Binder1 sunday, june 29, 2014

Sunday Edition

Sanctity of Truth Sunday, June 29, 2014 Vol. 1 No. 131

Facebook.com/newtelegraph

N150

| twitter.com/newtelegraph1 | www.newtelegraphonline.com

Nigeria’s most authoritative newspaper in politics and business

NEWS

POLITICS

S’EAST BEATS

CBN may insist on N35m capital base for BDC operators

Nigeria needs ‘benevolent dictatorship’ – Olajumoke

Igbo traditional rulers as endangered }41 species

}3

}23

Sanctity of Truth

ON SUNDAY

Page 15, JUNE 29, 2014

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT www.newtelegraphonline.com/body&soul

When it comes to fashion,

I’m a dictator –Tokunbo Modupe

Flaunt curves in stunning bandage Cool dresses kicks for casual outing

40s...and trailing 50

11 die as terrorists in army uniform bomb Bauchi hotel lSoldiers kill 50 insurgents in Borno lOsogbo residents flee over bomb scare lPFN laments attacks on churches Adeolu Adeyemo and Musa Pam with agency report

N

o fewer than 11 persons have been declared dead and 28 oth-

ers injured after a group of Boko Haram insurgents dressed in army uniform attacked the Peoples Hotel in Byangari area of Bauchi on Friday night.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that some

gunmen, wearing military uniforms, had attacked the hotel, detonating explosives and shooting people at random.

The Bauchi State Police Commissioner, Mallam Lawal Shehu, who confirmed

the incident yesterday, said one suspect had been arrested in connection with the bloody attack.

Briefing newsmen, Lawal said the suspect was being interrogated and efforts had been intensified to appre-

hend his fleeing accomplices.

The CP said the number of victims of the attack had risen from 10 dead and 14 injured, to 11 dead and 28 injured.

He urged members of the public to be security con-

scious and observe happenings within their immediate environment.

“The general public should pay special attention to persons and objects, particuCONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Jonathan condoles with New Telegraph over Editor’s death ...First Bank, others too Ahaoma Kanu

P

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, signing the condolence register for the late Managing Editor (North), New Telegraph, Suleiman Bisalla, during his visit to the newspapers’ head office, in Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

resident Goodluck Jonathan has commiserated with the management and staff of New Telegraph Newspapers over the death of the Managing Editor (North), Alhaji Suleiman Bisalla, who died in last week’s bomb blast at Emab Plaza in Abuja.

The President, who was represented by his spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, described the late Bissalla as “a fine journalist and a gentleman.” Abati presented the President’s heartfelt condolences at the head office of New Telegraph yesterday in Lagos.

Jonathan prayed the Almighty God to grant the friends and families of the

deceased “fortitude to bear the loss and grant the soul of the beloved departed peaceful repose.”

Similarly, First Bank Plc has also sent its condolences over the untimely death of the editor, saying, “The quality of life he lived will continue to spread as footprints in the sands of time.”

In a condolence letter signed by Relationship Manager, Mr. Olalekan Odunowo, and Business Manager, Scholastica Adeniji-Fashola, the bank expressed its sincere sympathy to New Telegraph at this trying time, praying that the soul of Bisalla rests in peace.

“May God grant the New Telegraph family and memCONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Married at 13, divorced at 14: Sad story of child bride, Maimuna Abdullahi

B

y the time she ran away, she bore the scars of an abused woman anywhere - a swollen face, a starved body, and, barely a year after her wedding, a divorce. But for Maimuna Abdullahi, it all happened by the time she was 14. Maimuna is one

of thousands of divorced girls in Nigeria, who were forced into marriage and have since run away or been thrown out by their husbands. They are victims of a belief that girls should get wed rather than educated, which led Boko Haram terrorists to abduct

Maimuna

more than 200 schoolgirls two months ago and threaten to marry them off.

“I’m too scared to go back home,” Maimuna whispers, as she fiddles nervously with her hands.

“I know they will force me to go back to my husband.”

Her former husband, Ma-

hammadu Saidu, 28, does not deny beating her, and blames her few years of school for her disobedience.

“She had too much ABCD,” he says. “Too much ABCD.” Nigeria has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, despite

a law that sets the age of consent at 18. The custom of child marriage is still ingrained enough that even a federal senator has married five child brides and divorced one.

Across the country, one CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

2

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

News

Soldiers kill 50 Boko Haram members CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

larly at motor parks, market places, schools, places of worships, shopping malls, eateries and hotels.

“They should report any suspicious persons or objects within their neighbourhood to the nearest police station for prompt response, using these numbers - 08151849417 and 07013490795.”

Meanwhile the Bauchi State Branch of the Nigerian Red Cross has condemned the attack, describing it as “barbaric and inhuman.”

The State Secretary, Mallam Mohammed Bashir, told NAN that they received a call around 9.50pm on Friday about the attack.

“Immediately I received the call, I and my men rushed to the scene to provide First Aid treatment to the victims. Afterwards, we, along with the State Emergency Management Agency, police, military and the SSS personnel, evacuated them to the hospital.

“We still carried out a search and rescue operation at the scene this morning (Saturday) to ensure that every injured person was evacuated. It was a terrible experience,” Bashir said.

In a separate development, the Defence Headquarters said on Friday that more than 50 suspected terrorists died during a raid on a makeshift camp used by terrorists in Miyanti and Bulungu, Borno State.

In a statement posted on its website, the Defence Headquarters said 53 terrorists died in the encounter, while the troops lost two of their men and five others received injuries.

The statement said a fuel dump used for storing fuel, vehicles, including Toyota Hilux trucks, and seven motorcycles were destroyed in the raid.

It also said that 15 rifles, 11 machine guns and ammunitions were captured by the troops.

The statement added, “In a separate encounter around Duguri, near the NigeriaNiger border, troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force stormed a terrorists’ hideout in a raid.

“The troops recovered 18 rifles, five general purpose machine guns, 25 hand grenades and IED making materials.”

The statement said a suspected gun runner was apprehended and was being interrogated in connection with the seizures.

It said that the suspect was arrested during a cordon and search operation by troops.

The statement said that 15 other suspects were being detained in Abuja after a raid that led to the recovery of seven rifles, pistols, swords and other weapons.

It said that military operations to track armed gangs would be sustained in various locations.

On Wednesday’s explosion in Abuja, the statement said more explosives were seized from two suspects believed to have coordinated the bombing of Emab Shopping Plaza in Wuse.

The statement added: “Bystanders at the scene of the explosion alerted soldiers on patrol to the two suspects who were speeding off on a power bike.

“The soldiers pursued the fleeing suspects and shot at one who fell off the bike with his bag, while the rider escaped through the crowd.

“The bag recovered from the suspect was later confirmed to contain a package of IED and other accessories.”

The statement said that the accessories included stop clock, mobile phones and other materials used for setting off explosives.

The statement said the suspect, who was shot, later died in a hospital while yelling: “People will die! People will die!!”

Twenty-one persons were confirmed dead following the explosion, while the wounded are receiving treatment in various hospitals.

There was tension in Osogbo, the Osun State capital following a bomb scare in the area around the state secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Teachers and ‘Dele Yes Sir’.

The cause of the scare, which caused a pandemonium, could not be confirmed but sources said it might have been a gas explosion.

One of the residents who identified himself as Olabisi Olaide told newsmen that when the noise of the explosion shook the area, they abandoned their homes and fled.

He stated that policemen rushed to the area to investigate the scare.

Jonathan condoles with New Telegraph over Editor’s death C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1

bers of his immediate family the fortitude to bear the loss,” the letter read.

Also, the Fagba Crescent and Ajumobi Street Residents Association of Agidingbi, Ikeja have delivered their condolences to New

Telegraph over the loss.

In a condolence message signed by Mr. Leye Oyebade, chairman of the association, they prayed God to grant the “immediate family, staff of New Telegraph and others that he left behind, the fortitude to bear the absence created by the loss.”

Our correspondent saw anti-bomb officers scanning the area yesterday.

Speaking on the development, spokesperson for the state police command, Mrs. Folashade Odoro, said “It was a false alarm. There was nothing like discovery of an explosive device in any part of the state.”

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria has expressed sadness over incessant attacks on churches by terrorists, especially in the northern part of the country.

National Vice President of PFN (North Central Zone), Rev. Yakubu Pam, who addressed journalists shortly after the association’s zonal meeting in Jos, said the fellowship was particularly alarmed at the rampant killings and outright decimation of communities being undertaken by suspected Fulani herdsmen across Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Kogi and Katsina states.

His words: “PFN notes with utmost concern that

the Church has been a major victim of the horrendous activities of terrorist activities in Nigeria. As it is, we have lost at least 750 churches in the North to attacks by terrorists. Our worry, of late, is that churches that are making efforts to rebuild are facing difficulty in parts of the country securing necessary permits.

“We don’t want to believe there is a deliberate effort to discriminate against the church, even though churches in the North, have, over the years, expe-

rienced difficulty in obtaining necessary approvals for their buildings. We call for expedited approval of the applications by churches to rebuild their churches and schools. It is important that fairness and equity be evident at all times.”

The cleric, while condemning the recent bomb attacks in Abuja and other states, said the only way for Nigerians to win the war against terrorism was for everyone to join hands with the government in building a just society.

L-R: Former Secretary to Oyo State Government, Chief Olayiwola Olakojo; brother to late Arisekola Alao, Alhaji Abu Arisekola Alao; and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, during Obasanjo’s visit to the family of late Alhaji Azeez Arisekola Alao in Ibadan…yesterday

Kidnapping: Enugu councillor, nine others held over victims’ murders Uwakwe Abugu Awka

T

he Anambra State Command of the Department of State Security on Friday arrested a serving councillor in Enugu State, Kingsley Chukwuka Eze, and nine other suspects over their alleged involvement in the kidnap and death of a former Commissioner for Science and Technology in Anambra State, Mr. Chike Okoli.

They were alleged to have kidnapped and killed Okoli after collecting N2 million ransom from his family. A friend of the late commissioner, who was kidnapped along with the deceased, had escaped from the den of the hoodlums to tell the family what had happened to their breadwinner.

Security sources also stated yesterday that 10 suspects are believed to have killed two other kidnap victims after collecting various amounts of money from their respective families.

The suspects were parad-

ed on Friday evening at the DSS office in Awka by the State Director of DSS, Mr. A.U. Okeiyi. The DSS official explained that the command arrested the suspects in two different locations at Awka, capital of Anambra State and at Ugwuoba in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State - for various alleged kidnap incidents in the two states.

According to the security chief, the names of the other nine suspects are Emmanuel Ifeanyi Anyanor (28); Sunday Nwafor (28); Casmir Anumba (45); Vincent Chukwuego Nweke; Ejiofor Nwaonwu (20); Victor Anayo Ezejiofor (21); John Onyekachukwu Ndianefo (34); Collins Ikechukwu Ngene (23); and Ikechukwu Nwokike (33).

The senior DSS official added, “The gang is also suspected to have kidnapped the immediate State Commissioner for Science and Technology, C.C. Okoli, in May 2014.

“On 23rd June 2014, the command recovered from Anyanor the sim pack of an

Airtel GSM number used for negotiating the sum of N2 million paid for his release. The suspect confessed that he bought and registered the sim card and four others for negotiating the ransom.

“The command suspected that the recent victim they claimed to have killed and buried was the commissioner but Nwafor and Anyanor severally took operatives to the forest where they reportedly buried him and could not locate the grave,” Okeiyi explained.

The 38-year-old councillor was said to be the mastermind of the kidnap of a woman simply identified as Ezeugo in Oji River, Enugu State last April, for whose release a ransom of N700, 000 was allegedly collected by the gang.

According to the DSS chief, the suspect had provided his Hyundai Accent official car, the type used by all councillors in Enugu State, for the operation and a hideout in Oji River where Ezeugo was kept for

three days.

Anyanor and Nwafor also allegedly confessed to have taken part in several kidnappings in Awka and Oji River respectively, including the abduction of one Ejiofor from Enugu Ukwu in Anambra State in June 2012.

Ejiofor was later shot dead by a member of the gang and buried near a quarry site at Nibo in Anambra State, the DSS director also stated.

Okeiyi also said they confessed to have kidnapped an unidentified woman driving a Toyota Corolla car at Nkwo Amenyi Awka in November 2013, and that a ransom of N2m was paid for her release.

The suspects had also kidnapped an unidentified man driving an ashcoloured Toyota Corolla car in December 2013, around Ikoro House, Umudioka Awka and eventually collected a ransom of N1.5 million for his release.

They are being linked to many other kidnap incidents.

3

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

News

Arisekola-Alao was a great man – Obasanjo Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

F

ormer President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday visited the Oluwo-Kekere home of the late Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland Alhaji AbdulAzeez ArisekolaAlao, to commiserate with the family, describing him as a great leader, whose life was a lesson.

Obasanjo who came in company with the former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ishaya Bamaiyi and a former Commissioner of National Population Commission (NPC) Alhaji Lateef Gbadamosi, among others, arrived Arisekola-Alao’s house around 10:28 a.m, and was received by Alhaji Abu Arisekola-Alao.

The former President said the deceased’s life “was a lesson to behold. I believe that the most important thing was that his

life was a lesson for all of us. We should remember that after we are dead, whatever we do will live after us.

“When the news about his death filtered in, I was around in Ibadan on that day, but I could not believe it because I spoke with him four days before he travelled.

“He was a humble man; a man of many parts. He was a community leader; a state leader and a national leader. He appreciated what God gave him in material terms and he used it to benefit mankind. He was a philanthropist of note.

“He used part of his material endowment from God to make other human beings happy. We should all emulate his good gesture and continue to live his footsteps,” Obasanjo appealed.

Shortly before he visited Arisekola’s graveside to pay his last respect,

Obasanjonoted that the vacuum the deceased left within the community will be very “hard to fill.”

One of the deceased’s sons, Isa Alao, thanked him for his visit, saying, “It is God that gives and takes, although it is difficult for any father to lose his child, and our father is one of your sons. I know the pain you will be going through, but God knows best.”

Moments after Obasanjo left the residence, a former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi, came in, also to commiserate with the family.

Before extending his greetings to the family, the former Army Chief in his condolence message wrote: “I have lost a dear friend, brother and confidant. Are, you were too good to me and my family.

May Alla grant you eternal rest, May Allah bless whatever you left behind.”

2015: 500 POLITICIANS TO WATCH

Adamawa: Atiku, Nyako, Tukur, Haruna, Marwa in clash of the titans As the nation inches towards the 2015 elections, Adamawa State is sure to be a tough battleground as political giants in the state test their strength and popularity.

In what promises to be an epic battle, Governor Murtala Nyako who recently defected to the APC from the PDP, will prove his political relevance, even though he will not contest the governorship position. The bigwigs in PDP however, will be seeking their pound of flesh to prove to him that their party made him what he is.

Will they succeed in their mission, or will Nyako beat them to it? What role will the other political giants in the state play come 2015? How will the impeachment drama play out?

Grab a copy of New Telegraph tomorrow for an incisive analysis on the epic battle and personalities who will determine its outcome.

New Telegraph …Nigeria’s most authoritative newspaper in Politics and Business

Sad story of Nigerian child bride CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

in five girls marry before 15, according to the United Nations. In the poor Muslim north, where child marriage is often considered acceptable under shariah or Islamic law, that number goes up to one in two. Some child brides are as young as 9.

There are no official numbers for just how many of these girls get divorced, leaving them destitute, but they are all too visible. A few miles away, girls Maimuna’s age and younger are selling their bodies to truck drivers.

“Nobody knows how many thousands of them there are,” says Saadatu Aliyu, the founder of a private school for divorced girls that Maimuna now attends. “That’s why we have so many prostitutes, and very young ones, in the north.”

At 45, Maimuna’s father, Haruna Abdullahi, has been married for 30 years and has fathered eight children. He says his culture allows girls to go to their husband’s houses from the age of 12.

His wife, Rabi Abdullahi, was a child bride, although she does not know exactly how old.

“It is our way of life,” she says. “In my day, a bride would never dare to run away.”

In this desperately poor region, a child marriage brings in a bride price and means one less mouth to feed. So in late 2012, Maimuna’s father arranged to marry his eldest daughter to his best friend’s eldest son. The son, Saidu, paid a dowry of $210 — more cash than Abdullahi has had in his life.

She was 13, he twice her age. Saidu, a farmer, says he waited years for Maimuna

to reach what he considers marriageable age.

“When she was a kid, I would bring her candy and call her ‘wifey,’” says Saidu, who cannot read or write.

“We were always meant to be together.”

Maimuna begged her father to let her stay in school, but her wishes were not up for discussion. The link between child marriage and education is clear: Only 2 percent of married girls in Nigeria go to school, compared to 69 percent of unmarried girls. Three out of four married girls cannot read at all.

Many of Maimuna’s friends from school were already married, and not one was happy. She got no advice, on warning of what to expect from the marriage bed.

She settled into a new life where she worked in the fields, cleaned, carried water and firewood and cooked. Every day she was exhausted, and when she finally got to bed, her husband wanted to “bother” her, she says. He never kept his promise to let her go to school. When she objected to her treatment, he locked her into their hut, for days.

Nine months ago, she fled to her father and begged to return home. Instead, he whipped her until her back was raw, then forced her to go back to her husband.

Saidu, humiliated and furious, slapped her repeatedly in the face. She fled once again, first to a sympathetic aunt and then to a cousin in Kaduna.

When Maimuna showed up at the Tattalli Free School for divorced girls, she had been badly beaten and refused to speak, says teacher Victoria Dung. Doctors found she was badly

malnourished. The whip marks on her back may last a lifetime.

Her husband waited three months to make sure there was no baby. Then he divorced her. Under shariah law, a man can get divorced by declaring the divorce aloud three times.

Maimuna considers herself among the lucky ones because she is back at school.

“I pray that what I have done will help the younger ones, that my parents learn from the experience of my running away from home,” she says.

It is by no means certain.

Maimuna’s father denies beating his daughter, and says he is happy she is getting educated. Yet he gets visibly angry when he describes the financial problem she has left him.

Saidu is demanding his money back, because he wants to look for another bride. But Abdullahi has already spent it on land.

Asked if he will treat his five younger daughters differently, he looks down at the ground.

“I would allow my daughters to go to school if I had the money. I have seen what happens, otherwise,” he says. “But my reason is poverty, always financial problems. What can I do but give them out in marriage?”

Saidu, in the meantime, says he will move ahead with his life.

“This time I will marry a girl of 12, so that she will do what I want to do,” he says.

“Because if you marry a girl who is older, then she will not listen to you.”

His eyes slide to the porch, where Maimuna’s 10-yearold sister, Hafsat, is cuddling a neighbour’s baby.

A sly smile curls his lips.

CBN may insist on N35m capital base for BDC operators Chijioke Iremeka

T

he Central Bank of Nigeria may insist on pressing ahead with its N35 million minimum capital requirement for operators of Bureaux De Change in the country.

New Telegraph on Sunday learnt that the apex bank was not relenting in the face of opposition to the policy by the House of Representatives, as it believes it will help to correct deficiencies in the operation of BDCs. These deficiencies, according to a CBN source, had culminated in sharp practices in the foreign exchange market.

The move by the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele to raise the minimum capital requirement for operation of BDCs from N10m to N35m spurred the lawmakers to invite him to appear before

its Banking and Currency Committee for further clarifications on the policy.

The CBN source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “It is within the powers of the CBN to determine what stands. For every 10 registered BDC operators, there are over 50 touts around them, doing illegal business.

“Do you know that these touts buy dollars and pounds from Nigeria and export them back to the international market? They don’t want anything good for the economy but for their selfish interest. It has come to stay. We want to create quality jobs for graduates and undergraduates in Nigeria. We are talking about jobs that will turn around the fortunes of Nigerians.

“If the BDCs capitalise with N35 million, they would be able to develop their busi-

ness and employ people, not work with touts. They can employ and sustain their employees when they have a strong capital base. The lawmakers said that the policy would lead to unemployment, but it’s false.

“The lawmakers have also said that the CBN is trying to whittle down the economy of a particular region (North) but that is wrong. There are more registered BDCs in Lagos than any other part of the country. There are over 1300 in Lagos, 400 in Kano and 200 in the East. So, the South-West even has more.

We don’t want to keep encouraging touts in this business because it leads to dollarisation of the economy.

“These are unaccounted money that go into the sponsorship of insurgency. CBN is not going back on this. We need to contain the falling and rising of naira.”

4

Moments

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

L-R: Managing Director, Urban Shelter Limited, Alhaji Musa Dangogo Aliyu; Deputy Governor, Ahmed Musa Ibeto; Niger State Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu; Chief Judge, Hon. Fati Lami Abubakar; and Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Faruk Bahago, during the commissioning of Lawu Estate on the Eastern Bye-Pass Minna…on Saturday

L-R: Member, Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy, Mr. Jimi Agbaje; President of the academy, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi; and Chairman of the occasion, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (Rtd.), during the inauguration of the academy in Lagos…on Thursday. PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

L-R: Anchor, De Don; grand prize winner of an all-expense paid shopping trip to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Prince Onyiali; and Marketing Manager, Gulder, Legend and Life, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Emmanuel Agu, at the final raffle draw of Legend Extra Stout’s 2014 National Consumer Promotion, in Port Harcourt…on Friday

L-R: Chairman, Pace Setter’s Schools, Mr. Kenneth Imansuangbon; former Secretary to Federal Government, Chief Olu Falae; and Guest Speaker, Prof. Chris Ohuruogu; at Pace Setter School’s Students Graduation and Prize Giving Day in Abuja …on Friday

Senior Project Officer, Lagos Empowerment And Resource Network, Mrs. Tonne Saheed; Director, Leadership and Organisational Development, Etisalat Nigeria, Rabi Isma; Nigerian artiste, Reminisce, and Tutor General and Permanent Secretary, Education District 5, Lagos State, Mrs. Mary Taiwo Iji; at the 11th edition of the Etisalat Career Counselling Initiative held in Amuwo Odofin, Festac…on Thursday

L-R: Winner, Rotary overall Reporter of The Year, Wendy Agbo; District Governor, Olugbemiga Olowu and Committee Chairman, Humanitarian Reporting Award, Mr. Deyemi Ogunkoya, during the 2014 Humanitarian Reporting Award Ceremony in Lagos…on Friday. PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

Champion Institute of Theology students with Bishop & Rev. Prince N Samuel during the first matriculation of the institution in Port-Harcourt

Bishop Prince N Samuel & Wife, Pastor (Mrs.) Samuel at the event

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

L–R: Speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Konbowei Benson; newly sworn-in Commissioner for Tourism Development, Mr. Julius Otele; Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson; and the Commissioner for Housing Development, Mr. Nimbofa Ayawei, shortly after the swearing-in of two commissioners in Yenagoa…on Friday

L-R: Anambra State Deputy Governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke; Governor Willie Obiano; his wife, Ebelechukwu; member representing Awka North and South, State House of Assembly, Mrs. Rebecca Udorji; and wife of the Deputy Speaker, Mrs Chinelo Orizu, during the launch of Women Development Centre Guest House in Awka …on Thursday

5

Moments

L-R: Secretary to the Federal Government, Ayim Pius Ayim; Mrs. Kama Chikwe; Lady Mercy Orji and Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji, during the funeral service of late Chukwudifu Oputa at The Sacred Heart Catholic church Oguta in Imo state

L-R: Vice-Chancellor, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Prof. Charles Ayo; Chancellor/Founder, Living Faith Church Worldwide, Dr. David Oyedepo, and Guest Lecturer / former Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, at the university’s ninth Convocation Lecture in Ota, Ogun State..on Thursday. PHOTO: MOJEED ALABI

L-R: General Manager, Procurement, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Olumuyiwa Adegorite; Managing Director, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, [FAAN], Saleh Dunoma; Supervising Minister of Aviation, Dr. Samuel Ortom, and Managing Director, NAMA, Ibrahim Abdulsalam, during the minister’s inspection tour of Murtala Mohammed International Airport , Lagos…on Thursday L-R: Former Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Leke Pitan; General Manager, Technologies Division, Halogen Security Company Limited, Mrs. Gbemisola Adejumo, and Channel Sales Manager,Technologies , Mr. Olabisi Familusi, at the Total School Support Expo and Seminar organised by Edumark in Lagos…on Thursday

L-R: Winner of a 2.5 KVA generator, Uche Onyia; winner of LED TV, Dialose Chudey; and winner of a home theatre, Oriyomi Idris, at the Star Football Fan Park activation, in Lagos…on Wednesday

L-R: Regional Programme Coordinator, Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN), Mr. Adebola Abiodun; Product Manager, Edem Enterprise Company/Student, Redeemers International Secondary School, Okupe Opemipo; Marketing Executive, Corporate Responsibility Unit, First Bank Nigeria Plc, Mrs. Obianuju Akanbi; President, Edem Enterprise Company/ Student, Redeemers International Secondary School, Master Ajayi Olamiposi; Executive Director, Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN), Mrs. Kunbi Wuraola, and Director, Programme and Operation, during the JA Company of the Year Competition Western Region, in Lagos…on Friday

6

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Ramadan

Jonathan urges Muslims to offer prayers for Nigeria

P

Anule Emmanuel

resident Goodluck Jonathan has urged Muslims in the country to use the opportunity of this Ramadan season to pray

for Nigeria.

The President in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said as Muslims begin this year’s Ramadan fast they should be filled with

PDP,APC in Osun call for fervent prayers Adeolu Adeyemo OSOGBO

A

s the 30-day annual fasting period of Muslims begins nationwide, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming August 9, 2014 election in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, yesterday charged them to be more fervent in prayer to reduce the spate of violence and killings in the country.

Omisore in a statement made available to newsmen in Osogbo by his Director of Media and Strategy, Prince Diran Odeyemi, expressed confidence in the efficacy of prayers, stating that it can change misfortune to fortune and make the country or any given society to be free of violence.

According to him, all indigenes of the state should ensure that its prosperity, peace and socio-economic growth should remain the primary concern of all and sundry, irrespective of religion and political affiliation.

“The peace and stability of our dear country, Nigeria must be jealously guarded by Nigerians as we approach 2015, when the general elections would be conducted for the much expected smooth transition

into another four year term for all elected political contestants, “ Omisore said.

Also in a separate news release by the Director of Publicity and Strategy of the All Progressive Congress in the state, Barrister Kunle Oyatomi charged all Muslims in Osun as well as in other states of the federation to use the period of Ramadan fast to reflect deeply on and pray earnestly for peace to prevail in the country.

He also appealed to them to pray that “political sanity should become dominant in the hearts of politicians, especially those in Osun who appear desperate for political power.”

“As a religion that promotes peace and brotherliness, Islam and true Muslims should be in the vanguard of peaceful coexistence amongst the different peoples of our society…At this period of great challenges facing Nigeria and the political class, fasting and praying for Divine intervention is a great necessity”.

According to the APC, there is a significant degree of political desperation in Osun which requires prayers for a change of heart on the part of politicians who want power at all and any cost.

Atiku seeks end to violence

Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

F

ormer Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has advised Boko Haram fighters to abandon any form of violence against innocent people once and for all in the spirit of Ramadan In a goodwill message to Muslims in Abuja issued by his media office, the former Vice President said the war between Boko Haram fighters and government forces have caused enough grief and anguish, and created so many orphans and widows.

He called for immediate ceasefire and negotiations to bring the fighting to a permanent end.

He said if truly the insurgents are committed to God and his religion, then it was high time they had a rethink over the violent activities against innocent people, both Muslims and Christians, men, women and children.

According to him, any fighters that abandon their conscience cannot claim to be serving God. Atiku said that if, indeed, they love God and believe in His teachings about the sanctity of life, the time had come for the militants to reflect, confront their conscience and ask themselves if there is justification or benefits for the harm they are committing against innocent people.

the spirit of the season.

“As they join fellow adherents of the faith in other parts of the world in undergoing the strictures and spiritual purification of the annual Ramadan fast against the background of security challenges in the country, President Jonathan urges all Nigerian Muslims to offer special prayers during the period for greater peace and security in the nation.”

The President seized the opportunity of the commencement of the Ramadan fast to reassure the entire nation that the Federal Government would continue to work tirelessly to curb insurgency, terrorism and other criminal acts which have caused insecurity in parts of the country.

He urged Nigerians not to succumb to despair, but to remain steadfast in the firm conviction that with

courage, determination, focus, decisiveness and collective support for the Armed Forces and security agencies, the country will ultimately overcome the evil agents of sectionalism, sectarianism and international terrorism who seek to disunite the nation.

“As they observe the Ramadan, President Jonathan also calls on Nigerian Muslims to rededicate themselves in fuller measure to the virtues of

piety, self-discipline, tolerance, equity, honesty, fairness and sympathy for the less privileged which the Holy month promotes.

The President joins all people of faith in praying that God Almighty will grant Nigeria greater peace, security, unity and national harmony.”

The President wished the Muslim community a rewarding and spiritually gratifying Ramadan fast.

L-R: Chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Abduwaheed Adeola; President, NASRUL-LAHI-FAITH SOCIETY (NASFAT), Alhaji Sheriff Yusuf; Chief Missioner, Imam Abdullahi Akinbode and Deputy Imam, Abdul-Azeez Onike, during the Society’s Annual Ramadan Lecture and launch of NASFAT Agency for Zakat and Sadaqat in Lagos…yesterday. PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

Saraki, religious leaders want end to terrorism

S

ome religious leaders in Omu-Aran, Kwara State, on Saturday, urged Nigerians to utilise the Ramadan season to offer prayers for the country’s unity. The leaders made the call in Omu-Aran, Kwara, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria.

This came just as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, Dr Bukola Saraki, urged Muslims to use the opportunity of Ramadan to pray for the restoration of peace in the country.

Saraki, who stated this in a statement on Saturday in llorin, urged Muslims to pray for a terror-free Nigeria.``I give thanks to Almighty Allah for keeping us alive and healthy to witness and partake in another Month of Ramadan; the month of forgiveness,

mercy and abundant blessings. I urge the Muslim to use the opportunity of this month’s divinity to get closer to Almighty Allah and wish them a successful Month of Holiness’’, he said.

An Islamic scholar, Sheik Sodiq Alalobo, described the month of Ramadan as a sacred period during which prayers were offered to God and speedily answered.

He therefore urged Nigerians, especially Muslims, to take advantage of the season and pray fervently for the country to overcome its challenges.

Alalobo, who is also the Chief Imam of Omu-Aran Central Mosque, said such patriotic act was necessary in view of the numerous challenges facing the nation.

Also, Alhaji Abdul Razak Aduagba, President-Gen-

eral, Rahmatul Adabiyya Association, said the country needed prayers now to overcome its socio-economic and security challenges.

Similarly, the Bishop of The Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Omu-Aran, Rt. Rev. Phillip Adeyemo, urged Nigerians to imbibe the culture of religious tolerance to move the country forward.

He called on Christians to replicate the type of love and hospitality being extended to people during the Lenten season, to cover the Ramadan period and even beyond.

“We, as Christians, need to use the opportunity of this holy season to join the people of the other faith in offering prayers for the nation to overcome its numerous challenges.`There is need for us to imbibe religious tolerance as the country passes through its

most critical period of political transition, coupled with other social and economic challenges,” Adeyemo said.

Also speaking, Prophetess Bosede Adimabua, the President, Women Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN), Kwara Chapter, said only a divine intervention could ensure continuous unity in the country.

Adimabua urged Muslims to use the holy season of Ramadan to offer prayers for the country and extend their assistance to the poor and those with disabilities.

She said: ``Nigerians need to emulate the life of Jesus Christ so that the country can change for the better; those endowed with wealth should reach out to others.

This will enable the less privileged in the society to also live a meaningful and comfortable life.’’

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

JTF vows to blow off oil thieves’ vessels

Chris Ejim YENAGOA

T

he Joint Military Task Force (JTF), otherwise known as Operation Pulo Shield, has warned owners of vessels, barges and tankers used for illegal bunkering activities in the Niger Delta to withdraw such services from oil thieves or have them blown off.

The Commander of JTF, Major-General Emmanuel Atewe who handed down this warning also frowned at the criminalities being perpetrated by vessels and truck owners who rent them to oil thieves who use them to siphon stolen crude oil within Niger Delta.

He maintained that the

command was committed to the protection of oil platforms against oil thieves in line with its mandate, cautioning vessel owners to always verify the intentions of the oil bunkerers before hiring them out.

In a statement issued yesterday in Yenagoa and made available to news men, Media Coordinator of JTF, Lt. Col. Mustapha Anka disclosed that the JTF has handed over three suspects and a truck arrested for illegal oil bunkering activity to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for prosecution.

The suspects, according to the statement are: Samson Nyimeone, Chiemie Ashiegbu and Chukwudi

Orakwe who were arrested on 15 June 2014 by troops of the command at Ogale Eleme in Rivers State in a Mack truck with registration number XX 939 AGL containing 45, 000 liters of suspected stolen petrol from breached NNPC pipeline.

Anka further said that armed militants from Ekene community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State invaded Zion community of the same LGA and committed havoc.

“The armed youths

fired sporadically in the air. They harassed people, extorted money and consumable items from their victims before escaping. The same gang also intercepted and diverted two passenger boats and abducted passengers on board,” he stated.

The spokesman further alleged that the gang also carted away the sum of N1million from a staff of a telecommunication company who was affecting a repair on a communication mast in the community.

7

News

Group commends Suswam for ending teachers’ strike Cephas Iorhemen MAKURDI

A

coalition of Civil Rights Groups has poured encomiums on Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State for ending the over eight months–old strike embarked upon by primary school teachers in the state.

President of the coalition, Comrade Philip Agbese, told journalists yesterday that the governor’s gesture was a clear indication that he has the interest of the state and people at heart.

He also extended similar appreciation to the aggrieved teachers who also agreed to sheath their swords for the general interest of the school children in particular and the state in general.

According to Agbese, the agreement to end the indus-

trial action by the teachers was a move that should be commended, and cautioned against the use of strikes as the panacea to settling scores with government, noting that such strikes will thwart government’s efforts at development.

He implored associations and unions to rather take the path of dialogue to iron out issues with government, noting that with the suspension of the strike, children of the less privileged will now have the opportunity to get good education.

New Telegraph on Sunday recalls that the state government and teachers at the weekend reached a truce at the national secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Teachers in Abuja with the state’s delegation made up of the SUBEB chairman, and the Ministry of Education.

Turaki’s N4bn suit adjourned till Sept.24

A

Jigawa State High Court presided over

by Justice Ubale Ahmad Taura has adjourned the case of illegal diversion of N4 billion state fund against former governor of the state, Saminu Turaki’s to 24 September due to failure of the defendants to appear in court.

Turaki, former speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mustapha Makama Kiyawa, Bashir Turaki, and Gethel Nig. Ltd a company controlled and managed by Turaki’s brother, Bashir are standing trial and a court summon was issued to the former governor and the other three defendants to appear before it on the 12the June.

Other reasons for the adjournment include lack of proper process in filling the case on the side of the complainants, as well lack of personal service to the accused by the complainants. The former governor has been taken to court about 11 times in the last seven years by the state government.

The six-count charge

against the accused persons showed that in March 2006 the accused persons conspired and agreed to fraudulently use public fund, and paid interest for a private company, Gethel Nig. Ltd a loan amounted to N4 billion, an offence punishable under section 97 of the Penal Code 109 Laws of Jigawa State of 1998.

Other charges include, the accused used Local Government Allocation Account to guarantee the loan to Gethel Company, an offence similar to criminal breach of trust punishable under section 315 of the Penal Code.

Similarly the accused persons were accused of fabricating letter authorising the state executive to obtain the loan from Guaranty Trust Bank an offence punishable under section 97, Cap 109 laws of Jigawa State.

During the first sitting, Justice Taura summoned Turaki and the three others to appear before the court on June 12 this year, but the order was allegedly flouted by Turaki, and the other accused persons.

L-R: Former Ogun State Governor, Olusegun Osoba; APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Lynda; Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomole; Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan and Publisher, Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Sam Amuka, at a reception after the final burial of Amuka’s mother (Mrs Ariteshoma Abeji Amuka-Pemu) in Sapele, Delta State …yesterday

Akpabio decries students’ use of calculators in Math exams Tony Anichebe UYO

G

overnor Godswill Akpabio has decried the use of electronic gadgets such as calculator by Nigerian students to solve mathematical problems, stressing that such does not help in their mental capacity and development.

Akpabio, who stated this yesterday when the Chair-

Guber aspirant promises to make Benue investors’ haven Cephas Iorhemen MAKURDI

A

People’s Democratic Party governorship aspirant in Benue State and immediate past Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Alex Ter Adum, has promised to address the security

challenges confronting the state in order to make it an investors haven as part of his administration’s plan to boost the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state if elected to succeed Governor Gabriel Suswam next year.

He described peace and

security as pillars of sustainable growth, adding that with a peaceful and stable society, the people will better enjoy a healthy state of existence that is conducive to the pursuit of their legitimate personal and collective developmental efforts.

man, Cowbell Group, Chief Keith Richards paid him a courtesy visit at Governor’s Office, Uyo to present to him winners of the 2014 Cowbell National Secondary School Mathematics Competition held in the state, remarked, that Mathematics in our schools should not be a subject learnt only with a calculator, but a subject directed towards mental calculation to develop the brain power of our children.

He said education is one of the tools used to fight vices in our society, and therefore commended Cowbell Group and the National Mathematical Centre for the competition, which he described as a great initiative for quality education that can be used to fight vices in the society.

Lack of education, he said, could cause some of

the vices in our society, adding that as one of the governors in the NigerDelta, he had to use education to fight some of the vices such as militancy and group influence.

The governor said that he had to introduce the free and compulsory education policy, which is open to all Nigerian children resident in the state. “We also did expansion of schools, equipped facilities in the schools and so far we have built about 3,000 classrooms blocks in that state because this is a state that places high priority on education”.

“We have also abolished the houseboy/girl syndrome and introduced free medical treatment for children from 1-5 years of age. And this state is one of the states in the country that has eliminated polio drastically”, he said.

Speaking earlier, Chief

Richards had stated that the company sponsored and managed 29,000 students who sat for this year’s competition, disclosing that prizes of the competition comprise school books, computers, among others.

Richards who was accompanied by DirectorGeneral/Chief Executive Officer, National Mathematical Centre, Abuja, Prof. Adewale Solarin, among others, said the competition is a longstanding competition to sustain and develop their immediate community.

Hinting that the competition and awards ceremony are usually held in Abuja but they have decided to bring this year’s edition to the state, with the view to repeat it next year and thanked Akpabio for his strides in the education sector in the state and for the massive development.

8

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

News

Lilypond Customs Terminal nets N2.37bn

T

he Lilypond Customs Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at Ijora, Lagos State has said it had generated about N2.37billion revenue in May, compared with the N2.2 billion generated by the command in April.

The Comptroller of the command, Ms. Tallatu Isa, who made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Lagos, attributed the 6.81 per cent revenue increase to the collective efforts of clearing agents, the customs, terminal operators and shipping companies.

She said: “The increase is not through the effort of a single person. We have always overshot our revenue target because of the cooperation understanding and peace that exist in the area.”

She said the integration of Pre-arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) has enhanced the speedy clearance of cargoes at the dry port. “I know that we no longer have problem with PAAR like it was initially. I believe we have gradually overcome our challenges,” she stated.

The area comptroller said that the command would inaugurate a committee to look into problems relating to cargo clearance as directed by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr. Abdullahi Dikko.

Isa said that some agents were given provisional window for the release of their goods during the challenging period of PAAR, adding that it was necessary for such clearing agents to perfect their declaration to avoid problems with the customs.

“It is unfair, please if you enjoyed the privileged come and perfect the papers otherwise we will write a reminder after which we will take an action you will not like,” Isa warned.

She advised clearing agents to contact customs helpdesk to solve their problems.

In his contribution, Mr. Mike Anosike, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), in charge of the terminal security, said they would soon commence screening of luggage and people entering the terminal. Anosike said the method would boost security at the terminal.

FG realises N669bn from privatisation T he Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), Mr. Benjamin Dikki, has said that the Federal Government realised N669 billion from privatisation of its enterprises from 1999 to date.

Dikki made this known while delivering a lecture on “Federal Government’s Privatisation and Economic Reform Programme” at a forum organised by Just Friends Club of Nigeria in Abuja.

He said that the amount was proceeds from 122 enterprises privatised from 1999 to 2012 and revenue generated from the privatisation of the power sector in 2013.

He disclosed that 2.5 billion dollars (about N417.5 billion) was re-

alised from payments made by “preferred bidders of 15 out of the 18 successor companies of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN)” He said that N251.5 billion was realised as gross proceeds from the privatisation of the 122 enterprises, adding that N147 billion was remitted to the Privatisation Proceeds Account at the Central Bank of Nigeria as net profit.

Dikki added that N384 billion was spent on settling labour liabilities in the power sector before the companies were handed over to the new investors on Nov. 1, 2013.

He stated that 66 per cent of the privatised enterprises were performing well while 34 per cent was not doing well.

He said that the process

of unbundling the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company and Afam Generation Company, which was unsuccessful during the first sale, was currently nearing completion.

The director-general said that although BPE was known mainly for its privatisation activities, it had begun the handling of reforms in different sectors of the economy.

He cited the reform in the telecommunication sector, which he said had created lots of jobs and generated huge revenue for the government, as one of the reforms it handled. ``The establishment of the Debt Management Office (DMO) was one of the outcomes of the reform works of the bureau.

`` Before its creation, there was nobody to monitor government borrowing,’’ he explained.

Dikki said that BPE was currently pushing for the passage of seven bills which would open up the Nigerian economy “for healthy businesses to strive”.

On its initiatives, he expressed the hope that refineries would be privatised pending the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill. ``The government is intent on privatising the refineries because of the impact it will have in growing the Nigerian economy. `Right now, Element Petroleum, an oil firm, requires the by-product of refineries to produce its own product.

Jonathan for Okilo’s memorial service

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan is expected to attend the sixth year memorial service of a former Governor of Old Rivers State and Senator, the late Chief Melford Okilo, on July 6, 2014.

The President is billed to attend the event as Special Guest of Honour.

In a statement on the programme of activities for the memorial, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Melford Okilo Foundation, Dr. Eluana Okilo, said other dignitaries expected to attend are Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson; his Deputy, John Jonah; and other prominent sons and daughters of the South South and across the country.

Okilo explained that the memorial anniversary of their late father and elder statesman would commence with a church service at Saint Bartholomew Anglican Church, Emakalaka on July 6, 2014. Other events include short tributes by family, associates and friends led by Chief (Dr.) Aranye Okilo-Owaba and Obanema of Emakalakala, HRH King Iboro Ige-Edaba Kalakala III.

Okilo further stated that as part of the programme, the proposed establishment of Chief Melford Okilo International School at Yenagoa in furtherance of sustaining the fallen hero’s legacies and building a new future; followed by the formal presentation of the authorised biography of Senator Okilo to his kinsmen will also feature during the service.

Also earmarked for the occasion is the endowment of a Chair on Good Governance and Human Capital Development at the Niger Delta University Chief Melford Okilo Foundation is a non-government, non-profit organisation established and dedicated to the promotion of youth education with yearly scholarship schemes and grants, instilling values of volunteerism and civic engagement in the youths, promoting and celebrating excellence in leadership and entrepreneurship; and improving people’s health by giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty exacerbated by the degraded environment in Niger Delta.

L-R: Assistant Commander of Narcotics and Technical Assistant to Director-General, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr. Yinka Joe-Fadile; Outgoing Director-General, Mr. Femi Ajayi handing over to the newly appointed Director-General, Mrs. Roli BodeGeorge, in Lagos....on Friday

Fashola pledges more support for downtrodden on birthday Muritala Ayinla

G

overnor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State yesterday marked his 51st birthday with a pledge to continue to invest in human capital development and implement peoples’ oriented projects that will enhance standard of living for the entire Lagosians.

Fashola who reaffirmed that he would ensure that nobody was left out in the development; spoke at the Nigerian Society for the Blind, Oshodi, Cappa Os-

hodi, saying the money used in assisting the indigent and visually challenged students doesn’t belong to him but the tax payers in the state.

He added that the over N1 billion budgeted for bursary and scholarship was to ensure that no one is left behind, adding that it was profound that his administration remember places such as the physically challenged institutions.

His words:”As I was planning what to do today, I remembered that I have an unfinished business here: the promises that I

made. I was not forced to make them. I know that we have send money to the institute but it will not be useful if the officials of the school didn’t put the money into proper use.

