Saturday, october 3 friday, october 9, 2015 by NationalWeekender

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Fashion

Get Off Your Butts, Pleats’ Got The Sexiness

ON’T be wrong thinking pleats are for school uniforms and gymslips. Now, pleats have shrugged off their girly image, back in fashion and an easy to wear trend. Pleats are elegant too. The pleats fashion trend offers so many styles that it is most impossible not to find some designers embracing it. It ripples through the various fashion weeks! Swirling from waists and lapping at hemlines like waves, especially the sweeping maxi and midi styles. This is good news indeed because on a warm summer evening, they make a glamorous and comfortable companion. Whether they have knife, accordion, or superfine crystal pleats, these precisely folded tops, bottoms, and dresses take on a sophistication that goes beyond the pleats on private school uniforms. Such feminine detailing, with just a trace of metallic’s and shine, generates sexiness that has a hint of reserve. In addition they look amazing on – or off – the dance floor. When worked in light weight fabrics, pleats add volumes without bulk, so figure issues are minimized. It is a pleats season!

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Lens Pick Of The Week

Oh Lord, we are coming home ... Photo By

Fidelis Isibor

•Hell by road; alternative destination - Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos

Buhari’s List Not Worth The Wait – Odumakin

•He Should Have Submitted On May 29 PUBLICITY Secretary of the Yoruba Socio-political group, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari should have submitted the names of ministerial nominees at Eagle Square on May 29. He said the four months wait had come to nothing as there were no exciting names on the list.Reacting to the speculated names of possible ministers, Odumakin said Buhari did not surprise anyone. He said: “There is no excitement or surprise in the list. They are mostly run of the mill people that do not warrant waiting four months to have. Those names could have been submitted at Eagles square on May 29.” Senate President Bukola Saraki had Wednesday

received the first 21 nominees to make President Buhari ministerial list. Nominees being speculated are 1.Dr. Chris Ngige (Anambra); 2. Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); 3. Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); 4. Babatunde Fashola (Lagos); 5. Abdurrahman Dambazau (rtd) (Kano); 6. Aisha AlHassan (Taraba); 7. Ogbonaya Onu (Abia); 8. Kemi Adeosun (Ogun); 9. Abubakar Malami SAN (Kebbi); 10. Senator Sirika Hadi (Katsina). Others are 11. Barrister Adebayo Shittu (Oyo); 12. Sulaiman Adamu (Jigawa); 13. Solomon Dalong (Plateau); 14.Ibe Kachikwu (Delta); 15. Osagie Ehanire (Edo); 17. Udoma Udo-Udoma (Akwa Ibom); 18. Ahmed Isa Ibeto (Niger); 19. Ibrahim Jibril; 20. Audu Ogbeh (Benue) and 21. Amina Mohammed (Kaduna).

LG Commences Public Hearing On 2016 Budget THE Malammadori Local Government of Jigawa has commenced a public hearing on preparationsforits2016budget.Alhaji Lawan Abdu, the Sole Administrator of the council, inaugurated the session in Malammadori. Abdu said that the event was to facilitateaparticipatorybudgetplanning

to enable the electorates, political parties, Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs), farmers, youth and women groups to make their contributions to the preparation of the budget. He said the exercise would enable the communities to make presentation on the type of projects to be included in the budget, adding that it would

promote proper budget planning, implementation and encourage financial discipline. The sole administrator listed the major highlights of the budget to include construction of modern abattoir at Garin-Gabas community, a shelter belt and provision of tractors and farm inputs.

•Yinka Odumakin

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Newsreel

Diezani Alison-Madueke Arrested In London

THE immediate past Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, was on Friday arrested in London, newsmen has reported. The former minister, who was one of the most powerful officials of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, was arrested Friday morning alongside four other people by the UK National Crime Agency. The identities of the four other people arrested along with her could not be immediately ascertained. According to newsmen, she was arrested for offences related to bribery and corruption being investigated by the UK National Crime Agency. Two top British officials in London have however confirmed the development to this newspaper. They requested not to be named because they had no permission to speak on the issue. The British High Commission in Nigeria confirmed that some arrests were made Friday but declined to disclose the identities of those involved. Joseph Abuku, Press and Public Affairs Officer, said, “This morning, five people between the ages of 21 and 60 were arrested on suspicion of bribery and corruption offences. The crimes are being investigated by the National Crime Agency. “The National Crime Agency does not confirm identity at arrest nor provide information that could be used to corroborate the identity of an arrested individual.” It is not clear whether the former minister was arrested based on request from the Nigerian government. President Muhammadu Buhari had on September 27 hinted

that those who misappropriated billions of naira belonging to Nigeria’s state oil company NNPC, would soon be prosecuted. Mr. Buhari said at a meeting with President Xi Jinping of China in New York that his administration was determined to fully sanitize Nigeria’s oil industry and make it totally free of corruption and shady deals. The President did not, however, say how soon the prosecutions would start or if indeed investigations had been concluded and whether culpable individuals had been identified. The NNPC under the immediate past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan was involved in several shady deals, many of which have been cancelled by the present government. However, Mrs. Alison-Madueke, accused of several corrupt dealings, has stayed away from Nigeria since Mr. Buhari was sworn-in as president. Meanwhile, her Abuja residence has been besiged by the Nigerian Security Agencies and officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

•Alison-Madueke

Presidency Explains Buhari’s Petroleum Supervisory

THE Special Advisor to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina has given insight into why President Muhammadu Buhari chose to supervise the petroleum ministry, explaining that

it was because the buck stops at his table at the end of the day. The presidential spokesman made this known when he featured on a television programme, in response to a question that wondered whether

the President has been unable to find someone with honour, integrity, truth to head the ministry after over three months in office. According to Adesina, “Don’t forget that the buck stops at the

Benin Palace Updates:

Why Oba Stool Remains Vacant By EMIKO BAKE AS each parting day gives room for a new dawn, so too are hair-raising and toastworthy news are emerging from the hither to coffin-quiet scenario which pervaded the Palace of the legendary Bini Kingdom Monarch. And if signals emanating from our palace source are anything to go by, then it will be just a matter of weeks, before the conclusion of all traditional preceding both the final farewell to the ‘Lion who has gone into the grove’ and the enthronement of another Lion. National Weekender has exclusively scooped that any and or, everything shrouding the eventual emergence of an Oba of Benin has been traditionally taken care of. We were further informed that, the major hindrance or clog in the

wheels of the enthronement of a new Monaco in the ancient kingdom has been the demise of the Ogiame of Benin. Ogiame, is one of the highest traditional chiefs in the kingdom, whose stool must be filled before the coronation of an Oba can be performed. The Ogiame passed on shortly after the Bini ‘Lion could no longer hunt’ and his position must be filled before the coronation of any Oba.

“There is no cause for alarm,” our impeccable and confident source started; all things being equal, you will hear of the developments made so far. Every traditional rites have been going on as due and when due. The only hitch, which is actually no hitch, has been the issue of the Ogiame, who is one of the most important chiefs of the seven king makers and whose position must as a matter of traditional and

cultural compulsion, filled. First, he has to be committed to Mother Earth, and a new Ogiame takes over before anyone could start going about the coronation of an Oba. Stories or speculations about matrimonial issues as a hiccup in the our revert Monarchical hierarchy, are all unfounded and sheer figments of the imagination of out sides,” he nailed home emphatically

President’s table. At the end of his administration, it is going to be called the Buhari administration and not the name of any minister. “Therefore, it is very important that what the President feels would make a difference in the country is what he does. At the end of the day, that administration would be rated with his name and not any other name,” he stated. Asking what the President would be bringing to the table if he is going to supervise the petroleum ministry, the spokesman noted that his principal “has been Minister of Petroleum about 32 years ago. That is a lot of experience. Those were years that things were done fairly properly in this country.” While pointing out that there was nothing wrong with recycling past leaders, he asked: “What is wrong with recycling if that person has something he is bringing to the table? Recycling would be wrong if that person is adding no value. But if he is adding value, what is wrong with recycling? I tell you that this is one appointment, if you can call it so, that will bring a lot of value to that ministry,” Adesina stated.

Independence: Unhappy Anniversary For Victims Of Bomb Blasts –SERAP

SOCIO-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has described the 55th anniversary of independence as “unhappy birthday for hundreds of victims of Boko Haram who continue to suffer the consequences of the conflict in the Northeast of the country.”

SERAP in a statement by its executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni said that, “Independence Day should ordinarily be an anniversary to cheer and celebrate but this is unfortunately not the case for hundreds of victims of bomb blasts and their families in Nigeria.

The case of Hope Musa from Tabara State who recently died as a result of untreated injuries suffered from bomb blast is a sad reminder of the trauma and neglect that many victims continue to face.” The group called on “the government of President

Muhammadu Buhari to investigate the spending of the over N80 billion (Naira) under the Victims Support Funds to ensure transparency and accountability and adequate support, assistance, and care for families and victims of Boko Haram across the country.”

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Crime

•Chief Olu Falae

BIG QUESTION FOR POLICE:

What, After Falae’s

Freedom??? By STEPHEN AYA

CHIEF Olu Falae, who was abducted early last week, was release on Thursday, September 24, 2015. When the news of his abduction came, many were surprised that such a high-placed could be abducted. Little wonder President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase to make sure that Chief Falae was freed within 48hours. And with such an express order, the police, complimented by the effort of Chief Family, put in about three days of sleepless nights to get him released. The Chief did confirm this when he said “They were changing locations at two to three times

a day. I suspect because they did not want the police to succeed in tracing them”. Such prompt response to situation like Chief Falae case, was what most Nigerians had expected of former President Jonathan. The case of the Chibok girls is still fresh since they are yet to be found. As we celebrate with the family, we hear of dissenting voices, particularly with regard to the statement credited to the Police I.G on ransom and no arrest. Such a situation place a large question mark on the role of the police in solving the crises. It is clear that the Chief had issues with Fulani herbs men. Falae said he suspected that Fulani herdsmen might be responsible for his travails

because of clashes he had with them in the past. “The cattle rearers have been giving me a hard time for the past two or three years. Because I have a dam on the farm, they like to bring their cattle there to drink water. The cattle would then eat other people’s crops.There was a time they ate up my maize farm, two hectares. We took pictures and recorded it on video and we invited the police. They cattle rearers were asked to pay compensation; they begged and paid half of what we claimed and we accepted it. “That was about two months ago. Whether it was one of them who went to bring his brothers to come and deal ‘with this wicked man,’ I don’t

know. It is plausible. My view is that, this is my home. I have not gone to farm in any other person’s territory. This is my home where I was born. I have every right to farm here and live in peace here. So, this is totally unacceptable. “I once told the Commissioner of Police that, if he could not protect us and protect my farm, I would protect myself. There will be self-help if the government fails to protect its citizens. It would have been unfortunate if that were to happen” he said. With such evidence and a possible lead, it was expect that the Police will pounce on these Fulani herdsmen and commence their investigations from there. It is important to note here, that the man

in question is an important personality in Nigeria. He is not only a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, but also a former Presidential candidate, hence there is special interest from Nigerians to know, if anybody is arrested, and who was behind it. The present out-cry from both south west elders, and indeed all Nigerians is because, this is the first time that possible suspects in an abduction case are known, yet they have not been arrestedfor further questioning. Nigerians had expected that the IG following the President orders, to have tied up all possible ends by now, given the fact that this is one case too many.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Crime

Bayelsa Waterworks Man Kills Self Over Unpaid Salaries AN employee of the Bayelsa State Water Board, Peter Ogiero, has allegedly committed suicide following the non-payment of his salaries for 13 months by the state government. It was gathered that the middleaged engineer reportedly took his life on Tuesday after he waited endlessly for the period without any action by the Governor Seriake Dickson-led administration to save workers at the board from their financial predicament. Sources said that the deceased, who is a father of four, and whose only means of livelihood was his monthly take home pay, was allegedly overwhelmed by frustration over the unfortunate development. Ogiero was said to have first developed hypertension and later stroke about one year ago when he found it extremely difficult to care for himself let alone his wife and four children. In the midst of his sorry state, his second wife, it was learnt, had to abandon him for their village alongside three of their children. The only child, a teenager that stayed with him in his state of impoverishment and anguish was his first son, Wilson, who barely depended on charity for survival.

Wilson’s mother was said to have died before Ogiero married his second wife, who allegedly abandoned their home at Okaka area in Yenagoa metropolis because the breadwinner could no longer provide ‘bread’ for the family. It was further learnt that Ogiero, who felt life and the government were unkind to him, decided to kill himself by taking a sniper, an insecticide. A visit to the Ogieros’ residence on Thursday, showed that the deceased’s relations, who wore sad looks, could hardly narrate how the deceased lived in penury and committed suicide out of frustration. However, a niece of the deceased, who gave her name only as Tina, said the deceased had been suffering from stroke for over 12 months. “The stroke was caused by too much of thinking due to the fact that the state government has been owing him (deceased) salaries for 13 months. “This state of affairs has caused a lot of issues in the deceased’s home. At a point, when his wife could no longer bear the situation, she had to run away from home with his three children to their village”, she said. Tina said that Wilson and she, who were living somewhere else

before, only came on the directive of their families to take care of Ogiero when it was discovered that his second wife, who was living with him, abandoned him in his trying times. “That was how Wilson and I came to Yenagoa to take care of him. We least expected that he was going to die just like that,” she explained. Narrating how Ogiero was living when he was alive while shedding tears, Tina said that the situation was so painful and precarious that the deceased found it very difficult to get money to buy drugs recommended by doctors. “We hoped upon hope that the situation would ameliorate and that the government would pay him the salary they owed him but all to no avail. “When salary did not come, we tried to manage with the little money given to us by the deceased’s sister, uncle and sometimes by his colleagues. “But this did not suffice as it was not coming regularly. So, at a point, we found it really hard to buy him drugs and food sometime”, she added. She said as they were hoping that things would get better someday, they had no idea that the

FRSC Officer Batters Wife Over Mistress’ Child THURSDAY, 24th of September 2015 was Salah day and a day Mrs. SinmiatOmowumiOgunbanjo, a mother of four will never forget in a hurry, because it was a day she was battered by her husband after she refused to take custody of a baby delivered by her husband's mistress. JimmyOgunbanjo, 40, a staff of Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Abeokuta, Ogun State, according to reports reaching us, came home with a two-year old child and informed Omowumi that the baby was the result of his affair with his mistress in Abeokuta. He accordingly told her that he brought the child to her to nurse because his mistress could not take proper care of the baby.

Trouble reportedly started, when Omowumi asked him to return the baby to the mother because she was not ready to nurse or take custody of the baby. Several family members, including her mother-inlaw, GaniyatOgunbanjo, pleaded with her to take custody of the baby but she refused. Her refusal to accept the child led to an argument and in the process, Jimmy and other members of the family allegedly battered her and threw her out of her matrimonial home. Omowumi, who was seriously injured, reported the assault to the police, who told her it was a family matter and sent her away. Following the development, Omowumi contacted a lawyer, Barrister, OlufemiAjiboso,

Ogiero had his own plans – to free himself from the frustration he was enmeshed in. She said on the fateful Tuesday, while they had gone out to look for what Ogiero would eat before taking his drugs, they returned home to see him lying on the ground, gasping for breath. Not long after, Ogiero, who before his travail, took families’ problems as his, gave up the ghost, Tina said amid sobs. “That was how my uncle died. On a close observation, we discovered that he drank a sniper to take his own life out of frustration and poverty,” she stated. Ogiero’s colleague at the water board, who identified himself simply as Raymond, also corroborated Tina’s account. Raymond said, “My friend was strong and healthy before the state government stopped paying us salaries. “The situation led to his frustration and this in turn led to an increase in his blood pressure which later resulted in stroke that worsened his frustration. “As of now, we are being owed 13-month salaries. The head of our agency has made several efforts in writing and appeals to the state government to pay our salaries and allowances but to no avail”, he said. According to him, it was not just only him and the late Ogiero that were owed, it also affected over 150 workers in the corporation. He said some of them had worked in the board for more than 15 years, wondering why the government was so indifferent to their plight. He said worse still, many of the workers at the board had worked for close to 15 years as casual workers, without the regularization of their designations. He lamented that the government had been treating workers of the board with disdain and scorn, wondering what they had done

•Gov. Seriake Dickson to deserve being treated as subhumans. The situation under which we operate is simply appalling. We are human beings with responsibilities but the government treats us as if we are sub-human beings. “This is supposed to be a restoration government but we are treated with disdain and scorn. Our salaries are not paid as and when due. As I speak with you, the government is owing us 13 months salaries. Another month has ended, making it 14. “At our various homes, we are no more worthy to be called fathers because we cannot meet up with our obligations as fathers. We have been turned into vegetables. “This is not what we bargained for when we took up appointments with the corporation. We are no more able to provide food for our families let alone pay our children’s school fees. “We are appealing to the government to come to our rescue before more of our colleagues go the way of Ogiero. We are also calling on the government to rally round the family of our deceased colleague so that the children can have some respite”, he said.

Dealer Arrested For Buying Stolen Car who petitioned the Ogun State Commissioner of Police and the management of FRSC Ogun State Command, her husband’s employers. Ajiboso, who confirmed the incident, said what happened to Omowumi was a clear case of inhumanity to man and an assault not only on the victim, but women in general. He said Omowumi informed him that her husband had subjected her to all sorts of ill-treatment since he married her and she had been enduring it because of her children. He also revealed that he had instruction from Omowumi to institute a suit for divorce. Ogunbanjo could not be reached at the time of filing this report .

A popular car dealer in Kaduna, believed to be the owner of Urgent Motors, has been arrested by the Mabushi Police Division for buying a Toyota Camry 2015 model car valued at N11million. Police said the car was suspected to have been stolen from Kojo Motors Mabushi. A Mabushi police source told our reporter that on Monday evening that, Kojo Motors Ltd, MabushiAbuja,had reported that one Adetayo Adeniran, now at large, went to their company on the pretense of buying a Toyota Camry 2015 model valued at N11million and thereafter stole the car. The source said after negotiating the price, the suspect fraudulently paid in a Stanbic IBTC bank cheque of N11 million in respect of the transaction to convince Kojo Motors to release the car. Kojo Motors Lagos branch received an alert that the cheque has been cleared and told Kojo Motors Abuja to release the car. Our reporter gathered that after collecting the car from the company, the transaction failed as the cheque returned uncleared and the Abuja account of Kojo Motors was not credited with the said

amount as they later discovered that the account for which the cheque was issued was redundant. “Mr. Adetayo Adeniran, who is now on the run, immediately took the car to Tofa Motors Kubwa for N6.7 million but they told him that they don’t have money to buy the car. “He then contacted Urgent Motors whose office is in Kaduna to buy the car. Looking at how cheap the car was being sold, they paid the money and picked up the car to Kaduna,” the police source explained. Our correspondent learnt that the police used the car tracking system to trace the car to Kaduna, where it was recovered and the dealer of Urgent Motors arrested. The police said Urgent Motors should have known that the car was stolen since it was being sold that cheap, adding that the dealer would be held until the man who sold the car to him shows up. When the Mabushi Divisional Police Officer, Chief Superintendent AyobamiSurajudeen was contacted, he confirmed the arrest and stated that the case has been transferred to the FCT Criminal Investigation Department.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Politics

•Fashola

•Ngige

•Fayemi

•Amaechi

Rumbling, Grumbling Over Ministerial List •Buhari Votes Virgin, Honest Technocrats •Party Chieftains Want Failed Politicians By CHARLES ENWEREM & FRANCIS OGBONNA AS Nigerians celebrate the nations’ 55th year of independence, some citizens, especially those in government, are seated with caution, hopeful of the long awaited and embattled ministerial list of the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration. The high-powered lobbying over ministerial appointments which was promised Nigerians to be released by end of September, was only sent to the senatefor approval and onward screening on the 30th of September, a move which was acknowledged by the senate president, Bukola Saraki. In addition to sending the much awaited ministerial list to the senate, the commander-in-chief of the Armed forces is insisting that he would not sacrifice expertise on the altar of politics adding that he would be settling for Technocrats, as against drawing from the pool of politicians nominated by party chieftains, lobbyists as well as stake holders. Earlier on, President Buhari unequivocally stated that “Government was all about service and everyone cannot serve at the same time, more so, if everyone wants to serve there would be none that the service will be meant for”. In line with this, one can clearly see that the level of anticipation attached to this ministerial list is one that has never been matched by any previous government in the land and this anxiety is simply borne out of the anxiety by the people to see the change they voted manifest in the choice of ministers, leaving one asking “How does change come in the form of a list?” In the sixteen years that the PDP governed the country, ministerial appointments often served for political compensations, in what political experts describe as a blatant abuse of administrative powers.

He was quoted as saying “There Governors were saddled with is absolutely no dispute between the responsibility of nominating the party and the president. We ministers from their state and oftenagreed that we shall use all manner times it was the loser in the party of people: politicians, technocrats, primaries, the son or daughter of the all manner of people, even if not party godfather, or another loyalist politicians, who can deliver and of the governor/godfather, that got who subscribe passionately to the the nod. Many calls were made as to the point that ministerial positions agenda of the president, to move were not political, and quite aptly this country forward, irrespective of were to have technocrats or experts where they come from; irrespective manning the several portfolios of whether the person is a cardrather than politicians. According to some, the previous administration had many experts in its cabinet, but still had enough room to accommodate failed gubernatorial aspirants, giving instance of one in particular who resigned to contest for governor, lost primaries and got renominated for minister. When the cabinet list of President Muhammadu Buhari is made public, it is expected that PDP elements will again wail at the presence of politicians on the list rather than technocrats, as it was often criticized for in its sixteen years, but is there really a way out of this maze? Can the President really have a cabinet devoid of politicians? •President Buhari Recently, The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress carrying member of the party. What (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun is important is the qualification of said that the cabinet of the President the person and the ability of the Muhammadu Buhari administration person to deliver on the ideas of Mr. would be made up of both politicians President. and technocrats. Oyegun, clearly “What we are interested is in stated that the leadership of the the ability of the people to bring party was not against technocrats up the ideas that will help Mr. forming part of the cabinet while President achieve the set objectives calling on Nigerians to be patient and the ability to deliver on what with the administration on the the President wants. Secondly, this ministerial list, stressing that the is an executive function and the important thing was to get capable President has the right to consult and committed hands to work with as widely as possible. This means the president. he might pick people within the

party; people outside the party. It is a prerogative of the President to exercise and we cannot question that. We are quite happy about the way he is proceeding”. This positions, coupled with the fact that Buhari had earlier rejected the list of ministerial nominees handed to him by governors of All Progressives Congress (APC’s) extraction, on the grounds that there was no provision in the constitution that empowers governors to draw up and submit lists of ministerial nominees to the president; has sparked up criticisms from politicians within the ranks of the party who feel that this will be tantamount to them being shortchanged by the government having invested so much in the process that led to their victory at general elections. Sources close to the presidency have revealed that President Buhari is of the opinion and strongly maintains that to move the nation forward, what Nigerians need are young characters who are ambitious as well as have the passion and drive to serve their fatherland. However, party big wigs as well as stakeholders contrary to the president’s view are saying that it is not all about having young minds in the cabinet rather experience is what is needed to do the job adding that this can only come from politicians who have been in the field and understand the power play that gets the job as well as know what is needed to move the nation forward. Those around President Buhari are of the view that if he must fix Nigeria, then he should look the way

of politicians rather than technocrats which from t might their stance might not get the job done and this is seen by many as the one of the major issue facing the APC after the Code of Conduct Tribunal which Senate President Bukola Saraki is facing. President Buhari is looking for fresh hands like Hamid Ali of the customs to help set Nigeria on the right part. His argument as far as Hamid is concerned is that he is relatively unknown as far as the customs board is known but he is the right man for the job. Based on the appointments he has made so far, he wants people of similar character to do the job. It should also be noted that the ministerial list was being delayed because the party chiefs had rejected most of those chosen by President Buhari to be part of his cabinet. The party chieftains, it was learnt, rejected the draft ministerial list of the president because most of the persons on the list were neither politicians nor did they play any critical role during the party’s struggle to wrest power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Our source revealed that according to the president, the only way he can bring credibility to his administration and be able to fight corruption without feeling guilty is by using competent technocrats as ministers, leading to the 21 names contained in the list. Speculations are rife that former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola; and a former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, made the list. Also said to be on the list are Kayode Fayemi, a former governor of Ekiti State; a former Governor of Anambra State, Chris Ngige; and a one-time Governor of Abia State, Ogbonaya Onu. Malami Abubakar, SAN, a former National Legal Adviser to the defunct Congress for Progressives Change; Aisha Alhassan, a former governorship candidate of the APC in Taraba

CONT’D ON PG 34

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Politics

Saraki, Tinubu In Secret Trade By Barter

•APC Leader Held By The Balls Over Ministerial List •Senate President Wants Freedom To Approve Tinubu’s Men

By FRANCIS OGBONNA WHILE Nigerians await the screening of the long awaited ministerial list by the upper

Legislative chambers, National Weekender can authoritatively report that the process may be delayed following frantic efforts by the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki to wriggle out of

his pending case with the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). According to an impeccable source in the Presidency, the embattled Chairman of the National Assembly, upon receipt of the ministerial list, which was handed to him last Wednesday by the Presidency, has been involved in horse trading with the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who he believes is the architect of his misfortunes. National Weekender scooped that Dr. Bukola is requesting that in exchange for clearance of perceived Tinubu men on the list, the later should prevail upon the CCB authorities to drop the cases preferred against him. In his words, our source said: “I don’t see the ministerial screening exercise taking place on Tuesday, even if the

Senate resumes as agreed since it is the same day the second hearing of the case against Dr. Saraki by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) would hold. “Saraki has requested specifically, that the case against him be dropped but if that is not done Tinubu’s men who made the list will not be cleared and he is ready to stretch the process for as long as possible pending his clearance. “The Senate President will try to delay the screening process, but if he can’t, only men not loyal to Tinubu on the list will be considered and cleared for Tuesday. However all this depends on the result of the hearing on Tuesday. “As it seems now, the Tinubu camp wants he to clear their men first before any agreement will be reached, but following the high level of distrust existing between both factions, Saraki will not bulge unless the case against

him is dropped and he is discharged and acquitted. “Of course he (Dr. Saraki) enjoys the support of majority members of the Senate and even the House of Representatives share the same sympathy with upper legislative house. Remember, that last week, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara advised that the CCT and by extension the Presidency tread softly on the Saraki saga.” It will be recalled that the Chairman, Adhoc Committee on Media and Publicity, Dino Melaye fielding questions from pressmen about the proposed ministerial list screening said, it will not be business as usual. “The era of take a bow is gone; We will make sure all the nominees will be screened irrespective of political, ethnic and regional considerations,” Melaye said.

and card reader accreditation. Our correspondent also reports that Wike has so far presented

11 witnesses from seven local government areas to prove that the election was free and fair.

