Sunday, july 24, 2016 vol

Nine-year-old boy chained, tortured in church by father }8&9

Alleged N1.3bn fraud: Omisore in deal with }5 EFCC

SUNDAY Sunday, JULY 24, 2016 Vol. 3 No. 886

Grace Ijeoma Agu

Sanctity of Truth

/newtelegraph

N150

@newtelegraph1 www.newtelegraphonline.com

CAN’S CALL FOR SELF DEFENCE

Muslims Will fight back if... }3&7

lWe’ll protect ourselves -Supreme Council for Sharia lCAN should withdraw I’m not a the directive -Sheikh Maraya lDon’t porn star take our silence for weakness -Christian }41 leaders lSultan of Sokoto urges peace NEWS

IPOB: We’re Biafrans, not pro-Biafra

DSS arrests ‘mastermind’ of rumoured }5&14 coup, Boko lOur culture forbids killing of human beings Haram lOhanaeze: We’re not against IPOB, MASSOB’s agitation suspect }4

lCommanding officer, 4 missing soldiers found

2

SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Contents | 24.07.16 BODY & SOUL

Rise above sexual abuse Despite a traumatic childhood of sexual abuse by her Uncle, Antonia Ojenagbon, CEO of Silton African Kitchen was determined to succeed

}20&21

POLITICS

Blame game President Muhammadu Buhari says his anti-graft war is thwarted by the judiciary, but Chief Justice of the Federation, Abdulahi Muhammed, thinks otherwise

}23

BUSINESS

Deepening crisis Nigeria's economy set for full recession as it grapples with pressure from all directions

}43

FAITH

Hijab in Lagos Implementation of the Appeal Court judgment on wearing of Hijab in schools is tantamount to islamising the state of excellence, Lagos CAN declares

}31

SPORT

Miracle needed Africa’s number one Table Tennis player, Aruna Quadri, says Team Nigeria athletes need a miracle to win medals at the Rio 2016 Olympics

}53

Magazine

Our parish preist Parishioners in a community in Imo State battle their pariest who allegedly regards them as primitive people

}8&9

SUNDAY

Editorial

Security in the Gulf of Guinea

T

he growing spate of attacks on coastal communities across Nigeria has raised the urgent need for a coastguard to deal with these threats. In the last few weeks, coastal communities in Lagos and Ogun states have been under attack from suspected militants. No fewer than 100 persons have been feared killed by these militants, who were said to have retaliated the killings of their colleagues. Added to this threat is the problem of piracy, vandalism of pipelines, among other economic crimes. The area covering the Gulf of Guinea which stretches across 11 nations has been described as the current most dangerous maritime sector in the world.

The spate of violence and economic crimes on this maritime frontier has given the international community and the member-nations of Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Angola, Cameroon, Gabon, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe as well as Republic of Congo much cause for concern. Many piracy attacks are said to go unreported. Nigeria is the most affected of all the nations, with its 853km coastline under threat from different sources.

This coastline consists of the maritime boundary with the Atlantic Ocean, Lake Chad, Cameroon, Republic of Benin as well as inland waterways and lakes.

Successive governments had tried unsuccessfully to curb maritime crimes with the Nigerian Navy but failed woefully. The Navy’s patrol vessels are hardly adapted to meandering through Nigeria's maze of creeks and inland rivers. The Navy is also a full military force primarily tasked with protecting Nigeria from external aggression.

However, in recent years new forms have arisen within Nigeria's borders that have stretched the Navy's capacity thin. The Navy is also involved in internal security as well as land-based warfare in the North-East.

Militants and pirates are able to meander through the numerous creeks and rivers as well as across the Atlantic Ocean easily because they mostly operate in boats fitted with outboard engines unlike the bigger vessels of the Nigerian Navy.

Efforts by past governments to establish a coastguard were mired in politics and subsequently jettisoned. Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan tried a different strategy by involving ex-militants and vigilance groups like Oodua Peoples Congress in the security of pipelines in coastal areas.

However, President Muhammadu Buhari came to power and abruptly cancelled the contracts, including the one being handled

by Global West on behalf of the Nigerian Maritime Safety and Administration.

The cancellation of these security contracts and subsequent take over of the pipelines’ security by the military has not yielded any significant improvement. This therefore brings up the imperative of a coastguard to oversee security along Nigeria's coastline.

The Marine Police Unit of the Nigeria Police Force has not made any impact on security in the maritime sector.

The recent attacks on coastal communities in Lagos and Ogun could have been effectively prevented by a well-equipped coastguard.

An entirely different outfit in the form of a coastguard, modelled after similar outfits in developed countries, is immensely desirable.

Perhaps, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCD) can be expanded and become the bedrock of the coastguard.

The coastguard being recommended will be subordinate to the Navy but tasked with keeping the coasts and inland maritime birders safe. Apart from security duties, the coastguard will be vested with the powers of search and rescue, combating narcotics, illegal fishing and immigration, smuggling and pollution, ensuring the safety of exclusive economic zones, tourism as well as protection of natural resources.

The coastguard can also be charged with the clean-up of oil spills and maintenance of lighthouses across inland waterways to aid navigation by fishermen and other users of maritime passageways. It is unacceptable that the nation's waterways are hardly illuminated at night, thus leaving users of maritime resources at risk and providing a cover for criminals.

There are several models in various countries that can be adapted to our nation's needs in this regard. The United States, for instance, has maintained a viable coastguard for several years.

It will be recalled that some years ago, suspected militants attacked Atlas Cove, a vital facility for the distribution of refined petroleum products on the Lagos coast.

The recent discovery of oil by Folawiyo Group on the Lagos coast as well as the siting of the multi-million dollar Dangote Refinery and Tomaro Refinery in Lagos make it imperative that the coastline be closely guarded.

Also, the economic crunch has forced all tiers of government to think of new ways of generating revenue. As such, there is a growing interest in the maritime sector, especially as a relief for land and air transportation.

The time to act on this is now!

DAILY TELEGRAPH PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief

Funke Egbemode

Managing Editor, Business & Strategy n Yemi Ajayi

Managing Editor, Publication & Operations n Emeka Obasi

Managing Editor, South n Emeka Madunagu Managing Editor, North & Abuja n Laurence Ani

Editor n Ayodele Ojo Editor, Sunday n Juliet Bumah Editor, Saturday n Waheed Bakare Deputy Editor n Tunde Sulaiman

Bureau Chief, Abuja n Onwuka Nzeshi Bureau Chief, Brussels n Leo Cendrowicz Bureau Chief, Washington DC n Marshall Comins Editorial Coordinator, Europe n Sam Amsterdam Asst. Editor, News & Politics n Biyi Adegoroye

Business Development Manager n Taiwo Ahmed Sales/Circulation Manager n Oyebanji Abiodun Head, Arts & Creative n Ugochukwu Nnakwe Head, Admin. n Robinson Ezeh

3

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016

Ibraheem Musa Kaduna

T

he S u p re m e Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN) has warned that Muslims have the right to protect themselves in Nigeria and cautions against attacking Muslims anywhere in the country.

Reacting to the clarion call of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for Christians to defend themselves over the incessant attacks on its faithful, the secretary of the Sharia Council, Malam AbdurRahman Hassan, described the call as unfortunate, even as the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III, urged calm, pointing out that Muslims are not supposed to force their religion on other faiths.

In a text message sent to our correspondent, the SCSN scribe noted, “It is unbecoming of the so called clergy men to give such unguarded instructions.’’

He noted that the CAN directive will not augur well for anybody in the country, “not even the agitators.’’

Malam AbdurRahman maintained that, “Despite the fact that Islam is a peaceful religion, should anyone attack any Muslim anywhere in Nigeria, we have the right to protect ourselves.”

He reiterated that Islam is a peaceful religion and anyone who is a true Muslim cannot attack anybody, if not in selfdefence.

According to him, it is wrong for CAN to assume that the attacks on Christians are being perpetrated by Muslims because “we have many instances in the past where a Christian dressed in Muslim attires and attacked his fellow Christians, just to cause chaos and disharmony.”

The SCSN said that CAN should have been more diplomatic in its approach to the issue instead of being confrontational. He noted that “Nigeria needs peace and tranquillity to achieve meaningful development.”

Speaking to Sunday Telegraph on telephone, the former Special Adviser to Governor Muktar Yero of Kaduna State on Islamic Matters, Sheikh Haliru Maraya, advised CAN to withdraw the directive because “It will result in people taking the law into their hands whenever they are aggrieved.’’

The Islamic cleric said that this will bring a major crisis in the country, which will be greater than the problem which CAN sought to solve by giving the directive in the first place, “because it will

Muslims will retaliate if attacked -Supreme Council for Sharia unleash a chain of killings across the country.”

The former Special Adviser counselled Muslims and Christians to live together in peace because they are all descendants of Adam and Eve, adding that both Islam and Christianity preach peace and respect for life.

Sheikh Maraya pointed out that Islam forbids anyone from killing a fellow human being no matter the offence.

“An aggrieved person is expected to report to constituted authority, which is responsible for meting out the appropriate punishment, including death, if the situation warrants it,” he said, adding that “self-help has no place in Islam.’’

“In Islam, if you kill just one person, no matter his offence, without following due process as prescribed by the religion, it is like you have killed the whole of humanity, including those yet unborn,” he pointed out.

Maraya further said that it is wrong to visit another man’s offence on someone who had nothing to do with it.

“For example, Islam does not allow you to kill a Christian in Kaduna, to retaliate the murder of a Muslim in Port Harcourt or Enugu,” he stressed.

On his own part, the Director General of Interfaith of Kaduna State government, Engr. Namadi Musa, asked CAN to provide solution to the incessant killings bedevilling the country rather than asking Christians to defend themselves.

“It is after the association has given several advices to government on the way out and nothing is done that CAN should now have given that kind of directive to its members,’’ he added.

According to the Director General, government can’t be everywhere because even in advanced countries, which have adequate security personnel and modern gadgets, “such things happen from time to time.’’

Engr. Musa advised the public to volunteer information to security agents in order to curb the incidence of unnecessary killings, adding that: “This is how Boko Haram has been contained in areas where it had been operating with impunity.’’

However, speaking in Ilorin on Friday at the National Conference organised by Dawah Coun-

cil of Nigeria, the Sultan said, “Whoever wants to fight you, do not fight him, leave him alone. Be very patient. The only thing that will make me to act or ask you to act is only if somebody or a group or some other nations decided to stop us from performing our religious obligations. That is the only way we can fight somebody. But if I am allowed to pursue my religious obligations, say my prayers and pay my Zakat and so many other things, I have no problem with anybody.

“We do not force anybody to join Islam. There is no compulsion in Islam.

But our good deeds, good actions and good interactions as Muslims will give that very bright light to everybody what Islam is and that is what brings people to join us”.

Alhaji Saad Abubakar III also pleaded for religious harmony in the country saying:, “Please continue to live in peace and continue to observe your Islamic tenets, do not take laws into your hands.

There are courts in this country and we believe

courts will give us justice whenever we take such matters to them because we believe we are on the right path. But do not expect the courts to give you justice when you are on the wrong path, I will not even ask you to go to court when you are on the wrong path.”

Also speaking at the same event, Kwara State Governor, Abdulfattah Ahmed, charged Muslim clerics to strive for peace and condemned attacks on churches.

“Islamic preachers must be advocates of peace and

brotherliness at all times.

We must also condemn attacks on churches and other places of worship by any group under any guise for this violate the rights of others to freedom of worship.

“As we all know, Islam preaches peaceful coexistence between neighbours and with adherents of other faiths. We must therefore treat each other with mutual respect in the spirit of cooperation and peaceful co-existence in line with the tenets of Islam as a religion of peace.”

Husband of slain preacher, Pastor Elisha Olawale; daughters, Janet; Dusin and son, Micheal, at the burial service of late Pastor Eunice at Kubwa in Abuja …yesterday.

PHOTO:NAN

Budget scam: Reps may suspend ex-appropriation chairman Philip Nyam Abuja

T

he embattled former chairman of the House of Representatives committee on appropriation, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, risk being suspended when the lower chamber resumes from its annual recess.

Vice Chairman, House Committee on Downstream Sector, Hon. Danlami Muhammad Kurfi, who dropped this hint in a statement in Abuja, also lashed out at the former Appropriation chairman for calling on Speaker Dogara to resign.

“If this had happened

while we were in session, some of us would have moved for his suspension,” he revealed.

Kurfi, who represents Dutsinma/Kurfi Federal Constituency of Katsina State, said the former Appropriation Committee chairman should not be taken serious because his utterances were mere ranting of someone who is paying for his actions.

“Why did it take him this long to tell Mr. President that the speaker dines with his enemies?” Kurfi queried and insisted that Jibrin “should thank his stars that his sack came when members were on recess, if not he would have been suspended.”

Kurfi accused the former Appropriation Committee chairman of arrogance, noting that “he has no regards for other members of the House and even members of his committee”.

He insisted that the removal of Jibrin was one of the best decision taken by the Speaker, noting that the former appropriation committee chairman betrayed the trust of not just the lower chambers, but that of all Nigerians.

The House is currently on a seven-week recess to reconvene on September 13.

It will be recalled that Jibrin levelled allegations of shady deals in the processing of the 2016 budget against the Speaker, his

deputy, Yussuff Lasun, Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, and Chief Whip Alhassan Ado Doguwa, a few hours after the House proceeded on the holiday.

He accused the Speaker and the three principal officers of injecting projects into the budget to the tune of N20 billion and specifically alleged that his sack was as a result of his refusal to make a provision of N30 billion for the Speaker in the budget.

Jibrin also alleged that his opposition to the amendment of the Immunity Bill to grant immunity to presiding officers of the National Assembly was another reason why he was relieved of his position.

4

NEWS

T

Emmanuel Onani

he Department of State Services (DSS) has announced the arrest of the leader of the Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC) of the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force, one Mr. Jones Abiri (a.k.a General Akotebe Darikoro).

The Secret Service, in a statement by Mr. Tony Opuiyo, said the high profile suspected militant, who was arrested in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital on Thursday, confessed to being responsible for the rumour that some military officers were plotting to overthrow President Muhammadu Buhari.

The DSS further claimed that suspect, who also goes by the pseudonym ‘General Kill and Bury’, allegedly took part in the recent separate bombings of oil pipelines belonging to Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), as well as the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

This was as the service also announced the arrest of a Boko Haram suspect in Abuja, Bulama Mohammed Ramat, as he allegedly plotted to bomb the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The statement attributed the breakthroughs to ongoing tactical operations, geared towards degrading the capabilities of criminal elements in the country.

“In furtherance to ongoing tactical operations to degrade the capabilities and hide-outs of criminal gangs/syndicates across the Federation, this Service wishes to apprise the general public of recent successful progress recorded so far in the drive.

SUNDAY 24 JULY, 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

DSS arrests ‘mastermind’ of rumoured coup, Boko Haram suspect “On 21st July, 2016, one Jones ABIRI aka General Akotebe Darikoko was arrested by this Service in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

DARIKORO is the leader of the Joint Revolutionary Council of the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF), which has been furthering separatist tendencies in connivance with other criminal gangs in the Niger Delta region.

Darikoko, who operates under the nom-de-guerre ‘General-Kill and Bury’, has confessed and owned up to some criminal activities committed by the JNDLF,” the statement said.

The secret service said the suspect had confessed to the following acts: “The vandalism of Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) trunk line in Ogboinbiri, Southern Ijaw LGA and bombing of oil pipeline belonging to Shell Development Company (SPDC) at Brass Creek on July 8, 2016, all in Bayelsa State; “Threat messages to managements of NAOC and SPDC demanding for the payment of the sum of N500 million, and N250 million respectively. Threat to launch missile attacks against selected targets in Abuja including the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock “Darikoro is also the mastermind of the recently circulated hoax of planned overthrow of President Muhammadu Buhari, by the military.”

On the foiled plot to hit Abuja, the statement said:

CBN directs banks to sell forex to BDCs T he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed agent banks to approved international money transfer operators to sell foreign currency accruing from inward money remittances to licenced Bureau De Change operators (BDCs).

The directive is in a circular with reference number, ‘TED/FEM/ FPC/ GEN/01/004, dated July 22, 2016’ and posted on its Website.

The circular by the Acting Director, Trade and Exchange Department, Mr. W.D. Gotring, is part of efforts to ensure the stability of the naira exchange rate.

It also said that the decision was to encourage all critical stakeholders to participate in the foreign exchange market.

The circular said that all international money transfer operators would be required to remit foreign currency to agent banks for disbursement

in naira to beneficiaries.

It stressed that proceeds from the international money transfer sold to the BDC operators should be retailed to end users, in compliance with the provisions of antimoney laundering laws.

It also said that the process should be in observance of appropriate Know Your Customer (KYC) principles, including the use of Bank Verification Number (BVN).

The circular said: “Furthermore, authorised dealers and BDCs are required to render returns of the operation daily and monthly to the Director, Trade and Exchange, CBN, via e-FASS application, in accordance with extant regulation.

“For the avoidance of doubt, failure by any authorised dealers and BDC operators to render returns as and when due shall attract appropriate sanctions, including withdrawal of dealership.”

“In continuation of its fight against terrorism, on July 21, 2016, this Service apprehended one Bulama Mohammed Ramat aka Muhammad Bashir Muhammadu at Jabi Motor Park, in Utako, Abuja. Prior to his arrest, Muhammadu was planning to attack the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its environs, in collaboration with other elements of an extremist cell of the Boko Haram group.”

Other arrests made, according to the DSS, include those of a suspect, who had threatened the Acting Managing Director of NDDC, a member of a syndicate that was responsible for the kidnap of some Reverend Sisters in Ondo State.

“On July 22, 2016, about 1730 hours, at Total Petrol Station, along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, one Chukwunyere Austin Okwaa was apprehended

by the Service. Okwaa had been issuing death threats against the former ActingManaging Director, NDDC, Ibim Semenitari.

“On July 17, 2016, at IdiMango Ore area in Odigbo LGA of Ondo State, one Esan Abiodun Christopher aka Maiyegun was arrested by this Service. Christopher is a member of the Reuben Akinbehinje-gang which masterminded the kidnap of two Catholic nuns and

their driver in Akure, Ondo State. The suspect was apprehended while coordinating plans to hijack fuelsupply tankers in Oyo State.

“He is currently under detention with five other members of his criminal gang, with whom he had masterminded the hijack of several fuel tankers in Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Kwara and Kogi states respectively,” the service said, among others.

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki exchanging pleasantries with the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, during a public hearing on the need for effective implementation of the Joint Venture Cash Calls obligations by the NNPC in Abuja, recently.

15 millions girls forced into child marriage annually

•Canada doles out $6.5m to combat scourge Onwuka Nzeshi ABUJA

A

n estimated 15 million girls are forced into child marriage around the world each year, with Africa having the highest rate of two out of every five girls getting married before the age of 18.

The Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Perry Calderwood, who disclosed this in Abuja, described the practice as a violation of human rights of these girls, which undermines the development of their families, communities and countries. Calderwood spoke at a ceremony to celebrate the African Child held at the Canadian High Commission in Abuja. He said that the government of Canada has made available $6.5 million to the United Nations Population Fund

(UNFPA) and Save the Children to improve access to education for Nigerian girls as well as ensure they remained in school much longer.

“Canada is taking a holistic approach to the issue of Child Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM), addressing it from both a human rights and development perspectives. Canada is supporting programmes at national and grassroots levels to bring about real change for girls and women. We are in fact helping to prevent child marriage and keep girls in school through multiple and mutually reinforcing approaches. Canada has engaged diplomatically at the global, regional and country level to raise awareness and generate dialogue on CEFM more broadly, particularly in prevalence countries,” Calderwood

said.

The ceremony, which had as its theme, ‘Empowering African girls to reach their full potentials by delaying marriage and staying in school’, featured the screening of the award winning film, ‘Dry’, which highlights the dangers of early marriage and child birth and the incidence of Vaginal Visco Fistula (VVF) to the psychological wellbeing of girls.

The film was written and directed by Mrs. Stephanie Okere-Linus, a prominent Nollywood actress.

The Canadian envoy said that the population of children in Sub- Saharan Africa was growing rapidly, putting millions of girls at risk of child marriage.

According to him, the girl population in Africa has been projected to rise up to 465 million by 2050, adding that this could make the

continent host to the largest population of child brides in the world. He expressed delight that there have been an increase in attempts to end child marriage in Africa, noting that many African leaders, regional organisations, communities and girls themselves were now speaking up and taking action to end the scourge.

In a short remark at the event, Nollywood actress, Stephanie Okere-Linus, said she was motivated to make the film after she discovered the nexus between VVF, child marriage, girl child education and gender inequality. She noted that when a young girl whose body is not mature enough for child bearing is placed under such strenuous condition and without proper medical attention, the consequences were often devastating.

5

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY 24 JULY, 2016

NEWS

Killers of Eunice Olawale won’t go unpunished -FG Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

T

he remains of the murdered Redeemed Christian Church of God evangelist, Deaconess Eunice Olawale, were yesterday committed to earth yesterday in Abuja with an assurance from the Federal Government that her killers would not go unpunished.

The Federal Government said it would not leave any stone unturned in its bid to find and bring to book, the killers of Olawale, who was murdered on July 9, 2016, while preaching at Gbazango area of Kubwa, a satellite town in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Secretary to Government of the Federation, Engineer Babachir Lawal, said this during the funeral church service for Olawale at the RCCG, Kubwa, shortly before her interment on Saturday at Gudu Cemetery, Abuja.

Lawal, who led a Federal Government delegation comprising Presidential Spokesman, Femi Adesina, and a former Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Dame Pauline Tallen, who represented the wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, stated that Nigerians have the right to practise their faith wherever they may be.

He said, “President Buhari assures Nigerians that as a government, we recognise that it is our responsibility and duty to ensure that every Nigerian, wherever they may be, practise his faith and practise whatever religion he chooses to do in a safe environment.

“We are aware that our father in the Lord, Pa Adeboye, has forgiven the people who did this. As a government, it is our duty to bring the people that broke the law to justice. The government would leave no stone unturned to find these people and bring them to justice because it is important that Nigerians are assured of their safety and that they be assured that government would punish all law breakers.”

While praising the deceased, the SGF noted that she died as martyr for Christ “because she died in the battlefield, she died doing what the Lord taught us to do.”

“On my own part as a believer, I see her (Olawale) as a martyr for Christ because she died on the battlefield, she died doing what the Lord Jesus Christ taught us to do, make the disciples of all men in the name of the father , the son and the Holy Spirit and she died doing this,” Engineer Lawal said.

Speaking also at the funeral, Mrs. Pauline Tallen expressed the regrets of the President’s wife over Olawale’s gruesome murder and condoled with her fam-

ily and the church.

She said, “Hajia Aisha Buhari’s heart is with the church and the nation. She sends her condolence to Pastor Adeboye and the church and condemns this act that had ravaged the church, she condoles the family as a mother, she feels their pain.”

In his sermon, the Regional Pastor, RCCG Region 10, Abuja, Emmanuel Ibitayo, thanked the Federal Government’s delegation and admonished the church to stand in Christ like Olawale, who he said “died the death of the righteous.”

Taking his scriptural message from Numbers 23:10, with the theme, ‘Let me die the death of the righteous,’ the cleric noted that Olawale did her best and died as a servant of God, stressing that the Angels were celebrating her.

He admonished her killers, saying no one can fight for God. “Precious is the death of the saints in the Lord’s sight; sister Eunice Olawale, you have conquered death.

Many celebrities have died without publicity, but sister Olawale from a very low estate is receiving what I can call a state burial,” Ibitayo noted.

The widower, Elisha, described his wife as a faithful trustee and incomparable companion.

“She was defenseless, a sheep in the midst of lions.

Her last words were, ‘the blood of Jesus.’ Jesus Christ is worthy dying for; you came, you saw, you conquered. I will surely meet you at the beautiful gate, good night,” he said in an emotion-laden voice.

L-R: President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mrs. Nike Akande; General Manager, Lagos Regional Office, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, Olufunke Aleshinloye; Senator Florence Ita-Giwa; Chief Executive Officer, Erisco Foods Limited, Chief Eric Umeofia and his wife, Mrs. Nmachukwu, during a tour of Erisco Foods Limited Tomatoes Paste Processing Plant, in Lagos…at the weekend

We’re Biafrans, not proBiafra, IPOB declares

•Our culture forbids killing of human beings

Charles Onyekwere ENUGU

T

he leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra,(IPOB),is not happy that they are being described as proBiafra group by the media, pointing out that they are Biafrans and not trying to be one.

A statement credited to IPOB Spokesmen, Emma Powerful, Mr. Emma Mmezu and Dr. Clifford Iroanya, indicates that Biafra existed before Nigeria came to be-

ing.

The statement said that Biafrans and Nigerians have nothing in common since they have different culture and religious beliefs.

The statement claimed that if Biafra is removed, there would be no Nigeria because it is the mainstay of the entity called Nigeria today. He further said that their detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is aware of this fact and has sworn to die than to renege from fighting for the total eman-

Alleged N1.3bn fraud: Omisore in deal with EFCC

A

chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State, Sen.Iyiola Omisore, was on Friday night released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission after he agreed to refund the over N1.3billion he allegedly received from the office of the National Security Adviser.

The EFCC arrested Mr. Omisore in Abuja on July 3 for allegedly collecting the huge funds from a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

The former NSA is being prosecuted for allegedly mismanaging billions of dollars meant to procure arms and ammunition for the Nigerian military which has in the past five years been battling a deadly insurgency in the North-East of Nigeria.

The PDP chieftain had since his arrest battled

hard to regain freedom from the custody of the EFCC. The anti-graft commission moved him to the National Hospital, Abuja, after he complained that his health was failing. He was however kept under close watch by two well-armed police officers.

Then his lawyers approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to press for bail but the court, on July 15, dismissed the application for lack of competence.

This week, the former deputy governor capitulated, those close to him said.

He approached the EFCC and agreed to refund the money he was alleged to have fraudulently received.

On Friday, the EFCC granted him administrative bail after he struck a deal with the commission to refund the N1.3billion in installments.

According to Premium Times, he paid the first installment of N300million before he was allowed to go home.

Those familiar with the negotiation said before his release on Friday, Mr. Omisore issued a letter authorising his bank to release N170million to the EFCC, being the entire amount in his frozen account.

He also gave the anti-graft commission a draft of N130 million, bringing the first installment of the repayment plan to N300 million.

Omisore had denied benefiting from #Dasukigate and had sued the EFCC, seeking N10 billion damages, after he was declared wanted in May. EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren in telephone interview, said Omisore has been granted bail, but claimed ignorance of the the terms.

cipation of Biafra.

“We don’t hear (sic) the same language, we don’t eat the same food, we don’t have the same culture. In fact, if we come to their land to practise our culture and religion, we will be beheaded. Their women wear hijab, and Biafran women don’t, and on the point that our women don’t wear hijab and we don’t practice the same religion, they will see us as infidels and then we will be beheaded. We are 100 per cent Christians.

This people are Muslims who see killing as a culture.

“In Biafra where we originated, it will be hard for our people to kill a human being, because in our language, human beings are called mmadu, which in English Language means the beauty of life. Now you can see it will never work, the only solution is Biafra.

Our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu further stated that there is no regret in his dictionary, adding that he is ready to spend a thousand years in the prison.

“He also said and will continue to say that, it is either the flag of Biafra is raised up, or he is lowered in the grave. While being strong for the pursuit of the restoration of Gods nation, he wants the IPOB members worldwide to be strong. He also said that “ProBiafra” means supporters of Biafra, we are Biafrans, so we can’t be supporters of Biafra.

“We are not trying to secede from Nigeria. We are older than Nigeria. You can only talk about seceding if Biafrans are the ones that colonized Nigeria.

But we are older than that contraption. So we can’t secede rather we just want to go back the way we were before the British came. It is Biafra or nothing, Nigerians knows that,” the statement declares.

Highlighting the need for Biafra’s separation and self-government, the statement frowned at the way Biafrans are being killed in various parts of Nigeria, especially the recent massacre in a community in Enugu State and the mass slaughter that took place on May 29 and 30, 2016 at Onitsha, during the 49th anniversary of the Biafra declaration.

“During the events in commemoration of the 46 years since the end of the war in Biafra, for the umpteenth time civilians members of IPOB were massacred between 29 and 30 May in Onitsha, in Anambra State by the Nigerian military which opened fire at the protesters. The number of deaths is uncertain, since the army has removed several bodies and seized the wounded. According to Amnesty International, at least more than 40 were killed and more than 50 were wounded.

“Opening fire on peaceful members of IPOB and the spectators, who clearly did not represent any threat, is an outrageous use of unnecessary and excessive force that resulted in multiple deaths and injuries. In one incident, a person was killed after the Nigerian authorities shot him while he was sleeping,” said M.K. Ibrahim, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.

6

SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

NEWS

Fayose, Mimiko, Kashamu reconcile PDP factions in three S’West states

FG’s Ogoni clean up plan is photo-trick – Hon Agbedi

T

A

Wale Elegbede he warring factions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, Osun and Oyo states in the South-West were over the weekend reconciled by governors Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State and Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State as well as the senator representing Ogun East senatorial district, Prince Buruji Kashamu.

The truce, which was brokered to harmonise the zone’s delegates to the party’s forthcoming National Convention billed for next month in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was, however, silent on the tussles for chairmanship positions in the three states.

Briefing newsmen at the end of the closed-door parley with the states, Governor Fayose said the reconciliation was necessary in order

for the South-West to have a united front at the convention.

The governor said the meeting is to ensure that PDP leaders in the three states agree on the delegates for the National Convention, noting that they have earlier met with leaders of the Ogun State PDP in Abuja.

Fayose, who said the meeting was successful, said: “We have encouraged that they (factions) should come together to have one list for the convention’s delegates.

The list must not come from a group and where they do not have groups, all leaders must sit together to come up with a list so that they can have their names in the convention brochure, which is not an everyday affair. So, we are happy that we have made considerable progress.” Asked on the quest of the South-West PDP to produce the next National

Chairman of the party, the Ekiti State governor said the position is not zoned to any particular zone in the South, which makes every party chieftain from any of the three zones in the South eligible to contest for the position.

However, he said if there is National Chairmanship candidate from the South West, he would support that candidate.

“Do not forget that when something is zoned to the South or North, it does not represent the interest of a particular zone. One thing is that if I have someone from the South West, he will have my support because I am from the South West but if if it is zoned to the South, you cannot stop others from participating, that is the truth. The moment it is not localised in the South West, others will have to take the shot at it,”Fayose stated.

Former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe from Lagos and Senator Teslim Folarin from Oyo State in separate interviews, said the meeting was successful, stating that the party leaders in their states will work together to produce delegates list for the National Convention. The duo said the party in the South West recognises Senator Ahmed Makarfi as the National Chairman of the party.

Folarin said: “We have been able to resolve our differences with the aim of working together as a team in the forthcoming congress and to reposition the party for the 2019 elections. The purpose of this meeting is to ratify all positions in the party. There is no more faction in Oyo PDP. Oyo PDP recognises the Makarfi led PDP just as Senator Alli Modu Sheriff is a leader of the party.”

Chris Ejim YENAGOA

member of the Federal House of Representatives from the Ekeremor/Sagbama Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State, Chief Fred Agbedi at weekend slammed President Muhammadu Buhari over alleged insincerity in his plan to embark on the clean up of Ogoni land in Rivers State.

He alleged that a few months after the much publicised ground breaking ceremony done by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osibanjo, no machinery or personnel has been deployed to the site to commence the clean-up exercise.

Chief Agbedi, who was a one time chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa, told journalists in Yenagoa that the delay by the Federal Government to commence work on the clean-up exercise is deceitful. “The Federal Government said it is embarking on a clean-up of Ogoni land, up till now, no equipment or personnel have been deployed for the job. The groundbreaking

even was a mere phototrick meant to deceive the Ogoni people,” he said.

Agbedi blamed the fiscal and economic policies of the Buhari administration for the hardship being faced by Nigerians,”If drastic measures are not taken, it may turn the nation into crises.

Chief Agbedi also hinted that he and many other National Assembly members will soon sponsor a Bill for a referendum, insisting that true federalism and resource control will be the main focus as a solution to the socio-economic challenges being faced by the nation.

According to him: The Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi will appear before us and say one of his challenges was that of illegal miners and that the Federal Government is working out ways to organise those that can be encouraged into Cooperatives. But when it comes to the Niger Delta region and our people refining our crude,they call it economic sabotage.

“They don’t see anything good in us .But our resources which they feel belong to them,with that posture there will be no peace.”

Anambra attracts $560.3m investments on power Pamela Eboh AWKA

T Interim Chairman, Association of Foreign Relations Professionals, Dr. Gani Lawal (left), presenting the association’s Certificate of Registration from the Corporate Affairs Commission to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, during the Chairman’s visit to the Ministry, in Abuja … at the weekend.

PHOTO: NAN

Obaseki promises to re-open Leventis Farms, create jobs Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

T

he All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the September 10 election in Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obseki yesterday said that massive agricultural production and investment- driven economic policies will constitute major planks towards boosting job creation and empowerment schemes among youths and women if elected into office.

Obaseki also promised that his administration if voted into power would open the popular Leventis Farm located in Weppa-Wano community in Etsako East Local Government Area of

Edo State which was abandoned over the years by past governments in order to enhance the agricultural potentials of the area.

Besides, his government hopes to expand the curriculum of the College of Agriculture Agenebode to include Aqua Science, due to its access to River Niger, adding that exploiting the agricultural potentials and its access to River Niger will be his major focus to create employment opportunities in the area.

The promise came just as the Okumagbe of WeppaWano, HRH Dr George Oshiapi Egabor, also yesterday appealed to the people of the area to support Obaseki, saying that, “Oshiomhole brought him and said he is

a good man, we believe he is because APC has worked for our people so we will support you so that the development we are witnessing will continue”.

Obaseki spoke when his campaign train stormed Agenebode and Fugar, Etsako Central and Etsako East Local Governemnt Areas of the state respectively.

The APC candidate, who was introduced to the mammoth APC supporters by Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the state chairman of the party, Anslem Ojezua, lamented that the PDP destroyed the infrastructures in the state until the coming of Governor Oshiomhole, whom he promised “to continue from where he stopped.”

Obaseki said: “Investors are already coming into the state due the condusive environment already created by the Comrade Governor.

Our youths will have jobs and I want to say that by this time in January next year, we are going to open the Leventis Farms which is situated here.”

In his address, Oshiomhole told the people that “The PDP has nothing to offer, their factional candidate Ize-Iyamu has been shuttling from Port Harcourt to Benin due to the N700million they shared amongst themselves during the election.

“This is the same person who joined in the under development of this state between 1999 and 2007.”

he Anambra State Government in its relentless effort to increase power supply needed for business to thrive in the state has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Zolt Energy Limited, making it the fourth MoU signed by the state government with power, companies.

The MoUs will attract $250 million, $200 million, $65.3 million and $45 million respectively, making it a total of $560.3 million investment so far attracted to power generation by the state.

Signing the MoU on behalf of the state government, Governor Willie Obiano said that Zolt Energy Limited would undertake the setting up of a 40 megawatts Embedded Power Generation Plant in Onitsha to generate and sell electricity to the Enugu Electric Distribution Company (EEDC).

He noted that the project was in line with the state government’s economic objectives for power generation, adding that the project would be completed in line with state’s approved plans within 18 months from kick off.

Obiano said the state would provide three hectares of land as its equity contribution regretting that

the vandalization oil and gas installations by the Niger Delta Avengers has reduced the level of power generation by the EEDC. The Governor maintained that on completion of the power project, it would bridge the gap and boost the state’s power generation.

He reassured that the state government would fulfil her part of the agreement, saying the revenue sharing is based on net profit where the community the project is situated would receive 2.5 per cent, the investor gets 92.5 per cent, while the state gets 5 per cent.

Other MoU signed by the state government with power generation companies include UD Integrated Petroleum Production Company (UDIPPCO), Falcon Corporation Limited (Power, Oil and Gas), Shiraan Limited Nigeria.

On his part, the Managing Director of Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA), Chief Joe Billy Ekwunife explained that the expected total investment expenditure will be approximately N9.45 billion ($47.25 million).

According to him, out of the tota approximation, the State’s equity contribution would amount to about N450m ($2.25m) with the investors, investing N9billion ($45m).

7

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016

News

Wike, APC trade blames over burnt INEC office Emmanuel Masha

R

Port Harcourt

ivers State governor, Chief.Nyesom Wike and the leadership of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have traded allegations over the burning of the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Bori, Khana Local Government Area on Friday.

The incident took place as people of the state participate in the National Assembly rerun elections next Saturday, July 31, with Rivers South-East Senatorial District, where the burnt INEC office is located, being one of the battlegrounds in the election.

While Wike blamed politicians from the APC of mas-

terminding the fire because they are not fully prepared for the elections, the party’s chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, has equally pointed accusing fingers at the governor, starting another chapter in the state’s bitter politics.

According to Wike, who spoke to reporters after inspecting the burnt section of the INEC office, the same politicians who had written to INEC for the election to be postponed on the grounds of insecurity, were behind it so that the elections can be postponed.

He stated that those who burnt the Bori office of INEC are the same politicians who wrote to INEC seeking postponement of the rerun elections on the ground of security.

He, however, urged INEC to go ahead with the elec-

tion as scheduled since election materials were yet to be deposited at the office before the fire, just as he explained that the burnt section only serve as a hall for collation.

He said: “Those who burnt this office were not ready for the elections. They don’t want INEC to conduct the elections because they know that they don’t have the chances of winning.

“They want to use the issue of security to justify the request for postponement. If not, INEC has not brought election materials to this office. What they have done is to scare INEC.“ But Ikanya, the APC Chairman in a statement, urged security agencies to hold the Governor responsible for the fire, alleging that he was encouraging killings and insecurity in the state.

“This is typical of the saying that the witch cried last night and today, the child dies. Wike has, as usual, carried out his earlier threat to visit us with fire. We now know better what he meant.

His boys burnt INEC office in Bori just because Bori is the senatorial headquarters of Rivers South-East where Sen. Magnus Abe hails from,” he said.

He added: “We warned that whenever Wike resorts to throwing mud at innocent people and making unwholesome accusations, he must be up to his familiar sinister games; today, it has manifested in its fullness.

Security agents should ignore his attempts to blame this heinous act on the APC or anyone else; it was obviously planned by Wike and clinically executed by his foot soldiers.”

Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Nuhu Gidado (left), presenting an award of National Council of Women Society (NCWS) to wife of Bauchi State Governor, Hajia Hadizah Abubakar, during NCWS award presentation to some credible women in Bauchi PHOTO: NAN

Nobody will remove me –Ekweremadu

eputy Senate President, Dr.Ike Ekweremadu yesterday reassured his constituents, the people of Enugu West Senatorial zone, that no amount of intrigue by his opponents would remove him as Deputy Senate President.

Speaking during Ikeoha Foundation Adult Literacy Day and 2015/2016 Scholarship Award ceremony,

his pet project, at Ezeagu Council Headquarters, Aguobu-Owa, Ekweremadu said it was not by his power or might that he got to his present position in life but

by God’s grace.

The Deputy Senate President at the occasion splashed more than N40 million on his constituents for various empowerment programmes, including bursary of N40, 000 to 300 undergraduates, full scholarship of N400, 000 each to 16 undergraduates, 250

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

OLUNIKE I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Okewumi Olunike Temitope, now wish to be known as Mrs Ayinde Olunike Temitope.

All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note

OYADIRAN I, formerly known and addressed as Omolaja Olubukola Elizabeth, now wish to be known as Oyadiran Olubukola Elizabeth. All former documents remain valid. NYSC, general public should please take note

Kenneth Ofoma ENUGU

D

sewing machines to widows and 200 grinding machines to 200 first school leaving adult graduates and 50 motorbikes to 50 of their tutors.

“God has been so kind to me through people like you and since I cannot see God, I decided to gather people like this annually to thank God through the people.

“I have decided to pay the beneficiaries of the scholarship award N400, 000 in full instead of N100, 000 annually so that whether they chase me out or not from my position it will not affect the scholarship programme; but I want to assure you that nobody will remove me,” he asserted.

Ekweremadu expressed gratitude to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and other dignitaries for gracing the event, and commended the state for being among the

few states that pay workers salary regularly when 27 others are finding it difficult to do so.

Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi commended Senator Ekweremadu for his philanthropic investment in educational sector and humanity, and called on other well meaning citizens of the state to emulate him.

Ugwuanyi said the state government would continue to commit huge resources to development of education in the state, which he said is the foundation for human and industrial development.

Traditional rulers from Enugu West senatorial zone lead by HRH Harford Agana prayed for Deputy Senate President and presented him with “Offor”, a traditional symbol of authority, assuring him that his enemies will not see him.

Gunmen kill two policemen in Enugu Kenneth Ofoma ENUGU

U

nknown gunmen in Enugu State opened fire on policemen at a checkpoint within the metropolis Saturday, killing two and wounding the third person man.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Otunji Philip and Sergeant Manne Wilson were confirmed dead in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ebere Amaraizu, and a Superintendent of Police (SP).

He said that the Enugu State Command of the Nigeria Police has commenced trail of suspects and full scale investigations into the incident.

He explained that the kill-

ing of the policemen took place precisely on Thursday July 21 around New Haven axis of Enugu by yet to be identified gunmen.

According to him, the State Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Ojukwu while commiserating with the families of the deceased officers has equally expressed displeasure over the incident pointing out that attacking the police means attacking peace, adding that machinery was already in place to unmask those behind the dastardly act.

According to Ojukwu, the state command will not relent in the bid to ensure the safety and security of the citizenry.

Army destroys archaic ammunition Flora Onwudiwe

T

he Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps has destroyed archaic ammunition belonging to the Nigerian Navy to prevent a reoccurrence of 2002 bomb explosion at the Ikeja Cantonment, Ammunition Transit Dump, and (ATD).

The ammunition include ottomat missiles, seacat missiles, aspide missiles, antisubmarine rockets, torpedos, 500Ib depth chargers, 375mm Anti-Submarine Squids and other high caliber munitions.

The Army Ordnance Corps said that the destruction of the archaic ammunition was carried out in an event tagged ‘Exercise Ground Thunder’ aimed at stemming down the risk linked with the continuous storage of archaic and unserviceable ammunition in order to prevent similar incident that

took place at Ikeja Cantonment in 2002.

