Saturday 22nd October 2016

FG Upbeat about $1bn Eurobond to Be Issued Before End of Year Obinna Chima with agency report

The federal government yesterday expressed optimism that it would sell Eurobond worth around $1 billion to be issued before the end of the year.

The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun who spoke

on the move, also disclosed that the government was in the process of appointing managers for the sale.

The Eurobond is part of Nigeria's plans to borrow a total of N1.8 trillion ($5.8 billion) from abroad and at home to fund an expected budget deficit of N2.2 trillion this year.

"We are appointing parties this week, we are hoping to come before the end of the year," Adeosun told Reuters at the sidelines of an investment conference at the London Stock Exchange. She gave no details.

"We have headroom and we are very fortunate in that regard, we have very low

debt to GDP ratio," she told the conference.

Adeosun informed her audience that Nigeria had started a journey, which would take its economy from being dependent on oil as a primary commodity, to a more productive economy.

She recently said the Nigerian economy had moved from

spending 90 per cent of its budget on recurrent items and only 10 per cent on capital expenditure, to 70 per cent on recurrent expenditure and 30 per cent on capital expenditure.

“From the numbers that we have done, the infrastructure gap that we face, even if we devote our budget for the next

three years, it is not enough, so we’ve got to look for creative ways to mobilise additional capital.

“We started of course with spending our own money (pension funds) because we think, of course, that the first thing Continued on page 6

Again, Fani Kayode Arrested on Fresh Money Laundering Charges ... Page 10 Saturday 22 October, 2016 Vol 21. No 7849 Price: N250

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$2.1bn Arms Fund: Abuja Chief Judge Directs Dasuki Be Tried By One Judge Tobi Soniyi in Abuja The Chief Judge of the Abuja High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello has directed that one of the two judges handling two separate trials of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki should hands off the case.

Before now, Justice Baba Yusuf of Court No 4 and Justice Peter Affen of Court No 24 of the high court were trying Dasuki on two separate but related charges. The two charges involved alleged $2.1 billion fraud, money laundering and breach of trust.

By the directive, Justice Affen

will hands off the case leaving only Justice Yusuf to handle the two charges.

The decision to allow only one judge to handle the two trials was at the instance of the parties.

The Chief Judge directed that the charges handled by Justice Affen be immediately

transferred to Justice Yusuf.

The prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs SAN, who confirmed this development, said it was the result of several hours of negotiation among the parties.

Jacobs told newsmen at the court that the lawyers in the matter were worried over the delay the trial had suffered since

last year when it was initiated by the federal government through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The prosecution counsel explained that Justice Affen had already been directed to step aside from the trial so that only one judge would take full

charge.

He however hinted that the issue of merging the two charges into one as demanded by the ex-NSA would no longer arise having been overtaken by the new step taken in the matter adding that the two charges Continued on page 6

NJC: NBA's Advice to Suspend Judges Before Investigation Unacceptable Insists attacks on judges aimed at intimidating judiciary Invasion portends great danger to nation's democracy

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja The National Judicial Council (NJC) has strongly rejected the recent call by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) that judges recently arrested by the operatives of the Department of State Security Services (DSS) be asked to step aside from performing their judicial functions as judges pending full investigation of the allegations made against them by the security agency and possible trial.

In a statement issued yesterday and signed by the council's Acting Director of Information, Mr Soji Oye, NJC said the position taken by the NBA was unacceptable and unconstitutional.

NJC said that suspending judges pending investigation would amount to a breach of its regulations.

The council said: "Thus, the current position of the Nigerian Bar Association vis-à-vis its recommendation that the affected judicial officers involved in the on-going investigation of judicial officers by the DSS, Continued on page 6

ICE PRINCE ZAMANI

My Hit Single Has Taken Me Through an Incredible Journey

SuperSaturday pg. 8-9

SOMACHI KACHIKWU

I Find Joy in Raising Children

Plus pg. 17-19

ANCHORING RICE PRODUCTION

L-R: Anambra State Governor, Chief Willy Obiano; Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe; Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele during the inspection tour of the rice farms under the Anchor Borrowers programme in the state...yesterday

FG's Policies, Reforms will End Nigeria's Economic Woes, Says Osinbajo ... Page 6

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T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R •SATURDAY, ocTobeR 22, 2016

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FG's Policies, Reforms will End Nigeria's Economic Woes, Says Osinbajo Crusoe Osagie The federal government has announced plans to invest massively in infrastructure and human capacity development, noting that the present administration is focusing on policies and reform efforts geared at promoting diversification and structural reform of the economy.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo explained that a successful execution of the policies is expected to result in enhanced productivity growth, increase in the share of manufacturing in Nigeria’s total export earnings and drastic reduction in susceptibilities of the economy to external shocks from commodity volatility currently being experienced by the nation.

Osinbajo during a public private dialogue on port efficiency and maritime sector roadmap

organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), revealed that in the strategic implementation plan for 2016, the Federal Government of Nigeria has identified four policy fundamental to reflate and reposition the Nigerian economy for change, which includes, critical infrastructure, embracing the private sector, social inclusion and job creation, and improving security and tackling corruption.

“It is a pleasure to be here with you at this dialogue session jointly organised by the LCCI and Financial Derivatives Company (FDC). This dialogue and indeed, the research study are extremely timely. The decision to undertake a research study on the current state of Nigerian ports and the maritime sector reflects the repeated commitment of the organisers to tackling important issues that

are imperative for our national economic development," he said.

The Vice President who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment, office of the Vice President, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, stated that to improve ease of doing business in Nigeria, particularly trading across borders are of high priority in the Buhari-led administration reform efforts, maintaining that government is focusing on critical infrastructure, both hard and soft, particularly trade facilitation, quality infrastructure and ease of doing business reforms.

He however stated that to achieve the nation's diversification objectives, it is imperative that Nigeria must improve the administration of its ports, which serve as the point of entry of much needed raw materials and machineries for

any industrialisation efforts, as well as point of exits for the exportation of manufactured goods and agricultural produce.

"I, therefore, commend the LCCI and FDC for this laudable initiative to convene stakeholders and key players in the ports and the maritime sector to analyse germane issues within the sector on a credible platform.

Your collaboration bolsters my confidence in the quality of conversation and knowledge sharing expected from this morning’s deliberations, and heightens my expectations about the recommendations expected from this dialogue," he added.

He pointed out that given the current strong economic headwinds facing the Nigerian economy resulting from decades of overdependence on oil as the primary foreign exchange earner, the need to diversify and restructure the

Nigerian economy has never been more crucial, stressing that it is, indeed, a tough but necessary period for Nigeria to achieve the desired structural changes needed for economic growth, inclusive prosperity and sustainable development.

He noted that reform efforts at the ports is focused on deploying a deliberate, well-though-through automation strategy that achieves the tripartite objectives of blocking revenue leakages, improving process efficiency and reducing human intervention, adding that since the automation efforts started in 2012, revenue at the ports have grown by over 25 per cent where actual revenue has increased from N57 billion naira in 2005 to N184 billion in 2015.

He assured that the Nigerian government was already making serious strides in actualising the administration’s commitment to

delivering on its promises, saying that the federal government is repositioning the economy for inclusive growth and sustainable development through key trade and investment policy and business climate reforms.

Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, represented by the Director General, NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, said about 90 per cent of the nation's trade is done by sea, saying that the sector is very important to the life of the Nigerian economy.

He said Nigeria must at every point in time remain competitive, stating that if the nation's ports are not optimised, the utility would go elsewhere, but stressed that in the past six months, there has been an appreciable increase in Nigeria’s non-oil exports thanks to the present administration's drive to diversify the economy.

provisions of the constitution.

He said: "The NBA is indirectly advocating a system of presumption of guilt, which is contrary to our Constitution."

Adegboruwa cited section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution which stated that every person charged with a criminal offense should be presumed innocent until the contrary was proved.

According to him, this presumption of innocence, offered to all citizens of Nigeria, is even in relation to when the citizen has been charged to court, and not speculation and half-truths, based on 'sting' operations.

He said: "In the case of the judges, not a single charge has been filed in court yet, with some proof of evidence, showing some prima facie evidence of the allegations.

"In the case of My Lord the Hon Justice Ngwuta, he has deposed to an oath, barring the details of the disgusting attempts made by members of the ruling APC to pervert the course of justice, involving two of the

party's serving ministers. Do we ask such a judge to step aside so that the ruling party will laugh over him, or what?"

He said that NBA was already privy to the decision and stand point of the NJC to the extent that the judges would not be suspended based on mere unproven allegations from the DSS, which has now become the security wing of the ruling APC. He said: "This decision is binding on the NBA, whose accredited representatives were in attendance at the various sessions of the NJC when its decision was taken.

"I noticed that the NBA executives recently visited Aso Rock Villa and they were hosted by the Presidency, and so the latest turn around by the NBA President in capitulating to pressure from politicians and the ruling APC, to disown the judges, who by tradition, are unofficial members of the Bar, bears no justification whatsoever," Adegboruwa added.

NJC: NBA'S ADVICE TO SUSPEND JUDGES BEFORE INVESTIGATION UNACCEPTABLE be requested to proceed on compulsory leave until the conclusion of all disciplinary proceedings against them, is unacceptable to the NJC; as it breaches the 2014 Revised Judicial Discipline Regulations formulated by NJC pursuant to Section 160 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended."

NJC also maintained its position that to do what the NBA asked for was to surrender its authority to another institution which would be contrary to the provisions of the constitution.

The council said: "It is to be reiterated also that by the provisions of Section 158 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, NJC shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other authority or person while exercising its disciplinary power of control over Judicial Officers in the Federation.

"The members of the public are hereby informed that the mechanism that will determine a judicial officer to be directed or requested to proceed on compulsory leave or be suspended from office, is a disciplinary power that NJC can only exercise after initiating disciplinary proceeding on the complaint or petition forwarded against the Judge, after he has been found culpable.

"Therefore, to act on the recommendation of the NBA, is not only contrary to the provisions of Section 158 of

the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, but means NJC will direct any judicial officer that has been petitioned even if the allegations contained therein are frivolous and baseless, to proceed on compulsory leave or be suspended from office without complying with the Rule of Law." "That is not the understanding of NJC of the intention of the framers of the 1999 constitution, as amended visà-vis its constitutional powers and functions on initiation of disciplinary proceedings culminating in suspension of Judicial Officers.

"Thus, to act on the request of the Departments of Government and the recommendation of the NBA, the 808 Judicial Officers that had been petitioned and accused of professional misconduct and or corrupt practices, without investigation by NJC, would have all been suspended or sent on compulsory leave and the courts would have been deserted."

NJC said it was not unmindful of the concern of the public on a situation whereby a judicial officer was being investigated and or prosecuted for commission of a criminal offence such as murder or robbery; and whether he was not supposed to be requested or directed to proceed on compulsory leave or be suspended from office.

It however, stated that, in the circumstance, unless the judge accused of commission of the

offence of murder or robbery was petitioned to NJC, the council would not assume the disciplinary power of control over judicial officers to suspend or direct the affected judge to proceed on compulsory leave.

"Thus, NJC can only direct any Judge alleged of committing such criminal offences, to go on compulsory leave or be suspended from office if he has been investigated and found by NJC culpable of misconduct," the statement added.

The council said that the participation of NBA members in the emergency meeting of NJC was necessitated by the unfolding events between the DSS and the Judiciary, bordering on administration of Justice.

It stated that the decision of NJC in respect of the recent events and the current state of the judiciary, particularly in condemning the invasion and arrest of the judicial officers by the DSS and considering it as a threat to independence of the judiciary, which portended great danger to the nation's democracy; and a clear attempt by the DSS to humiliate, intimidate, denigrate and cow the judiciary, was unanimously taken by members of the council present, including the President and other Members of the Nigerian Bar Association at its last emergency meeting which was held on 11th October, 2016.

It also released the names of the NJC members who participated at the meeting and unanimously agreed

with the NJC position and the geographical zones they represented.

The council said it was aware of the judgment of the court of public opinion on the recent event between the DSS and the judiciary as well as the various views expressed by lawyers, academics, politicians and the general public.

The council said it was constrained to inform the general public that its constitutional mandate was to process and recommend to the executive at the Federal and State levels, the appointment, and or the removal of judicial officers from office, including exercise of its disciplinary control of suspending and or warning judicial officers; after complying with due process and the rule of law.

Also yesterday, a Lagos based lawyer, Ebun Adegboruwa called on the NJC to reject the advice by the NBA calling for the suspension of the arrested judges saying that the NBA position was contrary to the

$2.1BN ARMS FUND: ABUJA CHIEF JUDGE DIRECTS DASUKI BE TRIED BY ONE JUDGE In one of the two sets of charges, Dasuki was charged along with five others before Justice Peter Affen on 22-count charges.

Others who were charged before the judge along with the former NSA with respect to charges of diversion of funds include a former Director of Finance in the Office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu; a former minister of state (finance) Bashir Yuguda; a former Sokoto Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, the ex-governor’s son, Sagir Attahiru, and a firm, Dalhatu Investment.

But in a motion brought pursuant to Sections 6 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution and Sections 1, 208, 396, 491 and 492 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, Dasuki had claimed that the two charges against him and others revolved around the same set of transaction and facts on the alleged funds misappropriation and the breach of trust.

He claimed that the two charges with NO FCT/HC/ CR/43/2015 and another one with FCT/HC/CR/42/2015 pending before Justice Baba

Yusuf of the High Court No 4 and Justice Peter Affen of High Court No 24 are identical charges emanating from the Office of the National Security Adviser and as such must be consolidated.

The applicant further claimed that to stand trial before two different courts and two different judges on the same set of facts and purported transaction of the office of the NSA would be prejudicial and great hardship against him as he stands the risk of double jeopardy having being charged in two different courts on the issue.

FG UPBEAT ABOUT $1BN EUROBOND TO BE ISSUED BEFORE END OF YEAR

WOOING INVESTORS

L–R: Chief Executive Officer, London Stock Exchange (LSE), Nikhil Rathi; Director General, National Pension Commission (PENCOM), Chinelo Anohu-Amazu; UK Minister for International Trade, Greg Hands; Hon. Minister of Finance, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Kemi Adeosun; Chief Executive Officer, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Oscar N. Onyema; and Executive Director, Capital Markets Division, NSE, Haruna Jalo-Waziri, at the Opening Bell Ceremony of the London Stock Exchange to kick off the 3rd London and Lagos Capital Markets in Partnership Conference organized by the Nigerian Stock Exchange and London Stock Exchange in London...yesterday

we have to do is to re-establish some benchmarks, some ability to deliver on roads, on rails, on basic infrastructure,” she said.

According to her, Nigeria’s long-term plan is to mobilise private capital.

“We think the narrative around who pays for infrastructure is a very important one in Africa. I say that because at the moment, if you don’t have infrastructure, you are going to pay anyway. If you spend six hours on a journey that should take you an hour, you’ve paid.

“So we are hungry for infrastructure. We’ve got 170 million people who don’t have power in sufficient quantities, we don’t have a rail system, we

don’t have a road structure, we believe that if we solve these infrastructure challenges, the entire productivity chain — agriculture, solid minerals, manufacturing, our unemployment problems — could all be solved.

“Our population is young; we have to provide a standard of living that keeps young vibrant Africans in Africa, because we think that is very important for eliminating poverty,” the minister stated.

Adeosun also said the government had spent N770 billion on capital expenditure since President Muhammadu Buhari signed the 2016 budget in May. Nigeria’s economy has slipped into recession for the first time

in 25 years, brought on by low oil prices that have cut government revenues and weakened the OPEC member's currency and a lack of clear policy direction that put investors on the edge. Crude oil sales make up 70 percent of national income.

The African Development Bank has said it would help Nigeria to overcome its recession. The lender's board is expected to grant a $1 billion loan at a rate of around 1.2 per cent, which Nigeria could use to help plug its deficit.

The finance minister said she hoped oil prices would stabalise around $42 and $50 per barrel.

Oil edged higher yesterday, with Brent crude futures 12 cents higher at $51.50.

T H I S D AY SATURDAY OCTOBER 22, 2016

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

SUPER SATURDAY Ice Prince Zamani

Zamani

My Hit Single Has Taken Me Through an Incredible Journey As the chorus wafts through the speakers, everyone is gripped by some frenzy.They find the hip-hop lyric irresistible. In rapture, they begin to sing along. ‘Oleku’ is by no means a new song but it is a song that soothes frayed nerves and thrills adventurous minds. It is perhaps, Ice Prince Zamani’s biggest song ever. But the music star has not rested on his oars. Having dropped another album, he hopes to capture the imagination of the world once again, withJ‘ os 2 d World.’He is heralded as one of Africa’s hip hop greats, thanks to his evergreen ‘Oleku.’In this interview with Azuka Ogujiuba, Ice Prince clearly proves that he’s back like he never left

W

hat change did your first hit single, ‘Oleku,’ bring about in your life?

The hit single, ‘Oleku,’ was a song that literally changed my life and gave me a voice as an artiste to be heard. Till today I am quite respected for having such a classic record under my belt. It is necessary to say kudos to Jesse Jagz and Brymo for working with me to create that masterpiece. It’s been an incredible journey of living and learning. But I must say that it’s been God all the way.

It is six years since I was welcomed to the big stage with the release of my first official single (‘Oleku’) and I’m still alive doing what I love (music). My fans are still asking for me. I’m about to drop my third album. I’m super-excited and

feel blessed.

Let’s talk about your new project, ‘Jos 2 d world,’ which is interestingly the title of your latest work of art.

‘Jos 2 D World’ is the title of my new and third studio album. It is an 18-track album, with a two-track medley bonus done with producers like Chopstix, illkeys, Mr. Kamera, Sammy Gyang, Tone P and Fresh Brit. This is the first project I will be the executive producer in collaboration with my Business Manager, Tobi Sanni Daniel, under my record label, Super Cool Cat Entertainment Company. Also, I have features from Krept and Konan, BRE-Z (From the American TV Show Empire), Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, Vanessa Mdee, Timaya, Phyno, Yung L, Runtown, Sojay, Phil Ade, Koker and Dice Ailes.

It took quite a while before you

dropped this new album. Why did you keep your fans waiting this long?

It took me sometime because I needed to take time to work on the quality of music I intend to release to my fans.

They say everything good takes time.

Also, a lot of behind-the-scenes issues were involved. But I had to take care of myself, my family, my team and others. Now I’m ready to serve my fans, Zamaniacs.

How many tracks does this album have and who did you feature in it?

It is an 18-track album with a two-track medley bonus and I have 13 features in all.

In the last couple of years, you have toured within and outside the country. How does that influence your music?

Touring and performing are what bring me closer to my fans. That way, I see and feel their response to the music I make. It gives me more experiences and topics to talk about, I learn about more genres of music and that helps my versatility as an artiste.

Which are your favourite tracks in the album that you’ll want people to listen to?

That’s really hard to pick. As a matter of fact, I love a lot of the songs in the album. This album did not make it to the final cut of the tape. I will let my fans pick their favourite.

Is there anything about this album you’d like to go back to the studio to remake?

I don’t think there’s any song I’d like to add or remove anything from at the moment in the album. In fact, I wish

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

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SUPER SATURDAY My Hit Single Has Taken Me through an Incredible Journey...

It took me sometime because I needed to take time to work on the quality of music I intend to release to my fans. They say everything good takes time. Also, a lot of behind-the-scenes issues were involved.

But I had to take care of myself, my family, my team and others

I could add more songs or release a double CD for my fans because I have a lot more. But (Trash Can Ep volume 2) also on the way though – stay tuned.

Will there be a new rhythm in the new album and a new dance step to go with it?

You know I said it from day one: I dey rap, I dey sing, I dey come MC. Ice Prince hasn’t changed and so hasn’t his music. So expect a lot of everything you already know me for. And if you don’t know about me yet, please get my new album and find out about my story, ‘Jos to D World.’

Did you work with Chopstix solely on the album or you had a mix of different producers?

Chopstix worked with me as a co-executive producer on this project. I solely produced five songs on the album including songs like, Stand Out with the girl,’ and BRE-Z from the series Empire.

What is truly special about the title of your new album?

My city (Jos) has been portrayed or perceived to be a violent or crisis-related city for some time now. Since the first major crisis broke out September 7, 2001. And Jos used to be a hub for entertainment and a place to groom talents. It is seen as the home of peace and tourism with beautiful weather and amazing people. As a son of the soil, it is my duty to remind the people of the city that once was ‘J-town.’ We need to send the J-town glorious good news to the world.

What genre or style of music should we expect from the album?

Expect the versatility of Ice Prince and the Fire of Zamani. I dey Rap, I dey sing, I dey come MC. What would your producers say they appreciate the most about you during the production of the album?

That question I will leave for my producers to answer. But I would say they all know I have deep love and belief in them.

Zamani If you were to blink your eye and be in a favourite place right now, where would it be?

If wishes were horses, l would love to

be in Aso Villa right now with President (Muhammadu) Buhari and Vice President (Yemi) Osinbajo discussing how we can move Nigeria forward. I would love to be able to release more albums and

Performing on Stage Draws Me Closer to My Fans

share my story through my music.

Is there something you would like to do more often in the future?

I’d love to be able to release more albums and share my story through my music How do you manage music and other obligations?

It’s really tough handling the busy schedule that comes with music and other responsibilities in life. But l would say God has been faithful. I keep my head low and I stay devoted to God.

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NEWS

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

News Editor Ahamefula Ogbu 08116759810 (sms only) Email ahamefula.ogbu@thisdaylive.com

Again Fani-Kayode Arrested on Fresh Money Laundering Charges Davidson Iriekpen The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday re-arrested former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, within the premises of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

Reacting, his media assistant Jude Ndukwe raised the alarm over the health of his principal, pointing out that the constant harrassment posed health hazard to him.

Fani-Kayode, who was also former Director of Media and Publicity of the campaign committee of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, was charged alongside a former Minister of Finance, Nenandi Usman, and Danjuma Yusuf.

Also charged is a company, Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Ltd. They were arraigned on a 17-count charge of unlawful retention, unlawful use and unlawful payment of money in the tune of about N4.9 billion.

They each pleaded not guilty to the charge and were granted bail.

On Friday, after the prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, opened the case of the prosecution and had wrapped up the witness' evidence for the day, the court adjourned the case to November 14 and 15 for continuation of trial and rose.

However, shortly after the accused left the courtroom, two officers of the EFCC dressed in white kaftan accosted him and requested that he followed them to the commission.

Immediately, the court's gate was barricaded by a Toyota Hiace bus and Fani-Kayode was bundled and taken to the EFCC. However, when the case was mentioned yesterday, Oyedepo

had opened the case for the EFCC and called his first witness, a media consultant, Mr. Idowu Olusegun.

Leading him in evidence, the witness, who is media consultant from Paste Posters Company Ltd, told the court that N30 million was paid in cash to him by the office of the Director of Media and Publicity, PDP Campaign Organisation.

According to Olusegun, he had reached an agreement with the organisation whose office is situated at 14B, Samora Micheal Avenue, Asokoro FCT, for the sum of N24 million for media consultancy services.

He said a further negotiation was reached in which N50 would be paid for each size of A2 posters, while N20 would be paid for each size of A4 flyers.

Olusegun told the court that after the printing job for the posters and flyers was done, he was invited to the office of the organisation, and given N30 million in cash.

He told the court that he had demanded to know why payments was made in cash, and was informed by one Mr. Oke, that cash was the approved means of payment.

He said Oke had been the person communicating with him throughout the pendency of his engagement to do the media jobs.

The witness also told the court that apart from the N30 million paid to him, there was also an outstanding payment of N24 million which was not paid to his company.

After his testimony, and based on agreements of counsel, the court fixed November14 and 15 for continuation of trial.

Meanwhile, a mild drama had

HERE'RE MY CREDENTIALS ...

L-R: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffery Onyeama; President Muhammadu Buhari receiving letter of credence from the Ambassador of the State of Israel to Nigeria, H.E Mr. Guy Feldman at the State House in Abuja. yesterday PHOTO: STATE HOUSE

unfolded in court during trial when the trial judge, Justice Sule Hassan, ordered the seizure of the mobile phone of Fani-Kayode.

The accused had held his phones and suddenly, the phone rang out loud and the judge asked: "who is doing that"? He spontaneously, ordered the court's registrar to seize the phones.

Similarly, the trial judge also issued a warning to counsel representing the accused when

he sighted him sipping a bottle water during proceedings.

The judge had warned counsel to seek the permission of the court whenever his client was pressed for a drink of water.

According to Hassan, "The court is not a market place, there must be order and sanity."

In the charge, the accused were alleged to have committed the offences between January and March 2015.

In counts one to seven, they were alleged to have unlawfully retained over N3.8 billion which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act of stealing and corruption.

In counts eight to 14, the accused were alleged to have unlawfully used over N970 million which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of an unlawful act of corruption.

Meanwhile in counts 15 to17 Fani-Kayode and one Olubode Oke who is said to be at large, were alleged to have made cash payments of about N30 million, in excess of the amount allowed by law, without going through a financial institution.

Besides, Fani-Kayode was alleged to have made payments to one Paste Poster Co (PPC) of No 125 Lewis St., Lagos, in excess of amounts allowed by law.

Buhari's Daughter Budget Padding: Jibrin Withdraws Suit on Denies BBOG Suspension, Sues Dogara, Clerk, for N1bn Justice John Tsoho, in a short suspension and was adopted filed against the Speaker and 13 Franchise Infringement AlexEnumahinAbuja others, Jibrin's lawyer informed

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja

The Africa Support and Empowerment Initiative (AFRISEI) has rejected allegations of franchise infringement by the Bring Back Our Girls group, led by former Education Minister, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili.

In statement jointly signed by the President of the Non-Governmental Organisation, Hajiya Hadiza Buhari Bello, a daughter of President Muhammadu Buhari and the secretary, Don Uche, the group said it was a responsible body that would never engage in illegal activities by stealing someone else’s franchise.

It explained that contrary to Dr. Ezekwesili’s allegation, the organisation did not need to lean on the BBOG to be of service to the Chibok Girls and therefore had no reason to steal anything from BBOG or use its name to achieve any advantage.

AFRISEI said it had its own defined objectives and that it didn’t need to steal anybody’s ideas to operate in line with its own objectives.

The organisation said it was

duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and was issued a certificate of incorporation on 14th July, 2016.

While praising the activities of the BBOG to raise and sustain awareness about the plight of the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls, the group said that its organisation had broader objectives beyond the Chibok girls.

It said that though the Chibok girls were within the priority of the organisation, its commitments to humanitarian causes didn’t end with Chibok schoolgirls.

"Given the size of the problem at hand, the more Organisations we have assisting Chibok and other devastated communities, the better for the country.

"As a charitable organisation, AFRISEI is committed to empowering the youth and the less privileged in the area of job creation and skill acquisition.

"It is also committed to supporting the education of the less privileged students, giving material support to the downtrodden the internally displaced persons", it explained.

The embattled former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, yesterday withdrew the suit he filed against the House of Representatives and 13 other defendants challenging his suspension from the House of Representatives.

The withdrawal was contained in an application for discontinuance of the matter filed through his lawyer, Chukwuma Nwachukwu and dated October 11, 2016 At the resumed hearing yesterday, Nwachukwu prayed the court to discontinue with the hearing of the case.

Counsel to the House of Representatives and 13 other defendants in the matter, Onuoha Kalu did not oppose the application of discontinuance but asked for a cost N200, 000.00 on the ground that the defendants had filed processes and had put in a lot in the matter.

Consequently, trial Judge,

ruling struck out the matter but without awarding cost against the Plaintiff.

Meanwhile, Jibrin has filed a fresh suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja, asking it to award the sum of N1 billion against the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and the Clerk of the House as punitive and general damages for his suspension from the floor of the House.

Recall that the House of Representatives had suspended Jibrin for 180 legislative days, for actions it considered to be unbecoming of a legislator in bringing the entire house to disrepute in the unfolding budget padding scandal.

The decision of the house to suspend the lawmaker from Kano followed a motion by the Chairman House Committee on Ethics, Hon Nicholas Ossai. Jibrin had refused to appear before the Ethics committee investigating the matter, the committee based on this recommended for his

by the whole House.

Apart from the suspension, Jibrin will also not be able to hold any position of responsibility for the span of the current National Assembly.

Jibrin, had on August 9, 2016 approached the court seeking an order to restrain the House of Representatives from any attempt to suspend him.

The suit was filed before Justice Okon Abang during the court vacation period that lasted for about two months.

However, upon resumption, the matter was re-assigned to Justice Tsoho and was fixed for mention yesterday.

Jibrin's counsel, Mr. Mohammed Abdulhamid had, at the last sitting on the matter, informed the judge that the House of Representatives had, by going ahead to suspend his client ‘overreached’ his motion filed before the court to seek an order restraining the House from carrying out the suspension.

In the application for discontinuance of the suit earlier

the court that a fresh originating summons had been filed.

Jibrin, in the new suit is asking the court to declare that his suspension was a violation of his fundamental human right to freedom of expression and also prayed the court to declare that the resolution passed by the House of Representatives suspending him was in breach of the provisions of Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

He is also seeking an order of injunction restraining the House of Representatives from preventing him from participating in the Committees of the House or accessing the legislative chambers to perform his legislative duties.

Hearing of the fresh suit filed by the embattled former Chairman, Appropriation Committee of the House of Representatives has been scheduled to commence on the twenty-second of November 22, 2016.

11

OCTOBER 22, 2016 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

RingTrue

07013940521 yemi.adebowale@thisdaylive.com

Yemi

Adebowale

Buhari, Please, Focus on the Present and Our Future

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ith the way our dear President Muhammadu Buhari has been going about his mandate, it is becoming clear that he is unaware that he would be judged on what he is able to do for traumatised Nigerians and not what his predecessor was unable to do for our citizens. Rather than strategising on how he would succeed, our president spends quality time telling us about the failings of the Jonathan administration. Buhari has spent the last 17 months of his administration focusing on the past at the expense of the present and the future. Our president has been spending quality time, resources and energy chasing the past and chastising his predecessor, instead of settling down to work. Rather than holding meetings with groups like the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, the National Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Nigeria Medical Association, Nigeria Union of Teachers and academic staff of tertiary institutions on how to increase production, create jobs, salvage our tattered schools and hospitals, Buhari spends precious time with Ibrahim Magu of the EFCC and Lawan Daura of the DSS. Clearly, he wants a pound of flesh from those that pummeled him over 30 years ago. The result of this revenge mission is the massive hunger, unemployment, poverty, disease and sliding economy ravaging the nation.

Instead of heart-warming stories about what the administration is doing to impact on our scruffy hospitals, roads and public schools (that is if they are doing anything),we are daily regaled with stories of arrests of looters and recoveries; stories of retrievals not having any impact on the lives of the distressed people.

The truth that must be told is that the Buhari administration has failed to focus on the challenges of the present day Nigeria, particularly the economy. This administration has failed to focus on how to revive our comatose economy.

The economy is sliding, our Naira is gasping for breath, there is massive unemployment and industries are shutting down, yet, the focus is on vengeance and propaganda. If we

Instead of heart-warming stories about what the administration is doing to impact on our scruffy hospitals, roads and public schools (that is if they are doing anything),we are daily regaled with stories of arrests of looters and recoveries; stories of retrievals not having any impact on the lives of the distressed people.

The truth that must be told is that the Buhari administration has failed to focus on the challenges of the present day Nigeria, particularly the economy get the economy right, virtually every other thing will fall in line. The implications of not focusing on the genuine challenges of this nation are all over the place.

Because this administration is not getting its priority right, our external reserves is at an 11-year low of $24.21billion. This is according to the latest data from the Central Bank of Nigeria released this week. This development means a limited amount of USD will be available at the official interbank spot market, fuelling concerns about another round of depreciation of the Naira. The reserves have been tumbling. Specifically, it fell from $25.8bn on August 16 to $24.8bn on September 16.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics are also pitiable. According to latest figures,

Amosun’s Crackdown on Ogun Workers In Ogun State, it seems it is now an offence for civil servants to protest against oppression and unfair labour practices by the Ibikunle Amosun administration.

This was confirmed on Thursday when the workers who came out to protest against the non-remittance of their cooperative deductions were thoroughly pummeled.

These deductions have not been remitted in the last 12 months. Pension deductions have also not been remitted in the last five years. Thugs, suspected to be loyal to Governor Amosun, inflicted pain on some of the workers and their union leaders. Labour leaders and union members who gathered at the secretariat

of the state’s Nigeria Labour Congress office in Abeokuta were attacked by the thugs. Some were also attacked at Laderin Estate, Kuto Roundabout and Oke Ilewo.

Comrade Benco and Comrade Olayemi were thoroughly battered. Ogun State NLC Chairman, Akeem Ambali, affirmed that the thugs were Amosun’s loyalists.

Pictures of the injured workers narrating their experience on television on Thursday evening left me dejected. The NLC at the national level has to move in swiftly to tackle Amosun who has reneged on many agreements reached with the oppressed workers. The workers are still on an indefinite strike over the issues raised.

Boko Haram Attacks in Ghashghar, Goptari Our gallant soldiers need to tighten security in Mobbar, Abadam and Chibok local government areas of Borno State. The two deadly attacks carried out by Boko Haram in these areas this week were disheartening. In Ghashghar town (Mobbar LG), an unspecified number of Nigerian soldiers were killed when the terrorists stormed a joint position of the armies of Nigeria and Niger Republic. The Army has confirmed the attack and also admitted that 83 soldiers were missing. A community leader in the Ghashghar confirmed the attack, saying that the soldiers were taken by surprise when the terrorists launched an attack with heavy guns and rocket-propelled grenades.

Reports that these bastards stole six military vehicles and weapons in the Ghashghar attack are also disquieting. The Ghashghar attack highlights the threat the group still poses in the region. Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai has to do something very

fast about the low morale of our soldiers.

There are allegations that soldiers are being cheated by their commanders who fail to pay their allowances in full, particularly feeding allowances.

Again, on Tuesday, Boko Haram invaded Goptari Village, 10 kilometres from Chibok and set it on fire after looting food supplies and livestock. The attack in Goptari came two days after a raid on Kallali Village (also near Chibok) where the terrorists looted and burnt homes. All these attacks underscore the continued threat of Boko Haram in Nigeria. Clearly, the military is still battling for control despite making gains against the terrorists. This is a fact we must face, if we want to end this war. This administration must work more on a political solution to this crisis. The recent release of 21 Chibok girls was a result of political maneuvering and not military effort. May Allah continue to protect our gallant soldiers.

Nigeria’s second quarter 2016 GDP declined by -2.06 per cent. Annual inflation rose to 17.9 per cent in September from 17.6 per cent in August, and food inflation rose to 16.6 per cent in September from 16.4 in August this year. The total number of Nigerians who became unemployed within the first and second quarter of 2016 was 2.6 million. About 1.46 million Nigerians became unemployed in the third quarter of 2015, while another 518,102 became unemployed in the fourth quarter of 2015.

This brings the total of freshly-unemployed persons in the economy to a record high of 4,580,602 under the Buhari administration.

The NBS said further that the country’s unemployment rate grew from 12.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2016 to a record high of 13.3 per cent in the second. Again, Nigeria managed to raise only 55 per cent of its six-month revenue target in the first six months of 2016.

Today, I want our dear president to reflect on the remarks of award- winning Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, contained in an article she wrote for the New York Times. She said: “Buhari’s outdated economic ideology and the seemingly selective corruption war had led to a declining hope in his government. He had, in many situations, appeared disengaged.

His tone and demeanour are reminiscent

of 1984 when he was a military head of state.

Nigeria’s economy is unwholesomely dependent on oil, and while the plunge in prices was bound to be catastrophic, Mr. Buhari’s actions made it even more so.

“The president seems comfortable with conditions that make an economy uncomfortable — uncertainty and disillusion. There is an ad hoc air to the government that does not inspire that vital ingredient for a stable economy - confidence.

There is, at all levels of government, a relentless blaming of previous administrations and a refusal to acknowledge mistakes. And there are eerie signs of the past’s repeating itself.

“Nigerians who expected a fair and sweeping clean-up of corruption have been disappointed.

Arrests have tended to be selective, targeting mostly those opposed to Mr. Buhari’s government. The anti-corruption agencies are perceived not only as partisan but as brazenly flouting the rule of law. There are no easy answers to Nigeria’s malaise, but the government’s intervention could be more salutary — by prioritising infrastructure, creating a business-friendly environment and communicating to a populace mired in disappointment.”

No doubt, Buhari has opened too many battle-fronts in just under 17 months, while the economy suffers. This has created so much tension in the country. He has to close many of them to enable him focus on how to revive this recessed economy.

A Word for Mahmoud Isa Dutse For those who don’t know him, Mahmoud Isa Dutse is the current Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance. He was appointed on November 10, 2015. Dutse is on the recently constituted board of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation.

He represents the Ministry of Finance. Three weeks ago, he was at the Senate for screening as a board member of the Niger Delta Development Commission. He got the nod of the senators. When the Board of the Central Bank of Nigeria is constituted, Dutse will, statutorily, take a seat at the board. With the way Dutse is going, he looks determined to take up all the board seats reserved for the Ministry of Finance. My dear Dutse should consider nominating some directors in the ministry for some of these board appointments. This has happened in the past. In some cases, the laws setting up these government agencies allow a representative of the finance ministry on the Board; not necessarily the Permanent Secretary.

How does Dutse hope to contribute effectively, sitting on many boards of departments and agencies? What about copping with his key responsibilities as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance? Again, age seems not to be on the side of Dutse. His CV on my table shows that he was born over

Mahmoud

60 years ago – August 1, 1956. What is he still doing in the service? Well, this is an issue for another day. I am still doing some checks to know if retirement age for this category of civil servants had been amended. For now, Dutse should consider slowing down a bit and allow some of his directors to benefit from board appointments.