Wike Gets More Support

•Prince Abubakar Audu

APC’s Audu Predicts Power Shift In Kogi KOGI state All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the November governor ship election, Prince Abubakar Audu has declared that “power shift or rotation” would be realisable under his administration. The former governor gave the assurance at Kabba headquarters of the Western senatorial district when he formally introduced his running mate, Hon. James Abiodun Faleke at an APC zonal rally. He recalled the pains of marginalisation experienced by the people of former Kabba province both at Kwara and Benue states and will therefore not wish its continuation in the present Kogi state. According to Audu,the Ebira,Okuns and the Igala who were all brothers from Kabba province were partitioned to Kwara and Benue states where they suffered the unfortunate discrimination and marginalisation .”No one will wish his brother that sort of experience again” The APC flag bearer however assured that as soon as his party takes over mantle of leadership in the State,the process of power shift or rotation would commence,through consultations with all categories of stakeholders across the state to culminate in to a roundtable conference.”The state is for all of us,we cannot afford to be left out in the scheme of affairs of the nation,we have to be united”. On the choice of his running mate,

the APC candidate explained that though Chief Faleke,an indegine, who lives in Lagos has made waves in politics and business. He was local council Chairman in Lagos and now in his second term at the House of Representatives. Audu said the choice was not unilateral,but with due consultation with his people and party hierarchy: “He is young, dynamic, courageous,energetic and full of positive ideas and promising”. The former governor boasted that he paid workers their salaries during his tenure and challenged anybody, who has a contrary view to prove him otherwise. He promised Pensioners that all their rights denied by the present government would be promptly addressed.”I learnt the neglect by the present government has led to death of many Pensioners. We will address their issue with all seriousness.” The former governor who allayed the fears that APC government was coming to retrench workers,alleged that rather it was the PDP that has already prepared list of workers to be re trenched due to its in ability to pay salaries. . Insteadofretrenchingworkers,the un employed roaming the streets and graduates will be employed en mass.”We will create jobs for our youths. I established Obajana for you,but it has been taken over by those who don’t how it came about.Obajana Cement Company will employ many of you” the APC

FOUR more witnesses for Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers, on Thursday told the State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja that the April 11 governorship election was peaceful The witnesses, who were from different local government areas of the state, also declared that there were no cases of multiple thumb printing and ballot snatching in their respective polling units. The witnesses added that they were duly accredited by their polling unit officials and also waited for their votes to be counted before they left the venue. The witnesses included Mr. Obubeleye Briggs, a lawyer, who voted at polling unit 1 in Ward 13 of Akukutoru Local Government Area, and Rev. Canon Nwankwo, who voted at polling Unit 7, Ward 12 in Ikwere Local Government. Others are Mrs. Nkpang Igonikon, a public health worker, who voted at polling Unit 6, Ward 5 of Akukutoru Local Government Area, and Peter Michael, voted at unit 12 Ward 9 of Andoni Local Government. Briggs said that the election process was hitch-free and that after the whole process, the winner was later declared in his polling unit. Also, Rev. Canon Nwankwo, from the Anglican Church, said that the entire voting process in his unit was transparent and credible. Mrs Nkpang Igonikon, a health worker, said that she voted in her polling unit without any form of violence. Mr. Peter Michael, a community leader, told the tribunal that the election went well in his polling unit and that the tribunal should disregard “the lies of the APC witnesses”. Our correspondent reports that during the cross-examination by the APC Counsel, Mr. Akinlolu Olujimi (SAN), all the witnesses told the tribunal that they did both manual

APC Warns Against Fake Ministerial List By ADEBAYO NURUDEEN

NATIONAL Weekender can report that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has advised Nigerians not to accept in its entirety the list being bandied around in the media, but be patient for the official announcement of the names of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominees by the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday. The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said whatever names currently published in the media, no matter how authoritative, were mere speculations and should not be accepted as the names sent by the President to the Senate. The APC spokesman said: “Unfortunately, the Senate is yet to read the list, so whatever you read anywhere is mere speculation. Not until the Senate President reads out the list on Tuesday, it will be too premature for anybody to start making a comment on who and who is on the list. “But from what I take from what the

President said, people think there has been undue delay but he explained that the delay was due to the fact that there were no proper handover notes and that the transition committee was not helped much because the transition committee did not receive the handover notes until about four days to the handover.” Also reacting to statement credited to President Buhari that he will be in charge of the Ministry of Petroleum, Mohammed said Buhari, as onetime Minister of Petroleum and the Commander-in-Chief, was in the best position to oversee the very important ministry. He said: “I think not only all in the APC will be comfortable with that but I think Nigerians should be comfortable with it because he has been minister for petroleum resources before. So, he is not a rookie in the business. I think if the oil today accounts for almost 70 per cent of all our revenue, it is only proper that somebody who is knowledgeable, who has the experience and who is the Commander-in- chief should take that position.”

•Lai Mohammed

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Editorial

Nigeria @ 55:

Work Still In Progress NIGERIA, last Thursday, commemorated HER 55th independent anniversary and for the umpteenth time, on a very low note. Though the ratio appearstilted in favour of pundits that tip thenascent administration to fare better than previous governments in terms of providing the dividends of democracy to the teeming Nigerian population, the present situation of the country offers only a glimmer of hope. Nigerians who once had faith in the Buhari-led leadership to deliver on its pre-election promises, on the other hands, are suddenly being forced to review their expectations, no thanks to the string of unfulfilled promises left by previous government; a trend that the seeming slow nature of the incumbent President is beginning to remind them of. Aggravating the issue further is President Buhari's unwillingness to probe government’s preceding Dr. Goodluck Jonathan's tenure. It also puts a dent on President Buhari’s supposed

war against corruption, having being interpreted by critics of his government as being selective. A cursory look at howwell the country has fared in the past 55 years, reveals that not much progress have been made. For example, in spite of the fact that the country has managed to maintain its territorialintegrity,especially in the face of wanton attacks by insurgents, its citizens remain sadly divided along ethnic, religious and political lines. Unconsciously, the vast majority of compatriots resident in the country and abroad, still allow a minute few to exploit them usingthese yardsticks. A case in hand, is the easy conscription ofNigerians withimpressionable minds into the dreaded BokoHaram sect under the guise of religion. Politically, albeit many argue that the country for the last 16 years have enjoyed uninterrupted democracy,following the infightings, caused bylack of internal democracy within the various political parties

national

EEKENDER TEAM A Passion For Truth, Objectivity, Decorum

www.nationalweekender.net

NationalWeekender

@NWeekender

PUBLISHER/CHAIRMAN Evang. Solomon Ogba JP Photographer Fidelis Isibor

CEO/Editor-In-Chief Ben Alaiya Editor Desmond Ekwueme

Group Heads Bose Opene (Admin. Manager) Kunle Popoola (Circulation) Adewale Gbadebo (Info Tech) Emelia Sturhann (Internal Audit) Rosemary Ugiomoh (Advert) Benjamin Agbaje (Accounts) Comfort Daniel (Graphics)

Assitant Editor Francis Ogbonna Chief Sub-Editor Emiko Bake Correspondents Stephen Aya Charles Enwerem Ogunojemite Ayodele Adebayo Nurudeen

Graphic Artists Temitope Onakoya Benjamin Ogunleye Ukpong Imo-owo Raji Afeez

ADVERT HOTLINES

+234 8055069168, +234 8134597000, +233 244265856, +234-01-4540877

MISSION STATEMENT “Creating a better society through denizenic truthful reporting that will further cement Nigeria and global unity ”

CORPORATE HEAD OFFICE 19 Gbemisola Street, Off Allen Avenue, Ikeja - Lagos. Tel: 234 1 7364169

it is safe to conclude that it is not yetuhuru for the political landscape. Add to this is the fact that politiciansat the slightest provocation exit their parties, not for common Good, but for personal gains insisting that in Nigerianpolitics "there are no permanent friends, but interests." As it affects the economy, Nigeria still ranks among the world's poorest nation, despite its rich resource base. WithanestimatedGrossDom esticProductof$ 521.8billion (atPurchasingPowerParity) andpercapitaincomeof$3,00 5.51(2013),Nigeriaisanunder performer,givenhervastnatu ralresources,her170 million p opulations,thedynamismand diversityofherpeople. SomeotherThirdWorldc ountriesthatwereatcompa rablelevelsofdevelopment withherinthe1960sandwit hconsiderablylessnaturale ndowmentshavelefttheco untry far behind.SouthKor eahasaGDPof$1.164trillion andpercapitaincomeof$31, 700;MalaysiahasGDPof$31 3.2billionandpercapitainco meof$10,538.06andSingap ore,GDP$1.305 trillion and

percapita incomeof$59,700. Cyprus that shares the same independence date with Nigeria as at 2013 has a GDP of $ 21.91 billion and per capita $25,248.98. What makes the above realities more horrific is the fact that the governor Nigeria's apex bank, Mr. Godwin Emefiele recently disclosed thatgiving the circumstances on the ground if adequate care is not taken the country are headed for recession next year. The agricultural sector that would have served as a buffer of sort for the ailing economyremains largely moribund, notwithstanding the huge potentials the industry holds. Sports-wise, the country since Independence has experienced mixed fortunes. It is sad among other things that after Winning the Cup of African Nations (CAN) 2010 in South Africa, the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the next edition. Of course it is common knowledge contributing a large extent to this dismal performance of the Eagles, is the shoddy way in which

LETTER

the affairs of the senior team is being handled by the Federation, that will rather playpolitics that administer the gave Nigerians love so much. Regardless of these political, economic and social upheavals, it is not too late for the country'snew leadership tosave the day. If it put its acts together, it should be abletochangean dmakedemocracyworkfor thepeople.All it needs do is stoppublicand civil servants fromthecommonwealth,sp endthepeople’smoneyonme aningful projects that have direct bearing on the people ,reducecostofgovernance,en trenchtheruleoflaw,respectt herulesofdemocracyandleta cultureofservicereign. In addition to the above, the government must create employmentopportunities for its citizens. A right place to start would be to revisit with a view to opening up the extractive industry, which according to experts, apart from beingpotentialsources of revenue for the country, have the ability to employ a huge percentage of Nigerians when fullyexplored.

Send Your short and simple letters or comment to the editor@nationalweekenderonline.net

Buhari, Please Declare War Against Kidnapping PERMIT me to say that the rate at which kidnapping is being carried out lately is very alarming, and I hope President Muhammadu Buhari tackles this before it results into what happens in the Niger-Delta under the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s regime. Thank God former Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief Olu Falae was returned to his family safely. Obviously kidnapping has

replaced militancy and possibly would replace the dreaded insurgency in the North East. The Federal Government reacted swiftly on Olu Falae’s case apparently because he is a statesman but I dare ask how many of such kidnapping cases particularly among the not so wealthy or famous does government know and react to? Government must be commended also for rescuing the wife of the deputy Group

Managing Director of the Sun newspapers Steve Nwosu but again do we know hundreds of the less privileged who have been kidnapped and even killed? Indeed the war against kidnapping should be total just like the war declared against terrorism or Boko Haram. We have to get to its roots before it shakes the very foundation of our great nation just like Boko Haram is presently doing. –YetundeMakonjuola, Sango Ota, Ogun State

Quote Of The Week At 55, we have finally discovered that we are on the wrong road. We have finally moved to the road that leads to progress, hope, employment, prosperity and that will lead to Nigeria finally attaining that greatness that God destined it for. We are on the way.

–Chief John Oyegun, National Chairman APC

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

On My Own Y ou have been around for a long while, what would you say has been your staying power? I have been around officially for 19 years, would be 20 years next year. About what has kept me going, I would say focus. Number two would be perseverance. You see, when one knows where he or she is going, it is easy for such a fellow to persevere, in spite of the challenges. You just keep going, whether it is difficult or not, because you have a message. It is this future you see that makes you want to overlook the stress, the challenges and trials you face along the way. I sing about Go, so when the challenges come I go to Him and he sees me through. You were away for a while and news from the grapevine suggested that you relocated abroad? I left the country for about five years to seek the proverbial greener pasture. A few years back, it was a big struggle for gospel singers. Generally, we have lots of big ideas concerning music, but it is difficult implementingthemdue to lack of sponsorship. Most of the corporate organizations didn’t buy into your idea because it was gospel. Besides, the churches preferred to mind only their own businesses. Nevertheless, we still persisted, hoping that things would change. So, one day, I said to myself: ‘Why don’t you travel abroad and see what is happening over there, musically? So, I decided to do a tour of the United States of America. I went to about 10 cities, including Hawaii. Later, I went to South Africa and toured there as well. I had been

CONT’D ON PG 31

From Nothing To Something, Nowhere To Somewhere,, N Nobody obo ob od dy To Somebody. Somebody...

No Green Pastures For Gospel Music –Anne Inyang

•Are you patient? Can you listen isten and

listen and listen without uttering teringg a word? Do you have the nerves ves to stand tales of a suffering lady, y, who y could not find anything green een but harmmatan-roasted grey y in the proverbial ‘greener pasture’ ure’ and had to return to base after fter dumping her banking careerr for the musical stage? If you havee all these and more, then go on and read ad ANNE INYANG’S story as told to our men, FRANCIS OGBONNA NA and ADEBAYO NURUDEEN... N...

Photo By

Fidelis Isibor

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Entertainment

e f a c

TOO BAD!!!

Commentators Clash Over Mama G’s Deal By FRANCIS OGBONNA

ollywood goddess, Patience Ozokwor’s foray into the makebelieve world began after legendary thespian, Chief Chika Okpala (fondly referred to as Chief Zebrudaya, by his teeming fans) of the ‘New Masquerades’ fame invited her to take part in a TV commercial, where she played the wife of another Nollywood veteran, Pete Eneh. Although, it was the first time the former secondary school teacher, was exhibiting her acting skills before a camera, she put up an exquisite performance, that the TV Icon, impressed by her uncanny ability to interpret her role asked; “Where have you been all this while?”. Her display, quickly earned her another role, but this time, a lead role in a TV serial, ‘Someone Cares’ shot by her then TV hubby, Mr. Eneh. After that serial, the roles came flooding in and in no time, Mama G, as she is fondly called by her numerous admirers, had become a household name. To date, Mama G, who recently became a grand-mother, has featured in over 600 films, shot within and outside of the country. Also as should be expected, alongside her fame came all the good stuffs the entertainment industry holds for practitioners who excel at their trade, chief among them being the opportunity to endorse both established and promising brands, ranging from pharmaceuticals to telecommunication products. Perhaps the most rewarding brand, in terms of cash, she has served as ambassador to, is telecoms provider, MTN. Her contract with the telecoms giant, signed in 2012 was said to have run into several millions of naira. However, mid-2015, news of Nigeria’s second national carrier, Globacom signing Mama G as ambassador filtered into the airwaves, making her the second theatre artiste who has ported from the South African-owned GSM Company. The first being comedian and actor, Hafiz Oyetoro, simply referred to as ‘Saka’. Though not widely celebrated like that of the latter, Mama G’s switch from the ‘Yhello’ telecoms provider to Rule Your World telecom provider, has been generating a lot of debate, with most commentators divided over why she jumped ship. While some observers say it is strictly a business move, others have described the move as being unethical. “I don’t think there is anything wrong with Mama G or any entertainer for that matter, switching from a brand to their competitors as long as he or she is not under contract with the new brand. If you are conversant with this kind of contracts, there is usually a time-frame to such contracts and once the agreed period lapses, the signee is free to do whatever he or she wants,” one commentator said. “If Patience Ozokwor has breached any deal, MTN as an organization would have gone to court to seek for redress, but since they have not done so, it therefore means she has not erred in any way,” another added. “Ozokwor shouldn’t have accepted the offer from Glo to serve as ambassador; I believe it is ethically wrong. It doesn’t matter, what the term of her contract is, whether ambassadorial or just a one-off deal to do a commercial. The fact that she has at one time or the other, benefited in one form or the other from MTN, should have been enough for her to turn down the deal,” yet another concludes. Regardless of the argument being presented by these commentators, one thing is sure and that is the fact that, the actress throughout the duration of this new dea,l will be smiling to the bank. She has not only become several millions of naira richer, she stands the chance of having it renewed for several more years, if Glo is pleased with the value her signing adds to the brand. Telecommunications solutions provider, Globacom in July, signed the star actress as brand ambassador alongside hip-hop sensation Wizkid, popular comedians Ayo Makun (AY) and Bovi Ugboma, awardingwinning actor OC Ukeje, Odunlade Adekola, fast-rising Marvin Crew of Koredo Bello, Reekado Banks and Hadizah Blell (Di’ja) and many others.

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Entertainment

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

e f ca

I’m No Lesbian, But Kissed A Lady Once – Juliet Ibrahim

TOP Ghanaian actress cum Producer, Juliet Ibrahim, has always had a question mark when it comes to the true state of her sexuality. The humanitarian of Lebanese, Liberian and Ghanaian descent, in a recent chat with Ghanagist decided to clear up that misinterpretation of her person by some of her fans and lovers of her movies. The divorced single mother of one revealed that she has only kissed a lady once but has never slept with a woman in her life. “I’m not a lesbian. You will be wondering why I’m saying this because people always think I’m a lesbian. I always get questions when I play movie roles and stuffs but I’ve only kissed a girl once and that was in a movie and that was because I had to play a role. I’ve never been

with a lady before”. She emphasized that “there

is nothing wrong with it. You can do your thing if you like it, but I haven’t been with a girl before”. Juliet had in the past romantically linked with former Mr. Nigeria winner, Bryan Okwara but they both denied to love rumours.

Asa Gives Concert Money To The Needy

•Liz Anjorin

Liz Anjorin Set To Sue Rumour Peddlers •Says, I’m Not Broke YORUBA Actress-cum-singer, Liz Anjorin has debunked rumours making the rounds that she is broke. The ‘Ododo’ crooner, who revealed this recently to media men also took the opportunity to counter the existing claims that her situation is so dire, that she had to open up a local gin spot, popularly called ‘Pararga Joint’ to make ends meet. In her words: “Whoever says that I am broke might just be out of his or her mind as I am doing okay financially. It is just a fiction of their imagination and I pray that God will forgive them for wishing me bad. “Let me make it categorically clear, my business is doing fine.In fact my Super Market, ‘Peak Me Super Mart’ has never done better. The proceeds from ‘Peak Me’ and my other businesses is enough to give me the kind of life I want. To put it simply, I am very comfortable.” Anjorin who recently changed her name to Aisha, following her conversion to Islam, also vowed to file a law suit against the peddler of the news. The thespian, who has a way of courting controversy last June saw the social media went agog with the story that she had secretly wedded fast rising singer Jibo Morgan, popularly known as Jhybo. As it were giving credence to the story, Liz had earlier in the week, posted some wedding photographs of she and the Ejo Le Fero crooner with the caption, “Thank God, at last.’’

AWARD winning Nigerian singer, Asa, was recently in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, where she met with the Ivorian Health Minister, Dr. RaymondeGoudouCoffie, ahead of her weekend concert in the country. While taking a tour around some of the health facilities at the Marie Therese HouphouetBoigny Hospital, Adjame, Abijan, the singer was so touched with the way the hospital team were trying to ensure that lives were saved with the little resources at their disposal. Moved by what she saw, the singer promised to date the proceeds made from her Saturday, 4th October, 2015, show, to the hospital. According to her, the funds is to help in the fight and prevention of AIDS from mothers to infants as it is a cause that she feels needs serious attention. ‘Proceeds from my concert on Saturday in Abijan will be donated to the FNLS foundation to help this cause.”

•Juliet Ibrahim

Like In Bible, ‘Prophetess’ Victoria Kimani Deserts Kenya For Disrespect

•Kimani

CHOC City singer, Victoria Kimani, has explained why she has chosen to spend more of her time in Nigeria than her home country Kenya. The singer disclosed that she has gotten a lot of negativity from her Kenyan fans who have criticized her for neglecting her country and re-locating to Nigeria to do music but stressed that she will not be moved by what they say. She stressed that despite growing up in Nigeria as a teenager with her missionary parents in Benin, Nigeria gave her the opportunity of elevating her career when she got the offer from Chocolate City record label in 2012. She explained that she had struggled all alone while in Kenya to get her music out there but things were not that smooth for her until the Choc City contract came up. In her words, “The masses in Kenya may never truly respect what I have decided to do with my life, but they will dance to my music. Anyway, enough of my rant, let’s stop the hate and embrace love. We are all Africans.”

Stop Depending On Govt, Parents, Charlie Boy Tells Youth SINGER, Charlie Boy better known as Area Fada, in a recent interview, has called on Nigerian youths to step up their game by being dependent rather than waiting on the government. The singer pointed that despite the country’s level of independence, the youths of today still believes the government, parents and Nigeria still hold them a lot. “It is now 55 years since we gained independence as a nation. My serious concern is the youth who are said to be the future leaders. They are yet to see life

with the attitude of true independence,” he said. He said youths being the future leaders; they have to learn how to be self independent and struggle to make ends meet for themselves instead of hoping that one person somewhere will get them to the promise land. According to him, “They still look on government, their parents and Nigeria for everything and the change they so much desire cannot come that way. Why can’t they look inward, take their future in their hands through hard work and personal development?”

•Charlie Boy

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

London Daily Mirror-Pull-out In NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Bailey... bravest boy in Britain

NEW U.S GUN HORROR

The attack at Umpqua in Roseburg, Oregon, is the 45th shooting this year alone on an American campus. As the gunman scoured the college picking off victims, student Kayla Marie tweeted: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shooting. Everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s running. Holy God.â&#x20AC;?

14&27

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

London Daily Mirror-Pull-out In NATIONAL WEEKENDER

A TRANSGENDER woman is looking for a surrogate mum to have her baby â&#x20AC;&#x201C; using sperm she froze while still a man. Fay Purdham, 27, born Kevin McCamley, would be the first Brit to be a mother to a child she has biologically fathered. She said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Even before I knew I wanted to become a woman, I wanted to be a mother.â&#x20AC;? Fay, of Newcastle, who also wants to be a TV presenter, spent ÂŁ30,000

" '265: 1.+5+%#. &+513

! "$ (%"! ( & "$* # ! &" $ $ & ! "'& " & '$"# ! ! "! + $" % ')'$* " ! & %"'& " $ !

of her own money on gender reassignment. The NHS funded another ÂŁ30,000 of medical procedures. She added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s another ÂŁ100,000 to pay for a surrogate to provide eggs and carry the child.â&#x20AC;? Fay changed her name at 19 and had her first surgery at 21. She had sperm frozen before the main op. She plans to wed boyfriend Chris Dodd, 24, of Middlesbrough, her best friend as a child. Last week she was third in the Miss Transgender UK finals.

NEW U.S.

A BALD eagle capable of killing lambs, dogs and even toddlers has gone missing from a bird sanctuary. Helga, who has a 7ft wingspan and razor-sharp talons vanished during a display. A resident, who lives near the Raptor Centre in Groombridge, Kent, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I â&#x20AC;&#x2122;m keeping my six-year-old as well as my five dogs inside.â&#x20AC;?

A CASE of BSE, or mad cow disease, has been identified on an unnamed farm in Wales â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the first to hit the country since 2013.

!#' " # & $ #

The 83-year-old expat immediately came under fire, with Labour MP Karl Turner blasting: â&#x20AC;&#x153;If thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bigger hypocrite in British politics today than Nigel Lawson, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to see them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Trying to break our ties with Europe while living in a luxury villa in deepest France â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you really couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it up. Lawson already did his best to ruin Britain for the last generation, and now he wants to do it for the next.â&#x20AC;? Lord Lawson was PM Margaret Thatcherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slash-and-burn Chancellor for six years in the 1980s and became a Tory peer in 1992. He lives in Armagnac in a grand home with its own library and swimming pool. But that has not stopped him taking on the role of president of Conservatives for Britain, an exit movem ent ah ead of th e EU referendum. Lord Lawson said all were welcome to join the group. He warned yesterday that David Cameron would only secure â&#x20AC;&#x153;wafer thinâ&#x20AC;? reforms of the EU. Writing in The Times, he said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;A number of my colleagues in the Conservative Party are waiting to see what the Prime Minister negotiates If there is before deciding which way they a bigger will vote. & hypocrite & $ " $ & &# ( â&#x20AC;&#x153;We cannot afford to wait that long.â&#x20AC;? in politics Lord Lawson, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to father of celebrity BBC. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The problem is not B chef Nigella Lawson EEurope, the problem is the see them and journalist EEuropean Union. It is way Dominic Lawson, ppast its sell-by date.â&#x20AC;? ! insisted the fact he His appointment also faced had emigrated to ccriticism from rival Leave.EU Europe proves he is not xenophobic. campaign, which is backed by UKIP â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am not anti-European,â&#x20AC;? he told the donor Arron Banks. UKIP leader Nigel

Farage raged: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lord Lawson calls for all to support his campaign, but the fact it is called Conservatives for Britain and that he is so intimately associated with the Thatcher years is bound to limit appeal to Conservative voters.â&#x20AC;? ! $ $$"$ " '

$ !# $ "#!& $ % "!"% # GEORGE Osborneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hopes of being the next Prime Minister suffered a blow as two polls confirmed he is hated by the public. An IpsosMORI survey found just 15% of voters think the Chancellor is the best person to follow David Cameron â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a distant third behind Boris Johnson and Theresa May. And a Survation poll also put him on 15% â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10 points behind frontrunner Mr Johnson. With Mr Cameron now widely expected to step down in 2019, the fight to succeed him is heating up. Education Secretary Nicky

Morgan is the latest figure to add her name to an increasingly crowded field ahead of next weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tory Party conference in Manchester. She said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I hope that, in the not-too-distant future, there will be another female leader of a main political party.â&#x20AC;? Bookies slashed odds on her to 20/1, putting her behind Business Secretary Sajid Javid in fifth place. However, Mr Osborne remains the favourite. The IpsosMORI poll found he is the most popular choice among Tory voters, narrowly

#$ % #$" ahead of Mr Johnson by 32% to 29%.

