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Sanctity of Truth Sunday, June 1, 2014 Vol. 1 No. 103

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Abeokuta

or the first time, former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday said the acclaimed winner of the

ON SUNDAY

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MKO Abiola sacrificed for Nigeria –Obasanjo Kunle Olayeni

Sanctity of Truth

June 12,1993 presidential election, late Chief MKO Abiola, sacrificed a lot for the development of Nigeria.

Obasanjo spoke at the 85th birthday of a foremost philanthropist and

industrialist, Chief Olatunde Abudu, held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

The former president’s commetns marked the first time he would eulogise the late Abiola, since

the latter won the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

Obasanjo had in the events that followed the annulment of the election by former President Ibrahim Babangida said Abiola was not the mes-

Page 15, JUNE 01, 2014

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Grecian dresses: The goddess look

We were friends before we fell in love

-The Adenugas

siah Nigerians desired.

Throughout his eight years in office, Obasanjo also ignored calls to immortalise Abiola.

Yesterday’s event also coincided with the CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

I take my wife on a date every weekend -Bishop Ogbansiegbe

insecurity

Jonathan invites Senegalese spiritualists to Aso Rock lPresident rules out amnesty for Boko Haram lAU plans new strategy to free Chibok schoolgirls lAPC accuses Jonathan of ignoring advice on insurgency

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Anule Emmanuel

group of Senegalese spiritualists yesterday visited the Presidential Villa to pray for President

Goodluck Jonathan and Nigeria over the spate of Boko Haram attacks in the country.

The 10 clerics were led by Khalifah Sheikh Ahmad Tijani Inyass, the grandson of

the founder of the Tijjaniya sect, the late Shehu Tijani Ibrahim Inyass.

They were at the State House on the invitation of the President.

The spiritualists met with

the President in for about an hour at the First Lady’s Conference Room where they offered prayers for divine intervention in the situation in the country.

Their visit rekindled mem-

business

ories of the days of former head of state, the late gen. sani Abacha, who reportedly enlisted the help of foreign marabouts to pray for him CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Our merger with IBTC’s yielding result - Standard Bank Boss }39

NEWS

Wike dares Amaechi: Run for Senate in 2015 }3

business

President Goodluck Jonathan (third left); Leader of the delegation of Islamic spiritualists from Senegal, Khalif Sheikh Ahmad Tijjani; Vice President Namadi Sambo; and members of the Senegalese group, during a visit to the President at State House, Abuja…yesterday.

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN.

Group to FG: Give Ndigbo Biafra or risk militant attacks }3&14

Why Blackouts persist in Nigeria - AFC CEo

}39

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JUNE 1, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

News

Insurgency: Jonathan ignored our advice –APC

lAU in fresh effort to rescue abducted Chibok girls

T

Nurudeen Yekeen

he All Progressives Congress has accussed President Goodluck Jonathan of ignoring advice given to him by the party on how to end the Boko Haram insurgency.

The party lamented that several pieces of advice offered to Jonathan on ending the state of insecurity in the North were swept aside.

APC Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, told our correspondent in an interview in Abuja that the political party had offered sugges-

tions to the President on how to tackle Boko Haram insurgency in the North but the President refused to heed to their counsels.

In the first instance, he noted that the party urged the President to develop a counter-insurgency programme, which the country does not have at the moment, but the President refused.

Instead, Jonathan started responding to the activities of Boko Haram in a chaotic and ad hoc manner.

Mohammed said in the second case, the party advised Jonathan to include an economic strategy in his tactics to conquer the insurgency

as the government can never conquer Boko Haram using military might alone but a mixture of carrot and stick diplomacy.

“Fortunately, the same suggestions we made to him are what Americans, the British and Canadians are making today. Empowering the masses and Boko Haram members, by improving their economy, would further reduce recruitment of more unsuspected terrorists into the sect. It’s true that some religious bigots are using religion as a cover but the fact remains that they are able to recruit people because of hardship, unemployment

Jonathan invites Senegalese spiritualists CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

and his regime.

A former governor of Zamfara State, Sani Yerima, had in July 2013 visited the President in company with some Islamic marabouts, where Jonathan reportedly enlisted their support for his second term ambition.

Present at yesterday’s meeting were Sambo; Chief of Staff to the President, Brig-Gen. Jones Arogbofa (retd); Head of Service, Bukar Goni Aji; the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed; Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke; Minister of State for Health, Khaliru Alhassan; the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Zainab Maina; and Minister of State for Agriculture, Asmau Mohammed.

The spokesman for the delegation, Ahmed Tijani Sanni Alwalu, told State House correspondents that the spiritualists were in Nigeria to attend the Maulud celebration of Ibrahim Inyass Gombe but were invited to the Presidential Villa by President Jonathan for ‘spiritual support’.

He said, “It is a historic visit because it was done by his father with the then President, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, and Gen. Aguiyi Ironsi, so history is repeating itself. We came for the Maulud of Ibrahim Inyass Gombe and on our way home, the President requested for a courtesy visit and our Sheik granted it.

“We must come together, all Muslims and non- Muslims, to achieve peaceful co- existence. We must pray so that we can all fight this insecurity in this country. The main purpose of coming here is part of the prayers for peace in this country.”

Also on the delegation were Sheikh Muhammadul Makky Inyass, Sheikh Mansur Inyass, Sheikh Ahmad Tijjani Inyass, Sheikl Bashir Inyass, Inyass Mustapha Inyass, Abdullahi Muhammad Maigemu, Sheikh Ibrahim Dahiru Bauchi, Aliyu Ibrahim and Khalifah Shehu Nasiru Hamisu.

Also yesterday, President Jonathan met with the Malian President Muhammadou Keita at the Presidential Villa.

The two leaders met to review the security situation in Mali and Nigeria, with a view to collaborating to end the insurgency.

“I have come to meet my brother, on the issue of insecurity to see what we can do; that’s why I’m here this morning. I came to meet my brother. I’m grateful to him and the Nigerian people for their warm reception since I came into Abuja. Good luck to Nigerians,” the Malian President told State House correspondents after a short meeting with Jonathan.

Jonathan also expressed sadness over Friday’s killing of the Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Idrissa Shehu Timta in Borno State by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect.

The President in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, extended condolences to the government and people of Borno State as well as Northern traditional rulers on the demise of the first-class emir.

He said he believed that the attack on the monarch and two of his colleagues on their way to attend the burial of the emir of Gombe reinforced the vital need for all patriotic Nigerians, irrespective of their state of origin, religion or political loyalties, to come together and work with urgency to quickly end the Boko Haram sect’s attacks.

Jonathan reassured the nation that Nigeria’s Armed Forces and security agencies would continue to receive all the empowerment and support they require from the Federal Government to enable them to stop the terrorists.

He prayed that Almighty Allah would receive the soul of the slain Emir and grant his family and subjects the equanimity to bear his loss.

The Presidency yesterday came out to clear the air on news making the rounds that President Jonathan may have

granted amnesty to Boko Haram members.

Minister of Youth Development, Boni Haruna, in a speech he delivered at an event, ‘A day with young leaders of Nigeria’ to mark this year’s Democracy Day, announced that President Jonathan had offered amnesty for the sect as a step to end the spate of insurgency in North Eastern Nigeria.

The minister’s comment was in contrast with an earlier declaration by the President in his Democracy Day broadcast that he had ordered a fullscale war against the sect.

In an interview with State House correspondents yesterday, however, Abati said the President never mentioned the word ‘amnesty’ in his address to the nation.

He said, “Well, I think I will refer you to the speech by the President. If you read it line by line, you will see that it contains the very message that the President wants to put across.

“And in that speech, if you look at it, I don’t think the President used the word ‘amnesty’.

“The President spoke about those who are willing to denounce terrorism; those who are ready to embrace peace, opportunities have been created for them through the presidential fact finding committee on dialogue and peace resolution of conflicts in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria.

So, I will refer you basically to the speech by the President.”

Abati’s comments were at variance with unconfirmed reports that some Boko Haram commanders had contacted the Presidency to express their willingness to surrender their weapons.

An online portal, News Express, quoted an unnamed State House source as saying that the breakthrough was achieved by a secret government committee headed by the Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki.

Attempts to confirm the development from Abati failed as he did not respond to calls to his mobile phones.

and hopelessness in the country,” said Mohammed.

On another account, he stressed, APC also advised government to de-radicalise the region and erase their negative impression about his administration in the minds of Northerners. Unfortunately, he noted, this belief system seemed to justify their unwholesome pursuit to overthrow the Jonathan’s government and install an Islamic government to make their lives better.

“As a matter of fact, for them, killing in the name of Islam is justifiable. That’s why they were able to track some impressionable minds and recruited them. But if government goes out to preach oneness, prosperity and tells the people that there is hope for them in the midst of lack, they would be discouraged from being recruited by terrorist groups,” he said.

Mohammed said the Nigerian military must be properly equipped and motivated as a way of achieving the goal of disarming and reabsorbing members of the terrorist group into the society. To him, this is APC’s position on the matter, at least, after Borno State, Governor, Kashim Shetima once said so.

“We also advised the government that a million soldiers without good intel-

ligence gathering cannot win the war. But you can’t have good intelligence architecture, when you antagonise the local people. It’s the local people that will give information about Boko Haram and how to get them. These people would not go to soldiers or police; they would rather go to their village heads, elected officials or their governors. Instead of looking at these frontline governors as partners in the war against terrorism, they are branded adversaries,” he lamented.

He said the Presidency had all along behaved as if the insurgency was a fluke until recent events forced it to have a rethink.

Meanwhile, the African Union has announced plans to engage the Federal Government and other stakeholders in a fresh move to rescue the more than 200 girls abducted by insurgents in Chibok, Borno State on April 14..

AU Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security, Mrs. Benita Diop, who stated this at the end of the Conference of Ministers of Social Development in Addis Ababa yesterday, said she would lead a delegation to Abuja tomorrow to intimate the Federal Government with the “new approach.”

The envoy, who addressed the meeting on AU’s effort to secure the release of the girls, said the continental body

would continue to evolve mechanisms to protect the girl-child through robust policies on education, among others.

The AU ministers, met under the auspices of the Fourth Conference on Social Development to review efforts toward ending child marriage in Africa.

The African Union Commission had announced that 39,000 underage girls were sent out for marriage daily in Africa and urged for more efforts to tackle the practice and allow such girls to face their future through adequate education.

The AU had during the justconcluded meeting launched a campaign tagged ‘End Child Marriage Now’ where it called for urgent measures to tackle the cultural practice.

The campaign will be carried out in 10 selected countries of the continent, where the culture of child marriage is highly practised.

The continental body listed Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Sierra Leone and Zambia among the first set of countries where the campaign would hold.

The campaign is being supported by AU partners, including UNICEF, UNFPA, UNECA, Plan International, the Canadian Government, Save the Children, Africa Child Policy Forum (ACPF) and DFID.

2015: 500 POLITICIANS TO WATCH

Tinubu, Fashola, George, Obanikoro battle for the soul of Lagos One of the battlegrounds for the 2015 elections is Lagos State. The elections will witness major electoral battles between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

How will the ruling party, the APC, under the leadership of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu handle the choice of who flies the party’s flag at the election, given the number of aspirants and their pedigrees?

Who will finally get the ticket? Will Governor Babatunde Fashola be given opportunity to produce his successor?

Given how long the PDP has struggled to snatch the governorship, what new strategy will the party adopt to ensure victory in 2015?

Will the PDP succeed this time around in defeating the APC, or will the APC once again hand them defeat?

Who are the gladiators angling to take over the Government House?

Grab a copy of New Telegraph tomorrow for an incisive focus on those who will determine the politics of the Centre of Excellence in 2015.

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

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 1, 2014

News

Group to FG: Give Ndigbo Biafra or risk militant attacks Leo Sobechi

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Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji (left), receiving an award as ‘The Most Distinguished Alumnus’ of Sancta Crux Secondary School, Olokoro Umuahia, Abia State from the National President, Old Boys Association, Hon. Justice Okey Nwamuoh, during a reception organised in honour of the governor by the old boys of the school, in Umuahia…on Friday

Wike dares Amaechi: Run for Senate in 2015 Joe Ezuma

S

Port Harcourt

upervising Minister For Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, yesterday challenged Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, to vie for the Rivers East senatorial seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in the 2015 elections to test his perceived popularity in the state.

Wike spoke at the ObirheEhie, Apara Kingdom Secretariat Complex, in Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area, while addressing paramount rulers, elders, chiefs, men and women of Ikwerre ethnic nationality.

He stated that he would ‘forgive’ Amaechi if he vies for the seat on the platform of the APC in 2015.

“The only thing Governor Amaechi can do for me to forgive him is to contest for the Rivers East Senatorial District election in 2015.

He will be hiding behind someone if he contests for the vice-presidency. If Amaechi runs in the Rivers East Senatorial District election, I will forgive him.

Please tell him, if Governor Amaechi can summon the courage to contest for the Rivers East Senatorial District election, I will definitely forgive him. But he will fail woefully in the four Ikwerre local governments.

“Governor Amaechi will fail woefully in 2015. Some people are deceiving him.

The earlier Amaechi realises that, the better for him.

We are waiting for Governor Amaechi and the APC at the polls in 2015. The

reason Amaechi defected to the APC was for him to be in control of the party’s structure. Now that he is in charge of the structure of the APC, let him summon the courage to contest for the Rivers East Senate seat.

We are ready and waiting for him,” he declared.

Wike boasted that Amaechi would have no hand in deciding who becomes the president of Nigeria or governor of Rivers State in 2015, adding, “The people of Rivers State will vote for President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term rather than vote for a vicepresident from the South South which Governor Amaechi is interested in.”

Reacting to Amaechi’s allegation that he (Wike) swore with the names of his children not to betray him if he was recommended for a ministerial position, the minister challenged the governor to reveal the details of such an oath.

“Everybody k nows Amaechi went to Ghana while we were in court battling to retrieve his 2007 governorship mandate. Please ask Governor Amaechi what oath I took in 2007 to work for the restoration of his mandate from the high court to the Supreme Court where he eventually won. Ask him to tell you what I used in taking the oath and where I took the oath.

“Governor Amaechi is confused. Everybody has betrayed Amaechi. Even God has betrayed Amaechi. Ikwerre paramount rulers have betrayed Amaechi; Ikwerre chiefs

have betrayed Amaechi; lawmakers have betrayed Amaechi. Civil servants have betrayed Amaechi; politicians have betrayed Amaechi. So, why is everybody betraying Amaechi and he, Amaechi, is not betraying anybody? What, indeed, is Governor Amaechi’s problem?

“Governor Amaechi says I’m too small for him and as such he will not talk about me; but everyday he is talking about me. He can’t stop talking about me; he will continue to talk about me because I will not allow him to sleep until he leaves President Jonathan alone to perform his official functions in peace.

“Amaechi says I’m a tout and so I’m not qualified to be a minister. He appointed a tout as his chief of staff in 2007; he appointed a tout as his campaign director in 2011 and he won; he recommended a tout to the President as a ministerial nominee; so, who, indeed, is the bigger tout?”

“Do you know why Governor Amaechi is accusing everybody of betraying him? Amaechi is accusing everybody of betraying him because all those who worked for him to become governor in 2007 and 2011 have all left him. Now, Governor Amaechi is empty politically. So, where are his new friends? Why can’t they help him the way we assisted him in the past?

“Amaechi said two days ago that the president of Nigeria can come from anywhere: Southern Delta or Lower Delta. When it comes to the governorship of Rivers State, an Ikwerre

man should not be governor. Governor Amaechi is an APC politician so he has nothing to say on who becomes the candidate of the PDP in the 2015 governorship election.

“Let him preoccupy himself with the problems in the APC. Our duty now is to mobilise for President Jonathan’s second term.

When the time comes for the PDP to pick a candidate for the 2011 governorship election, we know what to do. We know what to say.

We, the Ikwerre people will tackle it,” he noted.

In a communiqué read at the end of the meeting, the Ikwerre Ethnic Nationalities applauded Jonathan’s transformation agenda and also endorsed him for a second term.

The group also endorsed Wike as the choice of the Ikwerre for the 2015 governorship election.

Among indigenes of Ikwerre extraction at the occasion were Chief Sergeant Awuse, a former governorship candidate and delegate at the ongoing national conference; a former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Austin Opara; members of the House of Representatives, Ken Chikere and Kingley Chinda; and a former resident electoral commissioner, Mrs. Eunice Igwe.

Attempts to obtain comments from Amaechi’s aides failed as neither the Commissioner for Information, Ibim Semenitari, nor Chief Press Secretary, David Iyofor, responded to calls to their mobile phones.

new group, the Indigenous People of Biafra, has vowed to commence a wave of violent attacks to force the Federal Government to accede to the agitation for a separate state of Biafra.

Beginning from May 30, 2014, the Indigenous People of Biafra said it would commence what “a new wave of freedom fighting to carve a separate state of Biafra from the present Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Leader of the movement and Executive Director of Radio Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, dropped the hint on Friday, during the May 30 memorial of Biafra’s fallen heroes held at Hill-Top Ngwo in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Kanu said the implication of the group’s new campaign was that “we have honoured our dead. Today, we remembered those that fought and died for us.

He stressed that the group would ensure that Ndigbo conduct “proper freedom fighting; we do Biafra freedom fighting the way freedom fighting should be done.”

He explained that though the agitation would begin peacefully, it would entail the taking up of arms since “there cannot be real freedom fighting and drinking a cup of tea.”

He explained, “We come in peace but we bring hell

with us. If there is no Biafra this place (Nigeria) will be completely destroyed; everything will die here or they give us Biafra. So there is and will be no compromise; we don’t retreat and we don’t surrender. We have come here to fight for our country or we die fighting for our freedom.”

Kanu regretted the nonpayment of benefits due to Biafran soldiers, describing it as “a continuation of the same injustice that led us to try to extricate ourselves from this Lugard creation called the Zoological republic of Nigeria.”

His words: “That is why it is very disheartening that you see old men every blessed month crying and wishing that their money will come to them and nothing happens. The Yorubas have been paid, the Hausa-Fulani have been paid; then those of them belonging to Biafra have not been paid. It is an injustice that must be addressed and it is part of the reason why we are doing what we are doing because in the new Biafra we would not have this level of injustice.”

Kanu stressed that it was in reaction to the monumental and serial acts of injustice against the ‘Indigenous People of Biafra’ that the movement had awakened to fight for freedom, adding, “Nigeria has no choice because Biafra will come on or before September 30, 2015!”

•See interview on Page 14.

MKO Abiola sacrificed for Nigeria –Obasanjo CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Fourth Founder’s Day celebration of the Nobel House College, Abeokuta founded by Abudu.

In attendance were Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun; Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Chief Lekan Alli; a former Head of the Interim National Goverment, Chief Ernest Shonekan; former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola (SAN); Alake of Egbaland and Paramount Ruler, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; and Osile of Oke-Ona, Egba, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, among other dignitaries.

Speaking as the eminent guest of honour, Obasanjo acknowledged the contribution of Abiola to the development of the country in all areas of human endeavour.

The former president made his remark against the backdrop of Oba Gbadebo’s comment that

Ogun State and indeed Egbaland would have produced three presidents if not for “bad belle (envy).”

Obasanjo fired back: “Yes I agree, if not for bad belle, Abeokuta would have produced three presidents. They did not allow him. He deserved to be honoured because he sacrificed for Nigeria,” Obasanjo added.

He called on government at all levels to give education its pride of place in the country.

Obasanjo also extolled the virtues of the host, describing him a “rare specimen of a human being.”

He said Abudu had contributed immensely to the development of Ogun State with the establishment of the college.

In his remarks, Amosun said it was imperative for all stakeholders to invest in the education sector.

The governor stated that his administration would always create the enabling environment for the growth of education.

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Moments

JUNE 01, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

L-R: Managing Director, Nkem Gallery, Mr. Frank Okonta; Mr. Innocent Chukwuma of West Africa Ford Foundation, and Public Relations Manager, NIPOST, Mr. Tayo Olaniyi, during the International Museum Day 2014 with in Lagos…on Tuesday PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

L-R: Senior Prefect, Community Secondary School, Aka-Offot, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Master Joshua Tom; Group Managing Director/Chief Executive, First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited, Mr. Ladi Balogun; Principal of the school, Mr. Jones Obobikpe, and another student, Rachael Dickson, during the presentation of computers to the School, as part of the bank’s support for financial literacy among the students held in Uyo…on Thursday

L-R: Chairman, Troyka Group, Mr. Biodun Shobanjo; President, Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), Mr. Tolu Ogunkoya, and Vice President, Dr. Ken Ikpe, during the celebration of Patrons’ Day in Lagos …on Thursday. PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

L-R: Manager, Brand Activation, Honeywell Flour Mils Plc (HFMP), Mrs. Ebele Oluwalana; Executive Director, Marketing, Mr. Benson Evbuomwan; Founder, Little Saints Orphanage, Mrs. Dele George; and Senior Brand Manager, HFMP, Mr. Lanre Da-Silva; during products and cheque presentation to the Orphanage, in Lagos…on Thursday

L-R: Chief of Staff to the President, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Willy Ogbidi; President, Dr. Rotimi Oladele; and member, Hajia Rabi Mohammed at the Institute’s press conference on ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ held in Lagos…on Thursday

L-R: Community Investment Manager, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Ogboruche Nkiruka; Chief Nursing Officer, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Mrs. Oyinade O. Ajiboye; Representative, Ministry of Transportation/ Directorate of Vehicle Inspection Service, Mr. Adebayo Abel Olusoji; Head, Public Education and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA, Mr. Adeolu Joan at the responsible drinking through the motor park health and safety programme; organised by Guinness Nigeria in partnership with Lagos State Ministry of Health at CMS motorpark, Marina, Lagos…on Thursday

L-R: Co-ordinator, Nigeria, Anglophone Countries and West Africa, Chioma Emma-Nwachukwu; Member, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Prof. Ignatius Onimawo; Regional Business Head, Nestle Africa, Ms Pindelwa Mda and Head of Nutrition, Ministry of Health, Lagos, Dr. Abimbola Ajayi, during the Complimentary Feeding Workshop organised by Nestle Nutrition Institute of Africa and Nutrition Society of Nigeria, at GRA, Ikeja, Lagos…on Thursday. PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

L-R: People Democratic Party Chairman, Obio Akpor, Aaron Chukwuemeka; Prince Emma Anyawu; Rivers State PDP Chairman, Prince Felix Obuah; and President General, Grass root Development Initiative, Bright Amaewula, during the celebration of the Appeal Court Victory by PDP and the Inauguration of 10-man unit Executive of GDI and of PDP in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government area in Omoku, Rivers State… on Friday

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 01, 2014

L-R: Former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan; Alake/Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; Chairman, Board of Governors, Nobelhouse College, Dr. Ganiyu Soyoye; Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and Founder/Patron, Nobelhouse College, Dr. Olatunde Abudu, during the commissioning of the newly built Obafemi Awolowo Hall to commemorate the 4th Founder’s Day of the college/85th birthday of Abudu in Abeokuta, Ogun State…on Friday

L-R: Airtel One Mic Judge, DJ Jamalot; winner ‘Zlatan Ibile’ Temidayo Omoniyi of MAPOLY, and Regional Operations Director, Lagos, Airtel, Mr. Femi Oshinlaja, at the grand finale of Airtel ONE MIC TALENT in Abeokuta, Ogun State…on Thursday

L-R: Commercial Director, Grand Oak Ltd, Fatai Odesile; representative of Alaafin of Oyo, Ayandotun Ayanlakin, and Chairman, Lexcel Group, Mr. Ola Rosiji, during Seaman’s Schnapps 100 years of Nigeria unlimited blessings and product launch in Lagos

President of God’s Hand of Mercy (GEHOM) Pastor Caleb Akandu, distributing wrappers to widows

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Moments

L-R: Golfer, Mrs. Bridget Orjiekwe; captain, Golf Section, Enugu Sports Club, Mr. Ben Etiaba; Representative of the Chairman, Enugu Sports Club, Mr. Damson Uzoagba; Golfer, Marym Richardson; Sales and Distribution Executive, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Tsola Barrow and Brewery Manager, Nigeria Breweries Plc, Mr. John Richardson, during the opening of 2014 MTN International Golf Tournament in Enugu…on Thursday

L-R: Managing Director, Tsoya Sun, Mr. Richard Wailers; Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism and Inter governmental Relations, Disun Holloway and South African Consul-General in Nigeria, Ambassador Mokgethi Monaisaat at a special dinner in honour of media delegation from South Africa, held in Lagos…on Friday. PHOTO:SULEIMAN HUSAINI

L-R: Manager, Winasbet Limited, Abuja branch, Joy Njoku; Winner of N3.3m Sports Betting, Solomon Makolo, and Manager, Winasbet Limited, Suleja Branch, Kingsley Efim, during the presentation of cheque Makolo in Abuja…on Thursday

Widows standing in front of a truck-load of gift items at a recent (GEHOM) outreach in Aba

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 1, 2014

News ABUJA

ENUGU Party bus crushes two in Enugu

PDP will lose Rivers State if...

Uwakwe Abugu

Johnchuks Onuanyim

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driver of a bus belonging to the Enugu State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the weekend crushed a commercial motorcyclist and his female passenger in a bloody accident in front of the gate of the Zik’s Flat Hostels of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

The woman who was on the bike died instantly while the cyclist had his two legs crushed on the spot before he later died.

When our correspondent visited the scene of the incident about two hours after it occurred, he sighted splash of the blood of the victims after they were reduced to a pulp by the impact of the vehicle.

Some of the sympathizers who were at the scene had to pour sand on the bloodstained tarmac to conceal the gory sight.

An eye witness, a newspaper vendor who said the accident happened right before his newsstand, stated that “the PDP bus had about six passengers believed to be party officials

peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and governorship aspirant in the 2015 election in Rivers State, Ambassador Larry Allison has warned that the party will lose the state if it fails to feild a candidate from the hinterland.

Allison, who spoke at a dinner organised by the Chairman of Innoson Motors, Chief Innocent Chukwuma for the members of the Goodluck Support Group (GSG) in Abuja, warned that no candidate from the state upland will win the 2015 governorship election in the state.

He said that any party that presents a candidate from the upland stands to lose the election.

The Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike from Upland is one of the aspirants of the PDP for the governorship election in 2015 in River State.

Allison, urged the leadership of the PDP to consider the position of the river rine people in the state, stressing that it is their turn to produce the governor for the first time in 16 years.

Skye Bank pays N3.96b dividend to shareholders S kye Bank Plc has paid the sum of N3.96 billion as dividend to its shareholders, translating to 30 kobo per share for the year ended December 31, 2013.

The Chairman of the bank, Mr. Olatunde Ayeni, disclosed this on Wednesday at the eighth annual general meeting of the bank held in Lagos.

He said the dividend payout was in tandem with bank’s commitment of delivering value to the shareholder in appreciation of their support at all times.

Ayeni assured the shareholders that the bank would not misplace the confidence they reposed in the board and management, saying the bank would continue to add value and make their investment in the bank worthwhile.

“In 2014, the board assures shareholders that all efforts would continue toward implementing the bank’s plans in the medium

term and well into the future. The quest to provide the most efficient customer service, as espoused in the service charter, remains unchanged”, he said.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer designate of the bank, Mr. Timothy Oguntayo, told shareholders that the bank’s capital raising exercise had started to gather momentum and is expected to continue in 2014 to enhance the sustained growth of the bank.

He expressed optimism about the bank’s appreciable growth in the current year as the bank continued with the implementation of its strategy while increasing its customer base and market share.

It will be recalled that Skye Bank Plc recorded a profit before tax of N17.136 billion for the financial year ended December 31,2013, representing an increase of 3.79 per cent over the N16.510 billion recorded

during the corresponding period in 2012.

According to the International Financial Reporting System’s (IFRS) compliant result submitted to the Nigeria Stock

Jigawa children get free treatment

J

igawa State Government on Saturday said it had offered free treatment to one million children in the ongoing Maternal and Child Survival Health Week in the state.

The Director, Gunduma Health System in charge of Hadejia, Dr Abdullahi Umar, made the disclosure while reviewing the progress of the exercise in Hadejia.

Umar said more than 200,000 expectant and nursing mothers were currently receiving free treatment under the six-day exercise.

He added that children

Akure

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Wamakko sells govt houses to civil servants, others Umar Danladi Ado Sokoto

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okoto State Governor, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, yesterday directed relevant authorities in his government to commence the sale of government houses to civil servants and other people presently occupying such buildings.

A statement by the State Commissioner of Informa-

tion, Alhaji Nasiru Danladi Bako, said the governor’s action was in fulfillment of his campaign promise to make hundreds of civil servants become landlords.

The process begins this week.

In 2007, the Wamakko administration built 500 housing units in Bado, Sokoto and subsequently sold the houses to qualified occupants on a cash and carry basis.

The sale of the current

batch of houses is expected to follow the same format, “but with certain concessions and restrictions which will be enforced and regulated by the Sokoto Urban and Regional Planning Board”, the statement said.

Wamakko declared that each potential beneficiary will be allowed to buy only one house, stressing that any attempt at multiple allocation or multiple purchase by one person, directly or through proxies, falsification or forgery,

will attract drastic measures, the stamen added.

The governor was also quoted as saying that all the houses have been demarcated and valued, while the occupants have also been screened.

The state government is also building a new ultra modern housing estate near Arkilla which will be ready in nine months and allocation is expected to follow the same transparent process, the governor said.

were provided with food supplements to control malnutrition and treated against malaria and other child killer diseases. ``Expectant and breastfeeding mothers are being treated against various diseases to improve their health and that of their children,” he said.

The director said the medical treatment and other support services were conducted as part of activities to mark the week and urged parents to make sure they provided their children for services.

Police arrest 17 vandals over murder of nine policemen Babatope Okeowo

L-R: Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano; former African Footballer of the Year, Victor Ikpeba and Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Tony Nnacheta, during the presentation of sports equipment to 1000 pupils in the state by Super Sports...yesterday

Exchange recently, the bank’s profit after tax rose significantly to N16.023 billion compared with N12.644 billion posted in the previous year , showing an improvement of 26.7 per cent.

he police in Ogun and Ondo States have arrested no fewer than 17 pipeline vandals who allegedly killed nine policemen and vamoosed with their rifles at Arepo area of Ogun State in a dawn attack last Sunday.

While 11 of the suspects were arrested by men of the Ogun State police command in concert with operatives of the Task Force on Pipeline Vandalisation, the other six were nabbed at Ajapa and Mile II, around Zion in Ese-Odo local government area of Ondo State for bunkering and pipeline vandalisation.

Sources told one of our correspondents that men of the Ondo State police command yesterday also arrested three people in connection with the killing of a truck driver and the stealing of 600 bags of cement in Ikere-Ekiti in Ekiti State.

The suspected armed robbers who hijacked truck and killed the driver were arrested in Orita Obele in Akure, the Ondo State capital while the pipeline vandals who killed nine policemen were arrested in the riverine area of the state.

Confirming the report, Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Ondo State Command, Mr. Wole Ogodo said on May 29 at about 0530hrs got information that some pipeline vandals who were from Ajapa and Mile II, Zion in Eseodo local government area were involved in illegal bunkering, killing nine policemen and disappearing with their rifles..

He said a combined team of policemen, Navy and men from Gallantry Security stormed the community and arrested 40 year old Felix Yayu, Austin Ebiwei, 35; Tamara Dehigbofa, 30, Owei Alimili 30; Ijojai Legbei, 29; and Yakubu Ebiwei, 40 According to Ogodo, the sum of N600,000 believed to be proceed of illegal bunkering was recovered from them, even as the confessed during interrogation that arms carted away from the police are in custody of one of their members.

Giving details of the robbery suspects who killed the truck driver and carted away 600 bags of cement, Ogodo at about 8am on a tip-off, a DAF Truck with registration number SMK911 XE which was having a full consignment of Lafarge Cement was hijacked on a gun point at Ikere- Ekiti and the driver shot dead while his assistant received gunshot injuries.

The truck, he said was taken to Orita Obele, near Akure with the intention to dispose off the cement where the Area commander Akure, Mr. Edward Ajogun, an Assistant Commissioner of Police immediately swung into action by sending a team of policemen to recover the truck and 600 bags of cement.

Three suspects including one Abdulrasak Olalekan, who drove the hijacked to Akure, Akindele Ojo, and Afolabi Henry ‘m’ that received the stolen cement. He added that the suspects and exhibits will soon be transferred to Ekiti State the place of offence.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 1, 2014

A Abuja

rrow head of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari presidential campaign in 2011 and a former member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Otunba Basirat Nahibi has opened a multi-million Naira office for the support of President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election.

Nahibi, the founder and President of Women Advancement for Economic and Leadership Empowerment in Africa decamped from APC to PDP in March of this year.

According to her, after decamping from APC to PDP, she revived her support group known as Yar’Adua/ Jonathan Actualization Movement, YAJOAM, which was used to camping for the late President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua to Jonathan Actualization Movement, JAM. She told journalists at the office complex located off Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Way, Abuja, that YAJOAM has been renamed JAM to support the programmes of the President and his re-election.

Speaking on how to utilize the Jonathan Actualization

PDP petitions Ekiti judge over suits against Fayose

•Cites likelihood of bias Adesina Wahab ADO-EKITI

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he national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has petitioned the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, over the likelihood of bias by a judge assigned to handle some suits brought against its candidate in the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State, Mr. Ayò Fayose.

In a letter dated 30th May, 2014 and signed by its National Secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo, the PDP is seeking that the suits be taken from Justice Monisola Abodunde and assigned to another judge.

In the petition, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday, the party said suit with number HAD/51/2015 brought against the candidature of Fayose in the election by Mr. Adeniyi Ajakaiye and another one against the PDP by Citizens Popular Party (CPP) were assigned to Justice Abodunde and asked the Chief Judge to transfer the cases.

The PDP said: “In as much as we have implicit confidence in the judiciary to dispense justice according to the rule of law, we shall not, however, hesitate to point to an established, convincing likelihood of bias on the part of the presiding judge in the above two political cases in which we are defendants.”

The party said the suit against Fayose filed by Ajakaiye and Mr. Olufemi Ajayi was “instituted by members of E-Eleven, a socio-political group sympa-

thetic to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State,” while “the case between CPP and two others versus the PDP and three others also before the same judge is the same in content and reliefs sought.”

According to the party, “Mr. Banji Abodunde, the husband of Justice Abodunde, is a principal member of E-Eleven who are the processors, sponsors and the originators of the two cases.”

The PDP also claimed that “Mr. Abodunde is a consultant-cum-contractor to the ruling APC government and he is also in the management board of Fountain Hotel assigned to the E-Eleven to manage on behalf of the government.”

The PDP also stated that the first son of Justice Abodunde “is working directly with Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the governorship candidate of APC,” and contended that “if our candidate is disqualified in the zero hours to the election, the APC ruling government, whose interests the E-Eleven are representing will be the obvious beneficiary.”

While claiming that members of the E-Eleven were “already celebrating their ‘assured’, victory in these cases, the PDP also alleged that “Justice Abodunde is reported to have sworn to assume jurisdiction over this matter which is clearly a case for the Federal High Court in view of the federal agency (INEC) involvement in the matters and had promised to deliver judgement in record time before June 21, 2014 when the election will hold.”

News

Buhari’s supporter opens office for Jonathan’s re-election Johnchuks Onuanyim

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Movement, she stated that their campaign all over the states would essentially centre on peace.

Also she said the objective of the Movement would include among others, to support the Jonathan administration in actualizing its political programs to the nation; to rebrand President Goodluck Jonathan as the right candidate for Nigeria in the 2015 Presidential election; to promote peace and stability by educating the populace on the need for unity, religion and tribal tolerant in Nigeria.

Further, to educate the populace on the achievements of President Jonathan; to mobilise women and youth towards 2015 general election for PDP; to reassure Nigerians of President Jonathan’s commitments to security and protection of life and properties; and to use our contacts in reassuring the international community of President Jonathan’s good intention and his campaign against

corruption in Nigeria.

Asked who was sponsoring the group, she said she single-handedly raised money for Buhari’s presidential campaign in 2011 and would not need anybody to finance her group.

She called on the political class to come together and arrest the Boko Haram menace.

She exonerated the present administration from the Boko Haram agitation, stating that Nigerians should come together to stand against terrorism.

According to her, the agitation would not in any way solve the Nigeria problem, citing countries like Somalia, Liberia, etc as countries that had had internal war and later went back to the discussion table to solve their problems.

She stated that the insecurity of in Nigeria cannot be for ever. She therefore enjoined every Nigerian to support the present administration in fighting insurgency.

SOKOTO Sultan to traditional rulers: Steer clear of politics

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ultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has warned traditional rulers in the country to steer clear of politics.

Abubakar gave the warning on Saturday in Sokoto at the Turbaning of three new district heads and two traditional title holders in Sokoto.

Represented by the Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Ilyasu Bashar, the Sultan said ``traditional rulers should be fathers to all, irrespective of any religious, ethnic or political differences. ``Leadership in any form is a trust and all leaders will be accountable for their stewardship.’’

The monarch said the new traditional rulers and title holders were chosen based on merit and their wealth of experience, and urged them to focus on the welfare and comfort of their followers.

The Sultan also warned against greed, moral decadence, corruption and vices, which he said were the bane of the contemporary Nigerian society.

ILORIN Union urges FG to increase tax on tobacco products

A

ssociation of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN), in collaboration with the Nigerian Tobacco Control Research Group, on Saturday, urged the Federal Government to increase tax on tobacco products.

Prof. Tanimola Akande, the National Chairman of the Association, made the call during a news conference organised to mark this year’s “World No Tobacco Day” in Ilorin.

Akande also urged the Senate and the House of Representatives to ``quickly do the needful’’ in harmonising and passing a comprehensive tobacco control bill.

According to him, the bill should slam higher taxes on all tobacco products as cost effective way of reducing demand for them.

He said that ``worldwide, tobacco epidemic kills nearly six million people each year, while many more suffer poor quality of life from tobacco-related sickness.

L-R: Chairman, Physically Challenged, Mr. Stanley Nwachukwu; Government and Community Relations Manager, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Mr. Evans Krukrubo and Imo State Commissioner for Petroleum and Environment, Prof. Okey Okoro, at the 2014 Shell Livewire Nigeria Awards in Owerri…on Friday

Tambuwal advocates moral rebirth

Umar Danladi Ado

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peaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, has advocated an urgent moral rejuvenation in the country through the publication of more books.

Tambuwal spoke in Sokoto on Saturday at the launching of a book written on the District Head of Yabo, Alhaji Muhammadu Maiturare II, added that books “ are a veritable tool of keeping our history with a view to learning from them and improving

the society.”

Tambuwal, who was represented by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Lawalli Zayyana, described the District Head of Yabo as humane, God-fearing, dedicated and humble.

Speaking, Sokoto State Governor Aliyu Wamakko, represented by the state Commissioner of Water Resource, Alhaji Shehu Dalhatu, also stressed the need for emphasis to be placed on the provision of quality education for Nigerians.

His said, “Education is

the bedrock of any development and we cannot even effectively worship God without education, “he said.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, represented by the Galadiman Gari, Alhaji Aliyu Attahiru, underscored the need to chronicle the lives and times of renowned leaders in the nation.

The Chief Launcher, Alhaji Faruk Malami, commended the author for his efforts, saying,” the book chronicles the history of Yabo Emirate.”

The author, Malami

Torankawa, said that he wrote the book as part of his contribution to education in the country.

Over N8.16m was realised at the event, with the Chief Launcher and Commissioner for Local governments, Alhaji Faruk Malami donating One million naira. The Speaker also donated One million naira, while the state government donated N1.5 m, the book entitled, “Kyakkyawar Safiya,” was authored by a producer with the Sokoto State Television station, Malami Torankawa.

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JUNE 01, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

News SOKOTO Arms trafficking: NSCDC deploys undercover operatives in borders

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he Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) command in Sokoto has deployed undercover security men into the border between the state and Niger Republic to prevent arms importation into the country.

The corps Commandant in Sokoto, Alhaji Aliyu Yemal, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto on Saturday that the command was working with other security agencies to check arms importation and ensure those engaged in such acts were arrested.

Yemal said the command was also working with local government chairmen and community leaders that share border with neighbouring Niger Republic in that regard.

He added that ``at the moment, we have deployed plain-clothes operatives to Illela, Sabon-Birni, Isa, Gudu and Tangaza local government areas of the state to arrest those who engage in arms smuggling.

“Some officers have also embarked on foot patrols around the borders, ‘’ he said, and solicited for the support of the people, especially those in rural areas, to cooperate with the officers in efforts to prevent illegal importation of arms for the good of the country.

OYO Fire destroys Ibadan auto parts market Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

A

uto parts dealers at the popular Araromi Market in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on Saturday lost property worth millions of naira to an early morning fire.

Majority of the shops in the market were razed by the fire with various valuable spare parts burnt completely.

Though the real cause of the incident could not be ascertained as at press-time, some affected traders who spoke to New Telegraph on Sunday attributed it to a power surge.

A trader who pleaded

for anonymity said the fire incident would have spread to the nearby houses but for the timely efforts of officers of the State Fire Service who put it out.

Fire officers were seen keeping vigil on the burnt shops while some police men were seen maintaining law and order among the confused traders and scores of sympathizers who were trooping to the market.

None of the officials of the Market Traders Association could however be seen for comments.

Caretaker Chairman of the Ibadan North East local government area, Alhaji Oladipupo Oluokun, who visited the scene, sympathized with the affected traders, promising them council’s assistance.

L-R: Special Adviser, Governor’s Office, Ekiti State, Mr. Biodun Akin-Fasae; Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Eniola Ajayi; Governor Kayode Fayemi; and Site engineer, Mr. Michael Oduntan, at the State Pavilion Complex, during the the Monthly Environmental Sanitation exercise, in Ado-Ekiti... on Saturday

Delegates want VC’s appointment reversed Uwakwe Abugu Awka

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he controversy trailing the appointment of Prof. Joseph Ahaneku as Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka in Anambra State continued to reverberate at the weekend when the state’s delegates at the ongoing National Conference stormed the state, calling on the Governing Council of the institution to rescind its decision forthwith.

Ahaneku, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the university who hails from Imo State had emerged second in the selection exercise conducted by an eightman committee set up by the Governing Council while Prof. Greg Nwakoby, a serving Deputy-Vice Chancellor, Administration, in the university who hails from Anambra State came tops but the council appointed Ahaneku for the job. .

The appointment has further polarized interest groups from within and outside the university community with insinuations being made that a presidential aide was involved in the raging crisis.

In the latest angle to the controversy, the delegates led by Prof. A.B.C Nwosu called on the Governing Council to review its decision on the appointment of

Terrorism: Group calls for enhanced intelligence gathering

PDP dismisses APC’s claim A on Rivers’ development

Etaghene Edirin

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Joe Ezuma

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Rivers State has described the claims of the All Progressives Congress (APC) about Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s projects execution and development in the state as untrue and misleading.

The party said that most of the projects the APC government laid claim to were initiated and completed by the former Governor, Dr. Peter Odili.