Katsina State Police Commissioner Must Enforce Our Laws I hope we are all still following the story of little Habiba Isiyaku (Now 15 years old) who was allegedly abducted about two months ago in Warkaza, Kudun Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State and married out by the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji AbdulMumin Kabiru Usman. The latest news is that the Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, Usman Abdullahi on Monday directed little Habiba, who was also allegedly converted to Islam, to return to her parents’ house. He maintained that at her age, she was too young to take any decision on marriage and religion.

Abdullahi left me disheartened with this strange directive. The fact that Habiba is a minor is not in dispute, and, according to the Commissioner of police, “too young to take a decision on marriage and change of religion.” So, why is Abdullahi not moving to rescue her? The abode of her abductors is an open secret. I am also shocked that over two months after the unlawful act, the Katsina Police Commissioner is still unaware

of the marriage between little Habiba and her abductor, Jamilu Lawal. Honestly, Abdullahi’s directive is preposterous. This CP does not deserve his uniform. Instead of enforcing the law, he has been playing politics. I urge the Katsina State CP to swiftly make amends by leading a team to rescue little Habiba. We need to remind him that he is a law enforcement agent. We also need to remind Abdullahi that Section 21 of the Child’s Rights Act, stipulates that no person shall remove or take a child out of the custody or protection of his father or mother or guardian against the will of the father, mother or guardian. The Act also prohibits marriage to a minor “and any marriage so contracted is null and void and of no effect whatsoever.”

According to Habiba’s father, Tanko Isiyaku, his little daughter was abducted on August 16, 2016 by a staff of the palace of the Emir of Katsina called Jamilu Lawal. Yakubu Bawa, an Abuja-based lawyer has been fighting to rescue little Habiba. We must all join in this war against abduction.

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OCTOBER 22, 2016 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

COMMENTARY

BETWEEN BUHARI AND BUHARI

Godwin Etakibuebu argues Aisha Buhari may be genuine in her criticism of President Buhari’s administration

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isha, grand-daughter of Nigeria’s first minister of defence [Mohammadu Ribadu], was married to General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) at a very tender age. As the paragon of beauty clocked 45 years earlier this year, she has stayed glued to the husband for 27 years.

At 45 she is in the prime of life while the husband who is 73 years of age, is heading towards the evening of life. One of them expectedly has better knowledge of the home. The advantage of such comparative differences between the two is likely to weigh more in favour of Madam Aisha than Buhari. So, when Madam spoke to the BBC about the type of government her husband runs in Nigeria, with likely damning consequences of what the husband should expect from her in 2019, Nigerians need to catch cold for three reasons. Yes, we should analyse her language, which to me, was strong and harsh but more revealing than the husband’s response.

One, this beautiful home-mender might actually be feeling the pains and agony of over 90 per cent Nigerians who are dying from the most atrocious government in the annals of Nigeria’s history. If this is the true position, it means that, unlike her husband, she is in touch with Nigerians.

Two, it could be that Aisha Buhari has become most uncomfortable with the way her husband betrayed his most accomplished benefactor, Ahmed Bola Tinubu and his camp, in distribution of the national cake, which is inclusive of appointments, that she needed to speak out.

It is on record that Aisha Buhari appreciated the role Asiwaju Bola Tinubu played in making it possible for the husband’s emergence as president in a speech she gave in Lagos on May 18, 2015. May be, with that background of appreciation, it might have been nauseating for her to see an emerging cabal that was harvesting from where it did not sow. If this is so, it means that this woman is naturally not an ingrate.

Three, her outburst might as well be for another reason entirely different. She could have as well been doing the work of a “faithful and dedicated town crier”, performing the duty of the biblical John the Baptist in “announcing the coming of Jesus Christ”. She could be

THIS BEAUTIFUL HOME-MENDER MIGHT ACTUALLY BE FEELING THE PAINS AND AGONY OF OVER 90 PER CENT NIGERIANS WHO ARE DYING FROM THE MOST ATROCIOUS GOVERNMENT IN THE ANNALS OF NIGERIA’S HISTORY

on a mission of flying the kite, in telling Nigerians that the husband would still be “young enough” to continue a second tenure in 2019.

This is not impossible, given the fact that politics is a game of manipulation and permutation. And Aisha Buhari is brilliant and erudite enough to operate these lines in luring Nigerians into false sense of security by selling this dummy of a “divided home” whereas she is actually preparing the road [2019 – 2023] for her husband. If that is her mission, then Nigerians are in greater danger than ever. For now, we need to interpret what she said more than what she did not say and also interpret the husband’s response because while the former’s statement, on the surface is encouraging, it is the latter’s response that jeopardised wisdom and comfort for Nigerians.

“I don’t know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen and my living room and the other room”, he said and thereafter reminded the wife that he ran for the presidency three times before succeeding on the fourth time, as if Aisha was not with him all the time. He then threw the devastative bomb, like the true soldier he is, by saying, “so l claim superior knowledge over her and the rest of the opposition because in the end l have succeeded. It is not easy to satisfy the whole Nigerian opposition parties or to participate in the government”.

I beg to be different from Garba Shehu [the president’s special senior assistant on media], who claimed that the president was just cracking a joke. It must be that Garba does not know the meaning of a joke or would not understand one when it is taken too far into the border of absurdity. How could such offensive “missile” be a joke when the president, with all ferocious audacity, grouped his wife with his political enemies, by saying that “so l claim superior knowledge over her and the rest of the opposition because in the end l have succeeded”.

The language of the president against his wife was so shocking that the German leader, Chancellor Angela Merkel, standing by his side, cast a glance at Buhari and then laughed. That glance spoke millions about President Buhari and the country he governs.

Etakibuebu, a veteran journalist, wrote from Lagos

THE ILLEGALITY OF THE DSS Nkemjika contends the DSS actions are unconstitutional

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am one of those who had defended the actions of the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on several occasions in the past because they acted within the bounds of the law. Yes, I defended the storming of the Government House of Akwa Ibom State by DSS operatives because a Government House has no immunity. I also defended the actions of the DSS with respect to the arrest of Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the National Security Adviser (NSA) in the Jonathan Administration because its operatives had valid arrest warrants to do what they did at the time.

But what I did not know until now is that the DSS is an illegal and unconstitutional body.

Today, I have decided to condemn the Gestapo-style arrest of the Justices and Judges of the courts of the land by DSS operatives because they did not follow the due process of the law – which is, going for the jugular of Justices/Judges without directives from the National Judicial Council (NJC). Sadly too, emerging facts indicate not only that the DSS did not have the mandate to initiate investigations into corruption allegations in the judiciary, the Nigerian Constitution do not even recognise its existence. As far as the constitution of Nigeria is concerned, the DSS is an illegal, unconstitutional and an unknown entity.

Section 214(2a) of the constitution says: “The Nigeria Police Force shall be organised and administered in accordance with such Provisions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly”. Of course, Section 4 of the Police Act, backed

by Section 214 of the constitution says:

“The police shall be employed for the prevention and detection of crime, the apprehension of offenders, the preservation of law and order, the protection of life and property and the due enforcement of all laws and regulations with which they are directly charged, and shall perform such military duties within or outside Nigeria as may be required by them by or under the authority of this or any other Act”. In spite of this clear provisions of the Police Act and the constitution, the National Security Agencies Act in Section 2(3)(a) insists that the DSS “Shall be charged with responsibility for the prevention and detection within Nigeria of any crime against the internal security of Nigeria”.

However, as Prof. Ben Nwabueze, a respected constitutional lawyer pointed out in “Illegality of the State Security Service” (Sunday Independent, April 2, 2006, page B7), “There can be no doubt that the functions assigned to the SSS by the NSA Act are embraced in the power vested, expressly or by implication, in the NPF by the constitution, which establishes it – Section 214. The ‘internal security of Nigeria’ is certainly embraced in the power vested in the NPF and its commander, the IGP, with respect to ‘the maintenance and securing of public safety and public order’ under section 215(3) of the constitution. It is unconstitutional and void to divest any part of that power from the NPF and the IGP and vest it in the SSS”.

Prof. Nwabueze also categorically stated in the essay referenced here that “The origin of the SSS by hiving off of the

Special Branch of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and creating it into a new and separate agency by a different name taints it with unconstitutionality. Its functions under its constituent statute, the National Security Agencies Act, Cap 174 Laws of the Federation, 2004, are simply those formerly performed by the Special Branch of the NPF, which makes them a usurpation of the functions of the NPF under the constitution”. I have quoted Prof.

Nwabueze extensively just to highlight the underlying illegal foundation that engenders the aversion of the DSS to the rule of law as recently demonstrated by the Gestapo-style arrest of some Justices/ Judges by its operatives in the name of trying to root out the corruption menace in the judiciary.

I still believe that the DSS is an important institution to exist if we can by law restrict its activities to information gathering and analysis (actionable domestic intelligence) needed for protecting the government of the day (regime protection) and unearthing threats to Nigeria’s internal security. This is the prime function of an Intelligence agency like the DSS anywhere in the world. However, in order to keep the DSS alive to its legitimate responsibilities, we must as a matter of necessity execute the following two assignments. The first is to get at least 24 State Houses of Assembly to support the National Assembly in amending Section 214 of the constitution to accommodate the DSS as one of the security agencies to address Nigeria’s internal security challenges. This endeavour must be carried out if the legitimate existence of

the DSS is to be guaranteed since item 45 of the Exclusive Legislative List of the Second Schedule to the Constitution which lists “police and other government security services established by law” is not superior to the provisions of Section 214 of the constitution.

The second, and final, is that a whole lot of amendments must be effected by the National Assembly to various sections of the NSA Act in order to make the existence of the DSS acceptable to the constitution even after Section 214 has been amended. Again, as Prof. Nwabueze pointed out several years ago, “the NSA Act is irreconcilable with the constitution for the additional reason that, unlike the NPF, the SSS is an instrument of personal power in the hands of the President by whom its principal officer (to be known by such designation as the president may determine) is appointed and may be removed, and to whom he (the principal officer) is ‘directly responsible’; (Section 3).

The president too determines ‘the number and level of staff to be employed’ by the SSS, the transfer and posting of such staff, its structure, the manner in which it is to be administered and its functions exercised, etc. Its activities are under his control and direction on the recommendations of a National Security co-ordinator, who is a principal staff officer in his office appointed and removable by him; (section 4). The SSS is simply an excrescence that disfigures the face of our constitutional democracy – an anachronism”.

Mr. Nkemjika is co-author of Oil Exploration in Northern Nigeria: Problems and Prospects

13

OCTOBER 22, 2016 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

INSIGHT

A new lease of life

Who Killed Dele Giwa?

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s a teenager, one of the passions that I indulged in was reading. Those were the days of James Hadley Chase, Mills and Boons, Pacesetters, African Writers’ series among others. An integral part of my passionate reading inclination then was Nigerian newspapers. How much I loved (I still do) reading newspapers. It was in the days of the Daily Times, Daily Sketch and the Lagos Weekend. Along the line came other exciting national dailies such as the National Concord, THISDAY, The Guardian and whole lots of others. In the course of reading the dailies, one came across several writers/columnists whose writing styles are so tantalisingly adorable and irresistible. Among such are Pini Jason, Duro Onabule, Yakubu Mohammed, Mohammed Haruna, Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese, among others.

Of the lot, Dele Giwa was in a class of his own.

Dele Giwa brought something entirely refreshing to journalism in the country. He brought an unusual air of intellectualism and enthusiasm to journalism. His write ups were sharp, factual and exhilarating. Giwa wrote in audacious fashion.

Back then, one was quite young and fairly rebellious. Before long, I became totally enchanted

by Giwa’s style of writings. He was the Apostle while was a disciple.

It wasn’t Giwa’s writings alone that captivated me. His style did too. Giwa was a power dresser; handsome and clean. He was very sociable. So Giwa was not just about intellectuality and fine prose, he loved life and was enjoying it to the fullest. In those days, journalists were traditionally regarded as conservatives when it comes to socialising and living the good life. But Giwa changed that perception and it was for real.

He rode a Mercedes Benz 200 ‘V booth’, then famously regarded as the king of the wheels. He lived in a high brow area usually reserved for society’s big movers. To Giwa, he was a ‘big boy’ in his own right.

His power did not lie in a political office he was holding. His power stemmed from the tip of his pen.With his departure from the defunct National Concord and the setting up of the trail-blazing Newswatch (defunct?) magazine with three of his other colleagues, Giwa brought a brand new dimension into investigative journalism in the country. Every week, readers looked forward to being served the sumptuous journalistic menu from the stable of Giwa and his media co-travellers.

It is important to stress, at this point, that

Aisha, Buhari, and Dynamics of Sexism

Giwa and his colleagues operated at a period in our national history when military juntas wielded political power. It was a period when all manner of draconian laws were promulgated to muzzle journalists. And with the brand of investigative and daring journalism that Giwa and his colleagues were practicing, there was no way they won’t run into trouble with the ruling military junta.

When it eventually happened, it was in a devastating manner. One fateful Sunday morning, on October 19, 1986, the most unlikely day to execute evil, in the company of a colleague, Kayode Soyinka, a parcel that allegedly had the seal of the Presidency was brought to Giwa who reportedly cuddled it with a smile. Thereafter, he placed the lethal object on his lap while trying to unwrap its content. What followed was a deafening noise that not only blew up Giwa, perhaps Nigeria’s brightest gift to journalism, but disrupted the peace of the entire neighbourhood and indeed the nation for a long while.

Tayo Ogunbiyi, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Lagos

O

nce upon a time in England, there were these topics of concern at a time about discrimination on married women not having full rights to own property and unmarried women going into contracts with equal stand as men. Thank God, it was abolished mid-19th century. By now Nigerians must have been going through the viral articles and posts on social media commenting on the alleged hijack of PMB’s administration by some cabal. The trend was ignited by his wife Aisha’s interview with the BBC. To our surprise, what elicits more talks is the president’s “purported joke response”. Many of which aimed at either defending the comment made by the president, that his wife “belongs to the kitchen, living room and other room”, or affirming the allegations made by the president’s wife, that the administration has been hijacked. But most of these articles we have come across were of the take that the president’s comment of his wife “belonging to the kitchen, living room and other room” is sexist.

The side of these writers that discern the president’s comment to be “sexist”, have

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also received lots of counter articles aimed at vindicating him of sexism. Among them were: articles highlighting his fathomable and adamant support during her education period, and his female children. Thus, some writers published her resumé online. The published resumé is to show how well educated she has become while being married to him. That in a nutshell, he empowers women. One of these articles goes far in highlighting much freedom he has given her and his female children to study abroad, despite being a Hausa/Fulani man, whom are known to be conservatives.

A country with a history of dismissing gender equality bill at Enugu State House of Assembly, and once asked the women to relocate to America for the purported equal rights is all of a sudden interested in a story of sexism. This sudden interest in sexism can best be explained by the current America’s politics of sexism by Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton in their war of quest to the White House.

When has sexism become static in Nigeria?

Sexism has different forms in different countries, depending on cultures and values of the people. Sexism is dynamic, not just in Nigeria and Africa, but everywhere. In America, asking your wife to be a housewife against her will could be sexism. Is it everywhere here? Let’s be honest. In UK, sexism could mean not giving the woman a long maternal leave. In Nigeria, sexism is mostly starving, assault, harassment, and so on, but not associating wife with “ministry of stomach infrastructure”.

In order to understand sexism deeply, we should revisit the mother word, feminism.

Feminism is simply advocacy for women’s betterment, which is also dynamic. It is defined by culture and values of a place. The basics being reproductive rights, domestic violence, sexual violence, maternity leave, equal pay and sexual harassment. We do not seem to be questioning the president either of these.

We have heard stories of every bad situation having it’s good side. The good side of this, to some degree, is how it suddenly takes everyone’s mind from the horrible episodes Nigeria has witnessed recently. The incredible propensity of Nigerians to force a joke out of the most traumatising situations. The jokes that went viral about kitchen utensils made our days.

Mustapha Anka, mustyanka@icloud.com

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

SPY GLASS

Segun Adebutu’s Suspicious Altruism

Segun Adebutu, CEO, Petrolex Oil and Gas, is a top player in the oil and gas business in Nigeria. He has done so well for himself and has a lot to show for his efforts.

However, many are yet to come to terms with the current lifestyle of one of the sons of the Chairman of Premier Lotto, Adebutu Kessington, as he is said to be on a spending spree for ‘inexplicable’ reasons.

The Iperu, Ogun State- born businessman, who is also the CEO/ Managing Director of Blue Bridge Global Resource Limited and Oladiran Engineering and Trade Nigeria Limited, is said to be throwing money around in the name of investments and social responsibility.

It all began in 2014 when Adebutu, who is on the Board of Directors of Premier Lotto Nigeria Limited, launched Baseline Entertainment, with the signing in of some Hip-hop stars such as Skales and Seon, among others. He is said to have invested over N400 million in its take off, without anything to show for it.

Adebutu also set tongues wagging recently when he reportedly splashed several millions of Naira on some less privileged peole in the state, in the name of giving back to his society. But many say his seeming altruism may not be unconnected to his political ambition in the gateway state. A source disclosed he was making clandestine moves to replace his brother in the Federal House of Representatives, Ladi Adebutu, who may likely vie for the number one job in the state come 2019.

Jim Ovia, a dandy of repute

That Jim Ovia is one of the most brilliant bankers in Nigeria is like stating the obvious. His wizardry as a banker beggars description, particularly when he held sway as the Managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc. The respected banker, who became the chairman of Zenith Bank Plc. in June this year, is also the promoter and founder of Visafone Communications Limited as well as the proprietor of the University of Information

with Bayo Adeoye ....08054680651 and Communication Technology.

Apart from his abiding love for financial analyses, one good thing about him is his dress sense, which many often describe as nonpareil.

Whenever the astute banker appears at any social gathering, he always stands out in the crowd due to his impeccable dress sense.

Spyglass gathered that he is on the telephone lists of many globally recognised suit designers, having been their loyal customers for many years.

He obtained a B.Sc. in Business Administration from the Southern University, Louisiana, U.S.A in 1977 and a Master’s degree from the same university in 1979. He is also an alumnus of the Harvard Business School “OPM”, Boston, U.S.A. He joined IMB as Financial Analyst in 1980 and later moved to the management centre in 1987.

He headed the Corporate Finance Department of Merchant Bank of Africa from 1987 to 1990.

His interest in IT developed in 1977 when he worked as a parttime computer operator at Baton Rouge & Trust Company, Louisiana.

A motivational speaker per excellence, he once served as Director at Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc.

Lagos Socialite, Princess Toyin Kolade Loses Mom

Top businesswoman, Princess (Dr) Toyin Kolade’s heart is heavy. She has been in a grieving mood, following the death of her mother, Madam Comfort Adejuyigbe (Iya Alaiyeure) on Monday, October 16, 2016 at 92.

The late Madam Adejuyigbe is described as a righteous and prayerful mother who dedicated her life to the worship of the Almighty God till she breathed her last.

A family source revealed that she will be buried at her home town, llesa, Osun State, early next year.

In life, the late octogenarian did all within her humanly possible power to raise her children in the way of the Lord. In return, the children were (and still are) a source of pride to the family. For instance, Kolade is a successful businesswoman and socialite of note. She has her hands in many pies, including oil and gas, interior decor, real estate, maritime and hospitality, among others.

A woman of means, she commands deep respect from young and old, especially in the political, social and business circles. More importantly, she is also in tune with the modern trends in the fashion world. Call her a show- stopper and you will only be stating the obvious.

Kolade, Managing Director, Fisolak Global Resources, Fisolak Royal Furniture and Arikay Oil and Gas, joined the millionaire club at a relatively young age of 21, having learnt the ABC of doing

business from her late mother.

With so much confidence, hope and clear vision, she laid the foundation of her business empire some years back. Today, Iyalaje, as she is famously called, is an inspiration to several others. No doubt, it takes a woman of gut as Kolade to thrive in the ever unpredictable business climate in Nigeria.

Akin-Olugbade to be Fatai Williams’s In-law

Prince Bolu Akin-Olugbade, Abeokuta Ogun State-born billionaire and socialite, is set to become Fatai Williams’ in-law, as his second son, Dademu, will be taking Lauratta-Fatai Williams, granddaughter of a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, the late Justice Fatai Williams, to the altar.

The muchanticipated traditional wedding is billed to take place at Landmark Event Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos on November 19, while the white wedding holds in the United Kingdom next year.

The groom, Dademu, is a United States-trained investment banker, who worked with Merrill Lynch Bank in Los Angeles before returning to Nigeria as an Accounting Manager in West Africa for Reuters. He is presently a businessman. His beautiful heartthrob of many years, Lauretta, a lawyer, is daughter of Dr. Allan Fatai Williams and Mrs. Marie FataiWilliams who was an executive director of Total Nigeria.

Real Estate top player, Michael Ejoh’s new idea

Michael Anirejuoritse Ejoh is a name synonymous with real estate business in Nigeria. In the last 15 years, he has been a shining light in the industry, where he has made a name for himself.

But he still has a lot to offer the industry.

In line with his avowed commitment to the uplift of the industry, he is set to convene a global real estate exhibition and fair tagged ‘The T.A.G Expo’ on November 26, in Regent Park, Central London.

The coming event, with the theme ‘‘Meet. Invest. Secure’’, is the first in the series of the United Kingdom/Nigeria real estate exhibition and trade shows aimed at bridging the gap as well as connecting developers and other real estate stakeholders in Nigeria to buyers and individuals with interests in Nigeria’s real estate.

According to the organisers, it will attract real estate developers, financial institutions with facilities that support real estate acquisition and procurement. It will also provide the platform for showcasing

all the opportunities in products and services that the stakeholders have to offer to buyers and real estate developers alike.

Besides, the annual event is envisioned to serve as a meeting point for stakeholders to network with and obtain databases of potential buyers around the world through the annual network catalogue, a TAGEXPO support publication that will be Nigeria’s premium real estate reference diary.

The show is supported by reputable real estate firms across the country and varying media networks.

The team of organisers led Ejoh has carefully considered the database of Nigerians in the Diaspora seeking investment opportunities and recognised the need to kick-off the event in the United Kingdom.

Ejor, the boss of Lagos-based leading real estate firm, The Anirejouritse Global (TAG) Nigeria Limited, holds a Diploma in Architecture from the Yaba College of Technology and a B.Sc in Computer Science from the University of Abuja.

In the course of his career, Ejor, also a graduate of the prestigious Dubai Real Estate Institute, has been part of the team that oversaw monumental projects like Rainbow Town in Rivers State, Buena Vista Estate in Lekki, World Trade Centre in Abuja, realising over N2.75bn in sales of real estate and real estate support services.

Folorunsho Alakija’s Son, Folarin set to remarry

Folarin Alakija, son of African billionaire, Folorunsho Alakija, is set to give marriage another shot, a few years after the death of his first wife, Chena, who died of cancer.

Spy Glass gathered that he will be getting married to an Iranian beauty, Naganin, daughter of Tehran, an Iran-based businessman, Khosro, on November 19, at Grand Ballroom of Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The wedding, which is coming about four months after the celebrated 65th birthday of his mother, is set to be gathering momentum, as top dignitaries across the world are said to have reserved the date in their diaries.

Anyone who knows the oil and gas top player can testify that she does not do her things in half measures. Perhaps, this explains the frenzy and buzz currently in social circles, as the respected Lagos socialite plans the wedding of her son. It was gathered that colourful invitation cards are already in circulation among family members, close friends of the couple, celebrities, business tycoons, politicians and high net-worth individuals.

It was also gathered that the wedding party will be replicated at the bride’s parents’ base in Iran.

T H I S D AY SATURDAY OCTOBER 22, 2016

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SATURDAY OCTOBER 22, 2016 T H I S D AY

Plus

LOUD WHISPERS AUTO WRITERS’ WOLRD FITNESS FASHION FILE INTERVIEW

pg. 20 pg. 26 pg. 35 pg. 40 pg. 41 pg. 44

Somachi Kachikwu

I Find Joy in Raising Patriotic and Passionate Children

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER OCTOBER 22, 2016

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Plus

My Passion for Teaching Led Me to Offer Teachers Free Training

Her gentle, soft hand strokes the hair of the beautiful, little girl. She touches the chin of another pupil, a little boy. Her eyes beam with delight and fulfillment as the children cling to her. Mellifluously, she begins a nursery rhyme and the innocent kids pick up the chorus. She, along with all the kids, chimes the song excitedly. As she returns to her office, her heart wells up with even more conviction; she clasps her hands on her face as she realises the depth of her influence in the children’s life. She pauses along the flight of stairs and sprightly sprints to her office. An office lit with kids’ stuffs: books, crayons, cardboards, paintings, pencils and photos. Founder of Gifted Minds, Somachi Kachikwu, who is also daughter of a former Minister of Aviation, Kema Chikwe, is going places with her educational centre. You can call it a made-in-Nigeria school. It’s local but with a global outlook. It’s global but richly localised. Somachi, with an infectious passion for kids’ development, national unity and advancement, speaks with Stanley Nkwazama about her efforts at helping all kinds of children at her educational outfit. She also offers a rare glimpse into her background; talks about the role her mother and grandfather played in her life and her vision for the next 10 years

S

Who Somachi Kachikwu is omachi is a young lady from Imo State. I am a mother of four beautiful children.

My parents are Chief and Ambassador Kema Chikwe. I grew up in Enugu. I attended the University Primary School. Thereafter, I went to the Federal Government Girls College, Owerri, which was one of the most amazing schools of the time. That is really where a lot of my foundation and skills started – and my determination to suc succeed. Following my secondary education, I went to Wesleyan University, United States of America. It is a top arts college in Connecticut. After that, I came back to Nigeria, did my National Youth Service Corps and got married. I worked for a while at Platinum Bank and the Federal Ministry of Finance. I took a break and started having kids. I went back to do my master’s degree at the University of Lon London. I returned to Nigeria before moving again to the US. I worked for a company called Kimonics. It’s an international development firm. I was in the US for about five years and then moved back to Nigeria, about three years ago. So Somachi has been around, putting together different bits of my life and building my career.

Actually, I kick-started my career in international development; I studied Economics and Women Studies. As I came back to Nigeria, I was thinking: do I want to work or what should I do? By then I had four children and when you have children, education becomes a priority for you. You begin to notice the gaps.

I think every mother really would do well as a minister of education because you know you want the best for your child. Therefore, from wanting the best for my children I started realising the gaps in education, at least in the city of Abuja. There are great schools in Abuja but you know schools always have their strengths.

Growing Up My mum is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, influence in my life.

She is a great educationist who rose to become a minister and later an ambassador. Growing up, I was very close to her. I am still close to her. My elder brother and sister went to boarding schools but my younger brother, Naeto, and I were always with her. As a child, I was always in her shadow – be it when she was

mobilising women or involved in grassroots politics; also, when she was doing her PhD in Education. She would pick us up from school and drive to Nsukka for her classes. We would be doing our homework while waiting for her. When you are a child, you do not know the impact some of these things will have on you. As you grow up, you begin to have interest in similar things. Yes, my mother was a great inspiration because she strongly believes in education as a bedrock and foundation for success and leadership.

About Gifted Minds Academy Every child is gifted; what we do in Gifted Minds Academy is that we find the gifts and we harness and grow that gift in a child. Our services include, academic enhancement; we have lessons for children and in-house lessons. We have private tutorials where we match a tutor to a child. We also have online tutorials. We also partner an India-based high-performing tutorial service, which involves virtual online classes. We have preparations for different exams and book clubs. We are passionate about reading. Outside the services, we work with children. We also train teachers and provide capacity building for schools. We also run an educational consultancy outfit which caters to the needs of parents and children by helping parents to map out educational plans for their children.

Mapping for Children Matters I think it is important because other than when you map out educational plans for your children, it guides you to the kind of schools you want them to attend, activities for participation and goals you are setting for your child. I notice that a lot of parents when their child is 15, they will say they want their child to go to Harvard. You start from day one; you put your child in a certain school. And you expose him to various activities. That is what we do, depending on your goals for the child.

From a parent’s interest or depending on the child’s learning abilities or learning style, we are able to come up with a plan. We pick the right schools, the right activities and ensure your child grows up with a proper development plan.

Facing Challenges Growing a business in Nigeria is one of the hardest things ever. It won’t be fair to compare anywhere else in the world I have worked with the country.

I have never owned a business outside Nigeria. I think major challenges for me will be convincing parents on the need to invest in their children’s education.

Sometimes people see my flyers and say it is too expensive. I think our process is affordable. It is a sacrifice because you will spend money and you will fly your child to London, the US, Switzerland, the Gulf and Emirates. I think parents just need to prioritise. In investing in your child’s education, there are many benefits to reap in the future. Another challenge is that at least once in a week someone from some agencies knocks on your door, if it is not tenement rate, it is FCDA for business. It

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OCTOBER 22, 2016 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

Plus As A Child I was Always in My Mother’s Shadow is difficult to budget because you don’t know what is coming your way next. The unclear tax system in Nigeria worries me stiff. It is not clear to businesses, what is due and when it is due and then you just have random people knock at your gate every now and then. I think between that and convincing parents to invest in their children, the final challenge is training teachers; getting qualified teachers.

Starting from October, we’ll begin to be offer pre-teacher workshops because we realised there is scarcity of well-trained teachers in the city and we cannot wait for government to put it in the budget.

Interestingly, everybody has rushed into the teaching profession because the jobs are not there. Every unemployed graduate rushes to teaching as a means of survival.

The truth is that not everybody has the calling to teach. You need special skills to deal with that. With that skills gap, from training teachers for a fee, we have decided to start training teachers for free.

That is our own way of giving back since everyone is saying ‘Change begins with me.’ We are concerned about building teachers’ capacity. Even if they do not work for us, they work for someone else’s school. They are teaching another person’s child and the impact of teachers is important in our society.

Handling Children with Different Needs My partner, Kemi Ehilabo, is a trained teacher. She has taught in England for several years. She has an amazing assessment programme. If any child walks in here, the first thing we do is to assess him before we can start work. Before we start any kind of intervention, we assess the child.

We have a series of assessments. Based on that, we are able to figure out the child’s learning styles, abilities and then we design programmes suitable for that child’s learning. However, some children have unique learning needs. Some of these needs fall into the category of what we call special education. We partner with certified special educators who come in to provide needed interventions. We have kids who are in different ranges of autism spectrum. When they come, we don’t put them in a class with regular students. I am talking about the Autism Care Initiative, run by Dr. Julia Ejiogu in Wuse, Abuja.

She runs an excellent programme. She was trained in the US, has a lot of experience with all levels of special needs.

Beyond Exclusive Education In the next 10 years, we have a range of services we are rolling out. I would want at least one or two of our products to be in every home in Abuja. I would want when people think education, they will think about Gifted Minds knowing we offer quality education services and techniques. The target of every business is to make money. But, our target is to enhance leadership skills. That is my own way of impacting on the society. If every Nigerian is brought up with leadership skills, I think in the next 10 years, we will not have a problem with leadership or good governance. I think education is a great pathway to build citizens of Nigeria.

Like Grandfather, Like Granddaughter It really wasn’t intentional. That is what amazes me. Sometimes when you look at me, I am really on the same path with my mum and grandfather. My mum ventured into politics. At least, I know I am consistent with my late grandfather, Nathan Okeoma Ejiogu. So, it impresses me any time I think my grandfather was a very great man. I am proud that I am able to continue a legacy that he started.

He was passionate about education. He worked hard to ensure there was inclusive comprehensive education, so that children all over Nigeria and not the South-East, had access to education – an education that impacted on their lives and equally enabled them to make a difference in the world. I think my grandfather will be very happy. I could imagine him looking down and smiling.

Satisfaction and Quitting Attitudes I am very happy. Every time I get feedbacks from parents: ‘My child is reading properly. ‘My child is more confident in school.’ ‘My child got straight A’s.’ Whenever I hear that, I am fulfilled.

It actually makes me happier than a bank alert of more money in my account. Bank alerts make me happy. But achieving set educational goals for parents makes me happier.

A Gifted Genesis Gifted Minds started three years ago in a small office at Jabi. At the time we were doing only private tutorials and we were saving up. I wanted to get a bigger facility. I wanted somewhere that a parent would put her child.

He would have a wide range of activities to do. We have a library and IT room as well. We have a big playground. There are also lots of activities; all types of sporting equipment are made available for the kids.

On Saturdays, if parents are going for a wedding, rather than leave their children at home, they can drop them here. By the time you come back, they would have had a wide range of fun and education.

It is possible here. Educational fun is part of Gifted Minds’ model where learning is fun and exciting. We want children to enjoy learning because when children enjoy learning you do not push them. You don’t have to. They will enjoy learning; pick up books and want to read; they will see a mathematics problem and attempt to solve it without on their own.

Going Back to Reading We have Nigerian authors in our library of Nigeria. We have started what we call the ‘Candy Reading’ club. Every month they get a package. In the package we have books, worksheets and a pack of candies. Most children love candy. The idea is that any time a child settles to read, the parent gives them some of the candies from the pack. It’s a little motivation just to get them to read.

They have three weeks to read the books. They come to the centre and we do activities around the book. The thing about reading is that you can use books to teach them about so many things. I am also passionate about letting Nigerian children know about Nigeria. Nigerian children go to schools where the curriculum is not foreign. And when it is not, it means they are not learning Social Studies and History. Even for my own children, at some point they could not tell the 36 states and their capital. When I was six, I could have done that. We are using books about Nigeria, by Nigerians, sold in Nigeria and made in Nigeria. The quality may not be great, but I tell parents, not to bother about the quality of the books.

I encourage them to look at contents of the books. Let children be proud to read about characters, called Ada and Musa. People they can relate to in their immediate environment. It is hard getting access to children’s literature in Nigeria. It is a field I wish that more people should go into. This month we have a Nigerian author, Chioma Mamah. She wrote a book ‘First day at the Big School.’ She will do a book reading. We are to talk to the children how to be a proud Nigerian.

So that is also something that matters to us at Gifted Minds Academy. We teach patriotism. It bothers me when you ask children where they come from and they tell you that they are from America. They are not from America; they are from Imo, Delta or Kaduna State. That is one of the things we try to teach children here.

Public Speaking for Kids We have an intensive reading and writing programme which is for kids between four and seven years. We make sure that they get their proper tenses right.

It is important. When you speak English, tenses will always give you up. Another thing we do is for children who take English classes as their comprehension.

We also do reading activities to help improve spoken English. Because we are a leadership centre, public speaking is important. So, we join the children to read out loud and effect the corrections there and then. When you read aloud you are not reading to yourself. As you stand up to read, it helps you to overcome stage fright. You are trained to be bold when you speak in the public.

Finding a Place for Indigenous Languages Over the summer, we ran a programme where Nigerian languages were part of the curriculum. It is an immersion class. When you enter the class, only an indigenous language is spoken. That is the only way to learn a language and get immersed in it. Sorry to say that getting kids to learn French and Mandarin, is like a lot of parents are literally pouring money

down the drain. The child would get some words and won’t be able to speak them. Immersion is really the only way to learn a language. So we do that with the local language as well. Also, we have a great CD. It is a cartoon based in Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba. It is always played once the kids start coming in around 4 0’ clock. It is important to learn to speak one’s language. It is also important for safety and unity; to at least know how to understand and greet in different languages is a thing of joy. We live in Abuja, it would be nice to know how to say: ‘hello,’ ‘thank you,’ ‘you are welcome,’ etc. When you speak to people in their local language they appreciate it a lot. So while we try to teach people their own indigenous language, we also try to see if the kids can learn the basics of major languages in Nigeria.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OctOber 22, 2016

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

LOUD WHISPERS

Musiliu Obanikor

Musiliu Obanikoro: Welcome back My egbon just landed and went straight into the custody of the EFCC. That is bravery and courage. A man who was lucky enough to have been outside the borders of the country and instead of continuing his journey to Ecuador or Venezuela, willingly came back to face all the accusations and alleged crimes should be rewarded with a Nobel Prize for courage. Just before the decision to come back was made, I was approached for my thoughts on the matter. He had called me to sound me out since he felt that I could help to smooth the path to his re-entry. You guys are wondering why, just be looking, shey because you all see me as a hungry columnist and Shomolu man; you do not know the kind of influence I wield simply because of my closeness to Tinubu’s driver.

Well, people like Obanikoro who need to know my power know how to use it.

Immediately I was contacted, I sent the signal to the right quarters on the possibility of Obanikoro being given a soft landing once he comes back voluntarily.

The feedback I got was very encouraging, so I gave him the green light and added my own advice. I said to him: please fly back with Arik Air so it would look as if you are supporting the government’s buy ‘made-in-Nigeria’ campaign. He should also wear only white so that he would be supporting the ‘Change Begins with Me’ campaign.

Immediately he lands, he should recite the national pledge on the tarmac and get his people welcome him with APC registration forms. He should avoid people like Fayose, Fani Kayode, two Supreme Court Justices and one Federal High Court Judge. He should buy gifts like teddy bears and Donald Trump autographed portraits for people like Lai Mohammed, Osinbajo and the Ogun State Governor. From what I hear, he must have taken my advice because as he landed, he was given enough time to get home, take his bath, and enter the “other room” for a quickie before surrendering himself. Well, the following days are surely going to be exciting as we await a review of his feature in the very first Nollywood political thriller; remember he played a major role in the movie where he gave an Oscar-winning performance in the bushes of Ekiti. Kai, the things that men do.

Justice Ademola, the gun and my advice The front-page news hit me with a thud. It blared with an unmistakable headline, “I wrote my statement with a gun pointed to my head.” You see the problem with this Aje butter people.

They do not know how to fight or defend themselves. So even if it was true they pointed a gun to your head, would you now write what you did not do because of a common gun? By the way, how will you not fear when in all your life, you have never watched a Chinese film nor have you ever been accosted by an agbero. Next time my Lord, anytime anybody points a gun at you, whether it is DSS or guguru Defence, you should just sit down, adjust your face into a

Justice Ademola

Emem Isong

Aisha Buhari: Advice from the ‘Other Room’ You see, as a husband I find myself very supportive of Mr. President in this situation. When things that should be discussed or have been discussed in the “other room” now get discussed in the open, especially on a platform as widereaching as the BBC Hausa service, it begins to get very disturbing.