Norman told how he heard shots then saw people scattering in all directions.

" # Speaking from inside the building, he " said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m locked down in the cafeteria with ! " 50 other students right now.â&#x20AC;? UCC Foundation Executive Director And others huddled together in Dennis Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard there is classrooms frantically waving a shooting, but we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t to those heading for lessons know whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on. And at the campus. Police said weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re scared. the gunman was shot dead â&#x20AC;&#x153;We locked our door and Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s after he killed 13 people and I went out to lock up the someone left 20 more injured in the rest rooms and could hear bloodbath at Umpqua four shots from the front of shooting. Community College in campus. We have heard Students Roseburg, Oregon. there are casualties but There were reports the nothing more.â&#x20AC;? are running. know attacker, who was 20, had Another member of staff warned of the impending Holy god at the adult education carnage â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the 45th school college added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Students came running in, we went shooting in the US this year.

As he scoured the college into lockdown.â&#x20AC;? There were picking off victims, student unconfirmed reports the Kayla Marie tweeted: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s someone killer had posted a warning of his shooting on campus. Students are running murderous intentions on social media everywhere. Holy god.â&#x20AC;? Trainee nurse Jared website 4chan. One message read: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Business

•President Buhari

Jitters Over Govt Single Warehouse Banking By OGUNOJEMITE E AYODELE AYODELE L THE new economic policy on warehousing of government revenues only in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) took effect. The commercial banks are jittery over the development. There are also fears that the policy which is aimed at curbing corruption, might negatively affect operations of banks and bank workers, who may lose their jobs. Small and Medium Scale (SME) business owners are not left out as they fear that commercial banks may not be strong to give out loans upon which they thrive. The federal government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari last month ordered that each and every Federal Government Ministry, Department or Agencyshould start paying into the Treasury Single Account (TSA) for all government revenues, incomes and other receipts. For any agency that is fully or partially self-funding, Sub-Accounts linked to TSA are to be maintained at CBN and the accounting system will be configured to allow them access to funds based on their approved budgetary provisions. This measure according to FG is specifically to promote transparency and facilitate compliance with sections 80 and 162 of the 1999 Constitution. A TSA is a unified structure of government bank accounts enabling

consolidation and optimal utilization h resources. It is off government cash a bank account or a set of linked bank accounts through which the government transacts all its receipts and payments and gets a consolidated view of its cash position at any given time. This means that henceforth, all receipts due to the Federal Government or any of its agencies must be paid into TSA or designated accounts maintained and operated in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), except otherwise expressly approved. Fully-funded organs of government like the Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Foreign Missions, as well as, the partially-funded ones, like Teaching Hospitals, Medical Centres, Federal Tertiary Institutions, etc. Agencies like the CBN, SEC, CAC, NPA, NCC, FAAN, NCAA, NIMASA, NDIC, NSC, NNPC, FIRS, NCS, MMSD, and DPR are also affected. In accordance with this directive, federal agencies and parastatals started paying into the TSA, moving their accounts from commercial banks into the TSA designated account at CBN Commercial Banks were on September 15, busy with the transfer of an estimated N1.2 trillion of public sector funds to the Central Bank in a bid to beat the deadline for the implementation of the TSA for MDAs. Nigerian banks were busy sorting out accounts of MDAs the

CBN circulated among banks to d f which h h off the h accounts was identify domiciled in their banks. In as-much as commercial banks have started complying with the directive and moving federal accounts domicile in their banks to the CBN, there are mixed feelings in the finance world. Financial analysts have predicted that implementation of the government policy will drain liquidity from the banking system, potentially putting some banks in a dire situation. Bismarck Rewane, CEO of Financial Derivatives Company said: “We expect an initial paralysis in the market and a disruption of operations of some of the banks but hopefully, they would overcome that.” He said the Central Bank could reduce the size of the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) commercial lenders are expected to keep and inject some liquidity into the banking system to minimize the impact of the new accounting policy. The CRR, which is the amount the Central Bank requires banks to set aside, is currently 31 per cent for both public and private sector deposits. An official of Guaranty Trust Bank, who did not want his name in print, said that the CBN gave banks a very long list of accounts of MDAs in banks. Each bank was told to identify the accounts domiciled in their bank and remit the funds to the CBN. He said that the list was

very long, showing that the CBN did k He said d that h b k its h home work. banks have no option but to comply with the directive, saying that the policy will further squeeze the already tight liquidity situation in the economy. In its analysis, the international investment bank, Renaissance Capital, quoted a CBN data as saying that “N1.2trn or seven per cent of system deposits is what could be affected by the TSA, with the effect on everyone. Deposits (NGN and FX) of up to 1,098 ministries, departments, and agencies (including schools, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigerian Communications Company (NCC), customs, Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) etc.) are affected.” The bank believes that financial institutions in Nigeria are bound to feel the heat given the fact that revenue collections and management used to be a veritable source of fund mobilisation by money deposit banks in the past. An Heritage Bank senior staff said thatthe policy will obviously affect the flow of liquidity in the banking system. “This is because once the banks collect government’s fund, it will be sent directly to the TSA. The free fund some banks used to enjoy will no longer be there. Also the impact on liquidity level in the banking system as a result of the TSA has caused a surge in money market

rates as banks scramble for funds to h liquidity l d positions. cover their Implementation of the TSA policy will have adverse effect on the full year results of banks this year, which automatically will be unpleasant for banks as this will translate to job cuts.If there is no money, there won’t be much liquidity and if there is not much liquidity, banks will have to cut cost and the only cost banks like cutting is staff cost. And when there is cut in staff cost, it means reducing staff strength.” He said. Senior staff member of Zenith Bank however is of the opinion that TSA will force commercial banks to do real banking. According tom him, real banking at this time means taking from the surplus to meet the deficit in the economy by giving out more loans and growing businesses because that is where they can make income since the demand deposit is shrinking which is what they usually trade with. “The impact on the economy is that we will start the real banking now as civil servants will no longer divert and hide government money in banks, as every money leaving the CBN back to the commercial banks will be accounted for. Banks on the other hand will have to look into all sectors try and bank everyone, come up with retail products, lend more, as that’s where we can make income. But some banks will have to lay off staff to reduce overhead.” He explained.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Business MARKETS/ COMMODITIES

CBN Exchange Rates FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES 02/10/15

DOLLAR POUNDS EURO FRANC YEN CFA WAUA RENMINBI RIYAL KRONA SDR

195.95 297.4129 219.6404 201.0775 1.6294 0.3156 274.6319 30.8156 52.2464 29.4374 275.055

196.95 298.9307 220.7613 202.1036 1.6377 0.3356 276.0334 30.9738 52.513 29.5876 276.4587

PRICE MOVEMENT AS AT Fri Oct . 2, 2015

Top Gainers TOTAL FO STANBIC WAPCO ETI

154.90 249.81 22.75 98.50 18.93

4.90 1.81 0.50 0.50 0.38

PRICE MOVEMENT AS AT Fri Oct. 2, 2015

Top Losers NIGSEWING NIWICABLE STOKVIS NESTLE 830.00 NB 141.20

-39.99 -5.80

FLIGHT SCHEDULE FIRST NATION AIRWAYS

Lagos – Abuja (Mon – Fri) 06:05, 09:30, 11:45, 16:00 (Sat) 06:50, 11:45 (Sun) 11:45, 16:00

Abuja – Lagos (Mon – Fri) 09:00, 11:30, 13:40, 18:30 (Sat) 09:00, 13:40 (Sun) 13:40, 18:30 Lagos – Portharcourt (Mon – Fri) 14:45 (Sat) 16:15 (Sun) 14:45 Portharcout – Lagos (Mon – Fri) 14:45 (Sat) 18:20 (Sun) 16:50 AERO CONTRACTORS Lagos - Abuja (Mon – Fri) 06:50, 13:30, 16:30, 19:00 (Sat) 12:30 (Sun) 15:30 MEDVIEW AIRLINES Lagos – Abuja (Mon – Fri) 07:00, 08:50, 12:00, 15:30 (Sat) 10:00, 15:00 (Sun) 17:30, 18:30 Abuja – Lagos (Mon – Fri) 09:00, 14:00, 15:00, 18:30 OVERLAND AIRWAYS LAGOS-ILORIN (MON-FRI) 07:15 LAGOS-IBADAN (MON-FRI) 7:00 IBADAN-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:00 IBADAN-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 16:30 ILORIN-ABUJA (MON-FRI)08:30 ILORIN-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 17:00 ABUJA-ASABA (MON-FRI) 10:00 ASABA-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 14:15 ASABA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 11:30 LAGOS-ASABA (MON-FRI) 13:00 ABUJA-ILORIN 16:00 ABUJA-IBADAN 15:00

Experts Approve Crude Oil Contracts

THE federal government’s decision to award marine transportation contracts for crude oil movements from terminals to the refineries is not only cost effective, but equally in tune with best environmental practices. This was the verdict of oil experts in response to a publication on an online news media that claimed in its reports, that the crude oil transportation contracts awarded under former president Goodluck Jonathan to PPP Fluid Mechanics (PPPFM) and its sister company, Ocean Marine Solutions Ltd (OMS) owned by Captain Hosa Okunbor and Dr. Tunde Ayeni respectively was fraudulent. But industry experts informed that the International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria and the state oil firm, the Nigerian National petroleum Corporation (NNPC) regularly face attacks on their production or transportation assets since an insurgency began in 2006 by armed militants campaigning for increased local share of the oil producing area (or Niger Delta’s) wealth. According to them organized crime groups are drilling into the pipelines -- in turn used to transport crude, gas and condensate -- to tap oil into barges for local refining or for sale to vessels waiting offshore. About 240,000 barrels per day of crude, close to what spilled in 1989 when the Exxon Valdez tanker ran aground off Alaska, leak in the Niger Delta where some of Earth’s most lucrative oil deposits exist. To bypass this daunting security and environmental challenges, the NNPC in December 2010 awarded a contract to PPP Fluid Mechanics (PPPFM) and Ocean Marine Solutions Limited (OMS) for the transportation of oil by marine vessels from the Escravos terminal to Warri refinery through an international competitive bidding exercise that included 13 other companies. Nigeria’s Warri and Kaduna refineries had been shut for 48 months

before the engagement of PPPFM due to a lack of supply of crude oil feed stock. Using the existing pipelines had become uneconomical for the NNPC which spent an average of $121 million to maintain and repair the Escravos to Warri broken crude oil pipeline that had an unusually high and environmentally damaging 40 percent loss of crude oil pumped through it. IOCs had previously borne the brunt of the sabotages but now it was equally beginning to hit the Nigerian economy. Shell’s former CEO, Peter Voser, mentioned in 2013 that the company had “seen a marked escalation in security problems and theft in Nigeria in 2013,” which could lead to a loss of “$12bn for the Nigerian government on an annualised basis”. The Nigerian economy, with more than 170 million people grew at around 7 percent annually, between 2010 and 2014; however energy constraints remain the major hurdle that could hold back future growth. The NNPC says maintaining vital energy supplies was the major reason for the PPPFM contract for transportation of crude oil using marine vessels awarded at a cost of $3.87 per barrel. A separate dedicated surveillance contract for the provision of six security boats was awarded to OMS for an average cost of $1.5 per barrel. Within the delta, about 5,280 oil wells are linked by 7,000 kilometres (2,700 miles) of pipelines. “It is perhaps not well understood by outside observers how diverse and complex the region is. There are about 40 different ethnic groups speaking 250 languages and dialects, living in over 13,000 settlements. According to GTZ estimates based on National Population Commission data, the overall population of the Niger Delta stands at over 30 million people and is expected to exceed 45 million people by 2020,” Ildar Davletshin, an oil and gas analyst at Investment Bank, Renaissance Capital, said in a May 2014 report.

THE Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) has up-graded and incorporated several agro-allied units into FUNAAB Companies, and repositioned them for agric-based processing and production. The upgraded FUNAAB Companies, which was established in 2009 as Industrial Park Unit, incorporates breweries where local drinks such as palm wine, are being processed; bakery for bread and confectioneries production; milling plants where palm oil, cashew, honey, rice, cassava and yam flours

ABOUT 80 per cent of imported goods in Nigeria come through the nation’s seaports, the DirectorGeneral, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Joseph Odumodu has said. He explained that more than half of Nigerian importers prefer to use the nation’s seaports, especially the ones situated in Lagos to bring in their goods into the country. According to him, this preference by Nigerian importers had given the nation’s seaports an edge over other modes of importation into the country such as the international land borders and the international airports. However, Odumodu decried Nigerians’ preference for foreign goods, pointing out that this has to change so that the Nigerian economy could thrive. He revealed that it was Nigerians’ preference for foreign-made goods that has made Nigeria’s consumption pattern to be about 80 per cent of imported products.

The SON helmsman stated this at an interactive session with journalists in Lagos. Odumodu was represented at the forum by SON Director of Inspectorate and Compliance Directorate, Bede Obayi. He used the occasion to announce the integration of SON’s services and certificates into the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS). He stated that the main purpose of NICIS was to primarily drive home SON service delivery capabilities. Enumerating the benefits of NICIS, he said it covers the critical areas such as itemising HS codes of products regulated by SON for the public to easily confirm if a product is SON’s regulated or not. According to him, NICIS has provided a list of SON’s documentation requirement before approval can be granted for a regulated product to be imported into Nigeria; converting all SON Certificates/documents required for importation of regulated products

to electronic format; provide online and real-time means of transmitting the certificates to the trade portal/ NICIS by consignee, with e-product certificate for processing Form ‘M’ and e-SONCAP Certificate for processing Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) using any device such as phones, tablets or PCs at any convenient location; processing of Form M easier as importers with valid e-certificate can simply attach the certificate to their form when processing Form M at the comfort of their homes or offices; as well as eliminating direct contact such as visits to SON office for certification processing. SON was until 2011, part of the cargo clearing processes in the nation’s seaports, international land borders and airports. It was, however, ordered to leave the ports following outcry on the high number of government agencies that are involved in the cargo clearance processes.

• Goodluck Jonathan

Abeokuta UniAgric Pumps-Up Companies

Odumodu Fingers Nigerian Goods Lower Rating

are being processed as well as butchery. Speaking on the recent upgrade of former Industrial Park Unit to FUNAAB Companies, Modupe Agbotoba, Production Manager, FUNAAB Companies, disclosed that the transformation was imperative in order to expand the scope of agriculture-based processing and production for more wealth creation, employment generation, efficiency and better service delivery. She said that the companies had been upgraded to serve as an industrial training centre for students through training and retraining methods in processing and production expertise as well as techniques, adding that efforts were at the final stages to ensure that all companies’ products were duly registered by National Agency for Food, Drug, Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and made available to markets across the country. While speaking on sources of raw-materials, Agbotoba explained that FUNAAB Companies sourced raw-materials internally from FUNAAB – Agricultural Media Resources and Extension Centre (AMREC) and other relevant centres within the university as well as other farmers outside the institution, who supply produce on regular basis, to the FUNAAB Companies. Meanwhile, Margaret Bamgbose, accountant, FUNAAB Companies, who lauded the University Management for recent purchase of two buses for operational use within the companies, revealed that a lot still needed to be done in terms of funding, which is a major challenge, explaining that the effort was a follow-up to Federal Government’s policy on self-reliance.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Health

L ORAL CANCER •What’s It? Who gets It?

Supernatural

iving with

PASTOR EBENEZER BAMISHE

•Detection •Symptoms •Cure?

Cancer is defined as the uncontrollable growth of cells that invade and cause damage to surrounding tissues. Oral cancer appears as a growth or sore in the mouth that does not go away. Oral cancer, which includes cancers of the lips, tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses, and pharynx (throat), can be life threatening if not diagnosed and treated early. Symptoms of Oral Cancer The most common symptoms of oral cancer include: • Swellings/thickenings, lumps or bumps, rough spots/crusts/or eroded areas on the lips, gums, or other areas inside the mouth • The development of velvety white, red, or speckled (white and red) patches in the mouth • Unexplained bleeding in the mouth • Persistent sores on the face, neck, or mouth that bleed easily and do not heal within 2 weeks • A soreness or feeling that something is caught in the back of the throat • Hoarseness, chronic sore throat, or change in voice • Dramatic weight loss If you notice any of these changes, contact your dentist or health care professional immediately. Who Gets Oral Cancer? According to research, men face twice the risk of developing oral cancer as women, and men who are over age 50 face the greatest risk. Risk factors for the development of oral cancer include: • Smoking. Cigarette, cigar, or pipe smokers are six times more likely than non-smokers to develop oral cancers. • Smokeless tobacco users. Users of dip, snuff, or chewing tobacco products are 50 times more likely to develop cancers of the cheek, gums, and lining of the lips. • Excessive consumption of alcohol. Oral cancers are about six times more common in drinkers than in nondrinkers. • Family history of cancer. • Excessive sun exposure, especially at a young age. • Human papillomavirus (HPV). Certain HPV strains are etiologic risk factors for OropharyngealSquamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) It is important to note that over 25% of all oral cancers occur in people, who do not smoke and who only drink alcohol occasionally. What Is the Outlook for People With Oral Cancer? The overall 1-year survival rate for patients with all stages of oral cavity and pharynx cancers is 81%. The 5- and 10year survival rates are 56% and 41%, respectively. How Is Oral Cancer Diagnosed? As part of your routine dental exam, your dentist will conduct an oral cancer screening exam. More specifically, your dentist will feel for any lumps or irregular tissue changes in your neck, head, face, and oral cavity. When examining your mouth, your dentist will look for any sores or discolored tissue as well as check for any signs and symptoms mentioned above. Your dentist may perform an oral

brush biopsy if he or she sees tissue in your mouth that looks suspicious. This test is painless and involves taking a small sample of the tissue and analyzing it for abnormal cells. Alternatively, if the tissue looks more suspicious, your dentist may recommend a scalpel biopsy. This procedure usually requires local anesthesia and may be performed by your dentist or a specialist. These tests are necessary to detect oral cancer early, before it has had a chance to progress and spread. How Is Oral Cancer Treated? Oral cancer is treated the same way many other cancers are treated -with surgery to remove the cancerous g r o w t h , followed by radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy ( d r u g treatments) to destroy any remaining cancer cells. What Can I Do to Prevent Oral Cancer? To prevent oral cancer: • Don’t smoke or use any tobacco products and drink alcohol in moderation (and refrain from binge drinking). • Eat a well-balanced diet. • Limit your exposure to the sun. Repeated exposure increases the risk of cancer on the lip, especially the lower lip. When in the sun, use UVA/B-blocking sun protective lotions on your skin, as well as your lips. You can take an active role in detecting

oral cancer early, should it occur, by doing the following: • Conduct a self-exam at least once a month. Using a bright light and a mirror, look and feel your lips and front of your gums. Tilt your head back and look at and feel the roof of your mouth. Pull your checks out to view the inside of your mouth, the lining of your cheeks, and the back gums. Pull out your tongue and look at all surfaces; examine the floor of your mouth. Look at the back of your throat. Feel for lumps or enlarged lymph nodes in both sides of your neck and under your lower jaw. Call your dentist’s office immediately if you notice any changes in the appearance of your mouth or any of the signs and symptoms mentioned above. • S e e your dentist on a regular schedule. Even though you may be conducting frequent self exams, sometimes dangerous spots or sores in the mouth can be very tiny and difficult to see on your own. The American Cancer Society recommends oral cancer screening exams every 3 years for persons over age 20 and annually for those over age 40. During your next dental appointment, ask your dentist to perform an oral exam. Early detection can improve the chance of successful treatment.

Obedience To The Truth

THE truth is the fundamental principles or laws upon which everything in existence drives its source of existence, essence and survival. The concept of Nation or State building is synonymous to the act of creativity exemplified by the Almighty God in the first book of the Bible where it states the account of the creation of heaven and the earth, the most astonishing act in the event of creation is not the heaven and the earth that God created but His act of obedience to the laws or principles of creation, If the creator could obey laws and creatively creates a creation, how can it be possible for the creatures to successfully create their own society without considering the laws. There is no manufacturer that can manufacture a product without a manual book and it is not possible for a scientist to arrive at a solution without a step theory. Jesus is the truth, according to the word of God in the book of John 14v6, by interpretation it means that Jesus is an embodiment of the truth, because He possessed the knowledge of the truth as a result of learning the truth and His obedience to the truth. All the nations of the world are in a serious dilemma of socio political, economic trauma and spiritual darkness, the hearts of men are failing fast and there is no nation getting it right. Jesus Christ said something about building in the book of Mathew chapter 7vs24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. Everything is built on principles and failure to build on the right principles will attracts consequence, it is wise to obey God’s word. Obedience to the truth is an act of proof of strength and the most constant phenomenon is the truth, because it cannot be changed, facts and realities may change with seasons and time, antecedent and the gathering of momentum could take different dimensions, growth and development can occur in different formations with due regards to family values, discoveries, societal development or the challenges that come with every world order but the truth is very fundamental and unchangeable There is no individual, family or nation that can survive through trial and error, disobedient, lies and falsehood against the truth of God’s word, because God’s property is the whole universe: He has the manual book of the true cosmos of the universe operation in His possession, the needs to established this basic truth is very paramount, the pursuit to continue building on values that are in opposition to God’s word will only lead to frustration and destruction . Now, you ca n make it right with Jesus, turn away from disobeying the truth of God’ word and accept Jesus Christ into your life and you shall be saved.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Campus Square

ACADA

LASU To Grant Male Staff Paternity Leave THE Lagos State University (LASU) on Monday advised its male staff members to avail themselves of paternity leave, approved for workers in Lagos state's Public Service. The advice is contained in the university’s official bulletin, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Lagos. It noted that while deserving female members of staff of the institution had been proceeding on maternity leave, their male counterparts were yet to enjoy it. "The university authority hereby reminds members of staff (male) of the existing Lagos State Maternity and Paternity Leave approved for employees in the state's civil service. "It would be recalled that the university authority at its meeting on Sept. 8, 2014, considered and approved the implementation of the new Lagos State maternity and paternity leave for officials in the state’s public service,’’ it said. According to the bulletin, the male members of staff who wish to make official request for paternity leave are to do so on the first day of delivery of the baby. "In addition, for deliveries that fall on weekends, application should be forwarded to the establishment on the first day of work. "Please, note that paternity leave is for the first 10 days in relation to and at the time of thefirst two deliveries of a male staff's spouse," the publication said.

VOX POP With

OGUNOJEMITE AYODELE OG ogunojemiteayodele@yahoo.com

Nigeria @ 55:What About The Youth?

Bedbug Invade UNILAG Hostels •Management Postpones Examination As Students Protest

HUNDREDS of students of the University of Lagos yesterday staged a protest against bed bug, which they said invaded their campus hostels. In a communique issued by the school management which read in part “Following the incessant trouble bedevilling the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the institution has decided to postponed its forthcoming examinations slated for October 12 to 19”. The protest as gathered by our reporter started from Marire Hall to New Hall comprising Sodeinde Hall, EniNjoku,MakamaBida Hall, Madam Tinubu Hall, Fagunwa Hall. Deputy Registrar (Information)

By OGUNOJEMITE AYODELE Mr OlagokeOke who promulgated this to news men said that the institution would change the bed bug infested mattresses and furniture, which led to the protest and fumigate the hostels. He said: “We cannot fumigate when students are on campus so we would wait for them to go on break before that. But plans are at an advanced stage to procure new mattresses for all the hostels. It is not just one mattress we are buying, but many, so it would take some processes and negotiations. The university is giving the students a one-week postponement of their examinations also.”

Students Union President Abiodun Martins urged management to go beyond yearly fumigation after procuring the mattresses. Clerk of parliament, AdeonipekunAdeyanju said: “Management has agreed to buy new mattresses and change the bunks in the hostels and also buy a covering for the mattresses to prevent them from easy harm and dirt. However, I would advise them to fumigate every week once they start. Those things can hide anywhere and they have already laid eggs in hidden corners. So they can fumigate every week for a period of one month or even more to be sure they are all gone.”

