Binder1 saturday july 12 2014

Saturday Edition

Sanctity of Truth Saturday, JULY 12, 2014 Vol. 1 No. 144

CHIDI AMUTA I turned down ministerial offers six times P.13

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WOLE SOYINKA Dance, exhibitions and lectures as Kongi turns 80 P.22,23, 49

SEYI SODIMU Why I’m remaking Ebenezer Obey’s songs P.20

National Conference

Increase in derivation was a hidden agenda, says Galadima

Louis Achi, Onwuka Nzeshi, a Ndubuisi Ugah

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s the National Conference rounds off in about one week’s time, a delegate and former national secretary of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Alhaji Buba Galadima, has said that whatever positive points the convening of the conference had scored, have been tainted by what he called “hidden agendas” nursed by its proponents.

Galadima, who fielded questions from New Telegraph in Abuja, said it was imperative for Nigerians to understand the underlining factors which formed the basis for the convocation of the conference in the first place.

He said: “We thought there was a hidden agenda and we spoke about that that CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN (2nd left); Senator representing Lagos Central Senatorial District, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (left); Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Aderemi Ibirogba (middle) and wife of the first civilian governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Abimbola Jakande (2nd right) and Chief Kessington Adebutu (right) during the rendering of Account of Stewardship to commemorate the 2,600 Days in office of the Fashola administration at the Blue Roof Hall, LTV 8 Complex, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos, on Friday.

NNPC silent on Senate’s $218m remittance order l We’ll continue to engage Senate, says Yakubu

Adeola Yusuf and Johnchuks Onuanyim Akwa Ibom

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he Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday kept mum on whether it would comply with a Senate order that it remits the sum of $218 million oil revenues which legislators insist it had failed to pay into the federation account.

Group managing director of the NNPC, Engineer Andrew Yakubu, who fielded questions from journalists on the new order merely said that the corporation will continue to engage the National Assembly over the non-remittance of funds.

The Senate had on Thursday during the presentation of its finance committee report chaired

by SenatorAhmed Makarfi asked NNPC to remit to the federation

account the sum of $218,069m, being the share of the federation from third party financing agreement it did not remit.

Former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, alleged that the NNPC had failed to remit the sum of $49.8 billion proceeds from oil sale. The Senate committee on finance had been saddled with the responsibility of investigating the veracity of

that claim. The committee had faulted Sanusi’s claim with regard to the “missing funds”, but submitted that the corporation was nonetheless had a debt of $218,069m.

At a workshop for energy correspondents in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, Yakubu said the corporation would continue to engage the National Assembly over the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

}173 TEACHERS LOST TO BOKO HARAM ATTACKS – NUT P.4

JULIET IBRAHIM Growing up wasn’t fun because of the Liberian war P.17

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NEWS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JULY 2014

Content 12.07.14 INSTYLE

Stiletto Pumps Sleek and sophisticated, the pointy-toe stiletto pumps are stylish wardrobe staples and red carpet hit. You just have to select and wear one that suits and complements your outfit.

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IDEAS & BRANDS Offshore PR

Lead consultant of Lagos-based Metro Media Communications, Mike Nzeagwu, denounces the alleged decision of the federal government and All Progressives Congress to enlist the services of foreign public relations firms.

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SPORT NFF Debacle

Former chairman of Nigeria Football Association, Kojo Williams, has described the sacking of the Nigeria Football Federation board as a reckless action and called for its reinstatement. The sacking of the board had led to the country’s suspension by FIFA. }25

THE ARTS

Soyinka at 80 As Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, turns 80 tomorrow, the series of events comprising art exhibition, lectures, stage plays and biopic organised to commemorate the milestone continue across the country.

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CHEF’S CORNER

Restoring the Caterer’s Pride Senior instructor at the National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism, Mrs Beatrice Oguntuase, has spoken strongly against the notion that catering is a course for individuals who can hardly find other choices.

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TRAVELOGUE

Sao Paulo to Brasilia

As the World Cup rounds off tomorrow, New Telegraph’s Kunle Salami who covered the monthlong tournament highlights what that experience entailed.

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‘ Increase in derivation was a hidden agenda’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

there was a hidden agenda.

But people said no. The hidden agendas are now open.”

Asked to clarify what he meant by hidden agenda, Galadima said: “We were dragged to increase the allocation of 13 per cent to the oil-producing communities.

This is one of the hidden agenda. Secondly, we were dragged in here to propose a six-year term for Jonathan.

That has failed. We were dragged in to propose a new constitution so that it will enable Jonathan run for a third term.

“That has not yet seen

the light of day. We were dragged in here to propose and circumvent the National Assembly by proposing a referendum. That, as I am talking to you now, has not properly scaled through.

These were the hidden agenda for the conference which are now clearly out for anybody with proper eyes like me to see.”

Galadima, who noted that it was not his initial intention to attend the National Conference, said: “Frankly speaking, I was dragged to this conference. So, in actual sense, whatever I do is reacting

to situations as they arise.

We were dragged in because President Goodluck Jonathan and I opposed this conference vehemently until Jonathan made U-turn.

“I also made a U-turn and came here purposely. If there is any false information about me, I straighten the records, so that posterity will now come to judge if I record my position. So, that is what we have been doing so far.”

The former member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the CPC, who also explained that the north did not come with any agenda, said: “Whoever tells you

from some parts of the north that he came here with any agenda is wrong. I know of some people from the Middle Belt, who had been meeting with organisers of this conference.

“It was until their position was firmed up that they went to meet the president that they will get him what he wants. Unfortunately, the whole thing is crumbling to pieces. Unfortunately, some of them did not get what they wanted nor was the president able to get what they promised to deliver to him.”

- See Interview On Page 45

2015 presidential election is a walkover for PDP – Uduaghan Dominic Adewole, ASABA

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elta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, yesterday said the Peoples Democratic Party is determined to retake Osun State from the All Progressives Congress.

The governor maintained that the ruling party remains the number one platform to win elections in Nigeria and deliver on the dividends of democracy, adding that other states presently controlled by the APC would be retaken next year.

Speaking at his mid-year briefing at the Government House, in Asaba, on Friday, the governor was emphatic that Nigerians have realized that PDP represents the “true face of leadership”.

According to him, those that left the party under controversial circumstances have started to retrace their steps.

He outlined his administration’s strides in education and health since the beginning of 2014, citing the building of new schools and re-equipping of hospitals, noting that the victory of PDP in Ekiti State is a foretaste of how the 2015 presi-

dential election would go.

He explained that the presidential election scheduledfor next year is a walkover for the ruling PDP. “PDP is still the number one party in Nigeria. We are all witnesses to what happened in Ekiti state recently. Something like that will be replicated in Osun State. We are taking them back one after the other. By the time we get to the presidency, you will see that we are the leading party.

“Our lost sheep are all beginning to retrace their steps.

In the forthcoming council polls in our state here, I have

not anointed anybody because I am the governor of all the contestants. As much as possible, some aspirants are stepping down for the other in my party.”

He however pointed that other registered political parties in the state were neither consulting nor campaigning like their counterparts in the ruling party.

“Since DSIEC announced the date for the conduct of the election, we only hear PDP campaigning across the state. We are the only one moving round. By the time they lost, they would later be protesting.”

‘We’ll continue to engage Senate’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

allegation and resolutions, adding that the money in question was an operational cost undertaken by the corporation to avert fuel crisis in the country.

He explained that the corporation engaged in business ventures that necessitated the expenditure.

His words: “We will collect the report, we will look at it again and we will continue to explain.

“It is left for them to judge.

I am an accused; I cannot be a Judge in my case. Should

I be punished for doing the right things?

“We will continue to talk to see may be by and large they will have a change of mind.”

“If you are going to go into a profit making venture you must operate within the business environment that will make you make that profit.

So, if you create a pricing template that does not take into cognizance some of the challenges that are faced, by virtue of the operating environment, that is difficult.

“We have had challenges in Arepo, you know very

well that any time that line is breached I cannot use that line, I have vessels and I am made to understand that to avert energy crisis in the country I must have strategic storage. I don’t have access to my onshore facilities, I don’t have access to my pipeline, so I have offshore storage facility, that is not reflected in the pricing template and when PPPRA is reconciling with me, they use their template.

“What we are simply saying is that if we have to do this job, this is the real and true situation of things. Senate in their wisdom looked at

it and said, ‘well, if it is not captured in their template, we don’t care’. The question is if I did not do it last year, I don’t think I will be here to talk to you. The same Senate will summon me and ask me why there is no fuel.

“It is left for them to judge, I am the accused and not the judge. If I stated clearly that we incurred so much and it is verifiable, it is there, scientific; but if because of certain parameters fine, we will continue to engage to make these facts clear and let’s know, should I be punished for being the supplier of last resort?”

Nyako, deputy fail to appear before impeachment panel Ndubuisi Ugah and Ibrahim Abdul Lagos/Yola

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rue to his insistence that he would not appear before the seven-man panel constituted by the Adamawa State acting chief judge, Ambrose Mammadi, to look into the allegations of gross misconduct, maladministration and abuse of office, the embattled Governor Murtala Nyako, and his deputy, Mr. Bala James Ngilari, yesterday did to appear before the panel.

The governor, it was gathered, had kept to his promise that he would not appear

before the committee even as he refused to send any legal representation. The assembly was, however, represented by Chief Duro Adeyede (SAN), who led six other lawyers.

It was also gathered that the assembly through the chairman of its committee on public account, Mr. Theman Wafarinyi, tendered before the committee six exhibits to the panel as evidence against the deputy governor and 28 exhibits, including a video CD against the Nyako.

Wafarinyi urged the panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct brought by the assembly against Nya-

ko and Ngilari to ascertain whether they were guilty or not. The panel after receiving the documents from the assembly, adjourned sitting till today to enable it examine the witness and service of hearing on the governor and his deputy.

Following the duo’s absence, Kaigama said the notices of hearing should be served on the governor and his deputy.

When contacted on why did the governor declined to honour the panel’s invitation, the Director of Press and Public Affairs to governor, Mallam Ahmad Sajo, condemned the setting of

the panel, saying it was a product of illegality.

He noted that all the processes followed before setting of the panel were contrary to the provisions of the law. “The service of the notice of gross misconduct against governor Nyako through the media was against a subsisting ruling of a high court which has passed similar ruling preventing a substituted service.

“The constitution of the panel was also against the Yola High Court ruling which prevented the constitution of the seven man panel. We cannot honour the panel a substance by our

presence, the panel still remains a charade as far as we are concerned because the whole process that led to its birth was unconstitutional.”

Nyako had on July 9 insisted that he would not appear before the panel constituted by Mammadi, arguing that the matter was in court, and therefore, the lawmakers were expected to act accordingly.

Prior to the sitting of the panel, its chairman, Alhaji Buba Kaigama, had pledged to be fair to all parties in the in the matter saying that informed the resolve of his panel to announce the sittings of the panel through

six mediums.

He apologised for the delay in the commencement of the sitting saying that the delay came about because of the preparation being put in place by the panel to ensure that justice is given to all the contending parties.

Build up to the panel’s sitting had been dogged by series of controversies with the panel relocating to the federal secretariat, in Yola. The move followed its inability to secure venue for its sittings after the Medical and Health Workers Union, which offered its main Hall in its secretariat on lease for the sitting of the panel, withdrew its earlier offer.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JUly 2014

Nigeria GDP rebasing cuts 2013 growth to 5.49% …As UN report says Nigeria, India, China to witness urban growth ECONOMY The high prospect for Nigeria's economy rate growth following the rebasing suffers a reversal Ndubuisi Ugah

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with agency reports

igeria’s actual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate for 2013 has been revised down to 5.49 per cent, from 7.41 pct previously estimated during a rebasing exercise.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said yesterday in a surprise data release that GDP growth for 2012 had been revised down to 4.21 percent, from a previous estimate of 6.5 per cent.

Nigeria overtook South Africa as Africa’s largest economy in April, after a rebasing calculation almost doubled its Gross Domestic Product to more than $500 billion.

GDP rebasing is the process of replacing old base year price structure in compiling volume measures of GDP with a new or more recent base year, usually at five years average interval.

The last time Nigeria undertook the rebasing of her economy was 24 years ago, with total nominal GDP ranging from 59.5 per cent.

With the latest rebasing, Nigeria’s GDP has increased to 89.22 per cent in 2014.

Similarly, Nigeria is now worth N80.2 trillion,

or $509.9 billion, rising from its original figure of N42.4 trillion, or $269.5 billion.

The country is also now ranked the 26th largest economy in the world and the largest economy in Africa, ahead of South Africa while the service sector in Nigeria has covered better economic activities in wholesale and retail trade, including information and communication, real estate services, human health and social services, professional, scientific and technical services.

The development has equally enhanced Nigeria’s per capita income which has risen from $1,555 to $2,688, ranked 121st in the world from 135th position, while the country’s economy is now more diversified, with

agriculture sector contribution declining from 33 per cent to 22 per cent, and services increasing from 26 per cent to 51 per cent; oil & gas 15.9 per cent, manufacturing 6.7 per cent, Telecoms 8.7 per cent, entertainment 1.2 per cent, among other benefits.

Meanwhile, a new United Nations (UN) report issued in New York yesterday said the world population was increasingly becoming urban, with more than half of the population currently living in urban areas.

The 2014 revision of the World Urbanisation Prospects produced by the UN Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), said the world's urban population was expected to surpass six billion by 2045.

It said much of the expected urban growth would take place in countries of the developing regions, particularly Africa and the largest urban growth would take place in India, China and Nigeria.

It added that the three developing countries would account for 37 per cent of the projected growth of the world's urban population between 2014 and 2050.

According to the report, India is projected to add 404 million urban dwellers, China will add 292 million and Nigeria will add 212 million urban dwellers by 2050.

The report noted that the urban population of the world grew rapidly from 746 million in 1959 to 3.9 billion in 2014.

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Onitsha

eaders of thought across the Igbo Nation have applauded the creation of more states particularly in Igbo land and abolition of local government system as panacea for unity and development of the country.

Fielding questions from journalists in Onitsha, Anambra State, a community leader in Awada Obosi and a member of Orlu leaders of thought, Chief Silas Ikeh, applauded the decision of members of National Conference to recommend the creation of additional 18 states in the country.

He commended them for approving the creation of one additional state in South East at per with other geo-

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NEWS EDITOR, SATURDAY:

NDUBUISI UGAH

ndubuisi.ugah@newtelegraphonline.com; nduby001@yahoo.com; 08033617741

The Week Ahead Accord Party holds mega rally today The mega rally of the Accord Party (AP), will hold today in Osogbo, the Osun State capital. The party’s governorship candidate in the August 9 election, Mr. Niyi Owolade, said the party’s National Leader, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, alongside other chieftains of the party, would attend the rally.

Works on Abuja airport runway begins today Coordinating General Manager, Aviation Parastatals, has said the rehabilitation of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, runway will be executed from today to July 14. A statement issued by Datti in Abuja, said: “The second phase for the rehabilitation of the remaining section of the runway will hold for 30 hours between Saturday 12 (2300 UTC) and Monday 14 (0500 UTC), 2014.”

Wole Soyinka’s lecture series holds tomorrow The sixth Wole Soyinka Centre Media Lecture Series (WSCMLS), in commemoration of Soyinka’s 80th birthday anniversary holds on July 13 at 12.30p.m. at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos. A statement by the organisers said the Provost, College of Humanities, Kwara State University and visiting Professor, Harvard University, Prof. Abiola Irele, will be the guest speaker at the event, which has ‘Wole Soyinka and the Moral Burden of Literature’ as its theme.

NECO holds test into Unity Schools July 12 The Registrar of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Mr. Promise Okpala, has said only 24,000 candidates will be selected amongst the over 40,000 successful candidates, who participated in the recent National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) on July 12.

He said all the 40,000 candidates would take a selection test for admission of candidates into JSS 1 in the 104 Unity Colleges across the country.

PDP holds South South zonal tour July 15

Manager, Communication and Public Affairs at Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), Tony Okonedo (left), presenting 2014 Facts and Figures on NLNG to Executive Secretary of Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Ernest Nwapa, in Abuja…recently

Igbo leaders laud National Conference on state creation, rotational presidency Onah O. Onah

NEWS

political zones of the country.

Ikeh said the people of South East had been suffering the imbalance of being the only region among all the regions in the country with less number of states.

On the abolishment of local government autonomy and transferring it to the states, the community leader aligned himself with the decision of the conference, adding that the system had been a conduct pipe for the wastage of the nation's scarce resources.

Similarly, a legal practitioner in Onitsha, Chief Ugo Ugwunnadi, stressed the need for the creation of additional states in the Southeast zone, stating that the call was not negotiable in view of long time marginalisation of the people of the zone by other geo-political

zones in the country.

He, however, noted that by scraping the local government system and transferring it to states that cost of governance will reduce in Nigeria.

On his part, the national secretary of the Conference of all Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), Willy Ezugwu, said the conference was beginning to address core national issues that is touching on the yearning and aspiration of Nigerians, which the CNPP stood for.

Ezugwu, who faulted the scrapping of the local government autonomy, advised Nigerians to involve a more pragmatic moves in checkmating the administration of local government system in the country.

Speaking on the rotation of presidency he applauded a recommendation of the

conference, stressing that if strictly followed it will carry along all political zone in the country and gives them a sense of belonging thereby putting a stop to the issue of marginalisation.

Equally, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, while praising the delegates, pointed specifically "how the delegates worked to ensure that the desire of the South East zone to get another state from the conference was achieved."

While commending the delegates, Okonkwo hailed the vision of President Goodluck Jonathan in setting up the conference as he reminded him that "the recommendations will come to nothing if not implemented.”

The national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the scheduled South South zonal tour will hold on July 15 at the Cultural Centre, Calabar, Cross River State. A statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, said the tour was originally scheduled for July 10.

Court rules on Chibok girls suit July 21 A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court will on July 21 rule whether or not the court has jurisdiction to entertain a suit filed by a former House of Representatives member, Mr. Dino Melaye, alleging disruption of “Bring back our Girls” rally.

The presiding judge, Justice Abubakar Talba, had fixed the date at the resumed hearing of the case filed by Melaye against the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Mohammed Abubakar, and another.

Melaye is challenging the alleged disruption of the rally he led in Abuja on May 9, to press for the release of the abducted school girls in Chibok, Borno State.

Commonwealth games begins July 23 The Commonwealth Games scheduled for Glasgow, Scotland, will begin on July 13. However, Nigeria will be participating in the event with the nation’s table tennis team embarking on a training tour to Italy next week.

Akwa Ibom PDP suit holds July 24 A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has fixed July 24 for ruling on an application challenging PDP governorship zoning formula in Akwa Ibom State filed by an aspirant, Mr Leo Ekpenyong. Justice Abubakar Umar fixed the date after listening to the prayers of the plaintiff. Ekpenyong had filed the suit on May 12 challenging the zoning formula on the grounds that it was aimed at excluding some interested aspirants from contesting the forthcoming party primaries. In his originating summon, Ekpenyong described the zoning as illegal, unconstitutional and undemocratic.

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JUly 2014

IBADAN I have great respect for journalism profession - Ajimobi

N EWS I N BRIEF

Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, has said that he has great respect for the journalism profession, describing the practitioners as the conscience of the nation.

The governor stated this on Thursday evening, while hosting members of the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) who were at the Government House to breakfast with him.

“I want to use this occasion to say that I have great respect for the journalism profession. It is a noble profession. Besides, the constructive criticisms always being offered by journalists have helped tremendously in entrenching good governance and ensuring a better society,” he said.

27%

The percentage of population under 15 years old in Algeria in 2012.

Source: Un.org

IKEJA

JOS Veteran journalists commend Jang

The League of Veteran Journalists Plateau State chapter, has lauded Governor Jonah Jang for matching words with action by ensuring that the change from analogue to digital broadcasting, which started first in the state.

In a statement signed by its chairman, Dr. Gideon and Secretary, Tunde Oladapo, in Jos yesterday, described the project as a thing of joy and pride to the people of state.

They said the digital switch over was a manifestation that Jang's administration had passion for the media and committed towards other developmental sectors.

15%

The percentage of hydropower electricity generation of global electricity production in 2007.

Source: Unesco.org

Expert hails impact of pension funds

Pension analysts have advocated the adoption of a cloning of the global practice of partnerships between the private sector and the government to fast track infrastructure financing on the back of the limitations of Nigerian banks.

An Associate Fellow at the Centre for Infrastructure, Policy, Regulation and Advancement (CIPRA), Dr. Ese Owie, said with a pension reserve of about N4 trillion, the pension regulators could find the best way to “engage with the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and set out a clear regulation of how to invest these funds to finance infrastructure”.

19,171

The number of refugees and people in refugee-like situation assisted by UNHCR in Chad at the beginning of 2010.

Source: Blatantworld.com

NUT decries loss of 173 teachers to Boko Haram attacks Tony Anichebe

T Uyo

he Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has decried the loss of 173 teachers to Boko Haram insurgents in North-East.

The National President of NUT, Mr. Michael Olukoya, decried the death of the teachers when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo, the Cross River State capital yesterday.

Olukoya, who expressed regrets that the union lost about 170 teachers in Borno State and three in Yobe State to Boko Haram attacks, said unless infrastructure in primary and secondary schools were improved, expenditure on other levels of education would be a waste.

He decried the continued detention of the Chibok schoolgirls by the insurgents and the unabated siege of the school system by Boko Haram in the country.

“Government should appropriately police the school environment for the security of pupils and teachers and create conducive learning environment for quality education delivery,” Olukoya said.

In the same vein, PresiCharles Onyekwere ABAKALIKI

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he leadership of association of town unions in the South-East zone have pledged to put in place necessary machinery, which would create security awareness and subsequently check the infiltration of the outlawed Boko Haram sect in the area.

The unions also added

l President tasks teachers on dialogue dent Goodluck Jonathan has urged members of NUT to continue to toe the line of peace and dialogue in the conduct of their business, noting that their zeal for the enthronement of social dialogue and collective bargaining was the relative peace and tranquility experienced within the body.

The President, who was represented by Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, at the

56th National Conference of Delegate of NUT, in Uyo, said: “I note with interest the importance of this conference. I also take particular notice in the theme, ‘Changing Nigeria’s Fortune Through Quality Teachers.’

“It captures the minds and aspirations of all Nigerians. Undoubtedly, education holds the magic wand for national development and advancement basically due to the fact that without

a well educated population, there is no way we can effective and efficiently harness and manage our resources for socio-economic and other institutional sustainable development.

“This is why we must lay emphasis on the training and education of our children and youths in whose hands the management of the future affairs of our country lies. These noble objectives cannot be achieved without quality teachers."

Group petitions FG on new IG APPOINTMENT President Jonathan cautioned on new IG Leo Sobechi enugu

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he leadership of International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, a coalition of non-governmental organisation and civil rights (Intersociety), has charged President Goodluck Jonathan to adhere strictly to geopolitical balance and his oath of office in the appointment of a new Inspector General of Police (IG).

The group noted that “one of the fundamental yardsticks to be applied by Your Excellency and the Nigeria Police Council in the course of appointing the next Inspector General of Police is the use of ICT literacy test on prospective candidates.”

The group’s position was contained in a letter to President Jonathan signed

by Chairman of the Board,

Jonathan, Senate commend Chime on housing resident Goodluck Jon- commendation during the P athan has commended commissioning of the 324the Enugu State Governor, unit FMBN-ELIM HousSullivan Chime’s commitment and achievements in the attainment of the aspiration of the Federal Government to provide affordable housing to all Nigerians.

The President made the

L-R: Niger State, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu; Managing Director, PAN Nigeria Limited, Alhaji Ibrahim Boyi; Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, during a courtesy visit by the management of PAN to the governor in Minna…yesterday

...South East groups move against insurgents that any attempt by criminally minded people to jeopardise the peace of the region would be resisted.

A statement issued yesterday and signed by the National President of Anambra State Town Unions, Dr. Jap Jude Okolo, and made available to journalists in Abakaliki, said the move became impera-

tive considering the impact of the meeting it held in Enugu, which imparted positively on the masses.

The statement explained that the body remained the only authentic umbrella organisation of all town unions in Igbo land, which was nationality known for its deep rooted republican way of life that predated the advent of

our colonial masters.

Continuing, the body appealed to the leadership of all the political parties in the emerging political dispensation, to adopt democratic principles in the selection of their candidates, especially, during the primaries to avoid overheating the polity.

While commending the efforts made by the inde-

Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi, and titled: “Appointment of The Next Inspector General Of Police: A Call For Strict Adherence To The Provisions Of The 1999 Constitution, Including Public Interest and Your Excellency’s Oaths Of Office and Allegiance”.

The group pleaded that candidates for the position of IGP should also be extended to serving ACPs and DCPs, adding that “of another importance is the need for Your Excellency and the Nigeria Police Council to adhere strictly to the provisions of Section 14 (3) of the constitution (geopolitical balance or equity) in the course of the appointment of the next Inspector General of Police.”

It reminded Jonathan of his oath of allegiance as contained in the Seventh Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, stressing that the “strategic part of the president’s oath of office provides: ‘that I will not allow my personal interest to influence my official conduct or my official decisions’”.

pendent National Electoral Commission, INEC during the recently concluded governorship election in Ekiti State that was adjudged by many Nigerians to be free and fair.

The groups, lauded Governor Kayode Fayemi for his unique and exemplary display of maturity and spirit of sportsmanship demonstrated through his quick and willing acceptance of the election result.

ing Estate, at Ibagwa Nike, Enugu yesterday.

Represented by the VicePresident, Namadi Sambo, the President noted that the support given by the Enugu State Government to Federal agencies such as the Federal Mortgage Bank and to private developers in addition to its own initiatives in the sector, has helped to boost housing development in the state.

The President also lauded the Federal Ministry of Housing, the National Assembly and the Federal Mortgage Bank for the high level of commitment they have continued to show towards the actualisation of government objectives in the sector, adding that that the achievements so far was the result of their concerted efforts.

He emphasised that the Federal Government will continue to accord priority to the housing needs of the people as a way of improving their socio-economic lives and creating employment opportunities.

Also in his speech, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Housing, Senator Buka Abba Ibrahim, urged governors in the country to emulate Chime’s commitment to housing development, saying it was the only way that the country can achieve its targets in the sector.

He pledged the continued support of the Senate towards the attainment of the government’s goals in the sector.

Ekhomu: Military must sustain onslaught against Boko Haram Isioma Madike

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enowned security expert, Dr. Ona Ekhomu, has urged the military to intensify and sustain its onslaught against Boko Haram terrorists in order to “bring back our girls” and halt the incessant killings of Nigerians.

Reacting to the successful security operation that dislodged the terrorists from the Balmo Forest in Bauchi State recently, Ekhomu said: “It is obvious the military is making giant strides towards defeating the terrorists and bringing an end to extremist violence in the county.”

Ekhomu, who is President of the Association of Industrial Security Operators of Nigeria (AISSON), advised military commanders and combatants to

NEWS

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set aside sentiments while combating Boko Haram fighters.

He said: “Boko Haram fighters are fighters from hell and do not mean us well.” He said that foreign fighters were embedded with the Nigerian terrorists and are intent on destroying Nigerian lives and assets.

According to him, the military must see Boko Haram fighters as “the enemy”, and ensure that mission-focus is maintained in order to rid Nigeria of the scourge of terrorism.

Ekhomu warned that the recent intensification of attacks by Boko Haram including the Emab Plaza bombing, the Nyanyan bombings, the seizure of over 200 school girls in Chibok signified the audacity of the terrorists.

MAKURDI Radio Benue goes off air over obsolete transmitters

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Normal broadcast services at the Benue State-owned Radio have been grounded due to the collapse of its transmitters.

The station which transmits on 95.0 Frequency Modulated Band and on 918 kHz on the Medium Wave Band ceased to operate for the past one week.

The state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Justin Amase, had at a media briefing expressed government's strong desire to modernise the radio station.

He said N351.2million contract was awarded to Messrs Clyde Broadcast of Scotland to supply digital equipment to the station to overcome the challenges confronting it to make it a world class radio station.

314,956

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions of Uganda in 2012.

Source: Itu.int

SOKOTO NPC seeks media support on population growth

The National Population Commission (NPC), Commissioner in Sokoto State, Alhaji Aminu Ahmed, yesterday stressed the need for the mass media to sensitise the general public to the implications of rapid population growth in the country.

Ahmed spoke while addressing a news conference in commemoration of this year’s World Population Day in Sokoto.

He said awareness on the need to invest in young people required attitudinal change and values orientation.

“We must all brace up for the challenge that the seeds of tomorrow’s greatness and prosperity must be sown now and these are in the quality and skill of our children and the youth who are leaders of the future,” he said.

17,139

The number of pending asylum seekers of Switzerland at the beginning of 2010.

Source: Blatantworld.com

5

LOKOJA UPN begins membership registration July 15

The newly-registered Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) has said it will start a nationwide registration of members on July 15, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The National Chairman of the UPN, Dr. Frederick Faseun, who told NAN in an interview in Lagos, said the party was registered by INEC in April.

“We have been doing official but low registration of foundation members of the new UPN,” Faseun said.

11%

The percentage of domestic use of water in high-income countries.

Source: Unesco.org

Supreme Court dismisses PDP aspirant’s suit to unseat Suswam JUDGEMENT

Court throws out suit to remove Gov Suswam Tunde Oyesina

T ABUJA

he Supreme Court sitting in Abuja yesterday threw out an appeal brought before it by a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, Mr. Terver Kakih, challenging the election of Mr. Gabriel Suswam as governor of Benue State.

In over 60-page judgment delivered by Justice Suleiman Galadima, a full panel of the court held that Kakih's appeal lacks merit and was consequently thrown out.

The court, however, upheld the concurrent judgment of the trial court.

The court also held that the appellant failed to prove beyond reasonable

doubt the criminal allegation of certificate forgery against the governor.

He said: “Appellant's claim is un-meritorious. In the light of all I have said, I dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit.”

Justice Galadima further held that the appellant failed to place evidence before the court to show that the special congress did not comply with election guidelines and the electoral Act. It also recalled that Kakih had contested the PDP primaries with Suswam in 2011 but lost.

He approached the Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi, alleging that he was not qualified to stand for election under the platform of the PDP. The court in its judgement then dismissed the suit for lack of jurisdiction, saying that he failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.

Dissatisfied with the judgment, Kakih filed 10

Director General, National Centre for Women Development, Lady Onyeka Onwenu (third left), with members of the Association of Nigerian Women Business Network (ANWBN), who visited Onwenu in Abuja…recently

grounds of appeal before the court of appeal, asking it to set aside the verdict of the lower court and grant his prayers.

But in a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice John Okoro of the Appeal Court, the appellate court dismissed Kak-

ih's suit for lack of merit and ordered Kakih to pay N50,000 as damages to Suswam and the PDP, holding further that court documents were serious documents which "should not be left in the hands of a carpenter to prepare and read.”

Two academicians, 15 advocates bag SAN’s award Tunde Oyesina Abuja

T

he Legal Practitioners' Privileges Committee (LPPC) yesterday announced the names of 17 legal practitioners, who succeeded in the interview conducted for intended candidates for the rank of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN).

At the initial stage, 109 lawyers have applied for the rank but were reduced to 23 during the screening stage.

At the final meeting of the Committee yesterday,

17 lawyers were short listed having passed the interview.

Out of the 17 successful lawyers, two are from the academics while the remaining 15 are advocates.

Although, there is no woman out of the successful candidates.

Addressing journalists, the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the Committee, Sunday Olorundahunsi, said three females had applied but fell by the way side.

The successful candi-

dates are Dr. Olu Onagoruwa, Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, Olusola O. Idowu, Dr. Ernest Ojukwu, Ahamefula Eke Ejelam, Chike Onyemenam and Tawo Eja Tawo.

Also qualified are Olatunde Adejuyigbe, Sylvanus Ogwemoh, Dr. Adewale Olawoyin, Dr. Joshua O. Olatoke, Teslim O. Busari and Kelvin C. Nwufo.

Others are Dr. Amuda-Kannike Abiodun, Oluwakemi M. Balogun, Hakeem O. Afolabi and Gerald G. Ezeuko.

The two from the aca-

demics are Prof. Joash Amupitan is of the University of Jos and Dr. Ernest Ojukwu of the Nigerian Law School.

The inauguration has been fixed for September 22 when the Supreme Court resumes for the new legal year.

Speaking further, Olurundahunsi stated that the screening exercise this year was very rigorous as the procedure was followed strictly.

He, however, called on those that were not successful to try again next year.

Aturu’s death, a colossal loss-Obi, TMG Chijioke Iremeka

with agency reports

former governor of Anambra State, Mr. A Peter Obi and the Transi-

tion Monitoring Group (TMG) yesterday described the death of the human rights lawyer, Mr. Bamidele Aturu, as a colossal loss to the nation.

Obi in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Val Obienyem, in Awka, said Aturu’s demise was not a loss to the human rights community and the legal profession alone but to the country at large.

He said the death was one that Nigerians wished it was not true because of the deceased fight against injustice to humanity.

The statement quoted the former governor as describing the late human rights activist as a “friend”.

“Aturu was consistent

in his support for my legal battles to regain my mandate, to come back from my illegal impeachment and for the interpretation of my tenure. At each point during those dark times, Aturu was one person who kept calling me intermittently to encourage me not to relent in my search for justice through the courts,” Obi said.

Meanwhile, TMG’s Chairman, Zik Ibrahim, said Aturu’s “enduring creed of his activism was built around the ideal of the supremacy of the voices of the ordinary people.

“Aturu was a scourge of the military establishment, which was on the verge of running Nigeria aground in the years of the mercenary generals who ran Nigeria, not for the benefit of the people, but for their own personal aggrandisement, especially in the 1990s.”

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Usman Danfodio varsity gets new VC N EWS I N BRIEF

The Governing Council of Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto State, has approved the appointment of Professor Abdullahi Abdu Zuru as the new Vice-Chancellor of the university.

Until his appointment, Zuru was the Vice-Chancellor of Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero.

The Pro-Chancellor, Dr. George Oshiapi Egabor, stated this while briefing journalists on the outcome of the 127th special meeting of the university.

Egabor, who is also the chairman of the council, said the new appointment is with effect from July 16 and was reached at the 127th special meeting of the university's Governing Council special meeting yesterday.

127.5

The number of mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants of CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) of 2009.

Source: Itu.int

UMUAHIA

MAIDUGURI

SOKOTO

Shettima’s wife breaks Orji advises Ukwu Ngwa Ramadan fast with orphans residents on 2015

In the spirit of the Ramadan fast, the wife of Borno State Governor, Hajiya Nanah Kashim-Shettima, has extended her breaking of fasting to hundreds of widows and orphans that their husbands and parent were killed in the Boko Haram insurgency in the state.

Speaking at the occasion, Shettima said the Iftar was to put smile on the faces of the widows and orphans in the spirit of the Holy month.

The first lady said catering for the widows and orphans was a collective responsibility, as such she found it necessary to support them in the month of Ramadan.

She said he called on all Muslims, more especially the well to do members of the society to support and be kind to widows and orphans in the society.

Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, has advised the people of Ukwa Ngwa political bloc not to allow money to make them lose their sense of reasoning regarding the office of the governor which has been zoned to them in 2015.

The governor, who gave the advice during the one million-man solidarity march organised by the Ukwa Ngwa Progressive Forum in Umuahia yesterday, said: “when you get what you want, money will follow.”

He used the occasion to reiterate his earlier declaration that the office of the governor should rotate among the three zones of the state, saying the people should be at the forefront of the battle.

8%

The percentage of female population above 60 years old in Algeria in 2012.

Source: Un.org

52

The number of different countries’ leagues represented at Brazil 2014.

Source: Goal.com

WHO calls for scaled-up action on non-communicable diseases

T

he World Health Organisation (WHO), yesterday called for scaled-up action to battle the prevention and control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

The call followed a twoday meeting by the WHO and world leaders in New York on the review and assessment of progress made and how to intensify action to reduce the burden of NCDs. The WHO report noted that many countries had made progress in tackling the “epidemic” of NCDs, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease, but the current global mortality from NCDs remained “unacceptably high and increasing.”

It said the “non-communicable diseases country profiles 2014” report painted a picture of recent trends and government responses to NCDs in 194 countries.

The report showed that 38 million people with 28 million in developing countries die every year from NCDs, with nearly 16 million of them dead before

they reach the age of 70.

It said the number of NCDs' deaths had increased worldwide and in every region since 2000 with most in Southeast Asia and Western Pacific Regions.

The report included estimation on the current burden and recent trends in NCDs deaths and risk factors such as tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, high blood pressure and obesity.

It also assessed countries' capacity to take action as many of the 178 countries that responded to the most recent WHO survey made progress in tackling the epidemic.

WHO’s Director-General, Margaret Chan, said the recent report indicated that 85 per cent of premature deaths from NCDs occur in developing countries.

“I see no lack of commitment. I see the lack of capacity to act, especially in the developing world,” she said.

She said the challenges remained enormous and required fundamental change in the way social progress was measured.

Eulogies as Branama queen, Kefee, is buried Sony Neme

K L-R: Ekiti State governor-elect, Mr. Ayo Fayose; former Lagos State PDP candidate, Mr. Shamsudeen Dosumu and Chairman, Lagos State PDP, Olatunji Shelle, during Fayose’s 'Thank You' rally in Lagos…yesterday PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

Benue NLC, Suswam bicker over new salary structure TUSSLE Workers in Benue may go on the warpath with the govt over cut in salary Cephas Iorhemen

T

Makurdi

he Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Benue State has said it is ready to go to ‘war’ with Governor Gabriel Suswam over plans by the state government to introduce what it called a new salary structure to cut down the salaries of civil servants.

Chairman of the state NLC, Mr. Simon Anchaver, who conveyed the position of the union to journalists yesterday while giving details of their congress meeting in Makurdi, vowed to resist any attempt by the state government to tamper with the salaries of workers in the state.

Anchaver, who described the action of the state government as a gross violation of labour laws, frowned at the attitude of government of not issuing circular before carrying out its action, adding that the union would resist the 'unpopular policy' of the Suswam’s administration.

“We rejected the state salary chart which the government wants to introduce, the union told the governor that it will not accept that at all. The issue of negotiation on salaries is not done at the state level, the national secretariat has the responsibility to give direction on how the salary structure should be,” he stated.

The state labour leader said that he had already directed the local chapters of the union in the 23 local government areas of the state to mobilise members for a showdown with government if it failed to renege

on the planned salary cut.

“Salaries of government is supposed to be reviewed upwards and not downwards, especially with the high inflation rate of the country. We will not accept this unpopular policy of government and will fight it to the end within the confines of the labour laws,” he said.

Suswam had announced the sharp reduction in salaries of civil servants by 25

per cent in order to implement the N18,000 minimum wage to primary school teachers, who just called off their eight-month-old strike.

When New Telegraph sought the comment of the state's Head of Service, Dr. David Salifu, on the issue, he simply replied that “the matter is between labour and government and not for the consumption of journalists.”

efee Obareku donMomoh (aka Kefee) was yesterday buried amid eulogies at her home town, Okpara-Inland, in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State.

Expectedly, it was with a free flow of tears as the promising young lady was lowered into her grave.

The interment, which was scheduled for Akpovweohgene educational Centre, Open Field went on well as planned.

Hours later, the entertainment train moved to Sapele to continue with the celebration of Kefee's life at Event Galeria, Okirigrwe Junction by MFM. The after event began at 6.25p.m.

For starters, Sapele is where the late crooner was raised.

Though no prominent member of the state government was sighted, but they played a prominent role in the burial, an insider revealed to New Telegraph.

A source, who pleaded anonymity, said: “Apart from providing the funds that was used in conveying her corpse from the US, the state also ensured that every bill for the burial was taken care of.”

He further said the state took "the position because of the high regard that the state governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan has for the late diva.”

Earlier colleagues, friends and fans of Kefee had held a candlelight Night for her on July 10, at the Oba Akenzua Cultural Complex, Benin City.

It was expected as she began her glorious musical journey in the Edo State capital, before moving to Lagos with her Branama album that fetched her awards and fame.

Among the artists in attendance who also took turns on the microphone were Sammie Okposo, Tim Tehilla, Nene Soul Diva, Lawrence De’covenant, Nikki Laoye, Anny Ibrahim, Aity, Linda Etukudo, Maleke and Godfather.

Airport project: Bayelsa to pay compensation to land owners Chris Ejim Yenagoa

T

he Bayelsa State Government has assured the host communities of the state-owned International Cargo Airport project under construction at Wilberforce Island near Amassoma that government is prepared to pay full compensation to

the land owners.

The state Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd), stated this during a meeting in Yenagoa between the state government and representatives of the five communities, namelyAmassoma, Ikibiri, Ikoli, Sabagria and Igbedi, where the airport project is sited.

The deputy governor,

who pleaded with the women of Ikibiri town, who, in the last six days, have been occupying the dredger that is dredging sand at the project site to vacate the facility, pleaded that they should exercise patience.

According to him, government is losing so much money on account of the stoppage of work due to the sit-in action by the women

as the eventual cost of hiring the dredger will be borne by the state government.

