God. After all,

it is not the wages of a man that maketh him rich. It is the blessing of the Lord. I decree, as you are reading me this morning, the Lord will bless you. But unfortunately, in our society today, revenue has replaced revelation. Many people have left the object, they are now running after the shadow. They have forsaken the creator, they are now worshipping the creatures. Daddy, mummy, if you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything. So, how can we possess wealth? •Wealth can be acquired legitimately or otherwise. You can work for it, or you can get it through dubious ways as we can see in our society today. There was embezzlement somewhere. A committee was set up to look into the embezzlement, and then the committee also… you know the balance of the story. Any committee without a commitment will commit crime. So you can work for it. Isaac sowed in the land and what he sowed germinated, grew and had fruit. He became great and waxed stronger and stronger. So, you can work for it or you can steal it or acquire it through illegitimate ways.

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That means be wise, don’t be a fool. If you want to live long, to enjoy good days, watch your mouth, fear God and depart from evil, and, *it said do good: do good because of the law of harvest. The law of harvest says: ‘whatever you sow, you reap. If you sow good, you reap good’. Then it says seek peace. Proverbs 16:7, tells you how to seek peace. It says: “When a man’s ways pleases the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him”. I pray for everyone of you here tonight, all your enemies will be at peace with you in Jesus’ name. but He says don’t just seek peace, he said you are to pursue it. Isaiah 48:18, tells you what to do, so that for the rest of your life, you will be at peace because it is one thing to succeed and it is another to have peace. “O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea”. He said do what he asked you to do and your peace will be like a river - good success. I have had the opportunity of being close to wealthy people and I knew some people who are extremely wealthy and I am telling you brethren, that not all wealthy people are happy people. Some people are wealthy and sad. Some are wealthy and sick. I had a friend. He is dead now. When he died, in his account in Australia…we are not talking about his account in America, England or Switzerland. In his account in Australia, there were $68 million. But do you know what? The only food he couldn’t eat was milk. I don’t have $68 million in Australia or any other place but give me pounded yam ... you see the glory of God? Let somebody shout halleluiah! What is the use of having money if you can’t eat? What is the use of being called ‘big’, if you can’t enjoy what ordinary people can enjoy? There are some very wealthy people, if you see the list of what the doctors said they can never touch, you will thank God that I am not rich but I can do this and do that. Glory be to God.

Briefly RCCG 60th convention holds in August The 60th Annual Convention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, (RCCG) comes up between August 6 and 12 at the Redemption Camp ground, Km 46, LagosIbadan Expressway, Mowe, Ogun State with the theme: Come up Higher General Overseer, Pastor E.A. Adeboye, who made this public at the July hosting of the Holy Ghost service at the Redemption Camp ground, said for as many as those who believe that they will be going up higher before this year runs out are invited for the convention which will feature power ministration, deliverance, salvation, breakthrough, fruitfulness and lots more. The G.O. also announced that because of the convention, there will be no Holy Ghost service on the 1st Friday, of August. “The Holy Ghost service will come during the convention. So don’t come for Holy Ghost service on first Friday of next month (August). The divine encounter and Shiloh hours also, will be the Monday after the convention”, he revealed further. Pastor Adeboye also seized the opportunity of the last Holy Ghost service for July to remind God of his request for 70,000 children during the 59th convention of the church, last year, saying: “Daddy, I asked you for 70,000 children, I know you have released some, release the remaining for us in Jesus Name. before the end of this year, in every home of your children, let there be shouts of joy… on a daily basis, take us higher in Jesus Name…” he prayed.

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Praise & Worship

Sunday July 15, 2012

The prayer-answering God, by Pastor Muoka (2)

and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive. Approach God with all your heart as it is written and He will cause you to be restored to your former glory. 1Tim. 2: 8 says, “I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting”. The above verse

captures the position of God as far as prayer is concerned. Under the gospel, prayer is not to be confined to any one particular in the house of prayer, but men must pray everywhere. We must pray in our closets, in our families, at our meals, when we are on journeys, and pray in the solemn assemblies, whether in public or private. We must pray in charity; without wrath, or malice, or anger at any person. We must pray in faith, without doubting, and without disputing. The above verse also makes us to understand that if we are to expect answer to our prayer we must ensure that we appear before God with holy hands devoid of any atom of

wickedness and doubting. So as you pray ensure that your heart is full of purity devoid of anger and unbelief and the Lord will accede to your request. This is because heartiness and sincerity in seeking God insure a gracious answer. James 5:15 says, “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him”. The Lord answers prayers made with true faith in God. In the above the Scripture shows the good effects of prayer. The Bible did not ascribe the sick man’s recovery to the oil, but to the prayer. The prayer of faith shall save the sick. Mark 11:24 says, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them”. All things whatsoever you pray and ask for, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them. Jesus here lays down the broad general rule in the application of which we must be guided by. The rule is, indeed, liberal and gracious. We must not expect to obtain that which it is unlawful for us to desire or which it is unwise for us to seek, nor must we selfishly run counter to the will of God. I want you to understand that as Christians, true children of the living God, as you pray and believe Him, you will get answers to your petitions in Jesus’ name. You must therefore keep away from sin or anything that resembles it because it hinders prayers. These sins may be faithlessness, unbelief, unforgiveness, complaining, murmuring, bitterness etc. Isaiah 59:1-3 says, “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness”. No one prays in sin and expects his or her prayers to be answered and so if you must pray, please endeavour as believers to confess and renounce all known and unknown sins, flee from all appearances of evil ensure purity, holiness and He will surely meet you at the points of your needs in Jesus’ name. The above scriptures have become necessary given that many have prayed and are still praying without answers to their prayers and hence if you must pray you must do so with purity of heart, holiness and you will be answered by Him. The Lord has assured us that whenever we call upon Him He will answer us as we have seen Matt. 7:7-11 say, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good things to them that ask him? Pray according to the will of the living God and He will give you answers.

pate in some of the crusades and revivals outside the country, to get ready their travelling documents. According to him, the revival train will be cruising to the city of Gaborone in far away Botswana this weekend where a two-day crusade titled, There Cometh One Mightier Than All will hold. Already the publicity to create necessary awareness for the program has been on since last month. As the train leaves Botswana, it would make a brief stopover in Malawi, for a one day open air evangeli-

cal meeting before coming home to Nigeria for a two-day crusade at Warri, in Delta State.. This will be followed by another crusade at Onitsha, tagged: Onitsha 2012: GOD OF MIRACLE. It is scheduled to hold at Metallurgical Institute, Onitsha. The last week of the month of August which marks the peak of summer in Europe is reserved for Spain, Italy and London, while United States of America will host the cleric in the third week of September. Meanwhile, Pastor Muoka who visited US last week said the church had

acquired a befitting property to serve as the continental headquarters of the church in America In his speech, Muoka told his flock that attended the combined service to rise up to the situation in the country to defend Christ and the Church. He said the situation we’ve found ourselves now calls for fervent prayer and evangelism because every sign shows that the coming of Christ has come and the devil is doing everything to drag many people with him to hell.

General Overseer of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries, Pastor Lazarus Muoka, reiterates that no one prays in sin and expects his or her prayers to be answered. If you must pray, he says, please endeavour as believers to confess and renounce all known and unknown sins. Richard Eghaghe brings you excerpts of his message.

rethren, we in this part of the world are in the mood of prayer not because it is the season of prayer or we are admonished to pray to the prayer-answering God. It is because the situation we have found ourselves demands by its merit a fervent and passionate prayer. This is because we have been boxed into tight corner by circumstances of events of history of our country and we couldn’t help ourselves nor find a rescuer to come to our aid. Our leaders have failed us, society has also failed on its part and government machinery have failed us. Our only option now is to call, pray and supplicate to the Almighty God to intervene in our plight and give answers to our prayers. Our consolation is that our God is a prayeranswering God and we totally rely on Him to give answer to our prayers. He answered the chosen ones in the Bible, such people like Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Samuel, David, Solomon, Peter, Paul and Silas. Psalm 99: 6 says, “Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them”. When God designs mercy, He puts it into the hearts of His people to pray for the mercy designed. When such a spirit of prayer is poured out, the mercy that it evokes prevails against any judgement meted out for it, thus answer is given to the prayer. These notable chosen people of old made God’s word and law their rule, knowing that they could not else expect that their prayers should be answered. ºThey all wonderfully prevailed with God in prayer and miracles were wrought at their request. They pleaded for the people, and obtained answers of peace. Our Prophet and High Priest, Jesus Christ our Lord, who has greater dignity than Moses, Aaron or Samuel, has received and declared to us the will of the Father. Let us not only exalt the Lord with our lips, but give him the throne in our heart; and while we worship Him upon His mercyseat, let us never forget that He is holy. As we said last week that no matter your condition, situation, bondage, etc, the same God that answered Moses and the apostles of old is still alive to answer your prayers in Jesus’ name. Paul and Silas were bound, fettered and tortured yet they prayed and praised God and God heard and answered them. In any situation, if we can cry to God, He will answer us in Jesus’ name. Jeremiah 29:12-14 says, “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me,

Pastor Muoka in supplication

... announces evangelism schedules for 3rd quarter

astor Lazarus Muoka has reeled out the programmes for the open evangelical campaigns/outreaches to hold in the third quarter of the year. They will take place in different parts of the world, pursuant to his threefold vision of grassroots revival worldwide. Announcing the program during a combined service held last week at the headquarters of the ministry in Lagos, Muoka explained that the purpose is to enable members, particularly those that wish to partici-

Praise & Worship

Sunday July 15, 2012

Be vigilant, by Oloruntimilehin Pastor Oloruntimilehin Daramola, Founder of omnipotence Mission of God says “An irresponsible wife that keeps concubine is on the verge of killing her husband because the concubine may decide to take the woman and start to plot to eliminate her husband. The same goes for a wife whose husband keeps a woman concubine; the affair may lead to the demise of the wife and the children. Tai Anyanwu reports

while ago, I was invited to intervene in a pitiable situation that cropped up in a town called Kiribo, in Ikale land, Ondo State.

have not done any secret things. That is why I have confidence to talk about myself, my life and experience anywhere I am preaching the word of God. Always, I notice Pastor Adeboye talking about himself in his weekly write-ups, in the newspaper. I ensure that proper vigilance is focused on my children and even told my wife to be extra watchful on our female children. If people are not vigilant, problems, calamities are brought into their homes by themselves, their wives, husbands and their children. It has been observed that most of the problems that our children are facing are caused by parents because many parents cannot control and checkmate their children when they are going astray. An irresponsible wife that keep concubine is on the verge of killing her husband because the concubine may decide to take the woman and start to plot to eliminate her husband. The same goes for a wife whose husband keeps a woman concubine; the affair may lead to the demise of the wife and the children. Be vigilant; some men are looking for women whose husbands are rich. These men penetrate these women and later kill their husbands to have access to the riches. Jonah the servant of God was about to bring calamity on to the ship that was sailing out of the port because he disobeyed God’s instruction. If the sailors were not vigilant and took steps to fetch him out, all the sailors including Jonah would have perished in the violent storm which threatened to break up the vessel. What was happening to the ship was strange because such thing had never happened since the ship commenced sailing. “…Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.” Even Jesus did not say people should not be vigilant. He himself was vigilant to the extent that he told his disciples that one of them will betray him during the Lord’s Supper. Matthew 26: 21 “And while they were eating, he said, I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me. Jonah 1: 1-15”

Before the situation, this woman and her husband who is a nurse at a health centre lived happily and comfortably with their four children. One day, the woman ran into a former classmate of hers. After exchange of pleasantries, her schoolmate narrated the ordeals she had had to cope with since she got married. She explained that she got married to a nice young man and the marriage produced two wonderful children. Unfortunately, her husband and the two children died. She later remarried and got pregnant again. But shortly after her second marriage, the new husband drove her out of her matrimonial home. She was broken-hearted and had a still birth. She poured out her miseries to her friend and told her how she was squatting and now sleeps along the passage of the house. This other woman had a lot of sympathy for the afflicted classmate that she invited her over to her own matrimonial home, at Kiribo. Her husband felt very uncomfortable with the strange woman his wife brought home. Eventually the wife convinced her husband to accept her friend and allow her to live in their home. Five months after the strange woman began to live with them, things began to take a different turn in their home. First, one of their children died suddenly. Another was knocked down by a motorcycle and hospitalised. As if that was not enough, the strange woman got pregnant for her friend’s husband. And the unfaithful husband too came down with a strange ailment; he began to grow unbelievably thin. When I was called to intervene, God revealed to me that the man’s wife was the cause of the calamities that befell the family. God revealed that the strange woman has three types of witchcraft that she is using to destroy •Pastor Oloruntimilehin John Daramola people’s lives. It was further revealed that the child who JP (aka Bosoro) is the founder of Omnipoteenc nce Mission Miss Mi ssio on of of God. God od.. For For counseling, co coun oun unssel seling ing g, contact co ontac nttactt was knocked down by okada had ad strong stro str st rong rong ng tence guardian angels and that prevented ented the him on 08023002834 strange visitor from totally destroying ying him. If the woman of the house had ad been a little more careful she would definitely nitely not have shown her old classmate the sympathy and generosity which had broughtt problem into her once happy home. This incident should teach all that in all things, people should be vigilant. Brethren be vigilant about friends your wife, husband, children associate with. If the woman’s man’s husband had stood his ground and refused to concede to his wife’s advice, the calamities lamities could have been avoided It is only a true man of God that hat will talk about himself, his family y and his life experiences in the church. If he cannot make references to his life and experiences then he has skeleton in his cupboard. I do not have secret and I Pastor Daramola

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Deal with your bad habit –Pastor Bamidele Founder of Christ Glorious End-time Ministries, Pastor Lai Bamidele, takes a look at the destructive effects of bad habits. In this expository message, he warns all people to deal with bad habit before it brings disgrace. Excerpts presented by Tai Anyanwu

here are so many believers today that have good habit at the beginning of their lives. But at the height of their success, they end up in shame because of bad habit. You don’t know a man’s habit until he is in a position. You don’t know a man until he is positioned where there is money.

I want to talk to you about the story of a man called Noah. The Bible in Genesis 6:8-9 says, “And Noah found favour in the sight of the Lord. Because Noah was doing good. But the same Noah…now the Bible was analysing in that particular scripture that Noah was a man approved of God. In the book of Genesis 9:20, the Bible says, “Noah and his family were pleasing God. When he started, he planted vine. But when Noah got to a particular stage, he began to backslide. The Bible says he got drunk; and the same man that got drunk lost his glory; because of habit. You must know the way you deal with your habit. Because no matter the grace you carry, no matter the gift inside of you, when you don’t have good habit, you are not going far in life. As Christians, many of you in the compound or the house you live, your fellow Church members will not want to identify with you; because your habit is nothing to write home about. Your character is bringing shame to the name of God. Noah started started well. But the same man ended up in shame. The Bible speaking further concerning Saul says he started well. At a time God g a v e him h m an hi instruction in the book of 1Samuel 15:13 “Samuel said to

Saul, I am the one whom the Lord sent to anoint you king of his people Israel. Now listen to what the Lord Almighty says. He is going to punish the people of Amalek because their ancestors opposed the Israelites when they were coming from Egypt. Go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. Don’t leave a thing; kill all the men, women, children and babies; the cattle, sheep, camels and donkeys.” Now if you look at verse seven to nine of the same scripture, the Bible says, “Saul defeated the Amalekites, fighting all the way from Havilah to Shur, east of Egypt. He captured King Agag of Amalek alive and killed all his people. But Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and did not kill the best sheep and cattle, the best calves and lambs, or anything else that was good; they destroyed only what was useless and worthless.” The Bible was emphasizing that when God gave Samuel the prophet, the same prophet that God used to enthrone Saul is the same prophet He sent to Saul, to go and destroy the Amalekites; man and woman, all their sheep and everything. And God said, don’t spare anything; but Saul looked at those people, and spared king Agag. He thought he is wiser than God because of his habit; because of his attitude, because of his character. He became disobedient to God. He forgot that ca God Go enthroned him. He forgot that he was wa not qualified for that seat but God embraced him. em There is someone listening now, you knew within yourself that the position kn God Go placed you a few years ago you don’t merit me it. It is only grace you enjoy. After you yo got to that seat, you got drunk with power and you forgot your God. When po o Saul Sa forgot his God, he ended up in a shambles; even destroyed along with his sh son. son There is someone here, whatever you have done that has brought you from ha grace to grass, from today, God will degr liver liv you. Whatever your habit has destroyed in your marriage; whichever str way wa your habit has destroyed in your relationships; whichever way your habit rel has ha made them to sack you from your office; because you hear me today, in o that same place where you have been sacked, in that same place where you have been disgraced, in that same place where they say your service is no longer needed, I prophesy into your life within the next seven days after this program, you will receive a phone call that you should come back. And when you are recalled God will restore you. •For counselling contact: pst_lai@ yahoo.com, phone 08074484415, 08027502864 and 08161285586

Pastor Bamidele

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Sunday July 15, 2012

Praise & Worship

Heavens open as C&S Good Women hold conference SEGUN ADIO

or three days last week, precisely from Wednesday, July 11 to Friday, 13, 2012, scores of immaculately clad members of the Good Women Congress of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, came out in large number to celebrate the first-ever Annual General Conference of the body.

The group, under the watchful eyes of its chairperson, Queen Capt. Prophetess Olatoun Fashola, successfully mobilised the crème de la crème in the Nigerian Christendom to the venue of the three-day event, held at The Holy Church of C&S (Ikirun Conference) Mount Sinai at Wright Street, Adekunle, Lagos State. The three days’ event had as its theme, “The Role of Women in Nation Building.” Seven renowned speakers delivered thought-provoking papers on the main theme A day before the event commenced proper, members of the body marched round the vast Ebute Metta area of the metropolis as an awareness campaign for the coming event, notwithstanding the world press conference that came as a prelude to the event a week earlier. In her welcome address to the mammoth crowd of delegates, observers and eminent men and women of God during the opening ceremony, Fashola said the chief motivating factor for the conference was the need to make womenfolk in the Cherubim & Seraphim organisation actualise their Godendowed gifts and potentials, which will, in a way, make them compete favourably with other Christian women in the country and other parts of the world. The opening ceremony had in attendance some spiritual heads of constituent churches in the unification. They were led by the Supreme Head of the Cherubim & Seraphim organisation worldwide, His Most Eminence Abel Olujimi Akinsanya, after the session was declared open by Baba Aladura Olorunfunmi Bashorun of the Gospel C&S Church, Orile-Iganmu, Lagos. Chairman of Lagos State chapter, Senior Supt. Apostle Segun Amodu was also on hand to

add pep to the glamorous event. While declaring the conference open, Baba Aladura Bashorun commended the Good Women Congress of Lagos chapter for their untiring efforts at giving the womenfolk in the church more sense of belonging. He urged them not to rest on their oars. On his part, Snr. Supt. Amodu lauded the leadership of the organisation for the conference they put up. Amodu advised that the body should not allow the new drive to wane. Speaking during the opening ceremony, Special Apostle Olusesi Sowande, Chairman, National Executive Council of the unification tasked the women on moral rearmament of their children at home. He encouraged them to ensure strict compliance with biblical stipulations of a good Christian home. While giving the lead paper, Sister Sade Ogundipe tasked the women to rediscover their true virtues which she urged, they should bring to bear in the development of the work of God. On Day Two of the event, several papers were presented from various speakers that were so assigned. The seminars and lectures afforded participants the opportunity of seeking deep details of the papers presented and questions were fielded by the presenters, obviously to the satisfaction of virtually everyone at the event. It was noteworthy that the Good Women Congress took time to provide free healthcare facilities with qualified medical practitioners who attended to those that sought medical attention, irrespective of sex or religious inclinations. If the preceding two days were eventful, the grand finale of the event on Friday July 13, 2012, was, to say the least, breath-taking. From as early as 7:00a.m, scores of Seraphs and invited guests from within and outside the state had started trooping to the venue of the event. The event, which was a state service, started at half past ten in the morning, lasting for nearly five hours with whois-who in the Christendom in attendance. The grand finale was not about worship alone, it was also used to honour some individuals who, Prophetess Fashola claimed, had contributed to the growth

L-R: Prophetess Ukiri-Esho, Mother Celestial FOlasade Ogundipe and Mrs Bolajoko Fashola, Executive Sec. Lagos Pilgrims Board

Hon. Funmi Tejuosho of Lagos House of Assembly (right) with Prophetess Olatoun Fashola, Chairperson of Good Women Congress of Lagos State chapter (3rd left) at the event

of the association since she over took the mantle of leadership of the body. The award presentation was, unarguably, the high point of the three-day event. Speaking with Sunday Mirror, Prophetess Fashola, beaming with smiles all through, commended the huge turnout of heads of churches in the unification as well as invited guests, especially those in the Lagos State Government. In her words, “In the last three days, we women Seraphs in Lagos had been celebrating our first ever conference which people now say is a huge success. It is our thought now that as women, we have a lot to do to further grow this great church and this is one of the reasons why we are here. We also took time off to offer prayers for the governor of the state, Barrister Fashola as well as the president of the country,” she said. Prophetess Fashola used the occasion to call on religious leaders in the country to embrace peace, which she said, is the cornerstone of all religions. In his sermon on the occasion, Rev. George Oldipo Baptist, also lent his voice to the call on the Good Women Congress to remain focused in their set goals. Rev. Bap-

tist challenged the C&S church leaders to throw their weight behind the association in their effort to give the church a new name in Christendom. Eminent church leaders that graced the occasion included Primate Bola Adeuja (JP); Rev. Dr. Lekn Akintayo; Primate E. B. Alder; Baba Alakoso S. Ola Ilori; Baba Aladura Isaiah Oke; Primate J. T. Dada; Baba Aladura S. A. O. Adeoye; Deputy Baba Aladure Obasa; Special Apostles Olusesi Sowande and Akin Owolabi; Snr. Supt. Apostle Segun Amodu; Supt. Apostle J. O. Adagba; Most Snr. Apostle Nathaniel Lawal; Supt. Apostle Ayo Craig; Primate Bayo Busari; Prophet Ruhama Aransiola; Prophet Aromolaran; Mother in Israel Biodun Oyeneye; Apostolic Mother Sola Adedoyin; Prophet Kehinde Adeyoju; SGRAM F. Alao; Queen Capt. Ogunyooye; Prophetess Ukiri-Esho, Mother Celestial Sade Ogundipe, and many more. By the time the event came to an end, it was clear that all those present had good words for the organisers of the event as constantly mentioned by Rev. Apostle Femi Adepoju and Snr. Pastor Femi Akinnubi, both moderators of the three-day event.