According to the PDP, the few “over-blown, extravagant and selective projects executed by Amaechi cannot be compared with the laudable and enduring development legacies of Dr. Odili, who bequeathed to the Rivers’ people what

even the current administration in the state finds difficult to match.’’

The party also disagreed with the APC Chairman in the state, Mr. Davies Ikanya’s portrayal of the facilities at the Greater Port Harcourt City as those only obtainable in modern cities of Europe describing it as ‘’a grave shame which exposes their ignorance and local mentality.”

It further faulted the APC for describing Amaechi as an icon of democracy, wondering, “why such claim when no tangible development project is going on in the state presently.” The party added, “He (Amaechi) has abandoned state affairs and the few development initiatives he made before joining the APC and which have been paralyzed

following his persistent unchecked trips outside the state for his selfish political ambition’’.

On Amaechi administration’s claim of rescuing the state from the hands of militants, the PDP said: ‘’Rather than acting in that direction, what the governor is seen to be doing is handing over the state to cultists and militants, whom he intends to use as political thugs/mercenaries in the forth coming elections in the state.

It challenged the APC to show records of professed improvement in economic investment in the state, pointing out that the fact that Port Harcourt assumed its World Book Capital status was not the efforts of the Amaechi-APC administration but the result of the collective efforts of all

persons including the PDP team players from the tenure of Odili before Amaechi defected to the APC. “The Amaechi’s administration’s theoretical Free Education and the Free Health Care programmes in the State initiated by Dr Peter Odili and inherited by him (Amaechi) have completely failed and is non-functional in all the schools and health centres in the State under his administration. The evidence abound that students and pupils in state owned schools are compelled to pay various sums as fees for books, uniforms, use of the limited facilities and for examinations and sporting activities which the governor claims are being funded by the State, contrary to Dr Odili’s idea, when the programme was initiated.’’

the new Vice Chancellor for the institution. They spoke after having an audience with Governor Willie Obiano.

Prof. ABC Nwosu said it was unacceptable for the council to side-step a candidate who came first in the criteria for the appointment with over 89% to declare a runner up with 80% a winner of the exercise.

The delegates observed that an institution like a university where excellence is the bedrock of its activities should not sacrifice merit for any reason as it goes against the principle and ideals of the founding fathers of the university.

Nwosu stressed that the Ivory tower associated with Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Prof. Kenneth Dike should not be seen as playing politics with selection process of its vice chancellor to avoid future consequences, adding that merit and excellence should be the overriding issue.

Nwakoby had told newsmen in Awka that he was robbed of the appointment because he refused to pay N60m when two members of the selection committee approached him in that regard, but the council speaking through Mr. Emma Ojukwu, director of information of the university countered Nwakoby, dismissing the allegation as mischievous.

Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Movement for the Protection of the African Child (MOPOTAC) has called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts at rescuing the over 200 kidnapped female students of the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, by paying more attention to intelligence gathering and know how.

The group’s executive director, Mr. Chris Njoku made the call during a protest match in Lagos to sensitise Nigerians on the need to support the efforts of government and the security agencies in the fight against terrorism by providing useful information.

While commending government’s efforts at tackling the threat posed by the Boko Haram terrorist group, Njoku also advised government to focus more on providing various security institutions in the country

with intelligent gathering facilities and know how.

He also said: “While we appreciate government efforts in bringing in the international community to facilitate release of the Chibok girls, we must request that our security agencies learn a thing or two from the American forces on modalities of curbing similar occurrence”.

According to him, Nigeria is vulnerable to terror attacks, even though it is opposed to terrorist activities, and called on the various security agencies to build trust among citizens by ensuring that information given to them is treated in confidence not to expose the informant to danger.

“In condemning the attitude of these evil misguided miscreants, we advocate for upgraded data and statistics in schools, markets, organizations and religious places of worship etc, such that files be opened on respective individuals which should be updated annually”, Njoku said.

EDITORIAL

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 1, 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.

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

SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 2014

Appraising the Democracy Day speech

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nce again the Democracy Day provided another speechmaking opportunity which the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria did not overlook. But increasingly it is becoming a hollow ritual of assurances that seem to carry no weight. Such speeches should be backed by actions that translate into improved wellbeing of the populace, and not coated with political gimmickry.

He claimed that democracy is well entrenched in the country and that the institutions of government are functioning effectively. Perhaps what the president wanted to say was that we are in a civilian dispensation, but this is not yet a democracy. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not been able to ensure and guarantee free, fair and transparent elections. An honest oneman-one-vote voting process remains an illusion, which is counter to the ethos of democracy. In many cases, it is the law courts that return electoral victories to rightful winners.

The president’s claim that the institutions of government are working effectively cannot stand up to proper scrutiny.

The present political dispensation has seen corruption festering sickeningly and the institutions that should checkmate the open sore of graft, the EFCC and ICPC, have been sorely compromised. The security agencies and institutions in the country have become the butt of jokes by the international community because of their inability to tame the ravaging Boko

Haram insurgency.

All the promises by the president that he would protect the territorial integrity, sovereignty, unity and political stability of the country, have become a loop of jarring repetitions. The painful reality is that governance is regressing and nothing seems to be functioning effectively. There is growing insecurity at various levels, and the divisive propaganda of the administration is creating a palpable atmosphere of disunity and latent animosity.

The president even claimed : “On my watch, we have witnessed high national economic growth rates, steady improvements and expansion of national infrastructure including airports and roads, the restoration of rail transportation, the efficient implementation of a roadmap for improved power supply, a revolutionary approach to agricultural production, as well as advances in education, sports, youth development, healthcare delivery, housing, water supply and other social services. In the oil and gas sector, our promotion of a sustainable local content policy continues to guarantee equity

The reality presents a totally different picture. There is glaring infrastructural deficit, with the roads across the country in a state of deplorable disrepair, the hospitals are worse than mere consulting clinics

and better opportunities for Nigerian entrepreneurs and skilled personnel.

Significant increase in mobile telephone and national broadband penetration, making Information and Communications Technology (ICT) one of the fastest growing sectors of the Nigerian economy.

We have also developed strong financial markets and regulatory institutions. Our banks now have regional and global footprints. Nigeria has also gained recognition as the largest economy in Africa, the most preferred investment destination in the continent and in terms of returns on investment, the fourth in the world. We are pleased that the world has noticed, as global leaders converged in Abuja early this month for the World Economic Forum in Africa”.

The reality presents a totally different picture. There is glaring infrastructural deficit, with the roads across the country in a state of deplorable disrepair, the hospitals are worse than mere consulting clinics, the educational sector is in tatters with lecturers of polytechnics and colleges of education on strike for eight months without any silver lining on the horizon. Tourism is dead with Kenya, Egypt and South Africa doing very well in the sector. Aviation is stagnant without a national carrier with Ethiopia and Rwanda doing well in this regard. There are emerging oil power blocs like Ghana, Cameroun and Angola while oil bunkering and lack of transparency bedevil Nigeria’s oil sector The oil refineries remain largely dysfunctional as dependency on fuel importation

thrives, and this crucial sector is still controlled by Multinational Corporations.

Similarly, unemployment in the country is extremely high and this was exemplified by the ill-fated immigration employment test, and poverty is widespread with over 70 per cent of the entire population living on less than $1 per day.

Despite the celebratory mood elicited by rebasing of the economy, the bottom-line is that it is for now an academic exercise.

It can only have real meaning if there is a radical, positive transformation in the social economic wellbeing of the people and a rapid development of the national economy in real terms.

The government ought to have admitted that it has not lived up to expectation, and get to the brass tacks of engineering a new beginning. The downward trend will continue unabated if it does nothing beyond believing in the delusion of the pass mark it has awarded itself.

The president’s demeanor while delivering the speech did not show he was very uncomfortable. It could be that he was still coming to terms with having to rely on a teleprompter. His aides should realise that even the president’s body language can send the wrong message to the public. At such occasions, effort should be made to ensure that he projects the dignity of the office. An assured looking aura, especially in a difficult time of insecurity will send a positive message to the people that someone is truly in control. It is part of the expectations of the populace in a democracy.

GABRIEL AKINADEWO Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief IKE ABONYI Deputy Managing Director/DEIC FELIX OGUEJIOFOR ABUGU Managing Editor, South 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.

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JUNE 1, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

OPINION Nigeria’s brutal past haunts the present

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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie n the Saturday that I took my family to the Lagos premiere of the film adaptation of my novel Half of a Yellow Sun, I watched my parents and tried to hide my anxiety. I wondered what they would make of it, but my worry went beyond the film. It was similar, in its sense of unformed discomfort, to what I felt when I first showed my father the finished manuscript. I had wondered then if, after reading, he would think it worthwhile that he had spent so many long hours answering my questions about the Biafran war, lifting layers of his memory that had long laid untouched. I was relieved that he liked the novel. I was mildly amused, too, that he spoke of the accuracy of my small details – as though most had not come from him.

And now, with the film, I worried even more.

Images, when compared to words, have a greater immediacy, almost an inherent vulgarity. I feared that my father’s experiences, first fictionalised in my novel and now translated into film, might seem to him a violation of sorts. The novel, I imagined, had at least left his memories intact; fiction gives the reader room to imagine characters for themselves.

Film is different. So powerful can images be that they challenge your memory of the real, and sometimes they overtake the real. As they did for me: when I was writing Half of a Yellow Sun, I imagined the character Olanna as a cross between my sister Ijeoma and former Nigerian beauty pageant winner Bianca Onoh (whom my friends and I greatly admired in our teenage years, and who went on, incidentally, to marry the former Biafran leader Odumegwu Ojukwu).

Now that I have seen the film a number of times, it is Thandie Newton’s strong, nuanced portrayal of Olanna that comes to mind. Such is the power of moving images.

My father is a quiet, decent, stoic man, a man who does not complain. I used the stories he told me to create a character very unlike him: a loud-talking, hyperactive professor, so unusual that he wants his houseboy to call him by his first name. Odenigbo is intensely political while my father is not. Odenigbo suffers losses similar to my father’s, but faces them without my father’s stoic resolve. In short, Odenigbo is not my father. Yet I felt anxious about the film. Perhaps because I feared that Odenigbo on the screen – so flawlessly portrayed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who I think is one of the best would sear itself into my father’s memory, and challenge what he remembered

and how he wanted to remember.

My parents were in good spirits. They had travelled from Nsukka to visit me in Lagos, and had come a week earlier so that they would be present at the premiere. I watched them as they watched the film. In the dim interior of the theatre, I could not make out their expressions. My mother winced a few times.

She laughed. She and my father whispered to each other. (Married for 50 years, they share a lovely friendship and they bicker and laugh in equal measure.)

Afterwards, they both said the film was “very good” and the scenes were “believable”, the kind of platitudes that further fed my anxiety. My brother-in-law complained that the film was not political enough. My brother joked that the car used in the film never went to the mechanic. My cousin chortled about the sex scenes. My sister, who was a child in Biafra, talked about the air raid in the film, how real it seemed and how exciting she, as a child, had found the dugout earth bunkers, where she played with crickets. She did not remember sensing the terror around her. My mother told her that she had internalised the fear.

“After we settled back in our lives in Nsukka, whenever you heard a loud sound, you and Ijeoma would start to shake uncontrollably. It took years before that stopped,” my mother said. My sister did not remember that. But she had suddenly remembered something else: a checkpoint. She turned to my father and asked about a road checkpoint, with soldiers. She remembered something happening, something about my mother that had terrified her and my other sister.

Memory brings memory. My mother seemed surprised, ruefully sad, that my sister now remembered the checkpoint armed

by Nigerian soldiers at the end of the war. She had told me this story before, while I was researching the novel, but new details emerged.

The war had ended and they were on their way back to Nsukka to begin to put their lives back together. Nigerian soldiers stopped and harassed them, made my father do some physical labour because he was bespectacled and so clearly an academic, a member of the privileged class that had given intellectual weight to the secession. I remembered this story as one example of the many excesses of the Nigerian soldiers, poorly trained, newly powerful, arrogant in victory.

In the new version of the story, told in the aftermath of the film, my mother added that the soldiers had threatened to beat her, and that my father, to protect her, had jumped on one of the soldiers, and that she begged him to stop,

terrified that they had survived the war with their three children only to have her husband killed at a checkpoint. I was surprised. I had never heard this before. I turned to my father.

He mumbled something, an acknowledgement of the memory, and looked away. He said nothing else. I tried to imagine him, tired and worried and afraid, lungeing at an armed soldier. What had been a story about soldiers doing what soldiers have done at the end of many wars – harass civilians – now became something entirely different: the specific story of a husband keen to protect his wife, of a wife keen to preserve her family.

After we saw the film, my parents referred to Biafra more often in a week than they had in years. They remembered with grace, humour, sadness, ruefulness. “It was really like that. It was really like in the film,” my mother said.

She talked about their hurried evacuations from towns, about people pulling along tired children and stubborn goats.

“I remember a man whose goat refused to move and he kept pulling and pulling and finally had to abandon the goat. That goat must have been the only thing of value he had left,” she said.

Often, I wondered if she was thinking about her father. He and my paternal grandfather were the greatest losses my parents suffered in the war, but their deaths are the least-discussed parts of my parents’ memories. Especially my mother’s. She has never spoken in detail about her father’s death. He was an Igbo businessmen who lived in Cameroon in the Forties, and was determined that his first child, even though a girl, would get as good an education as any. My mother idolised him. He died in 1968, in a refugee camp. In the photo of him that survives, he looks proud and accomplished and stern, but there is a slice of laughter in his eyes. A story my mother told often about him was of the letter he had sent her when she was away in boarding school, written in English, that began with the words “my dear son”. She thought he had mistakenly mixed up “daughter” for “son”, English not being his forte, and when she told him the correct word was “daughter,” he replied, “I know the difference. I just want you to know that I believe you can do anything a son can do.”

When I was growing up, my paternal grandfather existed in our lives as a warm and wise memory. My father talked – and still talks – about him almost every day, referred to him, recounted his words, even symbolically toasted him at family celebrations. But I do not know much about his death, perhaps because my father himself does not know. He,

too, died in a refugee camp. My father was unable to go there for months because the roads were occupied by Nigerian soldiers, and when he finally saw the site of his father’s grave – a mass grave behind a secondary school that had been turned into a refugee camp – he bent down and took a handful of sand which he has kept ever since. When my father first told me this, it was, for me, a new and startling side to him. An awareness of a dramatic emotion I had not imagined of him.

After Half of a Yellow Sun was published, there was some interest from film-makers.

Biyi Bandele stood out from the beginning.

I admired his work, his world view and his fierce intelligence. But I chose, early on, to stay away from the process, refused even to read the script. The novel meant too much to me. I could not bear to see what is a necessary part of the process: what would be kept in and what would be left out. It was a selfpreservation mechanism I wanted to see the film as a finished product, a medium related to but separate from my novel, so that I could be free to be honest, to love or hate it or be indifferent to it.

The only thing I felt strongly about was that the film be shot in Nigeria. The only thing I feared was that foreign actors might adopt that generic accent that is put on by non-Africans playing Africans and is unrecognisable to any actual African.

But it was Biyi Bandele’s film, and that alone was reason to be hopeful. Bandele’s directing is brave, unafraid of emotion, but perhaps his greatest achievement is in his casting choices.

The film has a remarkable ensemble cast, a collection of sparkling performances, all of which somehow seem essential, even the smallest roles.

Onyeka Onwenu – my casual cast suggestion, which I doubted Bandele would consider – is one of the best musicians Nigeria has ever had, and in playing Odenigbo’s mother has proved herself an actor of intimidating talent.

When I heard that Bandele had cast Anika Noni Rose to play Olanna’s acerbic sister Kainene, the character I most admired in the novel, I was puzzled. She was too beautiful to play Kainene. Most of all, she was American, and I thought a British actress would fit better. But I could not have been more wrong.

Her Kainene is perfect: crackling, alive, confident, deliciously droll. Joseph Mawle brings a sensitive and utterly disarming Englishness to the character of Richard, Kainene’s lover.

John Boyega, who plays Ugwu – the soul of the novel – is the film’s funny, moving and powerfully human conscience.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely Law Mefor

G

oing by their recent deeds, Governors Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State and Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State have offered up themselves as examples for the validation of this age-old maxim in the Nigerian environment – power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

For those who may be wondering about its origin, Lord Acton, an English Catholic historian, moralist, politician, and writer once remarked, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” Even before Lord Acton made his historical assertion in a letter opposing the infallibility of Pope, Lamartine and his anonymous English translator had coined already the notorious phrase, ‘absolute power corrupts’ and liberally used it.

The sum of N200 million can easily establish a hospital to take care of a whole community.

Yet, both men believe it was just enough for mere annual medical checkup, excluding separate provisions for their wives and other

categories of aides. This may become a trend, which is totally new as other governors are likely to follow the example. They have really rubbed it in the faces of the masses that they have no place in the current civil dispensation and raises further the urgent need for the people to take their destinies in their own hands.

Come to think of it, Amaechi and Akpabio have been touted as progressive governors and if indeed their idea of progressivism is mortgaging the future of their states to care for themselves after office, even after running these rich states singlehandedly for eight years each, then, their people do not need oppressors, as they too have, by the action, joined the enemies of the peoples.

Pictures of state legislators kneeling before the governor of a South-East state flooded the social media recently as proof of the near non-existence of democracy and rule of law at state level and more importantly, what despots state governors have become.

Another reason the governors are billionaires is the so-called security votes. Each state governor is said to receive from the Federa-

tion Account over N200 million monthly as ‘Security Vote’, which he does not have to account for. This whooping sum is supposed to be used by the governor to keep the state secured, but because the state governors are not accountable to anybody, security votes and similar special funds are treated by these governors as their personal allowances.

The 1999 Constitution has also provided for a Joint State and Local Government Account, superintended by the governors.

This obnoxious constitutional provision has also given the governors direct access to LG funds, which they have dispensed with as they please since 1999. In most cases, the governors have even refused to hold local government election. This say nothing about special grants and partnerships with development partners and floating funds from international donor agencies.

The governors are also immune to arrest and prosecution while in office. When out office, they are also above the law and keep their financial indiscretions unquestionable, with their capacity to rent supporters, buy judgments and injunctions if possible and

hire all the SANs to keep their corruption cases running until they become statute-barred.

Each time the EFCC and ICPC attempt to prosecute any former governor, the efforts are usually frustrated by those accused, and there are such cases in the Nigerian courts lingering for upward of 10 years and more.

Despite these privileges and largesse, which Nigerian governors enjoy from a 1999 Constitution that was designed to fail and keep the people poor and government unaccountable, Amaechi and Akpabio insist on their states still paying them royalties in excess of N100m to N200m, till death do them part. This is inconceivable; and coming from Amaechi and Akpabio, the so-called progressives, makes it even more scandalising.

Nigerians need a new constitution that will set the nation free from these legally created despots. A thinker once observed that it is not only the slave or serf who is ameliorated in becoming free.

• Law Mefor, forensic psychologist and journalist, is National Coordinator, Transform Nigeria Movement, Abuja; email: lawmefor@gmail.com; tel.: +234-803-787-2893

Going to America in preparation for leadership p.13

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

JUNE 1, 2014

Life 11

WHO 2020 Blood Transfusion Policy

Cultural beliefs affect voluntary donation – LSBTC

Some voluntary blood donors

W

Ahaoma Kanu hen Mrs. Eugene Chukwukezie left her house for the hospital, her family prepared very well for her return. She was pregnant with her second child and had attended all the pre-natal classes at the General Hospital near her home.

When she went into labour, it was prolonged which necessitated that a caesarian section be performed on her. During the surgery, she lost a lot of blood and was still bleeding. All attempts to get blood to be transfused to her failed as the hospital’s blood bank had run out of supply. The young mother died few hours later, without setting eyes on her new baby. She left behind her new born, a two year old son, her husband, parents and other relatives.

Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, said close to 1,130,000, units of blood were collected annually in Nigeria as against estimated 1.5million units of blood needed by Nigerians to survive. He made this known in a data he provided last during the World Blood Donors Day on June 14, 2013. He added that only 10 percent of the blood donated is sourced from voluntary blood donors; 60 per cent of all blood donations come from commercial donors and 30

Dr. Agbe-Davies

per cent from family replacement. This situation is working against the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) goal for all countries

to obtain all blood supplies from voluntary unpaid donors by 2020 in accordance with World Health Assembly resolution adopted

in 1975.

The safest blood donors are voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors from lowrisk populations. In the key global fact and figures of 2011, in 62 countries, national blood supplies are based on 100 per cent or almost 100 per cent (more than 99.9 per cent) voluntary unpaid blood donations. Forty countries collect less than 25 per cent of their blood supplies from voluntary unpaid blood donors.

The World Blood Donors Day is celebrated by countries around the world by hosting events focusing on raising awareness of the need for safe blood donation and also to appreciate voluntary unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.

The theme for 2014 campaign is “Safe blood for saving mothers” and it is aimed at increasing the awareness and appeal on why timely access to safe blood and blood products is essential for all countries as part of a comprehensive approach to prevent maternal deaths. This objective, if achieved, will save victims like late Eugene and other expectant mothers. As Nigeria prepares to mark the World Blood Donors Day, one state that is driving the campaign for safe blood donation is Lagos State, through the Lagos CO NTINUED O N PAGE 13

12

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 1, 2014

Life

Cultural beliefs affect voluntary donation –LSBTC C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 1

State Blood Transfusion Committee set up 10 years ago. With the new strategies the committee is prepared to achieve the WHO goal.

“Since blood cannot be manufactured, we have to go all out to get donors that will donate regularly in order for us to meet the need of people that need it in our hospitals,” says the Chairman, Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee (LSBTC), Dr. Adetoun AgbeDavies.

The committee was established to, among other functions, supervise and regulate all blood transfusion services in the state both in the private and public, ensure the development of quality control and assurance on all blood transfusion matters in the state and to promote research into all aspects of blood transfusion and publish such information in the state.

The committee has been able to sustain this challenge despite having to deal with activities of commercial blood donation rings which pays from N3000 to N5000 for a unit of blood. This cabal has established a network that discourages voluntary donation of blood in many public and private hospitals in the state and they solicit for blood from whoever they can convince to donate and pay for such donation and this practice provides 60 per cent of blood being transfused across the country. New Telegraph on Sunday investigations revealed that the network is spread across all the public hospitals across Lagos State and they station their cronies to approach anyone making inquiries about blood donation.

“What we do is that we help in providing blood to those that need it. We pay people that donate and sell to the patients that need them,” one of the commercial blood dealers, who gave his name as Deji, tells our reporter.

One disturbing issue about the commercial blood donation is the possibility of getting unsafe blood since some of their sources are persons who live reckless lifestyles.

Agbe-Davies says the major importance of sourcing blood from voluntary blood donations is its safety.

“The safety starts from the donation. We don’t want to source blood from touts; we want to discourage replacement donations. If we have enough blood in our banks, the touts will run out of business,” she said.

To achieve this, the committee has initiated some strategies to create awareness and sensitize the public on the need to voluntarily donate blood.

“We go out on air on the radio and television to talk about blood donation and also we go on blood donation drives. We showcase examples of people in need of blood and let the people know that they can help them by just donating a unit of their blood,” said Solomon Eka, a member of the committee during an in house blood donation drive organised by the committee, Kwealram Charai Group in association with the Rotary Club of Palmgroove and the Nigeria Red Cross.

Other places the awareness campaigns target are the tertiary institutions, corporate organisations and religious institutions.

“There is an age limit where one can donate, 16 - 65 years. We rely on higher institutions, universities, colleges of education and technical colleges where we meet people within that age bracket. We also go to communities, corporate organisations and now we are intensifying our drive to reach out to the local government chairmen and work with them. If we do not have enough voluntary blood donors, all the touts will keep going about thriving in their business,” AgbeDavies explains.

Another reason voluntary blood donation is being encouraged by WHO and the LSBTC is the treatment given to the blood before being transfused to patients.

Dr. Modupe Olaiya, a Consultant Hematologist and Executive Secretary of the committee, says that special care and treatment is given to the blood from the field where the

Dr. Olaiya

Blood bank refrigerator

Blood banking unit

A donor being processed

bleeding takes place.

“When we go to the field, we create a good environment for the collection of blood and we carry Blood Transport boxes that have a cold medium just like a refrigerator; the inside is lined with ice packs. When it is collected, the blood is stored at between 2-8 °C. We create that environment right from collection until it gets to the storage unit in the blood bank refrigerators which does not have a freezer compartment,” she says.

The refrigerator has some features that keeps the blood in the right condition; a temperature monitor triggers off an alarm should there be any change in the right conditions for the blood. From there, some of the units of blood are separated into different components; red blood cells, Plasma, platelets and stored for those who may need them. The blood when stored must be used before 35 days but the use of preservatives can extend the expiration to 42 days.

“So you can see that one unit of blood can save three to four lives,” Olaiya adds.

Since the blood from voluntary donors was not paid, New Telegraph on Sunday inquires why the units are not given to patients free of charge.

“We do not sell the blood. The payment is for screening fees and for all the money we invest in getting materials, consumables which we test for the transmission transmissible infections with WHO standard reagents and it is N4500 per unit,” Agbe-Davies explains.

Despite the series of initiatives the committee have employed in enlightening the public, they still encounter challenges in the areas of religious and cultural beliefs which is more exhibited by the older persons.

“To the extent that we reach out to the people, they do come forward and they are encouraged especially the young ones. But we are having challenges with the older ones.

The problem is more cultural and is affecting the older generation; you know once it’s about blood, many things come to their mind. They are very fanatical and start asking what you want to do with their blood.

But we are working on changing their mentality. We do go to churches and also have a cordial relationship with the Jehovah Witness group who don’t believe in blood transfusion. That is what we are trying to change.

Moslems and Christians donate blood but it is the cultural belief we are working on.”

As the focus of this year’s Blood Donation day focuses on Safe blood for saving mothers, the committee informs that they are working very hard to meet WHO 2020 target.

“We have contacted an advert agency and will task our blood donation ambassadors to go to work and increase the awareness so that more people will donate and those that have donated before can become repeat donors,” Olaiya says.

Some of the donors that participated at the voluntary blood donation drive held at the Afrprint Compound, Apapa, Lagos, said that they were encouraged to be part of the campaign after being made to understand that they were helping in saving lives.

Chris Ikenna, one of the donors says he is inspired to donate because the campaign offers him an opportunity to affect humanity.

“The joy of it is that I don’t know who the person I will help with donating my blood is. I think that if the people are sensitized very well, we may meet the WHO target by 2020,” According to him, he didnot have the courage to donate until he got the awareness.

“I will encourage people living model lives to go for voluntary blood donation as it is a good gesture and you only have to be happy that you are saving a life,” Taiwo Odunlami, another donor said.

With the kind of efficiency and zeal with which it is working, the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee believes that with greater awareness and enlightenment, Nigeria can meet the WHO 2020 target that every blood transfused should be sourced

13

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 1, 2014

Diaspora Notes

Going to America in preparation for leadership

Edefe Ojiomo

Ndifreke Andrew Essien

Kemi Onabanjo

world.

What are you most worried about as a youth in Nigeria?

I am worried about how we neglect our young people in the society. Basically they have to wait until they are old enough, until they are experienced enough to do anything.

I am talking about the teenagers and twentysomethings that I teach every day. There are a lot of enthusiasm and energy that we are not tapping into. That is my biggest worry.

T

Ahaoma Kanu he weather cool and the sea breeze added some serenity to the small gathering. The venue was the residence of the United States Consul General, Mr. Andrew Hawkins, at Ikoyi Lagos and his guests were young Nigerians drawn from across the country. They interacted and networked, discussing about how to bring change to the country.

There were youths from the Carrington Youth Leadership Initiative (CYFI), a leadership training program being run by the United States government. They were also selected participants for the newly established Washington Fellowship for Young African Leader Initiative (YALI) in the United States.

But the evening was for the lucky YALI participants.

“I am looking at a group of young people that will become the leaders in Nigeria in years to come and the US is really interested is training and equipping them with skills that they will need when the time comes,” Hawkins said.

The YALI program designed to advance U.S. understanding of and access to Africa’s youth population, encouragesAfrican youth to contribute to economic, political, and social development at home. The program created by the Obama administration in 2010 seeks to empower the next generation of African leadership.

Over 14000 applications were made but only 50 were selected to go for the program in Washington D.C to be part of the 500 young Africans that would go through a six weeks training in US and take course consisting of business and entrepreneurship; public management; and civic leadership. The participants will also have an opportunity of meeting with the US President, Barrack Obama, and leaders from government, business, and the non-profit sector who are expected to participate in a YALI summit.

Some of the participants spoke to New Telegraph on Sunday about who they feel, having been selected and their expectations from the program.

Kemi Onabanjo Management Consultant.

Profession.

I work as a management consultant and I also sit in the board of directors for an NGO called Helping Other People Excel (HOPE). Our focus is really building young leaders in Nigeria.

Feeling I feel it is an amazing opportunity to be selected from over the 15000 people that applied for the program; only about 45 people were selected. It is quite an honour to be part of the

President Obama

500 that were selected all over Africa for this program.

It was online; a lot of awareness and publicity were made about the program. A couple of foundations I belong to like the Nigeria Leadership Institute informed us about the program and also other NGOs told us about the program so I am really plugged into that community of young leaders in Nigeria and got the information from them.

Expectations from the program I have a lot of expectations; one is the amount of learning that we will be exposed to because there is a six weeks academic training and I am on the public management track and I want to learn a lot about how the public sector works and all that.

I also think that the networking and interactions from having over 499 fantastic Africans to come together, the amount of brain power, passion and energy coming together for theAfrican continent and of course the opportunity to meet with global leaders from the United States will be worthwhile.

Will want to impact on I applied for the public management track which is about the public sector and that is the aspect I am looking forward to. As I told you, I applied for the Public Management track and it is about the public sector. So human resources for the public sector, performance management for the public sector are areas I am looking forward to. Also, I am hoping to be grounded in the civil service sector, how do we sustain our civil service sector in reforms? I do not want our civil service to become a meritocracy where people actually earn and their rights to be promoted; where people do good work and are rewarded as against what we have today which is based on quotas and all that.

Worry as a youth?

There are many things to be worried about; I am worried about the insecurity and the root of insecurity is unemployment and that stems from poverty. I think the biggest thing I am worried about is the poverty because that is the biggest problem any nation can have. I am also concerned about increasing financial inclusion and employment for young people; these are the things I am worried about. I think one last thing I am worried about is the kind of governance that we have. It is said that the people get the kind of leaders they deserve, both the followership and the leadership needs complete re-orientation and I am worried about that.

Edefe Ojiomo Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos Feeling on being selected for the program It is definitely an honour to be among those selected. I applied in January, got a call for an interview in February and went for the interview in March and by April we were informed that we have been selected.

Expectations One of the greatest opportunities that the program will present is the networking opportunity from people across the continent who share similar values and goals and experience; and also with colleagues from the United States who will hopefully partner with in projects for the continent. I am looking forward to that.

You are going for a six weeks training, which part of the Nigeria sector will you want to impact on?

I am a teacher so I will focus on education. A lot of my intervention is on tertiary education specifically. I am looking at new discussions on educating people at the tertiary level to make them useful and productive in the practical

Ndifreke Andrew Essien NGO founder, Freky Andrew Free Care Foundation volunteer and administrator.

Feelings on being selected?

There are no words to describe how I feel but what comes to mind is I feel privileged because I understand that the quantity and quality of the applicants and being selected as one of the 500 finalists is a rare opportunity and privilege.

Expectations My expectations are that during the program my mind will be focused on more information, more learning and more skills. I want to build my capacity to be able to come back to Nigeria and do more in the area of advocacy.

Area to impact?

I like to work with people and communities because I believe in human resources development in Nigeria. I will like to work with children, young people as well as the elderly in the grassroots in different aspects.

As a physically challenged person, how do you feel who people with disabilities are treated in Nigeria, there are no access ways for them, they cannot utilize public transportation and all that, what is your impression about this trend in the society?

It can be discouraging but it is the system and as it is with a lot of things, it takes time to change to happen but change can happen.

We will continue to sing the song of change.

The disability Act has been sent to the Senate up to four times and each time it is being sent back for revision and Nigeria is a signatory to the International Convention Right of Persons with Disability, if we are able as a people to be associated with this international policy, why can’t our lawmakers sign the Disability Act into law. We will continue to sing the song so that states will take it up so that the National Assembly will follow suit. Having said that, for persons living with disability, you cannot wait for things to happen for you, you have to take the bulls by the horn and make the desired change happen despite the hindrances. Looking at it from a general perspective, everybody has one disability or the other; it must not be physical so for me, I will not wait for Nigeria to happen, I will happen to Nigeria.

14

JUNE 1, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

News Plus

Former Osun governor, Pdp deputy chairman defect to Apc Deolu Adeyemo Osogbo

T

he first executive Governor of Osun State, Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke yesterday dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC), the ruling party in the state, advising electorate in the state not vote for the PDP gubernatorial candidate, in the forthcoming election.

Adeleke who lost the gubernatorial ticket of the PDP to Senator Iyiola Omisore described him as a man that should not smell the corridor of power talk less of occupying it.

Defecting with Adeleke is the incumbent Deputy Chairman of the PDP in the state, Dr. Bashiru Salam who was suspended last week by the party for alleged anti-party activities.

Many other chieftains and followers of Adeleke from the party also moved with their political father to the APC. The defection exercise which took place at the Nel-

son Mandela Freedom Park in Osogbo, took many political analysts by surprise while others described the development as one of those things in politics.

Speaking at the event on behalf of other defectors, Senator Adeleke described APC as the only party with decency and decorum and said that he had no regret in joining those in the party.

He, however, pledged to make use of his political strength to ensure APC’s victory in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.

Adeleke further said that: “There is no way I can vote for a person like Omisore that calls himself the PDP flagbearer in the state. There is no way I can support him to occupy the seat of power.”

He, therefore, stated that APC is a party with organised and impeccable programme which other political parties are emulating and charged those in PDP to quickly join the winning party before it would be too late for them.

Welcoming them into the fold of APC in the state,

Governor Rauf Aregbesola described the defection of Adeleke to the party as a good development for the party.

Aregbesola said a true Yoruba person should not join the PDP, saying a Yoruba person that belongs to the party should do a rethink.

He described PDP as a frustrated party with frustrated people and maintained that something good can never come from the party The governor referred to Omisore as a joker in the next contest of gubernatorial election in the state, portraying him as a criminal of note that can never go to places in the field of politics.

Aregbesola said that he would fail woefully in the election and assured people of the state that he would be disgraced publicly after the contest.

Also present at the occasion was the governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and charged people of the state to cast their votes for the APC in the state.

Omisore”s Spokesman, Diran Odeyemi described the defection of Adeleke as a good omen since he has no electoral value. He said Adeleke was living on past glory, and by August 9, he will be defeated along with Aregbesola.

I’ve cleared my predecessor’s N40bn debt -Almakura Cheke Emmanuel Lafia

N

asarawa State Governor, Tanko al-Makura, has said his administration has cleared the N40 billion debt he inherited from his predecessor, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu.

The governor stated this to newsmen in Lafia, the state capital, after returning from an inspection of abandoned road projects in Adudu, Keana and Agyaragu in Obi Local Government Area of the state.

He stated that his administration had also settled the liability of N3bn on the abandoned Anda-Gitata Road project initiated by his predecessor alongside a water project in the area.

Mimiko condoles with Ladoja over son’s death

O

ndo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has commiserated with a former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, over the death of his son, Adebola, in an auto crash in Lagos on Thursday.

Mimiko, in a statement issued in Akure yesterday by the Commissioner for Infor-

mation, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, described the death of the former governor’s son as “most unfortunate and sad.”

Mimiko said nothing could be more disheartening than losing such a promising son like Adebola in his prime.

The governor admonished

Ladoja to take the incident as an act of God as nothing could happen to any human being without the knowledge of God. While praying for the repose of the soul of the deceased, the governor prayed God to grant the former governor and the entire Ladoja family the fortitude to bear the loss.

The governor noted that the sum of N2.7bn was being spent monthly on the payment of civil servants’ salaries and the benefits of political appointees, leaving a meager balance out of the N3bn received from the Federation Account for development.

He lamented that the bloated size of the civil service and the amount spent on salaries monthly was responsible for the slow pace of development of the state.

He explained that the situation had made it virtually impossible for his administration to provide employment to the teeming youths of the state.

According to him,the situation forced him to pay the employees of the youth empowerment scheme with his security vote to reduce the number of unemployed persons in the state.

Al-Makura said his administration was determined to complete some of the abandoned road projects initiated by the previous administration in the state.

He directed contractors handling Adudu -Ribi-Azara Road to commence work in one week even as he ordered the contractor handling Kean township roads to mobilise to site within one week.

We want Biafra or nothing –Kanu

Director of Radio Biafra and leader, Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, says the injustice in Nigeria defies analysis and demands for the creation of a Republic of Biafra as the only path available to Ndigbo. He spoke to LEO

W

hat kind of organization are you?

We are not an organisation rather we are citizens of Biafra. We are called the Indigenous People of Biafra. We answer Biafrans all over the world, wherever we are found. The implication of what we have done today is that we have honoured our dead, today we remembered those that fought and died for us. From this day onwards we now do proper freedom fighting; before now it has been the preambles.

It has been like an appetiser; from this day onwards we do Biafra freedom fighting the way freedom fighting should be done.

What do you mean by freedom; what will define the fight?

That we come in peace but we bring hell with us. If there is no Biafra this place will be completely destroyed; everything will die here or they give us Biafra. So there is and will be no compromise; we don’t retreat and we don’t surrender. We have come here to fight for our country or we die fighting for our freedom.

Could it be that the granting of amnesty to some groups and non-payment of benefits to Biafran soldiers is behind the resurgent agitation?

It shows that we have been discriminated against and the discrimination continues.

These men you see here assembled today, fought under the coat of arms of Nigeria.

The war broke out and they fought for their country Biafra and they have not been paid.

It is a great injustice. It is a continuation of the same injustice that led us to try to extricate ourselves from this Lugardian creation called Zoological Republic of Nigeria. That is why it is very disheartening that you see old men every blessed month crying and wishing that their money will come to them and nothing happens. The Yorubas have been paid, the Hausa Fulani have been paid then

Nnamdi Kanu

those of them belonging to Biafra have not been paid. It is an injustice that must be addressed and it is part of the reason why we are doing what we are doing because in the new Biafra we would not have this level of injustice.

Assuming the payment comes, will that arrest the freedom fighting you hinted at?

No. I will prefer that they are not paid, because we have Biafrans all over the world.

We can pay them; we are comfortable. We can pay our veterans. From September this year, what we are saying is that there is something called natural justice and for natural justice to prevail, you must do what is right.

And that right thing is to make sure that you pay these people what is due to them.

Why the choice of the hill top of Ngwo?

This place is holy. It was at this very land incidentally not up to a yard from here where (Emmanuel) Ifeajuna came with Hausa people to try to kill us. So this place is very symbolic. This is where the betrayal took place. And it is quite befitting that we start honouring those that died as a result of a catalogue of injustice from this very spot.

And mind you this one of the holiest places anywhere in the world. It is holy!

Are you carrying along the group like MASSOB and will it involve the carrying of arms?

Arms are necessary; because we must fight. I don’t believe in the freedom fighting you get drinking a cup of tea. We want to fight so that our children and children’s children will respect and recognise Biafra for what it is. About MASSOB, even here in this same cenotaph we remember MASSOB members that died and fell in the pursuit of our freedom. We acknowledge them. What we don’t accept is criminality, deception and lies, because we don’t lie. In this very land truth is paramount; that is why we cannot lie to our people. The reason why we did this here is because we have not lied to them. Therefore, anything we tell them to do they do it. All over the world today, from Japan to Los Angeles in the USA, our people are doing exactly the same thing; making sure that we honour those of them that fought and died for us. Anytime we call upon them they answer. CNN knows how formidable we are, so also is BBC and Governor Rochas Okorocha. You can ask him. In other words, we are about to call down hell!

What is the estimated cost of the cenotaph?

It cannot be quantified in monetary terms.

We have sunk in millions; a few people built it, not everybody. A few people contributed to this from all over the world and some of them are even here today to ensure that

this place is built to the glory of God and the memory of those that fought and died for us.

What word of encouragement, admonition do you have for Biafrans all over the world…

It is that Biafrans must remain resolute; don’t lie or deceive. Because if we lie, any day we lie, we go the way of Uwazuruike, we fail! But because we don’t intend to lie, that is why Biafra is going to come for them not to lie and for us to remain one the way we have done. We have Biafrans all over the world under the indigenous people of Biafra and we are doing wonderful things. We have done things that no other person is capable of doing. What we have done here today is a testament to that. If you come here and pray, anything you ask God to do for you He will do it for you on this very spot where we remember our dead.

But if your hands are dirty, please leave us or you would be dead. Those who are to do equity must come with very clean hands! Nigeria has no choice because Biafra will come on or before September 30, 2015! Mark my words.

Do you not think you are helping to prove the US prediction of Nigeria’s break-up?

2015 heralds the end of the zoo, as we call it; we don’t call it Nigeria. This place is a zoo because nobody knows the meaning of the word Nigeria. I don’t know if you can tell me what it means. I am Igbo, there is no word called Nigeria in Igbo language; none in Ibibio, none in Efik nor Izon. I don’t know what Nigeria means in Yoruba or in Hausa/Fulani language. But to us, Nigeria is an abominable contraption; the white man cannot come here and tell us from today onwards, your name is Nigeria. It is unacceptable; we have come to go back the way we are as a people to return to the glory of God. And that glory can only come through Biafra and no other.

Sanctity of Truth

ON SUNDAY

Page 15, JUNE 01, 2014

We were friends before we fell in love

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

Grecian dresses: The goddess look

-The Adenugas

I take my wife on a date every weekend -Bishop Ogbansiegbe

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Body&

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Juliet

Contents 01.06.2014 COVER

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One day, I was in my friend’s house when their last daughter came back from school in the company of that image I saw in the dream. When I saw her, I identified her face and greeted her as though I had known her for many years

FASHION Grecian dresses are

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-Ogbansiegbe

BEAUTY

Even with acne you want to still apply moisturiser day and night, as this can actually tone down oily skin and keep it from being irritated

GLAM DUDES

The plaid fabric has found a new place in today’s sharpest dressers.

An old-school look is definitely getting the ‘new school’ treatment, thanks to the visionary efforts of some astute designers

} 44

NEW TELE

popular with women because the style is incredibly flattering.