“I remember I met a couple of students last year and I remember two people.

The young lady identified as Kafayat who had to wait for one year before she can go to law school. She suddenly lost her sight and she had to learn a new software on how to write and others. And the CEO of a business, who also lost her sight and had to visit

the institution to learn how he could continue with her business without his sight.

Those two people are constant for me how unappreciative those who have sight are. They are sobering and humble moment for me as I go through my daily activities.”

He promised that measures had put in place to ensure that such gestures for the special are put in place, even after he leaves office in 2015, adding that the visually or physically challenged should always apply for the grant.

EDITORIAL

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Our VISION

To build a newspaper organisation anchored on the sanctity of truth.

Our MISSION

To publish a newspaper of superior value, upholding the fundamental ethics of journalism: balanced reporting, fairness, accuracy and objectivity.

Sanctity Truth Sanctity of ofTruth www.newt e le g r aphonline .com

9

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth – Buddha

SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2014

Sexual harassment in the civil service

T

he grave challenges Nigerian

crept into various places of worship where

women face, especially those in the

clergymen sexually harass their secretar-

However, it is very important to ask

without mincing words, some female pub-

civil service, have once again been

ies and even married female members of

why men always want to sexually harass

lic servants dress very immodestly. There

highlighted. Mrs. Ebele Okeke, first female

their congregations. Some of them even

women in our clime? Why is it so dif-

may be need to introduce a proper, decent

head of service of the federation and

get pregnant in the process, leading to

ficult for a man to avoid this temptation

and modest dress code through the Office

Chairman, committee on public service at

widespread scandals. The cardinal point

that seems to easily beset him? Or is it

of the Head of Service to all female civil

the on - going national conference, said

to be made is that nobody has been duly

a case of the ‘acceptable norm’? Some

servants. However, in many cases, where

there is sexual harassment in the civil ser-

prosecuted for sexual harassment.

have argued that women sexually harass

women have dressed decently they have

men by unnecessarily exposing sensitive

also been sexually harassed. The civil

vice. According to her, sexual harassment

No matter what anybody feels about

in the scheme of things in our clime.

However, if the truth must be told,

is real, and some women have left the

it, sexual harassment is wrong. It is a very

parts of their bodies, thereby arousing

service must be very strict about fighting

service out of annoyance and frustration.

bad and uncivilised behaviour, and goes

salacious desires in men, and what men

the menace. Furthermore, sexual harass-

Unfortunately, sexual harassment is

against the teachings in all the religious

do is to merely respond to their biologi-

ment against women or men, as the case

becoming very commonplace in our clime.

books. It is also a gross violation of the

cal instincts. However, the flip side of the

may be, should attract very stiff penalties

Everywhere one turns to the menace of

fundamental human rights of women in

issue is that men as rational social agents

such as summary dismissal after proper

sexual harassment against women is

the public service in particular and the

should be able to ward off unnecessary

investigation must have been conducted

evident. In our various offices, institutions

country in general. Whether in the public

distractions as two wrongs do not make a

and concluded. Also, the use of telephones

and even in homes in relation to maids and

service or elsewhere, sexual harassment in

right. No matter the amount of such sexu-

and other electronic devices should be

domestic servants, this moral bankruptcy

whatever form or under any circumstanc-

ally suggestive pressure that is brought to

used to record conservations of these

manifests. In right-thinking and forward-

es or guise must be seriously frowned at.

bear on men, the issue of harassment in

randy characters, so that, they can be

looking societies, women are given their

This wicked act thrives on unwholesome

whatever form is totally unacceptable.

apprehended and prosecuted. Similarly,

due respect and assisted to be whatever

manipulations. Any human society that

they aspire to become in the society. Their

allows evil to triumph over good is head-

cases of sexual harassment in the public

inform higher authorities and the law en-

contributions in our country are invaluable

ing to the path of destruction. We must

service should be handled quietly would

forcement agencies so that such persons

and should not be allowed to rot away on

all stand up and be counted against the

only allow it to fester, with the culprits

can be apprehended in the web of their

account of warped values.

perversion that must not be given a place

going scot-free. The victims will continue

own schemings.

To the chagrin of many, this moral burden has found its way to the most unusual places in our midst. In secondary schools nowadays, teachers sexually harass young school girls and have them as girl friends or better still sexual partners.

It is also creeping to the primary school level, which is a dangerous and worrisome dimension. Furthermore, it is significant to observe that the moral burden has also

However, it is very important to ask why men always want to sexually harass women in our clime? Why is it so difficult for a man to avoid this temptation that seems to easily beset him?

The suggestion by Mrs. Okeke that the

to suffer in silence, which is not accept-

such female victims should play along but

Sexual harassment is a result of

able. It should be noted that victims must

underdevelopment of the mind. It is a

not be ashamed of taking appropriate

sign of immaturity and low self-esteem,

measure in ensuring those who harass

which it is not peculiar to women alone

them sexually are penalised. They should

but also to men, however, women suffer

talk to their lawyers and relevant NGOs

it in higher degree than men. This grow-

who should also bring the matter before

ing menace must be curbed through

the National Assembly. This issue must no

enforceable penalties, so as to sanitise

longer be swept under the carpet; rather it

the civil service in particular and the

should be part of the national discourse.

society in general.

GABRIEL AKINADEWO Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief FELIX OGUEJIOFOR ABUGU Deputy Managing Director/DEIC SULEIMAN BISALA Managing Editor, North YEMI AJAYI Editor, Daily LAURENCE ANI Editor, Saturday EMEKA MADUNAGU Editor, Sunday LEO CENDROWICZ Bureau Chief, Brussels MARSHALL COMINS Bureau Chief, Washington DC SAM AMSTERDAM Editorial Coordinator, Europe EMMAN SHEHU (PhD) Chairman, Editorial Board JULIET BUMAH Deputy Editor (Sunday) PADE OLAPOJU Production Editor TIMOTHY AKINLEYE Head, Graphics ROBINSON EZEH Head, Admin.

10

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

OPINION Dasuki: Power of apology and constructive engagements

A

Labaran Saleh t a recent private engagement with the media, a prince of the Sokoto caliphate, former aide de camp to former President Ibrahim Babangida and current National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), lamented that terrorists have succeeded in changing the way Nigerians see and relate with each other. But he observed the only way to defeat them is for all of us to remain united in constructive engagements and mutual dialogues and confront their threat as one united nation under God. The Office of the National Security Adviser is empowered to advice the President on matters concerning intelligence activities of the national security agencies. The NSA is. therefore, responsible for distilling the collective material amassed by the various agencies and bringing them to the attention of the President. He also makes recommendations in relation to the activities of the intelligence and security agencies to the President as contingencies may warrant. This influential role is limited to the fact that it doesn’t allow the NSA to place boots on the ground as relevant agencies are mandated to do the execution.

While past occupiers of that office were outspoken on various national issues, Dasuki would rather delegate or allow respective and relevant officers and agencies do the talking and take the action. Rather than engage in unnecessarily political bickering, the man has taken a gentlemanly path of humility and perseverance. A clear example was the recent apology he tendered to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, who was allegedly harassed by security personnel while attending a programme organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser in Kaduna.

He hardly addresses the press in media chats, press conferences or interviews. He nevertheless occasional engages media practitioners in private discussion on current realities from the right and factual perspectives.

It is in view of this, for instance, that he

facilitates existence of some structures for regular interface with the media towards better understanding of national security including the Forum of Spokespersons on Security and Response Agencies, chaired by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, and the National Information Centre, under the leadership of the Director General of National Orientation Agency, Mike Omeri. Some of these platforms have reduced repercussions from interagency rivalries to the barest minimum.

A believer in constructive and sometimes intellectual engagements, Dasuki has continued to promote dialogues through conferences and summit towards proffering solutions to lingering security crises in the country while ensuring that security agencies remain focused in maintain law and order.

The Office has been quite busy in recent times organising workshops and seminars all aimed at restoring the elusive peace and tranquillity to the country generally and the North in particular.

In an effort to address the growing fear of cyberspace and online engagement, Sambo Dasuki recently gathered critical stakeholders to the First National Cybersecurity Forum in Lagos to harness their input into the policy framework on cybersecurity. The participants from the public and private sectors including NGOs and the media build a national consensus on National Cybersecurity Roadmap and facilitated a unified e-security foundation for Digital Nigeria through a coordinated effort.

The event was deliberately planned to secure the cooperation, understanding and the support of other critical government agencies and stakeholders, which will help to prevent disjointed policy document, as well as achieving a coherent and all-inclusive Strategy in which all other similar cybersecurity efforts previously undertaken in the country will be infused into the overall framework of the National Cybersecurity Policy.

His office also hosted an international conference on security and development challenges in West and Central Africa due to activities of Fulani nomads. The event,

which was held in Kaduna with the theme: “The Role of Pastoralists in Preventing Insurgency and Conflicts for enhanced National Security,” drew critical stakeholders, top representatives of Fulani nomads, farmers along grazing reserves and scholars to a roundtable where they identified key challenges facing communities affected by pastoralists and their consequences on national security.

The forum provided a medium in achieving synergy among stakeholders and security agencies to tackle the menace of terrorism, insurgency, cattle rustling, command clashes and threat to national security.

Concerned about allegations of human rights abuses and proportionality of military response to crises situations, the Office organised international seminar on the Imperatives of the Observance of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Norms in Internal Security Operations for military, law enforcement officers and legal practitioners. This was borne out of a conviction that frequent sensitisation will go a long way to encourage the armed forces to imbibe these norms and promote voluntary compliance to the observance of appropriate rules of engagement which has been institutionalised in the training of members of the armed forces.

Again, because of a concern that vulnerable children and youths are coerced into criminal activities and insurgency, the National Security Adviser proposed the Soft-Approach Against Insurgency. The counter radicalization approach seeks to institute community engagement and resilience through building creating trust, creating awareness and resilience by partnering with faith based organizations, NGOs and other stakeholders to deliver counter radicalization programs at community levels. The platforms will create opportunities for conversation amongst the people, create nonviolent conflict resolution mechanisms and make it easier for youths in the affected societies to find answers to the questions that bother them the most.

The educational component of the programme is to be deployed to counter violent extremism. Youths are to be mentored and

nurtured through multiple platforms such as sports, arts, music, literature, history, leadership and service. The educational environment or schools for the programme would be a place where children go to learn about diversity, tolerance, and how to commune with those of different faiths and ethnicities.

Once they are kept busy on inquisitive, creative, imaginative and productive engagements, devilish thinking and evil-adventures would cross their minds.

Meanwhile the economic component can only be adjudged as superb if it is properly and successfully implemented. The ONSA develops a joint regional redevelopment plan, which would serve as the foundation for a federal-state partnership to revitalize the North-East region’s economy. An interministerial committee consisting of the Ministries, Department and Agencies, development partners are working with affected region under the aegis of the Presidential Initiative for the Northeast.

The office has also established National Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Mechanism with Early Warning System and Alerts for all cyber related emergencies in the country; National Computer Forensic Laboratory and coordinating the training and utilization of the facility by all law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies and coordinated Nigeria’s involvement in international cybersecurity cooperations to ensure the integration of our country into the global frameworks on cybersecurity.

One of his unique attributes is that he would rather take blame for overzealousness of officers under him but craves credit for security successes and accomplishment for the President whom he advises.

The dialogues and conferences on national security and security consciousness are parts of the ongoing effort by the ONSA to create awareness, collaboration and also reach critical stakeholders as way to finding lasting solution to security challenges in Nigeria and Africa in general.

Labaran Saleh writes from Garki II, Abuja and can be reached via: salelabaran@yahoo.com.

This Nigerian war is uncivil (1)

Emmanuel Onwubiko

T

he blood cuddling violence that has enveloped significant percentage of the states in the North of Nigeria and even Abuja the nation’s political capital is spreading like wild fire and majority of Nigerians who live far away from the epicenter of the well coordinated terrorists strikes which is in the North Eastern part of Nigeria are now sleeping with an eye open. On June 25, 2014, the dare devil bombers again desecrated the sanctity of several lives of innocent Nigerians when they successfully detonated several high caliber improvise explosive devices around a packed shopping mall known as Emab Plaza in the most busy side of Abuja, Wuse 2.

Contemporaneously, the bombers from the dreaded armed Islamic sect, Boko Haram, also successfully detonated several explosives at the strategic Apapa Wharf area in the metropolitan city of Lagos, Nigeria’s largest and most populated state. At the last count, nearly half a dozen Nigerians laid dead from the con-

sequences of the bombing campaign in Lagos. The Lagos state police command in an attempt to cover up has reportedly said the explosions were accidents that emanated from the fuel tankers packed along the road but most Nigerians who witnessed it said the cause of that deadly and heavy explosion was surely a car bomb because they reportedly sighted a certain veiled woman who allegedly perpetrated the devilish act of planting the bombs shortly before they went off.

Many people who live approximately 500 meters from the site of the Lagos bomb blasts said their houses shook violently upon the impact of the heavy noise generated by the explosions.

Not long ago, some 400 plus men suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect who started a late night journey from some Northern States and headed to Port Harcour, the Rivers state capital were intercepted by some eagle eyed soldiers near the commercial city of Aba in Abia State.

Few weeks before these strange travellers were intercepted for

questioning in the wee hours of the night, the leader of the Islamic terrorists group Abubaar Shekau who is reportedly in hiding had threatened to send his foot soldiers to bomb crude oil facilities in the oil rich Niger Delta and even threatened to take his fight to all corners of the Nigerian nation in their murderous campaign to destroy Nigeria if their evil plot to establish their harsh version of Islamic Sharia law is not declared in every part of Nigeria even against the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution which guarantees freedom of worship and conscience to all Nigerians and in section 10 clearly outlaws the declaration of any religion as the official state religion. Six suspected bombers planting bombs at the Living Faith Church in Owerri, the Imo state capital were arrested by the Imo state police command after some vigilant private security guards suspected their movement around the Church premises and reported to the Police. These rash of arrests in the Southern states of Nigeria have been largely politicized by those in some parts of Northern Nigeria who do not wish Nigeria

well but are rather wrongly accusing the Abia State Government of witch hunt over a security action taken by the Nigerian Army.

The Police command in Imo state must transparently and openly investigate these six bombers and should not attempt to conceal any evidence that may be useful to obtain conviction of these terrorists in the competent courts of law. Besides, I am of the opinion that Nigeria should set up independent anti- terrorism military tribunal for the prosecution of these bombers since their actions touch the very fundamental basis of our sovereignty and have virtually destroyed most arts of the territorial entity called Nigeria. The local court system has failed to speedy up the prosecution publicly of some of the arrested terrorists. Thousands of victims of these attacks have yet to get justice. Government has set up mechanism to address these issues and resolve the terrorists attacks. Nigerians are obliged to assist the Nigerian Government to achieve success in the war against terrorism.

Interestingly, the arrest of these four hundred and something suspected members of the Boko Haram about the same period that Abubakar Shekau the leader of Boko Haram threatened to attack Southern Nigeria and the Borno state Governor also warned that the dreaded sect may take their bombing campaign to the South has ignited understandable fears and apprehensions in the minds of most residents of the Southern parts of Nigeria even as the recent suspected bomb explosions in Lagos is interpreted as the actualization of the threats issued

by Abubakar Shekau in a video recording played in YouTube to attack facilities and institutions in the Southern part of Nigeria. Sadly, certain politicians in Jigawa and many other states in the North West including the government of Kano state introduced dangerous political interpretations into the arrest of the over four hundred suspected Boko Haram members who were headed to Port Harcourt by the Nigerian Army.

Letters Editor

11

to the

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

JUNE 29, 2014

You have a right to be heard! Send your letters and photographs to sundayletters@newtelegraph.com.

Letters should not be more than 100 words and must have the name and address of the sender.

Reckless driving by LAWMA truck drivers

Dear Editor, I would like to bring to the attention of the Lagos Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) that some of the drivers of their waste trucks are reckless on the road; the way they drive is dangerous and puts lives of Lagosians at risk. I don’t know if they have immunity from prosecution because they are very brazen and care less for any motorist whether they are right or wrong. I have never seen them being cautioned by any traffic regulatory body. I feel they should be made to understand that despite offering an essential service, they are not above the law and it is Lagosians that pay taxes with which they are paid.

Olusegun Odeleke Maryland, Lagos

Illegal immigrants in Gidan Kaji, Maraba Dear Editor, Please help us inform the relevant authorities about the increasing influx of foreigners from Niger Republic and Chad to Kidan Kaji area in Maraba, Nasarawa State. This has all of us afraid because they keep increasing every day. Due to the security situation in the country, we don’t know what mission some of them are here to accomplish. We ask for security operatives to look into this.

Hassan Ibrahim Maraba, Nassarawa State

Illegal Police check-point on Acme Road Dear Editor, I hope this letter gets to the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State. It concerns an illegal check-point mounted by police officers at Acme Road towards Ascon Filling Station in Lagos. These police officers always start shop around 7pm when darkness sets in and are in the habit of collecting bribes from motorists at will. Commercial bus drivers, tricycle operators and cab drivers are not left out.

Their activities cause gridlock all the way down to Agidingbi road which cause so much stress for Nigerians going home after a hard day’s work.

Sir, you can investigate this information between 7pm-10pm as this their schedule.

Gani Idowu Ogba, Lagos State Dear Editor, It is very heart aching how the Nigerian public does not put to good use public facilities at their disposal.

This goes a good length to portray us badly as a people and the kind of value system we hold dear. It is painful that in this part of the world, we cry day in day out for lack of infrastructural facilities, but even more painful is that those ones given to us cannot be put to good use.

The high rate of casualties arising from crashes, hit and run and other similar cases has necessitated the need for pedestrian bridges to enable road users

Life goes on for users of wooden pedestrian bridge constructed by traders at Odo-Eran, Itire, Lagos.

Fashola should do away with rascals at the bus stop

Grenville Estate is now an ocean

Dear Editor, One of the ways of knowing the level of advancement of any society is the sanity of its people. At every bus stop or Motor Park, these people constitute a torn in the flesh of passengers and commercial bus/cab drivers. Some of these people have the nods of the government as an extension of its revenue generating units, while others, a good number of them, are operating on the order of their local pay masters, against the government or public interest. Their job in some cases are helpful as they help to regulate traffic and indiscriminate parking or maintain orders in the absent of uniform men, but in most cases, they are not indispensible. They collect bribes from the conductors depending on the number of passengers that board their buses at territory under their jurisdiction. Some extort as high as N200 from the driver for stopping a passenger in a bus stop under their control. This has in turn heightened transport fares in some cities. The public are now made to bear the brunt. If the cost of travelling a 5 kilometers is N50, the passenger will be charged N70 because the driver will certainly spend the N20 extra charges before traveling through the length of five kilometers, as he will keep giving settling at every drop.

It is understandable that some of this money goes to government’s purse or to the transport union leadership. In such case, let there be an institutionalized body that will be in charge of issuance of tickets either on daily or weekly basis, with a certain amount to be charged only at designated places so that the ticket will serve as evidence of payment for the day or week depending on the life span of each ticket. This will reduce the number of touts roaming the bus stops fighting and causing confusion as well as regulate the fares being charged on members of the public. The most important of all is that it will help to give our cities a face lift and bring about some level of decency in the transport system.

Bamidele Adunusi Emina Crescent, Ikeja

Non usage of pedestrian bridge at Ojota (pedestrians) to cross from one side of the road to the other. This is for the people’s safety. Such bridges could be seen at major bus stops, and where there is none, construction is ongoing.

At Ojota, like many other parts of Lagos State, the long bridge crosses the dual carriage way linking Ketu, Mile 12 and Ikorodu to other parts of Lagos State, but to my consternation, pedestrians have almost aban-

PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

Dear Editor, The residents of Greenville Estate in Badore, Ajah Lagos want to beg the government of Lagos State to come to our aid now that the rains are here. The road leading into the estate is waterlogged and is affecting easy flow of traffic. We no longer are able to drop our children off to school and the state of the roads has given rise to attacks by armed robbers on residents in the area. Please we would be grateful if government can help us by sandfilling the place for us.

Mimi Asune Ajah, Lagos

doned the bridge in preference for crossing the road.

During the early morning rush hour, people will be seen, jumping from one lane to the next as they jostle to cross the road. The bridge at this time would be seen, very scanty, with just very few, mainly the aged, plying up or down the staircase to their destinations. This act does not only lack civility and decorum, it is risky and also plays down on the effort of the government to ensure the safety of her citizens.

Chinedu Ekeja Ojota, Lagos

12

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Diaspora Notes/ International Education

Breaking the Nigerian higher education code

After staying 50 years in Nigeria, Indian-born NG Patel says

African American College graduates from HBCU Hampton University

A

Akanimo Odon system used for brevity or secrecy of communication, in which arbitrarily chosen words, letters or symbols are assigned definite meaning – that’s how the dictionary describes the word ‘code’. This speaks more or less of some complex item or situation requiring ingenuity to decipher. You now must wonder why all this talk about codes.

Irrelevant as it might first sound, it is actually the way one feels when you think of the Nigerian educational system. It is like a huge collection of stakeholders made up of proprietors and beneficiaries, assessors and regulators, all pulled together and apart in random and unclear directions. Have they found an answer, you ask? Persistent academic strikes, constant bickering from different circles, educational migration of Nigerians to even French speaking African countries and the perpetual advert placements of ‘asylum’ opportunities in national dailies by foreign institutions probably gives a hint that the answer has not yet been found. There is actually no single allsolving answer like some ‘almighty formulae from worlds unknown’ and I do not attempt to even hint that I have all the answers. It is quite a complex code as it now stands. However, what I do know is that through a set of processes, rigorous strategies and efficient stakeholder engagements, this code can be broken.

To attempt to start this conversation, there is the need to beg for pardon for seeming naivety from someone who lives in the Diaspora though works predominantly in Nigeria; or in some

cases, the lack of accurate data, which on its own is another challenge strand to an already complex subject matter.

However, this is articulated to start a conversation with the powers that be and the players that think they are, in an attempt to salvage a now struggling educational sector. First, a premise or context will suffice.

Not very long ago, Nigerian universities, especially the federal more established ones, were closed down for over five months. When I spoke with international development experts, the undertone was that of unbelief and abomination. Not even poorer, less developed nations would let that happen. Education is the corner stone of a nation’s growth and higher education the chief corner stone of its development. All in all, the issue was centered on funds. I am not an advocate for the government or the universities as they probably both have impressive arguments while a compromise couldn’t be reached. I am an advocate of efficient structures, standards, processes, strategies and plans so that there is little or no need for compromises to be reached in the first place. It would seem therefore that funds, whether its availability or appropriation, is a crucial challenge in this entire set up. It always has been.

Every year, Nigerians studying overseas spend over $500 million and the number of Nigerians even going to study in other African countries has increased substantially in the last couple of years. That Nigerians now go to study in even French speaking African countries and in some cases non-English speaking institutions have developed English-based programmes just for Nigerians. There is insufficiency of

Nigerian-based institutions to cater for its higher education demands. Some information sources reckon that over 1.8 million people apply to enter into first-degree programmes but the Nigerian universities’ carrying capacity is less than 700,000 yearly. So we have a first problem of catering for demand. In an attempt to help the supply-demand situation, there has been an opening up of the Nigerian education

I

market and an allowance of new private universities set up. This has been a great positive step by the authorities to address the gap. The number of private universities soared from just seven in 2003 to 40 in 2010. Don’t even ask me how many private universities there are now in the country.

You only need to drive past an old patch of land on any expressway bordered by high fancy walls, an intimidating welcome

Law and s

n our corner today, there are two schemes and opportunities we wish to explore.

These are the crucial opportunities for Nigerians to take advantage of.

First, Aberystwyth University has launched a series of distance learning master’s programmes in Law (LLM) with incredible offers.

Aberystwyth University Wales is the oldest university in Wales and also home to the first Department of International Politics in the world. It was also voted as having the Best Student Experience in the UK in a 2010 poll as well as the safest University in the UK for several years running.

As part of their international strategy and to meet up the demand for quality education internationally through flexible approaches, they have developed six Masters degree programmes in Law for the overseas market.

They programmes are: 1. LLM Environmental Law and Management; 2. LLM Human Rights and Humanitarian Law; 3. LLM International

Commercial Law; 4. LLM Information Technology Law; 5. LLM Environmental and Human Rights Law; 6. LLM International Commercial and Environmental Law. The duration of the course is two years minimum and five years maximum with incredibly low overseas tuition fees of £7500 payable in three installments over a three-year period.

Model of Delivery: The course is entirely by distance learning (online) and students are expected to submit 12 essays of 5,000 words each followed by a dissertation of between 13,000 and 15,000 words.

Course Start Date: The next course starts in October 2014 but spaces are limited.

Course Orientation: Facilitators from Aberystwyth University Law School will deliver a 3 – 5 days orientation programme in Nigeria for all students prior to the commencement of this course. Aberystwyth University understands that Nigeria is a developing economy and legal structures are fast becoming special-

13

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Diaspora Notes/ International Education

‘Breaking the Nigerian higher education code’ main gate and a posh university name to be introduced to a new one. So in an attempt to solve the demand problem, might we have created an even bigger problem and thus increasing the complexity of the code? So now medical doctors, business executives, traditional rulers, politicians and even religious leaders can now own and start a private university, which is okay except when it is becoming a bug that can be caught, an aftermath of a chain reaction, a trendy possession added to the lot or even an asset with a non-academic agenda. Do proprietors have the required acumen to run these private institutions? So then the next problem is that of management expertise.

The higher education regulatory authorities probably have robust criteria in place for establishing these private institutions. At least at the moment, not just any Tom, Dick or Harry can set up a private university in Nigeria or could they? I wonder. Assuming setup procedures and establishment requirements are all intact and to international standards, which I know they are not, to what extent is the monitoring and evaluation intact? Within these set-up requirements by the National Universities Commission, is there a minimum investment required or aspired to before a private university can be set up?

More so, is there a minimum investment expected to set up a new course?

This is crucial because one cannot spend $1m and $10m setting up a new course and get the same quality results on both spends. Is there a request to submit a comprehensive business plan with a five-year work plan? Is there a request for an academic, social and economic impact analysis? Is there a request for submitting an internationalisation strategy especially in a now globalised world? Oh wait a minute, why should we be asking these new private universities all of these? Do the older more established universities have them in the first place? Anyone can access a top global foreign university’s strategic plan and internationalisation strategy. It is a public document informed by stakeholder engagement and impinged by short, medium and long term planning. Little wonder it drives their visions, strategic partnerships, content development, manage-

ment oversight etc. No wonder they are a top university. So it would seem another problem could be tagged regulatory and governance framework. Let’s throw that into the code pot.

A simple test to assess if the above were fundamental in the set-up process is a visit to a private university. When you do go, find out how many senior lecturers are on a part-time status because they are also fulltime lecturing staff of older federal and state universities.

The numbers would surprise you. Isn’t that simply incredible? Is the Nigerian education sector fast becoming a recycling bowl of stagnant archaic processes and unchanging systems in a changing world? What we do find is a transfer and somewhat adaptation of old lecture notes from the older universities into the private universities. The difference is that the

pay is more. So I visited an old federal university and assessed the lecture notes of an old Zoology course. Then, I compared it with the lecture notes of a new Zoology course in a private university department not so far away, and it was the same. Well, that is not a crime, neither is it an academic issue except that the Zoology graduates end up working in the bank. I should know this first-hand because I did study Zoology and I did work in a bank. Should any university still be offering Zoology as a course? May be under the right circumstances of re-mapping the course to fit national gap areas. It opens up a new dimension that seems to suggest that is more a developmental issue and the lack of innovation on all players’ government and proprietors alike. I dare to emphasize.

Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike

Siblings chosen for U.S leadership programme

E

jike and Adaora “Daisy” Okpa, of Schaumberg, Illinois, United Stataes have been chosen along with 48 other students to participate in the Four Star Leadership programme, offering leadership training, policy debate, speech competition and scholarships, and the opportunity to engage with national and global leaders from July 12-19 in Oklahoma City.

In the six-year history of the programme, this is the first time siblings have been chosen, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Both recently graduated from JB Conant High School. While Ejike will be attending Hannibal LaGrange University in Missouri, Daisy will be at Ohio State.

Ejike, 18, was captain of the track team and was named a student hero for his work to prevent bullying.

Daisy, 17, is a member of the National Honour Society, was selected to the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, is an Illinois State Scholar, ran track and volunteers to teach Sunday school at church.

Both played competitive soccer.

Former Commander-in-Chief of American and coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, General Franks will host the camp, and guest speakers at the conference

will include Oklahoma Lt. Governor Todd Lamb, Attorney General Scott Pruitt, and multiple Olympic Gold medalist Michele Smith. Round trip travel for the students and all participants in the program has been generously provided by PepsiCo, Inc. Since 2008, “Four Star” has welcomed more than 250 high school students from all over the U.S, and 30 international students.

Kings, governors, senators, Olympic Gold medalists and top national policy experts have mentored students in developing and demonstrating the core leadership principles of the programme: character, common vision, communication and caring.

Each session will follow curriculum designed to develop leadership skills and challenge students through team-building exercises, collaboration, spontaneous problem solving and competition. Excursions during the week will provide participants opportunities to further develop and employ those skills through cultural experiences and service projects.

“This life-changing learning experience is the finest kind of investment in a young person’s character, education and commitment to a lifetime of leadership,” said Gen. Franks.

This year’s Four Star Leadership Congressional Debate competition offers students expert policy briefings so they may address those issues in persuasive speech and editorial contests, while collaborating in a model Student Congress. Topics to be debated are the Affordable Care Act, Global Warming versus economic growth and the minimum wage.

Four Star Leadership with General Tommy Franks is an all-inclusive programme (tuition, room, board, travel and fees) that is free to the selected students. Four Star Leadership provides an avenue for recognition, scholarships and letters of recommendation.

Competition finalists will be awarded scholarships to be applied at the college of their choice. Four participants who successfully complete the programme will have an opportunity to receive a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Texas in Arlington and every student will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to develop their leadership potential.

Co-hosts for the conference are the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA), Oklahoma Christian University, and the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.

Schemes and opportunities

split site PHDs ised to meet the demands of this expanding market.

They also appreciate the need for capacity building in Nigeria and these programmes have been designed for flexibility and innovation. Aberystwyth University is also open to strategically partner law firms, legal institutions and legal departments of corporate, governmental and non-governmental organisations needing expertise in the course areas of the LLMs in the delivery of these programmes.

Second, Lancaster University has signed two MOUs with the University of Benin Nigeria and the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO), on a new innovative Split-site PhD scheme for Nigerians.

Lancaster Environment Centre of Lancaster University is one of the most reputable environmental research centeres in Europe with a five-star rating, and this scheme is specifically to increase the numbers of Nigerians taking up international PhD opportunities under more flexible and cost-effective terms. This scheme allows the research student to do the first year of their PhD in Nigeria, the second year in the UK and then a return home to write their thesis in

the third year. There is also an opportunity to do the full three years in Nigeria but with a full registration with Lancaster University. Within this scheme, Nigerians would register for a Split site PhD on a research area or theme of mutual interest to both the Nigerian institution partner and the UK institution partner. In which case, such students will have two supervisors – one local and one foreign. Total tuition fees are much reduced, flexibility of research is enhanced and local content is guaranteed with international exposure well in line. Resumption for this scheme is flexible, depending on the availability of a supervisor on both ends and an agreement on a mutually beneficial research project. There is also a Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) for Split-site PhDs, which can be explored. Lancaster University understands the issues relating to brain drain when fully sponsored PhD students under scholarships schemes do not return to Nigeria after their studies. They also understand that several students would opt to self-fund their PhDs under more favourable payment terms. This is therefore

Profile

Dr. Akanimo Odon is an international business and strategy development expert with specialisation in development strategies in education, environment, oil and gas, media, charities and government as it concerns Africa. He has been an Adviser and consultant to the British Government, British Council, BG Group, Lancaster Environment Centre, European Regional Development Fund, and a wide range of global organisations and African/overseas universities. With a doctorate in environmental management from Lancaster University and a series of enterprise certifications and fellowships from the University of Cambridge, MIT and Stanford University, he is an international multi-award winner including the once being the UK International Student of the year 2006.

He is currently the CEO of Envirofly Consulting Limited UK (www.envirofly-group.com) with expertise in bridging gaps between Africa and the rest of the world, and he is also the Co-Founder and UK Country Director of Xn Foundation, one of the largest organisations that hosts a platform for the support of Africans in the Diaspora – www.xnfoundation.org. Dr..

Akanimo Odon is a also prolific writer, seasoned poet, novelist and international award-winning author.

14

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Life

Nigerian men are good lovers –Cat Di

O

Ahaoma Kanu ne thing that comes to the mind of an average American about Nigeria before the Boko Haram insurgency and BringBackOurGirls campaign was that they are scammers and fraudulent. With a daily dose of scam letters, fraudulent business proposals and promises of riches left to be claimed hitting email accounts of many Americans, the issue if trusting a Nigerian on a first time basis for American is a story better told to the marines.

But not for Catheline Dillon, an environment advocate, who developed an undying love for Nigeria negative image that looms large on TV networks in the United States.

Her love for Nigeria led her to get involved into projects in the country especially about development in the Niger Delta region where continuous oil spillages from multinational oil companies keeps destroying the environment. And her commitment has paid off as she is now married to a Nigerian who she describes as an intelligent and well liked person.

But before the love affair with Nigeria, Cat Di, as she likes to be referred to, once upon a time thought that Nigeria was a country where black people lived in huts.

“Having lived in places in the United States, where Americans think there are only huts to reside in, I did not have any preconceived impressions, other than I would be in a country that is inhabited predominately by black people…who lived in huts. But all kidding aside, having known Nigerians for over 30 years, if I had any preconceived notions, they had long been forgotten,” she said.

Growing up in Houston, West Coast of the United States afforded her the opportunity to meet some many Nigerians and at a point, she had a 10 year relationship with a Nigerian man who she says still remains a friend. Di’s passion for the Niger Delta started from her relationship with this friend who was at that time struggling to make a living in America. They met on the social media and she started helping him out with his education in addition to getting him jobs so that he can support his siblings back home. They usually had discussion about issues and the Niger Delta struggles captured her attention.

“I am very active on social media and met a young man, like many in Nigerians, who was struggling. We developed a friendship and conversed about his situation. He mentioned the Niger Delta region, which is where he was from and some of the tragedies. Having full knowledge of the 419 scams, I was cautious, but at the same time, as a result of the stories he told to me, I began investigating the oil industry in Nigeria and came to meet Comrade Sunny Ofehe.

This is the pivotal point of my interest in the Niger Delta,” she said.

Getting acquainted with the environmental activist further encouraged her research into getting more information of the true situations in the region which led to her getting introduced to more Nigerian environmental agitators on ground in Nigeria.

“My passion for the development of communities in the Niger Delta is borne out of the love for humanity. When there is a need, and the task is much greater than any one person can accomplish (especially someone not on ground), the direction of one’s efforts need to be focused and look for help. This led to my seeking out and finding Comrade Sunny Ofehe, founder of Hope for Niger Delta, Mr. Alagoa Morris of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, Nigeria and Rev. Nnimmo Bassey, Director at Health of Mother Earth Foundation (formerly ERA/FOEN). Therefore, my focus is directed on the Delta Region,” she said.

Her knowledge of the region was greatly

enhanced by these professionals and when she was educated on the horrid condition people in the area were living, she decided to go a step further and be part of a change in the region. An invitation to Netherlands from Sonny Ofehe’s organization in 2010 became an eye opener.

“I continued my research on the oil industry and the horrid conditions in the Niger Delta. At this point I began to collaborate with Comrade Sunny Ofehe, who invited me to the Netherlands to attend an event honoring Isaac Adaka Boro. I attended this function, and to my surprise, Mr. Ofehe introduced me to the panel and the audience and proceeded on telling the story of the young man trying to raise his siblings and what I had done for that family. I was quite embarrassed at the overwhelming response of gratitude shown by the attendees. I was just one person doing what I could to help another human being. I continued to collaborate with Sunny for the worldwide candlelight memorial of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni 8,” she said Getting fired up from her experience in Holland, Cat she went ahead to host a similar awareness Cat and hubby, Ikechukwu on thier traditional marriage campaign the US knowing that there was a great number of Nigerian population in Houston but she got a shocked to find out that most Nigerian students were not aware of On that same trip, she also accomplished the situation back home. a mission; to meet with a new friend she “Knowing there is a very large contin- met on the social media who had taken a gency of Nigerians in Houston, Texas, I special place in her heart. That visit changed chose the University of Houston to hold everything in that relationship that the next an educational awareness campaign with time she came to Nigeria the following year; a neighborhood candlelight vigil that eve- she came to say I Do to Mr. Ikechukwu Ugning. One of my biggest surprises was that boma who was at that time a lecturer at the most of the Nigerian students in the U.S. University of Benin in Edo State. were totally unaware of the conditions in “We initially met through social media and the Delta region and knew very little, if any- later on one of my trips to Nigeria. However, thing about Biafra and much of Nigerian before meeting, we spent at least 4 hours a history. In addition, as my research contin- day, 3 to 4 days a week, in video conferences ued, I shared my knowledge with friends with each other. Before meeting in person, and co-workers. Everyone I shared with I introduced him to some of my Nigerian was taken-back by the images and stories friends, where he was able to ask questions of Nigeria,” she recalls. about me and I was able to ask my friends Not being deterred by the revelation, she questions about him,” she said. moved on and got some volunteers to help One special quality that she said attracted with the event which also featured a poetry her to her Nigerian man was his honesty, contest for Nigerian youths in Nigeria. That intelligence and hardwork and confidence. same year, due to her assistance to her Nige“I was and continue to be most attracted rian friend, she was invited to Nigeria and to Ikechukwu’s love for mankind, his intelshe was fascinated by the people and the ligence, honesty and sense of responsibility culture and visited some historical tourist to his family, his students, and his commusites in the country. nity. I am continually amazed and profusely “One of the most fascinating things about proud of Ike’s successes in the United States; Nigeria is the giant termite hills! Truly, the landing his first job within three months most fascinating thing about Nigeria is the of being here, and now being one of the vast differences between tribes, the differ- student’s most sought-after instructors at ences in the cultures and customs of the Central New Mexico University. There is numerous tribes, and (unfortunately) the no denying that Ike loves what he does. conflict between the tribes. On my 2010 My family has been 1000% supportive of trip to Nigeria, I went to Badagry. It had Ikechukwu. They have seen the same qualinever occurred to me, nor had I researched ties in him as I do. We cannot forget about any history on slavery. Having grown up his four children, who are intelligent and during de-segregation in the United States, respectful, and well-liked by all. It is easy to I was raised to respect people of all color. judge the character of a man by behavior of Slavery was something that was subjected his children. I am so blessed to have had this upon black people by only white people. I family come into my life. Ike has definitely was drawn to tears to learn of the horrors enhanced my interest and knowledge of Nithat Africans perpetrated upon other Af- geria, more so after our marriage than bericans to on their way to, in, and leaving fore. The countless hours that we have spent Badagry. The only thing that came close to discussing Nigeria, making comparisons of deep emotional sorrow that I felt in Badagry the countries, and most importantly, thinkwas the Holocaust Museum in Washington, ing about how it will be when we return to DC,” she said.

Nigeria,” she said with smiles.

Now having her new family coming over to America to together, Cat still continues to focus on helping people in the Niger Delta especially the women and children and have started up a nongovernmental organization in that regard.

“The Restoration of Hope Youth Foundation (ROHYF) is a Humanitarian NGO committed to skills development, through grants and volunteerism, for youths and young adults in Nigeria and in the Niger Delta Region. Our goal is to provide access to marketable skills and knowledge on running a small business, thus reducing over-reliance on the petroleum industry for economic growth; as well as the risk of involvement with militant factions and/ or illegal bunkering; and contributing to continued peace in the region. One of the things that we have done with the NGO is to change our name. The use of Niger Delta in our former name had political implications, and we did not want that. However, our focus remains in the region,” she said.

Cat told New Telegraph on Sunday that her favourite Nigerian foods are pounded yam, pepper soup and grass cutter and has an advice for American ladies looking forward to marrying Nigerian men.

“My advice to any woman, regardless of color, who is not a Nigerian: Should you seek the companionship of a Nigerian man, understand that the cultural differences can be vast. Learn as much as possible about the culture and customs of whichever tribe he comes from and ask yourself if you can be accepting and can honor a man with his customs. Nigerian men, in general, are strong and proud men and they consistently strive to be the best provider. And girls, be sure you have a healthy libido. However, understand that as in any place in the world, there are good people and bad people…one has to be smart enough to filter what is being told to you by your man with the actions of your man. Know yourself and be intelligent about your choices,” she advised.

Sanctity of Truth

ON SUNDAY

Page 15, JUNE 29, 2014

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT www.newtelegraphonline.com/body&soul

When it comes to fashion,

I’m a dictator –Tokunbo Modupe

Flaunt curves in stunning bandage Cool dresses

kicks for casual outing

40s...and trailing 50

16

Body&Soul

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

heart y m from t h g i Stra

49 Pg.

49

oul

y&S

Bod

nay don r a h ly C d n e fri lth a e H W 14 NE

JUNE

TELE

GRAP

H ON

SUND

20 29,

e ‘New’ months into th , blessx Si .

14 20 ar rst half of ye in God’s love, providence nday of the fi t is the last Su Six months of wallowing r needs...

Year ’ already! it. es, providing ou liv r ou g in e ar m sp ing...you na do than to thank Him for e those living What else do w blessings on us each day? a blessing. If in doubt, ask we say that is is n for pouring H sings? Of course, each day ple understand better whe es eo bl p e er se th he e T . er W part of Nigeria g ensure that in the northern going to bed are miracles. g the nation into mournin gerous place d waking up an who derive joy in throwin climes, have become a dan in normal The evil men as sanctuaries me places in the North. ed rcefully from rd ga re , homes ildren, taken fo n! Hundreds y in so ch ll r ia ei ec th p of es t , os in to take solace mmunity is still grieving. M e...and more are being take me evil men The Chibok co men are yet to return hom their loved ones by the sa of il them by the ev ns are grieving the killings t state of mourning. ing to be ia en er an ig m N r er p he ld were prepar evil men a ot or to w of in e th ia er of ig st N wn the re , the who have thro sday, when Nigerians and e ongoing FIFA World Cup Telegraph’s ne th ew ed at N g W na in ti on d u en cl rg Just eat beyond. d 22 people, in Nigeria and A entertained by his time around, they bombe Suleiman Bissala, to the gr honey. r. to struck again. T iable Managing Editor, M a knack of pouring sand in eless war in ns am ve se d is ha an th e en bl of m s m il hu these ev her victim So, so sad that sala’s soul, and those of ot , rest in peace. is ld B or ay w eria will e M third time, Nig her parts of th Nigeria and ot mises to bring joy. For the Cup, haven been there Tomorrow pro ock-out stage of the World teams -Italy and Denn e kn compete at th 98 when we lost to Europea 19 d .

16 of ort them in 1994 an , at the Round this stage and as we supp e of their ly ve ti ec sp re at h urc markr boys triump men lose the so We pray that ou, we also pray that the evil rs tter ‘second with our praye r in Jesus name. ly pray for a be on ve e re W . fo es th d si ng stre had their good h.