Ambode Distributes Free Life Jackets To Poly Students Condemn Debtor Governments Students POLYTECHNIC students in Nigeria have shown yet to recover from the last nationwide strike that By OGUNOJEMITE AYODELE

NO fewer than 2,400 specially designed life jackets have been distributed to pupils at five primary schools in the Sabokoji, AmuwoOdofin LGA of Lagos state, two months after six pupils died in a boat mishap. The life jackets were supplied by the Akinwunmi Ambode-led Lagos State government, through the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA). According to the LASWA Managing Director, Abisola Kamson, the jackets were specially made for the pupils who will use them. She noted that the government hopes to safeguard the lives of pupils, hence its efforts to ensure that all those who use water transportation wear life jackets to prevent drownings. "Drowning is a major problem among children living in riverine areas," Kamson said. "Our goal is to reduce the number, if not eradicate it completely. "We are here as part of the government’s concentrated efforts to encourage and improve water safety in the state.” The Executive Secretary of AmuwoOdofin LGA,Modupeola AjibolaOjodu, thanked the government for the life jackets and urged the beneficiaries to use them. Also present at the occasion was the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, Oluseyi Whenu, who said the donation was made as part of the government's integrated inter-modal transportation system There have been several mishaps on Lagos waterway in the recent past. In July, six pupils died after a motorized boat hit a fibre boat that was conveying about 12 children and an adult to school within the Ebute Ojo waterways in Ojo LGA of Lagos. The deaths were blamed on failure to use lifejackets.

support for their lecturers as they condemned state governments that are owing lecturers salaries. The students however called on the leadership of the Academic Staff Unionof Polytechnic (ASUP) not to go through with is its planned strike action. The National Public Relations Officer of the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), Damola Olugbode, made the call following recent threats by ASUP to embark on another industrial action over the non-payment of salaries and arrears of its members teaching at some state owned polytechnics. Olugbode told our correspondent that NAPS aligns itself with the lecturer's demands, but it wants ASUP to shelve the planned strike because polytechnics are

lasted for over a year. “Considering that the polytechnic community is yet to recover from the 13 months nationwide strike which paralyzed the 2013/2014 academic session, which boils down to loss of students and the highest price payer during and after the strike, NAPS cannot afford seeing the students staying back at home or watch our future altered or joked with,"Olugbode said. “We solidarize and join the staff union in condemning the callous act of state governments owning lecturers for as much as eight to ten months; we declare our support to the union getting their pay from concerned state governments by other means rather than closing our institutions."

Ibadan Poly Students Protest Death Of Colleagues By RUFAI OLATUNBOSUN STUDENTS of the Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State, on Tuesday protested against the death of one of their colleagues, Rapheal Akintaro, of the Electrical and Electronic Department, accusing the institution of not doing enough to enhance the health facility on the campus. Newsmen gathered that Akintaro, a student at the institution's Electrical and

Electronic Department, died after taking ill after an examination on Monday. The protesting students caused gridlock along the Sango-Poly Road after blocking all the major roads leading to the campus. The students believe that Akintaro died because of poor health facilities, adding that the medical personnel demanded for the student’s identification instead of treating him first. The students, who displayed

several placards that expressed their displeasure with the authorities, called on the state government to declare a state of emergency in the school. According to the school's Public Relations Officer, Soladoye Adewole, who was quoted in a Punch report, the deceased was taken to the school clinic when he initially fell ill but died while he was being transferred to the Oyo State Hospital, Adeoyo, Ibadan.

By PHILIP OKORODUDU IT is that time of the year again when we do a recap of our achievements or otherwise as a nation. A nation that came to be not as a result of necessity and need of the people but because of the egocentric delusion of colonial masters who wanted a wider dominance and control of a vast area of land and people. As is the norm, government at all levels have rolled out the drums to celebrate their achievements even though many of them are certain that they have failed in their mandate to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people. Over the years, however, Nigerians have become accustomed to these empty praises that lack the necessary ingredient of believability. The fanfare, pomp and joy that ought to greet a day like this has waned down into mere rituals that people only look forward to the work free days rather than the celebration of independence itself. These days, people are quick to point out that there is rarely anything to celebrate. Many a citizen has given up on the Nigerian state. Many now strive for survival and care less about the emancipation of the country from the various challenges besetting it. Sadly, successive governments have not helped to reshape the thinking of its citizens. People now look for various ways to leave the country, legitimately or illegitimately. The situation is appalling. The Nigerian situation is indeed a startling paradox. In spite of a robust endowment in natural and human resources, the level of poverty of her people stands in sharp contrast to the country’s vast wealth. The rich continue to accumulate more wealth at the expense of the poor whom they exploit and take the little that they have. The youth, the acclaimed leaders of tomorrow, have become pawns in the hands of the ruling elites. Even as they continue to wait for their tomorrow to come that seems to be more of a mirage than a reality, they need to survive and the political elites use them to feather their nests. Fifty-five years after independence, there is still no place for the Nigerian youth. The only place for them currently is the streets where they continue to roam in search of definition for their lives. The most daring and less ethical of them find alternatives in acts that are at variance with the Nigeria At 55, it is obvious that Nigeria has yet to find direction. Without an enforceable blueprint, the task of nation building with due consideration for the role of the youths and the relinquishing of power to youths and those young at heart will continue to elude Nigeria. A chronicle of the roles that the youths have played since the attainment of independence and the challenges that have plagued the country since 1960 should have made pundits to believe in the youths. Quite a number of Nigeria military rulers were youths at the time they assumed power and some of their efforts were commendable at the time. It was Gowon who ensured that the Nigerian state still exist as it is today. The advent of the 4th republic in 1999 brought a lot of hope that reprieve had finally come the way of its citizens. Sixteen years down the line, the much desired reprieve is still elusive. The level of youth participation in policy making and in both the economic and social issues is perhaps a better standard of comparison for the measurement of the growth of a nation. And if we apply such to Nigeria presently, it is obvious that 55 years since the attainment of independence, we are still very far from our Eldorado. Thus, the older generation is skeptical of the abilities of the present day youth. Truth is, 55 years after independence, the youths themselves have lost hope in themselves. Quite a number of the youths now see one another as second fiddle, fit only to serve under somebody hence there is the need for value reorientation. What the youths of today can do in the area of value reorientation is to champion the cause of changing the mindset of, first and foremost, themselves and then that of their friends, colleagues, associates, family members. This is expedient because there are quite a large number of youths who have lost hope in the Nigeria project and whose consciousness needs to be reawakened on this critical aspect. Also, the neglect of youths has led many of them to seek greener pastures outside the shores of the country, countries, some of which, for all intent and purposes, cannot be compared to Nigeria in terms of basic amenities. Yet, our youths abound in these places. There is the need to come back home and contribute to nation building. At 55 years, it is high time we took what belongs to us legitimately and stop the exportation of our best brains abroad to develop other countries at the expense of our dear fatherland. In essence, the challenge of brain drain that is currently inherent in Nigeria can be tackled and solved by the youths themselves. Perhaps a key issue for the youths of Nigeria at the country’s ripe age of 55 years is to take to vocations that they are skilled in. White collar jobs are rarely available and those at the corridors of power are always intent on giving the available ones to friends and relatives. Hence, it is time that youths of this dispensation took to entrepreneurship. If successive leaders have chosen to toe the path of neglecting the youths, the brain box of the future, then we must not neglect ourselves or the generation that would come after us. At 55, it is time for us to think outside the box and proffer bold solutions to our own problems. If the older generations, who are supposed to be the hawks to catch chickens for us, have failed to do so, then we must learn to catch our own chickens. The best time is now. Happy birthday Nigeria

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Celebrity Cruize

Amanda

Loves ‘em, They Love

Amanda ...Find Out Who

•She amongst other dreams, dropped the ambiƟon of becoming a Diplomat for the movies; she studied InternaƟonal RelaƟons and Diplomacy; she swam against her Dad and mum’s desire to see her grow into a Lawyer, Doctor, Diploma to become an actress, she got a the press sƟng once when she jocularly said $50m would get her nude on the screen; she now cannot act nude for no-maƩeramount – she teaches morals to parents and kids and would not want deviaƟon ... Amanda Ebeye really talke and talked and there was our all ears to the ground men, FRANCIS OGBONNA and STEPHEN AYA to capsule this for you ... Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself? My name is Amanda Ebeye, I am from a family of five, and my mum is a Fashion Designer and a cosmetologist, while my father is a Bio-medical

Engineer. We are four girls and one boy and I am a graduate of International Relations and Diplomacy from Abia State University, Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria. You could have done

CONT’D ON PG 20

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, Octob October ober er 99,, 20 er 22015 01155

Celebrity Cruize

NATIONAL WEE WEEKENDER E

‘Walkin

SUNSH With Jim Happ –Aman

CONT’D FROM PG 19 anything with yourself, yet you chose acting. What must have informed that decision? Acting has always been my passion, but like you know, the average Nigerian parent would prefer you do something much more ‘professional’. They would rather be called the father or mother of f a doctor, lawyer, diplomat than an entertainer. For me, I just felt that I needed to go to school and have an education before I pursue my passion, I didn’t want to come there and not have an educational background of any sort… What has acting done for you, of course apart from attracting fame your way? It has done a lot of things for me and has given me open doors, but apart from being popular, it has helped me become a teacher to a lot of people. Yes, I get loads of favours because; people are always nice to me, especially my fans. I get easy favours and preferential treatment. I don’t have to queue; I don’t have to pay for certain things. I like the fact that I can go on TV and educate people about life and several issues that affect them. I am not just somebody that occupies their space, I like to see myself as a teacher, because every role or character I play, someone is actually going through them, so it is always an opportunity for me to educate them and empathize with them, that they are not the only the ones going through whatever they are going through. What is the most difficult role you have played so far? The most difficult role I have played so far is in a particular movie, where I had to play twins. It was my first time I played that kind of a role, but in the end it was all fun. You look more beautiful in person; with this kind of look it should be normal to attract a lot of male fans. How do you handle these male fans? I manage them because without

h I am noth h them I don’t just cha them tend to cr that it is becau I d, that they m

AcƟ been m like y average would someth ‘profe would the fa of f a diplo entert just fe to go have befor passio to com have a back

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Celebrity Cruize

ng On HINE’ m Iyke, My piest Day nda Ebeye thing, hi they h actually ll k keep me going. i ase them away even when some of cross the line. I appreciate the fact use they love and appreciate what make such advances. I love them,

Ɵng has always my passion, but you know, the e Nigerian parent d prefer you do thing much more fessional’. They d rather be called ather or mother doctor, lawyer, lomat than an rtainer. For me, I elt that I needed o to school and e an educaƟon ore I pursue my on, I didn’t want me there and not an educaƟonal kground of any sort…

they h love l me, and d they h k keep me going. i What is the weirdest thing a male fan has ever done to you? Oh! One of them tried to kiss me on one occasion, he was really old… And what did you do? I tactically dodged him… And what was his response? He said, “Oh you kiss everybody on TV and yet you don’t want to kiss me. I must kiss you too”. If you were to sum up all the films you have acted, what figure would it amount to? Trust me, I have lost count of them…I can’t really say. What is your next big project? It is not actually in Lagos, it will be happening outside Lagos. Having said that, I wouldn’t want to disclose that, but suffice

CONT’D ON PG 22

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Celebrity Cruize

I Am Myself’s Rival –Amanda Ebeye CONT’D FROM PG 21 it to say that I am currently working on something huge, when it is ready I will let you in on it. It is fantastic and something that everyone should look forward to… When are you getting married? For now, I don’t know. I believe it is still open, do you want to propose? Is there anyone in view? For now, nobody. Beyond acting, what else do you do? That’s all I do… Bu t if you were not acting what would you have been doing? I would be a diplomat. You are also a model; how did that happen? I got into modelling before acting. My family lives in Benin. It was actually modelling that brought me to Lagos. I had jobs with banks, pharmaceutical companies and others. How did your parents take it when you got into modelling? My mum was more interested in my education. My dad didn’t want to hear of it but my mum didn’t mind as long as I got a degree. Immediately I finished my studies, she allowed me. Can you remember how much you were paid for your first role and how you felt about it? I can’t really remember. I think it was N5,000 or thereabout. I didn’t care about the money, I was so happy. Valucci was the director’s name and I got there just when the audition was about to end. The name of the movie was Weeping Tiger. I was late for the audition but the director saw me and still called me to read. That was how I got the

...I have an image I am keeping and wouldn’t want it tarnished for any reason. I have people who look up to and I wouldn’t want to disappoint them. Above all that, I am an African and the last Ɵme I checked, it is unAfrican to do that.

role. I was in Jim Iyke’s music band. It was unbelievable. I was walking on sunshine because it was the happiest day of my life. Why do you do more of soaps than movies? There was a time I stopped doing movies and concentrated on soap operas. That was between 2009 and 2011. And since 2011, I have been doing strictly movies apart from Bella’s Place that is owned by Royal Roots. Can you act nude? I cannot act nude; of course I wouldn’t act nude for any amount… Why? Because I have an image I am keeping and wouldn’t want it tarnished for any reason. I have people who look up to and I wouldn’t want to disappoint them. Above all that, I am an African and the last time I checked, it is un-African to do that. Have you had any negative press before over something you did or said? Yes, that was because I had jocularly said I could act nude if I was given $50 million somewhere… I can never go nude, who in Nigeria will really pay you that amount to go nude. You hardly get any film in Africa that has

that kind of budget in the first place let alone, pay an actor or actress that sum just to act. If you were to change anything about the movie industry today, what would it be? Piracy, I wished we could just come together and kill this thing (piracy) once and for all; because it kills us. Who is you greatest rival in the industry? I think it is I. I don’t have any rival and neither do I have any competition. Have you had reasons to reject any script before and if yes, under what circumstances? Yes! I have had reasons to reject a lot of scripts, when they don’t make sense. You see, I want every child, and parent when they watch me act to take home something. If I wouldn’t be teaching or imbibing any value in my viewers, I would drop such scripts.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Foreign News

Russian Jets Strike IS Command Centre In Syria Russian warplanes have destroyed an Islamic State command centre in Syria, according to Moscow's Defence Ministry. The Sukhoi-34 jets also targeted a training camp obliterating infrastructure which the ministry claims was being used to prepare "terrorists". Moscow claimed it has carried out 18 attacks in Syria since Thursday night, with 12 of them hitting Islamic State targets. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, one Russian airstrike has killed at least 12 IS militants in Raqqa province. Earlier, the group had reported that warplanes, believed to be Russian, had also targeted Qaryatain overnight - a town which lies about 80 miles northeast of Damascus. Russian jets have mainly been bombing central and southwestern parts of Syria. Idlib has seen the brunt of the attacks, while Aleppo and Hama have also been struck. Idlib province is controlled by a coalition of rebel groups - including the Nusra Front, a terror group linked to al Qaeda. It comes as President Vladimir Putin prepares to discuss Russia's involvement in Syria's civil war with his German and French counterparts in one-onone meetings On Thursday, the US accused Russia of "indiscriminate" bombing against the Syrian opposition, but the Kremlin said its aim is the same as that

of America: to target terrorist groups. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has admitted IS is not his military's only target, as other anti-Assad groups will also be pursued. "If it looks like a terrorist, if it walks like a terrorist, if it acts like a terrorist, if it fights like a terrorist, it's a terrorist," he told reporters at the UN General Assembly in New York. The Kremlin has denied reports that some of its strikes earlier in the week had killed at least 36 civilians, including five children. Russia, which sees the regime of Bashar al Assad as a strategic ally in the Middle East, began strikes after a request from the government in Damascus.

Kunduz: Fierce Fighting As Afghan Forces Struggle To Oust Taliban FIERCE clashes raged in Kunduz Friday despite Afghan government claims they had retaken the city from Taliban fighters, forcing residents to cower in their basements as explosions and gunfights rocked the northern city. The battle for control of the city continued despite support from US-led Special Forces joining Afghan troops in efforts to push back the Taliban, who seized the city five days ago in a lightning strike. With parts of the city still wracked with violence, and following claim and counter-claim by the Afghan government and the Taliban over who controlled the city, only a limited picture has emerged of conditions inside Kunduz.

11 Killed In US Military Plane Crash SIX American airmen and five passengers have died in a military plane crash in eastern Afghanistan. The C-130 transport plane came down in the early hours of the morning at an airfield in Jalalabad, some 80 miles from the capital Kabul. The passengers were civilian contractors working for NATO's Resolute Support mission. US military officials are investigating the cause of the crash. The Taliban claimed on social

media they shot down the plane, but an American military source said there was no indication of hostile fire. There are around 9,800 US troops in Afghanistan, with more expected to be withdrawn by the end of the year. In the north of the country, Afghan troops have recaptured the centre of Kunduz, three days after Taliban militants took the city in a humbling defeat for Kabul and its US allies. Fighting is continuing in other parts of the city, raising questions

about whether NATO-trained Afghan forces will be able to battle insurgents now most foreign troops have left the country. Residents said soldiers were searching houses and had removed the Taliban flag from the central square. "There are military helicopters in the sky and government forces everywhere," said Abdul Ahad, a doctor in the city. "Dead Taliban are on the streets, but there are still (militants) in some government buildings fighting Afghan forces."

However, residents told reporters fierce gun battles and explosions were still echoing in parts of the city late Thursday, and the streets were littered with Taliban bodies and charred and mangled vehicles. "Afghan security forces are in control of Kunduz city," interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi told reporters. "The clearance operation will take some time as Taliban remnants are firing from inside civilian houses and booby traps have been planted in places." The Taliban sent mixed messages concerning their progress on Thursday, with spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid insisting that militant forces were holding their ground in the city. But an Afghan Taliban commander who spoke to AFP from an undisclosed location said that Taliban fighters were conducting a strategic retreat from Kunduz. Afghan force had been hindered by the slow arrival of reinforcements and the Taliban's defensive measures, but on Thursday military convoys managed to penetrate into the centre of Kunduz after an overnight counter-offensive. Fighting raged all day, with columns of smoke visible over much of the city, it was hard to pinpoint which side had the upper hand. Soldiers came under sporadic attacks from insurgents wearing Afghan security uniforms, many of whom took up positions inside residential homes.

Two Killed Outside Australian State Police HQ Two people have died outside state police headquarters in Sydney in a reported shooting, Australian authorities said Friday. "A number of shots were fired" on Charles Street, Parramatta in western Sydney outside the New South Wales police headquarters about 4.30 pm (0630 GMT), police said in a statement. "It appears an officer has discharged his weapon, responding to a report that a person had been shot," the statement said.

"Two people have died at the scene. A crime scene has been established. "A critical incident team will now investigate all circumstances surrounding the incident." Investigators said they were yet to confirm the identities of the two people, while a police spokesman earlier told reporters it was too soon to determine if the incident was terrorismrelated. Local media reported that a gunman shot a civilian police employee before an officer guarding the headquarters fired on the attacker, but investigators have not confirmed any details.

TIT BITS... BIT

Vatican Denies Pope, Kim Davis Meeting An Anti-Gay Support THE Vatican on Friday distanced Pope Francis from Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who went to jail for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses, saying she was one of dozens of people the pope greeted in the U.S. and that their encounter “should not be considered a form of support of her position.” After days of confusion, the Vatican issued a statement Friday clarifying Francis’ Sept. 24 encounter with Davis, an Apostolic Christian who has become a focal point in the gay marriage debate in the U.S. In a statement, the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Francis met with “several dozen” people at the Vatican’s embassy in Washington just before leaving for New York. Lombardi said such meetings are par for the course of any Vatican trip and are due to the pope’s “kindness and availability.” He said the pope only really had one “audience” in Washington: with former students and his family members. “The pope did not enter into the details of the situation of Mrs. Davis and his meeting with her should not be considered a form of support of her position in all of its particular and complex aspects,” Lombardi said.

Spain Grants Citizenship To 4,300 Jews SPAIN has granted citizenship to 4,302 people whose Jewish ancestors fled after being told in 1492 to convert to Catholicism or go into exile. Justice Minister Rafael Catala says the naturalizations were approved a day after Spain adopted its new citizenship law for descendants of Sephardic Jews. It allows applicants to maintain their original citizenship so they can have dual nationality. Those granted citizenship Friday applied under an older law requiring them to relinquish home country nationality but can now have dual nationality.

Saudi Hajj Disaster:

Death Toll Rises Over 1,030 INDONESIA and Pakistan have reported more dead from the Saudi hajj disaster. Indonesia reported Friday that 91 of its pilgrims died in the crush and stampede Sept. 24 near Islam's holy city of Mecca. It said 38 of its citizens remain missing after the disaster in Mina. Pakistan says 57 of its pilgrims died in the crush and others remain missing. Pakistan and Indonesia's number increase an Associated Press count of the dead from the disaster to at least 1,036 killed. The total figure could be even larger as the AP survey covered only 15 of the more than 180 countries that sent some 2 million pilgrims to the annual pilgrimage. Saudi Arabia's latest toll, released Sept. 26, put the death toll at 769 pilgrims.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Foreign News

Passenger Airplane With 10 Aboard Missing In Indonesia

10 Killed In Oregon

College Shooting TEN people were killed and another seven injured Thursday after a 26-year-old gunman opened fire in a classroom at a community college here in southern Oregon. Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin said the gunman was shot and killed during an exchange of gunfire with officers at Umpqua Community College. Hanlin refused to name the killer, saying, "I will not give him the credit he probably sought prior to this horrific and cowardly act. You will never hear

me mention his name." A federal law enforcement source identified the gunman as a local Oregon man, Chris Mercer. The official said Mercer was armed with up to four firearms, including one rifle. Investigators were interviewing his mother to try and determine what caused his rampage. The attack - the fourth shooting at a U.S. college campus since August - prompted a visibly angry President Obama to note that the USA is "the only advanced country

on earth that sees these kinds of mass shootings every few months." Speaking from the White House, Obama said the gunman was clearly troubled, but said, "It cannot be this easy for somebody who wants to inflict harm on other people to get his or her hands on a gun." Obama vowed to continue pushing new gun policies that he said would prevent further mass shootings. "Each time this happens, I'm going to bring this up," he said. Mercy Medical Center in

Roseburg said on its Facebook page that it received a total of 10 patients from the shooting. The conditions of patients weren't disclosed. Peace-Health Sacred Heart Medical Center in Springfield, about an hour north, said on its Facebook page that it received three patients and could get more. Both hospitals were holding blood drives on Friday. Roseburg Police Sgt. Aaron Dunbar told reporters that the incident was contained to one classroom on the sprawling campus.

German Chancellor Tipped For Nobel Peace Prize GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel could win this year's Nobel Peace Prize, the influential Bild newspaper said Friday, as the leader is lauded worldwide for her courage in opening her country's doors to refugees fleeing war and persecution. "Chancellor Angela Merkel has a good chance of winning the Nobel Peace Prize," said the newspaper. "Reasons: her actions in the

Ukraine crisis and the refugee policies," it added. The report came a day after the director of Norway's Peace Research Institute, Kristian Berg Harpviken, a leading peace prize analyst and one of the few to publish a shortlist predicted that Merkel, 61, will be this year's laureate. "I think the European refugee crisis, or perhaps we should say

CIA Pulls Staff From Beijing Over Cyber Attack CIA operatives have been withdrawn from China amid fears over their safety following one of the worst cyber hacks of US government data in history. Computers belonging to the American office of personnel management (OPM) were hacked in April, compromising the details of approximately four million government employees. Although the White House refrained from pointing fingers publicly, privately, US officials said the Chinese government was believed to be behind the hack. The US intelligence service responded by pulling a number of officers from the American embassy in Beijing as a “precautionary measure”, according to a

report by the Washington Post. The decision was taken to protect personnel whose agency affiliation might be discovered as result of the hacked data. The stolen data, a gold mine of information on US spies and army personnel, included background checks, intimate details of their sex lives, drug use and finances. During Xi Jinping’s first visit to the White House last week, President Barack Obama announced that he had reached a "common understanding" with the Chinese president on curbing economic cyber espionage, but threatened to impose sanctions on hackers who persist in their crimes.

the global refugee crisis -- because there is an equally dramatic refugee crisis in large parts of East Asia -is something that ought to grab the committee's attention this year," he said at a press conference in Oslo. "Angela Merkel is the one who really took moral leadership and who turned the debate on refugee issues in a European context entirely around," he added. Despite opposition from other EU leaders and even a rebellion among her domestic allies, "she stood her ground", said Harpviken, who however has yet to accurately predict a peace prize winner despite his expertise. Germany is expecting to receive up to one million new arrivals this year, and despite reservations expressed by overwhelmed local authorities, Merkel has held fast to the mantra "we will manage this". Nevertheless, her popularity at home has been hit and last week she slipped from the top spot to fourth on the most popular politician scale published by news weekly Der Spiegel.

A passenger plane carrying 10 people on a domestic flight is missing in eastern Indonesia, an official said Friday. Transportation Ministry spokesman Julius Barata said the DHC-6 Twin Otter plane lost contact while on a flight in South Sulawesi province. He said the plane lost radio contact about 30 minutes before it was expected to land in Makassar, the provincial capital. It was carrying three crew and seven passengers, including three children, from Masamba in the same province. A rescue team has been sent to search for the plane, owned by the private Aviastar Mandiri airline. Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of nearly 250 million people, has been plagued by transportation accidents in recent years, including plane and train crashes and ferry sinkings. It is one of Asia's most rapidly expanding airline markets, but is struggling to obtain qualified pilots, mechanics, air traffic controllers and updated airport technology.