You see, the power that is being wielded in the “other room” is so much and far-reaching. In that room the person in charge is not the husband, in this case, the president. The person in charge decides when or how things are done, the timing, the duration and the various styles. So in that room, you respect yourself and follow instructions, or else you will be kicked out of that room. Ask my friend, Bill Clinton who during the Mona Lewinsky saga was kicked out of that room and had to sleep on the couch. That was how the most powerful man in the world became very powerless in that room. So when the power was now extended to other platforms where the “room power” was not meant to extend, you begin to see the president’s quagmire and the need to act with wisdom.

What we have today in Nigeria is a country of wicked people. Do you people see how beautiful this First Lady is and you now want our president to react violently and lose all his rights and privileges in the “other room”? Me, I support our Oga in his reaction o!

He had to be very careful, try to play down the matter in a bid to give himself some level of platform to begin fruitful negotiations in that “other room”. What he was fighting for was a continuous

access to critical factors that make a man, a real man. Food and the other thing, and no amount of taunting and cajoling will make him disrupt the equilibrium, for when the punishment comes, nobody will serve it with him.

Ask me, I have been sleeping on the couch now for all of four years simply because my phone fell into the wrong hands and today, I am in exile in my own house with no access to that room or the things that get offered in the room. I am now a nervous wreck. That said, my advice to our all powerful First Lady is to kindly wield this influence with kind caution. Your husband loves you very much and is really trying his best to make things work in this country despite the many challenges caused by PDP. Remember, all these wahala including the so-called people “he does not know” who have hijacked his cabinet are all PDP people. So you should kindly just discuss these matters in the “other room”, providing him with the necessary support and advice that would enable him come out and be the best president this country has ever seen. What you did was putting him in a position where he had to choose between you and Nigeria and that is very unfair to the 170 million of us for I know he will definitely choose you like I would do. Please ma, don’t vex, let’s just keep everything including your thoughts on sensitive state matters in that room. Thank you very much. Kai, but you are really an extremely beautiful and intelligent woman, the best First Lady so far. Keep up the good works.

God bless you and your family.

mean frown, look into the barrel of the gun with wicked eyes, think of the man holding the gun slapping your mother or your house girl, whichever one is dearer to you and you will begin to erupt with righteous anger and with a scream, you will jump into the snake in the monkey’s shadow fighting-stance, kicking the gun out of the hands of the

DSS operative. In a swift move, also kicking him in his balls and with an elbow to his back, he will fall down and faint. By this time, the alarm would have been rung and hundreds of DSS agents will come running in; You will now tear your shirt and tie a piece around your head like Rambo. Hit your head on the wall, so that blood will come out.

You taste your blood so that you get really angry. By this time, the agents are rushing in and you are decimating them with blows and kicks. Some, you will head-butt, others you will grab their balls and squeeze them dry while still screaming like a monkey. You know, na exactly how Bruce Lee used to do it.

After killing like 100 agents with your bare hands, you will now move out of the premises towards Aso Rock; you must end this once and for all, and they call out the Army. Only you o, they are throwing bombs and bullets, Kai, you are just taking them out, justice Ademola in action. By this time, you would have captured one armoured tank and firing from all angles. People are running away; as you move, you see Senator Ben Bruce running for dear life, you wave at him, he is a nice man.

By this time, the government realising that the situation is getting out of hand will pull back troops from Sambisa Forest and the Niger Delta to reinforce but all these will not deter you. By the time you get to the gates of Aso Rock, they will have no choice but to call for negotiations. Kai, Justice, please wake up Jo. As chief Eleyinmi in the now rested very popular Village Headmaster drama series which I am sure even you watched in your younger days would say, ‘Gun ko, Gun ni’. There is nothing we will not hear.

Airtel: Emem Isong delivers a blow A few months ago, I wrote a caustic piece on the need for Airtel to respect the Ibibio people. They had launched a campaign where they had further cemented the notion of the Ibibio person as a semi-literate, idiotic man-child. This campaign received a lot of airtime and is still running despite protests from the Ibibio nation. In that write-up, I had decried the continuous depiction of these very proud people in that light when there are so many positive aspects of our people that can be highlighted with the same effect. Looks like Emem Isong was listening, for she invited me to a sneak preview of her new movie titled, ‘Ayanna’. The event was packaged by the rave-making new media outfit, the Manny Udoh-led Katunga Media. As I sat and watched the movie, my head was reeling with pride. As the movie evolved into a kaleidoscope of colours, the deep storyline and sound technical quality immediately grabbed my attention and threw me into the lush forests of Akwa Ibom land. Emem in this work will succeed in repairing the damage caused over the years by a nation that grew up deriding the Ibibio nation with firms like Airtel further cementing these negative stereotypes, forgetting that the Akwa Ibom people were its very first investors when the company first came on board. Well, Emem’s movie backed by the Bank of Industry not only sends a message of national revival but is also a beautiful love story even as it provides a platform for the viewers’ soothing smooth incursion into the Ibibio culture.

Well done my sister and keep up the good works.

T H I S D AY SATURDAY OCTOBER 22, 2016

21

22

T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R • OCTOBER 22, 2016

EVENTS

I

twasjoyallthroughrecentlywhen Mr. Lateef Balogun took former Miss Aisha Ahmadu Sheidu as hiswifeatawell-celebratedNikkai Ceremony in Lagos. Here are some of the personalities that attended the event Photographs byYomi Akinyele Couple, Mr. Lateef Balogun and his wife, Aisha

L-R: Bride’s parent, Hon. Babatunde Balogun and Mrs Tolani Balogun

L-R:Bride’s mother, Mrs Amina Sheidu and bride’s brother, Mr. Abubakar Sheidu

L-R: General and Mrs. David Jemibewon

L-R: Mr. Tunde Akinrinmisi and Prince Samuel Adedoyin

Chief Kola Jamodu and wife, Funmi

L-R: Prince Olushola Akanmode and General Raji Rasaki

L-R: Senator Bode Olajumoke and Chief Emeka Okafor

Dr. Leke Pitan, Alhaji Waheed Kassim and Air Vice Marshal S.O. Smith

23

T H I S D AY, T H E S AT U R D AY N E W S PA P E R • OCTOBER 22, 2016

IMAGES

L-R: Former I.G Musiliu Smith, Alhai Tajudeen Yusuf, and Major Gen. Tajudeen Olanrewaju

L-R: Ahmed Ezidighe and Kashim Ibrahim

L-R: Mr. Dele Alake and Senator Ganiyu Solomon

L-R: Mr. Eniola Bello and Mr. Sony Ekedayen

Hon. Steve Mayaki and his wife, Bridget

L-R: Mr. Yomi Idowu and AIG Tunji Alapinni

L-R: Ajisafe Toye, Bilki Davies and Khadijat Agusto

Chief Emeka Okafor and Princess Tessy Yembra

L-R: Modele Sarafa-Yusuf and Ahjia Rakiya Zubairu

L-R: Chief (Mrs) Gani Dawodu, Chief (Mrs) Fattimah Rasaki and Alhaja Laraba Ibrahim

L-R: Chief (Mrs) Bola Ogundele and Alhaja Tope Lawal

L-R: Mrs Abiosede Noah, Mrs Ikpen Doroty and Mrs Kaltai

24

VINTAGE

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

The Great Zik Was Here... Welcome to the Revamped Premier’s Lodge Laurence Ani

I

n a few weeks time just about anyone could stroll down the courtyard of the old Premier’s Lodge in Enugu in much the same manner as its previous occupant had done over 60 years ago.

You may also, in fact, slouch at a desk as the former illustrious resident of this lodge must have done countless times and ponder how he would have felt carrying the weight of his people’s expectations. Or simply indulge your fantasies and pretend to rehearse for one of those typically riveting stump speeches that made him a household name across the country. The occupant referred to here is the venerable nationalist and Nigeria’s first president, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.

The old Premier’s Lodge where Azikiwe once lived as the premier of the Eastern Region is getting a makeover intended to bring back the classic grandeur it once exuded during its colonial and post-independence heyday. When complete the makeover, as conceived by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, will prepare the facility for its new status as a tourist centre. “We actually want to have that place as a heritage. We’re going to have shelves for the artifacts and put some of his personal effects like eyeglasses, letters and books on display,” said the project’s coordinator, Agu Chukwuemelie, sounding upbeat.

Although the progress of the repairs has been slowed down by the rains, he is nonetheless confident the facility will be ready for use in about one month. “It’s something we want to do in remembrance of Zik,” Chukwuemelie, who is also the general manager and chief executive officer of Enugu Housing Development Corporation, said.

But despite the optimism, the challenge of refurbishing a structure built in the 1950s and retaining its original pristine look is not lost.

“We want to renew and beautify it; but we’re doing so without giving it a modern architectural design,” he said, pointing out that such consideration is the reason behind the choice of black roof and, possibly, white coat for the building. “We won’t touch the windows extensively. The places with wood we would polish and retain but replace the bad ones.

And where there are tiles we won’t alter.”

Even amid the pile of debris and the frenzied shuffling as the masons worked to meet the schedule, standing within the building

Ugwuanyi

Renovation of the Premier’s Lodge, Enugu

felt like being frozen in time with the musty smell and the many monochrome pictures of First Republic figures and artworks strewn across the rooms. The addition of some of the foremost nationalist’s personal effects and memorabilia which his widow, Professor Uche Azikiwe, had promised to make available, will further strengthen that perception.

This trove of history is expected to be a key attraction for visitors just as buildings erected as memorial in honour of influential leaders around the world have been. Major examples include the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial, built in honour of two presidents of the United States of America - George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Another notable memorial with a huge tourist traffic is the Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, London, built as a monument to the heroic exploits of Horatio Nelson, a British admiral who earned immense fame after he won the Battle of Trafalgar against a FrenchSpanish fleet in 1805.

The project coordinator is also confident that a refurbished Premier’s Lodge would positively impact the value of real estate in

the adjoining neighbourhood and hence the decision to construct the Heritage Estate, a leasehold development.

“I think it would even increase its value because everyone would love to reside in an estate where Zik’s official residence is located,” he said, to allay fears that a housing estate might obscure the aesthetics of the Lodge. Work on the perimeter fence has been concluded and the allottees would start building soon.

With the sharp drop in oil price and the consequent adverse effect on Nigeria’s income, many states are teetering on the brink as regards their statutory obligations. In fact, only a few (that includes Enugu State) are able to pay salaries of public workers when due owing to reduced earnings from the federal purse. States have been exploring alternative sources of revenue to make up for the shortfall. In Enugu, investing in tourism is a promising option being explored.

So, the makeover of Zik’s former official residence is consistent with Governor Ugwuanyi’s goal to give tourism in Enugu a new sheen and make it a vibrant sector that

can bolster the state’s economy. Closely linked to this goal is the plan to establish a new zoo in Enugu, some years after the Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani administration shut the old one and converted the space to residential use.

It’s a fitting tribute to memorialize the official residence of Nigeria’s first president and one of Africa’s preeminent anti-colonial voices, but there is a compelling - even if hitherto overlooked - point which further validates the choice of his home as a launchpad for Enugu’s tourism dream: Zik was quite passionate about tourism.

You would not doubt that if you had ever been to Onuiyi, the pastoral community in Nsukka with an altitude that gives it a mostly agreeable weather. It was here he built his famous Onuiyi Haven and spent much of his retirement years.

So a visit to a home where this great personality once held court should be a time well spent and, of course, an experience worth the visitors’ fee. You would agree once you have felt its rustic splendour. That will not be long for it’s only a matter of weeks before the Premier’s Lodge is open to the public.

PERSPECTIVE

AbiaUniversity:RelocationofFacultiesofLawandHumanities, PoliticsDrivento RidiculousLevel Uzoh Egboh

T

he Abia state University (ABSU) has had a checkered history of sorts since its inception.

This great institution of learning began humbly as Imo State University in the ramshackle structures of Madonna high school Etiti Mbano during the Sam Mbakwe administration. Then the military government of Gen. Ike Nwachukwu gave it a boost when it was relocated to this permanent site, in the lush valleys of Uturu, beautifully and magnificently enveloped by the rolling green hills of Okigwe.

Partly because of the incomparable environment of this school and the uniqueness of its mission as the bakery for the production of the goods for which Imo state of yore was famous education being the Imo industry, and partly for the vision of the then Sam Mbakwe administration to avoid railroading a lofty idea such as this in the rocky waters of jejune local nationalism that will atomize the vision, there existed no poly campus structure from the onset.

When Abia state was created in 1991 there was a stalemate as to the life of this institution

because continuing as Imo State University was the simplistic way to carry on. The combined efforts of the Uzo Egbo Administration in Isuikwuato Local Government Area, the Uturu elders and some illustrious members of academic staff of the University such as Prof M.A. Mkpa, Prof Mrs Kanno, Dr Jachimike Adiele fought and proved that this institution was situated in the depths of Uturu land and as such its true identity was not in question.

Thus Abia state University was born. Our Imo brothers then fled home when we began to prove the boundary between Uturu and their brothers that formed Okigwe town far into the heart of the city.

ABSU continued to grow in form and content and ought to have been so as to attain its full -potential, until someone began to conceive the sinister balkanization of this natureendowed environment with its ambience of splendor that no University in this country can rival. One thought that the now evident miscalculations that birthed the debacle called Umuahia Campus of ABSU, would have been lesson enough. Totally obscure and, lacking in academic ambience, it is almost an eyesore.

The proprietary paternalism that is befuddling this administration into leaving Abia State

University comatose and of course, moribund is, at best, ill conceived.

Umuahia has two great Federal Institutions --The Michael Okpara University of Agriculture and The Crop Research Institute. Umuahia has no need for a poorly funded ramshackle and epileptic campus of the great ABSU. Now someone is at it again. Now as before, for myopic political calculations, probably occasioned by the Uche Ogah/Okezie Ikpeazu governorship imbroglio, an attempt is being made to further atomize ABSU, by removing some vital faculties to some remote location in Umuahia and Aba. That Dr. Uche Ogah is from Uturu is not a valid reason to punish Uturu by removing a greater part of academic Faculties in ABSU from Uturu more so now that Abia State Government cannot pay workers’ salary not to talk of setting up infrastructures needed for the take-off of such faculties in a new location.

The best thing this government should do for Umuahia and Aba people is to greatly improve on the decaying infrastructure at Umuahia instead of stretching it to the limit and to keep Aba growing as the commercial city that it is respectively. Let this government rebuild and renew the soul of those great cities — healing the long festering injury

of colossal marginalization and neglect of past administration. Aba already has her fair share of academic institutions, both private and public.

A government that cannot pay its staff wages will not find the required funds to embark on the luxury of a multi-campus structure for University whose only complaint is the dearth of subventions and grants from the already gasping Abia State government.

Any attempt to balkanize ABSU now or in the future will only stifle life out of her, rob her of her intelligentsia, dismember her of the fabrics that organically hold her faculties together, emasculate her ebullient student population, put a knife on the vision and mission of this great citadel, and generally throw wet blanket on things, as it were.

The generality of Abians, the lsuikwuato district, and the Uturu people abhor this move.

It is evil. It is petty. It is an affront on the collective sensibilities of all well meaning Abians.

It is politics driven to a ridiculous nadir. Abia is already perched on a precipice. ABSU must not die! This petty political gerrymandering will only culminate in eviscerating an already hemorrhaging institution.

Let wisdom prevail over Politics.

– Uzoh Egboh writes from Umuahia

25

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

EXPRESSION

MEDIAGAFFES BY

Still on First Bank’s Foibles

L

et us welcome Television Continental (TVC) to this column. Its STANDPOINT news scroll of October 15 fumbled: “Arrested judges: NJC, NBA disagrees (why?) with The Presidency” THISDAY of October 15 goofed copiously: “Some people are (were) sitting down in their homes folding their arms only for them to be called to come and head an agency or a ministerial position.”

First Bank’s serial errors continue this week: “We would be showcasing the career potentials (potential or potentialities) in food….” (Fullpage advertisement, THISDAY, October 15) ‘Potential’ is uncountable.

“Her lips curl solemnly and fondly as she let (lets) out the first few words about her life with her parents.” It would have been ‘let’ if ‘curl’ had been inflected (past tense).

“As she narrates the episodes of her sojourn on earth, she makes the most challenging moment of life appears (appear) ordinary.”

“The only time we had a misunderstanding that almost resulted into (in) physical fight was the day….” “…at the party level or at (on) the national platform….” “…the Ondo debacle is beginning to show Asiwaju as a giant with a clay feet.” Loud whispers: a giant with clay feet “Speed Limiter: Six days post motem (sic) (six days’/six-day post-mortem)” Finally from THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER: “…is a society where the playing field between the rich and the poor are (is) more balanced than in any nation I have experienced.”

From DAILY SUN of October 10 comes the next flaw: “Lack of funds hinder (hinders) ex-Oil minister, Diezani’s probe” “2019 general elections (election) in danger,

says Senate” (The Guardian Front Page Banner, September 28) “Abagana Welfare Union, Central Executive: all correspondences (correspondence) to President-General” And this: “siege of (to) Abagana….” (Full-page advertorial, DAILY SUN, September 14) “Telecoms operators link poor services on (to) 20 unapproved handsets” (The Guardian Front Page Headline, October 3) “Uncertainty as PDP goes for make or mar (make-or-mar) national convention” (Centre spread headline, DAILY SUN, August 17) The Guardian of October 14 fumbled two ti mes: “The United States has donated a whooping (whopping) N995 billion to the Multinational Joint Task Force to boost military operations against the Boko Haram insurgency, the U.S. government has said.” Conscience, Nurtured by Truth: no whooping cough, please “Also, the (The) Presidency has pledged to garner the necessary investments to improve the wheeling capacity of the nation’s transmission infrastructure.” Would it have been ‘unnecessary’ investment?

Still on THE GUARDIAN under focus: “He said that is (was) why he would come back to salvage the state and rescue it to put it back to realize it’s (its) pride of place as he left it in 2003 and go even beyond that.”

“Cash and carry (Cash-and-carry) democracy, bane of Nigeria’s development” “Falana supports Soyinka’s objections on (to) Sexual Offences Bill” “Train to become a certified child care personnel (official)” ‘Personnel’ is a collective noun.

“In other jurisdiction (another jurisdiction or other jurisdictions), you don’t just file for the sake of filing, you can’t just take a matter for the sake of taken (taking) it.”

“We therefore regret any inconveniences this might cause our esteem (esteemed) distributors. This announcement is ordered by Tiens Group—Nigeria.”

“NDIC boss charges corps members on bank saving (bank-saving) culture” “…and newly-elected officials sworn-in (sworn in) at the federal and state levels….”

Phrasal verbs abhor hyphenation.

“Oil swap (Oil-swap) contracts: AITEO not front for Jonathan, Alison-Madueke—Spokesperson” Except if the headline caster meant that oil was swapping contracts!

“Jigawa council chairmen pledge support to (for) APC govt” “I wish you many more years in good health and prosperity, to further your accomplishments to (in) journalism and humanity (service to humanity, you mean?)”

“I and my wife, Lady (My wife, Lady…and I….) Etymological sequence is critical to good writing.

“Use of made-in Nigerian (Nigeria) cars by Mr. President (Buhari) will lift auto industry” “Tribunal will recover Abia stolen mandate, APGA chieftain assures” Who did the chieftain assure?

“Soyinka laments Chibok girls (girls’) continued captivity” (THE NATION ON SUNDAY, October 16) THE NATION ON SUNDAY of October 9 comes up next with the following errors: “Dangote commissions (inaugurates/auspicates/launches, et al) $500 million cement plant in Ethiopia” “Buhari to flag off (inaugurate) super highway in Cross River” “First and foremost, you must look at the PDP; they mismanaged their victory and haven (having) mismanaged the victory….”

“The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria…played very prominent roles dur-

EBERE WABARA

ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948

ing the electioneering campaigns that ushered in the new administration.” ‘Electioneering’ and ‘campaigns’ cannot co-exist in the same lexical environment as the former encompasses the latter.

From THE NATION ON SUNDAY of October 2 issues the next set of diseased lines: “Ekweremadu: Igbos (Igbo) right to vote for PDP” “On the occasion of your birthday anniversary….” For the umpteenth time, ‘birthday’ and ‘anniversary’ cannot co-function. ‘Birthday’ is the anniversary/commemoration of one’s birth.

FEEDBACK

TAKE note that the old, grammatical rule that “one” must be followed by “one” and its parts –“one, one’s, oneself”, has changed. The feeling that the repetition of “one”—one’s (e.g. One must do what one can to ensure one’s family a decent standard of living) makes for a stilted style has now led to the permissible shift from “one, one’s” to “he, his” (e.g. One must do what he can to ensure his family a decent standard of living).

In general, a shift in the number or nature of pronouns is undesirable, but this particular shift is established usage. Examples: When one is in power and things go his way in highly competitive elections, his first task is to fight his own mentality.

Perhaps one has gone to the university where he has been given the wrong orientation that his degree is an opportunity to reach for the skies just like that. One could be said to hate himself if he lacks self–confidence in his abilities.

Every user of the language, particularly every journalist or communicator, must keep abreast of the current changes—the dynamics—in the language.

(BAYO OGUNTUNASE/08056180046)

Aren’t we All Internally Displaced Persons After all?

T

hat Nigeria is an ailing nation is a notorious fact.

But what irks is the way and manner its contradictions almost always find ways of bubbling to the fore to submerge the inherent positive values of a people otherwise marked for greatness.

The case of the country seems to be that of one week one trouble, ranging from the comical to the bizarre and the unbelievable. Nigeria kills hope; enervates even the most endowed and inspired of her citizens; and fritters away the goodwill of the world.

It takes a country like Nigeria to, in one breadth move close to defeating boko haram terrorism and in another, deliberately recreate (by state actions, inactions or both) the circumstances that led to the birth of the deadly sect in the first place. What is going with the Shittes in Kaduna and spreading to other states of the north is an example. The menace of herdsmen who have become agents of death and destruction in the middle-belt and other parts of the country in recent times is another. So also is the resurgent militancy in the Niger delta. The list can go on and on. But the focus of this column today is the fate of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) littered in many camps and make-shift holding areas in the North-east and other parts of Nigeria.

The situation with the IDPs has unfortunately become another sad example of the contradictions of Nigeria; a representation of almost everything that is wrong with us as a people forcefully bond together in a marriage of convenience contrived by British colonialism. Images of malnourished children from the camps are now juxtaposed with stories of sleaze by officials who cart away food and supplies meant for them. It seems the country’s public officials are no longer moved by fear of shame anymore.

That is why a probe of this highly distraught situation by the National Assembly is stimulating only a half-hearted and haphazard response from those charged with the responsibility of providing food and care for the millions of displaced persons.

The other day, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, shunned a hearing by the House of Representatives Committee on IDPs investigating allegations of mismanagement and misappropriation of billions of naira voted for this unfortunate and underprivileged lot. It was at this investigation that the nation was shocked with disclosure that N270million was allegedly used to clear grass in the IDP camps where hunger and diseases are threatening to finish up the blood-sucking campaign of destruction which boko haram started. Another frivolous expenditure of N188.69 million allegedly for Nigerian refugees living in Minawao, Republic of Cameroon also came under spotlight. About N12billion was voted for the Presidential Initiative on the North-East (PINE) to alleviate the sufferings of the displaced but a substantial sum of this money seems to have been deployed to aggravate their misfortune.

Mr. Sani Zoro, Chairman of the Reps Committee rightly expressed disappointment over the disdainful non-appearance by the SGF who “did not write to intimate us on why his office would not come to explain why issues of internally displaced persons have remained un-encouraging, in spite of the billions of naira claimed to have been spent.” The

PEOPLE2PEOPLE WITH

OKE EPIA Telephone (sms only): 07059850016 Email: resourceman.oke@live.com.

Twitter: @resourceme

Dambazzau, Minister of Internal Affairs

lawmaker spoke further: “As the secretary to the government under whose office the rehabilitation of the North-East was placed, we had expected him to come to throw light on the financial expenses made by his office. We also expected him to explain the implementation framework being used to spend money. We have been inundated by reports of diversion of materials and funds meant for the rehabilitation of the IDPs, and the North-East and the scandal had led to international embarrassment for the country. Given the issues of credibility and integrity raised against the agency in charge of the North-East Initiative (PiNE) which falls under the SGF office, we had expected him to respect the invitation.” As I write, there has been no official reaction from Mr. Lawal on these nerve-racking allegations against his office.

In a similar move, the Senate during the week commenced a separate investigation of the IDPs situation. Its President, Bukola Saraki during the inauguration of an ad-hoc committee for that purpose vowed that looters of the funds will be fished out. He said the Committee chaired by Sen. Shehu Sani, the renowned ex-civil society activist from Kaduna State, has a mandate to act on behalf of the displaced 4.5 million families in the North East who are in desperate need of assistance; another 1 million in danger of extreme malnutrition; and the over 2 million who are beyond the reach

of aid. “The whole world is watching. We must ensure that there are no cover-ups as this is the first committee of its kind that has been inaugurated to embark on this task,” Saraki told the committee, adding that: “The recommendations that you will submit from the investigation will help us ascertain how much has been spent in our response to this crisis, and will also help us improve our coordination efforts so that the international community will have confidence in us.”

Speaking with the air of someone fully aware of the burden placed on his shoulders, Sen. Sani expressed readiness to deliver on the task. “It is alleged that billions of naira and countless trucks of grains meant for the IDPs have been misappropriated and diverted,” he said, noting rather regretfully that “this has been happening while according to UNICEF, an estimated 400,000 children under the age of 5 will suffer from severe acute malnutrition and more than 4 million people are facing food shortages. It is very alarming that the UNHCR has put Nigeria at Level 3, being the highest level of humanitarian emergency in the world. At a time when our gallant troops are winning the war on terror, some people are choosing to engage in corrupt practices and self-enrichment. This is sabotage bordering on treason. This is blood money.”

But while the trail of this blood money is being tracked by federal legislators, good news about the recovery of 21 out of the over 200 abducted Chibok girls filtered into town. It has been celebration and chest-thumping by the administration which has come under intense criticisms for its failure to rescue the girls as promised during the electioneering campaigns. President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday captured the upbeat mood of his government on the development when he hosted the freed girls at the state house and promised to turn their lives 360 degrees. “My dear children,” he began, “this is a happy moment for me and for all Nigerians. I welcome you back to freedom. It is a moment your parents, the nation and the international community have been eagerly waiting for, since your abduction on 14th April 2014. These dear daughters of ours have seen the worst that the world has to offer. It is now time for them to experience the best that the world can do for them. The government and all Nigerians must encourage them to achieve their desired ambitions.” For emphasis, the President said: “Aside from rescuing them, we are assuming the responsibility for their personal, educational and professional goals and ambitions in life. Obviously, it is not late for the girls to go back to school and continue the pursuit of their studies.

These 21 girls will be given adequate and comprehensive medical, nutritional and psychological care and support.

The federal government will rehabilitate them, and ensure that their reintegration back to the society is done as quickly as possible.” That is heart-warming. But it will be more than heart-warming if the hundreds if not thousands or millions of girls, boys and toddlers threatened with extreme malnutrition, diseases and death in IDPs camps are protected from blood-sucking vampires in government. In that way, we can retain some hope that Nigeria is not an entirely lost cause; and that we have not all become IDPs in morals, sense of humanity and humaneness.

––Epia, Publisher of OrderPaper.ng is on Twitter @ resourceme.

26

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

auTO

BMW i8 Spyder to Launch by 2018 Stories by Bennett Oghifo

B

MW has confirmed that a roadster version of the i8 plug-in hybrid will launch within two years, according to Automotive News.

A concept version of the i8 Spyder was first seen back in 2012 at the Beijing Auto Show and production was scheduled to begin much earlier, but it has been delayed a number of times. Now, BMW CEO Harald Krueger confirmed that the i8 roadster will be joining the BMW lineup in 2018.

Alongside the new roadster, a revised version of the i8 coupe is also expected to launch in the next two years. Both cars are expected to have a longer-range battery pack and a more powerful electric motor. Currently, the i8 uses a 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbocharged 231-hp gas engine as well as a 131-hp electric motor for a combined total output of 362 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque.

Rumour has it that the new i8 will make somewhere around 420 horsepower.

Inspiration for the car will also come from the i Vision Future Interaction Concept, which was revealed at CES packing all sorts of technology and some new design ideas.

Also, BMW’s future interiors will be a SciFi dream. BMW rolled out two different i8 concepts along with an i3 and more to show off its latest technology at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show.

The star of these concepts is the BMW i Vision Future Interaction concept, which is an i8 with an interior packed full of futuristic technology.

High-resolution vehicle displays including a 21-inch screen are found throughout the interior, which are controlled using gestures, touch-sensitive surfaces and voice controls.

BMW says that the content on each screen will match the situation the vehicle is in, while other key info is shown on a head-up

BMW i8 Spyder

display.

This i8 concept has three drive modes that have a range of autonomy, from the highly autonomous auto mode to pure drive, in which the driver is in full control.

There is also the BMW i8 Mirrorless concept which, as the name implies, ditches its mirrors for cameras which feed their footage to a display which replaces the interior rear-view mirror. Besides showing you live footage, the screen will feature superimposed trajectory

lines along with yellow warning icons to show imminent hazards.

BMW also revealed its new Open Mobility Cloud, which allows the brand’s cars, in this case an i3, hook up to a smart home and with personal devices. This will allow all of your devices to share information with your vehicle, including your calendar, mobility options, energy status of the home and charge status of the i3.

This i3 is also fit with gesture control parking,

which means the car will recognize certain gestures and can drive into and out of a parking space fully autonomously. For security, bumper detect will know if the car is being tampered with and can send a live video feed to your device.

For those interested in BMW’s on two wheels, the brand showed off new laser light in the K1600 GTL that have a range of 600 meters.

The brand also showed a motorcycle helmet with a built-in head-up display.

HyundaiTucson, GenesisTop Segments in J.D. Power Experience Study

T

he J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Tech Experience Index StudySM, named the Tucson and Genesis highest in overall customer experience with vehicle technology in the SUV and midsize premium segments. The inaugural study measures owner experience, usage and interaction with driver-centric vehicle technology. Each model outperformed the competition in their respective segments, with Tucson ranking the highest in six evaluation categories – collision protection, comfort and convenience, driving assistance, entertainment and connectivity, and navigation.

The Genesis outperformed 20 other vehicles to rank highest in its competitive segment.

“Advanced safety and convenience technologies are top of mind for many drivers, and we are thrilled that our models are exceeding expectations in these crowded segments,” said Mircea Gradu, Director of Engineering & Quality, Hyundai Motor America. “From being among the first to implement and standardize leading safety technologies, Hyundai Motor is committed to providing better technologi-

cal solutions for a better owner and driver experience.”

Mircea Gradu, Director of Engineering & Quality, Hyundai Motor America, accepts 2016 U.S. Tech Experience Index trophies for the Tucson and Genesis from Mike Battaglia, Vice President of Automotive Retail Global Automotive Practice, J.D. Power.

About J.D. Power J.D. Power is a marketing, consumer intelligence, and data and analytics company that helps its clients measure, understand, and improve the key performance metrics that drive their growth and profitability. J.D. Power’s industry benchmarks, unique data and analytics platform and reputation for independence and credibility has established the company as one of the world’s most wellknown and trusted providers of Voice of the Customer insights.

Established in 1968, J.D. Power is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, and has offices in North/South America, Asia Pacific, and Europe.

2017 Hyundai Tucson

NADDC Combats Substandard Auto Parts

N

ational Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) is collaborating with relevant stakeholders to ensure that motor vehicles and auto spare parts, both imported and locally produced, that are offered for sale to members of the public in Nigeria meet the required international quality and safety standards.

Already, the stakeholders committee has commenced organizing series of training workshops across the country, exposing participants to identification techniques and skills required to differentiate between genuine and substandard motor spare parts with a view to halting or minimizing sales and utilization of substandard auto parts in order to reduce road traffic accidents thereby saving

thousands of lives of motorists and other road users annually.

One of such training workshops was held in Kano, recently, with over 300 participants had speakers drawn from Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Accident Prevention and Rescue Initiative (APRI), Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Toyota NigeriaLimited,KIANigeriaLimited,Amalgamated Motor Spare Parts DealersAssociation (ASPAMDA), Nigeria Custom Services (NCS), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), Robert Bosch Nigeria Limited and NADDC. In his keynote address at the Kano workshop, Director General of NADDC, Engr. Aminu Jalal, representedbyhisTechnicalAdviser,Engr.Abubakar

Dalhat said, “SubstandardAutomotive spare parts in motor vehicles often function improperly, or fail prematurely causing damages or drastic loss of efficiency to the affected vehicle. The implication of the failure of such substandard safety parts in vehicles is often very severe, leading in some cases to road crashes that could cause loss of lives, and in most cases resulting in financial losses, not just to vehicle owner but also to other road users.”

He emphasised that motor parts, whether those classified as safety items or non-safety items must conform to international standards at all times because their sudden failure in service might result in fatal crashes; adding that NADDC in collaboration with SON had so far adopted over 130 international automotive standards for safety and other parts.

The NADDC DG enumerating other critical measures being taken to enhance standards in the Nigerian automotive industry: Auto Test Centres: NADDC has achieved almost 90% completion stage in the establishment of world class automotive test laboratories for emission, components and materials located in Lagos, Enugu and Zaria. The laboratories would be commissioned by the end of the year.

SONCAP for Imported Vehicles: At our request, the SON planned to start implementing Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) on imported vehicles by requiring that all used vehicles imported into Nigeria have a roadworthiness certificate from their country of origin.

27

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

auTO SAFE DRIVING

JONAS AGWU

with

(Asst Corps Marshal) Zonal Commanding Officer Zone RS7 Abua phone 08077690700 FRSC TOLL FREE NO 122 Email:j.agwu@frsc.gov.ng

Do You Drive Blind?

L-R: Head, Customer Service, Kia Motors Nigeria, Mrs. Bukola Maduka; Head, Marketing and Communications, Mr. Peter Ayewoh, Nigeria Customer Service Award; Coordinator, Nigeria Customer Service Award, Dr. Aliyu Iliyas; and Customer Care Executive, Kia Motors Nigeria, Mrs. Yetunde Busari

Kia Wins Customer Service Award of the Year Stories by Bennett Oghifo

K

IA Motors Nigeria has over the years distinguished itself in the industry and hinged its business operations on providing exceptional customer service to meet the ever-increasing demands of customers.

This unflinching resolve earned the brand the award for the best customer service provider and the winner of

the 2016 Nigeria Customer Service Award (NCSA) in the automobile category.

In this year’s edition of the Nigeria Customer Service Award held at the Civic Towers in Lagos, Kia was singled out for superior customer service.

The award is recognition of the brand’s proactive practices, continuous improvements, and dedicated resolve to streamline its processes to make service offering more customer-focused. It recog-

nises the top-rated industry players by assessing customer satisfaction, responsiveness and customer experience features as indicators of exceptional achievement. In view of this, Kia’s exceptional service has helped edged it above competition to be awarded the best service provider in the auto industry.

The organiser critically examines customer feedback at a long-term touch-point through mystery visits, online polls, cold

calls to customers and use the results from the analysis to determine the winners of the award across all major industries in the country.

The 2016 award winners were determined based on results from surveys distributed to customers, hence, Kia exceeded the expectations of its customers from sales to exceptional after sales service and this unprecedented feat was adjudged the best in the industry by the organisers.

Web Voting opens for NAJA Awards

A

s the date for the 2016 Nigeria Auto Journalists Awards (NAJA) draws nearer, the organisers of the event have called on the public to vote for their favourite nominees on the website of the Nigeria Auto Journalists Association.

According to a statement released by the organisers, members of the public can log on to www.naja.com. ng and cast their vote as the votes cast will constitute 50% of the total votes to arrive at the winners. The other 50% will be done by the different auto journalists cutting across print, broadcast and on-line.

The event which is slated for Thursday, November 24, 2016, at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, has nominations in different categories in products/services, personalities and prominent

: 2016 Lexus RX 350

industry personalities.

Other highpoint of this year’s award will be in the Car-Of-The-Year (COTY) category where Toyota

Corolla, Peugeot 301 and Nissan Almera were selected.

Other categories of awards are Luxury Car Of The Year, Road Safety Personality of The

Year, Heavy Duty Truck of The Year, Auto Plant Of The Year, Auto Personality Of The Year and CSR Company Of The Year.

18th Abuja International Motor Fair Begins on October 25

T

he annual Abuja International Motor Fair will hold at the Eagle Square, Abuja from October 25-November 1, 2016.

According to the Chairman of the organizing committee for the event Mr. Ifeanyichukwu Agwu, the event, which is having its 18th edition, is targeted towards boosting investments in the sector, which despite the economic downturn is set to seriously assume its rightful place in the Nigerian economy.

He assured that the platform of this edition has been packaged to increasing the attention of the government to the importance of urgently addressing the current challenges in the sector so as to use it to drive the nation’s economic diversification policy.

Disclosing this recently in a chat with journalists, Agwu, who is also the Managing Director of BKG Exhibitions Limited, organizers of the event said that every effort have been deployed to ensure that through the event, the sector receives the needed

support from the government and the private sector to enhance its’ rapid development. “We are packaging a show that will showcase all the existing and potential investment opportunities that abound in the Nigerian automotive industry, which we believe are very attractive to existing and prospective investors”, he announced.

According to him, this edition of the annual event is set to provide the litmus test to the shape of things in the industry with the current paradigm shift in the

economy, government and the automotive sector. “The quality and quantity of showcased automobiles is undoubtedly the primary yardstick of measuring the success of any auto exhibition. This means that auto enterprises showcasing at any exhibition must ensure visibility, wholeness and completeness, not leaving anything to chance”.

These will be highly on display at the Eagle Square Abuja from October 25-November 1, 2016 under the auspices of the Abuja International Motor fair”.