January to Juneas we walk into it with fait d. ea ar ah ye k e th ee sed w half ’ of ay, have a bles Till next Sund

I

50

AY

e Din

elp pr tis to hearthri n ants oid w hey. el oxid mat os is anti rheu op or oderat ap e gr fo r vent os te in m an d lged on n ay ow n aracinduh ar d e kn us ch sive ci up ar citr C d in es k w in r bris lift anlightenooth thei floral y to a sm rter, eralit te fo r C ha nmin pa la co fo r th e sh. ar ke t grape ri se th e de fini e m ine Th ay w be on er s’ ertt donnes to ns umer, be in es , ti nue to cobright te w fruit du d for w hi isper aracman nc ed ve cr il ch e on ba la ch ha ore sosilienc our, whi as, m ss re r flavspice aromand le els fo oak ter barr rained te. wine newh rest e palagrape lovwit sh th nay d by an d to luhardon enjoyew in e It is . y C ostl hi te kers com is m of w r drin that from er s suga drink dish e lolow rfect any l to th n be a pe ents enta it ca rved plemcontin e. And d se ed. the cuisin yed an chill ine is l ly jo r ca er en te w fo whioption nce best n prop er, si wheowev red ers tion ache er er n H crea ty pref suff head the ch ca the raine in the pound,y red ent w hi . mig low com man prev ul es ssue U ni and m ol ec lung ti th e al so it is cing like . un es du e at e nds. s of mag is ts M il an win f- in mine, win ie se fr da ie nt of ra ro er hite d ca Sc it y and search rand at w l an t as mily r re at C haes t ve rs ed thtyroso ch ac and h fa he wit lso, ot d th e hi ghn as prov ains , w hi ories A rfo un s th ow in e cont ac id mmat ha kn w C ha n ha ve ay an ts Th is tasfe ic -infla th at ea st er do nnox id ol s. ain pohe lp anti 19 99 an ti ph en cont m ay su re , in is from ine ly also tw d es sa id ay po ch ui an pr s fr hi do nn ce. pe of thick the clas , w oo d . e Fran is ty ty and one ofctive si umer bl from ap Th gh as stin can ade is gr fo r lo w ei ed di e m of th te d is w gard most which sion me es ar in pu win e orig d is it h socame is re ld’s ines, y occa or Th w as s, w it as t. w t ar at E at w hite up an fr ui y ye ing th d le w de hten an at M id chers orayo m lig K ul e if ar e a e spec th , rese of Cal ates at th y luw mad t St y om er no ings d la ku are ff erenat fr owev versit nited ut w e an eel Ibu H Uni is, U di e. C sauc ess st ines e ts th n, av asid eces ina stainl maining from e frui atio e th a, D ke pi Set re per. w. Dip dish or any and bar 60 grapclassific grap te ni ur gs s fo y whi bo en xt r Po el na in ov n. ne ee c as w thei rdon uits in an ng pa the 5 degr terrifi are your form Cha the fr for baki e over at 37 e are k you cup ings and e of sauc vered Thes t thin world qw is on d bb t. unco mins. so don’y. The e libake e nigh am y – 80 vers o man …

TS fto g to rway erred ‘g w freelue gam IEN uce le in flo ice RED Q sa mak ill undeith pref ueur ur tong eir ING ps BB mon jugar igeis st rve w t the liq on yo ndle th ki , N ch 2 cu cup le n su Se r’. Le burn ot ha Ikla ice’ ts go mat , 1/4 sp browwine eu the cann r ‘spe. om qu nigh tina ne 25 fo gs ht iw d tb ho e B 6 en as m Ju win pper tast p re to figthose w s ga vs Arg sday ribed d 1 cu icken icy pe bes to for i well. ria Wednest desc inspire Q 20 ch hot sp ock cu on chill be has d BB of on Red and st lem one , it ke N uce, d pepSalt was s such en ba e kind are ATIO Q sa an 2014cy’. A y ov ow, th d tears and AR er BB wine ‘spi e spic u kn eat an eeks ars PREPtogeth sugar, thes gs. Yo you your ch the teions Mix brown at if in e, ot n th r ic w gs w sure em fo ju win ing don be e, the pany icy runnone ca e spic e com ese sp no from th e or th Try th are e gam r, lol! of th matte that

e& Win

W

n Ove

BQ ed B bak

gs

win

A

JUNE

14 29, 20

NEW

TELEG

RAPH

ON SU

Pg. 50

NDAY

Soul

Body&

d rt anfor kids o f Comtwear fo o

ne s, y Ja , flip M ar es ; adiators gh thi st yl ou s kers, gl ri na s, lo af er s, es snea , ba lle si ns , c an kl l at e or an flo ps m oc ca ies, et by al lic n op s, es, boot ki ds tentio r de e da y r them d ur th ei jelli e yo t pay atfort an on ug h th flats fo d cute St yl , bu com ci al ly th ro t. Try fun an m in r ns g pe th e sist nds mea to thei th es owin even fferent frie g by nts in ed also re he al still gr best hether in dies. en in pare he el e the W tu or ha pp Some hi gh ildren. r styl ats are g feet. outfit r- fu they ar Fl owin sual fu as es! ute. bu yi ng eir ch tion fo di gr a ca look no ts. th r es bo em r fo fla on s fo sugg th at ki p, for of oe is a ve Ikla lo w it’s sy getua pair ag e is th nt om s lo ds shHere ge … al issues no t ri es va nt an iw dr va t ki B re th ad in ch an ithou em if es. ei r pe s ther ad de d co m e e pa om fe ed th e ho ll- a ow w fe ct th later liv er A n th ey th nd gr ta r af to s in grow me ill thei too te ou nd th at ar be an will this sa to w w, in et are re they en is plied t no eir fe to go es su Th th em uc h pr that hy th not ap ey pu m fo r er. W oach what thotwear? so ith ill apprching as fo sly st e w et wat eir fe viou ges ar on th are ob chan They ing so grow

S

Juliet

Contents 29.06.2014 COVER

There is nothing wrong in government engaging the services of professional public relations firms to help it project its image.

However, I believe it is Nigeria-based PR firms that will be in a better position to understand Nigerian issues and the national image.

-Tokunbo Modupe

} 18-19

CELEB LOUNGE

Read about Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Festus Keyamo, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Augustine Okocha, Funmi AjilaLadipo and other celebrities between 40 and 50 who have contributed to the development of their respective sectors

} 46&47

GLAM DUDES Jeans and T-shirts

have helped men solve the problem of what to wear on a daily basis.

They have constantly evolved in the world of fashion with different brands coming out with stylish jeans and t-shirts to give men that comfy but trendy look they always desire } 44

FASHION Bandage dresses are

not for everyone. If you are overweight, or have some flabs you don’t want to show off, they are definitely not for you. Also, ladies who are busty should stay off bandage dresses or wear a very good bra that will help hold the bust in perfect shape } 22&43

ACCESSORIES

Long necklaces are in vogue again! They are those necklaces that are 24 inches and above. Long necklaces go well with tops that have high necklines.

There are three different lengths to consider when shopping for a long necklace} 17

BED, WORK & LIFE

“Congratulations once again, Patra.

I couldn’t come. I couldn’t have. I just want you to know that I’ll always love you,” he said.

“Thanks honey.

I knew you wouldn’t come.

I’m happy that you got your daughter back. I wish you well...remember, a part of you is permanently in my

heart,” she replied.

When she dropped her phone, she heard a discreet cough and swung around

} 20

JUNE 29,

the GO DIY on 48

ur Fix yo oul

Body&S

brok

TELE 2014 NEW

GRAPH

ON SUN

DAY

s en tile

Pg. 48

ke Sode g with bola e coverin e floor ey enhancor Th durabl se iles are aintenance. ate a hou r a low-m and illuminare fixed ove of off beauty When tiles tend to fall tal y vy me the ent. e, hea rtm a tim apa when iod of long perwall or breakt them. when m the on the hard agains to replace strikes are methods : Here d or broken tile damage of es ken Tile the piecesdesigns ng Bro Reusi you dispos sider a few s can tile Before air job, con . Broken in your rep rk d for from a be use tive artwo enhance can be decora they can d for rk patterns s and can . use be Artwo e frame g design home. pots, pictur que floorin plants, ted flower part of a unito have pot tom layer used as planning used as a bot are If you tiles can be h drainage. help wit broken to pot in the ken or e bro ance tile replac ear cing a Repla l want to in the app replace ant to d ants You wiltiles to mainta import lea d cracke m. It is also d tiles can age walls age of a roo ause dam ich can dam ld probthem bec room, wh y lead to modamage. the ma ral into structu rs, and and floo eventually lems and remove sel to a broor chi of Steps: grout raker the edge a • Use from around to reut chisel y the gro . mer and . You ma ken tile a club ham broken tile gles. Apng • Use tions of the tective gog tile usi sec a pro of ve k mo ves and the bac need gloadhesive to er. t it sits tha tile ead ng inply to ma , checki esive spr an adh ition the tile a tin wood ove the or , rem • Pos spacers en dry Then you and well. Useut gaps. Whthe joints. usual tain gros and grout k to its bac spacer room ks. your have ful loo beauti more

Abim

T

T h e Te a m l Juliet Bumah (Editor)

l Bayo Adeoye (Senior Correspondent) l Vanessa Okwara (Correspondent) l Biwom Iklaki (Correspondent) l Ugochukwu Nnakwe (Graphics) l Edwin Usoboh (Graphics) +234 (0) 811 675 9770, +234 (0) 701 110 1014 chibumah@yahoo.com julietbumah@newtelegraphonline.com

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

17

Accessories

Body&Soul

Classy long necklaces are in vogue Vanessa Okwara

T

he right jewellery makes an outfit ‘complete’ while the wrong one can ‘confuse’ it. Choosing the right jewellery to go with an outfit can be a task at times. Necklaces “glam up” an otherwise plain outfit and oftentimes, long necklaces do the trick.

Long necklaces are in vogue again! They are those necklaces that are 24 inches and above. Long necklaces go well with tops that have

high necklines.

There are three different lengths to consider when shopping for a long necklace. Matinee length is 20 to 24 inches long and stops just at the bust, depending on your height. Opera length is 28 to 34 inches long; this you can wrap around twice, giving it dual function as a short layered necklace or long necklace. Lariat length is any necklace 35 inches or longer and best if it comes in pearls so that you can vary the styles with differ-

ent outfits.

It is important to bear in mind the kind of occasion you want to attend. Long jewellery on casual and party outfits is appropriate. Wear long necklaces on plain or little patterned tops or dresses such as your LBDs to bring out the beauty. Wearing long necklace on heavily patterned tops or dresses doesn’t add any extra charm.

When you wear a long necklace, keep other jewellery simple. Your necklace

doesn’t have to ‘match’ your outfit, per se. Making a different but complimentary statement can be fun, too.

The beauty of long necklaces is that you can wear it long or you can double or triple it for a layered necklace. It’s classy when it comes in pearls or pendants; yet also very trendy when it comes with added bling!

You can wear it to almost any occasion – casual or dressy – and the details in the design make you look absolutely gorgeous!

18

Body&Soul

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

When it comes to fashion, Tokunbo Modupe sits atop one of the sought-after Public Relations agencies in Nigeria, TPT International. He spoke with BAYO ADEOYE on his challenges in the industry and much more Was becoming a top shot in the PR sector part of your childhood dream?

Well, it is difficult to say. How many people in our environment have realised their childhood dreams? There are very few. Do we really have childhood dreams? We only fantasise.

That’s why kids love cartoons. This wasn’t one of my numerous fantasies. If we have to look at it from that perspective, I wanted to be a musician. I love music. As a kid, I loved the late Orlando Owoh. You know I am from Ondo State and precisely from Owo town and he was the biggest musician from that town.

So, what stopped your dream of becoming a musician?

Nothing, I just realised I couldn’t be a musician and maturity came in and I then realised I could do better things. Again, like many struggling young Nigerians, you just look for a job, no particular job and along the line, you discover yourself, fall in love with what you are doing and rediscover yourself. My own story was not different.

When you started this PR company, it wasn’t as big as it is now.

Didn’t you nurse any fear of failure?

I didn’t nurse any fear, I came into it by accident. I needed a job and someone just asked me to come and manage this business. Along the line, I developed a strong interest for it. So it wasn’t like there was a big man in the industry that I was trying to emulate. I started my own practice and made up my mind that I would take the practice to another level. When I started my own firm, I looked up to foreign companies that were doing well globally.

I realised that you could practise PR and still be very successful. There is future in the business. I started to copy their style.

Their own style is not as conservative as we used to practise here in Nigeria.

PR abroad is very prestigious and very aspirational. So, I got addicted and it boosted my interest in it. Since then, we have been able to make our impact in the business.

At what point in your career did you hit your mega fortune?

Mega Fortune? I don’t know your definition of mega or fortune but I have been self-sustaining as a PR practitioner since 1994. However, my visibility professionally became more pronounced industrywise from 1998 when our clientele roaster began to grow with corresponding financial rewards.

Taking PR from the conservative level that it was to this point, what were the challenges you went through?

I had no role model locally to look up to. There were few successful people practising the business then. They were okay, but they were few and very conservative about it. Compared to other businesses like law, banking, if you talk about banking, you see bank MDs living large. It was easy for you to be attracted to that kind of job, but in PR, it wasn’t like that; you wouldn’t see them. There was no attraction. It was a challenge for you to raise the bar because there were few companies competing then; to get a client to appreciate and to convince to pay more. It was a challenge to convince even a colleague that we could raise the bar and ask for more and that PR didn’t need to be that conservative.

It was a challenge to get people to buy into your vision.

19

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Body&Soul

I’m a dictator -Tokunbo Modupe Recently, it was alleged that the Federal Government was trying to recruit an international PR firm to help manage its image. What’s your view on this?

There is nothing wrong in government engaging the services of professional public relations firms to help it project its image. However, I believe it is Nigerian-based PR firms that will be in a better position to understand Nigerian issues and the national image.

For you to project the Nigerian image abroad, you need to mitigate the bad news at home and creatively present the positive achievements of Nigeria as a national brand. There must be positive actions from government for information leveraging and negative news substitution. A local firm to be engaged must have a record of accomplishment of managing complex briefs and international partners with requisite clout to handle the foreign perspective of the campaign. This is the only way we can encourage the practice of Public Relations in Nigeria and achieve the overall objective of a sustainable national image management.

You are now a successful man. What does success mean to you?

Success means financial independence. Success means your ability to see an idea through and see it work. Success means seeing the industry change and more people come into the business.

Then there was no much attraction in the business as they practised for some time and left for other businesses, but now it is not like that. The industry was very small; it is still small. It is growing in terms of the attraction of young practitioners to the profession. More people want to come into the profession. Indeed, we have more agencies now and for those of us that have been there for a longer period, we have seen a sector of a few players growing to become an industry. Indeed, there are a good number of people who have come in through TPT, for instance, and have also gone out to set up their own organisations. So we have more people that are attracted to the industry now perhaps due to our success stories. In terms of the size of the industry, the number of people involved in it is growing.

You have a PR company and events management company. Are you thinking of going into advertising in the nearest future?

Not at all, not at all. And let me tell you, event management is part of PR. It is part of the tools in PR. Event was a department in TPT. At some point, we discovered that we were getting demands from clients in terms of event support.

We also needed to invest more in that aspect of operations and stand alone.

So, we set up and invested heavily in equipment and human resources.

What edge does your company have over others in the industry?

I am sure you have known us in the past; we have raised the bar in the industry. TPT is known for its creativity approach. We have brought innovations into the industry.

Many clients we work for know us for our innovations and we are many steps ahead of our competitors.

Tokunbo Modupe is known as a man of style. What does style mean to you?

Style is part of life, your style is a reflection of who you are, where you live, your environment and the person you are. As a perfection management specialist, you expect that your personality should be inspiring; be a role model in many ways. Besides what I deliver intellectually, my self- presentation is important. For me, style has become a way of life. I am not enslaved to fashion; I am a dictator when it comes to what I wear. I don’t think about the approval of peers, people out there. I don’t think of what you say when you see me wearing what I love to wear. I wake up in the morning, I wear whatever I feel like wearing and off I go.

What is your best possession it terms of fashion?

Uh! It is difficult to say. I am a collector of style items.

I have quite a lot of them. It’s very difficult for me to say this is most important or most expensive. When you are style conscious, you continue to acquire and acquire.

Do you shop in Nigeria or abroad?

I shop anywhere I see what I like, anywhere I see something unique, and anywhere I see what is style-important. I have shopped in one of the best malls in the world. But I don’t have a favourite location to collect my items.

As a very busy man, how do you have time for your children?

I create time for them.

Whenever they are in school, I don’t dist u r b them but

whenever they are on holiday, we see and we travel together. Summer holiday is also a special time for my family because we have enough time to spend together. Not only that, we also spend quality time together especially at Christmas time.

Talk-

ing about your children, would

you influence their choice of career?

You can only inspire. You don’t need to influence them. If anyone of them chooses to practise PR, I will give him or her all the support and encouragement but there is not an expectation that once you finish school you are coming into PR. I tell them that you can be what you want to be. I encourage them that the alternative to success is failure and poverty and that is a no-go area. So, for that reason, they have to work very hard. Academic success is great, but you have to balance it with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Where do you want to see TPT in the next five years?

I would love it to be the most sought after PR company, not only in Nigeria but all over the continent with our earnings going up like 1000 per cent.

You have friends and clients in government circles. Are you also thinking about going into politics in the nearest future?

Are you also not a politician? Everybody is into politics, everybody is discussing politics. We are all politicians whether you like it or not. The worst thing you can do to yourself is not participating in the political process, not necessarily by presenting yourself for elective position. But you need to be involved in the process: canvasing and encouraging other people, to that extent, I am involved in politics. But as I am sitting here, I don’t have a plan to contest for any elective position.

But in the nearest future…

(Cuts) Don’t put words in my mouth. It is only God that sees the future.

But as I speak, I have no plan to seek for a political position.

20

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Body&Soul with

Juliet Bumah +234 81 1 675 9770

chibumah@yahoo.com

In every game, there must be a loser

A

s an afterthought, Richie screamed, “I didn’t hurt her,” after the the receding medical personnel wheeling his wife into the theatre.

If Dr. KC or the nurses heard him, they betrayed no emotion as they moved briskly down the hallway and disappeared into the theatre.

Richie walked to the door of the theatre and stopped.

He wondered why he suddenly seemed to get everything wrong.

“Who would believe I did nothing to her? Why did I shake her shoulders? Why didn’t I notice she wasn’t feeling fine?

Why do I lose my temper so easily these days? When misfortune decides to visit a man, it comes with a coffin to bury him,” Richie mused as he paced up and down the corridor.

He was worried that Dr. KC would think that he rough handled Patra even in the hospital ward.

He walked back into the ward and began to pray. He ignored the phone when it rang the first time. When it rang the third time, he picked it. ******* Pius’ mind was in a turmoil.

He felt he heard Patra scream as he moved down the hospital’s corridor. As he moved further away from the hospital, the feeling got stronger.

Something was dancing at the fringe of his mind, an idea he could just not grasp.

Then it hit him and he stopped dead in his track.

The baby in Patra’s womb was hyperactive! He had travelled that route in the past. Each time his late wife went into labour, they noticed such increased activity in her womb! He recalled that they rushed to the hospital during his late wife’s first pregnancy when they noticed that the child was ‘moving too much’. The doctor told them then that she was in labour.

Labour! Could Patra be in labour at seven months?

He felt hot and his hands became clammy. His late wife went into a premature labour at 28 weeks and gave birth to his second daughter!

He took his phone and remembered that Patra said she would call when the coast was clear. He dialed her number anyway. When it rang out the first time, he concluded she was asleep. Then, something told him all was not well with Patra and he dialed her number again and it was not answered.

He was a few paces away from the hotel. He simply turned a round and started walking back to the hospital.

He dialed again. It was answered. A gruff voice said “Hello”. He was taken aback.

The voice demanded to know who he was and what he wanted. Pius said nothing, not because he didn’t want to say anything, but because words failed him.

He simply cut the line and continued to the hospital. ***** When Pius pushed open the door of Private Ward F, he saw a man seated on the bed, praying. Richie recognized him immediately as the visitor that came looking for his wife. He sprang up and charged towards Pius.

Pius quickly shut the door in his face and walked briskly towards the reception area. Richie caught up with him at the reception and threw him a punch from behind.

“How dare you show your ugly face here again. You slept with my wife and deposited your bastard in her!

I will make sure you rot in jail...” Richie shouted on and on as he held on to Pius’ belt from the back.

The few people at the reception looked on. None of them intervened. They were patients anyway.

The nurse rushed out and came back with two security men. The nurse told the security men to take

the two men outside as the noise was disturbing their patients.

The security men pleaded with Richie to leave the gentleman alone.

He shouted at them, “Who is the gentleman? You call a man who is sleeping with my wife a gentleman? A man who put my wife in the family way? Now, my wife’s life is in danger and he came here again to...”

The news that Patra’s life was in danger jolted Pius.

He turned around smartly, suddenly and Richie missed his step. He lost his grip on Pius’ belt. The security men helped steady him. As Pius made to move away, Richie threw a punch at him again. Pius turned back a few steps and threw Richie a punch on the right shoulder.

He said, apologetically, to the security men, “Sorry, I had to ‘unwing’ him momentarily. Don’t worry, he will be ok.”

Richie’s shoulder hurt so much. He walked out of the reception, into the car park. Pius walked out after him. The security men kept their distance from him.

Richie walked to his car. He watched as the stranger walked out of the hospital gate to a shop across the street...so well-built, so confident. His mind told him that in this battle, he would be the loser. He thought of beautiful Patra -a man’s dream of a wife, friend, comforter. He saw himself losing her. He thought of Ruth and swore.

Then his mind went further back to the local girl he impregnated 15 years ago as a Youth Corp member in a village in Kogi State. It was the girl’s first time with a man. He didn’t believe her until after the deed. He rejected the pregnancy but his spirit never rejected the baby -a girl. He was still struggling and felt that a child would bog him down. Moreover, the young girl was not his ‘type’. That was before he had that strange accident that injured his scrotum. The girl’s mother had told him he would come begging. The reason for his infertility suddenly became clear to him.

It was time to go begging! ****** Six months later, Patra and her baby boy, Destiny, went for thanksgiving in church. They had a little party in her new home afterwards. She had attended

to her family members and friends that came around.

Her new family suffocated her with love. Pius’ daughters and his mother made her feel so loved.

She thought of that day in the hospital. It was a miracle they survived. Before they got into the theatre, the baby was half way out. Dr. KC said the baby was determined to live. He spent only two weeks in the incubator and was strong enough to survive outside.

Merriment over after the thanksgiving, Patra retired into her room with Destiny. It was time for her private thanksgiving.

Her phone beeped and she brought it out of her bag.

Too many congratulatory messages. She would read all and reply them all later.

Her phone rang. It was Richie. She picked it immediately.

“Congratulations once again, Patra. I couldn’t come.

I couldn’t have. I just want you to know that I’ll always love you,” he said.

“Thanks honey. I knew you wouldn’t come. I’m happy that you got your daughter back. I wish you well...remember, a part of you is permanently in my heart,” she replied.

When she dropped her phone, she heard a discreet cough and swung around.

Pius, tall and handsome, stood at the door. He was smiling. He came in and scooped her into his strong arms.

“I understand. A little of me went with my late wife and a little of you is with your former husband. The most important thing is that we have the larger parts of us together,” Pius told her.

Their laughter transformed the room into a beautiful flower garden...until baby Destiny’s cry for attention cut into their dream. They disengaged and rushed to the little tot, laughing.

THE END! It’s been fun the past five month as we laughed and cried with Patra and her two men. Shall we say they all lived happily ever after?

Send in your reactions to julietbumah@gmail.com and +2348116759770 SMS only.

Meanwhile, keep a date with me on this page next Sunday for a new surprise.

21

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

Nip the nicks from shaving

Biwom Iklaki

A

few people would have experienced the bumps that take over your legs after a shave. Or the itching that comes with it, not to mention the occasional nicks and scratches.

These are some of the pains we endure for beauty, no?

Well, good news peeps! Here are a few tips that can nip the nicks in the bud!

1) Avoid shaving your legs as soon as you hop into the shower Understandably, you want to get your morning routine underway, but experts advise hanging out in the shower or bath for about 15 minutes before you start shaving. Reason being that this will soften the hair and open up follicles. Any longer,

though, and your skin will wrinkle and swell, making it harder to achieve a close shave.

2) Avoid doing it first thing in the morning Shaving at night will leave your legs smoother because as you sleep, your legs swell slightly, which can make hair retreat into its follicles.

3) Not using anything to lather up (or worse, using bar soap) No matter what, skip the temptation to shave “dry.”

Lather up your legs with a moisturizing shaving cream to make sure the razor glides easily over your skin, and you’ll avoid nicks and cuts.

Hair conditioner works well too.

4) Patronising single-blade razors You may be forgiven if

you’re staying in a hotel, but for every-day use, invest in a four or five-blade razor.

They provide the smoothest results, letting you navigate tricky areas like your knees and ankles. “Single-blade disposables are likelier to drag against the skin,” says cosmetic dermatologist, Neal Schultz, M.D. 5) Change your razor often You may have bought yourself a nice razor, but it won’t do you any good if you don’t change your blade at the first sign of dullness. They are more likely to cause bumps, redness and introduce bacteria which will cause infections to the area.

6) Shaving tactics Only shave in the direction your hair grows (down the leg), and if you have very sensitive skin, don’t shave upward at all. Granted, ‘go-

ing against the grain’ can give you the closest shave but it also increases the possibility of irritation and cuts.

7) Not preventing or treating razor burn Close shaving can result in ingrown hairs, and untreated razor burn can turn into long-term scars. To help prevent those annoying red bumps in the first place, use an exfoliating body scrub twice a week to shed the skin that’s trapping hairs. To treat bumps, put a warm compress on the affected area — the heat will relax the hair. After showering, apply lotion to soften the hair, leaving your skin less prone to infections.

8) Stay away from your guy’s razor!

Many women think using a ‘men’s razor ’ is more effective...well, it isn’t.

22

Body&Soul

Flaunt curves in stunning

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

43

Hardball Nigeria needs benevolent dictatorship, says Olajumoke p.28

biyi adegoroye, ASSISTANT Editor, Politics NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

JUNE 29, 2014

Jang

P

biyi.fire@yahoo.com

Tel: 08033024007

Mu'azu

Interview We must improve our electoral system - Ezeazu p.25

23

Politics ON SUNDAY

Tallen

2015: Raging battle on the Plateau

lateau State in the North Central has its peculiarities. These are manifest in the people, culture and frequent crises - be they communal or religious. But one issue which is currently generating great concern among the three senatorial districts in the state is the battle for the government house in 2015.

While Plateau Central had produced the governor at the dawn of democracy in 1999, when Joshua Dariye was sworn in until 2007, the current governor, Jonah Jang, who is from the North, took over the saddle and his tenure terminates in 2015. From all permutations, the people of Southern Plateau feel they should be naturally allowed to produce the next governor.

Already, some party leaders in the state are clamouring for a shift to the Southern part. For instance, the Peoples Democratic

The determination of Southern Plateau to produce the next governor of the state is currently tearing the state apart, leading the suspension of the party chairman.

BUHARI BELLO writes on the intensity of the battle ahead of the 2015 elections Party in Southern Plateau has been calling on other zones in the state to allow it produce the next governorship candidate that will succeed Jang. The party’s chairman in the Southern zone, Hon. Saidu Musa, who made the appeal to both the Northern and Central zones of the state, said this was imperative in the “spirit of fairness, equity and togetherness.”

He said, “We should be given the chance to produce the next governor of the state, since we have not done this in this new Plateau since 1999. We will soon start negotiating with other senatorial zones to ensure that the dream of having the gov-

ernorship seat in the Southern Plateau in 2015 becomes a reality.”

Similarly, Hon. Nicholas Nshe, representing the local government chairmen from the zone, expressed support for the shift to the south this time round.

“It is not just a right for us in the Southern zone but for fairness, equity and justice, we should be considered. We assure all and sundry that there is no doubt that the Northern zone had produced a revolutionary achiever (Jang), but we promise to produce another leader like him who will not only continue his lofty performances but sustain and consolidate them for the

entire state,” he said.

Contenders

So far, some of the contenders for the position from the Southern part are John Alkali; Senator Victor Lar; ex-Governor Fidelis Tapgun; Lonmang Wakmut; and Senator John Shagaya of the All Progressives Congress. Though Dariye from Bokkos local government, in Plateau Central was governor for eight years, there are indications that he wants the council to produce the next governor. A former deputy governor of the state during the

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

24

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Politics / Analysis

2015: Raging battle on the Plateau C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 3

brief period the late Chief Michael Botmang served as governor of the state, Chief Jethro Akum, has already indicated interest in the position.

Other notable people from the Southern zone who are working for the emergence of a governor from their district are a former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen Domkat Bali, (rtd), Maj-Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro and Brig-Gen. John Timlong (retd).

But if the current political activities in the state are anything to go by, this agitation does not go well with politicians from other zones, as they believe the contest should be thrown open. For instance, PDP State Chairman, Dr. Haruna Dabin, has been suspended from office, in a move said to be the outcome of his intention to take a shot at the governorship position.

Though the party attributed his suspension to “deliberate refusal to call a meeting for the various organs of the party for an unduly long period, as well as his consequent failure to render the party’s account” besides the investigation by the disciplinary committee of the party, the crisis has been linked with his governorship ambition.

The news of his removal was first contained in a communiqué which was jointly issued and signed by Hon. Gyang Badung for the state party executive, and Mr. Caleb Matfwang, who is the current chairman of Mangu Local Government, after an extra-ordinary meeting of the party held at the Presidential Lodge at Rayfield.

Tapgun

State chairman’s suspension

The suspended chairman was also accused of instigating some members of the party to institute a law suit against the party and the state executive committee, and was therefore suspended pending the outcome of full investigations by the party’s disciplinary committee. Part of the fallout of the crisis is that already, party executive, members of the state house of assembly and the state executive council have aligned with various factions, while some commissioners are said to be giving thought to shifting their loyalty to the opposition party in the state, APC. Since the suspension of the chairman, not a few members of the party have been seriously disturbed by the development such that the party is reaching out to its aggrieved members even at the ward level to ensure that the internal crisis does not tear it apart and tarnish the image of the party.

Lar

Jang’s body language

Another dimension to the crisis is the fact that Jang’s body language suggests that he wants someone from his ethnic group but other tribes have objected to the move. Jang is believed to be grooming somebody from his zone to succeed him. This did not go down well for supporters of the party in the Central and Southern parts of the state who also angling for the position.

For his part, Hon. Nicholas Nshe who spoke for the local government chairmen from the Southern zone explained that they had not been given the opportunity since the tenure of their son, Sir. Fidelis Tapgun, was terminated prematurely by the military in 1993.

He said, “It is not only a right for us in the Southern zone but, fairness, equity and justice should be considered. We assure all and sundry that there is no doubt that the Northern zone had produced a revolutionary achiever but we promise to produce another leader like him who will not only continue his lofty performance but sustain and consolidate them for the entire state.”

As if reading the handwriting on the wall that this agitation portends great danger for the state in the next few months, a member representing Riyom Bassa Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Simon Mwadkon, has told all those clamouring for the 2015 governorship ticket from other zones “not to heat up the polity but should see democracy as a unifying factor.”

He also told participants at a recent lecture organised for Southern politicians in Shendam Local Government Area, who want to contest the seat to allow the will of God to prevail over their ambition.

He said democracy is a system of government that gives room for every citizen of the country to express his or her views on critical state and national issues that affect the people. He advised, “We need to play the game by the rules, especially as an election year is approach-

Dariye

ing. As a ruling party, we must live by example. Avoid unguarded utterances at a time like this and portray justice for peace and harmony in the state,” he stated.

Ordinarily, such a statement by a member of the National Assembly should be seen as a way of correcting all the irregularities believed to have been committed in the past, but members especially from other zones of the state were quick to read meaning into the remark. They concluded that he who wears the shoe knows better where it pinches, hence members from other zones say he is not qualify to speak on the matter because he comes from the same

Northern zone with the current governor. They stated that the governor is not in total support of the struggle for power shift.

Although no formal statement has been made by the governor publicly, many party faithful express doubt over his disposition on the issue, saying he may naturally want to take his successor from his own zone again.

His failure to make an official statement on the burning issue has made people from other zones clamouring for power shift watch their utterances, though they believe that the next governor must come from a different zone for fairness, justice and meaningful rotation in the state.

Those close to him say he strongly believes that Northern Plateau should produce the next governor, because since Fidelis Tapgun from the South was the governor in 1993, and Dariye was there till 2007, before he succeeded him, the governorship position in the state has gone full circle, and should re-commence from the Northern senatorial district.

Even at that, he believes in the emergence of his own tribesman more than any other to continue to run the affairs of the state, though this development has impacted negatively on the party especially now that the zoning issue remained topical in the state. They allude to the lopsidedness in the governor’s current appointments.

Key positions like that of the Chief of Staff Government House, Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Chairman Board of internal Revenue, National Legal Adviser of the party, Chief Security Officer to the state governor, the permanent secretary of the government house and the state coordinators of Millennium Development Goals and SURE P programmes as well as the state secretary of the party are all of Berom extraction.

Ostracism of leaders Another issue that is tearing the state apart is the alleged failure of Jang to receive other returnees like exgovernors, Joshua Dariye and Fidelis Tapgun, as well as a former deputy governor, Pauline Tallen, back into the PDP. As top party leaders who are original members of the party in the state with solid and formidable political structures and followership in all the wards of the state, it is strongly believed that they are great assets which should not be ignored.

Up till now, these leaders and many founding members of the party in the state allege exclusion in the last eight years of Governor Jang’s administration. In the end, the ostracism has again created more camps within the ruling party owing to the disillusionment of many card caring members of the party in all the electoral wards.

Mu’auzu’s intervention sought As part of ways of seeking solutions to these internal crises, a group under the aegis of Transformation Youth Vanguard is seeking the intervention of the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mua’azu, to what it refers to as “illegal suspension of the chairman, Dr. Dabin,” and urging him to address all issues that can threaten the success of the party in the state.

The group decried the purported suspension of Dabin by the state executive committee after making his interest to contest the 2015. It said activities of the party and its machinery have allegedly been hijacked by the state government. It said this has further polarised the PDP along ethnic and zonal colorations, with each ethnic group within the zones in the state wanting to be recognised in the scheme of affairs.

It said the emergence of Mua’azu as the national chairman of the party was not an accident and as someone who knows the state before now, such profound knowledge will come handy in efforts to restore peace in the party. It said many party leaders were quite uncomfortable with the way the state governor has hijacked the party saw Mua’azu’s coming as a great omen that will definitely change events and defuse tension to a large extent in the ongoing crisis in the party.

For now, the political leaders in the state said at no time did they agree among themselves as to which zone will produce the next governor. To them, the popularity of the candidates and not the zones will determine where the next governor comes from.

Hence all eyes are on the party leadership in the state to be able to shape the new PDP and restore the needed confidence that will make the party regain its popularity in the state or the problems would be its albatross until the election time.

25

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Politics / Interview

We must improve our electoral system - Ezeazu General Secretary, Alliance for Credible Elections and member of All Progressives Congress, Comrade Emma Ezeazu, in this interview with ONYEKACHI EZE, spoke on many national issues and his plan to join partisan politics

N

igerians were watching to see the APC display internal democracy at their just concluded convention, but it turned out to be what we were used to. What is your comment?

I don’t think it was what they had always seen. Internal democracy is vital for political parties to move forward and it is clear from the APC convention that it was not in any way a one-man show. Many forces were at play; remember we had the Atiku Abubakar forces, the Bola Tinubu forces, the Muhammadu Buhari forces and even the younger generation of politicians and governors; so many forces were at play. For the party to hold the convention without any major dissenting voice is an indication that things went well. It never happened that way in the Peoples Democratic Party.

With all the resources at the disposal of the PDP, we see a lot of imposition of candidates and intimidation. We see them use state power to harass opposing forces. This time no such thing happened. What is important is that there must be political interest among the various groups. This time, none of these groups had such an overwhelming political power. So politics of alliance was played and some executive members emerged successfully. I’ve not heard of any major dissent.

Talking about major dissent, the likes of Tom Ikimi and Ali Modu Sheriff are said to be nursing some bitterness after the convention?

I have not read anything from Ikimi, I rather read Yerima’s comment, which is a normal thing.

One would have thought that at least two of the four candidates would have squared it up at the convention. Don't think the other must have been muscled to step down?

No, there was no muscling like the PDP would do by threatening aspirants with jail terms or cancellation of contracts, using power. When you have a party that is not in power, the ability to muscle is far less.

What is important is group interest, political affiliations, which is the camp you belong to. Even all those who stepped down still had their names on the ballot paper. What we wanted was the possibility of building the party in a united way, which is vital for a party like the APC at this stage. The three major political parties that have been in antagonism and being used by the PDP against one another came together. It’s a new brand of politics to manage dissent in such a way that a minimum level of agreement and consensus that paves the way for moving forward was able to be established. It was not a small politics to do that kind of thing. To do this you need people with a sound mind, people who are ready to make sacrifices and want to succeed. You see, even David Mark (Senate President) congratulated us. We are playing politics of let’s build rather than destroy.

You are the General-Secretary of Alliance for Credible Elections. Is your organisa-

tion now an affiliate of APC or why are you being partisan?

I am a member of the APC. Most of the NGOs have political interest and some are members of political parties, so there is nothing wrong in my membership of the APC. The election in Ekiti State has just been concluded but the issue of electoral violence comes to mind, and some people have said the process was too militarized.

Every election in this country is a watershed because the forces at play are manifestly strong that every election that comes you think the nation will be split. There are many predictions in past elections of the breakdown of the country, but after every election things normalise and we move on. The Ekiti governorship election has come and gone like all others and the state will be stable and the country will move forward. The report about violence is not as alarming as at the time of Ayo Fayose as governor. When Fayose’s party was ruling, the place was a no-go area. The point is that the politics of the time was dangerous, people were running away from the state: election monitors were beaten up and we were frightened when we were monitoring elections in Ekiti. But I don’t think the situation is the same today. The case is different today because they have now a governor with some decency who is not ready for that but rather wants healthy debates and not violence, rallies and other democratic things.

With the elections in Anambra and Ekiti states, do you think INEC is getting it right this time?

Everybody hopes for credible elections in 2015. I know that INEC hopes for credible elections. I know that Prof. Attahiru Jega wants credible elections and we hope that things will improve with the coming elections, especially with the introduction of new technologies in the electoral process like the ginger prints identification. If this works, it will significantly reduce rigging.

Even the tallying of results at the collation centres will be with the aid of technology that will make it accurate, easy and faster.

If this works it will be a major technological improvement and will advance tremendously the content of our democracy.

Alliance for Credible Elections has observed two general elections since it came to be, apart from other byeelections, would you say ACE has been

Ezeazu

INEC needs to be better funded to acquire the technology needed to deliver on the electoral process. able to achieve its objective of ensuring credible elections in the country?

I think INEC under Jega has done wonderfully well. INEC under Prof. Maurice Iwu held the Nigerian electoral process by the jugular. ACE embarked on a major campaign to stop the antics of Prof. Iwu and to fight against the third term agenda of former President. We did not stop Iwu from messing up the 2007 elections but we succeeded through our campaign to deny him reappointment. Through the same campaign they brought a more reasonable and gentle person in the person of Prof. Jega which majority of the people accept.

Obviously, the 2011 elections were far much better in all dimensions than all the ones conducted by Iwu, so I think ACE has been able to achieve a lot. We have also done a lot in the area of electoral reforms.

The houses of assemblies that we have today seem to be controlled by retrogressive forces which have not allowed many reforms in the electoral process. We need people who will overhaul the entire electoral law in this country. The electoral system is the back bone of our democracy. All the complaints in the country are by the side, just deal with the electoral system and other things will fall

into place. With growth in the level of trust and new entrants into the political system, the system of justice and others will begin to improve. For me, the real problem of this country is the issue of electoral justice. INEC needs to be better funded to acquire the technology needed to deliver on the electoral process. It was with an improved electoral system that Botswana made progress; Kenya is making tremendous progress because they have secured their electoral system.

You said the people are disenchanted with the PDP, but the APC is populated with defectors from the same PDP. Have those people suddenly changed just because they joined APC? Given the way things are going, you know the content of our democracy may not be enriched. But what will be enriched when APC takes over is that performance in government will skyrocket. That is one thing I will speak confidently of. You can see the example of Edo State, the good example of Lagos, see the example of Fayemi. These are places where schools were like toilets, very bad toilets but today, school children are going to those places as if they are going to universities. I just gave you examples. I can give example of Kano. Have you been to Kano recently? Although, he was part of them but he was largely playing opposition politics. So, if it is the question of performance, APC will add much more value than PDP. I am not going for vouch that suddenly, we will become like America.

But suddenly the level of corruption will reduce. And when the level of corruption is reduced, the level of performance will be improved. These people (PDP) have stayed up to 15 years.

26

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Politics

That presidential champagne toast for Fayose

A

part from their close aides and family members, it is quite difficult to point out whether a Nigerian President does have time to relax. Often, it is work, work and work. When they are on official leave, the hang-over of untreated files and nocturnal political meetings would not permit.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday exhibited some traits of someone who with little opportunity would not miss out having good times to shed the burden of officialdom. Jonathan, his deputy, Namadi Sambo and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) met in the cozy sitting room of president’s apartment where they popped champagne in celebration of the party's victory in last Saturday's governorship elections in Ekiti State.

Before the high profile get together, Jonathan, his family members and presidential aides were at the Aso Rock Chapel for the Sunday Church service where he was also decorated as Grand patron by the Boys Brigade, Nigeria.

With the church service over few hours later, Jonathan who was dressed gorgeously in suite for the decoration, retired home and appeared in a relaxed attire with a pair of sleepers to match, ready to receive his guests. Away from camera lenses, they had a sumptuous lunch and invited the media crew for proper coverage of a toast to be later proposed by Sambo.

Mr. President did not fail to create an impressive atmosphere of hospitality.

First, he took charge in the service of liquor to ensure that his guests were not

Anule Emmanuel emmyanule@yahoo.com disappointed by the butlers’ inadequacies. Just before the glasses were filled, a debate ensued with Muslims pleading to be left out of the toast.

The service pattern adopted by the butlers was to give each guest a glass and then fill them each with the drinks.

"No, fill the glasses and let them pick by themselves. Look, use the wine glasses for champagne and the other one for the nonalcoholic wine," the President personally directed the butlers who seemed not bothered about such etiquette.

In the comfort of his exalted seat, Mr. President ensured that the butlers observed and carried out this simple instruction. Watching with quite excitement, I was trilled with the jokes he offered some of the guests who would not take alcohol because of their religious beliefs including the Vice President. There was only one woman in the midst of the visitors, the woman leader of the PDP. While the drama about the procedure of serving the liquor went on, President Jonathan was quick to observe that a few members of the media were not served champagne. "Reuben, what about your people?" He directed for journalists to be served.

Some of his aides had painted a picture of an unfriendly President before the media especially those accredited to report his activities. But President Jonathan at the parley appeared different from the perceptive belief. While the Vice President began the toast, the

President yet observed that the journalists were not still served as he directed.

"Ben, serve journalists champagne," he called another aide who was assisting the butlers in making sure the guest were attended to.

But in what can be interpreted as a flout to presidential directive, they were reluctant to serve the gentlemen. For the President, in the mood of happiness and considering the few number of visitors that had attended the parley, there was the need for every one present to share in the celebration but many watched and did their job of reporting while the toast was proposed for peace, more successes for the party and deepening of democracy in the Nigerian electoral system.

…and my heart bleeds for my boss

I

t really doesn't take eternity to make a mark. Everyone indeed would be remembered here on earth for the things he or she does or is known for.

Wednesday, 25th of June, 2014, for the New Telegraph family, will ever be remembered as a black-day. Of course, aside having the feeling that we all are affected in the current insurgency being perpetrated by suspected members of the Islamic Boko Haram sect, one of our finest and a member of the top management team, Alhaji Suleiman Bisalla (Managing Editor North) died in the unfortunate bomb explosion that hit the busy Emab shopping plaza in Abuja.

Within the short period that I have come to know the late Bisalla and worked with him as a boss in the Abuja

office, there was one thing that stood him out both as a professional and a team player. It was not in doubt that he earned the respect of all his subordinates. He was strict, thorough, meticulous, creative, unassuming yet just in his dealing with us.

For my late boss Bisalla, it was the job first. “Get me for the story”, he would always say. The late Managing Editor had the passion to contribute in growing our new baby (New Telegraph) which is fast gaining acceptability both among the elitist class and at the grassroots. Though, I knew you for just a while, the fond memories of your professional advice and leadership qualities will long be remembered. Adieu my brother.

When INEC broke the jinx in Ekiti State

T

he atmosphere at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission last week was that of conviviality. There was feeling of pride (which can be mistaken for arrogance), among staff of the commission. The commission's chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega seemed to be the happiest. He showed this at a meeting with leaders of political parties last Tuesday, three days after the governorship election in Ekiti State.

"The coming election in Osun State, God willing, should on all counts be better, and the 2015 general elections must be the best!" Jega boasted. Indeed, INEC seemed to have broken the jinx of controversial polls. Unlike the November 2013 Anambra governorship election, the commission posted superlative performance in Ekiti. Even the ruling party in the state, the All Progressive Congress, which eventually lost the election, was generous in its praise of INEC for the peaceful and transparent conduct of the election.