He pleaded with the host communities, particularly, Ikibiri town, to grant officials of the Ministry of Lands and Survey access to enable them to conduct enumeration of economic crops on the project site, with a view to ascertaining the actual amount of compensation payable.

APGA vows to take over Ebonyi in 2015 Charles Onyekwere

T

he All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Ebonyi State yesterday said it had concluded plans to take over power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015.

In an interview with the New Telegraph, the state Chairman of the party, Mr. Jerry Obasi, said APGA had not zoned the governorship ticket to any part of the state.

Obasi revealed that the party had begun fresh membership drive and enlightenment programmes to woo back aggrieved supporters, who left the party due to internal crisis which rocked its fold.

He said the Court of Appeal judgment which returned Chief Victor Umeh as the party’s national chairman showed that matters in courts were over and urged all Ebonyians to join APGA in the new drive.

Obasi, who applauded the Independent National Electoral Commission

(INEC) for promising to conduct a free, fair and credible election, urged the people to resist any attempt to rig the forthcoming polls.

He added that APGA, being an alternative political party for the Igbo, the people should make the party viable, because of the formation and history of late Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu.

He said: “We are prepared for the elections now that APGA has no litigation in court again. The chicken has just landed to be roosted, if not for the canker-worms and the caterpillars who want to destroy the party and derail the progress of APGA. “APGA belongs to Ebonyi people and also belongs to the the Igbo and Nigerians no matter our class, religion and gender because we are not exclusive but inclusive.”

He called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to commence full investigation into the financial activities of the state by probing the elected chairmen and councillors of the various local government areas.

Troops capture Boko Haram armoury, recover 80 machine guns Emmanuel Onani

T

he Defence Headquarters (DHQ) yesterday, announced that troops prosecuting the war on terror in Borno State, have uncovered an armoury in Balmo forest, where a large cache of arms and ammunition, were recovered.

A statement signed by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, said the military operation led to the recovery of 10 rifles, 80 General Purpose Machine Guns, tubes of Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) and Launchers, as well as "thousands of rounds of assorted ammunition.”

The statement added that suspected terrorists captured in the previous operation, were being interrogated, even as they were said t be providing useful links to

other members of the sect.

The statement reads: “The mopping up operations in Balmo forest is yielding more discoveries of arms stockpiled in underground cells in the forest.

“Troops who have been excavating various sites in the forest in search of hidden weapons, have so far recovered over 10 rifles along with parts and accessories as well as more than 80 General Purpose Machine Guns, tubes of Rocket Propelled Grenades and Launchers, cables, wires and thousands of rounds of assorted ammunition.

“Also recovered in the search are uniforms of security agencies including protective clothing. Meanwhile, suspects captured in the forest have been taken into custody and are volunteering information linking the activities in the forest."

Glo partners Mwangu community on Puuskaat festival

G

lobacom telecommunications company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the people of Mwangu in Plateau State for the sponsorship of the Puuskaat Festival, which is an annual event celebrated in April.

The sponsorship of the annual festival is aimed at promoting and preserving the rich culture of the people of Mwangu and the state as a whole.

Globacom has been in the fore-front of promoting the rich cultural heritage of the Nigerian people, hav-

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ing sponsored similar cultural festivals including the Ojude Oba in Ijebu Ode, Lisabi in Abeokuta and Ofala in Onitsha.

In his address during the signing, Globacom’s Zonal Business Coordinator, North East, Samuel Ibrahim, said: “As a brand with an authentic African heritage, we have resolved to support any credible endeavour that will promote and celebrate our cultural icons….as we believe that culture has a very profound role to play in the peace and unity of our dear country.”

FCT Association moves against loitering of animals

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The National Sheep and Goat Development Association of Nigeria has expressed readiness to end loitering of animals on streets through improved sensitisation across the country.

The National Secretary of the association, Mr Mohammed Adam, made the statement in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday.

“Thank God we are beginning to get national recognition now; there is a law that prohibits loitering of animals and it has to be enforced. With advocacy and continuous awareness through the media in collaboration with the relevant agencies, we shall change the handling of animals for the better and ensure that animal rights are protected,” he said.

MAKURDI Benue PDP chieftain denies rift with Deputy Governor

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Benue State, Dr. Mathias Oyigeiya, has said there is no animosity between him and the state’s Deputy Governor, Chief Steven Ochagu Lawani, concerning next year’s governorship election.

The duo are in the governorship race to succeed Governor Gabriel Suswam and also hail from the Benue South senatorial district.

Oyigeiya, who this during a meeting with PDP stakeholders in Otukpa, explained that all the contestants from the area had divergent political views, goals and ideas which they hope to implement if allowed to govern the state.

7

FCT FG tasked on policies concerning professional artists

The African Arts and Cultural Heritage Association (AACHA), on Friday, urged the Federal Government to formulate policies that would guide the operations of Nigerian artists.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the association, Mr. Kennedy Eguakun, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Eguakun suggested that government should provide a level-playing ground so that art works would thrive in the country.

“However, they are doing well with the tourism sector because tourism works hand in hand with arts and crafts and can be a big source of foreign exchange for a country,” he said.

Transparent primary responsible for PDP victory in Ekiti — Fayose Adesina Wahab

E

Ado-Ekiti

kiti State governorelect, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has described his victory at the poll as a result of the transparent party primary that threw him up as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate.

Fayose spoke on Thursday night, at the Lagos State secretariat of the PDP, during a stakeholders meeting organised as part of Fayose’s tour of the South West.

In the same vein, Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised the defeated All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the governorship election, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and his family to stop their campaign of malice against the party and Fayose.

But Fayose, who maintained that through transparent primaries, PDP would also recapture the South West, said: “Ekiti election has exposed the hypocrisy, corruption and wickedness of APC governments. I will only support candidates that emerge through primary.

“I, therefore, plead with all factional leaders to reconcile. What should be the concern of all is winning the governorship election.

All of us cannot be governor. Let us support a most popular candidate that can win election.”

Also speaking at the meeting, the Minister of State, Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, described Fayose’s victory as victory of grassroots politics, stating that his victory should be seen as a pathfinder.

“Fayose in Ekiti is called Osokomole but we in Lagos call him pathfinder. Before the Ekiti election, that is, during the campaign and even at the eve of the election, I saw Fayose in life and action.

If you are close to Fayose you

l Stop malicious campaign, PDP tells Fayemi, wife will know how to cultivate the grassroot. In the history of Nigeria, Fayose is the only governorship candidate who has defeated the incumbents twice. I saw real grassroots politics in Ekiti. The victory in Ekiti has raised our hope to recapture the South-West and most importantly, Lagos,” he said.

Meanwhile, the PDP in

a statement in Ado-Ekiti yesterday by the Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Oluwawole, wondered how long it would take the Fayemis to recover from the electoral bashing they suffered at the poll in the hands of Fayose and the PDP. The party was reacting to a statement credited to Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, that the

widely acclaimed free, fair and credible poll was manipulated from 'source'.

“We laughed when the wife of the outgoing governor said the election was manipulated from the 'source'. Well, the onus of proof lies with whoever alleges and it is now left for Fayemi and his wife to let the world know what or where that 'source' is."

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KANO

IKEJA

Kano Govt. urged to rehabilitate

CJN, others to attend London arbitration conference

Sabuwar Gandu Road

N EWS I N BRIEF

Residents of Sabuwar Gandu area in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State have called on Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso to rehabilitate the road linking the town to the state capital.

A youth leader in the area, Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano yesterday.

He said the call was necessary in view of the dilapidated condition of the road.

“The road located behind the state radio has for long been the only main access road for the residents of the area to Zoo road and Sharada, en route to the state capital,’’ he said.

78%

The percentage of thermal power plants share of world electricity production in 2010.

Source: Unesco.org

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Marian Aloma Mukhtar, alongside other senior members of the judiciary are expected to attend the London International Commercial Arbitration conference, slated for July 16 to 18 at the Hilton in Canary Wharf, London.

The Principal Solicitor, Mitchell Simmonds Solicitors and promoters of the event, Kadiri Momoh, said the conference is titled: ‘International Arbitration Conference for West Africa’.

Other speakers expected at the conference include Nicholas Chambers QC, Stephen Ruttle QC, Harry Matovu QC.

IBADAN Don urges FG to promote cultural heritage

Prof. Philip Ogundeji of the Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, yesterday urged the Federal Government to help sustain the nation's cultural heritage. Ogundeji, a professor of Yoruba literature, made the call in his inaugural lecture at the University of Ibadan, Trenchard Hall with the theme: “Yoruba Drama In Time Perspective’’.

He expressed regrets that no arm of government had shown enough interest in the aspect of the nation's cultural history.

“The entertainment industry in general and drama in particular have unquantifiable potentialities for lateral and vertical cultural transmission,” he said.

N1.93bn

The IGR realized from PAYE (taxes) of Borno State in 2011.

Source: National Bureau of Statistics

58.23

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants of Switzerland in 2011.

Source: Itu.int

Mua’zu lauds Imoke’s contribution to national development CALABAR GOLF ESTATE PDP chairman praises Cross River Governor during ground-breaking ceremony Clement James

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Calabar

he National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mua’zu, has praised the statesmanlike disposition of the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke, stating that he has demonstrated complete and unalloyed commitment to national development.

Mua’zu said this in Calabar, at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Calabar Golf Estate, a Public Private Partnership (PPP) project between the state government and the UACN Property Development Company.

He said he was not surprised at the level of development in the state under the leadership of Imoke “because I have always known him as a man of vision, direction and foresight.”

“PDP has always produced men of vision in this country. Imoke has brought Tinapa to the centre of Calabar by building comple-

T

Temitope Sobowale he Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Local Government Service Commission, Ashamu Sewanu Fadipe, has presented his new book on tourism to the media.

Titled ‘Tourism Destination Management,’ the tour-

mentary infrastructure to services to the Tinapa project which was far removed from the people. With this project, the governor has consciously brought Tinapa closer to the people,” he said.

While congratulating the governor on his 53rd birthday celebration, the PDP national chairman said he was in the state to honour Imoke because “his leadership has been clearly explained by his achievement which has attracted accolades from prominent citizens in the country.”

Mua’zu described Imoke as a quiet achiever who has been able to use the resources of the state, which he described as meagre, to achieve so much and prayed God to continue to grant the governor the grace to serve the country better.

Earlier, Imoke had explained that he embarked on the Calabar Golf Estate to complement whatever activities that would eventually be carried out at Tinapa.

He said the project, which is located on 32.5

hectares of land close to Tinapa when completed, would comprise 200 housing units “of various typologies” and have recreational facilities that will comprise a commercial spa, swimming pool, gymnasium and club house, among others.

Also, the Managing Director of UACN Property Development Company, Mr. Hakeem Ogunniran, assured the governor that the company would strive to promote good environmental practices and sustainability.

L-R: Group Executive Director, Refineries and Petrochemical, Mr. Ion Gregory Udoh; Group Managing Director, NNPC, Andrew Yakubu and Group Executive Director, Commercial and Investment, NNPC, Prof. Attahiru Yussuf, during a capacity building workshop for media practitioners in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State… yesterday

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

Don’t expect stable power with PDP, Fashola tells Nigerians Muritala Ayinla

L

agos State Governor Mr. Babatunde Fashola, yesterday called on Nigerians to vote the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) out of power in 2015 if they want uninterrupted power supply, saying the only way out of epileptic power supply is to do way with the party in all the forthcoming elections.

Fashola, who took a swipe on the PDP-led Federal Government, also faulted the 1.6 million jobs acclaimed to have been provided by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, challenging the government to show proof of employing such teeming unemployed Nigerian youths.

Reacting to questions on poor power supply asked by some residents at the event commemorating his 2,600 days in office at the LTV8 Blue Roof Agindingbi, Fashola blamed poor electricity power generation in the country on lack of ideas, vision and insincerity of

Court adjourns ruling on Ikuforiji’s fraud case Joseph Onyekwere

J

ustice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos yesterday adjourned to September 26, ruling on a no case submission filed by the Speaker, of the Lagos House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, over allegation of money laundering.

Ikuforiji is standing trial alongside his aide, Oyebode Atoyebi, on an amended 56 counts bordering on the offence.

Justice Buba adjourned the ruling following the workload of the court, which he said made it difficult for him to conclude the writing of his ruling.

Buba said: “This case was adjourned on July 7 for ruling, but due to the business of the court, I am unable to conclude my ruling. There will be no stampeding or over speeding, so that justice can be done. The case is hereby adjourned to September 26 for ruling.”

The judge also refused a

Fadipe presents tourism book to the media ism book, which is schedule for public launch on August 7 at the Radio Lagos multipurpose hall, among others gives a hint on how to successfully manage a tourism destination.

Speaking at the media presentation in Ikeja,

Fadipe, who was a former permanent secretary in the state Tourism Ministry, said the book was inspired by the dearth of good tourism destinations across the country.

He attributed the shortfall to lack of professionals,

who understood what it means to manage tourism operations.

The publication, Fadipe said, would offer the technique of developing tourism industry particularly the science of developing and managing tourism

purpose on the part of the PDP- led Federal Government.

He said the only way to achieve the feat of stable electricity power supply is to vote out PDP from power in the forthcoming 2015 general elections.

He said: ”In 16 years, hundreds of billions f Naira, trillion of Naira had been expended on power and we can’t switch on electricity in the country.

And in seven years we have built up to four Independent Power Plants.

This shows that something is missing, so, unless you vote for APC and vote out inefficient government, it is going to be difficult to have electricity.

“They started from Vision 20:2020, and you can remember that I told you then that they were having a nightmare and that there was no vision. They moved to seven point Agenda, now, they are transforming.”

He challenged the Federal Government to show Nigerians how many power plants it had built with several millions of Naira voted on power generation in the country.

destination.

While appealing to government and policy makers to pay serious attention to the tourism industry, he expressed the hope that the new book would greatly enhance people’s understanding of the industry.

prayer by the defence counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), for the ruling to be delivered during the period of vacation of the court.

The prosecution represented by Mr Edward Okpe, had objected to the ruling been delivered during the vacation period.

In a short ruling, Buba held: "Since the prosecution has refused that the ruling be delivered during vacation, and considering the legality of doing so, this matter stands adjourned to September 26.

“The matter before this court not only involves ruling on the no case submission, but also touches on issues of jurisdiction. The court will not be put under unnecessary pressure; let all counsel enjoy their vacation, while the bail of the accused should continue,” he said.

The accused were rearraigned before Justice Buba, on June 24, 2013, following the retirement of Justice Okechukwu Okeke, who was the former judge.

They had, however, pleaded not guilty to all charges, while Justice Buba had granted them bail in the sum of N1 billion each with two surety each in the sum of N500 million.

The prosecutor, Chief Godwin Obla (SAN), had called a total of two witnesses and closed his case on June 20.

SEGUN EDWARDS olaedwards@yahoo.com 08111813095

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igerian banks are yet facing difficulties in growing their earnings in the current year performances as they struggle to improve from their general down turn in 2013. Most of the lenders closed last year with considerable slow down, even decline in profit but the prospects look good for stepping up once again in 2014.

Small and medium-sized banks are leading earnings growth in the sector this year.

The industry witnessed a general profit margin decline last year, as regulatory tightening on public sector deposits hindered revenue growth. The indications this year are that most banks have adjusted to the regulatory rules and are exploring alternative routes to grow earnings.

First quarter performance is indicating stable growth in revenue and a stronger growth in profit for banks this year.

The main operating focus in the current year therefore lies in improving profit margin. There is bound to be tighter cost controls in response to regulatory induced revenue growth constraints. Improved operating stability can therefore be expected in the banking sector this year, as regulatory pressure is expected to ease and banks devote more time to the corporate purpose of building wealth for shareholders.

The path to recovery and growth in the industry remains uneven. While some banks are quite ahead, some are well behind. However, the general trend of enhancing profit and improving dividend pay-out witnessed last year is expected to be sustained this year. The improving quality of bank earnings fundamentals will expectedly improve the attractiveness of bank equities in the medium-term.

The stock market has been cautious on banking stocks despite the improving earnings outlook in recent years. This is an indication of undervaluation with banking stocks looking very much like value stocks. Banking stocks have been trading well below both their historical average p/e ratios and their previous share price peaks. This is despite the fact that most of them have since attained new peaks in profit, earnings and dividend per share.

Investors’ renewned interest in banking stocks is expected in 2014, which is also expected to lead to a general upward trend in share prices and a general increase in price earning PE. ratios.

Zenith Bank This lender is also headed for a moderate recovery in profit in the current year after a decline of 5.6 per cent in 2013. Its profit continued to decline marginally in the first quarter but a step up in profit growth is expected in the course of the year. At N96.8 billion, net profit forecast for the year will remain below the peak record of N100.15 billion in 2012 but will be a marginal improvement of 2.3 per cent over the 2013 figure. Revenue growth is expected to remain stable but the ability to convert revenue into profit is likely to weaken further. Net profit margin continues to decline from 32.6 per cent at the end of 2012 to 26.9 per cent in 2013 and further to 25.1 per cent in the first quarter.

Ecobank Transnational This is another top runner on profit growth this year is, which is rather making a strong recovery from a profit crash of nearly 50 per cent in 2013. Based on the first quarter performance, the West Africa bank looks very good to lift net profit by 158 per cent to N60.8 billion. First quarter earnings figures show new strength in revenue growth and in rebuilding profit margin. Net profit margin is up from 5.7 per cent at the end of 2013 to 13.6 per cent in the first quarter.

At the end of the first quarter, net profit amounted to about N15 billion, which is an increase of 15.3 per cent over the corresponding profit figure in the preceding year. The bank is maintaining a continu-

Companies & Stock NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

12 JULY 2014

9

Banks’ returns outlook in 2014

How they stand

full year projection of N47.5 billion. This is indicating an increase of 31 per cent over the 2013 figure. The bank has raised net profit margin from 17.5 per cent at the end of 2013 to 20.3 per cent in the first quarter of the current year.

Agbaje, MD GTB

Okonkwo, MD Fidelity

FCMB Next on the high growth track is, which grew net profit by 15 per cent to N5.0 billion in the first quarter. Full year profit is expected to be in the region of N20 billion for the bank in 2014, which will be an improvement of 23 per cent over the net profit figure of N16.3 billion in 2013.

Profit growth is therefore expected to accelerate from 7.8 per cent in the preceding year. Net profit margin has improved from 12.4 pr cent at the end of 2013 to 14.3 per cent in the first quarter.

Diamond Bank This lender is likely to sustain profit growth for the third year running but the growth rate may slow down this year. Its net profit improved by 23.4 per cent to N6.29 billion in the first quarter and the full year expectation is N34.4 billion. The growth rate is therefore expected to slow down from 28.9 per cent last year to 20.7 per cent this year. Net profit margin has improved from 15.7 per cent in the 2013 full year to 18 per cent at the end of the first quarter.

Uduoza, MD UBA

Onasanya, MD First Bank

RANKING BY PROFIT IN 2013 1 Zenith Bank

N110.59 billion

2. GTB

N107.07 billion

3. FBN

N76.85 billion

4. UBA

N51.84 billion

5. Access Bank

N44.9billion

6. Diamond Bank

N32.1billion

7. Stanbic-IBTC

N24.61billion

8. FCMB

N18.2billion

9. Skye Bank

N17.13billion

10. Ecobank

N11.65billion

ing growth in gross earnings though it is experiencing a decelerating growth. At N109.84 billion in the first quarter, gross income is up by 17 per cent from the corresponding first quarter figure last year.

Union Bank is in the group of growth leading banks by profit in 2014. The bank, which has seen two years of gradual recovery from major losses in the preceding years, is expected to achieve accelerated growth in profit this year. At N4.95 billion in the first quarter, after tax profit dropped by 36.4 per cent from the corresponding period in 2013 but remains quit promising if the current growth rate is sustained to full year. The bank closed with a lower profit last year than it reported in the first quarter, which gives it a high growth potential in the current year. If the first quarter growth rate is maintained, the bank could lift after tax profit by 158 per cent to N16.6 billion in 2014. Net profit margin has improved significantly from 5.0 per cent at the end of 2013 to 19 per cent in the first quarter. The profit forecast is subject to unexpected fluctuations in earnings reports.

Fidelity Bank This lender is on the same track with ETI tipped to lift profit after a major fall.

After a profit drop of 57.6 per cent in 2013, the bank is expected to double its profit in 2014. The bank closed first quarter operations with a net profit of N3.79 billion, which is projected to come to N15.5 billion at full year. This is against the profit figure of N7.72 billion the company earned in 2013. The bank isn’t expected to grow revenue reasonably this year but a recovery in profit margin is propelling profit recovery as well. Net profit margin has improved from 6.1 per cent at the end of last year to 12.2 per cent at the end of the first quarter.

Sterling Bank This bank is looking forward to making its strongest profit growth since its return to profit in 2010. The bank opened the year with a net profit of N3.14 billion on a gross income of N24.62 billion. Net profit is projected at N13.2 billion for the bank at full year, indicating a rise of 59.6 per cent over the N8.27 billion profit it posted in 2013. This will be an accelerated growth from the 19 per cent improvement made in the preceding year. Net profit margin has improved from 9.0 per cent at the end of last year to 12.7 per cent in the first quarter.

Access Bank The bank also belongs to the group of banks making a rebound from a profit fall in the preceding year. It could not grow revenue last year and its profit declined by 7.7 per cent to N36.30 billion at the end of the year. It is however on its way to raising gross earnings and profit to new highs. Its first quarter operations ended with a net profit of N11.63 billion with a

First Bank This lender witnessed a profit decline in 2013 and recovery/growth is expected in the current year. First quarter operations ended with a further profit decline of 12.7 per cent to N21.55 billion year-onyear but full year outlook is promising. A new profit peak can be expected from the bank in 2014.

Its full year profit is projected at N87.3 billion, which will be an increase of 23.6 per cent over the 2013 figure. This will compensate for a decline of 6.7 per cent in profit in 2013. Net profit margin has improved from 17.8 per cent in the 2013 full year to 20.3 per cent in the first quarter.

Guaranty Trust Bank This bank is expected to stay on the slow lane on profit growth for the second year. It improved after tax profit by just 2.0 per cent to N23.11 billion in the first quarter. A full year projection of N93 billion in net profit is indicating a marginal improvement of 3.8 per cent for the bank in 2014. Profit growth was equally modest at 3.0 per cent in the 2013 financial year. Net profit margin went down from 40.3 per cent in 2012 to 36.9 per cent in 2013 and is further down at 34.2 per cent in the first quarter.

UBA There is every possibility that the bank may not achieve a reasonable growth in revenue this year based on the first quarter growth rate. Its strength this year lies in improved ability to convert revenue into profit. The bank is expected to make a recovery move in profit in 2014 but it isn’t expected to match the peak profit record in 2012. It has already recorded a profit drop of about 15 per cent in 2013 but an improvement of 10.9 per cent is expected with a profit projection of N51.7 billion in 2014. Net profit margin has improved for the bank from 17.6 per cent at the end of last year to 25.2 per cent in the first quarter.

How would you handle body odour in your spouse? p.12

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12 JULY 2014

www.newtelegraphonline.com/streetdiary

10

Three die in Bayelsa road accident Chris Ejim Yenagoa

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Calabar Carnival

Calabar Carnival Queen warns youths against pre-marital sex Clement James Calabar

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orried by the rate at which young people engage in pre-marital sex, the current Carnival Calabar Queen (CCQ), Miss Nancy-Olive Aisagboni, has appealed to youths to abstain from pre-marital sex in order to become responsible adults in the society.

Aisagboni, who is the 2013/2014 Carnival Queen made this appeal when she paid advocacy visits to some post-primary institutions in the state to sensitise youths on the need to avoid premarital sex.

“I am here to appeal to you to consider your future as young people by not engaging in pre-marital sex and to keep yourself in order to be relevant and responsible in the society,” she said.

The tour is part of the activities of the CCQ as the ‘Face of Mothers Against Child Abandonment’ (MACA), an NGO founded by Mrs. Obioma Liyel–Imoke.

Addressing students of Government Secondary School, Idang, in Calabar South, which was her first port of call on Thursday, Aisagboni described pre-marital sex as an act which could ruin the future of teenagers.

She enumerated the consequences of indulging in sex before marriage to include unwanted pregnancy, abortion and attendant death as well as contracting STDs such as HIV/AIDS, among others.

“Many young people do not know the implication of premarital sex in our society. This has made them to think that by indulging in pre-marital sex, they are proving a point to the world.

But they do not consider that such implications as STDs, unwanted pregnancy, exploitation and ne-

glect could attend such careless actions act,” the queen warned.

The carnival queen recommended abstinence as the best practice to prevent the ills associated with pre-marital sex and advised students to focus on their studies.

Also speaking, the Executive Director, MACA, Mrs. Ndodeye Bassey-Obongha, explained that, the visit was one of MACA’s annual activities to encourage teenagers to desist from pre-marital sex in a bid to prevent the consequences that come thereafter.

She stated that the vision of MACA was to ensure a safe world for all children by advocating against child abandonment, exploitation and neglect.

The Director of Administration,

Carnival Commission, Pastor Eme Affiah, while emphasising on the passion Governor Liyel Imoke and his wife, Obioma, have for children especially teenagers, explained that the sensitisation visit was to prepare young people for the future so that they could grow into responsible adults that would make the state proud.

At the Special Education Centre Secondary School, Calabar, the Principal, Mrs. Felicia Ufot, commended the governor’s wife for initiating the Carnival Calabar Beauty Pageant and thanked the CCQ and her team for the visit.

Other schools visited included, Government Secondary School, Lagos Street and Government Secondary School, State Housing Estate, all in Calabar .

hree persons yesterday died in a fatal road crash on the Bayelsa State axis of the East-West Road while eight others sustained serious injuries.

It was gathered that the accident occurred about 8pm close to the Odi junction on the SagbamaOdi stretch of the East-West Road.

The two vehicles involved in the road carnage were a Bayelsa Transport Company’s truck and a commercial passenger bus belonging to Agofure Motors.

Though the cause of the accident could not be ascertained, eyewitnesses told our correspondent that it might have been caused by over speeding and poor visibility.

New Telegraph learnt that the commercial passenger bus, which was coming from Warri in Delta State, was heading to Port Harcourt in Rivers State, when it collided with the truck reportedly coming from the opposite direction.

The remains of the deceased

were reportedly deposited at the Patani General Hospital morgue by sympathisers.

When contacted, the state commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Mr. Vincent Jack, confirmed the accident but declined further comment.

Also speaking, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Alex Akhigbe, described the accident as unfortunate.

He said: “Yesterday night, we got the report that three persons lost their lives in the crash while eight others sustained serious injuries.”

Accident scene

Investigate Osun collapsed school building – Speaker

T

he Speaker of Osun House of Assembly, Mr Najeem Salaam, has called for a thorough investigation on the collapse of a newly-completed Ejigbo High School, in Ejigbo Council Area, Osun.

This is contained in a statement by the speaker’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Goke Butika, in Osogbo yesterday.

Salaam, who represents Ejigbo state constituency, said it was too early to conclude that the building collapse was due to substandard

materials.

The speaker, who expressed concern over the unfortunate incident, stressed the need for a thorough investigation to determine the true cause of the collapse.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that a newly completed school, which was ready for inauguration, had collapsed on Wednesday.

Two persons were reportedly injured, but there was no death recorded as the structure was yet to be occupied by pupils.

Flood sweeps away mum, two children in Anambra Onah O. Onah Onitsha

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ragedy struck Awada Obosi, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, on Wednesday, when a middle aged woman and her two little children (a boy and a girl) aged between five and seven years were swept away by flood following a downpour in the early hours of the day.

Our correspondent who visited the area on Friday reported that residents of the area were bemoaning the fate that befell the woman and her children.

“It happened when the woman who went for an early morning Mass in company with her two children fell into a deep drainage which had been covered by flood,” even the whole road was covered with flood,” one of the woman’s relations who craved anonymity, said.

Described as a devoted Roman Catholic faithful, it was learnt that she had waited for the rain to subside but when it persisted she left her residence around 5:30am in company with her children.

Another source said the woman, whose name was not given, had backed the younger of the two children when they were swept away by flood.

New Telegraph Street Diary learnt the woman’s neighbours and her husband became worried when she and her children did not return home after the rain had subsided.

“But after a while, words filtered in that their bodies were seen floating in different gutters located in a distant area of the community,” one of the neighbours said.

When contacted, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Emeka Chukwuemeka, said he had yet to be briefed on the

incident.

In a related development, palpable fear has gripped residents of Nnewi following the discovery of the corpse of a man identified simply as Emeka at a bush path by the bank of Mili Ele River.

The river is a stone’s throw from the headquarters of Nnewi North L.G.A and Nnewi Central Police Station.

Many residents in the town are suspecting that Emeka might have been a victim of ritual killers while others feel he might have slipped from a wooden plank across the river and hit his head on a concrete surface by the river and died.

New Telegraph also gathered that Emeka was a bus driver that plied Ozubulu-Ihiala route. Another source said the victim on closing for business in the late evening of that day, was pressed and decided to go to a nearby bush to urinate.

New Telegraph also learnt that the deceased wife had raised the alarm the next day when her hubby did not return home the previous night. This, it was learnt, made Emeka’s colleagues to organise a search party which traced his vehicle where it was parked near the river.

“When they combed the area, Emeka’s body was seen in a bush near the river with blood stains all over his head,” the source said.

When contacted, the phone of the Divisional Police Officer, Central Police Station, Nnewi, rang out. But an officer at the station confirmed the incident.

“It is quite unfortunate. His remains have been deposited in a nearby mortuary. An autopsy will be carried out on his remains to ascertain the cause of his death. Thereafter, other investigations will continue,” the policeman, who craved anonymity, said.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JULY 2014

STREET DIARY

Court declares MD Cross-Country wanted

High chief remanded for defrauding prospective tenant

Foluso Ogunmodede

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F

or the umpteenth time, a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, heard yesterday that the embattled Managing Director of a transport company, Cross-Country, Mr. Bube Okorodudu, could not attend to his trial despite a warrant of arrest issued against him.

Angered that its order of arrest was not complied with, the court yesterday declared him wanted as it again, re-issued a bench warrant against Okorodudu.

He must be produced on July 14, the court ruled.

Okorodudu is facing criminal trial over his alleged involvement in N82.8m fraud, arising from the sales of 17 units of Volkswagen transporter buses belonging to a company, AG Moeller Limited and its Director, Mr. Adeloye Olukemi.

The accused who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has not been attending to his trial.

Apparently miffed by his refusal to attend to his trial, the court last week issued a bench warrant against him, empowering the police to forcefully bring him to court while adjourning further hearing in the matter to yesterday.

But Okorodudu, who is being prosecuted alongside his company- Cross Country Limited and Car Link Limited, on an eight counts of conspiracy, stealing, forgery and uttering, was conspicuously absent in court.

His lawyer, Chief Robert Clarke (SAN), told trial judge, Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo, that the accused took ill.

He presented a medical report to establish his case.

Besides, Clarke told the court to vacate the order of arrest made on Okorodudu on July 1, insisting that the non-non-appearance of his client at the last proceeding, which had occasioned the order for his arrest, was not to disrespect the court.

However, Clarke pleaded that the fault was not of Okorodudu as his absence was predicated on an advice he gave to the accused as he felt from experience, that the trial could go on without his presence in court.

The advice, Clarke said, was given to Okorodudu on the ground of his ill-health.

He urged the court to adjourn the matter pending the determination of the appeal before the Court of Appeal.

Dissatisfied, the EFCC lawyer, Mr. Emmanuel Jackson, asked the court to discountenance Okorodudu’s plea for adjournment including the medical report he pushed forward as it was evident that Okorodudu was trying to avoid trial.

Specifically, Jackson drew the court’s attention to the medical report dated June 24, saying it was obvious that the accused was evading trial.

Jackson stressed that the only consideration on which a defendant in a criminal trial could be excused on the ground of ill health was if the illness would impair his understanding of the proceeding, hence, nothing suggested in the report that Okorodudu could not stand trial.

11

Hospital ward

Women accountants settle hospital bills of six indigent patients Musa Pam JOS

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group operating under the aegis of Society of Women Accountants of Nigeria (SWAN), Plateau branch, has settled over N400, 000 hospital bills of six indigent patients at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) in Jos. Coordinator of SWAN Mrs. Loretta Takon, who led a delegation to the hospital yesterday while presenting the money to the family members of the patients explained that the gesture was part of SWAN’s way of giving back to the society “what God had done for their lives.”

She said, “SWAN is a body of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), which is moved by the plights of the indi-

gent patients at the hospital and “we decided to assist them in our own little way.”

According to her, there is need for corporate organisations, NGOs and wealthy individuals to look towards the indigents within the society and render some assistance to them.

Among the beneficiaries of the gesture was a 15 year-old-boy, Audu Mali, whose bill was above N200,000 and could not be discharged because his parents could not pay the balance of his bill.

Besides, SWAN also gave transport fare to the boy’s mother for their onward journey back home after settling the balance of the bill.

Others who also received the women’s gesture were Anna David (N52, 000), Victoria Monday (N50, 000), Sunday Nanchuwat (N28, 000), Bako Mikin (N22, 000) and Peter Dauda (N35, 000).

Chief Medical Director (CMD)

of the hospital, Prof. Edward Banwat, commended the group for its humanitarian gesture and described it as Godly and encouraging.

The CMD, who spoke through the hospital’s Director of Administration, Mr. Bitrus Ali, called on other spirited individuals to emulate the group for its show of love to the patients.

He said because of the challenges indigent patients face in settling their hospital bills, the hospital would launch an endowment found for such purpose.

He lamented the situation where society was not looking at the indigents in its midst saying, “we are too religious in Nigeria yet nothing to show for it.”

According to him, people gather wealth, yet of no use to the society, adding that the wealthy must have a rethink and give back to the society.

Lagos fire service responds to 685 fire incidents in six months

T

he Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Rasak Fadipe, has said the service responded to 685 fire incidents out of 922 emergency calls received between January and June 2014.

Fadipe made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Friday.

He said that 131 fire incidents were recorded in March, while June recorded 99 incidents.

The director said the 922 emergency calls, included building collapse, false alarm, fallen fuel tankers, persons falling into wells, vehicle and fire accidents.

Fadipe said 60 people were rescued from different incidents, while 39 victims allegedly died, stressing that six collapse buildings were recorded during the period under review.

Comparing the first half of 2013 with the year under review, he said the service recorded 1,305 emergency calls as against 922 calls in 2014.

The director attributed the reduction to public enlightenment campaigns organised by the ser-

Scene of fire Incident

vice on fire prevention in public and private establishments.

“However, people still need to be careful and be fire-conscious because 922 are still on a high side.

“People should not hesitate to quickly send distress calls to the

Fire Service if there is an outbreak of fire, including rescue operation.

“It is important for us to memorise the emergency telephone numbers that will lead to protection of our lives and property and install fire extinguishers in our houses,” Fadipe said.

high chief in Oyo State, Mr. Wole Tijani, has been remanded by a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Lagos for allegedly collecting N160, 000 from his prospective tenant, Miss Lilian Ezughalu.

Tijani, who allegedly collected the money deceptively, told Ezughalu he was going to provide her a room and parlour selfcontain.

Following Ezughalu’s request for refund of her money when he could not fulfil his promise, the accused reportedly issued a cheque that bounced at the point of withdrawal in a bank.

Ezughalu said, “I have a deal with Tijani, who promised to provide me an accommodation. Upon payment of N160, 000 for the accommodation and N50, 000 for agency fee, I was issued a receipt as a proof of payment, and was asked to move in the following day (Thursday).

“On that day, he later called me not to pack into the house I have paid for until further notice, which I obeyed.Thereafter, I used to call him on the phone consistently but all my efforts to reach him proved abortive. Later, I have to travel to Oyo State to see the Kabiyesi (king) to report the issue to him.

“I did that because I knew the man was also a high chief and will not disobey Kabiyesi. Kabiyesi asked me to come in two weeks’ time, hoping that Tijani would have paid but he hasn’t. Kabiyesi was surprised that Tijani did not refund my money and advised me to report to the police, which I did.

He told me that Tijani had done a similar thing to another person previously.”

Ezughalu also told the court that Tijani threatened to kill her if she insisted on getting her money.

“When I found him in Oshodi, on a particular day and requested for my money, he warned me to stop disturbing him. He threatened that he will kill me if I ever ask for my money again. This prompted me to come to court because I don’t want to lose my life,” she added.

During the sitting, the magistrate, T.A Elias, said Tijani’s action was against Section 312 of the 2011 Criminal Law of Lagos State.

A charge sheet made available in the court read, “Tijani on the 12/02/14 at Egbeda in Ikeja magisterial district did obtain the sum of N160,000 from one Lilian Ezughalu ‘F’ with pretence to provide her a room and parlour selfcontain, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 312 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

“Tijani ‘M’ on the 6th of March 2014, at Egbeda in the aforesaid magisterial district did issue cheque of two hundred (N200,000) naira only to same Lilian ‘F’ which later bounced and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 318 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.”

The magistrate later asked Tijani to be remanded in prison when he could not pick any specific date to refund the money.

The magistrate subsequently adjourned the case till August 29.

12

Voices

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JUly 2014

Street Diary

How would you handle body odour in your spouse?

We will seek solution It is nothing much, as we have to discover the cause. If it is something that has to do with the partner’s being dirty or sickness that needs urgent attention, then both of you should seek solution together. We are meant to care for our partner and not embarrass him or her.

(Balogun Emmanuel, pastor) I will get her perfumes I will advise her to take her bath regularly, then get her some perfumes to make use of and also stand by her.

(Adesujo Adeniyi, mechanical engineer) We will pray over it We will go to the hospital first to find out if it is natural or if it can be curbed; that is, if the odour is not from uncleanliness, so that the doctor will tell us what to do.

But if it persists, then we will pray and fast because the odour must go by fire by force.

(Cindy Iyere-Okojie, writer) I will assist her in taking care of it It depends on the type of odour she has. It might be mouth or body odour. I just need to make her free with me and then assist her in managing her odour by getting her the necessary deodorant.

(Emeka Nwokom, worker) I will help him to manage it If truly I love my husband, I have no choice but to adapt to him. All I just have to do is manage his odour by buying him deodorants but not making him feel offended with my way of presenting it to him. Then I will advise him to take his bath whenever he is all sweaty.

(Folashade Oginni, businesswoman)

I will advise him on what to do I will tell him and if he's thoughtful he will find something to do about it, because that kind of thing is a bad turn off. One will get tired all of a sudden. Before he becomes a spouse, you would have noticed too.

(Adeola Sobogun, undergraduate) I don’t have to embarrass her If my spouse has body odour, I will make her realize how I feel about it and then I will get her some deodorants and not make her feel embarrassed.

(Chima Osubor, businessman) We would do something about it I would just tell him.

Then, we will visit the hospital or somewhere and do something about it.

(Wunmi Akindele, aka Kiss, musician) We will seek solution together We have to correct each other with love even if one is doing wrong or bad. In this case of body odour, if you are married it is for better or worse, as you can’t run away from your responsibilities. As for me, we will seek solution together and hope it is resolved.

(Michael Green, businessman) I will recommend the use of perfume and body spray for him I'll tell him to always use perfume and body spray.

When he wakes up in the morning after bathing and before sleeping, he must use them.

(Owodunni Aderemi, model) I will get some good perfumes I will quietly tell her and also try to recommend some good deodorants for her. But I hate body odour. I would advise her on the best ways to solve it and be careful so that she doesn’t feel embarrassed or bad. You don't even need to tell her but just get her some good perfumes to use.

(Chile Nwachukwu, banker)

Prayer will take care of it My husband cannot have body odour in Jesus name Amen! There is nothing that prayer cannot do, as surely as Jesus lives the problem will be solved if you believe.

God bless you.

(Mrs. Faith Eriamiator, pastor) I can’t marry a woman with body odour I will divorce her, I can't cope with a wife who has body odour.

Before we get married I must check her first.

(Dare Alabi, civil servant ) He has to do something about it That marks the beginning of problem in that house because I just can't cope. I just can't stand it. I will provoke the living daylight out of him to get him to do something about that bad smell. I don't want to be an object of mockery. God forbid it!

(Mrs. Felicia Ebeye, businesswoman) I wouldn't embarrass her I wouldn't embarrass her because she might not even know she has body odour. So I will tell her in a gentle manner when we are alone in private or I will simply get her some deodorants and mandate her to use them. But if the odour persists, we would have to see the doctor.

(Michael Kunu, cameraman) I will buy her quality deodorants I will start by buying her quality deodorants and encouraging regular baths at least twice a day, which would solve the problem to an extent then use of quality deodorant.

(Osaze Ahanor, lecturer) compiled by

OLUSHOLA RICKETTS, TEMITOPE SOBOWALE, GLORY TITTY AND ABIMBOLA SODEKE

Instyle The cropped tops are getting even bolder p.15 Travelogue From Sao Paulo to Brasilia p.42

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C o n v e r s at i o n

I turned down ministerial appointments six times – Amuta Dr. Chidi Amuta is the chairman and chief operating officer of Wilson & Weizmann Associates Ltd, a media and information warehousing company. Amuta, a former journalism teacher and columnist, speaks with OLUSHOLA RICKETTS on his contributions to journalism, turning down political appointments, insurgency among other issues in the polity.