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Divine Message with Special w Apostle James

Akinadewo E-mail: molailatugrow@hotmail.com

hat a glorious time in His presence. An exciting week.Your season of bountiful harvest. It is your turn to shine in Jesus’ mighty name, amen.

As God’s masterpiece, you were redeemed to enforce His authority. It is a blessing having you around – the world is waiting for your manifestation as a child of God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. And said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou will fall down and worship me. Then said Jesus unto him, Get thee hence Satan, for it is written, thou shall worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shall thou serve. Mathew 3 verses 8-10. This week’s verdict – Tell the devil, I changed my mind.

Sure word Adam and Eve lost their glory [owing to disobedience to divine instruction] in the Garden of Eden. Devil took control of the world and when Jesus Christ came, he wanted to deceive Jesus, showing his temporary glory and wealth – our Lord was prepared, told him off and decreed that it was he [Satan] that would bow down for Jesus and not the other way round.

Sunday July 15, 2012

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I changed my mind Brethren, in your daily voyage, are you using your authority over the devil? You need to exert that authority and boldness daily because devil is on the prowl. Devil is poised to mess you up. It is the authority in the name of Jesus Christ and personal determination that you need to fight him to submission. Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 22 To live a successful and victorious life, you must tell the devil to get lost with your constructive and positive thoughts. If you give the devil an inch in your life, he will go ten miles and destroy you ten times over. Jesus Christ was alert, firm and decisive – Told the devil to get beside him. Our Lord Jesus Christ fasted for forty days and forty nights and the devil knew He needed food, telling Him to turn stone to bread but He quickly shouted the devil down saying ‘man must not live by bread alone’. If you are the one in such situation, what will you do?

Craftiness If you are not sound and strong in the Lord, the devil will use your urgent need to deceive you and win you to his side. Be alert. Watch out. Devil is too cunning. During your time of urgent need, tune to God. Never allow any ‘evil conversation’ with the devil, lest you fall into that trap and temptation and doomed for life. The easiest way for the devil to hold you down is your ‘sinful nature’. Sin is poisonous and dangerous; it is a sinker that will sink you in no time. Anytime you commit sin, you open your flanks for the devil to attack you and something tangible dies inside you. Anytime the sinful nature comes – Tell

the devil, I changed my mind.

Portiphar’s wife Devil came into the journey of Joseph through Portiphar’s wife. The evil woman tried to seduce Joseph, thereby luring him to bed. An evil voice was telling Joseph to ‘enjoy’ with the woman because it is ‘five minutes enjoyment’. But Joseph remembered God’s promise. Ran from the woman. Told the ‘strange voice’ to tell his master [devil] – I changed my mind.

Delilah Samson the mighty man lost his place in destiny by caving in to the demand of the devil through Delilah. This evil Philistine woman was sent by the devil to Samson who opened himself up, lost his divine placement and became history. Instead of Samson saying to the devil, I changed my mind, it was Delilah that told her master – mission accomplished after Samson’s chapter had been closed for life. Those who always like ‘anything in skirt’ will go the Samson way. Beware, if you are tempted by women, tell the devil – I changed my mind.

Posers Evil thoughts telling you to steal in that office – Tell the devil, I change my mind. Devil telling you to destroy those valuable documents and set the building ablaze – Tell the devil, I changed my mind. Beat your wife, send her packing and marry another woman [Jezebel] – Tell the devil, I changed my mind. Don’t read your books, register for ‘special centres’. They will help you during your exams – Tell the devil, I changed my mind.

It is government money, steal it, it is your share of ‘national cake’ – Tell the devil, I changed my mind. Have sex with that boy, just once will not get you pregnant [deceit] – Tell the devil, I changed my mind. Take one way; drive against the traffic, face on-coming vehicles, after all, policemen are not around – Tell the devil, I changed my mind. You are a ‘big man’. Why must you join the queue? Jump the queue and show them that you are a ‘senior citizen’. – Tell the devil, I changed my mind. Kill that man. Use him for money rituals – Tell the devil, I changed my mind. Cause confusion in that marriage. Separate the couple – Tell the devil, I changed my mind. The Bible says ‘resist the devil, he will flee from you’. You need to resist the devil to do the right thing. Any form of wrong behaviour is ‘corruption’. You are God’s ambassador on earth. Do the right thing here for people to believe you and join you in worshipping your God who is in Heaven. Are you positively making God famous in your locality or bringing shame to the name of the most High? The world will first watch your behaviour before listening to you. Action speaks louder than words. Make the world a better place, Heaven will reward you for good. Remember, anytime temptation comes, tell the devil, I changed my mind. Change from your sinful ways. Jesus loves you. God bless Nigeria and I believe you have been blessed. •Text – 08037188392. Motailatugrow@hotmail.com.

Manifestation of Divine help

Moment of Blessing with Pastor Taiye

Olayemi

Email: taiye_olayemi@yahoo.co.uk Phone: 08037229730

uke 13:10-17: Many today because of the toiling for solution have resorted to the conclusion that what they are facing is their lot. Has yours come to this level? It is expedient to understand that it is divine help you need. Divine help is the only help that can confront the challenges life has pushed to us. There are some challenges of life that will hinder you from fulfilling the purpose of God for your life. Until help is released from above, such individuals will just waste away.

The man at the pool of Bethesda, for example, all his folks or family members could do for him was to bring him there as they knew this was the last resort for him. But, despite his being there, he could not come out instantly because of the gravity of his case. That was why he was so overwhelmed with his state that he could not give a right answer to Jesus’ question. Heaven knew if this man was left alone to his fate, he will die in that condition, Jesus had to go to

him (John 5:2-9). Another case is that man at the beautiful gate and also that of Mephibosheth (Acts 3:2-8, 2Sam. 9:113). Many of us are living like this; until these challenges are overcome, there can never be a manifestation of the glory that we carry. No man that resorts to God’s help that will never have a reason to bless God for His goodness. There is a guaranteed victory for any one that looks unto God for help. No wonder David declared he will look towards the direction of God (The hills); the source of help, for his help comes from God, the maker of heaven and earth (Ps. 121:1-2). Many are stagnated today because they have lost those whom they have trusted so well to be their hope for becoming something in life. Some didn’t lose any body, but time. Any man that lost time has lost life, for life is spent in time. Time is crucial to whatever we do. There are cases that go with time. When you miss the time, you miss your turn around (Eccl. 3:1). Only God can help us redeem the times or opportunities we have lost, because it takes God to be accomplished after experiencing vital losses of time, opportunity and loved ones. •When we talk about divine help, we are talking about assistance or support from God. People like Mephibosheth and Job lost vital things that would have made life worthwhile for them.

Mephibosheth lost his personality, legs and family (2Sam. 9:1-13). If not for God, how would they have survived their conditions? Many are about to give up life because they always experience failure. Only God can deliver such people from the tremor of these failures. The danger is because of the fragility of the human system, it is affecting sensitive areas of their bodies and that is dangerous to their health. Such conditions may have lasted for a time; it doesn’t matter because I have got good news for you! That Jesus who delivered the woman in our text is very much available to give answers to your situation. My warning to you is, never depart from the household of the Lord. This woman was made whole because she never missed the gathering of brethren. Despite her condition, she never gave up church. It was in one of these occasions that Jesus saw her and she got her healing and deliverance (Luke 13:10-13). My question is where do you go for help in difficult moments? Any man that goes to a man for help because he trusted that man can help shall be frustrated (Psalm 60:11). When God decides to locate you for help, He does some things. (1) He will seek you out. There were many people in the temple when Jesus was teaching, but it was only this woman He called out to minister healing to.

(2) He calls you out. It is only a man that hears the voice of God that can escape from torments of life. Jesus said my sheep know my voice and they hear me. What voice are you hearing? God’s voice can identify you anywhere, no matter the crowd. When your set time comes, there is nobody under the sun that can stop it; everything will work in your favour. (3) When God decides to help you, He will intervene in your matter. That is, God will take your case personal. Peter had already given up on fishing. But as Jesus came on board after using the boat, He asked Peter to drop his net, and when he did, there was a great catch that the net began to break (Luke 5:3-6). No matter what you are experiencing and how much devaluation this has caused you, when God focuses on you all those whom people seem to esteem as important people shall become irrelevant. Many of us are under a negative influence. That is why we are where we are. Until some of these friends leave your life, God will never bless you. God intervenes in people’s lives by calling them alone (Isa. 51:2). •Prayer: Every voice that has taken me away from hearing the voice of Jesus be silent by the voice of the blood of Jesus, in Jesus’ name.

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Praise & Worship 33

Sunday July 15, 2012

The blessings of obedience Shepherd Life with Bishop Kingsley

Enakirerhi

he Bible is full of several promises which God has in mind for His children. However, these promises are tied to a condition i.e. obedience. If you want to enjoy the blessings of God in this life and to enter His kingdom, then you must be ready to obey God.

In Deuteronomy 28:1-14, God promised His people that they will be the head not the tail; they shall be prosperous in whatever they do; they shall be fruitful in their body and that their going out and their coming in shall be blessed. The only condition for them to experience these blessings is for them to obey Him. Deuteronomy 28:2 says “And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God”. Today I see many believers taking each of the blessings enumerated in the above passage as prayer points. Well it is good to pray for their manifestation in our life. But it must be noted that God did not ask the Israelites to pray about these blessings, but He only told them that these blessings shall come upon and overtake them only if they hearken diligently to

His voice. These blessings are tied to obedience rather than to prayers. One of the reasons why many Christians today do not enjoy God’s blessing is simply because of disobedience. In Isaiah 1:19 the scripture says “if ye be willing and be obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land”. This means to enjoy the good of the land, we must obey God. Many believers embark on fasting for many days in order to obtain certain blessings from God. Prayer houses are springing up everywhere and a multitude keep trouping in yet, very few go home with solutions. This is because many Christians do not want to obey God in doing His will. They will rather want to fast and pray as if they can by their fasting buy God over. God cannot be bought over by our sacrifice no matter how much you fast or how much seed offering you sow. If God requires you to do something which you are not ready to do, those sacrifice of fasting and seed sowing cannot produce your miracle. This was what King Saul wanted to do in 1 Samuel 15, when God sent him to destroy the Amalekites. Instead of obeying God to the letter, he spared the king and the best of the animals. He then brought some for sacrifice. When Samuel confronted him for disobeying God, he replied that he only brought the animals for sacrifice to God. Prophet Samuel replied in 1 Samuel 15:22, “Hath the Lord as great

delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams”. We cannot buy God over by our seed offering or fasting. Whenever you are expecting something from God, always ask God what He wants you to do for Him. That is where your miracle lies. If He says fast, then fast and you will get the result. If He says sow a financial seed and you obey, then you will get your miracle. But if He says sow a seed and you decide to fast instead, your miracle will be far from you. Obedience is the key to enjoying the fullness of God. In Job 36:11, the word of God says, “If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasures”. Do you want to spend your days in prosperity and your years in pleasure instead of pressures? Then obey God! In Luke 5:1-9, the Apostle Peter had an encounter with Christ. He had toiled all night and caught nothing as a fisherman. He was now washing his net and about going home dejected. But when Christ used his boat for a crusade, He asked Peter to launch out into the deep and cast his net into the water for a great catch. Peter could have said, “Sir, this is my field of specialty, I have laboured and toiled in this area and there are no fishes there. Please don’t try to please me because I gave you my boat to use”. Peter rather

said in verse 5 “… nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net”. And when he obeyed, he caught so much fishes that his net began to brake. In Genesis 26, there was a great famine in the land and Isaac wanted to follow the multitude to Egypt. But God appeared to him and told him not to go to Egypt but to dwell in a land which He will tell him. And God promised to bless him in the land. Isaac obeyed and stayed in the land. In verse 12 -14, we learnt the aftermath of his obedience. The Bible recorded that Isaac sowed in the land and reaped a hundred fold harvest that same year. He became so rich and great that the Philistines envied him. Time and space will fail us to mention many other examples of people who obeyed and received their miracles. However, the story of Naaman in 2Kings 5:1-14 who was asked to simply dip himself into the river Jordan seven times and be healed is very instructive. He wanted to be given a big task to perform such as making a big sacrifice. Rather the instruction was to dip himself in the river seven times. He almost missed his miracle but thank God he obeyed and he received his healing. Beloved, God desires that we obey him. It is when we obey God’s word that we can enjoy His blessings. Remember, to obey is better than sacrifice. I see you on top as you start obeying the Master.

Five things you shouldn’t do if jilted Christian Relationship with Taiwo

Odubiyi

E-mail: info@pastortaiwoodubiyi.org.uk

just read ‘You found me’. I was really touched. What happened to Aunty Kate is what happened to me. I felt like hurting myself but when I read the book I felt much relief. Thank you. (T.)

In my latest novel ‘My First Love’, Lisa found it difficult to believe that she had lost Mofe again. This time, he was permanently out of her life. Why then did God bring him into her life again in September? …Wanting to see his face again, she got up to go into her room to take the photos they snapped together. She was halfway there when she changed her mind and returned to the living room. She couldn’t bear to see his face now. Not yet. The pain was still much. She truly loved him. Whitney Houston’s song ‘I will always love you’ came to her mind and she started to sing, with tears running down her face. “If I should stay, I would only be in your way. So I’ll go, but I know, I’ll think of you every step of the way. And I will always love you. I will always love you. You, my darling you. Bittersweet memories, that is all I’m taking with me.” … And in another novel of mine ‘You Found Me’, Ann told Kate, “It’s unfortunate but you have to take it easy. It’s not the end of life.” “It is for me.” “It’s not or maybe I should say that it shouldn’t be. If he doesn’t want to marry

you, so be it, it’s his loss. You are unique, beautiful and wonderfully created. Why should you kill yourself ? It’s a painful experience but there are other ways of handling the pain.” Ann told her. “After being together for four years, and only four months to our wedding?” Kate lamented. Ann took her hand and said, “It simply means you were not meant for each other. He didn’t love you enough. You should be happy it happened now and not after marriage. Some men continue to see their exlovers after marriage, and the marriage eventually collapses. I’m sure you don’t want that.” (Excerpts from ‘You Found Me’)

Disappointments

Disappointments sometimes happen in life, and some things don’t go according to plan. Unmet expectations often make a person feel bad but as the Bible says, God’s ways are not our ways. Where there is a broken relationship, the jilted one will definitely feel hurt and disappointed. Losing someone you love can be painful, and it is normal to feel upset but it’s not and should not be the end of your life. A lot depends though on how the situation is handled.

Five things you should not do if jilted

Here are five of the things you should not do if you get jilted, as I pointed out in the novel ‘You Found Me’. • Don’t think of committing suicide, it’s unnecessary. As Ann told Kate, there are many things a person can do to handle a broken relationship but suicide is not one of them. Why should you kill yourself ? It’s not worth it! No one is worth it! If a person commits suicide, that’s the end. Once it’s done, it’s done. You can’t change

your mind. And if you commit suicide, you can never have the love of your life back. Suicide is the end, there’s no coming back. Move forward, life has to go on. In the Bible, when the children of Israel reached a crossroad, with the red sea in front and the army of Pharaoh behind, they despaired and began to cry but God told Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell them to go forward!” (Exodus 14:15) • Don’t give up on love. Don’t say “I’m through with the issue of marriage” as Kate said. Thinking and feeling this way does not help matters in any way. It will bring discouragement which will lead to despair, and despair will make you do wrong things, make wrong decisions. You will meet another person who will love you, for with God all things are possible. It’s not over for you. In the novel ‘My First Love’, Lisa lost Mofe, her first love but eventually married Ayo, her true love. Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. • Don’t seek revenge or become nasty. Don’t say “I will make her pay for it!” “He will regret it!” Release the person, let him or her go even if you spent a lot of money or did things for the person. Also, don’t try to destroy the person or his or her properties. • Don’t think that something must be wrong with you or that you’re not a good person. Where the love of your life changes his or her mind about you, it simply means you are not meant for each other and probably not right for each other. The relationship might have looked good but some things are obviously not in place. Some things are wrong. • Don’t give in to pain or self pity, crying over spilled milk. It does no good and won’t bring the person back. Get your acts

together and hope again. Get busy and begin to make fresh plans. As the saying goes, when there is life, there is hope and everything will be alright.

Three things to do.

• Pray. Pour your heart out to God for He who created you is Faithful and True, and He has promised to never leave or forsake you. He is not like the man or lady who disappointed you, He is God. He does not change His mind about you or stop loving you. • Encourage and strengthen yourself in the Lord as David in 1Samuel 30 when some people wanted to stone him. Don’t let your heart be troubled; believe in God for without Him you can do nothing. • Move forward. Forget the past, let your heart be healed of the disappointment and trust God. Cry out to Him and He will make you strong. In the novel ‘My First Love’, Lisa didn’t think she could ever get over Mofe but she did, and quickly too, with God’s help. Soon she was able to say ‘God bless Mofe and his wife’.

Some Scriptures to meditate on

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:1-4) For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Praise & Worship

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Sunday July 15, 2012

The Will of God (I)

Footprints with Dr. Tunde

Ojewole Email: ojewolea@babcockuni.edu.ng Phone: 08058299434

“God does not play dice with the cosmos.” God has a plan for this world. God is not an absentee landlord. He did not create the world and leave it to run without interference on natural laws as some claim. God is involved with His creatures. God has a will, a plan, a manifesto, a goal and purpose for the world and everyone who lives in it. We are not guinea pigs in a divine laboratory. God’s will is not loathsome. It is the greatest thing in all of life to get hold of. There is no greater joy or satisfaction than to be in the centre of the will of God and know it. Doing God’s will is crucial for human salvation (Matt 7:21; Heb 5:9). Jesus came from heaven to the earth to do the Father’s will. In John 5:30, Jesus declares: “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which has sent me.” He testifies further: “My food is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work” (John 4:34). “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me” (John 6:38). Calvary was the Father’s will for Jesus in order to save sinners (Matt. 26:42; Luke 22:42). The following are the characteristics of the will of God. The will of God can be known (Rom 2:18). The will of God can be done. “Your kingdom come. Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matt 6:10). The will of God can be proved. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by

the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Rom 12:2). The reason for maintaining a renewed mind is so the believer can daily prove and be an undeniable living proof of the perfect will of God in everything they think, say, and do on earth. That is why Jesus taught us to pray for God’s will. It is the will of God that all believe in the Son (John 6:29, 40). God’s will was His redemptive plan for mankind (Eph 1:5, 9, 11), not willing that any to perish (Matt. 18:14; I Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9). All who are converted into Christ’s way of life and are doing God’s will in their daily lives have thus become the true brothers and sisters with Jesus (Matt 12:5; Mark 3:35). “You are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14). God has vouched to provide answered prayer related to doing His will (John 9:31 and I John 5:14). It is the will of God to resurrect all who believe in Christ on the last day, without the loss of one (John 6:39). God wants to fellowship with abiding believers forever (1 John 2:17). Apostle Paul described the will of God for all believers in various ways. The maturity and service of all believers is the will of God (Rom 12:1–2). We are born as

babes into the kingdom of God but we must grow in Christ, maturing with every experience. “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Eph 4:14). It is the utmost will of God that believers experience living Spirit-filled lives (Eph 5:17). Believers are to be filled with the knowledge of God (Col 1:9) and made perfect and complete (Col 4:12). This is how His will for us to be delivered from this evil age shall be accomplished (Gal 1:4). Paul continued labouring fervently for his fellow-believers that they “may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Col 4:12). “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification; that ye should abstain from fornication” (1 Thess 4:3). As true Christians, we must continue “doing the will of God from the heart” sincerely and “not with eye-service, as men-pleasers” (Eph 6:6). Apostle Peter admonished believers not to live self-centred lives. “That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God” (1 Peter 4:2). Jesus said it best: “he that has my commandments, and keeps

Answer these questions and win a prize 1.

God commanded humanity to remember which of the Ten Commandments? Supply the scriptures.

Where did Abraham’s servant sent to fetch a wife for Isaac first sight her? What is her name and locate the passage?

The leader adjudged the “most humble and yet greatest” by God is...? Support answer with scripture.

•Please, be informed that the first correct entry via text message wins the prize. See next week’s column for answers to the quiz. Send your answers with your names to 08054238905. Gifts courtesy Babcock University.

them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him (John 14:21). Believers should be giving thanks in all things at all times in all places (1 Thess. 5:18; Phil 4:4-7). This must not cease even if following the will of God brings suffering. We must count it all joy (James 1:2). “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing … wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (1 Peter 3:17; 4:19). It is God’s will that believers submit to civil authorities, and thereby silence foolish people (Rom 13:1-8; 1 Peter 2:15). Our way of life in God’s will is the best advertisement for Christianity! In the Cathedral at Lubek, Germany, an inscription reads:“You call me master, and obey me not;You call me light, and seek me not;You call me way, and walk me not;You call me wise, and follow me not;You call me fair, and love me not;You call me rich, and ask me not;You call me eternal, and seek me not;You call me gracious, and trust me not;You call me noble, and serve me not;You call me mighty, and honour me not;You call me just, and fear me.If I condemn you, blame me not.” •TundeOjewole, PhD, is the Babcock University Pastor in charge: Division of Spiritual Life.For enquiries, contact: ojewolea@babcock.edu.ng or call/SMS 08058299434/08060376577

Answers to July 8, 2012 Quiz 1. 2. 3.