While one could not foreclose legal action on the outcome of the election, the Ekiti poll was a new chapter in Nigeria's electoral process. It was the first election in Nigeria where the loser quickly congratulated the winner. It was also the first election in the

INECDiary Onyekachi Eze

There was no complaint of missing names in the voter's register or disenfranchisement of voters, an indication that INEC did its homework very well annals of Nigeria's electoral process where there was unanimity among the political class that the conduct and the outcome were transparent, and have met international best practices.

Again, while it can be said that it is still morning on creation day, INEC's preparations for the Ekiti governorship election set the ground for the success, unlike previous elections conducted by the commission. There was no complaint of missing names in the voter's register or disenfranchisement of voters, an indication that INEC did its homework very well. The timely is-

ezekatchy@yahoo.co.uk

suance of permanent voter's card to eligible voters is believed to be the magic wade.

Perhaps, what won the heart of many was the early distribution of election materials by INEC officials. Unlike previous elections, distribution of election materials was done on the eve of the election, thus paving the way for early commencement of the accreditation process on Saturday. Of course, this could not have been possible without the confidence building by the commission among political parties the participated in the election.

Actual voting started on time and end around 2 pm. Collation of results was equally prompt. Before 4 pm, some results of the election had started coming in. There was therefore, little or no room for manipulation or doctoring of the result.

INEC had invited political party representatives to supervise the reception of materials to be used in the election

from the commission's headquarters in Abuja to Ado-Ekiti, the state capital. This was to disprove the claim by one of the parties that the result of the election had been written in favour of another party. The materials were accompanied by security agents from the state capital to the local government headquarters.

Until the discordant tunes by some chieftains of the APC, the Ekiti governorship election has proved that free and fair election is possible in Nigeria.

It has also proved that the problem of our electoral process is not the institution but man-made. Again, the outcome of the election has proved that Nigerian politicians can imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship if they chose.

The recent position by some APC chieftain on the election is not healthy for the nation's democracy. After its candidate had conceded victory to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, it is wrong for APC to start picking holes on the conduct of the election.

This is what usually heat up the polity.

Nevertheless, there is hope in Nigeria's electoral process. If what happened in Ekiti can be replicated in 2015, Nigeria can be rated among countries of the world where elections are credible and meet international best practices.

27

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Politics

How Senate reacted to the Emab bomb blast

W

ednesday June 25, 2014 could be better described as a black Wednesday; nay, a day of doom, sorrow and weeping, as the terrorists again struck with twin devastating explosives at the ever busy Emab Shopping Mall at the Wuse District in the nation's political capital, Abuja. The bomb blast which occurred about 4.00pm killed 21 persons on the spot, while many others sustained various degrees of agonising injuries.

The most excruciating part of the memories of the unfortunate blast for the New Telegraph family, was the killing of the company's Managing Editor, in charge of Northern Operations, Mr. Suleiman Bisalla, who went to rectify a fault in his handset at the plaza.

That was about the third most devastating bomb explosion in the Federal Capital Territory within a period of two months. The first two explosions occurred in Nyanya, a satellite town in the FCT. This was in addition to the escalating insurgency, terrorism and other forms of violence going on in virtually all parts of the country, with higher propensity of occurrence in the North-East geo-political region, the epicenter of the Boko Haram insurgency. While people still groaned over the tragedy of the Abuja bomb attack, reports of senseless killings of helpless and innocent citizens were also heard of Kaduna State.

Worried about this persistent drifting of the country into anarchy and bloodletting, the Senate, on Thursday June 26, 2014, joined other well-meaning Nigerians in condemning the act of terrorism in the land. While condemning the dastard bomb attack in a

From the Chukwu David chukwudavid68@yahoo.com

resolution at plenary, the Senate also urged the Federal Government to increase surveillance in all parts of the country.

Also, the President of the Senate, David Mark, his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu and the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, in separate statements, described the action of the terrorists as barbaric and condemnable. Mark lamented that in spite of peaceful entreaties, the killings and destruction of property continued unabated, lamenting that terrorism and insurgency were alien to Nigeria.

He said: "Honestly, this is not our way of life.

We are a people who value life. We cherish one another. This new trend of mass murder is alien to us. We must stand up against this and make Nigeria safe and better again.”

Highly agitated about the security situation in the country, Mark argued that there were more than enough channels for anybody or group of persons to seek redress including the law court.

Senator Ekweremadu on his own part, specifically condoled with the Daily Telegraph Newspaper family on the death of Mr. Bisalla.

In a condolence letter to the Board and Man-

agement of the Daily Telegraph Publishing Company, he noted that Bisalla covered the Senate diligently and described his death as a huge loss not only to the Nigerian media, but also the entire nation. He observed that the vacuum created by the journalist’s untimely death would be difficult to fill.

The Deputy President of the Senate also noted that, though the security agencies had been doing good works to tackle the security challenges in the country, they should redouble their efforts to get rid of the incessant attacks on Nigerians. While commiserating with the families of those that lost their loved ones in the bomb blasts, the Senate promised to work with the security agencies and the government to ensure that whatever needed to be done was done to end the worrisome insurgency in the land.

Although he commended the relentless efforts of security agencies at tackling the security challenges in Nigeria, Ekweremadu implored them to put more efforts to be able to match the increasing sophistication of the terrorists. He said: “For the security agencies, we want to thank them for the good works

they have been doing, but we believe that more could be done to secure this country.

As a parliament, we are ready to work with the security agencies and the government to ensure that whatever needs to be done to end these insurgents will be done.

Ndoma-Egba, while reacting to the Abuja blast, noted that the bombings had assumed frightening dimension, and called on all Nigerians to be on the alert to foil any future attack.

He urged the nation's security agencies not to relent in their collective efforts in securing lives and property despite the unrelenting spate of attacks on innocent citizens by people he termed "enemies of Nigeria."

The Senate has always reacted to bomb explosions since the Boko Haram insurgents resorted to this extreme means of attacking this government and the people. However, Nigerian people are no more interested in reactions that cannot bring succour to the trauma of insurgency and terrorism. What they want is an urgent elimination of the security problem in the country, which is currently robbing them of sound sleep and rest of mind on daily basis.

Nigerians expect the Federal Government to step up the fight against terrorism in the country. Some are already worried that they have not seen the result of the assistance being rendered by the international community, to rescue the over 200 students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, abducted by the Boko Haram insurgents more than two months ago. Therefore, the Senate should work more closely with the Presidency to fashion out effective strategy to address the security situation in the country.

Reps and the probe of Tambuwal’s harassment

T

he House of Representatives last Thursday mandated a joint committee on defence and security to investigate the alleged harassment of the Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal in Kaduna by some soldiers. The joint committee was given one week to turn in its report.

What is the House investigating? It is the harassment of the number four citizen in the country by people who ought to protect him.

Tambuwal was due to present a paper at a security summit last Monday at Hotel 17 in Kaduna. The event was organised by the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), and very many other very important dignitaries were present.

But as Tambuwal’s convoy made its way towards the hotel, some stern looking soldiers flagged down his official car and insisted on frisking it. According to reports, other VIP’s were not subjected to any check but the soldiers were adamant despite pleas from the speaker’s security details.

When it became impossible to convince the soldiers who claimed they were acting “on orders from above,” Tambuwal decided to alight from his car and walked to the venue of the conference. This was indeed an embarrassment for soldiers to compel a serving speaker to abandon his official car with the full complement of the insignia of office. I am not a security expert and do not know “the above” the soldiers in question got their orders, but like most discerning Nigerians have described this incident, it is most despicable and calls for serious concern. If the number four man in the nation’s political pecking order could be so mistreated, what happens to those who do not hold any public office or those classified as ordinary citizens?

Were these soldiers actually acting on orders from above? If indeed they were obeying orders from superior quarters, what must have informed such a decision? Or was it just the

From the

GreenChamber

Philip Nyam overzealousness of the soldiers to prove to the Speaker that although he may be the number four man, he is still a “bloody” civilian and therefore should be treated as one. This issue has to be critically looked into.

However, the decision of the House to investigate the matter too may not yield the desired result. It is more or less a case of being a judge in your own case. It is true that the harassment of Tambuwal is not about him as a person but the office which he occupies.

Already, there is nobody in the House that does not condemn the misbehavior of the soldiers. Hence, the position of the House on the matter is clear. Therefore, for the same House to investigate a matter that concern their presiding officer does not augur well for the report that may emanate from the content of their probe.

I think what the House should have done was to impress on the Presidency to institute an independent investigation panel to handle this matter. Although, the National Security Adviser has set up an investigation body, the House should insist on having people of integrity and character outside government circles to inquire into the incident. I am not in total support of a House probe. Considering what has transpired in the military recently where soldiers reportedly fired shots at their GOC in Maiduguri, it is incumbent on the nation’s highest security apparatus to

ternyam@gmail.com dig deep into the Tambuwal’s ordeal. In fact, this should be a source of concern to all well meaning Nigerians.

With the kind of resistance put forward by the soldiers who accosted the speaker, one just wonders what would have happened if Tambuwal had attempted to challenge them using the popular oga at the top braggadocio of “do you know who I am?” Perhaps, he would have been wrestled to the ground for daring to question people implementing orders from

above. This is where I commend Tambuwal’s civility and deepest sense of humility which are the hallmarks of a great leader. That he stepped down from his car and walked to the venue earned him a big plus even from his adversaries. This also shows that he is a leader that is prepared to earn many feathers in the future.

I wish other Nigerian leaders could take a cue from this exemplary humility. In the past, we have had incidences where lawmakers in the National Assembly threw caution to the wind and descended so low to slap security men for being “rude” to them. Today, we have a speaker whose security detail were also armed but refrained from indulging in muscle flexing. Instead, he took the path of honour and walked away from danger.

The NSA must therefore handle this issue with all seriousness because it may be him or someone higher tomorrow that could be embarrassed by soldiers who are not properly briefed or are clearly misguided.

Missing Suleiman Bisalla

I

knew the late Managing Editor, Mallam Suleiman Bisalla right from when he was covering the Senate for the Plateau Stateowned Nigerian Standard newspaper. I was then reporting for the defunct National Interest newspapers in the House of Representatives. Although, we were never close to each other, I got to know him closely. As Managing Editor, he was not a bully like some Editor’s tend to be. He was a jolly good friend and a father figure. He hardly rebuked one in the public. Each time he had an issue, he would invite one to his office and sort it out quietly. But I was shocked to the marrow that Wednesday evening when my colleague from Daily Trust, Musa Kirshi called me while I was driving out of the National Assembly to confirm that “Bis-

alla was involved in the EMAB plaza bomb blast”. Normally, I do not answer calls while driving so I had to pull off the road.

First of all, I denied that it was not true but on a second thought, I asked him to hold on while I confirm from the office. I quickly called the late ME’s phone and behold; it was his elder brother, Mohammed that answered. As soon as another voice picked the call I knew that Musa’s story was true. In fact, his brother did not wait for me to ask before he confirmed: “I’m Suleiman’s elder brother.

It’s true, I saw him at the mortuary”, and he dropped the phone. I was dumb-founded because I was with him two days earlier. We’ll miss you but may God grant you eternal rest, Amen!

28

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Politics / Hardball

Nigeria needs benevolent dictatorship, Senator Bode Olajumoke is a member of Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party and represented Ondo North in the Senate between 2007 and 2011. The septuagenarian spoke with BABATOPE OKEOWO about the June 21 Ekiti governorship election, the future of the PDP in the South-West and the lax attitude of many Nigerians

W

hat is your reaction to the Ekiti State governorship election where the candidate of your party won?

I have already sent Dr Kayode Fayemi a text to congratulate him on his unprecedented expression of integrity and honour and also for raising the bar in terms of our democratic revolution. I was really happy that we could still have men and women of honour and integrity in politics. It shows that politics is not a door-die affair. Governor Fayemi has given hope to majority of Nigerians who are in the Diaspora, who are quite sad by the way politics is played here. So majority of the people in Nigeria and abroad believe that by now there would have been chaos or bloodshed all over Ekiti State and for a good thing like to have come out of Ekiti. I think it should be applauded. Like I said immediately that it happened and I congratulated him.

The bar has been raised and I don’t think there is anyone going below that any longer. I am most certain that some of his party members, loyalists would have been on his neck asking him to go to court. Indeed the Peoples Democratic Party envisaged this when he went for the flag off at the fund-raising dinner in Imo State. Governor Godswill Akpabio said to him while congratulating him that he should be expecting the All Progressives Congress to go to court and he did say at the dinner that PDP governors would engage a SAN to defend them.

And he said ‘don’t make a mistake. You are going to win the election but APC will go to court’. Now that Dr. Fayemi has really shown that he is a man of honour and integrity, he is a true democrat.

Even Fayose commented on the pages of newspaper that it is most un-Nigerian and un-African. So to me, it is a template that everyone must emulate. I did it in my time when I lost my senatorial seat. Within 24 hours I called Prof Ajayi Boroffice knowing fully well I did not lose that election, one of the Labour Party Chieftain in Ondo State did assert that if I had sponsored someone against Boroffice there was no way that person would have lost. The hands behind Boroffice in LP played the magic. For me I was going there to serve and so immediately the results were announced I put a call to Boroffice to congratulate him. So when I heard the yesterday that Fayemi had congratulated Fayose I said I should let my voice be heard to praise the governor for that single act of raising the political bar in this country.

The election has been won and lost. What are the lessons you think politicians should learn ahead of subsequent elections?

I believe the lessons are so many. One is that Nigeria is evolving as a democratic nation. We can do it even better than the other African countries. When you talk about African politics, the reference points would be Ghana, South Africa. So one of the great lessons is that Nigerians are capable of being true democrats. Secondly, politics should be seen as a means

of serving your people and should not be seen as a do-or-die affair. Not going there for personal interest, if it is to serve your people and your people say ‘thank you sir for serving us. We need to try someone else.’ I think we should accept that.

Another lesson to me is that we should acknowledge politics as a service to our people and we can remain decent in politics; we should shun bitterness which is a hallmark of politicians in Nigeria, all that should be eradicated. We can conduct our elections and allow true expressions of the voters’ interests to manifest.

With this victory, where do you see the South-West after the 2015 elections?

You know once upon a time, the Alliance for Democracy held sway in the SouthWest and then the table turned and we had the PDP holding sway. Now it appears to me that the people are saying we want to give the others a trial. So I want to believe that next year, we will have more PDP in the South-West. You could see all the tremors in the opposition and various parties in the South-West, and these are indications that people are grumbling and yearning for a change. So I see more PDP states from 2015.

You spoke about politicians who lost at the polls to accept defeat. Do you also advise them to accept defeat when the election is manifestly rigged?

I just shared my own experience. I knew ordinarily I could not have lost that election. I knew that I put in my best and the umpire said Boroffice won and I said congratulations. I didn’t have to wait for anyone; I just went outside my house and called him without informing my supporters and when I came back I told them I had put a call to Boroffice.

So it is coming up and I was elated seeing somebody doing that and I am sure there are many more democrats. We want peace, progress and development in the country and if there is any government that comes in that has not been able to meet the yearnings and the aspirations of the people then they have the right to vote him out. It becomes so painful that expressions and yearnings cannot be translated into their solid voice in terms of victory.

What role do you want

INEC to play so that people will have trust in the commission and indeed in the electoral system?

We have to give kudos to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

In the past nobody trusted INEC but I believe gradually it is earning its respect. So they have to fine tune their activities.

You will recall

during the elections in Anambra, Edo, and Ondo States that there were complaints. I believe that in the process INEC had gone back to the drawing table to rectify some of the anomalies and I believe that INEC is going to improve day by day.

What has this victory done to the psyche of the PDP members?

I see it as a victory to the party in general.

I believe the PDP in Osun, Lagos and Oyo States will see rays of hope for their aspirations, hoping

29

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Politics / Hardball

says Olajumoke and praying that when it comes to their own state we would see equal transparency and free and fair elections.

Do you still have the intention to re-contest for that senatorial position or what is your plan for 2015?

I was trying to go back for the second term in 2011, because I was there between 2007 and 2011. I hosted the leadership of PDP Ondo North Senatorial district meeting in my house in May. I seized the opportunity of that meeting to declare, because there have been pressure that I should come out for the governor of the state or go back to the senate, and I said for me politics is a call to service and I would be willing to answer any of the calls if my people say ‘yes, we want you to go.’ But personally, I am not interested in a do-or-die thing or to be in competition before going to represent the people. If the people believe they need my service I am willing to render it. But sincerely, for the past three years that I have been out of politics, I have been enjoying myself tremendously.

But my life had been to give service to my people. My father's middle name is 'Omoselu' which literarily means someone who is poised to improve his community. All my life, I have always been moved to improve on my environment wherever I live or stay. My mother comes from Idoani and partly in Ekiti so I share in that victory and I was monitoring the election in Ekiti for my constituency in Ekiti which is Agbado. In Ekiti, I had exchange of text messages. For instance, my Agbado community was delivered by 2pm, I had the cause to say we had cleared all the wards in our area, because I had impacted on them over the years since the days of All Peoples Party, I had always given direction on where my people in Ekiti were going to.

It was like that in APP, UNCP and their chairmen were always been in my path. I had always felt the need to make my people enjoy the dividend of democracy.

Few years ago you gave a theory that Nigerian should practice benevolent dictatorship.

Have you

We need some real spanking and if you see where development and revolutions have occurred, a bit of benevolent dictatorship has been it changed your view about that considering the recent development in the country?

Not at all. There are some Nigerians who say if there is a martial song tomorrow, they will clap. I don’t share that, but the situation got to a stage that people are hopeless, and in a situation where you are living in a democratic system and you are yearnings for martial music, it is dangerous. I believe there are lots of ills in our society. It is a bane of our society, If you reflect on some years ago when we had disciplined leadership, specifically in the Muritala Mohammed era then, I just came back from abroad then, even taxi drivers felt it and they conformed.

We need some real spanking and if you see where development and revolutions have occurred, a bit of benevolent dictatorship has been it. We are so relaxed in our attitude. Parents will go and cheat for their children to take entrance examinations. All sorts of malpractices, corruption has become endemic in our society.

So for me I believe we need some bit of discipline.

If you consider the security challenges we have in the country under the PDP-led administration, don’t you think it will affect the party’s fortunes in the general election in 2015?

The challenges are very daunting, and if you also appreciate the fact that in the last few weeks we have had the international community joining us to search for our Chibok girls, and recently I read about another 90 been abducted. We have the almighty America, British and the almighty international security agencies in Nigeria. It is wise that President Goodluck Jonathan administration has asked them to come in.

I believe we need time to tackle it because it is obvious that we have some elements behind these Boko Haram insurgents.

Nigerians quite appreciate that the challenges are enormous and not that Jonathan is weak as the chief security officer of the country. We have our challenges and this thing is beyond Nigeria security. Even the foreign powers are here and have not been able to make much progress. I believe it won’t have much impact because Nigerians are angry at these insurgents and we can even borrow a leaf from the June 21 election in Ekiti State. If we go by your postulation certainly the opposition would have been able to say 'look this PDP is incapable of providing us with security.

Terhile Ayua

Benue Speaker: Part-time legislature will retard growth Hon Emmanuel Terhile Ayua represents Gwer East State Constituency in Benue State House of Assembly, where he doubles as the Speaker of the House. He spoke with TONY ANICHEBE after the conference of state assembly speakers held in Akwa Ibom State

Y

ou are here in Akwa Ibom State for a retreat.

What is it all about?

As the Speaker of my state House of Assembly and a member of the Conference of Speakers of the State Legislatures in Nigeria, the conference is an avenue that brings together the speakers of the 36 states of Nigeria. As leaders of the legislature of the various states, the forum serves as a rallying point in terms of discussing the entire legislature of the state assemblies in Nigeria. As critical stakeholders, we think that the conference should provide us the opportunity to meet frequently with ourselves, to ensure unity and to discuss matters of common interest and also be a support base to the growth of democracy in the country. This retreat is one of such programmes designed to have all of us in a single venue to discuss matters of national interest, look inwards in our performance as a support infrastructure to the national assembly.

How has it been running the Benue State House of Assembly?

Yes, you know there are many roles that one has to play. At the local level of course as a Speaker, I am a representative primarily of my constituency. I come from the Gweh East State constituency, but by virtue of office of the Speaker, I now have the combination of all the constituencies within the state under my leadership. It’s a challenging job but nevertheless we are equal to the task. As a legislature, we are doing the best we can to ensure that there is good governance in Benue State. As representatives, we are in touch with our constituents and we are doing the best we can in relating with other arms of the government to ensure cohesion and then deliver dividends of democracy to the citizens of the state. It has not been easy, but by the grace of God, we are doing our best in the areas that human strength we can take us.

As a Speaker what do you think are the challenges confronting state legislatures in the country?

The challenges are there. We must admit one of them came out in our communiqué. It is the issue of funding and it remains the sole issue. It is assumed and rightly so that in a democratic dispensation such as ours, each arm of government should have some measure of independence from the other. Unfortunately due to funding issues and certain constitutional lapses the state assemblies have found themselves in a situation that we have to approach the executive for funding. And since the resources are scarce, it takes a lot of struggle from the state legislature to have money from the executive. This is because, most times we operate deficit budget and this has remained a challenge and kind of impair our

capacity to give in our best. Because most times you like to run the various houses and to be able to achieve certain targets you will discover that the money is not there.

That is why, collectively, we agreed and decided that we will continue to sustain our efforts towards the issue of financial autonomy of the state legislatures to really go through during the constitution amendments that is currently before the National Assembly. And secondly, administratively, Benue State does have Assembly Service Commission which means the power of employment, appointment and discipline does not reside with the legislature as an arm of government, but still with the executive.. Even if we have erring staff within the service of the assembly, we don’t have any power to discipline them. We still have to refer to the executive to discipline them - which is also a serious administrative shortcoming for the assembly. There are some other challenges, we are supposed ordinarily, oversight the executive, but sometimes it is a little bit awkward asking the person you are supposed to oversight to provide the money which you can use to carry out the oversight functions. You know that oversight function, no matter the good reason behind it, is often perceived as witch hunting. No matter how you look at it, oversight is seen as a witch hunting and that perception could also impair the release of funds to enable the legislature oversee them effectively. There are several hazards but these are the key ones, they all revolve around the issue of funding.

Some members of the National Confab are of the opinion that the legislature should be run on a part time basis. What is your view on that?

Well, in our situation in Nigeria, I don’t think we have reached that level of democratic advancement that can successfully handle this job on a part time basis. Even full time as it is, the challenges are still enormous but I want to believe that with such it will be tasking on the side of the members in the performance of their legislative duty. We have not really reached that stage that we can conveniently want to do this thing as part time.

We should be a little conscious in taking it headlong in that manner because we have not reached that level of advancement. And also we have not had certain core values entrenched in us to enable us handle legislation of the country’s affairs on a part time and also give in our best. So we advise that the part time thing should come at a more appropriate time when we would have achieved a good level of success and we would have deepened our democracy well enough for us to start up that, otherwise it may just remain experimental and it will incorporate set back.

30

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Politics / National

PDP’ll win Osun again –Olaoluwa Chairman of Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa in this interview with ADEOLU ADEYEMO spoke on the victory of Ayodele Fayose in the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State, the chances of the party in the state’s August 9 poll and other issues

H

ow would you react to the PDP’s victory in the just concluded governorship election in Ekiti State?

It was a long expected result because we know God is on our side. Apart from this, we are popular in the country with our impeccable pedigree and intimidating political structure which still remain unrivalled till today by any political party.

We are on ground also in the South-West and our popularity in all the nooks and crannies of the zone remains as constant as the northern star. Ayo Fayose and the party in Ekiti State have written their names in the records of the state and that was why he was voted for by the people of the state who appreciate the quality of the party and its candidate.

I want to assure you that by the grace of God, the same thing would repeat itself in Osun State as the party’s candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, is popular among the people of the state. That is why the APCled government in the state is trying all it can to dent his image and give him a bad name.

But we assure you that the electorate really knows that Omisore is a man of dignity, honour and an easy going person who could not hurt a fly as claimed by his political enemies and distracters.

As the Osun State governorship election draws nearer and it seems the battle line has been drawn, can the PDP reclaim the seat of

Olaoluwa

power in the state, going by the popularity of the incumbent? How prepared is your party?

In all honesty and sincerity of purpose, I want you to move round the nooks and crannies of this state and feel the pulse of the people. They want a change. They are tired of indirect enslavement. They are tired of a government which is anti-civil servants.

They don’t want to pitch their tents with pretenders who call themselves progressives, whereas they are capitalists in wolves’ skin. The legacies of this state as laboured for by Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola seem to have gone with the wind.

The people have had enough. The coming election will be the decider. The boys will be separated from the men. It is a known fact and it is crystal clear that the end of APC in Osun State has come.

We have been to the grass roots and we have seen the sufferings

of our people. The people of Osun State are awake from their slumber and what they all clamour for now is change. We have all been pushed to the wall. Our people have juxtaposed the last administration with this and the conclusion is that our party ruled better. The preparation is on. Our primary election was not only democratic but peaceful. Look at their own, it was selective and the occult idea of imposition of candidates on the generality of the masses reigned supreme.

Osun PDP elders are speaking with one voice now and they are leaving no stone unturned to attain and achieve victory.

Our strategies are not meant for public consumption yet, but I can assure you that Aregbesola is already a goner. Both the young and the old are complaining so bitterly and they have all resolved voting back to power the PDP. Ours is a party where we do not discriminate and where we believe in equity, fairness and collective responsibility. When you say a governor is popular, what do you use to measure that qualification? Is it the way we have been so impoverished? Is it the way contracts are being decided in Lagos? Or the new educational policy which has plunged the erstwhile peaceful state of ours into unreasonable violence? However, there are two forms of popularity - one could be popular through draconian ways and on the other hand, through democratic ways.

Is Omisore your party’s Moses? Can he displace Governor Rauf Aregbesola?

Omisore’s pedigree speaks volume. Senator Omisore has been in the Senate and then he did chair a lot of committees with wonderful performances. The records are there and we have all what he did in the files of history. As a former deputy governor, he knows what it takes when it comes to governance. He is with his people. Look, we need a person who has related with the grass roots and who has been with our people and identifies with their problems.

We need a real Osun State indigene who understands our people, their problems and solutions. We need a man with administrative charisma and track record in the world of academics. Omisore holds the university degree up to PhD level. He attended universities of world standard, the experience is there and as a politician, he has what it takes to rule Osun State.

As a former lawmaker at the highest level of law-making, he understands better what is called the rule of law and fundamental human rights. He will not just wake up one day and start demolishing where people earn their meager daily income all in the name of beautification and renewal.

He knows what it means by survival instincts.

Omisore would rather encourage this rather than worsen their condition. He will provide meaningful jobs for graduates and not a scheme that will further aggravate their plight. Omisore is so experienced that his governance of Osun

will restore economic activities in the state where those who produce the state’s resources are called from Osun State to come and manage them not just a set of desperate god fathers from somewhere else who dictate and control their boys. I have not only seen Omisore as our Moses in Osun State, but also as our Joshua. We have spent a lot of time in the political wilderness. We need a leader who knows where the shoe pinches and how to put smiles on the faces of our people. He deserves to rule and he should be allowed to.

The APC claims your party is planning to launch violence in the state and even to rig in the forthcoming election. What is your reaction to this?

As we prepare for the election, facts on violence have started coming up. Let me tell you, ours is a party of peace and understanding. We have never gone violent to win an election. We do not even need it. No popular party needs to rig to win.

The fate of every party lies with the electorate. Those days are gone when thugs dominated our political scene. Nigeria has matured to a stage where decency, integrity and popularity and a manifesto are all what a party needs to win an election. Your programmes matter. Your nearness to them matters, so also your psyche and thinking in line with their problems also matters.

Your sincerity and honesty matter.

And if you win, how will you let the common man on the street feel your impact?

All of these are what Omisore will make happen. You will discover that the PDP of Osun State is one of the most peaceful branches we have in Nigeria. We believe in the people. We believe in the ballot boxes and above all, we believe in God Almighty who makes rulers. We are a bunch of peaceful politicians in PDP. Posterity will judge those who still believe violence has a role to play in modern politics. Once the people are tired of your policies, even opinion polls would have informed you that you are unpopular. That is exactly the situation in Osun.

Our people are fed up and they need a change. Violence will not work in Osun and if anybody tries it, it will fail. The people of Osun State are better informed politically and when they want change, they vote for it. The allegation coming from the camp of the APC could be said to be both libelous and scandalous. I have heard it and read it, quite un-founded. We should be careful so that some rascals will not commit crimes with our name. We are being vigilant now.

How would you assess the regimes of both former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola and the Aregbesola-led administration? Can we say one is better?

Sincerely speaking, if Oyinlola contests for the governorship post of the state 20 times if the constitution allows it, I would vote for him every time without giving it a second thought.

Here is a man who made sure he did not restructure to impoverish the already poor masses. Oyinlola’s urban renewal policy had a human face. He was absolutely civil servants-friendly. He did not tamper with existing schools. Missionary schools owned by either the Muslims or the Christians were not tampered with. Pensioners were regularly paid, Prince Oyinlola’s administration was for the masses and not for selected elites as we have it now. The glory of old school was fantastically radiating then but now the foreign idea of school restructuring which is completely alien to us is being enforced. This is funny. To me, Oyinlola had a solid administrative acumen more than Aregbesola.

News Customs anti-smuggling unit seizes N746m contraband in five months p.33

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

www.newtelegraphonline.com/politics

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

JUNE 29, 2014

Commerce Poaching, sea piracy major problems in Nigerian fishing industry p.36

31

Business AZUBIKE NNADOZIE, ASSISTANT EDITOR, SUNDAY

azubike.nnadozie@newtelegraphonline.com

ON SUNDAY

Bankers Committee, stakeholders okay CBN’s cash-lite policy T

Chijioke Iremeka he Bankers Committee and other stakeholders across the country have okayed the Central Bank of Nigeria’s pilot cash-lite policy slated for nationwide application from July 1, 2014.

The policy is currently being testrun in Nigerian cities with high cash movement, such as FCT,

Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Anambra, Kano, and Abia states.

The stakeholders, who include captains of industry, financial analysts, economists, auditors, businessmen and women among others, said the policy had helped the country tremendously in the pilot cities. They added that its application throughout the 36 states would help to curb the high rate of corruption and rob-

bery crippling Nigerian economy.

According to the stakeholders, in view of the increasing dominance of cash in the economy with its implication for cost of cash management to the banking industry as well as security and money laundering among others, CBN in collaboration with the Bankers Committee adopted cash-lite policies in order to reduce the high usage of cash,

moderate the cost of cash management and encourage the use of electronic payment channels in the country.

The Bankers Committee said an efficient and modern payment system is positively correlated with economic development, and a key enabler for economic growth. They stated that as such, it which help to reduce the cost of banking services and drive

financial inclusion by providing more efficient transaction options and improving the effectiveness of monetary policy in managing inflation and driving economic growth.

The Head of Finance, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Mr. Taiwo Abolurin, said the policy would help the economy as it would remove the issue of highway robbery and kidnapping.

The Managing Director of Abuja-based Bani Mbaka Bureau De Change, Mohammed Lawal, said the cashless policy would help to reduce the level of corruption among government workers and politicians.

A chartered accountant and Partner, S.I.A.O, Ikoyi, Lagos, Ituah Ighodalo, said the set-togo policy is a progressive one, which most countries of the world have adopted, either as a cashless policy or small amount cash policy, especially in Europe and the United States.

He said, “In Europe, you won’t see anybody carrying £1,000. The cost of handling cash is high, both security-wise and otherwise. The CONTINUED ON PAG36

INSIDE

L-R: Chairman, International Chamber of Commerce Nigeria, Mr.Babatunde Savage; Chairman Emeritus, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye and Treasurer, Mrs. Dorothy Ufot, during the Chamber’s 2014 Annual General Meeting in Lagos

Nigerian ports record moderate cargo increase

T

he volume of cargo handled at the Nigerian Ports rose moderately in the first quarter of 2014.

A statistical date of movement of cargo from the Research Department of Nigerian Ports Authority on Thursday indicated that the volume of cargo (Cargo throughput) stood at 19,659,946 million metric tonnes, showing an increase of 14 per cent over 17,245,923metric tonnes achieved in 2013.

Though New Telegraph on Sunday couldn’t independently confirm the figures, it was learnt that the development was a remarkable shift in the trend in the last two years when the ports recorded zero growth.

Breakdown of cargo throughput showed that; General Cargo, containerised cargo inclusive, contributed 32.2 per cent to cargo throughput at 6,324,366 metric tonnes, indicating a slight increases of 1.4 per cent over 6,234,814 metric tonnes recorded in the corresponding period of 2013.

Dry Bulk Cargo stood at 2,302,609 metric tonnes as against 1,971,015 metric tonnes achieved in 2013, contributing 11.7 per cent to cargo throughput.

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) shipment accounted for 27.4 per cent of cargo throughput at 5,389,137 metric tonnes compared with 3,748,437 metric tonnes in first quarter 2013, showing an increase of 43.8 per cent.

Refined Petroleum products

stood at 4,613,567 metric tonnes.

It also contributed 23.5 per cent to cargo throughput.

Container traffic, including empty containers, amounted to 426,976 TEUs, showing a growth of 15.1 per cent over the 2013 figure of 371,085TEUs. A total of 78,754 units of vehicles were handled in the period under review, showing an increase of 32.1 per cent over the same period of 2013 figure of 59,608 units.

A statement signed by the Assistant General Manger Public Affairs on behalf of the General Manager Public Affairs, Capt.

Ihenacho Ebubeogu, further said that in the first three months of the year, a total of 1,327 oceans going vessels with a total Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) of 33,940,386

called at Nigerian Ports compared with 1,172 vessels with the GRT of 28,830,386 in 2013.

The statement said that in the period under review, Lagos Port Complex (LPC) recorded a Gross registered tonnage of 8, 472,229, showing an increase of 5 per cent over 8,307,011 gross tons achieved in 2013. A total of 364 vessels were handled in the period under review as against 357 vessels in 2013.

Tin Can Island Port recorded a GRT of 11,220,946, indicating an increase of 28.3 per cent over 8,742,953 gross tons recorded in the corresponding period of 2013.

A total number of 435 ocean going vessels were handled within the period.

CONTINUED ON PAG36

Blame marketing for rise and fall of brands – Oyeyemi

pg 34&35

Porsche Lagos centre reveals the all-new Macan

pg 32

SundayTransport 32

PAUL OGBUOKIRI, paulogbuokiri@gmail.com 0802-779-0557, 08037613380

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNRDAY

Porsche Lagos Centre unveils all-new Macan

T

Paul Ogbuokiri

he world’s first sports car in the compact SUV segment, the Macan, has been unveiled to an excited audience during an exclusive event at Porsche Centre Lagos, Stallion Motors Limited.

A statement by image maker of Stallion Group, Manny Phillipson, said the introduction marks Porsche’s pioneering move into a new segment, following in the footsteps of the brand’s most successful model in the luxury SUV range, the Cayenne.

He said the unveiling event was held under the theme ‘Life, intensified’, saying the phrase exemplifies what Macan represents.

He quoted the Managing Director of Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE, Christer Ekber, as saying during the occasion that: “With first deliveries of the all-new Macan, Porsche launches a world first and enter a new segment. I have no doubt that this car will be another success for Porsche, with the long-term commitment and intensive efforts of our local Porsche Centre in Lagos.”

New Telegraph on Sunday learnt that the new Macan which is poised to set new standards in driving dynamics and enjoyment, both on and off the road, boasts the typical sporty handling characteristics that have become synonymous with the Porsche brand.

Many of the design and performance elements have been inspired by the brand’s sports cars, including the iconic 911 and the revolutionary 918 Spyder, making it clear that the compact SUV heralds the first of its kind.

New Telegraph on Sunday further learnt that the Macan boasts of exceptional acceleration, vast engine power, extreme agility and optimum steering precision, features which set it up to rewrite the rulebook on outstanding sporting comfort and ev-

eryday usability. The sporty DNA of the Macan, as with all Porsche vehicles, is immediately recognisable in the design.

The compact SUV is unrivalled in its flat and broad profile on the road.

The wrap-around bonnet and gently sloping roof line accentuate the overall impression of sporty elegance and powerful dynamics. Two derivatives are available at Porsche Centre Lagos for order: Macan S and Macan Turbo.

Also, Phillipson said the Macan is equipped with a 3.0-litre V6 biturbo engine, delivering 340 hp and also features an active all-wheel drive with an electronically controlled, map-controlled multi-plate clutch. This allwheel drive is fitted on

all Macan models.

According to him, from the outset the Macan boasts the re-

11 tips for staying safe on the roads

Take these precautions to protect yourself when you’re walking and running outside.

Leave word. Tell somebody or leave a note at home about where you plan to go and how long you plan to be out. That way your loved ones will know to come look for you if needed.

Identify yourself. Run with proper ID, and carry a cell phone with emergency contacts taped to its back.

Pretend you’re invisible. Don’t assume a driver sees you. In fact, imagine that a driver can’t see you, and behave accordingly.

Face traffic. It’s easier to see, and react to, oncoming cars. And cars will see you more clearly too.

Make room. If traffic gets heavy, or the road nar-

cently developed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK), which transfers power as required and almost free of interruption in tractive force. This enables the vehicle to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds, when equipped with the optional Sport Chrono package, and reaches a top speed of 254 km/h, he adds.

Phillipson also said that as the t o p

Auto Clinic

rows, be prepared to move onto the sidewalk or shoulder of the road.

Be seen. Wear high-visibility, brightly coloured clothing. When out near or after sunset, reflective materials are a must. (If you don’t own reflective clothing, a lightweight reflective vest is a great option.) And use a headlamp or handheld light so you can see where you’re going, and drivers can see you. The light should have a bright LED (drivers see blinking red as a hazard).

Unplug your ears. Avoid using iPods or wearing headphones—you need to be able to hear approaching vehicles. If you do use headphones, run with the volume low and just one earbud in.

Watch the hills. When they crest hills, drivers’ vision can suddenly be impaired by factors like sun

JUNE 29, 2014

derivative, the Macan Turbo is set to be the most powerful petrol-powered vehicle in the compact SUV segment, stressing that the 3.6-litre V6 biturbo engine, which is being used in a Porsche model for the very first time, achieves an unrivalled 400 hp and catapults the vehicle from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.6 seconds (with Sport Chrono package), reaching a top speed of 266 km/h.

Brand Manager of Porsche Centre Lagos,Anurag Shah, said, “As you would expect, we have had a great deal of interest in the all-new Macan. Last year, the Cayenne, our luxury SUV, proved our most popular model range and we are excited to expand our SUV offering, reaching a new group of customers.

The sporty dynamics of the Macan inject an added dose of fun which I believe is set to redefine the SUV market.”

The name Macan comes from the Indonesian word for tiger, a spirit the car truly embodies.

Boasting pure Porsche power and assertiveness, the Macan is also a nimble yet tenacious off-roader.

The latest stage of evolution of the all-wheel drive – known as Porsche Traction Management – has produced one of the world’s most powerful drive systems.

A glance at the performance specifications reveal that the Macan has been designed with agility in mind. Further unmistakable hallmarks of the vehicle include its proportions, design and the mixed tyres with different dimensions at the front and rear axle, enhancing the look and functionality. The driver and passenger seats also boast the low position typical of sports cars.

The range of equipment fitted on the Macan as standard is extensive and includes the allwheel drive, PDK, multi-function sport steering wheel with shift paddles, high-performance audio system and an electrically operated tailgate. The Macan features the air suspension system as the only vehicle in its segment and it comes as standard.

glare or backdrops.

Beware of high-risk drivers. Steer clear of potential problem areas like entrances to parking lots, bars, and restaurants, where there may be heavy traffic.

Watch for early birds and night owls. At odd hours be extra careful. Early in the morning and very late at night, people may be overtired and not as attentive.

Mind your manners. At a stop sign or light, wait for the driver to wave you through—then acknowledge with your own polite wave. That acknowledgement will make the driver feel more inclined to do it again for the next walker or runner. Use hand signals (as you would on a bicycle) to show which way you plan to turn.

Source: www.info com/safety+rules+of+the road

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

33

Sunday Transport

Day NIMASA, maritime community celebrated seafarers Nigeria joined the rest of the world to celebrate the fourth edition of the Day of the Seafarer. PAUL OGBUOKIRI witnessed the event and reports the working condition of Nigerian seafarers set to meet international standards

S

eafarers, often called seamen, are so unknown to the ordinary man on the street; yet they are important workers that touch the lives of mankind in many ways.

Every day the seafarer is on the high sea ensuring that over 90 per cent of all human needs reach their port of destination.

In 2010, the Diplomatic Conference of the International Maritime Organisation which met in Manila to adopt milestone revisions to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (the STCW Convention) and its associated Code, also agreed that the unique contribution made by seafarers from all over the world to international seaborne trade, the world economy and civil society as a whole, should be marked annually with a ‘Day of the Seafarer’. The date chosen was June 25, the day on which the amendments were formally adopted.

The campaign objectives are to increase awareness among the general public of the indispensable services they render to international seaborne trade, the world economy and society at large; to send a clear message to them that IMO recognises and appreciates their services; that the IMO understands the extraordinary conditions and circumstances of their profession; that the UN maritime agency do care about them; and that the agency will do all that it can to look after and protect them when the circumstances of their life at sea so warrant; and to redouble the efforts of the agency at the regulatory level to create a better, safer and more secure world in which they can operate.

Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Mr, Ziakede Akpobolokemi; and Minister of Transport, Senator Idris According to the Director General of Nigerian Mari- Umar, during the flag-off of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 in Lagos...on Monday time Administration and Safety Agency, Mr. Zaikede Akpobolokemi, seafarers are people without whom food, association would continue to fight for good working turbulent sea,” he said. clothes, gifts, gadgets or even basic needs will not reach condition for seafarers in the country, saying some shipAlso, the NIMASA DG reassured Nigerian seafarers our doors. owners in Nigeria still pay low wages to seafarers. that his agency would continue to protect and look after “In other words, we rely on seafarers to get most of our “That is why those indigenous shipowners are not do- them. He said the agency had put the necessary modalineeds,” he said. ing well. What they have is very old ships that are in ties in place for the reconvening of the meeting of the Maritime industry stakeholders, who gathered in Cala- class,” he added.

National Joint Industrial Council for the review of the bar on Wednesday to celebrate the seamen, said the best He said the association had been able to ensure that the condition of service of seafarers, in line with the provithing that has happened to the Nigeria seafarers in re- seafarers who are their members enjoy standard welfare sions of MLC 2006. cent times is the introduction of the National Seafarers programme, while only those outside the group that can He said the agency had shown serious commitment to Development Programme. be exploited by the shipowners. He said those shipowners the placement of Nigerian seafarers on both Nigerian and They also congratulated NIMASA for leading the way also get unqualified seamen on board their ships because foreign flagged vessels by first ensuring that they are well in ratifying the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006. they prefer to pay ‘monkey wages’. trained with valid and authentic certificates.

The development, according to the stakeholders, will disThe Executive Director, Maritime Labour Services, Mr. “Also, shipowners are being encouraged to engage the courage Nigerian shipowners from paying meagre wages. Callistus Obi, said Nigerian seafarers and their counter- services of qualified Nigerian seafarers on board their President of the Seamen branch of the Maritime Work- parts across the world deserve immense appreciation for vessels,” he said. ers Union of Nigeria, Comrade Francis Bunu, expressed keeping watch over humanity’s needs.

He also said that the ratification and entry into force the gratitude of the union to the NIMASA DG and his “Thank you for connecting us with the rest of the world, of the MLC 2006 which was facilitated by the agency is management team for pursuing the training programme thank you for contributing to the Nigerian mainstay of another bold step towards ensuring that the working and for the Nigerian seafarers in Nigeria and abroad. the economy and above all, thank you for the rare cour- living conditions of Nigerian seafarers are in tandem with “As a competent regulator, you have not only trained age and determination in the storming weather of the international standards. our seafarers but have to also ensure the effective implementation of your mandate in providing the enabling environment for seafarers,” he added.

He also thanked the agency for the recent commencement of the implementation of the MLC 2006, saying it is a further demonstration of the absolute commitment of the agency in the welfare of Nigeria seafarers.