UNIVERSITY, A MAJOR INFLUENCE IN CAREER During our time we did not really choose our profession or what we were going to do after school; it was the profession that chooses for us. If you have a certain kind of grade it restricts what you aspire to pursue. For me, it was my undergraduate’s report that chooses where I was heading to. And also as an undergraduate, I regarded my lecturers as my first reference points. In other words, my role models were my lecturers. In those days too, the academic life had an appeal. We admired people for the knowledge they had acquired. So, I would say I prepared myself for an academic career right from my undergraduate days. When I graduated, I went for my compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Kano. But wherever I applied for jobs, they insisted that I will not stay for long. They always advised me to go to the university because when you graduated with first class then it was like you were meant for the academics alone. So, I went back to Ife and my department was very excited to have me back. I was proud of the profession and the institution was also proud of me.

FROM CLASSROOM TO NEWSROOM Teaching is still my first love. I feel that the close to 12 years I spent in the classroom were remarkable because you could see and feel the changes you made in students.

I still run into my former students. I have even forgotten a good number of them, but they have not forgotten me.

I was at a function about four or five weeks ago and the professor playing MC for the occasion introduced himself to me as an ex-student of mine at the University of Port Harcourt. He also spoke of how hard it was to score high in my courses and that the best he got was a B. He said it was only on an occasion he scored B-plus and it was a big celebration. But I didn’t remember all these. The reward of teaching is that you get to see people who you taught making great strides in their different fields.

My subsequent involvement in the media is just an

intellectual who is also public-minded, you have to be very careful. If you are an intellectual and you want to be public-minded, it becomes difficult to walk that tight road. So you have to decide to either stick with the classroom or leave the classroom.

AMUTA

extension of teaching because teaching is teaching either you are standing in front of a classroom or you are writing a column in the newspaper to influence a larger classroom.

But the movement from the classroom to the newsroom was both intended and unintended. It was intended in the sense that I wanted to contribute to a larger discourse, but the classroom didn’t give me enough space. So, I started by contributing articles and this coincided with the emergence of the enlightened media. The Guardian was established and a lot of intellectuals joined the media and they were asking us to come have a taste of it. So when I had a sabbatical leave, I decided to spend it at The Guardian in its formative years. I decided to try it, and if at the end of the day I still feel the need to go back to the classroom, then I will go. I didn’t later go back to the classroom and the reason was that I found my engagement with the wider public more fulfilling than the classroom where you are just talking to your students or at an international conference where you are talking to your colleagues. And for an

PIONEERING INTERNET PUBLICATION IN NIGERIA In 1995-96, Post Express became the first Nigerian newspaper to have a website to be accessible online and I was the chief executive director then.

At the Post Express, I saw that information technology was opening up the world. In terms of communication, flow of ideas, etc, we saw that something bigger was coming. I said to myself that we cannot have a newspaper that will put Nigeria in the centre of happenings around the world if we do not embrace technology. So, we were the very first people to see that and I made sure it was actually realised. I stroke two strategic alliances- I allied with New York Times. I went there, signed an agreement to exchange editorial content with them. So, every day we had New York Times supplement, which was sent to us. We also entered an alliance with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) so that the business ideas and initiatives of privatisation, anti-corruption and all the things being done in Nigeria will be exposed at the international level.

People do not know that when 419 started in Nigeria it was Central Bank of Nigeria’s letterhead papers they were using and CBN was subjected to a lot of problems all over the world. Through our agreement with the WSJ, we were able to assist the CBN to inform the world in all the languages that anyone who paid attention to the letters were doing it at his or her own risk.

If the notice was not put out, all the judgements against CBN would have had legal weights. If not for our effort, by now, the CBN would have gone bankrupt. What we did wasn’t by accident; it was with our clear eyes and see what is happening today. There is no serious newspaper or magazine that is not online, but we are the first newspaper to say postexpress.com. We also educated most of the banks on the need to place their advert online, though it was so strange to them. This was the kind of initiative that we brought in and I am proud I was part of that kind of pioneering effort. As I am speaking to you, you don’t need a newspaper to reach out to people. With an online domain, you can get information across to people at different part of the world.

MOST REGARDED PIECE I am happy to inform you and this is the first time I CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JULY 2014

‘No difference between PDP, APC’ CONTINUED FROM PAG E 1 3

am saying this to the media that all my journalistic essays are being put together and they will be published before the end of this year into a book of 1,000 pages. So, when the book is out, people can decide what they think is their favourite piece of mine. It is going to be a big media event and so many people will be invited.

FORAY AS A BUSINESSMAN It has been a long road from being a teacher to a commentator and now a business person. We all know there are different worlds, but I now have a better appreciation of the dynamics of the system.

I understand better the interface between information and the economy. I understand better the interconnection between politics and policies. But I don’t think the ideal thing is for every business person to have the kind of background that I have.

He or she might not have the time or be as impatient as I was to jump from one place to another. It also requires a lot of courage.

Many of my seniors those days see me now and say they admired the courage I had to leave when I did. Don’t forget that as a lecturer in a federal university your employer is the federal government and there couldn’t be any job security than working for the government. To leave a paid job and certainty to an uncertainty is awesome. I left FG as my employer and signed up to work for Alex Ibru, the late publisher of The Guardian. From there, I went to other media houses, including Concord. But I woke up one morning and said to myself that I wasn’t working for anyone again. It was the first working day of the year 2000. When I resigned my job at Post Express, it came as a shock to many people. On that day, my wife wondered why I came back late from work, I said it was my last day. The argument I used to convince myself then was simply that if I had used my intellect and creativity to work for other people and see them generating wealth, let me use that percentage to work for myself too. Once I was convinced that I would be able to have a decent living, I left.

TROUBLED WATERS Challenges were many, but I am a very strategy person. I live in the present, but my actions are guided by the future. I thought of it and concluded that there comes a time in life that I will be too old to look for a job and too young to retire, what happens then? The only answer is to be your own master, which I did. A lot of my friends are working or looking for political appointment of a sort now. How many times have I been offered ministerial appointments? At least I had been called upon half of a dozen times, but I said I was not interested. I was not interested because I am contented.

Some people might argued that it could be my own way to make some changes, but in an environment where most people are poor, no opportunities and people are lamenting every day, the few people who go into public service cannot but be branded thieves. If you want to run the risk of having all what you had worked for ascribed to the fact that you stole money, you can go. But if you want to keep your little sanity, integrity and dignity intact, you better stay away. I give my ideas to friends who want to serve the government; friends who want to listen. I understand that my going into politics might have improved some areas. But in all my establishments, I probably have like a 100 employees and I take it that an employee of mine has like five dependants, so at the end of every month I am looking out for 500 people. For this, I am satisfied and happy. Perhaps, at the

governance level, I could probably influence the lives of more people, but you will also have millions of people calling you thief for things that you probably didn’t do or know about. I believe it is better for me to keep doing what I am doing. If I make more money than the usual, I have charity I do. I run undergraduate scholarship scheme in my village for 10 years now.

Every year, I support 10 undergraduates.

Some of these people I don’t know them, nor have I met them before. The reason is simply because I came from a very small village in Abia State and the only thing that made me grow beyond that village was the education given to me by my poor father.

If I alone support 10 people every year and they grow to be successful tomorrow, I think we would have a better community.

And if everybody chooses to do what I am doing, you can imagine how the place will be. But I will not wait for everyone to do what I am doing.

CONCERNS ABOUT NIGERIA I am deeply worried, though I am not one of those people who believe that Nigeria is on the verge of breaking up. Not that we do not have enough tension that could spilt a country into two, but the reason we would not break up is that none of the conflicting forces is as strong as the existence of Nigeria itself. For Boko Haram, the day they catch its leader signals the end. Since they gave the Niger Delta money, have we heard from them? Also, none of them has posited an alternative or said they want to pull out of Nigeria. None of the complaining forces is even structured enough to provide an alternative. The Niger Delta boys were not appealing and got no followership. Same applies to Boko Haram; the people they ought to be converting are the people they are killing. Therefore, who will follow them? And if you watched very closely during the peak of the Bringbackourgirls movement, you find out that the activities of Boko Haram have made the country stronger. Everybody laid claims to the fact that the girls were our sisters and children. It didn’t matter anymore whether they came from Chibok or they were Muslims. All the differences were resolved; what we saw was a nation under

“The people they (Boko Haram) ought to be converting are the people they are killing.

Therefore, who will follow them?”

threat that required a stronger state. We need state that can defend all of us from ourselves. Boko Haram loyalists are Nigerians also. So you need to protect those people from themselves and protect us from them. When we elected President Goodluck Jonathan, we didn’t say it would be an easy job. So, he should deal with it and if he cannot deal with the situation, he should simply step aside.

BETWEEN PDP AND APC AHEAD OF 2015 They are the same thing. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has the first mover advantage and it is the bad gathering that arrived at the scene first. The All Progressives Congress (APC) is the gathering of bad people who arrived the scene later and they arrived because the sharing formula which is the organising principle of Nigerian political parties didn’t favour them under PDP. This is why it was easy for them to move from a place to another.

You can see someone in the morning as a PDP member, but by the time you get to his house in the evening, he has become APC. There are no ideological differences.

There is no conviction; people are hungry.

But there is some progress indicated by the emergence of APC and PDP as the major political parties. We have migrated essentially from multi-party system to two-party system. So, this is a progress in a very short time because it took other countries a while to achieve this. There are still other parties, but everybody knows you are either in PDP or APC. However, the emergence of APC does not mean that Nigerian should not wake up and throw PDP away because old habit dies hard. Since the emergence of APC though, PDP has become more careful because they now know that there is strong opposition party that will criticise them.

Every system needs that, but the APC needs to earn the trust of Nigerians. They have to work for it and convince us about how fundamentally different they are from the bunch and I have not seen that in the party. The field is wide opened for them.

I don’t work for the APC, but Nigerians between the age of 18 and 40 years old are looking for that political party that will give them election to

“You can see someone in the morning as a PDP member, but by the time you get to his house in the evening, he has become APC.” be proud of. This group is looking for a party that will promise them jobs. Everyone deserves an opportunity to contribute to the national growth, but the opportunities are available to relations or children of the people who are well connected. This is not fair. People should be able to have equal share at contributing whether they are the children of the high and mighty or not. When I left the university I didn’t have a chance of getting a job, but what spoke for us was the quality of our characters as well as the certificates we were carrying.

So, I want a country in which the younger generation should also have an equal opportunity to achieve greatness. The road is opened for APC to make a difference and to sell itself as the alternative party, but I don’t think they are doing much of it.

Nigeria does not have a problem; I am very optimistic about this country. There is no Nigerian who does not believe in possibilities. The ingredient of greatness is here because every Nigerian sees himself as a great citizen of the world. There are countries that you need to work hard to convince the citizens that they have the right to exist.

RECIPE THEN AND NOW The landscape has changed. The monopoly of capital has shifted hands. There are major newspapers still owned by wealthy people in Nigeria, but we also have now intervening media not owned by rich people because of the democratisation of means of transmission, Information Technology. We have Sahara Reporters, Premium Times, etc. owned by people who ordinarily might not have financial muscle.

Also, in terms of content and fulfilling the objective of the media to reveal the truth, the intervening media has little or nothing to hide. And they are so many specialised publications now. We have magazine that worries about maritime, motoring, life and style, real estate etc. There will be an argument whether the quality has gone

down or not, but you will only judge based on what you want. I am not going to say that the standard is watering down because it would be unfair.

AMUTA

ANTIDOES FOR SUCCESS First of all be focused.

I don’t know anyone who wakes up in the morning without any destination in mind and gets to anywhere.

You must wake up wanting to go in a particular direction.

And once you are cleared, go there. For me, focus is critical.

Every day in life is not going to be the same. Some days will be bad for us. We don’t make money every day; we lose money too, but it is important to remain focused.

INSTYLE

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JUly 2014

Everyone's getting cropped

A

Angela Davies lthough cropped tops have been in style for years but right now they are the in-thing for ladies who follow trend.

These belly button showing tops come in different fashionable styles, fabrics and textures to select from.

The length of your top and the bottom you choose to wear it with depends on how audacious you want to be at that event. Cropped tops can be worn with pants, skirt or shorts depending on your style.

TIPS l You can pair cropped tops with a high waist bottom. Just because your top is short, does not mean you have to expose your belly button. Matching a crop top with a high waist pant or skirt can reduce the amount of midriff to be exposed. l Pairing your cropped top with a pencil skirt that stops at the knees and above the belly button can be a super chic look. l A cropped top and a skirt or pant in a matching colour or pattern will give you that trendy and splendid look you desire. l Keep it simple for a more subtle look since cropped styles are attention grabbing enough. l Fashion is about uniqueness so you could opt for cropped top in pattern, matching colours or floral as long as you feel comfortable and it suits you\ l You can also wear an unbuttoned blazer over your cropped top to make you feel more covered up.

Remember that no matter your body type, you can wear cropped top and feel good about yourself. However, wearing cropped tops does not necessarily mean that you must expose your midriff. But if you must flaunt, then, ensure they are welltoned and by no means flabby.

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Keeping it simple and modest Imelda Ahunna Osuji, popularly known as Madam Modesty is the founder of Women and Modesty Global Initiative, an NGO that seeks to inspire a decent dress sense. Her style is consistent with the simplicity she advocates, writes ANGELA DAVIES. How would you define your style?

My style is simple and modest.

What kind of outfits make up a larger part of your wardrobe?

I wear a lot of long free-flowing gowns and long skirt with well covered blouse styles made with various African fabrics in simple but unique styles.

What determines the kind of outfit you wear?

My colour of the week determines what I wear.

But if I am attending an event that has a colour theme, I swap to that event's colour.

What do you consider your style signature?

My long-styled cap.

Is there a specific story behind this preference?

I was wearing a low cut before now.

However, I discovered that wearing low cut does not suit all occasions so I sat down to think about something that will enhance my face. That was how I came about this long styled cap that has become my insignia.

Do you have a fashion no-no?

That will be jeans trousers because it is not meant for me. I am good with my African styles.

What is your favourite piece of clothing?

My free flowing gowns.

Most expensive fashion item you have ever bought?

A lovely pair of green high-heel shoes by Gucci.

What is that fashion accessory you cannot do without?

My costume jewellery.

Best colour My best colour is orange.

I am dark, so I like colours that will bring out my complexion.

Signature perfume I use Givenchy and Cool Water because I love their fragrance.

What kind of shoes do you love to wear?

Although sometimes I wear flat shoes but I love high heel shoes.

How do you love your makeup?

I love it light.

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INSTYLE

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JUly 2014

Accessories to live for

Pointy-toe stiletto pumps These are not only sophisticated; they also add glamour to your outfit. So, if you are thinking of that shoe that will speak for you, then, opt for a pair of sexy, cute pointed-toe stiletto shoes for your next event.

ANGELA DAVIES writes.

S

leek, sophisticated and ladylike, the pointy-toe pumps are stylish wardrobe staples. The narrowed point part of these shoes instantly slims and elongates your legs therefore giving you a polished look, which is why it continues to be a go-to among stylish women.

Over the years, the stiletto shoes have been redesigned by designers like Valentino, Steve-Madden, Giuseppe Zanotti, Prada, Gucci, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo to give it classic and stylish look for the woman of style.

These comfortable, flattering and versatile pumps are seen worn by celebrities on the red carpet at different events as they add zest to their outfit. Pointy-toe pumps come in a whole myriad of colours, designs and many of them have cushioned insole to give your feet the comfort it deserves. You just have to select and wear one that suits and complements your outfit.

Whether you are tall or short, you can wear these slim silhouette sexy pumps to celebrate your feminity in any height you are comfortable with.

WHO WORE IT BETTER?

Facts

Calling the shorts

Lisa Folawiyo is the creative mind behind the label, Jewel by Lisa. Her niche is the transformation of the Ankara prints into a bejewelled treasure. Ankara prints are cut and delicately embellished for an added elegance. Her diffusion line ‘J Label’ promotes indigenous Nigerian culture and flare with the combination of Afro pop and urban cool designs.

T

Agu

he fashion showdown this week is between Nollywood actress Padita Agu and Tosin Obasa, ex-Nigerian model and creative director of Ebony Berry. And the outfit in contention is shorts.

Both Agu and Obasa wore sexy shorts to the Basketmouth Uncensored “Dysfunctional Mind” which took place on Sunday, June 29 at the Eko Hotel and Suites’ Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Agu wore a grey and white short which flaunted her well-toned straight legs. She matched it with a black three quarter sleeve shirt which almost showed her cleavage paired with a silver skinny belt. Agu harmonized her sexy and chic look with a silver wristwatch, gold bracelet and neck chain that drops down to her cleavage. She also carried a silver handbag, wore a cream coloured open-toe shoes with brown details which showed off her well polished toe nails. Agu completed her look spotting red lipsticks and hairstyle that complements her facial structure.

On her part, Obasa wore a black and white striped short which flaunts her legs. She wore a black camisole underneath her black transparent flowery long sleeve collar shirt. She tucked in her shirt and held it in place with a black belt with silver buckle. She completed her look spotting nerd glass, pearl bracelet and gold heel strappy sandals which also displayed her wellpolished nails. Her centre part hairstyle was let down while her make-up was mild.

So who in your opinion wore the shorts better? Is it Nollywood actress, Agu, or ex model and fashion designer, Obasa?

White wedding dresses were not often worn until after Queen Victoria’s wedding in 1840, as it was hard to clean and quite impractical unless one was quite wealthy.

Prior to 1850, 70 per cent of the clothes worn were hand-stitched by the people who wore them. Clothes were a commodity, not fashion.

Obasa

Jeans were developed as heavy-duty work trousers in the 1870’s by Levi Strauss. They were originally brown.

Nkiru Sylvanus There’s nothing wrong being a second wife p.18 Ksticks A drummer boy's gospel p.20

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Ibrahim..."I make really great music besides acting"

Juliet Ibrahim: Growing up wasn't fun because of the Liberian war

With her hour glass shape, Juliet Ibrahim is a viewers' delight. The charming actress whose divorce from her husband, a pilot, made the headlines recently would rather not dwell on the tangled tale. Juliet, of Lebanese and Liberian descent, speaks on the premiere of her new movie, The Number One Fan, at the Silverbird Galleria, Victoria Island, Lagos. She spoke with LANRE ODUKOYA

THE NUMBER ONE FAN… I have been up to a lot, my team and I have worked round the clock with putting finishing touches to the premiere of my movie, The Number One Fan in Lagos and to say that the success is massive would be an understatement. Apart from that, we are working on a new one called Shattered Dreams. It's still in the pipeline, but we'll commence shooting shortly. So I’m quite busy at the moment and working really hard to give my fans the very best they've always wanted and waited for.

MUSIC, A SIDE PASSION Well, like I have said in numerous interviews before now, music has always been my passion. It is my first love. The truth is that providence brought me to acting. And interestingly, both are playing out easily now because they go hand in hand seeing that they are both under the entertainment classification. The music side of me is projecting itself gradually, but I'll get there. It may take a while for people to connect or differentiate Juliet the actor from Juliet the singer, but with time and perseverance on my side, my fans will come to terms with it. It’ll be a piece of cake, because I make really great music, though an album is not in the offing for now. As time goes by, we can think of that.

AWAY FROM MUSIC AND MOVIES… Well, I have a boutique where I sell clothes, shoes, bags and accessories. I also have a foundation. It's a kidney cancer awareness foundation.

Those are just two out of the other things I indulge in aside what I'm well known for.

NOWHERE NEAR FULFILMENT There's still a lot of room for improvement and I'm not resting on my laurels. To say I'm fulfilled would mean I have had it all but I'm still pushing higher and aiming for the skies and till the time I can sit back, look at everything I have achieved and every life I have touched with a sigh of contentment, I can't say I am fulfilled.

CHALLENGES Life itself is a challenge. To me, challenges are not things you can tabulate or number. They are necessary hurdles we need to surmount in our daily quest for survival and success. They are inevitable and we all face them all the time and mostly conquer, so I don't glorify them. So for me to recount it, honestly, one may have to sit for weeks before I'll be done.

THOUGHT OF QUITTING ACTING… Oh no, it has never crossed my mind. But if acting hadn't worked out, it would have been music all the way.

MY CHILDHOOD… I grew up travelling from one country to another with my family because my father was a business man in West Africa

and each time there was war in any of those countries we lived in, we had to relocate and escape for survival to another country. So growing up wasn't that much fun for us because we kept losing almost everything we acquired along the line. However, we thank God for our lives every day and how far he has brought me in life today.

FASHION AND STYLE… I am daring and very creative in my fashion sense, but my style is simple and spontaneous. I don't follow the trend, I just flow with whatever suits me at the moment.

ACTING INFLUENCE I would say the likes of Vivica Fox, Tyler Perry, Catherine Zeta Jones, Beyonce and locally, Patience Ozokwor is an actress I admire greatly.

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COSON, MCSN: Too long a blood feud N eed we re-chronicle the feud between Tony Okoroji-led Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) and the embattled Music Copyright Society of Nigeria piloted by Orits Wiliki?

While COSON enjoys the blessing of the Nigerian Communication Commission as its only recognised collecting society, a Federal High Court, in Lagos, in her judgement by Honourable Justice Muhammad Nasir Yunusa on suit No. FHC/L/CS/1163/2012 filed by MCSN against the Nigerian Copyright Commission for the enforcement of its fundamental human rights, declared the raid of the MCSN’s offices, arrest and detention of its officials as unlawful. The court once reaffirmed that the operations of the MCSN is lawful and constitutional and therefore should not in any way be disturbed in its operations. As it were, there’s still no victor, no vanquished in the unfolding melodrama of acrimony. While trying hard enough not to belabour you with the banters they hurl at each other at the slightest provocation, one would not but conclude that better late than never, the warring camps can sheath swords and survive on the notion that the sky’s width is abundantly able to accommodate everything on wings. Who says the Nigerian music industry cannot survive with more than one collecting society as practised

in developed worlds? The competition would only be stiffer, giving way for the best practices to thrive. This lingering fight only gives the societies away as ones severing some repressible frustration.

If the artistes whose entitlements and welfare they claim to be reaching for each other’s jugulars for are not wearing the gloves, why should the principals gripe over artistes’ problem? Jumping and hopping into courtrooms apparently won’t amount to anything fair for all parties concerned. There can't be a better time to re-evaluate the practices and put them at par with standards obtainable in Europe and America. This way, there would be no holes for rivals to cry foul and the artistes would themselves be able to go to bed with both eyes closed, trusting that their interest is above any other.

Okoroji and Wiliki

There’s nothing wrong being a second wife - Nkiru Sylvanus

E-BRIEFS

Mercy Johnson in the UK for baby number two

D

id you watch Channels TV’s Sunrise on Saturday?

In case you didn’t, here’s what Nollywood actress, Nkiru Sylvanus, who reacted to the romance tale with her former boss, Governor Rochas Okorocha, of Imo State said about being wife number two: “If the situation and the person is good, I would

N

ollywood actress, Mercy Johnson Okojie, is at present in Colchester, United Kingdom, with her daughter, Purity. The vivacious actress decided to excite her fans with some hilarious photos both recent and some throw-back ones on Instagram. Mercy may just be living comedian Bovi’s dream of having his children as "world citizens". Mercy who had her first issue, Purity, in the United States about two years ago is in the UK to have the second baby.

Mercy’s "selfies" really suggest she’s having a great time as a mother and a pregnant woman.

go for it. There is really nothing wrong with being a second wife at all, but I am not dating Okorocha".

She further confirmed that she is still single, but not searching. Nkiru Sylvanus returned to Nollywood after being relieved of her job by Gov. Okorocha as the special assistant on Lagos Affairs to the Imo State Government.

As RMD hits 53

A

ctor and Delta State com missioner for culture and tourism, Richar d Mofe-Dam ijo, clocked 53 last Sunday and celebrated it low key in his Lagos hom e.

The showbiz icon and ladies’ toast made the headlines last month after his appearance at AMAA. The hunk no longer looks quite like his old self and it made tongues wag that he might be bat tling an undisclosed ailment.

OJB counts blessings at 48 M

usic producer and singer, OJB Jezreel, clocked 48 last Sunday and had his celebration like RMD’s on the same day. The dreadlocked artiste who went through kidney transplant last year after a fundraiser is a much happier person today. His joy apparently transcends surviving the surgery; he’s much richer than he had been in those agonising old days. How else would one describe a man with two wives and kids who relocated to a better apartment after surgery and got himself an expensive toy - a Range Rover Sport?

Jude Okoye, fiancee pick July 17 wedding date

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-Square’s elder brother and manager, Jude Okoye, otherwise known as Engees is set to tie the knot with his fiancee, Ifeoma Umeokeke, on July 17. The couple who got engaged on April 24 will have their traditional wedding at the bride’s home town in Nnewi, Anambra State, while the white wedding holds after Ifeoma (MBGN Tourism 2012) who is allegedly pregnant gives birth. Interestingly so, there seems to be a tie that binds these brothers more than blood. Is it by sheer co-incidence that all of them put their spouses in family way before signing the dotted lines? Peter led the brothers in tying the knot; he got married to mother of his son, Lola Omotayo, in November 2013. And in quick succession, the second half of the Nigerian music duo, P-square, Paul Okoye, got married to Anita Isamah with whom he has a child in March, this year.

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JUly 2014

Music director of Daystar Christian Centre, Dr. Pinmiloye Olukunle Joshua popularly known as Ksticks, is an award-wining musician who has travelled far and wide to teach drumming and music. In an encounter at a concert he organised last Sunday in Lagos, the CEO of Ksticks Global Resources speaks with OLUSHOLA RICKETTS IN THE BEGINNING I grew up in a music background and I was lucky to have musical instruments at home. But I never knew I will be studying music as a degree. I grew up in the choir as a little boy with a sound knowledge of music notes. I used to attend Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) with my family then. And along the line, I found myself studying music in Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).

I did music at my diploma, B.A, M.A and Ph.D levels. I now teach music at OAU. THE DRUMMER BOY I am the first civilian in Nigeria to perform with the Nigerian Navy Orchestral. I am also the first Nigerian to major on drum performance for my degree. My master's thesis was on drum's language too. I was given the name Ksticks because I drum a lot way back in 1996 while I was in school.

I always go out with my drum sticks. I was the first prize Winner of MUSON debut talent competition award in June 2000. I have been conferred with several awards and distinctions, including the Award of Excellence by the Obafemi Awolowo University's department of music, and Award on Youth Empowerment by Osun State government. I recently obtained a post-doctoral certificate in audio engineering from the prestigious Musician Institute, N o r t h Angeles, Hollywood, Los USA. I am fully back in the country now, but ed I am always invitover there for one occasion or the other.

Ksticks...'I communicate in the language of drums'

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Ksticks: A drummer boy's gospel IMPACTING PEOPLE Due to my musical and choir background, I teach people. I am the CEO of Ksticks Global Resources, a music consulting outfit that specializes in providing high quality Church music, choir trainings/workshops, music consultancy, live and studio performances and music production. I have gone to different part of the world to teach choirs. I am also the Music Director of Daystar Christian Centre. During my last trip to the United State of America, I trained more than three different choir groups. I train choirs and people a b o u t drums. And I still have one or two events I am expected to go in a matter of days. Growing up then I saw myself teaching foreigners about drums and the dream h a s come to pass.

I have participated in many w o r k shops, including a workshop at the Hilton University, Texas in 2010.

OAU sent me

down there for cultural exchange and I taught them African drums.

OBSESSION FOR AFRICAN DRUMs I have flair for Africa Drumming right from my childhood. I discover that Africa has rich drumming heritage and I am ready to promote it. And besides, home is home. I can do jazz with African drums. My audience is in Africa and I have to give them what they want. Also, an average Nigerian is known for rhythm. So I don't waste my time doing what my people might not want. An average Nigerian wants to dance and move to the rhythm. Nigeria is so rich in drum heritage and we need to showcase it. An average white man gets mystified about the talking drum. He cannot discern how it produces the sound it produces.

Each time I go outside the country to teach Nigerian drums, I go with boldness and excitement.

has to deal with seriously. People who have the money to spend on music are wary of piracy. Though the Nigerian economy is not favourable for musicians, I would say I am doing well so far and I am contented.

I studied music and I know the difference between my left and right. As a musician, you must be well equipped with necessary information to survive and strive in the industry.

BETWEEN GOSPEL AND SECULAR MUSIC To me, there is nothing like secular music per se. How you go about the song differentiates it. There are times we use instrumentation of secular music for gospel. Also, some musicians who are called secular musicians sing moral and inspirational songs that we even sing or hear in the church. R. Kelly is one of them. It is not every song in the secular world that is vulgar; what makes a song secular is the lyrics. I have done some songs outside the church for corporate organisations like Etisalat and Access Bank. The essence of those songs was to promote good music. What we did was secular, but not vulgar. Apart from church music, I also do music in the secular world. I do music for love, to challenge the youth and portray our cultural heritage.

THE CONCERTS, KSTICKS LIVE Apart from the great displays of African drumming, I released a DVD tagged, Insight to Africa drumming. In the western world we have many musicians who have DVDs in the market. The DVD is the first instructional material to be released by a Nigerian. It requires someone very knowledgeable to release such. What I teach are original to me. We need to make CHANCES OF BEING A SINGER SOMEDAY Nigerians proud and leave a legacy for the No, I don't see myself being a profesgenerations to come. People basically see sional singer; I train singers. I don't have to me as a choir person, but I am more than be a singer before I train singers. I am a muthat. I want to show the world that I can sic scholar and I am fulfilled as a drummer. perform what I teach. Most people know only the theory; they know little or nothing CHALLENGES about the practical aspect. I had the live We need more people to invest in the concert to prove to the world that there is music or entertainment industry. I have reality in what I teach. I teach theory and I spent a lot putting this concert togethcan interpret what I teach. I performed on er without any support from anybody. stage with my crew members and com- Music involves a lot of money to deliver municated in the language of drums. I also quality. To get the multinationals to supfeatured major artistes, such as Wole Oni, port you is too rigid, but we believe evNathaniel Bassey, Mike Abdul of Midnight erything will be fine as time goes on. This Crew, Seyi Kenny, Mike Aremu and a host just the beginning; we areAlhaja still going Doubleistragedy...Arisekola-Alao's wife, Jelilat, to the concert across major cities of others. We also showcase gospel music died inhave a car crash days after her husband's deathin the country, including Ibadan, Benin, Port in another dimension.

Harcourt etc.

Another challenge is lack of encourageLIVING OFF DRUMMING Drummers are not the only ones find- ment from people, but we trust God to see ing it tough to survive with their trade. I us through. believe Nigerian entertainers generally are facing serious problems. The industry will ADVICE TO DRUMMERS not strive until we have a stable economy The truth is that people do not value and resolve all our political problems. It drummers. Most drummers in Nigeria is so difficult for an average musician to live below average and are not well paid survive in this country. If not for the few for functions. I would advice drummers management companies that sponsor ar- to focus on their strength and equip themtistes, how many of them can go into the selves with necessary information, work hard and get mentors. If possible too, they studio to produce good music?

Piracy is another issue the government should obtain more degrees.

20 SHOWBIZ

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JUly 2014

Seyi Sodimu: Why I'm remaking Ebenezer Obey's song Seyi Sodimu, the Nigerian music export who strolled into hearts with his hit ballad, Love Me Jeje, has released a new single titled Pelepele, a re-make of Ebenezer Obey's evergreen song, Ore Mi Se Pelepele.

Sodimu who spent time off the music scene pushing deals in real estate, fashion and automobiles, speaks with LANRE ODUKOYA on his resurgent career and family BEFORE AND AFTER THE LULL My last single, Gbedu was released two years ago. My style of music is called afro-soul which is a fusion of African music, soul and high-life. It is termed adult contemporary and is geared towards a mature crowd while at the same time appealing to the youth and the masses. This new single is the first in a series, and subsequent singles will follow to mark my return to the Nigerian music scene. The new single is bound to be a big hit from all indications. Also the video was directed and shot by Sesan Ogunro of Film Factory in a serene location in London. On this project, I worked with master producer, Shizzi (Seyi Akerele) and Bankulli of Bankulli Entertainment for A&R and direction of the whole project.

WHILE ON BREAK I decided to take some time off to focus my energy on building a business empire. So, I have been investing and establishing several businesses including a fashion line in the US, real estate development in Nigeria, automotive sales and as well as raising my kids. But throughout all this time, I am still involved in entertainment in the background finding new talent and investing in established artists. And I never stopped recording songs.

REMAKING EBENEZER OBEY'S SONG The song by Ebenezer Obey has always been one of my favourite of all time because of the message and the melody. I love highlife and juju music. And Ebenezer Obey is my favourite Nigerian artiste. I love his music, his lyrics and his compositions are evergreen.

I am blessed to be related to him and he gave me be his blessing and encouragement when I visited him recently in Abeokuta to take his permission. He is like a father to me. I must say we are really close.

NEXT IN LINE Like I said all through the years I never stopped recording. So I have plans to keep my unique style of music coming and I’m working with a very good team in Bankulli Entertain-

ment and with the likes of SHIZZI (Seyi Akerele) to produce some of my new materials. It is time to take my place in Africa's music movement.

AFRICA'S MUSIC INDUSTRY TODAY The music industry in Nigeria and Africa has grown tremendously in the last 6 years, and the structure is still not there yet, but the talent, the media and the people of Nigeria have decided to take music seriously which I have always said all along. There is still some work to be done, but social media also has played a very vital part of music growth in Nigeria. Also I want to applaud the big companies like the telecom companies, banks and others who have invested heavily in music and I urge both federal and state governments

...with his icon, Obey

should follow their lead.

NOW THAT I'M BACK I will like to take my place as one of the pioneers of the new sound of Nigerian music. And to continue to produce and record great music and leave the rest to God. FAMILY I am married to a beautiful Nigerian woman from Ondo State and I am blessed with two wonderful children, a boy and a girl. We are a very close and happy family.

My wife is an entrepreneur who runs a group of schools. She is also a co-founder of the Alicemay Hope Foundation which is an NGO devoted to educating women and female children in impoverished areas, alongside my daughter. My children are both in school in the United States. My wife and I live in Nigeria while my kids are abroad due to school. However, they both come to Nigeria every holiday.

FAMILY'S INFLUENCE ON MY CAREER They have been very supportive from the very beginning. My wife has been very understanding, she understands the nature of the business. She also never fails to give me her support, especially on this new project. My kids are my number one fans. My daughter has been very helpful to me also, especially in the studio. She is a very talented song writer and sings back up on a lot of the tracks.

MY BUSINESSES I am an entrepreneur as well. I own several companies including a car dealership. I'm a partner in a fashion line based in the United States, a real estate investor and developer, I am a certified independent Exxon Mobil dealer and I am now launching my label Goodlife Entertainment, where I will be signing Nigerian artists, in Nigeria. I am also a partner and investor in several other businesses too numerous to mention.

NEW CRAVINGS Positive growth musically and spiritually. I also want to be able to help aspiring artists in Nigeria and beyond to achieve their goals and realize their dreams. I would also like to venture into motion pictures (movies) as an investor and producer.

WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY I have no regrets. I am truly blessed.

I believe everything happens for a reason, and God has ordered my steps. I've always done my best in everything that I set out to do.

Sodimu...'I want to be able to help aspiring artistes'

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... a finger on the city’s pulse

CONFLUENCE

LANRE ODUKOYA - 08059296445

Adanna Ohakim opens the love page

Gov. Ibikunle Amosun: A stitch in time may stave off upset

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ormer governor Ikedi Ohakim’s daughter, Adanna, is in love and she’s called the world to see it on Instagram. She voiced the depth of her affection towards her beau on social media: “I love you without knowing how, or when or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride. So effortlessly. So intimate, my soul melts when your lips touch against mine. You’re my everything & I can’t wait to take those vows with you in the presence of God & our friends. WeddingCountDown/ Church Wedding/AdannaDavid/.” Madly in love with David Steineker, the sassy young woman is prepping for their Dublin, Ireland, wedding which is to hold on Saturday, July 19. She had a traditional wedding with her Ohakim and Steineker beau sometime in December 2013 in Imo State.

Miss Global stages welcome party

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photo: bella naija

Basketmouth on top of the game ollowing a sellout conF cert in Port Harcourt, Aberdeen, Manchester,

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he wind of change that swept through Ekiti State politics recently seems to be unsettling other states led by All Progressive Congress.

This is evident in Ogun State, where Sen. Ibikunle Amosun just abandoned plans to erect some toll gates conceived to boost the state's revenue. This development, a calculated move at preventing further drop in popularity amongst the electorate might be another joker for the brilliant accountant. Informed sources insist that Amosun had initiated moves to erect toll units on Ogun State roads, buoyed by support from the state's House of Assembly. It is believed the toll collection was modelled after Lagos. Just like others seeking re-election on their parties' ticket, he has embarked on a passionate popularity-enhancing innovations. Critics however claim that just like the panicky moves of doling out housing loans and related benefits to civil servants and severance packages to ex-workers, the suspension of the toll collection is only a temporary ploy to get on the good side of the voters given the projected revenue from the undertaking.

London, Johannesburg, Ghana, Lagos and, recently, Atlanta, Comedy Central has selected Basketmouth and John Vlismas to represent Africa at comedy festival, Just for Laughs Festival.

This weeklong festival in Montreal, Canada will have Basketmouth perform alongside some of the biggest comedians in the world, ranging from Seth Rogen, Russel Peters, Bill Burr, Aziz Ansari, Alonzo Bodden and many more. Basketmouth is already in the states at the moment and will be joining the rest of the comedians in 2 weeks. The festival runs from July 20th to July 27th.

fter a successful regional screening in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja, Miss Global is rolling out the drums to serenade pundits and the contestants who made it to the hall of fame. The organisers of the pageant have come up with a welcome party, an evening of fun, comedy and music to climax the unveiling of Miss Global Nigeria 2014 contestants. The show will be anchored by Koffi and Halimat Abubakar at the new hospitality haven, Benigold on Adeleke Adedoyin Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The soiree billed to hold on Sunday, July 13 from 4pm is designed to be an interactive evening with sponsors and celebrities alike with a view to meeting the contestants before the coronation ball and crowning ceremony of Miss Global Nigeria the 5th.

Mariam Ahmed’s Foundation launch to converge high and mighty

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mo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and a host of A-list society stunners are pencilled down to light up the launch of alluring concept, Amede Ajie Women of All Ages Foundation (AAWOAAF). The brainchild of Princess Calista Mariam Ahmed is scheduled to be launched on Saturday, July 12. The event which is billed to hold in Oguta, Imo State, which would roll out a project for disadvantaged women in Nigeria was established to empower, educate, and support women from birth to womanhood, to know their rights, values, safety, success, strength and to enable them actualize their vision. Ahmed, a former Customs officer and now a behavioural therapist is a widow who has raised adult girl children even as a single mother.

Amede Ajie Women of All Ages Foundation was named after her great grandmother, said to be a philanthropist and a great woman who died many years before her birth. The visionary whose passion for special persons derives from her personal life experiences believes it’s her calling and the reason she is created.

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12 JULY 2014

www.newtelegraphonline.com/arts

Tony Okuyeme

“M

y horizon on humanity is enlarged by reading the writers of poems, seeing a painting, listening to some music, some opera, which has nothing at all to do with a volatile human condition or struggle or whatever. It enriches me as a human being.” - Wole Soyinka.

As the Nobel laureate turns 80 tomorrow, the above statement will no doubt take centre stage with the series of activities including art exhibitions, essay writing competition by 80 students drawn from various schools across the country, international conference, and dialogue through the spoken word and performances of some of his plays, including Dance of the Forests, Death and the King’s Horseman, Camwood on the Leaves, among others. Indeed, the Nigerian art scene has in the past few weeks been agog with shows preceding the birthday tomorrow at his residence in Abeokuta which will play host to scores of dignitaries comprising scholars, professional colleagues and former students, actors, his teeming admirers, students among others.

The celebration began with exhibition of life paintings of Wole Soyinka mounted at the Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, where students from various tertiary institutions gathered for training.

The exhibition was part of the fifth edition of the annual Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange Programme project designed by Zmirage Multimedia Company for the purpose of using the platforms of literature, arts and culture to affirm and uphold the dignity of man. It settled on Soyinka –playwright, poet and human rights activist – as a worthy role model for the ideals it seeks to propagate.

This year’s edition was held in conjunction with the Ogun State ministry of education as well as the culture and tourism ministry.

Declaring the exhibition open, Governor Ibikunle Amosun extolled the virtues of Soyinka, describing him as an iconic indigene of the state and a worthy role model for Nigerian youths.

Speaking in an interview with New Telegraph, the CEO of Zmirage and Executive Producer of the WS80-ICE project, Alhaji Teju Kareem, said arts and culture can be leveraged to foster unity in the country. “The leveraging depends on individual commitment. There is no society without a family, there is no family without a male, and no male exists without a female.

So, if you take it from the unit and let it gravitate into what we call a nation, once there is peace with you as individual, then there will be peace in the family, peace in the society that makes the nation and then, there will be peace in the entire world,” he said.