O

n Thursday, Oct 13, 2016,221 people made up of drivers and others enjoyedwhat in Nigerian parlance we call awoof. They were privileged to go through the compulsory eye screening jointly conducted by personnel from the Federal Road Safety Corps, Zone 6 headquarters, Port Harcourt, Rivers State and the Optometric Association in commemoration of the World Sight Day with the theme, ‘’Staying Strong’’. Besides the free eye screening, about 55 reading glasses were given out.

A breakdown of the one day event shows that a total of221 people made up of 187males and 34females were screened; a further breakdown shows that the number of persons above 18years was 211 while the number that received glasses was 50 made up of 47males and 3females.Outofthetotalnumber screened, 55 people made up of 53 males and 2females were referred.

Out of the total number of cases seen, some of the results were as follows;, Glaucoma(10), Myopia(10) and Hyperopia(60) .There were other findings such as cases of cataract, presbyopia, bacteria conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis just to mention a few. My concern is however on these findings that have significant bearings on our ability as an Agency to promote a safer road culture in keeping with our statutory mandate as contained in our 2007 Establishment Act. Let me start with the first finding which shows 10people with cases of glaucoma. Glaucoma, I was tutored by my colleague affectsthevisualfieldofaperson, which means all the points of a physical environment that can be perceived by a stable eye.

Glaucoma literally can result to tunnel vision, a situation whereby the driver cannot see peripherally. Adequate visual fieldisveryimportantfordrivers asperipheralvisionisneededfor common driving tasks such as useofsidemirror.Alsoglaucoma can affect central visual field as well resulting to the driver havinghazyvisiontherebyknocking down a pedestrian or running into an oncoming vehicle.

Therefore drivers with visual field defects show poorer performances with driving speed, steering stability and tune to collision. The second finding is the 10 people with myopia.

Myopia is called short sightedness; drivers who do not wear their prescription will be susceptible to having crashes because of their hazy vision.

Night myopia is an increase in shortsightedness at night or low light levels. Drivers with this condition may be involved in night tune road crashes due to

the inability to see glare (blazing light) from an oncoming vehicle.

It is found that night myopia is prevalentinyoungerdriversand such drivers should be restricted from driving at night.

60peoplehadcasesofHyperopia: This is called farsightedness; here, the driver cannot see properly at very near and at a near distance. In this case, the driver might have difficulty in recognizing near targets such as the speedometer and pedestrians not too far from the vehicle especially at night and as well experience glare.

From the screening exercise, two cases worth mentioning are two drivers whose conditions wereindeedfrightening;thefirst one who is about 63 years of age claimed to have driven for more than 20years with vision on one eye counting finger (counting finger -cf)at 3 meters while the second one who was referred is about 40 years of age, drives drunk and has high hyperopia (long sightedness) and therefore experiences glare. These two cases are similar to the one that occurred some 10years ago at the, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja where a driver was actually driving with dark glasses at night until luck ran out on him when they observed the driver had difficulty controlling his vehicle whenever there was an oncoming vehicle whose headlights obviously blurred the vision of the driver. After pleading to the driver to take off his dark glasses, a male commuter sitting by his side, smartly removed the dark glass. Shock was written all over the faces of the commuters when they noticed the driver was a one eye sight man.

I couldn’t lay my hand on a research findings on people driving without prescribed glassesexcepttheoneIstumbled on Daily Mail by TIM UTTON, who raised the alarm that millions risk driving with bad eyesight.Inthatreport,henoted’’ that motorists who need glasses or contact lenses but drive without them increase their risk of an accident four-fold,Afifth (21 per cent) of motorists who need glasses or contact lenses always drive without them,37 per cent haven’thadaneyetestinthepast two years or more,’ Popping to the shops’ is the most common occurrence of driving without glasses or contact lenses,UK drivers risk invalidating their insurance, a £1,000 fine or could face prison if they cause an accident due to defective vision’’.I hopetodealwiththereportmore but for now let us take a look at the provisions of the law here withrespecttoblinddrivingSeeing and being seen is one of the planks on which our campaign on safer roads stands.Available data on the state of the sight of most drivers is hard to come by in our clime unlike the case in developed climes.

28

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OctOber 22, 2016

FAMILY HEALTH with

Look Closely at Your Teeth

T

he first thing that you would notice on anyone’s face is their teeth. Those prominent white, creamy , or brownish structures in the mouth. This invariably means that the state of your teeth matters a lot , as this says a lot about you. This means that the state of your teeth , can make or mar your appearance.

An adult human being has 32 teeth and all these have their names which are given based on their set, arch, class, type and side. There are two set of teeth in human beings, one set is primary or baby teeth and permanent or adult teeth. The set of teeth that replaces primary teeth are called permanent dentition which is a group name.

Teeth Names are also given depending on the arch a tooth is found in; maxillary is the name given to the • teeth in the upper jaw and mandibular to those in the lower jaw.

•

Care of the teeth • Brush regularly. Brushing is the cornerstone of dental, hygiene. It removes food particles that bacteria feed on, cleans teeth, and freshens breath. A toothpaste with fluoride helps strengthen teeth, but you must brush for at least two minutes to allow it to do its work.

Your oral health is about more than a sparkling, white smile. It’s also about protecting your mouth from plaque, the sticky bacteria that can build up on your teeth and gums.

The bacteria produce acids in your mouth that can weaken your tooth enamel, lead to

lifeissuesfromwithin@yahoo.com, .Cel, 08053372356

A balanced diet includes plenty of fruit and vegetables, as well as starchy foods, such as bread, rice, potatoes and pasta (choose wholegrain versions and eat potatoes with their skin where possible). You should also eat sources of protein such as meat, fish, eggs, beans or other non-dairy sources of protein, and some milk and dairy foods (ideally lower-fat options). Only eat small amounts of food and drinks high in fat and sugar.

Classes of teeth There are four classes of teeth namely: incisors, canines, premolars and wisdom teeth. Children teeth otherwise known as deciduous teeth also have the same names except wisdom teeth which normally come out at the age of 18. The upper teeth of the adult have the following names: central incisors, lateral incisors, canine , first premolar , second premolar , first molar, second molar, third molar (wisdom teeth). The lower teeth consist of third molar (wisdom teeth), second molar, first molar, second premolar (first bicuspid), canine, lateral incisor and nuclear incisor. In addition, baby teeth also have their names which include the following upper teeth: central incisor, lateral incisor, canine), first molar and second molar. The lower teeth names are: second molar, first molar, canine, lateral incisor and central incisor.

Names and functions of teeth Human teeth names are associated with their functions. The teeth are categorised into four; they have typical appearance and perform specific function. They perform these functions according to their shapes and morphology.

Human species are omnivorous because they eat both plant and meat and this particular characteristic demands two specific types of teeth namely; incisors also referred to as cutting teeth 1. are used to cut foods into smaller pieces to facilitate inward movement into the mouth.

In this type are also canines which are also known as eye 2. teeth, they have sharp and pointed edges which are used for chewing and grinding, they can also pierce and rip at edge of the cusps. The most important function is that they start grinding the foods before transferring it to the molars for final grinding and swallow3. ing. The work of the dentist is made simpler because of the teeth names which are associated with their functions.

BOBO BODE -KAYODE

Your oral health is about more than a sparkling, white smile. It’s also about protecting your mouth from plaque, the sticky bacteria that can build up on your teeth and gums.

The bacteria produce acids in your mouth that can weaken your tooth enamel, lead to tooth decay, and irritate your gums

tooth decay, and irritate your gums. They can also lead to the number one cause of tooth loss in adults: gum disease. Your dental health routine and the right dental products can help.

But good dental health goes beyond the way you look. The mouth is the gateway to the body, which means the state of your teeth and gums affects your overall health.

Taking care of your general health and your mouth is the key to making the most of your smile. Brushing your teeth twice a day (last thing at night before you go to bed and on one other occasion) with fluoride toothpaste and having regular check-ups with a dentist can help to keep your teeth healthy. Diet, smoking and drinking alcohol also have an effect on dental health.

Floss daily. Flossing removes the bacteria from in between your teeth that your toothbrush does not reach, which helps prevent gum disease. It is recommended flossing twice a day, but if you only do it once daily, be sure to floss before bedtime. When you sleep, you produce less saliva, which leaves teeth and gums particularly vulnerable to bacteria.

Visit your dentist. Visit your dentist at least twice a year for thorough dental cleanings.

Your dentist can spot the early signs of gum disease, which is more easily treated when caught in the beginning stages. If you are prone to gum disease and cavities, consider visiting your dentist every four months.

Healthy diet : diet is good for your teeth What you eat and drink can cause tooth decay, so a healthy diet is important for your teeth.

Cut down on sugary foods to prevent tooth decay Limiting the amount of sugar you eat and drink is important to prevent decay.

A lot of the sugars we eat and drink are in food and drinks such as: sweets, chocolate, cakes and biscuits • sugary drinks, including soft drinks, • fizzy drinks, milky drinks with added sugar, and alcohol fruit juice, including unsweetened • fresh fruit juice and smoothies buns, pastries and fruit pies • sponge puddings and other puddings • table sugar added to food or drinks, • such as tea • sugary breakfast cereals • jams, marmalades, honey and syrups • ice cream and sorbets • dried fruit or fruit in syrup • syrups and sweet sauces Limit your intake of smoothie and fruit juice try as much as possible not to exceed a glass of only one of these a day. Sugars occur naturally in foods such as fruit and milk, but we don’t need to cut down on these types of sugars. However when fruit is juiced or blended, as in smoothies, the sugars are released from the structure of the fruit. Once released, these sugars can damage your teeth so it’s best to drink fruit juice or smoothies at mealtimes. Your combined total of drinks from fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies should not be more than 150ml a day – which is a small glass.

For example, if you have 150ml of orange juice and 150ml smoothie in one day, you’ll have exceeded the recommendation by 150ml.

Alcohol Alcohol can also erode the outer surface of the teeth, leading to a loss of enamel. If this happens, you may need to go to the dentist for a filling. Drinking too much has also been linked to an increased risk of developing mouth cancer. The most important risk factors for mouth cancer are the combined effect of smoking and drinking alcohol. It’s estimated that heavy drinkers and smokers have a 38 times increased risk of developing mouth cancer than people who neither drink nor smoke.

Smoking This is very harmful to your teeth. Smoking can stain your teeth yellow, cause bad breath. and increases your risk of gum disease, as well as causing many other serious health problems.

What can stain your teeth It is well known that the foods and drinks you take in can stain your teeth. Wine, cigarette smoke, tea and coffee are all teeth-staining culprits. Keep them to a minimum to stop your teeth becoming stained. Your dentist or hygienist can give your teeth a professional clean, which may help to reduce the staining.

GLOBAL SOCCER

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • JUNE 16, 2011

A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

Ola Aina

Super Eagles on His Mind?

22.10.2016

No Red Carpet for Mourinho PAGE. 29

30

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

GLOBAL SOCCER

Super Eagles on His Mind?

Wooing European players of Nigerian origin for the Super Eagles is apparently becoming a norm for the eggheads of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF. Chelsea’s new kid, Ola Aina is the latest player likely to be wooed by the NFF and may join Nigeria’s 2018 World Cup qualifying train. Kunle Adewale reports

L

ast weekend, Ola Aina made his Premier League debut as he replaced compatriot; Victor Moses in Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat of defending champion, Leicester City.

After the game, the right-back took to Twitter to express his delight.

“So buzzing right now,” he wrote on Twitter before adding, “Another huge milestone for me. Really pleased to have made my Premier League debut @Chelseafc.

Chelsea's boss, Antonio Conte, was happy to hand the 20-year-old his Premier League debut.

"Today, I'm pleased because I saw the things we have been working on this week. Above all, I'm pleased for the players because when you work so hard during the week, it's logical you want to see a good result and a good game.

"Now we have a whole week to work and to see who is in the best shape to play the next match. The players know I want to see the right commitment and work-rate, after that I decide the formation. Another young player from the academy, Ola Aina, played his first Premier League game, and showed he is really able,” the Chelsea boss said.

Chelsea have long been criticised for failing to provide a pathway from their all-conquering youth sides, who have been crowned European champions in the past two seasons, to the first team but Conte intends to change that.

According to him, “People who know me will know I don't gift a place to anyone,” Conte said. “Only those who deserve to play will play for me. It is important for Aina to understand this. In the future, he can play from the start. Age is not important. I made my first appearance in Serie A at only 16.”

Already, Super Eagles' captain and Chelsea team-mate, Mikel Obi, has already called upon the England Under-20s to represent Nigeria as against the country of his birth after Aina impressed in Chelsea preseason debut against Bristol Rovers.

"I keep asking him: 'When are you going to come and play for Nigeria?'

and he jokes: 'Whenever you come and invite me I will play.

I think it is something that we would have to discuss, " Mikel told Goal.

"If he wants to play, we would have to speak to the federation and make sure he really wants to play for Nigeria. If he is ready, we can talk about that, but in the few times we have talked about it, he hasn’t given me a very positive, decisive answer to take back to the FA. I need a positive answer for me to take the case forward to the FA. We will see what happens," Mikel said.

Aina's performance stood out to the midfielder during Chelsea's pre-season tour of Austria and the United States, where the youngster made three starts and several substitute appearances to force his way into manager Antonio Conte's plans.

"Aina is a very, very good player," he added. "He has improved quite a lot after playing in a few friendly games and he played really, really well. I was quite impressed by his performance and it is only a matter of time before these kids break into the first team."

In a telephone chat with THISDAY from his base in America, former Nigeria midfielder, Paul Okuku said he had watched some of Aina’s clips and feels that he has a place in the national team if he decides to play for Nigeria.

“It is left for the football federation and the national team manager to decide if he is good enough to play for the team, but from the little I have seen of him I have no doubt in my mind that he has a place in the team, if not now, surely in the nearest future,” Okoku noted.

Continuing he said, “when you consider the fact that Nigeria is in a very tough group in the World Cup qualifier, we therefore need our best legs notwithstanding where they are from to prosecute the qualifying campaign. In fact, the fact that Aina is a defender is an added advantage as the defence was the weakest link in our

Aina

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OCTOBER 22, 2016 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

GLOBAL SOCCER

Aina tries a club over the goalkeeper

first game against Zambia with too many errors of which we cannot afford to repeat in matches against tougher opponents like Algeria and Cameroon which we are still going to play.”

Asked if the trend of relying on Nigeria foreign-based players for Super Eagles matches is not a wrong signal to the local league, Okoku said: “Unfortunately, that is the situation we have found ourselves. The Nigeria League is not as lucrative as it was during our days whereby the bulk of the national team players were homebased. But thank God for the effort of the League Management Company, LMC, that is trying to revive the local league and with the way it is going, the league’s glamour will soon return and the national teams will benefit from it.”

Aina’s love for his motherland has never been in doubt. Early this year, the Chelsea player exhibited his philanthropic nature when he revealed his plans to ship off all his old football gear to the less privileged in Nigeria and the kind gesture has endeared him to the Stamford Bridge faithful after he announced on Instagram that he would be sending his used “boots, balls and kits” to the less privileged in Lagos.

The 19-year-old was born in Southwark, London and has represented England youth sides for years now. He has played in England Under-19s, Under-18s, Under-17s, and Under-16s and has also won trophies with Chelsea Under-21 Premier League 2013/14;

It is left for the football federation and the national team manager to decide if he is good enough to play for the team, but from the little I have seen of him I have no doubt in my mind that he has a place in the team, if not now, surely in the nearest future, Aina stops A.C Milan striker, Niang during one of Chelsea's pre-season matches

FA Youth Cup 2013/14, 2014/15, and UEFA Youth League 2014/15.

Aina signed for the club as an Under-11 and started his career as a right-winger before establishing himself as a highly mobile fullback, who is also capable of playing as a central defender.

He made his youth team debut as a schoolboy in the 2012/13 season and went on to start in both legs of the semi-final and final of the FA Youth Cup. In his debut season as a scholar, Aina featured regularly for Adi Viveash’s Under-18s and was an ever-present on the way to Youth Cup success. European Under-19 and domestic Under-21 debuts followed, with the defender utilised as a centre-back as the senior age group won their domestic title.

Aina’s prominence in the Youth Cup continued in 2014/15 when he

won the trophy for the second time.

His run of 18 consecutive appearances in the competition across three seasons is unprecedented.

He also played in every game in the Under-19s’ triumphant UEFA Youth League campaign, scoring in the group opener at home to Schalke, while establishing himself as an Under-21 regular. Aina signed a first-year professional contract in October 2013 committing him to the club until the end of the 2015/16 season.

It remains to be seen if Aina would follow the pathway of Super Eagles players such Moses and Alex Iwobi that dumped England for Nigeria after initially representing them at age-grade level.

And with the shaky defence put up by the Eagles against Zambia, with many elementary errors, NFF eggheads might have little choice

G LO B A L S O C C E R ASSISTANT EDITOR KUNLE ADEWALE LAYOUT DESIGNER WAHAB AKINTUNDE THISDAY ON SATURDAY EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITOR YEMI ADEBOWALE THISDAY NEWSPAPERS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

GLOBAL SOCCER

Diego Coasta will be a thorn in the flesh of Mourinho

No Red Carpet for Mourinho as the ‘Special One’ Returns to Stamford Bridge

When Jose Mourinho was officially announced as Manchester United's new manager in May, one of the first things Chelsea fans wanted to know was when the 'Special One' would make his highlyanticipated return to Stamford Bridge.

A

fter all, Mourinho is regarded as one of Chelsea's greatest, if not their greatest, ever manager despite the Portuguese seeing his second spell in charge of the west London side come to an unexpected end last December.

With Mourinho moving on with Chelsea's Premier League rivals United and Antonio Conte doing a good job of picking up the pieces at Stamford Bridge, the clash between the Blues and the Red Devils this weekend will certainly be an intriguing affair.

Not only will it mark Mourinho's first game back at Chelsea since leaving 10 months ago, but it will also give both clubs the chance to move into the top four.

After a wobble in September, Conte and Mourinho both appear to have discovered their best lineups and formations in the last few weeks. Neither manager will want to risk losing momentum with a defeat, so we could be in for a very cagey game of football at Stamford Bridge.

The improvement from Chelsea in the last two matches has been astounding. Where they looked so soft against Arsenal they’ve

discovered an edge both at the back and going forward. They were superb in the predicted win against Leicester.

There are plenty of reasons for this, but the first that comes to mind is the midfield. Matic and Kanté is as tough a partnership as it gets, and everything about the pairing seems to work.

It puts Kanté in a midfield two, which was the setup that got the best out of him at Leicester. But it has also reawakened a creative flair in Matic that first came to the fore during his time at Benfica.

So in a crude way you could draw comparisons between Chelsea’s midfield this season and Leicester’s last year, if you see Matic as an equivalent to Drinkwater.

Yet, while Chelsea are playing exciting football and appear to be on the right track again, Blues fans will be wary as they’ve failed their two major tests this season. We can’t forget that they were looking good before the defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal and with this in mind Conte may try to play it safe against United. This match may be one for the tactically-minded fans to admire.

There’s nothing pretty about it, but you can

bet that Mourinho’s style of football will eke out results from difficult fixtures. Before Monday, Liverpool had been rampant, thrashing all the big sides, and we expected them to take care of a stuttering United.

But the Red Devils, playing with a highly-defensive 6-3-1, kept chances to a minimum, and de Gea was alert enough to claw away anything that fell to Liverpool in the area.

Chelsea haven’t been as strong as Liverpool this season, having slipped up against the Reds and been thrashed by Arsenal. So now Mourinho has a decision to make.

Does he gamble on a win against his former club and send his midfielders over the halfway line, or aim for a repeat performance and hope to snatch a draw?

Chelsea have made an uncertain start to the season. And Mourinho, who studies opponents to find their weaknesses as much as any manager, will see things he can take advantage of. He will also know all about his former players, and is cunning enough to build a game plan around Chelsea’s shortfalls. David Luiz in particular is someone Mourinho didn’t rate, and the Por-

tuguese coach may single out the defender for special attention.

However Mourinho configures his side, one man who can change a game in an instant is Paul Pogba. For some reason the Frenchman has attracted criticism for his performances this season, but United are definitely better with him in the side.The problem with spending a record fee on a deep midfielder is that people expect goals from a position in which few players are regular scorers. And the players who do score need to be in a very specific setup. It will take time for United to get this right.

If United’s approach to the Liverpool match is now their template for big away matches this season, then this fixture could be a bit drab. Conte favours a more enterprising style of football than Mourinho, but is also very tactically adept and won’t take risks he thinks are unnecessary. So we’ll probably see the two teams cancelling each other out.

Two days before being sacked in December a doomed Mourinho spoke of a "betrayal" of his work by some of the players who had propelled Chelsea to the Premier

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OCTOBER 22, 2016 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

GLOBAL SOCCER Premier League Man City Arsenal Tottenham Liverpool Chelsea Everton Man Utd Southampton Crystal Palace Watford Bournemouth West Brom Leicester Burnley West Ham Hull Middlesbrough Stoke Swansea Sunderland

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

11 10 9 8 6 6 5 3 2 0 0 1 -6 -6 -8 -12 -4 -9 -7 -9

19 19 18 17 16 15 14 12 11 11 11 10 8 7 7 7 6 6 4 2

Premiership v v v v v v v v

Tottenham 12:30 Middlesbrough 15:00 Everton 15:00 Stoke 15:00 Crystal Palace 15:00 Watford 15:00 Sunderland 15:00 West Brom 17:30

SUNDAY Man City Chelsea

v v

Southampton 13:30 Man Utd 16:00

Juventus Roma Milan Torino Napoli Lazio Chievo Cagliari Genoa Sassuolo Inter Bologna Atalanta Fiorentina Sampdoria Pescara Udinese Palermo Empoli Crotone 8

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 7 8 8 8 8 7 8 8 8 8 8 -12

12 9 4 8 6 6 1 -1 3 -2 0 -3 -2 0 -3 -3 -7 -7 -9 1

21 16 16 14 14 14 13 13 12 12 11 11 10 9 8 7 7 6 5

Head to Head

Mourinho makes an emotional return to Stamford Bridge

League title the previous season.

Fingers were pointed at Diego Costa, among others, and the Spanish striker's huge dip in form was a contributing factor to the Portuguese tactician's bitter exit.

Costa has started this season like the marauding forward Mourinho signed from Atletico Madrid, scoring seven goals in eight Premier League games, and he will be relishing the highly-charged atmosphere expected on Sunday.

The visit to Stamford Bridge could hardly have come at a worse time for a United side who have won only one of their last five Premier League games to stall what had been a promising beginning to the Mourinho reign.

United played Turkish club Fenerbahce

in the Europa League on Thursday before they can fully focus on the visit to west London. No wonder Mourinho, whose side are seventh in the table, said it was a time for digging in.

"This is not the week where we were expecting to close the distances to the top of the league. This is the week we have to keep contact with them.

Then we will arrive at the moment where we win three, four or five matches in a row and we will be there fighting with almost everybody for the title," he told the club's website (www.manutd. com).

It is not the first time Mourinho, who won two Premier League titles for Chelsea before his first sacking in 2007, will sit in the away dugout at Stamford Bridge. He masterminded a 1-0 win for Inter Milan over Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea in 2010 on the way to winning the Champions League.

07/02/16 28/12/15 18/04/15 26/10/14 19/01/14 26/08/13 05/05/13 28/10/12 05/02/12 18/09/11 08/05/11 01/03/11

Chelsea Man Utd Chelsea Man Utd Chelsea Man Utd Man Utd Chelsea Chelsea Man Utd Man Utd Chelsea

1-1 0 -0 1 -0 1 -1 3-1 0-0 0-1 2 -3 3 -3 3 -1 2 -1 2 -1

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

18 14 4 16 10 3 3 1 1 -1 -4 -7 -2 -4 -5 -9 -5 -11 -7 -15

18 18 17 16 16 15 12 11 10 10 10 10 9 9 8 8 7 7 6 2

Chelsea Everton Man City West Ham Arsenal Tottenham Arsenal Man City Liverpool Watford Swansea Sunderland

TODAY Espanyol Valencia Sociedad Granada SUNDAY Celta Vigo Sevilla Malaga Villarreal Madrid

v v v v

Eibar Barcelona Alavés Sporting

12:00 15:15 17:30 19:45

v v v v v

Deportivo Atletico Leganés Las Palmas Bilbao

11:00 15:15 17:30 17:30 19:45

Bundesliga Bayern Köln Leipzig Hertha Dortmund Hoffenheim Mainz Eintracht M’gladbach Leverkusen Freiburg Augsburg Bremen Wolfsburg Darmstadt Schalke Hamburger Ingolstadt

7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

14 8 7 4 10 3 2 2 0 2 -3 -3 -9 -4 -9 -4 -10 -10

17 15 15 14 13 13 11 11 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 2

Bundesliga Fixtures

Man Utd Chelsea Man Utd Chelsea Man Utd Chelsea Chelsea Man Utd Man Utd Chelsea Chelsea Man Utd

TODAY

Leverkusen

v

Hoffenheim

14:30

Ingolstadt

v

Dortmund

14:30

Hertha

v

Köln

14:30

Freiburg

v

Augsburg

14:30

Darmstadt

v

Wolfsburg

14:30

Bayern

v

M’gladbach

17:30

Leipzig

v

Bremen

14:30

Schalke

v

Mainz

16:30

SUNDAY

Hot Shots Diego Costa Romelu Lukaku Sergio Agüero Michail Antonio Theo Walcott Son Heung-min Alexis Sánchez Raheem Sterling James Milner Etienne Capoue Leroy Fer Jermain Defoe

Atletico Madrid Sevilla Barcelona Villarreal Bilbao Las Palmas Eibar Alavés Sociedad Leganés Celta Vigo Malaga Valencia Deportivo Real Betis Espanyol Sporting Osasuna Granada

Spanish La Liga Fixtures

TODAY Bournemouth Arsenal Burnley Hull Leicester Swansea West Ham Liverpool

Seria A

La Liga

7 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Serie A Fixtures TODAY Sampdoria Milan SUNDAY Udinese Atalanta Cagliari Crotone Empoli Torino Bologna Roma

v v

Genoa Juventus

17:00 19:45

v v v v v v v v

Pescara Inter Fiorentina Napoli Chievo Lazio Sassuolo Palermo

11:30 14:00 14:00 14:00 14:00 14:00 17:00 19:45

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

34

GLOBAL SOCCER\\OTHER SPORTS

Klitschko and Joshua

Kerber

Kyrgios Dumps Rotterdam Open for NBA Celebrity Game Australian Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of the Rotterdam Open to play in basketball's NBA All-Star Celebrity Game next February.

Rotterdam tournament director Richard Krajicek released the 21-year-old from his contract so he can take part in the basketball showpiece in New Orleans.

"Kyrgios prefers his passion beyond his profession," said Krajicek.

Kyrgios is suspended for eight weeks from the ATP Tour for not producing his "best effort" in Shanghai last week.

The world number 14, who had won the Japan Open the previous week, patted the ball over the net several times when

serving in his 6-3 6-1 secondround defeat by Mischa Zverev in China.

He also began walking back to his chair before a Zverev serve had landed.

Kyrgios subsequently said he was "truly sorry" and would use this time during his suspension "to improve on and off the court".

The sanction, which included a fine of $25,000 (£20,560), will keep him off the tour until 15 January, although he could return

by November 7 if he agrees to an ATP plan that he consults a sports psychologist.

Krajicek, the 1996 Wimbledon champion, has added US Open champion Stan Wawrinka to the Rotterdam field in place

of Kyrgios.

"We wanted to hold [Kyrgios] to his contract," the Dutchman told the Nederlandse Omroep Stichting.

"You see what can happen when he is tired and [tennis] has little meaning, as in China.

We do not want that. So we decided to terminate his contract.

We want a top tennis player seen on the court. Kyrgios prefers his passion beyond his profession.

"If every week he is focused on tennis, he might be mentally burned out after six months. He needs an outlet."

Kyrgios represented his country at youth level as a basketball player, and said in an interview in June 2015 that

he preferred the sport to tennis.

Asked then if he might have had a career in basketball, Kyrgios said: "I thought I was going to. "I was trying to get there when I was 14 and every time when I'm playing now, I still think I can for some odd reason, even though I'm playing a completely different sport.

"That's just the way it is and unfortunately I think my basketball career has come to an end."

The NBA celebrity match is part of the organisation's All-Star weekend. It features three matches, culminating in the prestigious All-Star Game on 19 February, involving the NBA's top players.

Joshua, Klitschko Await WBA Decision Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko are awaiting a crucial decision from the WBA as their heavyweight world title fight hangs in the balance.

IBF champion Joshua has agreed to face Klitschko at the Manchester Arena on December 10, but the Ukrainian's manager Bernd Boente has admitted the 40-year-old could seek another opponent if the WBA title is not at stake.

WBA president Gilberto Mendoza is set to announce in the next 24 hours whether a belt will be on the line after a deadline passed on Wednesday for the organisation to make a decision.

Mendoza told ESPN: "The members of the committee have a deadline until (Wednesday) to respond."

Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed on Wednesday that Joshua's planned IBF title defence will go ahead on the same date and venue "regardless of if it's Klitschko or not".

Klitschko is believed to have lined up an alternative bout, with reports suggesting the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg has been booked on the same date for a possible fight against Australian Lucas Browne.

Meanwhile, David Price would gladly fight Anthony

Joshua if the opportunity came along, says his trainer David Coldwell.

The Liverpool heavyweight is expected to be named on the undercard for the IBF world champion's second defence at the Manchester Arena on December 10.

A planned fight between Joshua and Klitschko is hanging in the balance as the Ukrainian could seek another opponent if the WBA does not agree to put their vacant belt on the line.

With Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn admitting he is already looking at "other options" and Price previ-

ously linked with a possible all-British heavyweight battle, his trainer admits he would be happy to step in and fight the unbeaten champion.

"Nothing's been mentioned to us about a fight with AJ, and it's gone a bit quiet because of probably what is going on but maybe Eddie Hearn has got someone as a back-up," Coldwell told Sky Sports.

"But I've said all along, if he comes knocking then of course Pricey would take the opportunity. I've said before if something comes along and landed in his lap, like fighting AJ, yes, we'd take it.

Etisalat U-15: Abuja, Kwara Shine at Ilorin Play-off It was battle of supremacy as state school teams competing of the ongoing season three of the Etisalat U-15 School Cup football competition with Abuja and Kwara state dictate proceedings at the Ilorin centre.

The participating states include Kwara, Kogi, Nassarawa, Niger, Plateau, FCT, Benue and Cross River States with two states battling for the two

slots available to qualify for the Lagos National Finals billed to hold in November.

FOSLA Academy, Abuja and Socrates Secondary School, Kwara proved a handful to their respective opponents in the matches decided inside the main bowl of the Ilorin Township Stadium.

FOSLA Academy won 3-1 against Alhaji Azhan Inter-

national College, Kogi, while Kwara team got a 1-0 victory over Cross River team courtesy of Saheed Bakare who scored in the 36th minute.

The Abuja team continued their fine form with a 5-0 hammering of their counterparts from Nassarawa State, Mbagwa Commercial Secondary School while Niger defeated Plateau 2-0.

The national champion of

the 2016 edition will receive the Champions Trophy and a cash prize of N2 million educational award while its players will go home with N50,000 each. The second-placed team will go home with N1 million with the players pocketing extra N30,000 each while the third-place winner will have the sum of N750,000.00 for its efforts with its players receiving N20,000.00 each.

Hamilton Honoured to Appear in CoD Game World Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton is to appear in the latest Call of Duty video game.

Hamilton, who is locked in a battle with Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg at the top of the 2016 standings, will appear in six episodes of the game called

Call of Duty Infinite Warfare.

Speaking to French TV Channel M6, the 31-year-old self-confessed gaming fanatic said it was a huge honour to be asked to appear in the latest CoD edition.

"I grew up with Super Mario, where the graphics

were outdated at the time," said Hamilton, who plays a member of the crew aboard the player's home base spaceship Retribution.

"I loved it, it was a great experience, I am incredibly honoured to be part of it as I have been a fan of this game

for years.

"The experience of being put into the game, from the facial scanning process to working with the team and meeting the developers at the studios, has been just incredible."

The game will be released on November 4.

Stars Align for Kerber in Ascent to Top Spot Angelique Kerber is the world number one in women's tennis, yet it remains a title she has yet to grow accustomed to after her meteoric rise to the summit.

Still a relatively new experience, the 28-year-old German reached the peak of the women's game last month after landing her second grand slam title of the year at the U.S. Open, capping a stunning season for the left-hander from Bremen.

Kerber floated around the lower echelons of the top 10 for the last four years and did not even make the second week of a grand slam in 2015, but it all clicked in January.

A run to the final in Brisbane preceded a surprise upset win over Serena Williams to land the Australian Open title as the baseliner renowned for her strong defensive game finally realised her talent.

"All the experience from the last few years came together this year. The belief in myself, I've grown up a little bit more this year," she told Reuters of her new-found maturity.

"The victory in Australia, of course it's great, I continued it the last few months and I'm here now as the best player of the year... and the world actually," she added, chuckling as she corrected herself.

Kerber is guaranteed the year-end number one ranking after Williams pulled out of the $7 million season-ending WTA Finals in Singapore, which starts on Sunday, with a shoulder injury.

Kerber said she would "miss" the 22-times grand slam singles champion but did not offer a similar sentiment for Russia's Maria Sharapova, who is scheduled to return to the circuit in April after her 15-month doping ban expires.

"We will see when she is coming back, I don't know, I'm not thinking about this," she replied, appearing keen to change the subject.

Special Moment Instead Kerber, the first left-hander to top the world rankings in almost two decades, remains primarily focussed on advancing out of the group stage at the eight-woman WTA Finals for the first time.

Last year, she only needed to take one set from the alreadyeliminated Lucie Safarova to reach the semi-finals but struggled to contain her frustration and was easily beaten by the Czech to suffer a third early exit in as many visits.

"I learned a lot from this special moment because the pressure was really high for me last year and this year I'm handling (it) much better and this will never happen again," she said.

Kerber, who also claimed an Olympic silver at Rio and was beaten by Williams in the Wimbledon final, has also experienced a few lows in a year of many highs.

She followed up her victory in Australia with a first round exit at the French Open and has suffered surprise early defeats to Australia's Daria Gavrilova in Hong Kong and Elina Svitolina in China this month.

"The pressure is actually bigger... because people expect you to win every tournament," said Kerber, who will treat herself to a beach holiday after the Singapore tournament.

"Nobody has anything to lose against me. And everybody would like to beat me. The pressures are bigger than before but it's a great situation to be in, it's a new challenge for me and I'm happy to be there right now."

Fakeye, Friends TableTennis Tourney Holds at Ikoyi Club Gbolahan Okuneye and friends in the Table Tennis Section of Ikoyi Club is organising a one-day Lagos State Junior boys and girls table tennis tournament today.

The championship will feature 16 cadets players comprising of eight boys and eight girls players will be competing only in boys and girls singles.

The tournament is sponsored by Okuneye and friends in the table tennis section of the Ikoyi Club.

According to Okuneye, "the reason for the sponsorship is to expose the cadets’ table tennis players to competition because they need to play more competition such as this to enable them gain more exposure in the game. Also we believe that government alone can't continue to highhandedly sponsor sports. We are doing this to complement government's efforts in our own little way. "This is just an experimental event; our intention is to make it an annual tournament," he said.

35

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

WRITERS’ WORLD

What Does Tony Elumelu Want?

BISI DANIELS bisi.daniels@thisdaylive.com Blog: www.bisidaniels.com, 08050220700

Once in a while we focus on major contributors to the Nigerian dream. This week we look at Mr Tony Elumelu.

In a Philanthropy Psychology class, it is not unlikely to ask what people like Tony Elumelu want with their devotion to philanthropy. Some universities run courses or degree programmes in Philanthropic Studies or Philanthropic Psychology. With my background in economics, psychology, business reporting, corporate communications and as backroom player to decision makers, the subject easily piqued my interest

T

here are many reasons highly successful people are motivated to be philanthropists, instead of enjoying their success, often denominated in wealth. So what could be the motivation of Tony Elumelu, who has been making headline news in philanthropy?

One of the most recent was at the National Theatre in Lagos, where The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) signed an MOU with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture for the development of Nigeria’s creative industries.

The partnership is to provide a framework to bring creative industry stakeholders together with investors, financiers and business leaders to transform the creativity of industry entrepreneurs into a profitable sector capable of attracting international collaboration and contributing consistently to the national economy.

In April, the minister approached TEF with a challenge: “How can we work together to help transform the currently underdeveloped and unstructured creative industry ecosystem into an organized and profitable pool of creative industries that provide meaningful employment to thousands of Nigerians?”

The Foundation’s response is the framework which undergirds the MOU. Before then, in July 2016, the Presidency, through the office of the First Lady of Nigeria, Mrs. Aisha Buhari and wife of the Vice President of Nigeria, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo partnered with African businessman, Tony Elumelu, on an initiative to boost potential of Nigerian women in export.

Themed ‘Achieving Zero Oil Growth Through Women Inclusiveness in Global Export Trade’, the stakeholders forum and exhibition organised by the National Export Promotion Council and the International Trade Center (ITC) in Geneva, explored measures to increase economic empowerment of women through trade via the ITC’s SheTrades Initiative.

The goal of this initiative is to connect one million women to the international market by 2020.First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari stated that, “Nigerian women are extremely hardworking. We only need a little push, and this is the time”.

Profile

Tony Elumelu is so famous his profile is all over the internet: “Tony O. Elumelu is an entrepreneur and a philanthropist. The chairman of Heirs Holdings, United Bank for Africa Plc and Transcorp Nigeria Plc. “In his early career, he made a name for himself by turning the nearly bankrupt Standard Trust Bank into a top-five player in Nigeria. In 2005 he led the largest merger in the banking sector in sub-Saharan Africa, acquiring United Bank for Africa (UBA). In five years, he transformed it from a singlecountry bank to a pan-“African institution with over 7 million customers in 19 African countries.