China Says Suspect In Explosions Died In Blasts CHINA'S state news agency reported Friday that a man suspected of being responsible for 18 explosions in a southern Chinese county that killed 10 people and injured 51 others died in the blasts and had disputes with local villagers and companies. State media had previously reported that 17 explosions triggered by bomb devices in mail packages went off Wednesday afternoon in Liucheng and surrounding areas in China's Guangxi region. Another explosion hit a house Thursday. Suspect Wei Yinyong, 33, made timed explosive devices and either planted them or hired people to deliver them, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing police in Liuzhou city, which administers Liucheng county. Xinhua said Wei had disputes with villagers and companies engaged in quarry-related production. It also said that 10 people died, rather than the seven previously reported. A DNA analysis determined that Wei was among those killed, Xinhua said. The explosions Wednesday afternoon hit a hospital, markets, a shopping mall, a bus station and several government buildings. They came on the eve of a seven-day national holiday in the country, a time when tens of millions of Chinese travel. There have been a series of cases in China in which people with grievances or who were involved in feuds have used homemade bombs to blow up themselves and others, although the number of bombs used in the small county of Liucheng appears unprecedented. Bombs are often the weapon of choice because firearms are tightly controlled and difficult to obtain.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Business

UAW Rejects Fiat Chrysler Contract; Strikes Loom FIAT Chrysler Automobiles NV's (FCAU.N) (FCHA.MI) U.S. workers soundly rejected a fouryear contract the automaker had agreed with the UAW, the union said on Thursday, setting the stage for at least localized strikes against the automaker. The tentative agreement was voted down by 65 percent of the 40,000 unionized workers who work at the 37 plants of Fiat Chrysler, the smallest of the three major Detroit automakers. UAW President Dennis Williams is holding a meeting with 300 representatives from Fiat Chrysler union halls on Thursday to consider next steps. "We will gather the issues together and notify (Fiat Chrysler) that further discussions are needed," Williams said in a statement. In the aftermath of the rejection, which reflects growing discontent among auto workers about stagnant pay, some Fiat Chrysler locals are preparing to send workers out on strike. Alternatively, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union may invite Fiat Chrysler back to the negotiating table, or they could decide to turn its attention to one of the other Detroit Three companies GM or Ford. During the General Motors (GM.N) Global Business Conference on Thursday CEO Mary Barra said the company has had regular dialogue with the UAW. "It is their choice how they resolve" the contract with Fiat Chrysler, she added. There has not been a sustained UAW strike in decades, and this makes the first time a national contract negotiated between the UAW and a major car maker has been rejected since 1982. It is the first time since 1976 that a contract with the company chosen by the union for pattern bargaining has failed. Fiat Chrysler said it was disappointed by the tentative pact's rejection. "The Company will make decisions, as always, based on achieving our industrial objectives, and looks forward to continuing a dialogue with the UAW," the company said in a statement.

THE global finance summit next week in Lima will try to scatter the clouds over the economy, beset by a slowing China and the prospect of higher US interest rates. "On the economic front, there is... reason to be concerned," the head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, said Wednesday, in a speech ahead of the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in the Peruvian capital that gather the world's central bankers and finance ministers. "The prospect of rising interest rates in the United States and China's slowdown are contributing to uncertainty and higher market volatility," Ms Lagarde said. The new IMF global economic forecasts, which will be published on Tuesday, and the statement from the Group of 20 finance chiefs, expected on Friday, likely will reflect the gloom hovering most of all over the emerging-market economies China at the forefront - upstaging the Greek and Ukrainian crises. Already shaken by market turmoil, China, the world's secondlargest economy, likely will have its weakest growth in 25 years this year, a downdraft threatening to pull many other countries in its wake. China's slowdown has hammered

China, US Rate Hike Loom Over Global Finance Summit

prices on commodities such as oil and copper, eroding the financial resources of the countries that export them. The result: Economies closely linked with China have fallen into recession, like Brazil, or been pushed to its brink, like South Africa. "It is difficult to gauge the possible negative confidence effects on the other emerging-market economies and the global economy as a whole," said Andreas Dombret, a member of the executive board of the Bundesbank, Germany's central bank. Coupled with the woes in Russia, the bottom line appears clear: After driving growth in the global economy during the 2008-2009 crisis, the major emerging economies, with the exception of India, are sputtering. That was the conclusion of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development when it slightly lowered its forecasts for global growth in mid-September. "Economic recovery is progressing in the world's advanced economies, but stagnating world trade and deteriorating conditions in financial markets are curbing growth prospects in many of the major emerging economies," the OECD said. Emerging economies also appear

If the Apple reports are accurate then that space may well have been tailormade for an expanding VocalIQ/Apple venture. A source said “The Hills Road building appears to be half occupied but all the windows except for the top two storeys have been frosted over so no-one can see in or out. There is no signage.” VocalIQ until recently had its home at Mount Pleasant House, headquarters to investor Amadeus Capital Partners, but has since moved out to destination unknown. The company was poised to sign up for space at the Westbrook Centre but suddenly pulled out three weeks ago. No figures have been confirmed for the deal. Thespokendialoguetechnologybeing developed by VocalIQ spun out from the University of Cambridge’s Dialogue

Fed In Focus As Jobs Data Looms GAINS for European and Asia stocks capped a wild week for financial markets on Friday, ahead of a key U.S. jobs report that could determine the chances of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates before year-end. Concerns about U.S. monetary policy and slowdown in emerging markets led by China have hit commodities markets and related stocks like Glencore and sent credit spreads wider this week in the wake of a summertime surge in volatility. An escalation of fighting in Syria, with Russian air strikes marking its biggest Middle East intervention in

in the line of fire from the Federal Reserve's plan to raise interest rates for the first time since 2006, an issue expected to be discussed at length at the Peruvian pow-wow. The rate rise, on the Fed's radar for this year despite IMF objections, could drive investors to pull funds from emerging countries into the United States and further strengthen the strong dollar, the currency on which the debt of many companies is based. Companies in emerging economies, where corporate debt has quadrupled in the past 10 years, according to the IMF, could pay a steep price, forced into bankruptcies that hit banks and public finances. "A vicious cycle," Lagarde said. "They would do well to buckle their seat belts in case the ride gets bumpy," the World Bank recently warned. Despite the dark clouds, the globe's finance leaders may have some reasons to find comfort in Peru, the first South American country to host the annual IMF-World Bank meetings in nearly 50 years. The United States, the largest economy, seems to be doing modestly well, while two major international issues could see advances during the

Apple Acquires Vocaliq In Cambridge dge CAMBRIDGE speech technology business VocalIQ is rumoured to have been acquired by Apple, the US tech giant. VocalIQ, a speech-related artificial intelligence specialist, says its technology is critical to the delivery of the Internet of Things. It recently opened a satellite office in San Francisco to support its Silicon Valley and North American clients and is preparing for a public technology launch in the current quarter. Apple has just taken leases on new space in San Francisco and Cambridge. No comment was available from either VocalIQ or Apple at the time of writing. As exclusively reported by Business Weekly last year, Apple has taken space and has now fitted out office and R & D accommodation at 90 Hills Road in the UK’s science & technology capital.

decades, has so far failed to spook global markets beyond a rise in oil prices, however, and global equities are set to end the week flat. "European equities are trading higher this morning, trying to stage a hesitant rebound after yesterday's bearish market action," said Markus Huber, a trader at Peregrine & Black. "While a very strong (U.S. data) reading would certainly increase the likelihood of a rate hike this year, very few expect that the Fed will pull the trigger as soon as October." The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 up 0.8 percent, while German Bund futures were little changed.

The U.S. dollar index was slightly higher ahead of nonfarm payrolls data expected to show the U.S. economy added 203,000 jobs in September. While years of cheap central bank cash in the wake of the 2007-2008 financial crisis have fueled asset prices, recent signs of a slowdown in global economic growth and the Fed's decision last month to put off a rate rise have spooked investors betting on a return to more normal policy. Mixed data on Thursday failed to give more clues, with the pace of growth at U.S. factories slowing in September while new jobless claims pointed to a tightening labor market.

Systems G r o u p spearheaded by serial Dontrepreneur Steve Young. It was designed to enhance automated voice recognition interfaces, which rely heavily on predefined commands. The software, based on more than 10 years of research, offers users the ability to talk more naturally with their smart devices. Instead of merely recognising speech, the technology is able to understand and interpret dialogue. Serial Cambridge entrepreneur and investor and co-founder of Acorn, Hermann Hauser, has been a director of VocalIQ for 15 months. Blaise Thompson is CEO of the business which is chaired by Professor Young. When VocalIQ raised £750k last summer, Dr Hauser said: “A wonderful advance in a very important area of technology which has a ready-made global customer base. “They are a world leading team in dialogue management and have technology which will improve man machine interactions substantially.” VocalIQ’s technology can also learn on-line so that when it makes mistakes, it learns from them and avoids making the same mistake again. The more the software is used the smarter it gets.

188-nation meetings on October 9-11, which will include multiple forums, conferences and news conferences. Two months ahead of the Paris global climate summit, the finance chiefs may provide details on their $100 billion annual contribution, pledged in Copenhagen in 2009, to fight against global warming. "Has that pledge been met and how is that calculated, that will be a big topic," said Jennifer Morgan, director of the climate program at the World Resources Institute, a nongovernmental organization. In Lima, the G20 finance officials also are expected to approve a broad action plan aimed at battling multinationals' strategies to reduce their tax burdens and shelter profits in tax havens. These tax dodges are "a form of corruption that hurts the poor" by depriving their countries of public revenues, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said Thursday. The G20 agreement would be finalized in November in Turkey at a summit of the leaders of the major advanced and emerging economies.

More Firms Worried About Bribery, Corruption: KPMG Survey THERE is a sharp increase in the proportion of corporate risk leaders who say they are highly challenged by the issue of bribery and corruption, compared to four years ago, said audit and advisory firm KPMG in a report out on Friday. KPMG said that as companies continue to globalise, management of third parties poses the greatest challenge in executing antibribery and corruption (ABC) programmes. More than one third of respondents said they do not formally identify high-risk third parties. And more than half of respondents with right-to-audit clauses over third parties have not exercised the right. Respondents complain they lack the resources to manage ABC risk, KPMG noted. It added that a top-down risk assessment would help companies set priorities, and data analytics is an increasingly important and cost-effective tool to assess ABC controls.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Business

Forex Talk Mike Fowope

Biz Bits & Pieces

Kebbi Farmers Lose N3b Crops To Flood

With

08056905612

wale.fowope@gmail.com

Trade Fight (2) •Fighting With An Edge

AS TradeFight is based on trading the markets, there is a considerable amount of trading knowledge that you can use, especially when it comes to money management and psychology. However, there are many differences too. In normal trading, you are most likely used to planning your setups and entering the markets in a patient manner – you only enter when the right opportunity comes along. In TradeFight, you will enter scalp trades based on tick charts, in rapid succession and all within a three minute window. You are forced to trade in a very short time frame, which in itself probably goes against much of what you have learned about trading. Use strategies and tactics to beat your opponent In TradeFight, because you are playing a game against another player, your goal is not to grow your account steadily over a period of time, but to win against your opponent. Remember, you do not have to end the game with a positive balance, just more virtual money than your opponent; if you have a negative virtual account balance, as long as you have lost less money than your opponent, then you will win. The general success rules to trading are different to TradeFight Certain rules can be relaxed, or even ignored. In fact, you may end up throwing out much of the ‘trading rule book’ altogether. However, if you open up multiple positions at the maximum leverage and a ‘price-spike’ in your direction occurs, then you could increase your account to over $1200 in the last few seconds, beating your opponent. Bear in mind that you could you may also get a price-spike against you, which means you lose the game instantly. If you are going to lose anyway, then you may consider this to be a worthwhile tactic. Of course, you would never act like this in real trading, but using this kind of strategy in TradeFight raises your chances of winning from practically nothing to at least something. Does this mean that the aim of TradeFight is to just leverage your trades to the max and hope for the best? No, because this is just one example of one particular technique against your opponent. In order to maintain a

consistent winning streak, you need a plan and a strategy, and, just as with trading, you can only put the odds in your favour by playing with an edge. Play with an edge against your opponent An edge, to borrow the definition from the trading world, is a set of circumstances that when present, gives a higher probability of working than not working. For example, it may be the case that the price of something is trending downwards, and that there are solid underlying reasons for this, from both a technical and a fundamental point of view. It therefore stands to reason that if you take trades in the same direction, i.e. short trades, then you are taking trades that have a higher probability of working out than not. It is simple to see why, if the market is trending down, the price is more likely to go down than up. Therefore, it is also more likely to go down at the time you take your trades. Use your normal charts to find a direction and play with an edge This demonstrates an edge in the markets, because due to a set of circumstances – the market trending down, there is a higher probability of your short trades working out. Your edge, therefore, comes from knowing and understanding that the market is trending downwards, and you acting accordingly. These principles can be borrowed from normal trading to beat your opponent in TradeFight. If you have determined that the trend is down, then one strategy you can employ is to only take short trades while in your TradeFight, giving you a higher probability that your trades will increase your virtual account. You may, therefore, have your normal charts open, to

conduct analysis and get a better picture of the overall market, alongside your TradeFight chart, as you play. You need to seek more than one edge to win This is not the only edge that you can have over your opponent. For instance, other than analysis, you could simply be faster at reacting to changes in the price direction, or have a better ability to incorporate your wider analysis into your trading. You may have a well established tick charting method that you use, and you can transfer over to your TradeFight game that gives you that edge. Don’t forget the fundamentals There are also environmental circumstances that you need to take into account when looking to maintain an edge in TradeFight. Taking into account the right volatility that suits your trading mentality (market volatility in the European session is generally higher than the Asian session), you may find it easier to win in either of these environments, depending on what your preference for higher or lower volatility is. You may also find that if you have a preference for trading one currency pair over another, that this will also translate into your TradeFight games. You may feel more comfortable playing your TradeFight opponent with the more volatile EUR/JPY pair, as opposed to the more steady EUR/USD pair. One versus multiple currency pairs Most TradeFight beginners only trade one currency pair at a time, and do not have a separate trading software open. This means they can only look at one currency pair at a time, and may have a hard time finding the best one to trade.

THE Secretary, Kebbi chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Alhaji Muhammad Idris, said on Friday that 45,000 farmers had lost crops worth N3 billion to flood. Idris, who made the disclosure in an interview with the journalists in Birnin Kebbi, said that the destruction was unprecedented. He said that the association had enlightened its members prior to the flood that they should vacate from the flood-prone zones. “We told them what to do, but they did not heed to our counsel early enough; by the time they realised our warning, it was late as some farmers had already gone far into farming. “It is sad that we had to suffer this much in spite of the three-month prior warning we had from the relevant bodies,” he added. The secretary stressed the need to supply farmers with modern seed varieties that were drought-resistant and could grow faster than the conventional seeds. He said that the rural farmers had not received assistance from both the Federal and state governments as officials from both governments had separately sent delegations that toured affected areas. “The officials moved round to ascertain the level of the damage; we are still waiting to hear from them,” he said. Idris said that AFAN had more than 1.5 million members drawn from the state’s 21 Local Government Areas, and called more assistance for them. “Unless the farmers are assisted to massively engage in dry season farming, the state and its neighbours will face food scarcity next year,” he said.

Arik Air Denies Bankruptcy Rumours ARIK Air management said on Thursday that it was not in any financial trouble neither was it bankrupt, saying its operations had been running smoothly since 2006. The airline, which says it is reacting to an online publication alleging that it had gone bankrupt, spoke through C h i g o z i e Okereke, its communications officer, saying that its pilots were not resigning enmass. “This false and malicious publication is the handiwork of fly-by-night social media sites trying to ride on the popularity

and huge followership of Arik Air, to attract attention or relevance to their sites. “Arik Air is not deterred by this smear campaign. The airline has been steadily operating over 100 flights on a daily basis, which are being increased to 110 from the onset of the winter season. “We have already launched expansion into cities such as Abidjan, Monrovia, Cotonou and Douala, which are being further increased to weekly frequencies from this week onwards and therefore find it ridiculous for anyone to suggest that the airline is going bankrupt,” she said.

FG Makes Farmers Of 3,000 Youths THE Federal Government says it has concluded arrangements to train 3,000 youths drawn from 12 participating States and Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on various agricultural value chains under its Youth Empowerment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP). The Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sonny Echono, who stated this at the stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, explained that the process for the selection of youths in each of the participating States has begun in earnest. The participating States, according to him, include AkwaIbom, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Katsina, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, and FCT. He explained that 250 youths would be selected from each of the participating States under the first phase of the programme. He added that the validation and final selection of the beneficiaries at the state level in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development were in progress. Echono revealed that the benefitting youths would be trained in the agricultural value chain such as rice, aquaculture, poultry, maize, tomato, wheat, horticulture, sorghum, apiculture, welding and fabrication, repair and maintenance, soybean and cassava.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

London Daily Mirror-Pull-out In NATIONAL WEEKENDER

27 15

GUN HORROR: CAMPUS KILLER

of you guys are alright. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go to school tomorrow if you are in the northwest.â&#x20AC;? Student Payton Paulson tweeted: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was getting ready to get out of my car to go to class and my papa stopped me and told me to get the f*** off campus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;National Guard was there, FBI, multiple cops, multiple fire departments... scariest thing in my life. Praying for everyone still out there. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thankfully my papa called me and told me to get off campus five minutes before the cops showed up.â&#x20AC;? Jodi Sonka was also at the scene when the shooting began. She said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Third day into college and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an active shooter so weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on lockdown s*** scared. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We heard something was happening in the middle of our biology lab. And then we heard, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We need to get in the back room now. Immediately.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? The scene at the college â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which is in a no-weapon zone after signing up to Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994 which forbids firearms on campus â&#x20AC;&#x201C; was

described as â&#x20AC;&#x153;utter chaosâ&#x20AC;?. A witness told how one girl was carried out wrapped in a bloodied blanket. And Lorie Andrews, who lives nearby, saw the carnage from her porch. She said â&#x20AC;&#x153;cop car after cop carâ&#x20AC;? flooded the area . Th e 57-year -old added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ambulances are still coming in. Cops are still coming. Everybody is in shock. Very very shocked.â&#x20AC;? Lorie said roughly 20 ambulances and 75 police cars arrived. At least six people were critically injured in the attack, according to Michael Griffiths, CEO of private air ambulance company Life Flight. The gunman was killed after an exchange of fire, police said. He began his killing spree at 10:40am local time. Some victims were rushed to the Mercy Medical Center. Spokeswoman Kathleen Nickel said six had arrived and they are expecting more. The campus was evacuated, with students and faculty staff taken by bus

to nearby Douglas County Fairgrounds. security adviser. She said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the According to law enforcement officials, presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s request, he will continue to at least one of the injured was a woman receive updates throughout the day.â&#x20AC;? The college, in the suburb of Roseburg, who was shot in the chest. Police were reportedly going from has roughly 3,300 full-time students and room to room at the college checking 16,000 part-time ones. A picturesque campus in the North for possible booby traps U Umpqua River Valley, the following the massacre. campus prides itself on â&#x20AC;&#x153;a Special agents were on the p peaceful, safe atmosphere, scene and canine teams Some of you a n d y e a r - r o u n d rushed to the college to recreational activities,â&#x20AC;? search for explosives, fireguys are according to its website. arms casings and It is not a traditional ammunition. News of the alright. of higher shooting broke as Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go to institution learning, as the average President Barack Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s age of its students was 38 press secretary Josh school during the 2013-2014 Earnest was holding his tomorrowâ&#x20AC;Ś school year. d ai ly bri ef in g w ith The rampage is the reporters. He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The

issue of sensible steps that latest in a long line of college massacres. can be taken to protect The Virginia Tech our communities from gun violence continues to be a top priority.â&#x20AC;? University killing spree in 2007 remains Mr Obama was later briefed on the the worst mass shooting in the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shooting by Lisa Monaco, his homeland history. Gunman Seung-Hui Cho, 23,

shot dead 33 people and injured25 in April 2007. He later killed himself. In 2012, the nation was rattled by the slayings of 20 students and six staff at an elementary school in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. Gunman Adam Lanza, 20, shot his mother before the rampage and killed himself shortly after. Cinemas have also become the site of attacks. In July 2012, James Holmes opened fire at an Aurora, Colorado, multiplex, killing 12 and wounding 70 during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises. In July, a gunman shot three people in a picturehouse at Lafayette, Louisiana, that was screening the comedy Trainwreck. And the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Colorado left 13 dead and 21 injured after 18-year-old Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, 17, killed 12 students and one teacher before committing suicide.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

London Daily Mirror-Pull-out In NATIONAL WEEKENDER

We are all really, really proud. He is such a positive little boy

Soaring to a new Eye . * "'!& / + &! + * '+ ) . ) .!&& )* ') !) * / -! . ' + (!+ $ '& + '& '& / %'& + % . * % $! ), )* . ' .'& + ! $ ',& ,& ) !* ) . ) ) !* 0 + ) ) + ) + ! )'% ) !& +,%',) & )'+ ) '* , ! + . * +'$ ) ) ) !& '& !+!'& +'' % $! )'% '$! ,$$ $*' -!*!+ '.&!& +) + & % + % &+

% )'& 1 *'$,+ $/ $'- - )/ * '& ' !+ 2 * * ! 1 '&$/ .') & + !&# ' !* .'. 2 $*' + ) . * '* , !$$! % *'& ' ! *+ ) & % !$ '

',) ') * -!& + $! ' '%%/ $- )*+'& + ) )+ ++ #

O " !,+).' )3( (% swim, 4km bike ride and 1.3km run /4.$%$ (%,02 ).*41%$ -),)3!18 0%12/. for the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s race of the Castle .%, Howard Triathlon. His next target is climb the stairs Oto at school. ! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s confidence, positivity and sheer cheek 4!.% !#+2/. 6%.3 &1/- %7 #/. O # ! " (% that has made Bailey such a

!#+ 1).#% (!1,%2 ,3/. /6%12 %1/%2 6(/ !33%.$%$ (% 3/ "42).%22-!. star. Viewers last night saw him telling Millions of TV viewers last night host Carol Vorderman that he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t #(!1)38 !3 watched as Bailey stole the show -),%1 #1!2( ). 4.% 2400/13 #(!1)3)%2 at sleep until 1.30am because the Daily Mirrorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pride of Britain ).#,4$).' )$,!.$2 )1 -"4,!.#% Oget to " â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mum was out drinking!â&#x20AC;? Awards, sponsored by Lidl.

(!1)38 /!..% !.$ !. (/-02/. 2%3 40 And when Rebecca Adlington asked The brave eight-year-old, who has what his catchphrase was, he quipped ),,)% 2 1423 3/ 01/-/3% )123 )$ cerebral palsy, had us all weeping!.$ /13( 3!&&/1$2()1% !2)#2 at that she should know it was â&#x20AC;&#x153;Be more the video of him throwing down his %-%1'%.#8 $/#3/12 31!).).' !&3%1 $!4'(3%1 ),,)% .).% pupil said last night: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was happy to Baileyâ&#x20AC;? because theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d heard a few walking frame to finish his junior -/.3(2 #(/+%$ 3/ $%!3( !3 .412%18 O be everyone /2( ),,)!-2 able to show my trophy. seconds earlier on a playback. triathalon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and also had the audience My friends all2 ,)&% 6)3( said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Well doneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Yesterday his headteacher Mrs 6(/ 2!5%$ $!$ in hysterics with his non-stop banter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They were looking forward to %22 5!.2 !.$ )+% /4,23/. Sharpe said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are all really, really It was just one highlight of an bril2 2/. 2400/132 1)3)2( %!13 /4.$!3)/. seeing me on the TV and I was very proud of him. Bailey seems to have liant night when a galaxy of stars %$$8 )2 3(% 2 8/4.'%23 /1'!.

pleased to get my certificate. It said it taken it all in his stride. He is an including David Beckham, Sir Ian a being a great inspiration.â&#x20AC;? $/./1 !&3%1 ,)5).' &/1 *423 -).43%2 extremely positive and helpful little O was for /(!.! McKellen and Simon Cowell celeBailey is certainly that. (%8 2400/13 )2( 0/. 3!1 boy. He always has a contagious smile.â&#x20AC;? brated the amazing exploits

/,,).2 (!2 ! 1!1% '%.%3)# 2+). Born nine weeks premature, For Bailey it all began when David of Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true heroes. $)2/1$%1 3(!3 -%!.2 ! 2,)'(3 3/4#( he was diagnosed with Walliams surprised !.$ 1'!. him with an inviYesterday Bailey got /./1 %')23%1 taton and he went to visit 10 Downing cerebral palsy at 18 months. ')5%2 (%1 3()1$ $%'1%% "41.2 (% 2%3 another heroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s welcome as Street and go on the London Eye. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were told he would 9 !.$ 3(% 1)3)2( "/,! 5/,4.3%%12 !1% he showed off his Child of 40 (%1 /6. /(!.! %2%!1#( 4.$ 3/ For mum Julie, Pride of Britain has never walk,â&#x20AC;? says mum Julie, "!#+).' !5% (% (),$1%. Courage Award to class(%,0 6)3( 0)/.%%1).' 31%!3-%.3 been a great reward. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very deter41, an accountant. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mates at Redlands Primary

mined so we can underestimate what willing to just accept that. â&#x20AC;? School in Worksop, Notts. achieving,â&#x20AC;? she said with a smile. was Bailey. He Oheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s /1 -/1% ).&/1-!3)/. /. (/6 8/4 And going on stage at O Neither -%,)! â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great to actually celebrate it.â&#x20AC;? could walk at five and after #!. (%,0 3(%2% #!42%2 !.$ -!.8 -/1% school assembly to receive %"14%12 )2 2400/13).' ! .4-"%1 /& seeing his dad Jonathan, 48, O a certificate from proud &1/- $/.!3).' 3/ 5/,4.3%%1).' 8/41 #(!1)3)%2 ).#,4$).' 433%1&,8 train for triathlons, he

headteacher Carol Sharpe

wanted to join in. In July he 3)-% 5)2)3 capped an unforgettable

week for Bailey. The Year 4

completed the 100-metre

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Justin Bieber Smokes Weed, Drinks On Stage HA HAVING H AVING apologized l i d several times earlier this year for his bad behaviours in the past, Justin Bieber shows signs that he hasn't really changed. The 21-yearold singer was recently caught on camera smoking weed and drinking liquor onstage in New Zealand. The "What Do You Mean?" hitmaker joined Rae Sremmurd at the latter's show in Auckland on Thursday night, October 1. During their performance, he held a joint and puffed away. In a video obtained by reporters, he's also seen taking a gulp of Hennessy before pouring the beverage out on stage. According to the show's promoter, Bieber was in New Zealand on a promotional tour and "decided to drop into the show to catch up with his friends." The Canadian star joined Sremmurd for several Sremmurd numbers and a rendition of his own latest hit, "What Do You Mean?"