Philadelphia- Rev 3:7, 17 Plagues- Exodus Chapters 7-11 Aaron- Exodus 28:29, 30 NIV

Is there true repentance in the grave? Holy Inquiry with Pastor Paul

Nkirukah E-mail: pstpaul11@yahoo.com

Dear Pastor, I am asking this question because I see people who die as pagans and their children would invite pastors to pray for them at their graveside and organise Christian burial. -Osaro Esq, Benin City. Dear reader, Without beating around the bush, I want to go straight to the point. There is no repentance in the grave. Any prayer offered or prayed for a dead body is a wasted prayer, a waste of time and a waste of energy. Your prayer cannot and can never make any dead person to go to hell or heaven. It is not prayer that takes people to heaven but people’s lifestyle. Anybody that did not live a righteous life or that is not born-again cannot and

will never see the kingdom of heaven, according to the word of God. In other to be clearer, let us carefully examine the scriptures below: John 3: 3 - 6 reads; ‘Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God; Nicodemus saith unto him, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God, verse. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. According to the scriptures above, until one is born again, whether you go to church every day but you are not born again, or you are a pagan, you cannot see the kingdom of God, talk more of entering there. There are so many church goers, but it is not how many times you attend church services that determine your being born-again. You may have been sleeping in the church, but it takes a born-again to enter into the kingdom of God.

How then can one be born-again? Let’s take a closer look at the book of Mark 16: 15 and 16, which reads: ‘And he said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned. Let’s also see Romans 10 : 9 - 10 which reads; ‘That if thou shalth confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from dead, thou shalt be saved, verse; For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.’ My dear, the scriptures above have said it all, you must believe, repent, and be baptised in water, before you can talk of seeing or entering into the kingdom of God. Secondly, Romans chapter 10 said that you have to believe with your heart and confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, before you can see or enter into the kingdom of heaven. If I may ask, can the dead or someone in the grave talk? ... as in confessing the Lord Jesus? If no, how then can the dead or he that is already in the grave, ready to be buried confess the Lord Jesus?

Thus one has to believe and confess before he or she can be saved. There is one thing I would want you to understand, and that is; you can stand in the gap in prayer for anybody no matter where the person may be. You can receive miracle on behalf of somebody, either through the person’s photograph, or by standing for the person. But you cannot repent for somebody, or confess in place of anybody, since the Bible says you must confess with your own mouth. The truth remains that there is no repentance in the grave. Anybody that will or must make heaven has to merit it while alive. In fact, no real man of God called by God will agree to pray for a pagan in the grave. That aside, whether you are a pagan or a Christian, praying for the dead in the grave cannot effect any change of the bereaved’s lifestyle while alive. It cannot make anybody to merit heaven or hell. Salvation is personal while alive not in death. So, confess the Lord Jesus, believe in him and be born again now that you are still alive so as to see and enter the kingdom of God. That is my advice to every living soul on earth today. Wishing you heaven at last.

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Movies & Music

Sunday, July 15, 2012

the screen with new video

Nnena and Friends set for France

op and R&B duo, Zeelex, have decided to treat their ting music video this season. Just few days ago, the nveiled the video to their latest single, ‘Go’. of their earlier single ‘One of a kind’, the dynamturned with a frenzy, dishing this up-tempo dance rty riders to get up and ‘Go’. w video was directed by ace music video director,

Nnena & Friends is set to take children on an exciting tour of Paris this coming holiday, in August 2012. In what promises to be an awesome experience, the group plans to visit several interesting sites including the magnificent Disneyland, the amazing Eiffel Tower, the Monumental Champs Elysees, the historic Versailles Palace, the thrilling Seine River Cruise and Louvre Museum. Fans of the programme, who are interested in being part of the trip, are expected to register with Nnena & Friends before July 20, 2012, for a lifetime trip to remember. More so, the wonderful Paris adventure will be aired on TV stations nationwide. Nnena reaffirms her dedication to impact positively on the future of the African child. She says, “Children are avid learners, hence splendid exposures such as this assist in nurturing their passion for excellence”. In line with her educational tour for children between ages 4 and 16, the Nnena & Friends team has been to several historic sites in Ghana and Nigeria, including the slave point in Badagry. The Nnena & Friends brand has won awards through her TV shows, live shows and fan club activities.

State, the crooning brothers of Justin (Zeezee) Pe) Peter make up the dynamic Zeelex. Interestingly, e the only sons of their parents and are right beul sisters. osed the boys to life, music, dance and the value oungsters, they started out their singing and love cal church choir. In 2009, they began working tocontemporary Nigerian music group, and by 2011, ingles ‘Baby Don’t Go’ and ‘Sumomi Dada’, which me in both clubs and on radio in their home town eria’s capital city, Abuja. others love to rap and sing, Zeezee who is the elder at home rapping, with his earlier influence includWest, M.I, Sauce Kid and Ice Prince, while Tilex is who was influenced by Chris Brown, 2Face Idibia Zelex

ent reality show berths in Nigeria

azing talent to entern for a wholesome opase your wow factor. at Rapid Blue Format Group (OMG), the orthe hugely successTV show, which has eens with outstandor two seasons, have ong, globally popular se to Nigeria. on of what is now ria’s Got Talent’ realm now till December ons for the debut seaot Talent’ has kicked

off a few days ago. Thousands of talented Nigerians of all ages and sexes, each bearing a unique talent, are expected to troop to audition centres located across the country, to audition for a chance to be the next Susan Boyles, Diversity, or Bianca Ryan – performers who have received worldwide acclaim and super star status courtesy of the ‘Got Talent’ franchise. Speaking about this new entrant into the Nigerian entertainment space, Mr. Rotimi Pedro, Managing Director of Optima Media Group, enthused, “The group puts Nigeria on the world map again, side-by-side with countries like America,

France, and India who have bought into the ‘Got Talent’ franchise; which is one of the fastest growing in the world. “Through the franchise, we are glad to be able to provide a worldwide platform for raw, unique, and dynamic talents in this country and at the same time present the world-class entertainment, which is our trademark. Amongst the significant features of the show is that it gives an opportunity to talented amateurs or unknown performers, with the results being decided by an audience vote. There are no age restrictions for contestants on the show. Anybody can audition with any talent.”

ords makes a debut with new music act It was bound to happen with everyone in the music industry trying to better the music business in the country. A Lagos-based entertainment outfit, Latitude Records, owned and managed by Mr. John Olubiyo and Mr. Oguns Shanu, is ready for its official launching as the outfit debuts with a new music act. The new artist is a Festac Town-based singer, rapper and song writer, Jacobs Oluwatobi Ayodeji who operates by the name Dr. Vee. Just 19, the young entertainer enjoys wide fan base in most Nigerian universities and is set to storm the Nigerian entertainment scene with a bang. Dr. Vee, who is an indigene of Imeko-Afon, Ogun State, is regarded by those that have listened to his music as a talented singer. Interestingly, the amazing crooner’s earlier singles, ‘Boju-Boju’ and ‘Koo Jo’ are currently enjoying massive air-play in most radio and TV stations.

ures talented rap artistes in new single

e delighted to know s has released the ew single, ‘Gbetiwa’ duo El-Phlex featuria Morgan, Jhybo, -Berg Slim. duced by label mate ronner) and mixed ybe Records’ Sheyelody). ecall that the origiased last year and ntial in El-Phlex muEl-Phlex

Nnena

Bimbo Akintola steps up the game in Hoodrush For many industry people and movie lovers, who have been waiting to see the delectable Nollywood actress, Bimbo Akintola, on the big screens, the wait will soon be over as the amiable and hugely-talented actress is back in a commendable musical Nollywood flick, ‘Hoodrush’. ‘Hoodrush’ is a musical thriller starring some of the best and emerging young talents in the industry, O.C Ukeje, Gabriel Afolayan, Chelsea Eze, Ijeoma Agu, Lilian Byoma and a host of others. The movie was directed by Dimeji Ajibola, a new comer in feature film who has done quite a number of production works for multinationals, media houses and has a number of short films to his credit. ‘Hoodrush’ is produced by Flipsyde Studios where Dimeji is the CEO.

How Halima Abubakar, Kaffy, others rocked celebrity party

Fast-rising actress, Halima Abubakar, and award-winning dancer, Kaffy, are not celebrity faces you see all the time at social gatherings but they chose to differ this time, when they showed up at June’s celebrity birthday party at the entertainment hub, Koga Lounge, an event powered by lifestyle magazine, Lee.

Bimbo akintola

Timaya shines on The Big Friday Show

he increasingly popular lifestyle entertainment television programme, The Big Friday Show, has recently featured Nigeria’s music act, Timaya. The show, which was produced by leading entertainment television MTV Base, was sponsored by Globacom. The artiste, popularly referred to as the Egberipapa 1 of Bayelsa, was the Celebrity Guest for the Week on the show, which runs every Friday

at 6p.m. on Silverbird Television (STV), 7.30 p.m. on MTV Base (DStv Channel 322) and on Wednesdays on African Independent Television (AIT). It is also shown on ORTB (Benin Republic) and ViaSat1 (Ghana). Timaya becomes the third music act to star on the programme, which had Nollywood actress, Uche Jombo, as guest last week and music sensation P-Square in the first edition, which was aired in June.

Timaya

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Connecting

Vanessa with

Vanessaonsunday@yahoo.com

Dating your best friend’s ex: Right or wrong? T

opics like the one we are about to discuss today often generate heated arguments with divergent views stemming from people’s ideologies, religious affiliations and moral justifications. Whichever one is yours, I think it is best you put yourself in that same shoe and imagine you’ve found yourself in that dilemma before passing out your judgment. I say this because we all are quick to condemn someone outright without ever asking yourself: what will be my honest reaction if I am caught in a similar situation? Well, that is what happened to Ucheoma, a friend of mine who came to seek advice on this issue. Here is her story: Ucheoma and Nneka were childhood friends for as long as they can remember. They were ‘’Bunkie’’ all through their secondary school days and although they didn’t attend the same University, they still remained close friends and stayed in touch during the semester holidays. When they graduated, Nneka was lucky to get a job in one of the banks. She was transferred to the headquarters in Lagos from Enugu were they grew up. Ucheoma was not so lucky in the job market and had to stay back in Enugu. After a while, Nneka got her own apartment and asked Ucheoma to come and live with her while she searched for a job and Models she agreed. While living with Nneka, she got introduced to Gideon her boyfriend. They looked so happy together and she liked Gideon on sight, but never had any desire for him, since she already considered him her best friend’s lover. All the same, Ucheoma noticed that her friend also flirts with other guys and they come to visit her when Gideon was not around. When she confronted her friend on this, she defended herself that it is a girl’s prerogative to flirt until she finally settles down. It was in one of her flirty dispositions that she met Chinedu and fell madly in love with him. In less than six months she and Chinedu got married and she moved out of their apartment to join her husband. When Nneka left, Gideon started paying her undue attentions. Initially, she accepted them as friendly gestures since she also considers Gideon her friend. Before they knew what was happening, feelings started developing between them. Now they have both fallen in love and Gideon is proposing marriage. Ucheoma says she’s so confused and discomfited about the situation because she does not know how her friend will react to this development. Wouldn’t she see it as a stab in the back by her best friend? Well, Yes! Sort of ! You see how difficult it is to

stand in judgment in this kind of issues? Seriously though, I have always believed that dating your friend’s ex is tantamount to breaking the best friend for life (BFF) code. The code says you do not steal one another’s boyfriend or girlfriend no matter the circumstances. Love in itself is complicated without adding this bizarre situation Ucheoma have found herself in. Dating your friend’s ex is a decision we are all shaky to make. For one thing, your friend might feel that you have been eyeing her boyfriend for a long time; even before they broke up and you are now grabbing your chance as soon as she had turned her back. This could be potentially disastrous for your friendship. Also if your friend has had a painful and emotionally tumultuous break up then she will expect you to take her side no matter what. In this scenario if you start dating your friend’s ex it will be interpreted as breach of trust. If you go ahead and still marry her ex, be sure you will lose her friendship for life. It is a classic case of choosing ‘’love over friendship’’ So making a decision whether to date your best friends ex is largely dependent on the circumstances that led to their break up and how much you value your friendship. I don’t think it is wise to make enemies of those you have known all your life. The best thing to do in such scenario is to seek out your friend and tell her everything that has been going on and see her reaction. It will help you make informed decisions. This is because dating your friend’s ex will definitely affect your relationship with her in the future Seeking her opinion about the awkward situation is a way of telling her you value her friendship more than anything and if she is not a vindictive person and does not feel she ‘’owns’’ her ex forever and gives you her blessing, then go ahead and marry the man of your dreams. But if she does not give her blessings, still go ahead with your plans if you feel strongly about it. The reason is that friendship is a two-way street, and deserves love, respect, and generosity on both ends. If she also values your friendship, she will not want to stand in the way of your happiness as well. It may be sad or painful at first but if everyone is truly open and honest then you can come to a compromise of allowing others to find happiness where you were not so lucky. Can you date your best friends’ ex? Please feel free to write in your response.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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A Fashionista’s

World JULY 15, 2012

‘If I have the opportunity, I would want to do boobs enlargement’ Ciara Funmi Adekanbi is a model and a make-up artiste. She says models are poorly paid in Nigeria. Ciara who claims she has hot legs but small boobs declares she can model nude if the pay is right. She speaks with Adaeze Amos on the lapses in modelling in Nigeria. Who are some of the music artistes you admire? Tu face Idibia and Ray G are my favourites How about Nigerian movie actress you dream to be like? Genevieve Nnaji What’s your favourite dish? Fried rice with plantain What is your best colour? All shades of pink-baby, pink fuchsia, shocking pink, just name it. Can you relive your passion for modelling? My passion for modelling didn’t start suddenly though I had been nurturing the passion a long time ago. In fact, it started when I was young. Then I used to watch fashion TV to see models on the runway and I used to admire them a lot. I liked the way they do their catwalks and I used to imitate them in my room. Now that I’m grown up, I went for it without thinking twice because I have good looks, good figure and spotless skin. I have the attributes of a model, so I went in for it and I have been doing wonderfully well in it. Do you find any lapses in modelling in Nigeria? You know, in Nigeria we are just coming up but by the grace of God, with time, we would get there. We are poorly paid, that is one of the major lapses. It is only the passion that has kept most of us there. The passion rekindles our hope, and we believe that in the nearest future, things would get a lot better for us. Another problem is that at times when you go for casting, you see a lot of girls, and when they fail to pick you, you get disappointed, dejected, angry and you could be asking yourself whether you are not beautiful enough. Are your parents in support of what you are doing as a model? Oh sure! My parents are happy with what I’m doing. They believe in me and they know that’s my job, that’s what I love doing. Can you model nude? I can model anything, just anything. But as for modelling nude hmm, I don’t know. Maybe that would be in the western world because they pay models well over there. They pay huge sums for that.

But the one I prefer is that you would just pose nude and they would take some shots of you, that’s all … to use you for soap advert or cream, that’s what I mean. Do you pray at all? Yes I do, why not? I don’t relent on my prayers concerning my job as a model. In fact, my major prayer point is strictly on God removing any embarrassment on the runway for me. I say my prayers before I walk on the runway, pleading God to remove any embarrassment on the stage. I wouldn’t want to be cat-walking and my shoes or zipper would snap. Although we are taught that when your button or zipper snaps, we should still walk the walk. I thank God, I have not had such a problem. Do you believe in the fashion adage, flaunt it, if you have it? “Yeah, I do, you have got to flaunt it, if you have it. The parts of my body I flaunt with ease are my legs. I have hot legs but my boobs are not big enough. So, if given the opportunity I wouldn’t mind going for boobs enlargement. What is your love life like? Are you married? I have a guy in my life. The person is an Igbo guy. His name is Okechukwu. He is a nice guy, he takes care of me. Although he is not in the country for now, we communicate on the phone very often. Why do you choose to date someone who is not from your tribe? Men from my tribe like marrying many women. I prefer an Igbo man. Are you sure? Don’t you think some Igbo may go for more than one wife? No, they don’t! They are good at taking care of their women. Have you had a heart-break before? Yes, I have had.

If they pay you well here, would you opt for it? If that is the case I will accept. Yes, I can model nude, why not?”

Can you recall that experience? Heartbreak is the worst thing that can happen to a lady. It wasn’t easy for me to wriggle out of it. I had some sleepless nights over that but I thank God it’s over. I have started a new phase of life.

Are you one of the nude dancers in town? No, please I’m not one of them. I won’t be able to do that and I have not done it before. The reason is that the men there would be touching you here and there, you know the places I mean and they would be putting money on your body, into your pant and all that. That to me is debasing.

What makes you happy? It is just the fact that God made me a woman. I have never regretted being a woman in my life. Women are colourful, stylish, fashionable, oh my God, they are the ones that make things happen. If I would have to live my life again, I would still come as a woman.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

ANGELA DAVIES lessonsoflife2@yahoo.com 08023342083

Lessons of Life ‘Franca, forgive me, I have offended you’ TRUE LIFE STORY ON MATTERS OF THE HEART JULY 15, 2012

We conclude in this edition the story of Festus who got entangled in a second marriage to a lady he disvirgined and impregnated because of the mouth-watering contract awards and financial help from her dad. Meanwhile, he finds himself in a dilemma as his first wife who feels betrayed is now pregnant.

laudia’s dad sounded very stern on the phone. “Hello, I believe I am speaking with Festus. Well, my name is Chief Bayo and I am the father of Claudia, the woman you got pregnant. Well, I know that you are a married man because my daughter told me all about you and what transpired between you both. The truth is that you must marry my daughter since you are the first and only man she has ever slept with. Just know that there is no debate about this issue. Do you understand?” he asked. “Yes, Chief I do. But please you need to give me some time to talk this over with my wife and family,” I pleaded. “No problem, my son but I urge you to be quick about it. You only need to marry her traditionally but as you know she is my only daughter so it must be loud,” he said. He however proposed that after the traditional wedding, he would send us to London for our honeymoon. He also brought up the idea that we could take my wife, Franca, as long as she does not have any idea about the plan. He also promised to give me contracts and so much more to make me and my ‘wives’ happy. Almost immediately, he had processed visas for me, Franca and Claudia. When I told Franca that we will be travelling to London, she was so excited but I didn’t give her the full details. When I informed my family members that a woman was pregnant for me and her father was insisting that I should marry her they were not happy, especially my mother. But when I revealed all the goodies that would follow, they gave me their support. Now the only problem is Franca. How do I give her this humiliating news about marrying another woman? How do I even face her after informing her knowing full well that we had been married for two years without a child. Since I didn’t have the courage to break the news to Franca, my parents assured me that they will inform her. However, I was really worried because I didn’t know how she will take the news after I had promised her that no matter what, I’ll stick with her until God blesses us with children. Will she ever understand that it was a mistake? Surprisingly, when Franca was informed by my parents that I was going to take another wife because the woman was pregnant for me, she just shook her

head but never spoke a word. She felt they are in full support of my action and decision because she had not been able to bear me a child. But that was not true. After my parents left our house, I tried to make her understand that it was not a planned action. Franca then asked me, “Festus, where did I go wrong? Is it because I have not been able to give you children? Are you even sure the baby is even yours?” she cried. “Franca, yes the baby is mine because I was the one that disvirgined her,” I answered. “My God, how could you even think of sleeping with another woman after we are married?” she sobbed. I pleaded with her to forgive me that it was never planned but I had to marry Claudia. “Festus, tell me the truth, do you love her? Are you really going ahead with the traditional wedding?” she queried. “Franca, I am sorry but I am going ahead with the wedding but that does not mean anything will change between us. Aside from that we will all be travelling to London after the wedding,” I promised. “Oh! Was that why you got me a visa? I am not going to London with you people. You two can go alone. You traitor,” she screamed. I simply nodded and she walked away. Some days to the traditional wedding, Claudia went to see Franca in her office just to make her understand the situation and equally plead with her to allow me marry her even though she knew that I belonged to her. Claudia informed me that Franca looked at her from the head to the toe and said to her, “I have absolutely nothing to say to you or anybody. Please leave my office now.” On the day of the wedding, a few friends and members of my family were in attendance. Franca did not show up, and this really broke my heart. Meanwhile, my father-in-law made sure that the wedding was the talk-of-the-town. He had many of his business and politician friends in attendance. He spent so much money on the wedding just to announce that his only daughter was getting married. I tried to enjoy myself and also put on fake smiles from time to time while Claudia was so excited. I was at the reception when my neighbour called that my wife had been crying but refused to talk to anybody. Later she brought out the visa and set it ablaze implying that she cannot be easily bought by a trip to London. I felt so bad that I had betrayed her but it is too late. She has since refused to talk to neither me nor any member of my family. Three days after the wedding, I travelled to London with Claudia where we spent about a month. All through our stay in London, there was no day I did not call Franca but she never picked my call. In fact, at a point, her line was switched off. I kept praying that she does not hurt herself. On our return, Claudia’s father had

gotten and furnished an apartment for us around Dopemu. We moved in immediately. As it is now, I had to start alternating between my wives because I know Franca will never move in with us. So, a day after we returned I went to our house to see Franca even though I was not sure if she still wanted to see me or not. When I saw her, I knew she had changed a lot. She was looking so pale. My once happy and ever bubbling Franca was just a shadow of herself. The worse was that even when we were together at home, she did not talk to me, except when I asked questions she only gave me one syllable answer. No doubt she still performs her duties as my wife but now I am the one who is scared of staying with her because I cannot read her mind and this scares me every second I look at her. She even asked me to stay away from her. According to her, “Claudia needs you more than I do so I will advise that you spend 80 per cent of your time with the woman carrying your child.” “Franca, we need each other too. I need you, you are my wife. Please I am sorry, forgive me,” I

pleaded. I have begged for her forgiveness but she has hardened her heart but I need her to forgive me. I don’t feel good about what is happening. I truly love Franca. Claudia is five months pregnant right now. Yes, she is carrying my child but I don’t love her as much as I love Franca. And most times I wish Franca is the one carrying my child. As God will have it, Franca’s younger sister informed me some weeks back that Franca is pregnant but she has refused to tell me because she feels really betrayed by me and my family. I need her forgiveness. I need to be with her right now. I don’t want to lose her because she has been very loving, caring, supportive and understanding. I know no woman wants to share her husband with another woman but please I am sorry, forgive me. We even need each other more now that you are pregnant. Please forgive me. What do you want me to do now to prove that you are truly the woman I love?