The exercise that took place at the Alamala area of Ogun State, it was learnt, saw many officers of the Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps and the Navy Ordnance Depot taking risks to ensure a proper demolition of the weapons.

It was revealed that many senior ammunition technical officers and ammunition technicians were assembled from both the Army and Navy for the exercise that run from March 3, to July 10, 2016.

The exercise was designed to last for six months and was to involve foreign ammunition experts, but due to the professional competence of the technicians and experts from both Army Ordnance Corps and Naval Ordnance Depot, the exercise ended seven weeks ahead of schedule.

The Commander Nigerian

Church attack: Don’t take our silence for weakness, CAN warns Dan Atori MINNA

T

he Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State Chapter, Rev. (Dr.) Mathias Echioda, has unequivocally condemned the barbaric action of the so-called “Muslim youth” who attacked St. Philip’s Catholic Church in BarkinIku, Suleja, on July 15, 2016 saying that the attack, as usual was unprovoked.

Rev. (Dr.) Echioda, said yesterday in Minna that “the fact that Christianity has always been known as a peace-loving and peacepromoting faith should, however, not be taken for a weakness and thus be tempted to press us to the wall – no person or religion has monopoly of violence, and we are not fools.”

He added: “Let this be a

warning then that Christians shall not fold their hands; we shall protect and defend our fundamental and constitutional rights.

After all, Niger State and Nigeria belong to all of us.

“We must, therefore, learn to tolerate and appreciate our obvious differences.

And government should put structures in place through the Bureau for Religious Affairs to discourage messages of hatred at our places of worship and from our public domain.”

He also commended the CAN leaders in Suleja for restraining Christian youth from reprisal action.

The CAN chairman also commended the Niger State Government for out rightly condemning the barbaric act and for directing that the attack be investigated and culprits be brought to book.

The Sunday Magazine

8

Nine-year-old boy chained, tortured in church by father Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

A

nine-year-old boy, Korede Taiwo, has been rescued after he was allegedly chained and tortured for months inside a church in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The boy, who looked emaciated, was said to have been kept in solitary confinement in one of the rooms of the Celestial Church of Christ (Key of Joy Parish), Ajibawo area, via Atan Otta.

Sunday Telegraph found out that Korede was chained by his biological father, Francis Taiwo, who was a pastor in the church.

According to sources, the pastor's cruel act was to

punish the boy's alleged stealing habit.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the incident yesterday, said the victim's father had fled upon the intervention of the law enforcement agents.

He, however, disclosed that the stepmother of the boy, Mrs Kehinde Taiwo, had been arrested.

Adejobi, a Superintendent of Police, explained that the boy was rescued from where he had been chained on his neck to a heavy log of wood in a room by his biological father.

According to him, police operatives from the Onipanu Division, Otta got wind of the incident and stormed the church.

He said Korede had been immediately treated and would soon be handed over to the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for necessary action.

Adejobi said: "The stepmother of Korede, Kehinde Taiwo, who has been arrested by the police, revealed that Korede's father's cruel act was connected to the habit of stealing exhibited

by Korede.

"The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Command Lagos, who is presently on ground in Ogun State, AIG Abdulmajid Ali, has condemned the pastor's criminal and inhuman act and directed that the matter be properly handled, while the fleeing pastor is apprehended

without delay. He has ordered that the young boy be given proper medical attention.

"Korede has been treated by the police and discharged. He is presently receiving every necessary attention from the police personnel in Onipanu Division. The young boy will soon be handed over to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in Ogun State for necessary action."

The police spokesman warned that any parent or individual who maltreats children or young ones in the state will not be spared.

He said the police had zero tolerance for child abuse, child labour, domestic violence and such inhuman offences.

Community leaders battle priest imposition, defamation Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

S

ome parishioners and community leaders of Umunomo in Ahiazu Mbaise Council Area of Imo State have moved against their parish priest, Fr. David Iheanacho, over alleged false accusation, defamation and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

They also accused Iheanacho of allegedly manipulating and using the Police to harass and intimidate members of the community.

The community, which has been enmeshed in a leadership tussle for the President of the Catholic Women Organisation (CWO), has the Parish Priest and the community fighting on opposing sides.

Stakeholders in the community consequently wrote to Iheanacho, conveying a communiqué reached by major stakeholders in the community over the crisis between their wives, mothers and Fr. David Iheanacho.

They accused Iheanacho of imposing Mrs. Augustina Ogoke on the and that he has been ‘castigating Umunomo community even from the pulpit because of one woman’.

“We cannot afford to sit down and watch your continuous humiliation of our women”, the letter read in part.

Iheanacho responded to the communiqué dismissing it as largely driven by ignorance. He

maintained that the community has no case against Mrs. Ogoke but mere envy and lies.

He added: “You are most uncharitable by trying to tear down this woman of modest means.

You make Umunomo appear like the most primitive and wicked community in Mbaise.”

The crisis, however, came to a head when Fr. Iheanacho did not show up for the funeral mass of a late parishioner, Florence Eze because the deceased was said not to have been cleared by Mrs. Ogoke whom alone the Reverend Father recognizes as CWO leader.

This angered some mourners, two of who sought to confront Mrs. Ogoke, who works at a nearby school, Wisdom Nursery/Primary School, but Mrs. Ogoke was not in the office at the time they showed up.

On hearing of the development, Fr. Iheanacho in a newspaper publication accused some of the community leaders, who were around to attend the funeral service, being sponsors of kidnappers and hoodlums, who with officials of a women’s group, conspired to kidnap Mrs Ogoke, and attack and injure children of the school.

Following the alleged attempt to kidnap her, Mrs Ogoke initiated a police action against some of the leaders whom, she alleged were armed to the teeth.

The leaders subsequently detained by the police are: Nze Donatus Onuoha (80), Mr. Godfrey

Anyanwu (75), Engr. Celestine Oleka (75), Mr. Jude Thaddeus Ibe (60) and Mr. Alfred Ibe - most of whom are serving or former parish workers. In their rejoinder, the community leaders of Umunomo wondered why somebody who is supposed to be a spiritual leader and not part of the management or administration of the said school, should dissipate so much energy in trying to such level accusations against innocent and prominent sons of the community on an issue owners of the school have exonerated the community leaders.

The rejoinder described Fr. Iheanacho as a ‘celebrated liar’.

The five elders have consequently dragged Fr. Iheanacho, Mrs Ogoke and others to the Federal High Court, Owerri Judicial Division.

In separate suits: FHC/OW/ CS/114/2016; FHC/OW/ CS/115/2016; FHC/OW/ CS/116/2016; FHC/OW/ CS/117/2016 and FHC/OW/ CS/118/2016 the elders are demanding damages for breaching their fundamental rights to a cumulative tune of N25million and urging the court to restrain the Commissioner of Police from harassing them based on this false and malicious accusation.

In an affidavit in support of their motions, the community leaders expressed concern over the seeming threats to their lives as allegedly voiced by Ogoke and Fr. Iheanacho and the apparent plot to frame them with

a crime inconsistent with their characters.

They averred thus: "On 4th June, 2016, Mrs Ogoke barged into a meeting of some leaders of Umunomo and there said she will make sure that all of us die in Police de-

tention. On the 5th of June, 2016, Fr. Iheanacho while on the pulpit said that all the criminals involved in the incident in the school will die in police cell.”

While Fr. Iheanacho had maintained that the community lead-

9

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016

Sunday Magazine

My Venezuela Nightmare: A 30-day hunt for food in a starving land

T

he looting, the blackouts, the mob lynchings, the hospitals with no supplies. Venezuela’s collapse into disarray is of a scale unseen in the Western Hemisphere in decades. In an effort to illustrate what day-to-day life is like on the ground, Bloomberg reporter Fabiola Zerpa documented her efforts to secure food for her middle-class family. This is a selection of entries from her month-long chronicle.

over alleged ers are the criminals who attacked the school, the Head Teacher of the school, Okonkwo Mary Ann in her report to the Ahiara Diocesan Education Board agreed that there were some disturbances in the school but that no pupil or teacher was attacked. She maintained that no parent has reported any injured or missing child a week after the incident.

The Head Teacher summed up her report thus: “In conclusion, I did not see any hoodlum armed to the teeth in Wisdom Nursery/Primary School, Ihitteafoukwu that day.”

The Head Teacher made her report to the Board in apparent defiance of the orders of Fr. David Iheanacho, who had threatened to demand her removal from the school if she failed to report the said ‘attack’ on the children and teachers of Wisdom Nursery/Primary School, to the Police.

In his alleged letter to the Head Teacher dated May 19, 2016, Fr. Iheanacho threatened to sack Wisdom Nursery/Primary School from his church premises if the Head Teacher failed to make the report to the police as requested.

Fr. Iheanacho threatened further: “Where these demands are not met, I will petition the state and fed-

eral ministries of education asking for the closure of Wisdom Nursery/Primary School, Ihitteafoukwu for the crime of child endangerment. I will report to the government of the day that you are running an illegal school in my parish that endangers the lives of little children.”

In his published reaction to the incident, Fr. Iheanacho explained that the deceased Florence Eze did not get a funeral mass officiated by the Church because her family did not settle her indebtedness to the Church. He noted that the relatives of the deceased were prevailed upon to seek a refund of the money they already deposited in the parish by officials of Umunomo Women’s Progressive Union making it impossible for the parish to officiate the burial of the deceased.

On why there was no report of the said attack on the children of Wisdom Nursery/Primary School to the Police, the priest averred that there was apparently a cover up, as the affected children were mostly from Umunomo community whose parents decided not to press charges.

When contacted, Mrs Augustina Ogoke declined to comment, and instead referred our correspondent to her lawyer.

June 9 Thursday. My one chance in the week to buy staples— cooking oil, rice, laundry detergent—at state-set prices.

All Venezuelan adults are assigned days of the week to shop for regulated goods based on the numbers on our national ID cards. My days are Sundays and Thursdays. Sundays are useless, though. Stores stopped selling regulated goods over the weekend a long time ago.

Thursdays are only marginally more useful. For the past several months, the lines at the two supermarkets near my house in eastern Caracas have been so long, stretching out for two blocks, that it’d take hours to get a chance to shop. And then there’s no guarantee I’ll find anything once inside.

Still, I drive by the supermarkets in the morning to give them a quick look. No chance. They’re so jam-packed, there isn’t even a spot to park. I keep going. My reporting assignment on this day will take me to several parts of the city, so, of course, I’ll be on the prowl for something, anything I can take back to my two kids—an eight-yearold boy and ten-year-old girl—and husband Isaac.

I step into a pharmacy. Isaac is running low on his cholesterol medication. His doctor has prescribed him Vytorin or Hiperlipen. The store has neither. But wait, the pharmacist says: there’s a lab in India that just cut a deal with the government to supply medicine here; they produce an anti-cholesterol pill. I don’t like the idea at all—who knows what this stuff is?—but it’s better, I figure, than taking the risk that he’ll run out of medicine.

I grab four boxes.

Around midday, I swing by a bakery in search of bread.

I’m greeted, impatiently, by a young woman. “We only sell bread at 5 p.m., señora.” On my way out, I notice a sign on the front door that I somehow missed on my way in: “NO BREAD.” As I get back in my car, I realize I’m low on cash. I head to a nearby ATM. It’s out of money.

June 14 I’m in search of bread again. Because it’s becoming harder and harder to buy fresh bread—as Venezuelans have traditionally done—I decide to look for the packaged kind. At noon, I head to a nearby grocery store.

There’s no line outside. Hmm. When I get inside, I see why. There’s not much on the shelves. And there’s no sign of bread anywhere. “The bread arrived early, señora,” says a middle-aged store clerk. “It’s all gone.”

June 15 On my way to work, I drive by the local supermarket to see if the line is manageable enough to sneak in and look around. It’s not. What’s unusual on this morning,

though, is that the municipal police officers who normally keep order on the line order aren’t there. Instead, heavily-armed officers from the National Guard’s antikidnapping unit are on the scene.

June 17 Big score. Isaac, through the friend of a friend he works with at an ad-production company, got his hands on 5 kilos of corn flour. This is huge. Flour is the main ingredient in arepas, the flat, round corn bread that’s the most important staple in the Venezuelan diet. Isaac paid dearly: 1,500 bolivars per kilo. That’s eight times more than the regulated price. It was worth it, though. Our supply was really running low. Replenished now, we can use some of it as a bartering tool with friends and family. (Two kilos, for instance, would go to my sister-in-law Raquel days later in exchange for the powdered milk she used to pass on to us.)

June 25 I head out early to a farmers’ market near my house.

Before dawn each Saturday, the farmers truck in their produce from the surrounding mountains. Everything’s sold at free-market prices. This is, technically speaking, illegal but essentially goes unenforced nowadays. Shopping here, at these prices, is a luxury I know that millions of Venezuelans can’t afford. I feel very fortunate in that sense. An additional perk is that the farmers actually accept debit cards. With inflation spiralling out of control—private forecasts for 2016 range anywhere from 200 percent to 1,500 percent—paying with cash requires toting around a huge stack of bills.

July 1 It’s 7 p.m. I need to load my kids in the car and swing by the local bakery. I’m dreading it, to be honest. These streets are especially dangerous after dark, something I was acutely reminded of the day before when a woman was kidnapped just a few feet from the bakery. Police officers happened to be nearby and a shootout immediately erupted. A neighbour of mine, Franco, found himself trapped in the bakery with his 13-year-old son. They had to crawl through the kitchen to safety as the bullets flew.

When it was over, the victim was free, one of the kidnappers was dead and three others were on the lam. I heard all about it that night on my Whatsapp neighborhood crime chat. (My friends and I are Whatsapp addicts; most importantly, it’s our main forum for sharing real-time tips on where hard-to-find items are available across the city.)

July 7 Thursday. My day of the week to buy staples. I head over to the local supermarket just after 10 a.m. Sixty people or so are waiting outside. They’ve come from all over the city, especially the poorer neighbourhoods where food is scarcest, to stand in line. No one knows anything: what time the regulated goods will be put up for sale; which items, if any, will be offered; nothing. They just wait, doggedly, under the blistering Caribbean sun. *Culled from Bloomberg

10

SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

NEWS

Murder: Harry’s family wants Buhari to investigate death

F

ollowing reports that the Federal Government has ordered the reopening of investigations into the murder of Bola Ige and Aminasoari Dikibo, the family of late Chief Marshall Harry wants it extended to Harry’s death.

Mr Sonny Marshall-Harry, the oldest son of the slain politician, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Saturday in Port Harcourt.

Marshal Sokari Harrywas murdered in his bedroom on March 6, 2003, in Abuja.

He expressed doubts that President Muhammadu Buhari had given order to probe the killing of Chiefs Bola Ige and Aminasoari

Dikibo without including his late father.

He said that he was confident that his father’s case would be included anytime Buhari decided to probe political killings in the country.

NAN reports that some national dailies reported that Buhari had ordered the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Idris Ibrahim, to re-open investigations into the killing of Ige and Dikibo. ``In my view and that of my younger brother, Inye Harry, the headline may have been manufactured by the media. ``The Buhari we know, will include our late father’s case if truly he was the one that gave that order.

``We say this because we have everyday relationship, physical or through phone calls, with the President,’’ he said.

According to MarshallHarry, his late father was one of the first few Nigerians to talk Buhari into his presidential race in 2003 and he worked tirelessly for him. ``He was eventually murdered in his bedroom while dreaming of Buhari presidency. ``In fact, when the assassins killed him, their last words were, `Buhari to be president na for mouth’, meaning that for Buhari to be president could only be said. ``Do not forget, the murder took place before one

Islamic State ‘behind Kabul attack’ which killed 80

of my younger sisters, who narrated to us what happened in the room that night,’’ he said. ``It is a well calculated campaign by a small insignificant portion of the media to provoke the family and ultimately put us on a collision course with the President. ``This is a drama, and as a family, we collectively forbid it as we wish Buhari the best of luck in his genuine quest to rebuild Nigeria,’’ he said.

The family of the former Vice-Chairman, SouthSouth of the defunct All Nigerian People Party (ANPP), said they were hopeful that the president would revisit the case.

S

o-called Islamic State has said it was behind an attack on a protest march in the Afghan capital, Kabul, that killed, at least, 80 people and wounded 260.

The IS-linked Amaq news agency said two fighters “detonated explosive belts at a gathering of Shia” in Kabul.

The attack in Deh Mazang square targeted thousands from the Shia Hazara minority, who were protesting over a new power line, saying its route bypasses provinces, where many of them live. The Taliban have condemned the attack.

Spokesperson Zabiullah Mujaheed sent an e-mail to the media saying they were not behind it.

A freelance journalist working for BBC Afghan said blood and body parts were everywhere, with debris strewn around.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he was “deeply saddened”, adding: “Peaceful protest is the right of every citizen, but opportunist terrorists infiltrated the crowds and carried out the attack, killing and injuring a number of citizens including some security forces.”

A large part of Kabul’s city centre had been sealed off for the protest march, reports the BBC. The demonstrators had waved banners and chanted “death to discrimination”, angry that the 500kV power transmission line from Turkmenistan to Kabul would not pass through Bamyan and Wardak provinces, which have large Hazara populations.

The Hazaras - mostly Shia Muslims - make up the third largest group in Afghanistan. They live mainly in the centre of the country.

Floods kill 112 across China, scores missing

T

Airmen and Airwomen Course 21/2016, during their graduation ceremony in Kaduna…yesterday

Nigerian Film Corporation staff protest poor welfare

Musa Pam, JOS taff of the Nigeria Film Corporation from all the states in the country have appealed to the Minister of Information and Culture Chief Lai Mohammed to immediately intervene in the crisis rocking the Corporation under the leadership of Engineer Danjuma Dadu as result of poor staff welfare.

They made the appeal during a protest rstaged at the Headquarters of the Corporation in Jos, the Plateau State capital. They accused the management of the Corporation of oppression and lack of vision, say it has taken them backward perpetually.

Spokesperson of the staff, Mohammed Ali said they were invited from Kano, Lagos and Abuja to attend Promotion interview, but only for them to reach Jos and were told that the interview had been postponed without any explanation.

He raised some of the issues challenging the staff of the NFC to include lack of staffs promotion for the past 10 years and the lack of welfare which formed the basis of their promotion.

The staffworkers also pleaded with the Minister of Information as matter of urgency, intervene in the matter by reviewing the leadership of the strategic parastatal.

Meanwhile the students of National Film Institute Jos have accused the Managing Director, Mr. Danjuma Dadu of squandering funds meant for the payment of lecturers leading to the withholding of students results by University of Jos.

S

N EWS I N BRIEF

Aisha Buhari seeks support to fight child malnutrition

Appolonia Adeyemi Worried by the heavy morbidity rate of malnourished children, Wife of the President, Hajiya Aisha Buhari has appealed to the organised private sector, non-government organisations (NGOs) and well-meaning Nigerians to support an intervention programme that would prevent deaths of malnourished children in the country.

According to a statement by her Director of Media and Publicity, Zakari Yau Nadabo, Mrs. Buhari made the call during the launch of a quick interventionist programme named, ‘Get Involved’ to prevent annual deaths of thousands of malnourished children in Nigeria.

United Nations Children Emergency Funds (UNICEF) estimates that there are about 2.5million malnourished children in Nigeria and 500,000 of such children die on yearly basis.

Mrs. Buhari said the situation is highly unacceptable and must be reversed with collaboration of Nigerians and organisation, through her ‘Get Involved’ project.

Announcing the take-off of the ‘Get Involved’ project, Mrs. Buhari called for the active participation and support of a broad spectrum of Nigerians and organisations, including relevant United Nation Agencies and NGOs. She explained that with the participation of these bodies, the new initiative will also help to combat the alarming problem of malnutrition of children at Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the country.

PHOTO:NAN

Saraki’s Wife,WBFA boss to speak at White House summit ife of the Senate President, Mrs. Toyin W Saraki has been selected to speak at this year’s White House Global Development Summit in Washington DC. Mrs. Saraki, who is also the President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), will be speaking on the progress made in moving towards achieving Global Development Goals (GDGs).

She will also speak on the importance of midwives in reducing the rate of maternal and new born mortalities and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

She will further highlight the importance of educating, equipping, deploying and empowering midwives and wider health professionals in Nigeria and across Africa to ensure progress.

According to a statement by the WBFA’s communications office, signed by Mrs. Toyin Saraki, the summit will bring together, civil society, NGOs and private sector partners to celebrate and acknowledge the progress, which has taken place in various sectors in global development.

The statement reads in part: “The White House Summit on Global Development will be focusing on global health, energy, food security, good governance, partnership, and youth engagement.

“All participants, development leaders, public and private sector partners, civil society, diplomats, and entrepreneurs are also encouraged to celebrate shared contributions that have led to dramatic progress in these sectors.”

orrential rains that swept through China this week have left least, 112 people dead and 91 others missing, various provincial governments reported on Saturday.

The rains, which began on Monday, have flooded streams, triggered landslides and destroyed homes across China. The northern province of Hebei has been hit the hardest, with authorities there saying 72 people were killed and 78 missing.

Nearly 300,000 people were evacuated in Hebei, and the province made another round of appropriations of tents, blankets, rain boots and generators, the provincial department of civil affairs said.

In the Hebei city of Xingtai alone, 25 people were killed and another 13 were missing. The town also drew national attention after emotional protests erupted

in one village on Friday.

The village of Daxian in Xingtai was nearly wiped out when it was swamped by a flash flood early Wednesday as villagers were asleep. Photos circulating online showed disturbing images of drowned children lying in mud.

Angry villagers in Daxian questioned whether authorities had failed to notify them in time for evacuation when an upstream reservoir discharged floodwaters.

Authorities blamed a failure of a river levee near the village for the sudden water surge, reports The Associated Press.

Qiu Wenshuang, a vice mayor of Xingtai, said Saturday that the village was already flooded when officials entered the village to evacuate residents on Wednesday morning, according to state media reports.

Two injured as train crushes trailer, car

S

everal people escaped death by the whiskers yesterday, in an accident, involving a train, a cementladen articulated vehicle and a Toyota Camry car at Kila, a town bordering Ogun and Oyo states.

The incident happened early in the morning, when the fast moving train collided with the trailer and the car while both attempted crossing the rail track.

Eye witnesses’ account revealed that the drivers of the trailer with registration number BDG 287 XE and that of the car, RSH 306 KM, sustained injuries in the incident.

It was learnt that the driv-

er of the locomotive train failed to sound the train’s horn and thus caught the affected vehicles unawares.

One of the coaches of the train fell off in the process and consequently caused a total blockage of the highway. Motorists and other road users were stranded as policemen and traffic officials battled to get the coach off the way.

When contacted yesterday, the Ogun Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Adegoke Adetunji, said the area where the crash occurred is within the jurisdiction of the neighbouring Oyo command.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016

OPINION 11

Change in the reverse Denja Yaqub

W

hen Nigerians decided to vote for a change of the country’s political leadership during the March 28, 2015 federal elections, it was premised on the obvious helpless situation we all found ourselves as the Jonathan government treated the country and her citizens with such nauseating contempt.

As against previous elections, the country united mainly behind a man with records of people driven services, clean from corruption which has characterised our political leadership for decades, perhaps since the 1960 flag independence. The votes were more for the candidate than for his party for obvious reasons; though his party’s influence cannot be underscored.

As a military officer, Major General Mohammadu Buhari, and his team’s intervention at dawn on December 31, 1983 was popular at inception because we all saw the country drifting towards political anarchy and socio economic abyss, with stinging sights of mass poverty alongside a tiny few bloating and swimming in unquantifiable wealth-stolen wealth from funds borrowed from neo liberal

multilateral financial institutions who though knew the destination of their resources, but ignored any checks because it is in their interests to borrow out funds that will keep countries and their citizens in perpetual subservience to their institutions.

Just as it was before the inevitable but unfortunate termination of civil rule in 1983, the political class and their cronies took the entire country for granted; looted the treasury in such mindboggling magnitude that until the new government came in, we all underestimated the quantum of what left our national treasury to private accounts under very ludicrous guises, including spiritual prayers. The worst and perhaps most criminally callous was the diversion of funds budgeted for securing lives, properties and the sovereignty of the country, including retrieving the Chibok girls from their captors, Boko Haram; the gang of terrorists hardened by state negligence. Boko Haram reigned in brutal conquests because we had a leadership that felt the country can go down as long as public funds keep flowing into their private accounts.

However, the massive votes President Buhari got wasn’t for excuses. We desired obvious change beyond sloganeering.

What has happened so far under the leadership of President Buhari has not demonstrated any qualitative change enough to make the country feel the March 28, 2015 victory moved us far enough from the old order. Though we are not where we were, but we are not anywhere near where we should be.

As important as the battle against corruption is; even as the fulcrum of our underdevelopment, it can’t be the only preoccupation of any serious government. And it is worst when the President seems to be the only individual in his government determined to fight corruption, or merely expose those who filtered our collective resources to their private uses. That is what has happened so far. We read or hear of people who had so much of our money in their possession but we don’t have the big thieves, as alleged, yet in jail. We don’t even know how much have been returned under the so called “plea bargain” option, which in itself encourages corruption. This is obviously because the battle is not systemic, it’s more like flashes in the pan so far.

Corruption, or any obstruction to national development cannot be dealt with without a major shakeup of the entire system that cre-

ated or encouraged such obstacles.

A serious battle against corruption must start from the judiciary, at the bench and the bar; the entire justice system, including review of relevant laws. The judiciary is the final point for determining the fate of the accused, and if the judiciary is not fully part of the battle, then it’s a lost battle at inception.

That’s what has happened so far. Accused persons are arrested; splashed in media with lots of hypes arraigned before a court and finally the court grants bail, even before commencing trials. That ends the case.

As the country’s leadership has been fully captured by the IMF and its cohorts, Nigerians should brace up for more excruciating hardships, perhaps that is the change the new administration had in mind when Mr. President and his party promised us change before the 2015 Presidential election. We just hope the administration will learn from history how those who embraced the IMF and its allies collapsed like parks of cards through mass uprisings and eventual electoral defeats.

Yaqub is an Assistant Secretary at the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Abuja

The problems with osun state university Tokunbo Abolarinwa

W

hen Osun State University (UNIOSUN) commenced academic activities in the 2007/2008 academic session, it was with great optimism and high expectations. Indeed, UNIOSUN started very well and was well accepted. The university’s pioneer Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, a first class historian and seasoned university administrator, made giant strides during his five-year tenure (August 1, 2007 – July 31, 2012). The university made history, starting simultaneously on six campuses in the three geo-political zones of the state.

UNIOSUN also presented its model of multi-campus administration at the 2009 UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education. Again, all academic programmes were accredited during his tenure while the university also hosted the 2010 edition of the Annual Conference of the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU). Osun State University also won several institutional and personal grants which made many believe that UNIOSUN was on the pathway to a world class status.

Indeed, the university’s selling point then was a stable and sustainable academic calendar. UNIOSUN was not just the pride of Osun State indigenes and citizens; it was the pride of the nation. The brand 3080 was also well received by the international academic community. No doubt, the first, second and third sets of UNIOSUN graduates are currently in Ivy League Universities, public sector and the organised private sector. Some alumni are also currently on doctoral programmes in several leading universities.

Within one year of its existence, the pioneer Governing Council led by Prof. Peter A. Okebukola (OFR), was able to put up 36 impressive buildings on six campuses, recruited the competent principal officers, highly qualified staff and first rate students.

The foundation Council paraded other distinguished Nigerians and scholars such as Prof. Olu Aina, the doyen of Vocational Education; Prof. Olusegun Oke, the foundation Vice-Chancellor of LAUTECH; Prof.

Oye Ibidapo-Obe, former Vice-Chancellor, UNILAG and the immediate Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo, Ebonyi State; Prof. Moses Fawole; Prof. Mrs. Janet Makinde and Prof. S.K. Adesina, among others. The four-year tenure of the first Governing Council also witnessed industrial peace and harmony.

However, Osun State University is currently in a state of anomie and this requires deep examination and serious intervention by the Visitor and other Stakeholders. For a little over three years now, Osun State University has been in the news for the wrong reasons. The bad news have largely centred on management crisis, poor managementcouncil relations, alleged misappropriation and misapplication of fund, sexual scandal, sorting and examination practices, industrial crises, gangsterism and wilful destruction of university property, among others.

Indeed, the first negative signal that all was not well with the university was the suspension of the UNIOSUN MBBS (Medical) programme by the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in 2012. The rationale provided by the state government was non-availability of fund to establish a befitting teaching hospital. In spite of the plea from several stakeholders that government should locate the College of Medicine within the context of Osun State Health Policy and programmes, Osun State Government stuck to its gun. The government not only closed down the MBBS programme, it did not allow the medical students already due for clinical training to pursue it in Nigeria, but in faraway Ukraine.

While the management of Osun State University preferred to pursue the upgrading of the State Hospital, Asubiaro or the General Hospital, Ilesa in stages, the students were ‘exiled’ to Ukraine. Indeed, the foundation Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sola Akinrinade was full of regrets over the decision to suspend the medical programme and he expressed it in unequivocal terms: “Yes, my greatest regret is the suspension of our medical programme. Indeed, it is doubly painful because at the inception of the university, we zeroed in on three areas where we desired

to make the most impact as an institution, where we desired to affect our society: agriculture, engineering and medicine. Our reason was simple. If we could contribute to solving the food security challenges of our people, deploy technology to solving the societal problems, and take care of the health needs of the people, then we would have made our marks as an institution”.

It is tragic to note that in spite of the suspension of the MBBS Programme, the university under the watch of the Ag. ViceChancellor, Prof. Oguntola Jelili Alamu, created the office of the Dean, Faculty of Clinical Sciences and also appointed Prof.

Patience Olayinka Akinwusi as the Dean, Faculty of Clinical Sciences.

Again, another indication that UNIOSUN is the “sick baby” of the Nigerian university system relates to the inability of its proprietor and stakeholders to give the university a stable and worthwhile management structure since the expiration of the tenure of the first Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sola Akinrinade on August 31, 2012. Since then, the proprietor has perfected the art or science of “appointing Acting Vice-Chancellor” as the structure for the management of UNIOSUN. Indeed, both Prof. Ganiyu Olatunde and Prof. Adekunle Bashiru Okesina only managed to survive the games plan for a limited period in office before another. Indeed, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oguntola Jelili Alamu was appointed on February 3, 2015. A 2008 Ph.D graduate of Mechanical Engineering, LAUTECH, Prof. Oguntola Jelili Alamu was barely nine months old at the time of his appointment. He was as at February 2015, the most junior Professor in the academic staff list. Ideally an Acting appointment for the Vice-Chancellor’s post should not be more than six months, but the Proprietor and Visitor has chosen to look the other way and allow “a regime of Acting appointments” to persist in the Principal Officer’s cadre. Today, the occupiers of the posts of the Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar and the Bursar are all in acting positions.

Indeed, very worrisome and troubling was the appointment of a Deputy Registrar, who was appointed as the Acting Registrar.

I was present at the combined 4th and 5th Convocation of Osun State University held in March 2016. The Convocation left me with three major impressions. First, the university got it right with the appointment of Chief Mrs. Folorunso Alakija, the billionaire oil-baron and philanthropist as the Chancellor. She possesses the requisite profile and pedigree for a university in search of positive image and branding.

The second impression is that of a university without stable management structure given the high number of Principal Officers and Senate members holding offices in acting capacities.

A close look at the leadership profile of Osun State University as contained in the Convocation Brochure reveals that many officers are holding appointments in acting capacities, Ag. Director of Academic Planning; Ag. Director of Information Management System; Ag. Director of Works; Acting Director of Physical Planning; Acting Director of Advancement Office; Acting Director of Sports; and Acting Director of SIWES. Indeed several other academic appointments also follow the same “Acting” trend: Ag. Dean, Social Sciences, Ag. Dean, Education, Acting Dean, Basic and Applied Sciences, among others.

The way forward for Osun State University is to dissolve the current Governing Council and constitute a new one with fresh vistas, fresh ideas and innovative thinking.

Osun State, no doubt, parades experienced university administrators such as Pro. Oye Ibidapo-Obe, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, Prof.

Babajide Alo, Prof. Duro Oni, Prof. Mrs. Biola Odedije, Prof. Rogers Makanjuola, Prof.

Mrs. Nike Osofisan, among others.

The Visitor will also do the university and the Osun people a lot of good by dissolving the interim management and place the hands of university in the hands of tested, experienced and renowned university administrators. That is the way out to solve the present logjam. History beckons on him to do the right thing.

Tokunbo Abolarinwa, an alumnus and a stakeholder writes from Ilesa,State of Osun

12

Sunday Mail

SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

@

EMAIL

thesundayletters@gmail. com and sundayletters@ newtelegraphonline.com

MAIL BAG

* Letters to the Editor

The Sunday Telegraph

Kalu is Ndigbo’s choice

Prince Kalu Onuma wrote in from Abia State

Dear President Buhari Dear Editor, I see a big window of opportunity for your government to make a lot of difference in rebuilding the collapsed health care system of this country, especially now with the introduction of Primary Health Care Revitalisation Programme by your Health Minister.

70% of the disease burden in Nigeria falls under the purview of primary health care and what is needed is

SMS

08037613380 Normal message fees apply

Can Ibrahim Idris reform the police?

Prince Kalu Onuma

Power that belongs to the people cannot be made a subject of judicial commerce.

Compromising has, by decision become so commercialised, and therefore so negative that some judges instead of growing analytic, patriotic and impartial tend to degenerate to naira power fanatics.

I think it’s time for us to start dismantling all the undemocratic practices such as rigging and violence which has been dragging us backwards. We should rather strengthen our democratic institutions to ensure that only the best candidates are voted into offices based on track record and reputation.

We should stop worrying where a person is coming from or where power is shifting to. We should worry more on how we can be electing responsible, responsive and accountable leaders who will serve us selflessly and ensure our views, our interests, our contributions and feelings are taken seriously in a country we have done more than any other ethnic group to sustain.

Presently, Ndigbo are at a cross road. We appear to be wondering in political wilderness like a sheep without a shepherd. This makes the election of Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, a widely acceptable and reputable Igbo man into the upper legislative chamber more urgent now than any other time in our history with a view to laying a foundation for a fresh hope for the present generation of Indigbo and generation yet unborn.

It’s my firm believe that the Judiciary will give Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu back his Senatorial mandate thereby disabusing the minds of those who have given up on the judiciary.

(

Dear Editor,

Stranded pedestrians at Ikotun after a heavy rain in Lagos.

sustained commitment to infrastructural development in that stratum of the health sector. Sir, if you give primary health care the attention it deserves, and you put up the about 10,000 functional primary health care centres across the country as the Health Minister has promised on your behalf at different fora, all our health care indices, principal among, which are Maternal Mortality Rate and Infant and Under-five Mortality rates will drastically improve and you will go down in history as the President who made that happen. On the other hand you would have successfully improved the health status and quality of life of millions of Nigerians. I am equally hopeful that if the robust and costefficient National Health Agenda the Health minister has been promoting which is to deliver basic health care on a sustained basis to about 100 million Nigerians in the next two years is given prompt presidential assent and direct political support from your esteemed office, Nigerians would sing a new song before 2019. Of vital importance also is the rising prevalence of cancer in the country. Seeking cancer treatment abroad is as a matter of fact, one of the pointed reasons for medical tourism, which costs Nigeria about 1.5 to 2 billion US dollars annually. My father is 74, just less than a year older than you. He had a prostate cancer screening lately and it was negative.

He came clean. Countless Nigerians are not that lucky. It always happens that when cancer strikes,

there is hardly anywhere to turn to for help. Only the National Hospital Abuja and another private hospital have functional linear accelerators for Radiotherapy (a treatment modality for cancer) and those machines are suffering from extreme overuse. We are a country of between 160-170 Million people. This is worrisome.

Regarding Medical Tourism, I strongly believe we can drastically reduce this disturbing trend, which is constantly removing heavy amount of forex from our already contracting economy. We need homegrown solutions to all our medical challenges. It is, therefore, highly imperative that your government drive public-private partnership to foster the building and operation of highly sophisticated and efficient medical infrastructure across the country. I also think Prof Isaac Adewole, your Health Minister, who has demonstrated efficiency and positive connect with various unions in the medical sector, should be made to utilize his own experience in positive activism to work out an amicable solution to recurring crises in the health care delivery system. A reformed health sector would benefit everyone, and the agitations for increased remuneration would be automatically taken care of if we begin to operate by different sets of rules in the sector. The current policy direction of the Health Ministry is very reassuring.

Dr. Adesiyan Olufunmibi (General Practitioner), Lagos

Handle the naira with carea Dear Editor, Not long ago, a respected foreign economic journal reported activities at the Lagos harbour. Its correspondent observed the myriads of vessels with merchandise of all descriptions, but to the reporter’s utter consternation, as the ships offloaded they left empty. This story depicts the import-dependent, non-productive economy Nigeria is. Except for the oil terminals where ships laden with oil leave the country’s shores; there are hardly other significant commodities or finished goods for export. And this is the bane of the Nigerian economy. The economy is at the mercy of the global oil market prices and the politics associated thereof.

This mono- product dependency has done much havoc to the economy. Without the oil boom, perhaps by now cocoa, groundnut and oil palm processing factories would have been dotting the landscape. But now we are net importers of these products we were once notable producers and exporters. As oil prices drop, all facets of the economy feel the pinch. The Naira has plummeted and the reason is not far-fetched: we are short of foreign exchange as cash inflows have declined by over 75 per cent. The direct consequence is naira’s relative weakness to the dollar and other strong currencies. In the face of this apparent weakness of the naira compared to dollar, the strategic economic decision will be devaluation. Experts have argued the pros and

PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

cons of devaluation and the government has its trite, unambiguous position; and that is, it does not fall for the idea of devaluation. At face value the government’s stand is a populist, patriotic stand.

All the arguments considered, there is no alternative to devaluation given the present economic situation.

The best way to handle the naira is to allow market forces to determine its value; while the government concentrates on measures that prevent dumping of non-essential imported goods, unnecessary foreign trips, etc. Fixing the value at is unrealistic and allowing it to float on its own is outrageous, just as its present black market value of N360 to the dollar shows. Genuine dollar users can hardly obtain their requirements at the official rate and if they obtain their needs at N360 in the black market production costs will go up and a cost that the consumer must pay for. The result will be hyper-inflation.

To keep industries afloat and make their cost pains minimal, the naira’s value must be determined through a consensus amongst government, the CBN and the private sector. Such a forum will from time to time determine the naira’s value as dictated by economic indices. It will make economic sense to make such a guided value gauging of the naira. Black market fixations amount to fraud. In order to save industries, make production costs reasonable and avoid inflation; the naira must be handled carefully or else it will be an economic catastrophe.

Usman Bulama Mairi, Maiduguri.

Once, my vehicle precariously missed hitting a woman, thanks to a police van that stopped abruptly on the highway in front of a commuter bus – whose driver parked supposedly at a spot not meant for it. Had we hit the woman, we might not have escaped fatalities. This bothers me and I am not in anyway suggesting that in Nigeria, members of the police are the only ones who are guilty of such misconduct. On two occasions when I went to police stations to seek bail for persons who had minor scuffles, I was asked by police officers on duty at the ‘counter,’ for money to procure ‘Izal’ and ‘Detol’, and ‘tissue paper’ before I could see these persons.

Aren’t the senior officers aware of this done by their junior officers? How can officers step up policing without, first of all, a basic CCTV camera installed in their offices? When young officers are posted to the homes of retired politicians as security men and they see exotic cars parked in the garages, then you should expect them to question the profession they have chosen! Our society can be safe only when there are effective partnerships between government and the police to fight crime. The job of the police would be made easier if efforts are channeled correctly.

The job of the police will be made easier when the Nigerian state insists upon orderly behaviour from all citizens regardless of class. I wonder what the kind of policing Nigeria hopes to get when the rank and file buy their kits and no training is provided on democratic idealism so as to appreciate the concept of citizen rights in a democracy.

It’s sickening to see a police patrol team more interested in pulling over a pickup van or truck carrying building materials, than giving chase and trying to apprehend robbers, car snatchers, kidnappers and child traffickers. So many things are wrong with the police and all Nigerians must work to correct them.

Simon Abah, Port Harcourt, Rivers State YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO BE HEARD! SEND YOUR LETTERS AND PHOTOGRAPHS TO THESUNDAYLETTERS@ GMAIL.COM. LETTERS SHOULD NOT BE MORE THAN 200 WORDS AND MUST HAVE THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE SENDER

13

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016

news

ASUU berates Dickson for underfunding varsity Chris Ejim Yenagoa

T

he Niger Delta University (NDU) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), over the weekend criticised Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, for establishing a private university, ‘African International University’ (AIU) with state resources despite months of unpaid salaries.

The academic body also regretted the establishment of a new private university by the governor when Niger Delta University is underfunded.

ASUU alleged that Dickson is planning to strangulate the state-owned university with the establishment of the new private university.

The NDU Chapter of ASUU expressed these concerns during a press conference at the NDU’s Faculty of Law Campus in Yenagoa, the state capital.

The Chairman, ASUU, NDU Chapter, Dr. Stanley Ogoun, who said the passage of the bill to establish AIU, a public-private partnership arrangement, to be sited at Toru Orua, Dickson’s hometown, was an attempt to destroy the state-owned university.

Ogoun wondered why a government that was unable to adequately fund the NDU could be tinkering with the idea of establishing a new university under a partnership arrangement via counterpart funding with a promise to make it better than NDU.

BAFENPA gives 48-hour ultimatum over journalist’s abduction Chris Ejim Yenagoa

T

he Chairman of the Bayelsa Federated Newspapers Publishers Association (BAFENPA), an umbrella body of newspaper publishers in Bayelsa State, Mr. EasterDay Ayibatari, has given a 48-hours ultimatum to the state government for the release of Chief Jones Abiri, the publishers of Weekly Source Newspaper, who was abducted last Thursday by State Services operatives.

Ayibatari, who lamented that journalists in the state

are no longer safe, said if after 48 hours, the whereabouts of Chief Abiri is not known, journalists in the state would not have any other alternative than to take to the streets, even to Abuja to register their protests.

Armed security operatives, who said they were from the headquarters of the Department of the State Services (DSS) had on Thursday invaded the newspaper publishing house owned by the publishers of the Weekly Source and arrested the publisher, Chief Jones Abiri over unknown offences.

Police in gun duel with criminals in Lagos community lReport anybody treating bullet wound, police urge residents

F

Chijioke Iremeka

atoki community in the Egan, Igando area of Lagos State, has become notorious for hoodlums’ attacks as the community, was once again, attacked, over the weekend by unknown gunmen, though some residents of the community believed the attack was carried out by unidentified militants.