Hugh Jackman Opens Up On

Painful Childhood Hugh Jackman stars as Blackbeard in his new movie Pan, but it turns out the actor might have more in common with the Lost Boys than the villainous pirate. Opening up about his painful childhood in a candid interview with Parade, Jackman says that just like Peter Pan, his mother left him as a kid. "I was volatile," Jackman says of his younger self. "My mum left when I was 8. My anger didn’t really surface until I was 12 or 13. It was triggered because my parents were going to get reconciled and didn’t. All those years I’d been holding out hope that they would. As he grew into a teenager, the anger inside him reached a boiling point. "There was this perfect storm of hormones and emotion," he explains. "I’ve never said this before: I just remembered that we had those metal [school] lockers, and for some reason, half in fun, we used to head-butt the lockers until there was a dent in them. Like, who was the toughest and craziest?"

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

e f Entertainment ca Bollywood Miley Cyrus Notes Flashes Shraddha Kapoor Wraps Shooting For ‘Baaghi’ Boob, Panties In Bizarre Outfit MILEY Cyrus took her quirky style to New York street on Wednesday night, September 30. The 22-year-old singer/ actress stepped out in a graphic shirt dress with sheer panels

Julia Roberts

Debunks Divorce Rumours

JULIA Roberts and Danny Moder's marriage remains intact despite a report published by In Touch magazine saying that the actress had a "divorce bombshell." The publication previously claimed that the "Pretty Woman" actress' marriage was "crumbling." The magazine quoted a so-called "friend" as saying, "In the past few months, a huge cold front has consumed them." The publication cited Moder's "devotion to his career over family" and Roberts' supposedly "demanding" ways as the triggers of the couple's "devastating rift." They were allegedly living "separate lives" and on the verge of divorce. "Those close to them are saying that if they can't resolve their differences, it will ultimately destroy the marriage and that they will divorce," the magazine claimed, adding, "Their differences are proving insurmountable." Despite the report, some news outlets like Gossip Cop and Rumour Fix said that the report was fabricated. Besides, in a new interview for the October issue of Allure magazine, Roberts opened up about how fortunate she was to be able to work together with her husband on the set of new movie "Secret in Their Eyes". Moder worked as the film's cinematographer.

on the chest and hip parts, flashing her underboob and panties. She kept herself warm with a sky blue denim jacket and blue stockings paired with combat boots. She sported a multi-coloured dreadlocked hair extension and wore sunglasses although it was dark outside. She also carried a

Unicorn Tears bag and held a beverage in one hand. The former Disney darling is gearing up to host the season 41 premiere of "Saturday Night Live" airing this weekend. In a promo which also features regular cast member Taran Killam, she teases that she will be hosting "with or without clothes - we're not sure yet."

Three More Accuse Bill Cosby Of Sexual Assault, Drugging

WOMEN accusing Bill Cosby of sexual assault and drugging grew in numbers. Three more came to public at a press conference held Wednesday, September 30 morning with allegations against the disgraced comedian. Attorney Gloria Allred introduced Sharon Van Ert, Pamela Abeyta and Lisa Christie at her Los Angeles office just a week before Cosby was due to attend a deposition in a separate sexual assault lawsuit. The women were in tears as they told their stories. Christie was a former Mrs. America who met Cosby when she was only 18 years old. The young model appeared as an extra on "The Bill Cosby Show" and took a course at Buffalo State College for theatre and dance to pursue a career in acting. "He waited almost two years before he tried anything on me because he knew that I was a virgin and raised as a Christian," Christie said. Christie recalled the time she was asked to meet him at a Chicago hotel and "he tried to kiss me like a boyfriend would." He insisted on her drinking first before starting an exercise and later yelled at her, "You're never going to make it in this business unless

you sleep with me!" Christie said she left the hotel and never met him again. Meanwhile, Van Ert said she met Cosby in 1976 while working as a waitress at the Concerts By The Sea jazz club on the Redondo Beach Pier. Cosby insisted on walking her to her car and got into the vehicle with her. She only remembered waking up alone and missing her panties. She told the club's owners but did not get a response. The third accuser Abeyta was introduced by a friend to Cosby, thinking he could help her become a Playboy model. She was summoned to his Las Vegas hotel and given her own bedroom. She believed she was drugged when attending a show with Cosby and his friends because she did not remember leaving the place. "When I came to, I was lying in Bill Cosby's bed, not my own room," she said. These three women brought the number of Cosby's accusers to almost 50. "One is too many," Allred told reporters. "Two is too many, and when we get up into numbers of 50, this is completely unprecedented. I've never seen something like this in all my years, which is coming on 40 years." Cosby and his lawyers continued to deny any of the allegations.

ACTRESS Shraddha Kapoor, who will next be seen in Sabbir Khan's upcoming Baaghi, has wrapped up shooting for the film. The Aashiqui 2 actress took to Instagram, where she shared a video featuring her and her crew shouting "pack up". Shraddha, who was shooting for the film in Kerela also shared on Twitter: "PACK UP! #LastDay #Kerala #BAAGHI ? @sonaakshiraaj @shraddhastyles @jahanviparekh @ amitthakur26 #Raju She also shared a series of photograph including one of cinematographer Binod Pradhan on Instagram and captioned the image: "So honoured to be shooting with a legend!! #BinodPradhan #DOP #BAAGHI," she captioned it. The ABCD 2 actresses will be seen romancing Heropanti actor Tiger Shroff in Baaghi. The romantic-action film produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and UTV Motion Pictures is slated for a 2016 release.

Salman Intimidating Onsets –Sonam Kapoor SONAM Kapoor has shared screen space with Salman Khan in her debut film Saawariya, but the actress says she was intimidated to romance the superstar in Sooraj Barjatya's Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. "I feel privileged to be a part of the film. I have been a huge fan of Salman Khan for a long time. I was a bit nervous ... It was intimidating for me to be on the sets but I was excited as well. "After a few days I got comfortable as Sooraj sir gave me lot of love. I cherish it. I had an amazing experience," Sonam told reporters during the launch of first trailer of the

film. Recalling her first meeting with the Bajrangi Bhaijaan star Sonam, 30, said the 49-yearold actor was generous enough to sit and talk to her. "I was 14 when my dad (Anil Kapoor) and Salman were working together in a film. I was never allowed on a film set but for this movie I requested my dad to take me there. Salman sat with me for an hour and I think I would have traumatised him," she said. The Raanjhanaa actress, who will be seen donning a traditional look in the film, says working with Barjatya was a great experience.

Sonu Sood Dines With Jackie Chan ACTOR Sonu Sood, who has signed on to play a key role the Sino-Indian production Kung Fu Yoga, was ecstatic over the chance of dining with the legendary Jackie Chan. The Bollywood actor has "thanked" the international star for an "amazing dinner". The Happy New Year actor shared a photograph of himself along with Chan and other crew members from the film. Sonu captioned the image: "Thanks Jackie for an amazing dinner at #nobu #Atlantis #KungFuYoga". Directed by Stanley Tong, Kung Fu Yoga is part of the three-film agreement signed between the two countries during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India last year. The action comedy film is currently being shot in Dubai. It will also be shot in Beijing and later in India.

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Entertainment

NATIONAL WEEKENDER NA

e f ca

Meet Koﬃ, Heavens Made

Comedian •In this chat with our Assistant Editor, FRANCIS OGBONNA and correspondent, STEPHEN AYA, the humour merchant speaks on his next big projects amongst other things. Enjoy…

ou have been quiet for some time now, is you currently working on something? I am about to drop a new movie. I am presently shooting and releasing videos for my new musicalbum“Metamorphosis” it’s all over the place, and also preparing for my concert sometime in November call “out of control”. These are the three things that Koffi is working on now. Is there any collaboration with other artistes in this new album? The new album has collaboration with Eta Udom a young Efik rapper, the boy is a fantastic rapper, when it comes out people will be whoa. I have another one with Rock point from the E, make she want. But what I have been trying to do maybe later in the year is to do a compilation of all the collaboration that we

Photo By Fidelis Isibor

have done o v e r the years b o t h with new once as well, because people are asking for them. But am also doing an album the family ‘Scuffit feels’ so my collaborations are with the family and outsiders as well. And there is a big collaboration that is coming out very soon, I will not mention the name of the artiste, but will rather wait till it’s out so that people will feel it more. What about the ‘Scuffit’ Family? That is what am saying, we are working on an album which will be out soon Some time ago you said we will hear from them individually? Yes, Boomerang has his own album out, DQ also has a solo album and Apollis is also working on something which will be out soon, but at the same time we collaborating because we all cannot just go out You are a music artistes, social critic, comedian, is there anything that we don’t know about you? You don’t know that I too don’t know much. How far do you think we have gone with the war on Piracy? I think that we have gone far, things are changing in this country and even

the Pirates know that things can no longer be the same, the goal post has shifted and their time is running out, so they are asking us to meet them in the middle, and I have no problem with that because actors no dey die. This is the final leg because it is going down soon. For me this is not the problem because if you go to China, your album drops, they give you your time to make some money before they pick it up and do whatever they want with it that we know. What we are asking for over here is let the owner of the work have something to take home for his family as well. The Pirates can become our middle men or our distributors legally. Give me my five million, and then you can go and do whatever you want with the product. But I don’t see a kobo and you have houses all over the world and you are telling people Na my guy is unacceptable. What is that recent thing that got you so pissed-up? Sometime last year, I almost got mobbed by a group of hoodlums near my neighborhood.They wanted me to give them money. But I had not a single dime on me. And the miscreants unleashed their frustration on my car, smashing my side mirror in the process. If not a comedian what would you have been? I would have been a school teacher. When I tell people this, they find it amusing. But I think this is the only other profession that can give me the opportunity to impart meaningfully on other people’s lives. I would have loved to be a teacher, write a few books and become famous like Wole Soyinka. I have always wanted to stand before a crowd and impart knowledge to them. That was what I always wanted to do. Anyway, I still do this whenever I perform on stage. It is the medium that has changed,” Just tell us a bit of how you got into comedy? Some people are so lucky that life chooses for them what to do. I am one of such people. When I was in the University of Lagos, I got an opportunity to join Theatre 15, a leading theatre group in the university, and honed my skill as an entertainer. Tee A, Teju Babyface and Gbenga Adeyinka were also members of the group. Initially I was a stage actor. The comedian in me manifested later. Before I even joined Theatre 15, I was already earning some money as a Master of Ceremonies on campus. By the time I left the university, I decided that there was no point looking for a job. As a matter of fact, I was surprised that I had to end up earning a living as a comedian. I had felt that I was only having fun until some of my fans convinced me to take up comedy as a career. It wasn’t until I realised that I was paying my bills from what I earned as an MC that I decided to take it up as my profession, Finally what is your recipe for peace in Nigeria? To start with, the youths are the once used for any war here in Nigeria; in fact all over the world. But ours here is bad because of the economic situation. So in order to have peace in Nigeria, you have to keep the youth engaged employed as they say an idle mind is the devils workshop. And for me, the way out is to have a steady power supply, because that will create the needed jobs for all our youth, thus reducing the ricks of having them used to cause problems in the society, it will also reduce high level of crime in our society.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

On My Own

From Nothing To Something, Nowhere To Somewhere, Nobody To Somebody...

Anne Inyang’s Tale Of YanfuYanfu Suffering to South Africa before that time, but I was going and coming then. We were among the first set of Nigerian gospel musicians who introduced Nigerian music to South Africans. Now, Nigerian music and movies are so well accepted in South Africa. It was a good exposure for me, internationally. Did your fans welcome you with open arms, or watched for a while before they accepted you on return? The response has been huge, as I intensify efforts to promote my new songs. I notice that my songs are more popular than my face. In fact, someone once argued that I am not the author of AkanamNkwe because it is an Efik folk song. The reason is that the song is so popular; so, people feel someone as young as me cannot be the author. But the good thing is that those who attended my concert in 1996 at the National Theatre, when I released that first album that contained AkanamNkwe, are still alive and can attest to that fact. So, I am putting out my face now so that more people would know the author of some of the favourite songs we sing in church. ‘AkanamNkwe’ remains your all-time great… Do you think so? There are others that you may not know… Do you see yourself sometime in future

producingasongthatwillout-do‘AkanamNkwe’ in terms of performance? I have a lot of songs that are hits even before I released them in albums. I used to be a praise and worship leader at the TREM headquarters for many years and I later became the music director for some years. During my tenure, I introduced the teaching of new songs to the church on Tuesday, which was the Bible study day, so that when the congregation heard it eventually on Sunday, they would be able to sing along. In those days, there were no screens to show the lyrics, while the congregation was singing on any service day. So, I used to type out the lyrics and photocopy the song sheets and share to the whole church, with my money (laughs)! But I was satisfied that they were no longer ‘chopping mouth’ when they were singing. The Bible tells us to worship God in spirit and in truth. But you are not doing so, if you do not know the lyrics of what you are singing. I am talking about the songs I wrote myself which, at that time, I had no inkling that I would need to record them. They included songs like Things Are Getting Better, God Cannot Lie, You Are Worthy, Lord, Power in the Word and Fully Committed, in addition to some Efik choruses etc. Some of these songs are very popular, globally; and

some are popular in the TREM world. So far, I have produced nine albums and the zeal has not abated. One thing you should note is that when you write a song, you just release it. But you do not know the one that will turn out a hit. It is the public acceptance of the song that makes it a hit! I have always said that AkanamNkwe is like Things Fall Apart. The author wrote many books, but Things Fall Apart stands out. Of course, it does not mean that the other books are not interesting. Like you said earlier, you have been around for about 20 years, what would you say is your legacy, should you decided to leave the music scene now? I actually stopped producing other artistes some years ago because it was making me drift off what God has called me to do, but one thing that I have not failed to do is support up-coming artistes. Some of the Gospel artistes with depth today and rich lyrical contents are my sons and daughters in the ministry. I have quite a few of them that I have mentored and are faring well in the industry… Can you mention at least one of them that is prominent? One of them is Nathaniel Bassey. I saw him when he was just 10 playing trumpet already with his Dad

at a burial, and I picked followed him up from that point. He has been under good tutelage and exposure since then. There are others who are much known but are good as well. What is your next big project? My next big project is to celebrate next year my 20 anniversary on stage and we are already planning it. I will let you know when we are ready… You worked in the bank for a while before you decided to pursue a career in banking? Yes. Did you at any point in time fell like returning to the bank? Never! I have never, for once, regretted my decision to leave the banking sector. There is nothing like doing what you love doing best. You are your own boss; you wake up when you choose to wake up. Even if you sleep late, you do not mind because this is your passion. The banking job then had long hours and little pay. The only thing we enjoyed was loans (laughs). You can borrow money to buy a house, a car etc. You just keep borrowing and borrowing until your salary will be zero at the end of the month. But was it easy after you left the bank to do music full-time? It was very difficult initially; in fact I suffered ‘Yanfu Yanfu’. Some churches see gospel songs as a free gift and so did not deem it fit to reward me financially after several performances. So I had to suffer a lot. There were days I had to go without. People didn’t think anyone could build a career out of Gospel music so they advised me to go do something else. They tend to forget that yes, the gift is free but the wherewithal to nurture the gift is expensive. It costs me a lot of money to produce my albums and shoot my songs’ videos. And then after you produce, there is the problem of marketing and promotion of my albums, which has cost me a lot of money. It was really tough then, but I am glad today that I kept faith with that gift of God in me. You stated that marriage kills the career of gospel artistes. But why do you say so? No! Please, that was not what I said. I was misquoted. I am married now, but has it killed my career? No! What I said is that who you marry matters a lot as a career woman. Some men would not want their singing wives to be travellingg or accepting shows after marriage. The same thing applies to actresses. Some men do not like their wives to continue acting after marriage. I cited the example of some female whose pastor husbands stopped gospel artistes w pursuing their careers. As a result, them from purs not singing beyond their own they ended up n Perhaps, it is because they become churches. Perha laden with the responsibilities of managing the church as tthe ‘Mama’ of the church and and family. This makes managing the husband hu it difficult for a ggospel artiste who does not have her husband to move forward. the backing of h That was what I said. You recently y remarried after your first issues? How would you describe marriage g had iss life as a re-married re-marri woman now? interesting and quite fascinating. I would It is interestin say marriage is a school you do not graduate new things every day. I enjoyed from; you learn n woman because I had my time being a single w to myself. But I thank God I have someone who understands understand me, allows me to be myself maiden name. He is very caring and keep my m and persistent. It took me a long time to finally was convinced about me. One say yes but he w gospel music is that once you are thing about gosp married your career car will die down, especially if you marry a pastor and I was afraid of that. This was not unconnected to the fact that I have a passion for music which began at an early stage. My husband had invited my band to perform at his father’s burial and when he was appointed a judge. But we never had any romantic dealings. I just noticed that he had developed some romantic feelings for me last year. Although he is in a reserved profession and I am in a loud one, we complement each other.” Has your husband been supportive of your career, particularly with the fact that you have to travel a lot? Of course, he supports me totally. If he did not promise me that support, I would not have married him in the first place. This is my passion; music is my life. Instead of a man asking his wife to quit her career, he should give her the desired support so that she can take her career to another level. That is why the Bible says two are better than one. In the same vein, a woman must also support her husband in all ways. I mean couples are meant to bring out the best in each other, rather than kill each other’s talents.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Relationship

LOVE LINKS FOR INSTANT LOVE CONNECTION, SEND YOUR NAME, PHONE NUMBER AND REQUEST

Letter To Aunty ROSE

News Killer Policeman Arrested With Aunty ROSE 08097639574

E-mail: rosemaryugiomoh@yahoo.com Aunty Rose it becomes easier to foresee that a My name is Clara, 22, a final teenaged crush would bail at the year student of University first whiff of female chastity. of Abuja, fromKogi state Ideally, a guy that’s interested but resident in FCT. Itold in you for realismsshouldn’thave my boyfriend that I planned a problem with waiting for your on waiting to have sex till relationship to develop before going after marriage, he completely all the way. He should realize that ignored my plight. He didn’t true love is founded in emotional call or text or see me ever connection, and that physical again. But my question is: will chemistry can be established in looksreally like you guyst that love have you spent wait the activities short of sex. Still, in the bulk of yourischildhood for you? And it betterand toearly future you might want to refrain lifethe abroad? haveadult sex for first time with from announcing a commitment to I may have lived the bulk of my life someone experienced the been abstinence until the relationship abroad, but my heart hasor always same as you? solidifies, not only because at home-Nigeria. Check out the skitfurther I it can shut down less mature guys, did for Bovi and you would be able to tell it’s in my heart, I am a fullDearthat, Clara, but because your beliefs may evolve blown Nigerian…More so, sleeping I was born in If he leaves you for not with time as well. Even if casual sex Nigeria, a while and came back.might I with him... left he'sfor a loser. forever be out of the question, just relocated back to Nigeria November First, the honest truth: the vast many unwed couples eventually last year, so you could say that I go back majority desire more intimacy and decide to and forth.of Nigerian men (and women) in premarital sex. you lose their virginity in a monogamous Whatengage actually prompted decision to with comethe back home? Combine this raging sexual relationship. take my career the next I want to site an instance with a driveI wanted of the topubescent male,toand

level. By career you mean your acting career? Yes, my acting career. Before you came to Nigeria, have

teenage confession. A Lady named Shola said, her first time was with an equally inexperienced high school boyfriend, and while both sustained multiple awkward injuries and talks like, “You’re crushing my arm!”, knowing we were on the same level took the pressure off of performance. On the other hand, an experienced partner, though potentially more intimidating can help guide you through your first time. So there’s really no prototype for the ideal first lover, their level or lack of proficiency is much less important than how comfortable you feel with the person in general. Ultimately, if you’d definitely prefer to wait until marriage. Find a more mature guy to love you for who you are. In the end, when to have sex is entirely yourdecision, and you need to be with someone who will respect your wishes and, hopefully, is really good at making out.

Do Not Get That Drunk MY name is Anita , in my early twenties, I want to share my sad but true life story with teenagers , youths and young at heart. Do hope all will learn from it. A year and a half ago I was seeing a guy and we had messed around, but never actually had sex. He was very good to me, very great guy, but I did know that he had ‘been around’ prior to us starting to see each other and it made me uneasy. I wasn’t completely ok with it, but he drew me in, we had been friends for almost a year and I had a crush on him for months. My recent relationship had ended so I had a chance to start seeing him again. We had been seeing each other not in an official ‘relationship’ for about a month. On the night of my birthday, I got extremely intoxicated, blacking out most of the evening. He also got extremely intoxicated. When we got back from the evening we went to bed. The next morning I woke up, realizing both of our clothes were off and I was sore…I knew that I never said yes. I don’t even remember it starting! I just remember waking up in middle of it, towards the end I suppose…and then falling back to sleep. I thought it was a dream! Sadly, it was not. What makes it all worse is, this was my first time ever having intercourse and I was 22. First time ever black out drunk, first time having sex. No consent, no condom, no remembrance of it happening, better yet enjoying it. Having to wake up the next morning to plan B. Thank God I didn’t get pregnant. Yes I know, 22 is old…but through high school I wasn’t dating anyone serious (and wanted the first time to be with someone who loved me) and then through secondary school, I was dating a guy who was very religious and celibate. So I was celibate. So I was waiting till either marriage with him, or a new relationship with someone who loved me. And with the first time getting black out drunk…alcohol scares me because my mother was an alcoholic. So I have always been very careful.

This was the first and last time I ever let go and just ‘got drunk’. Never again. I’m still seeing him, a year and a half later. I don’t know why I didn’t just end it. I believed he didn’t know what he was doing. I believed it was a mistake and didn’t think it was rape because we were seeing each other so I must have ‘set myself up for it’. And after time of thinking about it I realized it was full out rape. But I really liked him, and we’ve built a great relationship that I don’t see ending. But that night still haunts me and always will. I cry and cry when I remember that I waited so long to have sex with that perfect man and it was just taken from me. I can’t even remember it. Honestly, we should have never been that intoxicated, and now I know, I will NEVER get that intoxicated again because bad things can happen. I’m even more scared of alcohol now. So my point of telling this story…please take this seriously. Men and women alike. Do NOT GET THAT DRUNK because you have no control over what is happening after a certain point. It’s a horrible idea and leads to horrible things. So please, realize that you MUST have consent. When someone is asleep, they are a no go. Waking them up is probably even a no go because their still in and out of sleep…make sure they are 100% there. And don’t get so drunk that you cannot ask for consent or cannot give consent. If you’re planning to get that drunk, plan to stay away from the opposite sex. And cars. And anything of value to you. Just thought I should share…and I hope that it hits home with some people. I will always regret getting that drunk that night…because the one thing that was mine that I had held back from everyone for all the years of my life was taken from me. I would have never said yes sober because we weren’t ready, and I wasn’t conscious when it happened. So be sure you practice and preach consent. Please and thank you.

HOOK UP WITH YOUR OWN LOVER NOW

A trigger-happy policeman, who shot a commercial driver working for Akwa Ibom Transport Company (AKTC), for refusing to part with bribe at a road block on Iwukem road EtimEkpo, Akwa Ibom State, has been detained by the State police command,. The state police commissioner, Murtala Mani, who disclosed this during an interview with journalists in Uyo, said the command had launched full scale investigation into the matter. Mani, who vowed to ensure that the policeman faced justice it found culpable, maintained that the force would not tolerate indiscipline in any form stressing that everybody would account for his action.He maintained that the wounded driver was recuperating from the gunshot injury and presently in a stable condition. The Akwa Ibom police boss further disclosed that cases of homicide which was on the rise in the state before now have drastically reduced owing to the proper synergy between the police homicide department and state anti-robbery squad. He told the Akwa Ibom people not to worry about the increased presence of police patrol vehicles on the streets stressing that it was a strategy to demonstrate police readiness to ensure crime free yuletide. “Akwa Ibom is now relatively peaceful, one of the states with the lowest crime rate in the country. To achieve this we have to strategically deploy our men to ensure adequate security across the state”. However the police commissioner cited the problem of sea pirates as the biggest challenge facing the command but stated that the command has increased security presence along the shores of the state.

8 Arraigned Over Ilorin Prayer Ground Disturbance EIGHT persons were yesterday arraigned in an Ilorin magistrate court in connection with the disturbance at the Muslim prayer ground on September 24. The accused persons are Aliyu Immam, 24, Sheu Ibrahim, 23, AbdulKadriSharafadeen, 25, Yusuf Olayinka, 26, Mohammed Abiola, 27, Ayo Giwa, 65, ZakariyauAbubakar, 50, and Kareem Ajape, 35. The suspects are facing a charge of disturbing religious assembly Contrary to Section 212 of the Penal Code Law. The prosecutor, Inspector

Nasiru Yusuf, told the court that the accused persons threw stones at very important personalities which led to the disturbance. Yusuf said investigation into the case was ongoing and urged the court to remand the suspects in prison custody pending the outcome of the investigation. The accused persons, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. The magistrate, Mercy Adebola, granted each of the accused persons bail for N100, 000 with two sureties each and adjourned the case to October 12 for further hearing.