Please send your advice to the phone number or email address above. No calls, please.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Opinion

Sunday July 15, 2012

Way to decimate our population?

t may be deemed as dim-witted to beggar the thought that there is an on-going effort to reduce Nigeria’s population from a ridiculously high 150 million to maybe 100 million, before the end of the year. If that can be achieved, government will be better aided in its economic reform measures to provide the goodies of life for all before year 2020. Again, there may be no need to vacate the jaundiced oil subsidy regime, as the fewer the oil consumers, the better. To wit, this will also bolster the country’s foreign reserves, as a good number of domestic gluttons would have left the scene. These morbid dimensions cannot but be added to the national thoughts at a time like this, when a country’s weekly death rate poignantly pales into insignificance, the possibilities that there could be at least few child births also. Apart from ‘statutory’, sundry deaths concomitant with living in this clime, there now appears to be countable, standard casualty rate for each passing week. It would from the foregoing, seem that when 10 children are born in a week, over 100 humans would equally die same week. To controvert this, the National Population Commission (NPC), now in apparent inertia occasioned by inescapable idleness, should help convince through a make-shift census, if 500 childbirths took place between last Sunday and today. But assuredly, safe for natural causes, it is indubitable that about 1000 Nigerians died within the period, owing to ethno-religious and socio-political crises, aided by

the government’s apparent weak knees. The genocide in Jos communities last week which eventually claimed the lives of a serving senator, Gyang Dantong, and a House of Assembly member, Gyang Filani, was a sobering pointer to the fact that en masse, the Nigerian population is being decimated by method. At least, 90 people were reportedly killed when Fulani herdsmen launched attacks on villages in Gashik District of Barkinladi Local Government area of Plateau State, Sunday afternoon. In another breath, during the fratricidal warfare, no fewer than 50 burnt bodies were uncovered after attackers holed up their human preys inside a church in Matsai village, and set them ablaze. Regrettably, Dantong and Fulani went for the mass burial of some of the genocide victims when they too were ambushed and killed. Ironically, for the Assemblyman whose surname was Fulani, those who cut him down in his prime were also ‘Fulani’ herdsmen, though known that the sameness in name was only an accident. As at yesterday, reports put the death toll in the Jos clashes at over 150. Elsewhere in the North, suicide bombers clothed in the garb of insurgents continued the throws of bombs and in tow, mass deaths followed. The Shehu of Borno, a first class monarch and the deputy governor of the state on Friday also escaped death by a whisker when a 15-year-old suicide bomber wrought an explosion in a mosque, killing five persons and injuring six others. As tears welled up in the eyeballs of

family members and friends of all those variously killed with bombs or guns or with bows and arrows, the tanker explosion that rocked a Rivers community was a big blow for a country where emergency response is bare. As the dust settled over the billows of fire that engulfed the locals, no fewer than 130 persons reportedly lay dead, some rendered charred by the rage of fire. This cast a sour reminder on the recent crash of the DANA airbus in the Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos where all 153 occupants in the plane and about 17 others in their homes were killed. Eyewitnesses recounted that lives would have been saved in the crash if the plane hadn’t burst into flames and that the fire did not ignite until about 15 minutes after crash. In saner climes, within seven minutes after the crash, fire-fighting helicopters would have bombarded the scene to foreclose fire. What else really to say about Nigeria other than that if the trend of criminal neglect of the citizenry persists, then the country would probably satisfy the quest for a small population to be ruled over by those who are no more than the lords of the manor. When the ‘ragamuffins’ are ‘technically eliminated’ through such neglect, the country would then be left for the ‘few wise’, to enjoy and properly manage. Though President Goodluck Jonathan, perhaps to convince of the strength of his Presidency, recently reshuffled his top security echelon to grant bite to his war against terrorism, the effect of that action is no more than a monkey game.

Kayode Fasua

kayodefasua@nationalmirroronline.net (08034101207; SMS only, pls)

Realising that statements that resonate in ‘sounds and fury signifying nothing’ have expired too soon, is it not musical hearing the new National Security Adviser riding high on the crest of the time-worn cliché, that ‘dialogue is the best answer’? All we hear are words and words. Yet on daily basis, Nigerians are counting their deaths. What, perhaps, remains of the parlous state is apparently for President Jonathan to consult with the neglected political elders who have adopted the ‘siddon look’ attitude, cutting across regions of the country and farm sincere counsel from them. By so doing, the idea of convoking a sovereign national conference which has become the face of a gobblin to successive government would have been tactically achieved. Beyond this, the Presidency should particularly face issues posing security challenges to the government, and also to our common existence, head-long. It will, by so doing, rebrand itself to be seen to be strong, and not just a talking shop. Not a few persons are already sneering, that this government is too weak. A word is enough for the wise.

Jonathan’s commitment to anti-graft crusade KEHINDE L ANIYAN

hree interrelated issues in recent time have reinforced the idea in the minds of the opposition groups that President Goodluck Jonathan is not committed to anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria. First is the touchy issue of Farouk-gate that raised suspicions among critics that the House report may be trashed by the executive for failing credibility and integrity tests. Second is the Hillary Clinton 2011 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices to the American Congress of the United States which described the commitment of the Nigerian government to issues of corruption as empty talks. The report that became known to the public in early June 2012 noted that “Massive, widespread and pervasive corruption affected all levels of government and the security forces.” It also accused the government of not implementing the law while officials engage in corrupt practices with impunity. The government officials have promptly denied the content of the report. Third, corruption issue became very topical after the presidential media chat that was held on 24 June 2012 in which public declaration of assets by the president was taken as an indication of seriousness of government in tackling corruption, though this was beyond the prescription of the extant law. The three issues had generated enough debates and heat warranting a press conference from the media adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday 1 July 2012. And there, he dismissed the idea that President Jonathan is not committed to anti-corruption crusade. Dr Reuben Abati described the insinuation as “totally false impression”. He

also used the opportunity of the conference to reiterate the commitment of the President to curbing corruption in the country. He specifically emphasised the government’s determination to ensure that those indicted in the fuel subsidy probe report by the House are penalised. With that last point on House Report on fuel subsidy, Abati had touched on sore area that was the main plank of agitation against President Jonathan on the issue of non-commitment to anti-corruption crusade by opposition group. Abati’s explanations of the President’s perspective on the House Report were timely and in order. However, one could recollect that it has become public knowledge that the same report had been sent to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, for action by President Jonathan. And that was long before Honourable Farouk Lawan’s escapade in collecting $620,000.00 to compromise his committee report came into the open. Ordinarily, if the whole agitation over commitment to anti-corruption is not being driven by politics, which is not unexpected, President Jonathan’s assurances would have been enough to calm agitated nerves. In one of his several public statements on the issue, the President noted that “there will be no sacred cows in the matter and that any organization or individual found guilty of fraud or corruption will ultimately face the full weight of sanctions prescribed by the extant laws of the country”. There were also indications that the EFCC had started a thorough investigation to prepare water tight cases against those indicted by the report. Nigerians want investigations and judgment that will be as quick as lightening for corrupt people and not the long winding trials they have been used to. And this is another factor driving the call for the

President to act very fast, particularly when reported cases of fraud being perpetrated by government officials are so monumental in nature. It is this cloud of doubt that has overwhelmed every good intention of Mr President on anti-corruption crusade. Farouk’s act was a big spoiler for all those who had hoped that his report will be used to sanitize the oil industry that smells with lots of rot. Instead, the act led to all sorts of judgments, commentaries, and legal expositions on the propriety of the “sting operation” conducted by the security service and culpability of the giver and the taker of bribe. Honourable Lawan had openly confessed to taking a sum of $620,000.00 from the oil magnate, Mr Femi Otedola to remove his company name from the list of marketers indicted by the House probe report. And as reported by Otedola in newspaper accounts, his name actually disappeared from the final report that was passed by the House. Farouk’s public confession was not without some initial denials, though. The House itself also unwittingly agreed that Farouk’s act was a great infraction and a dent by suspending him from some committees of the House and by inserting Otedola’s company back into the report. This exercise was carried out by the House almost two months after the first report was sent to the President for execution by the EFCC. With the impression created that the name of a marketer was exchanged for dollar; and inserted and deleted, because of the deepness of the pocket, Farouk’s behaviour, which raised suspicion that the report will be thrashed, had discredited the House Report. The logic could be extended and the question raised that, if this had happened in the case of Otedola’s company right in the public glare, how many other underground and shady deals had heralded

Farouk investigation? Will that same report be considered credible by any standard? Rather than the House report being trashed by the EFCC, it is suggested that it should be thoroughly investigated and considered together with other reports of probe panels as directed by Mr President, the blemish on the House brought about by the bribery scandal notwithstanding. And the anti-corruption agencies should position themselves to rescue the report and indeed the House from falling with Farouk Lawan. It is an opportunity for the House to reinventing itself as suggested by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu when asked to comment on the unfolding development. Again, what some had seen as foot dragging on sensitive issue of corruption, the President himself described as giving latitude to the heads of the anti-graft agencies to do their jobs properly without anyone breathing down on their necks. Dr Abati in the same vein had also reiterated that President Jonathan meant every word when he said he has zero tolerance for corruption. With the torrents of aspersions raining on the report of the House and fairly so too, the Senate report on the fuel subsidy should be dusted up and sent to the executive for quick implementation. It would be recalled that the Senate was the first to start the investigation into the fuel subsidy regime until the House overtook it with populism and rabble rousing; the strangest in the history of legislative oversight in Nigeria. The House’s legislative indiscretion was possible because at that time it enjoyed the confidence of Nigerians for acting on the side of people during the one-week fuel subsidy strikes and protests. That confidence and trust are almost lost to money, commercialism and avarice. •Laniyan, policy analyst, wrote from Abuja

Sunday, July 15, 2012

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Politics

Sunday, July 15, 2012

sembly’s capacity –Adebanjo from the beginning, that is why we are calling for a national conference because it is the solution to our fundamental problems. The Niger-Delta people are talking of resource control; what they are demanding is not new.

They are talking of revenue sharing based on derivation. Awolowo had talked on this since 1952. We had been having it until independence. Before independence we had cocoa, palm kernels and groundnut. Revenue was being distributed at the rate of 50 per cent. That is why the Niger-Delta are resisting. They are saying that when you had cocoa, groundnuts and palm kernels you were having

50-50, when it comes to their oil you are not applying the same rule. Is that equity? Where there is no equity there can’t be peace. We have to settle that at a round table. When we talk of this national conference, you know I have not talked of sovereign. I deliberately don’t use that term because people are misconstruing it. When you say sovereign national conference they said you want to interfere with the government of the day, that there can’t be two sovereignty. But they are having a wrong interpretation and it is mischievous. Sovereignty in the content of national conference only means that the decision unanimously agreed to at that conference cannot be altered by anybody. It cannot be amended unless you have a referendum, that is all. It is just the sovereignty of the people. It has nothing to do with the incumbent government. We should sit down and talk and ask that this contraption we call Nigeria, that came into existence almost a century ago, do we still want to live together? We should always ask ourselves that question. I don’t think any sane Nigerian will say no, we are tired of living together. The crucial question will just be how do we live together? You can’t just say you want unity, no. The unity we are having now is the unity of the horse and the rider. A section of the country is the horse, another section is the rider. That can’t go for long. Those are the remote causes of our problem. So when we go to the conference, all these questions will arise. It is a platform to jaw-jaw on the problems of Nigeria other than war-war as we are having upheaval here and there now. Anybody that is sincere about keeping the unity of this country must encourage us to sit down. As a link to what you have just said, the northern governors once said they want equal share of the nation’s resources. They said they want the same percentage like the

its oily victory the country. He maintained that the facts of Cross River has no littoral status was a matter established by law and all known international conventions. He commended the Supreme Court for being just and upright. A legal analyst Ekanem Ukpong esq in a chat with Sunday Mirror wondered why Cross River had chosen to waste judicial time and resources of the state in pursuit of a fruitless venture. He said the leadership of Cross River ought to have shown appreciation to Akwa Ibom for allowing about N500 million to be deducted monthly from her allocation and paid to them in the last two years. Ukpong further cautioned highly placed Cross River people who had circulated inciting materials in the internet to stIr discontent among the people of Akwa Ibom and Cross River States to desist from doing so especially at the time the country was experiencing serious security challenges. Contrary to claims of some members of the National Assembly from Cross River that the money paid to them was from the Ecological Fund, sources within the Revenue Mobilisation and fiscal Allocation Commission and the Federal Ministry of Finance revealed that hundreds of millions deducted from Akwa Ibom fund and paid to Cross River in the last two years was unlawful.

Reacting to the ruling in Uyo, the Commissioner for Lands and Town planning, Obong Eno Akpan, said the ruling was a testimony to the fact that “truth will never be suppressed.” Akpan, in a telephone interview with Sunday Mirror maintained that the ruling has vindicated the stand of the government on the issue. “It is a victory for a man, our governor, who has been fighting for the right of the people, Akwa Ibom people have every cause to celebrate and continue to support the governor and government that have meant well for them”, Akpan said. The commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Effiong Abia, Esq, lauded the Supreme Court for the judgment, describing it as a trial for justice and another victory for the sustenance of the uncommon transformation agenda of Akpabio. Abia stated that it was unnecessary for Cross River Government to lay claim to the 76 oil wells in Akwa Ibom when it knew that it is not a littoral state. According to the commissioner, the Supreme Court judgment has further strengthened the hope of the common man in the judiciary and has put an end to claims of ownership of the 76 oil wells located in territorial waters of Akwa Ibom by her sister state, Cross River. Abia, a lawyer, maintained that the rul-

South-South governors. How do you see such demand? They can raise the issue there if there is a national conference. They could be told the story from the Niger Delta people that when you have your groundnuts and cotton, do we share them with you equally? Unfortunately, Jonathan does not know his friends and they don’t know the issues involved. The South-West has been so consistent. We are asking for this conference to create a real federal system. We are not the most affected adversely. We are only fairminded, we don’t want to cheat people but we don’t want to be cheated also. A typical federation is one in which the federating units feed the centre. In this case now the centre takes the money and distribute to the units. Some people also believe that the presidential system of government is costly and too expensive. Do you share this position? Yes, we should return to parliamentary system of government. There is no doubt that the presidential system of government we are practising now is so expensive. A few weeks back, businessman, Mr Femi Otedola, said he gave some money to the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee that probed the oil subsidy scam, Hon. Farouk Lawan, as a bribe to absolve his company from those indicted in the oil subsidy rip-off. How do you see this development? If they want to confuse themselves, are you confused too? In the first place, can you fault the recommendations? These people are cheating the people of this country. The issue or allegation of bribery which Otedola levelled against Lawan should not be made to becloud the recommendations of the House of Representatives on the subsidy scam. Coming to the question you asked, there are a lot of questions to be answered. I think Farouk has destroyed his credibility in my own view. He is one of those people I had regard for. I was thinking that with a man with his perceived record there is future for this country. I was really distressed when the issue came up. But be that as it may, if you now believe that you did bribe me, what is the police doing? The law says both the giver and the receiver are criminals. What evidence do we need again, the

ing was delivered on the principle of law and historical antecedents of the area that was in dispute, adding that he never expected the apex court to do otherwise. The commissioner urged the people of Cross River not to allow the judgment to cause disaffection between them and Akwa Ibom people, adding that rather, it should strengthen the bond of unity and brotherhood that had existed between the two states in view of the fact that every family in Cross River has an Akwa Ibom person living as relation, student or worker. The commissioner joined Akwa Ibom people at home and in the diaspora in congratulating Akpabio and prayed God to continue to shower the governor with good health for the benefit of Akwa Ibom people and humanity. The special adviser to the governor on technical matters, Mr. Etido Inyang, said, “ it’s a welcome development and a victory for justice, good governance and effective leadership”. Inyang, an engineer, commended the judges of the Supreme Court for upholding the rule of law, irrespective of the provocation on the pages of newspapers. He said the judgment was a clear case of justice and will further ginger the state government under the leadership of Chief Godswill Akpabio to do more for the people of the state. The governor’s aide called on the two states to accept the ruling with love and continue to live together as brothers while calling on the people of Akwa Ibom to continue to support the Akpabio administration. Also reacting, a member of Akwa Esop Imaisong Ibibio, a socio-cultural group in Akwa Ibom, Etubom Jerry Emah, said that

CONTINUED ON PAGE 49 he never expected the Supreme Court to rule otherwise. “The fact of the matter is that the oil wells belong to Akwa Ibom,” Emah said. Similarly, the state chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Dr Amadu Attai, described the judgment as landmark. Attai said that the Akwa Ibom people were happy that the case was finally put to rest in favour of the state. “It will make the government to concentrate on development and no longer be distracted,” he said. Also reacting, a constitutional lawyer, Mr. Uwemedimo Nwoko, said that the judgment represented the true position of the law. “It has given superior consideration to the law above political situation,” Nwoko said. He advised the state government to apply the expected resources judiciously for the growth of the state. Nwoko also urged the two states to continue to live as brothers as usual. The Supreme Court last Tuesday dismissed a suit filed by Cross River government, seeking clarification on the ownership of 76 offshore oil wells in the Niger Delta. The apex court in a unanimous decision said the contentious oil wells belong to Akwa Ibom. The Cross River Government had approached the Supreme Court, asking the court to suspend the verdict in the appeal it lodged against Akwa Ibom on the matter. The state government had in its appeal contended that the controversial oil wells which were reportedly transferred to Akwa Ibom by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, belonged to it.

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Sunday, July 15, 2012

GROWING UP Aunty Angela

with

growingup5@yahoo.com

Hello children, I believe you had a wonderful week. How are you preparing for your examinations? I hope you are reading your books. I wish you success in your exams. For those who are already on holiday, please make good use of it.

WHO INVENTED WHAT…?

Disney Brothers: Invented the Mickey Mouse

JOKES

ANIMAL FACTS:

One day, a teacher was teaching her nursery three pupils about whales when little Janet asked her a question. Janet: “Aunty, do whales swallow people?”

Praying Mantis

Jonah and the Whale

Teacher: “No, even though they are much bigger than a person, they cannot swallow human beings,” she said. Janet: “But Aunty Mary told us Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Isn’t that true?” Teacher beginning to get angry said, “Blue whales cannot swallow people.” Janet: “Well, when I get to heaven I will just ask Jonah if he was really swallowed by a whale.” Teacher still very angry said, “What if Jonah went to hell?” Janet: “Well, aunty then you can ask him.”

I don’t want to go to church A mother went to wake her son for church one Sunday morning. When she knocked on his door, he said, “I am not going!” “Why not?” asked his mother. “I will give you two good reasons,” he said. “One, they don’t like me. Two, I don’t like them.” His mother replied, “I will give you two good reasons why you must go to church today. One, you are 47 years old and two, you are the pastor.”

ickey Mouse is one of the most popular cartoon characters, known throughout the world and loved especially by children. It was created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks and has become an icon for Walt Disney Company. In 1928, Walt Disney asked animator Ub Iwerks to start drawing some new characters. Most of Ub Iwerks’ drawings were of cats and dogs and these were rejected by Walt Disney. Ub Iwerks then saw a 1925 picture drawn by Hugh Harman of mice around a photo of Walt Disney. This inspired him to create a mouse - Mickey Mouse. Mickey and Minnie Mouse first appeared in the cartoon ‘Plane Crazy’ released on May 15, 1928.

Facts about Mickey Mouse • The Walt Disney Company celebrated the ‘birth’ of Mickey Mouse on November 18, 1928. Mickey Mouse made his screen debut on November 18, 1928 in Steamboat Willie, a short black and white animated musical. However, Mickey had appeared in two cartoons before that date. • Walt Disney voiced Mickey Mouse between 1928 and 1947. • The Romanian government banned Mickey Mouse from cinemas in 1935 because they were worried that children

would be scared to see a 10foot mouse. • Mickey Mouse first appeared in colour in 1935. In 1989, Disney threatened legal action against three daycare centres in Florida for having Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters painted on their walls. The characters were removed, and rival Universal Studios replaced them with Universal cartoon characters. In late 2009, The Walt Disney Company announced that they will begin to re-brand the Mickey Mouse character by putting a little less emphasis on his pleasant, cheerful side and reintroducing the more mischievous and adventurous sides of his personality starting with the newly released Epic Mickey.