Locate on an island, Sunday Telegraph learnt that the gunmen gained entrance into the community through the waterways and fled the same way when they met stiff resistance from the men of Nigerian Police Force, while some said the hoodlums made away with some valuables.

The attackers have sent some cold slivers down the spines of the residents, as many of them, in fear, fled

their homes to avert impending onslaught and refused to speak to unknown journalists for safety. They now sleep with their eyes wide open.

More so, it was alleged that some local vigilante members and some security agents were killed in the crossfire but the police said there was nothing as such.

When contacted, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Madmos Dolapo said there was no killing of any police officer in the crossfire between the police and the hoodlums, who came to attack the community, rather an Inspector sustained a bullet injury on his leg likewise did many of the hoodlums.

According to Badmos, who disclosed that the officer is recuperating in hospital, many of the hoodlums fled with bullet wounds,

thereby, the police were able to throw a monkey wrench in the works of the hoodlums.

She said: “The hoodlums came on Friday night, at about, 9.30pm and the residents were quick enough to call on police, who responded immediately. There was no police officer killed.

There was an exchange of gun fire between the police and the hoodlums and in the process, one inspector sustained a bullet injury. He is currently recuperating in the hospital.

“There was no death recorded on the side of the police or any security operative. The police also inflicted bullet wounds on the hoodlums, who abandoned their operation and scampered for safety. We have told the community members to alert the police anytime they see anybody treating bullet wounds

within their vicinity.

“At least, the police were able to foil their attack, so, they weren’t able to carry out their operations. Like I said, there was no police killed in the operation except one Inspector, who sustained bullet wound, while many of the hoodlums fled with bullet wounds.

“You know that the area is on the island and so, they came through the waterways and the same way, they fled while they met strong resistance from the police. We implore members of the public and hospitals to report to the nearest police station anyone noticed with gunshot injury.”

Meanwhile, residents, especially those close to waterways are advised to promptly alert the police of any suspicious movement in and around their community.

Female genital mutilation: Woman escapes with children

I

n a bid to escape painful and senseless female genital mutilation prevalent in certain communities in Nigeria, Mr. Olalowo Hammed Olalekan and his wife, Modinat have fled the shores of Nigeria for the safety of their children.

It was learnt that Modinat Olalowo, who got married to Olalowo Hammed Olalekan, ran away from her matrimonial home, with her children, when she was asked to bring her daughter for the painful and needless circumcision.

Owing to the terrible and painful experience their daughter would pass through, if subjected to such mutilation, Modinat and her husband jointly objected to such traditional requirements of their offspring and insisted that their child would not be circumcised.

According to Hammed, enormous physical, sexual and emotional abuses prevalent in the country at the moment, force many women out of their homes at mentioning of genital mutilation or circumcisions as the case

may be.

Hammed, who was said to have been attacked by his kinsmen for not subjecting his daughter for the exercise said he didn’t expect to survive the attack due to thorough beating he got when he tried to escape, saying he was abused by his family and the community alike and was left to die.

He said: “I thought I had died. I was bleeding all over tmy body with swollen face and cuts on my body. What I experienced from them is not what I wish anybody. If it were my wife or children, they may not have survived it.”

Speaking further, he said: “I was on my way home, when some men began taunting me for not allowing my daughter to be circumcised, rather aided their disappearance.”

However, human rights activists have described the act as barbaric and blame it on Nigerian government for not providing adequate security to its citizens against such practices.

L-R, Dean, School of Communication, Lagos State University, Prof. Rotimi Olatunji; Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun; Managing Director/Ceo, CMC Connect Group, Yomi Badejo-Okusanya and former Dean, School of Communication at the university, Prof. Lai Oso, at the Second Annual Lecture of the School of Communication where Badejo-Okusanya delivered a lecture on ‘Corruption, Image-making, National Development and Role of Marketing Communications’ in Lagos …recently.

T

he Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has said that no stone will be left unturned in its efforts to provide a safe atmosphere for eligible voters before, during and after the rerun Senatorial elections in Imo North Senatorial District and Kogi East Senatorial District of Imo and Kogi states.

In response to the unforeseen security challenges that might confront the rerun elections in certain areas, the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Abdulahi Gana Muhammadu, has also approved the deployment of personnel from the surrounding states and zones to adequately provide security

NSCDC promises safe atmosphere for voters in rerun polls in and around the affected states and its polling centres in collaboration with other security agencies.

These arrangements will also cover the Houses of Assembly rerun elections, taking place on the same date in the two states.

This directive was given in line with the sensitive nature of the society as pertains to exercising their right to vote, which demands full preparedness and vigilance on the part of security agencies to forestall any electoral

malpractices that are likely to arise.

Gana reiterates that the Corps is fully committed to nipping in the bud every sign of hooliganism, political thuggery and electoral fraud. He noted that that his men will always labour to ensure general safety of the common man.

“Law abiding citizens can be assured that no stone will be left unturned to ensure a peaceful and effective voting experience,” he said in a statement released Saturday.

The Corps Chief Executive cautions citizens of affected areas to be security conscious to prevent infiltration of their electoral process by unwanted elements, assuring of adequate security of electoral materials before, during and after the exercise.

According to News Agency of Nigeria, parents are also enjoined to keep their wards away from trouble zones as many political actors, for selfish reasons, might attempt to use them for evil.

14

SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

NEWS

Ambush: Five missing officers, soldiers found - Army Emmanuel Onani ABUJA

T

he Nigerian Army yesterday, said a Commanding Officer (CO) and four of his men earlier declared missing in action, as a result of an ambush by Boko Haram suspects, have been found.

The Acting Director, Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman had, in a statement on Thursday night, announced that 19 soldiers were wounded, while a few others were missing in action, after an ambush by suspected Boko Haram elements.

But, the Army has said that the officers and soldiers, have been found, and have since been

moved to medical facilities for care.

He said, “Recall that some of our troops were missing in action after an ambush at Guro Gongon on July 20, 2016. Consequently, concerted efforts were initiated to search for and rescue them. The measures include the use of air assets, special forces and patrols.

“We wish to inform you that the search party has this morning found five more officers and soldiers that were declared missing in action, including the unit’s Commanding Officer.

“Although they are in a stable condition, have been moved to our Medical facilities for medical care,” Usman said.

Buhari condoles with Germany over Munich shootings resident Muham- and friends of victims P madu Buhari has ex- of the barbaric act. pressed deep shock and “The President says it horror at the shootings which recently rocked Munich, Germany.

Buhari in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesin, said “on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Buhari sends his most sincere condolences to the families

was quite unfortunate and inconceivable that the forces of evil do not relent on their activities, but expresses confidence that with the unanimity of purpose from all forces around the world, the workers and perpetrators of these evil acts will not prevail.”

RCCG Province 2 spends N7.5m on CSR

A

s part of efforts to meet the needs of the people in its environs, the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Province 2, Ikeja, Lagos, has spent over N7.5million on corporate social responsibility in the past 10 years.

Speaking at the church fundraising event in Lagos recently, the Minister in Charge of the Province, Pastor Yemi Lebi, said that God has given them mandate to preach the gospel to the people and that they would use material also to reach the needy.

According to him, they need to find ways to get across the gospel to people, especially in our society today, seeing so many needs in the life of people.

“A hungry man is an angry man, you need to find ways to pass the word of God to the person, and you don’t preach to somebody who is hungry and tell them to go. But you need to find a way to give

food to the person who is hungry and for us, it’s to find way to try and minister to them in areas where we believe will help them in their standard of living. Jesus Christ didn’t only preach the gospel, he ministered to the people’s needs as well and that is what we do,” he said.

He added that RCCG has put things in place as tools of evangelism and reaching people through their needs are part of the programme.

“We called the people together today, so that they can partner with the church mission to be able to meet these needs we have as a corporate social responsibility.

The province has done a lot in term of providing drinking water in many places in Lagos and Ogun states, supplied materials to hospitals and built hospitals in the rural area where we are able to touch life of the less privileged people,” he said.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, assessing the burnt Bori office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), …yesterday

Ohanaeze: We are not against IPOB, MASSOB’s agitation Kenneth Ofoma

A ENUGU

pex Igbo sociocultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo said it has never been against Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) or other separatist groups agitating for a sovereign nation, Biafra.

The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Gary Enwo Igariwey, who made the clarification in an exclusive chat with Sunday Telegraph yesterday also reacted to the Friday shooting at Ohanaeze secretariat in Enugu following a misunderstanding between two factions of Ohanaeze youth wing.

Igariwey said it has never been the official position of Ohanaeze that IPOB and other groups should stop agitation for a sovereign state.

He noted that Ohanaeze’s position is that the groups were free to agitate for sovereignty but in doing so, they should not expose themselves to harm by security personnel.

“They are free to agitate but we are only saying they should not expose themselves to security risks; they are free to agitate,” he stated.

On the shooting at Ohanaeze secretariat which caused a scare during a meeting on Friday, Igariwey said Ohanaeze is resolving the crisis within the youth wing which resulted into the fracas.

“There is no serious problem; we are handling the matter. The shooting was accidental by a security man attached to one of the officials (of Ohanaeze), in a bid to control a tensed situation.

But nobody was injured,” he said.

Recall that a policeman opened fire at the National Secretariat of the organisation in Enugu on Friday. It

was learnt that the incident was caused by leadership tussle between rival factions of the Ohanaeze Youth Council.

Igariwey and other Ohanaeze leaders, including the National Secretary, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu, were at the secretariat for a National Executive Committee meeting of the body when the incident occurred. Leaders of the youth wing were also at the meeting.

However, trouble started when the National Publicity Secretary of the youth wing, Obinna Adibe, who belonged to the Arthur Okafor faction, allegedly came with some plain clothes policemen from the Enugu Area Command to arrest one of the youth leaders, Alex Okemiri.

Adibe had, in a petition to the Enugu Area Command, accused Okemiri, who belonged to the faction of the National President, Mazi Ikechukwu Isiguzoro, of impersonating him in text

messages he circulated to summon a meeting.

As the policemen were dragging Okemiri into a waiting vehicle, some officials of Ohanaeze Ndigbo moved to intervene. Plea by the Ohanaeze officials fell on deaf ears, as the policemen insisted on taking Okemiri away.

But the matter took a dangerous turn when a policeman attached to one of the Ohanaeze officials shut at the gates of the secretariat, raised his rifle and fired into the air.The sound of the gunshot sent the Ohanaeze leaders scampering for safety.

Afterwards, Igariwey moved to continue with the discussions between the warring factions of the youth wing, while the policemen eventually left without Okemiri, after Igariwey pleaded with Adibe to allow the Ohanaeze leadership to resolve the crisis. It was gathered that the policeman that released the bullet was reprimanded.

Rainfall disrupts Imo re-run elections T

he re-run elections organised in Imo North Senatorial District and three state constituencies by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday were partially disrupted by heavy rainfall.

The exercise had barely lasted for less than three hours in some areas before the heavy downpour thereby discouraging prospective voters to participate in the electorate process.

Former Imo State Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, who spoke to journalists in his Okohia country home on Saturday, alleged that some persons were compromised.

Ohakim alleged that the compromising process in some parts of Imo North was to favour their preferred candidates. ``Information available to me revealed that some people who claimed to be owners of Okigwe zone are busy manipulating the rerun election resulting without recourse to the implication of their actions.``We are people of Imo North and we are to decide who will represent us, if anybody believes that he is the owner of Imo North and decide to subvert the process, he is trying. ``We will now know how the winner that engages

through such corrupt way will lead us,’’ he said.

Ohakim, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said he was optimistic that PDP candidate would emerge victorious if the exercise was free and fair.

Ohakim said he had already cast his vote before the commencement of the rain, adding that the heavy rainfall might seriously affect the turnout of voters.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who visited some wards in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area, Ehime Mbano Local Government, and Obowo Local Government

Area reports that there was low turnout of voters in most polling units.

NAN further reports that at Community Secondary School Amaraku, Ward 1, Osu Owere ward 2, Okohia Mbano Ward 1 and Okenalogho Secondary School in Obowo Local Government Area, the turnouts were impressive and peaceful.

Mr Obinna Onwubuariri, representing Isiala Mbano/ Onuimo/Okigwe Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives described the election as free and fair in his Amaraku community in Isiala Mbano Area.

15

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016

SUNDAY

Body Soul S U N D AY, J U LY 2 4 , 2 0 1 6

Patra’s dilemma 13 22 Most powerful fashion fabric 18,39 I’d love a collabo with Phyno –Kapuchi 42

Sexual abused did not stop my success - Antonia Ojenagbon

16

Body&Soul

SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Here Beyond Ooze glamour in cape jumpsuits Vanessa Okwara

A

jumpsuit is an easy way to look chic and stylish, and the addition of a cape detail means you don’t even have to style it up too much; just a clutch and heels will do the trick while the cape does the talking.

Cape jumpsuits are flattering and stylish jumpsuits, featuring a cape sleeve and slightly flared legs. The cape is a simple statement look that requires minimal effort for every conceivable occasion.

You will definitely look amazing in this trendy frock. Cape jumpsuits are evening jumpsuits that are stealing the spotlight.

They’re classy, comfortable and look pretty and sexy.

There’s something very elegant about a

cape jumpsuit. The lack of break creates a unity that’s hard to mimic, and the stylish drapes of the cape and flowing material have a glamorous, timeless appeal. Whether you are going out with the girls or dressings up for a special occasion, dressy cape jumpsuits are the perfect choice to ensure you are looking your best.

The cut of these cape jumpsuits is generally quite flattering and often features plunging necklines and open backs. The effortless, versatile look of a jumpsuit with a cape makes it a great outfit for just about any occasion, even formal weddings.

Many celebrities are seen rocking them, both in Nollywood and Hollywood. Ooze glamour and sophistication in our pick of one-piece wonders!

17

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016

Body&Soul

Ivie Okujaye

Captivating screen goddess Biwom Iklaki

F

ew first time actresses would get into a role on screen and keep you enthralled from the beginning of the movie to the end of it with their performancets quite like Ivie Okujaye did in ‘Alero Symphony’ and ‘Hotel Majestic’. This multiple award winning actress was born on May 16, 1987 in Benin City to a Delta State father and Edo State mother, the last of five children. The actress, producer, scriptwriter, dancer and singer is multi-faceted and is good at all she does. Evidence of this was her ability to participate in and emerge winner of Amstel Box Office (AMBO) reality TV show in 2009. It was the springboard for her career in tinsel town.

The graduate of Economics has proved that she has her life all figured out with an amazing career, a husband and recently, a brand new baby to boot. Her style is obviously a whole new topic as she keeps moving away from the norm to create a new repertoire for herself as she showed at her wedding where she spotted a sexy pair of glitter encrusted sneakers which is not common among brides. The lady knew it was a day to be enjoyed in utmost comfort and not to be seetn tethering on stiletto heels. She went ahead to dance to her heart’s content amid her lover and friends. When she shared a picture of her baby bump, shealso opted for a pair of high top black and white sneakersas if to say “You know now!” This gave her pregnacy style a simple, sexy and very laid back appeal which did everything for her maternity glow. Perhaps another big part of her appeal is her striking resemble to fellow actress, Genevieve Nnaji which had actually struck a vivid conversation on social media.

Ivie often tries to look as effortless as possible in most of her outfits seeming not to have lifted a finger to look so good. Her make up too is always minimal and her slim, toned body makes every outfit a breath of fresh air. I would easily imagine designers falling all over themselves vying for a chance to dress her up. Ovie’s style is a joy to stalk!

Body&Soul

SUNDAY, 24 JULY

18

Leopard prin

Most powerful fashion fab Biwom Iklaki

T

his is one of fashion’s staples that are sure to lend a hand to the rhetoric of the girlpower, girlboss that make up most of the definitions of today’s woman.

Though one cannot totally rely on a piece of fabric to define the sheer strength of the crop of women we have today and their achievements, leopard print can sure meet up. It is one of the only prints that are con-

sidered neutrals right up there with the other animal prints like tiger, zebra, giraffe, etc. After all, they consist of black, white and brown.

Because they are considered to be neutrals, they can be worn with just about anything. The leopard print has been likened to a red lipstick

by Harper ’s Baazar ’s Kristen Bateman, indeed, the leopard print is that classic and can take any outfit to an ultimate fashion high. Even if you wore the laziest outfit and

Editor’s current obsession

threw on a leopard print c ensemble would look inte It is that magnetic!

While the leopard print is and all that, some people m little too shy to go all out you would rather not be sw up by an all leopard outfit, taking little nibbles out of it ning a pair of shoes in leopar jewellery, skirt, etc. that w would still be giving off th mess with me vibes’…nicel

19

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016

Wine & Dine

Beyond the berries Ibukunoluwa Kayode

I

t is clear that blueberries are incredibly healthy and nutritious. The fact that they are sweet, colourful, and can be enjoyed both fresh and frozen, is just a tasty bonus. Also, considering the load of health benefits packed in it makes it the most nutritious fruit juice anyone wouldn’t want to joke about.

Aside it’s benefits of low calories and high nutrients with antioxidants properties, blueberry juice contains more potent healthy benefits.

Reduce DNA Damage which may help protect against ageing and cancer. Oxidative DNA damage is part of everyday life in which, several studies have shown that blueberry juice is a leading preventive driver of ageing and cancer .

Protect Cholesterol in the Blood from becoming damaged. Fortunately, the antioxidants in blueberries are strongly linked to reduced levels of oxidized LDL lipoproteins.

Lowers blood pressure

Blueberries appear to have significant benefits for people with high blood pressure (hypertension), a major risk factor for some of the world’s leading killers. Regular intake of this fruit juice has been shown to lower blood pressure in numerous studies.

Maintains brain function and improve memory. Since Oxidative stress can accelerate the brain’s aging process, having negative effects on its function blueberry interact directly with ageing neurons improving the cell signal with the load of antioxidants present in it.

Anthocyanins in Blueberries can have antidiabetic effects Several studies have shown that blueberries have anti-diabetic effects, helping to improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels.

Because the bioactive compounds in blueberries appear to outweigh any negative impact of the sugar when it comes to blood sugar control.

In which research suggests that anthocyanins in blueberries can have beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism.

Celebratory oxtail peppersoup Biwom Iklaki

W

ho needs a holiday or festive season to pamper oneself or make merry for that matter, certainly not the average Nigerian! So, my fellow countrymen, let us celebrate even in the face of current straits, much like laughing in the face of the proverbial wind. Let us do so by making something tasty, nice and spicy like oxtail pepper soup. Be sure to wash it down with something chilled.

Ingredients 1 oxtail (cut in pieces, spiced and cooked till tender) 1 large bulb onion Pepper (as spicy as you want) Stock cubes Salt

Basil and hot leaves (uziza) for flavour and garnish 3 cups water Preparation Divide the meat into two and set one half aside for another meal, unless you are cooking for a large family or friends. Grate half the onion or blend it and set aside. Wash and chop up the leaves and set aside. Dice the remaining half of the onion and also set aside.

Into the pot of cooked oxtail, add the water, salt, onion paste, pepper and stock cubes.

Remember to taste as you go along to adjust the ingredients to your personal preference. Stir the pot and put the lid on. Let it cook for about seven minutes and then add the chopped leaves and set the soup down. Stir and serve with warm bread rolls, pita bread, white boiled rice, boiled yam, plantain or potatoes.

20

SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

Sexual abuse did not stop my Antonia Ojenagbon is the CEO of Silton African Kitchen. Through participation in various government programs for women in business and winning benefits from The Tony Elumelu Foundation, Antonia expanded her business to become one of the sought after finger food companies in the country today. In this interview with VANESSA OKWARA and TOBILOBA ADENEKAN, she reveals how she was sexually abused by her uncle and almost became suicidal Brief background I run a company called Silton African Kitchen. We do indoor and outdoor catering but basically, we are into pepper snails, that is our specialty and what we are known for.

We pack pepper snails in lovely boxes and you can give them out as gifts, we also do pepper snails in bulk for high society parties. Also, if you are a health conscious eater and care so much about your health that you don’t eat red meat, then Silton African Kitchen is your best choice. We call ourselves the healthy choice.

How did you start Silton?

I used to make hats before but in my church , Fountain of Life Church, we hardly wear hats. So, I wasn’t selling except for one grandma who used to buy hats from me.

But the hat business gave me a scholarship to go to Lagos Business School when an investment bank, Goldman Sachs came to Nigeria to give Nigerian women scholarships to Lagos Business School and empowered 10,000 women of whom I was a part of. During the first day of the program, a lady was called to come and talk to us on entrepreneurship and she was talking about her business. As she was talking, my head was spinning on what else I could do. This is because the business she was doing had taken her to America.

So, I was inspired that someone in Nigeria is running a business that has grown so big and the woman was selling ‘Moi Moi’. In my inner spirit, I just heard ‘pepper snails’.

So during lunch, I started telling people that actually, I sell pepper snails apart from making hats and they said I should bring it to school tomorrow. So after class, I went to Oyingbo market to buy the snails. I made the snails and took it to class the fol-

lowing day. I packed them in take away packs and people bought at two thousand naira per pack. That was how I started selling pepper snails in class. But then, not everybody was buying; some people just wanted to taste it. So I ‘ll just tell you to take these snails home and give me your verdict by tomorrow. I gave one of the facilitators like that and he was one of the people who helped my business. He said he will take it home and give to his wife so they can eat together. The following day, he came to class and said the snail was very good and he spoke so much about it. That was how this business started.

What is the business like now?

We have expanded; we are not only doing pepper snails, we are now a full – fledge catering company. We do proper indoor and outdoor catering. For the very rich, we add fried yam, plantain and snails. We also add pepper guinea fowl as a health choice. For people who don’t want to eat chicken or beef, you eat pepper guinea fowl. Now, we do pepper snails in bulk for parties. When you want to have a party, and you just want something different , you can order for pepper snails and it can be used as finger foods. Then, if you want to go the extra mile, you can do fried yam, plantain, and snails or fried yam, plantain and guinea fowl for your party which is not seen in your regular menu. Now, we started showcasing some African dishes as finger foods and bring it to your event; it is not something you do all the time and it made us unique.

We serve it in parties in our beautiful plates. The way it is packed alone, you will want to eat the food.

What is your client base like?

Our clients are the rich and the very rich who want something very good and can pay for it. Big event planners also add us to their menu and recommend us to their clients. That way we have served high society with our brand. If your product is good and you have something unique to offer, people will pay and you will be sought after.

How do you source for your snails?

We get snails from Badagry, Ore and we also get from Ondo State.

Can you mention the clients you have been opportune to work for?

Oh yes , last month , Professor Oloyede, he was once a Vice – Chancellor of LASU, clocked 80 and we were part of the vendors for the meeting; we’ve worked for the MD of GT bank in Ghana, we manage corporate kitchens of different organisations. We are working with Mrs. Yewande Zaccheus, the CEO of Eventful Ltd, right now. We work

with some big people in NNPC too.

We were also part of the people who worked for the First Bank Chairman, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika. Anytime she has an event , we are one of the caterers who work for her.

You’ve been doing this business for how long now?

Three years, the business was registered three years ago officially What’s your staff strength like?

Right now , we have 10 full time staff and most of them are graduates, including our manager but for outdoor catering, we bring in boys; those ones are part time and it depends on the job we have. Sometimes, we could get up to 20 boys to serve depending on the job, minus those who are frying or dishing.

What informed the name of your company Silton?

It was coined from my name and my husband’s name. My name is Antonia, but people call me Tonia, and my husband’s name is Sylvester.

What was growing up like?

My growing up was very rough, very hard and very tough. My dad was a military man and I ‘m the fourth child of nine children. My father died at 46, leaving my 37 year old mother pregnant with the ninth child. So growing up was not funny at all. I had to start working the very week I finished WAEC so that I could help my family. I had to work extra hard to help because my mom was a full time housewife; she wasn’t doing anything before my father died.

When did you get married?

I got married in 2003; I have three children, two girls and a boy.

What does your husband do?

He works at Fountain of Life Church.

He is the Editor of The Fountain Magazine.

How did you meet?

I met him in my pastor’s office; he had just lost his father. As I got there, this gentleman was there, and my pastor introduced him as his childhood friend. They’d been together for almost 30 years at that time. He was going to travel to my pastor’s village, and my pastor said I should go to the village with him. Of course, we talked from there to the place. Two years later, he said I should marry him, and the rest they is history.

What was that unique thing about him that made him different from others?

He is a very nice guy. I went through a traumatic childhood because my father died early and I was already living with my uncle then and he was sexually abusing me. Afterwards, I

21

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016

Body&Soul

success –Antonia Ojenagbon had a complex; I felt dirty and filthy. In fact, I felt I wasn’t good enough and everything negative that you could think of. Then, I met this young man for the first time in my life that treated me well. He never judged me and never condemned me. Then, I heard he was working with Pastors Taiwo and Bimbo Odukoya and that was it for me. So when he said he was going to marry me, I didn’t really think about it because we’d been friends for two years. It didn’t take me long to say yes.

Have there been challenges in your marriage?

Of course, the first two years I wasn’t working. Two weeks before I got married, I resigned from where I was working. I wanted to be a full time housewife. I had three children in four years and my husband works in the church office. By the fifth year, it wasn’t easy for us financially because the children had to go to school. One day, I asked my husband for money and he just looked at me and he is a very blunt person and said, ‘Don’t you think you are becoming a liability’? That night I cried because I felt so bad. I’ve always hustled all my life; in JSS1, I was selling coconut candy. So I decided to go back to business. I got a pen and a paper and I said, ‘God, today, you must tell me what to do. So I wrote down different things that I could do but it was hat making I went into training for. I wanted to prove a point that I’m not a liability, I wanted to prove a point because my mom wasn’t doing anything when my father died, because I used to think to myself that if my mother was doing something , I’m sure I wouldn’t have stayed with somebody who sexually abused and almost ruined my life.

Did your husband help you in growing your business?

He‘s been very helpful; he was the one that helped me to fill the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWIN) Programme form. YouWIN is a programme from the Federal Government to assist women in starting up a business. Thousands of women applied for that programme all over the country but I was part of the few that won and the money was used to expand the catering side of my business. My husband is very intelligent like that.

You said you were sexually abused while growing up; did that affect you later in life?

Like I told you, I went through a traumatic childhood. So, most of the time I slip into depression; especially when it gets towards the time of the year that I was abused. My husband will try to talk me out of it but I will hide in the house, I may not be able to go to church for two months, I’ll not talk to anybody, I‘ll just be in my room. When that period passes again, I will come back to myself. So last year 2015, I slipped into the worst type of depression to the extent that I became suicidal. As it gets to that point in the year when my uncle abused me, the suicidal tendency gets to the peak. I will be hearing a voice telling me to end it all; but then, I also started to think that I needed to get over this once and for all. Last year, it was so bad that I ran out of the house and went to a depression facility in Lekki and I was there for days. I needed to do something to get over this battle and trauma once and for all. I can’t continue to live in my past. So one day, I wrote my story on Facebook that it’s been 23 years now since I’ve been sexually molested. My innocence was stolen by my uncle, a man who I trusted so much. After I did that, I felt a big relief because, finally, I’ve spoken out. One of the days, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya gave me the microphone to speak in church, so I was able to talk about my sexual abuse, how to avoid it, and what causes it. After that, I felt

totally liberated. I’ve been able to help others who have also been abused in one way or the other.

You spot a golden hair, any particular reason?

I went to the salon one day to cut my hair as I always wear a low cut. As I was cutting the hair, I just heard a voice saying, ‘the old Tonia is dead, and she is now Tonia, the golden girl’. So I just told the woman cutting my hair that I wanted to change my hair colour to gold. Immediately, without talking to anybody, not even my husband, I just changed my hair to gold.

Tell us about your fashion style.

I’m just your regular girl when it comes to fashion. I wear anything that makes me feel comfortable. I will not wear clothes that will expose my body too much.

What drives you to move on?

The fact that I don’t want my children to go through what I went through.

What’s your life’s philosophy?

Be good to whoever you meet on the way, never look down on anybody, you never know when you will need that person. You never know who will mention your name in the place of opportunity. I met somebody somewhere and I greeted her very well; I don’t even know her on a personal level.

She was doing a project in Aso Rock and they needed one person from Lagos to do an exhibition of their business and she remembered and mentioned my name. I don’t know anybody at the presidential villa but through that contact, I was able to set foot at Aso Rock and got close to the president of this country. Now I can confidently tell you that you can get something in this country without knowing anybody. I got a scholarship to Lagos Business School without knowing anybody. I saw the advert in a newspaper, I applied and I was selected just like that. Also, I didn’t know anybody when I applied for YouWIN and I was selected out of the many that applied. Also, the Tony Elumelu Foundation gave one thousand entrepreneurs in Africa five thousand dollars last year for their innovative businesses and I was also selected. I may not know anybody but I know God and he has been good to this girl from a poor home. I was sexually abused but I never allowed it to stop me from achieving my goal to become somebody in life. The youth should know that there are lots of opportunities. I read newspapers a lot; in fact, I must read newspapers every day for information and that is how I survive. I’m not a TV person but I have to read the papers to be informed.

My husband is very knowledgeable. So for me to have an intelligent conversation with him, I must be informed.

You have been a beneficiary of various programs and scholarships, how does that make you feel?

I feel great and thankful. A lot of people don’t believe you can get these things without knowing anybody. When I won YouWin, a close friend of mine was also motivated to believe that these things can be real.

And because she knew me personally and with faith, she too applied for YouWIN the next year and also won it. She is into catering and has expanded her business as well.

What is your advice to youth looking for white collar jobs?

My candid advice for any young person who doesn’t know what to do now is to look inwards. What is that thing you know you can do and do it well and will stand out in business? If you have a product that is unique , people will pay for it, people will look for you and refer you.

22

SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

with

Juliet Bumah +234 81 1 675 9770

julietbumah@gmail.com

Patra’s dilemma 13 Juliet Bumah

R

ichie was in KC’s office.

“So, you lost it? You got yourself drunk and hit your pregnant wife? That doesn’t make you a man!

She could have sustained a serious injury that could lead to death. She could have lost the baby! “ Dr. KC said and Richie flinched.

“I feel like an ass, KC. I regret my action. Jealousy can kill, just as love can. I was jealous. I love her. Alcohol blinded me.

I told her the baby in her womb is not mine. I hit her. I feel terribly sorry for my action. But KC, my wife told me to my face that I am not responsible for her pregnancy! Now that hurts,” Richie said.

“Yeah, that hurts, man, but that is the truth. You are not responsible for her pregnancy. You were frank enough to tell her and she confirmed it. That’s noble. Would you have preferred she lied to you?” KC asked.

Richie lowered his gaze and said, quietly, “KC, ego means a lot to a man. Pride also. Perhaps, it would have soothed my nerves a little if she lied a bit, if she pretended that I got her pregnant. That would have wrapped me in a toga of a man.

Telling me to my face that I’m infertile emasculated me...and we had a witness, a security guard.”

“I understand, man. But a man must be responsible for his action at all times. So now, what’s your plan?” KC asked.

“My wife occupies a special place in my heart. My home is her home anytime. I guess I’ll have to wait,” he said.

KC glanced at his timepiece and said, “I’ve got to see some of my patients now,” and stood up.

“Is my wife leaving with me now?” He asked.

“No, let me observe her till tomorrow,” KC replied smiling.

“Cool. In that case, I’ll see her and go home. I need to get my thoughts together. Will come back later to spend the night with her,” Richie said, his lips twisting in a vague smile. ******* Patra was awake when Richie got back to Private Ward F. “How are you doing, darling,” he asked her, kissing her forehead.

“Better,” Patra muttered.

Betty stood up to go.

“I have to go home. Been out since morning. Will be back in the morning but call me if you need me,” she told no one in particular.

They all chatted for a few moments and she left.

“Darling, I’m sorry. I was drunk. I was...jealous. I was.....er... er...I was just outta my mind. Forgive me...” Richie searched for the words to convey his feelings.

Patra helped him out.

“It’s alright darling. Fate has been cruel to us,” she said, reaching for his hand.

She could feel her baby move as Richie bent down to kiss her, brushing his lips lightly on her bruised cheek.

“I want to go home and pick a few things you may need this night. KC said he wants to observe you further,” Richie said.

“Kk darling,” she replied. *** Richie observed a good looking, well-built man in nicely fitted T-shirt walking towards the nurse at the reception area.

Being a rich man, he recognised one of his ilk. They nodded at each other in greeting. As he walked away, he heard the rich voice asked to be taken to Private Ward F. Something sounded so familiar...

There was commotion at the gate, a young boy was rushed into the hospital. It was an emergency. The nurse at the reception switched attention to the new comers after pointing out the way to the handsome dude.

Richie wondered what could be wrong with the little boy.

As he stepped out of the reception area, he forgot about the wealthy stranger.

He asked his driver to drive to a fruit shop. There, he bought some fruits. Luckily, the hospital had an arrangement with a nearby restaurant. It usually provided food for patients on demand. So he needn’t take food to Patra, only the fruits.

His living room was as he left it. He locked the door when they were leaving for the hospital, so the domestic staff couldn’t clean up the mess. He cleared the mess and decided to watch a match. The one of the pre-season matches was on; he switched on the television and went to the kitchen.

He washed the fruits, put some in a fruit bowl and went back to the living room. He munched on them as he watched

the match.

It was towards the end of the match that his mind went back to the stranger at the hospital reception. It then occurred to him that his wife was in Private Ward F. “Oh Gawd! A visitor for my wife? How did he know my wife was there? Who is he?”

Something told him the man made a mistake about the Ward number. A little voice told him the dude was the man that proved him infertile in his wife’s presence.

He sat up suddenly as reality dawned on him.

“That must be the man farming on my territory. He had the gut to show up at the hospital!”

Richie was furious. It would have been easier on him if he looked better than the man. But from all indications, the guy was a ‘sure guy’!

He shot up from the couch and called the driver.

“Sir, he stepped out now,” the security man told him.

“Get me a car key,” he said.

“Which car sir?” The man asked and Richie barked at him.

“I said a CAR key!”

The security man scurried inside and came out with some keys. Richie glared at him and picked one.

He was out of the house in a flash. In his hurry, he rammed his car into another one at the junction.

“Phew!”

It took him precious minutes and some cash to pacify the middle aged woman who drove the other car. Some husbands do have them! The woman cut him to pieces with her tongue, telling him how his poor driving was sure sign he managed his family poorly.

Richie was in a rage by the time he drove off from the scene. *** The stranger tapped lightly on the door of Room F, turned the knob and entered. The room was empty. He stepped out and was about to close the door when he noticed another door to his right. He stepped back into the room and closed the door gently behind him. The occupant of the room must be in the other room. He heard the tap running.

Patra came out of the rest room and was surprised to see him. She stifled a shout and ran into his arms.

“My! You scared me! You should have called first. What if he was still around? He left just a few minutes ago,” she said.

“I’m past caring,” Pius said, examining her face.

He asked, “What happened? He struck you?”

Patra nodded.

“Only an animal will strike a woman,” he said.

“He was angry. He felt bad when I told him he wasn’t the father of my unborn baby. You would, if you were in his shoes. I feel sorry for him. He made me happy all these years before we started having problems earlier this year. He loves me,” Patra said, tears in her voice.

Pius’ breath caught in his throat!

“My love, where does this leave me? If you feel this way about a man that did this to you, then you must be in love with him,” he said, crestfallen.

Patra felt a tug at her heart.

“My baby, I love you. But I can’t deny the fact that I’m still in love with my husband. He behaved like a bum, no doubt, but he gave me love, made me comfortable before things fell apart between us. I was brought up to appreciate good people. I don’t forget good gesture...”

Pius stared at her as if seeing her for the first time.

“So what happens to me and my baby in your womb,” he asked, barely audible. He was scared.

Patra took a while before responding.

Rubbing her belly gently, she said, “You will have your baby. You will also have me...but give me time.”

“How long?” Pius asked through gritted teeth.

“Dunno dear,” she said, moving towards the bed. The baby was kicking so hard. She needed to lie down. She was feeling a bit tired.

Pius helped her to the bed, kissed her and kissed her belly.

He felt the baby moving and smiled.

He cooed at the baby in the womb and felt increased movement.

“My baby, please leave. I want to rest a bit and he will be back any moment from now,” she pleaded.

“Ok my love, will call you later,” he said, his right palm still feeling the baby’s movement.

“Don’t call, I’ll call you when it’s safe dear,” she replied.

He bent to kiss her and the door swung open.

He froze and she nearly went into shock. ********* Who’s at the door? I’m sure you can’t wait to see how it all ended...

Sunday is a date!

•Send your observations to: julietbumah@gmail.com

23

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016

APC too big to have sleepless night over Ize–Iyamu, says Shuaibu p.25

The Sunday Interview

Boko Haram disguise as Fulani herdsmen, says Ejiofor p.27

Don’t blame me for sack of 21 AIGs, says Idris p28-29

Politics

Biyi Adegoroye Assistant Editor biyi.fire@yahoo.com © Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Buhari, CJN’s blame game over anti-graft war Tunde Oyesina

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed seem not to be on the same page on which arm of the government is responsible for the delay in the fight against corruption as the duo had continued to trade blames.

The most recent was at the international workshop to examine the role of the judiciary in the fight against corruption organised by the Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute, UN Office on Drugs and Crimes and Commonwealth Secretariat held in Abuja last week.

There the President had for the second time blamed the judiciary for the slow pace in the corruption cases before the court. The President had earlier stated that the judiciary was his headache.

The CJN, however, strongly kicked against the blame, stating that it is not the arm alone that should fight corruption but all the other arms of government.

President Muhammadu Buhari at the conference said that the judiciary is yet to meet the public expectations in its fight against corruption He said: “I am worried that the expectation of the public is yet to be met by the judiciary with regard to the removal of delay and the toleration of delay tactics by lawyers.

When cases are not concluded the negative impression is given that crime pays. So far, the corruption cases filed by government are not progressing as speedily as they should in spite of the administration of criminal justice act of 2015 essentially because the courts allow some lawyers to frustrate the reforms introduced by law.

“This certainly needs to change if we have to make success of our collective effort in the fight against corruption. As we are all aware, I have made the fight against corruption one of the top priorities of this administration in the hope of restoring the economy and building a new Nigeria.

“In the face of dwindling revenues and in a bid at repositioning Nigeria’s economy, it became obligatory to swiftly tackle two ills: waste and corruption. The eradication of corruption is a joint task involving not only judges and members of the legal profession, but all stakeholders, including all branches of government, the media, the civil society and the general citizenry.

“The challenge is to come up with an integrated approach that balances process and substance, promote clarity so as to ensure a coherent and realistic formulation of objectives. To this end, the judiciary is duty bound to keep its house in order and to ensure that the public, which it serves, sees this. Thus, we cannot expect to make any gains in the war against corruption in our society when

Buhari

the judiciary is seen as being distant from the struggle. This will not augur well and its negative effect will impact all sectors of society.

“The judiciary must fight delay of cases in court as well as it fights corruption within its own ranks perceived or otherwise. We expect to see less tolerance to delay tactics used by defence lawyers or even the prosecution in taking cases to their conclusion”.

But in his own speech at the occasion, the CJN stated that the fight against corruption is only a part of the process of building good governance, adding that everyone must be accountable, transparent and adhere to the proverbial rules of the game.

“Despite the role of the third Arm of State, I must reiterate that the responsibility of fighting corruption in our country lies with every one of us, institutionally and individually. We cannot continue to do things the same way and expect different results. Let us therefore ensure that all hands are on deck working towards a corrupt free Nigeria,” the CJN added.

He further stated that the issue of undue delay by technicality, which hitherto plagued the criminal justice system, has also been addressed by the enactment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

“The Act has barred the entertainment of interlocutory applications by any court, limited the number of adjournments that a court

Mohammed

may grant, provides for a day-to-day trial until conclusion of the case and permits trial in absentia, among initiatives too numerous to mention,” he added.

The CJN further stressed that corruption in Nigeria, as in other climes, is a complex and many-sided problem that cannot be solved in isolation.

“The reality of its corrosive effect is found in the socio-economic threat that it poses to the development and harmony of Nigeria. As we have witnessed, corruption suppresses economic growth and undermines the sustainable management of our commonwealth.

It also results in flagrant breaches of the fundamental human rights of citizens, undermines our collective security; aggravates poverty, while threatening the legitimacy of constitutional governance and democracy.

Perhaps above these, corruption blunts the sword of justice and engenders contempt for the rule of law, a fundamental principle of any civilized society.

“It is therefore important for us to be holistic in our submissions and pragmatic in our solutions. I daresay that corruption cannot be easily tackled without transparent, efficient and speedy delivery of justice. Indeed, this is fundamental to our economic growth, development and national wellbeing. Hence, the growth of our democracy is underpinned by the satisfactory resolution of our individual and collective differences through a profi-

cient and virile justice system.

“However, a closer scrutiny suggests that the Judiciary may have a more evolved role to play beyond just adjudication, as any effective campaign against corruption will have to employ a multipronged approach. Tackling corruption is neither easy nor quick and it is a symptom of deep-rooted factors. The causes are complex and the means to control corruption are gradually being understood. There is no single magical solution, as is with most problems in development; it must be tackled simultaneously on all fronts, individually and collectively.

“Hence, we must do our part and act now. Our actions must be concrete, ethical and time-bound, as it is necessary to ensure an efficient and effective justice system. In furtherance of this, I hasten to add that our courts have indeed proven to be proactive.

In 2013, various jurisdictions from the High Courts, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, acting under the auspices of the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute, initiated and introduced Practice Directions on Kidnapping, Corruption and other Serious Offences, that provides a framework for the fast tracking of major crimes and corruption cases. In addition, most Judiciaries have designated Judges and/or Courts that are dedicated to the hearing and determination of economic crimes and corruption CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

24

SUNDAY 24 JULY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

politics

‘Restive youths must embrace dialogue, drop arms’ Ambassador Francis T. Eno is the President, Core Oil Producing Communities Youth Leaders of Nigeria, and Ibong Mkparawa 1 of Eket Akwa Ibom State. He speaks to TONY ANICHEBE on some trending national issues President Muhammadu Buhari has just announced the new Chairman and Managing Director for NDDC. How do you see these appointments?