In 2010, he commenced full-time operations at Heirs Holdings and founded The Tony Elumelu Foundation, an Africabased and African-funded philanthropic organization focused on supporting entrepreneurs in Africa by enhancing the competitiveness of the private sector.

“He serves as a member of the USAID’s

mentor and fund 10,000 entrepreneurs.

Others

• Tony Elumelu was a member of the World Economic Forum’s Regional Agenda Council on Africa.

• His presence on the Bretton Woods Committee, which brings together senior leaders in the global banking industry, is recognition of his work on African development.

• He is a Fellow of the Nigeria Leadership Initiative (NLI).

• He is involved, through his foundation, with the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative (AGI) in a partnership to strengthen the private sector’s role in the economic transformation of select African countries.

This partnership is called the Blair-Elumelu Fellowship Programme.

• He is co-chair of the Africa Energy Leaders’ Group (AELG) • Elumelu is a Trustee of the Infant Jesus Academy in Delta State Nigeria.

• Although under-reported, he is known to rush to the needs of people, and organizations caring for people in distress.

He is said to be silent about those.

Visibility at Business Fora Elumelu Private Capital Group for Africa Partners Forum. He sits on the Nigerian President’s Agricultural Transformation Implementation Council and serves as Co-Chair of the Aspen Institute Dialogue Series on Global Food Security. He played a leading role in the formation of the National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria and serves as its vice chairman. He is also a member of the Global Advisory Board of the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All Initiative.

“He is the author and leading proponent of the philosophy he calls “Africapitalism,” which is the private sector’s commitment to Africa’s development through longterm investment in strategic sectors of the economy that drive economic prosperity and social wealth.

“In 2003 the FG of Nigeria conferred the national honour of Member of the Federal Republic on Mr Elumelu. In 2012 he was also awarded the Commander of the Order of the Niger for his service in promoting private enterprise. He was recognized as one of “Africa’s 20 Most Powerful People in 2012”

by Forbes Magazine and the New African Magazine featured him in its list of the “100 Most Influential Africans in Business.”

Tony Elumelu’s Philanthropy

Following his retirement from United Bank for Africa in July 2010, Elumelu founded The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

The Foundation is the leading philanthropic organisation in Africa with the aim of promoting entrepreneurship as the catalyst for the socio-economic development of the continent. The Foundation has set itself apart from grant-making bodies, by operationalising integrated programmes to support entrepreneurship in Africa and by enhancing the competitiveness of the African private sector. TEF has achieved this namely through its flagship initiative, the TF Entrepreneurship Programme, a 10-year, $100 million commitment to identify, train

When a business forum matters here in the country or overseas, you are most likely to find Elumelu there promoting Africa business and entrepreneurship. At the US – Africa Business Forum (USABF) which was organized by Bloomberg and the United States department of Commerce held alongside the 2016 United Nations General Assembly, U.S. Secretary of Commerce commended Elumelu for his pivotal role in US-Africa business relations.

Elumelu was host to over 200 global leaders with Secretary of Commerce, Penny Pritzker as the guest of honour at the event.

Indeed, he had spoken at the USABF earlier that day after President Obama’s address, re –emphasising that America needs to expand and scale up their policies in Africa and not necessarily make changes to what they are doing on the continent.

Ms. Pritzker commended Tony Elumelu saying “Tony is an incredible entrepreneur and pivotal to U.S-Africa business relations.

He is a great friend of the U.S.” Also in attendance at the event were, former president of Nigeria, President Olusegun Obasanjo; Senior Political Analyst, Professor David Gergen; Chairman US EX-IM bank, Fred Hochberg; President of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, Elizabeth Littlefield; U.S. Executive Director at the World Bank, Mathew Mcguire; CEO UBA, Kennedy Uzoka; former CNN anchor, Zain Verjee; Vice Chairman, corporate council on Africa, Robert Perry; Founding President Devex, Raj Kumar; CEO of the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Olusegun Awolowo; CEO, President of the Business Council for International Understanding, Peter Tichansky amongst others.

So what does Tony Elumelu want?

Fame: Some people give for no altruistic reasons, but for fame, to show off that they are rich. For an already wealthy and famous man, a multiple chairman of companies with strong entrepreneurship pedigree, Elumelu couldn’t be driven by the quest for fame.

Otherwise, in the popular Nigerian style, he would have been dripping with chieftaincy titles, and with visible presence at social

functions.

Politics: Many people are involved in philanthropy with their eyes on politics.

But the demography of Tony Elumelu’s philanthropy does not hint about that motive, except in the most unlikely scenario of becoming President of the United States of Africa.

Silent Motives: There are silent motives and benefits of benevolence, but they are common to all givers and philanthropists.

They include spiritual benefits, happiness and good health.

A 2008 study by Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton and colleagues found that giving money to someone else lifted participants’ happiness more that spending it on themselves (despite participants’ prediction that spending on themselves would make them happier).

Happiness expert Sonja Lyubomirsky, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, saw similar results when she asked people to perform five acts of kindness each week for six weeks.

Scientists also believe that altruistic behavior releases endorphins in the brain, producing the positive feeling known as the “helper’s high.”

Also a wide range of research has linked different forms of generosity to better health, even among the sick and elderly. In his book Why Good Things Happen to Good People, Stephen Post, a professor of preventative medicine at Stony Brook University, reports that giving to others has been shown to increase health benefits in people.

Shades of Altruism

Researchers have been investigating the motives for philanthropy over the years.

They found that it falls into three broad categories, from the purely altruistic – I donate because I value the social good done by the charity. The “impurely” altruistic – I donate because I extract value from. And the not-at-all altruistic – I donate because I want to show off how rich I am.

From the texture, focus and demography of Tony Elumelu’s philanthropy, it would seem, without being told, that it is an altruistic personal motivation to support a cause close to his heart, part of which is sharing an overflowing gift of entrepreneurship with people across countries. Turning the nearly bankrupt Standard Trust Bank into a top-five player in Nigeria and leading the largest merger in the banking sector in sub-Saharan Africa, suggest a rare gift.

He admits the altruism motive when he says: “Africa’s development has become somewhat of a personal mission. It is my belief that Africans should take primary responsibility for our own development – because, to be blunt, no one is going to develop Africa but us. I also believe “charity” as conventionally defined is not the best solution for our continent. Instead, we need a “new philanthropy” that focuses on building the capacity of the private sector to create jobs and wealth – and that this leads to sustainable development.

“I firmly believe that we should be strategic and catalytic in our philanthropy.

It is not, and should not be, about simply providing funding, as this is only one of many possible tools for impact. I would encourage entrepreneurs to give their time and experience, and use their influence, to create impact.”

236

JUNE 2011 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER THISDAY, THE16, SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

FAIRGROUND

Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week Cocktail Party

with

AZUKA OGUJIUBA

azuka.ogujiuba@thisdaylive.com

H

eineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week will return for its 6th edition from the October 26-29, 2016 with Heineken as the headline sponsor.

The annual event, which attracts over 6,000 fashion insiders, including buyers, retailers, local and international press, celebrities, models, and special guests, will feature an exciting four-day line-up, consisting of the Fashion Business Series, LFDW X Retail, the #HeinekenLFDW After Party and Africa’s finest fashion design talent.

The event was formally announced to the press at a cocktail held at Heineken House, recently. Speaking at the event were: Omoyemi Akerele, Founder Style House Files and Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week; Sampson Oloche, Portfolio Manager, International Premium, Heineken; Londe Thompson, Project Manager, LFDW Fashion Focus; and Ronke Adeola, Project Manager, Fashion Business Series and XRETAIL. In a presentation, Omoyemi Akerele said the initiatives were spearheaded by Style House Files and supported by Nigerian Export Promotion Council which ran throughout the course of the year leading up to #HKLFDW. These initiatives with the objective to ensure that opportunities abound in the sector for skills acquisition, apparel manufacturing, access to market, included: The International Fashion Showcase in London, featuring designers from the Fashion Focus Programme; The Magic Trade Show in Las Vegas; The Fashion Business series seminars which for the first time, will host two editions in a year; and the apparel manufacturing courses running at the Human Capital Development Centre in Apapa.

Commenting on these initiatives and this year’s event, Akerele said, “The underlying vision has always been to move the conversation beyond fashion towards creating an ecosystem of thriving fashion businesses that can impact the Nigerian economic landscape. It’s about adding value to the industry, through creating various platforms that allow knowledge acquisition, skills development, access to market and showcasing talents to a networked global audience.”

Speaking on Heineken’s involvement this year, Oloche said, “Heineken is an innovative brand that has proven itself as a supporter of local businesses, entrepreneurs and the creative industry with our continued support of Lagos Fashion and Design Week.

This year, the World’s No. 1 International premium beer brand, will continue to push the boundaries in creating innovative designs and experiences.”

Londe Thompson, Project Manager Fashion Focus, talked about the programme’s new direction and the impact created during the Fashion Focus X British Council Creative Hustle Seminars recently held in Lagos, Enugu, Calabar and Abuja. In addition, the LFDW Fashion Focus scouting, took the form of a competitive open process aimed at selecting five Fashion Focus candidates, who will be enrolled in the programme for a year.

Commenting on the programme, she said, “Fashion Focus presents unique opportunities for emerging talents to harness their skills through business development, creative workshops, and a mentorship/internship. This year-long opportunity affords young designers with the tools they need to facilitate innovation, growth and commercial success.” Fashion Focus is supported by The British Council and The African Fashion Fund.

In line with LFDW’s role as catalysts on the scene, Fashion Business Series will host its 4th season tagged “Beyond Fashion” in partnership with FETS Wallet and Pal Pensions, announced Ronke Adeola, its project manager. Day 2 of #FBS will feature Fashionomics, a presentation which will explore how the African fashion value chains can be upgraded, making use of the talent,

Papa Omisore

Omoyemi Akerele flanked by the Heineken Team Fai de Swart, Biyi Fagade and Sampson Olochie (Portfolia Manager, International Premium)

Ijeoma Ndekwu (Head Press Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week)

Mai Atafo

Tobi Idowu Project Manager Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week

Akin Faminu Ozinna Anumudu, Omoyemi Akerele and Rimini

Tamila Kerimova

Tosin Odunfa

creativity and market opportunities in Africa at the global level where demand for African fashion is growing through a Business to Business online platform created by the African Development Bank, which will become operational in the first quarter of 2017.

LFDW X Retail is back! Designed to further position retail as a primary tool that contributes to the growth of the Nigerian fashion industry, this initiative will be pushed by the Style House Files #BuyNigerian campaign.

Ifeoma Odogwu

Favorn Ologu

Positioned as a commercial hub, guests will be able to shop a curated selection of fashion and lifestyle products from October 28-29, 2016.

Full Event Line-Up •Runway Shows: 26th -29th October, 2016 | 5pm – 10pm •Fashion Business Series: 27th October, 2016 | 10am – 3pm • Fashionomics: 28th October, 2016 | 9am

Denola Grey

– 1pm •XRETAIL: 28th – 29th October, 2016 | 11am – 6pm Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week is supported by Maybelline, Jumia, FETS Wallet, NEPC, Sterling Bank, Vlisco and The British Council. Media Partners: Business Day, BellaNaija, Style Vitae, YNaija, Spice TV, Genevieve Magazine, Guardian Life, Style Mania Magazine, Complete Fashion and Vanguard Allure.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

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FAIRGROUND

Singer, Esther Alo Releases Woman Behind LKA Fabrics Debut Song ‘Sabi’

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ulti-talented artiste, Aramide Esther Alo, whose stage name is Esther Alo has released her debut single, ‘Sabi’.

The British born Nigerian singer has overtime worked her way to be relevant in the music scene.

Sabi, which is currently making wave, was produced by Kiddominant. Esther’s passion for music grew after she got influenced by the likes of Sade Adu,

Asa, Brandy and Kelis.

Esther’s debut single is a guaranteed anthem; the tempo grooves and smooth vocals will blow the minds of her teeming fans out there.

Having grown in the church setup, Esther found her passion from singing in the junior choir, where she first discovered her voice at six years old.

She has started working with popular Nigerian producer Kiddominant, who has worked with a range of Nigerian artists including: Davido, Wiz Kid, Orezi, Patoranking and more.

Aramide Esther Alo

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ecently Vlisco celebrated its 170 years anniversary in Helmond, and Ayokunmi Abdul, one of the major Vlisco distributors, was on this historical journey. She is the CEO of LKA Fabrics Limited, a Nigerian company established sometime in August 2012 with a vision to provide worldclass textiles to Africans at competitive price. LKA Fabrics, since its inception, has been an exclusive official partner of Vlisco in Nigeria, who since 1846 has been creating unique fabrics in Holland that has influenced the African fashion landscape.

Vlisco has been designing and producing colourful fashion fabrics that form an essential part of the lively West and Central African culture since 1846 with a focus on elegance, class and quality.

LKA Fabrics markets and distributes all collections of the Vlisco fabrics in Nigeria. They undertake bulk sales and distribution of Vlisco Hollandaise comprising of Java, Wax block, Superwax, Vlisco Scarves, and Limited Edition/Luxury, we also distributes Ghana Woodin and GTP Wax both made by Vlisco.

According to Abdul “We currently have four well-established boutiques, one wholesale and retail boutique in Ikeja area of Lagos State, one retail boutique in Lekki, two retail boutiques at the local airports in Lagos.”

She added that her vision and mission

Ayokunmi Abdul

is “To be the hub for all Vlisco products in Africa and to make Vlisco products readily available to all our customers in Africa.

Makari De Suisse’s Strategies on Counterfeits, Set to Unveil New Product

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akari De Suisse is a global prestigious skincare brand that empowers women to embrace and enhance their individual beauty. Manufactured in Switzerland and prominent in Europe for nearly a decade, the brand offers universally flattering products created hydroquinone-free and with uncompromising quality to cater to what every woman wants: to look and feel prettier, brighter, and more confident.

Since its launch in 2000, the brand has helped to revolutionise skin care for dark skin by combining traditional African, pan-African and Asian remedies with modern cosmetology.

Its products contain natural botanic ingredients that have been used for hundreds of years to make dark skin beautiful.

The multicultural luxury skin care brand has been taking bold steps to address the surge in counterfeiting and also to build trust in its customers since its launch into the Nigerian market a couple of years ago.

These measures will help to combat the production and sale of substandard and counterfeit Makari products, which dominated the market for a couple of years.

“We remain committed to this battle against all counterfeit Makari products nationwide.

For this we have partnered with two key exclusive distributors, and we are pleased to announce officially that you can get Authentic Makari De Suisse products which are loved globally with Kuddys Cosmetics and Chisuf Ventures in Nigeria,” said Ezra Aini, spokesperson for the company.

Makari De Suisse has been working

consistently and relentlessly with NAFDAC on quality control and seizure of counterfeit products being sold at key wholesale markets and retail points of purchase nationwide. “All raids have been successfully documented by the company.

Some of the products seized have been taken to the NAFDAC laboratory as samples to ascertain if the products are harmful or not as this will form part of the evidence for Legal Action against the counterfeiters,” said Mr. Aini. Makari’s global team was in Nigeria for training with all accredited Makari beauty representatives. The training also had in attendance, the exclusive distributors of the brand and relevant stakeholders in the beauty industry.

The training served as a platform to educate the representatives about the intense scientific

and technical scrutiny that goes into every Makari product. “We want our representatives to confidently communicate to our customers that none of our products contain hydroquinone; a controversial ingredient that has been notoriously used in skincare products for people with darker skin.

Hydroquinone has been tested to lead to many harmful side effects,” Aini said. “Makari is all about taking the natural approach to skincare with gentle yet effective products that nourish the skin to provide you with a natural glow.”

With its concerted efforts towards counterfeiting, its relationship with NAFDAC and the training for representatives, Makari De Suisse is set to launch a new high-quality product, one with a powerful formulation that will be available at authorised beauty stores nationwide.

Joke Silva, Omosexy, Others Rock AFRIFF 2016 Launch

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ntercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, played host just to top celebrities penultimate Friday, as Africa International Film Festival, AFRIFF, unveiled its 2016 festival activities, ahead of the event slated from November 13 to 20, 2016.

Among the stars at the event are veteran actresses; Joke Silver and Omotola JaladeEkeinde, both of whom stepped out with their husbands at the launch party.

Others are, filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, notable actress Hilda Dokubo, Beverly Naya, Adesua Etomi, Kemi Lala-Akindoju, Emeka Osai, filmmaker Victor Okhai, and President of African Film Consortium, Mr. Mykel Parish, among others.

Announcing the festival programmes at a press conference that preceded the launch party, founder and Executive Director of AFRIFF, Ms. Chioma Ude said AFRIFF was back with an impressive line-up of movie premieres, film screenings, industry sessions, master classes and other festival activities.

According to her, “Lagos will, once again, wear the tourism ambiance, playing host to filmmakers and actors from around the world, with over 100 films showing at the newly opened Filmhouse-IMAX and Genesis Cinemas, both

in Lekki.” Ude appeared to have struck the right cord when she announced Nate Parker’s Oscar hopeful, The Birth of a Nation; and Izu Ojukwu’s celebrated film on the first Nigerian military coup, ’76, as the opening and closing films, respectively, a disclosure which was received with loud ovation.

Canon Central and North Africa, leading provider of imaging solutions, and Diageo Nigeria, world’s premium beverage company were at the press parley and cocktail launch. They were joined the list of resourceful partners and developmental agencies, like Ford Foundation, British Institute, Lagos State, Africa Magic, MultiChoice Nigeria, Access Bank, Bank of Industry, Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN), Afrinolly, African Film Consortium (AFC), Filmhouse-IMAX, Genesis Cinemas and Silverbird Group.

According to the AFRIFF boss, festival guests are up for the best of times during the festival, as all the films in official line-up are products of the new narratives for African cinema and Black films world over.

The selection includes, 93 Days (Nigeria)

by Steve Gukas; The CEO (Nigeria) by Kunle Afolayan; Vaya (South Africa) by Akin Omotoso; The Cursed Ones (U.K) by Nana Obiri; The Wedding Ring ( Niger) by Rahmatou Keita; Kati

Hilda Dokubo, Olu Jacobs, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde and Joke Silva at the AFRIFF launch party

Kati (Kenya) by Mbithi Masya; If Tomorrow Never Comes (Ghana) by Pascal Amanfo; Remember Me (Nigeria) by Izu Ojukwu; Breathe (South Africa)

by Mark Dornford-May; The Missing God (Nigeria) by Ubaka Joseph; Unspoken (Nigeria)

by Remi Vaughan-Richards; Green White Green (Nigeria) by Abba Makama; The Unseen

(Namibia) by Perivi Natjavivi; N.G.O (Uganda)

by Arnold Aganze; Gidi Blues (Nigeria) by Femi Odugbemi; Daggers of Life (Ghana) by Paapa Otoo; Shadow of the Passion (Burkina Faso) by Ado Bambara; Ojukokoro (Nigeria) by Dare Olaitan; Bala Bala Sese (Uganda) by Lukyamuzi Bashir; and The Arbitration (Nigeria) by Niyi Akinmolayan.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER •OctOber 22, 2016

OctOber 22, 2016 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OctOber 22, 2016

FITNESS FILE

The Edenlifestyle corner with

MAJE AYIDA

Angry Much?

majeayida@edenlifenigeria.com www.edenlifenigeria.com, 07062614551

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o you have a short fuse or find yourself getting into frequent arguments and fights? Anger is a normal, healthy emotion, but when chronic, explosive anger spirals out of control, it can have serious consequences for your relationships, your health, and your state of mind. The emotion of anger is neither good nor bad. It’s perfectly healthy and normal to feel angry when you’ve been mistreated or wronged. The feeling isn’t the problem; it’s what you do with it that makes a difference. Anger becomes a problem when it harms you or others.

If you have a hot temper, you may feel like it’s out of your hands and there’s little you can do to tame the beast. But you have more control over your anger than you think. You can learn to express your emotions without hurting others, and when you do, you’ll not only feel better, you’ll also be more likely to get your needs met.

Mastering the art of anger management takes work, but the more you practice, the easier it will get. And the payoff can be huge. Learning to control your anger and express it appropriately can help you build better relationships, achieve your goals, and lead a healthier, more satisfying life.

Myths And Facts About Anger Myth: I shouldn’t “hold in” my anger. It’s healthy to vent and let it out.

Fact: While it’s true that suppressing and ignoring anger is unhealthy, venting is no better. Anger is not something you have to “let out” in an aggressive way in order to avoid blowing up. In fact, outbursts and tirades only fuel the fire and reinforce your anger problem.

Myth: Anger, aggression, and intimidation help me earn respect and get what I want.

Fact: True power doesn’t come from bullying others. People may be afraid of you, but they won’t respect you if you can’t control yourself or handle opposing viewpoints. Others will be more willing to listen to you and accommodate your needs if you communicate in a respectful way.

Myth: I can’t help myself. Anger isn’t something you can control.

Fact: You can’t always control the situation you’re in or how it makes you feel, but you can control how you express your anger. And you can express your anger without being verbally or physically abusive. Even if someone is pushing your buttons, you always have a choice about how to respond.

Myth: Anger management is about learning to suppress your anger.

Fact: Never getting angry is not a good goal. Anger is normal, and it will come out regardless of how hard you try to suppress it. Anger management is all about becoming aware of your underlying feelings and needs and developing healthier ways to manage upset. Rather than trying to suppress your anger, the goal is to express it in constructive ways.

Why Anger Management Is Important You might think that venting your anger is healthy, that the people around you are too sensitive, that your anger is justified, or that you need to show your fury to get respect. But the truth is that anger is much more likely to damage your relationships, impair your judgment, get in the way of success, and have a negative impact on the way people see you.

Out-of-control anger hurts your physical health Constantly operating at high levels of stress and tension is bad for your health.

Chronic anger makes you more susceptible to heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, a weakened immune system, insomnia, and high blood pressure.

Out-of-control anger hurts your mental health Chronic anger consumes huge amounts of mental energy and clouds your thinking, making it harder to concentrate, see the

bigger picture, and enjoy life. It can also lead to stress, depression, and other mental health problems.

Out-of-control anger hurts your career Constructive criticism, creative differences, and heated debate can be healthy. But lashing out only alienates your colleagues, supervisors, or clients and erodes their respect. What’s more, a bad reputation can follow you wherever you go, making it harder and harder to get ahead.

Out-of-control anger hurts your relationships with others It causes lasting scars in the people you love most and gets in the way of your friendships and work relationships. Chronic, intense anger makes it hard for others to trust you, speak honestly, or feel comfortable, they never know what is going to set you off or what you will do. Explosive anger is especially damaging to children.

Explore What’s Really Behind Your Anger If you’re struggling with out-of-control anger, you may be wondering why your fuse is so short. Anger problems often stem from what you’ve learned as a child. If you watched others in your family scream, hit each other, or throw things, you might think this is how anger is supposed to be expressed. Traumatic events and high levels of stress can make you more susceptible to anger as well.

In order to get your needs met and express your anger in appropriate ways, you need to be in touch with what you are really feeling. Are you truly angry? Or is your anger masking other feelings such as embarrassment, insecurity, hurt, shame, or vulnerability? If your knee-jerk response in many situations is anger, it is very likely that your temper is covering up your true feelings and needs. This is especially likely if you grew up in a family where expressing feelings was strongly discouraged.

As an adult, you may have a hard time acknowledging feelings other than anger.

Here are some clues that there’s something more to your anger You have a hard time compromising.

Is it hard for you to understand other people’s points of view, and even harder to concede a point? If you grew up in a family where anger was out of control, you may remember how the angry person got his or her way by being the loudest and most demanding. Compromising might bring up scary feelings of failure and vulnerability.

You have trouble expressing emotions other than anger Do you pride yourself on being tough and in control, never letting your guard down? Do you feel that emotions like fear, guilt, or shame don’t apply to you?

Everyone has those emotions, and if you think you don’t, you may be using anger as a cover for them.

You view different opinions and viewpoints as a personal challenge to you.

Do you believe that your way is always right and get angry when others disagree?

If you have a strong need to be in control or a fragile ego, you may interpret other perspectives as a challenge to your authority, rather than simply a different way of looking at things.

If you are uncomfortable with many emotions, disconnected, or stuck on an angry one-note response to everything, it might do you some good to get back in touch with your feelings. Emotional awareness is the key to self-understanding and success in life. Without the ability to recognize, manage, and deal with the full range of human emotions, you’ll inevitably spin into confusion, isolation, and self-doubt.

Some Dynamics of Anger -We become more angry when we are stressed and body resources are down.

-We are rarely ever angry for the reasons we think.

-We are often angry when we didn’t get what we needed as a child.

-We often become angry when we see a trait in others we can’t stand in ourselves.

-Underneath many current angers are old disappointments, traumas, and triggers.

-Sometimes we get angry because we were hurt as a child.

-We get angry when a current event brings up an old unresolved situation from the past.

-We often feel strong emotion when a situation has a similar content, words or energy that we have felt before.

Be Aware Of Your Anger Warning Signs And Triggers While you might feel that you just explode into anger without warning, in fact, there are physical warning signs in your body. Anger is a normal physical response.

It fuels the “fight or flight” system of the body, and the angrier you get, the more your body goes into overdrive. Becoming aware of your own personal signs that your temper is starting to boil allows you to take steps to manage your anger before it gets out of control.

Pay attention to the way anger feels in your body -Knots in your stomach -Clenching your hands or jaw -Feeling clammy or flushed -Breathing faster -Headaches -Pacing or needing to walk around -“Seeing red” -Having trouble concentrating -Pounding heart -Tensing your shoulders You may think that external things, the insensitive actions of other people, for example, or frustrating situations, are what cause your anger. But anger problems have less to do with what happens to you than how you interpret and think about what happened. Common negative thinking patterns that trigger and fuel anger include: Overgeneralizing. For example, “You always interrupt me. You NEVER consider my needs. EVERYONE disrespects me. I NEVER get the credit I deserve.”

Obsessing on “shoulds” and “musts.”

Having a rigid view of the way things should or must be and getting angry when reality doesn’t line up with this vision.

Mind reading and jumping to conclusions. Assuming you “know” what someone else is thinking or feeling, that he or she intentionally upset you, ignored your wishes, or disrespected you.

Collecting straws. Looking for things to get upset about, usually while overlooking or blowing past anything positive. Letting these small irritations build and build until you reach the “final straw” and explode, often over something relatively minor.

Blaming. When anything bad happens or something goes wrong, it’s always someone else’s fault. You blame others for the things that happen to you rather than taking responsibility for your own life.

Stressful events don’t excuse anger, but understanding how these events affect you can help you take control of your environment and avoid unnecessary aggravation.

Look at your regular routine and try to identify activities, times of day, people, places, or situations that trigger irritable or angry feelings. Maybe you get into a fight every time you go out for drinks with a certain group of friends. Or maybe the traffic on your daily commute drives you crazy. Then think about ways to avoid these triggers or view the situation differently so it doesn’t make your blood boil.

Next week I will explore the business end of this topic, anger management!

OCTOBER 22, 2016 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

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FASHION FILE Wanger Ayu Unveils Their AW16/17 Collection “EPOCH” A Refreshing Odeto the Past, Present and Future

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

By Azuka Ogujiuba azuka.ogujiuba@thisdaylive.com

FASHION FILE

Wanger Ayu unveils their AW16/17

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anger Ayu unveils their AW 16/17 collection titled EPOCH. This new collection is a retro-futuristic celebration of an era, drawing inspiration from current economic shifts, in which we find individuals and society reminiscing and desiring past glories with the hope for the future and all the possibilities it holds.

The collection combines the essence of 70s fashion with feminine details including floral prints, flirty frills, ruffles and lace with more rugged fabric bases in retro patterns and cooler tones, and edge in design cuts and styling.

Epoch merges past influences with a modernistic approach to offer fashion enthusiasts a fresh take on otherwise traditional clothing. Wanger Ayu unveils their AW16/17 collection “EPOCH” A refreshing odeto the past, present &future Wanger Ayu Studios is based in Gwarinpa, Abuja.

Credits Photography: Somto Maduka - @imagio Hair Styling: Khenye Gager - @khenye @enigma.art Makeup Artist: Mmeka Ronald Chinedu - @Ronaldthe7th Model: Ruth Waziri - @Ruddiye Location: The Cube Cafe - @thecubecafe

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

WITH

MARKET PLACE

OMOLABAKE FASHOGBON 08033621009

L-R: Non Executive Director, Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank Ltd, Mrs. Salamatu Aderinokun; Company Secretary / Head, Legal Services, Linda Tobi Isiekwen; Chairman, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu; and Managing Director, Mr. Ben Akaneme, at the 9th Annual General Meeting of Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank Ltd in Lagos recently .

Public Relations Manager,Power Oil,Tayo Azeez;Participants at Power Oil Pay WIth Calories 3.0,Femi Olusola,Patience Ikpe ;and Fitness Instructor, Seyi Olusore during the Power Oil Pay with Calories 3.0 event in Ikeja,Lagos,recently

Wal-mart Will Worsen Nigeria’s Economic Crisis, Say Nigerian Traders The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANT) has raised the alarm that the imminent entry of the World’s biggest retail chain, Wal-mart into Nigeria will spell doom for the country’s retail businesses The association was reacting to the retail giant’s announcement that it was planning to explore having economic footprints in Lagos State.

It also stated that the government would be paying lip-service to patronising locally made products if it allowed Wal-mart into the country.

President of association, Ken Ukaoha, speak-

More Kids Win Ribena Promo Prizes The Ribena “Back to School Scholarship” promo is waxing stronger as more winners continue to praise the beverage company for its life-changing benefits.

Undeterred by economic recession, the Japan beverage firm, Suntory, last month kicked off its N25 million promo where 250 kids nationwide stand a chance to win N100, 000 each.

According to the firm’s Brand Manager, Essien Ekemini, the company’s investment in Nigerians was a deliberate effort to appreciate their loyalty over the years and particularly, to contribute to their future through the scholarship.

“Already, winners have been rewarded in Benin, Ibadan, Lagos, Kaduna and other states. We promise to make this experience an exciting one for both children and parents with our super-enriched vitamin C drink. I therefore call on everyone to participate, especially children,” he said.

Testifying to the genuineness of the promotion, Chinedu Agudiegwu, a parent whose two children, David and Ifunanya, benefitted from the scholarship expressed gratitude to Ribena for keeping its words.

“I bought some packs of Ribena and found the ‘Smarty Berry Sticker.’ My children participated in the promo and today, they are beneficiaries of Ribena’s kindness. I am glad that my children are winners. N100, 000 will no doubt go a long way in settling their school’s expenses this term,” Agudiegwu said.

Group Product Manager, Drinks, Yusuf Murtala, while congratulating the winners stated that the company was committed to rewarding its customers. “The ‘Ribena Back to School Scholarship’ promo was born out of our desire to support kids in their educational pursuit as we believe that the cash scholarship will go a long way in ensuring that they are fully ready for the new academic session,” he said.

To participate in the promo, new and existing consumers are to purchase a carton of Ribena 150 ml and search for a ‘Smarty Berry Sticker’ with the winning code, and then send the code behind the scratch panel to 65432 for verification.

ing on behalf of its members, said while not working against expanding the economy, the country may not be fit enough to accommodate a market giant like Wal-mart, given Nigeria’s current economic crisis.

According to him, though there were high hopes that the global giant in retail would soon register its presence in the country, it would mean bringing to reality the worst nightmares of local producers and traders who were struggling to get the industrial sector on its feet.

Ukaoha noted that as much as the government was working to revive the economy, the

proposed entry of Wal-mart which had generated mixed reactions from industry observers, would have been good if the investor was looking at marketing Nigeria’s local products.

“If you read the economy today, the only hope left for the country in terms of employment generation is the retail trade sector. This sector has accommodated an impressive number of people who may have remained unemployed.

Bringing Wal-mart to the country will displace local businesses and employees. Besides, the government is campaigning for the promotion and patronage of our locally made goods yet

Dettol Donates Hand Wash Centre on Global Hand Washing Day Reckitt Benckiser (RB), makers of Dettol, has presented a hand-washing site and borehole to United Christian Nursery and Primary School, Apapa, as part of activities to mark this year’s Global Hand Washing Day. Also, to celebrate the day, the firm launched a campaign themed “Small Acts, Big Impact,” aimed at reaching millions of Nigerians to educate them on the importance of hand washing. The campaign is simultaneously running in over 19 countries to create the big impact of saving millions of lives.

The firm which identifies with the saying that “a stitch in time saves nine” noted that small acts like washing of hands go a long way in ensuring healthy living and long life.

The Managing Director of RB West Africa, Rahul Murgai, in his address at a hand washing event co-organised with the Association of Community Pharmacists, Apapa Zone, quoted a United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, UNICEF, report which confirmed that millions of children in

developing countries die from infections and illnesses, such as diarrhoea every year and concluded that such deaths could have been prevented through hand washing.

Marketing Director of the company, Aliza Leferink, added that “the donation of the Dettol hand wash site and borehole to the school was to enable pupils and teachers to cultivate proper hand-washing habits that would reduce the risk of infections. Promoted on a wide enough scale, hand washing with soap can be thought of as a ‘do-it-yourself’ solution against preventable illnesses because it is easy, effective, and affordable.”

The company noted in a statement that in Nigeria it had consistently created mass awareness among mothers and children. In the last six years, it said it had reached out to over six million Nigerian children and mothers through its ‘School Hygiene Programme’ and other initiatives in partnership with the country’s Ministry of Health and Nigerian Medical Association.

Coca-Cola Promises Bigger Impact with Coke Studio 4 As the world’s largest beverage company, CocaCola, unveiled Season 4 of its annual music show, Coke Studio, the firm has guaranteed a more exciting and impactful experience for its fans even as it targets teenage market.

With this year’s theme, “Discover,” the season provides a platform for fans to discover themselves by unravelling the motivation behind their biggest songs with a line-up of 45 of Africa’s finest music acts who will perform over 90 songs on 11 thrilling episodes. Coke studio will feature nine Nigerian artistes including, Tuface Idibia, Flavour, Waje and Yemi Alade. These artistes had featured in previous episodes. Four new appearances of Patoranking, Falz, Cynthia Morgan, Kiss Daniel and Simi will form part of the cast.

According to the Creative Director of Coke Studio Africa Season 4, Tim Horwood, the idea behind the initiative was to connect and create value for the teenagers who constitute the brand audience.

“Music is a teen passion just like football. For us, it is all about the teenagers. We go where they go and flow where they flow because they are our target in the market. This explains why

we are leveraging on this passion so that we can connect to them through music,” Horwood noted.

Marketing Director of Coca-Cola Nigeria, Patricia Jemibewon, added that the firm’s investment in the project was driven by the desire to make impact and not profits.

“Our investment to get this initiative to live is running into millions of dollars but that is not to say that we are expecting any financial reward except for the impact that we seek to create. For the artistes, by providing this platform, they have the opportunity to collaborate with their colleagues in another country. That will give them a continental exposure as there are many artistes who are stars in their own country but are rarely known in other countries. This initiative will increase their visibility and avail them the ground to create new music, make new fans, new network and new connections,” Jemibewon said.

Patricia stated further that even in the face of economic hardship, the company was committed to invest more in the project to make it bigger and ensure that the impact gets bigger each year.

they are planning to accommodate a store which deals in foreign items. Take ShopRite for instance, 97.8 per cent of what it displays on shelves are foreign items. Bringing Wal-mart will further increase Nigeria’s appetite for foreign goods.

“The government is unconsciously killing the industrial sector. Regardless of the worth of a foreign investment, government needs to be careful as it cannot eat its cake and have it. If care is not taken, a time is coming that Nigeria will be weeping like Ghana where it will be complaining that the economy has been ripped off by foreigners”, he warned.

Etisalat Introduces New Tariff Plan One of Nigeria’s telecommunications firms, Etisalat, has unveiled a new tariff plan, “EasyLife Complete,” in a move to deliver better customer experience and value for money.

The company, which recently upgraded to Fourth Generation Long Term Evolution (4G LTE) service, to be at par with rival service providers, MTN and Globacom, said the new product would serve both local and international callers.

Shedding more light on the tariff, Director, Consumer Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Adeolu Dairo, said “Easylife Complete is a simple flat tariff plan that allows customers to enjoy calls to all networks in Nigeria at 15k/s as well as make calls to anyone in the US, UK, Canada, China, India, Germany and Malaysia at the same 15k/s. In order to enjoy this affordable tariff plan, a N5 daily fee is applicable for prepaid customers.”

Dairo added that the company was determined to provide customers with more choices to stay connected and enjoy quality services at affordable rates.

“At Etisalat, we will continue to innovate with products, services and solutions that make life a lot easier for our customers. Easylife Complete is a testament of our customer-oriented attitude. Through our quarterly customer forums and other platforms, we constantly obtain feedbacks from our customers and we respond appropriately in meeting their needs and preferences.

“Easylife Complete also provides customers with free 15 minutes to call friends, family and anyone on the Etisalat network as well as free 15 minutes data which they can use to catch up on online updates or browse their favourite websites. These benefits are also available on post-paid,” he said.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OctOber 22, 2016

INTERVIEW

Providing Mega Infrastructure, Development, My Priority Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State met with select journalists to mark the state’s 20 years anniversary. He fielded questions on sundry issues, Ahamefula Ogbu was there

C

an you tell us some of your achievements and the challenges so far?

These are not roads and bridges and buildings, but the fact that we have not used state apparatus to harass opponents; I am one of the most criticised governors this state has ever had from within and from without; confronting challenges, going through electoral battles the like of which this state had never seen and yet not dishonouring the people, not intimidating and harassing and killing and maiming people, not raising militias, not raising thugs and not arming them. Not sending people, for example, to disrupt an opposition gathering and kill and shoot to disperse rallies.

These are subtle contributions deliberately brought up because in this state we have to reform a lot of things including the political culture; the political culture is too prone to violence, is too acrimonious. People think that once they are in a particular party at the center, they take it as a license to undermine the security of our communities and of our state and create crisis and aim towards even destabilising our state. These are things that we need to change. We are embarking on a government that focuses on development, on stability, on prosperity and this is a fundamental shift from what we used to know.