Children, you can send your contributions and pictures through this email address growingup5@yahoo.com or call telephone number: 0805 198 0588

QUOTE The more we shelter children from every disappointment, the more devastating future disappointments will be. –Fred G. Gosman

Sport Quiz

he was born in Saginaw, Michigan on September 26, 1981 and she started playing tennis at the age of five. Her father home-schooled her and her sister and to this day, she remain coached by both her parents. She is an American professional tennis player. The Women’s Tennis Association has ranked her world no. 1 in singles on five separate occasions. She became the world no. 1 for the first time on July 8, 2002 and regained this ranking for the fifth time on November 2, 2009. Her 29 Grand Slam titles places her ninth on the all-time list: 14 in singles, 13 in women’s doubles, and two in mixed doubles. She is the most recent player, male or female, to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously and only the fifth woman ever to do so. She was also the first woman, along with her elder sister, to hold all four Grand Slam doubles titles simultaneously since Martina Hingis did so in 1998. Among active players,

DID YOU KNOW?

Third Mainland Bridge, longest in Africa T

he Third Mainland Bridge is the longest bridge in Africa. And it is the longest of the three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the Mainland; the other two are the Eko and Carter bridges.

• Praying Mantis is an insect. • Larger members of the praying mantis family have been known to eat lizards, snakes, frogs, birds and even small rodents. They are predators that hunt on living insects. • The word “mantis” means prophet in Greek. • Praying mantises are the only insects that can catch flies and mosquitoes. • The life span of mantis is about 10-12 months • There are about 1,700 varieties of praying mantis. • The mantis uses its two front legs to attack

The Third Mainland Bridge was built by Julius Berger Nigeria PLC and opened by President Ibrahim Babangida in 1990. The bridge measures about 11.8km in length. It is currently undergoing some repair works.

male or female, she holds the most major titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles She has played her elder sister in 23 professional matches since 1998 and she won 13 of these matches. They have met in eight Grand Slam finals, with her winning six times. She is the current singles and doubles champion of Wimbledon. She is the only female player to have won over $35 million in prize money. Although many think of her as only an offensive player, she also plays a

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Growing Up

Sunday, July 15, 2012

MAZE

Please help the bear find its way to the hut.

its prey. • They blend themselves in surrounding with protective coloration to catch the prey and to save themselves from predators. • The mantis has very good eyesight; it can see movement up to 60 feet away. • The mantis sheds its skin 12 times before it is full grown. • Praying mantises have triangular-shaped heads and compound eyes. And they can rotate their heads 180 degrees.

• Praying mantises have long spines on their front legs that allow them to hold on to their prey. • They are active during the night. • The adult praying mantis ranges in size from a centimeter to several inches in length. • They hatch their eggs in three weeks to six months, depending on temperature and humidity. • The praying mantis is more closely related to the cockroach than the grasshopper.

RIDDLES

strong defensive game. Off the court, fashion and acting are her passions. She founded and created her own clothing label, Aneres, which has been featured in In Style Magazine. She is also deeply committed to philanthropic causes. She visits schools and hospitals, and conducts tennis clinics for at-risk youth. Question Who is she?

I never was, am always to be. No one ever saw me, nor ever will. And yet I am the confidence of all. What am I? Answer: The future I am all around, but cannot be seen and cannot be held. I have no throat, but I can be heard. What am I? Answer: Wind Each morning I appear, to lie at your feet. All day I will follow, no matter how fast you run. What am I? Answer: Your shadow

TONGUE TWISTERS

If you understand, say “understand”. If you don’t understand, say “don’t understand”. But if you understand and say “don’t understand”. How do I understand that you understand? Understand! Gale’s great glass globe glows green

CHILDREN AND LAW

Laws protecting children in Nigeria • The Nigerian Labour Act, Laws of Federation of Nigeria 1990 CAP 198. The Act protects the child from being employed under exploitative circumstances or circumstances that may be injurious to his health. Under this Act a child can only do work of a light nature. It also forbids the employment of a young person under the age of 16 years to work underground, on machine work or in any employment, which is dangerous or immoral.

• The Criminal Code Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 CAP 77. Certain provisions of the Criminal Code deal specifically with the Child. These include:

• Duty to provide necessaries The Criminal Code imposes a duty on the person who has charge of a child to provide necessaries for such a child. The person will be held responsible for any eventuality to the life or health of the child, which is caused, by the failure or omission to perform the duty. • Abandoning or Exposing Children It is a crime for any person to unlawfully abandon or expose a child under the age of seven in a manner likely to cause it grievous harm. • Child stealing: It is an offence for any person to steal a child under the age of 12 years.

POP

Wellness

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YOUR HEALTH AND HEALTH RELATED ISSUES JULY 15, 2012

Cataract: Symptoms and treatment

Queuing for cataract screening

VANESSA OKWARA

survey of blindness and low vision in Nigeria carried out by Sightsavers, an international charity organization, in association with the Federal Ministry of Health, found out that nearly half a million adults in the country are in immediate need of cataract surgery. The survey’s key preliminary findings discovered that in Nigeria, over 1,000,000 adults are blind and another 3,000,000 are visually impaired. Overall, two out of three Nigerians are blind from causes which could be avoided, such as cataract, which is the single commonest cause of blindness. A lot of us erroneously believe that cataract is a disease associated with old age but more often than not, people who are a lot younger have also been affected by this disease leading to their loss of sight. Cataract has been described all over the world by eye experts as the most common cause of vision loss in people over the age of 40 and are the principal cause of blindness in the world. According to medical research, a cataract is an eye disease in which the clear lens of the eye becomes cloudy causing decrease in vision. Dr Chika Chigbuo, the optometrist in charge of Sight and Visions Clinic in Lagos, described cataract as ‘a painless cloudiness of the lens of the eye. If left untreated, cataract will cause vision

problems. The lens plays a crucial role in focusing unimpeded light on the retina at the back of the eye. The retina then transforms light as neurologic signal that the brain interprets as vision. In a normal eye, light passes through the transparent lens to the retina. The lens must be clear for the retina to receive a sharp image. If the lens is cloudy from a cataract, the image striking the retina will be blurry and the vision will be blurry. Dr Chigbuo pointed out that cataract development is usually a very gradual process of normal aging but can occasionally occur rapidly. “Many people are in fact unaware that they have cataracts because the changes in their vision have been so gradual. Cataract commonly affects both eyes, but it is not uncommon for cataract in one eye to advance more rapidly,” he explained. Dr Chigbuo said that cataract occur when the lens of the eye which is made mostly of water and protein becomes altered in its structure as the person ages, leading to a gradual clouding of the lens. “It is very rare to see cataract occurring at birth or early childhood and it is usually as a result of hereditary enzyme defects, severe trauma to the eye, eye surgery, or intraocular inflammation which can also cause cataract to occur earlier in life. Other factors that may lead to development of cataract at an earlier age include excessive ultraviolet-light exposure, diabetes, smoking, or the use of

A woman suffering cataract

Diagram showing cataract formation in the eye

Facts

Cataract is a painless cloudiness of the lens of the eye. If left untreated, will cause vision problems and it is regarded as the principal cause of blindness. Survey shows that two out of three Nigerians are blind from causes which could be avoided, such as cataract. Factors that may lead to development of cataract at an earlier age include excessive ultraviolet-light exposure, diabetes, smoking, or the use of certain medications, such as oral, topical, or inhaled steroids. The true treatment for cataract is surgical removal of the cloudy eye lens. certain medications, such as oral, topical, or inhaled steroids. Patients who develop cataracts in both eyes at an early age often have family members who have also developed cataracts prematurely, implying a genetic cause, even in the absence of a recognised underlying disease.” All the same, advanced age is a significant risk factor for the development of cataract. A family history for early development of cataract, the presence of diabetes, tobacco use, and prolonged ex-

posure to sunlight are also risk factors. It is because of these various reasons that opticians all over the world recommend that everyone own a pair of sunglasses to protect the eye from ultra-violent ray exposure. Eye experts declare that you may not notice any symptoms with early cataract. As it becomes more advanced, decrease in clarity of vision, not fully correctable with glasses, is noticed. CONTINUED ON PAGE 45

HEALTH NEWS

Family planning can reduce maternal mortality –Expert President, Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON), Dr Fred Achem, has said that family planning could significantly reduce the rate of maternal mortality in Nigeria. Speaking in an interview

recently in Abuja, Achem urged men to be in the forefront of promoting family planning. “Let the fathers and husbands be in the forefront of seeking family planning for their wives. Gone are the days when husbands should sit at home; they

should really come forward and begin to be champions of family planning.” He said Nigeria ranked second to India with the highest rate of maternal mortality, adding that a woman dies every two minutes from pregnancy complications in Nigeria.

WHO links premature mortality to alcohol abuse The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that alcohol abuse is the worst third risk factor to premature mortality and disability in the world. WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr David Okello, said this in Abuja on Wednesday at the 10th biennial International Conference

on Alcohol, Drugs and Society in Africa. Okello explained that alcohol and illicit drugs were harming millions of people in many ways, stressing that 39 out of 100,000 deaths were due to substance abuse. “Harmful drinking of alcohol is a major determinant of

neuropsychiatric disorder, cardiovascular diseases, cirrhosis of the liver and various cancers today; it is also a risk factor of transmission of HIV. Okello pledged WHO’s commitment to continue to support member countries to prevent and manage substance abuse.

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Wellness

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Know your organs

The Nose

he human nose is the organ of smell located in the middle of the face. The external human nose, composed of bone and cartilage, is the most prominent feature of the face in humans. The internal human nose is a hollow structure above the roof of the mouth, divided by the septum into two nasal cavities that extend from the nostrils to the pharynx. The outer portion of the nose is the part you can see. It is made from cartilage, a soft rubbery tissue that gives it its shape; it’s attached to your skull at the nasal bone. Inside, the nose is divided into two cavities, leading from each nostril, which are separated by another strip of cartilage called the septum. The inner nasal cavity is also connected to other cavities called sinuses. At the top of the inner cavity is the olfactory bulb, which contains the receptors that collect molecules and help you smell. The sinuses are cavities in your head. The sinuses are lined with a mucous membrane which are soft, moist tissue covered with a layer of mucous. The tissue is also covered with microscopic hairs called cilia. The cilia wave back and forth, moving the mucous into the nasal cavity where it can capture dust, dirt, microorganisms, and pollen. The dirt-laden mucous is then flushed out to the stomach via the back of the throat. This is the way your body prevents bacteria from entering the body when breathing through the nose. The mucous in your nasal cavity also helps to warm and moisten the air you breathe in, to help prevent damage to your lung tissue. In order for you to smell something, molecules from the thing you smell have to enter your nose. Everything you smell, therefore, is giving off molecules. Those molecules are usually small, easy to evaporate chemicals that float through the air into your nose. A piece of metal has no smell because nothing evaporates from it. These molecules floating into your nose are called odorants. They stimulate sensory nerve cells (neurons) in the olfactory bulb called receptors, which send electrical impulses to the brain. The olfactory bulb contains other receptors called trigeminal nerve receptors. The trigeminal nerve (which is the largest cranial nerve, connect-

Your

BONE

ing the face, teeth, and mouth to the brain) provides a second set of nerve endings which are responsible for touch, pressure, pain and temperature sensations in the mouth, eyes and nasal cavity. Memory is often associated with smell. Smell and memory are closely linked, although experts are not sure exactly how the process works. Smell can evoke memories, and our memory of odours seems to last longer than other memories. Like sound, odour is a memory cue. When the brain learns something that is associated with a smell, coming into contact with that same smell at a later date will bring back complete memories of everything the brain learned that was associated with that smell, including any associated emotions. This is called the “Proust effect”. Many studies have shown that remembering can be enhanced if the learning was done in the presence of an odour, and that same odour is presented at the time of recall. For example, you might study for a Social Studies test while smelling a pair of stinky socks; if you take the socks to the test, their smell will help you recall what you learned! Overall, the nose is responsible for respiration and for providing the sense of smell. At present, nose surgery or rhinoplasty is performed to improve the appearance of the nose and also to correct different medical problems such as deviated septum, which impairs the respiration process. A deviated septum may be present at birth or may be resulted due to an accident. Today, nose surgery has become an important part of cosmetic or plastic surgery.

Dr Chika explained that for someone who has cataract, it is often compared to looking through a misty windshield of a car or through a dirty, cloudy mirror. Other symptoms that a person with cataract may notice include blurred vision, difficulty when the glare of the bright sun suddenly hits you or the headlight of a car while driving at night. Others are dulled colour vision, increased nearsightedness accompanied by frequent changes in eyeglass prescription, and occasionally double vision in one eye. Some people notice a phenomenon called “second sight” in which one’s reading vision improves as a result of their increased nearsightedness from swelling of the cataract. A cataract does not routinely cause discomfort or pain in the eye or alter the external appearance of the eye. All cataract are fundamentally a change in the clarity of the overall lens structure. Dr Chigbuo highlighted further the different types of cataract that occur in the hu-

man eye. Types of cataract include: • A subcapsular cataract occurs at the back of the lens. People with diabetes, high farsightedness, or those taking high doses of steroid medications have a greater risk of developing a subcapsular cataract. Unlike most cataract, posterior subcapsular cataract can develop rather quickly and affect vision more suddenly than either nuclear or cortical cataract. • A nuclear cataract forms deep in the central zone or nucleus of the lens. Nuclear cataract usually is associated with aging and the most common situation seen. • A cortical cataract- It is characterised by white, wedge-like opacities that start in the periphery of the lens and work their way to the centre in a spoke-like fashion. This type of cataract occurs in the lens cortex, which is the part of the lens that surrounds the central nucleus. • Congenital or infantile cataract occurs at birth or presents very early in

with Dr. Olatunji Idowu

Health

Ankle injuries (Fractures and sprains) [3] What should someone do after an ankle injury? You can apply first aid for an ankle injury by following the RICE method. • R stands for rest. It’s important to rest the ankle and not cause further damage by taking all weight off of it. • I stands for ice. Using ice will help slow or reduce the swelling and provide a numbing sensation that will ease the pain. You can use ice by wrapping an ice pack in a towel and placing it on the site of the injury. Don’t leave the ice on the skin for more than 20 minutes at a time. And allow at least forty minutes before applying ice again to avoid damage from the cold. Do not apply heat to the injury. Heat stimulates blood flow and will cause more swelling and pain. • C is for compression. Wrapping the injured ankle with an ace bandage will help keep it immobile and supported. Be sure not to wrap the ankle too tightly, though. • E means elevate. Elevating the injured ankle to at least the level of your heart will reduce swelling and pain. It is important not to put any weight on the ankle until after

it’s been evaluated by a doctor, which should be done as soon as possible. Fractures and sprains that are ignored or aren’t treated properly can lead to longterm chronic problems with the ankle, such as repeated injury, ankle weakness, andarthritis. How Does the Doctor Diagnose an Ankle Injury? The first thing a doctor will do is ask questions about how the injury occurred. Then the doctor will examine the ankle, noting the amount of swelling and bruising, and may order an X-ray to determine whether there are any broken bones. The physical examination of the ankle will likely be painful because the doctor needs to move the ankle to evaluate the pain and swelling in order to make a proper diagnosis.

If you have any problem or question about your musculoskeletal system (bones, joints and muscles) do send me a mail at tunjiidowu@live.com for advice. Meanwhile, your comments and feedback on the issues discussed are highly welcomed.

‘Cataract is single commonest cause of blindness’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 44

life during the first year of life. This cataract requires prompt surgical correction or they may prevent the vision in the affected eye from developing normally. How is cataract treated? People with early cataract will find that changing their glasses, using sunglasses to decrease glare and having better lighting to read can significantly alleviate their symptoms. Magnifying lenses for close work and reading fine print may also be helpful. However, the only true treatment for cataract is surgical removal of the cloudy lens. Surgery is suggested if the patient loses the ability to perform necessary activities of everyday life, such as driving, reading, or looking at computer or video screens, even with glasses, and there is the expectation that vision will improve as a result of the surgery. According to medical research, the most common form of cataract surgery today is a process called phacoemulsification. Once the cataract is removed, an artificial lens is placed into the same thin capsular bag that the cataract occupied. This intraocu-

lar lens is essential to help your eye focus after surgery. Currently 750,000 Nigerians are already blinded by cataract and an additional 200,000 become blind each year, according to the Nigerian National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey. With a statistics as alarming as this one, how can we avoid contracting cataract as individuals? Dr Chigbuo had this to say: Protect your eyes when out in bright sunlight. Wear sunglasses that block strong ultraviolet (UV) rays or a wide-brimmed hat that will shade your eyes from the sun. Also we advise that you stop smoking. A strong link between smoking and the development of cataract has been established. If you’re a smoker, smoking cessation will decrease your chances of getting a cataract. Another way you can avoid it is by eating lots of fruits and vegetables. The proper intake of some vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, has shown to help avoid getting a cataract. Finally, get a thorough eye examination regularly. Cataract development may be detected early and avoided. For those who are 60 years of age and over, a comprehensive eye exam should be conducted every year.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business FRESH BUSINESS NEWS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS July 15, 2012

‘Every company must instill fire-fighting philosophy’

CIS inducts 34 new stockbrokers JOHNSON OKANLAWON

he Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) has inducted 34 new members as full-fledged qualified stockbrokers in the country.

Shalom Shobande is the chief executive officer at Flameshield Fire Training, a company involved in training in fire outbreak prevention and management. In this interview with Ayo Esan, he speaks on the need to train staff and provide fire-fighting equipment in offices and factories. Excerpts: How long have you been in the business of fire fighting? We have been in business for seven years. I had training in fire protection and safety at the Fire Training Centre in the United Kingdom. It is very well known throughout the United Kingdom. How did you come into the business of fire fighting since it is not a common business in the country? I can say I came into the business through marriage. My wife was in that field. And when she came home at night she would discuss it with all excitement, and I said to myself, why all this excitement about fire prevention? Then I picked books and I started reading and I found out that it is an interesting business area, which a lot of people were not looking into in Nigeria. Although that changed after like after three years that I started my company. What is your experience like in the business? Splendid, we have had a lot of people who are interested in what we are doing and we have been able to train staff of prominent companies in Nigeria. But what we are looking forward to is to go into government so that the knowledge of this fire protec-

tion would be spread across Nigeria. You know Nigeria is moving from a Third World Country into a Second World Country. And all these will have to do with the bringing in of many equipment, safety habit and chemicals. People have to be prepared with all these knowledge and they will be able to overcome some little things like having and know how to handle fire extinguishers in their cars. Why do you think the government has not shown interest? I think it is because of the parastatals they have like the Federal Fire Service. They think the Federal Fire Service is enough to cover the gap for the government. But sometimes this thing needs to be outsourced because the way an entrepreneur goes about his business is different from the way somebody who has regular salary goes about his own business. What are the challenges you are facing in the business of fire protection and safety? There are a lot of challenges. One of the challenges is that of reaching out, I mean to get the decision makers into understanding the need for training on fire protection and to make sure that they get the people working

Shobande

I PICKED BOOKS AND I STARTED READING AND I FOUND OUT THAT IT IS AN INTERESTING BUSINESS AREA, WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE NOT LOOKING INTO IN under them to attend training. But also cash constraint has been another challenge. With so many logistics involved to set up training, if you say this is the value of the training, people will say it is expensive and that you should bring the money down. And also, the corporate organizations are not budgeting for training of staff every year. They often say we have fire extinguishers and that is enough. Most times we hear of fire destroying market places, how can we prevent fire incidences in these markets?

NIGERIA

One of the things is that they must make it mandatory for the people in the market places to have fire extinguishers in their shops. Every shop must own at least a 6kg fire extinguisher. We made a move after the Tejuosho Market fire incident. We went to the Iponri Market and we brought out our fire extinguishers at low prices so that the market people would be able to afford it. And we developed a huge customer base. About three months later, there was a fire incident at the Iponri Market which was taken care of because the marketers had fire extinguishers.

Speaking at the induction, which took place on Friday in Lagos, the Managing Director of Anaigerian Stockbrokers Limited, Mr. Bosun Adekoya, said the brokers who had passed the necessary examinations of the Institute, could now trade on the floors of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. He urged the newly-inducted brokers to maintain of high standard and integrity, which are the hallmarks of the stock broking profession. According to him, the brokers should always ensure that their “word is their bond” and be good ambassador of the Nigerian capital market. He urged them to contribute to the efforts aimed at restoring investors’ confidence in the capital market, adding that the only way to do that was to ensure that investors were treated fairly and transparently in all their dealings. The Chief Executive Officer of the NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema, noted that the Nigerian capital market was really growing as new and young brokers were coming into the market. He said, “I am very happy that young people are coming into the market; if the older people are going away from the market and new people are not coming in, this would mean the market is not growing.” Onyema said contrary to what obtained in the market in the last few years, the regulators had set the pace for market recovery this year, adding that this was due to the various reforms carried out by the regulators since last year. He said, “The new NSE provides a vehicle for long-term savings and borrowing, and hence, efficient use of financial resources.”

Ibru jetty farm owners step up security STANLEY IHEDIGBO

ollowing the rise of insecurity in the country, Tank Farm Owners (TFO) at the Ibru Complex, Lagos, have step up security measures to protect lives and property at the largest terminal in Africa for the importation

of petroleum products.

A statement made available to Sunday Mirror by the zonal chairman of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) said, “with the rise in tempo of insecurity in the county, we have been advised once more to step up security

and ensure that only people with legitimate business in the complex should be allowed within and around the complex.” The chairman of the Technical Committee of Directors, Mr. Godfrey Okorie, enjoined the PTD to clear its various unit offices of all illegal activities. He listed illegal traders, illegal petroleum products siphon-

COURT DISMISSES N180M SUIT

ing/traders, unknown visitors and unnecessary crowd in and around the offices, parking of trucks on service lanes and setback as some of the illegal activities that must stop. Okorie added that Ibru management had made available a car park with adequate security in front of the jetty for the use of visitors and advised the drivers

to always direct their visitors to use the car park. According to him, over the years, the Tank Farm Owners had constantly been keeping the drivers within the Ibafon axis of security reports they had been receiving from various security agencies to ensure the safety of all stakeholders in the vast terminal.