Kareem noted that the project

80 garlands for Kongi, the wordsmith was not merely a birthday celebration birthday celebration, but to drive inspiration for the youth.

“Soyinka cares less about birthday.

It’s not about celebrating birthday, but there is an icon who has agreed that we centre our efforts to bring new thinking into the youth using the angle of what he has done. We all know his activism, intellectual prowess, humility as a person and his commitment as a Nigerian. So, where else do you want to drive inspiration for the young ones?”

Apart from the exhibition which runs till mid-July, touring other parts of the country, the essay writing competition by 80 students and the stage production of Dance of the Forest at the Cultural Centre, Kuto Abeokuta, will tomorrow take centre stage.

A descendant of a Remo family of Isara-Remo, Soyinka was born the second of six children, in the city of Abẹokuta, Ogun State in Nigeria, at that time a British dominion. His father, Samuel Ayodele Soyinka (whom he called S.A. or "Essay"), was an Anglican minister and the headmaster of St. Peters School in Abẹokuta. Soyinka's mother, Grace Eniola Soyinka (whom he dubbed the "Wild Christian"), owned a shop in the nearby market. She was a political activist within the women's movement in the local community. She

was also Anglican. As much of the community followed indigenous Yorùbá religious tradition, Soyinka grew up in an atmosphere of religious syncretism, with influences from both cultures. While he was raised in a religious family; attending church services and singing in the choir from an early age; Soyinka himself became an atheist. His father's position enabled him to get electricity and radio at home.

His mother was one of the most prominent members of the influential Ransome-Kuti family: she was the daughter of Rev. Canon J. J. Ransome-Kuti, and sister to Olusegun Azariah Ransome-Kuti, Oludotun Ransome-Kuti and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. Among Soyinka's cousins were the musician Fela Kuti, the human rights activist Beko Ransome-Kuti, politician Olikoye Ransome-Kuti and activist Yemisi Ransome-Kuti.

In 1940, after attending St. Peters Primary School in Abeokuta, Soyinka went to Abẹokuta Grammar School, where he won several prizes for literary composition. In 1946 he was accepted by Government College in Ibadan, at that time one of Nigeria’s elite secondary schools.

After finishing his course at Government College in 1952, he began studies at University Col-

lege in Ibadan (1952–54), affiliated with the University of London. He studied English literature, Greek, and Western history. In the year 1953–54, his second and last at University College, Ibadan, Soyinka began work on "Keffi's Birthday Treat", a short radio play for Nigerian Broadcasting Service that was broadcast in July 1954. While at university, Soyinka and six others founded the Pyrates Confraternity, an anti-corruption and justice-seeking student organisation, the first confraternity in Nigeria.

Soyinka gives a detailed account of his early life in his memoir Aké: The Years of Childhood.

Later in 1954, Soyinka relocated to England, where he continued his studies in English literature, under the supervision of his mentor Wilson Knight at the University of Leeds (1954–57).

He met numerous young, gifted British writers. Before defending his B.A., Soyinka began publishing and worked as an editor for the satirical magazine, The Eagle.

He wrote a column on academic life, often criticising his university peers.

After graduating, he remained in Leeds with the intention of earning an M.A. Soyinka intended to write new work combining European theatrical traditions with those of his Yorùbá cultural

Gov. Amosun being shown around an exhibition of paintings on Soyinka by the curator, Olu Ajayi (right)

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heritage. His first major play, The Swamp Dwellers (1958), was followed a year later by The Lion and the Jewel, a comedy that attracted interest from several members of London's Royal Court Theatre.

Encouraged, Soyinka moved to London, where he worked as a play reader for the Royal Court Theatre. During the same period, both of his plays were performed in Ibadan. They dealt with the uneasy relationship between progress and tradition in Nigeria.

In 1957 his play The Invention was the first of his works to be produced at the Royal Court Theatre.

At that time his only published works were poems such as "The Immigrant" and "My Next Door Neighbour", which were published in the Nigerian magazine Black Orpheus. This was founded in 1957 by the German scholar Ulli Beier, who had been teaching at the University of Ibadan since 1950.

Soyinka received a Rockefeller Research Fellowship from University College in Ibadan, his alma mater, for research on African theatre, and he returned to Nigeria.

He produced his new satire, The Trials of Brother Jero. His work A Dance of The Forest (1960), a biting criticism of Nigeria's political elites, won a contest that year as the official play for Nigerian Independence Day. On 1 October 1960, it premiered in Lagos as Nigeria celebrated its sovereignty. The play satirizes the fledgling nation by showing that the present is no more a golden age than was the past. Also in 1960, Soyinka established the "Nineteen-Sixty Masks", an amateur acting ensemble to which he devoted considerable time over the next few years.

Soyinka wrote the first fulllength play produced on Nigerian television. Entitled My Father’s Burden and directed by Segun Olusola, the play was featured on the Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) on 6 August 1960. Soyinka published works satirising the "Emergency" in the Western Region of Nigeria, as his Yorùbá homeland was increasingly occupied and controlled by the federal government. The political tensions arising from recent post-colonial independence eventually led to a military coup and civil war (1967–70).

With the Rockefeller grant, Soyinka bought a Land Rover, and he began travelling throughout the country as a researcher with the Department of English Language of the University College in Ibadan. In an essay of the time, he criticised Leopold Senghor's Négritude movement as a nostalgic and indiscriminate glorification of the black African past that ignores the potential benefits of modernisation. "A tiger does not shout its tigritude," he declared, "it acts." In Death and the King Horsemen he states: "The elephant trails no tethering-rope; that king is not yet crowned who will peg an elephant."

THE ARTS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JUly 2014

23

Suicide as the awareness of meaninglessness

l Death and the King's Horseman: The Nothingness Of Existence

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hundred years ago, on 28 July, Austria declared war on Serbia.

The next day, across the Danube, Belgrade came under bombardment by Austrian artillery divisions. WW1 had begun. "You think you've stamped it all out but it's always lurking under the surface somewhere." This quote, by Pilkings, in Soyinka's Death And The King's Horseman could well apply to the barbarism lurking just below the surface of civilisation. Pilkings was, however, referring to something else. Pilkings' statement, as if in anticipation, perfectly sums up Olunde the medical doctor son of the King's Horseman, who privileges meaningless sacrifice over existence.

I have not read a single review of this play that has not read false meanings into it. "The bane of themes of this genre," Soyinka forewarned, "is that they are no sooner employed creatively than they acquire the facile tag of 'clash of cultures', a prejudicial label which, quite apart from its frequent misapplication, presupposes a potential equality in every given situation," going on to explain that the play is about transition in general and not about East vs. West, tribal vs. colonial, etc. Yet, the playwright's forewarning has the feel of tacit admission: the narrative devise provides legitimate basis for a culture-clash reading of the text. The play, however, transcends this 'facile' reading. It is in this light I expect my critique to transcend whatever shortcoming - my refusal to accept that a critic must bring along full knowledge of The Fourth Stage and Yoruba Cosmology - I bring to this play.

(You come across irresponsible statements to the effect that the play is a representation of the Yoruba worldview.)

Death And The King's Horseman is based on an actual event in Yorubaland in 1946 when British colonial officials prevented the ritual suicide of the King's Horseman. It is a month after the king's death and Elesin, must commit suicide to guide the king's spirit to the next world. He's been assigned this task from birth, and the entire tribe expects him to keep his date with destiny to maintain cosmic harmony. As the Horseman demurs, coupling instead with an already betrothed maiden that catches his fancy, the British Resident, Pilkings, having got wind of the planned death, intervenes and disrupts the transition. The community - and it seems to me, the playwright too blames Elesin as much (if not more) as Pilkings, accusing him of being too attached to the earth to fulfill his spiritual obligations.

There is an almost surreal scene where, Olunde, back home from Med-School to bury his father, is conversing with Pilkings' wife, Jane when Elesin's voice is heard offstage. Olunde is shocked to find out his father has not crossed over to the world of the dead yet. Father and son comes face-to-face: Elesin: Olunde? [He moves his head, inspecting him from side to side.] Olunde!

[He slowly collapses at Olunde's feet.] Oh son, don't let the sight of your father turn you blind!

Olunde: [He moves for the first time since he heard his voice, brings his head slowly down to look on him] I have no father, eater of left-overs.

Just before taking his own life, Olunde engages Jane in conversation. It is correct to say that, in this engagement, Soyinka privileges the former over the latter. "Before that even started I had plenty of time to study your people. I saw nothing, finally, that gave you the right to pass judgement on other peoples and their ways. Nothing at all." At some point, responding to Jane's vehement denunciation of ritual suicide as a “barbaric custom,” Olunde - while not hiding his admiration for a ship captain who sacrifices himself, in fulfillment of his duty as captain, by blowing up his ship to save

A performance of Death and the King's Horseman at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London

REVIEW With Olunde, freedom is reduced to an entirely abstract conception counter-posed to necessity, a personal confrontation with the world the lives of many - refers to “young men [who] are sent …by their generals in this war” as “mass suicide,” which he claims is infinitely worse.

For Olunde, the ship captain's self-sacrifice emphasizes man's isolation and uncertainty and the anguish of choice made in fear and trembling. But the captain's freedom of choice and its consequences are determined by objective circumstances.

With Olunde, freedom is reduced to an entirely abstract conception counter-posed to necessity, a personal confrontation with the world. It is the freedom of the isolated middle-class intellectual faced with a hostile and uncomprehending world. The attempt to escape this world leads Olunde to follow the logic of his idea of absolute freedom to the point of killing himself. A pervading spirit of pessimism and nihilism underlie Olunde's logic. The class basis of this pessimism is the intellectual petit-bourgeois.

The political basis is their confusion in the face of severe political upheavals. The psychological basis is their attempt to come to terms with, or rather escape the world. But what is its objective historical origin?

The two decades between the two world wars was, for European intellectuals, a nightmare world. The world was a place of violence and uncertainty; of terror and inhumanity. It was a world that witnessed the Nazi concentration camps; the systematic slaughter of millions; the bombing of Guernica, Hiroshima and Nagasaki; the Spanish civil war; the crash of "29 and the Great Depression. Horror seemed to pile upon horror. Humanity was buffeted by unknown and terrifying forces, forces

without direction, forces out of control.

The outlook of a great many intellectuals was shaken, as civilisation seemed on its last gasp. Science and rationalism proved themselves meaningless before irrational impulse and the will to power. The problem, for a cross-section of these intellectuals, was one of values. Something to believe in, something beyond science (afterall, all it had achieved was equip humans to murder one another) and reason. One can only imagine their varying levels of despair and agony over the rot assailing them and, necessarily, humanity.

Olunde had lived through this nightmare and his own experience coloured his attitude toward Pilkings' prevention of his father's ritual suicide. Olunde's position is that of a person who has encountered the absurdity of the world, for whom, to quote Camus, "there is only one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide." It is the standpoint of a person, who has seen - through the brutality of the ongoing war - the worst of war, the violence that humans could inflict on other humans. Understandably, this person has begun to question the basis of civilisation, rationality. Agreed. Medicine is not an

photo: theguardian.com

exact science. But, it utilizes the scientific method: knowledge, rationality. In committing ritual suicide in place of his father, Olunde rejects science and rationality. The reason for this rejection does not reside in honour, does not reside in fidelity to Yoruba religious belief. The reason for Olunde's embrace of nothingness is external to the text. It is rooted in the writer's own reality. "We must not lose sight of the fact that drama, like any other art form, is created and executed within a specific physical environment," Soyinka wrote. "It naturally interacts with that environment, is influenced by it, influences that environment in turn and acts together with the environment in the larger and far more complex history of society." We will come back to this.

To try to define humanity solely in relation to the present, however, is to say that humanity is only its past and present; it would be to ignore, to deny human possibilities, to entirely detach humanity from its future. Freedom and choice occupies a central place in this play; the freedom to reconsider one's values. Olunde's reference to the mass slaughter of war does not in any way excuse his actions. Even though ritual suicide is part of his society's values, he could have chosen differently.

How is it possible that the ritual suicide - or its non-performance - of one man can redeem or ruin a community forever? Yet Olunde - and it seems too, the playwright - adamantly believe this idea. As an aside, to answer the clash of cultures reader, why is it wrong of Pilkings to stop the ritual suicide of Elesin? In what way does his action violate a human's moral duty to humanity and to another human - regardless of culture? This, of course, goes to the heart of my quarrel with the text, expressed in Iyaloja's final speech to Pilkings: "No child, it is what you brought to be, you who play with strangers' lives ...The gods demanded only the old expired plantain but you cut down the sap-laden shoot to feed your pride." Elesin himself is without any clue, as evidenced by what he says to the already betrothed young woman he demands - and is allowed - to take to bed as compensation for his impending death (I find it interesting that nobody questions this): "You sit and sob in your silent heart but say nothing to all this. First I blamed c o n t i n u ed o n pa g e 3 3

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24

‘NIPR should simply be a regulator’

Incursion of foreign PR agencies It is rather unfortunate that our government and even some political parties do not have faith in our local PR agencies and we are losing out. We just heard that All Progressives Congress (APC) has appointed a foreign agency to handle its image and the Federal Government is shopping for a foreign PR agency to handle this Chibok girls kidnap issue. That is absurd. Can you imagine the Democratic Party in the US appointing a foreign PR agency to manage its image or the British Government looking for a PR agency outside the shores of Britain to handle its image problem? We don’t have faith in what we have, it has to come from the West for it to be good. If the government or indeed anyone think our PR agencies are not good enough, how do we encourage them to grow? And by the way, who says Nigerian PR agencies are not good? We don’t have to compare with those in advanced countries where they have virtually whatever they need to function effectively, but we are good enough to handle our own local problems. Our industry is reacting to it, Public Relations Consultants of Nigeria (PRCAN) has reacted and we have said it is a wrong move. You don’t call a foreign agency to come and manage issues in Nigeria. Because culturally they don’t understand what is happening here. It is a wrong move for the federal government to vote a whole $800 million to pay the foreign agency. If you call PRCAN and say, this is the issue on ground, what can we do?’ We will put our heads together and come out with a solution, the money remain in Nigeria and you would be building local capacity. That is the way to go. We need to begin to believe in what we have. For how long shall we continue to be brain washed and recolonised?

Foreign PR agencies in Nigeria I am not too sure of the provisions of NIPR Charter of 1991 as it affects foreign agencies practicing in Nigeria, but it also behooves PRCAN and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), which is the umbrella body, to take a second look at the provisions of the charter, and if in any way it allows foreigners to just come in here and set up practice, they should immediately begin a process for a holistic review of the charter. I mean its not done anywhere. That is what Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) did very well, they fought these agencies that came to take over jobs that are already in the hands of local agencies and they have succeeded. So we need to put such barriers that before you can come and practice here, you must register here and you must have done business here for at least 10 years. Imagine how a Nigerian company can just go to the United Kingdom set up shop and start getting business there. The regulator there will not allow that to happen. So why should our own be different? It is even more painful that it is the government that should be protecting local agencies that is bringing in foreigners to compete with us. The leadership of NIPR need to sit up and stand its ground as a regulator whose views must be respected.

It should not be an all comers affair.

It is also a carry-over of our understanding of PR practice in Nigeria, no respect for the industry every body believes he can

Mike Nzeagwu is the lead consultant at Metro Media Communications, a Lagos based Public Relations Consultancy firm. In this interview with Kingsley Ogbonna and Joseph Chibueze, he bares his mind on latest developments in the PR industry in Nigeria especially the incursion of foreign agencies. Excerpt. practice PR. Somebody retires from somewhere, he is a PR practitioner, a journalist who is doing his job, is also a PR practitioner because they are very close to politicians. It is high time the industry is well regulated to make sure that it is not for all comers. Beyond PRCAN, NIPR should do something about strict regulation.

PR depts headed by non professionals That is not the problem of PRCAN, it is that of NIPR. The truth is that NIPR is weak as a regulator. That is why we are asking them to reposition and just be a regulator so that it can monitor the industry and set standards. There should be a clause that before you can be the head of corporate affairs either in the public or private sector, you must be a professional PR practitioner, a registered member of the institute with the necessary qualifications. But that is not happening. There are some clients you work for, you discover that the head of corporate affairs knows little to nothing about PR. If they send you materials, they want you to publish their profile and if you tell them that is not how PR works, they begin to argue with you. It is a problem of regulation. It is also a reflection of what we perceive PR to be. You know initially PR practitioners were looked upon as people who are ladies’ men. Anyone who can drink, smoke, wear fine suit, go to club, somebody who can socialize, we say he is a PR man.

That was our perception of PR people, unserious-minded people and so even when companies and governments are making important decisions, the PR manager was never invited because he was never seen as an important part of the organisation. It is only now that people are beginning to take the industry seriously. If you check PR appreciation in Nigeria, you find out that it is the multinationals that understand PR much more unlike the Nigerian companies.

Nzeagwu

The digital media We are responding to the new digital media. We are alive to new developments that affect our business especially one as rampaging as the digital media with the capacity to completely take over the industry.

So we are not going to be left behind, we are acquiring new knowledge equipping ourselves to be able to compete with our foreign counterparts because that is one of the areas they can use as argument to justify their entry into the country. In fact our last PRCAN Class was training members on how to use social media. How do you use social media to further your client’s business? It is a new technology, but we are responding.

For now we don’t have the skill set but we are working hard to get it. Individually we are training ourselves and as an umbrella body, PRCAN is also training its members because

that is the future, if you are not online, you are as good as dead. The market is dominated by young people and they are all online.

So if you must reach them, you have to also be online, you have to be on social media.

PR Industry and economic melt down I would like to agree with what the former CBN governor said that because of Nigeria’s monetary policy we were not adversely affected by the global economic melt down. The truth is that we run a cash economy, it is only those economies that are credit-based that are adversely affected. For instance we didn’t lose any of the businesses we were working for during the melt down. The activities of the companies were not reduced. In fact even new businesses came to Nigeria during the economic melt down, so one can say that Sanusi was right. Of course you must recorgnise that the world is a global village, during that period, the cost of doing business went very high. But I must tell you that what affects industries in Nigeria is internal not external, security, poor infrastructure resulting in high cost of doing business, multiple taxation and so on. These are what companies doing business in Nigeria are battling with. For us here at Metro Media, we thank God He has been gracious to us, we were not adversely affected by the global melt down, but it could have been better and we hope that this year we would be able to get a political business for 2015 because that is where the next honey pot will come from.

Metro media To survive in this business environment for 10 years is no mean achievement and that we have done. We are not yet where we want to be, but we are right on course and we must surely get there with the right caliber of personnel. We are also investing in training our staff members to equip them with new skills they need to perform in the new global market place.

The world is a global village, so we are not expecting competition to come only from Nigeria, but from anywhere in the world.

Overall I would say it has been good but it could be better. We want to branch into some other areas. We are also happy that our clients are happy with our performance which is the reason they have remained with us.

Germany, Argentina dispute finals again

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Brazil, Netherlands fight for the crumbs

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Born again LMC releases remaining fixtures }p.27

Tamuno Danagogo...Sports Minister

Aminu Maigari...Sacked NFF president

Reinstate NFF board now – Kojo Williams

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former Nigeria Football Association Chairman, Kojo Williams, has declared that the sacked NFF board be reinstated if the suspension placed on Nigeria from all football activities was to be lifted.

FIFA slammed the suspension on Nigeria following the removal of the NFF board by a court sitting in Plateau State. The Minister of Sports, Tammy Danagogo, almost immediately after the court ruling appointed Lawrence Katken as Secretary General to oversee the running of football in the country, with a congress hurriedly called. The congress eventually impeached the Aminu Maigariled NFF board, a move that was seen as government interference, incurring instant reaction from FIFA. The world football governing body after its initial correspondence expressing reservations about the development finally descended on Nigeria on Wednesday, giving July 15 for the status quo to be reverted to.

“You cannot sack the board, it

Eagles coaching job: Keshi to go or not!}p.30

‘Sports Ministry’s action smacks of recklessness’

is not done. It is uncivilised and smacks of recklessness. It was obvious as soon as the whole thing started that FIFA will suspend Nigeria,” Williams told our correspondent on the telephone.

“The solution is to revert to the status quo. That is the only way.

You can’t call the congress, all those hungry state chairmen, and say you have sacked the board.

The minister can’t call the congress, it is the board that reserves the right to do that. This is why I keep saying that we must entrust

the running of sports in the hands of civilised people, not politicians.

Williams described as ridiculous the move by the minister of sports to engage FIFA in a discussion, saying that the only body FIFA will discuss with is the NFF. “I hear they’ve gone to discuss with FIFA, that again shows how ignorant they are; FIFA will not discuss with the sports minister.

The only body that FIFA recognizes is the NFF. Their action has boomeranged on them and it only just portrays us as backward,”

Williams

Williams added.

“I wonder what informed the decision to remove the board. If it is because of the $8m World Cup money, they should forget it. FIFA won’t release any money to them. They must realise that the federation is an independent body affiliated to FIFA and guided by the rules and regulations of FIFA, an international body, and not the sports ministry.”

Sports minister causing chaos in football ,says Gara Gombe }p.27

AFN forced me into early retirement – Emedolu }p.31 Venus Williams Butt naked in ESPN magazine’s body issue }p.32

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Nigerian League Rendezvous with charles Ogundiya

charlesog2001@yahoo.com, charles.ogundiya@newtelegraphonline.com

08098042287

Is Oyo State robbing Peter to pay Paul?

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Bayelsa United in action against Sunshine Star in one of the league matches during the first half of the league

At last, LMC releases remaining fixtures

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fter hoarding the league fixtures during the first half of the league season, the League Management Company, the body overseeing the running of the league in Nigeria, has finally had a rethink as the remaining fixtures for the second half of the season were placed on the official website of the company.

In the first half of the season, it was difficult to get the fixtures, making it tedious for journalists covering the league to know the next venue to travel to. But with the current development, it will be easy for League Rendezvous to plan ahead and bring to our numerous readers happenings across various centres in the country.

A naval officer and follower of

viding the fixtures for the entire second half. Across the world you get the complete fixtures before the start of the league, but it is better late than never.”

The second half of the league commences with league leader, Kano Pillars, taking their 10-match unbeaten run to Port Harcourt against Dolphins.

LMC chairman, Nduka Iraboh

the domestic league, Tosin Adeniji said: “Finally we have the fixtures and I am happy the league body has done the right thing by pro-

Gombe United: Here comes Messiah Eguavoen!

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ying currently in the 19th position on the league table with 20 points from 19 matches, Gombe United are relegation zone. But can the team escape the dreaded fall with the appointment of former Enyimba International coach, Austin Eguavoen, as the new technical adviser?

Belgian coach, Maurice Cooreman, left the club citing ill

Gombe United against Crown

health, a situation that affected his input in the club during the first half of the league season.

The Desert Scorpions are one of the most consistent teams in the league, having been in the top flight since they gained promotion in 1994, the longest any Northern team has been in the Premier League continuously.

But that may be about to change with the club’s current lowly position.

In steps Eguavoen fresh from his last stint as the technical adviser of Insurance of Benin. He is to be assisted by former Crown FC gaffer, Oladuni Oyekale.

Can the duo do the magic of steadying the ship and retaining the club’s Premier League status, or will they be the first coaches to preside over the club’s descent to the Nigeria National League?

The new technical crew’s baptism of fire will come away to FC Taraba on July 20, as the second half of the season resumes after the FIFA World Cup break.

Efugh bids goodbye to bachelorhood

H

eartland of Owerri captain, Chinedu Efugh, will today, say “I-do” to his lovely bride, Nnenna Onyebuchi, inside the compound of Mr. Onyebuchi Ndukwe in Ndiebe Amagbo Ozuitem, Abia State where the traditional marriage will be taking place. The church wedding takes place at the Stella-Maris Catholic Church, Mission Hill in Umuahia, Abia State, on the same day.

Speaking with League Rendezvous, Efugh said he was happy to take the bold step of tying the nuptial knot with Nnenna, an undergraduate of Nasarawa State Polytechnic, Keffi, after three years of courtship.

“I met Nnenna in Jos, Plateau State, where we both reside and despite many ‘ups and down,’ we have succeeded in building a relationship that can stand the test of time,” Chicago as he is fondly called said.

The couple

yo State government is the sole sponsor of two clubs plying their trade in Nigeria League. Crown FC are currently playing in the Glo Premier League, while Shooting Stars are trying to stage a comeback to the elite division after their demotion to the Nigeria National League at the end of last season.

But recently, Crown have been complaining of neglect by the state government, leading to threat by the players of the team to stay away from the second round of the league scheduled to get underway from July 20.

Some of the players who spoke with League Rendezvous expressed their disappointment over the way the government was handling the affair of the team compared to sister club, Shooting Stars.

“It is obvious they want the club to go back to the NNL, because if not, they would have been taking care of us the way they are doing with 3SC,” one of the players said on condition of anonymity.

Speaking recently with League Rendezvous, the commissioner for youth and sports in Oyo State,

Sharks will bounce back – Ogunbote

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oach of Port Harcourt side, Sharks, Gbenga Ogunbote, is full of confidence that the club will overcome the disappointment of the final stage of the first half of the league season as they gear up for the second half with a trip to Uyo against Akwa United.

Sharks ended the first half of the season with a home loss against Akwa United, making it three straight losses for the team.

Farouk Alao, said there was nothing like funding 3SC at the expense of Crown, claiming that both clubs get their monthly subvention from the state government.

“We are taking good care of the two clubs, there is monthly subvention for the two sides, and you should also bear in mind that 3SC do not belong to only Oyo state but to the entire South-west. Some other states also have interest in the club,” he said.

The question League Rendezvous is asking now is: ‘Is Oyo State government robbing Peter (Crown FC) to pay Paul (3SC)?

Alao

However, the former Sunshine Stars of Akure coach said the club had put the disappointment behind them and is ready to fire on in the league to achieve the team’s set targets for the season.

“No one will be happy sliding down the league table as we did towards the end of the first half of the league, but I can assure our numerous fans that we are battle ready for the second round.

“The players are disappointed and have promised to give their all now that the second half is about to start,” he said.

Sharks are currently occupying fourth position on the log with 30 points, four behind league leaders, Kano Pillars.

ABS on course for promotion – Alloy

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bubakar Bukola Saraki Football Club of Ilorin General Manager, Alloy Chukwuemeka, has informed League Rendezvous that the club’s promotion battle is on course, and that at the end of the season they will surely get one of the two tickets in Group B of the Nigeria National League.

ABS were relegated at the end of last season alongside neighbours, Kwara United, but are currently occupying the sixth position on the NNL Group B league table, as clubs get set for the resumption of the league after a month’s break occasioned by the World Cup that will come to a close tomorrow Sunday, July 13.

“We are on course with our plans. The target of the club is to quickly get back to the Premier League where Alloy ABS rightly belong, and

we are not ready to settle for less.

“Hopefully the league will resume next week after the World Cup, and I can tell you that my boys are battle ready to get back into the thick of things in the league,” he said.

GLASGOW

Adekunle Salami

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Deaf and dumb Language is a very difficult issue. After over one month in Brazil, we are only used to greetings and little things here. It is sad that you cannot express yourself to new friends and enjoy the company of your hosts. Visiting Nigerians here, mostly journalists have turned deaf and dumb in an attempt to pass their message across to Brazilians who are only used to Portuguese language. In trying to buy anything, we have to use sign language to pass the message across, while some of the Brazilians use their telephone sets to interpret what you say to them. Language has been a major barrier even as we try to make friends, but you find it hard where to start when you cannot even express yourself.

There is limit to how the sign language can help.

Counting down in hours After five weeks here, it is a pleasure that the weeks have reduced to days, and days have reduced to hours for us as we look forward to return to Nigeria. It has been tough here with logistics of travelling long distances, language barrier and the strong currency one had to contend with here in Brazil. To God be all the Glory.

IOC reviews ticketing process for Rio 2016

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he IOC are holding a review into their ticketing process for Rio 2016.

A review of the ticketing process for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games has been launched to try to ensure there is no repeat of the scandal seen at the FIFA World Cup, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has revealed.

It comes as a Brazilian police investigation into problems during the World Cup continues following the arrest of Match Hospitality chief executive Ray Whelan, a leading figure in the company overseeing FIFA’s hospitality programme in Brazil, earlier this week.

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Malaysia’s Hafifi confident of beating Nigerian lifters

Samba notes from Brazil Compiled by

‘Take me home’ Brazilian ladies cannot speak English. At least most of them, but they enjoy seeing blacks, play with them.

As the World Cup draws to a close, Nigerians here are getting offers from samba girls who are asking to be brought to Nigeria. They use phones to tell guys of their intensions. These are desperate times since many of the visitors are on their way back to their various countries. On Wednesday three Nigerians narrated their respective ordeals with different ladies singing the “take me home” tune. Na wa!

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Goal mouth action during Nigeria’s last group tie against Argentina at the World Cup, in Brazil

Sports minister causing chaos in football, says Gara Gombe

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Ajibade Olusasan

ormer board member of the Nigeria Football Association, Gara Gombe, has hit out at the minister of sports, Tamuno Danagogo, for orchestrating the crisis in the Nigerian football which has led to the latest FIFA ban.

Gombe told our correspondent that although the minister had denied government’s involvement in the sack of the Aminu Maigari-led board, his actions have suggested that he was keen to hijack the running of football in the country.

“It is not true that he was not involved in the whole thing. Why was he at the illegal congress to give keynote address? Why was he in a hurry to implement the court judgment which he later violated? The whole thing was planned and executed by the big elements in the National Sports Commission. The minister is new and he wants to control Nigerian football, but that is not the way to do it.

“Who is Baribote’s wife to go to a court in Jos from Bayelsa.

How somebody from Bayelsa would get a court ruling from a state high court in Plateau beats my imagination. I know that one big NSC official from that state used her to get this done. All of these are not in the interest of Nigerian football and now FIFA has come down on us. It is a punishment well deserved,” he said.

He urged the minister to reinstate the board and wait for the

August elections of the NFF if he is bent on removing Maigari.

“We have now till July 5 to do the right thing, otherwise Falconets would not play in the World Cup. Our Golden Eaglets would not play in the qualifiers.

It is on record that our football had never thrived better than what we experienced during Maigari’s era, but if we feel we don’t want to continue with that then we must do the right thing,” he said.

ew Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, Mohd Hafifi Mansor, is targeting gold medal in weightlifting ahead of rivals from Nigeria, India, and Cameroun in the men’s 69kg.

Declaring his readiness for the Commonwealth Games, Hafifi said he was not pressured by the gold medal target set by the Malaysian Weightlifting Federation as he sees no threat from any of the other countries coming for the Games.

According to Hafisi, his confidence stems from his coach who implemented a training method that is different from his regular training over the past 12 years.

“I learnt a lot of new things about weightlifting from my coach. Since starting to train under him, I have managed to lift another 15kg.

“He’s a good and tough coach.

I believe that he can help me to win medals,” he said.

He however rues the absence of his partner, Amirul Ibrahim from the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

“I will do my best to deliver the gold medal. Amirul’s absence has put the focus on me.

It was different in New Delhi as Amirul was the senior and focus was on him,” he told reporters.

Hafifi

Kwara to hold first sports summit – Commissioner

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he Kwara State Government said on Thursday it had entered a Memorandum of Outstanding (MoU) with Willbond Consulting Limited to facilitate and organise the first ever Kwara Sports Summit.

The state commissioner for sports and youth development, Prince Saheed Popoola’s stated this at the ministry on Thursday in Ilorin, while briefing newsmen.

He said the proposed Sports Summit would come up at the end of August through to early September in Ilorin.

The former Offa Local Government Chairman noted that the state governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed was focusing on using sports to empower and make youths in the state discover their talents.

The Commissioner while reit-

erating Governor Ahmed administration’s commitment to youth development and empowerment, said he had also approved a Sport Endowment Fund Account to be opened and managed by the ministry.

He maintained that efforts were in top gear to restore the lost glory of the state in sports, saying the state must return to the level it is known for in the sporting industry.

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Lavezzi: We don’t fear Germany

German party planners select Cup celebration

ermany and Argentina will revive memories of the World Cup finals gone by at the Maracana on Sunday, with both sides remembering the history of the fixture with mixed emotions.

Both their last World Cup triumphs came against each other, with Germany crowned champions after defeating the Argentines in 1990, while the 1986 final being the last time the South Americans won the trophy after edging West Germany in 9 5 28 5

Won Drawn: Goals for: FIFA Rankings

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5

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on home soil in 2006, before thumping Maradona’s men 4-0 in South Africa.

Should they triumph at the Maracana, Germany will make history as the first ever European side to win a World Cup on Latin American soil. Despite their annhilation of the hosts, native support in Brazil is likely to be behind Die Mannschaft in favour of Brazil’s nearest and bitterest rivals.

Argentina have the slight edge in all matches played be-

One of the more troubling aspects of Germany’s defence will, of course, be the fill-in left-back, Benedikt Howedes, who will undoubtedly be up against stars like Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria for the duration of the game.

Lionel Messi vs. Benedikt Howedes

Key battles

Mexico.

Joachim Loew’s men have had the upper hand in their most recent World Cup contests, defeating Argentina on penalties

20

No of matches

Argentina Germany

Head-to-head

tween the two sides, both putting 28 goals past each other.

Argentina have only scored eight goals in the run up to the final, compared to Germany’s 17. After their drubbing of the hosts, the Germans are now the highest scorers in World Cup history with 223 goals, overtaking Brazil.

The Argentines have however, conceded no goals in knockout stages of the competition and only three in total during the championships.

I

n a tournament forever remembered as the Diego Maradona show, Germany fell two-nil behind in Mexico City early in the second half. The Ger-

Argentina 3-2 West Germany World Cup finals Mexico 1986

Memorable DUELS

Germany, Argentina dispute finals again

KICK OFF 8:00PM SUN.

Global Football Special

t would seem to be the most common sense conclusion: Hundreds of thousands of tourists, overwhelmingly male, come to the famously sensual city of Rio de Janeiro, where the women wear tiny bikinis and prostitution is legal. Sex work, therefore, must be booming during the World Cup. A team of academic researchers, including men and women both foreign and Brazilian, decided to test that hypothesis. Their results so far have echoed what sex workers themselves are saying: The month-long tournament has hardly been the Mundial of prostitution.

A 24-year-old prostitute, whose working name is Luna Ferrari, said she left her job as a massage therapist in the high-end Barra neighborhood to try her luck amongst the expected influx of foreign tourists in Copacabana to pay off debts. Ferrari, like many women involved in the research, asked to not give their full names, often saying their families do not know about their profession.

She said the World Cup has hardly been the boom she hoped for and that many tourists have come from Latin American countries with weak currencies and haggle over prices lower than what a Brazilian would pay. “The tourists have even less money than we have,” she said dryly.

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Prostitutes lament low patronage during World Cup

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ajibade oluSesan

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Hammers

taly forward Alessandro Matri is on the verge of joining Genoa on a season-long loan from AC Milan.

The Italy forward underwent a medical on Thursday -- the last step before completing his

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Matri joins Genoa

arcelona have announced that attacker Isaac Cuenca, has been released on a free transfer with immediate effect.

The 23-year-old had a contract with the Camp Nou side until the summer of 2015, but he was no longer part of the club’s plans and his deal has consequently been terminated.

“Barcelona have communicated to Isaac Cuenca that he is no longer part of the club’s plans for next season for technical reasons,” the club confirmed via their official website.

“The player has accepted the club’s proposal to terminate his existing contract after a few days of consideration.”

Barcelona release Cuenca on free transfer

erder Bremen have signed Bosnia international midfielder, Izet Hajrovic, on a free transfer from Galatasaray.

Hajrovic, 22, started the 2-1 defeat against Argentina and the 1-0 defeat against Nigeria at the 2014 World Cup, but did not feature in the 3-1 victory against Iran.

The attacking midfielder had only moved to Turkey from Swiss side Grasshoppers in January, but FIFA allowed him to terminate his contract and move without a transfer fee after failing to be paid.

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Werder Bremen sign Izet Hajrovic

TRANSFERS

28 SPORT NEW TELEGRAP 12 JUL

Bierhoff

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van Persie

on a World Cup, though. There’s no doubt that the level of play won’t be near Sunday’s final between Germany and Argentina, but action shouldn’t be sparse between two prideful nations hoping to go out with a win.

Up through the latter stages of their quarterfinal against Colombia, this World Cup had unfolded just as the host nation would have loved.

After one fateful injury to Neymar and seven German goals that likely would’ve happened anyway, that dream died in one of the most painful ways imaginable. To make matters worse, arch-rivals Argentina advanced on to the final—leaving the possibility alive of the Argentines hoisting the trophy in Brazil.

David Luiz

With three assists in the World Cup thus far, only Thomas Mueller stands above Toni Kroos as the best playmaker still left in the tournament.

The Bayern Munich central midfielder has been excellent for Germany throughout the competition and finally got his just reward with two goals on Tuesday night in the demolishing of Brazil. However, standing between the German midfielder and World Cup success will be none other than Javier Mascherano, the midfield enforcer, who has up until now proved to be as pragmatic and solid in defence as Messi has been daring and prolific in front of goal.

Toni Kroos vs. Javier Mascherano

Brazil England Brazil W’Germany Argentina Italy Argentina W’Germany Brazil France Brazil Italy Spain

1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010

1–0

5–3

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3-2 (penalties)

1–0

3–2

3–1

3–1

2–1

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3–1

5–2

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Germany

Brazil

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West Germany

Netherlands

Netherlands

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Vettel

Brazil

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Hungary

Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel has insisted that his team are still a long way behind Mercedes this year as he looks to close the gap on Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton ahead of him.

“Right now the gap is very big and we haven’t really closed the gap since race one,” Vettel told Sky Sports News. “Obviously we have tried lots of stuff to improve, but they are doing the same thing.

“We are waiting for bigger steps to happen to close the gap even more which I think at the end of the season we can judge a lot better, then we know what we can do over the winter.”

W’Germany

1954

2–1

4–2

Czechoslovakia

Argentina

The Pakistan government has axed Najam Sethi as Cricket Board chairman, appointed an interim head and called a new election in 30 days, the country’s Attorney General told a Supreme Court hearing on Thursday.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also approved a new constitution of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Attorney Salman Butt told the Islamabad hearing into the country’s cricket affairs.

Uruguay

2–1

4–2

Rory McIlroy opened his Scottish Open account with a record-breaking round ahead of next week’s Open Championship.

Sweden’s Kristoffer Broberg had established a new mark of 65 at Royal Aberdeen after going out in the first group at 6:30am, but that lasted a matter of two hours as McIlroy also made light of the windy conditions to record a 64.

Italy

1950

Italy

1934 1938

Uruguay

1930

Results of past finals

he two sides met in the following World Cup in an equally tight affair at the Stadio Olympico. This time the Germans, who were making their fourth consecutive appearance in the final, enacted revenge in a game considered to be one of the worst World Cup final spectacles ever.

The breakthrough came five minutes before the end when Rudi Voller was challenged in the box and up stepped defender Andreas Brehme to despatch the spot-kick.

It was enough for captain Lothar Matthäus to lift the trophy in what is still Germany’s last World Cup final win.

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Argentina 0-1 West Germany World finals Italy 1990

mans, managed by Franz Beckenbauer, pegged it back to 2-2, with goals from Karl-Heinz Rummennigge and Rudi Voller with less than 10 minutes to play. The contest looked to be going into extra time before one moment of brilliance from an otherwise quiet Maradona made the winning goal.

El Diego played an inch-perfect through ball to Jorge Burruchaga who rushed towards goal and shot under German stopper Harald Schumacher to make it 3-2 in the dying minutes of the game. It was West Germany’s second consecutive World Cup finals defeat and Argentina’s last triumph in the competition.

Sethi

SPORT BRIEFLY

fter seeing their World Cup hopes end in excruciating fashion, both Brazil and the Netherlands might not mind getting away from the pitch for a few days. But first, they will battle it out Saturday in the third-place match.

A sixth championship was in the sights of every Brazilian, but those dreams came to a screeching halt via seven Germany goals in the semifinal. Nobody is feeling worse than the host nation, but the Dutch are also hanging their heads after coming so close to a return to the final—only to lose the Argentina in penalty kicks.

These players only have a few chances—or in some cases, just one—to make their mark

A

Brazil, Netherlands fight for the crumbs

KICK OFF 9:00PM SAT.

rgentina booked their ticket for the 2014 World Cup final after their 4-2 penalty shoot-out victory over the Netherlands in Sao Paulo on Wednesday.

The Argentines will face Germany, who thrashed Brazil 7-1 in Belo Horizonte a day earlier.

And despite the Germans’ impressive display against the host nation, the SouthAmericans are approaching their final clash without much apprehension.

“For sure, they will be tough opponents.

The Germans are playing a really good football. But we too are a great team. And I think that they will have some respect for us. We don’t fear the Germans,” Ezequiel Lavezzi told L’Equipe.

The 29-year-old forward is also not worried about Argentina’s lack of efficiency in front of goals, as Lionel Messi and his teammates have only scored twice in the knockout stage so far.

Although the South American side hasn’t been very prolific at this World Cup, Messi has still managed to score four goals and create an assist in just six games. Although despite looking shaky at first, Howedes has actually grown into his role for Germany and looked as solid as any of Low’s back line against Brazil on Tuesday and France in the previous round.