If you’re worried about your stomach, choose a sweeping empire line dress which comes just underneath your bust

OUR LOVE STORY By the time it hit me that he wanted us to become an item, I was already stupidly in love with this man. He

} 21

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was my first love, so there was no playing hard-to-get } 45

4 E 01, 201

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to easier and be ter in wet bet t longer also lasand hold up clean, er. mp s, ath i ck pu for Iklak is we bla s om r Biw pu mp ss ere and HT: Fo bla ck dre HE IG wear anywh l such as 2”l pa ir of litt le bla ck trendy hee you cantry a lower A thicker heen lik e a fabulous, st. rs, t a thi ose the ual bu you to -totallyIf yo u cho them yea3” at the mo re cas wear ssi c. a- or ght be mo l will take want mi an d cla le, you can ferent occ g hee . If you htare sty right r and for difck pumps er and lonssier events s for nig mp dre sid bla pu higher foreve Because l ose a can con ur the ar your sions. sat ile , yo u nt in yo ll- to we you may chobut be carefu etme time, nner heel mps and stil for so ver an inv est uld be wi the and thi tform pu t reserved the m ob e an d sho more on bes ut pla wa rdr spend a bit er abo as these are occasions. to sid tos ing ssiest e s to con pair. your dre right are a few tip one: p for somck sho for re can c bla He ing cla ssi E: You to shopp too STYL s on the e va rie ty when thi ng in a iat ion le e style So me d som GN : unfashionabclassic varmp to ad . Mary Jan cla ssi c DE SI ere d ner. A y pu wardrobe re will be trendy not even soois just slightles your s are con sid ll for mo we pro t if on y r mp or tha yea rk ver n jeans want . Avoid nt pu is one pump ed at the toed at the fro e an d wowear, eve If you ss l round elo ng ate ma y fea turer casua nal trousers. le black dretry fessio down a litt u mi gh t tha t arefoo t wh ich es or oth e ent sim ple to ton er ou tfit , yomps in pat es of the on the sid nts . A for ts cut ou ve ele me o the best id or othJane style pu Choose onher r. ati de cor pump is als tfits. So avo s- Mary ular leathe e strap rat too siz ou cry or reg ck of or bla derate too thick mber e stu ds, can h a mo aps as for a nu pie ces lik tes. They e wit n something double str y also tha ad de d metal pla and becom avoid y but ma thin, andy be trend quickly. tals, andwer an outfit nd ly. they mat of fashion ice s in mi p overpovery quick erdated l be det ’ll fall ou the se cho dy to sho s. mp you This wil e rea Ke ep RIAL: and how velyo u’r c bla ck puc an d TE en en ssi MA by wh es. Suede and d for wh som e cla eth ing cla ssito your mined m are goo e for oo se som the sho th the Ch wear dressier andther will giv y bequea the you makids! vet are gs, but lea we ari ng ing evenin op tio n of day or go t grand gh yo u theduring the Leather mi ht. shoes to nig from day

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

BED, WORK & LIFE

If your husband calls you with a hidden number, it means he is suspecting you. You have to be careful, my love. I think it has come to that time

ON SUN GRAPH

we have to take a definite stance

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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 01, 2014

Accessories

The perfect black pump Biwom Iklaki

A

pair of black pumps is like a little black dress -totally fabulous, trendy and classic. If you choose the right style, you can wear them forever and for different occasions. Because black pumps are so versatile, you can consider them an investment in your wardrobe and should be willing to spend a bit more on the right pair.

Here are a few tips to consider when shopping for one: DESIGN: Something too trendy will be unfashionable in a year if not even sooner. A classic pump is one that is just slightly rounded at the toe. Avoid ones that are elongated at the front of the foot which may feature cutouts on the sides or other decorative elements. A simple black pump is also the best for for a number of outfits. So avoid added pieces like studs, crystals, and metal plates. They can overpower an outfit and become dated very quickly.

MATERIAL: This will be determined by when and how you’ll wear the shoes. Suede and velvet are dressier and are good for evenings, but leather will give you the option of wearing the shoes during the day or going from day to night. Leather might

also last longer and be easier to clean, and hold up better in wet weather.

HEIGHT: For black pumps, you can wear anywhere and for years, try a lower heel such as 2” or 3” at the most. A thicker heel might be more casual but a thin and long heel will take you to the dressier events. If you want to wear your pumps for nighttime, you may choose a higher and thinner heel but be careful about platform pumps and stilettos as these are best reserved for your dressiest occasions.

STYLE: You can shop for some variations on the classic black pump to add some variety to your wardrobe. Mary Jane style pumps are considered classic and work very well for more casual wear, even jeans or professional trousers. If you want to tone down a little black dress or other outfit, you might try Mary Jane style pumps in patent or regular leather. Choose ones with a moderate size strap rather than something too thick or too thin, and avoid double straps as they may be trendy but may also fall out of fashion quickly.

Keep these choices in mind when you’re ready to shop for some classic black pumps.

Choose something classic and you may bequeath them to your grand kids!

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Body&Soul

I take my wife on a date every General Overseer of Christian Fellowship Group, lawyer and prolific writer, Bishop John D. Ogbansiegbe, is a man of many parts. But all that do not stop him from taking his wife on a date every weekend. He spoke with TAI ANYANWU the gospel to every nation; root out wrong foundations and demonic plantations in the lives of indi-

Your father founded a church. Doesn’t it follow that you dropped your legal profession to leverage on that foundation?

It is true that my biological father, His Eminence, the late Rt. Rev. Godson Chima Ogbansiegbe, pioneered the Christian Fellowship Group (church) in Nigeria. But I did not drop my legal profession for missionary work, because once a lawyer always a lawyer. I have a law office and some lawyers working under me. But because of gospel ministerial demands, I left advocacy and litigation. The Bible recorded that St. Paul, being a lawyer, a writer and a preacher, was also a tent maker.

Likewise, I still handle certain legal matters which are not a contradiction to my ministerial circumstance. However, it must be stated that I was actually called by God with a definite mandate.

And the exigencies of the ministry have continued to increase so enormously that I don’t have time for any other thing now but ministry and missions. The work of God is the greatest thing anybody can do in this world; and to be the servant of the Most High God requires total devotion, dedication and commitment for you to do it well.

Could you tell us about your divine mandate and how you got it?

My call to the ministry came on the morning of February 20, 1990 at Abia State University where I was studying Law. I heard the voice of God. It was like a trance to me.

It was a divine visitation.

This voice was shrouded in divinity and this voice told me, “This day, I have chosen you, I have ordained you to be my servant and to go to many people, nations and tribes so as to declare the whole counsel of God.” That voice used a language which I later discovered to be scripturally positioned in Jeremiah 1:10, which says “See; I have set thee over the nations, and over the kingdoms to root out and to pull down and to destroy and throw down, to build and to plant.” When I discovered this scripture, it became clear to me that this was the divine voice of my calling.

I held onto it tenaciously. After meditating and analysing it, it formed the seven foundational pillars of my ministry, mandate and missions. They are: to preach

that is existing against the glory of God; throw down demonic deposits and anything that God has not built or planted in the lives of God’s people, ministries and churches; build humanity by the Holy Ghost to the full stature of Christ and to the glory of God; and to plant the seed of the Gospel in the lives of people, ministries and nations. These are the seven foundational pillars of my ministry and calling. The divine deposit of God in my life has continued to increase each day, enabling me to write books and tracts, organise crusades in different parts of Nigeria, Africa and the entire world, ministering deliverance, healing and salvation to humanity.

Are you bringing up your own children to take after you?

I am training up my children in the fear of God. I am a strong believer and practitioner of that scriptural principle that says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22 vs.

6. I have a daily family altar where I teach them the word of God. Right now, four out of six children are already preachers. As for whether they will take after me, it depends on their ministerial destinies and the nature of their assignments.

What would you say is the unique impact you have recorded in your ministry?

Well, I would happily say that through my writings, Christian literature, evangelism, television and radio evangelism as well as city-wide crusades in different parts of Nigeria and outside Nigeria for over 18 years now, I’ve won hundreds of thousands of souls for my Lord Jesus Christ in different parts of the world.

I’ve also built many weak believers spiritually.

viduals and societies at large; pull down mountains that are standing against the move of God, destroy anything

Could you tell us about your writing ministry?

I’ve always admired writers and literature works. I have admired great writers like Charles C.H. Spugeons, who was the greatest preacher and writer of his time.

I also admire other writers like late Prof.

Chinua Achebe, Prof. Wole Soyinka and Pastor Enoch Adeboye.

I prayed, desired and coveted the gift and grace for writing. God answered my prayers and gave me the grace. This grace has continued to increase and blossom on a daily basis with Holy Ghost inspiration. This grace has increased mysteriously with such a degree of inexplicable profusion that I see myself prolifically writing books and expressing these ideas articulately on paper.

The word of God settles the puzzles by establishing the fact that every true wisdom and knowledge comes from God. The word of God in the book of Proverb 1 vs. 7 also said, “The fear of the Lord is

the beginning of knowledge.” The word of God also declared thus, “A man can receive nothing except it be given to him from heaven.” John 3 vs. 27.

To this end, I can boldly say that the extent of my literature works so far is the work of grace. By the grace of God, I have written 32 books and over 50 evangelism tracts. In February, I published and launched 17 books at once. I have over 100 manuscripts of books yet to be published. I have composed about 100 songs and produced two musical albums containing 10 songs each. The name of my music ministry is Holy Ghost Mandate Musical Productions.

I have the vision to go far in writing as far as influencing Christendom worldwide positively is concerned. I’m talking about making global impact though Christian literature outreaches. I’m also praying for the grace to write up to 2000 books before our Lord Jesus Christ comes.

The literature ministry gives any minister that has it a distinction among other ministers. Moses structured Judaism through his writings and has remained through till today in Israel, especially, when compared to any other prophet of the Old Testament. This was all because of his many literature works such as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. St. Paul was also outstanding and distinct because of his writings.

God also used him to shape and perfect the doctrines of Christianity, giving an edge over others.

How do you relax or unwind?

Well, it’s just a matter of placing your priorities right and knowing when to do what, when and how. Doing the right thing at the wrong time is a good misapplication. One should have a personal arrangement or standard itinerary to accommodate relaxation so as to avoid breaking down.

When that time for relaxation comes, I must force myself to relax and rest. If our environment is so congested with programmes, my wife and I will drive outside the city and rest for at least three days, at times one week.

When last did you take her on a date?

I work together with my wife at all times as a team. Ours is a matter of teamwork and partnership. You must pass through her office before you enter mine. So because we work together, we are always together in everything. We also travel together. She is more of a PA and special adviser, apart from the Holy Ghost. We have never been apart from each other.

We go out on dates every week no matter the nature of our schedule.

How did you meet her?

From a tender age, I studied the lives and history of many great men and women of God, to know what made them succeed and why they failed. I discovered that majority of them failed because of marital problems. I came to the realisation of the fact that marriage could make or mar the destiny of a minister, depending on how it was handled. I started praying for a peaceful, blissful marriage early enough before I met my wife.

I entered into a three-day fast with prayers, telling God to lead me to my wife. I told God all I wanted from a woman, her height and even complex-

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weekend -Bishop Ogbansiegbe ion. One of the nights of that fast, the Lord revealed my wife to me in a dream.

For over six months, the image that God revealed to me remained very real and fresh in my memory.

One day, I was in my friend’s house when their last daughter came back from school in the company of that image I saw in the dream. When I saw her, I identified her face and greeted her as though I had known her for many years. At first, she was shy and reserved. She had her book in her hand. She looked studious.

I followed her up gently and wisely until our love for each other became very great. This love became highly celebrated and led us to the altar on December 6, 1996, when our marriage was solemnised. We have lived happily together since then. We are also blessed with six children, four boys and two girls, all in four pregnancies because she had two sets of twins. To God be the glory.

What is the best advice she has ever given to you?

She has always advised me to take things easy so that I don’t break down.

This advice is basically because of numerous ministerial engagements and commitments.

What position does she occupy in your church?

She is the National Women’s coordinator. She is also a great motivational teacher. She is the rector of our theology school as well as the coordinator and co-director in our academy, Divine Light International Nursery, Primary and Seminary School.

Between both of you, who decided on the number of children you have?

I was the one that decided that I wanted four children, three boys and one girl; but God decided otherwise and gave us two sets of twins, making their number up to six, four boys and two girls.

What is your view about men of God being fashionable?

It is good for a man of God to be very fashionable and moderately dressed. This is because, in preaching etiquette and principles, the minister’s dressing and appearance flow alongside his personal charisma. By this, his appearance and dressing are also preaching the gospel with him. But if he is shabbily dressed, he may be making a negative impact on his audience. When they are hearing a sound message, he may unknowingly be registering a wrong psychology in their minds.

Who selects the clothes you put on?

We jointly select the clothes we put on, both mine and hers. Most times, after her decision on the choice of her attire, I make a change and she doesn’t object.

She also alters mine.

Do you wear perfumes? What is your brand?

Yea, I wear perfumes, precisely 212 for Men. One thing about both dresses and perfumes is for the minister or the child of God to be checked and guided by the Holy Spirit through the provisions of that scripture in 1st Corinthian 10 vs.

31, which says, “Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” After dressing, go to the mirror and look at yourself. Ask yourself ‘what I’m wearing now; is it to the glory of God? What I’m eating, drinking or what I’m about to do, is it to the glory of God?’ The Holy Spirit will work with your conscience and tell you what to do. If your dress or outfit will

seduce and mislead those believers that are looking up to you, surely the Holy Spirit will not approve of it.

Popular ministers like you usually face temptation from women. How do you prevent yourself from falling?

It is the greatest desire of the devil for every great minister of God to end up in disgrace or failure. Every man of God must be determined not to fail. You must screw your determination to a breaking point to ensure that you make it to the end and end up in glory. The major work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is to establish self-control. This was why Job said, “The spirit within me constraineth me from what I want to say.” Job 32:18. Apostle Paul also confessed and said, “The love of Christ contraineth us.” 2 Corinthian 5:14. There should be self-control over your speech and your secret actions. And this is only possible by the operations and directives of the Holy Spirit which dwells in the believer or minister. By this Holy Ghost self-control, it is not possible for a man of God to fall for seduction. This is my secret. I’m determined to make it to the end as a minister of God. Again, the Holy Ghost within me constraineth me from all sins. At this juncture, may I leave this divine scriptural injunction for all who are determined to make it to the end? It says thus, “This I say, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatian 5 vs.16.

The house of God is supposed to be devoid of confusion but today, some churches are embroiled in leadership tussles. What is your take on that?

These things are the signs of the last days and the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says thus, “For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.” Matthew 24:7a, “And then shall many be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another.” Matthew 24:10 “When ye therefore see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel, the prophet stand in the Holy place know that the end i s

near.” Matthew 24:15. So when you see and hear disgraceful and abominable things happening in our churches, just know that they are the signs of the last days.

Isn’t it out of place for men of God to lead lifestyles that expose them to negative publicity such as acquiring fleets of choice cars and private jets?

Many ministers have been uniquely called by God for different purposes, assignments and missions. And in the course of these callings, there are specific terms, which may be seen as terms of reference meant to be a guide, compass and a checkmate to the minister’s ministerial operations. In this sense, therefore, anything done outside his terms of calling is tantamount to loss of vision and mission. Consequently, that minister will end up in an unmitigated disaster. Some ministers like King Solom o n of old w e r e called

by God to express and radiate wealth, glory and affluence. To such ministers, God will lavish

wealth and glory and keep them beyond human judgment and victimisation. God will even give them fleets of cars and jets and if any man tries to hurt them, that person will face the wrath of God. There are other ministers whose unique calling is one to express and radiate only the Holiness of God. To such ministers and ministries, all they do and write will be revolving around holiness, purity and righteousness. The Bible was used not to judge another man’s service. “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.

Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Roman. 8 vs. 33-34. But I believe in balanced Christianity. I preach holiness and righteousness and I also preach prosperity and faith. I preach heaven and I also preach hell. I also believe in Phil.

4 vs. 8 which says, “Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” One translation says “desire these things.”

Based on this scriptural authority, I don’t reject or disregard the good things that God brings into my life, family or ministry.

But I must emphasise and maintain that every man of God must be guided by their Christian conscience and operate in the consciousness of their calling, vision and mission; always having the ultimate glory of God i n mind.

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 01, 2014

Body&Soul

with

P

atra felt uncomfortable as Pius and Betty held on to each other. A thousand and one things flashed through her mind in that brief instance. Well, she would get to the root of this.

“Oh my, you look very healthy and happy now,” Betty gushed, looking him over.

“You too. You’ve added so much weight. You’ve really lost your svelte figure,” Pius replied.

“Haaaa, you mean I’m no longer beautiful?” Betty made a face, adding, “Why am I even bothered, you’re always a tease...but you look quite happy.”

“Yeah I am. I found joy...” Pius began and stopped.

They both turned to look at Patra who had been staring at them.

Pius drew her into his arms and told Betty, “Meet the CEO of my heart. Yeah, the Chief Executive Officer... she drove away sorrow and brought sunshine into my life. She is the sole occupant of that part of my heart where a woman’s love should be. As you can see, she’s gonna gimme a son.”

“It’s obvious you guys know each each other pretty well...” Patra began, a tinge of jealousy in her voice.

Pius cut in, “Yeah, my love. Lemme talk about the second time we met. My late wife was one of Betty’s biggest clients. You know you women and fashion.

Betty seemed to stock her taste. She came to the house one day. It was a sweet surprise. The first time we met...”

“Was in the university,” Betty cut in. Patra’s eyes were wide as saucers. She stared at Betty and muttered, “University?” She moved out of Pius’ arms and stared at both of them.

“Who are you?” She asked Pius and the baby kicked in her womb.

She moved to the bed and sat down. It was then they all realised they had been standing since the women got into the hotel room. Pius joined her on the bed while Betty sat on the couch.

She began, “Patra, Pius was that hunk that terrorised girls on the campus with his good looks and money.

That heartthrob that drove better cars than our lecturers...that guy you refused to date. The guy we were all dying for who never looked our way. No, he looked my way once or so I thought. The fox took me out on a date, left me woozy with a kiss and begged me to get you for him by all means. I was angry of course... “ Patra looked blankly from Pius to Betty and back.

Pius eyes rounded as it all came back to him.

“OMG! You mean she was that godess with killer shape in school? She looks so unlike that slim beauty who always plaited her hair then. Oh, She has ‘fleshened’ up and looks queenly now. But when I asked after her in my house that day, you couldn’t recollect who I was talking about,” Pius told Betty. He was smiling with dawning recognition.

Betty nodded, “Yeah, she is. Patra was that studious friend of mine who did all the reading and I had all the fun for both of us. We called her Prof. Peepee then. I pretended I didn’t know who you were talking about that day because I didn’t want to link you with her.

Moreover, your wife was there.”

Pius shifted a little away from Patra and observed her. Then he moved to her again and drew her to his chest.

“My love, you can see we were made for each other.

I was ready to do anything to have you then but you spurned my every move. Now, fate brought us together and ensured that a part of me would be with you forever.”

Words failed Patra. She looked from Betty to Pius.

She felt like Alice in wonderland. She wondered why fate took her on a torturous journey before she found fulfillment.

She sat there like an heifer whose ownership was being dragged by two farmers while Pius and Betty discussed her past and future.

Betty said, “Pius, it is obvious that both of you are in love now. The problem is that she has a husband whom she is also in love with and who loves her. I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes now. I had chided her. I told her she behaved badly. But now, I don’t know what to say. How do you want to sort out this triangle?”

“Dear, I sleep and wake up with that thought and I still haven’t found an answer. But one thing I know is that I won’t let Patra go. Perhaps, if you had helped me to talk to her in school then, I wouldn’t have been in this dilemma now. Please, you now have another chance to help make me happy forever,” Pius said and Betty sighed deeply.

Juliet Bumah +234 81 1 675 9770 chibumah@yahoo.com

One life to live

******* Ruth’s eyes were swollen. She was at a police station where she had gone to lodge a complaint against Old Jim. He had beaten her blue and black the night before.

Unfortunately, the case was taking an ugly turn.

The police had arrested Jim and in the statement he wrote at the police station, he laid claim to her children. Now the police had asked her to get Richie whom she told them was the father of her children.

She sat in a corner, crying. Her cousin, Ann, was with her.

“What are you going to do now? I warned you then to do away with this old man but you refused. I told you you couldn’t eat your cake and have it. You netted a young man who had all the money and had no problem spending it and you couldn’t leave this old bum,” Ann told her.

“Please Ann, let us not go into that. There’s a way that seems right to a fun seeker and the end is destruction. My problem is that I can’t get Richie into this issue. How can I tell him that I have been sleeping with the man I introduced to him as my uncle? Moreover, Richie is not the father of my children.”

“What?” Ann exclaimed, mouth agape. ******** When Richie got home from the gym, Patra was not around. She had told him that she would be going shopping with Betty.

“Women and shopping,” he muttered and went for a shower.

After the shower, he took his lunch which had been prepared by his wife.

“Wife? Do I still have a wife to myself? Does a woman who has another man’s baby growing in her womb qualify to be called my wife? Our wife is more like it! Where is Patra right now? Is she shopping or having the other man top up what he had planted in her womb?”

Richie felt hot suddenly. He picked his phone and dialed Patra’s number, hiding his identity.

Patra picked when it rang the second time. She sounded low and happy. In the background, Richie could hear a man’s voice. The voice sounded sure and rich. Then, he could hear another sound, probably the television. Patra was not in a market. He cut the line without saying a word.

He called again, this time, with his full identity.

“Hello,” Patra said. No darling, love etc. Her voice was sharper. Noise from the television was still in the background.

“Where are you my wife,” he managed to asked, his heart was bleeding.

“I’m in a shop with Betty. We’re not through yet. Are you back? Your lunch is in the dinette,” she responded.

Apart from not adding words of endearment, she sounded normal. But somewhere in Richie’s mind, something didn’t add up.

“We need to talk things over when she comes back today. I need to know the truth,” he told himself. He moved to the bar and took a bottle of choice cognac and a glass. He turned on the television, settled comfortably on the couch and poured himself a large drink.

“One life to live,” he muttered as he raised his glass up, tossed the drink off and poured another. ****** “I have a feeling that it was Richie that called the first time,” she told Pius and Betty. Betty was alarmed.

“Are you sure?” She asked and Patra nodded, “It was the same background.”

Pius said, “If your husband calls you with a hidden number, it means he is suspecting you. You have to be careful, my love. I think it has come to that time we have to take a definite stance. Remember, I love you so much and want you with me forever. I’ll die, fighting to claim you, if need be. If he wants the truth, you tell him. What’s his temper like?”

“I can’t really say. We’ve never had serious issues in the past,” Patra replied, adding,”I have to go home now.”

“Okay my love,” he said, kissing her and rubbing his palm all over her belly.

“Take care of you and our son. I’m not in a hurry to go back to Abuja now. I have a feeling I’m going back with you,” he said with a set face.

Patra looked at the face and fell more deeply in love with him. She wondered why she never gave him a look in school those days. With this build and face, she was sure she would have fallen for him then. ****************** Are we getting to the end of this entrancing series? I wouldn’t miss it next Sunday if I were you.

So, let’s find out if Richie mustered the nerves to ask that big question.

21

JUNE 01, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

At home acne boot camp Biwom Iklaki

W

hen you have acne, you may be so eager to get rid of the unsightly breakouts that you try every product in the market, from topical creams to tools that fix your blackheads.

These can be effective but they can also be expensive and in some cases, may irritate your skin even more since they’re often made with harsh ingredients.

A better approach might be to try some at-home acne remedies

Octmeal

for your skin, along with a good skincare routine. Even with acne you want to still apply moisturiser day and night, as this can actually tone down oily skin and keep it from being irritated. Something light like Vitamin E oil or coconut oil can be used as an affordable option, and gentle cleansers and toners are best for cleaning.

Oatmeal One good mask you can use for acne is a simple oatmeal paste.

Grind 1/4 cup instant oatmeal in

a food processor while boiling 1/4 cup water. Add the water to the oatmeal and stir thoroughly, then let it cool completely. Gently dab this onto acne prone areas and let it sit for 10 minutes, then rinse off with cool water.

Chocolate Chocolate is actually very good for the skin because of its high milk content and acidity. You can use a chocolate mask for firming and anti-aging. For acne, melt a small amount of unsweetened dark or

Unsweetened dark chocolate

semi-dark chocolate over a low heat (use an amount that you need to cover your acne breakouts). Add a teaspoon or two of light cream and continue stirring until you reach a light, runny consistency. It shouldn’t be thick like mayonnaise but thin like ketchup.

Allow the mixture to cool so that it’s just warm and comfortable on your skin, but don’t let it get cold before you spread it evenly. Use your fingers or a clean foundation brush and massage the chocolate mixture into your face and neck

and let it sit for 20 minutes. You might want to lie down on your back, with a towel under your head while you do this in case it starts to run. Rinse with warm water or step into the shower.

Be sure you use a good moisturiser on your face after any of these masks as you could have removed some natural oils on your skin with their application.

These are cheap fixes for you acne prone face, but they work really well too!

22 JUNE 01, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

here’s something special and romantic about Grecian dresses that adds an instant glamour and innocence to a woman’s appearance. They are classic, beautiful and elegant.

Grecian dresses are the latest fashion trend on the red carpet.

They are everywhere -from short to long ball gowns and elegant evening dresses. Long Grecian dresses take their inspiration from the togas of the Ancient Romans and Greeks, and are characterised by beautiful draping, empire line or natural waistlines and occasional braiding. We continue to see incarnations of this classic style on red carpets today.

Designers return to the look season after season by creating different styles that make the dress thoroughly modern.

Grecian dresses are popular with women because the style is incredibly flattering. If you’re worried about your stomach, choose a sweeping empire line dress which comes just underneath your bust. The one-shouldered silhouette showcases the neckline and the strapless shows off beautiful shoulders if you want a bit of fashion forward edge.

The look is not only for red carpets though. Draped, ruche tops and cocktail-length dresses complement most body types.

The pleat gives the illusion of an ample bust for small-chested women, and the structure under the fabric provides support while keeping a sleek figure.

If you want extra detailing on your Grecian dress, look for rope ties, sparkling emphasis or interesting drapes that will really make a statement. You can complete this fluid look with a waist-cinching belt and the right accessories.

The shoes you wear with a Grecian dress are equally important.

It must be something high and strappy with a matching clutch to complete the Goddess look.

They are a real departure from the traditional ball gowns that ladies sport to most formal evenings. So give this beautiful style a try and stand out in a crowd.

T

Vanessa Okwara

Grecian dresses: The goddess look

Body&Soul

43

Hardball Insurgency: Jonathan ignored our advice -APC p.28

biyi adegoroye, ASSISTANT Editor, Politics biyi.fire@yahoo.com

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Tel: 08033024007

JUNE 1, 2014

Interview Ewuga: Democracy has made positive progress p.25

23

Politics ON SUNDAY

15 years of democracy

Nigeria on the cliff-hanger With the dawn of democracy in 1999, there were high hopes as Nigerians looked back at the relics of military rule and its jackboots.

In this report, BIYI ADEGOROYE takes a retrospective look at the journey so far and the way forward

T

he swearing-in of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as the third elected President of the country on May 29, 1999, brought with it a new vista in the political lives of all Nigerians. For one thing, it swept the vestiges of military rule into the dustbin of history, and opened the way for democratic government.

Obasanjo emerged winner of the presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, defeating the joint presidential candidate of the All Peoples Party/ Alliance for Democracy, Chief Olu Falae.

The learning process The fledgling democracy was not without its challenges. No sooner than Obasanjo assumed office than the National Assembly was threatened by a certificate scandal, as the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Salisu Buhari, was found to have forged a university degree from Canada.

He drew much umbrage, not only by his initial grandstanding, but also by his eventual capitulation, leading to the emergence of Alhaji Ghali Na’Abba. Much later, Hon. Patricia Etteh became the first woman to preside over the Lower House, but was consumed by a poor handling of contract awards by the House.

Equally noteworthy was the fact that the Senate was also encumbered by its hatching problems which culminated in a high turnover of presidents and some key officers.

Within a short time, the late Evans Enwerem, Ayim Pius Ayim, Adolphus Wabara and late Chuba Okadigbo came in short intervals, presiding over the Upper House, and like a mist, disappearing from the scene.

While the government trudged on, it confronted a barrage of developmental issues and crises. First were ethnic and religious feuds in many parts of the country – Aguleri-Umuleri in Anambra State; Tiv-Jukun in Benue and Taraba states; massive killings on the Plateau, Ife and Modakeke in Osun State; and militancy in the Niger Delta.

Also disturbing were other internal security

Jonathan

issues, like armed robbery and kidnapping.

Obasanjo had the daunting task of restoring the peace in such an environment, even as he grappled with the years of infrastructural decay and provision of such basic needs for the country’s over 160 million population.

The various states of the federation were also not without their fair share of the learning process. Speakers of some state Houses of Assembly were impeached in quick succession while some governors were either impeached or kicked out of office via the declaration of emergency rule. Bayelsa, Ekiti and Plateau states were reference points in this regard.

Also, Anambra State was turned to a theatre of war, as the battle of the godfathers led to the kidnap of Governor Chris Ngige in an unprecedented show of lawlessness.

Sadly, a number of leaders of political parties were killed. Among were the then Minster

Obasanjo

of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige; the then Chairman, All Nigeria Peoples Party Board of Trustees, Chief Harry Marshall; PDP National ViceChairman, South-South, Chief Aminasoari Dikibo; ANPP chieftain in Imo State, Chief Ogbonnaya Uche; and a PDP governorship candidate in Lagos State, Chief Funsho Williams.

Such was the state of affairs until the aborted third term bid of the then President Obasanjo and the legendary display of bribes, concealed in Ghana-must-go bags were displayed on the floor of the House of Representatives. Following the collapse of the move, the then Katsina State Governor, Umar Musa Yar’Adua, clinched the PDP presidential ticket and the ailing governor succeeded Obasanjo on May 29, 2007.

Barely two years into his first term, he took ill

and flew to a Saudi Arabian hospital, leaving the National Assembly to adopt the Doctrine of Necessity which culminated in the emergence of the Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, as President, after much vacillation and political brinkmanship. Yar’Adua later died after he was brought back to Nigeria.

Between ambition and national security Since the 2011 elections which brought Jonathan into power as an elected president, the nation has witnessed many threats. One of the most serious problems has been insecurity.

The level of insecurity assumed a frightening dimension when the leader of the radical Islamic sect, Boko Haram’s Mohammed Yusuf, was executed in police custody after he was arrested by soldiers and handed over to the police in 2009. Since then, the bombing of

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

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JUNE 1, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Politics / Analysis

15 years on -Nigeria on the cliff-hanger

Yar'Adua C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 3

churches, mosques, military and police formations, banks, private homes and bus parks has become the order of the day. The Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta has also carried out a number of bombings, including the October 1, 2010 attack on Eagle Square, Abuja which claimed over 30 lives.

Put together, the cumulative effect of these was the loss of over 12,000 lives and several properties including the United Nations Office in Abuja.

A former National Security Adviser, Gen. Owoeye Azazi, blamed the nation’s security problems on the lack of internal democracy in the political parties. Unfortunately, Azazi died in a helicopter crash with the then serving Governor of Kaduna State, Mr. Patrick Yakowa, in November 2012 in Okoroba, Bayelsa State.

The verdict After 15 years of .the nation’s democratic journey, in the Fourth Republic, what has the nation learnt even as insecurity continues to threaten its corporate existence? Will the ongoing National Conference and the political class pursue their political ambitions in tandem with national interest? How has the nation fared?

Senator Sola Adeyeye says Nigeria’s democracy is a tale of "the good, the bad and the ugly', - with the combination of the bad and ugly taking the greater proportion, exceeding that which is good.” He observed that Nigeria has been enjoying a measure of freedom of expression which was a luxury during military rule.

“The good side is that today people can criticise their President, demand for better performance, especially in areas where he has fallen short of their expectations. To that extent, we can say that Nigeria is moving ahead,” he said.

Adeyeye, however, noted that the nation has not enjoyed dividends of democracy, especially in the areas of roads, education and health.

He added, “You need to look at the condition of our roads, education infrastructure and the like. Infrastructure at the universities are in a decrepit condition while most of the hospitals are begging for attention.”

He expressed worry over the state of insecurity in the country, especially the April 15, 2014 abduction of the pupils of Government Girls’ Secondary College, Chibok, in Borno

Buhari

State, as well as the destructive activities of Boko Haram.

“Disturbing as the level of security, we have also observed the intimidation and harassment by the police of people who are protesting and calling for the release of these girls.

These were people who were exercising their God-given rights; rights which are even enshrined and guaranteed in the constitution,” he said.

In his view, given the circumstances in which President Jonathan came into office, the death of Yar'Adua and the hanky-panky played by some political elite to deny him of the right to be sworn in as president, “it is tragic that those in power soon forget the lesson of history and are currently perpetrating this kind of rights abuse.”

Adeyeye lamented that since 1999, capital projects itemised in the budget have never been fully executed.

“As a matter of fact, this area has been scandalously neglected. We find this very worrisome and we want a change for the better," he added.

In her assessment, a former Minister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman, said the nation’s democracy is maturing gradually.

Stating that Rome was not built in a day, she noted that it is getting better by the day. She, however, urged Nigerians as a people to look at the contributions and sacrifices they can make in the interest of the nation.

“We as a people need to take a look at ourselves, look at our level of patriotism, believe in ourselves and our country. That way, we will move ahead as a nation. Now this is not to say we say that other areas don't deserve our attention – areas like infrastructure, education and the rest,” the former Finance Minister said.

On security, Usman acknowledged that this too deserves great attention, though observing that it is a global phenomenon which is not peculiar to Nigeria. She expressed confidence in Nigeria to overcome its current challenges.

Speaking on the issue, Ogun State PDP Chairman, Chief Adebayo Dayo, said the nation’s democracy has developed a lot in the past 15 years, and there have been great improvements in all aspects of life.

He measured this not only by the number of political parties that have been formed, but by the crop of leaders produced. At various levels of government, various leaders have emerged, and Nigerians have continued to align along

Akande

various political lines.

He referred to the merger of political parties, competitive elections, periodic re-alignment at the various state houses of assemblies and even at the National Assembly when it comes to issues of nationa importance as index for measuring development in the polity.

Besides that, Dayo said the nation has witnessed much development in the areas of infrastructure, than it was 15 years ago.

"Our roads are now better than they were 15 years ago. Look at Benin-Warri Road and even other roads in many parts of the country. Air travel too is better and safer. Power supply is improving gradually," he said.

In his view, the deregulation of the telecommunication industry is one visible dividend of democracy, followed by the energy sector, which is receiving great attention under the “transformation agenda of the Federal Government. The old PHCN has been unbundled and power generation, transmission and distribution given to various companies for healthy growth of the economy. Lately, government is making energy available through this gas-to-power arrangement.”

Dayo observed that the PDP government had been able to deliver on the dividends of democracy, but that a lot Nigerians have the custom of passing the buck, especially as regards issues of security. With the existence of the three tiers of government and constitutional provisions of exclusive, concurrent and residual lists, the Federal Government should not be blamed for every lapse in the polity, according to him.

On the killings by Boko Haram, Dayo described it as "a passing phase in the life of the nation. The United Kingdom sometime ago had a similar problem when the Irish Republican Army rebels caused a lot of mayhem. But today, that is history. So Boko Haram, which is killing Christians, Muslims, young and old now, will soon be history.”

Similarly, a former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Joe Keshi, said that things are gradually improving.

"The Federal Government might not have created many jobs, but we are getting there. It is the same all over the world. If we can do a few things like the gas master plan and energy reforms, and open up the economy, retrain our workforce, retrain graduates out of the universities into other areas that they are not looking at, the jobs would appear," he declared.

Keshi added, "The health sector is very huge and large, taking not just doctors and nurses.

There are others like midwives, laboratory staff and even medical record keepers. All these are skills that might not be provided for in our universities. So, we need to look inwards and develop confidence in ourselves rather than running ourselves down all the time, saying that nothing is happening; our government is useless, the people too are bad and all that.

"If the government can take a serious look at the sector, a lot of jobs would be created, and people will have better health and productivity and longevity will improve.”

Scorecard Presenting his scorecard in Abuja recently, President Jonathan expressed optimism in the future of the country, noting that the nation is not doing too badly, even as it contends with terror.

At an interactive session with some youths on the occasion of the third year of his transformation agenda, he said government was doing its best to improve the lives of citizens.

To him, the state of insecurity cannot be tackled by the armed forces alone but needs the support of all citizens because terrorism leverages on community support.

"Terror succeeds with local support. It will be difficult for terror to thrive where people reject it. It is a major challenge to all of us. Military alone cannot stop terror or any radicalism.

"Terrorists have people they respect, they have community, traditional and opinion leaders they respect. All of us can deradicalise, and reintegrate remorseful ones,” he said. How this works our remains to be seen.

Fifteen years on, Nigeria is yet grappling with myriads of problems like terrorism, lack of patriotism, infrastructural deficiency, ethnic and religious crises and poverty, all of which currently threaten the nation’s existence. The political class also seems to have become more fiendish and violent in their fight for political office, driven more by personal interest than the interest of the nation.

Whereas the nation has recorded some appreciable growth in the past 15 years which gives a glimmer of hope, observers believe that the current spate of terrorism and bad politics possess the capabilities of bringing the nation to its knees. Whether Nigeria would celebrate another 15 years of democracy depends on how this is handled.

25

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 1, 2014

Politics / Interview

Ewuga: Democracy has made positive progress in 15 years Solomon Ewuga is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, representing Nasarawa North Senatorial District. In this interview with CHUKWU DAVID in Abuja, he appraises Nigeria's 15 years of democracy and other important national issues

W

hat is your impression about 15 years of democracy in Nigeria?

This country has really experienced a very positive period of uninterrupted democracy for 15 years now. It is the longest in our history. And it is a positive indication of values upon which our democracy stands.

Thank God that we are having this scenario; and this will canvass into the positive standing of the fact that our democracy is becoming better and stronger.

The various challenges in the country have compelled some Nigerians to think that colonial rule or even military dictatorship would have been better for the country. What is your take on this?

That is very regressive reasoning, very backward and totally unreasonable in view of the circumstances we found ourselves. This country is a great country. We have stumbled in the course of our own development, but this does not orchestrate a return to unacceptable systems that you don't know anything about.

Anything could have happened during the colonial period. They could have balkanised the country and divided it according to their own interest. They could have established the kind of government that suited them. The colonial system did not have the welfare of the people of this country as its primary responsibility. Freedom has a price just like democracy has a price. Time creates very viable commodities for change. And no matter what happens, people should not equate our independence with an undetermined process you don't have control over. What I'm saying is that I'm a democrat and I read Political Science. The rule is that it is better for people to cast one vote in an election that has a future; because if that is the expression of the general will of the people, it is better than when you have the military. What difference will they make that you think democracy will not make? Democracy only ensures a deliberate governance and a process in which you can work eventually towards a direction. Military rule is a system that no one can determine how it works. Even the operators live by the whims and caprices of individual powers. It could be excessive; it could be collegiate. That is why we say that

Ewuga

The problem will come and go. Britain has had IRA; Spain had her own problem, and the country still exists. So, there is nothing we are experiencing that is new in the history and construction of the nation the best form of government is democracy, which is the coming together of the people to determine how to govern themselves.

In view of the present challenges in the polity, and looking at the utterances of some politicians and sometimes civil society organisations, what is your word of advice for them?

What is happening had happened in worse circumstances in the history of this country.

We had a civil war for almost three years and it was overcome. This one is a problem being created by insurgents within the country.

So, it is an enemy within. The problem will come and go. Britain has had IRA; Spain had her own problem, and the country still exists.

So, there is nothing we are experiencing that is new in the history and construction of the nation. And what is happening in Nigeria is not new. It is just an unfortunate inclination that developed well beyond our expectation.

Some people are of the opinion that why the war against the insurgency in the North-East Nigeria has not succeeded is because of sabotage within the military.

Do you think this is true?

It is because we have the capacity for it that is why these opportunities come. In the history of a country, there is nothing that will not come, because we are undergoing political transformation. When the West was finding a new frontier in America, the American Indians who were murdered in their millions were collaborators with them. When the State

of Israel was created and certain events began to unfold, there were elements of sabotage.

So, there will always be sabotage. In any case, mind you that saboteurs have a short-term objective, which doesn't last. So, it is only a passing phase in the history of the country, and we should not be discouraged. We have to forge ahead; tackle these problems and go on with our national development process.

Looking at the dimension of insurgency in the country, do you have faith that it can be resolved?

It will be resolved beyond what you think.

And once it is resolved, you will clap for this country because these are processes that are not meant to ensure that this country remains united and the people live together. These are forces in themselves, that want a break up of this country. But there is another thing, this is an election year, and it happens all over the world. The incumbent goes to do everything to return to power. And by the time he wins, you find out that a lot of things will change.

Some Nigerians have expressed concern about the invitation of foreign countries to help tackle the insurgency. They are afraid that the involvement of the United States might lead to the break-up of Nigeria as earlier predicted. What's your view on this?

Are you saying that America brought Boko Haram into Nigeria? Please, let us be more serious because this is an important issue. The Americans have come because of the international dimension of these terrorist activities.

Two, the key factor is the abduction of the girls. That is a despicable thing. In war, in any crisis, women and children are not a target.

But these insurgents have lost their sense of bearing. They have made women their targets.

You can see the dimension of the problem.

So, in Nigeria, when you talk about things this way you make yourself look like an unintelligent person. We are intelligent people.

It is because of the girls that were abducted that America got involved because it is not

accepted as part of international culture in the engagement of war.

Before the Senate passed the extension of the state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States, some conditions were attached such as the recruitment of the civilian JTF in the area into the military, etc. Do you think that such conditions will actually help in tackling the insurgency?

In the history of a country, anything you will do that will ensure stability should be looked at. Why would the President want to have an emergency in a place if the intention is not for peace? Why did he go there after all? It is because of the circumstances in which those states were found that the emergency was declared. So, if crisis made them to declare emergency, why is sustenance a problem?

They should do everything to ensure that the purpose of the emergency is achieved. I think we should have a straightforward reasoning.

You see, I think we don't seem to work with reason; and that is why things that are good don't come to us. So, when we have straightforward reasoning, we think constructively and things will begin to work better for us.

As a politician, what is your plan for 2015? Are you going to return to the Senate or do you intend to go for something different?

I'm a political gladiator, and any time I am given the opportunity to provide service, I will do so in whatever category.

To be specific, are you going to run for the office of Governor of Nasarawa State?

In whatever category in the elective position they ask me to serve them, I will do so.

What is your advice for politicians who are overheating the system?

Those that are heating the polity don't have political orientation. If you have political orientation and intention for service, you won't heat the system. If you heat the system, what purpose does it serve you? And that is why there are laws. That is my opinion.

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Politics

Chibok: Understanding the many protests

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here are currently some twists in the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State by members of the Islamic Boko Haram sect.

But while the girls continue to remain in the custody of their abductors for over a month now, with little knowledge of the whereabout of the innocent students, various groups appear to be closing in on daily basis to the advantages that abound with the unfortunate saga.

It is not in doubt at the moment that the security challenges being faced by Nigeria may have been hijacked by some elements to provide a fertile ground for politicians to play politics with the lives of citizens.

What seems to be the concern of sane minds on the Chibok crisis is the involvement of private individuals and organised private sector with doubled faces, some chanting choruses for and against government action and inactions.