CBN SELLS N96BN IN T-BILLS, YIELDS DROP

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Your Money

Sunday July 15, 2012

The magic of giving Inspirati with Lanre

Oyetade

NMMA Capital Market Award Winner 2004, 2005 E-mail: lanreoyetade@gmail.com, 08039428648

hat is the place of giving in the process of receiving and becoming materially sufficient? If one were to go by ancient and age-old philosophy, the answer to this would be that it is extremely indispensable.

The wisdom in giving

All long-standing religions, philosophies and beliefs have placed much emphasis on the art of, and blessings inherent in generousity. Even the Master acknowledged that it is more blessed to give than to receive. There is a mystery involved in the art of open-handedness that only a few men understand or care to appreciate. The average man is pleased to receive value and reluctant to part with same. This is the innate, base and animalistic instinct present in every being. It is thus not too difficult to comprehend that a man that has the gift- and it is indeed a gift- to be well disposed towards giving is one that has already risen above the ‘grabgrab’ animalistic instinct of receiving only, and now operates in the divine realm of benevolence. God himself is the greatest Giver, since we know He is the Creator and Owner of all things, and no one receives genuinely without His consent, so a giver is really a ‘God-extension’ on earth.

Benevolence refreshes

Take a hard look or study into the lives of natural givers and you will find that they always have provision and find favour, and the argument also applies the other way around – most well-to-do people are natural givers and had always been,

M Money Consult C Your money questions Y ti answered E-mail: lanreoyetade@gmail.com, 08039428648

How do I invest N500,000?

Dear Lanre, Please can you advise me on what to invest in? I have N500,000 in my savings account, which I want to invest but I don’t know how to go about it. I’ve not even invested before now and I don’t want to waste it on clothes and jewelleries as I’ve done in the past. Please help me. God bless you. Oge, Abuja, 08053638576. Dear Oge, Your resolve is a commendable one. However, for me to know the best form of advice to give you, I will need to have further information concerning your age, investment objective and how regular your other sources of income are. Notwithstanding, windows of investment that one might take include the money market (e.g. in treasury bills), the capital market (e.g. stocks and bonds), the property or real estate market (i.e. investing in landed property), entrepreneurship (setting up a business outfit) and education. If you so desire, you can write again or call me giving details of the information I requested i.e. your age, investment objective and other sources of income you have.

More about the money market

MAKE A LIVING BY WHAT WE GET, BUT WE MAKE A LIFE BY WHAT WE GIVE –J .C. MAXWELL

even before they actually made it. You see, it is really true after all that what goes around comes around. Take another study into the nature of a typical fresh water river and that of a ‘dead’ mass of water like the Salt Sea. The fresh water river keeps fresh because it gives out as much water as it takes in but on the other hand, the Salt or Dead Sea’s water is too salty to either habour any life or to serve as potable water to a thirsty soul simply because it receives only continually and never gives out. The Salt Sea remains ‘dead’ because even though it continually receives water from several sources, it does not give out water at all, except through evaporation, to the effect that its waters are not refreshed through the natural give-and-take process. So also it is with a greedy person whose only preoccupation is to take from others and never give; he becomes tasteless, ‘dead’ and useful for no practical purpose.

Generosity as God’s means of answering prayers

he does in this world, and exhorted his followers to give regularly.

Clothed in His beauty

People refuse to give and yet wonder why they lack, when God has made it categorically clear that you should give to receive and sow to reap. Check out the aura, charisma and magnetism of a giver whenever and wherever he is present. It is said that God Himself dresses every giver with His beauty and grace. Check out the classical case of that enigma, late MKO Abiola of blessed memory, who long adopted and oft-professed and lived the philosophy that the hand that gives is always above the hand that receives. This man remains the only one who has ever won a general election in our country on such a massive base; virtually everyone voted for MKO then- there was no discrimination on tribal, religious or any other ground for that matter. Everyone just loved MKO. Still doubt that the Good Lord dresses and decorates the giver Himself ?

Yes, the typical giver is God’s answers to the indigent’s prayer, as He does nothing without the instrumentality of human beings. We are His arms and legs to soothe hurting and lacking souls. One of my favourite preachers in the land, Pastor Gbenga Igbafen, once said that without giving, prayers cannot be answered on earth because “it is God that stirs givers to make provisions in answers to prayers” e.g. the needs of a local church or mosque or those of a sick, indigent man needing finance for healing are all met by God through the instrumentality of the kind and generous human soul. Is it too difficult then to conceive why God would deem it fit to bless and prosper such instruments of His will? Prophet Muhammad of the Islamic faith equally agreed that a man’s true wealth is the good

An inexorable law

Dear Lanre, Please I inherited some money and I will like to invest in the money market. I am with very low information on this venture. Kindly help. Reader, 08062265208.

email address is cis@nova.net.ng and website is www.nigerianstockbrokers.com.

Dear Reader, The money market is a market for shortterm funds, meaning that if you invest in it, you usually can get you money back within a year, unlike the capital market, which is more of a long-term venture. Returns from the money market are usually more stable but lower than those from the capital market. Money market instruments include treasury bills, certificates of deposit, treasury certificates, commercial papers and bankers’ acceptances. You can invest in such instruments with the assistance of commercial banks and discount houses.

CIS website, email address please

Dear Lanre, Thanks for the good work you are doing. May the Good Lord continue to replenish your strength. You gave CIS’s address in your column on Sunday. Please can you give their website or email address? Thanks. Jide, Ibadan, 08029519596. Dear Jide, Like I pointed out earlier, the CIS is located at the Bookshop House building at CMS Bus Stop on Lagos Island, Lagos. They can be reached on telephone numbers 01-2663921, 2663146 and 2661049. Their fax is 01-2660986;

We definitely cannot change God’s standards, and they are that the giver shall always receive in all ramifications. Andrew Carnegie, another man who should know about the blessings inherent in giving, once said that wealth is a sacred trust, which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community, and also that the value of all riches, money inclusive, consists in the use one makes of them; not in their mere possession. And Horace Traubel couldn’t have said it better when he declared that the world is cold and we ought to make it our business to build fires; for we ourselves will definitely be warmed too by such fires. •Think about it and be inspired!

Concerning NAL Bank shares

Dear Lanre, Please let me know the position of NAL Bank shares. Joseph, 08033319248. Dear Joseph, As you may know, NAL Bank was subsumed into the Sterling Bank merger. As at Tuesday, July 10, 2012, each share of Sterling Bank was selling at N1.20 and the stock was moderately active with about 785,693 units of its shares exchanging investors’ hands that day.

You inspire me

Dear Lanre, I am a student of A.A.U. Ekpoma. I just want to commend you on your Money Consult column in the Sunday Mirror newspapers. Although I have no investment now, I know I will someday. Please keep it up because you polish my orientation with your write-ups. Richard Aroju Bush, Ekpoma, 08051806101. Dear Richard, What can I say but to thank you for appreciating my contribution and to assure you that I intend to keep giving my best to this calling as long as I have breath in me. I wish you a delightful time when you start your investment programme, which I sincerely hope will be soon.

Wealth Nuggets ‘Top 10’ He who is often shooting hits the mark at last – German proverb Weak men wait for opportunities; strong men make them – Anderson M Baten Perseverance gives power to weakness, and opens to poverty the world’s wealth – Samuel Griswold Goodrich.b Great men are those who see that thoughts rule the world –Ralph Waldo Emerson Life is too short to be little – Disraeli Look important because it makes you think important – David J. Schwartz The how-to-do-it always comes to the person who believes he can do it – David J. Schwartz Vigilance in watching opportunity; fact and daring in seizing upon opportunity; force and persistence in crowding opportunity to its utmost of possible achievement – these are the martial virtues, which must command success – Austin Phelps Tomorrow will be the day after tomorrow – Xhosa proverb By the street of by and by one arrives at the house of never – Cervantes

Business

Property Watch •For Lagos area as at Friday July 13, 2012 A. Building materials Cement: Dangote Cement per bag of 50 kg.......N1,900 Burham Cement per bag of 50kg.......N1,900 Elephant Cement…………………N1,850 Sandcrete blocks 6 inches sandcrete block ..........N120 9 inches sandcrete block ..........N140 Sand Sand per tipper load .......... N12,000 Sharp sand (double) ..........N22,000 Gravel (single) ...................N18,000 Gravel (double) ..................N22,000 Granite ...............................N165,000 Reinforcement 8mm(153) pieces per ton (N125,000 10mm (153) pieces per ton .......... N135,000 12mm ............................................N161,000 16mm ........................................N172,000 20mm (53) pieces ....................N122,000 Wood Timber (hard) 1x1x12 ..........N1,000 Timber (hard) 2x2x12 ..........N600 Timber (hard) 2x4x12 ..........N700 Soft wood 2x2x12 ..........N250 2x3x12 ..........N300 Plywood 3x3x6-----------------N3,500 2x4x8-----------------N2,400 Roofing Sheet Corrugated iron sheet per bundle ...N10,000 Asbestos 4x8 per piece ..................N1,600 Asbestos (solo) ............................N1,100

Sunday July 15, 2012

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Court dismisses N180m suit against NPA, NIMASA, others FRANCIS EZEM

he National Industrial Court sitting in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, has struck out the names of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency and ECM Terminals Limited from a suit brought against them by a group of 17 aggrieved dockworkers.

The aggrieved dockworkers represented by Bassey Ogar, James Ofere and James Amok, had approached the court for an order granting them the sum of N180 million being their alleged entitlements based on agreements made in 2008 between the Association of Private Operators of Seaport

Terminals on the one hand and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria on the other hand, among claims. The dockworkers also joined NPA, NIMASA and the MWUUN, their umbrella union in the suit over alleged the nonperformance of the 2008 agreements, which they claimed entitled them to certain minimum sums of money totalling N180 million. Justice A. Ibrahim of the NIC, Calabar, however, ruled that individual dockworkers, who are not directly employed by terminal operators, cannot bring an action to enforce provisions of a collective bargaining agreement. He had also ruled that the 6th defendant, ECM Terminals Limited, was not shown to be a signatory to the agreement,

and as such could not be proceeded against, just for being a member of the Association of Private Operators of Sea Seaports Terminals in the particular circumstances of the case. The court also held that not being direct employees of the terminal, or standing in any other direct legal relationship with the terminal, the dockworkers are not in a position to derive any rights under the collective bargaining agreement which they are relying upon. The ruling of the court follows a preliminary objection filed by Akabogu & Associates on behalf ECM Terminals. The court equally held that the position of the claimants (dockworkers) falls short of the legal principle well established that an agreement can only be enforced by the parties to such

Fidelity Bank supports NYSC member’s treatment with N.85m JOHNSON OKANLAWON

idelity Bank Plc has donated the sum of N850, 000 to a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Miss Omonike Akinselure, to undergo a reconstructive surgery on her jaw.

B. Landed property (Current and 5-year estimated prices) i. Plots of land in Mowe, Ofada, Ibafo Price: from N450,000 to N1m Estimated price in 5 years: N1.2m to N1.5m ii. 20 plots for sale by Omole Phase II, Olowora, Lagos Price: N8m each Estimated price in 5 years: N15m each iii. Dry vacant plots on 650 and 350 square metres at off Allen Avenue, Ikeja with C of O Price: N30m Estimated price in 5 years: N50m iv. 9,300 sq mts of land with existing properties on off Isaac John, G.R.A, Ikeja Price: N1 billion Estimated price in 5 years: N1.5bn v. 2 hectares of land in Ikate, Elegushin Title: Governor’s Consent Price: N760m Estimated price in 5 years: N800m vi. 20 hectares of land at Okun Ajah, ideal for development of an estate Title: Governor’s Consent Price: N650m Estimated price in 5 years: N750m vii. A fenced land measuring 5.081 sq metres at Ajasa Ipaja, Ayobo Area, Lagos. Price: N25m Estimated price in 5 years: N30m viii. Plots of land at Chevron Area, Lekki Title: Governor’s Consent Price: N15m Estimated price in 5 years: N20m ix. A low-rise commercial property on Olowu Street, Ikeja. Title: Registered Conveyance Price: N150m Compiled by Dayo Ayeyemi, 08033312578.

an agreement. “I have carefully examined the statement of claim, particularly paragraph 1 thereof, and it is evident that the claimants are relying on the said agreement but have not spelt out how they become entitled to benefit from the provisions of the said Agreement. I note that in their argument they have submitted that they are not just seeking to benefit from the provisions of the Agreement but also to make the 6th defendant perform its obligation under it as a private seaport operator,” Justice Ibrahim held. “However, to maintain a suit before a court of law, a party must be able to show the existence of the legal relation between it and the person it is suing, which must be capable of being enforced”, he concluded.

L-R: Vice Chairman, International Chamber of Commerce Nigeria, Mr. Martin Woolnough; Secretary General, Mrs. Olubunmi Osuntuyi; Chairman, Mr. Babatunde Savage and another Vice Chairman, Dr. Raymond Ihyembe, at the Annual General Meeting of the chamber in Lagos on Thursday. PHOTO: ADEMOLA AKINLABI

CBN sells N96bn in T-bills, yields drop • Interbank rates ease on higher cash flows L ANRE OYETADE

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) sold N95.56 billion ($589.1 million) in three-month and six-month treasury bills, it said on Friday, as strong demand pushed yields to their lowest level in seven weeks.

The Bank sold N30.16 billion of 91-day paper at 13.75 per cent at Wednesday’s twice monthly auction, down from 14.09 per cent last time, while the yield on 65.40 billion of the 182-day paper fell to 14.88 per cent from 15.31 per cent. Total subscriptions were at N290.22 billion. Dealers said the pattern of demand suggested participation by offshore investors. The country issues treasury bills regularly to reduce the money supply, curb inflation and help lenders manage their

liquidity. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s interbank lending rates eased 100 basis points to an average of 14.33 per cent last week, aided by improved liquidity. Dealers said the market opened with a cash balance of about N14.6 billion ($90 million) on Friday, compared with a negative balance of N12.74 billion the previous Friday. “We have inflows from repaid matured treasury bills of a net balance of about N50 billion and around N30 billion disbursal to some government agencies in the week, helping to lift market liquidity,” one dealer said. The CBN sold N95.56 billion in three-month and six-month treasury bills on Wednesday, while there was net cash inflow from matured bills. Dealers said some lenders also preferred to take money

from the central bank window, helping to ease pressure on the borrowing costs this week. The secured Open Buy Back (OBB) rate eased to 13.50 per cent from 14.75 per cent the previous week, 1.5 percentage points above the central bank’s 12 per cent benchmark rate, and 350 basis points above the Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rate. “Interbank rates are expected to inch up this week by the time we start funding for foreign exchange and treasury bills purchases and NNPC recalls a portion of its deposit with some banks,” another dealer said. NNPC supplies the bulk of foreign exchange traded on the interbank forex market and usually recalls part of the naira proceed to its account with the central bank to fund its obligations to the government.

Akinselure had a near fatal accident in 2009 and sustained multiple fractures, particularly the loss of her dentition, thus necessitating the need for a reconstructive surgery. A statement from the bank on Friday quoted the bank’s General Manager, Operations, Mr. Sam Obijiaku, who spoke at the presentation of the cheque to her, saying the donation was in line with the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility of lending support to the needy. According to him, the bank strives to impact on the lives of its customers and other people around it, by putting smiles on their faces. Akinselure commended the bank for their commitment towards the CSR project, saying that it would go a long way to assist the needy. “I commend the bank’s staff for what they have come up with. It is a reflection of what Fidelity Bank represents. It is not just about business and profit making. It is about lending helping hands to the needy,” she said. “The passion of the staff toward the lending hand project is commendable. We hope other organisations can tap into this in order to make our society a better place,” Obijiaku added.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Three student leaders die in auto crash

HAKEEM GBADAMOSI AND MOJEED ALABI

hree student union leaders from three higher institutions in Ondo State yesterday died in a motor accident in Emure - Ile along the Owo - Akure Express Road. The three Student Union Government (SUG) leaders who were returning from Abuja, venue of the

National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) award to the state governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko and other eminent Nigerians on Friday, perished in a lone accident. They were of the following institutions: Dapo Awopegba of Federal University of Technology (FUTA), Abiodun Akintola of Adeyemi College of Ecucation (ACE) and their third colleague who was

from School of Midwifery. Their corpses had been deposited in a morgue while others who sustained injuries are receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo. According to an eyewitness, one of the student leaders, Akintola Abiodun, died on the spot while the other two gave up shortly after being taken to the hospital for treatment. He said other occupants

in the bus recently donated to the Joint Campus Committee by the state government who survived the accident but with serious injuries are currently receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo. He however commended the officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) who rushed to the scene of the accident to save the situation. Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relation Officer, Aremu Adeniran, said the students were involved in a lone ac-

cident, noting that the crash was as a result of over-speeding. Hr advised drivers to always observe the normal traffic speed. Meanwhile, the National President of the National Association of Ondo State Students (NAOSS), Victor Oguntoyibo, has described the incident as unfortunate. Oguntoyinbo said, “It is highly sad that we have lost some of the finest members of NAOSS. We can only pray that God Almighty will give the families of the late students the fortitude

to bear the loss Reacting to the incident on his social network page (facebook), Governor Olusegun Mimiko said his heart goes to the families and the student community for the great loss of the student leaders. “They fought for justice and equality among the student community. I want to state categorically that their fight shall not be in vain. May the good Lord grant us fortitude to bear this painful loss. May their souls rest in perfect peace,” the governor said.

Rivers tanker fire tragedy: Monarch blames victims CHINEDUM EMEANA PORT HARCOURT

Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Rivers State, Mr Gogo Charles; Director General, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Mr Asishana Okauru and former Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman, Steering Committee of the State Peer Review Mechanism (SPRM), Justice Muhammadu Uwais, during the Initiation/Sensitisation Workshop on SPRM in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the weekend.

Hollywood star, Sylvester Stallon, loses son

ollywood A-lister Sylvester Stallone was described as “devastated” Friday after his 36-yearold son Sage, also an actor, was found dead, reportedly following a drug overdose. Sage Moonblood Stallone, who appeared in the 1990 film “Rocky V” as Rocky Balboa Jr, the son

of his father’s title character, was found dead at his Hollywood home by a housemaid, according to local media. “Sylvester Stallone is devastated and griefstricken over the sudden loss of his son, Sage Stallone .. His loss will be felt forever,” said a statement issued by his publicist,

Michelle Bega. “His compassion and thoughts are with Sage’s mother, Sasha,” the statement added, referring to the “Rocky” star’s first wife. “Sage was a very talented and wonderful young man.” “Rocky” icon Stallone, is currently promoting his latest movie “Expendables 2.”

raditional ruler of UlaOkogbe community in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State where a fuel tanker inferno that claimed scores of lives on Thursday, Eze Joshua Eyiba JP, has said his people are to blame for the calamity that befell them. He lamented that such incident had never happened before in the community. Speaking exclusively to Sunday Mirror at the weekend in his palace, he observed that there may not have been any casualty if his people had been more sympathetic to the

plight of the owners of the vehicle and tanker driver involved in the accident, instead of rushing to cart away the goods of the wounded rather than protecting them. His words: “God hates anybody who does such things, but He loves those who are sympathetic to those that are in distress”. He also blamed his people for their ignorance of the “danger such disaster poses to life”, apparently referring to their rush to scoop fuel from the fallen tanker. “I also blame the Federal Government because the accident resulted from bad road”, he added. To forestall such event from repeating again, the

traditional ruler said he had instructed the town crier to call a meeting of all the clans in his domain for the purpose of educating the people on how to “handle such issues when they happen in the future”. He said such meeting would also make them realise the virtues in trying to help people involved in accidents secure their property instead of carting away the goods of the wounded and injured. He added that after the meeting and sensitisation, any member of the community who continued in such misdemeanour would be apprehended by the vigilante of the area and sanctioned accordingly.

National conference has become imperative –Adebanjo CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41 giver says I give and the receiver says I received, that is one. Two, you are now saying the police know about it and you gave him marked money and you videod it. The time you are videoing it, is it not the time to arrest him? And for Lawan you didn’t indict Otedola’s company only for you to rush to the House to include the company. What motivated him to do that? What they are doing on this bribe issue we shouldn’t be bothered about that. Let the government implement the recommendations that couldn’t be faulted. If they believe that the issue of bribe is a criminal offence they should go and pursue that and let us move on. We are just making mountain out of a mole hill. President Jonathan last Thursday set up a committee on the subsidy scam; the Senate is also probing the same issue. Will this not cause more confusion? As far as I am concerned it shows that Jonathan is not serious about the matter. He is just finding delay tactics. You know he must be told that there is a strong

view that this money that the oil marketers are said to have taken, especially Otedola, was used to support the election of the PDP in 2011. There is that impression. I am not saying it is right. Jonathan should not do anything to cover the man who is being alleged to be the conduit pipe that gave them this money. Why has the man not been arrested? Why is the man in the House of Representatives too not been arrested? Why was he setting up another committee? What of the committee that had been set up before? Jonathan also condemned those who said he is not fighting the corruption war with all seriousness. He said his administration has not been soft in fighting corruption. How will you assess the fight against corruption under his watch? It is nothing to write home about. Are you fighting corruption when you set up parallel committees to investigate the same issue? Is that how to fight corruption? If he is setting up another committee on oil subsidy, which has been probed and the results are out and instead of imple-

menting recommendations he made some scapegoats by sacking some people in the NNPC, is that how to fight corruption? The minister of Petroleum remained untouched and it is under her that oil subsidy escalated. I don’t think there is any serious impression on his part as far as fighting corruption is concerned. I feel sorry that Jonathan is not living up to the expectation of those of us who honestly and faithfully supported his presidency. And there is a call on him to go for second term? Who are the ones calling him to go for a second term? He has not said so but he said he is just serving his first term in office But are you not in this country when he made a voluntary statement that he will go for only one term? I don’t believe it, if he said he is going for a second term I will ask him if he is reneging on his promise because we want him to be a trusted president. That when you say something you abide by it. Nobody com-

pelled you to say that after all you are going for only one term. I like his evasive statement that it is too early to discuss 2015, it is evasive. When we had the opportunity of discussing with him before the election we told him the advantage of having only one term. One, he will be able to do some radical things without any inhibitions. And it is that inhibition that has prevented his predecessors from doing some things because they believe they will hurt some people. We have not heard much about the Afenifere of late, and most of you (leaders) are getting old, what is really happening? Well, you are right. You haven’t heard much about us. We are still in existence. You have not heard much from us because we don’t have the mouthpiece to talk. You journalists are not doing your job as you used to. The role the journalists played during the NADECO period is highly responsible for the success of NADECO at that time. But you journalists are not doing your jobs as before.