McIlroy

razil’s most ardent supporter, already famous in his home country, became a worldwide sensation this week when photos of him sadly clutching a replica trophy went viral following his team’s thrashing by Germany in their World Cup semi-final.

The so-called saddest fan on Earth, also known as Clovis Fernandes, had been superexcited to watch his team compete for soccer’s top prize on home soil, and drove from game to game around the country with his two sons. And that replica trophy.

On Tuesday, he was in the stands for Brazil’s semi-final against Germany, and it wasn’t long before things went horribly, horribly wrong.

While Fernandes was clearly disappointed by his team’s showing at this year’s tournament, he has enjoyed his share of victories. He had been to six previous World Cups dating back to Italy in 1990, and he watched Brazil win it all in 1994 and then again in 2002.

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Brazil’s sad superfan becomes international celebrity

final.

Coach Joachim Loew’s team is expected to return home Tuesday morning after Sunday’s final in Rio de Janeiro.

The German football federation on Thursday said Berlin and Frankfurt offered to host possible title celebrations.

The federation and the team decided on the capital.

Federation president, Wolfgang Niersbach, said Berlin’s sprawling fan mile, which occupies the road leading up to the city’s signature Brandenburg Gate, “would be an ideal place to thank fans in all of Germany for their sensational support” if the team wins its first World Cup in 24 years.

General manager Oliver Bierhoff says there won’t be a party with the fans unless Germany wins the title.

ermany players will celebrate at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate if they defeat Argentina in the World Cup

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venue

erie A side Atalanta, have reached an agreement with Juventus to sign Ghana striker, Richmond BoaykeYiadom on a seasonlong loan deal.

But the Nerazzurri must wait for Genoa, who co-own the youngster, to agree for the move to be ratified.

The 21-year-old spent last season on loan at Spanish La Liga side Elche where he scored six goals in 21 appearances.

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Atalanta reach deal with Boakye

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move to Genoa.

“A new adventure begins, and I have a great desire to get started,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I’m looking forward to showing everyone that I am a different player to last year and that last year was only a blip on the journey.”

ree agent, Nicklas Bendtner, who was released by erstwhile employer Arsenal at the end of the season, has been offered a contract to join Bundesliga outfit, Eintracht Frankfurt.

The club’s executive chairman, Heribert Bruchhagen, confirmed the contractual offer to Bild: “We have offered a contract to Nicklas Bendtner and we will have a good team for the new season in Bundesliga.”

Bendtner has been linked to a plethora of clubs since becoming unattached, as Hull City, Crystal Palace, Burnley and Leicester City were all linked within the last six weeks.

Frankfurt offer for Bendtner

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est Ham United have terminated Alou Diarra’s contract by mutual consent, as reported by The Daily Mail.

The Frenchman was signed by The Hammers from Marseille for £2million in 2012, but only went on to make 12 appearances in two seasons for Sam Allardyce’s side, five in the league.

During that time the 32-year-old was also loaned out to French side Rennes, whilst his last appearance for West Ham came back in January in the Capital One Cup.

agree to cancel Diarra’scontract PH ON SATURDAY LY 2014

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30 SPORT

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JULY 2014

Eagles coaching job:

Keshi to go or not!

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Vincent Eboigbe

tephen Keshi has had issues with the Nigeria Football Federation. That is a well documented fact. The simmering feud boiled over during the African Nations Cup in January 2013, when the federation perfected a sinister plan to sack Keshi as coach of the Super Eagles.

The thinking within the NFF was that Eagles couldn’t surmount the Ivoirian hurdle, going as far as booking the team’s return ticket before that match. But providence showed its hands, it was not only on Keshi’s side in that particular encounter, but all through as the team went ahead to win the championship.

With his hands thus strengthened, Keshi resigned and was only persuaded to stay on the job following the intervention of President Goodluck Jonathan. But the gulf that exists between coach and his employers got wider with the selection of the squad for the World Cup in Brazil.

Keshi was put off, not for the first time, by NFF technical committee’s insistence on vetting his list for the Mundial.

Chairman of the committee, Chris Green, and Keshi always had a run-in as the latter couldn’t understand why he should have his list scrutinised by people he felt knew nothing about football.

In fact when the final 23-man list was made ready, the NFF would not release it to the public until midnight on June 2.

Green’s role in that particular instance is also well known and only served to further sour the relationship between him and Keshi.

Keshi has had enough, but he bid his time. After Nigeria crashed out of the World Cup, he announced that he was done with the Eagles job and that he couldn’t work in that kind of environment. He went as far as reportedly saying that not even the country’s president could make him change his mind this time.

Howbeit, it looks as if providence has again tipped its hands in Keshi’s favour. A court sitting in Jos last week sacked the board of the NFF after they returned from Brazil. The speed with which the Minister of Sports, Tammy Danagogo appointed Lawrence Katken to oversee football in the country tends to suggest that government may have become tired of the Aminu Maigari-led NFF board and decided to move against it. As usual FIFA was not impressed with what it perceived as government intervention and has now suspended Nigeria from all football activities.

It remains to be seen how this latest crisis in Nigeria football will pan out, but there are those who feel that both the NFF and the coaching crew should give way so that football can have a breath of fresh air.

Vice chairman of Edo State Football Association, Frank Ilaboya, said that it may be best if Keshi just quietly left now that the ovation was loudest.

Ilaboya argued that the intrigues surrounding his position at the moment are such that they may preclude him from being able to continue to do a good job if he hung on.

“First I must say that Keshi has done well. Winning the Nations Cup after 19 years is not a joke. Keshi is the only coach after (Clemens) Westerhof and Bora Milutinovic to have taken Nigeria to the Second Round of the World Cup, even though I still feel we should have done better than that in Brazil,” Ilaboya said.

“However, I sincerely believe that Keshi should go now not because he is not good enough, but because now that the ovation is loudest may just be the time for him to quit. Brazilians won’t remember (Felipe) Scolari for winning the World Cup in 2002, what they will remember him by now is the 7-1 humiliation Brazil suffered against Germany.

“Again I also think that the intrigues, his constant battles with the NFF, won’t help his job even if another board is installed tomorrow. So in my opinion it is best he quits now. That is not to say that he cannot still come back to the job in the future when we realise his worth or when the atmosphere is less toxic.”

However, a former Eagles captain, Henry Nwosu fumed at the mere suggestion that Keshi could be made to make way for another coach.

The retired midfielder insisted that it is the attitude of constantly sacking coaches that have held Nigerian football down.

“It is precisely because of this attitude that we don’t m a k e progress in whatever we do. There is no continuity in anything. Keshi has done well, so why shouldn’t he be allowed to continue,” Nwosu said.

“Westerhof was in Nigeria for five years yet we can’t even give our own compatriot three years. It is unfortunate. I think we should leave Keshi to continue his good work.”

Fred Edoreh, chairman of Lagos State Sports Writers Association, also do not believe that Keshi should quit.

“I do not believe that Keshi should go, so I would not even talk about a possible replacement for him. Looking at where we are coming from and where we are now, I think Keshi has done very well.”

“We did not qualify for the Nations Cup in 2012, but the next edition we won it with Keshi in charge.

Before then we have had several third place finishes on the continent. At the world stage, we did not make it to the World Cup in 2006, crashed out in the first round in 2010, but we not only qualified for the 2014 edition, we actually equaled the feat of the 1994 team at the World Cup in the USA. All this was achieved under Keshi. I think the man is on a mission to take Nigerian football to the top, and he should be supported rather than thwarted every step of the way.”

Howbeit, as the drama unfolds, Keshi looks to be in a stronger position now given that NFF has been sent packing. The “Big Boss” on return from Brazil met with President Jonathan and he made some interesting demands as conditions for continuing on the job, namely that his salary be increased to N10m from the N5m he hitherto earned, that part of the money be paid upfront as he was tired of being owed months on end and finally the clincher: that the technical committee of the federation be scrapped.

Edoreh not only sees being able to make these demands in the first place as failure or absence of proper structures, he also takes Keshi to task regarding what he should actually concern himself with.

“The demands clearly show that the football house is not organised. How many times have you heard (Arsene) Wenger or (Alex) Ferguson demanding increase in salaries? They have defined ways of doing these things,” Edoreh added.

“I also think that Keshi is taking advantage of the system and the fact that he has the ears of the president, as you know he can be stubborn, but I do think that those are not the things Keshi should focus on now. He should be more interested in having a proper system in place that would ensure that things are done properly.”

Ilaboya agrees no less.

I think Keshi has a right to make demands, but can that happen in an ideal system? He has a boss, he has employers, should he be able to tell his employers that a department or committee should be scrapped? I don’t think he should dabble into such things,” Ilaboya noted.

As the debate rages on, it remains to be seen how this latest dilemma of Nigerian football will play out.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JULY 2014

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31

What has been happening to Uchenna Emedolu?

Everything good has been happening to me, I thank God for that.

During your time, the men were the ones that brought glory to the country in track and field, but reverse is the case now. What went wrong?

It is not that we don’t have good athletes to represent us in the country; the thing that is lacking is encouragement for them. If you encourage them very well financially, they will surely run well. The way athletes are treated these days is different from how they were treated when I was competing for Nigeria, and there is need to go back to that attitude so that our boys can bring honour to Nigeria.

The athletes I saw in Calabar, if we can put our heads together and encourage them, can go places. But the encouragement should not be a function of tribe or state of origin or whether some are coming from overseas. Let us give them equal opportunities and see if they will not achieve the desired results for the country. Let everyone feel a sense of belonging.

Commonwealth Games is around the corner, what is the hope for Nigeria in athletics?

As you can see, some of the athletes are running well now, 10.12 and so on which means they are all in good shape.

Let us hope something good will come out in Glasgow.

What is your take on the employment of foreign coaches by the AFN? Personally I believe the people employing these foreign coaches don’t know what they are doing, they don’t know what they want to achieve. Appointing foreign coaches will not help in anyway, you can’t be with an athlete for a couple of weeks and you want the athletes to perform magic. Employing them for a few months will not be any good to us. They should have a rethink because it is all a waste of money and of no use to the country.

Uchenna Emedolu (left) with Commonwealth silver medal

AFN forced me into early retirement – Emedolu Uchenna Emedolu, won the 2002 IAAF World Cup in Madrid, Spain, despite coming on as a late replacement in the African team, for Namibia’s Frank Fredericks. Charles Ogundiya caught up with the retired sprinter recently and he talked about his early retirement from athletics, while also shedding light on other issues. Excerpts… instance?

I didn’t start as a track and field person, I was playing football, but our football coach at that time saw that I had a lot of pace, he then called the athletics coach, Tunde Azeez, and advised him to try me. After trial in sprint, coach Tunde said I could make it in track and field and advised me to forget about football and concentrate on track and field, that was in 1997. I took his advice and the rest is history.

What is your view on Nigeria-born foreign athletes trying to compete in Nigerian colours?

I laughed when I saw some of the athletes claiming they want to compete for Nigeria, why must we mortgage our young athletes’ future by spending huge amount of money to bring these athletes to Nigeria? I can tell you no good athletes will leave their country to come and represent Nigeria. The ones coming have nothing to offer, they can’t make it in their country that is why it is easy to convince them to come and race for Nigeria. The good ones will not come, only the weak ones are here. They are here just to collect our money and go. If we spend such cash on our young athletes we will be the better for it.

You retired abruptly when Nigeria still needed you, why?

I retired during a change of regime at the Athletic Federation of Nigeria, not that I had passed my prime then. When the president came his reaction and attitude showed me that I was no longer needed, so I decided to quit before someone rubbished me.

What have you been doing to contribute to the country’s progress in athletics as an ex-international?

Personally, I have been trying my best. I have been training some of the athletes representing the country, Obinna Metu is one of them. I have so many youth athletes now. I try to bring these athletes together, something that I was unable to do or get when I was active; I believe in the future, and very soon you will start seeing them running fast in the colours of Nigeria.

Can you say athletics has made you a rich man?

I would say it gave me stability. I have one or two investments that can sustain me for the rest of my life.

Are any of your children following your track into track and field?

I will say yes. You know I am also married to an athlete and that makes our children very strong and powerful.

What do you need to achieve success with these athletes?

All what I need now is support from whichever place. The guys will really run well. I accommodate these athletes in my house, feed them, sometimes buy materials for them, this is already taking its toll on me as an individual, so if I can get some support, then we will get the necessary results.

Do you have any regrets representing Nigeria?

Personally I don’t have any regrets because at the outset of my career, I vowed to serve my country no matter what. I love my country and I am glad I had the chance to represent the country.

What’s your greatest disappointment in

the sport?

I will say during the Olympics, when our baton dropped. I was accused of dropping the baton intentionally, but that was not the case. I trained two of the athletes in the team, so why would I have done such a thing and jeopardise their careers?

I couldn’t have gone there to mess up because I had nothing to gain by losing. I worked hard to bring those athletes up to that level. I regretted representing Nigeria that day, but after then I took it off my stride as one of those things. That is my saddest moment ever.

Best moment That was when I won the World Cup, nobody believed it, I just came from nowhere to achieve that success.

Why athletics and not football for

Was marrying an athlete by choice or sheer coincidence?

Actually, we had started our relationship before I realised that she was an athlete and I had no regret getting married to her. She was one of the best in 400m during her active days.

If invited to take up a position in AFN, will you take the offer?

I will surely do, anything to serve my country, I am ready. I know I am useful in the area of youth development. I am doing it on my own for now, but if I have the opportunity on a larger scale, of course I will readily accept it.

What is your advice to upcoming athletes?

I will advise them to work very hard.

The athletes that are winning medals are not from outer space. If you work hard enough you can surely win gold in major competitions including the Olympics.

32 SPORT

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JULY 2014

Smalling

Lifestyle

chills out with girlfriend on holidays

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t proved to be a miserable World Cup for Chris Smalling, with the Manchester United defender part of the England squad which bombed out in the group stage at Brazil.

But the 24-year-old has already put the South American disappointment behind him by spending time in the offseason with girlfriend, Sam Cooke.

The pair posed for a selfie while on holiday, before Smalling prepares to return to pre-season training with the Red Devils.

On a personal level, the centre-back, proved faultless in Brazil as he played just one match in the 0-0 draw with Costa Rica,

Butt naked in ESPN magazine’s body issue

by which stage England were already eliminated.

But in travelling with the England squad, Smalling is allowed extra time off before returning for Manchester United’s pre-season which began on Monday.

Courtesy: Daily Mail

Pirlo relaxes in Ibiza with fans and children

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Venus Williams

ust when you thought Andrea Pirlo couldn’t appear more laid-back, the Italy star hits the beach in Ibiza for some quality time with his children.

The 35-year-old midfield maestro is taking a break in Spain ahead of joining Juventus as they prepare to defend their Serie A title.

Pirlo, who played his final games for his country in Brazil, is easily recognisable with his distinctive beard but was more than happy to pose for photographs with fans on the beach and even in the surf.

Courtesy: Daily Mail

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lthough Venus is older than her sister Serena, she is following in lil’ sis’ footsteps when it comes to stripping down for ESPN The Magazine.

The sixth annual edition of its Body Issue features 22 athletes posing nude, including the five-time Wimbledon champion.

In an interview accompanying the spread, Venus, joked about posting nude: “It didn’t dawn on me until right when I walked on set that I would have to be without clothes. If I would have thought about it before, there may have been a little less of a chance.”

Courtesy: ESPN Venus

Brazillian supermodels disappointed over German drubbing

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Pirlo and family

Smailling’s girlfriend, Sam Cooke

ictoria’s Secret models Alessandra Ambrosio and Adriana Lima showed their support for their native Brazil on Tuesday night, but were ultimately disappointed.

The pair dressed in the famous yellow kit to watch Germany’s 7-1 demolition of Brazil in the World Cup semifinal, and were devastated.

Courtesy: Daily Mail Ambrosio

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JULY 2014

Ideas & Brands

MDA 8 regional auditions excites contestants

Gaviscon partners experts to expand brand equity

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ollowing the receipt of hundreds of thousands of entries from potential contestants’, all is now set for the regional auditions of Maltina Dance All season eight (MDA 8), the popular family dance show sponsored by Maltin.

The exciting and emotional process will be kick-started with regional auditions in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

The regional auditions are used as the platform to select family representatives who are expected to qualify their families before the show proper kicks off. Aside Port-Harcourt, the other auditioning centres are Lagos and Abuja.

A breakdown of the regional auditioning dates released by the brand shows that it will kick off in Port Harcourt at the Atrium Event Centre on July 18th - 19th; Lagos National Theatre on July 24th- 26th and Abuja - Nicon Luxury Hotel on August 1st – 2nd. Consumers who missed the opportunity of registering online at http://www. maltinadanceall.tv would have the opportunity to register at the audition venues.

During these regional auditions, consumers and respective family members also stand a chance to win any of the fantastic regional dance competition prizes Speaking on the show, Mr. Adewole Adedeji, Senior Brand Manager Maltina stated that building any brand that can stand the test of time and leave footprints in the sands of time is a very long journey, “We are glad with the evolution of the Maltina brand over the years and the impact it has made thus far. We are also very excited about what Season 8 of MDA have in store for us. You will agree with me that eight years is a long time for a show to still remain relevant and we’re very glad that Maltina, through MDA, continues to bring the brand experience of sharing happiness and fun to the consumer. The MDA ‘Rhythm of Happiness’ edition will be refreshingly unique because we put a lot of work into it. Every year there is something bigger and better.”’

On what is up for grabs for this year’s edition, the Senior Brand Manager said the winning family will go home with the grand prize of a whooping sum of N10 million. The first and second runners up will also get N3 million and N1 million respectively. This is a considerable increase from the N6 million, N1 million and N500, 000 won last year by contestants.

The TV show will be aired from September 7 this year on major TV networks with videos uploaded on YouTube and Facebook. Also, viewers can participate and win fabulous prizes through the interactive SMS platform during the show.

It would be recalled that the 2007 edition produced the Onye family as winners; in 2008 it was the Opuwari family that carted away the star prize; in 2009 the nation’s best dance family were the Ibiams, in 2010 the Adejo’s held sway and in 2011 the Ekubo’s showed Nigerians why they were crowned the number one dance family. In 2012 the Greens were crowned the best dance family with the unforgettable swinging moves of Opus and his sister. The Briggs family won the 2013 edition.

33

L-R: Head, South-South Region, Etisalat Nigeria, Enekwachi Aja; Head, Corporate Communications, High Value Events & Sponsorships, Etisalat Nigeria, Ebi Atawodi; Highlife legend, Bright Chimezie and Head of Mass Market, Etisalat Nigeria, Idowu Adesokan, at the Port Harcourt session of Etisalat Cloudnine, held at Lamborghini Lounge, in Port Harcourt recently

Etisalat cloudnine excites Port Harcourt customers

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tisalat last weekend treated select high value customers to an exclusive live music session featuring unique music performances from one of Nigeria’s most celebrated highlife musicians, Bright Chimezie alongside a rising star in the Nigerian music industry, PatoRanking.

Music icon, Bright Chimezie, had everyone on their feet as he took them down memory lane with most of his chart topping hits such as Because of English,’ ‘Life na Teacher,’ and ‘African Style.’

Rising star, PatoRanking, also put up an outstanding performance that got him a standing ovation. He gave the customers a taste of what it feels like to be in a

richer music session like Etisalat Cloudnine with his latest track, Girlie O. The highlight of the night was the collaboration between Bright Chimezie and PatoRanking as they performed to the massive admiration of the audience. Their performances drew spontaneous burst of applause and got all the guests on their feet dancing to the continuous flow of hits.

Director, Brands and Communication at Etisalat Nigeria, Enitan Denloye said, “I am delighted that our customers are having a good time with the Cloudnine sessions.

For us at Etisalat, it is not just about building a quality network, it is all about what makes our custom-

Cowbell maths competition 2014 produces winners

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inners have emerged in this year’s edition of Cowbell National Secondary Schools Mathematics Competition. 13 years old Master Akintokun Adegboyega, a student of Ota Total Academy, Ogun State emerged the best candidate for the senior Secondary Schools category after scoring 87 percent during the keenly contested competition.

He came first out of over 29,000 students who participated in the competition from different senior secondary schools in Nigeria. Adegboyega scored 41 marks in objective questions and 46 marks in theory.

For the junior secondary category, the 13-year old Miss Adesina Deborah O of Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, Rivers State led the pack of over 15,000 other students who competed with her.

Miss Adesina scored a total of 81 percent - 35 marks in objective and 46 in theory questions – to emerge successful.

15-year-old Fiyinfoluwa Abioye, a student of NTIC COED Wuse 2, Abuja came second for the senior category with a total mark of 85 percent while Master Babalola David Oluwasayo of Oritameta Baptist Model School, Ibadan, Oyo State emerged third best having scored 83 percent.

MD Promasidor, Olivier Thiry

Similarly, 13-year-old Atolagbe Yusuf Olayinka of Turkish International College, Isheri, Ogun State and Johnson Stella Doris, a student of Reality High School, Ilesha, Osun State were the first and second runners-up in the junior category.

Winners were announced recently at the Prize-Giving ceremony of the 2014 Cowbell National Secondary Schools Mathematics Competition (NASSMAC) held at Le Meridian Hotel in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The event was the climax of the annual competition that started on March 15, with the first stage examination held in 200 centres in the 33 states and the FCT. Due to security challenges the examination did not hold in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

ers happy and creating a richer experience that will satisfy their communication needs.”

“In 2013, the Etisalat Cloudnine sessions were successfully activated in Lagos and Abuja, which is why in 2014 we decided to have an extension of this platform in terms of reach and genre to Port Harcourt, one of our key high value regions. Etisalat Cloudnine is one of our numerous ways of showing appreciation to our customers”.

aviscon, a non-prescription pharmaceutical brand used in the treatment of heartburn and Gastro-oesophagal reflux disease (GERD) from the stables of Reckitt Benckiser, a multinational consumer goods company, partnered a major stakeholder - the Society for Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria (SOGHIN), to host the 7th Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of the association at the Nike Lake Resort, Enugu.

This partnership with SOGHIN is in consonance with Gaviscon’s determination to explore new ways of treating Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Tagged ‘Challenges of Gastroenterology Practice in Nigeria’, the event featured insightful presentations by a reputable international faculty.

Preceding the SOGHIN conference, Gaviscon hosted members of the Golden Faculty, a think tank which stands for ‘Gaviscon Opinion Leaders of Nigeria’. Themed ‘Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease, Where Are We?’, the session was facilitated by a Gastroenterologist of global recognition, Dr. Asif Naqvi (FRCP), Consultant Gastroenterologist and Director of Medical Education at Princess Diana of Wales Hospital, United Kingdom. Dr. Sumaila Adamu, from Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano also made a presentation at the event.

THE ARTS

Suicide as the awareness of meaninglessness CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

the white man, then I blamed my gods for deserting me. Now I feel i want to blame you for the mystery of the sapping of my will.” Why is it necessary for Pilkings to stop the ritual (in the sense that one could then blame him for a choice Elesin could have made)?

Had Elesin made the choice himself, his initial non-performance of ritual suicide could have possessed all the characteristics of true tragedy; could have become a drama about the internal bankruptcy of feudal society as a result of its unbearable contradictions - through a struggle for the emancipation of the individual in a society which is not yet ready for it; it could have been a conflict between what is personal and what is beyond the personal, a drama of human passion that is larger than the individual; a classic struggle of a tragic hero with his fate. The supreme collision of Elesin - man’s effort to free himself from mysticism and reconstruct society and himself in accord with his own plan - and his destiny (his non-performance of ritual suicide would have been a kind of fate) is stripped of its tragic grandeur and resolved into the swamp of pessimism and nihilism. Hear Elesin to Pilkings: “You did not save my life District Officer. You destroyed it... And not merely my life but the lives of many. The end of the night’s work is not over. Neither this year nor the next will see it. If I wished you well, I would pray that you do not stay long enough on our land to

see the disaster you have brought upon us.”

The fundamental underlying tone in Death And The King’s Horseman is nausea, a feeling of disgust over what Soyinka refers to as “the collapse of humanity” and “the recurrent cycle of human stupidity.” The Economist had written that Soyinka’s prison writings were “personal, bitter and obsessed by his own fate”. “Obviously some bitterness exists,” Soyinka had said. “I coined the term ‘wasted generation’ because of the scale of our ambition as young people; we were the renaissance people.” He, like others of his generation, had returned “with grandiose ideas about the kind of nation I must assist in building.”

The pessimism of the play owes its roots to the prevalent mood among this section of the Nigerian intellectual petit bourgeois. It was borne out of defeats, betrayals, bitter disillusionment and despair, coups, civil wars, pogroms. They saw the problems confronting their society, but could see no way out.

Filled with a sense of impending doom and feelings of powerlessness and “dread” - which their writings faithfully convey, they sought for alternatives on the basis of literature. “I was a socialist, but I couldn’t accept the Marxist interpretation of history,” Soyinka told an interviewer. “It conflicted with the untidy, non-scientific element which is human nature.” And so, everything is resolved into nothingness.

- Cheeka is a Marxist critic, writer and filmmaker.

StartUps NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

12 JULY 2014

Elizabeth Shodipo, proprietor of E-J Treasures World, an outfit engaged in events management and training of catering entrepreneurs tells SEGUN EDWARDS about the travails of the business as well as what is required to make a career in catering entrepreneurship.

What mainly is E-J Treasures area of business?

First of all, E-J Treasures is an entrepreneurial outfit that engages in the business of providing services in events management and hospitality on behalf of clients as the names go. Our business entails provision of services to clients in terms of managing their social events, provision and decoration of event venues, catering for social events, as well as facilitating training for people wishing to take up career in catering business.

What informed the establishment of the business is the quest to be on my own after school. To put succinctly, the business caters for social events, we plan events too, we offer services in cocktails, food, decoration, cake and we consult.

How long has this business been in existence?

The business has been in existence for quite a while running to a decade and there have been ups and downs, no doubt.

What would you say are the major challenges you were confronted with and how have you been able to cope?

It has been so far, so good. The business like every other have been confronted with problems like funding, referral by clients, situating the business in a befitting corporate place to be able to showcase the business.

You mentioned the challenge of referral from clients, could you give a little more insight into this particular issue?

On the issue of referral, the approach that was adopted was to seek business from clients that we know like the church community as well as from people from our immediate environment. The successes from these engagements go a long way for recommendations to other prospective clients who engage the company for their events and that is major approach we adopted in overcoming the issue of referral.

What about the issue of funding?

It is actually interesting to say that funds have been pulled from other source or another unit of the business, specifically funds have had to be pulled from one of the chains.

For instance, funds were pulled from the catering school, which commenced barely two years ago and this has successfully impacted on the event management activities which is main dream or bedrock of the business. This approach is adopted with the belief that with the availability of funds, the entire business will grow.

What major challenge do you have in securing funds from the bank?

The major hurdle in securing bank loan is the accrued interest from such loan, which is too high to bear by any small business. The reality of the outrageous high interest rate has scared many small businesses away and our case is not different. There are available facts to back up this claim.

Since the inception of the business of event management, which you refer to as the bedrock of E-J Treasures, how many events would you say you have handled for clients?

I may not be able to provide you with accurate figures of events management that E-J Treasures have been engaged in, but if we have to sum it up outside the services

34

‘I pulled funds from other sources to support my event management business the institute?

The school offers courses ranging from one-year certificate course, which is the major course one; we have the three to six months courses, particularly for undergraduates or graduates of a tertiary institution who may wish to seek enrolment.

The reality of the outrageously high interest rate has scared many small businesses away and our case is not different such as baking of cakes for clients and others like producing pastries and quick foods, the outfit has engaged in not less than 20 events management or total catering since its inception, that much I can say we have done despite our moderate profile and by the grace of God we have received kudos for jobs well done.

Could you expatiate on other areas of businesses that E-J Treasures has expanded to, in the effort to enhance the entire profile of its main business, event management?

We have an arm of business, that is the institute of catering and hotel management which was floated two years ago, basically to enhance what the outfit is doing and that has been successful as well as impacting positively on the profile of the company because of the reasonable patronage in terms students enrolments. This was informed by the fact that we have the capacity in catering and hotel management, considering the fact too, that it is not every time that we get engaged in event management and wouldn’t want to such human capacity to idle away. This prompted the establishment of the institute, which has been flourishing with students who undergo various courses of varying durations depending on the choice of the particular applicant. The decision was also borne out of the fact that we want to give back to the society the quality of services we have rendered in catering services by training quality hands in the area of catering and hotel management personnel despite our limited resources and relatively unknown corporate identity.

How many students has the institute trained in the last two years?

I can confidently say that the catering and hotel management arm of the business has trained up to 40 applicants in various

Shodipo

categories of courses offered. We have had graduates of many disciplines applied for varying courses of the institute, some of them wanting to acquire knowledge in catering, while others are school leavers of secondary and primary education, who wish to take up career in catering and hotel management.

The institute has also trained applicants who applied through religious bodies while at the moment, there are not less than 10 applicants undergoing training for various categories of courses.

What are testimonies for the claims of imparting quality catering and hotel management knowledge on members of the public?

Testimonies on the impact of the catering institute arm of the business I would say abounds. Surprisingly, the major achievement of the school is that it has gotten the accreditation of the Lagos State government as students have the privilege of undergoing a period of internship with the state- owned hotels like the Airport Hotel or Eko Hotels and Suites, while the institute’s certificate course in recognised for employment in any of the aforementioned outfits in the hospitality industry. This is a great testimony and achievement for a fledgling outfit established through a moderate entrepreneurial effort like ours.

What is the duration of courses available in

For a new person or start-up person, who may wish to establish business in the event management industry, how much would you say is the take-off capital?

I did not really have a figure when the business took-off because I was engaged in a smaller business from which the event management outfit commenced from. But I would frankly say apart from vision for expansion in the future like in the case of E-J Treasures, which had to vie into a sub business like the catering institute, a startup person in the event management industry would require a moderate N300, 000, which takes care of a moderate planning for a moderate event. lf it were some years ago, it could have cost a new entrepreneur, who would start moderately about N100, 000 outside cognate training and educational background.

For the training institute, what are the requirements for a starter?

That entails getting a an office space. That is the major determinant aside establishing a standard for the institute in terms of quality hands (instructors), major tools and equipment are also necessary ingredients that one needs to put together to kick-start the business.

What are the tools and equipment required for take-off of a moderate catering training outfit like the one you operate?

There major tools, you need an oven, you need equipment like dispenser and a mixer, but the major ones is the industrial oven and the mixing machine.

What is the cost implication to train in your organisation as a catering entrepreneur?

For the one year certificate course, applicant pays for more than the six and three months programmes, but the cost are commensurate or worth the experience and proficiency that is imparted in entrepreneurs that pass through the institute tutelage.

L ve&Lv ng

Life Experience: 'I developed Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder' p.36 Wedding Traditions: The Crowning of the Couple: Russia p.38

MICHAEL UCHEBUAKU

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

www.newtelegraphonline.com/loveliving

ireto007@yahoo.com 0813 116 1840

Love Confession

'I regret marrying my sugar daddy' To many ladies, having a sugar daddy sounds very tempting, since it is generally assumed that girls have fun with sugar daddies. However, in this story, one lady finds that being married to a sugar daddy is a completely different thing.

M

y dad always said that a teenage girl who got pregnant suffered in two ways.

First, she suffered the shame of carrying an unwanted pregnancy, and secondly, she suffered a broken heart occasioned by the possible denial of the pregnancy by its father.

So I abstained until I got admission into the university. I had my first boyfriend in my first year. I was attracted to him because he was an "effico".

I was having problems with some courses, so I’d gone to him to teach me.

It was in the process of tutoring me that we fell in love.

My "effico" boyfriend loved me too and we seemed like a good match until I started becoming bored with his kind of life. He was always in the library and wanted me to do likewise.

But I didn’t like too much reading because I found it boring. I wanted to have fun like other students. I wanted to attend beach parties at weekends.

So I and my "effico" boyfriend soon parted ways.

Soon after that, my dad retired from government work and could no longer afford to give me as much pocket money as I wanted.

The happening babes on campus came to my aid by letting me into their world and I became a member of the

Love Education

O

MODEL OF THE WEEK Name: Phina Don Facebook

big girls club.

My best friend, Titi, was the one who organized everything. She said to me, “Nike, why are you always crying and complaining about money? Join us to do runs and your problems will vanish.”

That was how I got involved in runs on campus. The money I made was more than twice what my dad gave me as pocket money. But eventually, the runs had an effect on me because I preferred sugar daddies to young guys.

That was how I lost all the young suitors who wanted to marry me. I finally had to marry one of my sugar daddies after he lost his wife in an accident.

My marriage to one of my former sugar daddies is now five years old and I’ve learnt my lesson.

Sugar daddies don’t make good husbands because in the end, they’ll lose interest in you and continue to be sugar daddies to younger girls.

The sugar daddy I married has now lost interest in me and is busy being a sugar daddy to other ladies outside.

And when I complain, he defends himself by saying that I knew he was a sugar daddy before I married him, so I ought to know that a leopard cannot change its spots.

I thought that with our marriage, he would change and stop being a sugar daddy. But I was wrong. Now, I’m just like a piece of furniture in his house while he frolicks around Lagos with girls.

I regret marrying my sugar daddy because he is giving me a taste of my own medicine.

What I sowed is what I’m reaping.

I messed around with him while his wife was alive, and now I have to watch helplessly as other ladies mess around with him while I’m still alive.

I advise any spinster out there never to marry her sugar daddy because he will never change.

What is Ovarian Cancer?

varian cancer is when cancer forms from the ovary. It is due to the development of abnormal cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on there is often no symptoms. Later symptoms may include: bloating, pelvic pain, and abdominal swelling among others.

Common areas of spread include the lining of the abdomen, lungs, livers or lymph nodes.

Ovarian cancer occurs more frequently in women who ovulate more thus those who never have children are at increased risk. Other risk factors include hormone therapy after menopause, fertility medication, smoking and obesity. Factors that decrease the risk

include hormonal birth control, tubal ligation, and breast feeding. About 10% of cases run in families and those with the gene mutations BRCA1 or BRCA2 have an approximately 50% risk of the disease. The most common type, making up more than 95% of cases, are ovarian carcinomas. They include five main subtypes of which high-grade serous is most common. These tumors are believed to usually start from the cells covering the ovaries, though some may form from the fallopian tubes. Less common types include germ cell tumors and sex cord stromal tumors. The diagnosis is confirmed by examination of a biopsy usually removed during surgery.

Courtesy: Wikipedia

If you want to be our next model, please send your photos to: ireto007@yahoo.com Call: 0703 102 8714, 0813 116 1840

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

12 JULY 2014

35

36 LOVE&LIVING

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JUly 2014

Love News

Love Songs

Solange Knowles breaks her silence on Jay Z elevator fight

S

olange Knowles has finally commented on that fight with Jay Z in May following the Met Gala.

In an interview with Lucky Magazine, she referred to the altercation with her brother-in-law as "that thing."

“What’s important is that my family and I are all good,” she told the magazine. “What we had to say collectively was in the statement that we put out, and we all feel at peace with that."

Beyonce's sister, 28, added her parents instilled a true family bond within her and her megastar sibling.

'Counting Stars' Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep Dreaming about the things that we could be But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard, Said, no more counting dollars We'll be counting stars, yeah we'll be counting stars

Jayz and Knowles

“We’ve always held each other down no matter what,” she said.

Video of the fight broke a week after the May 5 incident allegedly took place, showing Solange kicking and punching her rapper brother-in-law.

Later that month, Jay Z, Solange and Beyone released a statement to the Associated Press, which read, "As a result of the public release of the elevator security footage from Monday, May 5th, there has been a great deal of speculation about what

triggered the unfortunate incident.

But the most important thing is that our family has worked through it.

Jay and Solange each assume their share of responsibility for what has occurred. They both acknowledge their role in this private matter that has played out in the public. They both have apologized to each other and we have moved forward as a united family."

Courtesy: Yahoo

'I developed Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder'

W

hen I say, “My libido is unstoppable,” I’m not hoping to paint myself as some sort of wanton vixen or glean the benefits of unabashed sexuality -- quite the opposite, actually.

I have what is called Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder, which is easily the most near-sighted, stigmatizing title the medical community could’ve named it.

Basically, it is a perpetual contraction in my uterus, not unlike ongoing labor. However, this doesn't hurt quite as much because there's no baby in there. Because this is also the same thing that happens when a woman climaxes (to aid with conception), I am plagued to stay right on the brink of orgasm for hours without finding any sort of relief. At all. No matter what I try. They should have named it Persistent Female Blue Balls.

A few months after I turned 30, I was at my computer one night after my husband and I made almost abnormally sensual love. As I sat there, I kept getting waves of arousal that caused my toes to keep pointing, my calves to keep clenching, and my back to keep arching as convulsions swept up my spine.

I realized that, during sex, I hadn’t

Life Experience I realized that, during sex, I hadn’t gone over that tiny edge to complete satisfaction, and my body was still hot and bothered gone over that tiny edge to complete satisfaction, and my body was still hot and bothered. I scampered out of the room to treat myself to a finale, but after about 20 minutes of hot-andheavy me time to no results, I peeked my head back in and, giggling a little, I asked my husband for help.

After another 30 minutes with all the props, bells, and whistles, I realized I was only getting more frenzied instead of peaking, and I began to panic.

My husband also sensed something was wrong and immediately began searching online for anything regarding “perpetual arousal” or “unable to orgasm,” while I writhed around, panting and sweating and arching my back as if I was on ecstasy. After what felt like an hour, he found an account of a woman who suffered from Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder.

In the article, Gretchen Molannen described the exact sensations I was experiencing -– the feeling like she had an itch she couldn’t quite scratch, the inability to focus on anything, the worsening of the sensations when she attempted to relieve herself, and that the tiniest pleasurable feeling sent her into uncontrollable passion.

She stated that, for no apparent reason, she was suddenly afflicted with the condition and could find no one who would validate what she was feeling. When she desperately went to seek medical help, doctors laughed and said, “I wish my wife would have that,” and told her maybe it was purely psychological.

Because the disorder was only recognized and validated in 2001, she spent

ONEREPUBLIC

years prior trying to “cure” herself and was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome after spending weeks trying to find even a moment of relief from the swelling and pain. In fact, she was unable to have romantic relationships because being physically intimate sent her into hours of torment.

In December 2012, just before the article was to be published in the Tampa Bay Times, Gretchen Molannen committed suicide. She had been denied the disability payments she needed in order to survive since she was unable to keep a job. She was 39 years old.

After I finished reading, I took a moment to freak out. I then sat in an icy bath to stop the engorgement and help the blood vessels constrict from my mitt-sized genital region.

It was exactly as much fun as it sounds, but far less comfortable. I was able to get a few hours’ sleep with an ice pack between my legs and a sleeping aid.

When I woke up the next morning, my abdomen ached from the endless contraction, and I was so sore that my body shook when I walked. The short drive to my daughter’s school was torturous, and I fought to keep from yelling every time we went over a bump. While making lunch, I caught myself gripping a cucumber I was washing too enthusiastically and burst into tears at the realization that I was a nymphomaniacal freak show.

To my surprise, none of my confidantes balked at my frantic explanations, and each encouraged me to call my doctor immediately. When the nurse didn’t hesitate to schedule an appointment for the next day, I blurted, “Really? You believe me?!”

She said, “Yes, that sounds awful.

You gotta get in here and get that checked out.”

I hung up the phone before crying with relief.

My doctor explained that a number of factors have been known to cause PGAD since it has been more thoroughly researched in the last decade. She first checked my IUD via ultrasound to make sure it hadn’t shifted to cause the involuntary contractions, but to no avail.

Another possible cause is known as a Tarlov cyst, a perineurial growth that appears on the spine and causes the symptoms I was experiencing. c o n t i n u e s o n pa g e 3 8

I see this life like a swinging vine Swing my heart across the line And my face is flashing signs Seek it out and you shall find Old, but I'm not that old Young, but I'm not that bold I don't think the world is sold I'm just doing what we're told I feel something so right Doing the wrong thing I feel something so wrong Doing the right thing I could lie, couldn't I, could lie Everything that kills me makes me feel alive

Love Poem

Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep Dreaming about the things that we could be But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard, Said, no more counting dollars We'll be counting stars Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep Dreaming about the things that we could be But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard, Said, no more counting dollars We'll be, we'll be, counting stars Take that money Watch it burn Sink in the river The lessons are learned

Oladimeji Francis

oladimejifrancis07@gmail.com

Perfect sea around my world A sea around my heart: part shelter, part enduring word, part mirror of my art.

You are the calm that drains my rage, bliss upon my shores, immensity immutable, rush that life restores.

To you, I wish to be a welcome harbor for your ocean, destiny and origin, aim of your affection, yearning of your motion.

When I think of you, my heartbeat goes wild and I go weak in the knees.

Every time I look at you, it is like the first time I saw you.

So I give you my heart again to hold in your hand!

You have been a golden ray of sunshine throughout my darkest days and tears.

You have been the silver sound of laughter ringing clear throughout my years.

You are more precious to me today than any silver, gem or gold.

For in my life you are the treasure gifted to me from above.

And while you are in my world, I will always feel God's love.