The question posed by many is whether such interventions by groups that have staged demonstrations demanding the release of the girls are with sincerity of purpose or not.

This could be responsible for the recent interpretation and comments by the Information Minister, Mr. Labaran Maku who said after the weekly Federal Executive Council last Wednesday, that the tied of protests over the abduction is from the opposition party. But, Maku seems to be expressing the feeling of the presidency as well.

One group which appears to have gained grounds both within Nigeria and around the world in protesting on the Chibok issue is that led by the former Vice President of the World Bank for Africa, Obi Ezekwesili and Mrs Maria Uwais, wife of former Chief Justice of Nigeria.

With the slogan 'Bring Back our Girls', this

Anule Emmanuel emmyanule@yahoo.com paricular group had first matched to the National Assembly where they were received by the leadership of the legislature under severe down pour. Senate President David Mark, his deputy Ike Ikweremadu and Honourable Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Speaker of the House of Representatives were all drenched in the rains on that fateful day.

There are fillers that presidency is increasingly becoming uncomfortable with the dimension which the protests by this specific group and others have taken. In far away United States of America and other parts of the globe, Mitchell Obama, wife of the US President and Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani school pupil who stood up for education and was shot by Taliban all endorsed the Bring Back Our Girls campaign.

Obi and her members last week Thursday made a further attempt to match into the seat of government, the Aso Rock presidential villa but were stopped by heavily armed police men. They were however received by a high powered delegation of the Federal Government led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyiman Pius Anyim as representatives of President Goodluck Jonathan.

With the emergence of new groups who pundits say seem sympathetic to government,

there is some level of twist in the whole protests.

The worrisome fact is that as some of these groups continue to focus on government and the presidency specifically for its inabilities to secure the release of the girls, other attention remain on condemning terrorists and demanding for their release.

The two prominent organisations whom observers say have stood against attacks on government are the Citizen Initiative for Security Awareness, a non governmental organization and the Grand Alliance Against Terrorism. CISA recently took a protest match to the defence headquarters where they were addressed on Monday by the service chiefs.

Unlike the other groups, these two groups have their slogans as 'Say no to Boko Haram', 'Release our girls Boko Haram' and 'free our girls Boko Haram'' For the other groups, it is Bring Back Our Girls. The difference here is clear.

But sadly, these groups on Thursday clashed with members of the 'Bring Back Our Girls' beaten heavily by the other groups whom it is believed evaded the unity fountain where the Obi Ezekwesili led group had been occupying for the past three weeks to protest the release of the girls.

Taking from the words of Maku that "We

did not create this insurgence or the structure that led to them, you know where they came from but you are now blaming the fire fighter for the fire," it is imperative for both sides, the government whose handlers believe the entire crisis is targeted at bringing down the administration of President Jonathan and the perceived opposition to realise that the lives of these young girls are more important. The international unity has also shown interest in the whole saga.

While the fact remains that our girls are missing, and government owes us a duty to find them, politicians must play their games and let the security of lives and property of citizens remain intact. Nigerians must also not allow themselves to be used by desperate politicians. No ambition of any politician is worth the blood of one single Nigerian.

Poor event mgt

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vents managers need to be on top of their game, and that was one lesson from last Wednesday's event in Abuja with President Jonathan in attendance. All through the many speeches that were delivered, no one had the challenge of using microphones until Mr. President stood to speak. Was this a sabotage?

Many people in the crowd spoke in low tones with this question. It is possible, some one has not done his job properly.

For over 15 minutes, Mr. President was left standing because the public address system refused to work. Interestingly, when it was finally rectified, the President joked over it and simply identified it as one of those challenges which should not be allowed to deter our progress. But the lesson is clear.

Getting more women to seek elective offices R esident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ekiti State, Alhaji Hussain Halilu Pai, and Director, Voter Education and Publicity of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Oluwole OsazeUzzi, were on the same page a few weeks ago. That was at a one-day meeting between the commission and Civil Society Organisations in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

The duo insisted that the absence of female contestants was indicative of insufficient constructive engagement and liaison among the CSOs and political parties. Said Alahji Pai, said “Women should ginger their members to contest. All the 18 governorship candidates are men. There is need for women to stand up and contest for election in Ekiti and indeed, the country. Nigeria is for all of us”.

On his part, Osaze-Uzzi, said, he was “particularly saddened that out of the 18 governorship candidates for Ekiti State governorship election, there is no woman. We should constructively and persuasively engage the political parties to ensure the emergence of female candidates for elections at all levels”.

As the duo were canvassing for women involvement in Ekiti governorship, Secretary of INEC Mrs. Augusta Ogakwu, was busy articulating a framework for gender mainstreaming with a view to bridging the increasing gender gaps and promote mutual partnerships between men and women in the operations of the commission. She told participants at a workshop for the presentation/validation of the draft INEC gender policy for directing staff that the commission has initiated some administrative as well as operational innovations that will promote gender sensitive practices. Mrs. Ogakwu

INECDiary Onyekachi Eze

Analysts have argued that INEC has no role to play when it comes to who flies the flag of a political party in the election. This is exclusively the responsibility of political parties still came back to the point raised by Alhaji Pai and Osaze-Uzzi, when she told the participants that some of the initiatives are to include “checklist for party congresses and primaries, demanding the inclusion of at least one woman as member of the party congress and primaries planning committees, as well as fair gender distribution, in recruitment, promotion and appointments where applicable.”

INEC and indeed feminist advocates in Nigeria have every cause to worry. Statistics show retrogression in the number of women elected into public office in Nigeria since 2007. For instance in 2007, nine women (representing 10 per cent of 109) were elected into the Nigerian Senate. The number came

ezekatchy@yahoo.co.uk

down to seven (or 6.4 per cent) in 2011. That same year, only 12 females (or 3.33 per cent of 360) got elected in the House of Representatives as against 26 in 2007. No reason was given for this.

Since the return to the present democratic experience, and even the nation’s independence in 1960, no woman was elected governor in any part of the country. The highest position a woman had occupied was the deputy governorship despite the fact that women constitute more than half of registered voters.

To encourage women participation in elective positions, some political parties have adopted a free run policy for any female aspirant who wants to run on its ticket. But this is not where the problem lies. Toyin Ajao, of Peace and Security Fellow of King’s College, London, said obstacles hindering Nigerian women participation in politics include “religious misconceptions and rigid mindsets about women’s roles, their lack of resources to run campaigns and political violence as well as government’s failure to domesticate and implement international conventions that promote women’s equal participation in policy and governance processes”.

Since the 1995 Beijing Women Conference, women’s participation in government at all

levels has taken a front burner. Feminists and activists have since then been championing this cause.

Nigeria’s national gender policy puts women’s representation in government at 35 per cent. President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration prides itself of surpassing this target with the appointment of over 10 women in the cabinet. But appointment is different from elective positions.

Sometime this year, INEC Chairman, Prof.

Attahiru Jega held a meeting with Nigeria Women Trust Fund where female stakeholders raised salient issues regarding women participation in elections. At the meeting Jega disclosed that the commission had also put in place plans that would ensure increased participation of women in subsequent elections in the country, but added that : “all stakeholders have important roles to play, not only in the core plans for the elections, but also in ensuring that all Nigerians, especially women, actively participate in the democratic process. This will immensely enrich our democratic experience and deepen our political culture.”

Analysts have argued that INEC has no role to play when it comes to who flies the flag of a political party in the election. This is exclusively the responsibility of political parties. INEC’s role is in providing level playing field and in ensuring that the parties play by the rules guiding electoral contest.

The commission’s role is in the realm of persuasion of political parties to choose women as their candidates and to also persuade the CSOs to senstise women to show interest in elective positions. And that is what the commission is doing.

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 1, 2014

Politics

Senators and 15 years of unbroken democracy

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or the first time in the history of Nigeria, after gaining political independence from the Great Britain, the country has been able to operate and sustain democratic governance for one and half decades. This experience, no doubt trills the citizenry, who suffered three decades of military dictatorship, with its attendant regressive and horrific impact on the socioeconomic lives of the people.

Across the length and breath of the varied Nigerian publics, commentators, analysts and all who have one experience or another in the past fifteen years of democratic rule in Nigeria have been venting their feelings on their perception of the new political order. They have been trying to compare democracy with military dictatorship, with a view to pointing out the advantages or benefits derivable from each system of government.

The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on its part, devoted Wednesday May 28, 2014, which was the eve of this year's democracy anniversary to comment on and appraise the journey so far in the 15 years of the country's uninterrupted democratic rule in a nation that was under the pangs of military dictatorship for almost 30 years.

The Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, with other 108 Senators, sponsored a motion entitled, "Felicitation on Nigeria's 15th Democracy Anniversary", in which they congratulated President Goodluck Jonathan, all former Presidents and heads of States of Nigeria, the Legislature, the Executive, Judiciary and all Nigerians on the successful operation

From the Chukwu David chukwudavid68@yahoo.com

of democratic rule in Nigeria for fifteen years without interruption.

Besides congratulating the present and the past political leaders of Nigeria, the Senators also paid tributes to all those they considered to be patriotic citizens, and pillars of the democratic process and the Armed Forces for subordinating themselves to civil authority in the past fifteen years, and urged Nigerians to unite in the prosecution of the war against terrorism and agents of instability.

While the Senators made appraisal of how the nation has fared in the last fifteen years, some admitted that, in spite of the challenges facing the country today, the democratic rule had attracted a lot of positive dividends to the nation, particularly the freedom of speech, which many of them harped on. They also noted that this period of democracy has brought about transformation in the power sector, roads, education and others.

The lawmakers specifically gave kudos to the National Assembly for its various contributions to the growth, development and sustenance of the democracy.

They recalled the various interventions made by the apex legislature to broker peace in times of conflict in the country.

Some of them for instance, noted how the National Assembly saved the democracy from collapse through the 'doctrine of necessity', which resolved the stalemate that surfaced after the demise of President Umaru Yar'Adua.

They also recalled how the National Assembly has made frantic effort to review the Electoral Act as well as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in order to make the two documents more people oriented and in tandem with the tenets of democratic governance.

On the other hand, some of the parliamentarians expressed serious concern that the Executive arm was neglecting the legislature by disrespecting its resolutions. Senator Ahmed Lawan, for instance, pointed out that, though some progress had been made in certain areas of the economy, the relationship of the National Assembly with the Executive deteriorated under President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to Senator Ahmed Lawan, "we have made some progress in the

area of infrastructural development.

The legislature has improved. We have graduated into better National Assembly; better legislators. The relationship between the Executive and the Legislature has improved. Before, it was a fight to the extent that we almost impeached President Olusegun Obasanjo if not for the intervention of Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Alhaji Shehu Shagari.

"But the relationship between the Executive and the Legislature deteriorated from 2011 till date. It is not anything to write home about. Our resolutions are not respected. And Mr. President is illadvised. We need to work together with the Executive to have a better working relationship. Nigerians need employment. Enabling environment should be created for Nigerians to be employed.

There is a complete break down of law and order. The current problem in the country is not ethnic or religious, it is a function of failure in governance".

Although some of the members of the Red Chamber who spoke did not lose sight of the socio-economic maladies plaguing the nation within the 15 years of civil rule, principal of which are insecurity, corruption and unemployment, all of them were unanimous in accepting that democracy is the best form of government. They stressed that military dictatorship should never be contemplated as an option. However, for this democracy to be sustained, the lawmakers and indeed, the whole political class must watch their utterances and actions that tend to over heat the polity and threaten the democracy and the corporate existence of Nigeria.

Reps’ fruitless intervention in ASUP/COEASU strike

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t sounded like a joke but it was real because it came from the horse’s mouth.

So, who can bail out the polytechnics and colleges of education students in Nigeria out of this hopeless situation? Is this Poly and COE haram? Like the captured Chibok girls, these students are also right now in Sambisa forest? What can they do without education? For over nine months now, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and Colleges of Education (ASUP/ COEASU) have been on strike pressing for the implementation of a number of demands to no avail. Several meetings have been held with different stakeholders, yet there is no hope of early resolution of the impasse between the Federal Government and these two unions.

Hence, when the House of Representatives committee on education headed by Hon. Aminu Suleiman invited the minister and representatives of the union to a meeting last week, many people heaved a sigh of relief that at last, a solution was in the offing. Alas, this was not to be. Instead, the Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike in his characteristic blunt attitude dropped a bombshell that stunned everyone present at the meeting.

Wike neither pretended nor handle the issue with any finesse. The Minister confessed to the committee that the Federal Government "is in a fix" on how to progress with the dispute with members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU). This is a bitter pill for any discerning mind to swallow.

Wike’s confession or declaration was heart rending. It was a killer punch to students, parents and even lecturers in poly-

From the

GreenChamber

Philip Nyam

Wike

technics and colleges of education. In other words, the agitation by these unions is a hopeless venture going by the Minister’s confession. One expects that if for whatever reason Nigeria could not make it in other areas of human endevour, at least it should

ternyam@gmail.com have gotten it right in the education sector.

It is trite to state that the quality of education in the country has fallen drastically in the last two decades. Worst of all, recent events have only confirmed that it is not yet Uhuru with our education. The signals are ominous. According to Wike, resolving the almost a year old dispute would be ‘tricky’ as the proposal he made on the payment of the outstanding N40 billion arrears to both COEASU and ASUP has been overtaken by events.

Hear the Minister: "We are now in a fix.

We are now trying to resolve the issue with Salaries and Wages Commission…I took a risk that I've never taken in life" by summoning a meeting with ASUP on the proposed the payment of the outstanding arrears in installments. I asked that we solve the major issues. They said there were arrears of N20 billion for COEASU and N20 billion for ASUP. I asked the Permanent Secretary to write a memo on how it would be paid. I made a memo to Mr. President that I have made the offer. They now wrote a letter back that they are not accepting the proposal."

So, if the Federal Government ‘is in a fix’, who can resolve this embarrassing situation? It is often said that when the el-

ephants fight, the grass suffers. In this case, as the teachers and government slug it out endlessly, the students are wasting away.

Who knows how many of them may have been recruited into Boko Haram, armed robbery, prostitution and drug trafficking?

By declaring that the government was at a cross roads, it means it has given up on education in the polytechnics and colleges of education. But should this be the case?

What is ASUP/COEASU demanding for that the government cannot afford? Are the unions so averse to negotiation Methinks both these unions and the Federal government should adopt a middle course approach to end this shame of a strike. Whichever way one look at the ongoing strike, it does not do anybody any good. Rather, it is endangering the future of millions of young Nigerians and making them potential recruits for terrorists and enemies of progress. The lawmakers in the House should also not rest on their oars until this issue is resolved to enable the teachers and students return to class.

Great Madiba, Nelson Mandela of blessed memory once described education as “the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” and renowned English poet and satirist, Alexander Pope in his heyday warned that: “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Drink deep, or taste not the Persian spring; there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain; and drinking largely sobers us again”.

This should be a wakeup call to those entrusted with our educational fortunes because half education has been proven to be destructive. Let the government close ranks with these unions and end this strike now.

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Politics / Hardball

Insurgency: Jonathan ignored Interim National Publicity Secretary of the main opposition party, Alliance for Progressives Congress, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in this interview with YEKEEN NURUDEEN, laments the helplessness of President Goodluck Jonathan's administration in tackling the nation's challenges

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kiti and Osun States are warming up for governorship elections; one in June and the other in August.

How prepared is APC for these elections?

You prepare for elections when you are the incumbent government; you start preparing for elections from the first day you are elected into the office in terms of policies and performance.

I think in both Osun and Ekiti States, we started that preparation a long time ago as can be evidenced from things on ground in terms of infrastructural development, social development, educational policies and welfare policies. If you go to any of those states either Ekiti or Osun, you will not miss the infrastructural development in terms of roads, water and other infrastructural facilities. If you go to these states you will be impressed by the human capacity building and educational advancement. In a state like Osun for instance, we hold the record as the first state in the whole country to provide one meal a day for our children. We started it as a pilot scheme from Basic 1 to 4 and that singular project has re-energised the economy of Osun State.

It has given a fillip to agriculture. I was talking to the governor some days ago. Osun State has not even met the heads required just for those primary schools. As I’m speaking to you today, the governor is in Abuja trying to make a presentation to convince the Federal Government why this project should be replicated nationwide.

Ekiti State has the singular distinction of being the government that pays stipend to the elderly every month. So if it is about performance I don’t think any party can come and challenge what our governors have done. So to that extent we are very confident. However, we are not unaware that the PDP is trying to use unorthodox or unethical means to win the elections but they will fail, I can assure you, because the people of Osun and Ekiti have seen the light and they are not going back to darkness.

You said unorthodox means, like what?

Like rigging of course; we hear all kinds of things that they are going to use violence and they have been holding these boggy and voodoo surveys which gave Fayose the lead. How can Fayose ever lead in an opinion poll in Ekiti State over (Ekiti State Governor) Fayemi? But this is the kind of thing they want to do; create a platform or foundation so that when they rig, people will say, 'oh, actually this opinion poll said so'. Who are the people behind the opinion poll? Known PDP or government apologists.

But we are fully prepared for them.

Fayose is a former governor in the state, are you saying he doesn’t have the credentials or personality?

Well, it is not about being a former governor.

What was his track record when he was in government? He was impeached on corruption charges. A former governor during whose reign there was no peace in the state, there was violence everywhere. Of course, being a former governor does not translate to electoral fortune.

If you are a former governor and you have done very well yes, but if you are a former governor and you left the state in a very parlous state, the state was constantly at war, under siege, I don’t think people want that kind of thing back.

There are fears among Nigerians that with the way things are going, with insecurity, killings here and there, the 2015 elections may not hold. Do you share this view?

It is not whether we share the view, but we know that the body language of Mr President does not want the elections to hold. He doesn’t

Lai Mohammed

want elections in 2015. Already, there are feelers and kites being flown in the Confab and everywhere that elections should be postponed because of the insecurity in the nation. On one hand, the minister of information will keep telling you the nation is at war and they are sending text messages to people, asking them to support the postponement of elections in 2015.

I think Mr. President and PDP have seen the handwriting on the wall and they have seen that their score card is such that cannot fetch them re-election. They are doing everything possible to ensure that elections do not hold. Even the state of insecurity in the country today; Mr President, PDP and his government are largely to blame because you see when the insurgency started you could see the body language of the government, the President and his people were behaving as if to say after all this thing was happening in just one part of the country.

They did not respond decisively or robustly to the menace when it could have been curtailed.

But don't forget that when Boko Haram started, they were using bows and arrows, dane guns but today they are using rocket propelled grenades, anti-aircraft missiles, multipurpose guns.

And this is simply because the government's handling of the matter was inept. At the begin-

ning of the insurgency all we heard from government was that this 'insurgency is Northern Nigeria’s response to a Southern Presidency'. I'm happy even Mr. President admitted in Paris that Boko Haram started in 2002 and that it started its murderous campaign seriously in 2009. Who was the president in 2002? Obasanjo. Who was the president in 2009? Yar'Adua. So the argument that it's either a Muslim, Christian thing is not tenable.

What we expect Mr. President to do is to behave in a statesmanly way. Common sense dictates that if there is a fire in my house today I would first put off the fire before I start looking for who put the fire there or what is the cause of the fire. But rather, what did Mr. President do? Every time there is a bomb blast, he would either blame the opposition or the Northern elite or some phantom enemies. For crying out and loud, you are Mr. President, Nigerians are not interested in who caused the mayhem but please put an end to this mayhem. As far as we are concerned in the APC, Mr. President was trying to profit politically from the Boko Haram insurgency until it now grew too big for him. And all of a sudden we became a huge embarrassment to the whole world. Now everybody is trying to save these (Chibok) children and a month has

gone, nobody knows where the children are.

Even tomorrow, if the children are rescued we have been ridiculed as a nation; an impotent nation that cannot protect its own children, we have to look for help from abroad to come and rescue us.

The insurgency is happening because the government has been inept and corrupt. If the government had been competent, this matter wouldn’t have reached this level. Take the issue of the first Nyanya blast: within two hours of the blast, the PDP spokesman came out and said APC was responsible. Today, six people have been arrested for the Nyanya blast; five in Nigeria and one in Sudan. We've yet to hear that anyone of them has mentioned an APC stalwart as being behind it. Nigerians are really disappointed in this government because at no time in the history of this country has a President divided the country along the lines of Christian and Muslim, North and South, Majority and Minority. When they ran out of excuses they said it is because the President is a minority president that’s why the Boko Haram is harassing him. Obama is a minority president in US why are they not harassing him? Tafa Balewa was a minority president, nobody was harassing him.

Don't look for excuses for your incompetence.

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Politics / Hardball

our advice -APC This government is simply incompetent. And some people will say, 'APC don’t play politics with insecurity'. I said what are they talking about? We must tell the world this is responsible for why we are here today.

How many times have we as a political party offered suggestions to this government but they refused to heed them. It is precisely the same suggestions that we have made that America is making, that the British are making and the Canadians are making. Which is number one. You as a government must come out with a holistic counter-insurgency programme.

We don’t have any but just react in a chaotic and ad hoc manner to Boko Haram. Two, we advised this government that you can never conquer Boko Haram, using the military alone.

You must align the political with the economic; that if you go today to the Boko Haram enclave and you empower the people, you improve the economy you would reduce the market for recruitment for Boko Haram. Yes, it is true that some religious bigots are using religion as a cover but they are able to recruit the people because of the hardship, unemployment and hoplessness there.

We advised government that you must deradicalise the North East. Today, what kind of message do they hear in the North and the North-East? They hear radical messages such as 'this secular government is bad and that's why you are not employed but if you can overthrow the government and install an Islamic government, then everything will be rosy'. 'As a matter of fact, killing in the name of Islam is justifiable'. That’s why they were able to track some impressionable minds and recruit them.

But if you go out also as a government to preach oneness, prosperity, tell people that there is hope for them, of course you are going to discourage them from running into the arms of Boko Haram. We advised this government that our military must be properly equipped and motivated. When the Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shetima said it, the Federal Government flared up. What are we witnessing today? We witnessed a mutiny in Maiduguri some weeks ago. We advised the government that a million soldiers without good intelligence gathering cannot win the war. But you can’t have a good intelligence architecture when you antagonise the local people. It is the local people that will give you information about Boko Haram. And these local people would not go to soldiers or police; they would rather go to their village heads, elected officials or their governors. Instead of looking at these frontline governors as partners in your war against terror, you are branding them as adversaries.

Interesting....

When the Boko Haram thing started the Presidency was telling us that it was not true; that it didn’t happen. At a point they said go and bring the pictures, they don’t believe it happened; that it was the governor of Borno who was trying to blackmail the government.

Is this the way a president should react? The blame should be squarely put on the doorstep of Mr. President.

The President has been described as being slow in his approach to bringing back the missing girls. How should the President handle this?

I told you in the beginning that it is the incompetence of Mr. President that led us to where we are. You remember when about 29 students were murdered in Buni Yadi, Yobe State we called on Mr. President to go there on a visit. He didn’t go. The morning that these (Chibok) children were kidnapped, it was the day after Nyanya blast. Where was your president? He was dancing Azonto in Kano. Now, we asked Mr. President to even go to Chibok and condole with their people, even belatedly. When he was supposed to

go, he cancelled it. And he had the temerity to tell us that he didn’t have to go to Chibok; that after all the girls are not in Chibok. His going to Chibok would have achieved three things. One, it could have shown that he was in charge and in control. Two, it would have assuaged the feelings and the agonies of the parents and it would have been a morale booster to the military. It would have presented our President as a man who cares but again he missed it.

How would you describe the intervention of the first lady in the efforts to bring the girls back? Does she have the constitutional right to summon appointed officers of the Federal Government?

Of course she does not have such powers.

It shows how deep we have fallen in this country. Did you notice that at press briefing the flag of Nigeria and the coat of arms were behind the first lady? This is not an elected person. If you look at the comments of most international newspapers, they are so unflattering about our government. In the first instance, what business does she have in calling the Commissioner for Education or the Commissioner of Police? Like Wole Soyinka said, "This is just a domestic appendage of the President; she has no constitutional role."

I’m sure those who went to answer her call did so out of respect for the office of the President. We have now told our people that they should no longer honour any invitation from her and if they do so whatever they get from there is their own cup of tea.

APC Governors offered to rebuild the Chibok Government Girls Secondary School and the President also said the Federal Government would rebuild the school. Don’t you think rescuing the girls should be the major priority now?

First, on the issue of APC governors; they are incapacitated. Under our constitution, Mr. President is the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces. Under the constitution, the Police is a central Police, the Commissioner of Police does not even report to the governor. You saw what happened in Rivers State until recently when the Commissioner of Police there became the de facto governor.

So for the APC governors, all they can do is to offer help and succour; that’s contributing money to the families, rebuilding the school but it is for Mr. President right now to gear up all efforts to ensure that these girls are returned home. And in any case under our constitution primary and secondary schools are on the concurrent list which means both states and the Federal Government share the responsibility. I think the priority of the Federal Government now should be security.

When the US government offered to help in rescuing the school girls, your party was among those who welcomed the offer. Don’t you think this is a script being acted out, given the fact that the US doesn’t assist other nations for free and that it has also predicted that Nigeria would break up in 2015?

There is a proverb in my language that says “a cow that eats yam is the reason why the herdsman is beaten." We invited them because our government is incompetent to resolve the matter. Are we now going to say because if they come might interfere with our sovereignty or they are coming with their own agenda and leave the fate of over 200 missing girls hanging in the balance?

No; it is a difficult choice but I think it is the right one. We invited them; they should help us not only to recover the girls, they should give us technical advice on how to pull down Boko Haram, at the end of which we hope that the Federal Government will

We advised the government that a million soldiers without good intelligence gathering cannot win the war. But you can’t have a good intelligence architecture when you antagonise the local people take the cue and we will have enduring peace. In the process when you have a good government you will be able to curb their own excesses but right now we don’t have a choice than to allow them to come in.

Kano State recently held its local government election and APC swept all the local government areas. Are we seeing more of that in the North?

If elections are held today, APC will win a landslide. I’m not saying this because I’m in APC but because of the surveys that have been conducted by impartial people and even without putting the candidates. As of today we are 15 clear points ahead. When this survey was conducted on March 3, we were 15 points ahead of PDP. Given the bungling and inept handling of this security crisis I’m sure the rating of PDP and this president has gone even worse. I think what we saw in Kano was a referendum on the Presidency. I heard they are going to court; that’s what courts are meant for. Let them go to court. I spoke to our people in Kano, they assured me it was free and fair and they won 44 out of 44 local governments.

June 12 is fast approaching and Nigerians expectedly would remember the winner of the 1993 presidential election, the late MKO Abiola. The current government seems to be one of the beneficiaries of martyrdom of late Abiola, yet his name has not been immortalised by successive PDP governments. How should the Federal Government remember him this June 12?

Chief MKO Abiola should not be restricted

to the South-West or the political parties.

June 12 is a watershed in our political history and it is not correct to say that we are inheritors of June 12. Everybody today in government is an inheritor of June 12 because without that supreme sacrifice of MKO Abiola, probably there would be no Fourth Republic. But in our own little way, there is no state in the South West that has not immortalised him, but I think the Federal Government in trying to immortalise Abiola did the wrong thing. Why would you change University of Lagos as if Abiola is a Lagos hero? He is a hero of Nigeria. Why can’t you name the National Stadium after him? After all, he was the Pillar of Sport in Africa, but we have a government that is so myopic, a government that is so infantile, a government that cannot even take advantage of the situation and make victory out of it. Posterity will judge them.

What difference would APC make if voted into power in 2015?

The first thing is, I always refer people to our road map and it is very clear. It is very clear in terms of what we want to do and how we intend to do them. We have realised that there are three problems bothering Nigeria today; insecurity, corruption and unemployment. This is the result of our survey and if you look at our road map for unemployment, we have stated what we are going to do. In each state where we win we will create within the first three months 20000 jobs and for every job created by a state we would match it with two at the federal level. We have looked at the hardship of the people today; people were barely living and we promised that we were going to make available the sum of N5000 every month to 25 million most vulnerable Nigerians. We intend to introduce a meal a day in all our primary schools and by doing that you are going to improve attendance, create a new economy and also create more jobs. We intend to ensure that every corps member would within 12 months of being discharged if he agrees to take up a vocational job or entrepreneurial course would be paid the same salary he is paid during the youth service. On agriculture, we have a very enabling plan to bring back the glorious days of agriculture in Nigeria by establishing commodity boards; by ensuring that extension services are restored. Every farmer must have access to pesticides, farming inputs and the like. We know that agriculture today employs over 60 per cent of our people even if it accounts for less than 10 per cent of our GDP. We want to change all that.

On security, we are going to first of all ensure that our military is well trained. We are going to have specialist forces to handle terrorism and insurgency. We are going to embark on a national healing process by having what is akin to a reconciliation conference where people with genuine complaints will come and we will try to resolve them. And of course we would ensure that our military and our forces are better equipped to do the job of securing the nation.

We have zero tolerance for corruption. Under our road map, the burden would be on the man who has acquired ill-gotten wealth to explain how he got it. We are going to make sure that there are improvements in our legal system so that corruption cases would be expedited and people would get result. So when you ask us how we are going to be different, we would ask you to go to our road map.

However, if you look at states where we are today: last week, the Zamfara State governor opened a 75-kilometre road, the Kano State Government has started a meal a day per week and that’s because he has about 1.5 million pupils. I have told you about Ekiti and Osun, now go to Oyo, Edo, Ogun and look at infrastructural development in those states. That’s where we are going to be different from the PDP.

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Politics

Religion is used against Northern minorities - Turaki Prof. Yusuf Turaki is a delegate from Kaduna State and a member of the Committee on Public Service at the ongoing National Conference. In this interview with ONWUKA NZESHI, Turaki speaks on the pains and aspirations of the northern ethnic nationalities and minority groups

W

hat are the northern minorities looking for at this conference?

There are three things the northern minorities want this conference to do for them. Number one is for this conference to give the northern ethnic nationalities their minority rights, and for these rights to be placed in the constitution so that these ethnic nationalities will be protected. There is so much influx of people into the Middle Belt states of Nigeria - from the far North, South, East and West. They are all trooping into the Middle Belt states and for that reason, there is the need to protect these ethnic nationalities as well as their ancestral lands. Otherwise, there may be many smaller ethnic groups that will become extinct in a few years. So they need to be protected.

The other thing that the northern ethnic minorities want this conference to do for them is the question of religion. Religion has been used unfairly against northern minorities. The northern minority ethnic nationalities have lost so many of their rights because of religion.

We want these rights to be enshrined in our statute books to avoid them being trampled upon.

I can give you examples. When Christians want to build churches in some of the predominantly Islamic states, they find it easy. In some states, they don't even have the right to build a church and most these people who demand the right to build churches are indigenes; their ancestors lived in those places before the arrival of Islam or Christianity. So they demand to have their rights to express themselves religiously and freely within their own ancestral land. But because of the use and definition of religion against them, they have become foreigners in their own ancestral lands.

The third thing is the quest for the creation of a few states in the North. There are certain areas in the North where ethnic minorities were mismatched with major ethnic groups. I can give you examples. In Kaduna State, which is part of the North-West, there is a great mismatch between the people of Southern Kaduna and the people of Northern Kaduna. This mismatch leads to marginalisation and discrimination. As a result, the people of Southern Kaduna want a new state created because they are qualified to have it. In fact, their agitation is for the creation of Gurara State.

The other areas where there is a mismatch are Southern Borno, Southern Yobe and Northern Adamawa where the majority of minority ethnic nationalities have been brought under the majority ethnic group like the Kanuri. So that area in the North-East, the minority ethnic nationalities are demanding for the creation of a state whereby all of them could have their freedom to live as a people. They are currently mismatched with a major ethnic group and therefore they are marginalised and discriminated against. There are two suggestions there to either have Amana State or what they call Savannah State. Some are even suggesting that you can put both Amana and Savannah together to form Sardauna State. Now if that is done, there will be a marginal justice in the

North. The third area is Southern Kebbi where there is a mismatch between the Zuru people and the Hausa and Fulani tribes of Kebbi. So in general, these are the cries of the ethnic minorities of the North.

In a nutshell, we are looking for is the restructuring of North-East and North-West zones so that a few states can be created out of them to allow the ethnic minorities to have their political freedom. If this is done, North-West and North-East will become better places as the major ethnic groups will be on their own while the minorities that have been attached to them and therefore marginalised would also be free to live and run their own affairs.

These are the things we want from this conference. So when you talk of resource control and other issues, well for us, these are the are major issues - restructuring of the North-East and North-West to free the ethnic nationalities that have been attached to major ethnic groups which actually militates against their freedom.

When you talk of minority groups, some people outside the North would want to know these groups because Nigerians have been told of a monolithic North. Who are these groups seeking the restructuring of the North?

In Northern Nigeria, we have more than 250 different ethnic groups. There is nothing that you can call homogeneity or that the North is a single group. No. The most diversified region of Nigeria is the North. In Northern Nigeria, you have the far North-West- the Hausa/Fulani groups -n and in the far North-East, you have the Kanuri, the Shuwa and other groups.

In the Southern part of Northern Nigeria, you have over 250 ethnic groups living together.

Do these ethnic groups speak different languages?

They speak different languages. So they are not homogenous.

So how come this multiplicity of ethnic groups is not known and only the Hausa/ Fulani dominate?

This is the work of empire builders. The first two empires that were built in the far North of Northern Nigeria were the Sokoto Caliphate, which came after the Sultanate of Kanem Borno. So you have the Sultanate of Kanem Borno in the far North-East and the Sokoto Caliphate in the far North-West. When the British colonial masters arrived on the scene in 1900, they waged war in Northern Nigeria and defeated the Caliphate and the Sultanate of Kanem Bornu. They then imposed British colonialism on all these regions of Northern Nigeria. What the British did was that they took the ethnic nationalities of the Middle Belt who were not Muslims, and who were not also Christians at the beginning because Christianity came later. So the British took, what I would call generally, the non- Muslim groups and subordinated them under the Muslim Hausa/Fulani rulers. This is what we call Indirect Rule. So the problem of ethnic nationalities in the North, particularly in the Middle Belt states, was the issue of British indirect rule.

Turaki

Are you now asking this conference to undo what the British did?

The British should have undone what they did on October 1, 1960 when they handed over political independence to Nigeria. They told Nigerians, ‘we gave you political independence on October 1st 1960,’ but not every Nigerian was free. There were ethnic groups especially in the Middle Belt states in the North that were still under the yoke of certain Muslim/Hausa/Fulani/ Kanuri rulers.

There has been some adjustment but there are some ethnic groups in Northern Nigeria up till today that don't have traditional rulers of their own. Rather they have rulers imposed on them. They have a different religion, different culture, different ethnicity yet these people are imposed upon them. This is what we want Nigerians to object to. Every ethnic nationality in Nigeria is equal to the other and should be free to determine its own political fate wherever they find themselves.

Before the arrival of the British, were these ethnic minorities having their own traditional institutions and rulers?

Yes. They had their own traditional rulers.

They had their own traditional institutions; their ethnicity is distinct and they have their own ancestral lands. It was the British that took both their ethnicity and ancestral lands and handed them over to the lordship of the Muslim/Hausa/Fulani/Kanuri rulers.

Was there any resistance from these minority groups at that time?

Many ethnic groups resisted the British, but the British bayonets ...(laughter) subdued them and imposed colonialism on them. But the unfortunate thing that the British did was the imposition of what was called Indirect Rule. They took a Nigerian with whom the majority of these minority ethnic groups fought during the age of slavery and slave trade. They came with jihad but they never conquered them or ruled them. They only

came to extract slaves and they went because once you make them Muslims then you can't go there and wage war and take slaves. So it was like a war zone. But when the British came, they decided to make the Muslim/ Hausa/Fulani /Kanuri rulers lords over the rest. Some have gained their political, socio cultural freedom but up till now there are those who are still under the colonial yoke where others are still their masters.

How hopeful are you about the agitation to push state creation to its logical conclusion?

What I can say is that the soldiers, if you go back to 1967, especially in Northern Nigeria, used what I would call the perpendicular line drawing. You see, they would draw the line from Sokoto down to the border of Western Nigeria and they called that North-West. So you have the rulers and their slaves. If you go to the North-East, it is the same thing. From the border of Niger, Lake Chad, Chad Republic and Northern Cameroon, they will draw the line all the way to the boundary between Benue and the South-East. The only difference is that of Kano because Kano is central, so they just carved it out as Kano. Plateau in the middle; they just carved out Plateau and Benue. So that was how the soldiers did it. But when we look back, the question one would ask is this: Was the state creation by military done objectively or was it manipulated by a certain class in Northern Nigeria? It seems to have been manipulated by the political elite of the North. If you look at how the states were created, masters must have their slaves along with them. So that was how there was a mismatch in several cases. If state creation was to be done based upon ethnicity, religion, culture and land occupied, then it would have been a different story. But merging two different ethnic groups, religious groups, cultural groups together in a state where one is predominant and the other is very small and weak is a mismatch.

Football Henry Nwosu: How dirty politics forced me out of Eagles p.32-33

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Dapo Sotuminu, Deputy Sports Editor dapo.sotuminu@newtelegraphonline.com 08099400190, 08038154192

Yisa Sofoluwe: Eagles’ defence not yet super A

Dapo Sotuminu former Super Eagles defender, Yisa Sofoluwe, has declared that the national team’s defence line in the friendly game against Scotland, it’s nothing but sloppy and not good enough for the huge challenges of the World Cup. Sofoluwe nicknamed “Minister for Defence” during his active days in the national team because of his proficiency in the Eagles backline, expressed his doubt on the capability of the present crop of players in the national team defence formation.

“They were so flat against Scotland. I am happy that wasn’t our first team to the Brazil 2014 World Cup, but when one views the fact that, out of those who played in the backline against Scotland, only Kenneth Omeruo and Godfrey Oboboana were absent in the cracker, there is cause for worry.

“What this tells us is that, the Eagles’ chief coach, Stephen Keshi, who was also a defender in his active days, has a lot of work to do. Keshi must work on that defence. The Scots would have scored more goals but they decided to stay back as they thought the game had been won and lost. If they had come out forcefully again, they would have broken our defence line to score more goals. A World Cup team should have a better backline, definitely not the type we saw against Scotland.”

He added that, Keshi must only use those defenders who know how to cover up swiftly for any lapses. “I watched the friendly games played by France, Holland and other top contenders for the World Cup 2014, when these are compared with what Nigeria played, and then one wonders how we are going any meaningful impact in Brazil.

“Our defenders must be alert, very agile and take quick decisions while on the ball. It is also sad to see all the defenders going out at the same time with nobody giving adequate coverage to avoid counter attack. The midfield and the attack I saw against Scotland were better compared to the porous defence line. As I said earlier, Keshi must work seriously on the defenders.”

The former Abiola Babes of Abeokuta star player declined making any predictions on how far the Eagles would go at the World Cup. “I believe in taking the matches one after the other.

Once we play our first game against Iran, this would determine what happens against Bosnia and afterwards Argentina. It is important that our players record a good result against Iran; this would boost their morale and confidence to forge ahead in the competition. It is one match at a time.”

He advised that, while the Eagles play against

Argentina on June 25, the defenders must be very careful and should not gamble with the ball in the vital area. Utmost concentration is needed against Argentina.

“It is not that the Argentines are super human to have beaten Nigeria in four different matches played at the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games, the blunders Nigeria made in these games were simply loss of concentration.

It happened at USA 94, Korea/Japan 2002, South Africa 2010 and the Beijing 2008 Olympics soccer final.

“I am sure if the Eagles defenders maintain one hundred percent concentration, the result against Argentina would be different this time around.”

He also noted that at the moment there is nothing special about Lionell Messi who was completely marked out in the Uefa Champions League match against Atletico Madrid.

Some other smaller teams in the Spanish La Liga rendered Messi useless in some games. So there is nothing stopping Nigeria from caging the former World Footballer of the Year from causing any havoc.

“The secret of caging Messi is utmost concentration and nothing else.”

He stated that, some of the comments made by Super Eagles players that the team would get to the semi-finals and even the grand finale, is not out of place as nobody going to the World Cup would tell you that they are going to lose or crash out in the first round. “The Eagles want to do well at Brazil 2014 and we must all give them our support,” Sofoluwe said.

Football Five young players to watch out for at Brazil 2014 p.34

31

Sp rt Did you know?

First African player to receive a red card at the World Cup: Mulamba Ndaye of Zaire against Yugoslavia in 1974 FIFA World Cup on 18 June 1974

Sofoluwe

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JUNE 01, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Sport / Stars of Yesteryears

Henry Nwosu: How dirty poli He was the youngest player in the 1980 victorious Nations Cup team, his goal which was disallowed at the Maroc 88 Nations Cup influenced the change of name from the Green Eagles to the Super Eagles. Former national team captain Henry Nwosu, spoke with DAPO SOTUMINU on why he left the Eagles in 1989 and many more When did you start playing serious football?

I started playing serious football from my primary school days in Lagos where we played top games barefooted on the streets. I was also renowned for playing what we called ‘jeun jeun’ (mercenaries) where players are only qualified to play in the competition by height. In this one, we played a very light soccer ball called ‘felele.’ It was so exiting and basically for young talented players. When I also moved to the secondary school, I played prominently for St. Finbarrs College, Akoka in the Principal’s Cup. It was from here that I was discovered for the ‘Greater Tomorrow’ team which metamorphosed into the Flying Eagles.

When did you start playing club football?

As a class 2 boy at St Finbarrs College I started playing club football for Bhosson FC, but my first big club was Wema Bank Football Club of Lagos which I joined in 1977/78 before I moved to New Nigerian Bank of Benin in 1979. I was here until 1985 when I left for ACB Football Club of Lagos. I played in ACB from 1985 to 1988, after which I left for Cote d’Ivoire to play professional football for Asec Mimosa FC where I spent two years.

From here I left for Cameroon where I played for Racing FC Bafoussam. I was here for 2

years, before staging a return to ACB of Lagos in the 1991/92 season and that was where I retired.

At New Nigerian Bank you guys took over football not only in Nigeria, but also in West Africa in the early 80s. What was the magic?

The magic was that majority of the players in the team then were those of us who came from Lagos and we were used to ourselves and we understood each other ’s’ games and we used it to our advantage.

Then we had me, B e n s o n Edema, Stephen Keshi, Franklin Howard, Tony Obikwo and Jones. We had played together

for some time in Lagos as young boys and when we got to Benin we were fortunate to meet some of our teammates in the Junior Eagles, players like Bright Omokaro, Humphery Edobo and Paul Okoku. We had the understanding amongst us and we were ready to play for ourselves. We also had the support of the management that was how we grew from strength to strength.

How many laurels did you win at New Nigerian Bank?

We won the National League title in 1985. We won the WAFU Cup twice and we were on the verge of winning the cup for keeps the third time when the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) ordered us not to play the final match. The action was in protest of the poor treatment of an IICC Shooting Stars player in 1983.