Zonal News

Sunday July 15, 2012

NORTH EAST

CAN condoles with Borno traditional ruler

he President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has commiserated with the government and people of Borno over attacks in the state that resulted in loss of lives. The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar El-Kanemi, and the Deputy Governor of the state, Alhaji Zanna Mustapha, narrowly escaped death when a suicide bomber struck at the Shehu’s Palace Mosque moments after the jumat prayers on Friday. In a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Saturday, Oritsejafor said he believed “there are

dispassionate, credible and forward-looking Muslims’’. “Those who profess Islamicism are those with different, radical and extreme Islamic ideologies, operating with misinterpreted principles that do not have value for human lives as long as the beliefs of others differ from theirs. “This is why I posit that there is a world of difference between Islam and Islamicism,’’ he said. Oritshejafor urged the Shehu of Borno and the deputy governor who were the targets of the suicide bomber not to be deterred by the attack. The CAN president described El-Kanemi as a

good man with humane character and one of the highly revered and popular traditional rulers and custodian of the Islamic religion in the north. He prayed the Almighty God to grant them the courage to bear the great loss, and the ``Lord to put His Angels in their charge to protect them wherever they go’’. He also prayed for those who rise against innocent Nigerians to repent. For those that were injured, including the ``two soldiers who fought gallantly to save the lives of the Shehu and the deputy governor’’ the CAN president prayed the Lord to heal them.

Medical association honours Yobe governor

he Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in Yobe on Saturday honoured Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam and 13 other persons for initiating affordable healthcare in the state. Speaking at the award ceremony, the NMA Chairman in Yobe, Dr Musa Baba, commended Gaidam for initiating and sustaining a free drug programme for pregnant women, children and accident victims in the state. Baba also commended the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, who is also the Commissioner for Health in the state for his interest in building healthcare infrastructure in the state. He further commended the State Correspondent of the News Agency of Nige-

ria (NAN), Mr Mamman Mohammed, for his consistency in reporting health issues. Baba explained that the reports had assisted in exposing salient issues that attracted government’s attention. ``The award to Mamman is in recognition of his reports that contributed to health care delivery in the state,’’ he said, adding that the media had been a very reliable partner of the association. Baba commended the Yobe Government for engaging the services of consultants from the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, and for the construction of a 200-bed ultra-modern hospital in Damaturu.

Receiving the award on behalf of the governor, his personal Physician, Dr Babagana Tijjani, thanked the association for the award and promised that government would do more for the people. Meanwhile, Dr Adamu Alhassan, has been elected as the new Chairman of the association, while Dr Isa Adamu and Dr Mari Mohammed were elected ViceChairman and Secretary respectively. A statement issued at the end of the association’s annual general meeting and signed by the new chairman, said that Dr Aisha Abbagana was elected Treasurer, while Dr Stanley Okoronkwo was returned as Assistant Secretary.

Adamawa distributes improved rice seeds to farmers

s part of efforts to revitalise the agricultural sector, the Adamawa State Government has procured 210 tonnes of improved rice seeds to be distributed to farmers across the state. Mrs Lucy Ishaku, the Commissioner for Agriculture made this known on Friday in Yola during an interactive meeting between government and private agricultural sector in the state. ``For the 2012 farming season, government has procured 210 tonnes of im-

proved quality FARO 44 (Sippi) rice seeds and will be given out to farmers at subsidised price as soon as I receive approval on this,’’ Ishaku said. She said that farmers, students and other professionals were being trained on basic techniques for enhanced crops production with the aim to boost food security production. ``We initiated the farming skills acquisition programme where farmers received training for all

aspects of agricultural production covering crop sub sector, livestock, fisheries, irrigation among others,’’ she said. The commissioner said that the aim of the interactive meeting was to share ideas and look at the way forward. She said that this would enable the state government examine the various problems affecting modern farming techniques to ensure that government improved on its commitment.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tree planting: Fashola warns on effects of climate change MURITALA AYINLA

agosians yesterday rose in the efforts to mitigate the negative effects of climate change which causing desert encroachment in some parts of the country. Leading in the effort to reduce climate change impact was the Lagos state Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashol,a who kicked off the 2012 tree planting exercise that cut across all the local government areas in the state. Fashola, who spoke shortly before planting a tree at the Under Bridge, Agege Motor Road, Moshalashi in Odi Olowo Local Council Development Area, said the importance of planting trees in the environment can no-longer be over-emphasized, urging the residents to join the government in its determination to green its environment. Speaking at the annual Tree Planting Campaign wich was tagged: “Plant a Tree For a Better Climate”,

Fashola said climate change untold hardship across the globe. He said: “You can see extreme rainfall in the last 48 hours and not more than 50,000 people have been displaced in Japan. You can see the rain in Mississippi and in Newcastle, and there is still more to come. “We can see now that the solutions we put in place last year has reduced the flood we experienced last year in some areas including Agege, Lekki and Arigbanla, Idi Araba, there is no flood there again despite the heavy rains. It means that the solutions we are implementing are working. “We have not gotten to some areas, but we would get there. I understand that there is a problem in Alpha Beach but would get there, let me say however that before we come, there is a lot that you can do to help yourself. Plant a tree today, nurture a tree, protect a tree, do not allow any citizen to cut trees”. Fashola said whether it

SOUTH WEST

was a citizen or a visitor, the state had made it unlawful to cut down a tree without obtaining a permit. The The event was graced by Environment Ambassadors like Dr. Wilson Badejo, Nollywood star Mr. Jide Kosoko and Mrs. Fadar Williams , a landscape Architect. The governor who said the state government has procured modern tractors to transplant tree said trees could be moved from one location to the other without killing the tree. He explained that the trees would be people first line of defense against flood, erosion and heavy wind that could wreak havoc in the environment. Also speaking on a similar occasion organised in Mosan Okunola Local Council Development Area, the council chairman, Mr Abiodun Mafe said tree would help reduce the effects of greenhouse by shading houses and office buildings, while creating vital habitat and promoting diversity.

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, presenting the symbol of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to the chairmanship candidate of the party in Abeokuta North council, Alhaji Taofeek Olabode. With the governor is the state chairman of ACN, Alhaji Tajudeen Bello, clapping during the campaign rally at the council at the weekend.

Local councils crucial to development –Amosun

gun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has said that local governments play a crucial role in the development of the state. The governor disclosed this during the fourth day of his campaign tour at Imeko Afon, Yewa North, Abeokuta North and Ewekoro Local Government Areas, in preparation for the July 21 local council polls in the state.

Local Governments, according to the governor, assist in rapid development of local communities through provision of infrastructure, welfare services, primary education, public health, collection of rates and granting of various licences, registration of deaths, marriages and births, maintenance of markets and motor parks, slaughter houses, public conveniences, roads,

streets, drains, refuse and sewage disposal and so on, thereby bringing government nearer to the people. “Such important responsibilities,” Amosun said, “should therefore not be left to those who do not mean well for our people. The ACN, as you all know, is committed to the development of the grassroots and general welfare of our people. This we have demonstrated in the last one year.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NORTH WEST

CAN disowns bishop over comment on Islamic banking

A ZA MSUE KADUNA

he Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) yesterday disowned Bishop Goodluck Okpore of Christ Temple Ministry International over his recent call on Christians to embrace Jaiz Bank, which operates Islamic banking in the country. CAN also said the bishop had no jurisdiction to comment on Islamic banking for Christians as its president, Pastor Ayo Ayo Oritsejafor, had already spoken. Speaking with Sunday Mirror, spokesman for CAN in the 19 northern states and Abuja, Mr. Sunday Oibe, maintained that Christians were not against Islamic banking but only

opposed non-uniform guidelines for the operation of non-interest banking in Nigeria as well as Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s style of promoting a religious banking. The CAN said, “Our attention has been drawn to Sunday Mirror publication in the report credited to one acclaimed Bishop Goodluck Okpore of the said Christ Temple Ministry International…calling on Christians to embrace Jaiz Bank. “The said bishop Goodluck…has no mandate to speak on behalf of Christians in Nigeria. If he claims to be a bishop of the said Christ Temple Ministry International, we want to know where his location

is”. The CAN added: “We want to make it clear that CAN’s president, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor spoke not only the mind of over 80 million Christians in Nigeria but is also a defender of the Nigerian constitution. “The said bishop should go through the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja division’s judgment as delivered by Justice G.O. Kolawole in a suit between Godwin Sunday Ogboji Esq and Central Bank Nigeria (CBN) Governor and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the federation where the court in its wisdom declared the action of the CBN governor unconstitutional, illegal and a contravention of the constitution,” the CAN averred.

Jigawa establishes cassava processing plant T

he Jigawa State Government has established a cassava processing plant to accelerate cassava production in the state. The Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Rabiu Isa, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Dutse, yesterday. Isa, who is also overseeing the Ministry of Economic Empowerment, said the plant was set up at Kila village in Gwaram Local Government Area of the state.

Zonal News

Sunday July 15, 2012

He said work on the project was progressing in accordance with the contract specifications, adding that it would soon be completed. Isa said that the plant was designed to enhance cassava processing, encourage productivity and provide employment opportunities for the youths in the state. The commissioner added that part of the plant’s operational guidelines was to mop up excess produce from the farmers to check

SOUTH SOUTH

Bayelsa justifies Patience Jonathan’s appointment AYODELE OJO

ayelsa State Government has justified the promotion of the wife of the president, Dame Patience Jonathan as Permanent Secretary, insisting that she merited the elevation. Governor Seriake Dickson, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, yesterday, noted that many civil servants whom are even junior to Mrs Jonathan in the Bayelsa State Civil Service have been appointed as Permanent Secretaries before now. The statement noted that the wife of the president was last appointed into the directorate cadre as a level 15 officer in 2005, saying the appointment is a combination of leadership, output, dedication, geographical spread among others. He said: “We note with concern the reactions and

commentaries that have greeted the recent announcement of the name of the wife of the President of Nigeria, Her Excellency, Dame Patience Jonathan, among the list of 19 public servants who were on July 11th appointed Permanent Secretaries in Bayelsa State. “Whereas the action taken by our government in this regard was strictly done based on our convictions as it relates to matters that we consider to be in the best interest of our state, we do however, recognize the fundamental right of Nigerians to know and ask questions about the wife of their President. We want to believe that Nigerians’ reactions to the promotion were in good faith but what has become clear however is that many people lack adequate information on the subject matter and hence the urgent need for government to set the records straight.” The statement further stated: “Unknown to a number

of people the first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan joined the Rivers State civil service in the 90’s and upon the election of her husband as Deputy Governor in 1999 transferred her service to the civil service of Bayelsa State. “She rose through the ranks of the public service of Bayelsa State and was last appointed into the directorate cadre as a level 15 officer in 2005. “By the traditions of the Bayelsa State civil service, officers on directorate level, some of whom are even junior to her present position have been appointed as Permanent Secretaries before now. Even among the list of those currently appointed, not all of them are the most senior officers. Appointment is a combination of leadership, output, dedication, geographical spread etc which informs a Governor’s exercise of his discretionary powers to appoint Permanent Secretaries in consultation with the appropriate authorities.

wastages and protect them from loses during harvest. “The plant will encourage cassava processing and effective utilisation of cassava by-product as well as create market for the produce. “We are geared toward encouraging cassava production and developing farmers’ entrepreneurial skill,” Isa said. He emphasised the state government’s commitment to ensure completion of the project on schedule.

De-emphasize paper qualification, Yakowa urges Nigerians NDDC awards N3bn road in C’ River Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State (middle), answering reporter’s questions after inspecting a school project in Asaba at the weekend.

ov. Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State has stressed the need for Nigerians to de-emphasis paper qualification in preference for talents, ethics and value orientation. Yakowa made the appeal on Friday when the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Ethics and Value, Dr Sarah Jibril paid him a visit in Kaduna. He said that the call became necessary to curb corruption and other social vices holding the Nigerian society back. The governor, represented by his deputy, Alhaji Ramalan Yero said until the root

causes of corruption were weeded out, the urge for ethic and value re-orientation would be a waste of time. He identified emphasis on paper qualification by the society as one of the factors responsible for social vices such as examination malpractice. Speaking earlier, the Special Adviser called on the people to join hands with government in combating the ills in the country. She was represented by the National Coordinator, Ethics and Value Cooperation, Alhaji Iliyasu Abdulrauf.

She said that effective check on corruption was necessary for the success of the transformation programme of the government and to move the nation forward. Jibril called for the support of the state governments toward the establishment of Ethics and Value Centres in all the local government areas across the country. She said that the planned centres when completed would have Mosques and Churches among other facilities for value re-orientation and would be called Community Transformation Centres.

he Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has handed over the N3 billion Adiabo-Esuku Road in Cross River State to the contractor handling the project. The representative of the commission in Cross River, Mr. Dominic Edem said on Friday that the 15 km road project had been handed over to the contracting firm, John David Construction Company. Speaking during the ground-breaking and handing over ceremony, the Cross River State Deputy Governor, Mr. Efiok Cob-

ham, said that the construction of the road in Odukpani Local Government Area would benefit the people of the area. He said that when completed the road would provide easy link between Calabar, the state capital and communities stretching from Esuku to other parts of the local government area. He urged the people of the area to cooperate with the construction company considering the advantage they would derive when the road was completed. Efiok urged the construction firm to deliver qual-

ity work and commended the NDDC representative, Mr. Dominic Edem and his predecessor, Ntufam Ekpo Okon for attracting the project to the state. Earlier in his address, Cross River representative in the NDDC, Mr. Dominic Edem, said that the road project was not only ``dear’’ to the people of Odukpani but very important to the government. He said that the road would provide alternative bye-pass to Odukpani council and bring about the desired development to the area.

Zonal News

SOUTH EAST

Sunday July 15, 2012

Gunmen attack DPO in Abakaliki

Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr Meshack Okpara, incharge of Kpirikpiri Police Station,Abakaliki, was on Friday night shot by unknown gunmen at Ngbukobe layout, Abakaliki. The DPO was in the area to handover to his successor when he was ambushed after the exercise and shot by the assassins. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Ebonyi Command, DSP Sylvester Igbo, told newsmen on Satur-

day in Abakaliki that the DPO had been rushed to an undisclosed hospital in Enugu. ``The DPO is in a hospital in Enugu where he is receiving treatment. His condition is very stable and people should stop the rumour about his death,’’ he said. He said that the police had made some arrest in connection with the incident, and that the suspects would soon appear in court. The PPRO, however, called on members of the public to always volunteer

to give useful information that would assist the police to contain crimes in the state. ``The police do not know the objectives behind the plot to assassinate Okpara. But I am optimistic that in no distant time, details surrounding the attack will be known,’’ he said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that Okpara was going to resume duties as the DPO of Ezza North Local Government Area in Ebonyi when the incident happened.

Anambra gives assurance on projects completion

nambra State Government has assured that all ongoing projects in the state will be completed before the end of the present administration. The Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr Vincent Ezenwajiaku, gave the assurance in an interview with newsmen after an inspection visit to the Onitsha Industrial Harbour Park, on Friday. He said that the ministry would ensure that all the projects under the direct supervision of the state Gov. Peter Obi were closely

monitored and supervised for efficient delivery. “There are lots of works to be done in the remaining period of this administration, and there are special projects which are under the special duties commissioner in the governor’s office. “These projects are so important to the economy of the state and the welfare of the masses. “So, we have to avoid the bureaucratic bottle neck of the ministries in order to achieve maximum result within the

shortest possible time,” he explained. He added: “the Onitsha Harbour Industrial Park is designed by the state government to house big capital projects, big manufacturing concerns both local and foreign for the benefit of the state in terms of job creation and development. ``That is why the state government is ensuring that all facilities are put on ground by empowering the contractors with necessary resources, because it is a destination to foreign direct investment.’’

SON impounds sub-standard cables worth N100m in Anambra T he Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has impounded sub-standard imported cables worth more than N100 million and sealed-up two shops at the Electrical Dealers International Market in Obosi in Anambra. Mr Yahaya Bukar, State Head of SON, Anambra told newsmen on Saturday that Scan Cables International Ltd., which is the importer of the foreign cables, attached the Nigeria Industry Standard (NIS) logo on the imported substandard cables. Bukar said that the company mixed up the foreign cables, ``which is substandard with local cables, which had been guaranteed by SON’’. ``If your product is not manufactured in Nigeria and it is bearing the NIS

logo; it means that you want to just sneak in the country and mix-up with the ones that are being manufactured in Nigeria. ``And as far as cable is concerned, the Nigerian cables or cables that are manufactured in Nigeria are the best cables in the world. ``Anybody that is bringing in a cable from outside and using the NIS logo, it means that is either substandard and wants to find its way into the market or is trying to deceive the market people that are also part of Nigeria. ``So, we want to separate those ones that are manufactured in Nigeria and those ones that are imported because SON had been fighting sub-standard cables for the past how many years, several years. ``Now we have gotten

it right. Nigerian cable is the best in the World; other importers are trying to bring in some of these substandard products to mixup with these ones that are manufactured here by using the NIS logo.’’ Bukar urged traders in Onitsha to desist from cutting corners and ensure they followed SON laiddown regulations, adding: ``Dr Joseph Odumodu, Director-General of SON, has vowed to deal ruthlessly with traders toying with standards in the country.’’ ``The other traders should know that if you are not a manufacturer in Nigeria you should not bear the mark of quality. ``The NIS is the mark of quality and it’s only issued to products that are manufactured in Nigeria,” he explained.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NORTH CENTRAL

Arik Air aircraft hits NAF plane at Jos airport OLUSEGUN KOIKI

n Arik Air B737 aircraft yesterday hit a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) plane at the Jos Airport while taxing. It was learnt that when the flight landed at Jos airport and taxing, the marshaller directed the pilot at a particular spot but the pilot was said to have disregarded the marshaller’s instruction. Sunday Miorror gathered that in a bid to park the aircraft at the tarmac, it hit the NAF plane that was parked at the tarmac and the NAF plane was said to have destroyed tone of the wings of the Arik aircraft. A source told Sunday Mirror that immediately this happened, fuel started gushing out from the damaged area making the plane unable to embark on

another journey. The source however could not ascertain where the plane was coming from or will be going from Jos airport, but there were indications that the passengers may be stranded as a result of the incident. Spokesman of Arik Air, Mr. Ola Banji, did not pick calls when contacted to comment on the issue Meanwhile, Arik Air was reported to have had another incident in its flight from Enugu Airport to Abuja said to have taken off under bad weather condition contrary to the authority’s earlier warning. The incident was confirmed by the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren It was gathered that the aircraft, a Boeing 737700 from Enugu to Abuja

scheduled to depart Enugu at about 10:00 a.m. was delayed until 11:40 a.m. owing to report of approaching bad weather in Abuja. The pilot in a bid to get to Abuja before the start of rain allegedly ignored all warnings and “took the aircraft and passengers through an extremely turbulent flight”. On landing at Abuja the plane almost skidded off the runway and passengers had to remain on the aircraft for about 30 minutes before disembarking owing to heavy rain in Abuja. The NCAA had last week issued a statement where its Director-General, Dr Demuren, advised pilots and airlines that there was the need for pilots to exercise restraint in adverse weather and always respect weather forecast.

L-R: Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, displaying his new driver’s licence while the Corps Marshal of FRSC, Osita Chidoka, looks on after the lawmaker processed his licence at the FRSC headquarters yesterday.

Appeal Court affirms Idris’ victory at poll ISE-OLUWA IGE

he Abuja division of the Court of Appeal yesterday rejected two separate invitations to sack Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State from office. The appellate court, in a judgment that lasted three hours, yesterday, held that his emergence as the state executive governor in the 2011 gubernatorial election was in order. The first appeal inviting the court to invalidate Captain Wada’s election was

filed by Prince Abubakar Audu while the second was filed by the ACN. Both appeals were however consolidated. According to Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, the Presiding Judge, who delivered the lead judgment, “the appeals lack substance and accordingly dismissed, the two appeals fails, the decision of the governorship election petition tribunal affirming the election of Captain Idris Wada as Governor of Kogi State is hereby affirmed.” The justices of the Court

of Appeal held that they had no reason to interfere with the decision of the Kogi State governorship election petition tribunal affirming the election of Captain Idris Wada as Governor of Kogi State. In the three-hour judgment, the Court of Appeal held further that 74 out of the 88 witnesses called by the appellants gave hearsay evidence which no court will rely upon. The two appeals challenging the validity of Gov. Idris Wada’s election were consequently dismissed by the court.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tornadoes players receive sign-on fees P. 54

Sport

KEEPING YOU ABREAST OF SPORTING NEWS

Dope saga Chukwuemeka faces life ban! YEMI OLUS

eactions have started to trail the disclosure that three female athletes have been dropped from the national team and set to be decamped from the Team Nigeria camp in Surrey, England, after failing dope tests barely two weeks to the Olympic Games holding in London.