According to Bunu, who said that he just returned from the United State of America, Nigeria is ahead of America in the implementation of the MLC 2006. he Federal Operations Unit was a paradigm shift in the operaHe stated that the FOU would Nigeria was the fifth country in Africa to ratify the Zone ‘A’ Ikeja-Lagos said it tional tactics of the unit – a change continue to live up to its rating as convention. seized prohibited goods val- from analogue approach to digital, a flagship unit and hub iofn antiAlso, the Crewing Manager of Japaul Plc, Mr. Clement ued at N483, 324,260.00, with a pay- in line with global best practices smuggling activities.

Nwuba, noted that NSDP is already having tremendous able duty of N263, 086,236 between and World Customs Organisation Some of the items seized by the impact on the industry.

January to May, 2014. standards. unit include bags of 50kg imported “We urge NIMASA to sustain the programme because FOU also apprehended 88 suspects He said the management of the Ni- parboiled rice; cartons of foreign froI look forward that in the next two years, I will say bye in connection with the seizures, ac- geria Customs Service provided the zen poultry products and used tyres to expatriates on my vessels,” he stated. cording to its Controller, Comptrol- unit with the wherewithal in terms and other general goods.

According to him, expatriate seamen demand outraler Nuhu Isa Mahmoud. of motivation/remuneration, capacThe controller advised smugglers geous salaries to work on board Nigerian vessels. He said Speaking in Lagos, he stated that ity building and provision of opera- operating in the South-Western axis there is enormous opportunity for Nigerian seafarers in the impressive performance was tional tools like vehicles, arms/am- to have a re-think and channel their the nation’s waters but they must be well trained and consequent upon the resolve of the munition to support our effort. resources towards more meaningful must possess genuine certificates.

Unit to strengthen its operational In the same vein, Mahmoud ap- investments instead of smuggling.

He said the bane of the seafaring industry in Nigeria is apparatus through a well tailored plauded the synergy and collabo- He promised that the unit would the faking of certificates and lack of adequate training. strategic approach, which includes ration between the officers/men of stop at nothing in its efforts to rid Secretary General of Nigerian Merchant Navy Senior the use of ICT and intelligence/in- the FOU, which he noted has led to the areas under his watch of smugOfficers Association, Comrade Julius Efekpor, said the formation gathering. He said there monumental achievements. gling.

Customs anti-smuggling unit seizes N746m contraband in five months T

34

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Business Interview

Blame marketing for rise and General Manager, Consumer Marketing of MTN Nigeria, Mr. Kolawole Oyeyemi, places the success as well as failure rate of enterprises at the feet of marketing. He tells AZUBIKE NNADOZIE that marketing in Nigeria is currently undergoing a rebirth

cyber space at their disposal, with the huge influx of information from across the world aiding the practice of marketing.

So, there are people who are good, doing great stuff, but how do we ensure that that pool does not dry up? That is the next big thing to consider.

Can we categorically say that failure should always be blamed on marketing?

Not absolutely, that is why I say first you have to look at what business strategy deployed. If there is no sync between the business and marketing strategies, failure is inevitable. If the business says this is the best way to go, and the marketing strategy is totally at variance with that decision, then there is a dissonance, and once there is a dissonance, there is trouble and failure is inevitable.

Following on this is the apparent lack of reputable marketing institutions in the country. How can professional marketers ensure that we have a vibrant marketing institute comparable to what is obtainable outside our shores?

I think the reality is, first, let’s start from where the challenge began. Very few schools in Nigeria historically offered a marketing course, so you don’t have a lot of people graduating from the universities with BSc Marketing. We did not have that for a long while. But after that, we began to have some professional organisations come up to say we are focusing on marketing training. Then we now have institutions like the Lagos Business School that do marketing training, but are not yet at the certification level where you can say I have BSc Marketing. I don’t know whether they have it in their syllabus or their curriculum right now. But historically, we never used to have such institutions except the polytechnics that had HND Marketing. So from our curriculum and educational system, there was a problem initially. Maybe because the marketing profession was not given the level of recognition or respect that it ought to have had from the beginning, or maybe we also suffered from the fact that the multinationals then were almost like universities of marketing in terms of the training they gave to their staff in marketing, the exposure they give to people and practical experience you get.

So some companies like Cadbury, Unilever and Guinness used to be seen as universities of marketing back in those days. Maybe that affected the education dimension of the country in which case after your first degree and when you really want to go into marketing you would go into any of these organisations to get practical training and theoretical frameworks that helped you to become a good marketer. Now, this could also be it. I don’t have finite data to back up those claims; it is just my imagination at work. But I think our educational system did not start out to actually churn out marketing professionals who are certificated in terms of degrees, except a couple of polytechnics doing that.

So we had that history, but since then we now have a case where we have a marketing institute in Nigeria that is in an evolutionary stage. There are a whole lot of issues but thankfully the institute is coming up to occupy its rightful position as a marketing institute. Now the hope is that going into the future, that institute would evolve into a very respected organisation that would have certification processes that actually turn out excellent marketers, such that such people can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with anybody from anywhere in the world. That is it as it is today, but there are a whole lot of professional organisations that are running marketing courses and trainings, but they are all postgraduate types of marketing institutions. Sometimes they are not certificated but today the universities that offer courses in marketing in the country are growing in numbers. I think we are evolving to a point where the profession is becoming more recognised and it is getting to what it used to be back in the days.

Would you say we currently have qualified marketers that can stand up to their names in any part of the world?

Yes and no. Yes because we have a lot of brilliant people who are doing excellent things within the marketing environment.

No, because the pool of talents and expertise within marketing is very small. That’s why you have a lot of recycling going on. What we need to do is to think about how we can open up and allow a greater level of entrants into marketing by designing an on boarding process that would get people who are genuinely interested in marketing to understand what it means to get into marketing. On board them, coach them and hold them and most importantly, mentor them till they understand what it means to practise marketing. Especially in the 21st century with the availability of technology and the

Digital Marketing is catching on and sometimes we wonder how this would affect media, advertising and marketing as a profession?

Interestingly, I dwelt extensively on this development in my new book on marketing, the first of its kind by an African, titled ‘Kill or Get Killed, the Marketing Killer Instinct’, and I would advise a lot of people to read that book. I dwelt a lot on this issue because I am right in the heart of its practice. It is no longer something we are expecting, it is here already.

Some of the learning that I found in that is that a lot of people are resistant to this monster called the digital age that we are in. But it is a monster that can be tamed if we are intelligent enough and smart enough and open minded enough to be ready to tame this monster. It is humongous in its impact

Looking back to the early days of your marketing career and now, what do you think has changed in the way marketing was done then and how it is being done now?

A lot of things have changed. But the most important element that has changed is the consumer. The consumer has fundamentally evolved and that is a change that has redefined the practice of marketing, business, the economy, and has not left anybody the same. So, marketing as it was then has been compelled to evolve because the consumer has evolved. Technology has played a huge role in redefining that consumer and therefore redefining the practice and of course every other element within that chain.

A marketing expert has said Nigeria is no longer a place where every form of marketing is tolerated. He said higher standards have been introduced. What was he really talking about?

Well, I don’t know who this person is and what informed his opinion, but from my own perspective, what has fundamentally changed is that we now have globalisation in its reality with us. Second, we now have information like we never had it before. Third, we have that information in near real time.

So, when it comes to how global your views are, in those days the slogan was ‘think global and act local.’ Today, the realities of that slogan have become a lot more urgent for you to actually think global while remaining relevant locally.

The major issue that marketers have to deal with is that, back in the days, we had fewer multinationals and many of them were within the real sector, manufacturing and marketing. Today, we have a huge influx of FDIs. New companies have emerged, especially within the service sector, and with that came the explosion of the cyber space and the Internet as it were. Now you can sit down in your office and compare market prices in Tokyo, in America, UK, Switzerland, etc. before you make a purchase. There are standardisations that have been elevated beyond the confines of your marketing room or your strategy room in the office, on to the Internet. In which case anyone can post his service, upload pictures and other pieces of information. You can also evaluate and do your analysis on why you should buy a particular brand before making a purchase. In the olden days those things were not there. We knew we were living in a global environment then, but globalisation was not as real as it is today. We now live in a global cyber community, in an information awash age. I can now analyse products and compare prices before making my purchases. So the way you practised marketing then is no longer the way you practise marketing now, and that is a fundamental shift. Right now, you can’t hide your products, your services and they must meet a minimum standard because people have options and they can compare. So you cannot hide anything, it’s an open world right now.

In recent years, we have witnessed the rise and fall of various brands in this country. From your own perspective, does marketing have any role to play in the rise and fall of brands?

Of course, marketing is the engine behind the rise and fall of any brand. Because the moment you take your business strategy and determine where you want to play and at what level you want to play, the next point is to determine your marketing strategy. Brands are the tactics of business and that is why the first level of strategy is at the business level. Once you have determined where and how you want to play, then you come to the level of brands. Now whether a brand succeeds or fails is a function of first, the business strategy chosen and the marketing strategy deployed. So, if a brand fails, it

is a function of the thinking behind the brand, and if a brand succeeds, it is also the function of the thinking behind the brand. Who does the thinking? It is the business and marketing person and most businesses make business to sync with marketing, so you see such offices as marketing and strategy department. So, business says, this is where we would play, and marketing says, this is how we will play in this market, this is what strategy to apply, and this is how we can extract value from this market. So, if a brand fails or succeeds, you look at who is at the marketing division and what he is doing.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

JUNE 22, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

fall of brands – Oyeyemi and the immediacy of its impact, which is what traditional media or traditional marketing didn’t offer, back in the days.

But one of the big issues that I learnt from this is that a lot of people still think that the digital revolution is just media, just a channel. That’s an error. Digital marketing is not just a media platform or just a media channel because a lot of people have embraced that error. Rather, it is a tool that marketers can use, not just as a media platform but as a platform for engagement, for thorough marketing, still dwelling or utilising the old and time-tested principles of the four Ps. So you can use digital marketing alongside your product, alongside your distribution, pricing and you can still use it for promotion, which is where it becomes a media channel. Now when you subsume the first three under just promotion, you are doing a disservice to the power of the digital media or the digital platform as it were for today. So for me it is not going to destroy marketing practice, rather it will enhance it. But the reality is that the ice is melting for the traditional way of doing stuff and the earlier we realise that the better. I did some things in our business about a year ago that were explosive, but by the time we did all the calculations we had three media worth N4 billion, just by playing within the digital space. It’s simple, it’s effective, but most importantly, it’s immediate. And it is an environment where even when you invest, the analytics help you to measure your return on investment. It is unlike the traditional environment where there were a whole lot of guesses, a whole lot of confusion about whether the metric was the most appropriate way of measuring a particular kind of initiative in terms of its return on investment. But the reality is that in this environment it is so easy to measure. So every penny that goes into your investment you can easily say this is the return I got. So the digital revolution is going to affect marketing positively for people who are willing to change, and it is going to affect people negatively if they are not willing to change. This is because it is going to affect both the form and content of marketing. It’s not going to leave marketing the same, the ice is already melted. So it is better for everyone to jump into the water and start to swim.

Is there really a fierce battle raging in the marketing world?

Marketing is warfare. And what I have done in the book is to bring that reality home to everybody. We sometimes pretend to live in a world that is all nice and cosy when you look at certain things that brands do such as events, launches and competitive excitements; you think it is fun. It is war. Behind those innovations, behind those strategic projects are some thorough analytics that have gone on with the aim of doing just one thing, what people who go to war do, it is a shareholding struggle. Nations go to war to have a larger share of the world’s wealth, not because they just feel like going to war.

The same thing, when marketers go to war they go to war to have a larger share of the consumer’s heart and his pocket, that is the war zone. The issue is you are not the only one that wants the consumer’s heart and pocket. If in your category there are 10 brands and the 10 brands are struggling for the heart and pocket of that consumer, that is not a terrain where you are a nice guy, it is a terrain where you go for the kill. And if the guy has $1 or N10, you need to say to yourself, ‘how much of that N10 do I want’? Now for every one of the N10 that you get, it’s a loss to somebody else. To get the whole N10 is a loss to the remaining nine brands that are competing in that environment. It is a case of kill or get killed. Now when a brand suffers losses in terms of the refusal of consumers to take up that brand, what happens is humongous at the back end. It means your pipeline stock grows, it means if you are in a manufacturing environment you cannot produce because your cash flow is a problem. Your stock is not moving and the market place pipeline is growing; production becomes a problem and if you are in a sector where there is expression on your products, within a short time you have products that you have to write off because they no longer in demand. That company would soon fold up. You might say the title, ‘Kill or Get Killed’ looks a bit violent, but that is what happens in the market place. That is the reality. Companies have been known to die, organisations have been known to die and this is what happens. When you cannot win in the market place, it is a short while before you fold up at the back end. It is a reality.

Maybe people have not put it in a blunt manner as I have put it, but I have just put forth the reality to allow people to touch that reality and say this is what happens. You either kill or get killed. It is not an environment for the faint hearted; it is not an environment for nice guys. In marketing there are no nice guys. That’s the reality, because we are all fighting for the consumer’s heart and his pocket.

A serious hindrance to marketing in the country is the lack of data for research and analysis. As the president of Advertising Association of Nigeria, is there any plan to institute a databank that even students can use in their research?

I think the reality we all need to face is the problem of data is not a sectoral problem. It is a national problem. The reason

why it is easy to access credit in Europe and America is because they have data. Now you try to do the same here. Even our population census data is not reliable, till tomorrow we are still contesting whether they are true or not. So it is a national problem, and because it is a national problem, every other sector in the economy or politics is impacted by it. We live in an environment where people are scared to even give you data. Look at all the efforts that have been made to produce the national identity card, how successful have we been there? Because people do not want to give data. The moment I ask your name and bio data, you begin to look at me and think, ‘why does he want my data’? Does he want to do anything funny with it’? People lie, and there are situations where people give you false data and when you call them up for something positive, you discover it was wrong information they gave you. Our people are data scared as it were. So, whether it is at the national or different economic sectoral levels, we have that huge problem. But what we try to do at ADVAN is to say, we can’t keep running away from this reality. The more you demand for a return on investment, the more you demand for measurement, the more you demand for efficiency of spend within the marketing environment, the greater the importance of data stares us in the face.

But in recent times, especially within the broadcast industry we have seen some data we can rely upon. It is getting better in that environment. Within the newspaper environment, we have been struggling to see that we work with data we actually conducted, our own audit that we paid for, just to ensure that we create this hunger for data. Thankfully, people have been responding positively, quietly and slowly and we hope that someday we will get to that Promised Land where data would become a thing that you can easily access. But there is a bigger dimension to that. For you to get data of companies that operate in the country today, it is a tough call. Elsewhere, the performance of brands is open sources of information, but here we do a lot of guess work. Because if you talk to a brand manager or a marketing manager for his company’s data, he would say hey, why do you want our data? Do you want to sell it to our competition or what? We have a huge problem here, and it is not a problem that would disappear tomorrow.

Like I said, it is a function of when a fish is rotten from the head. As a nation, we have not succeeded at managing the gathering of information, the storage of information, the analysis of information, the utilisation of information, the validation of information. We have not succeeded in doing that. Now if we have not succeeded at that higher level, let’s be real. You think you can succeed excellently well at the lower level? It’s a tough call.

If you commit a crime in the UK for 30 years, don’t think you have escaped, you can still be tracked.

The information could be called up in another 20 years and you would be arrested and you pay for your crime. But here, where is the data? Who’s storing the data? Who’s doing the analytics of the data? Who’s storing the data?

What is responsible for the seeming slowdown in sponsorships and activations by MTN and other telecom companies in the country in recent times unlike in the past…?

Did you observe that across the industry?

Yes. Good. That should tell you that there is something about the life cycle of the industry. So it is not a brand issue, it an industry issue, it is a category issue. Every category goes through a life cycle.

There is a time for introduction, there is a time for growth, there is a plateau an there is a decline. Smart marketers watch out for key moments when they can revitalise if it is at the brand level. At an industry level it becomes a bit tougher, because there has to be a unison of purpose and a unison of initiatives for you to be able to turn around the

35

Business Interview

fortunes of a declining industry. But the reality of the situation is, when telecom (GSM technology) came to Nigeria, everybody was curious to experience what was new. That was the introductory stage. Then it heightened when it came to the growth stage. It is at the maturity stage right now. Right now you have almost about 90 million unique customers in Nigeria.

What that tells you in a population of about 150 – 160 million people is the level of penetration that we have gone up to as an industry. Now when you get to that point, you are getting to the point of saturation, and when you get that point, things will naturally slow down. It is a natural law in business and in marketing. It is not a function of you want to do this and you don’t want to do that. It is the life cycle of the category.

Right now a lot of people will be into the maintenance phase.

You’ve got the customers, you’re happy with what you have and you keep them happy. It is a different mind-set when you are trying to acquire new customers. That’s the introductory stage. Growth stage is when you are trying to increase your acquisition, you want to increase your revenue, you have to a whole lot of stuff. But when you get to a point when you know that the marginal cost of acquiring the next person is more or less higher than the returns you will get from it, you ask yourself, is it really worth it. we are not there yet, but the entire industry is experiencing a natural curve.

Do you call that a decline? Is the industry in decline?

It is not really a decline. But like you said, when you have grown to maturity a lot of things slow down. The entire industry is approaching maturity if it is not already there. It is a natural law, something must happen to trigger a different phase. As it is right now, that is where we are.

Some people think it is because of decline in revenue for the telecom companies…?

It is a natural cycle. Even as human beings, what you used to do as a teenager is different from what you do when you a r e planning to get marriedas teenage exuberance and rascalities disappear. It is different from what you do when you start raising children, all of a sudden responsibilities dawn on you.

It is also different from what you do when you are 50. We call it a life cycle. It could be a category life cycle, company life cycle and so on. We are at the point of maturity and new strategies and new thinking are being evolved to move the industry forward.

36

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Commerce

Poaching, sea piracy major problem with Nigeria’s fishing industry Chijioke Iremeka

“T

L-R: Marketing/Activations Lead West Africa Reckitt Benckiser, Mrs Bamigbaiye-Elatuyi Omotola; Consultant Gastroenterologist/Director of Medical Education, Princess Diana of Wales Hospital, UK, Dr. Asif Naqvi (FRCP); Marketing Manager, Healthcare, Reckitt Benckiser West Africa, Mr Qaiser Rashid and Brand Manager Health Care Category, Reckitt Benckiser, Mr Felix Chibundu at Gaviscon Opinion Leaders of Nigeria ( GOLDEN) Faculty session in Enugu… Wednesday.

GTBank appoints Oyinlola non–executive director

G

uaranty Trust Bank Plc has announced the appointment of Mr. Hezekiah Sola Oyinlola as a Non- Executive Director.

Oyinlola replaces Mrs. Stella Okoli on the bank’s Board of Directors, following her recent retirement in compliance with GT Bank’s code of corporate governance which stipulates a retirement age of 70 years for its directors.

Oyinlola is a seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry,

having worked at Schlumberger Group since 1984. He has held multiple senior roles on the management team and was the first Nigerian Managing Director of Schlumberger Group in Nigeria.

In 2011, Oyinlola was appointed to his current position as Chairman of Africa Schlumberger Group.

The Managing Director, GT Bank Plc, Segun Agbaje, said, “This is in demonstration of our commitment to the sustenance of good corporate governance and succession planning. We are

pleased to have appointed Mr. Oyinlola, a seasoned professional with a proven track record to this position. All of us at Guaranty Trust Bank wish him the very best in his new position.”

Oyinlola’s appointment has been approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria in compliance with the highest level of corporate governance standards.

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc was established in 1990 and has within the last 24 years come to be recognized as one of the most innovative and service focused banks

in the Nigerian financial market space. The Bank operates from over 230 business locations in Nigeria and banking subsidiaries in Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda and the United Kingdom.

In recognition of it service standards, management quality and financial performance, the bank has been the recipient of numerous awards over the years that most recently include the African Bank of the Year from African Banker Magazine.

Bankers Committee, stakeholders okay CBN’s cash-lite policy C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 1

cashless policy reduces the pressure on the banks too. But the major challenge it poses to the people is that of the change of attitude and culture. Also, the infrastructure needed to drive it is not there yet but we will get there.”

Ighodalo noted that the deep penetration of banks was also not visible coupled with the challenge of regular electricity supply and urged the government to fix the problems of the power sector in order to allow for a consistent and more flexible policy.

According to him, the policy has decided on the limit of cash to be carried about by individuals or corporate bodies, for which customers are meant to be penalized. But he called on the CBN to provide waivers that would take of peculiarities of various businesses.

He also said he hopes the new CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, would give consideration to such in the interest of fairness.

He said, “Cinemas and toll gate operators, for instance, collect small denominations and make millions of naira. This is in excess of the CBN’s daily stipulation, and by the new policy, they are supposed to be penalised.

But the peculiarity of their businesses is such that cannot easily be transacted electronically.

This is my concern and there should be consideration for businesses like this. Above all, it’s a progressive policy.”

According to the Chairman, Nigeria Maritime Conference and Exhibition and ex-President Nigeria Trawler Owners Association, Margaret Onyema-Orakwusi, it’s unhealthy for people to carry cash running into millions of naira about.

She said, “We have had cases where money is kept at home and somebody informed kidnappers, who seized one of the family members and demanded the money; but nobody

will do this with the card system.”

She said the cash-lite policy would reduce the rate of corruption, noting that demand bribes in cash because it can’t be traced.

“Any other instrument through which bribes are given could be traced and used as evidence. Also, hard drug business and money laundering would be discouraged too with the new policy. Cashless Nigeria would help those in business to have proper documentation and cultivate saving habits,” she said.

With a card, she stated, one could place a seal on the amount of cash to be withdrawn in a day, especially for school children, saying that she puts a ceiling on amount of cash that her children studying abroad have access to daily.

“You can decide to place an order for the card not to pay anything above N1000 in a day.

We cannot continue to do things in the old way, especially when the world has moved on. There might be small challenges here and there, such as power failure, which affects the POS and causes network fluctuations, but we have to go ahead and improve on them. Other countries experience the same challenges.

“Card system protects against certain fraudulent activities. It helps one put a check on one’s account. When there is a suspicious transaction on your account, your bank can withdraw your card before payment. We have to be patient. I had such experience, when my bank had to withdraw my card before payment, saying that I didn’t place my account on ‘travel alert.’

“With travel alert, I’m meant to inform my bank that I would be traveling to another country, where I would possibly make some transactions and payment. So, when I got to that country, trying to make payment, they withdrew my card after several failed attempts to reach me. They believed someone stole my card and moved to another country to empty my account. So, the card system is

good,” she stated.

An attendant at Ikeja City Shopping Mall, Abiodun Mutiat, hailed the policy, saying, “We receive mainly cards here. Customers come in with cards apart from few that come with cash. We have our POS for payment but we don’t receive cheques, except for well-known customers. The cashless policy is working fine in this place. It’s convenient.

It saves me the stress of counting dusty and dirty notes.”

The Managing Partner, Samuel Adetifa and Co Chartered Accountants, Mr. Adebayo Adetifa, said the policy is good for the economy if the government is ready to pursue it squarely. He said it would help the CBN trace movement of cash and thereby, reduce the rate of money laundering and corruption by politicians and contractors.

On the challenges of the policy, a First Bank cardholder, Obi Okoye, said, “I transferred N420, 000 to a client in the morning hours in Festac, Lagos but till 3.48pm, my account wasn’t debited. Then, I had a cause to be on the Island that afternoon, seeing that the amount was still in my account, I moved to the bank’s headquarters to do the transfer manually, by transferring the money into the client’s account. I was asked to fill a form, with which I eventually transferred the fund.

So, sometimes, it fails; apart from that, it’s a good policy.

“I don’t know what is called ‘Cashless Policy’ and ‘Cashless Lagos’; all I know is that I go to the market with cash, pay my customers and pick goods. I put my money in the bank because there is a micro-finance bank whose employees come to the market to collect money from us. But I don’t use POS. I see people with card but I don’t know how they use it to collect money,” said a petty trader at Agboju market, Amuwo-Odofin, Mrs. Rukiyat Aborishade.

he number of fishing trawlers on Nigeria waters has been drastically reduced due to the activities of sea pirates in the country’s territorial waters,” says the Chairman, Nigeria Maritime Conference and Exhibition (NIMAREX) and Ex-President Nigeria Trawler Owners Association (NITOA), Margaret OnyemaOrakwusi.

Orakwusi noted that were many fishing trawlers as well as over 200 fishing companies in the country in the years back, but the number of the companies has been reduced to about five fishing companies as a result of sea piracy and called on governmental agencies, to tackle sea piracy with seriousness.

According to her, the next in gravity to sea piracy is poaching on the Nigerian waters, which she identified as another serious challenge affecting the growth development of the country’s fishery industry and revenue generation.

She noted that poaching on Nigerian waters is depleting and stealing of the country’s natural resources, which the government should do everything with matter of urgency to stop in the interest of country, its depleting resources and denied revenue base.

...ports record moderate increase in cargo C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 1

Calabar Port complex recorded a total GRT of 800,578, showing a rise of 33 per cent over 614,150 gross tons of 2013, leaving the port with 65 Ocean going vessels in the period under review.

Rivers Port complex recorded a total GRT of 1,262,899 while Onne Port complex recorded a GRT of 10,092,281 reflecting an increase of 18.3 per cent over 8,529,225 gross tons recorded in the corresponding period of 2013 with 181 vessels handled within the period.

Even as Delta Port Complex recorded 2,091,453 gross tons, showing an increase of 163 per cent over the 2013 figure of 794,877 gross tons, with 151 vessels handled.

Ebubeogu said the positive variance recorded in different port locations in the first quarter of 2014 over the corresponding period in 2013 could be largely traced to the implementation of E-payment in January 2014 which has reduced turn-around time of vessels from five to three days to four to six days within the period under review.

“Also, significant increase in LNG shipment resulting from European economic recovery efforts after the debt crises contributed remarkably to the increase in cargo traffic,” he said.

37

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Business

POWER PLATFORM xxxxxxxx

Electricity consumers decry tariff hike E Chijioke Iremeka

lectricity consumers in the country have decried the increase in electricity tariff, saying their expectation is that such should follow an increase in power supply.

“At least, we were paying the new tariff, hoping that power supply would improve. But our hope was dashed, when in some weeks and months, we did not get electricity,” they said in separate interviews with Power Platform.

They said that there was better power supply in the past, when the tariff regime was cheaper.

“I have not felt the impact of this new regime, even as the distribution companies are busy reaping where they have not sown. I wonder whether government permitted the companies to be collecting what they call service charge from electricity consumers in the country,” said Vincent Ezeme, who lives at Nkpor in Anambra State.

He also said that in spite of the huge funds pumped into the sector, it was puzzling that it was not improving.

“The new system is very exploitative. The masses are being exploited without anyone caring for them. It could be good for the government to privatise Nigeria too, maybe, to some American or British businessmen to manage the country for us,” said Johnpaul Omeife, who lives at Okokomaiko in Lagos State.

To him, electricity, which is supposed to be a social service under the purview of government as part of its responsibility to the people, is now a luxury.

Kingsley Uwem, from FESTAC, Lagos, says power supply is quite expensive.

“Go to most villages and families outside Lagos, you will discover that majority of rural dwellers have been disconnected from the electricity sources for their failure to pay bills for service, which they didn’t enjoy,” he said.

He noted that most of the disconnected houses, including his father’s house, are being powered by generators. He said they opted for this instead of paying for public electricity.

“If one spends N3, 000 on the fuelling of one’s generator, one would be able to predict and use light when one desires. What do they need light for? Is it not for illumination at night? The old people do not need cold drinks or water; they need water to illuminate their homes at night. So, the generator serves that purpose.

But this shouldn’t be when we have a government in the country.

The population is growing every day and I wonder what our fate would be in the next decades,” he said.

“Citizens do everything for themselves. What else does the government do for the masses?

We generate power, we hire secu-

We thought privatisation meant well for us Vincent E., Nkpor, Anambra State I thought privatisation of the power sector meant well for the country. Maybe my judgment was premature, but then, I was thinking that by now, we would have seen the dividend of privatisation in the form of power stability.

Electricity is said to be the major obstacle to the country’s economic growth. We were thinking that with the massive change in 2013, there would be a great turnaround in the power sector by now but all to no avail.

Nigeria has a population of 167 million people but produces fewer grids than Britain. This has led to decline in profit margin in the country. The government is hoping that privatisation would be a solution to that.

I would say that under-investment and mismanagement are the hindrances to power stability in the country.

I’m wondering why the Federal Government sold PHCN to those who destroyed this economy, if the government wanted the power sector to come onboard.

Cluster of wires crying for attentionat Orile in Lagos...Friday

rity operatives, we sink boreholes, construct our roads yet the power that the Federal Government has, we can’t boast of it. I suggest that power should be removed from the Exclusive List and decentralised,” Akin Oyebola, from Aguda, Surulere, Lagos said.

These situations above, have led to the following complaints, which New Telegraph on Sunday captured on this page from different zones across the country.

New investors are opportunists Johnpaul O, lives at Okoko, Lagos The Federal Government is running away from its responsibilities and that is why it has privatised virtually every sector in the country. We thought privatisation of the power sector would mean something better for us but the reverse is the case.

We need to privatise Nigeria too so that government will not have any responsibility to the masses.

Look at the state of insecurity in the country, yet there is a government that directs the affairs of the people here. We need to privatise Nigeria too so that things will work well since nothing tagged ‘government’ thrives.

“The new investors in the power sector are opportunists. They came skillfully and capitalised on the loopholes in the system to

milk the masses dry. In the past one week, I have not seen light, but PHCN officials still move around freely and distribute bills.

In fact, it is their practice not to supply power regularly until the end of the month when they would distribute bills. Anytime you experience regular supply of power, look clearly, the distribution of bills is around the corner.”

‘I can’t do my bulk cooking again’ Mrs. Adebanjo, a banker, lives at Ijegun, Lagos I don’t really have much time to cook everyday due to the nature of my job. I used to do bulk shopping and cooking so as to create a chance for myself. But today, I have to stress myself beyond limit due to outage. The last time I managed to cook a large quantity of food, thinking there would be light to refrigerate it, was an experience I would not want to repeat. What I now do is to cooking a small quantity of food and buying some quick stuff like noodles and bread for my children daily.

These are the things they can easily eat, whether at night or day.

Any day I see light, I take because I’m scared of running a generator. Generators have caused much havoc in my area. A generator killed my neighbour’s wife and disfigured the husband.

There is nothing like electricity.

We need it. It comes with peace not like generator noise. Our poles are firm and transformer still intact.

No bills if outage continues Prince Ademola, Aisegba, Gboyin LGA, Ekiti State We have not had light for over four weeks now and that is after six weeks of blackout. We have complained to the business office and they said they would restore the light before May 15, else we should not pay bills.

Still same story Kola B, Mushin We have yet to see any improvement in the power supply situation in Mushin. There is yet no change in the 30 minutes to one hour they usually gave us light before. We experience regular outage here. We are making use of heavy machines to print and we need light.

We spend so much on diesel and that has made this place uninhabitable. There are fumes everywhere. We are asking the government to give us light. Light is so important to this economy. They are committing a serious fraud in Nigeria by collecting money they did not work for.

We are calling on them to give us electricity.

We have not seen electricity for almost two months running Iyabo F., Evie Street, Ajeromi, Lagos Still, the light has not come.

There have been power blackouts here, which started as low voltage for two weeks and metamorphosed into blackout.

We have gone to PHCN, but there was no light despite their promises. They said the transformer was faulty. We contributed money for a new transformer which we are still waiting for.

For almost two months now, we have not enjoyed electricity.

We are calling on governments at all level and PHCN to come and restore power supply to this community. Our businesses are going down day by day for lack of electricity. We need new and big transformer that would serve us.

Poor supply in Osun – F.A Afonja’s report While there is great improvement in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, electricity supply in other parts of the state is not encouraging. There is the need for improvement in the power supply to those places that experience epileptic supply of power in recent times, especially the rural areas.

Other people interviewed on the state of power supply in the States, however, admitted that electricity supply to some towns and villages in Osun was grossly inadequate due to a number of problems.

Pls send in your complaints via: sundayplatform@gmail.com

38

M

arket mood was positive in the week as the All-Share-Index appreciated by 2.57% to peg the index level at 42,187.62pts.

Volume and value traded were 89.33% and 49.54% above previous week’s figures respectively. DANGCEM, GUINNESS, NB, and ZENITHBNK were largely responsible for the week’s positive turn. We attribute the recent resurgence in optimistic sentiments on the exchange to investors’ position taking ahead of Q2:2014 results.

In our view, the current mood may be sustained given the attractiveness of the market (PE of 13.59x ) relative to its African peers( 22.84x). We however note the possibility of a recurrence of the dominant trend in the market in the first half of 2014, where swift profit taking followed slight price gains.

Banking: On the wings of the week ahead comes the shift?

The banking sector’s performance this week was slightly better than that of the previous week, as 6 of 15 banks gained, 8 declined and 1 traded flat to bring the sector’s year to date (Ytd) return to -0.86%. The major gainers in the week were ZENITHBNK (5.04%) and WEMABNK (4.26%).

STERLNBNK (4.96%) and DIAMONDBK (2.63%) were the major losers in the sector.

The year so far has only seen 6 stocks (ACCESS, ETI, FCMB, GUARANTY, STANBIC, and UBN) advance over their 2013 year end prices, with the sector appearing to be set for the next major driver to push returns.

We expect that the first of H2:2014 numbers may begin to filter in next week and as such we anticipate positive stock movements subsequently.

Insurance: Sector giant dips index Following a 2.40% surge in insurance index in the previous week, the sector index declined by 1.62% this week, which sprang from the 5.66% price depreciation of the sector’s most capitalized stock (MANSARD).

While most other stocks in the insurance space advanced in the week, this was not sufficient to push the index level northwards. Noteworthy is the sector’s second most capitalized stock (CUSTODYINS) which closed the week in the green zone, appreciating by 1.69%.

Investors seemingly took positions in WAPIC, which appreciated significantly by 11.11%, following the profit taking it encountered in the preceding week. The company’s management will hold an analysts’ conference call on June 30th to discuss the facts behind their latest 2013 full year results.

Other gainers in the sector for the week include: PRESTIGE, CONTINSURE and OASISINS, appreciating by 6.00%, 2.83% and 1.92% accordingly. On the other hand, AIICO declined by 4.55%. We expect CUSTODYINS and MANSARD to witness further rally in the near term on the back of our expectation of fantastic Q2:2014 results, all else equal.

Consumer Goods: GUINNESS gained the most in 10 weeks Consumer goods sector closed the week positive having gained 2.24% as measured

by NSEFBT10, reflecting the overall upbeat mood for the week. Investors’ sentiment however, favoured the major players in the beer segment as GUINNESS, NB and INTBREW advanced the most with 11.11% 3.30% and 2.69% gains respectively. On the contrary, CHAMPION and JOSBREW also topped the list of decliners losing 9.68% and 9.47% respectively. In our view, the recent activities on GUINNESS may not be unconnected with investors’ expectations of its

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Bulls on the run

…as investors take position ahead of Q2 numbers

full year results; though, we remain modest on the brewer’s full year earnings.

The flour millers saw some mixed trading activities as FLOURMILL gained 1.30% while HONYFLOUR and DANGFLOUR dipped by 1.23% and 4.71% respectively.

In the food and personal/household products segment, sector giants NESTLE (0.29%) and UNILEVER (4.74%) both appreciated while PZ (-5.26%), UTC (-7.41%) and VITAFOAM (-5.93%) declined in the week.

We see earnings releases as the major driver in the sector going forward.

Industrial Goods: Investors’ buy appetite starting to surface?

Investors’ renewed interest in buying into the industrial goods sector featured on trades in the week as the sector reverted to a positive zone. The sector gained 6.04% as measured by our MERI-INDUSTRIAL index indicating position taking ahead of impressive Q2:2014 numbers. Much of the gain was, however, largely driven by the upswing in DANGCEM (the sectors’ heavyweight) which gained 6.66% weekon-week.

All other stocks in the industry gained save for CAP that lost as well as BERGER and PCMN that closed flat for the week.

CAP shed the 5% it gained in the prior week to settle at its apparent comfort level of NGN40. We see the buy appetite on some of the stocks persisting in the coming week while investors’ may also cash out on this week’s gains. Our expectations for the weeks ahead remain dependent on investors’ reaction to first half results.

Agric: Sector posts 0.56% WtD gain on OKOMUOIL and LIVESTOCK In line with our expectations at the end of last week, OKOMUOIL started the week by shedding points on two consecutive trading days before reversing the trend to close the week with a gain of 1.19% on a relatively weaker average volume. Positive sentiments on LIVESTOCK (as reflected in higher traded volume) prevailed during the week as the stock gained 1.64% to close at NGN3.15. PRESCO traded flat throughout the week as profit taking activities observed on the stock in the previous 2 weeks waned. FTNCOCOA was listed as one of the companies to be delisted from the Nigerian Stock Exchange effective September 2, 2014.

Technical indicators suggest that OKOMUOIL may shed some points during the week on profit taking activities. PRESCO may however remain at the current level or record some slight gains for the week while we expect LIVESTOCK will continue to trade around its N3.00 mark.

Oil and Gas: The week of reversal OANDO was unable to sustain the rally of the previous week, which followed the announcement that the company had secured

ministerial consent for the acquisition of the assets of ConocoPhillips. Investors’ confidence was sustained in the early part of the week, however high prices attracted the activities of profit takers. The counter lost for four consecutive trading days to close the week at NGN27.36, a 9.91% decline. We share investors’ perspective as technical indicators show that the counter is overbought, although the company’s fundamental growth potential cannot be ignored.

After two weeks of price stability that was preceded by impressive gains, FO shed points WoW for the first time in twelve weeks to close at NGN206.30, 17.48% lower than the previous week’s price. We maintain our positive outlook on the company’s top and bottom line. Nevertheless, at the current price, the stock remains overpriced relative to our 2014 year-end target price.

The only other significant price movement in the sector this week was MRS, which closed at NGN70.00 gaining 9.38% WoW. ETERNA, MOBIL and TOTAL returned 4.15%, 1.55% and 0.32% to close at NGN4.77, NGN131.00 and NGN171.05 respectively. TOTAL and MOBIL remain our top picks in the sector.

Healthcare: Negative sentiments mount Investors have not pardoned the healthcare sector as negative sentiments continue to dip index performance. Despite the loss of 2.91% in the preceding week, the sector’s index level further dipped by 1.47% at the

end of this week’s trading activities. The sector has also lost 4.53% month-to-date (MtD), 7.04% quarter-to-date (QtD) and 4.45% year-to-date (YtD).

FIDSON, which happened to be the only gainer in the previous week and the only counter in the healthcare space with a positive YtD return (11.11%), recorded a further price increase of 3.68%. Position taking ensued on MAYBAKER and NEIMETH as the stocks gained 7.88% and 1.61% respectively.

Major drags on index performance for the week include: EVANSMED, PHARMDEKO, and GLAXOSMITH, each declining by 4.76%, 4.46% and 1.52% in that order while the remaining stocks closed flat.

Despite these negative sentiments, we remain optimistic on GLAXOSMITH and FIDSON as the stocks still portend upsides on the back of our target prices.

Services: TRANSCORP declines as CAVERTON’s upward move slows The services sector experienced a slight loss of 0.49% this week which further dragged YtD returns to -1.44% as measured by our Meri-Services index.

The sector maintained a positive stance for the greater part of the week until Thursday when it entered the negative zone following a 4.64% decline in the sector index. We attribute this downturn to TRANSCORPS’ 9.56% loss in share price on the same day.

ABCTRANS bounced back from last week’s loss, gaining 10.59% WtD on the back of a proposed dividend of NGN0.06k which implying a dividend yield of 7.23%.

CAVERTON (+4.29% to NGN6.56), REDSTAREX (+3.82% to NGN5.17) and IKEJAHOTEL (+1.22% to NGN0.83) sustained gains during the week. Other gainers in the week were NAHCO (+3.96% to NGN4.99) and RTBRISCOE (+1.98% to NGN1.03) Negative sentiments persisted on TRANSEXP as the stock shed 7.59% to close at NGN2.07. LENNARD (-4.83% to NGN3.15) and AIRSERVICE (-3.54% to NGN 2.45) also recorded price declines.

In spite of the seemingly negative mood in the sector this week, which may have been due to profit taking on TRANSCORP, we believe that the sector will bounce back in the coming weeks as investors take position ahead of H1:2014 results.

39

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Abuja Beats

Caging Abuja Hilton’s ‘Flying Terrorists’

G

Kenneth Tyohemba rabbing a late night coffee at the Piano Lounge of secure, iconic Transcorp Hilton Abuja, arguably the nation’s preeminent five-star hotel, LOUIS ACHI confronts its sneaky ‘flying terrorists.’…mosquitoes!!!

With the effortless ease it provided the central hub for the recent World Economic Forum Africa, it also provides hosting space for Grade-A conferences and nifty social events. Its powerful, magnetic hospitality environment draws both saints and sinners to its compelling bosom.

It is a millionaires’ playground and more. In terms of security, it is perhaps hardly matched by any other five-star hotel in Nigeria. In a period of mindless terrorism, the hotel is guarded by armed security agents who also secure the edifice with ultra-modern bomb-detectors while alert and polite staff provide a close watch.

Little wonder it is the first-choice lodging for visiting ‘higher mortals’. The upscale Transcorp Hiton Hotel regularly hosts visiting kings, presidents, dictators as well as local and international gliteratti.

But The Hilton has its flip side. After a busy day at work, one decided to chill out at its tastefully furnished Piano Lounge savouring a late night, delectable Cappuccino and a masterful rendition of Nat King Cole’s ‘Nature Boy’. Suddenly, a sneaky threat announced its presence.

Mosquitoes! This is The Hilton’s ‘flying terrorists.’ They pack a comparable knockout punch to the faceless IED-bearing terrorists who daily hug the headlines. This specimen of ‘killers’ brings a business-like approach to its attack: bite, suck blood and transmit malaria.

According to the World Health Organisation, 30 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa account for 90 per cent of global malaria deaths. Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Uganda account

for nearly 50 per cent of global malaria deaths. It is a major public health problem in Nigeria.

Statistics assembled by the Bill Gates’ ‘Gates Note’ confirm that the most lethal animal on the planet is the mosquito.

Despite medical advances, the WHO estimates about half of the world’s population (roughly 3.4 billion people) remain at risk of malaria infection.

Across the world, some 219 million (from a range of 154-289 million) are infected yearly. In 2012, about 90% of deaths occurred in the WHO African Region, and with advances in the way mosquitoes are combated, many of these deaths could be entirely preventable. Good progress is already being made, with mortality rates dropping 42% globally and 49% in the WHO African Region since 2000 alone.

Nature.com asked experts if eradicating mosquitoes entirely would upset the world ecosystem and found tepid support for keeping the pests alive. But while mosquitoes aren’t particularly critical to ecosystems, ecologist Phil Lounibos says that eliminating one species of mosquitoes would just lead to others usurping them. Others are less sure.

“If there was a benefit to having them around, we would have found a way to exploit them,” says CDC medical entomologist Janet McAllister.

“We haven’t wanted anything from mosquitoes except for them to go away.”

Is the upscale Abuja Hilton aware of these glaring threats? Apparently, yes. Two calls to Shola, the hotel’s media manager, angling for an appointment to take him on these winged marauders did not work out. He told our correspondent two Saturdays ago that he was quite busy.

I put another call to him within the week and he pleaded that he was very busy.

But New Telegraph on Sunday spoke to a senior Hilton manager who shared the hotel’s fight-back strategy and challenges.

Pleading anonymity, the manager said, “The Hilton management spends so much money on fumigation. There is no single week we don’t fumigate here. But the problem is the opening and closing of these doors. This makes mosquito control so difficult.

“The flowers we have around provide hiding places for the mosquitoes. That’s the basic challenge. Every morning between 6a.m and 6.30a.m, we fumigate these flowers. So it’s a lot of money. Also when you look at our surroundings, the rivers behind us, forests and all of that, they come from there.”

But shouldn’t there be a change in strategy if the hotel’s current control system is not working? He replied that the hotel management had tried different strategies.

His words: “Yes. I am not sure we use the same strategy all this while. If you go to the pool side, you will see some things on the floor. They drop these things to also control the mosquitoes.