We also won the National Challenge Cup title. We won the Champion of Champions Cup also in 1983 beating Abiola Babes of Abeokuta.

Did you feel bad about this withdrawal ordered by the NFA?

Personally I felt so bad, because that year we would have won the WAFU Cup for the third time and for keeps. The cup had eluded Nigerian clubs for a long time until New Nigerian Bank started winning it. We were to play IICC Shooting Stars in the final, but for what happened in Abidjan against 3SC the NFA stopped us from playing. When this happened we obeyed but with some bitterness in our hearts. The team felt bad, but that is football.

Do you have any regrets playing club football in Nigeria?

I don’t have any re g re t s .

I am grateful to G o d f o r t h e o p portunit y

Nwosu

henry nwosu’s profile Date of Birth: June 14, 1963 Place of Birth: Imo state Clubs: Wema Bank 1977, New Nigerian Bank 1979, ACB 1985 – ASEC Mimosas – Racing FC Bafoussam National team 1980-1991, Nigeria, 60, (8) Teams managed 1997 Ibom Stars 2008–2009 Nigeria U-17 2009-2013 Union Bank 2013- Gateway United F.C. achievements: Youngest member 1980 Nations Cup squad.

Scored only goal for Nigeria at the 1980 Olympics.

He played in the 1982, 1984 and 1988 tournaments.

Nations Cup: Gold 1980, silver medal 1984 and 1988. finishing runners up in the latter two. given to me to play to the level I did in Nigerian football. I remain grateful to Nigerian soccer fans for the supports they gave me while playing, it was unprecedented. I must confess that I had great followership as a footballer and I will always thank my fans for the followership and God for giving me the talent.

From available records you were a product of grassroots football. You were seen those days as a ball boy during Green Eagles matches diving full length and catching the ball at the back of the post. What inspiration did you get from these?

You remembered that! Picking and catching balls at the back of the post gave me so much inspiration. It also gave me the opportunity of watching great legends like Muda Lawal, Segun Odegbami, Alloysius Atuegbu, Adokiye Aimesiamaka and even the great Christian Chukwu. I also watched the Baba Otus of this world. When you watch these great players and you saw the skills they displayed you will surely become a great player and that affected me positively as I was bent on playing like these people or playing better than them. Anytime they played and I met to them after the match they encouraged me saying ‘my boy, we see that you can catch the ball well, you must try to be a very good footballer,’ and that gave me so much inspiration, even though I had so much determination.

From your background you were more inclined to goalkeeping but you became a soccer star playing in the midfield, what happened?

No, while growing up as a toddler playing ‘felele’ I combined the two effectively.

Sometimes I found myself in the post when our goalkeeper failed to come. Let me tell you a short story.

Sometimes in the 1970’s we went for a competition then they called us ‘babies’ because of our youthful ages. I was taller than the height approved. You won’t believe it that Stephen Keshi and Edema Benson entered as I was taller than the two of them. You can imagine. I was not allowed to play but only allowed to keep the goal, so whenever I was taller than the height limit I take to the post.

I kept one cup final in the state sports festival between Shomolu and Lagos Island in 1977-78. As

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Sport / Stars of Yesteryears

itics forced me out of Eagles a goalkeeper. Whenever our goalkeeper gets injured and we had exhausted our substitutions, I changed and played as a goalkeeper.

You mean at some point you were taller than Stephen Keshi and Edema Benson?

Ask them now, they will tell you the truth.

You were one of the best players produced

by Nigeria, but regrettably you didn’t play professional football in Europe. We were told sometimes ago that you were scared of playing in the winter as you were asthmatic and was prone to pneumonia. How true are these stories?

I had nothing like asthma or pneumonia. The truth was that I was very lazy; I didn’t like cold weather at all. At that time even if I had my shower in the afternoon I still used hot water. I feared cold a lot and it was not that I had pneumonia.

On some occasions when I travelled out with the Eagles I made sure I padded my body with anti-cold materials and constant body massaging.

Though I regret not playing in Europe, but even at that, the money paid to players in Europe was not that much. It was a just a difference of about N3,000 or N2000 compared to what I was earning then.

So I wasn’t too keen. I was comfortable playing in Nigeria as I was loved by the people.

You were a product of ‘Greater Tomorrow’ but today there is nothing like that. How do you feel about this?

It is most unfortunate that the NFF allowed the ‘Greater Tomorrow’ project to die a natural death just like that. I was a member of the first ‘Greater Tomorrow’ team that became the Junior Eagles. We were made to entertain the crowd before major international games at the National Stadium, Lagos. If the trend had continued, it would have continuously helped the football federation to fish out talents for the junior national teams. I believe that the NFF can still do this, they can go to the secondary schools to get players and these ones can form the nucleus of the national Under-17 team. Let them start by playing curtain raisers, that was what we played then in Greater Tomorrow.

You can imagine I played curtain raisers for Christian Chukwu, Emmanuel Okala, Best Ogendegbe, Muda Lawal, Adokiye Aimesiamaka and Segun Odegbami as a very young boy. It is not the money, but letting Nigerians know how to play good football, this would be an added advantage.

You were the youngest player to play in the African Nations Cup in 1980 and you later captained the team. This must be a great feeling?

Well, I always love football and I will do so until I die. Football has always been a part of my life. I felt so great and happy being a member of that 1980 victorious squad. I felt on top of the world winning the cup, the icing on the cake was the presidential award given to us

by President Shehu Shagari. The house I was given is still where I stay till date, we also got cars and national honours. It was great. I don’t know how to describe it. Because of these federal government largesse, even while aging we were still ready to keep playing for the country.

This also encouraged the younger ones to aspire to win laurels for Nigeria.

Aside from the 1980 Nations Cup, how many African Nations Cup did you play?

I played at Libya 82, Cote d’Ivoire 84 and Morocco 1988. I played a total four,

Front row: Third from left Henry Nwosu

won one, played finals in two and lost out in one.

Can you share your most memorable moment in the national team?

My most memorable was when I made the 1980 team. The senior players like

Chief Segun Odegbami and Christian Chukwu welcomed me warmly into the team and gave me encouragement. They told me that the national team was like a no man’s land, that if I play well I would be chosen and if it was the contrary I would be dropped. That was how these two great players encouraged me and I made the team on merit.

Before then my coach in Benin, Willy Bazuaye had told me that if I play well I would be selected as the Eagles had an expatriate coach whose decision won’t be influenced.

He said I should just go there and play my game as I know how to play the game. I also had as roommate, the late Tunde Bamidele, he was also a senior player in the team. What struck me most was that when I came to the team the older players gave me respect and showed me love.

At Maroc 88 Nations Cup, your goal was disallowed in controversial circumstances by the referee.

Uptil today I still feel sad about that as the referee was not fair to us. It was a fantastic goal.

Like the former vice president late Augustus Aikhomu said, as

far as he was concerned that was a super goal and as matter of fact, he changed the name of the national team from Green Eagles to Super Eagles. It was my disallowed goal that influenced the change of name of the national team.

I still think that the centre referee should apologise to me as a player and to Nigerians publicly no matter how long the incident was. Some people were still punished for war crimes committed in 1945.

Do you have any regrets no playing at the World Cup?

No I don’t really have any; at least I got a consolation coaching at the World Cup at Korea/Japan 2002. But at the same time it was sad that with all my talents I did not have any opportunity to showcase it at the World Cup. When did you hang your boots in the national team?

I finally called it quit in the national team when I realized that dirty politics was beginning to trickle into the Eagles.

I played my last game for the Eagles in 1989. I couldn’t imagine coming home from my base in Cote d’Ivoire to attend a function in Benin City and on my way back in Lagos somebody told me that the Eagles were training at the National Stadium, Lagos without my knowledge as I was not invited. I decided to stop by as I was still the captain of the team at that time. When I entered the main bowl to watch the team play, to my surprise, the coach then Clemens Westerhof asked his assistant Paul Hamilton if I was one of them. I didn’t understand what he meant by that. I was later told what he meant but I won’t like to divulge that to the public. Hamilton told Westerhof that I wasn’t one of them that I was the team’s captain and have served diligently for some years. Westerhof asked me to dress up which I did. When the 11-aside started the crowd watching the game started chanting ‘all we are saying give us Nwosu’. The coach asked his assistant what the crowd was saying and he was told. He quickly asked me to join the possible and I played very well. He decided to include me in the team but the NFA were reluctant to seek for my release from my club. So I saw the hand writing on the wall and had to quit when the ovation was loudest.

34

E-mail: ifeanyiandrewibeh@gmail.com Tel: 08085973490

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JUNE 01, 2014

Countdown to FIFA World Cup

Five young players to watch

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ince its inception, the World Cup has seen many young tyros, who have turned out to become superstars of the highest order. We look at five young players to watch-out for in the FIFA 2014 World Cup.

alongside Matuidi and Cabaye. Didier Deschamps has been there and done that (he won the World Cup as captain in 1998) and will know how to go about it and inspire the Les Bleus to their second Wo r l d C u p

the way by performing well at the back. He has had a stupendous season at Atletico de Madrid, helping them successfully break the duopoly of Barcelona by winning the La Liga and helping them to the finals of the Champions League.

The 22 year old has all the attributes of a world class goal keeper and is up there with the likes of Neuer, Lloris and Casillas. He is a good shot stopper, commanding in the box and his distribution is not bad either. The ‘Ricardo Zamora Trophy Winner’ (an award given in Spain for lowest “goals-to-games” ratio) will hope for a personal treble this year and will try to add the Champions League and the FIFA World Cup to his trophy cabinet in what is quickly becoming his breakthrough year. The constant rumors about his future might be a worry for Marc Wilmots, but Courtois has what it takes to focus on what lies ahead and prepare well for the World Cup. Many neutrals consider Belgium as the dark horses for the world cup, and should they end up winning it, then Courtois would have surely played an important role.

Bernard Bernard Anício CalBernard deira Duarte, simply known as Bernard, is one of the many shining jewels in a talented Brazil squad which looks to emulate France, England, West win.

Germany, Uruguay and Italy as the host winners of a World Cup. Raheem Sterling Rewind to the 6th minute against Bernard is one of those little, tricky players with a low centre of gravity Manchester City at Anfield last and likes to cut inside from the left month, Raheem Sterling was through on goal until Komwing. The Shakthar Donetsk man pany and Hart got back is most likely to be used as an impact substitute on the left hand and blocked the path to side in Scholari`s favorite 4-2-3the goal. Time stood still at that moment, but 1 formation, and his pace and energy on the flank is sure to Sterling had the qualcreate problems against tired ity and composure to defences who will be knackswivel a wee bit to his ered in muggy conditions. right and score a stunBernard has not exactly set the ning goal. The talent world alight at his first season has always been there in Donetsk, but will be more with Sterling, but what Christian Atsu was most impressive Another one of those ‘Vitessethan ready for the first game against Croatia was his compo- Chelsea’ products, Atsu is one sure in front player definitely worth lookon June 12th Pogba of goal. ing out for. The 22 year old One of Ghanaian who has been Paul Pogba The French voted as Vitesse Arnhem`s player of the season (scorsquad is a confident bunch this Liverpool`s mainstays, it is not at ing 5 goals and 6 astime around and they will look all a surprise that the 19 year sists) is tipped by to emulate that uncanny knack old Jamaican born Sterling many Ghanaians of performing well in alternate has been included in World Cups. (1998 winners, 2002 the world cup squad. to take the world Group Stage, 2006 Runners-Up, Searing pace, good cup by storm 2010 Group Stages) Going by that technique and lethal and help the theory, the Frenchmen are expected in front of goal, SterBlack Stars to to make it to the final of the World ling has it in him to progress from Sterling Cup in 2014. They have a pretty succeed at the highthe group stage good chance of making it to the est level like the World which has Gerquarter finals (where they might Cup and together with many, Portugal and meet Germany) with a relatively his younger colleagues The United States. Ghana, easy draw and a dangerous squad in Wilshere, Barkley, Shaw who reached the quarter which has nothing to lose. The and Oxlade Chamberlain, finals of the last edition, French are believed to be transition he will look to prove that will need young stars like at the moment and according to England are in safer hands Atsu to put up a stiff chalmany pundits and French football with this next generation to lenge.

An attacking midfielder, lovers, their focus is on the Euro`s compete in international tournaments.

Atsu can play on both flanks on home soil in 2016.

French squad has what it takes as well as behind the striker. to replicate the success of “Class The Ghanaians pack their midfield Thibaut Courtois of 1998.” Paul Pogba is one bright Having played every minute of and are compact with their 4-4-2 or prospect, who is sure to get tongues the qualifying games for the FIFA a 4-5-1 formation. Atsu might start wagging with his athleticism and World Cup, Courtois is a vital on the wings and provide support direct approach to the game. to Gyan upfront and constantly player for a brave, The 21 year old Frenchman switch positions with Kevin Prince new Belgian side has had a solid season Boateng and Andre Ayew. Akwa(A golden generation if you (bagging 8 goals and 8 si Appiah`s men have nothing to assists) in the Juve midlike) and will lose and they will try to throw the field alongside the maslook hope to take kitchen`s sink at their opponents, ter Andrea Pirlo. Pogba them all which naturally makes them very dangerous. They have a very good would have surely rubbed off side and can cause a major upset if starlets like Atsu the Italian`s Courtois find their feet early in influence the tournament. and will look to pull the Atsu strings f r o m midfield

WITH IFEANYI IBEH

HOLE IN ONE

Enugu Sports Club to attend FAEA Charity Golf Tourney

N

igeria will be represented at this year ’s Friendship Association Education Assistance (FAEA) Annual Charity Golf Outing by a team of golfers from the Enugu Sports Club.

The Enugu-based golfers, who will be among the close to a hundred golfers who will be taking part in the championship taking place on June 7 at the prestigious PB Dye Golf Course, in Ijamsville, Maryland, United States of America, will be flying Nigeria’s flag at the event in the hope of carting home one of the numerous trophies and prizes on offer at the tournament which is now in its ninth year.

The PB Dye Golf Course, complete with world-class facilities, was recently voted as one of the best golf courses in Maryland by top golf magazine, Golf Digest.

Information posted on the tournament’s website, disclosed that the event will commence on June 7 with a 1:30 p.m. local time shot-gun start, followed by a closing reception with awards.

There will also be a raffle draw at the end of the event.

The golfers from Enugu won’t be the only Nigerian representation at the FAEA Annual Charity Golf Outing as Slok Nigeria Limited has been named as title sponsors for this year’s edition of the tournament.

Slok is the leading indigenous company in the upstream sector of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and the company’s chairman is former Executive Governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, a keen golf enthusiast, who is also the youngest Nigerian to be given a National Merit Award.

The FAEA, on its part, is a non-profit organisation, founded in 1996 to further charitable and educational causes both in the United States and Africa.

The organisation has a goal to support under privileged children in its target areas and uses the Annual Charity Golf Outing as an avenue to raise funds.

Among the support provided to these children include providing school supplies, mentorship, and individual scholarships.

Odoh eyes victory at Libreville Open

O

che Odoh has set his sights on securing a win at the Libreville Open which gets underway in the Gabonese capital on June 6.

Odoh, who recently won the Cameroon International Golf Championship, will lead a team of talented Nigerian golfers including Sunday Olapade and Gift Willy, who finished second and third respectively in Cameroon, to the championship which ends on June 9.

Other Nigerians expected to take part in the championship are Chidi Tobias, Kingsley Oparakwu, Mike Ubi and Liadi Jaiyeola. But Odoh, now ranked third on the Nigerian PGA Order of Merit, is hoping he can do enough to overcome the expected challenge from his compatriots and secure a historic win in the Central African nation.

“I have never won in Gabon.

I long to win the championship but it won’t be that easy as a lot of good players will also be around,” said Odoh in an interview with New Telegraph.

“It has been a good year so far for me and, hopefully, I can draw confidence from my performance in Cameroon and, if all goes well for me, get a win out there,” he stressed.

The sum of 10,000 euros will be up for grabs for the winner of the championship, but one player who will not be there is

Oche Odoh after winning last year’s Pro-Am tournament in Equatorial Guinea

former Nigeria number one, Gboyega Oyebanji, who withdrew from the event citing poor form.

But Order of Merit leader, Emos Korblah, who recently won the CMCL Open in Abuja, will be in Gabon along with his fellow Ghanaian, Vincent Torgah, as well as Tog-born Agbavon Kosivi.

Kosivi, who has resided in Gabon since 2009, plays on the Nigerian Tour, and is the defending champion of the Libreville Open.

News LCCI x-rays economy during 15 years of democracy p.38

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

www.newtelegraphonline.com/politics

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

JUNE 1, 2014

Market and Malls Aso-oke making: A lucrative venture p.42

35

Business AZUBIKE NNADOZIE, ASSISTANT Editor, SUNDAY

azubike.nnadozie@newtelegraphonline.com

ON SUNDAY

Nigeria set to become Africa’s automobile hub W

Paul Ogbuokiri

ith the recent rollout of Nissan Patrol sport utility vehicle in Lagos by the Stallion Group, the Director General, National Automative Council,

Mr. Aminu Jalai, has said that at least 12 automobile manufacturing companies would soon start assembling their vehicles in Nigeria.

Already, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company in Nnewi and Stallion Nissan Motors in

Lagos have blazed the trail in local assembling of vehicles under the new automobile policy of the Federal Government.

He said last week that with the development, Nigeria would soon become the automobile hub of Africa.

He told New Telegraph on Sunday that old assembly plants like Leyland and Leventis Motors were being revived to give a new lease of life to the nation’s auto industry.

According to him, aside Nissan, three new auto assembly plants, including Hyundai, Peugeot and

Higer automoblies would commence operation next month.

He also confirmed the July 1, 2014 date for the enforcement of a new tariff on imported vehicles, including fully built units, which was raised from 20 per cent to 70 per cent.

The Federal Government had on October 3, 2013 announced the introduction of a new auto policy to discourage the importation of used cars and encourage the local manufacturing of new vehicles.

A two-page document dated November 14, 2013 and signed by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had stated that a fully built car would attract a duty of 35 per cent and a levy of another 35 per cent of the cost of the vehicle.

Hitherto, importers and dealers were parting with 20 per cent and two per cent as duty and levy, respectively on new cars. Ten per CONTINUED ON PAG38

Inside

L-R: CEO, Emzor Pharmaceuticals Limited, Dr. Stella Okoli; Managing Director, Unilever Nigeria, Mr. Yaw Nsakoh; Managing Director, Standard Chartered Bank, Mrs. Bola Adesola and Managing Director Shell Petroleum, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu at the Business Leaders Roundtable to discuss sustainable development...Wednesday

Shell MD, others pledge action on sustainable development

M

anaging Director of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mutiu Sunmonu and other 30 leaders of major Nigerian businesses have agreed to establish a common platform that will enable them to promote sustainable development initiatives and programmes across the country.

Attending a roundtable in Lagos on Wednesday, the CEOs decided to set up a council for sustainable development which will be affiliated to the Geneva-based World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). The proposed council will work to arouse the interest of the Nigerian busi-

ness community towards taking collective action for a sustainable future for society.

Sunmonu said: “There is no doubt that Nigerian companies support sustainability programmes in their respective areas of influence quite adequately, however, no platform currently exists for businesses across all industries to share experiences, best practices, and advocate for business positions that transform lives and communities from what they are today to the greatness they can be, tomorrow.

If there is one area we do not need to compete as businesses, it is in the goodness of our heart to our society and environment.”

Managing Director and CEO, Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria, Mrs. Bola Adesola, described the

idea as innovative and desirable.

“It is important that the organised private sector show interest in the challenging operating business environment.”

Also speaking at the roundtable, Chief Keith Richards, Chairman, Promasidor Nigeria Ltd, “We look forward to contributing and devoting our time and energy in actualising the goals of this intervention which will impact Nigerians positively and sustain business development.”

His remarks were echoed by Engr. Wolfgang Goetsch, Managing Director, Julius Berger Nigeria who said “I am looking forward to a business council that works, through proper management and commitment by members.” A lecturer at the Lagos Business School,

Sir Chris Ogbechie had earlier made a presentation in which he outlined the justification and modalities for setting up the council.

The gathering agreed that there would be a governing council to oversee the organisation, comprising CEOs of member companies and reputable international business figures which will be committed to driving a positive sustainable future for society and the rapid development of the economy. Rabab Fayad, Regional Director of the WBCSD, said “We are committed to supporting this Nigerian vision, as it is our goal to establish vibrant networks on sustainable development across the globe.”

Rising from the roundtable, CONTINUED ON PAG38

Nelson

‘Our merger with IBTC’s yielding result’ pg 39

Agboola

‘Why Nigerian roads are poorly built’ pg 37

SundayTransport 36

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

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNRDAY

JUNE 1, 2014

Weststar introduces Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Coach M

Paul Ogbuokiri uch has already been said about the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, which has found its place in the Nigerian commercial sector - thanks to the authorised

General Distributors of Mercedes-Benz in Nigeria, Weststar Associates Ltd. Having already made a name in the commercial vehicle segment, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is always ahead of its class.

A statement bsigned by the Public Relation compliance manager, Funmi Lawuyi said that certain key words, put together,

Safety tips for teen drivers Whether you’re just getting ready to hit the road or have been driving for months ― or even years ― now, take some time to review these eight safe driving tips.

Put your cell phone off Multiple studies indicate using a cell phone while driving is the equivalent of driving drunk ― that’s even when using a hands-free phone. Besides, your state may prohibit the use of cell phones while driving. Many do for drivers of certain ages.

Don’t text Research shows texting ― on average ― causes a loss of focus on the road for five seconds. A lot can go wrong in those five seconds.

Don’t try the ‘texting-while-stopped’ approach, either, as many states ban texting while behind the wheel. And, when you have your head down, you won’t notice key develop-

help describe this vehicle, adding that the least of them is innovation.

To confirm the Sprinters innovative character, Weststar has now introduced the all new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Coach into the Nigerian automobile industry, said Lawuyi.

“Not only does the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Coach embody the regular Sprinter’s riding comfort and loading convenience, it also has the impressive safety features that MercedesBenz is renowned for. Its profitability due to its lower total cost of ownership, cost effective/fuel saving capabilities, as well as versatility and suitability for demanding tasks, makes it a bus that is second to none,“ the statement said.

The statement also said that the MercedesBenze Sprinter vehicular properties and bodywork characteristics, is extraordinarily well-suited for special attachments and conversions – including those of a highly specialised kind. There’s definitely no compromising with the quality, while the exterior and interior have a lot to offer in terms of design, the statement said.

Lawuyi also said that the Sprinter Coach is, no doubt, bigger, longer and more spacious with six double seats and three single ones. He said that the ex-

Auto Clinic

ments that may occur, even when you’re stuck at a red light.

Turn on your headlights Doing so can increase your visibility and help other drivers see you, even on sunny days.

Obey the speed limit Speeding causes about 40 per cent of all fatal teen accidents. That’s especially true when driving on roads with lots of traffic or you’re not familiar with.

Don’t feel pressured to keep up with traffic if it seems like everyone else is flying by you. Driving at a safe speed helps ensure your well-being, and keeps you away from costly traffic tickets that can cause a sharp hike in your auto insurance premiums.

Minimise distractions It may be tempting to eat, drink, flip around the radio dial, or play music loudly while you’re cruising around town; however, all can cause your mind or vision to wander, even

tremely comfortable Mercedes Benz seats are covered in Lima black fabric, enabling the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter to exude the luxury and class befitting important passengers.

He said: “The vehicle is particularly suited for inter-state journeys or airport pick-ups and is fully installed with meal trays at the back of 11 seats. There’s also a storage box mounted on each of the rear doors. Besides having luggage compartments, there’s a partition behind the passenger compartment which includes three shelves for storage of luggage, a net between shelves and passengers, and lashing straps on each shelf.”

He said that the vehicle has additional lights mounted over the wind screen which help provide a bright ambience in its interior while driving at night or in the dark.

According to him, entertainment is not left out, as the Sprinter Coach comes with an impressive multi-media system which includes a DVD player, three IR ear pieces and a drop down 17 inch monitor. To further cater to the needs of passengers, a roof rack and removable ladder come standard with the Sprinter Coach, he said.

Lawuyi further said that the Sprinter, in general, is an all-round talent, designed to cope with the most diverse, even extreme operating conditions, saying that is why it has bagged numerous international awards.

New Telegraph on sunday learnt that from its side-wall line which extends over the full length of the side and drops towards the front, to the typical dropping line of the windows, the Sprinter makes for a dynamic appearance. Additional conspicuous indicators in the exterior mirrors ensure clear signal. The body side mouldings with their large surfaces also catch the eye. They prevent paint damage and minor bodywork damage and can be replaced quickly and cost-effectively on account of their modular design.

Lawuyi noted that the Sprinter’s attractive rear end is framed by distinctive tail lights, saying these are divided into a brake light section and a tail lamp section and extend almost over the entire rear pillar, so that brake application can be noticed far more quickly by traffic coming from behind.

for a few seconds. And, that can be enough for an inexperienced driver to lose control of your car, or not notice an obstacle in the road.

Drive solo Having a single teen passenger in your car can double the risk of causing a car accident. Adding additional teen passengers causes the risk to escalate.

Practise defensive driving Always be aware of the traffic ahead, behind and next to you, and have possible escape routes in mind. Stay at least one car length behind the car in front of you in slower speeds, and maintain a larger buffer zone with faster speeds.

Choose a safe car If possible, drive a safe car with the latest safety equipment (such as anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, and air bags), and one with an excellent crash safety record.

Culled from AutoWorld.com

37

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 1, 2014

‘Why Nigerian roads are poorly built’

Business Interview

Mr. Olumide Agboola is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Vogue Tek and Engineering Limited, a telecommunications infrastructures provider. He spoke with CHIJIOKE IREMEKA on road construction and telecom infrastructure installation in the country In Nigeria today, it’s a norm for a road constructed in a year to wear out within the same year, what is really the lifespan of a well constructed road of international standard? ell, it depends on the road and the motive behind the construction of such road.

The environment where the road is constructed contributes to its lifespan too. Some roads are constructed in an arid area, while some on the soft soil. The two roads will not have the same lifespan.

However, a well constructed road will last between 10 and 20 years with maintenance.

But how come the roads constructed

by British over 50 years ago, are still in good conditions, stronger than the ones constructed in the recent time? Is it a material problem or craftsmanship?

You see, the level of corruption in today’s Nigeria is rather very high, which wasn’t the same then. Also, the level of politicisation of public projects now was not the same then. We are in the era, where a road contract should be subcontracted to four different subcontractors before it gets to the final contractor.

Of course, you don’t expect the quality of road to be the same and as durable as that of 19th century road constructed. While these processes of road subcontracting are going on, the quality of the finished product is dropping too.

For instance, some construction firms would want to use the materials meant for 2 killometer road and construct three kilometer road. This would not be the same if the materials are used on a two klm road. So, the level of corruption in the country has made it impossible to get such quality of roads today.

Project price inflation on the side of road construction in the country is unimaginably high, what really, is the cost of a klm road in Nigeria?

Well, for a standard road, a kilometer road will cost between N120 million N200 million.

It’s discovered that the roads built by British in Nigeria are reflective at night, which helps the motorists keep balance on the road, in absence of street lights, but today, we can’t boast of this in the mainstream of our roads, is it also corruption-induced or shift in technology?

Well, it’s not from material. Some tars are well heated and when they well lit, there will be reflection. This, like you said, would help the drivers know whether they are on the road or driving off the road. Apart from this technology, the most important aspect of ensuring good balance on the road is the marking of

W

the roads.

Some construction companies do not combine the job of road construction and marking but we do them together. In most cases, the contracts are given to two different firms.

It’s the marking of the road that will tell a motorist that he is still on the road or driving off road. Apart from this, when the road is not well lit, it would lead to many accidents at nights.

The increasing number of gully erosion sites in both rural and urban areas in Nigeria has been blamed on abrupt termination of drainage system by construction companies, why do we create more problems trying to solve another?

I quite agree with you. There are a number of things that could lead to such erosion and flooding in the country. In Lagos state then, abrupt termination of drainages system created flooding menace here and there, but with the role of the environmental protection agency, it’s fast narrowing down.

Meanwhile, my company has different approach to this. Before we embark on any project, we will first embark on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to ensure that what we are about to do will not cause another problem and this is the international requirement of every project.

Road construction is one of the major enemies of optic fibre installation in Nigeria, how best can this be done without unearthing and vandalising the underground telecommunications cables?

Vandalisation of underground cables has been a big problem in the past, but there are measures in place to forestall further destruction of the cables, especially in Lagos but this is still happening in other part of the country. With the latest reforms in Lagos state, for example, the newly constructed roads and those under construction have six-eight pipe conduits in them.

These conduits will not allow anybody to dig up any material again because all cables have to pass through already made conduits, which are built alongside the roads. So, any company that wishes to lay fibres, has to go through the government and get a lease to enable it lay its cables without having to cut the road again.

Recently, Minister of Finance announced govt’s plan build 200,000 low-cost housing units in the next four years, but with deficits in mortgage system may put a clog to its wheel, as a developer, what is your take on this?

I have a different view on this. Government doesn’t need to go into the low-cost housing unit, what they should do is to encourage the

private sector to invest in the real estate, while government goes into mortgaging.

Before now, we used to have Federal Mortgage Bank saddled with certain responsibilities and this is what we need to thrive in real estate business. Let there be funds for the people to get and own houses and pay back later. The private sector will do this work better than the government, all we need is good mortgage system, and everything is fine.

Being new-fangled in Nigerian business environment, especially in the telecom infrastructure and civil engineering, where a number of giants like Helios Towers are operating would not be without challenges; how have you broken forth?

We have cut a niche for ourselves. With my wealth of experiences, having worked in UK for years and with other qualified staff, we are good for the jobs. And this has earned us some good contracts, which we have executed and still working on others. So, this, to me, is not a challenge. The only challenge is getting more jobs to work.

Getting jobs is the major challenge in view because of the activities of the big players in industry, what else do you consider a challenge?

The major challenge facing the indigenous construction companies is lack of patronage by the government and Nigerians for their preference of foreigners to local firms. So, getting more clients to work for; is more or less the major problem.

Nigeria has this attitude and mindset that anything foreign is better than local. The contracts and jobs we suppose to get, the government gives it out to Asian companies, which will later subcontract the same contract to local contract after taking the chunk of the funds.

These affect the prices of the contract and the quality too because they have taken their own share of the money, the subcontractor will also take his own money and work with the token that remains and this is the reason poor execution of projects.

Having said this, we need low-interest credit facilities from the government to en-

able us do our work profitably. The government can decide to do it through Bank of Industry or the Infrastructure Bank or through other means. Government should consider giving loans to the people. Foreigners should not come and take our jobs from the government and subcontract to us.

When there is a need for telecom infrastructures, Helios Towers comes to mind; what can Vogue Tek different from other providers?

Vogue Tek and Engineering Limited is one of the most dynamic companies in the country in communications and engineering sector.

Vogue Tek combines a number of services to give the customers satisfaction.

We are into civil engineering, including road constructions, building and drainages systems, fabrication erection and maintenance of towers and masts, VSAT installation, antenna system and supporting structures among others.

We also produce quality materials for construction of all facilities given to us. This has earned us a reputation over the years and our products are ISO 9001 manufacturer’s standard.

As a leading civil engineering business founded with over five years experience, we work across Nigeria, under taking infrastructures, capital and maintenance project through a variety of procurement routes for public and private organisations.

Our services range from sites and route selection to site appraisal and site investigation, schematic and cost control designs through designs and working drawings for construction.

Vogue Tek is equally working for clients or consultants as parts of the design team or operating as the contractor’s designer at the construction stage.

In fact, with a large proportion of contracts being awarded either as Design and Build (D&B) or Public Private Partnership (PPP), we have developed a particular expertise at combining our technical and practical skills for these projects where the contractor becomes the client.

38

JUNE 1, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Business News

LCCI x-rays economy in 15 years of democracy

N

Azubike Nnadozie igeria’s 15 years of uninterrupted democracy has earned the country considerable goodwill as one of the few stable democracies in Africa.

In addition, the economy has benefited from this goodwill as investors are better disposed towards a democratic environment. This, among other factors, has made Nigeria a major investment destination on the continent.

However, despite the economic gains from a democratic environment, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), in a recent x-ray of the economy regretted that core democratic values are yet to firmly taken root in the polity, especially in the areas of accountability by the political leadership at all levels; transparency in the management of public finance; rule of law; separation of powers and the inherent checks and balances; independence and quality of democratic institutions – electoral bodies, law enforcement agencies, judiciary etc. at all levels of government, citizen engagement and federalism.

Having described the nation’s democracy as ‘work in progress,’ it stated the imperative of recognising the importance of these democratic ideals in the sustenance of the nation’s democracy.

Economic performance According to LCCI, the economic growth trend, measured by the performance of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), has been generally positive over the last fifteen years, averaging about six per cent. This, it said, is good, compared to growth conditions in most economies around the world. However, it stated that it remains a major worry that the economy is still structurally defective as it is too dependent on the oil and gas sector for revenue, creating serious vulnerability risks. The chamber noted that the lack of political will to reform the oil and gas sector remains a major shortcoming of democratic governance over the past 15 years.

In its view, the transformation in the telecommunications sector was a notable success story in economic reform over the period.

“We note the progress being made in the agricultural sector reform; but it is important to observe that the sector cannot be transformed in isolation of infrastructure development and industrialisation,” it added.

It expressed concern about the weak impact of the growth performance on private sector productivity and the welfare of the Nigerian people. According to it, the quality of the business environment continues to be a source of concern to investors, especially in the real sector.

“Weak infrastructure and institutions have adverse effects on efficiency, productivity and

competiveness of enterprises in the economy. These conditions pose a major risk to inclusiveness and job creation,” it noted.

Nigeria, with its rebased GDP is now ranked number 26 with regard to the size of its economy in 2013; but ranked 147 in the latest Ease of Doing Business report of the World Bank out of the 189 countries profiled.

The country’s ranking in the UNDP Human Development Index is 153, out of 210 countries.

This, it noted, is a graphic illustration of a disconnect between growth and development; and between growth and quality of investment climate, adding that these are critical gaps that were urgently needed to fix the nation’s economic growth and make it inclusive and impactful.

Credit Situation The chamber stated that the

credit situation in the country remains a major problem for investors as many small and medium scale enterprises still have serious challenges in accessing credit, even at this high rate. The tight credit situation, it said, was a major inhibiting factor to the capacity of domestic enterprises to take advantage of the robust Nigerian market. It called for a framework for better synergy between the financial sector, the real sector and SMEs which it said are desirable to facilitate the realisation of the developmental objectives of inclusiveness and job creation.

Security Situation On the escalating insurgency and oil theft in the country in recent years, which also pose a risk to political and economic stability, the chamber noted that it impacted investment risk and worsened the nation’s perception

at the global level.

“Access to markets in the troubled parts of the country has reduced for many enterprises and this is already affecting sales and profitability. Also many enterprises have re-located with the inherent challenges,” it said.

In the interplay of security and other adverse conditions in the past 15 years of democracy, billions of dollars have been lost in revenue and many lives have been lost to the problems of oil theft and pipeline vandalism. It called on the Federal Government to tighten security around the country and improve the environment of affected communities. It said they had suffered serious degradation as a consequence of this problem and urged government to reverse the situation in the oil and gas sector.

L-R: Human Resources Business Partner, PAL Pensions Limited. Mrs. Lisa Iduoze; Head Teacher, Home Science Association Primary School, Ikoyi, Mr. James Imana and Managing Director, PAL Pensions Limited, Mr. Dave Uduanu during financial literacy initiative programme for schools by PAL in Lagos.

PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

ABC Transport wins award, set to graduate 200 drivers

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BC Transport Plc has been conferred with yet another award.

The company won the ‘Transport Company of the Year’ at the 2014 Nigerian Auto Awards, held on May 16, at Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The glamorous event was organised by On-Wheels West Africa and is in its 9th edition. Chief (Dr.) Omolade Okoya-Thomas, OFR, was the chairman of the event, which attracted a host of dignitaries and reputable companies.

The Nigerian Auto Award is organised annually to celebrate excellence and performance in the automotive, haulage and logistics industry. ABC Transport won in the category of road

transportation, having been nominated alongside known bus operators. This special honour was bestowed on ABC Transport in recognition of its innovations and immense contributions to road transport development in Nigeria. ABC Transport has been commended severally for its pioneering role in the road transport sector and its enviable safety records in the industry. This latest award is coming to ABC Transport barely three weeks after the company was got the ‘Most Innovative and Impactful Transport and Logistics Company in Nigeria’ award from the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).

Notable among the guests were, Director National Automative Council, Mr. Mamud Lukman;

MD/CEO Toyotar Nigeria, Mr Kunle Ade-Ojo; Chairman Beachhouse Ventures Limted, Engr.

Dare Lanre; Chairman and other executives of CFAO Motors, KIA, Hyundai, Mandilas, Coscharis, Honda, Chrislak Group, Richbon Nigeria Ltd, and many others.

Meanwhile, ABC Transport will be honouring over 200 drivers and attendants at its forthcoming Accident-free award ceremony on June 11, 2014, in Owerri, Imo State. The Accident-free ceremony is a yearly event organised by the company to reward drivers and attendants who did not record any accident within a year. On that same day, Drivers’ Training Academy (DTA) will be graduating no less than 250 drivers at its inaugural convocation ceremony.

Nigeria set to become Africa’s automobile hub C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 5

cent flat rate was also imposed on commercial vehicles.

Jalal said that the 12 firms had concluded all the preliminary works on the planned assembly plants and were expected to begin the roll-out any moment from now.

He listed other vehicles that would soon be assembled in Nigeria as Kia, Renault, Foton and Joylong, among others.

He said Dana Motors facilitated the coming of the Kia and Renault brands; while Coscharis Motors sealed an assembly plant agreement with a Chinese firm, JiangSu Joylong Automobile, for the production of over 14,000 Joylong and other Chinese vehicles every year.

Globe Motors Holdings Nigeria Limited is also bringing in a Chinese firm to establish a $120m assembly plant that will produce Higer automobiles.

“By the end of the year, all the 12 auto manufacturing companies are expected to have established their vehicle assembly plants in the country,” Jalal said.

He noted that Toyota was currently doing feasibility studies and would hopefully declare its intention to join the train before the end of the year.

He expressed satisfaction with the response of the global auto manufacturers and vehicle dealers to the new auto policy of the Federal Government.

Meanwhile, Freight forwarding practitioners in the country who until recently have been protesting the new auto policy, have commended the Federal Government for the successful take-off of the new vehicle transit scheme at Seme Customer post, saying the scheme will boost the Nigerian economy, create job for Nigerians and reduce smuggling.

The scheme, which is crafted in the new auto policy, is a collaborated programme between Nigeria and it neighbouring countries that will ensure that all vehicles entering the country from any of those countries will be handed over to the Nigerian Customs Service at the border after the country had collected its own tariffs.

Shell MD, others pledge action on sustainable development C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 5

many companies volunteered to work towards the establishment of the business council. Companies represented included Accenture, Coca-Cola, Empretec Nigeria Foundation, Etisalat, First Bank, Flour Mills of Nigeria, Heirs Holdings, Intel Corporation, Interswitch, Standard Chartered Bank, Unilever, the First Bank CSR Centre, BusinessDay newspapers, Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, MTN Nigeria, Guinness, Oando Gas and Power, UBA Group, Seplat Petroleum, Chevron, Stanbic IBTC, Afren Nigeria, Access Bank and Nigerian Breweries.

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Business News

Why blackouts persist in Nigeria - AFC CEO Chief Executive Officer, Africa Finance Corporation, a multilateral development finance institution based in Lagos, Andrew Alli, spoke to The Banker magazine on Nigeria’s ambitious power privatisation programme and infrastructural challenges in Africa

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In the last five years, how much has AFC spent on infrastructure in Africa? nfortunately, I think the wave of infrastructural development in Africa is way too low. Different studies have been conducted in Africa and many came up with financing deficits of between $40 million and $50 million per annum. We have invested in two independent power projects in Africa but when compared to Africa’s needs, you would discover that the volume of investment hasn’t been much. That’s why AFC and other institutions are trying to ramp up infrastructure across the continent.

What is the problem with the region in terms of funding; is it paucity of fund or something else?

In our view, it’s not the fund. We have discovered that when projects are well structured and bankable, one can access funds to bankroll them easily. The real problem remains the lack of real bankable projects in the continent in which the people can invest in.

First of all, the governments at all levels are not ready and quick to open up infrastructural projects to the private sector and when they do, there are several hurdles to be crossed, trying to get the projects bankable. So, it’s not really turning them into projects but looking at how much potential they have in terms of delivery.

Based on your last balance sheet, which country tops AFC’s balance sheet?

Well, I think there are a lot of activities in the power sector. We have seen that every single country in the Africa has power deficit yet power is pivotal to the development of each country. We have invested in the wind power project in Cape Verde, which provides about 20 per cent of the power supply in the country. Also, in the Ghana, we have invested in their power plant, which also supplies about over 40 per cent power in the country.

In Nigeria, we invested in power privatisation last year.

We have supported two generation companies and one distribution company in Nigeria, and we are also looking at power projects in East Africa, Kenya, Mozambique

and other countries. So, power is a major thing for AFC. Talking about power privatisation in Nigeria, are you optimistic that the projects would help the country to boost its electricity shortages?

Yes, one thing we are beginning to see is that one of those companies that partook in the process has begun to improve the power situation in the country. Even as early as six months, when they took over, they had started making waves there (in Nigeria).

It’s important to look at Nigeria’s power reform as a whole. Nigeria’s power reform has been the most ambitious sector reform that has been done anywhere in the world, in the last decade, in line with the United Kingdom’s. This makes it very complex and therefore not every aspect of it will work as quickly as people expected but it will work.

There is no doubt that the project would experience some challenges but broadly speaking, it’s headed in the right direction. In the coming years, I expect that there would be a significant change in the power situation.

Mind you, it takes, at least, three years to build a power generating plant and we need to be realistic on how quickly the visible changes will get to the sector.

to raise the capital needed for this? Are you trying to infuse more shareholders or going for equity capital or…?

For now, we still have a high capital deposit ratio, so we are not looking for equity capital to raise our capital ratio. However, we do have the plan to double our balance sheet over three to five years. So, we need to top up our balance sheet, which includes raising funds from the international capital market and euro bond issues; doing what we are already doing, that is, receiving bilateral funding from DFID; doing bilateral deals with other commercial banks, doing syndicated facilities like the one we just closed in December last year, which was a $250 million facility. We are making every effort to see our sources of income diversified. That’s why we are looking at different parts of the capital market to finance our project liquidity.

There is an increasing demand for funding from AFC, how do you hope

Our merger with IBTC’s yielding result - Standard Bank CEO

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n the sidelines of the African Development Bank summit in Kigali, Rwanda, Standard Bank’s CEO for Africa, Chris Newson, outlined the bank’s plans for Nigeria and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa. He also explains why it recently moved into

Nelson

Francophone West Africa and Ethiopia.