I have loved you all my life and I will until the end.

Sweet like honey, and as caring as a bee, a heart like an ocean, filled with glee.

Life with you is not just an unchained melody, but even better than a lifelong symphony.

And I'm so glad that you, my dear, just completed one more year.

I'm so glad you were born, birthday girl, because you brighten my life and fill it with joy. *Send your love poems along with your name and number to ireto007@yahoo.com or 08131161840.

Romantic Jokes

FENCE OF LOVE

A couple celebrates their 30th anniversary by re-walking their first walk together. They come to the fence against which they first made love.

The husband says, "Come on, for old time's sake." The wife agrees and they both undress.

Afterwards, the husband says, "You're even better than you were 30 years ago."

His wife replies, "That fence wasn't electrified 30 years ago!"

Words of Wisdom: Be faithful to your partner

LOVE&LIVING

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JUly 2014

Odd News

Relationships & Love Advice

ISIS set to destroy Biblical history

'After five years, he is still not yet ready to marry me' P Dear Love Doctor,

I am in love with a man. I have been in a relationship with him for five years. But anytime I bring up the issue of settling down, he says he wants to make more money and tells me that if I am under pressure I can get married. After five years, he still doesn't seem ready to marry me. What do I do?

From Carol.

Love Doctor’s Advice: Dear Carol, from the look of things, that man apparently doesn't love you the way you love him. It's obvious he doesn't intend to marry you. Besides, you portray yourself as desperate by clinging on to him even after five long years. He is not the only man in the world, so don't put all your hope in him. I think it is time for you to move on and find someone else, instead of wasting any more time with him..

If you want daily love tips or advice, download The Color of Love Guide on your iPad and iPhone. Search for ‘Color of Love’ on your Apple App store now and download the App. *Send your comments/stories to Love Doctor. E-mail: ireto007@yahoo.com If you’re in a crisis, call for help: 07031028714, 08131161840 or 08023700641. For free marriage/ relationships counseling, call Love Doctor Mike 07031028714, 08023700641. Visit lovedrmike.blogspot.com

Blackberry Connection Simi needs a boyfriend to love, not for money. BB PIN: 2736407C. 07060979050.

• Connect with Mike on WhatsApp or BlackBerry Pin: 7ab29e22 or 21978F71 for details on how to send your BlackBerry request.

• Call Mike on 07031028714, 08131161840 or 08023700641 to link up and for direct hookup.

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♥ Annie, 24, wants a sugar daddy who can assist her financially. 08115897031. ♥ Sylvia, 23, from Anambra, student, needs somebody that will take care of her. 08142386699. ♥ Mercy, from Edo, fair, caring, desires a handsome, caring, tall, responsible man of 35-37 years for marriage. +234 9023191258. ♥ Rose, in Lagos, has experience in hotel management as a waitress and she needs any job in any part of Lagos state. +234 8107458039. ♥ Nkiruka, 26, graduate, chocolate skin, genotype AA, wants a Igbo businessman or graduate of 34 to 40 years for marriage. 07063651021.

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Lovers’ Answers Game:

FERTILITY If you have fertility problems like fibroid, low sperm count, or want a male child or baby sex selection, call Love Doctor 07025350586; 08122352054.

37

The rule: Ask the opposite sex one question about love, and choose your lover from the top 3 answers.

A girl is asking all men: "Does love truly exist?"

Call her via 07068202281. *Call Mike: 07031028714 to send questions or issues.

ARIS—More than two and a half millennia ago, the Assyrian King Senaccherib descended on his enemies “like the wolf on the fold,” as the Bible tells us—and as Lord Byron wrote in cantering cadences memorized by countless Victorian schoolchildren: “His cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold; And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea.”

The Assyrian and Babylonian empires appear throughout the Old Testament as examples of ruthless grandeur and godless decadence. The Bible says Sennacherib’s army was destroyed by the Angel of the Lord. The Israelites were carried off to Babylon, where they wept by the waters. And since the middle of the 19th century, archeologists have labored mightily to unearth the mythical and the verifiable past in the extraordinary cradle of civilizations they used to call Mesopotamia and now call Iraq.

No trace ever has been found of the Garden of Eden, said to have lain near the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates, but one of the great prizes the excavators did discover was Senaccherib’s capital, Nineveh, which the biblical prophet Nahum called “the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims!”

Last month, a new marauder descended on Nineveh and the nearby city of Mosul. He, too, came down like the wolf on the fold, but his cohorts brandished Kalashnikovs from pickup trucks, not shining spears; their banners were the black flags of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham.

Soon afterward the minions of the self-appointed caliph of the freshly self-declared Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, paid a visit to the Mosul Museum. It has been closed for years for restoration, ever since it was looted along with many of Iraq’s other institutions in the wake of the culturally oblivious American-led invasion of 2003. But the Mosul Museum was on the verge of reopening, at last, and the full collection had been stored there.

“These groups of terrorists—their arrival was a brutal shock, with no warning,” Iraqi National Museum Director Qais Hussein Rashid told me when he visited Paris last week with a mission pleading for international help. “We were not able to take preventive measures.”

Indeed, museum curators and staff were no better prepared than any other part of the Iraqi government. They could have learned from al-Baghdadi’s operations in neighboring Syria that a major source of revenue for his insurgency has been the sale of looted antiquities on the black market. As reported in The Guardian, a windfall of intelligence just before Mosul fell revealed that al-Baghdadi had accumulated a $2 billion war chest, in part by selling off ancient artifacts from captured Syrian sites. But the Iraqi officials concerned with antiquities said the Iraqi intelligence officers privy to that information have not shared it with them.

So the risk now—the virtual certainty, in fact—is that irreplaceable history will be annihilated or sold into the netherworld of corrupt and cynical collectors.

Courtesy: yahoo

38 LOVE&LIVING

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JUly 2014

'I developed Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder'

True Confession From Overseas

'I took revenge on my husband and his mistress'

M

y mum has been sick lately, so I've been staying with her on the weekends helping out by doing her housework. One time when I returned from Mum's, I noticed a lip gloss lying by the edge of our pool. It wasn't a brand that I wear. I asked my husband about it and he said he had no idea where it had come from.

My husband hates swimming and would never hop in the pool himself, so I didn't say any more. I've been married for 12 years and I trusted him.

When I got home from my next weekend at Mum's place, I checked the pool again. This time I found pretty hair clips scattered by the steps. The kids and I have short hair so I knew they weren't ours. But I had seen clips exactly like that before — worn by the wife of the electrician who lived two doors down from us.

When I thought about it, Sharon's husband had started working fly-in/fly-out six months before so she could easily be spending time with my husband unnoticed.

The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. My husband had claimed that he was feeling neglected with me going away every weekend to Mum's, but he knew it was only short-term and I was furious that he thought he could play around while I was gone.

I knew Mum was nearly better and I would only have to go and help her out one more time. Before I left with the kids on Friday night, I got the chemicals out of the pool shed. Every year my husband used super-strong chlorine at the start of

He must have heard the gossip around town about him and Sharon because later he confessed to me about their affair summer to destroy all the bugs that had built up in the pool.

I knew from past experience that if you swim in the pool too soon after the water's been treated; the swimmer suffers from a full body rash. I had to know if my husband was having an affair.

I knew he'd never normally swim in the pool and he would never think that I'd treated the pool as that was always his job. The bottle of chlorine said to use just one third of the contents, but I decided better safe than sorry and up-ended the whole bottle of clear liquid into the pool water, put the bottle in the boot of the car and went and visited Mum. As expected, Mum was much better and didn't need me to clean her house any more.

When I got back home on Sunday evening, I checked around the pool and found an empty beer bottle and a used wine glass.

When I went inside to see my husband, I noticed he had a nasty red rash on his arms and back. He was very concerned and was planning to see the doctor the next day.

continued from page 36

I was dropping my kids off at school on Monday morning when I spotted Sharon — covered head to toe in a bright red rash. I noticed that she was having some difficulty walking too, so it looked like the rash must have been everywhere. I didn't say a thing, but in a town of 300 people, I knew I wouldn't have to either. It only took a few hours for everyone to realise that my husband and Sharon had the same rash.

When my husband came home from work, he went straight out and tested the pool water. His doctor had suggested his rash looked like a chemical irritation. When my husband saw how high the chlorine levels were, he assumed our filter wasn't working properly and never suspected me.

He must have heard the gossip around town about him and Sharon because later on that evening he confessed to me about their affair. It had only started when I'd been visiting Mum and he wanted it to be over.

Dave's a great dad and usually a brilliant husband. He was truly sorry, so I agreed to give him another chance. Sharon's husband wasn't so forgiving — he kicked her out of their house and she had to leave town.

I know it was a terrible thing to do, but it was the only way to work out who was messing with my husband. And that was something I wasn't going to put up with.

Courtesy: ninems

Lovers in Court

'Let him divorce me and the children' Abimbola Sodeke

A

47-year-old mechanic, Adenekan Oluyemi, is seeking to divorce his wife, Hannah and take custody of their four children who presently live with Hannah.

Oluyemi claimed that his wife is troublesome and loves to fight.

"We met at Oniwaya bus stop at Agege, Lagos. I never knew she was like this because she appeared to be well behaved until I married her.

"It was later I discovered that she is troublesome and loves to fight. There is no one she can't fight. She doesn't even have respect for my family, not to talk of myself," he said.

He cited an instance where his wife fought him and hit him on the head with a stick, after which he collapsed.

"People started pouring water on my head. When I regained consciousness, I went to the hospital and before I returned, she had packed her belongings and moved out of the house with the children.

I just need this court to grant me custody of my children," he appealed to the court.

However, Hannah insisted that it was her husband

who had problems and that he was the one who threw her belongings out of the house. She then told the court that she is ready to divorce her husband too, only if he would divorce her and the children collectively.

"I gave birth to four children for him but he claimed the first three children and denied being the father of the last child, claiming that it was because I didn't let him touch me for two years. Since that time, he has never taken responsibility for the child's welfare.

"If he wants to divorce me, he should divorce me and the children, because I can't leave my children for him. I am the one who knows how I care for my children. He does not care, so he can't care for them like I do. I stay in my parents' home with my four children.

I want him to assume his responsibilities as the father of the children according to his capacity," she pleaded with the court in tears.

The ruling read by the court president, P. A. Williams, stated that, "since the court has tried her best to reconcile them but all efforts proved abortive, the couple should come back on the adjourned date for judgement."

Wedding Traditions

The Crowning of the Couple: Russia

I

n Russia, only civil ceremonies are considered official.

Couples hoping to have a religious ceremony must also have a civil one. They apply to the Department of Registration of Civil Statuses to be allowed to have a wedding.

Once the application is complete, couples must wait one month before the actual ceremony.

In those religious ceremonies, if the bride and groom are a traditional Orthodox couple, they are crowned as royalty for

the day. They stand on a special carpet to recite their vows, but before doing so, the couple races to the carpet. The winner is often considered the head of the household.

Russians have multiple ways of testing who will be the head of the household.

Couples share the wedding loaf known as the Karavay, and whoever takes the biggest bite is considered head of the family.

Courtesy: Business Insider.

Unfortunately, the expenses of possible surgery lead me to keep searching for other information and treatments.

I’ve spent time researching to distract myself from the pain and rampant preoccupation with sexualizing everything I touched. On Reddit, women discussed first experiencing symptoms of PGAD as adults, just like me. There were a few who had had it much longer. One girl told her mother she started feeling it when she was just 5 years old, to which her mother replied, “Oh, I’ve had that all my life!”

Suddenly, this horrible affliction didn’t seem so terrifying; it seemed more common and treatable than any of the sensationalist news stories would have me believe.

I’ve been terrified to talk about this publicly. Primarily, I realize how far-fetched it sounds and, after suffering mental illness for decades, I’ve learned how difficult it is to find support when people believe I am fabricating symptoms to garner attention.

Additionally, I was afraid my friends would distance themselves in fear I’d voraciously attack them or their spouses. Alternatively, I became paranoid that someone might take advantage of my raging libido, and I began to dress to hide my body so I wouldn’t attract attention to it.

Agoraphobia wasn’t the only reason I started staying at home; riding in cars became a discomfort I was quick to eschew.

If I need to drive anywhere farther than 15 minutes away, I do so with ice in my lap.

Over time, I’ve discovered ways to keep the discomfort to a minimum. I started taking herbs and homeopathic remedies and practicing yoga daily to tackle the tension. I found that cardio provides enormous relief to the swelling as it draws the blood from my groin back out to my limbs.

Also, keeping both my mind and hands occupied makes me forget about it almost completely, so when I’m not writing, I’m busy getting all my ironing or crafting done while I catch up on all those movies I missed in theaters.

I’m practically a superhero, propelled by my indefatigable vagina!

Excitingly, sometimes all of the symptoms will vanish, and my body will suddenly relax into a neutral state for arbitrary amounts of time. I’m able to dress comfortably and enjoy basic tactile sensations without my eyes rolling back into my head in arousal. During these breaks, I have the luxury of achieving orgasm with the normal amount of passion and euphoric release afterward.

However, even on the worst days, I have never considered ending my life over this.

It breaks my heart that Gretchen Molannen didn’t have the same access to support and medical information as I do, but I deeply admire her courage in being among the first to speak publicly about it.

With so many available resources like her story and the public commentary, I was immediately reassured I’d find adequate treatment and could tackle it head-on without shame or denial.

Things do not have to end the way they did for Molannen, and I’m ok publicly laughing about catching myself jerking off if it’ll open others up to having this conversation for themselves or women they love who may suffer in silence. That I have always been comfortable talking about my body and my sexuality has been of enormous benefit; many experts surmise that, of the thousands of women who suffer from PGAD, only about 60 percent have discussed it with a medical professional.

I’m not a freak. I’m not a nymphomaniac, a sex addict, or even a seductress. I’m just a woman with a physical disorder who deserves to be respected and treated with care like anyone else suffering an illness.

That can’t be too much to ask.

Travel&Tourism ON SATURDAY Destination From Sao Paulo to Brasilia p.42

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

www.newtelegraphonline.com/travel

Chef's Corner ‘I'm living my dream as a cook' p.41

ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA, EDITOR, TRAVEL AND TOURISM iroandy@ymail.com

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

12 JULY 2014

39

HOSPITALITY

Westown Hotel An ingenuous ride to reckoning It may not have announced its entry with a buzz, but Westown Hotel, in Ikeja has gradually grown its reputation through some ingenuity built on service, writes ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA

F

OR visitors to this Lagos–based hotel, what first catches your imagination is its picturesque and architectural appeal, essentially deriving from the creative use of space to deliver a good concept.

Then, of course, the spell is unbroken as the visitor walks through the door into the real world of Westown Hotel. You find on parade some gobsmacking quality and sophistication from its waiting lounge, rooms, bar, restaurant to the penthouse.

Just name it, Westown offers a blend of suffusing colours and luxury.

The hotel is designed to cater to the needs of the corporate market with luxury accommodation, four star dining as well as state of the art conferencing, training, executive meeting facilities and corporate events with an exclusive collection of rooms, suites and food and beverage facilities offering guests personalized service. It would appear that no effort has been spared to infuse the facilities with elegantly decorated and impeccable decor.

Accommodation The hotel boasts 82 rooms and suites, spacious and all elegantly styled in Victorian mode with well-apportioned facilities for the guests' delight. The different classes of rooms and suites include - Superior and Deluxe room, Junior, Executive, Loft, Governor, Diplomatic and Presidential suites. Some of the amenities are air- con-

Hotel's facade

ditioning, flat screen LCD TV with DSTV and local channels, high speed Internet access, WI-FI Internet access, complimentary tea/coffee-making facilities and work desk with lamp.

Dining/wining Westown Hotel offers rich dining and wining experience in its cushy Ose Restaurant that offers continental, international and Nigerian cuisine. There is also Aroy-Dee offering a blend of theme gourmets, which include authentic Thai and Chinese cuisine with executive chef Tason from Thailand at your beck and call.

While for the best of classic and vintage wines and diverse liquors, 10 Bar, an exclusive lounge bar and Sandpit, a rooftop – based pool and snack bar are the happenings to visit. Well packaged Sunday brunch offering rich menu set is also in the offing at the hotel.

Leisure Different packages are available, especially at nights, weekends, festive and public holidays. You can also enjoy a good swim at the hotel’s roof top pool with ample sit–out area to unwind and sun-bathe.

Conference The hotel offers six distinctly furnished and fitted conference and banqueting halls,

Waiting lounge

which caters for different conferences, business meetings and social events of either small or large number. Besides the array of equipment, there are dedicated and professionally trained staff attending to every of your conference/meeting needs.

Other services The hotel cites a 24-hour effective

and efficient security system as a major feature. It also runs a 24-hour room service every day of the week; laundry and dry cleaning services; free parking; business centre; daily secretarial services; techno gym fitness and wellness centre; Wifi internet connectivity; multilingual staff and shuttle services.

NEW TELEGRAPH PARTNER HOTELS BENEFITS

FESTAC, LAGOS

PARKVIEW ESTATE, IKOYI, LAGOS

LAGOS

There are lots of benefits to derive as one of our partner hotels. For enquiries and details on how to join the programme, please contact Andrew Iro Okungbowa: 08023152195 (sms only), e-mail: iroandy@ymail.com or Chinyere Opara: 08063768131 (sms only) e-mail angela_curtis-2@live.com

40 TRAVEL&TOURISM CHEF’S CORNER ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA recalls an encounter with Mrs. Beatrice Oguntuase at the recent Nigerian Food and Cultural Fair in Abuja where she speaks of her journey as a caterer and instructor.

H

ER professionalism was obvious in the manner she directed affairs at the NIHOTOUR’s stand.

That plus her matronly disposition helped ensure that everything went according to schedule and that the guests were all attended to satisfactorily.

For three days, Mrs. Beatrice Oguntuase and her ladies held sway, entertaining the people with sumptuous meals of different types from Nigeria’s diverse culinary experience. The occasion was the recent Nigerian Food and Cultural Fair organised by the National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) in Abuja.

In the midst of the celebration one sought an audience with Oguntuase where she took one through her career path as a trained caterer. (HND – Hotel and Catering Management; Post graduate diploma in Management and MBA in Management) She gushed how fulfilled she felt being a cook, which she says is much like living her dream. ‘‘I was interested in either being a nurse or caterer and fate made it possible for me to be admitted into Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi,’’ she recounts.

With a hotel and catering management degree in her kitty, the next stop for her was the compulsory one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme at the end of which she was employed by AG Leventis. ‘‘They specifically requested for me while I was still in the camp because they needed an industrial caterer and they were able to convince me to come and work with them,’’ she noted.

Thus began her catering profession as she was posted to Sunvit Farm in Agenebode, Edo State. At the end of her service year, she was retained by the company and for six years she had a blossoming stint and thereafter requested for a posting to Leventis Stores in Kaduna, so she could join her husband who was living and working in Kaduna then.

Following the closure of the Leventis Group, she got employment with NIHOTOUR in their Bagauda, Kano campus and worked there as senior instructor until last year when she was transferred to the Abuja headquarters of the institute. Oguntuase ‘‘Right now I am the co-coor-

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JUly 2014

‘I'm living my dream as a cook' dinator of Tailor Made programme in the department of hospitality,’’ she said. ‘‘The way some people view the course, they look at it as if the course is for frustrated people. I do hear some people say catering is just to learn about how to cook; but catering is more than that,’’ she says adding that ‘‘because if you know the courses that are involved in reading catering then you would know that is not just for anybody or anyone that is not intelligent.’’

What then does catering entails? ‘‘You have to know about chemistry, about biology and you will have to study food microbiology, food technology, food sanitation and many more.

So the food or cooking aspect is just a single course.

It is not a course for the l a z y ones; it is a very challenging course."

Starwood loyalty programme leads the pack The area manager of Starwood Hotels Nigeria, Barry Curran, has adjudged Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) initiative as the best hotel loyalty programme worldwide. Curran made this disclosure during the flag-off of SPG week recently at the Lagos Sheraton Hotel and Towers.

Curran who also doubles as the general manager of the Lagos Sheraton said Starwood’s SPG is for the company's most loyal guests anywhere in the world.

"Today's event is all week. We are celebrating our SPG which is our loyalty programme within Starwood Hotels worldwide. It

has been in existence for 15 years and it has been recognised as the best hotel loyalty programme everywhere around the globe," Curran explained.

He said it was a great coincidence that the company launched her week during the 2014 World Cup at Brazil.

Also, he stressed that Nigeria was undoubtedly one of the strongest markets in Africa.

"We all know that Nigeria has taken over as number one in Africa in terms of economy and I don’t see reason we should not continue to dominate the hotel's busi-

But she is not happy about the fact that the hospitality industry teems with quacks and untrained professionals. She also denounced many of the organisation's lack of commitment to training their personnel. An absence of that, she said, might result in service delivery being compromised. ‘‘Another problem is that most of the people in the catering business are not real professionals and so they the run it their own way and they don’t follow the ethics of the profession. For the sake of the industry let the training continue and we pray that it would move forward because it is one of the biggest industries in the world in terms of job opportunities.’’

Oguntuase argues that there is no better time than now to pay more attention to the industry. ‘‘It is like a mother industry having too

numerous children; so this industry should not die, especially now that we are having unrest in the country. If everyone has something doing I think the society would be a better one.’’

Her admonition to youths, particularly unemployed graduates, is not to simply bemoan their fate. She would love to see them become creative and engage in one area of hospitality. ‘‘If it is moin moin that you know how to make then make it well and go round the offices and see whether you won’t get money. ‘‘Or if it is bean cake that you know how to make then make it well; let the professional touch be there and they will know that this is akara with a difference. And if it is suya that you know how to make then make it well and see what is going to happen,’’ she said, adding that the Kano State government recently set up a catering and hospitality school, which has made unemployed youths to be productively engaged in the food sector.

Promoting indigenous cuisine According to her, the reason for the food fair was to appreciate Nigeria's indigenous food, given her conviction that the current crave for western food by Nigerians is not healthy. ‘‘I advise that we go back. People are ashamed to eat their local food. Why should that be? You shouldn’t be ashamed of your food because those foods would do your body more good than the junk meal that you buy at fast food restaurants. That is what brought about the idea of this food fair.’’

To drive home this message, her team throughout the three-day fair cooked and showcased indigenous food from the country's six geo-political zones to the delight of the audience. For instance, some of the foods displayed were: South-south - Ishapa with pounded yam; gbegiri with amala and ewedu soup; edikang ekong with garri; banga with starch.

From South-east were Isi Ewu; oha and ogazi soups; from the North-east kunun tsanya; from the North-central was pateu acho and from North-west were Tuwo Shinkafa da miayn taushe.

TRAVEL BEATS

ness in Nigeria and grow from strength to strength."

Also speaking at the event, the hotel’s public relations officer, Deborah Benjamin, noted that the programme was an opportunity to recognise their loyal customers. "SPG is members’ beneficial special programme and this week has been dedicated particularly to SPG guests.

It works in an amazing way. The first is to register as an SPG guest and the good thing is registration is free. Afterwards, you need to stay in the hotel. So, for every two dollars you spend, you have one point."

ANJET gets new executive body

THE Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers of Tourism (ANJET) last week elected and inaugurated a new national executive council, which has been mandated to pilot the affairs of the association for the next two years.

The new leadership chaired by Mr. Nseobong Ekong of Thisday took over from the caretaker committee headed by Mr. Okorie Uguru. Other members of the new council include Mr. Wale Olapade, secretary; Franklin Iherijika, vice president; Jane Ojukwu, public relations officer and Mr. Bimbo

L-R: Jane Ojukwu, Public Relation Officer, Nsebong Ekong, President, Franklin Ihejirika, Vice President, Wale Olapade, Secretary and Bimbo Johnson, Treasurer/financial secretary taking the oath of office after the election Johnson as treasurer and financial secretary.

After the peaceful conduct of the election, which was supervised by the executive secretary of the National Association of Nigerian

Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mr. Sylvester Elabor, Uguru charged the new leadership to be focused, forthright and pursue the vision and mission of the tourism writers body with dedication.

TRAVEL&TOURISM

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JUly 2014

TRAVEL PERSONALITY For Barrister Ifunanya Acholonu, the campaign against the wasteful and destructive habits of Nigerians when it comes to the country’s almost extinct cultural and historical heritage is a life-time commitment, as she tells ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA of the works of her Save Our Treasure Heritage Foundation (SOTHF).

M

ANY Nigerians and even the government are on the high street with no one apparently sparing a thought for the almost extinct diverse and rich cultural and historical heritage of the country, which ought to inspire a thriving tourism industry and serve as fountain of knowledge for generations unborn.

But for the likes of Barrister Ifunanya Acholonu, reversing this dangerous trend and drawing Nigerians attention to the importance, particularly the urgency of preserving and promoting the country’s heritage least we become a society without a tangible material to remind us of our past, is a mouthful task and perhaps a battle that must be taken to all the nook and cranny of the country.

To take on this daunting and unsolicited job headlong, Acholonu sometime in August last year set up a foundation, called Save Our Treasures Heritage Foundation.

She says, “SOTHF is a tourism-based organisation whose objective is to help promote domestic tourism. It means that we want to encourage Nigerians to appreciate their history and heritage and we also want to see how we can seek out ways of encouraging our various governments, especially state governments on capitalising on tourism as a major income earner and job creation opportunities for the people.”

When asked how far she has gone with this campaign? She responds, “We haven’t gone far but we are picking up gradually and looking for the best way to see that our objectives are taken to the extent that we can for now,” adding, “we are looking at capitalising on the media to reach to the people, and our basic forum right now is using the social media, basically Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

“We have been receiving favourable comments and encouragement from Nigerians who see what we do because we travel to various parts of the country and we post our videos, pictures and write ups and we receive good reviews from Nigerians who are encouraged to travel to those places.”

On what inspired this dream project? She attributes it to her fascination with Nigeria historical and cultural heritage and of her

41

Ifunanya Acholonu: Nigeria not doing enough to promote its tourism potential visit to Versailles in France and how enamoured she was by it. “Personally, I have always been enticed by our tourism potential; I have always been intrigued and fascinated by our diverse cultures, our heritage, our history, our books, arts and crafts.

“But what prompted me to set up this organisation was that when I travelled to France in 2012, I visited quite a number of their heritage sites, especially the place they called Versailles in France and I noticed that this place has deep historical connection.

But more than that Acholonu adds, “I also noticed that a long trail of people come to visit this place because of its historical advantage and people pay money to see this monument. I said to myself we don’t only have one Versailles in Nigeria but we have a whole lots of heritage assets and why can’t we see the advantage that we can get from this tourism assets and develop them and even make money for the country.”

With that experience and the thought of the rot visited on our historical and cultural materials, Acholonu decided to birth her foundation. “So that was what encouraged me to set up my foundation and even though I haven’t gone far but I am not holding back. I am going to do my best with my foundation to see how far I can go with promoting domestic tourism,” she intones of her project.

Although she acknowledges the high volume of both cultural and historical assets of the country, however, her foundation is devoted to preserving and promoting the historical assets.

The initiator of SOTHF informs that she is not too pleased with past ef-

I have always been intrigued and fascinated by our diverse cultures, our heritage, our history, our books, arts and crafts forts by government agencies in the preservation and promotion of these assets but currently, she points out that efforts are being made to do so now.

“If you go to Ghana today, tourism is its third foreign earner and if you go to Tanzania tourism accounts for 50 per cent of their foreign exchange earning capacity. So why don’t we capitalise on this sector and see how far we can go with it?”

She laments that the country has not taken advantage of her various assets to build a viable tourism industry, particularly at the state levels. “No, we have not done enough because I have been to a number of states actually. Go to Edo State they have the Benin Moats and those walls were dug centuries ago for defence but if you go to Benin today those walls are no longer there as they have been abandoned and turned into refuse dumps but this wouldn’t have obtained in developed countries which know the value of tourism assets,” says Acholonu.

But

wait for this litany of lamentations: “Go to Niger State, I went to Gurara Falls about two weeks ago, my dear you will cry when you go there. I went to Zungeru in Niger State too, Zungeru is a place that has enormous historical potential when it comes to our colonial history but everything is on foundation level except for few buildings, which don’t have so much significance. All those offices like Lord Lugard and most of those colonial offices are no longer there.

“Ojukwu (late Odumegwu Emeka Ojukwu) and Zik (Late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe) were born there and I didn’t even see their houses, they are all on foundation levels. I didn’t think that we realise the potential that lies in tourism. There is so much that we can gain. But if Nigerians cannot appreciate the value for the sake of prosperity then at least we should appreciate the economic value.”

Since nothing good comes easy, funding her NGO from her meagre salary has been a herculean task. Hence, she is seeking for the assistance of the government and wellmeaning Nigerians for her dream of taking the tourism industry to a glorious height.

“But Save Our Treasures Foundation is trying to do its bit but we need help, we need support to enable us to promote these objectives. Save Our Treasures Foundation was developed out of my own financial capability but we need help in terms of travelling because we travel a lot. Besides, travelling logistics, the organisation also needs funding to set up a proper office as it currently operates from public outlets and funding to pay salaries and wages among others.

She is also looking forward to endorsement and collaboration with the Federal Ministry of culture, tourism and national orientation and other government agencies as well as private organisations which share the vision of her foundation.

“It is now left to Nigerians because we need support and if we don’t get support I will continue to use my meagre resources to promote it and it won’t go far. So, the future is on Nigerians, they are the ones that would propel this project to move on.

So if they think there is potential in it let them come out to support us,” she pleas as she preens to the future.

BACKGROUND Ifunanya Acholonu is from Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State and born to a surgeon, Dr. Douglas Acholonu, and late Professor Catherine Acholonu. Her mother who died in March 18 this year, was also a renowned writer and pre-historic archaeological researcher who did quite a lot to bring to light some of the country’s historical assets. Her seminal work on Ikom Monoliths in Ikom, Cross River State, bears testimony to her devotion to tourism.

Although it appears she wants to continue in her mother’s stead, she explained that she is just pursuing her dream even if it is seen as carrying on her mother’s legacy, which she says is not a bad idea if she can surpass it.

She reveals that her tourism push was supported and encouraged by her mother and that both of them were contemplating working together on a project shortly before she passed on. But with her demise now, she is more than ever committed to her dream.

...at atourist site in Nigeria

Acholonu

...on a boat cruise

42 TRAVEL&TOURISM

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JUly 2014

DESTINATION

Monument to the Independence of Brazil, Sao Paulo

From Sao Paulo to Brasilia

Paulo while some others joined us in Campinas, about 90 minutes away from Sao Paulo. Most of them have a good knowledge of Nigerian football. A man who sat very close to me was with his wife and they both had Nigerian jerseys. They were excited to meet Nigerian journalists and for over an hour he was discussing football with me and mentioning the likes of Nwankwo Kanu, Austin Okocha and George Finidi.

Covering the World Cup entailed traversing major cities. ADEKUNLE SALAMI, who is covering the World Cup in Brazil that rounds off tomorrow chronicles that experience

P

Bus station ortuguese Tiete is the location of the bus station, very close to the Santana area of Sao Paulo. The place is just two train stops to my base. It is a major metro train stop and so it’s very big. You go underground and also go up through escalators to get to your destination. In the big environment, some people are going towards the "saida" (exit) while some are changing metro lanes and some others are heading for the bus station. I was shocked that the station is just like an international airport. Very clean and so orderly with about 80 gates as entry points. In Brasilia, there are taxi parks, bus points and metro points for people just arriving from various destinations.

Ticket sales and the buses You buy tickets also within the Portuguese Tiete station. There are various routes, various timing for the tickets. Once you see your destination on the board you can approach the counter for your tickets. Buses move every hour but on match day in a venue the buses were moving every 30 minutes with full passengers. At the ticket point, you are told about the duration of the trip and other information you need to know.

The buses are big Marcopolo buses, very new with good tyres.

The one I entered is a 42-seater and I thought it was comfortable until the journey began. The bus was dancing over the road in top

speed. I tried to complain but was advised to be calm. I guess I was just not used to the big bus. I last entered such over 15 years ago when I was covering the Nigerian league as a reporter. A colleague said I was too used to the comfort of my kind of cars.

Road network The roads are generally good in Brazil. That of Sao Paulo to Brasilia is not an exception. It is over 70 percent one way but very narrow towards the capital.

There is a bridge for long distance travellers to fly over every difficult situation and to avoid traffic. Throughout the long trip there was no traffic in anyway because for every vehicle connecting to the next city, there is a route different from the general one for those going ahead. Road signs are also all over to further guide motorists appropriately.

Distance, stoppages and drivers The journey between Sao Paulo to Brasilia by road is 15 solid hours. I am not sure I have done so ever in life. The longest for me has been Lagos-Abuja or Lagos-the East and all has been under eight to ten hours. I paid 250 Reais, about $130 for the trip (one way). There are three stoppages for people to stretch legs, eat or get drinks on the way. At each stop, another driver will take charge of the vehicle just to ensure there is no fatigue. The first stop is just 30 minutes, the second is one hour and the third stop is another 30 minutes. The aim is to gener-

Supreme Federal Court building, Brasilia

ally ease pressure on the travellers and perhaps to make the journey less stressful.

Landmarks, landscapes and farming I was so curious to know Brazil more with this trip. I was looking right and left to appreciate the beautiful sights in the country. No doubt, there were plenty of big shops, super marts, car marts on the way. The landscape too is pleasant to the eyes. The vehicle took us through over two hour

drive without any sign of a building at a point. Some parts were heavy shrub and others had signs of farming. I saw corn and cotton plantations just about four hours to Brasilia. They also engage in cattle rearing in some parts and I was so shocked to note that.

Football travellers Many Brazilians are football crazy. In the vehicle, more than half of the passengers were going to Brasilia for the match between Nigeria and France. I met some from our take off point in Sao

Under the sheets There were two passengers in the vehicle that were in there own world. Because I was not sleeping, I was able to observe was going on in the vehicle and note some interesting sights. The very first two seats in from had a young guy and his girlfriend.

They covered themselves with a single blanket and were doing all ‘sorts’ under the sheets. They talk; they laugh and moan all under the blanket. While some people were snoring late in the night at about 2am local time in Brazil, the lovers were kissing and moaning seriously. I was awake out of fear and also the curiosity to see places not to be disturbed by the lovers under the sheets. I wanted to see their faces but at the last stop they did not leave the vehicle at the last stop. All others weren’t down but they remained under the sheets but obviously sleeping then. I only saw them shortly before we got to Brasilia. They are very young Brazilians and should be in early 20s.

Bad roads to capital Just about two hours to Brasilia, I observed that the road was so narrow and it became a two-way road. The road was also bad without traffic light as darkness enveloped the entire place. For once, I thought I was on a Nigerian road.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JUly 2014

TRAVEL&TOURISM

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TRAVEL TIPS

The importance of travel for your health

Night view of Sao Paulo

Sao Paulo Carnival

Museu Paulista, Sao Paulo

The Brasilia Shopping, situated in Brasilia

Good-will Temple, Brasilia

Again there were hills to ascend and the driver had to increase speed in a road that is not smooth. It was a bad experience which some snoring passengers did not even know about. It is bad that such road leads to the capital of Brazil.

In Brasilia but...

I was surprised that there was no major sign to welcome a passenger to Brasilia. No landmark or anything to signify that one has just entered the capital of Brazil. A signpost could be okay but there was not just that the roads were good and other structures around showed that we are in the capital. Some of the passengers in the vehicle for the Nigerian match came to Nigerian journalists for photographs, autographs and all. Brazilians somehow love Nigerians I don’t know why and this manifested during the match.

Telecoms charges differ When we entered Brasilia, we noted that the charges of telecoms were higher. While receiving, they charge heavily and while making calls they still charge. It was later we learnt that the code of the state differs and when you use mobile phone across country codes, you are to pay heavily. At a point, I had to put off my phone till we returned to Sao Paulo, where I had registered my line and was used to their charges.

Between Sao Paulo and Brasilia Brasilia, Rio and Sao Paulo are the three biggest cities in Brazil. Rio was the former capital and Brasilia is the current capital. For Sao Paulo, it is the commercial nerve centre of the South American country. Sao Paulo and Brasilia is like Lagos and Abuja. SP has many top companies, headquarters of many organisations but Brasilia is the seat of government. The power base of the country. In nature Brasilia is a very quiet place but Sao Paulo is the home for all. Some places are quiet while many other are very volatile with police all over the place. For example, Republican area is like down town where many bad guys do ‘their thing’ and ladies of the night also ply their trade.

Palacio do Alvorada, Brasilia

Theatro Municipal, Sao Paulo

LOOKING for yet another reason to offer a travel incentive in your business? How about this one? Travel is good for the health of your employees. In fact, according to the BBC, “Workers who take time off are more productive, have higher morale and are less likely to mentally ‘check out’ on the job. They also report less stress and burnout.” Fox News also reported that men and women who vacation regularly are at less risk for heart disease or a heart attack.

So what is it about travel that benefits the health of your employees?

Travel makes you well-rounded as an individual: Learning about new cultures expands the mind thereby helping your mental health.

Travel helps your personal relationships: Giving your employees the chance to take a break from the daily grind and reconnect with their families helps their emotional and mental health.

Taking a break means resting: This helps your employees’ physical and mental health. No one can go non-stop 24/7 without eventually breaking down. Giving your employees a trip provides them a wonderful stress-free break.

Travel generally means being more active and being active can boost immunity.

Typically travel is a major goal for people and having the opportunity to cross certain destinations off of an employee’s bucket list benefits their mental health.

All the good feelings associated with travel carry over when the employee gets back to work. They come back mentally, emotionally and physically refreshed and excited about the prospect of working towards another vacation. The best part is if they took pictures on the trip they can use those to remember how good they felt on vacation recharging them throughout the time until their next trip. *Tammy Levent is a public speaker, business consultant and entrepreneur

What is jet lag? continueD from LAST week

Museum of the Portuguese Language, Sao Paulo

Juscelino Kubitschek bridge, Brasilia

Take a hot bath before bedtime A bath can ease sore muscles from travel and help you relax and wind down. The drop in your body temperature when you get out of a bath may also make you sleepy.

Minimize sleep distractions An eye mask or earplugs may help you sleep on the plane and at your destination.

Try to eliminate distractions in your room at bedtime, such as light shining in through a window.

Consider medication It’s usually not necessary to get treatment for jet lag, but if these strategies don’t work for you, your doctor may prescribe or suggest medications to take temporarily to help you sleep or stay alert when necessary.

Advice for frequent fliers If you fly frequently and jet lag is a problem, consider seeing a sleep specialist – a physician or psychologist who has specialized training in sleep medicine. “There are a number of ways that sleep specialists can help with shifting your body’s circadian rhythm toward your new time zone, such as with light therapy, melatonin, or prescription medication that can help with jet lag symptoms,” Siebern says.

CONCLUDED

Short Story NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

Writer in focus:

CHIKA JUDE UGWUODO

08165168039

12 JULY 2014

I

Patriot of Anarchy

had begun to feel immensely frustrated. A condition which arose from the despicable fact that we had been moving for almost two hours on a virtually endless sojourn.

Along a tiny irregular path buried deep within the bosom of a densely populated forest constrained by two armed leaders into a single perfect cue, about ten of us walked. I shuttled between sinking deep in thought and looking around in appreciation of the wonders of creation, the fascinating forest biome of Borno, NorthEast of Nigeria.

"We are here," one of the militants who had led us to the vicinity said. I regarded him for a moment, noticing his scraggly bearded jaw and lips darker than coal.

We were urged towards a small bungalow which stretched over a few meters on land and possessed a sort of aesthetic and antiquated quality.

It was really a dungeon of darknessthe much sought after Boko Haram territory. I imagined recklessly the ungodly exploits this terror group had achieved in the past- using their weaponry to mail souls to the great beyond; those of helpless unsuspecting Nigerians.

What drove me into this den of fearless and ruthless souls? I asked myself impulsively under a sudden wave of undesirable feeling of guilt. For the umpteenth time, I recounted my ills.

After battling tremendous financial constraints and enduring the enormous vigours of schooling for four years, I had graduated into the populous cadre of the unemployed. I had fantasized about getting a job as soon as possible and transgressing subsequently into a life of opulence. After five years, I resigned to fate, drastically unappealing in every sense of the word. Then came the opportunity of a life time- agitate the polity, maim innocent souls in exchange for a handsome reward.

This promised to be a life changer and the pressure to dabble into it without a second thought was compelling. Through impeccable criminal sources, my acquaintances, I had learned of the sect’s sordid intentions to extend their bloody campaigns to the south eastern region of Nigeria, something we had lived in anticipation of since the onslaught began in 2009. I deemed the risk worth taking and met a representative who led me in on the logistics and parted with the sum of ten thousand naira which he had termed an appetizer. My resolve was reinforced and as I walked home from that meeting with wads of naira notes in my pocket, I endorsed Satanism with a threatening air of enthusiasm.

Back to the terrorist camp.

We waited a few more minutes before a fully clad man walked in briskly from the back door in the company of a handful of men.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting." I saw his forehead crease apologetically. He continued speaking. "No need to waste more time." He looked at his watch and announced: "It's almost 6:00pm. So listen with rapt attention. Let me first of all congratulate you for making this decision to join Allah’s army in its holy quest to restore sanctity in a desecrated land. Allah will eternally be grateful."