“Also in almost all the entrances we have insect lights. We also encourage all staff to keep all doors closed immediately after clients and visitors enter. I don’t know of any known procedure or tactics that have been employed elsewhere that we have not applied here. What you talk about changing tactics, it is that we will not use the same chemicals or else they become resistant to them. So that’s what we do. It is a very tough fight.”

On a lighter note, when New Telegraph on Sunday suggested the option consulting a native doctor, the manager laughed that off and quipped, “Native doctors have never solved Nigeria’s problems, except you have a case study.”

Meanwhile as Abuja’s flagship hotel continues to grapple with its ‘flying terrorists’, related statistics suggest they need to up their game urgently. They clearly need to access the latest intelligence and armament to defeat this scourge because, as Bill Gates noted, the most dangerous animal on earth is the mosquito!

Firm introduces digital transport service Johnchuks Onuanyim

A

Lagos-based transport firm, Easy Taxi, has concluded plans to introduce its digital transport services to the Federal Capital Territory. The firm, which is an electronic-based taxi-call-system, said about 100 taxis are already in its fleet to service the city with prompt response to passenger call for taxi service within the city.

The Managing Director, Mr. Bankole Cardoso, told New Telegraph on Sunday that the new digital transport system would go a long way to complementing the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s efforts for safer intra-city transportation.

Explaining the efficiency of the system, Bankole said, “All the taxis in the fleet are fitted with a smart phone and syntax application (app) installed. The same application will be installed by all prospective passengers who will use the application to request for a taxi from any location in the territory.

“Such a request will alert all taxis within a radius while those available would reply, giving estimated time of arrival while details of the driver are flagged for the passenger to assess for easy recognition.”

Bankole said the taxis in the fleet are owned by drivers whose details are stored in the Easy Taxi data bank, stressing that each driver is connected to three others who operate from their respective parks.

Explaining further, he noted that the service would not in any way increase the current fares obtainable in the territory, as taxi drivers and passengers would still maintain their usual drop rates depending on the distance covered.

“It is important that we make it clear that we are not a premium service. We don’t charge more than the regular taxis on the road. We are just linking passengers and the taxis that you get on the road in a quick, safer and convenient manner. So, the price that you pay to Easy Taxi is the same price you will pay for your regular taxi. We get 10 per cent of the rate they (other taxi drivers) charge,” Bankole said.

Last moment of late New Telegraph’s Managing Editor

•He read New Telegraph at my stand-Vendor Yekeen Nurudeen

M

ore facts have emerged as to how the late Managing Editor of New Telegraph Newspapers, Suleiman Bisalla, spent his last moments before his untimely death in Wednesday’s bomb blast at Emab Plaza, Wuse 2, Abuja.

Haruna Onikpe, the operator of a newspaper stand near the scene of the blast said the late Bisalla, who was at the plaza to fix his new mobile phone, had stopped by at his table to enquire about how New Telegraph was faring in the market.

Onikpe, who hails from Kogi State, told New Telegraph on Sunday at Maitama Hospital, Abuja that the late Managing Editor had a brief chat with the vendor running the stand, Menfor Orji.

He recalled that it was about three minutes after Bisalla stepped away that the explosion occurred. He stated that his vendor who was also badly injured and was admitted to the

hospital told him that Bisalla made some enquiries about the newspaper when he picked a copy to read.

He said, “I wasn’t there. I opened a stand there and somebody runs it for me. Immediately the blast happened, a call was put through to me. The person that called said that my boy was in Maitama Hospital. I just rushed down here. “It was this morning when I came to the hospital that I saw Mallam Bisalla’s picture. When I met my boy on his hospital bed, I saw the man’s picture and asked him what happened. He now explained to me that the man came to him to buy New Telegraph. I asked if he knew him and he said he didn’t know him.

“He said he (Bisalla) had introduced himself as an employee of New Telegraph and before you knew it, like three minutes later, the thing (bomb blast) happened. He was standing when the blast occurred.” Onikpe said his vendor sustained serious bodily injuries, including burns to a part of his head.

Also, a New Telegraph correspondent in Abuja office, Johnchuks Onuanyim, recounted his encounter with the late Managing Editor shortly before he left for Emab Plaza.

According to him, he got to the office at about 3:30pm with the Deputy News Editor, Lateef Ibrahim, with whom he had earlier gone to the same EMAB Plaza to repair a phone. He narrated how the late Bisalla came out of his office on his way out and met him in the Newsroom having lunch. He said they exchanged banters with him on why he bought food for only himself.

His words: “It was around after 3pm when l returned to the office with the Deputy News Editor, Lateef Ibrahim, from Emab Plaza where we had gone to repair his phone. While in town before going to pick the phone, l had decided to stop at a restaurant to buy food. It was the lunch that l was eating in the Newsroom when the late Managing Editor, Suleiman Bisalla, came out from his office and was going out. “He saw me eating the food and

stopped and said: ‘Johnchuks, so you went and bought for yourself’. l replied, ‘Editor, l didn’t know you also eat ‘akpu’ (cassava paste). l would have bought for you’. He left and never came back.

“I was called back to the office and told about his death at the bomb blast scene. I was also the first New Telegraph editorial employee to get to the explosion site, not knowing that my ME was among those being evacuated in ambulances.

Bisalla

40

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Abuja Beats

Why I returned N.4m I picked on the road -Ngwu Uchenna Ngwu picked a bag containing over N400, 000 on a road in Kuje, FCT and took it to a radio station. The media outfit was able to identify the owner and the money was properly returned. Ngwu shares his experience with OBINNA ODOH We heard that you picked over N400,000 on a street in Abuja and returned same to the owner. How did you come in contact with such an amount and what informed your decision to return the money to the owner?

It was on December 27, 2013 when I was coming back from my master’s house in Suleja, Niger State I boarded a vehicle from Giri Junction to Kuje and stopped at Duntum Filling Station in Kuje. As soon as I came down from the vehicle, I saw a black polythene bag on the ground. I had bought some clothes in Suleja and put them in a similar bag. When I saw the bag, I thought it was one of those I was carrying and so I picked it up. To my consternation, I discovered that the contents were harder than the clothes. That was when I decided to open the bag and discovered that it was money. What informed my decision to return the money was because I’m a Christian and a member of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Nigeria. It is against my faith to take what doesn’t belong to me. Also, my parents taught me not to take what doesn’t belong to me, no matter the condition and to always be good to people.

How did you locate the rightful owner?

I decided to take the money to a radio house, Love FM, and asked them to announce the discovery on one of their programmes called Berekete Family.

Why did you choose a radio station instead of a security agency?

Well, everything boils down to trust.

Whom do you trust and why you trust them? I decided to take it to Love FM because I trust them and believed they could deliver, considering their antecedents on the issue of trust. I first took the money to one radio station whose name I don’t want to mention here and they advised me to use the money to improve my life,

owner?

They aired the story of the discovery and subsequently announced it until two people indicated that they were looking for some money. But when they were interrogated, one of them could not defend his claims because the denomination he mentioned was not the same with the one found inside the leather bag. But the second person got it right and even went ahead to mention the bank wrappers. He is a dealer in building materials along Kuje – Gwagwalada Road.

Uchenna Ngwu

especially as I’m still an applicant serving my master. They said it was a very good opportunity for me to start big. So after the advice from the radio station, I was afraid and could not trust even security operatives. I know some security personnel are good but how do I know who is good among them? That was why I decided to take the money to Berekete family, because it is a popular radio programme that we know as the ‘voice of the voiceless’.

How did Love FM finally locate the

Were you invited during the official handing over of the money to the owner?

Yes, I was invited to the FCT Police Command, Garki in the office of the former Commissioner of Police, Femi Ogunbayode. There in the CP’s office, they handed the money over to Emma Dike, the owner.

Did you encounter any challenge during the time you were searching for the owner?

The challenges I met were enormous.

First, it happened that immediately I picked the bag and discovered the real content, I told the driver that brought me from Giri. But as soon as I informed him, instantly his countenance changed. He insisted that we must share the money into two so that he can go with half. He threatened that if I refused, he would deal with me. But I refused and told him that I was the person that picked the money and had the final say on how to go about it. But he was not convinced that I was going to return the money to the owner.

In order to convince him, I decided to show him where I was staying and that settled his desperation. The second was the first radio station I visited where I was advised to use the money to take care of myself, because according to them that was a good opportunity for my safe landing economically.

Abuja movie producers honour supporters Amadi Nnamdi

A

s part of ways of showing appreciation to their sponsors and benefactors, the Abuja chapter of Association of Movie Producers staged an elaborate ceremony tagged: ‘Friends of Nollywood Award’ recently in Abuja.

The event, which had all the trappings of the glitz and glamour of Nollywood, took place at the prestigious Sheraton Hotels, Abuja.

Explaining the rationale behind the event, the Chairman of AMP Abuja chapter, Nzeh Frankwhite, said, “The Friends of Nollywood Award was borne out of the need to say a very big thank you to our various supporters who have been very helpful to us all these years in the course of our production and other activities.”

“At a stage Abuja was inactive movie-wise.

We made efforts to see how we can try to cultivate a movie culture within the people here. You know there are no entertainment businessmen here in Abuja. Most of the businessmen we have in Abuja are land speculators so we faced so many difficulties and challenges in the process of trying to grow a movie industry here. But some people have been very helpful to our cause,” he added.

The event had in attendance veteran and trendy Nollywood stars such as Alex Usifo, Steve Eboh, Victor Osuagwu, Empress Njamah, Linc Edochie and many others.

Anchored by Nollywood actor, Steve Eboh, the event featured lots of musical performances, drama sketch and comedy from one of Abuja finest comedians, Skyplus.

Vice Chairperson, AMP Abuja chapter, Chinyere Okorie, in her remarks said Nollywood had come a long way and the ceremony was a platform to appreciate its as-

sociates.

“This is a platform to recognise and encourage them to do more and this year President Goodluck Jonathan is the Best friend of Nollywood 2014. The governors of the following states: Bayelsa, Benue, Delta and Abia all emerged as Friends of Nollywood 2014 as well as other few entrepreneurs and government officials.

“This is the third edition of this award and we hope that next year we will be here again to say thank you to people who have been supporting us.”

Among recipients of the Friends of Nollywood Award were the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Eugene Juwah; Mrs. Tosin Dokpesi of AIT; Amb. Ginika Tor; Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye; Dr. Ibrahim Wada; and Rt.Rev. Dr. Sunday Ndukwo Onuoho; Hon. Peter Yohana Ushafa; Ms. Patricia Bala; and Senator Tanimu Aduda.

Minister opens sales of buffer stock Johnchuks Onuanyim

M

inister of State for Federal Capital Territory Authority, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, has opened the 2014 sale of buffer stock grains to FCT farmers, as part of efforts to transform agriculture from a development intervention to an enterprise.

At the ceremony, the minister’s representative, Mrs. Olvadi Madayi, said, “By these interventions, government aims to increase the productivity of farmers as well as empower the youths and women through various forms of agribusiness. Consequently, the FCT Administration is championing value addition, sourcing for markets, enlightenment, sensitisation and education of farmers on the availability of new technologies and new ways of doing agricultural businesses.”

Speaking for the minister, Madayi, who is the secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, stated that the administration would subsidise guinea corn, millet and maize at 50 per cent to various groups in the territory. She gave the assurance that the administration would open the floodgates of storehouses to farmers and residents in order to bridge the gap created by the intervention period.

“To support this, I have approved that 16, 507 bags of maize, 1, 880 bags of guinea corn and 2, 393 bags of millet, all in 50kg sizes, be sold to the public, area councils, government agencies and various farmers’ associations at 50 per cent subsidy discount. Accordingly, maize and guinea corn will be sold at N2, 200 while millet will sell at N3, 000.00,” she said.

Earlier in her remarks, the secretary noted that the exercise was designed to intervene in the value chain of agricultural production as it affects post-harvest stock management. She stressed that the secretariat mopped up excess grains from more than 40 cooperative groups in the FCT during the last harvest season.

The secretary, whose remarks were presented on the occasion by the Director of Finance and Administration, Sir John Obiahu, stressed that the action of the FCT secretariat would ensure a ‘win win’ situation for farmers and stakeholders in the agriculture value chain.

She said, “The buffer stock programme is the second tier of the tripartite food storage which is replicated in FCT in line with the activities of the National Strategic Food Reserve. Today’s ceremony demonstrates the responsiveness of this administration to alleviate the hardship of the citizenry through conscious and positive intervention to stabilise the soaring prices of grains.”

According to the mandate, the grains to be sold are subsidised in order to cushion the prevailing high prices. It also states that all stakeholders to be involved in the exercise such as area councils, government agencies and cooperative groups would assist the FCT Administration to ensure that these food items are channelled to the intended beneficiaries.

She called on the area councils to embark on their On-Farm storage programme to complement the buffer stock scheme in such a way that in 2020, FCT would have achieved her target of affordable and adequate staple food all year round for the teeming population of the territory and its environs.

South-East

41

BEATS

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

JUNE 29, 2014

Igbo monarchs as endangered species

Ilomuanya

Chime

Elechi

Obi

G

from his position as the chairman of Anambra State Council of Traditional Rulers. Though the respected monarch merely indicated that he was quitting the office, facts later emerged that the cultured man of candour resigned in protest at the “indignities the governor put traditional rulers from Anambra North to.”

But it was the same Peter Obi that distributed brand new Innoson Sports Utility Vehicles to the traditional rulers before he bowed out. Whether that gesture cleansed the hearts of the monarch is yet to be ascertained.

Two months ago, it came to light that Enugu State Governor, Mr. Sullivan Chime, put up a policy to ensure that traditional rulers did not betray the dignity of their office by chasing politicians with traditional titles. That policy was responsible for the controversy that attended the decision of Oduma Community to reward the Deputy President of Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, for his many good gestures to their community, including electricity and asphalted road.

There was much confusion in Enugu as people debated whether the plan of Oduma Community. The popular impression them woven by partisan political commentators was that Chime did not want Ekweremadu to be honoured by Oduma community.

And barely one month ago, Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, fired his own dart at the traditional institution. In a terse statement signed by the Secretary to Imo State Government, Prof.

A. G. Anwukah, the governor dethroned Eze Cletus Ikechukwu Ilomuanya, the traditional ruler of Obinugwu Orlu and chairman of South-East Traditional Rul-

ers Council, as well as Eze Cosmos Onyeneke, the traditional ruler of Lagwa Autonomous Community in Aboh Mbaise.

Though the statement did not disclose the major reasons for the government’s action, it declared that the dethronement was with immediate effect. Part of the statement reads: “In accordance with Sections 11 and 14 of the Imo State Traditional Rulers Autonomous Communities Law No 6 of 2006, His Excellency, the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has approved the withdrawal of certificates of recognition and Staff of Office of Eze Cletus Ikechukwu Ilomuanya, the traditional ruler of Obinugwu Autonomous Community in Orlu Local Government Area and Eze Cosmos Onyeneke, the traditional ruler of Lagwa Autonomous community in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State with immediate effect.”

The statement further announced that secretaries of the Community Government Council of the respective autonomous communities “will be liaising with the government on behalf of each of the affected autonomous communities pending the selection and presentation of Eze-elect in accordance with the custom and constitution of each of the affected communities.”

Following the outrage that greeted the action, the governor came out to rationalise it. Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, the governor explained that the dethronement of the two traditional rulers followed the recommendation of the House of Assembly. He divorced the action from the political differences between him and Ilomuanya, maintain-

ing that he was merely carrying out his constitutional responsibility under the Traditional Rulers, Autonomous Communities and Allied Matters in Imo State Law No. 6 of 2006.

“Following a series of petitions to the House of Assembly against the traditional rulers by the indigenes, the assembly constituted a-five man committee, which investigated the petitions and indicted the monarchs. As a responsible government, we appreciate that the two people involved are indigenes of the state. So we won’t go the whole hog to discuss the findings of the committee. But at the end of the investigations, the committee passed resolutions 376 and 377 that the governor should without delay, remove the duo,” Okorocha stated.

He stated that his government did not act immediately on the resolutions of the assembly and did not dethrone the monarchs as recommended, but that he was forced to act when Ilomuanya stopped attending state functions in breach of Section 14 of the Imo State Traditional Rulers, Autonomous Communities Law. Ilomuanya was also accused of relocating to Abuja and frolicking with politicians like a partisan actor. To drive its message and ensure that Ilomuanya felt the pinch, Okorocha added that “by the virtue of the removal of Ilomuanya as the traditional ruler and state council of traditional rulers member, he can no longer parade himself as such because to do so is tantamount to impersonation.”

But knowing that they were being pilloried for their perceived closeness to former Governor Ikedi Ohakim and the Peoples Democratic Party, the two

Leo Sobechi overnor Martin Elechi recently deployed the tactics of military administrators to rebuke a traditional ruler in Ebonyi State. The traditional ruler’s offence was that he exceeded his bounds by dishing out traditional titles to politicians outside his domain. That was, however, the first time Elechi would teach traditional rulers lessons in discipline and loyalty. However, apart from Elechi, many other governors in the South-East including Rochas Okorocha, Sullivan Chime and former Anambra Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, have had occasion to be at cross-purposes with traditional rulers in their states.

In Anambra State, the build-up to the November 2013 governorship election revealed how Obi lured traditional rulers into partisan politics. It was gathered that the governor, in a bid to ensure that his promise to support Anambra North Senatorial District for the governorship election received widespread support, invited the traditional rulers from the zone to help screen and recommend a qualified and acceptable candidate. During that period, mutual respect was all that was known to the public about the relationship between the government and traditional rulers in the state. However somewhere along the line, it became obvious to the traditional rulers that after all, Obi was taking them on a wild goose chase, because he had a preferred candidate in mind! Things came to a head when some weeks to the governorship election, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, suddenly resigned

CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

42

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

South-East

Igbo monarchs as endangered species

Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu (left), being welcomed to Oduma by the Chairman, Traditional Rulers Council, Aninri Local Government Area, Igwe Godwin Nwanjoku, at the reception and conferment of a chieftaincy title of Dike Eji Ejemba on Ekweremadu by Oduma Community in Enugu C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 4 1

traditional rulers decided to ignore the governor’s order. For instance, Eze Ilomuanya derided the state government’s action, stressing that as the chairman of South-East Council of Traditional Rulers, he remains a monarch. He maintained that the governor lacks the constitutional approval or the support of the people of Obinugwu to remove him.

The supremacy between Ilomuanya and Okorocha’s administration reared its head three years ago when the governor sacked the monarch as the chairman of the state council of traditional rulers. Ilomuanya waged a legal battle against the governor, which ended in the monarch’s favour. He said he would not have hesitated to resign from office if Okorocha had given the slightest hint that he was not ready to work with him at the inception of his administration.

Just weeks back when a delegation of Orlu Stakeholders Forum paid him a solidarity visit in his palace, the embattled monarch traced the beginning of his squabbles with Okorocha. He lamented that within the three years he was out of office while the suit lasted, dark clouds hovered around “the highly revered traditional institution in the state.” Referring to the Imo State House of Assembly Law No. 006, (section 17A) Ilomuanya noted that it stipulates a five-year term in office for the chairman of the state

council of traditional rulers.

“Government wants to flout this law,” he said stressing that Okorocha had no justification to dethrone him as traditional ruler of Obinugwu community.

He added, “Nobody can do that without the consent of my people who selected me voluntarily.” He added that as a devout Christian, he has left Okorocha in the hands of God “for the injustice and humiliation meted on him and exposing the Igbo traditional institution to public ridicule.”

Elechi’s recent nullification of the coronation and conferment of chieftaincy titles on the senator representing Ebonyi Central and former Deputy Speaker of the state house of assembly, Paulinus Igwe Nwagu, and Hon. Valentine Okike was his second of such. The Ebonyi governor hugged national media headlines when he dethroned four traditional rulers in Ishielu Local Government Area of the state for welcoming Ibeto Group to the Nigercem facility as core investor.

The four traditional rulers of the host communities of the cement factory were axed by the government for working at “cross-purposes” and “against the interest of Ebonyi people.”

Elechi is said to have sworn not to allow Ibeto enjoy the benefits of its investment in the comatose cement plant. The chairman of the state house of assembly committee looking into the matter, Hon.

Frank Onwe, was suspended from the legislature two months ago.

But in the recent case, the traditional ruler of Ishinkwo Autonomous Community, Eze Josephat Ikegwu, was dethroned for crowning and conferring chieftaincy titles on Nwagu and Okike outside his jurisdiction in the community, Ukawu in Onicha Local Government Area of the state. Elechi who handed down the bitter cup to the monarch after a marathon meeting with stakeholders declared that the nullification extends to all such other titles the traditional ruler conferred outside his area of jurisdiction.

Explaining the reason that informed his decision, Elechi remarked that “the act of coronation would not be recognised on the grounds that the monarch went beyond the bounds of his domain to officiate in a different community outside his own area.” While pointing out that nobody has been recognised as the traditional ruler for Ukawu Autonomous community, the governor warned that nobody should parade himself as traditional ruler until a new one was installed.

“The traditional ruler went beyond the bounds of his domain to officiate in a different community. Reason for that, we don’t want to go into. Whether it was done by consensus or cabinet members of the late Eze or for some other reasons that is not important but the good thing

should be done,” he declared.

The governor recalled that the vacancy created by the demise of the traditional ruler of Ukawu would be filled within a month. His words: “We think that he should restrict himself to his own domain. So we do not recognise those acts of coronation of Senator Paulinus Igwe Nwagu and former Deputy Speaker, Barrister Valentine Okike. We believe all concerned will accept these decisions in good faith as indeed there is no victor, there is no vanquished.”

Speaking to New Telegraph on Sunday on the path to Igbo unity and progress, Archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Enugu, Archbishop Emmanuel Olisa Chukwuma, said Ndigbo should be selfless and show “respect for one another and for our leadership.”

He said it was necessary to recognise some personalities as leaders, adding, “But not where people don’t respect themselves, traditional rulers are not being respected, you dethrone a traditional ruler and you mesmerise people in leadership.”

Assuring that Ndigbo would rise with fear of God and respect for each other, the archbishop declared, “Our politicians should learn how to respect themselves, respect traditional rulers and respect religious leaders. And where there is that respect and fear of God, then Ndigbo will have a cause to move.”

andage dress is a tight-fitting dress that appears to be made from multiple thin strips of cloth sewn together, with the individual strips shaped like a bandage. The bandage dress was made popular by the designer, Hervé Léger.

Sexy and stunning bandage dresses are luxury dresses made from signature heavyweight bandage fabric (90%Rayon / 9%Nylon / 1% Spandex). They promise you comfort as well as the perfect hour-glass figure the moment you slip it on, keeping its

B

Vanessa Okwara

shape no matter what you eat or drink!

These dresses are structured clothing meaning they will hold you in and smooth out any imperfections, giving you the dream body you have always wanted to flaunt without the diets or the gym as it sucks in and sculpt you in all the right places.

However to achieve that hour glass look, there are a few rules to keep when wearing this dress.

As with any figure-hugging garment, it is often what you wear underneath that ensures you look your absolute best. In this case, your underwear should be completely seam-free.

Unfortunately, bandage dresses are not for everyone. If you are overweight, or have some flabs you don’t want to show off, they are definitely not for you. Also, ladies who are busty should stay off bandage dresses or wear a very good bra that will help hold the bust in perfect shape, else you’ll end up looking as if you are busting at the seams.

When wearing a bandage dress, go easy on accessories. Less is more, a simple earring and little necklace will do as this dress accentuates your figure, making you the cynosure of all eyes and no one notices the jewelries.

bandage dresses

44

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

Comfy styling with jeans and T-shirts Vanessa Okwara

J

eans and t-shirts are timeless pieces that can be found in everyman’s wardrobe. Standing the test of time and never going out of fashion, jeans and T-shirts have helped men solve the problem of what to wear on a daily basis. They have constantly evolved in the world of fashion with different brands coming out with stylish jeans and t-shirts to give men that comfy but trendy look they always desire.

The material and often times the designer play a large role in determining the quality and durability of a Jeans and T-shirt.

For you not to appear boring all the time in jeans and t-shirt, style them in different ways and you will come out looking trendy. However, for that man of style, the way you wear these two pieces of clothing tells a lot about you.

Here are some tips for the right look.

· You can also go all denim.

This means you pair a denim shirt or jacket, T-shirt and jeans trousers. You may also accessorize with some bling’s such as gold necklace/chains if you are the type that favour the music star look.

· It can be worn casually for a date at night, to watch a football game or simply dashing out to pick up some things from the supermarket. Here, you can pair them with good sandals, boots or loafers. You can also glam up your look with a fez, fedora hats and colourful sneakers

· When a blazer is teamed with a fabric like denim, you have a look that sends the message that you’re ready to party in a classy way. Put a blazer, casual waistcoat, sports coat or leather jacket on top of your T-shirt and instantly get dressy look for an evening outing. For an event such as an album launch or movie premiere, go dressier by slipping into some polished leather dress shoes. You can complete this look by adorning your blazer with a colourful pocket square.

45

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

GLOBAL fashion

Tommy Hilfiger designs

Sassy designs from the New York Fashion Week Vanessa Okwara

T

he New York Fashion Week may have come and gone, but we can still take a peek into some of the designs that wowed on the runway. The exclusive collections at the run-

Herve Lerger bodycon dress

Vera Wang designs

way of the New York Fashion Week was a showcase of colours, pastels and glam.

Many top designers showcased their latest collections.

They include Tommy Hilfiger, Jason Wu, Vera Wang, Michael Kors, Herve Lerger, Nicole Miller and many others. All the

designers were on top of their game as their models walked the runway with designs in varying colours, shades and intrigues. A lot of the fabrics that topped the designs were mostly in sheer fabrics and hues. Its okay if you don’t have the legs, you can still have the style.

46

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

40s... and

BAYO ADEOYE presents top celebrities between ages 40 and 50 who have contributed to the development of their respective sectors

Uba

Babangida

Okocha

• Ifeanyi Ubah Born September 3, 1971, this young man is the boss of Capital Oil, the company he nurtured from nothing to become one of the biggest oil and gas companies in Nigeria. The Anambra State-born magnate contested for governorship position of his state in 2013 where he got his fingers burnt.

• Chris Uba 43, He came into limelight during the Olusegun Obasanjo era. He was one of the ‘boys’ who held sway during his tenure alongside his brother, Andy Uba. • Rotimi Amaechi 49, Rotimi Amaechi is the current Governor of Rivers State, Nigeria, since 2007. Amaechi cut his teeth in politics as secretary of the defunct National Republican Convention in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State between 1992 and 1994.

He became speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly between 1999 and 2007 before he was elected governor of the state.

• Mo Abudu 50, Mosunmola Abudu is a talk show host, TV producer, media personality, human resources management consultant and entrepreneur. She is the boss of Ebony Life TV. • Tom Samson 47, Bishop Tom Samson is the General Overseer of Christ Royal Family International. The Delta

Chukwurah

Ajila-Ladipo State-born flamboyant man of God started his ministry 23 years ago and today, his ministry has grown tremendously.

• Jimoh Ibrahim 48, Jimoh Ibrahim is a lawyer, politician, businessman, entrepreneur, industrialist and philanthropist in Nigeria. He is the current Group Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer of Global Fleet Group, a diversified conglomerate based in Nigeria, with business interests and subsidiaries in neighboring West African countries.

• Dimeji Bankole Born November 14, 1969, Oladimeji Sabur Bankole became the youngest Speaker of the House of Representatives in Nigeria in 2007 at age 37. Bankole inherited politics from his father, Alani Bankole, a businessman and former National Vice Chairman of the defunct ANPP. • Ibinabo Fiberesima President, Actors Guild of Nigeria, ex-beauty queen and Events Manager, Ibinabo Fiberesima is from Rivers State, Nigeria. She is the child of a Nigerian father, Dr. J.B Fiberesima, and an Irish mother.

An English and Literature graduate of the University of Ibadan, she got into entertainment after winning the Miss Wonderland Beauty Pageant in 1997. She was the First Runner up at the Miss Nigeria 1991 beauty contest. Due to her love for music and the arts, Ibinabo went into night club management in the 90′s and she ran her

Amaechi

Bankole club, Pyramid and Karaoke.

• Funmi Ajila-Ladipo, 50, This pretty woman has been in the fashion industry for more than two decades. She was adjudged the Fashion Designer of the year 1987/88. Ever since she joined the industry, she has represented Nigeria in a couple of fashion shows in and outside Nigeria. She is noted for her creativity. She came into the industry at a young age but with consistency and hard work, the beautiful woman has remained relevant. She is the president of Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN).

• Mohammed Babangida 42, He is the son of Nigeria’s former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida. Mohammed is a director in most of his father’s companies which include El-Amin International school.

The amiable young man is a great Polo lover and player and he has invested heavily in the growth of that game in Nigeria.

• Clarion Chukwurah 50, Born to an Ibo father and Yoruba mother on 24 July 1964, Clara Nneka Oluwatoyin Folashade Chukwurah is a veteran actress. She had her secondary education at Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha. She studied Acting and Speech at the Department of Dramatic Arts of Obafemi Awolowo University.

She is from Anambra State. She was the first Nigerian to win in the Best Actress category at the 1982 FESPACO film festival in Burkina-Faso. She is the mother

47

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Body&Soul

trailing 50 Ali Baba

Ibinabo

Festus of music video director, Clarence Peters.

• Atunyota Alleluya Akporobomerere ( Ali Baba) 49.

Ali Baba launched Nigeria’s comedy industry into prominence. Through gut, sacrifice and creative dynamism, Ali Baba carved a niche for himself as a comedian for both corporate and non-corporate events. Consistently, he became the preferred Master of Ceremony at events.

Today, Ali Baba is known as grandfather of Nigerian comedy.

• Modupe Ozolua 41, Modupe Ozolua is the Chief Executive Officer of Body Enhancement Limited, Nigeria. She is also the founder and president of Body Enhancement Annual Reconstructive Surgery (BEARS) Foundation. When she started some years ago, it was a novelty in our society. Over time, she has helped people achieve an admirable weight, attain the best standard of beauty and be fashionable without regard to age.

• Gloria Ibru, 49 Gloria Ibru is a member of the great Ibru family. She is the sixth of 17 children of Chief Michael Ibru (10 boys, seven girls). The Ibru brothers’ family business conglomerate includes Sheraton Hotels & Towers, Oceanic Bank, The Guardian Newspaper, and several other international business concerns. Instead of settling for her vast family business empire, Gloria chose to make her career in entertainment. She is a great singer, composer and performer.

• Okocha 41 Augustine Azuka ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha is a Nigerian former footballer who played as a midfielder. He is widely regarded as

Bianca

Ibru the Best Nigerian Player of his generation. He is also known for his step-overs, skill, and technique. Okocha played for PSG and Bolton Wanderers. He is a dual Nigerian-Turkish citizen, having acquired Turkish citizenship while playing for Süper Lig team Fenerbahçe.

• Hakeem Muri-Okunola 42 Muri-Okunola is permanent secretary, Lagos State Lands Bureau. Hakeem Muri-Okunola is considered one of the richest permanent secretaries in Lagos State. The son of the late respected jurist, Justice Muri Okunola, was born with a silver spoon.

•Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu 47 Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu was born on August 5, 1967. She is the sixth child of former Anambra State governor, Prof. Christian Onoh. She studied law at the University of Buckingham and subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar. In December 1988, Bianca was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria. She is best known as the first African to win Miss Intercontinental 1989 and was named Miss Congeniality at the now defunct Miss Charm International in Russia where she was also a semi-finalist.

Bianca was married to the former Biafran leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, a political associate of her father.

Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Ikemba Nnewi died in 2011.

Bianca Ojukwu was formerly Nigeria’s Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs and the country’s Ambassador to Ghana. She is now Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain • Festus Keyamo 44

Ibrahim Festus Egwarewa Adeniyi Keyamo, Esq., lawyer, social crusader, critic and columnist is an intriguing personality. Born in Ughelli, Delta State of Nigeria on Wednesday, January 21, 1970 by a father who hails from Effurun, Warri, in Delta State and a mother from Ilaro in Ogun State, Keyamo gained admission into Bendel State University, (now Ambrose Alli University (AAU)) Ekpoma, in Edo State, and obtained his LL.B degree (Second Class Upper) in 1992.

He was called to the Nigerian Bar on December 15, 1993 setting the stage for a colourful career in law.

Keyamo, as he is widely known, started his legal practice in Gani Fawehinmi Chambers in Lagos at the height of the agitation for the revalidation of the June 2, 1993 election. He led the crusade to unravel the murder of Chief Bola Ige and he has been involved in so many legal battles with politicians that enmeshed themselves in corruption in Nigeria.

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee shortlisted Keyamo and 22 others for an interview preparatory to the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on them.

Mo Abudu

48

Body&Soul

DIY on the GO

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Fix your broken tiles Abimbola Sodeke

T

iles are durable floor covering with low-maintenance. They enhance beauty and illuminate a house or apartment. When tiles are fixed over a long period of time, they tend to fall off of on the wall or break when a heavy metal strikes hard against them.

Here are methods to replace them when damaged or broken: Reusing Broken Tiles Before you dispose the pieces of tile from a repair job, consider a few designs they can be used for. Broken tiles can be used for decorative artwork in your home. Artwork patterns can enhance flower pots, picture frames and can be used as part of a unique flooring design.

If you are planning to have potted plants, broken tiles can be used as a bottom layer in the pot to help with drainage.

Replacing a tile You will want to replace broken or cracked tiles to maintain the appearance of a room. It is also important to replace them because damaged tiles can lead ants into the room, which can damage walls and floors, and may lead to mold problems and eventually structural damage.

Steps: • Use a grout raker or chisel to remove the grout from around the edge of a broken tile.

• Use a club hammer and chisel to remove sections of the broken tile. You may need gloves and protective goggles. Apply tile adhesive to the back of a tile using an adhesive spreader.

• Position the tile, checking that it sits well. Use spacers or a tin wood to maintain grout gaps. When dry, remove the spacers and grout the joints. Then you have your room back to its usual and more beautiful looks.

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

49

Wine & Dine

Body&Soul

Health friendly Chardonnay

Ibukunoluwa Kayode

W

ines are made from different grape fruits that form their classification, and Chardonnay grape is one of the fruits white

wines are made from.

The origin of this grape fruit was disputed for many years, with some speculating that it came from the Middle East.

However, researchers at the University of California, Davis, United States

said in 1999 that Chardonnay is from eastern France.

This type of fruit wine is weighty and thick and is regarded as one of the world’s most distinctive white wines, which can lighten up any occasion

with family and friends.

Also, other researchers have found that Chardonnay has the highest antioxidants known as polyphenols. This wine class also contain potassium, which may help lower blood pressure,

Oven baked BBQ wings Biwom Iklaki

A

s game nights go, Nigeria vs Argentina match on Wednesday June 25, 2014 was one best described as ‘spicy’. As such, it has inspired these spicy oven baked BBQ wings. You know, the kind of wings that you eat and tears are running down your cheeks and no one can be sure if the tears are from the spice, the emotions of the game or the company for that matter, lol! Try these spicy

baked bbq wings for your next game night.

INGREDIENTS 2 cups BBQ sauce 1/4 cup lemon juice 6 tbsp brown sugar 1 cup red wine 20 chicken wings Red hot spicy pepper for ‘spice’ Salt and stock cubes to taste.

PREPARATION Mix together BBQ sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, wine and pep-

per. Set aside. Cut wings at the elbow. Dip pieces in sauce and lay in an oven dish or a stainless steel baking pan. Pour any remaining sauce over the wings and bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 60 – 80mins. These are terrific as leftovers so don’t think you are making too many. The world cup is still underway…

Serve with preferred ‘game liqueur’. Let the liqueur flow freely to fight the burn on your tongue for those who cannot handle their chilli well.

and prevent the creation of molecules which can damage lung tissue.

Scientists at the University of Milan also proved that white wine contains tyrosol and caffeic acid, which act as anti-inflammatories and

antioxidants to help prevent rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis when indulged in moderately.

Chardonnay grape wines are known for their brisk citrus character, floral lift and incisive minerality to lighten up the palate for a smooth finish.

The market for Chardonnay wine grape continues to be on the rise due to consumers’ demand for brighter, betterbalanced white wines, which have crisper fruit aromas, more soil character and less resilience on new barrels for flavour, with restrained oak spice to lush the palate.

Chardonnay grape wine is mostly enjoyed by lovers of white wine and low sugar drinkers. It is a perfect drink that complements any dish from the continental to the local cuisine. And it can be best enjoyed and served when properly chilled.

However, white wine is the preferred option for migraine sufferers since it is low in the headacheinducing compound, tyramine, unlike many red and rose wines.

50

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

Comfort and footwear for kids Biwom Iklaki

S

ome parents love to feed their kids beans in the hopes that they will grow taller. Why then is this same approach not applied to watching what they put on their feet as footwear?

They are obviously still growing so changes are

happening by the minute. Some parents insist on buying high heeled shoes for their children.

Here is a suggestion for a change‌allow them grow without issues that will affect them if not now, in their later lives.

Their feet are too tender for them to go around with so much pressure

on their delicate ankles through the day or an event. Try flats for them in different fun and cute styles.

Flats are the best friends for growing feet. Whether it’s for a casual outfit or dressy getup, look no further than a pair of flats.

An added advantage is that they come in vari-

ous styles; Mary Janes, sneakers, gladiators, flip flops, ballerinas, hightops, moccasins, loafers, jellies, booties, etc Style your kids by all means, but pay attention also to their comfort and future health especially as they are still growing bodies!

Interview ‘We’re raising society changers’ p52

Roving Worshipper Abeokuta agog as Catholic Diocese ordains new bishop p.55

TAI ANYANWU, titus.anyanwu@newtelegraphonline.com titusanyanwu.2012@gmail.com 0706 438 0029

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

www.newtelegraphonline.com/faith

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

JUNE 29, 2014

Sermon The testimony of a true witness p.54

51

Faith ON SUNDAY

Behold, the new Deeper Life auditorium

The new Deeper Life Auditorium Gbagada, Lagos

M

Tai Anyanwu any years back, many Nigerians would have sworn that Deeper Life Bible Church would have nothing to do with an exquisite edifice.

Though founded by William Kumuyi, a former mathematics lecturer at University of Lagos, Deeper Life is considered as the most conservative Pentecostal church in the country.

But as its new auditorium nears completion, the aesthetic elegance of the architectural masterpiece speaks eloquently of the new image that Deeper Life is bound to be known for in coming years.

Rising gracefully from a valley located within the precinct of Ifako, Gbagada in Lagos State and stretching across acres of land, the auditorium now stands imposingly in the densely populated mainland community and towers above every structure in the middle class neighbourhood.

Apart from the main auditorium, there are car parks stretching more than three hundred metres away on the same side of the road while another construction is ongoing just across the road.

New Telegraph on Sunday found out that the splendour of the 21st Century taste of Pentecoastal churches as reflected in the well defined taste of the designers has

caught the admiration of many people.

As Tunde Oludare, one of the admirers interviewed puts it: “The Deeper Life Bible Church’s new auditorium is baffling and stands out as one of the best on the African continent.”

On a visit to the site during the week, our correspondent met a beehive of activities as construction workers worked hard on the project. Splashed with soft cream paint and a touch of light green, the auditorium appears to be at the finishing stage.

An artisan,, who preferred not to be named, said, “We are working faster now because we want to finish the work so that the auditorium will be dedicated this year, as the church had proposed.”

It was gathered that the huge edifice being built by an Italian firm, Cappa & D’Alberto, was projected to gulp N4 billion. So far, New Telegraph on Sunday learnt that over N500 million had been added to the cost of construction to facilitate expansion even as it the project nears completion.

Conceived to have a sitting capacity of 30, 000 people, the auditorium is built like a mini stadium. It occupies 6, 200sqm plus 16, 244sqm devoted to landscaping, walkways and car parks. It was reliably gathered that the church’s administration block and a parking lot that can take

up to 160 cars are situated underground and form the structure upon which the auditorium is standing.

In the past, Deeper Life members were known for somber appearances and a subdued outlook. But it appears that the church, in a sense, is on the high way to replace all its temporary buildings with state-of-the-art edifices.

It was gathered that major construction work is going on in sites owned by the churches across the country.

A N55m state-headquarters church is under construction with a sitting capacity for 3,500 people in Ebony State. In Benue State, a 2,000-capacity headquarters church is underway. In Abuja, a N200m, 10,000-capacity state headquarters church is almost completed.

Meanwhile, work at Gbagada has halted progress at the Deeper Life Conference Centre, a 240-hectare project off the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at Olowotedo Village, Kilometre 42, in Ogun State, our

Assemblies God inaugurates new section

T

he Supervisor of Eko Area of Assemblies of God Church, Rev. Sunday Broderick, perfected the inauguration of Sangotedo section in the Lekki area of Lagos State last Sunday.

The Eko area was recently carved out of the Apapa district based on a request by members for a sectional headquarters closer to the area, to facilitate expansion within the growing Lekki area.

Though the six churches in the section are relatively

located in the remote parts of Lekki, members and their shepherd at the event expressed gratitude to God Almighty for giving them a sectional headquarters.

They appeared resolute to make something big of the area even though they are presently very few.

Performing the inauguration, Broderick thanked God for the six churches making up Sangotedo section.

He also thanked God for all their pastors and all the members of these churches.

Rev. Mike Okoroboh, Sangotedo sectional leader

The supervisor was particularly grateful that the Lord had made the inauguration “a reality, a possibility; that God had known long ago and set the day apart to dedicated and sanctified to inaugurate a new section.”

52

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Interview

Interview

‘We’re raising society changers’ Presiding Bishop of Champion Embassy Global Church and Chancellor, Champion Institute of Theology, Port Harcourt, Dr. (Prince) N. Samuel JP spoke to TAI ANYANWU on the occasion of the institute’s graduation ceremony

T

Bishop Samuel

Could you tell us a bit about Champion Theological Institute? he Champion Institute of Theology was established precisely on November 9, 2013 though the vision was conceived 10 years ago. But as it is, it came to be at the appropriate time. I believe that we are going places.

What are your plans for the institute say in the next three years?

I believe God that the institute, in the next three years, would be situated in our permanent site. We are going to separate the church from the institute, because the institute should concentrate on pure academics.

What is the scope of training that the institute offers to its students?

Here, we offer training and retraining in different fields or disciplines such as in business or other secular works. Our preoccupation is also to equip our students on leadership skills. Part of the problems we are faced with in the society is that we have so many leaders who are not trained; and they are occupying leadership positions. What do you expect from them? Total failure, of course. That is why Champion Institute of Theology is there to enshrine this vision, by inculcating in them, leadership skills so that at the end of the training every participant will have a sound mind and the right knowledge about leadership.

What can you say about your resource persons in the institute?

By the grace of God, I believe in the best. Most of our lecturers are sound men and women secularly and theologically. They are well tutored and well packaged.

We advertised for people to work with the institution and we were able to select the best. Our lecturers are people you can trust.

The institute is matriculating the first of set of students today. Could you comment on the quality of pastors that you expect to release into the society?

The institute is a spiritual and academic one and what we do is to empower them spiritually, believing God that those of them we discover have the call of God upon their lives will be ordained as pastors and those

Why some succeed, others fail

G

od has revealed His will through His word to man that we may have every necessary information that we need to be a success in life. He has equally exposed through the same word, every secret plan and strategy of the enemy to keep you and I perpetually at the bottom and defeated. The word of God, the Bible, can be likened to the plan of a building. In the plan is necessary information, which if followed by the builder will result in a very beautiful house.

However if the builder abandons the plan and continues the building all by himself, a very crooked structure will inevitably be the outcome. God Himself is the master planner of all times.

If our lives are built according to the master plan, the beauty, success and victory of God would become a way of life to us all.

Jesus Christ speaking in Matthew’s 27:21 says, “Not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but he that doeth the will

Anyanwu

(word) of my father which is in heaven.” Friends, the kingdom of Heaven represents the power, the ability and abundance and success of God - but he that doeth the will of my father. It is that total commitment to doing the will of God in the face of all odds and contrary situations that will take you to the peak of success in God that we so much desire.

Some people are completely sold out to God. They have resolved in their hearts that it is the will of God or nothing; whether it is hot or cold, dark or bright, whether under pressure from the enemy, they will stand for the will of God. This is the class of people Jesus said would enter into the kingdom of God on the face of this earth. However, in the church of God today, there are some people, who are bornagain but they praise the Lord only when the going is rosy (good). They come to church only when it is convenient to do so. They pay their tithe and give offering only when they consider it convenient to do so. And be-

cause God and His word are one, He cannot contradict Himself.