Last year was a year of financial crisis for Standard Bank, which made the bank to divest into other major markets like Turkey, Russia, Argentina and Sub-Saharan Africa. Is this how far the bank can go in its strat-

egy?

The review of the bank’s strategy has been effective to universal modeling and to desiring banking in Africa, to be precise. So, it’s not only the places mentioned, though that was a good observation. We have made significant achievements in rebalancing the capital profile of the group.

We have international transactions with banks. Simultaneously, we are focusing on our strategy in Africa, especially in South Africa where our key network strategy is recouping resources for the bank. South Africa is the engine room in Africa, which has shown between 25 and 23 per cent increase in our balance sheet against what we had two to three years ago.

It is a great progress and significant growth coming our way this year.

They have worked to improve our returns.

You mentioned that the rest of Africa forms 25 per cent of your balance sheet. Do you like to improve on that? What really, is your target for the bank in the next five years?

For now, I wouldn’t say we have a specific target in Africa but we have banking targets geared towards increasing our capital profile.

If you reflect on Sub-Saharan Africa, there is wide gap between African regions due to other reforms we have there, especially in Cote d’Ivoire.

This has been a key factor for us.

Cote d’Ivoire gave us the best in the Francophone areas. We are building capacity in Cote d’Ivoire.

In other countries, the situation is

not the same as when it comes to Cote d’Ivoire and South Africa.

This appears to be the first time you are moving into Francophone countries. What led to that?

If you reflect on the Standard Bank policy in Africa, it’s the question of priority. We are focusing on the returns that have been the key factors for us. There are other parts of the continent that are more attractive than the others. Cote d’Ivoire is beginning to have something good for us.

One of your major achievements in Nigeria is StanbicIBTC Bank. What do you think about it, especially as Nigeria is Africa’s biggest economy?

In our view, I think we made the right decision when we merged with IBTC. We continue to thank Nigeria because the merger has great potential for us. We need activity review and as you can see, the financial report in the past year and after the merger has been impressive. Basically, our strategy in Nigeria remains that of an organic matter and portfolio within our retail business.

Standard is trying to open a representative office in Ethiopia, one of the countries in East Africa. How far have you gone with that?

It is a question of how people in Ethiopia respond to the new business.

It would be speculative to speak out of market. When we are there, one will be able to speak. We are keying in, to make the right steps in the country.

Source: www.thebanker.com

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he equities market in the week hovered within the positive territory on account of perceived foreign fund managers’ entry into the Nigerian equities market.

This swung the equities benchmark index within the positive realm (0.35% YtD returns). The market closed the week and month with WtD and MtD gains of 4.12% and 7.77%, the highest thus far in 2014. Total volume and value traded also increased by 1.86% and 46.38%, pegging at 1.901units and NGN34.643bn respectively.

JUNE 1, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Equities on a Bull run

…as YtD return turns positive

Banking Sector: Banking Sector resurgent

It was a bullish week of trading in the banking sector as 13 out of 15 banking stocks gained, with only WEMABANK shedding points (-6.06%). The top gainer was ETI (11.04%), which was closely followed by FBNH (10.07%), and FCMB (8.59%). ETI gained significantly during the week, appreciating by 11.04% as the ticker still appears to be riding high on its inclusion in the MSCI Index.

Also, FBNH completed its acquisition of ICB Senegal and consequently, ICB West Africa comprising operations in Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Senegal. This move is expected to consolidate the banks position as one of the largest corporate and retail banking financial institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa (ex-South Africa).

The sector P/E and P/BV currently stand at 8.03x and 0.87x respectively relative to market ratios of 13.89x and 2.01x in that order.

This recent resurgence in the banking sector is much in line with our earlier stated expectations that with the steady recovery of the equities market (now in positive territory; 0.35%), there would be strong gains by banking tickers. We maintain our stance that as headwinds subside and interest of foreign investors return, the banking sector will continue to post positive gains.

Insurance Sector: CUSTODYINS leads the pack

Insurance sector continued its positive momentum returning 2.97% WoW. Custodian and Allied Insurance Plc closed at N3.25 to return c.16% WoW. Custodian and Allied Plc has been hugely favoured by investors’ sentiments during the past few weeks due to the company’s sound fundamentals.

The counter might however experience some sell pressure by profit takers in the following week due to its massive 56.25% gains this year.

Other stocks that recorded positive WoW returns are: AIICO, NEM and OASIS each returning 1.23%, 6.17% and 1.96% respectively, while CONTINSURE, MANSARD, PRESTIGE, ROYALEX, and WAPIC closed negative shedding 1.87%, 1.24%, 7.02%, 3.64%, and 2.47% in that order.

We expect the sector’s performance for the coming week to be largely driv-

en by CUSTODYINS as it currently dictates the direction of the sector’s weekly performance.

Consumer Goods Sector: Riding the wave of positivity

In line with positive market mood, the consumer goods stocks across various sub-sectors are beginning to gyrate within the positive territory returning impressive numbers during the week.

The sector returned +0.29% and +3.46% WtD and MtD respectively.

Food and Beverage Sector: Most counters gyrate northward

Food and beverage counters gyrated majorly within the positive territory in the week. The heavyweights within the sub-sectors such as FLOURMILL, CADBURY, HONYFLOUR, NASCON,

PZ, UNILEVER and VITAFOAM returned respective positive gains of 8.72%, 1.99%, 3.90%, 1.80%, 3.36%, 0.93% and 2.68%. NESTLE however was within the red zone after trading 0.65% down. We think the current market state will continue to favour positive sector swings in the near term. Investors should watch out for FLOURMILL, DANGSUGAR, NESTLE and VITAFOAM among other stocks.

Brewery Sector: NB’s rally tempers as GUINNESS and INTBREW stay calm

In the Brewery sector, the rally on Nigerian Breweries (NB) began to moderate. The price of the stock has declined 0.02% vs. 8.02% & 18.02% in the last 2 weeks. Compared to NB, activities on

GUINNESS and INTBREW were calm for most part of the week as both stocks traded marginally flat for the week.

Conglomerate Sector: UACN Saw Renewed Interest

Overall, the Conglomerates sector appreciated 11.9% WtD. UACN saw renewed investors’ interest as the company returned +12.07%, rising from NGN58 previous week to NGN65 this week. We noticed an unusual volume of trades on Wednesday (17.9mn) which according to data is the highest since 2013. We suspect that offshore interest may be responsible for this volume spike. AGLEVENT on the other hand was rather flat for the week; the stock recorded some sell pressures mid-week but rallied back to NGN1.45 as at close

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Market Report of trade. Other counters in the sector were flat for most of the week.

Industrial Goods Sector: Another week of positive trades

It was a positive week for the industrial goods sector as all major stocks appreciated as reflected by our MERI industrial index which gained 4.72% in the week. DANGCEM recovered all it shed at the start of the week to gain 5.09% week-on-week. This is attributed to investors’ attraction to its current price level which is still at a discount to its fundamentally justified value.

ASHAKACEM was investor’s toast in the cement sector with the stock maintaining a gaining streak through the week to record 12.91% WtD return.

CCNN further consolidated on the previous week’s gain while others traded flat week-on-week.

JBERGER, which announced its intention to raise NGN7.5bn for financing its operations, advanced 4.85% in the week. The company noted that the financing would be by public offering, private placement, rights issue or other appropriate means. However, we see equity financing as preferable given the company’s debt to equity ratio which stands at 1.22x as at 2013FY and Q1:2014. Deleveraging will reduce the burden of finance costs on JBERGER’s earnings.

Agric Sector: Sector rebounds on general positive mood

The positive momentum experienced in the market in the past three weeks finally rubbed on the sector as LIVESTOCK, OKOMUOIL and PRESCO returned 5.33%, 2.48% and 1.98% respectively for the week. ELLAHLAKES and FTNCOCOA however traded quietly during the week, leaving their prices unchanged.

Even though PRESCO gained 3.40% (on weaker volume- 0.19mn) on Monday, it quickly shed 1.37% the following day (on a much higher volume0.44mn) before settling at N36.00 for the remainder of the week, suggesting investors’ perception that it is fairly valued at around N36. FTNCOCOA and OKOMU saw weaker than usual volumes throughout the week except on Friday when OKOMUOIL traded significant volumes.

Technical indicators show that OKOMUOIL remains in the oversold region while PRESCO has broken out of the region to enter the fairly bought region.

LIVESTOCK remains fairly bought according to technical indicators. We do not envisage any major price movements on agricultural sector stocks in the coming week as we believe OKOMUOIL and PRESCO are currently

ICTWorld

priced fundamentally. LIVESTOCK may continue to gyrate around N3.00 mark.

Oil and Gas Sector: OANDO unable to sustain rally, FO’s bullishness continues

Positive sentiments which started upon the inclusion of Forte Oil in the MSCI frontier basket were sustained during the week as the counter crossed the NGN200 mark. Following an impressive three-week rally, the counter closed at NGN213.88, a 14.66% gain over the previous week amidst strong investor confidence.

OANDO was unable to sustain last week’s rally which made the counter return 25% and the stock shed 8.95%, closing at NGN18.21. With just one month to the expiration of the deadline of concluding the acquisition of ConocoPhillips assets, we anticipate favorable investor confidence in the coming weeks.

After three weeks of calmness ETRENA’s share price took a hit during the week but because of the last day rally, it closed at NGN3.51, a 2.77% loss from the previous week. TOTAL consolidated on last week marginal gain as the counter gained 6.44% to close at NGN166.05.

Services Sector: Positive stance persists

Relative to last week, the mood in the market though positive was mild.

IKEJAHOTEL halted its upward trend as the stock traded flat this week while TRANSEXPR and RTBRISCOE recorded price declines.

Investors’ negative posture towards AIRSERVICE persisted as the stock shed 7.1% in the week to peg its closing price at NGN2.09 having shed 34.69% YtD. CAVERTON’s downward slide became more pronounced this week as its price further depreciated by 22.93% to close the week at NGN5.41, a staggering 43.05% decline from its listing price last week.

LEARNAFRICA, REDSTAREX, TRANSCORP and UPL maintained a positive stance as prices further appreciated by 2.34%, 1.11% , 0.26% and 0.25% in that order. NAHCO returned to the positive zone this week following a 0.20% gain in price.

We expect price decline on CAVERTON to moderate next week on the back of the company’s planned interaction with stakeholders which may help assuage fears and reduce negative investor sentiments. On the whole, we expect the sector to maintain its current disposition barring external market moving news.

with

Kingsley Roberts kingndcha@yahoo.co.uk

Software Security and SOA: Danger

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What about security?

t almost goes without saying that large enterprises are obsessed with security and securing their critical applications their essential data are at stake.

Any move toward SOA presents a prime opportunity to build security into future applications. But with every opportunity comes a danger of seriously screwing things up. Early SOA adopters are already falling prey to bad thinking about security.

The biggest problem by far involves confusing software security with security software (note the word order). As this department emphasizes, security isn’t a feature. Just as you can’t sprinkle crypto fairy dust on software to make it magically secure, you can’t liberally apply crypto to SOA and end up with security.

Crypto is security software; what we want is software security. Those considering SOA would do well to give close consideration to the inherent security of the Web services platform, as well as to the services themselves. SOA presents an opportunity to avoid or otherwise manage security flaws that pervade software architecture (accounting for 50 percent of the software security problem).1 In the messy real world of enterprise applications, vendors typically highlight the primary security features that they offer as a key selling point. However, outside the list of mandatory security features, few vendors can attest to the

underlying security of the product itself. Thus, users might have all the security features in the world, but they remain untenably insecure.

The challenges of insecure software grow with the move to SOA, which by its very definition exposes software vulnerabilities more widely than ever. Heck, given the Web Services Description Language (WSDL) and universal description, discovery, and integration (UDDI), gaining the information you need as a malicious attacker to perform a software exploit is now easier than ever.

In this scenario, a variety of standards might take the place of arbitrary and often-broken home-grown security features, but the results remain the same because the services themselves suffer from shoddy construction.

By understanding the common snares we list in the next section, those enterprises considering SOA technology can ask better questions, such as, “How do I know that SOA product 57 is secure?” and “What kinds of measures have been taken to avoid software security defects?”

Thirteen security snares Without further ado, let’s get into that list: • Assuming the vendor will take care of security. When you buy a new car, you don’t ask about the engineering processes used in the

design; you assume that Ford or Toyota knows more about how to design cars than you do. Of course, government oversight helps with car safety, but because there is no such oversight on software vendors today, you can’t assume that vendors will take care of it. They have a propensity to “check off the security box” by throwing in some crypto features and calling it a day.

Even SOA security vendors such as Vordel and Reactivity are focusing their attention on reactive approaches instead of telling people they need to build security in.

• Not asking about security at all. Many IT organizations (even in

large companies) have no dedicated internal security staff.

Even in organizations with great network security staff, little or no attention is paid to software security. Because SOA is about software architecture, security might not be something that even comes up.

• Asking about the wrong kinds of security things. On one hand, IT security personnel are likely to believe in the religion of the firewall; in fact, SOA has already engendered its own firewall sect. However, reactive approaches haven’t worked out very well for security, and they’re not likely to start working soon. On the other hand, software people are likely to fall square into the “security software” hole. As we said earlier, security features alone don’t make for software security. Building secure software means applying the software security touchpoints1 and thinking about security during design and implementation.

• Allowing discomfort with the technology to overcome the need for software security. Most network security engineers feel comfortable with the bits and bytes of routers, firewalls, and operating systems, but few know much about the security of enterprise business applications or the SOA itself. As a result, they tend to ask about the aspects they’re familiar with—such as use of SSL—and ignore the harder questions like, “How can you demonstrate to us that this product is secure?” Getting outside your technology comfort zone is often elucidating and educational. Do it.

• Relying on a cursory risk assessment. Smart organizations know how to manage risks, and they make conscious decisions about where to focus their limited resources. Some believe that even if thei SOA framework has security flaws, the odds of those problems being detected and exploited is far lower than the odds of an attack through an unpatched router or Web server. Today, evil people are attacking commodity network products more often than customer-specific Web services, but this is quickly changing. Software security is becoming increasingly important because attackers are changing their targets risk assessments shift over time to account for an attack’s probability for a reason. Whatever you do, don’t forget about software security and software flaws during risk assessments.

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JUNE 1, 2014

Tel: 08027790557, 08037613380

Aso-oke making: A lucrative venture

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Vanessa Okwara

f you are a frequent user of the bridge that connects Adekunle, Yaba to Obalende in Lagos State, you might not have noticed the little Aso-oke making factory and market tucked away under the bridge just before you speed up to Obalende.

This small but lucrative open factory has been in existence for over 25 years and has fed families who have taken this venture as a means of livelihood.

Aso-oke cloth is crafted by the Yoruba ethnic group of Nigeria and has been woven for hundreds of years in one form or another. It is worn during special occasions like wedding and burial or birthday parties. With time, the love for this beautiful cloth grew and became well accepted in other states including non-speaking Yoruba part of the country. Today, Aso-oke is recognised globally and sold in different markets around the world.

Aso-oke is made from strands of cotton, polyester, rayon, silk or acrylic and merged on narrow strip looms into long, thin pieces of fabric. Traditionally, the weavers were men, but women have begun learning the trade as well. The

strips are sewn together to create a piece of unique fabrics. It is usually done in the open where there is enough space to stretch the strings of thread drawn as the weaver creates a design. The embroidery, shine, design, textures, and colour all work together to create a textile unlike any other that is impressive and artistic.

This little Aso-oke making factory under the bridge has become a booming trade for people who desire to go into the business of either exporting it or sell it within Nigeria. Now you don’t have to travel all the way to the indigenous states where this fabric is made, but you can easily locate these locals within Lagos.

Adulkareem is the spokesman for the people, mostly men, weaving Aso-oke in this secluded market since most of them do not under-

stand nor speak English. He is an indigene of Kwara State but relocated from Ilorin to Lagos and was part of the people that started making Aso-oke in that factory some 25 years ago. He told New Telegraph on Sunday “I started doing this business at the age of 10 in Ilorin, Kwara State. It is the family business of my grandparents from my mother’s side and I learnt how to make it as I grew up. Afterwards, I came to Lagos and would do supplies before going back to Kwara.

But after a while, I and a group of my town’s people decided to establish a place where we could weave this clothes ourselves instead of always going back to the village. That was how we started making cloth here in the open space till toady and this business has been helping us to feed our families. People who know that we are here bring

business for us and they even give us big orders and pay down payment for large volume of clothes.

We have even woven cloth for Olusegun Obasanjo, the former President. We did Agbada Asooke for him; although we were not the one that took the contract directly. Some big women brought the business to us as sub contract.

“We also get a lot of orders from people living abroad, especially in the UK and USA; although not directly. Their clients here in Nigeria will book their orders and then meet us to make the colours and designs they want. People who live abroad book ahead with us for up to six months before they will come back to the country, so that when they are going back, their material would have been ready.

They call it ‘’made in Nigeria’’ over there, while we call it Aso-oke.’’

According to Abdulkareem, they spin out the fabric depending on the number of orders they get for each colour or design. It is usually made in sets. One set comprises of a fabric for the head (gele) and a wrapper tied to the waist. The price is dependent on the quality of the material used in making the Asooke; but the prices range from five thousand naira upwards and the re-sellers sell up to thirty thousand naira for one set.

From the price analysis, it then becomes obvious that this business is very lucrative. Since we virtually do not have a textile industry in Nigeria where fabrics can be made in large quantity, the Aso-oke making factory is an untapped business venture that a lot of people can harness into and make a living out of it.

He advised the government to

Street trading is killing our business, says market leader Paul Ogbuokiri

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n order to boast sales in EkeUkwu Owerri Main Market, an appeal has gone to the state governor, Rochas Okorocha, to stop street-trading in the metropolis. The Public Relations Officer (PRO), of the Market Caretaker Committee, Mr. Ifeanyi Nwokedi, made the call in a telephone interview with New Telegraph on Sunday.

“Street-Trading is too much in Owerri main market, school road and Ekeonunwa. Customers who used to come in their vehicles when street-trading was not there no longer patronize us as they now buy on the streets and in supermarkets.

They no longer have access to the market.

“I believe that the governor has completed the site at the Relief Market for those traders.

So the good thing the government should do now is to ask those traders to go over there so that the streets of the main market can be free. If you come to School Road here at night, you see that the road is very wide.

He said that street trading was responsible for much of the dirt around the market, saying if the street traders were chased away by government, the market lanes would be free, including Douglas Road.

Adulkareem on duty at the Aso-oke factory and market

Some favourite markets in Lagos 1. Yaba also known as Tejuosho Market currently undergoing renewal it is one of the most modern markets in West Africa with standard facilities and infrastructure.

Tejuosho shop is a densely populated market, with thousands of shopping units and tens of thousands of customers who patronize the businesses that are resident in the complex on a daily basis. Until 2007 when parts of the shop were gutted by fire, Tejuosho shop was perhaps the busiest shop in Lagos Nigeria after Idumota, Balogun, Oshodi, Alaba shop and seme markets.

2. Alaba International market.

The so called largest electronics shop in Africa, Alaba international shop is home to the biggest dealers of electronic products in Nigeria.

Many of the dealers are big time

importers and distributors of electrical and electronic gadgets such as flat screen televisions, generators, home appliances especially refrigerators, fans, air conditioners, even Dvd sets, digital satellite dishes and decoders and many more.

The shop is a beehive of activities on all days of the week except on Sundays when most of the traders go to church.

3. Computer village. Computer village as the name implies is a shop that deals primarily in the buying and selling of computers together with software and hardware, movable phones and their accessories. It is home to some of Nigeria’s best phone and computer repair guys with many of them demonstrating grand skills in managing, maintaining and

repairing phones, computer parts and other connected gadgets. Any way there is a draw back, this shop is also notorious for housing some people of questionable character such as touts, pirates, pick pockets and fraudsters. Any way the shop offers many benefits such as affordable prices and potential products but only where such products are purchased from reputable and authorized dealers.

4. Idumota. One of the oldest markets in Lagos Nigeria, this shop is the largest shop in West Africa and perhaps Africa with tens of thousands of lock up shops occupying varied buildings in the market. The distinct highlight about this shop is that it is made up of very many manifold storey buildings some measuring 5 or even more floors.

Most of the shops are indubitably apartment rooms converted into shops. The shop is so big that as early as 6 am in the morning it is already recording large volume of transactions.

5. Balogun. Like the Idumota Market, Balogun shop is on the Lagos Island axis. It too is an old shop with very many lock up shops. Unlike Idumota shop it has much fewer manifold storey buildings. Parts of this shop expand into Marina and Broad Street (two of the busiest streets in the central business district of Lagos Nigeria).

6. Mile 12. This shop is popular for being the hotbed of farm produce and raw foods. Any vegetable or fruit that grows in tropical Africa except those that are alien to Nigerian soil can be found in this market.

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JUNE 01, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

Stand out in PLAID

Vanessa Okwara

W

e’re seeing plaid everywhere this season. Be it bold, wild or subtle, it’s all boxy and brilliant.

The plaid fabric has found a new place in today’s sharpest dressers. An old-school look is definitely getting the ‘new school’ treatment, thanks to the visionary efforts of some astute designers like Mai Atafo.

It could come as a complete suit or separately. As blazer, trousers or waistcoat; the plaid fabric is finding its place in the wardrobe of Nigeria’s finest gentlemen who desire to stand out in a crowd.

If it is a suit, when worn properly, it has an almost vintage elegance. The re-envisioned plaid suit comes across as scholarly with hints of unexpected traditionalism.

‘Plaid’ refers to a fabric that creates interesting patterns consisting of crossed horizontal and vertical bands in two or more colours in woven cloth, featuring bands of equal widths similar to Check (pattern).

The plaid attire can be worn to different occasions, depending on how and what you pair it with. For instance, pair a bold-plaid blazer with jeans for your next date to impress her with your outside-the-box abilities. When it comes to the work place, the plaid suit has a super executive demeanor. In a plaid suit, a man looks dapper and distinguished.

The individual components of a plaid suit can be worn separately to more relaxed, stylish events. For instance, the waistcoat can be worn over a plain shirt and trousers with a complementary tie to an evening occasion while the trousers can be stylishly worn for a more casual event or a night out.

However, it is important to point out that it should be closely tailored in order to pull it off. In fact, it’s the fitted tailoring that allows this particular style to transit from retro to royal.

It is time to ditch the boring plain suits in your wardrobe and go for the more exciting plaid fabrics that will add colour and panache to your overall look.

45

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 01, 2014

Body&Soul

We were friends before we fell in love - Deji and Yemi Adenuga Yemi Adenuga is a broadcaster as well as an actress while her husband, Deji, is a Nollywood star. They share their love story with BAYO ADEOYE Where and how did you meet?

Yemi: We met in church in 1985, at a choir rehearsal for our annual convention in Ikenne, Ogun State.

Deji: We met in church at Ikenne. I was a choir member of my church while she was a member of her own church choir too.

What came to your mind the first time you both interacted?

Yemi: I thought, ‘Hmm… fine guy, too dark, but not bad looking’.

Deji: I saw this beautiful girl, she was a little girl then but I told my friends that I would go for her. Some of them discouraged me.

Were you struck by Cupid’s arrow at the first sight?

Yemi: Nothing struck anything. I simply thought he was a nice looking guy, that’s all.

Deji: I like her instantly. There were other beautiful girls around the church, but she was the only one that caught my fancy.

When he ‘toasted’ you, what went through your mind?

Yemi: How are you sure I didn’t toast him? (just kidding). There wasn’t really a ‘toasting’. We became friends, wrote to each other regularly and I suppose the content of our letters said plenty without being direct. We became so fond of each other that things naturally fell into place.

Deji: There was nothing like that. We became friends for a while and we grew into loving each other. That is the reason we are so much in love with each other till now.

Did you play hard-to-get during the ‘chasing’ period?

Yemi: Hard-to-get? What does that even mean? By the time it hit me that he wanted us to become an item, I was already stupidly in love with this man. He was my first love, so there was no playing hard-to-get.

Deji: Nothing like that. I told you, we grow loving each other.

After you had agreed to date him, did you nurse any fear?

Yemi: Oh, plenty. I was young; I was very naïve and never been in love before, so I was afraid of getting hurt. Also, he was actually going out with a lady he was to marry at the time. So I felt there was no future if I went into a relationship with him.

But I was already in love with him, so…

Deji: I think she did b e -

cause I was a ladies’ man and her very good friend told her plenty naughty things about me. But all those things didn’t work. I assured her I wouldn’t let her down and I kept to my vow.

How did you propose to her?

Deji: It was at the balcony of my three bedroom flat in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. I first rattled some mumbo-jumbo about the past, the future and the reasons I love her. Then I got on one knee and asked her to marry me. I had a cake with a candle stuck in it. So she couldn’t resist.

Yemi: Before he proposed, I was already stupidity in love with him. He invited me to his house one day and got down on one knee with cake and told me, ‘Please marry me’. I couldn’t resist it. I just burst out crying. Oh! It was so romantic. (Laughter).

Is he still romantic?

Yemi: If he’s anymore romantic than he is now, I’ll begin to think he’s trying to marinade me for some impending sacrifice. Val is a sweetheart. He loves to take me out, buys me beautiful gifts; he treats me like a queen and makes me feel many inches taller. In his words, he loves to ‘show me off’. He loves cooking and always wants to impress me with his cooking. He loves to cuddle me, says I’m his cuddly teddy bear.

Deji: Well, she has said it all. I don’t do these things because I really want to impress her, I only show my love to her and nothing more. I love her to pieces and I have to express it.

Given your husband’s job schedule, which takes him away from home or from you often, how do you feel and cope in his absence? tor or proBeing an acducer is not t h e

only job that can take men away from home. So for me, it has never been a big deal. Interestingly, we work together a lot now, so we spend a lot of time together. But when he needs to travel for work, he must travel for work. He’s a man and he works to put food on the table.

Do you feel jealous at the sight of women around him considering his career?

Val always had women around him from the first day I met him, not just as an actor. And if he decided to marry me out of all those beautiful women, then I must have struck a chord in him and done something right. Not that many don’t try to get his attention, but I know he loves me and is mindful of the vows he made to me. He’s a good man with a kind heart and the fear of God, and I trust him to always try to do the right thing.

Deji: I don’t feel jealous. I trust her. I know she can’t do anything stupid. Her kind of work will always attract men to her. So it is no big deal. I have no reason to be threatened. I knows exactly how she feel about me.

How do you manage male advances?

Yemi: When I got married 21 years ago, it was difficult, as a media personality, to find the right way to ward off some men without being rude. You know they only want one thing, even though they know you are married and you try as hard as you can to tell them you’re not that kind of person. But some of them care less about your marital status, in fact, that is sometimes the very reason they want you. I never accepted gifts from men; never honoured any lunch or dinner invitation which wasn’t work related and involved other people because I didn’t want to be rude to anyone after accepting their gifts or going to lunch with them. Now I’m older and many years wiser.

Aside from still not accepting unnecessary gifts a n d not

going to unnecessary lunches, I have perfected the art of ‘how to be politely rude’ to all the stubborn men who refuse to respect the fact that I am married.

If they make advances, knowing I am married, then they should be prepared for the consequential unpleasant end.

How do you manage female pressures as an actor?

Deji: I treat my female fans the way I treat my male fans. They are all my friends, but I will not accept any secret invitation from them. Whatever you want to say you have to say it openly.

I won’t tolerate any kind of invitation from any fan.

What if the handshake is going beyond the elbow?

The handshake can go beyond the elbow if they shake my hand in the first place. My people say ‘whatever you know you won’t eat, don’t smell it’.

How does the home front fare when daddy and mummy are not around?

Yemi: The children are used to it now.

We spend a lot of time with them when we are home to make up for when we are not.

Deji: They have grown used to that but we make that up whenever we are home.

You have been married for 21 years and still counting, what’s the secret?

Deji: Trust and grace of God. I told you earlier that we grew up loving each other. We have known each other since 1985, and we understand each other perfectly.

Yemi: Without trust and grace of God, I don’t think we will be where we are today. I thank God for giving me my husband. He is the best man anybody could pray for.

46

JUNE 01, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

What Lagos First Lady did on Children’s Day T

with

uesday was Children’s Day and the First lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, paid a visit to a set of quadruplets delivered at Mart Medicare, the world class maternity unit of the Mart Group of Health Services. The group is headed

by Prof. Oladapo Ashiru, O.F.R. The babies were delivered last Friday by a 31-year old mother with four years history of infertility, polycystic ovarian syndrome and male factor.

Her Excellency took the opportunity to tour the facilities -the state of the art labour ward, theatre and highly equipped neonatal unit with capacity to handle premature babies.

Mrs. Fashola also toured the IVF facilities at the Medical Art Centre where the couple received treatment for infertility and the Mart Life Detox Clinic.

At the end of the tour, the highly impressed First Lady commended the MART Group for its achievements so far.

Joko Oni resurfaces I n her active days Joko Oni, the brain behind Gold Rush, a jewelry outfit in Ikeja, was one of those that added flavour to social scenes and she shone like a million stars then. It was almost impossible for any party to be complete without her presence.

However, she suddenly disappeared from the social radar and people assumed she had left the party scene for the younger generation. But she made a surprise and grand entry into the social scene recently. She effortlessly flashed her charm of old while exchanging pleasantries with the who-is-who at the event.

Bayo Adeoye 08032016869

Radiant Biola Okoya grooves on

W

e published on this page some weeks ago that daughter of Lagos billionaire, Biola Okoya, is back on the social scene. Right now, it seems the lady was trying to make up for lost time as she frequents shows, events and Owambe parties as if they are going out of fashion.

Lately, Celeb Lounge met the beautiful lady at more than five events within a short period of time. She was sighted at Eko Hotels penultimate week, looking as stylish and gorgeous as ever. Her skin glowed with a super radiance even at her age.

Mudi’s unfulfilled dream revealed

A

lot have been written about top Nigeria designer, Mudiaga Clement Enajemo of MUDI Africa fame but not many know that the Delta State-born young man is a passionate football lover and a good footballer. If he hadn’t gone into fashion designing, he could have been one of the greatest footballers in the country today.

Celeb Lounge gathered that the stylish man was one of the players that won many trophies for his secondary school, Government Secondary School, Ughelli. He played the right flank and was so good that he was tipped to play for the national team, but this was not to be as his other love, fashion, took the better of him.

Mudi, who took to tailoring two decades ago, now designs for top footballers including Super Eagles’ coach, Stephen Keshi; Daniel Amokachi, John Fashanu, Mikel Obi, Pele of Brazil and many others.

Keem Bello-Osagie, Kate Henshaw, others support EiE

E

nough is Enough Nigeria (EiE), a coalition of individuals and youth-led organisations committed to a culture of good governance and public accountability will hold its first fundraiser this month in Lagos.

The group hopes to raise funds to support its programmes and initiatives ahead of the 2015 elections.

The fundraiser will also provide an opportunity for the organisation’s sup-

porters, volunteers and staff to mingle and renew their commitment to the non-partisan group’s mission.

The event promises to be a memorable evening with Kate Henshaw, one of Nollywood’s leading ladies and social crusader and Kola Oyeneyin, entrepreneur and youth advocate as co-hosts.

Also expected are past and present supporters from the corporate, media and entertainment

bayoolunla@yahoo.com

industries. Breathtaking performances are expected from soulful crooner, Timi Dakolo.

The evening will showcase EiEs works over the last four years and its planned activities for the next four years. Banky W, Lanre Shashore and Odun Longe are expected to give testimonials.

Omotola Jolade-Ekehinde, a Nollywood icon, will share her thoughts on citizen participation at the event.

47

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 01, 2014

Body&Soul

Toyin Lawani’s Osifeso fetes dream friends at 50 comes true with

B

eautiful and industrious Toyin Lawani is happy right now and the reason is not unconnected with her latest achievement.

The light complexioned businesswoman has just thrown open the doors of her business headquarters, Tiannah’s Place, at Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. Celeb Lounge learnt that Tiannah’s Place would accommodate all her businesses “for easy monitoring and coordination.” The new structure would house Tiannah Styling-her celebrity styling brand; a travel and tour agency; Amaladotcom- her restaurant; Elegante, and her skin beauty business.

She has since moved her from her former place in Oyin Jolayemi to her new business headquarters.

T

A

daeze Igwe-Yobo seems to have moved on with her life after the imbroglio with a faceless lady on Instagram. The lady claimed to have slept with Adaeze’s footballer husband, Joseph Yobo.

There was accusations and counter- accusations and some people felt she shouldn’t have responded to the lady the way she did on social media.

After the incident, Adaeze posted some photos of her and Joseph on a date, but many of her fans felt that she was trying too hard to prove that her marriage was intact. However, the ex- beauty queen looked the other way and refused to respond to critics and moved on with her life.

B

asking in the euphoria of attaining the golden age, top importer and exporter, Olakunbi

S

ince he rebranded his popular nite club, The Page, czar of conventional nightclub/entertainment business, Chris Erondu, has continued to dazzles his customers with latest trends in the industry.

Celeb Lounge learnt that the place now know as De Vogue, has become a choice place for those seeking the best in night life on the mainland.

Erondu told Celeb Lounge that the rebranded club features a restaurant and other facilities.

He said, “Because of the proliferation of nightclubs, we thought of doing something different, build a concept that would set us miles apart and ahead of others, hence the berthing and rebranding of ‘De Vogue’. We have added restaurant where you will get all kinds of food in the morning, noon and night. Not only that, we have totally changed the name, the services and the logo to a more confortable ambience where you can come in, relax, wine, dine and dance and generally be yourself.”

diverse talents of African fashion designers and models.

Some of Africa’s top fashion designers and models that added flavour to the event included Cy’MUN (Cynthia Mnwangari, Burundi), Manye Styles (Gifty Kpentey, Ghana), Emma For (Republic of Guinea), A la Pointe du Caftan (Samira el Mouhssine et Said Mahmoudi, Morocco), Ahdookeh (Morenikeji Fatai Agoro, Nigeria), Baldon Clothiers (Adedoyin Balogun, Nigeria) and Malleni Designs (Peace Malleni, Uganda).

My marriage is intact -Adaeze Igwe-Yobo

08032016869

De Vogue dazzles night crawlers

African designers shine at Geneva

he much-publicised Africa Fashion Show, Geneva AFSG, organised

by Temitayo-Ayinla-Omotola’s Crucible Event & Planners (CEP) took centre stage last month at one of Geneva’s Prestigious and elegant outfits, Chateau des Penthes. The show which promised to be glamorous lived up to its expectations as it attracted participants from across Africa as usual.

Also, the show reflected Africa’s diverse cultural heritage, the vitality of the creative human spirit and showcased the

Bayo Adeoye

bayoolunla@yahoo.com

Aduke Osifeso, played host to the crème da crème of the society last week at a party she organised to mark her landmark year. The woman who is the darling of many socialites, businessmen and women as well as government officials, invited friends and associates to the glamorous ceremony which had Lanre Teriba on the band stand.

Those who attended the event attested to the spending power of the Osun State-born woman.

As usual, she didn’t spare any cost for the ceremony as choice Champagne and wine flowed freely.

About Stephen Omamuli’s new sport bar

H

ospitality specialist, Stephen Omamuli, has launched another entertainment spot. The CEO of Class Hospitality opened a new funspot -Class Lounge & Sport Bar, recently.

Stephen, who is known for his business acumen in hotel management and sits atop Class Hotel & Suites, opened the new haven for big guys and gals last week with a testrun of facilities.

Olamiju and Hadiza AlaoAkala not on honeymoon?

A

fter their talk of the town wedding that attracted top shots in the society a few weeks ago, many people thought Olamiju and his beautiful wife, Hadiza, would take time off the social scene for a deserved honeymoon.

But this was not to be as the young couple was sighted

by Celeb Lounge penultimate week at an event in Eko Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos.

It was obvious that they enjoyed themselves at the event before they left with some friends.

48

Body&Soul

DIY on the GO

JUNE 01, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Get red wine stains off your carpet Abimbola Sodeke

I

ts one thing to feel bad over water spill on your rug, it’s worse when a full glass of red wine plants its mark on your rug. Here are helpful tips to get the red wine stains from your expensive floor covering.

With a clean cloth, dab the spill to get the excess wine up and out of the rug as soon as possible.

You can tackle the stains with different products.

For starters, you can use detergent and bleaching agents to clean it.

If the above does not work, try the following; Sprinkle some salt directly on the stained area to absorb the liquid. Leave for some minutes, until you see the blot

marks on the rug.

Use clean pieces of cloth to wipe off the mark, use the same procedure a number of times with clean clothes.You can also use lukewarm water poured on the red wine stains to clean off residue.

Another alternative is to mix baking soda with vinegar. Baking soda is one of the most popular agents for getting rid of stains.

Pour the combination straight on the stain, allowing it to dry. Then, take out the mixture with a clean cloth. Similarly, you can use laundry soap instead of baking soda. After few minutes, the rug becomes cleared of the red wine stain. In case you notice some marks, buy a rug stain remover. Follow the instructions on the product label.

JUNE 01, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Wine & Dine

49

Body&Soul

Chocolate red wine: A healthy indulgence Kayode Ibukunoluwa

O

ver the centuries, wines are regarded as refreshing tranquilizer drinks made to sweeten the tongue. All wines - from the red, white and pink to chocolates - come from different varietal grape fruits each with unique taste. They are infused with inviting aromas that add to the craving to

have a sip.

Just like every other wine, Chocolate red wine is a tasty experience that comes with loads of health benefits. The wine makers, according to Franklin Liquors, take this pairing to the next level, marrying chocolate flavour with red wine to create a sumptuous drink with the proprietary red blend of the finest Vinifera varietals. With a touch of oak and a kiss of sweetness, they create the perfect fruitdriven foil for rich dark chocolate which unfolds in silken layers across the palate.

The aromas are those of black cherry and dark chocolate with a hint of cocoa powder. Anyone can indulge in it at any given occasion.

Chocolate wines hold a minimum of 12.2 per cent alcohol by volume and are enjoyed when served at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Chocolates are believed to help protect cardiovascular system. The reason being that cocoa bean is rich in a class of plant nutrients called flavonoids, which help to protect against environmental toxins and help repair damages.

The antioxidants loaded in chocolate wines, according to research, is believed to help the body’s cell resist damage caused by free radicals that are formed by normal bodily processes such as breathing and from environmental contaminants like cigarette smoke and fumes.

Easy dinner: Baked fish with potatoes & lemon Biwom Iklaki

Y

ou had a hard day at work; series of meetings, going from one office to the other, possibly climbing flights of stairs (no thanks to PHCN), sitting for hours writing reports… whatever the ordeal you face every day, going home to cook dinner is the least palatable thing on your mind.

However, here is a quick dinner that can be ready to chow in about 30 minutes… promise!

ingredients

4 1/2 lb. new potatoes, thinly sliced 9 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 lemons, thinly sliced 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 whole 6-lb. croacker, kote or halibut (chop into small chunks to cook in 1520mins) 6-8 fresh or dried bay leaves

preparation

Preheat oven to 400°. Put potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with 4 Tbsp. oil and toss to coat. Season it with salt and pepper. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and grease parchment with 1 Tbsp. oil. Layer potato slices evenly on parchment; season with salt and pepper. Arrange half of the lemon slices over potatoes and sprinkle with parsley.

Set fish over potatoes and rub with 2 Tbsp. oil; season skin and cavity with salt and pepper. Top with remaining lemon slices and arrange bay leaves over fish.

Drizzle with remaining oil. Bake until fish is just cooked through, 20-30 minutes (depending on size). Using a butter knife or metal spatula, flake flesh off the bone and serve immediately.

nutritional value of lemon Of the many benefits of lemon, two big ones stand out: strong antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-boosting powers and their use as a weight loss aid. Lemon juice can therefore be used as a digestive aid and liver cleanser. Lemons contain many substances including citric acid, calcium, magnesium, Vitamin C, bioflavonoids, pectin, and limonene-that promote immunity and fight infection.

What are you waiting for? go on...juice up!

50

JUNE 01, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Body&Soul

Choosing underwear for your kids Biwom Iklaki

T

he importance of underwear to anyone, adult or child, cannot be overemphasised. If the right ones are not worn, they can sap the child of all comfort and they become cranky and difficult to handle.

Kids’ underwear is available in a wide variety of colours, patterns, and prints.

Popular cartoon characters, superheroes and television stars are a few of the available choices.

Also, underwear displaying the days of the week are a popular choice for young girls. Consider letting your child pick his or her own underwear.

Choosing the best underwear depends on the age of your child, whether or not they are fully potty trained, and the colour and char-

acter prints the child likes.

Most types of children’s underwear can be found in stores where children’s clothing is sold as well as online.

matter of your own personal preference. The disposable type may be more convenient, but the washable style may be more cost effective.

POTTY TRAINED: For kids who are potty training or just beginning to wear big kid underwear, you may want to consider choosing underwear specially made for potty training. Ease in getting the underpants on and off is important as the child will be doing it frequently and, perhaps, by himself. Both washable and disposable training pants are available for toddlers who are learning to use the toilet, and some styles have special overnight versions for accidents while the child is sleeping. Choosing between the washable and disposable versions is a

POST TRAINING PANTS: When your child has completed potty training or has bypassed training pants, you will need briefs which are the most common type of underwear for toddler boys and girls.

Each style of underwear comes in different fabrics -cotton, organic cotton, nylon, etc. The fabric you choose should be easy to care for. Size is very important. It should fit snugly, without being too tight.

Remember, kids outgrow their clothing, even underwear, pretty quickly. So, be sure to purchase the correct size.

Interview Back from the dead with message of mercy p52

TAI ANYANWU, titus.anyanwu@newtelegraphonline.com 0706 438 0029

NTWEEKEND ONLINE AT

www.newtelegraphonline.com/faith

Sermon Lost Vision p.55

Sermon The Midnight Cry p.54

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

JUNE 1, 2014

51

Faith ON SUNDAY

Caution Sultan, CAN urges Jonathan

Orisejafor

F

Tai Anyanwu

ollowing a statement credited to the Sultan of Sokoto and PresidentGeneral, Supreme Council for Islamic Afairs, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar 111, which alleged that Muslims were being marginalised in Nigeria, Christians under the aegis of TEKAN/ECWA have rejected the allegation.

The group therefore asked President Goodluck Jonathan to caution the Sultan in order not to further complicate matters.

The Sultan was reported as saying that if the government could address injustice against Muslims, the seemingly intractable security challenges in the country would be surmounted.

He was also quoted to have said that Muslims were not happy, but were willing to support the government in its efforts towards peace and stability.

The Sultan allegedly made the statements during a national prayer session organised by the NSCIA where eminent Islamic scholars gathered to pray for peace and security in the nation.

Reacting to the statement, the national head of TEKA/ECWA bloc of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Rev. Emmanuel Dziggau, urged Nigerians to ignore the claim, arguing that if the head of NSCIA was serious, he should identify those marginalising Muslims in the country.

The Christian group also described the Sultan’s claim of marginalisation as ‘inciting’, pointing out that a close look at the statement could be interpreted to mean that unless the perceived injustices against Muslims are addressed there would be no end to the current insecurity in the country.