Police Gun Down One, Arrest Two

FCT police patrol team recently gunned down an armed robbery suspect and wounded one other during a gun battle. A police source at the Command Headquarters told our reporter that police on patrol foiled a major robbery operation by the robbery gang that attempted to rob a hotel at Area 11. The source said during the operation, one member of the syndicate was fatally wounded by the police while two other members of the syndicate, Goroh Stephen and Johnson Onogu who tried to run were arrested. When contacted, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent AnjuguriManzah, confirmed the arrest and stated that the exhibits recovered from the suspects were an operational vehicle, a blue-coloured 307 with registration number KWL 263 HZ, a red Honda Accord car with registration number YAB 649 AP, two master keys, one Mercedes key, one pier, a bunch of house keys, one screw driver, two ATM cards, one Blackberry Z 3 and N300.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Politics

APC Youths Slam Presidency, Party Over Saraki •Sylva

Sylva Group Hails APC’s Bayelsa Poll

THE Timipre Sylva Campaign Organisation has commended the delegates at the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held on Wednesday in Yenagoa for their overwhelming vote for the winner, Chief Timipre Sylva. The campaign team also applauded the peaceful conducts of both the delegates and aspirants throughout the process of the rescheduled primary. The APC primary election to pick a candidate for the December 5, 2015 governorship poll in the state had been cancelled and rescheduled following disagreements over the first exercise conducted on September 22, which was also won by Sylva. The Timipre Sylva Campaign Organisation, in Yenagoa through Mr. Doifie Buokoribo stated: “We are extremely grateful to all the delegates for their votes, which earned Timipre Sylva victory at the primary THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State on dismissed the ambition of a former governor of the State and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the December 5 election, Timipre Sylva, describing him as unelectable. The State Secretary of PDP, Keku Godspower, who made this assertion in a statement in Yenagoa, said it was a shame and insult to the collective sensibilities of Bayelsans that of

election conducted Wednesday, 30 September. We thank all our supporters, the aspirants, and the entire APC family in Bayelsa State for your peaceful conduct during the course of the primary election. “We are especially appreciative of your loyalty, not only to our candidate for the 5 December governorship election, Sylva, but also to the cause of progress for our state under an APC government. “In the wake of the primary election’s rescheduling, we had sued for calm among our supporters and asked for a more massive turnout on the new election date to repeat the performance of 22 September and prove our detractors wrong. You heeded our call and not only repeated your overwhelming endorsement of Sylva’s candidacy, but in fact, topped it, from 726 votes at the 22 September polling to 981 on Wednesday. “We thank Mr. Ndutimi Alaibe for

his sportsmanlike steps to calm frayed nerves before the commencement of Wednesday’s exercise. His decision to withdraw from the race went a long way to ease some of the political tensions that had built during the previous voting. “We have made a good start. But the successful choice of our governorship candidate, Sylva, is the beginning of a long haul to our desired occupation of Government House, Yenagoa, next year. We call on all the aspirants, their supporters, the whole APC family in the state, and, indeed, all lovers of Bayelsa’s progress to join us and rally round the party and our candidate in the historic task of salvaging the state from the yoke of incompetent and dishonest governance foisted on it by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “The responsibility to change the bad fortunes of Bayelsa State under the bondage of PDP is one that must be accomplished.”

YOUTHS of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Northern Nigeria have accused the presidency and leaders of the All Progressives Congress of masterminding the war of litigation facing the Senate President on his asset declaration, stressing that all Governors and senators of the party should also declare their assets and the legitimacy of such declarations be probed. Speaking yesterday in Kaduna, the group led by Alhaji Shehu Ibrahim Umar lamented that contrary to the party’s claim of safeguarding internal democracy and upholding the party’s unity of purpose, the leadership of the APC has vehemently opposed Senate President, Bukola Saraki all in the name of fighting corruption. ‘’This is not the first time the Senate President, Bukola Saraki is holding public office. He has held several offices before now even as a Governor and sitting senator, but is it only now that the issue of corruption has raised against him, or will such issues have been raised if Bukola Saraki was in the good book of the party? Or is Saraki the only northerner that may have had skeletons in his cupboard? It is simply witch hunting and politics orchestrated by those who are opposed to his Senate Presidency and simply a ploy to stop him from presiding over the senate that

Tension As Ebonyi Awaits Tribunal’s Verdict AS many election petition tribunals across the country are winding up and delivering judgments on various election petitions, there is uneasy calm in Ebonyi State, one of the States won by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The last governorship election in the state expectedly has come and gone with torrents of petitions from various candidates that contested the election against Governor Dave Umahi of the PDP. Prominent among them is the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Edward Nkwegu. Though the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Julius Ucha, may have had his reasons for not challenging the election of Governor Umahi at the tribunal or any other court, many people still believe that the two-time senator is still a force to be reckoned with. Certainly, there is anxiety at both sides as the Justice Theresa Igocheled governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, is putting

PDP Mocks APC In Bayelsa all their members, Sylva was the best they could put forward as candidate. Keku, who frowned at the choice of Sylva, said what the party’s decision meant was that the APC was not prepared for any serious outing at the election because as he noted, “everybody in Bayelsa knows that Sylva is not electable.” Keku, however, was confident that possible violence would be

contained, assuring the people that security agencies in the state will deal with anyone caught breaching the peace or molesting anyone. The PDP advised Bayelsans to go about their lawful businesses without fear of intimidation, urging them to report any suspicious character to the security agencies. While asking the people to vote for the PDP during the December election, Keku also called on the

elected him,’’ he said. Umar decried that, “we the youths of the party did not voted for wars within us, we voted for a change devoid of hatred and witchhunting, we voted for internal democracy, the party has not even exhausted the internal mechanism for settlement, this act is capable of putting our best hands off the party, leaving us at the mercy of the opposition. The party leadership should also compel all senators and Governors in APC to declare their asset and should also probe the legitimacy of such declarations. This is a deadly move by our party because it might deepen the gap existing in the broken walls of the party.’’ The group also rebuked the claim by some northern youths calling for the resignation of Senate President, Bukola Saraki, ‘’the group is ignorant of the politics of the country hence it is clear that there are some elements within the party that are bend to ensure they ridicule the senate president and also stand on his future as a political leader in Nigeria. All we are saying past governors and present National Assembly members should publicly declare their assets for the interest of the change the present administration is clamoring for in order to ensure total transformation in the scheme of things, “the youths observed.

Federal Government to direct its security agencies to take urgent steps to ensure the security of lives and property in the state. “With the December 5 governorship election around the corner, we duly call on the people to outrightly reject Sylva’s candidacy and his APC-led politics of violence and intimidation which has become a well- known trademark,” he stated.

finishing touches to various arguments and issues raised by counsel to defendants, Arthur Okafor, and the counsel to the petitioner, Chief Udechukwu. But from all indications, there is a seeming win-win situation expected by a majority of people in the state, especially supporters of the PDP. At least from the ongoing arguments of both counsels to the petitioner, Chief Edward Nkwegu and his LP, and the respondents, Governor Umahi and PDP, as well as Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), it is becoming more complex the way the judgment will go. However, the PDP is upbeat of victory on the grounds that the election was won by the party and its candidate, Governor Umahi. Even though the PDP candidate emerged victorious because of its grassroots support base, the party still acknowledges the fact that the election was keenly contested by the LP and APC candidates. The PDP also believes that one of the things that gave it victory over the LP and APC respectively, was that they paraded the best candidate, and on that basis, it believes the ongoing election petition tribunal, is a mere political exercise to douse and calm all fraying nerves in the state that follows post-election period. Joseph Onwe, the PDP chairman in Ebonyi, says that just like the governor, he too was not losing sleep over the ongoing tribunal case in the state. He said the anxiety over the fate of the party if the election petition tribunal swings the pendulum the opposition was the creation of those he described as mischief makers.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Politics

•Malami

•Kachikwu

•Al-Hassan

•Onu

Rumbling, Grumbling Over Ministerial List CONT’D FROM PG 7

born 28 June 1963 was the Lagos State Governor from May 29, 2007 to May 29, 2015. As a candidate of the Action Congress party, now known as the All Progressives Congress, Fashola succeeded Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on 14 April 2007, and was sworn in on 29 May 2007. He was re-elected on 26 April 2011.He was Chief of Staff to his predecessor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Fashola had during his tenure as Chief of Staff also dubbed as the Honourable Commissioner to the Governor’s office. He was the first person to hold both offices simultaneously. Babatunde Fashola also served in Lagos state in various capacities. It has been often argued that Babatunde Raji Fashola and his administration marked a historic turning point in the life of Lagos as the largest African city. Many say his largest achievement was done without an earthmover in sight and that was when Nigeria was officially declared Ebola-free, which first spread to the country when Patrick Sawyer, the infected US-Liberian citizen and the ECOWAS official, imported the virus through Lagos airport. It is recorded that Fashola turned a forthcoming disaster into a public health and PR success. He took personal control of the process to track down and isolate about 1,000 people feared to have been infected since Patrick Sawyer’s coming by setting up an Ebola Emergency Operations Centre, which led the huge task of monitoring all those possibly infected. His administration is also credited with a great progress in the rural area, as over 110 rural development projects were finished under the rural water and sanitation structure. At the end of the year 2009, 104 communities were measured for delivery of modified Type A-water scheme from the intervention fund.Similar achievements were recorded in sectors such as security, education as well as public infrastructural renewal of Lagos state. ROTIMI AMAECHI Chibuike Rotim iAmaechi, born 27 May 1965, served as the 5thGovernor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015. He was reelected for a second term on 26 April 2011. Amaechi was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party before defecting to the All Progressives Congress on 27 November 2013. Amaechi cut his early teeth in politics as secretary of the now defunct National Republican Convention in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State. Between 1992 and 1994, he was Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Sir (Dr.) Peter Odili, and also a member of the Board of West Africa Glass industry as well as Risonpalm Nigeria Limited. Many say his cordial relationship with Peter Odili, his predecessor, translated into a harmonious relationship between the Executive and Legislative arms of government in Rivers State, until when Rotimi Amaechi launched a campaign against the State government, and verbally attacked the image of the then State Governor, in an effort to succeed Odili as Governor in 2007. In 1999, he contested and won a seat to become a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly to represent his constituency. He was subsequently elected as the Speaker of the House of Assembly. Amaechi was elected the Chairman of Nigeria’s Conference of Speakers of State Assemblies. He was reelected into the

State House of Assembly in May 2003 and was also re-elected as the Speaker. In 2003 when the National Assembly moved to hijack the legislative functions of the State house of Assembly as enshrined in the constitution, he and his colleagues took the matter to Nigeria’s Supreme Court and the court gave a judgment that the control and supervision of local government is the prerogative of the State House of Assembly. KAYODE FAYEMI Kayode Fayemi, born February 9, 1965, is the former Governor of Ekiti State and a native of Isan-Ekiti in Oye Local Government of Ekiti State, Nigeria. He is a former Director of the Centre for Democracy & Development, a research and training institution dedicated to the study and promotion of democratic development, peace-building and human security in Africa. Prior to his establishment of the Centre, he worked as a lecturer, journalist, researcher and Strategy Development adviser in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. As a prominent leader of the Nigerian opposition to military rule in exile, he was responsible for the founding and management of the opposition radios – Radio Freedom, Radio Democracy International & Radio Kudirat and played a central role in the opposition’s diplomatic engagements in exile. Amongst his numerous academic and public policy engagements at home and abroad, Kayode •Saraki Fayemi has lectured in Africa, Europe, the Americas and Asia. He has also served as an adviser on transitional justice, regional integration, constitutionalism, security sector reform and civil-military relations issues to various governments, inter-governmental institutions and development agencies. He was the main technical adviser to Nigeria’s Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission (Oputa Panel), which investigated past abuses and currently serves on the Presidential Implementation Committees on Security Sector Reform, NEPAD and the Millennium Development Goals. He was technical expert to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on small arms and light weapons and United Nations Economic Commission of Africa on governance issues. He is also a member, Africa Policy Advisory Panel of the British Government. At other times he has served as a consultant to the OECD on Security Sector Reform and chaired the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative’s Committee of Experts on developing guiding principles and mechanisms of constitution making in Commonwealth Africa. Upon assuming leadership of the state, his administration launched a mission statement, tagged ‘Collective Rescue Mission.’ It forms the bedrock on which Fayemi’s government would transform EkitiEkiti in the next four years of his tenure. His vision is summed up in an 8-point Agenda which centres around:

Governance, Infrastructural Development, Modernizing Agriculture, Education and Human Capital Development, Health Care Services, Industrial Development, Tourism Development, and Gender Equality and Woman Empowerment. CHRIS NGIGE Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige, born 8 August 1952, was governor of Anambra State29 May 2003 to 17 March 2006 under the People Democratic Party (PDP). He is currently a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He was elected Senator for Anambra Central Constituency in April 2011 .Ngige turned to politics, becoming a founding member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).By 1999, he was Assistant National Secretary and Zonal Secretary of PDP in the South East region of the country. He was elected governor of Anambra

State in controversial circumstances. He quickly broke ranks with his political godfather, Chris Uba brother of Andy Uba, after an unsuccessful attempt on 10 July 2003 to have him removed from office, through a fabricated letter of resignation which the state assembly accepted. However, in August 2005, an election Tribunal led by Justice Nabaruma nullified Ngige’s 2003 victory. He appealed to the Nigerian Federal Court of Appeal, but the annulment was confirmed on 15 March 2006, in a judgment awarding victory to Peter Obi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). No further appeals were possible, and Ngige accepted the judgment in good grace, calling on the people of Anambra to give their total support to his successor. Ngige’s 33 months in office were characterized by populist programmes, especially road construction, leaving him in good standing with the electorate. He yet again attempted to participate in state governorship elections in April 2007, but was frustrated by a dubious Independent National Electoral Commission and federal ‘disqualification’, even after a Federal High Court had voided the disqualification. In the final event, Obi’s impeachment was overturned anyway, and Obi served out his four years. Ngige’s tenure as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria came to an end following his defeat in the 2015 election by Hon. Uche Ekwunife who has

been sworn in as the Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District in the current 8th National Assembly of Nigeria and speculations are that he could become the next Minister of Health. OGBONAYA ONU Ogbonnaya Onu, born 1 December 1951, was the first Executive Governor of Abia State, Nigeria from February 1992 to December 1993. He was the National Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party(ANPP), until its amalgamation with other Nigerian opposition parties in February 2013 resulted in the creation of the All Progressives Congress. He obtained grade one with distinction in his West African School Certificate examination at Izzi High School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. Dr. Onu also obtained distinctions in Physics and Chemistry at the Higher School Certificate examination at the College of Immaculate Conception, CIC, Enugu, graduating as the best overall student. By 1976, he graduated with a first class honours degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Lagos. He later obtained his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemical Engineering (without p a s s i n g through a Master’s degree) at the reputable University of California, Berkeley, California, USA, in 1980, where he did extensive work on coal liquefaction and production of synthetic fuels under mild conditions. He showed that it was possible under relatively mild conditions to produce synthetic fuels comparable with crude oil. While in Port Harcourt, he became President of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt and the Chairman of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers of old Rivers, Cross River and AkwaIbom States’ Chapter. Dr. Onu was the pioneer National President of the Raw Materials Society of Nigeria. The Raw Materials Society of Nigeria, RMSN, with the sole aim of encouraging Nigerians to look inwards in the sourcing and utilization of raw materials, played a very important role in the establishment of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, RMRDC, by the Federal Government. He served as a member of the First Board of Governors of the Federal Government Raw Materials Research and Development Council. By the establishment of the RMRDC, there was no longer any need for the RMSN to continue to exist since both of them had the same function. Dr. Onu is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and Fellow of the Nigerian Academy

of Engineering. He was also one of the longest served Directors of the Nigeria Cement Company, Nigercem, Nkalagu, Ebonyi State. He was the Visitor of Abia State University, Uturu. In 1999, he emerged the first Presidential Flagbearer of the then All Peoples Party, APP, which was later known as the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP. A true democrat and committed party loyalist, Dr. Onu demonstrated rare political discipline and consistency, by remaining one of the very few founding leaders of the opposition ANPP who remained in the party since its inception in 1998 until it merged into a new political party in 2013. MALAMI ABUBAKAR. SAN Malami Abubakar, is a private legal practitioner and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who hails from Kebbi state. He is a Principal Partner at A.A. Malami, SAN & Co. The former National Legal Adviser to the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) was an aspirant at the 2015 All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial primaries in Kebbi state. DR. IBE EMMANUEL KACHUKWU DrIbe Emmanuel Kachikwu, is the current Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and immediate past Vice-Chairman and General Counsel for ExxonMobil in Africa. He is a first class graduate of Law and holds a Masters and Doctorate in law from Harvard Law School, United States, where he graduated with distinctions. He is a highly respected philanthropist; he facilitated the education of many indigenes of Onicha Ugbo in Delta State by offering over 900 scholarships to students. SENATOR AISHA AL-HASSAN Born on September 16, 1959, Senator Aisha Al-Hassan, is a Nigerian politician who was elected Senator for the Taraba North constituency of Taraba state, in the April 2011 federal elections when she ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). She clinched the Taraba state governorship ticket at the APC primaries in the state with a landslide victory against other aspirants like Ibrahim Tumba, Dr. Julde. Her victory saw her become the first female to clinch the governorship ticket on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba state. The success story of Senator Alhassan has been nothing but exceptional. In January 2011, she defeated the incumbent Senator, former Ambassador Manzo Anthony at PDP primaries though it was said that she was a protégé of former Governor Jolly Nyame, who wanted her to defeat Manzo, thinking he could then defeat her. However, after winning the primaries Jummai ran an energetic election campaign, managing to gain Christian support despite the fact that she herself was a Muslim. Soon enough, her hard work paid off greatly when in the April 9, 2011 elections, Jummai won 114,131 votes, followed by Jolly Nyame of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), now All Progressives Congress (APC), with 92,004 votes. She was one of four women elected on the PDP ticket.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Crime

Lagos Judiciary Introduces BIMS By STEPHEN AYA LAGOS Judiciary is to introduce the Bail Information Management System (BIMS) from this legal year. This newly introduced software into the State's judicial system would capture full documentation of the defendants and their sureties including their biometrics. The Chief Judge (CJ) of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade said this while delivering an address at the Bar and Bench Forum which took place at the High Court of Lagos State Foyer, Igbosere. She added that; "the Lagos State judiciary will continue to perform of its responsibilities and also provide modern infrastructures that would also held in the quick dispensation of justice”. According to the CJ, the BIMS is designed to address some of the unique challenges be-deviling the criminal justice system and to also see to the reduction of abuses by those she termed unscrupulous lawyers and professional sureties. According to her, "The trials of suspects are usually delayed due to non-production in court by prison authorities, who sometimes cannot

•Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade

Landlord Arraigned Over Tenant’s $6,000 By STEPHEN AYA A 60-year-old landlord, Cletus Egwuatumba, and his secretary, Ngozi Onuaju, 36, have landed in trouble after they illegally broke into a tenant’s apartment and removed his doors in order to renovate the apartment in his absence. The tenant, Pastor Evan Obiora, reported to the police that the landlord invaded his apartment

and allegedly stole his 6,000 dollars and Digital camera. The incident happened at 6, Amoka Street, Abaranje, Ikotun, Lagos State, and western Nigeria, where Obiora rented the apartment. The police at Ikotun Division arrested Egwuatumba and Ngozi over the incident. According the police, Egwuatumba broke into Obiora’s apartment and removed the two

Lagos Robber Blames Act On Alcohol THE operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos State police command have apprehended an armed robbery suspect operating in Surulere, who specializes in robbing motorists of their valuable items. The suspect, Michael Ogedengbe, blamed his addiction to alcoholic drinks for his involvement in robbery. Ogedengbe was arrested on September, 24, 2015, around Surulere area of the metropolis. The suspect was arrested after he attacked some innocent members of the public.He had successfully smashed the side screen of his last victim’s vehicle and robbed him of his handset , laptop and other valuables before he was arrested . One of his victims, Emmanuel Ugwunne, who was attacked inside his Honda Accord Saloon car with registration number, AGL 41 DC, alerted the RRS operatives, when he shouted for help. According to the RRS Commander, an assistant commissioner of police, ACP OlatunjiDisu, “The Policemen on patrol duty, saw a man who later identified himself as Emmanuel Ugwunne, crying for assistance after the suspect had damaged the windscreen and side glass of his car to steal the valuable items”. On his arrival at the headquarters,

the suspect, who confessed to the crime, said that he was under the influence of alcohol. The suspect said, “It is true that I damaged the windscreen and side glass of his car and stole his handset and laptop. I didn’t do it ordinarily. It was because I just took some bottles of alcoholic drinks and liquor. I beg for forgiveness. Devil put me into the act” The suspect has been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the state police command for further investigation

doors leading to his apartment and left it like that when Obiora was not at home. The landlord claimed he did so because he was carrying out renovation in the apartment, but did not explain why he did it in Obiora’s absence. According to Obiora, he went on an evangelical mission which took him days and nobody was in his three-bedroom apartment when Egwuatumba broke the doors and left it like that until he returned. He said when he saw what happened, he went where he kept the $6,000 and the digital camera and discovered they were no more there. He said when he confronted the landlord about renovating his apartment in his absence and asked about the money and the camera, he denied seeing the items. After their arrest and investigation they were charged with conspiracy and stealing before Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ejigbo under the Criminal Code. They pleaded not guilty and the presiding Magistrate, Mrs. J.O.E. Adeyemi, granted them bail with two sureties. The matter was adjourned till 5 October, 2015. They were remanded in prison custody at Kirikiri pending when they will perfect their bail condition.

even identify their specific places of remand. "The BIMS will be deployed in the 22 magisterial districts and the Lagos and Ikeja Divisions of the Lagos State High Court. The information will be linked to a centralized data base accessible to everybody and give judges and magistrates confidence to grant bail to suspects. It will help to address the issue of awaiting trial inmates because suspects can easily be tracked from the system." She said Delivering a lecture at the event on the topic, "The role of the Bar in attaining effective and efficient justice delivery,"A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), FunkeAdekoya expressed sadness over a situation,

where judges unnecessarily indulge lawyers in their various courts. This she said would hamper effective and efficient justice delivery. While advising younger judges to balance such a development, the SAN said there is the need for all judges to ensure that all cases placed before them ends up with a result. Adekoya added that; "Cases must be concluded, judgment must be handed down and record of proceedings must be made available." "For lawyers, they must be able to embrace mediation, avoid objection to stay of proceedings, and avoid unnecessary applications for adjournment."

New Date For Synagogue/ Coroner Case A Federal High Court in Lagos has further adjourned till October 19, 2015 to hear two separate suits seeking to quash the coroner’s verdict on the September 12, 2014 Synagogue Church Of All Nations building collapse. The suits were filed by the two structural engineers contracted by SCOAN to build the collapsed six-storey building, MessrsOladeleOgundeji and AkinbelaFatiregun. Ogundeji and Fatiregun had been indicted of criminal negligence by a coroner who conducted an inquest into the deaths of the 116 persons who lost their lives in the tragic incident. The coroner, Mr. OyetadeKomolafe, had recommended that the state should investigate and prosecute them. The State governor, AkinwunmiAmbode, had disclosed that his administration would implement the coroner’s recommendations. But the engineers, through their lawyer, Mr. OlalekanOjo, rejected the coroner’s verdict and described it as “unreasonable, one-sided and biased.”They subsequently approached the court asking that the coroner’s verdict and recommendations be invalidated and pronounced null and void. They urged the court to bar the Attorney-General of the State or any officer acting under his authority from initiating or commencing criminal proceedings against the applicants on the basis of the findings and recommendations of the coroner. They also urged the court to declare that the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State lacked the power to act on the coroner’s verdict to investigate or prosecute them.

•Pastor T.B. Joshua

Justice Mohammed Idris, who entertained separate ex parte applications by the engineers during the court’s vacation, had on July 22, 2015 ordered that parties should maintain the status quo pending the determination of the main suit. The case however came up on Wednesday before Justice Ibrahim Buba , whom the case, has now been transferred.At the resumed proceedings, Ojo informed the court that though he had received a counter-affidavit filed in opposition by theCouncil for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, his reply was filed out of time. He said his clients intended to pay the penalty sum, adding that he needed a short standdown to process the payment. But Buba said rather than stand the case down for a few minutes; he would be adjourning till a further date to take all pending applications. He subsequently adjourned further proceedings till October 19, 2015.