From the way he sounded, it seemed to me as if his tongue clung unto his roof of his mouth restricting its free movement.

When he spoke again, it was in a commanding tone. "Take these two" He pointed his left index finger at two of my colleagues. "They are not ready for

44

44

Scene of a recent blast in Kano

this," he added almost immediately. My heart throbbed and just then strong arms whisked them away with no hesitation.

Few seconds later, we heard growling sounds; strong, penetrating screams of labored breathing and what followed- silence!

"Jesus…" I muttered, shivering uncontrollably and struggling to hide away my misted eyes. They were dead…. I knew and the fear of this was overwhelming.

In a paroxysm of desperation to hold on, I tightened my lips and looked up.

His voice invaded my thoughts and I listened with keen interest.

‘Everything is wrong with this country.

You have accepted to join the war and I can promise you the best compensation.'

He spoke at length giving us details of the operation.

Before he left, he introduced himself as Musa Ibrahim and his portfolio as the Director of recruitment, Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnah Ladda’awatihwal-jihad, the group we know as Boko Haram.

The lieutenants he left behind took us through sessions of tactical training. We were taught how to handle and arm explosive devices theoretically and by practical exercises. Throughout this period, we loosened up and enjoyed the thrill of the drill. The training was brought to a halt at about 9:00pm in the night and it was announced that what was to follow was bonfire dance. My excitement grew as we walked outside to initiate the merrymaking.

We, the recruits sat around a massive flame produced by logs of firewood while the militants danced around singing songs composed in Hausa and making shrill sounds of solidarity. This went on for a while and when it stopped, it was in response to the demand of empty stomachs.

We slept outside and woke up the next morning.

After cleaning up and changing into new clothes provided by our benefactors, our training resumed in the thick of the jungle, more serious than the previous.

The subjects of the exercises included beating security checks, camouflage, robbery, assault and physical combat.

I deemed the risk worth taking and met a representative who led me in on the logistics and parted with the sum of ten thousand naira which he had termed an appetizer Finally for the day, we were told our places of assignment and given a week only to deliver the messages of ruin to unsuspecting citizens.

2:00pm in the afternoon of the next day, I was aboard a commercial vehicle heading towards God’s Own State, as Abia was so called. My luggage oozing of unnoticeable death was stacked somewhere in the trunk of the car and I sat at the back in order to keep watch.

The journey nearly suffered a hitch when not long after we had arrived the state, a crop of policemen doggedly waved our vehicle down. The tires of the car screeched and the ignition went off.

My gaze moved from my luggage to the policeman who had started peering into the vehicle and I felt an inevitable irritation. I tried to hide from his prying eyes by looking away and maintaining a vacuous expression and just then heard him say something to the driver. I listened.

"Oga we don settle oo. Abeg!" the driver pleaded in response and I watched his face from the side window tighten into a soliciting frown.

"But something dey smell bad here."

"Oga, maybe person dey carry shit for him bag. Na the smell be dat," I quickly added audibly.

There was a round of laughter which the policeman partook in and after that he let us off the entanglement swearing on my stupidity as we left. I heaved a sigh

of relief.

A week later, almost all of us were back at the Maiduguri base having successfully completed the ‘operation blast the SouthEast’. One of us was blown into shreds as a result of wrong execution and we wished his soul a warm reception in the Creator's bosom. The media was rife with news of bomb blasts across major cities of the country and pictures of dismembered lifeless bodies decorated newspaper front pages. Anthems of sorrow were sung across the black nation but as usual, the disaster sooner than later became history.

When I came back to Enugu days later, it was to the warm embrace and reception of my family. The money I had would have changed my life but extravagance which suddenly become my second skin threw the money away with the wind. Six million naira went down the drain!

On a fateful day, my uncle visited from the village with news; ugly in every sense of the word and which nearly ended my miserable stay on earth. Luke, my elder and only brother was dead.

"How?" I asked impetuously while the tears gathered.

"Bomb blast victim in Abia." It dropped from my uncle’s mouth like a virtual bullet aimed at my heart.

I put my trembling hands to my head and gave a wild ringing scream; the cry of desolation. For a few moments after, I stood motionless: but the cry had relieved me from the first overwhelming pressure of truth. I tottered towards the door trying with struggling effort to avoid an outburst. But few minutes later, my legs relapsed and I collapsed roughly.

Seven years ago, Luke, on a federal government scholarship, had travelled across the border to read medicine in UK. He had overstayed and we were worried. But when he eventually came back, I snuffed the life out of him; ending my hopes of ever leaving the dark shadows of abject poverty. I came very close to running mad after recovery and since then, I lived, eagerly envisaging the embrace of the cold hands of death to whisk me away from my world of despair. It abandoned me!

Presidency behind Edo Assembly crisis –APC p.46 Crisis caused by Oshiomhole’s failure, says PDP p.47

POLITICS ON SATURDAY

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

www.newtelegraphonline.com/politics

12 JUNE 2014

45

A delegate to the National Conference and member Board of Trustees of defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Engr. Buba Galadima tells LOUIS ACHI and ONWUKA NZESHI about the confab’s allegedly sinister agendas.

The national conference is about wrapping up. What were the expectations you came with?

Frankly speaking, I was dragged to this conference. So in actual sense, whatever I do is reacting to situations as they arise.

Whoever tells you from some part of the north that he came here with any agenda is wrong. I know of some people from the Middle Belt who had been meeting with organizers of this conference. It was until their position was firmed up that they went to meet the president, promising that they will get him what he wants. Unfortunately the whole thing is crumbling to pieces. Components of them did not get what they wanted and neither were they able to get the president what they promised to deliver to him.

Who dragged you here?

The Presidency; we were dragged in because President Jonathan and I opposed this conference vehemently until Jonathan made a U-turn. I also made a U-turn and came here purposely. If there is any false information about me, I straighten the records, so that posterity will now come to judge if I record my position. So that is what we have been doing so far. We thought there was a hidden agenda and we spoke that there was a hidden agenda.

But people said no. The hidden agendas are now open. We were dragged in to increase the allocation of 13% to the oil producing communities.

This is one of the hidden agendas. Secondly, we were dragged in here to propose a six-year term for Jonathan. That has failed.

We were dragged in to propose a new constitution so that it will enable Jonathan run for a third term.

That has not yet seen the light of day. We were dragged in here to propose and circumvent the National Assembly by proposing a referendum. That, as I am talking to you now, has not properly scaled through.

These were the hidden agendas for the conference which are now clearly out for anybody with proper eyes like me to see.

Who would, you say, authored this hidden agenda?

The proponents of the conference; somebody must have convened this conference; somebody must have been paying for what I didn’t have for the last 20 years to us.

So he who

The hidden agendas of the national conference have failed – Buba Galadima

pays the piper dictates the tune.

By the time this conference rounds up next week will you say this exercise has been a success, has it achieved anything?

It is a success for one reason - that we were able to continue to talk, from the time we started up to now.This is a big success because nobody, including myself, ever thought this conference will scale past one week. But here we are as Nigerians. We talk as if the country is going to break tomorrow and we hug each other in the morning. Two conferences are going on now in Nigeria, one the National conference, the other one the conference deploying IEDs and AK-47s But there is an assumption this is the preferred conference. But from the verdict you have given now, it is neither here nor there.

I said we came here for a purpose and that purpose has not been defeated because whoever that put in a proposal we were able to counter or support. That we are still talking is very important. It is better to jaw-jaw than to war-war.

You were seen at the plenary the other day shouting and demanding for votes. Why were you pitching for voting so vehemently?

I have been a democrat all my life. I can’t change here and democracy means you are allowed to say what you want to say, provided you don’t encroach into somebody’s territory. It is part of our rules and this is the problem with Nigeria, we don’t follow the rule of law. Our rule says: when you attempt consensus once, twice and it does not work or even if one person objects, submit it to voting. That is all I am asking for and I will ask for it on Monday when we come.

This matter of resource control will not pass without a vote. We must vote and if we do voice vote and we disagree with the judgement of the leadership, we will call for divisionand those people who are asking for whatever they are asking for have to make 70% before it becomes a reality.

How would you want the report of this conference to be treated after you leave here?

Those who assembled us together know better what they want to do with the report and I assure you if their agenda fails, they will be the first people to throw the report to the lagoon. If you see them take it elsewhere or doing anything, it is because they have gotten what they wanted.

In the course of this conference, divisions have always been along North and South.

Not quite; this issue of derivation, I have seen Edo people, Cross-River people, majority of the South-East and South-West are with us. If there is voting, those anti-what they are doing will be more than 85% and if anybody dares me, let’s vote.

As a key member of the Northern political intelligentsia, what message are you giving Nigerians as the conference winds up?

I have a big lesson to take to Northerners and they should know the amount of hate against them. It is like you can slice it with a knife and they have to be careful.

FaceOff NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY

12 JULY 2014

46

Presidency behind Edo Assembly crisis –APC Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Godwin Erhahon, tells CAJETHAN MMUTA that the aggrieved members should use the rule of law to express their grievances.

A few months ago, some members left your party, the APC, following grievances arising from the party’s congresses.

Has the party reached out to them?

Well, we have always said that we are willing to have all those who are willing to return. But the desperadoes who have left because they failed to get what they wanted, by hook or crook from the party were not among those who we promised to approach. We know those we cannot approach because of their selfish and evil stand on this matter. We are working on many others but those others are not even the issue now.

How sincere is that process of reconciliation, going by what is happening at the moment at the state House of Assembly?

The first question should be how sincere are those persons? If you lose at the congress then you should support mayhem on the streets, you should support the destabilisation of the system?

You mean if I failed to be voted as the party’s Publicity Secretary you mean I should start destroying something? I am saying that those who are complaining are the ones you should ask questions.

We are not going to reconcile with people who are desperate, who have been aided by our enemies to destroy the system.

We are trying to make peace and they should at least be principled, disciplined and guided by patriotism in the whole of this matter.

At the moment there is a siege to the state House of Assembly and most people are concerned about what is going on; what actually is your party doing to resolve the issues?

How are Nigerians concerned? What happened is a story that you should tell me because you go out to speak to both parties more than I do. I have told you how things got to where they are now.

The PDP lawmakers are saying that they will not obey the court order and they are doing so very violently and very rudely, people are seeing it. I expected you people to ask them questions; why are they doing what they are doing? I also expect you people to ask why the police are doing what they are doing. Why are they supporting the PDP and why are they escorting people to go and break the door of the state House of Assembly?

You were aware it was the police vehicle they used to convey what they used to cut the gate of the assembly yesterday (Monday). That you will tell you the extent to which the presidency is involved because of some of those policemen are not from the state. Some of them were deployed from above.

But how far has the state government and the leadership of your party gone about to find out the true identities of those policemen?

Well, the details of those ones are not what we will divulge now. We are seeing a lot of things but I want journalists to look deeply into what is happening in the state. Unfortunately I was once like you people but I sympathise with some of you because when you go into the true story of the security problem of this country,

the federal government will accuse you of being a threat to the national security and all that but don’t forget that when the bomb exploded at the Eagles’ Square few years ago, the presidency and the party first accused the northerners but shortly after that MEND, his own brothers, his countrymen from Ijaw nation owned up to the bombing. And later Henry Okhar revealed that the presidency offered them bribe to claim that they were not responsible; don’t forget that.

Look at what is happening at Sambisa, today the federal government said it is close to the Chibok girls. Is that not a shame?

Should a sincere government reveal its security movement? What Erhahon Nigerians want to hear is that the girls have been rescued. What I am saying is that the kind of insincerity the presidency to create confusion in the north is also what it is trying to apply here in Edo. But I assure you that the state is not like any other state.

What is your take on the position of the opposition that due process was not followed in the suspension of four lawmakers who are members of the PDP? How do you want the party to look at that? The first thing if you are suspended by your employer and you say the suspension did not follow due process you don’t force yourself into the office and sit down in your place of work. Firstly, you obey and then appeal. First of all you need to file a petition to your employer and tell them this thing you are doing is wrong. You don’t have to use force or when you are restrained by court you say the court process was not duly followed.

It is not you who will say so. Your lawyer should go to court to argue that and the court will rule on that.

But the PDP lawmakers are of the view that the house rules specify that members should not be suspended for more than 24 hours.

The house rules said that but was it not even within 24 hours that they storm the house? It was the following day that they came back to the house and in any case l don’t believe that. The house rules is not here with us but let us look at it; how do you suspend a member for 24 hours, does it make sense? You said you are suspended today and you come back tomorrow?

I am telling you now that it cannot be

Those boys (PDP lawmakers) do not have the courage to do what they are doing if they didn’t have the support of the presidency

true, the house cannot say you can only suspend somebody within 24 hours.

How? If you are sitting in the house at 12 o’clock today and you are suspended and you return tomorrow, is that suspension?

Let’s be realistic. There are things that are highly illogical and they don’t need law or document to prove them. Of what effect is the suspension if it doesn’t go beyond 24 hours? The conditions of barring them from their offices and quarters are very, very right. You see if somebody is undergoing punishment even disciplinary action, the person must show remorse. Even if it’s your child at home and you say what you are doing is an embarrassment to this family, walk out of the house and the child turns back to say no you have no right to send me out of the house, it is clear already that that child does not want peace. The proper thing the child should do is to go away first and later come back, kneel down and says ‘daddy this is what happened, I apologise for whatever I have done and all that. He does not stay to face his father and say to hell with you. Even that attitude of saying to hell with you is part of the indiscipline that warranted the suspension in the first place. And as long as they remain rude, they should remain suspended. They must show remorse and in any case let me also ask you why it is also necessary for you to find out if the suspended Deputy Speaker, Festus Ebea, has formally declared for the PDP. He has not declared but look at his role and that of the PDP in the crisis.

What is your reaction to the allegation that the governor is trying to destabilise the PDP lawmakers because he is not happy by the way people are leaving APC for the PDP? Far from that, the governor did everything possible to bring everybody together but these people will not bulge because they already have the backings of our President. You are aware that after they gave the seven-day ultimatum, they were in the presidency and we are aware that the President himself met with the leadership of these lawless lawmak-

ers and assured them that they have his backing to cause mayhem and destabilise the government of this state. Those boys do not have the courage to do what they are doing if they didn’t have the support of the presidency but I am assuring you that at the end of the day, President Goodluck Jonathan would wish he never embarked on.

Assess of the police since the crisis started?

From my personal investigation the state commissioner of police meant well, the AIG also meant well but they are being forced by their boss in Abuja because of the instructions given the IG by the President. Some of the policemen that were brought in now are not under their command. They were brought in, specially, from the Presidency. And so you can see that when people like former President Olusegun Obasanjo speaks, Nigerians must listen. We are waiting and hoping that the National Assembly will be able to speak out on this matter eventually.

What are the APC leadership and the state government doing to resolve the crisis?

Because the APC is a law-abiding party and we are very much unlike the PDP that believes in illegality and violence, we are following due process and obeying the rule of law. The court process should be allowed to continue to finality and let the world see how long Jonathan can support the lawmakers to disobey court order. The PDP already knows that it has lost out in this state and seeing the popularity of the APC government which it earned through our developmental efforts, it wants to cause confusion and mayhem. We are saying that the PDP should lay down its arms and listen to the rule of law. The aboriginal PDP are not truly happy with what is happening. It is all the defectors in PDP right from the ANPP time that are spearheading crisis.

We assure Edo people that it will soon be over and what is happening now is the more reason that they must forever hate PDP and reject them at the polls.

FACEOFF | POLITICS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JULY 2014

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Crisis caused by Oshiomhole’s failure, says PDP Recently, some opposition politicians and groups joined your party, the Peoples Democratic Party. How has your party received this development?

The party is strong, well-organised and very critical about the failure of the state Governor, Adams Oshiomhole. And the movement of key members, leaders and elected members of the ruling APC to the PDP is a reflection of the fact that Adams Oshiomhole has failed.

Don’t you think their coming will cause crisis in your party because they came with political ambitions which they could not be realised in APC? Man, by nature, is ambitious, so I don’t see anything wrong with anyone pursuing his ambition. As far as you pursue that ambition within the laid-down rules and regulations governing the party as it relates to issues of people contesting for elective positions, we don’t have any problem at all with that.

There are growing concerns over the stalemate at the state House of Assembly following disagreements between members of the APC and PDP. PDP is being accused of instigating the crisis.

What is your take on this?

Adams Oshiomhole and his APC members are fingered for collapsing a faction of the legislature into the executive organ of government. The highlight of this regrettable move is the recent movement of APC elected legislators to relocate to the Governor’s Office to conduct their legislative business.

At the moment, there are two speakers of the 24-member legislature; one for the APC and the other for the PDP. As a politician, do you think this situation is a good development for the state and democracy?

It is not a healthy development for democracy. I condemn all those behind this devilish move to bring rancour and disharmony into the legislative arm of government in order to preserve their fast-diminishing political powers. And I urge them to beat a retreat in the interest of the people of Edo State.

The APC leaders and the state government have variously accused the Presidency and the national leadership of your party for allegedly masterminding the raging crisis. What is your take on this?

My take on it is executive intolerance coupled with limited understating of issues; that is the result of what we are seeing today.

There is no basis to start shift-

blame. What the times call for is for stakeholders in the state to look beyond political interests and look at the overall interest of the masses and advise those who have relocated to the Governor’s Office to go to the officially designated place for legislative business.

The lawmakers recently suspended the Deputy Speaker, Festus Ebea, for misconduct and he is at the moment, consorting with the PDP but indications point to the fact that he is yet to declare for the party.

Is he is fighting the PDP cause?

No, he has declared for the PDP since.

I can authoritatively confirm to you that the deputy speaker today is a full member of the PDP. But this has not been made public?

He has since written to the speaker that he has jumped out of the sinking ship of Adams Oshiomhole’s government and has anchored his political boat on the PDP. Would you say that the step taken by the PDP members in the House was in line with the position of your party in the state?

When has it become a crime for people to leave one party and join another? When PDP members were defecting to the APC,

Oshiomhole was dancing. He danced even when a councillor in my village that left the PDP for his party. He danced to music that was only sweet to his ears. Now that his own party members elected under his party are moving to the PDP, he can no longer dance and no longer see the need to dance. He should continue dancing. He has resorted to name calling and abuses that has become a feature of his government. He now abuses all those who supported him to be where he is today. For obvious reasons bothering on dissatisfaction with Oshiomhole’s government they have decided to leave and join to the PDP. Do you consider the steps taken by the PDP lawmakers by freezing the accounts of the state legislature and the local government/state joint account, as the right direction taking into account that the deputy speaker and others (PDP lawmakers) have been suspended?

I have received a lot of congratulatory messages from patriotic Edolites over the decisions and pronouncements by the active Speaker, Ebea and his colleagues. I want to urge them not to be carried away by the present ovation. They should see it as an encouragement to continue on the path of honour to legislate on issues that will impact on the welfare of Edo people.

Sometime last month, the governor raised the alarm that there was a plot by PDP members to remove him, his deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu and Speaker Uyi Igbe; don’t you think that what is unfolding invariably vindicates the governor?

My immediate response is to call on Oshiomhole to stop shouting wolves when there are none. He should not be afraid of his own shadow. There is no plan whatsoever to remove Oshiomhole.

But I also want to advise him to henceforth stay on the path of the law so that he will not take my statement as a blanket license to rule with impunity without regard to the rule of law.

Are you aware that some stakeholders are worried that the suspended lawmakers did not did not resort to the rule of law going by violations of the court orders from both the state and federal high courts?

Well, issues that are before the courts I cannot com-

We now have a governor who cannot even bring peace to a house made up of only 24 members ing

Orbih

Edo State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Osi Orbih, tells CAJETHAN MMUUTA that Governor Adams Oshiomhole should be blamed for the crisis at the House of Assembly.

ment on them.

You were part of the group or stakeholders that visited the Oba of Benin during a meeting with the monarch, where resolutions were taken and people agreed to make amends and to allow the sleeping dogs lie. Are you disturbed that the outcome of those resolutions and the Oba’s advice are being trampled upon?

Well, I want to express my gratitude to His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’ Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, for his concern for the state of affairs in the state, especially, as it relates to the state House of Assembly where we are having crisis. I must say that I am disappointed that Oshiomhole has not taken positive steps towards the realisation of the Oba’s wish to have peace reign in the house and in the state. It is disappointing to note that what is going on in the house of is a reflection of the failure of Oshiomhole’s government. At this point one would expect that Oshiomhole should behave like a statesman and behave like the governor of all and not the governor of APC. At this point it is expected that Oshiomhole should be able to have the confidence of the people by inviting the two warring factions and resolving the issues amicably to the delight and benefit of Edo people. At this point it is important to also note that rather than taking up the responsibility of ensuring an amicable resolution of this crisis, he has resorted to name calling and making unsubstantiated allegations against the police and the President. We now have a governor who cannot even bring peace to a house made up of only 24 members. I wonder what type of leadership he is giving to the state.

Are you not also worried by the position of the APC caucus in the House of Representatives from the state that if nothing urgent and positive was done to bring the ongoing crisis to a halt; the National Assembly might take over the responsibility of the state House of Assembly?

I am not going to comment on that. If it is in line with their constitutional powers and responsibility they deem it wise to take over the responsibility of the house, I have nothing to say about it. It will only further drive home the point that Oshiomhole cannot even give leadership to the state, he cannot give leadership to the extent of being able to solve the internal problems of the state and we now have to wait for the benevolence of an external body to work towards an amicable resolution.

People are of the opinion that what is happening in the state legislature is the struggle for power ahead of 2015. How right is the assertion?

Call it the struggle for power, call it any name; what I will call it is a reflection of the peoples’ dissatisfaction with Oshiomhole’s policies in the state.

What do you have to tell Edo people in the face of all these happenings?

Edo people should be patient and persevere to bear the cross and burden of bad governance as exemplified

by Oshiomhol and his APC; to be determined and resolute in voting PDP back to government in the state. And I want to assure them that a PDP government in Edo will address the numerous issues that are currently facing the people. My party is the PDP, there is no new, there is no old, there is no fairly used. It is all PDP. The party remains the strongest umbrella and platform for people to express their political will and the party has remained the most democratic and consistent party in this dispensation.

48 PERSPECTIVES

I

The Audacity of Hope

t’s been about a year that my 10 year old son asked the thought provoking question, “Daddy, what do Boko Haram want?” Recently, I came up with an answer from the oddest of locations: Dan Brown’s novel, Angels and Demons. On page 179 a lecture room scene is conjured and the topic is terrorism: “Terrorism”, the Professor lectured “has a singular goal. What is it?”

“Killing innocent people” a student ventured? “Incorrect, death is only a byproduct of terrorism.”

“A show of strength” “No, a weaker persuasion does not exist”.

“To cause terror. Concisely put, the goal of terrorism is to create terror and fear. Fear undermines faith in the establishment. It weakens the enemy from within. Causing unrest in the masses; write this down: Terrorism is not an expression of rage. Terrorism is a political weapon. Remove a government’s façade of infallibility and you remove its people’s faith.

Loss of faith, that’s what it’s all about!

The Nigerian’s faith in his leaders and institutions of governance is dwindling fast. I do hope it does not reach the level of a complete loss of faith. Already we build our houses, sink our boreholes, connect our electricity and in some cases catch thieves who break in on our privacy! So what do we expect from governance? The opposition says the ruling party has no clue. They ask us to vote them in, but merely looking at the way they run their own affairs, we know that they probably have no clue too.

Terror unfortunately, seems to be gaining ground. Its gaining ground so much that you find members of the public advising government functionaries to negotiate with terrorists! Presently we are a people on tenterhooks. A car back fires in down-town Lagos and people jump in terror-stricken anticipation; a young man carries a laptop in his backpack in a public place in Wuse zone 2, Abuja, and people around him gaze

BUSINESS SENSE ALEX OGUNDADEGBE alexogundadegbe@gmail.com

They ask us to vote them in, but merely looking at the way they run their own affairs, we know that they probably have no clue too quizzically at him giving him space, thinking what if….?

A Soldier rides a motorbike in Sabon Gari(strangers’ quarters) in Kano and the people, in spite of his uniform, wonder which side he is on. Who can explain away a human being who straps a bomb to his body and explodes it in the mist of other people? What is this suicide bomber trying to explain or gain?

In a piece titled: Why we blow ourselves up in 2002, Kanji Fenderson wrote: “Sarraj describes the Israeli’s aggression as cowardice.. Yet when talking about Palestinian suicide bombers killing civilians, it is brace and honorable! I fail to see how killing innocent and unsuspecting civilians is at all honourable!

The Palestinian’s are upset that innocent civilians are being involved in this battle.

But the Israeli’s are pretty upset that their innocent civilians are being frequently blown up, too.”

“Soldiers” who die in what they love to describe as “a Jihad” are said to getGhayat assa’a dah( (ultimate pleasure) in paradise.

Our struggle is different from that of the Palestinians versus the Israelis. We appear to be scattered within a cacophony of ideals and ideas that separate us even though we live in the same country. Boko Haram is only one of the many groups marked down as terrorists in uniform. When soldiers went haywire in Lagos two Fridays ago, an online associate sent a twit comparing our own soldiers to Boko Haram and asking the difference!

We have seen our own soldiers beat up innocent citizens they are supposed to protect, and we cannot help but wonder where our security is.

In the wake of 911 President George Bush told the terrorists through a State of the Nation address that they have no hiding place. He also told the nations in the Middle East that are susceptible to harboring terrorists that “you are either with us or against us.” Bush was able to wield the hope of the nation together and defeat terrorism, first, in the minds of the people of the United States. Football and basketball games were asked to be played as usual;

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JULY 2014

No announcement was made that “people should avoid crowded places!” The essence was to make the people understand that terror can not make Americans alter their good lives. Terror should not make Nigerians alter their lives!

The current circumstances are not without their salutary properties. We have to learn how to secure our country. Terror can be turned around. Its time to turn the hunter into the hunted. Its time to rekindle hope in our union. Hope for many is in God Almighty. But as a people, we really have to act as well as pray!

It starts with the mind. Measured steps must be taken towards creating a mindset that looks for answers. We must eliminate the crippling concept of hopelessness that is creeping into our national psyche. Seeing our own soldiers go on rampage and beat up innocent citizens should not deter us. Even though terrorism is a political tool that does not mean that one political party is using it against another in Nigeria. No politician in his right mind would descend so low.

Our counter insurgency operations need to be strengthened. Anti combustibles and radio active Isotop scanners as well as olfactory filters that can detect toxins have to be fitted in all places that crowds gather.

We need operable CCTV with round the clock monitoring. X-ray scanners and metal detectors are not enough.

When Barack Obama wrote The Audacity of Hope, his thoughts were on reclaiming the American Dream and he passed on a powerful message. We need powerful messages more than ever before in Nigeria. We need to be able to dream and have visions about that strong and prosperous nation we keep talking about. It’s not enough for us to just wish for it or hope for it or pray for it.

Its time to work for it!

We cannot allow Boko Haram and political differences to tear us apart. We are too strong for that! Its time to move forward.

Brazil, murder at the camp and other stories A

s I was mulling about the tragic story of the young man who murdered his father at the Redeemed Camp the massacre of Brazil hit my screen.

After watching the match, I immediately felt like apologizing to Stephen Keshi for all the names I called him in my last article.

What I saw last Tuesday was a total farce. I saw Brazilian defenders running haplessly around the field like tutorless ballerinas.

No sense of purpose and vision that for a second, I could not believe that this was a team produced by the great football nation.

Seven goals! Ol’ boy, I weak o. Super Eagles are really super o. I’m sorry for the abuse I gave you guys. Enyeama and crew are simply the best team we have ever produced. A team of geniuses and a coach with the brain power of the famed Albert Einstein. I saw people crying on the field.

Very beautiful girls, crying and refusing to be consoled. Brazil played like they just finished eating pounded yam before they took to the field. Na wa. Maybe na juju. I swear, maybe the juju they have been using backfired. E dey happen; just watch Yoruba movies and you will see how juju backfires.

They were like zombies, totally rudderless and useless. They could not string passes, no pace, no strategy, in fact my mother could have played better than those goons.

For the first time Brazillians saw what we live with. A team of jokers who just enter the field to mark time. I actually felt the Brazillian players after the sixth goal wanted to go back into the dressing room. They should be flogged joo. The whole thing now looked like a basketball game. Seven goals, in a World Cup semi final, maybe somebody was blackmailing them. Maybe the coach had his nude picture on someone’s phone

EDGAR’S WORLD JOSEPH EDGAR

josephsamsponedgar@gmail.com and the person said if they played well he would release it. So the man, begged his boys to kindly save his dignity and play that rubbish we saw. If I was Brazilian, I for port go Bakassi or any other country wey dem no dey play football.

With all that money spent on infrastructure to host the game, the strikes, the death of the workers as they struggled to meet the FIFA deadline all going into this kind of defeat. It is enough for the president to resign. In fact, they should be kicked out of the United Nations and their Miss Brazil be deported to number seven Bajulaiye Road, shomolu, Lagos, where I stay. She should not come alone, she should come with her sister so that my maiguard, Mohammed, would also have company.

This guy that hacked his father simply because he slapped him. My own father, I guess was lucky to have lived long and died at a ripe old age. Because if it was slap alone, he would have gone since o. The man used to slap, kick and drop kick me for every little infraction. If I did not cut my hair, the man will give me flying drop kick. The beating in

Maybe the coach had his nude picture on someone’s phone and the person said if they played well he would release it the name of discipline was too much that one day in my effort to escape one of the volleys, I pulled his towel and he stood stark naked and I ran away with our maid covering our eyes. I did not dare go back home that night and took refuge with the guard outside.

So killing him never crossed my mind, although when he slept, I would use chicken feather on his nose and watched him slap himself. That was my sweet revenge. So killing your father for a slap was just too much. I hear another person has killed his father too in Enugu. Are fathers becoming endangered. You see why we all did not like the MTN advert at some point which proclaimed, “na boy”. At this rate, people will

start praying for baby girls so that they can at least live long.

I have boys as children and I have been giving them their respect. That is my advice to everybody. When my son does not greet me in the morning, I tell him sorry. When he asks for money and I don’t have to give, I write him a memo explaining carefully why I can’t give him now, but stressing very clearly that I will give him double at a later date. Nobody wants to provoke any son o, otherwise na you and your doctor if you lucky or at worse, God forbid, na you and your maker explaining to him why you are at the gate of Heaven with no neck.

But seriously this to me brings to light the role of the church in our lives. My thinking is that this boy would have been showing signs of mental problems, but instead of taking him to the hospital, he was taken to church for prayers. Otherwise, why would a slap lead to butchery? It’s a clear case of mental instability. Prayers work but should not be relied on as the only solution. Prayer works for me. In fact I have seen the importance of prayer in my life this year, but I still go out there and try to be practical while using prayers as a guide and support.

If this boy was sequestered, we would not have this tragedy in our hands right now. The father was a Senior Advocate of Nigeria; you can imagine that loss both to the family and to the nation.

We need strong prayers for this family.

God should give them the strength to bear these two losses and help them regain their strengths. We also should pray for Brazil for total healing. My advice is for them to deport all those their samba girls to Shomolu so they can concentrate and rebuild their football.

Politics

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JULY 2014

L-R: Profs Akin Oyebode, Bekederemo Clark, Wole Soyinka and Mrs. Franscesca Emmanuel at the 5th Wole Soyinka prize for literature in Lagos, recently

49

Soyinka: Many parents of success

T

Dominik Umosen

he popular adage that success has many parents while failure has neither brother nor sister holds particularly true for Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka. As many groups and individuals fall over themselves to host events to commemorate his birthday anniversary which due this weekend, others plot how to derive maximum political mileage from the birthday anniversary of the literary icon which began last weekend with the fifth edition of the Literary Prize instituted by the Nobel Laureate who has invariably become a citizen of the world.

But for Dr. Jerry Bassey, a consultant gynaecologist with the University of Lagos Teaching Hospital, UNILAG, being associated with the world-acclaimed literary icon, especially as a son-in-law, is a denoument of a most special kind. According to Bassey, being Prof. Soyinka’s son-law remains the best achievement of his life, apart from his educational and professional accomplishments.

‘To the best of my knowledge, the best achievement of my life, apart from my professional accomplishments, is being the sonin-law of such a great man. Of course, I love my wife, Soyinka’s daughter, dearly and will not compromise her for anything but being Prof Soyinka’s son-in-law gives me a special kick’, he told New Telegraph at the Civic Centre venue of the Fifth Edition of Soyinka Prize for Literary Excellence in Lagos.

The event was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. that Saturday. But although it did not begin on schedule, the turn-out of dignitaries who graced the occasion compensated, adequately, for the slight delay, in addition to the sensational departure from the archetypal starchiness of the orchestra genre which the famous Steve Rhodes Orchestra brought to bear on the rain-soaked occasion. And for this sensational performance, the orchestra attracted unusual attention and applause.

The first tribute to by rendered at the occasion was delivered by Mr Kamarudeen Shonibare, Head of Corporate Sales of Globacom Telecommunications Ltd, who represented

Chief Mike Adenuga. He described the literary icon as a huge inspiration to millions across the globe; a teacher par excellence; a role model and a social activist. According to him, literature is a potent tool for promoting greatness. According to him, the premium telecommunications service provider identifies with this universal aspiration.

Lyrical legal scholar, Prof Akin Oyebode, who said people now prefer stomach infrastructure to knowledge, revealed how Soyinka ‘has been my role model since secondary school. I acted in one of his rave plays, ‘The Trials of Brother Jero’ in secondary school,’ he said. Recalling a particular incident t York University, Canada during a visit by the literary icon, Oyebode recalled that the point was adequately made, there in Canada, that it takes a writer to unmask another.

Beaming his intellectual searchlight on the prevailing socio-political rot in the country, the UNILAG don traced the genesis of the scourge to ‘the years of the locust, military rule, which, he said, accentuated the prevailing socio-political crisis in the country. According to him, this unseemly political alchemy which the military forced down the throat of Nigerians served as a prelude to what he described as the present political charade in the country.

Regarding the on-going national conference which is veering into its twilight, Oyebode described the elaborate political show as lacking in operational framework which could have underpinned its legitimacy. All the same, the university don reasoned, because aa drastic situation demands a drastic remedy, it was better late than never to reform the ‘clearly-outdated and expired’ constition which he said was imposed on the country by ‘self-centred, self-opinionated and leadership.’It is the worst trag-

I never thought I would encounter Soyinka in person

edy that can happen to any country’, the respected don said, adding that a people united could never be defeated.

The factional chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, and Rivers State Governor, Mr Chibuike Amaechi, sauntered into the hall much later into the event and created a mild distraction which was masterminded by press photographers. He was soon followed by former private secretary to late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and pulp fiction poet, Mr Odia Ofeimun who quickly gravitated towards his friends in the media.

According to Amaechi, ‘I never thought I would wear glasses until doctors warned that I could only ignore their advice at my own peril. Also, I never thought I would encounter Soyinka in person. I am so excited to read this address to him personally,’ the embattled governor said, visibly excited by the opportunity provided by the occasion in honour of the fast-greying literary icon.

Amaechi sent his listeners reeling with laughter when he confessed that it was a great challenge to him, as to several others, unraveling the meaning of Soyinka’s literary works. According to him, the central line in all these works has always been to warn against the dire consequences of man’s inhumanity to man.

‘The man died in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny. Soyinka’s struggles transcend ethnicity and race. Hiss life is a testimony of the possibilities of the human spirit,’ the governor told the audience and urged the Nobel Laureate to invite on one of his famous hunting expeditions.

50 Politics Your father was a nationalist and his work transcended Yorubaland. Do you think regionalism, which some people are agitating for, is the best option for Nigeria?

No. I believe that regionalism is just a way of keeping us divided. The idea of regionalism came from those that colonised us; they put this mindset in our heads. I always say it that my father did not believe in Yoruba or Hausa; he was just a man of the people. He was a Nigerian and that is the important thing that we should learn from him. My father contested under a Muslim-Muslim ticket and he was still going to churches; he didn’t seclude any group of people. Today we are talking about Muslims and Christians, forgetting that there are other religions that nobody is saying anything about. Those people should be included too because they are also part of the society. So, we should think about how Nigeria as a whole can move forward.

I just found out recently that the ‘0 Level’ requirement for admission into university varies in different regions. This is another reason why we are still divided because you can have a certain group of people getting admission into university with three credits and another group of people securing admission with five credits. It won’t work. To maintain the balance there should be universal requirement for admission into university across the regions in Nigeria. It is like we are just digging the hole deep and deeper and before you know it there would be no salvation. What I am trying to say is that what my father would have done in this situation is that he would have understand that education is a number one goal and no matter how you want to talk about improving Nigeria or whatever, if we don’t improve our education, Nigeria won’t improve and if a group of people are less intelligent like the other side, they would always try to manipulate decision making. I think that our leaders have failed us. Nigerians in their own household should be able to sit down and look at issues affecting the country critically and speak with one voice in solving Nigeria’s problems. That is the only way we can solve the insurgency in the country.

The on-going National Conference has already come up with a recommendation for rotational presidency. What is your take on this?

Because of the way we were given our independence, there are some agreements that some of us don’t even know anything about. I knew that there was no way my father would have sat back and let the country get to this point if he was President. In United States it is not the smart person that becomes the President but what that person does is that he brings the small people in the country around him. So, he doesn’t feel that he is an island on his own but in Nigeria the power we gave to the President, it makes him feel like a god. I have been in Government Houses before and in a situation where people are complaining that there is no electricity in Nigeria, I don’t think you will know the difference whether there is electricity or not when you are in Government House. So these are the disparities we should come to terms with. Also when you are picking your leaders, you should try to pick on the basis of what these person want to do in 10 years down the line. I think it is time for Nigerians not to follow people blindly and I think Nigerians are becoming wise enough to know that some leaders are only there for their own interest. The reasons they are there for their own interest was because they have also paid for that interest. If I give you N2, 000 at the polling booth to vote for me, the N2, 000 is four years. So, if you take that money, how do you then turn around and request for good governance.

There is a saying that people deserve the kind of leaders they get but basically, the idea now is that Nigeria has so far gone that it is not even about honouring MKO Abiola anymore.

There would be no honouring of Abiola until Nigeria becomes a country where people can actually wake up in the morning and say I am not going to meet anybody for money but by the time I do something on my own, money would come out and I would be able to take care of my family.

Do you think the society can produce a leader

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Fayemi was not a good manager of people, says Abdul Abiola

Mr. Abdul Abiola, accountant and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) expert, is the son of late acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Bashorun MKO Abiola and late Mrs. Kudirat Abiola. Abdul, the initiator of Youth Movement Foundation, tells TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE, that Nigerians should speak with one voice in solving Nigeria’s problems. As well as his vision for Nigeria,, among other issues.

Abdul Abiola

that is passionate about the people?

There are many leaders. It is just like pouring water inside oil, you will see how the oil will overwhel the water. That is how it is.

We have leaders going into position trying to make a difference but by the time they get there and see all the old blocks before them...; health and security are in shambles, schools are bad and so many things saying negative, the person would just resign their faith. Even as at that, some leaders would still try their best. That is what we are trying to get to. Some leaders don’t feel that they are part of the populace and those are the kind of people we should try to reject. Once they are there, there is nothing we can do; let them do there tenure but when they come back to meet people for re-election, people should prevented them from going back. So, knowing that people have removed somebody in position before, anyone contesting for public office would do the right thing. But when you have leaders who don’t do the right thing and they are re-elected again, it is like the same people still running the government. So, nothing can change and the future of our children is basically at stake. And that would be bad for me because that is what my father and mother were sacrificed for and that is the issue we are facing.

Since the demise of your father, none of Abiola’s sons has ventured into politics...

It is not that we don’t want to venture into politics. As far as I am concerned, politics in Nigeria has become something totally different. I think what we are trying to do is looking for ways to improve the current situation in the country. It is no more about you being the person making the decision. For example, I have worked with some APC governors and the idea is, if we are working for them, we deliver on what we say. So, it is not like the past where people would collect a contract and won’t execute it. We are saying that we are going to do the job and we will do it the right way. I think that is more important than going into politics. Some of my family members are still very young and we think there is still time for us to develop ourselves before venturing into politics. You can be a doctor for a long period of time and after you have mastered your profession, you can then say that you want to give back to the people and then ventured into politics. But in Nigeria, it seems politics has already become an occupation. What I am trying to do, especially as a son of MKO Abiola is to work with those who I feel are towing the line my father would have towed. Example is Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. I see him as one

of the APC governors that I really like and I am going to work hard to make sure that he is re-elected. I don’t think the Osun governorship election should be like Ekiti governorship election and I hope that Aregbesola will win the election because I believe so much in his agenda and in what he is doing.

Why do you think Osun election should not be like Ekiti election?

The problem with politics today is that politicians don’t understand that they are in politics to deliver dividends of democracy to the people. So as a politician, you should be a people manager. You should not necessarily be a person that gives money out wastefully, you should be someone that people can approach easily and I think that is what politics is all about. Although the incumbent governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, had the understanding of how to run a government and how to deliver dividends of democracy to the people, he wasn’t managing his people.