On transparency, up till now we are the only state that every month, by law we are mandated to announce what comes into the state and how we are spending it; these are things people take for granted. But these are foundations we believe we are laying for a more accountable and a more prosperous Bayelsa.

The idea for example that a governor and one person will just sit down and allocate state resources that doesn’t happen again. It is a collective system where a number of people are involved.

These are subtle, there are not things that you see but there are enough things even for people to see. You won’t see investment in security and our encouragement of security forces and our mobilisation of the state for security and for development. These are not things you see. People usually when they talk of achievements they look at the roads and bridges and we have done that everywhere, in every local government, in every community, you see physical development. But the government is not just about things you see, it is beyond the schools we are building and they are all there for everybody to see.

If you go to every local government area you will see the modern schools we are building, modern schools that were not in existence before in the state for 20years of Bayelsa. The unfortunate thing is that most people don’t even go round to see what we are doing; they base some times more on stories, rumour and propaganda. They don’t even make efforts to go to their own local government areas and visit the schools and see and visit the hospitals we are building. And all these schools have facilities that are comparable to those in tertiary schools.

In the last four years and we have spent according to the last count, close to N33billion in educational infrastructure alone. These are the practical things on ground. The airport is 80 per cent completed, funded solely by the state government because of the emphasis on development and the speed with which I and my team committed ourselves to turning around infrastructure. We are investing on the airport that is almost 80 per cent completed.

A lot of the planes can land now but we are installing world class best landing systems and we have awarded now a contract for a terminal building. All these are state government funded projects. This government we are focused, little money that we have we have always put it into projects and all levels of the government are working together. So it is as if the government is doing more that its capacity, so sometimes I understand when people speculate that some of these projects are federal government projects. A lot of people were overwhelmed because they are

Dickson

not used to this type of thing. And some of them said no, this must be federal government projects and I don’t blame them.

When we dualised Azigbo road, when we were doing it day and night Julius Berger was working, they said it is a federal government project. Now we don’t have money to sustain it, is the federal government project going on?

That project is completely state government project and we will remobilise Julius Berger to site again to complete it. We want to put it to use like Azikoro road and everybody now is enjoying the road which previous government couldn’t do for seven years.

We are going to be delivering on critical projects that this present generation and the generations to come will continue to enjoy it.

Even the Ecumenical center we are building the first of its kind, I am told people are speculating that it is federal government project. We would want people to look at our investment in critical areas. if you go to oxbow lake now, not many people would recognise it, it has been dualised and that is what we think is best for our people. We have sand filled that whole area and we are now building a boat club. When we finish people will see the new Bayelsa. When we promised that we will turn Bayelsa to the new Dubai we were not joking. Go to the diagnostic center in Yenagoa, you don’t need to go anywhere to do any medical examination.

The governorship of Bayelsa is not a tea party.

When we finish a project we immediately put it to use we don’t wait for commissioning.

With your emphasis on education, can you tell us your plans for the sector?

We are focused on life-changing projects, education, education, education. And if they complain and sometimes they do, I tell Bayelsans that the punishment for murmuring is more development. Just today, we will be signing a partnership with 200 world-class universities in Europe, America and Canada who are already here in Bayelsa on our new university that would cater for only female students and Bayelsa will be the centre of learning and of excellence.

So the achievements are there; in education, health delivery, road infrastructure, on security, even in this volatile period, Bayelsa

which is the heart of the Niger Delta and yet because of the combination of policies and leadership and the collaborations we have built, our state is more secure than most states in the Niger Delta and I congratulate Bayelsans and the security agents for that. I want to remind everyone at all levels that no one should play politics with our security, let us all work for security and for development.

We have challenges no doubt with the management and the funding of our scholarship programme which we initiated 2012 or early 2013. We did that when the resources were quite manageable and we thought that we should send a number of our children out there. But no sooner that we started that the economy dwindled, the revenue dwindled and we are managing that.

Even within this trying period we still make some resources available to support our scholars. In the last two to three months I have been approving something almost every month. This month we deal with the medical students that have graduated from Eastern Europe. The last one I did was to the scholars in Lincoln University, we are managing. We have some challenges because of the number.

The ones that are in the UK we are looking at that, by this month I will make some provisions.

The issue is that most of the parents of the students also have this challenges and while some states have actually brought back most of their scholarship students, Bayelsa students are managing and we are also in some way supporting. So we are even within the current difficulties, we are managing the scholarship situation in respect to scholars who are out of the country.

That brings me to how do we move forward, that is why we are talking of now the new university, we say now we are not in the position to afford a robust scholarship programme out of the country because of the variables that we don’t control, the foreign exchange rate which is so terrible now against our currency, so we cannot send people of that number out of the country for studies abroad.

But we want to work with partners abroad to set up an institution that can still give world class education right here at home

and this is not just for our state but also for our country because even students going to Ghana alone from reports from NUC and from other statistics, this country has been spending about a billion dollars paying for school fees in Ghana alone.

So we want to work with our partners and then build a university as we have started that would be run on those standards. We have public university which will continue to receive our funding and support. But to suddenly transform that to pay those kinds of fees that will sustain this effort, it would not be too easy. We are aware of the challenges and we feel that we should also create an opportunity for people who want to go for public one because of resources and those who can afford it instead of going to Ghana, America or UK, you also have UK, Americans, Canadians and other scholars from the entire world in Bayelsa. This will not just address the long term plans we have of quality man power production in addition to NDU and other universities would be doing.

We believe that with the plans that we have and with the partners we are getting and with the support we are getting this will ultimately end up as one of the biggest, one of the best universities in Nigeria and in Africa within a short period. I understand that the school of foundation studies is likely to pick up by January.

By that arrangement we have secured the long term issue of man power training.

The issue of capacity building does not end up with university training, I think that the most critical stage is the primary and secondary school stage and that is why we have also been building a lot of facilities in the secondary schools. We have an ambitious project which we hope the finances of this state can accommodate, we want to support our students from senior secondary up and that is why we are building boarding schools all over and we have spent a lot of money doing that. We are not just talking we are also doing.

Right here if you drive to Ogbia you will see the modern secondary school there and this is the same in all the local governments and they all have facilities and many more to come because we want our students particularly our senior secondary to have residential and other support facilities so that we can incubate them and give them the training and guidance that they need.

We have established brand new schools which will call the Ijaw National Academy that also have boarding facilities. And that is where we are taking the states too and we have made a lot of investments and we hope to conclude all of these so that we can take off.

What are your thoughts about Nigeria at 56?

Nigeria can do better; Nigeria should be a nation of fairness and justice. The idea of Nigeria should be supported as a nation of equal citizenship and all leaders should bear this in mind and build consensus. I congratulate all Nigerians and ask us to show more understanding particularly in the light of current economic reality. Leaders in Nigeria should endeavour to build bridges of understanding and work for unity, equality, inclusiveness so that the idea of a prosperous Nigeria united by a common idea of what is best for our people can be realised. Talking about the new university, a lot of people were critical and I said my response to that would be more universities because it is going to be more education and more education, no regrets about that and no apologies. All schools would be supported and encouraged, any new one coming would be encouraged; and supported so that we can have a robust citizenry that can participate in the economy of the state and the country.

Bayelsa has also turned 20; what are your thought about the state and its future?

Bayelsa was founded on the vision of bringing development and prosperity to

45

OCTOBER 22, 2016 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

INTERVIEW Providing Mega Infrastructure, Development My Priority neglected Ijaw people in Nigeria. The idea of Bayelsa was to give Ijaw people a voice and a face. Clearly, everyone who is conversant with this area will know that the area known as Bayelsa was the least developed of the old Rivers State and most people don’t know that the challenges of development of Bayelsa and of the Ijaw nation are peculiar. That is why before Nigeria’s independence in 1957 the Willinks commission described this as a special area that needs attention and focus in the emergent Nigeria.

Unfortunately, this area which has produced the wealth of our country was neglected completely and most people talk more about the political Niger Delta which is synonymous sometimes with oil-producing states and all of that, forgetting the core developmental challenges in the riverine Ijaw.

Any governor of this state and particularly governor of my pedigree, my record of association with legitimate struggles and aspirations of our people, must be driven by a desire to bring about a reversal and that is what has driven us to work in a way that sometimes people say the government is doing too much because we know that we have to reverse the challenge of underdevelopment.

It is an irony that today all our areas whether in Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Ondo, these are the areas which have no roads and yet have all the terminals and all the facilities.

Therefore, the Bayelsa of today is a state where we are addressing the basic foundational problems, issues; the issue of transparency in the management of resources, of addressing education as a basis for the future of our states, the issues of investing in security, the issue of showing a paradigm shift, the issues of investing in modern infrastructures that would form a spring board for industrialisation of the state and for the diversification of the economy of the state.

The future of Bayelsa therefore is a diversified, robust, well developed manpower base, modern infrastructure and ultimately a state that is at peace with itself and at peace with the rest of the country and the rest of the world. That is the past, present and the future, anchored on development, anchored on investment in the critical areas of security, education and diversification of the economy; agriculture and tourism. The potentials of the state cannot be realised unless you have an educated and talented citizenry and that is why it has been education, education and education.

What would you like to be remembered for after you leave office in 2020?

Honestly, I have not given it any serious thought because I have time by the grace of God. I have not even clocked one year in my second term. But broadly speaking, I have always been someone who is committed to ideals, committed to ideas, believe in people, committed irrevocably to the vision of our state and the potentials that this state holds for our people. I believe in the process of doing my job, this is not the first capacity I have served, I believe my people are fairly familiar with my style and what I stand for.

We hope that at the end of our service, history will remember us kindly and fair to us and in the end it is the judgment of history, the judgment of posterity. When people would be using the airport that we are building and that airport is bigger than the one in any South-South state; that airport can take any cargo including the ones today that are going to land in Lagos because they said Port Harcourt is too small for them and also Enugu too.

When people use the Bayelsa International airport, which we had to with the understanding of State house of Assembly took a loan and we have been paying, four years dedicating our scarce resources to bring that about and this state is 20years and it is in this 20th year that we are having that airport because of our service and leadership.

When this diagnostics center saves lives and the hospitals we are building in Ekeremo, Kyama, Ogbia and Oporoza and Sagbama and so on and so forth, the ones we have renovated and turned to a world class hospital in Brass, supporting the process in the renovation of the schools and upgrading our schools; we have about 300 Bayelsa boys and girls that are state scholars in a special school, fed and clothed by us. We have been paying WAEC, NECO and GCE for Bayelsa students.

By the time they see the roads, the bridges we are building and communities we are connecting, they will also remember that it is under governor Dickson and his team, political descent was not visited with terror. I have

Dickson

never attacked any politician or any critique.

If I have any course to complain, follow the due process and I abide by what the court says. We have never misused state power to wreak havoc on any community; history will record all of this. They will also record the efforts we are making at transparency, the efforts we are making to reorganise and reform the Civil Service which was a major problem in this state.

I gave this state a coat of arm, an anthem and a flag, giving it a symbol that can be identified with, creating the heroes memorial park to honour our leaders not running down any one.

This is the first time we are building a befitting governor’s office and we have delivered on it. We have been landing at the heliport and governor after governor and all Bayelsans will see the governor occupy the governor office that we have built.

Bayelsans and other Nigerians would be using the hospitals and the other diagnostics center that we have built and the schools and the sport academy we will be producing champions and the various other schools.

Universities would be churning out professors and all these scholars that you are talking about. I think God has been good and it has been challenging and I want to call for more support particularly because of the challenges facing our economy.

You speak as if there are no federal projects and programmes completed or ongoing in Bayelsa I cannot say that there are no ongoing federal projects. I am aware that the federal secretariat project is going on and a central bank building along the dual carriage way that we have established up to Oxbow lake.

I don’t know if the central bank project is still going on, but I believe it is going on. I know that local content building secretariat is awarded and we are very grateful. Of course there is a federal university in the state.

But if you ask me, the federal support that this state needs is more robust than that. This state needs federal government support in accessing the sea because the challenge of development of this area is the challenge of access and it is very expensive. Most of these are not roads they are roads, they are actually bridges because of the terrain.

We gave support to NDDC/Shell in their collaboration to get to Nembe; let me call on NDDC and Shell to expedite action in finishing that road properly so that our people can drive on good road to Nembe.

We put down N3billion to support them, that is only phase one of that project. Phase two is to link Nembe to Brass we need federal support that has been absent. We need the federal government to reactivate and re-visit without further delay the Brass LNG project; that is one project which if they start will turn around the economy, not just of Bayelsa but for the entire Niger Delta region.

So if we are talking of youth restiveness and all those issues, those are the projects to start and projects that are also highly profitable. People refer to LNG as the Nigeria biggest cash cow. So why don’t you have more cash cows and by so doing also open up the place, also create jobs and bring in critical private sector presence in the state’s economy.

We are working on a partnership on the Brass fertilizer, so Brass is too important that is why I keep telling the security people not to allow anybody to play politics with security and in Bayelsa, anyone playing with security in any community is an enemy of the state; anyone in Abuja who is playing politics, talking to party people, talking to people to undermine security because they think they are fighting us, they are actually enemies of the state.

In the Niger Delta we shouldn’t allow one gun to go off, no shot should be fired, no kidnapping should take place because once this thing happens, investors will go away and the economy of the Niger Delta is collapsing.

But unfortunately you have political leaders whose understanding of politics is violence. And unfortunately in the present federal government, those are the people they encourage those are the people they protect; those are the people they elevate and they play politics with security.

All I am saying is that this state and the entire Niger Delta as a whole needs more federal robust intervention and investment.

People are playing politics with security instead of working with their government to support our efforts to advanced development in our little way.

Bayelsa spends its fortune on recurrent expenditure, mainly civil servants. Some may be ghost workers. What is your government doing to sanitise the system and save money for capital projects?

You are right in saying that the bulk of our state revenue is spent servicing recurrent expenditure. The greatest draw back to the infrastructural development to our state is the maintenance of the public service apart from addressing the issue of leadership because leadership must have a vision, leadership must come up with a dream and a vision and a team to achieve it. Leadership must have a passion to translate those ideas into concrete things that people can see which is what we have been doing all sectors.

So once you have that kind of leadership that is not playing pranks with resources, a leadership that knows the need to even look inward and do a reform of the governance processes as we are doing, the next thing you need to do is address this issue of the public servant. This state spends N24.5billion every month paying salaries whether they are real or ghost. The state spends about N400450million, it used to be about N500 million until we brought it down with verification on pension liabilities and we have not included the cost of running the entire arms of government; so this state is overburdened by these liabilities and more than 50 per cent of these workers don’t even go to work, they just receive alerts.

So these are the foundational problems this state has created for itself and if you want to address it, they will call you a lot of bad names. In this place politics does not end with elections. Mind you this state does not exist only for people in the civil service. The population of the people in the civil service is around 45,000-50,000 which is too much.

And this monthly wage pay does not include the wage pay of the local government areas.

If we add the local government areas, the salary bill will give you close to N2.5-3billion, in this state that is what leadership or lack of leadership over the years not just my office, by bureaucrats, by everybody in Bayelsa, they have created a massive problem that will continue to drain the finances of this state and we are addressing it. I agree that is an important responsibility but the people of this state are also entitled to the benefits of the government.

Besides oil, what other economic pursuit is Bayelsa embarking on?

If there is one state that has been working quietly repositioning for diversification it is Bayelsa. If people don’t say what we do, posterity will. So in this state we have already prepared the ground to be number one in agriculture and we have a lot of agricultural projects that we are working on. This state is not only aquaculture, this state is also agrarian. We are also preparing Bayelsa for tourism and this is why security is important and this is why the only thing I want from the federal government, even if they don’t build the roads and bridges, let them work with us on law and order and our security and I believed that is shared responsibility under the constitution so that we can maximised our potentials.

So Bayelsa is ready for an economy beyond oil because this state knows more than

every other state. The oil will soon dry up because the first oil well is in Oloibiri and that is a constant reminder that oil and gas resources are actually wasting assets and we have to optimise them when you can. And this is why every kobo in Bayelsa since 2012 when I became governor has been spent on infrastructure deliberately.

The truth is that we are a government of sacrifice. For example my political appointees are earning 50 per cent less, no approval for anything frivolous including this celebration.

Bearing in mind the level of crimes in the state, what steps are you taking to reduce crime rate?

Let me correct am impression; the security situation in this state was far worse for those of you were around 2012 but we have managed to stabilise. And like I said even in spite of these challenges Bayelsa is still the safest place in the Niger Delta.

The only problem we have here is that the citizens like to murmur and talk and the political class take delight in de-marketing their state, they think that is politics. They think that when they de-market their state, it increases their political chances. What they don’t know is that wise political leaders who mean well they always work to protect the corporate integrity of the areas of their influence because if you de-market Bayelsa, you de-market any Niger Delta state, you are pushing investors to other place and this people who de-market their state, they are enemies of their states.

I knew what I was doing when for example after 2012 even with all the pressures I decided not to orchestrate a probe of my predecessor; the reason was that in as much as I have disagreed with most of the things he did, the mismanagement of the finances of our state and the wastage, the needless loan of N60billion and by the time we finish paying we would be paying 120billion at a time when our revenues were very high, I came at a time when our revenue was very low.

Yet in spite of this, even when I faced a panel of inquiry by him unjustly when I became governor I didn’t orchestrate any probe and I didn’t challenge the banks who gave the loans and how they managed it, most politicians would have done that particularly under the circumstance in which I took over but I did not because I had to protect the corporate image and integrity of the state. I want Bayelsa to be known for good things not bad stories. We have had enough of those bad stories. Try and say positive things about Bayelsa, see good about yourself first, see good about your state, see goof about your brothers and sisters and friends. You can disagree; you can have a different vision but please believe in Bayelsa and take pride in being Bayelsans.

Where do you see Bayelsa in the next five years and beyond?

What I would do for the rest of my administration is that in this second term by the grace of God and given the needed resources, is to finish most of the big ticket items that I started in my first term.

Priority would be given to education, health sector funding, infrastructure; heliport is almost finished and about six to eight helicopters can land in our commercial airport, we want Bayelsa to be a modern city.

We would like to work with the security support more, so that security can now be in place, we want the security to be maintained, to be as it is or to even get better.

When Bayelsa would be 25years, I think all things being equal, a fellow Bayelsan is likely to be here, by then I would have served out my tenure and I would be one of the citizens out there supporting and encouraging, not pulling down because I know the challenges and problems.

So Bayelsa at 25 would be a wonder to behold, given the foundation we laid and it is our prayer that at the right time we would have leadership that would emerge, that would build on this foundation and would actually even surpass our achievements, that is my prayer for the state.

The East-West Road is regrettable. For me, that is a challenge that the leaders of the party in power at the centre should take up. And the worst part of the East-West Road is even the Bayelsa area.

I think that without crying over spilt milk, it is the responsibility of the new government because government is a continuum, to complete the East-West road and also to be inclusive in their policies and projects. And I call on the leaders of the ruling party to concentrate on projects, on developments, not on insecurity, not on destabilising our state.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OctOBer 22, 2016

ENTREPRENEUR Abi Akingboye

Why I ‘m Setting up the First Auction House in Nigeria

He is a Nigerian born but has spent his entire adult life in the United Kingdom as well as the United States of America. Being exposed to those societies has made Abimbola Akingboye, the chief executive officer of 3A Auction House Limited discover that the country does not have a single general auction house that enables buyers and sellers to meet and do business.

Next week, 3A Auction House will be officially launched and Akingboye tells Samuel Ajayi that it is one epochal event that will change the face of auctioning in Nigeria

H

ow did you come about this idea?

I grew up in the United Kingdom and spent a lot of time shuttling between the UK and the United States of America. I discovered that there are many opportunities that people have access to that we do not have here. One of them is that people could buy things there. People can place auctions at the custom, banks and so on.

There are so many opportunities to buy from auctions. I relocated to Nigeria in 2010 and I think it was in 2014 or 2015 that I realised that there was a gap in the market that could benefit both the buyer and the seller. At that moment, I started looking into auction in Nigeria, reading about it and I discovered there was no general auction house to deal with this all important aspect of business. That was how this idea came that we could provide the avenue for people in the country.

How are you sure this will work going by the economic situation?

The truth of the matter is that auction does better when there is financial meltdown in any country. Let us look at the time there was recession in the US and the UK. People were buying properties below market prices because people could not afford to keep up with their mortgage. So those who had houses had to sell and were selling at ridiculous prices. There are people who built their properties 20 years ago with N10 million. That property could sell at N70 million now. They won’t mind selling at N45 million. Now, building such property might cost more because the cost has more than tripled. So what you could have built at N90 million, you are buying at half that price. This is the fact the owner selling built at N10 million but selling at N45 million. I feel it is best time to start this.

We have OLX and other sites like that. How is this different?

OLX is not an auction house. What

they do is that they give you the platform to upload your material and sell.

You set a price and it only attracts one person at a given time. Even at that, you don’t maximise your profit. What you are selling for N1 million, if it gets to auction and because there are so many people competing, you can sell for N2 million. You limit yourself by negotiating with one person, but in auction, you have people struggling for the material especially if it has so much value. That is the difference between auction and OLX. There are two separate markets.

Customs, banks, insurance companies and so on sell unserviceable goods all the time and there are so many cars and properties rusting away in their custodies. How do you get these people to buy into this idea?

What we are doing is that we are currently in the negotiating stage with these bodies. I just came out of a meeting with the deputy director-general of the National Insurance Association, NIA, and the man was very excited about this.

The reason being that they discovered that over the years, so many of the claim managers have been doing deals; they buy stuffs and sell within themselves and to people they know. Cars that could be sold at public auction at N4million, they buy at N1 million and the person buying from them makes profit re-selling the car. The person losing is the man that owns the company. So the people we are appealing to are those who are responsible for these companies.

I mean the stakeholders and decision makers. We are saying that a 2015 car, though damaged, that your guys are selling N1 million, could be sold at N3 million if it gets to auction. So we are negotiating with so many insurance companies and banks to buy into this and we can help them make more from their auctioned materials.

Customs sell cars all the time; I mean impounded cars. But this is a government agency with so much bureaucracy which could be frustrating. Do you intend getting across to

Akingboye

them? And even police as well.

At the moment, what we are doing is that we are aware of the challenge. I see those adverts and the only reason they do these things is because they have to fulfill the legal requirements of advertising before selling. At times, they have even sold before advertising. But really, those things are sold within a particular group. We are discussing with them to let them know that government can actually make more from these things so that you guys don’t keep short-changing us. And we are making sure that we are going through the top. If we don’t do that, these are the guys doing these things and they will kill it before it gets to decision makers.

When are you likely to start operations?

We are officially launching our operations on Thursday 27th October and we are doing the launch at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. What we are doing is that we are telling people that we have finally come on board. The first official auction will be 17th November and that is when we will be kicking off operationally.

Who are you expecting at the official launch?

We are expecting investors. These are people that like to purchase things and fling them off. We also expect people that run automobile outfits; who sell these ‘accidented’ cars, refurbish them and sell off. We also expect the auctioneers association of Nigeria to be there and the director-general of NIA. How frequent will you be doing auctions?

We might even be auctioning cars every two days. It depends on the volume and if the volume is great, we can even be doing every day. It depends on the stock we have on ground. But with what we have now, it might be every two weeks. As per properties, we will be doing that all the time since they come up from time to time.

The truth of the matter is that auction does better when there is financial meltdown in any country.

Let us look at the time there was recession in the US and the UK. People were buying properties below market prices because people could not afford to keep up with their mortgage. So those who had houses had to sell and were selling at ridiculous prices. There are people who built their properties 20 years ago with N10million. That property could sell at N70million now. They won’t mind selling at N45million. Now, building such property now might cost more because the cost has more than tripled. So what you could have built at N90million, you are buying at half that price. This is the fact the owner selling built at N10million but selling at N45million. I feel it is best time to start this

47

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

PERSPECTIVE Nigeria Stumbles Into Q4 Lukman Otunuga

P

rolonged periods of depressed oil prices have punished most oil export dependent countries in 2016 with Nigeria being no exception. When one factors in that the nation receives over 90% of export and 70% government revenues from oil which is currently struggling below $50 a barrel, it could be understood why the world’s second largest economy in Africa has entered a technical recession. This has been a rough year for the economy with the CBN taking action on various occasions from the Naira de-peg, to raising interest rates to record highs in a bid to reclaim some stability. Despite the attempts, unemployment still lingers around 13.3% while inflation skyrocketed to 17.6% in August consequently enforcing additional pressures on the nation already engaged in a painful battle with falling oil. It has become increasingly clear that Nigeria’s illness can be diagnosed as oil reliance, but the cure can be found in diversification.

The Naira continues to be exposed to downside risks as the terrible combination of oil price volatility and Dollars potential resurgence amid US rate hike expectations entices sellers to attack.

With sentiment towards the Nigerian economy still somewhat bearish in the shorter term, further declines could be expected in the local currency as the natural forces of supply and demand determine its equilibrium value. It should be kept in mind that the ongoing forex scarcity which continues to pressure the Naira has created a firm foundation for bears to install repeated rounds of selling. There exists a possibility of the Naira strengthening in the longer term but the currency remains heavily exposed to external risks in the short term. From a technical standpoint, the Naira is heavily bearish and this negative momentum could open a path

Adeosun towards 500 and potential higher against the Dollar on the black market exchange.

While the effects of the Naira floatation can be displayed with the sharp drop in currency value and rising inflation, this has also bolstered foreign investment towards the nation. Since the introduction of the flexible foreign exchange regime, almost $1 billion has entered the country from foreign direct investments with further inflows expected if the Naira continues to decline.

Market participants may focus on the pending inflation figures for September which could provide additional clarity over if the Central Bank of Nigeria takes further action in 2016. With the economy still under pressure, the CBN may be entangled in a three-way battle with attaining growth, curbing inflation while also retaining some credibility. There have been many discussions over the record high-interest rates of 14% repelling

business to borrow consequently obstructing GDP growth, but with central bank caution remaining a recurrent theme, the CBN may be on standby before taking action in November or December.

Nigeria is in need of capital to boost its economy and this has sparked talks of the nation selling its national assets to calm investors, curb currency speculations and potentially stabilise growth. With the government receiving very little from depressed oil prices and the obstructions in the south depleting production even further, selling the assets could be a solution in the short term.

Many have been against the idea of relinquishing the assets and have labelled it as a quick fix which could leave the nation under further pressure in the longer term.

With oil prices trading below $50 and the persistent uncertainty over the conflict in the south of Nigeria weighing on sentiment, this may be an unfavourable period to offload oil assets. When coupled with the state of the economy, the government could find itself in a position of weakness when selling potentially receiving a deal well below the true value.

The world’s second largest economy in Africa faces a dilemma between selling its national assets and borrowing externally to retrieve enough investments to jumpstart growth. It should be kept it mind that diversification and reinforcing infrastructure need capital which the nation does not possess consequently creating a situation where a decisive decision must be taken.

While Nigeria may be commended on its efforts to boosting foreign exchange investments via the floatation and tax reforms to bolstering government revenues, this is still far from the 15 billion needed to fuel its structural transition. The African Development Bank, IMF, and even China have all offered loans to help reinvigorate growth but it seems that the nation has decided to think things through before potentially taking action in 2017.

Despite the current gloom and doom,

the longer term outlook for Nigeria still looks quite encouraging with the biggest challenge being how the nation weathers the uncertainty and external risks in the short term. With a population of over 180 million and fertile lands, agriculture could be the miracle pill which brings Nigeria back to health. Once the nation can feed its people, the surplus could be exported which could provide the revenues needed for the government to reinvest back into the economy.

If the infrastructure is reinforced then tourism could receive a welcome boost as safer roads magnetise tourists to the nation. Nigeria’s untapped maritime is a hidden gem that has been estimated to generate roughly N7 trillion annually if properly managed and could be one of the attributes which reflate the economy. The resources needed for Nigeria to steer away from oil dependence are present and the key may simply be proper management and time.

As Q4 commences, Nigeria may be slightly pressured if oil price volatility and a resurgent Dollar punishes the Naira further. Although OPEC shocked the global markets last week by deciding on an agreement to mitigate the oversupply woes, oil still remains somewhat pressured potentially trickling back to oil export nations. If the Federal Reserve decides to raise US interest rates in December then both the Naira and Oil could be vulnerable to heavy losses as bears install repeated rounds of selling.

There could be an increasing focus on key domestic economic reports such as inflation, unemployment, and GDP for further clarity on how the Central Bank of Nigeria may jumpstart growth. This is a very critical time for Nigeria and although diversification is the key for the nation to transition away from oil dependence, many will be observing where the funding will come from.

–Otunuga is Research Analyst at FXTM.

FCTCouncil Defends Power to CollectTenement Rates Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

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he Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has insisted it has the constitutional backing to collect the contentious tenements rate from house and business premises owners.

AMAC Chairman, Abdulahi Adamu Candido, echoed this view at a media parley in the wake of the pronouncement of the National Assembly Committee on FCT that the council should cease from further collecting the rates from the public.

Candido insisted that the local government Act of FCT 2006 and the Taxes and levies (Approved list of collection ) Act 2004, as well as the AMAC Tenement rate collection Bye Law 2012

also lay underlined the council’s claim.

He said he would defend the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and also appealed to all institutions and individuals occupying offices to strictly respect.

He said that AMAC had the power to collect, demand and enforce compliance in respect of to the payment of tenement rates within the area under the coverage of the council in accordance of Section 7 and 10 the fourth schedule of the Nigeria of 1999 as amended.

Candido also referred to previous judicial pronouncements, particularly the judgement delivered by Justice D.Z Senchi of the FCT Federal High Court on February 27, 2013 and the Appeal Court ruling made on May 12, 2014 in the Abuja Division, that

expressly recognised and validated the legality of AMAC as a tier of government constitutionally and statutorily empowered to collect tenement rates within the area under the coverage of the council.

“As far as the municipality of Abuja is concerned, it is only AMAC that is mandated by the law of the land to collect tenement rates. We swore to defend the constitutional responsibility and will explore talks with the National Assembly that recently suggested the stoppage of this collection. There is no organisation and institution that can protect the sanctity of the constitution than the National Assembly,’’ he said.

Candido similarly objected to the policy initiated by a former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Malam Nasir

El- Rufai, outlawing the council from collecting tenement rates.

He said the policy is arbitrary and in violation of the constitution. He also said the then minister intimidated and arm-twisted the previous administrations into arrangements that were against the interest of the council.

He insisted the council was not under any obligation to respect the law unilaterally imposed by an individual, adding that the federal law is supreme and above personal and institutional interest. ‘’We respect the authority of persons and the offices but the supremacy of an individual cannot be above the constitution of the land. My administration is not under any obligation to bow to the laws set by one person, ’’ Candido said.

FIRS Shuts Companies Over N368m Tax Debt

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usiness activities were, on Thursday, grounded in some companies in Lagos, Enugu and Abuja, as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) enforcement teams closed their premises over tax debts totaling N368.11 million.

In Yaba, Lagos, the office of Courteville Business Solutions Plc, was shut over a

tax debt of over N313 million. A company official told the FIRS team that he was aware of the company’s debt, but not sure of the exact amount. He explained that the company’s Group Managing Director was not available to clear up the matter, an explanation ignored by the enforcement team which ordered staff to vacate the office building for it to be sealed.

In Enugu, the office Afri-Hub, an Information Communication Technology firm, situated at the Institute of Management and Technology, was similarly shut. The company owes N2.54million.

The agency’s enforcement team led by Ruth Mandeun said the exercise was not a witch-hunt, but to recover tax debts.

In Abuja, two engineering firms were shut-down at Apo by the FIRS. HeriProm Engineering limited was sealed for owing N32.3million. Equally sealed was the office of De-Tither International Limited, which has a tax liability of N20.2million, made up of income tax, withholding tax and education tax from 2008 to 2013.

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OCTOBER 22, 2016 • THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

POLITY

Night PenCom Shone Like a Million Stars

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he Congress Hall of the Transcorps Hilton Hotel, Abuja was brimming with the who-is-who in the global pension industry - experts, operators, stakeholders, members of the diplomatic community, and of course political leaders from within and outside Nigeria. The decoration was tasteful, and everything bore an ambience that excites and calms at the same time. The compere, Ebele Young, did not disappoint, just as some of the best in the Nigerian entertainment industry, such as Omawumni Megbele, thrilled the audience with those performances that have the number one destination in the African entertainment industry.

The event was the 2016 Africa Pension Awards (APA), held on the sideline of the World Pension Summit, Africa Special (WPS- AS), in Abuja on 27th September, with the National Pension Commission, PenCom, once again, living up to its reputation as a pacesetter in the Africa pension industry.

APA, which maiden edition held during the Africa Special Summit in Abuja in 2015, was instituted to recognize excellence, achievement, and commitment to the development and strengthening of the African pensions industry, particularly the contributory pension scheme.

“The objectives of the APA are to promote the innovations implemented by both Operators and Regulators in order to optimise the quality of the services they render to their various stakeholders.

“To provide a platform for exchanging experiences and sharing ideas on how others resolved difficult issues and challenges, including how efficient resources were utilized in the resolution processes.

“And to showcase any innovation that was tested in product offerings, service delivery, extending coverage to the self-employed and the informal sector”, the organisers explained.

Thus, APA creates an opportunity for African countries to benchmark their progress and the development of their respective pension schemes, while promoting positive local and global image of the pension industries.

The 2016 edition of APA was special in some respects. The maiden edition of the APA was restricted to regulatory agencies that were members of the International Organization of Pension Supervisors (IOPS), with Kenya’s Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA) bagging an award for its achievement in the Extension of Contributory Pension Coverage and Namibia’s Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (NAMFISA) winning the award for theSocio-Economic Impact of its Contributory Pension System, while PenCom

Innovation for Corporate Governance.

Also, the infrastructure need of Africa is monumental; hence the need for African pension funds to support the development of the Continent’s economies in the foreseeable future through investment in infrastructure.

PenCom also carted away the award for Socio-Economic Impact of Pension System focused on infrastructure development, intermediation in the real sector and development of capital markets.

According to the organisers, “entries in this category were evaluated based on the impact of the Pension Fund’s investments on these three key sectors, in particular, and on the other sectors of their local economies.

“Participation in this category was open to both pension regulatory authorities and managers. In the case of entries by regulatory authorities, a holistic view of the country’s overall pension or social security investment portfolio was taken”.

Only recently, PenCom rolled out plans to invest 40 percent (more than 2.32 trillion) PENCOM DG, Chinelo Anohu-Amazu and other members of PENCOM Management receive Apa 2016 Award of the pension funds in infrastructure and for Best in Innovation in Corporate Governance sustainable investments like railways, power, agriculture and real estate, by 2019 bagged awards in all the three Award al Social Security Association’s Liaison Office as part of its five-year strategy to enhance Categories to emerge the best. for West Africa since 2009. He had served as inclusive growth and generate better value However, the 2016 APA went a notch a Senior Executive and Technical Advisor to for contributors. This, experts believe, will higher as it was thrown open to pension the Director-General of the Social Insurance help catalyse economic development, job fund managers and regulators across Africa, Institute and National Social Insurance Fund creation, and economic sustenance in Nigeria. in addition to introducing two new award of Côte d’Ivoire.

It is only being careful to ensure it does it as categories, namely, Innovation in Risk The otherwise bustling venue was envelsecurely as possible.

Management and Innovations in Commuoped by loud silence once the announcement Meanwhile, the second price went to the nication Strategy for Improved Customer of winners began, then exploded in a vortex National Social Security Fund, Sudan.

Service Delivery. of ecstasy and jubilation once PenCom was First prize for Deployment of Innovative The quality of the Evaluation Committee announced as the winner in the corporate Practices to Facilitate Wide Coverage and did not disappoint, as it comprised as it category of the Prize for Innovations in Inclusion was won by Premium Pension Limcomprised renowned industry players and Corporate Governance. ited, while ENWEALTH Financial Services of professionals like Dr. Daniel Seddoh, an On hand to receive the award was the Kenya bagged the second prize. accomplished Chartered Accountant and Director General of PenCom, accompanied According to the organisers of APA, also a member of the Chartered Institute of by the leadership team of the foremost supports from extended family members to Taxation Ghana. He cut his teeth at KPMG, Nigerian pension industry regulator. the aged are diminishing, the two operators with over 25 years employment history that The second prize in this category went to were considered best in widening coverage is deeply rooted in the financial services the National Pension Regulatory Authority of of pension system to reduce the number of sector, largely, pensions, insurance, banking, Ghana. The organisers said: “The importance people transiting into old age in poverty. finance and leasing, to name a few. of Corporate Governance cannot be overFirst Prize for Innovation in Risk ManageAlso on the panel was Dr. Gaye Fall, a emphasized as it serves as the nerve center of ment, aimed at recognising those who are the Canada-trained Associate Professor of running an effective pension scheme. best in planning, organising and controlling Oncology at the University Hospital, Cheikh “It highlights the legal and institutional activities and resources to minimize the Anta Diop de Dakar University in Senegal, frameworks as well as administration stanimpact of the many risks that pension assets who has served as the Director of the Centre dards that have been enshrined in regulating and all other aspects of pension administrafor the Training of Social Security Funds and managing the scheme. tion are exposed to, was clinched by Axis PenSafety Technicians and also served the Social “The assessment focused on the strength of sions Trust of Ghana, while the Social Security Security Funds of Senegal. enabling laws and extant legislations; robust- Regulatory Authority, Tanzania, went home Mr. Amed Bamba, an economist with ness of the institutions; and the effectiveness with the second prize. over 30 years work experience in the field of service standards”. The Premium Pensions of social security was also on the APA 2016 Limited, a Nigerian Pension Fund AdminRead full article online: www.thisdaylive.com panel. He has been heading the Internationistrator, clinched the Operators’ award for

New Lagos Baptist Church Celebrates 60 Years As the New Lagos Baptist Church celebrates its 60th anniversary, the Under-Shepherd Pastor Manasseh Adetunmibi speaks on the growth of the Church, relocation and missionary activities, in this interview with Sandra Ukele Tell us about your work in the Church

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y name is Pastor Adegboyega Manasseh Adetunmibi, the senior Pastor of New Lagos Baptist Church Surulere. By His Grace, I have been here for seven years. We are celebrating the existence of our church in the past 60 years. God has been faithful to the church and we want to recognise the work of our founding fathers and to continue to build upon their good works. This is the bottom-line of our celebration. We know that everything in this world is by His Grace; nobody can accomplish anything by his own strength so we tagged our theme for this celebration “60Years Of God’s Grace.” In this theme, we celebrate His goodness, mercies and grace, and we shall build upon the works of the founding fathers.