He watches over His word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12). These people are confessing and claiming yet they will never walk in the fullness of God, because their lives are contrary to the word of God. Beloved, this point is the beginning of your success or failure. If you make up your mind to serve God, under any condition, all the days of your life, you would have made a decree of success for your life. Joshua did that and God honoured him. Sometimes, it is not the easiest thing to do the will of God. When trials and temptations come, the will of God might become the most difficult thing to do; Jesus Christ agonised at the Garden of Gethsemane when His flesh had given up completely, he cried and said: “Lord, if it is possible let this cup depart from me, nevertheless, let thy will be done.” – Luke n22:42. And because of His obedience to God’s will, “God also highly exalted Him and hath given Him a name which

who are not called can become stewards in the ministry.

There is a general belief that theological institutes do not make men of God. What is your take on this?

I believe that theology is the study of divinity. A lot of people condemn theology, but if you must be a sound pastor you should have the knowledge of theology. There are many leadership schools today that train pastors in six months.

A pastor cannot be trained in six months. In Catholicism, a priest is produced after between seven and 14 years of training. In the Pentecostal world today, we also try to produce pastors that can meet up with the expectation of the society.

But if they are not well trained it will difficult for them to meet up with the standard out there.

What is society likely to benefit from your trainees?

The society should expect great benefits because we are raising men with a mandate. We are empowering them to go out there and recover what the enemy has stolen from God’s people. We are building men who will redefine the society. We are also training disciplined men.

What is your advice to those pastors that are matriculating today?

My advice to them is to stay focused to that which they have come for. I also advise them to remain disciplined. I believe that at the end of the training they will become better people in the society. They will encounter lots of challenges but they should remain focused and trust God. What has been your impact on the political terrain of Rivers State?

I am a TAPAC Bishop; and as a TAPAC Bishop I believe in orderliness. We make sure that things work accordingly.

We don’t interfere in the affairs of the government but we advise the government. We try to advise when we see things they can’t see. The Bible says we should pray for those in authority. As a bishop, my duty has been to pray for our leaders and also advise them.

How do you combine ministry and family life?

I have been able to make adequate plans that will not affect both sides. My family comes first before the church. My wife is a minister of God, even when I’m not available she covers up. She is an understanding woman, so there is no slacking, no matter how busy, we still have our meeting point.

The Seeds of by Greatness Apostle Clement by Ogbonna Bishop Lawrence Osagie apostleofgraceinwo

Tel: 08063250667, mail:powerlineministries@mail.com, www.powerlineministriesinc.org

is above every name.” Philippians 2:8-9. Daniel and three other Hebrew children were honoured and promoted because they made up their minds to do the will of God in the face of death. Daniel 3:6 If you dare to stand for the will of God in that your hot situation, surely God will honour and promote you. Do not compromise so that you can have a testimony.

Stand for the truth no matter how tight it may be with you right now, because there is a crown awaiting you if you endure till the end.

The blessings of God come only to them that walk in His will, regardless of the circumstances. God does not look or react to the circumstances of our lives; He looks and reacts to his words. In Psalm 23, the Bible

says, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.” This is a popular scripture for most children of God. But there is a condition attached to this scripture - going further the Bible says : “he maketh me to lie down in green pasture he leadeth me beside the still waters...” This verse of scriptures speaks of total surrender to the will of God – a life that is wholly yielded to God. That lying position is the place of total yieldedness to God. Until we get to that position where it is God that moves us on, we cannot receive the blessing of God. For the Bible says in Psalm 127, “Except the Lord builds a house they labour in vain that build...” When we are in his will, he assures us that “the battles are not yours, but mine.”

53

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Roving worshipper

Abeokuta agog as Catholic Diocese ordains new bishop Kunle Olayeni

A ABEOKUTA

beokuta, the Ogun State capital, was agog on Wednesday June 25 as a new bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Abeokuta was or-

dained.

The installation of Rt. Rev. Peter Kayode Odetoyinbo as the bishop was witnessed

by Catholics from all walks of life and wellwishers, who converged on the field of St. Bernadette School, Oke-Ilewo area of the capital city.

At the event Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, was represented by the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Elizabeth Sonubi; while the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; Olubara of Ibara, Oba Jacob Omolade; President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama; and Archbishop Emeritus of Ibadan, Felix Alaba Job were in attendance.

Others were the Archbishop of Lagos Diocese, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins; Most Rev. Matthew Kukah from Sokoto Diocese; Most Rev. Albert Fashina from Ijebu-Ode Diocese, and Most Rev. Martin Olorunmolu from Lokoja Diocese; among other eminent personalities.

The Episcopal ordination was colourful, with priests, deacons, seminarians, catechists and the generality of the laity singing God’s praises for making it possible for Odetoyinbo to ascend the bishopric.

The security put in place by the Nigeria Police and other security personnel did not dampen the solemnity of the ceremony as the hymns and procession went without hitches.

Odetoyinbo is the second bishop of the diocese, which was created on November 21, 1997 by the late Pope John Paul II. He

succeeded the Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, who was ordained and installed as the diocesan first bishop on January 24, 1998.

Martins was on August 4, 2012 elevated to the Archbishopric of Lagos. As a result, Very Rev. Monsignor Christopher Gbogboade Ajala became the administrator of the diocese and was in charge for almost two years.

Until his appointment and ordination, Odetoyinbo was the Parish Priest of the Church of the Ascension, Bodija, Ibadan in Oyo State. New Telegraph on Sunday gathered that no fewer than 65,000 Catholics belong to Abeokuta Diocese where the clergyman now presides.

The diocese covers the Abeokuta Province of the British colonial era, which now comprises the Egba and Yewa divisions of Ogun State; while the other division in the state is Ijebu, hence the Catholic Diocese of Ijebu-Ode. A letter from the Holy See signed by Pope Francis and confirming the choice of the new bishop was read to the gathering.

In his homily, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti, Most Rev. Felix Ajakaye, described the consecration of Odetoyinbo as the “beginning of another chapter in the history of the Catholic Diocese of Abeokuta and the continuation of the book of history of the Catholic Church.”

Ajakaye urged the new bishop to lead with justice and show love to people irrespective of their religion, ethnicity and political inclination.

He said, “To be a Catholic Church bishop is not a cup of tea. In fact, it is not an easy task. The Catholic bishop is not just for the Catholics, he is for everybody, no matter the religion, ethnicity and political inclination.

“The Bishopric is very demanding, appreciated at times, and often times, lonely and thankless. Thus, one needs prayer, perseverance and people’s supportive role to

Word of FAITH byby Apostle Clement Apostle Clement Ogbonna Ogbonna apostleofgraceinwof2010@gmail com, apostleofgraceinwo clementogbonnaya2007@yahoo.com Tel: 08036774737 .

I

t is a known fact that one of the greatest pitfalls of a man is the love of women. It is not a sin to love a woman because love is of God. However, love is of different types. We have agape love which is divine; casual love which is for ordinary friends; cupboard love which someone has for someone he wants to get something from; platonic love which has a tone of help; erotic love which exists between a boy and a girl; and sexual or lustful love which exists between a man and a woman for the purpose of having sexual intercourse constantly.

So love has different kinds and functions. And if a man loves a woman, and the love is not divine, he is bound to fail. Every other type of love is destructive and disastrous.

This is why it is clearly stated that the love of women is one of the pitfalls of a man.

Any person who wants to be successful in life should be careful about his or her relationship with the opposite sex. Every relationship you keep with any person should be clearly defined. If such a relationship does not help your life, your family, your business and your relationship with God, boycott it. Many men have been led astray because of their relationship with women.

They lost interest in their business, family, God, and their lives because of their relationship with women.

Beware of women. Some of them are satanic agents in human form. They are assigned to lay the foundation of your downfall. When they come to you, they pretend to love you, cherish you, care for you and even die for you. They also sacrifice their bodies for you and you will think that you have got them. It is not true! They are sent to destroy your life and lead you to hell.

Any man who wants to be successful in life must avoid strange women from coming close to him.

The Bible says: …that you may maintain Discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge. For the lips of an adulterous drip honey, and her speech is smoother than Oil; but in the end she is bitter as Gall, sharp as a double –edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the way of life; Her paths are crooked, but she knows it not.

(Proverbs 5:2-6).”

From the above statement, it is noted that a relationship with a strange woman is destructive. It may please you to know who a strange woman is. A strange woman is that woman that is not your wife; she is an adulterous person who goes about giv-

Archbishop Martins installating Rt.Rev. Peter K. Odetoyimbo in Abeokuta

weather the storm.”

Ajakaye said the new bishop would have to be a purposeful and genuine team player.

He urged Odetoyinbo to strive to study his environment and the people well.

He said, “In the Catholic Church, nobody takes honour upon himself or herself. It is God’s own plan and action. Therefore, our brother, Monsignor Odetoyinbo, you are to keep bearing this in mind in the administration of Abeokuta Diocese. God has appointed you as His servant to lead His people with your God-given talents and wealth of experience.

“Walk, work and pray with the people.

Christianity lived alone does not last and a

vocation lived in isolation leads to collapse.

“Here, we need to note too that the Episcopacy is never a chieftaincy title or an exclusive family title. It is divine. Indeed, if it is by human element only, many of us will not be where we are today. Nobody deserves the Bishopric. It is God who anoints and appoints whoever he wishes.”

While noting that the country was faced with a myriad of challenges, including terrorism, unemployment, religious, political, armed robbery, graft, kidnapping and a dearth of moral consciousness, the Ekiti diocesan bishop charged Christians to adhere strictly to their faith and move closer to God.

Beware of women!

ing men her body in exchange for money. Beware of her. Avoid her; and do not have anything in common to with her. Flee from her for the Bible says: For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life, keeping you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife. Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes, for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress prey upon your very life. Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? So is he sleeps with another man’s wife; No one who touches her will go unpunished.

(Proverbs 6:23-29).

Beware of strange women if you want to succeed in life. The Bible remarks that no one who touches her will go unpunished. In other words, if you are progressing today, and you still keep a strange woman in your heart and in your house, you will certainly stumble one day. Many men of God have failed in their ministries because of their relationship with strange women. Samson is a classical example of this, David was not excluded. Solomon, his son, even legalised ‘strange women relationship’. Of course, it was written on his tomb after his death, ‘A man whose heart was turned away from God by women’.

Strange women are Satan’s agents on earth. Also, many great businessmen are poor and some are dead today because of their relationship with strange women.

When I was a manager in a pharmaceutical company, a young man came to me. He said, “Sir, could you help me get employment in your company?” I asked him, “Who are you?” He told me his name and the type of business he was doing.

I was shocked. I began to interrogate him. At the end of the day, I discovered that women laeid him astray. A man who had a big drug store, a furnished house and two motorcycles could not even have money to buy clothes for himself.

Beware of strange women. Some people are rising and falling today because of their relationship with them. The Bible says that no one that touches them will go unpunished. If you do not avoid them, watch out, you will certainly fall and people will laugh at you. If you are progressing today and they still come close to you, there is every possibility that you will fail. If you want to succeed in life and do not know how to avoid them, go to God in prayers or go and get married. To marry a precious woman is better than to befriend a strange woman. The Bible says that he that finds a wife finds a good thing.

Success is for everybody but not everybody will succeed in life. The reason is not farfetched.

If you are careful with your life, you are bound to succeed but if

you live a careless life, you are not bound to succeed. If you live a careless life, go about with strange women, invite them to your house, harbour them, care for them and do everything possible to please them, you will certainly fall. If a man turns his heart away from God who gives success, from where will his help come?

Meanwhile, it is noted that some married men keep strange women in hotels and spend their money on them. Those monies are recorded against you in heaven and on earth, and you will not go unpunished unless you repent now and give your whole life to Jesus Christ. If you do not love your wife again, find out why and correct the errors immediately. If your wife’s dressing pattern does not attract you any longer that you are carried away by how other women dress, then change her dresses and you will be attracted to her. Maintain your wife, correct her and teach her all you want her to do for you to the glory of God. There is nothing in the body of strange women that is not in the body of your wife.

If you want your wife to respect you, then love her with all your heart, mind, and soul. Cherish her and correct her with love.

Buy gifts for her and write love letters to her reminding her of your unchangeable love for her.

Every woman is beautiful. The beauty of a woman can fade easily depending on the way she is being taken care of.

54

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Faith

God‘ll give Nigerians victory over terrorism – Muoka

G

Tai Anyanwu eneral Overseer of Lord’s Chosen Revival Chuch, pastor Lazarus Muoka, has urged Nigerian leaders to draw closer to God, adding that God would give the people victory over terrorism.

He made the call at a briefing with journalists before he mounted the pulpit at the just concluded two-day bi-annual international crusade of the church held in Lagos last weekend.

“Salvation shall be granted unto them and many things will be restored to them and those people that have been tormented by the devil today shall be liberated as the enemies will surely submit to the power of God. “My message to Nigeria and our nation’s leaders is to draw closer to God in righteousness and seek the face of God in all situations for the sake of the people. I believe that as we call on the Lord, He will give us victory over our enemies, the devil and especially terrorism in our nation,” he said.

Muoka affirmed that God would definitely deal with the enemies of Nigeria, pointing out that though the situation in the country today is fearful, he is sure that there will once again joy in the families and in our nation in general.

Referring to the topic of the crusade, which is themed ‘And the Enemies Submitted’, Muoka explained that God, whom he said divinely gave him the topic to preach on, had His own way of bring His words to pass.

“That is you are testimonies of incurable becomes curable; and wonders that is the finger of God. For so long, we have been calling upon God. Everyone should accept each other so that in the end, you will get your own reward,” he explained.

Muoka added that the plan of God was all should live in peace, love, joy and be in unity.

“When that happens, God will be glorified; God will help us to be humble as children of God in Jesus name,” he counselled.

Mouka receiving the message stick

The crusade attracted a large crowd of worshipers from within and outside Nigeria.

Diverse testimonies were recorded at the event, with worshippers testifying to the marvellous work of God in their various situations and sharing the love of God and rejoicing in His presence.

An Australian aborigine leader said, “There is so much love out here. This is my first time coming out of Australia. I am aboriginal, I’m indigenous; I’m a descendant of the first set of Australians and I’m part of

the aboriginal church in Australia.

“I look at the number of people here, full of love, joy and happiness, cheering and peaceful with each other. There is a lot of God’s love here to be shared with the world.

I wish that the brothers and sisters here in Nigeria will come to Australia to share His peace, His love and His Christ. I can feel this love. His spirit is moving among you. God loves each and every one of you.

“I desire that you brothers and sisters of the world starting from this country Nigeria begin to come into Australia, bringing the

world together and the world is strengthened with Jesus holding it,” he said.

At the peak of the testimonies, the Australian aborigine honoured Muoka with a traditional visa described as the message stick, to come and host a mega crusade in the city of Adelaide, Australia on October 11 and 12.

He explained that the message implies that Muoka is welcome to any part of Australia to hold crusades. The aborigine explained that the message stick had not been given to anybody in the last 22 years.

Assemblies of God leaders fault parallel caretaker panel In the last edition, New Telegraph on Sunday began a series on the raging battle within the leadership of Assemblies of God Church.

TAI ANYANWU writes on latest developments and some of the issues that plunged the church’s ruling body into the current crisis

A

t the end of its solidarity briefing with stakeholders in the western zone of the Assemblies of God Church, the acting General Superintendent, Rev. Chidi Okoroafor, and members of his Executive Council returned to Enugu, where the national headquarters of the church is located.

According to Chidi, the national leadership of the AG had scheduled a meeting in Enugu to take stock of their tour of the church’s western zone. This was a followup to the suspension and dismissal of their erstwhile General Superintendent, Rev. Paul Emeka.

There were reports that the meeting of the EC ended in violence after a rival group

disrupted the meeting.

However, one Rev Jeff, media manager to the suspended GS, told New Telegraph on Sunday that a meeting of the general assembly, the highest decision making body of the AG, would be convened last Thursday to settle the crisis.

The invitations in respect of the General Assembly meeting read thus: “All Unit Heads, Presbyters, Ministers and delegates: I wish to remind you of the forthcoming General Committee on June 26, 2014 at Evangel House, Plot R8, Ozubulu Street, Independent Layout, Enugu by 10a.m.

“AG is going to create a historical landmark in crisis resolution as we set in motion the resolution of the current crisis.

“We expect all districts to be represented.

Constitutional and pragmatic approaches will be applied to the day’s business.”

Some recipients of the invitation said they were sceptical about its authenticity. Others argued that the meeting must have been called by the suspended GS hence they questioned his right to invite members of the GC which had suspended him.

The Board of Trustees of the AG had published a disclaimer in a newspaper

declaring Rev Emeka suspended and dismissed from AG. Investigations revealed that only about 10 District Superintendents and ordinary members from Enugu and the hometown of the GS, Nsukka, attended the meeting.

Rev Ike Okoro explained that the GC was the highest decision making board in the church and that it meets twice a year. The GC, he added, “is comprised of all District Superintendents, including all retired GS, the Legal Adviser, and all the EC members.

“So how come one person just summons about nine or 10 district superintendents that are loyal to him and said he was running the General Committee with members,” Okoro asked.

He lamented that the GC, which he said was made of up of 16 members, was not an all-comers affair. His words: “When we gather you don’t bring members unless a District Superintendent has asked someone to represent him there.”

Concurring with Okoro, the Acting GS said, “The purported General Committee was not an appropriate General Commit-

tee. By the constitution of AG, he has no right to convene the GC, being a suspended and dismissed official.”

The Acting GS insisted that the best thing for Emeka to do was to return to the church.

New Telegraph on Sunday learnt that the suspended GS went ahead to dissolve the EC and appointed a caretaker committee as a parallel governing body outside the existing AG Nigeria under the leadership of Rev Okoroafor. The caretaker committee, our correspondent learnt, includes Rev. M.K. Ogunbola representing Lagos; Rev Daniel Amaugo from Umuahia District; Rev Ngene from Enugu District; and Rev Ikoni, the current General Secretary.

Sources said Ogunbola and Ikoni were not present at the meeting at the time they were appointed into the caretaker committee. When contacted, Ogunbola said he did not know what the suspended GS was talking about.

“He is a joker,” Ogunbola had said.

“If you look at the disclaimer published in The Nation newspaper by the Board of Trustees of AG Nigeria, Rev. Ikoni’s signature was there,” Okoro stated.

He also said that there was no violence as the public was led to believe about the EC meeting earlier held in Enugu.

The Acting GS said, “We did not gather at the place they thought we would meet.

We were at a different venue and there was neither fighting nor violence. That was wrong information; it didn’t happen; it was wrong.”

ADVERTISE YOUR CHURCH EVENTS, SPECIAL PROGRAMMES, CONVENTIONS AND OTHER CHURCH ACTIVITIES ON THESE PAGES. CONTACT: TAI ON 07064380029

55

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Learn the secret of prayer

S

ay it is well because the Bible says that “The thought of God for you is not the thought of evil, but the thought of peace; to give you an expected end” – Jeremiah 29:11.

Say it is well because “a thousand shall fall by thy side and ten thousand by thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee ,”- Psalm 91:7. Say it is well because the rod of the wicked shall not be allowed to rest upon the lot of the righteous, lest the righteous put forth his hand unto iniquity.” Psalm 125: 3. Say it is well, because “They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abided forever “– 125:1 Say “It is well” because the Bible says, “When the wicked even your enemies and foes, came upon you to eat up your flesh, they shall stumble and fall. No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment shall be condemned.

This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness of me says the Lord.” Isaiah 54:17. Say it is well because He has laid for you in mount Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offence and whosoever believeth

on Him shall not be ashamed – Romans 9:33. Say “it is well” for I reckon that “the suffering of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us “ Romans 8:18. “It is well” because the word of God has declared concerning your future.

“But as it written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard neither has entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” 1 Corinthuians 2:9 As you develop this positive attitude towards life’s challenges, may God give you total victory and perfect all that concerns you in the name of Jesus.

Prayer, a fundamental key prayer is communicating with God. It can be a silent communication or a loud conversation with the Almighty God. Prayer is the expression of the burdens of the heart and sincere desires of the soul to Him, who alone can do all things. There are times that prayer is a great delight. At other times it finds expression in tears, violence and aggression of the spirit. There many types of prayers namely: Prayer of petition – This type of prayer takes up a personal

POWER IN THE WORD with

Banke David

Tel: 08034156014

F

or three weeks running, we have been looking at the power and effect of choices upon an individual’s life. Since it is a fact that the choices we make determine, to a large extent, our outcomes in life, then we should make our choices only after careful deliberation and dependence on the Holy Spirit.

God created man as a free moral being with the right to choose between good and evil. The onus is therefore on us to decipher good choices from bad choices.

Deuteronomy 30:19 says: ‘I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curses, therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.’

Joshua 24:15- says ‘And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river, or the god of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

From these Scriptures, we can see that God will not impose His will upon any man. He has given us the right to choose between good and evil, curses and blessing, death and life. How then can we get to make the right choices in order to escape grave consequences

of wrong choices?

In order to make right choices in life and destiny, one must develop the practice of hearing God. Before I mention ways in which we can hear God, I would like to say that your perception of life determines your choices in life. Your outlook or the way you view life will affect the choices you make.

Before I got married, my husband-to-be then asked me what I thought life was all about. I doubt if I gave any tangible answer as I had not given it much serious thought. ‘What is life?’ he asked.

He then gave me an answer which has set a course for me. He told me that “LIFE IS PREPARATION FOR ETERNITY.” What a profound answer as I have never forgotten it since then. You see, if this view of life is your mindset, your choices in life will be to serve God, worship Him and all that you have will be viewed as a trust. You will view your gifts, talents and money as a gift from God and as such, use them judiciously, being a good steward. You will know that whatever God has entrusted into your hands will be accounted for at the end of the day.

On the other hand, if your view of life is happy-go-lucky and you just want to catch some fun, your choices will lean towards this bent and you will generally just want to do only things that will bring temporary pleasure. THE CHOICE IS

request and presents it to God. Intercessory Prayer – In this type of prayer, the intercessor stands in the gap between God and man.

Warfare Prayer – This is when prayers wear the outlook of violence, war and aggression.

Supplication – This is when a believer falls upon his face at the feet of the Almighty, pleading in a humble posture. This is more of a plea with God. The highest level of prayer is praise. This is when prayer matures to its highest form and stature. Here, prayers wear the robes of praise, thanksgiving and worship. At this point, prayers become supersonic and unstoppable. All that God is and all that God has is available to the person who learns the secret of prayers.

Some people have talked with Governors and Presidents. Before you meet with these leaders, you must book appointments with them, with months of advance notification. They occupy high and powerful positions in different areas of life. They are very busy people and because of that, their time is limited. The Almighty God is not like that.

He has made Himself available and reachable unto his people always. Thus, you can talk to

Faith

MYSTERY OF ANXIETY with

Bishop John Ogbansie gbe Tel:08033416327

God at any time, for as long as you want. When you finish talking to God, He doesn’t give you excuses why He will not do anything about your case. Rather, he will say, “I will make a way where there seems to be no way.” 1 Corinthians 10:13.

He will also tell you, “Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not, “ – Jeremiah 33: 3.

A prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian. A prayerless Christian is a weak Christian.

A prayerless Church is a weak church. A prayerless family is a divided family. We are commanded to pray in the face of any adversity, anxiety or worries. Prayer is the answer and fundamental key to open Heaven. To this end, the word of God says “pray without ceasing” – 1Thessalonnians 5:17.

The problem with our generation is not the unanswered prayers, but the unwillingness and weak-

ness to pray. No prayer can be answered, if you don’t have a personal relationship with God. In Matthew 6:5-9, our Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples how to pray and said, “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrite are; for they love to pray, standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy father which is in secret and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. But not ye therefore like unto them, for your father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him. After this manner, therefore pray ye, “Our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name....”

Choose life

YOURS! There is a need for man to return to His Creator! All our search for pleasure and contentment, the quest for the better and finer things of life will only end up in frustration without Christ! Solomon, the wealthiest king that ever lived in Bible times, said vanity upon vanity, all is vanity! In John 15: 5b, Jesus said “Without me, you can do nothing” ………You may be saying “But I am doing so much already.” Remember, all our works of righteousness are like filthy rags before Him and no matter what we achieve without Him, it is referred to as NOTHING! May our works count on the last day, May

we not labour in vain, in Jesus name, Amen.

Fish cannot live outside water, birds will not survive inside the ocean and neither can man hope to make it outside of God, his Creator. Let us return to God, while it is yet day, for the night cometh when no man will be given a second chance.

May we be able to say like Apostle Paul in 2nd Timothy 4: 7, 8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not to me only, but also to all

who have loved His appearing.”

Amen.

Like I mentioned earlier, there is a need to develop the practice of hearing God in order to make right choices. John 10:14-16 tells us that we are His sheep and we hear only His voice and not another.

How then can we decipher His voice to make right choices?

Ephesians 5:17 tells us not to be foolish or ignorant, but to understand what the will of the Lord is. There are many ways in which a believer can hear God’s voice: 1. THE INWARD WITNESS This is one of the primary ways in which God leads His

Stop Boko Haram now - Osagie Tai Anyanwu A former President of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, Bishop Lawrence Osagie, has called on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to curb the menace of Boko Haram in the country.

Speaking in an interview with New Telegraph on Sunday, he said, “My candid counsel is for the leadership and opinion leaders across the nation to take urgent steps to arrest this long standing issue that has bedevilled our nation.”

He noted that a lot of lives had been lost already, stressing that Nigeria might join the list of nations that had witnessed fast disintegration like Iraq.

“See what is happening in Iraq now. We don’t want that as a nation. We don’t want to fall into

such a trap where we see our country break into pieces when we can salvage it.

“Even if it is the question of equipping the military and making sure it is formidable enough to combat the insurgents, they should do it. This is because a nation like America in conjunction with some nations combated terrorism around the world because they know the importance of peace and safety.

“That is why they will go out of their borders to try and make sure that this doesn’t spread so that they don’t suffer losses in their country. If they could do that I think we should makes sacrifices for ourselves,” he stated.

“The nation’s military, police and the rest of them should be properly.

When money has been released, they should make sure that the money is judiciously used for whatever it has been released for.”

Bishop Osagie, also General Overseer of Powerline Church with headquarter in Lagos, advised Lagos State authorities to set up crack team of security personnel who would take up the responsibility of checking possible Boko Haram insurgency in the state.

He was reacting to hints in some quarters that the recent explosion, which claimed about four lives in Apapa area of Lagos State, might have been cause by Boko Haram suicide bomber.

“I will advice that the Lagos State government to set up a crack team that will be on top of this it should not be left in the hands of the regular police.”

“They should have a rapid response team that could deal with this situation because it could be very terrible if they have access to Lagos.

56

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Faith

THE ORACLES The testimony of a true witness OF GOD by

Frank Oboden Olomukoro frankolomukoro@yahoo.com, 07033621866

A

faithful witness will not lie; but a false witness will utter lies. Proverbs 14:5. As a follow-up to the subject, unveiling the Prophet to the Gentiles, questions and doubts will definitely pop up in the heart of some sincere readers who are hungry and thirsty for the truth. Further information on the revealing of the Gentile Prophet confirming and establishing the fact that he is the anointed servant by the evidence of scripture will enhance our understanding. Towards the intent and purpose of believing and accepting God’s programme for our age, preparatory for our redemption (Rapture), as it draws near.

The testimony of men and other servants of God who worked hand in hand with this humble servant of God will serve as a witness and vindication of the work of God in the life of this Gentile prophet. The scripture says, “At the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word will be confirmed.” Further too, a true witness will not lie. A faithful witness which Jesus Christ personified is someone who has knowledge

relevant to an event and by law who either voluntarily or under compulsion provides testimonial evidence either oral or written of what he or she knows or claims to know. On this subject concerning the works and life of William Marrion Branham, we have notable and reputable persons who are considered faithful witnesses for their involvement and work with these prophet, who is better known as a renowned evangelist of the post-World War II era. They were impacted upon by his ministry while others are witnesses by the revelation of God. Besides, there are the hearsay witnesses who through personal study and investigation as historians got their evidences.

Some of these witnesses may not even understand the call and ministry of the Prophet of God in the proportion and dimension he operated. We will, however, not consider a hearsay witness because he is one who testifies what someone else said or wrote because there are many limitations in law on hearsay evidence.

The testimonies of the Apostles of Jesus Christ are a very good

example of a true witness. In the first place, to be a true witness of Christ, one must first be empowered by God to do so by the in-filling of the Holy Ghost. Acts 1:8. It means our lives must be regenerated, it must be transformed, it must be changed to agree with the testimony of Christ as a true witness in the midst of an unregenerated people. Apostle John’s testimony in 1 John 1:1 – 5 vindicates him as a true witness whose personal encounter with Christ and Pentecost experience erases every iota of doubt about his testimonial.

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled, of the word of life. This then is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all.”

God, the object of our worship, is the same as Jesus Christ in John 1:4 – 9, as the true light that shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not.

The testimony of John the Baptist as a true witness of Christ is written in John 1:31 – 34 “And I knew him not…but he that sent me…said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is he which baptiseth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bare record that this is the son of God’.”

We see that God revealed to John how he can identify Jesus Christ.

In the same vein, the ministry of the humble servant of God, who was vindicated by God, has an array of true witnesses and of course false witnesses whose lack of understanding of his calling has spoken out of content of scripture.

The ministry of William Braham of the great healing revival of the early 1950s directly impacted on these notable Pentecostalists, renowned Evangelists and teachers of the word of faith: T.L. Osborne, Kenneth Hagin, Oral Roberts, Gordon Lindsay and others which helped Christendom to have a firm grasp of the truth regarding faith and healing.

Let us hear the comments of these men who were witnesses to Bro. Branham’s remarkable ministry.

Gordon Lindsay: “Brother Branham is a man sent by God. Never had we known of any preacher calling deaf, mute and blind people to pray for, and then to see those people delivered on the spot; a ministry that was beyond any that we had before witnessed.” Lindsay is the author of ‘He is a man sent

by God’.

Oral Roberts “A humble devout man of God.” July 1948, extract from ‘Healing Waters’.

Jack Moore: “The most gifted of all evangelists.” From ‘All things are possible’ by David

Edwin Harell Jr. Tommy Osborne: “God has chosen diverse and mysterious ways to reveal Himself to His servants especially those called for dispensational purposes as was Bro. Branham’s call.”

In short, the man we know as William Branham was sent to demonstrate God again in the flesh. So, He (God) sent forth a particular human vessel surrounded by supernatural signs to attract attention to make this wayward generation stop and look and ponder and search and think. Thus, the halo of light that appeared at his birth, the star, the angel, the discernment, these gifts all of these for that purpose. What for? “To show us God again. To repeat what he showed us in Jesus Christ when He came in the form of flesh. To remind us one final time, like Jesus, Bro. Branham re-demonstrated the very things which made men believe that the true Messiah had come.” (Extract from T.L. Osborn ministration at William Branham’s Memorial Service, 1966).

God indeed has sent us a prophet as John the Baptist to prepare us for the second coming of Jesus Christ (Rapture).

We must hear, act and recognise this God-sent prophet and the revealed messages to qualify as wise virgins.

“Let him that has an ear, hear what the spirit saith unto the churches.” Rev. 2:7.

Carry your load

“A

nd it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.” I Kings 21:2729 From the scripture, God said because Ahab had prayed and repented of his evil deeds, He would bring the evil (penalty of his punishment) in the days of his children. Children who are innocent, who were not even born at the time. Many today are suffering now for what they know nothing about. I decree that all those responsible will use their own heads to carry their load in the name of Jesus.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

Gal 6:7 The sower is always the reaper.

That yoke of late marriage that entered into your life because of an atrocity committed by your predecessors, I declare, according to the mantle placed in my hands that you are being exonerated and they will carry their load.

Destiny is war, you cannot en-

ter into it with a civilian mentality. You must enter with a military mind set. This is why God is known as JEHOVAH SABAOTH which means the God of hosts.

“And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.” Joshua 6:26 “In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.” I Kings 16:34 Humans may die but words don’t die; they are loads - prophetic loads. An innocent king saw Jericho and the state of insecurity, not knowing that there was a prophetic load thereon and began to build the fence. Just as Joshua declared it so did it happen for what he knew nothing about. I can not swallow ‘Panadol’ for another man’s headache. The most difficult yokes are the ones older than you. But I am here to announce to you that since you are neither the cause nor the one that started it, you will not suffer for it anymore.

In the account of Laban and Jacob, in Genesis 31, when Jacob left with his family, Laban

woke up and noticed that one of his ‘gods’ was missing. He then began to pursue Jacob in search of it. Unknown to all, it was Rachel, his daughter, Jacob’s wife, who stole the idol and sat on it.

Of course, she wasn’t searched as she claimed to be observing her menstrual flow (Gen 31:35).

“With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.”

Gen 31:32 In Genesis 35:16-18, when Rachael was about to deliver, she named him BENONI, trying to transfer the load/curse to the boy saying, ‘the one I gave birth to in the place of death’, the child would have died while she would have lived. But Jacob knew better; he immediately reversed it and called him Benjamin saying, “You are the one that will die for your sins, not this innocent boy. Carry your load.” Benjamin means ‘son of my right hand’ and the Bible says the right hand of God carries power. Every evil load anyone has prepared, they will carry their load in Jesus name.

Gal. 6:5, “For every man shall bear his own burden.” Therefore, you must not suffer for what you did not cause. I stand as a spiritual father and send back any load that has been prepared for you now in the name of Jesus.

All those working against you

have sacrificed and offered to their gods. For you to counter this, you also must reverse it by sacrifice, now to your greater altar. An example of this is presented in Numbers 22:1-6, 23, when Balaam, on the account of Balak, raised altars just to bring Israel down. But neither enchantment nor divination could get them because they were servicing the altar of the Most High (Exodus 10:24-26). Many were doing very well before until an evil altar was raised against them and since they weren’t servicing any altar, it became easy for the enemies who were servicing their own altar to bring them down.

Now I disconnect you from your wicked ancestor and I connect you to the Davidic ancestry in the name of Jesus.

WHAT TO DO * Give your life to Christ, make Him your friend * Barricade your head with the fire and blood of Jesus * Nothing happens on its own accord, things are provoked to happen. You must carry the Kingdom

on your head and shoulders by sacrifice and things will begin to happen on your behalf. * Foodfullness destroys fruitfulness, to continually fill your stomach is to gradually empty your future. * Locate your spiritual/destiny father; this will make your destiny journey easier.

PRAYERS * Family black book, release me. * Problem generators in my root, die. * Every embargo that is placed on my head be removed now by fire. * My head come out of every bondage * My enemies! You shall not see my tears this year; God shall arise and make me laugh aloud. * This year, I shall not struggle to be recognized. My God shall announce me for good. …in Jesus name.

I know you have been blessed.

Write and share your testimonies, comments, etc.

Femi Akinola – The Hebrews International, Lekki, Lagos.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

57

Faith

Unveiling the Dominion mystery of faith!

The Voice of by

Bishop David Oyedepo

F

Phone: 7747546-8; E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

or the past two weeks, we had been examining wonders of thanksgiving that the mystery of faith can guarantee. Today, we shall be unveiling that mystery in faith. Faith is the livewire of Christianity. Although the Bible is an open cheque book, but it takes faith to draw on it. Among other benefits, faith confers on us supernatural mastery over all life-situations and circumstances. As it is written: ‘For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith’ (1 John 5:4).

Furthermore, it is written; But without faith, it is impossible to please (move) him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrew 11:6).

We must understand that at the root of all divine interventions, rewards and blessings, is faith. Therefore, until we understand the mystery of faith, revelation will be a mere frustration because it is faith that defines everyone’s destiny. As Jesus once said, ‘… According to your faith, be it unto you’ (Matthew 9:29).

B

Also, it takes faith for our giving to command returns. According to scriptures, Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained a good report that he pleased God. But without faith, it is impossible to please (move) God. (Heb. 11:4-6) We also discover that without faith, prayer is an exercise in futility. Our prayers are answered according to our faith. In fact, everything about life in the Kingdom takes faith to actualise (Mark 11:23-24).

It is written, …If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth (Mark 9:23).

Therefore, our faith is what determines the limit of God’s help in our life. If we believe God for sound health and unrepentantly so, He will make us healthy. Likewise, if we believe in returns on our giving, we will enjoy returns (Romans 1:17; Luke 6:38).

Indeed, faith is not a principle, a philosophy or a strategy; faith is a mystery. However, to effectively engage this mystery for victory, we must have a good understanding of what this

mystery is all about (1 Timothy 3:9).

What then is Faith? * Faith is not a feeling; it is a spiritual fact: It is written: Now faith is the substance (fact) of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrew 11:1).

For instance, no one knows how to drive a car without knowing. In the same vein, no one can have faith without knowing.

Another example of note is the building of Faith Tabernacle. When God said it would be completed within one year, I knew by spiritual fact that it would be delivered. Anyone else could doubt it, but my faith was solid. I believed it and God did it against all technical facts.

This gigantic 50,000-seat sanctuary was dedicated within a year.

Faith is being persuaded of the truth, the prevailing circumstances notwithstanding, until the truth prevails: * Faith is a spiritual engraftment of humanity into divinity; thereby empowering man

Plead your case!

y now you should be able to know why you need a baby. Children are free gifts, but when there is a hitch, it becomes a special case. In the office when your case becomes a special one you will be asked to formally apply. If your name is omitted from the voucher, or if you are under-paid, you will be requested to formally apply and state your case. Now, you must have a good case backed by the scriptures to convince God because He says, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, Neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” (Matthew 7:6) If you have good case and can convince the Lord that you really need a baby, He will not only give you a baby but will grant you many children. You should be able also to convince Him that you would appreciate those children!

You see, God is a judge. In fact, He has committed all judgment to His Son Jesus Christ, who says: “For the father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the son.” (John 5:22) Anywhere there is a judge, there has to be a presentation of cases.

God, therefore, calls for cases before His court. Hence, the Bible says: “Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.” (Isaiah 43:26). How do you this? You may be in the same dilemma as Job who said: “Who is he that will plead with me?” (Job 13:19).

First of all, choose a judge. In whose court do you want to appear for your case? There are many courts - different shrines, courts

in the water, courts on the land, spiritual courts of ancestral spirits, etc. Where do you want to explain your side of the story - why your enemies, parents, friends, demons or nature refuse you to have a baby? Apostle Paul appealed his own case to Caesar. The Bible renders this thus: “Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged.. I appeal unto Caesar.” (Acts 25:10, 11) Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “Hast thou appealed unto Caesar?

Caesar shall thou go.” (Acts 25:12).

I was told by a male teacher that he went home during a midterm break and decided to fish in certain waters. As he was in the boat alone casting his net, he suddenly found himself in the water! The boat had capsized. He was in the water for three days, holding unto a corked jerry can. He floated at the mercy of the water. Neither land nor tree was in sight.

On the third day, he saw beings like sharks (mermaid) gathered together to pronounce judgment.

This was a physical experience.

Still holding onto the jerry-can in the water, he found himself before these marine beings speaking to him. They told him that for three days they had sat over his case and could not find him guilty. He was, therefore, discharged and acquitted, he was told.

Suddenly, a big fish came under him like a barge and carried him to the shore where he could be seen by passersby. He was taken home in a boat by those who found him there. That was a court in the water. Now, do you want to appear in such a court?

In another instance, I was pray-

ing in a home for a woman who was looking for a baby. That took place in her house because I learnt that she was sick. Then, as soon as my wife and I started to pray, we found that the woman was dying.

We were confused. We prayed and bound the demons (i.e. the spirits) of death for about 15 minutes.

We offered escape and reversal prayers and the woman revived, panting! We asked what happened and she narrated that, as we were praying for her, she found herself the same time in a court (shrine), where there were great grandfathers, very old people who had died (ancestral spirits). They asked her some questions and also asked her who would bail her since she was not found guilty.

She said she didn’t know anybody who could bail her. Suddenly, there was commotion there.

Chains were leaving her to bind the chief priest and the chairman of the court. Each chain that left her was on one of the persons there. This continued until all the chains left her and she fled and became conscious of herself. That was when we turned to reversal and escape prayers. You see, she was in a court of a shrine. Do you want to appear in such a court, probably where your enemy may have taken you to? (See author’s book: A handbook on Effective Deliverance (My case) for Escape and Breakthrough prayers).

A woman died and was kept for burial. She was not embalmed.

After several hours, she woke up and people ran away from her.

She was found to be sound. And no more sickness but it was discovered that one of her eyes was blind. She narrated her experi-

to command supernatural feats: That is, the engraftment of man into God, so that man can command results after the order of God. ‘Engraftment’ is taking the branch of a tree and fixing it into another, so that it can bear fruits after the new tree into which it is now grafted. If you take a mango branch and graft it into an orange tree, the branch stops bearing mango and shortly, it starts bearing orange fruits.

Each one of us belongs to a particular family tree before we were saved. But through faith, we were taken from that family tree and grafted into God’s family, so we can bear fruits after the order of God. This is why whatever is not obtainable in that new family is not permitted in our lives (Romans 11:17-21). … Therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God (Ephesians 2:19).

But, we must recognise that by faith, we are grafted into God’s family and when we step out

of faith, we are cut off (Romans 11:20). I will continue this teaching next week.

Friend, faith puts only the redeemed in a commanding position. You can become one now, by renouncing your old ways, confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner.

Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood.

Deliver me from sin and satan, to serve the Living God. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You, for saving me!

Now, I know I am born again!”

I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, the covenant home of Winners.

We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:35 a.m., 9:10 a.m. and 10.45 a.m. respectively.

I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.

WORD OF LIFE by

Bishop Moses Kat tey Tel: 08087707486, Email: moseskattey@yahoo.co.uk

ence that she was sick and could not respond to treatment. In fact, she had died and found herself in a spiritual court. There, her matter was considered, treated and judgment given. The judgment was in her favour so she was to be returned! Now, the person who took her to that place by way of sacrifice used a goat to represent her. Her enemy sent the goat to a juju priest, who slaughtered it and had it buried. In the spirit, the goat representing the woman was shared by spirits. Since the judgment was in her favour, the goat must be assembled together. All those who had portions of the goat were asked to return their share.

All but one spirit refused to return one eye. The court, therefore, pleaded with the woman to return back with just one eye! She came back to life and blind in one eye!

I know that about eight years ago after the incident, the woman was alive. I don’t know about her now.

That is a spiritual court! Would you like your case to go to the court? Can that court favour you?

Many persons have found themselves in courts in the dream while sleeping. You may not know where your case has been taken to.

Such could be a spiritual church, occult courts’ shrines, secret society court, magistrate or high court or court of appeal. It is for you to

decide and appeal your case. Remember again, that the Bible says: “For the Father judgeth no man, but has committed ALL judgment unto the son.” (John 5:22) It is only in the court of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that you can be assured of victory. Others can be bribed. If you make any other choice, you will suddenly see your enemies handling your case, even the devil. Yet, no matter what, always mediate on the Bible, which says: “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.”

“Who is he that died, yea rather, that is risen again… who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:31-34).

In fact, you can depend on the Lord Jesus Christ. He is happy when your case comes to Him because he has been looking for a way to set you free. So appeal your case to the court of our Lord Jesus Christ. For it is only in His court that you are sure of justification (no condemnation). Today, Jesus still says: “Neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more.” (John 8:11)

Football Keshi: Eagles must raise game to shock France p.59

58

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

www.newtelegraphonline.com/sport

JUNE 29, 2014

Football Suarez: I did not bite Chiellini p.62

Dapo Sotuminu, Deputy Sports Editor dapo.sotuminu@newtelegraphonline.com 08099400190, 08038154192

Sp rt

Odemwingie:

We are not scared of France

• As Enyeama, Ejide expect tough battle Emmanuel Tobi

S

Porto Alegre

Odemwingie

uper Eagles striker, Osaze Odemwingie, has expressed confidence that Nigeria could shock the Les Blues of France when both teams meet in the second round of the Brazil 2014 World Cup on Monday.

The Eagles who finished as runners-up in Group F with four points behind Argentina will play Group E champions France on Monday at the Estado National de Brasilia, but Odemwingie argued that the French team would get a handful of the African champions.