I appreciate Mr. President for getting it right and this is one appointment that tremendously impressed me, because of the records and milestone which the persons involved have achieved in life. For instance, the new Chairman designate, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba a former Senate Leader is a man I have known for many years. He is a well articulate fellow whose integrity is not in doubt. He had held various positions of responsibility right from his early 20s and never failed in any given assignment. In the same vein, the new MD and CEO designate, my brother Mr. Nsima Ekere, former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State is a renowned entrepreneur, estate manager and businessman whose track record in private and public service is verifiable. From available records, he has more than 27 years of public and private sector experience with 19 years spent in top management positions working cross functionally in a variety of challenging projects across various economic sectors. He is a square peg in a square hole and I thank Mr. President for the appointment of these two fine gentlemen at this time to lead the NDDC. You are a youth leader in the Niger Delta region. What is your take on the activities of militants in the region?

As the President of Youth Leaders of Core Oil Producing Communities, I have been very worried at the random destruction of oil facilities in the Niger Delta region which further damage the environment and the ecosystem. I have vigorously campaigned against the use of violence in addressing any grievances. We must explore meaningful dialogue at all times. I have always pleaded with government at all levels to not only recognise these youth leaders in various communities across the Niger Delta, but to meaningful engage them to assist government manage the activities of youths across the region especially at the grassroots. As a traditional youth leader and Justice of Peace, I know virtually every youth in my domain and command their respect and equally in a position to positively impact their lives through positive advice.

The situation in Niger Delta presently is disturbing and something must be done fast to arrest the drift. The Federal Government should engage youth leaders and elders across the region in a roundtable dialogue to identify the grey areas and proffer lasting solutions. We must end the ongoing unrest in the Niger Delta for the sake of our future generation. The continuous damage on the ecosystem will make it near impossible for agriculture to thrive here and any nation that could not feed herself is doomed.

Again, I want to state here that I am deeply worried about the impact of oil spills across the Niger Delta from the activities of the oil

firms in the region. Some of our fishermen now toil endlessly in the high sea without any catch and their livelihood depends on fishing. In the same vein, the farmers are lamenting that crops no longer yield owing to acidic rain. Oil firms must ensure that they help in cleaning up the land and waterways and pay adequate compensations to those adversely affected by their activities. The approach will further help to calm nerves and bring meaningful development to the region. Government at all levels must join hands to address the issues of poverty in the region through skill acquisition for youths and other empowerment programmes. Government must approach the development of the oil communities with utmost sincerity. They must follow financial approvals made in offices to the last level of implementations to ensure that the ordinary people benefit from such good intentions. We the youth leaders will help identify and guide the authorities properly on the effective implementations of genuine programmes designed to address these challenges.

I must equally appeal to militants to allow meaningful dialogue with government as further destruction of oil facilities will worsen the already bad economy and the ecosystem of the area.

Are you worried by the drums of succession being beaten across the regions by youths in different regions like the Independent People of Biafra and others?

It is my candid view that Nigeria will still be a better country if we are united as a nation. We have come a long way and should only get stronger. These group agitations must be informed by one grievance or the other. So what government must do is to bring leaders of these groups to a roundtable and dialogue with them, reach a realistic conclusion and address the problems without compromising the unity of the country.

We are the giant of Africa and must remain so, but whatever that is, government must address injustices, ensure equitable distribution of amenities. Appointments must reflect federal character while we practise true federalism to ensure peaceful co-existence. It has not been easy contending with these forces demanding self-determination and that is where I appreciate the professionalism with which the immediate past Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase handled the challenges. I believe his successor, Mr. Ibrahim Idris will do better.

His choice for the top security position in the police ahead of many other senior officers is not a mistake. He has a track record of performance in all formation he had headed and will definitely help police the country well. Again, the emergence of the new IG is divine but government should further promote and elevate all hardworking officers who are due for promotion to boast the morale of the officers.

Talking about security challenges, how

Eno

have youth leaders like you contributed to peace in your various domains?

What you don’t know is that the prevailing peace across many communities in the Niger Delta region is because of the peace advocacy of youth leaders across the region.

I have in the course of my leadership impressed it upon youth leaders to know that outside God, the next authority is government and that we must listen and partner with government to develop the communities. We must advised our people against any form of sabotage of government installations and developmental strides, and more so the need to exercise patience when our expectations are not yet met.

As youth leaders in Niger Delta communities, we know our brothers closely and know what agitates their hearts. We know how to go about to address their frustrations but we cannot do this without government’s support and encouragement. I believe that part of the proactive measures to end the incessant crisis in the region is for government to work closely with these youth leaders to get youths to embrace dialogue, drop arms and take up meaningful job or skills to

advance their life.

As the president of the Core Oil producing Communities Youth Leaders of the country had said at many fora that I will do everything legally possible to assist government resolve crisis in the region and bring lasting development here.

What is your take on the recent threat of impeachment of the President by the Senators?

Nigeria is not ready for that kind of politics now. All arms and all tiers of government must work closely to solve the mirage of problems confronting Nigeria. The economy is not too sound, the militants and other freedom fighters are kicking amidst other severe challenges so government must remain formidable to tackle these problems.

Nigeria will not tolerate anything like impeachment at this time. However, I know too well that the senators will not carry out such threat. Not a Senate with many statesmen and one with a man like Senator Godswill Akpabio as Minority Leader. Akpabio is a man of peace and will do anything to ensure the Senate drops such idea.

Buhari, CJN’s blame game over anti-graft war C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 3

matters. These were established to hasten the hearing of corruption cases, given its prevalence, seriousness and potential impact on our dear country.

“I therefore urge all parties to proceedings to avail themselves of the innovations introduced by the Act in order to ensure that delay becomes obsolete in our courts. The Nigerian Judiciary will continue to play its role to listen attentively, consider wisely and judge decisively all matters brought before our courts.

Rest assured, corruption will not be tolerated and due punishment will be meted out to anyone found guilty of the commission of same in accordance with the law. However, I must caution us all that the Judiciary cannot act on its own without the support of all stakeholders in the justice sector. The prosecution, defence, police and other parties must play their respective roles in ensuring that they obey all directions of the courts and act timeously in the interest of justice”, the CJN stated.

In a similar vein, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) described the Administration

of Criminal Justice Act as veritable tool to reduce the delay in the prosecution of corrupt cases.

He noted that since its enactment, the Act has been rightly acknowledged as a revolutionary legislation which should facilitate the achievement of the common objective of a humane and modern Criminal Justice system founded on social justice and the Rule of Law. According to him: “While we have crossed the first stage of enacting the Act, there is no doubt that considerable challenges remain in ensuring its effective implementation. In the first place, we must all work hard to ensure that the Act transcends the purview of Federal laws and Federal courts and becomes a truly national legislation through the adoption of its reform-oriented provisions by our various state governments. Additionally, given the fact that the Act creates a holistic value chain across all the segments of the Criminal Justice process, there is an urgent need for the proper understanding of its provisions by all persons involved with its implementation, particularly within our security agencies, investigative and prosecutorial authorities, the legal profession, the Judiciary and the prison authorities, among others”

25

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016

APC too big to lose sleep over Ize–Iyamu, says Shuaibu

politics

Hon. Philip Shuaibu is the member representing Etsako Federal Constituency of Edo State in the House of Representatives. He spoke to journalists after his nomination as running mate to Godwin Obaseki in the September 10 governorship election in the state tion of PDP; we have Iduoriyekemwen who is the candidate of Sen, Ali Modu Sheriff’s faction. But he is not a match.

APC is too big to have sleepless night over him, it is only the media that is trying to amplify him as if he will even win his village. I have contested several elections, but this is the first time IzeIyamu will be running for election, so what experience is he bringing rather than being a PA to Lucky Igbinedion.

What are his antecedents, you people should ask him. Some of us were praying that PDP should give him the ticket but we did not envisage they were going to factionalise their party. Even at that, we have said it that if he becomes the candidate the election will be easier for us. God has answered our prayers and you will see how we will defeat him in the 192 wards in Edo State.

How do you feel emerging as running mate to Godwin Obaseki?

I am very grateful to the governor, the APC state chairman, our National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and all the leaders that run the affairs of the APC in the state, that they found me worthy to be the running mate to our next governor, Godwin Obaseki, come September 10. It’s a clarion call for me to improve on those things they saw in me.

In the event Obaseki wins the September 10 election, what new thing is the APC bringing to Edo State?

I am 100 per cent optimistic; we are talking about voting in APC to continue on the foundation already built by the Comrade governor, Adams Oshiomhole. Mr. Godwin Obaseki and Philip Shuaibu, were they part of this vision, were they part of the implementation of this vision. The answer is yes. Obaseki was in the executive arm, I am in the legislative arm. Obaseki as chairman of the Economic Team was part of the blue print, he knows where the projects are; he knows the areas we have worked and areas where we have not worked. He knows areas where jobs are ongoing.

And from the legislative arm, I ensured that we approved the jobs while I was in the House of Assembly, knowing full well that it will touch the lives of our people and the vision of the Comrade Governor and the development of APC. Because we are part of that vision, the Comrade Governor has taken it so far from ground zero to gear four; we are now going to engage gear five. And by the special grace of God we will make sure that the development gets to the next level. The governor has created an environment for employment. How do governments create the environment for employment? Through infrastructure, the Comrade Governor has built infrastructure and by the grace of God, Godwin and I are now going to make Edo State an industrial state through agriculture and other means, to generate 200,000 jobs.

Just like some regard Oshiomhole as troublesome; you are equally as such in some quarters. There is this fear that you may want to commence war with some persons when you get into office?

I think if there is going to be a fight which we don’t pray for, the fight will be against those who don’t want development in Edo State. We have always stood our ground and we have always fought them. I am not always scared of fighting those who want to put our development in reverse gear. So if there is going to be any fight it is going to be against those enemies of democracy, because it is going to be forward ever and backward never. So the government of Godwin Obaseki will be a government that will sustain development, taking it to the next level of industrialisation. So anybody who would not want development for Edo State, we are ever ready to fight such people. It is going to be a progressive fight because fighting for development is a fight that I enjoy get-

Shuaibu

ting involved in.

It seems your party members from Edo Central are not too happy, what is your party doing to appease them?

I think the Peoples Democratic Party are the ones blowing up this Edo Central thing. It is a creation of the PDP. Edo central is APC, they used to be PDP before the election of the Comrade Governor but after the election of the Comrade Governor, you saw we got 18/18. I am telling you that in this election, Edo Central, North and South are all APC, and those ethnic cards they are trying to play up – I have interacted with the youths of Edo Central, with the women and progressive traditional rulers from Esanland, they are for development - so it will not work. Esan people love development, they don’t want retrogressive government, they don’t want a government that will underdevelop them like PDP; they want good things and because they love good things they are now all in APC. Some of them who are just there are now leaving to join APC; so it is this imagination of PDP that they can play a smart game to create crisis among the people. I can tell you that Oshiomhole has broken the jinx by winning in all the 18 Local Governments of the state. Since then, no part of Edo State belongs to PDP and you will see it in the next election.

It is being said that the APC leadership is scared of the emergence of Ize-Iyamu

as PDP candidate?

How can we be sacred of Ize-Iyamu?

Electorally, Philip Shuaibu alone can take care of him. I don’t see him as a match to me not to talk of a match to Obaseki or the Comrade Governor. IzeIyamu was redeemed by the Comrade Governor when he was with us. Before then, he could not walk the streets of Benin. Ize-Iyamu boasts about Grace Group; I was a member of Grace Group, Moris and I wrote the mission statement of Grace Group. Lawrence Orka was a leader of Grace Group; Victor Ebomoyi was equally a leader. Those were people that conceived of the idea of Grace Group. Pastor Ize-Iyamu in his usual self, used government machinery then as Secretary State Government to Lucky Igbinedion to take over Grace Group.

That was why we decided to pay him back with Edo in Safe Hands and that was how he ran away from APC when he could not get the structure needed for him to be governor. We know him very well and he cannot take my heat not to talk of that of Obaseki or Oshiomhole or the APC. You people overrate him politically, but we are glad he is running now so he can get the defeat. He comes from the same local government with our Deputy Governor and leader, Pius Odubu. You will see how Odubu will deal with him that day electorally. It has happened before. May be this time he will run to All Progressive Grand Alliance. Unfortunately, he is only in a fac-

But are you sure people will vote APC with the current economic situation in the country?

Yes, Nigerians are aware of the issues.

They can never be deceived. Have you ever seen in the history of this country since 1999 where Federal Government will decide to increase the price of fuel and the masses on their own agreed?

That shows that Nigerian people understand the issues. Nigerians are aware that the economic crisis we are in today was masterminded by PDP; and President Muhammadu Buhari has come to fix the problem created by PDP. And as you are aware, to destroy is easier than to build. Buhari took over at a critical time when PDP looted the treasury and ran down the economy. That was the same way the Comrade Governor inherited Edo State when he came. All infrastructures were down, funds looted and price of oil is at the lowest level at the international market, and to worsen it we have the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers. So you see the pain the man is going through to fix the country. Our people are aware of what PDP has done and they will punish them with their votes come September 10, 2016.

Our people are aware of the issues, and by the grace of God, they know that President Buhari is one man that says the truth and he is prepared to fix the economy. Today our GDP that is on the paper is the real thing on ground, so we are in an economy that was destroyed

by PDP. The PDP created a muddy situation before Buhari came and what Mr. President is doing now is taking one step at a time. Mr. President is fighting corruption and like he said corruption is fighting back and those propaganda you are seeing against him today are being sponsored by those people. But with the prayers of Nigerians to a man that is truthful to them, we will get there.

Nigerians know that APC tells them the truth no matter how bitter it is and they will continue to vote APC. Enough of pretence of the PDP. In Edo, we have always dealt with them because they were so wicked to Edo people and in this election, whether it is Pastor or Iduoriyekemwen, we will defeat them with a wide margin.

26

politics Against the backdrop of the report of the Economic Confidential which listed Ogun among the five rich states in Nigeria, Soyombo Opeyemi, media aide to the Governor of Ogun State, says in this interview with IFEOLUWA ADEYEMO, that the best is yet to come Recently, the Economic Confidential listed Ogun among the five rich states in Nigeria in terms of its Internally Generated Revenue. Others are Lagos, Rivers, Delta and Edo. The report must have come to your government as good news...

Of course, we are elated by the report. One should, however, try to appreciate its ramifications. By virtue of the size of allocation from the Federation Account in the year reviewed by the magazine, Ogun is number 25. That means 24 out of the 36 states in the country got more money from Abuja than Ogun State. As a matter of fact, except Ekiti State, Ogun collects the least from the Federation Account among the South-West states. But we are number four out of the 36 states in terms of the size of our IGR. Again, when you compare the IGRs of states to what they receive from the Federation Account (in terms of percentage), Ogun is number four among the 36 states. This is what the findings of the Economic Confidential reveal. In comparison to the situation of the state before Amosun mounted the saddle of leadership, it shows we have leap-fogged economically. And this should not come as a surprise when you have a technocrat-politician as governor.

I guess you know that Governor Ibikunle Amosun, is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria with track records of achievements in the private sector.

Lest I forget, there was the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report released in April this year. The NBS rated Ogun State as number one among the 36 states of the federation in terms of percentage improvement of the Internally Generated Revenues between 2014 and 2015. Our state can be said to be first among equals in this regard. The vision of the governor is for the state to depend less and less on funds from the federation account. These are reports of independent institutions. They show the quantum of progress made under the Amosun administration in terms of financial re-engineering.

In a nutshell, we are thrilled by the latest report but we are not exactly surprised because there is always a reward for

SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Why Ogun State is first among equals –Gov’s Aide

Amosu

hard work.

The implementation of income tax once led to an industrial dispute in your state. How was your government able to achieve these feats?

No governor has the power to increase the income tax. All he can do is to implement the tax law. The Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) is a federal law. It had been in force throughout Nigeria long before Amosun became the governor. Yes, the Act was amended in 2011 and I think it was the interpretation of it that led to the minor dispute, which was quickly resolved then. However, raising income tax is usually the only road known to those who cannot think out of the box in order to raise public revenue. If you create an enabling environment for

business to thrive, as Amosun has done, more and industries will be established, which will pay tax to government - federal and state. They will employ more hands which will also pay income tax. So, you see why you don’t talk of increasing the tax to be paid by your people even if you had the power to do so. You can increase the tax net, by that I mean get more hands to be productively engaged so that you reduce crime, raise the standard of living of the people in the process and the government get more revenue.

In the last five years of Amosun administration, about 90 major industries have been established due to the investment of the governor in security and other services that boost investors’ confidence. These are multi-billion naira industries.

If you check the reports of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), then you know that under the current government, Ogun State has attained the status of the industrial hub of Nigeria, which naturally translates into more public revenue.

Besides, the governor, as I said earlier, is a financial guru with proven expertise in financial management. It is easy to forget that the public sector in Nigeria is so permissive; too tolerant of laxity and corruption. All the current revelations at the national level should suffice in this regard. When you have a system that allows, by design or default, public revenues to end in private pockets, no economic progress is possible. All you need, first of all, is a new Sherriff in town.

I recall the first thing Amosun did when he came to power was to automate all processes of collection of government revenues. Do you know that Ogun State lost close to N30billion in revenue due to racketeering at the Bureau of Lands alone before the current government came to power? With a focus on the vision, Amosun devised several strategies. He appointed Mrs Ronke Sokefun, a lawyer, to head the Bureau of Lands and later appointed a finance manager, Mr Adewale Osinowo, to succeed her. You had Otunba Abimbola Ashiru as Commissioner for Commerce, to mention a few of the round pegs in round roles. The governor gave his team specific mandates. You should be pleasantly surprised that within a space of one year, the income generated by the Ministry of Commerce rose from the average of N45 million (forty-five CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

Ugwuanyi’s shift to rural development Louis Amoke

A

critical review of the development trajectory of the present administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in Enugu State, points to the fact that the apogee of its governance policy thrust centers on rural development.

Unlike in the previous administrations where development was concentrated in the urban areas, the governor has taken giant strides towards advancing good governance and socioeconomic development in the rural areas.

The governor’s vision is anchored on the fact that the majority of the people reside in the rural areas and pass through queasy experiences in their daily struggles to survive because of dearth of infrastructure and other basic amenities. Gov. Ugwuanyi, as a grassroots politician who values the people and appreciates their worth in a true democratic setting, where power belongs to the people, his decision to concentrate development in the rural areas is not only apt but also central to the vision and progress of his administration.

As an empathetic leader who feels the pains the people at the grassroots are going through in their milieu, the governor’s development agenda in the rural areas has no doubt given the rural dwellers a sense of belonging and rekindled their confidence in participatory democracy. It has also given credence to his vision to recommit himself “to employment generation, enhanced social services and good governance, rural development and indeed, security and justice.”

The governor in the wake of the daunting economic challenges in the country has embarked on massive construction and rehabilitation of more roads and bridges in the rural areas than in the urban areas.

For instance, his administration has embarked on the construction of the Inyaba Bridge in Nkanu East Local Government Area of the state, which when completed will link adjoining communities of Uzam -Amaechi Idodo- Inyaba-Umunevo and Amagunze and enable the people of the areas access to their council headquarters.

Ugwuanyi’s administration in the spirit of its development mantra, has also opened up the popular 9th Mile Corner with

the construction of two by-pass roads (one completed) that will serve as alternative roads to the major road in the area, in order to de-congest and allow easy movement of vehicles on the roads, especially during the yuletide.

The story is still the same in the university town of Nsukka and its environs, where the governor has also shown his hand as a pragmatic leader with uncommon zeal and penchant for the advancement of development in the rural areas.

As part of its grassroots development initiatives, Ugwuanyi’s administration is on the verge of awarding contracts for the construction of 25 new roads, including three bridges across the length and breadth of the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.

It is also worthy of note that the first project the governor executed few weeks after his inauguration, was the 15km Inter-Town-Connection (ITC) 2.5MVA Injection Sub-Station

at Ezi-Nze in Udi Local Government Area which currently supplies electricity to communities in Udi, Uzo-Uwani and Igbo-Etiti Local Government Areas.

The project which was in keeping with the governor’s vision to extend development to the frontiers of the rural areas will also activate businesses in these rural communities and power the Adada Dam project as well as the Greater Nsukka Water Scheme that has also been in the proverbial pipeline for decades.

Apart from procuring 20 tractors to be hired out to genuine farmers at very low rates, the government recently acquired 750 hectares of land to be distributed to youths and women for use in commercial agriculture in the rural areas. It has made efforts towards the revival and expansion of the Adani Irrigation Scheme as well as the construction of feeder roads and other critical infrastructure in the rural areas that will catalyze agricultural development in the state.

The administration through the office of the wife of the governor, Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi has embarked of peopleoriented programmes aimed at empowering and alleviating the sufferings of the rural dwellers, especially the women.

While achieving these, civil servants in the state still receive their salaries on or before 25th of every month.

From the foregoing, there is no doubt that Gov. Ugwuanyi has through his grassroots programmes and tenacious impetus to champion a new order and effect a paradigm shift in the concentration of development in the urban areas demonstrated his commitment to pay a special attention to rural development, which he promised the people of the state.

It would be recalled that the governor in his inaugural address did promise thus: “Enugu State under us will pay a special attention to rural development because majority of our people live in the rural areas. We will create more urban areas to boost economic growth.”

It is, therefore, the responsibility of the public to appreciate and support the lofty vision of the governor as he transforms the core of the rural areas into modernity using critical infrastructure. This will greatly aid the people at the grassroots to enjoy the full dividends of democracy.

27

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY 24 JULY 2016

politics

Boko Haram disguise as Fulani herdsmen, says Ejiofor Chief Mike Ejiofor is a security consultant and retired Director of State Security Services. In this interview with BIYI ADEGOROYE, he looks at the recent alleged directive of the President Muhammadu Buhari to the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to reopen murder of Chief Bola Ige and Chief Aminasori Dikibo

Ejiofor

How do you see the recent presidential directive that investigations into the murder of former Attorney-General and the Peoples Democratic Party chairman in the South, Chief Bola Ige and Chief Aminasori Dikibo respectively be reopened?

Those murder cases have been unresolved through the years, and now that the President has given directive to the Acting Inspector-General of Police to reopen the cases, that means that most of those cases will be resolved. Actually it is a welcome development that Mr. President wants the cases re-opened. I only hope there will still be evidence to identify the culprits and bring them to justice. That is the only problem that I have with it.

Are you expressing fears that the evidence must have been tampered with?

That is what I am saying. A lot of water must have passed under the bridge, because the issues have been earlier investigated.

Since they did not resolve them, the evidence must have been tampered with, because the issue was earlier investigated.

In the first what were the implications of the inability of the police to investigate and secure conviction if the murder of a serving Justice Minister 13 years later?

Well it had a great implication, because the police are statutorily charged to maintain law and order and investigate criminal cases. But if such matters are not resolved, it is a very big minus on the capacity of the police. Don’t forget too that our level of investigative techniques in Nigeria are not as sophisticated y as they are in developed countries where we have great capability to gather and analyse forensic evidence, especially in these cases of homicide. The forensic evidence must have been tampered with, but it is electrifying that the President has given a directive on the matter. We hope that all persons who have vital evidence on the cases will volunteer them to the police. But for the forensic, there is little they can do.

That implies that the likes of the then Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Ogbonaya Onovo who investigated the murder of Chief Dikibo, and the then Assistant InspectorGeneral, Abimbola Ojomo, who handled that of Chief Ige could be summoned for evidence?

Of course, they should be invited. As the current IG looks at the case file and their investigations, he should be able to invite these people it there are some loopholes. I am sure the police have the case fie in their records and if there are some lapses in the investi-

gation procedure, they should be invited to throw light on it. Why not?

At this point do you think the corpses can be exhumed for this purpose?

Exhuming the corpses at this point cannot be of any help because, like I said, we don’t have the forensic capability to look at these cases. Except the police are already to spend money to invite forensic experts to come and look at the corpses, but of course they were killed by gunshots, even though I am not a medical expert but maybe we need to access or establish the kind of ammunition used and maybe trace it to a specific calibre of arms.

Now in the case of Chief Ige, eight aides were said to have gone for their dinner outside the premises at Bodija, in Ibadan, Oyo State, when the murder took place. How permissible was that action in security circles and how security conscious would you say those people were?

It is not the question of being security conscious. The fact is that there was a major lapse in the protection of the executive in that particular case. And that is why I would also use this opportunity to advise principals who have security details working with them to take care of them, because why would the security details attached to the minister of justice leave his house to go and eat? He is supposed to have provided for them or if he cannot provide for them one or two should have left at one point while the rest waited. All of them should not have left at the same time. So it was a major lapse.

Now in this same case of Bola Ige, you will recall that some suspects were arrested and some of them have been released by courts. Well, if there is need for them to be rearrested, because there are some lapses as we discussed earlier, they can be invited for further questioning. Before the law there is nobody above the law. So if it’s possible they would be arrested or re arrested, so I don’t think there is any issue about that. It is about investigations and accused persons are presumed innocent until the contrary is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Besides these, there were some politicallymotivated killings around that period, like that of Chief Funsho Williams in Lagos and that of Uche Ogbonaya in Imo State. What do you think should be done to these?

Well, all these cases you are talking about were politically-motivated killings and the earlier we get issues of politically-motivated murders resolved the better for us. We had a peaceful election in 2015 relatively peaceful; In 2019 I doubt whether it is going to be like

that because the present government would make it impossible to take power from it while the PDP which have been in power for a number of years will also want to stage a comeback. It is going to be tough and security agencies would have to rise to the emerging challenges especially politically-motivated assassinations.

What implication do you think the flawed electoral process, flawed by virtue of killings would have on the credibility of elections?

Of course no one needs to be told about the impact on such elections. It will affect the credibility of such elections. And I think the way we should even go about it is that we should make penalties for electoral offences very stringent. If, for example, there are some who have been indicted for electoral offences, they should not just walk away. It will encourage and promote impunity. If you were elected as governor and was removed for electoral malpractices, you should be banned from participating in other elections for the next 10 years as it is obtainable in criminal law. But here, they will just say your election is annulled and you walk home and next morning you are contesting another election.

So, to avoid that, we need to attach stringent penalties to electoral offences.

Do you think we have really learnt any lesson with what happened in Rivers and Bayelsa states recently?

We should have learnt some lessons for the way Nigeria is happening now and the issues in Rivers State in the last elections. You see, we have challenges; we have security challenges because of proliferation of small arms and large weapons. But what we have in Niger Delta now is not the issue of small arms and light weapons but we have heavy arms in the hands of very many unauthorized persons. So it is easy for the Niger Delta Avengers to operate freely with sophisticated arms and the committee set up by the government mop up these arms is doing nothing. And this is very critical because the Niger Delta is our economic base. So I will advise that government thread cautiously, negotiate with credible leaders of the militants not just the rabble rousers trying to claim they are representing the militants, but let us look for credible leaders and negotiate with them to stop this destruction of the region and our economic base.

You recall that those who attended the National Conference said there were about 600 recommendations in which resource control was one, but that is what the current government is not ready to work on. What do you think about that?

There is no negotiation about it this country has to be restructured. The report of the

conference has to be re-visited. So if the National Assembly can come up with an Act, what would the President? They must not be working at cross-purposes. The National Assembly and the Presidency – the executive- are heating up the politics for their personal end and they must realize that Nigerians who voted for them expected a change, and that change we have not gotten. Instead what we have got is a negative change. So we would need to look at the interest of the people because Nigerians are now very politically conscious and cannot be taking for a ride. It is better the APC government and the executive and the legislature come together the batter for Nigeria You said they are currently heating the polity for their personal interest. What do you mean by that?

Look, if Senator Bukola Saraki had not emerged as opposed to the candidate party wanted, we would not have been seeing this.

The party did not support the emergence of Saraki and the executive, instead of getting political solutions to this issue, are looking for issues that can indict the man and possibly remove him from office, and once that is done you are going to see the conflagration in this country. I don’t know how that will happen but I’m telling you that interests in the National Assembly are really divided. Even the House of Representatives, gives some support. Nobody is saying that anybody is above the law, but there are some issues that can be resolved politically. People are therefore seeking that the man is convicted, and once he is convicted, of course, I don’t want to go into the consequences.

Talking about the Fulani herdsmen who are killing scores of people almost every week, how do you react to government action or inaction on this?

Well, I don’t belong to the school of thought that blames the killings on Fulani herdsmen. They are terrorists and I strongly suspect even without foundation that these people are still Boko Haram. These various communities have co-existed for many years and Fulani herdsmen never carried arms. Fulani herdsmen don’t carry sophisticated weapons like these ones. All the years nobody had made a report that cattle were stolen. So these people are fleeing Boko Haram people. So we should go back and ask what is really going on and treat the killers as terrorists.

The President launched a campaign in Zamfara State against cattle rustling and deployed some soldiers into that area. Now you begin to wonder which is more important between human beings and cattle. It is very annoying. They should deploy soldiers to Bunue and Adamawa and all the areas where these criminals are carrying out attacks.

28

SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

The Sunday

Don’t blame me for sac Until his appointment as the number one police officer in the country by President Muhammadu Buhari, not much was known about Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris. In this interview with JULIANA FRANCIS, Idris reveals a little about his career, some of the changes he is already making in the force and also explains why 21 Assistant Inspectors General of Police had to go following his assumption of office There have been allegations of corruption against past police administration in the country and issues of lopsided promotions.

What are you going to do about it?

I was in Maiduguri last week and during questions time, a woman Inspector came forward and said people who used to salute her before, have now become her senior. Before I travelled, last week to be precise, I also got a petition from the House of Representatives on police promotions. If you go through media reports, like some of my PPROs that have been monitoring reports, you would see concerns over police officers’ promotions. I am sure you are aware that in my inaugural speech, I said we are going to run a democratic police.

I spent eight years in the United Nations and so, those attribute are already in me. We will run the police based on three principles of democratic policing worldwide-responsible, accountable and representative policing; a police that represents the community and meets their yearnings. I know the issue of promotions has a dampening effect on the affected persons. The woman Inspector was close to tears while she was talking. I know how it feels because I was a Commissioner of Police for five years. Some officers, who became CPs, were promoted to AIGs under two years. So, I told them we had discussed the issue with my new management team and that we were going to investigate it. We are going to set up a panel to look into it to be sure that the promotions were done in accordance with laid down rules of the Police Service Commission (PSC). The PSC is in charge of promotions from the rank of Constables to Deputy Inspectors General of Police (DIG). This is a constitutional issue.

Inflation of contracts is one of the allegations leveled against the last police administration…?

We have started auditing of police investments units. It is after that audit that we can take action. We are interested in the investment unit because every policeman from the rank of Constable to IGP contributes to it from their salary. Every policeman contributes to these investments. These are people’s properties and we have to make the units transparent and accountable. The day you’re recruited as a policeman, it is cut off from your salary once the person is recruited. We call it Police Insurance Scheme. The money is N370. 000.

Every policeman, from the rank of Constable to IGP, contributes money to it. The money is for policemen. It’s part of their ‘property.’

The other issue you mentioned is about corruption. Honestly, I do not want people to feel I am witch-hunting anyone. Based on principle, if we have complaints, we will investigate them. That I can assure you of. That is why I have stressed that we will run a transparent, responsive and representative administration.

Responsive in that if members of the public feel they were not properly treated, they can complain and we will investigate.

I have heard so many rumours, but as a police officer, I must take decisions based on concrete evidence. If someone comes forward

and says he or she did a contract in 2011 and has not been paid, whereas, those who did a contract in 2013 and decided to forgo 20 per cent have been paid; we are duty-bound to investigate.

You were appointed as IGP when the country is battling serious security issues. What are you going to do to ensure the insecurity is contained?

I said something in my inaugural speech.

When you analyse that speech, you’ll understand a lot of things. We’re trying to tackle criminality on our streets, neighbourhood and communities. We want to strengthen the Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS). We are going to strengthen them by restructuring them.

We’ll put them in more effective structure, with proper supervisions. Number two, we are going to train them to respect the rights of individuals. We will teach them what to do and know what is right. Three, we shall give them equipment to enable them to operate effectively. Part of our training will include picking resource persons from media and civil society organisations to train them.

We are right now trying to curb incidents of violent crimes. Kidnapping and murder are part of them. In Rivers State, I changed all Area Commanders. I also changed all SARS leaders and Mobile Police Force Commanders. I also carried out the same changes in Kogi State. The rate of kidnapping is high in Kogi State. I removed these commanders, because the feeler we got was that some of them have compromised. Kidnapping has reduced in Kogi State since the changes. Even in Rivers State, because I changed all the Area Commanders. Even if anyone wants to reach out to the new ones just posted there, it would take time.

The morale of rank and file policemen is very low. What are you brining on board? What is your four-point agenda and how are they going to work?

I understand what you’re saying. If you had been at Force Headquarters on the day I was appointed, you would have noticed something. It was as if the place exploded. Much is expected from our rank and file policemen. I was touched by the jubilation I witnessed on my appointment.

Could it be, because you grew through the ranks?

I don’t know. But I was a cadet officer. It’s simply because they believe in me. To so many Nigerians, I’m a new face. But the truth of the matter is that I have been training policemen for years. I was a trainer at Police Mobile Force College in Gworza for five years. Most of the present police inspectors, the cadet inspectors, passed through me. They know my character.

They believe I can change their lives positively. Nothing dampens morale more than the fact that when you’re due for promotion, you wouldn’t be promoted. We are seriously looking into that issue. Also, we are looking into issues of welfare. Immediately I assumed office, I called and asked the AIG while salaries

Ibrahim

are being delayed. But henceforth, policemen will receive their salaries before the month ends. Last month, they received it before the end of the month. Most of them were happy.

Usually, it was always a week or two weeks into the next month before they got salaries.

We are going to continue to promptly pay them their salaries.

Another issue of welfare is accommodation. My aim is that every policeman should have his or her accommodation. To be sincere and frank with you, the former IGP tried immensely in that aspect. He tried on accommodation issue. Right now, all we need to do is to improve on it and have more houses.

Right now also, we have received a lot of offers. Barracks are temporary, but your house is yours. If you have a house, after retirement,

you move into your home. But with Police Barracks, it’s not like that. We’re going to approach the Federal Government and see how possible it would be for us to provide accommodation for our mobile policemen and other special units. These policemen are the ones that are supposed to be in the barracks.

The conventional policemen are actually supposed to live within communities, mix with people. That’s how they would be able to fish out criminals. All over the world, special police units stay in barracks. It’s actually a government policy. If the conventional policeman lives in town, the government is actually supposed to pay his rent. I was shocked when I went to lecture, some policemen last week and they told me that salaries of those residing in barracks are usually deducted.

29

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY 24 JULY 2016

y Interview

ck of 21 AIGs, says Idris drawn…

We are having problems in the Niger Delta, from Lagos to Calabar. I was in Calabar for five years. I have deployed men to Calabar, Port Harcourt and Lagos. Between 1990 and 1996, mobile policemen were in charge of oil pipelines. Our men used to sleep on the spot of those pipelines. We have where they stay at the pipelines, float stations. The float stations seem to be right out from the waters.

They take only their mattresses and police buy mosquito nets for them. Those days, they protected the oil pipelines round the clock.

My first visit to Niger Delta showed that police presence there is very scanty. We are looking at deploying policemen there and which policemen are we going to deploy there? It’s mobile and marine policemen. We need a lot of mobile policemen to cover those areas. This is why I said we’re going to discourage mobile policemen to be used as guards.

A mobile policeman is not trained to be a guard. PMF is a special unit and they act in cohesive manner, in a group. You don’t scatter them to go and be carrying handbags. The thing, however, is that wealthy people are always afraid. We are going to strengthen the Special Protection Unit of the Nigeria Police Force.

They are the ones trained as guards. Yes, we’re going to be coming out with more policies.

It seems you have changed all squadron commanders?

Yes! I have changed virtually all of them.

Do you know why? The reality is that while I was CP Mobile, I discovered a lot of things.

The men told me that to become a mobile police commander, they have to pay N500, 000. To curb that, we decided to cut off some of these commanders. They came, not to work or because they patriotic, but because they gave money to influence their postings and would want to recoup their money. We have changed them and we are going to restructure the mobile. We are also going to train and retrain them. I have been in mobile for 17 years; I know what I’m saying. The mobile in the old days, is different from what we have on ground today. In those days, you can’t see a mobile policeman on the streets. It was impossible!

Are you going to take all the mobile policemen back to the barracks?

Obviously! That’s what I have been saying.

We are going to work on their barracks. We’ll write to the state governments to assist us. A mobile police squadron, that doesn’t have a barrack, is not mobile.

They used to deduct the accommodation ‘rent’ from their salaries?

I couldn’t believe it. We’re going to look into it. It’s absolutely wrong. If you’re living in Police Barracks, you’re not supposed to pay a dime. It’s wrong! The government has paid for it. The building itself belongs to the government. It’s only when policemen go and rent houses outside, that government pay rent subsidy. I have promised to look into it. And if I find anyone at fault, the person would be held liable.

You have been a mobile policeman most of your life. When you came on board as the IGP, you instructed that mobile policemen attached to ‘big men’ should be with-

People blamed you for the sack of the 21 AIGs. We heard you said you couldn’t work with them. What really transpired?

I want you to understand one thing; the Nigeria Police Force didn’t begin and end with me. Same thing in the military in Nigeria and everywhere, uniform personnel have a tradition. Why would anybody say I’m the one that caused their sack or retirement? I mean its common sense. It happened in the military, not long ago. When Major-Gen Kenneth Minimah was appointed Chief of Army Staff, how many officers were retired?

You also need to understand, that what is causing such talks is because we are all human beings. Imagine you are together, with your mates and government goes over you, to pick someone below you; there’s no way you would be happy or satisfied. It’s a natural, human feeling. I didn’t appoint myself. It was the government that appointed me. It’s the government that decided to pick someone below, not me. I however, guessed that government picked someone from below and retired the AIGs because the government wants police to have a focused administration and

institution. The Police Service Commission Chairman, Sir Mike Okiro, is a retired IGP. He said something. He went down memory lane. He knew what he was saying…

But Okiro allowed Onovo, his senior to work with him after he was appointed IGP? No, I don’t think so. I believe Okiro came after Onovo. Onovo only had problem with Sunday Ehindero. Ehindero was appointed, when Onovo was his senior.

Rising cases of kidnapping have become worrisome in the south west parts of Nigeria. Is there any immediate plan to check it?

It’s not just South-West. It’s all over Nigeria.

Kidnapping should be attacked through intelligence. We are trying to build the capacity of the Police Intelligence Units. They have been trying. But we are going to build their capacity more. We don’t want to leak our plans. In my first meeting with the President, he said that anything I needed to enhance security in Nigeria, I shouldn’t hesitate to write to him.

I’m going to do just that. I’m going to take my time and go round the country, to check on each state and identity the peculiarity of the security challenges there.

Some policemen, posted to areas like Arepo in Ogun State, have nowhere to sleep and they complained they were not paid their allowances…

I don’t know when they owed them their allowances, but two weeks after my resumption, there was an attack in that area. I personally signed the cheque for their allowances.

I’m sure they have paid them. On the issue of special duty; it’s clear they are there for special purposes. If we tell them to wait while we build where they would live while on the special duty, it would be months before they head to those troubled spots. The regulation is very clear on the duties of the Mobile Police Force. They are to serve as the striking force of the Nigeria Police. When you are in the mobile, you’re supposed to be there just for three years; that’s what the regulation says.

But sometimes, because of requirements and because we need experienced people, some can be in mobile for years. The point I’m making is that when you are in the mobile, you

should be there round the clock. It also means that you can be deployed at any time. As a mobile policeman, you don’t have any right to complain. It’s a voluntary work. When you’re in mobile, you should be ready to be subjected to a lot of things. It’s a requirement of the service. Like what happened in Arepo, if we want to wait to build tents, the community would be in trouble. Arepo needed prompt security and we sent our mobile men out immediately. That’s the major reason that unit was created. When I was in Gworza, anything you see, you eat. You’re trained to be hard. Anyone who joins mobile should be expected to meet the requirements. You move to particular areas when ordered and you don’t complain.

Some police contractors have not been paid since 2000. Do you have any plan to pay them?

I won’t pay them! The contracts were not from me. It wasn’t done during my administration. What I can, however, say is that, if there are available funds to settle these liabilities, I would. If such money is available, I wouldn’t pocket it, would I? God forbid!

You said policemen should declare their assets. Have they started responding?

I have declared my assets. I’m a policeman, so others should declare theirs. Every policeman must declare his assets. What’s the big deal in a policeman declaring his assets?

Is there a deadline for such declarations?

Section 13 of the Code of Conduct Act requires that every civil servant declares assets. When I was working with UN, we used to declare our assets. It’s actually one of the cultures I brought back from the UN. It’s compulsory and a legal obligation. I didn’t even say rank and file. I said from ASP and above should declare assets. I have declared mine, others should follow. I lead by example. To ensure they do, I instructed that a copy of such declaration should be given to our intelligence office. It’ through there, we would get statistics of those that complied and those that didn’t. We are going to enforce it. I however, haven’t started taking note of the statistics.

‘Why Ogun State is first among equals’ C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 6

million naira) per annum under the previous government to N550 million (five hundred and fifty million naira) per annum. That is 1,122 [per cent increase! This had nothing to do with taxing anyone financially. You blocked the loopholes through a cashless policy! The same exponential increase was achieved in the Bureau of Lands, Ministry of Urban and Regional Planning, Internal Revenue Service and so on. And so it should not surprise anyone that the government revenue, which was about N730million per month under the previous government, rose to about N3 billion per month in less than two years of the Amosun administration through the implementation of e-payment.

How is your government coping with the current economic downturn in Nigeria, salary crisis, pockets of industrial action? Is Governor Amosun planning to downsize or reduce salaries of workers?

I am happy with your choice of words pockets of industrial action, because if you look at it, Ogun is one of the few states that enjoy industrial harmony in the country.

Even in developed climes, you have these

isolated strikes. Of course, things are better with regular communication between government and other stakeholders in the state. The Commissioner for Information, Prince Dayo Adeneye, has mapped out a strategy to ensure this; and by all account, it is working. So generally speaking, there is industrial harmony in the state despite the economic challenges facing the country.

Another point is the foresight of the governor. You know the signs of impending financial crisis actually began since 2013.

Then that central government blamed it on oil theft. But we all know better now. As if Governor Amosun knew what lay ahead, in 2011, he slashed the salaries of political office holders. Ogun is equally among the very few states having the lowest number of such office holders. Payment of workers’ salaries as and when due remains is a matter of policy. This does not suggest that the state is immune from the current economic realities across the country. I mean if your wage bill is about N9 billion and what you get from the centre drops to less than a billion, or N2 billion even with the current Budget Support Fund of the Federal Government, then there is a huge gap to fill.