Jonathan

The Christian group therefore warned traditional, religious and political leaders in the North to cease from making inciting statements capable of pushing Muslim fundamentalists into killing adherents of other faiths in the name of fighting perceived injustice.

“We therefore call on the Federal Government to caution the revered Islamic leader before another Islamic group will begin another round of terrorist attacks on innocent Nigerians perceived to be marginalising Muslims as the Sultan had claimed,” TEKAN/ECWA pleaded.

According to the group, what the current situation in Nigeria demands is for leaders at all levels and across religious divides to speak the truth in righteousness.

The group reiterated that the Christian community in the North in particular and other parts of the country had been at the receiving end of untold injustice in the country.

The group, however, noted that the recent abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State had led to many comments.

“Over the years, Christians in the North had cried themselves hoarse over discriminatory laws which had made it impossible for them to practise their religion without let in accordance with the tenets of the 1999 Constitution. As a deliberate matter of policy most core Northern governments have refused to sign Certificates of Occupancy, C of O, for Christian organisations to build churches.

“It is also a well known fact that governments in the region have also deliberately discriminated against Christians in appointments into government service for the simple reason that nobody will speak on their behalf.

“There are several cases of elected Christian

Saa’d

politicians who were suspended on some flimsy excuses and who have not been reinstated despite numerous pleas for justice.

“It is only the truth that will save this nation from the present morass that we have inadvertently found ourselves. For far too long, we have pretended and lied to ourselves. We must therefore take advantage of the Chibok schoolgirls saga to tell ourselves some home truths for a proper and true healing process,” the statement said.

Continuing, Dziggau said: “Nigeria and the international community must appreciate the leadership of CAN for its unwavering efforts to restrain Christian youths from retaliating numerous unprovoked attacks, institution-

alised marginalisation of Christians in the hands of political, religious and traditional leaders.

“Our appeal to His Eminence, the Sultan, is for him to ensure that truth is told at all times even of it hurts, rather than deceiving the whole world with this story of marginalisation of Muslims. Nigeria will be great only if leaders like the Sultan will tell the truth at all times and in all situations because if there is any seemingly marginalisation of Muslims, it’s the traditional, political and religious leaders of Northern extraction who have pauperised and marginalised their followers that have led to the current mass poverty in the region,” the statement added.

Don’t be afraid to die -Cleric tells Christians Musa Pam Jos

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he President of Church of Christ in Nigeria, Rev Dachollom Datiri, has charged Christians in the North to make their ways straight before their creator and be ready to meet with the Lord at any time.

The cleric said this at the funeral service of the longest serving traditional ruler in Plateau state, Da Gwom Rwei of Riyom Local Government Area, Plateau State, Da Dung Jok, who died at 103.

The cleric noted that the in-

creasing spate of Boko Haram attacks on Christians in that part of the country was capable of putting people at risk.

He pointed out that nobody would remain on earth forever, pointing out that there would be a time to die no matter what position a person occupied in the society.

“Whether you are the President, Governor or senator everybody most die. But it is important for Christians to ensure that they die in the Lord for them to make eternity; because there is a blessing for those who died in the lord,“ the cleric said.

Governor Jonah Jang, who was ably represented

by the Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, Paul Wai, at the funeral service called on the people of Plateau State to pray for the state and the country at large. He pointed out that the state was passing through trying moments, especially with the loss of over 200 citizens in the recent bomb blast.

He commiserated with members of the traditional council in the state for the loss of their member while describing the deceased as the most humble traditional ruler in the council of chiefs in the state.

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Interview Interview

Back from the dead with message of mercy General Overseer of Mercy-Gate International Ministries, Apostle Caleb Akandu, was a practising dentist for four years. But he had to quit the profession when his resistance to the call of God landed him in trouble. Excerpts by Tai Anyanwu a year of double portion of blessing. Then I asked Him if there was any price to be paid for the promise to materialise. He replied: “Go and be an answer to the cry of the widows and less privileged.” God also told me to take the good news to the world. He also told to strengthen the broken hearted. During my interaction with God, He said that many Christians and pastors are not working according to the vision. He added that there was no way I could achieve my purpose on earth without doing the work of mercy. He emphasised that pure religion is caring for the widows, less privileged and the fatherless. He told me not to be afraid on how to get the resources and assured me that he would supply my needs. On the first Sunday of 2014, I announced the mandate to the church and we kick-started plans and moved into action immediately.

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Could you tell us a bit about yourself and how you returned from the dead? am a dentist by profession; and I had practiced the profession for four years before God called me to be a minister unto him. Like Jonah, I resisted the call of God. He struck me with a terrible sickness that defied all medical remedies. In the process I died and came back to life; and God then said to me that the only solution to my problem is for me to pick the microphone and preach the gospel of Christ and devote my time to doing the work of mercy. When I finally obeyed and heeded the call, the sickness disappeared.

How have you been carrying out the mandate?

As you may know, I am the President of God’s Extended Hand of Mercy (GEHOM), a charitable outreach targeted at catering for the needy, orphans, widows and indigent member of the public. The Holy Spirit actually inspired this vision precisely on December 31 while we were celebrating our crossover night. At that event, the Lord said to me that year 2014 was going to be

Anyanwu

Some say that churches and their NGOs are used to collecting more than they are ready to give. How is your organisation making a difference?

Well; we have been able to reach out to many people in rural and urban areas. Hundreds of widows have variously benefitted from bags of rice, wrappers on raw food stuff on different occasions cutesy of our mercy programmes. Free medical services have also been brought to different neighbourhoods as part of our efforts to cater for the indigent embers of the public. Under this programme, we have been visiting rural communities and on such visits surgeries are performed for the sick ones; we also rendered free optical services, gave free eye glasses and paediatric experts and other ancillaries are always on ground to provide answers to help issues of the rural people. Every last weekend of the month, we reach out to the less privilege and widows. We believe that, the items we give to them will serve as their monthly salary for the month. With this in view we make sure that whatever we distribute would be enough to carry them to the next month. We feel our obligation is to put food on their table. GEHOM is a worldwide outreach mission. Very soon, we will be reaching out to other African countries such as Tanzania

that needs Gods help. I to state here that any church that does not put smiles on the faces of widows and less privilege, the kingdom of God is definitely not there.

So, do you depend on church fund sir?

Everything that comes into the church is for the work of God. Bible says” Bring ye all the tithe and offering into the store house so that there will be enough”. Tithe and offering I collect, I also channel them for the work of God. Church fund is not for pastor ’s private use, God did not call us to extort money from people. God did not call us to enrich ourselves through peoples sweat. I don’t touch. whatever comes into the church purse., As I talk to you I walk on foot, my last car was 2010 Camry, I sold it for the gospel, my SUV was also sold to get relief materials for the needy, someone gave me a Mercedes ML 430 jeep, I asked my people to sell it and use the money to show mercy. Am also living on one room and not a flat, but I have what it takes to live in a duplex but that’s not what am called for. Jesus lived a simple life while on earth.

What is your definition of a successful church?

According to James 1:7, anyone who does not practise what the scripture says can’t enjoy true success and that goes to say that any church that is not in line with what scripture says will not go forward.

This was the same ministry Jesus introduced when he was on earth.

He said if you have two coats give one to your neighbour. He also said; “Love your neighbour as yourself.”

Your neighbour is not necessary your child, brother and other relatives; but that person around you who is need. If you are helping the widows and less privilege you are a good neighbour and nothing can stop you from entering the kingdom of God. How have you been sourcing funds for your outreach to meet the needs of the less privileged?

From the outset, I got full back up of our church members who have been practically giving out what they ought to eat so that the less privilege and widows can eat. We need more resources such as cars, foodstuffs, resource person in any field or profession. Recently, God gave us a truck which has been assisting us to convey relief materials to areas of need. God told me that he will give us a heli-

copter to reach to areas that are not motorable. And we need kind hearted citizens to partner with us so that this vision can be fulfilled. Everybody, I must say, is important in the body of Christ.

Are you ready to take GEHOM to the North, to help people who have been displaced people by Boko Haram insurgence?

We are not afraid of the bombings and threats, because if God is with us no Boko Haram can stop us. For greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. We are ready to go their camps to render help and rescue the captives by giving relief materials.

Know that even the leader can give his life to Christ, after Saul was a terrorist but he was arrested by on his way to Damascus. We are standing for mercy so no group can hinder us, since they couldn’t hinder Jesus. GEHOM is ready to go to the north to help Christians that are been humiliated, because where the hand of people can’t reach the hand of God can reach there.

Our vision is also to preach the good news to the poor, to prepare people for the kingdom of God through the message of salvation. When we give the food we also preach the gospel to them. I want to tell you, a lot of unbelievers have turned to Christ through this outreach, and many people have testified to our work of mercy.

Would you like to own a private jet?

Whatever God gives to me I will take, but if i own it, it will be for GEHOM. I will not be flying in a private jet while my people are dying in hunger, God forbid! I cannot pastor a poor church. I want you to know that this church is not a liability, as am talking to you we are building a factory that will empower up to 150 youths and it will be officially commissioned next month.

How can ministers of God help government in this trying period?

God ordained us to help the government to govern well. A prophet is meant to tell the truth to the government. When Namaan came to Elisha, he solved his problem without demanding for reward. But some ministers today have failed to say the truth. If we know that a leader is not doing well; we should not fail to tell him the truth. If CAN and PFN leaders can come together tell our political leaders the truth, our country would be better for it. We are not to compromise.

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Faith News

Bishop installs diabetes machine in church Charles Onyekwere

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Abakaliki

t was an all inclusive celebration as the Caring People’s Church Incorporated (Aka City of Faith People) located on Ogbabali Street, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, rolled out the drums recently, in a thanksgiving service to God for the miraculous healing of their General Overseer, Bishop Lucky Aroh.

The shepherd, who had been afflicted with a debilitating diabetic condition that often made him ask himself if he would die at a youthful age of 46 years; but he was miraculously delivered from the ailment.

According to the bishop, his blood sugar usually rose above 24, but when the healing hand of God touched his ailing body, the blood sugar dropped as low as 8 and several tests thereafter confirmed that the sugar level had become stable.

In appreciation to the Almighty god, the Bishop fastened his dancing shoes to give God glory before a great gathering of friends, relations, colleagues and church members as he danced in the church auditorium as King David had done in the bible.

Recalling his ordeal, the cleric said that the ailment had damaged his sight and he had to cope with a bi-focal eye glasses for both sight and reading.

The ailment also robbed him of the opportunity to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. As part of his appreciation for what the Lord had done for him, Bishop Aroh lunched a diabetes testing centre to enable all and sundry to access blood sugar test free of charge.

Expressing gratitude to God almighty at the lunching ceremony, he vowed that he would also continue to support orphans in the locality.

The cleric counselled that people should not panic when they are passing through difficult or trying conditions but should al-

ways remember that the Lord who healed him was always there to heal and to see them through any condition they may find themselves.

He however warned that people should mind what they eat while thanking God for enabling him to eat and drink those thing he could not eat before as a result of the diabetes.

In his message of exaltation taken from the book of 2Kings, the cleric urged members of the audience to follow the example and increase their zeal for the work of God adding that blessings await anyone who cared about the work of the kingdom.

Former Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Rivers State, Hon. Marshall Uwon, who

graced the occasion, expressed happiness to be part of the thanksgiving service of Bishop Aro. He observed that the dance and joy exhibited by Bishop Aroh at the church service was an indication that God is taken him somewhere.

Mrs. Christine Dokubo, also said that God had kept the Bishop Aroh to live to testify and to continue to do the work of God and humanity.

She reiterated that diabetes test machine would enable people visit Bishop Aroh the church office for the free test, as Apostle Isaac Isaac Akugbo, General well as obtain a better medical advice on how to go about their sugar levels at Superintendent of Covenant Glory Ministry stressed the need for people to the end of the day.

Also thanking God for the Bishop, always observe daily exercise.

Oleh Anglican Communion calls for federal presence, jobs

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Tai Anyanwu he federal government has been urged to make its presence felt in the Isoko Local Government Area of Delta State.

The Oleh Diocese of Anglican Communion Nigeria made the call as part of the 12-point communiqué issued at the end of the third session of the diocese 50th synod held at Igbide, Delta State.

In the communiqué signed by the Lord Bishop Rt. Rev. John Usiwoma Aruakpor

the Diocesan Chancellor Justice Joshua Ikede and the Clerical Secretary venerable U.R. Emamezi, the synod alleged that despites the community’s contribution to the national economy, the federal government had neglected Isoko sons and daughters in terms of not given them commensurate federal appointments.

The synod therefore appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that Isoko sons and daughters are appointed into key federal positions.

It also expressed concern

over the escalation of the Boko Harm insurgency at such a time that Nigerians were looking forward to elections in 2015.

The gathering enjoined all Christians to prayer earnestly so that the nation would have a peaceful election and enthrone God fearing leaders in positive.

The synod specifically urged Christians to register and be prepared to vote God fearing and responsible candidates into office.

The Delta Sate Government was also commended for its interest in continue

Catholic Church celebrates journalists

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oday, in Lagos, journalists who are punctual at church will enjoy the privilege of joining the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Alfred Martin’s procession into the prestigious Holy Cross Cathedral Church on Lagos Island.

The journalists were given a pride of place and honour as the church join the rest of the world to mark 2014 World Communication day celebration.

The World Communications Day is set aside by the Church to celebrate Media Practitioners and the importance of communications in evangelisation and positive societal change.

This year’s celebration is themed, ‘Communication at the service of an authentic culture of encounter’.

The celebration, in the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, the day kicked off at 10 am with a mass celebrated by Archbishop Martins, assisted by other Priests.

The Archbishop read the Papal message and later blessed the tools of media practitioners.

A brief reception follows after mass.

Bishop John Aruakpor exchangesAgboli greeting with Rtd. Gen. Paul Omu (Rtd.) right and Ven. A .A. Ovie of the Synod.

with road reconstruction projects, part i c u l a r l y t h e re - a w a rd o f t h e I s o k o Ughell, axis of the Asaba Ughelli Road project.

The synod therefore called on the government to expedites action on the new contractor and ensure its completion in the shortest possible time.

The synod also welcomed the intervention of the international comm u n i t y w h i l e s t re s s i n g that government should s i n c e re l y a n d f e r v e n t l y work to end terrorism in the country.

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NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 1, 2014

Faith

The mystery of anxiety

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The just shall live by Faith he contemporary English word ‘Faith’ is derived from the Latin word ‘Fides’ which means to trust or believe. The Hebrew terminology faith is AMEN a root word that denotes stability, reliability and firmness. It means to trust in God. The word of God defined faith as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrew 11:1. This is the believer ’s absolute trust in the power, power, potency and ability of the Almighty God. David exercise this faith when he sized Goliath and considered him to be a mere dog, By faith, he used a stone to kill him just like a dog. AW Tozor said that faith is thriving through the circumstances of life with the almighty God in focus.

Faith means to operate the ever possibility mechanism of God. This was why our Lord Jesus said unto them, because of your unbelief, for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence and go to yonder place and it shall be done unto you, nothing shall be impossible unto you-Mathew 17:29. Faith is trusting and believing God and His word for

our miracles. No matter what our feeling is telling us, God is worthy of our trust and faith in all ramifications. His love for us is perfect. He is Jehovah omnipotent El-Shadai, the God that makes impossibilities to become possible.

The Almighty God has packaged so many great blessing for his children, but faith is the divine machinery or instrument for the reception of these blessings flow smoothly. While grace is God hands reaching down to us, loaded with blessing from heaven, faith is our hands reaching up to God for reception of these blessings. Faith honour God, and moves God into action.

The Bible says that without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that He is a rewarded of them that diligently seek Him- Hebrew 11:6.

In Genesis 15:6, God told Abraham when he was childless that he will be a father of many nations. The bible said that Abraham believed the Lord. The Hebrew word for faith, aforesaid is AMEN, from which Amen was derived. Abraham believed and said amen. He demonstrated a dynamic progressive faith by changing by changing his

name from Abraham to Abraham. The Bible said, so then, faith. The Bible said, so then faith cometh y hearing, and hearing the by the word of God-Roman 10:17.

There can be no without the word of God. The word of God is the catalyst to faith. Noah did not start building the ark until he heard the word of God. Abraham did not move until God spoke. Faith works by the knowledge, consciousness and obedience to the word of God. No matter the magnitude of your problem, you can only overcome by faith. This was why the word of God declared, “Now the just shall live by faith but if any man drawback, my soul shall have no pleasure in himHebrew 10:38.

Just as hell is the extreme opposite of heaven and darkness is the opposite of light, fear is the extreme opposite of faith. The bible said that “The just shall live by faith, it naturally follows that the unjust (sinners And unbeliever) shall live by fear. There is an element of faith in believing that the postal agent will take your letter to its destination.

There is also an element of faith in believing that your mobile telephone will succeed ij connecting you to

Power of Insight with

Bishop John Ogbansie gbe Tel:08033416327

united Kingdom from Nigeria through a particular communication network. This is the ordinary common n faithnwhich is I am talking about. The faith of the just is the faith that did not see and yet believe. It is just like believing and having faith in the power and potency in the blood of Jesus Christ, when you have not seen it physically with your eyes. Faith is standing on the promi9ses of god. Many people say and also believe the faith is risky. But I am of the view that faith is not a risk. Faith believes that God will give you an expected end. Faith is blind. Faith is dead to doubt, dumb to discouragement, blind to impossibilities and knows nothing but success.

You must see all your problems with the eyes of faith, But when you see them with the eyes of faith, they will appear small and microscopic. But when you see them with the eyes of fear, you will blow them bigger than their sizes, and out of their proportion. Fear transforms grasshoppers into elephants

indeed. The just shall live by faith.” When fear sees cloud, faith will see rainbow. When fear sees grave, faith will see resurrection. When fear sees failure, faith will see success.

When fear sees defeat, faith will see victory. When fear hears the noise of war, faith will hear the song of peace, celebration and jubilation.

When fear see danger and death, faith sees life, security and freedom. When fear sees sorrow, faith will see joy.

When fear sees frustration and rejection, faith will see acceptance and favour. When fear sees gloom, faith will see glory. Change your position now from fear to faith. Stand where God wants you so that you can see everything, the way God sees them. Stand on the promise of God. Stand on the mountain top of God’s word; if you stand outside the will of God and outside the word of God, you shall see frustration, misery, failure, poverty, defeat and even death.

Divine inspection “A

nd God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.” Gen. 1:31 AMP It is unknown to you that God inspects the works of His creation. We are in the sixth month which represents the sixth day in the calendar of the Almighty. I want to bring to your understanding that God is about to inspect your life. The Bible says, on the sixth day, God came and saw… Why? Because He had to revisit and inspect what He had done. Six in this context is very important and cannot be over-emphasised because six (6) itself is the number of man.

Why is Jesus Inspecting Your Life?

God is so interested in your life that He is inspecting it.

This is because He wants to be sure that the order which

He left has not been altered and that nothing about you or your life has been tampered with; Finally, that you are still in line and going as it is written of you.

In Psalm 139:14, the Bible records that marvelous are His works, and you are fearfully and wonderfully made. God took His time to create and perfect all that concerns you but the devil is ever fond of sneaking in after God has left.

“But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.” Matt 13:25 Maybe you are seeing all kinds of things in your body that you cannot even explain, or abnormalities in your life which contravene the plan and purpose of God for you.

Don’t worry, just leave that to the Inspector. Or has the doctor diagnosed or certified you as having hormonal imbalance or whatever kind of name or ailment? Or are you having issues with your career,

business, or your life seems to have no direction? I want to tell you that the Inspector has come and He is here to perfect all that has been tampered with in your life, in Jesus name. Our God is so awesome; He took another look into all the works of His hands, neither because He did not trust Himself nor that He did not know that His works were perfect, but because He knows there is an enemy who always comes in the cover of darkness to adulterate that which He had perfected. The enemy always looks for the slightest opportunity to achieve and perpetrate his wicked acts. This is why He says in John 10:10 that, ‘The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…’ Things that were in perfect condition, hence, He had to return to inspect His works so as to be sure nothing had gone wrong. When a product has been found to be faulty, it is referred to its manufacturer. So also, I don’t know what has been tampered with or has gone wrong in your life, the Manufacturer and Inspector is coming to fix it today, in the name of Jesus.

Why Is He Coming?

He is coming because you are important to Him, He created you to reflect His glory and not to become a mockery or reproach to Him. He is coming to remove pains, sickness and all that from your life, to put your life in a better shape

and perspective.

Or did I hear someone say my problem is not health-related?

In Genesis 1:27-28 when God created man and asked him to dominate and replenish the earth, so you were created with the ability and power to be fruitful. The Inspector is coming to check. He cannot stand seeing you poor, when He desires that you be rich. God is inspecting you to know why you are not fruitful and living in abundance or why you are not blossoming.

Every Tree … Shall Be Uprooted “But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.” Matt 15:13 He wants to turn back your original blessing. The Bible says God took another look at all the works of His hands and He was satisfied. If after inspecting you, He is not impressed then God is going to get to work and remove all that He did not plant in your life, in Jesus name.

I see God uprooting all that He has not planted one by one – the eye problem, stomach, bone, nerve problem, ancestral curses, financial challenges, etc. This Inspector is also the greatest Physician and only Him can fix all that has gone out of order in your life.

Matt. 3:10. This Inspector is coming with an axe to cut down every tree of obscurity, stagnancy, delay, sickness, bar-

renness, failure, impossibility and disappointment at the edge of your breakthrough.

The nature of abnormality, notwithstanding, be it external or internal, the Lord will fix it up for you and make you whole again, in the name of Jesus.

The first thing you must do is to accept Him into your life.

If you are not yet born again, then you are not one of His. You have to change your mind and surrender your life to Him before He can fix the entire anomalies in your life.

Also, there are certain things you must drop, I mean those things which were not really planted by the enemy but which you picked up, such as greed, fear, etc.

PRAYERS * Seal of darkness contrary to my life and destiny, expire by the blood of Jesus! * Every embargo of darkness sitting on my glory, move away and catch fire! * Satanic conclusion concerning the book of my destiny, catch fire and burn to ashes! * I receive deliverance from every hardship and affliction known with my name! * Every evil attached to the remaining days of this year against me, see me and flee! * Oh Lord my Father, break human protocol for me before this year ends!

I know you have been blessed.

Write and share your testimonies, comments, etc.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 1, 2014

The Voice of

Dominion by

Bishop David Oyedepo

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Phone: 7747546-8; E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

elcome to the month of June. It is our year of Exceeding Grace and all through the remainder of this year, thanksgiving shall not cease in your home!

This month, we shall be exploring the mystery of faith which is what empowers the saints for dominion.

According to scriptures, faith is the mystery that confers mastery. As it is written: “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” (Mark 9:23).

Among others, faith empowers us for conquest in all the battles of life (Ephesians 6:16). Faith also empowers the fulfillment of prophecy. As it is written: “Blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord” (Luke 1:45).

Therefore, faith is not a religious prin-

ciple or a philosophy; faith is a mystery.

Faith is not a belief system; it is a spiritual weapon and when our faith comes alive on any revelation of scriptures, we tap into virtues that turn it into testimonies (Ephesians 6:16).

This week, we shall be exploring the mystery of faith that gives us access to the Wonders of Thanksgiving.

First, we must understand that thanksgiving is loaded with virtues. However, it is our faith that empowers us access to the wonders embedded in thanksgiving.

But, what is Faith? * Faith is not a principle, nor a strategy; it is a spiritual force (1Cor 2:4-5) * Faith is not a dormant force, it is a dominant force – Matt 14:22-33/2Kg 1:10-15 * Faith is being fully persuaded of the truth, the prevailing circumstances notwithstanding, until the truth triumphs (Romans 4:17-21)

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to be enslaved. He made adequate provision for them and made everything free and easily accessible.

He commanded them to have dominion over other creatures, not fellow beings.

Genesis 1:26-31 26. Then God said, “Let us make people* in our image, to be like ourselves. They will be masters over all life — the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the livestock, wild animals,* and small animals.” 27. So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them. 28. God blessed them and told them, Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters over the fish and birds and all the animals.”

29. And God said, “Look! I have given you the seed-bearing plants throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. 30. And I have given all the grasses and other green plants to the animals and birds for their food.” And so it was. 31. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way. This all happened on the sixth day.

All at once we see Him creating the world in a majestic display of power and purpose, culminating in a man and woman made like Himself. But before long, sin entered the world and Satan was unmasked. Bathed in innocence, creation was shattered by the fall (the wilful disobedience of Adam and Eve). Fellowship with God was broken, and evil began weaving its destructive web. In rapid succession, we read how Adam and Eve were expelled from the beautiful garden, their first son turned a murderer, and evil bred evil until God finally destroyed everyone on earth except a small family led by Noah, the only God-

Faith

Unveiling the Wonders of Thanksgiving! * Faith is a spiritual force within that determines the triumphs without - Mk 2:1-12 (5) / Act 14:9-10 / Matt 14:30 -31 / Mk 11:23 * As far as the Kingdom of God is concerned, faith is key to everything – Mk. 9:23 Faith overturns sicknesses and diseases from the root. Faith can bring down any “wall of Jericho’ that stands as a barrier on our paths (Mark 1:1-12/Hebrews 11:30).

The mystery of faith explains the resurrection to life from death (Mark 5:35:36). This implies that faith is the most potent force in the whole universe. It is our access to the realms of unlimited possibilities (Mark 11:23). Every unwanted situation is reversible by faith. Faith is the answer to every impossible situation.

How Faith Empowers our Access to the Wonders Embedded in Thanksgiving From the testimony of the woman with the issue of blood

who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and the flow of blood stopped, according to Christ, her touch of faith drew virtue from Him which made her whole. This implies that every time our faith comes alive in any subject of the living Word of God, we tap into virtue that releases what that Word says.

(Luke 8:40- 48) What faith does is to convert the Word into power, which turns it into testimonies. Even though thanksgiving is loaded with virtues, it is our faith in the mystery of thanksgiving that entitles us access to the wonders therein. We must therefore engage our faith in the mystery of thanksgiving, so that we can experience the wonders it promises. We must remember, it is to us according to our faith (Mathew 9:29).

We will continue this teaching next week.

Friend, the access to the wonders of thanksgiving are the preserve of the saved. Are you

Power of the WORD

When will slavery be eradicated?

lavery as we know is an act of keeping someone in bondage; this is a stage of subjecting someone to a form of hardship with little or no reward.

This was practised some times in the world in a business called slave trade that led to trafficking of human beings from one place to the other to be used in achieving a form of developmental purpose.

People, against their wish, are subjected to it forcefully, some because of hardship willingly accept to do it for a token, many are lured into it or taken them from relations or friends, creating an impression to be helped and later being forced to be used as slaves.

Some hide under the pretext of marriage only to later find out that they are turned to slaves.

Matthew 11:28-30 28. Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

29. Take my yoke upon you.

Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.

30. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.

This act has been in existence from Adam. Take an example of the life of the slave boy Joseph; the slave girl Esther; Hagar the mother of Ishmael; Naaman’s slave girl that led them to Elisha for her master’s leprosy to be healed.

In time past, we read in history of a global campaign to eradicate slave trade that led to freeing many. We read about how many were freed in Freetown.

This trade actually as we read led to colonisation, forcing people into culture, tradition and acts other than theirs.

God made man and woman not

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ly person left.

The act of slavery is practised in almost all works of life in today’s world but in different dimensions. * Child trafficking * House help * Personal Assistants * Casual workers (Temporary staff) * Body guides * Touts In child trafficking, children are moved from one location or the other to serve other children like them. They live in the same environment but are not subjected to the same condition of life. While the master’s children are in school, the slave boy or girl is engaged in one form of domestic work or the other. Some are frustrated to an extent that they lose their values and purpose in life.

Some are made to serve their master for several years and are promised to be settled, only to find that at the expiration of the agreement they are thrown out without benefits. Some are even sent to jail for an offence not committed.

Some left their parents with complete body and came back maimed and defective and that could render them useless for life. Even when they are sent to school while their own children are in private and good schools the slave boys and girls are sent to nearby public schools so as to close early to continue their domestic assignments.

Clearly at a glance they can be identified by their mode of dressing different from their master’s children.

Some under the pretext of marriage or to to be given a better life, traffick our girls abroad to be commercial sex workers, nannies, house helps. Some are even forced to be used by animals for pea-

born again? You can become a redeemed soul, by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. You can be God’s child now, if you haven’t been, by saying 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.

From the Pulpit by

Olasupo E.A. Oladele

Email: eaolasupo@yahoo.com, Tel: 08058161864

nuts, some die in the process, some are imprisoned, some youths being employed are trained as fraudsters, robbers, kidnappers. Some are kept in slavery by drug traffickers.

Youths are engaged as thugs for some leaders to achieve their ambition in life after which they are employed as task force officers. Some are given ammunition to be used against their master’s opponents.

Even when they commit a crime, highly-placed people will give them a backup without the fear of God. Drivers drive their master where ever they are assigned to go. Some don’t have closing hours. Their master goes to good eateries driven by the driver, but drivers manage what they see. When they travel with their boss, the car is their hotel room while the master is in five-star hotel. Why will he not set you up? Many accidents happen due to several ways drivers are treated. Some slap their driver from behind. As if it that is not enough, their children also do same and are not rebuked.

Some personnel are employed as staff of a particular company, while others having the same qualification and even attended the same institution are employed as casual or temporary staff. I have met some casual workers that have worked for over 10 to 15 years, and some companies tagged as employers of labour collecting huge amounts on behalf of the labour supplied only to pay them peanuts. In a country that is said to be independent, foreigners are our labour suppliers. They are virtually everywhere and no government

agency is checking that. What is the government policy about temporary staff? Today, in some organisations, managers and supervisors are staff with full benefits while others are temporary staff, not having access to medicals, recreation, pension, etc.

Majority of the bankers are temporary staff and they are in sensitive areas. Why will robbers not have adequate information to rob banks?

Some staff are earning hundreds of thousands and casuals earn less than N30,000. How justifiable is that?

NYSC is a good programme that would have make our youth to have a pre-knowledge of what they studied in higher institutions. How can a mechanical, electrical or civil engineer be posted to a school as a teacher when they did not study education? After being given a discharge certificate, what relevance is that assignment to their area of specialisation? We are talking about unemployment; instead of employing trained teachers, the Federal Government through the NYSC is also practising slavery, giving inadequate allowances because corp members have no choice rather than to teach according to the set and approved policy by the governing body who refuse to employ teachers. Their PA’s salary alone can pay 10 corp members.

Instead of sending such corps members to engineering firms they give opportunities to such firms to bring in foreigners that come here to learn on the job and later become bosses and Nigerians serve as slaves under them.

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Faith

Ingredients for lasting love in marriage

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marriage teacher and counsellor once said, “Love as a dynamic process is constantly in motion. Only those who devote time to it get their fair share…” In courtship, people make efforts to keep their love alive. After marriage, only few create time for those activities that sustain love as majority live out of love.

Non in his own view states, “Life is like loving a woman .Don’t love it to much, if you are afraid of losing it.” But the March wind records, “A loving hearth is the truest wisdom.” It is pertinent to know that the desire and thought of keeping marriage love aflame has been a a puzzle to many families. It appears that when couples say “I do,” the fire of love is quenched. To a handful of persons, their own love may be sustained till the end of their honeymoon. According to Tiyan Idahosa, “They become man and woman instead of Husband and Wife.”

This set of persons, however, forget all those things they had in common and shared together during courtship and engagement.

Too many people also take off the attraction and love they have for each other after marriage vows.

Some even take theirs for granted.

This therefore gives birth to broken hearts, separation and divorce.

There are records of couples who divorced two weeks, one month, two months, six months, one year, two years, and even a day after marriage. One is therefore forced to ask, “Is God wrong for creating the marriage institution?” The answer is, “No, God can never be wrong.”

To His Glory, there are records of couples who continued to court till death did them apart.

So many of them have been in this institution for almost 20, 30 and 50 years without any atom of conflicts that degenerated to separation or divorce. You can join their

group today after going through this chapter.

In our society today, there are a lot of separations, divorce and marital conflicts. Marriage statistics show that broken homes and relationships are on the increase.

The question now is, “Where has marital love gone?” It is alarming to note that the trends of marital conflicts are incredible. We notice that two persons who seem inseparable during their courtship and engagement fail to have things in common again after marriage. Too many families are made up of “married separates.” The married-separates live together because they are legally and religiously married, but they do not have anything in common.

They live separate lives, yet under one roof. But at the marriage altar they made solemn vows to love and live with each other till death does them apart. This experience is lamentable.

This over-alarming proposition of this marital conflict is the main reason behind the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and researches done for the writing of this book. Just as food can be tasteless without the necessary ingredients so it is with every marriage that does not adopt the right principles of a peaceful home.

The researches are concretised with daily marriage experiences and teachings. And those who constantly apply and use these ingredients for a “tasteful,” palatable and “Delicious” relationship keep rekindling the fire of their love, and they live happily. First and foremost, if a marriage will enjoys an everlasting love atmosphere, the partners involved should be able to find out and keep remembering what attracted them to each other.

Appreciate your spouse really for who he or she is. Also, remember the past experiences of success in your courtship and engagement and what promoted them. Lay emphasis only on the positive ex-

periences and the things each of you used to enjoy doing. Remember the constant fun and care you used to have for each other during your courtship. Keep off from every negative experience you had individually or collectively that may hamper the peace that both of you enjoy. Also, consider and think about any negative action, thought or thing that may provoke negative reactions in your home and avoid it. Decide to adopt necessary changes and engage in sincere heart to heart talk. Plan a time for a heart-touching and result-oriented meeting with your partner.

Do not involve a third party or allow anybody to interrupt your discussions. This meeting should be held when there is a relaxed atmosphere. Commence your honest talk with a smiling face and by calling each other the special name you have for each other. If he or she looks tired, introduce anything that can invoke laughter. When his or her attention is captured, quickly state the points of your discussion in a humble, gentle, loving and respectful manner. If there is any previous disagreement, respectfully explain your points to settle it amicably. While doing this, look at the person face-to-face. Use eyecontact technique and intelligently penetrate through his or her subconscious world to figure out his or her emotional state and reaction.

Of course, if your discussion is accepted, the countenance will show it. Note that settling marital conflicts is a work of God’s grace and mercy. Its period is not a time to claim rights and apportion blame to anyone. It is a period for mutual intelligibility. During your discussion to settle your conflict, state how much damage it has caused your marriage. Make it clear that you wish and want to go back to your initial loving relationship. Discuss and correct your last mistakes.

Be willing to accept the necessary

Word of FAITH byby Apostle Clement Apostle Clement Ogbonna Ogbonna apostleofgraceinwof2010@gmail com, apostleofgraceinwo clementogbonnaya2007@yahoo.com Tel: 08036774737 .

changes and believe that you can still be happy with each other. Desist from being selfish and self-centered while handling this delicate matter. Avoid taking a lot of serious things for granted. Where you are wrong, accept it wholeheartedly, humbly apologise and promise to turn a new leaf. When you are in the street of this method of conflict resolution, you will certainly reach your destination of peace and love.

Another serious point in keeping marriage love aflame is to discuss whatever problem that arises carefully without any accusation or shouting at each other. Two wrongs cannot make a right. And the peaceful co-existence of two persons is the personal decision and responsibility of one of them.

Understanding plays a paramount role in restoring peace and keeping the marital love aflame. If you have been constantly hurt by your partner, humbly state how much damage it has done to you and what you wish should be done to remedy the situation. Note that your suggestions must be easy and possible. And whatever suggestion you give, you must be at the forefront of applying it. You should be the architect of the solution to any conflict.

Begin to show love and concern for the welfare of your partner. This is to prove that you are interested in what you have been doing to initiate peace in your home.

Also, to keep or rekindle your marital love, try to plan your vacation together. It may not be expensive. You can visit a resort or a family friend’s house and stay there together for a meaningful period. If this is not done, you can go for a picnic in a neat and quite environment. The beach is a nice and serene atmosphere for making up. Do this as if you are still courting. Play football, volley ball, table

tennis and go jogging together. You can also go for boat rides together; go for sight-seeing to the museum or somewhere you have not been before. These should be done bearing in mind that in the world, God comes first; your family second and any other thing takes the third position. Therefore, strive to cement anything that will breach your loving relationship with your spouse.

Marriage is an honourable institution. Handle it jealously. In keeping your marital love aflame, you should read Biblical novels, newspapers and magazines together.

Discuss your views and commentaries together and exchange your views; sit together, play and joke together. Do not shy away from talking good about your spouse. Use pet names for him or her always.

If you have a car, you can go for a ride in your car to a distant place.

Also, watch sporting events and concerts together. Once in a while, go through your wedding album together and also watch the film to remind yourselves of the beautiful moment.

It is disheartening to say that most couples bath and eat together two weeks after their wedding only.

Eating and bathing together are also important ingredients that can keep marital love aflame. Do not be too tired to bath or too fast to go into the bathroom alone.

Also, do not be too hungry to eat alone or too tired to eat with your spouse. Make it a point of duty to do almost everything together. To prove the relevance of togetherness in a marital relationshi,; having and doing things in common, in Genesis Chapter 2:23, Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.” To prove the importance of togetherness in marriage.

voice of God in you.

Pilate and His Inner Conviction In his judgment against the Lord Jesus Christ, Pilate went against his mind, the inner voice inside him. Infact, he trusted others more than he trusted himself and so forced himself to deliver a wrong judgment. “And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him. But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted.” (Luke 23: 22-24).

Pilate even went further to show that he only wanted to please the people. “For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a

dream because of Him. When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves (Matthew 27: 18, 19,24).

Please, do not what your mind does not endorse. It is always disastrous. Listen to this word.

Those who have died either by accident, war or by armed robbery, or by kidnapping, all of them had the signal. Their mind told them what to do or what not to do but either because of ignorance, or out of call to duty, or by obeying orders, they failed to follow the dictates of their mind. If they came back to life, they would tell you the full story.

Worship with us at Commonwealth Covenant Church Int’l Inc. (aka Christ Fellowship Deliverance Church) Alode Nchia Eleme, River State, Nigeria. P.O. Box 555 Nchia Eleme, Port Harcourt, River State.

WORD OF Saul and his inner conviction LIFE by

Bishop Moses Kat tey

S

Tel: 08087707486, Email: moseskattey@yahoo.co.uk

aul said that, I Forced Myself…… To do what He did and disobeyed God. “There said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplications unto the Lord: I FORCED MYSELF therefore and offered a burnt offering” (1 Samuel 13: 12).

Saul lost the kingdom and his crown for not obeying his inner Vioce. He forced himself. Never force yourself to do anything. Instead, wait until your mind tells you to do so. Here is the second mistake of Saul.

And Saul said unto Samuel, “I

have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the PEOPLE, and obeyed their voice (1 Samuel. 15:24).

Saul feared the people and obeyed their voice. He rejected or ignored the inner voice of the Lord through his mind. He forced himself the second chance (probably). A man of the people obeys and fears the people, while the man of God obeys and fears God. Aaron and his Inner Conviction The Lord called Moses up to the Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments and other instructions.

The people waited for close to 40 days and could not see their leader, Moses. He met them worshipping a golden calf and broke the tablets in anger. He blamed Aaron. Aaron said he did it because of the people who were threatening, and that he did not support it. And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people that they are set on mischief” (Exodus 32:22).

Herod and His Inner Conviction Herod killed John the Baptist because he forced himself to do what his mind was against. Why? “And she, being before instructed of her mother, said give me here John the Baptist’s head in a charger. And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake; and them, which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her” (Matthew 14:8, 9).

It was not his mind to kill John the Baptist but he was not a man of his word. Never force yourself to do anything if it is disagreeable with your spirit, which is the

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Let us serve with humility

The Seeds of by Greatness Apostle Clement by Ogbonna Bishop Lawrence Osagie apostleofgraceinwo

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Tel: 08063250667, mail:powerlineministries@mail.com, www.powerlineministriesinc.org

ucifer became puffed up by reason of his closeness to God, because he covered the throne of God. Then in his pride, he said, “I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the most High” Isaiah 14;13 &14.

May be, you too, by reason of your beauty, education, or parental background and influence, you consider every other person inferior and worthless before you, listen, you are just like your father, Lucifer, and in verse 15 of our scripture God said: “Yet thou shall be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” Isaiah 14:15. That is the re-

H

sult of the spirit of pride operating in the life of any individual.

Also in the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar by reason of the wealth and power of his kingdom, Babylon, became puffed up and commanded all that dwelt in his province to worship the image he had set up. The worship that is due to the Almighty God, he accorded to himself and his image. The same way today, even in the churches of God, many have set themselves as up as idols to be worshipped.

They have cowed the people down and have substituted the worship of man to the worship due unto God. As Nebuchadnezzar threatened to cast into the fiery furnace anyone that would not bow to his image, these men today threaten their followers with all kinds of intimidation - sacking, dismissal

and the like- if they fail to worship them.

In spite of God’s warning to Nebuchadnezzar through a dream, his pride blinded him.

And according to the word of the Lord, Nebuchadnezzar was cast out from the kingdom of men to make his abode and dwelling with the beasts of the field, to eat grass as oxen. The Bible says, “Most High rules in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he wills.” If you find it difficult to serve a leader whom you consider not qualified enough to be your leader, that is a clear manifestation of pride. Or if you always want to be one in charge all the time, check that spirit.

The Bible says, “The Lord will destroy the house of the proud ... for God resisteth the proud.

The word of God clearly states that the proud is fighting a war against God.” Humility brings us to that state of complete brokenness before God, where we willingly surrender our will unto Him. It is only at this level that God is able to reach and bless us because He giveth grace to

Lost vision (2)

alleluyah. Joy to the world for you are alive to witness this day. It is a new dawn in your world because your vision, purpose and vision are being revealed and you must fulfil them.

To God be the glory for those who sent messages. You are not an accidental discharge, you are wired and positioned to bless your generation. It is your season and appointed time, grab it with both hands.

Almighty is a God of restoration. He is not a God of abandoned project. The chorus among Angels today is – there must be a way, the lost vision must be restored, there is still hope, they have a great future, the righteous must be saved, there is a Moses among them and their Joshua is being prepared.

RESTORATION Are they not ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation? [ Hebrew chapter 1 verse 14].

Ministering angels were sent

by God to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah but for the righteousness of Abraham, Lot was saved. For the righteous, God will save Nigeria and our world and the lost glory shall be restored.

Unknown to the demonic powers in Egypt, Moses was raised among them. Our change agent is within, he will rise, take the mantle, deliver God’s people from bondage and it shall be a new dawn.

I know for sure that as God liveth in Heaven, he will get there.

And I will restore to you the

years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm my great army which I sent among you. [Joel 2 verse 25] Restore – The lost glory is coming back. What happened in Samaria through Prophet Elisha will be a child’s play, Nigeria will soon become the envy of other nations because this country will blossom.

Locusts – Those who pilloried the country, destroying the economy in all facets. Their hands will be off our nation because wind of positive change is blowing.