Nigerian Beaten To Death For Attempted Rape

•Michael Ogedengbe

A yet to be identified Nigerian student in Malaysia has reportedly been beaten to death for attempting to rape a lady inside an elevator in a service apartment on September 23rd. Malaysia's newspaper, Malaymail online, reports that the Nigerian student was mobbed by residents of the service apartment after the victim raised an alarm. The police was called in and the Nigerian student was taken to the police station with injuries on

the right side of his head, and had scratch marks on his legs and hand. He later died at the police station. "We received a call from the security manager of the apartment who informed us of the incident. When police arrived at 8.20 pm, the suspect was surrounded by 20 to 30 people and his hands were tied. The victim put up a fight and screamed for help as the lift door opened and several men who were in the area caught the suspect. The suspect was then taken to the police station

at 8.45 pm. He was fine and he even walked into the station accompanied by policemen. However, we found him unconscious when one of the officers checked on him. A medical officer examined the suspect and pronounced him dead,” ACP Azmi Abu Kassim, a Malaysian police chief said. The police say a post mortem is being carried out on the deceased. Meanwhile the Nigerian Embassy in Malaysia has not confirmed or reacted to the incident.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Crime

Nigeria @ 55:

Crime X-ray By STEPHEN AYA

CRIME is the violation of norms or values of any given society. It is more of a sociological concept which shows the spectrum of other related components of negative events in the society. Of the 11 types of crime identified globally, seven are very prominent in Nigeria. These are predatory crime, which brings harm to the innocent and benefits only the offender; occupational crime, which are committed by a person in the process of his occupation; Service crime, which encourages the purchase of illicit or illegal goods and services, and organised crime, which has an administrative structure. These types of crimes which range from armed robbery to advanced fee fraud popularly called 419,

examination malpractices, tax evasion, abortion, child-abuse, smuggling, bribery, contract inflation, car theft, cultism and piracy, have for long been the bane of the Nigerian society. Despite the combined efforts of law enforcement agencies and some aggrieved members of the public, crime rate has yet to be minimised as new tactics as in such crimes emerge daily in our society. But, it is true that the Nigerian society cannot be singled out as the only society bedeviled with the growing rate of all manner of crime. Neither can one stop at labelling other developing countries as crimeinfested societies as well. While advanced countries like England, France, Germany, Japan, China and the United States went through a high stage of crime rate in the 19th Century as a result of rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and other sectorial

development. They have since been able to bring such to the lowest level, thus becoming almost a crime free society. One however, cannot overlook the influx of people from the neighbouring and far-away countries to the different parts of the country as another cause of crime in Nigeria. These immigrants want to share in the wealth of Nigeria, but when they find it difficult to secure jobs, the unscrupulous ones end up with criminal activities. Another cause of high crime rate in Nigeria is the fact that the country is a capitalist society.This is why in Nigeria, most of those who do not have the means to achieve their goals engage in different forms of criminal behaviours such as armed robbery, burglary, examination malpractices, smuggling and child abuse. For others, the desire to commit crimes among some

citizens comes from the simple fact that they have found their ways blocked particularly through bureaucratic red tape which exists within the government infrastructure and thus believe that only a life of crime could save them. Consequently, those who cannot achieve their goals because of what they term irrelevant bureaucratic redtape participate in criminal activities such as forgery, counterfeiting, advanced fee fraud (419), and mundane practices and physical elimination of their superiors by any means. Given the socio-economic disadvantage via corruption, as well as the embarrassment suffered by Nigeria and Nigerians internationally due to the high crime rate in the society, itis important for us to take a good look at the issue of high crime rate in Nigeria at

55.If it is possible to control the crime rate in western nations, then it is also possible for us to embark on such too. In this regard, since it is noted by expertsthat crime rate is a tie to economic development, adequate response to change is vital to the effective functioning of the criminal justice system. The unemployment problems must be tackled vigorously by both the government and the private sector. We must establish a good Police/public relationship, and we must all continue to team up to detect crimes and deal justifiably with those involved. Finally, the current wind of charge that is transforming all government activities powered by President Buhari, must seeks to explore, utilise and streamline different parts of our lives as individuals and as a nation at large.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Sports

Latifu Dreams EPL Action

Don’t Ignore Martins, Ogbeche –Chukwu

•Ogbeche

SEATTLE Sounders’ Obafemi Martins and FC Cambuur forward Bartholomew Ogbeche deserve a recall to the Nigeria squad, according to a former Super Eagles coach Christian Chukwu. 30-year-old Martins announced his retirement from international football in December 2014 following his inability to get an invite to the national team under former coach Stephen Keshi, while Ogbeche who has scored four goals in his last two games for his Dutch club fizzled out of the national team after the 2002 Fifa World Cup in South Korea and Japan. Both have been in good scoring

form for their clubs lately and Chukwu believes their superlative form should not be ignored by coach Sunday Oliseh as they will solve the attacking worries of the Super Eagles. “Everything depends on the head coach though I believe that the Super Eagles is for every Nigerian provided they are in a very good shape,” Chukwu said. “Ogbeche and Martins are in the right form and I feel they should be invited to the national team. “Both players are tested and boast of experience that can improve the lot of Nigeria during international matches.

Dele Alli Vows To Justify Onazi Inclusion Dedicates In England Goal To Squad Nigerians •Onazi

EDDY Y Onazi took to social media to celebrate his goal for Lazio in their 3 - 2 victory over Saint-étienne on match day two in the Europa League on Thursday night. In his 21st appearance in the competition, the combative midfielder was in action for 74 minutes before he was replaced after picking up a yellow card in the 25th minute. The Nigeria international has dedicated his third goal since he first appeared in the Europa League to his countrymen, who are celebrating their 55th Independence anniversary. “3 points in the bag with one goal for my beloved #NigeriaAt55. Thanks to our fans! #ForzaLazio #ASuperEagle , ” the Lazio number 23 tweeted. Eddy Onazi will be hoping to feature in Lazio’s next game, against Frosinone on Sunday, before embarking on the 718 - mile journey to Belgium to link up with his international teammates for the friendlies against DRC and Cameroon.

DELE Alli has vowed to justify his inclusion in England’s latest roster but declared that he is focused on doing well for Tottenham Hotspur, ahead of their Premier League tie against Swansea City on Sunday. In all competitions this season, the 19 - year - old started and completed a game for the fourth time as Spurs shared the spoils with Monaco in the Europa League on Thursday. “It’s a great chance for me to show what I can do, show the manager and all the players, ” Dele Alli said to tottenhamhotspur.com. “At the moment I’m just focusing on Spurs, the game at Swansea, but when it comes, I’ll work as hard as I can in training and see if I can get some minutes on the pitch.” The Anglo - Nigerian played two matches for England U21s before being named in the Three Lions for the first time on Thursday afternoon.

•Martins

NIGERIA international Latifu is currently plying histrade in Norway with Aalesund, but his contract expires in December and he has yet to agree a new deal. The news has alerted a number of clubs across Europe to Latifu’s possible availability on a free transfer in January. Latifu has impressed for Aalesund and he has been an ever-present for the club in the Tippeligaen this season. The attacking right-back is thought to be attracting interest from clubs in Spain, Germany and Turkey, but Latifu admits his preference would be to win a move to the Premier League in England. “I would be very happy to play in England and it is a dream for most players to play in the Premier League,” Latifu told HITC Sport. “It has been one of my dreams to come to England and I hope that can happen. “I have heard some clubs in Germany, Spain and Turkey are interested in signing me and we will see what happens. “I am soon to be a free agent when my contract at Aalesund expires and my aim is to play in a bigger league to enhance my chances with the Nigerian national team. “I have a few friends who play in England and I think my style of football would be suited for England. “I want to continue to work hard and hopefully I will achieve my dreams. “I have an EU passport so I would be able to move to England if the opportunity comes. “I grew up watching Chelsea when I was younger with so many African players and that inspired me to try and move to England.” The performances of BranislavIvanovic this season have suggested that Chelsea could do with bolstering their options at right-back, but Latifu may have to set his sights a little lower for now. His ambition is to be commended, though, and he must now wait and see whether a dream offer arrives from England in early 2016.

•Latifu

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Sports

League Table Pos Team 1 Man Utd 2 Man City 3 West Ham 4 Arsenal 5 Everton 6 Tottenham 7 C/Palace 8 Leicester 9 Liverpool 10 S’hampton 11 Swansea 12 Norwich 13 Watford 14 Chelsea 15 West Brom 16 B’mouth 17 Stoke 18 Aston Villa 19 Newcastle 20 Sunderland

P 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

GD PTS 7 16 7 15 6 13 3 13 4 12 4 12 2 12 1 12 -2 11 1 9 0 9 -1 9 -1 9 -3 8 -3 8 -2 7 -3 6 -4 4 -6 3 -10 2

Arsenal,

Man Utd

ROCK

Fixtures Saturday Oct. 3

C/Palace v West Brom Man City v Newcastle Sunderland v West Ham Norwich v Leicester Bournemouth v Watford Aston Villa v Stoke City Chelsea v S’hampton

Sunday Oct. 4

Everton v Liverpool Swansea v Tottenham Arsenal v Man United

•Sanchez

Martinez Lifts Liverpool Up As Spenders BRENDAN Rodgers’ Liverpool, short of form and under pressure, should be favourites for the derby, according to Everton’s Roberto Martinez. Everton manager, Roberto Martinez claims Liverpool’s significant recent outlay in the transfer market means the pressure is all on the visitors ahead of the first Merseyside derby of the season on Sunday. H a v i n g received major fees for the sales of Luis Suarez to Barcelona and RaheemSterling to Manchester City in the last two years, B r e n d a n R o d g e r s has spent significant sums in an attempt •Martinez to replace those prized assets. Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino, DejanLovren and Adam Lallana all cost £20million or more apiece, with Liverpool’s spending since the arrival of Rodgers from Swansea in 2012 estimated to be close to £300m. And while Everton are at home and in better form than their local rivals, with three wins from their

last four matches in all competitions, their Spanish manager has sought to place the burden of expectation squarely on the away team. “If you’re looking at … the amount of money that Liverpool have spent in the last three seasons, clearly they need to be the favourites,” Martinez told a pre-match conference on Friday. Liverpool’s underwhelming 1-1 draw at home to Sion in the Europa League on Thursday has done nothing to ease the scrutiny on Rodgers, who has led Liverpool to three wins, two draws and two defeats from the first seven matches of the league season. Everton are just one point better off than their fierce foes in the Premier League table and Martinez is unsurprised to see his counterpart from across the city finding his future being questioned. “The pressure is the nature of the game,” he said. “In the league now we’ve created so many high expectations in every project. It’s something that is normal. It goes with the nature of not winning games.”

Emirates AN old rivalry y is reignited g in north h London L d as fi first place pl takes k on fourth.Clashes between Arsenal and Manchester United have historically been heated affairs; blood and thunder wars of attrition between the big two teams in the country, one Invincible, one a treble winner. But, more recently, the duels have lost some of their bite as their respective stars have waned, neither mounting a proper title challenge in almost three years. But now that changes. United sit top of the Premier League table for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge, while Arsenal – currently in their familiar position of fourth – can draw level with a win. The Gunners were rampant last time out, scoring five times away to in-form Leicester City, though have otherwise not scored the volume of the goals their good play has merited. United, meanwhile, have been solid if unspectacular, passing their way to three points each time. So now the sides meet in what feels like a genuine title clash, even if they are far from the finished articles. Arsene Wenger will know, for example, that his side must prove their credentials having already lost to Chelsea and drawn at home to Liverpool. For United, it is a first test against another member of last season’s top four.Arsenal have won just one of their last 13 Premier League fixtures against Manchester United (D4 L8). Manchester United are

unbeaten in four away games against i Arsenall – they’ve A h never gone five without a loss away to the Gunners in the Premier League era. Arsenal have a lower win percentage against Manchester United in the Premier League (24%) than versus any other opponent in the competition. Wayne Rooney has netted 11 times in 25 Premier League games against Arsenal. The only sides he’s scored more goals against in the competition are Newcastle (12) and Aston Villa (13). Rooney scored his first ever Premier League goal (Oct 2002), his first Premier League goal for Man Utd (Oct 2004) and his 100th Premier League goal (Jan 2010) against the Gunners. Arsenal have the two players to have created the most goalscoring chances in the Premier League so far this season; MesutOzil (29) and Santi Cazorla (28). Since making his PL debut back in August 2012, Santi Cazorla has provided more Premier League assists than any other player (32). Theo Walcott has netted 12 goals in his last 13 Premier League starts for the Gunners. Louis van Gaal has lost just one of his five meetings with Arsene Wenger (all comps), losing in the FA Cup last season after winning one and drawing one in the PL and winning one and drawing one in the 1999/00 Champions League group stages with Barcelona. Anthony Martial has been directly involved in four goals in his first three Premier League games, netting three and assisting one.

•Martial

Ferguson Back On Pitch!!!

•As Ref Collina picks whistle, Zidane dazzles in Old Trafford

FORMER Manchester United boss, Sir Alex Ferguson will manage a Great Britain and Ireland XI captained by David Beckham in a charity match next month…he is expected to call the shots from the side lines for Great Britain and Ireland novelty encounter. The team will take on a World XI captained by France legend,ZinedineZidane at Old Trafford on 14 November. Former Chelsea, Real Madrid and AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti will manage the World XI, while Italian Pierluigi Collina will referee the match. Money raised from ticket sales will be donated to children’s charity UNICEF. Ferguson, 73, retired in 2013, having won 38 trophies during 26 years in charge at Old Trafford. Former England captain Beckham made 394 appearances over an 11-year period for United under Ferguson before he was sold to Real Madrid in 2003, four months after the Scot accidentally kicked a boot that struck the ex-Old Trafford midfielder above the left eye. Ferguson was also critical of his Beckham in his autobiography, but Beckham told BBC Radio 1’s Nick Grimshaw that he had personally called the Scot to ask him to take part.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Saturday, October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015

Sports

TABLES

Mengistu Leads Ethiopian Track ‘Horses’ To Germany MESERET Mengistu Biru, the winner of the Paris Marathon in April, will head a strong Ethiopian women’s quartet at this year’s Frankfurt Marathon on Sunday 25 October, the organisers of the IAAF Gold Label Road Raceannounced. Mengistu will arrive in Frankfurt aiming to continue her winning streak.Having won her last three marathons. She won in Cape Town and Soweto last year but the 25-yearold had a breakthrough performance in the French capital, triumphing on the streets of Paris with 2:23:26, an improvement in her personal best of almost six minutes. However, victory far from a foregone conclusion for Mengistu. Among her rivals is Ashete Bekele, who has a very similar personal best. In Dubai at the start of this year, Bekele improved to 2:23:43 yet, such was the quality of the field, it was only good enough for 10th place. Bekele also has the advantage of knowing the course of the Frankfurt Marathon already, having finished third here a year ago in 2:24:59. Another Ethiopian marathon runner on the Frankfurt start line will be Dinkinesh Mekash. Since 2012 she has been admirably consistent, running between 2:25 and 2:30 each year. Her personal best is 2:25:09 from Paris in 2013, where she placed fourth, but she also won this year’s Mumbai Marathon in January, despite difficult weather conditions, with 2:30:00. The victory in India was Mekash’s biggest success of her career so far. Meseret Kitata is a relative newcomer to the marathon distance. Just 21-years-old, she was the surprise winner of the 2015 Rome Marathon with 2:30:25, her personal best after only starting to compete internationally last year. With the German Championships included in this year’s Frankfurt Marathon, Lisa Hahner will be among the favourites to win the national race. The 25-year-old last finished a marathon two years ago but it was in Frankfurt’s indoor finishing area of the ‘Festhalle’, crossing the line in what remains her personal best of 2:30:17.A series of injuries hindered her progress in 2014 and this spring she suffered a stress fracture in her fibula. However, Hahner now feels ready to run a new personal best and intends to meet the German qualifying standard for Rio 2016 Olympic Games. This stands at 2:28:30 and has yet to be achieved by a German runner. Around 15,000 runners are expected to participate in the marathon. •Mengistu

Spanish La Liga

Tyson Fury’s World Title Hopeful

TYSON Fury’s promoter, Mick Hennessy is ‘optimistic’ the Manchester heavyweight’ s re-scheduled challenge for Wladimir Klitschko’s world titles will take place on November 28. Talks are ongoing between the camps after Klitschko postponed the October 24 bout last week because of a calf injury. Both sides initially indicated a new date would be released this week and Hennessy told Sportsmail on Tuesday: ‘We are working hard to make the fight before the end of the year. There are dates available, but obviously there are a lot of factors involved such as television scheduling that we have to take into account.At the moment I am optimistic that they will fight on November 28 but we have to work out some of the details. I am told Wladimir is healing well so we will see.’ It remains to be seen if a November pay-per-view fight can be accommodated within the broadcasting schedules. Fury indicated on Monday that he would consider a tune-up fight if his shot at the WBA, WBO and IBF champion was put back until early in 2016.

Chris Criticizes Tour De Fance Rejection CHRIS Froome has criticised London’s decision to turn down the chance to host the 2017 Tour de France grand départ, describing it as “a great shame” and arguing that the capital has missed out on the opportunity to inspire people to get out on their bikes. London’s decision to perform an about-turn has been much scrutinised in the past two days after it emerged that the city had won the right to host thegranddépart 10 years after its hugely successful 2007 start to the Tour, only to decide against it. Many fans were left wondering why the capital had bothered to bid in the first place. Others accused Mayor of London Boris Johnson of politicking, with the Conservative MP standing down as mayor next year. Froome said it would have been amazing to host the grand départ again so soon after last year’s hugely successful start in Yorkshire. “It’s a great shame that London have dropped their bid,” the two-time Tour champion told ITV news. “If it was anything like Yorkshire was a couple of years ago, it would have been massive.

Especially with cycling having grown so much in Britain these last few years. It would have been an amazing thing for everyone to have the Tour come back to Britain. “One of the big goals of the team is to inspire people to get out and get on their bikes and having a race like the Tour de France coming to Britain would go so far to do that, so it is a big shame that we have missed out on it again.”

•Froome

Muhammad Ali Wins Sports Illustrated Legacy Award MUHAMMAD Ali was supported by fellow boxing legends George Foreman and Larry Holmes as Sports Illustrated named its Sportsman Legacy Award after him in his hometown Kentucky on Thursday. On the 40th anniversary of Ali’s fight with Joe Frazier in the Philippines, which is known as the ‘Thrilla in Manilla’, the three-time world heavyweight champion received a standing ovation in appreciation of what he achieved as arguably the greatest fighter, if not sportsman, of all time. The 73-year-old, who is battling Parkisnon’s disease, wore sunglasses as he watched a slideshow picturing iconic moments from his career

before receiving a silver award plate. His 14-round fight Manilla fight was his second victory of Frazier and is considered one of the greatest contests in history. The former champion appeared uplifted when former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal joined him at the front table he shared with his wife Lonnie. ‘Thank you for loving Muhammad as much as you have and that you still do,’ she told a packed audience. Despite famously losing to Ali in an ill-tempered fight in 1974 in Zaire, known as the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’, Foreman said: ‘This is the greatest man I’ve ever met in my life. I get excited and my heart beats (fast) every time I meet him.’

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Team Villarreal Barcelona Real Madrid Celta Vigo Atlético Deportivo Eibar Valencia Espanyol Real Betis Vallecano Sociedad Getafe Las Palmas Gijón Sevilla Bilbao Málaga Levante Granada

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Team Fiorentina Inter Torino Sassuolo Lazio Roma Chievo Atalanta Sampdoria Napoli Milan Palermo Udinese Genoa Juventus Frosinone Empoli Verona Bologna Carpi

P 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

GD 8 4 13 8 6 5 2 1 -8 -4 -4 1 -2 -1 -2 -5 -4 -3 -7 -8

Italian Serie A P 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

GD 7 2 5 3 -3 6 6 3 3 5 -1 -1 -3 -3 -1 -4 -5 -4 -6 -9

Pts 16 15 14 14 12 11 9 9 9 8 7 6 6 5 5 5 4 3 3 3 Pts 15 15 13 12 12 11 11 11 10 9 9 7 6 6 5 4 4 3 3 2

German Bundesliga 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Team Bayern Dortmund Schalke Wolfsburg Leverkusen Hertha Köln Ingolstadt Darmstadt Hamburger Frankfurt Mainz Bremen M’gladbach Hoffenheim Augsburg Stuttgart Hannover

P 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

GD 20 15 5 2 -1 0 -2 -2 -1 -2 4 0 -5 -6 -4 -5 -8 -10

Pts 21 17 16 12 12 11 11 11 10 10 9 9 7 6 5 4 3 2

French Ligue 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Team PSG St Etienne Rennes Reims Angers Caen Nice Lyon Monaco Lorient Bastia Bordeaux Guingamp Nantes Marseille Lille Toulouse Montpellier Troyes Ajaccio

P 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

GD 13 2 5 5 4 0 9 4 -1 0 -1 -2 -4 -6 4 -2 -5 -6 -10 -9

Pts 20 16 15 15 15 15 14 12 12 11 10 10 10 10 8 7 7 4 4 2

BACKSaturday, PAGE October 3 - Friday, October 9, 2015 40

NATIONAL WEEKENDER

Weeping, Wailing, Teeth-Gnashing For Rashidi national Yekini EEKENDER

•Yekini

A Passion For Truth, Objectivity, Decorum

Saturday, October 3 - Friday October 9, 2015

THE ministerial list has been sent to the senate by the presidency. To say it better, President Muhammadu Buhari has sent his ministerial list to the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki. And to drive home the message, the ministerial list is now on the desk or custody of Saraki. Whichever way you choose to look at or present the issue, the message is that now Saraki who has been under pressure mounted on him by the chieftains of his party has a great opportunity to fight back or better still settle scores with his detractors. It is not for nothing that Buhari invited Saraki to Aso Rock for the first time since the cold war started shortly after the latter won the election as Senate President. Indeed the ministerial list is now the game changer which Saraki’s camp is bent on using to pay back its foes. That both men met just 24 hours after the list was sent in sends a very vital signal. Going by Senate Dino Melaye’s pronouncement a couple of days before the list was sent to the senate surely the Presidency is sitting on the edge Melaye while addressing newsmen in his capacity as Spokesman of the Senate and speaking on the likely conduct of the screening exercise of the ministerial nominees said, “it is not going to be business as usual.” That simply implies that the nominees won’t just walk in and take a bow. They would be seriously drilled. It is only natural for nominees coming from the camp of Saraki’s foes and indeed their sponsors to panic. Now Saraki appears to have the cake and the knife. Of course it is expected that he will adequately utilize this opportunity and since his camp in the senate is the majority, surely he could frustrate the some chieftains of his party who have been working against him but are now desperate to have their men in Buhari’s cabinet. The game is simply! Those who sponsored the noise and court suits against Saraki over false declaration of asset will have to beat a retreat, make a smart u-turn and start negotiating with him. Feelers from Abuja and within the governing party suggest that

www.nationalweekender.net

Desmond Ekwueme On SATURDAY

N150

08035321476 (SMS Only) desmondsportspro@yahoo.co.in

Game Changer Saraki is already being courted for this reason. That was the major reason why Buhari invited him to Aso Rock 24 hours after sending the ministerial list to him. The issue now is to appeal to the Kwara-born politician to sheathe his sword for national and party interests. It is expected that Saraki has given Buhari his words assuring that peace will reign but on one condition which is for those who instituted a case against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal to withdraw it or better still for the court to quash the case against him. Whether this agreement will be honoured only time will tell but pundits are insisting that there cannot be any guarantee that a sponsored independent individual cannot come up another suit against Saraki even if his party’s chieftains stops the present court case.

his age bracket then, something is fundamentally wrong. In the case of Nigeria, assuming she is a man, at 55 he cannot be called a man despite his age because he is behaving like a boy. Things that his mates have been able to handle maturely and successfully he handles with kids glove. He is like Obi who chooses to remain a boy even though he is a full grown man. His attitude is childish. Nigeria has failed or refused to see his hands, legs and head as part of same body and he has continued to approach and tackle issues on sectional, tribal or religious linings. His growth is stunted even though there is room for improvement.

become a hideout for marauders which is a big threat to our safety”, a neighbour to late Yekin, who does not want his name in print told the sporting press in Ibadan. Counsel to the late Goal-king, Barrister Jubril Mohammed, who is perceived to be in-charge of all Yekini left behind when contacted, said effort is on to obtain every and all documents that would everyandalldocumentsthatwould enable him take appropriate action on the estate. “And very soon the place would be put to good use but pending that time, he had contracted people who would clear all the weeds, so that it doesn’t become a hideout and security threat to the resident.” The legal practitioner added that the late Nigerian goal merchant left behind two daughters, who would be the direct beneficiaries of wealth and properties his client left behind, but not until all necessary papers are obtained before the will of the deceased can be carried out.

Court Hangs Policeman For Killing Pure Water Seller A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has sentenced a policeman, Timothy Samuel to death by hanging. Hearing on this case, has been on over the last five years. Timothy Samuel was the leader of a team of policemen, who went to Old Aba Road, Port-Harcourt on November, 10, 2010, where a certain Onyekachi Nwasouba, a sachet water dealer was shot dead by him and his team of policemen. Onyekachi was shot dead in front of his house was about leaving

around 5am, when he was about to start distributing his products to customers. The court heard that the late Onyekachi had screamed he was not an armed robber but a sachet waster dealer, but Timothy still went ahead to shoot him. He died on the spot. Delivering his Judgment, the judge described Timothy as “inhuman, trigger-happy policeman, who engages in murder; a hater of humankind and a merciless killer,” before sentencing him to death by hanging.

Tafa Balogun Visits Aso Rock

Obi Is A Boy…

When a man fails to take up responsibilities then he remains a boy. When he fails to get married at the time expected of him to do so then, he is a boy irrespective of his age. When or if his reasoning does not suggest that he has anything meaningful to offer, of course, he is treated like a boy by his kinsmen. Time and age have something in common. There is a particular time when a child is enrolled or expected to be enrolled into crèche, kindergarten or primary school. That time has a tag with the age of that child. When the child fails to get into school within

THE palatial p home where the late soccer legend, g Rashidi Yekini was livingg before his untimely y death on 4th May y 2012, has become a house of mourningg and perennial p lamentation ‘’’ no thanks to weeds which have over-taken the entire place p and now and causingg ceaseless grief g apprehension pp to residents of the Oni and Sons area of ringroad, Ibadan where the house is situated. The residents in a letter written to the Oluyole Divisional Police Station covering the area described the expansive mansion of the late goal king as a security threat, while expressing fears of the place becoming a hideout for hoodlums. “We are worried over the over the desertion of this big house since we lost Baba (the way late Yekini is being called by his neighbours) more than three years ago now. “This house might soon

By: RUFAI OLATUNBOSUN

•Senate President, Saraki

A former Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun, was a surprise guest at the Presidential Villa on Thursday. Balogun, alongside other exIGs, was among guests of President Muhammadu Buhari at the occasion marking the 55th Independence Anniversary at the Aso Rock Villa. He assumed the top job in March 2002 and was rarely seen in public after his removal as head of the Nigeria Police Force. National Weekender gathered that in January 2005, the

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under Nuhu Ribadu arrested the former IG for official corruption and diversion of about N5.7 billion police funds. He spent 67 days in custody while the case against him lasted in court. Balogun pleaded guilty to eight charges of corruption and was sentenced to six months in prison. He finished his term in 2006. Justice Binta Nyako had noted that he was a first offender and his demeanour in court reflected him as having shown remorse. She ordered Balogun to pay a fine of N4 million.

NATIONAL WEEKENDER is Published by SportsDay Printing & Publishing Company Limited. Corporate Head Office: 19 Gbemisola Street, Off Allen Avenue Ikeja Lagos. Tel: 234 1 3426352. Editor: DESMOND EKWUEME. All Correspondence to the above address, ISSN: 23543043