30

SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

Crossword puzzle

The Wise Little Girl (part 1) O

nce upon a time in the immense Russian steppe, lay a little village where nearly all the inhabitants bred horses. It was the month of October, when a big livestock market was held yearly in the main town. Two brothers, one rich and the other one poor, set off for market.

The rich man rode a stallion, and the poor brother a young mare.

At dusk, they stopped beside an empty hut and tethered their horses outside, before going to sleep themselves on two heaps of straw. Great was their surprise, when, next morning they saw three horses outside, instead of two. Well, to be exact the newcomer was not really a horse. It was a foal, to which the mare had given birth during the night. Soon it had the strength to struggle to its feet, and after a drink of its mother’s milk, the foal staggered its first few steps. The stallion greeted it with a cheerful whinny, and when the

two brothers set eyes on it for the first time, the foal was standing beside the stallion.

“It belongs to me!” exclaimed Dimitri, the rich brother, the minute he saw it. “It’s my stallion’s foal.” Ivan, the poor brother, began to laugh.

“Whoever heard of a stallion having a foal? It was born to my mare!”

“No, that’s not true! It was standing close to the stallion, so it’s the stallion’s foal. And therefore it’s mine!” The brothers started to quarrel, then they decided to go to town and bring the matter before the judges. Still arguing, they headed for the big square where the courtroom stood. But what they didn’t know was that it was a special day, the day when, once a year, the Emperor himself administered the law. He himself received all who came seeking justice.

The brothers were ushered into his presence, and they told him all about the dispute.

Colour by number

Gags: What do you call a snail on a ship?

Ans: A snailor!

What creature is better than a talking parrot?

Ans: A spelling bee!

Why was the ant so confused?

Ans: Because all his uncles were ‘’ants’’!

What letter can hurt you if it gets too close?

Ans: A ‘B’ (bee)!

What stays in the corner but goes around the world?

Ans: A stamp!

What day do chickens hate most?

Ans: Fry-days!

Why didn’t the skeleton go to the dance?

Ans: He had no ‘body’ to go with!

What kind of table can you eat?

Ans: A vege-table!

Celebration

Rodiyah Eniola Abdul-Azeez looking pretty as she celebrates Eid Fitri with her parents during Sallah.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016

NEWS Be mindful of your actions–Kome p.34

INTERVIEW ‘Economic meltdown hasn’t reduced our tithe, offering’ p.33

31

SERMON

Never accept the cheap way out p.51

FAITH

TAI ANYANWU HEAD, RELIGOUS DESK titus.anyanwu@newtelegraph © Daily Telegraph Publishing

Why we oppose new President – Northern CAN Since his election over a month ago, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states has been kicking against the emergence of Pastor Olasupo Ayokunle as the new President. In this interview with IBRAHEEM MUSA, the spokesman of Northern CAN, Reverend John Joseph Hayab, highlights why there is crisis in the body of Christ Last Wednesday, the Christian Association (CAN) of Nigeria held a National Assembly.

Did you attend the meeting? What were the resolutions?

I was not at the National Assembly but reports reaching us showed that it was even less than a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. According to the constitution of CAN, there are three stages to CAN election. Number one is the Electoral College. Number two is the NEC which receives the result of the Electoral College.

Number three is voting to decide who will be presented to the National Assembly as President and Vice President. What was supposed to officially take place on Wednesday was the National Assembly.

And according to our constitution, the National Assembly is the coming together of 50 members from each of the five blocs of CAN. In other words, the five blocs are supposed to present 250 members. The state chapters will present 37 members and the elected officer will present 10, making them 47. The zonal officers, youth and women will present eight members. This will make a total of 305 or 306 people. But yesterday, those people who met for the so called National Assembly, to do what today (Thursday) they refer to as inauguration were less than 90. It was very clear that ECWA was not represented; ECWA was supposed to present 25 out of the 50 members of ECWA/TEKAN bloc. The 50 members of the Catholic bloc were also not there. Even the other three blocs that attended didn’t form a quorum. That is why we are hearing a new term in CAN that we have never heard before, that is ‘inauguration’ People should read the CAN constitution and see if we have anything like that. We are supposed to have a National Assembly to ratify elections. But was what was held yesterday (Wednesday) a National Assembly? No, it was something else.

CAN national election was lost and won last month but it seems that Northern CAN is still aggrieved. What specifically is your grouse?

No,no, no! When people say that elections were won and lost, they don’t know the story. What happened last month was not an election. It is what I will call a ‘coup’ against others. The outgoing leadership, for deliberate reasons, never wanted some people to participate in the election. So, they came in and caused problems in the process. They deliberately went to the ECWA/TEKAN group and created confusion. And that is why, as Christians from the north, when we got wind of what was happening and we investigated and found

out that it was true, we became angry and called on the then CAN leadership to desist from what it was doing, by first writing a letter. We asked them to respect the wishes of everybody by allowing the ECWA president, Reverend Jeremiah Gado, to contest.

They didn’t even acknowledge the letter and they pretended that all was well.

But Northern CAN was not alone in the protest. There was an email from the Primate of the Methodist Church, telling them that for fairness and justice, the ECWA president must be allowed to contest in the election. CCN also met and called on the leadership of CAN

to allow fairness to prevail. But the kind of games and drama that surrounded the process was baffling. The former President of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, deliberately appointed someone to be the Electoral Chairman, which is not supposed to be so.

The Electoral College is supposed to, on their own, chose their own chairman. But the former CAN President did that with the intention of manipulating the Electoral Chairman but we refused. And that was why the process had to linger on. What they just did was to hire some miscreants who don’t even know the sacrifice that people made to bring CAN to where it is today, to start insulting people in the media, using dubious names and issuing press releases. We just didn’t respond.

All that we wanted is for CAN to hold an election that is credible, so that CAN will have the moral authority to challenge government if its election in future is not credible. So, that CAN can call the political class to order if elections are not credible. But CAN failed the exam.

Those who masterminded CONTINUED O N PAGE 32

Hayab

Strengthen Nigeria’s unity, cleric urges Adenekan Tobiloba A passionate call for all to join hands and strengthen the unity of the Nigerian nation has been sent out.

Chidi Nwankwo of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Great Commission Assembly, made the call while officiating during the church’s Super Sunday programme, held in Lagos recently.

Pastor Nwankwo stressed that Nigerians should all be united no matter the situation in the country.

Speaking to his congregation specifically, the clergy enjoined the members to remain as one body in fellowship.

“The Holy Spirit should be the guide of everyone in the place of fellowship and gathering of believers in the church worldwide,” he said. He admonished the congregation to express their zeal in the service of God, adding that they should not forsake God no matter the obstacles or life’s problems facing them.

The Super Sunday programme was devoted to remembering and assisting the less privileged, in accordance with the Redeemed Christian Church of God in all parishes, and province worldwide.

It also featured performances such as solo rendition, praises/worship and dance drama.

Ayokunle

Ayokunle, Otubu officially take over CAN leadership

C

urtains of the leadership of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, as president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) was drawn last Wednesday in Abuja, as his deputy, Rev. Dr. Supo Ayokunle of The Baptist Convention was sworn in as the new president of the association.

Professor Elder Joseph Otubu of the Motailatu Church Cherubium and Seraphim Worldwide (MCCSW) became the vice president during a rather low key swearing in ceremony held in the Federal Capital Territory.

It would be recalled that the election that saw the emergence of the duo (Sociologist and Gynaecologist respectively) took place on the 14th of last month also in Abuja amid controversies arising from the exclusion of the President of the Evangelical Church Winning All, (ECWA), Rev. Gado The out gone president charged his successor to take seriously the welfare of Christians.

He also used the medium to call on the Christian community to put behind it all forms of bitterness and division in order to move the Christian body forward.

Rev. Ayokunle pledged to work in honour and without fear against any form of injustice or condemnable act by the government.

32

SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

FAITH

Why we oppose new President –Northern CAN

CON TINUED FR O M PAGE 31

and manipulated to see that evil prevailed have lost credibility. They lack the moral standing to tell politicians to do the right thing when they err. If INEC tries to act illegally in the future, this CAN cannot tell it that it is wrong because it doesn’t have that moral right any more. This CAN leadership cannot hold government to account. This is our concern. If CAN is supposed to be a watch dog that should assist in nation building, then we must come to equity with clean hands. We must not act in such a way that even the political class will be wondering if “these are really Christians.’’

Is it true that some people went to court in order to stop the election?

The issue is this simple. When ECWA/ TEKAN bloc did their primaries and nominated Rev Gado, several letters were written but they will not go beyond the desk of the General Secretary and the then CAN President. But they will go behind the scene and create a situation as if all was well. In one of the meetings that I attended, they argued that they refused to act on the letter written by ECWA/TEKAN because it was written on a fake letter head paper.

Some of us just laughed because we have evidence to show that letters have been written with the same letter head paper and there is nothing fake about it. As a Bible student, the Bible says that the devil is a liar and the father of all liars.

Sadly, I see otherwise respected leaders becoming shameless liars. It came to a point when I asked myself, “Did I give my life to Jesus Christ or this Association?’’

I am a Christian and I acknowledge Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and so I am not serving an association. If an association chooses to do evil, I will not support it because I am answerable to Jesus on the Day of Judgment and not an association.

I will not go and tell Jesus on the Day of Judgment that I compromised because I noticed that everyone was compromising.

It will be a shame on me. So, if leaders at that level can lie and manipulate things, do we have the moral right in the future to call the political class to order? We presently don’t have that right unless we find a way of repenting. But I don’t see this leadership having that moral right. The leaders will just speak and newspapers will report them but those who read it will not take them seriously.

ing events for them, a lady appeared from nowhere, asking the judge to give her the summons to serve CAN. The judge said: “We don’t know you, how can we give you summons to serve them? It is a bailiff’s duty to serve summons.’’

But before the bailiff could even leave the court premises, information had reached CAN secretariat and they hurriedly locked up the secretariat on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The secretariat did not open until Monday. Election was supposed to hold on Wednesday but they hurriedly closed the secretariat on Thursday of the preceding week, so that they will not be served the court summons. So, the lawyer went back to the court on Monday, seeking for permission to paste the summons on the wall of the secretariat and the court gave him the right to do so. So, legally they have been served but they are not telling people the truth. From the explanation of lawyers, even if the bailiff had dropped the court papers within the premises of CAN secretariat, the leadership would have been served. The bailiff didn’t do that but got one of the secretariat staff to receive the summons but they now said that the lady who received it is a cleaner. But she is a staff. A staff is a staff! So, this is one of the terrible things that have happened in that association that some of us have served for many years and we have received all sorts of bashing in trying to defend the Christian faith. Today, it has been politicised into something else.

So, when the CAN leadership got the summons on Monday, June 13, they hurriedly called for a meeting. According to the text and email that they sent to people, they said that NEC will meet to consider the constitution on Tuesday. On Wednesday, there will be an election. They were to appear before the court on June 15 in the morning, so they quickly held the election on Tuesday. So, people arrived on Tuesday for constitutional review, they now said that election should hold. That is why I keep telling you that there is a credibility problem with the present CAN leadership.

In fact, to even accept to serve in CAN is a very serious challenge. As a young man, I have been privileged by God to be active in the activities of CAN when Anthony Olubunmi Okogie was president. I was also active when Sunday Mbang and Peter Akinola were presidents. I was also active in CAN when John Onaiyikan was president. But from 2010, CAN has been derailing. My argument has been to bring back CAN to its lost glory but the leaders have continued to sink the association into more controversy. I pray to God to help us get out of this with our credibility or else, we have lost the moral right to caution Nigerians when things go wrong. Even if we speak, people will find it difficult to listen to us.

But the CAN leadership said that they were not served with any court injunction stopping the election and that was why they conducted the last poll…

(Cuts in) No, no, no! The issue is simple. I am not a lawyer so I don’t want to talk much about legalism. The CAN of 19 Northern states didn’t take anybody to court. But the man whose rights were There have been attempts by concerned infringed upon and his supporters took Christian leaders across the country to the matter to court. Yes, they did ask the salvage the situation. To what court to give them an injunction that extent have their efforts will compel CAN not to continue borne fruits? with the process. The judge, in There are credNo,no, no! his wisdom, didn’t give an inible leaders When people say junction but gave them the who wanted right to serve the leaderto salvage that elections were won ship of CAN; which in law the situaand lost, they don’t know this is enough to stop the tion but Ayo the story. What happened election because the matOritsejafor ter is in court, having been and his team last month was not an served with the summons. has been fruselection. It is what I will trating it. They On the day that the judge was to give the summons beuse the media to call a ‘coup’ against cause the CAN leadership had start castigating others someone who has been monitorpeople, using faceless

Hayab writers. I gave my life to Jesus Christ and not to an association. I told the president of the Baptist Church, who is the new leader of CAN, that I gave my life to Christ and not to CAN. I just chose to serve Jesus Christ through the Baptist Church. If I find out that the Baptist leader or the Baptist Church is compromising the truth, he should count me out; I won’t support it. And if they insist, I can still serve Jesus in another way and not necessarily through the Baptist Church.

What is going on now in CAN is a shame on the name of Christ.

Like you noted, concerned leaders have been trying to salvage the situation but when Sunday Mbang called for a meeting in Uyo they refused to attend. They even commissioned some of these faceless writers to say that these leaders were going to truncate the election. The concerned leaders wanted to enquire what really happened but they insulted these leaders. These leaders ignored them and said look: “We have sacrificed for this association and so we must find a way to salvage it.” They met again and it was at that second meeting that the leadership of CAN came. But all the advice that those elders gave them, they didn’t abide by them. The CAN leadership went again and lied in the name of those elders. Like I told you earlier, the mere fact that leaders of that calibre can lie, I find it sad. Personally, I have said what needs to be done about this matter. I have met with Oritsejafor, he is alive and if I’m lying, let him come out and say. I am not afraid of anything.

The other time, when one pastor made certain revelations about what is going on in CAN, he was blackmailed. I am not afraid of any blackmail. The truth remains the truth; it is either we do it right or some of us will not be part of it anymore.

Is it true that Northern CAN is contemplating pulling out of the association?

You see, what Northern CAN simply said is that, do what is right and don’t go ahead with the June election. Be sure that there is justice and fairness in this election. Let’s come out and do what is right because if we don’t do it, the new leadership will have the challenge of carrying everybody along.

I think that was a voice of reasoning. There was not even a threat. The group that threatened to pull out is the Concerned Christians of Nigeria. It was not Northern CAN. But because Northern CAN has been telling

the CAN leadership to do things right, instead of addressing that group, what the General Secretary of CAN did was to attack Northern CAN and said all manner of things against us.

What CAN is unwittingly telling Nigerians is that if leaders are wrong, people should not advise them. If the leadership of CAN is smart, they should have engaged this group that said that it wants to pull out.

They should have even approached Northern CAN to meet this group and reconcile whatever differences that they had with the leadership. But they just went about attacking everybody, saying things that are not supposed to be said. I am supposed to be celebrating because they voted my president as the president of CAN but I will not celebrate when things have not been done the right way. I will not celebrate when evil is having its way. If I do that, then I am not a good Christian.

One of the issues in contention is rotation of the CAN presidency. Is power rotation in the constitution of CAN? Power rotation is clearly defined in the new CAN Constitution that was signed in 2004. The presidency is supposed to rotate amongst all the five blocks of CAN. CCN has served before, the Catholic bloc has served before and so has the Pentecostal.

The remaining two blocs that are supposed to produce the CAN presidency is either ECWA/TEKAN or OAIC. Oritsejafor and his group deliberately created this confusion so that it will give some other bloc which has earlier produced the presidency.

So, it was a deliberate attempt to disrupt the constitutional provision of rotation. In the spirit of rotation, there was an election in Imo some years back and the CAN legal adviser annulled the election, saying let the other bloc serve. So, they want to impose rotation on the states but they don’t want to practice it. I don’t understand this kind of logic.

The General Secretary of CAN, Musa Asake has said that you people lack the locus standi to talk on behalf of Northern CAN because you were not validly elected. How correct is this allegation?

Musa does not know that legally, he is not the General Secretary of CAN now. He ceased to be CAN Secretary on June 30. I can give you his appointment letter as I speak with you now. He is an illegal Secretary as at the time that he was speaking. So, if you ask me to respond to that, I will only be responding to an illegal man. He is just trying to play a game, to be seen as defending the new CAN president so that they will allow him to stay in the position. But his tenure actually expired on June 30. I had just told you that I Reverend Joseph Hayab had a three hour discussion with Oritsejafor, if Oritsejafor did not recognise me as the Public Relations officer of Northern CAN, why did he meet with me? And this meeting was held in the month of June, the same month that we had election. We met for us to find a way of resolving CAN issues.

So, Musa’s tenure expired on June 30. If there was truth in CAN, he should have stepped aside until CAN meets again to renew his tenure. I know him very well and I know the evil that he has done onto other CAN leaders so I don’t want to waste my time on him. Because if I tell people who Musa is, I don’t think he will remain in CAN. What is the way out?

The way out is for us to be true Christians. And Christianity says that we are the light and salt of the world. The question is, are we the light in this situation? Are we the salt in this situation? The way out is let’s be truthful. The Bible says we should tell the truth and it shall set us free. If we are the light, and the salt and we are not truthful, then what else are we? I still insist that Christian leaders should come out and correct this.

33

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016

FAITH

INTERVIEW

‘Economic meltdown hasn’t reduced our tithe, offering’

Minister-in-Charge of Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Okota, Lagos Parish, Rev. Uwem Ekarika, is working hard to ensure that the prevailing economic meltdown in the country does not shrink his church’s tithe and offerings. “I am rather working to make sure there is growth” he says in this interview with TAI ANYANWU Is it true that the state of the economy in Nigeria is negatively affecting offerings and tithing in churches?

I honestly don’t believe in that because, I teach my members that whatever we are seeing in Nigeria today is not new as far as life is concerned. If we look at the scripture in the book of Genesis 26:1, the Bible revealed to us that even in the time of Abraham, there was famine in the land. But when we come to verse 12, Isaac planted and he was able to reap a hundred fold. It goes without saying that in times of famine there are people who are able to make it. Though we are passing through tough times in Nigeria, I try to make my members know that they need to sow; when we sow believing in God, whatever we sow, we will be able to reap in hundreds of fold. We work by faith in times like this. Of course looking around the nation in this though times, there are people that are making it; there are people that are achieving; there are people that are still building; there are people that are doing great things. I encourage members of my church to be productive and sow; when they sow they will reap it equally. The economy, in deed, has not shrunken our church offering and tithing.

Rather I am working towards making sure that there is growth.

Precisely how?

For their tithing to improve, I rather teach them that whatever they have they should pay their tithes. Of course, their income determines their tithes, and if they are working hard where they are, definitely their income will be stable. Yes, we know that the situation of things in Nigeria is not really favourable but one does not need to be cry much about it. We should be thinking of what to do to improve what we have.

And I guess they have keyed into that because looking at the intake, it has not really showed any decrease.

Ekarika

What has it been like serving in this parish?

This is about to years of ministering in Okota Parish. I have just come back from mission work in Togo. I have been there for four years, ministering in the offshoot of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria in Togo. We have two Parishes there; and I happened to take care of one which actually gave birth to the second branch after six months of serving there.

Can you tell us more about your experience in Togo?

It was quite challenging in the sense that it is a French speaking country. In terms of reaching out to people who are not Nigerians, you have to speak in French. Though the congregation was largely made up of Nigerians, about 98 percent were Nigerian worshippers; but we equally try to reach out to the indigenes. The other two percent were of the indigenes as at the time I left Togo. Now, I believe that there should be growth.

So how did you manage to effectively reach out to the non-English speaking converts?

I don’t speak French, but I worked with interpreters. Most of my members, who

Are you saying that you have not reported cases of job cuts and loss due to poor state of the economy? have lived there for a very long So far, God has been time, also helped. I speak in In faithful in my church.

English in most of our one of my It is only very few. In services; and somerecently articles about terms of job loss, I one will interpret in have just recordFrench. Equally, I accountability, I tried to ed one case last write our church make it known that even in the In busibulletin, the Life church pastors, members and other month. ness, some have Digest, in English office holders have tried to abuse suffered setbacks and it is translated those offices by not trying to be in their businessinto French and es and some chalput into circulation. accountable; some have turned lenges which we public and church properties Is there any difare praying about. to personal properties ference between a But it can only be a Togolese believer and the few of them. That does Nigerian believer? not in any way take away the The difference is that Nigerians received fact that every Nigerian is crying over the Christian faith earlier than the Togo- the meltdown in the economy; but we unlese. And so, they tend to be more serious derstand that it is not really a predicament Christians than their Togolese counterparts as far as the church is concerned. We are who are undergoing a process of matura- praying more about it and we are making tion in the faith. sure that those who don’t have what to do will have something doing.

Now you are back in Nigeria, how are you How do you intend to achieve that? adjusting?

The first thing we do is to create the Nigeria is my home. It is not strange to me. The only challenge we are having is awareness of the economic situation bethe problem of electricity, which over there, cause knowledge is power. When one is constant. But here, we are facing that comes to understand the situation at hand whatever you are having or doing you will challenge of not having steady light.

be diligent with it. The other way is that once they are able to come up with the problem they are having or challenge, we come and look at the situation of a member and the welfare policy of the church and we see how we can encourage such a person. For example, right now we are on a case of a member who came asking for a loan to go resume his business. While looking at it we made it clear that as a church we don’t intend to give loans, but we can give him assistance to go back to business because church is not a financial institution. But we needed to really know if the kind of assistance we can give will really help the brother. In the process, we discovered that this brother wants to go into hawking. Now, knowing that the policy of Lagos State government does not permit street hawking, we rather suggested that he should rework his proposal; probably get a shop and then come back to tell us what it will take to have a business in a shop rather than given him money to go into hawking which will definitely worsen his case when he is arrested for illegal street hawking. That is one of the things we have done to improve the welfare of one of our members.

How do you feel when you read about stories that one would rather not wish to associate with men of God? It is quite unfortunate that such stories come up. But one cannot role away the fact that we are living in a human society, and we expect different attitudes. Of course in other fields, we have people that behave well and we have people that don’t. The same thing happens in the ministry; you have those who will take advantage of the gospel and also abuse the privilege that they have to be in the ministry. As someone concerned, I feel bad and disappointed that is why I have spoken against it. In one of my recently articles about accountability, I tried to make it known that even in the church pastors, members and other office holders have tried to abuse those offices by not trying to be accountable; some have turned public and church properties to personal properties. Some have also watered down the gospel in order to achieve their own motives. Every leader, every pastor should be accountable enough in whatever is their undertaking.

What would you do if Islamic fundamentalists storm your church?

I don’t know what I will do because I don’t pray for that; and I am not waiting for problem to come. But if such a thing happens, it is unfortunate; and I wouldn’t say that I have a way of defending myself because I don’t even know the method they may apply. Right now, I leave everything to God because I don’t have an answer to that. But fighting our enemies is not part of the scripture we preach; but these attacks on men of God are strange to us. Some of us are still thinking on the proper way to handle this provocation and still maintain our faith as Christians.

As I am talking to you now if they actual come, the course of defending myself may end in destruction of lives. It is quite challenging and I still believe that God has a way of dealing with this. Also, it has to be said that government is expected to protect lives of its citizens.

34

SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

FAITH

Be mindful of your actions – Kome

T

Tai Anyanwu he federal government has been told to be mindful of how it handles the issues of killings Christian clerics; and its anti-corruption war as the eyes of the world are fixed on unfolding events in Nigeria.

The warning was given by the fiery General Overseer Christian Center international Incorporated (CCII), Rev. Dr. John Komeh; during an exclusive interview with Sunday Telegraph.

He was fielding questions was on the increasing killing of pastors by Islamic fanatics, the seeming selective treatment of public

officials indicted with corruption charges and glaring government’s reluctance to punish Islamic fundamentalists who have been hacking down Christian clerics in different parts of the country.

He condemned government’s passiveness on what has been described as prejudicial killings of pastors saying: “The silence and evasive attitude of the government is a reflect ion of the fears of several people in pre-election discourse.”

Kome recalled that before the 2015 presidential elections, which saw the exit of President Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, President, and the emergency of

incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim leader, Christians, were afraid that Buhari would Islamise Nigeria.

“Then Buhari said that nothing like that would happen. Now that they are killing Christians and the federal government seems not to say anything, the international community is watching. They may soon be asking; could it be true that what the Christians are afraid of is what is playing out gradually now?

On the ongoing corruption crusade of the federal government, Komeh observed: “It seems that those in Buhari’s government who are indicted of corrupt

practices are left to go free. It appears like the Buhari led administration is targeting only those perceive as opponent.”

He asked: “Why can’t the government investigate, the Chief of Army staff, Tukur Buratai, who has been accused of buying properties in Dubai? The other man, the Minister of Interior, Gen. Abdulraman Danbazau, was also a Chief of Army Staff said be involved in the same kind of corruption for which other past military chief are being investigated. Why is he not being investigated and why is his name removed from the list of indicted persons?”

The cleric therefore

L-R: Chaplin, Rev. Ehanmo Isaac; Dr. Mopelola Alabi; Rev. Dr. Israel Kristilere; Principal; Mrs. Eunice Akanji and Zonal Education Administration, Dr. H. O. Alamu, during the 2016 Valedictary Service and Graduation ceremony of Baptist Girls Academy, Obanikoro, Lagos…

PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

Stop murmuring, accept chang – Eliamiaga

T

Tai Anyanwu he General Overseer of Holy Family Prayer Ministry, Bishop Wilson Eliamiaga, is one person who would rather want Nigerians to stop seeing every approach to governance by the current dispensation in the country as monstrous.

The cleric stated this at a recent interview with Sunday Telegraph in Lagos.

Without mincing words, Eliamiaga urged Nigerians to stop murmuring about but see the need to adjust to the change of attitude; in line with the policy of Buhari-led APC government.

“Everybody is shouting Nigeria is bad; there is a

Eliamiaga

price to be paid for freedom. Every nation that succeeded paid a price.

What is happening is happening because we need a change. A lot of things have gone wrong. We are all extravagant such that a person who is used to eating many pieces of meat in one single meal does not want to adjust even in these hard times; so he or she complains. We need to adjust to change,” the Bishop insisted.

Driving home his point on the extravagant tendencies of Nigerians he added: “In Britain a man who wants to take a wife can just invite one or two guests. But here, we want to overdo things. We kill cows, buy clothes, sew aso ebi etc. Buhari has done well to start the change; but Nigerians are complaining that he does not want to listen to their complaints. It is important to note that Nigerians should sew their coats according to their clothes.”

Eliamiaga dismissed the feelings in some sectors that President does not have a listening ear saying “The president should focus on God’s leading. When God is leading a man, He blocks his ears so that he will not

hear from men. When God took David into the battle, even his brothers tried to stop him; he didn’t listen.

King Saul said who’s this small boy? The King also tried to stop him but he didn’t listen.”

Given a prophetic insight into the future of country, the Bishop also dismissed speculations that Nigeria may cease to remain one united country. Reacting to agitations by some federating components that are pushing to renegotiate the country’s unity, Eliamiaga said: “It is God that enthrones and dethrones. It is possible that before the expiration of Buhari’s administration, there may be nothing like APC or PDP. This nation is in God’s hand; if anybody thinks it is going to collapse the person is only wasting time.”

According to him, resurgence of militancy in the Niger Delta, herdsmen and Boko Haram terrorism are all happening because mundane deities are demanding for appeasement and sacrifice. “There must be a blood sacrifice either through Boko Haram or the likes. Even America that is the envy of

the world today paid the price. A true Muslim will not kill a Christian. A true Muslim stands for the truth.

No true Muslim or Christian will pick up a knife to kill each other. The killing that is going on is what the gods of the land need for sanity,” he explained.

On the ongoing anti-corruption crusade of the federal government, the Bishop advised Buhari to forget it adding: “Buhari cannot fight corruption. The money we need to transform this nation is not in our yesterday. It is in our tomorrow.

The seed you plant today, someone else will water it and another will harvest it.”

“I talk like this because I can see tomorrow. Those who cannot see tomorrow say I’m bragging and don’t know what I am talking about. There are three economies in this nation. Let’s not use the government economy to curse ourselves.

We are waiting for the government to do everything for us. You can’t keep producing children like rabbits and expect the government to pay their school fees. We should learn to be responsible,” he said.

warned that advancement in human rights globally, should be a lesson in the minds of those who hold sway to power in Nigeria pointing out that the world has become a global village; and that the recent killing of cops in the US, should teach everyone in power that there is a level to which oppression could be entertained.

His words: “The federal government should watch their actions and inactions.

The international community is watching the whole scenario. The international community, Europe and America are wiser than us; and CNN and other international media organisations are watching whatever is happening in Nigeria now. The Buhari led government should be aware that tomorrow they can come up with something.”

Sunday Telegraph, however, learnt that while some pastors are yet uncomfortable with the idea of resorting to self-defense when attack by Muslim fanatics, many have indeed beefed up security around their church premises.

The effect of such strategy

has resulted in dramatic locking out of important visitors to a church in Ejigbo area of Lagos State, by overzealous security guards.

“What I tried to do is to make sure that the securities we have remain alert at all times. As at yesterday, two of my visitors were kept outside and they had to call me to see if I could facilitate their entry. At our own level we have to be conscious of people around us.

“I want to add that taking up arm in self-defense is still strange to us. In the process, life could be lost and that is not part of the scripture we preach. Some of us are still struggling with how we can resort to self-defense and still keep our faith,” Rev. Uwem Ekerika explained.

Kome

Lagos State CAN condemns Appeal Court ruling on Hijab Tai Anyanwu

T

he Court of Appeal’s recent ruling in favour of female Muslim pupils wearing of Hijab as part of uniform in public schools has drawn the ire of the Christian body in Lagos.

A statement made available to the press during the week by the Secretary to the Lagos Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Elder (Dr) Israel Akinadewo reads: “The Christian Association of Nigeria, Lagos State has expresses its displeasure on the Court of Appeal decision, allowing Muslim female students to wear Hijab in government funded schools.”

The umbrella Christian body noted Lagos State is a cosmopolitan state, pointing out that the development and peace, which the state has enjoyed over the years, have been majorly because of the good relationship between Christian and Muslim leadership and their cooperation with successive governments.

The body also added that some of the public schools are missionary schools, bearing Christian names, and therefore argued that implementation of the judgment is tantamount

to Islamising the ‘State of Excellence’.

According to the statement, Christian and Muslim leaders are both members of Nigeria Inter Religious Council (NIREC) in Lagos and have been working perfectly well together.

“We can only appeal to the state government to take all legal steps immediately in reversing this judgment, before the Mega City vision for Lagos State is destroyed through religious extremism,” Akinadewo said.

“There should be a standard dress code for all, to be made public for all students who attend public schools in Lagos State. Tax payers’ monies are used for the establishment and running of these schools, hence religious dress codes should not be allowed under any circumstance.

“This is even with the fact that religious bodies can establish private schools, and the demands of their religion can then be effectively implemented,” he added.

Sunday Telegraph learnt that the state CAN will be addressing the press conference on the in due course, after its legal team had studied the details of the court judgment.

35

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016

Body&Soul with

Wole Adepoju 07037763410

woleadepoju@yahoo.com

Tope, Demola unite in society wedding A

ttaining a level of fulfillment in life entails certain things that could be referred to as the conventional. These include having a job, having a family and recording progress at whatever pace. And for these two men, Wole Olanipekun and Dele Adeshina, it will amount to saying what is obvious that they are fulfilled individuals in their own right. Regarding what they do for a living -law practice -both are prominent ones with highest level honour of the profession -Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN. Their family lives are another area of their endeavour, capable of making one go green with envy as they are both blessed with decent wives and responsible children.

Both families have moved to record secondary level of fulfillment recently when their children quit spinsterhood and bachelorhood respectively to become married.

Going by the status of the families, no one expected less than what was witnessed. It was a society wedding at its best when the families came together through their children, Temitope and Demola, and signed the

Bolatito Ladoja, hubby, happy again

Celebrities honour Toke Makinwa’s mum S

A

bout two years ago, daughter of former governor of Oyo State, shipping magnate, Chief Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja, Bolatito and her lover, a multi- instrumentalist and alternative soul singer, Emmanuel Bezhiwa Idakula, popularly known as Bez, decided to seal their affair and things were set in motion to achieve that aim.

Everything is now history but the wedding will linger in the memories of many as not just another wedding, but a gathering that boasted of the cream de la cream of the society. It did not take long that the union was crowned with a fruit but sadly, the baby did not survive.

Having moved on with life, ardent readers of Celeb Lounge will recall it was exclusively served here that the beautiful billionaire’s daughter, who is a graduate of London University, was heavily pregnant and had taken a leave of her broadcasting duty to enable her take proper care of herself and the unborn baby. The good news at this point is that the young couple is happy again as they were recently blessed with a cute baby boy who has since been named Oluwasemilore Ifeoluwa Joshua.

dotted lines to become one in marriage. Deploying all within their reach in ensuring their day of joy was indeed a memorable one, the wish of the Olanipekuns and Adeshinas came to pass with the dignitaries and important personalities who thronged the venue of the wedding ceremony in Lagos to share in the joy of the day with them. Held at upscale event centre in highbrow area of Iru, Lekki, Landmark, elegantly dressed bride, Tope and her groom who was equally bespoke in his outfit were highly elated that it was their day. Their parents too were glaringly joyous and proud to see their wards make them proud.

A handful of popular entertainers were on hand to add spice to the event. They included D’Banj, Timi Dakolo, Wande Coal, Falz. Also, the embattled governor of Abia State, Victor Ikpeazu; respected monarch, Oba Enitan Adeyeye, the Ooni of Ife; multi billionaire monarch, Olugbo of Ugbonla, Oba Fredrick Akinruntan Obateru and former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, to mention a few, graced the occasion.

Don Etiebet, wife step out J

ust like his late elder brother, Donald Etiebet, who was a governor, Chief Donatus Obot Etiebet belongs to the league of illustrious sons of his state in the South-South region and an admirable figure in the country. Aside being a business man whose resounding success is glaring for all to see, the politician has also served the nation as Minister of Petroleum in the past. Of course, he has remained relevant in the scheme of things but he has been more in his shell in recent times that little or nothing is being heard from his quarters.

In the same way, his wife, Barrister Nike Agunbiade, a school proprietor and brain behind Miss Tourism Pageant, has been going about her businesses in a quiet manner that they have not been visible on the social radar. However, the wonderful lovers who are 24 years apart in age and been married for 24 years, recently were sighted when they stepped out to honour some of their ilk who rolled out drums of celebration. Well dressed in their respective outfits, their presence did not go unnoticed as not a few necks craned forward just for a glimpse of the couple who devoted time to interact with other big wigs who were in the house.

he actually might not be an actress, singer or sports personality which could have made her prone to being famous but one fact that is difficult to deny is that slim built and light skinned Toke Makinwa, have been able to carve a niche for herself as an on air personality. She’s fast becoming a household name, even as her popularity is fast spreading beyond her primary constituency. It’s a known fact that Toke is a news maker in her own right.

The fashionista, it will be recalled, was in the news not long ago over the issue that has to do with her love life.

The last that was heard of the wide spread matter is that the event compere, Toke, had filed for divorce against her estranged husband. However, the radio presenter is presently in the news for more cheering news. The lady who is believed to be well connected in the entertainment circle proved it is not a fluke she’s loved by so many when on her account, celebrities stormed upscale event venue, Harbour Point, Victoria Island, in droves to identify with the lady in question who had a reason to invite friends and folks to join her to celebrate.

Toke was not getting engaged to another man or gathering people for any other reason but to celebrate her mother who had an elaborate bash to celebrate her milestone birthday.

Toke’s mother, Madam Esther was 70 and like a mother whose role to her children has started yielding fruit, her children gave back to her by celebrating her on her special day which was her 70th birthday. With lots of celebrities as well as other important personalities in attendance, the bash ended up a successful outing for the Makinwas.

City journalist, Femi Davies bags chieftaincy title

C

hocolate skinned and chubby dude, Femi Davies, as a celebrity journalist of over 20 years, has no doubt made journalism very attractive that his exploits and achievements would make the young ones fall in love with the noble profession.

The Ogun State born former editor of Ace magazine, Davies, as a master of his art, is well connected and influential across the sectors of the society ranging from the political to corporate and entertainment worlds where he has plied in the course

of his job for many years. Femi Davies is worthy of note due to some activities he’s engaged in as music promoter and his larger than life nature as city journalist has also assumed status of a celebrity.

The dude, as you read this, is still basking in the euphoria of a well-deserved honour that was recently conferred on him. All roads, days ago, led to the ancient town of Arigidi Akoko in Ondo State where its traditional ruler, The Zaki of Arigidi Akoko, Oba Yinus Olanipekun, decorated him with the title, Ag-

bobaniyi of Arigidi, Akoko land. The honour which was witnessed by many important personalities was said to have been born out of his love for his race, Yoruba, and his spirited effort to advance the course of the race through the tools of his profession, journalism. Meanwhile, having been pronounced the Agbobaniyi of Arigidi Akoko land on the soil of the ancient town amid pump and pageantry, the mother of all bashes to celebrate in Lagos where the newest chief in town is based, among notable socialites and well-

meaning individuals, is being planned.

36

Body&Soul

POTPOURRI

SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

With Biwom Iklaki

Weight watchers community

​Trend du jour

W

eight loss is as much a thing of the mind as it is determination.

Many success stories began with a realisation, which galvanised the persons into action. It begins in the mind, and we all know what a powerful tool the mind can be. So, whatever the reasons that may have set you off on a weight loss journey, you would do well to take your mind with you. It will be your strength, support and inspiration while reminding you when you falter, to get up and get going again.

Some people find yoga, which is a mind and body experience to be more helpful for their weight loss goals than any other form of exercise.

You could chose to wake up your mind with yoga while strengthening your muscles and building endurance and flexibility. Some experts believe there has to be a harmony of your mind, along with diet and exercise to achieve one’s ideal weight goals and seem to think you can achieve this balance through yoga or Pilates. You need to find which combination is the most comfortable for your lifestyle. There is also running, cycling, swimming, even walking for the very old or those with joint issues. Choose your best form of exercise, stick to it and with a good diet, watch your weight begin to drop.

T

his edition, we will explore how to enjoy a fabulous holiday in a harsh economy. Sounds crazy right? While your first instinct in these climes would be to scrooge on whatever naira is indeed coming in, remember that taking time off to relax is equally as important. You can gain much more than you would loose from a holiday

Money talks because you will refresh and reboot as well as relax enough to face whatever comes after.

Recreation and relaxation are so important to your health and eases your blood pressure which if not checked with all the financial pressure and stress, may kill you. It is not called the silent killer for nothing, it will not warn you.

So, take time off, travel, change

your environment and rejuvenate to save your life. Here is a simple tip on how to manage it: Calculate how much you would need for the holiday (transport, hotel, food, recreation and shopping). Divide the amount by 12 and you can set aside that amount monthly until your set time of holiday.

Remember to give yourself 12 months to set the money aside. this way, it is a ittle easier on your pocket. There you go, now you have little or no reason not to factor in fun and a new experience to your schedule for the year. I just hope you haven’t left it off too late, but you know what they say, “Better late than never”.

Mules game strong

T

here is no party like a Nigerian party, and no gele like a Nigerian gele. There is a huge love for geles to weddings, parties, church, engagements, etc and as more people seek this head piece, there is a need for even more uniqueness to their tying.

More women have been spotted with a fancy for the Avant-garde style which is known to some people as “take-abow” or celebrity rose and many more names for it. It is basically a way to tie the gele such that it sits as a giant rose either smack in the center of the head or to the side, but close enough to the face to make a statement. It is indeed a beautiful head wear. If you are not brave enough to try this trend by yourself, do take yourself to some of these makeover parlours and have them tie it for you.

Then all you need to do is to whip it out when you are ready for the event and place it on your head, then style.

You may want to tuck your hair inside so that the gele gets all the attention.

You can rock this headpiece with buba, olekwu, dresses, skirts etc. it is chic enough to pull off with almost every look, even jumpsuits.

37

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016

Upside down planters Biwom Iklaki

I

t is common to have gardens where you plant your flowers and herbs either in our outdoors of your home.

Because this is a common practise, many people who are looking for the unique in their homes keep coming up with great ideas to take flowers and herbs gardens to another level. So while they

may be common, certain methods are in no way common place. Take the upside down planters for instance, they are so far from the norm and are guaranteed to wow your guests again and again.

Get a couple of these planters or DIY them for your herbs in the kitchen. Bettetr still, for a sure show stopper, make a upsidet down flower chandelier for your kitchen.

GET A

True love conquers all I grew up not knowing my

parents because I was adopted.

I told myself that I will never abandon my own children. so you can imagine how I felt when I got engaged to the man of my dreams and went for routine gynecological tests and was told I will never be able to conceive because of some strange health issue I had when I was a baby.

I was truly devastated! I ran back home and locked myself in the bathroom to cry. My fiancé was at work, so I left the papers with the test results on the dresser and forgot about them. I came back to reality when I heard him come in. He unexpectedly came home early, knocked gently on the door, and said, ’’Sweetie, we’ll get through it together, I love you.’’ Some time later we got married without telling his parents about my predicament.

Six months into the marriage, we adopted a child, and in a year I got pregnant myself. Today it’s my joy to present my son to the whole world. This is what true love does!

Oledinma, Abuja Office romance gone sour

My boyfriend and I work at the same big company. It wasn’t

SOULMATE

Send SMS only to 07057201814 or vanessaonsunday@yahoo.com

technically against policy for us to be dating, but we are not expected to exactly publicize the fact. We’d been having issues off work and I didn’t know how to handle him when we come to the office. One day, it got so embarrassing when our big boss walked into our office right at the point when he was hugging me and apologizing. I felt as if the earth should open right under my feet so I could disappear.

To cut the long story short, he gave both of us two weeks suspension to go home and solve our domestic issues. I’ve learnt my lesson since then because we even broke up the relationship after that. When we got back to work, we were transferred to different departments. I’ve learnt bitterly never to mix business with pleasure.