Cankerworm, caterpillar, palmerworm – Evil worms.

Dangerous to our system.

Heaven will de-worm us and kill the deadly worms deforming us.

Great army sent to us – We must all confess our sins. Seek divine forgiveness and the face of God will shine upon us. Leaders and the led have committed many grievous sins and incurred God’s wrath. Be reminded that God will not bless a nation where His laws are being broken with impunity.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing> [ Isaiah 10 verse 27].

That day is here. A mighty wave of anointing as in the day of Pentecost for restoration will move across the land.

Our burden and yokes shall be removed by Heaven because the cry of the righteous has reached heaven and frustration has peaked in the land.

Going through the Bible showed the same experience in Jerusalem until God raised Zerubbabel to deliver the people and repair the broken walls.

Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein [though at that time I had not setup the doors upon the gates].

That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.

And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down, why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifth and two days. [Nehemiah 6 verses 1-3…. And 15].

Interesting. Reading through showed that enemies of progress came of age, ages ago.

God sent Zerubbabel as the agent of restoration for Jerusalem and these evil agents who held the city by the throat had their sinister plan for him viz – Delay him, disturb the work, raise false witnesses and accusations against him, mischievous plans, ceaseless attacks, coordinated intrigue and organised plot to waste him.

But God has gone ahead of them. Zerubbabel was highly anointed for the task and intelligent to see through their evil minds and the assignment was completed.

the humble. The grace (unmerited favour) of God will take us to heights beyond our wildest imagination. Absolute obedience to the word of God in every situation is the manifestation of the spirit of humility in an individual. “The fear of the Lord (obedience to His word) is the instruction on wisdom and before honour is humility.” Proverbs 15:33. Let us humble ourselves so that God can honour us. When God honours you, man is bound to honour you.

Humility is accepting every position God places you, serving and ministering to the needs of others. Then God will promote you in His kingdom.

Humility will bring you before princes and kings. It will bring you riches, honour and life. Proverbs 22:4. “Whosoever, therefore, shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Mathew 18:4. He that is greatest in the kingdom of heaven was an embodiment of humility. Christ Himself was an embodiment of humility. For Him to become the king of kings and

Faith

the Lord of Lords he had first to humble Himself. He subjected Himself to be baptised

by John the Baptist (to fulfil all righteousness), washed His disciples’ feet and above all He humbled Himself unto death... “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in form of God... made Himself of no reputation, and Him, the form of a servant... And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him and hath given Him a name which is above every name.” Philippians 2:5-9.

Christ is our perfect example, and if we desire to be great, let us follow after His footsteps, serving in all humility and God will lift us and exalt us beyond our wildest dreams.

Finally, he that desires to be great, desires a good thing, so let him be irrevocably determined, while being faithful and diligent, serving in all humility in every work, this man shall truly be great.

Prophetic Insight with

Rev. James Akinadewo Tel: 08037188392 (SMS only) motailatugrow@hotmail.com

The wall was finished in the month of Elul. Nigeria, this is your season of Elul. Those who hold you by the jugular have a pact with the devil but your deliverer will be anointed to destroy their demonic shrines and evil hold. I declare and decree, with the togetherness of all true men of God, Nigeria shall be delivered by fire in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.

NEW BEGINNING And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealth wondrously with you, and my people shall never be ashamed. [Joel 2 verse 26] That is the story of a new Nigeria. Oshodi becoming the new Dubai of Africa. Kano and Washington D.C. competing for prominence in the business world. South Africans coming to Ibadan in droves to behold a new wonder city with Chinese and industrialists the world over migrating to Onitsha in the new power shift for technological achievements and advancement.

How about Ajegunle? It is the new Dublin in the making.

Believe it and see it. What you confess you possess.

ACT FAST South Africa was ostracized and was no longer relevant in the comity of nations until one man with divine mandate came into the picture and positively

changed the course of history.

A round of applause for the living legend, Dr. Nelson Mandela. He knew without him doing it, none will. Risking his life, he took the burden of saving his country and rescuing the people from apartheid upon himself and today, his people are eternally grateful to him.

Martin Luther King with the slogan ‘ I have a dream’, took America by storm and millions were gingered from their lethargy. The reverberating effect of that great revival transported into an unknown black American years later and ‘together we can’ became America’s newest national anthem. Martin Luther King and Barrack Obama flowed together in the spirit and it was clear to the Americans that they were both raised for progressive assignments in God’s own country.

If you don’t save Nigeria, none will. Your positive contributions in your small corner is enough to transform our nation. Keep on doing it, we will get there. For those who think it is not possible, ask the Lord of the manor in the 2nd Kings chapter seven of the Holy Bible, he will tell you better.

Once it was possible to have a New York, New Delhi, New Tokyo, New China, New Jersey, New Zealand and New Orleans, there shall be a NEW NIGERIA. Run from sin. Jesus loves you. It is well.

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Faith

The midnight cry

THE Oracles of God by

Frank Oboden Olomukoro

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frankolomukoro@yahoo.com, 07033621866

he first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ witnessed a forerunner and a prophet in the person of John the Baptist. This was as foretold by prophets of the Old Testament by the Holy Spirit many years before the advent of the New Testament Bible Era. I will mention two notable prophets who revealed the secrets of the coming of a forerunner before Jesus Christ, usually regarded as the lightning before the thunder. Prophet Isaiah spoke in Isaiah 40:3 “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed (fulfilled in Christ Jesus, the saviour” Matt. 1:2123), and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of Lord hath spoken it. Prophet Malachi confirmed Isaiah’s prophecy in Malachi 3:1, “Behold, I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the

way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.”

Four hundred years later, after the prophecy of Malachi, the last of the Old Testament Prophets, John the Baptist appeared on the scene in John 1:29, announcing the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lamb that taketh away the sins of the world. John the Baptist heralded Christ’s first coming by tentatively identifying himself in John 1:23, saying, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah.”

As John foreran the first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, so will another prophet in the anointing and power of Elijah forerun the second coming of Christ or the catching away of the saints commonly referred to as Rapture. The Rapture will not take place until this

midnight prophet, spoken in Matt. 25:1-13 comes on the scene, to preach a message of readiness, preparedness and awareness of the imminent return of Jesus Christ for the saints. This is usually in line with God’s pattern before Judgement.

Before he judges a people or a nation, God sends a messenger of mercy, grace and deliverance to create an escape door for the repentant ones. This is what the midnight cry represents. Matt.

25:6 “And at midnight, there was a cry made behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him.”

Every Christian must realise that he cannot follow God without following His word. The evidence of our love for God is measured directly by our love for His commandments (John 14:15) and we can only know Him as we see Him unveiled in His word.

The midnight cry is similar to the voice in the wilderness. The words ‘cry’ and ‘voice’ simply mean to ‘preach’. Just as the voice in the wilderness was a prophet messenger, a forerunner to Christ first coming, invariably too, the cry at midnight will be a prophet

Check your excesses

I

t is sad that many people are happy only when they come to the church; but when they get back to their homes the happiness dissolves into oblivion. People are indeed carrying excess luggage and they have no idea how they would get rid of it.

I went to a place called Nneato for a deliverance programme. And the Lord said to me, “Go for morning cry (early morning preaching).”

It had been a long time since I did morning cry. But the burden was too great that I decided to go on morning cry.

So I told my aides that we are going for morning cry. They laughed and asked, “Daddy, why morning cry now?”

I informed them that the Lord wants me to do that now.

With that I took my Bible and proceeded. The first day of the morning cry, I ministered on the love of Christ. The second day, I preached again on the love of Christ. Very early the third day, I preached on the same topic. As I was preaching between 4am and 5amthat morning, I saw a light approaching my direction. As it came closer, I said aloud, ‘Jesus is Lord’, wondering if a demon was about to attack.

Songs of praise burst from my mouth and I found myself binding and casting every demonic or Satanic manifes-

tation against my mission in the name of Jesus. I soon discovered that it was an elderly woman of about 75 years old, who supported herself with a walking stick that was bearing the light. She kept coming toward me and almost ran into me.

When she got close, she yelled, “Shut up; and don’t talk what you don’t know.”

I replied, “Mummy, what are you saying? I am preaching about Jesus Christ.

“Don’t mention that name,” she snapped; adding, “That man is very wicked.”

I said to her, “Do you know what you are saying? I am talking about the one that was crucified on the cross of Calvary.”

She said, “Don’t mind Him. He did not die for me. That man is very wicked; there is no atom of goodness in that man.” At that point, I asked her if she wanted to attract a curse upon herself.

She snapped again. “Stop talking. Do you want me to prove it to you? You that preach the love of Christ follow me so that you may get some understanding.” I followed her sheepishly and when we got to her house, she pointed to her thatched house, saying, “Look at where I am living.” She pointed to a nearby uncompleted building

and asked if I could see it and I said, “Yes.” She explained that her first son started to build the house but died before he could take it to a reasonable level. “I gave birth to nine boys; they grew up to be huge and handsome boys. My first son died when the block setting was only at the third coach,” she added.

The Mama recalled that after dinner she chatted like mother and son before he told her that he was going to bed. They then bade each other goodnight.

At about 2 am in the night, she continued, her son began to scream, “My head o-o-o; my head o-o-o.”

The old woman said she could not force the son’s door open to offer any assistance.

She said she sought help from neighbours but before they could arise from their slumber and come to her aid the first son was already dead. She said that several months went by before she could recover from the shock because that son was the pillar of the house.

After eight months, the second son came to console the mother and promised to finish the building that was started by his elder brother so that the mama could find better shelter to rest her aging body. That second son took the building to lintel level and went to buy

messenger, a forerunner to Christ’s second coming or the Rapture. This prophet is specifically sent to the Gentile Bride of Christ unlike John the Baptist that was sent specifically to the Jews to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children to believe the Messiah.

This prophet to the Gentiles’ specific assignment is to turn the hearts of the children (present-day believers) to the fathers (the Apostles who are our spiritual fathers) Ephesians 2:20.

“And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.” This assignment of the Gentile Prophet is fulfilled in Malachi 4:5-6: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” The Jews will not be in the Rapture. Only the wise virgins that will be separated from the lot because of their acceptance of the midnight prophet’s cry and will go in the secret

catching away of the saints.

The word ‘midnight’ signifies the end of times period of history the world would be in. Midnight is zero hour, the close of the activities of world events; the close of the ages. A period in which the world is breaking into another day, precisely into the millennial reign. It means also, that world events will climax with the unveiling of the Anti-Christ whose 3½ years or 42 months dictatorial reign will culminate into the showdown of the third world war or scripturally the war of Armageddon: the self-destruction of the world through her own atomic and neutral bombs, Rev. 18:1, Ezekiel 38 & 39.

Significant to your escape from God’s imperative looming judgment, you must of necessity hear, recognise and believe the midnight prophet messenger to enjoy God’s mercies, grace and deliverance. Your personal decision on the midnight cry is very vital to your preparedness.

Frank Oboden Olomukoro writes from Christian Ministry of Reconciliation, Km. 14, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, (beside Punch Newspapers), Ogun State.

Hour of LIBERATION by Chidi Anthony Tel: 08124284979

iron rods for the beams, but on his way back he died in a ghastly motor accident.

“I cried ‘God, why? What is my offence? Even though I sinned against you; won’t you have mercy on me? God why do you want me to die empty handed’.”

The woman said she cried aloud because the shock was too much for her. As it were, the third son came up after his two elder brothers had died and were buried. He refused to have anything to do with the house which his elder brothers attempted to build and all died. “He said to me, “Mummy, I am starting a new house. You will live in a good house.”

But alas, the third son died when the second house was barely out of foundation level. The fourth son decided to marry and give the old woman grand children. Three days to his wedding, he was travelling from Lagos to his home town for the wedding; and out of the 14 passengers in transit, the fourth son was the only one that died.

“Mr. Preacher that preaches the love of Christ, I have them nine. Each year, I bury

somebody and now there is only one remaining. Come and see him,” the woman said.

I followed her to the back yard where I saw an ebony black huge young man in chains. He was raving mad.

The woman said, “That is what your loving Jesus left for me. Now tell me; if you are in my shoes, would you say that man is good?” But looking at the woman I saw someone carrying excess luggage.

I was moved to pray like I never did before. I prayed for hours and in the fourth hour of prayer, the Lord opened my eyes and I saw where something was buried. It was now around 10am and people had woken up. We got the people to dig up the spot.

A pig clay pot was dug up and nine images were found inside the clay pot tied with a piece of cloth.

I said to the mama that those images represent her nine boys tied together with a grave cloth. Then I continued to pray fervently, took out a bottle of anointing oil and poured on the images. I set fire on the images.

NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY JUNE 1, 2014

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Abuja Beats

Insecurity hurts nightlife in Abuja

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Kenneth Tyohemba

he hustle and bustle of night life in the city of Abuja has waned down following bomb explosions witnessed in the Federal Capital Territory recently.

This is in addition to the earlier pronouncement made by the Federal Capital Territory Administration, which stated that nightclubs, pubs and cinemas must end their activities by 10pm.

The move which was intended to curb security challenges, however, could not stop fun seekers from hanging out late at night as several relaxation spots in the FCT were always jam-packed. They all tried to outdo one another by bringing innovations to their services such as cocktails, comedians and dancers in order to win and retain more customers.

The relaxation spots which cut across gardens and parks, nightclubs, eateries, hotels, brothels, among others provide an avenue for clients to unwind and socialise with pals and business partners after the day’s hassles.

The thrills and frills associated with nightlife have been cut short as the recent bomb explosion in Abuja have forced many to refrain from keeping late nights.

New Telegraph on Sunday reporter learnt that these days, Abuja residents are cutting down time spent out at night, especially in open places.

Although some of the most notable hangouts located in the heart of Abuja such as Safari Night Club, Lobby Bar at the Hilton Hotel and Elephant Bar and Dazzle Night Club at Sheraton Hotel among others offer varieties of enter-

tainment for high class fun seekers and their locations are well guarded.

Despite the present trend, night crawlers don’t see this as a limitation to their fun catching.

To Paul Nandeve, “Night life is a way of life; after the day’s hassles, one needs to wine, dine and even dance to shake off the stress from the day’s work.”

Many wives however detest their husbands keeping late nights. To Mrs.

Agnes Akor, “Each time my husband keeps late nights, I become restless at home thinking that he could be cheating on me.”

A civil servant (name withheld) however said he usually go out with his wife to chill at night.

To many people, nightlife in Abuja is a thing of luxury, considering the expensive nature of the city. However fun seekers cannot resist spending time out

at night.

The music from the disc jockeys, the aroma of assorted dishes and wine, as well as other marketing strategies according to a barman at Ibiza Club and Restaurant is the reason why customers have been thrilled.

He however stated that these days customers are still patronising, but they are no longer spending late night hours.

“They come and leave before 10pm.”

dals and this has led to the blockage of the drains.

A look at some of the roads like Jahi, Utako, Jabi park and environs, Wuse 11, Herbert Macauley Way and other major roads after any rainy spell is a spectacle to behold. Roads become impassable for motorists and pedestrians.

According to the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of FCT, Mr. Nosike Ogbuenyi, beyond the flooding the removal of the covers of the manholes portends untold danger to motorists and pedestrians.

He said motorists lose their tyres when they run into the manholes, while pedestrians risk injury. In some cases, they become easy hideouts for

criminals.

The cover of the manhole is meant to prevent refuse from being carried by flood. It also prevents people from throwing refuse into the drains. It caps the edges of the iron placed on the manhole, therefore preventing it from causing harm to vehicles or human beings.

Each channel of the drainage system is designed in such a way that dirt does not pass through the sieve-like rod provided for the drain as cover into the underground culverts that serve as passage for the water to rivers and lakes.

But as you navigate the highways of Abuja, you can’t help but notice the absence of the covers that are supposed

to serve as a sieve for dirt.

The drains that are supposed to serve as water passages are filled with sand and stones, blocking the drains and preventing water from reaching their final destination.

Blocked drainages have a lot of consequences, one of which is erosion. A blocked drainage can also serve as a home for mosquitoes when it is waterlogged.

People tend to have a nonchallant attitude towards government properties. But the reality is that the effect of some of these acts of vandalisms cause much discomfort to the same people that show no care whatsoever to government property.

Rains and flooding in Abuja Ummal-fadal Babagirei

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iven the drainage provided for in the construction of roads in Abuja, it would have been difficult or unimaginable to experience the kind of flooding being seen in the Federal Capital City, when it rains.

FCT roads were provided with drainages that would carry the waters from the roads during the rains. But the issue of vandalism has put a stop to this as residents and motorists of Abuja metropolis experience heavy flooding in the FCT as a result of the blockage of the drains.

The iron covers of the manholes on the roads are being removed by van-

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Abuja Beats

How criminals rule swap deals at GSM Village Kenneth Tyohemba

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he Abuja GSM Village is a bustling market for sellers of all sorts of phones and phone accessories, alongside artisanal and other entrepreneurial services.

Located at Wuse zone 1, in the Federal Capital Territory, the market is popularly known for phone swap deals, which provide avenue for the exchange of phones where users get new handsets of their choice in exchange for old ones at lower cost.

Mr. Chukwuemeka Ebere, a retailer of assorted phones, said all types of people visit this place to either buy phones or accessories or repair their phones.

“You can find laptop engineers, software engineers, mobile phone technicians, food vendors and even people who retail gas in the open,” Ebere added.

To Lady Sandra Ugor, a customer at the market, what drew her to the market was the phone swap deals hence she does not like using old phones.

“I prefer the exchange because I usually get the type of phone I want without paying the actual worth of it in direct cash transactions,” Ugor said.

However, the high patronage the market enjoys over the years seems to be waning gradually as criminals are on the rampage in the area.

Investigation by New Telegraph on Sunday revealed that the market is gradually attracting shady characters, who operate in the guise of phone swapping.

Mrs. Comfort Ogar while recounting her encounter with a suspected fraudster at the market said she went to swap

her Blackberry Curve 7 for a Samsung Galaxy only to be duped.

In her words: “When I went into the market, a well dressed gentleman approached me and offered to swap my phone. After collecting my phone and N25000, the guy disappeared.”

Investigation further shows that phone thieves also find the GSM village as a potential market to sell them.

Johnson, a shop owner and dealer in phones in the market, affirmed that there are many criminal elements in their midst, who have scared customers away. He decried their fraudulent activities, saying that it has brought a

negative image and perception to the GSM village, which he said used to be a beehive of phone business in Abuja.

He however pointed out that despite the criminal elements in the market there are some genuine traders that have been doing their business with honesty.

A policeman, who was spotted monitoring the market, said the police are aware of criminal activities at the market. He added that the police have been on top of the situation as some arrests have been made previously over issues of phone theft and other fraudulent activities.

SURE-P buses commissioned for FCT residents Johnchuks Onuanyim

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n keeping faith with the Federal Government’s promise on the Transformation Agenda, through the Subsidy Re-Investment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, Vice-President Namadi Sambo commissioned 100 high capacity buses for the easy transportation challenges of residents of the Federal Capital Territory.

The injection of 100 buses had therefore brought to 400 the total number of active buses rendering transportation services in Abuja.

According to FCT records, a total of 300 high capacity mass transit buses were launched on January 19, 2012.

FCT SURE-P buses

Sambo had while commissioning the buses stated that the Jonathan administration sees the transport sector as very crucial to the attainment of economic and social wellbeing of the people.

“We have reiterated the crucial role of transportation in the promotion of economic and social well-being of our people as one of the key drivers of economic development.

“I am therefore, very confident that not only would the teeming commuters of the FCT greatly rejoice but it shall be at the disposal of all that ply the FCT roads.

“Worthy of note is the FCT initiative which forms part of the comprehensive Federal Government transportation roadmap designed to address the challenges being faced

by the sector.

“The comprehensive roadmap examines the source of attaining such lofty targets through a huge financial investment to be sourced through public sector investment as well as Public-Private-Partnership.

“We intend to tackle the transport sector challenges holistically through the involvement of intra and inter-transport networks to connect Abuja city centre to the rest of the country, using all relevant means of transportation.’

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed, in his speech, said the roll out of the new buses was a follow up on the recent launching of SURE-P taxis, all in an effort to provide efficient and affordable transport system in the nation’s capital.

He said the buses will be deployed in all routes to ensure easy commuting of residents especially those living in satellite towns.

“We have made a 40 per cent payment to the company that provided the buses and we are assuring them we will not fail to fulfill our own part of the agreement of paying the remaining balance within the two years period, using the proceeds from the buses”.

The Minister disclosed.

Also the Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Smart Adeyemi, on the occasion promised FCT administration of continued legislative support to enhance their effort in delivering the much needed services to the resident He further noted that before the end of the week, the legislators will put all needed finishing touches to the FCT budget and pass it.

Nigerian Young Broadcasters Awards berths in Abuja Amadi Nnamdi

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buja the capital city, played host to the maiden edition of Nigerian Young Broadcasters Awards (NYBA) in grand style on within the week.

The event, which took place at the prestigious Silverbird Entertainment Centre, Abuja, was strategically planned to coincide with the Children’s Day celebration so as to specially celebrate children and also use the occasion to promote the development of broadcast skills in young people.

The event, which attracted many participants from different schools in the Federal Capital Territory, is to be expanded to involve other schools across the federation in subsequent editions.

According to Mrs Lola Oladimeji of Licia Media - the organizers of the event, the Award was conceived to encourage innovation and participation among young aspiring broadcasters in secondary schools.

Lola said “It’s a competition in three stages leading to different categories of award which are Scripting, Editing and Presentation. It will help young Nigerians to shape up their career as a young broadcaster at an early stage.

“It will encourage them to get accustomed to broadcasting before acquiring requisite certification, it will also enhance content creation from the point of view of young Nigerians and also enhance gradual introduction to broadcast ethics, use of equipment ahead of 2015 digitization and bring out the next generation of young broadcasters in all spheres of the Media”.

In her goodwill message, the Nigerian Broadcasting corporation (NBC) Abuja Zonal Coordinator Mrs. Franca Aiyetan commended the innovative effort of the organizers in encouraging Children participation in broadcasting. She urged the students to imbibe media ethics and good morals.

The NBC zonal boss stressed the need for quality programme content development as well as the need to eschew the use of vulgar languages and fowl words.

At the event, the contestants drawn from different schools were given 5 minutes each to make a radio presentation based on any social issue of their choice. At the end of which Samson Okaludo of Government Secondary School Wuse Zone 3, Abuja emerged as the Best Young Broadcaster carting away the bountiful gift pack provided

by Startimes attached to the award plaque.

In an Interview with Abuja Beats after the award ceremony, the visibly elated Samson Okaludo was very excited with his success. He recalled the assistance of his teachers and his friends who encouraged him during the preliminary stage of the competition. Above all, he thanked God for crowning his efforts with Glory and went on to encourage other young people to explore their potentials.

Some of the Participants at the competition were students from Nigeria Turkish international college, Premier Academy, Government Secondary schools Garki, Kubwa, Gwarimpa and Model secondary school Abuja.

Others are Olumawu College, Redeemers private school and Government Day secondary school Wuse 2, Abuja.

Indomie, Startimes, Pepsi and Drumstix were among the brands that sponsored the event and ensured that the students were rewarded.

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JUNE 01, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH ON SUNDAY

Abuja Beats

Demolition fever grips Nyanya roadside shop owners Amadi Nnamdi

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ome residents of Nyanya- a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory, are still counting their losses following the recent demolition of structures carried out by officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

Some of the shop owners along the line of structures marked for demolition now live in palpable fear as they lament that they still expect the return of the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCTA anytime.

Following the two bomb blasts recorded in Nyanya on different days, that claimed over 88 lives, a combined team of law enforcement agencies in conjunction with officials of Abuja Metropolitan Management Company (AMMC), Department of Development Control, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and the Parks and Recreation Department of FCTA embarked on a demolition exercise on Tuesday, May 13, 2014, starting from pulling down structures beside the road at Kugbo furniture market axis of the Abuja/Keffi expressway down to Karu junction citing the order issued by the FCT minister during his visit to the bomb blast scene as the reason for their action.

While the demolition exercise was going on at Kugbo, many of the shop owners along Mopol junction were praying

for the exercise not to be extended to their location. But surprisingly, on May 14, 2014, officials of the FCDA stormed the area with red paint and marked the unwanted ‘illegal’ structures along the road for future demolition and that marked the beginning of their worries.

If not for the timely intervention of the District Head of Nyanya, Chief John

Bawa Pyape, whose prompt intervention made the officials suspend the exercise that day, as alleged by some residents of the area, the bulldozers would have commenced work immediately.

When our correspondent visited the district head on Tuesday, May 27, 2014, he confirmed that his intervention brought about the one week grace

given by the authorities and that the eventual demolition wasn’t as severe as the previous ones.

When asked about the reason given by the authorities for the demolition, he replied, “They said they don’t want to see any shop on the corridors of the road or any unwanted structure whether owned by the indigenes or not.”

But for the owners of the demolished shops, life has never been the same. Some of them recounted how they were given little time to relocate their wares to a safe place having been given short notice.

According to Ejike Agim, a building materials dealer, “government should realise that Nigerians elected them to use power to help them and not to use it to destroy their sources of livelihood.”

He expressed sadness over the destruction of his shop, adding however that government should at least have provided them with an alternative place before embarking on the hasty and rash decision of demolishing structures that were neither responsible for the bombing of Nyanya or the making of the bombs itself.

As for residents of the adjoining structures behind the demolished buildings, it has been a season of prayer for them as they are hoping and praying that the authorities don’t wake up one morning and decide to extend the demolition exercise to their residences.

Abuja and vandalised CCTVs Johnchuks Onuanyim

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t was after the April 14, 2014 Nyanya bomb blast that it came to the fore that the CCTVs installed by the Federal Government, to enhance security in the Federal Capital Territory, were not functional and had been vandalised.

It also calls for concern

that the relevant authorities have not risen to the challenge to investigate the allegations and probably fix the facilities given the level of crime in the Federal Capital Territory.

The 1000 CCTVs installed in Abuja and Lagos respectively, which contract has been a subject of controversy among government agencies,

were to provide for security in the cities. The contract which cost was put at $470 million (N76 billion ) was handled by a Chinese firm, ZTE Corporation and was said to have been completed in 2012.

The project was aimed at providing voice, video and data, using the Code Division Multiple Access technology to enable se-

curity agencies to combat terrorism and other violent crimes in the Federal Capital City and Lagos for now.

However, in the FCT the facilities were not meant to cover the suburbs and satellite towns of the Territory, which have higher level of crimes and insurgency.

This means in the views of the residents if FCT

More than three decades after the creation of Abuja, the beams of the first bridge to be built wholly by a Nigerian indigenous firm in the nation’s capital city were recently launched at the Maitama Extension District by KAKATAR CE. Here the Managing Director of KAKATAR CE, Azibaola Robert (middle) thumbs up with officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority at the launch

that government was only interested on the security of the rich and not for every citizen.

A resident of Nyanya, Mr. Audu Momoh, posited that even if the Cameras were working perfectly, it wouldn’t have captured the perpetrators of Nyanya blasts since they were not installed in that area.

But of a more concern to many is the posture of silence by relevant authorities on the allegation of vandalism and theft of the CCTVs. Mr. Okechukwu Nwanu said it is very unimaginable that such security tools could be vandalised and no arrest was made and no investigation is being carried out.

Also of importance is the fact that the Presidency is not saying anything about this project that it was reported President Goodluck Jonathan was to commissioned sometime in 2013.

The former Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd.), had noted, while in office that the 1000 CCTVs installed in Lagos and Abuja were ready for commissioning by President Goodluck Jonathan.

He added that Vice-

President Namadi Sambo had already inspected the cameras and confirmed that they were working, adding that “President Jonathan will soon commission the CCTV for public use.”

One year after, the residents of the FCT were being told that the facility inspected for commissioning was vandalised and stolen, despite the presence of the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Service, Headquarters of the Army, Navy and Air Force, Office of the National Security Adviser to the President, Paramilitary agencies like, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigeria Prison Service in the city.

The most unfortunate thing is that this facility works in hotels, shopping malls, estates, private houses, etc, within the FCT. Why can’t government’s CCTVs work?

Would government wait for another bomb blast or crime act to be leashed on the people before the need to fix and make functional the CCTV in the FCT?

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World Cup: Dzeko double downs Elephants

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igeria’s Group F rivals, Bosnia-Herzegovina, continued their preparations for the World Cup on Saturday with a win over Cote d’Ivoire in St Louis where a goal in each half from Manchester City striker, Edin Dzeko, ensured the Europeans warmed up for their first World Cup with a 2-1 friendly victory over the Elephants.

Bosnia came into the game off the back off defeats against Argentina and Egypt but Dzeko opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a neat finish after some chaotic defending from the Elephants.

The 28-year-old doubled Bosnia’s advantage after 53 minutes with a crisp half-volley which flew past goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo, before former Chelsea striker Didi-

er Drogba netted a stoppage-time consolation goal for the Ivorians direct from a free-kick.

Elsewhere, Egypt squandered a two-goal lead after slipping to a 3-2 defeat to Chile in Santiago.

Mohamed Salah and Khaled Kamar scored in the opening 16 minutes to put Egypt firmly in charge, before Barcelona’s Alexis Sanchez set up Marcelo Diaz to pull a goal back for the home side after 26 minutes.

Sanchez turned provider again on the hour mark after picking out Eduardo Vargas who hit a first-time finish past Egypt goalkeeper Sherif Ekramy. And the pacy winger made it a hat-trick of assists with a slide-rule pass to Vargas in the 78th minute which the striker coolly finished.

Sport / News

Scotland draw good for Eagles’ morale, says Peters Jude Opara Abuja

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former Super Eagles chief coach, James Peters, has said that there is no cause for alarm concerning the fate of the team at the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup kicking off on June 12.

Speaking to New Telegraph after the Eagles playe a 2-2 draw against Scotland in an international friendly, Peters said the Eagles look good for a glorious

championship notwithstanding coming from behind twice to draw level with the Europeans whom he also pointed out had won all their previous five matches.

He also gave kudos to the Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, for giving some new players the opportunity to showcase what they have, adding that, it is the only way to select the best that would join the known stars in the final 23-man list as approved by FIFA for the

Fabregas set for £30m Barcelona exit

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arcelona are prepared to let Cesc Fabregas leave this summer for £30m - and the midfielder would prefer a Premier League return.

The Catalan giants have made potential suitors aware about the 27-year-old Spain international’s availability.

He rejoined Barcelona in 2011 from Arsenal for £35m, who have a buy-back option on their former captain.

Fabregas signed for the Gunners from Barca as a 15-year-old in 2003 and scored 59 goals in 305 games.

Arsenal are yet to express any interest in bringing their former captain to Emirates Stadium again.

He moved back to Barca on a five-year contract - which still has two years to run - and has registered 35 goals in 129 appearances, while accounting for the most assists in La Liga over the past two

seasons. He has won La Liga and the Copa del Rey at the club.

Fabregas was the subject of two unsuccessful bids from Manchester United last summer, but told BBC Sport in February he was “flattered” by their interest.

He is part of the Spain squad set to begin their defence of the World Cup against the Netherlands on 13 June.

Odemwingie vows to help Eagles succeed in Brazil

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eturnee Super Eagles striker, Osaze Odemwingie, has expressed his delight as he returned fully to the Nigerian senior team first with the invtatation in the 30-man list relaesed by the coach and secondly as he played against Scotland in last week’s international friendly.

The Stoke City of England star is relishing the prospect of a fresh start with Nigeria as they prepare to face Greece in a World Cup warm-up match on Wednesday.

Odemwingie returned to the Super Eagles squad in the 2-2 draw with Scotland at Craven Cottage on Wednesday night, making his first appearance for his country for over 18-months.

“Many people wanted to see me back in the national team,” the 32-year-old said.

“Some wrote to me to say that

French Open: Nadal advances in Paris

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ight-time champion Rafael Nadal stretched his French Open winning streak to 31 matches, equalling his longest run at the tournament, with a 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 victory over 65th-ranked Leonardo Mayer of Argentina in the third round Saturday.

The last time Nadal won 31 in a row at Roland Garros, he failed to make it 32, losing in the fourth round in 2009 to Robin Soderling.

That remains the Spaniard’s only defeat in 63 matches at the tournament.

Nadal has reached the fourth round all 10 times he has entered the French Open. Roger Federer, who won his third-round match Friday, is the only other man to make it to the final 16 in Paris that many times in a row.

Nadal’s next opponent will be Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic, who will make his debut in the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament after beating Jack Sock of the United States 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 Saturday.

Fifth-seeded David Ferrer, who lost to Nadal in last year’s final, got to the fourth round by defeating No. 32 Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-2, 7-6 (2), 6-3.

Super Eagles resume full training in USA

they missed me in the green colours, because I’ve done pretty well for Nigeria. I’ve had a lot of man-of-the-match performances, and I’ve won player of the year.

“In the past few years my only regret is that, as I’ve become a better player, I probably would have got more goals for myself and the country but I missed out a bit. I’ve missed a year and a half, missed out on the cup they won, unfortunately.

“I wish I was part of that squad because I’ve played in four Africa Nations and got three bronze medals, never a gold. But I can’t look back.

This is another opportunity for me.”

Having patched things up with Keshi, Odemiwingie is ready to give his all for the country again at next month’s World Cup, despite harbouring some regret as to how he handled the situation.

Bralex Football Talents Trials begin July

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reality football talent hunt cum reality show tagged ‘Bralex Football Talents’ will soon hit the television screens across Nigeria.

The project is set out to showcase ex-internationals tactical and technical acumen of the game from the scouting, training and selection process of their teams for the reality show while exposing football talents from the ages of 15 to 17 years for the Bralex Football Scholars programme and 18-25 years for the Bralex Football Trials.

Both programmes are designed to empower and help the average Nigerian player get the opportunity to showcase their football talents by offering United King-

dom educational scholarship and a football career in the UK football academies for the Bralex Football Scholars while there is a three nation tour of the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium for the Bralex Football Trials.

The initiative is aimed at grooming a generation of aspiring and disciplined footballers while stimulating both real and ideal realities in football academies in Europe, with the intention of adding value to the standard of Nigerian football.

The programme is targeting exinternational, coaches, footballers and scouts for European club sides who will be the primary and core participants and viewers cum vot-

ers in the reality show.

The Bralex Football Talents Television Reality Show screening shall be done in three different zones in the south west, south east and south-south region. This would start in July to end in September with former Super Eagles foreign technical adviser, Bonfere Jo already confirmed to take charge of the Coaching Clinic.

There will be 32 teams in all made up of 18 players each that would be handled by 32 ex-internationals.

The personal identification number for the Bralex Football Scholars, Talents and Trials will go on sale from June 2, 2014 and shall run for 30 days.

global championship.

“The team in my opinion has started well despite coming from behind twice to draw with Scotland. In fact that is even a sign of strength because a football match is never over until after the final whistle by the referee, so it is obvious that the team has a fighting spirit and that is very good and we only hope that they improve on some of the lapses that was evident.

“What Keshi did was to give room for some of the new players and those that are returning to the team like Yobo and Osaze to have enough playing time because that is the only way to select four or five more players to join those he already has in mind that would be going to Brazil and we all saw how the game changed when the likes of Osaze and Moses were introduced.”

In his words Peters said the way the boys responded to instructions showed that they are aware of the task ahead of them even as he urged the technical crew to be resolute and careful in selecting the players that would be representing Nigeria at the World Cup because all eyes would be on the team as African champions.

Galaxy of Stars for SuperSport’s World Cup coverage

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f you can’t be in Brazil, SuperSport will bring Brazil to you.

With every FIFA World Cup 2014 match available live and in High Definition on SuperSport, the World of Champions will have enhanced coverage with star guests, dynamic magazine shows and the latest technology.

SuperSport has pulled out all stops for the event, which starts on June 12, to ensure that viewers need never leave their television screens. Charles Anazodo will anchor global icons such as Ryan Giggs who will be just one of many experts who will share their insights with DStv subscribers.

Other football heavyweights who will add to the package include Jay Jay Okocha, Sunday Oliseh, Sammy Kuffour, John Barnes and John Dykes. Their analysis will blend with five embedded SuperSport crews who will track the progress of African powerhouses Nigeria and Ghana, among others. As part of the crew, Colin Udoh will offer fly-on-the-wall coverage and ensure viewers enjoy a unique perspective of the Super Eagles.

SuperSport will boast two 24-hour channels – one in HD (SS3HD), one in SD (SS3) on DStv – for the duration of the tournament. For the eight matches that run concurrently, in the last-round round-robin stage, SS2HD and SS4 will feature these fixtures. A selection of matches, including the Super Eagles’ matches against Iran and Argentina, will be broadcast live on DStv’s GOtv. As a bonus, SuperSport will also produce four magazine shows, each of a different flavour.

SPORT Scotland draw good for Eagles’ morale, says Peters

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Sanctity of Truth w ww. n ew te l e g r ap h on l i n e . c om

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

VOL. 1 NO. 103

SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 2014

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NEWS North using religion against minorities - Turaki }30

Not yet Uhuru but cheers, all the same, for democracy at 15

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n Dutse, capital of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, the governor built what he calls the G9 Quarters. It is a mini estate of nine standard bungalows located opposite the Government House, each of them named after a member of the group of nine prominent Nigerians from across the country, who came together and resolved to confront the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha over his plans to transmute from military to civilian head of state. The nine included, among others, former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, the late former Governor of old Plateau State, Chief Solomon Lar, the late Attorney General of the federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, the late former governor of old Kano State Abubakar Rimi, the late Senator Francis Ella and Governor Lamido himself, among others.

The story is told how members of the group from the southern part of the country had accused their northern counterparts of supporting Abacha’s highhandedness against the political elite, especially from the south over controversies arising from the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which the late MKO Abiola was believed to have won and Abacha’s plans to change his attire from khaki to agbada. If the Northerners were really serious about a pan-Nigerian group that would confront Abacha and force him to step down rather transmute to a civilian president, their Southern counterparts in the group insisted, then they should go back and recruit more, equally credible people to join the G9. This challenge, which the Northerners accepted, was to lead to the formation of G18, which was to be known as Northern Elders, and later the G34, a Pan-Nigerian group chaired by Ekwueme, which eventually wrote the famous strongly-worded letter that Chief Solomon Lar delivered to General Abacha on behalf the politicians, asking him not to transmute from a military to a civilian head of state. Shortly after that letter was delivered, Rimi and Lamido were picked up by state security agents and locked up. They were still in prison when Abacha died.

Lamido provided the foregoing as background to an answer he gave to a question he was asked by a team of New Telegraph editors during an interview: ‘after 15 years of democracy, is the experience worth the while?’ To which he replied: ‘would we rather the military had continued?’ The point of that answer is that having been through so much to snatch democracy from the iron grip of an implacable military junta, it would be misleading, even self-defeating for us to declare that democracy has failed us, just because of the challenges that have inevitably arisen over the past 15 years as we nurtured this dispensation.

Indeed, the Nigerian narrative is both complex and simple. On the one hand, against the backdrop of the challenges we face at the moment---the bombings and the deaths and injuries that accompany them, the kidnap of an entire population of school girls by Boko Haram at Chibok in Borno and our seeming helplessness about it; the seeming intractable kidnap-for-ransom episodes in South East and South South, the ritual murders and human parts trade in South West,

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the biting unemployment and the widening socio-economic, political and cultural gap between the North and South of the country, among others---the situation would appear really hopeless and many cannot but wonder whether 15 years of democracy, nay civilian rule, have been worth all the blood and tears we have shed for that long. On the other hand, the unfettered freedoms we enjoy--freedom of speech, freedom of association, even freedom to abuse the President and our representatives in the legislature as well as the many democracy dividends that have come from those who have done well as either executive or legislative members of government, among several others---are enduring indications that democracy has served us pretty well these past 15 years.

True, inter-ethnic and inter-religious sabrerattling is at an all-time high in the country at the moment. The feeling of alienation from

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the fatherland by virtually all groups may be higher now than at any other time since the civil war, leading to calls from some quarters for a breakup. The remorseless fleecing of our country by rapacious politicians and their corporate collaborators may evidence our lack of love of country and commitment to building a nation rich and strong in diversity. But, just look a bit deeper and you’ll see that there are quite a number of strong uniting factors that we can hold on to and build a thriving country where tribe and tongue may differ but every citizen is happy and fulfilled as a human person.

Consider religion, one of the strongest divisive factors in our polity today. At a Democracy Day symposium held in Dutse with theme, Youth and Quest for National Unity in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Prospects, Solomon Dalong, a lawyer and social justice advocate, who was also a Special Adviser to the late Chief Solomon Lar, stridently condemned what he described as the elite’s manipulation of religious sentiments to create artificial divisions, for their own selfish purposes. Dalong, a well-respected voice of reason in the North empirically established how when the followers of Prophet Mohammed (SAW) were persecuted by the pagans in the Arabian Peninsula, he sent them to take refuge with ‘a man of justice’ in Abyssinia, the Christian king of what is known today as Ethiopia. “Similarly,” he noted, “Islam recognizes Jesus as the son of Virgin Mary; in fact, you are not a good Muslim if you do not recognize Jesus as the true Prophet of God, as the son born of the Virgin Mary. Even more fundamentally, the faithful in Islam are forbidden from interfering in others’ practice of their faith unless they (the Muslims) are hindered in any way from practicing their own faith. If the two religions have had mutual

respect for each other from the very beginning, what, then, is the point of disagreement such that, today, people routinely slaughter one another in the name of religion? Elite manipulation!”

After his speech, an elderly Muslim went up to Dalong and thanked him for “such important information, which I as a 60-year old Muslim didn’t have before today.” And that, really, is the problem, the fact that so many people are not properly educated and, therefore, tend often to act mostly on impulse with regard to matters of faith and religion. This is especially so with the youths, even more so with Northern youths.

Because most youths in the North are not properly schooled on matters of faith and religion, they tend to be easily swayed by diabolical clerics and politicians who manipulate their ignorance and use them to cause havoc, hence the incessant religious eruptions in the country in which youths are often the harbingers of death as well as the cannon fodders.

Prof. Rukayyatu Ahmed Rufai, the immediate past Minister of Education estimates that of the 10million plus school-age children out of school in Nigeria, over 9m of them are in the North. The situation may even have been worsened by the current disruptions in school curricular in the North East as a result of Boko Haram insurgency. Thus, while others like Balarabe Musa, who also presented a paper at the symposium, speak about 40year knowledge gap between the North and the South (in favour of the South), Ahmed Rufai believes it will take up to 100 years for the North to close the gap.

What it all means is that 15 years after the commencement of this democratic dispensation, it is time for the nation’s political actors to play less of the vile, bitter politics that has divided the nation down religious and ethnic lines and take steps to solve manifest problems that gnaw at the very foundation of the society. It is obvious to us now that one of such manifest problems is youth ignorance and poverty, which makes young people in the North easy tools in the hands of those who conveniently use religion and ethnic phobia as political weapons where intellect, charisma and personal goodwill brought about by good works have failed them.

By Aliu Eroje

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