Can you tell us the journey so far?

The church was founded on 28th of October 1956. Initially, members of this church were living in Lagos Island but because of the reorganisation done by the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC), many of them migrated to this area in 1956. As a result of their relocation, many of them could not go to the Island for

worship; they said, “what should we do, well, let us organise ourselves and have a worship centre here.” The Church first congregated at 51 Oyerokun Road, Surulere, later moved to 29 Onitolo Street, Surulere and finally relocated to the present site at Bank Olemoh/Olawale Dawodu in July 1973. The church was organised on the 20th of January 1963. Organisation in Baptist context means that the Church has become a full-fledged Baptist Church.

What is the difference between the year the church was founded and the year it was organised?

The year it was founded simply means the year the church started. The year the church got her autonomy from the mother church under the direction of the Holy Spirit is referred to as organisation. In other words, Organisation of a local Baptist Church gives the Church the grace to be self-governing, self-sponsoring and self- administering.

Tell us more about the membership of the church, and how has it has developed One of the things we know about the church is that it is an institution of transition where people come in and go out. By the Grace of God, the church attendance is around 400 members. Initially, it was more than that but it reduced because of the relocation of members to their personal

houses, built outside the city centre. Presently, there is a church-shift from urban areas to developing areas. Unlike those days when people moved from rural areas to urban, the reverse is now the case. This relocation has affected church membership a little bit.

However, we thank God that the church keeps on growing. Spiritually, we are moving on; financially, God is helping us and morally we are making progress. We depend on God’s Grace for all these things and we are trusting God for more. As I mentioned earlier, we are building upon the foundation laid down by our forefathers. Hence, presently we are planning to add more values to the lives of worshippers and our community.

What projects has the church been involved in over the years?

The church has been involving in many projects. For instance, we have FourDaughter churches planted by this church.

They are the First Baptist church Olorunda established in 1963; Ireti Baptist church, Badia, 1967; Idimu Baptist church, 1985; and Maranatha Baptist church, 2002. We have the intention of planting another church next year.

You are about marking your 60th anniversary. What are some of the things you look back at and celebrate God for?

Most of the events revolve around

spiritual empowerment of members.

Presently, our members have become leaders in our Association and Conference at large.

At the same time, they have gone to various places where they have been effective in the hands of the Lord. Also, when we look back and realise that the church that started as a small group has expanded to this length, we feel that God has been good to us; we need to celebrate Him for His Mercies and Grace.

We have many reasons to thank Him in the past 60 years, We want to have educational project in commemoration of the 60 years anniversary.

What will the educational project entail?

There are two ways of looking at it. First of all, we want to have primary school education as an effective medium of evangelism.

This is because education is costly in this area. In fact, from our statistics, this church charges the minimum rate in terms of school fees.

This is because we want the low income earners in this vicinity to sponsor their wards to school. For this reason, we are considering having a good structure to provide quality education and to complement government’s effort in providing basic education.

Read full article online: www.thisdaylive.com

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

WITH

MARITIME BITS

JOHN IWORI 08057763164

L-R: Head of Department, Marine Engineering, Niger Delta University (NDU), Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Prof. E. A. Ogbonnaya; Managing Director, DOK Engineering Services Nigeria Limited, Engr. David K. Omonibeke, Vice Chancellor, NDU, Prof. Humphrey A. Ogoni; Registrar, NDU, Mrs. Effua Berepubo and a staff in the Vice Chancellor’s office, when Omonibeke led a delegation on courtesy visit to the VC, NDU...recently

R-L: Secretary General International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Mr. Lim; President, Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Mr. Greg Ogbeifun and the Minister of Transport, Malta Mr. Joe Mizzi with other government delegates at an investment summit organised by the Commonwealth of Nations in London...recently

Stakeholders Carpet NPA MD over Port Access Roads The deteriorating state of the port access roads to the nation’s seaports has drawn the ire of stakeholders in the maritime industry.

Though virtually all the ports access roads are in very deplorable condition, the ones leading to Africa’s largest container port, Apapa Quay and Nigeria’s second busiest port, Tin Can Island Port Complex (TCIP), Apapa, Lagos remain the worst with container laden trucks falling off and in the process, stuffing life out of several port users virtually every day.

In the last three weeks access to Lagos Port Complex, Apapa and TCIP has become a nightmare as the potholes have turned to craters making it impossible for port users to enter or exit the terminals without any ugly incident.

It is not uncommon to find container laden

trucks in the middle of the port access roads as motorists get trap besides articulated vehicles in Apapa and its environs.

Already, some sections of Apapa-Oshodi Expressway have been abandoned as the access to some port terminals becomes totally inaccessible.

Those who spoke to THISDAY wondered what the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman and her management team are doing to ameliorate the poor state of the port access roads.

A Lagos base importer, Mr. Abel Nwachukwute who spoke to THISDAY earlier in the week decried a situation where the management of NPA continue to make public statements that have no bearing on the true state of things in

Nigeria to Implement IOPC Fund The Federal Government has expressed her commitment to the implementation of the 1992 International Civil Liability Convention and the 1992 International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Fund.

The international compensation regime as developed under the auspices of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) comprise of two main conventions. They are the 1992 International Civil Liability convention and the 1992 International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Fund.

It is on record that Nigeria has ratified both conventions and she is expected to pursue its effective implementation in her maritime domain.

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside said this at the 7th meeting of the National Standing Committee (NSC) on the implementation of the IOPC Fund and related conventions in in Abuja.

Peterside who was represented by the agency Director Abuja Zonal office, Mr. Ali Indabawa assured stakeholders that the agency is committed to the adequate implementation of the IOPC Fund and related conventions for the benefit of dwellers of coastal communities and the preservation of the marine environment.

“The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency is working hard to ensure that our marine environment is free from all sorts of pollution. This entails preventing and controlling pollution from all sources such as ship based and land based sources”, he said.

According to him, the IMO has developed this compensation regime which helps victims of oil pollution damage to obtain compensation and for government to be reimbursed for cost of oil spill clean-up. Minister of Transportation, Right Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Zakari Sabiu had earlier called on NIMASA and other relevant agencies to develop a strategic implementation plan in order to curb incidences of marine pollution and to effectively compensate victims when pollution occurs.

Sabiu who is also the Chairman of the National Standing Committee on the implementation of the IOPC and related conventions also urged members to work together to achieve the task ahead.

the ports.

“While waiting for the award of mega contracts to rehabilitate the roads at least the NPA boss ought to have embark on palliatives measures to salvage the situation. How much will it cost NPA to procure hard core or gravel and drop on those very bad spots such as the ones at Airways and Liverpool? At least, that will go a long way to ameliorate the poor state of things on the roads leading to the port. To say the least, the gateway to the port is an eyesore.

Yet Usman and her team are laid back waiting for the conclusion of the long bureaucratic processes before they will rise to the challenge of addressing the poor condition of the port access roads”, he fumed.

National President of the Association of

Nigerite Denies Importing Cocaine Nigeria’s leading building manufacturing company, Nigerite has dissociated itself from the substance suspected to be cocaine that was reportedly found in one of the containers in which its imported raw materials were recently shipped from New Zealand to Lagos.

A statement issued in Lagos and signed by its Marketing Research and Communications Manager, Mr. Victor Jolaoso, the company categorically stated that it was not involved in the packing and containerisation of the goods, and had absolutely nothing to do with the trafficking of cocaine, which is neither a raw material requirement for its operations nor part of its production processes.

The firm statement is coming on the heels of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) discovery and disclosure of

the contraband at Tin Can Island Port Complex (TCIP), Apapa, Lagos earlier this month by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

According to the statement, Nigerite, a highly compliant company with reputable local and international shareholders, had been operating in Nigeria for over 57 years and that during this period it had complied strictly with Nigerian laws and regulations.

It expressed its readiness to cooperate fully with the Police and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in investigating the case, asking the media to let the Police and NDLEA conduct their investigations, and expressed confidence that the outcome of the investigation will completely vindicate Nigerite.

Ugwuanyi Lauded on Zik Tourist Centre and Transport Infrastructure Enugu State Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has been commended for the on-going rehabilitation and upgrading into a tourist centre, the official residence of the late premier of former Eastern Region for the celebration and immortalization of the legacies of the late foremost Pan-Africanist, exemplary nationalist, doyen of journalism, great leader and first indigenous President of Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.

The move was described as proving that the labours of our past heroes shall never be in vain.

The National President, Coalition of Civil Society and Media Executives for Policy Stability (COCMEP), Comrade Innocent Ebirim Okadigbo who made the commendation in Abuja recently also lauded Ugwuanyi for the on-going rehabilitation of Enugu Zoo to a tourist site and for simultaneously launching 35 development projects for the 17 local Government Areas in the state mainly on 25 roads and transport infrastructure, hospitals, water, and electricity.

Okadigbo expressed regret that since

the demise of the famous Zik of Africa, Nigeria and South East leaders have not done any remarkable thing to institutionalize his legacies.

He hailed the governor for what he called “his thoughtfulness, exemplary leadership and magnanimity” in remembering the worthy life of great Zik. Apart from rekindling the philosophies and legacies of the late Zik for unity, peace, good governance and development of Nigeria and Enugu State, the activist hinted that such tourist attraction can boost revenue base and investment profile of the state as well as motivate current leaders to do good for the people.

“South East Governors should emulate this kind gesture of Enugu State Governor by instituting an annual or bi-annual Zik’s memorial lecture and establishment of Zik’s centre for social and political research respectively”, he said.

The COCMEP President described Ugwuanyi as a revolutionary thinker who has reshaped leadership paradigm in the state to be deeply innovative and people oriented.

Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu recently flayed the Minister of Transportation, Right Hon.Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, for his failure to improve on the fortunes of the maritime industry and for the deteriorating state of the port access roads since his appointment by President Mohammadu Buhari last year.

According to him, going by deplorable state of the roads leading to the ports, Amaechi has abandoned the maritime industry as he has not done anything tangible to tackle headlong the numerous challenges facing the sector since he was appointed the Minister of Transportation.

We cannot continue like this. If they are bereft of ideas of how to move the maritime industry forward, they should seek for help or resign.

MAAN Pioneer President Unveils Book on Arbitration The pioneer President of the Maritime Arbitration Association of Nigeria (MAAN), Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour has written a book titled “Commercial Arbitration Law and Practice in Nigeria through the Cases”.

Published by one of the most trusted legal name in legal publishing, LexisNexis the book draws richly from Rhodes-Vivour’s experience in international arbitration with extensive years of practice in the field of arbitration and alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

A statement issued in Lagos and obtained

by THISDAY said the book is a comprehensive and quick reference material offering practical and in-depth guidance through Nigerian cases.

According to it, the book on a ‘subject by subject and case by case’ basis guides the reader on the court’s interpretation of the arbitration statutes by summarising the decisions of the courts with relevant quotations from respective cases. It provides detailed information on the legal framework for arbitration in Nigeria and a comparison of the provisions of the respective regimes, namely the ordinance based law, arbitration and conciliation Act and the Lagos State Arbitration Law. It also provides the author’s analytical commentary of cases reviewed and topical issues arising from the decisions of the courts.

Where applicable, the book refers to the law and practice in other jurisdictions as a guide to best international practice with the aim of encouraging the development of arbitration law and practice in Nigeria in accordance with global trends in the field.

Describing the book as a reference guide and an essential tool on arbitration law and practice to the judiciary, practitioners, academicians and students, Hon. Justice Olufunlola O. Adekeye, in her foreword said it is “the first book by a Nigerian author in the field to present a comprehensive picture and rich analysis of the law and practice of commercial arbitration in Nigeria.”.

According to Adekeye, the book undoubtedly exposes the sterling qualities of the author as an iconic legal luminary, an academician, a celebrated writer and particularly a master in the field of arbitration.

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SATURDAY OCTOBER 22, 2016 T H I S D AY

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

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mEdia & maRkETing

LG Stirs Market with OLED TV

KASIE ABONE

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G Electrics has once again stirred competition with the launch of 4K OLED TV thereby redefining the global premium TV market segment. With the level of technological advancement that went into the production of OLED TV range, there is expectation that it would dominate the next-generation TV market.

According to the electronic giant, OLED distinct features include ability to turn each individual pixel on or off making backlighting unnecessary thereby allowing for display of sharp black and infinite contrast; OLED TVs can represent crisp, nuanced images even when tiny objects are placed in a dark area. OLED’s deep black also serves as the perfect medium for colours to be rendered accurately with more vibrancy.

OLED technology has several advantages and in addition to being lighter and thinner due to lack of a backlight, OLED TV’s offer excellent picture quality.

Because OLED pixels emit light directly, viewing angles are much wider, plus colour and contrast stay the same regardless of viewing angle. And because each pixel can be turned off individually, OLED TVs can do their best to deliver an absolute black and an infinite contrast ratio.

Such technological advancements in OLED and its obvious benefits over the existing TV technologies, is creating an ideal platform for an increased potential in this new TV technology while expanding the premium TV market.

Backed by 50 years of experience in the TV business, LG has built a new TV category with its OLED TV and the

The unveiling of LG OLED TV

company is ready to bring future display technologies to current TV consumers as the world’s leading OLED TV producer.

From giving the world the industry first large sized TVs, to the smartest TV interface, broadcast compatibility and best picture quality, LG’s history marks it all. With a projected increase in demand for OLED TVs, LG is keen on dominating the premium 4K TV market by increasing product supply of its OLED TVs, thereby pioneering a completely new category of television.

with

“LG has long been a leader in the television market, continuing to raise the bar with its innovative TVs. Since the introduction of the company’s first OLED TV, LG has been increasing its commitment to this revolutionary technology with each passing year. Our concerted efforts have fostered substantial market potential for this latest TV format. Globally, this has resulted in a positive impact on the sales of OLED, and we believe the strong potential of the product is creating a positive sentiment among

08057511558 (sms only)

consumers across the world including the Middle East & Africa whilst creating an enhanced and improved viewing experience”, said Kevin Cha, President, LG Electronics, Middle East & Africa.

LG OLED TVs provide an unrivalled HDR experience with images that look more real, with more perceived depth and crisper, more vibrant colours. By starting from perfect black – which only OLED can achieve – LG OLED TVs are able to produce the required light ranges for HDR at a lower peak brightness, resulting in an exceptional, comfortable HDR viewing experience.

LG OLED TVs are the first TVs to be compatible with both core HDR formats.

This is important for consumers because it assures access to all the HDR content available today and peace of mind that their TV will handle new content to come.

In addition, the entire 2016 LG OLED lineup carries the “Ultra HD Premium” certification which identifies products that can deliver the high standards for performance and immersive experience as set by the UHD Alliance.

All LG OLED TV models come with the latest generation of LG’s acclaimed webOS Smart TV platform, which makes finding and switching between content options – including broadcast TV, streaming services and external devices – simple and fast.

With enhanced mobile connectivity, remote features and more content options, LG webOS 3.0 makes it even simpler and more fun than ever for users to find and enjoy the content they want to watch, including a growing library of 4K and HDR programming.

RenMoney Marks 4 Years of Delivering Simple Money Solutions to Nigerians

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s RenMoney marks four years operation in Nigeria, Chief Executive Officer of the consumer finance organization, Mr. Graham Lee said the company mission of offering ordinary Nigerians simple money solutions designed to meet specific needs with attractive interest rates has been achieved. He said with the understanding of Nigerian market and its huge potential for growth, RenMoney’s different product offerings were uniquely designed to suit every client’s specific financial needs.

These needs including saving towards buying a car or a wedding which offer zero

fees or hidden costs with high interest rates.

For clients who already have some savings, fixed deposit investment product to maximize their return on investment by offering high rates of return backed by excellent risk management is available to them.

Lee said purpose-driven loan options were also available for clients with need immediate funds such as school fees loan to help parents tackle back-to-school expenses with the loan option attracting the lowest interest rate.

“We have started entering into partnerships with schools to make more parents aware of this product and ensure that kids go back to school on time while parents

repay in convenient monthly instalments,” Lee said.

Asides from our Cash Loan, Target Savings and Fixed Deposit products, RenMoney is in partnership with companies to provide POS loans to buy household appliances and smartphones financing with both attracting convenient monthly repayments.

Despite competition and the current economic recession, Lee said RenMoney had been able to record successes due to employment of a winning culture with the best people, adoption of world class risk management including both risk analytics and collections, innovative and cost-effective technology, price leadership, including

sophisticated risk-based pricing as well as strategic partnerships.

On growth strategy going forward, Lee said RenMoney would continue to drive effectiveness and efficiency as it remains focused on developing simple innovative products solutions to meet real needs of ordinary Nigerians. He explained that the cash loan product had maintained steady growth in Nigeria since launch with demand experiencing a steady growth balanced with very rigorous risk management.

With six branches scattered across Lagos State RenMoney is also experiencing strong growth through its telesales and internet channels.

DStv Offers Customers More Added Value Across Bouquet

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In this era of recession when businesses undergoing economic challenges leading to some closing shop while others are reducing quality of their offering to stay afloat, DStv is doing the unexpected by delivering added values to its customers across all bouquets, DStv Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Family and Access.

At a press briefing held in Lagos on Wednesday, MultiChoice Nigeria’s General Manager, Marketing and Sales, Mr Martin Mabutho, said as a customer centric company is set to deliver more entertainment value for less starting November 1, 2016 when subscribers are expected to enjoy massive content upgrade on all DStv bouquets including varied and quality channels for family enjoyment.

In the last nine months, DStv has delivered the world’s best football leagues to DStv Compact customers (February) followed by the DStv price freeze in April and in the lat-

est giant leap in providing customer value, DStv is combining more quality and variety to its bouquets to ensure everyone has access to affordable family entertainment.

“This major boost in entertainment value across all DStv bouquets demonstrates our commitment to ensuring DStv customers receive great entertainment and best-inclass value.

The price reductions in our state of the art decoders – Explora and HD Zapper – will ensure that great family entertainment is available to everyone at the most affordable price. We are all living in tough economic times – and while the everyday costs of food, water, power and fuel are increasing at an alarming rate, we recognize that there is still a need to take time to escape and relax with the family at home to enjoy quality and entertaining programmes from movies to sports, series, documentaries and a whole lot more,” said John Ugbe, Managing Director of MultiChoice Nigeria.

Chairman, Ofala Festival 2016 planning Committee, Chief Ngozi Okafor, the Ogene Onira of Onitsha, Globacom’s Head of operations, South-South, Mr. Enekwachi Aja, Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, Agbogidi, his Lolo, Igwenwanyi Achebe and Globacom’s National sales Coordinator, south-east, Mr. Gabriel Okoli, at the Ofala Festival royal banquet organised by Globacom in honour of the Agbogidi in Onitsha recently

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

POLITY

Tinubu:NewObaofBenin,TrueSymbolofBeninHeritage Olaoluwakitan Babatunde

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ll Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has described the new Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolopkolo, Oba Ewuare 11, as a worthy son succeeding his noble father and a true symbol of Benin cultural heritage.

Congratulating His Royal Highness Eheneden Erediauwa, over his coronation as the 39th Oba of Benin Kingdom, Tinubu said it was heart-warming that the crown

prince emerged the popular choice to succeed his father, the late Oba Erediauwa, who had a successful reign.

Shortly after his coronation, Erediauwa gave the name he has chosen to bear as Oba Ewuare 11. He would be addressed as Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolopkolo, Oba Ewuare 11, after Oba Ewuare 1 who reigned in 1440 AD. “I felicitate with Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolopkolo, Oba Ewuare 11. There is nothing as heart-warming as to have a worthy son succeed his father after a

successful reign of the latter. Like his father Oba Erediauwa, Oba Ewuare 11 represents a true symbol of Benin cultural heritage.

With his sound education and deep knowledge of the history and tradition of Benin Kingdom, Oba Ewuare 11 has been prepared ahead of this time and he is eminently qualified to build on his father’s legacies and generally carry on from where Oba Erediauwa stopped.

“The Benin kingdom occupies a preeminent place in pre-colonial traditional history and the place of Oba of Benin, a

direct descendant of Oranmiyan, the son of Oduduwa, has long been assured not only in the pantheon of traditional history and culture in Nigeria and beyond but also among traditional rulers in the country and outside. I hope and pray that Oba Ewuare 11 would take this enviable place seriously and move to advance it further.

“I also hope and pray that he would uplift Benin tradition, uplift the living standard of his people and that the Benin people would generally enjoy greater peace and security during his reign.”

Sterling Bank Supports 2016 Lagos Fashion Design Week

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etermined to sustain its efforts aimed at empowering Small, Medium Enterprise (SME) sector in the country to enable it play a more active role as catalyst for economic growth and development, Sterling Bank Plc has announced its sponsorship of the 2016 Lagos Fashion Design Week (LFDW). The event will hold from Oct 26th- 29th, 2016 at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The Bank’s Executive Director, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman explained in a statement issued on Friday that the Bank’s support of the programme was based on the need to diversify the nation’s economy in view of the sharp decline in oil export. “We also need to adequately harness the abundant talent in the fashion industry to support the local economy”, he added.The Lagos Fashion Design week, a leading fashion event on the African Fashion calendar organized

by Style House Files, has succeeded in repositioning fashion as a useful tool for commerce and creativity in the country.

Apart from supporting the event,

another initiative introduced by the Bank for the empowerment of small business owners is the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Academy. The focus of the Academy is to build capacity for existing and emerging micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to enable them grow and easily access funds for expansion. Participants are also well equipped to navigate the challenging operating environment.

The multiday fashion event, according to Mr. Abubakar, would serve as an avenue where fashion professionals, buyers, consumers, enthusiasts and media operators come together to appreciate the current collections and work of African designers in the fashion capital, Lagos.

He added that the Fashion Business series would also create a platform for networking among key players in the Nigerian and Pan African fashion industry for the overall growth and development of the Nigerian and African fashion industry.

A major highlight and new addition to LFDW 2016 is the LFDW X Retail which

PHOTO NEWS

L-R: Managing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc.., Mr. Nicolas Vervelde; Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwuka; Maltina Teacher of the year, 2016, Mr. Imoh Essien; and Prof. Pat Utomi, during the prize presentation in Lagos… recently PHOTO: SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R: Head, Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, Nestle Nigeria Plc.., Mrs. Peggy Diby; Guest Speaker/President-Elect, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Dr. Barthlomew Brai; and the NNIA, Anglophone CWAR, Chioma Emma-Nwachukwu, at the Nestle Nutrition Media Workshop held in Agbara, Ogun State...recently PHOTO: Dan Ukana

is the commercial arm of LFDW. This provides a platform for members of the fashion and creative community to sell their work. Two of the Bank’s MSME customers would be given free booths to

showcase and sell their work. The Bank is also providing free Wi-Fi at the 4-day event to enable guests share their experiences and promote designs that inspire them.

L-R: Ogun State Commissioner for Co-operatives and Community Development, Gbenga Adenmosun; Olu of Itori, Oba Fatai Akamo; Managing Director, Lafarge Africa, Adepeju Adebajo; Community Relations Manager, Olatunji Oguntola; and Communications /State Relations Manager, Titilope Oguntunga, at the commissioning of 21 units of bungalows built

by Lafarge Africa for two communities in Ewekoro, Ogun state... recently

L-R: Business Director, Emergent, CWG Plc., Rasheed Salawu; Federal Department of Cooperatives, Shatami Bumba; Vice Chairman, CWG Plc., Austin Okere; Federal Director of Cooperatives, Akintoye Akintola, CEO, CWG Plc., James Agada; and Financial Inclusion Specialist, CWG Plc., David Olatilo, during a visit of the Federal Director of Co-operatives to CWG Plc., Headquarters in Lagos... recently

L-R: Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Communities and Communications, Hon. Kehinde Bamigbetan; Iyaloja General of Ikorodu Division, Alhaja Taofikat Abiodun Allison; Market Woman, Faidat Adejoke, and National Coordinator, Traders’ Rights Protection Initiative, Comrade Christopher Okpala at the launch of Lagos State Market Activation (Ambode- Traders Connect), held at Sabo Market, Ikorodu, Lagos ... recently

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

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TRAVEL&LEISURE

by OMOLOLA ITAYEMI omolola.itayemi@thisdaylive.com 08054699602

30 Minutes in Amsterdam’s ‘Red Light Secrets’ Museum With hundreds of prostitutes working in Amsterdam today, it’s no surprise tourists have more than a passing interest in the world’s oldest profession. But for those who don’t want to shell out for a little oneon-one time with a professional, a museum called Red Light Secrets is it for you. Omolola ItayemiI writes

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arrivedAmsterdam, Netherland intending to see the museums and clubs after the IBC exhibition with Canon, Middle East and Africa. Every day was a new experience getting lost in a culture that I considered both old Europe and avant garde. Of course, it was the traditional art and the clubs Melkveg, Paradiso, and the Bulldog. What grabbed me were the coffee houses with no names; the shops that seemed to specialize in nothing in particular and everything in general, the poetry readings, the card shops, the places that defied description by either form or function. An afternoon and evening spent at the Heineken brewery; a day at the Van Gogh museum and an afternoon at a local pub watching some EPL. I visited sex museums, went to the Grasshopper, took a canal tour, visited Anne Frank museum and ate at a feebo.

But nothing stood out more than the ‘Museum of Prostitution,’ more educational than entertainment. Intended to inform people about prostitution, and show the world from a prostitute’s perspective, to give them more of an inside peek into the world behind the Red Light District.

At the entrance, there’s a woman checking your tickets. You’ll be surprised that people are ready to play a fast one even in the red light district. She reminds us it’s more educational than entertainment. Education in a red light district? I laughed. What an irony; but then, you are in Amsterdam that has the reputation of being an “anything goes” city. Its relaxed, permissive, tolerant, liberal approach to things like sex and drugs are legendary. So, one might think there are no rules or guidelines to abide by here. But, like the Museum of Prostitution, it thrives on guidelines.

It’s a small place and quite narrow. As you step in, you go up some few steps into a cinema.

The cinema is playing a kind of documentary about some people from the Red Light District.

However, emphasis is on the 70’s and 80’s when prostitution was perhaps a little less professional, and more of a lifestyle. The girls working there these days are there to work, not to chat, not have a good conversation with the baker from next door, but simply work hard to make the money they want to make to go home.

After this, you come into something they call the Red Light Fashion. It just shows three

Dont’t expect anything risque here, it’s all about information

figures in costumes that would’ve only turned me on in the 17th century. After that, you go up the stairs, where there are some posters on the sides.

A lot of them aimed at fighting human trafficking (again!), and what apparently used to be once a work schedule board. After that, you walk into a room with a window looking out the front of the building, where you can sit and experience how it is to be a prostitute.

It wasn’t very interesting, since the window is too high to really experience it.

After that, you get into a ‘real’ workroom.

Well, real, as in maybe 50 years ago, because that’s how long ago I think they cleaned that place. The bed was full of stains, which was disgusting, and the sink was full of junk and

bottles of hairspray and God knows what else.

I don’t know whoever would work in such a place, but certainly not any prostitute working today in the Red Light District.

After this, we came into a room that was apparently called the ‘luxury’ workplace. I don’t know if these rooms ever existed, but they certainly don’t exist these days, especially not one with your own bathtub.

And after that, we came into a simulation (SM) room, with dungeons, whips and all kinds of S and M paraphernalia.

Then, we came to the only part of the museum that did show something true about prostitution - the ‘confrontation room.’ In this room, you get to sit in front of what are basically two video screens. And the video screens

play footage of people walking by, looking at you, as if you were a prostitute yourselves.

If you really want to know how it is to be a prostitute, you’d skip the entire museum, and go straight to this room, and sit there for a couple of minutes.

Then, there was a wall with a couple of things people had lost apparently when they were visiting a prostitute. Most of these things were simple little things people often forget, like a watch, or a phone, or their wallets and even dentures.

And then, the confessions on the wall. I’ve never seen confessions more sincere and true.

What a shame it had to be found in the least pious place where I had only spent 30 minutes.

That how small but interesting it was.

MTN Partners Air France, Offers 25% Airfare Discount

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TN Nigeria has joined hands Air France KLM, to package an unbeatable offer of up to 25% discount on Business Class tickets to London.

The partnership between MTN Nigeria and Air France KLM will offer this discount from October to December 2016. In addition, customers will enjoy free incoming calls on the MTN network while outside the country.

Commenting on the partnership, General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN, Richard Iweanoge said: “The partnership was conceived towards rewarding our current Platinum customers at this time. This is one of MTN’s ways of supporting its loyal customers as they engage in their regular travel for different purposes.

“The goal of our partnership with Air France

KLM is to add value to our customers. Air France KLM and MTN are two companies that place a high premium on customers and with the Yuletide drawing near, there is no better deal for business travelers, tourists and holiday seekers than this offer.”

Speaking on the partnership, Commercial Director, Air France KLM, Nigeria and Ghana, Arthur Dieffenthaler, said: “We share a bank of loyal customers who frequently use both our products not only in Nigeria but also abroad. Roaming outside Nigeria, they need to know that we care, that is why we decided to create an unbeatable offer for the end consumer.”

The period of purchase of the tickets runs from the 14th to 31st October 2016; while tickets remain valid till the end of December, which means that beneficiary customers must travel and return before 31 December 2016.

Commercial Director, Air France KLM, Nigeria and Ghana, Arthur Dieffenthaler and Rahul De, Chief Marketing Officer at the Unveiling of the partnership at MTN Nigeria headquarters, Golden Plaza, Ikoyi, Lagos

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

TRIBUTE Ojukwu: A Colossus of A Missionary Goes Home Paul Obi His body to that pleasant country’s earth And his pure soul unto his Captain Christ Under whose colours he had fought so long - William Shakespeare

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he story of Africa and Nigeria in particular, is replete with thankless contributions of European Christian missionaries who gave their all to usher the continent into civilisation.

Arguably, that gesture remains a game changer in the whole discourse of Africa and how it was coopted with the rest of the world. For people like Rev. Fr. Dr. Willy Ojukwu, his believe was that there was also the need to increase home grown missionaries who would give back to humanity and society. Therefore, there was no other way to exemplify such ideology but for Ojukwu to offer himself.

Influenced by Rev. Fr. Clifford, an Irish Catholic missionary, he would go on to become a Catholic Priest, setting the pace around the globe and the Abuja Catholic Metropolitan See even beyond imagination.

His ordination on 16th July, 1983 as the first Abuja Catholic Priest by late Ignatius Cardinal Ekadem ushered him into the service of God in various dimensions.

As a committed and service-oriented priest, Ojukwu displayed his passion in helping the poor specifically those caught up during the Nigerian Civil War. His intervention and provision of succour to orphanages and children plagued by malnutrition through the Caritas International Foundation was very remarkable and commendable till date. He recently

Late Rev. Ojukwu replicated that passion with the setting up of Marian Soup Kitchen (MSK) located in Gwagwalada, Abuja, Anambra and Cross River States to cater for the downtrodden and to train youths in skill acquisition.

Besides, Ojukwu was more of a global Catholic priest whose footprints dotted nearly six continents of the world. His missionary journey took him to Canada, Alaska, United States, and Ireland to Timbuktu in Mali and many other countries. In Mali, he was entrusted with ministering to idol worshippers where he converted many Tuaregs to Christianity, laying the foundation for the new faith in that country.

He was more of a strategic builder and dogged in the pursuit of his goals.

Within the Archdiocese of Abuja, Ojukwu’s contributions towards building for the Lord

will be timeless in the annals of history.

After his ordination, and subsequent sojourn abroad, he returned with a bang, expanding the church greatly. After a brief stint at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Bwari, he was transferred to Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, which then had only a makeshift as a worship place.

In six years, Ojukwu transformed that temporary structure to a widely acclaimed edifice now dotting Abuja’s skyline and the highbrow area of Maitama, working hand-in-hand with the current Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Mathew Hassan Kukah. Ojukwu would be remembered for spearheading the expansion of the church within the metropolis tirelessly.

Wart and all, he was a confirmed disciplinarian and a resolute clergy. Though, in his fierce and firm stance on issues and approaches, he could be misunderstood.

But it is in those same attributes, that Ojukwu very often, brought out the best and enthralled his close watchers with legendary legacies. His calling as a Priest notwithstanding, he was more of a pragmatic persona and a go-getter as well.

At Holy Cross Catholic Church, Gwarinpa, where he was the Parish Priest and doubled as the Vicar General of the Abuja Archdiocese, Ojukwu’s brief stay and departure has left mourners to reflect on his giant strides so far. According to the Acting Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Innocent Kachala, Ojukwu “stood his grounds, against all odds in his interest in the education of our future leaders, which led to the establishment of the school. He was so keen on impacting spiritually in the lives of his parishioners that the Madonna religious book stores and sacramental was realised.” Rev. Fr. James George maintained that the late Ojukwu was a passionate and

committed Priest. Laity Council Chairman of the church, Mr. Godwin Iluobe said the late priest was “deep in knowledge and left behind true practicing Christians.”

On her part, President of Catholic Women Organisation at the parish, Mrs. Monica Keku, added that Ojukwu “taught us the importance of our role as women.” For Mr. Coleman Ubah, leader of the Catholic Men Organisation (CMO), Ojukwu “preached charity always as the foundation of Christianity.”

Ojukwu was born on 12th October, 1945 in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State to Mr. Peter Ojukwu and Mrs. Theresa Ojukwu (nee Nmadujafor).

He attended St John’s Primary School, Odakpu, Onitsha; St. Patrick’s Primary School, Agulu, Anambra State. He also attended Holy Ghost College, Umuahia, Abia State from 1963 to 1967. He schooled at St. Paul’s University, Ottawa, Canada and University of Ottawa, Canada bagging a degree in Linguistic and Philosophy.

He also had a PhD in Theology from the American Catholic University, Washington D.C, United States of America (USA).

At 71, he was looking forward to his retirement in a couple of years ahead. The setting up of MSK was seen in that light.

Rather, after his last official function on the 18th September, 2016 during the cultural festival, he fought hard with his health but inwardly knew that the hour was close.

Surprisingly, from abroad where he had gone for medical attention, he headed to Ijebu-Ode Monastery where his journey to the great beyond commenced. Knowingly, he will double it with a Viaticum, where his soul and body will be bath in the Agulu sunshine. There, the colossus will crack his jokes and put up his comic posture and rest well with his creator and ancestors

ForMyMotherHajiyaZainabMusa,ItIsGoodnight…

Mohammed Sani Musa

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he knew obviously that her time on earth was up; she manifested the saintly signs of a soul closer to the end. She was all over kids and even extended the same gesture to the people around her.

She was biding the world farewell, while we jive at her motherly doting; she grieved in painful reality that she was going to leave us soon. She knew it but we didn’t, and the time came eventually. And the mother that birthed us left us to the great beyond. Hajiya, like those before her breath her last.

On September 21, 2016, my mother the matriarch empress of Alhaji Musa Tanko Bawa, Iyan Minna patriarchal domain heeds Allah’s call. My mother, the regal template of homeliness, the mother hen that shied her chicks from hawks, my mother the umbrella of our existence exited the world at 71. On that day, we laid to eternal rest Hajiya Zainab Musa; fondly called Hajiya Asabe.

Mum being ill and watching her condition take a turn for the worse was the most difficult time for all of us. Following complaints of failing health, we relocated Hajiya to Abuja for close medical attention.

She got the needed medical attention and she was all life and zest. To prove the stability of her health, she took us by surprise and visited us in the office at 3pm.

I had no inkling she would come to the office. She came to everyone chagrin and used all the time to fraternize with all my friends and staff around. While I watched in fascinating dexterity her rare humor during the visit to the office, nature perhaps looked at me in pitiful gaze the last live scenery between a son and his mother!

Hajiya left for Minna on that fateful date of 20th September and the next day, a call that shattered the foundation of my existence came. Hajiya had relapsed into

another bout of her illness. I put up calls to her doctor and preparation was made to return her immediately to Abuja. To stabilize her worsened condition, they made a detour to Suleja General Hospital – barely at the entrance of the hospital, Hajiya breath her last! Inna lillahi Wa inna ilaihi raji’un. Oh Allah! Make our mother Hajiya Zainab a source for our salvation and make her a source of reward and treasure for us and make her an intercessor for us, and one whose intercession is accepted.

Constricted grief enveloped us as we are faced with the reality that our mother is no more. Words failed us and grief overtook us. For us, it is the end of time between Hajiya and her children, her grandchildren and her husband. It is a closed chapter of life. Nothing weakened the soul than the loss of a dear one. It kills your resolve for any machoism, you fail momentarily to the feebleness of nature, and you are lost in trance and in reality that your mother who begets you is no more. But just when you slip into the realm of depression, you remember the provision of Allah that the world is but a temporary abode. You get strengthen that for every soul, there is an end. Embolden with this stark realization, you take solace to turn your grief to appreciation of Allah and then dwell on the beautiful memories and legacies of your lost one.

For what we are today, it’s a testimony of Hajiya’s sacrifices. She denied herself the bliss of life to mould us into formidable reference of responsible human beings. She gave us the template of godliness, imbibed the spirit of hard work in us, and taught us the fear of Allah as the ultimate secret of survival. Hajiya gave us what real love is and never for once led us astray. Our mother was a fascinating model of a godly woman.