After dating for three months, my girlfriend pulled a serious disappearing act. Out of the blue, she stopped returning any of my calls, e-mails or texts. It was like she never existed. She even deleted her Facebook! When I got to the address where she said she lives with her cousins, I was told she was just a friend that needed accommodation and not related. They told me she has moved in with her new fiancé and I was shocked. I didn’t believe an innocent looking girl like that could double date me with fake names and even fake social media handle. She only dated me for the money I gave her and when she was no longer satisfied, she has moved on to a another man.

Corruption is truly in diverse places. Good riddance!

Chizoba, Lagos

Udoka, Onitsha

How my girlfriend dumped me

Jeff is my name, 43 years old. I live and work in Lagos. I need a lady between30-35 years old for marriage. She must be God fearing and from Igbo speaking state.-0807321998 I am Tolulope a born aging Christian from Ondo state and based in Ibadan. I need a responsible God fearing born again guy who is between 32 and 35 years from any tribe in Nigeria-08034542984 I am Debby, 35 years old from Calabar. I need a caring and God fearing man who is hard working for a serious affair. You can reach me via my e-mail: vichelen7729@ yahoo.com My name is Gift from Abuja. I am slim, good looking caring and loving.

I am student. I need a wealthy guy between 28 and 30 years old for a relationship-08180724176 I am Sam, 30 years old based in Sango Ota. I need a single mother for a serious reraltionship-07056880026 My name is Rola, 48 years old, average height and self-employed. I need a mature beautiful and educated Yoruba female between 28 and 40 years for a serious relationship-08073000375 I am Obinna living in Lagos from Imo state. I am 38 years old and I need a God fearing Lady who is light in complexion between 23 and 30 years old for marriage-07031189914 I am Richard, 38 years a Lagos based Engineer. I am dark in complexion, 5ft 7’’tall and single. I need a caring and romantic lady between ages 22-42 years for a serious relationship-08036851909, 08079229364 My name is Tope, male, 52 years old living in Lagos. I need a woman 35 years old and above who is respectable and well to do for marriage-08027172883

38

SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

Don’t shy away from taking hard relationship decisions

E

very relationship gets to a climax where hard decisions need to be taken. This decision time is usually very critical as it marks a turning point in your life. Questions need to be asked as well as answered to determine if you want to move forward in that relationship or break up and live separate lives.

In taking these hard decisions such as proposing marriage to your girlfriend, accepting a marriage proposal from your boyfriend or even deciding to break up with someone, it is never an easy time emotionally for anybody no matter how strong you think you are.

Whichever decision you think you need to make in your relationship right now, I’ll like you to please think deeply and if possible, dispassionately, so as not to take any rash decision you may live to regret later in life. Life comes full circle; try to live yours without any regrets of wrong decision taking.

I met a friend recently, who was at a cross road in her relationship with her boyfriend of three years. She desperately wants to get married but her boyfriend acts like he has all the time in the world. She has brought up the issue in their relationship severally but she always gets the same response from him, “Babe, I will marry you but I’m not financially ready right now. The economic situation in the country is really tough and business is slow’’ this is the excuse he comes up with every time she brings it up.

I simply told her to break up with him.

Yes, that’s right! I always believe that when a guy truly wants a woman in his life forever, he puts a pen to it; he pro-

I

CONNECT NG vanessaonsunday@yahoo.com poses; he sells all he has to make sure this treasure stays with him for life. But when a guy spits from both side of the mouth, then know that it’s either he’s indecisive about the relationship; he’s seeing another lady behind your back or you’re simply in his life for the joy ride.

So when a relationship issue is befuddling you, then it’s time to become dispassionate and put on your thinking cap. Look inwards and ask yourself questions on the way forward. I always say that true love bares all things.

When you break up with your lover for a while, it helps to put perspective to that relationship. It helps both of you to actually know the true state of your feelings for each other.

If you breakup with your partner and they never come back looking for you, then know that relationship was never meant for you, but if they do come back, it shows that the feelings were mutual but at the same time it’s an opportunity to iron out your differences and what caused the break up initially.

Taking some relationship decisions can really be tough; especially if you have invested so much emotions and energy into it. It is hard to let go but most times it’s better to let go what was

never yours in the first place. Rather than waste the better part of your life being in a relationship that is heading nowhere or if you are not sure you love your partner deep enough to want a future, then take that plunge and free yourself from a loveless relationship.

Wish you all the best!

I received the e-mail below recently and it prompted me to write this article this week. Enjoy!

RESPONSES Is he in love or lust with me?

Dear Vanessa I am 30 years old and have been in a relationship with a guy for the past one year now. We met at a friend’s birthday party and became lovers almost immediately. After a few months, I realized my boyfriend calls me up only on weekends and we will stay in his apartment all through just making love.

When I complain that he does not take me anywhere, he will reply it’s because he loves me so much and does not want us to be apart.

Recently, I started telling him that I wanted us to take our relationship

more serious and that I’ll like to meet his friends and family. Initially he agreed but he has not done anything to change the situation, instead he has started skipping most weekends that we would have been together.

I am getting desperate as I really love this guy and age is no longer on my side. I don’t really know if this guy truly loves me or is he just using me for sex.

From, Bola Bolritao2000@yahoo.com Dear Bola Have you ever heard of the term ‘’wet rag’’ before? It usually refers to a very convenient kitchen towel that is used for all purpose cleaning in the kitchen but never used either in the sitting room or bedroom simply because the owner does not think it is clean enough to be seen in public.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but I think that is exactly how your boyfriend sees you. His attitude towards you says it all. He does not take you anywhere or introduce you to his friends or family because he does not think you are worth it.

My dear, if a man truly loves a woman; he shows her off to the whole world.

I must tell you he is only using you to satisfy his sexual desires and nothing more.

You are nobody’s wet rag. You deserve a better treatment than you have received from your boyfriend. Break off from that relationship and seek someone who will place more value on you and treat you with respect and dignity.

Of death, literature and two literary icons

have refused to write about death on this page for the last three weeks. I didn’t want to turn this space into some obituary forum. However, as sad as death may be, in the African society, the death of an old man is seen as a cause for celebration. These days, I have even seen funeral invitation with the bold heading, ‘celebration of life’. And that is what I am doing, today. I am not mourning, but celebrating the lives of two literary icons that I considered friends and have the priviledge of knowing and meeting: Captain Elechi Amadi and Ambassador Ojo Maduekwe.

By some coincidence, these men both died within hours of each other and I am wondering if that makes them kindred spirits.

Elechi Amadi is a writer that I was introduced to in my secondary school literature class through the book, ‘The Concubine’.

It was a tale written in English but with so much African supernatural element that it read like some folktale from the African village square. No, it is a tale of village life, gods and their influence on the day to day activity of the society. It was a story that proved that not only can Africa produce writers of note, the African society can generate stories to match any of James Hardly Chase. I should know because I read them all. The Concubine had two sequels, ‘The Great Ponds’ and ‘The Slave’. Now, I did not know that until I was priviledged to be on an ANA entourage that visited his home in 2004. He was welcoming with a broad smile and from a man who had seen the war as a soldier and a civilian, I was quite impressed with his outlook on life. He was modest and knowledgeable on everything literature that pertained to Nigeria. He was witty as well

and proud to be a part of the literary landscape. He appears to be impressed with the direction ANA was heading. I was in awe and yet he made me relaxed during the question time, noting how youthful I looked in the crowd. It was during that time he asked if I had read the sequel to ‘The Concubine’. I said no and he fished out copies. Indeed, if the death of an old man is like a library burning down, then you can say a historical and literary archive just went up in smoke with the death of Amadi.

He was proud of his culture, proud of his

heritage and in his books, you were made to gaze upon that culture with respect. He must have died a satisfied man and as such must be celebrated.

Now, while it will not be hard for me to call Elechi Amadi a literary icon, mentioning Ojo Maduekwe in the same breathe may come as a surprise to many and it should not be. A cerebral scholar and astute thinker, Maduekwe is a lover of books and all things culture.

As a Minister of Culture, he accorded books and literature a pride of place by establishing the library in the Ministry of Culture. (I

Now, while it will not be hard for me to call Elechi Amadi a literary icon, mentioning Ojo Maduekwe in the same breathe may come as a surprise to many and it should not be. A cerebral scholar and astute thinker, Maduekwe is a lover of books and all things culture

am assuming here that there is still a library within the Ministry). Of course, he made the riding of bicycle very popular as the Minister of Transport, but what many did not know is that Ojo Maduekwe was not putting on a show for publicity. He loves riding bicycle.

I saw his collection at the Nigerian embassy here in Canada. He loves literature and was always on the look out for the latest title by any celebrated Nigeria. Ojo Maduekwe made every citizen in Canada feel special.

He showed up at the graduation ceremony of University of Saskatchewan upon being told that a Nigerian bagged the highest academic honour on the roll. I was introduced to him

by Nduka Otiono when he hosted a literary afternoon at the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa while he served as the Ambassador and to hear the man talk about books, I was impressed. One moment stood out for me; as we discussed books, Nigerian literature and Nigerian arts in general, Nduka Otiono told him that there is a missing book in the literary canon of Nigeria: his memoir.

He said he had no story to tell. I spoke up.

He had served with various governments in different capacities. He traversed the political and diplomatic terrain. Worked behind the scenes as a power broker in Nigeria and was a lovable Minister of culture compared to some others. No, he had a story to tell.

Ever the humour merchant, he joked, “Young man, that means I have too much to say and so will be more than a book.” I agreed and asked him, “So, who says you have to write a book? Make it a trilogy covering different aspects of your political and diplomatic career.”

He paused and promised to do so. Sadly, that book never materialised. Indeed, Nigeria has lost two icons.

Y 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

nts

bric

39

Ways to rock natural healthy locks

coat, the entional.

fabulous may be a for it. If wallowed consider t by donrd, a bag, way, you he ‘don’t ly.

Ifeoluwa Adeyemo

B

eautiful hair adds some kind of personality to your image and naturally beautifies you. An attractive hairdo makes you the ‘eye candy’. If you belong to team Naturale, then you need to take extra care to keep your hair looking natural, healthy and shiny.

Here are some natural hair care tips that will help you maintain healthy locks:

Stay away from hair styling treatments and products: Use of harsh chemicals will only spoil your hair growth in the long run. It’s advisable to embrace the natural beauty of your hair and find a way to avoid chemical based products or at least use them sparingly.

Use of Aloe Vera gel as a natural hair conditioner: Aloe Vera can infuse new life in the way your hair looks and feels.

Just apply a small amount of Aloe Vera gel instead of your usual hair conditioner. If you do it regularly, you will see the effects of this natural treatment.

Keep your scalp clean and free from oil: Hair wash should be quite frequent, depending on how oily your skin is and its exposure to dirt and dust. It’s also not good to wash your hair daily, because you can strip it of its natural oils which are essential for healthy hair growth. So try to find your balance when it comes to the frequency.

Always treat your hair gently: Avoid being harsh when combing, drying or styling your hair, because harsh movements can significantly damage your locks.

Use cold or lukewarm water for hair wash: Water that is too hot can damage the tips of your hair and we don’t want. So use lukewarm or cold water to wash and rinse your hair.

Use natural oil treatments Use natural oil such as coconut oil, castor oil or olive oil for your hair. Apply slightly warmed up oil on the roots of your hair and spread it to the lengths. Keep it on for at least forty minutes then wash your hair. This will add shine and elasticity.

When you sow the seed of good care for your hair, it will be rewarded with gorgeous, shiny and silky.

Aside the tips, we should know that our physical and psychological conditions affect our appearance so we need to cultivate a stress-free, optimistic and positive attitude to be charming and attractive always.

40

SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

Grooming routine checklist

Vanessa Okwara

H

ygiene is one of those things everyone is expected to know but no one ever talks about. There’s more to it than just wearing deodorant and rinsing with mouthwash. Good hygiene is critical not only to overall men’s health but also to being successful in life.

There are some serious hygiene habits that shouldn’t be missed from the average male’s daily routine.

Brush and floss every day Invest three minutes of your time into proper dental hygiene.

Brush twice a day, floss once.

Even if you’re tired and ready to go to bed, make the effort to get it done. Include tongue scraping into your routine, too. That really helps in decreasing bad

breath. The freshness of your breath is the ambassador of your words.

Trim armpits If hair is poking out of short-sleeve shirts, or creating a bush when you’re wearing a tank top, it’s time to take action and shave those armpits.

Wear good deodorant Whether it’s using deodorant or antiperspirant, many men don’t follow this simple guideline as frequently as they should.

A deodorant gets rid of odour caused by sweating, while antiperspirants actually stop and dry up perspiration. The best thing to do is to look for an antiperspirant/deodorant combination and make sure the fragrance isn’t too overpowering.

Keep your nails trimmed Keep your fingernails

trimmed always. Don’t chew them; gnawed up nails are not attractive. Get a simple nail clipper and give your nails a quick trim once a week before you hop into the shower Unkempt Beards and Mustaches There’s nothing wrong with keeping your beards as long as your workplace allows them, but not a messy one. Just go lightly over the edges of your facial hair with a trimmer and the appropriate guide comb, cutting everything back to a uniform length and making sure the outline is nice and crisp.

Take care of your clothes.

The greatest outfit in the world would look awful if it wasn’t washed and ironed. Keeping your clothes in good condition is a very important part of looking good on a regular basis.

Daniel K. Daniel

Stylishly dapper D aniel Kanayo Daniel also known as DKD is a Nigerian television and film actor, model and voice-over artiste, who was shot to limelight for his heroic role in the Amstel Malta Box Office Movie, The child.

Daniel started his modeling career while in secondary school, doing a couple of television commercials for Zandas Cosmetics. When he returned to Abuja from university in 2009, he took part in a few runway shows including the Abuja Moroccan Fashion Show.

After he took a break to go for his National Youth Service in February 2010, he retuned into acting in 2011 and started in a surfeit of movies including Under which was shot in Ghana, Ivie, Paint My Life, Tempest, Lions of

76, Jujuwood, Spirit Girl, Mummy Dearest amongst many others. He also featured in a number of television series such as My Treasure, Spider and Car Hire.

Daniel was nominated for City People Awards and Best of Nollywood Awards (BON). In march 2016, Daniel emerged as Africa’s best actor for his role in the Nigerian War Thriller; A Soldier’s Story at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) 2016 edition.

Daniel is a fashionable personality but one word comes to mind always- stylish!! He wears anything and still pulls it off effortlessly. His styles are usually classy making him stand out in every occasion. A pair of vintage suit on his nicely cropped punk haircut leaves him looking breath taking!!!

41

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016

RazzleDazzle I am not a porn star – Grace Ijeoma Agu

Body&Soul Abiola Alaba Peters

with

08062622328 abiolaalabapeters@rockmail.com

Ebube Nwagbo replies fans over bleaching skin B

Seun Egbegbe confirms marriage to other women

lasting of Nigerian celebrities by fans is gradually becoming a norm in the world today. Stars in the entertainment industry have all gotten their fair share from fans.

Nollywood actress, Ebube Nwagbo, was recently called out by a fan who accused her of bleaching her skin after she posted a picture of herself and friends on her social media handle. The award winning actress politely replied the fan saying, “I don’t bleach darling”. However, the picture got mixed reactions from fans, as some claim she bleached, while others think it’s her natural complexion.

The Anambra State born actress has featured in over a hundred movies without any show of slowing down yet.

S

N

ollywood actress, Ijeoma Agu, became popular when she debuted her one-woman-show where she played eight different female characters. Ever since, Agu has continued to grace the TV screen, featuring in movies, films and stage plays. The beautiful, skinny actress and ambassador of the Theatre Royal Stratford East, UK, recently took her craft to another level when she turned up the heat in new photos. She stripped to her lingerie in some shots where she posed suggestively in a themed photo-shoot. She showed off skin wearing sheer lingerie and going kinky wearing shackles over the intimate look while posing in different suggestive ways on a table surface. She chose another look in a feather tiered sheer detailed piece complete with trapeze statement earrings and a low cut hair. She rocked a chic sporty look featuring a crop top over harem pants with boyfriend denim shirt thrown on it and paired it with sky high heels.

She wore other chic looks including a glitzy evening look and a colour block top over shorts in the photos.

RazzleDazzle reached the daring Ijeoma for comment over the pictures which have stirred controversies all over the social media.

“My dear, those are just pictures, they are part of show business, pictures or roles I play in movies don’t define my person. I don’t know why these pictures are being misunderstood. Like I said, they are just pictures, they don’t express who I am, they are purely an expression of the business I am into, which is just make-believe. I am not a porn star, I can never do such, and my husband won’t allow it,” she noted.

Grace is happily married to her Nollywood husband and they are blessed with kids.

If not comedy, I would have been a painter- Papa B

A

kwa Ibom State born comedian, Edwin Saviour, popularly known as Papa B, is no doubt a talented entertainer. He has given platform and impacted value to young talented comedians who are now successful in the industry. He revealed that if comedy did not come his way, he would have ended up a painter. “I would have been a great painter with class. I studied painting and decorating in school and as an advanced craft diploma at Yaba Technical College”.

Speaking on his next plans, project and what life had taught him in general, he said, “Life has really taught me to depend on God and never give up on my dreams. Life has not always been easy though, but I am very much comfortable and grateful to my creator. Regarding my next plans and project, I am working on a comedy movie and also a single I recorded, I also want to reproduce it with another music producer then shoot the video. I also have plans to put up big shows soon involving top comedians in Nigeria; hopefully, I have something big and new for my fans”.

uper actress, Toyin Aimakhu’s ex-lover, Seun Egbegbe, has confirmed that there are two other women in his life, aside his estranged lover. Egbegbe who made these revelations recently, said he is comfortable with marrying two ladies.

Seun denies having affairs with actresses, “There’s nothing special about our relationship. It’s the same way they like others in the industry, not only me. We’re all one big family.

As they all love me, I love them as well. And it’s the same thing with everybody in the industry.”

He went on to clarify the issue, “Yes, one thing I want you to believe is that most times, all these things are rumours.

Not everything you hear people say about someone in the industry that you should believe. There’s always addition or subtraction in whatever people say. If you rely on hearsay, one will be misled. I am not trying to shy away from the fact that if I see a lady I admire in the industry, I can make advances at her, if she likes me, she may honour it and if she doesn’t, there’s no compulsion in that. And I don’t think anybody can arrest you for doing that. If I do anything, I stand by it, and if I didn’t do it, I will also tell you. So, I have no reason to hide anything from you on that.” He reveals, “I have one wife abroad, a nurse and another one in Nigeria who is a businesswoman and I have two children.” He added that he is not getting married to another wife.

My private life is not for public Brother Jude Onyekachi Ugenyi domain –Belinda Effah finally launches album A

I

t was a day of fulfillment of dreams as Jude Onyekachi Ugenyi launched his first ever musical album as a gospel singer. The tall, light-skinned handsome singer said that his passion to win souls for Christ through his ministration made him venture into the gospel world. He said that he got the inspiration through Luke Ezeji, the gospel singer he admires so much. He also said that the love his parents and siblings have for songs that glorify God also guided him in making a choice. The gospel singer, who hails from Imo State, said that his hit track ‘Triumphant Praise’ was given to him by God in a revelation. He said that he is very delighted to have Rev. Chidi Anthony, the General Overseer of Kings in Christ Power Ministries International as father in the Lord because his support was immeasurable and priceless. He also expressed delight and satisfaction with guest artistes like Vivian Ejiofor, Chinonso Igbonekwu, Evangelist Desmond Praise and so many others. He said that he is very happy that the dream which he had in the year 2006, when he started singing, had finally become reality in the year 2016.

ward-winning actress, Belinda Effah, is not down with making her private life known on public domain, especially, the social media. Effah has gone a long way in making sure that she is scandal free. What sells in the industry is gossip but the actress is not going to let that push her out of her closet. Belinda, in her effort to stay out of trouble, says, “It has always been my vision to be scandal free, keeping my private life away from my public life. Appreciate me for my movies and what you see on screen, but my life is my life.

I treasure that and I just want to keep it that way. Filming late into the night and at times in the morning is the greatest sacrifice I have made. At times, we shoot from the morning to the morning of the next day. Those are sacrifices people can’t explain. It takes a toll on me as an actress. It’s crazy.”

The Akwa Ibom born actress, who made her way into the hearts of many after graduating from Royal Art Academy, has successfully graced the big screen and won a number of awards.

42

Chigozie Eneremadu, popularly called Kapuchi, is a music artiste and creative writer who has been living in England for over 12 years.

Although he started his music career at an older age, he is determined to break into the Nigerian music scene with his Afro beats which are already trending on the Internet.

In this interview with VANESSA OKWARA and IFEOLUWA ADEYEMO, he talks about his career, style, marriage and the name ‘Kapuchi’

SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

I’d love a collabo with Phyno –Kapuchi

Brief back ground I’m from Mbaise in Imo State. I read English at the University of Ilorin. I went to England about 12 years ago. I have a diploma in Media Tech as well as studies in Creative Media which is in view at City of Westminster College.

Why did you leave Nigeria?

I actually went on a student visa to do my masters in Mass Communication after studying English. On getting to the UK, things that happen to everybody happened to me and you want to survive first which I did. Then I went back

t o school to do a diploma in Media Te c h niques.

Before I left, I had a brief stint with Nolly-

wood as a creative w r i t e r.

Creative writing has always been one of my favourite past times.

I’ve always loved music also; music has always been part of me. After a while, I went back to music, met a producer in London and dropped a track.

My first single was dropped in 2014 in London.

But we didn’t do a massive promo here in Nigeria, it is titled ‘You and I’.

What kind of song is it?

It is Afro highlife. I dropped another one which we are now promoting and it’s all

over the Internet. I’ve had a lot of interviews in London and here in Nigeria over that song.

I’ve been on MITV, Hip TV, Galaxy TV and Soundcity because the song is really trending and it’s titled ‘Osikabubu’.

Can you tell us what this new song is about?

It’s a song that praises the plus sized woman. What the song is trying to say is that there is nothing wrong with being full figured. We tried as much as possible not to dwell on the sexual and sensual approach to the song. We live in a time when more and more women are trapped in this body image situation; so the song is just to encourage the African woman.

Tell us about your first single, what was it all about?

My first single was titled ‘You and I’. My wife is a beautiful Igbo woman. She inspired the song, ‘You and I’. It was a story I told in that song of how she has been with me through thick and thin. And we’ve got four beautiful girls. I love my family; I love my girls and I can jump off the cliff for them. I come from a very large family myself.

What was growing up like?

Growing up was a bit of fun and adventures, a little bit of poverty here and there but then also there was the fun, the joy and the happiness. The early part of my life was in the village up until when I was 14 and then I left for Lagos to stay with my brother. I have big brothers and I am the seventh child and the sixth boy in the family of nine; we are eight boys and a girl. Childhood was beautiful.

When did you find out that you have flair for music?

I’ve always known I loved music. I wrote my first song in 1990, I was about 17 years old and couldn’t do anything about it because it was almost like a taboo for my father to hear of it. I could’ve come out a lot earlier; that’s to tell you I’ve been around a while but like my mum would say, when a man wakes up, that’s his morning. I’ve done two songs but I haven’t done a lot of promotion and that’s what I’m doing right now.

Who are those that influenced your music?

I was influenced by my native songs and Fela Kuti as well. Coming down to the early 90s, we had the likes of Bobby Brown and all of these guys influenced me. So I’ve tried to put together all these influences to fuse them into contemporary music.

When did you decide to go fully into music and what prompted it?

When I moved to London, I went through a lot because obviously in London, you have to go down first before you come up. Even though I was a graduate, I had to do some silly jobs to keep going. Never give up has always been my philosophy. It was actually my woman that gave me the right kick to start my music career. She told me in 2011 to go out and do something about my passion for music. So I went into the studio and started but I kept trying till I met my present producer, Mr. Dalva of Dalva Empire and he gave me what I wanted.

What is the name of the record label?

It’s called ‘Empire Music’. The record la-

bel is called GL records. I did a song there titled ‘Sugar Daddy’. It’s not out yet. Now going back to your question, I always knew I wanted to do music but wasn’t sure when I wanted to do it because I didn’t have enough confidence, but it took a woman who believed in me to give me the right push to go and do what I should have done a long time ago. But don’t forget, I was also mixing this with my daily job as well.

Do you have videos for your songs?

I have the video for ‘Osikabubu’ which has been released and I also have the video for ‘Ego Oyinbo’ which was released just last week. I’m also looking at doing collaboration with the big boys in the game. I have a lot of them I would love to work with but topping that list would be Phyno.

Do you feel intimidated coming into music at this time, considering your age?

No! I believe if you’ve got something in you, just go out and give it your best. The industry is a very big one and it’s all about confidence.

But what I’m doing now is using my gift to do music and gather as much publicity as possible not just for Kapuchi, but for GL Records as well.

What is your fashion style?

They call me Mr. Dapper. When it comes to dressing, I’m influenced by English style.

Sometimes, I also wear jeans and shirts. Whatever I do wear, must have some statement in it and it’s been like that right from my University days. I’ve always loved to dress well but I am actually a suit person. It has to go with a hat most of the time. I love hats.

Who is your favourite wristwatch designer?

I do Michael Kors a lot. But what I do and have not stopped for years is love for shoes.

I’ve always worn Jeffery West shoes for so many years and I’m not trying to boast about it but there is a certain level of confidence and fitting it gives me.

Your wife influenced your music, what makes her so special?

What is not special about her? It’s the way she makes me feel. She puts me on a pedestal and her whole world revolves around me. We have been together for 11 years now and she has never changed. She makes me feel like a king in my own house. She has a strong personality too.

Where do you see your music in the next three years?

To be honest with you, this is what I have in mind in the next one year. I hope to do collaboration with one of the big stars in this country. I’m telling you in the next one year, they are going to know Kapuchi in a larger scale; it’s a very unique name.

What is the meaning of ‘Kapuchi’?

Kapuchi is an inspired name. My name is Chigozie and so the KAPU in the name means Christ Appointed, Powerful and Untouchable Chigozie. That is what it means but I became stylish with the name. I use K for Christ instead of the C because they both have the same phonetic representation. That’s how I came up with the name.

Describe Kapuchi in three words?

Kapuchi is definitely fun loving; he is growing, and fantastically considerate.

43

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016

NEWS Obasanjo, others task govts to to boost intra-African trade p.44

INTERVIEW Importers are now 50% compliant with trade laws – Customs controller

AUTO BEAT Kia brings Android Auto and AppleCarPlay to older cars p.47

p.45

BUSINESS

PAUL OGBUOKIRI HEAD, BUSINESS

paulogbuokiri@newtelegraph

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

FG to start international borrowing in Q3 – Minister

N

igeria will start borrowing abroad in the third quarter of this year, Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun said on Thursday, in the wake of the Central Bank’s decision to float the naira last month.

L-R: Governor, Bank of Zambia, Dr. Denny Kalyaiya; Chief Executive Officer, Afriland First Bank Group, Dr. Paul Fokam; Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo; Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu; President, Afreximbank, Dr. Benedict Oramah and Group Chief Executive, Oando Plc, Wale Tinubu; at the end of their session in Seychelles...on Friday

Whither Nigeria’s economy

Emefiele

A

Paul Ogbuokiri couple of years ago, Nigeria’s economy was riding high as one the top investment destinations in the world, with GDP growth of over 6.5 per cent, it was also one of the fastest growing economies.

The economy, which had been rebased in April 2014, overtook South Africa to become Africa’s biggest economy.

The economy was further adjudged to have become more diversified than previously reported, with agriculture accounting for 22 per cent of its GDP, while the services sector increased to 51 per cent of GDP. The services sector covers activities such as: transportation, information and communications, arts and

entertainment, financial and insurance services, real estate, public administration, education and health services.

The rebased numbers for some other important sectors in the economy were as follows: oil & gas (15.9 per cent), manufacturing (6.7 per cent), telecoms (8.7 per cent), and Nollywood (1.2 per cent).

But less than two years later the economy is reeling on its knees heading toward full recession.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a report on Tuesday forecast that the economy will contract by 1.8 per cent in 2016, slashing an estimate in April of 2.3 per cent growth for the year.

It stated that Nigeria will slide into recession this year for the first time in more than two decades as Africa’s largest economy grapples with a deepening economic crisis.

A former lecturer at the Kaduna State University, Kaduna, Dr John Danfulani in a recent article, tagged ‘Shooting Straight’, blamed the country’s dwindling economic fortunes on ‘consistent inconsistencies in economic policies’ of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, saying local and international investors are disappearing from the shores of Nigeria at the speed of light.

He lamented that stocks collapsed and are still dovetail-

ing like a descending arrow.

Even as banks are folding their branches and sending their workers home in their thousands.

According to experts, the key reasons for the frightening state of the economy, aside the falling price of oil in the international market and Nigeria’s inability to pump enough quantity to the market; were the delayed constitution of the President’s cabinet and the pegging of the exchange rate of the naira.

Sunday Telegraph reports that despite the fact that the government had recently removed the peg on the currency’s exchange rate, allowing the naira to float, foreign investors have refused to return to Nigeria.

“Most investors would like to see a more liquid FX mar-

We have long warned of a slowburning crisis in Nigeria. It now seems that this view was too optimistic, the country is headed into a full-blown economic crisis

ket before resuming purchases of local assets,” Samir Gadio, head of Africa strategy at Standard Chartered Bank, told Reuters.

The development has brought intense pressure on the naira forcing it to continue to fall to about 375 in the parallel market on Wednesday. According to the latest Bloomberg report, the naira is the world’s worst performing currency.

This came as the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics revealed that the country’s economy shrank by 0.4 per cent yearover-year in the first quarter — way worse than expected.

Economists were expecting the country to grow by 1.8 per cent year-over-year, according to the Bloomberg consensus.

And now analysts aren’t feeling too good about the situation going forward.

“We have long warned of a slow-burning crisis in Nigeria,” Capital Economics’ Africa economist John Ashbourne said. “It now seems that this view was too optimistic: the country is headed into a fullblown economic crisis.”

Meanwhile, one of the most important take-homes President Buhari reportedly brought back home from his state visit to the Republic of Chine in April was the much reported currency swap deal with Commercial and Industrial Bank of China.

CO N T I N UED ON PAGE 44

The government has said it plans to borrow up to $10 billion, with about half of that coming from foreign sources, to help make up a budget shortfall exacerbated by a slump in oil prices.

The government had initially planned to hold Eurobonds road shows in March but postponed sales as investors complained about the overvalued naira, according to bankers.

On Thursday, the currency hit a record low of 375.50 in off-market transactions, after just one trade was made during regular interbank hours at a rate of 309 naira to the dollar.

“We have been borrowing largely from the domestic market because we needed to get the exchange rate sorted out to enable us to borrow from the international market. The international borrowings will begin to come in Q3,” she said.

The Federal Government has said it wants to change the balance of its debt portfolio so that 40 per cent of its borrowing comes from abroad, compared with 16 per cent now. It also wants to extend the average maturity of its debt profile.

Adeosun

NDIC expresses worry over non-performing insider loans

T

he Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation said on Friday that it was concerned about an “increasing wave” of non-performing insider loans in the Nigerian banking system.

Such loans are those paid by banks to their directors and shareholders. In a statement, the agency said Managing Director, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim was concerned about the consequences “on the stability of the nation’s banking system”.

Earlier this month the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN) replaced the board of Skye Bank after it failed to meet minimum capital ratios, saying the bank’s non-performing loan ration had been above the regulatory limit for some time.

44

SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

BUSINESS

Oil drops to two-month low

O

L-R: Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Olatunji Bello; Managing Director/ CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc, Nnamdi Okonkwo and the Commissioner for the Environment, Lagos State, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, at the 2016 Tree Planting Day where Fidelity Bank won the Award for the Best Green Partner 2015 Tree Planting Campaign in Lagos state.

Obasanjo, others task govts to boost intra-African trade

S

Paul Ogbuokiri peakers at activities marking the 23rd Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank’s) on Friday in Mahe, Seychelles, said that the visa regime operating across Africa was one of the greatest impediments to the growth of intra-African trade.

Speakers at the vent which includes, Wale Tinubu of Oando Group of Nigeria, Tony Elumelu of Heirs Holdings, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr. Paul Fokam of Afriland First Bank, and Jean-Paul Adam, Minister of Finance, Trade, and Blue Economy, of Seychelles, among others, were almost unanimous in arguing that the requirement for visas for travel by Africans to other African countries made it extremely difficult for business people to travel around the continent to conduct business.

In presentations during the meeting of Afreximbank’s Advisory Group on Trade Finance and Export Development in Africa, they noted that only a handful of countries, including Seychelles, had removed the requirement for visiting Africans to obtain visas before traveling in. They stressed the urgency for all African countries to abolish visa requirements for short-term travels.

Chief Obasanjo said that the reasons often adduced for the visa requirement did not stand scrutiny as such short term travel for business posed little security risk. There had also been no evidence that countries that had implemented visa-free travel had been overrun by any mass influx of people.

He commended the recent introduction of a common African passport by the African Union, saying that “it will help movement of people and, consequently, intra-African trade”.

The speakers also stressed

the need for African governments to support local entrepreneurs and to create champions to drive trade across the continent, heaping credit to Chief Obasanjo for his support to the private sector during his tenure as President of Nigeria when he encouraged many entrepreneurs to participate in the country’s economic development.

In a presentation titled “Can Intra-African Trade Unlock Africa’s Industrial Potential”, Prof. Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize winner in economics and Professor at Columbia University in the United States, said that intraregional trade could help African countries achieve necessary economies of scale “The development of regional value chains can pave the way for ease of entry into global value chains and enhance the integration of the region into the global economy,” argued Prof. Stiglitz.

He said that Africa’s priority should be trade and the

Whither Nigeria’s economy CONTINUED FR O M PAGE 43

It was reported that the deal would enable Nigerians importing Chinese products to exchange their naira with yuan without having to buy any dollars. But three months down the line, the government has failed to concretise that arrangement, further leaving the naira to face intense pressure due to scarcity of dollars.

Also, Sunday Telegraph reports that anxiety mounts over the direction of the N6.1 trillion 2016 budget which has a capital component of 40 per

cent, and such is expected to revive the economy. It is feared that with the rising wave of insurgency in the oil producing NigerDelta region, the budget might be threatened.

Sequel to this, the Minister of Budget, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma last week confirmed the fear of experts that there is trouble. According to him, the government will not be able to implement the 2016 budget because of Nigeria’s daily oil output has already fallen to as low as 800,000 barrels per day from about 1,9 million barrels a day.

The 2016 budget was

predicated at 2.2 million barrels of oil a day and at a price of 38 dollars a barrels, the Minister of Budget has said that the government would not be able to fully implement this year ’s budget because government could cannot met its revenue target for the year.

The Presidency attributed the slow implementation of the 2016 to the crisis in the Niger Delta region, saying that the economy has been largely affected.

Also, the government has revealed that it may not be able to pay its workers from October

implementation of appropriate industrial and trade promotion policies to take advantage of the window of opportunities presented by the major changes occurring in the global economic landscape.

The changes included the emergence of China as a very large and rapidly growing market for African exports, and not just for its natural resources, and the rising wages in that country which was creating “space” in for labor-intensive, simple manufactures that Africa could easily occupy, and eventually, for less labor-intensive and more complex manufacturers, he said.

Earlier, in an opening statement, Dr. Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, said that greater intra-African trade would foster unity and put Africa on the path to industrialization, sustained economic growth and structural transformation and greater relevance in global affairs.

this year if the current economy decline continues.

This disclosure was made by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele on Tuesday, during a closed-door meeting with senators over the state of the economy.

The CBN Governor, who told senators that the economy of the country was in a bad state, said if the present situation in the country continued, Nigerians would be forced to pay general taxes which would not exclude petroleum products.

il dropped to the lowest close in more than two months as the U.S. heads to the end of the summer-driving season with ample inventories.

Futures fell 1.3 per cent in New York. U.S. crude and gasoline supplies are at the highest seasonal levels in at least two decades, government data show. Record June demand of the fuel wasn’t enough to make a dent in stockpiles that ended the month at the highest since 1984 for this time of the year, the American Petroleum Institute said. The summer driving season ends Sept. 5 on Labor Day. Oil also slipped as the dollar rose to a more than seven-week high.

Oil has fluctuated between about $44 and $52 a barrel since early June after almost doubling from a 12-year low in February as supply disruptions from Nigeria to Canada and falling U.S. output trim a global surplus. While American crude stockpiles slid for a record ninth week through July 15, they still remain more than 100 million barrels above the five-year average.

“The bullish sentiment that pushed oil above $50 has evaporated,” said Gene McGillian, a senior analyst and broker at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut. “We have massive crude inventories and more than ample fuel stockpiles as we near the end of the summer driving season.”

West Texas Intermediate for September delivery fell 56 cents to settle at $44.19 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It’s the lowest close since May 9. Prices declined 3.8 percent this week. Total volume traded was 35 percent below the 100-day average at 2:45 p.m.

Brent for September settlement dropped 1.1 per cent to $45.69 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. Prices slipped 4 per cent this week. The global benchmark closed at a $1.50 premium to WTI.

L-R: Managing Director, Connect Marketing, Tunji Adeyinka; Chairperson Alliance for Affordable Internet, Dr. Omobola Johnson; Senior Special Adviser to the Vice President on Job Creation, Youth and Employment, Afolabi Imuokhuode; Chief Enterprise Business Officer, MTN Nigeria, Linda Saint-Nwafor and Executive MTN Nigeria, Amina Oyagbola, at the opening day of Techplus 2016 conference and exhibition, in Lagos.

ntel launches router offers, free browsing

T

he ntel, Nigeria’s most advanced 4G/LTE network provider, has launched its internet router across its outlets in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. The ZTE Router supports up to 64 concurrent Wi-Fi connections and 4 LAN ports connections Subscribers who purchase the router alongside one of ntel’s unlimited data plans of N10,000/monthly; N3,000/ weekly and N1,000/two days, will be treated to a whole new internet experience.

As part of activities to mark the sale of its superfast routers, ntel is offering visitors to its stores an opportunity to experience its superfast internet speed at three of its outlets in the two major cities where they have coverage.

Speaking on the router, Kamar Abass, Chief Executive Officer of ntel said. “This is the ideal router for households as well as small and medium scale businesses and other organisations who require superfast internet service. Our routers which are Cat 6 with 4 x 2 MiMo will not only guarantee superfast internet access but can serve up to 64 multiple users at the same time. For data hungry Nigerians looking for superfast internet speeds up to 230mbps over a 4G/LTE connection, this is the device for them.”

The router operates on 2.4 GHz for better wall-penetration capabilities and 5 GHz for faster throughput and lower interference. The powerful gadget also supports gigabit wired connections so that it is possible to copy files over a LAN at a speed higher than 80 MB/s.

The ZTE MF286 is similar in size to a traditional wireless router, but its ability to: deliver speeds of up to 230 Mbps using the 4x2 MIMO technology; operate on dual SSIDs 2.4 and 5GHz for better wall-penetration capabilities and lower interference respectively; function in active mode for 6 to 8 hours using its 3,000mAh battery and support file sharing among users on the same wi-fi network via its USB port —makes it special.

It has an exclusive design, with a main body enhanced with graceful curves, to improve the visual effect and feel.

45

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016

BUSINESS INTERVIEW

Importers are now 50% compliant with trade laws – Customs Controller Yusuf Bashar, Customs Area Controller of Tin Can Island Port Command, in this interview with journalists in Lagos, explains how he used his ICT experience to introduce innovations at Tin Can Island Port. He said his efforts have raised importers and officers, compliance level to trade laws to about 50 per cent. PAUL OGBUOKIRI was there:

Tin Can Island Port used to be associated with too many unlawful acts; a situation that might have informed the description of the port by a former Comptroller General of Customs as the most notorious command under his watch then. But nobody is hearing negative stories about the port now.What have you done?

One little thing we did was to address the major issues as they affect lawful international trade. One was to let the people know the implications of what they are doing, two is for us to appreciate transparency, three is to see those who are compliant, and four is to know those who are not compliant, not for the purpose of punishing them but to make them know the implication of non compliance.

We want every agent and agency to know the importance of being celebrated for doing the right thing. This means such importer or agent will now seek ways to positively add value.

We are not yet where we aim to be, there is still plenty room for improvement to add value to the industry and Nigerians at large.

I insist that whatever we are doing in Tin Can Island Command today must be realistic. The management of customs today has told us how to do our work. We on our part are not pushing it down the throat of our officers and men. Rather, we tell them what the reality of our job entails which includes that the security of this nation must not be compromised, revenue collection must improve and international best practice must not be jettisoned.

I make my men pursue a win win situation with importers and agents who comply with the rules. They get their goods cleared in good time if they make sincere declarations and we also collect duty for the government.

Through those efforts we were able to make good discoveries. Twice we discovered pistols. In one of the discovery, we saw 980 rounds of live ammunition. That shows we are getting our acts together as a new improved customs institution, aiming at surpassing whatever good job we did in the past.

How do you get your men to imbibe the management vision?

The customs of today comes with some expected behaviours from its personnel. We have often talked about behavioural change which comes through capacity building.

Capacity building leads to greater improvement and increased performance.

To show a sense of responsibility in what we are doing, we separated releasing officers and even cargo examiners then we start to talk to ourselves on the management and societal expectations from them.

They know but should always be reminded that the seal number on the container should be same on the document. So we do a lot of talking with ourselves, reminding our men of the consequences of doing things outside of the law.

port and every stakeholder. Our intention is to, among others, create an opportunity from data capturing by an agent up to the point of release, we can just operate as a cycle.

We will easily evaluate what impact customs and other regulatory agencies are making on the overall operations in the port.

From time to time, we intend bringing in some resource persons who are experts with wide experiences to talk to us and add quality on our training module.

Different case studies will be brought to the fore with a view to solving all challenges without compromising standards or deviating from the law.

Truly we will maximize the benefits of the training centre. I wouldn’t want to say much on it until we are done and we will invite you to see what we have in place. It will be a legacy to be happy about.

The efforts by the customs management and this command to put up a training centre here will help bring out the best from our officers. It will be applauded.

Talking about the module to conduct the training, will you starting with the Comptroller cadre or Customs Assistants?

We will start with the examiners first.

That is where the transparency and best practices we often talk about will come from. We will endeavour to train and retrain as many examiners as possi ble.

We will also work on the releasing officers.

This doesn’t mean we are shutting out any aspect of our job. Everybody will be part of it in batches and tailored to meet specifications of assigned duties.

Things like diary keeping, radio telephony, theories and practical drills (parade) and many more will be taught at the training school. There are many of our highly experienced officers who are statutorily retiring because they have put in the maximum number of years. People like these will impart knowledge on our junior officers reminding them of the basics of the job and teaching from their wide experience on the job for decades.