With this development, the era of athletes testing positive to banned substances seems to be rearing its head once again, though the Athletics Federation of Nigeria is yet to officially name the affected athletes, pending the results of their ‘B’ sample. However, independent sources named Vivian Chukwuemeka (shot put), Lawretta Ozoh (100 and 200m) and Regina George (400m) as the offenders. Chukwuemeka recently won the national trials and African Championships about two weeks ago with a new record of 18.86m, which was her first international outing for Nigeria since returning from a twoyear ban after failing a dope test alongside two others at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany. Ozoh won the women’s 200m and came third at the national trials in Calabar, Cross River State and a gold medal in the women’s 4x100m relay which she anchored in Port Novo. She won silver behind Gloria Asumnu in the 200m. George competed for Nigeria for the first time at the African Championships where she won silver in the 400m.

Unconfirmed reports have suggested that that two of the athletes tested positive to stimulants while the third was for steroids. Athletics administrator and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) coaching instructor, Rotimi Obajimi lamented on the recent development, stating that the rules had to be followed irrespective of those involved. “The rules had to be followed and dope tests had to be carried out during the championships. Now that this has been discovered, the rules would have to be applied. I just don’t know what to say because this is an unfortunate situation. I have no idea why this kind of issue has to come up again. Is it that we are not educating them enough? “What is actually the problem? Don’t athletes know what they are not supposed to use? Strong action needs to be taken against the athletes concerned because we keep saying we do not want the country to be disgraced. If the B sample also tests positive then it would most likely be a life ban for a second time offender. It is very sad,” he said. Foremost athletics coach, Amelia Edet believes that athletes put themselves under undue pressure in a bid to excel. She was however thankful that it was discovered before the Olympics. “I was a bit taken aback when I heard the news this morning but my only consolation is that this was discovered before the Olympic Games. It would have been a national disgrace had this occurred in London.

Dunn fails drug test, pulls out of Games P. 55

July 15, 2012

Olubamiwo apologizes for using drugs P. 54 ARS 2 finalists emerge, as national tourney ends today ANDREW EKEJIUBA

Vivian Chukwuemeka

“If you have been training throughout the year then why do you need to cut corners? Because taking drugs is tantamount to cheating. It is the athletes who put pressure on themselves,” she lamented. She also said that if actually found guilty, Chukwuemeka may be faced with a life ban by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). “There is the saying ‘Once bitten, twice shy’, but in our own case the more they get bitten the more depraved they become. For

that particular athlete, if she was trying to make something out of her career, I would probably think this is the end because she could most likely be given a life ban by the IAAF. I don’t know for sure, but that is what it looks like. She is an older athlete who should be educating the upand coming ones. But then we need to hear from the athletes themselves before condemning them because something might have gone wrong somewhere which we know nothing about,” Edet concluded.

Smith takes charge of Nigeria’s P. 55 boxing team

ational finalists have emerged at the ongoing Airtel Rising Stars Season 2 (ARS 2) soccer competition holding at the Agege Stadium, Lagos. In the male category, Jos defeated Edo 1-0 to book a final ticket against Port Harcourt, which had earlier yesterday defeated hard-fighting Kaduna team also by 1-0. In the female category, Edo State booked a final ticket by defeating Lagos State 5-4 on penalties after a pulsating 2-2 draw at regulation time in their semifinal clash yesterday, while Port Harcourt beat Kaduna with a 3-1 win via penalties after the match had ended 0-0 apiece. The results now pitch Edo against Port Harcourt in the female finals holding today at the Agege Stadium, while Jos will tackle Port Harcourt in the male final at the same venue. The Airtel Rising Stars U-17 tourney is a unique pan African initiative of Airtel Africa, which is designed to provide support for the development of football talents across her African markets. The competition is aimed at discovering talented students (male and female) of secondary school age and providing them the opportunity to gain football skills and develop into renowned stars. In the maiden edition held in September last year at Campos Square, Lagos and Gombe zones emerged national champions after edging out their counterparts from Owerri in the final match via penalty shootout in the male category while Port Harcourt zone defeated Kaduna in the final match to win the female category.

Federer, Serena chase elusive singles gold medals P. 55

Sport

Sunday July 15, 2012

Umar assures on D’ Tigers Tornadoes players receive sign-on fees P

Knockout

IFEANYI EDUZOR

ANDREW EKEJIUBA

he Niger State Government, owners of the Niger Tornadoes Football Club, at the weekend made good their promise when it paid 40% of players and coaches sign-on fees for the 2011/2012 Nigeria Premier League Season as a means of keeping the players in high spirit before the end of the league. The Zenith Bank cheques were presented to the 42 players in the club’s camp and it was done in the office of the Commissioner for Sports Development, Alhaji Hassan Abdullahi, alongside the executive members of the Tornadoes management committee. The 40 per cent

of the money paid out to players was to the tune of N20 million. The Commissioner for Sports thanked both the players and the coaching crew for their patient and understanding with the state government since the commencement of the season and said that no player would be owed a dime because government was committed to moving football forward. Club Chairman, Abdullahi Paiko, who also was a former chairman of the state football Association praised the state government for making good its promise to pay the sign-on fees of players and maintained that this is the first of its kind in the history of football in Niger State.

resident of Nigeria Basketball Federation, Tijani Umar, says that the country’s male basketball team, D’Tigers, will give a good account of themselves at the London 2012 Olympics. D’Tigers in an amazing basketball display beat the Dominican Republic 88-73 in the decisive qualifier in Caracas, Venezuela to join Russia and Lithuania for the Olympics. In a telephone interview with our correspondent, Umar noted that the team’s performance is an indication that the country is now a force to be reckoned with in the game even as he promised that his Federation will give all moral and financial support to the team to enable them finish well at the Olympics. “I am proud of their performance. They displayed

Niger Tornadoes players in training

Eko 2012: Athletics body targets good officiating YEMI OLUS

major complaint that runs rife after most National Sports Festivals is poor officiating, but the National Association of Athletics Technical Officials (NAATO), has pledged its commitment to ensure a hitch-free tournament when the ‘Eko 2012’ Games takes place in November. In a chat with Saturday Mirror, coordinator of NAATO, Surulere, Isaac Ikhaobomeh said, “We had our meeting on Thursday where we

talked about the National Sports Festival because we want to keep our members abreast with the latest rules and regulations of the game. “The festival is coming very soon and we don’t want to be found wanting because Surulere is the city of sports and wants to be ahead in anything that concerns track and field. After this meeting, a list of names was submitted to the state executives and a refresher course will be organized for all the zones after which a final list will be released for the festival,” he said.

oard member of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) and chairman, Lagos State Basketball Association, Babs Ogunade, has charged the organizers of the annual Dodan Warriors Prospects Basketball camp, Global Sports Advantage and Samaritan Feet not to rest on their oars in their drive to give Nigerian basketball players the needed assistance they require to improve their game. Speaking during the just concluded camp in Lagos, Ogunade, who aside from showing his support for the camp was there to represent the Lagos State government. He stated that he is happy with what he has seen of the camp and the resource persons in the persons of Coach Alex Nwora, head coach of the Erie Community College, Buffalo and Josh Bland of the Hoops United, USA. The camp which had over 80 kids in attendance with six from neighboring Benin Republic and the others from clubs in the Atlantic conference saw the emergence of six athletes

IFEANYI Eduzor

with 08055829770 ifeduz24@yahoo.com

Okedara plays down debut loss U

Umar

uncommon artistry in basketball and showed determination, commitment and hard work. By beating former European champions, Greece, before booking the ticket is an indication that the country’s basketball has improved greatly,” Umar said. He however assured that the team will not be intimidated by their opponents when hostilities begins in London.

Ogunade tasks Warriors, Samaritan Feet on basketball development IFEANYI EDUZOR

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

as most outstanding players. The outstanding campers who were rewarded with molten ball each include, Adejumo Olajide, Tope Arikawe, Saliu Isiaka, Abdul Yahaya, Orizu Prince and Aifuwa Stanley. Also rewarded with balls were the three best free throw shooters in the persons of Ebuka Uzo, Daniel Ifrieke Godwin and Adejumo Olajide as well as the Apa Flames team that got a total of five balls to help the players get to spend many time on the court. At the end of the camp, the Dodan Warriors Basketball Programme president, Col. Sam Ahmedu (rtd), said he was not only interested in seeing his team do well in the league but also bent on giving opportunity to youths to achieve their dream, adding: “What we are doing might be perceived as small but good things begin like this.” Ahmedu also praised members of Samaritan’s Feet, who are using their organization to provide playing shoes for those who participated in the camp and other less privileged ones in the society.

nited States-based Nigerian boxer, Mojeed Okedara, has described his recent loss to undefeated light heavyweight boxer, Lavarn “Baby Bowel” Harvell, as a temporary setback, promising that he would come back better in future bouts. Okedara, making his American debut last Saturday in Atlantic City, lost in the first round to the more experienced American who used a combination of powerful punches to send the Nigerian to the canvas twice before the referee stopped the fight. The fight which was a scheduled six round bout was on the under card of the Majewski/Fitzpatrick

Okedara

fight ended two minutes and twenty-seven seconds into the first round via technical knockout. In a telephone interview with our correspondent, he noted that the defeat rather than discourage him will prepare him adequately for future challenges.

Olubamiwo apologizes for using drugs N

igerian-born heavyweight boxer, Larry Olubamiwo, who was suspended for four years having admitted, taking 13 banned substances, has apologized to his fans and the entire boxing fraternity for bringing disrepute to the sport. Olubamiwo popularly known as “War Machine” was apologetic as he promised to return to the sport reinvigorated upon serving the ban handed down to him. “First of all, I would like to

apologize to the boxing fans for my actions during my career. I have always enjoyed interacting with them through forums and in person and the last thing I wanted to do was let them down. They know I won’t hideaway and I am sure they appreciate and understand my reasons for doing what I did. Although I am not justifying my actions in any way, I had to make money and the mindframe I was in at the time dictated my actions,” he stressed.

Olubamiwo

Fonfara retires Glen Johnson

“P

olish Prince” Andrzej Fonfara (22-2, 12 KOs) on Friday night defeated 43-year-old former world champion Glen Johnson (5117-2, 35 KOs) in a crossroads WBO light heavyweight bout, at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago. The crushing defeat eventually led to Johnson quitting the pugilist trade as Fonfara won by scores of 99-91, 97-93, 97-93. Speaking shortly after the loss, Johnson said he had

to throw-in the towel now because he saw no reason to continue boxing. “I feel like the end of the road is here. Father Time is undefeated. “I really see no reason to move forward. If I can’t win a fight like this, I won’t achieve my ultimate goal, which is being a world champion. So if I can’t be a world champion then what’s the use?” the 43-year-old former world champion asked with a tinge of regret.

Glen Johnson (right) dejected after the loss.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Smith takes charge of Nigeria’s boxing team

Sport

Sunday July 15, 2012

IFEANYI EDUZOR

s a part of its efforts to prepare Nigerian boxers adequately for the forthcoming London 2012 Olympic Games, a new technical crew has taken over the Nigerian boxing contingent currently camping at Bradford College in London. According to the Secretary General of the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF), Dr Patrick Uwagbale, the move became necessary following the need to strengthen the boxing team’s technical crew. “I’m happy to inform you that our boxers are responding well to training here at Bradford College because all the modern facilities needed for a boxing team to excel are available and they are taking advantage of them to prepare adequately for the Games. “Mr. Kevin Smith, a British boxing expert, is now the head of the team and has other experts working under him. And I want to say that our boxers are very happy with the development. They have learnt so much from them since they came on board,” he said. Uwagbale, noted that the Idika Nsofor-led Nigerian coaches now act as assistants even as he stated that the new arrangement was approved by the Director General of NSC, Dr Patrick Ekeji and the Honourable Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi who has visited the camp to show appreciation to the management of Bradford College for the assistance it has given to the Nigerian boxing contingent.

Uwagbale

Dunn fails drug test, pulls out of Games A

merican 400 metres runner Debbie Dunn has withdrawn from the London Olympics after returning a positive drugs test. Dunn released a statement to confirm she would stand aside after the United States AntiDoping Association (USADA) informed her she had returned a

Okagbare, Oke sound Olympic warning YEMI OLUS

igeria’s Blessing Okagbare on Saturday defeated reigning world champion, Carmelita Jeter in the women’s 100m at the Aviva London Grand Prix, which took place at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. The African champion stunned the likes of Jeter and former world champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, in a keenly-contested race with a time of 11.01 seconds. USA’s Jeter came second in11.03 seconds while Tianna Madison, placed third with 11.13 seconds. Jamaican, Fraser-Pryce finished a distant eighth despite winning the quarter finals with an impressive 10.93 seconds. Okagbare also posted a Personal Best of 10.99 seconds, thus breaking into the 10-second barrier. This performance has put the Olympic bronze medalist in the league of athletes to watch out for at the Olympics even as she aims for medals in the 100m and long jump. Triple jumper, Tosin Oke, also made it to the podium, as he finished third with a leap of 16.93m behind Christian Taylor (17.41m) and Leevan Sands of the Bahamas (16.97m).

positive sample. The 34-year-old, who has never competed at an Olympics, was due to run in the 4x400m relay, an event the USA has won since the 1996 Atlanta Games. “I have been informed by the US Anti-Doping Agency that a sample I gave at the US Olympic Trials contains an elevated tes-

tosterone/epitestosterone level. “While I work with USADA to resolve this matter, I am withdrawing from my relay pool position for the 2012 Olympic Games. I do not want any issue like this to distract my team-mates’ focus for the biggest meet of their lives. I wish Team USA best in London as I work toward resolv-

ing this matter,” Dunn, the 2010 world indoor champion and 2009 relay world champion, said in a statement. USADA chief executive Travis Tygart confirmed Dunn’s initial urine sample showed traces of a banned synthetic testosterone. The organisation is currently testing her ‘B’ sample.

Federer, Serena chase elusive singles gold medals

he Olympic tennis tournament begins July 28, and many of the world’s top players will reconvene to compete for their countries on quickly refurbished grass. It will be the fourth Olympics for Roger Federer, who has yet to win a singles gold medal. Also, women’s champion Serena Williams was on a plane Monday, traveling 5,000 miles and across eight time zones to defend her title at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, California. She told reporters she had trouble sleeping on the flight, watched five movies and admitted upon arrival that the schedule is probably the most hectic she has witnessed in her career. Williams, the 14-time Grand Slam champion, will fly back to London after the Stanford event to attempt to win one of the few prizes that has eluded her - an Olympic singles gold medal. She and older sister, Venus, won doubles gold in 2000 and 2008. Serena might pair with John Isner or Andy Roddick in mixed doubles, a new Olympic event this year.

Serna Williams (left) pose with Roger Federer.

Like Williams, Federer is eager to win Olympic gold. He finished fourth at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, where he met his wife, Mirka, who was competing in tennis. In 2004, he entered the Athens Games as the No. 1 player in the world and heavy favorite. He was upset in the second round by 74thranked Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic. Four years later, in Beijing, Federer was again the favorite. He beat Berdych in the third

round but was stunned in the quarterfinal by American James Blake, 6-4, 7-6 (2). Rafael Nadal went on to win the gold medal. Nadal, who was upset in the second round at Wimbledon, canceled a July 14 exhibition against Novak Djokovic that was scheduled for Bernabeu Stadium, home of Real Madrid. Nadal has tendinitis in his knees and said he needs the time to recover for the Olympics.

N I G E R I A

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Sunday, July 15, 2012

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N150

I N

F I G U R E S

N638

65bn, sum the Senate Adbn, amount the DG Hoc Committee on National of MAN, Olayinka Planning, Economic Affairs and Poverty Akande, disclosed as manufacturers Alleviation, gave as external debt stock investment in various sectors of the for the nation’s 36 states. Nigerian economy in 2011.

The Edo governorship power tussle

Back Page

Comment

E-mail: nwaunah@yahoo.com Unah is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Lagos

with Jim Unah

t is in politics, especially in Nigerian politics that the abracadabra of magical incantations struggles for attention and significance. But you wonder what there is to looking more and seeing less to be of interest to anyone. In magical shows, you see amazing effects or results that the mere looking at the processes and procedures of the performing magician could never reveal the actual steps taken to arrive at the results – an experiment that could not be repeated by another, and whose outcome could not be predicted. The Edo State scenario presents an interesting comparison for analyses and comments. The main contending political parties in the Edo State governorship race which elections took place yesterday are the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Five other political parties including the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the Labour Party (LP), the National Conscience Party (NCP), and the Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP), were up for the contest. The real governorship gladiators are the ACN Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, and the PDP Major-Gener-

al Charles Airhiavbere (rtd). Ordinarily, watchers of the political scene interested in looking more and more for sanity and signs of progress in the political process, would see less why Adams Oshiomhole of the ACN would not clinch the mandate of Edo State voters in the elections of yesterday; especially against the backdrop of the earlier royal blessings received from custodians of tradition in consequence of the apparent show of service delivery in physical infrastructure by the labour leader-turned governor who, sadly, has long abandoned the party that brought him into power for the ACN. But this is precisely where the vulnerable underbelly of the crocodile begins to manifest for the more mature eyes of the shrewd, well schooled and discerning politicians. So it is that in the spectacular theatre of politics, some eyes see more than others; and some visions are far more penetrating than others. The power of vision, of penetrating foresight, of circumspection, of all-round view, of seeing more clearly than others how power equations are best manipulated to advantage, is not negotiable in power politics. So it is too that beyond the façade of social service and infrastructure provisioning, those who have lost their sight, politically speaking, may receive a fatal blow in their vulnerable underbellies, from which they may never recover for a very long time to come, incumbency factor or no incumbency factor, social service delivery or no social service delivery.

A thankless child, they say, is worse than a snake bite; and the most potent medicine for a snake bite is more snakes. I had wondered before I became privy to some information about the activities of some politicians why anyone would want to pitch his tent against an incumbent governor who had made more than a showing; where the Lucky Igbinedions and Osunbors of this world barely made a scratch? My scoop from Edo State raised so many queries: For the so-called road infrastructure projects, how many times were contracts awarded for the same kilometerage of roads, and for how much, compared to the actual value/cost of such projects? Those raising these queries had been federal ministers of works, and they must know what they are agonising about. If a road contract project originally awarded for the sum of less than N300 million has been reawarded several times, now gulping a total of well over N3.7 billion, there is more to the whole contract drama than meets the eye, much like the abracadabra of magical incantations: the more you look, the less you see. Knowledgeable and concerned stakeholders are bound to raise queries, especially where the dramatis personae has been boasting that his emergence through the courts has spelt the doom of godfathers in politics. Primordial interests, entrenched interests are bound to be agitated for a do-or-die battle with impostors masquerading as messiahs of the people. This appears to approximate the scenar-

Sunshine camp boils, as fans root for Ajepe IFEANYI EDUZOR

unshine Stars of Akure, who is still reeling from their ouster in the Federation Cup and poor showing in their first group game of this year’s CAF Champions League are now facing another type of crisis with their fans who have threatened to withdraw their support for the team unless urgent steps are taken to effect a change in the management board of the club. Nigeria’s only surviving club in this year’s CAF Champions League, Sunshine Stars, started their campaign in the group stage of the money-spinning competition last Sunday on a bad

note when they lost 0-2 to visiting Esperance of Tunisia in IjebuOde in a manner that shocked soccer pundits. Some of the fans, who spoke anonymously to our correspondent on the state of the team, noted that the present management board of Sunshine Stars did not have what it takes to take the club through the group stage of this year’s CAF Champions League as well as the final stage of the competition. “The present management of the cub is visionless and does not have what it takes to move the team forward. “There are a lot of unpaid salaries and allowances, which has affected the morale of the play-

ers with the management doing little or nothing to solve the problem,” they said. According to them, a good manager with pedigree like Most Senior Apostle Charles Ajepe should be brought in at this critical time to rescue the team, noting that Ajepe is familiar with the club’s history having being at the helm of affairs before. “The result posted by Sunshine against Esperance of Tunisia in Ijebu-Ode was a big embarrassment not only to the darling supporters of the team, but the entire nation. We want the Ondo State Governor to do something urgent and overhaul the entire management team before they play their next match,” they said.

io playing out itself in Edo governorship politics in the front burner, as we speak today. Mr. Lucky Igbinedion did not give a good account of himself and his party. He was a complete disaster in terms of social service delivery and infrastructure provisioning for two donkey terms of 8 years. Professor Osunbor was allegedly ringed in to salvage the situation; but soon became a political torn coat against the godfather of Edo politics, who then allegedly plotted his ouster through a court reversal in Oshiomhole’s favour on a secret Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that the latter would declare for the PDP at the appropriate time. That MoU was not honoured. Instead, stories of how godfathers’ coffins had been finally nailed by Oshiomhole were making the rounds; coupled with the fact that several communities in Etsako and Esan that massively voted for Oshiomhole in the election that eventually brought him to power, had been neglected and cheated by the activist governor. Thus, many subterranean forces and factors, some true, some false, rather than cosmetic social infrastructure provisioning; and the godfather factor, may well turn the tide against the incumbent governor; and install an aggressive, better armoured, PDP government once again in Edo State, to the chagrin of superficial political lookers, and the unsuspecting public who had thought – rightly or wrongly – that their embattled governor was indeed, a messiah.

Dope saga: Chukwuemeka faces life ban!

P. 53

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