“At this knockout stage, there is no room for mistakes and the French team knows they are in for a great battle. The French players know most of us. “We are happy to have finished our first assignment well though, we could have drawn against Argentina and we are ready for the Les Blues! I know most of the players very well

when I was playing in France and now in England. So, it is going to be a great match for us and we are not settling for anything less than outright victory,” the former RSC Lille of France player enthused.

Super Eagles goalkeepers Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide maintained that the match would be a very tough battle considering the avalanche of stars at the disposal of the French team.

In the words of Enyeama who was voted the best African player as well as the second best keeper in France last season: “The Les Blues are very technical and physical but we have what it takes to stop them though it is going to be very tough.” For Austin Ejide who once featured for SC Bastia in the Ligue 2 of the French Football League, added that, the Eagles must play with caution while urging Nigerians to continue their support for the team. The Hapoel Be’er Sheva of Israel shot stopper stressed that, “We are very conscious of the fact France have many talented players and we must not allow them to dictate the pace of the game. “It would be recalled that the Eagles once shocked the Les Blues 1-0 at home in an international friendly with Austin Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, Obafemi Martins and Yakubu Aiyegbeni among others putting up a great show.

Did you know?

Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan became Africa’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup history when he equalised for his nation during their Group G match against Portugal AT Brazil 2014. Gyan’s 6th career World Cup goal puts him past Roger Milla for most W/Cup goals by an African player Super Eagle of Nigeria at the 2014 World Cup

59

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Sport

2014 FIFA World Cup Finals Update

Keshi: Eagles must raise game to shock France

Sagna: It would be a failure not to beat Nigeria

F

rance defender, Bacary Sagna, has stated that the French national team would be seen as failure if they do not defeat the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the Round of 16 at the Brazil 2014.

“They are the best African team at the moment,” the Manchester City-bound full-back said.

“They have very good players.

Some play in the biggest European clubs, especially in England.

They will fight and they have a lot of qualities. But we want to concentrate on ourselves. As players, we aspire to go as far as possible, to win trophies.

“It would be a failure not to win the trophy. Initially, we wanted to qualify from the group. Now, we want to go step by step. There are 11 players who will start, but the 23 are important. The atmosphere is very important and we try to keep this dynamic,” Sagna said.

He warned team-mates of the threat posed by the African champion ahead of their FIFA World Cup second-round clash.

The French, impressed in the group stages seeing off Group E

Sagna

rivals Honduras and Switzerland 3-0 and 5-2 respectively.

A 0-0 draw in their final match with Ecuador secured their place as group winners, setting up Monday’s last-16 tie with Nigeria in Brasilia.

Sagna, who made his first appearance of the tournament in Wednesday’s stalemate, gave notice of the problems the African outfit will pose Didier Deschamps’ men.

Sakho doubtful for Nigeria game

F

rance centre half, Mamadou Sakho, had tests on Friday to determine the extent of his left hamstring injury ahead of Monday’s World Cup match against Nigeria in the Round of 16, the team’s Media Officer said.

The Liverpool defender limped off in the second half of Wednesday’s 0-0 draw with Ecuador, the second successive

time he has come off during a game after hurting his thigh in the 5-2 win against Switzerland.

Laurent Koscielny is in line to replace Sakho and line-up alongside Raphael Varane against Nigeria if Sakho is not fully fit.

Koscielny played well against Ecuador alongside Sakho, with Varane rested for that game.

Attendance in FIFA’s Global Stadium reaches 230million

T

he Brazil 2014 Mundial is proving to be a social and mobile World Cup as millions of fans in various parts of the globe have been joined across FIFA’s official digital platforms.

A FIFA statement released from its Zurich headquarters on Friday said that attendance in the Global Stadium has reached 230 million users by the end of the group stage.

The statement noted that FIFA’s digital live and social hub could fit the equivalent of 3,078 Maracanas inside.

FIFA’s Global Stadium is the social, online and mobile hub for the World Cup matches, where fans follow the games live and engage with friends, worldwide fans, players, coaches and celebrities.

Football fans from across the globe went through the virtual turnstiles to consume more than 7.5 billion page impressions of official World Cup digital content.

“The official FIFA app recently became the biggest sports event app of all time, with a record 20 million downloads in just 26 days.

“An impressive 358 million Facebook users were reached with official FIFA social content.

“FIFA’s Twitter followers surpassed the 13.5 million mark, with an average of ten new followers per second recorded on the opening match day.

“The official FIFA World Cup Instagram app increased from 42k to 550k followers in seven days, a growth rate of over 1000 per cent,’’ the statement reads.

A

fter the first round of matches, Nigeria and Algeria are the two African countries remaining out of the five that started the competition at the Brazil 2014 World Cup. Cameroun, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire failed to make the cut. The most painful was the late penalty conceded by Cote d’Ivoire against Greece. The game was 1-1 until added time when Greece scored a penalty goal to give them a 2-1victory.

Algeria was able to hold Russia 1-1 in the last group game and the celebration after the match was as if the Desert Foxes had won the Mundial.

Algeria coach, Vahid Halilhodzic, said; “Algeria played a heroic match and our qualification is perfectly deserved. In the first half, Russia used their experience, while my players were a bit naive but overall we did well. It is good for Africa to have at least two representatives in the second round. We are proud of this achievement.”

Eagles coach Stephen Keshi was elated that Nigeria made it to the last 16 stage of the ongoing competition.

Keshi said: “It is a great feeling. We are happy we did this for the African continent. We fought so had to be good ambassadors and we are happy to be where we are in the competition.

“Africans love football and to remain in the competition is an indication that Africans still have teams to follow. I am happy for Algeria as well.”

At Brazil 2014, top teams like Spain, England, Portugal and Italy are out while middle range teams like Russia, Croatia and Japan are also out.

Holland took the world by surprise with a 5-1 whipping of Spain and that was the beginning of the surprises.

Keshi

African football administrator, Emmanuel Maradas, said, Nigeria and Algeria did well for the continent going this far in a competition full of surprises.

He said: “This event has been full of surprises and so for Nigeria and Algeria, I say congratulations and I am hopeful that one of them will make it to the last eight.

“Getting any result here in Brazil is tough and I commend the qualifiers. Cote d’Ivoire is the biggest disappointment because they did not play to their potential. They have quality players but have failed to qualify in the past three editions now.

“It is important for Africa to do well because it will impact in the future especially if there is evaluation of the slots.”

Nigeria is billed to tackle France on Monday and same day Algeria has another tough hurdle as they confront Germany.

Keshi said his boys can zoom past France if they raise their game.

“We are very determined to go far in the competition and France is beatable. My players are working hard to ensure we scale that tough hurdle. The boys can do it,” he said.

Algerian coach, Halilhodzic, said at this stage anything could happen to any team.

“We have equal chances to make it. This is a knock-out stage and we are going all out to play our game. We saw how Ghana was able to hold Germany 2-2 and that was an inspiration to us. We are not scared of Germany,” he said.

in Group F. Kunsi said: “You are Africa’s ambassadors to this competition. I have no doubts that, as the reigning African champions, you have all it takes to defeat France in Brasilia on Monday.”

Kunsi, a Financial Controller of an unnamed private company, said that he was happy that the Eagles did not disappoint him.

“Despite the intimidating Argentine supporters, who virtually occupied all available seats at the Estadio Beira-Rio, the Eagles never succumbed.

I came all the way because I wanted to cheer up Nigeria, the best team in Africa. We are African brothers and we need

each other.

“Indeed, it has to come to the stage where the artificial boundaries mean nothing. We have to support each other. I have thoroughly enjoyed myself along with my wife. You must tell the Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, to ensure a routing of France,’’ he said.

Kunsi said that he would not make it to Brasilia on Monday to watch the Eagles because of his return to Blantyre.

He, however, said that his spirit and prayers would be with the Eagles.

Although the Eagles lost to Argentina, the team went through to the Round of 16 at the expense of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran.

Malawi fan hails Eagles’ qualification for Round of 16

A

middle-aged Malawian fan of the Super Eagles has urged the team to go all out to win against France in the Round of 16.

George Kunsi made the appeal in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Friday while about to return to Malawi from Brazil.

He said that he had to travel from Blantyre, capital of Malawi, to Porto Alegre, Brazil, to support the Eagles in their match against their Argentine counterparts.

The Eagles lost 2-3 to Argentina in the match but still qualified for the Round of 16 and would be playing against France on June 30 in Brasilia.

The team drew with Iran and defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina

60

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Sport

Most disappointing XI of the group stage games Iker Casillas (Spain) It wasn’t supposed to end like this, for Casillas or Spain. But it turns out that sitting on a bench all season is not the best way to prepare for a major finals.

Casillas was, of course, not the only guilty party in Spain’s criminally weak defence of their title. But three ruthlessly-punished mistakes in two games in addition to another four goals conceded make the Real Madrid reserve an obvious scapegoat.

Casillas is still only 33 - middle-aged in goalkeeping terms - so he could yet add to his 156 caps, but only if he leaves Real Madrid for a number one role elsewhere. He’s too good to be remembered for a couple of horror shows in Rio and Salvador.

Dani Alves (Brazil) The Brazil full-back makes the XI largely because of his own high standards and the expectation around the hosts to perform.

Alves admitted his side had “not yet shown the best of ourselves” and the Barca flier is one of those who can do better. So far, his tournament is best remembered for keeping his hair stylist busy and getting stuck into Alan Shearer.

Pepe (Portugal) If the Portugal defender’s red card “wasn’t really aggression,” as he claims, then the 31-year-old is best swerved when he does actually lose it.

If indeed Pepe is “never a hot head”, as he suggested in the build up to the Ghana clash, then the centre-back must have made the conscious decision that, at 2-0 down to Germany and with Cristiano Ronaldo not fit, the 37th minute was the perfect time to stick his nut into the seated Thomas Muller’s mush.

The loss of Pepe effectively ended any remote hope of fighting back against Germany and also led to Paulo Bento having to change three of his back five for the draw with United States, who ended up pipping the Portuguese to second spot.

Philippe Senderos (Switzerland) The Aston Villa new boy came off the bench early on against France, and secured an immediate return there for the next game by having a nightmare against France, who scored five but could have rattled up many more.

After a hopeless air-kick to allow in Karim Benzema to score and generally waving France through for most of the afternoon in Salvador, Senderos found himself dropped again, with the inexperienced Fabian Schaer chosen instead for the Ecuador game. In his absence, Switzerland kept a clean sheet and qualified for the second round.

Leighton Baines (England) The Everton full-back has been a solid defender at Premier League level for a number of years, but the notion that he was better suited to the England role than 107cap Ashley Cole was questionable at best.

He and Wayne Rooney struggled badly to work together against Italy, resulting in a chastening 90 minutes for Baines, whose brief spell as England number three is likely to be brought to an abrupt end by Luke Shaw.

Paulinho (Brazil) As the more attacking of Brazil’s two central midfielders, the Tottenham man failed to impose himself on any of Brazil’s group games, completing only two passes into Cameroon territory before he was hooked

So far so good, the Brazil 2014 has already been a World Cup where big names have delivered and new heroes have emerged. On the flip side are eleven players who might not look back on Brazil 2014 with such fond memories as the tournament moves into the knock-out stage

Bosque - if he hangs arouind - is surely likely to look seriously at younger options.

Alex Song (Cameroon) The Barcelona midfielder sat at the base of the Cameroon midfield against Mexico and went 86 minutes without making a successful tackle in a 1-0 defeat.

But it was the second group match against Croatia which Song will be best remembered for. Losing a foot race as Croatia counter-attacked. Song dropped a people’s elbow down the back of Mario Mandzukic.

Cameroon brought nothing positive to the tournament, though perhaps we should be grateful they were there at all after they initially refused to fly to Brazil because of a row over bonuses. Once they were here, Song’s elbow and Benoit AssouEkotto’s strop were the Indomitable Lions’ only contributions of note.

Diego Costa (Spain) The Atletico hit-man turned his back on host nation Brazil - who badly lack a centreforward of his type - and opted to play for the world champions. Costa struggled to adapt to Spain’s style having prospered within the more direct Atletico Madrid system, while Vicente Del Bosque’s side looked to be puzzled at how they might use the big guy up front.

Alonso

Sergio Aguero (Argentina) In the Argentina’s win over Nigeria, Aguero struggled in a role which did not make the most out of his many talents. An injury which could end his tournament looks likely to save Alejandro Sabella the job of having to drop the Manchester City forward, who may have made more of an impact off the bench from here on in as Argentina look to peak in time for the tougher challenges to come.

Aguero has managed only three attempts - two of those off target - and created not one goal scoring opportunity against the sides of the quality of Iran, Bosnia and Nigeria. Hopefully his tournament is not over yet, but his is likely to be largely a watching brief.

Balotelli

Baines

Senderos

at half-time.

Fernandinho managed 10 more in his 45 minutes and capped his display with a goal, meaning the bench beckons for Paulinho.

Xabi Alonso (Spain) Like Casillas, it was almost painful to see Alonso as a shadow of his former self. The Real Madrid midfielder had the look of a punch-drunk boxer in the final 10 minutes of the first half against Chile, when this quote of his from 2012 sprung immediately to mind: “Tackling is not really a quality, it’s more something you are forced to resort to when you don’t have the ball.” Spain didn’t, and he couldn’t.

The 32-year-old has denied that he will retire from Spain duty but Vicente Del

Song

Alves

Mario Balotelli (Italy) The Italy striker’s tournament peaked in the first game when he scored the winner against England. It went downhill very fast from there on in.

The Azzurri were shut out by Costa Rica, who frustrated the forward - no hard task, admittedly - before his only contribution against Uruguay was a booking which would have ruled him out of the second round had Italy got there. They didn’t and Prandelli couldn’t hold back when speaking about Italy’s exit and his subsequent resignation: “Picking Balotelli was my mistake.”

This came after the coach reportedly substituted Balotelli at half-time after becoming frustrated with his attitude during the break. Gianluigi Buffon also spoke openly about his disappointment in Italy’s younger players, but you don’t have to read too deeply between the lines to understand who he might have been referring to: “When you’re on the field, you’ve got to deliver. It doesn’t matter what you potentially could deliver or what you might deliver in future.”

61

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014

Sport

2014 FIFA World Cup Finals Update

Africa Top 16: Offiong faces suspension for no show

F

ollowing her inability to show up for the first round match of the ongoing International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa Top 16 Cup at the weekend, the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) may suspend Edem Offiong.

Offiong, who is seeded number four in the tournament failed to show up for her first match of the preliminary round against Ghana’s Cynthia Kwabi and this resulted in a walk-over.

For this, the NTTF decided to query her for failing to report for the match.

According to the federation, this was what happened during the last World Championship in Tokyo, Japan when the female team failed to report for the group game against Portugal and this also resulted in a walk-over for the team. This prevented the team from qualifying from the group at the tournament.

The federation, however, urged other players to take cue from this especially at this time when efforts are being made to inculcate discipline in the team.

2015 AYC Qualifiers

Manu names squad for Lesotho Ifeanyi Ibeh

F

Edem Offiong

lying Eagles coach, Manu Garba, on Saturday named a 30-man squad ahead of next month’s final 2015 African Youth Championship qualifier against Lesotho.

This followed the conclusion of a twoweek rigorous screening exercise at the FIFA Goal project in Abuja.

Nigeria will host Lesotho on August 16 in the first leg with the return leg scheduled for Maseru a fortnight later, with the winner at the end of the two-legged tie advancing to the 2015 African Youth Championship taking place in Senegal.

The bulk of the squad remains the FIFA U17 World Cup-winning squad consisting of players like skipper Musa Muhammed, Kelechi Iheanacho and Dele Alampasu.

There is also a sprinkling of players from the Nigeria Premier League such as Obinna Nwobodo of Enugu Rangers and the Sunshine Stars duo of Olulayo Seun and Adeniji Tunde.

The Flying Eagles defeated Tanzania in the last round of qualifiers, winning 2-0 in Tanzania before demolishing the Ngorongoro Stars 4-1 in the return leg tie in Kaduna.

The Nigerian scorers in that May 24 tie were Alhassan Ibrahim, Musa Yahaya, Taiwo Awoniyi and Chidera Eze.

FMCG Games: Wakanow.com compensates Dufil Prima battles Nestle Nigerian fans in Brazil for finals’ ticket Cabaye wary of D overconfidence against Eagles M efending Champions, Dufil Prima Football team, is having a tough battle in their hands to stand a chance of reaching the finals and defending their football event title against Unilever in the 2014 edition of the FMCG games.

They must overcome Nestle Plc in a winner takes all encounter today at the Legacy Pitch of the National Stadium, Lagos to determine who will face Unilever team who have already booked their place in the finals.

Dufil put their title defense in jeopardy when they lost 2-1 to Unilever on Match Day 3 and it was a game that victory would have guaranteed them automatic ticket to the final. On the other hand, Nestle were 2-1 surprise winners over last year’s runnersup, PZ Cussons in a fixture Ismail Ibrahim netted twice.

As both teams prepare to do battle to determine who grabs the remaining finals’ ticket, Nestle’s midfielder Oluchukwu Mukolo who was named Man-of-the-match in their encounter with PZ Cussons said the win was a motivation going into this encounter. “The win over PZ Cussons has given us more confidence going into this encounter against Dufil Prima and we are prepared to wrestle the cup from them even before the final match”.

But Oluchukwu and his teammates will have to up their game to overcome an attack minded Dufil who failed to come to the party last week in a dismal performance against Unilever. Dufil were unable to take advantage of the sending off of Unilever’s Tunde Oladejo. But all that could change knowing that nothing but a win will guarantee them the opportunity of defending the trophy they won 12 months ago.

In the athletics events concluded last Sunday at the University of Lagos sports complex, Unilever dominated with a total of 12 medals, Nestle came second with 8 medals while PZ came third with 5 medals.

The finals will hold on July 5.

S

uper Eagles’ fans that missed midweek’s last group F cracker between Nigeria and Argentina in Porto Alegre, Brazil have been offered compensations by Wakanow.com, the official travel partner to the Nigeria Football Federation.

The company was unable to airlift many of the fans to the match venue from Sao Paulo.

Many fans that travelled to Brazil to see the Eagles’ last World Cup group encounter could not make the trip from Sao Paulo because Brazilian aviation authorities refused to allow a Boeing 767 200 plane chartered

by Wakanow.com to land in Brazil from the United States of America. The plane was slated to ferry the fans to Porto Alegre. The travel company had to resort to purchasing commercial carriage for the fans at the last minute and seats could not be gotten for a majority of the fans.

As recompense, the fans were offered an extension of their stay to enable them watch the Eagles’ second round match against France on Monday or flight tickets to a number of international destinations including London, Australia and China or monetary compensation. Many of the fans have accepted the offers of compensation. Wakanow.com’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Obinna Ekezie, who led the company’s team to Brazil, apologised for the company’s inability to move the fans

to the match venue.

Another senior official of the company disclosed that it was at the last minute that the Brazilian aviation authorities announced their refusal of landing rights to the plane chartered by Wakanow.com as the company had insisted on bringing a plane from the United States. The Brazilian aviation authorities wanted the company to use the small, propeller planes that are on offer in their country.

“This was a clear case of sabotage. We played everything by the book, but we were left disappointed” the source said.

According to the source, the NFF, which Wakanow.com paid handsomely to become its official travel partners, did not intercede on their behalf with FIFA, leaving the company to to deal directly with the world football governing body. “Even on the issue of match tickets, NFF kept telling us there were no tickets while they were selling the tickets or giving them out as gifts at match venues” the source added. Wakanow.com, he disclosed is considering legal options in their relationship with the NFF. Top officials of the company spent the better part of Wednesday meeting with Nigerian fans they brought to Brazil in hotels in Sao Paulo, offering deals to assuage their pain at having missed what was the best match the Eagles have played so far in the tournament.

idfielder Yohan Cabaye returns to the France lineup with a strong message for his teammates: don’t be overconfident.

Cabaye will face Nigeria in Monday’s Round of 16 game as France aims to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2006, the year it lost the final to Italy.

Cabaye was suspended for Wednesday’s 0-0 draw with Ecuador, and his crisp passing was sorely missed.

Since that game, defender Bacary Sagna and midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin — Cabaye’s replacement against Ecuador — confidently promoted France’s chances, with Sagna saying on Friday it would be “a failure” not to win the tournament.

Cabaye warns against bold predictions, saying “confidence shouldn’t become arrogance” and adding that “to say we’re going to win the World Cup is a lot.”

Brothers across Nigeria extends support to Charity homes in Lagos

T

he Lagos Chapter of a Non-governmental organisation named Brothers across Nigeria over the weekend organised a novelty game at the Agindingbi Secondary between Tasmania Submarine and Benija Bombers.

The novelty game which is targeted at raising money for 10 charity homes in the state was well attended by a lot of stakeholders in corporate Nigeria.

Some of the charity homes that benefited from the gesture of the Brother across Nigeria support include Little Saints Orphan-

age, Akowonja, Okobaba Destitute Home, Ebutte-Metta, Comoassionate Orphanage, Idowu, Egbe, Arrows of Destiny Ajah and Massey Children Hospital, Lagos Island.

The others are the Great Faith Orphanage Home, Bayeku, Heritage Homes For Abandoned Orphaned Children, Anthony Village, Lagos and So-Said Charity Home, Okota.

The NGO’s yearly social civic initiative also attracted a sizeable crowd which turned-up to give their supports to the needy in the country.

Coordinator of the NGO, Soji Olutufese,

revealed that the organisation is determined to raise awareness for the needy and the lessprivileged in the society.

He revealed that other arms of the organisation started impacting on the life of the under-privileged in 1972 and they have decided to emulate others in their bid to give such people a better life The coordinator also added that, Brothers across Nigeria in the UK conducts a yearly 30kilometre Marathon Race in London all in a bid to empower the needy.

62

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

JUNE 29, 2014

E-mail: ifeanyiandrewibeh@gmail.com Tel: 08085973490

WITH IFEANYI IBEH

Olu of Warri Championship

FIFA World Cup

Pros to vie for N5m prize money

T

Super Eagles players celebrating Ahmed Musa’s strike against Argentina

Why Nigeria, Algeria are in last 16 – CAF

T

he Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) believes its decision to move the timing of the Africa Cup of Nations from even to odd years is partly responsible for the qualification of two Africa teams, Nigeria and Algeria to the round of 16 at the on-going World cup in Brazil.

Brazil 2014 is the first World cup to be played after CAF took the decision in respect to concerns from fitness expert who are of the opinion that it’s hard for a player to peak twice in such a short time as the Nations cup is usually five months away from the World cup.

Also the Africa Nations Cup distract teams who used it as a yard stick to judge their handlers and sometimes fire their coaches just months before the Mundial leaving the new man in charge with little or no time to prepare his team properly.

But all of those are now in the past and CAF secretary general Hicham El Amrani is off the opinion that Nigeria and Algeria progression is down to moving

the Cup of Nations to odd years.

“Playing the Nations cup same year as the World Cup, makes it impossible for African players to have two major events to play in the space of six months,” he said.

“The fact that two teams made it through is a combination of vari-

uis Suarez denied biting Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup in evidence submitted to FIFA before his punishment was handed down.

The Uruguay striker was retrospectively suspended for nine international games and banned from all football-related activity for four months after video evidence appeared to show him sinking his teeth into the shoulder of Italy defender Chiellini during Tuesday’s Group D game in Natal.

That represented the third occasion Suarez has been reprimanded

he sum of five million naira will be up for grabs at the Olu of Warri Pro-Am Golf Championship, which runs from July 1 to 5 at the Shell Golf Club, Ogunnu, Warri, in Delta State.

Professional players, who will be vying for the N5million prize purse, will take to the Ogunnu course from July 1 to 4, while amateur and guest players will slug it out on July 5.

The championship is now in its second year and organised by the Delta State Golf Association whose chairman, Honourable Daniel Mayuku, insists is part of efforts by the association to broaden the development of the sport in the state.

“We want to make sure golfers from Warri and environs are given this platform to showcase the level of skill and talents they are endowed with” said Mayuku.

The event will also feature the full compliments of members of the Professional Golfers’ Association of Nigeria (PGA Nigeria), who will be vying for the only Order of Merit points available in the month of June at the event.

And Mayuku believes that the more national golf icons are attracted to the state, the more they

rub-off on local players whom be believes are some of the best talents currently available in the country.

“The government of Delta State has invested a lot into the game, in terms of facilities, which has opened up more sporting opportunities in the state. There are even professionals who come to the state from time to time to use our facilities to prepare for local and international events,” he said.

“Soon, I believe our youngsters will start reaping the huge benefits attached to the game.”

Order of Merit leader, Ghanaian-born Emos Korblah; Libreville Open winner, Gift Willy of Air Assault Golf Club in Port Harcourt, and Cameroon International Open champion, Oche Odoh all missed last year’s edition but will be storming the Shell Golf Club in the hope of claiming the title from reigning champion, Martin Odoh.

The Minna-based Odoh is however not going to give up his title without a fight as he is confident of repeating last year’s feat once again.

“The Ogunnu (golf course) is a welcoming course and there is nothing that should stop me from making a back to back win when the event tees-off,” said Odoh.

ous factors, one of which is Caf’s decision to change the Nations Cup from even to odd years,” He also attributed the team’s progressions to their “preparations, talent and skills” as well as the “overall progress and development of the African game”.

Netherlands not all about me – Robben

N

etherlands international Arjen Robben has insisted that he is not the only player who could make the difference for Louis van Gaal’s men, ahead of their round of 16 encounter with Mexico on Sunday.

The 30-year-old has been a key figure in his country’s impressive World Cup campaign so far, scoring three goals and setting up one more, but he has warned that their opponents cannot afford to solely focus on him.

“I don’t have the feeling that the team is dependent on me. Yes, our opponents are giving me less space than before,” the Bayern star was quoted as saying by NUsport. “But it’s perfectly fine for me if Mexico

are going to focus solely on me.

That gives other players the room to shine.”

His fine form in Brazil has won him plenty of praise in the past two weeks, yet Robben feels he’s not on top of his game just yet.

“Am I in the form of my life? I wouldn’t put it like that. I’ve gone through even better spells in the past few years.

“That’s not to say that things aren’t going well, however. Don’t get me wrong. Perhaps my good run of form gets noticed more now because I have been fully match fit for a longer period. I have the pace and power and my actions are going well.”

I didn’t bite Chiellini - Luis Suarez

L

HOLE IN ONE

for biting, the other two incidents having come at club level for Ajax and Liverpool respectively.

However, he maintained his innocence, claiming there was nothing untoward about his actions in a statement sent to FIFA. He said: “At that moment of impact, it forced me to bend my knees and lose balance and I ended up falling on the opponent (Chiellini).

I slammed my face against the player, leaving a small bruise and sharp pain in the teeth - therefore the referee stopped the game.

“That is what happened and in no case what has been described as a bite or attempting to bite happened.”

Suarez

Male event winner Tim Ayomike flanked by Barry Curran (l) and Sam Logan (r).

All winners, no losers at SPG Golf Event

I

t was a combination of captivating scenery, cosmopolitan crowds and energetic golfing activity as Le Meridien Ibom Hotel and Resort hosted the ninth edition of Le Meridien Open under the umbrella of the Starwood Hotels and Resorts Acclaimed Guest loyalty program (SPG).

The three-day event, which came to a close on June 22, brought together a mix of high profile dignitaries, from the financial sector, constructions, oil and gas, and elite SPG members, as well as golf enthusiasts.

Teams from the five Starwood Hotels in Nigeria - Sheraton Lagos Hotel, Sheraton Abuja Hotel, Le Meridien Ogeyi Place and Four Points

by Sheraton Lagos and the hosting hotel, Le Meridien Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort – took part in the tournament with Sam Logan, GM Ibom Golf Club, handing out gift bags to participating players prior to the commencement of the event.

Ayonmike Tim and Susan Cole Kotas emerged overall winners in the Men and Women’s categories, winning the top prize of a weeklong trip to Mauritius. First and second runners-up in the men’s category were Osubu Dennis and Morgan Avm, while Gina Logan and Helen Aou finished second and third in the women’s category.

Speaking at the grand reception cocktail, Le Meridien Ibom’s Starwood representative, Barry Curran, who is also the Area General Manager of Starwood Hotels in Nigeria, thanked participating teams, and also took the opportunity to appreciate some of the event’s sponsors such as Chrysler-West Star associates (Jeep), Kenya Airways and Sam Logan of the Ibom Golf Club.

Other major partners he mentioned included Julius Berger, Delta Airlines, 7Up, NigerPet, Standard Alliance Insurance, GDN & One Spirit Company, as well as Zenith Bank.

63

JUNE 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Delegates commend NFF seamless arrangements

M

embers of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, delegation to the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals have continued to heap plaudits on the NFF leadership for seamless arrangements in all areas at the championship.

The Nigeria delegation were ferried to all three group stage matches of the Super Eagles and have only good words for the Aminu Maigari administration for the huge efforts invested in making everything smooth for all persons.

The NFF delegation at the tournament has included members of the NFF Executive Committee, Management, some members of Staff, members of the NFF Congress (Chairmen of State FAs and some Secretaries), some officials of the National Sports Commission, a number of Senators and Members of the House Committee on Sports (including the chairman, Hon. Godfrey Gaiya), members of the various Leagues, a number of media representatives and other stakeholders.

There have also been former NFF boss, General Dominic Oneya (rtd), former NFF General Secretary, Mr. Fanny Amun, former WAFU President Jonathan Ogufere, former Nigeria coaches James Peters, Christian Chukwu and Shaibu Amodu, former Nigeria captains Olusegun Odegbami, Garba Lawal, Victor Ikpeba and Nwankwo Kanu, directors of some federal agencies and departments and members of NFF Sub-Committees.

“The NFF led by Alhaji Aminu

Babatunde: Eagles will do Nigeria proud

M

ichael Babatunde is confident his teammates will bring pride the nation, in spite of the injury that cut short his campaign.

The youngster was ruled out of the rest of the tournament after he was hit by a shot from Ogenyi Onazi, which resulted in a twisted his arm.

Babatunde, who earlier admitted his disappointment at missing out on the rest of the tournament, has continued to support the team to support his teammates from the sidelines.

“I will be praying for the team and I am sure they will do the nation proud in this World Cup,” the Ukraine-based player said.

“The 21-year-old arrived in Brasilia on Friday evening with the rest of the team, who have since resumed training at the Brazilian capital, in anticipation of their encounter against France on Monday.

Babatunde

Maigari has done creditably well with all these arrangements. They made everything quite easy for all members of the delegation,” remarked former Nigeria captain and Coach, Christian Chukwu.

While the team flies to match venues two days before every match on FIFA arrangements, the NFF has arranged movements for all delegation members through chartered flights to and from Curitiba, Cuiaba and Porto Alegre, with the delegation returning to base in Sao Paulo same day.

Dominic Iorfa, who was in the immediate past Board of NFF, commented: “A lot of work and diligence must have gone into moving such number of people around a big country like Brazil with so much ease and efficiency.

I commend Alhaji Maigari and his team.”

Odegbami, perhaps the best winger that Nigeria has ever produced, said: “We have to give kudos to the Maigari administration. They have handled the movement of persons with a great sense of duty and perfection.”

The Super Eagles have reached the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 for the first time in 16 years, and play 1998 champions France at that stage in Brasilia on Monday afternoon.

Yobo: Eagles ready for France challenge Adekunle Salami Brasilia

S

uper Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo, has said that Nigeria is not scared of playing France

in the second round World Cup ties scheduled to hold in Brasilia on Monday.

Yobo said the match would be an interesting one but the Eagles would be ready for the big chal-

A

lenge in the encounter.

He said: “Since the competition has reached the knock-out stage, anything can happen in any of the fixtures.”

The Norwich defender noted that: “It has been tough coming this far in the competition. We are in the last 16 and we expect that things would get even tougher.

There can’t be any easy game at this stage.

“France is a highly-rated side with many top players but we are not scared of this. We are going to approach the game like any other match to get victory. After our goalless draw against Iran, the team has improved and at this stage we are ready for France and all other teams.”

The skipper added that the team has been working hard to cope with the expected challenges in the knock-out stage.

“We do have our issue but we remain focused on the competition and we are going to do well against France to move on,” he said.

Danagogo hits Brasilia

for Nigeria versus France cracker Super Falconets captain, Patience Okaeme, left, dribbles past Ghanaian opponent during an international friendly match between Nigeria and Ghana played in Abuja in preparation for the Under-20 World Cup

Round of 16: The pressure is on France!

frican champions, Nigeria, are the apparent underdogs in Monday’s FIFA World Cup Round of 16 battle with France in Brasilia.

The Les Bleus, expectedly, finished top of their Group E with seven points, following wins over Honduras and Switzerland and a draw with Ecuador, and boast an embarrassment of talent in all departments.

Nigeria, who flew into Brazil’s administrative capital on Friday, bidding a final bye to their Team Base Camp (Vitoria Hotel Concept) in Campinas as they begin the run of ‘venue hopping’, finished second of Group F with four points after drawing with Iran, beating Bosnia-Herzegovina and a narrow defeat by Argentina.

There is only one recorded clash between Nigeria and France at senior level, and that was a mere international friendly in Paris on June 2, 2009, which the Super Eagles won by a lone goal, scored by Joseph Akpala.

On Monday, it is a new day and a different temperament when the Eagles take the pitch against the 1998 world champions at the magnificent Estadio Nacional Mane Garrincha.

The 72,000 - capacity venue is the second largest at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, coming behind the fabled Estadio Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, which can seat 79,000 spectators.

France left the last FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa in disgrace, after unexpected group stage elimination surrounded by crass player-indiscipline and subsequent sanctions on some of their

Sport / News

star performers.

Coach Didier Deschamps did much to revamp the soul and spirit of the squad and a number of young guns aim to blot that unflattering record by going all the way in South America.

Yet, even as they lost their first match of the tournament to Argentina at the imposing Estadio Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre on Wednesday, the Eagles looked to be growing in confidence and feel of the tournament, and will certainly make life difficult for the Les Bleus on Monday.

“I said before the tournament that our mentality must be strong. Our approach to every match has always been the same: to win. Whether we are playing against Spain at the FIFA Confederations Cup or playing against Liberia in a friendly match, I always tell the boys that victory is non –negotiable.

“For us, we will go into Monday’s match aiming to win. But as I also said before the competition, we take it one match at a time. We don’t even want to think of who might be lurking in the quarter finals if we win; we are not bothered. All we know is that we must win on Monday,” Coach Stephen Keshi reiterated as his team flew into Federal District on Friday.

Reward for the winner in Monday’s clash that starts at 5pm Nigeria time (1pm Rio de Janeiro) is a visit to the elegant Estadio Maracana (venue for the Final on 12th July, and which also hosted the final when Brazil lost 1-2 to Uruguay in 1950). The winner will play the victor of the tie between three –time champions Germany and African flag-bearers Algeria,

who have reached the Round of 16 for the first time ever.

Six of Nigeria’s leading names play in the English Premiership alongside nine of France’s best, making this a potentially - explosive session in all ramifications.

Nigeria captain Joseph Yobo, who will reach the historic 100thcap mark if featured against the French, features for Norwich City, with Osaze Odemwingie (Stoke City), John Mikel Obi and Kenneth Omeruo (Chelsea), Victor Moses (Liverpool) and Shola Ameobi (Newcastle) also involved.

They are quite familiar with Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Mathieu Debuchy, Loic Remy, Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle), Laurent Koscielny, Bacary Sagna, Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) and Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool).

Debuchy, Remy and Sissoko are Ameobi’s team mates at Newcastle while Moses and Liverpool mate Mamadou Sakho will embrace before hostilities commence.

Adekunle Salami Brasilia

T

he Minister of Sports, Tammy Danagogo, is expected to arrive Brasilia today to further boost the morale of the Super Eagles ahead of the second round clash against France on Monday.

The Press Secretary to Minister, Taye Akinyemi, told our correspondent that Danagogo would move straight from Abuja to Brasilia in a Presidential jet.

He would be arriving Brazil with some other top government functionaries to cheer the Eagles to victory.

Akinyemi said: “While in Nigeria, the minister was in touch with the team. He called the camp to douse tension on the money row and he is expected to speak directly with the players and officials before the match.

“Government has intervened to solve the rift in camp and we expect to see our boys in high spirits when they play against France on Monday.”

Danagogo was at the stadium in Curitiba when Nigeria and Iran played a goalless draw. He has also expressed optimism on the chances of the team going all the way into the final stages of the ongoing global soccer showcase.

Nigeria finished second place behind Argentina in the preliminaries to qualify for the second round, while France emerged number one in their group.

FIFA World Cup Group Stages break new ground in TV viewing

T

he group stages of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil reached record numbers of viewers across the world, with a breakthrough performance in the United States and more impressive progress in Europe, Asia and the rest of the Americas.

All eight World Cup groups set viewing highs for at least one territory, underlining the breadth of football’s popularity across the world.

The blockbuster figures support

FIFA’s expectation of an increase in the global TV audience compared to the 3.2 billion reach of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

Director of FIFA TV Niclas Ericson said: “We believe the overall audience figures from the 2014 FIFA World Cup will show again that the World Cup is the most popular single-sporting event on the planet and that football is the world’s number one sport.”

SPORT Odemwingie: We are not scared of France

}58

Faith

w w w. new tel eg rap ho nl i ne. co m

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth. – Buddha

VOL. 1 NO. 131

SUNDAY, jUNE 29, 2014

N150

Behold, the new Deeper Life auditorium

}51

…That politicians don’t set Taraba ablaze

I

went back home to Taraba State last week and the music there was not pleasant to my ears. The state is literally perched on a keg of gunpowder. Already Wukari, its second biggest town and home to the Aku Uka (King of the Jukun), Chairman of Taraba State Traditional Council and capital of what the British colonial masters called ‘Wukari Federation’, was on fire. Until I left late last week, a 24-hour curfew was slammed on the town.

Wukari is not new to low grade civil wars. The British were very careful in their choice of words when they named it a ‘federation’. It is perhaps the most cosmopolitan community in Taraba and I dare say Nigeria. Many ethnic groups lay claim to it. The conflicting claims often lead to serious squabbles and then outright bloodletting. The most serious and most recent one that hit national and international headlines was the Jukun /Tiv crisis which spilled over to Benue State in 2001 and culminated in the horrors at Zaki Biam.

When Taraba State and the Nigerian nation treat serious communal discord in Wukari with casual indifference, they do so at our own peril. The journey to our perilous times started when Gongola was created and the ‘federation’ was yanked away from Benue Province to join Adamawa, Muri and Sardauna to form the new state. This necessitated the creation of additional Local Governments in the state like Takum, which emerged out of the ‘federation’. This was where the first outburst of ethnic intolerance started.

We had a family friend called Mr. Binga, a British-trained forest conservator who was not only a perfect gentleman but a muscular Christian. He was a big uncle in our house as he often came to pick my old man in his car – a rare possession for a black man in those days – to go into the bush evangelizing the rural areas of Southern Taraba. By 1976, after the creation of Takum Local Council, he was sent there as an administrator. One fateful day, a mob descended on him and literally gave him the beating of his life. The hooligans pulled him out of his chair and did not stop pounding him until he was given up for dead.

Mr. Binga never recovered from that attack. He remained a vegetable until he died. And until my old man himself later died, he never stopped complaining of the grave injustice done to his Christian brother. Like Gongola, the creation of Taraba State in 1991 was done in a pool of blood. At the time of its creation, the Tiv and the Jukun in Wukari were engaged in a fierce tribal war in which thousands of citizens, most notably Hon Kasuwa Agbu, the only female member of the state’s House of Assembly was killed. Since then, many ethnic wars have been fought in Taraba; the Jukun have fought the Kuteb, the Kuteb have slugged it out with the Chamba; the Fulani have fought the Mumuye. These ethnic rivalries are largely responsible for the failure of the government to appoint an Ukwe Takum – the King of Takum - since the last one died about 16 years ago.

The good thing about the wars – if there was any good thing out of wars –

is that they were fought within a limited scope because they were ethnic in nature. Secondly, almost all the combatants (except the Fulanis) were minority ethnic men and mostly Christians by faith.

These were not wars fought by minority against majority, Christians against Muslims – the traditional national crack lines in Nigeria. So ‘the bush tribes’ were allowed to kill themselves to their taste while Nigeria moved on.

The Jukun/ Tiv war of 2001 caught national and international attention because the Tiv believed that Gen T Y Danjuma, then a Minister of Defence was using his office to lend military support to the Jukun, his tribesmen. When Tiv militants outwitted and arrested 19 Nigerian soldiers who were sent for peace keeping but were fighting side by side with the Jukun, they were simply butchered alive with photographers recording the horrible crime at a market square in Zaki Biam.

In a swift and frightening reaction, President Obasanjo sent a military contingent there with armoured tanks, backed up by helicopter gun boats that simply mowed down hundreds if not thousands of unarmed Tiv ethnic men in a whole Senatorial zone of Benue State.

At Gbeji, a border village between Benue and Taraba, hundreds of unsuspecting Tiv local folks were gathered by the soldiers, presumably for a peace meeting with the Jukun. Then suddenly a whistle was blown and the soldiers opened automatic fire at the unarmed villagers killing hundreds at once. Those who did not die immediately were drenched in petrol and then incarnated alive. It was this mindless demonstration of brute force and bestiality by the Nigerian army that sparked off international furor.

Today, Taraba has found the right wars that attract immediate attention - religious wars. It all started on 25th

MAMA LASISI

Suntai

October 2012, when Mr. Danbaba Suntai, the elected governor of the State piloted a Cessna 208, 5N – BMJ, to a near fatal crash around the Nigerian Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depot on the outskirts of Yola, Adamawa State.

The governor, his aide-de-camp and chief security officer, who were also in the plane that took off from Jalingo were seriously injured. The news that first trickled into Jalingo town was that the man had died. There were some reports that some Muslims jubilated openly over his death while the Christians mourned.

Mercifully, the governor did not die.

His aides have recovered remarkably but Governor Suntai remains a very sick man. His ill health has further aggravated the splinter of his state along reli-

gious lines, a process that started gathering serious steam on the day he crashed his plane. Muslims and Christians are now at each other’s throat as to which religious faith should produce the chief executive of the state. Muslims believe this is their turn while Christians hold the opinion that Taraba as a Christiandominated state should not be ruled by a Muslim.

Already, four religious riots have broken out since Umar Garba took over as Acting Governor – one in Ibi and three in Wukari. As I write, there is a 24-hour curfew in Wukari. The current crisis is very severe with an unspecified number of people killed. Many inhabitants have fled to neighbouring towns like Kyado and Zaki Biam in Benue State. Wukari itself kept burning for over one week until there is nothing more to burn today.

The role of the political elite from the area in the ongoing mass killings in Taraba is despicable, to say the least. Rather than calming down frayed nerves, they are busy stoking up flames. For instance, a few weeks before the explosion in Wukari, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, who represents the zone at the Upper Legislative Chamber, issued a highly inflammatory statement accusing Garba Umar, the acting governor, of religious bigotry.

A careful reading of the Senator’s tirade however shows that there is no substance to it. It is sad that a Senator, who had earlier served as a member of House of Representatives found nothing wrong in fanning the ambers of religious hatred in the precarious situation Taraba has found itself in today. It looks like the Senator who has an unhidden ambition to be the next Governor of Taraba is hell bent on realizing the ambition even if he sets Taraba ablaze in the process.

Such an act will have dire consequences on our national security network. Taraba has its peculiar nature, which can pose serious security challenges to Nigeria.

It has a difficult terrain – with more rivers and hills than any other state in Nigeria. It has thick natural forests, many times the size of the dreaded Sambissa in Borno. It also has a long unmanned border with Cameroon. It, therefore, has all the attractions for Boko Haram and once entrenched there, they can strike the South/South and the South/East zones easily through the Republic of Cameroon.

Is there any need again to call the attention of security agents and the governments to the dangerous trends in Taraba?

Printed and Published by Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Ltd: Head Office: No. 1A, Ajumobi Street, Off ACME Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja-Lagos.

Tel: +234 1-2219496, 2219498. Abuja Office: Orji Kalu House, Plot 322, by Banex Junction, Mabushi, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Advert Hotline: 01-8541248, Email: info@newtelegraphonline.com Website: www.newtelegraphonline.com ISSN 2354-4317 Editor: EMEKA MADUNAGU. All correspondence to PMB 10000, Ikeja, Lagos.

By Aliu Eroje