Examination, ships arrival documentation, rummaging, interrogation, statement taking, station diary and m a n y m o r e will be taught from knowle d g e and practical field experience.

Since I came in I looked at an

Agents now know we can block them for unlawful acts.

Some of our officers have also been blocked and put on Aside customs officers, standby. If it’s a first attempt who else will benefit from we warn and look at the training centre you are building? the improvement The training centre we are buildlevel, when ing will serve not only customs but all the regulatory agencies working in our

Bashar

area I think as a command we should do something about. That is automation of the entire customs functions. For instance, the Bond Seat, what can we do to make Bond Seat more efficient and reliable? I just commissioned a set of officers we have here in Tin Can to automate the Bond Seat and they have done it successfully.

As we speak now by a click of a button, you can know about Bond Seat in Tin Can Port.

You can know which bond is expired and the status of other bonds. If a bond expires under the automated system we have designed, the system props it up.

We are at the piloting stage, when it gets fully set to take off, we will write to the zone explaining about the application created in Tin Can which will be useful to all commands. If the ACG approves of it, he will direct its application all over.

If this works out, which I know it will, customs nationwide may adopt it. This will be a value added advantage for customs officers to create a ICT platform for the service to facilitate trade at no additional cost to the nation and the service.

Another challenge is level of compliance by the trading public. Tin Can is noted for being a non compliant command. Why is this so?

We discovered that it is either because of personal interest, some out of ignorance while some may have insider connivance within the service and other regulatory agencies that support or assist them in the

habit of non compliance.

We now decided to expose whoever in our office that is suspected to be involvement in those practices. I name those suspected during our meetings and I apply sanctions where necessary and this has been working.

We have improvement now.

Agents now know we can block them for unlawful acts. Some of our officers have also been blocked and put on standby. If it’s a first attempt we warn and look at the improvement level, when they improve from our assessment, we grant them access again.

Those who are recalcitrant, we forward them to headquarters for appropriate sanction.

Compliance level is a challenge, but I can say we have recorded improvement. The agents and their associations are doing well in educating their members on compliance.

Very soon, we will have 50 per cent compliance level and it will keep improving with the way we are going. We are not expecting 70 per cent now. Once it gets to 70 per cent, then we don’t need customs examination again.

How do you manage the absence of some regulatory agencies for joint examination only for such agencies to come detaining containers and inhibit trade facilitation?

Such cases used to be rampant. We met within ourselves and said we are all working for same government and national good.

So in the spirit of trade facilitation and transparency, we have been able to address that.

46

SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

BUSINESS NEWS

NEITI transparency standards to undergo global evaluation

O

Adenekan Tobiloba fficials of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) International Secretariat are expected in Nigeria today, to commence the process to re-validate Nigeria’s implementation of EITI principles in the country’s extractive industry.

EITI validation is a process to review the progress by EITI implementing countries measured against set global criteria and standards in terms of adherence to transparency, openness and accountability in the operations of extractive industry.

During the 10-day visit, the validation team will assess the level of commitment and adherence by the Nigerian government, operating companies and civil society to the principles

of the global extractive industries transparency initiative in the governance of the extractive sector.

Re-validation process, which is a quality assurance mechanism used by the global EITI Board to hold implementing countries to the same global standard, provides an independent and impartial evaluation platform for verifying EITI member countries’ progress.

The ultimate goal of the process is to establish how EITI implementation leads to reforms, poverty reduction, improved quality of life for the citizens and transparent management of revenues accruing from the extractive industries in EITI member countries.

NEITI Spokesperson, Ogbonnaya Orji, said the re-validation process would afford the EITI team the opportunity to

review the agency’s activities, reports and remediation processes.

“It will also consider government’s commitment and wider stakeholders’ participation and how NEITI reports have influenced the on-going reforms in the oil, gas and mining sector,” Orji said.

He said NEITI has already presented to the EITI Secretariat all necessary documents, information and data required by the validation team to conduct its independent desk review and evaluation on Nigeria.

To kick-start its assignment in Nigeria, Orji said a team of independent validators will meet with the National Stakeholders

Working Group (NSWG) and the NEITI management on Monday.

The team will equally consult with relevant government officials, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; civil society groups and the media as well as donor community and some select interest parties in the NEITI process.

Some of the interested parties include the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce, consisting representatives of the multinational oil companies operating in the country; Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the NEITI – Companies

Forum.

Apart from the management of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the team is also scheduled to meet with relevant committees of the National Assembly and covered entities in the NEITI process, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The team would also meet with the immediate past Executive Secretary of NEITI, who is the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning and Nigeria’s representatives on the EITI International Board, Zainab Ahmed.

Nigeria is among the 51 EITI implementing countries, out of which only 15,

namely Solomon Island, Ghana, Mongolia, Timor Leste, Kyrgyzstan, Norway, Nigeria, Liberia, Niger, Tajikistan, Mali, Mauritania, Sao Tome & Principe, Peru and Azerbaijan, are currently undergoing validation.

Member countries under validation may be rated as making “no progress”, “inadequate progress”, “meaningful progress”, “satisfactory progress” or “beyond progress”, depending on their level of progress in the EITI implementation.

Nigeria, which voluntarily signed up to the EITI principles in 2003, began implementation in 2004, and became the first country to support the process with a specific law in 2007.

Qua Iboe crude under force majeure for at least a month –Reuters

E

xports of Nigeria’s largest crude oil stream, Qua Iboe, will remain under force majeure for at least one month while operator ExxonMobil repairs a leak on the pipeline feeding the terminal, sources told Reuters.

The damage is the latest setback to Nigerian oil production, which has been hobbled this spring by militant attacks and another accident at the Qua Iboe terminal earlier this year.

Exxon declared force majeure last week, citing a “system anomaly” it observed during a routine check. Sources told Reuters this week that the pipeline lost pressure while loading a cargo of crude oil and that the company subsequently discovered a leak on the underwater pipeline.

An Exxon spokesman declined to comment on any leak or a timeline for repairs.

Sources said that repairs needed to fix the leak, which was on part of the pipeline several miles offshore, were more extensive than initially thought and would not begin this week.

The force majeure is likely to remain in place for a minimum of one month, several sources said.

Two of Nigeria’s larg-

est fields are now under force majeure, with Shelloperated Forcados crude oil exports halted since a militant attack on its subsea pipeline in February.

While Exxon said at the time it declared force majeure that the terminal was operating, traders said the company had not yet released a revised loading schedule for July crude exports, an ominous sign for those hoping to purchase or sell the oil.

According to Reuters vessel tracking, the last ship to load crude at the Qua Iboe terminal was the Ottoman Nobility on July 9. Typically, a vessel would load a million-barrel lot of Qua every three to four days, and exports of 250,000 bpd aboard eight vessels were scheduled for July.

Three other ships scheduled to load Qua were near the terminal, one since July 12.

The cause of the leak is unclear, but the force majeure came just days after militant group the Niger Delta Avengers claimed to have bombed a pipeline related to Qua Iboe.

Exxon denied at the time that there had been any attack, and said the force majeure was unrelated to any militant activity. However, the scale of the damage has raised questions among traders.

L-R: Sales Manager, AFP Furniture, Mr. Uche Uzoewulu; Special guest, Mrs. Timipre Wolo; Managing Director, Miele Gallery, Mr. Mustapha Olorunnibe and Public Relations Officer, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Mr. Martins Affah, during the 10th Abuja Housing Show in Abuja... recently

CBN expected to raise interest rates on July 26

T

Adenekan Tobiloba he Central Bank of Nigeria is likely to raise interest rates on Tuesday in an attempt to curb soaring inflation and attract foreign capital, but it runs the risk of triggering a recession, a Reuters poll showed on Friday.

Nigeria’s inflation rate, at 16.5 per cent in June, is near a decade high. But the country relies on exports of crude oil, the price of which has fallen in the past two years, and economic growth has slowed dramatically.

Even so, the median forecast from a Reuters poll of 13 analysts taken July 18-21 predicted that CBN would raise interest rates by 100 basis points to 13 per cent at the conclusion of its two-day meeting on Tuesday.

But analysts, while leaning toward higher rates, were split on the outcome, given the dilemma of rampant inflation and a brittle economy.

That leaves the Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele in a tough spot.

“I think he has got to adjust rates, probably a 100-basispoint move (up). Given the higher inflation rate and the weaker currency, he has got to react on monetary policy,” said Aly Khan Satchu, an analyst and investor at Rich Management in Nairobi.

Five forecast a 100-basispoint increase, two forecasts a 200-basis-point rise to 14 per cent and one called for an aggressive 300-basispoint move to 15 per cent.

Five more said rates would remain at 12 per cent.

Nigerian rates have been at 12 per cent since March, when CBN raised rates by 100 basis points.

“I suspect the authorities will try to influence treasury bill and bond yields higher in a bid to attract net capital inflows as they allow for some more flexibility in the foreign market,” said Ayomide Mejabi at Standard Bank , who expects

no change on Tuesday but higher rates by the end of the year.

In an era of record-low sovereign bond yields in the developed world, Nigeria is missing out on the investor search for higher yield in emerging markets, because its inflation rate means real interest rates are negative.

Analysts said devaluation in the naira early last month was a step in the right direction, but not enough to attract investors.

For 16 months before that, Nigeria stubbornly held on to a peg of 197 naira, which hurt the economy. The naira fell to an all-time low on Thursday, crossing 300 to the dollar for the first time on the interbank market.

Interest rate rises are expected to slow inflation to just over 15 per cent by the end of this year and to 12.5 per cent next year, according to the poll.

But in the meantime, growth forecasts have been slashed to just 0.7 per cent

this year, which might still be too optimistic. Growth is forecast to pick up to 3.2 per cent next year.

“If you have half of the year gone, it is very difficult for a recovery in subsequent quarters to be enough to lift the economy out of a potential contraction,” said Rafiq Raji, managing director at Macroafricaintel Investment in Lagos.

“Now that they have started implementing much better economic policy, the exchange rate might trade freely, and the budget has begun to be implemented, you could easily expect some improvement in the third quarter towards the fourth quarter.”

But he cautioned that momentum would have to be maintained into next year.

The International Monetary Fund is much less optimistic. In its latest forecasts, it said the economy would shrink 1.8 per cent this year and grow 1.1 per cent in 2017.

47

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016

AUTO BEAT Motoring briefs

Auto industry develops security best practices

C

ar manufacturers have released a new best practices document designed to improve vehicle cybersecurity in the industry.

Kia Sportage 2000

Kia brings Android Auto and AppleCarPlay to older cars Paul Ogbuokiri

F

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

or many, the biggest problem with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay is getting it in the first place. Unless you buy a very recent car, you’re likely stuck buying an aftermarket head unit to drag your vehicle into the smartphone era. Kia thinks it can do better, though. It’s promising free updates to both

Mercedes’ Q2 profit drops on Takata airbag recall

D

aimler reported weaker profit from its Mercedes-Benz Cars unit in the second quarter because of the cost of refreshing its line-up and one-time charges related to recalling cars with faulty Takata airbags.

The profit margin at the Mercedes-Benz Cars division, which includes the Smart brand, dropped to 6.4 per cent, compared with 10.5 per cent last year, the automaker said today in a statement.

Adjusted for special items, the return on sales was 10 per cent compared with 10.6 per cent a year earlier.

“It’s good to see the adjusted return on sales in the cars division back in the doubledigits with the E class launching,” said Sascha Gommel, a Frankfurt-based analyst at Commerzbank. “It’s a strong result across the board.”

Mercedes is expanding and rejuvenating its line-up with the aim of reclaiming the position of world’s biggest premium carmaker from BMW Group, adding all-new models such as the GLC SUV. The carmaker said growth will speed up in the second half as customers buy a new version of the E-class sedan, a more profitable vehicle than the manufacturer’s smaller models.

Group adjusted earnings before interest and taxes rose 5.6 per cent to 3.97 billion euros ($4.38 billion), driven by gains in the vans and bus units, Daimler said. Revenue rose 2.9 percent to 38.6 billion euros. Adjusted EBIT at the Mercedes Cars unit fell 1.1 percent to 2.21 billion euros.

Daimler said profit exceeded market expectations in a preliminary earnings state-

Android Auto and CarPlay for a slew of vehicles that have either the UVO3 infotainment system or a compatible navigation system.

These aren’t limited to the youngest vehicles, either. Most of the updates (for the Optima, Optima Hybrid, Sedona and Soul EV) support 2015 model year cars, and you can upgrade standard Souls dating as far back as the 2014 model year. While some patches are limited to 2016 (Sorento) or

2017 (Forte, Sportage) models, Kia is still covering a pretty wide swath.

You’ll have to register at Kia’s MyUVO site to get a notification about the update, but you should hear about it before the end of July. And importantly, you can download it yourself when available -- you won’t have to go to the dealership or otherwise wait to install it. Should Kia pull this off without a hitch, you won’t have to worry quite so much about buying an older ride.

FRSC denies blacklisting Peace Mass Transit Transport

T

he Federal Road Safety Commission has urged Nigerians to disregard media reports that the commission had blacklisted Peace Mass Transit fleet as unsafe for road travellers.

The commission said a summon it issued to the management of PMT over crashes involving its vehicles had been largely misconstrued by a section of the media, resulting in erroneous reports about the safety of PMT vehicles.

The FRSC had on July 13 invited the transport company over crashes involving its vehicles. The invitation was part of a larger new safety measure introduced by the FRSC in 2007.

The Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme is an intervention strategy for ensuring professionalism in road transport management in accordance with the FRSC Establishment Act 2007.

Through the measure, the FRSC said provisions were made for all road transport opera-

Mercedes GLL

tors who engage in inter-state road transport services to establish a safety unit and appoint a safety officer as the head of the unit who shall ensure that operational standards are maintained as prescribed in the regulation.

Boboye Oyeyemi, the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, said the management of PMT had complied with all operational standards as recommended by the RTSSS, including a yearly certification programme.

“Since its inception in 2007, the RTSSS has registered 1,938 fleet operators, inspected terminals of 5,625 fleet operators and certified 3,704 fleet operators in its annual fleet certification exercise, while over 2,541 fleet operators’ safety managers have been trained.

“Over 5,000 drivers of fleet operators have been certified while 642 convoy drivers of the Nigeria governors were trained under the scheme. Peace Mass Transit Limited is registered with the scheme right from the inception and has been participating in the annual certification exercise,” he said.

The document was authored by the 15 car-maker members of the Automotive Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Auto-ISAC) and draws on the expert advice of over 50 automotive cybersecurity experts.

It includes advice in seven key topic areas: governance; risk assessment & management; security by design; threat detection and protection; incident response; awareness & training; and collaboration & engagement with third parties.

Auto-ISAC claimed the advice features deep technical expertise and draws on established frameworks such as ISO and NIST, but tailored for the automobile industry.

“Automakers are committed to being proactive and will not wait for cyber threats to materialize into safety risks,” said Auto-ISAC chairman Tom Stricker in a statement.

“The Best Practices initiative represents this commitment to proactive collaboration that our industry made when we stood up the AutoISAC last year. I’m proud of the way we have united in our endeavour to minimise the risks our consumers might face from cybersecurity and privacy threats.”

Threat levels in the industry are on the rise, with even the FBI being forced to release cybersecurity advice for car owners recently.

Its tips include ensuring car software is patched and up-to-date, to be cautious when modifying onboard software, and to exercise discretion when connecting third party devices to the vehicle.

According to reports from earlier this month, car thieves in Houston managed to gain access to and drive away Jeep Wranglers and Cherokees by hacking them.

As the industry moves towards driverless cars the threat becomes even greater.

Experts have already warned the UK government to ensure cybersecurity risks are taken into account during the current consultation into self-driving technologies.

The US attorney general’s office has even warned that rogue nation states could remotely hack connected vehicles in assassination attempts.

Lower luxury car tax for Jaguar F-Pace

J

aguar’s F-Pace SUV, due to go on sale officially from August 1, will be slightly cheaper than the official pricing announced back in December of last year. In a press release issued late yesterday, Jaguar Land Rover’s local arm revealed that prices have been reduced by small amounts for all variants other than the entry-level F-Pace 20d Prestige, which remains at $74,340.

The reductions are variously $46, $285 or $1285 for the F-Pace R-Sport Supercharged. According to the importer, the pared-back prices reflect a new threshold for the luxury car tax. By being under the green-car dispensation ceiling, the entry-level F-Pace variant’s price has not moved.

48

SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

BUSINESS

Computer Village: CAPDAN elects Ojikutu President

T

Ezurike Ugochukwu he popular multi- billion naira computer market Ikeja, Ikeja Computer Village on Thursday got a new president to run the affairs of the umbrella association of the traders in the market, Computer and Allied Products Dealers Association (CAPDAN). In the election that was rancour free and peaceful; Mr. Ojikutu Ahmed Adeniyi emerged president.

He pulled 991 votes to defeat his opponent, Mr. Oluwunmi Debayo who scored 22 votes as the runner-up. The third contestant to the position of the president who happened to be a woman, Mrs. Adenike Shittu withdrew from the race at the last minute.

Also elected were; Boniface Ana, Vice president; Jerry Mba, Secretary General; Shedrack Egbule, Assistant Secretary and Olaifa Davis Ademola, Public Relations Officer. Others were; Ibadia Presly, Assistant Public Relations Officer; Chukwudi Okoye, Financial Secretary and Okuwobi Kunle, Chief Whip.

Also, elected was Ezimoha Jude who won the keenly contested position of Assistant Chief Whip. The only position occupied by a woman was that of Auditor, won by Mrs. Idayat Lageda.

Seven other contestants were returned unopposed as ex-officios.

Declaring the winners, the chairman of the CAPDAN Electoral Commission, Engr. Cletus Dike, expressed joy that after 12 years, his commission was able to elect a credible leadership for the association.

He thanked the Lagos State Gover-

nor Akinwunmi ambode, and the State Ministry of Civic Engagement and the Ikeja Local government Sole Administrator, Engineer Abiodun Taiwo, as well as the outgone executive secretary of the council.

He charged the winners to be magnanimous in victory by closing ranks in other to move the Computer Village forward. He reminded them to live up to the promises they made to their members in their manifestos.

In his acceptance speech, the CAPDAN president-elect, Ojikutu Ahmed, extended his hands of fellowship to all and sundry to join him and the new executive to reposition the market.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Community Affairs, Alhaji Tajudeen Quadri, led a delegation from the state government comprising of the Director of Community Development, Mrs. Sherifah Ewumi Dosumu, a Director from the Civic Engagement department, and other government functionaries, who all kept vigil till the final result was announced.

It is expected that with a new executive body Ojikutu being put in place at the market which is said to be the biggest ICT hub in the African sub region, many ICT investors, who have been reluctant before now to do business in the area will now show greater interest in the market.

Meanwhile, it will be recalled that in the last few weeks, the Ikeja Computer Village has been in the news over security related issues, but traders in the market said all that may not be unrelated to the build-up to the election, saying there is no security alarm in the market.

Unemployment and the expectations of miracle jobs

Success Nuggets Victor Okwudiri 08037674300 (SMS only)

I

n the face of the economic challenges of our society, a common phenomenon is unemployment.

Session after session, tertiary institutions and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) release graduates into the society beyond the reception capacity of the labour market. The result? Some victims of this sad reality turn around and victimise society, some just to seek revenge on society, others to make a living.

In view of the sad reality discussed above, it is imperative we repsychologize our youths. We need to shift their paradigms from job seeking to job creation; from white collar jobs to black collar jobs and even collarless jobs.

We need to let them know that there is dignity in labour, no matter how menial a job is considered. Even the bible, from where I draw a lot of inspiration, says, “WHATSOEVER thy hand findeth to do, DO IT WITH THY MIGHT; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” (Eccclesisates 9:10 - KJV) (Emphasis mine).

Recently, a long time friend called to share an unexciting experience with me.

She was given a ‘prophecy’ that she will get a ‘miracle job’. That job is still pending and frustration is setting in. I did a comment on that development. Though

I have broadcast it on a smaller platform, I want you to read it here.

Here is it: “... A handy job is ‘better’ than a miracle job in the ‘loom’.

Another expression for this is the popular saying “A bird at hand is worth two in the bush.”

The point is that you should not fold your arms waiting for one big ‘miracle’ job to happen. While you wait for the ‘miracle’ job, get busy with something that can place food on your table and get life going, no matter how slowly. After all, you need to stay alive to enjoy that miracle job when it comes. In any case, through a little job, you can create that miracle you are expecting. Little wonder the bible says in Job 8:7, “Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.” (KJV). It also says in Zechariah 4:10: “For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.”

Friend, I have discovered that every ‘LESS’ has the capacity to become EXCESS, if consistently subjected to PROCESS. God said, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with ALL your might.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10) (Not quoted verbatim). He did not talk of a miracle job. Every job has the capacity to birth a miracle for you.

I, therefore, challenge you to go out there and start doing something (provided it is not illegal or sinful).

Give it your best. That way you hasten your miracle.” *** AND THIS ... FEED BACK FROM READERS OF THIS COLUMN 1. HELLO OKWUDIRI UR MILLIONAIRE MENTALITY WRITE UP VERY INTERESTING . PLS KEEP IT UP, REGRDS. KALU OJI 2. THE MOST HIGH GOD BLESS YOU MORE WITH INTELLECTUALISM. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN. I ENJOYED 2DY’S TOPIC-REJECTION. -THADDEUS-YR FRND IN MINNA. 3. Good afternoon sir, I read your article on telegraph newspaper this afternoon. I’m happy to tell you that God used that piece to solve a particular challenge I’m going through right now. Thank you for making yourself available for God, and as u work in HIS vineyard, HE will continue to work in yours.

4. Helo Mr Victor,I Like Ur Writeup On Success Nuggets of The Christmas Story (1) 5. Gud day,Victor. Thanks for ur good writeups. Can u write on 100 million jobs for Nigerian youths from my Waste to Wealth Technology?Sun had published it two years ago.

DrJoe Okeke.

Trust you were inspired by this week’s piece.

Have a great week.

You will succeed.

Please follow me on Twitter @ VictorOkwudiri

CBN’s intervention in forex market‘ll protect naira – Expert Adenekan Tobiloba

A

financial expert, Mr. Victor Owonifari, has described the intervention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the interbank forex as a desirable step in the right direction for the nation’s financial system.

He said the move would go a long way in putting the naira in a vantage position when compared with other currencies of the world.

Owonifari, a chartered accountant and the Principal Partner /CEO of Victor Owonifari & Co., who said this week at Ikeja, Lagos during an interactive session with journalists, noted that the market should be allowed to operate freely and find its equilibrium, but as the regulatory body, the CBN should intervene once in a while to curb excesses and supply shortfalls, thereby protecting the naira.

He said that as the banking regulator had repeatedly informed Nigerians that it allows for flexibility to come into play and was prepared to intervene only when necessary to prevent volatility in the forex market; the new system was expected to operate as a single market structure through the interbank and autonomous methods.

Owonifari added that the recent unpegging of the exchange rate of the naira increased the cost of imported goods, thereby making Nigerians to pay more for imported goods without a corresponding increase in quality and quantity.

He further noted that the increase in the pump price of petroleum products and prices of household commodities in the early part of the year was partly responsible for the sudden rise in inflation rate by 16.05 per cent, which was above what it was same period in 2015.

He urged the government to checkmate the trend of inflation in the country by not only ensuring the reduction of the people’s dependence on imported goods, but by also creating an enabling environment that will be attractive investors and small scale business owners in order to have positive effects on the naira, provide job opportunities for Nigerians, reduce capital flight and bring down inflation to an acceptable limit.

Chivita emerges most outstanding juice brand

C

hivita 100 per cent fruit juice has been recognised as the ‘Most Outstanding Juice Brand in the Country’ at the recently held Marketing Edge Brands and Advertising Excellence awards in Lagos.

The event was witnessed by industry leaders in Marketing Communication across Nigeria.

Chivita 100 per cent fruit juice from the stable of Chi Limited was adjudged the most outstanding juice brand in the country due to its consistency in the market, creativity and value as well as the top quality packaging of the juice that allows for the best delivery. The fruit juice also won the award because it remains the only 100 per cent fruit juice available in Nigeria shelf and it comes with No Preservatives and No Added Sugar.

Initiated by Marketing Edge, the Award has over the years become recognised as a viable and respected platform in the brands and marketing communication sector due to its in-depth understanding and unbiased role in critical analysis of the sector.

Reacting to the development, the Managing Director, Chi Limited, Mr. Deepanjan Roy, expressed gratitude to the organisers of the event for creating an excellent platform to recognise outstanding brands which have remained consistent in satisfying consumers need. He added that “the award for Chivita 100 per cent as the Outstanding Fruit Juice Brand only reaffirms Chivita 100 per cent fruit juice’s position as the undisputable leader in the fruit juice category in terms of consumer preference.

“The Marketing Edge Award joins a list of recognition the brand has received in recent years. They include the Most Preferred Juice Brand (Generation next survey awards, organised by Businessday) in 2013 and the Best Quality Juice Brand (African quality achievement awards) in 2014 respectively, for outstanding commitment in the fruit juice category as consumers continue to explore healthy lifestyle habits.

49

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016

Naira Pegs at NGN307.98/USD …NSEASI Sheds 2.91% WoW

B

earish sentiments pervaded the Nigerian equities market in the week, with the NSE All Share Index declining in all five (5) trading days of the week. Following this development, the index trimmed by 2.91% week on week (WoW) to drag the Year- to Date (YtD) return to -3.43%. While volume traded advanced by 17.47% WoW, market turnover declined by 31.79% WoW. Market breadth pegged at 0.33x, reflecting fifteen (15) advancers as against forty-five (45) decliners.

SKYEBANK topped the gainers’ chart in four (4) out of the five (5) trading days of the week, to emerge as the highest gainer, with 41.67% WoW price gain. The counter was trailed by FO, PREMBREW, BERGER and TRANSEXPR, with respective gains of 8.11%, 4.98%, 4.97% and 4.95% WoW. Conversely, OANDO (-25.58%), LIVESTOCK (-17.76%), STANBIC (-16.13%), ETI (-15.41%) and TRANSCORP (-14.56%) emerged as the worst performers for the week ended.

The earnings season started with the stock market receiving H1:2016 performance scorecards from WEMA Bank, Transcorp Hotel Plc, Lafarge Africa plc, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, and Unilever Nigeria Plc, while Flour Mills Nigeria plc released its FY2016 financial result. Despite the good performance scorecard posted by most companies so far, it was still not sufficient to resuscitate the bearish investor sentiments in the equities market. The profit warning from Oando Plc as well as the further hike in inflation rate to 16.5% in June, from 15.7% in May, also contributed to this weak market mood in the week.

We expect an influx of earnings releases in the coming week, and therefore anticipate that investors perception about company scorecards, coupled with the outcome of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting scheduled for 25th and 26th of July, 2016, will dictate market performance in the week.

This report reviews events in the current week, with emphasis on different segments of the financial market, while presenting our expectations for the coming week.

Economic Report: MPC at a Crossroad The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will reconvene on the 25th and 26th of July 2016 to consider the Nigerian economy, amidst anticipated slower global growth on the back of BREXIT, rising domestic inflation (16.5% in June), contracting Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (-0.36% in Q1:2016), continued insecurity and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta region, and the continued depreciation of the Naira (c.30% loss in value).

The past few years have been trying ones for the Committee, as they meet once more at a time when they have to make policy decisions to guide the economy with little to no support from fiscal policy. The Committee will be faced with a choice of increasing the benchmark interest rate to boost US Dollar inflows, needed for better liquidity in a flexible FX market, and the realization that raising the policy rate in a contracting economy will exert further pressure on output growth.

The debate recently oscillates between; what the Committee should or will do, as the country has moved past the point when conventional policies would have an immediate impact, even if the pass-through mechanism was instantaneous.

We believe that boosting US Dollar liquidity in the FX market is crucial, particularly considering the maturing USD4bn forwards over the next 2 months, however, we opine that raising the monetary Policy Rate (MPR) would have a detrimental impact on the Nigerian economy, which has most likely fallen into a recession.

We posit that the MPC, given the available alternatives, will be inclined to tilt more in the direction of stimulating economic growth, in the hopes that a resurgence of the Nigerian economy will help to attract foreign investors in the medium to long term. We believe that

this approach charts a more certain, albeit longer path to FPI inflows rather than an immediate reaction, which may not eventually result in foreign funds repatriation, and would possibly only stifle economic growth further.

Fixed Income: Naira Remains pressured Across Markets Rates remained pressured at the fixed income market in the week, owing to a tempered system liquidity, thus resulting in the rise in rates across all NIBOR tenors. The average NIBOR advanced by 1.89% WtD to settle at 20.01% as at the close of trading on Thursday. However, in the money market space, OBB and OVN rates declined by 4.25% and 5.17% respectively, to peg the average money market rate at 17.08% on the last trading day of the week.

The average yield across Treasury bill instruments climbed to 13.44%, reflecting a 1.06% WtD increase as at the close of trading on Thursday. The rise in yield was propelled by hike in inflation rate (16.5% YoY) in the month of June, coupled with the relatively high stop rates offered during the Primary Market Auction (PMA) in the week.

Similar trend was observed in the Treasury bond space, as average bond yield advanced by 0.72% WoW to settle at 15.20%. We anticipate that bond yields might sustain an upward trend in the coming week, as investors continue to seek positive real return on investment, amid the recent climb in inflation rate.

Furthermore, we expect the outcome of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting to also shape investment decisions in the new week.

The Naira exchanged for NGN307.98/USD at the interbank on the last trading day of the week, bring the currency’s week on week and year to date depreciation to 8.53% and 35.29% respectively. Similarly, the local currency closed the week at NGN377/USD at the parallel market, reflecting a 3.86% WoW depreciation.

Agric. Sector: Sector Breadth pegs at Equilibrium

The sector recorded a positive outing in the week, after increasing by 0.30% WoW as measured by our MERI-AGRI index. The sector breadth pegged at equilibrium, given a lone decliner and advancer in the week. All other counters traded flat.

OKOMUOIL gained 0.74% WoW to close at NGN31.51, while LIVESTOCK pared by 17.76% to settle at NGN0.88.

We expect the sector to trade in sync with the overall equities market in the new week.

Banking Sector: Sector Index Returns Negative for 2nd Consecutive Week The banking sector index returned -8.14% this week. There were two (2) advancers and eleven (11) decliners, which pegged the sector’s breadth at 0.18x.

SKYEBANK led the advancers after recording a price gain of 41.67% WoW, trailed by WEMABANK (4.00%) on the gainers’ list. On the other side, STANBIC recorded the largest price decline, after paring by 16.13%. ETI, DIAMONDBNK, and FBNH also featured on the losers’ list, after recording declines in value of 15.41%, 11.67%, and 10.55% accordingly.

Wema Bank PLC (WEMABANK) released its Q2:2016 result during the week. The result showed a growth in Gross earnings of 16.24% YoY, while Profit-Before-Tax and Profit-AfterTax also advanced YoY by 10.62% apiece. The bank recorded good growths in interest and non-interest income of 15.20% and 21.63% YoY. In addition, a write back of provision for financial asset and moderate growth in operating expenses (2.67% growth YoY) allowed for a decent trickle-down.

The current state of the market has pressured returns this week. In the coming week, we anticipate these returns will remain under pressure, given that H1:2016 results of a few Tier-1 banks,which have the potential of driving returns (through interim dividends), are prone to be delayed.

Consumer Goods: CADBURY Posts 158.69% YoY Growth in PAT The Consumer Goods sector as measured by the NSEFBT10 index declined by 0.89%

WoW to push the sector’s year-to-date performance to -3.15%. There were six (6) advancers and ten (10) decliners in the week. The gainers were led by PREMBREW (+4.98%) and AGLEVENT (+4.30%), while the decliners’ chart was topped by HONYFLOUR (-11.66%) and CADBURY (-7.98%). Contrarily, NNFM, PZ and UNILEVER held steady at NGN6.65, NGN20.60 and NGN33.00 accordingly.

Flour Mills Plc’s FY2016 scorecard showed 10.96%YoY growth in revenue to NGN342.586bn, with a corresponding increase in cost of sales of 11.55% to push gross profit to NGN37.625bn (+6.38%) for the year.

Operating expenses declined by 14.77% YoY, while finance cost hiked by 19.75% YoY. Profit before and after tax for the year advanced by 48.73% and 70.39% year-on-year accordingly, buoyed by NGN23.732bn gains on disposal of investment in associate recorded during the year. The company also declared a dividend of NGN1.00/share.

Cadbury Nigeria Plc’s Q2:2016 performance scorecard showed a decline in topline by 1.56 YoY to NGN13.92. Despite the decline in topline, the bottomline surged by 158.69% YoY to NGN0.147, buoyed by substantial decline in operating cost (-11.10%) and 31.01% increase in finance income in the period.

Unilever Plc’s Q2:2016 result showed an impressive growth in revenue of 12.38% YoY to NGN32.278bn, however cost of sales increased by 15.57% to peg the gross profit for the quarter at NGN10.353bn (+6.18%YoY).

The 1177.97% increase in earning was as a result of FX gains on dollar denominated assets, following the depreciation in Naira during the period.

We expect the sector performance to be largely driven by the general market mood, despite the quality of the performance scorecard posted.

Healthcare Sector: H1:2016 Results to Dictate Investor Sentiments The Healthcare sector upturned the prior week’s mood, as the index appreciated by 2.31% WoW as measured by our MERIHLTH index to peg the YtD at 45.01%.

However, the Market breath (0.5x) skewed in favour of decliners, as 2 stocks declined as against one stock that appreciated in value in the week.

GLAXOSMITH was the only price gainer in the week, after gaining 2.49% to settle at NGN18.50. On the flip side, FIDSON and MAYBAKER were the laggards in the week, declining by 11.11% and 5.00% to NGN1.92 and NGN1.14 respectively.

As we approach the earnings season, we expect the performance scorecard of sector companies to dictate investors’ sentiments on stocks.Given that we are not optimistic of this Q2 result, we advise value seeking investors to tread with caution.

Industrial Goods: Investors Dump WAPCO Shares After Poor Result Release The Industrial goods sector shed -5.66% WoW to drag the YtD return of the sector down to +1.83%. Market breadth (1.0x) for the week showed that there were mixed sentiments in the market, as two (2) stocks declined as against two (2) gainers.

BERGER topped the gainers’ list advancing by 4.97% and was followed closely by CAP, with a 2.86% increase in share price WoW. WAPCO (-10.44%), following a poor quarterly result announcement during the week, recorded the highest price loss, just as DANGCEM also declined by 5.53% WoW. Lafarge Africa PLC (WAPCO), during the week, released its H1:2016 result. Revenue came in at NGN107.36bn, representing a 29.45% YoY decline from H1:2015 numbers.

Furthermore, the cement company recorded a Loss-After-Tax (LAT) of NGN30.25bn, which represented a 210.73% YoY decline, following increases in Other loss (278.09%) and Financial charges (159.46%).

50

SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

FAITH

Never accept the cheap way out

O

ne day, my spiritual mentor who was based in London invited me to come for a Conference in London and planned programmes for me to minister in some churches. It was a rare privilege. He sent his statement of account for the Visa interview and even called the head of the British Consular office – Lagos to give me visa.

On the date, the Head of the Consular himself went outside three different times to call my name but I was not there. I was still on the way. By the time I arrived, they told me that I was not serious and not prepared to travel. Why? I prepared to travel Sunday evening to Lagos by flight. I packed my luggage and got all the papers ready. I had the money for flight, but suddenly, a thought came to my mind to travel the following morning, take first flight, arrive Lagos in 45 minutes time, then take a drop to the Embassy. It was a negative thought.

I picked that thought and postponed the trip to Monday morning. With

Word of Life Archbishop. Moses Kattey moseskatteyabp@yahoo.co.uk

0808 770 7486

all the delays, I arrived Lagos at about 9am and it took me between 3 – 4 hours to move from Airport to the Embassy. All these while, my mentor in London was calling me and the Head of the British consular in Lagos had come out 3 different times to look for me. I missed a 2 - year visa on platter of gold. I do not know what they wrote in the computer that kept me from London for close to 13 years later. I understood what actually happened to me.

It was like what happened to one of the 12 disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ that betrayed Him: And supper being ended the devil having now put (a thought) into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him. (John 13:2) I accepted a negative thought the devil put in

my heart and missed an opportunity that could have opened the golden doors to me. Negative thought. Satan knew what God had planned for me but my preparation was poor. I took things for granted. The intersection of preparation and opportunity is success. Things do not just fix themselves.

I was speaking to many ministers in one programme and I told them this story and how I missed great opportunity. I asked how many of them have missed opportunities in their lives; to my greatest surprise, all of them raised up hands almost in tears. Never, I repeat, accept a negative thought, or a plan that appears easier or more comfortable. That thought or plan, originate from Satan and it surfaces, when there is a great opportunity for you to make

it. Such plan looks less sacrificial, more comfortable, easier to carryout and makes you relax – false relaxation.

Once one accepts such a negative thought by acting upon it, he hands over the advantage he has over Satan back to Satan.

Last Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. (2 Corinthians 2:11) In fact, in a wrestling match, one is careful not to give a “foot hold” to the opponent. That will be disastrous. Accepting a negative thought is giving a foothold to Satan or you enemy.

Be ye angry and sin not: let not sun go down upon your wrath. Neither give place to the devil (Eph. 4:27, 28 KJ) Different versions of the Bible put it these ways: and do not give the devil a foothold (NIV) And give no opportunity to the devil (ESV) We are not down trying to go up. We are up and the enemy is trying to pull us down. A negative thought, puts you down and will take you time to get to the top again.

The family head and decision making

T

he most important thing in life is the ability to make the right decisions. Life is all about choices and what you choose now will determine your tomorrow.

Where you are right now is as a result of the decision you made before now. Your marriage and family relationships, spiritual, physical, and psychological life is as a result of your past decisions. Fortunately, the choice or decision you will be making today will affect your tomorrow.

Some blame others for not advancing more academically meanwhile they made the decision to not go on at one point in their lives. Someone is thinking ‘I did not deliberately decide to stop, there was no money,’ but I tell you that you would have still gone ahead to do something about it rather than give up.

When you are faced with problems of life, learn to spend your energy on how the solution will come and not on the problem’s magnitude. Do not always see problems but see solutions. In other words focus on the solution and not on the problem.

But we are usually faced

Marriage & Family Intimacy

Bishop Charles Ighele holyspiritmissioninc@yahoo.com

07066579379/09098845521 A good leader is not in any way lazy. He is always on his toes to ensue things move as planned and desired by the family with many alternatives as solutions; ensure you are taking the right one.

Some ideas look so good but are not of God and will not lead us to getting the right solution. Remain focused as you make your decisions and do not think of how bad it was in the past but look forward to how good it shall become as you invite God to partner with you in the decision making. Other people’s stories and cases might discourage you; always remember that you are not other people as you let God direct you.

Whatever God tells you to do will always come out better.

Never you trail in the garden of fear and do not drag your family along

that path, no matter the situation. Fear makes people make wrong decisions. Fear has torment, 1 John 4:18 but with God all things are possible Mark 10:27.

Every family head should ensure that positive things work in the family. Things must work progressively under your leadership as the head of your home.

You should put on the spirit of action at all times.

Do not be docile and allow things to get spoilt.

You have to choose what you feel is fit for your family. And remember that your choice will go a long way to determine the future of your family. If you decide to do nothing concerning the situation in your home now, then the future of your home will experience some ‘nothings’ which is usually backed by lack, want and regrets.

A good leader is not in any way lazy. He is always on his toes to ensue things move as planned

and desired by the family.

You need the spirit of action to work in you as the head of a family. All you need is ASK. Ask, Seek and Knock Matthew 7:7.

We should all put on ‘action jacket’ that will make us stand up to situations and face challenges of life no matter how they come. The Bible says in Philippians 4:13 that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Have the attitude of you being able to solve that problem. You have been wired to be a problem solver and a winner in life that is why you have brain.

You need to let go the spirit of procrastination, laziness, piling of work etc. Never allow your spirit to hold on to “I can’t” and pull you down. Each time you say “I can’t”, you simply shut up your brain from action. You need to construct a new road map in your brain to take in positive things that will make you an action person.

You cannot be a leader without the ability to make decisions. But we are too small to be making decisions for ourselves without involving God. As a family, we should always ask God to step into every situation and help us to decide.

Mystery of Anxiety Bishop John Ogbansiegbe 0803 341 6327 (SMS Only)

Know your ambassadorial right (2)

B

y the knowledge and principles of international relation, and international law; there are certain facts which you need to know about ambassadors. Within human circle, ambassadors are expected to be indigenes of the nation they represent, speak and behave like them. He should understand his nation’s constitution and legal system in all situations.

As a born again Christian, you are a citizen of heaven and your position to the place of your assignment must come from your home country. Thus as a citizen of heaven, you should expect ambassadorial directives and assignments from time to time. Along this line it is expected that an ambassador abides by home office directive for instance, a Buddhist Chinese diplomat to Nigeria is not expected to turn into a Christian, so is a Christian believer nor expected to conform to or compromise with the tradition of this world.

Also, just as a diplomat exercise authority on behalf of his home country without always asking for permission, so do God expects us to act on his behalf; lay hands on the sick, use it for God’s work, because your hand is now His extended hand to this part of the universe.

You see, you are loaded with divine authority, your operations in this world are under divi9ne authorization and mandate from heaven. Why should you live in fear? In view of the foregoing therefore, I say to you fear not.

Again, every ambassador has the source of their providence from home office. They are not expected to embark on trade or contract with the country of their diplomatic assignment. They depend on their pay back from home office. For God is our great provider.

Finally, you should not fear because every ambassador enjoys immunity, security and protection, both from home country and the country of diplomatic assignment. Every country makes provision for the security of all those ambassadors representing their country in different countries. They also use modern effective security communication system to

monitor what is happening to their ambassadors.

Also, as part of the terms of the diplomatic agreement between two countries in diplomatic relationship, every country must take adequate arrangement for the security of all the foreign diplomats serving in their countries. This was why God specially ordered Satan and his demons, being the prince of this world; regarding his ambassadors and thus said: “He suffered no man to do them wrong he removed kings for their sake saying touch not my anointed and do them no harm” –Psalm105:14-15.

So you see, you should not fret or fume, panic, fear or be anxious of what to eat, what to wear, accommodation or protection, for He has made a comprehensive arrangement for you regarding them. Once again, I say, fear not.