Hajiya lived a life of contentment; she made the fear of Allah her compass and lived above the pettiness of life. She was an

embodiment of sacrifices, a dotting mother and a loving wife. Show me an enduring African mother, I would gladly point towards my mother. She was real as nature and lived within the limits of nature. She taught us discipline, respect, diligence and love. That the family is bonded intricately today is to the exemplary manifestations of Hajiya. She was a woman of peace and valor. Her simplicity is infectious, a tool she used in moulding her family to an enviable reference.

Hajiya Asabe as she is fondly called was a formidable canopy over us. She went beyond her limits to catered for us, sacrifices her comfort for our education, she domesticated life experiences to us.

She was a strong woman in character and in conviction. I still marvel, with gratitude and appreciation, how she managed to have eleven children, including our late brother and a sister. How did she do all this through natural births, no painkillers, and definitely no epidurals?

My mother belonged to that class of stoic, hardworking and dignified women who spared nothing to see her children do better and rise higher than them. My mother was such a strong pillar to my father in her effort to see us grow up as happy children.

Mom taught us the importance of having a relationship with God, to be faithful, to cater to the needs of others, to endure, to be courageous, to know the difference between right and wrong and taught us to make proper decisions in life.

As a mother of nine surviving children, in our neighbourhood, having nine children from a single mother was a big deal.

Having a child was a blessing enough.

Having two means you are truly blessed.

But having nine? You have to be the special one! It was – and still is - also believed that mothers of (and indeed fathers) nine must have some special healing powers from the giver of life. Mom has been an inspiration

to our family and to those who know her will attest to her unselfishness, willingness, and dedication to Dad throughout their marriage life until her last breath on earth.

If we could give you a gift Mom, we would give you the ability to see yourself as others see you, and then you could really see how very special you are to us. She comes in and out of our lives and leaves footprints and memories engraved on our hearts forever. Her courage in the face of adversity and her inner strength is truly a blessing to us all.

We appreciate the love you have shown to each of us your devotion and determination to keep our family together.

You are indeed a true ‘woman of heart’, a woman with great faith, and a wonderful role model to many. We love you Mom, more than you know, you are our rock, our anchor, and our true everything and we will continue to love you forever. You have passed on, but your memories would always live on within us. Thank you for your sacrifices, your care and concern, your love and everything that you have done for us. Rest in peace Mum…..We will never forget you and we will always pray for you and love you forever.

Hajiya Zainab is survived by her husband Alhaji Musa Tanko Bawa - Iyan Minna, with children’s among them is this author, Hon. Abdullahi Musa (Ataka) former Member, Federal House of Representatives, Alhaji Umar Musa, Alhaji Abubakar Musa, Alhaji Adamu Musa, Alhaji Jibrin Musa, Alhaji Datijjo Musa, Hajiya Aisha Musa and Hajiya Fatima Musa.

Glory be to You Oh Allah, and praise be to You, and blessed is Your name, and exalted is Your Majesty, and there is none to be served besides You. May You grant late Hajiya Zainab Musa eternal rest in Jannatul Firdaus.

–Alhaji Sani wrote from Ministers Hill, Maitama, Abuja

T H I S D AY SATURDAY OCTOBER 22, 2016

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SATURDAY OCTOBER 22, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY SATURDAY OCTOBER 22, 2016

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SATURDAY OCTOBER 22, 2016 T H I S D AY

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

NEWS

In Brief

Benue’s Poor Tax Collection

The Benue State Government has blamed the activities of fraudsters for the minimal revenue being generated from taxation in the state. It stated that it had put modalities on ground to check the activities of criminals who were in the habit of impersonating government officials as Tax collectors.

ChairmanoftheStateBoardofInternalRevenueService(BIRS),Mrs.Mimi Adzape-Orubibimadethedisclosureyesterdayinaninteractivesessionwith newsmentomarkheroneyearinoffice."Criminals arepretendingtobeour staff, some are even mounting road blocks, stealing.Those boys mounting illegal road blocks are not BIRS staff but we have started clamping down on them", she said. She enumerated the challenges of the board within the yearunderreviewtoincludecriminaltaxationoccasionedbythemountingof illegalroadblocksbysuspiciouscharacterwhoextortmoneyfrompeople.The chairmanaddedthatinviewofthehardshipsufferedbytaxpayers,especially inlocalmarketsacrossthe23localgovernmentareasofthestateprompted bytheactivitiesofillegaltaxcollectorsandmiddlemen,thegovernmenthad banned such practices.

Sultan of Sokoto's 10th Anniversary

SYNERGISING AGAINST CORRUPTION...

The Executive Secretary PTAD Mrs. Sharon Ikeazor in a handshake with Chairman ICPC Mr. Ekpo Nta, after the meeting

US Donates $13.5m Mosquitoes Nets to Fight Malaria in Oyo State John Iwori and Alex Enumah in Abuja

As part of her contribution in tackling the scourge of malaria in Nigeria, the United States of America through her Agency for International Development has donated over 4.5 million bed nets valued at $13.5m to Oyo State.

The bed nets which were handed over to the Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, at the commencement of distribution of Mosquito treated nets would be given out through a mass campaign scheduled to take place today, within the 33 local government areas of the state.

According to a press release from the US Embassy in Abuja, in addition to the bed nets donated,

the United States Government also provided an additional $4.5 million to support the logistics of the campaign, including transportation of the bed nets, community mobilisation, training, and household mobilisation.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Nigeria, Mission Director, represented by Dr. Rick Niska, while handing over the nets said, “These nets and the support for distribution are a gift from the people of the United States to the people of Oyo State. We congratulate you on the ambition, initiative, and dedication it takes to plan, coordinate, and launch a statewide mass distribution of bed nets.”

While stating that malaria was one of the leading killers

Mimiko Tasks Police Over Security Aide's Killing Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State has described DSP Idowu Oyewole, the Mobile Police Officer in Charge of his convoy who was killed by armed robbers on Wednesday, as a dutiful and dedicated officer, just as he charged Police authorities to ensure his killers were found.

The charge is contained in the Governor's condolence message to the family of the deceased, made available by the state's Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade in Akure on Friday.

Describing his death as a pill of reality too bitter to swallow, Mimiko who emphasised that Oyewole's dedication to work as well as remarked that he was alive to his responsibilities, tasked his employer, the Police, to do everything within its power to ensure that Oyewole's killer was apprehended and brought to book.

He further urged the authorities to ensure that the peaceful status of the state was maintained, submitting that the

peace in the state could not be compromised.

Lamenting that the wife and children of the deceased are being made to experience the harsh side of life with the killing of their bread winner, Governor Mimiko, while condoling with the family prayed God to dry their hot tears and heal quickly, the wound the sad occurrence must have inflicted upon their heart.

DSP Idowu, the Unit mobile Commander (Mopol 17) attached to the Ondo State Government House, Alagbaka, Akure, was killed by suspected armed robbers last Wednesday around 8.30pm in his private house situated at Ugele community along BeninAbuja road in Akure.

Oyewole's death was said to have occurred when the officer responded to a distress call from a neighbour without knowing that the distressed neighbour was under attacked by armed robbers that shot him immediately he arrived the neighbour's compound.

of children and a leading cause of illness in Nigeria, particularly during the rainy season when the mosquito population increases, the release noted that nightly use of an insecticide treated bed net was the best way to prevent malaria.

“Bed nets put a vital barrier between people and the mosquitoes that carry malaria, particularly during the hours from dusk to dawn.

“Use of insecticide treated bed nets prevents infections, which in turn prevents the spread of malaria.

Bed nets help to interrupt that cycle.

A bed net not only protects an individual –when bed nets are used by everyone, particularly those who are already sick with malaria, bed nets also prevent others from becoming infected”

the statement said.

According to the statement, the U.S. government since 2011 has provided $419 million to control malaria in Nigeria. “Over 50 percent of U.S. funding for malaria goes into procuring and distributing insecticide treated bed nets, malaria diagnostic kits, and malaria medicines. U.S. also supports advocacy and community mobilisation to sleep under the bed nets every night, training of health workers, and test for malaria before treatment”.

The Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, a cross-section of traditional rulers, and Federal and State government officials attended the event, showing their support for overcoming malaria in Oyo State.

PTAD, ICPC Collaborate on Fraud-free Pension Payroll The managements of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have reiterated their commitment to the collaboration towards the establishment of a fraud-free pensioners’ database.

Speaking last Friday when she paid a courtesy visit to Chairman of the ICPC Ekpo Nta, the Executive Secretary (ES) of PTAD, Mrs. Sharon Ikeazor, said the Commission’s support was an invaluable input to the agency’s drive to sanitise pensioners’ payroll and create an accurate and credible database of pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS).

According to her, PTAD appreciates the ICPC’s interventions in the past, noting that the Commission’s continuous collaboration was necessary to prevent fraud in pension administration.

Ikeazor further noted that PTAD under her leadership was focused on serving pensioners under the DBS with empathy as the watchword.

"It is my conviction that every pensioner should be able to live out the remainder of their lives in dignity and good health.

“My vision is an agency that serves pensioners with the utmost respect and empathy”, she said.

She also informed the Chairman of PTAD’s plan to continue the Civil Service pensioners’ verification, increase the number of state offices and ensure the payment of the remainder of the 33% arrears owed pensioners.

In his response, Nta noted that ICPS took the issue of fraud in the pension sector very seriously, adding that the Commission’s financial investigation unit had already made some arrests.

“At ICPC, we are very concerned about the issue of pension,” he said The Chairman assured Ikeazor of the Commission’s continued support, adding that one of its duties was to work with organisations like PTAD to achieve international best practices and block loopholes for fraud and other criminal activities.

A lot of activities has been lined up to mark the 10th anniversary of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III, on the throne and the celebrations will be grand.This was contained in a statement signed by the ChairmanofthePublicitySub-committeeoftheLocalOrganisingCommittee and former Sokoto State Commissioner, Alhaji Danladi Bako. According to the statement, an International symposium on the Sokoto Caliphate has been billed to take place in Sokoto, on November 2, 2016 while renowned local,nationalandinternationalscholarsareexpectedtofeatureattheevent. ''Thecaliphate'scontributionstotheeconomy,politics,leadershipandgood governanceinthesub-Saharanregionwouldbethefocusofthesymposium", thestatementread.Thestatementsaidtherewouldbeapresentationonthe proposedNanaAsma'uCollegeofMedicalSciencesatthesymposiumanda presentationonsometranslatedbooksauthoredbythefoundingFathersof theCaliphatelikethelegendaryJihadist,SheikhUthmanBinFodio,Abdullahi Gwandu and Muhammadu Bello.

New Akwa Ibom Executive Council

AkwaIbomStateGovernor,Mr.UdomEmmanuel,hassaidthathewould soon constituteanotherStateExecutiveCouncilevenashepromisedtobemeticulous indoingsoandmakingtheprocesstransparent. Emmanuel,whospokeinUyo onFriday,saidhewascommittedtomovingthestateforwardandbuildinga cultureofexcellenceinservice.ThegovernorhaddissolvedthestateEXCO lastSaturday,instructingthepermanentsecretariesinthevariousministries to take over the ministries. He also thanked the ex-commissioners for their contributionstowardsthedevelopmentofthestate.Emmanueltoldjournalists onFridaythathewascommittedtofulfillinghiscampaignpromises,adding thatprojectsinthestatewouldbeexecutedbasedonneedsassessment.It willberecalledthatthegovernorhasembarkedonmajorroadsconstructions, infrastructuraldevelopmentsandagricultural schemesincludingtheCocoa production scheme as part of efforts aimed at industrialising the state.

Man Arraigned for Burning Daughter

A36-year-oldman,Mr.BenjaminEndurancewasonFridaydraggedbeforea Magistrates’Court inYenagoa,Bayelsa State,for inflictingseriouswounds onGoodness,hisyoungdaughter.ThepoliceprosecutionaccusedMr.Enduranceofusingahotelectricheatertoburnhisdaughterseverallyonthelegfor bedwettinginhersleep. Enduranceisnowfacingathree-countchargeover theincident,whichthepolicesaidoccurredonthe13thdayofOctober,2016 at about 11pm along Prosco road in Okaka area of Yenagoa Local Government Area. THISDAY learnt that the matter was reported to the Police by the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Bayelsa office. In court four, where the accused was arraigned, the Police led by Prosecuting Counsel, Inspector Moses Totekume, said the defendant, Endurance, had criminal intent, denied the victim of proper health care and attempted to breachthepeace. IntheCharge,thePoliceallegedthathedidwillfullyinjure hisdaughter,Goodness,byusingtheheateronherlegswhentheyoungster allegedly urinated on the floor where she slept.

Hollandia Yoghurt ‘Colours of Goodness’

Following the successful conclusion of the Hollandia Yoghurt ‘Colours of Goodness’ social media promo, lucky winners have been rewarded with mouthwatering prizes. Entries came from excited consumers eager to participate and emerge winners in the contest which was unveiled by Chi Limited as part of efforts to engage with loyal consumers of the brand on thedigitallandscapeAttheprizepresentationceremonyheldrecently,several prizesincludingSmartPhones,TabletsandPacksofrefreshingandnourishing HollandiaYoghurtwerehandedovertowinnersofthesocialmediacontest promo.Acrosssectionofsatisfiedparticipantswhoexpressedtheirviews onthepromosaidthegiftswereabonustothetastygoodnessthattheygot fromHollandiaYoghurt.ItwouldberecalledthatrecentlyHollandiaYoghurt redesigneditspackagingtowearatrendyandmodernlookthatbettercommunicatesconsumerbenefitsonthepack.Oneoftheluckywinnerswhosmiled homewithaSamsungGalaxySmartphone,VictoriaDamilolaThomas,was full of gratitude to the management of Chi Limited for the promo.

Glo-African Voices Features New Artistes

Anewgenerationofcreativeartistes,includingSouthAfrica’sLadumaNgxokolo, Uganda’sXensenandLiberian-bornTiannaSherman-Kesselly,willbethestar guestsinthisweekend’seditionofAfricanVoices.TheCNNInternational’sweekly half-hourprogrammesponsoredbyGlobacomprofilesAfricantrendsetters makinganimpactinAfricaandontheglobalstage.Thechoiceofthisweek’s guests,CNNstated,wasinformedbyhowtheyhad,throughtheircreativeworks, been“influencingthewaywelookat our world.”TiannaSherman-Kessellyis theCEOandProprietressofAfropolitan,afashionbrandandboutiquestore thatdesignsandshowcasescontemporaryLiberianfashion,whichinmany respectsreflectsthecountry’shistoricalandculturalconnectiontotheAfrican Diaspora. She is described by CNN as “a worldly designer whose style feels rightathome.”LadumaNgxokoloisoneofAfrica'sfinestknitweardesigners andinnovatoroftheXhosa-inspiredknitwearbrand“MaxhosabyLaduma”.

Herecentlywonthe2015VogueItaliaScoutingforAfricaprizetoshowcase his collections at the Palazzo Morando Show in Milan, Italy.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

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Bribery Scandal: Onu Dismisses Justice Ngwuta’s Allegation Frivolous, Unfounded Dele OgbodoinAbuja The Minister of Science and Technology, Mr. Ogbonnaya Onu, on Friday said the petition written against him by Justice Sylvester Nwali Ngwuta to the Chief Justice of the Federation and Chairman of the National Judicial Council. alleging that he was involved in influencing the judiciary was frivolous and unfounded.

In a statement signed by the minister yesterday, in Abuja, he affirmed that based on the petition written by Ngwuta on the 18th, he did not offer Ngwuta bribe to influence judicial proceeding at any material time.

"I did not offer Hon. Justice Sylvester Ngwuta or any other judge for that matter bribe to influence judicial proceeding at any time.

"My attention has been drawn to the widely publicised statements credited to His Lordship, Hon. Justice Sylvester Nwali Ngwuta in his petition dated October 18, 2016, addressed to the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the National Judicial Council.

"I have labored hard with other compatriots to strengthen the depth and reach of participatory democracy in our beloved country", he explained.

The minister said he was conscious of the essence of the rule of law as a

vital component of true and enduring democracy and the important need to treasure, protect and defend it at all times.

"Accordingly, in furtherance of this conviction, let me affirm that I did not offer Hon. Justice Sylvester Ngwuta or any other judge for that matter bribe to influence judicial proceeding at any time.

"Further, for record purposes, let me explain that I have known the Igwenyi’s family for a long time.

Infact, two of them were at the University of Port Harcourt when I was teaching there.

"When I later became Governor of old Abia State, I appointed the

eldest son, a Director General in my Administration. Arising from this age old relationship, we exchange visits from time to time having established a warm relationship with the family.

"I am astonished that Justice Ngwuta made such statements against my humble self, especially considering that he is my brother, friend and long standing associate of almost three decades.

"I wish to make it clear that I know Hon. Justice Sylvester Nwali Ngwuta, both of us having come from the same old Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. Our relationship has been that of mutual respect for one another over the years." he said.

Diamond Bank Partners Microsoft, HP on SMEs Empowerment

Intent on promoting small businesses in Nigeria, Diamond Bank Plc, has teamed up with Microsoft, Intel, HP and MTN in a strategic partnership focused on providing SMEs in the country with essential tools required to give them the competitive edge in a dynamic business environment.

The event which held recently in Ikeja, Lagos, featured an idea pitching competition involving five young business enterprises with Greenville Organic Foods, an agro-allied company emerging the winner of a N4 million business solution from Microsoft .

Addressing over 200 participants at the event tagged “Accelerate Your Business’’, Head, Emerging Businesses, Diamond Bank Plc, Njideka Esomeju stated that most Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) were saddled with the problem of Access to Finance, Access to Market and Access to skills, pointing out that 80% of over 35 million business ventures in Nigeria fall under the MSME category.

Njideka revealed that Diamond Bank was focused on going beyond banking to take people to the next level in life. In her words, “At Diamond Bank, we back our passion with action as we continually seek to deepen inclusive financing in all sectors across the country’’. Sharing her wealth of knowledge on small businesses with the attendants, she stated that most start-ups were designed with borrowed business plans and consequently wired to fail from the start.

Njideka reiterated that Diamond Bank had embraced the challenge of serving small and growing businesses by setting up a focused unit to drive MSME initiatives.

“The Bank’s Emerging Business Propositions team recognises that finance is not the only need of small and growing businesses, which is why we have developed interventions that go beyond the traditional services offered by most banks."

FG to Make TRCN Registration a Condition for Teachers’ Employment Uchechukwu Nnaike

PARTNERRING FOR WEALTH...

L-R: Njideka Esomeju, Head, Emerging Businesses, Diamond Bank Plc; Bunmi Bialose, Channel Marketing Manager, Microsoft Nigeria; Tolulope Lawani, Marketing Manager, Microsoft Nigeria; Abimbola Bamigboye, CEO/Founder, Audeo; and Adeniyi Adebote, SMB Customer Marketing, Microsoft Nigeria at the SME Business Club 2016 event held recently in Lagos

Trial of Chief of Air Force Staff, Amosu Stalled

Complement FG’s Efforts on Education, Ambali Charges Wealthy Nigeria

Davidson Iriekpen

Hammed ShittuinIlorin

The ongoing trial of the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (rtd) and 10 others before the Federal High Court in Lagos was yesterday stalled due to the demand by one of the defence counsel, Norrison Quakers (SAN) that an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness, Mojeed Olatunji, should produce his international passport.

Olatunji, a compliant officer with Skye Bank Plc, had commenced his testimony before the court on Thursday and the court had fixed yesterday for his cross-examination.

However, the proceedings was stalled when Quakers questioned the identity of the witness and demanded that he tendered his passport to prove that he was the same person that signed a letter he had earlier presented to the court.

When the witness could not present the passport, the lawyer asked the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, to adjourn the case to enable the witness produced the document.

In spite of objections from the prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, who argued that the development was a ploy by the defence to delay the matter, the judge granted the adjournment.

According to the judge, it was in the interest of justice to grant the adjournment.

He added that though a trial must be conducted without un-

necessary delay, a defendant must be given enough time to defend himself.

He therefore adjourned the case till Monday for continuation of trial.

Amosu, was arraigned on June 29 this year by the EFCC alongside two senior serving Air Force officers, Air Vice Marshal Jacob Bola Adigun and Air Commodore Gbadebo Owodunni Olugbenga and seven companies.

Companies named in the charge are Delfina Oil and Gas Ltd, Mcallan Oil And Gas Ltd, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Ltd, Trapezites BDC, Fonds and Pricey Ltd, Deegee Oil and Gas Ltd, Timsegg Investment Ltd and Solomon Health Care Ltd. The EFCC accused them of conspiracy, stealing, money laundering, concealing of proceeds of crime and conversion of funds belonging to the Nigerian Air Force to their personal use around March 5, 2014 in Lagos.

They were also accused of concealing “proceeds of crime” and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 17(a).

However, the defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges, a development that made the trial judge, Justice Idris to grant Amosun, Adigun and Olugbenga bail in the sum of N500m each with two sureties in like sum.

The Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Professor Abdulganiyu Ambali has stressed the need for wealthy individuals and well spirited Nigerians to complement the efforts of government through partnership in infrastructural development so as to enhance the standard of university education in the country.

Ambali advocated this in Ilorin on Friday during the award of degrees and diplomas certificates to over 8,000 students of the institution at the 32nd convocation ceremonies of the university .

Sixty- seven(67) out of 6,069 graduating students of the university made first class honours ,1,505 students made second class upper division grade, 3,200 second class lower division grade, 1,124 third class division grade and 70 students made pass grade.

According to him, "education is too important to be left in the hands of government alone.

"It is understandable that the federal government cannot provide all the needs of the university of Ilorin as a microcosm of its several universities.

"It is in this respect that I call on goods spirited Nigerians to come and partner with the university and contribute to making life on campus better for our teeming students.

"We want more of such interventions as made by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas(NLNG)

through the $2 million Engineering Research Center commissioned in July this year, from corporate and individual Nigerians.

"In essence, the university is keenly interested in expanding its facilities and increasing its capacity to cater for several thousands of Nigerian students who knock at our gate for admission each year.

"Such interventions may come in the form of provision of lecture theatres, class rooms, hostels, blocks of offices, endowments of chairs and research sponsorships and grants to our staff and students".

Ambali stated further that, the graduands should continue to be good ambassadors of the university wherever they may be, adding that they must be guided by the university ideals and philosophy having been found qualified in character and learning as you graduate into larger society".

While advising the graduating students to take charge of their lives, Ambali said that, they should think positively because they were what they think.

"Your life will be good if you internalise excellence, commit yourselves to life-long learning, make research to guide your actions not impulse, uphold probity in dealing with people and phenomena and devote yourselves to service and I wish you all a good life after graduation filled with abundant grace and great accomplishment," he said.

The federal government has announced that only teachers dully registered with the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) would be employed to teach in public schools.

The criteria may be applied in the recruitment of over 500,000 teachers that the federal government intends to partner with states to recruit.

The Minister of State for Education, Professor Anthony Anwukah Who made this known at the grand finale of the Maltina Teacher of the Year in Lagos, also advised teachers to invest the best of themselves in the students under their charge knowing that the days of recognition and reward will come.

“I urge you to remain exemplary in your different states and continue to impact the generation of young people that our country needs to hold its own in the comity of nations”, he said.

He stated that at a time like this when the country was in a resolute march of change and turnaround, education occupied a strategic place in the agenda of the current administration to bring about a positive turn of events for the country.

The minister expressed government’s commitment to creating

innovative strategies and strengthening institutional structures towards revitalising the education sector. He highlighted some of the strategies to include addressing out-of-school crisis; strengthening basic and secondary education; teachers’ education; and generating education data for planning.

Others are curriculum and benchmark minimum academic standard; technical and vocational education and training; quality assurance and access to higher education; ICT in education and library services.

While commending Nigerian Breweries- Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund for the extent it has gone in contributing to the country’s education sector, he expressed delight that the company had completed and handed over the staff residence at the school of last year’s teacher of the year before crowning a new winner this year.

A teacher at the Special Education Centre for Exceptional Children, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Imoh Essien was pronounced the 2016 Maltina teacher of the year. He was rewarded with N1 million in addition to the N500,000 he received as state champion from Akwa Ibom. He will also get N1 million every year for five years; a training programme abroad and a block of six classrooms built at his school.

FAAN MD Emerges President of ACI-Africa ChineduEze

The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Saleh Dunoma on Tuesday emerged regional President of Airport Council International (ACI-Africa).

The election took place during the 25th ACI-Africa annual assembly regional conference and exhibition from 17 - 23 October holding in Moputo, Mozambique.

A statement from the agency said, “By this election, Dunoma has made history as the first Nigerian to preside over the body made up of 62 members, operating 250 airports in 47 countries throughout the African continent.”

ACI is a non-for-profit organisation with five geographical regions - Afica, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin AmericanCaribbean and North America.

Described as a consummate team

player and dedicated professional, the agency said Dunoma had over three decades of hands-on experience in the aviation sector, “which will come to bear in his presidency.”

The new President of ACI-Africa is a recipient of the National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) Award

by President Mohammadu Buhari, based on the recommendation of the National Productivity Centre of Nigeria.

A graduate of the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Dunoma started his aviation career in the Civil Engineering Department of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in 1980 and rose through the ranks to the zenith as its Managing Director.

“Dunoma has been described as a silent achiever who allows his work to speak for him,” the agency said.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • OCTOBER 22, 2016

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Aisha Buhari not Against Her Husband, Says APC Chieftain

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State, Yusuf Ali has said that contrary to insinuations by some people, the president's wife was totally committed to the success of the current administration headed by her husband, President Muhammadu Buhari.

The party stalwart also said that he had known Aisha Buhari even before the APC came on board, adding that she had consistently supported her husband's ambition everywhere.

Ali said that Aisha had exhibited rare courage and ought to be

commended for exposing those who were bent on dragging the current administration down.

In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, Yusuf Ali who was an APC aspirant for the House of Representatives in Kaduna South in the 2015 general election, regretted that some persons were gradually driving a wedge between the president and the stalwarts of the APC for selfish reasons.

He said that ultimate aim of these politicians is to hijack the presidency to further their personal agenda.

Ali said: "Hajia Aisha Buhari is someone I have known even before the advent of the APC.

Her commitment to the success of the president and Nigeria is total. She is one woman who supported her husband's political ambition in the secret and in the open. For her to step out and expose those who are bent on derailing the APC shows her overwhelming commitment to the president, APC and Nigeria.

"The motive of the cabal is to alienate the President from the APC thereby hijacking the presidency to further their personal agenda" "The party stalwart however said that there was no doubt that President Muhammadu Buhari was working very hard to bring the country out

of the doldrums to the path of peace and development, some people within the government do not share that aspiration while adding that they will soon be exposed.

"The president and the APC are on a rescue mission to retrieve Nigeria from the doldrums and return the country to the path of peace, growth and sustainable development. Yet a few people who do not share the passion of Mr. President and the APC towards Nigeria are now calling the shots and if this development is allowed to persist, very soon Nigerians will not know the difference between APC and the PDP" .

Prolight+ Hosts 80 Exhibitors, 2,000Visitors in Dubai Fair

Omolabake Fasogbon

The organiser of the international trade fair of technologies and services for entertainment, integrated systems and creation, Prolight + Sound Middle East ,has announced that it would be hosting about 80 exhibitors and 2,000 visitors at this year's fair in Dubai.

According to the company, this year's event had been designed to match up with the astronomical growth in the entertainment industry in Africa, Middle East and Asia, with series of seminars to provide players with an all-in-one platform for education and networking experience.

The event slated for October 31st through November 2nd 2016, the Chief Executive Officer of Exhibition and Trade Limited, who is also representing the company in Nigeria, Omonigho Itoya, said, would remain the only international trade show in the entire Middle East and Africa dedicated to technology and services for the entertainment, event, media and creation industry.

Itoya who noted that the growing market in bars, restaurants, entertainment venues as well as hotels and resorts had raised a cause for industry players to stay abreast of innovations in the sector, as he advised also that

government needed to redirect its economic diversification initiative to give a financial and social boost to the entertainment sector which he assured will be more rewarding than expected.

The Chief Executive Officer of Messe Frankfurt Middle East, Ahmed Pauwels, pointed out that market trends had revealed that the demand for pro lighting, sound, and audio equipment was heading in the right direction, hence he was delighted to present an annual platform of ground-breaking products dedicated to the industry.

“In Prolight + Sound Middle East,

we’re providing a highly interactive networking, developmental and sourcing platform, where the world’s premier brands will present their latest product lines, from stage lighting and disc Jockey equipment to special effects and multimedia, or audio and AV systems to infrastructure and furnishings”, he said.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS ADEWOLE OLAIDE KHADIJAT, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OLANREWAJU KHADIJAT OLAIDE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as DAVID GLORY, now wish to be known and addressed as DAVID GLORY ADA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as BLESSING ONYINYECHI NWANKWO , now wish to be known and addressed as BLESSING ONYINYECHI OGBONNA. .

All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as LOVETH CHINASA OKAFOR, now wish to be known and addressed as LOVETH CHINASA UGOCHUKWU . All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as ONWUNMERE HENRY UGOCHUKWU, now wish to be known and addressed as HENRY UGOCHUKWU. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as ADEOYE SURAJUDEEN, now wish to be known and addressed as ADEOYE SURAJU ADEGBEMIJO. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as FATIMA ABDULMUMUMI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS FATIMA ABUBAKAR ABDULSALAM. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as OLADIMEJI PAUL OLADIMEJI SULAIMON, now wish to be known and addressed as OLADIMEJI PAUL SULAIMON. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS EBIMO MAUREEN PAUL, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS EBIMO MAREEN EZONBUODOR ASANGUAI. All former documents remain valid.

GTBank, First Bank Plc, River State Polytechnic, Bori and the general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS BLESSING ONYINYECHI NWANKWO, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS BLESSING ONYINYECHI OGBONNA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

T H I S D AY SATURDAY OCTOBER 22, 2016

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Price: N250

MISSILE Justice Ademola on Abubakar Malami “While I was in Kano between 2004 and 2007 as a Federal High Court judge, he (Abubakar Malami) was involved in a professional misconduct necessitating his arrest and detention by my order. However, with the intervention of the NBA, Kano branch, the allegation of misconduct was later withdrawn by me. Consequently, the NJC referred Malami to the Nigerian Bar Association’s Disciplinary Committee for disciplinary action.”

– Justices Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division accusing the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami of reprisal war.

GUESTCOLUMNIST

The Answer is Blowing in the Wind I Jon West

t was quite heartening to learn that on the 13th of October 2016, the Nobel Committee awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature to the great and iconic musician, lyricist, songwriter and political activist, Bob Dylan. The Committee must be congratulated for recognizing the role of the lyricist and song writer in literature, especially when it is extended to political activism.

As a teenager in the 1960s and later as an adult in the 1970s , I was intrigued and inspired by the lyrics of Bob Dylan’s songs as they were quite relevant in the very ugly developments in the Nigerian political space and the world in general. His haunting lyrics, encapsulated in the evergreen and iconic songs “Blowing in the Wind,The Times They Are A-changing, Hurricane, Mozambique” etc, captured the prevailing political and social moods of the time, and helped bring social and economic justice to especially the Black people of the United States and the Black Africans fighting for the liberation of the continent from colonial rule in the 1960s and 1970s.

Bob Dylan’s songs were and are still relevant to the liberation of oppressed peoples and the realization of political, social and economic justice for the oppressed globally. He championed the release from prison of the African American boxer and world middleweight championship contender, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, wrongfully accused of a triple murder and jailed for life for a crime he was nowhere near to or involved in.

Before the recent Black Lives Matter protests and the reality of the Presidency of Barack Obama, people like Rubin Carter were symbols of the oppressive treatment of Black people, including very prominent and popular icons like Rubin Carter, by the American justice system. Rubin Carter was locked up for 19 years until a Federal Judge ruled, in 1985, that Carter didn’t receive a fair trial and therefore released him.

I shall with the permission of the copyright owners, reproduce the lyrics of some of his greatest hits below: 1.BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND Yes, and how many years can a mountain exist Before it’s washed to the sea?

Bob Dylan Yes, how many times can a man turn his head And pretend he just doesn’t see?

Yes, and how many years can some people exist Before they’re allowed to be free?

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind.

The answer is blowin’ in the wind How many roads must a man walk down Before you call him a man?

Yes, ‘n’ how many seas must a white dove sail Before she sleeps in the sand?

Yes,’n’ how many times must the cannon balls fly Before they are forever banned?

Yes, and how many ears must one man have Before he can hear people cry?

Yes, and how people have to die Before he thinks that too many people have died?

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind The answer is blowin’ in the wind Words and Music by Bob Dylan,1962 In 2007, the song was the subject of a homily

by Pope John Paul II, the only time a pop song had prompted such a sermon. In it, the pontiff said,”You say the answer is blowing in the wind, my friend. So it is: but it is not the wind that blows things away. It is the wind that is the breadth and life of the Holy Spirit, the voice that calls and says, ‘Come!’

In Africa, Bob Dylan championed, in his songs, the African liberation movements that ensured the end of Portuguese colonial rule and the end of apartheid in South Africa, and brought the horrors of colonialism, apartheid and social injustice to the global music audience in stark context.

The continued relevance of the lyrics of many of Dylan’s songs in the current reality of global events, especially in Africa and specifically Nigeria, cannot be overstated. For example, the rhetorical question about how many ears a man must have before he can hear people cry and how many people have to die before some people realize that too many people have died, captured in the iconic song “Blowin’ In The Wind” could be seen in the present reality of Nigerian life, where the people in authority appear deaf to the cries of the populace and are even indifferent to the constant slaughter of innocents and starvation of children all over the country.

How many ears will President Buhari need, even after treatment for an ear infection in a London hospital, before he can hear the cries of the Nigerian people dying under the worst economic decline in three decades and the children starving in the IDP camps in Borno, where their plight helped bring him to power?

And where are all the young men(and women) gone? To untimely deaths in the Mediterranean, the Sahara desert and the brothels of Sicily and Tuscany, in search of greener pastures in a country that should be attracting the wretched

of other countries, if the economy were properly managed? When will we ever learn that power without knowledge and vision is really nothing short of thuggery, carpet bagging and Buccaneer endeavours? Perhaps our leaders should develop more interest in the arts and especially the lyrics of music, the music of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Bob Marley, Hugh Masekela, MiriamMakeba, Onyeka Onwenu et al, who were the leading lights, when music was used for social and economic emancipation, not the current hip hop nonsense that teaches nothing and appeals to nobody with any sense of purpose in life.

The second Bob Dylan song should also serve as a wake-up call for our unrepentant legislooters, deaf to the cries of a famished and blighted populace, while engaged in sheer debauchery and economic brigandage.

2.THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGING Come senators, congressmen(members of the House of Representatives) Please heed the call Don’t stand in the doorway Don’t block up the hall For he that gets hurt Will be he who has stalled There’s a battle outside And it is ragin’ It ‘ll soon shake your windows And rattle your walls For the times they are a-changing Words and Music by Bob Dylan, 1963,1964, Warner Bros Inc. The haunting, politically and socially liberating lyrics in the songs of the 2016 Nobel Literature Laureate offer us an opportunity to understand the role of the artiste in social, political and economic emancipation. Our overbearing leaders, intent of stamping their “authority” on the political, social and economic landscape, should be wary of the unintended consequences of such a mindset, so that further down the road to the consequential perdition, they will not be haunted by the words of Bob Dylan, who even as a very young man, understood the role of the elite, in the social and economic liberation of their people.

•Jon West, Owerri, Imo State

Femi Fani-Kayode’s Life in Danger Jude Ndukwe The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) once again lived up to its billing of being used by the current administration for the sinister purposes of silencing the opposition under the guise of fighting corruption.

As expected, and as earlier stated in his press statement, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode had already raised the alarm that he was going to be rearrested by the EFCC as the organisation whose operations have become easily predictable, have graduated from being an investigative body meant to serve the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians to a vindictive institution willing to do the biddings of some vengeful cabal whose existence even the wife of the president confirmed recently.

Let it be on record that Chief Fani-Kayode was held for 67 days in EFCC custody who used questionable orders from magistrates to perpetuate their illegality. While in their custody, he suffered all forms of abuses, trauma and even physical attacks from some of the agents of the Commission. Their thinking was that all these torture and torments would be enough to silence him. But rather than being silenced,

Fani-Kayode

much as it is reckless.

Immediately after he was granted bail by the courts, obviously to the disappointment of state agents, he had been on a recovery therapy as recommended by his doctors having suffered untold hardship in the hands of the EFCC. But realizing that their plans to torture him into silence did not work, the Commission immediately swung into action again by sending him another round of letters of invitation for some other imagined charges to which his lawyers responded promptly by informing the EFCC of his health conditions.

The Commission filed their fresh case against him at the Federal High Court Abuja in the Charge No. FHC/ABJ140/2016 earlier this month but despite the presence of Fani-Kayode’s legal team, the EFCC were neither there nor did they send any representative nor was their legal team in court. The case was consequently adjourned to November 10, 2016 (Please, see attached).

We are therefore aghast but not surprised that this latest action of the EFCC is in sync with the script writers of this whole episode to silence Fani-Kayode by hook or by crook. Words have filtered to us from credible sources within the presidency and the security agencies that

the ultimate aim of those who are behind the former minister’s travails is to apply “extreme measures” on him. We have also been told that in security circles, that means to have him killed through the use of some poisonous substances that would break his health down irreversibly and eventually kill him even months after he might have been released so that the suspicion would not be at the doorsteps of state agents. If not, why allow Nenadi Usman (former minister of State of Finance) and Director of Finance in the PDP Campaign Organisation, Danjuma and others charged alongside Fani-Kayode to go and only him was re-arrested in the court premises?

Our fears now are that nothing is beyond this government. We call on the good people of Nigeria, democrats and lovers of this great nation to rise and demand that no Nigerian should be persecuted or assassinated based on his beliefs and or opinions on critical national matters. We are watching very closely, and should anything untoward happen to FFK, Nigerians of course know who to hold responsible even as we demand for his immediate and unconditional release now!

•Ndukwe is Media Assistant to Fani-Kayode

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