There is a saying that if you use your right hand to beat a child, you must use your left hand to draw him closer. What we found out in Ekiti election was that people were just asking about today and they forget about days that would come.

Is that good for our politics?

It is not but that is what politicians should be able to see. I can’t tax you if I haven’t given you money. You can’t just impose on people when you know that the people are not comfortable. I think some of the things that Aregbesola is doing is people-oriented.

For example if you send a child to school and you didn’t give the child food in the morning, I don’t expect that child to read or learn anything because if his stomach is making noise, his mind will not be at what he is learning. So with the free school meal that Aregbesola has embarked on, where children are being feed in school, it will help the child to concentrate on his study.

What would be your advice to the electorate ahead of the Osun State August 9 governor-

What I am trying to do, especially as a son of MKO Abiola is to work with those who I feel are towing the line my father would have towed

ship election?

I will just ask them to look at the schools that were built by Governor Aregbesola. A governor once said that there is no money in the state and there was no development happening but somebody came in and with the same amount of money, he was able to do so much. The people of Osun State should look outside their windows and if they feel that there is no any significant thing in the state, then bring Senator Iyiola Omisore in. But if they feel that Governor Rauf Aregbesola has done more in four years than what anybody would have aspire to do in eight years, they should give Aregbesola another chance to finish what he has started and to also lay the fabrics for the person that is going to come after him.

Governor Aregbesola did Opon Imo for the secondary school students to help them with their secondary school examinations.

This was the reason why I left Lagos to Osogbo to meet him. I don’t know Governor Aregbesola before; apparently he was part of the June 12 annulment struggle. It was when I met him that he told me that he knew my mother. I heard that he was doing a tablet and he was going to put all secondary school textbooks on the tablets. With the Opon Imo, if any student is really serious with his study, he can learn at his own time. This is what we call a visionary leader and this is happening in a state that is in 34th position on the allocation list. So, if a state that is 34th should come up with such a device for the students and then give it out to the students for free, I believe that state should be commended.

You have to understand that the world is already going toward computers. The students in Oshogbo would never have had a computer because they are attending public schools. With the Opon Imo, the governor has merged basic education with computer education. Governor Aregbesola is creating jobs through some of his projects in the state; with free school feeding and uniforms.

Opon Imo is been assembled in Osun State and that has provided jobs opportunities for many people. My own goal for Aregbesola because I have seen what he has been able to do with the little money that he has been able to get, is that I have started sourcing and trying to talk to people outside the country to come and invest in Osun State. I believe that whatever they invested there, they would get their money back and things would be better for the people in Osun State.

My message to the people of Osun State is to defend their future, not only their votes.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 51

Politics

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JULY 2014

N

yitse is soliciting the support of the people of Benue South Senatorial District (Zone ‘C’) for his quest to be elected governor in the 2015 general election. His optimism stems from the fact that he is equipped with the right vision and will to protect their interests as well as guarantee good governance for the progress and development of the state, if voted into office as governor.The aspirant made this swagger in Otukpo when he was received in audience by the Benue State PDP Working Committee members from the zone, in his continuing round of consultations across the state, preparatory to the forthcoming primaries of the party later this year, to elect the party’s flagbearer for the governorship election early next year.

Throwing light on his vision for the governorship, Dr. Nyitse enumerated to the party leaders that he enjoys the unparalleled distinction of being the only aspirant with first-hand knowledge and experience of the innermost workings of government at the highest level in the state, having spent more than half of his entire working career serving in Government House.

According to him, he would deploy the advantages of such knowledge and experience to consolidate on the gains made by the Suswam administration, using it as a springboard to deepen improvements in the living standards of the people of the state, if given the mandate.

Dr. Nyitse spent 13 out of his 22 years in the Benue State Civil Service working in Government House, first as Chief Press Secretary to two military administrators, Group Captain Joshua Obademi and Lt. Col. Aminu Isa Kontagora.

Nyitse was also recently Permanent Secretary in charge of Government House Administration, working closely with Governor Gabriel Suswam, until 31st January, 2014, when he voluntarily resigned his appointment, in line with the governor’s directive to those seeking to vie for elective.

51

MAN IN THE NEWS

Ahead of polls, Nyitse steps up consultations

To firm up his political dream to govern the state, frontline governorship aspirant on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, Dr. Gabriel Tivlumun Nyitse, is stepping up consultation moves across this major food basket of the nation.

Nyitse

The Guma-born aspirant further expressed sympathy with the aspirations of the people of Zone ‘C’ for the governorship, which he said is a just and fair aspiration, as the zone has never occupied the seat since the creation of the state.

He however urged for dialogue between the zone and the MINDA people of the Benue South-West Senatorial District (Zone ‘B’), whom he said also have a just and legitimate claim to the seat which they have never occupied since the state was created in 1976.

Dr. Nyitse urged the people of Zone’C’ to support his ambition, assuring that he would guarantee full protection of their interests in his administration if voted in as governor.

State Vice-Chairman of the PDP for Zone ‘C’, Sir Moses Ajima, responding on behalf of the State Working Committee members, hailed what he described as the wisdom and political foresight of Dr. Nyitse who, he said, is the first governorship aspirant to have held consultations with them.

The PDP leader assured the governorship aspirant of the goodwill of the people of Zone ‘C’, and urged him to continue with his consultations in the area in the spirit of peace and unity, and to at all times see the people of the state as one big family, regardless of tribe or religion.

Other members of the State Working Committee from the zone present at the meeting were Woman Leader, Hon. Mrs. Abeje Egwa; Financial Secretary, Hon. Danjuma Sule; Assistant Secretary for the zone, Hon. Mrs. Jane Edeh and Organising Secretary, Hon. Benjamin Ajaba.

Others were Assistant Legal Adviser, Hon. Gabriel Obekpa; Hon. Agama Opagwu and Hon. Mike Ochojila, both of them Ex-officio members.

Dr. Nyitse, was accompanied to the meeting by the Zone ‘C’ leadership of the ‘One Voice for Dr. Gabriel Tivlumun Nyitse-2015’, an advocacy group campaigning for his election as governor of Benue State at the 2015 polls

‘Fayemi was not a good manager of people’ C O N T I N U E D f r o m PA G E 5 0

Because whatever Aregbesola is doing would be for the benefits of their children and grand children. So, they should defend their future.

They should monitor the whole process; people should be able to monitor their own wards and local governments. They should not sell their future down the drain. Because if a PDP governor comes in, the first thing he will do is to stop all ongoing projects and that is going to take the state backward. Governor Aregbesola has done so much within his first four years and he is going to do bigger and better things in his second term. I will plead with the Osun people to defend their votes and Aregbesola’s right to be the state governor. By the grace of God, we shall see that between now and 2018; Osun State would be an ICT hub. That is the dream of the governor and by doing that there would be development in Osun State.

out publicly that I want to be a politician, I believe that there is a lot of things that I need to learn about what is politics in Nigeria.

My goal is to be in a situation where I can actually absorb, learn and be able to speak to my people in their own voice. Politics is not something you do for a year or two; it is a lifetime process. The only thing that I have to do now is to learn, understand and to see where I can come in.

If you are going to contest, it has to be in your state....

Obviously, it would be in Ogun State. Even before I contest, I would have to be known in my state. But before I can do that, I have to be

Are you endorsing Aregbesola based on his political party or based on his personality?

I am endorsing Aregbesola as a person and it because of what he has been able to do in Osun State. I am endorsing Aregbesola beyond party’s line because he has done what a leader should do. He has done what is in line with my father’s agenda.

Your father died as a result of his participation in politics; do you have any plan of venturing into politics?

Yes, I do intend on going into politics. That is even one of the reasons why I am very close to Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola because I have him as a mentor. Before I want to even come

Abdul Abiola

first established. So, I do intend doing scholarship in relation to my father’s programmes because my father was a philanthropist.

Are you intending step into your father’s shoes?

I don’t have a choice. So, I want to do scholarship, meet the people. My ambition for politics wouldn’t even transpire until 2019.

So, I still have about five years and in those five years, I intend building my business and also building the knowledge I have on politics to help me to take the next step.

When I was born, my father said there would be light; I have a son now and we still don’t have light. So, I have to start working to

keep Nigeria together and making it a better place for my children-children to come; that is why I have decided to be active in politics.

But then, someone needs to be careful about being in politics. I don’t want to be imposed; I want my people to actually tell me to represent them, so it is not going to be like a godfather forcing me on the people. And I am even happy that my father has not been around for a while, so any kind of love they might have for him, right now it is going to be, what do you have to really offer? And I will like to prove myself.

Does being MKO Abiola’s son add value to your life?

People don’t forget things easily and that is what we should understand about life and history. I might have gotten access to some people based on the fact that I am Abiola’s son but if my father wasn’t a good person, I might not be able to sustain those contacts.

Abiola’s name has open many doors for me and I am so excited about that. I have been to a lot of places and I am amazed how people see MKO Abiola. You can outlive your life span by doing the right thing and helping people. The bottom line is that if you have and you that somebody is in needs; don’t turn a blind eye to it. You should be able to extend your hands and don’t request that money coming back. If I have money today, I shouldn’t think that it is by my own doing because we have about 180million people in this country, why am I the only one that is son of Abiola? It wasn’t that I picked Abiola when I was coming to this world; I could have been a carpenter son. For example, my father was cutting grasses to go to school.

52 Education Describe the ongoing strike by polytechnic lecturers in the country?

The position of any student of a polytechnic in the country is pretty predictable.

According to the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, part of the reasons for their ongoing strike is to ensure that polytechnic education is re-positioned, provided with adequate funding and final resolution of the supremacy tussle between HND and Bsc holders .

Is the demand for parity in conditions of service between polytechnic lecturers and their university counterparts justified?

All tertiary institutions are entitled to equal treatment based on their qualifications because what is good for goose is also good for the gander; there should be a strong argument for equity and for justice and progress, irrespective of the categories of institutions categories, either polytechnics, universities or colleges of education.

What logical basis, if any, are there for discrimination between holders of university degrees and those with polytechnic certificates?

There is absolutely neither logical nor rational basis for the discrimination. We can see from the process that brings about the two certificates that there is no difference, hence no basis for the discrimination. We come to the analysis , the same ordinary level entry requirements are the same five ordinary level credit pass, including english language and mathematics; entrance examinations into a university or polytechnic; both administer UTME, and not UME and MPCE like before. The course duration is four years, with one year compulsory industrial attachment for polytechnic students, which often places them on a comparative industry experience as has been variously demonstrated; these make HND 5 years and both graduates undergo a single year national service through the National Youth Corpss Service, NYSC, scheme. And the industrial productivity programme further confirms the efficiency and high competence of polytechnic graduates, mostly in production, science, technology and in practical issues. It is therefore difficult, if not impossible to see any basis for the discrimination between the two certificates.

If lecturers go about demanding for sex before awarding marks, receive financial inducements and do other unconscionable things as alleged, can they also complain about corruption since any man who goes before equity must do so with clean hands?

Yes, this is very true of some lecturers.

They demand money, sometimes sex from female students. Well-orchestrated conspiracies within the management hierachy to victimize student union leaders/ unionists, unilateral scrapping of democraticallyelected student unions and lots of alleged abuses which we condemn in all respects even as students strategise with mechanics to expose more of unsrupulous lecturers and press for their prosecution.

Is the ASUP, as a body, doing what it should to sanitise its ranks .

It might interest you to note that before the ongoing strike, there was nothing like sanity in ASUP regarding this issue. Hopefully, may be after this strike action, the lecturers might feel the moral burden to do so. It is my belief that if that is done, I believe the move would go a long way to help the image of the lecturers and their union as whole because by the time we

The Federal Government should ensure immediate implementation of the inter-ministerial committee on HND/Bsc dichotomy

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JULY 2014

ASUP should consider the fate of students, says Lukman

In this encounter, Mr Salaudeen Lukman, Senate President, National Association of Polytechnic Students, NAPS, tells Mojeed Alabi, there is need for ASUP to pursue its grievances with the FG with consideration for the fact that he who goes before equity should do so with clean hands. commence our sting operation, a lot of them might be sucked .

Most polytechnics appear to have shifted focus from the preferred emphasis on technical education to management disciplines. How true is this and how do you think this affects the overall poor public perception of the polytechnics?

This is very correct to the extent that some polytechnics pay greater attention to management than science and technological courses because the general craze for mobilization of more funds from students, generally push them in that direction. This is because most students believe that they stand a greater chance of securing employment with managment-related certificates, thereby swelling their ranks and forcing some polytechnics to seek to exploit this large number of desperate applicants. It is a plot by some rectors to commercialize polytechnic education, purely for financial benefits; an unfortunate perception which we have questioned on several occasions but they countered this argument with complaints of poor subvention from government which cannot effectively run these polytechnics except they devise ingenious measures to boost their Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, cashing in on this formidable reservoir of desperate applicants. Consequently, this forces these schools to ignore enforce their mandate to deepen the technological capacity of the nation and usually, there are no sanction by National Board for Technical Education, NBTE. This explains the strong argument for the agitation for establishment of National Polytechnics Commission, NPC to coordinate effective running, regulatory and monitoring of technological education. As we can see, this trend is encouraged by the weakness of the NBTE which is also over stretched with over 400 institutions under its care, compared to the National Universities Commission, NUC, which has only 120 and the National Commission for Colleges of Education, NCCE, which grapples with only 120. These are the major factors responsible for the effectiveness of those commissions over the NBTE. And it imposes on the FG the need to expedite action to see that polytechnics are uncoupled from the NBTE and replaced with the NPC so as to ensure complete transformation and advancement of technical education in the country.

Recommend solutions for the restoration of stability and confidence to the educational system in Nigeria.

The Federal Government should ensure immediate implementation of the inter-ministerial committee on HND/Bsc dichotomy headed by Dr. Macjohn Nwaobiala, the permanent secretary of the fed ministry of education. Their report has been officially submitted to the government and it is expected that the government should move Lukman with despatch to end the

dichotomy.

The FG should expedite action on the establishment of a National Polytechnic Commission whose mandate is to restore a lasting solution in the education sector. The desired body is expected to adequately cordinate the demands of lecturers, channeling them properly before their nonresolution results to strike action, just as we are experiencing now.

ASUP should demonstrate more commitment by ensuring greater unity among her chapters, to further convince the public of the altruism and originality of her agitation And the FG should address the issue of salary arrears to the striking lecturers and make available the first installment payment with MOU with ASUP to ensure immediate suspension of the over-10- month strike while negotiations on other issues continues while students return to campuses.

PERSPECTIVES

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Bisi Onabanjo on my mind

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Yusuph Olaniyonu

or those of us who had our secondary education in Ogun State between 1978 and 1983, late Chief Victor Olabisi Onabanjo remains a folklore hero. The man became the first elected governor of a young state which was just 44 months old in October 1979 and realized that his victory at the polls was as a result of popular support for his party, the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).

One of the cardinal programmes of his party was free education. While there are many enduring landmark edifices built by the Onabanjo administration in its four years, three months tenure, as a direct beneficiary, the education programme is still the area where one continues to have the most appreciation of the ingenuity of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his lieutenants. In a place like Ogun State where education was and remains a major industry as the people have by then had close to two century exposure to Western education, the UPN captured the heart of the people with its creative investment in establishment of new schools, building of new education infrastructure, supply of free textbooks, notebooks and other instructional materials, while tuition fees were abolished in secondary schools.

The quality of teaching in Ogun state was high for all of us from Lagos, Oyo and places that are now in Edo and Osun States. People from neighbouring states came to get good education in Ogun State and benefit from the free education policy. Incidentally, when I returned to live in Ogun State in 2011, I found that one area where the erosion and compromise of the Onabanjo legacy was more evident is in the area of education. Over the years, schools in Ogun State had suffered serious neglect. The infrastructure had collapsed.

Quality of teaching had become prostrate. Teachers were disenchanted and teaching had become a second profession to them. As a result of these negative developments, students themselves have become disoriented.

These are the challenges that the present administration in Ogun State headed by Senator Ibikunle Amosun had to contend with since its inception on May 29, 2011. Incidentally, the first item in the administration’s Mission to Rebuild Agenda is Affordable Qualitative Education.

With its meager resources, the present government, like that of Onabanjo, abolished tuition fees in all its 1,491 primary and 473 secondary schools.

Also, an audit of number of pupils and students in public schools were taken and textbooks, notebooks and instructional materials were supplied to each of them as we enjoyed under the Onabanjo administration. The Amosun administration also initiated a programme in which it gradually began the renovation and reconstruction of blocks of classrooms in the schools as well as supply of new furniture in those schools. To enable it pay for the cost of these infrastructural facilities, the government entered into negotiation with the Universal Basic Education (UBE) and Education Trust Fund (ETF), in which it paid the backlog of its counterpart fund dating back to 2008 so that it can access the fund due to the state which had been lying fallow.

That is why one would see new buildings and furniture in some primary and secondary schools with the inscription ‘SUBEB 2008/ 2009’, yet they were built by the current administration with the money accessed in arrears from UBE for the year inscribed on them as directed by the relevant federal intervention agency.

Onabanjo

Amosun

However, with the extent of rot inherited by the present administration in the area of infrastructure, it is not uncommon to still see some school buildings that are not in good shape. Definitely, renovation and reconstruction of classroom buildings is a work-in-progress that will take a few more years before normalcy can be totally restored.

As it was in the Onabanjo era when new schools were built to accommodate the growing number of students, the Amosun administration is on the

However, with the extent of rot inherited by the present administration in the area of infrastructure, it is not uncommon to still see some school buildings that are not in good shape

53

verge of completing 15 model secondary schools with each of them having a carrying capacity of 1,000 students. The model schools are being constructed in preparation for the return of schools originally owned by missionaries.

Again, government has introduced the unified examinations in primary and secondary schools in which all pupils and students write the same examinations, centrally administered and paid for by the government. The implication is that tutors are forced to cover their syllabus, the quality of teaching automatically improves and level of performance of students in internal and external examinations continues to grow higher. In any case, government has religiously paid the WAEC fees of final year secondary school students while those in technical schools enjoy the same privilege.

The students are further motivated by the reward of a foreign leadership training that the foundation run by wife of the governor, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, gives to the 20 students with best WAEC results selected from the 20 Local Government Areas.

These progressive policies explain why enrolment in Junior Secondary Schools has jumped from 174,820 in 2011 to 214,837 while that of the Senior Secondary Schools has moved from 146, 737 to 162,536 in the last three years.

The performance in WAEC has also improved by over 100 percent from what it used to be in 2011. Similarly, the Higher Education Performance (HEP) rate has moved from 18 percent in 2011/12 to 49.8 percent in 2012/13.

Today, teachers in the state have never had a better deal. Schools now get money for running cost. They get 27.5 percent Peculiar Allowance and 13th month salary allowance. They are due to get the recently approved car and housing loans of between N500, 000 to N2 million and N1 million to N5 million respectively, depending on the salary scale. The loan will enable some of them to purchase comfortable apartment flats in the AAK Degun MTR Estate, Laderin in Abeokuta, specifically built by the government for public servants.

Since 2011, Ogun State’s teachers have been participating in different all-year round training programmes aimed at improving their competence. No wonder, Ogun State has been carting away majority of the awards in the National Teachers Awards being given by the Federal Government. The state government also gives similar award to further motivate the teachers.

The seven tertiary schools owned by the state are not left behind. They get improved monthly subvention paid regularly to enable the school authorities meet their financial demands. The government has introduced policies aimed at overhauling the system. Infrastructural, education and transport facilities aimed at repositioning the schools and returning them to the prime position they occupied in the immediate years following the exit of the Onabanjo era.

Despite the propaganda by some opposition elements, I make bold to say the state government has not approved any request for increment in school fees in these higher institutions since 2011. Rather, since 2011, it has directed an across-the-board reduction in fees while also insisting on operation of a cashless policy aimed at institutionalizing financial discipline in the school.

It is for the above reasons that each time one reviews the developments in the Ogun State education sector, one is tempted to conclude that there is a reenactment of Onabanjo’s golden years. .Olaniyonu is Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ogun State

54 NEWS EXTRA

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SATURDAY 12 JUly 2014

ILORIN Ahmed tasks security agencies on unity N EWS I N BRIEF

Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has challenged security agencies operating in the state on the need to avoid frictions and work as a team in order to achieve their collective mandate.

Ahmed, who gave the challenge at the opening of Kwara 2014 Security Summit organised by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), noted that contrary to perceptions in many places, it was not only the activities of various insurgent and criminal groups that were threat to the nation.

186.1

YENAGOA

FCT INEC decries poor voter education ahead of 2015

The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, yesterday identified poor voter education as one of the major challenges hindering the nation’s electoral process.

Jega who spoke at the International seminar on Political Advertising, Perception Building and Voter Education organised by the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) in Abuja however, assured that the commission would not leave anything to chance in its effort to improve the level of voter education and civic sensitization about the electoral process.

He listed some of the challenges to include voter apathy, unduly high level of void votes in elections and post-election violence.

The number of newspaper journalists per 1m inhabitants of Chile in 2004.

Source: Blatantworld.com

945,087

The total area (in sq. km) of Tanzania.

Source: Worldfactsandfigures.com

Group faults dissolution of youth council by Bayelsa govt

A group under the aegis of Bayelsa Youth Coalition of Uniform and Non-uniform Bodies (BYCUNB), has condemned the dissolution of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) executive under the leadership of Mr. Bright Influence Igbrubia, by the state Commissioner for Youth Development, Mr. Akpoebi Alamieyesigha, describing it as an act of illegality.

The Chairman of the group, Mr. Livingstone Ayaowei, convened by the commissioner alleged that the meeting contravened the constitution of the youth body in matters concerning its operations.

The body further submits that the commissioner does not have any right to convene a management meeting let alone of dissolving the Executive without due- process.

8%

The percentage of individuals using the internet in Botswana in 2011.

Source: Itu.int

PDP’s magic wand will secure second term for Jonathan, says Fayose CERTAINTY Ekiti governor-elect believes what happened in the state will give Jonathan a second term

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Wale Elegbede he governor elect of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose said the grassroots magic wand of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will secure a second term tenure for President Goodluck Jonathan, adding that the wind of change that started with his victory on June 21, would sweep through the South-West.

Speaking yesterday in Lagos at a rally held to commemorate his victory in Ekiti, Fayose said the grip of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on politics in South-West is over, saying that the people of the zone have come terms with the party's misrule in the region.

He said: “Nothing will stop Jonathan in 2015. The magic wand of the PDP will secure a second term for him. Their blackmail against Mr. President will not stop Nigerians from voting for him again in 2015.

“The era of godfatherism and imposition is gone.

O

ndo State Government yesterday said there had been an upsurge in the number of patients who daily besiege the state Kidney Cure Centre for medical attention on kidney related issues.

The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, while commenting on the activities of the

Their conspiracy against me in 2006 is now their albatross and that is what will take all them out of government one after the other.

“We will meet them in Osun state next month.

Let them start packing their loads, because that is the same way we will chase them out of Alausa in 2015,” he said.

Speaking earlier, the

Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, said the PDP was ready to take over the reins of government in Lagos State, adding that the party would repeat the Ekiti State feat in Osun State to show that it wasn't a fluke victory but a voice of the people through the ballot box.

“APC government in the

South-West is not sensitive to the need of the people.

When we won in Ekiti, they said I brought soldiers but we actually blocked every means of rigging in Ekiti state because we know them too well,” he said.

In his speech, the Lagos PDP chairman, Tunji Shelle, said the party has closed rank, assuring all aspirants of a level playing ground.

L-R: Consultant, Techshop, Gariel Leoni; Strategic Accounts Executive, GE Global Growth and Operations, Mr. Olugbolahan Sobande and Manager, Projects and Operations, NCDMB, Mr. Egbuta Okey, during NCDMB tour visit to GE GARAGES in Lagos … yesterday PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Niger was under counted during 2006 Census – Aliyu Dan Atori

N MINNA

iger State Governor, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, has blamed the low population of the state as a result of the 2006 census, which under-counted some local government areas in the state.

He also insisted that the affected local governments have gone to the court to challenge the outcome of the census.

Aliyu, who stated this during this year’s World Population Day and inauguration of the state Advocacy and Sensitisation Committee for the 2016 census, in Minna yesterday, said Lapai local government area already had gotten a positive judgment from the court that the area was under counted in the census.

He explained further that reports showed that enumerators posted to Mokwa area of the state showed lack of capability to manage the machines deployed for

Abia okays N1.2m to repair Umuahia Ikot-Ekpene Road Igbeaku Orji Umuahia

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he Abia State Government has earmarked N1.2m for the rehabilitation of deplorable portion of Umuahia Ikot -Ekpene Federal road.

The New Telegraph gathered that the state government’s intervention on the road would serve as a huge relief to motorists plying the road.

The state Governor, Theodore Orji, stated this during an inspection of the progress of work done along the Ekebedi Oboro, Ikwuano portion of the road.

He said the amount was for the total reconstruction work which was being undertaken by the Abia State Road Maintenance Agency (ABROMA), adding that the project was expected to last for one month.

He explained that the state government decided to undertake the reconstruction of the federal road owing to its deplorable condition which had been a nightmare to motorists.

He added that he had informed the Federal Road

Ondo Kidney Cure Centre records upsurge in patients’ turnout Centre in Akure yesterday, said it has recorded so much patronage to the extent that the management of the centre has requested for the posting of more staff to the Kidney centre.

The Kidney Cure Centre, which is about four months old commenced admission

of patients on March 13 this year and conducted over 80 dialysis session, with about 105 patients within the first few weeks of operation.

Stating that the patronage at the centre had been wonderful, Akinmade, relying on the record available at the Centre said: “If one looks at

the sessions on dialysis, over 80 was done in just over six weeks, roughly at the rate of two sessions per day, for a centre that is just starting.”

He thus informed that the management of the centre had within few months of operation requested for more staff to be posted to

the census resulting in their deleting names of those enumerated rather than saving and counting them.

The governor expressed regret that despite the positive court judgment, the NPC could not effect a recount of the affected local government areas, which would have affected the entire population of the state because the NPC required a proclamation by the President for any recount to be carried out.

“Most local government areas in this state were under-counted but they cannot be recounted unless the President makes a proclamation, we are waiting for an announcement by the President,” he said.

Aliyu re-emphasised the need for adequate head count as the country prepares for the 2016 census, stating that the exercise should not be politicised or viewed as a means for sharing the national cake but as a step towards proper developmental planning for all segments of the country.

the centre because the patronage is likely to escalate in the next few months if one takes into consideration the progression level of the patronage.

The commissioner added that the centre was linked with hospitals abroad with the medical staff structured

Maintenance Agency (FERMA) on the state of the road.

The governor said: “The point is that the Federal Government is aware because I have spoken to the chairman in charge of FERMA but we will not wait until they come before we intervene because the problem is facing us.

We have embarked on the road project; thereafter, we can now inform the Federal Government on the amount spent for record purposes.

The governor, who noted that he was moved by the plight of motorists who ply the Umuahia IkotEkpene federal road linking Abia State to its sister states of Akwa Ibom and Cross River, expressed satisfaction with the level of work done so far.

Over 150 heavy duty vehicles carrying goods and passengers which were trapped on the road have found their way to their various destinations.

He appealed to the people of the community to cooperate with the state government to ensure speedy completion of the road and commended the ABROMA for a job well done. to meet up with the hospital’s three areas of focus.

The staff include doctors, general and dialysis nurses,; dieticians, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, medical lab scientists, health information managers.

Akinmade also hinted that the centre already had over 45 nurses at the moment.

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ARS 4: Rivers, Akwa Ibom for final in Port Harcourt

...as Enugu Zone witness mass turnout

R

Ahmed Musa (left) fighting for the ball against a USA player

Musa among World Cup’s 50 best players

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he Independent UK has listed Super Eagles player, Ahmed Musa, among its 50 best players of the World Cup. ”The Nigerian striker put in an attacking performance of the highest level against Argentina scoring twice and giving the South Americans all kind of problems.

He was also extremely disciplined in tracking back against the French, showing another side to

his game.”

The list, which featured some of the top goalkeepers at the World Cup including Manuel Neuer of Germany, Guillermo Ochoa of Mexico, Tim Howard of USA, Keylor Navas of Costa Rica however did not feature Vincent Enyeama who is widely regarded as one of the top goalkeepers at the tournament and also the best Super Eagles player at the World Cup.

FIFA fines Argentina over Nigeria media snub

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he FIFA Disciplinary Committee on Friday imposed a fine of 300,000 Swiss Francs (about £196,380) on the Argentina Football Association (AFA) and also pronounced a reprimand against it after the World Cup finalists snubbed post-match conference of three matches including their Group F face-off with Nigeria.

A statement from FIFA’s Media Office said the fine was in relation to breaches of the Regulations of Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup and the competition’s Media & Marketing regulations.

“Disciplinary proceedings were opened after

Argentina turned up for three consecutive Match Day press conferences in the stadium with only the head coach present, instead of the required head coach, plus at least one player.

“The matches are Argentina versus Nigeria, Argentina versus Switzerland, and Argentina versus Belgium.

“The same incident occurred at the Match Day press conference prior to the semi-final match between Argentina and The Netherlands.

“After analysing all necessary elements, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee found the Argentina FA guilty.

ivers Team A and Akwa Ibom yesterday (Friday) booked their final places in the female category of the ongoing Airtel Rising Stars (ARS) U-17 Football Tournament at the Port Harcourt zone of the competition.

The match which was played at the popular Sharks Stadium was witnessed by a capacity crowd of football fans from the host city and its environs.

Rivers Team A defeated hard-fighting Bayelsa State female team by 1-0 within regulation time to secure their final ticket, while Akwa Ibom defeated Cross River by 4-1 on penalties after the match had ended 0-0 apiece to also book their final ticket.

With the aforementioned victories, Rivers Team A will battle Akwa Ibom in the final slated

NFF crisis: Judiciary strike action scuttles peace move

E

fforts to meet FIFA condition that court actions against Nigeria Football Federation be withdrawn before July 15 suffered a setback on Friday, as a Jos High Court was unable to sit due to strike action embarked upon by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria.

FIFA announced the suspension of Nigeria from all footballing activities on Wednesday for “government interference” and gave the country until next week Tuesday to withdraw the suit filed by Ebiakpo RumsonBaribote, owner of Nembe City football club, which resulted in the dissolution of Aminu Maigari-led board from the court face

outright ban.

It was expected that the case would be withdrawn yesterday after the ministry of sports and some other stakeholders convinced the complainant to do so. But the effort was scuttled by the strike action embarked upon by JUSUN on Friday.

However, the strike action has made it more difficult for the withdrawal of the case before Tuesday because there is only one working day before the expiration of the deadline and it is unlikely the striking workers would call off the industrial action soon.

The implication of this is that the Super Falconets may not participate in the FIFA U-20 Women World Cup slated to begin next month in Canada.

Suarez

Liverpool sell Suarez to Barcelona

B

arcelona struck a deal on Friday to buy Uruguayan star striker Luis Suarez from Liverpool, sealing the transfer despite an uproar over him biting a World Cup rival.

Despite the furore that saw him sent home from the World Cup, Barcelona pushed ahead to sign the 27-year-old goalscorer reportedly on condition he apologise for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini.

The Spanish club said in a statement on Friday they and Liverpool “have reached an agreement for the transfer of Luis Suarez”, but declined to say how much they paid.

Spanish newspapers reported that Barcelona paid

Neymar backs ‘friend’ Messi

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earful Brazil star Neymar says he is prepared to set aside the historical rivalry between South America’s two footballing heavyweights as he wants four-time world footballer of the year Lionel Messi to win the World Cup when Argentina meet Germany in Sunday’s final.

for today (Saturday) at the same venue.

Meanwhile, coaches handling the Enugu Zonal finals of the Airtel Rising Stars Season 4 Football championships have been battling with the large turnout of kid footballers during the screening exercise.

Enugu Zonal coordinator, Ann Chejine, a former national team goalkeeper revealed that it was clear Nigerian kids were in search of where to express themselves through football.

“The players here are too much for such a short period given us. Many will be screened out because every one of them looks determined and eager to do well.”

She said the final which comes up today at the University of Nigeria (Enugu Campus) would witness the best of grassroots football.

Neymar

€81 million for the player while British media put the sum at £75 million.

The player said a sad farewell to fans of the English club, whom he helped fire to second place in the Premier League last season, sending them into the Champions League.

“It is with a heavy heart that I leave Liverpool for a new life and new challenges in Spain,” he said in a statement published

by Liverpool.

“This club did all they could to get me to stay, but playing and living in Spain, where my wife’s family live, is a lifelong dream and ambition. I believe now the timing is right.”

GAMES/CROSS WORD PUZZLE Some things we can save our money for, because it is hard-earned.

KEY WORDS

DUPLEX PRINTERS VIDEO SET

BUS FAN REFRESHMENTS

1

LAND SHIRT NOVELS RADIO

2

8

BOOKS LEATHER BOX RAIN COAT HAND BAGS UMBRELLA VIDEO CD CABINET INSURANCE

3

4 7

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9 10

S R E T N I R P A E X

O T E N I B A C T O D

H A N D B A G S H I R

X Y L E A T H E R B O

E R T U M B R E L L A

L A E G U H E A N G L

P H D S U B S D D N A

U N O V E L S E G I A

D O E B O O K S R H O

V I D E O C D E T F A

E G I N S U R A N C E

T O V E T A O C N I A

B

E

T

X

O

S

L

H

E

N

O

R

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14 16 18 19 21 24 25

26

1 Widespread 5 On the contrary 7 Nocturnal prey bird 8 Numbers, abbr.

9 Gone by 10 Current 11 Give careful attention to 12 Indicating surprise

16 Castrated bull 17 Ray Power operators 18 Fruit’s soft part 22 Before 23 Frozen water 24 Large North American deer 25 2nd Republic Plateau Governor 26 Inflexible

15 17

DOWN 1

20 22

ACROSS

Person working in a ranch

2 Slave owner

23

13 Misery 14 Capital of Kansas, USA

3 Aside 15 Mouth’s watery fluid 19 Person using a computer 4 Having conspicuous teeth 5 Discharged blood

20 Late Afro king Superstar

6 Meaning ‘three’

21 Nothing

See solution on page 21

TRAVEL PERSONALITY

Nigeria not doing enough to promote its tourism potential

P.41

Sanctity of Truth w ww. n ew te l e g r ap h on l i n e . c om

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth – Buddha

SATURDAY, july 12, 2014

N150

SPORT Reinstate NFF board now – Kojo Williams

P.25

Confab: Recommendation for the creation of one additional state in the South-east – not yet a done deal

T

he rapidly unravelling national conference has successfully failed to ignite one’s curiosity for nigh on three months. Thus, the chattering classes have carelessly and incompetently squandered a golden opportunity to finally, courageously and authoritatively define the structure and parameters of this perplexing contraption called Nigeria. Raising for conference consideration, for example, a debate on the question of ‘chemicalised’ fertilizer importation hardly rises above juvenile blather.

And redacting from consideration the essential crux of Nigerian history, the Civil War, is both pusillanimous and cowardly to the nth degree.

One has, nevertheless, taken full political notice of the unfolding struggle for the creation of one additional state in the Southeast. In the uncertain event that the struggle matures to fruition, the first step towards realising the much trumpeted but stillborn 3-Rs sequent to the Civil War will have been taken. If this joke of a conference takes credit for little else, this will grace a particular chapter of history that would otherwise have remained blank.

The resolution to create an additional state in the traditionally marginalised South-east has driven some delegates from some parts of northern Nigeria to frenzied distraction. They have embarked on a wild stampede and, like a crash of rhinos, are intent on trampling all proceedings that failed to yield to their totalitarian demands.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with defending group, sectional or ethnic advantage in a tribal republic such as Nigeria. But the mindset which pursues the defence of such interests according to the wicked principle of zero-sum game is a debased one.

Surely, it must be possible for all tendencies to win? To win a little? To win to a lesser or greater extent? Win-win? To insist on winning by delivering a crippling defeat to a supposed partner in construction is both selfish and doomed.

Preparatory to the convocation of the conference, there emerged a number of recommendations and advisory opinions on how best the South-east might approach the dialogue particularly in connection with the question of state creation. The best recommendation that I heard from any Igbo leader came from the versatile Professor Anya O. Anya: In the politics of variegated ethnic interests, he insisted, one should work in close and trustful alliance with groups and regions other than one’s own and tactfully de-emphasise one’s own priorities and instead extol the virtues of symbiosis.

Your voice, Anya maintained, needed not be the loudest in order to be heard and taken seriously, so long as you had a serious point to make. In Nigerian-type politics, you need not come first so long as you get to your intended and preferred destination. A unified message carried with one thunderous voice is a thousand times more efficacious than a million different messages carried by a million tuberculous voices.

Superb thinking emanating from a serious mind. And the strategy appears to have yielded a desirable outcome. However, the recommendation by the conference is one thing, implementation is another, more serious matter altogether. The arguments of the antagonists of additional state for the

BROADSIDE EMMANUEL ONWE agubata@aol.com

Kutigi

To those who tell us that it is illogical to create more states because some of those in existence have become unviable, there is a simple answer... Viability was never the criterion.

So why use that now?

Southeast are stunningly lazy but strenuously made. Their reach and vocal power in lobbydom are considerable and foolish is the Igboman who presumes that the ghost of inequity has finally been laid to rest with this mere recommendation. The work has only just begun, albeit on a firmer footing.

A two-pronged strategic operation must commence immediately: (a) an intensive drive to build and foster a united front at home and, (b) an energetic national mobilization campaign to marshal public opinion and secure the solidarity and support of a majority of Nigerians.

The delicate politics and methods must be conciliatory, unaggressive, solicitous and flexible but without being amenable to the old easy compromises and defensiveness that reinforced prejudicial assumptions about Ndigbo as a people. The task can be accomplished in a manner and style deferential to

elders, respectful of the sensibilities of other tribal groups and faiths, attentive to criticisms but intellectually prepared to meet antagonisms and disputations with overwhelmingly superior arguments.

Nigerians are masters of convenient comparisons. We conduct our presidential democracy in a thousand ways that contradict the robust American system and, yet, when it’s a bit convenient or narrowly advantageous we quickly point to the American example. And the liberty of that convenient advantage is hereby taken - the attention of those who insist that the South-east does not have the landmass for a sixth state is drawn to the United States of America where you have Texas with a population of 26 million people and land area of nearly 269,000 square miles existing side by side the State of Delaware with 917,000 people and a land area of 6,400 square miles; and Connecticut with a land area of 5,500 square miles. Both of these states combined will fit into Texas 22 times.

To those who tell us that it is illogical to create more states because some of those in existence have become unviable, there is a simple answer. The states were created as a means not just of giving expression to Nigeria’s multi-ethnic nature but also as a means of allocating her commonwealth in an equitable manner. Viability was never the criterion.

So why use that now? Because Ndigbo are involved? Besides, even if we accept the lame excuse of non-viability, why is the Southeast bearing the burden alone? Why are other sections of the country not paying an equal price

– which would, in practical terms, require the excision of six states from the Constitution?

To place the burden on the Southeast alone is oppressive, unjust, represents the worst form of negative discrimination and must be resisted. Quite simply, there is no cogent argument or justification for this grossly inequitable state of affairs.

To those who say it’s about population, my response is this: we have fraudulent data being trolled out as population figures. There does not exist in this country any population census figure worth the name, and there shall not be one until the day someone has the courage to conduct a population census which makes provision for all Nigerian citizens to disclose their tribe, religion and gender; a human head count conducted in a transparent fashion and which allows for humans to stand separately from goats and cattle. Then, and only then, will the question of population be taken seriously as a guide to any serious business in this country. Secondly, there is no law in this land that stipulates population size as a criterion for state creation. Section 8(1) of the Nigerian Constitution on the simple criteria for state creation is referred. Reference is also made to Sections 14 and 15 on the larger and much more significant question of social justice and true sense of integration.

The impulse to demand justice and the instinctive revolt against injustice constitute the most essential ingredients of humanity.

If we recognize this philosophical essence of what truly defines our sentient nature, then we must accept that this struggle is not only inevitable but mandatory.

It is not open to debate that among the six geo-political zones in Nigeria the Southeast has the least number of states, which, in turn, directly translates into the least number of senatorial districts, federal and state assembly constituencies, local governments and more.

These structural disparities are constitutionally entrenched, thus their grave implications for Ndigbo are beyond the primary questions of inequity and marginalization.

The histories of nations are replete with evidence of existential threat to any group whose marginalization is made a subject matter of constitutional enshrinement. The Jews in Germany, blacks in the United States of America, Gypsies in Albania, Aboriginals in Australia and Africans in South Africa constitute a few historical examples.

With unequal voice at the Federal Executive Council, in the National Assembly, on the federal judicial benches and a vast array of other fora in which Ndigbo suffer sub-parity representation, the strength of the advocacy of their problems and priorities is thus diminished. Little wonder, then, that the South-east still manifests the physical characteristics of a conquered and occupied land.

Quite apart from the psychological assault it represents for Ndigbo, the practical issues of unequal representation and unequal allocation of resources are calculated to retard the development of the region and its people.

The massive difference which the resources and human empowerment that are denied them might have made in society is something that calls not just for a sober reflection but a gritty resolve to bring about their speedy resolution.

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