Many people have made lots of mistakes because of ignorance of who they are.

Know yourself. Concerning you, the Bible said: “You are a chosen vessel, a royalty, a peculiar person, and a show piece of God” -1Peter 2:9. Every person guides jealously that which he or she has chosen.

Anything chosen enjoys special care, love, concern, preference and even treatment. For instance, beloved chosen wives are always guided jealously by their husbands, cared for, and treated specially.

Also in the house of a king, chosen vessels are treated specially, they are never brought out any how; they are brought out during special and great occasions. In fact, they are specially used for special people during special occasions.

As a peculiar person, things cannot happen to you any how like ordinary person. Anything peculiar is not common or ordinary, it means you are unique.

And it also means that you are an extra ordinary person. Again the Bible says that, you are a king, a priest and a ruler –Revelation 5:10. All those in this profession are never inferior. They are always conscious of their personality, integrity, authority and value. They walk, move and operate with an air or carriage and candor of boldness, pride, self-awareness and self-confidence.

51

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016

Insight

Rev. Femi Akinola www.thehebrewsng.com

01-790 3163; 0808 584 5864

Qualities of kingdom entrepreneur

A

Kingdom Entrepreneur is a spiritual entrepreneur who cannot carry on business like the secular (or conventional) business man because the principles are not the same.

Many so-called Kingdom business people are still on the ground today because they are operating their business the same way the unbelievers run their business. The ways of God are forever higher than our ways. To thrive and produce expected result as a Kingdom entrepreneur, there are Kingdom principles which you must operate; • Vision “And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” Habakkuk 2:2 Vision is foresight. It is the ability to look in the same direction and see opportunities that your competitors cannot see. It is operating cutting-edge principles which your competitors don’t have access to. It is the ability to see divine ideas through diligent search into the scriptures.

When you operate by vision, you see the end from the beginning. If a man’s vision is tampered with, motion is truncated.

Nothing destroys vision like selfish ambition.

Ambition is a number one vision killer; ambition is self-centered while vision is selfless. You have to understand that your vision is first about God’s Kingdom, not about your empire and self aggrandizement.

Until a Kingdom entrepreneur operates by vision, he cannot fulfill God’s mandate in business on earth.

• Diligence In operating vision and Kingdom principles, you must be diligent. A man who isn’t diligent in his dealings cannot reach his full potential.

A diligent man will not run his business like the conventional business man does. He will be punctual, not just working hard but also working smart and focused on results too.

He doesn’t cut corners to be rich or to increase his profit margin or even keep what belongs to others.

He is proactive, dynamic and very principled in his approach to business. He’s able to grow and improve himself through personal

development, attending short professional courses.

• Integrity “But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil” Matthew 5:37 “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.”

Luke 6:31 Don’t do business like the everyday businessman who cheat and play smart on their customers to in order to make extra gain.

Always remember that you can lose more than ten potential customers by cheating just one. Many businessmen pray amiss because they are not operating Kingdom principles.

Prayer cannot help the man who lacks integrity.

• Generosity “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” Proverbs 11:25 John D. Rockefeller has been dead for decades now but his businesses are still thriving because of his generosity in his lifetime.

Longevity in business does not happen by chance, it is the result of a deliberate act of generosity.

Let your business tithe, and even beyond tithing, let your business ‘be generous’; let it pay school fees of helpless children, take care of the poor and meet Kingdom needs.

So many potentially great businesses have liquidated as a result of lack of accountability and stinginess. Who or what is your business representing? If you must prosper as a Kingdom businessman, then you must represent God without reservation in all ramifications.

As much as it is very important for your business to be generous and give to humanity, you must bear in mind that God is a jealous God. Your generosity to man must not be at the detriment of the Kingdom as this is the greatest investment. The point here is that, in a bid to outsmart principles, many business people give little to charity and then choose not to tithe or give to Kingdom projects, believing that they have done enough by giving little to charity. There’s no cheaper way to come down and evaporate into thin air than by circumventing Kingdom commitments.

You must give to charity, but most importantly, you must learn to give to God than you give to man.

FAITH

The purpose of nations (5)

A

s we can see from the previous discuss, we keep on coming across the fact that God is not a God of accident; he is a God of purposeful intentions.

He divided the nations.

He gave nations their territories and boundaries. I hope that case has been well made above. If everything is more or less clear regarding nations and countries, what could be said about continents?

Does God have an opinion about continents? What does he have to say about the different continents in our planet? Are the continents by chance or by accident? Could there be God’s hand behind them? Did the Bible tell us anything about continent?

I believe the answer is yes.

The answer to this question is in that word with which I began writing this current series- PELEG. Let’s go to its origin: “Arphaxad begot Salah, and Salah begot Eber.

To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.” Gen 10:24-25.

The explanation we see for the name Peleg should catch our attention indeed. Something happened when Peleg was born which gives us insight into the events and circumstances of his birth.

The Purpose of Nations

Pastor Sunday Adelaja pastor@godembassy.org

Something happened when Peleg was born which gives us insight into the events and circumstances of his birth

In Israel children are often named according to the occurrences at the period of their birth. The Bible recalls that Peleg was born at the time the earth was divided. Not countries were divided but the whole earth, the land piece, was divided.

This surely must have been a rather monumental event that God needed to fix it in memory and in time. That division of the earth in the days of Peleg, I believe, is what we have now come to know as continents. I did some research on this matter and here is what I found: Creation scientists and Flood geologists do not deny that these continents may have been connected to one another in the past as a single supercontinent in light of Genesis 1:9.

Actually, it was a Christian geologist named Antonio Snider in 1859 who was the first person to publicly comment on this jigsaw puzzle fit of all the continents, except that he believed the spreading apart and separation of the continents occurred catastrophically during the Genesis Flood.

In the 1900’s, a German meteorologist by the name of Alfred Wegener noticed that the continents seemed to fit together, not at the continuously changing shoreline, but at the edge to their continental shelves. He derived this hypothesis from the observation that the continents in the southern hemisphere exhibit an identical pattern of rock and fossils known as the “Gondwana sequence”. The most logical explanation was that the continents themselves were once parts of a much larger “super-continent” which was named Pangaea.

In today’s secular society, people have been taught as fact that the continents were

once joined together in a supercontinent that spilt apart and then the resultant continents drifted over millions of years into their present positions. One primary piece of conclusive evidence usually presented to support this idea is the jigsaw-puzzle fit of Europe and Africa matching closely with North and South America, respectively. If the North and South Atlantic Ocean basins are closed, these continents fit together at approximately the MidAtlantic Ridge, a range of mountains on the ocean floor centrally located in the Atlantic Ocean basins. Creation scientists believe, along with their secular colleagues, that there is good observational evidence that is consistent with an original super continent in the past that was split apart and that today’s continents moved to their present positions on the earth’s surface.

I have long discovered that there are secrets and understandings in the scriptures that have been revealed long before science discovered them.

The example of continents is a case at hand.

What scientists are just discovering now had been written in the Bible since the days of Peleg.

(To be continued next week.)

‘Muslims who are not peaceful terrify me’

T

he President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Evangelist Franklin Graham, has said that while the “vast majority” of Muslims are peaceful, he is nevertheless “terrified” by the millions who believe suicide bombings and other forms of violence against civilians is “justified to defend Islam.”

In a lengthy op-ed for USA Today, Graham contended that after the terrorist attack in Nice, France, it’s difficult to take comfort in knowing that the “majority” of the world’s 1.6 followers of Islam are peaceful.

“What does that mean for the rest of the world’s second-largest religion, and how many fall into the minority group who may have different views?” he asked.

The 64-year-old son of Billy Graham cited a Pew Research Center survey from December which revealed some “little-discussed, but chilling, findings” about the adherents to Islam. While 86% of Muslims in America believe violence against non-Muslims is “rarely or never” justified,” 7% believe it is “sometimes” justified in the name of Islam, and 1% said “often.”

“Whoa! This means there are more than 100,000 Muslim adults living in this country who could justify a suicide bombing in the name of their religion,” wrote Graham. “That is not to say that 8% would actually strap on an explosives-packed vest, but the fact that so

many find it justifiable is scary enough.

And the most likely place that terrorist recruiters or Internet propagandists will find American Muslims who’d be willing to kill is among those Muslims who don’t see anything wrong with it.”

The evangelist suggested that such findings have terrifying worldwide implications: “If we applied the United States’ 8% figure of those who would ‘sometimes’ or ‘often’ justify suicide bombings and other forms of violence in the name of Islam, there’d be more than 100 million people around the world who just might condone the next terrorist attack,” he warned. “And

that number might be low.”

Graham explained that he is not attempting to comment on immigration policies, gun control policies, or various interpretations of the Quran. Rather, he is simply sharing his thoughts on the “tens of thousands of Muslims in America and the more than 100 million worldwide who are not bashful about justifying suicide bombings in the name of Islam.”

“Who would knowingly and willingly accept these odds of a peaceful existence in their own family, neighborhood, workplace or church?” he asked.

52

SCIENCE

O

VER the years, there has been a great misnomer of the two scientific words ‘mass’ and ‘weight’ for each other, especially when appropriated to the size and measurement of the human body. Many scholars, high school students, scientists, teachers, and many other sectors in the field of academia, have been misrepresenting ‘mass’ for ‘weight’, and ‘weight’ for ‘mass’.

This misrepresentation could be attributed to several factors, namely: poor scientific background, unqualified personnel’s in the field of science, inadequate scientific research, negligence to teaching, compromise to academic standard, complacence, thereby feeling too satisfied in what has been taught and even procrastination in scientific research. As a result of these factors, there has been a great misnomer in the use of the two words for each other by many students, in particular and the entire populace at large.

Studies carried out recently at different places in Lagos, Nigeria on “mass” and “weight” from over 1000 respondents were: “…we want to lose weight”. Even many higher school students, scientists, and health workers expected to know the proper one to lose, are now viewed with skepticism. This prompted me to ask scientists: “which one do we actually lose: ‘mass’ or ‘weight’? Let’s consider the evidence - I found: “The Systeme Internationale (S.I.) unit of ‘mass’ (a fundamental physical quantity), adopted internationally by law, is the kilogram.

The kilogram is a fundamental physical unit.

The word ‘mass’ has been in use since antiquity. It is a measure of the amount of matter in an object. Mass is measured on a chemical (beam) balance, and not on a scale. The mass of an object is constant all over the world, even on the moon, hence it does not vary”, explain Dr. Henry Boyo, Hardwareb Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Lagos, Nigeria.

Corollary, the S.I. unit of ‘weight’ (a derived physical quantity) adopted internationally by law, is the Newton, (named after Sir Isaac Newton, 1642 - 1727). The Newton is a derived unit and not a fundamental unit.

The weight of an object is a measure of the amount of gravitational pull or force acting on the object. It is measured on a scale, example is the Spring balance. Weight of objects vary from one place to another, hence it is not constant, while mass is constant says Prof.

Israel Ndukwe, Head, Department of Physics, Federal University of Technology, Owerri.

The relationship between Mass (M) and Weight (W) is mathematically given by: Weight (W) = Mass (M) x gravity (g) i.e.

W=Mg where g is acceleration due to gravity, which has an approximational value of 10m/ s2 on the earth’s surface, Ndukwe added.

In another highlight, Dr. Kingsley Abhulimen of the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Lagos, Nigeria, stated: “The amount of gravitational force acting on an object increases as the mass of the object involved increases. Corollary, the amount of gravitational force decreases as the distance between the objects involved increases. Thus, as you travel away from the earth, you are affected less and less by the earth’s gravitational pull. As your distance from earth increases, the gravitational pull decreases, if you travel far enough from the earth, you will not be affected by the earth’s gravitation pull at all.

“For example, on the moon, the gravitational force is about one-sixth of that of the earth. This means, an objects that weighs 60 Newtons on earth, will weigh only 10 Newtons on the moon, thereby experiencing weightlessness approximately. In other words, gravitational pull between two objects depends on the distance between the objects. The closer the object to the earth, the stronger the gravitational pull.

“If you go on diet, you say you want to lose weight, that’s not really what you want to lose. What you really want to lose is mass.

You would lose a lot of weight very quickly, if you could leave the earth and go to the moon.

The moon’s gravitational pull is weaker than the earth’s gravitational pull which is about one-sixth. So your weight will be less, howev-

SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Which do you really lose: Mass or Weight?

As students are on their Summer holidays now, their eating habits are likely to increase thereby resulting in their increased body size. Those that are ‘figure’ conscious especially ladies, usually say “they want to lose weight”. Is it really “weight” or “mass” they want to lose? Science Writer, STANLEY CHIBUIHEM AMALAHA, x-rays this misnomer of ‘mass’ and ‘weight’, and enlightens readers on what exactly they really want to lose.

Gravity increases as mass of objects involved increases

Gravity decreases as distance between objects involved increases

Spring balance measures weight of objects in Newton Chemical balance compares masses of objects in kilogram

If you go on diet, you say you want to lose weight, that’s not really what you want to lose. What you really want to lose is mass. You would lose a lot of weight very quickly if you could leave the earth and go to the moon

er, you wouldn’t look any thinner. Your mass would still be the same because the amount of mater in your body didn’t change and your clothes would fit you just as they did on earth where you weighed more,” explains Prof. Pius N. Okeke, former Director, Centre for Basic Space Science, Nsukka.

So it is important to remember that ‘mass’ and ‘weight’ are not the same. Mass is not affected by gravity, while Weight is affected by gravity, Weight increases when gravitational force increases, and decreases when gravitational force decreases. So whenever, you want to reduce the amount of matter in your body, you should better remember to An astronaut weights 60N on earth say “I want to lose mass and not weight”.

The same astronaut weights 10N on the moon

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY JULY 24, 2016

2017 U20 AFCON: Sudan stuns Flying Eagles p.55

IAAF U-20 Tourney: Amusan reaches 100m Hurdles final p.54

Sports Ministry deniel asking athletes to buy air tickets to Rio

SPORTS As a group, Team Nigeria is not prepared for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, but what efforts have you put in place as an individual who wants to do well at the Olympics?

On my own, I have been training very hard to achieve greatness in table tennis.

The moment I saw international players left alone to fund their trips to the Olympic qualifiers by the Sports Ministry, I knew we were in for a big trouble. Those who couldn’t raise the money to travel were automatically ruled out of the Olympics. This was very bad and it was not a good development for Nigerian sports at this modern times. To keep myself in top shape for the big challenges of the Olympics, I have been playing in top grade tournaments, where I also earned some valuable points which has helped my world ranking which would be put into consideration when the draws for the Olympics are made.

Ahead of the Olympics, I was in Portugal and France for 10 months. I played table tennis almost every weekend and practiced every day with no rest. The poor preparation of Team Nigeria will not affect a player like me. But the problem is that, our opponents at the Rio Olympics have been preparing as a group on a daily basis with solid backing from the government and corporate bodies in their countries.

Organised camping exercise is more beneficial than leaving athletes to do it their own way. In the case of the Nigerian table tennis team, we shall face a very difficult task to survive in the Team event at the Olympics while we shall try our best in the singles events.

As I have always said, plans go with success while success also goes with plans. We definitely need a miracle to do well in the Olympics and this does not translate to the fact that we shall be going to the Rio Games to add to the number of participants, we are going to try our best to win something, but with special God’s favour.

Will you say Team Nigeria will be at a great disadvantage compared with other serious sports-loving countries?

Yes, we will be at a great disadvantage and this will work against the country at the Olympics. It is like you are in school and you only attend classes and mark attendance without reading. It is not going to be possible for you to pass in good grades if the examination comes. But that doesn’t mean we can’t compete very well in Rio. We are going to give our best at the Olympics.

How many Olympic Games have you been to and how do you feel being in the same team with a seven-time Olympian, Segun Toriola?

The Rio Olympics will make it my second Olympic Games appearance. London 2012 was my first Olympics, I lost in the second round, the experience was good, it helped me in subsequent tournaments in the world rankings which saw me as the number one ranked player not too long after my Olympic Games debut.

I feel so great to be in the same team with the legendary Segun Toriola. It is always a happy moment whenever we are together in the training camp and even at competition venues. And when he finally retires from active table tennis, we would always need his experience, motivation and inspiration to keep the men’s and women’s teams

53 53

SUNDAY

p.55

Deputy Sports Editor Dapo Sotuminu daposotu@yahoo.com © Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

We definitely need a miracle to do well in the Olympics and this does not translate to the fact that we shall be going to the Rio Games to add to the number of participants, we are going to try our best to win something, but with special God’s favour ers in Africa. Unlike six years ago, it wasn’t the same as it is today, as we hardly feature in international competitions. There were no national tournaments of repute.

But since the present administration came into power four years ago, with the leadership of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation President, Barrister Enitan Oshodi, things have been better.

What is your message to Nigerians as Team Nigeria go to the Rio Olympics?

I will be very happy if they keep praying for us to do well at the Rio Olympics. At this stage especially with Team Nigeria’s poor preparations, we need God’s favour and prayers, without that, it is going to be very difficult.

Quadri: Team Nigeria needs miracle to win medals at Rio Olympics

Former world number one table tennis player and one of Nigeria’s medal hopefuls at the Rio Olympic Games, Aruna Quadri, has stated that because of the poor preparations, the Nigerian team will need a miracle to win medals at the biggest sports fiesta in the world. He told DAPO SOTUMINU in this interview that the 15 medals’ request made by the Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, is a task that cannot be achieved going and aiming for the best at all times.

The Rio Olympics will start on August 5, what should Nigerians expect from you at the Games?

By the special grace of God, I am hoping and praying to God to surpass my performance at the London 2012 Olympics. I will not play under pressure, the fact that I am currently Africa’s number one and a former world number one player do not make any difference, playing at the Olympics is a different ball game. All the top rankings in Africa and the world level, is just a matter of semantics, it’s just like a number, this ranking shows that you are playing regularly in tournaments across the world. There are some players within

the range of 100 to 200 in rankings who are very good and they can pose treats to any world class players. They will be playing in the Olympics. At the Rio Olympics, it is going to be a 50-50 chance for every top table tennis player.

For Nigerian table tennis in the last four years, things have been changing for better.

Now, we play tournaments regularly, there is the Lagos International Open Classics and some other national tournaments. This has helped to improve Nigerian players both at the national and international levels and it has made it easy to pick top players for international competitions. In the last four years, things have changed for the better with dedicated sponsors and the NTTF has also been able to produce the best play-

When you are not playing table tennis, what do you do?

When I am not playing table tennis, I love to stay on the internet chatting with my fans, family and friends. I live with my family in Portugal and I play in both the Portuguese and the French Club Leagues.

I normally travel to France every Monday, while I play there on Tuesday and on Wednesday I am already in Portugal because the Portuguese league is playing at the weekend. This gives me only three days with my family in a week.

With my family in Portugal I don’t miss my home in Nigeria because whenever I am in Portugal, I eat Nigerian food. I prefer amala and vegetable (‘efo riro’).

When did you start playing Table Tennis?

I started playing Table Tennis on the streets of Oyo State just for the fun of it and I never knew I would get to the level I am today. My family house in Oyo town was just beside a table tennis hall and the owner of the facility allowed me to play there free of charge as he had interest in me.

At that stage he became my trainer and also made me the board man who controls the facility whenever he was out of town. That was how I developed great interest in the sport. Initially I never I thought I was going to be as good as I am in the sport today. Not until 2009 when I went to Morocco for the African Singles Cup. It was my first senior international tournament for Nigeria and I won the title. It was like a miracle. And since I won, I represented the whole of Africa at the World Cup Moscow 2009. And immediately after that, I noticed that if I could put more effort, practice more and garner more concentration it is going to be very possible in future to be world number one and I thank God that I eventually attained this status.

54

SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Sport

Rio security push crumbles as murders, police killings rise

O

n the eve of hosting the world’s largest sporting event, Rio de Janeiro’s decade-long push to curb violence in hundreds of slums appears to be crumbling.

Murders rose sharply in the first half of 2016, just as officials wanted to use the August 5-21 Olympic Games to showcase the city as a tourist destination.

Shootouts erupt daily, even in Rio slums where community policing programs created to pacify them had successfully rewritten the narrative in recent years.

The number of people killed by police, who many residents accuse of shooting first and asking questions later, has spiked in the past two years after dropping significantly the previous six. Police, in turn, are increasingly under attack: 61 have been killed in Rio since January, the majority while off duty.

“2016 has been a very bad year.

We have seen a dramatic increase in homicides, robberies and other crimes,” said Ignacio Cano, a sociologist at the Violence Studies Lab of Rio de Janeiro State University. “We lost a big opportunity to transform police and develop a new public safety model.”

The victims are overwhelmingly young, black men like Jhonata Dalber Mattos Alves, a 16-year-

old who was shot to death June 30 — family members say by police — in a slum with a much-vaunted community policing program.

Witnesses say the high-school student was killed as he walked down a dark path with paper bags for the popcorn he had fetched for his 4-year-old brother’s daycare party, reports The Associated Press.

“I want them to pay for what they did. They ripped out a part of me,” said his mother, Janaina Mattos Alves, her voice breaking.

“They are taking away innocent lives. That’s my fear.”

Law enforcement experts say Brazil’s worst recession since the 1930s is at the heart of the surge in violence in Rio. A financial crunch in the oil-producing state has put thousands of government workers’ salaries and pensions on hold, police budgets have been slashed and daily announcements of layoffs have added to the angst.

Rights groups additionally blame a culture of combat still at the core of much of Rio’s law enforcement, instincts more likely to emerge when officers feel under attack.

Cano says tourists coming for the Olympics will likely be spared the violence lived daily in the slums, though it periodically does spill into the city’s tourist-friendly

and affluent south. The 85,000 soldiers and police assigned to patrol the streets is a force double that of the 2012 Games in London.

“The big question is not the Olympics but what comes afterward,” said Cano, who like many experts, believes that deeper cuts in police budgets are likely.

On a recent afternoon, two Associated Press journalists watched as half a dozen officers sheltered behind a cable car station shot it out with suspected drug traffickers in Complexo do Alemao, a sprawling cluster of slums in north Rio. Minutes after the gunfire stopped, several schoolchildren walked by the building as gun-toting police stopped and frisked drivers and bikers.

Amnesty International counted 265 such shootings last week, the first since launching a crowdsourced app to help alert people living in violence-plagued areas.

The racial element of the violence is undeniable.

Black people are three times more likely to be killed by Rio police as whites, according to data from the state government’s public safety department. In the U.S. the apparent disparities in how police treat blacks and whites sparked the Black Lives Matter movement, which has organised large rallies after unarmed black

men die at the hands police. The rate of police killings here is almost 10 times that of the U.S. The mother of Jhonata Alves hadn’t heard gunfire the day she asked him to go pick up paper bags used to put popcorn from his aunt’s house in the slum of Borel. The family home is partly shielded from the slum by a forested hill, but the bang, bang, bang of clashes make their way to Janaina’s silent street on a regular basis.

A witness who would not show her face told ‘Globo’ news station that after Alves was shot, police fired off bullets to fake a shootout.

Residents that were in the area told the family that officers tried to plant a gun on the teenager, but they didn’t allow them to do it.

Police carried him as blood dripped from his head and put him in their car to take him to the hospital where he died. Police did not respond to a request for comment on the case.

A Human Rights Watch report released earlier this month found many instances of police killings that followed a similar pattern: Officers shoot at unarmed people, in custody or trying to flee, then simulate shootouts, plant guns and transport victims to hospitals where they arrive either dead or in critical condition.

Harrison breaks hurdles world record, as Bolt criticises Gatlin A

merican Keni Harrison broke a 28-yearold world record in the 100m hurdles, clocking 12.20 seconds at the London Anniversary Games.

Harrison, 23, was already the fastest woman in the world this year, but will not be at next month’s Olympics after finishing only sixth in the US trials.

The previous world record of 12.21 had stood since 1988 and was held by Yordanka Donkova of Bulgaria.

Britain’s Tiffany

Porter came sixth and Jessica Ennis-Hill last.

“After not making the Olympic team I wanted to come out here and show what I could have done,” an emotional Harrison told BBC Sport.

“The US team is the hardest to make, our country wants the top three from the trials and I was not that person. The pressure got to me on the day. I wish I could redo that day.

“I came out here with a lot of vengeance. I knew I had it in me.

“I’ve still got a lot left in me, I’m definitely going to try and drop that time this season.”

Harrison has run six of the seven fastest times this year, and two

of the four fastest ever.

Defending Olympic champion Sally Pearson will also miss out in Rio after tearing a hamstring last month.

Meanwhile, Usain Bolt accused sprint rival Justin Gatlin of “disrespect” after the six-time Olympic champion won the 200m at the Anniversary Games in London.

Bolt, 29, clocked 19.89 seconds in his first appearance since pulling out of the Jamaican trials.

He was picked for the Olympics after getting a medical exemption, leading to comments from Gatlin and others.

“For me I felt it was a joke, I felt it was a disrespect they think I’d back out of a trials,” said Bolt.

Mo Farah storms to victory in men’s 5,000m in London

M

o Farah ran the fastest 5,000m of 2016 in his first competitive race over that distance this year at the Anniversary Games in London’s Olympic Stadium.

The 33-year-old, who won 5,000m and 10,000m Olympic gold in London in 2012, was totally dominant in crossing the line in 12 minutes 59.29 seconds.

Fellow Briton Andrew Butchart was second, more than 15 seconds behind, with American Bernard Lagat third, reports the BBC. “I just wanted to go for it. It’s great to win before Rio,” said Farah.

“It wasn’t that quick but this track means so much to me.

“I am in good shape I just have to keep my feet on the ground. In two weeks anything could happen - I’ve just got to stay cool.”

Farah’s was one of five final-day British wins as athletes intensified their preparations for the Rio Olympics, which get under way on August 5.

There was victory for Katarina Johnson-Thompson in the women’s long jump with a season’s best effort of 6.84m, eight centimetres short of her personal record.

Fellow Briton and world silver medallist Shara Proctor was second with a season’s best of 6.80m, but there was disappointment for Jessica Ennis-Hill.

The world and Olympic heptathlon champion, who’ll be competing against Johnson-Thompson in that event in Rio, finished in a disappointing seventh with a jump of 6.19m, more than 40 centimetres below her best of the season.

“It’s exactly what I wanted before Rio,” Johnson-Thompson told BBC Sport. “It gives me confidence I can get on the board there.

“But Jess is such a strong competitor I know she’ll do better than that at the Olympics. Gold will not be an easy job for anyone and I’ve got to step up to the competition.”

There was a British one-two in the men’s 4x100m relay, with the A and B teams pushing each other all the way to the line, well clear of the rest of the field.

55

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016

Sport

2017 U-20 AFCON: Sudan stuns Flying Eagles

Ajibade Olusesan

N

igeria’s Flying Eagles, yesterday, crashed out of the 2017 AFCON U20 finals qualification race following a stunning unexpected defeat by their Sudanese opponents at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

The Flying Eagles had won the first leg encounter 2-1 in Khartoum, Sudan a fortnight ago and playing in front of the Lagos fans, they failed to prove to be the better team with a 4-3 defeat Samuel Chukwueze, who was a thorn in the flesh of the Sudanese defence, shot the Flying Eagles ahead in the first quarter of the

NPFL: Rangers stumble, Wikki back on top

E

nugu Rangers faithful expected their team to maintain top spot in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) but instead they dropped points in a 1-1 draw with Lobi Stars at home on Saturday.

Imama Amapakabo’s men began matchweek 28 with a twopoint lead but slipped and allowed Wikki Tourists level with them on 47 points.

With Bobby Clement on the bench, Amapakabo kept faith in Ocheme Edoh and he scored his first goal at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium on 23 minutes against Lobi.

In Bauchi, Wikki Tourists also went in front through the impressive Ibrahim Alhassan off Abdullahi Musa’s assist against Abia Warriors.

Back at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Rangers were as usual fluffing their lines with chance after chance and on 62 minutes, Kingsley Eduwo equalized for Lobi Stars. The game ended 1-1 despite Lobi finishing with 10 men after Sunday Akleche was sent off for a second yellow card offence.

After more 746 minutes of football in the Nigeria top-flight without a goal, Godwin Obaje scored the insurance goal for Wikki to see off Abia Warriors and put themselves in pole position in the standings by superior goal difference, reports supersport.com.

Shooting Stars Sport Club (3SC) barely allowed Niger Tornadoes settled in at the Lekan Salami Stadium as Tayo Adebogun opened scoring on seven minutes.

match with a stunning shot from the edge of the visitors’ penalty area that beat goalkeeper Isgag Adam Abdalla hands down.

Chukwueze had initiated the move a few metres from the centre circle evading three opposing players before unleashing the shot.

Despites the Flying Eagles dominance, the Sudanese equalized

seven minutes later through Amjad Ismaila Ahmed, who capitalised on poor defending to register his name on the score sheet.

However, Funsho Bamgboye restored the Flying Eagles lead in the 27th minute after making a tap in from a pull-out from the right wing but the Central Africans were not done yet as they pegged the Flying back in the 43rd minute with curving shot by Khalid Abdelmoneim which goalkeeper Akpan failed to stop as the first half ended 2-2.

On resumption of the second half, Coach Emmanuel Amuneke pulled out Gavi Thompson and replaced him with Orji Okonkwo as he attempted to boost the Flying Eagles attack which was lacking bite upfront but his introduction did not make any significant impact as the visitors grew in confidence and occasionally put the Flying Eagles under pressure.

The occasional pressure of the visiting side eventually paid off as Walaa Eldin Musa capitalised on yet more slack defending by the Flying Eagles to put his side in the front seat for the first time in the 60th minute but two minute later he received a second booking and

was sent out.

With the numerical advantage, the Flying Eagles continued to mount pressure on their opponents’ defence which eventually carved-in in the 62nd minute as Orji Okonkwo scored to bring the scoreline to 3-3, which meant the Nigerians would have qualified courtesy of their away victory.

But the Sudanese had other ideas and wrapped up the game with a goal in the 83rd minute to stop the Flying Eagles from the 2017 AFCON. Though the tie ended 5-5 aggregate, but the Flying Eagles crashed out on away goals.

Mohammed Mazda, Sudan senior team head coach, who took charge of the team’s rescue mission after the first leg home loss, attributed their victory to hard work and the determination to excel but also admitted that the Flying Eagles were not lucky as they missed countless chances.

“It’s a tough game but we gave our all and at the end we won.

Nigeria played well, they missed many scoring chance but I think we deserved the victory, considering the fact we played with 10 players for more than 25 minutes. So it was a sweet victory,” he said.

Moyes replaces Allardyce as Sunderland manager

D

avid Moyes has been appointed Sunderland manager on a four-year deal.

The former Everton and Manchester United boss, 53, takes charge at the Stadium of Light after Sam Allardyce left to become England manager.

“I have taken over a big British club, with a great support, and I’m looking forward to working in the Premier League again,” said Moyes.

The Scot has been out of work since being sacked by Spanish club Real Sociedad in November, reports the BBC. Allardyce was confirmed as Roy Hodgson’s successor with the national team on Friday.

Solution to Cross Word Puzzle

IAAF U-20 Tourney: Amusan reaches 100m Hurdles final

O

luwatobiloba Amusan has qualified for the final of the 100m Hurdles after emerging tops in heat I of the semi-finals at the ongoing International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World U-20 Championships.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Amusan won her race with a time of 12.99 secs.

She finished ahead of Alexis Duncan of the US, who posted a time of 13.02 secs, and Alicia Barrett of Great Britain’s time of 13.34 secs.

Amusan’s season and personal best is 12.83 secs recorded in El

Paso, Texas in April.

Amusan will confront Tia Jones of U.S. who returned a time 13.09 secs, Rushelle Burton of Jamaica who ran 13.59 secs and Elvira Herman of Belarus who returned 12.97secs.

Laura Vallete of France also qualified after posting a time of 13.23 secs, and Taylor Bieldt of South Africa qualified with a time 13.35sec.

The final will take place on Sunday at the Zawisza Stadium, Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Nigeria’s U-20 4x100m men’s relay team did not qualify for the final.

Sports Ministry denies asking athletes to buy air tickets to Rio

T

he Ministry of Youth and Sports Development says it did not direct foreign-based athletes going to the Olympic Games in Rio to buy their own air tickets.

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, made the clarification on Saturday in Lagos in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Nneka Anibeze.

The statement said the clarifica-

tion became necessary following a purported mail asking athletes to buy their tickets to the Olympics and which was said to have originated from the ministry.

The statement said that Dalung had made it clear that the Director, High Performance, Angie Taylor, had the responsibility of arranging for the flights and movement of the foreign-based athletes to and from Rio. “We did not write any mail ask-

ing athletes to pay their way to Rio. “As the overseers of sports in the country, it is our duty to take care of all our athletes.

“The letter did not come from us and we will investigate the writer of that letter.

“It does not represent our stand concerning the movement of athletes to Rio and the writer or anybody asking athletes to buy their tickets to Rio will be investigated,” he said.

FAITH

Why we oppose new President -Northern CAN }31

SPORT

Sanctity of Truth

SUNDAY

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

N150

SUNDAY, JULY 24, 2016

Quadri: Team Nigeria needs a miracle to win medals at Rio 2016 }53

Nigeria’s dire need for restructuring (Part 3)

“ENCORE” This week, we continue our discourse on the urgent need for Nigeria to restructure now before it is too late.

In what appeared to be a conversation between two of Nigeria’s founding titans, Ahmadu Bello and Dr. Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe (Zik of Africa), obviously the most colourful, grandiloquent politician Nigeria ever had – near him was K. O. Mbadiwe, the man of the timber, caterpillar, iroko and obeche – Zik was said to have implored: “Let us forget our differences and move on”. To this, the Sardauna of Sakwatto was said to have replied: “Azikiwe, we cannot forget our differences. Let us understand our differences to be able to move on. I am Moslem and a Northerner. You are a Christian, an Easterner. By understanding our differences, we can build unity in our country”.

These young nationalists, then in their forties understood clearly what the issues were – that there were obvious differences, but that bridges of understanding needed to be built in the geographical contraction called Nigeria, for peaceful co-existence. In Gowon’s maiden speech as Head of State in 1966, the then 32-year-old 'Bachelor General' Head of State, poignantly noted that: “the basis of (Nigerian) unity is not there”.

That was why the slogan for the 30 months bloody civil war was “to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done”. Gowon’s name was even acronymised to “Go – on – with – one – Nigeria”.

Ayo Opadokun, a fiery activist, lawyer and former National Secretary of NADECO, once declared that “for Nigeria to move forward, we must sit down and decide how we want to relate with ourselves.” To this writer, there are two germane and fundamental questions to be answered here: First, do we want to continue to live together as one Nigeria? If the answer is in the affirmative yes, the corollary question is “on what terms and basis do we continue to live together?

It is all too clear that the current agitations for self determination are mere symptoms for more fundamental under currents of a weak foundational structure foisted on us.

My soul mate in the Human Rights and prodemocracy Movement, a strong northern voice, Shettima Yerima, President of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, once put it succinctly in an interview granted to SUN Newspaper: “Violent crisis cannot stop until there is a clean environment that allows its stoppage. The issue of disunity must be addressed or else we would wake up one day to discover to our chagrin that Nigeria is no more there”. I agree.

One easily forgotten Nationalist, indeed the foremost of them all, Herbert Macaulay, once sarcastically responded to claims by the British Colonialists, that they had “the true interests of the natives at heart”, thus: “the dimensions of ‘true interests of the natives at heart’ are algebraically equal to the length, breadth and depth of the White’s man’s pocket”.

This numero uno Nationalist (I am a proud recipient of the Herbert Macaulay Foundation Award), born in 1864 in Lagos, was the grandson of Samuel Ajayi Crowther, who had been rescued from a Portuguese slave ship and later became Bishop of the Anglican Church. Son of Revd Thomas Babington Macaulay, who founded CMS Grammar School, Lagos (the oldest secondary school in Nigeria), Macualay, who attended the same CMS and Fourah Bay College, Freetown, Sierra

The

Nigerian Project

MIKE OZEKHOME san, ofr mike.ozekhome@yahoo.com 08094777755 (sms only) Leone, later founded the Nigerian National Democratic Party, Daily News (Nigeria’s first indigenous newspaper in 1926) and later NCNC, whose leadership later fell on Zik, when Macaulay died at 82 in Lagos, after taking ill in Kano during a campaign.

Today, these paths - finding legends are no more. But, their incisive, controversial and provocative words continue to live on. The questions now in dire need of answers are: were they right in their assertions and has anything changed between then and now to contradict them? Have we today proven them wrong by our actions, inactions and utterances? Perhaps, no. The state of the nation does not appear to put a lie to their thoughts and deep – seated assessment of the Nigerian project.

IN THE BEGINNING The Royal Niger Company was a mercantile company chartered by the British government in the nineteenth century. It was originally formed in 1879 as the United African Company and renamed to National African Company in 1881 and later, the Royal Niger Company in 1886.

The company existed for a comparatively short time (1879–1900), but was instrumental to the formation of Colonial Nigeria, as it enabled the British Empire to establish control over the lower Niger against the German competition led by Otto Von Bismarck, during the 1890s. In 1900, the companycontrolled territories became the Southern Nigeria Protectorate, which was in turn united with the Northern Nigeria Protectorate to form the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria in 1914. It eventually gained independence within the same borders as the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1960.

Indeed, it was Flora Shaw, a young British lady, the daughter of a Field Marshall, who, in an article in the London Financial Times in 1879, gave Nigeria her name, “Niger – area”, after the River Niger. She later married Captain Lord Lugard, the mid-wife of the amalgamation. “Niger – area” was later corrupted to “Nigeria”, our present nomenclature. Ever since, the amalgamation of the southern and northern protectorates of the northern parts of Nigeria, we have known no genuine peace in this nation.

Throughout the early 20th century, Nigerians found various ways to oppose foreign rule. Local armed revolts, mainly concentrated in the middle belt, broke out sporadically. They intensified during World War I (1914-1918). Workers in mines, railways, and public service often went on strike over poor wages and inhuman working conditions, including a popular general revolt in 1945, when 30,000 workers stopped commerce for 37 good days. Ire over excessive taxation prompted other conflicts, including a battle in 1929 fought mainly by Igbo women in the Aba area, known famously as

the “Aba Women Riots”. More common was passive resistance: avoiding being counted in the census, working at a slow pace, telling stories that ridiculed colonialists and colonialism.

FAILED CONSTITUTION By 1922, the Clifford Constitution had come on board, but could not address the burning issues on ground.

In 1947, the British responded by introducing a new Constitution that divided Nigeria into three regions, the Northern Region, the Eastern Region, and the Western Region. The Northern Region consisted mainly Hausa-Fulani and were Muslims; the Eastern Region, Igbo and Christians; and the Western Region, Yoruba and mixed Muslims and Christians. The regions each had their own legislative Assemblies, with mainly appointed, rather than elected members, and were overseen by a weak central federal government. Although short-lived, the Constitution had serious long-term impact on Nigeria through its encouragement of regional, ethnic-based politics.

The 1947 Constitution failed on several fronts and counts, and was abrogated in 1949, and followed by other Constitutions in 1951 (Macpherson)and Littleton (1954),

each of which had to contend with powerful ethnic forces. The Northern People’s Congress (NPC) argued that northerners, who made up nearly half of Nigeria’s population, should have a large degree of autonomy from other regions and a large representation in any federal legislature. The NPC was especially concerned about respect for Islam and the economic dominance of the South by the North. The Western Region-based Action Group also wanted autonomy; the Yorubas feared that their profitable western region cocoa industries would be tapped to subsidize less wealthy areas. In the poorer East, the National Council for Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), wanted a powerful central government and a redistribution of wealth—the very things greatly feared by the Action Group.

The eventual compromise was located in the 1954 Constitution, which made Nigeria a federation of three regions, corresponding to the three major ethnic nations. It remarkedly differed from the 1947 Constitution, in that powers were more evenly split between the regional governments and the central government. The Constitution accorded the regions the right to seek self-government, which the Western and Eastern regions achieved in 1956. The Northern Region, however, fearing that self-government (and thus British withdrawal), would leave it at the mercy of southerners, delayed the imposition until 1959. (To be continued next week).

LAST LINE Are Nigerians, PMB, avid readers et al, awaiting the next tranche of Nigeria’s dire need of restructuring even as you read today’s sermon on the “Mount of Nigerian Project” by Chief Mike A.A. Ozekhome, SAN, OFR, FCIArb? • Follow me on twitter @ MikeozekhomeSAN

Cross Word Puzzle

with Olulana Kayode 08023183727 Instructions on how to play the game •With reference to the ‘clues across’ and ‘clues down’ below, you shall try to provide answers to the clues, by writing the answer in the puzzle box provided on the left side.

•The number in parenthesis indicates the total number of letters making up the solution or answer you will provide.

•Keep on answering all the questions until all the spaces in the puzzle box are completely filled up.

Good luck!

Clues Across 1 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 16 17 18 22 23 24 25 26

Ex Abia state Administrator, (7).

Somebody with exceptional skill, (3).

Affected by great displeasure, (3).

Palestine Liberation Organisation, (3).

Gasp while crying, (3).

Mike ___, Nigerian musician, (4).

Weep in an uncontrolled way, (4).

Advertisement, (2).

Silver symbol, (2).

Member of S African people, (4).

Set on fire, (4).

Consume something, (3).

Digit of human foot, (3).

Direct Broadcasting Satellite, (3).

Town in Ondo state, (3).

Involving great effort, (7).

Clues Down 1 2 3 4 5 6 13 14 15 19 20 21

Ex Akwa Ibom state Governor, (7).

Late gospel musician, (6).

Lack of difficulty, (4).

Lagos State Governor, (6).

12th month of Jewish calendar, (4).

Organ of hearing, (3).

Ex Niger Delta Affairs Minister, (7).

Ex CBN Governor, (6) Sovereign ruler of an Islamic country, (6).

Nullify something, (4).

Body part for producing milk, (4).

Expressing surprise, (3).

Turn to page 55 for solution

Printed and Published by Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Ltd: Head Office: No. 1A, Ajumobi Street, Off ACME Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja-Lagos. Tel: +234 1-2219496, 2219498. Abuja Office: Orji Kalu House, Plot 322, by Banex Junction, Mabushi, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Advert Hotlines: (Lagos 0902 928 1425), (Abuja 0805 5118488), Email: info@newtelegraphonline.com Website: www.newtelegraphonline.com ISSN 2354-4317 Editor: JULIET BUMAH.